Trailer of the Week: Day of the Reaper (1984)

Early work from Florida director Tim Ritter, complete with bikinis, blood, and awkwardly staged action sequences.

Trailer of the Week: Criminally Insane (1974)

Here's a California regional, Nick Millard's San Francisco-lensed masterpiece of gluttony-driven homicidal mania. Crazy Fat Ethel returned in a 1987 sequel, and there's even a remake planned. Could there be a more American horror film?

Back From the Quadead Zone

A few months ago I received a call from a Chicago Tribune reporter named Chris Borrelli. He wanted to ask me a few questions about Chester N. Turner, the director of the notorious shot-on-video oddity Black Devil Doll From Hell, for an article he was preparing in anticipation of Turner's appearance at Lincoln Hall.

The Dead Next Door receives a very brief mention in this very long overview of Turner's career. Who would have thought, given how much mystery surrounded Turner and his films for so long, that we'd see the man and his film's be the subject of stories in the Tribune and the New York Times?

Chester Turner signing autographs at Lincoln Hall. (Image: Chicago Tribune)

Trailer of the Week: The Burning Hell (1974)

When evangelist Estus Pirkle crossed paths with exploitation vet Ron Ormond, the results were magic. Someone is headed for a burning hell!

Trailer of the Week: Shriek of the Mutilated (1974)

Here's another favorite that turns 40 this year: Ed Adlum and Ed Kelleher teamed with Mike and Roberta Findlay to deliver this ridiculous slice of Sasquatch-cum-cannibalism cinema.

Trailer of the Week: Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

 Happy 40th anniversary (holy cow!) to this groundbreaking Texas classic.