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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 2002 (in the United Kingdom), audiences in attendance of the Festival Of Fantastic Films were treated to the big screen debut of Dark Heaven.  Written and directed for the screen by Douglas Schulze, the film starred Jon Bennett, Christina Sheldon, Jeff Boerger, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Officer Gabe Goodman may be the last man on earth and must confront deadly dark angels."

-- EZ
​
From Google.com:

Dark Heaven is a 2002 low-budget indie horror film directed and written by Douglas Schulze. [1, 2, 3]

Plot Overview

  • The Protagonist: Gabriel Goodman is a city police officer. He struggles with deep grief and guilt after the deaths of his wife, Amanda, and their stillborn son.
  • The Deserted World: Gabriel returns to work to clear his mind. Suddenly, time stops, and he wakes up to find the city completely empty and deserted.
  • The Threat: Terrifying dark angels stalk him through vacant streets and old buildings. He meets other survivors and gets pulled into a cosmic battle for his soul. [1]

Cast and Details

  • Gabriel Goodman: Played by Jon Bennett.
  • Amanda Goodman: Played by Christina Sheldon.
  • Director/Writer: Douglas Schulze.
  • Runtime: 1 hour and 27 minutes. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Reception

  • Critical Response: The movie is an obscure B-movie with mostly negative reviews. It holds a 15% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Style: Reviewers note that the film uses confusing "it was all a dream" logic, but some low-budget horror fans enjoy its spooky atmosphere and unique angel creature designs. [2, 3, 5]

AI responses may include mistakes.

​[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391044/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_heaven
[3] https://www.normantranscript.com/news/entertainment/dark-heaven-not-bad-for-a-b-movie/article_a898e69a-68b0-513b-96a6-29e1aa597409.html
[4] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391044/fullcredits/
[5] http://www.weirdwildrealm.com/f-darkheaven.html
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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 1966 (in the U.S.), the big city of Kannapolis, North Carolina played host for the exclusive theatrical premiere engagement of Chamber Of Horrors.  Directed by Hy Averback from a story by Stephen Kandel and Ray Russell, the film starred Patrick O'Neal, Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A one-handed madman uses various detachable devices as murder weapons to gain revenge on those he believes have wronged him."

-- EZ

From Google.com:

Chamber of Horrors is a 1966 American psychological thriller and slasher film directed by Hy Averback and starring Patrick O'Neal as a one-handed deranged killer seeking revenge. [1, 2, 3]

Plot Overview

Set in the 19th century, the story follows a homicidal maniac named Jason Cravatte (Patrick O'Neal). After being captured and sentenced to hang, Cravatte escapes his execution by cutting off his own chained hand. He then embarks on a bloody revenge campaign against the judge, police, and amateur criminologists—specifically wax museum proprietors Anthony Draco (Cesare Danova) and Harold Blount (Wilfrid Hyde-White)—who helped put him away. He uses various sharp, detachable prosthetic blades attached to his arm stump as murder weapons. [2, 4, 5, 6]

Production and TV Origins

  • Television Pilot: The movie was originally shot as a TV movie and pilot for a proposed television series titled House of Wax.
  • Theatrical Release: Executives considered the content too violent and intense for 1960s television, so it was released theatrically instead. [1]

Gimmicks ("Fear Flasher" and "Horror Horn")

To pad the running time for theaters and lean into promotional horror gimmicks popularized by directors like William Castle, the studio added two interactive features for the scariest moments:
  • The Fear Flasher: A red flash that filled the screen for several seconds to warn sensitive viewers.
  • The Horror Horn: A loud, audible horn blast signaling an upcoming gruesome scene, giving audiences a chance to close their eyes.
  • Cameo: It also features an uncredited cameo by Tony Curtis as a gambler to help pad the runtime. [1, 6, 7, 8]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_Horrors_(1966_film)
[2] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060228/
[3] https://letterboxd.com/film/chamber-of-horrors-1966/
[4] https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MJAY56G6K2AQZINUQY2VNZGGS?tr=vi
[5] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10010739-chamber_of_horrors
[6] http://www.coolasscinema.com/2010/11/chamber-of-horrors-1966-review.html
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZuKyuOJ-zk
[8] https://eofftvreview.wordpress.com/2025/08/29/chamber-of-horrors-1966/
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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 2020 -- in a rare turn of events -- The Block Island Sound enjoyed two theatrical releases.  First up -- in Brazil -- it received its general theatrical release.  Secondly (in Canada), audiences in attendance of the Fantasia Film Festival were treated to a special 'premiere' presentation.  Written and directed by the team of Kevin and Matthew McManus, the film starred Michaela McManus, Chris Sheffield, Niville Archambault, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Something lurks off the coast of Block Island, silently influencing the behavior of fisherman, Tom Lynch. After suffering a series of violent outbursts, he unknowingly puts his family in grave danger."

ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2024, I received an all-new home video release of The Block Island Sound from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net.  Interested readers can find my review right here.

-- EZ
​
From Google.com:

The Block Island Sound is a 2020 independent science fiction horror-thriller film written and directed by Kevin and Matthew McManus. [1, 2]

Plot and Themes

  • The Story: Set on a remote island off the coast of Rhode Island, masses of dead fish and wildlife mysteriously wash ashore. An aging fisherman named Tom (Neville Archambault) begins acting strangely, experiencing memory loss and violent outbursts before disappearing.
  • The Investigation: Tom's children—Harry (Chris Sheffield), who cares for him, and Audrey (Michaela McManus), a marine biologist—try to figure out what is happening. Harry starts suffering from similar hallucinations and gaps in time, uncovering a dark, unseen cosmic force using local men to harvest life from the sea.
  • The Vibe: The film leans heavily into a slow-burn, atmospheric Lovecraftian sense of dread rather than relying on jump scares or graphic gore. [1, 3]

Cast and Production
​
  • Key Cast: Features Chris Sheffield as Harry, Michaela McManus as Audrey, and Neville Archambault as their father Tom, alongside Jim Cummings as a local acquaintance.
  • Release: The movie premiered at film festivals in August 2020 before arriving on Netflix in March 2021, gaining a positive reputation as an underrated indie sci-fi gem. [1, 2, 3]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wSpiY4icvo
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Block_Island_Sound
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScFyU-L8eUU
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxLPy9k4yLE
[5] https://letterboxd.com/film/the-block-island-sound/
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/HorrorReviewed/comments/r3chol/the_block_island_sound_2020_mystery_thriller/
[7] https://www.netflix.com/title/81354464
[8] https://www.horrorsociety.com/2025/02/06/blu-review-the-block-island-sound-synapse-films
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press release

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5 days to issue #6!
​

There are just five days left until the sixth issue of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine becomes available! What does that mean for you? Three things:

  1. Issue 6 will be available for purchase on our website ifs-mag.com just after midnight on the 1st of September.
  2. If you are not yet a monthly or annual subscriber, there are less than 5 days left for you to sign up and receive the August issue immediately as well as the September issue the moment it comes out on the 1st. After the 1st, the August issue will be individual purchase only (at a higher price than a subscription)! Click HERE to browse our subscription options.
  3. It's time for your monthly sneak preview of what's inside the upcoming issue! Follow this link HERE to read What's the Call by Neil Pullen for free!

Finally, here's a bit of a breakdown of the short stories contained in issue 6 of The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine:

  • What's the Call, by Neil Pullen. Investigative sci-fi
  • The Other Kind of Pork, by Kofi Akan Brown. Sci-fi/horror
  • Slice of Life, by Sea Emce. Urban fantasy
  • Hard as a Mirror of Cast Bronze, by Lily Lachance. Sci-fi
  • Dr. Findley and the Flutterbys, by Deryn Pittar. Urban fantasy
  • Children of the Boundary, by D.A. D'Amico. Fantasy
  • Laugh, O Bones and Skulls, by Saša Robnik. Fantasy
  • The Undecided, by Chad Gayle. Fantasy/sci-fi
  • The Word-Storm, by Malina Douglas. Fantasy
  • Thunderbird, by Kray Van Kirk. Urban fantasy

A huge issue for fantasy! Normally we get overwhelmingly sci-fi stories in our inbox, as seems to be the case for a number of other publishers, but there must be something fantastical in the August air!

The independent authors featured above come from a wide range of backgrounds and writing experience and each has produced excellent work for this issue of the magazine. Subscribing to The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazine puts money directly into their pockets and helps us to spread the word about them and all of our future authors even further! Another great way you can support them is by looking them up online, following their social media accounts, joining their mailing lists, and buying their work.

Thank you, as always, for supporting independent authors, and for taking an interest in our little magazine.

Bring on September!
​
Pro auctores, pro lectoribus,
The Editors

The Independent Fantasy and Sci-Fi MagazineClayton
Australia
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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 1963 (in Italy), audiences in attendance of the Venice Film Festival were treated to the big screen premiere of Il Demonio (aka The Demon).  Written (in part) and directed by Brunello Rondi, the Italian-language Folk Horror starred Daliah Lavi, Frank Wolff, Anna María Aveta, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A lonely, sexually-uninhibited young peasant is subjected to an exorcism after she hexes a man who rejects her advances."

-- EZ

From Google.com:

Il Demonio (known as The Demon in the U.S.) is a 1963 Italian-French folk horror drama co-written and directed by Brunello Rondi. [1, 2, 3]

Plot and Themes

  • The Story: Set in a poor, superstitious village in southern Italy, the film follows a young peasant woman named Purificata (played by Daliah Lavi).
  • The Conflict: Purif is deeply distraught and obsessed after her lover, Antonio (Frank Wolff), rejects her and marries another woman.
  • The Descent: Desperate, she turns to local witchcraft and curses. The superstitious villagers interpret her erratic, distressed behavior as demonic possession, leading to a brutal campaign of ostracization, violence, and an eventual exorcism. [1, 8, 9, 10]

Legacy and Impact
​
  • Pioneering Possession: Long before The Exorcist (1973), Il Demonio explored themes of ritual, exorcism, and frantic psychological breakdown. It features an early physical performance of possession—including a striking backward spider-crawl movement—that is said to have inspired elements of later Hollywood horror classics.
  • Controversy: Upon its release and screening at the 24th Venice Film Festival, the film faced severe backlash from Italian censors who deemed it offensive to public morality, and it was criticized for its stark, unsparing look at religious hypocrisy and rural superstition. [1, 7, 9]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-q_meU7GQE
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Demon_(1963_film)
[3] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167886/
[4] https://harvardfilmarchive.org/calendar/the-demon-2015-06
[5] https://themagnificent60s.com/2024/09/28/the-demon-il-demonio-1963-2/
[6] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/il_demonio_1963
[7] https://crypticrock.com/il-demonio-blu-ray-review/
[8] https://letterboxd.com/film/the-demon-1963/
[9] https://www.spinstersofhorror.com/post/il-demon-1963
[10] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wsb8a8rF0m0
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in memoriam

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Those who know me best know of the deep affinity I hold for voice actors.

I grew up literally in the middle of nowhere in a small town whose biggest access to the outside world was really radio.  (Yes, we had TV, you knuckleheads, but it was a different time; and -- on a good day -- we may've had six channels so button up.)  So much of what was communicated with respect to real time was done over the radio; so when I discovered a local outlet that played old time radio dramas I couldn't help myself but fall in love with programming that had entertained so many folks decades before my birth.  Radio -- and radio dramas -- will remain my first love; and it's those talented actors who use nothing more than their powerful voices to bring characters to life that still manage to send a chill through me ... a chill of admiration.

So while I didn't quite join in the bandwagon that was the phenomenon of Transformers I appreciated it all the same.  Though I didn't watch it nearly as often as did my contemporaries (at the fraternity house), I was still drawn to it whenever it was on and I had nothing else to occupy myself with.  Naturally, the leader that was Optimus Prime -- voiced by the great Peter Cullen -- inspired those of us who lacked such inspiration in our lives; and the show continues to resonate with children and adults who discover it today, whether it be in revisitation, the newer stuff, or even the big screen adventures.  Transformers is something that brings out the kid in each of us, and a great deal of that is owed to Cullen and his fellow castmates.

And the guy continued to be a vocal force to be reckoned with.  There's no way I can possibly do justice to his resume -- what with it reaching over two hundred projects along with various award nominations and wins -- so I'll simply encourage readers to head on over to IMDB.com and scroll through it.  It's an incredible portfolio, and -- because of it -- the guy's voice will continue to ring true for years to come.

Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Peter Cullen.

May he rest in eternal peace ...

​-- EZ
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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 2021 (in the U.S.), Death Rider In The House Of Vampires decided it was well past time to let the bloodletting begin.  (Well ... theatrically it was, anyway.)  Written and directed by Glenn Danzig, the film starred Devon Sawa, Julian Sands, Kim Director, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"In the Wild West, the mysterious Death Rider enters a dangerous Vampire Sanctuary where the price of admission is one female virgin."

-- EZ

From Google.com:

Death Rider in the House of Vampires is a 2021 independent Western horror film written, directed, and scored by punk rock icon Glenn Danzig. [1, 2]

Plot

  • A mysterious figure known as the Death Rider travels on horseback through the Wild West to reach a secluded vampire sanctuary.
  • The price of admission to the sanctuary is bringing a female virgin.
  • Inside, he meets the vampire lord Count Holliday, who warns him against breaking any rules.
  • The Death Rider ends up in violent shootouts and conflicts with various vampire gunslingers. [3, 4, 5]

Cast and Characters

  • Devon Sawa as the Death Rider
  • Julian Sands as Count Holliday
  • Kim Director as Carmilla Joe
  • Danny Trejo as Bela Latigo
  • Glenn Danzig as Bad Bathory
  • Eli Roth as Drac Cassidy [1]

Reception

  • The film received generally negative reviews from critics, holding a low rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Reviewers often categorized it as a campy "good-bad" movie, pointing out budget constraints and cheesy dialogue, though Julian Sands' performance received some praise. [4, 6, 7, 8]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Rider_in_the_House_of_Vampires
[2] https://headhuntershorrorhouse.fandom.com/wiki/Death_Rider_in_the_House_of_Vampires
[3] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11505680/
[4] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/death_rider_in_the_house_of_vampires
[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11505680/plotsummary/
[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/badMovies/comments/pfdr19/death_rider_in_the_house_of_vampires_2021_review/
[7] https://scariesthings.com/2025/09/21/death-rider-in-the-house-of-vampires-review-2021/
[8] https://ireviewwesterns.com/death-rider-in-the-house-of-vampires-review/
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so many movies ... so little time ...
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On this day in 1971 (in the U.S.), Let's Scare Jessica To Death scared up what business it could at the American box office.  (I've read it wasn't all that successful but has turned into a respectable cult classic for fans of Horror.)  Written (in part) and directed by John D. Hancock, the film starred Zohra Lampert, Barton Heyman, Kevin O'Connor, and others. 

​According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A recently institutionalized woman has bizarre experiences after moving into a supposedly haunted country farmhouse and fears she may be losing her sanity once again."

-- EZ

From Google.com:

Let's Scare Jessica to Death is a 1971 slow-burn psychological horror film directed by John D. Hancock and starring Zohra Lampert. [1, 2, 3]

Plot and Premise

  • Jessica (Zohra Lampert) has just been released from a mental institution after a nervous breakdown.
  • She moves to an old farmhouse in the Connecticut countryside with her husband Duncan and a friend named Woody.
  • They find a mysterious, troubled young woman named Emily squatting in the house and invite her to stay.
  • Jessica begins seeing visions, hearing eerie whispers, and suspecting that Emily might be a vampire linked to a local drowning legend. [4, 5, 6, 7]

Style and Reception
​
  • The movie plays heavily with an unreliable narrator, leaving the audience to wonder if the supernatural events are real or a projection of Jessica's mental breakdown.
  • Most users on r/horror agree that the film is a masterclass in eerie atmosphere, sound design, and mounting dread, despite a misleading title given by Paramount Pictures for commercial appeal.
  • It was made on a small budget of $250,000 and is celebrated today as a cult classic of 1970s folk and psychological horror. [2, 5, 7]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5pdPZLIl0
[2] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067341/
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/horror/comments/nd0lef/lets_scare_jessica_to_death_1971/
[4] https://www.facebook.com/ParamountScares/posts/in-1971s-lets-scare-jessica-to-death-a-woman-recovering-from-a-nervous-breakdown/1068575102617423/
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlKm8d1rcfw
[6] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lets_scare_jessica_to_death
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-NZTNwqKhI
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n0COgN5c3Y
[9] https://www.lunaticsproject.com/post/horror-review-let-s-scare-jessica-to-death-1971
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genre vendor spotlight series

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​Folks, somewhere along the way, a great deal of fandom has kinda/sorta lost itself.

You see, these days it seems far more common for a particular book series or television series or even movie series to D-I-V-I-D-E fandom instead of bring them together under one magical tent.  Of course, some of this is owed to the divisive politics that has, sadly, gone hand-in-hand with so many intellectual properties: I'm certainly not defending a showrunner's choice of what works and what doesn't, and yet at the end of the day I try to 'get along' with others as best as I can by sticking to the age-old tenet of "you like what you like, and I'll like what I like."

I know, I know, I know: this doesn't work for everyone, and that's perfectly okay.

However, this past weekend I had the good fortune of attending the 4th Annual Gathering Of The Ghouls in Mesa, Arizona.  This is an annual get-together largely for die-hard fans of Horror projects near and far; and the convention has a wide assortment of vendors, guests, and programming for enthusiasts young and old.  (Mind you: I saw mostly those of us a bit more seasoned in age walking the convention floor, but there were a good number of kiddies squeezed in amongst the throng as well.)

Because I was greeted by so many with an open heart and an open mind -- one guy even gave me a special edition print which he was fortunate enough to score two of -- I think it important for me to also 'give a little back' to the wider Horror Community.  I'm not even as big a Horror fan as these folks are, but that didn't matter to them.  Whether I liked the old stuff or had my blood chilled by something in the modern era, I was an equal there ... and that's something I really hope returns to fandom.

So ... in an attempt to promote the kind of fandom I think the world should see more of, I'm going to begin the task of featuring some of these vendors whose sites and profiles I can locate online.  I'm doing this because I think they've shown themselves as being exactly the kind of smilers we should engage with online; and I can only wish them nothing but success in whatever they do.  I won't have much to add to these announcements, but I offer them up in hopes that the readership will gradually search them out and maybe even throw a few dollars their way if you're so inclined.

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper (though I realize that living long and prospering isn't exactly what the Horror genre is all about).

-- EZ
​

lady v's monstrosities
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happy genre shopping!

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in memoriam

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I often point out that rarely do we get a talented director that establishes himself or herself in the world of genre entertainment and they stay there exclusively over the lives of their professional careers.  Usually, these creative types are drawn to a project or a script more than they are a genre; and if we get some of the industry's very best -- even in some small way -- then that's a cause for celebration.

Undoubtedly, director Mark Rydell wasn't known for anything significant in the realms of the Fantastic.  A quick look at his career on IMDB.com will prove that his forte was arguably more in character dramas.  Theatrical entries like the Rose (1979), On Golden Pond (1981), and The River (1984) were what he did and did exceedingly well.  Even a few of his works turned modestly-acclaimed actors and actresses into industry sensations; and that's only accomplished when there's some synergy between actors and directors, meaning that Rydell definitely knew his chops.

Interestingly enough, his only real big turn toward genre came at the end of his professional career: he directed an installment of the fondly-remembered 2007 series Masters Of Science Fiction.  Without having seen it, I'm willing to place a bet that the story -- titled "A Clean Escape" -- was most likely something character-driven -- that's not an insult -- but used SciFi as a backdrop in which to explore people.  Because that's the kind of thing that tickled his professional fancy, I suspect it carried through all the way to his last cited directing gig.

Earlier in his time behind the camera, he also directed three episodes of I Spy as well as an installment of The Wild Wild West ... for good measure.

Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Mark Rydell.

May he rest in eternal peace ...

​-- EZ

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