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Of all the cautionary lessons that horror imparts, one of the most common warns us never to mess with Mother Nature. Those who are careless or hostile to the environment often meet their demises when Earth retaliates violently in eco-horror movies.

Ecological horror movies explore humankind’s estranged, fractured relationship with the planet, and its characters often find themselves on the defense against nature’s wrath. In celebration of Earth Day, an annual event in support of environmental protection, we’re looking back at some of the best eco-horror movies that remind us to take care of our planet… or else.

Here are ten eco-horror movies to watch this Earth Day.

The Bay

This found footage movie sees a seaside town under siege from an unknown virulent threat. First comes a gnarly rash, then vomiting, then a violent, disturbing death. Eventually, researchers discover it’s a parasitic ocean isopod that...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Ghost Face Figure from Mezco Toys

Ghost Face is slashing into Mezco Toyz’s One:12 Collective line. Due out in November, the 6.5″ action figure costs $95. Shipping is free with the code WINTER79.

The Scream slasher has over 28 points of articulation, a black robe with poseable hood and sleeves, four interchangeable heads, and eight interchangeable hands.

Other accessories include: butcher knife, hunting knife, hunting knife with blood effect, scythe, remote control, popcorn bowl, three attachable blood effects, and display base with adjustable post.

Phase IV 4K Uhd from Vinegar Syndrome

Phase IV crawls onto 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on March 26 via Vinegar Syndrome. The 1974 sci-fi horror cult classic has been newly restored in 4K from its...

John Sturges’ orbital jeopardy thriller does everything right: the story is taken seriously, the actors seem committed and the special effects aren’t bad. Yet it’s more interesting for what doesn’t work than what does. As one of the first Sci-fi pictures in the wake of 2001 it wasn’t well received despite being technically astute. Did NASA’s race to the Moon put an end to fanciful space Sci-fi? Gregory Peck, Gene Hackman, Lee Grant and some ex- TV actors do their best, but producer Mike Frankovich’s space saga just sits there. It looks great in its first Blu-ray release: images of the actual Apollo 11 launch are breathtaking.

Marooned

Region-free Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 113

1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 134 min. / Street Date March 30, 2022 (Au.) April 8, 2022 (U.S.) / Available from Amazon US / 47.99

Starring: Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, David Janssen, James Franciscus, Gene Hackman, Lee Grant, Nancy Kovack, Mariette Hartley, Scott Brady,...

Man vs. Nature never turns out well in horror; certainly nothing past the ‘50s terrors of looming lizards/shellfish caused by radiation/radiation. And while the ‘70s switched the vibe into eco-horror, the genre never lost sight of the nagging realization that when we push against the elements, they push back hard. So it is with Saul Bass’ Phase IV (1974), a weird and riveting sci-fi thriller that proves (as if it was needed) ants are way smarter than man.

Released in the U.S. in September by Paramount, Phase IV was not a financial success, and only inspired middling critical thought, at best. Lying somewhere between 2001’s cosmic tone poem and a Bert I. Gordon schlocker, audiences chose to ignore the cerebral looking for a visceral experience that isn’t really there; nevertheless, this uneasy mixture results in a unique experience far apart from other When Animals Attack films.

The...

Few ideas survive the times that spawned them, but Westworld, the 1973 Michael Crichton movie about an Old West amusement park populated by lifelike robots, is good enough that Hollywood's been coming back to it for more than 40 years. The original film, which was MGM's biggest box-office success of the year, spawned a sequel and a short-lived TV series; talk of a remake had been floated around for years, with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Quentin Tarantino being namedropped around the project at various points. (There was even a porn version,...

I have the full rundown on the notorious spacey alternate ending to this sci-fi winner by design specialist Saul Bass. The ants are taking over, and they mean business. World conquest begins at a research lab in Arizona, where Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy and Lynne Frederick try to hold out against super-intelligent hormigas that cut them off, build sophisticated weapons and instantly adapt to any chemical attempt to stop them. Phase IV Blu-ray Olive Films 1974 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date October 27, 2015 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring Michael Murphy, Nigel Davenport, Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford Cinematography Dick Bush Insect sequences Ken Middleham Art Direction John Barry Film Editor Willy Kemplen Original Music Brian Gascoigne Written by Mayo Simon Produced by Paul B. Radin Directed by Saul Bass

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Olive Films Blu-ray of the intriguing Sci-Fi curiosity Phase IV appears to be a newer, cleaner transfer than the older DVD.

Writer Lee Gambin calls them Natural Horror films, other writers call them Revenge of Nature or Nature Run Amok films and writer Charles Derry considers them a type of Apocalyptic Cinema.

Of course we’re speaking of one of the great horror subgenres for which we’ll employ writer Kim Newman’s tag: The Revolt of Nature.

Since the end of the 1990s, lovers of animal attack films have been subjected to copious amounts of uninspired Nu Image, Syfy Channel and Syfy Channel-like dreck like Silent Predators (1999), Maneater (2007) Croc (2007), Grizzly Rage (2007) and a stunning amount of terrible shark attack films to name a few that barely scratch the surface of a massive list.

These movies fail miserably to capture the intensity of the unforgettable films they are imitating and the recent wave seems to carry with it the intent of giving the Revolt of Nature horror film a bad name.

Shout! Factory is always ready to pounce on a great opportunity. They show their smarts again by following up Warner Home Video's release of Westworld on Blu-ray with their very own high definition version of its 1976 sequel, Futureworld. Although the film is considered by many to be a poor excuse for a sequel,it has its own cult followers who are more than happy to see it getting an upgrade.

After the tragic deaths of several guests at the hands of robots in Westworld, Delos decides to invite reporters Tracy and Chuck to the rebuilt resort. Delos representatives want to prove to the public that their new vactioning spots are completely safe and their robots are under control and harmless. As Tracy and Chuck investigate Futureworld, they begin to suspect there's something sinister behind Delos' welcoming embrace.

Judging Futureworld on its own merits, I found it to be a...

Abingdon Theatre Company has announced a special ticket price of $10 for preview performances of Academy Award-winner Mayo Simon's Greek Holiday, March 6 - March 17 (excepting the benefit performance on Wednesday, March 11). The production will run in Abingdon's June Havoc Theatre. The production is directed by Stephen Hollis. Under the hot blue sky of a Greek Island, a married couple makes one last try at reconciliation. He lives in despair with memories of a passionate romance with another woman. She lives in silent fury over being abandoned. Their witty repartee masks fantasies of revenge. Shocking and funny, this scintillating black comedy explores the ache of lost love.