The Turnpike Killer (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2012
Directed By: Evan Makrogiannis, Brian Weaver
Written By: Evan Makrogiannis, Brian Weaver
Starring: Bill McLaughlin, Edgar Moye, Lyndsey Brown
Color/88 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date:

The Film
Driven by a voice in his head which tells him to punish impure women, a psychopathic killer terrorizes the areas surrounding the New Jersey Turnpike. Everything from brutal murders to holding victims hostage, the killer continues his reign of terror while the police try to hunt him down.

THE TURNPIKE KILLER tries desperately to harken back to films such as Maniac and Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, even going as far as having extensively grainy video to make it look like a production of the 70s or 80s. While Bill McLaughlin is an imposing physical force his performance and overall character is beyond dry and bland. There's nothing that makes him interesting and the writing is at fault as much as the performance given.

There's quite a bit of on screen violence and gore which juices things up but the film essentially plays out as the same scene over and over and wears out its welcome before the 88 minute run time elapses (thankfully it doesn't run 105 minutes as the DVD cover states).  I respect what the film makers were going for and paying respect to but you can do better than THE TURNPIKE KILLER.

The Audio & Video
The movie was filmed with excess grit and grain on purpose for stylistic reasons which means the DVD is only going to look as good as it's going to look. Wild Eye Releasing gives THE TURNPIKE KILLER an anamorphic widescreen transfer that probably looks the best it can. Colors are washed out and the picture is far from sharp. Again, this has nothing to do with the transfer on the disc and has everything to do with the production of the film. Audio is on the quiet side so you may need to turn the volume up. Even then it still sounds a bit distant and not particularly crisp.

The Extras
The DVD has a decent lineup of special features....

-Audio commentary with the directors
-Cast and crew interviews conducted by Michael Gingold of Fangoria magazine
-Deleted Scenes
-"Devil's Moon" short film
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
A noble attempt at making a film in the vein of exploitative classics of the early 80s that ultimately ends up being too repetitive for its own good.

THE TURNPIKE KILLER is available HERE

Coyote (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2014
Directed By: Trevor Juenger
Written By: Trevor Juenger
Starring: Bill Oberst jr., Heather Schlitt, Joe Hammerstone
Color/75 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: December 16, 2014

The Film
Bill (Bill Oberst Jr.) is an aspiring writer, working as a furniture mover by day and suffering from paralyzing night terrors by night. Sleep is his enemy and he eventually cuts it out of his life as much as possible. His psyche quickly becomes damaged and every relationship he has goes to shit. He takes to the woods where he is attacked and bitten by a coyote which he shoots and skins for revenge.  Bill begins wearing the pelt of the dead animal around while his fragile mind continues to break more and more until it shatters and he goes on a monstrous rampage.

COYOTE is a very low budget affair that could easily have failed if it wasn't for the stellar performance of Bill Oberst jr. I have sung the praises of Mr. Oberst in the past and I'm sure I will as soon as I view another of his films. He may be the most active man in the business with well over 100 credits in less than a decade and he proves time after time that he is, to put it simply, fucking great. His performance in COYOTE carries a film that has a simple but effective idea that really needed a true talent to make it work. Bill Oberst jr. could use this film as a demo reel and any casting director that passed him over could be certified crazy. As crazy as Bill is in this picture.

The rest of the movie works as well, as the film makers stretch their obvious tight budget far with solid direction and interesting locations and scenes. There are moments that strangely break the fourth wall but it works within the confines of this story and our main character's paranoia. The special effects increase a few of the moments with a few gory moments that are well done. COYOTE isn't a perfect film, far from it, but it does a great job at being a character study of sorts on a deeply disturbed man and what paranoia and sleep deprivation can do to a weak psyche. Give this one a look as it genuinely surprised me.

The Audio & Video
This DVD is a case of doing what you can when a movie is filmed on a very low budget and doesn't have great looking video. Wild Eye Releasing gives the best possible quality here but we aren't talking 35mm or even high-def digital photography here. The image is generally on the softer side and colors are a bit muted. It does give the film a certain look and mood that work however. There's really no way this could look any better so take it and enjoy the movie. The audio seems to have been done in post production which isn't the ideal way to do it but I understand that recording sound with limited equipment and budget doesn't always yield the results you may hope for so recording in post can help with that. Otherwise the audio sounds fine and is perfectly enjoyable making for an overall decent A/V presentation and one that won't detract from the viewer's enjoyment.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with writer/director Trevor Juenger
-Audio commentary with Bill Oberst Jr.
-Audio commentary with cinematographer Nick Brian Walters
-"Trash Man" short film
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
Good indie horror should be supported and this film hasn't received half the attention that other indie horror films of far lesser quality have and that's a damn shame. You can find this DVD online for around $10, go get it and show support to those that made it and to Wild Eye for releasing it.

COYOTE is available HERE

Zombies: The Beginning (DVD Review) - Intervision Picture Corp

Italy/2007
Directed By: Bruno Mattei
Written By: Antonio Tentori, Giovanni Paolucci
Starring: Yvette Yzon, Alvin Anson, Paul Holme
Color/95 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
Picking up right where Island Of The Living Dead left off, ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING is the story of the lone survivor from the previous film. After being fired from her company after they didn't believe her tales of an uncharted island inhabited by flesh eating zombies the woman joins a monastery, the only place she could find any sort of peace after her horrible experiences have given her awful nightmares each and every night. She is approached by a company to find out the truth of what is really going on on that island. She joins a team of mercenaries armed to the teeth and quickly encounter all sorts of zombies and weird science experiments.

ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING is a bit slower in starting and tougher to get comfortable with than its predecessor but once the action gets going its even more over the top and bizarre and just plain off the fucking wall than Island is. The medical experiments, the insane ripped off plot devices (and scenes, and stolen footage) just add to the sheer gold plated ridiculousness of the entire package.

This would end up being Bruno Mattei's swan song, his final film, and dammit, there's probably no better way he could have gone out. His legacy is perfectly summed up in this film. His legacy could be summed up nicely by most of his films but I digress... I'm not entirely sure what this movie was supposed to be "the beginning" of but it surely would have been some kind of spectacle if it surpassed this one. If you're at all a fan of schlocky, so bad they're good films or just really fucking like bloody and guts being thrown around you have to see this one.

The Audio & Video
Similar to their transfer of Island Of The Living Dead, Intervision Pictures delivers a nice looking DVD presentation of ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING. The anamorphic widescreen transfer (1.78:1 aspect ratio) does a good job of showing off the digital photography. Colors look good and the picture is relatively sharp and detailed. This is likely the best this movie will ever look on home video. The English audio track is a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track that sounds crisp and clear with a solid mix. Dialogue is never lost and the score is never overbearing. There's no damage to speak of.

The Extras
-"Zombie Genisys" - featurette with writer Antonio Tentori
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
Another total schlock fest from Bruno Mattei made available uncut for the first time in America from Intervision gets the instant seal of approval. Go get it!

ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING is available HERE

ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD (DVD Review) - Intervision Picture Corp

Italy/2006
Directed By: Bruno Mattei
Written By: Antonio Tentori, Bruno Mattei, Giovanni Paolucci
Starring: Yvette Yzon, Gaetano Russo, Alvin Anson
Color/97 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
A group of treasure hunters wreck their ship on the coast of an uncharted island. While the mechanic tries to fix the boat (with all of those tools on board he should have no problem!) the rest of the group heads ashore to find food and water and scope out the island. Almost immediately they're attacked by hundreds year old zombies and must begin to fight for their survival. That fight gets a bit more difficult after the boat is overrun by zombies and explodes leaving them totally stranded. Things get stranger and stranger as their time on the island goes on until they set sail on a shoddy raft as their only hope.

ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD is exactly what you'd expect from a Bruno Mattei film. It's pure schlock. The man had no shame throwing 90 minutes of pure cheese, many times cheese that he ripped off from someone else, on the screen. I for one am thankful for this because some of my favorite movies are Bruno Mattei movies. ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD is now among them. In his penultimate film Mattei gives us splatter like hadn't seen out of Italy since the 80s. Blood and guts fly while zombie hordes fill the screen. The special effects are very good for the most part but some of the zombies have really fucking bad makeup. I guess that adds to the experience of watching this movie.

ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD is what it is. A movie to share with likeminded friends who enjoy this type of stuff. There's some legitimately good sequences including a ghost guitar that while random, is a creepy and cool visual. The movie only makes a little bit of sense really, as much as you need it to since some of the zombies are very interactive beyond just wanting to eat the living. It all adds up to an exceptionally entertaining time that will have you laughing while a bit grossed out and certainly smiling ear to ear.

The Audio & Video
Intervision Pictures' anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) transfer looks as good as you'd expect. This film was obviously filmed with digital photography so it lacks the richness and warmth of actual film but colors and details still look good. The various monster designs shine through as well as the substantial blood and gore. The image is clean and stable and for a standard DVD release it looks nice enough. The audio is a standard Dolby stereo track with an English dub from the actors. The track is clean and free of any damage and sounds very good overall.

The Extras
-"Bungle In The Jungle" - featurette featuring interviews with producer and long time friend of Bruno Mattei Giovanni Paolucci and writer Antonio Tentori
-International sales promo
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
If you're into splatterfests and/or schlocky over the top Italian horror romps you'll be doing yourself an injustice to pass over this release. Intervision has given this film its first ever uncut release in America and it's one I highly recommend.


ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD is available HERE

Digging Up The Marrow (2015)

USA/2015
Directed By: Adam Green
Written By: Adam Green
Starring: Ray Wise, Adam Green, Will Barratt
Available via Video On Demand February 20

Adam Green is best known for creating the Hatchet franchise, a series of uber gory slasher films based around the killer Victor Crowley who stalks the swamps of Louisiana. The first of these films put Green on the map and almost instantly made him a household name with horror fans. He continued in the genre with the psychological horror thriller Spiral, the tension filled Frozen which will have you sweating it out on the edge of your seat, two more Hatchet movies and even a horror fan culture based sitcom called Holliston.

DIGGING UP THE MARROW is a faux documentary written and directed by Adam Green is the story of a group of film makers who are contacted by a man named William Dekker (Ray Wise) who believes in real life monsters and claims to have seen them and knows the location of the entrance to their underground network of passageways and cities. This subterranean network is what Dekker calls "The Marrow". Green and his team were contacted to document Dekker's work that has spanned the entire country and is his life's work.

Despite thinking that there's little more here than a crazy man, Green and his friend and cinematographer Will Barratt meet up with Dekker to discuss all of this. In a series of sit down interviews and ventures into the forest at night to largely stare at nothing the team begins to think that there's nothing worth shooting except the exploits of a delusional old man, which could be worth shooting in its own right. Then on another unassuming uneventful night Dekker begins to freak out saying he sees one and that it is moving in the darkness right in front of them. Against Dekker's wishes Green and Barratt turn on the camera's light and get a quick glimpse of one of the mosnters which happened to be a bulbous, gooey looking creature.

Ecstatic with proof Green shows all of his friends including horror icon Kane Hodder and they all write it off to good special effects work. Disbelief and tension grow as Dekker's intentions are revealed and Green finds out that he has contacted numerous other Hollywood directors before Green and his team. Dead set on finding out the truth Green and Barratt go to the entrance of The Marrow without Dekker one night to find out if it is real. When Dekker catches them sneaking around the trio finds out how real these monsters are and how far they'll go to protect their secret.

Adam Green proves that he is capable of crafting a film driven almost entirely by characters and their interactions. Despite being a movie where the plot revolves around the idea of monsters existing there are only a few moments where Green lets the viewers get a look at them. The less is more approach works brilliantly here and this may be Green's best directorial effort. The acting, which Green and company are no strangers too holds up equally well without a hint of overdoing or hamming it up. Ray Wise plays Dekker as a sincere lunatic wonderfully. There's a bit of humor in the script but it flows naturally within the setting and tone of the film.

The documentary style shooting and found footage aspect work better than the majority of films in this style. I got a vibe very close to Clive Barker's Nightbreed from DIGGING UP THE MARROW, or perhaps it is closer to somebody making a documentary about trying to prove the existance of Nightbreed. Similarly to Barker's work, there are some very cool monsters on display here in the glimpses that we do get to see them. The special effects work is really well done. I'd love to see some sort of sequel where we see more of them and more of their living space.

As much as I love special effects work, DIGGING UP THE MARROW shows that Adam Green is more than just a slinger of blood and guts and can also excel with more of a character piece. Adam Green has made an engaging, scary and altogether well done horror film in DIGGING UP THE MARROW.

8.5/10

Nekromantik 2: Return Of The Loving Dead (Blu-ray Review) - Cult Epics

Germany/1991
Directed By: Jorg Buttgereit
Written By: Jorg Buttgereit, Franz Rodenkirchen
Starring: Monika M., Mark Reeder,
Color/103 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Limited Edition: 5,000 Copies

The Film
Three years after Jorg Buttgereit shocked and disgusted the underground film world with Nekromantik, his film about a man who brings home a corpse for his and his wife to fool around with he returns with the sequel where a woman tries to hide her love of necrophilia from her new boyfriend but keeps a rotting corpse around her apartment. The woman is torn between her two lovers and finally makes a choice that seems to have been the right one.

NEKROMANTIK 2 upholds the legacy of the first as both a nasty film and a controversial one. The German government attempted to seize and destroy the film including it's negative. Luckily they weren't able to get their hands on the negatives because this film is quite good. Buttgereit's follow up is bigger in production and scope and he manages to craft a well done love story out of a disturbing subject matter. The performances from Monika M. and Mark Reeder are good, both being believable in their roles and keeping things grounded. The special effects work is gooey and gross in the best way. An exceptionally well done job.

The weak point of the film is the pacing. There are stretches of the film that are painfully slow and could have been cut to make the film sleeker and more streamlined without losing any impact. If NEKROMANTIK 2 was an 80 or 85 minute affair it would flow better and be a better film altogether. The film is still quite good despite the pacing issues. It is a great companion piece to the first film while being able to stand alone on its own two feet.

The Audio & Video
Cult Epics give NEKROMANTIK 2 its high-def debut with this Blu-ray that sports a full frame 1.33:1 transfer, maintaining the film's original aspect ratio. The 16mm photography looks excellent here with highly increased detail levels over previous DVD releases. Skin tones are fleshy and natural without a hint of waxiness. There is some light speckling and minor scratches on the negative used for the transfer but it adds to the overall feel of the movie if anything. The transfer is warm and natural and I can't imagine it ever looking better.

There are three audio options for the film, all in the film's native German with optional English subtitles. I listened to the Dolby Digital mono track which is how the sound was originally recorded. This track sounds very nice with a good mix job on dialogue and the film's fantastic score. The English subtitles are timed and translated perfectly. Also included are Dolby 2.0 and 5.1 tracks.

The Extras
Cult Epics adds a nice selection of extras to their great technical presentation.

-New video introduction to the film by Jorg Buttgereit
-Audio commentary with Jorg Buttgereit, co-writer Franz Rodenkirchen and stars Monika M. and Mark Reeder
-The Making of NEKROMANTIK 2
-20th anniversary live concert performed by Monika M. and Friends (2011)
-"A Moment Of Silence At The Grave Of Ed Gein" (short film, 2012)
-Half Girl "Lemmy, I'm A Feminist" music video by Jorg Buttgereit
-Original soundtrack
-Original soundtrack live
-Selection of Jorg Buttgereit trailers

The Bottom Line
Over 20 years later and NEKROMANTIK 2 hasn't lost an ounce of gross out or shock factor. This new Blu-ray from Cult Epics will allow a whole new and much wider audience to experience the film than ever before and that warms my heart just a little.

NEKROMANTIK 2 is available HERE

God Told Me To (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

USA/1976
Directed By: Larry Cohen
Written By: Larry Cohen
Starring: Tony Lo Bianco, Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
A man sits perched atop a water tower in New York City armed with a rifle and opens fire on the lunch time crowds on the streets below, striking well over a dozen victims without a single miss. When detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) ascends the tower to try and talk the shooter down he asks what has made him commit this crime and the shooter responds simply with "God told me to." before hurling himself off the tower to his own death. Thus begins one of the strangest experiences you're ever going to have with a film.

Detective Peter Nicholas continues to investigate a bizarre string of killings plaguing the city where all of the murderers claim that God has instructed them to kill. Nicholas' investigation takes him on a strange journey of alien abduction and insemination, virgin births, unholy faith and more violence. It is only when he discovers his true connection to it all that he will be able to stop it.

GOD TOLD ME TO is a film that may only have been able to be made when it was made. Larry Cohen may have been king of the drive-in film with works such as The Stuff, Q The Winged Serpent, Black Caesar and the It's Alive trilogy to name just a few. GOD TOLD ME TO may be his best work however and quite possibly his weirdest. In what plays out like any detective crime story, we're thrown through a whirlwind blender of demonic horror and off the wall science fiction twists. Cohen's writing certainly had a more is more attitude with this film and it somehow all comes together and works. His tight, moody and sometimes stylish direction aids in that. In a film that perfectly shows off New York City's grittiness of the period it's worth noting as an accomplishment that he's also able to pull off perfectly lit and artistic shots with some heavy handed use of colored lighting.

Tony Lo Bianco and the rest of the cast that reads like a who's who of various eras of Hollywood, give everything they have to bring Cohen's script to life without a single ounce of cheese, ham or overacting. This film would fail if the actors corn balled up their performances and it is something that Larry Cohen wouldn't have allowed, especially with the talent he had on board. From Andy Kaufman's first screen appearance to Richard Lynch and Sylvia Sidney nobody misses a beat.

The fashion in which the story progresses will have the viewer fully locked in and engaged wondering just what the hell will happen next. It may take a minute (or more) to process some of the big turns the film takes but you know what? It's a blast and somehow Cohen pulls it all together for a fucking awesome piece of bizarre drive-in cinema.


The Audio & Video
Blue Underground's release of GOD TOLD ME TO is absolutely stunning. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer has been scanned in 4K from the original negative and the results couldn't be nicer. The print is clean and in excellent condition. Colors are vivid and pop off the screen in breathtaking fashion. There's substantial detail shown in textures, surfaces and close ups. Black levels are deep and inky and handled with skill as there's no blocking up whatsoever. Skin tones are healthy and natural without any sign of waxiness from excessive DNR.

The English audio track is handled with a 7.1 DTS-HD mix that is pretty much perfect. The mix is boisterous and powerful while featuring subtlety that allows for a perfect balance of dialogue and score. There's no damage to the track such as popping or crackling and there's no background noise. Frank Cordell's score was in perfect hands for this disc.

The Extras
A fairly extensive lineup of special features are included:

-Audio commentary with Larry Cohen
-"Heaven and Hell on Earth": An interview with Tony Lo Bianco
-"Bloody Good Times": An interview with special effects artist Steve Neill
-"God Told Me To Bone" - Q&A with Larry Cohen at the New Beverly Theater
-Lincoln Center Q&A with Larry Cohen
-Extensive selection of TV spots and trailers for the film's ad campaigns under both titles "God Told Me To" and "Demon"
-Poster and stills gallery

The Bottom Line
This will be a disc that future drive-in era exploitation film Blu-ray releases will held to. The incredible A/V presentation with a healthy selection of extras makes this Blue Underground release essential to any fan of horror, exploitation, or oddball cinema.

GOD TOLD ME TO is available HERE