Thursday, August 31, 2017

Comet TV September Lineup - Godzilla Marathon and From Dusk Til Dawn Trilogy!


AIRING ON COMET in September

YOU DON’T NEED A SUBSCRIPTION TO WATCH THESE GREAT MOVIES…
THEY’RE AIRING FOR FREE ON COMET!


GODZILLA DOIN’ WORK MOVIE MARATHON
This Labor Day, join COMET for a movie marathon on a monster scale. Starting at 10am/9C, we'll be screening eight (yes, EIGHT!) classic Godzilla movies back-to-back. It's an all day party that features legends like Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla, and your name is right at the top of the guest list.


Godzilla VS. King Ghidorah (1991)
10A/9C

Godzilla VS. Mothra (1992)
12:30P/11:30C

Godzilla VS. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
2:30P/1:30C

Godzilla VS. Spacegodzilla (1994)
4:30P/3:30C

Godzilla VS. Destoroyah (1995)
7P/6P

Godzilla 2000 (1999)
9:30P/8:30C

Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-out Attack (2001)
MIDNIGHT/11C

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
1:30A/12:30C





Godzilla 2000
Godzilla Wears a Tinfoil Hat: Did you know Godzilla is a UFO believer? Unfortunately, years upon years of reading about alien abduction conspiracies on the internet can't prepare the King of Monsters for what happens in Godzilla 2000....When a UFO is awoken from a million-year slumber deep in the Earth's crust, it employs a series of sneaky tactics (gene-snatching, reckless driving, and more) to give Godzilla a real extraterrestrial beat-down. 
Monday September 4 at 9:30P/8:30C
Saturday September 23 at 4P/3C
and Saturday September 30 at 5P/4C

Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla's Futuristic Birthday Bash: Godzilla sure knows how to throw a wild birthday party. For the King's 50th anniversary, legends from the last five decades of monster mashing return for a futuristic kaiju feast. Godzilla: Final Wars takes us to the 28th century where Earth has been ravaged by giant monsters, giving the Xiliens (a group of aliens who dress like they're in a 90's goth rock band) a chance to claim our planet as their own
Saturday September 23 at 1A/MIDNIGHT
Saturday September 30 at 5P/4C


Catch Godzilla Films all month on COMET TV
GODZILLA DOIN’ WORK Movie Marathon 
Labor Day, Monday September 4 starting at 10A/9C

Every Saturday
starting at 2P/1C

Weekdays, September 25-29
starting at various times


Classic Films all Month, Fridays on COMET TV
Starting at 8/7c
9/01 From Dusk Till Dawn
9/08 From Dusk Till Dawn 2
9/15 From Dusk Till Dawn 3
9/22 Cypher
9/28 Futureworld

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

2017 Screamfest Horror Film Festival First Wave Lineup

SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF 2017 LINE UP

Dominic Monaghan to Serve as Festival Ambassador

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – August 29, 2017 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up.  In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the TCL Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. Actor and producer Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, TV’s “Lost”) will serve as this year’s festival ambassador.
“I am extremely honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador,” said Monaghan.  “I applaud Screamfest and its Founder and Festival Director Rachel Belofsky for embracing the work of filmmakers and actors in the horror genre.  I’m a big fan of this space, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a fest that truly acknowledges unique and creative work.”
Screamfest Horror Film Festival will offer unique access to some of the most creative forces in the horror genre through film screenings, Q&As and conversations with some of the most captivating artists working in the industry today.
“We are thrilled to partner with Dominic Monaghan at this year’s Screamfest,” said Belofsky.  “He is an amazing actor and filmmaker who understands the vision of this festival.  His experience in the industry alone, I am certain, will inspire other actors, filmmakers and horror film enthusiasts.”
The festival is best known for discovering Paranormal Activity in 2007. Other past premieres include 30 Days of NightLet the Right One InThe Grudge, The Fourth Kind, The CollectionTrick ‘r’ TreatThe Human Centipede and Diary of the Dead. Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Eli Roth, James Wan, Zack Snyder, William Friedkin, John Landis and James Gunn are just some of the filmmakers who have supported the festival year after year.
Film festival badges are currently on sale at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets will be available end of September 2017. All screenings are open to the general public. Winners will receive a 24 karat gold dipped skull trophy designed by the legendary, Academy award-winning special make-up effects creator, Stan Winston, who partnered with the festival until his passing.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival is proud to announce that the following films have been admitted to the festival – the first wave of the 2017 line up.

DEAD ANT (USA) 2017
Directed by Ron Carlson
Written by Ron Carlson
Produced by Ron Carlson and Stephanie Hodos
Cast: Tom Arnold, Sean Astin, Jake Busey, Ryhs Coiro, Leisha Hailey, Cameron Richardson and Danny Woodburn
World Premiere
When the "one-hit-wonder" glam-metal band "Sonic Grave" embark on a trip to coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop in Joshua Tree incites an "unworldly" viscous attack, and they must "rock" themselves out of harms way.

LEATHERFACE (USA) 2017
Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo
Written by Seth M. Sherwood
Produced by Carl Mazzocone, Christa Campbell, Lati Grobman, Les Weldon
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Lili Taylor, Sam Strike, Sam Coleman, Vanessa Grasse
North American Premiere
In Texas, years before the events of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff’s daughter dead. Ten years later, the Sawyer teen kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s death, Sawyer goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface.

RUIN ME (USA) 2017
Directed by Preston DeFrancis
Written by Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis
Produced by Rebecca G. Stone
Cast: Marcienne Dwyer, Matt Dellapina, Chris Hill, Eva Hamilton, John Odom, Cameron Gordon, Sam Ashdown
LA Premiere
Alexandra reluctantly tags along for Slasher Sleepout, an extreme event that is part camping trip, part haunted house, and part escape room. But when the fun turns deadly, Alex has to play the game if she wants to make it out alive.

TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (MEXICO) 2017
Directed by Issa López
Written by Issa López
Produced by Marco Polo Constandse
Cast: Paola Lara, Hanssel Casillas, Rodrigo Cortes, Ianis Guerrero, Juan Ramón López
LA Premiere
We are in a Mexican City turned into a ghost town by the drug-war. Estrella is 11, and when her mother vanishes, she makes a wish: she wants her mother to come back. And mom does return—from the dead. Terrified, Estrella escapes and joins a rag-tag gang of other children orphaned by the violence, all escaping their own past. But she learns that in a city ruled by death, you can’t simply leave the ghosts behind; they walk with you wherever you go.

TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL: THE END OF THE END (CANADA) 2017
Directed by Craig David Wallace and Rich Duhaney
Written by Charles Picco, Craig David Wallace
Produced by Andrew Rosen, Sarah Timmins, Jonas Diamond
Cast: Alex House, Maggie Castle, Bill Turnbull, Melanie Leishman, Jason Mewes, Chris Leavins
U.S. Premiere
Continuing where the cult TV series left off, Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of The End: The Animated Feature Film returns to Crowley Heights to find Todd, Jenny and Curtis grieving the loss of their dear friend Hannah. The three must reunite to fight evil when the Book of Pure Evil returns to Crowley High, bringing with it some familiar faces as well as some new foes. But these enemies are merely warm-ups to the final battle with their greatest nemesis yet: The New Pure Evil One.

TRAGEDY GIRLS (USA) 2017
Directed by Tyler MacIntyre
Written by Chris Lee Hill, Tyler MacIntyre
Produced by Armen Aghaeian, Tara Ansley, Anthony Holt, Edward Mokhtarian, Craig Robinson, Cameron Van Hoy
Cast: Brianna Hildebrand, Alexandra Shipp, Kevin Durand, Jack Quaid, Craig Robinson
LA Premiere
Best friends Sadie and McKayla are on a mission to boost their social media fandom as amateur crime reporters hot on the trail of a deranged local serial killer. After they manage to capture the killer and secretly hold him hostage, they realize the best way to up get scoops on future victims would be to, you know, murder people themselves. As the @TragedyGirls become an overnight sensation and panic grips their small town, can their friendship survive the strain of national stardom? Will they get caught? Will their accounts get verified?

TRENCH 11 (CANADA) 2017
Directed by Leo Scherman
Written by Matthew Booi, Leo Scherman
Produced by Tyler Levine
Cast: Rossif Sutherland, Robert Stadlober, Charlie Carrick, Shaun Benson, Karine Vanasse
U.S. Premiere
In the final days of WWI a shell-shocked tunneller must lead an Allied team into a hidden German base...100 hundred feet below the trenches. The Germans have lost control of a highly contagious biological weapon that turns its victims into deranged killers. The Allies find themselves trapped underground with hordes of the infected, a rapidly spreading disease and a team of German Stormtroopers dispatched to clean up the mess. The only thing more terrifying than the Western Front... is what lies beneath it.

ABOUT SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL

Formed in August 2001 by film producer Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Horror Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that gives filmmakers and screenwriters in the horror and science fiction genres a venue to have their work showcased in the film industry. Among the numerous films that have been discovered and/or premiered at the festival include “Paranormal Activity,” “30 Days of Night,” “Trick ‘r Treat” and “The Human Centipede.” For more information, visit www.ScreamfestLA.com or email info@screamfestla.com.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

AMSTERDAMNED - Blue Underground Blu-ray Review


Holland/1988
Directed By: Dick Maas
Written By: Dick Maas
Starring: Huub Stapel, Monique Van De Ven, Serge-Henri Valcke
Color/113 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Amsterdam is the biggest city and capital of The Netherlands, a port city made up of over 25 miles of canals throughout the city. These waterways prove to be the perfect passages for an experienced scuba diver to travel through the city undetected and commit heinous crimes. As the body count rises it is up to detective Eric Visser to track down the murderer and protect the residents of Amsterdam including his new girlfriend.

AMSTERDAMNED was filmed in 1987 and released the following year. It mashes up the slasher film, which was still a big deal even if we were at the tail end of its huge run and action films like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. The story of the film is based around a killer stalking the waters of Amsterdam first at night before more brazenly killing in the day time with the murky waters concealing him. His weapon of choice is a typically a serrated diver's knife but also makes use of more standard cutlery and spear guns, leaving his victims a bloody, mutilated mess that even surprises the doctors as they note that organs have almost been rearranged during the massacre. The motive is unknown through almost the entire movie, we're dealing with someone that is simply mad, a deranged individual that is totally remorseless. Eric Visser (Huub Stapel) is one of the top detectives on the police force and has been assigned the case and for a large portion of the film he and his colleagues are powerless to stop the killing spree, not for lack of effort. Visser is a likable cop, strong but flawed and relateable. He's a single father to a mouthy but altogether decent teenage girl and doesn't come across as too much of a headstrong, arrogant asshole that so many detective characters in films like this can. As his ability to solve the case is called in to question you begin to root for Visser even harder because you're drawn to him.


The film takes the horror aspect and turns it into a platform for action. AMSTERDAMNED is packed with chase scenes, both on land and on water. The film's best scene is a lengthy speedboat chase through the canals (and through the patio of a cafe) that turns in to a foot pursuit through the sewers. It's goes from incredibly intense high speed action packed with death defying stunts and a giant explosion to a tense, claustrophobic experience that almost plays out like a game of cat and mouse before a face to face encounter between Detective Visser and the killer. There's also a definite giallo influence to AMSTERDAMNED. Visually it doesn't take much imagination to link the black wetsuit and dive mask killer here to the black gloved killers with their razor blades to the Italian murder thrillers from a decade prior. It goes further with the hidden identity of the killer, the investigation of the killer by a citizen involved with the crimes (though that is a much more minor part of AMSTERDAMNED than it would be in a typical giallo), and of course the revelation of the killer's motive which plays as big a role in this film as it does in any giallo. Now I certainly wouldn't consider AMSTERDAMNED a giallo, but the influence is there and it wouldn't be out of place being played along side them.

AMSTERDAMNED is filled with capable actors and Huub Stapel proves to be a more than capable leading man. On top of being relatable and likable he's strong and charismatic without being a caricature of a real person. His chemistry of a smitten, budding relationship with Monique Van De Ven's character Laura comes off as genuine and real. Van De Ven portrays a strong but vulnerable woman that may be all too close to the killer without realizing it. She's a fantastic leading lady. Dick Maas created a film that at the time of filming was the most expensive film ever produced in Holland. And it shows. Maas proves to be a very capable director handling more delicate and intricate scenes with the same ability as he does the elaborate stunt-filled scenes. When the film called for a horror scene he makes it scary and suspenseful and when it calls for a balls to the wall action scene he gets the best work you could imagine out of his stunt coordinator Dickey Beer who had previously worked on films such as Return Of The Jedi and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom and is still a prominent stunt man in Hollywood today.


If there's anything I disliked about AMSTERDAMNED is that it restrains itself a bit too much at times. The murder sequences are almost all off screen in terms of the graphic violence which is surprising given how action packed and in your face the movie is during the more action movie oriented sequences. It left me feeling a bit cheated and thinking that we can get a five minute boat chase scene that took days to film but we couldn't get a bit of actual on screen special effects for the killings. Though I could argue with myself that the dead hooker hanging from the bridge scene is enough blood to last the whole movie. There's also a small side plot that disappears as fast as it shows up but ends up playing an important role in the grand scheme of things. It doesn't really hinder the movie but it did make me think that it was introduced and tossed away without even the hint of a resolution. It also may have the most out of place theme song for any movie ever, thankfully it only plays over the end credits where it can be enjoyed... somehow.

Those minor gripes aside I love AMSTERDAMNED. Obviously I'm a huge fan of all of its influences and I think Dick Maas put them together to form this movie quite well. He makes damn good use of a truly one of a kind setting that couldn't be recreated on any sound stage and it all results in a wild ride through the canals of Amsterdam.


The Audio & Video
I'll make mention of some controversy and complaints that have made their rounds on the internet in recent days regarding the transfer of this release. There have been complaints of heavy compression issues and blocking from a poor authoring job that Blue Underground is looking in to. I will say that I did notice some intermittent compression issues here and there and there is layer of digital noise that is heavier than it should be but overall the transfer which comes from a new 2K scan and restoration looks quite good and a better authoring job which is not the direct fault of Blue Underground would likely have this release looking nearly pristine. As it stands AMSTERADAMNED looks sharp, and has great detail. It's only a quibble that the natural grain has to compete with digital noise and compression artifacts from time to time. The film features a 5.1 DTS-HD audio track in the film's native Dutch with English subtitles. This track is impeccable. It's crisp and clear that is powerful when need be and let's the synth driven score add a mood to the film when need be. There's no background noise or damage to mention. Also included are Dutch and English 2.0 DTS-HD tracks and optional English, French and Spanish subtitles.

If Blue Underground does issue some sort of updated disc with better authoring I will welcome it with open arms but if they choose not to I'd understand and still be totally satisfied with this release of AMSTERDAMNED as I think it still looks far superior than DVD ever would and I can't imagine any release of this on home video has even approached the image quality shown here.

Please note: The screen grabs do not represent the Blu-ray quality.


The Extras
Blue Underground has compiled a very healthy selection of special features which truly make this the definitive edition of AMSTERDAMNED. The features include:

-Audio Commentary with writer/director Dick Maas and editor Hans Van Dongen
-"The Making Of AMSTERDAMNED" - a vintage 36 minute documentary on the film and its production in and around Amsterdam.
-"Tales From The Canal" - A 9 minute interview with star Huub Stapel as hell tells his memories and stories on a boat ride through some of the canals seen in the film and how the film sticks with him even now in the form of injuries received while filming
-"Damned Stuntwork" - An interview with the stunt coordinator Dickey Beer running 18 minutes.
-Theatrical trailers
-Lois Lane "Amsterdamned" music video
-Poster and still gallery
-Booklet with new writing on the film by Michael Gingold


The Bottom Line
Maybe it's time Blue Underground switch authoring houses as the controversies surrounding many of their recent releases seems to outweighing how good the release is. I don't pretend to know their situation with the team authoring their discs but it is enough of a problem that fans are noticing it and it's a repeat issue. Blue Underground is a company I love and is putting out some great films in great releases but the majority of the discussion about them seems to be about these gripes (and rightfully so to some degree) instead of all the positives about the discs such as how good the transfer really is aside from a botched authoring job, or the great bonus features or the film itself. AMSTERDAMNED is not a perfect release but I have no problem fully and highly recommending it to fans of the film or anyone looking to watch it for the first time. The good vastly outweighs the bad which I've personally found to be a bit exaggerated. If there's any update from Blue Underground on a re-release I will update this review and make mention of it at the Celluloid Terror Facebook page. Until then grab this release and enjoy the damn movie!

AMSTERDAMNED is available HERE

Saturday, August 26, 2017

DIE AND LET LIVE 10th Anniversary DVD Review


Any film that is completed deserves a certain level of applause. There's nothing quite like trying to get an entire cast and crew together on the same page day after day to complete a single vision. The amount of moving parts required to do so, even with the smallest productions can be daunting so I tip my hat to filmmakers everywhere even if the end result is not a good film. That makes what Justin Channell and his crew of friends, family and everyone involved did in 2006 at the tender age of 18 all the more exceptional. DIE AND LET LIVE was Channell's second feature film and it received nationwide distribution which is something some filmmakers go decades or lifetime without. Armed with the people closest to him, a Mini DV camera and about a thousand dollars Channell unleashed his high school party zombie comedy love letter to The Sandlot DIE AND LET LIVE.


Benny and Smalls throw a party in order to get Stephanie to hook up with Smalls. The party gets out of hand when uninvited guests arrive including a horde of zombies that have broken out of a nearby medical facility. And things get worse when they realize nobody brought potato salad! DIE AND LET LIVE takes standard high school issues like girls, underage drinking and dickhead bros, and plant them firmly in a zombie movie. The movie was written by director Justin Channell and the two stars of the film Zane Crosby and Joshua Lively and you can instantly feel the chemistry these three have. That is something that can't be faked and while this is far from an award winning screenplay and the dialogue is often ridiculous like when the guys discuss the layout of the bathrooms at length it all comes off as natural. Maybe these kids are just a bit quirky or eccentric and really care about the bathrooms? And maybe that girl actually would fuck any guy who bought her pizza (who has the fucking number for Domino's!?). Maybe, just maybe but it really doesn't matter that the dialogue is questionable at times or that the performances are as rough as you might think. It's all genuine. It's genuinely passionate and while that doesn't always count for anything other than trying your best and an A for effort, in DIE AND LET LIVE it is genuinely funny and entertaining. I laughed throughout, actually finding more to laugh at on my second viewing and appreciating it more.



The film is filled with references to the classic 1993 kids baseball movie The Sandlot which pulls at my heart strings. The Sandlot is among my favorite movies of all time and maybe it just works out that I grew up with the film which gives me a warm nostalgic feeling while catching every reference DIE AND LET LIVE through at me from the character names, to the "pickle" they're in and the contraption and plans they come up with to retrieve a set of car keys that is trapped among the zombie horde, I loved it and smiled every time. 


You may think that this isn't a horror movie since up until now I really haven't mentioned anything about the horror aspect of it but it's definitely there. There's plenty of blood spraying from bite wounds and limbs being lopped off with practical effects - no junky CGI here. The effects are somewhat basic at times but they don't take the easy way and throw some shitty computer effects on the screen which movies with a much larger budget are guilty of. This movie is made by a life long horror fan and that just wouldn't fly. I appreciate that. The horror aspect is very much taken from Night Of The Living Dead with the zombies trying to get passed the pool fence and into the party while everyone inside tries to figure out a plan to escape. Or at least get the pizza. DIE AND LET LIVE may wear its influences on its sleeve but it does so with true love and pays proper homage to them. 


It has now been ten years since DIE AND LET LIVE was made and originally released and Justin Channell has gone back to compile a true collector's edition DVD packed with literally hours of bonus material from multiple commentary tracks to an almost hour long outtakes reel that is new to this release and worth the price of admission by itself. Along with a nearly feature length behind the scenes featurette, alternate and deleted scenes, and more, there's no doubt that every word Justin wrote in the liner notes is sincere. DIE AND LET LIVE is 75 minutes of fun. Is it flawed? Absolutely it is flawed but it's so infectious with it's entertainment that you feel like you're hanging out with the guys instead of just watching a movie. Think of it as you're just quiet Tommy Timmons from The Sandlot so you hang out but just don't say very much. 


It's incredible. It liked it more than CATS and I'm going to watch it again and again with a pool skimmer by my side in case of zombies. You can get it on DVD HERE and it's available on Amazon Prime as well.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Vinegar Syndrome October Release Lineup

By now it's pretty common for our friends at Vinegar Syndrome to release great titles month after month including plenty of countless horror titles but they've never come with this much fire all at once for the horror crowd. And don't worry X-rated film fans, there's something in there for you too! 

From Vinegar Syndrome:


First up, Charles Phillip Moore’s Evil Dead inspired and Fulci-esque DEMON WIND makes its DVD and Blu-ray debut in an all new and extremely colorful 2k restoration, and filled with extra features, plus for a limited edition VinegarSyndrome.com exclusive, we recreated the original lenticular cover!!!


Fabrice Zaphiratos’ almost indescribably insane arthouse slasher BLOOD BEAT, is making its DVD and Blu-ray debut, fully restored from its original negative!


One of the few hardcore features to also qualify as a slasher, Roberta Findlay’s A WOMAN’S TORMENT make its DVD and Blu-ray debut, newly restored from its original negative and features its unseen and extended R rated version!


After a lengthy search, Ted Mikels finally located film elements for his 1971 classic, THE CORPSE GRINDERS, and we’re honored to be bringing it to Blu-ray. This special edition includes archival interviews with Ted as well as a new historical commentary with his friend, filmmaker Elijah Drenner. 


Finally, a double dose of Roberta Findlay’s 80s horror work featuring devil worshiping priests in PRIME EVIL and vengeful ghosts in LURKERS, both of which are making their Blu-ray debuts restored from their original negatives!

Brawl In Cell Block 99 Poster Reveal - In Theaters Oct 6 and On Demand/Digital HD Oct 13



DIRECTOR | S. Craig Zahler
WRITER | S. Craig Zahler
PRODUCERS | Jack Heller, Dallas Sonnier
CAST | Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Udo Kier, Don Johnson, Marc Blucas
 SYNOPSIS | A former boxer named Bradley loses his job as an auto mechanic, and his troubled marriage is about to expire.  At this crossroads in his life, he feels that he has no better option than to work for an old buddy as a drug courier.  This vocation improves his situation until the terrible day that he finds himself in a gunfight between a group of police officers and his own ruthless allies.  When the smoke clears, Bradley is badly hurt and thrown in prison, where his enemies force him to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

UNION FURNACE (2017)


Director: Nicholas Bushman
Writer: Nicholas Bushman, Mike Dwyer
Starring: Mike Dwyer, Seth Hammond, Keith David
Color/89 Minutes/Unrated
Blu-ray, DVD Release Date: August 15, 2017

Mike Dwyer stars as Cody, a low life car thief making a few bucks here and there selling to a local chop shop until he's approached by a mysterious man named Lion (Seth Hammond) who offers him a chance to turn his whole life around and make all of his problems disappear. All Cody has to do is win a game ran by a group of uber rich, psychotic gamblers.

UNION FURNACE is driven by the performances of Dwyer and Hammond. Mike Dwyer is a newcomer, having only one previous IMDB acting credit but he feels like an absolute veteran of the screen with an emotional and strong performance. Whenever his character is the featured character of a scene, and that is quite often, he commands attention and has a strong presence. Seth Hammond is also quite good as Lion who spends a large amount of the film behind a Mardi Gras mask which could make dialogue muffled and difficult to understand but Hammond comes through with clear, direct delivery that perfectly embodies the suave, cool nature of his character. The chemistry between Dwyer and Hammond is instantly noticed and only grows stronger throughout the film, hitting a high point during a sit down discussion during an intermission of the game where Lion tells Cody he's the odds on favorite to win. These two are fantastic. The rest of the cast is solid as well including supporting roles from Lyle Kanouse whose name you might not instantly recognize but his face will as he's been featured in over a hundred film and television roles dating back to the 80s. His good natured, soft southern character is immediately at odds with the type of violent and depraved games that UNION FURNACE is filled with but Kanouse perfectly fills that necessary role and is quite lovable as "Jim from Kentucky". We're lucky enough to get quite a bit of screen time from Keith David (Requiem For A Dream) as well. Every film fan knows Keith David and every film he appears in is better for it. UNION FURNACE is no different as David's expertise adds a touch of Hollywood and A-class to the picture.

I will compare UNION FURNACE to a recent and major, widespread release, Rob Zombie's 31. The plots are similar and they both have a bit of ambiguity about them. It wouldn't be fair to compare them in terms of production values and scale since 31 obviously had a much larger budget even if it was lower budget for a Rob Zombie film. It could even be argued that UNION FURNACE has better production values than 31 as it uses it's small, tight locations perfectly while 31 uses a lot of tight camera shots to try and fill the screen colorful set dressing and villains straight out of a video game or comic book world to hide how woefully barren the sets really are. What UNION FURNACE may lack in stylish flair they more than make up for with tight direction.

The stumbling block for UNION FURNACE lies in the writing or perhaps it is the editing. The film clocks in at a tight 89 minutes but the progression of the film is clunky and left me feeling that chunks had been removed throughout to move the film along at a faster pace. This could be a writing decision to not flesh out ideas beyond what we see on the surface of the screen and leave the rest to the imagination or these scenes may have been removed after shooting them to attain a shorter runtime. Either way I feel it brings the film down a notch or two and certainly puts a clog in the flow of film. Even with these bumps in the road UNION FURNACE has tension and a genuine sense of suspense that kept me engaged throughout.

UNION FURNACE is a mixed bag, it suffers from many of the same issues any independent or small budget production faces but it also excels where it is common to simply skate by and hope for the best. The cast and performances raise UNION FURNACE up to a place that makes it absolutely worth your hour and a half despite the critiques I have toward it.

UNION FURNACE is available from Metropol Pictures

Slaughter High Getting Blu-ray Treatment From Vestron Video This Halloween



Street Date: 10/31/17
Blu-ray™ SRP: $39.97

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Surviving high school is murder with the Vestron Video Collector’s Series’ upcoming release of Slaughter High, arriving for the first time on limited-edition Blu-ray™ uncut on October 31 from Lionsgate. A high school prank gone wrong comes back to haunt the offenders during their five-year high school reunionFrom the makers of Friday the 13thSlaughter Highincludes all-new special features, including the “Going to Pieces” and “My Days at Doddsville” featurettes, an audio commentary with co-writers/directors George Dugdale and Peter Litten, and moreRestored and remastered, the limited-edition Vestron Video Collector’s Series Slaughter High Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.97.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
There’s horror in the halls . . . lynching in the lunchroom . . . murder in the metal shop. Welcome to Slaughter High — where the students are dying to get out! In high school, Marty was the kid all the students teased, taunted, and tortured mercilessly. One day, things went too far — one of their jokes backfired, disfiguring Marty for life. Now, five years later, Marty has arranged a special reunion for all his high school “friends.” The prom queen, the jock, the class clown, the rebel, and a few select others have been invited . . . and it’s going to be a gala of gore!

CAST
Caroline Munro                       The Spy Who Loved MeManiac
Simon Scuddamore                Feature Film Debut 
Carmine Iannaccone              Maid to Order, TV’s “Moonlighting”
Donna Yeager                         Strong Medicine
Gary Martin                             Minions, Living Doll

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES 
·       Audio Commentary with Co-Writers/Directors George Dugdale and Peter Litten
·       Audio Interview with Composer Harry Manfredini featuring Isolated Music and SFX Selections
·       “Going to Pieces” Featurette with Co-Writer/Director Mark Ezra 
·       “My Days at Doddsville” Featurette with Actress Caroline Munro 
·       Alternate Title Sequence 
·       Theatrical Trailer 
·       Radio Spots 
·       Still Gallery

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 1986
Title Copyright:  Slaughter High © 1985 Spectacular Trading Co. All Rights Reserved. Artwork & Supplementary Materials © 2017 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Rating: Unrated 
Genre: Horror 
Closed-Captioned: N/A 
Subtitles: English SDH
Feature Run Time: 91 Minutes 
Blu-ray Format: 1080p High Definition 16x9 Widescreen 1.85:1 Presentation 
Blu-ray Audio: English Original Mono Audio (DTS-HD)