Tag Archives: horror

Plan 9 From Halloween Horror Fest

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Happy Halloween, everybody! Here’s a little more Horror Fest for you…

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957)

Flying saucers made from hub caps, and you can see the strings! Wobbly gravestones! Incomprehensible dialogue and wooden acting! Not to mention an incoherent plot. Yes indeed, this legendary movie from Ed Wood has it all. Or does it? The reputation of Plan 9 From Outer Space as the worst film ever made might have some truth in it, but not all of these claims are based in fact..

The plot is indeed bizarre. Aliens (who look very human) are keen to cause chaos and make the populace of Earth open their eyes to our potentially destructive ways. After several failures, they settle on their ninth plan – resurrecting the dead – as the best way to accomplish their goals. The dead come back to life (well, three of them do) and proceed to scare the locals and the police force silly.

Something like that, anyway. The story doesn’t really matter that much. You’ll want to see this film to witness the last scenes shot of Bela Lugosi, who died before the film was completed. And the stand in used to complete his scenes who looks nothing like him. And, of course, you’ll want to see the captivating horror host and pop culture legend Vampira (Maila Nurmi). Not to mention, to behold the wonder of Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson as a police inspector turned ghoul.

It’s kitsch, silly and thoroughly inept, but Plan 9 from Outer Space is also hugely entertaining, camp fun. You’ll witness a film so bad, it’s impossible not to love. I mean, The Damned and The Misfits have both been inspired by it, along with many others. So is it really all that bad? I’d say Plan 9 From Outer Space is the perfect Halloween film.

Plan 9/10

Train to Halloween Horror Fest

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Are you feeling brave? Let’s explore some more spooky movies for Halloween…

Ginger Snaps (2000)

A mad dog is on the loose in the town of Bailey Downs, Ontario (that’s in Canada!). Two residents, sisters Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle), are local school misfits and morbidly obsessed. One night, Ginger is attacked by the dog, but guess what? That’s right, it ain’t a dog…

Ginger begins to change, both physically and in her demeanour. It becomes obvious to her sister that she’s becoming a werewolf. As the two negotiate how to manage the situation, their lives inevitably become more complicated and things get lethal.

Ginger Snaps is a very. very clever film that puts a new spin on the old werewolf folklore. By concentrating on two young female lead characters, it serves as an ingenious deviation from the norm and a well observed look at the young girl’s lives. It’s like Twilight with teeth. Or should that be – with fangs?

8/10

House of Dracula (1945)

This is what we want! Universal monsters – not one, not two, but three of the classics! A black & white monster movie, we get to see Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s monster – together!

In this follow up to House of Frankenstein, which also featured the three horror icons, Dracula (John Carradine) is visiting Dr Edelman (Onslow Stevens) to cure his vampirism. Similarly, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) – the Wolfman – is also seeking out the same doctor for assistance in finding a cure for himself. Throw into the mix a revived Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange) and you’ve got a triple threat creature showdowwn!

It’s all a bit contrived and silly really, too many odd coincidences occur to engineer the creatures being in the same place at the same time. But if you can conveniently ignore that, House of Dracula is good fun. There are some great special effects and makeup, and Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr are good value for money.

7/10

Train to Busan (2016)

Zombies, zombies, zombies. Seems like my household like to watch a lot of zombie movies. And television programmes. So, I nearly passed on watching this South Korean entry into the genre out of sheer fatigue. I’m so glad I didn’t, as this is one of the best horror movies (zombie or otherwise) I’ve seen in a long while.

It follows a workaholic father taking his young daughter to visit her mother in Busan on her birthday. They take the train, and as bizarre, gruesome events spiral, they’re soon trapped in a zombie apocalypse.

The plot doesn’t really need much more explanation than that, and I don’t want to give the slightest thing away. But Train to Busan is one of the most intense, edge-of-the-seat frighteners going, filled with interesting characters, disastrous consequences and heart-breaking twists. Unmissable!

9/10

Halloween Horror Fest, Vampire

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Pull up a chair, settle down, here’s the next batch of scary movie reviews…

Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)

Now this is more like it! Late 60s/early 70s vampire film on a budget, Count Yorga, Vampire is something of a cult classic. Just the sort of nonsense I love! Set in California, we meet Bulgarian aristocrat Count Yorga (Robert Quarry) as he conducts a seance for a bunch of groovy kids.

Afterward, a couple of the groovy kids, Erica and Paul, give the Count a lift home to his foreboding estate. On the way back, their van gets stuck in the mud, and they’re attacked by the Count in full vampire mode. The next day, they remember nothing, though Erica has lost blood and is examined by a doctor friend.

Erica succumbs to vampirism, and is whisked away by Count Yorga. The race is then on to rescue her and destroy the Count and his minions.

It’s a simple film, but effectively breathes new life into the old vampire legend. Quarry is enigmatic and powerful as Yorga, looking part Terence Stamp and part Christopher Lee. Count Yorga, Vampire is low budget, dated, and rambles on a bit, but it’s perfect for anyone who wants to explore the kitsch and uncanny.

8/10

Child’s Play (1988)

On the other hand, whilst retro cheapo vampire movies are always to my taste, Child’s Play was never something that appealed to me. I’ve never really had much interest in the more modern American horror/slasher movie. However, I’m often proved wrong in this regard, and Child’s Play proved me wrong again.

Serial killer Charles Lee Ray is reincarnated by Voodoo spells as Chucky, an innocent looking Good Guy doll. Young Andy is desperate for one of these dolls for his birthday, and his mother manages to scrape together some cash to buy a dodgy one. This of course is Chucky, and he’s out for revenge on his former partner and anyone else who gets in his way.

Murder ensues, and of course none of the adults believe Andy when he claims Chucky is to blame. Yet slowly, his mother (Catherine Hicks) begins to suspect the truth. The lead detective on the case (Chris Sarandon) eventually comes to realise what’s going on, too. They need to keep Andy out of harms way and stop Chucky from becoming human again…

After all this time, I finally watched Child’s Play a few years ago, and wouldn’t you just know it – old Chucky grew on me. It’s actually quite a fun, engaging supernatural horror with lots going on, and some neat observations on the furor caused by toys like Cabbage Patch Dolls. Forget your incredulity and enjoy!

8.5/10

The Evil of Halloween Horror Fest

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It’s time for more mini horror film reviews, as we celebrate spooky month! What have we got tonight?

The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

What we have here is the first Hammer Horror for this years Festival of Fear! This is the third film in the Hammer series, again starring the legendary Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein.

This time around, the Baron and his assistant Hans (Sandor Eles) are on the run following some dastardly grave robbing antics, so they decide to go back to his hometown of Karlstaad, despite being banished. There they hope to use valuables from the old Frankenstein castle to fund more research. Instead, the Baron finds that his old home has been looted – by, it turns out – the local authorities.

On the run again, they’re aided by a local deaf-mute girl, and hide in the mountains. The Baron discovers his old creature, frozen in ice. After rescuing the creature, they’re unable to bring it back to life fully, so decide to seek the help of a carnival hypnotist, Zoltan (Peter Woodthorpe). Zoltan is successful, but jeopardises everything by using the creature to enact his own cruel revenge…

It’s a funny old hodgepodge of a film, this one. The first Hammer movie, Curse of Frankenstein, is recapped but reimagined – it’s re-done and is very different this time round. The whole thing feels like different elements thrown together to see if they stick. Although the creature, this time played by Kiwi Kingston not Christopher Lee, looks more like the classic Karloff version, the makeup looks strange and false. The excellent sets and another great performance from Cushing help save The Evil of Frankenstein from failure.

7/10

Twilight (2008)

Hey, it was my teenage daughter’s choice – so what?! We take turns to pick something to watch, and Daughtertron is very into this Twilight stuff at the moment. So fair’s fair, we gave it a go.

Twilight is about a young woman named Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who relocates from Arizona to the very different state of Washington, to live with her father. She attends the local school, makes some friends but gradually becomes intrigued by another classmate, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

After a frosty start, the two are slowly pulled together, and Bella discovers that Edward and his “family” are vampires. All is going well in a teen love story fashion, till a separate, wandering group of vampires happen upon the Cullen clan – and Bella – and there’s a big fall out during a baseball game.

Despite some bizarre ideas such as sparkling vampires and vampires playing baseball, the film wasn’t too bad. Twenty minutes too long and far too soppy, Twilight was still fairly watchable, even though I’m not the target audience. I’ve seen worse. I mean, it was better than Harry bloody Potter.

5/10

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Vault of Halloween Horror Fest

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Welcome back, horror fiends! Let’s take a look at a couple more spooky movies for Halloween Horror Fest…

Vault of Horror (1973)

For our first film tonight, we’ll venture into the Vault of Horror, a portmanteau film from Amicus. Like its predecessor Tales from the Crypt, the five short stories that compose Vault of Horror are inspired by the classic, notorious EC Comics of the same title.

In this movie, we journey to a vampire café, witness an obsessively neat bully get his comeuppance, and see a nasty stage magician mess with forces he should’ve left well alone. Then there’s the tale of an insurance scam gone wrong with the protagonist buried alive, and an impoverished artist resorting to voodoo to enact his revenge.

The stories vary in their effectiveness, but all have a charm and entertainment value. My favourite segment is probably the first, the bistro of the undead – but the last two have the more chilling narrative. Great performances from a cast including Terry-Thomas, Glynis Johns and Tom Baker keep everything on track.

Obviously I’m a huge fan of both the old EC Comics and Amicus films in general, so I enjoyed every second of Vault of Horror. It may be dated, but class like this never goes out of style.

8/10

Rec (2007)

Rec is a Spanish horror movie in the found footage genre. It follows a TV reporter and her cameraman filming a local crew of firefighters, who end up trapped in a residential block. They’re effectively quarantined inside the building with several residents, while an outbreak of some unknown disease starts to spread and the infected attack and kill survivors.

As the situation intensifies, Rec does a fine job of keeping the viewer on the edge, ramping up the scares as we go. The found footage approach works excellently to give a sense of realism and immerses the viewer in the confined surroundings.

Rec was remade in the US (as they do) as Quarantine, though I’ve never seen it. Don’t let the subtitles in this version put you off – if anything, it’s another effective way to make the viewer feel isolated. Like Blair Witch does 28 Days Later, Rec is a harrowing, unnerving film. Rec-ommended! Hahaha!

8/10

Halloween Horror Fest 2026

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Glowing strings of moonlight break softly through the canopy of trees above. The forest is otherwise almost completely dark. The call of an owl rings out through the night as you tread carefully in the shadows, eyes working hard to glimpse something, anything, that seems familiar. You try not to stumble, shuffling slowly to avoid perils littering the forest floor.

And then, from behind you, you hear something. A low, menacing growl…

Don’t worry kids, it’s just another Halloween Horror Fest at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot tub! You know we dig the spooky movies round here, and every October we dial that appreciation right up with out our own festival of frightful films.

So let’s dive right in with our first film of the year…

Sinners (2025)

Our first film of 2026 is right up to date, with this highly regarded modern take on the vampire legend. Set in the Southern USA in 1932, the film focuses on two twin brothers, ex-gangsters who have retuned to their hometown to set up their own juke joint in the midst of the local black community.

Smoke and Stack (both played brilliantly by Michael B Jordan) gather their friends and family members around them as they work to create their dream. Recruiting staff and noted blues musicians, the venue appears to be on its way to a glorious first night. But they – and the bar patrons – are unaware of a supernatural evil that threatens everything.

Much has been made of the success of Sinners, and it’s not hard to see why. It won four Oscars at the Academy Awards including a well deserved Best Actor for Jordan – it took me a while to realise that the same actor was playing a dual role. And of course it’s highly unusual for a horror film to be recognised in this way, at all.

Sinners is a fantastic movie, that starts slowly and recreates an authentic time and place, before it races off in a very different direction. It is indeed a scary film, but not at the cost of character and world building. Beyond the visceral horror element, other themes of race and culture are explored by writer/director Ryan Coogler, providing the viewer with a pretty unique combination of thrills and food for thought. Oh, and the music – by Ludwig Goransson – is great.

Vampire films never die, they just keep coming back – and Sinners is a modern classic of the genre.

9/10

Comic Con Midlands 2026

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Comic Con Midlands

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July 2026

NEC, Birmingham

Much time has passed since I last attended a Comic Con at Birmingham NEC. However my good buddy, Adam, and I decided to venture back to the cavernous halls of this huge venue, to visit Comic Con Midlands, organised by the Monopoly group. These same guys run the huge Liverpool convention that I’ve been to several times recently.

The reason for our trip was because Adam had convinced me to go halves with him on a photo with a celebrity. This is not usually my kinda thing. I’ve queued up for signed autographs from actors etc in the past, and often (though not always) been very underwhelmed by the experience. For a big cash outlay I’ve been left with a colour pic and heaps of embarrassment. It would take something major to drag me out of my celeb-meeting retirement.

Something big would be the cast of cult 90’s comedy Mallrats, including Jason Lee, Renee Humphrey and Ethan Suplee. The cultured amongst you will know that Lee and Suplee also starred in legendary comedy series My Name is Earl, of which I am also a huge fan. Of course, the really hip cats out there will also know that Jason Lee is also an ex-professional skateboarder – one of the greatest to ever do it and a living legend.

So it didn’t take too much persuasion to sign me up for the My Name is Earl duo photo with Jason and Ethan.

Doors opened at 9am, and we were there bang on time. That meant a very early start for me on a Saturday morning, which is NOT a good thing. Waking up at 6.30am at the weekend? That’s pure criminality. Never mind, there would be plenty to keep us occupied till our photo op at 3.15pm.

Well, you would assume so. Usually these events (and certainly based on previous experience at the NEC) have hours worth of merch stalls to wander round. Merch stalls there were, but not enough – we’d completed a circuit by 10.30am. What??! Absolutely crazy. I mean, OK – I picked up a few comic books for my collection. Action figures were a scarcity, however (this would’ve been unbelievable in the past) – so it was relatively slim pickings on the merch front.

With hours to kill, we did some more circuits of the merch and explored outside the events hall to find refreshment. It was like a ghost town out there – even the Wetherspoons was shut.

Eventually it was time for the Mallrats Q&A session, featuring all three of the guests. The panel was very entertaining and informative, each of the cast members came across very well. They all seemed relaxed, happy to be there and divulged some interesting and funny stories. I later decided to quickly say hello to Jason Lee at his signing station. We had a really quick chat about skateboarding and I got a fist bump from the master. A very cool and memorable experience.

Later (much later) it was time for the photo op. Adam and I waited in line on our best behaviour, and soon enough were ushered in to have our photos taken with Lee and Suplee. Both stars were friendly, greeting us warmly with handshakes. The assistants barked orders at us and the photo was taken, then milliseconds later the same assistants barked at us to get out.

I was left feeling embarrassed and as if I’d been rude to two of my heroes. But the assistants were just doing their job, Jason and Ethan were lovely and I got a cool photo of us all together.

After that, it was time for the journey home. It had been a successful day – my experience of the Mallrats/My Name is Earl stars was very positive and I got a bunch of Marvel comic books. In future though, a later start wouldn’t hurt. I learned to my cost that no one needs to be in Birmingham at 9am.

Zombina & The Skeletones – Album Review

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Zombina and the Skeletones – In Sinistereo

9×9 Records

Release date: 31/10/2025

Running time: 42 mins approx

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Yes, they’re back! Liverpool’s finest Rock’n’Roll revenants, Zombina and the Skeletones, have returned – the stake has been removed, and their hellbound hearts beat once more! But you probably already knew that, right? Their spellbinding comeback, “The Call of Zombina”, was released last year – and made Top 3 in my Ever Metal end of year favourites for 2024, as I’m sure you’ll recall…

So what’s going on here, then? Well, the songs on “In Sinistereo” were originally released as four separate EPs some ten years ago, as a digital only deal. But they’re not just being re-released here: the songs have been remixed and remastered, sure – but many are also enhanced with additional keyboards, horns and vocals that were previously absent. Songs have been edited longer or shorter, meaning that we have a whole new creature, reimagined Frankenstein-like from its previous form.

Lend a pointed ear, and the listener will also find a cauldron-full of the signature ZATS sound: a bubbling mixture of Punk, Rock’n’Roll, Psychobilly and glorious pop that revels in a B-movie graveyard of monsters, ghouls, murderers and broken hearts. With the sweet yet deadly voice of Zombina masterminding the whole crazy shindig along with partner in crime Doc Horror on vocals and guitar, this party never stops.

Opening song ‘(All I Wanna Do Is) Decompose (With You)’ is a fast paced Punk rocker and an ideal way to wake the dead. Chugging guitar and circus keys devolve into a spooky, theremin laced outro. ‘Phantom with the X-Ray Mind’ adds some skronky keyboards to a Devo/B-52s style mash up, whilst the jangly guitar of ‘Witch Mountain’ evokes early 80’s Damned.

The Skeletones add touches of 60’s girl groups with ‘Haunted House of Love’ and ‘Whatever You Do, Don’t Fall in Love’. Elsewhere they bring in a cheeky, Madness-does-The Addams Family-with-horns style stomper with ‘The Stakeout’. ‘Kill!!!!’ adds a synth pop sheen and is the least convincing track here, but don’t worry, there’s plenty of raucous tracks like ‘Ramon’, ‘The Wild’ and ‘You Swallow Spiders in Your Sleep’ to keep you bouncing like the Devil’s on your tail!

The production is warm and clean, with all of the musical parts seeping through perfectly. ‘In Sinistereo’ is rejuvenated as a vibrant and varied experience, a Tim Burton movie-like album with the songs dancing their way out of the crypt. Zombina and the Skeletones are without doubt the perfect band for Halloween. Trust me, this is all treat, no trick.

Check out Zombina and the Skeletones on Faceboo, Instagrot, ChewTube, Spookify and Badcamp.

This review is brought to you by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

Torso – Annihilation Day Album Review

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Torso – Annihilation Day 

APF Records 

Release date: 29/08/2025 

Running time: 35 mins 

Review by: Alun Jones 

9/10 

You can run, but you can’t hide!  It’s January 1st, 1984, and there’s a psycho killer on the loose in this small-town University campus.  Can Rita and Christine expose the killer?  More importantly – can they SURVIVE? 

Are you ready for another blood-soaked album of Grindhouse Garage Metal from Torso?  Of course you are.  Released by those gallant gents at APF Records, “Annihilation Day” has been created as a soundtrack for a (sadly) imaginary, low budget VHS horror flick.  The kind of movie we used to rent out and watch in the summer hols – curtains drawn in daylight.  The sort of flick that was so scary, you’d shit your shoes off.       

Press play, let’s get things started.  First track ‘The Halls Run Red’ begins with an eerie, electronic pulse, and provides some exposition for this gritty video nasty.  Soon enough the guitars burst in, like a pub punch up between Fudge Tunnel and Carcass.  The resulting splatter fest has a relentless pace as it incorporates three movements, the refrain ‘Dorm of the Dead’ doing more narrative work.  Throwing in some brutal Thrash and spacey keys, it effectively conjures the right mood for a 1980’s murderthon. 

‘Satanic Nirvana’ begins with some tribal, Killing Joke style drums, followed by a chainsaw guitar summoning the ghost of Hillbilly Death Grunge titans Tad.  There’s melody here too, in both the vocals and lead, not dissimilar to early Nirvana (nicely coincidental).  It’s powerful and more infectious than a radioactive zombie plague. 

After a brief intermission, the audience reaches part two of the presentation with an atmospheric keyboard intro.  Then ‘Blast Furnace’ explodes with an unstoppable, lo-fi Murder Thrash riff.  Torso do a great job here of melding that ferocity with the symphony-like keyboard.   

Finally, ‘Show Your Face’ has a thundering rhythm part that oozes with an almost Industrial groove.  It’s a bludgeoning track that seems to have some Revolting Cocks inspiration in there, that again deftly slips some melody in the back door.  Eventually, the track boils over into a cacophony of glorious noise, but by then it’s too late – the story is over.  Or is it?     

With the four tracks on “Annihilation Day” each comprising three mini movements, the soundtrack feel of the whole endeavour is apparent.  Well produced but beautifully abrasive, the songs may be long, but each retains its own vibe and the listener’s interest.  It would be nice to see this approach explored further in later Torso recordings with greater musical contrast, but for now there’s enough blood, guts and mayhem to make this an unmissable release.  Torso have provided another highlight for 2025.   

Don’t hide behind the sofa – you cannot afford to miss this!  

Check out Torso on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp.

This review is brought to you by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

The Halloween Horror Fest Must Die

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Happy Halloween, folks! Here are a few more spooky movie reviews, hope you enjoy!

The Beast Must Die (1974)

A departure from the more familiar horror anthology tales produced by Amicus, The Beast Must Die is an interesting curiosity. We meet a millionaire big game hunter, keen to bag himself the prize of a lifetime: a werewolf. Hence he invites a group of guests, all of whom could be suspected to be a lycanthrope, to his sprawling mansion with its high security.

Only one of them is a werewolf – can you guess which one in the “Werewolf Break”?

The break is a thirty second countdown, allowing a brief pause for the audience to decide for themselves which of the guests is the werewolf, before all is revealed. And yes, it actually appears in the film. An odd gimmick, but there you go.

The film actually plays more like a detective story, or episode of a 1970s television thriller. As such, there are plenty of opportunities for some real suspense and jumpy horror that are squandered. But with a great cast including Peter Cushing, Charles Gray and Michael Gambon, this is still worth checking out. The Beast Must Die is a definite watch for any fan of 70’s British horror, like me.

8/10

Wolf Creek (2005)

Now if the snakes, spiders, sharks and God knows what else aren’t enough to put you off visiting Australia, then there’s always the deranged Outback serial killers.

In Wolf Creek, some typically annoying young studenty backpackers are travelling across the mundane wasteland when they run into some psycho called Mick Taylor (John Jarratt). Although he promises to help them with a broken down car, turns out Mick isn’t really very nice. What follows is a shocking and disturbing account of what can only be termed torture porn, as the kids try desperately to escape the clutches of the cork hat maniac.

Wolf Creek is actually a well made film, featuring some very good performances. It’s extremely tense and downright nasty. If you can deal with that, this film is definitely worth a watch. The viewer can’t help but empathise with the kids and imagine themselves being in such a horrific situation. But the plot is kinda obvious and unfulfilling in the end, a bit like an episode of Neighbours.

So, what’s the moral of this particular story? Don’t go to Australia.

7.5/10

The Fly (1958)

Not the crappy David Cronenberg remake, this is the original 1958 classic sci-fi horror starring the legendary Vincent Price. The story unfolds of Price’s brother, Andre (David Hedison), a scientific genius, and his sadly disastrous experiment with matter transferral.

After some initial success, Andre eventually goes too far in his explorations, as a rogue house fly enters the matter transmitter with him. The result is a gruesome hybrid of the human being and a fly, and the race is on to try to reverse the process before the scientist loses all trace of humanity.

This brilliantly clever film is also very touching, as the brilliant scientist and his family are subjected to terrible events that they cannot escape. Great performances, of course, and a bizarre twist in the tale make this first version of The Fly the definitive version. Absolutely unmissable.

9.5/10