The Slave (Blu-ray Review) - Mondo Macabro

Italy/1969
Directed By: Pasquale Festa Campanile
Written By: Renato Ghilli, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi
Starring: Rosanna Schiaffino, Haydee Politoff
Color/100 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: September 9, 2014

The Film
Silvia is a beautiful woman in her late 20s. She has intense sexual fantasies, desires and dreams where men and women adorn various weird and exotic costumes. Silvia meets Margaret, a very wealthy movie star. Margaret has Silvia stay with her and begins training her to become a model until their relationship takes a much different turn with their sexual desires.

Sex is one of the driving themes of THE SLAVE but it is not by any means explicit or really even an erotic film. It is a very artistically driven drama about fetish, wealth and the human psyche. Margaret comes to demand to be known as "Mistress" and pays the folks in her mansion to act as her slaves with her favorite being Silvia. There's everything from turning Silvia into a human sculpture at a dinner party to bondage.

THE SLAVE is a beautiful film. Beautifully lit, shot and performed. There are a few moments with heavy doses of trippy colors and lighting and a perfectly 60s jazzy pop soundtrack from Piero Piccioni, one of Italy's most notable composers. THE SLAVE was new to me and from what I can tell it isn't very well known in the states but that should change with this release as it is quite good. It is just a matter of time until people discover it.

The Audio & Video
Mondo Macabro's debut Blu-ray is a home run when it comes to technical presentation. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has a gorgeous film look with a healthy and natural looking grain structure. The overall clarity is excellent with closeups showing great detail in skin tones and textures. Colors are vibrant without looking artificial and it is largely a very clean transfer with just minor speckling occasionally. The HD mono audio track is in the film's native Italian with English subtitles. The audio is limited with just the single side mix but sounds excellent nonetheless with crystal clarity, no background noise and it works perfectly for the film. The subtitles are translated very nicely and are timed perfectly.

Note: Screen grabs taken from DVD version of film and while they're nice they don't fully represent the gorgeous HD presentation.

The Extras
-Interview with Roberto Curti
-Interview with Justin Harries
-Text summary documenting the production of the film
-Text cast and crew profiles
-Selection of Mondo Macabro trailers

The Bottom Line
Mondo Macabro makes it known to the world that the great work they did on DVD will only be surpassed by their great work on Blu-ray. Fans of Italian genre cinema will want to see THE SLAVE and there is only one way worth doing so... this BD. 

THE SLAVE is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Day 14

CLONUS (aka Parts: The Clonus Horror) is the film that got Michael Bay and his production company sued over plagiarism for essentially stealing the idea of the government making clones to harvest organs from to prolong their own life. The movie at question was The Island and the case was settled out of court. The idea may not be unheard of but apparently it was an extremely close copy of CLONUS which is a pretty decent low budget horror thriller, much better than its 3/10 rating on IMDB. The budgetary constraints show in certain moments like when a beer can plays a pivotal plot point to the film. There's some good effects work at hand which is a bit surprising but overall it just plods along a bit too slowly and doesn't provide enough of a punch at the end to elevate it to something truly special.

Few actors have the insane legend that Klaus Kinski has. He was known to be abusive, intense and a downright asshole. His on-going love/hate relationship with frequent collaborator Werner Herzog is well documented and a film entitled My Best Friend was made about it. Those two men made some incredibly beautiful and powerful films together but often wanted to kill each other as well. One of Kinski's most infamous tantrums was on the set of VAMPIRE IN VENICE (aka Nosferatu In Venice) the pseudo-sequel to Herzog's remake of the classic vampire tale, Nosferatu. Kinski was nothing short of a raving lunatic, forcing numerous directors off the production and even taking over the job himself. There's about a half dozen directors attached to the picture... think about that for a second. That's is a new director every 5-7 days on average assuming the production was 4-6 weeks long. That's wild. What we end up with is a film that is disjointed but still dreamy and engaging with Kinski turning in a decent (and surprisingly restrained) performance of the titular vampire.

Ever wonder what a mid to late 50s gothic horror film would be like if it was made in Mexico? Well that is what you get with EL VAMPIRO (The Vampire). And it is pretty standard fare. There's nothing out of the ordinary, unexpected or particularly special about the film. That isn't a bad thing though as it is a well done gothic vampire horror film. It just fails to set itself apart in any way. I enjoyed it and I look forward to watching the sequel soon.

I had a free Redbox rental code and decided to give OCULUS a shot. First let me tell you that this is easily the highest quality film WWE Studios has done in terms of production value. OCULUS just looks and feels like something bigger and better than any other WWE movie has. There's also no wrestlers in the movie thankfully. I'm a huge professional wrestling fan but let's not fool ourselves and think that they belong in movies. Outside of the 80s and 90s cheesefests that Hulk Hogan did and the summer blockbusters of present that The Rock can handle there aren't really any wrestlers that succeed in films (plus I'm always disappointed I never see wrestling moves in the movies). OCULUS is a horror film about a haunted mirror, responsible for driving dozens of people insane and to their deaths over the last few centuries and now two young adults who lost their parents a decade ago to the mirror have vowed to prove its power and destroy it in a series of experiments but the mirror proves to be too powerful. OCULUS isn't really bad per se, it's just bland and is just there. It simply exists. I was very indifferent through the whole thing and honestly didn't care too much about what was happening. I guess I can see how people have enjoyed it more than I did but for me it didn't resonate or strike any chords.

Today's Rundown
Clonus - 5/10
Vampire In Venice - 6/10
El Vampiro - 6/10
Oculus - 4.5/10

The Squad (Blu-ray Review) - Scream Factory

Colombia/2011
Directed By: Jaime Osorio Marquez
Written By: Jaime Osorio Marquez
Starring: Juan Pablo Barragan, Alejnadro Aguilar, Mauricio Navas
Color/100 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: October 21, 2014

The Film
A nine man military squad is sent to investigate a military base in the mountains believed to have fallen under guerrilla rebel control. The group arrives to find only a single woman, bound in chains behind a wall with a type of prayer scrawled across it. The woman doesn't utter a single word under the pressure of interrogation. The squad loses all communication with their support groups and food rations run out. The isolation and claustrophobia with the inability to escape leaves the men paranoid and short fused, ready to snap at each other at any given moment. The mysterious woman's true identity and nature are called in to question- is she a rebel informant? A prisoner? Or something supernatural and evil causing the squad's plight? It is an isolated fight for to maintain their sanity and to survive.

THE SQUAD has a lot of things going for it, most of all a great cast that carries the film. Everybody involved is on point with their performances. The setting is both scary and scenic but the interiors are dark, damp and moody. A perfect place to lose your mind. The director manages to capture emotion on camera with intense closeups and a good style. Unfortunately Jaime Marquez' writing wasn't as strong as his direction and lets the film down with a script that doesn't pay off on the suspense and tension that are ready to boil over. A well crafted and wonderfully acted film doesn't take the ball and run with it unfortunately. The good still vastly outweighs the bad here and THE SQUAD is definitely worth checking out.

The Audio & Video
Scream Factory nails this Blu-ray release with a gorgeous anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer that takes the atmosphere surrounding the outpost and makes sure to enhance it with strong detail and great skin tones. There's no evidence of edge enhancement or DNR. Colors are vivid and natural. The Spanish audio track features optional English subtitles and a HD Master Audio track. It is a very well mixed track with sound effects playing into the film nicely without being lost in the shuffle. No audible annoyances or hiccups are present.

The Extras
-The Making of THE SQUAD featurette
-Theaterical trailer

The Bottom Line
With a stronger script THE SQUAD could have been a modern classic but as it sits it is still a quality movie that I will recommend all horror fans check out.

THE SQUAD is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Day 13

The first movie was one I wanted on to entertain me while I was doing a few things so I went with something short, fast and easy. THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH THE DEAD was that movie. Cory J. Udler's piece of sleazy horror is very entertaining and a wonderful piece of super low budget independent movie making. This is a movie that your mother would question you about if she saw you watching it.

I've had Argento on the brain ever since I heard about his upcoming film The Sandman and donating to the Indiegogo campaign just really made me need to watch something from my favorite director. The first Argento film of the month was PHENOMENA from 1985. I love this crazy piece of Italian horror. Razor wielding monkeys, Jennifer Connelly controlling insects, Donald Pleasance, a crazy deformed little monster, a disgusting pit of decaying corpses and a fantastic German/Swiss countryside setting. Love!

The day wrapped up with RAW FORCE as the great guys at Vinegar Syndrome were kind enough to send me a copy of the new Blu-ray/DVD combo pack to review. I'll wet your appetite for that full review by saying this is a cheesetastic mix of karate, explosions, cannibals, and zombies with samurai swords. And that's not all. RAW FORCE is the definition of "so bad its good".

Today's Rundown
The Girl Who Played With The Dead - 7/10
Phenomena - 8.5/10
Raw Force - 7/10

Werewolf Rising (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ

USA/2014
Directed By: BC Furtney
Written By: BC Furtney
Starring: Melissa Carnell, Matt Copko, Bill Oberst Jr.
Color/80 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: October 14, 2014

The Film
Emma returns to her childhood home in the mountains of Arakansas after city life in Boston has worn her down. Unfortunately her recurring nightmares of being stlaked through the woods by a man  have followed her. Her father's friend Wayne has fixed up the house for Emma and warns her of his nephew Johnny Lee, a troubled man who has just escaped from prison with another man. Emma has met Johnny Lee already and has become friends with him when she finds him on the brink of death as he was attacked by some sort of wolf. Emma brings him to her house and tends his wounds which heal remarkably fast. Johnny Lee and his uncle Wayne have a confrontation after Wayne drunkenly comes on to Emma, while Rhett, the man Johnny escaped with, makes himself known to Emma and tells her that he knows about the nightmares she's having with him in them. Emma runs into the woods looking for an escape only to find a woman waiting telling her that she's been writing to Rhett in jail and that he promised her he'd come for her and now he will choose which woman he wants when they're attacked by the beast.

There's a decent movie somewhere in WEREWOLF RISING. What we end up with isn't it, but there is one in there somewhere. Some tinkering in the writing and a few different decisions would have helped. Fleshing out the werewolf monster so much and so frequently was a mistake. The suit is cheap and goofy looking and looks closer to something out of a corny 70s or 80s Bigfoot movie than a terrifying werewolf. Not giving more time and focus to Bill Oberst Jr was a mistake. Most of the cast is stiff in their delivery but remain competent while Bill is the bright spot in the film. As he does in every project I've seen him in he puts his full effort forward and brings credibility, believability and class to the performance while elevating the material in the script.

The other high point of the film is the music in the film. It ranges from tense to serene and is very well done. Unfortunately WEREWOLF RISING wants to be a serious film (and it could have been) but that gets thrown out the window every time we see that fucking werewolf costume. It is far from the only problem in the film, as the script is weak and full eye-roll inducing cliche moments, but that damn suit equals something corny and shitty every single time we see it. As I said, there was a decent movie in there somewhere but some changes would need to be made in the script because this wasn't it.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ present WEREWOLF RISING on DVD in a very attractive looking anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) transfer. Colors are strong and vivid while black levels are handled nicely with no crush. Details are good for a DVD and I have no real complaints. A 5. 1 channel audio mix handles the sound on the disc and it is also quite good. There's no problems with the mix or the quality of the track. The soundtrack pulses when it wants to and lulls when it needs to. There's no background noise or audible hiccups.

The Extras
None.

The Bottom Line
If you're a werewolf super fan that needs to own every film in the genre then go ahead and pick this one up. For the rest of you give it a rental if you're curious about how ridiculous the suit is or to see a great performance from Bill Oberst Jr.

WEREWOLF RISING is available HERE

The Houses October Built (2014)

Five friends rent an RV and set off on a cross country tour of haunted houses looking for the best and most extreme haunts the country has to offer. Along their way they document their encounters with colorful locals, haunt employees and all of the ups and downs the trip offers while continuing to hear about a secret extreme haunt known as Blue Skeleton that changes location every year. The trip takes them through some creepy and well done haunts but the real scares are had as they're being followed or perhaps stalked by masked and costumed people who terrorize them in the RV, record them as they sleep and lead them to Blue Skeleton on Halloween night in New Orleans. As the scares get all too real the group wants to quit but Blue Skeleton has one of their friends and threatens to kill him if they don't play along.

THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT is a found footage horror film and thank the fucking lord they used the method of filmmaking to their advantage and it made the movie better. This movie goes beyond creepy, its down right scary. It has an air of reality that penetrates it to its core and draws the viewer in to the story and the group and makes the viewer feel like they're part of it all. You'll be on a downward spiral of smiling with the extremely likable cast as they party and have fun early on and start squirming and becoming noticeably uncomfortable and upset by the end.

Bobby Roe directs the film that he wrote along with Zack Andrews and Jason Zada. The story is tight and works beautifully. This is the worst possible scenario for going to a Halloween haunt attraction played out in frighteningly realistic detail. The main cast consisting of Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Mike Roe, Bobby Roe and Jeff Larson have great chemistry to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if they actually were long time friends. their performances and personalities were essential to the success of the film and they knocked it out of the park.

THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT is a perfect film to watch this time of year and would aid in the experience of your haunted house visit. This excellent film is on VOD and in select theaters now and you should absolutely sit down and watch it.

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Day 12

THE INVISIBLE MAN is a perfect mix of horror sci-fi and dark comedy. James Whale's direction on top of Claude Rains charismatic performance equal on of the best classic horror films of the 1930s. If you haven't seen it I don't know what else to tell you other than you're messing up!

One of my favorite parts of the annual October challenge is catching up on movies I've surprisingly never seen before for one reason or another. PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES is one of those movies. I've seen parts of it and I'm certainly familiar with it but I hadn't sat down and watched this Hammer film before this. I'm glad I finally did because it was another great gothic horror film from the British studio.

The last movie of the day is my favorite new viewing of the month so far. THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT is a fantastic horror film for this time of year. I have a full review of the film coming to give you my full thoughts but the film is on VOD and you should absolutely see it.

Today's Rundown
The Invisible Man - 9/10
Plague Of The Zombies - 7.5/10
The Houses October Built - 9/10