Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 16 and 17

Day 16 featured a couple of films and day 17 had none as I spent the day on a small road trip to West Virginia to check out a couple of mom and pop video stores that I found were still open. While the trip was fun, and my friend Shawn and I were able to find some cool stuff there was no major finds unfortunately. Let's talk about day 16...

I decided to finish out the double feature disc that Amuck! was part of and watch the oddball film it was paired with - SUPER STOOGES VS THE WONDER WOMEN. This is a bizarre mix of low rent action, attractive women, and cheap everything set in random empty fields for large parts of the film. The story goes something like a few heroes dressed up like luchadores who got their costumes from the underwear drawer, protect a village from the violent attacks of The Amazons. It's goofy, it's bad and it's sort of fun.

The only other film for this update would be ANGELS FROM HELL, a 1968 biker film centered around a man returning from a 2nd enlistment and a tour of duty in Vietnam. He becomes president of his motorcycle club and trouble quickly escalates with the local law and within the club. This one was okay. I was hoping for a violent piece of biker exploitation from a time when outlaw motorcycle clubs were really becoming a big part of the American landscape but it wasn't overly violent and was a bit too talky all things considered. ANGELS FROM HELL did end up being a neat look into the struggle many veterans of the Vietnam War had in coming home and not quite knowing how to adapt to a life without having to be on alert at all times so they joined a biker club that gave them a similar adrenaline rush and the clash with law enforcement that has been an ongoing problem ever since.

Today's Rundown
Super Stooges vs The Wonder Women - 6/10
Angels From Hell - 5/10

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 14 and 15

Apparently I've seen very little of the Trancers franchise as far as full films go and have really only seen clips from various movies. TRANCERS 2 was rather unfamiliar to me except for recognizing Jeffrey Combs character in the movie. This is an entertaining follow up to the first movie which is surprisingly well made. Charles Band surprises again as this sequel is pretty well made too even if the cheese factor is upped even more. Drunken bum baseball was a highlight of the movie and the idea of a "trancer farm", while not really original , worked well. Thankfully thin aluminum carriages can stop assault rifle bullets or our heroes would be in big trouble!

Next up was BOSS NIGGER, a blaxploitation western written and produced by the film's star Fred Williamson and directed by Jack Arnold. This is a sequel (of sorts) to fellow blaxploitation westerns The Legend and The Soul Of Nigger Charley. I've never seen the Charley films but after viewing this one I want to even more. Those films need a release! Anyways, Fred Williamson plays the badass bounty hunter who rides into town and appoints himself sheriff and his friend his deputy. They create a series of laws banning any sort of disrespect to lawmen or the use of the N word. Hefty fines or immediate jail time don't stop the locals from having a problem with them, almost to the point of supporting the gang that has plagued their home in the past. BOSS NIGGER is fun, and features a funky and catchy theme song. The film really empowers Boss and Amos as they have to fight damn near everyone one way or another. The action scenes are fun and mostly well executed but I found it to be surprisingly light in terms of violence and overall excitement.

I had just received the brand new Blu-ray from Synapse in the mail the day before so I figured I'd waited long enough and popped in LONG WEEKEND, the nature's revenge film from Australia. I have to say while I did enjoy the movie, it was a disappointment. I really expected to love this movie but found myself wanting more. More of what you ask? Well, everything. Everything except marital problems. This fighting couple takes a trip to a secluded beach and fight the whole fucking time. While there they show no regard for their natural surroundings as they litter, shoot wildlife, use chemical bug sprays and act like general assholes that you'd find in Cancun on Spring Break. Tired of the disrespect, nature fights back with attacks from various creatures that threaten the lives of the couple we've come to hate. This tale ripe with social commentary is well made and features a really cold vibe towards the real antagonists of the film, people. I was hoping for a more explicit film with more on screen horror and violence as there's not a ton in the way of that.

Finally, my first giallo of the challenge, was AMUCK!. This movie was recently released on DVD by Code Red in an edited version, but it doesn't seem to missing too much in the way of story at least. Of course I want an uncut version, but being able to own this at all is good for now. This film starring Farley Granger, Rosalba Neri and Barbara Bouchet follows a young American woman who gets hired as a secretary for a writer. Little does the writer know that his new secretary took the job to investigate the disappearance of his last secretary but quickly she falls victim to his suave ways and gets involved in his games of drugs, torture and orgies and her life may be in danger. AMUCK! definitely focuses more on sex than violence but it does have a few moments of horror that are really good. I loved the hunting scene in the marsh and the focus on sex to sell the picture will get no complaints from me. These are gorgeous women on display! I'm not sure if the full uncut version will add anything to the film or not but I did enjoy what I saw.

Today's Rundown
Trancers 2 - 7/10
Boss Nigger - 6/10
Long Weekend 6/10
Amuck! - 7/10

JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE (DVD Review) - Arc Entertainment

Australia/2014
Directed By: Kelly Dolen
Written By: Kelly Dolen, Steven M. Coates
Starring: Jamie Bamber, Lachy Hulme, Sam Parsonson
Color/93 Minutes/R
Region 1
Release Date: April 14, 2015

The Film
The legal system is failing, letting known criminals walk free on violent and disturbing charges. Unwilling to live in a society where crime is essentially rewarded, John Doe begins to take the law in to his own hands by killing criminals. The media latches on to his story and soon John Doe's actions have spawned a nationwide movement of copycats and those looking to take back control of their country.

Told through a series of interview segments and flashbacks, JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE tells the story of this character who is a hero to his countrymen, a headache to law enforcement, and the cause of concern for free criminals everywhere. The method in which the story is told holds the film back as it is too much start and stop which kills the flow of the narrative. There's some really great scenes, my favorite of which when a group of copycats come out of the shadows to hand out justice to a known pedophile.

The acting is good throughout and the direction is competent. Unfortunately every time I settled in with the movie and started to really get into it the movie switches gears again back to an interview segment or coming out of one. It simply happens too often and gives the entire film a jerky feel. The other let down to JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE is that I felt like the film was talking at me. No, I don't mean talking TO me, I mean talking AT me. I feel like it was yelling at me with a preachy vibe that I couldn't get passed. This all comes to a head when John Doe looks directly into the camera and starts talking about taking action and this and that. I'm fine with social commentary and using film as a means of creating change but don't have your film talk at me like a school teacher scolding a child for not doing his fucking homework.

The Audio & Video
JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE lands on region 1 DVD with an attractive and effective presentation. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has good sharpness and detail and handles black levels well. The color palette is a bit cold intentionally and the disc represents that naturally. The English audio is handled through a 5.1 Dolby Digital mix that sounds great. The mix is bold and boisterous when it needs be but handles subtle dialogue moments with grace as well.

The Extras
This DVD is loaded with feautres including:

-Audio commentary with Kelly Dolen and Steven M. Coates
-Audio commentary with Jamie Bamber
-Behind the scenes: Courthouse Explosion
-Behind the scenes: Gang Fight
-Behind the scenes: "I'm Not John Doe"
-Interview with the director
-Interview with Jamie Bamber
-Filmmakers featurette

The Bottom Line
The movie may be hit or miss but the DVD is a winner with a nice A/V presentation and great special features. This one is worth checking out for that fact alone.

JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE is available HERE

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 12 and 13

The pace has slowed down as real life has taken over some of my time along with the Orioles being on TV which has taken time away from movies. Luckily for the movies (not so much for my fandom of the O's) their pitching has been lackluster so I need to take a couple days break from actually watching the games before I get into angry fan mode way too early in the season. The last 2 days saw three films watched and none were particularly special, though all had their moments.

First was ROLLING VENGEANCE, a late 80s rape/revenge romp that is neither as raw or satisfying as films such as Last House On The Left or I Spit On Your Grave. The drunk asshole rednecks that run a local scummy bar kill the family members of the truck drivers that deliver to them and then rape the girlfriend of the younger driver. After being acquitted of the crimes enough is enough and a giant fire spewing monster truck with implements of death such as giant rotating spikes is built and revenge is had by running over just about anything that gets in the way. ROLLING VENGEANCE is a fun little piece of cheese but for crimes as cold blooded and nasty as the ones perpetrated against the innocent the payback is a bit light in tone, even if it results in the death of those responsible.

Nazisploitation made its first appearance of the challenge with RED NIGHTS OF THE GESTAPO and I was quickly reminded of just how long and drawn out much of this genre feels. In this film a group of German industrialists seek to go behind Hitler's back and sign a peace treaty with England but when the SS gets wind of it they enact a plan to stop them by sending in various women to exploit their sexual desires and weaknesses. Most of the movie is spent watching some attractive women strut around half dressed (or less) and various Nazi officials talk. There's a bit of action here and there but nothing much and though there were some really attractive set pieces (and ladies, duh!) RED NIGHTS is pretty boring.

And finally came THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS 2. Yes, the sequel. The sequel to a movie I never saw. I wanted to see it, I just haven't gotten around to it. I don't think I missed out on anything in this movie having not seen the first. I'll be doing a full review of the Blu-ray so I will leave my feelings on the film to that review which should be posted tomorrow.

Today's Rundown
Rolling Vengeance - 5.5/10
Red Night Of The Gestapo - 4/10
The Man With The Irons Fists 2 - 5/10

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 10 and 11

First up was ROADSIDE, a horror thriller that is being released on DVD on April 14. I just did a review of that disc so I'll let that post speak for itself. You can check it out here.

Next up was a double feature from the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome - LITTLE MISS INNOCENCE and TEENAGE SEDUCTRESS. LMI featured a pair of teenage hitchhikers who made their way to Hollywood and shack up with a rich older man. They party the night away and end up screwing. When he asks them to leave, being nice enough to provide cab fare and hotel money, they blackmail the man and we find out their sexually driven evil intentions- to see if it's possible to fuck a man to death! LITTLE MISS INNOCENCE is a fun piece of sexploitation that gets a bit raunchy and even a bit comical at times. It moves quick enough and has enough of the goods to keep viewers entertained and engaged.

TEENAGE SEDUCTRESS features a young woman who moves to a small town to track down her estranged father who is a famed writer. When she finds him she keeps her identity a secret and becomes friends with him, even being hired to be his secretary. Their relationship grows closer until she gets him to sleep with her and drops the bombshell that we waited the entire movie for. TEENAGE SEDUCTRESS has pretty good acting and all things considered is a good piece of sexploitation, and a fine partner to LMI (both films were directed by Chris Warfield) but its pacing hurts the film. It runs 14 minutes longer than LMI and I feel like a run time closer to 75 or even 80 minutes would have made it a more streamlined and tight affair.

Finally the days closed with INVADERS FROM MARS, the 1986 Tobe Hooper sci-fi/horror cheese fest. I love this movie and seeing the new Blu-ray from Scream Factory may have me appreciating a bit more. The sets, costumes and effects are all gorgeous. I had forgotten how much of this movie takes place on the spaceship which has a fantastic design. I also forgot how big of a role James Karen plays which is a great decision in movies such as this as he hams it up the perfect amount. Fun fun fun!

Today's Rundown
Roadside - 4.5/10
Little Miss Innocence - 6/10
Teenage Seductress - 6/10
Invaders From Mars - 8/10

ROADSIDE (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ

USA/2013
Directed By: Eric England
Written By: Eric England
Starring: Ace Marrero, Katie Stegeman, Jack E. Curenton
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: April 14, 2015

The Film
Bickering couple Dan and Mindy are on a road trip to visit family when they're nearly run off the road by a mud covered truck. A few miles down the road Dan has an uncomfortable encounter with the driver of that truck at a gas station but the clerk and the sheriff tell him he's nobody to fear. After fueling up the new challenge is to stay ahead of the oncoming winter storm until they reach a fallen tree limb which Dan tries to clear until a voice from the woods startles him and fires a rifle in his direction. Thus begins the night of terror the couple will have to endure as the man hides behind the tree line with his rifle fixed to Dan and Mindy whenever either one of them tries to make a move.

ROADSIDE  manages to be a minimalist affair and remain effective enough throughout. With freezing temperatures and a madman hiding out of sight that you know will kill you if he wants to the waiting game is one of tension and suspense. Unfortunately his voice is far from intimidating. I found it to be distractingly over produced. It also helps to have sympathetic characters in these types of films, someone for the audience to root for. Both of our victims in this situation are running around behind the others back with other lovers, bicker about stupid shit the entire car ride and just don't seem like people that would end up together. The only good thing about them is their dog, he seems like a cool dude.

As far as the production goes, there's only a couple of locations from the car and abandoned highway to the gas station. It keeps the isolation feeling in our minds at all times. ROADSIDE is competent and from a young director is a solid foundation. There's nothing here to set it apart from dozens upon dozens of other similar films and the twist seems to be thrown in just for the hell of it but it's okay overall.

The Audio & Video
The DVD from Image Entertainment is pretty standard but there's nothing wrong with that. The video looks fine, with dark levels being handled okay and a reasonably sharp picture on the anamorphic widescreen transfer. There's a 5.1 Dolby Digital mix that sounds like a typical surround mix but there's nothing in the way of damage or distractions.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
Standard horror thriller fare that feels fine just getting by but doesn't take the initiative to make the honor roll.

ROADSIDE is available HERE

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 8 and 9

A bit of classic sci-fi seemed like a good idea to start the 8th day of the challenge so THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE was called to duty. This is a classic example of 1950s sci-fi with a doctor obsessed with developing new transplant techniques. While driving to his secret mountainside lab he wrecks his car and his wife in the process. Finding her severed head, he quickly wraps it up and brings it to the lab and hooks it up to all sorts of wires and machines to keep it alive in hopes of transplanting it to a new body. While the man searches for the perfect body his wife's head plots revenge as she doesn't want to be kept alive in this manner.

THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE plays out conventionally and there isn't a ton of surprises going on but there's a nice surprise when the monster that's kept in the closet is released. Otherwise there's nothing too special but nothing to complain about either.

The next few movies are a trilogy that I've put off for quite a while since buying the boxset a few years back. I figured it was way passed time that I finally checked out the HANZO THE RAZOR trilogy. This mix of samurai action and drama along with the exploitative nature of pinky violence comes together in this rock solid series of films featuring Itami Hanzo played by Shintaro Katsu (Zatoichi) as a rebellious samurai officer who has great disdain for the corruption within his own comrades and the government.

Each film takes Hanzo on a journey to track down a major criminal and along the way he uncovers and takes down some corrupt officials. Each movie is filled with violent sword fights, usually leaving Hanzo at a great disadvantage. Hanzo's skills leave bodies strewn across the floor and blood splattered across the walls. Hanzo's home is full of traps such as spike pits, secret arrows shooting from the walls, spears falling from the ceiling and secret caches of weapons hidden in the walls by his bath tub.

Oh and did I mention that Hanzo has a giant dick? Yeah, he does. And he works at keeping its strength up because it is a major tool (pun fun) in his arsenal to get women to confess or tell him what he wants to know. There's quite a bit of sexual torture going on in the series and though it all feels a little silly when you really think about it, it still manages to really make these pictures dirty. On top of the sexual torture there's plenty of nudity (duh) and arterial blood sprays that are always fun to see. Add a touch of surrealism and horror in very small doses and HANZO THE RAZOR is a damn fun trilogy.

Last up was SUPERSOUL BROTHER, or the title on screen THE SIX THOUSAND DOLLAR NIGGER. I do love that alternate title as it perfectly sums up what this is- a cheap blaxploitation take on The Six Million Dollar Man. Starring Wildman Steve, Peter Conrad who was the midget in Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse along with roles in both Porky's and Porky's 2, and a whole slew of others who never appeared in another movie, this piece of exploitation sees a homeless man get selected to get picked up, cleaned up, laid and eventually injected with a super power serum all to steal the safe from a jewelry store. The plan goes bad for the doctor and his henchmen when they find out Steve is now bulletproof! SUPERSOUL BROTHER is a lot of fucking fun. It has awful dialogue but the acting actually isn't as bad as you may suspect... yeah it's not good but I've certainly seen worse. This is just a movie to sit back and enjoy for how ridiculous it is. It's funny, trashy and damn fine blaxploitation, and Wildman STeve is so awesome in it. The DVD from Vinegar Syndrome will be out on April 14!

Today's Rundown 
The Brain That Wouldn't Die - 5/10
Sword Of Justice - 7.5/10
The Snare - 8/10
Who's Got The Gold - 7.5/10
Supersoul Brother - 6.5/10