DEBUG (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2014
Directed By: David Hewlett
Written By: David Hewlett
Starring: Tenika Davis, Adrian Holmes, Kerr Hewitt
Color/86 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: June 9, 2015

The Film
Six inmates incarcerated for various hacker related crimes are sent to an unmanned spaceship to debug corrupt and rogue programs to make the ship usable once again. While aboard they find an artificial intelligence inside the ship's computer system that is dangerous and uses the hackers own lives and desires against them in violent ways.

DEBUG is an ambitious venture for a low budget film and while I fully support trying to make your film as big and as good as it can be, sometimes you have to know your limitations and make them work for you. DEBUG suffers from weak CGI that looks like it came out of a mid-90s science fiction film that the plot of the film isn't too far from as well. DEBUG feels dated in almost every way and would fit in quite nicely on a video store shelf alongside other cyber horror movies that were popular fare when the internet was first getting hugely popular.

The acting is hit or miss from character to character and the personification of the evil that lurks on the ship is far from menacing. DEBUG's main issue however is simply what I've already stated. It was dated long before it was even made. It's competently made and even features some nicely designed interiors on board the ship but clunky effects and acting that is uneven don't help this one.

The Audio & Video
Ketchup Entertainment's anamorphic widescreen transfer features a sharpness and vividness to both details and overall picture quality. Colors are strong and robust while the English audio is handled through a 5.1 Dolby track which sounds good as well. The dialogue is clear and free of any distracting damage such as crackling or popping.

The Extras
A 19 minute behind-the-scenes featurette is included.

The Bottom Line
DEBUG isn't terrible but both looks and feels like a movie totally out of its era. Recommended only if you're huge into cyber or computer based horror.

DEBUG is available HERE

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2013
Directed By: Patrick Shearer
Written By: Bryan Enk, Jessi Gotta
Starring: Jessi Gotta, Nat Cassidy, Alyssa Simon
Color/73 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
A series of super storms have rocked New York City leaving it largely cut off from the rest of the world as all tunnels and bridges are closed. The government has aided food and supply drops but life is tough as water usage is rationed. The big apple is quickly becoming a dystopian wasteland but Margot and Daniel have more immediate problems lurking right inside the walls of their apartment building as hideous monsters and mutant roaches put them in grave danger.

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL started out like any low budget horror thriller might. There was nothing particularly special about it and I could probably find plenty to complain about like how they didn't go far enough in showing a dystopian city landscape. That would have made the movie cooler. More crazy special effects probably would have made the movie cooler. I can go on but I want to talk about a movie that genuinely surprised me and entertained me immensely for its 73 minute runtime.

Margot and Daniel have to deal with their not so ideal circumstances but are trying to make the best of it while a couple of their neighbors have turned up dead and the apartment manager is missing. There's a weird black slime all over one of the deceased person's apartment and they find it in various places in their own unit. One night they're attacked by a mutant cockroach the size of one of Shaq's shoes. This monstrous bug is hilarious and gross and managed to creep me out. Add in that the property manager has turned into a brainless drooling monster person and the couple's fight for survival is getting harder and harder.

The film has a quirky and strange energy to it that reminded me of Evil Dead 2 meets Joe's Apartment. It was funny without having to shove jokes down your throat and yell "laugh at me!". The minimalist attitude that the film was largely forced to take due to budgetary reasons ends up working out in the film's favor as it does add a bit of claustrophobic terror the subconscious of the viewer's mind. The couple is stuck in their apartment but quickly find that they aren't safe there and the dangers inside and out are getting closer and bigger and they may not be able to make it.

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL was just another low budget indie horror movie that would come and go from my memory in a flash and six months from now I wouldn't be able to give you any insight on the film itself without reading up on it. And then I watched the movie and found a lovingly made, funny and a bit gross horror movie featuring a giant rubber cockroach and a flawed presentation that I can live with because the movie itself was so pure and honest that I couldn't help but really enjoy it.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing brings this one to DVD and does so competently. The digital photography is on the lower end but still looks solid in this anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image isn't super sharp but is clear and clean. Colors are a bit muted but there isn't a ton of crazy colors to worry about either way. The English audio has a nice stereo mix and great clarity. There's no damage or background noise to speak of.

The Extras
A selection of trailers are included

The Bottom Line
If you're a fan of claustrophobic, single location horror films that are heavily influenced by zany comedy then you should check out THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL because it deserves your attention.

THEY WILL OUTLIVE US ALL is available HERE

Who Could Possibly Forget: Goodbye Christopher Lee

Sometimes I think it's strange how as people we can grow emotionally attached to people that we've never been in the same room with let alone know on any sort of personal level, but we can and we do. With a full lifetime worth of acting credits in truly beautiful, action packed and fan favorite films, Christopher Lee has been an on-screen friend for all of us.

I can't definitively say where my first experience with Christopher Lee was. I can say that he's been with me for far more than half of my 28 years as I was familiar with him already when he was in cast as Saruman in Lord Of The Rings in 2001. Perhaps and most probable would be one of his classic roles as Dracula for various Hammer productions. It was in those roles, among others for Hammer as Rasputin The Mad Monk, The Mummy, Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein's monster, that Lee became a well known name. It was that role of the bloodsucking vampire that he really shined alongside his onscreen adversary and real life friend Peter Cushing. There was never and there will not be a better or more perfect Dracula than Christopher Lee. 

Lee and Cushing would appear in dozens upon dozens of films together from the 1950s through the 1980s before Peter Cushing would retire from acting and pass away several years later in 1994. They created fantastic works of horror, mystery and science fiction together and when you add in that Vincent Price eventually became a frequent collaborator as well there was perhaps no finer trio of onscreen talent in the history of film. And perhaps there was no finer trio of friends.

While Christopher Lee never struggled to find acting roles (just take a look at his impressive IMDB) he experienced a bit of 2nd fame at the turn of the century when he was cast in Lord Of The Rings in 2001 and then in Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones in 2002. Fans of genre film were once again reminded of the talent and intangible presence that Lee has on screen. Lee's popularity soared to new heights and now, Lee enjoyed a sort of rebirth that few people in show business are able to experience at the tail end of their career, especially one that makes them more mainstream than ever before. 

If there was anyone that deserved the recognition it was Christopher Lee. He gave his all to every role he took on and there was damn near 300 of them. He lived life with an elegance that followed him on to the silver screen and was something that cannot be faked.  There's a reason he was knighted by Prince Charles in 2009 for "Services to drama and charity". 

Few people could say they worked with Mario Bava, Terence Fisher, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Alejandro Jodorowsky Jess Franco, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese, among many other talented filmmakers. There's a reason for that. There simply aren't many people worthy of working with such a diverse group. 

Sadly, all good things come to an end. And everyone's time on Earth will eventually do the same. For those of us still here, we are fortunate enough that Christopher Lee left us his legacy to enjoy and remember. And remember we shall because who could possibly forget?

It is with tears in my eyes that I respectfully say thank you, Christopher Lee. And goodbye. 

AMERICAN POLTERGEIST (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2013
Directed By: Jordan Pacheco
Written By: Jordan Pacheco
Starring: Tony Moran, Christopher P. O'Reilly, Nicole Lasala
Color/77 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
There's a hundred reasons that a film is renamed prior to its release. Usually the reason has to do with marketing which obviously has a direct effect on the profitability a film has. Sometimes a new title has a film's artistic stance or merit in mind but usually it simply comes down to money in some shape or form.

Original titled "Provoked", AMERICAN POLTERGIEST centers around a group of amateur ghost hunters who are growing more and more frustrated with their lack of any real evidence. Tensions grow within the group adn rifts form within the personal relationships of the group. Bickering leads to full blown fights and the negative energy quickly turns into taunting and angering the spirits that haunt the house until the spirits make themselves known in ways the group can only hope to survive.

While the AMERICAN POLTERGEIST title will certainly get the film more exposure whether on purpose or happy accident, the title doesn't fit nearly as well as the original title "Provoked" does. The original title was simple but effective. You almost know that some sort of sleeping bear was going to be awakened and that something bad would happen. The only thing that really makes the AP title fit is that there are multiple scenes of ghostly stacking like in Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist's chair stacking scene. It is an obvious take on that infamous scene.

The movie itself is slow going, there's a few little ghostly moments like the stacking of food or faucets running on their own but the first two acts are mainly filled with little horror and lots of drama within the group and honestly it was tedious at first. I thought to myself "oh here we go..." just hoping the bickering would turn into something good. Luckily it stopped before it got too bad and the movie carried on into a decent independent haunted house movie with influences from both modern and a bit more vintage films.

Tony Moran's character offers some comedic relief and he's genuinely funny. A small role but it offers a bit of fresh air to a movie heavy in relationship drama. It comes at a time to get the viewer smiling just before the storm hits which adds to the horror elements of the movie. The acting is solid and direction is competent.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing gives AMERICAN POLTERGEIST an attractive DVD presentation. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is sharp for a DVD and features strong colors and clarity. The English 2.0 audio has a good mix with the score and is damage and distortion free.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with the director
-Behind the scenes featurette including an actual paranormal investigation with the cast and crew!

The Bottom Line
While AMERICAN POLTERGEIST isn't totally original and the title definitely makes us think of the films that influenced it this indie paranormal chiller is definitely worth a look.

AMERICAN POLTERGEIST is available HERE

RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2014
Directed By: Scott Patrick
Written By: Brett Kelly, David A. Lloyd, Trevor Payer
Starring: Candice Lidstone, Jessica Huether, Catherine Mary Clark
Color/71 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
A group of friends are terrorized by a giant weaponized shark that has escaped from a secret facility. Their college professor may have the knowledge to help them but its a battle to survive until help arrives.

I watched RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK while feeling a bit under the weather and not in the best of moods. The sheer ridiculousness of the entire thing ended up putting a smile on my face. This is not a good movie by any means. The shark effects look like a cheap plastic bathtub shark toy was super imposed on the screen and when someone is eaten by the shark they simply disappear with little or no trace. The acting is hilariously bad but instead of overacting we get incredible underacting. Watching the complete lack of emotion when friends are eaten or a plane explodes or meeting some strange scientist in the woods is a treasure I've only seen in this film. It really made the whole experience a bit surreal.

Sharks are all the rage in the world of B-movies lately and RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK should cement its place alongside the rest of the Syfy channel and straight to video cheese as a truly terrible piece of filmmaking that manages to find that special balance between being bad and fun. Get some friends together and a case of beer because there are plenty of drinking games to make out of this one.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing does a nice job bringing this one to DVD. The image quality looks great with nice definition and sharpness. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has no damage and looks about as good as the digital photography is going to look on DVD. The 2.0 audio sounds good, if a bit quiet at times but that's more to do with how the audio was recorded during the production of the film than with Wild Eye's authoring of the disc. The audio is mostly crisp and clear and free of any distortions.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
This Z-Grade cheesefest is fucking hilarious and if you've found yourself to be a fan of Sharknado or any of the countless similar films you'll want to have a night where RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK is included in your viewing.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST SHARK is available HERE

CANNIBAL FEROX (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Italy/1981
Directed By: Umberto Lenzi
Written By: Umberto Lenzi
Starring: Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Lorraine De Selle, Danilo Mattei
Color/93 Minutes/Unrated
Region A
Release Date: May 26, 2015

The Film
It recently hit me that the Italian cannibal films of the 1970s and 80s were very similar to the rise of the "torture porn" craze the horror genre was hit with in the mid 2000s. While films like Last Cannibal World, Cannibal Holocaust and CANNIBAL FEROX all centered around outsiders meeting various gruesome and barbaric ends at the hands of native tribes in various jungle settings, films like Saw and Hostel gave birth to a trend of films where the narrative of the film allowed the film to be confined to a single location and have the victims of the film tortured as they fight for their survival. While the settings and periods of those genres are very different, they both made their money on pushing the envelope of sadistic violence and being exploitative while the films followed similar narrative themes and patterns without putting too much worry into creating anything meaningful.

Of course there are exceptions as with Cannibal Holocaust which is one of the most poignant films ever made and Saw which was a pretty damn good film that has unfortunately had to deal with being part of a rather dreadful subgenre of films and being the first film in a franchise that quickly became total fucking shit in every way. Then there are those films that are perfectly happy doing nothing really new except trying to ramp up the violence and sleaze to make a buck. Like the Saw sequels, I largely lump CANNIBAL FEROX into that group. But that doesn't mean I don't love it.

Umberto Lenzi created this subgenre of horror film in 1972 with The Man From Deep River and thus began a minor movement in the Italian film industry that would last a good 15 years or so. It never got to the point where cannibal films were being pumped out like spaghetti westerns or gialli were but   these movies became a way to make a little bit of money so on average a couple of films per year were shot in various exotic locations and packed with racial stereotypes, animal cruelty, nudity and plenty of gore. Some of these movies were poorly made and remain as examples as little more than cheap bandwagon filmmaking but others were made with skill and solid technique whether they had any artistic merit or not.

It's tough to say exactly when the height of popularity was for the cannibal genre as there weren't enough films made to really call it a boom period but if I was forced to put a label on it I'd say that CANNIBAL FEROX came out right at the end of the non-existant boom. I figure a year after Cannibal Holocaust is good enough reason as any to call it the end of height as there was no bigger or better film in the cycle than Cannibal Holocaust. FEROX certainly gives CH a run for its money in terms of boundary pushing though. Giovanni Lombardo Radice might not be quite as bad as the group in CH but he's no fucking angel. One genital slicing scene is enough to tell you that. The gore in FEROX is nasty with brains and balls being served up and breasts being impaled. You won't be finding these types of nipple piercings or prince alberts at your local Piercing Pagoda.

Umberto Lenzi is no slouch when it comes to directing films. The man made some fine films and FEROX is no different. No, it is not an important commentary and yes, it comes off as a big Cannibal Holocaust cash grab but it still features solid performances, good camera work and great special effects work with a script that is solid enough to keep things moving along at a nice pace. Add in a soundtrack that I find to be criminally underrated and overlooked by Budy Maglione and CANNIBAL FEROX is a film I really love. It's sleazy, it's sweaty and it certainly isn't for everybody.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing has done it again with another stunning release. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer comes from a new 2K scan of the original camera negative. The image has a very film like quality with a natural looking grain structure. Detail levels are strong in surfaces and textures while skin tones are fleshy without any sign of waxiness. There's no edge enhancement or DNR noticeable and colors are vibrant. There are options for an Italian language track with the original mono mix or an English track with a new DTS-HD stereo mix. I opted for the English track and it sounds brilliantly crisp and clean. There's not a hint of damage and the audio comes across crystal clear with a perfect balance between the dialogue and soundtrack.

The Extras
Like a baked potato, or a stoner, or any other thing would be LOADED, this release is stacked... like Jenga or pancakes. Okay, enough of that.

-Audio commentary with Umberto Lenzi and Giovanni Lombardo Radice
-Deleted Footage lost for over 30 years (can be inserted into the film for seamless viewing!)
-"Eaten Alive: The Rise And Fall Of The Italian Cannibal Film" - A feature length documentary examining the Italian cannibal film cycle featuring the men and women who made the movies and various critics (a must watch!)
-Interviews with writer/director Umberto Lenzi, stars Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Danilo Mattei, Zora Kerowa and special effects master Gino DeRossi
-Original Italian theatrical trailers
-Original US theatrical trailers
-Original Germa theatrical trailers
-Extensive stills and poster art gallery
-Liner notes booklet
-Umberto Lenzi filmography
-Soundtrack CD
-Easter eggs

The Bottom Line
If there was a Mt. Rushmore for cult film home video labels Grindhouse Releasing would have a spot on that monument. With each release they further their legendary status as one of the premiere labels that all other labels strive to be and their release of CANNIBAL FEROX is no different.

CANNIBAL FEROX is available HERE

Private Number (DVD Review) - Arc Entertainment

USA/2014
Directed By: LazRael Lison
Written By: LazRael Lison
Starring: Hal Ozsan, Nicholle Tom, Tom Sizemore
Color/97 Minutes/R
Region 1
Relesae Date: June 2, 2015

The Film
As Michael Lane faces the mounting pressures of writer's block while writing the sequel to his successful fantasy novel and struggling everyday to maintain his sobriety a series of strange phone calls begin harassing him and his wife during the night saying only "Remember me?". With little help from the police is up to Lane to solve the mystery before it breaks down everything he has fought for but the outcome may be more terrifying than he had ever expected.

Driven by psychologically terrorizing our victims who are already a bit fractured in their own right, PRIVATE NUMBER uses a common supernatural tactic with the haunted phone calls even after they're unplugged. It works well enough because there are few things as irritating as prank phone calls or just your phone constantly ringing in general, especially in the middle of the night. Writer/director LazRael Lison takes the high road and allows the psychological aspect of the film and the actors rock solid performances to carry the movie instead of opting for a bunch of cheap thrills or jump scares.

Hal Ozsan and Nicholle Tom really carry the movie as a couple in love but unable to deal with both their individual issues and their marriage that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. PRIVATE NUMBER isn't a game changer and it isn't a masterpiece but it is a decent psychological horror/thriller that is just a bit too predictable for its own good.

The Audio & Video
Arc Entertainment's anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer looks nice for DVD. The image is crisp and sharp with nice colors and depth. The English language 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track is also very nice. The mix is well done with no damage to speak of.

The Extras
Extra features include:

-Making of - a 15 minute behind the scenes featurette with interviews of the cast
-Deleted scenes
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
PRIVATE NUMBER is worth a watch for fans of psychological horror/thrillers.

PRIVATE NUMBER is available HERE