HOUSE OF AFFLICTIONS - Wild Eye Releasing (DVD Review)

UK/2014
Directed By: Anthony M. Winson
Written By: Anthony M. Winson
Starring: Michelle Darkin Price, Stefan Boehm, Penelope Butler
Color/90 Minutes/Unrated
Region 1
Release Date: February 23, 2016

The Film
Kate Beckley was one of England's best selling authors with her series of crime novels but it has been years since she's released a new book while dealing with the death of her young daughter. Now attempting to write a new book in a new house Kate is haunted by strange figures and visions along with other strange occurrences which become more and more violent with each passing night.

HOUSE OF AFFLICTIONS has a decent premise, at least one that I find interesting. A house that holds on to the grief and bad feelings of the events that happen within its walls and manifests that energy into evil is a decent set up for a haunted house horror film. Unfortunately the movie has zero style or pizazz. The acting is wooden and feels like everyone was doing green screen acting with little to no experience. The writing is cliche'd and generic as hell but it's probably the strongest point of the film in that it is a coherent story.

The movie could have at least been okay with good direction but there's nothing going on here. There's awkward framing, a lack of sound design that would have added some much needed production value and many of the scary moments feel like very rough rehearsals as opposed to final takes. I'm not familiar with Anthony M. Winson who wrote and directed the film but according to his IMDB page he has 8 directing credits prior to HOUSE OF AFFLICTIONS and with that sort of experience I really expect better quality and more style.

HOUSE OF AFFLICTIONS feels like an amateur project lacking style, substance and sadly, passion.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing gives us a solid DVD featuring a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks and sounds as good as the production of the movie will allow. HOUSE OF AFFLICTIONS has a distant and thin sound and that is reflected here but it is relatively clear sounding and the levels are steady and the mix is well done. The picture is clean and has solid color reproduction with decent detail for a standard definition release. The darker scenes suffer a bit from blocking but overall the DVD has solid A/V qualities.

The Extras
-Alternate Ending
-Deleted Scenes
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
I love Wild Eye Releasing and respect them endlessly for releasing underground and obscure genre films but this one just doesn't work for me.

HOUSE OF AFFLICITONS is available HERE

REGRESSION - Anchor Bay (Blu-ray Review)

Spain, Canada/2015
Directed By: Alejandro Amenabar
Written By: Alejandro Amenabar
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis
Color/106 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: May 10 2016

The Film
In 1990 a wave of fear involving Satanic cults has swept the country and in Minnesota detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) has been assigned a case of Angela (Emma Watson) who has accused her father of ritualistic rape and torture. Her father has blocked the memories and undergoes regressive memory therapy to help him relive memories that open the door on a much bigger and deeper mystery.

Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar (The Others), REGRESSION is an engaging psychological thriller with roots its roots planted in horror films from the 60s and 70s. The story and characters make REGRESSION the film it is and carry it so that it doesn't need to rely on shocks and scares. Ethan Hawke is dynamic and strong as detective Kenner and Emma Watson is perfect as the traumatized victim who gets our sympathy. The darkness she's dealing with and a family she can't confide in make us want to hold and shelter Angela, giving her protection from the physical and mental demons. Along with David Thewlis who is great as the psychologist on the case, the entire cast is great and make Amenabar's sometimes emotionally trying script feel real.

While REGRESSION is mainly a character and story piece, there are a few creepy scenes including flashbacks of black mass and cult rituals. These scenes aren't overly explicit but instead use atmosphere, setting and camerawork to be downright unsettling. REGRESSION has a very oppressive look and feel to it. It's dreary, cold and overcast and that helps build a sense of paranoia in Detective Kenner as the story goes along and he finds himself getting deeper into something that he may not be ready for.

When the credits began to roll I found myself satisfied with REGRESSION and the twists and turns it took. The film plays on the emotions of the viewers and it is entirely possible you'll feel betrayed or cheated by the way it plays out but that is a good thing in this case. I don't think REGRESSION was perfect as some characters come in to play as a major player but are left to do very little of any significance and the story's resolution happens abruptly and it isn't the easiest pill to swallow when it does but the problems REGRESSION has don't nearly stop it from being a well made psychological piece filled with good performances.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay's Blu-ray of REGRESSION has all of the bells and whistles as far as the A/V is concerned. The anamorphic widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio transfer is pristine. Colors are reproduced with perfection in regards to the look of the film and the black levels are super deep and inky. Skin tones are healthy with a natural flesh tone and no signs of waxiness or excessive DNR. A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix handles the English audio in a dynamic and powerful mix with crystal clarity. There's no trouble with background noise, distortions or damage and there are optional English and Spanish subtitles.

The Extras
Four short featurettes are included, that unfortunately largely repeat content.

-Ethan Hawke on "Bruces Obsession"
-Emma Watson on "The Complexity Of Angela"
-The Cast of REGRESSION
-The Vision of REGRESSION

The Bottom Line
REGRESSION deals with a lot of deeper issues than the surface of a psychological thriller mystery movie will show on the surface. It succeeds at being creepy and unsettling at times while being a relatively smart film.

REGRESSION is available HERE

THE CURSE OF SLEEPING BEAUTY (2016)

USA/2016
Director: Pearry Reginald Teo
Writer: Josh Nadler, Pearry Reginald Teo
Starring: Ethan Peck, Natalie Hall, India Eisley
In Theaters May 13, 2016
VOD and iTunes Release Date: May 17, 2016

Thomas Kaiser has recently inherited a family estate that has been in his family for generations from an uncle he never knew and quickly finds out that the family curse has also been passed on to him and he is now forced to guard the house and the evil demons housed within its walls. While Thomas does his best to find a way to break the curse he also tries to awaken Briar Rose, a beautiful young woman kept asleep in another world that have haunted Thomas in his dreams.

THE CURSE OF SLEEPING BEAUTY is an interesting and original take on the Grimm Brothers fairytale and a far departure from the Disney story we all grew up with. Director Pearry Reginald Teo shows some flare and style throughout the picture and creates a spooky atmosphere within the walls of the old house, enhanced by the evil mannequin artwork that comes to life. That is the stuff of nightmares and reminds me greatly of something I'd have seen in an episode of Are You Afraid Of The Dark. That was an example of simple yet effectively creepy filmmaking. Aside from the evil mannequins there are a few other creepy visuals including the Veiled Demon who looks like something out of Todd McFarlane's imagination.

The film mixes fantasy and horror that at times is visually stimulating but there's too much going on for its own good. By the end of the film we're left with loose ends, characters that were around for no real reason. On top of the throw away characters that stop Thomas from really being able to develop along with the story, the performances aren't great and there's too much comic relief written into them. Ethan Peck is suitably the highly of the cast as the lead.

It feels like Pearry Reginald Teo wanted to make a stronger horror film but was forced to keep the fantasy elements lighter to cater to a younger audience.It's that problem that keeps the script from feeling anything but misguided and pulled in too many directions without being able to feel comfortable in its own shoes. THE CURSE OF SLEEPING BEAUTY is a missed opportunity at creating something that really stands out from the pack of week to week genre films but isn't without its merits.

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE - Kino Lorber (Blu-ray Review)

Canada/1976
Directed By: Nicholas Gessner
Written By: Laird Koenig
Starring: Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith
Color/91 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: May 10, 2016

The Film
Thirteen year old Rynn lives in a secluded house outside of town with her recluse father who writes poetry and is often out of town. Rynn has caught the attention of the town pervert who also happens to be the son of their nosy bitch of a landlord who suspect that Rynn may be hiding a dark secret but Rynn is willing to protect her private life at all costs.

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE has long been on my radar as a film I've wanted to see but it eluded me until now and perhaps that's a good thing given the excellent quality of this release. Young Jodie Foster carries this film on her back, giving a strong and mature performance alongside veteran Martin Sheen who is deliciously despicable as the pervert who lusts for smart teen despite having a family of his own. Alexis Smith is instantly unlikeable and someone you're ready to see get what is coming to them which is the highest praise I could possibly give her character. The cast of the film is small, with only a few other supporting characters including Mario, the loner boy who Rynn connects with and his policeman uncle who is one of the few good guys in the movie. These key players are what make the brilliantly sharp and tight screenplay by Laird Koenig which was based on his own novel, a complete success.

The story has very few major moments of impact and while those moments carry a ton of weight to them it is the subtlety in the small things, such as Rynn withdrawing money at the bank and dialogue exchanges that really build the characters and suspense. Director Nicholas Gessner creates that suspense brilliantly with a straight forward, matter of fact style that plays into the film's simplicity and relateability. There's nothing in Hollywoodland that is preventing this film from being reality and it's that relateability that puts the viewer in a protective guardian role over Rynn. We're instantly drawn to her and want to protect her from the outside world that she's largely removed herself from but keeps creeping in on her. She hardly needs our concern or guidance but it's that intense connection that makes THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE a special film.

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE is bit difficult to describe as it is very much a suspense thriller with horror elements but it's so character driven and based around Jodie Foster's performance that you almost cheat the film of its power and importance by simply calling it a suspense thriller.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber gives THE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE it's high definition debut with a gorgeous looking Blu-ray that features a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The film has a rich natural film look with healthy grain and no digital scanner noise. Colors are pure and black levels are deep with no signs of compression or blocking. Detail level is exceptional from skin tones and hair to textures and surfaces like clothing and dirt. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix features a fantastic mix with steady levels and a crystal clear sound. There's no background noise, crackling or popping and dialogue is perfectly balanced with music.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary w/ Director Nicholas Gessner
-Interview w/ Martin Sheen
-Conversation w/ Martin Sheen and Nicholas Gessner
-Original Trailer
-Reversible Artwork

The Bottom Line
THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE will please audiences across genre boundaries. Everyone should know about this mini masterpiece and there's not better way to see it than this release from Kino

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE is available HERE

DOLEMITE (Blu-ray Review) - Vinegar Syndrome

USA/1975
Directed By: D'Urville Martin
Written By: Rudy Ray Moore, Jerry Jones
Starring: Rudy Ray Moore, D'Urville Martin, Lady Reed
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Dolemite is getting out of prison after being set up by a rival and some crooked cops. His friend Queen Bee helps him get out and has vowed to get revenge on Willie Green and get his club back with help from his gang of kung-fu fighting women.

To put it simply DOLEMITE is classic blaxploitation and one hell of a good time. Rudy Ray Moore developed the Dolemite character previously with a series of urban comedy records with raunchy titles and racy cover art. After building a fanbase he decided to self finance the DOLEMITE film without the support of his friends who never thought it would pan out. Pan out it did and we're treated to an action packed, riot of an exploitation film filled with incredible one liners and rapping monologues many of which were made up on the spot. Rudy Ray Moore totally embodies the DOLEMITE character and Lady Reed is completely believable and commands respect as the only woman that Dolemite sees as his equal. He's a slick man and she's a bad broad and they're a badass tag team.

Blaxploitation legend D'Urville Martin made his directing debut here, one of only two feature films he would helm, but shows he can handle a picture. While his direction isn't flashy Martin competently captures all of the Karate kicking, gun shooting, and gut ripping. Martin also co-stars as Dolemite's rival Willie Green and he's obviously comfortable in front of the camera and proves to be a formidable and downright ruthless foe for Dolemite. Not to be outdone, Rudy Ray Moore also proves to be a natural in front of the camera and he oozes charisma. This is his acting debut but you can already tell that he has the Dolemite character nailed down.

You don't watch DOLEMITE for the script or the artistry, you watch it for the funk and soul, the action and the laughs. There's no rat soup eating going on here, just the start of a great series of related films starring Rudy Ray Moore.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome have preserved this classic piece of blaxploitation with a gorgeous 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer taken from a new 2K scan and restoration from a 35mm negative. While there are still some scratches and speckling present the overall picture quality is outstanding. Detail is extremely strong especially in closeups. Skin tones are gorgeously natural and fleshy without any signs of waxiness. There's a very nice grain structure to the picture and little to no digital noise. The DTS-HD Master Audio mono track sounds excellent - as good as the picture looks the audio sounds. Dialogue and music don't fight for the foreground as they compliment each other quite well. The audio is clear and crisp with steady levels and a strong body.

The Extras
-Alternate full frame "boom mic" version of the film
-Historical Audio Commentary by Rudy Ray Moore biographer Mark Jason Murray
-"I, Dolemite" - a making-of documentary
-"Lady Reed Uncut" - interview featurette
-Locations Then and Now
-Trailers
-Reversible Artwork

The Bottom Line
On the day he was born his father wore a sign that said "Dolemite is here!" On the day this disc was born the definitive version was here!

DOLEMITE is available HERE

SCREAM Season 1 - Anchor Bay (DVD Review)

USA/2015
Starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Bex Taylor-Klaus, John Karna
Color/10 Episodes
Release Date: May 10, 2016

The Show
The town of Lakewood is under attack by a masked killer that digs up memories of similar events that happened twenty years earlier. The targets are a group of teens and the people connected to them that may be harboring all sorts of secrets.

The SCREAM legacy started in 1996 with Wes Craven's slasher film that made being meta horror cool. The self aware nature of SCREAM wasn't exactly brand new but it was done in a time when horror needed something new and this film took the slasher film cliches from a decade earlier and exploited them in a slasher of their own as survival hinged on knowing how to survive a horror movie.

Now after three sequels SCREAM has been turned into a TV series for a new generation. I will admit that I had very low expectations for the show and little desire to ever see it. Now that I've seen it I will give credit where credit is due and say that it really wasn't that bad. That may not seem like the most glowing accolades of all time but for the complete fishy smelling garbage I expected I was pleasantly surprised by the watchability of season one.

The cast of SCREAM is attractive, even the nerdy and outcast characters are easy on the eyes. There's no surprise that everyone looks good, we're even treated to quite a few sexy lingerie scenes. Don't worry about feeling like a creep, it's pretty obvious that most of these actors are well into their 20s and not high school students. The acting is spotty and uneven with plenty of overacting and the characters are written with plenty of stereotypical upper middle class millennial kids in mind. This was one of the more obnoxious aspects of SCREAM.

SCREAM is as much a teen soap opera as it is a horror series. Relationships come and go and come, teachers and students are connected, family drama, baby mama drama, cyber bullying, it's all here and it plays as big a role as the murder mystery does. It's not as corny and overbearing as daytime soaps but it certainly has that soapy feel while the horror aspects were surprisingly more violent and gruesome than anything I thought I'd see on MTV. The cat and mouse games become a bit repetitive over the ten episodes and the police force is totally useless. There are subplots that disappear for episodes at a time along with some really awkward editing at times. The biggest flaw SCREAM has lies at its core and immediately limits how successful the show could be - We're expected to care about a lot of characters that we're given plenty of reasons to dislike or at the very most tolerate.

All that said, the revelation of the killer and the twists involved are handled decently. It's never something that easily gives away the killer's identity and later on in the series it becomes fun seeing the setup of character's deaths. As I said before the series is a very easy watch that managed to engage me just enough that I could overlook the flaws and mildly enjoy it episode to episode.

SCREAM isn't going to be a big hit with hardened and seasoned horror fans. It is geared toward an audience that is closer to their high school graduation than their 30th birthday and is more interested in the new Drake song than who the hell Wes Craven is or what he did. MTV knows that and created the show for that audience. As far as that goes I'd say they were successful even if the show really is exceedingly mediocre.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay releases SCREAM Season 1 on DVD with a great looking and sounding presentation. The anamorphic widescreen transfer has great detail, color and black levels. It's a spotless picture as it should be. The audio is crystal clear with no distortions or level fluctuations.

The Extras
-Deleted Scenes
-Gag Reels
-Promotional Gallery

The Bottom Line
For a show that I had little interest in and equally little faith in I didn't find myself in misery while watching it. I know I'm not the target audience for this show so I had to take it with a small grain of salt and judge it as such. I wouldn't call myself a fan but I don't think SCREAM is bad. Recommended for fans of lighter horror fare.

SCREAM Season 1 is available HERE

WINNERS TAPE ALL: The Henderson Brothers Story - Brainwrap Films (DVD Review)

USA/2015
Directed By: Justin Channell
Written By: Justin Channell, Zane Crosby, Josh Lively
Starring: Zane Crosby, Josh Lively, Chris LaMartina
Color/67 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: March 23, 2016

The Film
The video store was never more popular than it was in the late 80s and the shelves were never overflowing with horror titles as they were in that same period. From the latest slasher sequel to the backyard shot-on-video feature that found distribution and made an easy buck for someone horror movies ruled the store. A couple brothers from a small West Virginia town named Michael and Richard Henderson found some of that success when their own SOV slasher movie The Curse Of Stabberman released by their own production and distribution company Cameo Video (it almost rhymes, which is good) found its way to video store shelves and made money. After their second feature Cannibal Swim Club flopped the brothers declared bankruptcy and fell off the radar until a horror movie fanatic and VHS collector from their hometown discovered these relics and got in touch with the brothers to restore the movies and create a new feature film with them all while documenting their history in an on camera interview.

So the Henderson Brothers are just characters and there's no collector turned producer named Henry Jacoby but this story could have been any one of the hundreds or thousands of SOV horror flicks that lined video store shelves being rediscovered by rabid fans today that are keeping VHS alive. It's immediately obvious that writer/director Justin Channell is a huge fan of these films as he perfectly nails the retro footage from both of the Henderson's films. The aesthetic is spot on and the jokes are funny. Actually this entire movie is hilarious. Doing a proper mockumentary requires a love for what is being riffed on and Channell's direction along with the work of co-writers Zane Crosby and Josh Lively shows that love and a genuine knack for word play.

Crosby and Lively also star as the Henderson brothers while Chris LaMartina, who may be of note to indie horror fans for his recent directorial work on films such as Call Girl Of Cthulhu and WNUF Halloween Special, co-stars as Henry Jacoby and I haven't a single bad thing to say about any of them. Crosby and Lively ham it up just enough without getting too silly and LaMartina plays the more straight forward role of superfan turned producer with a touch of comedy that is natural and makes the entire trio's performance work so well together.

This movie is obviously made for horror fans and we're even treated to a bit of blood and guts with the retro footage of the Henderson Brothers' work. Even that is well done in a truly DIY shot on video style including the blood being coughed up on every single dead body (it's science!).

I love the story of The Henderson Brothers and WINNERS TAPE ALL should end up being talked about among the best indie horror and comedy films of the year. It's that good.

The Audio & Video
The DVD release of WINNERS TAPE ALL looks great in regards to both the sit down interview footage which is sharp and clean as it should be and in the faux film footage that genuinely looks like it was shot on VHS in the late 80s. Everything is presented exactly as it should be. The audio is no different, crisp and clear, it's like the angels singing the praises of the Henderson Brothers. I have no issues with the A/V quality of this release.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with director Justin Channell and Michael Henderson
-Interview Outtakes
-HD Restoration Demos of the Henderson Brothers' Films

The Bottom Line
I have no hesitations in highly recommending WINNERS TAPE ALL for any fans of shot on video horror and the era of VHS. It's a love letter brilliantly wrapped up in a mockumentary package and I loved every second of it.

WINNERS TAPE ALL: THE HENDERSON BROTHERS STORY is available at the following locations: Brainwrap City (DVD), VHX (VOD), IWC Films (DVD and VOD)