Alex Vorkov
@alexvorkov.bsky.social
I write horror novels and babble about psychotronic cinema. My azn author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alex-Vorkov/author/B01LZ5U3QX?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
#watched THE DRACULA SAGA (1973) A pregnant woman visits her ancestral castle where her grandfather, Count Dracula, eagerly awaits the birth of her son. An atmospheric pastiche of Poe, Lovecraft, and Hammer films from frequent Paul Naschy collaborator León Klimovsky #SpanishHorror
#watched CRACK IN THE WORLD (1965) A scientist fires a nuclear missile deep into the Earth despite the protestations of those who know better, which creates a planet destroying global fissure. I haven't seen this since I was wee. Some okay suspense moments mixed with very dumb science.
#watched FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988) Jason returns from the grave yet again to kill a bunch of college-age kids partying in an old house, but he doesn't anticipate emotionally troubled Tina's fierce telekinetic powers. Utterly silly, but I have a big soft spot for this entry.
#watched THE GIANT BEHEMOTH (1959) It's Labor Day, and I choose monsters. This okayish knock-off of Ray Harryhausen's Beast from 20,000 Fathoms has its moments, but the creature FX supervised by stop-motion legend Willis O'Brien sadly pale in comparison to those of his protege.
#watched STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) This is the only OC Trek film I missed in theaters, which I was able to rectify tonight at a special screening. In home video formats I've always thought STIII showed its budget limitations, but it actually played quite well on the big screen.
Today's trail pics. I hiked one of my favorite spots in NJ for the first time in a couple years: A segment of the Appalachian Trail with some connecting trails looped in. Here's a nice view from the Kittatinny Ridge.
#watched SHIVER OF THE VAMPIRES (1971) A woman and her new husband arrive at her family castle, where they discover her cousins have been turned into vampires. The plot doesn't matter in early Rollin films. Just sit back and soak in the vibes.
Richard Lynch as Harris in BAD DREAMS (1988). The Scooby Doo ending ruins the good thing they had going, but if they had let him be a proper horror icon ... Seriously, the third-act fake out was a remarkably terrible decision. That's a different post, though.
Horror & Coffee@foundfootagefan.bsky.social · 2w agoWhich movie or TV bad guy would you love to see more of? For me... Rose the Hat 🖤
#watched BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (1955) Racists hiding a dark secret get riled up when a mysterious stranger shows up in their rinky-dink town asking questions. Alas, racists are like cockroaches. Can't seem to get rid of 'em.
#watched AND SOON THE DARKNESS (1970) A summer holiday in France turns nightmarish for a British woman when her cycling companion vanishes. Each person she turns to for help is sketchier than the last. This film sure takes a dim view of the French. 🥐
#watched A PATCH OF BLUE (1965) A blind white woman escapes her abusive, bigoted mother by visiting a local park, where she befriends a black man who encourages her to seek a more meaningful life. See, I watch non-horror movies. Occasionally. When the DVR gets full.
Today's trail pics: In Living Color It only took me 8 attempts to get a shot with this butterfly's wings spread. They just won't stay still for a big lumpy mammal in cargo shorts and holding a cell phone.
#watched SAINT MAUD (2019) A home care nurse comes to believe her job is to save souls rather than lives ... to the detriment of herself and her patients. Welsh actress Morfydd Clark gives an intense performance as a lonely young woman becoming increasingly unhinged from reality.
#watched DEATHDREAM (1974) Andy, a soldier reported killed in Vietnam, shows up late one night at his family home. Joy turns to dread when a series of vampirish murders seems to coincide with Andy's arrival. Damn. I forgot how devastatingly bleak this movie is.
Today's trial pics - Not one but two ghost houses (second in thread). Naturally, the creepier of the two gets the lead-image slot. We got enough of these rotting old cabins in the woods here for a whole family of Voorhees.
#watched SATAN'S SLAVE (1980) A widower and his children hire a housekeeper who uses supernatural power to bring the dead back to life to do her sinister bidding. I'm not that familiar with Indonesian horror, but this one definitely has its own vibe.
#watched NEITHER THE SEA NOR THE SAND (1972) I wish I could go back in time to see the theater audience's reaction when they realize 45 minutes in that this is actually a horror film.
#watched THE GRAPES OF DEATH (1978) As a zombie-like plague spreads across the French countryside, a woman hides in a rustic village and attempts to fend off a siege by the infected creatures. The first Jean Rollin film I ever saw back in the early 90s and still one of my favs.
#watched THE FRENCHMAN'S GARDEN (1978) An innkeeper (Paul Naschy) who makes his money on gambling and prostitution decides it would be more lucrative to kill his patrons, steal their cash, and bury their bodies in his vegetable garden. But that's never as easy as it sounds.
Yesterday's trail pics Found another ruin in the forest to add to my "collection." I knew it existed but wasn't able to find it on a prior hike in the area. It's hard to see from the trail (in summer at least).
#watched DON'T DELIVER US FROM EVIL (1971) Loosely based on the same real-life crime that inspired Peter Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES, this French film follows two Catholic schoolgirls whose exploits quickly escalate from cruel pranks to murder. Not a comfortable watch (in multiple ways).
#watched THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR FACE (1971) An office worker at a car maker is summoned to the mountain villa of the company's founder, who might be a vampire but is definitely a bloodsucking oligarch obsessed with establishing a corporate-run surveillance state. Prescient, no?
#watched WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? (1972) Not only one of my favorite gialli, one of my favorite films, period. It's nasty and cynical and doesn't care about your feelings. As an existential nihilist, I find the "life is not fair" message therapeutic.
#watched THE ALIEN FACTOR (1978) An alien spacecraft carrying an array of galactic monsters crashes in Maryland, overwhelming local law enforcement. Until a mysterious stranger shows up to help. Pure nostalgia if you grew up a Gen X monster kid.
#watched NIGHT OF THE DAMNED (1971) A journalist and his wife visit a dying friend at his castle and soon find themselves ensnared in occult rituals and human sacrifice. The budgetary constraints are evident, but the surprisingly explicit eroticism ought to keep most viewers engaged.
Today's trail pics. At 93°F/34°C, it was too hot for anything strenuous, so I did a canal footpath just to get some miles in. I enjoyed the wildflowers, some of which you see below. #hiking
