DOOMSDAY

As indicated in the last post, people have barely broken the surface when it comes to horror films and pick a few of the most popular horror films for their Halloween viewing. Some are only exposed to the Hollywood blockbuster horror films that have been released to theaters in recent years. This reviewer became pretty aggravated when trying to explain to someone that the 2003 version of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a remake, and NOT a new concept. Keeping with our theme of “perfect” Halloween marathon picks, here are a couple of horror compilations worth seeking out:

Terror on Tape - Shot on video and hosted by a ghoulish Cameron Mitchell (Haunts, The Demon), this compilation was released by Comet Video/Continental in 1985 to promote their oversized-box video releases. Three patrons visit the Shoppe of Horrors to get recommendations for their Halloween viewing. Mitchell, the shop owner, is happy to supply the clips while feeding his pet monsters. Films covered in this compilation include Herschel Gordon Lewis gems Blood Feast, Color Me Blood Red and Two Thousand Maniacs; Frozen Scream, Umberto Lenzi’s City of the Walking Dead (aka Nightmare City), Exorcist rip-off Cathy’s Curse, Vampire Hookers, Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn (or quite simply, The Deadly Spawn), Romano Scavolini’s Nightmare (aka Nightmares in a Damaged Brain), The Slayer, Scalps, Madhouse Mansion and a host of others.

Terror in the Aisles - This 1984 film contains clips from memorable horror films such as John Carpenter’s The Thing, Alone in the Dark, When a Stranger Calls, Saturday the 14th, The Shining, An American Werewolf in London, Scanners, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, The Howling, Ms. 45, Alligator, The Omen, Halloween, The Exorcist and many more. It’s narrated by Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill) and Donald Pleasance (Halloween), and made to sound like a study in psychology. The film is a bit mainstream, but worth a view (and a bit hard to find in recent years).

Next up: Part Three!

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