Blu-ray Review: FRIGHT NIGHT (1985)

FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) Blu-ray

Label: Twilight Time
Region Code: Region FREE
Rating: R
Duration: 106mins
Video: 1080p 16:9 Widescereen (2.35:1)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Director: Tom Holland
Cast: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Stephen Geoffreys, Roddy McDowell

I was all of twelve years old when I caught director Tom Holland's FRIGHT NIGHT in the cinema in 1985, some might think this young but I think twelve was a very appropriate age for one to properly enjoy this awesome 80's vampyric tale of young sexuality. At that age I definitely had an interest in girls but I also still had one foot firmly planted in adolescence. For example, at that age I would still sprint home after school to catch the latest episode of the THUNDERCATS, even though I was pretty rapt by the sci-fi action adventures of Lion-O an his battles on Third Earth against the ultimate evil of Mumm-Ra I would also run to window for a sneaky-peak of a pretty neighbor girl by the name of Heidi O'Claire when I would hear her voice outside. This was just the beginning of what would become many unrequited teen crushes and these cursory pangs of sexual curiosity put me in nearly the right frame of mind to understand the character of Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale, TV's HERMAN'S HEAD), a pretty average teenager with a love of Hammer-esque Gothic horror films which he views during the late-night showings of the TV program Fright Night hosted by washed-up b-movie actor Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell, THE PLANET OF THE APES). It's up in his room with Fright Night on in the background that Charley's making out with girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse, TV's MARRIED WITH CHILDREN) who's right on the verge of giving into Charley's demands for sex that he becomes distacted by the arrival of his new nextdoor neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon, THE PRINCESS BRIDE) and his live-in carpenter Billy Cole (Jonathan Stark, HOUSE II) who seem to be moving a coffin into the basement. This bit of oddness proves too much for young Charley to ignore and he forgoes losing his virginity to spy on the neighbors instead, WTF? Sure, Amanda Bearse may not the most stunning beauty the 80's had to offer but what the fuck is he thinking? Apparently Amy doesn't think much of this deflowering snub either as she storms outta his room and the next day at school smashes a burger into his face, and rightfully so,  much to the delight of Charley's pal Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffrey's, 976-EVIL) who cracks one of his classic catch phrases, "You're so cool Brewster, I can't stand it!". Geoffrey's plays the awkward, social misfit looking for acceptance so well here, it's definitely a stand-out performance from a young man who would soon go onto to takes lead roles in gay porno like GUYS WHO CRAVE BIG COCK ...I wonder what that one's about?

Later that night Charley hears a blood curdling scream come from next door after witnessing a memorably gorgeous woman enter the home and the next day when he catches a news report about a murdered prostitute he realizes its the same woman. It's the following evening while peeping the neighbors  REAR WINDOWN style that Charley actually witness's Jerry about to exsanguinate a woman with his fangs and eerily long fingers on full display. Alarmed at the prospect that a vampire is living next door Charlie attempts to tell his mother who attributes the incident to an overactive imagination spurred by too many horror films and a lack of sleep. When he tells Amy she thinks it's a ploy to win her back, which flatters her and when he goes to Evil Ed the misfit thinks he's surely flipped his wig but is only too happy to offer some vampyric folklore in exchange for a few dollars. At his ropes end Charley resorts to calling the authorities to report that Dandrige may be behind the recent spate of prostitute murders. However, when he accompanies  Det. Lennox (Art Evans, DIE HARD 2) to confront Jerry he loses all credibility once he mentions the "sleep of the undead" and the embarrassed officer can't leave the premises soon enough.

A bad situation gets even worse when Charley shockingly discovers that his own mother has invited Jerry over for drinks despite his warnings, and we all know that a vampire can't enter your house without permission. With that layer of protection now gone the already nervous teen breaks into a flop sweat and really starts to lose it. His worst fears are realized when Jerry pays him a visit later that night threatening the teen to forget about what he' seen but Charley outright refuses and drives a wooden pencil into the vamps hand, the injury reveals Dandrige's true hideous self and he flees but swears vengeance upon the meddling teen.

With no where else to go Charley contacts the local horror-host Peter Vincent played with perfection by Roddy McDowell who summons equal parts Peter Cushing and the the theatrics of Vincent Price, it's a brilliant portrayal and a loving nod to horror-hosts and Hammer films, it's really is a large part of why I'm so enamoured with this film. Like those before him Vincent sends the boy away, believing that he'sa rather unfortunate nut case. When Evil Ed and Amy discover Charley plans to murder his neighbor it's they whom finally convince the actor to help if only to appease their delusional friend. Eventually all four end up on the doorsteps of the vamp's home which is drenched in a creepy fog, with Charlie the only one not knowing this is a staged event Jerry only too willingly drinks the "Holy Water" and though he passes this ultimate test Charley still refuses to believe, he protests but is told to leave before he further embarrasses himself or any further harm comes to his friends, but when Peter Vincent takes out a cigarette case for a smoke he sees in it's mirror that Dandrige casts no reflection. He quickly makes for the front door trying not to attract attention but is obviously quite shaken, which does not go unnoticed by Charley or Dandrige. Once outside Charley demands to know what he saw and Vincent begrudgingly confesses just before speeding off.

Walking home that night the trio of friends discuss the incident amongst themselves, Ed, still a non-believer, chooses to take a shortcut through an alley alone, all the while mocking Charley's fears,  but he finds himself cornered by Dandridge and succumbs to the vampire willingly when offered the life without ridicule he so craves. With Ed now among the vampire's acolytes Dandridge turns his attention to Amy, chasing the two teens into an 80's discotheque where he abducts Amy after glammering her. Jerry Dandridge is truly one of the most suave 80's vampires ever, the guy is just super-smooth, great hair, a great dancer, rocks a sweater and is an apple snackin' maniac which just tickles me for some reason. It's set-up early on that Amy bares a striking resemblance to one of Jerry's former lovers and he plans to turn her into a blood-sucker and deflower the young virgin, much to the chagrin of Charley who I have to say had his chance earlier.

Desperate and without an alternative Charlie once again enlists the help of the frightened Peter Vincent in an attempt to rescue Amy from the vampire Dandrige. It's here that we get one of my favorite scenes in the entire film with Peter Vincent facing off against Evil Ed now a shape-shifting vampire who takes the form of a wolf which leaps towards the horror-host just as Vincent thrusts a stake through his chest, the dying beast crawls under a stairwell and gruesomely transforms from a snarling beast into a pathetic looking creature then into the innocent looking Ed, all the while emitting an unnatural and unnerving wail as a sympathetics Peter  Vincent looks on with tears tears streaming from his eyes, pained by the tragic death of a young person.

Pretty typical of my favorite 80's films the special effects are mostly in-camera and practical done by a couple of guys who know a thing or two about cool special effects; Richard Edlund (GHOSTBUSTERS) and Randall Cook (LORD OF THE RINGS). Their work here is something wonderful and even under the scrutiny of 1080p still look pretty awesome. The final battle with Dandridge does reveal some cheesy effects work in my opinion but on the whole it's a pretty top notch production.


Blu-ray: Twillight Time's transfer of the film is very nice, presented in 16:9 enhanced widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio with an English 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio track with optional English (SDH) subtitles. The image comes from a near pristine print and is quite pleasing to the eye easily offering better contrast, deeper black levels, and way more fine detail than the standard definition DVD, it's pretty sharp and is surely the best presentation the film is likely ever to see. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio option is very impressive with Brad Fiedel's score getting some sweet surround sound action, it's a very nice audio presentation.

Special features are few but appreciated beginning with an isolated score track featuring the film's excellent score from Brad Friedel, two theatrical trailers and an eight-page booklet with an essay on the film by Julie Kirgo which is a pretty great read on it's own. In lieu of commentary it's noted in the booklet that you can download commentaries for the film by Robert Galluzo and Tim Sullivan at http://www.iconsoffright.com/

Special Features:
- Isolated Score Track
- Original Theatrical Trailers (2:48)
- 8 Page Booklet with essay by Julie Kirgo

Verdict: FRIGHT NIGHT remains not just one of the best vampire films of the 80's but one of the best horror films that decade had to offer, a film that attains it's humor smartly without resorting to lame-brained boner jokes and is just horrific enough to keep he horror fans rapt with some impressive effects work. It's great to see the film make the jump to Blu-ray even in such a limited quantity, it's hard to believe that Columbia Pictures haven't thought to give the film a wider Blu-ray release, there's surely demand for this title so I give it up to Twilight Time for their great taste and superior attention to detail. 4.5 outta 5

Note: Sadly, by the time I was able to review this wonderful release the very limited edition run of 3,000 had sold out completely and is currently available, though at super inflated prices, through Amazon and on Ebay. I was quite impressed with the quality of the presentation and I encourage you check out Twilight Time's other titles which includes a Blu-ray of the Ray Harryhausen film THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1961) which is also available in a limited run of 3,000 editions so grab it quick, available exclusively through http://www.screenarchives.com/

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DVD Review: TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL (2010)

TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL (2010) DVD

LABEL: Magnet Releasing
REGION: 1 NTSC
RATING: R
DURATION: 88 mins
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
AUDIO: English 5.1 Dolby Digital
DIRECTOR: Eli Craig
CAST: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden
TAGLINE: Evil just messed with the wrong hillbillies!

SYNOPSIS: Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count.

TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL flips the switch on the backwoods horror cliches we've seen in films such as WRONG TURN, DISMAL and Adam Green's HATCHET films wherein scary hillbillies take a cleaver to the city folk who happen upon their swampland killing grounds, it's a cliche we've seen many times over since the Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and its going strong with a few new entries every year since. First-time Director Eli Craig's TUCKER AND DALE turns the idea on it's head and it's the scary city folk who terrorize our friendly West Virginian duo of Tucker (Alan Tudyk, SERENITY) and Dale (Tyler Labine, TV's REAPER), two landscapers on their way to their newly acquired fixer-upper cabin in the woods for some rest, relaxation and unbeknownst to them - crazed preppy killers.

It's while stopping off at the local store for supplies that they first encounter a group of college preps on spring break, frat guys and frat-boy fuck dolls; the two most central to the story are the attractive but nice blonde Allison (Katrina Bowden) and Chad (Jesse Moss) who's right up there with cinema's geatest 80's assholes plus seven others. The uppity city kids assume the worst when they meet the "scary" looking hillbillies which leads to an awkward encounter when the usually shy Dale musters up enough courage to introduce himself to Aliison while unfortunately holding a scythe in hand and laughing manically, the preps speed off believing they've just barely escaped certain death at the hands of a rural psychopath.

As it turns out the college kids are heading to the very same part of the woods as Tucker and Dale. The group set-up camp near the lake, and while gathered around the campfire Chad tells the story of the Memorial Day Massacre which took place twenty years prior, a horrific event in which hillbillies slaughtered a group of city kids much like themselves. Their fear of rural people comes into play later that evening when Allison slips on a rock and falls unconscious into the lake just out of sight of her friends. Luckily, Tucker and Dale just happen to be fishing nearby and pull her from the water but when the preps see what's happening it appears to them that the hillbillies have kidnapped Allison and that the events that happened two decades earlier are happening all over again.

This misunderstanding sets off a string of comically, unfortunate events with the preps being egged on by the progressively nuttier and homicidal Chad to launch a violent assault on the cabin in an ill conceived rescue mission. During the attack the irrational preps die off through their own misguided and violent actions; my favorite involves one ending up launching himself head first in a wood chipper while another brutally impales himself on a tree branch thinking he's being chased by a chainsaw wielding Tucker who himself is only running from an angry hive of bees. They continue to mount additional attacks on the cabin all the while the befuddled Tucker and Dale believing Allison's friends have flipped their lids, not understanding why they're under attack.

It's not really a gore-fest but the kills are pretty great nonetheless, they're intense with some nice low-budget gore effects that should satisfy most horror enthusiasts, particularly the wood chipper torso. The film delivers with a winning sense of humor that feels natural and not too forced, it's well-written and delivered pitch perfectly by the duo of Labine and Tudyk who have such great chemistry together onscreen. I would definitely like to see these two paired up again, perhaps in a sequel. 

The disc features a nice selection of bonus features including a fun commentary with the director and stars, outtakes, storyboards, a making of mini doc, a fun featurette with clips from the film from the POV of the college students which puts a more traditional spin on the film, an HDNET featurette, a theatrical trailer plus a collection of Magnolia trailers.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Making of Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (12:34) 16:9
- Tucker and Dale ARE EVIL: The College Kids Point of View (16:48) 16:9
- Outtakes (7:53) 16:9
- Storyboards
- Commentary with Director Eli Craig, Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk
- HDNET: A  Look at Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (4:34) 16:9
- Theatrical Trailer (2:23) 16:9
- Magnolia Trailers (9:29) 16:9

VERDICT: Definitely a fun send-up of backwoods horror that puts the genre up on it's ear, seriously funny stuff. I'm here to tell you that you need not even be a fan of horror to enjoy the comedy elements, the wife was in stitches from start to finish, at least when she wasn't horrified by the carnage onscreen, she's definitely not a fan of horror by any stretch of the imagination but she really enjoyed this one. An inspired debut film and one of the best horror-comedies of 2011, do not miss this one. 4 outta 5

Italian exploitation film THE HOUSE OF FLESH MANNEQUINS hits DVD February 21st

Elite Entertainment Press Release:

The House of Flesh Mannequins DVD hits shelves Feb 21, 2012.

THE HOUSE OF FLESH MANNEQUINS (2009)

Director: Domiziano Cristopharo.
Cast: Domiziano Arcangeli, Irene A. Hoffman, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Jerred Berg and Dave Vescio.

The Italian exploitation thriller, The House of Flesh Mannequins, will receive a worldwide DVD release late February. Elite Entertainment will release this exotic film, which promises to take audiences to experience the strange images and moments of then to include their reflective feelings of now. This psychological drama by director Domiziano Cristopharo (The Museum of Wonders) will be sure to be deeply disturbing.

This film features Sebastian (Domziano Arcangeli, Box of Shadows), a loner, whose life is about to change. As an artist and photographer, he habitually explores the seedy side of life and human depravity. When a fellow apartment tenant, Sarah Roeg (Irena A. Hoffman, Moonlight Sonata) takes an interest in his work, where this film goes is a look into a very violent world that also includes snuff films.

“I honestly felt that something strange was happening in this apartment (where my scenes of the film were being shot at). Like were they really doing actual sex crimes for this film? And how far are they taking this? Killing people on set as well? I had no clue ,” reveals co-star Dave Vescio (Gemini Rising) while on the set of the film. “It was a dangerous freaky vibe when I first walked into this dark and disturbing apartment complex.”

Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Gangs of New York) Jerred Berg (Mysteries of the Garden of Eden) and Dave Vescio (Air Collision) also star in this film. It’s going to be both surrealistic and haunting. This product pays homage to three styles—surrealism as established by the artists of the 30’s, namely the cinematic works of Luis Buñuel and Salivador Dali; the terror as envisioned by the pioneers of Italian horror, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento, and the body horror that auteur David Cronenberg is famous for.

This film premiered at the Santa Fe Film Festival and was also screened at A Night of Horror International Film Festival. It has also won a third place award as IndieHorror.it’s Best Indie Horror Film of the Year.

Director: Domiziano Cristopharo.
Cast: Domiziano Arcangeli, Irene A. Hoffman, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Jerred Berg and Dave Vescio.

Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn_gZWJvQak

DVD Review: RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010)

RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010)

LABEL: Icon Home Entertainment
REGION: 2 PAL Format
DURATION: 88 mins
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (2.40:1)
AUDIO: Dolby Digital Finnish 5.1 with optional English Subtitles
DIRECTOR: Jalmari Helander
CAST: Per Christian Ellefsen, Peter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela, Jorma Tommila, Jonathan Hutchings, Onni Tommila, Risto Salmi, Rauno Juvonen
TAGLINE: This Christmas Everyone Will Believe in Santa

SYNOPSIS:
"In the depths of Lapland’s Korvatunturi Mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up.You better watch out, you better not cry, better not shout, I’m telling you why... Based on the award winning shorts of director Jalmari Helander that have already acquired a cult reputation in the internet, Santa Claus is coming to town in a never-before-seen Christmas fantasy thriller. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good... This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus."

Now this was a pleasant surprise and a nice diversion from the glut of macabre and horrific films I've been spreeing thru as of late, this was a film I could actually sit down and watch with my three young children which is pretty rare with the type of screeners that usually end up in my mailbox. I can't really screen IN A GLASS CAGE (1987) for 'em without surely inflicting lifelong damage upon their psyche now can I? I usually wait until they're asleep before I pop in whatever video nasty peaks my interest any day of the week so it was a rare treat indeed to gather the squirts around the tube just after school for some family fun.   

RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010) is a dark fantasy Christmas tale that takes place in the small rural Finnish village where an American mining company has secretly unearthed a mysterious "sacred grave" on the top of Korvatunturi Mountain overlooking the village. The excavation has been wrought with explosions which have caught the attention of a young imaginative boy named Pietari (Onni Tommila) in the shadow of the mountain with his strict, plain-spoken father Rauno (Jorma Tommila). Rauno, a butcher by trade, along with Piparinen (Rauno Juvonen) and Aimo (Tommy Korpela) are reindeer herders whose lively hood depends on the annual slaughtering of the deer and when the herd are killed off by what would appear to have been wolves Rauno and the others head for the Korvatuntari mining site to voice their grievances,  blaming the explosions at the site for driving Russian wolves across the Russian border and into their territory. Once they arrive at the site it appears to have been abandoned with some haste by the miners leaving an ominous and cavernous hole in the ground, something rather large has been unearthed but little do they realize it's something that's been kept a secret for centuries and it's extrication could very well threaten Christmas as we know it.

Young Pietari mind is set afire by the possibilities of what could have been buried within the mountainside and when he also finds strange tracks in the snow outside his bedroom window he becomes obsessed with old legends of an evil Santa, a death-bringer more apt to boil children alive than stuff their stocking with presents. Becoming increasingly alarmed by the idea he sets a trap for Santa should he decide to come down the chimney, the deterrent nearly ends in his father's death. The relationship with his father is quietly difficult, it's pretty obvious the young boy craves his father's attention but for his father, a recent widow, the emotional struggles of raising his son alone ways heavy upon him and his grief often times emerges in short, terse interactions with the boy. The relationship isn't dwelt on a great deal but it's there plainly enough.

Soon enough things start to take a bizarre turn as creepy elderly men appear around the village, children go missing, potato sacks are stolen as are other  heat producing appliances all leading up to a wonderfully odd finale that maybe wraps up a bit too quick. The story is whimsical and fantastical but also quite dark, more so than any American PG-13 would dare go with creepy, nude elderly men with a pedophiles sixth sense for sniffing out children,  the cover-up of a murder, a near dismemberment, gun toting children and a child sacrificing himself in a heroic act, it's weird shit but awesome just the same.

At only eighty-eight minutes the film definitely takes some storytelling shortcuts more than it's fair share with stortytelling and character development, much of which I would have of liked to seen fleshed out, particularly the final coda of the film which is inspired lunacy but felt way too abbreviated for me. Something else that irked me was a lack of revelation, were taunted with a big ticket set piece but it never really comes to fruition and I was really dying for it but it just never emerged to the degree that I wanted to see it - the film maintained it's mystery a bit too much for me in that respect, not enough ruin the film but just enough to be bothersome.

The film's absurdly weird premise is brought to life with some attractive winter bound scenery that's pitch perfect for the story at hand, the gorgeous visuals are pretty fantastic from start to finish and really draw you in with candy colored cinematography. It's just a very sharp looking film that brought to mind the early 90's films of the French filmmakers Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro who wowed me with their own dark fairy tales, DELICATESSEN (1991) and CITY OF THE LOST CHILDREN (1995).

VERDICT: There are precious few Christmas tales that have made their way into my yearly rotation of Christmas classics in the past decade, the few that have earned their positions are BAD SANTA (2003), THE ICE HARVEST (2005) and SANTA'S SLAY (2005). I'm quite happy to have comes across this dark, Christmas fairy-tale, it's  sure to be a Christmas cult classic for years to come. It's not perfect but it's pretty awesome and I give it a high recommend for fans of dark fantasy like MILLIONS (2004), CORALINE (2009) and CITY OF THE LOST CHILDREN (1995). 3.5 outta 5

Blu-ray Review: INTRUDER (1988)

INTRUDER - DIRECTOR'S CUT (1988)

 Blu-ray/DVD Combo

LABEL: Synapse Films
REGION: Region FREE
DURATION: 88 minutes
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
AUDIO: DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Mono, Dolby Digital English 2.0 Mono
DIRECTOR: Scott Spiegel
CAST: Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Bruce Campbell, Elizabeth Cox, Danny Hicks, Renée Estevez
TAGLINE: Tonight, This Supermarket is Having a Sale... ALL HEADS HALF-OFF!

SYNOPSIS: "It’s 10 pm and the employees of Michigan’s Walnut Lake Supermarket are in for a really bad night. The place is shutting its doors for good, and the night crew has a long shift ahead of them… longer than they think! The lovely check-out girl has a deranged ex-boyfriend, the store’s phone lines are cut, and the employees start dying in the most stomach-churning ways imaginable (courtesy of Academy Award®-winning KNB EFX Group). A deranged killer is on the loose in the grocery store! Can anyone stop this murderous intruder?"

Scott Spiegel's probably best know as the co-writer of Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) and the producer of the HOSTEL film series but some of you fiends out there may recall him as the director of the late 80's splatter classic INTRUDER (1988), a film that's probably best remembered for it's extreme gore courtesy of the pre-KNB EFX team of Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman and Greg Nicotero who were willing to do the effects on the film for a song to help launch their new effects group and what a calling card it was, the gore effects are outstanding even two decades later and under the scrutiny of 1080p high-definition, they're ingenious, blood soaked and fucking awesome.

It's been a few years since I last watched the film and what struck me aside from the effects and how great the transfer is were the crazy amount of POV camerawork from director Spiegel, these are some of the nuttiest POV shots ever committed to film with odd views from a rotary phone, a milk crate, a wine bottle and a shopping cart, not once but twice. The inventive visual gags not just look great but create a quirky sense of atmosphere that's hard to peg down. The script is pretty witty and the film is nearly a comedy in some respects, perhaps even a send-up of the genre which by the late 80's had really run it's due course.

Looking at the characters I wouldn't say we get a lot of development but I've never been one to require much of it when I throw on a slasher either. What we do get is quite serviceable with appearances from EVIL DEAD alumni Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi and Danny Hicks with a cameo from Bruce Campbell. Without spoiling the killer's identity I'll just say that I really enjoyed how unwound and bat-shit crazy the culprit becomes, really unhinged stuff. At one point he's puppeteering a decapitated head and then beating down a victim with it in the next scene, that's just entertainment pure and simple. The film is definitely offbeat which I think might throw a few folks off but the humor is dark and demented just the way I crave it and really delivers the goods, so it worked for me.

I have to once again give it up to the KNB EFX Group who really shower the film with scene after scene of bloody death. There's just so much to choose from here, we get a head crushed in a cardboard compactor, machetes flying everywhere, a nice eye-skewering, a meat hook through the neck and what must surely be the centerpiece of the film; a head grotesquely sawn in half with a band saw sending brains, teeth and meat everywhere, it's a showstopper and sickening brutal.

Great slashers were slicing through the cinemas in the early to mid 80's but to find a really brutal, well done slasher in 1988 seems a rare feat indeed. Scott Spiegel deserves some major love for this late entry in the game particularly when you consider what was to come to the cinema post-SCREAM just a few years later. Unfortunately Spiegel didn't go onto direct a ton of films but I'm pretty amped to see him back in the director's chair with HOSTEL III after taking this in.

BLU-RAY: Synapse's brand-new 2K HD transfer of INTRUDER is presented in 16:9 widescreen (1.78:1) - this is the uncut director's version of the film with all the tasty extreme gore presented in all it's splatteriffic glory - the KNB FX shots are nasty effective, gore hounds are gonna be delighted. The transfer looks pretty sharp, colors are vibrant and the film's fine grain is nicely intact, no unnecessary DNR scrubbing here folks, par for Synapse the transfer is pretty phenomenal considering that this shoestring budget splatter classic was filmed using 35mm short ends. Audiowise we get a DTS-HD MA English 2.0 mono track on the Blu-ray that sounds very nice, dialogue, score and effects sound very good, the mono soundtrack doesn't offer much depth of separation but seems accurate and decently robust.

Special features are plentiful beginning with a feature length commentary from director Scott Spiegel and producer Lawrence Bender, it's a fun commentary with tons of great behind-the-scenes anecdotes from financing the film on through to the MPAA butchering of the films upon it's initial VHS release. There's also a great half hour featurette featuring interviews with most of the principal cast, director, producer and executive producer Charles Band with clips from the 8mm short film NIGHT CREW and actress Elizabeth Cox is kind enough to demonstrate her various screams as heard in the film providing commentary about the subtle variations, good stuff. On top of that we get over 10 minutes of extended murder scenes from the workprint, nearly seven minutes of outtakes from the NIGHT CREW short, a picture gallery, two trailers and a featurette wherein the director of A BETTER PLACE tells of his experience renting the VHS only to find the gory bits as seen in Fangoria were missing. It's a jam-packed Blu-ray and there's a DVD edition of the film included with all the same special features which is a always nice value add when considering a purchase, don't think too hard though, just buy it. Clearly Synapse have done right by this film and an upgrade is easily recommended if you own the previous DVD edition because this 1080p presentation is gonna blow you away when compared to that murky mess.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- All-New 2K Digital Restoration of the Original Uncensored Director's Cut
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Scott Spiegel and Producer Lawrence Bender
- Slashing of Intruder (3:26)
- Slashed Prices - The Making of Intruder (38:22)
- Never-Before-Seen Extended "Murder" Sequences from the Original Workprint (10:25)
- Outtakes from the Now-Lost Short Film, NIGHT CREW (6:47)
- Original Cast Audition Footage (11:04)
-Behind-the-Scenes Still Gallery (4:20)
-Original Theatrical Trailer (1:19)
- NIGHT CREW Trailer (1:19)

VERDICT: INTRUDER is an entertaining, visually imaginative splatter-flick filled with nutty gore that's in need of some serious attention, a classic deserving of some shelf space for any serious gore fan. Sure, it's a bit silly and quirky but above all else it's a super-gory slasher that's finally been given a gorgeous release courtesy of Synapse Films, a must own. 3.5 outta 5

Dario Argento's FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET 40th Anniversary Blu-ray on the way from Shameless Screen Entertainment

Brilliant news from the UK's Shameless Screen Entertainment today in the form of a press release announcing a 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Edition of Dario Argento's elusive third film FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1971) with a wealth of new bonus content....

FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1971)

LABEL: Shameless Screen Entertainment
RELEASE DATE: January 30th 2012
RATING:Certificate 15
DURATION: 99 minutes
DIRECTOR: Dario Argento
CAST: Michael Brandon, Mimsy Farmer, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Bud Spencer, Francine Racette

Forty years after its release and twenty years after the film disappeared from the public eye, Shameless Screen Entertainment is releasing the first ever worldwide Blu-ray of Dario Argento’s lost masterpiece, Four Flies On Grey Velvet and, also for the first time ever, in the original version in which it was made. This special 40th Anniversary Edition has been fully remastered in HD from the original negative and includes four inserts of previously missing footage known amongst Argento fans as the legendary “missing forty seconds”. Additionally, the original pristine English audio has been remastered exclusively for this Shameless release from the original magnetic soundtrack and is being made available for the first time since the film’s initial theatrical release in the 1970s.

Described by DVD Times as “essential viewing”, this final instalment in what is unofficially referred to as Argento’s Animal Trilogy (following “The Bird With The Crystal Plumage” and “The Cat O’ Nine Tails”) is a classic of the giallo genre, featuring music by Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone (The Untouchables; The Mission; The Good, The Bad And The Ugly) and starring Michael Brandon (Captain America: The First Avenger; Dempsey And Makepeace), Mimsy Farmer (The Black Cat; More), Jean-Pierre Marielle (Micmacs; The Da Vinci Code), Bud Spencer (They Call Me Trinity) and Francine Racette (Au Revoir Les Enfants; The Disappearance).

Going about his everyday life of band rehearsals and socialising with his wife, Nina (Farmer), and their hip friends, rock drummer Roberto Tobias (Brandon) notices he is constantly being followed by a strange man dressed in black. He decides to turn the tables on his stalker and follows him into an abandoned theatre, where a confrontation between the two ends with Roberto accidentally stabbing the man, who falls into the orchestra, apparently dead. Suddenly, a flash of light alerts Roberto to a figure in the upper wings of the theatre, where a mysterious person wearing a bizarre puppet mask and brandishing a camera has been taking photos of the fatal struggle. Roberto flees the scene, but the next day receives the dead man’s ID card in the post. Naturally assuming it has been sent by the unknown witness, he becomes immediately concerned by the lack of any blackmail demands and is haunted by the question of what it is the masked figure wants from him. Roberto’s fear and paranoia increase, and the mystery deepens, when his and Nina’s housemaid is found murdered in a local park and it becomes apparent that an intruder has had access to their apartment.

Four Flies On Grey Velvet (cert. 15) will be released on Blu-ray (£24.99) and DVD (£15.99) by Shameless Screen Entertainment on 30th January 2012.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Introduction to the film by Luigi Cozzi.
- New, exclusive and extensive recent interview on the making of Four Flies On Grey Velvet with writer and assistant director Luigi Cozzi.
- Original English audio remastered in HD exclusively for this Shameless release from the original magnetic soundtrack and available for the first time since the film’s original theatrical opening in the 1970s.
- Shameless re-build edit of the complete version of the film including four inserts of previously missing footage known amongst Argento fans as the legendary “missing forty seconds” (the inserts are in Standard-Definition quality). The Blu-ray will allow for seamless branching of the four inserts giving viewers two versions of the film: one all HD without the re-inserted scenes and one longer version including the inserts.
- Restoration of all individual damaged frames, most notably with respect to the removal of the black diagonal frame line (caused by the film jumping the high speed camera gate) in the final car crash sequence.
- Optional Italian audio version in HD with English subtitles.
- Italian and English trailers.
- Alternate English opening and closing credits.
- Shameless Trailer Park (Blu-ray only).

Exploitation Classic THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT coming to Synapse Films DVD/Blu-ray Combo!

SYNAPSE FILMS PRESENTS 

JOSH BECKER'S EXPLOITATION CLASSIC

THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT

STARRING ★SAM RAIMI★ AS A MANSON-LIKE HIPPIE CULT LEADER!

THOU SHALT NOT KILL... EXCEPT

[Blu-ray/DVD Combo]

RELEASE DATE: March 13, 2012

REGION CODE: All Regions

DURATION: 83 mins
DIRECTOR: Josh Becker
CAST: Sam Raimi, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel, Brian Schul
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
TAGLINE:When Violence Demands Revenge...

THE EXPLOITATION ACTION CLASSIC FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU THE EVIL DEAD AND EVIL DEAD 2!

Vietnam, 1969. War is Hell. For Marine Sergeant Jack Stryker (Brian Schulz), however, Hell is just the beginning. Trapped outside a Viet Cong village, Stryker takes two bullets to the leg. Sent home from the war, he discovers his ex-girlfriend (Cheryl Hausen) has been kidnapped by a religious cult with a vicious Manson-like leader (played by THE EVIL DEAD and SPIDER-MAN trilogy director, Sam Raimi). Stryker teams up with some marine friends to form an assassination squad and annihilate the gang of crazed killers.

Synapse Films is proud to present THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer from the original negative. Directed by Josh Becker, this “must-see” (Detroit Free Press) cult classic features many of the people responsible for THE EVIL DEAD, including co-writer Bruce Campbell, writer/producer Scott Spiegel, composer Joseph LoDuca, and actor Ted Raimi.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
• All-New High-Definition 2K Digital Restoration from the Original Negative
• The Original Super 8mm Short film, STRYKER’S WAR, starring Bruce Campbell!
• Made in Michigan: The Making of THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT – Featurette
• Two Audio Commentaries featuring Director Josh Becker, Bruce Campbell, and Star Brian Schulz
• All-New Video Interview with Actor/Writer Bruce Campbell
• Deleted Scene with Optional Director's Commentary
• Alternate Title Sequence
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Reversible Alternate Cover Artwork

Reversible Artwork

DVD Review: SOUTH OF HEAVEN (2008)

SOUTH OF HEAVEN (2008)

LABEL: Synapse Films
REGION CODE: 0 NTSC
RATING: Unrated
DURATION: 97mins
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
AUDIO: Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital English 2.0 Stereo
DIRECTOR: J.L. Vara
CAST: Aaron nee, Adam Nee, She Winghan, Diora Baird, Jon Gries, Thomas Jay Ryan, Elina Lowenstein

Viewing director J.L. Vara's SOUTH OF HEAVEN tonight was a real blast of fresh air, this neo-noir western is quite unlike anything else I've come across recently. The pretty simple story revolves around a naive Naval officer named Roy Coop (Adam Nee) who dreams of striking it rich writing the all-American debut novel. After being discharged from the Navy he arrives on his brother Dale's (Aaron Nee) doorstep in San Francisco with his hopes and aspirations intact. Not finding Dale home he lets himself in and gets right to typing his novel until he is disturbed by two peculiar, vaudevillian looking bruisers played by Jon Gries (TERRORVISION) and Thomas Jay Ryan (HENRY FOOL) whom mistakenly implicate him in the abduction of the daughter of their employer, a very serious mobster named Mr. Bobo. Turns out Roy's brother Dale has aligned himself with a psychopath named Mad Dog Mantee (Shea Whigham, BOARDWALK EMPIRE) and the two are behind the kidnapping but the vaudevillians are only too pleased to punish Roy for his brother's deeds paying him several visits delivering regular beatings that leave his faced mashed to a pulp, each calling leaving fewer and fewer digits on his hands until he's quite literally all thumbs and his face is charred black having received a swirly of sorts in a burning trash can.

Meanwhile Mad Dog and Dale are burning a swath through the Southwest leaving a trail of robberies, corpses and pretty, dead girls that Mad Dog loves to death. The encounter leaves Roy a changed man, no longer the fresh-faced Naval vet he now calls himself Nobody, his face and hands wrapped in bandages DARKMAN style, he sets out to repay the brutality upon his aggressors and then trails Mad Dog and Dale across the Southwest to face the men that have set this unfortunate series of events in motion. Also entering into the equation are a gorgeous femme fatale name Veronica (Elina Lowenstein) with questionable motives, a pretty dame named Lily (Diora Baird) who causes a divide between Mad Dog and Dale plus a steady string of victims.

The film's look is a bit unreal by design, a minimalist neo-noir technicolor nightmare with Western themes filmed on tiny sets, harshly lit with highly stylized backdrops that at times recalled the classic Tex Avery drawn Looney Tunes cartoons. The film begins with an animated sequence that compliments that sentiment, very cool set design, color palette and cinematography - the film does so much with what is surely limited resources, this is indie filmmaking done right with a unique style, vision and implementation.

The acting from everyone in the film is pretty great without exception with some snappy dialogue that holds up with repeated viewings. Exceptional performances from the brothers Nee, Jon Gries, Thomas Jay Ryan and Shea Whigham - there's not a stinker in the bunch. Whigham for me was the standout as the scary crazy psycho-killer Mad Dog who lives his life according to a weird inarguable crazed inner-logic, he's scary good. The dynamic between the weak-willed Dale and Mad Dog is truly disturbing and there's some truly deranged and tense moments between the two.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Three Audio Commentary Tracks featuring Director J.L. Vara, Star Shea Whigham and other cast/crew. Critic Commentary includes Todd Brown, Scott Weinberg and Devin Faraci
- Three Short Films by Director J.L. Vara, Including: MISERABLE ORPHAN (38 mins), AZOLE DKMUNTCH (28 mins) and A BOY AND HIS FETUS (15 mins)

VERDICT: A definite high recommend from me, SOUTH OF HEAVEN delivers the goods with a wonderful blend of arthouse surrealism and Lynchian neo-noir violence - fun stuff, there's nothing else like it out there and I say treat yourself. The DVD comes with three insightful commentaries and four delightfully fucked-up short films by J.L. Vara and looks and sounds great.
4 outta 5  

TOMIE UNLIMITED, a film by Noboru IGUCHI is released in the UK on DVD & Blu-ray on January 23, 2012

Bounty Films Press Release:

TOMIE UNLIMITED, a film by Noboru IGUCHI is released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray on January 23rd, 2012

“Exist Everywhere, Extend Everywhere”

Director Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl, RoboGeisha) is back with his entry in to the ongoing Tomie horror film series based on a popular manga by Junji Ito.

Tsukiko (Moe Arai), who belongs to a photography club at high school, always feels inferior to her elder sister, Tomie (Miu Nakamura). Tomie is breathtakingly beautiful and popular among the male students, including Toshio, whom Tsukiko is secretly in love with.

One day an awful accident kills Tomie right in front of her younger sister. Since then Tsukiko suffers from a nightmare night after night. A year later Tsukiko and her parents are surrounding a birthday cake to celebrate dead Tomie’s 18th birthday. Suddenly they hear an eerie knock at the door. Unbelievably, it is Tomie. She’s back. The father and mother blindly welcome Tomie in tears, but Tsukiko feels instinctive fear. Tomie gradually reveals her true face, but only when she is with Tsukiko. Now Tsukiko’s nightmare becomes reality, and the terrifying days begin... Tomie Unlimited is released in the UK on DVD & Blu-ray on 23rd January 2012 by Bounty Films.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Interview with Director Noboru Iguchi
- Trailer

DETAILS:
Label: BOUNTY FILMS DVD
Release Date: 23 January 2012
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 85 min. approx.
Format: Colour
Genre: Horror
Director: Noboru IGUCHI
Year: 2011
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English (Optional)

Phase 4 Films Announces the World Premiere of the Horror Thrillers WRECKAGE and AMERICAN MANIACS On VOD January 1, 2012

Phase 4 Films Press Release:

Starring Emmy® Award Winner Aaron Paul Los Angeles (December 15, 2012) – Phase 4 Films is pleased to announce the video-on-demand (VOD) World Premiere of WRECKAGE on January 1, 2012. Directed by John Mallory Asher,  this gore-packed horror thriller stars Emmy® Award Winner Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” “Big Love,” The Last House on the Left), Scoot McNairy (Monsters, “Bones”) and Cameron Richardson (Calvin and the Chipmunks, “Harper's Island”). When a group of teenagers’ car breaks down, they head to a nearby junk yard to salvage car parts. Little do they know that an insane serial killer has escaped from prison and is lurking in the area. As the teens are stalked and hunted down one by one, what was an innocent trip turns intoa bloody all out struggle for survival.


WRECKAGE Specifications:
World Premiere - VOD Date: January 1, 2012
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Run Time: 86 Minutes
Rating: R
Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen
Language: English

Phase 4 Films is pleased to announce the video-on-demand (VOD) World Premiere of the horror thriller AMERICAN MANIACS on January 1, 2012. The film stars Ashlynn Yennie (The Human Centipede, The Human Centipede II) and is an action-packed blood bath that will have you squirming!

In a small town in Kansas, six members of an evangelical Christian group are kidnapped by a psychotic group of violent ex-cons, perverted cops and murderers. Held hostage for the sadistic pleasure of their tormentors, the victims slowly begin to realize that outside help will not be coming. With no other options and time quickly running out they must band together and fight back against their twisted tormenters for any hope of survival.

AMERICAN MANIACS Specifications:
World Premiere - VOD Date: January 1, 2012
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Run Time: 86 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
Aspect Ratio: 16x9 Widescreen
Language: English

Blu-ray Review: CHILLERAMA (2011)

CHILLERAMA (2011)

LABEL: Image Entertainment
REGION CODE: A
RATING: Unrated
DURATION: 120 mins
AUDIO: DTS-HD MA 5.1
SUBTITLES: English, Spanish
VIDEO: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
DIRECTORS: Adam Rifkin, Joe Lynch, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green
CAST: Adam Rifkin, Sarah Mutch, Owen Benjamin, Richard Riehle, Joel David Moore, Ray Wise, Kane Hodder, Eric Roberts, Lin Shaye
TAGLINE: The Ultimate Midnight Movie!

I don't know about you but I just get pleased as punch whenever I hear about a new horror anthology coming down the pipeline. The omnibus fright format has always been a personal favorite of mine but they just don't seem as prevalent today as they were in the 70's and 80's - they've definitely fallen out favor. Perhaps it's just cause I was catching up with some of my favorites like Mario Bava's BLACK SABBATH (1963) and one of the many Amicus entries TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) some decades years after their initial release, either way there's not exactly a glut of 'em these days no matter how you slice it up and the format seemed to have peaked in the early 80's with the one-two punch of CREEPSHOW (1982) and TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983). The nineties weren't exactly overflowing with anthologies either with the notable exceptions of FOUR ROOMS (1995) and PULP FICTION (1999) but in recent years there's been a resurgence with the Tarantino/Rodriguez feature GRINDHOUSE, TRICK R TREAT (2007) and effective, low-budget indies like THE DRIVE-IN HORRORSHOW (2009) and III SLICES OF LIFE (2010).

So, when word began to spread about this love letter to the schlocky drive-in films of the 60's and 70's from a handful of talented young directors I was pretty psyched and primed for some b-movie omnibus action. Beginning with the directors we have Adam Rifkin whose 70's stoner-comedy DETROIT ROCK CITY (1999) is a perennial favorite of mine, Joe Lynch who won me over with WRONG TURN 2 (2007), Adam Green who most recently nailed it with the winter-bound horror of FROZEN (2010) and lastly we have Tim Sullivan, director of 2001 MANIACS (2005).


The film CHILLERAMA is a series of vignettes that really sets out to celebrate the b-movie schlock cinema of yesteryear beginning with a wrap-a-round story called ZOM-B-MOVIE from director Joe Lynch that right away gets to the gritty with some distasteful necro-felatio which goes horribly awry, I would ask is there anyway necro-felatio could go well, I guess it's all a matter of perspective, right? The amorous grave robber leaves the cemetery injured to say the least with his naughty bits having been shredded by his graveyard girlfriend. Not something I would do myself but this guy actually limps his way back to his night job at the drive-in movie theatre where it's a special night, it's their last hurrah before the drive-in closes it's doors forever. To commemorate this sad occasion the aptly named drive-in proprietor Cecil Kaufman (Richard Riehle, OFFICE SPACE) is sending his beloved cinema out in style with a four film marathon of rare splatterfests projected on the big screen for a jam-packed crowd of gore-hounds and splatter-fiends.

The first feature is WADZILLA written, directed and starring Adam Rifkin (THE DARK BACKWARDS) and it's a truly tasteless send-up of the b-movie creature features of the 50's. Miles Munson (Rifkin) is a man afflicted with a low sperm count and when he seeks medical help for his condition he is prescribed an experimental drug called "spermupermine" by wacky wang-ologost Dr. Weems (Ray Wise, TWIN PEAKS). The testicular steroid has the unfortunate side effect of enlarging Mile's scrawny sperm when he is aroused - which is pretty often, there are babes galore in this film. These growing pains cause Miles great discomfort in the junk and the only way to alleviate the excruciating sensation is to beat-off and release the beast - and what a beast it is. The short is populated by gorgeous busty ladies and awful b-movie effects from none other than The Chiodo Brothers (KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE). There's appearances from Lin Shaye (INSIDIOUS) and Eric Roberts (SHARKTOPUS) as Gen. Bukaki and while Rifkin couldn't act his way outta a wet paper bag I found the flick to be a juvenile, raunchy exercise in trashiness with a sense of humor about it that brought to mind FRANKENHOOKER (1990) and ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES (1978) - fun stuff with a creamy climax that seemed to reference GHOSTBUSTERS (1984).

Up next is director Tim Sullivan's I WAS A TEENAGE WEREBEAR, a weird mash-up of BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965) and TEEN WOLF (1985) zapped with a walloping dose of homo-eroticism and fun musical numbers. A clean-cut preppie named Ricky (gay porn star Sean Paul Lockhart) finds his life altered when he's bit on the ass during a sexually charged wrestling match with a leather daddy werebear. Not my cup o' tea but still slightly amusing. This is the first film I've seen from Tim Sullivan and while I can't say it did much for me it did have some fun musical numbers, but honestly it was just a bit too goofy and gay for me. I'm also a bit biased as I generally kinda sorta hate musicals, so that didn't help either. Lin Shay also appears in this segment as Nurse Maleva in a fun homage to THE WOLFMAN (1941) while director Tim Sullivan appears as Coach Tuffman. Some fun moments but overall this was the runt of the litter for me.

In Adam Green's demented Nazi-ploitation comedy THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANKENSTEIN actor Joel David Moore (SPIRAL) makes a turn as Adolf Hitler who sets out to create the perfect Jew-killing machine using the secrets of the family of Anne Frankenstein. Unfortunately he assembles his Arian masterpiece with the body parts of Jews and as can be expected his Golem-esque creation rises up against him with bloody results. This segment looks pretty fucking awesome, a spot on period piece shot in black and white, great production value and set design made this the best looking bit o' the bunch. Kane Hodder (FRIDAY THE 13th VII) appears as the creature Meshugannah and he really puts the "Bear Jew" from INGLORIOUS BASTERDS to shame in the Nazi killing department. The actors in the film seem to be speaking German fluently aside from Moore who wings it with some marble-mouthed nonsense. It's pretty funny stuff with Hodder delivering more than a fair share of cock n' balls destruction to some deserving Nazis, giving them a pounding that leaves them screaming "Shalom!". Pretty absurd stuff, it peters out towards the end having overstayed it's welcome just slightly but there's definitely some fun to be had here for sure.  

The not quite final segment is DEATHICATION, a short interlude of people shitting themselves to death, it's mighty pointless but quickly passes on into the true final vignette, the continuation of the wrap-a-round film ZOM-B-MOVIE. You may recall that the drive-in projectionist lost his junk following an unfortunate graveyard fellatio incident and returned to the drive-in at the start of the film but his blue neon infected wound has leaked the worst kind of cross-contamination possible into the concession stands popcorn unleashing a zombie horde upon the cinema. Luckily, the cinema's suicidal owner/horror host Cecil Kaufman, the awesome Richard Riehle, not only has great taste in bad cinema but a gigantic stash o' guns and an endless array of famous one-liners with which to combat the undead throngs.

So, does this trashy collection of bad b-movies work? Yes and no, these are bad films made to be seen as such, trashy love letters to an era of awfulness awesomeness and to that end I would say it's successful. Whether you enjoy it or not really depends on your stomach for schlock shittiness, for me it mostly hit all the wrong notes just the right way.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Directors' Video Commentary
- Wadzilla Deleted Scenes and Trailer (6:04)
- The Making of The Diary of Anne Frankenstein
- I Was A Teenage Werebear Behind the Scenes (21:59), Deleted Scenes (14:27), and Trailer
- Zom-B-Movie Deleted Scenes (4:02)
- Famous Monsters Directors' Interviews (5:41)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Trailers: CHILLERAMA (2:13), WADZILLA (2:39), I WAS A TEENAGE WEREBEAR (2:01)

VERDICT: I found it hard not to appreciate the zest with which these young directors tore into making such schlocky, awful films and in the end it really won me over despite some dud humor and flat gags throughout that are part and parcel of the films it's pays tribute to. Make no mistake, they're undoubtedly quite terrible films one and all, trashy, raunchy and distasteful on almost every level and I guess that's what I love about 'em - there's something so cool about a bad film. Now I know there's gonna be some haters who just can't stomach the schlock but count me in, it's bone-headed, offensive, dumb and pretty stupid entertainment. 3.5 outta 5