Chadwick H. Saxelid's Blog: Ghoulies, Ghosties, and Long-Leggedy Beasties, page 2

Alien (1979) - Sticker #12

 

Day of the Dead (1985) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - September 29, 1985
I love Day of the Dead, it is my favorite Romero movie. Debate can and will rage and continue as to what his best, or most important, film was, but Day of the Dead will always be my favorite.

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #26

Treats and Tricks
Stealing some of the pagan thunder of Halloween for herself, Purgatori shows why she's the perfect pinup girl for the holiday. 

The Last House on the Left (1972) / Twitch of the Death Nerve [A Bay of Blood, Ecologia del Delitto (1971)] / Mark of the Devil [Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält (1970)] -Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - September 26, 1973
Oof. Here is a triple-feature that I am certain qualified as something of an endurance test for the more squeamish and unsuspecting drive-in viewer. 

Wes Craven notorious Last House on the Left is a rough and unpleasant experience by design. Craven and producer Sean Cunningham (Friday the 13th) wanted to make an exploitation movie capable of shocking and disturbing even the most jaded viewer. Goal achieved.

Twitch of the Death Nerve is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, proto-slasher movies. One that many were quick to point out the similarities it had with both Friday the 13th and Friday the 13th Part 2. Being a Mario Bava film, it is the classiest looking of the trio.

Mark of the Devil might serve as one of the early examples of the sub-genre that came to be known as torture porn. No idea, really. I have not seen it.

Alien (1979) - Sticker #11

 

The Tingler (1959) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - September 25, 1959
Long before Chuck Tingle and his Tinglers were a gleam in anybody's eye, there was this nifty "little" monster shock-fest from William Castle. 

That shiver that tingles your spine whenever you are afraid? Well, turns out that is a sentient creature that can only be tamed by your screaming. If you do not not scream, it can and will grow strong enough to kill you!

Yes, it is ridiculous. But it also has some effective sequences in it and a rather unique monster. What is there not to love?

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #25

Old Enemies
Each with their own agendas, Lady Death and Jade ran headfirst into one another's plans. A massive battle ensued, with each warrior pushing their abilities to the limit. 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - September 24, 1995
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers would be the first franchise entry that I did not see for the first time on the big screen. It would stay that way until 2018.

I did get around to seeing it at some point in the early 2000s, but never all that interested in checking out the Producer's Cut. So it goes.

When this movie was first released, I did wonder if the producers would dare to subtitle the next entry in the series either Michael Myers Strikes Again or The Trail of Michael Myers.

Alien (1979) - Sticker #10

 

Amityville II: The Possession (1982) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - September 23, 1982
While opinion as to which film exploiting the so-called Amityville Horror qualifies as "best" can and will differ, I doubt that there will be much, if any, disputing that Amityville II: The Possession is the sleaziest of the bunch. Unless there is a pornographic variation floating around somewhere, that is.

I am hesitant to call this entry my favorite, but I do appreciate the unapologetic and over-the-top melodramatics and graphic shock tactics that Italian director Damiano Damiani infused it with. I think the only other director that could have surpassed him in that regard might have been Lucio Fulci. Maybe.

Despite my not being all that big of an admirer of the even sleazier Death Wish II, I am compelled to tip my hat at the Geneva Drive-In for coupling the two films. What a grimy, gritty, ugly double-bill that was. They probably had to hose down the screen during the day.