Dr_Gor Blog

Under discussion:

The Sentinel  (1976)

The next one I would like to talk about is  The Sentinel  ...   This is one of my all time favorite horror films and is one of the scariest and most disturbing I have ever seen.   Coming fresh on the heels of The Exorcist, The Omen and Rosemary's Baby, The Sentinal is a lost and forgotten classic of Satanic horror.   Based on the best selling novel by Jeffrey Konvitz, who also wrote the screenplay, it is the story of young New York fashion model Allison Parker (played by a scene-stealing Christina Raines), who breaks up with her fiance (Chris Sarandon of Fright Night and The Princess Bride fame) and moves into a beautiful and inexplicably affordable brownstone apartment.   The fun begins when she meets her rather eccentric new neighbors beginning with a nosey but likable Burgess Meredith who introduces her to other neighbors that range from mildly amusing to rather disturbing...   Oh, and there is a blind priest living upstairs who nobody talks to and who never leaves his apartment...   Suddenly, Allison's health begins to fail leading to regular fainting spells and much concern from her friends and estranged boyfriend.   When Allison asks her real estate agent (Ava Gardner) about all of her eccentric nieghbors she is in for a bit of a shock to learn that, aside from her and the blind priest upstairs, the building is quite deserted!   It turns out that the building is the gateway to Hell and the old blind priest (John Carradine) is the guardian who's job it is to keep the Legions Of Hell from invading the Earth!   And Allison, it turns out, has been chosen to be his replacement...   Some truely horrifying scenes, especially at the end, and just enough splattery gore to keep most gorehounds satisfied make this a standout picture that never quite got the attention it deserved.   Also look for Jeff Goldblum, Crisopher Walken, Beverly D'Angelo and others in "before they were stars" roles.   As with many of these old classics, I was a huge fan of the novel before the movie ever came out and I was not dissapointed in the movie in the least...   this is a truely terriffying experience that you won't soon forget.   It is also interesting to note that director Michael Winner visited hospitals and circus sideshows to hand pick the "freaks" and human "oddities" that were used in the movies finale...   when the legions of Hell begin to spill forth...

                                                                      < GOR >

Under discussion:

Invasion of the Saucer Men  (1957)

Nearly 40 years before "Mars Attacks" , the Earth was invaded by evil looking, bulbous headed, bug eyed 'little green men' in this campy classic from 1957. It is Saturday night in small town America and the local 'Lover's Point' is full of local 'kids' (actually 20-something's) who are there to make out and drink beer, when a typical flying saucer lands nearby. In a convenient twist, this 'Lover's Point' is now private property owned by a cranky, shotgun-toting farmer who uses it as grazing land for his cattle and prize bull, causing the 'kids' to drive the treacherous road past the farmer's house without headlights to try (unsuccesfully) to go undetected. Thus it is no surprise when a couple of the kids accidentally run over an alien, pinning it under their car and killing it. The dead alien's dismembered hand then sprouts long 'needles' fom it's fingertips and puctures the kids' tires - causing them to try to make it back on foot - before creating more havoc. In another interesting twist, instead of using 'ray-guns' or other sophistcated weaponry, these aliens' weapon of choice are these needles which extend from their fingertips which they use to inject pure alcohol into their victims - leading to many 'drunk' jokes and causing the local police to have a hard time believing all these reports of litte-green-men and flying saucers they have been getting... In one of the more entertaining scenes, the farmers bull, who has a habit of bumming beers from the kids and getting drunk, charges one of the aliens and scoops it up between his horns, even goring the creature in the eye, while getting stabbed repeatedly with it's alcohol injecting needles... when the farmer finds his prize bull he is alive but too drunk to stand up! Made on a shoestring budget (even for it's time) and obviously intended as nothing more than a campy comedy, this movie actually has some frightening moments and, in fact, it actually scared the crap out of me the first time I saw it on late night TV as a young kid in the early 60's...

< GOR >

Under discussion:

Dawn of the Dead  (1978)

The Exorcist  (1973)

City of the Living Dead  (1980)

Last House on the Left  (1972)

Night of the Living Dead  (1968)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre  (1974)

The Toolbox Murders  (1978)

Driller Killer  (1976)

Zombie  (1979)

   I was STUNNED!   This Movie Was PHENOMENAL!   Up to this point, the 'goriest' movies I had ever seen would be "Night Of The Living Dead" and "The Exorcist" ... (I had not yet seen "Dawn Of The Dead" which was released the year before...) ...   and some B-movie Drive-In fare like "Last House On The Left" and "The Toolbox Murders" and "Driller Killer" and "The Drive-In Massacre" and, of course, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" ...  

   This movie (for me, at the time) outdid them ALL!    From the FANTASTIC 'comic book' story line to the AMAZING, 'in your face'', "GORE FX"!   ( "excuse me, Miss... you have something in your EYE ...") ,   This movie was great in EVERY way!    At the time, I did not even know that this was an Italian Movie!   (I did not pay any attention to the credits)   ...    And then, about a year later, I saw another Horror Movie that just 'blew me away'...   "The Gates Of Hell".   I didn't have a clue at the time that both of these movies were directed by the same insane genius!

   It was a couple of years later when I began reading about Lucio Fulci in FANGORIA  and GOREZONE and then I started collecting his movies!    I have about 14 so far and they are ALL good!    It seems that Mr. Fulci liked to include at least one really messy 'gore-scene' in each and every movie!   (NOT that there is anything WRONG with that!) ...    It is also at this time that I learned of OTHER Italian Horror Movie Directors!    I will not go into all of them here because my dinner is ready!    But, here are some names to ponder...   D'Amato, Lenzi, Bava, Argento...

Under discussion:

Attack of the Giant Leeches  (1959)

   I recently rewatched this childhood favorite if mine and I think I like it even more now!   This is actually one of the BETTER of the B&W sci-fi/horror films of the late 50's- early 60's.   Produced by Roger Corman on what is obviously a 'shoestring' budget, this was one of the more effective of these types of films.   The acting was actually ABOVE the 'Junior-High-School-Play' level of most of these types of movies and the sets were quite convincing as well.   Having visited the Florida Everglades and nieghboring swamps myself, I think the filmmakers did an excellent job of recreating these locations in a Hollywood studio.   The underwater scenes were quite convincing and rather well filmed although the 'giant leeches' themselves were obviously 'stunt-divers' in rather fake looking 'leech' costumes, I cannot not help but feel that these men were taking a great risk to thier own personal safety to film these scenes!  ( try to imagine swimming around underwater with SCUBA gear and wrapped inside a great big silly looking 'leech costume' that looks like it is made out of trash-bags with teeth and stuff glued to it!)...

   I found it quite amusing that the 'giant leeches' kept the hot looking chick ALIVE in thier underwater cave so that they could keep giving her 'hickeys'...

Under discussion:

The Exorcist  (1973)

   I first saw this film in the theater on the first weekend of it's initial release in 1973....   I was 13 years old....   What I remember of that experience is this;   The 'line' to get in stretched out of the theater and around the block,  I waited in line for over an hour to see this movie... (and I didn't mind!) ...   The 'pre-hype' surrounding this movie was incredible!   The novel was a HUGE hit before the movie came out... EVERYBODY had read "The Exorcist" (including me)  and was talking about it when, suddenly, it was anounced that a 'movie' was being made and everybody went nuts....    We were already scared before we even got into the theater!  

   The other thing I remember was this;   The first moment I laid eyes on Linda Blair it WAS  'Love At First Sight' !   (I was 13...) ...   And I could not believe the 'horrors' that poor girl was about to go through...   It was, quite litterally, 'gut-wrenching' for me...  I think I did not sleep at all that night, I was afraid my bed would start shaking...

  William Friedkin instantly won a spot at the top of my 'favorite directors' list for creating this masterpiece and ALL of the actors were extraordinary.  Although SOME of the 'special effects' were a bit 'cheesy' (the 'head spinning'), MOST of the FX were quite convincing!

   Bottom line is this;   "The Exorcist" is not only one of The Best Horror Movies ever made, it is one of The Best MOVIES ever made...   They don't make them like that anymore...

                                                                                                <   GOR   >