Horrorthon 2 & 3!

No. 2 in my Halloween horrorthon is "The House On Straw Hill" (AKA "Trauma"), a British 1976 video nasty, starring Dubbed Udo Keir as an author plagued by bloody visions. Lots of female nudity, some sexualised violence, English countryside. Shows a bit of a giallo sensibility, perhaps. Shame about the dubbing. With one or two scenes to recommend it, and a genuine sense of mystery, it is nonetheless a bit of a letdown overall. 5/10

No. 3 is "The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe", a Brazilian horror from 1974. Coffin Joe's bizarre mishmash of psychedelia, death, and magic is a bit of an acquired taste perhaps, particularly as it's delivered with what appears to be a budget of zero dollars. Still, if you have the taste, it's great fun, and this one is no exception, culminating in a finale that is full of torture, eye candy and heavy vibes. 6/10

October Horrorthon!

Inspired by the GGtMC, I decided to try and watch a different horror film each day of October.

For the 1st, I went with 1965 Hammer horror "Die! Die! My Darling!". I enjoyed it quite a bit, mainly due to Tallulah Bankhead's fine turn as the wickedly repressed would-be mother-in-law. Peter Vaughan plays a surprisingly sleazy handyman, and of course there's Hammer's typical production value, combined here with something of a Hitchcockian sensibility.

7/10

Starkweather Reunite (But Not Really)

Last Friday, the original trio of Starkweather -- Doormat, Jay Matuschka, and Pius Panzram -- met up in Beautiful Downtown Oshawa to drink, be merry, hang out for the first time in about 16 years (!?), and speak with author Nick Martino.

To mark the occasion, this crappy photograph (L-R Jay, Pius, Doormat):