Mill Creek offers up a cheapie four movie set for horror fans looking to save bucks while also collecting four interesting horror movies. The four movie set here garners three really notable horror movies, and one horror movie that’s simply there to take up a slot, I assume. There are no perfect movie sets, of course. Even ones for the cheap skate horror fans looking to rake in the volume for little money.
1944’s “The Return of the Vampires” is the unofficial “Dracula” sequel with Bela Lugosi playing a vampire lord with a cape and collar, but is never actually referred to as Dracula. “The Return…” is a considerably goofy and forgettable horror film with Lugosi playing Tesla, a vampire lord who rises from the grave during the war from a Nazi bomb, and begins feeding on the family that put him in his tomb. He’s aided by his werewolf sidekick Andrea, who looks more like a Chihuahua when all is said and done. “The Revenge of Frankenstein” is one of the many Hammer Film horror sequels that featured the exploits of the scientist Frankenstein, as he wreaked havoc across the English countryside with his wicked experiments, preying on his victims.
In this convoluted and cheesy follow up, Peter Cushing is Baron Frankenstein, now working on human brains and plans to implant the brain of a sick man in to a healthy human body. But things go awry when the human begins turning violent, and goes after Frankenstein. “Mr. Sardonicus” is the William Castle classic horror film that prides itself in its cheese and gimmicks. After a millionaire is stricken with a The horrific grin, he calls upon a doctor to correct his hideous mug, and help solve the mystery of why he’s smiling. “Mr. Sardonicus” is the best of the bunch with typical William Castle theatrics and gimmicks including over the top narration and a sense of novelty that drowns out the actual film we’re supposed to 1983be watching.
In context, it’s another fun William Castle installment. “The Brotherhood of Satan” is yet another of the many satan centered horror films that feature two yuppy parents being terrorized by a coven of witches that plans ravage the souls of innocent children. Known mostly for its feature role from Strother Martin, “The Brotherhood of Satan” is an interesting but fairly forgettable horror cheapie that book ends the DVD set. All four movies come unrated and bereft of extras.