#BMovie #HorrorMovie Favorites

B-Movies always have left a lasting impression in my mind and my thoughts more than the big budget movies with big stars trying to make me feel something. When a B-Movie comes on, no matter the genre, I’m pulled in, and I never want to leave the bizarre atmosphere. The black-and-white ones are my favorites; they tend to hide the flaws that color shows, though you can’t hide everything. Today, I’m showcasing some of what I consider obscure B-Movie Horror Classics.

Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) is a B-Movie that incorporates shtick with classic horror monsters and exploitation. While it is bizarre, it’s also fun. The creepiness, though, isn’t as high as I would’ve expected. The effects are what I’d expect from this era of Bs, and frankly, they aren’t the best. The monster’s face looks like spray-foam insulation and marshmallow horribly shaped into a mask, and Dracula’s make-up looks like what inspired Goth Night in my dance clubs around America. Even with those deficits, I love this movie with its cheese and lousy acting and obnoxious musical score. Oh, I found something cool. You can buy Dracula’s ring on Etsy. I’m not rushing out to buy it, but maybe, you’re dying to have it.

Not all amazing B-Movies came from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, some of the best and my favorites are from, yes, you guessed it, the 80s. Vampire on Bikini Beach (1988) is the name in the opening credits, but this low budget phenomenon forgot the ‘s’ as is on the poster/VHS cover as Vampires on Bikini Beach. The cheesy music and forceful acting contend strongly with past B-Movie heroes. There was something about the 80s that made everything totally awesome, maybe, it was the hair or the clothes, whatever it was, made this movie a spectacular gem that never saw much play, besides on Gilbert Gottfried’s Up All Night on USA.

Sorry, I couldn’t find a trailer for this one, which means you need to watch it. I found it on Comet, maybe you have it with your TV provider and don’t know it.

You know the movie is gonna be good when there’s an oiled-down, shirtless man banging a gong before the opening credits roll. Hands of the Ripper (1971) is a Hammer Production, which adds to the being good guarantee. Sappy music serenades us into a different world as the opening sequence wraps up, and we are whisked fifteen years into the future. The score continues on the same joyous tone, which is strange because of the theme of the movie; it’s like they mixed up the soundtrack with a romance. The peculiar story tells the tale of a young woman who is the daughter of ‘Jack the Ripper.’ She goes into a catatonic state and kills people, remembering nothing of the event when she wakes. The fake blood is a bit thin and orange, but the ending in this one is quite the delight, so I don’t mind the bad coloring.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by. Let me know of any obscure Bs that you love or hate or love to hate.