KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS (Full Moon - DVD Review)

USA/2016
Directed By: John Lechago
Written By: John Lechago
Starring: Trent Haaga, Victoria De Mare, Al Burke
Color/86 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: December 1, 2016

The Film
Killjoy the demon clown has escaped hell and his time spent hosting a wickedly weird talk show is interrupted when Beelzebub comes after Killjoy to trap his spirit and bring it back to hell. Killjoy and his crew must fight off Beelzebub and his psychos in an intergalactic battle of bad CGI and body paint.

KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS is the fifth entry into the franchise which I admittedly  have very little knowledge of. I know that this film follows the fourth entry Killjoy Goes To Hell (yes, I figured that out on my own), and I've seen very brief footage from the earlier films but I had never sat down to watch a Killjoy film before now. KILLYJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS focused much more on Killjoy's relationship with his sidekick Batty Boop who is a fellow clown rocking a body paint suit and arguably the most annoying voice I've ever heard in film. A deliberate speech impediment and whiny, squeaky voice made every line from Batty unbearable, and she has plenty of lines. It was a welcomed surprise to be able to learn about the characters jumping in to a series so far along, I don't feel like I missed much or that I can at least survive without knowing it.

Trent Haaga plays the titular demon clown and he's the high point of the film. He's genuinely funny with great comedic timing and brings great emotion to the character through all of the makeup and latex work. Writer/director John Lechago is no stranger to the franchise having directed the last three films in the franchise and his script is surprisingly good. KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS is a well written movie, especially by modern Full Moon standards. The acting isn't half bad from the supporting cast either. Victoria De Mare is quite good as Batty, despite her annoying voice, she plays the smitten sidekick role very well.

Where the film stumbles is that it's rather uneventful. This is a case where too much character development and story is just too much. I was left wanting more demon carnival shenanigans and only later on in the film do we really get any sort of action with a quick shoot out scene that easily dispatches of most of Beelzebub's psychos and a final battle that is cheesy as hell and features a Mortal Kombat soundtrack. Both of the big action sequences are definitely fun but there's just not enough of them and the film's reliance on sex jokes and toilet humor ultimately lets it down.

The Audio & Video
It's a shame that KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS isn't being released on Blu-ray because it is a very colorful production and has interesting sets that would look fantastic in HD. That said, the DVD from Full Moon does look quite good. The colors shine through vividly and the detail level is strong. The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer is sharp and clean. The 2.0 English audio mix sounds good as well with steady levels and a complimentary mix between dialogue and soundtrack. The audio is clear and crisp with no distortions.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
Returning Killjoy fans will likely find a lot to enjoy here but newcomers may want to watch some trailers or the first film in the series before diving into KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS to see if this is their cup of tea. Recommended for returning fans of the series.

KILLJOY'S PSYCHO CIRCUS is available HERE

DEATHROW GAMESHOW

USA/1987
Directed By: Mark Pirro
Written By: Mark Pirro, Alan Gries
Starring: John McCafferty, Robyn Blythe, Beano
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Chuck Toedan is the host of the popular but wildly controversial TV gameshow Live Or Die where death row inmates compete for a chance to beat their sentence or at least win some prizes for their family on the way out. Toedan's own life is put in jeopardy when he kills a local mob boss and a hit man comes to the studio for Toedan. A battle for survival ensues as Toedan tries to outsmart and outmaneuver the mafia hit man while being put in the same situations he's used to seeing his contestants in!

Mark Pirro directed DEATHROW GAMESHOW only having had experience making Super 8 shorts and his debut feature A Polish Vampire In Burbank which was also shot on Super 8. Pirro was given the chance to make his first 35mm feature and didn't squander it despite being overwhelmed and realizing his tight knit crew from his days with 8mm were going to need some help with a more experienced crew. The thing Pirro didn't need too much help with was writing a hilariously dark comedy that is full of colorful characters and fun sight gags.

John McCafferty is absolutely fantastic as Chuck Toedan and perfectly embodies a corny gameshow host. His chemistry with Robyn Blythe is natural and their character progression is handled nicely. Blythe is quite likable and is a genuinely nice person who gets caught up in a bad situation, and during her dinner with the hit man a rather disgusting and off putting situation as well. Beano does a great job playing a caricature of a typical mafia hitman, playing up his Italian heritage to a comical level. The best scenes of the film are of course the gameshow scenes and seeing the inmates meet their ends in all of the hilaroiusly staged events. Or is it of their family's reaction to their demise and the surprising upswing in their mood when they find out they've won some wonderful prizes? It's both. The cheese smothered script works so wonderfully that all of the over acting and hokey parodies of all aspects of game shows bring nothing but laughs.

DEATHROW GAMESHOW has grown on me to be among the most underrated comedic gems of the late 80s and it's low budget nature and campy vibe only add to its charm.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome releases an impressive looking Blu-ray that easily outshines previous DVD releases that frankly didn't look bad themselves. It's the immediately noticeable improvement that speaks volumes for the quality of this transfer, taking a film that looked fine on home video and making it look truly outstanding. The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer retains the film's original aspect ratio and has been restored from a brand new 2K scan from the original 35mm negatives and features a natural and healthy grain structure. Colors have never looked better for this film than they do here, with an increased richness and vivid quality. Black levels are deep and inky and the picture is quite sharp and clean. The English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono is especially crisp and clear with steady levels and no distortions or background noise. The film certainly hasn't sounded this good before. English SDH subtitles are available.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with director Mark Pirro, and stars John McCafferty and Robyn Blythe
-"Revisiting DEATHROW GAMESHOW" - A well done documentary clocking in at over a half hour long.
-2015 Director's Cut of DEATHROW GAMESHOW
-Multiple Director's Introductions
-"Buns" - a 1978 short film from Mark Pirro
-"The Spy Who Did It Better" - 1979 short film from Mark Pirro
-Original theatrical trailer
-TV Spots
-Image Gallery
-Reversible Artwork

The Bottom Line
Two cuts of the film, short films from the director and a host of other entertaining and high quality extras are just the icing on top of the cake for this hilarious black comedy that looks and sounds like you've just won the grand prize on an exploitation gameshow.

DEATHROW GAMESHOW is available HERE

The Possession Experiment (2016)

USA/2016
Directed By: Scott B. Hansen
Written By: Mary Dixon, Scott B. Hansen
Starring: Chris Minor, Clay Harper, Nicky Jasper
Release Date: December 6, 2016 (VOD, Digital HD, DVD)

THE POSSESSION EXPERIMENT opens with a bloody violent scene of an exorcism going wildly wrong and almost everyone involved winding up dead. It is an opening scene that immediately captures the audience's attention and sets up a promising film.

Then the rest of the movie happens. And you wonder what happened. The set up is decent enough, with a college student preparing a project for his Religion class as he sets out to prove or disprove demonic possession and exorcism using the police evidence and location of the opening scene exorcism. He partners up with a stoner for the project who adds nothing to the film but to talk about eating every time he's on screen and with a pretty med student who will document his vital signs and any changes in behavior. 

This decent set up is marred by completely inept editing, characters that show up out of nowhere in important scenes such as the medium who leaves as fast as she enters and we never see a character call her, talk to her, make any sort of business deal with her prior to her debut into the film. I feel the filmmakers couldn't decide what they wanted the signs and symptoms of demonic possession to be in this film as it changes from the stereotypical green puke and speaking in tongues type to fashioning a homemade Freddy Kruger glove out of X-Acto knives and going on a bit of a slasher spree. It left me with a giant question as to exactly what I was supposed to be watching. 

There's lots of cues and devices lifted from better exorcism and demonic horror films and lots of them have no real reason or explanation for being in this film. Like what is the big deal that the Ouija board was found in the wall in this movie? It's never explained. Any old Ouija board could have done the same thing. That's one of many questions I'm left with in this overly unsatisfying experience. 

If you see Bill Moseley's name attached to THE POSSESSION EXPERIMENT don't be fooled as he is gone by the end of the opening scene. THE POSSESSION EXPERIMENT ends up having a handful of really well done scenes surrounded by a plethora of bad filmmaking and overacting and it's really not worth your time.

NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS (2016)

USA/2016
Directed By: Henrique Couto
Written By: Henrique Couto
Starring: Josh Miller, Bradley Diehl, Marylee Osborne
Release Date: December 10, 2016

Straight forward comedies with no real ties to horror or exploitation are not something I regularly cover here but when I saw the trailer for Henrique Couto's NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS it immediately struck a chord with me and I knew it would be something I could relate to. So while you won't be seeing the newest Zac Efron comedy being covered here I think a dark indie comedy like NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS fits in just fine.

Josh Miller stars as Neil, a self employed painter and graphic designer who has just been dumped by his long term girlfriend and ends up drunkenly drinking bleach while drinking away his feelings which lands him in the psych ward of the hospital and on court ordered therapy. Now Neil must sort out his feelings, his friends and most of all his life to find happiness and meaning in his life. Or maybe he'll just waste away eating a lot of Chinese take out.

NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS is a great watch for anybody floating in the purgatory of their 20s and early 30s, not quite sure what direction they should take in their lives when everything they've come to know has seemingly turned its back on them and fallen apart. It's a great coming of age story at a stage in life that we don't get many films that answer the numerous questions we still have at that age. Miller nails the lead role, infinitely likable and easy to relate with, he carries writer/director Henrique Couto's strong script. He's supported by a Bradley Diehl who plays Neil's best friend Dave. The type of friend that rags on you and shits on you and will endlessly make fun of you about everything but has your back every second of every day. He's the type of friend we all need and Diehl is hilarious in his crudeness. Along with Diehl is Marylee Osborne who becomes one of Neil's inner circle after his breakup and proves that new friends and meaningful relationships can pop up from the most unexpected places. Osborne does a great job proving to be a soft soul with a rough and tough exterior.

The film also shows that sometimes swallowing your pride and letting go of a grudge is the best thing that can happen to you and allow you to be free, grow and again, create a meaningful relationship. Henrique Couto's film isn't all hugs and kisses, there's plenty of darker moments and eye opening revelations like not all long term friendships are worth hanging on to and not everyone will fit into you life forever. It's a harsh realization but it's one we all find out eventually. When it comes down to it NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS shows that plenty of good things actually do happen but life is a rocky fucking road and getting to those good spots can really put us through our paces and sometimes it's okay to befriend your local Chinese restaurant owner to get free noodles to eat away the pain... but not everyday. Get real.

NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS is a fine example of an indie comedy that makes use of great characters and writing over cheaper sight gags or gimmicks. I'm of the mind that making a really good comedy, dark or otherwise, is one of the toughest types of films to make and Couto is up to the challenge with NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS.

NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS will be available for purchase HERE and also for rent on Amazon

TALES OF POE (Wild Eye Releasing DVD Review)

USA/2014
Directed By: Bart Mastronardi, Alan Rowe Kelly
Written By: Bart Mastronardi, Alan Rowe Kelly
Starring: Bette Cassatt, Lesleh Donaldson, Zoe Daelman Chlanda
Color/120 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: October 11, 2016

The Film
TALES OF POE is a three part anthology film adapting Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems into horror films. Each short takes on a different story and a different vibe. Kicking things off is a chilling psychological thriller take on The Tell Tale Heart that has some gory moments and a disturbing antagonist. The film continues with chapter 2, The Cask, tells the story of a man who is murdered on his wedding night by his bride and business partner and buried behind a makeshift brick wall until he returns from the dead to take his revenge.

This take on The Cask Of Amontillado is my favorite of the three shorts. I love the visual style and special effects makeup in this rather bloody film of betrayal and revenge. This story has been adapted many times in several different formats and has even had some of its plot devices and scenes taken and added in to unrelated stories. This short stands tall among the better adaptations this story has seen. The story closes out with a very surreal short adapting Poe's Dreams. I think this short is filmed beautifully and has some memorable scenes and creepy moments such as the scene with the tap dancing man which is staged and choreographed perfectly but the non linear storytelling and length of this short left me feeling that it dragged a bit. I did enjoy it for the most part but I thought it could have been trimmed down a bit. It was smart to end the anthology on this short because I think it would have alienated some viewers from giving the film a fair chance or really letting themselves settle into it.

TALES OF POE shows that the stories of the legendary writer are still loved, still relevant and still translate well to film. Horror has a long love affair with Edgar Allan Poe and it's great to see the current generation of independent filmmakers getting on board with these stories and poems. The movie is uneven and flawed in parts but the direction shows an eye for style and artistry and the acting, including appearances from notable horror actors such as Caroline Williams, Adrienne King and Amy Steel, is better than expected and never poor. TALES OF POE is a welcomed horror film for this decade and hopefully will lead the way for more quality modern Poe adaptations.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing brings this indie anthology to market with a nice looking anamorphic widescreen transfer that features true colors and an image that faithfully captures each short's individual feeling and atmosphere. The image is stable and clean. The stereo audio is also well done, with a crisp sounding track that has a nice mix between dialogue and score. There's no pops, crackles or other distortions to speak of.

The Extras
-Behind The Scenes
-Deleted Scenes
-Interview with director Bart Mastronardi
-Kickstarter Campaign Trailer
-Oiriginal Trailer

The Bottom Line
Whether you're a fan of Edgar Allan Poe or indie horror or both there's a lot to like about TALES OF POE. Recommended!

TALES OF POE is available HERE

KILLBILLIES (DVD Review) - Artsploitation Films

Slovenia/2015
Directed By: Tomaz Gorkic
Written By: Tomaz Gorkic
Starring: Nina Ivanisin, Lotos Sparovec, Nika Rozman
Color/83 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: October 25, 2016

The Film
Zina is contacted by her photographer Blitcz for a photoshoot in the countryside with Mia, an up and coming model who's bubbly and perky personality is quite the opposite of Zina who is taking this final gig for the paycheck. Along with their producer Dragica their photoshoot quickly turns into a nightmare when a family from the hills attacks and kidnaps them which starts the bloody fight for survival while the rural killers plan to use them in their recipe for homemade liquor.

In Slovenia this film was original titled IDILA which translates to IDYLL which I think is a much more attractive title than the budget bin sounding KILLBILLIES. Lucky for us KILLBILLIES rises above its generic retitling and is a fine example of backwoods horror in the tradition of Deliverance and Wrong Turn. KILLBILLIES doesn't try to reinvent the wheel but simply does its best to create a tense, violent and bloody affair in the hills of rural Eastern Europe with a twist in the story that connects it to the urban characters and lifestyle that is increasingly encroaching on more traditional culture.

Writer/director Tomaz Gorkic has a natural eye for horror films and knows how to stage all of the scenes from a foot chase through the woods to limbs being lopped off. KILLBILLIES has no shortage of bloody violence and gore. It never shies away from showing the goods and it has little reason to as the special effects are very well done practical effects. Nina Ivansin is a fantastic lead and final girl as she gives a strong performance and plays her character Zina perfectly and is easy to connect with. There's never a moment where I wasn't cheering for her to win, whether that would be an escape or killing her attackers.

The rest of the cast is quite good as well from Nika Rozman as the increasingly stuck up and annoying Mia who is the perfect counterpart to Zina to Sebastian Cavazza as the rude "bratty" photographer Blitcz and rounded out by Lotos Sparovec and Jurji Drevensek who are the two main killers whose deformed faces, perverse actions and downright scary demeanor are all handled perfectly by this duo. They certainly rival the inbred clan of the Wrong Turn series.

KILLBILLIES is a fast paced, over before you know it ride that will leave your heart pumping. You've seen plenty of similar movies but that won't stop KILLBILLIES from impressing and standing out in your memory as a damn good entry into the backwoods terror style of horror.

The Audio & Video
Artsploitation Films gives KILLBILLIES  a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks very nice. The picture is sharp with bright colors and good detail for a standard definition release. The 5.1 digital surround audio mix handles audio decently. Early on in the film the audio is quiet and specifically the dialogue is a bit lost in the mix. This is remedied after the opening bar scene but if the film didn't have subtitles it'd be difficult to understand. Dialogue is in the film's native Slovenian with optional English subtitles.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
KILLBILLIES is a really solid horror movie that is definitely worth your time despite not breaking new ground. I wish the DVD had some behind the scenes featurettes or interviews because I think it'd be interesting to hear about horror culture in Slovenia but the film itself is worth a recommendation.

KILLBILLIES is available HERE

THE EXOTIC DANCES OF BETTIE PAGE (Blu-ray Review) - Cult Epics

USA/1951-1956
Directed By: Irving Klaw
Starring: Bettie Page
Black & White/60 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: September 13, 2016

There's nothing in the way of narrative here as this is more of a historical document (an important one at that) of Bettie Page's early films in what could be considered the 1950s version of stag films than any sort of narrative film or even a documentary. These films by Irving Klaw feature Page dancing in home settings in lingerie with tinted photography. The preservation of these films is equally important in preserving Irving Klaw's history as it is Page's. Klaw operated a mail order business for photos and film of beautiful women and was one of the first notable fetish photographers in the country from the 1940s until censorship of the 50s ended his career with attempted court hearings trying to link pornography to juvenile delinquency. After closing his business Klaw burned many of his negatives with estimates of up to eighty percent of his work being destroyed. Having these reels of Bettie Page dances is made all the more important by that fact.

These films were shot on presumably cheap 8mm film so the image quality isn't incredibly sharp or detailed but it is still perfectly watchable and enjoyable. The image is quite clean however and free of damage or dirt and debris. The audio sounds wonderful but it is nothing more than overdubbed music and doesn't feature any talking from Bettie Page which is standard for what these films were intended to be. The Blu-ray presentation from Cult Epics is solid top to bottom and features a brand new 2K scan. It's safe to say this is the best these films will ever look. There's also a selection of special features including a selection of Bettie Page's Kamera Club Films which are more short 8mm films presented in HD and a Q&A with Bettie's nephew Ron Brem called Bettie Page Uncovered: The Private Life and Photographs which is a perfect companion piece of Bettie history to these films.

There's so much to love about this release from the historical value in the preservation of these films to the loving presentation and quality release and more importantly it's just a fun time to watch Bettie Page do what she did. Fans of Bettie Page, pin-up culture and stag film buffs all need to take note of this release.

THE EXOTIC DANCES OF BETTIE PAGE is available HERE
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