The 1970s were rife with Italian exploitation films trying to cash in on the success of The Exorcist, and The Antichrist(Italian: L’anticristo) is one of those attempts that completely misses the mark. Directed by Alberto De Martino and featuring a cast that includes Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer, and Arthur Kennedy, this film is nothing more … Read More ““The Antichrist” (1974) – More Like The Anti-Movie” »
Wicked, Wicked is a film that could have been something daring and revolutionary. It could have been a thriller that played with the art of storytelling in ways never seen before. Instead, what it became was an overambitious mess, a B-grade slasher with an eye-popping gimmick, the kind of movie you might watch if you’re … Read More ““Wicked, Wicked” (1973) – A Split-Screen Disaster in the Making” »
The Vampire’s Night Orgy (originally La orgía nocturna de los vampiros) is a film that can only be described as a cheap thrill for those with a penchant for bad movies. Directed by León Klimovsky and released in 1973, this Spanish supernatural horror film attempts to blend eerie vampires with a travelogue of confusion, but … Read More ““The Vampire’s Night Orgy” (1973) – A Night of Agony, Not Orgasmic Horror” »
In the world of B-movies, there are moments when you look back and wonder what possessed someone to make such a thing. “Sweet Kill,” Curtis Hanson’s 1973 directorial debut, is one of those rare films that might make you question your life choices, especially when you realize that the future Academy Award-winning director of L.A. … Read More ““Sweet Kill” (1973) – Not So Sweet, Not So Killer” »
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a movie so depraved, so disgustingly lurid, it makes the opening sequence of Pink Flamingos seem like a Disney musical, then The Sinful Dwarf (originally Dværgen) is for you. Directed by Vidal Raski and released in 1973, this Danish sexploitation-horror film is a staggeringly grotesque piece of cinema that … Read More ““The Sinful Dwarf” (1973) – A Sin of Cinema” »
In the world of made-for-TV horror, there’s a special breed of movie that makes you wonder if they only hired the actors because they were the only ones desperate enough to accept the roles. “Scream, Pretty Peggy,” directed by Gordon Hessler and aired on ABC in 1973, is one such film. And while the plot … Read More ““Scream, Pretty Peggy” (1973) – A Scream in the Dark, but Mostly of Boredom” »
If there’s one thing that Madhouse (1974) proves, it’s that sometimes even the great Vincent Price can’t salvage a film as incoherent and meandering as this. Directed by Jim Clark, this British-American co-production tries to mix mystery, horror, and psychological intrigue, but instead, it turns into a disjointed mess of ridiculousness that squanders the talent … Read More “Madhouse (1974): A Bizarre, Over-the-Top Hodgepodge of Horror Tropes” »
Legacy of Satan (1974), directed by Gerard Damiano, is a film that tries to be a psychological horror thriller but ends up being a tedious and incoherent mess. While the premise—centered around Maya (Lisa Christian), a young woman chosen to become the queen of a satanic cult—sounds like it could lead to something dark and … Read More “Legacy of Satan (1974): A Dull, Disjointed Descent into Cliché” »
The House on Skull Mountain (1974) is a film that can only be described as a wasted opportunity. With its premise—voodoo rituals, a spooky mansion, a mysterious inheritance—it has all the ingredients to be an atmospheric, supernatural horror film, yet it fails miserably to deliver any chills, thrills, or even a modicum of excitement. Directed … Read More “The House on Skull Mountain (1974): A Boring Voodoo Borefest” »
Pete Walker’s Frightmare (1974), also known as Cover Up and Once Upon a Frightmare, is an unsettling journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche, exploring the brutal nature of familial bonds, trauma, and the horrific consequences of repressed memories. In what can only be described as one of the most underappreciated gems of … Read More “Frightmare (1974): A Gripping and Twisted Tale of Family Secrets and Cannibalism” »