The Witchmaker (1969)

Starring Anthony Eisley, Thordis Brandt, Alvy Moore, John Lodge, Shelby Grant
Directed by William O. Brown
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Ritual slayings of young women in a backwoods swamp brings a paranormal research team to investigate, and they discover a satan worshipper with real demonic powers is behind it all.

A low budget but well acted supernatural horror film, which concentrates less on special effects and more on the characterizations of its cast, the picture features an unusual role for familiar television comedian Alvy Moore as the serious leader of the expedition, and he impresses.  At times it's a bit exploitative with Brandt falling out of her clothes on more than one occasion, although there wasn't any frontal nudity on display.  Eisley, playing the lead as a reporter accompanying the team who doesn't quite believe in the supernatural, is solid, but I was more intrigued by Moore, and Lodge as the film's villain, a barbaric killer who tries to add Brandt to his coven of witches and warlocks.  At times the script stretches credibility, in one example claiming that if you wear garlic around your neck, witches can't see you.  However, for a low budget film, it's well-assembled with some disturbing imagery and creepy moments, and I left it with a favorable impression.

Murders In The Zoo (1933)

Starring Charlie Ruggles, Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott, John Lodge
Directed by Edward Sutherland
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A sportsman who captures wild animals he donates to a city zoo concocts a plot to use the zoo to dispose of his philandering wife's lover.

One of Lionel Atwill's best showcases is a memorable horror film with some daring scenes of pre-code violence, well-scripted by Philip Wylie and Seton I. Miller.  Although comedic actor Charlie Ruggles is brought in to bring light moments to balance out the horror, this is Atwill's chance to shine, and he's chilling, exposing cold calculating expressions to the camera, and covering up his crimes and blaming them on the zoo's staff with righteous indignation.  Adding to the menace is the convincing photography of real savage beasts, who are well integrated in the film, although the film's violent climax would definitely not be approved by PETA today.  Other familiar faces in the cast include future western star Randolph Scott as the zoo's toxicologist and Island Of Lost Souls' Panther-Woman, Kathleen Burke, as Atwill's nervous wife.