PIECES (Blu-ray Review) - Grindhouse Releasing

Spain, USA/1982
Directed By: Juan Piquer Simon
Written By: Dick Randall, Joe D'Amato
Starring: Christopher George, Linda Day George, Edmund Purdom
Color/89 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: March 1, 2016
2x Blu-ray/CD/Replica Jigsaw Puzzle (First 3,000 copies only)

The Film
In the 1940s a young boy is caught putting together a nudie jigsaw puzzle by his mother who comes down hard on him. The boy responds by attacking his mother with an axe and dismembering her body with a hacksaw. Fast forward 40 years and there's a murderer on the loose at a local college and they're using a chainsaw to murder and maim their victims.

PIECES is a gloriously exploitatative piece of horror from director J.P. Simon who takes a more is more approach. More gore, more nudity and more red herrings. Simon's direction is competent but not very flashy. It doesn't need to be as he lets the murder set pieces and special effects be the glitz and glamor of the movie. Oh and the nudity, did I mention the nudity?

The cast has a surprising amount of recognizable names from Edmund Purdom to Paul L. Smith. Purdom and Smith give a couple of the better performances of the movie as you'd expect but much of the rest of the cast hams it up and overacts to comedic delight. The dialogue in the script is clunky at times but that leads way to some classic scenes such as the "Bastard!" scene.

You shouldn't tune in to PIECES for a subtle, atmospheric horror film with a tight script and strong performances, you should tune into PIECES for a glorious exercise in excess. There's a reason PIECES is a classic example of drive-in era horror and was a staple of the seedy grindhouse theaters on and around 42nd Street in New York City and that is because PIECES not only approves of the type of things a mother who would force you to burn a nudie jigsaw puzzle forbids but it relishes those dirty things and even encourages you to dabble in them. I love PIECES a little bit more with each subsequent viewing.

The Audio & Video
Grindhouse Releasing nails the 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer on PIECES with a brand new 4K scan from the original camera negative, maintaining the original aspect ratio. Colors are vibrant with deep crimson reds that pop just a bit to lush greens. Skin tones are fleshy and natural without a hint of waxiness. Detail level is nearly off the charts from textures to surfaces and especially in facial closeups with facial hair and skin details. The picture is crystal clear, it's immediately evident that there was significant effort into making sure the print is squeaky clean. There's no DNR or edge enhancement to speak of and PIECES has never sparkled like this.

The new DTS-HD Master Audio mix is exceptional with sparkling clarity. The mix gives a strong boost to the soundtrack that manages to slice through the various screaming and chainsaw buzzing of the film and become complimentary without ever fighting for the foreground. There's no background noise or imperfections such as crackling or popping. PIECES looks and sounds like perfection.

The Extras
Disc 1:
-Audio Commentary With Star Jack Taylor
-Music Re-Score By Umberto
-The Vine Theater Experience
-Still Galleries
-Liner Notes

Disc 2:
-42nd Street Memories: The Rise And Fall Of America's Most Notorious Block - A feature length documentary on the mecca of exploitation film
-Interview With Producer Steve Minasian
-Interview With Paul Smith
-Interview with Director Juan Piquer Simon
-Bios and Filmographies
-Grindhouse Releasing Prevues
-Production Credits

A CD soundtrack is also included along with a replica jigsaw puzzle to the first 3,000 copies.

The Bottom Line
Grindhouse Releasing has become synonymous with delivering the most beautiful looking and sounding releases that the cult film market has ever seen and they always pack them with special features. They seem to outdo themselves with each release these days adding something special to the mix of superb A/V to make the fans scramble with excitement. All hail Grindhouse Releasing! PIECES is an essential part of your horror Blu-ray collection.

PIECES is available HERE

E.N.D. (DVD Review) - One 7 Movies

Italy/2015
Directed By: Luca Alessandro, Allegra Bernardoni, Domiziano Cristopharo, Federico Greco
Written By: Luca Alessandro, Allegra Bernardoni, Domiziano Cristopharo, Federico Greco, Roberto Papi, Antonio Tentori
Starring: Regina Orioli, Antonio Bilo Canella, Francesco Sannicandro
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 9, 2016

The Film
Day 0:  The Outbreak starts from a batch of bad cocaine
Day 1466: Italy is in ruins as the epidemic is only getting worse.
Day 2333: There are humans and there are monsters and there isn't a lot of difference between the two.

E.N.D is a quasi-anthology horror film taking place in three different periods of a zombie outbreak caused by bad cocaine. The 80s would have been hell with this coke. The first entry takes place inside a funeral home just at the start of the outbreak. Dull describes this entry fairly well. A miss opportunity at funeral home hijinx the night after the mortician held a party with his friends there.

Follow that up with the fight for survival as an American soldier and pregnant woman board themselves up in a wooded cabin as the zombies chase them and try to break in the woman gives birth leading to an interesting finale. Some action and suspense make this one a mildly entertaining chapter.

And finally after over six years of the outbreak the zombies have evolved into a communicating, functioning group of monsters, making their extinction by humans that much more difficult. The most interesting chapter of the bunch if not significantly flawed in various areas. Easily the most action and gore packed section of the movie.

E.N.D. isn't great. There are a lot of slow spots that just drag out to nothing, the effects are cheap and the CGI is awful. There's also some practical effects that look good and zombie makeup that is a throwback to the 70s and 80s reminding me in particular of the ghouls from Oasis of the Zombies and Zombie Lake. The acting, like the rest of the production is amateurish, and clunky. I appreciated it for being a coherent film with an interesting take on an increasingly dried up, dull and lazy subgenre.

The Audio & Video
E.N.D. finds its way to DVD courtesy of One 7 Movies with a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The digital photography looks okay, with a soft but clean image quality. The PQ is middle of the road, nothing great but not notably poor either. The 2.0 Italian language audio features optional English subtitles. The audio is mixed well and is reasonably full bodied. Levels are steady and there's no distortions or hiccups in the audio. The English subtitles are timed well and read fine but any time there is a break in dialogue the subtitles of the last word spoken hangs on the screen until someone else speaks. It's not very distracting once you realize it is going to happen every single time, and sometimes that break lasts several minutes but it is a lazy over sight.

The Extras
-Interview with writer Antonio Tentori
-Backstage Footage
-Trailers
-Photo Gallery

The Bottom Line
Recommended for zombie superfans only.

E.N.D is available HERE

THE BEES (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA, Mexico/1978
Directed By: Alfredo Zacharias
Written By: Alfredo Zacharias
Starring: John Saxon, Angel Tompkins, John Carradine
Color/92 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Blu-ray, DVD

The Film
Corporations have smuggled highly deadly bees from South America to the US to profit from their royal jelly and honey despite the obvious dangers to the ecosystem and human life. And to make matters worse common techniques to subdue and exterminate bees don't seem to be working.

THE BEES is drive-in fare through and through. It's cheaply made, features a major disaster caused by bugs or animals and features a cast including John Saxon and John Carradine amongst its stars. Writer and director Alfredo Zacharias creates this B-movie (I'm being very generous calling it a B-movie... more like C or D) that has so many plot twists that you'll eventually stop trying to follow along. There's also as many plot holes as there are plot twists so there's no chance a coherent movie.

There's also no chance at a flowing rhythm to the movie as the majority of the film is just one scene after another with nothing at all connecting them until we get back to our main characters who are talking about one of the many plot points. This gives the film a very choppy and all over the place feel.

To the film's credit there's absolutely no shortage of killer bee action. I don't think there's more than a single five minute stretch where swarms of bees aren't attacking someone or something. Of course there's no real bloodshed or graphic violence but it's entertaining nevertheless and really saves the movie making it mildly entertaining.

THE BEES is too long and tries to fit 100 pounds of crap into a 10 pound bag. Luckily they managed to fit the same amount of killer bee fun into the same bag so that it isn't all bad.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome's 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer comes from a new 2K scan and restoration taken from the 35mm IP and frequently looks quite good. The staged set pieces with our stars are sharp and highly detailed with good color representation. Surfaces and textures reveal their detail and depth nicely. Facial closeups reveal a natural skintone with no waxiness. The transfer is worse in scenes that show the swarms of bees as these are generally dirtier, and expose a bit of damage while being overly grainy. The DTS-HD Master Audio track features a mono mix that sounds crisp and clear. There's no buzz or hiss in the delivery and there's no background noise. VinSyn took the original audio mix and made it sound beautiful on Blu-ray.

The Extras
-Video Interview With Writer/Director Alfredo Zacharias
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Reversible Cover Art

The Bottom Line
I can't call myself a fan of the movie but Vinegar Syndrome gives THE BEES a nicer presentation than perhaps it is deserving of. That's just what they do and I applaud their efforts.

THE BEES is available HERE

ROBIN'S NEST/BELLA Peekarama Double Feature (DVD Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1979, 1980
Directed By: Victor Bertini, Alexander Kubelka
Starring: Arcadia Lake, Eric Edwards, Tracey Adams
Color/166 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: January 19, 2015

The Films
In ROBINS NEST, Robin and Alan are on the verge of separating less than a year after getting married. Their sexual chemistry is gone and the sight of each other seems to bring out the worst in them. Each of them reconnect with old friends who have some ideas in mind in how to get their lust and sexual craving satisfied and perhaps it will bring them back together.

I feel that ROBINS NEST ran a bit long and could have easily been a more slickly paced feature at around 70 minutes. Even at 80 minutes the film drags a bit but there's plenty of action from straight to lesbian and some call girls to keep you entertained. That is before the big finale that makes your efforts worthwhile when Alan gets to scream "I just fucked my own wife!?". Yes Alan, you sure did. ROBIN'S NEST is a middle of the pack runner that doesn't set itself apart.

BELLA is a bit more interesting straight out of the gate as we get to see the sexual romps and drama of Bella and her family including but certainly not limited to blackmailing your mother's lover to have sex with you, kidnapping and forced sex at gun point. Yeah, BELLA goes there when she wants someone to herself. She's tight and young and will tell you she's not a child and then show you for proof.

Again running a bit longer than I think is ideal for the picture BELLA has a few slow moments but is otherwise filled with incredibly sleazy, sexy and entertaining moments. Tracey Adams is ultra desirable as the titular character going far enough to threaten her mother until they come to a great compromise that satisfies them both and takes things to the land of taboo. BELLA is a wild ride that you'll enjoy in all the right ways.

The Audio & Video
This double feature DVD from Vinegar Syndrome features similar technical specs for both features including 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers and Dolby Digital mono audio tracks. The audio tracks are both in nice condition with very little background noise or imperfections such as popping or crackling. They sound very good overall with a crisp quality and steady levels. The 16x9 transfers have good color, marred only by light speckling of dust and a single moment of heavier scratch damage. Detail is solid for a standard definition release and these films likely haven't looked this good since they were originally filmed.

The Extras
-Video Interview with filmmaker Carter Stevens
-Original theatrical trailer for BELLA

The Bottom Line
This isn't my favorite release in VinSyn's Peekarama collection but there's plenty of entertainment to be had. Come for BELLA and get the bonus of ROBIN'S NEST.

ROBINS NEST/BELLA Peekarama double feature is available HERE

PRETTY PEACHES Trilogy (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1978,1987, 1989
Directed By: Alex De Renzy
Starring: Desiree Cousteau, Joey Silvera, John Leslie
Color/267 Minutes/X
Region FREE
Release Date: January 19, 2015

The Films
I was first introduced to the PRETTY PEACHES series back in 2014 when Vinegar Syndrome released the first film on Blu-ray and the sequels on a double feature DVD. I immediately fell in love with these slickly made, sex filled comedic adult romps that fill you with laughter perhaps even more than they do with lust. That is perhaps what struck me the most - these are far more than just skin flicks or pornos. These are genuinely well written and well made pieces of exploitation art.

The acting including performances across the series from adult legends Ron Jeremy, Jamie Gillis, Tracey Adams and Desiree Cousteau all of whom are better actors than just being able to produce a boner or some tits on screen. And there talent isn't wasted by a director that doesn't know how to use them or make a picture as there's a reason Alex De Renzy directed just short of 200 films over the course of his career that spanned three decades. The man knew how to make a movie entertaining and he knew how to make it good.

After revisiting this series it isn't surprising but it is welcoming to find that these films hold up on multiple viewings, even when I remember what's around the next turn. The PRETTY PEACHES films have stuck with me visually in my mind stronger than most other adult films I've seen in my life and those memories didn't cheapen my second viewing experience of these classics. If anything it confirmed the fact to myself that I am a genuine fan of these films and not a casual viewer satisfied with seeing them once and moving on. I think this trilogy has earned those fans and they should be proud of enjoying such an oddly quirky, sleazy yet silly taboo fest filled with beautiful women and wild wieners.

The original reviews for the PRETTY PEACHES films can be found HERE and HERE

The Audio & Video
The first disc of this double Blu-ray set is the original PRETTY PEACHES which uses the same transfer as the original limited edition BD released by Vinegar Syndrome back in 2014. The 16x9 transfer has a nice sharp quality that lends itself to strong detail levels and healthy and natural skintones. The image is only marred by light speckling and scratches that don't distract. The Mono DTS-HD Master audio sounds just as it did on the previous release - crisp, steady and clean. There's no distortions or background noise to bother you. Simply put a fantastic job making the original audio mix sound as good as it can.

Disc 2 is the double feature of parts 2 and 3 and is an impressive upgrade over the DVD release from May of 2014. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen uses what seems to be the same HD Master but finally in full HD glory. There's a thin layer of grain/digital noise that is more noticeable in dark scenes but isn't distracting. It looks more natural than artificial anyhow. Detail level is ramped up quite a bit on everything from surfaces to hair while colors vivid without looking artificially pumped up. Part 3 has more damage to the print with scratches and speckling but it still looks quite a bit better than the DVD despite a few moments of frame wobbling.

Both films are similarly successful with their HD Mono tracks being free of audible annoyances or damage. They're clear and pleasing to the ear without any fluctuations in the volume level.

The Extras
Disc 1 is bare bones, failing to port over an archive interview with director Alex De Renzy and a video interview with historian Ted Mcilvenna along with a selection of trailers for various De Renzy films. This keeps that original limited edition Blu-ray release special for its bonus content.

Disc 2 carries over the original trailer for PRETTY PEACHES 2, that being the lone extra included on either release.

The Bottom Line
Each entry into the PEACHES series offers up something a little different but they're all high quality smut that have earned their cemented status as adult classics. There's no better way to see these sex flicks than this set and though this set is light on special features it is still highly recommended.

PRETTY PEACHES triple feature is available HERE

RED KROKODIL (DVD Review) - One 7 Movies

Italy/2012

Directed By: Domiziano Cristopharo

Written By: Francesco Scardone

Starring: Brock Madson, Valerio Cassa, Viktor Karam

Color/88 Minutes/Not Rated

Region FREE

Release Date: February 9, 2016 

The Film

RED KROKODIL is a film you won't soon forget. It will stay with you long after it shakes you and makes you sick to your stomach. It has little in the way of traditional story progression and there's really only a single character. The man we follow as he lives in a filthy apartment, with a mattress made of straw, as he walks around in soiled and torn underwear or nothing at all and spends his time either injecting the dangerous home made street drug Red Krokodil or suffering from the effects of it. His body is covered in old bandages from where his skin has become infected and rotted as a result of the drug. 

We see the man's delusions, hallucinations and hear his various monologues of his existence. We see him leave his apartment, at least in his mind, to explore nature. We see him attempt to drown himself in a toilet. He bleeds. He injects. He hugs his stuffed crocodile from when he was a child. He sleeps. He's miserable and wants to die. He wants to be clean. He injects. He may find peace.

RED KROKODIL can be looked at on the surface level at taken it as an anti-drug warning and it would work perfectly. It can also be looked at as a metaphor for countless other damaging relationships we find ourselves in a daily routine with. RED KROKODIL is powerful and moving and sickening. It is uncomfortable and is not fun. It's small scale and giant in scope. RED KROKODIL deals with the cold, harsh side of life presented in a cycle of substance abuse but the message applies to any countless number of life's less savory things. This film is skillfully made with love. 

The Audio & Video

One 7 Movies gives RED KROKODIL a nice DVD presentation with an anamorphic 16x9 widescreen transfer. The image quality is good and features an intentionally gray heavy color palette. The picture quality is sharp and crystal clear with no damage. The English audio is handled with a 2.0 stereo mix and features optional English and French subtitles. The audio which is heavier on the music score than it is on speaking with just fleeting monologues throughout is good. There's no distortions or background noise and the mix is stable and complimentary between both channels. 

The Extras

-Deleted scenes

-Ending With Alternate Music Track

-Test FX For End Scene

-Trailers and Teaser 

-Photo Gallery

The Bottom Line

RED KROKODIL isn't the movie to sit down with pizza and a beer for a relaxing night of movie watching. There's a powerful message here that is open to personal interpretation and what you take the film for is exactly what it is. Recommended.

RED KROKODIL is available HERE

HIGHWAY TO HELL (Blu-ray Review) - Kino

USA/1991
Directed By: Ate De Jong
Written By: Brian Helgleand
Starring: Chad Lowe, Kristy Swanson, Patrick Bergin
Color/94 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: February 2, 2016

The Film
Charlie and Rachel are on their way to elope in Las Vegas when they turn down an old back road and are pulled over by Hellcop who quickly tosses Rachel into the back of his car and takes her down the secret highway to Hell. Charlie chases behind him, willing to deal with everything Hell will throw at him, desperate to rescue his girl before it's too late.

HIGHWAY TO HELL was shelved for a year after filming completed before it was unceremoniously given a limited theatrical release and then dumped on to home video in 1992 where it would gain some traction and become a minor cult classic and for good reason. There's a zany energy to the film that reminds me of a 2nd rate Beetlejuice in ways (and I mean that in an absolutely positive way), with weird background characters and bizarre monsters and set pieces.

The film relies on its comedy to succeed and it is genuinely funny. There's plenty of horror as well but not to the point where we forget it is a comedy. To top it off there's a bit of real romance that keeps us fully invested in the characters and the outcome of the film. Without getting sappy it's heartfelt and touching at the right moments.

While the setting of Hell is little more than some set pieces along a desert highway in Phoenix, Arizona the secluded desert look works in a simplistic way. The special effects add a touch of excitement from Hellcop's face which is full of carvings of various biblical words and phrases to his literal handcuffs that are made from disembodied hands linked together and may be my favorite thing about the entire movie. The effects are practical and add to that campy, fun vibe the entire movie carries.

HIGHWAY TO HELL has its flaws. It's far from perfect and is smaller scale than perhaps it deserves to be. It's full of notable names from Ben and Jerry Stiller, Ben hadn't broke big yet and was fairly stupid in his ad-libbing to CJ Graham of Friday The 13th Part 6 fame as Hellcop and even Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler. Some of these little cameos and small bits are worth a chuckle but many are throw away. The road trip/chase style of the film ends up in a few go-nowhere pit stops along the way that don't progress the story along. But despite the flaws the film didn't deserve to be shelved for a year, it's quite an entertaining piece of horror comedy that will only grow more popular as the years go by and it doesn't feel terribly dated 25 years later which is a good sign of things to come. HIGHWAY TO HELL has been unfairly overlooked and underrated.

The Audio & Video
HIGHWAY TO HELL receives its high definition home video debut as a part of the Kino Studio Classics line and results are excellent. The anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 transfer is sharp and has great color reproduction making that stretch of Arizona desert feel hot and sweaty while skin tones are fleshy and natural. There's no signs of waxy digital noise reduction or edge enhancement. Detail levels are great showing the scarred and burned look of Hellcop's face to the dried and decaying flesh of various souls trapped in Hell. The DTS HD audio is crystal clear with no crackling, popping or other background noises. The levels are steady and stable with an overall crispness that is pleasing to the ear.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with Director Ate De Jong
-Interview with SFX Make-up Artist Steve Johnson
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-Animated Montage of Images

The Bottom Line
Horror, comedy and love - the recipe for success. HIGHWAY TO HELL feels like a mix of Beetlejuice, Mad Max and Robocop as directed by Satan. It's goofy, fun and campy and it's calling your name.

HIGHWAY TO HELL is available HERE