THE CATACOMBS OF FILM

Introduction

Welcome to the Catacombs of Film, situated deep beneath the glittering black spire of the Probert Tower, that folly of some eccentric and hopelessly rich lunatic who built it in the grounds of what is now know as the Old Probert Place. For many years the main building stood empty as no-one would have dreamed of fixing up what was essentially an old abandoned asylum for the criminally insane, but I must confess I have found it very comfortable, if a little noisy during the twilight hours. And the garden is delightful in the summer, if something of a death trap for the unwary traveller during the winter months

Since making the place my home I have devoted the Tower to the pursuit and study of all the creative aspects of what some would call the darker side of life. Not me, though – some of my most pleasurable moments have been as a result of the books I’ve read there, the music I’ve listened to and, perhaps most of all, the films I have seen.

Which brings us to this page of the Gray Friar Press website. For many years now I have been fighting the irresistible urge to write about many of the often obscure films I have seen, enjoyed, and on occasion utterly despised during the course of my ‘researches’ and it only seems appropriate that a publisher of high-quality horror literature might want to steer its patrons towards some of the lesser known gems out there in filmland, and perhaps more importantly steer them away from wasting ninety minutes of their life that can never be returned, except through certain rituals that are considerably more expensive than the average DVD rental fee.

The reviews that follow are from no particular time period in film history, and are not limited to films from any particular part of the world. The emphasis is of course on horror but anyone acquainted with my writings will know that I consider the genre of horror to be an extremely broad church. I am sure it goes without saying (but here it is anyway) that the opinions expressed in these reviews are mine and mine alone, and whether you agree or disagree if they occasionally reveal something that can increase your enjoyment of this wonderful genre of ours then they will have done their job. While release dates and pertinent credits will be stated within the context of the reviews this is not meant to be a database as all those kinds of details are available elsewhere. I’m also not going to be giving specific details as to DVD or Region availability because as we all know these things change all the time. All I can do is wish you as much luck as I have had hunting some of these curious pictures down. Anyone who does have any comments is welcome to contact me either through Gray Friar Press or via my own website at www.johnlprobert.com.

Ready?

— John Llewellyn Probert