DVD REVIEW: MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (2011)
DVD REVIEW: MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (2011)
MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD is the most exhaustive documentary, to this date, that I have seen on any particular movie to this day. The film is over 240 minutes long, filled with a plethora of extra features and featurettes. The documentary, narrated by Brian Peck (“Scuz” from ROTLD) and directed by Bill Phillput (KILL YOURSELF: THE MOVIE, HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13TH, NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY), is the only definitive, in-depth look at one of my favorite zombie films of all time. The film is considered a cult classic, taking the legacy of George A. Romero’s zombie films and giving them a large does of comedy injected into them, filled with plenty of gore, scares, and laughs. This documentary digs deep into the bowels of the film and the filmmaking process, which created one of the most memorable zombie films to this day.
The use of very atmospheric set pieces and backgrounds used during the interviews, set pieces and props from the film as well as cartoon animation and comic book-style fonts and artwork complementing the various segments gave the whole feature a very refreshing and fun look to the documentary. Some docs can get so dry and dull, filled with interview after interview and no break in the testimonies (such as PAURA: LUCIO FULCI REMEMBERED Vol. 1) and the viewer loses interest, no matter how interesting the subject matter is. A good documentary needs to have visuals and edits filled with clips or photos to illustrate further what the individual speaking is talking about…or else things get pretty dry pretty fast.
TARMAN
Thankfully, most of those involved on the film chose to be a part of the documentary, including Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, James Karen, Tony Gardner, Thom Matthews, Brian Peck, Dan O’Bannon, Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, John A. Russo, and Jewel Shepard. For the most part, I think all the influential characters and crew were represented in the doc.
Since this documentary is on RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, already a very fun and fast-paced horror film it would only be fitting for it if the documentary also had some of the style and pace of its original subject matter. While some docs just have static shots, never deviating too much from the individual speaking but director Philputt has crafted a movie that is better intended for the short-attention span viewer, one that may be suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. The use of piecing together the various answers to off-screen questions from various individuals and adding them all together to paint a vivid picture through various sources to answer the same question or describe the same event is genius. Just because I love a film does not mean I would like to be bored to death by every little detail and aspect of it in a documentary. Thankfully, Bill Philputt sees it that way, too.
This is not the first documentary Philputt has directed that I have seen. Upon looking up him in IMDB.com I was surprised to find that he directed, wrote, and produced the movie about the New York hardcore thrash band S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death), entitled KILL YOURSELF: THE MOVIE. I love the band S.O.D. (as well as M.O.D. fronted by Billy Milano as well as fellow-thrashers Anthrax) and the documentary followed S.O.D. around for a year while they toured, as well as filming all the antics and craziness that happened behind the screen. I can see from watching MORE BRAINS! that Philputt has a way with crafting a solid documentary that keeps things visually and aurally appealing through its use of sharply edited scenes and use of music.
Sadly director Dan O’Bannon died more than two years prior to this doc having been made and it was very memorable to hear the final interview that O’Bannon gave within the film. The movie also plays as sort of a memorial to the great writer, responsible for writing ALIEN, ALIENS, and TOTAL RECALL (to name just a few) and ROTLD is the first feature he directed- one of only two films.
Brian Peck did a wonderful job narrating the film and one can tell that the actor had so much fun and fond memories, filling the screen up with his exuberating personality. The film does an incredible job at going in-depth in regards to the off-screen questions being asked, describing specific situations in great detail. The film does not cut any corners. I enjoyed the manner in which MORE BRAINS! goes into the personal aspects of each player involved with making the movie, adding some spice and panache to the whole back-story of the film. For instance, I never knew that one of the actors was homeless when he earned the role, or that one of the actresses was discovered in a strip club dancing just before getting a role in the film.
the late DAN O'BANNON
Some of my favorite portions of the film were the lengthy discussions on one particular scene where actress Linnea Quigley performs her infamous stripping scene in which all involved discuss the full-frontal nudity in the film and the actors’ responses to that specific scene filmed in the movie. I, personally, have fond memories of that very scene and it seems many cast members did as well.
If over 2 hours of testimonies and insight into ROTLD with all of the actors, actresses, and filmmakers involved (those still living—R.I.P. Dan O’Bannon and Mark Venturini) isnt’ enough, then how about an additional 2 hours of extra features, including a look at the sequels to ROTLD, Parts 2 and 3, as well as the final interview with the late Dan O’Bannon, a return to the filming locations of ROTLD, and a music video by Stacie Q performing the hit song, “Tonight”, which was used in the film.
MORE BRAINS! is a documentary that does a great job at digging deep into the high-points and low-points during the filming process, including doing in-depth into how it came about that the original zombie make-up artist working on the film had to be fired. The documentary also serves as a nice study on what low-budget filmmakers working on a small budget (around a few million dollars) have to go through. Dan O’Bannon has worked in Hollywood writing screenplays but this is his first job directing a movie.
I highly recommend viewing this incredibly in-depth and interesting doc on one of the most influential zombie films ever created incorporating elements of comedy. Presented by Michael Perez Entertainment and Hutson Ranch Media, one can head over to the website www.getmorebrains.com for further info on the film, as well as viewing a trailer for it.
SHU-IZMZ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: Best shit to ask for during the Holidays!
Totally random cool shit one has to have (or at least I have to have!)
MOTORHEAD STOCKING!
How fucking cool is this? Head over to Official Motorhead Online store to pick this web exclusive up! 
2011 Motörhead Holiday Stocking – Webstore Exclusive
Limited Edition Motörhead Holiday Stocking is made of 2-layer padded felt and features embroidered art and measures 15”x 10”
Product Number MH-11STOCKING
Price: $29.99
BOOKS:
IMPOSSIBLY FUNKY by MIKE WHITE
http://www.impossiblefunky.com/
DIRTY! DIRTY! DIRTY! by MIKE EDISON
http://www.mikeedison.com/3-d-dirty-dirty-dirty-trailer/
CINEMA SEWER Vol. 3
CINEMA SEWER Volume 3 by ROBIN BOUGIE
CONFESSIONS OF A PRAIRIE BITCH by ALISON ARNGRIM
Everyone has heard about Swedish exploitation and horror films, but how much does one really know about them?
I personally bought this book as soon as I saw it from a local indie bookshop in Chicago (Quimby’s), but those of you unfortunate to have a rad bookstore that carries awesome books like this should just order it from Bazillion Points, the publisher of the book, right here: BAZILLION POINTS If you buy one soon, it will even come signed!
And now A VERY SPECIAL X-MAS OFFER FROM HEADPRESS
| Buy Dark Stars Rising before January 1, 2012 and get a copy of Trashfiend absolutely free! |
| Two fantastic, big and heavy, fully illustrated books. The very best in film and alt.culture. |
| Get them before the price rise |
DARK STARS RISING is a collection of 27 candid interviews spanning 24 years with unique and free-thinking artists, from America to Austria, and beyond. Working in different media, countries, constraints, and freedoms, the vortex here is created by New York film writer Shade Rupe, known for his avant interests and the cultural realm he inhabits with his Funeral Partybooks. Everyone in this collection has produced artifacts that affect the heart, mind, soul, and future.The smaller half of Penn & Teller ends the silence for a lengthy discussion of magic and falsehoods, Divine opens the closet for his transition to playing male roles, Crispin Glover discusses his love for the films of Fassbinder and other greats, Faster Pussycat! Kill, Kill!’s Tura Satana tells it like it is from burlesque shows to Hollywood, Alejandro Jodorowsky showers cinema lovers with psychomagic, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge lays down the gauntlet with his creations Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, and much much more.A visually stunning package, DARK STARS RISINGcontains over 500 photographs and illustrations, many of them rare and hitherto unseen.Eight color plates and a selection of choice reviews rounds out this amazing book.The Players:1. Richard Kern2. Alejandro Jodorowksy3. Buddy Giovinazzo
4. Udo Kier
6. Dennis Paoli
7. Tura Satana
8. Teller
10. Peter Sotos
12. Chas. Balun
13. Divine
15. Hermann Nitsch
17. William Lustig
18. Dennis Cooper
19. Gaspar Noe
20. Johanna Went
22. Andre Lassen
23. Arnold Drake
24. Richard Stanley
25. Dame Darcy
26. Stephen O’Malley
27. Crispin Glover
And now for some info on TRASHFIEND….
A loving look at “disposable” horror culture from the 1960s and 1970s.
Over two glorious decades the horror film waged war on good taste, exploiting every taboo and bursting every envelope along the way. TRASHFIEND is the definitive guide to the chaotic, creative and endlessly entertaining golden age of horror cinema. Scott Stine (author of The Gorehound’s Guide to Splatter Films series) shines a fond but satiric light on everything from low budget horror films to grisly comic art, lurid movie magazines to late-night creature features, campy monster toys to exploitive poster art.
Packed with reviews, trivia, interviews, anecdotes and rare illustrations, and written with witty and insightful flair, TRASHFIEND will fascinate aficianados, nostalgists and cinema lovers of every stripe for a fun, energetic and critical look at this beloved genre.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Includes over 100 reproductions of rare ad art, as well as vintage books, toys and magazines from the era, with four pages of glorious, garish color.
- Up From the Depths (Preface)
- It’s Only a Movie (Film Reviews)
- Darker Side of Soul Cinema: Creature Features of Black Cinema (Article)
- It’s Only a Black Horror Movie (Film Reviews)
- The Ghouls Go West: The Horror Westerns of William Beaudine (Article)
- Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1965) & Jesse James Meets… (1965) (Reviews)
- Cal Bolder: The Boy Toy of Frankenstein’s Daughter (Interview)
- Dredging Crater Lake with Richard Cardella (Interview)
- The Crater Lake Monster (1977) (Film Review)
- John Stanley’s Nightmare in Blood (Interview)
- Nightmare in Blood (1975) (Film Review)
- Pat Boyette’s Dungeons of Harrow (Article)
- Dungeon of Harrow (1962) (Film Review)
- Pat Boyette Selected Horror Comic Checklist (1966–79) (Reference)
- The Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters of Rankin & Bass (Article)
- Mad Monster Party? (1967) & Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters (72) (Reviews)
- Blood on the Canvas: The Art of the Belgian Window Card (Article)
- The Twisted Tales of Bruce Jones (Interview)
- Bruce Jones: Selected Horror Magazine Checklist (1968-79) (Reference)
- Those Marvelous Monsters: Marvel Comics’ Horror Magazines (Article)
- Marvel Monster Magazine Checklist (1964–1979) (Reference)
- Marvel Monster Magazine Artist & Writer Index (1964–1979) (Reference)
- Digesting The Haunt of Horror (Article)
- The Haunt of Horror Digest Index (1973) (Reference)
- Cut Down to Size: The Golden Age of Horror Digest Magazines (Article)
- Horror Fiction Digest Checklist (1960–1979) (Reference)
- Monsters on Parade: Shriek! The Monster Horror Magazine (Article)
- Shriek! Magazine Index (1965–1967) (Reference)
- Warren’s Hastily Erected House of Horror (Article)
- Reel Monsters: Collecting 8mm Horror Films (Article)
- Wally Wood’s Mars Attack! (Article)
- Mars Attacks! Trading Cards Checklist (1962) (Reference)
- Monsterabilia (Article)
- Sleepless in Seattle: Up All Night With Nightmare Theatre (Article)
- Keeping an Eye on the Count: Chuck Lindenberg (Interview)
- Sweeping Up After the Count: Dave Drui, Floor Director (Interview)
- Sources / Acknowledgements / About the Author
I think these books are going to be a fantastic read and very informative. I find that every time I read a decent book on horror, I am continually made aware of hundreds of new films that went below my radar. A fan of movies should also be a fan of reading books on movies. One can learn so much from the writing of one whom has devoted so many days, months, and years to researching one particular topic. I love reading books on horror and cult films so much. It is just as much fun as watching the movies themselves, making it that much more interesting when one knows the background and history of the film itself.
BLU-RAYS/DVDs
There are many DVDs and Blu-rays that I can recommend, but if you want to know what I think of a particular movie, just go search on my website and type in a particular movie to read my review. Breaking Glass Pictures and Vicious Circle Films have been sending me screeners, as well as prize giveaways, almost since the inception of the company (they are a fairly new movie distributor!). As well as sending me screeners and giveaways to movies in their catalog line-up, they now are offering SHU-IZMZ readers a Holiday Discount when purchasing any of their movies! How fucking cool is that?!!?
Save 40% On All Titles From Breaking Glass Pictures & Vicious Circle Films
Breaking Glass Pictures and our horror label Vicious Circle Films want to extend our holiday promotion discount to the readers of SHUIZMZ.com! Using the promotional code shuizmz at our web store (www.shop.breakingglasspictures.com) will give you 25% off of our already discounted titles for a total saving of 40% off of each title purchased. Our horror label Vicious Circle Films specializes in everything that is horror, from zombie comedies like “George: A Zombie Intervention” to cult revenge thrillers like “Run! Bitch Run!” and everything in between. We have a taste of all the different avenues of horror to keep every fan of the genre excited. The promotion is also extended to anything in the Breaking Glass catalog which has a great mix of different films to keep movie fans intrigued, including the documentary “The Lottery” which was short listed for the Oscars in 2011. So come check out our supreme selection of film and enjoy our gift of 40% off for the holidays.
Here are just a few of some of my favorite of their films:
CROPSEY is a film I really dug. It is a documentary and one that I think fans of True Crime and Horror will really get in tune with. I reviewed it here so check out all my thoughts on it. Definitely worth having in one’s collection! Capitalize on that discount and order it HERE!
Another of Ryan Nicholson’s ultra-gory and sleazy horror films that are never light on the raunchy nudity and sick humor! Order it here!
The following Blu-rays and DVDS are all available from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Check out there offerings here:
2oth Century Fox
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is out on Blu-ray/DVD from 2oth Century Fox. I saw this film in the theater and I thought it was a solid entry into the PLANET OF THE APES series. James Franco and Andy Serkis were phenomenal. Definitely a movie to just go out and grab, regardless of whether you have seen it or not. I think it is that good!
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray + Digital Copy (North America)
- Feature Film
- Deleted Scenes
- Alpha Gets Shot
- Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
- Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
- Caesar Plays with Bicycle
- Caesar Questions His Identity
- Caesar Bites Off Neighbors Finger
- Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
- Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
- Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
- Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
- Caesar Pushes Helicopter
- Koba with Shotgun
- Pre-vis for The Future
- Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
- Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
- Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
- A New Generation of Apes
- Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
- Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Ape Facts
- Chimpanzee
- Gorilla
- Orangutan
- Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
- Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
- Character Concept Art Gallery
- Three Theatrical Trailers
If you have know Shu personally, then you know I abso-fucking-lutely think that SONS OF ANARCHY is one of the greatest television shows ever to hit television. It is one of my favorite shows. I love motorcycles, biker culture, and outlaw motorcycle gangs and reading up on them. After watching episodes on GANGLAND of real biker gangs, SOA is the next best thing. I can’t think of any show that ever came out and an outlaw motorcycle gang was the subject of the television series. Creator KURT SUTTER is a genius for developing this program and making it happen once a week on the FX Network for fans of this genre of t.v. Shit, one episode even had a cameo by HELL’S ANGEL Sonny Barger in it! Now if that does not say that the show is the real deal than I don’t know what does!
Special Features:
- Season 3 to 4 Story-Bridge
- Extended Episodes
- Gag Reel
- Deleted Scenes
- Writer’s Roundtable
- Commentaries with Cast and Creators
- Fox Movie Channel at Season 3 Premiere
I pre-ordered this when it came out. My only complaint is that the original theatrical versions of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are not included in this mammoth STAR WARS box set. Of course, I know how douchey George Lucas can be in releasing his movies on various formats. I mean, how many different box sets of the STAR WARS Trilogy (Ep. 4-6) do I have sitting in my mancave of movies, smut, videogames, and toys? Yeah, I can’t even count how many different freaking versions I have of the the STAR WARS films lying around. Hey, that is the price one pays for being OCD/ANAL about getting EVERY single version of one of the greatest Sci-fi franchises ever to be created on VHS/LASERDISC/DVD/BLU-RAY! Yeah, thanks goodness I never bought a BetaMax player or HD DVD player! I would have copies of the film on that dead technology lying around, too!
This nine-disc collection brings the wonder of the entire Saga direct to your living room this Christmas, where you can revisit all of your favorite Star Wars moments– in gorgeous high definition and with pristine, 6.1 DTS Surround Sound. It boasts an unprecedented 40+ hours of special features, highlighted bynever-before-seen content sourced from the Lucasfilm archives.
With numerous deleted, extended and alternate scenes, new and vintage documentaries and a cross-section of the countless Star Warsspoofs that have appeared in pop culture over the past three decades you may have to spend your entire vacation geeking out on Tatooine and Hoth.
For fans that are only in need of the Trilogies, you’ll be happy to know that Episodes IV-VI and I-III are available in separate Blu-ray packages (artwork below). Ever since the first theatrical release of A New Hope in 1977 the franchise has been revealing new midi-chlorian activity in each young Jedi as they discover their connection to The Force.
In case you only wanted the newer films of the six because you enjoy watching inferior Science Fiction films with annoying plots, characters, and sub-par action and DISLIKE the best three films of LUCAS’ six, then buy this box set instead of the giant one. Really, seeing DARTH MAUL in the single fight scene he is in kicking ass is the only reason to buy this box set. Really, one should be buying the entire Saga on Blu-ray disc. The films in high-def are totally worth it!
These are three of the greatest Sci-fi flicks known to mankind. PERIOD. I can watch these films over and over and over and over and over again. I am not even exaggerating. I have probably seen these films at least 100 times a piece. Aside from SAVING PRIVATE RYAN which I saw in the movie theater about 12 times because I worked at a movie theater at the time and I got to see free movies, the original STAR WARS Trilogy is the only other films that I have seen more than 4 times each in the theater on the big screen.
One of the best X-MEN films to come out since the original. I really dug this entry in the series. I do have a hard-on for comicbooks and the Marvel Universe and the X-MEN. I also love when superheroes come to the big screen and I get to see them in a different format than just a comicbook. This is one movie I can’t wait to grab on Blu-Ray disc! Maybe someone will read this and get the hint!
Special features on the X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Blu-ray include:
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10 Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics with exclusive “X-Men: First Class” Backstory Comic
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More than two hours of never-before-seen extras, including:
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Cerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchise
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Children of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from
pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing “X-Men” transformations through prosthetic make up and costume design -
“X” Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
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Extended and Deleted Scenes
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BD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profiles
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Composer’s Isolated Score
-
Theatrical Trailer
Now for an epic soundtrack and its movie! Sony Classics brings you the movie DRIVE, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (BRONSON, VALHALLA RISING), one of my new favorite directors!
Not only the soundtrack to REFN’s fucking masterpiece, I am going to add the film, too. This soundtrack is one of the finest soundtracks that I have heard for any film in quite some time. Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers’ member CLIFF MARTINEZ has crafted a wonderfully atmospheric and thought-inducing mindfuck, as well as picking a few songs from other artists that all add the load-blowing experience. Pick this CD up immediately! I pre-ordered it and have listened to it on repeat the first 8 hours I had it in my possession. I can’t get enough of it!
Now for the movie…
DRIVE
Temporary Cover Art for DRIVE
The Blu-ray presents the film in its 2.39:1 original aspect ratio with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound. The disc also contains a number of bonus materials, including:
- Five behind-the-scenes featurettes:
Drive Without A Driver: Talking with Director Nicolas Winding Refn
I Drive
Under The Hood
Driver and Irene
Cut To The Chase
Street date is January 31.
SOURCE: blu-ray.com
Here are some releases from SYNAPSE FILMS that are worth checking out….
This film has a pretty big cult-appeal and after having a chance to interview director Lewis Jackson on the SHU-IZMZ RADIO SHOW for over two hours, I appreciate the film even more. Check out the interview HERE!
Christmas Evil [Special Edition]
Price: $24.95
http://synapse-films.com/dvds/christmas-evil-special-edition/
Recently just reviewed SOUTH OF HEAVEN and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, even though I had to watch it a second time to just appreciate how much thought and care was put into the style and artistic shots within the film. Check out my review of the film HERE!
South of Heaven
Director: J.L. Vara
Starring: Shea Whigham, Diora Baird, Jon Gries, Thomas Jay Ryan, Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Run Time: 97 minutes
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Format: DVD
Region: All Regions
Price: $19.95
Synopsis
NOBODY IS HIS NAME.
REVENGE IS HIS GAME!
When Roy Coop finished his stint in the Navy, he only had two things on his mind: seeing his brother Dale, and writing the great American novel. What he gets, however, is the homecoming from Hell! A pair of violent vaudevillians (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE’s Jon Gries, and Thomas Jay Ryan) mistake Roy for his brother, looking to collect on a debt he didn’t know he owed. Eight fingers later, Roy is burnt to a crisp, forged by fire into a new man. Roy is dead. Nobody is born.
Now it’s Nobody’s turn to have his wicked revenge, and to save his brother before it’s too late. Wrapped in bandages and ready for blood, Nobody is determined to kill those that get in his way, even the murdering masochist named Mad Dog Mantee (Shea Whigham, MACHETE and HBO’s BOARDWALK EMPIRE). Dodging bullets and dodging dames, Nobody meets the nasty ne’er-do-wells Lily (Diora Baird, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING) and Veronica (Elina Lowensohn, SCHINDLER’S LIST). In this wonderful neo-film-noir, violence and vengeance are sure to meet in a little town they call… South of Heaven.
Features
- THREE AUDIO COMMENTARY TRACKS! Featuring Director J.L. Vara, Star Shea Whigham and other cast/crew. Critic Commentary includes Todd Brown (twitchfilm.com), Scott Weinberg (fearnet.com) and Devin Faraci (badassdigest.com)
- THREE SHORT FILMS by Director J.L. Vara, Including: MISERABLE ORPHAN, AZOLE DKMUNTCH and A BOY AND HIS FETUS
Reviews
“SOUTH OF HEAVEN captures the violence and grittiness of an unconventional Western of sorts with very unique characters and a certain level of mystery shrouding each.” – SHU-IZMZ
“…there is NOTHING not to like about this movie.” – Horror News
This is one film that I HAVE to have. I used to have a bootleg version of it on VHS that I rented from a local video store in Rolling Meadows, IL by the name of THUMBS UP Video from their Cinema Le Pew section (which in my mind equates to AWESOME FLICKS!) and I dubbed it. I think rented STREET TRASH again after losing my gigantic VHS Tape collection in a fire on St. Patrick’s Day at my apartment so now I have a copied version of it on a Dvd-R. Well, I need to own a legit copy on DVD, or even Blu-ray if it ever gets made on that format. Since that has not happened yet (to my knowledge), I am going to have to get the deluxe 2-disc Meltdown Edition from SYNAPSE FILMS. Interestingly enough, I was at a bar eating some delicious pizza, Chicago-style, and guess what film was being projected on the over-sized screens of the bar-STREET TRASH. Probably not the best choice of a film when one is eating, but so much fun for this gorehound! I love that movie each and every time I see it. Most notable, is the performance by James Lorinz as the smart ass doorman at the mafia-owned Italian restaurant. Classic!
Synopsis
!!Two-Disc Meltdown Edition!! – In the sleazy, foreboding world of winos, derelicts and drifters in lower Manhattan, two young runaways – eighteen-year-old Fred (MIKE LACKEY) and his younger brother, Kevin (MARK SFERRAZZA), live in a tire hut in the back of a vast auto wrecking yard. Fred is burnt-out by the forces that destroyed his family life, whereas Kevin, having missed much of their childhood trauma, yearns to get back into society and lead a normal life. The most lethal threat to the boys is the case of Tenafly Viper in Ed’s liquor store window. Ed found the cheapo wine behind a wall in his basement. The stuff’s forty years old, and it’s gone real bad. Anyone who drinks it melts within seconds… and it’s only a dollar a bottle!!
The bums are lining up for their deaths like moths at a flame, and Fred standing right there amongst them. STREET TRASH is the subversive cult classic horror-comedy that rode the last wave of super-gore in the late ’80s before the curtain fell on such outrageous material and we entered an era of safe, “R” rated horror flicks and endless, unoriginal remakes. Synapse Films is proud to present the 2-DVD Special Meltdown Edition of the 80s gore classic, STREET TRASH. Over four years in the making, this 2 DVD set contains the amazing two-hour documentary, THE MELTDOWN MEMOIRS.
SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
- New Anamorphic Widescreen [1.78:1] Mastered in High-Definition
- New DD5.1 Remix and Original 2.0 Mono Soundtrack
- Two Audio Commentaries Featuring Producer Roy Frumkes and Director James Muro
- THE MELTDOWN MEMOIRS – All-New TWO HOUR Documentary on the History and making of STREET TRASH
- STREET TRASH – Original 16mm Short Film That Inspired the Movie
- Long Lost, Never-Before-Seen STREET TRASH Promotional Teaser
- Behind-The-Scenes Still Gallery
- Original Theatrical Trailer
ITEM #: SFD0057
REGION: 1
Running Time: 102 minutes
NTSC – Anamorphic Widescreen [1.78:1]
NOT RATED
1987
SOURCE: SYNAPSE FILMS
SEVERIN FILMS has some great titles to offer, too!
The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer
David R. Bowen, 1989
The murder and dismemberment of 17 young men in Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991 capped a century stained in blood by the heinous exploits of the blue-eyed cannibal killer known to a horrified nation as The Milwaukee Monster. Made in the three years between his highly-publicized arrest and his 1994 murder while serving 15 consecutive life sentences in prison, The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer follows the schizophrenic butcher from his first impulse slaying in his grandmother’s back yard to his infamous “rampage period,” in which he claimed up to one victim a week in his makeshift slaughterhouse on Milwaukee’s troubled west side. Inspired by Dahmer’s own highly-publicized confessions, David R. Bowen’s brutally intense indie has the half-starved aesthetic of a snuff film and a no-holds-barred lead performance by writer-actor Carl Crew as one the 20th Century’s most notorious serial killers.
EXTRAS:
•Audio Commentary With Director David R. Bowen And Star Carl Crew
•Trailer
List price is $19.99 but one can find it for $13.99 on Amazon.com, or even cheaper if purchased used.
SOURCE: SEVERIN FILMS
Aside from the fact that I am extremely interested in serial killers and true crime, the case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer holds a special morbidly unique place in my cold, dead, heart because this sick son-of-a-bitch was raping, torturing, and murdering victims in the Midwest area, specifically Milwaukee, WI and West Allis. I remember reading about his grisly crimes and murders, as well as the trial, in the newspaper. It probably was one of the most publicized cases I remember while growing up.
Check out my review for the INTERVISION/SEVERIN FILMS film that was, although very low-budget, one of the better films to chronicle Dahmer‘s life of crime and murders.
I mean, come on…Who has not seen this film? Well, maybe some fans of horror who are not hardcore, but I remember this film being played on television all the time. It has Lee and Cushing in it, as well as Telly Savalez. How awesome is that? It is also nice that the film is being released as a Blu-ray/DVD combo so those of you whom have not upgraded to HD can still enjoy it.
The ’70s horror classic returns like you’ve never seen it before! Screen legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star as rival turn-of-the-century anthropologists transporting a frozen ‘missing link’ aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. But when the prehistoric creature thaws and escapes, it unleashes a brain-scarfing spree that turns its victims into the eye-bleeding undead. Can the crafty colleagues stop this two million year old monster, hordes of zombie passengers and a psychotic Cossack officer (Telly Savalas) before terror goes off the rails? Silvia Tortosa (When The Screaming Stops) co-stars in this all-time fright favorite from director Eugenio Martin and the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriters of Psychomania, now featuring explosive new Extras and a stunning HD transfer from vault elements recently unearthed in a Mongolian film depot!
EXTRAS:
-Murder On The Trans-Siberian Express: New Interview With Director Eugenio Martin
-Notes From The Blacklist: Producer Bernard Gordon Discusses The McCarthy Era
-The Guardian Interview With Peter Cushing 1973 (Audio only)
-Telly And Me: New Interview With Composer John Cacavas
-Introduction by Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander
-Theatrical Trailer
Color
90 Mins
Region 0
$21.98
If ya dig kung-fu and action flicks from the East, then the film distributor WELL GO USA better be on your radar! They are putting out some phenomenal action, horror, and kung-fu flicks that are coming out on Blu-ray and DVD. Many of these films are new to the States, such as Korea’s A BETTER TOMORROW remake, as well as some nice versions of IP MAN,
WELL GO USA is cool enough to send SHU-IZMZ screeners, so expect to be reading reviews of many of their films. A review for A BETTER TOMORROW is on the way, as well as one for HELLDRIVER! Check out the cover for HELLDRIVER!
SOURCE: WELL GO USA
COOL SHIRTS and OTHER CLOTHING ACCESSORIES!
80sTees.com
80sTees.com T-shirts is a website that actually contacted me and I checked them out. I checked them out because the 1980′s produced some completely epic movies and some of my favorite films that have a major repeat-viewing value! Hell, think of all the slasher films that the ’80s have produced. FRIDAY THE 13th series, most of the HALLOWEEN films, MANIAC!, MOTEL HELL, PROM NIGHT, HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP, FRIGHT NIGHT, GHOULIES, RE-ANIMATOR, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD….Holy shit! I could go on and on. Anyways, this website not only offers killer horror t-shirts but they offer shirts from films throughout the ’80s. They got Chuck Norris T’s, STAR WARS, the VACATION films in various humorous t-shirts, and GOONIES! How can one not love a GOONIES t-shirt? I love THE GOONIES! Now one may ask why am I endorsing this website? Well, the guys and gals over at 80sTees.com sent me one of their shirts, in my size, which I have worn to work and washed. It was a XXL FRIDAY THE 13TH t-shirt. I am a big boy so I needed a big shirt. Needless to say, the shirt fit great. The shirt felt great and I now know where to go for movie t-shirts in the future. The prices of shirts vary from shirt to shirt. Some are $20, which is a little bit too high for me to pay for a T-shirt, as I generally look for shirts $15 and under, but in perusing through the website there were quite a bit of shirts that were under $20, some even as low as $4.99. Those would be the shirts I would go looking for. There are quite a bit of shirts for $10-$15. The clearance section does have over 700 items, t-shirts, hats, etc…that are under $20 so I found that to be pretty cool. They also sell Halloween costumes, music T’s, and non-80′s items. Worth a look when trying to find a new and unique gift for that special someone. Click HERE to check out all the cool shirts they have to offer!
Another favorite t-shirt they offer!
FRIGHT RAGS
I have ordered almost a dozen cool horror T-shirts from this company. Right now, they got a sale going on for some $10 t-shirts. I do not know how long the sale will be going on but I bought a STREET TRASH t-shirt that is totally awesome and I have gotten many compliments on. My girlfriend also really digs the LOST BOYS t-shirt I bought her, too!
Check out the horror t-shirts HERE!
Don’t forget to pick up a SHU-IZMZ t-shirt, with art by PUTRID! They are always a great gift to get anyone with their slick design and gory artwork! They are selling for $15 + shipping! Get them while supplies last. When they sell out, they will be gone!
Only $15-- so buy one bitch!
MORE VIDEOS and cool shit….
Anyone into wrestling? Well, I am slowly getting into it because I have so many friends that dig it and when I was a young lad I really loved watching wrestling. In fact, my favorite wrestlers were Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, and Andre the Giant. Then I got into more recent wrestlers like Goldberg who, to this day, is still one of my favorite wrestlers. I just picked up a Best of Monday Nitro dvd just to see Goldberg wrestle Hollywood Hogan. This all brings me to my next website that I think offers some badass shit. Now I contacted them hoping to get some free shit to give you guys, but no dice. The website still has some rad things to offer, especially if one is a fan of Chicago’s very own CM PUNK! I have only watched PUNK wrestle on youtube.com clips, so this is a great website to get really underground dvds of him. It has WWE wrestling videos, as well as some of the more underground ones sold on a dvd-r.
The website offers wrestling gear, belts, magazines, dvds, action figures, VHS, books, shirts, and tons of other apparel. I was hoping to get some promotional items for free, but no dice. Readers are going to have to head over there and buy the shit themselves. Another cool aspect about the site is that one can shop by wrestler. It’s a great feature for those that are novices to the world of wrestling and would like to just purchase dvds that have one’s favorite wrestler. Since I have met CM PUNK, hung out at his place, and talked to him before I feel that I must see some of his fights and see how good a wrestler he is. By the way, he is bar far the nicest celebrity I have ever met and extremely humble. Since he recently won the belt, I am guessing he is pretty awesome. HIGH SPOTS even sells stuff for wrestlers and wrestling promoters.
For years, the Money in the Bank match was a highlight of WrestleMania, with each of the six winners going on to successfully cash in their opportunities and win World Championships. Last year, the popular match headlined its own WWE pay-per-view event, and two spectacular matches led to two more successful title reigns, including the Miz seizing on his momentum at last year’s event to become the most must-see WWE Champion in history. So the stakes are incredibly high for the Superstars of Raw and SmackDown look to climb the ladder of success at Money in the Bank 2011.
- Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Sin Cara, Kane, Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater, Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus and Wade Barrett - WWE Divas Title Match
Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella - Big Show vs. Mark Henry
- RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Alex Riley, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, R-Truth and Jack Swagger - WWE World Hwt. Title – Title changes hands on a DQ
Randy Orton vs. Christian - WWE Title Match
John Cena vs. CM Punk
Highspots.com is a leading online retailer for professional wrestling and mixed martial arts offering figures, DVD’s, Apparel, Belts, wrestling gear and even wrestling rings!
Highspots.com is committed to be your one-stop-shop for all wrestling and MMA products. Whether you are a wrestling fan, pro wrestler or promoter you can find what you are looking for at Highspots.com. Please read further to see all that we have to offer.
Highspots.com sells cool action figures like Roddy Piper
For the Wrestling Fan
With over 10 years in business Highspots.com has grown to be the company it is by serving the wrestling fans throughout the world with a great selection of merchandise. Highspots.com has everything a wrestling fan could want including the latest WWE & TNA releases, classic wrestling merchandise and our Highspots.com exclusive releases. We have listed below our different categories and some more information about what you can find in them:
- DVD’s
Highspots.com has over 2000 DVD’s for you to choose from, and we are adding new titles every week! You can find the latest WWE & TNA releases on our DVD section, as well as most other older titles from the two companies. If you like shoots please visit our shoot interview section which features shoots from many great stars, including the Ric Flair 4 Disc Shoot. You can also find a great variety of Independent, Japanese, Lucha Libre and wrestling documentary releases on our site. Highspots.com also has hundreds of compilation tapes featuring some of the best legends in wrestling (Hogan, Flair, Sting and more!). - Figures
Highspots.com carries a huge selection of figures. We stock WWE Figures ranging from the newest series all the way back to the original WWF Hasbro Series! We also carry TNA, WCW and ECW commercial figures. For the fans of Puro and Lucha Libre Highspots.com offers authentic figures from New Japan, All Japan, NOAH and CMLL featuring some of their best stars from yesterday and today. - Title Belts
Looking for a belt like the one your favorite stars on TV wear? Highspots.com can offer you authentic Replica Belts in almost any size/style you would like. We offer toy versions of WWE, WCW and TNA title belts, some as low as $4.99! We also offer kids size replicas, which are made the same way as the adults are but scaled down to fit children. We carry almost all WWE (New and Classic) Title belts, along with WCW, ECW, TNA and Japanese belts and can help you find the exact belt you are looking for. We also offer custom made title belts which are great if you are looking for a truly unique belt. - Wrestling Masks
Ever wanted to have the same mask of your favorite wrestler? From Rey Mysterio, to popular Lucha, Japanese and Legends like the Masked Superstar, Highspots has close to 200 different masks to choose from, and we can also custom make you a mask as well! - Toys and Novelty Items
These are some of the most popular items for us, and make great gifts for fans both old and young. You can find a great selection of wrestling games, trading cards, apparel, keychains, necklaces, 8×10 photos and more. - Books/Magazines
Highspots.com has a huge inventory of wrestling books, featuring some of the greatest superstars of the sport. We offer wrestler biographies, wrestling history books, wrestling guides, children’s books and even wrestling instructional books. We also offer vintage wrestling programs and magazines, many of which include a free gift as well! Please visit the Magazine section to see our magazine back issue selection.
SOURCE: HIGH SPOTS
Now my list is just a handful of cool things I think are worth looking into or getting for someone. The important thing is I hope to have introduced readers to some cool websites that offer some cool products.
Now watch my video…it is nothing special.
GUROZUKA to be released by SYNAPSE!
I love Japanese films, especially horror films from their country because they contain so many bizarre elements and usually have some fun gore and scenes within them. I mean, RINGU and JUON are two of my creepiest favs and TOKYO GORE POLICE and MACHINE GIRL are so much fun. Not to mention two of my favorite directors is Takashi Miike are Akira Kurosawa. So, I have high hopes for GUROZUKA to entertain me, if only nominally. I also am looking forward to all the extra goodies that SYNAPSE FILMS usually offers on their Blu-rays and DVDS!
Gurozuka
DVD
Label: Synapse Films
Streets: 1/10/2012 SRP: 24.95
Run Time: 85 Minutes English language Color
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1 Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo All Regions
Production year: 2005
Director: Yoichi Nishiyama
Stars: Keiko Saito, Yuko Kurosawa, Yukari Fukui, Nozomi Ando, Yoko Mitsuya
Genre: Horror
Language: In Japanese – Subtitled In English
A fun getaway turns into a journey to Hell for some teenage girls visiting an isolated house to rehearse and perform a play for their private movie club. Taking the trip with an adult chaperone, the girls learn a previous club member supposedly went missing in the house, and another insane! Shortly after they arrive, a mysterious videotape is found with footage of a violent killer wearing a Japanese “deigan” mask. Is this footage real or fake? Soon, their food and equipment disappears and one of the girls is haunted by ghostly visions of the masked demon. Someone or something is in the house, and gruesome death awaits those who cannot escape! Synapse Films is proud to present Yoichi Nishiyama’s GUROZUKA, a stylized horror film in the tradition of SCREAM and genre-bending Japanese classic, THE RING!
Bonus Features: The Making Of Gurozuka Featurette, Original Trailer.
SOURCE: SYNAPSE FILMS
INTERVISION comes out with some AUSSIE SEXPLOITATION goodies!
AUSTRALIA AFTER DARK
DVD
Label: Intervision Picture Corp.
Streets: 1/10/12 SRP: $19.95
Run Time: 82 Minutes English language Color Widescreen Anamorphic
Dolby Digital 2.0 All Regions
Director: John D. Lamond
Stars: Gina Allen, Count Copernicus
Genre: Erotica
Five years before he turned the world on with his schoolgirl sexploitation classic FELICITY, producer/director John Lamond made his indelible debut with this mondo-style look at the depraved underbelly of a land down-under. It’s an ultra-sleazy, full-frontal journey through “the weird and the pathetic, the ugly, the obscene and the beautiful”, featuring strippers, swingers, murderers, devil worshippers, nutty gurus, drunken aborigines, and much more. From the back alleys of the big cities to the savage cruelty of the outback, discover a continent of pleasure, pain, erotic art, wriggling cuisine, tiny bikinis, alien landings, record-breaking beer consumption and insane amounts of ’70s nudity, now fully restored from a print recently discovered in the cellar of the Lower Wonga Drive-In and presented uncut & uncensored for the first time ever in America.
Bonus Features: Audio Commentary With Director John D. Lamond and “Not Quite Hollywood” Director Mark Hartley, John D. Lamond Trailer Reel.
ABC’S OF LOVE AND SEX
DVD
Label: Intervision Picture Corp.
Streets: 1/10/12 SRP: $19.95
Run Time: 85 Minutes English language Color Widescreen Anamorphic
Dolby Digital 2.0 All Regions
Director: John D. Lamond
Stars: Brigitta Almsron, Rettima Borer
Genre: Erotica
In between the mondo mayhem of AUSTRALIA AFTER DARK and the softcore teenage classic FELICITY, producer/director John Lamond schooled the continent with this graphic grindhouse jaw-dropper: What was ostensibly presented as a serious study of sexual behavior is actually an erotically-charged trip through an alphabet of deviant sexual pleasure, including mile-high clubs, female masturbation, mincing homosexuals, hot lesbians, enormous genitals, disco music, rape fantasies, interpretive dance, socio-cultural blathering, relentless nudity and even a bit of creepy stop-motion animation. Marilyn Rodgers (FELICITY) and Maj-Brith Berstrom-Walan of The Swedish Institute For Sexual Research star in this delightfully dubious documentary relic, now fully restored from a print originally seized by the Australian Classification Board and presented uncut & uncensored for the first time ever in America.
Bonus Features: Audio Commentary With Director John D. Lamond and “Not Quite Hollywood” Director Mark Hartley, John D. Lamond Trailer Reel.
Okay, so my skills with Photoshop border on being some of the worst skills in the world! I apologize, but Intervision has not failed to put out some seriously wicked films on dvd! I have a raging hard-on for films from Australia, too! Sexploitation and SHU go hand in hand…err…maybe I meant to say dick in hand. Either way, I will give ya all the lowdown on what the films offer and how sleazily epic they may or may not be.
If one has not seen both NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD and its sequel, FOR SHAME! Great docs on the Aussie film scene and some of the epic classics that have come from down under! Check them out as well!
MORE BRAINS! A Return to the Living Dead DVD coming out!
“From the Producer of Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy”
More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead DVD
With a release date 10/18/11 and a retail price of only 19.95, this documentary on one of the most epic zombie films to incorporate humor, gore, and satire with a cult-like appeal to it, I am overjoyed to hear about this documentary. Return of the Living Dead is one of my all-time favorite horror films, and I am generally not a fan of mixing my horror with comedy. That being said, Dan O’Bannon’s timeless classic deservedly gets the all-star treatment in terms of a comprehensive documentary and with O’Bannon’s death not too long ago, what a perfect way to remember the man and one of his finest films he ever made. I am really looking forward to letting readers know how this is. I have VERY high hopes for it.
Run Time: 240 Minutes In English Color
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1 Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Region 0
Production year: 2011
NOT RATED
Director: Bill Philputt
Stars: James Karen, Clu Gulager, Don Calfa, Thom Mathews, Beverly Randolph
“It worked in the movie!”
When an army drum is breached and a mysterious chemical gas is released into a nearby cemetery, the dead return to life with only one thing on their minds…brains! The zombie menace quickly descends upon a group of misfits who must fight for survival as they are picked off one at a time by a horde of the undead.
“Do you ever wonder about all the different ways of dying?”
Dan O’Bannon’s outrageous splatter classic “The Return of the Living Dead” has continued to terrify and entertain horror fans for over twenty-five years with its delicious mix of blood, guts, sex and punk. Boasting off-beat humor, plenty of attitude and one of the most famous zombies ever committed to celluloid, it’s easy to see why the film’s legacy continues to grow.
“It makes the pain go away…”
MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD is the ultimate account of the tongue-in-cheek, stylish and apocalyptic zombie movie. It features — for the first time ever! — contributions from all the main cast as well as clips, photographs, storyboards, conceptual art, publicity materials, archival documents and behind-the-scenes footage.
“They’re back from the grave and ready to party!”
Through this definitive retrospective fans are finally able to explore the film’s journey from the world of “Night of the Living Dead” to the mind of acclaimed writer/director Dan O’Bannon. Narrator Brian Peck (“Scuz”) guides you through the blood, sweat and tears as cast and crew look back on their experience in the graveyard creating the film that’s been called “a beauty of a cult classic!”
Bonus Features: Never-before-seen deleted, behind-the-scenes, blooper and special effects test footage that brought the Dead to life, 2-hours of incredible bonus features including “A Conversation with Dan O’Bannon: The Final Interview, They Won’t Stay Dead: A Look at Return of the Living Dead Part 2, Love Beyond the Grave: A Look at Return of the Living Dead, Stacey Q Live! Exclusive “Tonight” Music Video, Even More Brains: Deleted Documentary Interviews, Return of the Living Dead in 3 Minutes, and more! Limited edition premium collectible O-sleeve packaging featuring artwork created by original “Return of the Living Dead” poster artist Carl Ramsey!
© MMXI Michael Perez Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved. More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead is a non-fiction documentary film. It is not a sequel to or remake of The Return of the Living Dead or any of its sequels, and it is not affiliated with or sponsored by the creators, producers or owners of The Return of the Living Dead or its sequels.
DVD TRAILER
SOURCE: Michael Perez Entertainment
FRANKENHOOKER coming to Blu-ray! Hip-Hip-HOOORAY!~
FRANKENHOOKER
So folks, Synapse Films is releasing FRANKENHOOKER out on Blu-ray disc November 8th of this year. I really enjoyed this film and own the dvd version of the film. James Lorinz is great in it, but I am anxious to view the special features on the brd (blu-ray disc) and to see the movie in high-def! The more movies out on Blu-ray, the better. Be on the lookout for a review of FRANKENHOOKER in the not-to0-distant future. Here are the specs for new edition of the film:
SRP: 24.95 UPC#: 654930313497
Run Time: 85 Minutes English language Color
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1 DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround
All Regions
Production year: 1990
Director: Frank Henenlotter
Stars: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Louise Lasser, Jennifer Delora
Genre: Horror
From Frank Henenlotter, the creator of the BASKET CASE trilogy and BRAIN DAMAGE, comes FRANKENHOOKER, a gory horror-comedy twist on the Frankenstein legend. When Jeffrey Franken’s fiancee is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to her customers! Synapse Films is proud to present the uncut version of FRANKENHOOKER in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer created from original vault materials and digitally re-mastered 5.1 surround sound!
Bonus Features: Audio Commentary with Director Frank Henenlotter and Make-Up Effects Designer Gabe Bartalos, “A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth” – Patty Mullen Featurette, “A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of FRANKENHOOKER” – Featurette, “Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora Remembers FRANKENHOOKER“- Featurette, Jennifer Delora’s FRANKENHOOKER PHOTO SCRAPBOOK, Theatrical Trailer
REVIEW: KILLER YACHT PARTY (2006)
Troma Films, known for their low-brow toilet humor blended in with low-budget indie schlock “classics” such as THE TOXICAVENGER, CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH, SURF NAZIS MUST DIE, as well as distributing some solid cult-like entries in the sleaze market such as Joel M. Reed’s BLOODSUCKING FREAKS, we now have some modern-day films from Troma. As a young teenager, the company Troma meant T&A and gore, mixed with crude humor and I guess as a young prepubescent boy-I was ok with that. Now, grown up a little more (and I stress “little”), I need a bit more than flashes of boobies, some fart/toilet humor, and uber-cheesy gore and blood.
With KILLER YACHT PARTY, the feature debut of Piotr Uzarowicz, I believe Troma Films is still putting out some films that are more in line with the word “horrible” than “horrorfying”. In fact, I actually was a bit surprised that KILLER YACHT PARTY was not as bad as I thought it would be. The plot of the film revolves around a core group of douchebags that are only into the club scene and what it entails-getting drunk and getting laid. I used to work at a nightclub and it seemed that everyone associated with it just wanted to party every night, score with the hot ladies (or guys, depending on one’s preference), and either sell drugs at the venue or for promoters-make tons of money at the door and on liquor sales. This film throws in the mix a club on a yacht that has a haunted history, and a murderer racking up a body count.
One of the more interesting scenes in the film
The film is, essentially, a slasher film on a yacht. Oh yeah, and it advertises Kate Luyben is in it from TRUE BLOOD. Luyben was in two episodes of TRUE BLOOD in 2010, but I guess because she really was not in many other television or horror movies, this is the route to go in the ad campaign to get folks to want to check it out. Granted, this film is listed in IMDb as having been made in 2006, and then picked up by Troma about five years later (and 4 years after Lubyen was in TRUE BLOOD), this is really the only drawing aspect to me wanting to see this film, aside from the promise of “busty, hot girls” getting “butchered. Well, on this point, the film sort of delivers.
There are some very hot girls in this film—ya know, the plastic, fake kind that have had plastic surgery to get perfect noses, cheek bones, and tits. Also, most of these ladies look as though they wouldn’t know how to cook a microwave dinner, but then these are the girls that most viewers enjoy seeing slashed and gutted. I know I love when the spoiled, hot, rich girl gets it by the ugly, maniacal killing psychopath!
Becky Boxer and Maggie Marion
So, the club promoters, Brock (Eric Clark) and Monica (Kate Luyben) have set up this yacht party and Lacy (Becky Boxer) and Jane (Maggie Marion) who were at an event the club promoters were throwing the night (or week) before, get an exclusive invitation to attend this yacht party. Of course, the film tries to throw in some mysterious and odd characters to throw the audience off into not really figuring out for sure who the killer was, but after watching the film, it becomes fairly obvious who, or what, has been killing off everyone on the boat (oops, plot spoiler). Yeah, the film has quite a bit of murders and killing throughout most of the film. This would be a good thing, except that the murders are pretty straight-forward and really lack the creativity in how the victims are picked off one by one, which I think is an important aspect in truly making a solid slasher film. In all of the Friday the 13th films, Jason, or his mother, or a revenge-driven paramedic-they all have very fun and creative ways that the killer takes out his victims. It is one of the only reasons that I watch and enjoy slasher films, aside from the usual large amounts of gratuitous nudity from very attractive “actresses” (some of which are only cast for their screaming ability and luscious bodies), but it is, nonetheless, a valid reason.
KILLER YACHT PARTY lacks any type of imagination in the kill-scene department. Sometimes it is hard to think of new ways to kill a human being aboard a boat. There are only so many ways one can die, especially on a boat and there have been boatloads (pun intended!) of movies that have had victims dispatched on a boat. Therefore, why not at least have the full murder scene shown instead of dicing it up with annoying edits, spots of black screen breaking up the full murder. I guess that is the only way I know how to describe the edits when murder scenes occur. There are cuts in the middle of the murders where black nothing appears, almost as if the scenes were being cut and censored by the MPAA, but that is not the case because the film does not even have a rating on it.
The scenes of blood and little gore could have been done a bit better and would have looked better if there weren’t annoying editing spots tossed in during most of the murders. The scenes that were not shown, such as a girl lying on the floor with shards of a broken mirror stuck in her face and the rest of her body in random placement, were just after-shots of murders and usually were sub-par in the special effects department.
The gore and blood within this film is not up to par, but the acting in the film was not quite as bad as I thought it would be. Granted, many of the names in the film have been in small roles here and there or uncredited in some of the films they were in, but I felt that the D-List actors and actresses in the film did have some acting ability and gave the film a status that was a notch or two above an uber-low budgeted film that not only had extremely low production values, but also talentless bodies running through the scenes without any grace or purpose.
The plot directs viewers into the mystique of a woman that died on the boat and is believed to be haunting it, as well as having a creepy old guy taking care of the boat and also its captain. Then we have another old creepy guy, sort of like the old man’s character in the first few FRIDAY THE 13TH movies, warning the horny, playful teenagers and camp counselors that Crystal Lake was doomed and everyone that sets foot on the grounds will die. This old creepy guy in KILLER YACHT PARTY hangs around the docks and just acts creepy, as well as giving a lift to an unwanted drug dealer that was banned from attending the party, as well as the club promoters’ events. The film tries to confuse viewers into thinking one or several other characters or a ghost is doing the killing.
Is KILLER YACHT PARTY a ‘whodunnit murder mystery’ or just a less than good example of a slasher film? I would tend to lean towards the latter as the murders throughout the entire film don’t really conclusively lead towards any one particular character, especially when the only part of the murderer we see is black rubber gloves, which we see past the halfway point. The sad fact is that we don’t see any killing occur until almost an hour into the movie, a movie that is less than 90 minutes in duration. I guess, technically, there is one murder in the first 15 minutes, but we don’t actually see it but assume the victim is killed by her scream.
The hour leading up to the murders is boring dialogue intended to build up the characters and give them some depth, but unfortunately the characters are about as deep as a puddle after a light rain. It would a totally different matter if all the blood and gore towards the end of the film was over-the-top and incredible and made the tedious wait until the action started all be worth it, but that is definitely not the case. The wait is in vain.
KILLER YACHT PARTY is not the worse low-budget, indie film to come out on the market, but it is dismally close to being thrown in that category. I think this film is one that is normally not Troma material, as it is kind of light on the sleaze, nudity, and gore- all components of a fun Troma film. I also wonder about the reasons for the film being made in 2006 and being picked up by Troma almost five years later. It seems that this film is one that could have been passed up.
Heavy amounts of gore and nudity, as well as showing all the murders and not cutting parts out with lame editing techniques that make the scenes look as though they were censored, could have been the only saving grace this film had. Instead, I just felt that KILLER YACHT PARTY was a tedious waste of nearly 90 minutes that I could have passed up on and spent my time watching another movie.
I found the commentary, conducted by director Piotr Uzarowicz and writer Alex Silver to be far more interesting and engaging than the film itself. Aside from that, there is only a trailer for the film, as well as a slew of other Troma Team releases. I dug the cover of the movie, though. I wish the cover lived up to the content of the film and had as much blood within.
KILLER YACHT PARTY fails to stay afloat as a slasher film that holds any sort of merit in the genre. My advise is to pass up this lackluster slasher film and instead, rent some of the classics from the ’80s that defined the genre.
MANIAC COP and SOUTH OF HEAVEN coming to BLU-RAY/DVD from SYNAPSE FILMS!
MANIAC COP
Maniac Cop comes to BLU-RAY!
Blu-ray
Label: Synapse Films
Streets: 10/11/11 SRP: 24.95
Run Time: 87 Minutes
In English Color Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1
All Regions DTS 6.1 Surround Sound
Director: William Lustig
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Tom Atkins, Robert Z’dar, William Smith, Richard Roundtree
Production year: 1987
Rated R
Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV’s BURN NOTICE and The EVIL DEAD Trilogy) finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, DRIVE ANGRY and LETHAL WEAPON) investigates, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This “maniac” cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy. He seems inhuman, and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge! Restored and remastered from original vault materials by Synapse Films, MANIAC COP looks and sounds better than ever in this brand-new 2011 high-definition transfer, featuring newly remixed DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound! Long considered a classic of the horror genre, MANIAC COP was written and produced by Larry Cohen (IT’S ALIVE, PHONE BOOTH) and directed by William Lustig (MANIAC, VIGILANTE)
Bonus Features include Maniac Cop Memories Featurette, Out the Window – Interview with Tom Atkins, Three Minutes with Danny Hicks Featurette, Motion Still Gallery, Additional Japanese TV Scenes, Theatrical Trailer, TV Spots, Spanish Radio Spot.
SOUTH OF HEAVEN
SOUTH OF HEAVEN coming to DVD!
DVD
Label: Synapse Films
Run Time: 97 Minutes
In English Color Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1
Region 0 Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Director: J.L. Vara
Stars: Shea Whigham, Diora Baird, Jon Gries, Thomas Jay Ryan, Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Production year: 2008
Not Rated
A FILM THAT DEFIES THE GENRE AS WELL AS EXPECTATIONS, SOUTH OF HEAVEN IS A BOLD ANTI-HERO ORIGIN STORY STEEPED WITH ATMOSPHERE AND ULTRA-VIOLENCE! When Roy Coop finished his stint in the Navy, he only had two things on his mind: seeing his brother Dale, and writing the great American novel. What he gets, however, is the homecoming from Hell! A pair of violent vaudevillians (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE’s Jon Gries, and Thomas Jay Ryan) mistake him for his brother, looking to collect on a debt he didn’t know he owed. Eight fingers later, Roy is burnt to a crisp, forged by fire into a new man. Roy is dead. Nobody is born. Now it’s Nobody’s turn to have his wicked revenge, and to save his brother before it’s too late. Wrapped in bandages and ready for blood, Nobody is determined to kill those that gets in his way, even the murdering masochist named Mad Dog Mantee (Shea Whigham, MACHETE and HBO’s BOARDWALK EMPIRE). Dodging bullets and dodging dames, Nobody meets the nasty ne’er-do-wells Lily (Diora Baird, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING) and Veronica (Elina Lowensohn, SCHINDLER’S LIST). In this wonderful neo-film-noir, violence and vengeance are sure to meet in a little town they call… South of Heaven.
Bonus Features include Three Audio Commentaries, Three Short Films from Director J.L. Vara
SOURCE:SYNAPSE FILMS
RELEASE: More nudity, violence, and gore in grindhouse-style slasher flick
I have already seen Frat House Massacre (2008) and had the luxury of experiencing it on a huge screen at the Portage Theater in July of 2009 at a Horror Society event (a site I used to write for) in Chicago. I enjoyed the film, primarily due to the style and large amount of nudity, gore, and a phenomenal soundtrack by Claudio Simonetti (of Goblin fame). I am happy to be able to revisit this film once again and see if I still have the same affection for it as I did two years ago. Check back for my thoughts on this film once I have reviewed the dvd release of it from Synapse Films.
Frat House Massacre
DVD
Label: Synapse Films
SRP: 19.95
Run Time: 116 Minutes In English
Color Widescreen 1.78:1 Region One Dolby Digital 5.1
Director: Alex Pucci
Stars: Rane Jameson, Chris Prangley, Jon Fleming
Production year: 2008
From the creators of CAMP SLAUGHTER comes FRAT HOUSE MASSACRE, a true homage to the best of the late 70′s grindhouse and early 80′s slasher films! Sean (Chris Prangley) and his little brother Bobby (Rane Jameson) thought joining the Delta Iota Epsilon fraternity would be the best time of their lives with parties, freedom, girls and sex. The fraternity president Mark (Jon Fleming of TVs WILL & GRACE and DANTEíS COVE), however, is a little strange. His twisted hazing rituals include extreme physical and mental torture that lead the boys down a horrific path of destruction and death. But death may be just the beginning, as this gritty twisted film unfolds. Inspired by actual events and set in the year 1979, FRAT HOUSE MASSACRE is a disturbing journey through the twisted world of fraternity boys, pledges and the not-so-innocent sorority sisters swept up in their madness. Loaded with violence, gore, nudity and a fantastic music score by Claudio Simonetti, this DVD is the director’s cut containing over twenty minutes of additional footage.
Bonus features include: Director’s Commentary, Crew Commentary, Deleted Scenes, “Making Of” Featurette.
SOURCE: Synapse Films
RELEASES: Some Swedish sin from Impulse Pictures!
Impulse Pictures brings us some Swedish sinsationalism in the form of Christina Lindberg in her last starring role in the film WIDE OPEN. Below are the details of the dvd release, including a brief ploy synopsis. August is definitely going to be one hot month! Be sure to check back with Shu’s review and whether it is a film worth beating off to or just a one foreign hot mess!
Run Time: 102 Minutes In English Color
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.66:1 Region One Dolby Digital Mono
Director: Gustav Wiklund
Stars: Christina Lindberg, Solveig Andersson
Production year: 1975
Christina Lindberg and Solveig Andersson met before in the violent cult-classic Thriller: A Cruel Picture and Swedish Wildcats. They meet yet again in Wide Open, Lindberg’s last starring role in a feature film! Taxi driver Paul and his beautiful journalist girlfriend Marianne have a strained relationship. Things get crazy when Paul brings his drunken father back to their apartment. As tensions between the two lovebirds rise, they decide to chill out at a wild movie party and things go from bad to worse (for Marianne anyway) when they both wake up in bed together with Marianne’s sister, Beryl! Marianne leaves, so Paul decides to spend some time watching strippers and taking Beryl along for some nighttime fun. Everything is going great, until Beryl gets picked up by the evil Mr. X and things turn dangerous. A stolen mink coat, drugs, and violent sex games lead Paul and Beryl to confront Mr. X during the film’s perverse stag party climax!
Chock full of nudity and sex, Wide Open is a must for all fans of sexy Swedish sin-ema!
Bonus features include: Trailers, Interview with Christina Lindberg and Director Gustav Wiklund, Photo Gallery
SOURCE: Impulse Pictures
CAV Distro and SYNAPSE FILMS bring us THE SWEET LIFE!
Director: Rocco Simonelli
Stars: James Lorinz, Barbara Sicuranza, Joan Jett
Sensitive but unsuccessful New York magazine columnist Michael (James Lorinz, King of New York, Frankenhooker) looks on with hopeless envy as his self-confident, shallow brother Frankie catches all the women, makes all the money and never feels a pang of remorse at his amoral behavior. Enter Lila (Barbara Sicuranza, Anamorph), a tough, sexy bartender. Initially Frankie’s got her, and Michael gets fixed up with her biker chick roommate (Joan Jett, of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts). Then, through a twist of fate, Michael finds himself vying with Frankie for Lila’s affections, and the results are both riotously funny and touching. Filmmakers Roy Frumkes and Rocco Simonelli (writers of the cult hit The Substitute) have created a romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedies!
Bonus Features include Audio Commentary, Deleted & Extended Scenes, Outtakes, Theatrical Trailer.
If one would like to learn more about director/screenwriter Rocco Simonelli or view a TRAILER for The Sweet Life, please go to his website http://www.roccosimonelli.com/
I loved James Lorinz in Street Trash and Frankenhooker and can’t wait to see him in this. I hope his character has its usual biting sarcasm! Throw Joan Jett into the mix and who knows what we are in store for! LOOK FOR A REVIEW ON SHU-IZMZ!
