THE SOULTANGLER (MVD Visual DVD Review)

USA/1987
Directed By: Pat Bishow
Written By: John Bishow, Lance Laurie
Starring: Pierre Devaux, Ginny Dunlevy, Louise Millmann
Color/90 Minutes/Not Rated
Region Free
Release Date: March 13, 2018

The Film
Dr. Lupesky has developed a drug that allows him to enter a corpse and possess its very soul turning it in to a reanimated murderous monster. A reporter for a small local newspaper takes on the strange case of Dr. Lupesky and vows to unravel the mysteries surrounding him and reveal his diabolical intentions.

THE SOULTANGLER was apparently shot on 16mm film but everything about it from its aesthetic to the off-the-wall plot and  wild special effects make it a perfect fit with the shot-on-video classics of the period like Killing Spree and Video Violence. There's much more care put into the special effects and makeup effects than anything else and it pays off because there's a lot of really great monster designs and effects. It may be a bit low rent and amateurish but it is also inventive and filled with passion and I love it. The plot plays out like an acid trip that sort of takes forever to get anywhere but instead of being bored in a doctor's waiting room you're enjoying the incredibly off beat and unnatural interactions everyone around you is having. All the while doctor is performing bizarre experiences and trying to enter a dead body through its eyes. Does that make sense? No? Good, you're following along just fine.

Clocking in at a full hour and a half the film is entirely too long for its own good but I didn't mind because there was always something strange going on like the several minutes spent talking about Dr. Lupesky avoiding trouble, leaving the country to study more freely in Luxembourg but returning to the USA after discovering their laboratories weren't up to his standards. This is just one example of things that could have and should have been cut from the script but they weren't. They're firmly planted in the script and my prediction that it wouldn't come back to make a damn bit of difference was true and it gave me a good chuckle. THE SOULTANGLER has plenty of moments that don't really matter but are definitely entertaining but it also has a lot of energy and while it borrows quite a bit from Re-Animator and H.P. Lovecraft  there's no way this movie gets made without ingenuity, passion and fun. And it is that fun that permeates each and every frame of the movie and transcends the screen and tangles your soul with that fun.

The Audio & Video
Released on DVD by the AGFA/Bleeding Skull and MVD Visual, SOULTANGLER has been transferred from its original 1" master tapes after apparently being shot on 16mm. Nothing about this looks like 16mm to me which probably has to do that it was edited on and transferred from 1" tape. That's perfectly fine with me I think this movie benefits from that very distinticve shot on video look and definitely fits in to that category as a movie. The image quality of the 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio is actually pretty decent and clear. Detail is marginal but the special effects look good and that's what mainly matters. There is the occasional video tracking line from the 1" tape but nothing distracting. The audio quality is listenable but gets thin and tinny when voice over work is done. There's no real distracting background noise or other distortions so overall I'm pleased with the A/V quality.

The Extras
-Previously unseen 62 Minute Director's Cut of the Film - A more streamlined version of the film that trims some of the moments that cause the film to drag.
-Audio Commentary with director Pat Bishow
-Behind The Scenes footage
-Music Video for "Wow" by Hypnolovewheel
-Trailers
-Booklet with an interview with director Pat Bishow

The Bottom Line
I had built up quite a movie and big expectations in my head based solely on the movie's title and plot and I'm thrilled to say that THE SOULTANGLER did not disappoint at all. This isn't for everyone but for the weirdos that love shot-on-video schlock there's no reason you shouldn't be all over this DVD!

THE SOULTANGLER is available HERE

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 20, 21, 22

4/20 DUUUUDEEEEEEE. Smoke weed or something. Also, Hitler was born that day. Not worth celebrating the biggest piece of shit of the 20th century but it is a reason to watch Nazisploitation flicks so I watched one - ELSA FRAULEIN SS - This one wasn't as exploitative, violent or offensive as many of films in the genre but it was also a bit better made with solid performances and a decent story and there's still plenty of sex and violence. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Cirio Santiago decided to make another visit, this being the fourth film I've watched from the Filipino  director this month and it is yet another winner. DUNE WARRIORS is trashy post-apocalyptic action starring David Carradine. It's packed with cool cars, flame throwers, sword fights, wimpy leaders and the lamest name for a main villain of all time. It's campy, cheap and incredibly fun.

April 21st had no viewings. It was one of those days where I wasn't in a particularly good mood to begin with and then the passings of Chyna who was a major part of WWE during a time that I was growing up with wrestling and Prince who I need not mention how legendary he is but I will say that I think he's somehow underrated in ways, if that's even possible. Those things combined made it so that I wasn't in the mood to sit down and watch anything.

Day 22 was a strong comeback though. The first of three movies on the day was SCHRAMM. Jorg Buttgereit's fourth feature film is my favorite of his and his most polished in my opinion. It has all of the sick shit that his previous films such as Nekromantik and Der Todesking had and raises the level of his writing and the performances he gets from his cast. This is a great film that just got a Blu-ray release and I have reviewed the brand new boxset of Buttgereit's films so you should check out that video right here.

Next up was a movie I've pretty much fallen in love with immediately. While I don't think it's a perfect film it does what many contemporary Gialli fail at - feeling authentic to their original period. Many newer Gialli try to feel authentic without being able to really capture the true look and feel. FRANCESCA is a 2015 film straight from Italy and while it has it's flaws it has a solid story, interesting murder sequences and stylish direction. All of the Giallo tropes are present without it feeling disingenuous. I highly recommend Giallo fans checking out FRANCESCA.

The night ended with NUKIE - The 1987 E.T. ripoff set largely in Africa. Yeah... I have seen a couple scenes from this and the trailer but sitting down to watch this on VHS was really an experience. It's a terrible movie with some of the most obvious and glaring plot holes I've ever seen. Nukie, the main alien character and his twin brother are fairly creepy looking, nothing a child would want to encounter. To be fair I feel that way about E.T. as well. NUKIE is awful but I think everyone should see it once just to know about it.

Today's Rundown
Elsa Fraulein SS - 6/10
Dune Warriors - 7/10
Schramm - 8.5/10
Francesca - 7/10
Nukie - 3/10

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 17, 18, 19

Day 17 had one lone movie but it was a fun one - ATRAGON - the 1963 Kaiju film from director Ishiro Honda. As a fan of giant monster movies from Japan this is one I've long heard about and it didn't disappoint as the people of Earth are forced to develop and use their new flying submarine warship Atragon to battle the underwater Mu people and their giant laser breathing snake monster Manda. The movie is well made and has a solid story and script but is a bit light in the Manda v Atragon department. A bit more action between the two and I think this would have been bumped up to true classic status.

INFRASEXUM was it for day 18 and the new DVD from Vinegar Syndrome will be getting reviewed later today so be on the look out for it...

And finally day 19 had a pair of films that probably couldn't have been more different. Bill Zebub's 2011 feature ANTFARM DICKHOLE features exactly that... an antfarm dickhole. Just think about that term for a second- antfarm dickhole. Antfarm. Dickhole. Ant. Farm. Dick. Hole. You get it? Yeah, this movie, among many other things like a giant spider fucking a woman and as many "ant" puns as you can handle (and probably couple dozen more) has a man that has a colony of killer African ants living in his dick that kill people whenever he's sexually stimulated. Have you ever wanted to see a giant ant crawl out of a man's peehole? Here's your chance! The movie is funny and raunchy and stupid and you're either going to appreciate it or think it is repulsive trash. Chances are you'll think it's repulsive trash. I enjoyed it.

This recap closes with SECRETS OF A CALL GIRL - a Euro Crime turned drama from director Guiliano Carnimeo and co-written by Ernesto Gastaldi. That duo should have made a far better movie than this is. Luckily Edwige Fenech stars and makes thing visually stimulating at all times. The movie starts out good enough as Fenech plays a girl caught up in the middle of the mob and their prostitution ring who wants a way out after giving birth to her son. The movie's timeline doesn't make a ton of sense towards the end as a lot of time is covered all of a sudden without much mention of it. Once the movie turns into more of a drama it falls flat and feels deflated. It's watchable but I hoped for better. Oh and that artwork I used from Wikipedia is fucking atrocious and doesn't do the film any justice or even represent it accurately.

Today's Rundown
Atragon - 7/10
Infrasexum - 6/10
Antfarm Dickhole - 6/10
Secrets Of A Call Girl - 5/10

April Exploitation/B-movie Challenge 2016 - Day 5

I was long overdue to visit the earlier films of John Waters so I did just that. I started with MULTIPLE MANIACS which features Divine in the lead role where she runs the Cavalcade Of Perversions with her group of freaks including homosexuals, junkies and fetish acts to exploit the audience for their cash or down right murder them for it. It's all in a day's work! Then there's the "Rosary Job" scene with Mink Stole as she turns Divine into the lesbian that she wasn't a few minutes before. There's a 15 foot rapist lobster, there's more murder and drugs perversion and everything that is trashy and wonderful. MULTIPLE MANIACS would easily have the cult following that Pink Flamingos has if it would only get an official DVD or Blu-ray release. What a fantastic film.

I then took a step further back, one year further back to be precise to Waters' 1969 film MONDO TRASHO which is nearly a silent film aside from some voiceover work creating very sparse narration and dialogue. This film is referred to as The Gutter Movie as it was literally filmed in gutters, alleys, and abandoned places around Baltimore. I didn't have the love affair that I did with MULTIPLE MANIACS but it was great to see Waters' and his crew of Dreamlanders really beginning to mesh and get their chemistry together, especially Divine who seems to just be dipping her toes in the waters that she would jump into head first a year later and then years later become a drag and cult film icon. There's plenty to like here but it is a lot of experimenting with ideas and styles that would later become fully realized by the God of trash cinema.

I finished the day with EQUALIZER 2000, another Cirio Santiago post-nuke film taking place in the barren and blistered wasteland that was once Alaska. Now a desert but still rich with oil, it's a wild blend of car chases, shoot outs, fire, mountain people that look more like the Fillipino actors they are than the native Alaskans I assume they're supposed to be. There's a lot of bad acting and cheesy dialogue and I eat up every second of it It's not quite the great time that Wheels Of Fire was but I still highly enjoyed it up to the very end where in celebration everyone throws loaded guns into a fire to signify their new found peace... I can only laugh at how bad of a time they had seconds after the film cut to credits and live ammo heated up and began going off.

Today's Rundown
Multiple Maniacs - 8/10
Mondo Trasho - 6/10
Equalizer 2000 - 7.5/10

ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

Italy/1983
Directed By: Enzo G. Castellari
Written By: Tito Carpi, Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Mark Gregory,
Color/89 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: June 30, 2015

The Film
A corporate mega power has decided to redevelop the Bronx which has long been declared "no man's land" and a lost cause. Relocation efforts to send residents to "lovely New Mexico" has resulted in hold outs from lifelong residents and the gangs that run the territory. The relocation efforts have turned into death squads being sent in to eliminate any hold outs which starts a war as the remaining gang members and residents have armed themselves and are ready to kill for their right to stay.

The sequel to 1990: The Bronx Warriors was shot a mere 18 months after the success of the first film and ramps up the action quite a bit. What the original gave us in terms of creative characters and eye catching and attention grabbing costumes and set pieces on top of plenty of action takes a more is more attitude for the violence and it pays off. Trash and various survivors from the first film are back to take on the faceless, silver clad, flame thrower wielding death squad goons and there's almost non stop fights, shoot outs and explosions.

ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX also seems to be a bit gorier than its predecessor. This isn't Fulci level horror gore but there are some effects going on in terms of blood and burns. The acting again is hit or miss and our handsome muscular lead from 1990 is now a jacket wearing leader here as he lost most of his muscle mass between shoots much to the chagrin of director Enzo Castellari.

Where 1990: The Bronx Warriors shows its obvious influences, ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX takes those influences and just blows them to hell. I really can't sum up how fucking fun this movie is. There are multiple moments where vehicles are blown up with only one or two gunshots from a long distance. It's that attitude that drives the entire movie. Enzo Castellari isn't worried about keeping things grounded, and we shouldn't care that things are far from grounded. The more is more attitude really works in making ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX an immensely entertaining film.

The Audio & Video
This is how it should be done! Blue Underground's 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer has a wonderfully vibrant color palette. The colors are bright and beautiful while the overall picture quality has a great crispness and sharpness. Skin tones are natural without any waxiness. The English audio track is a DTS-HDMA mono track with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. This audio track is crystal clear and is free of any background noise or damages such as crackling or popping.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with Enzo G. Castellari
-Enzo G. Castellari and Fabrizio De Angelis In Conversation Part 3 of 3 - the fantastic conversation continues and concludes with more great stories. A complete joy to watch these two friends and collaborators reconnect.
-"The Hunt For Trash" - Interview with BRONX WARRIORS superfan Lance Manley - This featurette documents Manley's search for Mark Gregory who starred as Trash in the Bronx Warrior films and dropped out of the public eye in 1989. Pretty fascinating stuff.
-Theatrical trailers
-Poster and stills gallery
-DVD copy of the film

The Bottom Line
I've seen ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX numerous times and have loved it since my first viewing of it on a shoddy Vipco import from the UK years ago. I don't think I've ever had more fun watching it than I did this time getting to see it in beautiful HD in all of its glory. It is long overdue to become a cult classic.

ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX is available HERE

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS (Blu-ray Review) - Blue Underground

Italy/1982
Directed By: Enzo G. Castellari
Written By: Dardano Sacchetti, Elisa Livia Briganti, Enzo G. Castellari
Starring: Mark Gregory, Vic Morrow, Fred Williamson
Color/92 Minutes/R
Region FREE
Release Date: June 30, 2015

The Film
The years is 1990 and the Bronx has been delcared a lost cause, no man's land. The only inhabitants are various gangs that fight for territory over the borough. When the daughter of a corrupt mega power in Manhattan runs away and joins Trash and his gang The Riders he sends in a mercenary and killing squads to retrieve his daughter and wage war on the gangs that have joined forces to fight back against their oppressors.

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS is a glorious piece of trashy action in the vein of Escape From New York and The Warriors but ramps up the violence ten fold and stands toe to toe with those classic films in terms of memorable characters. Mark Gregory's Trash, Fred Williamson's The Ogre and George Eastman's Golem are all quite colorful and classic. Vic Morrow is perfectly maniacal in the role of Hammer, the main mercenary.

Acting can be a bit hammy from time to time but it doesn't detract from the film at all in my opinion. This is a world built in the decaying slums that the rest of America has written off and the acting being a bit rough around the edges just adds to that world. What isn't rough around the edges is Castellari's direction, the man is an action film master. From fight fights and shootouts to flamethrower massacres 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS rollerskates (quite literally) around its clubhouses, subterranean hideouts and dramatic costumes with flair and elegance while remaining gritty and wild.

It's funny to me that a film such as this one may be viewed as a ripoff of certain other classic films that are certainly deserving of their status as classics but I would prefer to back to the "ripoff" time and time again. I have probably seen 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS more than a half dozen times and I keep coming back for more because it is a movie steeped in coolness. The sets, the actual Bronx locations, the characters, the score, they're all wrapped up into this little package with a ribbon tied around them by Enzo Castellari's direction that pulls it together into a brilliant package of trashy action.

The Audio & Video
Blue Underground is going to serve 25 to life because they killed it. This Blu-ray looks and sounds as good as looks and sound can look and sound. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is pretty much pristine. A gorgeously sharp picture quality is the base for vivid colors, a natural grain structure free of DNR or edge enhancement and fleshy, healthy skin tones. The English audio (optional English, French and Spanish subtitles) is handled with a DTS-HD Master Audio mono track that takes the original audio recording and makes it sound as beautifully crisp and clear as posisble. There's no damage or background noise so this is purely the prime example of how this film should sound.

The Extras
-Audio commentary by director/co-writer Enzo G. Castellari
-Enzo G. Castellari and Fabrizio De Angelis In Conversation Part 1 of 3 - a 14 minute conversation between the director and producer who have a lively and extremely entertaining and informative talk remembering their time spent making movies together including on 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS
-"Sourcing The Weaponry" - Enzo G. Castellari visits the Italian Weapons Rental House of Paolo Ricci - 12 minutes of Castellari and Ricci acting like two kids in a toy store sharing stories of making movies together and playing with all of the prop knives and guns.
-"Adventures In The Bronx" - Interview with actor/stuntman Massimo Vanni
-Theatrical trailers
-Poster and stills gallery
-DVD copy of the film

The Bottom Line
I love movies like this and this one is damn near the top of the mountain. When I heard Blue Underground was putting this one out on Blu-ray my excitement climbed with each passing day until I was able finally to view the disc and there was not a single moment of disappointment. From the technical side of the disc, to the great selection of special features this is not only essential viewing, it is a must buy.

1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS is available HERE

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN (Blu-ray Review) - Troma

USA/1991
Directed By: Eric Louzil, Donald G. Jackson
Written By: Lloyd Kaufman, Carl Morano, Matt Unger, Eric Louzil, Mark F. Rolling, Jeffrey W. Sass
Starring: Brick Bronsky, Lisa Gaye, Leesa Rowland
Color/95 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: April 14, 2015

The Film
The CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH trilogy reaches it's pinnacle with SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN, where the students of Tromaville have graduated to college and now have to deal with more nuclear waste problems including the Subhumanoid, emotionless beings created to make life easier and better for the rest of us. Unfortunately as the title suggests, these creatures tend to meltdown! One man is determined to keep his loving subhumanoid alive even when he has to battle Tromie the giant nuclear squirrel... WHAT?

This trilogy is some of my favorite Troma work. The series continues in the present day with the Return to Nuke 'Em High films as the first has been released and was excellent and the follow up should be getting its release shortly. These uber cheesy, raunchy and downright gooey and messy films are a freaking blast to watch but they maintain a certain level of social awareness that really makes them something special.

You should know what you're in for with this film (and the rest of the series), spotty acting, intentionally over the top action and comedy and a rather offensive script. This series is fantastic from the effects and ridiculous stories to the awesome soundtracks.

The Audio & Video
Troma seems to be hit or miss with their Blu-rays lately but CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2 is about as good as it gets. The 1080p HD anamorphic widescreen transfer simply shines. Surfaces and textures show exceptionally high detail levels while skin tones look healthy and fleshy with no sign of waxiness or excessive DNR. Colors are vivid and have a natural realism to them without looking artificially pumped up. The English audio track has a nice crispness to it. The levels are mixed very well so that dialogue and the soundtrack compliment each other without competing for the foreground. The track is high quality and free of any distortions, background noise or other damage.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary
-Music Video Trailer
-Interview with Lisa Gaye
-Premiere of MYSTERY "Return To Nuke 'Em High" music video
-Llyod Kaufman interviews James Gunn on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy
-Troma At The Museum Of Modern Art
-The American Cinematheque honors 40 years of Troma
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
A gorgeous presentation of one of the best Troma movies that has some really cool special features. Go ahead and treat yo'self! Seriously, this release is Grade-A

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN is available HERE

Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2015 - Days 4 and 5

The fourth day of the challenge started with a pair of movies on a double feature DVD that Troma has recently released called FROM ASIA WITH LUST Volume 1. Both films are from Japanese director Ainosuke Shibata whom I am not all familiar with. Interestingly enough I couldn't find any information about either of these films online while trying to research them a bit so I can't discuss anything other than what I saw... The first movie, CAMP, is a rape/revenge movie about two sisters who wreck their car and take solace with a young man at his home nearby. All hell breaks loose when the man's friends stop by and it is apparent that the entire group are recovering sex addicts of some sort and begin to brutally torture and humiliate the girls by punching them, tying them up and even going as far as forcing them to urinate so they can drink it. One of the sisters is able to escape and runs into a strange woman who turns out to be some kind of vigilante and teaches her to use a crossbow to hunt her captors and take revenge on them.

CAMP was certainly a roughy. It has some of the meanest content I've seen in recent years but falls apart as soon as the vigilante woman comes in to play as it all feels incredibly hokey and cheap afterwards. There's nothing terrifying about a cheap plastic crossbow that looks like it cost $20 at Wal  Mart and can barely get the arrows 15 feet to a practice target. There's even less to be intimidated by when the vigilante woman can barely hold or control her own weapon, a long bow. A weak twist finishes out the movie falling apart from something decent to something ultimately forgettable.

Then there was HITCH-HIKE, a remake of the film from 1977 that starred Franco Nero, where a bank robber is picked up while hitchhiking and ends up taking the couple in the car hostage and on a long terrifying road trip in search of an escape from the law hunting him. This remake is pretty bland and misses the ability of Nero and numerous other aspects that made the original something special, not least of which was a score by Ennio Morricone. It wasn't terrible but nothing special.

EFFECTS was next, a Pittsburgh based horror film from 1980 that was never released on home video before Synapse put it out in 2005. The film stars Joe Pilato and Tom Savini and is about a low budget horror film being made that is a front for the director actually making a snuff film out of the whole thing. I really enjoyed the last 30 minutes or so but the first 2/3 of the movie bored the piss out of me. It just takes too long to get going.

I switched gears for a bit and popped in an old favorite to end day 4. THE TOXIC AVENGER is the first movie of the challenge that wasn't new to me and it remains as incredibly campy, offensive, funny, and exciting as it ever was. I love the entire series to death and always will. This was the second movie of the month in which a pet dog is murdered... I wonder if that will become an unintentional theme going forward.

Day five started with another re-watch as I got to watch my new Blu-ray of EXTERMINATORS OF THE YEAR 3000. If you can't figure it out, this is Mad Max style exploitation. Post-nuke cheese where a guy named Alien helps a kid with a bionic arm find water for his group of survivors while Crazy Bull and his band of dirt bike riding baddies battle them in fantastically fun fights, chase scenes that are packed with explosions and action. This release is so much nicer than the old Code Red disc.

And the last movie for this post was EVE OF DESTRUCTION. I had pretty high hopes for this to be trashy sci-fi action but I have to say I was a bit let down. Gregory Hines stars as a military man assigned to track down and destroy an android type robot that is on a bit of a rampage. Little does he know that it's a nuclear weapon and in 24 hours will self destruct, taking 30 city blocks with it. Hines is good and the movie really isn't bad but slow moving and aside from 3 or 4 scenes it is pretty light on the action. Lower expectations would have left me with a better impression of this one.

Today's Rundown
Camp - 4.5/10
Hitch-Hike - 4/10
Effects - 4/10
Toxic Avenger - 8.5/10
Exterminators of the Year 3000 - 7/10
Eve of Destruction - 6/10

SWAMPHEAD (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

USA/2012
Directed By: Dustin Drover, Justin Propp
Written By: Dustin Drover, Justin Propp
Starring: Josh Harmon, Andrea Smith, Theodore Koepke
Color/75 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: October 21, 2014

The Film
I love SWAMPHEAD. I now own two different releases including this DVD and a previous limited DVD/VHS combo pack. I first saw the movie on a pre-release screening one Saturday night on the website Infini-Tropolis back in 2011. Since that night I've been in love with this over the top, cheese fest of epic proportions.

The film revolves around an ancient severed head that has recently been released from its resting place in the swamp. This evil head terrorizes a small town, including a party, and our main group of characters who are camping in the woods for the weekend. Only a special dagger can stop the severed head from creating more bloody carnage.

SWAMPHEAD is a brilliant blend of raunchy humor, gore, the energy and spirit of Troma and a DIY independent attitude. This is indie horror at its best and most creative. Despite its obvious low budget the production is never held back from accomplishing what it wants to do. That is the true spirit of indie film. I can't stress enough how much fucking fun SWAMPHEAD is. It's full of stupid shit (literally) and one liners and gore and a dancing robot. Jose Canseco is still somebody in the world of SWAMPHEAD and you'll never be quite the same after watching this one.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing gives SWAMPHEAD a proper home on DVD that looks and sounds slightly better than the previous limited DVD release the film received. There's a clean widescreen transfer that features decent colors (the entire film has a bit of a dreary appearance) that look good for this movie. There's no scratches or damage to the source material and overall appearance is nice. The audio is the better improvement of the two, giving a quality stereo mix that nicely blends dialogue and soundtrack. There's no popping, crackling or other annoying damage.

The Extras
-Audio commentary with the directors
-Deleted Scenes
-Short film selection
-Still gallery

The Bottom Line
SWAMPHEAD is one of my favorite horror movies, independent or otherwise, of the last five years. It could also work in being one of my favorite comedies of the last five years. I never get tired of this in your face, pedal to the metal thrill ride that will make you question your morals and good taste.

SWAMPHEAD is available HERE

Warrior Of The Lost World (1983)

It is always a minor miracle when a shitty movie turns mildly entertaining thanks to beer. That is what happened with Warrior Of The Lost World.

The Warrior rides on his futuristic motorcycle which talks to him quite fluently. and along with his team of outsider friends takes on The Omega and it's Megaweapon, who don't want an organized society to regain any stronghold in the barren world. That is the basic plot of Warrior Of The Lost World. Directed by David Worth, who was the man who did Kickboxer. The movie flows at an adequate yet awkward pace, with random bursts of action happening throughout. There is no doubt in my mind that 90% of the film's budget was spent on helicopter rental, old junked cars, and the use of able vehicles. A single viewing of any ten minute stretch of this movie would make this an obvious fact. That said, Donald Pleasance does add a bit of class to the cast and "The Hammer" Fred Williamson, who is no stranger to these post-apocalyptic cheese fests, adds enough baddassery to carry it through. The lead role played by Robert Ginty was a real stretch and his lines were obviously post-dubbed and were about as convincing as his motorcycle talking, calling the enemies "dorks" and "dickheads". Though, that was entertaining at first, the novelty of the shit talking motorcycle wears off quickly, especially with that voice.

Warrior Of The Lost World isn't something you'll fall in love with, it won't make you appreciate rip-offs of The Road Warrior and it will not make you suddenly appreciate bad movies. It will however mildly entertain you, make you laugh for all the wrong reasons and make you enjoy that beer (or 5) that you decided to drink while watching it.

2020: Texas Gladiators (1984)

The year is 2020 and survivors grasp on to life and what little bit of organized society and humanity still exists in the shadow of an atomic holocaust. The land is barren and desolate and gangs fight for women, money and land. The Rangers are a group with a goal or restoring some sort of order to the world and that means kicking the collective ass of all these freaks and baddies.

The film opens in a nondescript run down old building where one of the gangs have captured a priest and two nuns and are forcing themselves upon the nuns and torturing the priest. The Rangers arrive and even more hell breaks loose as they clear out the building of the gang, where they find one captive woman, a beautiful blond. One of The Rangers forces himself upon her and when the others find him they kick him out for breaking the rules and their trust. Nisus (Al Cliver) bonds with the woman who tells him of a place where society still exists just 3 days from where they are.

Now in Texas at a refinery/plant where a nice organized little town has been built around and the occupants try to carry on life. Nisus and his new love, Maida (Sabrina Siani) help raise Maida's daughter who is about seven years old, until the town falls under attack by a motorcycle gang. After fending them off in a lengthy gun fight the gang calls in the reinforcements which is a uniformed militant group armed with futuristic bulletproof shields that have giant holes in the middle so they can still fire their weapons... the giant holes are still bulletproof though. The militant group's leader enslaves the town and forces them to work the mines. He sends his top bounty hunter to kill The rest of the The Rangers. Nisus is killed when he breaks free from captivity and tries to kill the man that raped his woman but is quite easily killed due to being outnumbered.

The Rangers now want to save the town to restore some peace and order to the war torn world and the rest of the movie is basically a big fight scene spanning what has to be hundreds or thousands of miles. The Rangers realize they can't kill the militant group who has the futuristic weapons so they enlist the help of a local Native American tribe after they prove they're strong enough. When the warriors reach the town to free them another big fight breaks out for control of the town and the Natives really show their worth and help take down the militants.

2020: Texas Gladiators is another Joe D'Amato ripoff that he made his living off of. The film is endlessly violent and moves at a very brisk pace which are the main strong points of the movie. It doesn't get many points for story or writing as it is very jumpy from major scene to major scene. Just when you think Nisus is the main character he's killed off with very little to-do about it and we have a new main character. There are of course some flaws in logic but none bigger than those futuristic bulletproof shields that can stop bullets even where there isn't actual shield but the Indian's arrows go right on through? That doesn't make a bit of sense to me but this is the fun nonsense we're faced with.

The acting isn't really good but gets the job done, if you're expecting award winning stuff you should just move right along. There should be plenty of boobs and blood to keep you mildly entertained for the duration, if only a better story had been put together this could have been a nice standout. Instead 2020: Texas Gladiators will forever be lumped into the middle of the pack of these Mad Max ripoffs.

Raw Force - Grindhouse Experience Chapter 4

Here we are again, already with chapter 4 of the Grindhouse Experience. I'm getting through this set a bit faster than expected, thanks in large part to the wonderful creation of alcohol. Without which I doubt most of these movies would go down easily, or so it seems.

Lets get the technical stuff out of the way now - Raw Force is a 1982 action/adventure/horror/exploitation/whatever the hell they wanted to do film. Edward D. Murphy, who directs this pure schlock-fest is responsible for only one other directorial credit (Heated Vengeance) and a handful of acting credits. Murphy shows some actual ability, believe it or not. While not blowing you way with his artistry he could set up and execute a shot. His directing abilities certainly outweigh his writing (he's also the write of both of the movies he directed).

The movie opens with a group of women who look local being shipped to Warrior's Island by plane. Its quickly that we learn a Hitler look-a-like is in charge of this human trafficking type operation, which commonly leads to the women being stripped naked for the natives. Cut to a group of tourists getting no a cruise ship who are promised entry to the forbidden areas. They wind up on the mainland and go to all the normal touristy areas- junk markets, bars, strip clubs and an illegal whorehouse until they arrive on Warrior's Island in a life or death situation and find they are not welcome.

Raw Force is ridiculous, certainly the type of movie that is aided by liquor. It goes from a butt naked scramble out of the whorehouse when the cops bust in, to a single jar of gasoline being lit on fire and sinking an entire cruise ship. There are zombies, plenty of kung fu fighting, shootouts where the armed men cowardly hide behind things and shoot blindly at unarmed people, cannibalism (barbecued, not boiled!), boobs and Hitler impersonators. How can it be bad, right? Well its awful. But its awful in one of those ways where if you are someone who appreciates almost totally inept movies you can find plenty of entertainment in it to justify your time. The direction is okay, the dialogue is awful and the acting is just as bad. The score isn't as bad as it should be but you really don't have a clue as to what the fuck is actually going on. And I wouldn't want to with this one.

This is certainly a case of the drunker you are, the more fun you'll have. Bottoms up!

7/10 for the entertianment provided

I'm not posting a poster so the alternate title is Kung-Fu Cannibals if you are trying to find it.

SHIT! I totally forgot to add that this movie was ended with a To Be Continued... So I'm anxiously awaiting the next chapter to this film just like the new Sisqo album he promised me when I met him several years ago at the mall. I hope Sisqo directs Raw Force 2.... Thong Song would be a great track to play over some cannibal kung-fu action.