Sparks (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2013
Directed By: Christopher Folino, Todd Burrows
Written By: Christopher Folino
Starring: Chase Williamson, Ashley Bell, William Katt
Color/98 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
I'm not familiar with the graphic novel this film is based on. I haven't a clue who Ian Sparks is in the superhero world. I don't know if he is popular or for more of a die-hard audience looking for something to call their own. The book isn't printed by one of the major labels. I fully expected SPARKS to be an inept superhero film, totally hampered by a budget that is well short of blockbuster status.

It is the 1940s and Ian Sparks lives with his grandmother after his parents were killed (in true superhero fashion) by being rammed into a moving train by the police who were in the middle of a chase with bank robbers. Ian was covered in some sort of liquid being carried by one of the tanker cars on the train. Ian has decided to put an end to the crime and grime of his city that the police can't or simply won't deal with. After getting his grandmother to make him a suit Ian is now simply SPARKS, and teams up with other crime fighters known as "Supers" around the city. Most notably Lady Heavenly, with whom he falls in love. As the duo gets deeper into the corruption of the city SPARKS learns more about his past and the people in it, has to deal with losing his love and his grandmother and learn who he can really trust because not everyone is who they seem to be.

SPARKS is the origin story of Ian Sparks and is actually a pretty damn solid comic book movie. The styling of the film reminds me of Dick Tracy but not quite as colorful. The direction from the duo of Christopher Folino and Todd Burrows allows the movie to work despite crying out for a bigger budget. The performances are good throughout from Chase Williamson in the lead to supporting players such as Clint Howard and Jake Busey. There are plenty of other familiar faces around the film too, and nobody drops the ball. The score is very much what you'd expect for a superhero film. The CGI is the weak point of the film and before watching SPARKS I figured it'd be an absolute death nail for it but the movie is good enough to prevail in the face of some weak visual effects. There is plenty of action but also a pretty captivating story to draw you in to the story of SPARKS.

The Audio & Video
Image Entertainment brings the film adaptation of SPARKS to DVD with a solid looking 1.78:1 widescreen transfer. Detail level is strong, colors are vibrant and the overall picture quality is very good. The only downside is that some dark scenes have a bit of compression issue with the black levels. It's a minor complaint. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is very good, making good use of the various gunshots, explosions and other sound effects.

The Extras
Special features include:

-"The Making Of SPARKS"
-Audio commentary
-Outtakes

The Bottom Line
It almost amuses me that SPARKS is better than a large portion of the DC cinematic output despite not having the star power or deep pockets that DC has. SPARKS isn't perfect, and a Blu-ray would have been nice, but for comic book fans looking for something off the beaten path you'll have some fun with SPARKS.

SPARKS is available HERE

Big Bad Wolf (DVD Review) - Horizon Movies

USA/2013
Directed By: Paul Morrell
Written By: Sydney Corpuscle
Starring: Charlie O'Connell, Natasha Alam, Marie Bollinger
92 Minutes/Color/Not Rated
Region 1

The Film
Huff (Charlie O'Connell) is a maniacal, bible obsessed stepfather to three girls who he abuses every way possible. Their mother is too weak to do anything to protect them. Huff makes his living dealing drugs, he has planned a major deal that will make him enough money to retire with his lover to Mexico. Huff rapes the eldest of his stepdaughters, which finally snaps the mother into being a bit of a mother. While Huff is gone she packs all of the drug money into backpacks for the girls and tells them to run and not look back. When Huff finds out that his money is gone and that he won't be able to pay off his cartel debts before the big deal he snaps and goes on a rampage killing his wife and hunting down the girls to get his money back, while the people he has terrorized have had enough and crave vengeance.

BIG BAD WOLF, originally titled HUFF, is an okay piece of revenge exploitation that was popular during the 70s. The main difference is that BIG BAD WOLF doesn't have the balls that films had decades ago. It seems the film makers wanted to make this film but were afraid to go too far with it as to not offend too a portion of the viewing audience. Paul Morrell's direction is adequate, never venturing far from comfort of standard framing and angles. He does manage to get some good performances out of the younger members of the cast, including the three stepdaughters and one boyfriend. Charlie O'Connell's performance in the lead is uneven, bouncing back and forth from menacing and sick to over the top and hammy. Unfortunately he spends more time in the latter. BIG BAD WOLF can best be summed up as an appetizer, or the training wheels on an exploitation film bike. It isn't enough for a main course and it doesn't give you the full exciting ride that films such as I Spit On Your Grave, Last House In The Left, or Night Train Murders do.

The Audio & Video
 Horizon Movies gives BIG BAD WOLF an attractive 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image is clean and features strong detail levels. The audio stereo audio track is clear and steady, no background noise.

The Extras
Extras are limited to interviews and trailers.

The Bottom Line
BIG BAD WOLF barely whets the appetite but if you can find a good price on the DVD it isn't terrible and would be worth checking out if you're wondering if this type of film may be for you before you get into harder fare.

BIG BAD WOLF is available HERE

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