No Blade of Grass (1970)

No Blade of Grass (1970)
Director: Cornel Wilde
Writer: Sean Forestal, Cornel Wilde
Country: UK/USA Runtime: 96 min Soundtrack: Burnell Whibley
Cast: Nigel Davenport, Jean Wallace, John Hamill, Lynne Frederick, Patrick Holt
When a deadly virus strikes London, John Custane takes his family to hoped-for safety in Scotland.

Well crafted action packed eco-apocalypse drama, a mad cow style virus breaks out across the world, causing mass panic and diminishing food supplies. The Japanese goverment kills millions of its citizens with the British goverment likely to follow. John Custance whose living in London decides he's best fleeing the city with his family to seek refuge with his brother in Scotland, only the government have turned the country into a police state closing down all the bigger towns and roads. The rules have now changed for the Custane family and various like minded citizens they pick up during their journey, its now a case of kill or be killed to survive.

Quality drama directed and penned by Cornel Wilde, its got a real anti government vibe, and features more shootings and murders than a Peckinpah western. Nigel Davenport complete with eye patch is fantastic in the lead role.

Themes Included: Anti-establishment ● Guns ● Road Movie

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount NA]

Re-Animator (1985) (fan composite)

Re-Animator (1985)(fan composite)
Director: Stuart Gordon
Writer: H.P. Lovecraft, Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli
Country: USA Runtime: ● Soundtrack: Richard Band
Cast: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale
A dedicated student at a medical college and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue when an odd new student arrives on campus.

The fan composite is made up of the long European release with all the gore of the unrated version. No point me doing a full review of this composite version, needless to say the films held up really well. Charles Bands brother Richard did the fantastic Bernard Herman styled score.

Themes Included: Dead Cat ● Mad Doctor ● Injection
Talking Severed Head ● Morgue ● Undead ● Green Serum

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8½ out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount 5]
[Gorequota 9/10]
[Boobquota 3/10]

The Phantom (1986)

The Phantom (1986)
aka: Widziadlo
Director: Marek Nowicki
Writer: Karol Irzykowski, Marek Nowicki
Country: Poland Runtime: 95 mins. Soundtrack: Krzysztof Knittel
Cast: Roman Wilhelmi, Marzena Trybala, Hanna Mikuc
Set in the early years of the century. A story of a country gentleman haunted by the memory of his first wife. His current wife, had enough of his obsession and has taken a lover, who is mysteriously paralyzed. Meanwhile, main character´s son gets his first taste of sensual experience with a mute peasant girl.

Set at the turn of the the century, Peter Strumienski lives in his rural manor home with his wife Ola and his children. He's a deeply unhappy man, haunted by his first wife Angelica, his obsession with her pushes his new wife into a sexual relationship with her own cousin Mariusz. Peter has dreams still of Angelica who tells him he'll never find satisfaction in any other woman. Its not that he doesn't try, knowing of Ola's affair he himself tries to seduce a visiting photographers wife, only he just can't do it. At this time his son whose back home on a break from boarding school, is skirting with his first sexual experiences, after he's become transfixed with a mute peasant girl who lives feral around the manor grounds. One night Peter catches her visiting his son, but instead of seeing the mute girl he see's his wife. Peter wanting to end his misery, shoots the poor girl. This sets about a cataclysmic final, with Peter now knowing there is no hope within his soul, to ever be free of Angelica.


Moody Polish fantasy melodrama, the story is pretty much a lurid family saga with a faint hint of horror flowing under the surface. Its highly atmospheric and very decadent. The visuals have a very brown Autumn tone, which is very fitting with the plot about losing something, and waiting for something else to grow in its place. The central performance from Roman Wilhelmi is perfect, really capturing a man whose living but not feeling anything. The ending has so much impact, Peter rides an horse to his graphic death. We learnt earlier in the film the horse once belonged to Angelica, she used to ride it naked during stormy nights, which the locals including a priest and friend to the family, enjoyed peeping at. I really loved it, even though it contains plenty of nudity, I'd guess it'd be a touch slow and depressing for some viewers tastes, best appreciated by fans of arthouse cinema.

Themes Included: Mute Girl ● Incest ● Head Smash
Naked Horse Ride ● Creepy Picture ● Peeping Priest

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8½ out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount 3]
[Gorequota 4/10]
[Boobquota 4/10]

Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (Video 2010)

Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (Video 2010)
Director: Jimmy Maslon, Frank Henenlotter
Country: USA Runtime: 106 min Soundtrack: Various
Cast: Herschell Gordon Lewis, David F. Friedman, Joe Bob Briggs, John Waters
Herschell Gordon Lewis documentary

Entertaining documentary about the legendary exploitation film maker HG Lewis. It contains interviews with him his cast and crew including his main producer David F. Friedman. Also includes trailers, clips, out-takes and interviews with celebrity fans including John Waters, Frank Henenlotter and Joe Bob Briggs. The documentary covers everything from Lewis beginnings in nudies to his later more popular gore movies. The highlight is the segment they cover 2000 Maniacs which Lewis describes has his favorite picture, he even sang the theme tune which he does again live during the docs end credits. They take both Lewis and Friedman back to the small town it was made. Other great moments include Lewis speaking about how bad it was to work with Colonel Saunders, he only did it for free chicken. Also contains rare clips from the never finished/released An Eye for an Eye. Essential viewing for any self respecting exploitation movie fan.

Themes Included: Clips/Out-Takes ● Interviews ● Trailers

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount N/A]
[Gorequota N/A]
[Boobquota N/a]

Super (2010)

Super (2010)
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Country: USA Runtime: 96 min Soundtrack: Tyler Bates
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler
After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.

An ordinary man turns super hero after his wife leaves him for a local drug dealer. Short order fast food chef Frank (Rainn Wilson) has had two great moments in life, one helping the police when he was younger to catch a shop lifter, the 2nd was when he married the beautiful recovering alcoholic waitress Sarah (Liv Tyler). He can see his wife slowly drifting out of his hands for a local drug dealer (Kevin Bacon) but isn't man enough to do anything about it. When she finally leaves, Frank as a break down and seeks the comfort of a Television evangelist super hero named The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Frank as a brainstorm and decides he too can become a super hero and stand up to wrong doings. For preparation he goes to the local comic-book store, where he meets Libby (Ellen Page). After his first few steps into the crime fighting gain the news headlines, Libby works out its Frank and together they form the duo Crimson Bolt and Boltie. Franks number one task as the Crimson Bolt is to save his wife Sarah from the hands of the drug dealer shes shacked up with.

Fun film dealing with an everyday man, hell bent on cleaning up life's wrong doings. Its similar to the film Falling Down, with the added appeal of super heroes. The same idea's been done loads lately with films like Special, Kick-Ass and Defendor, Super doesn't offer that much different, its only diversion really is how far Frank will go concerning some of the most trivial matters, like the queue pusher he beats to a pulp with his weapon of choice a pipe wrench. Enjoyable for what it is, I loved Fillions Christian crime fighter character, cult fans will have fun spotting the likes of Michael Rooker (Henry:Portrait Of A Serial Killer), Lloyd Kaufman (Troma) and Rob Zombie as the voice of God.

Themes Included: Super Hero ● Crime Fighter ● Costume Sex

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7½ out of 10]
[Deathcount 8]
[Gorequota 6/10]
[Boobquota 0/10]

Misteri janda kembang (1991)

Misteri janda kembang (1991)
Director: H. Tjut Djalil
Writer: H. Tjut Djalil
Country: Indonesia Runtime: 86 min Soundtrack: Various
Cast: H.I.M. Damsyik, Fujiyanti and Sally Marcellina
A girl returns from the dead to gain her revenge on a gang of thugs that raped and murdered her.

Wild supernatural rape n revenge movie from Indonesia, director H. Tjut Djalil also made the equally mad Mystics in Bali. I watched it without subtitles so what is going on is pure guess work. The film wastes no time as we see back flashes of a gang rape before the credits role, then we see a woman rise from a grave completely clean and dressed up. Even her dog rises from the grave with her, no doubt to keep the ghost company. No sooner as she fed her dog some glass (must be the stable diet of ghost dogs) shes ripping the guts out of a local thug, then feeding his innards to the dog. Next up our ghost decides to jump into the body of another thug making him jive, she eventually finishes the guy off by way of detaching her head and munching on him, she then makes a brief visit to her family. The following morning the gang gather together in the hope of learning what is attacking their members, at which point one of the them as a back flash of the rape earlier. This time shown in more detail. He puts two and two together and figures the gang deaths and rape are connected, and tries to resolve the matter by speaking with a local priest. The priest gets involved as much to aid the thugs, as to help the female ghost find peace.

Given the rape murder subject matter the film is oddly pure comic in tone, not really adding much for the die hard horror or exploitation fans. The deaths are inventive enough though, including the the now ubiquitous flying head. The final of the film gets weird with people disappearing and appearing at random, all the spirit cloning and body jumping left me puzzled. Theres also a truly bizarre haunted tongue moment, it splits into a mouth complete teeth, mini tongues and a baby which was maybe hinting at the woman being pregnant during her death. Even watching a substandard copy I enjoyed it, sadly unlike Mystics in Bali, its never seen a western release. So finding a copy in any state regardless of it being original or subtitled is a mission.

Themes Included: Funny Rape Faces ● Priest Fu ● Gang Rape
Ghost Fu ● Flying Head ● Ghost Mutt ● Dancing Possessed

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10]
[Deathcount 7]
[Gorequota 5/10]

I Am (2009)

I Am (2009)
aka: Me, Ya
Director: Igor Voloshin
Writer: Igor Voloshin
Country: Russia Runtime: 88 min Soundtrack: Various
Cast: Artur Smolyaninov, Andrei Khabarov, Oksana Akinshina
The film tells the story of a young Russian in early 90s, trying to escape the army in a psychiatric clinic and after intensive compulsory treatment released years later. Then as a documentary film maker he gets involved in Chechen conflict. There he meets his apparent death and between life and death he recalls his life and realizes it as a life of a whole generation.

Russian director Igor Voloshin's semi autobiographic story about his life growing up in 90's Russia. 'I Am' follows young Geroi, whose youth was spent mostly hanging with his mates on the streets looking for his next way to get wasted. Now a young man having been beaten and abused by the authorities, hes put in a criminal mental institute. The film follows his struggle inside the institute, and the even darker internal struggle he faces. Instead of facing the grim reality of his situation, he does his best to keep himself drugged out of his mind in a dreamlike fantasy world, where his remembered past intertwine with his re-imagined present.


Imagine if the addicts in Trainspotting got taken to the mental asylum featured in 12 Monkeys. Highly enjoyable drugged out fantasy drama, featuring a fantastic range of colorful hyper stylized visuals. Most the film takes place in the hazy institutionalized mind of the central character Geroi played superbly by Artur Smolyaninov, kinda like hes Fight Clubs Tyler Durdon. The plot is padded out with various meetings with a female doctor named Nina (Oksana Akinshina) great looking eye candy. These meetings usually spark some back story of his wasted youth and regret, as he remembers his life growing up. These parts introduce his old friends like the popular junky dealer come guru Rom (featuring a movie stealing performance by actor Aleksey Gorbunov). The film does have a few minor weak areas, I could have lived without the obvious religious imagery like walking on water and being nailed to a cross. Also the labored style of the eventual resolve, its good the director mentions the friends he's lost and infairness its done with great style. It just felt some what unfitting like 'Iggy Pop' singing 'Lust for Life' then ending it with a 'But You Don't Wanna Live It' disclaimer. I HIGHly enjoyed it, not many Russian film makers become known outside of the eastern bloc, but from what I've seen so far from director/writer Igor Voloshin (this and his short film Atlantic) he could very well be in that few who do. I even hear hes working with the team behind the Russian hit Night Watch next.

Themes Included: Drug Addicts ● Meth Lab ● Electro Shock Therapy
Sexy Doctor ● Mental Institute ● Wayward Youths ● Horse Driven Car

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount N/A]
[Gorequota 5/10]

I Am God (2009)

I Am God (2009)
aka: Naan Kadavul
Director: Bala
Cast: Arya, Rajendran, Pooja Umashankar
Indian drama.

A man and his daughter ask a holy mystic to help them track down the son who's been away on a spiritual journey for 14 years. Only on finding their son it turns out he has risen to the state of a Aghori God (must mean a god on earth). Gods aren't aloud to have bonds with humans so he is ordered to travel back to his home village, to end his ties with his family, before he can return to his spiritual life. Only he ends up staying in the village, helping a blind beggar stand up against a sadistic people trader and his gang.

Bollywood is one of the few world movie markets I've never fully embraced, for no other reason than, no matter what genre the film, they always contained impromptu song and dance moments, and musicals aren't me. On the surface 'I Am God' is no exception only its more in keeping with a tradition samurai movie or spaghetti western. Visually its fantastic, the music/sound is rich and the story is amazingly puzzling. Did I enjoy it, hell yeah. Did I have a clue what was going on, for most part hell no. The moral ground it takes was also beyond me, take the son, evens though he is meant to be a god, he's lazy smokes opium most the times hes awake, and beats up anyone who pisses him off including women and the police. Another thing is I've never seen as many people with pysical disabilities deformities in a feature film, even Tod Brownings Freaks pales alongside it. Oddly it is these moments with the beggars that I enjoyed the most, theres a real natural feeling to the scenes like the legendary dueling banjo scene from Deliverance or that Mama Sunshine musical number from that Todd Solandz movie, these parts would usually make you feel depressed or angry at the way they are being exploited but strangely the scenes have a great sense of humour and warmth. The squeaky voiced Samuel L Jackson looking guy and his laughing midget sidekick could have become a great comedy duo, I was so hoping they would have given them a Pulp Fiction type of diner moment together. Excellent movie that has deserved its praise among cult and world movie fans.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8 out of 10]
[Deathcount 2]
[Gorequota N/A]

Themes Included: Smokin' ● Midgets ● Spirituality
Corrupt Police ● Bollywood Fu ● Blind Busker Singing ● Tranny Dance Routine

Twister's Revenge! (1987)

Twister's Revenge! (1987)
Director: Bill Rebane
Cast: Dean West, Meredith Orr, David Alan Smith, R. Richardson Luka, Jay Gjernes
Three bumbling criminals have been trying to get their hands on the computerized control system of Mr. Twister, a talking monster truck with a mind of its own. Our three hilarious hoodlums have tried one scheme after another, only to be foiled and embarrassed by Mr. Twister. Our trio decides to take one last shot at the truck, this time with a M60 Army tank!

Rednecks mechanics Kelly, Dutch and Bear hatch a cunning plan to steal a 250.000 dollar AI computer navigated big foot truck named Twister, from local racer Dave and his soon to be wife Sherry. Things go wrong for the hapless trio, instead of getting the prize winning monster truck, they end up kidnapping Shelly and holding her hostage, in the hope of getting ransom from her rich father. It's up to Dave and Twister to rescue the girl and settle the score with the criminals.

Side splitting funny b-movie gem, that you can't help but feel if it had been released 10 years earlier, before the VHS gore period, when drive-in's were in their heyday, it would have been regarded as cult classic. Twister sits someplace between between Knight Rider and Dukes of Hazard, say a backwards cousin if you like. The three villains are hilarious especially Bear who makes Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber look like Einstein. The chats with Dave and the kitt like Mr Twister are also comedy gold. Low budget Estonian born b-movie guru Bill Rebane must have friends in demolishing and car breaking because what Twister's Revenge lacks in budget it makes up for in vehicle and building crushing. If you take Twister's for what it is, pure childish and none offensive entertainment, you'll have a blast. It even contains a truly bizarre bar scene, which I've made a link to below, its packed with loads of classic movie homage's like 'Star Wars' legendary Mos Eisley Cantina bar scene, Jack Nicholson's 'Hell's Angels on Wheels' the 'She's Lost That Loving Feeling' segment from 'Top Gun'. The singer even looks like Divine so could be a nod to John Waters.So much fun, highly recommended.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10]
[Deathcount N/A]
[Laughquota 8/10]

Themes Included: Multiple Car Crushing ● House Crushing ● Rednecks
Movie Homages ● Tank Driving ● Talking Monster Truck

Ring of Darkness (1979)

Ring of Darkness (1979)
aka: Un ombra nell'ombra, Satan's Wife
Director: Pier Carpi as Peter Karp
Cast: Anne Heywood, Lara Wendel, John Phillip Law, Irene Papas
Occult Euro oddity.

The film starts with a group of satanic cultists dancing and stripping while a female voice gives us a bit of a monolgue. "It started that night, when we subbmitted to him we call our lord, and surrenderd our bodies to his will. We were young and dreamed of the power he'd bestow on us, a power that would raise us above the normal run of humanity. Was not long before we relized the price we'd have to pay was a terrible one, that would involve not only us but our children as well" Turns out the speech is from a former cultist who suspects her 13 year old daughter Daria as fallen under the control of the former cults leader whose possibly lucifer himself. He uses her to exact his revenge on members who betrayed him.

No doubt made as a quick cash-in as a response to the horror hits of the time like The Exorcist and The Omen though the director claims otherwise saying it was based on a novel he wrote in the 60's and similarites to those 2 films was due to studio pressure. That said ripoff or not this is fun low budget supernatural nonsense fron Itally. Lara Wendel (Tenebre/Maladolesenza/Perfume of the Lady in Black/Ghosthouse) who plays the devil girl Daria is fantastic in her evil role. The soundtrack is awsome too and was re-hased for the film Pieces. My only real complaint was due to it being harder to find than gold dust (unreleased in a worthwhile version since the early 80's, possibly due in no small part to the brief under age nudity of actress Lara Wendel who was born in '65, Rings Of Darkness was filmed back in '77 making her only around twelve) which meant I had to suffer a 2nd generation vhs transfer to dvd that got released in the US as Satan's Wife. The ending offered the chilling scene of Daria walking towards the vatican, that hinted at a possible sequel which sadly was never made. Theres much speculation about the various runtimes/cuts on the European vhs's as well, with some fans claiming there could be prints exisiting upwards of 100 minutes, when it was submitted to the Italian censors in '79 it was listed as being 91 mins the vhs releases in existance are around 84-87 minutes mark, so whats missing is pure speculation. After finishing directing this in October 1977 Pier Carpi started shooting a film called 'IL Mago e La Svastica/The Wizard and the Swastika' with many of the Ring Of Darkness cast alongside Max Von Sydow but it was never finished or released and he never got to direct again. It's hard to recommend and say I enjoyed this without looking like someone who defends the use of naked youngsters on film, being a father myself is something of course I would never try and defend. But putting that thorny issue aside, it must be noted that the rest of Ring is without a question one of the best supernatural Eurosleaze movies I've seen.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10]
[Deathcount 5]
[Gorequota 2/10]

Themes Included: Black Magic ● Teen Shower ● Devil Worship
Nudity ● Classroom ● Weird Dreams ● Witchcraft ● Nude Catfight

Pledge Night (1990)

Pledge Night (1990)
Director: Paul Ziller
Cast: Todd Eastland, Dennis Sullivan, Craig Derrick
As a silly frat boy prank, Young Sid is boiled in a tub of acid. Years later he returns to wreak havoc on the new generation of brothers in his old fraternity.

Fun fraternity house comedy/horror thats feels like they've stuck two seperate films together. The first half its 100% Animal House college humor, second half turns into a killathon 80's teen slasher. It's success is down in a large part to the enormasly over acted performance of Dan as the possessed frat boy gone nuts. Maybe too low budget feeling for some tastes, but thats never stopped me liking a film and I enjoyed Pledge Night emmensly, and would recommend it to anyone seeking a none brain straining movie to fill an hour and half.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10]
[Deathcount 12]
[Boobcount 7]
[Gorequota 7/10]

Themes Included: Boom Boom Room ● Go Go Girl ● Frat Boys
Ass Firecracker ● Intestine Noose

X-Men: First Class (2011)

X-Men: First Class (2011)
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.
STORYLINE : Before Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known. In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-MEN.

Entertaining fourth entry in the x-men franchise, this time an origin story of Prof X and Magneto. Not sure why it flew through the cinema's so quickly as its as good as the previous three entry's and heaps better than the tragic first Wolverine origin tale. James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Kevin Bacon were all great, I was particularly impressed with Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Not gonna bother going to in depth as there's 1000s of reviews already online, I liked it my only niggle was the Ron Weasley looking kid who could fly with sonic waves, the effects they used looked terrible.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount N/A]
[Gorequota N/A]

Themes Included: Comic Book Heroes ● Mass Missile Attack ● Nazi Death Camp

Cold Fish (2010)

Cold Fish (2010)
aka: Tsumetai nettaigyo
Director: Shion Sono
Cast: Makoto Ashikawa, Denden, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
When Syamoto's teenage daughter is caught stealing, a generous middle-aged man helps resolve the situation. The man and his wife offer to have Syamoto's troublesome daughter work at their fish store. Syamoto soon discovers the horrific truth of the seemingly perfect couple.

Based loosely on a real life murder case known as the 'Saitama serial murders of dog lovers' that happened back in 1993, which involved a dog breeder and his wife being charged with four known murders, with others unproven but rumored to have happened. Cold Fish changes the details placing the man as a tropical fish salesman, who befriends another shop owner, slowly enticing him into his sadistic world. I'd heard various comments before viewing and was under the impression it was going to be this years Visitor Q, there is a few brief glimpses of that film within Cold Fish but overall it leaves the viewer with a totally different expierence, its more in the same unglamourous tradition of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer but with an added mix of family life and social commentary. The films tone is exceptionally bleak with each of its characters as negative and desperatly unhappy as the next, you wouldn't want to trade your life for any of them. The acting is for most part exceptional espiecally by its two central leads 'Denden as mood swinging sadistic maniac Murata' and 'Makoto Ashikawa as the anxiety ridden stooge Syamoto' whose too weak a personality to stand up for himself and stop being led into such a dark world. Without a question one of the better movies to come out of Japan this year, its only draw back being it feels at times that its being drawn out to fill its two hour plus duration, could have easily been cropped by 20-30 minutes without losing plot or action.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7½ out of 10]
[Deathcount 6]
[Gorequota 7/10]

Themes Included: Severed Head ● Tropical Fish ● Serial Killer
Rape ● Dysfunctional Family Life ● Gangsters ● Astronomy

Prikosnoveniye (1992)

Prikosnoveniye (1992)
aka: Contact
Director: Albert S. Mkrtchyan
Cast: Aleksandr Zuev, Maryana Polteva, Vsevolod Abdulov
Description: A detective investigating a series of suspicious suicides realizes too late he might not be dealing with an organized crime group of hypnotists as he first believed...

A low-budget supernatural murder mystery filmed with a bare minimum of homemade special effects succeeds brilliantly in creating a truly inhuman, otherworldly atmosphere you won't want to experience again in a hurry.

Slow paced Russian psychological ghost story, when a mother and her child are found dead from a suspected murder then suicide. An investigator tries to uncover the truth behind the incident, only things arn't as clear as what they at first seemed, and his leads start to follow suite and commit suicide, can he help her sister and daughter from the same fate.

Prikosnoveniye really outshines its clear low budget restraints, thanks greatly to its grown up somber tone and thought provoking story, it features one of the most unhollywood endings I've ever seen. Recommended but as far as I can tell it never got a release outside of Russia, so unless your fortunate enough (like I was) to stumble over a fansubbed version or actually speak Russian you'll find it hard to fully appriecate.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8 out of 10]
[Deathcount 13]
[Gorequota 2/10]

Themes Included: Suicide ● Detective ● Spooky Blind Man
Ghosts ● Funerals ● Afterlife ● Fisheye Lens ● Cemetary

Stake Land (2010)

Stake Land (2010)
aka: StakeLand
Director: Jim Mickle
Cast: Connor Paolo, Nick Damici, Kelly McGillis
America is a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearing nightfall. When his family is slaughtered, young Martin (Connor Paolo) is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter (Nick Damici) whose new prey are the undead. Simply known as Mister, the vampire stalker takes Martin on a journey through the locked-down towns of America’s heartland, searching for a better place while taking down any bloodsuckers that cross their path. Along the way they recruit fellow travellers, including a nun (Kelly McGillis) who is caught in a crisis of faith when her followers turn into ravenous beasts. This ragtag family unit cautiously moves north, avoiding major thoroughfares that have been seized by The Brotherhood, a fundamentalist militia headed by Jebedia Loven (Michael Cerveris) that interprets the plague as the Lord’s work.

Story centers on Martin a teen whose lost his parents to vampires, he's befriended by Mister a vampire killer, who trys to teach Martin how to survive and look after himself. They set off on a roadtrip for New Eden a city where humans are meant to be safer. But come across a ruthless set of religious fanatics who believe the vampires are gods will and sent here to purge humanity of the weak and bad.

Entertaining vampire yarn that sometimes takes itself too seriously. Stake Lands unique selling point is that its vampires are an out of control plague, and shares as much of the tone and feel of films like Book of Eli and the television series Walking Dead than it does with other modern vampire movies like say Near Dark. Entertaining no doubt we'll see a sequel or two, it'd even work well as a spinoff television series.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7½ out of 10]
[Deathcount 18]
[Gorequota 7/10]

Themes Included: Machetes ● Stakes ● Religious Fantics ● Shootings
Roads ● Fangs ● Suicide

Deus Irae (2010)

Deus Irae (2010)
Director: Pedro Cristiani
Cast: Gastón Ricaud, Julia Perette, Simon Ratziel
A fragile border separates our world from the realm of darkness, where nightmarish creatures await in the shadows. Only one thing is standing in their way: a secret order of priests, who devote their souls to protect this border. They are the 'Deus Irae'.

Short horror thats hopefully the start and just one segment and demonstraition of what dir Pedro Cristiani can do. At just over 13 minutes and feeling more like one scene than fully finished short its hard to honestly judge, but it shows alot of promise and comes across with a very Hellblazer vibe.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount 2]
[Gorequota 7/10]

Themes Included: Priests ● Demon ● Creepy Dolls
Possession ● Shotguns ● Blades ● Leatherclad Priest

Kidnapped (2010)

Kidnapped (2010)
aka: Secuestrados, Dehset Evi
Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas
Cast: Guillermo Barrientos, Dritan Biba, Fernando Cayo
Three hooded Eastern-European criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage in its own home, and forcing the father to empty his credit cards.

Tense and voilent Spanish thriller centering on a family being held hostage. An affluent couple and their daughter move into a new home, but things go wrong on their first night when a gang of three criminals break in and demands the father empty all his bank accounts for them. Two of the criminals hold the mother and daughter at the house, while the father and the third criminal drive to various ATM's clearing his money. Due to a few unwanted house guests thing's gradually get out of hand, and the criminals struggle to maintian the situation before it spirals out of control.

Even though it never feels totally original its an highly entertaining thriller, thanks largly to the fact that once the hostage situation kicks in the pace never slows down. Its filmed in a downbeat unglossy point of view style, as if we were actually there being tied and gagged ourself. At various points during the film, while the father is outside and the others are at the house, the action goes split screen (like the series 24 did so often). The actings very good especially from the three family members, it really makes you believe they're panicing and struggling for their lives. My only real complaint was that the opening segment (kind of an instant precurser to the action to expect) didn't seem to match with the events that happened at the end, but hey it's a worthwhile view, recommended to anyone seeking a taught thriller.

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 7½ out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount 6]
[Gorequota 7/10]

Themes Included: Head Crushed ● Heads Bagged ● Heads Gagged
Rape ● Shootings ● Slit Throat ● Car Crash ● Man Runover