Prom Night (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

Canada/1980
Directed By: Paul Lynch
Written By: William Gray, Robert Guza Jr.
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen, Casey Stevens
Color/93 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: September 9, 2014

The Film
Six years after an accident involving some kids playing a prank leaves one of their friends dead from a nasty fall, a killer is on the loose at Hamilton High at prom. The students are preparing their dates, their hair and makeup and their suits and dresses for the night while a select few are getting obscene phone calls from a raspy voice. Eventually the time has come for the party but not everyone is having a good time as a maniac in a black ski mask is running around with an axe! Prom has become a fight for survival to find out who is behind the brutal murders and what their motive is.

Disco was dying by 1980 but it was the driving force behind the soundtack for PROM NIGHT. The high energy and bright lights bouncing off the disco ball during the third act of the film provides a great excitement and adrenaline rush for this slasher film. Director Paul Lynch turns a film that barely got finished into a pretty well done horror film that has plenty of the excess in violence and sex that the 80s would become known for. The viewer needs a bit of patience with PROM NIGHT as it is on the slow side. Almost all of the action takes place after the hour mark has passed which creates a 100mph thrill ride of blood and guts. There's still time to build tension throughout the kill scenes including the auto mechanic's garage scene which is one of my favorite parts of the film.

Acting is way above average for a slasher, lead by Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen as the principal. The score and soundtrack which apparently were quite rushed ended up being spot on for the movie and the reveal at the end wraps up the story nicely. PROM NIGHT is a great slasher film that gets better with each repeated viewing.

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films are masters of their craft. No other company does quite as good a job with each subsequent release as Synapse does and they prove it yet again with PROM NIGHT. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer features great clarity and a natural grain structure. Skin tones are healthy and natural while black levels are deep and inky. Colors pop just enough without looking artificially enhanced and there's no noticeable DNR. There are two options for the audio, a DTS-HDMA 5.1 surround track which will give your home theater system a reason to work. It sounds awesome. There's also the original 2.0 mono mix which represents the film perfectly and is also a fine choice. There's no audible hiccups or background noise to speak of. This is a fantastic technical presentation.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with director Paul Lynch and writer William Gray
-"The Horrors Of Hamilton High" - An extensive "Making Of" featurette
-Additional Scenes for the TV presentation of PROM NIGHT
-Never before seen outtakes (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Motion still gallery (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Original radio spots (Blu-ray exclusive)
-Original theatrical trailer
-TV spots

The Bottom Line
A classic slasher film on a gorgeous disc packed with special features? Of course I recommend it highly.

PROM NIGHT is available HERE

Tinto Brass: Maestro Of Erotic Cinema (Blu-ray Review) - Cult Epics

The Box Set
Tinto Brass has been making films since the early 1960s. Known to genre fans for his erotic and exploitative nature with films such as Caligula (1979)and Salon Kitty (1976). Brass' penchant for skin on film has carried his career into the 21st century with the erotic films contained in this set. From comedies like CHEEKY! and PRIVATE (Fallo) to the Nazi-Germany set drama BLACK ANGEL (Senso '45) and the very sexually charged MONAMOUR, this collection brings four of the Italian director's contemporary works together in one attractive package.

Tinto Brass has been at it for five decades now and hasn't lost his ability to get a rise and charge out of his audience. There are plenty of laughs to be had in this set and emotional highs and lows. There's also a bounty of beautiful women in various sexual encounters. Tinto Brass may never be looked at as a truly brilliant director but few can rival his successes over such an extended period of time in such a genre of film.

The Audio & Video
Cult Epics has done a beautiful job assembling this box set out of previously available individual titles. The transfers on these discs (all 16x9 anamorphic) are pristine with crystal clear clarity and striking colors. The skin tones are fleshy and natural while black levels and deep and rich. The audio tracks are much the same, with options for Italian audio with optional English subtitles or an English dub track, there isn't a bit of background noise or audible hiccups. The mix is well done between dialogue and soundtracks too.

The Extras
This five disc set includes a healthy array of special features including:

-40 Page collectible booklet
-DVD documentary: "Tinto Brass: Maestro of Erotic Cinema"
-"Making Of" Featurettes
-Trailers
-Photo Galleries

The Bottom Line
Four Tinto Brass feature films on Blu-ray and a documentary on DVD make this five disc set an absolutely stellar release from the good folks at Cult Epics. If any sort of erotic cinema is an interest to you there's no reason not to run out and buy yourself a copy of this set.

TINTO BRASS: THE MAESTRO OF EROTIC CINEMA is available HERE

Grindhouse Trailer Classics (DVD Review) - Intervision

Color/129 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: August 12, 2014

The Film
For the exploitation, horror and various other genre films of the 60s and 70s the trailer was the only thing to draw in an audience aside from having an appealing title. This would be 30 seconds to a minute and a half of footage from the film promising the most exciting, nerve shattering, blood curdling and adrenaline pumping action you've ever seen. Often times the trailer was better than the movie itself and sometimes the trailer showed every single exciting part of the full film.

Creating an exciting trailer that will captivate audiences and get them to shell out their bucks to buy a ticket to see the full film is an art form in itself and the trailers for the films that would play in seedy theaters in cities such as Chicago, San Francisco and along the Deuce in New York City featured an energy that has never been recreated. GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS features 55 trailers from films stretching the gamut of exploitation genres. A few included trailers are the horror films House Of Whipcord, and Don't Open The Window to the exploitation classics They Call Her One Eye and the Ilsa films. There's even a giallo or two included.

The Audio & Video
Intervision releases this DVD with an anamorphic widescreen transfer and original mono audio. The picture and audio quality fluctuates from trailer to trailer as you'd expect. The best trailers look and sound fantastic with little background noise and minor dirt or damage to the print. The trailers in lesser condition still maintain pretty good quality. There aren't any trailers that are excessively beaten or battered.

The Extras
-"Bump 'N Grind" - a 15 minute featurette with Emily Booth and she discusses the history of the grindhouse theater and the films they showed.
-Gallery of poster art

The Bottom Line
These trailer compilations are a lot of fun to watch in their entirety or to throw on before movies during a movie night with friends. Pick a few random trailers to watch before your main feature and you'll have even more fun. GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS has some of the best trailers from the era and you won't be disappointed with this disc.

GRINDHOUSE TRAILER CLASSICS is available HERE

42nd Street Forever: The Peepshow Collection Vol. 4 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/Various Years
Directed By: Various 
Starring: Eric Boyer, Linda Shaw, Sharon Kane
Color/116 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: August, 12, 2014 

The Film
This collection of 8mm short stag films may be the most wild and sexually over the top that we've seen yet. Featuring everything from down and dirty interracial scenes that were still taboo in the 1970s, to some pregnant and group action there's a little something here for whatever desire you may have at that moment. This collection has no shortage of stars that went on to make, or already had made names for themselves within the XXX industry.

As raunchy as raunchy may get while staying within legal boundaries is a good way to describe this fourth volume of the 42ND STREET FOREVER: PEEPSHOW COLLECTION. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if something in this disc was illegal somewhere at the time of filming. Ah yes, good old fashioned wholesome American fun! Sit back with a glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy the swapping of fluids and endless tits and bush. This is sex in the 1970s after all!

The Audio & Video
Synapse Films should again be commended for saving these films and presenting them in a way that will historically significant. Never again will we have to worry about if these particular shorts have been preserved well enough to ever view again since they've been released on DVD by the Impulse Pictures label. They are silent shorts so the only sound is that of the projector running in the background but the picture quality is good. As good as low budget, porn films shot on 8mm film forty years ago will look. These are scratchy and dirty while remaining completely watchable. The nature of these films is totally in line with beaten and dirty prints and truly does add to the experience.

The Extras
The 15 shorts in the film are available to play individually or with a "play all" option. Fantastic liner notes from Robin Bougie of Cinema Sewer are included.

The Bottom Line
Synapse has done awesome work with their Impulse Pictures line and preserving these vintage short stag films. There is a historical value to these films and thanks to the fine folks at Synapse they will be preserved and available for decades to come.

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOL. 4 is available HERE

City Of Lust (2014)

USA/2013
Directed By: David A. Holcombe
Written By: David A. Holcombe
Starring: Margaret Grace, Jill Oliver, Derek Ryan
Color/76 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: July 1, 2014

Arianna has recently moved to a new city where she works as a hair stylist in a salon full of people that hate her for one reason or another. Arianna is a shy and quiet girl, alone in her new home. She takes to calling a phone sex line for companionship. Arianna is experiencing hallucinations and nosebleeds as a result of the chemicals in the products she works with. On top of that many of the people in her life are being found murdered. Her only friend, Jackie the phone sex operator, gets closer with Arianna hoping to help her but with bodies piling up around her and a killer on the loose how much longer can she keep her sanity or life?

CITY OF LUST is billed as a modern Giallo and I guess you can get away with calling it that despite it not being an Italian production. It glazes over some of the important aspects of the genre such as the investigation into the killer's identity but it is (barely) there. In my opinion it is closer to a love letter to Italian horror in general with heavily filtered colored lighting and violent gory deaths that became the norm in Italy in the 80s. The movie is low budget as is immediately evident from the photography. It doesn't take an expert to tell that this was not made with professional quality cameras but David Holcombe still gives us a decent movie. There's a good effort put in with set design and an artistic touch to the film, mainly shown in Arianna's hallucinations. While most of the performances are okay there's a couple characters that overact badly and really ham up the film when they're on screen. The film could also use a longer script and more in depth story. As with the investigation angle to the movie, the entire story really feels glazed over. Arianna is a likable character and getting more out of her, and those surrounding her would have been good. A proper investigation would have also brought the movie to a more proper runtime.

CITY OF LUST still manages to be a decent horror movie. It isn't everything I hoped it would be but it is more than I usually expect out of a low budget horror film. If you're a big fan of Italian horror or Gialli it's worth checking out as a decent homage to them.

CITY OF LUST is available HERE

The Walking Dead season 4 (Blu-ray Review) - AMC/Anchor Bay

The fourth season of AMC's THE WALKING DEAD really brought the show from an entertaining show set in the zombie apocalypse and turned it into a must watch action-drama while setting up the best which is yet to come. Our group of survivors in Atlanta try to set up a simpler life and a bit of civilization after their battle with Woodbury. Rick has renounced his leader ship and tends to crops and raising pigs instead. Life within the prison walls is as close to ideal as the group has seen since the outbreak. Things take a turn for the worse when a pig becomes sick and a virus seems to be spreading making survival very difficult with the lack of medical supplies. As the sickness claims members in a cellblock they reanimate causing panic in the prison. Survival in the prison is in jeopardy as the outer security is also compromised as the walkers are knocking down the outer fences.

While the prison survivors fight to stay alive and keep their security while the Governor aligns himself with a new family and group using his persuasive ways to quickly gain their loyalty and become the voice of the group. The governor uses his new group to wage an attack on the prison after taking a couple members hostage. He demands the prison for his own use in exchange for the lives of the captives. When Rick refuses and one captive is killed the war between the prison group and the Governor begins again ending with the prison being overrun despite a victory in battle. The attack on the prison has left the group scattered and broken with small groups fractured off in to different directions. The small groups all fight to survive on the road, in neighborhoods while they all eventually follow signs along the railroad tracks promising salvation and safety in a place called Terminus. When the group arrives in several packs at Terminus they learn that the people running the town are not who they claimed to be.

THE WALKING DEAD stepped up every aspect of its production from acting and writing to action and emotion. Special effects and horror elements remain high as the numerous zombie scenes are bloody and gory throughout the season. The zombies continue to have a great disgusting and decayed design. I wish there was a bit more practical effects as opposed to CGI but the CGI isn't bad looking. The drama is ramped up to a level we haven't seen in previous seasons with the group split and several relationships severed. The pacing of this season is fantastic as every episode works to a bigger story and there is very little filler unlike earlier in the series. Changing the setting in the second half from the prison to the road and eventually Terminus was welcome and will have viewers on the edge of their seat with a new and dangerously exciting wild environment. Emotions and entertainment run high in this season.

The Blu-ray from Anchor Bay looks and sounds fantastic. This is an AMC show which means you're getting some of the highest TV production values available and it translates to disc. The season is spread across five discs and features a gorgeous 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer with crystal clarity and very high detail levels. Colors are vivid and pop just enough while black levels are deep. The English audio track is a 7.1 HD track with an excellent and boisterous mix. Special features are abundant with several featurettes including "Inside The Walking Dead", "The Making Of...", "Drawing insprations", "Hershel", "The Governor Is Back", "Society, Science and Survival", "Inside KNB EFX", and "A Journey Back To Brutality". Also included are audio commentaries and extended versions on several different episodes and a selection of deleted scenes.

THE WALKING DEAD is my favorite current show on television and I've grown to care about the characters and storylines in a way I simply don't with most shows. The continually improving quality of the series is making the series part of an elite class of weekly programming and I can fully understand its popularity. This Blu-ray boxset is a fantastic way of catching up on the show before the start of season 5.

THE WALKING DEAD Season 4 is available HERE

The Possession Of Michael King (Blu-ray Review) - Anchor Bay/Starz

USA/2014
Directed By: David Jung
Written By: David Jung, Tedi Sarafian
Starring: Shane Johnson, Ella Anderson, Cara Pifko
Color/83 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: August 26, 2014

The Film
After the tragic death of his wife in an accident, Michael King (Shane Johnson) sets out to make a documentary disproving the existence of God or The Devil or any sort of supernatural being. Michael interviews people from both sides including priests and a mortician who practices necromancy. He also submits himself to various rites and rituals even going as far as to take LSD to open his mind to welcome demons into his body. Michael thinks the whole thing is fun and games until he starts hearing voices telling him to kill his daughter and commit other evil acts and he slowly begins to lose his grip on his sanity and self control.

THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING falls into many cliches that the demon possession genre and found footage style of film making can hold. Shane Johnson gives a solid performance and really carries the movie to make it at least watchable because it is rather boring and full of the "same old same old" that we've seen before in demonic possession horror films. There is one scene that provides a few genuine creepy moments and some tension but it quickly comes to pass without much consequence to the overall story.

THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING boils down to little more than a succession of rather lame black magic rituals presented by a character that is so pompous and arrogant that you can't help but hope for the worst with him.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay/Starz release the film on Blu-ray (with DVD and Ultraviolet HD digital copy) with a very attractive anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 transfer. Texture and detail level is quite good while colors are vivid with deep black levels. There's no signs of edge enhancement or excessive DNR. The audio track is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that has an excellent mix between score and dialogue. The track is free of any background noise and is of excellent quality.

The Extras
Extras? What extras?

The Bottom Line
If you're a die hard found footage or demonic possession fan then THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING is worth a rental. As for the rest of you I'd suggest you not waste your time with a weak film and a release that doesn't supplement it with any sort of special feature, not even a trailer.

THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING is available HERE