Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

[Rondadoronron]

Nice review as always Mr B.E,but don't think of a film as a little slow going at times,but as building momentum.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rondadoronron

Nice review as always Mr B.E,but don't think of a film as a little slow going at times,but as building momentum.

Sometimes building momentum to the final credits takes the fun out of proceedings!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

nothing more than a man with a cheap rubber suit and rag ensemble waving his arms around you can't help but stifle a laugh...

Poor old Ron.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Carnage (1984)

Andy Milligan does Amityville, and Carnage is also quite possibly the 'talkiest' Milligan film I've come across so far.

The plot concerns a newly married couple who form a suicide pact and perform the dour deed in their home. Three years later, another couple moves into the same house and starts to experience some strange goings on, including electrical appliances turning on by themselves, knife blocks inexplicably turning upside-down, and hedge clippers moving around of their own accord.

The spooky occurrences are heightened when they decide to invite another couple to stay, but aside from some low budget grisly kills, the bulk of the film consists of having to endure the lengthy, numerous dialogue scenes and the over the top 'acting'.

Whilst Carnage is interesting in as much as it plays to my affinity for Milligan, it is far from his best work.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

The Children (1980)

The Children (of Ravensback) is a creepy little low budget film that doesn't promise much on the surface, but ends up delivering a fairly entertaining little horror film by the time the credits roll.

The parents of Ravensback are all in a panic as their children have not come home after school. The school bus has been way-laid by means of a toxic gas cloud and all the children have become irradiating zombie-esque monsters with a vendetta against adults (particularly their own parents) and a penchant for black nail varnish.

Despite the premise and the budget involved the film manages to carry some tension with decent effect, almost exhibiting a Village of the Damned quality at times ....and although both are certainly very different films, the tone to Ravensback often reminded me of the '60s classic. The effects work is also pretty decent, and although a few of the kills are carried out off-screen there is a decent amount of slaughter and adults vs. children action, which in turn helps he story along with minimal lulls in pace.

The score also reminded me of Friday the 13th, which was no surprise, as having watched the film I discovered that both scores were done by Harry Manfredini the same year.

Overall, I had fun with this one and would definitely watch it again.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

The Crater Lake Monster (1977)

Not being the biggest fan of 'Creature Features' for the most part, there is a vast cheesy low-budget back log of schlock to which I have not yet endured to experience. The Crater Lake Monster is one of those such films.

A slow, tonally erratic film concerning the discovery of a prehistoric creature in a small town's local lake. This plot itself often takes a back-seat to the capering of two hillbilly types who run a boat rental business. When they're not arguing, fighting and splashing about in the water together slapstick style they're renting boats out to tourists despite knowing there is a creature at large somewhere on the lake. There is also a strange sub-plot involving a bearded man who guns down convenience store staff and patrons alike to then steal a tiny bottle of booze...

All that said, It's impossible not to love the stop motion creature, who despite looking far from convincing (especially in close up when it reverts from a long-necked plesiosaur to a static mini T-Rex style head being moved around by two stage hands) brings a little magic to an otherwise dull and forgettable film.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Creature from Black Lake (1976)

Another 'Creature Feature', this time concerning Bigfoot.

Creature from Black Lake concerns two companions who travel to the Louisiana swamps to try and find Bigfoot. On the way they meet up with a local named Orville who's parents were killed trying to flee the creature many years before when their car hit a tree. Orville invites the duo to stay with him and his grandparents who have been responsible for raising him after his parents' untimely demise.

The biggest surprise here is how well the characters are fleshed out for such a low budget film. The performances are also solid overall, and the two leads bounce off of one another effectively to the extent that the characters portray an air of believability. This fact, whilst productive to the plot is a bit of a moot point overall considering the Bigfoot action is extremely minimal and fairly tame.

If you're looking for a fun Bigfoot film, I'd point you away from Creature from Black Lake, which came across as more of a character focused drama in many respects than the B-movie shlockfest which I had prepared myself for.

[Rik]

Really can't wait for my copy of this to arrive (hopefully next week), reading some of these reviews makes me want to dip into it myself

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rik

Really can't wait for my copy of this to arrive (hopefully next week), reading some of these reviews makes me want to dip into it myself

I don't need the book.

I've got Bizarre_Eye.

Someone who's reviews i trust. I may not always agree, but i know where he's coming from.

[Rik]

He is doing a stellar job