Devil's Rejects (2005) #412

One thing that Rob Zombie is extremely gifted in is the ability to draw so many recognizable names to appear in his films; from Danny Trejo to Kane Hodder, to Ken Foress to even comic Brian Posehn. Sadly, he isn't nearly as gifted at creating a solid horror film. Granted, "The Devil's Rejects" was only his second feature film and is an obvious homage to the grindhouse films of the 1970's but it stands to argue that it is he weakest production, overly violent without a purpose, and it is simply not entertaining for the casual horror film viewer. Besides the fact that the movie stars three of the characters from Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses", "The Devil's Rejects" barely functions as a horror movie in the first place.

Lifeforce (1985)

Although it may not be any where as popular or scary as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Poltergeist", Tobe Hopper's "Lifeforce" is still a great horror film that is still fun to watch since it's release in 1985. As one of my personal favorites, I was thrilled when I was able to see the film shown on a large screen when it was selected as a feature film for the H.P. Lovecraft film festival; an excellent choice considering how Lovecraft wrote about monsters and creatures coming from the depths of space, older than humanity itself. It's suiting that the screenplay was co-written by Dan O'Bannon ("Alien") and that it took full advantage of Haley's Comet passing by around the time the film was made. The concept of vampires from space is nicely explored and brought to film in this movie, taking liberties with the vampire mythos that would have otherwise raised eyebrows from traditionalists like myself; they can still hypnotize and seduce their prey but they can do so much more!

Interesting side note - Klaus Kinski, Billy Idol, and Anthony Hopkins were all considered for various roles in this film, with Hopkins actually being offered the role of Col. Colin Caine, but turned it down for his own reasons.


During an historic space shuttle mission to investigate Haley's Comet as it passes by earth, the joint US/UK team of astronauts discover a large, 150 mile long alien space craft caught in the comet's gravitational pull. Upon inspecting the supposedly derelict spacecraft, the crew finds hundreds of dried up bat-like creatures and three human like figures in suspended animation within glass like coffins. The crew take the humanoids, two male and one female, back to the space shuttle...and that's when everything goes astray! Mission control loses it's signal contact with the shuttle and an emergency rescue mission is sent up to see what's wrong. The rescue party finds the ship nearly destroyed by fire but the three humanoids and the glass containers are untouched; the rescue team returns to Earth with the three aliens.

Once on Earth, the Female alien wakes up and steals the "lifeforce" of those around her, leaving behind a trail of dead bodies that eventually come back to life and need to feed in the same fashion as she did, otherwise they end up exploding. The commander of the original shuttle mission is soon found in an escape pod, and he admits that he set the shuttle on fire to kill the aliens and keep Earth safe. It's soon discovered that he is psychically linked to the Female vampire. It's now up to him a few brave souls to enter London, which has become infested with the zombie vampires, to find the three Space Vampires and kill them before their "plague" can spread across the world.

In the Light of the Moon aka Ed Gein (2000)

"In the Light of the Moon" is a biopic of the crimes committed by Ed Gein. Ed Gein, for those who don't know, is the person who inspired the characters Norman Bates from "Psycho", Leatherface from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and Buffalo Bill in "The Silence of the Lambs". Ed barely qualifies as a serial killer since he only killed two victims but he did earn a great deal of infamy after digging up nine graves and robbing the corpses, who reportedly looked similar to his deceased mother. With the dead bodies as well as his victims, the police found various body parts around Ed Gein's house, some which had been turned in to bowls, lamp shades, a drum, and even a partial suit made of skin. He was later diagnosed with having a long standing schizophrenic condition and was sentenced to life in jail due to insanity.

"In the Light of the Moon" follows the Ed Gein, showing flashbacks of his troubled and difficult youth and his overbearing mother Augusta, as well as showing Ed dealing with the townsfolk that he interacted with before he began killing. It is quickly established that the adult Ed is seen as odd but harmless, unknown to anyone that he has been going into local graveyards and grave robbing. His awkwardness peaks when he honestly asks if anyone has ever thought about having a sex change operation while having a drink at the local bar. Since this is during the late 1940's, such questions are not asked or discussed. Ed soon begins having hallucinations of his deceased mother who orders him to go and kill the owner of the bar, Mary Hogan , for being vile and foul mouthed. Ed does what he is told and shoots her as she is locking up for work one night. He takes her back to his house where he ties her up and until she finally dies. During the weeks and months after Mary's disappearance, Ed begins to tell people why the police never found her, it's because she was locked up in his house. The townsfolk think he's just joking (because he's seen as being that odd) and no one takes him seriously. A hallucination of his mother soon orders him to kill the grocery owner, Collette Marshall, which he does, taking her back to his place and hanging her upside down and gutting her like a deer. It's when Collette goes missing that Ed is discovered as being the killer of both woman. He's taken into police custody and lives out his final days in a mental institution.

Ed wearing his skin suit, made up from the skin of the bodies his stole form the grave and Mary Hogan

Ed Gein, simple country boy

Mary Hogan, shot and tied up in Ed's house