Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Another candidate for worst poster ever.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Another candidate for worst poster ever.

So I'm guessing you don't get lost in those murky pools of Ron Howard's puppy dog eyes like I do then...?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Incidentally, this is a marginally better poster (although I'd like it to be noted that my socks stayed firmly on throughout):

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

So I'm guessing you don't get lost in those murky pools of Ron's puppy dog eyes like I do then...?

This is how i read the post.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Haunts (1977)

'Haunts' is a curious little psychological horror film in which Swede May Britt plays Ingrid, a girl with a troubled past who lives with her uncle in a small rural community.

Deeply religious and adverse to the advances of and physical contact by men, our farm girl is unfortunate enough to endure multiple ordeals in the stretch of a short period including stalkings and physical and sexual assaults.

Parallel to Ingrid's attacks, the town sheriff (played by Aldo Ray) is heading up an investigation into a series of brutal scissor-attacks of other local girls by a masked assailant.

Whilst all this may sound pretty formulaic, as the film trundles on, nothing is as cut and dried as it seems... but to elaborate would be to spoil things.

Overall, this was fairly enjoyable, and the more of Herb Freed's films I watch, the more I respect him as a director. Whilst none of the films I've viewed so far are particularly mind-blowing, they are at least solid works and all add something a little unique and interesting to that saturated cess-pool which is '70s horror cinema.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Sounds quite good to me.

Is it available on disc?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Sounds quite good to me.

Is it available on disc?

It was rather good - better than I expected anyway (which is always a nice surprise).

As for physical media releases, it received a DVD-R (read: grey market) release from Synergy in the US in 2007. There was also an Italian DVD released by 'Enjoy Movies' (?) in 2012.

It was also part of this set from Mill Creek:

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

It was rather good - better than I expected anyway (which is always a nice surprise).

As for physical media releases, it received a DVD-R (read: grey market) release from Synergy in the US in 2007. There was also an Italian DVD released by 'Enjoy Movies' (?) in 2012.

It was also part of this set from Mill Creek:

Thanks B_E.

I actually already have that down on my wishlist. Different artwork, same set.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

The Headless Eyes (1971)

The Headless Eyes is a grimy early '70s proto-slasher concerning an artist who is blinded during a failed robbery attempt and who, several years later, takes it upon himself to go on a killing spree and remove his female victims' eyes with a spoon he keeps wrapped up in his pocket.

The atmosphere and aesthetic is very H G Lewis, with more than a dollop of Andy Milligan thrown in... However, the contents and mood of the film never seem to gel together to create an engaging enough and smooth-flowing experience. The film often flip-flops between gritty tension tinged with nastiness, and that of strained absurdity and silliness with our eye-patch sporting killer shrieking about his eyes (of which sounds sampled off a repetitive audio loop). Some drawn-out filler scenes also aid to counteract the film's flow.

Whilst The Headless Eyes certainly has some interesting and manic moments, there just wasn't enough of them or the fluidity in their execution to invest me to the point where I'd actively want to visit it again.

[profondo rosso]

I remember renting this one out as an early teen B_E.....and not thinking much of it. It certainly did not match up to this (better) cover anyhow....

headless_eyes.jpg