Five Florida-Made B Movies to Watch Before Halloween

The Gabber Newspaper, published in Gulfport since founder George Brann started it in 1968 to hold Gulfport City Council accountable, has released a list of five B movies made in Florida for viewers who prefer movies that are so bad they cannot scare you. The list includes Creature From the Black Lagoon, Two Thousand Maniacs, Color Me Blood Red, Frogs, and Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre.

Creature From the Black Lagoon comes to mind first when people name a B movie shot in Florida. Universal filmed portions of it at Wakulla Springs and Silver Scenes, and the studio cast Ricou Browning as the underwater Gill-man for this film and its two sequels. It is available on Amazon Prime.

Two Thousand Maniacs was shot in 15 days entirely on location in St. Cloud. The plot centers on the townspeople of Pleasant Valley, who lure six northerners to a centennial celebration of the Civil War battle in which the Union destroyed the town, and the northerners join in. The band 10,000 Maniacs chose its name as an homage to this film. It costs $2.99 on Amazon Prime.

Color Me Blood Red is part of Herschell Gordon Lewis' Blood trilogy, which also includes Two Thousand Maniacs. Lewis made the film in Sarasota. In it, an art critic suggests a struggling artist's work could use more red, and the artist turns to blood. An IndiePix subscription at $2.99 per month provides access to it.

Frogs, made in 1972, is an eco-horror film featuring killer butterflies, snakes, and frogs taking revenge for one man's actions against the planet. It features Sam Elliott, who credits Frogs with launching his career. It streams free on Kanopy with a library card.

Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre was directed by Jim Wynorski and shot in and around Florida Caverns State Park. A fracking project goes wrong and releases a spike-covered shark that can travel without water. The film features Dominique Swain and Traci Lords. It is available free on YouTube.