The Merits of Sin…The Book Spook du Jour alum and oddball cinema connoisseur Brennan Dortch has published his first book, which is a mighty doozy mind you, and so I figured it would behoove me to say a few words: There’s a shit ton of heart and a severe lack of narrative control which is … More The Merits of Sin…The Book
At the age of 29, in the year 1993, director Fabio Salerno committed suicide. Leaving behind a handful of little distributed horror films that sit comfortably in the ever popular bizarre landscape of backyard horror. Sadly for Mr. Salerno he snuffed out his own candle a few decades before the boom in SOV and amateur … More The Merits of Sin. Fabio Salerno: Unsung
An unhappily married young woman (in her defense, her husband is a pud with a bad temper) seeks comfort in the macho arms of some German dork with a motorcycle and leather jacket. Her Game Boy playing husband has his suspicions and begins to snoop through her things. He finds a photo of the other … More The Merits of Sin: Requiem Der Teufel (1993) (Germany)
An elderly satanist passes away peacefully and leaves her mansion to her only surviving relative, a nephew in New York. Tony and his wife fly to Mexico to move into their new home. A new job and a pregnancy soon follow. However, the joy won’t be lasting that long because whilst looking around the house, … More The Merits of Sin: Herencia Diabolica (1993) (Mexico)
Uhhhhhh wha? I’m not sure what the hell I just watched but a man in a cape was there and he told me two stories. Granted, I don’t speak Japanese and have never suffered intense brain trauma… which would probably have helped me wrap my head around the nonsense playing out in front of my … More The Merits of Sin: Nagai Go Kawai Zone: Kaiki aka Go Nagai’s Scary Zone: The Mysterious Demon (1989) (Japan)
The world is full of morons. I’d say the majority of meat walking this planet is a moron. Nitwits hooking up with twits and creating more morons. These little morons do stupid things and this stupidity usually comes back around to bite these young idjits on the ass. Even in lovely Sweden. Two Swedish children … More The Merits of Sin: Scorched Heat (1987) (Sweden)
Wait. What? Confounding flick is a complete mess but offers up enough lunacy to make it worth your time tracking down. Two cousins (who may actually be brother and sister) nicknamed Aunt and Uncle (yes, this soon out of the gate my head already hurts) know something is up when a well preserved and ancient … More The Merits of Sin: Guys in Ghost’s Hands (1991) (Taiwan)
“Go and find the old well with the witch mark. Bring a blood sacrifice to the well. Blood. Lots of blood. Descend into the well and on the other side of it you will become, with the help from the dark forces, an eternal heavenly life.” Did you memorize that quote? No? That’s okay. You’re … More The Merits of Sin: Heaven is Only in Hell (1994) (Netherlands)
There’s a clown masked psychopath doing away with Toronto pornographers. Producers, porn stars and prostitutes are turning up dead and a few folks are taking notice. There’s Mr. Blake, a beer guzzling reporter who the killer calls and makes some demands of. He wants the porno theaters shut down and the filthy smut off the … More The Merits of Sin: The Porn Murders aka Blue Murder (1985) (Canada)
What in the seven fucks just happened?! Incredibly weird fantasy flick feels like a really bad fever dream, constantly shifting between irritation and insanity. Bad ass opening credits fill us in on just how these ladies came to be. Apparently a mama snake laid sixteen eggs and three of them were abnormally large. Out of … More The Merits of Sin: Snake Sisters (1984) (Philippines)
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