DON'T GO IN THE WOODS (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1981
Directed By: James Bryan
Written By: Garth Eliassen
Starring: Jack McClelland, Mary Gail Artz, James P. Hayden
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: March 10, 2015

The Film
A group of four campers take a trip into the woods for a weekend of camping and fun. Little do they know a madman hunts the very woods that they've decided to take a trip to and dispatches anyone he comes across in extremely brutal fashion. A fun filled weekend turns into a fight for survival deep within the wilderness.

DON'T GO IN THE WOODS has a reputation as a particularly low budget independently produced splatter fest. It's inclusion on the Video Nasties list adds to the reputation surrounding the movie and that reputation pretty much sums up the film. DON'T GO IN THE WOODS is an incredibly fun 82 minutes of carnage and black humor. There's nothing else going on other than body parts and blood being tossed around and shit to laugh at. The acting is awful and didn't have anything to really work with as far as the writing goes and the direction is equally as bad. Somehow it all comes together for a fun romp in the woods.

Come for the bloodshed and stay for the bloodshed is all I can really say. If you're not a slasher fan you'll probably want to skip DON'T GO IN THE WOODS but if you enjoy slasher films even a little bit I think you'll find a lot to like (for one reason or another) in DON'T GO IN THE WOODS. The killer looks like a cross between old WWF wrestlers The Berzerker and The Barbarian and carries around this giant furry stick thing and totally mauls everybody. It's pretty fucking great to be honest. The ending is satisfying and the credits feature this completely amazing little folky children's rhyme song. "Don't go out in the woods tonight, you probably will be thriller. Don't go out in the woods tonight, you probably will be killed..." Yup, it's bad, but in the most perfect way. I'd never seen DON'T GO IN THE WOODS prior this this disc entering my hands. Sure, I've been well aware of it but never tracked it down. This movie will probably be in high rotation in my life from now on.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has done a rather nice job restoring DON'T GO IN THE WOODS for this Blu-ray presentation. A 2K scan was done on the 35mm interpositive with nice results in the 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The colors of the forest are lush and lively while the blood reds are warm without being pumped up artificially to pop off the screen. The transfer has some speckling and scratches but has no serious damage. Skin tones are fleshy and natural with no signs of waxiness from too much digital scrubbing. A DTS-HD mono track handles the English audio. The track is clean and crisp and I didn't notice any excessive background noise or damage such as crackling, popping or
other annoyances.

The Extras
Don't go into the extras... alone! (Because there's a lot of them!)

-Audio commentary with the director
-Audio commentary with star Mary Gail Artz
-Audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!
-Cast and crew featurette - a somewhat recent look at the people responsible for the film which is nearly an hour long
-Autograph signing party featurette - comedic interviews from the original DVD release party
-TV promo compilation
-Theatrical trailer
-Multiple still galleries

The Bottom Line
Another Video Nasty makes its way to Blu-ray and Vinegar Syndrome has knocked it out of the park as they tend to do. The movie is a blast and this release is as good as it gets.

DON'T GO IN THE WOODS is available HERE

WOLFCOP (Blu-ray Review) - RLJ/Image

Canada/2014
Directed By: Lowell Dean
Written By: Lowell Dean
Starring: Leo Fafard, Amy Matysio, Sarah Lind
Color/79 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: March 10, 2015 (Best Buy exclusive period) / May 12, 2015 (Wide Release)

The Film
Lou Garou is a small town cop who puts far more effort into swilling booze than anything resembling solving a crime gets dispatched to investigate a reported disturbance in the woods at the edge of town when he's attacked. Garou wakes up in his bed with little memory of what happened but has a pentagram carved in his chest and finds that his sense of smell and hearing have been increased. At the turn of the full moon it becomes perfectly clear that Garou has been transformed into a werewolf and now with supernatural power fueled by his love for drinking, he will uncover the centuries old dirty secrets hidden beneath the surface of the town.

Think about a werewolf cop taking down meth labs, battling supernatural forces, drinking booze and blowing shit up. Yes, WOLFCOP is as awesome as it sounds. Everything about this movie is fucking great. The direction from Lowell Dean who also wrote the film, is great. It is skilled and packed full of energy. Dean's script is genuinely funny and exciting without having to force its hand at anything. The cast is great and have a natural chemistry that adds a level of believability and credibility to the movie.

Let's get down to it though... In a movie called WOLFCOP what the viewers care about is the action, the creature makeup and the horror. There's plenty of it. The wolf design is a blend of classic horror ala Lon Chaney Jr. and what Wolverine might look like if he was a wolf. I love it. This movie could have cheaped out and went with CGI effects, luckily for us they didn't. The practical effects including plenty of blood squirting, limbs being ripped off, a werewolf transformation scene and explosions are all brilliantly executed. The barn explosion is done with a miniature but I couldn't tell that until watching the special feature. That is the sign of a skillfully done effects.

WOLFCOP moves at a blistering pace from start to finish, cramming in 2 hours worth of action into about 80 minutes and you'll barely have a chance to catch your breath. This has instantly become one of my favorite movies of the last five years and is fully deserving of all the praise it has received.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ Entertainment give WOLFCOP a beautiful full HD 1080p transfer with an anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) aspect ratio. The picture is sharp and clean, free of any damage. Colors are vivid while black levels are deep and inky without any pixelation or blocking up. The English audio is handled with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track and sounds beautiful. The sound is crisp and clear with no distractions or damage.

The Extras
A bountiful selection of extras have been included....

-Audio commentary with writer/director Lowell Dean and Special FX artist Emersen Ziffle
-Behind the scenes featurette
-"The Birth Of WOLFCOP" featurette
Outtakes
-Music video
-Multiple trailers and promos
-Trailer Park Boys shout out

The Bottom Line
Run, don't walk, to the store to pick up your copy of WOLFCOP and pick up some booze while you're out. And while you're at it get some donuts too. Then you'll be ready.

WOLFCOP is available HERE

Massacre Mafia Style (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

USA/1978
Directed By: Duke Mitchell
Written By: Duke Mitchell
Starring: Duke Mitchell, Vic Caesar, Louis Zito
Color/82 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: March 10, 2014

The Film
Duke Mitchells stars as Mimi Micelli, the son of a mafia kingpin who decides to return to America leaving his baby son to be raised by his father. Mimi head's to Hollywood and quickly finds his niche in the organized crime family there, leaving a bloody mess nearly everywhere he goes. Eventually Mimi decides he wants to take down a major pimp they call "Super Spook" which gives Mimi and the gang all they can handle until Mimi decides to leave the crime in Hollywood behind and return home to his father and see his son who is now grown.

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE, also known as Like Father, Like Son, is the directorial debut from famed nightclub performer Duke Mitchell. Mitchell made this movie as an answer to The Godfather, promising more action and violence than the classic gangster film. Mitchell certainly delivered on that promise. If the opening and closing scenes of MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE don't leave a lasting impression on you I don't know what will. They are truly two of the most memorable scenes I've ever had the fortune to watch play out onscreen.

Just about every big plot device and main idea for mob movies are crammed into the 82 minute run time. Mitchell manages to get really solid performances and action sequences out of his limited budget. There's really no lull in MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE. It pushes and pushes until it all comes to a screeching halt at the end. The fact that much of this violence is set to extremely stereotypical Italian songs that you might hear at your local Olive Garden or at an old nightclub just makes it all that much better, if even a bit surreal.

If Duke Mitchell made MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE as an answer to The Godfather he certainly made a film I'd rather watch over The Godfather. While I can't say that this film is technically superior to the Francis Ford Coppola film, I can say that there's no doubt in my mind I would choose to watch this crazy violent, uber-exploitative take on the mafia movie nine times out ten. Hell, It'd probably be more like ninety nine times out of a hundred. It really is that good. Any and all fans of exploitation film need to see MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing gives the high-def treatment to MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE with a largely gorgeous anamorphic widescreen (16x9) transfer. Scanned from the original director's cut, the transfer features great detail, particularly in close-ups. Colors are vivid and natural while skin tones appear healthy without any waxiness. There's sporadic moments where the image shows a bit more wear from age, being a bit more washed out. These moments only make up a small percentage of the film and don't look bad enough to complain about. There's some scratches and speckling scattered throughout but the vast majority of the film looks fantastic. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is clean and crisp. I didn't notice any damage or background noise to the track. The mix is well done as the soundtrack and the dialogue are complimentary to one another.

Please note: Screen grabs have been taken from the DVD copy of the film and don't represent the glorious quality present on the Blu-ray.

The Extras
This 2 disc, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is loaded with special features, including...

-"Like Father, Like Son" - a featurette on Duke Mitchell and his son featuring interviews from friends and collaborators of Duke.
-Further interviews with Matt Cimber and Kim LoBianco
-Nearly an hour of Duke Mitchell home movies
-Lost audio recording of a live Duke Mitchell concert from June 9, 1960
-Theatrical trailers
-Radio Spots
-Still galleries
-Filmographies
-Grindhouse Releasing previews
-DVD-Rom extras including original screenplay and treatments for the film
-"An Impressionistic Tribute To Jimmy Durante" - A bonus TV special

And if that wasn't enough, a Blu-ray exclusive feature of BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA. Yes, an HD presentation of the film in which Duke Mitchell makes his feature film debut.

The Bottom Line
It's been a long time coming and it was well worth the wait! This beautiful release from Grindhouse Releasing is a potential candidate for the best home video releases of the year!

MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE is available HERE

TEETH & BLOOD (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2015
Directed By: Al Franklin
Written By: Al Franklin, Glenn Plummer, Pamela J. Richardson
Starring: Glenn Plummer, Michelle Van Der Water, Sean Christopher
Color/101 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: March 10, 2015

The Film
A beautiful actress is murdered on the set of a horror film and her body ends up missing. A pair of detectives go undercover as a grip and the new starlet of the film to investigate the murder and disappearance of the corpse. Meanwhile, the town's blood band supplies are rapidly depleting with no end in sight. As more bodies pile up the detectives find out that they're in the middle of a war between rival vampire clans.

Do you remember at the beginning of the 21st century, around 2001-2003, when there was a glut of poorly made direct to video horror films that were heavy with really shitty CGI effects because CG effects programs were finally widely available and affordable for independents? Yeah, that's what BLOOD & TEETH feels like. It feels extremely dated, more so than films two or three times its age, with its incredibly cheap looking CG glowing eyes and blood, rapid movement effects, and shadow/ghost effects. It was excusable for effects to look like this 12 or 13 years ago, but with effects programs getting better and better and remaining affordable there's no reason for it in 2015. It's as if they found an old PC running Windows 2000 with some old FX program installed and thought "jackpot!".

The acting in this movie isn't terrible, some camp and cheese aside the performances are tolerable. That said, even if you can beyond the awful special effects the writing totally lets down any upside the movie had in acting. The pair of detectives might be the most inept and unaware duo I've seen in any movie recently. They literally witness a murder in front of their own eyes and don't realize it. Oh boy. Had this movie been made in the years that it resembles you'd have found it for 99 cents at a Hollywood Video store closing sale and you'd feel ripped off when you got home and watched it.

The Audio & Video
Image/RLJ's transfer of TEETH & BLOOD looks okay. There's some compression issues scattered throughout the anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) presentation but overall it's decent. Colors are strong and sharpness is average. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack sounds good with a clear and clean mix of dialogue and soundtrack. There's no damage or background noise to mention.

The Extras
As bare as bones can be.

The Bottom Line
I'm not a fan and I cannot in good conscious recommend this title at all.

TEETH & BLOOD is available HERE

HELL FIRE (DVD Review) - Midnight Releasing

USA/2012
Directed By: Marc Fratto
Written By: Marc Fratto
Starring: J. Scott Green, Katelyn Marie Marshall, Selene Beretta
Color/93 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: December 30, 2014

The Film
The Antichrist is kidnapped by a group of women who are taking vengeance on the men and pimps who have wronged them. He takes control of the women one by one causing them to turn on each other and commit violent acts of murder and mutilation in an effort to stop a child of God from being born.

HELL FIRE is an interesting and mostly well done indie horror film. The actors are competent and the performance from J. Scott Green as The Antichrist is oddly compelling as he channels his inner Matthew McConaughey. Seriously, his delivery feels like he's giving his best McConaughey impression. It kind of works. There's plenty of blood being shed and violence is in high order here. Gore hounds will really enjoy HELL FIRE.

The direction by Marc Fratto is stylish, with heavy filters and strong coloring to many scenes. One of the downfall is that the sound mixing isn't very good. Dialgoue is muffled and lost at times as it is obvious that it wasn't recorded well during the production. The film also feels longer than it should, especially when it only clocks in at 93 minutes. HELL FIRE did leave me feeling a bit bored and it had a bit of a monotonous quality about it. That said, the positives outweigh the negatives and this one is worth a look.

The Audio & Video
Midnight Releasing releases HELL FIRE on DVD with a decent A/V presentation. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks good, with the low budget digital photography being clean relatively sharp. The stereo audio track sounds good in spite of the issues stated above. There's no damage or background noise to the audio.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with the director, producer, and stars
-Behind the scenes featurette
-"Cinnamon's Movies" - A collection of short films

The Bottom Line
A flawed but original and interesting enough indie horror film. HELL FIRE is worth a look.

HELL FIRE is available HERE

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 6 (DVD Review) - Impulse Pictures

USA/1970s-80s
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
Starring: Various
Color/124 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: January 13, 2015

The Film
Do you want to see a prisoner give herself up to her jailor just to get a tampon? How about watching the jailor earn his red wings? Yup, that is how this volume of 8mm adult loops starts off...

Then how about watching the housewife pleasure herself with a cucumber before an Asian stranger (or neighbor?) shows up at her door to finish the job. Not everything is as off the wall as period blood and vegetables though. There's the far more straight forward "Stewardess" which is the simple story of a lovely flight attendant returning home and getting it on with her man. There's a unique mix of sexual encounters and acts in this volume (including more veggies! Yum!) and a bit more envelope pushing with interracial scenes which had not yet become normal.

The raunch factor is upped yet again with these 15 loops that are sexy and obscene and will make you want to make sure your doors are locked and the blinds are shut before popping this disc in. You'll be instantly teleported back to the sticky porn shops and theaters from decades passed and that is half the fun!

The Audio & Video
The Impulse Pictures line from Synapse Films delivers this collection of 8mm stag reels with a 1.33:1 full frame transfer straight from the original prints. Quality ranges from beaten and battered, while still being perfectly enjoyable to rather clean and rather sharp for 8mm productions. There's scratches and dirt present while color washes out at certain moments. It all adds to the nature of these great shorts. There's no audio except for the sound of the projector.

The Extras
The lone extra is liner notes from the editor of Cinema Sewer magazine Robin Bougie. These notes are good enough to not need other extras.

The Bottom Line
Aficianados of vintage smut will feel the need to add this volume to their collection and who am I to tell them otherwise? This is good stuff!

42ND STREET FOREVER: THE PEEPSHOW COLLECTION VOLUME 6 is available HERE

SWAMPHEAD (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2012
Directed By: Dustin Drover, Justin Propp
Written By: Dustin Drover, Justin Propp
Starring: Josh Harmon, Andrea Smith, Theodore Koepke
Color/75 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: October 21, 2014

The Film
I love SWAMPHEAD. I now own two different releases including this DVD and a previous limited DVD/VHS combo pack. I first saw the movie on a pre-release screening one Saturday night on the website Infini-Tropolis back in 2011. Since that night I've been in love with this over the top, cheese fest of epic proportions.

The film revolves around an ancient severed head that has recently been released from its resting place in the swamp. This evil head terrorizes a small town, including a party, and our main group of characters who are camping in the woods for the weekend. Only a special dagger can stop the severed head from creating more bloody carnage.

SWAMPHEAD is a brilliant blend of raunchy humor, gore, the energy and spirit of Troma and a DIY independent attitude. This is indie horror at its best and most creative. Despite its obvious low budget the production is never held back from accomplishing what it wants to do. That is the true spirit of indie film. I can't stress enough how much fucking fun SWAMPHEAD is. It's full of stupid shit (literally) and one liners and gore and a dancing robot. Jose Canseco is still somebody in the world of SWAMPHEAD and you'll never be quite the same after watching this one.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing gives SWAMPHEAD a proper home on DVD that looks and sounds slightly better than the previous limited DVD release the film received. There's a clean widescreen transfer that features decent colors (the entire film has a bit of a dreary appearance) that look good for this movie. There's no scratches or damage to the source material and overall appearance is nice. The audio is the better improvement of the two, giving a quality stereo mix that nicely blends dialogue and soundtrack. There's no popping, crackling or other annoying damage.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with the directors
-Deleted Scenes
-Short film selection
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
SWAMPHEAD is one of my favorite horror movies, independent or otherwise, of the last five years. It could also work in being one of my favorite comedies of the last five years. I never get tired of this in your face, pedal to the metal thrill ride that will make you question your morals and good taste.

SWAMPHEAD is available HERE