Danger: Diabolik (1968)

Charmingly cheesy, Danger: Diabolik is an Italian comic book movie produced and directed by schlock masters Dino de Laurentiis and Mario Bava, respectively. Diabolik (John Phillip Law) thwarts the police force every step of the way as he heists all sorts of goodies--$10 million, an emerald necklace, and a 20-ton ingot of gold!--for his gorgeous girlfriend and sidekick Eva (Marisa Mell). The production is quite lavish, employing a plethora of neat camera tricks, grandiose set designs, and elaborate matte paintings. The score by Ennio Morricone rips through the film, with acid-drenched guitars and the loungey yet somewhat Bondian theme song "Deep Deep Down." The combined efforts of Bava, de Laurentiis, (and Morricone) result in a very stylish, garishly colorful, and fun outing. But as is the trend with Bava, style takes precedent over substance. Despite all of the great music and visuals, the acting falls pretty flat, not aided whatsoever by a sometimes dubious dub and a pretty weak script.

6/10

Hellraiser (1987)

From New World Pictures (second only to Cannon) and writer-director Clive Barker comes a gruesome, bloody, and fun horror picture. Larry Cotton (played by Andrew Robinson, the insane Scorpio from Dirty Harry) moves into an old house owned by his family with his second wife. Unbeknownst to him, his brother Frank has gotten into trouble with netherworld overseers, the Cenobites, and his wife Julia is helping him return to the material plane. The story, acting, and production values are a bit low in places, but the atmosphere and special effects make up for it. Slimy, bloody, disjointed prosthetic effects include: the iconic pinhead Cenobite; part of a re-materializing, coagulating body pushing itself through an attic floor before joining itself together; and a floating, wall climbing scorpion-like demon. Hellraiser has issues, but it's good, over-the-top fun.

7/10