Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976)

Director:  Sam O'Steen

Writer:  Anthony Wilson

Composer:  Charles Bernstein

Starring:  Stephen McHattie, Patty Duke, Broderick Crawford, Ruth Gordon, Lloyd Haynes, David Huffman, Tina Louise, George Maharis, Ray Milland, Donna Mills, Beverly Sanders

More info:  IMDb

Tagline:  This is the shocker you've been waiting for since the day he was born!

Plot:  Having been adopted by the madam of a southwestern brothel, a now adult Adrian must cope with the fact that he's Satan's kid, and not living up to his expectations.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Hail, Satan!

Hey, it's the 70s and Satan is all the rage, so why not make a sequel no one asked for?  I dig the cast.  Ruth Gordon is hilarious and so funny that I had to quickly look this up to see if it was a comedy.  Seriously, she delivers her lines like she later did in EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE (1978) and continues to do so from the first few minutes to the last.  Jesus, that broad was funny.  The story is OK and it works for me mostly because this is a TV movie.  That makes it a little more acceptable.  But it does cover a lot of ground over a number of years.  It's the kind of story that would probably work much better as a novel.  I swear the best part of this flick is every scene with Ruth Gordon.  She's the only connection to the original film except for the director, Sam O'Steen who was the editor on the '68 picture.  It does drag a little here and there but not much.  The only scene that needed some serious truncating was when Adrian (McHattie) goes to NYC to does some devil shit and he starts tripping balls with his face painted up like a mime or The Crow or something.  It's not nearly as bad as the internet says but it's far from being a worthy follow-up to one of the greatest horror movies, ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968).

Jaws of Satan (1981)

AKA: King Kobra

Director: Bob Claver

Writers: James Callaway, Gerry Holland

Composer: Roger Kellaway

Starring: Fritz Weaver, Gretchen Corbett, Jon Korkes, Norman Lloyd, Diana Douglas, Bob Hannah, Nancy Priddy, Christina Applegate, John McCurry

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Something you wouldn't dare to imagine is alive!

Plot: A preacher whose ancestors were cursed by Druids battles Satan, who has taken the form of a huge snake.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

This isn't all that bad.  It's smacks of being a JAWS (1975) clone but with snakes and, uh, Satan.  That was different.  The acting runs the gamut of bad to good to better than what this film deserves but overall it's just an OK horror picture that doesn't get boring or overstay its welcome.  That's the good thing about this is that I was surprised it didn't take a trip to Dullsville and stay the night.  It comes close, though.  They got creative when it came to when to use real snakes and when to bring in the phony ones.  Using Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama for the big finale was great.  I just visited there a year ago.  It's OK.  There are far better caves in the region.  The problem with Desoto Caverns is all you have access to is the one large room.  The owners are super Christian and it shows in their tour.  If you've never been to a cave then you'll dig it but you won't if you've gone to some good ones.  I found it a moderate wast of $25.  But I'm not here to talk about some tarted up whore of a cave.  There's a wasted opportunity when one character steps into a tub where there's a large deadly snake in the back.  The camera is on the front of the tub showing the woman's lower legs and feet and then she slowly steps back to eventually reveal that the snake disappeared and it's slithering in another room.  There was very little suspense.  A better way to handle that would be to cut away just before we would see the snake, have her slip a little and scream as she falls a bit.  Then show us the snake isn't there.  And there's the tease and promise of nudity but there isn't any.  The naughty bits are cleverly hidden by furniture and shit.  But I didn't make this picture, obviously; Bob Claver did.   This the only feature film he worked on.  He directed and produced  gobs and gobs of TV shows for almost 30 years.  So often it's painfully obvious when a predominately TV director makes a movie but not so much here and that's a good thing.  The Shout TV anamorphic widescreen print looks marvelous. 

Devil's Exorcist (1975)

Original title: El Juego del Diablo

Director: Jorge Darnell

Writer: Jorge Darnell

Composer: Jose Nieto

Starring: Ima de Santis, Maria del Puy, Jack Taylor, Luis Prendes, Alicia Altabella, Jose Orjas

More info: IMDb

Plot:  In an intern college, Teresita is a teenager and the only daughter of a rich couple. She starts being troubled by loud sounds and the scary visions of a tall man in black walking towards her menacingly. Soon she becomes obsessed with strange physical symptoms and visions of arms extending from the walls to grab at her, and sometimes she gets violent. Eventually, she kills her own mother but it's ruled as an accident. No-nonsense Doctor Bebeau prescribes electroshock treatment as the only way to cure the girl, but neither the lady doctor, nor the teachers at the college would listen to him. A lady doctor takes the poor orphan in, and upon their first meeting, the girl attacks the doctor and knocks her around the room. A priest is called him to try to wrench the devil out of her body.


My rating: 3/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Ah, THE EXORCIST (1973) clones.  They're almost all bad and this one is no exception.  It seems like every country made one back then.  This one's from Spain.  There are a couple of nice outdoor locations but nothing can compete with the shear lack of energy.  There's no suspense, the music is poor (and I expected more from Nieto) and the pacing is dreadful.  The bottom line is it's boring has hell.  Oh, and if you were intrigued by the movie poster like me, there's not an ounce of nudity.  There is one scene that I liked and it's when someone is suddenly shoved over the stair railing, sending them to their death a few floors below.  That was the only bright spot.  It didn't help that I watched a bad VHS fullscreen print with Greek subs burned in...not that a pristine widescreen one would've made me see the light and enjoy the shit out of it.  I would've preferred to see it that way but you take what you can get.

The Devil in Miss Jones (1973)

Director: Gerard Damiano

Writer: Gerard Damiano

Composer: Alden Shuman

Starring: Georgina Spelvin, John Clemens, Harry Reems, Marc Stevens, Levi Richards, Judith Hamilton, Sue Flaken, Gerard Damiano

More info: IMDb

Tagline: if you have to go to Hell... go for a reason

Plot: Justine Jones is tired of her life and commits suicide. She comes to a place where its decided if she will end up in Heaven or Hell. Because of her suicide she should go to Hell but she has the option to return to Earth and live life according to one of the mortal sins for some time. She picks lust and a few days of carnal pleasure follows.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

The opening sets the tone for the hour to come.  It's slow, deliberate and artistic.  The music for the opening and ending is great and it beautifully compliments the visual.  This is the follow-up film from writer/director Damiano (who cameos at the end of this picture in a cell in hell) who made DEEP THROAT (1972).  I liked it.  It's a mature adult film.  It looks good, the acting is good, the story is simple and serviceable but still good.  The sex scenes are a lot more erotic than the usual fare and they're well shot.  I can see this one as one of those films couples would flock to see in the theater back then.  It's not fucking for the sake of fucking but it's a film that elevates beyond the standard porno.  It's well made and artistic.  And it has a downer of an ending.  How many pornos do that?  Throw me some titles.  I'm intrigued by that.

Back to the music.  I prefer the mysterious cues to some of the other stuff.  They just work better for the picture.  Then there's the moment something batshit happens with the score.  Justine's experimenting with a water hose in the bathtub to the music of ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968).  I'm crappin' you negative.  You see this...

 and hear this...

Yup.  Only in the 70s, right?  I watched this flick a month ago hoping it was one of the few porn horror crossovers but there's no horror to it except that Justine commits suicide in the first few minutes and goes to hell (where we only see a plush office) and meets Abaca (with a great performance from John Clemens). 

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) movie poster

Director: Rob Zombie

Writers: Rob Zombie, Mike Bell, Joe Ekers, Tom Klein, Mr. Lawrence, Joe Orrantia, Tom Papa, Carey Yost

Composer: Tyler Bates

Starring: Tom Papa, Ken Foree, Sheri Moon Zombie, Rosario Dawson, Dee Wallace, Joe Alaskey, April Winchell, Tom Kenny, Laraine Newman, Cassandra Peterson, Jess Harnell, Harland Williams, Rob Paulsen, Debra Wilson, Tom Klein, Clint HOward, Brian Posehn, Dee Bradley Baker, Paul Giamatti, Geoffrey Lewis, John DiMaggio, Jeff Bennett, Danny Trejo, Carlos Alazraqui, Tura Satana, Bill Moseley, Rodger Bumpass, Sid Haig

More info: IMDb

Tagline: From the pages of Spookshow International

Plot: A washed-up luchador and a super-spy investigate Nazi zombies, a nefarious scientist, and a stripper with a Satanic birthmark.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

 Man, Rob Zombie is surprising the hell out of me lately.  But then I'm catching up to the flicks he's made that I've missed so far and with this one, I've seen all of the pictures he has directed.  With the exception of the most recent one, 31 (2016), I've liked them all and I'm really in love with THE LORDS OF SALEM (2012) at the moment and I think it's his best work but then it's completely different than the rest of his catalog.  And this picture is different still.  There's so much to like about it, too.  The Ralph Bakshi style of animation was a brilliant choice as the look of it serves the film well.  Then there's the wonderful cast who are well suited for their animated characters.  The score was fun, the jokes were good, there's loads of nudity and the horror references will keep horror fans pointing out as many as they can.  I did.  In fact, that's part of the reason I'd like to watch it again, but most of all it's a fun flick.  I've never understood the Rob Zombie haters.  This guy has a cinematic voice that's unlike any others at the moment.  His first four pictures were straight up horror/slasher films and it's nice to see that he broke away from that for a while and made some very, very different films.  I'm glad to see that he's not content on beating the same drum even though I dig the tune.  I hope he doesn't stop making pictures that interest him because they certainly interest me.  The Blu-ray looks outstanding, by the way.

The Lords of Salem (2012)

Director: Rob Zombie

Writer: Rob Zombie

Composers: Griffin Boice, John 5

Starring: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Judy Geeson, Meg Foster, Patricia Quinn, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso, Richard Fancy, Andrew Prine, Michael Berryman, Sid Haig, Lisa Marie

More info: IMDb

Tagline: We've been waiting ... we've always been waiting.

Plot: Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record - a "gift from the Lords". The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

Minutes after finishing I was ready to watch it again.  That's very rare.  I was mesmerized.  This is Zombie's most mature film yet.  It's visually stunning.  You can tell that a lot of time and thought went into much of the scenes and I get the impression that Zombie asked himself a lot, "What would Stanley Kubrick do?".  It was a little distracting at times seeing the Kubrick influences because they were plain as day, so much so that my friends and I were blurting out which of Kubrick's films he was paying homage to.  The music score is the best he's had so far.  It's perfectly moody and atmospheric.  The marriage of sound to visual was gorgeous.  You also have to pay attention although you might find just going with the flow and letting the film take you on a journey a better way to go.  Has anyone seen this wasted?  I'm not one for that but it felt like it could play well to being in an altered state.  The performances are great and I particularly loved Davison.  Sheri was very good here and it's her best work I've seen so far.  She's not a seasoned actor and because of that she usually gets on my nerves but not here.  She nailed it.  Are there boobs?  Damn straight!!!

Soak in those leather saddlebags!  Actually, there's a lot of nudity and its not all meant to be erotic (although I'm sure there's someone out there who just deposited the above picture into their spank bank).  The Blu-ray image looks fantastic and it's a definite improvement over the DVD.  The Anchor Bay release has only one extra and that's a commentary track with Rob Zombie.  Really?  That's it?  I expected more from AB & RZ as something like this would usually get a lot more love.  Unfortunately the internet has chosen to hate on this guy and he gets a lot of undue criticism.  I dig this guy's work and I think he's got a fresh voice with one foot in the past.  He's a true fan of horror cinema and he's in the enviable position to take it to he next level. 

The Exorcist III (1990)

Director: William Peter Blatty

Writer: William Peter Blatty

Composer: Barry De Vorzon

Starring: George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller, Nicol Williamson, Scott Wilson, Nancy Fish, George DiCenzo, Don Gordon, Harry Carey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Fabio

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Do you dare walk these steps again?

Plot: A police lieutenant uncovers more than he bargained for as his investigation of a series of murders, which have all the hallmarks of the deceased 'Gemini' serial killer, lead him to question the patients of a psychiatric ward.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I haven't seen this in nearly 25 years.  I remember liking it but I REALLY liked it on this most recent watch.  Scott has a couple of moments where he a little too intense (at least it seems weird).  Dourif has a great monologue where he really gets to show off his acting chops.  It's more of a detective thriller with some supernatural elements than it is a horror film.  Blatty, who wrote the novel that started the franchise, gets his second and final directing gig and he does a great job.  There's a genuine sense of evil and dread running alongside some wonderful performances.  It's been said the studio forced him to add an exorcism at the end for fear audiences would stay home without it.  I don't think that part is as bad as some people think but I am curious to see what Blatty had in mind.  I read recently that there's a Blu-ray release in the works that will have Blatty's cut of the film.  I'd LOVE to see that.  The Warner Bros. snapcase DVD has the film in anamorphic widescreen with only the theatrical trailer (also in anamorphic widescreen) for an extra.  There should be more as it's a good film and the best sequel in the franchise (and some would say even better than the first).

Daughters of Satan (1972)

Director: Hollingsworth Morse

Writers: John C. Higgins, John A. Bushelman

Composer: Richard LaSalle

Starring: Tom Selleck, Barra Grant, Tani Guthrie, Paraluman, Vic Silayan, Vic Diaz, Gina Laforteza, Ben Rubio, Paquito Salcedo, Chito Reyes, Bobby Greenwood

More info: IMDb

Tagline: A secret cult of lust-craved witches torturing with fire and desire!

Plot: James Robertson buys a painting depicting witches being burned at the stake, one of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife, Chris. Chris, gradually taken over by the personality of the witch in the painting that she resembles, allies herself with two other reincarnated witches to plan James' death, as he proves to be a descendant of the man responsible for the witches' fate.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Yet another slow moving devil worshiping picture from the 70s.  If you start watching this one, do make sure you get through that first hour because the final half hour is pretty good and that's where all the real action is (and the nudity....hubba hubba).

 If you're watching it then it's probably because it's an early Tom Selleck, his first leading role in a feature film.  It's neat seeing him this early in his career.  The other performances are fine and the Philippines location shooting is great but the first hour suffers from over length and some of that is in scenes and shots that linger longer than they should.  It's not a bad film but it's not particularly good, either. The last 20 minutes at the beginning of that final half hour is good.  The ending is rather weak and the last shot isn't all that shocking by that point but at least it's got a good 20 minutes in a row.  That's not much of an endorsement but that's all I can muster up.

Race with the Devil (1975)

Director: Jack Starrett

Writers: Lee Frost, Wes Bishop

Composer: Leonard Rosenman

Starring: Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, Loretta Swit, Lara Parker, R.G. Armstrong, Clay Tanner, Carol Blodgett, Phil Hoover, Ricci Ware, Jack Starrett

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Peter Fonda and Warren Oates are burning their bridges and a lot of rubber... on the deadliest stretch of road in the country!

Plot: Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

HOKEY SMOKE, BULLWINKLE!  What a fantastic flick!  I loved it!  Hell, all of us watching it did.  The less said, the better.  Hell, don't even watch the trailer.  Read the plot outline and watch it.  It'll keep you guessing until the end and the finale will blow your mind.  Starrett (who you'll see pop up in a lot of early biker flicks) crafted one hell of a great ride.  The performances are solid but it's the writing and the direction that elevate this beyond what a film like this would normally be.  The Anchor Bay DVD looks fantastic and it's got some great extras including an 18 minute making of, a commentary track with producer Paul Maslansky, actress Lara Parker and DVD producer Perry Martin, the anamorphic widescreen theatrical trailer, radio spots, poster & still gallery, behind the scenes photo gallery and trailers for THE ENTITY (anamorphic widescreen), QUICKSILVER HIGHWAY and GHOST IN THE MACHINE (both fullscreen).  This is a great flick and a great release. 

My Sweet Satan (1994)

Director: Jim Van Bebber

Writer: Jim Van Bebber

Composer: ???

Starring: Jim Van Bebber, Terek Puckett, Alydra Kelly, Sherri Rickman, Tamara Bell, Michael Capone, Pete Ludlow, Mike Moore, Gregory Charles

More info: IMDb

Plot: Ricky Kasslin hangs himself in prison. Flashbacks and discussions with friends trace his degeneracy into drugs and Satan worship that culminates in the crime that put him behind bars.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? No.

After watching Van Bebber's short film he made back to back with this one, ROADKILL: THE LAST DAYS OF JOHN MARTIN (which I really dug), I was excited to see this one which runs about 19 minutes.  It's a vastly different horror short with only a little gore and more story.  It's more of a crime horror as it focuses on a young man who pays for his crimes after his stint dabbling in Satanism and the killing of a young follower.  He's ridden with guilt and punishes himself while in jail.  It's not all that bad.  You can tell it's a low budget flick but there are moments of quality that may surprise you.  The voice work could be better but this isn't coming from a studio so I can forgive pictures like this and overlook its shortcomings.  Tonight I'm going to watch one of his few features, THE MANSON FAMILY (2003).  I hope it's good. 

Demon Witch Child (1975)

Original title: La Endemoniada

AKA: The Possessed

Director: Amando de Ossorio

Writer: Amando de Ossorio

Composers: Diego, Victor

Starring: Julian Mateos, Marian Salgado, Fernando Sancho, Lone Fleming, Angel del Pozo, Kali Hansa, Daniel Martin, Tota Alba, Roberto Camardiel, Maria Kosty, Fernando Hilbeck

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Good and evil battle for possession of the innocent!

Plot: An old witch seeks vengence through the daughter of the politician who had her thrown in jail. Soon the little girl's head is spinning around, and an old priest is called in to perform an exorcism.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Ya know, watching all of the movies from the Fortune 5 Grindhouse Experience set is a real chore.  The prints are lousy (most of them are VHS fullscreen transfers) and so are most of the films, this one is no exception.  I'm not a huge fan of THE EXORCIST (1973) but I do like the film...just not as much as most people seem to.  So that pretty much means that I'm probably not going to like the countless Exorcist clones that followed in the tremendous wake of that film's success.  This one is one of several that came out of Spain, which makes sense considering the country is heavily Catholic, and it's directed by the same cat that did the BLIND DEAD series in the early to mid 70s. Those films I dig and I can handle the casual pacing he delivers but that's probably because they have a Gothic vibe to them and the blind dead guys are fucking badass looking.  This film is just plain slow.  The poor English dubbing doesn't help, either.  Who cares when it's loaded with smokin' hot chicks!!!

It hits a lot of the beats THE EXORCIST did like the girl getting possessed, the concerned parents, the doctors that try to help and so on.  BUT there's a catch, and it's this part that makes this stand apart from THE EXORCIST.  It's a satanic cult that's causing her possession.  They need her for a ceremony of sorts.  One cool thing they do is sacrifice a baby.  Nice!  I don't have kids...can you tell?  You don't see that much in movies.  That's the biggest difference between this film and the one it's cashing in on and it ends as you would expect.  There's only so much you can do with devil possession and this is one of many variations on a theme for a tune I'm only luke warm about.

The Devil's Hand (1961)

Director: William J. Hole Jr.

Writer: Jo Helms

Composers: Allyn Ferguson, Michael Terr

Starring: Linda Christian, Robert Alda, Ariadna Welter, Neil Hamilton, Gere Craft, Jeanne Carmen, Julie Scott, Diana Spears, Gertrude Astor, Bruno VeSota, Dick Lee, Jim Knight, Coleen Vico, Roy Wright, Romona Ravez, Tony Rock

More info: IMDb

Tagline: ...It struck with savage fury destroying...killing all that crossed its path!

Plot: Rick Turner is engaged of Donna Trent and is having nightmares with a beautiful blonde woman dancing in the sky. One night, he is mysteriously driven to a doll shop, and in the next morning he returns to the place with Donna. He finds a doll that resembles his fiancé, but the owner Francis Lamont delivers another doll to him, with the face of the woman of his dreams, Bianca Milan. Rick looks for Bianca and is seduced and convinced by her to join a sect that worships the diabolic Camba, while the health of Donna is threatened by Francis and Bianca.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

Nice flick!  For a short low budget horror flick, this one's really well made and packs a nice little punch.  The performances are good along with the story, sets, music and everything else.  For 71 minutes I kept wondering when it was going to fall apart but it stays true to itself all along. I won't spoil it but the ending was pretty damn good.  There's some good 'ole Voodoo type shit going on that added some fun.  Stuff with dolls and pins and such but this picture takes it more seriously than most from this era.  And who would have thought that 60s TV BATMAN's Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) was the leader of a Satanic cult?  He's terrific as are the rest of the leads.  This is one of eight films on a low budget 4-DVD set (each film is on one side of a disc).  Some come with extras and others don't.  The print looks really good and it's got a 'play as a drive-in' feature that gives you the drive in experience by starting the show with a vintage Water Lanz color Woody Woodpecker cartoon called PANTRY PANIC (1941) followed by some snack bar messages (mmmm them pickles look good!), a trailer for CARNIVAL OF CRIME and a final one for DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE! just before the film starts.  You can pick up the set for well under ten bucks (shipped).  So far I'm halfway through it and it's totally worth it.

Land of the Minotaur (1976)

Original title: The Devil's Men

Director: Kostas Karagiannis

Writer: Arthur Rowe

Composer: Brian Eno

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Peter Cushing, Luan Peters, Kostas Karagiorgis, Dimitris Bislanis, Anna Matzourani, Christina, Nikos Verlekis, Vanna Reville, Robert Behling, Anestis Vlahos

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Half man . . . half beast . . . trapped in a world forgotten by time!

Plot: Tourists visiting a Greek archeological site are being abducted by a strange cult intent on providing their God - the Minotaur - with a sacrifice. Father Raoche (Pleasance) enlists the help of former pupil and NY private detective to find out what has happened to them.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

I'm winding down through the 8 films on the 4-DVD set from BCI called Drive-In Cult Classics Vol. 2.  This is the first of two anamorphic widescreen films in the set.   The print is pretty good but short of great. The film?  It's slow and rather dull.  If it weren't for the fact that Cushing and Pleasance are in it there wouldn't be anything of interest except maybe it's a Greek co-production (with the UK and US) filmed in Greece.  The explosions (see video above) of the Satanists and the Minotaur are well done but that's about it.  Oh, and the score is by music legend Brian Eno and it's OK.  Had I not seen his name in the credits I wouldn't have known there was anything special about it.  It's a by the numbers plot that drags in a few spots but that's a little offset with the presence of Cushing and Pleasance and Cushing plays the leader of the cult which is a change of pace for him.  There's no nudity which wasn't the norm in the 70s for Devil worshiping flicks like this...and it's Greek.  Go figure.  The DVD has no extras for this film although there are some for some of the other 7 films in the way of trailers.

Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)

Directors: Jorge Montesi, Dominique Othenin-Girard

Writers: Brian Taggert, Harvey Bernhard

Composer: Jonathan Sheffer

Starring: Faye Grant, Michael Woods, Michael Lerner, Madison Mason, Ann Hearn, Jim Byrnes, Don S. Davis, Asia Vieira, Megan Leitch, Joy Coghill, David Cameron, Duncan Fraser, Susan Chapple

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The terror continues.

Plot: Damien Thorn is dead, but his prophecy is reborn in a mysterious girl named Delia, who is adopted by two attorneys, Gene & Karen York. When Karen realizes her baby was born under suspicious circumstances, she hires a private investigator to find Delia's real parents. A series of bizarre accidents occur, and Karen begins to suspect everyone of conspiring against her as she unravels the truth about her baby.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

I had a hunch this wasn't going to be good.  There's not much to like.  One neat little bit was when Earl (Michael Lerner who stands out the most in the acting department) starts to lose his shit and the carolers turn into demon carolers singing Ave Satani (Jerry Goldsmith's amazing main title tune from the first picture)...and then he gets, uh, swept off his feet and...breaking eggs.  Best moment of the film.  The rest of it is half rehash of THE OMEN (1976) and some new business.  At least they tried?  Maybe but not enough.  I find it hard to believe they couldn't find a better child actor to fill the important role of Satan's spawn, Delia.  She plays it squinty-eyed menacing and her acting chops aren't up to snuff.  Composer Jonathan Sheffer had the unenviable job of following Jerry Goldsmith's outstanding scores for the previous three films.  What's worse (or better for us) is that the film utilizes Goldsmith's music from the first and third films.  That means Sheffer's score has to blend with it as much as possible and that's not an easy thing.  Sometimes it works and it's really obvious when it doesn't.  Hearing Goldsmith's music is nice but the scenes can't live up to the greatness of the music and it suffers from it.  And the ending?  Jesus.  They try for a ballsy finale but it ends up largely aping the first film, leading the path to the next film that never came.  It's hardly a spoiler as there wasn't much else they could've done and it'll be obvious as hell.  Seriously, pass this one up.  The only reason this exists is because of money.  Don't let them have any more.  For those who care about this one, the 20th Century Fox DVD is widescreen with a slew of trailers (non are anamorphic) including the first three OMEN films (the first two are fullscreen (!)), THE ABYSS (fullscreen), THE BEACH, COMMANDO (fullscreen), DIE HARD (fullscreen), FIGHT CLUB, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LAKE PLACID, MARKED FOR DEATH (fullscreen), PLANET OF THE APES collection (fullscreen), THE TOWERING INFERNO (fullscreen), and X-FILES: FIGHT THE FUTURE.  The quality of most of them is poor considering this is a major studio but it's more than what you'd probably expect for a title like this.

Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

Director: Graham Baker

Writer: Andrew birkin

Composer: Jerry Goldsmith

Starring: Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon, Lisa Harrow, Barnaby Holm, Mason Adams, Robert Arden, Leueen Willoughby, Marc Boyle, Milos Kirek, Tommy Duggan, Louis Mahoney, Richard Oldfield, Tony Vogel, Hazel Court

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The power of evil is no longer in the hands of a child.

Plot: The now adult Antichrist plots to eliminate his future divine opponent while a cabal of monks plot to stop him.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Probably.

I really dig this franchise despite each film's flaw of pacing.  This third picture doesn't feel complete.  Maybe the writing was rushed.  The performances are fine although Sam Neill (in his debut starring in an American film) overdoes it when speaking to his mass of minions but he's otherwise great.  Jerry Goldsmith is back with a fantastic score and the best part of the film (as were his previous two scores).  If you ever listen to each of the three scores you'll notice a nice progression from one to the next as they get darker and bigger.  Outstanding work.  The kills in this are great and they even kill babies!  Even though you don't actually see the baby deaths, they're still very effective.  The one with the priest is badass.  Say, aren't these pooches adorable?

That's a great sequence, too.  There's a lot of good but the problems I have with it are that it's not grandiose enough (considering this is the third and final film in an epic good vs. evil trilogy) and the ending it incredibly weak.  Seriously weak.  It's anticlimactic almost in how small of a scale it's on.  SPOILERS FOR SATAN!!! YARRRRR!  I love that the kid dies and stays dead.  For a second there I thought he might be brought back to life.  Thank holy Satan for that one!  END OF SPOILERS!!! YARRRRR!!! The big orchestral and choral theme Goldsmith unleashes as Satan loses this round only adds to the pain of what could have been an exceptional finale.  I'm not saying there needed to be an effects-laden insane climax but what they delivered ends with a whimper.  I still dig the picture but I'll always think about what could have been.

End of Days (1999)

Director: Peter Hyams

Writer: Andrew W. Marlowe

Composer: John Debney

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollak, CCH Pounder, Derrick O'Connor, David Weisenberg, Rainer Judd, Miriam Margolyes, Udo Kier, Rod Steiger, Marc Lawrence, Sven-Ole Thorsen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Prepare for the end.

Plot: At the end of the century, Satan visits New York in search of a bride. It's up to an ex-cop who now runs an elite security outfit to stop him.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

While it's strange seeing Schwarzenegger in a film like this, it's also refreshing. He's the star but it's not your typical Schwarzenegger picture.  His acting is par for the course with the occasional dip into bad territory.  Gabriel Byrne, though, is the shit in this.  He's great. Kevin Pollak is fun, too, and Robin Tunney does a great job as the object of Satan's attraction.  The story is pretty good but there's something about this picture that didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on it.  It could be this was a 100 minute film in a 121 minute body. I don't know.  It'd take another viewing to figure it out but I don't find it compelling enough to warrant another go at it.  I dug it but not THAT much.  I REALLY dug the ending and with Jericho's (Schwarzenegger) decision.  Nice.  Very nice. 

The Pyx (1973)

Director: Harvey Hart

Writers: Robert Schlitt, John Buell

Composer: Harry Freedman

Starring: Karen Black, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pilon, Jean-Lous Roux, Yvette Brind'amour, Jacques Godin, Lee Broker, Terry Haig, Robin Gammell, Louise Rinfret

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The Demons Hunger

Plot: A detective investigating the death of a heroin-addicted prostitute uncovers evidence pointing to the existence of a murderous devil cult.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? No.

The Trinity Home Entertainment DVD is a mixed bag.  I was pleased that the film is presented in what looks like its original aspect ration of 2.35 : 1 and it's formatted for 16:9, but the image is dirty and dark.  I'm OK with filthy prints, especially with films like this where it sometimes adds to the experience, but the image is often so dark it's difficult to see everything as it was intended. The end credits are almost completely illegible.  The disc does not include any extras, not even a trailer.  As for the movie, it's not that bad.  Some will find it a little slow and it might take some time to get used to the mixing of the flashbacks of Elizabeth's (Black) last day with Detective Henderson's (Plummer) investigation of her death.  The performances are quite good and the music score and songs (sung by Black) work very well, too.  Perhaps with a better print I might have enjoyed the film more.  Or better still, if I could have seen this 40 years ago at a drive-in...that would have been fun.

Needful Things (1993)

Director: Fraser Clarke Heston

Writers: Stephen King, W.D. Richter

Composer: Patrick Doyle

Starring: Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, J.T. Walsh, Ray McKinnon, Duncan Fraser, Valri Bromfield, Shane Meier, William Morgan Sheppard, Don S. Davis, Campbell Lane

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Now it's time to pay!

Plot: A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

I dug the premise and the execution for about the first half and then I started getting tired of the constant incremental shit the townspeople were giving each other.  The thing is, you can easily see, almost from the beginning, where this is going to go...and it does.  I guess I was ready to get there sooner than wait another hour for it to wrap up.  The last few minutes were fantastic.  I really liked it but boy does it drag along the way. von Sydow is fantastic.  That's perfect casting right there and so is Ed Harris.  Hell, except for the kid (let's face it, that scene where he had the gun was pretty bad), everyone did a great job.  It's just too long.  Is the book better?  Does King give you a lot more to think about as the shitstorm builds toward the shitpocalypse?  I hope so, not that I'll ever read it.  Patrick Doyle's score was great.  The only extra on the MGM DVD is the theatrical trailer.

Beat the Devil (2002)

In 2001, BMW produced a series of 8 short films starring Clive Owen as The Driver.  They were made with the top action directors and various famous actors to showcase the performance aspects of various BMW cars.

Director: Tony Scott

Writers: David Carter, Greg Hahn, Vincent Ngo

Composer: Harry Gregson-Williams

Starring: Clive Owen, James Brown, Gary Oldman, Marilyn Manson, Danny Trejo, Tony Wilson, Tomirae Brown, Judge Bradley

More info: IMDb

Plot: Decades ago, the legendary James Brown sold his soul to the devil for fame and fortune. Now he wishes to renegotiate. Hired to take Mr. Brown to a rendezvous with the devil (Gary Oldman), the driver soon finds himself entangled in fiendish plans.

My rating: 10/10

will I watch it again? FUCK & YES

The Devil's (Oldman) entrance is hilarious.  Hell, this whole short is hilarious.  James Brown.  Love that guy and he was a perfect choice as a guy who sold his soul to the Devil in his youth in exchange for wealth and fame.  That it's got Oldman in over-the-top land as the Devil and Danny Trejo as his driver who goes wheel to wheel with Brown's driver (Owen) is the crack cocaine icing on the heroin cake.  The race is both exciting and fun as shit.  The ending is great and the use of James Brown's classic "HEY!" is used to great effect.  Then there's the tag with Marilyn Manson.  I'm only 3 into the 8 films and I can't imagine any of the rest being better than this.  Fantastic.

Bedazzled (1967)

Director: Stanley Donen

Writers: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore

Composer: Dudley Moore

Starring: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron, Raquel Welch, Alba, Robert Russell, Barry Humphries, Parnell McGarry, Daniele Noel, Howard Goorney, Michael Bates

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in their first starring comedy!

Plot: A hapless loser sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for 7 wishes, but has trouble winning over the girl of his dreams.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Probably.

I've been a fan of Cook and Moore for as long as I can remember.  While 2000 remake was cute, this original version has a level of charm that the remake missed.  The chemistry between Cook and Moore is undeniable.  Their quiet, polite playfulness goes a long way in the success of this picture.  The setups and gags are fun and it's always a hoot to see London in the late 60s.  Gee, I'd like to have been there.  It feels a little long at 103 minutes but it's still a good watch.  Cook and Moore are delightfully cast as the devil and his newest, hapless victim and, if for no other reason, you should watch it just for them.  Of course it doesn't hurt that Raquel Welch is crazy sexy and fun.