Ah, The Premonition, a film that had the audacity to combine a mentally-ill ex-pianist, a circus clown, and some questionable parapsychology for a psychological horror flick that seems to make absolutely no sense whatsoever. This is the movie equivalent of putting all your leftover Halloween candy into one bowl—sure, there are some decent bits, but … Read More ““The Premonition” (1976): A Psychological Horror With More Circles Than a Circus Tent” »
House of Whipcord (1974) is a grim, unsettling journey into the world of exploitation cinema, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Directed by Pete Walker, this British thriller, often categorized as an “exploitation horror” film, sets out to shock, disturb, and provoke with its themes of sadism, authority, and moral corruption. While it’s … Read More ““Mako: The Jaws of Death” (1976): Sharks Are People Too, or So This Movie Tries to Tell You” »
Ah, King Kong, the 1976 remake that’s like a rollercoaster ride through a foggy valley of ‘what were they thinking?’ and ‘no, seriously, what were they thinking?’ It’s got all the spectacle, but none of the subtlety or charm of the original. This version trades the harrowing emotional depth of Kong’s 1933 counterpart for something … Read More ““King Kong” (1976): Because What’s a Giant Ape Without a Dazzling 70s Makeover?” »
The House with Laughing Windows—which sounds like the title of a kid’s bedtime story gone horribly wrong—unfolds like a slow-walking nightmare that’s so bogged down in its own self-importance, it forgets to be scary. Directed by Pupi Avati, this 1976 Italian giallo-horror film might as well be subtitled “A Series of Weird Decisions Involving Frescos, … Read More ““The House with Laughing Windows” (1976): More Like The House with Laughing Incoherence” »
Exposé (also known as House on Straw Hill and Trauma) is that one film where you find yourself wondering how the plot managed to look so much better on paper. Directed by James Kenelm Clarke, this British psychological horror thriller tries really hard to be edgy and provocative. Spoiler alert: It’s not. Instead, it’s an … Read More ““Exposé” (1976): A Thriller that Misses the Mark… by a Lot” »
Death Weekend—otherwise known as The House by the Lake—is like a revenge thriller that got lost on its way to making sense. Directed by William Fruet, this low-budget Canadian film attempts to blend suspense, horror, and drama, but what it ends up serving is an undercooked stew of clichés, bad acting, and situations that scream … Read More ““Death Weekend” (1976) – A Shocking Display of Bad Decisions and Worse Dialogue” »
The Werewolf of Woodstock—it’s a title so ridiculous it practically begs for a bad review. Directed by John Moffitt and produced by Dick Clark’s company, this ABC made-for-TV “horror” film somehow managed to combine the two most sacred American traditions of the ’70s: the werewolf genre and the drug-fueled, peace-loving, peace-losing Woodstock festival. What could … Read More ““The Werewolf of Woodstock” (1975) – A Howling Mess of Bad Ideas” »
Ah, Thundercrack!—the 1975 film that successfully manages to combine every perversion you didn’t want with every bad B-movie trope you didn’t need. Directed by Curt McDowell and written by McDowell, George Kuchar, and Mark Ellinger, this film is like the love child of a trainwreck and a circus sideshow. It’s a black comedy horror, but … Read More ““Thundercrack!” (1975) – A Cinematic Dumpster Fire You’ll Never Forget (If You Try Hard Enough)” »
Satan’s Triangle—the title alone screams “horror masterpiece,” right? Well, if by “masterpiece,” you mean a film so slow it might as well be floating in the Bermuda Triangle itself, then yes, this made-for-TV mystery horror movie directed by Sutton Roley is an absolute “hit.” Starring Kim Novak and Doug McClure, Satan’s Triangle takes the best … Read More ““Satan’s Triangle” (1975) – A Bermuda Triangle of Bad Acting and Laughable Supernatural Horror” »
Let’s talk about Psychic Killer—a film that promises astral projection, supernatural powers, and vengeance, but delivers something closer to watching a potato slowly rot while you wait for a punchline that never arrives. Directed by Ray Danton and starring Paul Burke and Jim Hutton (in what would be their final theatrical films), Psychic Killer is … Read More ““Psychic Killer” (1975) – A Telekinetic Treadmill of Mediocrity” »