HEAD CASES: SERIAL KILLERS IN THE DELAWARE VALLEY (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2013
Directed By: Anthony Spadaccini
Written By: Anthony Spadaccini, Mark Cray, Derek Rushlow
Starring: Paul McCloskey, Brinke Stevens, Mark Cray
Color/109 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: May 19, 2015

The Film
Between 1979 and 2007 Wayne Montgomery committed 41 murders, making sure to document each and every one. Now his legacy is being carried on by proteges and copycats who are just as nasty as their inspiration.

HEAD CASES is a raw horror film. The production is a pseudo documentary focusing on some of the most brutal serial killers the nation has seen. The script is competent without being anything super original, it handles the subject matter with enough skill that we don't ever really question it. The direction is perhaps the strongest point for the film, which gives the film a natural rawness that is hard to create. There are scenes in this movie that make you feel like you're watching an actual killing.

That rawness can be lost at times with some poor acting. Former 80s scream queen Brinke Stevens is probably the biggest offender of the bad acting and unfortunately she plays a rather large role in the film. Eventually you get used to it and are able to get beyond it and it doesn't drag the film down too much.

HEAD CASES manages to overcome its shortcomings in some acting and running too long to be a successful piece of serial killer horror that manages to be truly disturbing at times and offer what I feel can be looked at as an honest look into what a fucked up mind can do.

The Audio & Video
The DVD from Wild Eye Releasing has a nice anamorphic widescreen transfer. The more recent footage has good clarity and definition while the footage that is meant to be older has a genuine aged look to the older low end camcorder footage but the DVD keeps things very much watchable. Audio is handled with a stereo track which is clear and crisp with no hissing, popping or other noise.

The Extras
-Two audio commentary tracks featuring the director and cast and crew members
-Theatrical trailer
-DVD trailer
-Deleted scenes
-Extended scenes

The Bottom Line
Is this film perfect? No. Does it succeed at what it set out to do? Yes. Recommended.

HEAD CASES: SERIAL KILLERS OF THE DELAWARE VALLEY is available HERE

THE LAZARUS EFFECT (Blu-ray Review) - Fox

USA/2015
Directed By: David Gelb
Written By: Luke Dawson, Jeremy Slater
Starring: Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Donald Glover
Color/83 Minutes/PG-13
Region A
Release Date: June 16, 2015

The Film
A group of medical researchers has developed a serum that will extend the amount of time a doctor has to revive a patient after death, hopefully without any adverse side affects or implications to the patient. An accident during a test leaves one of the members electrocuted and without a pulse so the group makes the decision to use the serum on her to attempt to revive her and what wakes up isn't the same person they knew.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT features a capable main cast that are all quite good and likable. The ability to connect with these characters makes the film that much more personal. The film's horror elements come from both a realistic medical and a bit more of a post-mortem "pseudo reality" which I found elevated the film above the standard demonic possession type movie I was prepared for.

The trailers for THE LAZARUS EFFECT didn't play up the medial or moment of death angle that the movie takes from what I remember and I think it sells the film a little short. The film raises interesting theories about the human brain and what happens at the moment of death and put it into a horror film that is unfortunately held back by its PG-13 rating. I have no doubt that this film would have been more successful and a better horror film overall had they been able to go farther and more extreme with the horror elements.

The audience deserved to be completely blasted by disturbing images of the moment of death instead of the poorly rendered CGI visions we received (which managed to still almost work). The medical side of things could have been nastier and more exploitative for our fallen protagonist as bringing her back was sort of a life or death scenario and certainly ended up being that way.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT isn't bad. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would from the trailers and TV spots but it left me wanting more from it. This is a watered down version of a good movie that is lurking in there somewhere and it's a shame we didn't get to see the full unadulterated product.

The Audio Video
If there's one thing we weren't cheated on it was the Blu-ray presentation from Fox. The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio is flawless with a sharp presentation, beautiful skin tones and not a hint of DNR or edge enhancement. The picture is crisp and I couldn't ask for nicer. The DTS-HD Master Audio track is a 5.1 surround mix that is bold and boisterous when it needs to be. The mix is spot on and crystal clear. There's no damage or background noise to mention. A really well done job on the A/V side of things.

The Extras
-"Creating The Fear: The Making of THE LAZARUS EFFECT" - a behind the scenes featurette that runs about 15 minutes
-"Playing God: The Moral Dilemma" - another featurette looking at one of the questions the film asks
-Deleted and extended scenes
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
While I'm disappointed that this film didn't give me more of what it had I have to admit that it surprised me by not being terrible. The film holds itself back and the PG-13 rating doesn't help but THE LAZARUS EFFECT is worth a watch for less jaded fans and fans of recent fare such as Insidious and Sinister.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT is available HERE

BURYING THE EX (2015)

USA/2015
Directed By: Joe Dante
Written By: Alan Trezza
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Ashely Greene, Alexandria Daddario

What do you get when you take a painfully dry lead, a pair of gorgeous women as his love interest, a dark comedy horror script and some cheap effects? You get BURYING THE EX, of course.

The horror movie loving Max (Anton Yelchin) lives with his self important vegan hippie girlfriend Evelyn (Ashley Greene) but their rocky relationship comes to an end when Evelyn is killed in an auto accident. Max begins a relationship with fellow horror lover Olivia (Alexandra Daddario) despite Evelyn returning from the dead to come back to Max to fulfill their promise of being together forever. Max tries to hide zombie Evelyn from his new found true love but eventually the skeletons, or in this case zombies, will come out of the closet. 

Joe Dante is no stranger to making some classic horror films such as The Howling and Piranha and some comedy films driven by horror elements like Gremlins and one of my personal favorite films The Burbs. Dante has proven time and again that he can cross genre boundaries and come out on top which leaves me baffled as to why he failed so hard with BURYING THE EX. First thing's first and that is the script- Alan Trezza wrote the script for this film, Trezza wrote the original short film of the same title in 2008. His only other screen credit which is likely his most known effort is a family comedy featuring *NSYNC members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone. Yup, that's who handled this script and it is no surprise that this horror comedy is light on horror and even lighter on laughs. Really, this script has a handful of laughs and the rest isn't even groan inducing bad, it's no reaction at all bad. 

The horror isn't much better. It is lighthearted as intended which is fine but there's only two moments of horror, and they're just "okay". That's the biggest compliment I can muster for them because they're filled with really poor CGI. Ashley Greene is genuinely good as the undead, insufferably self important girlfriend. I wanted so badly to punch her in the face which is more or less the point of her character. Unfortunately Anton Yelchin's performance as Max made me not care at all if he manages to break away from a girl that doesn't respect or care about his interests or dreams. Yelchin comes off as completely disinterested and is a total bore to watch. His living love interest Olivia does well as the edgy but passionate contrast to Greene. The unsung hero of the film may be Max's (half!) brother Travis (Oliver Cooper) who is a pretty big loser but manages to sleep around with plenty of attractive women. In a movie that is driven by (attempts at) comedy Travis is the comedic relief and is usually on point.

The movie plods along in an unfunny manner as we await Max to take care of his undead girlfriend problem and the thing that kept me most interested was the constant horror film references. From the films on Max's TV such as The Gore Gore Girls, to various Hammer and B-movie horror films to a graveyard screening of Night Of The Living Dead and various horror movie posters scattered around, this may as well have been a game of I Spy: Horror Edition. 

That's not a great recommendation for the film- "Go see it for all of the horror references throughout!". No, sadly what would probably be a commendable first directorial effort for a rookie filmmaker is the product of a seasoned veteran who has flourished in this genre and makes a remarkably unremarkable film. Joe Dante, you're better than this. 

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