October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 3

Theatre Of Blood started out day 3 and I can already see this being one of my favorite new viewings for the month. Vincent Price may have never given a better performance than he does here and it's incredibly well written, paced and staged. Beautiful set design of dilapidated and burned out theaters, fancy apartments and great costuming and make up work. There's an irony about the film as Price stars as a vengeful thespian taking out the critics that he thinks ruined his life and while he may never have gone out and murdered a critic he certainly knew of their opinion of his work in horror films and I think a single line involving the term "ham sandwich" sums up those opinions.

This one confused me... I knew I was in for a low budget slasher film but I expected a supernatural element that never showed up. A very brief and vague folklore set up the possibility for it but Satan's Blade never gets out of generic slasher territory and though it kept my attention just fine it was pretty "blah". Something about it didn't let me totally hate it however so the movie ended up being as wishy washy as this brief review of it.

I expected awful things from this one based on what I have heard over the years but the fact that it's a sequel to a movie I love deeply, I had to hold out hope. The Gate 2 takes place two years after the first film and stars Terry, the heavy metal loving best friend from the original who, along with a few asshole trouble makers from school, try to use the demonology for their own personal gain but it comes back to haunt them as it once again opens the path between realms. Unfortunately it's glaringly obvious that the budget from the first film was far above that of the sequel but director Tibor Takacs did the best he could and managed to create a few great scenes including a "final boss" type battle in the demon world. It's cheesy and takes on a strong B-movie look that the first didn't have but I enjoyed it quite a bit more than expected.

Today's Rundown
Theater Of Blood - 9/10
Satan's Blade - 4.5/10
The Gate 2 - 5/10

POLTERGEIST (Blu-ray Review) - 20th Century Fox

USA/2015
Directed By: Gil Kenan
Written By: David Lindsay-Abaire
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris
Color/94 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: September 29, 2015

The Film
A family moves into a home in a suburban neighborhood and they quickly begin experiencing strange events leading to a full on attack from angry spirits on a night when the three children are left home alone and they abduct the youngest daughter. The family must find a way to enter the spirits plane of existence and rescue their daughter before the spirits use her as a guide to find their eternal rest and the family loses her forever.

This is a remake of the classic Steven Spielberg production that was directed by Tobe Hooper and follows the storyline and events of that 1982 film pretty much straight on. In fact this version of POLTERGEIST feels like a checklist of notable scenes from the original, making sure to get some version of them into the final picture no matter how insignificant they end up being. Things being stacked behind someone's back in an impossible fashion? Check. Spirits in the TV with the line "They're here."? Check. Creepy clown doll? Check. So on.

A cast headlined by Sam Rockwell should be solid and able to carry the picture but instead Rockwell is very uneven in his performance, which hurts the entire rest of the cast in turn. This family is going through some incredibly terrifying and tragic events, and even without their daughter being sucked into the netherworld in the closet, their normal day to day life hadn't been going well but you wouldn't know that from the performances and reactions to the cast. The amount of concern shown is that of passing the remnants of a car accident on the side of the highway... a passing thought hoping everything is okay but not putting too much emotion in to it. "Wow, look at that... I hope everything is okay. I'm sure they're fine. Oh I love this song!"

The movie gets at least one thing right however, it gives us a glimpse into the other side where the spirits are holding young Madison, something the original film didn't do. And question CGI aside it did have an eerie look to it. On top of that the movie as a whole isn't awful, the negatives outweigh the positives but really the entire thing just feels like a Cliff Notes version that was copied down minutes before class. It's all there and it is watchable but the heart and soul of the original is missing.

The Audio & Video
20th Century Fox delivers a gorgeous looking and sounding Blu-ray. The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is stunning. Colors are rich and vivid while black levels are deep and inky with no blocking issues. Skin tones are natural and fleshy with no waxiness and surface detail is very high. The DTS-HD lossless audio sounds great and really booms when needed. There's no issues in the mix job or with any damage or distortions. It's no surprise that a major motion picture from 2015 has a brilliant A/V presentation but it is worth praising nevertheless.

The Extras
-Alternate cuts of the film including the unrated extended cut and the PG-13 theatrical cut
-Alternate ending
-Still gallery
-HD Ultraviolet digital copy of the film

The Bottom Line
When it is all said and done POLTERGEIST is a harmless remake that will have its detractors and its fans I'm sure. It isn't worth getting too excited about either way and if you're looking for a recent horror film for your Halloween marathon viewings POLTERGEIST is an easy watch at the very least.

POLTERGEIST is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 2

A very late night/early Friday morning viewing of Tremors was perfect. A comforting favorite that was easy to unwind and relax with before calling it a night after celebrating a friend's birthday and a Ravens win over the hated Steelers. There's nothing more to say about this one.

The Poltergeist remake was on deck later in the day and it seemed like a weak checklist of scenes from the original without creating a full investment from the audience like the original did. The acting was uneven and writing lacked common sense. It was surprising to see a family go through such a bizarre, scary and tragic series of events and treat it with such a passive attitude. It's as if they were driving passed the aftermath of a car accident on the highway and it grabs their attention for a few fleeting seconds before they turn their attention back to the road ahead of them never to think of the accident again. I'll sum up the film as "watchable, but little else."

After attending the Monster Mania 32 convention where I was finally able to meet George Romero and talk to him for a few minutes about his film Martin, I came home and popped in GHOST TOWN. I had been anxious about watching this one since Scream Factory announced it and the wait was finally over only to be disappointed. I like the movie but it isn't very exciting. The setting is good and there's some great makeup work on the main villain but overall the movie's cover art conjures up more interesting ideas than the film can deliver on. I enjoyed it but not nearly to the level I thought I would.

Today's Rundown
Tremors - 8/10
Poltergeist - 4/10
Ghost Town - 6/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 1

October has arrived and that means it is time for pumpkin spice lattes, and dusting off my Uggs! I can't even! Really, it means it is time to begin the quest to watch 100 horror movies during the month of October, as is tradition. Let's just jump in to day 1...

We start out dabbling in mediocrity. CHARLIE'S FARM is a 2014 Australian slasher film co-starring notable horror names such as Bill Moseley who is great in this and Kane Hodder who gets to actually act and isn't bad either. We also get to stare at Tara Reid's sagging face as she stumbles through most of the third act like she's drunk. The movie is uber gory and violent but it drags during the first hour and is nothing special when all said and done.

Getting a bit deeper into the river of mediocrity was ALMOST HUMAN. I had no idea about the plot to this one, only that there's a strong divide in opinions about it. I grabbed it for $2 a few months back and stashed it away for the challenge... I loved the opening sequence. It was tense, well acted and legitimately scary. Then it moves into all too familiar splatter slasher territory and while the effects are very well done the movie is pretty much one note and the attempt at taking it back to the extraterrestrial element the opening scene introduced was weak.

The finest movie of the day comes from the fellas at Astron 6 - THE EDITOR. I've been hearing about how great this movie is for months and during those months plenty of people I know and trust have told me I'll love it. Still, I had doubts. I didn't know how I'd react to a tongue in cheek tribute to giallo and Italian horror films. Well, with the obvious love and knowledge of the movies they're paying tribute to, it was easy for me to sit back and enjoy. They nailed it and it was genuinely funny and well made.

Every movie of the day had been especially gory and violent, not something I necessarily intended and it wasn't something I planned on closing out the day with but it just so happened that THE PERFECT HOUSE pretty much relies solely on torture and violence to get a reaction from the audience. I have a strange dilemma with this movie because it is very much a one note torture film, but it's made fairly well at the same time, especially on such a low budget. It isn't a great movie but not awful either. I didn't care for it but I can't bash it too harshly. It's a more recent indie horror film from Wild Eye Releasing that I'm surprised doesn't have a bigger fanbase.

Today's Rundown
Charlie's Farm - 5/10
Almost Human - 5/10
The Editor - 8/10
The Perfect House - 4/10

TURKEY SHOOT (Blu-ray Review) - Severin Films

Australia/1981
Directed By: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Written By: Jon George, Neill D. Hicks
Starring: Steve Railsback, Olivia Hussey, Michael Craig
Color/93 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: September 22, 2015

The Film
Freedom is obedience. Obedience is work. Work is life. That quote sums up the totalitarian mindset of the politics that drive TURKEY SHOOT. Citizens who don't comply with the corrupt and oppressive law of the land are detained into behavior rehabilitation camps where they're forced into labor, abused mentally, physically and sexually and tortured before they're able to be released back into society. A group of inmates are chosen to be prey for a group of rich people to hunt on the grounds of the camp which leads to one of the most insane thrill rides ever put to celluloid.

When a film production has to literally toss the first 15 pages of its script due to losing a chunk of its funding it usually spells doom for that movie. TURKEY SHOOT overcame that obstacle. While it may not have had the grand scale director Brian Trenchard-Smith originally envisioned, he rolled with the punches and decided to shift the tone to what he described as a "Lucio Fulci splatter film". I wouldn't argue that with him. The film definitely makes its feelings and points known with social commentary but the reason this movie was a financial success is because it is violent, gory, action packed and just a bit sleazy.

Combining genres such as horror, action and the women in prison genre, TURKEY SHOOT is classic exploitation that all fans need to see. The acting is competent from a script that is a bit campy but not without its message. The direction and photography also get the job done. There's nothing super flashy in the directing or camera work but it's never distractingly bad either.

It's no surprise that TURKEY SHOOT, released as Escape 2000 in the USA, was heavily cut by the Australian censors - Exploding bodies, machetes to skulls, toes being eaten, circus freaks, explosions, male and female nudity, blood and guts rule the film. Audiences may not have gotten all the goods in theaters back in 1981, but Severin Films makes sure we get it all in the glory of HD.

The Audio & Video
Severin Films delivers TURKEY SHOOT on Blu-ray with a beautiful anamorphic widescreen transfer that has a light but natural grain structure giving the disc a very film like feel. Detail is strong in textures and surfaces, from the metal of a crossbow to concrete block torture devices. Colors are warm and natural and skin tones are fleshy without being waxy. There's no signs of excessive digital noise reduction or edge enhancement. The 2.0 English soundtrack isn't flashy or boisterous but it gets the job done nicely with a properly mixed HD presentation that is free of any damage such as popping or crackling and has no issues with background noise.

The Extras
-"The Ozploitation Renaissance" - 26 minute featurette with interviews on the Australian film market during the 70s and 80s
-"Turkey Shoot: Blood & Thunder Memories" 23 minute featurette with interviews of several cast members
-Audio commentary with director Brian Trenchard-Smith
-Interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith
-"Not Quite Hollywood" extended interviews with: Brian Trenchard-Smith, Antony I. Ginnane, Steve Railsback, Lynda Stoner, Roger Ward, Gus Mercurio, and Bob McCarron - 77 minutes worth of interview footage filmed for the 2008 documentary from Mark Hartley
-Alternate "Escape 2000" title sequence
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
Severin Films is Blu-ray. Blu-ray is TURKEY SHOOT. TURKEY SHOOT is awesome.

TURKEY SHOOT is available HERE

SOME KIND OF HATE (2015)

USA/2015
Directed By: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Written By: Brian DeLeeuw, Adam Egypt Mortimer
Starring: Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, Sierra McCormick
VOD Release Date: September 18, 2015

Lincoln is sent to a camp after he retaliates against his bullies. The camp is for troubled teens with various issues to work out in a friendly and healthy environment. Shortly after arriving Lincoln's problems find him again as a group of more popular kids heard about his fight and decide they want to test him and see if they can push him to his limit. As stuff gets worse for Lincoln he makes a wish that they were dead and a vengeful spirit with ties to the camp will help his wish come true whether he likes it or not.

I'll start off with this - I think the basic idea of SOME KIND OF HATE could have worked had the writing been better. Bullies and their victims are a hot topic these days and it is no surprise that they've become a popular plot device in movies as well. While a paranormal horror thriller isn't exactly the first place my mind goes when I think of a bully/victim plot device I can see where it would work. Or at least be interesting.

But it doesn't work, and it really isn't interesting. At least not here, as the twist is painfully obvious. Every character in this movie is a horrible cliche. That even includes the kid that sort of looks like a skinhead complete with an iron cross tattoo on his neck but he's friends with a couple of stereotypical black kids. That's one that didn't make sense to me. Moving on, there's the popular girl who can't deal with it and cuts, the death metal fan who is bullied and is basically plucked straight out of the Columbine massacre, a nerdy hacker, and so on. Every character is one note and the adults in charge who are total worthless shitbags of human beings might not even be a full note. They're so sparsely seen that they may as well not even be around. Except for the Yoga instructor to have a lingerie scene with one of the teens because that is totally believable.

At 82 minutes long (and really only about 75 when you take out the end credits) SOME KIND OF HATE should have at least been a quick and easy one despite my feelings towards it but it wasn't. As soon as the ghost enters the scene the movie comes to a screeching halt and takes a small step forward to the finish every few minutes but every step is exactly the same as the one before- Angry ghost picks out a camper, hurts itself to kill the camper, Lincoln finds them and freaks out, repeat.

I'm glad I wasn't a victim of bullying and decided to watch this movie because the caricature that it paints teens with problems as is shitty and would probably make me feel worse about myself. Everybody in this movie gets lumped into some sort of broad stereotype and has to live it out to the fullest. Not only is it shameful, it's also poorly executed plain and simple.

TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015) - Epic Pictures

USA/2015
Directed By: Various
Written By: Various
In Theaters and on VOD October 16, 2015

Halloween and horror movies go together hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, tricks and treats, lamb and tuna fish. There are endless amounts of horror films that take place during the Halloween season and a few of them really manage to capture the spirit of the holiday from the childlike wonder and imagination the holiday invokes to the Mardi Gras-esque party vibe that adults love. Then there's the scary side to the holiday which TALES OF HALLOWEEN blends together perfectly with the adult and kiddie side of things.

Through its 10 part anthology TALES OF HALLOWEEN is perfect viewing for the season. Whether it's tricks or treats that you're looking for they're both here. Starting with the radio broadcast voice over from Adrienne Barbeau who has an absolutely perfect voice for such a part, to the pop-up storybook styled opening credits which are more stylish and well thought out than any opening credit sequence I've seen in recent memory, the spirit of Halloween is embodied in every second of this movie.

Of course in a movie consisting of so many different stories, which loosely intertwine here, there's going to be some winners and some losers so here's a look at each of the stories.

Sweet Tooth (Dir: Dave Parker) - This short creates a unique original urban legend and makes it fun and gory. Don't forget to leave a little something out for ol' Sweet Tooth after you're done trick or treating! This is one of my top three chapters

The Night Billy Raised Hell (Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman) - Features a lot of full on violence and a great twist. Certainly adheres to the darker side of Halloween.

Trick (Dir: Adam Gierasch) - A gory piece filled with violence as a group of teens take out some adults. The story is weak though and offers little besides the ahem... eye candy.

The Weak And The Wicked (Dir: Paul Solet) - A decent morality tale with a mean spirit. A jarring shift to Go Pro footage and an out of place metal soundtrack hold this one back though.

Grim Grinning Ghost (Dir: Axelle Carolyn) - Perhaps the thickest atmosphere of any chapter as a woman walks home alone late at night and fears a pissed off spirit is following her. Simple and effective.

Ding Dong (Dir: Lucky McKee) - My fears came true that my least favorite chapter would be from Lucky McKee. This was by far the weak point of the film for me as the story of a witch who desperately wants to take a trick-or-treater to be her own child is thin and boring along with below par effects.

This Means War (Dir: John Skipp & Andrew Kasch) - A couple of polar opposite characters carry this one as the new metalhead neighbor's loud and graphic Halloween display is at odds with the traditional decade's old display and things end in a bloody battle for neighborhood supremacy. This one is exciting from the start but is an obvious one note composition. Fun nevertheless.

Friday The 31st (Dir: Mike Mendez) - Another one in my personal top 3. Starting out with a traditional slasher film love letter to Friday the 13th, this one takes a quick turn as our slasher's victim gets some intergalactic powers and battles her attacker. The turn this one takes was unexpected, welcomed and even a bit cute. The classic body count style quickly gets an Evil Dead 2 style energy that can't be faked. Either the filmmakers believe in it or it doesn't work. It works here and I loved it.

Bad Seed (Dir: Neil Marshall) - This short is from the most experienced name in the bunch and features the most recognizable names in the cast. The story of a killer pumpkin could have easily turned into something shitty and awful but instead it is cheesy and wonderful. There's even a bit of a Halloween 3 moment at the end. I want a feature length version of this one! This is the final entry in my top 3 (don't make me choose!)

10 parts and only one real stinker? I'll take a 90% success rate with so many different voices to be heard and stories to be told. I'm writing this with a full week left in September and I have that giddy feeling in my stomach that Halloween lovers get as the leaves turn orange and fall from the trees. The season is upon us and there's one way to get in the mood this year and that is TALES OF HALLOWEEN.

8/10