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 Rob Wrigley

Review: Messiah of Evil (1973)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Mon, 2002-07-29 00:00

Some awful films become popular and successful, despite obvious technical and artistic flaws. Some great films suffer in obscurity undeservedly. Messiah of Evil (1973) is a case of the latter. Directed and written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (screenwriters for American Graffiti and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Messiah is a thoughtful, introspective, and very original entry into low-budget seventies horror. Available on a small number of budget labels (Diamond Entertainment has it available on DVD), it is a film undeserved of the meagerness of its reputation.(read more...)

Review: Hell of the Living Dead (1980)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Wed, 2002-07-24 00:00

Heaven help anyone who makes the mistake of taking Hell of the Living Dead seriously. Bruno Mattei's 1981 anti-classic is arguably the worst film to come out of the Zombie films that flooded out of Italy in the wake of Dawn of the Dead. A cult item in its native land, it was released in America as Night of the Zombies, and has garnered an equal status among low-budget horror fans.(read more...)

Review: Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Wed, 2002-07-17 00:00

It takes a while for Cannibal Holocaust to really sink in. Ruggero Deodato's cult classic has been canonized, marginalized, praised, lambasted, and hotly debated since its 1979 debut. On first viewing, one may wonder what all the fuss is about. Once given a chance to mull the film over, its cynical morality, and savage criticism shocks even more than the carnage on screen.(read more...)

Review: And Soon the Darkness (1970)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Mon, 2002-07-15 01:00

A sunny day, a quiet road, rural France: three things not normally associated with suspense...but the basis for terror in Robert Fuest's And Soon the Darkness. Released in 1970 to critical praise but little audience response, it went on to become a cult classic. Directed by Fuest (The Abominable Doctor Phibes) and written and produced by other veterans of "The Avengers," And Soon the Darkness is finally available on DVD, uncut, and restored, courtesy of Anchor Bay.(read more...)

Review: Beyond the Darkness (1979)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Wed, 2002-07-10 15:19

Now here's a grisly little number. A lot of films have the title of "most sickening film ever made". Some even aspire to it. Try as they might, though, few directors were willing to cross barriers a violate taboos the way Joe D'Amato (aka Aristide Massaccesi) would. His first, and arguably, his best, horror film was been restored and remastered by Media Blaster's Shriek Show label. Buio Omega (Aka Beyond the Darkness, Buried Alive, Blue Holocaust, etc.) is a film not to be missed by fans of graphic, intense horror.(read more...)

Review: The Devil's Nightmare (1971)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Fri, 2002-06-21 15:19

Jean Brismee's The Devil's Nightmare (1971) (aka La Plus Longue Nuit de Diable) isn't a film well known outside of the Eurohorror cultists. Directed by a virtual unknown, it is mostly remembered as a star vehicle for sex-icon Erica Blanc (Kill, Baby...Kill!, The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave). Her darkly sensual looks and frighten performance lend a solid center, around which a spooky, thoughtful film was built.

A tour bus full of colorful characters breaks down on the backroads of the German countryside. The passengers manage to find lodgings for the night at an aging castle, only to discover the place is, of course, cursed and haunted. With the arrival of a last, mysterious guest, the night takes a turn for the deadly.(read more...)

Review: Bruiser (2000)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Wed, 2001-11-14 21:17

The most disappointing thing about Bruiser, the new film by George Romero, is that it's been so long since his last film. The Dark Half was released in '93 to mixed reviews. After so much down time, one would expect him to return to film with energy and excitement. Unfortunately, Bruiser is a listless film, by a director who seems to be just going through the motions.(read more...)

Review: Cannibal Man (1972)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Tue, 2001-10-23 00:00

Cannibal Man, the infamous 1971 film by controversial Spanish director Eloy de la Igelsia, was never released theatrically in the U.S. It has been available as an import or a bootleg, and gained reputation not only for its brutal violence, but also for its provocative themes. With Anchor Bay's recent release of the film on DVD and video, the American audience at last has a chance to admire a lost minor classic of European exploitation.(read more...)

Review: Phenomena (1985)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Mon, 2001-10-22 00:00

Phenomena, by Italian director Dario Argento, originally played in the United States in a shortened form as Creepers. It has finally been released in America, by Anchor Bay on DVD and VHS. Presented widescreen and full-length, we can finally judge it as its author intended. Creepers was filled with plot holes and logic gaps that left its audience scratching its head. With the all the missing footage restored, Phenomena will leave its audience utterly bewildered.(read more...)

Review: Pieces (1982)

Submitted by Rob Wrigley on Sun, 2001-10-21 15:19

Pieces (aka Mil gritos tiene la noche) was released in 1983, accompanied by a grisly ad campaign that promised "It's exactly what you think it is!" Infamous when it played theaters, it became a cult item in video stores during the 1980's, propped up next to other Carter-era gems such as Driller Killer, Toolbox Murders, and Three on a Meathook. While most of such bottom-feeding, low budget horror schlock from the Grainy Seventies, have fallen into desevered obscurity, Pieces has enjoyed a long shelf-life and warm memories from genre fans.(read more...)