PREYHSTERIA! (Blu-ray Review - Full Moon)

USA/1993
Directed By: Charles Band, Albert Band
Written By: Michael Davis
Starring: Austin O'Brien, Brett Cullen, Colleen Morris
Color/83 Minutes/PG
Region Free
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Rico Sarno is a crooked collector and dealer of antiques and finds a stash of unhatched dinosaur eggs in a South American temple. He brings them back but mixes up the cooler he's keeping them in with that of frequent customer Frank Taylor (Brett Cullen). Frank's kids discover the mix up and take care of the hatchlings after the family dog incubates the eggs and try to keep their discovery a secret but Rico and his henchman turn the Taylor's life upside down and put their lives in jeopardy to get his dinosaurs back.

PREHYSTERIA! is a video store era family classic that cashed in on the building buzz surrounding the release of Jurassic Park very similarly to how production companies like The Asylum operate today. Instead of trying for a mock blockbuster Charles Band, ever the businessman, went in the direction of a children's adventure movie keeping costs low. Austin O'Brien stars as Jerry Taylor, and he's a face that you certainly recognize as he was a go-to child lead in that era having also starred in Last Action Hero and My Girl 2. He's a good lead that any kid can connect with as he rips on his older, cooler sister played by Samantha Mills in what seems to be her final screen acting credit. The siblings end up bonding over their little baby dinos including T-Rex, Triceratops, and "the flying one" among others.

I remember PREHYSTERIA! fondly, it's one of the earliest introductions to Full Moon and their children's imprint Moonbeam Films that I have and it was definitely a favorite that you'll find people in their late 20s to mid 30s remembering renting at the video store even if they grew up to have no interest in Charles Band or cult film at all. That's the type of power and pull a lot of the Moonbeam titles had over kids looking up at the seemingly endless rows of tapes for rent. My excitement dwindled and dwindled as I rewatched the movie however. It became pretty clear that PREHYSTERIA! might not be the rip-roaring prehistoric adventure I remember and by the end I was honestly surprised by just how little there is going on in the movie. There's a couple wacky scenes of dino shenanigans and one scene of the family really being attacked by Rico but this plays more like a two-part TV episode than a feature film and even at that I'm not sure I would have tuned back in after the "to be continued" screen flashed at the end of part one. Some dinosaur eggs are better left buried in the past and it pains me to say that PREHYSTERIA! is one of them.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon finally brings their children's label Moonbeam Films fan favorite to Blu-ray with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks solid overall with good colors and clean, warm transfer. The high definition transfer has been remastered from the original 35mm negative but at times lack truly excellent detail depth. The audio is presented with two options, a 5.1 surround track and a 2.0 digital stereo track. There's not much going on in the movie in terms of exciting or flashy sound design or effects so either track really does the movie justice. The quality is solid, free of any distracting distortions or background noise.

The Extras
Special features include a commentary track by star Austin O'Brien and director Charles Band and the original Videozone featurette.

The Bottom Line
PREHYSTERIA! has received a suitable Blu-ray release to give all of us that remember the film from its video store days a trip down memory lane but unfortunately once the nostalgia wears off you'll find out that there's really not much going on in PREHYSTERIA! and it's better left as a childhood memory.

PREHYSTERIA! is available HERE

ROBOT WARS (Full Moon Blu-ray Review)

USA/1993
Directed By: Albert Band
Written By: Jackson Barr
Starring: Don Michael Paul, Barbara Crampton, James Staley
Color/72 Minutes/R
Region Free
Release Date: January 2, 2018

The Film
In a dystopian future America is split into two blocs with opposing views and they're both the target of a band of pirates. Though peace between the blocs has reigned and the mega robots once used for war are now mere tourist attractions and public transportation and the once heroic pilots are now little more than chauffeurs, a diplomat has secret plans to wage war with the robots and take control of the world. It's up to Barbara Crampton who co-stars as a journalist to uncover the secret plans and warn everyone in time for Drake (Don Michael Paul) to prove he's still the tough pilot he claims to be.

ROBOT WARS was the first Full Moon release of 1993 and may have got lost a bit in the shuffle of a strong year for the studio because I don't hear it talked about too often in Full Moon discussions and that's a shame because it really is an entertaining film. Albert Band directs this stop motion sci-fi romp that stars Don Michael Paul and Barbara Crampton. It is Crampton, who should be no stranger to Full Moon fans as she appeared in Trancers 2 and would go on to star in Castle Freak, among others, that carries the film and really brings a veteran prowess to the screen. It is also her character that really advances the movie along. Albert Band rarely gives us anything especially stylish from a directorial standpoint but he does competently capture the action and give us a good view of the world they've created and interesting set pieces.

But for all of the comments we can make on acting and set design what we really care about is the robot action. After all, this movie is called ROBOT WARS and the artwork promises a giant humanoid robot fighting a giant scorpion robot with lasers and explosions. Well at only 72 minutes ROBOT WARS is a quick one and though one of my main gripes with the film is that most of the time we see the robots they are relegated to taxicab status as they transport tourists around, they did manage to fit in a few really great stop motion animation fight sequences and those are obviously the best parts of the film. David Allen made a name for himself doing special effects work from the 70s through his death in 1999 and collaborated with Charles Band for the first time on 1978's Laserblast but some of his best stop motion sequences can be found right here in ROBOT WARS. The fight scenes are very well done and the robots themselves look great. How awesome are the scorpion and mastodon bots? Bad. Ass. I would have loved for this movie to give us another 15 minutes of robot fighting but budgetary constraints made that impossible. I understand the disappointment some viewers may have that there isn't more robot action, I'm right there with ya but what we get is fantastic and the rest of the movie serves up some good laughs so it's not like it's a waiting game to get to the good stuff.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon restores yet another of their video store era classics with a new full HD anamorphic widescreen transfer which gives way to a very nice looking picture and certainly the best you've seen it look in your living room. There is some speckling and very minor dirt/debris but the picture is very sharp. Detail is high in all aspects but especially in closeups of faces and set dressing which at times does reveal it to be a bit cheap in its construction - A lovable detail for sure. Colors are vibrant and skin tones are natural and fleshy with no signs of waxiness from excessive DNR. The Blu-ray is presented with 5.1 digital surround sound and it sounds very nice. The mix is solid and steady with no volume fluctuation and the score and dialogue are mixed nicely. There's no background noise or distortions to speak of.

The Extras
-The Wizard Of Wars: Remembering David Allen - 11 minute featurette with Charles Band in honor of special effects artist David Allen who did the stop motion animation on ROBOT WARS.
-Vintage 1997 Full Moon Promo
-Original Videozone featurette - A half hour behind the scenes feature straight from the VHS days of Full moon

The Bottom Line
ROBOT WARS is the exact type of movie to bring you back to your childhood of roaming the video store shelves and picking out a movie based solely on its cover. ROBOT WARS delivers exactly what's on the cover. And just take a look at that cover.

ROBOT WARS is available HERE

HIDEOUS - Blu-ray Review (Full Moon)

USA/1997
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Neal Marshall Stevens
Starring: Michael Citriniti, Rhonda Griffin, Mel Johnson Jr.
Color/85 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: March 13, 2017

The Film
When Dr. Lorca acquires the new pride and joy of his medical oddity collection, a mutant born from toxic waste, the monster's "rightful owner" comes looking for him and what ensues is a battle of wealthy oddballs fighting over an army of angry mutant creatures all while trapped inside a mansion.

The opening scene of HIDEOUS felt like something new and different than the Full Moon film's I've come to know. A crew of sewage workers are cleaning some sort of massive tank for anything that shouldn't be in there- trash, money, bodies, etc... It's when they find a gross, slime covered organic being that is living and the real plot of the movie begins. The opening felt raw, and I imagined the film to be headed to the city streets in some fashion, an area totally foreign to Full Moon films. Seeing these monsters run amok in a gritty urban setting regardless of what plot wrapped around it would have been fun and fresh. Unfortunately as soon as the monster is found we head back to familiar territory and the movie instantly looks and feels like a Charles Band production, complete with a score from his Brother Richard which doesn't particularly fit the tone of the movie.

To this point I'm faulting HIDEOUS for what it is not instead of focusing on what it is and that is because the film is an absolute bore for most of the first two acts. Aside from a totally silly scene involving a topless woman in a gorilla mask there's not much going on besides a pair of wealthy men arguing about who is more deserving of this new creature and their various employees and partners running around doing their bidding. Eventually everyone ends up locked inside a mansion and the critters take a bit of revenge on them all in an extremely unsatisfying fashion with perhaps the best scene being one of the mutants sticking the sex-obsessed rich bitch with a group of porcupine like quills right in the ass which leads to a scene in which she gets them removed one by one while over the knee of Mr. Lazar.

I guess when you buy a castle in Romania to be your soundstage and studio you make sure you use it and get your money's worth but this is a case where I really think HIDEOUS sets up, even if only barely hinting at it in my mind, a more exciting and as far as Full Moon is considered, original, film than this movie that could easily be another Puppet Master sequel by swapping the mutants out for Blade and his puppet pals. The mutant creatures have a great design and look really good on film and I'm really disappointed we don't get to see more of them and more from them. These little guys should have been given the chance to shine but they're overshadowed by a script that is entirely too talky and too slow with not enough pay off.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon delivers a fine looking Blu-ray with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that has a sharp picture and a nice film look. There is some scattered speckling and light damage still present but nothing substantial or distracting. Colors are vibrant and natural while black levels are deep. The English audio is presented in a 5.1 surround mix that sounds crisp and is free of any distortions or level fluctuations. There's no background noise to speak of and overall this is among the best looking at sounding Blu-rays from Full Moon to date.

The Extras
Extra features include a commentary track with actors Mel Johnson Jr and Michael Citriniti along with a vintage behind the scenes Videozone featurette. A selection of trailers for other Full Moon titles rounds out the supplemental material.

The Bottom Line
HIDEOUS has some really interesting creatures and decent production values but sells itself short by being an all too familiar, run of the mill Full Moon production that even leaves us unsatisfied as far as monster action goes.

HIDEOUS is available HERE

THE CREEPS (Full Moon) - Blu-ray Review

USA/1997
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Neal Marshall Stevens
Starring: Rhonda Griffin, Justin Lauer, Bill Moynihan
Color/74 Minutes/PG-13
Region FREE
Release Date: February 21, 2017

The Film
A nervous but altogether mad scientist has been stealing original manuscripts of some of the world's most notorious horror fiction including Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in order to bring these legendary characters to life to gain power. He successfully summons Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Mummy, the only problem is that he made an error in the process and each of the monsters is a mini three feet tall. Now he needs a virgin to gain full control over the monsters and bring them to their full size and power.

THE CREEPS is an oddball black comedy horror film from director Charles Band. The film is very subdued in its violence with even the worst scene that involves a woman strapped naked to a table and subjected to an experiment that lands her in another dimension being notably light and almost breezy, never feeling mean or exploitative at all. The tone of the film holds it back from being a more successful and entertaining picture than if it went for a more horrific angle. I never felt that the monsters, who have a nicely designed classic look led by Phil Fondacaro as Dracula, were a true threat and the film does little to ever change that with the monsters pulling off more hijinx than scares.

Laughs are held in higher regard in THE CREEPS with Bill Moynihan starring as the stuttering, nervous and inept mad scientist being written solely for comedy or at least that is how it seems. Rhonda Griffin and Justin Lauer star as the main protagonists, a librarian trying to track down her stolen books and the private detective she hired from the back of a video store and they have a good chemistry on screen. The acting is all very hammy though but it fits the campy nature of the picture. When the dust settles I really wish THE CREEPS would have had some darker and more intense moments to really break up the monotony and one note tone of the film. It's not bad but it isn't among Full Moon's best output.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon has restored their film from the original 35mm camera negative for its high definition debut and it's never looked better. The overall image has a decent sharpness that leads to good detail levels. The film as a whole is a bit on the darker side in terms of lighting and there are some softer shots but overall the film looks nice and is a noticeable upgrade. The audio is crisp and without distortion or damage. Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 surround audio options are available.

The Extras
Special features include the original Videozone behind the scenes featurette from 1997 and a selection of trailers.

The Bottom Line
This new Blu-ray release is a nice visual upgrade over previously available editions but this isn't among the classic Full Moon titles.

THE CREEPS is available HERE

HEAD OF THE FAMILY (Blu-ray Review) - Full Moon

USA/1996
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Charles Band, Neal Marshall Stevens
Starring: Blake Adams, Jacqueline Lovell, J.W. Perra
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: December 20, 2016

The Film
Loretta is having an affair with Lance and they're looking for a way to knock off Loretta's husband Howard who is the toughest guy in town. When they spot the local family of weirdos disposing of a body from their truck they get an idea to enter into business with the Stackpools but then Lance finds out their secret that they're quadruplets with one specific human trait each including super strength, incredible beauty, highly sensitive senses and massive intelligence. The smart one is the leader of the group, a massive cranium with a tiny body rolling around in a wheel chair... this is only the beginning of the weirdness.

HEAD OF THE FAMILY is a total oddball science fiction horror film steeped in dark comedy. It is easily one of Full Moon's best productions. The script is strong and well written with genuinely funny moments along with a likable pair of protagonists in Lance and Loretta. Jacqueline Lovell is gorgeous and adds the sex appeal by frequently shedding her clothes. She's also quite good as the damsel in distress type character during a forced performance as Joan of Arc by Myron, the head of the Stackpool family.

Myron is such a well designed villain, as is the rest of the family, but Myron is easily the star of the show here. His giant bulbous cranium is an excellent makeup job and the performance from J.W. Perra is quite aristocratic and domineering with his massive brain power. His control over the rest of the family is an interesting dynamic and the way it all plays out isn't overly original but it is a wildly entertaining love letter to oddball sci-fi horror flicks of the 50s. It's an absolute shame that the long rumored sequel Bride Of The Head Of The Family never came to fruition.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon's foray into Blu-ray continues to be mostly a success as HEAD OF THE FAMILY looks and sounds quite good. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has a nice sharpness and natural color scheme. There's a thin but healthy grain structure and very little dirt or debris. Black levels are deep and there's no signs of edge enhancement or DNR. English audio options include 5.1 and 2.0 HD options that are mixed skillfully and sound crisp and clear. There's no distortions or background noise. The film doesn't have a lot going on to really give either mix a work out but it is very pleasing to the ear and that's all I need for this movie.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with actor J.W. Perra
-Bride Of The Head Of The Family Promo
-Original Trailer

The Bottom Line
HEAD OF THE FAMILY is an absolute B-movie blast and one of Full Moon's crowning achievements. Highly recommended!

HEAD OF THE FAMILY is available HERE

FISTS OF FURY (DVD Review) - Full Moon

USA/2017
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Charles Band
Starring: Cynthia Rothrock
Color/109 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE

The Film
FISTS OF FURY is a trailer compilation of some classic and not-so-classic Kung-Fu films from the 70s and 80s hosted by martial arts expert and film star Cynthia Rothrock. Rothrock not only gives lead ins to each section of the film such as Femme Fatales and Brucesploitation but she sheds a little light on martial arts films and gives us a little bit of action from would be attackers as well. There's not much else to say, Rothrock's scenes are all filmed in a gym and they're campy as hell but they're entertaining fare to help break up the trailers a bit. The trailers are the main attraction however and act as a damn good checklist of some lesser known Kung-Fu from the golden era of the genre.

The Audio & Video
The scenes with Cynthia Rothrock that were produced for this release look great. They're sharp and clear. Full Moon didn't restore the trailers used for FISTS OF FURY so naturally this compilation of trailers runs the gamut from great condition to pretty rough and filled with scratches and other damage. I find the damage in some of the trailers to be part of the charm and they're all quite enjoyable. The 2.0 audio matches the video, with crisp audio for Rothrock's scenes and more of a mixed bag for the trailers. Overall a very pleasing release.

The Extras
A short behind the scenes making of featurette and an interview with Cynthia Rothrock are included.

The Bottom Line
Kung-Fu is cool and it's about damn time more people get on board with the genre. FISTS OF FURY is something you can sit and enjoy while taking note of the films you still need to track down and see or something to put on in the background of a party.

FISTS OF FURY is available HERE

Nekromantik 2: Return Of The Loving Dead (Blu-ray Review) - Cult Epics

Germany/1991
Directed By: Jorg Buttgereit
Written By: Jorg Buttgereit, Franz Rodenkirchen
Starring: Monika M., Mark Reeder,
Color/103 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Limited Edition: 5,000 Copies

The Film
Three years after Jorg Buttgereit shocked and disgusted the underground film world with Nekromantik, his film about a man who brings home a corpse for his and his wife to fool around with he returns with the sequel where a woman tries to hide her love of necrophilia from her new boyfriend but keeps a rotting corpse around her apartment. The woman is torn between her two lovers and finally makes a choice that seems to have been the right one.

NEKROMANTIK 2 upholds the legacy of the first as both a nasty film and a controversial one. The German government attempted to seize and destroy the film including it's negative. Luckily they weren't able to get their hands on the negatives because this film is quite good. Buttgereit's follow up is bigger in production and scope and he manages to craft a well done love story out of a disturbing subject matter. The performances from Monika M. and Mark Reeder are good, both being believable in their roles and keeping things grounded. The special effects work is gooey and gross in the best way. An exceptionally well done job.

The weak point of the film is the pacing. There are stretches of the film that are painfully slow and could have been cut to make the film sleeker and more streamlined without losing any impact. If NEKROMANTIK 2 was an 80 or 85 minute affair it would flow better and be a better film altogether. The film is still quite good despite the pacing issues. It is a great companion piece to the first film while being able to stand alone on its own two feet.

The Audio & Video
Cult Epics give NEKROMANTIK 2 its high-def debut with this Blu-ray that sports a full frame 1.33:1 transfer, maintaining the film's original aspect ratio. The 16mm photography looks excellent here with highly increased detail levels over previous DVD releases. Skin tones are fleshy and natural without a hint of waxiness. There is some light speckling and minor scratches on the negative used for the transfer but it adds to the overall feel of the movie if anything. The transfer is warm and natural and I can't imagine it ever looking better.

There are three audio options for the film, all in the film's native German with optional English subtitles. I listened to the Dolby Digital mono track which is how the sound was originally recorded. This track sounds very nice with a good mix job on dialogue and the film's fantastic score. The English subtitles are timed and translated perfectly. Also included are Dolby 2.0 and 5.1 tracks.

The Extras
Cult Epics adds a nice selection of extras to their great technical presentation.

-New video introduction to the film by Jorg Buttgereit
-Audio commentary with Jorg Buttgereit, co-writer Franz Rodenkirchen and stars Monika M. and Mark Reeder
-The Making of NEKROMANTIK 2
-20th anniversary live concert performed by Monika M. and Friends (2011)
-"A Moment Of Silence At The Grave Of Ed Gein" (short film, 2012)
-Half Girl "Lemmy, I'm A Feminist" music video by Jorg Buttgereit
-Original soundtrack
-Original soundtrack live
-Selection of Jorg Buttgereit trailers

The Bottom Line
Over 20 years later and NEKROMANTIK 2 hasn't lost an ounce of gross out or shock factor. This new Blu-ray from Cult Epics will allow a whole new and much wider audience to experience the film than ever before and that warms my heart just a little.

NEKROMANTIK 2 is available HERE

Doctor Mordrid (Blu-ray Review) - Full Moon

USA/1992
Directed By: Albert Band, Charles Band
Written By: C. Courtney Joyner
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Yvette Nipar, Jay Acovone
Color/74 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: September 23, 2014

The Film
DOCTOR MORDRID is the story of two rival sorcerers and their long running battle over Earth. Mordrid has sworn to protect Earth from Cabal who wants to turn the planet it a burnt pile of nothing. Cabal sends his minions to distract Mordrid while he works on freeing the demons from the Fourth Dimension who are locked away and patrolled by Mordrid's friends to help with his plan of destroying Earth. Mordrid and his neighbor who works for the police department must rush to stop Cabal from getting the Philosopher's Stone, the final piece Cabal needs to unleash hell. The museum that houses the stone turns into a battleground between two experts in magic.

DOCTOR MORDRID is one of the most underrated Full Moon films there is. It moves incredibly fast and is ridiculously entertaining. Jeffrey Combs takes the cheeseball movie and turns in a fantastic performance, as he has done numerous times in his career. He's a brilliant genre actor, one of the best this generation has to offer. There's some fun early 90s special effects which are obviously dated but still bring a smile to my face. The Band family (directed by Albert and Charles and scored by Richard) do a great job making a movie that far exceeds its budgetary constraints in terms of fun and quality. The stop motion animation is awesome and the battle between the T-Rex and the Mastodon is one of my favorite scenes in Full Moon history.

There's no secret that Full Moon isn't high art but DOCTOR MORDRID was made during the years I like to refer to as the "Golden Age" for Full Moon which I think ran until about the mid-90s. This time period had some fantastic B-movies being released from the company and MORDRID is one of the best.

The Audio & Video
In comparison to the old DVD put out by Full Moon this new Blu-ray is a revelation. The film is finally available in an anamorphic widescreen print and features great PQ. The detail level is high, especially in skin tones and textures. Colors are vivid and vibrant while remaining realistic and not overly enhanced. There's a few instances where the film is a bit soft but they are few and far between. There's no signs of edge enhancement or DNR. Two audio options are available, a 5.1 surround track and a 2.0 stereo track. The 2.0 track sounds good with no hiccups or background noise or damage to the track. The very good soundtrack by Richard Band is mixed beautifully with the dialogue to compliment the film. 

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Charles Band and Jeffrey Combs
-Original Videozone featurette
-Over 90 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage
-Vintage interview by William Shatner with Jeffrey Combs, Stuart Gordon and Barbara Crampton
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
Full Moon has done a great job with the majority of their Blu-ray releases and DOCTOR MORDRID is no exception. It is one of the most underrated films from Full Moon and it finally has a home video release that does it justice.

DOCTOR MORDRID is available HERE

Trancers (Blu-ray Review) - Full Moon

USA/1985
Directed By: Charles Band
Written By: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo
Starring: Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, Michael Stefani
Color/76 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: July 16, 2014

The Film
Agent Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) live in Angel City in the year 2247. He is currently wiping out all of the Trancers in the city left over by a major criminal known as The Whistler. Trancers are people that have been psychically manipulated in to evil henchmen. Deth finds out that Whistler isn't dead, he is alive in the year 1985. Deth has to travel back in time to inhabit the body of one of his ancestors to track down Whistler and stop his evil tyranny once and for all.

 TRANCERS is a great mix of sci-fi, action and film noir with Charles Band's B-movie flair. The acting is surprisingly great from the grizzly and tough Jack Deth to the young, care free sidekick performance from Helen Hunt who is immensely likable in her role. Also supporting roles from Art LeFleur as Jack Deth's superior and Biff Manard as a down on his luck ex-baseball player who adds some comedy to the film. TRANCERS may very well be the best Full Moon production of the mid to late 80s and certainly looks better than its B-movie origins would suggest.

The Audio & Video
Full Moon gives TRANCERS its high definition debut with pretty good success. The image quality is quite a bit sharper than its DVD counterpart giving way to increased detail levels especially in skin tones and textures. There is still a bit of softness to the film but it seems to have more to do with the original photography of the film than with the transfer of this Blu-ray. TRANCERS is also finally given the anamorphic widescreen treatment. The 5.1 surround sound audio track sounds very good with a lively and full sounding track. There's no background noise to speak of and the mix between dialogue and the great score/soundtrack is spot on.

The Extras
Special features include:
-Audio Commentary track with director Charles Band and star Tim Thomerson
-Daniel Griffith's TRANCERS featurette - A 15 minute "making-of".
-Rare interviews with Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt and Megan Ward
-Still gallery
-TRANCERS:  CITY OF LOST ANGELS - The TRANCERS segment from "Pulsepounders" that was once thought lost. This is definitely the coolest feature on the disc. Think of it as "Trancers 1.5" or a bonus adventure of Jack Deth.

The Bottom Line
TRANCERS is one of Full Moon's longest running series and with six full length chapters, plus the short from the Pulsepounders production there's no reason not to check out this much improved Blu-ray to get started on the series. I sincerely hope they release the rest of the series on Blu-ray sooner or later.

TRANCERS is available HERE

Exploitation/B-Movie-Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Days 18 & 19

Probably going to be doing 2 days per post for the rest of the challenge, so here are days 18 and 19...

After watching Chained Heat I was in the mood for some more Women In Prison fare and decided to watch the other two movies in the triple feature DVD set with CH. RED HEAT was next, once again featuring Linda Blair in the lead role. When she is visiting her boyfriend in Germany she is kidnapped and sent to an East German prison where she has to deal with all the crap that comes along with it. It isn't until months later that her boyfriend finally discovers the truth of how she disappeared and sets to break her out. RED HEAT is a let down. The framework of a good WIP flick are there but the meat of it all is bland and boring. It never exploits the situation or East German setting enough and the ending is a set up for nothing. Not terrible but like I said, a let down.

Rounding out that DVD set was JUNGLE WARRIORS, which brings the prison aspect in to the jungles of South America when a group of models on a photo shoot get captured by a drug lord. This is good old fashioned fun with cocaine... and barrels of it. A lot of shootouts, Woody Strode taking out people with a bow and arrow in the middle of a machine gun war, decapitations, naked women. It sounds like a lot of fun, and it is but the WIP aspect is lost amongst the shuffle of other things and that hurts it.

Day 18 was rounded out with THE BABYSITTER. This film from 1969 is the story of a DA in a loveless marriage who falls for the new babysitter. A fun loving, carefree spirit who just wants to have fun and listen to music. The fact that she's a young, leggy blond with a penchant for getting naked doesn't really hurt either. While the man and the babysitter have their fling they're being followed and photographed by a woman who is part of a biker gang that is going to use the pictures to blackmail the DA into letting her boyfriend and leader of the gang out of his murder charges. This movie was better than I expected it to be. There is some violence in the murder scene, some lesbianism and talks of blackmailing the DA by exposing his lesbian daughter (this is the '60s), potential pedophilia as I'm pretty sure the babysitter's age was never clarified and she could easily be a high school girl and tacos. Nothing to rush out of your way for as you pretty much get what you expect when you read the synopsis but it isn't as hammy as it all sounds so it is a worthwhile watch.

Day 19 sucked and booze wasn't going to save it.

Early in the day I watched R.O.T.O.R., a killer robot cop flick from the late 80s. It could have been as cool as Chopping Mall but instead it was about as cool as getting prodded in the ass by robots. So bad it's good? So bad it's fucking awful. It wasn't the worst movie I've seen all month but it is among the worst.

Then later that night I decided to give PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL another viewing, hoping it was better than the first time I saw it when I was more than a few beers too deep. Well, I was relaxing with a couple beers, what I feel is the best recipe for a successful Puppet Master viewing, and I don't know if I could have been more bored. It is a shame too because I don't think the puppets move and look as bad as most people do, and there is actually some above average acting and direction for a Full Moon (especially modern day Full Moon) picture but pacing killed this thing, as there is none. Nothing happens until over an hour into the movie and even then it is so little that it just pisses you off. It wasn't as bad as ROTOR though.

Today's Rundown
Red Heat - 5/10
Jungle Warriors - 6.5/10
The Babysitter - 6/10
R.O.T.O.R - 3/10
PM: Axis Of Evil - 4/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 5

Movies took a bit of a backseat to the Orioles home opener which is something I never miss watching each year, it is always a cool ceremony. One of these days I'll get there in person for opening day.

I was able to catch a couple flicks though, starting off with the soon to be released DVD of TREASURE CHEST OF HORROR 2 from Wild Eye Releasing. This is a Z-Grade anthology horror movie with most of the stories using the same cast in different roles. If you go into this movie expecting anything other than a movie you and your friends could make in your backyard, and anything except stupid tongue-in-cheek humor you're going to hate it and most likely turn it off. It is made on a zero dollar budget with awful acting and effects... but at times it is absolutely hilarious. This movie is dumb, but not always in a bad way. A couple of the segments had me rolling, namely Trendish and The Prom. Know what you're in for before you check this one out and if you like things like this it is worth a watch for some laughs. If this isn't your thing at all then I advise you to stay away.

And while hanging out with a couple friends we threw on EVIL BONG 3, the only part of the trilogy I hadn't seen. I don't really care too much for the series. I think they each have their entertaining moments but there are plenty of other Full Moon movies I'd rather watch than these. Not very good overall, but my friend loves it and wanted to watch it like the Full Moon superfan he is and who am I to deny him?

Today's Rundown
Treasure Chest Of Horror 2 - 5/10
Evil Bong 3 - 4/10

The Lurking Fear (1994)

With each passing H.P. Lovecraft film adaptation I see the fact that Guillermo Del Toro's version of AT THE MOUNTAIN OF MADNESS isn't happening gets a little bit more painful. There have been dozens of adaptations of the reclusive writer's work over the past 50 plus years and while there have been some absolute gems of movies, there have been plenty more turds, and until recently with THE CALL OF CTHULHU (which was made by the HPL Historical Society) there hasn't been one very faithful to the source material. Full Moon has done several adaptations of the celebrated writer's work with mixed results.

John Martense has just been released from prison for a crime he didn't commit and is returning to his childhood home of Leffert's Corner. He visits a mortician who is a fmaily friend and is given an old map from his deceased father. The map leads to a graveyard where his father has hidden a stash of money from a heist. Martense arrives at an abandoned church and is confronted by a young woman named Cathryn (Ashley Laurence of the Hellraiser series) and the town doctor (Jeffrey Combs). Soon after a group of criminals looking for the money that was stolen from them by John's father hold's them up until they get what they're after. All the while some hideous inbred monsters lurk in the underbelly of the church hungry to feed their family with the flesh and blood of the townspeople as they have decades.

When you watch a Full Moon film you're instantly aware of it. It will be a low budget production, and more often than not unintentionally funny at some point. The acting will be tolerable at best aside from the odd cast member that can bring some actual ability to the picture (Jeffrey Combs does this in several Full Moon productions). That is the case with LURKING FEAR. The direction is comparable to any direct-to-video horror movie you've seen from the time period on a shoe string budget. There are some decent sets created to give the film the best look possible and you'll never hear me complain that rubber suits were used for the monsters. Practical effects reign supreme when they're a legitimate option. Almost every character was unlikable or at the very least annoying so that you're secretly hoping the monsters get to devour them in a gruesome manner. It did however have some of that damn Full Moon charm that seems to seep into many of their pictures where it is at least somewhat entertaining in an extremely low rent (even slumlord) kind of way.

As far as a faithful Lovecraft adaptaion goes, LURKING FEAR fails like so many others. It is only loosely based on the story to begin with and all atmosphere and tone that Lovecraft put into his fiction was absent here. As a Full Moon film based on a Lovecraft story it is so so. It has the slight entertainment value to it but isn't very good overall and will forever be overshadowed by the king of Lovecraft adaptations Stuart Gordon's CASTLE FREAK (which is actually quite good).

If you're a lover of Full Moon films I'd recommend this to you. If you're an unforgiving lover of all things Howard Philips Lovecraft you should stay away. As it sits with me, it's just another bad HPL movie with a small amount of very cheap entertainment value.

4/10

Gingerdead Man 2: Passion Of The Crust (2008)

Charles Band... what a guy. If you are familiar with Full Moon Pictures you are familiar with Charlie and some of the stories surrounding him and his movie studio. From successful and now classic horror films like Re-Animator and From Beyond to his successful and cult Puppetmaster series to the abysmal films that make up the majority of his filmography that only a sadomasochist would enjoy, the man has been a part of hundreds of movies. Love him or hate him he gets his movies made and distributed. The GINGERDEAD MAN series may never reach the status of genre classic but they have been entertaining.

GINGERDEAD MAN 2: PASSION OF THE CRUST is a sequel to 2005's original which was directed by Charles Band, 3 years later came this equally as silly movie which was directed by Silvia St. Croix, which is an Alan Smithee type deal. Alan Smithee was a name directors were credited as when they didn't want their name attached to a film. Whoever the director was, they did a decent job making a Full Moon movie. GINGERDEAD MAN 2 has the all of the expected fare and follies. There is plenty of laughs both intentional and not, and plenty of drag in the story during a movie with an extremely modest runtime. 72 minutes of movie is closer to a single hour once the backstory of the original and end credits are accounted for.

The movie follows the titled character, a killer gingerbread cookie possessed by the soul of a murderer. After transferring his soul to another character and being baked back into a cookie in the first entry to the series the cookie is transported to the set of Cheatum Studios' newest picture in a bakery box. Needing a body to transport his soul to the killer cookie finds a spell in one of the movie studio's prop books which begins his rampage of terror. It is up to an aging movie star who is sick and tired of working for a movie studio that makes crappy movies to save anyone that hasn't already fallen victim to THE GINGERDEAD MAN.

Where do I even begin? From a film making standpoint this movie (like most Full Moon movies) is awful. The thing is, that is the point of these movies. Charles Band knows exactly the type of movies he makes. They're silly, over the top and certainly not for everyone. The majority are truly painful to sit through, but occasionally he makes one that is really fun to watch. GINGERDEAD MAN 2 falls somewhere in the middle. It starts out with a corny yet oddly silly fairy tale opening, a song about the cookie to the tune of Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation", and then spends the duration between corny humor, over the top kills and slooooooooow parts. It does have a certain charm about it similar to the first film, that puts it among the better Full Moon movies of recent years.

Is this movie for everyone? Certainly not. You'll know if it is even worth checking out by reading the plot. Some people like this nonsense, most hate it. I gave it a chance with a few drinks and had some good laughs and a decent time. If they could just get someone that could write a solid 70 minutes instead of a solid 35 minutes they'd have a recipe for success (get it?).

5/10