THE AGFA HORROR TRAILER SHOW (2021) *** ½

Few outfits have done more for the preservation, restoration, and celebration of exploitation than the American Genre Film Archive.  So, when they release a trailer compilation, you know you’re in for a treat.  The fun begins with a series of great vintage drive-in ads, including commercials for light-up footballs and flea markets.  There’s even the famous short subject, Bambi Meets Godzilla to cap off the pre-show festivities. 

Then, the trailers take center stage.  There are ads for Nightmare Weekend (“You’re about to enter the 21^st century… of TERROR!”), Witchcraft ’70, The Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary (much better known as The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies), Fear No Evil, a triple bill of The Corpse Grinders, The Undertaker and His Pals, and The Embalmer (which makes viewers sign a “Certificate of Assurance” to enter the theater), Scalps, a double feature of Carnival of Blood and Curse of the Headless Horseman, Massage Parlor Murders, Hobgoblins, an awesome double bill of The Vampire’s Coffin and Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy, Splatter University (“Prepare to be pulverized, traumatized, and hospitalized!”), The Velvet Vampire, Magdalena-Possessed by the Devil, Meat Cleaver Massacre (introduced by Christopher Lee!), and an amazing Spanish language trailer for an insane looking movie called Terror Sexo y Brujeria.  Then, we get a short break full of old drive-in intermission ads.  The second half of the show includes the tried and true trailer for the double feature of Blood Spattered Bride and I Dismember Mama, The Slayer, The Brainiac, Drive-In Massacre, Future-Kill, Lurkers, a double feature of I Drink Your Blood and I Eat Your Skin, The Manson Massacre, Three on a Meat Hook, Final Exam, Body Melt, Lucifer’s Women, Demonoid:  Messenger of Death, Demon Wind, Blood Hook, The Man with 2 Heads, Prey, Evil Laugh, Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman, Psychos in Love, The Worm Eaters, and Old Dracula.  (“If you loved Young Frankenstein, you’ll adore Old Dracula!”)

If you’re a fan of Vinegar Syndrome and/or Something Weird, many of these trailers will be familiar to you as both companies have released a lot of the movies featured here.  The best ones are for the double and triple features.  I also really enjoyed the trailers for black and white movies that have been tinted green or purple to give the illusion they are actually in color. 

If you’ve watched as many trailer compilations as I have, you’ve seen more than a few of these trailers before.  That kind of goes with the territory.  What really counts is the number of oddball, obscure, and just plain weird trailers they have dug up.  Also, it clocks in at under eighty minutes, so it moves at a steady clip.  In short, any trailer compilation fanatic will want to add this one to their collection.