RAIDERS OF THE LIVING DEAD (1986, YOUTUBE) THE CURED (2017, YOUTUBE) SISTER MIDNIGHT (2025, THEATER).
Had I watched "Raiders of the Living Dead" when Anonymous recommended it on the first Junesploitation! back in 2013 I would have hated it. With 12 years of exploitation cinema under my belt, though, I can appreciate the silly PG-13 hijinks and low-budget charm of what is essentially New Jersey-set "Stranger Things" as a decade-appropriate one-off. The opening credits set to George Edward Ott's catchy song are peppy, a contrast with the cheapo needle-drop music heard throughout the rest of the flick. If you can survive the interminable opening hostage "action" scene the narrative (cobbled together from an existing feature and new footage, ala "Equinox") eventually jumps between (a) a journalist trying to uncover the reason zombies are after him and (b) a kid ("The Toy's" Scott Schwartz) tinkering with his grandpa's LaserDisc player to create zombie-killing laser weapons... for him and his sidekick/girl-friend. Rarely do these plot threads mix, but when they do (thanks to gramps being open-minded and believing the desperate journo) this "Raiders" achieves cheesy 'B' movie fun. Blink and you'll miss OG "Mummy's" Zita Johann (in her last feature role after a 52-year absence) doing an exposition dump. A way too generous 3.5 "RED SHIRT" COPS WEARING WHITE T-SHIRTS (out of five).
"The Cured" is on solid ground for two thirds of its running time exploring an alternate reality in which a worldwide zombie outbreak was contained and many (but not all) of the infected cured. The population/society/military discriminate against the newly re-integrated former zombies, who have trouble adjusting because they retain trauma/memories of all the killings they did when they were undead. Focusing on Ireland (because it's an Irish-produced feature) we follow a just-reintegrated bloke (Sam Keeley), whose loyalty is tested by his widow sister-in-law (Elliot Page, then Ellen) and "friend" Conor ("Peaky Blinder's" Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) having different attitudes about how to fight back against the system. Shame the final act turns into a metaphorical-to-the-Irish-conflicts "28 Days/Weeks Later" clone, to the detriment of the thoughtful narrative/character development it built at the start. Worth seeing (strong acting by the principals and key supporting cast) but could and should have finished stronger. 3.25 EMPTY SWIMMING POOLS AS IMPROVISED TEST LABS (out of five).
"Sister Midnight" being a UK/Sweeden/India co-production explains why, despite looking/sounding like a Bollywood dramatic feature, manages to create an unusual blend of tones (darkly comedic, women empowerment, etc.) that make its tale of dirt-poor newlyweds trying to cope with their sucky life feel more grounded than usual. And that's before protagonist Uma (Radhika Apte, who carries the entire film on her tiny shoulders) discovers she has a sickness (!) that makes her chase after animals (birds at first, then everything from goats and chickens to dogs/cats) to eat their essence and keep her going. Why Uma keeps the bodies of the animals in the tiny shack she shares with checked-out hubby (Ashok Pathak)? Unknown, but it leads to the highlight-worthy sight of CG stop-motion zombie animals running riot on the streets. :-) Deliberately holding an explanation to the supernatural (vampiric?) shenanigans on display, writer/director Karan Kandhari allows the viewer to either loathe/sympathize with Uma based mostly on her choices as un unhappily married woman in a society that gives her no options other than take a janitorial job to get away from the man/life she despises. Worth a shot-in-the-dark try to see if your Junesploitation! sensors tingle. 3.15 FAKE B&W SAMURAI MOVIES ON TV (out of five).
RAIDERS is on my 'maybes' list for today. It's a longtime favorite & I have yet to crack open my Severin Blu. Maybe I should watch both previous versions & the Sam Sherman final product as a triple feature called "ByeByeBrain".
SEOUL STATION (2016, dir. Yeon Sang-Ho) on Amazon Prime
Animated zombies from South Korea. This film is marketed as a prequel to Train To Busan, but Seoul Station is a much different film. First of all, this has nothing to do with trains. The animation also sets it apart. The zombie apocalypse starts in Seoul at the main train station when a homeless man turns up with a bad bite on the neck. There is no explanation for it. (The treatment of the poor in South Korean society is a prominent subtext throughout the film.) The rest that follows is pretty standard plotting for the zombie genre, with things getting gloomier and gloomier for the characters as they seek shelter from the flesh-eating hordes. Moreover, the ugly side of human nature becomes more prominent. Although I would not call Seoul Station a bad film, I was expecting a little more than it delivers. Maybe my lukewarm reception to the animation style impacted my reaction, as well.
A group of tourists sailing on a small boat are marooned on a small island and unwittingly unleash a group of aquatic zombie soldiers, Nazi Germany's experiment in trying to create the perfect soldier, who have laid dormant for three decades at the bottom of the sea.
Less gory and slower than you generally want your Junesploitation zombie movies to be. Most scenes feel like they're really trying to generate suspense, but they mostly generate frustration instead. Peter Cushing is always a welcome sight, though.
After seeing it trailered on rental VHS tapes, I finally saw SHOCK WAVES as the second feature on a 2000's bigscreen/35mm double feature with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. SW seemed like the most boring movie ever. I've since come to really enjoy it.
Whoa, what are the odds I matched the screenshot for the day? A grieving mother hires a witch doctor to bring her son (the legendary Jon Mikl Thor) back from the dead to get revenge. A ruddy-faced Adam West is top billed but doesn't appear until over halfway through the movie. There was an interesting plot twist that I didn't see coming. Tia Carrere is in this! Recommended as a deep cut 80s horror curiosity.
ZOMBIE DEATH HOUSE (1988) A man is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. On the inside, doctors and a corrupt FBI agent experiment on the prisoners to turn them into super soldiers, um I mean zombies. But it takes a long time to get to the crime, and then a long time to get to jail, and finally a long time to get to the zombies. I guess this was originally meant to be a crime drama called “Death House,” as the word “Zombie” is sloppily added to the opening title card in a different font. So, it’s all the prison movie tropes/clichés, and maybe five minutes of a zombie flick. Bummer.
30 days of Georges Melies, day 2: THE KINGDOM OF THE FAIRIES (1903) A bumbling hero journeys to rescue a kidnapped princess, passing through an undersea kingdom along the way. A lot of the effects still hold up, with characters popping up through the floor and vanishing in puffs of smoke. That is, the effects hold up except for the rinky-dink little toy boat on the ocean scenes. And I’m unclear on who the man in the green robe is, whether he’s working with the hero or against him. But I’m nitpicking. This is a lot of fun, full of outrageous visual razzle-dazzle.
This year I’m gonna try real hard to post more often on here and celebrate Junesploitation with you all — easily my favorite movie event of the year. As a humble little French cinephile, it’s the perfect excuse to dig deep and uncover some wild, obscure B-movie gems that barely made a blip over here.
Like many of you, I kicked things off yesterday with Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man. And wow… what a ride.
For Day 2, I went with Nightmare City by Umberto Lenzi — a first-time watch for me, and a big gap in my genre education. Unfortunately, the version I found on FilmoTV (a French streaming site) was low-quality and censored. Huge bummer. Letterboxd reviews kept hyping up how these infected-zombie dudes were totally obsessed with boobs, and… there was none of that in the cut I watched. So yeah, I felt a little robbed.
That said, the movie did deliver in other glorious ways — like a surgeon who randomly turns into a scalpel-throwing marksman, and a beautiful foam mannequin getting tossed out of a helicopter. Cinema!
Happy Junesploitation, folks — can’t wait to see what madness you all dig up next!
Belgium zombie movie with the hook that a couple travels to a very shady Eastern European hospital so the girlfriend can get a breast augmentation, but get caught up in a zombie outbreak instead.
You can tell that director Lars Damoiseaux loves the genre...maybe too much because this is as by the book as far as including almost every zombie cliche. Every character is a various shade of unlikable. The boyfriend kind of reminded me of a Dutch Joe Swanberg and the asshole who fucks everything up (because there has to be one) looks like a young Freddie Prinze Jr.
{"ill need to whisper this review as me and a group of friends are hold up in hiding from the current Zombie attack. One managed to bite me a little but as ive seen countless zombie movies im sure ill be fine...its just a scratch..wont even bother mentioning it to my friends. Anyhoo onto the review...."}
The first Wyrmwood film, Road of the Dead, caught me by surprise. I really had a ton of fun with it. So when i recently found out there was a sequel i saved it for Junesploit. This time around i didnt connect much with the story which focuses on humans and 'hybrid' zombies attacking an evil lab. Pretty bare bones. That being said there is a ton of great practical zombie action within so i still..{cough cough}...had a lot of fun with..{cough hack cough}...it and would sugge....BRAINS...... BRAAAINNSSSS..... BRRAAIIINNNSSSS...................... {blogger feed dies}
Director and writer Jordi Gigó wrote Exorcismo and wrote and directed Porno Girls, L’espectre de Justine and, well, that’s it. Other than this movie.
Countess Claire Grandier (Silvia Solar, Danger!! Death Ray, Cannibal Terror, Eyeball) and telepathic Professor Gruber (Olivier Mathot) have bought a castle, a place where they can ride horses, have lavish dinners, make sweet love and, you know, get a dwarf (Ronnie Harp) to help them create the living dead. But when they’re not doing that, they’re using the castle for fashion shows, which is how we get a bevy of Eurocult ladies to show up, turn on, tune out and get nude. Man, the fake eyelashes budget on this…
Also, the Countess hates the castle owner, Duke of Haussemont (José Nieto), whom she blames for killing her husband, taking her money and forcing her into a life of zombie making and model murdering. Yet he lets them stay in the castle as ghostbusters when they’re the ones making the ghosts or zombies.
The castle looks excellent, the flashbacks feel like a silent movie, it’s more Frankenstein than Romero, there’s full frontal nudity, poor zombie makeup, a Jess Franco feel and by that I mean this movie is beyond horny and wants you to know that, the Book of Astarov, Satanic rites, a movie that feels like an Electric Wizard song and appearances by María Silva (Curse of the Devil) and Evelyne Scott (Shining Sex), a strong undercurrent of anything can happens next and lots of fog. Some people would hate this. Those people are jerks.
The original title — La perversa caricia de Satán (Satan’s Perverse Caress or The Wicked Caresses of Satan) — is precisely why I watched this.
A very light-hearted, very silly zombie teen romantic comedy about a teenage love stronger than death. The tone is purely absurdist throughout, never reaching for anything darker or more serious, and I'm totally fine with that. I wish the movie had any special effects budget at all, because it begs for some better gore gags, which are there in the script, but not on the screen (even the greyish dead skin make-up on the main guy comes and goes randomly). Also featuring early turns by Philip Seymour Hoffman as a violent bully, Matthew Fox as a snotty jock, and Matthew McConaughey as Guy #2.
THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS (2001, Takashi Miike)
The tagline reads “Love, music, horror, volcanos. Cinema was never meant to be like this!” Well, Junesploitation pals, IMO cinema sure should be like this! Japanese family values are scrutinized and satirized with Miike's kinetic direction, colorful design and cinematography, heartwarming performances, dazzling musical numbers (the karaoke song -- amazing!), and humorous horror. Oh, and claymation. And, yes, zombies! DANCING zombies! Not your typical undead effort, but frankly, I’ve seen a morgue-full of zombie films and wanted a movie off the "beat 'em and burn 'em" path. And I got it! When you’re looking for something completely different, I encourage you to check this one out!
The Living Dead of Manchester Morgue (1974) A fun little zombie movie that definitely does some new things with zombies. A few inventive shots that really stood out, and set in beautiful rural England. Also features the worst cops you’ll ever see!
The sort of movie I only watch every now and again, but there are some bits I like more each time. Still not a fan of the missing real though. But I do like the infection effects.
Not a flesh eater flick. Basically it’s Jud Crandall’s story about Bill Baterman from Pet Sematary.
Solid performances all around. Almost just a family drama for the first hour. So you might be bored if you’re looking for a traditional zombie movie but it’s got a solid last 15 minutes that maybe doesn’t hit as hard if you didn’t have the first hour.
Deadheads(2011 Dir The Pierce Brothers) Two sentient Zombies and their regular Zombie friend Cheese set off on a road trip to propose to ones long lost love while being tracked by the evil military scientist who created them in the first place. The script needed some work as its a very "and then" movie but the actors are all having fun. While most of the humor falls flat the cast carries it to the end. Theres also a short film on Youtube 'Smush! A DeadHeads Short" on the origins of Cheese. Its 9 minutes long and a fun little watch.
WILD ZERO (1999, T. Takeuchi) First rewatch since I saw it on the initial film fest circuit, I think. Synapse DVD, 7/10 down from 8/10. Still a lot of fun, but WZ plays way better in a crowded theater. Especially if no one has seen it before. Although dedicated fans would probably make for a fun crowd, too. This film actually delivers on the notion of an instant Midnite Movie without feeling contrived. Let's hear it for the sexy, houndstooth tweed onepiece!
A Franco-phile suggests: THE DIABOLICAL DR. Z (1966) A black & white continuation of Franco's post-EYES WITHOUT A FACE stories of frustrated & vengeful mad scientist types. DDZ features a great spider performance in a night club; those unfamiliar with Mr. Franco take note that night club scenes are one of his regular bingo-card items & he does them well. Now playing on Tubi & Plex.
Kind of I Am Legend-ish (the book not the movie), but much less eventful. The day-to-day life a man surviving the zombie apocalypse in an apartment in Paris, there's little real tension in the movie. It has a couple nice moments, but it really struggles to be interesting for 90 minutes.
ZOMBIELAND (2009, R. Fleischer) First complete rewatch since the theater, Sony Blu-ray, 7/10 down from 9/10. I don't know if a decade & a half of zombie moving pictures as stolen some of ZLAND's thunder or if it just plays better for me as a one-trick pony, but I couldn't disappear into this movie. My Eisenberg hives were distracting, causing every rule read allowed to make my inner ears itch. I think the beginning & (almost) ending tunes sum it up for me: "For Whom The Bell Tolls" always rings mine, while "Your Touch" is the song you think you recognize in the background of Anyplace, US&A. Mostly, I'm just less & less enthusiastic about 21st century cinema, despite some beloved pictures from this, our now-era. I still don't have the urge to watch DOUBLE TAP.
A Franco-phile suggests: A V|RG|N AMONG THE LIVING DEAD (1973) There's a cut with more zombies & a cut that's more a psycho-delic s3x picture, I'm sure I've seen 'em both, but I don't know which to recommend. This was one of my first Franco films. Fortunately, I have no idea where this is playing besides my Blu-ray.
The Christine, Princess of E-r-o-t-i-c-i-s-m cut of A Virgin Among The Living Dead is my preferred version. The mood of sadness throughout the film is striking.
I am a Jess Franco fan myself, Isaac, and am enjoying your recommendations. I have seen all of them so far. The one that I might question for a newbie is Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun. I am not sure sleazy nunsploitation is the best way to introduce people to his work. Maybe even A Virgin Among The Living Dead may be too strange for some, but I regard it as one of his best films.
For me, late the 1960s and early 1970s is the peak of Jess Franco's career. His signature style was fully formed and he actually seemed to strive for a certain level of quality, at least in the imagery. He also had Soledad Miranda to create an allure for the viewer. Though I appreciate the fearlessness of Lina Romay, she brought a different quality to Franco's films from the mid-1970s onward.
I initially aimed for intro-level titles, but I've slid toward my faves instead. One never knows to what depraved depths Junesploiters might get to or want to get to or find out they want to get to... I think the cut of V|RG|N you mentioned is probably my preferred as well.
You may be right about that, Isaac.There's lots Franco depravity out there to choose from. Blue Rita, my Franco watch last June, was better than expected and on the more explicit side of his work. I've seen worse.
The last Soledad Miranda film, Eugenie De Sade, has a special place for me because of its mood. The soundtrack is quite haunting.
Typical post-Walking Dead zombie movie in which dirty people in sweaters wander around the woods and try to stay alive. It's well made for its budget, virtually plotless, bleak and somber in a way that's tiresome. I'm 0/2 on new to me movies this Junesploitation.
ZOMBIE HIGH (1987, R. Link) I've seen this before, years ago. Made it half an hour in before bedtime. As expected, I already appreciate more than expected for Richard Cox, Sherilyn Fenn, the "comedy" stylings of Paul Feig & casting (?) by Eric DaRe.
A Franco-phile suggests: MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD (1982) I can't truly recommend this, it sorta fits the day & if you're in, you're in. This is a Dollar Tree Knights Templar riff of sorts from Franco's back-in-Spain period. Lina Romay's shorts are almost non-existent. It's a clunker, no two ways. I always think Stephen Thrower said this, but maybe that's just because he wrote two tomes on Franco, but it's something like: you can't really watch a Jess Franco film until you've seen them all. I haven't, but the more I see, the more I like the rest. I'm probably just suffering from a hole in the brain... It looks like maybe it's rentable on Amazon unless you have the Severin disc.
At first I thought I may not have time for a full length movie today so I watched the Cranberries music video for Zombie. Honestly still feels very relevant sadly, and chilling in its way. Made me miss Dolores.
I ended up also squeezing in Sugar Hill, which has been on my watchlist for a while. When a nightclub owner is murdered, his fiancé Diana “Sugar” Hill goes to a voodoo priestess to summon the undead to get revenge on the killers. I enjoyed the makeup and especially the creepy metallic eyes of these zombies.
A little slow at times but entertaining nonetheless! Glad I watched it.
Surprisingly raunchy, surprisingly gory version of a crazy cross between The Walking Dead and an ABC Afterschool Special. More fun than it has any right to be, the filmmakers delight in including material never seen in other zombie movies: zombie dick, zombie cats, zombies on a trampoline! Great supporting cast includes David Koechner, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Chloris Leachman. How many other zombie films can you name that feature an Oscar winner?
I missed watching this during FThisMovieFest years ago (I don't remember why, but I remember hearing that it played well). I can totally see why. Zombies don't feature very prominently, but it fits.. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to see a young Robert Beltran in this. I don't think I've seen him in a movie role before.
Energetic and funny, with a surprising amount of heart and just a smidge of Cloris Leachman. It checks off a lot of familiar tropes but keeps things interesting with a few creative twists.
RAIDERS OF THE LIVING DEAD (1986, YOUTUBE)
ReplyDeleteTHE CURED (2017, YOUTUBE)
SISTER MIDNIGHT (2025, THEATER).
Had I watched "Raiders of the Living Dead" when Anonymous recommended it on the first Junesploitation! back in 2013 I would have hated it. With 12 years of exploitation cinema under my belt, though, I can appreciate the silly PG-13 hijinks and low-budget charm of what is essentially New Jersey-set "Stranger Things" as a decade-appropriate one-off. The opening credits set to George Edward Ott's catchy song are peppy, a contrast with the cheapo needle-drop music heard throughout the rest of the flick. If you can survive the interminable opening hostage "action" scene the narrative (cobbled together from an existing feature and new footage, ala "Equinox") eventually jumps between (a) a journalist trying to uncover the reason zombies are after him and (b) a kid ("The Toy's" Scott Schwartz) tinkering with his grandpa's LaserDisc player to create zombie-killing laser weapons... for him and his sidekick/girl-friend. Rarely do these plot threads mix, but when they do (thanks to gramps being open-minded and believing the desperate journo) this "Raiders" achieves cheesy 'B' movie fun. Blink and you'll miss OG "Mummy's" Zita Johann (in her last feature role after a 52-year absence) doing an exposition dump. A way too generous 3.5 "RED SHIRT" COPS WEARING WHITE T-SHIRTS (out of five).
"The Cured" is on solid ground for two thirds of its running time exploring an alternate reality in which a worldwide zombie outbreak was contained and many (but not all) of the infected cured. The population/society/military discriminate against the newly re-integrated former zombies, who have trouble adjusting because they retain trauma/memories of all the killings they did when they were undead. Focusing on Ireland (because it's an Irish-produced feature) we follow a just-reintegrated bloke (Sam Keeley), whose loyalty is tested by his widow sister-in-law (Elliot Page, then Ellen) and "friend" Conor ("Peaky Blinder's" Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) having different attitudes about how to fight back against the system. Shame the final act turns into a metaphorical-to-the-Irish-conflicts "28 Days/Weeks Later" clone, to the detriment of the thoughtful narrative/character development it built at the start. Worth seeing (strong acting by the principals and key supporting cast) but could and should have finished stronger. 3.25 EMPTY SWIMMING POOLS AS IMPROVISED TEST LABS (out of five).
"Sister Midnight" being a UK/Sweeden/India co-production explains why, despite looking/sounding like a Bollywood dramatic feature, manages to create an unusual blend of tones (darkly comedic, women empowerment, etc.) that make its tale of dirt-poor newlyweds trying to cope with their sucky life feel more grounded than usual. And that's before protagonist Uma (Radhika Apte, who carries the entire film on her tiny shoulders) discovers she has a sickness (!) that makes her chase after animals (birds at first, then everything from goats and chickens to dogs/cats) to eat their essence and keep her going. Why Uma keeps the bodies of the animals in the tiny shack she shares with checked-out hubby (Ashok Pathak)? Unknown, but it leads to the highlight-worthy sight of CG stop-motion zombie animals running riot on the streets. :-) Deliberately holding an explanation to the supernatural (vampiric?) shenanigans on display, writer/director Karan Kandhari allows the viewer to either loathe/sympathize with Uma based mostly on her choices as un unhappily married woman in a society that gives her no options other than take a janitorial job to get away from the man/life she despises. Worth a shot-in-the-dark try to see if your Junesploitation! sensors tingle. 3.15 FAKE B&W SAMURAI MOVIES ON TV (out of five).
RAIDERS is on my 'maybes' list for today. It's a longtime favorite & I have yet to crack open my Severin Blu. Maybe I should watch both previous versions & the Sam Sherman final product as a triple feature called "ByeByeBrain".
DeleteDear Lord, no! 😳😱 Pick one version of "Raiders" and watch/enjoy that, but three versions of the same thing in a row? That's madness! 😵😵💫🥴
DeleteSEOUL STATION (2016, dir. Yeon Sang-Ho) on Amazon Prime
ReplyDeleteAnimated zombies from South Korea. This film is marketed as a prequel to Train To Busan, but Seoul Station is a much different film. First of all, this has nothing to do with trains. The animation also sets it apart. The zombie apocalypse starts in Seoul at the main train station when a homeless man turns up with a bad bite on the neck. There is no explanation for it. (The treatment of the poor in South Korean society is a prominent subtext throughout the film.) The rest that follows is pretty standard plotting for the zombie genre, with things getting gloomier and gloomier for the characters as they seek shelter from the flesh-eating hordes. Moreover, the ugly side of human nature becomes more prominent. Although I would not call Seoul Station a bad film, I was expecting a little more than it delivers. Maybe my lukewarm reception to the animation style impacted my reaction, as well.
Shock Waves (1977, dir. Ken Wiederhorn)
ReplyDeleteA group of tourists sailing on a small boat are marooned on a small island and unwittingly unleash a group of aquatic zombie soldiers, Nazi Germany's experiment in trying to create the perfect soldier, who have laid dormant for three decades at the bottom of the sea.
Less gory and slower than you generally want your Junesploitation zombie movies to be. Most scenes feel like they're really trying to generate suspense, but they mostly generate frustration instead. Peter Cushing is always a welcome sight, though.
After seeing it trailered on rental VHS tapes, I finally saw SHOCK WAVES as the second feature on a 2000's bigscreen/35mm double feature with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. SW seemed like the most boring movie ever. I've since come to really enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteZombie Nightmare (1987, dir. Bravman / Fasano)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, what are the odds I matched the screenshot for the day? A grieving mother hires a witch doctor to bring her son (the legendary Jon Mikl Thor) back from the dead to get revenge. A ruddy-faced Adam West is top billed but doesn't appear until over halfway through the movie. There was an interesting plot twist that I didn't see coming. Tia Carrere is in this! Recommended as a deep cut 80s horror curiosity.
Sounds like it could be a watch for Magic! day.
DeleteZOMBIE DEATH HOUSE (1988)
ReplyDeleteA man is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. On the inside, doctors and a corrupt FBI agent experiment on the prisoners to turn them into super soldiers, um I mean zombies. But it takes a long time to get to the crime, and then a long time to get to jail, and finally a long time to get to the zombies. I guess this was originally meant to be a crime drama called “Death House,” as the word “Zombie” is sloppily added to the opening title card in a different font. So, it’s all the prison movie tropes/clichés, and maybe five minutes of a zombie flick. Bummer.
30 days of Georges Melies, day 2: THE KINGDOM OF THE FAIRIES (1903)
A bumbling hero journeys to rescue a kidnapped princess, passing through an undersea kingdom along the way. A lot of the effects still hold up, with characters popping up through the floor and vanishing in puffs of smoke. That is, the effects hold up except for the rinky-dink little toy boat on the ocean scenes. And I’m unclear on who the man in the green robe is, whether he’s working with the hero or against him. But I’m nitpicking. This is a lot of fun, full of outrageous visual razzle-dazzle.
Hey everyone!
ReplyDeleteThis year I’m gonna try real hard to post more often on here and celebrate Junesploitation with you all — easily my favorite movie event of the year. As a humble little French cinephile, it’s the perfect excuse to dig deep and uncover some wild, obscure B-movie gems that barely made a blip over here.
Like many of you, I kicked things off yesterday with Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man. And wow… what a ride.
For Day 2, I went with Nightmare City by Umberto Lenzi — a first-time watch for me, and a big gap in my genre education. Unfortunately, the version I found on FilmoTV (a French streaming site) was low-quality and censored. Huge bummer. Letterboxd reviews kept hyping up how these infected-zombie dudes were totally obsessed with boobs, and… there was none of that in the cut I watched. So yeah, I felt a little robbed.
That said, the movie did deliver in other glorious ways — like a surgeon who randomly turns into a scalpel-throwing marksman, and a beautiful foam mannequin getting tossed out of a helicopter. Cinema!
Happy Junesploitation, folks — can’t wait to see what madness you all dig up next!
Yummy (2019)
ReplyDeleteDir. Lars Damoiseaux
Belgium zombie movie with the hook that a couple travels to a very shady Eastern European hospital so the girlfriend can get a breast augmentation, but get caught up in a zombie outbreak instead.
You can tell that director Lars Damoiseaux loves the genre...maybe too much because this is as by the book as far as including almost every zombie cliche. Every character is a various shade of unlikable. The boyfriend kind of reminded me of a Dutch Joe Swanberg and the asshole who fucks everything up (because there has to be one) looks like a young Freddie Prinze Jr.
Wyrmwood Apocalypse (2021)
ReplyDelete{"ill need to whisper this review as me and a group of friends are hold up in hiding from the current Zombie attack. One managed to bite me a little but as ive seen countless zombie movies im sure ill be fine...its just a scratch..wont even bother mentioning it to my friends. Anyhoo onto the review...."}
The first Wyrmwood film, Road of the Dead, caught me by surprise. I really had a ton of fun with it. So when i recently found out there was a sequel i saved it for Junesploit. This time around i didnt connect much with the story which focuses on humans and 'hybrid' zombies attacking an evil lab. Pretty bare bones. That being said there is a ton of great practical zombie action within so i still..{cough cough}...had a lot of fun with..{cough hack cough}...it and would sugge....BRAINS...... BRAAAINNSSSS..... BRRAAIIINNNSSSS...................... {blogger feed dies}
👏👏👏😁
DeleteDevil’s Kiss (1976)
ReplyDeleteDirector and writer Jordi Gigó wrote Exorcismo and wrote and directed Porno Girls, L’espectre de Justine and, well, that’s it. Other than this movie.
Countess Claire Grandier (Silvia Solar, Danger!! Death Ray, Cannibal Terror, Eyeball) and telepathic Professor Gruber (Olivier Mathot) have bought a castle, a place where they can ride horses, have lavish dinners, make sweet love and, you know, get a dwarf (Ronnie Harp) to help them create the living dead. But when they’re not doing that, they’re using the castle for fashion shows, which is how we get a bevy of Eurocult ladies to show up, turn on, tune out and get nude. Man, the fake eyelashes budget on this…
Also, the Countess hates the castle owner, Duke of Haussemont (José Nieto), whom she blames for killing her husband, taking her money and forcing her into a life of zombie making and model murdering. Yet he lets them stay in the castle as ghostbusters when they’re the ones making the ghosts or zombies.
The castle looks excellent, the flashbacks feel like a silent movie, it’s more Frankenstein than Romero, there’s full frontal nudity, poor zombie makeup, a Jess Franco feel and by that I mean this movie is beyond horny and wants you to know that, the Book of Astarov, Satanic rites, a movie that feels like an Electric Wizard song and appearances by María Silva (Curse of the Devil) and Evelyne Scott (Shining Sex), a strong undercurrent of anything can happens next and lots of fog. Some people would hate this. Those people are jerks.
The original title — La perversa caricia de Satán (Satan’s Perverse Caress or The Wicked Caresses of Satan) — is precisely why I watched this.
My Boyfriend's Back (1993)
ReplyDeleteA very light-hearted, very silly zombie teen romantic comedy about a teenage love stronger than death. The tone is purely absurdist throughout, never reaching for anything darker or more serious, and I'm totally fine with that. I wish the movie had any special effects budget at all, because it begs for some better gore gags, which are there in the script, but not on the screen (even the greyish dead skin make-up on the main guy comes and goes randomly). Also featuring early turns by Philip Seymour Hoffman as a violent bully, Matthew Fox as a snotty jock, and Matthew McConaughey as Guy #2.
THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS (2001, Takashi Miike)
ReplyDeleteThe tagline reads “Love, music, horror, volcanos. Cinema was never meant to be like this!” Well, Junesploitation pals, IMO cinema sure should be like this! Japanese family values are scrutinized and satirized with Miike's kinetic direction, colorful design and cinematography, heartwarming performances, dazzling musical numbers (the karaoke song -- amazing!), and humorous horror. Oh, and claymation. And, yes, zombies! DANCING zombies! Not your typical undead effort, but frankly, I’ve seen a morgue-full of zombie films and wanted a movie off the "beat 'em and burn 'em" path. And I got it! When you’re looking for something completely different, I encourage you to check this one out!
Oasis of the Zombies (1982)
ReplyDeleteThe good news! There is buried Nazi gold.
The bad news! It is guarded by the undead.
{picks up phone} "operator...i need a phone number for someone named Aatami Korpi...no listing?..hrmm....check SISU".
DeleteThe Living Dead of Manchester Morgue (1974)
ReplyDeleteA fun little zombie movie that definitely does some new things with zombies. A few inventive shots that really stood out, and set in beautiful rural England. Also features the worst cops you’ll ever see!
Almost went with this flick, I still need to see it. Thanks for even further validation of this!
DeletePlanet Terror
ReplyDeleteThe sort of movie I only watch every now and again, but there are some bits I like more each time. Still not a fan of the missing real though. But I do like the infection effects.
CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972, Dir. Bob Clark)
ReplyDeleteEveryone is dressed like they're in Scooby-Doo. A Scooby-Doo made by assholes.
The last shot is cool, though!
DEATHDREAM - 1974
ReplyDeletedir. Bob Clark
Not a flesh eater flick. Basically it’s Jud Crandall’s story about Bill Baterman from Pet Sematary.
Solid performances all around. Almost just a family drama for the first hour.
So you might be bored if you’re looking for a traditional zombie movie but it’s got a solid last 15 minutes that maybe doesn’t hit as hard if you didn’t have the first hour.
Great pick!
DeleteDeadheads(2011 Dir The Pierce Brothers)
ReplyDeleteTwo sentient Zombies and their regular Zombie friend Cheese set off on a road trip to propose to ones long lost love while being tracked by the evil military scientist who created them in the first place. The script needed some work as its a very "and then" movie but the actors are all having fun. While most of the humor falls flat the cast carries it to the end.
Theres also a short film on Youtube 'Smush! A DeadHeads Short" on the origins of Cheese. Its 9 minutes long and a fun little watch.
WILD ZERO (1999, T. Takeuchi)
ReplyDeleteFirst rewatch since I saw it on the initial film fest circuit, I think.
Synapse DVD, 7/10 down from 8/10.
Still a lot of fun, but WZ plays way better in a crowded theater. Especially if no one has seen it before. Although dedicated fans would probably make for a fun crowd, too. This film actually delivers on the notion of an instant Midnite Movie without feeling contrived.
Let's hear it for the sexy, houndstooth tweed onepiece!
A Franco-phile suggests:
THE DIABOLICAL DR. Z (1966)
A black & white continuation of Franco's post-EYES WITHOUT A FACE stories of frustrated & vengeful mad scientist types. DDZ features a great spider performance in a night club; those unfamiliar with Mr. Franco take note that night club scenes are one of his regular bingo-card items & he does them well.
Now playing on Tubi & Plex.
Return of the Living Dead (1985)
ReplyDeleteTremendous mix of zombie horror and comedy. Very much enjoyed. I have no notes. "Send more cops."
It is a classic for a reason. How about that ending? Amazing to think about this year being the 40th anniversary of Return of the Living Dead.
DeleteThe Night Eats the World (2018)
ReplyDeleteKind of I Am Legend-ish (the book not the movie), but much less eventful. The day-to-day life a man surviving the zombie apocalypse in an apartment in Paris, there's little real tension in the movie. It has a couple nice moments, but it really struggles to be interesting for 90 minutes.
ZOMBIELAND (2009, R. Fleischer)
ReplyDeleteFirst complete rewatch since the theater, Sony Blu-ray, 7/10 down from 9/10.
I don't know if a decade & a half of zombie moving pictures as stolen some of ZLAND's thunder or if it just plays better for me as a one-trick pony, but I couldn't disappear into this movie. My Eisenberg hives were distracting, causing every rule read allowed to make my inner ears itch. I think the beginning & (almost) ending tunes sum it up for me: "For Whom The Bell Tolls" always rings mine, while "Your Touch" is the song you think you recognize in the background of Anyplace, US&A. Mostly, I'm just less & less enthusiastic about 21st century cinema, despite some beloved pictures from this, our now-era.
I still don't have the urge to watch DOUBLE TAP.
A Franco-phile suggests:
A V|RG|N AMONG THE LIVING DEAD (1973)
There's a cut with more zombies & a cut that's more a psycho-delic s3x picture, I'm sure I've seen 'em both, but I don't know which to recommend. This was one of my first Franco films.
Fortunately, I have no idea where this is playing besides my Blu-ray.
The Christine, Princess of E-r-o-t-i-c-i-s-m cut of A Virgin Among The Living Dead is my preferred version. The mood of sadness throughout the film is striking.
DeleteI am a Jess Franco fan myself, Isaac, and am enjoying your recommendations. I have seen all of them so far. The one that I might question for a newbie is Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun. I am not sure sleazy nunsploitation is the best way to introduce people to his work. Maybe even A Virgin Among The Living Dead may be too strange for some, but I regard it as one of his best films.
For me, late the 1960s and early 1970s is the peak of Jess Franco's career. His signature style was fully formed and he actually seemed to strive for a certain level of quality, at least in the imagery. He also had Soledad Miranda to create an allure for the viewer. Though I appreciate the fearlessness of Lina Romay, she brought a different quality to Franco's films from the mid-1970s onward.
ACL: I need to check out Christine! Thanks for the tip!
DeleteI initially aimed for intro-level titles, but I've slid toward my faves instead. One never knows to what depraved depths Junesploiters might get to or want to get to or find out they want to get to...
DeleteI think the cut of V|RG|N you mentioned is probably my preferred as well.
You may be right about that, Isaac.There's lots Franco depravity out there to choose from. Blue Rita, my Franco watch last June, was better than expected and on the more explicit side of his work. I've seen worse.
DeleteThe last Soledad Miranda film, Eugenie De Sade, has a special place for me because of its mood. The soundtrack is quite haunting.
AMONG THE LIVING (2022, dir. Rob Worsey)
ReplyDeleteTypical post-Walking Dead zombie movie in which dirty people in sweaters wander around the woods and try to stay alive. It's well made for its budget, virtually plotless, bleak and somber in a way that's tiresome. I'm 0/2 on new to me movies this Junesploitation.
ZOMBIE HIGH (1987, R. Link)
ReplyDeleteI've seen this before, years ago. Made it half an hour in before bedtime. As expected, I already appreciate more than expected for Richard Cox, Sherilyn Fenn, the "comedy" stylings of Paul Feig & casting (?) by Eric DaRe.
A Franco-phile suggests:
MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD (1982)
I can't truly recommend this, it sorta fits the day & if you're in, you're in. This is a Dollar Tree Knights Templar riff of sorts from Franco's back-in-Spain period. Lina Romay's shorts are almost non-existent. It's a clunker, no two ways. I always think Stephen Thrower said this, but maybe that's just because he wrote two tomes on Franco, but it's something like: you can't really watch a Jess Franco film until you've seen them all. I haven't, but the more I see, the more I like the rest. I'm probably just suffering from a hole in the brain...
It looks like maybe it's rentable on Amazon unless you have the Severin disc.
At first I thought I may not have time for a full length movie today so I watched the Cranberries music video for Zombie. Honestly still feels very relevant sadly, and chilling in its way. Made me miss Dolores.
ReplyDeleteI ended up also squeezing in Sugar Hill, which has been on my watchlist for a while. When a nightclub owner is murdered, his fiancé Diana “Sugar” Hill goes to a voodoo priestess to summon the undead to get revenge on the killers. I enjoyed the makeup and especially the creepy metallic eyes of these zombies.
A little slow at times but entertaining nonetheless! Glad I watched it.
"Supernatural Voodoo Woman...." Such a catchy title song for Sugar Hill.
DeleteWho has 2 thumbs and completely forgot about this because y'all stopped posting on twitter? This guy
ReplyDeleteTHE FLESH EATERS - 1964 dir. Jack Curtis tubi
ReplyDeleteGreat little opening! Not a zombie flick, but leading man Byron Sanders is a total proto-Bruce Campbell!
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly raunchy, surprisingly gory version of a crazy cross between The Walking Dead and an ABC Afterschool Special. More fun than it has any right to be, the filmmakers delight in including material never seen in other zombie movies: zombie dick, zombie cats, zombies on a trampoline! Great supporting cast includes David Koechner, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Chloris Leachman. How many other zombie films can you name that feature an Oscar winner?
Night of the Comet (1984)
ReplyDeleteI missed watching this during FThisMovieFest years ago (I don't remember why, but I remember hearing that it played well). I can totally see why. Zombies don't feature very prominently, but it fits.. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to see a young Robert Beltran in this. I don't think I've seen him in a movie role before.
This one is on my list for TEENAGERS!
DeleteIt was way more of a Teenager! movie than a Zombies! one. Would be an excellent pick for that day.
DeleteScouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
ReplyDeleteEnergetic and funny, with a surprising amount of heart and just a smidge of Cloris Leachman. It checks off a lot of familiar tropes but keeps things interesting with a few creative twists.
Burial Ground (1981)
ReplyDeleteZombie slasher splatter stew. A little repetitive around the middle, but I had a reasonably good time.