April Exploitation/B-movie Challenge 2016 - Days 3 and 4

It was tough to find time these last couple of days. The 7 hour shitfest that WWE called Wrestlemania 32 took up most of day 3 and day 4 became unexpectedly busy as well. I managed to squeeze in a film each day starting with Cirio Santiago's action packed ride through the post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, WHEELS OF FIRE. This Roger Corman production is packed with car chases, shootouts, fist fights, beautiful women, leather, nudity, rape, flamethrowers, subterranean sand people, space cults and more. It's cheesy in all the right ways and I love it.

Then came a re-watch of THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH, a film I've watched a couple times in the last week to refresh my memory of it for a visit on the Astro Radio Z podcast which focused on gialli this week. If you were to look up "giallo films" in a dictionary THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH could very well be pictured. It's a textbook example of the genre complete with stylish direction, exotic setpieces, a black gloved killer, red herrings, and a twist ending. It stars Edwige Fenech who is one of the most gorgeous women to ever grace the silver screen along with leading man George Hilton and the brilliant character actor Ivan Rassimov. This is a perfect movie.

Today's Rundown
Wheels Of Fire - 8/10
The Strange Vice Of Mrs. Wardh - 10/10

PIECES (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Spain, USA/1982
Directed By: Juan Piquer Simon
Written By: Dick Randall, Joe D'Amato
Starring: Christopher George, Linda Day George, Edmund Purdom
Color/89 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: March 1, 2016
2x Blu-ray/CD/Replica Jigsaw Puzzle (First 3,000 copies only)

The Film
In the 1940s a young boy is caught putting together a nudie jigsaw puzzle by his mother who comes down hard on him. The boy responds by attacking his mother with an axe and dismembering her body with a hacksaw. Fast forward 40 years and there's a murderer on the loose at a local college and they're using a chainsaw to murder and maim their victims.

PIECES is a gloriously exploitatative piece of horror from director J.P. Simon who takes a more is more approach. More gore, more nudity and more red herrings. Simon's direction is competent but not very flashy. It doesn't need to be as he lets the murder set pieces and special effects be the glitz and glamor of the movie. Oh and the nudity, did I mention the nudity?

The cast has a surprising amount of recognizable names from Edmund Purdom to Paul L. Smith. Purdom and Smith give a couple of the better performances of the movie as you'd expect but much of the rest of the cast hams it up and overacts to comedic delight. The dialogue in the script is clunky at times but that leads way to some classic scenes such as the "Bastard!" scene.

You shouldn't tune in to PIECES for a subtle, atmospheric horror film with a tight script and strong performances, you should tune into PIECES for a glorious exercise in excess. There's a reason PIECES is a classic example of drive-in era horror and was a staple of the seedy grindhouse theaters on and around 42nd Street in New York City and that is because PIECES not only approves of the type of things a mother who would force you to burn a nudie jigsaw puzzle forbids but it relishes those dirty things and even encourages you to dabble in them. I love PIECES a little bit more with each subsequent viewing.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing nails the 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer on PIECES with a brand new 4K scan from the original camera negative, maintaining the original aspect ratio. Colors are vibrant with deep crimson reds that pop just a bit to lush greens. Skin tones are fleshy and natural without a hint of waxiness. Detail level is nearly off the charts from textures to surfaces and especially in facial closeups with facial hair and skin details. The picture is crystal clear, it's immediately evident that there was significant effort into making sure the print is squeaky clean. There's no DNR or edge enhancement to speak of and PIECES has never sparkled like this.

The new DTS-HD Master Audio mix is exceptional with sparkling clarity. The mix gives a strong boost to the soundtrack that manages to slice through the various screaming and chainsaw buzzing of the film and become complimentary without ever fighting for the foreground. There's no background noise or imperfections such as crackling or popping. PIECES looks and sounds like perfection.

The Extras
Disc 1:
-Audio Commentary With Star Jack Taylor
-Music Re-Score By Umberto
-The Vine Theater Experience
-Still Galleries
-Liner Notes

Disc 2:
-42nd Street Memories: The Rise And Fall Of America's Most Notorious Block - A feature length documentary on the mecca of exploitation film
-Interview With Producer Steve Minasian
-Interview With Paul Smith
-Interview with Director Juan Piquer Simon
-Bios and Filmographies
-Grindhouse Releasing Prevues
-Production Credits

A CD soundtrack is also included along with a replica jigsaw puzzle to the first 3,000 copies.

The Bottom Line
Grindhouse Releasing has become synonymous with delivering the most beautiful looking and sounding releases that the cult film market has ever seen and they always pack them with special features. They seem to outdo themselves with each release these days adding something special to the mix of superb A/V to make the fans scramble with excitement. All hail Grindhouse Releasing! PIECES is an essential part of your horror Blu-ray collection.

PIECES is available HERE

CORRUPTION (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1983
Directed By: Roger Watkins
Written By: Roger Watkins
Starring: Jamie Gillis, Tiffany Clark, Bobby Astyr
Color/79 Minutes/Not RAted
Region FREE
Release Date: December 15, 2015

The Film
Williams is a man obsessed with success and power but owes a debt to a person he may not be able to repay. His girlfriend's sister is thrown in a carnal, perverted world, and everyone else around him seems to not be able to help him as they give in to their erotic desires or have their own personal greed in mind.

Adult film legend Jamie Gillis stars in this color coded, fetishized kink-fest that will leave the viewer mesmerized, uncomfortable and astounded all at the same time. There's rough spots of rape and treachery, S&M, hardcore sex and Bobby Astyr playing a New York tough guy like Bobby Astyr does.

Roger Watkins builds this dream like world, filled with nightmarish sexual scenarios that all becomes a bit of a morality tale based around  greed and lust for power and sex. Watkins direction is fantastic and he gets a pair of great performances out of Gillis and Astyr as half brothers and as a piece of smut he gets some hot and steamy action with Vanessa Del Rio being a gorgeous mistress along with plenty of other various scenarios that will at times leave the audience squirming.

Filled with beautiful visuals, CORRUPTION belongs alongside arthouse midnight movies as much as it does in the rear viewing booths of a porn shop. It borders on being a minor masterpiece of smut and exploitation and will definitely leave an impression on you.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome's 2K restoration on CORRUPTION is stunning. The film has a light grain structure giving it a healthy film look. Colors are bright and vivid and have a bit of pop to them. Black levels are deep and inky with no artifacting or compression issues. Details level is high and skin tones are fleshy and natural with no signs of waxiness from excessive DNR. The HD audio is crisp and crystal clear. There's no audible annoyances or background noise. Dialgoue and music are mixed very well so they're complimentary to each other and are never lost among the mix.

The Extras
-"Through The Lens" - Interview with cinematographer Larry Revene
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Artwork Gallery
-LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET Easter Egg - An unrestored but fully HD uncut presentation of Roger Watkins' infamous LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET exploitation horror film! Until Vinegar Syndrome releases their fully restored and cleaned up Blu-ray of LHODES this is worth the price of admission alone!

The Bottom Line
I was more excited to get this release for the Easter egg of LAST HOUSE ON DEAD STREET than I was for the actual titular feature but CORRUPTION, while a totally different film in nature, stands on its own and is fantastic. Purchase this Blu-ray for either film but you'll quickly find out that you have two special films on your hands and one is in exceptional condition while the other is a suitable placeholder for the inevitable better release. Essential viewing!

CORRUPTION is available HERE

THE LAST HORROR FILM (Blu-ray Review) - Troma

USA/1982
Directed By: David Winters
Written By: Judd Hamilton, David Winters, Tom Klassen
Starring: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Judd Hamilton
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: December 15, 2015

The Film
Vinny Durand (Joe Spinell) is a cab driver with dreams of being a big time Hollywood director working with his favorite actress Jana Bates (Caroline Munro). Vinny decides the perfect time to make this happen is to follow Jana to the Cannes Film Festival and begins stalking her while her entourage begins turning up dead.

Spinell and Munro team just two short years after they paired up for one of my personal favorites, the classic Maniac and are brilliant here again. Joe Spinell portrays the delusional and increasingly psychotic Vinny Durand with grace, never coming on too strong to the audience or hamming it up. The film could have very easily entered cheesy territory which is not at all the tone that this film was going for but Spinell was a world class talent and brought that to the table to handle Durand's personality quirks.

Former Bond girl Caroline Munro can't be overlooked either and she's as gorgeous as ever as the starlet Durand longs to work with. Munro plays a great damsel in distress type character and is a perfect character to root for and care about - the perfect counterpart to Spinell.

THE LAST HORROR FILM was shot guerrilla style with no permits during the 1981 Cannes Film Festival and that raw, organic energy can be felt seeping through each and every scene. This isn't something filmmakers could easily get away with today and likely will never be duplicated. It's fascinating to watch director David Winters work through the crowds of film fans, critics and stars to form a genuinely disturbing and twisted horror film that packs in some fantastic shots, a good bit of violence and a couple of surprises.

I already have a deep love and appreciation for THE LAST HORROR FILM and what they managed to create while breaking all of the rules and somehow the film still gets better with each viewing. My feelings on the film were echoed by Caroline Munro as she was genuinely excited to chat about it with me at a convention in spring 2015 where she mentioned it was one of her favorite films she's been a part of and is proud of how it turned out. She's a class act and for such an oddly off the wall and twisted exploitation film it can still manage to be defined as classy.

The Audio & Video
Troma dishes out a quality Blu-ray release that does the film justice. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer has good detail and color reproduction. There's a bit of speckling and light scratches showing that the source material wasn't overly cleaned up but it fits the tone and style of the film to have a bit of grit left over. There's no digital noise or excessive DNR so skin tones still look healthy and natural. The English HD mono audio sounds very good. There is some noticeable background crackling in the audio but it's not distracting and is easily ignored. Otherwise the audio sounds nice and has quality mix and steady levels.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary
-Mr. Robbie short film - the unfinished follow up to Maniac starring Joe Spinell
-New Intro by Lloyd Kaufman
-Highlights of the 2015 Tromadance Film Festival
-A Full Episode of Kabukiman's Cocktail Corner
-The Return Of Dolphin Man
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
I was beyond excited to see that the vastly overlooked movie was getting a Blu-ray release and that it turned out to be a quality presentation. THE LAST HORROR FILM is not only worth your time and money but your collection is suffering without it.

THE LAST HORROR FILM is available HERE

KRAMPUS (2015)

USA/2015
Directed By: Michael Dougherty
Written By: Todd Casey, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields
Starring: Adam Scott, Emjay Anthony, Toni Collette

Max is young but old enough to notice the magic of Christmas slipping away a little more each year. His German grandmother makes sure he still writes his letter to Santa to keep the spirit of the holiday with him but when relatives come over and get into a fight with Max making fun of his letter Max tears up his letter and throws it out his bedroom window into a strong winter wind. That night a sudden blizzard hits the town knocking out power and snowing the family in. They'll soon find out that the weather is the least of their worries.

Holiday based horror movies are nothing new. They continue to be a favorite amongst fans and provide a familiar and usually eye catching setting. Christmas horror films are no different and there have been plenty over the years that run the gamut from cute and lighthearted horror fun to down right mean and despicable that caused public outcry. KRAMPUS will fit in nicely with the more highly regarded Christmas horror movies.

Director Michael Dougherty is no stranger to holiday horror, having made one of the finest films based on or around Halloween, horror or not. It was exciting news to fans that he planned on tackling the Christmas season with the old world legend of Krampus who is quite the opposite of jolly old Saint Nicholas. Krampus is a horned figure, resembling that of a goat man from hell. He uses his chains to capture children and put them in his own toy sack to punish them. This isn't the fairy tale you tell the kids on Christmas Eve.

My expectations were high and given the film's PG-13 rating perhaps a bit higher than they should have been. I'm a big time believer that PG-13 horror can (and has) worked perfectly in the past but when dealing with a more restrictive rating it is easy to fall into traps and cliches to try and get the scare factor across. Michael Dougherty showed me that he will not be a victim of such shortcomings in his movies. The scares in KRAMPUS are real. The atmosphere alone is enough to make the audience want to crawl up in a ball with a warm blankey and call for mommy. It's increasingly claustrophobic as the weather has no intention of letting up and Krampus uses his various minions to attack the family barricaded inside the house and try not to be picked off one by one. Their only hope is to brave the weather and try to make it to a snow plow a couple blocks away, a rather unsavory option all things considered.

KRAMPUS allows the audience to have fun with a bounty of laughs throughout. This humor isn't forced, it is organic for each character and given to us almost as a well timed gift from Dougherty to allow us to still laugh and have fun with the film without breaking a single ounce of tension. While KRAMPUS is absolutely a horror comedy it is first and foremost a horror film.

The writing is brilliant without being overbearing. The KISS principle is on display here. Simple but realistic characters that everybody can relate to keeps KRAMPUS grounded in the real world. Every character has their role to fill and there's a good bit of development going on with a few of our main characters. The cast is excellent from Emjay Anthony as Max to Adam Scott as Max's father Tom and David Koechner as Max's uncle, the polar opposite of Tom. And I can't write this review without mentioning Conchata Ferrell, the loud mouth Aunt that nobody invited. She carries the comedy weight on her back and is brilliant.

The thing that may have stood out most to me while watching KRAMPUS is that I felt like I was watching something made in the 1980s. I don't mean it felt like they were trying to capture the feeling of a movies from the 1980s. It had a genuine energy and vibe that only films of the 80s had. While being a seriously scary horror film it was also lighthearted enough to allow the audience to laugh and smile once in a while. KRAMPUS doesn't feel out of place next to a movie like Gremlins though it ramps up the horror quite a bit.

There was a single moment at the end of the movie that I feared was going to blow the entire thing. I thought to myself "oh no, here's the moment I was afraid of... here's the cop out" as my enjoyment faded from my face into a grimace. Then KRAMPUS proved itself right. It was the movie I hoped it would be and the movie I expected from Michael Dougherty. The grimace quickly turned to an ear to ear smile. The ending was handled perfectly.

There's something intangible about KRAMPUS that makes it special and only time will tell if fans hold it in high regard for years to come but I can tell you that it deserves a place among the favorite Christmas horror films of all time and in the hearts of horror fans.

CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH (Blu-ray Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2013
Directed By: Daniel Farrands
Written By: Daniel Farrands, Peter Bracke
Color/400 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: September 8, 2015

The Film
Friday The 13th has become one of the most successful horror franchises in history and has spawned arguably one of the most beloved and recognizable movie monsters in history in Jason Voorhees. The hockey mask clad, machete wielding killer has dispatched of more horny teens than you can shake a stick at and 35 years after the first film there is no sign of a popularity drop in sight.

Inspired and based upon the fantastic book of the same name, CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH is one of the finest film documentaries ever made. Documenting the 12 films and TV series under the FRIDAY THE 13TH banner that span three plus decades, this doc features sit down interviews with over 150 different cast, crew and executives from the series talking about the films, their experiences, the reception and legacy of the films they worked on.

Filled with great stories, outtake footage and more information then you can possibly soak up in a single viewing CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES has significant rewatch value and may only be trumped by the Nightmare On Elm Street series documentary "Never Sleep Again". CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES would be just a bit better if less time was spent discussing the plot of each film and more time was invested in behind the scenes stories and rare information nobody else besides cast and crew would know. This is a minor gripe and doesn't detract from my opinion on this documentary much at all. Oh and then there's Cory Feldman's narration that goes full blown Frog Brothers at points and it gets a little annoying... blah blah, just watch it and love it!

The Audio & Video
RLJ/Image Entertainment deliver a beautiful Blu-ray and it should be no different. Sit down interview segments should look sharp and pristine and they do here. There are some rougher areas throughout the film such as rare cut footage from the films that are in beaten and battered shape but the newly produced footage looks as it should. And it sounds as it should, with a simple but very well done mix job.

The Extras
An audio commentary track is included with the filmmakers of the documentary

The Bottom Line
This is an essential companion piece to your Friday The 13th collection and is heads and shoulders above the other Friday The 13th documentary called His Name Was Jason.

CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES is available HERE

CUB (Blu-ray Review) - Artsploitation Films

Belgium/2014
Directed By: Jonas Govaerts
Written By: Jonas Govaerts, Roel Mondelaers
Starring: Maurice Luijten, Evelien Bosmans, Titus De Voogdt
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: August 18, 2015

The Film
A cub scout troop takes a weekend camping trip to the forest where things take a turn for the worse when Sam who believes in the scary stories his troop leaders have told. After encountering a feral boy and his brutally psychotic father Sam's fears of the supernatural have become frighteningly real and the whole troop is in danger.

CUB touches on themes of fairy tales, ghost stories, urban legends and fantasy stories. It is a killer in the woods style slasher film without the campiness of many slashers. CUB is a mean film and it doesn't take more than a single look at how Sam is treated by just about everyone or the scene with Baloo's dog. Director Jonas Govaerts wasn't interested in making a horror film that plays nice with its audience. This is a visceral viewing experience.

The acting is quite good, especially for a cast made up mostly of young teens. There's never a single moment where I think that a character is acting or that any performance takes me out of the movie. It's all very natural and organic feeling in front of the camera. The great performances are aided by wonderful direction and cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis. But perhaps the best part of the film's visual look and soundscape is the score by Steve Moore of the synth rock band Zombi. Moore is no stranger to scoring films as he is responsible for the scores for The Guest and Gutterballs among other horror films. The electronic score perfectly adds to the emotion and feeling being visually expressed on screen without forcing itself upon the audience. It is perfectly melded into the movie so you pay just enough attention to the score itself to enhance the rest of the film.

The action in CUB starts a bit slow but the film never drags because of it. The characters are developed nicely so we learn enough about the handful of main characters so that we develop the proper feelings toward them without slowing down the entire film because of it. There's no shortage of horror and action in CUB even if it takes a bit to kick in to full gear and nobody and no thing is off limits. CUB has some excellent special effects on display with a mix of practical and mostly very well rendered CGI.

I can't speak highly enough of CUB. From viewing the trailer months ago I was anxious to see it but leery that I'd be let down as I frequently am from films that look promising from their trailer. Finding new high quality horror isn't as easy as it may have been at one time but the quality stuff is still out there and CUB is proof of that.

The Audio & Video
Artsploitation Films delivers CUB on Blu-ray in a beautiful full HD 1080p anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 scope transfer where colors are vibrant and skin tones are fleshy and natural. There's no signs of waxiness from excessive DNR or any signs of edge enhancement. Black levels are deep and inky and artifact and compression issue free. Detail level is strong and the picture is quite sharp. The Flemish and French audio track is handled by a very crisp and crystal clear 5.1 HD track with optional English subtitles. The audio is free of any distortions or background noise and sounds really nice and has a fantastic mix between dialogue and the score. The subtitles are timed perfectly and translated perfectly.

The Extras
-"Of Cats & Women" short film
-Deleted scenes
-Special effects reel
-Music Video
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
CUB is one of the best all around horror productions I've seen in the last five years and is five years from now we'll still be talking about it as one of the best horror films of the decade.

CUB is available HERE

LOST SOUL: The Doomed Journey Of Richard Stanley's The Island Of Dr. Moreau (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

USA/2014
Directed By: David Gregory
Starring: Richard Stanley, Fairuza Balk, Hugh Dickson
Color/100 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date:

The Film
In 1995 Richard Stanley was an and up and coming horror director with two successful films (Hardware, Dust Devil) under his belt when he got the opportunity to helm his dream project - an adaptation of The Island Of Doctor Moreau. The film was to be an epic, and production was a much larger scale than any production he had worked on previously including starring roles from Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. Unfortunately just days into the production Stanley's plan began to unravel and quickly became one of the most infamous film production disasters in history.

Featuring interviews with Richard Stanley, co-star Fairuza Balk, and numerous production members and executives LOST SOUL digs deep into the story behind this doomed production which turned into something quite different than Stanley's original vision. We learn of everything from Richard Stanley being removed from the project to his disappearance and just why Marlon Brando wears an ice bucket hat in the film that eventually got made.

LOST SOUL leaves no stone left unturned and immediately pushes you deep into the circus world that was the production of The Island Of Dr. Moreau. With each passing anecdote from the set, or the hotel, or the jungles of Australia that surrounded the cast and crew you bear witness to a drug fueled frenzy of huge egos, strange personalities and ample paychecks while wasting away under the sun. This major motion picture turned into a carnival of insanity and debauchery filled with human/animal hybrids, midgets and Brando.

This documentary chronicles the single most interesting film production story of all time. While it would have been interesting to see Richard Stanley's vision come to life we instead get what could be considered an opus of film production documentaries. And a damn entertaining one at that.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films delivers a gorgeous looking Blu-ray chock full of beautiful sit down interviews in pristine high definition and heaps of behind the scenes footage from the production that doesn't look as sharp and pretty but has clearly been upgraded to HD. The English audio is handled with a 2.0 Dolby Digital track that sounds crisp and clear. There's no damage to the audio track or any sort of background noise. A stellar A/V job overall.

The Extras
-Outtakes - extended interviews including a largely extended segment with Richard Stanley
-Graham Humphreys Concept Art Gallery w/ commentary by Richard Stanley
-Archive interview with John Frankenheimer
-"Barbara Steele Recalls Moreau" audio interview
-The Beast Of Morbido featurette
-The Hunt For The Compound featurette
-Boar Man Diary featurette
-Trailer

NOTE: A 3 Disc Blu-ray set is available which includes an expanded selection of special features such as a recently discovered German adaptation of Moreau from 1921, and a reading of the story by Richard Stanley and more.

The Bottom Line
One day yet we may get to see a version of Richard Stanley's vision come to life but until then (and who am I kidding, even after then) LOST SOUL is a critical piece of film documenting the strangest, wildest and perhaps biggest failure of a film production of all time.

LOST SOUL is available HERE

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

Italy/1982
Directed By: Enzo G. Castellari
Written By: Dardano Sacchetti, Elisa Livia Briganti, Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Mark Gregory, Vic Morrow, Fred Williamson
Color/92 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: June 30, 2015

The Film
The years is 1990 and the Bronx has been delcared a lost cause, no man's land. The only inhabitants are various gangs that fight for territory over the borough. When the daughter of a corrupt mega power in Manhattan runs away and joins Trash and his gang The Riders he sends in a mercenary and killing squads to retrieve his daughter and wage war on the gangs that have joined forces to fight back against their oppressors.

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS is a glorious piece of trashy action in the vein of Escape From New York and The Warriors but ramps up the violence ten fold and stands toe to toe with those classic films in terms of memorable characters. Mark Gregory's Trash, Fred Williamson's The Ogre and George Eastman's Golem are all quite colorful and classic. Vic Morrow is perfectly maniacal in the role of Hammer, the main mercenary.

Acting can be a bit hammy from time to time but it doesn't detract from the film at all in my opinion. This is a world built in the decaying slums that the rest of America has written off and the acting being a bit rough around the edges just adds to that world. What isn't rough around the edges is Castellari's direction, the man is an action film master. From fight fights and shootouts to flamethrower massacres 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS rollerskates (quite literally) around its clubhouses, subterranean hideouts and dramatic costumes with flair and elegance while remaining gritty and wild.

It's funny to me that a film such as this one may be viewed as a ripoff of certain other classic films that are certainly deserving of their status as classics but I would prefer to back to the "ripoff" time and time again. I have probably seen 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS more than a half dozen times and I keep coming back for more because it is a movie steeped in coolness. The sets, the actual Bronx locations, the characters, the score, they're all wrapped up into this little package with a ribbon tied around them by Enzo Castellari's direction that pulls it together into a brilliant package of trashy action.

The Audio & Video
Blue Underground is going to serve 25 to life because they killed it. This Blu-ray looks and sounds as good as looks and sound can look and sound. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is pretty much pristine. A gorgeously sharp picture quality is the base for vivid colors, a natural grain structure free of DNR or edge enhancement and fleshy, healthy skin tones. The English audio (optional English, French and Spanish subtitles) is handled with a DTS-HD Master Audio mono track that takes the original audio recording and makes it sound as beautifully crisp and clear as posisble. There's no damage or background noise so this is purely the prime example of how this film should sound.

The Extras
-Audio commentary by director/co-writer Enzo G. Castellari
-Enzo G. Castellari and Fabrizio De Angelis In Conversation Part 1 of 3 - a 14 minute conversation between the director and producer who have a lively and extremely entertaining and informative talk remembering their time spent making movies together including on 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS
-"Sourcing The Weaponry" - Enzo G. Castellari visits the Italian Weapons Rental House of Paolo Ricci - 12 minutes of Castellari and Ricci acting like two kids in a toy store sharing stories of making movies together and playing with all of the prop knives and guns.
-"Adventures In The Bronx" - Interview with actor/stuntman Massimo Vanni
-Theatrical trailers
-Poster and stills gallery
-DVD copy of the film

The Bottom Line
I love movies like this and this one is damn near the top of the mountain. When I heard Blue Underground was putting this one out on Blu-ray my excitement climbed with each passing day until I was able finally to view the disc and there was not a single moment of disappointment. From the technical side of the disc, to the great selection of special features this is not only essential viewing, it is a must buy.

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS is available HERE

Massacre Mafia Style (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

USA/1978
Directed By: Duke Mitchell
Written By: Duke Mitchell
Starring: Duke Mitchell, Vic Caesar, Louis Zito
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: March 10, 2014

The Film
Duke Mitchells stars as Mimi Micelli, the son of a mafia kingpin who decides to return to America leaving his baby son to be raised by his father. Mimi head's to Hollywood and quickly finds his niche in the organized crime family there, leaving a bloody mess nearly everywhere he goes. Eventually Mimi decides he wants to take down a major pimp they call "Super Spook" which gives Mimi and the gang all they can handle until Mimi decides to leave the crime in Hollywood behind and return home to his father and see his son who is now grown.

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE, also known as Like Father, Like Son, is the directorial debut from famed nightclub performer Duke Mitchell. Mitchell made this movie as an answer to The Godfather, promising more action and violence than the classic gangster film. Mitchell certainly delivered on that promise. If the opening and closing scenes of MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE don't leave a lasting impression on you I don't know what will. They are truly two of the most memorable scenes I've ever had the fortune to watch play out onscreen.

Just about every big plot device and main idea for mob movies are crammed into the 82 minute run time. Mitchell manages to get really solid performances and action sequences out of his limited budget. There's really no lull in MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE. It pushes and pushes until it all comes to a screeching halt at the end. The fact that much of this violence is set to extremely stereotypical Italian songs that you might hear at your local Olive Garden or at an old nightclub just makes it all that much better, if even a bit surreal.

If Duke Mitchell made MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE as an answer to The Godfather he certainly made a film I'd rather watch over The Godfather. While I can't say that this film is technically superior to the Francis Ford Coppola film, I can say that there's no doubt in my mind I would choose to watch this crazy violent, uber-exploitative take on the mafia movie nine times out ten. Hell, It'd probably be more like ninety nine times out of a hundred. It really is that good. Any and all fans of exploitation film need to see MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives the high-def treatment to MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE with a largely gorgeous anamorphic widescreen (16x9) transfer. Scanned from the original director's cut, the transfer features great detail, particularly in close-ups. Colors are vivid and natural while skin tones appear healthy without any waxiness. There's sporadic moments where the image shows a bit more wear from age, being a bit more washed out. These moments only make up a small percentage of the film and don't look bad enough to complain about. There's some scratches and speckling scattered throughout but the vast majority of the film looks fantastic. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is clean and crisp. I didn't notice any damage or background noise to the track. The mix is well done as the soundtrack and the dialogue are complimentary to one another.

Please note: Screen grabs have been taken from the DVD copy of the film and don't represent the glorious quality present on the Blu-ray.

The Extras
This 2 disc, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is loaded with special features, including...

-"Like Father, Like Son" - a featurette on Duke Mitchell and his son featuring interviews from friends and collaborators of Duke.
-Further interviews with Matt Cimber and Kim LoBianco
-Nearly an hour of Duke Mitchell home movies
-Lost audio recording of a live Duke Mitchell concert from June 9, 1960
-Theatrical trailers
-Radio Spots
-Still galleries
-Filmographies
-Grindhouse Releasing previews
-DVD-Rom extras including original screenplay and treatments for the film
-"An Impressionistic Tribute To Jimmy Durante" - A bonus TV special

And if that wasn't enough, a Blu-ray exclusive feature of BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. Yes, an HD presentation of the film in which Duke Mitchell makes his feature film debut.

The Bottom Line
It's been a long time coming and it was well worth the wait! This beautiful release from Grindhouse Releasing is a potential candidate for the best home video releases of the year!

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE is available HERE

God Told Me To (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

USA/1976
Directed By: Larry Cohen
Written By: Larry Cohen
Starring: Tony Lo Bianco, Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
A man sits perched atop a water tower in New York City armed with a rifle and opens fire on the lunch time crowds on the streets below, striking well over a dozen victims without a single miss. When detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) ascends the tower to try and talk the shooter down he asks what has made him commit this crime and the shooter responds simply with "God told me to." before hurling himself off the tower to his own death. Thus begins one of the strangest experiences you're ever going to have with a film.

Detective Peter Nicholas continues to investigate a bizarre string of killings plaguing the city where all of the murderers claim that God has instructed them to kill. Nicholas' investigation takes him on a strange journey of alien abduction and insemination, virgin births, unholy faith and more violence. It is only when he discovers his true connection to it all that he will be able to stop it.

GOD TOLD ME TO is a film that may only have been able to be made when it was made. Larry Cohen may have been king of the drive-in film with works such as The Stuff, Q The Winged Serpent, Black Caesar and the It's Alive trilogy to name just a few. GOD TOLD ME TO may be his best work however and quite possibly his weirdest. In what plays out like any detective crime story, we're thrown through a whirlwind blender of demonic horror and off the wall science fiction twists. Cohen's writing certainly had a more is more attitude with this film and it somehow all comes together and works. His tight, moody and sometimes stylish direction aids in that. In a film that perfectly shows off New York City's grittiness of the period it's worth noting as an accomplishment that he's also able to pull off perfectly lit and artistic shots with some heavy handed use of colored lighting.

Tony Lo Bianco and the rest of the cast that reads like a who's who of various eras of Hollywood, give everything they have to bring Cohen's script to life without a single ounce of cheese, ham or overacting. This film would fail if the actors corn balled up their performances and it is something that Larry Cohen wouldn't have allowed, especially with the talent he had on board. From Andy Kaufman's first screen appearance to Richard Lynch and Sylvia Sidney nobody misses a beat.

The fashion in which the story progresses will have the viewer fully locked in and engaged wondering just what the hell will happen next. It may take a minute (or more) to process some of the big turns the film takes but you know what? It's a blast and somehow Cohen pulls it all together for a fucking awesome piece of bizarre drive-in cinema.


The Audio & Video
Blue Underground's release of GOD TOLD ME TO is absolutely stunning. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer has been scanned in 4K from the original negative and the results couldn't be nicer. The print is clean and in excellent condition. Colors are vivid and pop off the screen in breathtaking fashion. There's substantial detail shown in textures, surfaces and close ups. Black levels are deep and inky and handled with skill as there's no blocking up whatsoever. Skin tones are healthy and natural without any sign of waxiness from excessive DNR.

The English audio track is handled with a 7.1 DTS-HD mix that is pretty much perfect. The mix is boisterous and powerful while featuring subtlety that allows for a perfect balance of dialogue and score. There's no damage to the track such as popping or crackling and there's no background noise. Frank Cordell's score was in perfect hands for this disc.

The Extras
A fairly extensive lineup of special features are included:

-Audio commentary with Larry Cohen
-"Heaven and Hell on Earth": An interview with Tony Lo Bianco
-"Bloody Good Times": An interview with special effects artist Steve Neill
-"God Told Me To Bone" - Q&A with Larry Cohen at the New Beverly Theater
-Lincoln Center Q&A with Larry Cohen
-Extensive selection of TV spots and trailers for the film's ad campaigns under both titles "God Told Me To" and "Demon"
-Poster and stills gallery

The Bottom Line
This will be a disc that future drive-in era exploitation film Blu-ray releases will held to. The incredible A/V presentation with a healthy selection of extras makes this Blue Underground release essential to any fan of horror, exploitation, or oddball cinema.

GOD TOLD ME TO is available HERE

Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide Part 2 (DVD Review) - Severin Films

UK/2014
Directed By: Jake West
Written By: Jake West
Color/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
Jake West follows up his acclaimed 2010 documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, which documented the 80+ horror and exploitation films that the BBFC cut, edited and outright banned from home video distribution. West is back with the follow up, VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS an equally entertaining and even more poignant look at the British Board of Film Classification's work during the mid-80s after the initial "scare" of these ostracized films up through 1999 and the overall impact it had on British culture.

DRACONIAN DAYS is packed with interviews from those who lived through the decade plus of abhorrent censorship that is quite difficult to believe happened in a fully developed first-world country as recently as 20 years ago. From film makers, to critics and fans who had their homes raided by police and their property seized as evidence, even to people that worked under the Director of the BBFC, James Ferman, who made it his personal mission to keep the morals of Great Britain safe and secure.

Censorship in the UK became so extreme that any weapon that was outlawed in the country, from ninja throwing stars, to nunchucks and cross bows had to be edited out of films, regardless of their content because of their imitability by children. This means that even the opening scene in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret Of The Ooze, a PG rated film made for kids of all ages was heavily cut because one of the heroes uses nunchucks to fight some villains. If you've seen the movie you know that the violence on display, especially that with the weapon in question is lighthearted, and comical, far from anything threatening to the minds of the beloved children.

In fact, that is what it seemed to boil down to - Will the purchase and viewing of these films in the home (whether a home has children or not was of no difference) leave the children at risk. The answer, at least to James Ferman, was "yes!". Ferman's power reached a tyrannical breaking point when he suggested that any film that could of questionable content to the youth be banned from private ownership on video and from private home viewing. Again, the question of whether a home had children living there did not matter. This proposal did not care on the purpose of a film or its artistic merit (I'll leave the debate of one film's artistic merit vs another film's for another day). This means that films widely held as classics like The Godfather or Schindler's List would be illegal for an adult to buy and watch in the comforts of their own living room. Luckily Ferman's team realized the wide reaching and frankly damning implications this would have and talked him out of it.

The fact remained however that many horror and exploitation films were just too damned violent, vile and disgusting for anyone to own and view in their uncut nature. Films underwent such heavy censorship that very little if any of the actual horror remained. What was left was some odd minutes of a totally illogical and disjointed group of scenes. Not only was the gory, nudity and violence removed the film itself had been destroyed in many cases. This didn't stop fans from seeking out these video tapes and acquiring them of course. Uncut releases from Germany and other areas of Europe were smuggled through customs and passed their dogs and fans would post ads in fan published magazines and newspapers with lists of what titles they had for sale or trade or their wishlists. The bootleg market boomed at this point and many video rental stores even had secret back rooms for trustworthy customers to get their fix.

This black market boom in illegal video tapes led to police raiding many homes, businesses and trade shows. Anywhere these contraband tapes were being stored, swapped or duplicated was subject to search and seizure. The accounts with this documentary are funny at times with many first hand accounts of collectors having their home raided and the police having no real idea of what they were doing with my personal favorite example being from contributor David Flint, author of "Babylon Blue" when he was raided and some 70 or 80 tapes were seized including some properly certified PG rated kids titles but hardcore porn was skipped over and "Nudie-Cuties" was taken but "Nudie-Cuties 2", which was right next to it on the shelf, was skipped over! 

James Ferman's hold on the BBFC ironically came to an end in 1999 shortly after he lifted the ban on hardcore porn. Yes, dear reader, the ownership and home viewing of pornography was illegal in Great Britain until 1999. In the years since Ferman resigned from his position the majority of the Video Nasties and the dozens upon dozens of titles associated with them have been passed uncut for home video in the UK and have received rather lavish releases on formats ranging from VHS and DVD to high definition Blu-ray.

THE VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS is a must-see documentary for any horror and exploitation fan as a piece of history for the genres but more importantly it is a work that all artists should view regardless of their medium to show that we'd be damned to let history repeat itself with this type of censorship. Jake West has made an important film that will stand the test of time as an article and example of what once was and hopefully will never be again in the world of censorship and art in the home.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films has released a nice overall set here with an anamorphic widescreen transfer that is sharp and has good color reproduction. The sit down interview footage obviously looks better than footage shot 15-30 years ago but even the older footage still looks fine. There's no damage or dirt with the source material. The English audio is handled through a mono track which is nothing special but it gets the job done with no background noise, popping or crackling. While the audio isn't dynamic it gets the information across perfectly which is what's important.

The Extras
Disc 1
-Fanzine Flashback - A gallery of classic covers from the prominent fanzines of the video nasties era.
-DPP 72: The Final 39 - A still gallery of video cassette covers of 39 of the 72 films that were successfully prosecuted and anyone found with these tapes would be liable for prosecution.
-DPP 82 - A still gallery of the "Section" 3 tapes that were not prosecutable despite being liable for seizure.

Disc 2
-Section 3 Films A-L: Trailers for each of the 82 "Section 3" films with lengthy introductions (optional). These introductions are closer to mini commentary tracks than simple intros!

Disc3
-Section 3 Films M-Z: Trailers for each of the 82 "Section 3" films with lengthy introductions (optional). These introductions are closer to mini commentary tracks than simple intros!

The Bottom Line
Every genre of film has a documentary or two that is essential viewing for that genre. THE VIDEO NASTIES: DRACONIAN DAYS is essential viewing for fans of exploitation and horror movies and will make an excellent addition to your collection especially next to Video Nasties: The Essential Guide previously released by Severin.

VIDEO NASTIES: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE: PART 2 is available HERE

The Guest (Blu-ray Review) - Universal Pictures

USA/2014
Directed By: Adam Wingard
Written By: Simon Barrett
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelley
Color/101 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: January 6, 2015

The Film
A family is surprised when a soldier named David Collins (Dan Stevens) arrives on their doorstep with a story of how he promised their son who died in combat that he would check in on his family. Instantly welcoming the handsome and charming young man the family quickly learns to love everything David has to offer until his true nature is revealed and David is a huge threat to anyone that comes in contact with him.

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett are the duo behind the 2013 horror film You're Next which received huge praise but failed to come anywhere close to the hype as far as I'm concerned. Seeing their name attached to this film did temper my expectations a bit despite seeing universal praise for THE GUEST among people that have my trust in their taste. Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett went from a director/writer duo that made a movie that I didn't understand the priase for to a duo that will now have my interest piqued when I hear their names attached to a project because I know what they're capable of making.

THE GUEST is a tense horror film, driven by strong performances from top to bottom that bring Simon Barrett's script to life. Dan Stevens is perfect in the lead role as he is endlessly likeable despite his obvious underlying menace. Adam Wingard's direction is tight, especially during the finale which takes place in a school gymnasium that is decorated like a haunted house. The score and soundtrack are among my favorite of any movie from the past several years. A pulsing synth driven soundtrack almost acts as its own character at times and is much more than just a mood setter. It manages to get under the viewer's skin and into your mind as you watch the film.

There's also a lot of violence on display as David Collins is every bit the soldier he claimed to be and much more as an entire squad of Military Police are dispatched to bring him in and blood and bullets fly. THE GUEST is not a particularly long movie, clocking in at a rather average 101 minutes but it is a film that builds tension within the viewer with each passing moment and it gets stronger and stronger until it erupts and you see why THE GUEST is one of the best films of 2014.

The Audio & Video
Universal Pictures takes a film that was gorgeously shot and uses that photography to turn out a gorgeous Blu-ray. THE GUEST shines in HD with vibrant colors that almost jump off the screen without popping too much. Skin tones are fleshy and natural with excellent detail in tight shots. Detail remains strong throughout in various surfaces and textures. Black levels are handled skillfully with no compression issues or blocking and they're deep and inky. There's no DNR or edge enhancement. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5. 1 track sounds wonderful. The mix is robust and the excellent score/soundtrack pounds through the speakers almost as a character of its own. The mix between music and dialogue is perfect and overall quality is crystal clear. You really can't ask for a better A/V presentation. 

The Extras
-Audio commentary with director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett
-Q&A with star Dan Stevens
-Deleted Scenes with option commentary by the director

The Bottom Line
Plenty of movies get hyped to the max every year but few are deserving of the praise. THE GUEST is absolutely deserving of all the hype and praise it has received and you absolutely should go pick up the Blu-ray release and see this awesome movie for yourself.

THE GUEST is available HERE

Christmas Evil (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1980
Directed By: Lewis Jackson
Written By: Lewis Jackson
Starring: Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn, Dianne Hull
Color/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: November 18, 2014

The Film
Santa comes down your chimney to deliver a sack full of gifts under the tree and to stuff your stocking with candy and toys. He notices you watching and gives you a friendly little wink. Shortly after you catch the big guy from the North Pole putting the moves on your mom and he has his face buried between her legs. Can you think of anything seedier? Well CHRISTMAS EVIL goes there and beyond.

As a child Harry witnesses that raunchiness happen and years later, as a full grown man he's obsessed with Christmas. His apartment is covered in holiday decor, he spies on neighborhood children keeping detailed "Naughty" and "Nice" books just like Santa would and even works in a toy factory. Harry's fragile mind suffers a bit of a meltdown when he is used for free labor by a co-worker and realizes everyone thinks he is a bit of a nut job. Harry goes into full "Santa Mode" by painting his work van like a sleigh, donning the outfit and fulfilling his lists of "nice" and punishing the "naughty" before he escapes in one of the most surreal ending ever committed to film.

CHRISTMAS EVIL is a brilliantly disturbing piece of holiday cinema. Director Lewis Jackson fully captures the darker side to the holiday where adults party, get drunk and sort of hate their lives while they wait for the cold months to pass. He also captures the innocence of the child's mind as the children love the happy-go-lucky, whimsical Harry who is obsessed with Yuletide cheer, and even defend him as he is in the middle of his murderous rampage. Santa Claus is a symbol of innocence and happiness and it is easy for the kids to see nothing but that in the obviously disturbed face of Harry. You don't have to look beyond that to see the sheer brilliance in this film.

The acting, including Jeffrey DeMunn who plays Harry's brother and went on to be an alumni of the hit TV series The Walking Dead, is pretty damn spot on. A first time viewing of the film should leave the audience with a somewhat bewildered smile on their face that shows their appreciation for not quite knowing what they've just watched. Yes, CHRISTMAS EVIL is a horror film, but You Better Watch Out (original title reference/pun!) if you think that is all it has to offer. The ending is quite obviously a trip in to the mind of our deranged antagonist Harry, but it serves well on more than one level.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome keeps the film's original aspect ratio with their 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, 4K transfer. The transfer is an overall improvement to even the best DVD releases this film has received but could be stronger. The image quality is on the softer side for much of the film, leaving the sharpness and overall detail quality a bit below exceptional quality. That isn't to say that the transfer is weak, because with improved detail in skin tone and closeups on faces and textures along with colors that pop just enough without burning too hot the Blu-ray is an upgrade. It just doesn't bring the "wow factor" that VS has become known for, especially given this disc's 4K treatment.

The lone audio option is a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that sounds excellent. There's no issues with distortions, hiccups or other damage to the track here. The dialogue and score compliment each other nicely and the audio side to this disc probably couldn't have been handled any better.

The Extras
There's no new features here to the Synapse disc but it does port over everything...
-Audio commentary with director Lewis Jackson
-Audio commentary with Lewis Jackson and cult icon John Waters
-Archival interview with Lewis Jackson and Brandon Maggart
-Deleted Scenes
-Original theatrical trailer
-Actor screen tests
-Vintage test screening comment cards
-Storyboards gallery

The Bottom Line
I don't know if it is the Baltimore in me or what, but like John Waters, CHRISTMAS EVIL has been my favorite Christmas movie since my first viewing of it years ago. My love for this movie only grows stronger with each viewing as it somehow manages to get a little bit stranger with each viewing. This Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome may not be a mind blowing revelation for the film but it is the best the movie has looked on home video and features artwork that reminds me of the Krampus (which is always a good thing) and ports over all of the extras from previous releases. This is the best release on the market for this strange, seedy and special holiday film.

CHRISTMAS EVIL is available HERE

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (40th Anniversary Blu-ray Review) - Dark Sky Films

USA/1974
Directed By: Tobe Hooper
Written By: Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal, Allen Danziger
Color/84 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: September 16, 2014

The Film
What can I say about THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE that hasn't been said a thousand times already? This maniacal film about a group of young adults looking for a fun weekend at their grandparents old house who are terrorized and tortured by a depraved cannibal family in a small secluded Texas town is among my top 15 favorite films of all time. It is a perfect film in every way. It is violent and sick but notably light on blood or gore. There's no need for shock value here as all of the film's scares lie in the writing and performances by a group that was being driven to the brink of insanity by an endlessly oppressive Texas summer heatwave and the stench of real rotting animal corpses dressing the set. This actual madness that the cast had descended into is easily felt through the screen by the audience and I'm hard pressed to come up with another film quite like it in that way.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is as scary, weird and gross as it was 40 years ago when it was unleashed on the world. It is also as perfect in every way. Age has not cracked the film's shell and exposed flaws or dated it in any way. This film is timeless and I have no doubt it will be as effectively horrifying at its 80th anniversary as it is today at 40.

This film has received incredible amounts of merchandising over the years from video games on the Atari system to action figures, drink mugs, artwork, t-shirts, Halloween costumes and more. Of course home video releases rule and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE has been released on every format from Betamax to Laserdisc and even had a CED release. Perhaps most of all though, it has had numerous releases on DVD and Blu-ray including Collector's Editions, Anniversary Editions, Ultimate Editions, Special Editions... you name it and it probably had an edition. I've owned a few of these editions and while many of them are quite nice as far as technical presentation of the film and special features are concerned, none of them hold a candle to this new 40th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray set.

The Audio & Video
Dark Sky Films has done great work with TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE in their past editions of the film but they've now given us the definitive edition. The new 4K presentation of the film takes the pretty damn good looking previous Blu-ray and blows it out of the water. There's a beautiful film quality to the picture which has a very sharp look with a lovely natural color palette. Skin tones look fleshy and healthy and the anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 transfer has come from source material that was in excellent and very clean condition. There are a number of audio options, including a Dolby TrueHD 7.1, 5.1, 2.0 and the original Mono mix. Depending on if you want to work out your home theater system or listen to the original mix you're in for a treat. The mixes are all well done and crystal clear. There's never any instances of levels fluctuating and there's no annoying background noise or popping or crackling. I'll sum up my thoughts on the A/V with a resounding "hell yes!"

The Extras
Disc 1:
-Audio commentary with: Tobe Hooper, actor Gunnar Hansen, Cinematographer Daniel Pearl
-Audio commentary with: Actors Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger and Paul A Partain and Production Designer Robert Burns
-New audio commentary with Tobe Hooper
-New audio commentary with Daniel Pearl, Editor J. Larry Carroll and Sound Recordist Ted Nicolaou

Disc 2:
-The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth
-Flesh Wounds: Seven Stories Of The Saw
-A Tour Of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre House with Gunnar Hansen
-Off The Hook with Teri McMinn
-The Business Of Chain Saw: An interview with Production Manager Ron Bozman
-New deleted scenes and outtakes
-Grandpa's Tales: An interview with John Dugan
-Cutting Chain Saw: An interview with Editor J. Larry Carroll
-Deleted scenes and outtakes
-Blooper reel
-Outtakes from "The Shocking Truth"
-Horror's Hallowed Grounds
-Dr. W.E. Barnes Presents "Making Grandpa"
-Still gallery
-Trailer selection
-TV spots
-Radio spots

Discs 3 and 4 are DVD versions of the film and special features

The Bottom Line
By now do you need to hear anything else? I sure hope not because a perfect film with a damn near perfect presentation and a metric shit ton of extras shouldn't take too much thought. Go get it. 

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION BLU-RAY is available HERE

Hole In The Wall (2014)

I couldn't wait to sit down and write this review upon finishing the film. I wanted to talk about HOLE IN THE WALL with anyone I could. Unfortunately for me very few people have seen it at this point so I will talk to myself about it in this review. Sit back dear reader, and enjoy until you get the chance to view this wonderfully offensive film.

HOLE IN THE WALL is an anthology film with the only rules being filth, sleaze and horror. The film starts with "A Message From The Underground", a PSA style message to the audience that really should be taken to heart. If you're at all unsure if you want, or more importantly should, view this film, heed this warning. The film gets underway with "The Plainfield Chopper" as a man dragging a wrapped body into his barn while a weird boy watches him. The boy is invited up to experience death. We visit this duo repeatedly through the film as it serves as the wrap around to the various other stories in the film. Each time we come back they are a bit further along in their sadistic fun with the body, making sure not to lose a drop of the blood because the blood makes everything better.

The first chapter of the anthology goes straight for the jugular. The viewer, along with their stomach and their morals are put to the test with "Scumbag". If you manage to make it passed this diabolical delight of bizarre sadism, animal cruelty, necrophilia and murder you may continue with the rest of HOLE IN THE WALL. You'll have to get passed scenes involving shit, semen and blood all with sex and violence mixed in. I promise you'll never look at your fingers the same way again.

Congratulations if you made it with your lunch in tact. And if you didn't, you can live out the rest of HOLE IN THE WALL vicariously through the rest of this review.

"Ed Gein D.D.S." is next and shows what happens when you resurrect an infamous serial killer through black magic and he has a penchant for practicing his own brand of dental work on his victims. This is an uncomfortably brutal take on the already violent and disturbing history of the infamous serial killer. Then comes "Last Dance", a sexually charged piece of filth straight out of John Waters' world. I hope you're prepared to see anything you can imagine because it is possible that "Last Dance" has it and makes sure you're repulsed by it. "Last Dance" is a snow covered descent in to a fucked up family filled with sex and madness.

By this point you've either gone to confessional and been told to say 1,000 Hail Marys or you've lost all inhibitions and are well on your way to become a drooling raving maniac. It's okay to admit that you've thrown up, turned of the film and turned it back on because you just can't look away.

You've been welcomed back with "Siren" a surreal and psychedelic piece of drug fueled horror with victims far and wide. I love "Siren" for the fact that it can easily be taken as a straight forward horror film or a piece of psychological horror using drug use as the catalyst for driving someone to the brink of insanity. We learn the origins of the Chopper in our wrap around story in "Our Song Is My Blade" as a ghostly woman and her disembodied voice haunts a man telling him to kill, and kill he does. "Our Song..." is beautifully violent and brings the story full circle to an over the top climax of blood and guts that looks like it is straight out of an H.G. Lewis film. And just when you think you've survived HOLE IN THE WALL there's a last punch to the gut post credits with "Glory Hole". It is quick but it will certainly have you re-thinking not walking out during the credits.

HOLE IN THE WALL pushes the limits of decency in ways that haven't been seen since films of the 1970s. It is filled with disgusting, despicable and depraved content and is a purely fucked up film. HOLE IN THE WALL doesn't solely rely on being gross and offensive though, there are some truly creative and artistic moments in both the writing and direction of these shorts. From the character interaction in Derrick Carey's "The Plainfield Chopper" that comes off organically with the Chopper almost becoming a teacher of sorts to his new "apprentice", to the heavily colored lighting and direction by Carolyn Baker in "Siren". Derrick Carey showed more directorial skill with the haunting work in "Our Song Is My Blade" with the ghostly voice over work and shots of the woman driving the man to kill.

We shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that this movie isn't a total gross out though and that is the case with Greg Johnson's "Last Dance". If someone didn't know better they could easily mistake this for something John Waters made in the 60s or 70s. It oozes of the Dreamlanders and Waters' signature sleaze. And fans of more straight forward horror will find plenty of it to enjoy with Cory Udler's ridiculously vicious "Ed Gein D.D.S". When I first heard the title to this short I had no idea what to expect but I half expected some sort of weird spoof. I was happy to find that wasn't the case and it is just an off the wall title for an off the wall piece of nastiness.

The film closes making sure the viewer knows that HOLE IN THE WALL is all about being gross and offensive and filled with motherfucking sleaze in the cherry on top that is Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield's "Glory Hole". I can't say enough about HOLE IN THE WALL it goes places that most filmmakers don't dare think about, let alone actually make and release.

It isn't uncommon for anthology films to be a bit disjointed and lacking in quality throughout but that is not the case here. While the shorts provide the viewer a great mix of content and tone, it is all filthy. Even when there are bits of comedy thrown in it fits the overall tone of HOLE IN THE WALL completely without yelling "I''m fucking funny please laugh at me!" at the viewer. The humor that is present is sick and will make you question if you should laugh, if you're even able to laugh instead of still processing what you've already seen.

HOLE IN THE ALL is a filthy horror anthology made in full by Wisconsin based filmmakers. If this is what drinking the waters of Wisconsin will have you make and enjoy I need to relocate ASAP because I fucking loved this movie. HOLE IN THE WALL is a quality blend of sleazy horror and fantastic filmmaking that strikes many different chords in perfect harmony. HOLE IN THE WALL is ready to turn the independent horror world on its fucking head. I can't wait to get a chance to own this film. 

You can find out more information on the film such as release dates, festival screenings and more at the film's official Facebook page HERE

Cannibal Holocaust (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Italy/1980
Directed By: Ruggero Deodato
Written Gianfranco Clerici
Starring: Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen
Color/95 Minutes/Unrated
Region FREE
Release Date: July 1, 2014

The Film
There are few films in the world with a reputation like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. Few films have been banned for their grotesque nature and brutality they show on screen yet so heavily praised for being an expertly crafted piece of cinema with a far deeper meaning than its shock cinema label will let you believe. A first time viewing of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will definitely leave you with a memory of the film. From the extreme violence, and gory effects to the completely real killing of animals on screen. Your stomach will turn, you'll want to look away, and perhaps you will. If you're watching the film for the first time with more than violence and shock on your mind maybe you will begin to see the true depth to CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is absolutely an exploitation picture. It goes all the way and back again. Ruggero Deodato was even put on trial for murdering cast members and he had to prove their existence to escape conviction. It was that believable. It is no surprise that even to this day audiences are in shock and awe over this film and may not be entirely sure exactly what is real but beyond the savages, the gunning down of natives, the extreme ways in which people are killed, the beheading and shooting of animals, the people being impaled and general jungle horror within the film, lies a single question at the end of the film - "I wonder who the real cannibals are?".

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is brilliant in every way. Ruggero Deodato was no stranger to the cannibal film at this time having previously made Last Cannibal World (aka Jungle Holocaust) in 1977 but this time he made something bigger than an exploitation film. The late Riz Ortolani produced a beautiful and at times haunting score for the film. The cast was pushed to their limits, literally in tears at times during the production over things they had to do. It was an all around effort by everyone involved to give 100% and make this film and although Deodato has said in recent years that he wishes he hadn't made the film I think the world of film, and perhaps in a small way the world itself would be a bit worse off if that was the case. It is true that despicable things were done in the film. Did animals need to die on screen? No, but they did. And they were eaten. It doesn't make it any less horrific but the impact it has on the viewer on a visceral level can't be measured. And that impact leads to deeper thinking and the importance the film brings.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST its first uncut Blu-ray ever with a stunningly gorgeous anamorphic widescreen transfer. Detail levels are incredibly strong from faces to textures of clothing and other items. Colors are simply stunning, from the lush green jungles to the brown skin of the natives and bright blue skies. Even the 16mm handheld camera footage looks very good, without question the best it ever has. Thankfully Grindhouse Releasing knows what they're doing and didn't destroy the film by scrubbing it clean. This Blu-ray is still grainy but it's a natural and attractive film grain, and not dirt and damage. The DTS-HDMA 2.0 track is in English, the natural langauge of the film, and sounds magnificent. The mix, of dialogue, score and surrounding sounds of the jungle are all handled skillfully as to compliment each other without ever becoming intrusive even at their most extreme. Levels are stable and the crispness to this audio track is just lovely. 

The Extras
I could go on and on about the special features presented here in this 3 disc set, instead I'll simply break down each disc's content.

Blu-ray disc 1:
-Original uncut version of the film
-"Animal friendly" version of the film
-Audio commentary with director Ruggero Deodato and star Robert Kerman
-Audio commentary with stars Carl Yorke and Francesca Ciardi
-Large selection of trailers for Cannibal Holocaust

Blu-ray disc 2:
-11 interviews with key cast and crew members
-Large selection of extensive still galleries
-Selection of additional Grindhouse Releasing trailers

CD soundtrack

The Bottom Line
It is official, there is no better way to watch CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST than this release unless you have a pristine 35mm copy and place to project it. I can't come up with a single flaw against this release, from the brilliant A/V quality to loads of special features and the inclusion of the entire soundtrack. This will go down as one of, if not the best release of 2014 by any company anywhere in the world. 

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is available HERE

Jodorowsky's Dune

USA/2013
Directed By: Frank Pavich
Starring: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger
Color/90 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: July 1, 2014

The Film
After becoming king of the midnight movie with films such as El Topo and the absolute masterpiece The Holy Mountain, Alejandro Jodorowsky set his sights to make a film that would change the world. He wanted to adapt Frank Herbert's novel Dune. Having never read the book Jodorowsky came up with his own interpretation of the story, gathered his "spiritual warriors" that would help create it with him including artists Moebius and H.R. Giger and special effects man Dan O'Bannon and they painstakingly created the film as it would be shot, angle for angle, shot for shot in hand drawn sequences. They would use this book of Dune to shop the film around to various Hollywood studios. The problem? This was the most ambitious project ever undertaken. Studios didn't get Jodorowsky, they didn't want to give him the fifteen million dollars to make the film and Jodorowsky refused to change anything about the film. Even saying if he wants it to be twelve hours then it will be twelve hours.

That was 1975, nearly forty years later and the film Dune was not directed by Jodorowsky, or made by his team of warriors. The equally talented David Lynch was hired for the project but nothing good came of it as the studios had their way and the film sucked. JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is a gripping documentary about this film that was never made but much like the film that was never made this documentary is much more. This is 90 minutes to sit down with some of the most talented artists around, especially Jodorowsky. Listening to Alejandro Jodorowsky talk is an experience in itself. He will enlighten you, motivate you and totally captivate you. From the passion that still burns within him for a project that didn't work out four decades ago, to the satisfaction he has taken in how his version of Dune has single handedly influenced Hollywood like no other film has, produced or not.

JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is entertaining, you will laugh and smile and you will wonder why nobody was willing to roll the dice on this picture that could have made them a fortune. Or totally bankrupted them. I see Hollywood rolling the dice on films of much less significance all the time yet nobody would let Jodorowsky's creation come to fruition. And that is what Jodorowsky did, create. He did not simply make a movie, he created it. And his Dune created a lot even if it was never made.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray of JODOROWSKY'S DUNE from Sony is gorgeous. The film was made in in 2012 and 2013 and looks excellent from the sit down interviews to the animated sequences using the drawings from Jodorowsky's Dune book. The image is very sharp and crisp with gorgeous colors. The English audio track (sometimes subtitled for various other languages being spoken) is a DTS-HD 5.1 track and sounds equally beautiful. There's no background noise or any audible annoyances and it is a perfect mix with perfectly timed subtitles. 

The Extras
45 minutes worth of deleted scenes are included

The Bottom Line
JODOROWSKY'S DUNE may not only be the best documentary about a film never made, it may be the most important documentary on any single film ever. There's so much to love and enjoy in this film that I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is a must watch.

JODOROWSKY'S DUNE is available HERE