THE GREEN INFERNO (Blu-ray Review) - Universal

Chile, USA/2013
Directed By: Eli Roth
Written By: Guillermo Amoedo, Eli Roth
Starring: Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Aaron Burns
Color/101 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Blu-ray/UVHD

The Film
A group of college students determined to protect the rainforest fly to Peru and crash land in the Amazon jungle where they are captured by a tribe of cannibals and suffer brutal and grotesque acts of savagery while their very existence becomes a fight to survive.

I'm a huge fan of the Italian cannibal films that were released in the 70s and 80s from Umberto Lenzi's Man From Deep River that started it all to the infamous classic Cannibal Holocaust from director Ruggero Deodato. Eli Roth has made it known that's he's a big fan of these films and wanted to make his own film to pay homage to them with THE GREEN INFERNO.

I'm watching this film again to bring you a review and I hope you appreciate it because this movie is pure ass. Where even the lowest form of the Italian cannibal films succeed at only being an exploitation film with graphic imagery and questionable agendas at least they succeeded at being sleazy entertainment. THE GREEN INFERNO isn't entertaining and it is filled with obnoxious unlikeable characters and wooden acting.

Many of the big scare and gross out moments of the film are filled with awful looking CGI that not only takes the viewer out of the moment but can actually have you laughing at the screen when you should be shocked and deplored - one look at the "ant" scene will show you exactly what I mean.

The film is a mess from start to finish with moments of comedy sprinkled throughout that have no place being there. Any message that Roth wanted to convey is completely lost. I doubt there was ever one to begin with.

I'm done talking about THE GREEN INFERNO. I endured it a second time for this review and that will be the last time I waste my time on it.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray from Universal features a stunning full HD 1080p transfer in the film's original 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Colors are vibrant and jump off the screen from the lush greens to the blood reds and various color paints used on the native's faces and bodies. Skin tones are fleshy and natural with no signs of waxiness. There's excellent detail level in both surfaces and textures, from the barks of trees to facial hair and threads of cloth. A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix handles the English audio with great success. The mix is brilliant as background noises such as wild birds and animals are noticeable without taking away from the more primary channels of dialogue and score. There's not a single bit of damage or background noise evident in the crystal clear track. You couldn't ask for a nicer A/V presentation of the film.

The Extras
Where Universal killed it with the A/V, they totally dropped the ball on special features including only a audio commentary track and a still gallery. A featurette on shooting in the jungle, the history of cannibal films and where THE GREEN INFERNO fits in, or cast and crew interviews would have been a welcomed addition to really round out the disc.

The Bottom Line
If you're a lover of modern gore movies and don't care about decent writing, acting or watching a good movie in general you may find something to enjoy here. This is shock value for the sake of shock value and doesn't even entertain on the lowest levels.

THE GREEN INFERNO is available HERE

CLOSED - Green Inferno Blu-ray Giveaway

Universal is providing one (1) Blu-ray of THE GREEN INFERNO for giveaway in conjunction with Celluloid Terror! There are only a couple rules and entering to win couldn't be easier so please keep reading!

Available on Digital HD January 5th and BD & DVD January 5th! 

The Rules
1. US residents only
2. That's it!

How To Enter
CONTEST IS CLOSED

One winner will be picked at random on January 12th 2016 and I'll contact them at that time to notify them. Prizes ship directly from Universal.

WRECKER (DVD Review) - XLRator Media

Canada/2015
Directed By: Micheal Bafaro
Written By: Micheal Bafaro
Starring: Anna Hutchison, Andrea Whitburn, Jennifer Koenig
Color/83 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: January 5, 2016

The Film
Emily and Lesley are on a road trip to party with some friends. The girls quickly become victim of a psychotic tow truck driver who begins playing deadly cat and mouse games with the girls at high speeds and life or death stakes.

I'll be blunt and to the point to save you some time - If you've seen Stephen Spielberg's Duel you've seen this movie done much much better. If you haven't seen Duel go see it. There's nothing here that you won't get with better filmmaking, actual tension and suspense and actors that aren't cliched bimbos.

WRECKER pulls together a full movie that makes sense and that's where the praise really ends. It's seems to be on a counter that every 5 minutes something has to happen but it's never exciting and is telegraphed. Every big moment in the movie is predictable and foreshadowed like the viewers are idiots and can't follow along without our hand being held. The climax is filled with clunky CGI that looks terrible.

The Audio & Video
XLRator Media delivers WRECKER on DVD with a standard release. The 2.35:1 scope aspect ratio is maintained and looks good when the movie looks good. There's times the camerawork in the movie simply doesn't look good and there's nothing the transfer on the DVD could do about that. The 5.1 Dolby Digital has a great mix and is very crisp and clear. Levels are balanced and stable so there's no need to reach for the remote for fluctuating volume.

The Extras
A trailer is the lone extra

The Bottom Line
WRECKER is a movie that has previously been made numerous times and in much better quality. If you're a die hard for these types of highway terror movies you may want to check it out otherwise skip it.

WRECKER is available HERE

THE LAST HORROR FILM (Blu-ray Review) - Troma

USA/1982
Directed By: David Winters
Written By: Judd Hamilton, David Winters, Tom Klassen
Starring: Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Judd Hamilton
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: December 15, 2015

The Film
Vinny Durand (Joe Spinell) is a cab driver with dreams of being a big time Hollywood director working with his favorite actress Jana Bates (Caroline Munro). Vinny decides the perfect time to make this happen is to follow Jana to the Cannes Film Festival and begins stalking her while her entourage begins turning up dead.

Spinell and Munro team just two short years after they paired up for one of my personal favorites, the classic Maniac and are brilliant here again. Joe Spinell portrays the delusional and increasingly psychotic Vinny Durand with grace, never coming on too strong to the audience or hamming it up. The film could have very easily entered cheesy territory which is not at all the tone that this film was going for but Spinell was a world class talent and brought that to the table to handle Durand's personality quirks.

Former Bond girl Caroline Munro can't be overlooked either and she's as gorgeous as ever as the starlet Durand longs to work with. Munro plays a great damsel in distress type character and is a perfect character to root for and care about - the perfect counterpart to Spinell.

THE LAST HORROR FILM was shot guerrilla style with no permits during the 1981 Cannes Film Festival and that raw, organic energy can be felt seeping through each and every scene. This isn't something filmmakers could easily get away with today and likely will never be duplicated. It's fascinating to watch director David Winters work through the crowds of film fans, critics and stars to form a genuinely disturbing and twisted horror film that packs in some fantastic shots, a good bit of violence and a couple of surprises.

I already have a deep love and appreciation for THE LAST HORROR FILM and what they managed to create while breaking all of the rules and somehow the film still gets better with each viewing. My feelings on the film were echoed by Caroline Munro as she was genuinely excited to chat about it with me at a convention in spring 2015 where she mentioned it was one of her favorite films she's been a part of and is proud of how it turned out. She's a class act and for such an oddly off the wall and twisted exploitation film it can still manage to be defined as classy.

The Audio & Video
Troma dishes out a quality Blu-ray release that does the film justice. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer has good detail and color reproduction. There's a bit of speckling and light scratches showing that the source material wasn't overly cleaned up but it fits the tone and style of the film to have a bit of grit left over. There's no digital noise or excessive DNR so skin tones still look healthy and natural. The English HD mono audio sounds very good. There is some noticeable background crackling in the audio but it's not distracting and is easily ignored. Otherwise the audio sounds nice and has quality mix and steady levels.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary
-Mr. Robbie short film - the unfinished follow up to Maniac starring Joe Spinell
-New Intro by Lloyd Kaufman
-Highlights of the 2015 Tromadance Film Festival
-A Full Episode of Kabukiman's Cocktail Corner
-The Return Of Dolphin Man
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
I was beyond excited to see that the vastly overlooked movie was getting a Blu-ray release and that it turned out to be a quality presentation. THE LAST HORROR FILM is not only worth your time and money but your collection is suffering without it.

THE LAST HORROR FILM is available HERE

THE VISIT (Blu-ray Review) - Universal

USA/2015

Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan

Written By: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan

Color/94 Minutes/PG-13

Region A

Release Date: January 5, 2016
BD/DVD/UVHD

The Film
Family drama and issues is something everyone can relate to. Every family goes through fights and has differences that lead to big blow ups. Sometimes those spats burn bridges and the family splits and it takes children to bring the family back together. Such is the story of THE VISIT in which a couple of adolescents meet their grandparents for the first time after a long rift between formed with their mother. A week long visit to the country home is going to let the kids meet their family, learn of their lineage and maybe bring the family back together. The visit to their pap pap and nana doesn't go exactly as they hoped when they find them to be quite the odd, eccentric and downright scary duo.

I wasn't sure what to expect out of THE VISIT from the marketing campaign for the film's theatrical run but I got vibe similar to Hansel and Gretel and the house made of candy. That was enough to at least get me a little bit interested. Now that I've seen it I still see small bits and pieces that hearken back to the old fairy tale but THE VISIT has a strange tone of its own, one that isn't quite sure what it wants to be. Part horror film, part comedy, and it comes together as a bit of a thriller, I'll call it a horror film. It's very tame in terms of any graphic imagery with only one real moment showing anything nasty but it has some moments I found incredibly unsettling and uncomfortable all dealing with creepy old folks. If that sort of thing can make you squirm in your seat and that is weird old people being creepy as hell, then THE VISIT is worth a visit.

Unfortunately there's a couple of gaping plot holes that don't let this film exist in any sort of real world. The first and most important deals with the signature M. Night Shyamalan twist (you knew there had to be one) so be warned *SPOILER ALERT* It's incredibly unrealistic that the grandparents would look up the family on the internet and contact them to set up this trip and the children's mother wouldn't have ever shown them a picture of their grandparents so the kids wouldn't have known that the people they're staying with are not their real grandparents. Certainly she would have sat down and shown them the people they'd be getting picked up from their train ride by and who they'd stay a week with. *END SPOILER*

The other plot hole deals with the fact that despite this house has no cell phone reception and is essentially in a dark zone for that sort of thing the kids have perfect Skype capability to chat with their mom. There's not a single instance of pixelation or buffering or anything of the sort. I was able to look passed this one and it didn't bother me too much, certainly not as first as the first spoiler plot hole I mention above but it needed to be mentioned.

Acting is good from the young ones to the elders with their endlessly strange mannerisms. Shyamalan's direction is good which has rarely been a problem with the divisive filmmaker. He creates a nice looking film inside of an amateur documentary form. He uses enough different locations in and around the farm house that the short time spent in town is enough of a change of scenery and it never feels stale. As is usually the case with the shortcomings of a M. Night Shyamalan film, it lies in the script. Aside from the aforementioned plot holes there's some really weak and down right embarrassing attempts at pop culture relevancy. I can almost imagine Shyamalan reading the final draft of the script and saying to himself "I'm hip, I'm with it".

THE VISIT is like surviving swimming lessons without actually learning to swim. Yeah, you survived but it wasn't a true success. It was a decent time. And that's how I sum up THE VISIT - it's decent.

The Audio & Video

Universal Home Video delivers a stunning Blu-ray presentation as you'd expect from a new major motion picture. Detail level is high from wood grains to surface textures while colors are natural and lifelike. Whites are crisp without burning too hot and black levels are deep and inky. The English DTS-HD master audio is mixed perfectly and crystal clear. There's no signs of damage or background noise. The dialogue and secondary sounds are complimentary and never have to fight for the audience's attention.

The Extras

-Alternate Ending
-Deleted Scenes
-The Making Of THE VISIT
-Becca's Photos

The Bottom Line

There's a definite market for THE VISIT and it found it during it's theatrical run as it was a big commercial success. The film itself isn't as big of a success but I didn't hate it. It was enjoyable enough for an evening of sitting on your ass with watching old people be weird. 

THE VISIT is available HERE  and enter our giveaway for a copy of the Blu-ray HERE

(CLOSED) THE VISIT Blu-ray Giveaway

Universal is providing one (1) Blu-ray of THE VISIT for giveaway in conjunction with Celluloid Terror! There are only a couple rules and entering to win couldn't be easier so please keep reading!

Available on Digital HD January 5th and BD & DVD January 5th! 

The Rules
1. US residents only
2. That's it!

How To Enter
CLOSED

One winner will be picked at random on January 5th 2016 (street date for the Blu-ray!) and I'll contact them at that time to notify them. Prizes ship directly from Universal.

BONE TOMAHAWK (DVD Review) - Image/RLJ Entertainment

USA/2015
Directed By: S. Craig Zahler
Written By: S. Craig Zahler
Starring: Jurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox
Color/132 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: December 29, 2015

The Film
You'll be able to see Kurt Russell in a couple of westerns this winter and they're both worth seeing for their own respective reasons. While a smaller production without all of the name power behind it (though still featuring some familiar faces) BONE TOMAHAWK shouldn't be overlooked, especially by horror fans as this is as much a horror film as it is a western.

A group of desert savages capture several citizens of the town of Bright Hope so it is up to Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) and several other townsfolk to track down the savages and rescue the the victims but they quickly find that the savages are more ruthless and merciless than they could have ever imagined.

Clocking in at over two hours I was afraid that BONE TOMAHAWK would drag but pacing isn't a problem as the movie breezes by with plenty of action to enjoy. The characters are standard but likeable and well played by the entire cast including David Arquette and Sid Haig in smaller supporting roles who play well off of each other.

BONE TOMAHAWK really makes it's name on the violence however and there's plenty of it including some incredibly nasty and gory moments that to put simply, surprised the hell out of me seeing something like that in 2015, at least without any hint of irony or humor involved. It's straight forward and shocking. There's an exploitation film element on display that was not only unexpected but welcomed. Perhaps not pushing that angle as far as they could have but there's definitely an old west Hills Have Eyes vibe.

If BONE TOMAHAWK has a downfall it is that it is too by-the-numbers and one note to truly be noticed as much as it deserves to be. The movie is far from bad and is highly enjoyable as both a western and an exploitative horror film and it just misses being a modern must-see.

The Audio & Video
This DVD looks quite good with the 2.40:1 widescreen transfer. The dry, sun drenched setting allows the blood reds to pop a bit and the image is crystal clear. The English 5.1 Dolby Digital mix is excellent and free of any damage or background noise. I can only imagine that the Blu-ray edition is that much better.

The Extras
-The Making Of BONE TOMAHAWK
-Deleted Scenes
-Fantastic Fest Q&A with the Director and Cast
-Image Gallery

The Bottom Line
I'm all for a revival of the gritty western film and perhaps December 2015 will be known as a landmark month in that revival with BONE TOMAHAWK being a big part of that and there's plenty of reason for you to find out why.

BONE TOMAHAWK is available HERE