Cult favorite GARGOYLES (1972) coming to DVD in May from Henstooth Video

While cruising Amazon I came across some very exciting news. The 1970's made-for-television cult favorite GARGOYLES (1972) is coming back to DVD after being out of print for quite a while. The Henstooth Video label are giving it a May 17th release. This is just outstanding news. I'm not familiar with Henstooth Video but after checking out the site here are a few awesome genre titles that caught my eye - THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984), COMMUNION (1989), ALICE SWEET ALICE (1976) and a Blu-ray of the classic murder-mystery comedy PRIVATE EYES (1980) featuring legendary funnymen Don Knots and Tim Conway. While I'm not at all familiar with the company or the quality of their releases in regard to transfers and bonus features I am very intrigued and will definitely be checking 'em out. GARGOYLES is a film I saw when I was in kindergarten and the image of Bernie Casie as the leader of the demonic gargoyle clan haunted me for weeks, it's just a fantastic film and features make-up effects from none other than Stan Winston. It's great to see these slightly obscure telefims get proper DVD releases. When VCI Classic released the made-for-television classic  THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981) last year I was ecstatic and I'm just pleased as punch at this news.

GARGOYLES (1972) DVD

LABEL: Henstooth Video
RELEASE DATE: May 17th 2011
REGION: Region 1
RATED: Not Rated
ASPECT RATIO: 1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
LANGUAGE: 2.0 Mono with English Subtitles
DURATION: 74 mins
DIRECTOR: Bill L. Norton
CAST: Cornel Wilde, Jennifer Salt, Bernie Casey, Scott Glenn, Grayson Hall.
TAGLINE: They're Coming For You!

PLOT: Cornel Wilde stars as an anthropology professor who stumbles upon a clan of demon gargoyles living in the desert Southwest. Since its first airing in 1972, this low-budget gem has earned an enduring spot in the hearts of horror fans worldwide. It won the Emmy® award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for Del Armstrong, Ellis Burman Jr., and Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, Avatar). The special effects were created by Milt Rice and George Peckham. Stars Cornel Wilde, Jennifer Salt, Bernie Casey, Scott Glenn and Grayson Hall. In color, 74 Minutes, Not Rated, Original Full Screen (1.33:1) SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary by Director Bill L. Norton & Optional English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Audio Commentary by Director Bill L. Norton

DVD REVIEW: Killjoy 3 (2010)

KILLJOY 3 (2010)

STUDIO: Full Moon Features
YEAR: 2010
REGION: 1
RATED: Unrated
RUNNING TIME: 78 Min.
DIRECTOR: John Lechago
CAST: Trent Haaga, Voctoria De Mare, Jessica Whitaker, Michael Rupnow, Spiral Jackson, Olivia Dawn York, Al Burke, Tai Chan Ngo, Darrow Igus
TAGLINE: You Can't Keep a Bad Clown Down

SUMMARY: Four College students on Spring Break are house sitting for their professor. Meanwhile the professor is involved in a conjuring ceremony trying to raise the demon clown Killjoy for revenge. Killjoy (Trent Haaga) is not going at it alone this time and raises three other demon clowns. The behemoth hobo clown Punchy. The conjoined twins mime, Freakshow. Sandy (Jessica Whitney) and her classmates, Erica, Robert, Rojer and Zilla discover a mysterious package that was left overnight at the doorstep. Inside is a strange ornate mirror that transports the students into Killjoy's demon realm one by one where they have to survive the twisted diaboloical trials that Killjoy has for them.

FILM: There have been some great horror films featuring clowns, a few that come immediately to mind are the 80's classic KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988) and Stephen King's IT (1990) mini-series featuring a great turn from Tim Curry as  Pennywise, the killer clown. Then came the INSANE CLOWN POSSE who have stained the reputations of clowns everywhere with their bullshit juggalo stupidity. If you're one of those jackasses who enjoy ICP I want you to know thatI think you're an asshole, sorry (but it's true, you're an asshole). With that in mind I didn't necessarily come to KILLJOY 3 with rose colored spectacles and combined with the fact that I've not seen KILLJOY (2000) or KILLJOY 2: DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL (2002) it had a few strikes against it.
Right from the start Killjoy 3 cinematically looks very stylish and well shot which are 2 things that don't immediately come to mind when one ponders a Full Moon film, let's be honest. At the beginning of the film the Professor (Darrow Igus) conjures the demon clown Killjoy, a demon of vengeance who once summoned must be given sacrifice in the form of a soul of an intended victim as named by he who summons him. This time out Killjoy  brings a posse of demon clowns with him; Punchy (Al Burke), Batty Boop (Victoria De Mare) and Freakshow (Tai Chan Ngo). Before the intended victim can be named the incantation is interrupted when the Professor abruptly disappears and the vengeful clowns are returned to their demonic realm.

Killjoy is angered by the fact that he's been cheated his due sacrifice and is somehow able to transport an ornate magical mirror to the Prof's doorstep where it's discovered by 4 of his students who are house sitting. They bring the mirror into the house and hang it on the wall, who does that? I know you pay me to house sit but I thought it'd be cool to redecorate. Turns out the mirror is a portal of sorts and one by one the students are drawn to it and transported to the demon realm where they must face off against Killjoy and his minions.

The effects work is pretty standard for a current Full Moon production, meaning they aren't Industrial Light and Magic but they ain't terrible either. No real gore to speak off which was dissapointing but the Full Moon stuff has never been about the gore. Killjoy's clown make-up is well done but the other 3 don't fair. Batty Boop, the squeaky voiced succubus girlfriend of Killjoy is played by scream queen Victoria De Mare who is an attractive woman and her costume really plays to her curvacious strengths. Trent Haaga performance as the titular Killjoy is fun but the puns are truly terrible, is this a Killjoy trademark? That aside he can be very menacing and creepy. The demon realm set pieces are minimal but effective with good shadowy atmosphere and most of the performances are pretty solid as well.

DVD: The KILLJOY 3 DVD from Full Moon Features is presented in anamorphic widescreen with 2.0 stereo audio. The Killjoy 3 featurette takes us behind the scenes during production of K3 in China where Full Moon also filmed PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL (2010). The highlight of which is Trent Haaga in full Killjoy attire giving us a tour of the ACE Studios.

Special Features:
- Killjoy - Vintage Behind the Scenes Featurette
- Killjoy 3 - Behind the Scenes from China Featurette
- Full Moon Trailers

 VERDICT: KILLJOY 3 is an entertaining film, if you're a Killjoy or Full Moon completest this is an easy buy, if not it's definitely worth a rental. From what I can tell Killjoy 3 is exclusively available as part of the Killjoy - The Diabolical Trilogy Boxset available from fullmoondirect.com. **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

Blu-Ray Review: Total Terror Double Features Vol. 1 (2010)

TOTAL TERROR DOUBLE FEATURES VOL. 1 (2010)
DEMONIC (2005) / UNINVITED (1993)

Mill Creek Entertainment

DEMONIC aka FOREST OF THE DAMNED (2006) “Thrown out of heaven …they’ll take you to hell…” Directed by Johanne Roberts/Starring Tom Savini, Daniel Maclagan / Nicole Petty/Sophie Holland/Color/R/83 Min.

SUMMARY: In England 5 friends are travelling to a countryside lake when they have an accident. They soon discover that the woods are prowled by beautiful nymph-like creatures that seduce then kill their victims.

FILM: A young couple are parked in a wooded area, making out. The woman hears a rustling in the forest, we see quick moving shadows dart through the trees, and the man goes to investigate. Personally, I say "honey, get in the car, we’re leaving", but few horror films are based on good decision making. He’s confronted by a gorgeous naked woman, apparently bewitched by her unearthly charms. they embrace and deeply kiss. It is revealed that the woman’s mouth is toothed with gnarly razor sharp teeth as she tears a chunk of flesh from the young man’s neck. A great start, well done, I was on board immediately. From there we are introduced to five friends on a road trip to a countryside lake. Along the way they get lost, as youngins are apt to do in films such as this. They pull into a darkened gas station to get directions and are accosted by a crazed fella spouting warnings about fallen angels who were banished from heaven for having been infected by an earthly lust and how they now prowl, seduce and kill people in Miranda Forest. A total “It’s got a death curse” moment, right outta FRIDAY THE 13th. No one ever believes the crazy guy, and the group tears outta there quickly and proceed down the road through the forest. After a bit the driver is getting sleepy, he notices something strange in the woods. Momentarily distracted he doesn’t see a woman in the road, violently striking her. The van is damaged beyond drivability, the woman in need of immediate medical attention, and the cell phones don’t work (OF COURSE!). Miles from anywhere, on a desolate road, the group splits into three groups in search of assistance. Once separated the groups each encounter the nymph-like creatures and a mysterious man named Stephen (Tom Savini, GRINDHOUSE, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, DAWN OF THE DEAD) who is aware of the creatures and has a sinister agenda of his own. A promising start, not a bad idea, but the film is spoiled by shoddy stylistic decisions regarding editing, cinematography and filmscore, and a thin script. A particularly poor choice is the night vision camerawork which pulled me out of the film and the painful electronic score. On the plus side, this film is genuinely eerie at times, there’s an abundance gorgeous naked woman from start to finish and the special effects are well executed for a low budget affair, not gory but pretty bloody. **1/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)

UNINVITED (1993) “Thrown Only the brave would dare to awaken the guardian of the dead” Directed Michael Derek Bohusz/Starring Jack Elam, Christopher Boyer, Bari Buckner, Jerry Rector, Zane Paolo, Dennis Gibbs/Color/R/90 Min.

SUMMARY: Seven strangers, led by a mysterious stranger, have come together to stake a claim on a gold mine. Once there they discover that there may be more than gold is buried on the mountaintop.

FILM: This is the last film of the legendary Jack Elam (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST), a man known for his western persona, he  gets top billing, and he's in the film for maybe 3 minutes. UNINVITED is that most rare of horror sub-genres the western-horror, most recently visited by THE BURROWERS. This is the tale of several disparate folks who've pooled their money and to lay claim to a goldmine, intending to split the profits. A good cast of characters; the hooker with a heart of gold, the couple looking for a down payment on a homestead, a priest with a past, and a cagey survivor of the Donner Party.  Along the way they disturb an ancient native American burial site, and that's never a good idea. Afterwards, violence and tension erupts between the group as one by one they die off at the hands of angered spirits and each other.  I feel the filmmaker overstepped the films meager budget trying to capture the look and feel of a gold rush-era western here and it hurts the film and it feels thin in parts, but the film is steeped in mountain mist and a sense of doom for all involved. It works to a point, but the film is too slow moving. 
RATING ** (2 out of 5 stars) 

DVD: This DVD is the 1st of two entries into the blu-ray market for Mill Creek Entertainment. A company primarily known for releasing budget collections of public domain films and television series. There are no special features included for either film. The films are presented in anamorphic widescreen. The image quality is good, purportedly 1080p high definition, but visually appears little better that standard definition, which is appropriate. Mill Creek’s DVD’s have VHS quality images, it is logical that their blu-ray editions would have DVD quality images.  

VERDICT: Both these film are also available on Mill Creek Entertainment’s BLOOD BATH 12 Movie Collection DVD set, which is worth a purchase if only for the Fiona Horsey films alone, but there's some other good stuff on there, too. These films were fun, but for the budget minded, I can't see committing to blu-ray when the standard-def version look just as good. OVERALL RATING **1/2  (2.5 out of 5 stars)

-McBASTARD

DVD Review: Mausoleum (1983)

MAUSOLEUM (1983)

"The Nightmare Has Begun!"

RATED: R
RUNNING TIME: 97 Min.
DIRECTOR: Michael Dugan
CAST: Bobbie Bresee, Marjoe Gortner, Norman Burton, Maurice Sherbanee, La Wanda Page

 

 ANECDOTAL: This film holds a warmly nostalgic place in my horror-filled heart. In the magical era that was the Mid-80’s my folks rented a laserdisc player along with a few memorable flicks, MAUSOLEUM (1983) and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974). I may have been 12 years of age, way too young, and I can trace my love for the macabre to this particular weekend. From a young age I recall seeing slashers and horror films fairly regularly; FRIDAY THE 13th (1980), HALLOWEEN (1978), and once I only HEARD the film I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978), and it scarred me. My folks, or an uncle, someone surely irresponsible put it on at a time when I should have been asleep, but wasn’t, and couldn’t for all that night. I heard (only heard) the film from my bedroom down the hallway, and it disturbed. I could not fathom what the hell was going on in that film. What are they doing to her? What is she doing to them? What is that awful 60’s hippy song, and do I hear a boat? What? The next morning I ventured to the living room and saw the iconic VHS cover art, and vowed …someday. Years later I picked-up the Millennium Edition of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, it wasn’t until 2008 that MAUSOLEUM would finally make it ways to DVD. When I found it I was so excited I started sweating profusely, I’d long ago given up hope of seeing this forgotten gem, the demonic nipples contained within, and there it was before me.

SYNOPSIS: Susan Nomed (demon spelled backwards, really?) is a gorgeous, 30 year old blonde and the heir to a family fortune. But, the women of the Nomed family are also heirs to something else all together, and ancient and evil curse. As demonic possession overtakes her Susan is consumed by a nightmare of lust, murder and terror. Can Susan free herself from the demonic forces before everything she loves is destroyed?

THE FILM: The film opens at that greatest of set-pieces, the cemetery. A 10-year old Susan, visiting her mother’s grave with her aunt runs away in a fit of hysterics and is drawn to an eerie mausoleum. Once inside she is bathed in green light, because it’s the 80’s, don’t worry about why - she just is, and it works. It’s eerie, cheesy, and wonderful. She descends through the catacombs towards a crypt. The overhead camera work in this sequence is really enjoyable as it sweeps above the archways, the labyrinth bathed it a green glow, very eerie. Arriving at the crypt she is enraptured by a mysterious, hooded figure and her soul is touched by a demon, the same demon her family has endured for centuries. The invocation is interrupted by a homeless man who looks into the face of the hooded figure and is overcome by searing pain, he rushes outside and his head explodes. Years later, while making the annual trip to her mothers grave, the now gorgeous, 30-year old Susan played by Bobbie Bresee,(GHOULIES, SURF NAZIS MUST DIE) is again drawn to the fateful mausoleum, here the possession is seemingly completed, as it appears to have been dormant the last 20 years. Coinciding with these events, her aunt, who is familiar with the family curse and fears the worst, and her clueless husband, played by Marjoe Gortner (FOOD OF THE GODS, EARTHQAUKE) notice her unusual behavior, and implore her to seek the help of her therapist. Also noticing her suspect behavior is Elsie, the maid, played comically by LaWanda Page (ZAPPED! and FRIDAY), who upon encountering the demonic shenanigans, runs from the house in a fright. Susan, in perhaps my favorite sequence, goes about seducing and killing Ben, the gardener, but not before an extensive and comical montage of his hectic workday. It’s an odd sequence to say the least, but I loved it, very 80’s. There are a number of gory deaths in MAUSOLEUM, and the FX work from John Carl Buechler (GHOULIES, FROM BEYOND, DOLLS) is quite good for a lo-budget 80’s film. That being said, this print of the film is cut, and a lot of the gore removed, implied or abbreviated. Nonetheless, we are treated to some amazing rib ripping sequences, levitation, glowing green eyes, and some demonic transformations, including the infamous, demonic-faced, carnivorous breasts, I kid you not - worth the price of admission alone. Also used to great 80’s effect is the use of colored lighting that lends an eerie atmosphere to the film.

DVD: MAUSOLEUM comes by the way of BCI’s Exploitation Cinema Double Feature DVD series, paired with BLOOD SONG (1983). The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, mono audio. The print fairly awful as when BCI Eclipse obtained the rights to the film they could not find the original film and sound elements and had to use an inferior, damaged print. So, you get a lot of cigarette burns, missing frames, scratches, hisses and pops, particularly during the open credit sequence. It’s all very grindhouse and adds an enjoyably gritty element to the viewing. Star Bobbie Bresee also provides a decent commentary recalling a lot of interesting facts, such as the fact that during her sex scene the producers set up bleachers on set for crew members to come an watch.

 VERDICT: It’s hard for me to be impartial when it comes to MAUSOLEUM, it’s laced with fond nostalgia and childhood wonder, not to mention my first glimpses of the female form in its voluptuous, nude glory, albeit obscured in a few bits by gargoyle-faced demonic breasts. While nowhere near an epic possession film as THE EXORCIST (1973), its aims is much lower, and I think hits it outta the park with its modest, low-brow intentions. A MUST SEE! ***1/2 (3.5 out of 5 stars)