Rage (Blu-ray Review) - Image/RLJ

USA/2014
Directed By: Paco Cabezas
Written By: James Agnew, Sean Keller
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Rachel Nichols, Max Ryan
Color/98 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: August 12, 2014

The Film
Paul Maguire is a man with a violent past having spent his younger years in organized crime. When his wife was diagnosed with cancer he cleaned up his ways to make sure someone would always be there for their daughter. Now Maguire is on the hunt for the people responsible for kidnapping and murdering his teen daughter. It doesn't take Maguire long to fall back into his old ways and to contact his old crime family who help him track down all of their old enemies in order to find out who is behind the killing and why.

Nicolas Cage stars in this film written by the pair who wrote Dario Argento's weakest effort Giallo. Their names will forever be etched into my mind. Anyways, on topic, director Paco Cabezas delivers a pretty decent action thriller in the vein of Taken. Cabezas' direction adds a level of excitement to many of the action scenes, though he falls into the "shaky cam" trap a bit too often. Nic Cage's acting is surprisingly good throughout. He doesn't ham it up too much except for one rooftop scene where he delivers one of his signature freakouts. I tried not to laugh, but a Nic Cage freakout is usually hilarious. And there's even a role for Danny Glover, who is okay too.

RAGE isn't going to change the genre or blow you away but it manages to be a pretty decent and entertaining violent thriller in the mold of countless movies that have come before it.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ deliver an attractive Blu-ray for RAGE. The anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 transfer features great levels of detail and clarity. Skin tones are natural and fleshy while colors pop. The DTS-HD 5.1 audio track is robust and full bodied. The mix is excellent and there's no audible hiccups. 

Note: Screen shots taken from DVD copy.

The Extras
-The Making of RAGE
-Deleted scenes
-Alternate ending
-DVD copy of film

The Bottom Line
If you're looking for a new thriller filled with action or something new from familiar names you can do worse than RAGE. It isn't a perfect film but it was a pleasant surprise.

RAGE is available HERE

The Ultimate Pleasure / I Am Always Ready (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1977, 1978
Directed By: Carlos Tobalina
Written By: Edgar G. Warren
Starring: Kristine Heller, Blair Harris, John Holmes, Ronie Ross
Color/143 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Films
THE ULTIMATE PLEASURE tells the story of a married couple struggling to find the spark in their relationship. They pay a visit to a sex therapist who gets to the bottom of their problems with sex to unlock the passion hidden within. This leads to plenty of kinky situations like sex while hypnotized, orgies, and more! This sex filled romp has a few questionable situations that may seem a bit unorthodox as far as medical practice is concerned, I mean having sex with your hypnotized patient is probably against some sort of code or law but if it gets the job done who cares! It makes THE ULTIMATE PLEASURE all the more fun.

What would you do to live out your wildest fantasies? I AM ALWAYS READY answers that question and shows it too! A woman gets to live out her fantasy of appearing in a porno with none other than the legend himself, John Holmes! I AM ALWAYS READY is a fun way to live the dream of being an amateur picked to co-star with your favorite porn legend. It doesn't hurt to dream! I AM ALWAYS READY is packed with sex and a bit of the trials and tribulations of making a sex film... it's not always tits and ass... I mean fun and games!

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome delivers a pair of great looking transfers for these two films. Each film is presented in a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer maintaining the films' original aspect ratio. The source material were 35mm camera negatives and they've been kept in great condition. The transfers are damn near pristine. Colors are strong and vivid which pretty much sums up the overall visual presentation. These films look excellent. The English mono audio tracks sound very good as well. There's no background noise and no instances of crackling, popping or any sort of hiccups like that. Levels are mixed very well.

The Extras
A trailer is included for each film

The Bottom Line
This double feature is another entry in to VinSyn's Peekarama Collection and it is another pair of expertly presented erotic tales that are sure to please fans. 

THE ULTIMATE PLEASURE / I AM ALWAYS READY is available HERE

Purely Physical / Cathouse Fever (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1982, 1984
Directed By: Chris Warfield
Written By: Chris Warfield, John Hayes
Starring: Laura Lazare, Sidney Fellows, Becky Savage
Color/158 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Films
In PURELY PHYSICAL A beautiful young college student takes an overnight job at the desk of a seedy motel. She quickly finds out that most of the motel's business is from all sorts of couples, prostitutes, perverts and sexual deviants. The girl's sheltered upbringing begins to fall away as she is repeatedly propositioned by men and women alike. Eventually she acts upon her fantasies and gives one of the regulars the wake up call he's been dreaming of!

CATHOUSE FEVER is the tale of a young woman looking for love and some college coeds looking to pay tuition by working in a whore house. Their sexual encounters from a man who's mouth is taped shut by his wife so he can't talk to other women (she never said anything about fucking them!) to getting tired from not being able to get someone off despite the cash being thrown at them.

This Peekarama double feature from Vinegar Syndrome is a pair of very entertaining skin flicks from director Chris Warfield. CATHOUSE FEVER is very entertaining and has a few artful touches with a bit of humor thrown in for good measure while PURELY PHYSICAL is more the star of the show as far as I'm concerned as the motel provides the perfect setting to get to be the proverbial fly on the wall to spy on the guests sexual encounters. The thing that keeps you drawn in is the desk girl's budding sexual curiosity and waiting to see her act on them. Your patience pays off during the climax (pun fully intended) of the film.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has done another nice job with the transfer of these films. Each film is in its OAR with sharp, and clean 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen presentations. There is a bit of speckling present and a single noticed frame jump in PURELY PHYSICAL. Colors are strong and overall clarity is great. I'm very pleased with how these films look. The Mono audio tracks sound quite good with just the slightest bit of sporadic background noise evident. It is far from distracting and doesn't interfere with a very well done mix.

The Extras
A trailer for each film is included

The Bottom Line
The interesting scenarios and attractive leading ladies make for above average porno flicks that have pretty solid production value as well. Recommended for fans of the Peekarama double feature series or for anyone looking for above average 80s smut.

PURELY PHYSICAL / CATHOUSE FEVER is available HERE

Ironclad: Battle For Blood (DVD Review) - XLRator Media

UK/2014
Directed By: Jonathan English
Written By: Steve McDool, Jonathan English
Starring: Tom Austen, Tom Rhys Harries, Roxanne McKee
Color/108 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Film
Having never seen the first IRONCLAD movie I can't comment on how the sequel stacks up or if it carries on the storyline. I can say that IRONCLAD: BATTLE FOR BLOOD is a pretty standard medieval action flick that can stand alone on its own feet. A son avenges his father while reuniting a family bond and a true warrior and leader finds his way against the baddies who have no problem violently shedding blood and raping and pillaging.

I have to admit that I am pretty easily pleased when it comes to medieval action movies. It certainly has to do with my lifelong affinity for the time period and the myths and stories surrounding it. I've always loved the imagery and seeing it in motion in films brings a smile to my face. IRONCLAD: BATTLE FOR BLOOD isn't anything special, in fact it repeats itself through most of the film as far as the battle scenes are concerned. It's basically the same fight three times while a very thin story progresses inside the castle walls but you throw some swordplay, some cool axes and hammers and suits of armor on the screen and I'll have some fun with it. Unless you're 300, then you're just a big pile of shit.

That's all there is to say about this sequel. It's simple and is a decent time waster. If you're like me and enjoy movies set in this time period there is enough fun action to warrant a viewing.

The Audio & Video
The DVD from XLRator Media has a good looking anamorphic widescreen transfer. Detail is pretty strong for a standard DVD while the photography and colors have good clarity and body. The audio track is a bit on the quiet side however with the dialogue being lower in the mix than would be optimal. You may have to reach for the remote from time to time to make sure you don't miss any dialogue. Other than that the track has good quality. 

The Extras
-"Behind The Blood" - 15 minute making-of documentary
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
A fun period action flick that brought a smile to my face. It isn't going to replace something like Excalibur as one of my favorite medieval flicks but it is fun for a rainy day.

IRONCLAD: BATTLE FOR BLOOD is available HERE

Blue Movie (DVD Review) - Raro Video

Italy/1973
Directed By: Alberto Cavallone
Written By: Alberto Cavallone
Starring: Danielle Dugas, Claude Maran, Joseph dickson
Color/84 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 27, 2014

The Film
A woman named Silvia escapes being raped in the forest and finds refuge with a man named Claudio who is willing to hide her as she's afraid the police will charge her with murdering one of her attackers. Claudio is a photographer who works in his home and is obsessed with images of pain and death. Claudio's relationship with one of his models takes a very weird turn toward sado-masochism while Silvia begins to be unable to separate reality from her trauma and has strange hallucinations and nightmares.

BLUE MOVIE is a mix of psychological horror, arthouse and midnight movie. From the perverse actions such as eating and drinking feces and urine to brutal rape and bloody and murder and scenes from Nazi death camps and other actual acts of war and protest, this film is filled with attitude and opinion. Unfortunately director and writer Alberto Cavallone doesn't do a great job getting his message across. The film is handled sloppily and it doesn't really come together enough for the deeper meanings to take full effect. BLUE MOVIE is a shocking film, and some of its ideas work to a point but it fails to be anything bigger, which it had great potential to be.

It's interesting to note that BLUE MOVIE may have been even less of the art it wanted to be as it apparently was at one point released with far more explicit sex scenes. There are a couple in this film that I think take away from the film and cheapen it. The scenes were fine without explicitly showing a handjob and it feels like a cheap way of getting into adult theaters. I could be wrong but that is how it came off to me.

The Audio & Video
Raro Video gives BLUE MOVIE a DVD release with an okay transfer, likely the best they could muster up given it was shot on 16mm and it is documented that materials were hard to come by. The image is soft at points and has some dirt and scratches. It is a completely watchable transfer however with decent colors and a stable image. It doesn't look bad but it isn't going to blow you away. The Italian audio track sounds pretty good with just a very small bit of background popping scattered throughout. The English subtitles are newly translated and read very well. 

The Extras
-Scenes from "uncut" version
-Video intro: Nocturno presents "Blue Extreme"
-Booklet by Nocturno Cinema

The Bottom Line
Fans of films with shocking scenes will certainly find something to enjoy in BLUE MOVIE while arthouse and midnight movie fans should give it a chance to see how it resonates with them.

BLUE MOVIE is available HERE

Love Camp (Blu-ray Review) - Ascot Elite

Switzerland/1977
Directed By: Jess Franco
Written By: Erwin C. Dietrich
Starring: Nanda Van Bergen, Monika Kalin, Monica Swinn
Color/79 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
A group of beautiful girls is kidnapped by revolutionaries and taken to a jungle camp to serve as sex slaves for the revolution. The girls are forced to comply or they are tortured or killed by the sadistic warden. When one of the leaders of the revolution falls in love with one of the girls they try to escape for a life together.

LOVE CAMP is a classic example of Jess Franco tackling just about any genre that is hot at the moment and the Women In Prison genre was hot in the late 70s. Franco makes a pretty satisfying piece of exploitation either way, with plenty of flesh on screen. There's shower scenes, love scenes and a bit of violence. Had Franco went further with the violence and shown it explicitly I think LOVE CAMP could have rose above the pack and became a classic example of the genre. As it is, LOVE CAMP is pretty middle of the road WIP.

The Audio & Video
Yet another outstanding Blu-ray from Ascot Elite. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is gorgeous, with great sharpness and vivid colors. There's no edge enhancement and DNR is not excessive while skin tones are natural and healthy. The English DTS-HD 5.1 track sounds very good. The mix is strong and levels are complimentary to each other. There's no background noise. German and French tracks are also available with optional English and Japanese subs.

The Extras
-Jess Franco audio interview
-Trailers
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
A missed opportunity to be a classic ends up as something that will entertain the viewer but doesn't reach its full potential. LOVE CAMP is absolutely worth checking out for what it is instead of skipping for what it isn't.

In Search Of Bigfoot / Cry Wilderness (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1975, 1986
Directed By: Lawrence Crowley/William Miller, Jay Cohen
Written By: , Jay Cohen, Phillip Yordan
Starring: Robert Morgan, Phil Tonken, Eric Foster, Maurice Grandmaison
Color/167 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: August 5, 2014

The Films
The first film on this double feature DVD is a documentary from 1975 entitled IN SEARCH OF BIGFOOT, a title that perfectly sums up what the film is about. A man who deeply believes in the existence of the infamous beast and claims to have an experience with one twenty years prior assembles a team to explore the Pacific Northwest hunting for clues and proof of Bigfoot. Overall IN SEARCH OF BIGFOOT is endearing in its honesty and heartfelt nature on wanting to uncover the truth behind the myth and find the beast. There's no sarcastic cool guy making jokes or anyone trying to hoax the existence and trick the world. It's a group that has a passion to uncover the beast and protect his home. Unfortunately it's a rather boring documentary. The 76 minutes are spent walking through the woods or talking to locals in and around the area who have sightings of beasts that may or may not have been a Sasquatch and little of any actual consequence happens.

In the second film on the set, CRY WILDERNESS, a young boy who befriended Bigfoot the year earlier is visited by the beast and warned that his father is in grave danger. The boy leaves his boarding school and hitchhikes his way into the mountains where his father works as a forest ranger. The ranger and his Native American friend are on the hunt for a tiger that escaped from the circus to capture it alive while locals are on the hunt to make money. All the while a big game hunter is on the look for Bigfoot and will spill blood to find and kill him.

CRY WILDERNESS is ridiculous in that it is a big mashup of nature run amok, Bigfoot and children's adventure flick. There's some instances of horror but just as often there's adorable scenes of cute raccoons terrorizing a kitchen and making a mess and Bigfoot and the boy reuniting with a big hug and spinning around like they're in a musical. Oh and did I mention Bigfoot loves to drink Coke and listen to rock music? Yeah, he's pretty much the hippest Bigfoot around.

I don't know if I liked CRY WILDERNESS or not. It certainly was an interesting and sometimes entertaining movie but that has as much to do with how random the whole thing was. I think an opportunity for a more violent horror driven film was missed. Seeing this Bigfoot, with a cheesy yet fairly decent looking costume tear apart asshole locals who are destroying his home and other animal friends would have been great. We get nothing close to that though and CRY WILDERNESS exists in some sort of weird plane where Bigfoot finds it easier to visit a little kid at his school instead of just saving the kid's dad himself.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome's transfer of BIGFOOT is solid. The documentary filmed on 16mm has pretty good clarity. The print is in pretty good condition with the occasional bit of dirt/debris or the stray hair remaining. For a low budget documentary shot on 16mm it looks about as good as you'd hope for. The audio is better than I expected given the nature of the production. Audio is clear with good mixing and steady levels. There's never a moment of struggling to understand dialogue and there's very little if any annoying popping or crackling.

CRY WILDERNESS looks pretty good on this DVD. There's a bit of speckling but the print is mostly clean and has decent sharpness and clarity. It does look better than the other film on the disc as it was filmed in 35mm and quality is naturally higher. The audio track sounds good with good mixing and clarity. There's no background noise and levels are steady so you won't need to reach the remote for fluctuating volume.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
This DVD from the Drive-In Collection by Vinegar Syndrome is an interesting pairing of similarly themed yet totally different Sasquatch flicks. If you're a fan of the big beast and films about it there's no reason not to check this disc out. 

IN SEARCH OF BIGFOOT/CRY WILDERNESS is available HERE