2021 . . . and done.

It’s been a strange year. 

Honestly, I think 2021 was worse than 2020.  People, from every side of every issue, seemed louder and more annoying than ever. 

That’s why I found refuge in blogging.  An escape from so-called reality, which we all need every so often.  So click the pics below ⤵️ to escape into some of my best creative stuff from 2021…

Before 2021 becomes history, I must make two announcements.  

One…

I’m taking a break from The Collective Eye.  Hopefully it will eventually reopen in some form or another.  However, you can always explore the Archive for creative stuff from other creative minds…⤵️

Two…

Haunting Sturgeons will continue, and conclude, in 2022!  You can catch-up here…⤵️

So, stay tuned and thank you for all of the support in 2021.  I sincerely appreciate it. 🤓

Have a Happy (freaky) New Year! 🎉 🍸 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

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It’s short and sweet and some people die! 🤓

DARKENING STURGEONS 

(an LGBTQ sci-fi horror romance) 

get ebook

Make 2022 the year of Sturgeons! 

freakboy on film: THE DUNGEON OF ANDY MILLIGAN

 It was the morning after Thanksgiving.  I was sitting in front of the TV, digesting my (mostly) made from scratch pumpkin pie, when it happened.  I received an Andy Milligan film in the mail while watching an Andy Milligan film.  This is when I began wondering if I might have a serious filmic problem.  

I mean, in just a year I went from never having heard of Andy Milligan to obsessively searching for his films.  Even purchasing two players just so I could watch them.  Yes, I said two.  A friend suggested there might be an adapter to hook up a Blu-ray player to an older TV and there is, and it works.  If I had even thought about such a gadget before, I would’ve skipped the Region-free DVD player and went directly to the ARAFUNA Blu-ray player, which also plays multi-Region DVDs.  

(I feel you judging me, but whatever!  Am I not supposed to use stimulus money to stimulate myself?)

Anyhoo, the reason for joining the Blu-Ray revolution as it’s dying is because I won an eBay auction for a 14 (technically 17) Andy Milligan film box set from Severin Films.  I knew in advance that 8 of the 9 discs were Blu-ray, so it was finally time.  Though it is a little sad that John Waters hadn’t already convinced me to upgrade.  This is a testament to either Andy Milligan or my obsessive personality or both.

Before this post becomes a novella, here is a list of four reasons to buy, love and obsess over THE DUNGEON OF ANDY MILLIGAN… 

1…COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION 

From the bathhouse in VAPORS (1965) to the Jekyll & Hyde experiment in THE MAN WITH 2 HEADS (1971) to the haunted house in CARNAGE (1984), this box set contains Andy Milligan’s New York and London based films.  Some I had seen, such as THE BODY BENEATH (1970) and BLOOD (1973).  Some I had not, such as CARNAGE and LEGACY OF BLOOD (1978), including the latter’s TV edit called LEGACY OF HORROR (1978).

2…DIRECTOR’S CUTS 

A few films get a posthumous Director’s Cut, which actually improves on disjointed perfection.  There’s more gore in the Sweeney Todd-inspired BLOODTHIRSTY BUTCHERS (1970) and the man-on-man kiss is uninterrupted in the exquisitely demented TORTURE DUNGEON ((1970).  Then there is a Milligan miracle!  Pointless, producer demanded non-character sex scenes are removed from SEEDS OF SIN and replaced with deleted footage to create SEEDS (1968), its original title.  This tale of family and murder is finally everything I wanted!  You also get to experience both the utter craziness of THE RATS ARE COMING! THE WEREWOLVES ARE HERE! (1971) and a rodent-free original cut called THE CURSE OF THE FULL MOON (1971).

3…SPECIAL FEATURES 

There are some entertaining audio commentaries, including on NIGHTBIRDS (1970) and THE GHASTLY ONES (1968).  You can also find a splattering of interesting featurettes.  A tour of film locations then and now is my favorite, probably because it highlights FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET (1973) and GURU THE MAD MONK (1970).  Then, like a wet Andy Milligan fever dream, fans are treated to the trailer to lost film DEPRAVED! (1967) and one German language reel of the mostly lost THE FILTHY FIVE (1968).  I still need to take photos of my TV during the latter so my tablet can read the English subtitles for me.  Oh, there’s also a bonus film called TOGA PARTY (1977), but Andy only directed a handful of sequences and was uncredited.  It’s a mess, but it has some amusing non-pc songs.

4…BONUS CD 

Sadly, this is not a soundtrack to an Andy Milligan film.  Happily, THE BEARDED LADY’S WAKE (1998) is an instrumental album from Milligan actor Hal Borske, best known as Colin Trask in THE GHASTLY ONES.  His music is rather beautiful and occasionally whimsical.  Sort of the antithesis of an Andy Milligan film.

All that being said, there are a few things that disappointed me.  First, the lack of audio commentary on FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET, but maybe not everyone loves this film as much as I do.  Second, the exclusion of existing footage from Andy Milligan’s unfinished film HOUSE OF SEVEN BELLES (1979), but it is streaming on MUBI.  Third, the absence of the trailer to his lost film TRICKS OF THE TRADE (1968), but maybe it was discovered after the box set was released.  These are just minor quibbles on my part.

In conclusion, even if I do have a serious filmic problem, I have no regrets entering THE DUNGEON OF ANDY MILLIGAN.  So, if you want to have an experience unlike anything you’ve experienced, grab a pitchfork and follow the screams and histrionics to Andy’s inner sanctum of glorious grindhouse cinema.      

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words! 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  If you think this massive box set means the late Andy Milligan is finally through with me, think again! 😱😁

(Click the pic ⤵️ for my previous Milligan blog excursion…) 

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Click the pic ⤵️ for a maniacal interview with a duo of horror film bloggers… 

freakboy on film: MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO (2020)

One of my favorite things to do is to take a chance on a film I know little to nothing about.  Sometimes I watch because of a movie poster (The Sweet Hereafter - 1997) or a title (The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot - 2018) or even because the film was released by a familiar company (Mangus!- 2011).  There has been a mixture of hits and misses over the years, but nothing detours me once my mind is set on a film. 

This thing I love doing continued recently at the library.  With my Mad Scientist Glasses on and focused, I was searching for something different to watch because I guess a freak can’t live on Andy Milligan films alone.  I pulled a recently added DVD off the shelf and studied its intriguing cover.  Two faces in profile were staring at each other with a long title in between on a white background.  The title was in red and black, but the font made it nearly impossible for my half-blind eyes to decipher.  Sometimes, if the words are large and plain enough, I can figure it out, but all I managed was… “MY…YOU TELL IT TO.”  

Between the two faces, one of which I thought looked angry, and the mystery of the title, I had to see what the hell this film was about.  Yes, I could’ve asked a librarian or my sister about the title and the synopsis on the back, but where’s the fun in that?  So I took a breath, popped in the disc and hit play. 

I want to tell you everything I saw, but I also don’t want to spoil anything.  Knowing less is more as you slowly get drawn into the hypnotic story.  A story of blood.  The blood that binds us.  The blood that fuels us.  The blood that destroys us.  The blood that is family.

Actors Patrick Fugit, Ingrid Sophie Schram and Owen Campbell create a believable family unit brimming with dysfunction and resentment.  It almost feels like you could encounter these damaged characters in real life.  Writer/director Jonathan Curtas allows the claustrophobic story to unfold in a visually stark, realistic way.  

In conclusion, I consider MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO a hit on my list and it’s worth your time if you enjoy a moody film that makes you question how far you would go to help a loved one.  

BTW, I figured out the title during an unexpected scene.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  Click the pic ⤵️ for more about family dysfunction and blood…

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In case you want to go HAUNTING…

freakboy on film: NIGHTBIRDS (1970)

What the hell has happened to me?  I’ve been reviewing cheesy ‘80’s flicks and starting a blog serial instead of compulsively blogging about Andy Milligan films!  Have I taken ill or developed a less freaky filmic taste?  Fear not!  My Andy Milligan obsession is still pumping and may have even jumped to a new level! 

I watched BLOOD (1973) last month on Tubi.  This shorter film was an enjoyably crazy mash-up of werewolves, vampires and man-eating plants, with an ending that made me grin despite knowing (hoping) exactly what was coming.  I also ordered a Region-Free DVD of NIGHTBIRDS from a sketchy website.  Don’t worry, I used a Visa gift card, but it was a waste of time.  The order didn’t go through, which left me with a problem.  How do I watch a film that I’m salivating to experience when it’s not streaming anywhere and not legitimately available as a Region 1 disc? 

Well, this freakboy threw caution to the wind and ordered a Region 2 Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack and gave the DVD a spin on my Region 1 player.  No luck there but I wasn’t surprised.  (Interesting side note, my dad’s player recognized the disc as a DVD but the picture flipped like an old-time TV set.)  Proving I’m not a quitter when it comes to something I am obsessing over, I used some of my stimulus money to order a Region Free DVD player (ARAFUNA) for around $30.  The contraption arrived and hooked up like a Region 1 DVD player and had a standard U.S. electrical plug.  It’s such a tiny thing that I am surprised it works at all, but it does.  So, I finally watched Andy Milligan’s NIGHTBIRDS...

written & directed by Andy Milligan 

“I feel like a vampire in the sunlight when you smile.” - Dee 

NIGHTBIRDS was somehow both everything I expected and nothing like I expected.  There is the usual Andy Milligan craziness with eccentric characters, quirky-raw dialogue and subplots that leave you scratching your head.  On the flip side is a deadly seriousness that quietly slips in and builds tension until the startling conclusion.  

NOT Dinkel & Cheryl from DARK EXCURSIONS

Dink is a 20 year-old man living rough on the streets when a woman named Dee swoops in to help.  She takes him to her small, dingy flat where a relationship soon forms.  They consider the squalid living conditions their castle, a safe place to be themselves with one another.  Slowly but steadily, the outside world begins seeping in between Dink and Dee, throwing their relationship off balance from kindness to controlling.  As the castle begins to metaphorically crumble from pain and cruelty, who will be left standing?  It’s an Andy Milligan film, so the chances aren’t very good for anyone.

Hold on tight 

Berwick Kaler exudes a damaged innocence in Dink, which makes it believable that Dee would trust him.  Julie Shaw crackles with underlying energy as Dee, which makes it easy to see why Dink would be attracted to her.  I must add that Elaine Shore as Dink’s friend Mabel brings a bittersweet eccentricity to the mix.  Throw in Bill Clancy as Dee’s suspiciously demanding landlord Ginger and this emotionally damaged tableau is complete. 

NIGHTBIRDS is a bridge between the claustrophobic drama of VAPORS and the gutter theatrical of FLESHPOT ON 42nd STREET.  Filmed in stark black & white, NIGHTBIRDS takes an unflinching look at how we hurt the ones we allegedly love.  It’s almost like a horror film, but instead of vampires or werewolves, reality is the monster out to get us.  The story is sometimes hard to watch, especially scenes involving a real pigeon, but it’s a must for Andy Milligan devotees.  

Oops, I forgot...

In conclusion, I have no regrets with my purchases.  The ARAFUNA Region Free DVD Player is easy for me to use and NIGHTBIRDS has pecked its way beneath my mind-skin.  Contrary to what I’ve said before, this London-filmed motion picture may be Andy Milligan’s masterpiece.  He visually finds beauty in despair and fuels the story with subtle intensity.  So, if you enjoy something uncomfortably different, and you can locate a copy, I believe NIGHTBIRDS is worth your time and effort. 

...the remote!

(Side Note: The late Andy Milligan is still not through with me.  Yes, that means more are coming.😉)

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words! 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  Click the pic below ⤵️ to release a different NIGHT BIRD...

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Click a pic ⤵️ to view other MILLIGAN posts...

freakboy on film: THE GHASTLY ONES / SEEDS OF SIN (an Andy Milligan double feature)

In the last few months of 2020, I was introduced to writer/director Andy Milligan by way of FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET.  I enjoyed this early 1970's look at New York City hustlers so much that I purchased a DVD from Greece via eBay.  My 2021 was rang in with popcorn, chocolate, a sleeping cat on my lap and the X-rated cut of FLESHPOT glowing from the TV.  It was the most bizarre and fascinating New Year's Eve I've ever experienced.

In March, TCM UNDERGROUND aired the R-rated cut of FLESHPOT again, along with another Andy Milligan film called GURU THE MAD MONK.  It's a crazy film about a demented monk, a hunchback and a vampire living together in a monastery.  Think THREE'S COMPANY with a  body count, well...sort of.  GURU compelled me to look up other Andy Milligan classics on IMDb and SEEDS OF SIN caught my eye.  Unfortunately, this particular film wasn't streaming anywhere and I could only find a clip on You Tube.  The one clip convinced me to order a double feature DVD.  

Let's start with...

THE GHASTLY ONES (1968) 

screenplay by Hal Sherwood & Andy Milligan / directed by Andy Milligan 

Three sisters, and their respective husbands, are called to their ancestral home for the reading of their father's will.  Once there, the drinks start flowing and the bodies begin piling up.  Is the killer one of the sisters, one of the husbands or one of the three unsettling servants?  I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong.

Overall, I was entertained by THE GHASTLY ONES, except for gruesome scenes involving a real rabbit.  My only other complaint is I wish the plot would have focused a bit more on the characters.  Certain emotional elements with the sisters and the husbands are introduced, but not fully explored.  Still, if you are in the mood for low-budget crazy horror, you could do worse than THE GHASTLY ONES! 

Now to the reason we are here...

SEEDS OF SIN (1968) 

screenplay by John Borske & Andy Milligan / directed by Andy Milligan 

"Well, you've ruined my life and now I've just ruined your dinner!" - the mother to her children 

Welcome to a house of family dysfunction, secrets and sin!  A sickly, cantankerous matriarch lives with her one-eyed male caretaker, daughter Carol and two conniving servants.  The matriarch has other grown children but wants nothing to do with them.  Carol, going against her mother's wishes, invites the estranged family home for Christmas.  Well, holiday cheer quickly turns to murderous fear as family members get bumped off one by one by someone in the house.  Now do you understand why this one caught my eye? 

What the hell did I just watch? was what I thought at the end of the film.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the crazy dialogue and shocking character revelations, but the film was edited in a seriously confusing way.  Some of the other grown children are not really properly introduced, so good luck keeping track of who is who.  I even thought one character was killed and came back to life, but I had misidentified two similar looking characters.  To top off the confusion, the deleted scenes in the DVD bonus features shows us the death of a character who is barely in the actual film.  Sadly, there is a reason for the horrible editing.

According to the back of the DVD box, producers and distributers wanted more sex in the film.  How much more?  Well, SEEDS OF SIN begins with an orgy that does NOT appear to involve any character from the film.  Same goes for some of the other endless sex scenes scattered throughout. (Who the hell is getting it on now?).  However, there are a few actual plot-related sex scenes, but even they go on far too long.  The only interesting thing in these soft-core moments is the harsh lighting often gives the men a ghostly glow, especially their posteriors.  (Damn, that's a seriously white ass!) 

 

Overall, I really enjoyed this film, I think.  SEEDS OF SIN was everything I expected in the family dysfunction angle, but nothing like I expected in just about every other angle.  So, if you are in the mood for a choppy, disturbing, occasionally hard to follow nudie-horror film, SEEDS OF SIN might float your filmic boat!  Oh, when I watch it again, and I will, there will be a lot of fast-forwarding during the sex scenes, which should up the entertainment factor. 

In conclusion, I am beginning to think FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is Andy Milligan's masterpiece, though SEEDS OF SIN could've came close if important scenes had not been replaced by extra sex.  However, I've barely scratched the surface.  Thanks to an extremely intriguing trailer in the DVD bonus features, the late Andy Milligan isn't done with me yet. 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  A recently reviewed film I stumbled upon while searching for Andy Milligan films...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2021/03/freakboy-on-film-shriek-of-mutilated.html 

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New Month!

New Eye!

New Interview! 

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-collective-eye-april-2021.html