The Believers (Blu-ray Review) - Twilight Time

USA/1987
Directed By: John Schlesinger
Written By: Mark Frost
Starring: Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver
Color/114 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: October 14, 2014

The Film
Martin Sheen plays Cal, a recently widowed police psychologist who is dealing with a series of child murders that seem to be part of a ritual being performed by a group who practices Santeria. Eventually it becomes evident that the reach of this group's evil extends to the top of corporate power and dangerously close to Cal and his family.

I really wanted to like THE BELIEVERS. I like the plot and the film has a great cast who are more than up to the challenge here. Unfortunately this film just doesn't pack the powerful punch in the writing and give us anything exciting to really grasp on to. There's no payoff for taking the journey with the film. Even the climax itself is just bland. It's a shame that the script is without that signature moment that could have really turned this film from something decent into a near classic. THE BELIEVERS isn't a bad movie but its simply average and it had all the pieces to be something bigger.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray from Twilight Time has a nice A/V presentation including a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that features a sharp picture with great detail level in textures and surfaces along with natural skin tones. There's no signs of DNR or edge enhancement or other digital tampering. The print is clean and we likely won't see a better looking print outside of 35mm. The 2.0 DTS-HD audio track is crystal clear with no background noise or audible hiccups. The levels are mixed perfectly. 

The Extras
This limited edition (3,000 copies) Blu-ray includes a booklet, an isolated score track and a trailer

The Bottom Line
THE BELIEVERS has a good plot and good acting but strings it along for too long and doesn't reward the viewer for the time they invested into the film enough to warrant a high recommendation. 

THE BELIEVERS is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Final Days & Wrap Up

It's hard to believe that October is already gone and it's November. Winter will soon be here and I'll be miserable from the cold. The nice 50 degree weather of October is what I love. So, another October gone and the challenge is over. I'll give a rundown on the last four movies viewed then some final thoughts of the challenge and some fun stats at the end.

MORTUARY is a movie I've wanted to see for a long time. The artwork is something that I've always thought was cool and finally seeing it I have to say I wasn't disappointed. An 80s slasher co-starring Bill Paxton where the killer has a cool look with his face paint and using an embalming tool as his weapon of choice. It's a bit slow in areas but has a cool story and is solid throughout.

A long overdue viewing of WITCHBOARD was next, a movie I really enjoy but don't visit too often for whatever reason. The creepy and sometimes a bit cheesy movie from Kevin S. Tenney who also did the original Night of the Demons is effective and holds up to the years between viewings.

The last two films of the month were traditional viewings that I watch every year, TRICK 'R TREAT and HALLOWEEN. There's not much left to be said about either of them at this point but TRICK' TREAT has now risen to a perfect score from me. I love everything about the film and it perfectly sets up the Halloween season and is simply an amazing movie. It's the type of movie that demands repeated viewings as there's always something new to pick out or catch.

And as for HALLOWEEN, it is my second favorite film of all time so there's not much else to say.

Today's Rundown
Mortuary - 7/10
Witchboard - 8/10
Trick 'R Treat - 10/10
Halloween - 10/10

THE WRAP UP
After last year I said I wouldn't be trying to for 100 movies in a month again as I just wasn't having fun last year. Well, the bug bit me again and I went for it and crossed the century mark, just barely. This month's total was the second lowest total I've had in my 6 years of doing the challenge, with only the first year having a lower total (100).

There were times during this month where the piss poor quality of films really sucked the enjoyment out of the challenge for me yet again. I can tolerate bad movies but this year had so many epically awful films that really made this challenge a challenge. There also was a shortage of first time viewings that I loved. Sure there are plenty I liked but I don't think there was a real stand out first time viewing which is a bit of a bummer.

I can't say if I plan trying for 100 movies again next year or not. It will be a decision left to be made closer to then but I will definitely be doing 31 days of horror. I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who kept up with me during the month (and through the rest of the year too!). You're all the best and I hope to keep putting up posts and reviews for you for a long time.

Now on to the numbers...

Total entires - 101
Films - 100
TV Episodes - 2
Viewings By Format - Blu-ray (42), DVD (48), Stream (5), Theater (1), TV (5), VHS (1)
First Time Viewings - 75 (75%)
Average Film Score - 5.85/10
Best New Viewings - Death Spa, Wild Zero, The Houses October Built, The Doctor And The Devils, Plague Of The Zombies
Worst New Viewings - V/H/S Viral, Wrong Turn 6, Leprechaun Origins, Gore-Met Zombie Chef From Hell, Beyond The Wall Of Sleep
Biggest Surprise - The Houses October Built
Biggest Letdown - Monkey Shines

And a few quick thoughts for good measure - It doesn't matter how deep I dig into Hammer I keep finding winners. There's never enough Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee and this month didn't even come close to having enough. The same goes for Dario Argento. Fuck WWE studios. So many movies with a score less than 3/10. I'll take a pass on future movies related to The Conjuring. What happened to theatrical horror in October? My brain hurts.

Dead Girls (DVD Review) - Brain Damage Films

USA/2014
Directed By: Neal Fischer, Del Lowry
Written By: Various
Starring: Jessica Galang, Joseph Luis Caballero, Rebecca Mullins
Color/91 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: November 4, 2014

The Film
The anthology film has made a comeback in a big way in recent years. It remains a good way for filmmakers to collaborate on projects or for independents with little money to shoot individual short films and combine them into a feature length film. DEAD GIRLS is but the latest in the current wave of horror anthologies that have been hit or miss.

Pages read from the diaries of dead girls connects a trio of stories of girls getting their revenge. First a girl gets a demonic tattoo after finding her boyfriend cheating on her. A confrontation leads to hear accidental death and its cover up. She returns from the dead to exact revenge on her cheating lover and the girl he's having an affair with. The second story, my favorite of the bunch, features an innocent and sheltered girl who is the butt of a popular sororities joke during a pledge and dies. She returns from the grave looking smoking hot and goes on a rampage on the girls in the sorority house. Finally there's the story of a girl who is sexually abused and raped by just about every man in her life from her legal guardian to her priest. Nobody believes her until she prays for answers and finds them within herself.

DEAD GIRLS isn't a bad little indie horror picture but it has obviously limitations in budget. The middle chapter could easily have been expanded into a feature length film on its own and been a fun and successful slasher film. There's no surprises in any of the films as they all play it straight forward and to the point so you have to enjoy getting to the finish line in as standard a way as possible. That isn't a bad thing but it doesn't make for the most exciting viewing. There's not a ton to say otherwise, everything about DEAD GIRLS is decent but nothing more. It is worth checking out during your Halloween marathons.

The Audio & Video
Brain Damage Films gives DEAD GIRLS a home on DVD and the results are mixed as far as A/V goes. This film was obviously shot on a low budget and look varies from segment to segment. Brighter scenes show a pretty decent looking picture with instances of good detail level but darker scenes can suffer from blocking and crush quite badly at times. The audio is stable and clear with its 2.0 Dolby track. There's no background noise or distortions.

The Extras
-"Let's Make A Horror Movie!": The Making of DEAD GIRLS
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
If you don't expect the next great anthology horror film out of DEAD GIRLS I think there's enough there to enjoy to warrant giving it a watch.

DEAD GIRLS is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Day 29

STANLEY is the story of an American Indian who uses his pet snakes to exact revenge on any he feels has wronged him or mistreated his snake friends. This is pretty standard drive-in horror fare but it worked and was an enjoyable flick.

It seems like I can't go more than three or four movies this year without a total disaster of a movie and the latest was LEPRECHAUN ORIGINS. Another WWE production with their resident Irish little guy Hornswoggle as the titular monster. This isn't anything like the Warwick Davis films where the leprechaun has a personality and cracks jokes, no, this leprechaun is an ancient monster that is more beast than horror villain and basically just eats people and I guess cares about their gold too. This movie is fucking awful. It's on the same level as Syfy channel productions but without the so bad its good aspect that some of those movies have. This is just bad. And boring. It's boring and bad and is among the worst movies I've seen this month.

Finally a long overdue viewing of RAWHEAD REX was due. I haven't seen this movie in somewhere close to 8 years. Based on a story by Clive Barker this purely cheese of the finest variety. An ancient demonic monster is resurrected and running amok on an Irish village. Some local clergymen worship him and try to help him while the beast tears apart everyone that crosses his path, man, woman, or child. RAWHEAD REX is one I have to visit more often.

Today's Rundown
Stanley - 6/10
Leprechaun Origins - 2/10
Rawhead Rex - 8/10

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Day 28

Getting back on track a bit on day 28 with three movies. The first of which is one that has been an anomaly of sorts since being made in 2007 and then pretty heavily promoted before being pulled from release and never getting any sort of theatrical run or home video release. Interest was recently revived as it had a short stay on VOD on a single cable provider but was again pulled. THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES is a faux documentary about a serial killer stalking and killing many victims across Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. He made detailed videos of his crimes, fetishsizing each one. He was brutal and unpredictable having never been caught and still on the loose. The film has some disturbing moments, many of which are with the killer's slave who was under his control for almost a decade. Unfortunately some of the acting from the law enforcement characters is beyond hammy and totally unrealistic while the writing is messy as well with a couple people in the documentary simply disappearing from the film with no conclusion or resolution to their part. It's a bit too shock value for shock value's sake but I think the idea and attempt at it was a noble one.

Afterwards I decided to go with something familiar and fun. THE LOST BOYS fit the bill perfectly and gave me exactly what I wanted. Some easy and entertaining while I was finishing some stuff on the computer. I don't think I need to go into depth with this one, it's a classic of the 80s with just enough camp, cool characters and a fantastic soundtrack. I've loved this movie ever since I saw it a friend's birthday party in 4th grade.

The day was wrapped up with a movie I've seen before but needed a refresher on - SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT. This drive-in era slasher type film is pretty decent, and better than it probably has any right to be. An axe-wielding maniac terrorizes a mansion that used to be a mental hospital during the Christmas season. It isn't the tightest film in the world, but it gets the story across and the acting isn't too shabby led by John Carradine and Mary Woronov.

Today's Rundown
The Poughkeepsie Tapes - 4.5/10
The Lost Boys - 8/10
Silent Night Bloody Night - 6/10

October Horror Challenge 2014 - Days 26 and 27

A couple days of light viewing should have me reset to finish the challenge strong. The lone movie for day 26 was AUDREY ROSE, a psychological horror drama that will be getting a full review of the limited edition Twilight Time Blu-ray tomorrow, so be on the look out for that. I'll say that it was a disappointment given the talent on board the production.

Day 27 also only had a single viewing and this one was enough to shut the whole challenge down. V/H/S VIRAL is the third entry in the V/H/S series of anthology found footage horror stories. I'm not a huge fan of the first two installments but each had segments that I liked and they weren't awful movies as a whole, though neither had a good wrap around story which certainly hurts the overall film. VIRAL is a complete piece of shit from start to finish, top to bottom. There's not a single fucking thing worth praising and not a single redeeming quality. I could have been easily surprised by something good. Or even remotely good. Instead a series of mediocre films takes a massive step down in quality and entertainment. Not only is V/H/S VIRAL terrible it is fucking boring and poorly thrown together.

Today's Rundown
Audrey Rose - 4/10
V/H/S Viral - 1/10

Plastic (DVD Review) - Arc Entertainment

UK/2014
Directed By: Julian Gilbey
Written By: Chris Howard, Sacha Bennett, Julian Gilbey, William Gilbey
Starring: Ed Speelers, Alfie Allen, Will Poulter
Color/102 Minutes/R
Region 1
Release Date: October 28, 2014

The Film
A group of college kids make money by hacking credit card accounts and flipping merchandise. Unfortunately they make a hit on the wrong person and get tangled up in a group lead by a merciless gangster who demands $2million in two weeks or he'll kill them. The group has to pool their knowledge and resources to come up with a high stakes but extremely high risk heist on some extremely rare and valuable diamonds that will take them across the Atlantic Ocean and back to London and hopefully they escape with their life.

PLASTIC is a damn good crime thriller. It has the perfect amount of comedy blended in with intense action, very cool heist and crime scenes and some sexy moments for the cherry on top. The cast is excellent and bring an equally excellent script to life with enthusiasm and fervor. The chemistry is great and each character has a specific role to fill within the film and they do so brilliantly. PLASTIC is quite a fun film and entertainment is the most important part. PLASTIC is incredibly entertaining from start to finish so grab a beer and a big bowl of popcorn and have some fun!

The Audio & Video
Arc Entertainment gives PLASTIC a nice looking DVD release with a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The picture has a nice sharpness and high quality look. The picture is clean and detail is rather good for DVD. The Dolby 5.1 track is crystal clear with no background noise or audible hiccups. The mix is excellent and dialogue comes across loud and clear.

The Extras
-Making of PLASTIC featurette
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
If you're in the mood for an action packed crime thriller with some really likable characters that is both clever and high quality you should check out PLASTIC. 

PLASTIC is available HERE