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Video Vault
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Written by Larry Clow
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Friday, 02 May 2008 |
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Empire Pictures, 1985
starring: Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres and Jack Nance
written and directed by: Luca Bercovici
the plot:
After a distant relative dies, Jonathan Graves (Liapis) returns to his
ancestral home with his girlfriend, Rebecca (Pelikan) in tow. Jonathan
and Rebecca roam about the sprawling mansion and ponder just how
Jonathan’s family, whom he never really knew, kept up with such a
place. As Jonathan explores the basement, he finds boxes full of
bizarre artifacts, texts on magical rites and other strange items.
Meanwhile, the mansion’s caretaker, Wolfgang (Nance), keeps a watchful
eye on the pair. Jonathan becomes increasingly obsessed with the
strange items in the basement, intently studying the spell books and
grimoires. And, when Rebecca is gone, he actually attempts to cast
spells. His first few feats are small—he summons a few rat-like
creatures and, during one incantation, conjures up two little people,
Grizzel and Greedigut. But as Jonathan becomes more adept at using
magic, his ambitions grow. He casts a spell on Rebecca to keep her from
leaving him and, during a dinner party, uses his powers to force his
friends to perform a horrible ritual.
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Written by Larry Clow
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
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Filmways Pictures, 1981
starring: Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer and
Lou David
directed by: Tony Maylam
The plot: Cropsy (David), the
caretaker at Camp Blackfoot, is targeted one evening by a group of
mischievous campers. Angry at Cropsy for his bad attitude and
prodigious drinking, the campers plant a human skull with a lit candle
on a table next to his bed. Cropsy awakens, panics and is soon engulfed
in flames. The campers run off, horrified at their prank gone awry,
while Cropsy is left to recover from his wounds. Five years later,
Cropsy is released from the hospital, his face and body hideously
disfigured. Where does he go but Camp Stonewater, a new camp built
across the river from the former site of Camp Blackfoot. There, Cropsy
finds a new batch of campers, led by counselors Todd (Matthews) and
Michelle (Ayres). As Cropsy lurks about, one camper, Alfred (Backer),
takes all the blame for the weird happenings around camp.
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Written by Larry Clow
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Friday, 11 April 2008 |
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Crown International Pictures, 1980
starring: James Westmoreland, Ben Frank, Flo Gerrish and Nicholas Worth
directed by: Robert Hammer
the plot: Los Angeles is
caught in the grip of fear as a psychotic strangler lurks in the city,
assaulting and killing young women in their own homes. The culprit is
Kirk Smith (Worth), a disturbed Vietnam vet and amateur photographer
who uses his camera to lull victims into feeling safe, only to use his
brute strength to choke the life out of them. As the victims pile up,
detectives Chris McCabe (Westmoreland) and Hatcher (Frank) are tasked
with catching the killer. They receive unexpected help from Dr. Lindsay
Gale, a local psychiatrist with an afternoon radio call-in show. Gale
believes the killer has called into her show before and provides the
cops with recordings of the calls. Meanwhile, a low-life smut dealer
gives the cops a tip that sets them on the track to finding Smith. But
as the heat closes in, Smith lashes out and sets his sights on one
final victim: Dr. Gale.
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Written by Larry Clow
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Friday, 04 April 2008 |
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a tribute to Richard Widmark
Pushing an elderly,
wheelchair-bound woman down a flight of stairs is an unlikely way to
become a star, but Richard Widmark was never a typical actor. Widmark
shot to stardom in 1947’s “Kiss of Death,” in which he played Tommy
Udo, a sadistic, giggling killer who plots revenge on the former
partner who sent him to jail. In the film’s most memorable scene, Udo
drags an old, wheelchair-bound woman out of her apartment and pushes
her down a flight of stairs, gleefully laughing the whole time.
Widmark’s boyish good looks helped make him famous, but it was
his distinctive voice and unmistakable laugh—alternating between an
insane squeal and a desperate chuckle, depending on the role—that
cemented him as one of the greatest noir actors of all time. Widmark
won a Golden Globe in 1948 for his role in “Kiss of Death,” and he was
soon typecast as the heavy in a number of films, including 1948’s “The
Street with No Name.” A run-of-the-mill caper film packaged as a
semi-documentary about the FBI’s clashes with criminal gangs, “Street”
stands out mostly thanks to Widmark’s menacing and charming turn as
Alec Stiles, a ruthless gang boss who is just a shade less crazy than
Tommy Udo.
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Written by Larry Clow
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Thursday, 27 March 2008 |
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NF Geria III-Produktion, 1980
starring: Catherine Mary Stewart, George Gilmour, Vladek Sheybal and Joss Ackland
written and directed by: Menahem Golan
the plot: In
the far-flung future of 1994, the world is under the control of
Boogalow International Music, a multinational conglomerate. Each year,
BIM owner Mr. Boogalow (Sheybal) hosts the World Vision Music Festival,
using it as an opportunity to recruit a new pop star for his evil
empire. But even Boogalow is surprised when Bibi (Stewart) and Alphie
(Gilmour), a sweet folk-rock duo from Moosejaw, Canada, win the
contest. Boogalow rushes to enfold them in his world, tempting Alphie
and Bibi with promises of money, fame, sex and drugs. While Bibi jumps
at the chance to become an international pop star, Alphie is hesitant,
experiencing a series of frightening visions just before signing the
contract. He refuses to sign, and so Boogalow exiles him to a life of
poverty and sadness. Meanwhile, Bibi gets wrapped up in the glamorous
life, with legions of fans and hangers-on surrounding her. As Bibi’s
career takes off, BIM slowly worms its way into controlling all facets
of society, forcing citizens to wear a BIM mark and participate in
daily exercise programs. Alphie meets up with Mr. Topps (Ackland), the
leader of a hippie enclave that shuns modern society and refuses to
submit to BIM’s control. As Alphie attempts to free Bibi from BIM’s
clutches, Mr. Boogalow sets into motion a plan to crush Alphie, Mr.
Topps and the hippies once and for all.
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