Stylish Hong Kong black magic madness DEVIL FETUS (1983) has a pleasing emphasis on low-key chills and eerie atmosphere... until the irresistible gore-drenched, madcap spectacle of the last twenty minutes. Mostly soundtracked by Morricone's The Thing score, of course.

Shameless Alien rip-off GALAXY OF TERROR (1981) has a terrific cast (Haig! Zabriskie! King! Englund!) and a relentlessly grim atmosphere. What more could you want? How about a pulsing synth score and superb low budget production design by a young James Cameron?

Hammer's THE MUMMY (1959) has sumptuous photography and a truly wonderful score, but the extended flashbacks kill momentum. At its best whenever the titular character is lumbering about and smashing through windows, and it's always a treat to see Cushing and Lee.

Beyond stunned to share that Publishers Weekly has reviewed 'When I Look At the Sky, All I See Are Stars.' Releasing in almost two months, I'm excited to have you all visit the Black Heavens!
Read the review here 👇
publishersweekly.com/9781998851317

Preorder👇
lnkj.in/p/stars

One of Hammer's finest, the rip-roaring vampire adventure TWINS OF EVIL (1971) features a terrific score and attractive cinematography from the fabulously named Dick Bush. Peter Cushing gets one of his very best roles as a conflicted witch-hunter.

Final quality checks happening this week before publication on the 6th of May!

A Hammer Horror retelling of the Bathory story, COUNTESS DRACULA (1971) feels surprisingly lavish despite its limited sets. The actors help a lot, especially Nigel Green as the conniving Captain Dobi, and Harry Robinson's score is impossibly lush and pretty.

THE SHIVER OF THE VAMPIRES (1971) will always hold a special place in my heart as the film that introduced me to Jean Rollin back in the 90s. As a narcotic fugue of beautiful, melancholy imagery, it's hard to beat.

Enjoyably stylish Italian erotic thriller EVIL SENSES (1986) is more neo-noir than giallo. Often hilariously self-serious, it has a nice twisty plot and an icy cool Fabio Frizzi score to go along with the smoky visuals and hardboiled dialogue.

THE MECHANIC (2011) was not as great as I remembered, but it’s still a solid espionage caper with a terrific last half hour of bone-crunching action and fun twists, while Statham is resplendent in a variety of chunky knitwear.

Author David Sodergren is the choice for my #IndieApril post today, with a spotlight on the brutal Satan's Burnouts Must Die!

With a mean streak a mile wide, this grindhouse-inspired slice of biker violence is a gut-churning orgy of death and carnage!

Even if Jackie had only ever made POLICE STORY (1985), he would still be an action movie legend. From the escalating thrills of the opening scene to the glorious carnage of the mall climax, it's an action masterpiece throughout, and Chan makes it all look so effortless.

In his latest novel, “Rotten Tommy,” David Sodergren (with a twinkle in his eye) pulverises any semblance of childhood innocence and nostalgia, replacing it with pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel.

Read my full thoughts here:

fanfiaddict.com/review-rotten-…

Amando de Ossorio's NIGHT OF THE SEAGULLS (1975) features the coolest movie monsters of the decade; the sword-wielding, horseback-riding, skeletal Templar knights. A suspenseful Lovecraftian coastal horror that drips with atmosphere and menace, it ends the series on a high.

DEMONS 2 (1986) may take longer to hit its gory groove than the first film, but there’s no arguing with that last half hour, an ever-escalating riot of bloody mayhem soundtracked by Simon Boswell’s toe-tappin’, riff-heavy score.

The fourth blind dead film, Night of the Seagulls, finally out on English-friendly Blu and UHD from LE CHAT QUI FUME

FOOTPRINTS (1975) is a subtle Italian sort-of giallo bolstered by stunning photography and an eerie score. The deliberate pace will be off-putting to some, but the gradual reveals and desolate seaside atmosphere are enough to lull willing viewers into a pleasingly cryptic trance.

Ng See-Yuen's indie kung-fu classic THE SECRET RIVALS (1976) keeps tripping up over its own meandering plot, but the scenic South Korean locations do a lot of heavy lifting, and the frequent fights are blisteringly fast-paced and brutal.

Mail day from Shameless Films

It’s insane that Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento's DEMONS (1985) didn’t spawn an entire legion of wild eighties heavy metal OTT gore-drenched splatter epics. It's like everyone else just watched and thought, 'Nah, what's the point? You guys nailed it. 10/10, no notes.'