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matt zodiac
Reviews
La campana del infierno (1973)
Deserves to have a cult following
This fascinating and completely off-the-wall horror/art film is full of memorable imagery and surprising shocks. It's about a man who is released from a mental hospital into the care of his aunt and her daughters. They want to drive him mad again to inherit his vast estate, but he turns the tables on them in a series of surreal and sometimes disturbing "tricks". One of the best scenes takes place in a dungeon. The film is original and you never know where it's going. Worth seeking out.
El jorobado de la Morgue (1973)
Classic Naschy film
Paul Naschy is great in this gory and old-fashioned horror flick. He plays the soft-spoken and (initially) gentle morgue attendant who is in love with a terminally ill patient in the hospital. She is the only person in the hospital who is nice to him, and he brings her flowers every day until she inevitably dies, and ends up in the morgue. Naschy loses it, and takes her corpse into a hidden cave. Once a mad doctor discovers Naschy's secret, he blackmails him into supplying bodies for his ghoulish experiments. This film is imaginative and fun. In one scene, Naschy is attacked by lots of (real) rats. There's plenty of gore too, and the ending is outrageous.
Angst (1983)
Raw and well-photographed psycho-killer film
This relatively obscure German film is very well-done. It's about a schizophrenic man who murders uncontrollably. The film features very innovative camera work (at the time) which includes a recurring POV shot that will impress, no doubt. What makes this film tough to watch is the very realistic murder scenes, which include a graphic rape/murder and the long, drawn-out drowning death of an invalid. It reaches levels of intensity seen in other great psycho films like Seul Contre Tous and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. The lead actor is very convincing, and makes you feel sorry for him as well as loathe him. A highly recommended film.
Geek Maggot Bingo or The Freak from Suckweasel Mountain (1983)
Not Zedd's best work
This film is unique in its own strange way, but to be totally honest I found it really dull. I'm a fan of director Nick Zedd's other films such as They Eat Scum and War is Menstrual Envy. They're mostly fascinating and one-of-a-kind curiousities. This one is reminiscent of a home movie that is way overacted and lacking in any sort of shocking or original material. The vague plot concerns a mad scientist bringing back the dead, and lots of bad jokes and crude, but amusing gore FX follow. It's all very pointless, although it features Richard Hell (of the Voidoids) as a cowboy and Zacherle as a funny narrator. All in all, it's one of Zedd's worst films.
Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1969)
One of my favorite Russ Meyer films
Harry Sledge (Charles Napier) is a small-town sheriff who doubles as a drug runner for an old, rich pervert. He gets involved with the old man's woman, plus another big-breasted girl. Meanwhile he stalks a rival indian dealer in the desert. The film features typical great dialogue, masterful editing, photography and wonderful sex scenes. It also has some great action scenes and is surprisingly bloody. Charles Napier gives one of his best performances. It's a very entertaining 70 minutes.