William Grefé

William Grefé (born 1930) is an American writer and director of films, best known for his work in the exploitation field. For most of his career, he has worked in Florida. He also worked for several years with Ivan Tors. In 2009 a documentary was released about his work called From the Swamp: The Films of William Grefe. In 2020 a four-disc Blu-ray collection He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection will be released by Arrow Video.

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Stanley (1972)

Tim Ochopee, a shell-shocked Seminole Indian has just returned from a tour of Vietnam. He lives a peaceful life deep in the Everglades with his pet snake Stanley. Upon his return, he finds out his father has passed away. When he learns how he was killed, Tim lets ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Chris Robinson  •  Alex Rocco  •  Steve Alaimo  •  Susan Carroll

Tim Ochopee, a shell-shocked Seminole Indian has just returned from a tour of Vietnam. He lives a peaceful life deep in the Everglades with his pet snake Stanley. Upon his return, he finds out his father has passed away. When he learns how he was killed, Tim lets ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Chris Robinson  •  Alex Rocco  •  Steve Alaimo  •  Susan Carroll

Biohazard: The Alien Force (1994)

Triton Indutries has created a genetically-engineered creature using DNA from human sources. During the course of the experiment, however, the host mother carrying the mutant escapes from the laboratory compound, giving birth shortly thereafter. The intellient ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Steve Latshaw
CAST:  James L. Miles  •  Dorothy Best  •  Robin Chapman  •  Christopher Mitchum

Triton Indutries has created a genetically-engineered creature using DNA from human sources. During the course of the experiment, however, the host mother carrying the mutant escapes from the laboratory compound, giving birth shortly thereafter. The intellient ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Steve Latshaw
CAST:  James L. Miles  •  Dorothy Best  •  Robin Chapman  •  Christopher Mitchum

Impulse (1974)

A paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive widow, her daughter Tina becomes suspicious of his motives.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  William Shatner  •  Ruth Roman  •  Jennifer Bishop  •  Kim Nicholas

A paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive widow, her daughter Tina becomes suspicious of his motives.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  William Shatner  •  Ruth Roman  •  Jennifer Bishop  •  Kim Nicholas

Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)

A man accidentally learns that he has a mystical connection with sharks, and is given a strange medallion by a shaman. Becoming more and more alienated from normal society, he develops an ability to communicate with sharks telepathically, setting out to destroy ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Richard Jaeckel  •  Jennifer Bishop  •  Buffy Dee  •  Harold Sakata

A man accidentally learns that he has a mystical connection with sharks, and is given a strange medallion by a shaman. Becoming more and more alienated from normal society, he develops an ability to communicate with sharks telepathically, setting out to destroy ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Richard Jaeckel  •  Jennifer Bishop  •  Buffy Dee  •  Harold Sakata

The Naked Zoo (1970)

Love and crime in Miami's Cocoanut Grove artist's colony. Swinging young writer Stephen Oliver has a falling-out with benefactress Rita Hayworth in the wake of a wild LSD party. Rita foolishly tries blackmail after Oliver's reconciliation attempt leaves her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Rita Hayworth  •  Steve Oliver  •  Fay Spain  •  Ford Rainey

Love and crime in Miami's Cocoanut Grove artist's colony. Swinging young writer Stephen Oliver has a falling-out with benefactress Rita Hayworth in the wake of a wild LSD party. Rita foolishly tries blackmail after Oliver's reconciliation attempt leaves her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Rita Hayworth  •  Steve Oliver  •  Fay Spain  •  Ford Rainey

Dark Universe (1993)

On its way back to Earth, the space shuttle Nautilus passes through a cloud of alien spores causing its sole occupant, astronaut Steve Thomas to transform into a blood-thirsty monster. The shuttle crashes into a swampy region of central Florida, creating a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Steve Latshaw  •  Grant Austin Waldman
CAST:  Blake Pickett  •  Joe Estevez  •  Laurie Sherman  •  Bently Tittle

On its way back to Earth, the space shuttle Nautilus passes through a cloud of alien spores causing its sole occupant, astronaut Steve Thomas to transform into a blood-thirsty monster. The shuttle crashes into a swampy region of central Florida, creating a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Steve Latshaw  •  Grant Austin Waldman
CAST:  Blake Pickett  •  Joe Estevez  •  Laurie Sherman  •  Bently Tittle

The Wild Rebels (1967)

A stock car driver goes undercover as the wheel man for a motorcycle gang.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Steve Alaimo  •  Willie Pastrano  •  John Vella  •  Bobbie Byers

A stock car driver goes undercover as the wheel man for a motorcycle gang.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Steve Alaimo  •  Willie Pastrano  •  John Vella  •  Bobbie Byers

Sting of Death (1966)

A group of biology students head to the Florida Everglades for a holiday, but instead of fun in the sun, they run into trouble with a mutated, bloodthirsty, and quite deadly jellyfish-man-monster.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Valerie Hawkins  •  John Vella  •  Jack Nagle

A group of biology students head to the Florida Everglades for a holiday, but instead of fun in the sun, they run into trouble with a mutated, bloodthirsty, and quite deadly jellyfish-man-monster.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Valerie Hawkins  •  John Vella  •  Jack Nagle

The Checkered Flag (1963)

The alcoholic wife of a rich car racing champion persuades a young driver to kill her husband.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Evelyn King  •  Charles G. Martin  •  Peggy Vendig

The alcoholic wife of a rich car racing champion persuades a young driver to kill her husband.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Evelyn King  •  Charles G. Martin  •  Peggy Vendig

The Psychedelic Priest (1971)

A priest sheds his habit, tunes in, turns on and drops out for a road trip that will change his life and bring him sorrow. Filmed in 1971 but not released until 2001.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé  •  Terry Merrill
CAST:  John Darrell  •  James Coleman  •  Joe Crane  •  Carolyn Hall

A priest sheds his habit, tunes in, turns on and drops out for a road trip that will change his life and bring him sorrow. Filmed in 1971 but not released until 2001.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé  •  Terry Merrill
CAST:  John Darrell  •  James Coleman  •  Joe Crane  •  Carolyn Hall

They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé (2016)

Savage! Sadistic! Thrill hungry! When it came to independent filmmaking in the sunshine state, William Grefé was the wildest of the wild! During the 1960s and '70s, the Miami-based producer/director transformed the darkest corners of the Florida swamps into his own ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Griffith
CAST:  William Grefé  •  Steve Alaimo  •  John Davis Chandler  •  Gary Crutcher

Savage! Sadistic! Thrill hungry! When it came to independent filmmaking in the sunshine state, William Grefé was the wildest of the wild! During the 1960s and '70s, the Miami-based producer/director transformed the darkest corners of the Florida swamps into his own ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Griffith
CAST:  William Grefé  •  Steve Alaimo  •  John Davis Chandler  •  Gary Crutcher

Consider Us Even (2015)

Sisters are kidnapped at gunpoint, tortured and interrogated. What happens next will make you think twice about your own daily decisions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST: 

Sisters are kidnapped at gunpoint, tortured and interrogated. What happens next will make you think twice about your own daily decisions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST: 

Bikini Swamp Girl Massacre (2014)

A group of bikini-clad co-eds spend Columbus Day Weekend in the Florida Everglades  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aiden Dillard
CAST:  Katie Rotolo  •  Ted Vernon  •  Nicole Soden  •  Chelsea Harshman

A group of bikini-clad co-eds spend Columbus Day Weekend in the Florida Everglades  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aiden Dillard
CAST:  Katie Rotolo  •  Ted Vernon  •  Nicole Soden  •  Chelsea Harshman

Cool As Hell 2 (2017)

The quest for God's bong.  (more)

DIRECTION:  James Balsamo
CAST:  James Balsamo  •  Linnea Quigley  •  Carmine Capobianco  •  Billy Walsh

The quest for God's bong.  (more)

DIRECTION:  James Balsamo
CAST:  James Balsamo  •  Linnea Quigley  •  Carmine Capobianco  •  Billy Walsh

It Was a Colossal Teenage Movie Machine: The AIP Story (2015)

Feature-length documentary about the early history of American International Pictures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Griffith
CAST:  Roger Corman  •  Ted Newsom  •  Larry Bishop  •  William Grefé

Feature-length documentary about the early history of American International Pictures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daniel Griffith
CAST:  Roger Corman  •  Ted Newsom  •  Larry Bishop  •  William Grefé

Underwood (2019)

A decades old murder comes to light as an unknowing author uncovers a dark mystery while on a retreat. Haunted by a victim's ghost, she now must find the killers identity through her dreams before the killer finds her first.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John McLoughlin
CAST:  Michelle McCurry  •  William Grefé  •  Jesse Hollenbach  •  Fernando Rio

A decades old murder comes to light as an unknowing author uncovers a dark mystery while on a retreat. Haunted by a victim's ghost, she now must find the killers identity through her dreams before the killer finds her first.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John McLoughlin
CAST:  Michelle McCurry  •  William Grefé  •  Jesse Hollenbach  •  Fernando Rio

Racing Fever (1964)

Shot on location in Miami, Racing Fever is concerned with a professional hydroplane racer named Pop Gunner, who's getting ready for one last race before passing his crown on to his son Lee. Pop's main competition is the wealthy, but oily, Gregg Stevenson, who also ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Charles G. Martin  •  Barbara Biggart  •  Maxine Carroll

Shot on location in Miami, Racing Fever is concerned with a professional hydroplane racer named Pop Gunner, who's getting ready for one last race before passing his crown on to his son Lee. Pop's main competition is the wealthy, but oily, Gregg Stevenson, who also ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Joe Morrison  •  Charles G. Martin  •  Barbara Biggart  •  Maxine Carroll

A Cask of Amontillado (2013)

Two filmmakers, Steven Brack and William Grefé, have a disagreement over what constitutes a good horror film, leading one of them to take an extreme solution to their debate that is "Poe"-etic.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jeff Freeman
CAST:  Steven Brack  •  William Grefé

Two filmmakers, Steven Brack and William Grefé, have a disagreement over what constitutes a good horror film, leading one of them to take an extreme solution to their debate that is "Poe"-etic.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jeff Freeman
CAST:  Steven Brack  •  William Grefé

The Devil's Sisters (1966)

This film is based on the Las Poquianchis case in Mexico where Delfina and María de Jesús González lured in young women with false help wanted ads. They would get the women addicted to drugs and put them to work as prostitutes. Once they became too ill, used up or ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Sharon Saxon  •  Fred Pinero  •  Velia Martinez  •  Anita Crystal

This film is based on the Las Poquianchis case in Mexico where Delfina and María de Jesús González lured in young women with false help wanted ads. They would get the women addicted to drugs and put them to work as prostitutes. Once they became too ill, used up or ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Sharon Saxon  •  Fred Pinero  •  Velia Martinez  •  Anita Crystal

Death Curse of Tartu (1966)

A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Fred Pinero  •  Babette Sherrill  •  Bill Marcus  •  Mayra Gómez Kemp

A group of student archaeologists venture into the Florida Everglades to look for fossils, but come across an area cursed by a Native American witch doctor.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Grefé
CAST:  Fred Pinero  •  Babette Sherrill  •  Bill Marcus  •  Mayra Gómez Kemp
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