Casting Couch Slaughter (2020)

USA/2020

Directed By: Krystal Shenk, Emir Skalonja

Written By: Krystal Shenk, Emir Skalonja

Starring: Emir Skalonja, Cody Wight, Krystal Shenk

There's something fun about seeing a film title and knowing exactly what to expect and the film delivering on that promise. CASTING COUCH SLAUGHTER is that type of movie. 

This micro budget indie slasher set around the casting and production of "the greatest porno of all time" looks and feels like a shot-on-video video store oddity of the 80s. It has a synthy soundtrack that permeates most of the film no matter what is going on and that fits the shot on video aesthetic. The main characters are a pair of cocaine fueled filmmakers looking for the perfect cast of their porno film that will not only have the hottest bodies and plenty of sex but a story that will genuinely make people care about these characters. We witness the debauchery and madness of the casting process along with the bloody murder of many of the pornstar-hopefuls as they're offed by a masked killer with a drill. 

While there's lots of nudity and simulated sex to go along with the bloody violence there's also enough laughs to keep it light and airy. I never felt that CASTING COUCH SLAUGHTER was out to drag me down or be mean to anyone involved or the viewing audience. Without a misogynistic tone CASTING COUCH SLAUGHTER can be enjoyed without the weight of guilt that perhaps this movie is mean or degrading. 

From a technical and performance stand point this one isn't going to blow you away or win any awards and in a part of the film world where overacting runs rampant there's actually more instances where I think the cast is underacting and could have turned it up a few notches. With that having been said, it's not a game breaker and the film remains entertaining. So if you're up for a movie that feels like it wouldn't be out of place on a video store shelf in 1987 with an eye catcing big-box VHS staring you down daring you to rent it then give CASTING COUCH SLAUGHTER a look. 

CASTING COUCH SLAUGHTER is available on Vimeo

Amityville Vibrator (2020) Review

USA/2020
Directed By: Nathan Rumler
Written By: Nathan Rumler
Starring: Corella Waring, Mallory Maneater, Emily Hillborn
Color/66 Minutes/Not Rated

By 1989 and moving into the mid-90s the Amityville Horror  franchise left the iconic house in New York and focused on a series of random objects that have been possessed by a demon. These movies were mildly entertaining if not very familiar fare for the period that were released directly to VHS to clog video store shelves. I assure you, and more importantly warn you AMITYVILLE VIBRATOR is not one of those movies.

A family massacred and a satanic masturbation session lead to an unassuming vibrator becoming possessed and falling into the hands of Cathy who has recently moved into the site of that massacre. When she uses the vibrator she becomes a Satanic sex fiend and finds that combination of ingredients can be very evil and very deadly.

Nathan Rumler is responsible for films such as the gross out vampire comedy Fangboner and Gay For Pray: The Erotic Adventures Of Jesus Christ, a couple films I find to be quite entertaining. If you're at all familiar with them you know that Rumler doesn't mind pushing a few buttons and doesn't care if he offends anyone that is uptight and has their panties in a bunch. He doesn't hold back in AMITYVILLE VIBRATOR where frequent full nudity is only scratching the surface of what we're subjected to. Sex scenes aplenty, extensive blood and gore from James and Mae Bell who have created some of the nastiest gore effects in recent indie horror memory also grace the screen in rapid succession. The story is a bit loose as the movie clocks in at just 66 minutes (and apparently will be cut down a couple more minutes for distribution to cut down on a scene that quite honestly needed trimming down) so with all of the raunchiness there's only so much time to keep things moving briskly with a detective story that has some hilarious scenes in itself. Don't let the sex and blood fool you, Rumler is great with comedy in his movies and adds it in seamlessly here.

I watched AMITYVILLE VIBRATOR twice before writing this review and while movies such as this will always have their bumps and rough spots I feel that Rumler has shown some of his best direction and most artistic eye in this one and if there isn't a direct reference to Dario Argento's blood splattered giallo Tenebre I'll eat my hat.

AMITYVILLE VIBRATOR is frankly a movie that fans of extreme indie genre fare can really sink their teeth into right now. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it offers up everything you could ever want to distract yourself from our fucked up world for an hour - tons of nudity, gore and Nathan Rumler's weiner. That's all we need folks.

AMITYVILLE VIBRATOR will delight, disgust and quite possibly offend you on streaming on June 6th and on DVD shortly after.

Restricted Area (2019)

USA/2019
Directed By: Christopher M. Don
Written By: Christopher M. Don
Starring: Paige Lindsay Betts, Phillip Andre Botello, Ross Britz
Color/112 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: February 4, 2020

Believe it or not one of the last brick and mortar supporters of indie horror is Wal Mart. Each month they dedicate a section of their media department to low budget new releases, many of which are horror. It's quite cool but one must approach this section with caution because there's certainly hidden gems to be found but you're far more likely to encounter uninspired ripoffs of more mainstream films. Or worse...

One of the DVDs you'll find staring at your from the store shelves at the time of publication is RESTRICTED AREA, a 2019 slasher film written and directed by Christopher M. Don. It's the perfect example that not everything in this section is going to be a winner. I'll start with the best points of the movie which may be the acting and these are no award winning performances. The cast is made up of small time actors trying to make their way in the independent scene and Youtube personalities. In a better film the performances may have bothered me but I found them to be mostly passable for a film such as this. There was plenty more to endure for the film's incredibly bloated 112 minute run time. I don't think most Hollywood slashers need to be much more than 90 minutes and almost never can they fill out two hours. It just isn't the type of story that needs that type of length or even benefits from it. If we're talking indie slashers? I think the sweet spot is even closer to 75 minutes. From years and years of watching these things it just seems that's what the production's budget can handle as far as personnel and locations go. 112 minutes is just ridiculous. I understand wanting to use the footage you worked hard to get but editing is the thing that gives the audience a sharp, sleek viewing experience. If it doesn't add something to the film does it need to be there? Dragging the film out only made my viewing experience worse which made my feelings toward the film worse and it dragged on and on and on. It made the awful natural light that washed out half the picture and left the other half in shadows more irritating, it made the lack of locations more prominent, and it made one of the killer's stupid white webbed belt even less intimidating than it was the last time i saw one at Pac Sun. Editing. Learn it. Love it.

RESTRICTED AREA was a grating viewing experience. When you're searching the shelves of the independent film section at Wal Mart caveat emptor.

RESTRICTED AREA is available HERE

The Color Out Of Space (2020, Richard Stanley)

USA/2020
Directed By: Richard Stanley
Written By: Richard Stanley, Scarlett Amaris
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur
In Theaters January 24, 2020

The Gardner family has recently relocated to a family estate to focus on a quieter life of farming for patriarch Nathan (Nicolas Cage) and his family. Their quiet life changes when a meteorite crashes in their back yard. All of the family goes to check on its vibrant glow giving off hues of pinks and purples. Each family member has their own individual reaction to coming in to contact with the space rock. Soon after the meteorite dissolves to dust and infects the local water system around the house leading way to beautiful and bountiful crops and flora before the foreign presence wreaks havoc on anyone that it has infected creating a series of mental and psychological terrors along with severe and deadly physical effects.

Before I begin any form of critical review let me first say welcome back Richard Stanley! It has been over two decades since we last got a feature film from the man who brought us cult classics such as Hardware and Dust Devil. His 1996 production of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is infamous for its highly troubled production that saw Stanley leave the production by running off into the jungle and more or less being blacklisted by the studio system. I'm a big fan of Stanley and believe that his voice is one of the most original and interesting that genre film has seen in recent years and even his short film entry Mother Of Toads for the anthology horror film The Theater Bizarre from several years ago showed that he still has his directing chops and his creative mind. When it was announced that he would be directing an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's classic tale of astral horror it quickly became one of my most anticipated movies and it arrived and will immediately be heralded as one of the greatest Lovecraft film adaptations of all time.

THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE is one of the most widely adapted Lovecraft stories with filmmakers putting all sorts of spins on the story for their films but the source material in Richard Stanley's version is immediately recognizable and you're put in the middle of this tight family dynamic on this small farm that becomes a scene of complete mind altering madness and bone wrenching body horror the likes of which you haven't seen lately. Richard Stanley doesn't rush things along, he allows us to settle good and deep into our seats and become acquainted with the family and gives us a reason to care about them. Nicolas Cage proves to be a great father figure but also one that is a bit distracted by his own ventures. Cage has become a bit of a punchline in recent years for his over the top and very animated performances but I think he's really turned on his chops in the last couple of years as he's very good in this as his world melts away. That isn't to say we don't get one of those infamous Nic Cage freak outs because we absolutely do.

The rest of the cast carries their weight with grace, especially Madeleine Smith who plays the daughter and is left to carry plenty of scenes on her own. Richard Stanley's direction is unsettling and at times mildly disorienting which leaves the viewer feeling how I imagine the characters dealing with the effects of this space rock would be feeling. His use of the color emitting from the rock is dazzling and makes those pink and purple tones a monster character of their own. As the film moves closer to its inevitable conclusion I found myself digging deeper in my seat as the uneasy feeling from tension grew and grew. I just knew something major was around the corner on top of the classic Lovecraft attack on the psyche. Then we're subjected to witness a mangled mess of flesh and it writhed around the floor and couch with no discernible rhyme or reason as to where limbs and appendages protrude from. I tell you that THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE is worth the time just to see this disgusting mass of flesh and bone. It is an indescribable experience to say the least.

THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE was a perfect storm of ingredients for me that I was hopeful yet skeptical it may not turn out as I hoped it would. I'm pleased to say that not only did I love the movie but I believe it will be discussed as one of the best horror films of the year as Richard Stanley creates a world not of this Earth and gives us one of the finest HPL adaptations ever committed to film.

THE LIGHTHOUSE ( Lionsgate Films Blu-ray Review)

USA, 2019
Directed By: Robert Eggers
Written By: Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson
Black & White/109 Minutes/R
Region A
Relese Date: January 7, 2020


The Film
How you view THE LIGHTHOUSE is as important as what you view in the film itself. Blacken the room, raise the volume a bit and perhaps turn on the subtitles - you'll need them if you want to catch every last word of dialogue between our two wickies but I promise you won't need to understand every last word to have this film affect you if you let yourself become fully engulfed by raging seas and swirling winds that pound the small island our two characters are tending to on a four week stay.

The plot,  a grizzled old lighthouse keeper and a greenhorn are assigned lighthouse duty on this old island for four weeks but quickly descend into madness is not important as the film follows little in the way of traditional story telling rules. Time shifts, jumping foward weeks or slowing to a crawl watching the men perform their mundane tasks amidst only an audience of squawking seagulls and each other as they banter back and forth about events of their past or bickering about position on the proverbial totem pole. Their accents are thick and distincy, Willem Dafoe a life long man of the sea and Robert Pattinson a man who has left a life working in the timber industry up north behind. The constant bellowing of the foghorn and the persistent squawking of the gulls is designed to agitate and it does. One of many things that begin to break down the psyche of Robert Pattinson's character but the sea has a way of its own and visions of floating corpses, mermaids and ungodly tentacled beasts deliver blow after blow to his fractured mind. His only salvation being that their shift is coming to an end and relief is in sight.

Robert Eggers took the horror world by storm several years ago when he released THE WITCH which I feel is one of the best horror films of this century. His slow burn, it gets there when it gets there attitude is one I appreciate and one I don't find to be self indulgent as both of his feature films are wholly engrossing in spite of their deliberate pace and unorthodox story telling. THE LIGHTHOUSE is all about the atmosphere and mood created from the first second we lay eyes on our duo as they depart their transport and trek through the pounding rain dragging all of their gear to the lodging. It's immediately dark and cold, obviously damp and distant. Seclusion only begins to describe it. Eggers creates a lore of the sea that H.P. Lovecraft would be proud of and this entire film would definitely fit the "Lovecraftian" bill. THE LIGHTHOUSE is entirely hypnotizing, wonderfully ghostly and eerie and at times even a bit funny. What it never is is typical.

I can't say enough about THE LIGHTHOUSE, it has gorgeous photography that I could spend days talking about, it is led by two award caliber performances, the music is blasphemous and helps the film become this mesmerizing piece of art that it truly is. Let this film wash over you and find out why Robert Eggers is one of the most important names in genre filmmaking at the moment.

The Audio &Video
Lionsgate delivers THE LIGHTHOUSE on Blu-ray with a stunning transfer featuring a 1.19:1 pillarboxed presentation. This is a very deliberate artistic choice for framing the film and I think it lends a hand to the feeling of being cut off and stranded. The black and white photography looks incredible on this release. The black levels are very deep and show no signs of blocking or compression issues. The varying levels of grey and white are crisp with fine details coming through beautifully from the threads in clothing to the hair on their grizzled faces or the textured surface of a brick wall. The audio is presented with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that features booming low ends and a wide dynamic range that is handled with ease. Powerful and subtle with layers of light background sounds amidst perfectly mixed dialogue and score show how fantastic this audio mix job really is. English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with co-writer/director Robert Eggers
-"The Lighthouse: A Dark And Stormy Tale" - featurette
-Deleted scenes

The Bottom Line
THE LIGHTHOUSE is one of my three favorite films of 2019 and easily the best horror film. It transcends the genre and is more of a full body experience than simply a movie to watch.  This is essential viewing.

THE LIGHTHOUSE is available HERE

THE MAGIC SWORD - Kino Studio Classics Blu-ray Review

US/1962
Directed By: Bert I. Gordon
Written By: Bernard Schoenfeld
Starring: Basil Rathbone, Estelle Winwood, Gary Lockwood
Color/80 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: December 3, 2019

The Film
By 1962 Bert I. Gordon had already made several fantasy, sci-fi and horror films and worked on the special effects on a number of them as well so it comes as no surprise that THE MAGIC SWORD is a competently made medieval fantasy tale that has some well done special effects for its time.

Gary Lockwood stars as George, a handsome and cunning young man approaching his 21st birthday when he falls in love at first sight with the princess who has been kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Lodac, deviously played by Hollywood legend Basil Rathbone. George tricks his stepmother, a lesser sorcerer in her own right, into giving him a magic sword and he unlocks a half dozen knights trapped inside a picture to aide him on his journey but the king saddles them with Sir Branton, a rival knight who has plans of his own with the princess. They set off to battle through the Seven Curses that Lodac has protected the trail to his castle with including a giant ogre, an evil hag, dangerous swamplands and a fire-breathing two-headed dragon.

Bert Gordon knows how to make an entertaining film and does so despite a weak screenplay which is the film's weakest link. Characters blend into each other and fail to stand out making the extra knights little more than fodder for the cannon. The story is one we've seen before and while it is only 80 minutes long it is really stretching out its runtime by the end. Thankfully the restrained runtime keeps things fun and the film never feels like a cheap stage play. Gordon gets the most out of what he has to work with to make this odyssey as sprawling and epic as he can. He mostly suceeds but the very pedestrian screenplay would never allow THE MAGIC SWORD to be much better than what it turned out to be. Still, this story of a young man grabbing his own destiny is light hearted camp entertainment and that's all I needed out of it.

The Audio & Video
Kino Lorber gives THE MAGIC SWORD its high definition home video debut as part of its Studio Classics line which I am a big fan of. The new transfer has been taken from a new 2K master and it looks good throughout but I feel is softer than would be ideal. The source material wasn't pristine with light instances of dirt and speckling however that's the extent of the imperfections and it does give way to an array of vibrant colors in the picture. Detail is strong but the aforementioned softness takes away from the finer moments. That said this Blu-ray is a vast improvement over the old MGM DVD release.

The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mix sounds fantastic and is free of any background noise, distortions or imperfections. The mix may not sound especially impressive but that's the design of the film's sound stage production. What the mix does do is not allow the audio to sound thin or allow for any echo and while it may not be bass heavy it is a very nice presentation of the how the film should sound.

The Extras
The special features include a commentary track by film historian Tim Lucas and filmmaker Larry Blamire and a theatrical trailer for this film along with a small selection of other Kino releases. Tim Lucas is one of the best at researching and planning out his audio commentaries making for an enjoyable and informative listen that will never leave you with too much down time. It is a welcomed addition to this release.

The Bottom Line
THE MAGIC SWORD overcomes its own shortcomings to be more fun than having the dunk-tank wench bully you at the local renaissance faire. Oh that doesn't sound like fun? Well I assure you it is.

THE MAGIC SWORD is available HERE

THE HOUSE - Artsploitation Films DVD Review

Norway/2016
Directed By: Reinert Kiil
Written By: Reinert Kiil
Starring: Sondre Krogtoft Larsen, Marte Saetern, Jorgen Langhelle
Color/88 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: March 5, 2019

The Film
Set during the second World War, a pair of German soldiers are escorting a POW through a Scandinavian Forest when they find a seemingly abandoned house to rest in, seeking refuge from the harsh winter weather. Shortly after entering the house they quickly begin to see things, hear things and feel like they're being attacked

THE HOUSE looks like a million bucks. Reinert Kiil's direction paired with the cinematography of John-Erling H. Fredriksen gives the movie a visual quality that raises it above the standard independent horror look where you can usually tell that equipment and/or budget wasn't there. The frozen landscape and eerie, shadowy interiors of the house have a moody atmosphere that does provide a bit of foreshadowing to more sinister events that may lie ahead.

Those events do come. Sort of. The horror is held back, with quick bursts giving the audience a glimpse of what could be until the big sequence which is just rather unimpressive and feels like a retread of things we've seen countless times before. And all of this meandering around the house between the occasional shot of shock or scare simply wastes a couple excellent central performances. Even big budget Hollywood horror films struggle to find performances at this level but they're just not given anything to do for the majority of the film. That is the long and short of THE HOUSE, it has a lot of talent in front of and behind the camera but the script is lacking anything even resembling interesting.


The Audio & Video
This DVD release from Artsploitation Films look very good for a standard definition offering. The anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen transfer features whites that are bright without ever appearing too hot while black levels are deep. The picture is clear but maintains that overcast wintry look that makes up so much of the movie. The 5.1 Dolby Surround audio mix is presented in a mix with optional English subtitles. Optional English subtitles are presented for the film as it features a mix of German, Norwegian and English. The audio is well mixed and sounds pleasing to the ear while the subtitles are translated and timed well.

The Extras
Special features include a short behind-the-scenes featurette, short film from director Reiner Kiil, an audio commentary track and an interview with writer/director Reinert Kiil.

The Bottom Line
I think THE HOUSE is skillfully shot and features great performances but is simply and sadly boring as sin.

THE HOUSE is available HERE

47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED

UK, USA/2019

Directed By: Johannes Roberts

Written By: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts

Starring: Sophie Nelisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju

Color/90 Minutes/PG-13

Region A

Release Date: November 12, 2019

Blu-ray/DVD

The Film 

2017 saw the release of Johannes Roberts' tension filled shark thriller 47 Meters Down which was featured a simple idea of two sisters being stuck on the Ocean floor, locked in a shark cage as their oxygen depletes. The film was flawed but it had a decent premise and some good production quality. I don't remember anyone clamoring for a sequel but that didn't stop one from being made and this time there's no cage. 

47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED introduces an entirely new story and set of characters featuring four teen girls who sneak into an underwater archaeology site of a newly discovered sunken Mayan city. This diving adventure starts well enough until an accident knocks over some massive statues and some blind deepwater sharks enter the fray making the desperate search for another way out before their oxygen levels deplete all the more dangerous. 

The Mayan city setting was absolutely stunning and I wish we somehow could have had more of it before all the dust gets kicked up and this becomes another shark attack film. The deepwater sharks and fish have an eerie translucent glow about them but their CGI rendering is spotty at times and there's some genuinely stupid moments like when a fish literally screams at one of the girls for a jump scare. This moment where any sort of serious filmmaking jumps the shark (punny punny) and took me out of it to the point where I struggled to settle back in for a while. I did appreciate that there's a good amount of shark violence and not just stalking around and near misses, specifically in the ending scene that cruelly throws the survivors into the jaws of these killer sharks almost relentlessly. 

I found 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED to lack the tension and acting quality of the original but did give us some eye catching set pieces and shark action but it relies on repetitious situations, and largely poor looking sharks. It's inoffensive but nothing more. 

The Audio & Video

Lionsgate delivers 47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED on Blu-ray with a beautiful looking 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that features stunning clarity with vivid colors and high levels of detail. Black levels are deep and inky and the picture quality is as gorgeous as the locations featured within. The English audio is presented in a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles. The audio is crisp and clear with no crackling, popping or other imperfections. The mix is nicely done and mixed well across all channels with proper balance in dialogue and soundtrack. 

The Extras

-"Diving Deeper: Uncaging 47 Meters Down" - a making-of featurette
-Audio commentary with writer/director Johannes Roberts, producer James Harris and writer Ernest Riera

The Bottom Line
This isn't reinventing the shark movie wheel by any means. Its familiar territory that could possibly make for an okay use of time on a rainy Sunday afternoon but otherwise you can do better. 

47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED is available HERE

BERSERKER - Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review

USA/1987
Directed By: Jef Richard
Written By: Jef Richard, Joseph Kaufman
Starring: Joseph Alan Johnson, Greg Dawson, Valerie Sheldon
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date:
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
A group of teens set out on a trip to the rural forests of Utah. They're warned of a recent slew of bear attacks by Pappy, a Norwegian immigrant who oversees the campgrounds. The local Nordic population has spread stories of brutal viking warriors called Berserkers which the teens share stories of while getting drunk and partying but quickly realize that bears may not be the only thing stalking the woods.

BERSERKER is a low budget regional slasher that makes the most out of limited sets and interiors by giving us a spooky and moody camping trip filled with some mostly likable characters except for Josh (Greg Dawson) who is almost too easy to hate. The simple use of foggy tree lined exteriors and shots of a pacing grizzly, even if he is obviously contained in some fashion, are enough to make create an eery feeling which is punctuated by mutilated bodies and an aggressive body count.

Production values are simple and this will never be considered a classic of the genre but it is a cult classic and I can related its cult classic standing down to a single scene at the end of the film where SPOILER we get a real life bear wrestling scene SPOILER and it's absolutely fucking bonkers. I don't find BERSERKER to be a one hit wonder with that scene, I genuinely enjoyed the entire movie and thought it was a solid slasher film.

The Audio &Video
Vinegar Syndrome has given BERSERKER a brand new 2K scan and restoration taken directly from the original 16mm camera negative with great results. Even though it was shot in 16mm this new Blu-ray has excellent detail and sharpness. Black levels are deep with no signs of blocking. There's a natural and plentiful grain structure and colors look healthy. The English audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix with optional English SDH subtitles. The audio is crystal clear and crisp with no signs of distortion. The mix isn't very dynamic but the high quality production on this blu-ray is more than adequate.

The Extras
This Blu-ray includes a trio of video interviews with cast and crew from the film including writer/director Jef Richard and stars Joseph Alan Johnson and Shannon Engemann along with an audio interview with actor Mike Riley. A still gallery rounds out the special feature.

The Bottom Line
I'm very pleased with this release top to bottom. It will make an excellent addition to any slasher fan's collection.

BERSERKER is available HERE

CULT EPICS TO RELEASE EXTREMELY LIMITED DUTCH SEX WAVE COLLECTION

Available now to pre-order, all purchases of SCORPIO FILMS: THE DUTCH SEX WAVE COLLECTION (via CultEpics.com or this email) will include an exclusive set of four postcards (featuring the original Dutch poster art), with one postcard SIGNED BY DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

PIM DE LA PARRA*)

Ltd. Edition of 100 Signed Postcards Only
(25 of each Postcard) 

FULL INFORMATION AND PRE-ORDER NOW HERE

NEKROMANTIK BLU-RAY BUNDLE - OUT OF PRINT SOON!

CULT EPICS WILL BE RELEASING THEIR BEAUTIFUL EDITIONS OF NEKROMANTIK AND NEKROMANTIK 2 THIS SEPTEMBER IN A LIMITED EDITION SLIPCASE BUNDLE. THESE RELEASES WILL BE OUT OF PRINT AT YEAR'S END SO ACT NOW TO SECURE YOUR COPY!

MOTHRA - Mill Creek Blu-ray Review

Bigfoot Blood Trap - Wild Eye Releasing DVD Review (Youtube)

THE TAKE / BLACK GUNN - Mill Creek Double Feature Blu-ray Review (youtube)

Check out Mill Creek Entertainment and this release is available HERE

THE GRAND DUEL - Arrow Video Blu-ray Review

Italy/1972
Directed By: Giancarlo Santi
Written By: Ernesto Gastaldi
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Alberto Dentice, Jess Hahn
Color/94 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
After previously working as Assistant Director to the incomparable Sergio Leone on the best films the genre has to offer Giancarlo Santi would get a chance to make his own western with a screenplay by the great Ernesto Gastaldi featuring Lee Van Cleef in a starring role as a sheriff named Clayton who is tailing an outlaw named Philip Wermeer (Alberto Dentice) who is on the run from a gang of bounty hunters after the $3,000 bounty on his head for the murder of the leader of Saxon City, a crime he may or may not have committed.

Giancarlo Santi wisely chose Lee Van Cleef to anchor his cast as he not only worked with him previously on the film's where he was the AD but Van Cleef is one of the absolute giants of the spaghetti western genre. He's a familiar face that could offer talent and marketability. As expected, Lee Van Cleef is rock solid in his stoic and calculated performance, providing a paternal role to Alberto (credited as Peter O'Brien) Dentice"s frantic performance that is reminiscent of a troubled teen on the run. The relationship and dynamic between these two characters is the foundation THE GRAND DUEL is based upon and a big part of the reason why the film works so well.

There's no shortage of action with exciting shootouts and gunplay and some cat and mouse games to boot all of which are accented by Luis Enriquez Bacalov's score. Bacalov may not have the name recognition of Ennio Morricone but he's no slouch, having won an Academy Award for his original score on Il Postino in 1996 and putting his musical flourishes on spaghetti western giants such as Django and A Bullet For The General. Bacalov's main theme for THE GRAND DUEL would later be used by Quentin Tarantino in 2003's Kill Bill. Santi adds his own flourishes with a series of flashback scenes shot in black and white that have a dreamlike quality to them. The rest of the film has a good look to it as Santi obviously picked up some tips and tricks from his years spent with Leone and while he may not be up to par with Leone he proved that he could make a really good western on his own.

THE GRAND DUEL has themes and ideas that can be traced back to many previous westerns, but by 1972 what spaghetti western couldn't? I'm not going to knock it for borrowing ideas and themes when it uses them productively and wisely to make a finished product that is engaging, exciting and just plain good. THE GRAND DUEL isn't a definitive entry into the genre but it almost acts as a melting pot of ingredients taken from those hallmark titles and talents involved to create something entirely worth seeking out.

The Audio & Video
Arrow Video has given THE GRAND DUEL a new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative which has given way to a fantastic presentation that easily trumps the film's previous Blu-ray release which featured a passable HD transfer. This new 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer boasts a properly hot and sweaty looking picture quality with strong colors and deep black levels. Detail is strong from the wood building construction to the dusty exteriors there's no missing finer details. There are a handful of flashback scenes filmed in black and white and they fare very well with a stark look and those deep black levels getting to show off properly. A few scenes are in a bit rougher shape and lead to a softer look and a shift in color tone. Thankfully these moments are minimal and don't take away from the otherwise beautiful presentation too much. This release offers uncompressed mono LPCM tracks in both English and Italian with newly translated subtitles. I went with the English track on my viewing through the film and I was very happy with how this disc sounded. The mix is stellar with a proper balance between the score and dialogue. The sound is crisp, extremely pleasing to the ear and free of any distortions or imperfections.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary by Stephen Prince
-"An Unconventional Western" - Interview with director Giancarlo Santi
-"The Last Of The Great Westerns" - Interview with writer Ernesto Gastaldi
-"Cowboy By Chance" - Interview with actor Alberto Dentice
-"Out Of The Box" - Interview with producer Ettore Rosbach
-"The Day Of The Big Showdown" - Interview with assistant director Harald Buggenig
-"Saxon City Showdown" - Featurette appreciating the film by Austin Fisher
-"Two Different Duels" - Comparison between the original version and an extended German cut
-"Marc Mazza: Who Was The Rider On The Rain" - A video essay about the actor by Mike Malloy
-Original Italian Trailer
-Original International Trailer
-Image Gallery
-Booklet

The Bottom Line
THE GRAND DUEL is a wildly exciting entry in to the spaghetti western genre and is appropriately represented with this outstanding release from Arrow Video. This release is packed, stacked and jacked and you should saddle up and add this to your collection ASAP.

THE GRAND DUEL is available HERE

MA Party Pack Contest Giveaway

Everybody’s welcome at Ma’s. But good luck getting home safe. 

Oscar® winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town (Diana Silvers, Glass), to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own. 

She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don’t curse. Never go upstairs. And call her “Ma.” 

But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth. 

Ma also stars Juliette Lewis (August: Osage County) as Maggie’s mom, Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast) as a local dad, Missi Pyle (Gone Girl) as his girlfriend, and McKaley Miller (TV’s Hart of Dixie), Corey Fogelmanis (TV’s Girl Meets World), Gianni Paolo (TV’s Power) and Dante Brown (Lethal Weapon TV series) as Maggie’s friends. 

From Tate Taylor, the acclaimed director of The Help and Get On Up, and blockbuster producer Jason Blum (Get Out, Halloween, The Purge series) comes a thriller anchored by a daring and unexpected performance from Spencer, one of the most powerful actors of her generation. 

Ma is written by Scotty Landes (Comedy Central’s Workaholics), is produced by Blum for his Blumhouse Productions, by Taylor, and by John Norris (executive producer, Get On Up), and is executive produced by Spencer, Couper Samuelson, Jeanette Volturno, and Robin Fisichella. 

Find MA on Twitter @MAmovie

To Enter: Follow Celluloid Terror on Instagram (@celluloidterror) and find the MA party pack picture (same as the first image of this post) and comment with what drink you'd share with Ma or what party game you'd play with her. 

DARKROOM (Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review)

USA/1989
Directed By: Terence O'Hara
Written By: Robert W. Fisher, Brian Herskowitz, Rick Pamplin
Starring: Aarin Teich, Jill Pierce, Jeff Arbaugh
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: April 30, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
It's no secret that by 1989 the slasher genre was dying and the well of ideas was dried up. It seemed that anything coming out at this point was a tired and uninspired retread of movies from years prior so whenever I watch one of these end-of-the-line slashers I always hope there's something that will set it apart. When I saw that DARKROOM was produced by Nico Mastorakis I became a bit more intrigued. I haven't always loved Mastorakis' work but I tend to at least find it interesting. Then the opening credits hit and I saw the creativity and care they put in to the credits that maybe I was stumbling on to something different.

Nope. What a fake out those opening credits were. As soon as the stylish credits designed to look like photos being developed in a darkroom (see what they did there?) end we're introduced to Janet who is returning home to her family's farmhouse from college but the reunion is interrupted by a mystery killer who takes pictures of his victims before killing them. Family secrets are revealed as the bodies pile up and the reveal of the killer's identity takes some twists and turns before all is said and done.

DARKROOM's biggest asset is that it is a sharp looking film that looks like a class above most slasher films of this period and has some decent special effect and kill moments. Unfortunately the story is all too familiar territory. The attempts at red herrings to throw the audience off the trail of the killer are uninspired and comes off as convoluted. Performances are passable and the movie is entertaining enough to fill up its 85 runtime but there's simply nothing to set it apart from dozens of other body count films from the same year and I bet that in a couple of weeks everything about this movie will be a blur of slasher tropes that I won't be able to separate from the other movies it failed to set itself apart from. This is lazy rainy afternoon entertainment and nothing more unfortunately.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome has brilliantly restored DARKROOM with a new 4K scan from the original 35mm camera negative and this disc really looks exceptional. Colors are bright and vivid and skin tones are healthy with a natural fleshy look. Finer detail including surface textures and fabrics shine while black levels are deep and free of any issues with blocking or compression. A 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix gives the audio a strong and well balanced mix across all channels. The sound is crisp and clear and free of any distortions or background noise.

The Extras
-"Developing Fear" - Interview with actor Aaron Teich
-"Exposing The Truth" - Interview with actor Jeff Arbaugh
-Original Trailer
-Still Gallery

The Bottom Line
DARKROOM is a mixed bag that is a product of the end of the slasher genre that had mostly dried up by the time it was made. Slasher maniacs take note but don't expect a long lost classic of the genre.

DARKROOM is available HERE

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET (Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray Review)

USA/1973
Directed By: Andy Milligan
Written By: Andy Milligan
Starring: Laura Cannon, Harry Reems, Neil Flanagan
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film 
Andy Milligan is a polarizing director in cult film history. Some viewers really eat up his stuff but I've found the majority find most of his films to be exhausting exercises in futility. I've seen enough to know that I pretty actively stay away from anything with his name on it but sometimes a movie comes around and totally surprises you. FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is one of those movies.

Andy Milligan wrote, directed and photographed this film that follows a smart young prostitute named Dusty who turns tricks to make ends meet but longs for more out of her life and ends up meeting a young lawyer named Bob who she falls in love with and may be her escape from a gritty life in downtown New York City if she can manage to rewrite her own existence.

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is a sexploitation film that borders on being a masterpiece of life and destiny. Laura Cannon is flawless as Dusty, playing a character much wiser and more experienced than her 20 years on Earth would suggest. She's been through a marriage and now struggles to find a constant place to stay and spends time with her best friend, a local drag queen. The film excels because it feels effortless in all aspects. Scenes never feel set up, the performances never feel stilted and Andy Milligan's direction and cinematography feel more like a documentary than a narrative film.

A common complaint of Andy Milligan's films is that they drag on and on and he spends entirely too much time in exposition to the point that you may as well be getting hit over the head with a hammer as he screams at you about the movie. It's downright exhausting and tedious. FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET couldn't be further from that as these characters just suck you in and the 87 minutes absolutely flies by. Milligan could have wrote a more convoluted script but he keeps it simple but effective and personal and that's why this film works. Of course the plentiful sex and skin are nice and will be the thing that draw most of the audience in, it will be the characters and the simplistic perfection of the storytelling that they'll remember.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome have given FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET a brand new 4K scan and restoration from the 16mm camera reversal for this Blu-ray release with a pair of viewing options; the original 1.33:1 full frame presentation and the 1.85:1 theatrical framing. I chose to go with the director's intended look and went with the full frame presentation and couldn't ask for anything better with how this one turned out. This is an obviously low budget piece of exploitation from the early 70s that didn't have ideal filming conditions as it was largely shot on the streets of New York City so at times the film is dark or lighting isn't the best. These scenes still look quite nice on this disc with a natural and healthy grain appearance, deep black levels, and natural skin tones. The audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono and sounds crisp, and balanced with no hissing, buzzing, or other background noise issues.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with film historians Samm Deighan, Heather Drain, and Kat Ellinger
-Locations "Then and Now" Comparison

The Bottom Line
FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is without a doubt my favorite Andy Milligan film and is something I can see myself revisiting frequently and it has been preserved for generations to come with this essential Vinegar Syndrome release.

FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET is available HERE

KISS OF THE TARANTULA (VCI Entertainment Blu-ray Review)

USA/1976
Directed By: Chris Unger
Written By: Warren Hamilton Jr., Daniel Cady
Starring: Suzanna Ling, Ernesto Macias, Herman Wallner
Color/85 Minutes/PG
Region A
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Susan is a lonely girl living with her parents in their mortuary and typically only spending time with the spiders she keeps as pets in the basement. When she learns of her mother's wicked plan to murder her father she unleashes one of her deadliest pets, a tarantula on her mother with deadly results. Now in her teens and bonded to the spiders stronger than ever Susan and her pets make a deadly duo for anyone that thinks they can walk all over her.

KISS OF THE TARANTULA is a play on Willard but exchanging a young man for a girl and his pet rat for some red-kneed Tarantulas. The film does a good job showing the affection Susan has for the arachnids early on and tries its best to make them as terrifying to watch as they slowly plod along the chests, shoulders and faces of their victims without any sort of graphic violence. The film earns every bit of its PG rating, never showing blood or nudity, quite a rarity for a drive-in horror picture of the mid 1970s. It never tries to imitate those moments and cheat us out of the payoff however so I do give it credit for that. It seems most of Susan's victims die simply of fright. That doesn't account for the incestuous uncle subplot that makes the whole thing weird and wacky for any 70s triple bill.

I've been a fan of KISS OF THE TARANTULA for years as I've found the connection between Susan and the spiders to be a suitable vehicle for the film and enjoy watching her tormentors who tease her, break in to her family's home to steal caskets as a prank and even end up killing the only person her own age who treats her with respect, squirm, squeal and cry as the spiders plod along towards them, on them and over them until it is all just too much. Of course I do wish the film took a more traditional exploitative approach and offered up something a bit more violent and nastier, it would have definitely helped the film's reputation and given it a bigger fan base but there's worse ways to spend a rainy afternoon than alone with Susan and her eight-legged friends in the basement. She really should meet Willard one day... a match made in pest heaven.

The Audio & Video
VCI Entertainment gives KISS OF THE TARANTULA a Blu-ray for the first time after previously releasing the film on DVD. The back of the Blu-ray boasts that it has been restored and remastered in a 2K scan fro the original 35mm negative and I believe that as the picture does have a decent sharpness to it that gives way to moderately improved detail level. There is a yellowish tint over the picture that I don't remember from watching previously released version of the film. It isn't too bothersome but worth noting. The 1.85:1 aspect ratio does preserve the film's original aspect ratio. The audio is presented in a LPCM 2.0 English track and sounds good. I didn't notice any background noise, hissing, popping or other imperfections. The mix is simplistic but adequate to the film.

The Extras
Bare bones.

The Bottom Line
I recommend it for fans of drive-in era horror looking for something lighter and silly but still schlocky

KISS OF THE TARANTULA is available HERE

FULL MOON FEATURES TAKES ON BOLD VENTURE

IN INTERACTIVE FEATURE FILMMAKING WITH

“DEADLY TEN”

Live-Streamed Production of Ten Original Full Moon Feature Films

HOLLYWOOD, April 19, 2019 – DEADLY TEN is an immersive cinematic initiative that will see Full Moon Features boldly producing a series of ten original genre films, live-streamed in front of fans. These ten films will include sequels of beloved Full Moon franchises, a spin on classic cult favorites, and daring soon-to-be essential genre films.  Principal photography will begin shooting in June 2019 and continue throughout the year in Europe and North America.  Release for the DEADLY TEN is slated for Spring 2020, and will premiere exclusively on Full Moon's Amazon Prime Channel.

In an unprecedented move, Full Moon will be giving fans an all access pass to this unique production by providing an inside peek into the magic of genre filmmaking.  Fans will be able to log into the DEADLY TEN website (www.DeadlyTen.com) and watch the current motion picture being shot in real time. Live feeds, exclusive on-set interviews, special effects secrets, pre-and post-production videos, interactive director's blogs and more.  Through this immersive experience, cineastes and budding young filmmakers can delve deep into mechanics of the movies and learn first-hand all about the joys, struggles, creativity, and hard work that goes into making a fully produced, independent feature film.

"This is one of the most exciting Full Moon production initiatives since our '90s video store heyday," says Full Moon founder and cult movie legend Charles Band.  "It's ambitious, high concept, a bit insane and there's never been another interactive filmmaking concept quite like this. As Full Moon thrives in the new terrain of streaming and takes viewers to places not many have gone before, we hope fans will love being a part of our new adventure!"

The DEADLY TEN film slate will include:

BLADE: THE IRON CROSS (Dir:John Lechago)

BRIDE OF THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY (Dir: Charles Band)

NECROPOLIS: LEGION (Dir: Chris Alexander)

SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA 2 (Dir: David De Coteau, Brinke Stevens)

BLOOD RISE: SUBSPECIES V (Dir: Ted Nicolaou)

HALLOWEED NIGHT (Dir: Danny Draven)

THE HOURGLASS (Dir: Ryan Brookhart)

FEMALIEN: COSMIC CRUSH (Dir: Lindsey Schmitz)

THE SHADOWHEART CURSE (Dir: Charles Band)

THE GRIM RAPPER (Dir: Billy Butler)

ABOUT FULL MOON FEATURES

Founded in 1989 by iconic independent film producer and director Charles Band, Full Moon is the successor to Band's groundbreaking Empire Pictures Studio from the 1980's. With Empire, Band created now-classic horror films like RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND and GHOULIES.  Band’s films helped launch the career of many of Hollywood’s biggest stars including Demi Moore (PARASITE), Helen Hunt (TRANCERS), and Viggo Mortensen (PRISON), to name a few.  With Full Moon, Band has produced over 150 films, including the PUPPET MASTER franchise, SUBSPECIES, PIT AND THE PENDULUM, CASTLE FREAK, DOLLMAN, DEMONIC TOYS, PREHYSTERIA!, EVIL BONG and many more. As well as feature films, Full Moon produces original series, toys, collectibles, merchandise, comic books and publishes the popular horror film magazin

e DELIRIUM.