'Hatchet For The Honeymoon' (1970) - Mario Bava.

Divorced from reality, John Harrington's (Stephen Forsyth) bloody killing spree is perversely provoked by a pretty girl's pending matrimony! Mario Bava's stylish 70s psycho slasher has this  gruesome-headed groom bloodily tying the knot around the slender unsuspecting throats of his beautiful brides not-to-be! Packed with the maestro's raven dark wit, and signature flair for dazzlingly inventive set-pieces, 'Hatchet For The Honeymoon' remains one of Mario Bava's very best thrillers. Diminutive in stature, but vastly gifted, often imitated, but never bettered, Gialli impresario, Mario Bava remains the king of horror!

 Konketsuji Rika: Hitoriyuku sasuraitabi' aka 'Rica II: Lonely Wanderer 1973 Dir. Kô Nakahira.

The zesty Rica trilogy continues with a boisterous sequel, that is, perhaps, a little less high-octane than the original, but certainly no less thrilling. Rica Aoki fans will find her on wicked form, groovy songs, bellicose fights, and a thunderous, action-packed climax make this an absolute must-see for rabid girl-fight freaks.

 

 

 

 

 

'Golgol 13: The Professional' (1983) Osamu Dezaki.

One of Manga's 80s hot-shots, steely eyed 'Golgol 13' never misses the mark! Ice-cold killer, ruthless blood-spiller, irristable ladies man, Golgol always sticks to his masterplan! Deadliest marksman, kung fu madman, Golgol 13 is an unstoppable death machine! Stylized, bloody, and gloriously violent, this ballistic anime action-fest has lost none of its lurid luster!

 

 

'Secretary Rope Discipline' (1981) – Hidehiro Ito.

Dark, cruel, voyeuristic, and perversely fascinating, Hidehiro Ito's excitingly outré 'Secretary Rope Discipline' is bound to tantalize 'hardened' Pinku fans! This steamily sadistic tale of industrial espionage, and devilish duplicity climaxes satisfyingly in a singularly erotic 'fashion'! On a more personal note, the prolonged, blissfully anguished tattoo sequence was entirely magnificent!!!!!!!!! This is what an old friend used to call 'exultant insertile art' or 'Higher Echelon Eros'. Amen, brother!

 

'The Manitou' (1978)  - William Girdler.

Vociferously lampooned, and oft derided, I maintain a great affection for William Girdler's metaphysical monster movie. The Manitou includes a number of hugely positive aspects that its detractors all too glibly dismiss. Sadly, there are all too few horror films steeped in Native American mysticism, and this apocalyptic medicine man is objectively menacing! The charismatic cast is quite splendid, Susan Strasbourg and Michael Ansara are quite splendid, Ansara brings a quiet strength and dignity to his role of heroic mystic, John Singing Rock. Maestro, Lalo Schifrin's atmospheric score is another classy element, and the eye-poppingly inventive, pan dimensionally delirious climax giddily elevates William Girdler's flawed, but entertaining body horror 'The Manitou' to bona fide B-cult classic! I am aware that Tony Curtis dilettantish Tarot reader Harry Erskin is a major goofball, but that is manifestly part of the film's charm!  

  

'Blood Voyage' (1976) – Frank Mitchell.

Ahoy, matey's!!! Expect far more than the ship's mainbrace to get spliced on this ill-fated pleasure cruise to Hawaii! There's titillating T & A and hot snatches of gore, in Frank Mitchel's cult 70s psycho slasher 'Blood Voyage'. The 1^st seafaring slasher has groovy-looking 70s chicks, hirsute alpha dudes, soapy Agatha Crispy theatrics, and salty seamen! Forget about turgid landlubber, Mike Myers, this sinisterly ship-stalking shipmate is where its at! With the directors hand's rock steady at the tiller, this bracingly brine-lashed, bikini-splashed blood-spiller is a killer diller! Not one for the anchors that pooh-pooh vintage Grindhouse goodness, as 'Blood Voyage' is a yacht better B-slasher than the sarcastic neg-heads would have you believe.