Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 16

First up was MS. 45, the infamous film from Abel Ferarra (Bad Lieutenant, The Driller Killer). I have finally seen it and it was absolutely worth the wait. The film starts out not unlike other rape/revenge films, Thana is a young mute girl, working as a seamstress when she is viciously raped twice in one day. That is the seediness of New York City in the 70s and 80s for you, what a town. While Thana's first attacker gets away her second attacker meets the business end of an iron and then stuffed into the refrigerator to be disposed of slowly. Thana begins to not just take revenge on the men who attacked her, but any man who even looks at her in a breathtaking climax, this. This is what separates MS. 45 from the various other rape/revenge flicks that came before and after this. Thana wasn't out for revenge by the end, she had totally snapped and all men were a target. I want to write more on it but I'll save that for my next viewing.

Enzo G. Castellari's STREET LAW was next, starring Franco Nero as an everyday working man who is running errands when he is beaten and kidnapped during a violent robbery. When the police fail to do anything about the case and find his attackers Nero takes matters into his own hands. First he manages to make underground contacts and set traps for the assailants to get arrested but when that doesn't work and the violence continues he is forced to fight fire with fire alongside his new friend in a nice staged finale inside a giant garage/hangar. I expected this to be more of a Death Wish styled revenge flick but it was more than that and was a nicely paced and well written thriller for the majority of the film.

Today's Rundown
Ms. 45 - 9.5/10
Street Law - 7.5/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 15

Another pair of movies today, leading off with CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN. This is follows up one of the best Troma movies pretty nicely. It takes a sillier, more gross out approach than the first and it mostly works. There is a lot of dumb humor, and slime and sludge. And a giant mutant squirrel. If you're a fan of the first movie or Troma in general you'll enjoy this one.

And then there was HACK JOB. This is an independent horror film on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing... I have no idea what the hell I watched. It started off with a funny little follow-the-bouncing-ball song and then the movie actually happened. There were Nazis and mummies and a lot of pandering to Troma and Lloyd Kaufman and tits and side plots that were pointless. The tits were cool and some of it did actually manage to entertain but it took forever getting wherever it was going at that particular moment. The movie dragged and dragged. I have two more movies from this director to watch and I hope they're better than this.

Today's Rundown
Class Of Nuke 'Em High 2 - 7/10
Hack Job - 2/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 14

I was unbelievably exhausted all day and I don't really know why. Keeping my eyes open was a struggle so I figured I'd throw on something that is either going to surprise me or be so bad I just fall asleep. And I was surprised. SS CAMP 5 WOMEN'S HELL is a nasty little piece of nazisploitation from Sergio Garrone filled with naked women, conspiracies, whip and branding torture, shoot outs and metal spiked knuckles to the gut, in an especially brutal sequence. Who knew that it was possible to watch 2 nazisploitation flicks back to back and like them both (back to back being earlier this month...). I didn't think it could happen, but it did. Now, that isn't to say this movie is without its drawbacks, because it isn't. It is repetitive and the attempt at bringing real world atrocities into the fictional film just comes off as cheap to me. Maybe that was me being tired and it could change into a positive impact for the film on another viewing. From start to finish this is an above average piece of nazi exploitation.

I followed that up with CYCLONE, a cheesy 80s action flick featuring Jeffrey Combs and Martin Landau. Combs plays a scientist developing a new military motorcycle filled with as much fire power as a F-16 and featuring some laser blasters for good measure. After he is murdered over the device he leaves it in the hands of his girlfriend to take care of and get it into safe hands. CYCLONE is very 80s, in a good way, and pretty entertaining. It is also frustrating that it doesn't go further in the action, sexiness, and overall concept of the movie. If this movie had taken a cycle of steroids before being made it would be a cult classic. As it stands it isn't bad, and is a decent piece of 80s action but it could have been so much more.

Today's Rundown
SS Camp 5 Women's Hell - 6/10
Cyclone - 6/10

Exploitation Challenge Giveaway - Screenshot Contest

This is the 2nd giveaway of the month, and hopefully there will be one more after this one! This contest will take a little more effort than the first giveaway on Facebook, but there are chances for multiple entries into the drawing.

THE PRIZE!

ART OF THE DEVIL 2 DVD box set double feature!

THE RULES

In honor of this being the Exploitation Challenge month I have gathered a group of images from different movies. Each of these 7 images is from an exploitation film I love of all sorts of different genres, from sexploitation, to spaghetti westerns and post-apoc trash. It is your job to identify the movie the image is from. For EACH correct answer you get you'll receive one entry into the random drawing for the prize. For example, if you are able to identify 3 screenshots your name will be entered 3 times, if you can identify all 7 your name will be entered 7 times. The more you get correct the better your odds but it only takes one to win.

To enter send your full name and address, along with your answers to CelluloidTerror@yahoo.com with the subject "Screenshot Contest". 1 entry per person, so get all of your answers together before submitting the email! The contest will close on Sunday, April 21st and winner will be notified by email.

THE QUESTIONS

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Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 13

First up for day 13 was GORGO. I had just received the Blu-ray in the mail and popped it in. This is an early 60 giant monster flick from Britain. While it is a decent picture it pales in comparison to most Japanese monster movies of the era. I did find the "Gorgo promotional tour" scene to be pretty cool and show how people will spend money to see any type of "freak" even if it is exploiting the beast, person, or what have you.

I only watched one other movie but it is a favorite of mine that I find to be a perfect mix of exploitation, social commentary and fun. DEATH RACE 2000 is one of the best movies the 1970s had to offer and is much more than just a car race to kill people that became a remake. With a cast that includes David Carradine, who is top notch here, to Sylvester Stallone and cult favorite Mary Woronov and with direction from Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul) this Roger Corman production has stood the test of time to be an influtential film that entertains from start to finish.

Today's Rundown
Gorgo - 6/10
Death Race 2000 - 10/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 12

This will be a short entry because both movies I watched sucked and I don't want to think about them anymore. Day 12 can go to hell.

DROPPING EVIL is a low budget horror flick that could have succeeded as a straight forward slasher film with the Jesus freak kid as the killer but it goes off on too many shitty tangents and subplots and it just falls flat on its face.

Then I saw the remake of THE EVIL DEAD. What a steaming pile of shit. The writing was garbage. The acting was garbage. It gets worse and worse the more I think about it so I'm just going to leave it at that.

Today's Rundown
Dropping Evil - 2/10
Evil Dead - 3/10

Exploitation/B-Movie/Drive-In Challenge 2013 - Day 11

It was an unplanned Kaiju day today. Giant Japanese monsters made up the entirety of day 11.

First up was the only Godzilla film from the Showa era that I hadn't seen, GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH. Hedorah is a monster made up of sludge, and smog and all forms of pollution that are plaguing Japan and he seems to be nearly unstoppable. He creates sulfur burns on humans and if he passes too close they drop dead. Hedorah passes through solid objects and decays them like acid. Hedorah is pretty much a wrecking ball that is ready to totally decimate Japan, even Godzilla can't stop him. It takes the teamwork of mankind, science and Godzilla to finally inflict pain on the smog monster. I don't think I've ever seen Godzilla get more personal with the fight than after this one, he really let loose. This is the trippyest Godzilla movie I've ever seen, a definite reflection of its time. Really enjoyable flick.

I followed that up with another 'Zilla flick, one I hadn't seen since it ran on cable when I was a kid. GODZILLA VS MEGALON is pretty slow going in the beginning. Megalon is pretty much useless in the beginning, just a big lumbering monster with no real mission other than to squash houses, and the Jet Jaguar plot is pretty much just thrown together but it all becomes worth it in the end. The end battle is up there with some of the best tag team wrestling matches of all times. I'd give it an easy 4.25 or 4.5 stars. While Megalon and Gigan are destroying Jet Jaguar, just pummeling him ala the greatest heel factions in wrestling history using the numbers to their advantage, Godzilla is walking up to the fight like a man on a mission. His facial expressions and body language were nothing short of Stone Cold Steve Austin and I half expected to hear the glass break and then the entrance music to come on as Godzilla comes in and starts to turn the tables. The fight told a story by itself, like the best wrestling matches do. It was excellent. Hell, even the celebration by Godzilla and Jet Jaguar was something out of WWE... All it was missing was a beer toss to Godzilla and a final Stunner on Jet Jaguar from Godzilla. Overall not the best but damn that last fight was a lot of fun.

I closed out the night with WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS, directed by the legendary Ishiro Honda. This is the story of a giant human-like beast terrorizing the seas, and he bares a striking resemblance to another gargantua that was thought to be dead in the forests of Mt. Fuji. The team of scientists responsible for the Mt. Fuji monster, who was very peaceful and never hurt humans, try to clear his name from this new sea monster until they come face to face. This was another winner, with high entertainment value. The contrast between the two Gargantuas was great, and you've never seen any Kaiju move like these beasts do. They're fast and agile which is a nice change from the slow plodding pace that usually comes to being weighed down with heavy rubber suits.

Today's Rundown
Godzilla vs Hedorah - 7.5/10
Godzilla vs Megalon - 6/10
War Of The Gargantuas - 7/10