To All a Goodnight (1980, USA) The creators: Writer Alex Rebar, who’s probably best known as the titular Incredible Melting Man, and director HOLY SHIT IT WAS DIRECTED BY DAVID HESS. It was, in fact, his very first directorial credit and for 30 years his only directorial credit, which is maybe evidence that starring in […]
The creators: Writer/director Glen Morgan, who was in his day one-half of the writing team responsible for some of the finest episodes of the early seasons of The X-Files. 2006 was not his day. (His writing partner, James Wong, is on hand as producer). The plot: First, that viewer which looks for more of the […]
The creators: Written and directed by John A. Russo, who as the cover art is hugely eager to remind you, co-wrote 1968’s Night of the Living Dead. Among the producers is Bob Michelucci, who appeared as a zombie in Dawn of the Dead and had otherwise no contact with that franchise; of the three movies […]
From among the Video Nasties L’ultmo treno della notte AKA Night Train Murders AKA Late Night Trains AKA The New House on the Left (1975, Italy) The creators: Director Aldo Lado, a giallo maker of no real import, alongside a team of writers including minor giallo figure Ettore Sanzò, semi-important Western writer Renato Izzo, and […]
The creators: Director Bob Clark, later of the slightly different holiday classic A Christmas Story and the slightly less classic Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2; screenwriter Roy Moore, of (Canadian!) television and the forgotten 1981 film The Last Chase. The plot: Shortly before Christmas break, the four girls remaining at Pi Kappa Sigma sorority house at […]
Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984, United Kingdom) The creators: Director Edmund Purdom, in his only behind-the camera gig, as his career consists of an extraordinary number of roles in Italian thrillers (and the lead role in this feature); writer Derek Ford, a sexploitation director and British TV vet. Additional material written and directed by “Al […]
Christmas Evil AKA You Better Watch Out (1980, USA) The creator: Writer-director Lewis Jackson, who seemingly made nothing else, ever. The plot: On December 24, 1949, little Harry Stadling is traumatised to see Mommy getting it on with Santa Claus. 31 years later, the Christmas-obsessed Harry (Brandon Maggart), newly promoted to a management position at […]
Okay, some turns of phrase suck more than others. But every halfway decent Christmastime horror pun was taken decades ago. Anyway, there is no single calendar day better represented in the annals of horror movies than December 25. Following up on my colossally successful and better-named Summer of Blood, I’ve decided to spend the next […]
