Synopsis: “Where the Dead Go To Die” revolves around a troubled group of children living on the same block. They are haunted by a talking dog named Labby who brings them on surreal hell-rides between different dimensions and time periods. On the night of a lunar eclipse he informs Tommy about the devil fetus living inside his mother. The same night he attempts to help Ralph court the girl across the street, who is an unwilling participant in her father’s child porn tape trading ring. Add in a memory stealing junkie living inside an abandoned church and you have 93 minutes of pure mind melting insanity!

Look for the release some time in FEBRUARY 2012.

OFFICIAL SITE: WTDGTD

This is my first live theater review; so don’t be angry with me if I write this review in an unorthodox manner, or any other kind of manner. I decided to go to the WildClaw Theater’s presentation of Scott T. Barsotti’s KILL ME, directed by Jeff Christian. Ironically, the play (which is a story on suicide and had loads of horror elements and imagery within the performance) was located at the Athenaeum Theatre at 2936 N. Southport, nestled in right next to a church. Quick history lesson: The theater opened in 1911 as part of the campus of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. The theater was conceived as a “neighborhood playhouse”, by the original German-American parish and the theater is a historic building and the oldest continuously operating in off-Loop theater in Chicago.

Granted, it was really weird to be in a building that was right next to a Catholic church and that resembled the private Catholic school I attended for four years (even though I was and am not Catholic or practicing any other Faith, for that matter) as a young boy.

The play, KILL ME, stars Sasha Gioppo as Cam, a girl that has awoken from a post-traumatic coma and is convinced that she is incapable of dying. The play focuses on the dynamics of Cam and her loved ones dealing with Cam’s trauma, her recovery, and coping with the idea that Cam is trying to prove to everyone that she is incapable of dying and continually trying to kill herself at any given moment.

Cam (Sasha Gioppo)

Casey Cunningham plays Wendy, Cam’s (Gioppo) sister and also a shrink. Cam is the more immature and carefree of the two sisters, while Wendy is very straight-laced and stuck up about her place and role in society; evaluating and psychoanalyzing everyone and forcing her diagnosis on everyone and their situations. I am pretty sure everyone knows at least one person fitting that description.

Grace (Michaela Petro), Cam (Sasha Gioppo), and Wendy (Casey Cunningham)

Grace, on the other hand, is Cam’s lover. While watching the play, I actually thought thatthey were BOTH her sisters. I guess I missed the subtle hints about Cam commenting on Grace’s “rack” (Grace, played by Michaela Petro, had larger than average breasts and the vest she wore kind of showcased that fact during the performance). Now, after realizing that Grace was Cam’s lover, I am kind of pissed that there was not a nude scene involving some lesbian-on-lesbian hot action! For the record, Cam is very easy on the eyes and has some very beautiful features including sparkling eyes and toned legs (I noticed this because she wore a loose skirt/dress during the play and quite a few times the skirt rode up upon her legs in a very erotic manner). Not to be superficial, but having an attractive cast as KILL ME had makes viewing three women in a dialogue driven performance much more enjoyable. Save the ugly portions of the play for any monsters or cretins that may come into the story!

Cam (Sasha Gioppo) shadowed by Angst (Jude Roche)

One aspect of the play that I particularly was impressed with, aside from the flawless presentation I was privy to, was the amount of dialogue that each actress had to memorize and deliver without any errors—at least none to my knowledge. I also really enjoyed how the dialogue was volleyed back and forth, almost as if watching a game of keep away or the Harlem Globetrotters keeping the basketball away from the opposing team (The Generals, I believe) in a volleying of words and sentences completed by one actress to another. It made for an exciting way to spice up an otherwise very wordy and dialogue-driven play. I give high props to Gioppo, Cunningham, and Petro. Each actress seemed to have on-stage chemistry and flow with each other, like they were in tune with each other’s lines and cues, delivering them without error.

I think that if the quality of the actresses and the external stimuli were not present, I would have nodded off (as I sometimes do in movie theaters when a film is particularly slow). The external stimuli being the characters Paranoia (R. Christopher Maxwell), Dread (Ele Matelan), Angst (Jude Roche), and Despair (Matt Kahler) who acted as key feelings of her psyche. The make-up and costumes for each of the characters was pretty solid. Credit goes out to Artistic Director Aly Renee Amidei (a WildClaw Theater Company Member) whom I believe was responsible for the costume and make-up designs. There was certain flair to each costume that reminded me of watching a Clive Barker film, such as Hellraiser or Nightbreed, as well as a subtle pinch of S&M fashion (which many if not all of Clive Barker’s books and film adaptations generally contain). I thought this aspect especially worked in the play’s favor, keeping things in tune with the whole theme and subject of suicide and self-inflicted pain. I especially liked the character Angst (Jude Roche) and his costume, which really wasn’t that much as he was shirtless wearing black latex pants and tall black boots of a Gothic/Industrial nature. The guy totally reminded me of Paul Bettany in Legion (2009) as the angel in the cover art to the movie. Although, now that I think about it more closely, the costume in the play had no wings to it and Jude Roche was quite taller, as well as much more muscular and built. He also was bald. Still, that image was stuck in my head throughout the whole play.

The play had some really unique and interesting sound effects, as well some creepy music, used in it for atmosphere and quite possibly to keep sleepy critics awake throughout the whole performance. Granted, the play was only 70 minutes in duration and I did not dose off once, transitioning from scenes of heavy dialogue to unexpected loud blasts of sound effects and electronic music/noise keeps viewers alert and on their toes.

If one thinks lights and set design are the only aspects of horror used on the stage during the play, let us not forget this is a play about suicide and where would the story be if there were not any suicides occurring, or nearly occurring, in this play. A couple of scenes that may not be deemed for the faint of heart are two particular scenes in which our lead character Cam self-inflicts some cutting of her own flesh, including some ingesting of flesh. I saw a head or two look away during one particular scene where a knife cuts into the actresses flesh (done with convincing makeup and effects, mind you) and it does the job effectively. In another scene, a knife is plunged through the chest. In this last scene, I truly felt that there would be some breasts bared, but to my disappointment none were liberated.

My major grievance with the play comes down to the lightening. At times, I felt that the lighting was not ample enough, as if the director did not want its attractive actresses faces to be revealed. Sometimes facial expressions were lost because the light was somewhat dim in certain parts of the play. Also, I felt the blinding blast of bright lighthouse bulbs could have been omitted from use. There was one single moment that I thought I was going to be vaporized by a giant laser beam of white energy. It was aimed directly at the audience and there was no escape from it. I believe it could have seeped through any cracks in the building and been seen cities over. I dub thee light, “Shadowkiller”.

To be fair to my readers, I generally find most plays tedious and full of hot air. I go to movies because I like them and a fair amount of the movies I generally enjoy are violent, raunchy, full of nudity and obsessive gore. KILL ME had none of this. What it did have was a pretty intelligent story written and acted out by some very good actresses. It had some sex appeal to it, mostly in a few key scenes involving the “feeling monsters” from Hell, but other than near caresses or impending gropes, the play kept things tame on the sexual end. I was saddened that upon learning that Cam and Grace were an item that there was no scenes of nudity and no lesbian girl-on-girl action. Had there been, I would be in at each and every showing, front and center. Oh wait, I already mentioned that earlier in the review, didn’t I?!

I recommend going to see KILL ME during its run in Chicago (Feb 13- Mar 18) at the Athenaeum Theatre. Tickets are $20-$25, with student discounts available.

Box Office 773-935-6860

2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

For more information, please visit www.wildclawtheatre.com.

Independent horror filmmaker Geno McGahee just posted his 2nd trailer for his upcoming film SCARY TALES. If one recalls, I really enjoyed FAMILY SECRET (another film he directed). Check out the trailer and keep your eyes peeled for a review of the finished film when it comes out!

It is that time of the year. The prestigious Academy Awards is almost upon us. Some film geeks (like me) love all forms and types of cinema. Whether it be the low budget, violent, gore fests that rarely see the light of day from any mainstream website or publication or the big-budgeted Hollywood film productions that have millions of dollars thrown into them—I really love them all and appreciate them all. I have always felt that the stories crafted in Hollywood films from the earlier years were generally more enjoyable because emphasis was placed on the story, rather than special effects and whatnot.

All the movies on this dvd are OSCARS Nominees for “Best Picture” from the 1^st decade of the OSCARS inception, 1929-1939. Some say the name OSCARS was given its name from actress Bette Davis, who thought the gold-plated statuette resembled her husband, bandleader Harmon Oscar Nelson. The first OSCARS event was held on May 16, 1929 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (a trade organization conceived by MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer in 1927) and hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. DeMille at Hollywood’s Hotel Roosevelt and attended by just 270 people. After the Los Angeles Times got the winners’ and leaked it before the ceremony and thus ruining the surprise of the whole event, the Academy began utilizing a sealed envelope in 1941 to reveal the winners (ed.-this was one fact that I did not know!). The broadcast was aired live on radio beginning in 1932 and then moved to the television screen starting in 1953.

The movies up for “Best Picture” included in this 4-disc dvd set on Volume 1 includes THE RACKET (1928/84 min.), ALIBI (1929/91 min.), THE FRONT PAGE (1931/101 min) A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1932/89 min.), THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (1933/97 min.), A STAR IS BORN (1937/111 min.), PYGMALION (1938/89 min.) and LOVE AFFAIR (1939/88 min.).

Briefly, I will give a short and sweet mini-review on each of the aforementioned films due to their being eight films in the box set, as well as due to the fact that this box set served as a “history lesson” of sorts on Hollywood and some of its first actors and actresses in film, most of which were making their introductions to the world of film for me. Silent films and early Hollywood movies definitely is not my specialty, but it definitely was fun learning about them.

THE RACKET (1928)

Lets begin with THE RACKET, a silent film directed by Lewis Milestone (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT), was a somewhat hard viewing for me, most notably due to the fact that I sometimes have a tendency for dozing off due to the lack of film dialogue. The film revolved around a bunch of gangsters who are bootlegging booze and the honest cop trying to take them down. Of course, corrupt politicians and judges keep interfering with Police Captain James McQuigg’s (Thomas Meigan) attempts to nab ringleader Nick Scarsi (Louis Wolheim) from his nefarious wrongdoings.

The film works as a very nice piece of crime/film noir cinema. I guess film noir may not exactly apply, as I don’t recall many shots or scenes using shadows and camera light as the term generally applies to. Film noir is one of those cinema terms that I have a hard time applying to correctly to the proper film. Mise-en-scene falls into that category for me, too.

I thought actor Wolheim was perfectly cast as the bad guy, his big chin and slanted nose fitting the character perfectly. I think he would play a good boxer also. As far as silent films go, I felt a bit of nostalgia while watching the film because, after all, I was born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs all my life and just kept thinking of Al Capone. The film’s quality could have been better, but the film is from 1928 so I believe this is as good as it is going to get (in regards to print quality). I was surprised that the film was 84 min. in duration. I thought it would be much shorter for a silent film from that time period.

ALIBI (1929)

The next film I watched was ALIBI, a film that was not silent but suffered from terrible audio. I had the volume up really high just so I could understand what the hell everyone was saying. There were a lot of dips and lulls in the audio and unfortunately subtitles did not accompany any of the films. The company that put these films out is Hollywood Select Video, along with Infinity Entertainment Group, and HSV does not always have the best prints or transfers of films in existence. On the other hand, some of the companies that have the “cleaned-up versions” of the films, retail for a much higher price (I believe a few of these films Criterion gave the royal treatment to).

ALIBI was one of the weaker films in this box set. Frankly, I felt the film was fairly dull. Directed by Roland West, the film is (again) about a Prohibition gangster, Chick Williams (Chester Morris) has just gotten out of prison and has rejoined his gang. He also has started dating a beautiful woman, Joan Manning Williams (Eleanor Griffith), who just so happens to be a policeman’s daughter. During a robbery that Chick Williams is involved in, a policeman is murdered during the getaway and Williams is the prime suspect. Chick Williams does have an alibi that involves Joan Manning because they were out at a theater play when the robbery occurred and have the ticket stubs to show for it (although the robbery occurred during the play’s intermission).

Much of this film is focused on scenes of dialogue that tend to drag on (mainly because I strained to hear and understand what was being said) and there were scenes that I wished had a bit more action in. Sometimes it was hard keeping up with what characters were who. Again, super early films are not my favorites.

The lack of quality in this print is responsible for much of my complaints about the film. It is hard to enjoy a film that is filled with some many print flaws. The main flaw of the transfer was the horrible audio and the shoddy-looking print.

THE FRONT PAGE (1931)

 The story about a reporter, Hildy Johnson (Pat O’Brien), getting engaged to Peggy Grant (Mary Brian) and moving to New York for a higher paying advertising job was amusing, really driven by the performance of O’Brien, known in Hollywood at the time as Hollywood’s Irishman in Residence, whose on-screen charisma flowed about on the screen. The story is thrown a twist when Earl Williams (George E. Stone) is waiting be hung. It is a story every reporter wishes to get the scoop on. Johnson decides to use the money him and his wife have saved up for their honeymoon to payoff an insider on the details of the escape involving Earl Williams. As luck would have it, Johnson then happens to run into the guy who has no clue what his plan is or where to go. Johnson hides Williams in a roll-up desk in the press office.

Directed by Lewis Milestone, director of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, and OCEAN’S ELEVEN; I felt that movie would have been quite a bit better. It was one of his earlier films but I was just expecting more. The movie held my attention, buy only slightly. I did enjoy the performance of O’Brien and the chemistry between Mary Brian and him. What interested me most was watching Adolphe Menjou as O’Brien’s boss whom I really enjoyed watching in Disney’s POLLYANNA, one of his last performances in a film. He really does a fine job as a character actor. After watching this film, I hope to check out more of Menjou’s films in larger roles and longer performances.

As for the quality of THE FRONT PAGE, it was not the greatest, but better than some prints I have seen in the past. The only annoying aspect of all the prints is that Hollywood Select Video has their logo shown in the bottom right-hand corner of every movie they have put out. I have seen other films from them and I really wish they would not do this. If it were a screener copy, I could understand. Other than that annoying aspect, the movie itself was a decent watch.

A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1932)

A love story that takes place during World War I involving an American officer falling in love with a British nurse. Most of the film centers on the chemistry and relationship Lt. Frederic Henry (Gary Cooper) and Catherine Barkley (Helen Hayes) have. Once again, Adolph Menjou plays a great character as Major Rinaldi, good friends with Henry but also jealous that Catherine falls for Henry instead of himself. Rinaldi’s jealousy goes so far as to using his rank in the army to get Henry reassigned somewhere else away from Catherine.

This film is a total chick flick for the 1930’s. Since it was placed during the time period of WWI, I thought there may have been some cool war scenes or soldiers getting shot or blown up, but the war footage was minimal. I did, however, really enjoy the scenes of dialogue between Menjou and Cooper. The two played off each other fabulously. I really enjoyed Menjou’s performance.

The film was directed by Frank Borzage, the first person ever to win the Academy Award for “Best Director”, and it probably has to be one of the saddest love stories that I have seen in some time. It definitely has many “Oscar moments” in it. Again, the quality of the print could be quite a bit better. I am interested in seeing the remake from 1957 starring Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones. If one is looking for a better quality print, I believe there is a Kino Classics edition on Blu-ray and DVD if one really enjoys the film.

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (1933)

 THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII is a film about King Henry VIII and the five wives he got married to after marrying his first wife. Sadly, many (if not all of them) had their heads chopped off when he decided they were not working out or they were not faithful to him. The film takes place entirely inside the royal castle and if not for Charles Laughton and his incredible performance, I probably would have been bored silly. The film begins just before the death of his 2^nd wife, Anne Boleyn, and ends after his sixth wedding. Suffice to say, Henry VIII sure was a damn picky man. If anyone has been married or even engaged to a woman, they probably know that any type of marriage is going to take some work and no woman is ever really perfect (as no man is either!). A union of two individuals takes work, but I guess being the King of England entitles you to doing whatever the hell you want and getting rid of wives that do not please you to a tee.

The film is presented to viewers in a humorous light, but in real life, I really do pity any of the wives of Henry VIII because some were accused of adultery (in the case of Anne Boleyn because Henry wanted to marry his mistress) or actually were committing adultery. Some were arranged marriages and some were just women who convinced Henry that they could please him.

The film is a pleasure to watch and of all the Oscar contenders in this box set, I believe this British film was the finest and I got the most enjoyment out of. This film was also the first non-US film to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

A STAR IS BORN (1937)

 Director William A. Wellman (THE PUBLIC ENEMY) crafts a tragic story whose main character, Norman Maine (Fredric March), was based on several real actors, including John Barrymore, John Gilbert, and John Bowers, who drowned off Malibu during the film’s production. The chemistry between March and Janet Gaynor who plays a young and attractive aspiring actress who travels to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a big movie star, Esther Victoria Blodgett a.k.a. Vicki Lester is undeniably entertaining. I really have a fondness for films that take place during the early years of Hollywood. The films seem to possess a bit of magic and are much more entertaining than many of the modern-day blockbuster films of Hollywood, where focus on scripts, dialogue, and characters in films seems to be lacking more often than not.

The film follows a once “A-list” actor, Norman Maine, on his downward spiral from fame and fortune due to alcoholism and reckless behavior within the industry. Maine meets Victoria Blodgett and gets her a few small roles in some films he is in and then gets her signed to a contract. She ends up stealing the show in the first major role she is in and her career takes off. Maine can’t get any roles and Blodgett, her screen name now Vicki Lester can’t keep up with all the scripts coming her way.

The film is a great story, partially based on several actors in Hollywood with some similarities to their lives, and was a great film. I really enjoyed all the actors and actresses performances and one of my favorites, Adolphe Menjou, plays the part of Maine and Lester’s agent, Oliver Niles. I highly recommend this film to anyone who has an interest in Hollywood’s history from back in the day.

PYGMALION (1938)

 PYGMALION was a film that I thought was decent, but did not fall in love with. In Greek mythology, the sculptor Pygmalion fell in love with a statue he had carved. Pygmalion was a legendary figure of Cyprus and in one story Pygmalion asks for his sculpture to come to real life and when he kisses it, her lips become soft and warm. He then goes on to touch her breasts and they are no longer hard like stone. The wish is granted.

The PYGMALION from 1938 is based off of a play from George Bernard Shaw and it’s a different spin where a woman, Eliza Doolittle, is picked up from the low-income neighborhood she lives in and trained by a Victorian dialect expert to learn proper English and pass off as an upper class lady with impeccable manners for a bet. The film  was directed by Anthony Asquith and Leslie Howard.

The film has a good story; one reworked and retold countless times in films of all kinds in many different ways, but PYGMALION is probably one of the first, if not the first film to come out to tell the Greek story and playwright, adapting it to the big screen. I feel like the rags to riches type of story that PYGMALION falls into the category of is always a tale that enjoyable to watch, if not overused in films. Since this film came out in 1938, and has a slightly different spin on the Greek Myth and story of Pygmalion, I think it earns a few marks higher than any of the films following it. Leslie Howard as Professor Henry Higgins the dialect coach and Wendy Hiller as Eliza Doolittle, the poor girl turned upper class socialite gave extremely compelling performances and were quite entertaining. It is nice to watch a film that doesn’t rely on fancy special effects and just a solid story with solid acting to entertain one. I guess back in the ‘30s that is all a filmmaker had in his or her bag of tricks.

LOVE AFFAIR (1939)

 This is probably one of the best of the original “chick flicks” and romantic dramas ever to grace the screen. The film has such a rich and beautiful story that LOVE AFFAIR was remade in 1957 under the title AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and again in 1994 under the title LOVE AFFAIR starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening (although quite a few sources cite it being a remake of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER even though both stories are almost identical to 1930’s LOVE AFFAIR).

The story centers around two individuals, Terry (Irene Dunne) and Michel (Charles Boyer), both on the same cruise who cross paths and start to fall in love with each other. Both have significant others but can’t resist the time and tender moments spent with each other on this cruise ship. When the cruise ends and both have to go back to their lives (boyfriend/fiancée) and reality, they agree to meet on a designated date and time at the top of the Empire State building in New York City.

Not a big fan of love stories or “chick flicks”, I really fell in love with this story and its strong message of true love. Performances and chemistry between Dunne and Boyer was magical on the screen and near perfect. Oddly enough, I really want to see the two remakes, especially the 1994 version to see how a different director and cast treat the story. Director Leo McCarey (BELLS OF ST. MARY’S) also directed the 1957 remake, just with a different cast and more modern setting but with the same writers credited for the story.

As I mentioned earlier, the prints were so-so, some better looking and sounding than others, but the newer the film was the better the quality of the print. THE ACADEMY COLLECTION: The Envelope Please, Volume 1 is a nice introduction to viewing some of the OSCARS first “Best Picture” contenders, as well as seeing some very fine pictures. With all the movies adding up to a running time of over 13 hours, compiled on 4 discs, with Bonus Material consisting of Original Trailers from other “Best Picture” nominated/winning films of the decade. The films are presented in full-screen with an aspect ration of 4×3 and original sound.

BUY HERE

I remember as a young, pimply metalhead/skater punk geek riding up to the local comicbook shop in the ‘burbs and perusing through the shelves of pulpy awesomeness and one particular comicbook catching my eye: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL COMICS. I thought the idea of fusing bios from my favorite metal and hard rock bands with artwork in a comicbook format was the greatest thing since hairy bush!

I bought issues from my favorite bands, including Metallica (before they sucked!), Anthrax, Ozzy Osbourne, and AC/DC. Then, a couple of years ago I had the great fortune to actually meet one of the artists who worked on the comics, Scott Jackson, at a friend’s apartment because he was doing some movie cover artwork for their indie horror film. I had so much fun picking his brain about his days working on the comicbooks. I don’t remember if he mentioned this documentary of sorts coming out or not, but here it is. So check out the trailer. If I am lucky, I will be able to score a screener to review and let everyone know if this doc is any good or not. For now, enjoy the trailer.\M/

TRAILER LINK

 

WORST IN SHOW  is one of those documentaries that works so well no matter if one gives a flying fuck about dogs, or pets of any kind, for that matter. I, myself, think dogs are cool but would only have one if it didn’t act like a dog because I have a hard enough time cleaning up after my own mess let alone a dog’s. Why does this documentary work so well? It works so well because even though the dogs are the stars of this film they really aren’t. They aren’t the stars because they can’t talk; they don’t do anything in the documentary but sit there in their owner’s arms or laps. The stars of this film are the owners and I only say that because their personalities are so strong—some of them strong in a very bad way (or simply hilarious way!).

Sometimes I can be harsh and say things that others believe will land me in eternal damnation or some other sort of Hell. Well, whether one believes in Heaven or Hell is beside the point because WORST IN SHOW showcases some of the biggest losers I have ever seen on dvd before. I do not mean that in the nicest context possible. I mean that as an insult and the only plus to this statement on these individuals is the fact that their loser title (given to them by yours truly) amuses the shit out of me. These dorks are so entertaining in their mannerisms, their devotion to their pets, their almost sleazy pathetic actions to milk the fame from their pets for all its worth. I don’t think one can get any lower than using their dog as their way to fame and fortune. Well, maybe no one is getting any fortune anytime soon, but a few of these owners certainly are getting in the spotlight more than they could ever imagine if not for the help of their ugly-ass dog.

That being said, let us break apart WORST IN SHOW and see what components to this documentary about the world’s ugliest dog competition in Petaluma, CA make it a winner…. or just a total loser.

The film focuses on three particular dogs and their owners: Rascal (the veteran), Icky (the rookie), and Pabst (the underdog). The dogs are not very good looking, some far uglier than others, but I was only somewhat interested in the dogs. I was far more interested in the owners and their quirky personalities. Specifically, the owner of Rascal (whom I won’t mention by name for fear of some sort of reprisal or backlash) has to be the biggest retard on the planet. I don’t use the word retard to put down those that have been fraught with developmental disabilities that are beyond their control but I use it to describe an individual that has no mental impairments and STILL manages to appear to lack any sort of social, mental, or academic grace whatsoever. The owner of Rascal is neurotic, delusional, and clueless about everything. The man acts as a PR wrecking ball trying to pimp his dog in every way possible and attend every event that may publicize his ugly mutt. The man is a spotlight whore. He adores publicity. He adores it in a sickening and annoying sort of way. Frankly, I wanted to take his dog and kidnap it and have his reaction recorded so I could laugh at it every day.

I watched WORST IN SHOW waiting to see what stupid words came out of Rascal’s owner’s mouth…and boy did they ever come. Every single moment this idiot was interviewed he was oozing with selfish pride in a gloating manner. It really sickened me. Then it angered me. Then it just amused me. It amused me because the whole documentary (only running about an hour in length) was created in a format that really showcased some of the ridiculous nature of the whole subject matter.  If you think about it, what can be more absurd then a young adult or middle aged individual spending all, if not most of their spare time trying in vain to make their dog famous for being the ugliest dog on the planet? It is kind of like being famous for nothing. Those dogs are gaining notoriety for just being born a certain way. Being born an ugly freak and these ugly dog contests are really exploitative in nature. Can one imagine if there was a contest in which humans entered where one wins an award or prize for having the ugliest disfigurement or facial features? Oh no, there would be absolute outrage if this contest existed. Society can have a beauty contest but not an ugly contest.

The documentary is very entertaining. It digs deep into the dynamics, aesthetics, and minute details of the whole contest. Interviews are conducted with several contestants to the upcoming contest, as well as past winners and owners of ugly dogs. I enjoyed how the directors, John Beck and Don R. Lewis, set up the film to focus on several contestants and “famous” ugly dogs who all are entered into the upcoming contest. The film gives us the result of the winner, as well as a little bit of “where are they now?” tidbits following the epic finale.

I watched this documentary for the same reasons that I watch an episode of Hoarders or one of those shows that follows an individual with some sort of O.C.D.—to see what tragedy will occur next. I guess for WORST IN SHOW I watched it primarily to see what Rascal’s owner would do next. Of particular interest was the rivalry occurring between Rascal’s owner and Pabst’s owner. I was hoping for a “Celebrity Death Match” sort of battle at the end, but no such luck.

In the end, every dog has its day—even the ugly ones.

ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMS IN HISTORY FINALLY ARRIVES!

BATTLE ROYALE

Available for the first time in North America on Blu-ray™, DVD and digital download on March 20^th from Anchor Bay Entertainment

Beverly Hills, CA – Battle Royale.  A title that has shocked, thrilled and unnerved audiences.  A film whose fiendishly simple premise has inspired many imitations, including the upcoming The Hunger Games motion picture. Based on the 1999 global best-seller by Koushun Takami, the futuristic tale first came to the screen in 2000, directed by the legendary Kinju Fukasaku. Authors, filmmakers and film fans the world over consider the film and its 2003 sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem sacred cinematic classics.  And now, fans can own them on high-definition Blu-ray™ and DVD!

On March 20th, Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly brings the Battle Royale: The Complete Collection to Blu-ray™ and DVD for the first time in North America. Featuring state-of-the-art HD transfers, hi-res audio and a wealth of bonus features that delve deep into this truly international phenomenon – the three disc Blu-ray™ plus bonus DVD set has an SRP of $49.99 and an SRP $44.98 for the four disc DVD.  Battle Royale will also be released separately on Blu-ray™ for an SRP of $29.99 and DVD for an SRP of $24.98.  Pre-Book on both is February 22.  Battle Royale will be available digitally via select outlets including iTunes^® and Xbox LIVE^®.

42 students, Three days, One survivor – No Escape.  Welcome to the world of Battle Royale!

Battle Royale

In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of their nation’s youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law:  Each year, a 9^th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Chiaki Kuriyama (Kill Bill) and screen legend Takeshi Kitano (Boiling Point, Brother) star in the movie that has been argued, acclaimed and banned around the world. More than a decade later, it remains one of the most savage, shocking and emotionally powerful films of all time. Now experience the complete Director’s Cut of Kinji Fukasaku’s uncompromising masterpiece – nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards^® – available uncensored and unrated for the first time ever in America.

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection

In 2000, director Kinji Fukasaku unleashed Battle Royale, his violently poetic epic about an innocent group of Junior High students forced by the government to hunt and kill their classmates for sport. It was nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards^®, launched a global phenomenon, and banned from screens by frightened civic groups and distributors across America. Three years later, the equally disturbing sequel – featuring a new class, new rules, and a brutal terrorist plot by the first film’s young survivors – triggered its own tragic firestorm around the world. Now for the first time ever, you can see it all: Experience the entire Battle Royale saga on 4 discs that forever blasts open one of the most potent, shocking and savagely influential sagas in motion picture history.

Battle Royale: The Complete Collection’s four disc set in collectible high-end packaging will include:

• Battle Royale Director’s Cut with both Japanese and English language tracks and English subtitles
• Battle Royale Theatrical Cut with both Japanese language tracks and English subtitles
• Battle Royale II with Japanese language and English subtitles
• Battle Royale Bonus Content with Japanese language and English subtitles

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• The Making Of BATTLE ROYALE
• BATTLE ROYALE Press Conference
• Instructional Video: Birthday Version
• Audition & Rehearsal Footage
• Special Effects Comparison Featurette
• Tokyo International Film Festival 2000
• Battle Royale Documentary
• Basketball Scene Rehearsals
• Behind-The-Scenes Featurette
• Filming On-Set
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Special Edition TV Spot
• TV Spot: Tarantino Version

The Battle Royale release will include:

• Director’s Cut with Japanese and English language and English subtitles

With impeccable direction by three-time ‘Director of the year’ Kinji Fukasaku, and featuring high-quality acting performances from every angle, Battle Royale: The Complete Collection is as cunning as it is ruthless, offering a unique and brutal depiction of what people are capable of when imminent death is everywhere you look.

About Anchor Bay Entertainment:

Anchor Bay Entertainment is the home entertainment division of Starz Media, LLC. It includes the Anchor Bay Films and Manga Entertainment brands. It distributes feature films, children’s entertainment, fitness, TV series, documentaries, anime and other filmed entertainment on Blu-ray™ and DVD formats. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LMCA).

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BATTLE ROYALE: The Complete Collection Blu-ray (3 disc plus bonus DVD)

Genre:                         Action/Drama, Thriller

Street Date:                 March 20, 2012

Pre-book:                     February 22, 2012

SRP:                            $49.99

Cat #:                          BD24401

UPC:                           0 1313 24401-9 4

Disc 1 – Battle Royale Director’s Cut:

Run Time:                   122 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                       Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                         apanese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 2 – Battle Royale Theatrical Cut:

Run Time:                   113 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                         apanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 3 – Battle Royale II: Requiem

Run Time:                   133 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                        Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 4 – Battle Royale Special Features DVD:

Run Time:                   194 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                       Full-Frame (1.33:1)

Audio:                        Japanese Dolby Surround 2.0

Subtitles:                     English

BATTLE ROYALE: The Complete Collection DVD (4 disc)

Genre:                         Action/Drama, Thriller

Street Date:                 March 20, 2012

Pre-book:                    February 22, 2012

SRP:                            $44.98

Cat #:                          DV24566

UPC:                           0 1313 24566-9 0

Disc 1 – Battle Royale Director’s Cut:

Run Time:                   122 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                        Japanese and English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 2 – Battle Royale Theatrical Cut:

Run Time:                   113 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                        Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 3 – Battle Royale II: Requiem:

Run Time:                   133 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                        Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Disc 4 – Battle Royale Special Features:

Run Time:                   194 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

Format:                      Full-Frame (1.33:1)

Audio:                        Japanese Dolby Surround 2.0

Subtitles:                     English

BATTLE ROYALE Director’s Cut Blu-ray

Genre:                         Action/Drama, Thriller

Street Date:                 March 20, 2012

Pre-book:                   February 22, 2012

Cat. #:                         BD23767

UPC:                          0 1313 23767-9 0

Run Time:                   122 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

SRP:                            $29.99

Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                         Japanese Dolby TrueHD 7.1 and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

BATTLE ROYALE Director’s Cut DVD

Genre:                         Action/Drama, Thriller

Street Date:                 March 20, 2012

Pre-book:                     February 22, 2012

Cat. #:                         DV23762

UPC:                           0 1313 23762-9 5

Run Time:                   122 minutes

Rating:                        Not Rated

SRP:                            $24.98

Format:                        Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Audio:                         Japanese and English Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:                     English

Also, BATTLE ROYALE will be hitting the big screen in a very limited run at select theaters.

Participating Venues

SOURCE: ANCHOR BAY

SYNAPSE FILMS UPDATE!

DON MAY, JR, PRESIDENT OF SYNAPSE FILMS has gone back to the digital drawing board to remaster THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT properly. Synapse had hired an unnamed company to handle the transfer which unfortunately sent back unusable files—unusuable at least by a company of the caliber of Synapse Films. The entire film has been re-remastered for the best possible transfer and the best possible release. The full story, written by Don, is available here:

THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT TRANSFER

Synapse Films proudly presents THOU SHALT NOT KILL… EXCEPT in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer from the original negative.  Directed by Josh Becker, this “must see” (Detroit Free Press) cult classic features many of the creative personnel responsible for THE EVIL DEAD, including co-writer Bruce Campbell, writer/producer Scott Spiegel (INTRUDER), composer Joseph LoDuca, and actor Ted Raimi. The new release date is APRIL 10, 2012.

SYNAPSE FILMS nominated in the 10th Annual Rondo Hatton Awards!

Synapse Films release of the third part of Coffin Joe’s trilogy, EMBODIMENT OF EVIL, has been nominated for Best Classic DVD in the 10th Annual Rondo Hatton Awards!
The Rondos, as they’re affectionately known, nominate and award creative endeavors seeking to present and preserve classic horror in many forms from film presentation to illustration to articles on classic horror films. We are honored to be mentioned among so many of our peers in the horror fields. Below you can see all of the nominees, which includes Synapse staffer Shade Rupe’s Dark Stars Rising for Book of the Year, and learn how to vote at this link below:

VOTE NOW! for the
10TH ANNUAL RONDO HATTON
AWARDS!

Synapse Films is nominated for

*BEST CLASSIC DVD*:
EMBODIMENT OF EVIL
Starring Coffin Joe!

And for your consideration
*BOOK OF THE YEAR*:
DARK STARS RISING

Thank you all for your vote, and your support!

Synapse Film

 Freestyle Motocross is one extreme sport that I know absolutely nothing about. Is it extreme? I think I would think it is classified in that genre. I mean, the X Games showcased it before, as well as Snowboarding, Skateboarding, and BMX Riding so I am calling it extreme. Hell, the dudes are riding these tiny motorized bicycles (because they sure as hell are not real motorcycles because they don’t make that roar or weight nearly as much) on a dirt track or hill flying up and down all over the place. Hell, it looks pretty fun and I can imagine it gives those doing a major rush and thrill.

Now that one has been given my brief, almost useless amount of information on the sport of Motocross I am going to talk about a documentary I just viewed about what seems to be one of Freestyle Motocross’ ultimate bad boys, Larry Linkogle. If one has never heard of Larry Linkogle, do not be alarmed. I had no idea who the dude was either, but I had heard of the gear and Motocross “group” he and some other like-minded individuals started, Metal Mulisha. Hell, I thought Metal Mulisha was a group for metalheads that listened to awesome music like Slayer, Exodus, Immortal, or Motorhead. I was so very wrong. Metal Mulisha was gear and apparel for Freestyle Motocross and they were the bad boys of the sport. They were the guys rebelling against the conformity of the sport of Motocross and taking it from racing around a track for speed and instead doing some badass tricks and wild shenanigans—all the while giving the mainstream section of Motocross a big fucking middle finger!

As the early history of Metal Mulisha and the beginning of extreme trick riding in Freestyle Motocross was told, through the use of tons of edited homemade video footage and professional clips accompanied by a solid hardcore punk soundtrack, I felt that this story was going to be a fun one to learn about. I also knew that, as with many young and successful sports “athletes”, a swift rise to fame and fortune can sometimes turn for the worst and this really was the case for Larry Linkogle and his camp. Some of the clips from interviews recorded he is calling riders with frost-tipped hairdos “faggots” and losers. The guy denounces the rednecks with mullets he claims make up a majority of Motocross riders (at the time of the statement and probably around the ‘90s) yet some of his hateful rhetoric and statements lead one to believe that at the time of the statements he was not much more open-minded or tolerant. Linkogle also seemed to focus more on having fun and partying then on practicing and riding his bike.

As the sport became larger and more mainstream (extreme Motocross, Free riding (riding all over natural terrain such as mountains and desert terrain), Linkogle again seemed to want to take the sport and turn it even more extreme and set it apart from the now glamorized that it became. It reminded me of when the sub-genre of Black Metal turned mainstream and everyone was throwing on corpse-paint and making some of the most atrocious “evil” noise they could think of recorded in ultra low-fi quality.

MIND OF THE DEMON does a nice job of mixing interviews and testimonials from fellow industry riders, friends, and family with a fun soundtrack and edited together nicely. None of the interviews are too lengthy to bore a viewer and the longer interviews are paired with cool footage. The documentary slowly shows the how one star in Motocross turns to alcohol, drug abuse, and dangerous habits and behavior to fuel his dangerous addictions. If anything, MIND OF THE DEMON makes a statement about the danger of doing drugs. Don’t do them unless you really want to see your life totally fucked up.

Larry Linkogle turned to crimes to feed their addiction. Guns came into play. The documentary, which I might mention is partially narrated by the great Lemmy Kilmister, frontman of the legendary metal band Motorhead, starts to turn towards an even darker side to this whole story. I honestly did not know if the outcome of this story was going to have a happy ending or not. It was like watching a really good fictitious film—except this story really happened.

The film, directed by Adam Barker, with testimonials and stories shared by Christian Fletcher, Trigger Gumm, Riki Rachtman, Jeremy McGrath, Travis Pastrana, and Duane Peters rolls along at a pretty good speed. I sometimes found some documentaries to drag on and bore me because there is a lack of edits, decent music, or riveting stories being told. The key to a good documentary is a variety of shots, footage, and music. Don’t do the same thing too long or for too many times. Keep things spicy and moving along, baby!

Suicidal Tendencies, Motorhead, Circle Jerks, Black Flagg and Boy Sets Fire were just some of the punk and metal bands featured on the film’s soundtrack. I really thought the killer soundtrack added to my satisfaction and enjoyment of the film. The track used to start off the film and the title credits was “After the Eulogy” by Boy Sets Fire, my all-time favorite song by them. At this point, I could not hate the film because it already had gotten some high marks just for starting off the movie with BSF!

I am reviewing a screener of this film, so I can’t say anything on the special features of the retail dvd, but here is what is offered on the disc:

-Short Horror film starring Larry Linkogle, “A Slaughter House, an Old Man and a Bloodthirsty Robot”

-Behind the Scenes: Making of the Score w/ Mike Clark (Suicidal Tendencies), Greg Hetson (Bad Relgion), Jason Hill (Louis XIV) and Mark Leone

-Riding Highlights and Slams of Larry Linkogle

In the end, I learned a great deal about the history of a sport I knew “jack” about. I also had a positive message driven into me, one that never gets old, and never will until every last human being on the planet stops abusing drugs and alcohol. When drug and alcohol addiction overtakes one life, it is a scary and deadly thing have happen to one and the story Larry Linkogle and his friends/peers share with viewers is one worth listening to. The film, from Shoreline Entertainment and distributed through Breaking Glass Pictures, was voted “Best International Documentary” at the Bel Air Film Festival and “Best Documentary” at Slamdance and deservedly so. Hunt down this movie.

I am anxious to view THE WOMAN IN BLACK. I still have not seen LET ME IN nor THE RESIDENT, either. Any thoughts on Hammer Films reviving their old classics and rebooting them? Has Hammer Films caught the Hollywood remake/reboot virus?

SOURCE: Indiewire.com