Shock Xpress - Necrophilia in the Movies

"The last taboo! There's a phrase to be seen on the cover of many a paperback, and it usually turns out to refer to cannibalism. I wonder. There seems to be a general feeling that, in extreme circumstances, eating people may be excusable. Suppose, though, that the survivors of that notorious Andean air crash, rather than eating their dead fellows, had - well, you know...

In the endless list of strange sexual activities, all of which are enjoyed by someone, somewhere, necrophilia must rank pretty highly on the taboo scale. Furthermore, it may be the most extreme perversion to have been portrayed in generally available film."

In a fascinating article in the third Shock Xpress book ("A Coffin Named Desire"), Colin Davis delves into the depiction of necrophilia in the movies. This is the first post in a series of posts featuring films discussed in Davis's article.



Terror! Il castello delle donne maledette (Dick Randall, 1974)




Flesh For Frankenstein (Paul Morrissey and Antonio Margheriti, 1973)

Shock Xpress - Massimo Pupillo (pt. 2)

In an article in the third Shock Xpress book, movie journalist Lucas Balbo interviews director Massimo Pupillo. These are some movies mentioned in the article.


Il Boia Scarlatto (Massimo Pupillo, 1965)




Bill Il Taciturno (Massimo Pupillo, 1967)

Shock Xpress - Massimo Pupillo (pt. 1)

"In Terror Creatures, when I needed a jumping heart, I prepared the effect myself without the aid of any specialist. First I bought a pig's heart and a Japanese toy for a dollar. It was a little doll with a rubber ball hand-pump connected to it. When you squeezed the rubber ball, the doll jumped. I inserted this mechanism into the pig heart and it worked perfectly. Thump, thump, thump. The heart would beat perfectly as soon as you squeezed the pump."

In an article in the third Shock Xpress book, movie journalist Lucas Balbo interviews director Massimo Pupillo. These are some movies mentioned in the article.


L'Amore Primitivo (Luigi Scattini, 1964)




5 Tombe Per Un Medium (Massimo Pupillo, 1965)

Shock Xpress - Nowhere Nice (pt. 5)

In the first article of the third Shock Xpress book (titled 'Shock'), "Five Nights In Nowhere Nice", music journalist David Kerekes tells of his depressing experiences as a subscriber to cable television. Here are some trailers of films mentioned by Kerekes in the article.


The Astro-Zombies (Ted V. Mikels, 1968)




Skinned Alive (Jon Killough, 1990)

Shock Xpress - Nowhere Nice (pt. 4)

In the first article of the third Shock Xpress book (titled 'Shock'), "Five Nights In Nowhere Nice", music journalist David Kerekes tells of his experiences as a subscriber to cable television. Here are some trailers of films mentioned by Kerekes in the article.

L'Abîme des Morts Vivants (Jesus Franco, 1981)




Tian Whang Jou Whang (Tso Nam Lee, 1976)

Shock Xpress - Nowhere Nice (pt. 3)

In the first article of the third Shock Xpress book (titled 'Shock'), "Five Nights In Nowhere Nice", music journalist David Kerekes tells of his experiences as a subscriber to cable television. Here are some trailers of films mentioned by Kerekes in the article.


Troma's War (Michael Herz & Lloyd Kaufman, 1988)




Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik, 1983)

Shock Xpress - Nowhere Nice (pt. 2)

In the first article of the third Shock Xpress book (titled 'Shock'), "Five Nights In Nowhere Nice", music journalist David Kerekes tells of his experiences as a subscriber to cable television. Here are some trailers of films mentioned by Kerekes in the article.

The Toxic Avenger, Part II (Michael Herz & Lloyd Kaufman, 1989)




Eaten Alive (Tobe Hooper, 1977)

Shock Xpress - Nowhere Nice (pt. 1)

In the first article of the third Shock Xpress book (titled 'Shock'), music journalist David Kerekes tells of his experiences as a subscriber to cable television: "There is a hole in the TV time continuum. It is in my house. Newcomers to satellite or cable television will recognize the affliction known as channel hopping. Bouncing through the stations, one after another, not really watching anything in particular. I turn on my newly acquired cable TV access and commence to channel hop - a woman gives birth, a lion jumps over a small wall and mauls several other animals, advisertisement, advisertisement, advisertisement, Mountain plays a song, a football match from 1987 is re-run, a shark rams the cage from which a diver observes... On station 35 I hesitate."

Here are some trailers of films mentioned by Kerekes in the article, "Five Nights In Nowhere Nice".


Flesheater (S. William Hinzman, 1988)






Les Mémés Cannibales (Emmanuel Kervyn, 1988)

Shock Xpress - Walerian Borowczyk

The penultimate article in the second Shock Xpress book is written by Colin Davis and discusses the career of Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk. Surprisingly, there are only two trailers for Borowczyk on YouTube.

La Bête (Walerian Borowczyk, 1975)




Docteur Jekyll Et Les Femmes (Walerian Borowczyk, 1981)

Shock Xpress - Frederick R. Friedel

From an article by David Kerekes titled "Huh? Two Films By Frederick R. Friedel", in the second Shock Xpress Book:

"[Friedel's] command of action sequences and tension is good, but when he puts his players in an old farmhouse with a homicidal teenager, or into a barn following the rapture of a kidnapping, what aught to constitute atmosphere just comes out a sticky mess."

Axe (Frederick R. Friedel, 1977)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 8)

This final episode of a short series of posts which features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success. Blood on Satan's Claw is one of my favorite horror films.


Blood on Satan's Claw (Piers Haggard, 1971)




Doomwatch (Peter Sasdy, 1972)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 7)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


The Haunted House of Horror (Michael Armstrong, 1969)




Zeta One (Michael Cort, 1969)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 6)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


The Sorcerers (Michael Reeves, 1967)




Curse of the Crimson Altar (Vernon Sewell, 1968)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 5)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


Witchfinder General (Michael Reeves, 1968)




Incense for the Damned (Robert Hartford-Davis, 1970)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 4)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


Night of the Big Heat (Terence Fisher, 1967)




The Asphyx (Peter Newbrook, 1973)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 3)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


Corridors of Blood (Robert Day, 1958)




Island of Terror (Terence Fisher, 1966)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 2)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.



First Man Into Space (Robert Day, 1959)





Curse Of The Fly (Don Sharp, 1965)

Shock Xpress - Home Grown British Crud (pt. 1)

This short series of posts features trailers of British horror films mentioned in an article in the second Shock Xpress book, 'For Adults Only! Home Grown British Crud, 1954-1972', by Mike Wathen. The article examines British horror films made by producers hoping to emulate Hammer's success.


Devil Girl From Mars (David MacDonald, 1954)




The Trollenberg Terror (Quentin Lawrence, 1958)

Shock Xpress - Franco Nero (pt. 3)

The second Shock Xpress book contains a short interview with legendary Italian actor Franco Nero by Edwin Pouncey. This is the third and final episode of a short series of posts featuring trailers to some of the films Pouncey discussed with Nero.

Keoma (Enzo Castellari, 1976)




Il Cacciatore di Squali (Enzo Castellari, 1979)

Shock Xpress - Franco Nero (pt. 2)

The second Shock Xpress book contains a short interview with legendary Italian actor Franco Nero by Edwin Pouncey. This is the second episode of a short series of posts featuring trailers to some of the films Pouncey discussed with Nero.


Il Mercenario (Sergio Corbucci, 1968)




Vamos A Matar, Compañeros (Sergio Corbucci, 1970)