"Yes! But Not Really" - Necromancer (1988)

Having already sung the praises of Necromancy (1972), let us now turn to Necromancer (1988), directed by Dusty Nelson, who had made the Pittsburgh-based horror film Effects (1980) with Tom Savini and Joe Pilato before turning to martial arts films. Necromancer is a classic example of a colorful 1980s supernatural horror film, and it features the charming Russ Tamblyn.

Not everyone appreciates Necromancer, of course. Reviewer anxietyresister writes, with a measure of what might be called sexism, "a tedious affair, with fake blood & guts galore and far too many shots of blokes in their underpants." The famous reviewer Mike_T-Little_Mtn_Sound_Archive writes, "When it was released, it was pretty cheesy, but rewatching this movie 30+ years later, it just doesn't hold up." And reviewer BA_Harrison (a critic I am beginning to believe does not like any of the classics) writes that the film is "a fairly dreadful straight-to-video bottom shelf filler, with weak performances and woeful visual effects."

How dreadful is Necromancer? Not dreadful at all! Read on to see why...

"Everybody Plays Tennis" - Devil's Express (1976)

One genre that we have not given its full due here on Senseless Cinema is the blaxploitation/martial arts/monster film. Let us correct that with a discussion of Devil's Express (1976) aka Gang Wars.

Some of your universe's critics are inexplicably unkind to Devil's Express. Reviewer BA_Harrison writes, "Technically inept (several scenes feature characters talking but we can hear no dialogue), poorly written (horrible jive street-talk is taken to the max) and dreadfully directed (the fight scenes are laughable), The Devil's Express is, without a doubt, a terrible film." Reviewer Bloodwank writes, "Sadly the monster scenes are quite weak and there are only a couple of gore shots." And reviewer El-Stumpo describes the film as "Bad acting, ham-fisted fighting and peppered with the most gut-wrenchingly exaggerated jive."

These critics are quite mistaken, of course. Please read on to see how mistaken they are...

“That Was the Name on the Mailbox” - Deadly Prey (1987)

Let us continue to explore the deep, deep well of quality that is the filmography of the late David A. Prior. Beyond Sledge Hammer (1983) and Aerobi-Cide (1987), we move to his action classic Deadly Prey (1987),  fine showcase for Mr. Prior’s brother Ted that also features Cameron Mitchell and Troy Donahue in pivotal roles.

Some critics are immune to Deadly Prey's considerable charms. For example, reviewer plantostickthat writes, "EVERYTHING about this movie is poor. EVERYTHING." Reviewer sunznc writes that the audience is "subjected to bad sound, bad editing, horrible dialog and a tedious, relentless 88 minutes of men chasing other men and pretending to be blown up by low budget grenades and gun fire. But the acting isn't just bad, it's PAINFUL! " And reviewer richard__ writes, "It was far and away the worst film I have ever come across. Deserves to be the #1 all-time worst ;-) No acting, no plot, very little speaking." (I would ask richard__ when "speaking" became a measure of the quality of a film. Never, that is when.)

Despite the opinions of these "critics," Deadly Prey is an acknowledged classic of the action genre, and it begs to be studied in great deal. Please read on...

"Do an Autopsy on His Face" - Aerobi-Cide aka Killer Workout (1987)

It is time to follow the career of late director David A. Prior and his actor brother Ted Prior with Aerobi-Cide (1987) aka Killer Workout. We have discussed their first film, Sledge Hammer (1983), but it must be said that his third film, Aerobi-Cide, could be considered an even more accomplished film.

Unfortunately, not all of your universe's critics can be unbiased about Aerobi-Cide. For example, a reviewer coincidentally named KillerWorkout writes, "This movie is without a doubt the worst horror movie I've ever seen." Similarly, reviewer runiously writes, "This is the worst slasher film I have ever seen." And reviewer impossiblehim writes, "The plot is paper thin and ridiculous, the acting is an abomination, the script is completely laughable."

Read on for a deep discussion of this classic film, including the lyrics to several of its memorable workout songs...