Our editor-in-chief Nate Yapp is proud to have contributed to the new book Hidden Horror: A Celebration of 101 Underrated and Overlooked Fright Flicks, edited by Aaron Christensen. Another contributors include Anthony Timpone, B.J. Colangelo, Dave Alexander, Classic-Horror.com's own Robert C. Ring and John W. Bowen. Pick up a copy today from Amazon.com!

Posts by Nate Yapp

Review: Blood Freak (1972)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2002-09-26 01:03

Ed Wood would have been mighty proud of this absolutely insane little film. H. G. Lewis, its other obvious inspiration(?), might have been just a touch disappointed. Fans of cult cinema should look out for this DVD - it's an absolute gem. It seems to be the first disc that comes ready for hours of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"-style mocking.

Heck, the main feature on its own is enough to fulfill the jesting youth of today. To quote the box, it's "the world's first turkey-monster-pro-jesus-anti-drug-gore-film." Incidentally, it's also the last, a situation that I would prefer to see continued. As enjoyable as Blood Freak is, I think there's only room in the world for one of its kind.(read more...)

Review: Devil Doll (1964)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Wed, 2002-09-18 00:00

One of the lesser episodes of the classic cable television show "Mystery Science Theater 3000" involved a 1964 British film entitled Devil Doll. The essential problem with that particular entry was that the movie was too good for the jokes to come easy, but too boring to be really interesting. It was one of those films that was probably safest confined to a room with Mike and the 'bots.

Well, it's been let loose now, on a DVD from Image. The black and white cinematography is startlingly clear, the mono sound fairly crisp, and the extras are reasonably extensive. The question, though, is why?(read more...)

Review: The Toolbox Murders (1978)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Fri, 2002-09-13 00:00

Roughly two decades ago, somebody made a huge squeak about the violence in a little exploitation slasher called The Toolbox Murders. As a result, the film became the center of a huge controversy. Its detractors attacked its attitude towards women and claimed that it was not fit for public consumption. The movie was banned in Britain (a decision that was recently reversed) and its video availability has been pretty shoddy - until now.

Blue Underground, a new DVD label from Maniac director and former Anchor Bay impresario William Lustig, has released The Toolbox Murders uncut, complete with a bevy of extras to satisfy any lover of low-budget 70s trash.(read more...)

Review: Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Fri, 2002-09-06 00:00

My great love for Troma has been no secret. When Classic-Horror set out to score its first major interview with a filmmaker, we didn't seek out standards like Stuart Gordon, Tobe Hooper, or George Romero. We asked Lloyd Kaufman, the President of Troma Studios, to sit down and talk horror.

So, it is no surprise that I was overjoyed to be able to watch Citizen Toxie, the latest installment in the Toxic Avenger series. Typically speaking, I view modern sequels with some amount of apprehension, but I went into this one with high expectations. I came out undisappointed. This is the best Toxie film, without a doubt.(read more...)

Lloyd Kaufman Interview

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2002-09-05 00:00

The man you're about to read about is utterly insane... or so he seems. The President of Troma Films and the creator of the Toxic Avenger (as he is often introduced) is very much as he appears in the numerous vignettes of Troma's Edge TV (found on finer Troma DVDs everywhere) - and yet has a deeper core of wild insight into classic film, Corporate America, and New York's Finest.

I had the honor and privilege of conversing with Lloyd early in August of 2002, right in the middle of his hectic schedule. I should have known I was in for a treat when Lloyd broke traditional interviewing technique and asked me the first question...

Lloyd Kaufman: Where are you, by the way?

Classic-Horror: I'm in Iowa.
(read more...)

Review: The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Sun, 2002-08-11 00:00

Sometimes you just have a strong urge to go with something that is at once new and familiar. That's when I usually plug in something from Universal, Troma, or Hammer. In this particular instance, I picked the latter company, and the film I chose, The Devil Rides Out, proved to be a startlingly fresh and exciting flick.(read more...)

Review: American Psycho (2000)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Wed, 2002-08-07 17:23

Lurking below the skin of every seemingly well-adjusted male is a homicidal psychopath waiting to burst out. Such is the message behind Mary Harron's adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis's misogynistic Me Generation novel. This film is as much at home with Fight Club as it is the recent spate of "I Remember the 80s" flicks.

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) at first appears to be the least despicable member of a group of self-obsessed Wall Street yuppies. However, appearances are quite deceiving, as we slowly learn. It seems that Bateman's nocturnal activities have a slightly... deadly ring to them.(read more...)

Review: Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Tue, 2002-08-06 00:00

One of the most lively debates in the horror fandom is the most basic one: "What is horror?" Everybody has their own definition. For the most part, I take a pretty laidback attitude about it. Sometimes a film comes along, though, that really makes me sit up and delve into the subject.
(read more...)

Review: Before I Hang (1940)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Fri, 2002-08-02 00:00

In the late 30s/early 40s, Boris Karloff had two basic roles (outside of his work at Universal) - he would either play the kindly misunderstood scientist or the condemned/murdered man given new life. In Before I Hang, he gets to play both.

In the space of 10 minutes, Dr. Garth (Karloff) is sentenced to hang for the mercy killing of a patient, goes to prison, meets Dr. Howard (Edward Van Sloan) and perfects his youth serum. Alas, he makes the all-too-common mistake of using the blood of a murderer, so when he injects himself roughly 15 minutes in, you know troubles a-brewin'.(read more...)

Review: Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)

Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2002-08-01 00:00

Directed by Alfred Sole, Alice, Sweet Alice (originally titled Communion, also known as Holy Terror) explores the horror lurking behind the Catholic church in a small New Jersey community.

Little Alice Spages (Paula Sheppard) is jealous of her younger sister Karen (a very young Brooke Shields). Karen gets the pretty dress, Karen gets the pretty cross necklace, and Mom definitely prefers Karen the best. So, it's only natural that when the precocious sibling is brutally murdered before her first communion, suspicion falls on Alice.

Of course, we horror fans know better. The first suspect is the worst suspect. Or is it?
(read more...)