The Funeral Pyre #1 January 2022

Issue #1/Jan 2022 I recently watched my newly acquired DVD of SPINE TINGLER!: THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY (2007). I paid a premium for it after years of waiting to find it streaming...alas for some bizarre reason, it wasn't. Anyway, if you are a William Castle nerd like myself, you will find this doc and the DVD extras to be enlightening...even if you are knowledgeable about the man.

There are two big reveals for me; that Joan Crawford was a real pain in the ass (and somehow Castle hired her again after Straight Jacket) and all the behind the scenes and great photos from Rosemary's Baby. It all worked out for him though... You should seek it out for sure Fiend 'O' Meter 8/10 (You should also look into his autobiography, I read it twice.) ******************************* RED LIGHT (1949) with George Raft & Virginia Mayo is a nice little film noir about a man hell bent on revenge even at the cost of his own sense of being.

Raymond Burr is the ex-employee who puts out a hit on Raft's priest brother (who survived a Japanese POW camp!) and Harry Morgan as the triggerman.

Moves at a fast clip and has a ton of character actors throughout the run time. Looks amazing across the board.

Fiend 'O' Meter 8/10 (it is on the You Tube...)

complex nature works against it...at times, it's like it doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be. Fiend 'O' Meter 7/10 (on Tai Seng DVD) ******************************* I was glad to have eyeballed a post @beatsandblood made on IG about this documentary I have been meaning to see. Get over to Tubi and catch KING COHEN (2017), a fantastic film on the life and films of film maker Larry Cohen. Nicely features Cohen himself, both his wives, many of his cohorts in film making (Fred Williamson was hilarious) and fans. The photos shown are amazing and the doc explains very well his trials and hurdles he needed to overcome to be a successful independent film maker.

Inspiring across the board and happy this was made before his death. Fiend 'O' Meter 9/10 (PS my favorite Cohen film is Special Effects (1984) ) ******************************* “‘V/H/S/94’ Filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto Directing a Reboot of Steven Seagal Action-Thriller ‘Under Siege’”... How exciting that Hollywood dangles that carrot to an established filmmaker of note. It is a pattern that all film makers need to follow in order to “make it” in Hollywood. #LCD AF. Yawn.

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SAI CHIU aka 49 DAYS (2006) A Chinese ghost folklore film that starts pretty basic but by midway becomes deceptively complex. Husband leaves his wife and baby daughter to head for the big city to establish a medical herb business. One of his employees is jealous and lights the successful business on fire, killing many and the blame gets put on the Husband. He is to be executed but a very green lady lawyer is on the case to help. You need to pay attention to the chain of events afterwards as this one goes depressingly deep into a horror filled nightmare. It's ok but I think the

It is rare that I would ever talk about a Oscar winning Best Picture but when you are seeing the brilliance of MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969).... all you can do is gush. A 2nd time viewing after many years, this time taking in the severe art house visuals and letting them soak in. You can totally piece together the damage caused in Joe Buck's character throughout his young life. It makes you understand the naivete he expresses in the film. My beautiful late 60's NYC is shown in full effect. Modern film makers only wish they could make pictures like this.

Fiend 'O' Meter 10/10

THE BODY BENEATH (1970) is admittedly a film I was just curious about because the title was an off shoot of a book I just bought on British Film. Directed by Andy Milligan, it tells the story of a centuries old vampire clan who is looking to reinvigorate the “bloodline” by capturing a modern relative who is pregnant. It is cheaply made and looks amateurish at times.

That said, there actually is an interesting story here with some fresh ideas (well in 1970, as these themes would be explored in more modern films such as UNDERWORLD (2003) ) which keep you watching. Can't say though I would ever see this one again. Fiend 'O' Meter 6/10 (currently on Xfinity On Demand in a nice jacked up full screen print, probably the best way to see this one.) ******************************* Always love to get opportunities to see old & rare Asian films restored and the Anthology Film Archives recently did a free online streaming series of the works of a director I do not know a thing about, HSIN CHI (Taiwan).

Due to a lack of time that the series would be online, I only could see one of the films. I chose the one with the most exploitative title, THE BRIDE WHO HAS RETURNED FROM HELL (1965), only to find out in the end that it was not what I would have expected it to be. A boat is found wrecked on a beach with a man aboard dead & a pocketbook of a woman presumed thrown overboard. The woman was the wife of a wealthy man living nearby. A bit of a scandal that she was cheating...but he is not that affected as he is cheating too with another man's wife (?). It gets complicated. He hires a nanny for his small daughter that looks a lot like the dead mother.

She is actually the dead mother's sister (!) Wait.... now she is falling for the man? But wait! Now they and everyone on the house think the spirit of the dead mother is there haunting it. Only a small child knows the real truth................

This film is actually pretty complex with a lot to follow. It goes from dark to light and back again quickly. A Black and White Gothic mystery that truly looks amazing. I was only let down by the silly whimsical music, the stolen cues from well known films and the Scooby Doo style reveals in the end.

Fiend 'O' Meter 7/10 ******************************* I finally remembered to watch Paul Schrader's FIRST REFORMED (2017) and was truly blown away. Most classic film makers as they get up in their age can't bring it any more, totally out of steam..... but damn, this was a mindblower. A priest with a lot of baggage and health issues meets a parishioner's husband who causes him to further question everything in life.

Probably Ethan Hawke's best performance yet. The writing, acting and the decision to shoot full frame was spot on. All I can say is to get on this one and go in blind, I wish I would have seen it sooner... This film goes deep in the misery of the human condition.

Fiend 'O' Meter 10/10

******************************* Came across the later period Cannon Films GOR (1987) on one of the streaming services and decided to give it a go. Wish I didn't and gracefully checked out at the 40 minute point. A modern day college professor possesses a magic ring that transports him to the land of Gor where he gets embroiled in the local shenanigans.

Oliver Reed chews scenery and Paul L. Smith from PIECES punches out a few people. The cheapness of the whole affair is epic, costumes looked like they were ordered from Party City. The action scenes are appalling. It's no wonder Cannon Films started to fail churning out crap like this. Avoid. ******************************* While I won't get into the recent controversy on how Director Richard Stanley was “canceled”, I will say I finally (via Bluray disc) was able to catch up with COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2019). Yes, another adaptation of the famous Lovecraft story (most recently done in Colour from the Dark & Die Farbe) and this one goes for more shock and awe than quietly ramping up the horror of the story.

The story is familiar to you I am sure

so I will point out my likes and dislikes.

There is plenty to like with the actual “directing” Stanley does here. Most notably in the large house the family lives, the framing and composition is excellent. I loved the use of lamps and other lighting, how they were positioned. The film looks great.

be cut into the film oddly. While there are moments of good film making here (most notably the short “Override” that I saw before)...overall, it is kinda of a bait and switch. Has a cool Photoshopped cover but the ingredients are expired. Fiend 'O' Meter 4/10

But that is about it. It is a very overblown and loud film. Just when you think Stanley has everything under control... a scene with Nicholas Cage comes in...and he is Nicholas Cage. (Can filmmakers stop hiring this useless hack??) Way too much with the special effects and gore for a film that is supposed to creep up on you. It is like they were trying to cross the film POSSESSION with this classic tale.

Too loud, too much screaming.

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Not the worst adaption but sure this was not the best. Fiend 'o' Meter 6/10 ******************************* Two Paul Schrader films in one month?

It's also a bonus that it is his latest directed work THE CARD COUNTER (2021). An ex-military dude who was convicted from the Abu Ghraib debacle and after being released from prison, now plays poker and blackjack for a “living”. He is haunted by his actions and happens to meet a young man whose father was there, also involved in the carnage. He wants revenge on the man who put the whole show together...

The whole gambling thing is a very overused trope and sadly offers not much to the story, just a wrap around to the other part of the story which goes really, really dark. The two leads Oscar Issac and Tiffany Haddish are great. The torture scenes in the prison are seriously screwed up and need to be seen (yikes!)

Caught Edgar Wright's LAST NIGHT IN SOHO (2021) and the Fiend loved it. A homage to many film styles/genres from years past (giallo/slasher/ mystery/ghost story and humorously, hagsploitation) but still different. A very overdone premise (girl leaves the comfort of home to head to the “big city” and crazy things happen) though the narrative starts to get skewed right from the “arrival” to the school. Go in as blind as possible, the writing, visuals and acting is great. The obvious nods to Argento are in your face (like the name of the dance club the students go to). The only thing I didn't like was some of it was too on the nose. Wright is one of my favorite “modern” directors and it was good to see him let loose in a more serious film. Fiend 'O' Meter 9/10 ******************************* Since I recently seen the KING COHEN doc, I wanted to look at some of the early films. BLACK CAESAR (1973) is one I have seen on VHS but didn't remember most of it. Fred Williamson is great as the man who rises up from a lowly shoe shine teen to a self taught “Caesar” of Harlem. What I really like it how Cohen shows the film in vignette style. You really don't know how much time has elapsed between each scene. Extremely violent and all the exterior shots were done with out permits. Got to love it. Fiend 'O' Meter 8/10 *******************************

Not the best Schrader though not the worst either. Just a little flat after seeing First Reformed. Fiend 'O' Meter 7/10

42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street (2014) Great documentary on the block that matters... the usual suspects are the talking heads Fiend 'o' Meter 8/10 (on Tubi)

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******************************* SPREAD THE CONFLAGRATION! Make copies of The Funeral Pyre and give them to your friends and enemies!

Drop them off at your local book/video store!

Sometimes I wish I were forewarned about these Dollar Tree titles I pick up... TERMINATION (2019), is also currently on Tubi, I thought was a scifi film but is actually an anthology.

(Letterboxed/IMDB doesn't state this but Tubi does) I didn't even realize it until I saw the 4th short in it and said “Hey, I have seen this before”. I did.

The film doesn't even have a wrap around and all the short films seem to

Follow the FIEND on Twitter: @AFiendOnFilm and Instagram: @a_fiend_on_film *******************************

NEVER DEFEATED IN 2022 C.E.