William Girdler .Most of you probably don't know his name but if you are a fan of 70's horror you most likely know of some of his movies. His last three films are 70's horror staples, "GRIZZLY" ,"DAY OF THE ANIMALS" AND "THE MANITOU". He wasn't around long , he directed only nine films between the years of 1972 to 1978, and here we will discuss his six horror movies.
Girdler was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1947, he started Studio One Productions in his home state in his early twenties, and soon there after directed his first movie the ultra low-budget film "ASYLUM OF SATAN" which was only briefly released to theaters. His last film "THE MANITOU" was released in 1978. He tragically died at the age of 30 in a helicopter crash in Jan. 1978 in the Phillippines while scouting locations for his next planned film.
ASYLUM OF SATAN(1972) : Bad cinema fans rejoice! Girdlers first film is a low( really low) budget affair about a young woman being held against her will at a mental asylum run by devil worshipper Dr. Spectre who uses patients as sacrifices to satan, the young lady must escape
before she becomes a victim of one of his rituals. This is bad, the kind of bad where its so awful that you cant turn it off. It also has one of the most un-scary devils ever put on film. Really cheap, really cheesy, really fun..... if you like watching train wrecks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN7YZwp_o58
3 ON A MEATHOOK(1972) : This is Girdlers 2nd film and its another low budget affair. Local farm boy Billy helps 3 girls on a weekend trip after their car breaks down, he takes them back to his farm where he gets into a argument with his father who tells him to remember what happened the last time he brought a whore home. Later that night the ladies are slaughtered by an unseen killer. The next morning Billy's dad blames him for the killings and tells him to go to the city for a while and to come back after he gets his head straight. When Billy returns he has a woman 
named Sherry in tow that he has fallen in love with and he and his father argue again where in an attempt at a twist ending it is revealed that Billy's mom ,who we were told earlier in the film was dead, is still alive and is a cannibal and that daddy has been killing women to feed her. To be such a cheapy this is really not a bad movie, given better production values and a little quicker pacing this could have been really good. Nice attempt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqIN3pLCNtM
ABBY(1974 ) : Here Girdler combines the horror and blaxploitation 
genres with this tale about the wife of a minister who is possessed by an African demon of sexuality that was called up by her father in law who studies African religions, she progressively gets worse so they decide that an exorcism is in order. This film of course is our directors attempt to cash in on the possession craze in the wave of "THE EXORCIST", he actually does a fairly decent job, he does so good in fact that the producers of THE EXORCIST tried to get the film pulled from theaters claiming copyright infringement. Don't get me wrong , it doesn't come anywhere close to the legendary film but given the budget he had to work with he did a good job. Also like 
THE EXORCIST the production of this film was plagued with problems, tornadoes ripped through Kentucky delaying filming , one of the lead actors broke his ribs during filming and anytime the lead actress would appear on screen in her possessed make up the generators would fail. William Marshall (BLACULA) stars as Abby's husband. Campy but fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW-kCiSMWzI
GRIZZLY(1976) : This is probably my favorite Girdler film, it has been described many times over as JAWS on land and that's just about the best description there is for this movie. Campers in a Georgia state park are being plagued by bear attacks, officials refuse to close it and an 18 foot grizzly bear commences to slap the
ass off of every body he can get to. I love everything about this movie , the story , the gore everything, it is absolutely fun, fun , fun. When 
this came out the nature gone wild films were huge and this is a top entry in the genre. Starring genre vets Christopher George and Richard Jaeckel , this is Girdlers biggest grossing film. Recommended. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Tl_1rgIcE
DAY OF THE ANIMALS (1977) : Girdler gives us another nature runs amok flick with a made for T.V movie starring Leslie Nielson , Richard Jaeckel, Christopher George and Lynda Day George. A hole in the ozone layer is responsible for making animals at the altitude of 500 feet or above to go crazy and attack humans , well this is just about the worst thing that could 
happen to the hikers that are the main focus of our story, we get to watch as they are attacked by mountain lions , bears , birds and dogs in this fun flick. As stated 
earlier this is a made for TV movie but a stronger version was released to theaters under the title"SOMETHING IS OUT THERE". Very enjoyable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc-oSZMAk6s
THE MANITOU ( 1978) : Girdlers last film is based on the novel of the same name by Graham Masterson(1976). Tony Curtis stars as a hustler/tarot card reader who's girlfriend goes to the doctor because she has an odd growth on her back, the doctors are baffled when they come to realise
its a fetus! It grows to enormous proportions and eventually the reincarnation of an evil indian medicine man emerges from her back to reek havoc. Sounds silly don't it? Well it is and the special effects are pretty bad too, but i love this movie! I went to the theater with a group 
of my friends when i was 12 years old to see this and it scared the crap out of us , the scene where the medicine man is born shocked the hell out of us. It all seems a little dated and goofy now but it will always hold a special place in my heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIKU9hzRq6k
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