Pig (DVD Review) - Horizon Movies

USA/2013
Directed By: Henry Barrial
Written By: Henry Barrial
Starring: Rudolf Martin, Heather Ankeny, Keith Diamond
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
A man wakes up in a desert, hooded, with his hands tied. He knows not where he is and his memory is wiped clean. The only clue he has to to go on is a sliver of paper with a name written on it. After being nursed back to health the clue leads the man to Los Angeles where his past begins to get pieced together. A name. A residence. An occupation. The problem is that none of this is at all familiar to the man, who learns alternate truths on a chance encounter with someone he used to know. Eventually he learns the actuality of his situation, or enough of it, but is there a way to help himself? Or does he even want to know the truth to his past? He is PIG.

PIG was written and directed by Henry Barrial and stars veteran actor Rudolf Martin. Barrial's direction and Martin's (along with the rest of the cast, who is on point) really allow PIG to be a believable trip through a man's journey of rediscovery. Barrial's script is good but the film ends abruptly and leaves things more open ended than I'd like. Considering the events that play out in the film the end isn't as open and shut as it may seem and I'd have liked to see more from it. The ending works but in my opinion it doesn't satisfy when the subplot is introduced. PIG is a puzzle worth your time worth your time however, and for a film based around the idea of "who are we without our memories?" it does a good job.

The Audio & Video
Horizon Movies gives PIG a nice looking 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that has strong clarity and detail. The scenes in the desert shine, and while there isn't much in the way of flashy visuals or special effects the transfer is strong. Audio is also strong, with a 2.0 stereo track, nothing Earth shattering here, just a good quality track. 

The Extras
Special Features on PIG include:
-Director's Commentary Track
-Deleted Scenes
-Kickstarter Pitch Video
-Lonely Boy Video
-Nashville Film Festival Video
-Nashville Film Festival Q&A
-Sci-Fi London Q&A
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
PIG deserves the accolades it has received. It is a tightly made thriller on an equally tight budget. It is not a perfect film and I would have liked a longer run time but as it stands it is an engaging film that will likely satisfy viewers. Recommended.

PIG is available HERE

Deep Roots / Starlet Nights (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1978
Directed By: Lisa Barr
Written By: Joseph Bardo
Starring: Jesse Chacan, Liz Renay, Lesllie Bovee, Candy Nichols
Color/157 Minutes/Rated X
Region FREE

The Films
This double feature of smut starts with DEEP ROOTS, the story of a youthful man named Billy who is curious to see what life is like outside of his Indian reservation even when his friend/girlfriend/love interest asks him not to go. Billy leaves for Hollywood and quickly finds life to be faster and the women to be easier. Billy's stay in Hollywood is a revolving door of women. He paints them, deflowers them, shares them and just has a great time riding his motorcycle when the ladies aren't riding him. Eventually Billy gets his fill of city life and returns home to the reservation where he's greeted with open arms by his admirer. DEEP ROOTS is simple smut. The narrative is thin and hardly exists but there are a few creative scenes sprinkled throughout.

STARLET NIGHTS is a bit more creative venture into the adult film world as it is a porno adaptation of Snow White... sort of. We have a character named Snow White, we have the mirror on the wall (who comes to life and fucks Snow White) and we have he poison apple... tainted with Love Potion #69. Sibling rivalry is the main theme here, as two daughter fight for the affection and respect of their father, and a career in Hollywood. There's a lot of sucking and fucking on the way to the top... or bottom... or behind. STARLET NIGHTS is a bit humorous, and plenty sexy enough to be an adored piece of 70s erotica and is without a doubt the highlight of this double feature.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome delivers both films in their original 1.85:1 aspect ratios, restored from 35mm archival prints and scanned in 2K. Each film has a strong color palette, and good detail level. DEEP ROOTS has some speckling and scratches throughout and a few moments where the frames jump a bit but overall it is a good presentation. STARLET is a cleaner print, with a bit less intrusive imperfections but they are still present and constant. The audio tracks are surprisingly clear, with no background noise on either film. Overall a very solid presentation for these smut films fom 1978.

The Extras
Bare boners... I mean bones. 

The Bottom Line
Some Indian loving and a fairy tale gone XXX... something for everyone? Maybe not. But there's a lot to enjoy in this pair of rescued vintage pornos from director Joseph Bardo under the pseudonym Lisa Barr. 

DEEP ROOTS / STARLET NIGHTS is available HERE

Memory Of The Dead (DVD Review) - Artsploitation Films

Argentina/2011
Directed By: Valentin Javier Diment
Written By: Martin Blousson, Valentin Javier Diment, Nicanor Loreti, German Val
Starring: Horacia Acosta, Raquel Albeniz, Jimena Anganuzzi
Color/89 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
A group of friends gather in a country house to mourn the loss of their friend's husband. This service of remembrance turns evil very quickly as ghosts and demons from the pasts of those involved quickly turn up and begin wreaking bloody havoc all over the place. MEMORY OF THE DEAD is quite obviously heavily influenced by the films of Dario Argento and Mario Bava, along with paying serious homage to The Evil Dead. And by paying homage I do mean trying its absolute hardest to recreate a few shots from it. It's all good though, and MEMORY OF THE DEAD isn't trying to rip anything off, instead director Valentin Javier Diment takes his influences and uses them to create a rather crazy film. Packed with gore, sex and some wild prosthetics, MEMORY OF THE DEAD definitely has all the makings of a movie straight from the late 70s or 80s. Though instead of the masterpiece that is The Evil Dead or a classic Argento or Bava, MEMORY OF THE DEAD tries to be, instead of simply being. That said, MEMORY OF THE DEAD is a very entertaining horror flick that is sure to please genre fans.

The Audio & Video
Artsploitation Films brings MEMORY OF THE DEAD to DVD with a good looking disc. The disc looks rather good for skin tones and color. The main issue is that some dark scenes have compression issue and black levels aren't particularly deep. It isn't a major issue here and I won't make it sound worse than it is. Overall the disc looks fine in its 2.35:1 widescreen transfer. The audio side of things is very good, with the 5.1 surround sound Spanish track sounding full bodied and very clear. Everything from sound effects and dialogue come through loud and clear. Optional English subs are included.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
MEMORY OF THE DEAD probably won't become a classic in it's own right but that doesn't take away the fact that it is a seriously entertaining horror film that will be sure to please all of the gore hounds. Go check it out!

MEMORY OF THE DEAD is available HERE

Successive Slidings Of Pleasure (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France/1974
Directed By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Written By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Starring: Anicee Alvina, Olga Georges-Picot, Michael Lonsdale
Color/106 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
A beautiful young woman is accused of stabbing her roommate to death and is locked up in a convent. While in the convent the woman uses her almost hypnotic sexuality to seduce everyone who enters her room, from the police to the clergymen as she tries to claim her innocence. The dreamlike days pass with more sexual encounters and recollections that may be memories or fantasy until her lawyer brings her back to the apartment to recreate the murder for the police and more skin is bared and more blood is shed.

SUCCESSIVE SLIDINGS OF PLEASURE is an obviously erotic, drama with a bit of crime, a bit of sleaze and quite a bit of artistic flare. There are some striking visuals and scenes that are almost surreal as director Alain Robbe-Grillet makes the viewer question what they feel is reality and what is in the twisted mind of our suspect. Solid performances all around, along with an appearance from Jean-Louis Trintignant, carry the film's writing, also done by Alain Robbe-Grillet, with success. This is a very satisfying viewing experience for something that has a little bit of everything from sex and skin, to art and sleaze.

The Audio & Video
Kino Redemption has done an outstanding job on this disc. The 1.66:1 widescreen transfer is gorgeous. Skin tones are natural and colors shine, especially the seemingly endless amounts of red which truly pop, without ever bleeding or burning too hot. The transfer retains a natural looking grain for the film which has come from very clean elements. There are very few instances of scratches or dirt. The French audio track, while a bit more simplistic than the visuals of the film come through loud and clear with no background noise to speak of. Optional English subtitles are included.

The Extras
Extras include:

- 33 minute interview with Alain Robbe-Grillet
- A trio of Robbe-Grillet trailers
- 2014 Promo short

The Bottom Line
For fans of Robbe-Grillet this disc is a must buy with its wonderful A/V quality and being a satisfying viewing experience. If you're new to the director but fans of Euro-sleaze or even Euro horror with an artful touch you'll most likely enjoy this piece of work as well. Highly recommended!

SUCCESSIVE SLIDINGS OF PLEASURE is available HERE

I Will Follow You Into The Dark (DVD Review) - Epic Pictures

USA/2012
Directed By: Mark Edwin Robinson
Written By: Mark Edwin Robinson
Starring: Mischa Barton, Ryan Eggold, Leah Pipes
Color/110 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
Sophia is a pretty young photographer who has just lost both of her parents within 6 months of each other. Everything she's believed in is now in question and she feels alone in the world. A chance meeting with a man named Adam (literally running into each other) opens the door into a relationship that Sophia is currently wary of, as everything she has loved died on her. She takes the chance and spends time with Adam, getting closer and closer to him. It is at this point when Sophia begins having strange dreams of ghosts and the like along with weird things occurring in her home such as chairs rocking on their own and family photos going missing.

One night while asleep with Adam in his apartment she wakes up to find Adam missing and blood stains throughout the apartment. She wakes his roommate, a woman named Astrid and they track the blood to the top floor of this supposedly haunted apartment building. They call the cops who upon arrivals discover no trace of Adam or the blood. Sophia calls her own roommate and his friend to help them discover what is going on and to find Adam. The hunt for Sophia's lover will take them deep into a place between life and death and Sophia will learn how far the man who loves her has gone to protect her and she will have to decide whether if living without him is worth living at all.

I've been thinking about what to write about I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK all day. While there is a cute little love story in there it is a rushed love story despite the films 110 minute runtime. The supernatural bits of the film are simply not interesting or scary. They're boring and really fail to advance the story much at all and do not equate to any sort of horror film. The performances from Mischa Barton and Ryan Eggold in the lead roles of Sophia and Adam are fine but there's really little that stands out about this film. If your significant other doesn't like horror films you could probably share this one with them and possibly get laid out of it, so I guess it has that going for it. 

The Audio & Video
Epic Pictures delivers I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK on DVD with an okay looking transfer. At best the picture quality is average and at worst, mainly in the darker scenes, the image suffers from compression issues and blocks up. The image quality overall is rather soft. The audio track is a 5.1 surround track and fairs better. It is stead and well mixed with sound effects, dialogue and score all complimenting each other.

The Extras
This disc features a behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes.

The Bottom Line
If there is a supernatural film for Valentine's Day, this is it. I'd only suggest it as an attempt to get some action out of your girlfriend.

I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK is available HERE

Trans-Europ-Express (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France/1967
Directed By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Written By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Marie-France Pisier
Black & White/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A

The Film
Jean-Louis Trintignant stars in this neo-noir film that plays out almost as a parody and certainly a love letter to the Film Noir genre from director Alain Robbe-Grillet. While aboard a train from Paris to Antwerp a filmmaking team begins to work on the plot of an upcoming crime movie. As they come up with the details to the story we see it acted out as the main meat and potatoes of TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS (also the name of the movie within the movie). The story pertains to a drug smuggler named Elias (Trintignant) who is being seduced by a woman named Eva (Pisier) who may or may not be working for a rival drug ring. As the filmmaking team changes details around in their story, Elias' world becomes confusing with enemies becoming friends, friends becoming enemies, leads disappearing and seemingly everything he knows being turned on its head.

TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS is a well made thriller that could easily be seen as being to Film Noirs what Scream is to the slasher film. It's self-referential style pokes around at the genre while still playing out as a fulfilling enough crime tale. Alain Robbe-Grillet's direction is tight, with a bit of flare and a eye for visual appeal. Trintignant is fantastic in the lead role and is quickly becoming an actor who I greatly admire as I become more familiar with his work. Marie-France Pisier is lovely and easy on the eyes as Eva, who plays her seductress role to a T. She manages to tell a story with her eyes alone and the S&M moments are quite alluring. Robbe-Grillet manages to make TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS both sexy and enthralling while being a bit witty as well.

The Audio & Video
The Redemption Films line from Kino has released some great Blu-rays to date and TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS is yet another. The beautiful black and white cinematography looks natural and film-like, retaining a suitable amount of grain in the 1.66:1 widescreen transfer, taken from 35mm elements. Black levels are deep while white levels never get too hot. This is an exceptional looking disc. The French audio track is presented with English subtitles and is also great. There is no background noise or any other annoyances. It is a crisp and clean sounding track. 

The Extras
 The main extra on the disc is a 31 minute interview with the director. It accompanies a set of trailers for other Robbe-Grillet films and a newly created promotional short.

The Bottom Line
If you're a fan of the film noir, European cinema of the 60s or just good Blu-ray presentations you should absolutely grab TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS.

TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS is available HERE

The Invoking (DVD Review) - Image

USA/2013
Directed By: Jeremy Berg
Written By:  Jeremy Berg, John Portanova
Starring: Trin Miller, Brandon Anthony, Andi Norris
Color/82 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
Sam has inherited a home and quite a bit of land in the rural town of Sader Ridge from her biological family that she doesn't remember. She travels to the property with 3 of her friends for a small getaway together before one goes on a 6 month European vacation. While there they encounter a strange young man that knows quite a bit about Sam and her family and claims to have been best friends with her. 

It doesn't take long for Sam's mind to start playing games with her as she has visions of her friends freaking the fuck out, acting violent and abusive towards each other and just being assholes. It seems that there is something dark in Sam's past and it is quickly moving in and taking a hold of her and that is bad news for her friends. 

THE INVOKING is a low budget psychological horror film from director Jeremy Berg. Excuse me for a second while I sum up my thoughts on this movie in five words... Fuck this piece of shit. Seriously. I have a deep respect for filmmakers even if I don't like their movie. While this movie wouldn't be an exception to this rule, it is an exceptionally annoying movie that took every bit of patience I had not to hit the eject button and say "fuck it". The story itself is simple enough and has been executed to some degree of success numerous times in the past but not here. Nope. We, the viewers, are subjected to incredible amounts of hammed up overacting (just wait for the scenes where the "tough/cool guy" friend acts out as Sam's abusive father... fucking hell). I honestly had to think about whether or not those moments were meant to be funny or disturbing. They were neither. The psychological horror moments were weak and boiled down to little more than a character acting out of sorts and then vanishing as soon as someone turned around. SPOOKY. 

The character of Eric, the creepy childhood friend, has the charisma of a log. I get it, he's supposed to be quiet and removed, but he fails to be that with any sort of believability. And besides the movie's obvious M. Night "WHAT A TWIST!" ending that we can see coming from a mile away is the character of Caitlin. Oh, Caitlin. FUCK. YOU. We'd all be better off had you taken your hipster, black framed Coke bottle glasses to Europe and been kidnapped and thrown in to a sex ring before this movie happened. Not even Liam Neeson would give a fuck. At least then we wouldn't have to hear your best friend in the movie whine about you leaving for six months the whole fucking time. Dear reader, I am dead serious in how deeply I loathe this character. Her personality is grating. GRATING. I have no idea what is going on inside her head that makes everything so simply quirky and neat and fantastic that she's so bubbly and excited about the most mundane bullshit. Everything doesn't need a little knee slapping quip. FUCK. 

It is possible that I may have missed something here. It's possible that this was a good movie and I'm just bitching about nothing. No it's not. The only thing this movie invoked was a headache and anger.

The Audio & Video
The DVD from Image looks fine. The 1.78:1 widescreen transfer is clean and has a natural look to it. The digital photography isn't stunning by any means but it definitely gets the job done and this disc does a fine job with it. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is much of the same- solid through and through.

The Extras
A couple of commentary tracks and a "Behind The Scenes" featurette manage to make this a pretty good disc as far as special features go. 

 
The Bottom Line
I've said all I have to say about this movie.

THE INVOKING is available HERE