|
 
May 2008 ~ July 2008
2007 ~ Director: Grace Lee
Cinema Libre
It would appear that this decade has been overrun with a slew of zombie films. Some shitty ones, a whole lot of great ones. And because the idea of the zombie has been the same throughout the years, it's becoming more and more difficult to come up with something new. To inject "life" into a "dead" genre, so to speak. Well director Grace Lee, along with the help from distributor Cinema Libre Studio, has given that chore quite the attempt with American Zombie.
Zombies have amazingly been around for quite some time now and have been given certain "rights" to live among the living. There is, of course, always the possibility that they could turn on the living at any given moment. But for the most part, they are civil, including walking, talking, working, and even dating the living. Two L.A. documentarians Grace Lee and John Solomon (playing themselves) follow around four zombies and how they go about their daily lives. After gaining their trust, the filmmakers are permitted to document a yearly, 3 day music festival the zombies have every year called Live Dead. It is there that Grace and John stumble upon something more than they bargained for.
Okay, I admit it. American Zombie is a hoot! More than sporadically funny and highly inventive and intellectual. Great social commentary about how people, no matter how different, just want to be treated as equals. And how people who are treated wrongly, even in their own minds, demand satisfaction. Not gory at all as the camera sways around a bit, but if you've seen any "mockumentary", you should know this will happen. But don't let that steer you away. The film becomes creepier as it goes on. Director Lee should be commended for creating a new turn on the zombie genre, and making it look so good.
The DVD is presented ion 1.85:1 widescreen. Extras include a commentary, featurette, and trailer.
Also commend Cinema Libre Studio for making their young company put on the map for this release. Not often a distributor would get this lucky. If not soon, this film could hit cult status. It deserves to be seen regardless of when. Just know you should see it.
A -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: Keith Crocker
Wild Eye
The Nazisploitation films of the 70's were hardcore entertainment which basically focused on the more dastardly aspects of the German's torturous ways during the Holocaust. Painful torture and gratuitous nudity were the special of the day whenever you watched a Nazisploitation film. And no one served this stuff up better than the Italians. They always knew how to get under your skin, no matter how mentally tough you think you are. there was always something that sent a chill up your spine. Click ahead to 2008 and while Nazisploitation films have become available to the home market (yours truly owning quite a handsome collection himself), no one has thought of recreating the sub genre most notably to our current PC world. But director Keith Crocker along with Wild Eye Entertainment decided to break that wall down with his effort Blitzkrieg: Escape from Stalag 69.
Argentina 1955. Commandant Helmut Schultz (Charles Esser) recollects his memories to a priest of being in charge of a war camp in Nazi Germany ten years earlier. He, along with his cohort and lackey Wolfgang (Steve Montague), commit crimes against humanity against Jews, Russians, and Americans alike. Utilizing the excuse of scientific experiments as their game plan, the SS stops at nothing to hold up the Third Reich. Though one prisoner Natasha (Tatyana Kott) will also stop at nothing for everyone's freedom and bloodthirsty revenge against the Nazis.
First off, let me just congratulate director Crocker for having the balls to inject life back into the sub genre of the Nazisploitation flick. Kudos to you Crocker! Now the film itself is a different story. The intentions are definitely there. Everything that should be in a film like this is there. Its just executed rather shoddily. The acting is pretty bad (not that films like this have exceptional acting to begin with). Esser as Schultz gives a cookie cutter performance as all he does is just gives orders to torture his victims. And Montague is no better as a mumbling fool with very little to do. The acting from the remainder of the cast shows a slight glimmer of hope as the film continues, but just basically falls flat. In some parts, the actors/actresses at times fall out of their German dialect. The script also is marred with plenty of words and phrases that wasn't around this time. Most notably by Marjie Kelley as Marjie. An actress whose lines can be read in most, if not all, Spike Lee films. And while this might just be nitpicking, all the women have bodies that couldn't have been found in 1945. All fit and all attractive. The gore is in the middle as far as splatter goes and uses some CGI for underwater, blood spray, and smoke effects. Otherwise its standard fare. Shot in Long Island, New York, the exterior locations sometimes look like a war campground. Other times, not so much.
The DVD presents itself in 1.85:1 widescreen. Extras include a commentary, documentary, two short films by Crocker, stills, and trailers. The colors are garish from time to time. And the DVD suffers from pixilation mainly in the red scenes. Otherwise, quite clear.
In spite of all the negativity, I am going to recommend the film. Though purely for Nazisploitation completists only. The film is far better than some, but not by much. But for completists (like myself), just shut your brain down and enjoy. The torture, blood, savagery, and full blown nudity is there at your disposal.
C- -Rabid Rich
2006 ~ Director: Steven Mena
Anchor Bay
When a film is compared to the legendary Spinal Tap, I perk right up and take notice. When a film revolving around a down-and-out cult horror filmmaker has the honor bestowed upon it, I NEED it, and it was with great joy that a promo copy was forwarded along from a friend in high places.
Now, with all the advance hype Brutal Massacre has been getting at conventions since the beginning of the year, I REEEEAAAAAAALLLLLYY wanted to love it, but the laughs and the film run out of gas far too soon.
The film starts out with director Harry Penderecki (oddly played tongue-in-cheek by An American Werewolf in London star David Naughton) attending a capacity crowded Fangoria convention (this is a fictional documentary after all) answering questions from fans and signing autographs and moves on to recollections of his career of more misses than hits with the film’s documentarian played by Vincent Butta. Most of the early fun is picking out horror icons like Ken (Dawn of the Dead) Foree and Gunnar (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) Hansen, who is a hoot every time his face appears on screen, as Penderecki is in the throws of shooting his new zero budget horror flick on location in the middle of nowhere. Everything that could go wrong on the production does, and life, it seems, imitates art as once we hit the 45 minute mark or so the film itself slams on the breaks and it peters out. Director Stevan Mena “borrowed” the Spinal Tap formula and tried maybe a little too hard as many of the jokes are forced, standard fare or simply not funny. Quick wit, precise timing and sharp editing are what’s needed to pull it off properly and Brutal Massacre misses the mark more often than not.
It’s worth pointing out that Brian (Clerks) O’Halloran does a great job with the material he’s given as the stressed-out AP and Ellen Sandweiss (of Evil Dead fame) also turns in a decent performance, but what I really wanted to see are all the scenes of Hansen in his Karate Kid garb that grace everything from the film’s website to t-shirts. Apparently they were all just goof promo photos, but that kind of bait and switch in a genre of this size won’t be good for future business.
C+ -Mike Baronas
2008 ~ Director: Matt Reeves
Paramount
Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mecha Godzilla, and Gamera are all great monsters. There wasn't a year that went by back in the day that there wasn't a new monster movie coming out. And depending on how you look at it, the only bad thing about these films is that they were all Japanese! Now I don't mean that in a bad way. I love Japanese cinema. And the Godzilla style of films are the best! But we as Americans had to wait to get our turn at feeling Godzilla's radiation breath as he tramples over another small Japanese village whilst destroying another one of his many foes. And would we count King Kong as an American monster? No. He was found on Skull Island brought back by Carl Denham. So Americans needed something to call their own. A monster that would be feared and not turned into a hero or savior of nastier things to come. And that moment has come in the form of Cloverfield directed by Matt Reeves and distributed by Paramount.
Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) has accepted a high level job in Japan. Unknowingly, his friends Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), Lily (Jessica Lucas), Hud (T.J. Miller), girlfriend Beth (Odette Yustman), and brother Jason (Mike Vogel) plan a huge going away party with far too many friends that one person should have in his loft. While partying (and some problems between Rob and Beth), the power goes out due to some ground tremors. Hud, filming the party, continues to film the goings on as he catches all hell breaking loose in the city of Manhattan. A giant, 350 ft., skeletal monster, that comes out of nowhere, begins his destruction as he knocks down high rise buildings and beheading the Statue of Liberty. Soon, the military is involved and no one seems to know what to do or where to go.
Cloverfield, shown to us "first person" style, is an exhilarating piece of filmmaking. Because of this, the single shot perspective must be taken into account. So don't expect any 2nd or 3rd camera shots. They just won't be there. And its because of this that you have no clue what to expect next. The acting by the practically unknown cast does indeed do an exceptional job in believing what they are seeing (amazing since most of the movie is obviously CGI). And there will be moments where you feel like tilting your head so you can get a better look at the Cloverfield monster. Don't look for too much blood in this as it is a PG-13 film. And while PG-13 films have been getting a bad rap lately (and for mostly a good reason), Cloverfield delivers on the shocks. So don't start getting prejudiced here folks! The camera work is superior. Possibly some of the best filmed and 'edited' footage you're likely to find. Where films like The Blair Witch Project has you watching one film, it is taken from 2 separate film sources. Cloverfield utilizes one camera with no cheating.
Cloverfield is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo Surround Sound. Extras include a commentary, out takes, alternate endings,deleted scenes, making of along with other featurettes, and trailers. The sound is crisp and the picture is very pure with its majority of blacks and oranges. Natural hues during daytime scenes are nice too.
"Wow" is the only word that came to my mind watching this. Give this one a chance. Hopefully the market of shitty PG-13 horror films haven't deterred you from seeing this. I'll be glad to say that I rank this with The Ring as one of the better PG-13 horror films made. Highly recommended! As of this writing, as sequel is in talks. Now I don't know how I feel about that. For once I'd like to see a successful horror film not have to expand its story just to cash in on a few more bucks. But if you liked this like I did, then I'll probably see you at the theater.
A -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: George A. Romero
Dimension Extreme
Don't blame George A. Romero. The man who brought genius in front of the camera as the Venus Probe was detonated due to high level radiation emitting from within causing a worldwide catastrophe of the unburied dead coming to life and devouring the living (thus becoming zombies themselves) cannot be blamed for his last zombie opus, Land of the Dead. Romero himself admitted to not being very happy during the shoot of his fourth zombie film. Too many suits ruining the freedom that he has practically built his reputation on. Hindering the project and making Land a sub-standard film and the worst (or I think the term should be "least liked") of the series. Rebounding from this, Romero decided to go back to his independent roots and bring us his fifth zombie film, Diary of the Dead with compliments to Dimension Extreme.
A group of college students out making their own horror film in the woods (a version of The Mummy it appears), listen to reports on the radio that the dead are returning to life. With an RV in tow, the group goes back to town to get back to their families whilst shooting the goings on with a camcorder. Taking refuge in hospitals, dorms, farms, and garages, Debra Moynihan (Michelle Morgan), filmmaker Jason Creed (Josh Close), Tony Ravello (Shawn Roberts), and Tracy Thurman (Amy LaLonde) come across the dead at every turn wondering if they will become next. Creed, constantly with camera in hand, becomes our eyes as we see what he films.
Already, the comparisons to The Blair Witch Project come into mind as we at times get a secondary perspective from Debra, who is also filming, but with regret. The film is occasionally narrated by Debra as she gives us her insight as to how they survive and what to do in this crisis. As you might expect, the film is gory with some cool locations shot around Toronto (a major point to the relative low cost of the Diary). And the FX? Well, I understand that CGI helps out as far as shooting time goes, but it just doesn't have the same ethereal feel as actual blood does. And perhaps the shooting style of the film helps that out, but we as horror fans know better. And knowing that Greg Nicotero did the FX, makes it all the more upsetting. Even the makeup for the zombies is pretty average (though I will admit the "acidhead" zombie was cool). The performances were okay and really nothing to write home about. Maybe it's because this is the first zombie film Romero shot using "kids" instead of adults. Another problem is the timing. This film is to be taking place at the dawn of the zombie outbreak. Now I wasn't around in 1968, but I doubt they had camcorders, cell phones, and laptops back then. There are some scares here and there. And Romero is able to create some tension, particularly in dark spaces. Enough to say this is the scariest zombie film Romero made since Night of the Living Dead.
The DVD presents itself in 1.85:1 widescreen in Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound. Extras include a commentary, feature length documentary, two featurettes, out takes, character confessionals, and MySpace contest winners.
Having Diary of the Dead come from Dimension Extreme worried me, as well as a few others. Their output hasn't exactly been stellar. Sadly, Diary won't improve on it. What Romero needs to do is go back to Pittsburgh. He made the right step in going independent. Now he needs to go home to get his real feelings back in the zombie genre that he created back in 1968. All is not lost as he is writing a sequel to Diary, thereby making this series time confused. But I guess a bad Romero zombie film is better than none at all.
C+ -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: Paolo Barzman
Genius Products
This movie was actually made for the ION channel, which explained any lack of gore and the fact that the whole film felt like an episode of Law and Order. Director Paolo Barzman’s credits include a few episodes of the Highlander series as well as a slew of episodes for other TV shows and a mini-series or two.
The real surprise of the film is Dougray Scott (Desperate Housewives), who makes for a sinister and campy Edward Hyde. He does a great job of slipping in and out of characters considering the transformation relies on Dougray’s acting and a slight flash of black veins on his forehead.
There are more than a few flaws in this film including the fact that the film is supposed to be set in Boston and with the exception of a few external shots, you’d never know. The film was actually shot in Canada and a giant flub is made by mentioning the name of the courthouse as Abbotsford Superior Court which is actually in British Columbia.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale this is not, but its take on the story isn’t bad. It’s not a great film by a long shot, but it’s not horrible either. True Jekyll and Hyde fans will cringe, but Lifetime movie fans will love it. Catch it on TV and save yourself the rental fee.
C -Choppy
2008 ~ Director: Xavier Gens
Lions Gate
The French have been coming through hardcore! Last update showcased Inside and Them. Two French horror films that brought France back on the horror map. One more came by that you should take a look at, Frontiere(s), by Lions Gate (through their After Dark Horrorfest) and directed by Xavier Gens.
A group of people Yasmine (Karina Testa), Sami (Adel Bencherif), Farid (Chems Dahmani) and Tom (David Saracino) escape from political unrest as riots break out in the streets from an election, while taking piles of cash with them in the process. While leaving Sami and Yasmine on their own, Farid and Tom take an overnight residence at a hostel which is out in the middle of nowhere. Immediately, Tom takes a liking to the ladies who work the front desk. To their surprise, Tom and Farid discover that the hostel is run by a Neo-Nazi clan.
Frontiere(s) is meant for one purpose, and that was to shock. Everything about this film is over the top from some of the more outrageous scenes in horror history. Picture Hostel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Gestapo's Last Orgy all rolled into one. The film is quite gory with some great torture scenes, and the acting is above average. But the characters are completely non-believable as no one can possible believe the actions that not only lead up to what happens, but also to what happens when they get there. The Nazi addition is really not necessary, but just added for the shock effect. There is even a 'dinner scene' taken straight out of TCM. There are some thrill scenes and the setting is like a maze, which gives an amount of tension in places. But give Karina Testa props for making a huge sacrifice for making the film as uneasy as possible.
The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. No extras included.
Frontiere(s) is an okay flick. The actors do their best with what they have, but everything is so flagrant, its hard to take these people seriously. Plenty of gore and tension doesn't help knowing that what's going on here is kinda silly.
B- -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: David DeCoteau
Genius Products
Yes kids, it’s time for another installment of the Man-eater shitfest brought to you by Genius Products. Here’s the rundown. 4 douchebags, let’s call them nerd douche, bandana douche, jock douche, and the smartest bimbo in the world, hop into an SUV and take off for some kind of vacation where no one has packed anything. After traveling for what seems like forever, the entire opening of the movie, they decide to go to some off limits area to go off-roading to be even bigger douches instead of going to wherever it is that they were supposed to be going. You got to know how much a movie is gonna suck if the only voice of reason is some blonde bimbo. She tries to warn them, but they don’t listen and go ahead and break the chains on the gate with their truck winch. They drive around like assholes for a while till they crash and through their douchery they kill a bear cub. They try to take off to get away from a very pissed off momma bear, but their car is fucked due to the crash and they don’t get very far.
The radiator is cracked so nerd douche and jock douche run through the woods looking for water and instead nerd douche stumbles upon a toxic waste dump and eventually momma bear. I thought the whole enjoyment of this film would be seeing these fuckheads get picked off one by one, but even that gets ruined by cartoony blood splatter that takes up the screen when someone is killed. The rest of the group hops in the car and takes off, but jock douche can’t leave his friend behind and eventually sends the truck off the cliff and amidst the toxic waste dump. The film never utilizes this idea in the least bit, there isn’t some sort of mutant bear or anything like that, so there is no point in them being there in the first place.
Bandana douche takes off to look for help and comes across a cabin in the woods filled with bear traps and various bear killing materials, another wasted idea since the owner of this cabin never shows up, neither does his corpse, or any explanation as to who owns this cabin. Eventually momma bear shows up and bandana douche runs around outside trying to get away from momma bear. My favorite part of this movie is that every time someone is trying to get away from the bear, they hide behind something like a tree. Bandana douche hides behind the house, not in the house with all the weapons, but behind it and of course momma bear finds him and sends him flying through the air and into some sort of chicken coop.
Somehow he makes it back to the car alive and I’m not sure if his leg is broken or burned, but jock douche puts a tourniquet on it and saves the day. Then he takes off with a tire iron and goes rock climbing to get better cell phone reception. A painfully long and useless rock climbing scene ensues only to have jock douche climb back down since the bear is up there too. This is one magic bear, it can be anywhere it wants at anytime. So the remaining douchebags get back into the car to tell stories and I guess wait for their death. I’d like to point out that no one has rolled up a window in this car the whole time, not that it would stop a bear, but it would certainly better than nothing. The amazing rock-climbing bear arrives to crush the car like a monster truck and eventually tips it back on its wheels by repeatedly head-butting it and suddenly takes off. Maybe it had something better to do than to put an end to this horrible movie or maybe it wanted to help like one of those roadside Samaritans that patrol highways.
Nightfall, more bad acting during bandana douche’s death scene which takes FUCKING FOREVER, but die he finally does. Then the SUV becomes the magical coasting car after jock douche and the smartest bimbo in the world push the car for a bit to get it rolling in an attempt to get away. Periodically the car stops to build tension by making them push again in a completely useless scene that absolutely goes no where.
Eventually the smartest bimbo in the world decides to take off to find help or figure out where that strobe light is coming from that’s supposed to signify lightning. She instead finds the cabin that bandana douche found earlier that he neglected to tell his friends about before he died. She stumbles around till the bear attacks knocking her onto the ground and on top of a huge bear trap that she knocked on the ground earlier. The trap isn’t set but the spikes puncture huge holes in her back, but she is fine and runs outside and instead of staying inside, runs out to the fucked-up car. It’s then that the bear attacks the car, rips off the tailgate and steals bandana douche’s body. Jock douche then goes and pours gas all over the back of the car, taunts the bear to attack again and sets the car on fire, only to further piss off momma bear.
Jock douche wants to stay and fight, while the bimbo wants to go back to the cabin so they go their separate ways. Jock douche takes off all of his clothes except for his boxer shorts and climbs up a tree to get the drop on the bear and drop he does when the bear arrives and knocks him out of the tree. Meanwhile, back at the cabin, bimbo eventually traps the bear inside and everything is fine since bears only use the front door. The bear eventually breaks its way out and kills them both with more of that bad cartoony blood to end the film.
The only thing that really gets killed in this film is time as one poorly conceived scene after another tries to stretch out a storyline that could have easily been told in 15 minutes. The one line that sums this whole movie up is when bandana douche says to the smartest bimbo in the world; “You’re a genius and we’re all a bunch of tools”. I feel like a tool for wasting my time watching this film.
F -Choppy
2007 ~ Director: Yelena Lanskaya
Genius
Remember the TV show Family Ties? Remember Teen Wolf and its amazing sequel starring Michael J. Fox and Jason Bateman respectively? Well now it look like Alex P. Keaton's older sister Mallory (aka Jason Bateman's real sister Justine Bateman) has thrown her hat in the werewolf genre with her outing called Hybrid directed by Yelena Lanskaya and distributed by Genius Entertainment.
Olaris Corp., a company that engages is sensory transplants is consumed by a fire in which Aaron Scates (Cory Monteith) loses half his sight saving a colleague. He becomes a guinea pig for an amazing transplant which replaces his old eyes with that of a dying wolf, cared for by half French, half Native American Lydia (Tinsel Korey). Andrea (played by the aforementioned Justine Bateman) is a scientist who tries to help Aaron in his time of desperation where the eyes of the wolf have now made him more of that wolf. He has the ability to jump, run at blazing speed, and make human beings as a carefully balanced diet. On top of that, Aaron has made a few new four-legged friends with an appetite for blood.
The film is so laughable its borderline ridiculous. The acting performances are able to slip by with the slimmest of margins. When Aaron feels the need to attack, he does so with his shoulders slouched down. And his ability to escape from security is a complete farce. Another downside is that while the film is listed as "Unrated", expect a couple of audio editing through dubbing. A couple of bright spots contained are some nice Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom shots of the natural habitat of the wolf. And evocatively lit scenes during sundown give Hybrid a homey feel.
The DVD is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen with stereo sound. There are no extras.
This is another entry in Genius Entertainment's "Maneater" series. Which means its lacks any muscle and balls. Hybrid is nothing more than a cash grab DVD. I imagine this could be good for the pre-teen crowd, but hardcore fans need more than this.
D+ -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: Jay Buhler
Sony
If you have been a long time reader of my reviews, then you know how much I love the 1985 classic Re-Animator. Nothing like it before or since. Well, that's not entirely true. After 23 years, director Jay Buhler tries his best to recreate Re-Animator, without it really being Re-Animator. The result is Insanitarium distributed by Sony Pictures.
Jack (Jesse Metcalfe) has a sister Lily (Kiele Sanchez) who is wrongly locked up in a mental ward. Being the noble brother that he is, Jack tricks the staff into thinking he is in need of mental help and has himself committed to rescue Lily. However, Jack soon discovers the head doctor in charge Dr. Gianetti (Peter Stomare) is using the patients as guinea pigs to transform them into flesheating, bloodthirsty killers.
Laughable is the only word I can come up with for this flick. The premise is so outrageously bad that one really needs to wonder how it ever got greenlit. I guess we can blame ourselves for bringing gore back to the film industry without the use of a reasonable storyline or script. Plot holes run abound in Insanitarium. Director Buhler tries to inject the same kind of dark humor that Re-Animator had, but just makes the film look stupid. And the acting is nothing to hold in high regard either as the simplest of reactions gives way to overacting. The set pieces are quite nice though and the film is lit really well. The glass cells which the more violent patients reside are cool and well photographed, with Buhler making sure not to be caught in the reflections. There's gore all over the place, so gorehounds won't be disappointed. Also look for G4's Attack of the Show hottie Olivia Munn as Nurse Nancy Chen.
The DVD presents itself in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Sound. Extras include deleted scenes, two featurettes, a storyboard gallery, and a bonus digital copy of the film....in case you wanna see this on your PSP while taking the train to work.
Insanitarium tries so hard to be Re-Animator without being Re-Animator . It has black comedy, gore, psycho patients who want to kill, and a mad doctor. Except Peter Stomare is no Jeffery Combs. Combs has that role locked up for good.
C+ -Rabid Rich
2007 ~ Director: Larry Fessenden
Genius
Ed Pollack (the engagingly awesome Ron Perlman) is the chief of an oil rig crew in the Alaskan Arctic, who needs to secure the oil for independent energy needs. Things don't go very well according to plan as soon as they discover the weather is progressively getting warmer, thereby not allowing heavy machinery to come through. James Hoffman (James LaGros) appears to be the only voice of reason as global warming has messed with the minds of everyone else. Visions and sounds that aren't really there, chores that are unnecessarily being done, and senseless murder. This all sounds very trivial. But put within the Alaskan landscape, and you have trouble where no one will be able to help you.
It might come across as a The Thing clone. But it isn't There is much more to be seen in this film and most of it is quite good. Performances all around are excellent and realistic. The tension stays on you like a cheap fur coat and director Larry Fessenden knows how to work the camera, as he obviously went to the "Sam Raimi School of Camerawork". The camera swoops and sways in areas where Raimi would be proud. Though the score leaves a bit of "where have I heard that before?" taste in your mouth. Here's a couple clues: The Shining and The Evil Dead. But don't think the film is a complete reworking of other films. This is a daring, spooky little film that should get some recognition. Though some might need to see it more than once to get the full effect.
The DVD presents itself with a 2.35:1 widescreen and Dolby Digital Sound. Extras include a commentary and a feature length documentary.
Thank IFC for bringing this home as it certainly fits their mold of films. Occasionally creepy and deserving of a second look (whether you need it or not). Check it out.
B -Rabid Rich
1986 ~ Director: Johan Vandewoestijne
Synapse
I love Jorg Buttgereit's 1987 German necrophiliac film Nekromantik. Hell, I even have a t-shirt of the film, books on the film (and Buttgereit in general), and naturally, even the film on a 2 DVD set. A film that showcased people having sex with human corpses. The trend continued throughout the years with Nekromantik 2 and hit what many consider the apex of the 'necro' genre, Aftermath; a dialogue-less 30 minute short with some of the most depraved images caught on celluloid. But to see where it all started, you'd have to go back to 1986 in Belgium. That's where director Johan Vandewoestijne brought his low budget creation to "life" with Lucker the Necrophagus thanks to the fine, fine folks at Synapse.
John Lucker (Nick Van Suyt) is a fat, gross convicted murderer and rapist in a psychiatric hospital. Escaping, he hunts down the one victim that was able to thwart is ideas of romance. As John Lucker is not only a murderer and rapist, but also a necrophile!
Outside of the grunts and groans, as well as the sounds of pure ecstasy coming from Lucker, Van Suyt's character is free from all dialogue. The film allows more than a few plot holes so the story could continue. The movie is quite gory, however the problem lies in that you can hardly see anything. All gore scenes are shot very darkly and makes it difficult to know what is going on. Synapse, who usually does a bang up job on everything they release, hit a road block with Lucker. The film has aged poorly over the years and even using your most high tech gadgets won't make it look better than you'd want. Now this could all be taken into account that this is a low budget feature and is meant to look shitty, but I can't allow it here. This is the "Director Approved" version. There is a second version on the DVD which you could watch the longer version from a VHS print. So make the comparisons yourself.
The DVD is released with Dolby Digital Sound with a widescreen 1.85:1 transfer. The sound is nothing to be pleased with either as the English audio is extremely loud and annoying. There is also a featurette. But after watching this, would you even care?
Lucker started the trend and luckily for us sicko fans, it got better. I'm not going to completely fail this film based on what it created. And I don't know if you can blame Synapse for releasing a film that cannot be repaired. Their choices have been better. And director Vandewoestijne added a new opening credits on his "Director's Cut" even going by the name of James Desert!!!
D+ -Rabid Rich
2008 ~ Director: Noboru Iguchi
Tokyo Shock
Homages come from all over and most of the time, and while the director means well, what he ends up doing is become more of a thief than someone who declares his love for someone else's work. Quentin Tarantino is a huge mark for this and unjustly so. QT takes bits here and there, but never outright steals them from anyone. That said, lets move on to director Noboru Iguchi's The Machine Girl (Kataude machin garu), courtesy of Tokyo Shock.
Young high school girl Ami (Minase Yashiro) takes revenge for her younger brother's death and his friend against a Yakuza group running a youth gang. Her attempt to gain revenge is halted by her capture where she loses her left arm.in a freak katana accident. Capable of escaping, Ami stumbles to a auto garage repair shop where the parents of her brother's friends' parents work. There, Miki Asami (Ami Hyuga) travels along with Ami, but not before the parents rig her severed stump with a machine gun with unlimited ammo. And also not before they take along a few other things to make Ami and Miki's revenge a bloodthirsty one.
Now going back to what I said earlier about homages. There is definite inspiration from the likes of Sam Raimi, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, the old 70's kung fu flicks and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. That said, The Machine Girl is one of the most entertaining films I have seen since Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn in 1987. Full throttle action makes you root for both Ami and Miki. And while the CGI is terrible, there's so much action going on that you just don't care. Plus, I dare anyone to tell me that Minase Yashiro isn't the sexiest heroine currently in film. The Machine Girl has been left open for a sequel and I pray there is one. There has to be. Noboru Iguchi took plenty to create himself and made a heroine that can rival Sigourney Weaver in the Alien franchise. Oh yeah, she is that cool!
The DVD is presented to us in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. Extras include a behind the scenes featurette and trailers. The picture has a smidge of grain and the sound is incredible.
The Machine Girl will have you locked in its grasp in the first 5 minutes. Consider this film in the running for "Film of the Year". See this as soon as you can!
A -Rabid Rich
1922 ~ Director: F.W. Murnau
Kino
I'm more of a Nosferatu fan than I am of a Dracula fan. Its because, to be honest, Dracula was never scary. Any incantation of the character I found to be was very timid. A pseudo-sexual being who has an affinity of biting young girls on the neck was never frightening in my eyes. And this has nothing to do with when the film came out. Even the most recent of Dracula films are timid. But thanks to Kino and directed by F.W. Murnau, Nosferatu: The Ultimate Edition allows us to see the film in its uncut glory.
In case you don't know the story by now (shame on you if you don't!), Nosferatu centers around a young man named Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) who is a real estate agent working for the eerie, but well paying, Knock (fantastically portrayed by Alexander Granach). Hutter needs to leave his beloved Ellen (Greta Schroeder) to the "land of shadows" where the notorious Count Orlok aka Nosferatu (the irresistable Max Schreck) lives and sell him a house that is just opposite of his own. Upon his arrival, Hutter immediately feels the dread within the walls of Orlok's castle, wondering if he will make it out alive.
There's much more to the story than this, including Orlok's infatuation with Ellen and a disease ridden town. But the main reason to watch is for Schreck's portrayal of Nosferatu. It is as scary now as it was back in 1922. The fingers and ears grow subtly longer as the film progresses, thus bringing his fear to the screen even that much more powerful. This version of Dracula (who the widow Stoker was completely against and even sued Murnau for copyright infringement) is far more frightening than any other out there, including Werner Herzog's 1979 masterpiece Nosteratu the Vampyre. Murnau's use of light and shadow amplifies the creepiness of Nosferatu. And the art direction by Albin Grau is mesmerizing. This version is also the longest your going to find at 94 minutes even though the frame rate stays the same at 20fps.
The film is presented at 1.33:1 full-screen with a score re-orchestrated from Hans Erdmann's original. Kino's restoration could rank as one of the best of all time as the picture is amazingly crisp and clear.The extras include 2 documentaries, excerpts from Murnau's other films (a real treasure), galleries, and screen comparison.
Now if you're into the films of today, you really do owe it to yourself for checking out this 2 DVD set. I've never seen Nosferatu look as good as it does here. This is a must have for any collection of horror, or just of films in general. Schreck still maintains that fear that we all dread. Highest recommendation.
A+ -Rabid Rich
2006 ~ Director: Kim Tae-kyeong
Genius
The first thing I want to say about this review is that this film is not in any way a horror movie, it’s a crime thriller. This is a great film. Puzzle was originally released in Korea in 2006 and Genius Products recently redistributed this film and I’m glad they did.
Puzzle is the story of 5 criminals, who are brought together for a bank heist that was set up by an unknown party. Only when they return to their safe house after the crime, they find their leader shot and burned along with all of their passports, airline tickets, and assorted personal information that allowed them to escape after the heist.
It’s then that the crew tries to figure out who set up the heist and which of them may have killed their leader. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks as each member’s back story is told and the pieces of the puzzle come together.
Puzzle brings forth the essence of many great bank heist films, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Snatch without copying scenes verbatim. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end with an excellent twist as the film comes to a close.
If you’re a fan of these types of films, then you’ll really enjoy puzzle.
B+ -Choppy
2008 ~ Directed by James A. Contner.
Genius
The movie follows a fisherman named Daniel Wilder (John Schneider of The Dukes Of Hazzard) and his wife Brooke (Daryl Hannah), and the rest of their family as they fight an army of insane sharks and real estate developers. Basically every time someone enters the water... someone dies in this movie, they are like super sharks. Always around to kill.
I love killer sharks movies but this movie flat out sucked balls. It was agonizing at points and it felt like it was near 2 hours long.
Here's the formula for the movie... someone goes in water or on a boat... sharks come flying in from nowhere and kill everyone possible. CGI red mist in water then cut to a scene of Daniel Wilder fighting with the guys that want to buy out the town and turn it into condos.
I'd love to go on about this movie but it really sucked.
F -Eric
2008 ~ Director: Russell Mulcahy
Genius
I can remember, not too long ago, about a babysitter who tried to muscle her way into a family's life in hopes to be accepted. That film was The Hand that Rock's the Cradle in 1992 that starred Rebecca DeMornay. Fast forward 15 years and we have a made for TV film called While the Children Sleep. On DVD however, directed by Russell (Highlander) Mulcahy and released by Genius Entertainment we have its alternate title, The Sitter.
Meghan (Gail O'Grady) and Carter (William R. Moses) are a successful couple with children, Casey (Madison Davenport) and Max (Tristan Lake Leabu). fancy house, lots of money and almost no time for their kids, Carter and Meghan decide on a live-in sitter named Abby (Mariana Klaveno) a young, attractive woman, courtesy of the internet. Over time, things are going well, until Abby's need to be more than just a sitter becomes more than the parents bargained for. Death's begin to pop up all over town and Meghan is about to get the worst of it.
The Sitter is basically a remake of The Hand that Rock's the Cradle . Make no mistake about it. The skepticism, the nosy neighbors and friends, and above all, Klaveno's mannerisms. Every time she is left alone after a confab with someone, her smile soon turns into a scowl. Almost on command. This film has some blood, but nothing to get overly excited about. And with this being a made for TV film, the language has been kept to a minimum.
The DVD is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen and has stereo sound. There are no extras.
This bare bones DVD wouldn't be worth your time even if it had a commentary. Probably too embarrassed to explain how such dreck could be financed.
D -Rabid Rich
1992 ~ Director: various
Universal
"Inspired by and based on the DC Comics character, Swamp Thing has become a major, recognized brand through comic books, film and television. Starring Dick Durock (reprising his title role from the popular Swamp Thing feature films), Mark Lindsay Chapman, and Carrell Myers, Swamp Thing, the original television series that ran on USA Network from 1990-93, follows the tortured creature that was once a man and his quest to regain the humanity that was taken from him, purging the swamp of evildoers along the way."
So here it is, the first 26 episodes of season three available on DVD.
I enjoyed the cheesiness of volume one a lot... volume two is a different story. It's actually more ridiculous and some episodes are hard to watch. Swamp Thing is trying to find a cure, addicted to a drug like egg. Immortals, wizards and mythical beings all get together to make the third season not so great. Also, nothing about the kidnapped younger son is ever resolved. I don't have much good to say about this season. it's watchable and if you are a fan you may really enjoy it but I was pretty disappointed with it having liked the previous episodes.
D+ -Eric
2008 ~ Director: Peter Burger
Sony
A popular tattooist steals an ancient Samoan tatau instrument only to unleash the fury of a ghost hell bent on revenge. Jason Behr (Skinwalkers) stars as Jake Sawyer, a tattooist that is known for his “healing” abilities. While following an interesting woman, he stumbles upon a group of Samoans in the process of practicing the ritual of tatau. For some strange reason he steals one of their instruments that is on display. Shortly afterwards things start going wrong, his tattoo subjects are dying horrible ink laden deaths. Jake must stop the spirit before it tattoos the woman he loves to death.
Samoan rituals and lifestyle play big part of this film, especially their view on shame. To bring shame on someone or yourself is considered to be a fate worse than death and it’s shame that fuels the whole movie. The film also shows tattooing as more than just a decoration, but a rite of passage and a badge of honor for the Samoan people.What I liked most about this film is the way they filmed the modern tattoo scenes, except for one part where Jake tattoos two people back to back, but doesn’t change needles or clean up at all between them.
I enjoyed this film quite a bit, but the whole avenging spirit idea has really been played out lately. The film was well paced with minor mistakes, Jake our tattoo hero is either a very dirty tattooist or they flubbed a few times in making the movie. This was Peter Burger’s first feature and he did a good job of telling the story except for a few loose ends and part of the storyline that made no sense. In the beginning, Jake’s father rids him of a devilish tattoo by stripping of the skin on one of his arms. This storyline is just left hanging without a purpose of being there other than shock value.
As a tattoo movie it’s pretty cool, but it’s not a particularly scary film even though they tried their best to be creepy. There were a lot of cool effects and I did enjoy the film, the acting was fairly decent as well. I thought Peter Burger had a decent grasp of the tattoo lifestyle which I found the best part of this film. The DVD extras expand on how the tattoos were created for the film, as well as the Samoan lifestyle. A decent movie for a first feature length, I look forward to seeing what other tricks Peter Burger has up his sleeve in future projects.
C+ -Choppy
2008 ~ Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein
Dimension Extreme
Vagina Dentata sounds pretty scary, huh? Well, according to Latin Mythology, Vagina Dentata means "toothed vagina". And that sounds even scarier for guys! The idea of a "toothed vagina" has been used over the years as a way to dissuade men from having sex with strange women. And thanks to director Mitchell Lichtenstein and Dimension Extreme, we are privy to what can actually happen in Teeth.
Dawn (Jess Weixler) is a young high school girl who feels that life should be left in its purest form. Her spine curls when she hears profane lyrics in music, her skeevy step-brother Brad (colorfully portrayed by John Hensley) making lewd comments, and making sure that she stays a virgin until she is married. She is also a speaker for an abstinence group. Until she meets Tobey (Hale Appleman), an equally abstinent boy at the meeting. All is well between them until Tobey goes bonkers and wants to nail Dawn. He succeeds, but with the very high price of having his dick chomped off after a struggle with Dawn, who wants to remain a virgin. Naturally, Dawn being a virgin, she is completely unaware of her soon to be special power of having Vagina Dentata and that this power was meant for a specific purpose.
Teeth is a sharp dark comedy/horror with decent performances all around. Weixler as Dawn is excellent leveling off the character who is torment between abstinence and a revenge she has no control over. Her portrayal of a virgin, while good, appears to be a bit forced with her oversized one-piece bathing suit, lack of make up, and goody two shoes attitude. Hensley as Brad also feels a bit forced to give both his and the Dawn character the superior polar opposites feeling. The script is tight and while not very gory, can send a chill down any guys back. Though the comedy, dark as it is, kinda gives a light to the dangers, thereby making it less threatening. Though don't miss Dawn's visit to the gynecologist's office! There you will meet the slimiest doctor since 1982's Basket Case. And the last scene? Don't even get me started! Though Lichtenstein has made Dawn a victim, Teeth amazingly becomes a superhero movie of sorts.
The DVD presents itself in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Extras include a commentary, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, TV and trailer spots. Dimension gives us decent color and an almost homey feeling throughout.
Teeth is quite good and recommended. Not exactly what I would call a "date movie", unless the guy did something really bad to make up for it. This is a completely female empowered film. Make no mistake about it.
A- -Rabid Rich
2005 ~ Director: Choi Ik-Hwan
Genius
"A radio announcer for a school broadcaster, Sun-min is an energetic student that truly stands out, while her best friend Young-un is the quiet one who's known for her singing skills. One night, while Young-un is singing in the music room, a weird voice interrupts. As the beautiful song fills the school, Young-un is killed. During the next day's lunch broadcast, Sun-min hears Young-un's voice desperately calling out her though she remains unable to see anything : she's afraid that she's the one able to hear the voice. Sun-min suspects the music teacher - who had shown special interest in Young-un - but she's found dead too, strangled by a cello string. Meanwhile, Cho-ah confesses the fact that she's been able to hear the dead since she was little to Sun-min and that she can also hear Young-un's voice. Sun-min is confused by Cho-ah's sudden confession, but is relieved that she's not alone. As Young-un's body is found in the elevator shaft with her throat severed, her voice becomes creepier."
I guess that sums the film up in a way. The move kind of starts like a thriller, with some supernatural elements like Sun-min being able to still hear the voice of her dead best friend Young-un. As the mystery of who did it unravels things shift gears from thriller into a Korean horror film. I will say I'm glad this movie didn't take a turn to being ultimately cheesy and stupid. It managed to keep a fairly serious tone and keeps you wondering what really happened. Some of the fx work really well for the movie and it's a decent watch. It reminds me of some of the Japanese horror films that have hit America over the last few years like The Eye or Ju-On. It works, its creepy and grows more into a horror film as time goes on. A little slow at times but I believe that's the style of these films. If you are a fan of Asian horror, or Whispering Corridors in particular I'm sure you'll find something about this that you will enjoy.
B- -Eric
|
