It would take other film industries decades to equal the sheer volume that the Italian exploitation machine could accomplish. In the four years since Django and five since A Fistful of Dollars and West and Soda, a traditionally animated movie whose creation predates Leone’s film, hundreds of cowboys thundered out of the European West and several genres emerged from comedies and Zapata westerns to films centered on the tragic hero, horror westerns and this film, Matalo! (Kill Him), which is uncategorizable but could maybe be an acid horror art deconstruction.

Cesare Canevari, with only nine movies under his belt, managed to traverse nearly every genre with his diverse direction: an early Western (Per un dollaro a Tucson si muore), Giallo (A Hyena In the Safe), an early Italian Emmanuelle (A Man for Emmanuelle), Eurospy (Un tango dalla Russia), Ajita Wilson’s first movie (The Nude Princess), late-era giallo with plenty of sleaze (Killing of the Flesh) and Naziploitation (the go all the way madness that is The Gestapo’s Last Orgy).

The film begins with a desperado named Bart (Corrado Pani) walking through the town as cocky as possible, even though he’s headed to the gallows. He even puts his own neck in the noose, knowing that some Mexican bandits are about to save his neck. His walk back out of town is even more audacious, as he’s just stood on the precipice of death and watched the chaos he ordered come true. He somehow tops that by killing off the men who saved him before meeting up with his friends Ted (Antonio Salines) and Phil (Luis Dávila) in a ghost town where the movie decides to slow down as they explore an abandoned hotel as electric guitars scream and wind blows through every frame of this film.

They’re joined by Mary (Claudia Gravy, Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold, Tuareg: The Desert Warrior), a snarling force of female nature that finds herself strong enough to be on the side of stagecoach robbing evil. That robbery seems to cost Bart his life, and the film switches gears as the gang hides out in the ghost town, abusing an old woman until Ray (Lou Castel) and a younger widow (Mirella Pamphili) arrive, and they too are abused by the gang. Luckily, Ray has a horse that seems smarter than him, and he’s pretty good with a boomerang, which this movie uses for wild POV shots as he whips them at the gunmen.

What’s wild is that a year earlier, Tanio Boccia directed Dio non paga il sabato (Kill the Wickeds), which is nearly the same movie but shot as if it were a normal film, not the sometimes wandering, other times hyperfocused Matalo!

 The Arrow Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2 set includes 2K restorations of all four films from the original 35mm camera negatives by Arrow Films, original Italian and English front and end titles, restored lossless original Italian and English soundtracks, English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks, brand new introductions to each film by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli, galleries for all four films, an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by author and critic Howard Hughes, a fold-out double-sided poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx and limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original artwork and a slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx. Matalo! is a significant inclusion in this set due to its unique and uncategorizable nature, making it a must-watch for fans of Italian cinema and exploitation films.

Matalo! (Kill Him) has brand new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson that I promise to listen to because I know how much Troy hates it when people just list the extras and don’t review them. I promise! There’s also an in-depth interview with filmmaker Davide Pulici discussing the career of Matalo! director Cesare Canevari, as well as another appreciation, this time of the soundtrack and its composer, Mario Migliardi, by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon. There’s also a theatrical trailer.

You can get it from MVD.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Wuthering Heights was on the CBS Late Movie on April 20, 1973 and April 8, 1974.

American-International Pictures, known for its exploitation films, took a surprising turn when the 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet proved to be a box office hit. This success prompted AIP to venture into the realm of classic romance adaptations, with Wuthering Heights being their next ambitious project.

Curtis Harrington was the announced director, but he made Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? instead.

Robert Fuest — yes, the director of Dr. Phibes and The Devil’s Rain! — would direct. He told the Evening Standard, “We shall show Heathcliff as a man completely fascinated by Catherine’s passion, sexuality, jealousy and cruelty. And the tempestuous Catherine will be seen as a woman hypnotized by Heathcliff’s violence, brutality and sadistic vengefulness.” This interpretation, with its controversial themes, aimed to stay closer to the book than the 1939 movie and saw the story as one about the generation gap that has always existed.

Producer Louis Heyward cut to the chase: “Heathcliff was a bastard and Cathy a real bitch, and that’s how they’ll be in this film.”

Unfortunately, the film did not resonate with either critics or audiences. The harsh reviews and lackluster box office performance led to the cancellation of AIP’s plans for future literary adaptations, including Return to Wuthering Heights, Camille, The House of Seven Gables, and A Tale of Two Cities.

If you read the book, you may know the story. Mr. Earnshaw (Harry Andrews) returns from a trip to the city with Heathcliff, who grows up to be played by Timothy Dalton. Earnshaw’s son Hindley (Julian Glover) detests his adopted brother of sorts, yet the ragamuffin grows to become the companion to Hindley’s sister Catherine (Anna Calder-Marshall). After the Earnshaws die, Heathcliff and Catherine are wild and in love on the moors — you’ve seen them run toward one another even if you don’t know the reference — as Hindley stews in resentment. But then Catherine meets a new love, Edgar (Ian Ogilvy). Heathcliff disappears for years, learning how to be more refined and cruel in the big city and comes back to not only pine for Catherine but to marry Isabel (Hilary Heath).

The significant difference from the book is that Hindley is more sympathetic. And, oh yeah, he gets to kill Heathcliff, who reunites with Catherine when they’re both ghosts. This unexpected twist, along with the controversial themes, forces writer Patrick Tilley (The Legacy) to contend with the ghost of Emily Bronte and the derision of English teachers everywhere.

That said, this movie is a visual feast, with lush cinematography that brings the moors to life. It also introduces the first open discussion that perhaps Heathcliff is the illegitimate son of Mr. Earnshaw, which makes Heathcliff and Catherine half-siblings. That sounds closer to the paperback trash and Italian movies that usually make it on this site, not works of Gothic romance.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Dunwich Horror was on the CBS Late Movie on May 7, 1973; July 1 and August 28, 1975.

Following the triumph of the Poe movies, Roger Corman and American International Pictures embarked on a series of films inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. The announcement of The Dunwich Horror in 1963, set to be filmed in Italy by Mario Bava and starring Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, sparked immense anticipation. However, a setback occurred when Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs failed, causing a delay in the production of this movie.

It took several years to make this movie happen—probably Rosemary’s Baby’s success is one reason why occult movies really started to come out in the early 1970s—and when it was made, Daniel Haller was hired to direct.

Daniel Haller, who started his career as an art director and designed the sets for Corman’s House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum, was a perfect fit for the director role. His first movie, Die, Monster, Die!, was based on Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space, further solidifying his suitability for this project.

At the Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts, a setting often used in Lovecraft’s stories, Dr. Henry Armitage (Ed Begley) gives a rare copy of Necronomicon to his student Nancy Wagner (Sandra Dee, breaking her Universal Pictures contract and making her first “adult” movie, so to speak) to return to the library. She’s followed by Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell), a man who hypnotizes her to sneak a glance at the dreaded grimoire. Unlike everyone else in Arkham, Nancy is kind to the man and gives him a ride despite him, you know, staring into her soul.

I mean, maybe she should have because he soon drugs her and convinces her to stay the night inside the horrifying home of his ancestors.

It turns out that within the home, Wilbur’s twin brother from a demon father is waiting and will soon be let loose in town. Wilbur also lives up to all of the townsfolks’ fears as he attempts to sacrifice Nancy to the Old Ones. This leads to a dramatic spellcasting battle between him and Dr. Armitage, a scene heightened by a violent thunderstorm.

This was written by Ronald Silkosky, Henry Rosenbaum (Get Crazy) and Curtis Hanson, who, in addition to writing Sweet Kill and The Silent Partner, would go on to direct 8 Mile, L.A. Confidential, Evil Town, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, so it wasn’t all Oscar-winning efforts!

One can only wonder what Lovecraft would think of the psychedelic treatment of his story in this film.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Cry of the Banshee was on the CBS Late Movie on April 10, 1973, 

“Who spurs the beast the corpse will ride?

Who cries the cry that kills?

When Satan questioned, who replied?

Whence blows this wind that chills?

Who walks amongst these empty graves

And seeks a place to lie?

‘Tis something God ne’er had planned,

A thing that ne’er had learned to die.”

That poem is Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Bells,” which sets the tone for this unique movie, the last of the American-International Pictures Poe movies. Directed by Gordon Hessler, this film, unlike its predecessors, had nothing to do with the Baltimorean author, offering a fresh take on the horror genre.

According to Peter Fuller on  Spooky Isles, AIP promoted this movie as the hundredth film that its star, Vincent Price, was in. The truth is that it was probably his seventy-sixth. Undaunted, AIP did the same publicity for his next movie, The Abominable Dr. Phibes.

This movie is a visual treat — it was shot in the Grim’s Dyke House, the same location as Curse of the Crimson Altar and The Devil Rides Out. The film opens with an incredibly excellent animation by Terry Gilliam, a visual masterpiece that, unfortunately, was cut from the American print, leaving the audience captivated from the start.

If you enjoyed Vincent Price’s portrayal as a witch hunter in Witchfinder General, you’re in for a treat! In this film, he plays the role of Lord Edward Whitman, a character who has taken it upon himself to rid England of every witch. His relentless pursuit leads to the disruption of Black Masses and the death of many witches, until one of them, Oona, possesses his loyal servant Roderick, complicating his mission.

The movie also inspired a band to name themselves Siouxie and the Banshees. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to an entire month of movies that played on the CBS Late Movie. Up first, Trog! This film played four times in the middle of the night on the Tiffany Network: February 24, 1972; May 30, 1972; September 14, 1973 and December 6, 1974.

Trog makes me sad. Beyond the fact that it feels a lot like King Kong or Son of Kong—a doomed monster from our past that just can’t survive in today’s horrible modern world—it’s also depressing at times to watch Joan Crawford act her heart out in a film where no one else can come close to her power.

That’s not to say this is a bad film. It’s delightful and well-directed by genre vet Freddie Francis (Tales from the Crypt and plenty of other wonderful Amicus portmanteau films). It’s also quick-moving and enjoyable.

But it’s still sad.

A troglodyte (TROG!) is found alive in the caves of England. Dr. Brockton (Crawford) has had some success communicating with him and sees him as the missing link. However, her neighbors do not like her having a monster in her house, mainly after it kills a dog when it steals his ball.

Local businessman Sam Murdock (Michael Gough, who appeared in many Hammer films and as Alfred in the 1980s and 1990s Batman films) worries that the creature will negatively impact local businesses. But he really has an issue with a woman being in charge.

Meanwhile, Trog undergoes multiple surgeries, which enable him to learn to communicate. In a trippy sequence, we see into his mind, which is filled with memories of the Ice Age and dinosaurs.

The court upholds Dr. Brockton’s goal of teaching Trog, so Murdock sneaks in and lets him loose. He kills several people, including the businessman, before taking a little girl and retreating to his cave. Dr. Brockton can communicate with Trog, and the girl goes free. Meanwhile, soldiers open fire on our titular caveperson, and he falls to his death, impaled on a stalagmite.

As Dr. Brockton leaves in tears, a reporter tries to interview her. She has no comment as she wanders away.

See? Depressing.

Due to the film’s low budget, Crawford used her own clothes. And it shows. She’s a beacon of fashion in a grimy town. She stands out like no one else. And speaking of suits, the one for Trog was left over from 2001: A Space Odyssey!

This was Crawford’s final film, but I don’t believe the TV show Feud: Bette and Joan. She’d continue to act afterward, appearing in an episode of TV’s The Sixth Sense called Dear Joan: We’re Going to Scare You to Death. If you’ve ever listened to My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, that’s where the sample on the song “A Daisy Chain for Satan Comes From.”

PS: I would know none of this were it not for Bill from Groovy Doom.

I’m glad I watched Trog. But the sad ending — and thinking of Joan changing in her car during the breaks in filming — make me a little misty-eyed. That said, it’s one of John Waters’ favorite films, so there’s that.

Thomas (Marquard Bohm) gets a ride to Munich where he finds his ex-girlfriend Peggy (counterculture icon and model Uschi Obermaier) who takes him in. In her flat he finds Peggy and her roommates have a commune-like lifestyle where they take a male lover and murder them within five days so that they never fall in love. Does Thomas realize that in time?

Directed by Rudolf Thome and written by Max Zihlmann, the girls all seem rather nice, you know, other than the fact that they murder men. They all seem to genuinely like Thomas, but when you have a manifesto, you have to follow it or it’s not a manifesto.

This is definitely more style than substance but that’s not a complaint. Plus. the soundtrack has the Small Faces and The Nice on it, as well as “Adagio in G Minor” by Remo Giazotto, which also shows up in Rollerball and Space: 1999.

Obermaier is a dream and has a presence that you wish showed up in more than just that handful of movies that she was in. Her flatmates are played by Diana Körner, who was memorable in a small role in Barry Lyndon, Sylvia Kekulé and Gaby Go.

I really have no idea what category this is, but whatever it is, I want more.

This limited edition Radiance Films blu ray includes a high definition digital transfer overseen by director Rudolf Thome; select scene commentary with Thome and Rainer Langhans, Obermaier’s boyfriend and Kommune 1 member who served as inspiration for the film and was on set for the shoot; Rote Sonne between Pop Sensibility and Social Critique, a newly produced visual essay by scholar Johannes von Moltke on Red Sun which looks at the social and cultural influences on the film and provides context for the era in which it was made; From Oberhausen to the Fall of the Wall, a visual essay by academic and programmer Margaret Deriaz tracing the development of the New German Cinema from the Oberhausen Manifesto to the fall of the Berlin wall; a reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters; a limited edition 52-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Samm Deighan; newly translated archival letters by Wim Wenders, critic Enno Patalas and the German Film Evaluation Office on the film’s official submission; a newly translated archival interview with Rudolf Thome and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings. You can get it from MVD.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A.C. Nicholas, who has a sketchy background and hails from parts unknown in Western Pennsylvania, was once a drive-in theater projectionist and disk jockey, Currently, in addition to being a writer, editor, podcaster, and voice-over artist, he contributes to Drive-In Asylum. His first article, “Grindhouse Memories Across the U.S.A.,” was published in issue #23. He’s also written “I Was a Teenage Drive-in Projectionist” and “Emanuelle in Disney World and Other Weird Tales of a Trash Film Lover” for upcoming issues.

Director Brian DePalma has had an amazing career in diverse genres. He’s best known for his horror films, like Carrie and The Fury, and giallo-esque suspense thrillers, the greatest being Blow Out and Dressed to Kill, but he’s also done a fantastic musical, Phantom of the Paradise, a moving war film, Casualties of War, and a trio of classic gangster films, Scarface, The Untouchables and Carlito’s Way. Early in his career, he dabbled in comedy with mixed results, and he’s stumbled with science fiction, Mission to Mars, and adapting a couple of beloved best-sellers for the screen, A Bonfire of the Vanities and The Black Dahlia. I’m pleased that B & S About Movies is devoting a week to one of my favorite directors of all time, even though he hasn’t had a success in decades, and I’ve come to realize that he’s probably lost his touch. For my contribution to this special retrospective, we’ll look at DePalma’s least-seen film, Dioynsus in ’69 from 1970.

Even for early-career DePalma, this was a weird project, a film of an avant-garde stage production of The Bacchae by Euripedes, performed in a garage, by a New York City experimental theater group called The Performance Group. The film’s direction is credited to DePalma, Robert Fiore and Bruce Rubin, but you can tell by looking at any five minutes of the film that it was mostly DePalma calling the shots behind the camera. Indeed, the immersive nature of the staging—making the audience part of the performance—calls to mind the famous “Be Black, Baby” sequence in DePalma’s other 1970 release, Hi, Mom! But apart from that, the biggest tell is the use of split screen throughout, a DePalma trademark if ever there was one. 

Today, while the film remains little more than a curio for DePalma completists and those who like ancient Greek tragedies and avant-garde theatre, it did foreshadow that DePalma would, by the end of the 70s, become a world-class director. The black-and-white camera work is crisp, and the split screen allows you to take in different perspectives simultaneously, becoming a voyeur as in so many DePalma films to come. Best of all, the play stars DePalma regular William Finley as Dionysus. Finley’s terrific—as you’d imagine—and the performance ends with the wonderfully insane segment “William Finley for President.” Roger Greenspun, in his New York Times review, wrote: “DePalma, a witty, elegant, understated young director (for example, Greetings) seems to have found new ease and vigor and a taste for risks in meeting the challenge of this film.” I wholeheartedly agree.

Dionysus in ’69 has been a challenge to view over the years. Its distributor, Sigma III, had released a classic 60’s Euro-horror double feature, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock and The Awful Dr. Orloff, as well as DePalma’s Greetings and Hi, Mom!, but didn’t seem to have much enthusiasm for the film, which snagged an unfortunate X-rating for its pervasive nudity. As far as my research uncovered, it played one New York City theater in March 1970, but had few, if any, other bookings. It has languished, surfacing only for a long out-of-print North American DVD and an appearance in a French DVD box set of DePalma’s earliest films. A few years ago, I was delighted to discover that it was available for free streaming on a New York University website. For me, that was like a gift from the Greek gods: the ability to check off the last film in DePalma’s filmography.

Even the least of Brian DePalma’s films has things of interest for true film buffs. I, for one, am glad that I found Dionysus in ’69. My life is now complete. Well, okay, not quite. There’s still Jerry Lewis’s The Day the Clown Cried. 

Playing the same role from Greetings, Robert De Niro is Vietnam veteran and aspiring filmmaker Jon Rubin, who has been hired by producer Joe Banner (Allen Garfield) to make an adult film. Rubin uses this to take advantage of his crush on neighbor Joey (Jennifer Salt), wooing her and having sex with her on hidden camera. The problem is that the camera misses most of the action and Banner decides not to hire him.

Rubin follows that by being part of a confrontational theater group led by Gerrit Wood (Gerrit Graham) whose latest play, Be Black Baby! has the audience forced to wear blackface and be abused by the African-American actors who all are wearing white paint on their faces. Rubin’s part is to play a cop who arrests members of the white audience because they are black. Of course, the audience loves the show and decrees it an artistic success. Rubin gets back together with Judy, marrying her and then blowing up their apartment building.

Plenty of actors who would work again with director and writer Brian De Palma appear in this, including Charles Durning, Salt (they’re both in Sisters) and Graham. It also has roles for Paul Bartel and Lara Parker, who was Angelique on Dark Shadows. De Niro and De Palma would, of course, work together again on The Untouchables.

De Palma was still finding his way here and often, he struggles with comedy. There are still some wild moments as the audience is attacked, however.