Demon Under Glass (2002)

Dir: Jon Cunningham

A vampire serial killer is captured, taken to a secret government examination room and kept under scrutiny of a team of scientists in this smart slowburning horror. Jason Carter plays the vamp with cool, edgy aplomb and is flanked brilliantly by Garrett Maggart as the sensitive doctor who is ordered to carry out tests, take samples and keep his subject fed with donated blood. At first, the pair keep a polite distance between them but, as the tests become more gruelling, the doctor begins to feel an uneasy compassion for his subject and a deadly psychological chess game begins. "Demon Under Glass" doesn't go for a simple "the real monsters are us!" revelation and instead tackles an array of moral and emotional scenarios with rare restraint and intelligence. The film is engaging, eerie and an admirable example of what can be achieved on a seemingly non-existent budget when you've got a tight script, two strong leads and an original, unpredictable idea with depth. An underrated little gem that's been unfairly consigned to the 50p bargain bin. ***

The Arcane Sorcerer (1996)

Dir: Pupi Avati

If you're longing for the crawling flesh and rising goosebumps you got the last time you watched a properly creepy ghost story, and it's been way too long, then look no further. Pupi Avati's underrated gem, "The Arcane Sorcerer", is exactly what you're after. Set in the 16th century, a young student is disgraced by a sex scandal and sent away to become secretary to a defrocked priest who lives in a remote country house and is known for his collection of esoteric, occult books and his recently deceased former assistant - an apparent black wizard. I don't want to say too much else about the plot. It's largely a two-hander between the excellent leads - Carlo Cecchi and Stefano Dionisi - and packed with twists and scares. A film of great craftmanship, depth and understated beauty, Avati shoots in warm, earthy, autumnal tones and packs his screenplay with rich exploration of his themes (ol' favourites death and sin, mostly). The gothic atmosphere enhances some very creepy moments indeed and, despite a slightly rushed-feeling final five minutes, this is a strong example of a master horror director at work. If you like ghosts or intelligent occult horror, seek it out at once. ***1/2

Beyond Dream's Door (1988)

Dir: Jay Woelfel

A student named Ben Dobbs (Nick Baldasare) experiences bizarre nightmares and finds that the lines between the dream world and reality are blurring in this micro-budget, Lovecraft-influenced, experimental horror. He hallucinates giant red monsters, armless janitors, creepy kids with plasticine eyes and topless girls with amazing 80s hair but what does it all mean? Who knows? Director Woelfel clearly has talent and ambition in abundance. The film is superbly shot, considering the money they obviously didn't have, and there are some great ideas here, but they over-reach beyond the script's ability to present them coherently. Granted, the film's nightmares-within-nightmares structure was always going to equal a degree of abstraction but the total lack of characterisation is probably the main sticking point for me. It's very tough to engage in a plot like this when no one has a personality (especially tough given some of the ropey acting) and without that connection, there's not enough to propel the plot forward at a satisfactory pace. It's a shame because some of the imagery is fantastic and a lot of love and hard work has clearly gone into making the best film they could, given a lot of limitations. **

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have The Key (1972)

Dir: Sergio Martino

This damn-near perfect giallo is largely a three-hander, telling the story of an alcoholic, washed-up writer (Luigi Pistilli), his long-suffering wife (Anita Strindberg) and his sexpot niece (Edwige Fenech) who shows up to stay with them at their gothic villa. There's sex, violence, heavy sadomasochistic themes, (obviously) a black-gloved killer on the loose, a cat named Satan who may or may not be key to the mystery, and enough crossing, double-crossing and triple-crossing to satisfy the even most jaded (yellowed?) giallo buff. The simmering gothic atmosphere is soundtracked by a sumptuous Bruno Nicolai score, the photography is vibrantly imaginative and everything feels a cut above its peers; more artful, intelligent and thematically coherent. The acting is fantastic too, for a change. Fenech is on top form with a complicated character but even she is outshone by Strindberg, whose wide-eyed hysterical Irene is one of the best women-on-the-edge performances of the genre. A masterpiece. ****

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974)

Dir: Francesco Barilli

The delightfully named Mimsy Farmer stars as some kind of industrial scientist who starts to believe she's losing her mind after a creepy friend talks to her about witchcraft and she experiences some bizarre hallucinations. The story unfolds in the same surreal, occasionally dreamlike manner as other "women on the edge"-style gialli like "Footprints" or "All The Colors Of The Dark" and, at times, this becomes frustratingly oblique. The beautiful photography (Barilli seems to frame every shot like a painting) carries it through the most puzzling sections but almost nothing about what's going on is revealed until the very end, at which point (conveniently) the sudden, unexpected gore and nudity kicks in too. However, the ending is one Hell of a kicker and pulls it back from the brink majestically. If you manage to guess what happens, I'll be amazed. I also probably wouldn't want to run into you in a dark alley. The climax shares a sombre, nightmarish tone with some of David Lynch's work and, if you've the patience to stick with the rest of the film, you'll be richly rewarded. ***

Footprints (1975)

Dir: Luigi Bazzoni

Unusual sort-of giallo in which a woman who may or may not be named Alice (Florinda Bolkan) wakes up after three days, unable to remember where she's been or what she's done. The only clue is a torn up postcard on her kitchen floor from a place called Garma. Naturally, she heads to Garma to try and unravel the mystery and everything gets weird and dreamlike from there... It's a curious premise and one that works well. Sadly, it leads to a fairly obvious twist (which eagle-eyed gialli viewers will recognise as being similar to one in another of Bolkan's films from the era), the way in which it's presented is eerie and original. The film was "lost" for years until recently which is surprising given the incredible pedigree (Bazzoni and Vittorio Storaro behind the cameras... Bolkan, Klaus Kinski and a young Nicoletta Elmi in front of them...) and the fact that, despite being a little ponderous, "Footprints" has something about it that really sticks in your mind. The dream sequences are subtly disturbing, the island of Garma is spooky as Hell and those final images are hard to shake. It's a shame Bazzoni did so little genre work because he clearly understood what he was doing and had a unique vision for it. ***

The Good Sisters (2010)

Dir: JimmyO Burril

"The Good Sisters" tells a strange tale of two witch sisters (scream queens April Monique Burril and Debbie Rochon) living in a boarding house full of people who may or may not be out to kill them and it's a rare example of what can be achieved when small-scale indie horror takes itself seriously. While I'm sure as Hell not averse to balls-out gonzoid splatter played for yuks, it does sometimes feel as though filmmakers are writing themselves a get-out clause, lest anyone criticise their efforts ("well, we weren't taking it seriously, so nyah!"). This is why, despite its limitations and the odd flaw, "The Good Sisters" really impressed me. It has the balls to be a smart, character-driven and mostly quite sombre film even though it clearly didn't cost much to make. Writer/director Burril excels at penning good, naturalistic dialogue and the film's increasingly paranoid atmosphere lends weight to the punch that's delivered when the gore kicks in. Don't go into it expecting glossy cinematic perfection but do keep an eye on Forbidden Pictures because, if this is anything to go by, greatness is very much on the horizon for them. ***

The Signal (2007)

Dir: David Bruckner / Dan Bush / Jacob Gentry

A signal is sent across cell phones, radios and TVs that makes people go crazy and kill. Or does it? The problem is in knowing who's crazy and who isn't. Do you kill the person next to you because they're crazy and, if so, does that make YOU crazy? This is the eternal dilemma faced by all the characters in this wickedly original paranoid headfuck movie. Evoking early Cronenberg, early Romero and David Lynch at his finest, "The Signal" is an anarchic, stylish and deeply disturbing shock to the system. I don't want to say too much more, for fear of giving away too many of the (continual) surprises in the screenplay, but just go see this. Its raw brutality is made into a thing of beauty by the intelligence with which it's handled. It's amped-up Theatre Of The Absurd; I was laughing throughout a good half of it, yet still came away feeling frightened and shaken. When people talk about evoking the spirit of 70s horror, it's usually just an excuse to make something seedy. "The Signal" actually takes the true spirit of 70s horror and makes a progressive and smart movie that's also extreme and unpleasant. It's even got a Matt Skiba song in it. Repeatedly. Awesome, awesome, awesome. One of the best horror films of the decade. ****

Black Kiss (2004)

Dir: Macoto Tezka

Having become so jaded with Asian horror of late (thanks to a flood of soggy dead girls) it's a good feeling to see a new(ish) movie that reminds me why I got into it in the first place. "Black Kiss" is a beautifully shot nerve-shredder about Asuka (Reika Hashimoto) and Kasumi (Kaori Kawamura), two models who wind up sharing a seedy Tokyo apartment. In true "Rear Window" stylee, Asuka witnesses a brutal murder in the hotel across the street and this plunges both girls into a nightmare of slaughter, taxidermy, voodoo and more besides. Yeah, "Black Kiss" has it all. It's lengthy and character-driven but surprisingly well-paced, with murders as disturbing, inventive and stomach-churning as anything I've seen. The final third is tense and exciting and there's one scene (where the murderer is finally revealed) that sent me flying out of my seat, shrieking. Don't even get me started on all the incredible camerawork. An intelligent, original, well-made shocker that lives up admirably to the Asia Extreme tag. ****

Roman (2006)

Dir: Angela Bettis

Angela Bettis directs Lucky McKee (who also wrote the script) in this creepy older brother to his own minor classic, "May". He plays Roman, a loner who spends his time obsessing over minutiae in his apartment. One day he meets a girl (pixie-like Kristen Bell from "Pulse") and, uh, accidentally kills her. It's hard to explain the rest without giving too much away, but it aims for a quirky combination of black humour, heartfelt melancholy and a touch of the grotesque. Sadly, it's also not that great. I think it could do with some tightening all round; the script flags and becomes puzzlingly obscure at times. It's shot on some kind of digital video format and, aesthetically, fails to hook the interest. The editing is twitchy and I found my attention wandering a lot by the second half. I It's nice to see people making original, independent horror films, but I just found myself wishing this one had a bit more to it. **1/2

Tokyo Psycho (2004)

Dir: Ataru Oikawa

Amateurish shot-on-video cheapie from the director of the popular "Tomie" series. In this one, a young girl (Sachiko Kokubu) is sent a curiously stained note that reads "YOU HAVE TO MARRY ME", after which she finds herself the victim of a psycho stalker. It's revealed very early on in the film (ie: within the first 20 minutes) that the antagonist is a chap she went to high school with, who had a crush on her and has had trouble letting go. I have to admit, even as an expert on inappropriate crushes myself, I still feel that force-feeding centipedes to the one you love is quite a bizarre approach and his other tactics (which I'll leave you to find out, should you deign to watch the film) are equally unsuccessful. I guess that's why he's a psycho. The best thing about the movie is that it's only 78 minutes long, but even this is spread thin given that I've just managed to cover the entire plot in a couple of lines. The pre-credits sequence (a creepy, bloodstained drag queen in whiteface pushing his hands through a letterbox) is quite jarring but sadly has little to do with the rest of the movie. Even some of the weird/unsettling/grotesque imagery later on (including a horrible close-up face-ripping) can't save this one from drowning in its own pointlessness. Plus, the excess cackling/gurning in the final reel is thoroughly uncalled for. Unintentional amusement stems from the director's message at the very end, in which he tells us that the Japanese police don't take stalking seriously enough (why he made the film, apparently) and that we should all "be careful". Indeed. *

The Nameless (1999)

Dir: Jaume Balagueró

In this loose adaptation of the Ramsey Campbell novel of the same name, director Balagueró plays around with the premise of the book to create an altogether darker piece. The story follows a literary editor whose daughter is abducted and brutally murdered. Some ten years later, she receives a phone call from someone purporting to be her daughter, claiming she's still alive but is being held captive. The ensuing investigation does away with all the supernatural/psychic elements that are alluded to in Campbell's work and replaces them with a more fearsome enemy. I honestly like what they've done with it and the ending is a stunningly executed boot in the gall bladder - one of the few genuinely shocking sequences I've seen in recent memory - but the film falls short on characterisation and narrative structure (ironically, the book's two strongest points). Still, in spite of its flaws, it plays well, is nicely shot and, like I say, the horrifying finalé will kick your ass into taking away stronger memories with you than perhaps is justified. I'd be interested in seeing more of Balagueró's work. ***

The Shout (1978)

Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski

And now for something completely different! A bizarre and underrated nerve-shredder set in the isolated depths of North Devon. A married couple (John Hurt and Susannah York) let a black-clad stranger (Alan Bates) into their home who claims to have learned aboriginal magic after spending eighteen years in the Australian outback. This includes the ability to perform a 'terror shout' that can (allegedly) kill its intended victim instantly. The storyline is bizarre, complex and told with unconventional chronology which makes the film a little difficult to fully interpret on first viewing - indeed, it's still debatable what the ambiguous conclusion really means - yet despite this, "The Shout" remains a genuinely nightmarish experience. The direction is pitch-perfect with breathtaking use of sound, the acting is faultless (especially Bates, who's hypnotising in the lead) and the atmosphere is as creepy as almost anything else I can think of. Not for everyone perhaps, but a unique example of mature, intelligent and low-key horror at its weirdest. ***1/2

Pin (1988)

Dir: Sandor Stern

Perhaps not strictly a horror film but certainly marketed as one ("Designed to disturb! A bone chiller!" screams the video box!), "Pin" is weird and unsettling enough for me to believe it warrants inclusion here. It's a low-key Canadian movie about a boy, his sister and his, uh, anatomically correct dummy. The dummy (whose name is Pin) is initially used as a ventriloquist act by the children's doctor father to teach them about the facts of life at an early age. However, when both parents die in a car accident, the boy finds himself forming an unhealthy attachment to the dummy that leads inevitably to murder and madness! "Pin", in spite of its subtlety, is a unsettling experience that resonates long after the final, devastating frames. It deals in uncomfortable subject matter with a straight face and a sympathetic, clever screenplay. In an era of horror where screaming topless girls and wisecracking rubber-faced demons were almost mandatory, a film as genuinely disturbing and eerie as "Pin" was quite a rare find. Sadly, it still is, but if you can rescue a copy from a VHS bargain bin somewhere, I'd certainly recommend the purchase. ***