Director: Mark Tonderai Starring: Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine .USA. 1h 31m
18 years on from Ian Softleys powerful hoodoo thriller Skeleton Key (2005), the time and tested horror had graduated into Spell, which is a strange name for a rootworking movie but nonetheless no one will be surprised when the incantations, grimoire and ritual work is let loose. However this darkened story has closer ties with Misery (1990) and the Hills Have Eyes (1977/2005).
Director: Michael Pataki Starring: Richard Basehart, Gloria Grahame, Trish Stewart, Lance Henriksen, Al Ferrara, Jojo D’Amore .USA. 1h 29m
Pataki was a much loved, versatile actor but during his fullfilling career he also directed 3 movies including a risque Cinderella involved a black gay “fairy” godmother who helps Cindereally meet prince charming at a blindfolded orgy, and this crazy gory mad scientst thriller.
For the most part the film rolls out as a reverse Eyes Without a Face, instead of having to replace a face, this crazed doctor is attempting to replace a girl’s eyes. Burdened with guilt the renowned LA Ophthalmologist Dr Leonard Chaney (Basehart) becomes obsessed with restoring the sight of his only daughter, who had barely survived a near fatal crash. Unable to find the willing donors or the raw materials, the Doctor’s dark basement is a gresome reminder of his now blind human experiments.
Director: Roger Corman Starring:Ray Milland, Diana Van der Vlis, Harold J. Stone, John Hoyt, Don Rickles. USA. 1h 19m
This is easily one of my all time favourite sci fi movies, defiantly of the 60’s possibly in my top sci fi films of all time. It has a beautiful on point atmosphere of a retro American comic come to life and condensed into 1 hour and 20 minutes it keeps a busy pace with minimum fluff.
Dr James Xavier (Miland) is obsessed with taking mankind forwards scientifically, always looking for that miracle breakthrough he invents a new chemical, a drug which makes people see with X-Ray vision, excited about the possibilities and under threat of his funding being taken away he administers the drug to himself with dramatic effects. Through a series of unfortunate events he ends up on the run from the police but continues to develop the drug and probe it’s possibilities.
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