"The first film adaptation of Kurt Siodmak's influential novel Donovan's Brain features, for the first time on screen, a disembodied brain asserting its influence on people around it. Well shot and directed for second-tier studio Republic in a gothic noir style, and good acting from Erich von Stroheim and Richard Arlen. Unfortunately the script doesn't live up to its source material and the film contains ghastly wooden acting from Czechoslovakian ice-skater-turned-studio-boss'-girlfriend Eva Hruba Ralston in her first feature role... There are some very nice pans and tracking shots of the lab, experimental low-angle shots and of course the wonderfully expressionistic lighting of the DP Alton creates a very claustrophobic and moody atmosphere." - Janne Wass, Scifist

"Condemned to Live is a post-Nosferatu, post-Dracula film about vampires that may not be the best of the genre, but is entertaining nonetheless. Vampires aside, one knows almost immediately that the film is firmly set within the realm of horror as it features a hunchback – a sure-fire staple that screams of scares to come. That being said, the movie is not all that frightening, it being far more dramatic with just a touch of the supernatural. It is an interesting exercise to observe, not really advancing the vampire mythos in any way, but trying to do something just a little bit different than those films which came before." - Geoff Rosengren, The Telltale Mind

"Critics have often described Terry Bourke's Night of Fear as a "curio". It was also a seminal work in an emerging horror genre. The film can be categorised as part of the phenomena known as Ozploitation (a series of exploitation films produced between the early 1970s and the late 1980s specific to Australia) [...] Bourke transcended the limitations of budget, and, using no dialogue and over a very brief running-time, he created a film full of dizzying suspense and nauseating horror. He also created a minor cult-classic, even though most (even those well versed in the horror genre) have never seen it." - William "Bill" Blick, Senses of Cinema

"Reflecting the changes to the plot, Robison's film is less an Expressionist nightmare and more a Gothic tragedy, with the emphasis now on the psychological horror instead of the visceral one. For this effect, Robison carefully develops the story of Balduin's damnation, giving enough space for the characters to grow (even the secondary ones), all with a slick and elegant visual narrative. His "Der Student von Prag" lacks the remarkable visual flair of Galeen's version, but instead Robison gives his movie a quite appropriate somber tone of ambiguity, with the nature of Dr. Carpis' power over Balduin left in the dark." - J Luis Rivera, W-Cinema

"I do like old dark house mysteries and this one contains many of the elements that you expect such as murder, a strange family, and a hidden room [no will though], while also providing a surprise-filled plot, especially succeeding with its conclusion which really knocked me for six. While not ignoring the necessary atmosphere, director Wallace Fox certainly doing well in creating plenty, it's also the fastest paced of all the films, the darkest, and possibly even the creepiest despite the fact that we remember from the previous ones that the supernatural doesn't really exist." - Dr Lenera, Horror Cult Films

"Instead of continuing on with the same characters and telling more of their story, Black Magic 2 treats the black magic itself as the "character" worth exploring further in the sequel. Of course, the audience reaps the benefits, as this sequel is nastier, nuttier and a whole lot funner to watch. And since the twisted ways of Southeast Asian black magic are our main focus, it makes sense that the evil black magic practitioner (played wonderfully by Lo Lieh) is essentially the star of the film... It's highly entertaining and it takes story risks that pay off incredibly well, resulting in a sequel that is better than the original film in nearly every way." - Will Kouf, Silver Emulsion

"... And then Silent Night, Zombie Night comes along and proves to be the exception to the rule and evidence that there is still fresh blood in the genre: The point here is that Silent Night, Zombie Night has an actual story to tell that goes beyond the dead attack and humankind fights for survival, that is carried by strong characters rather than gore effects (though there is plenty of those as well), and that - just like all the better zombie-films since the original Night of the Living Dead - doesn't bore the audience with another cheesy zombie origin-tale. Add to this a competent cast, and a compact, no-nonsense directorial effort that relies on tension, suspense and atmosphere, and you've got one of the most original zombie flicks that was made in the last 10 years, at least." - Mike Haberfelner, (re)Search my Trash

"WRESTLING WOMEN VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY is still amusing hokum. It too feels like a 40s serial for a lot of the running time. The mummy doesn't appear until the last 20 minutes or so, and when he does, it's mainly footage culled from LA MOMIA AZTECA (1957), the first Aztec mummy film which was never dubbed into English. There isn't much "wrestling women vs. the mummy" action as the memorable title implies, but when the mummy transforms into a bat and back, hilarious dialog like "Look, he's a vampire now!" followed by "He's a mummy again!" will having you chuckling for certain." - DVD Drive-In

"Fear Chamber was on one of Karloff's last films. It's one of four Mexican cheapies he was contracted to shoot but due to his frailness he had all his scenes shot in California in a few weeks. He died in 1969 but this film was not released until 1972. He's bed ridden, in a wheelchair or behind a desk in nearly every scene. Despite all this he's still easily the most charismatic actor in the whole film... At its heart it's a fun movie that takes itself a bit too seriously near the end. There's only so much heartfelt technobabble you can throw out to try and wrap up your story. Not that it really has much of an end. So if you like your weak veneer of science-fiction over a little bloodletting and sleaze this might be the perfect movie for you." - Glitter Godzilla, Outpost Zeta

"The monster stuff is wonderfully and atmospherically handled, at any rate; the creature's screen time is relatively scarce but effective. Constantly shrouded by mist or the surrounding woods, it's (rightfully) rarely glimpsed until the climax, so director Scooter Downey and co-writer Elliot show command of suspense and tension building. Even more striking is his ability to allow the actors to carry the film through their performances. It's in the Blood is hardly a flashy, overly kinetic film that attempts to bludgeon your sensibilities, as its gore is calculated and impacting, especially a squirm inducing leg injury that results in Henriksen spending most of the movie slumped against a tree. It hardly matters, though, as Henriksen delivers a fantastically layered performance that paints a three-dimensional portrait of a man who is broken but not pathetic, gruff, but not without his charms." - Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!

"For the remainder, I'll just give the highlights. The demon is now inside Boby, which eventually gets transferred to Kwo Wei, who immediately takes on the generic automaton gaze and deliberate walk. There's dog attacks, there's dog eating, there's maid raping, there's near drowning, there transsexual masturbation, there's worm eating, there's a dude being crushed by a room (yes, I mean exactly that) and yes, there's more slimy demon-sex. A lot of this is done with the accompaniment of some wicked 1980s video game-esque sound effects that make you nostalgic for that Atari system. There are also a couple of signature Hong-Kong-ish battle scenes that don't make any logical sense, but are really great to watch." - Zombie-A-GoGo

"A horror film which prefigures the signature Hemisphere style of putting a deeply eccentric spin on tired and shopworn premises. It was quite successful in the Philippines, but initially failed miserably enough at the American box office... the reissue [in 1964 as Blood Creature] made so much money that Romero spent the rest of the decade spinning it off into a loosely organized series of increasingly sex-crazed and blood-soaked horror flicks set on Terror Is a Man's imaginary Blood Island... On the technical side, Terror Is a Man is one of the most beautifully shot movies I've seen in quite some time. This is probably the film's most remarkable feature, seeing as one hardly expects first-rate cinematography from a 40-plus-year-old horror flick made in the Philippines!" - Scott Ashlin, 1000 Misspent Hours

"As soon as I saw the blank black screen, emulsion lines, and scratches, I knew Haunts was going to be good... With a combination of tame-yet-uncomfortable subject matter (no gore, no nudity, no explicit sex) and capable filmmaking from Herb Freed (Graduation Day), Haunts kicked out its low-budget limitations for world class uneasiness. The tight editing, quiet atmosphere, and "real" acting (most people seem to be playing themselves), worked in tandem with the grittiness of the film stock; a nice example of the whole slightly inching above the sum. I could've done without some of the padding, as the film tended to drag a bit towards the end, but overall, I was surprisingly taken. And a little scared." - Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!