Two high school students kill a woman and seemingly get away with it in this taut psychological thriller.
High school students Damien and Pierre are from wealthy families with nothing seemingly in their lives to leave them disturbed. Yet they plan and carry out the murder of an unknown woman they have previously only spotted on the street. The police are at a loss, confused by this murder without motive. Zoé, an optician in the neighborhood, who is feeling more and more moved by this inexplicable murder, bumps into the teenage murderers by chance. But this chance fleeting encounter reveals inside her a growing and mysterious desire. Although scared (she could easily be a victim of Damien and Pierre), her erotic attraction for the duo goes beyond that. It gives her a chance to find a way out of the loveless rut that her life has ended up in. While Damien and Pierre, thinking no one will catch them, embark on a journey deep within their pasts. Inspired from a real life story of mindless and seemingly meaningless crime, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" and from the scandalous Leopold and Loeb case from the 1920s, this thoughtful psychological thriller will enthrall viewers.
Director - Richard Mogg (Teenage Slumber Party Nightmare, Easter Bunny Bloodbath)
Starring - Kirk Munaweera (Frames of Fear), Kevin Paynter (Massage Parlor of Death), and Lauren Richardson (Teenage Slumber Party Nightmare)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "Hairy and hungry"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Sometimes there is a difference between being entertaining and being good. I don't mean that to be disrespectful but sometimes a movie is just bad but still entertains. I hate to use the term so bad it's good but that is about the best way to sum it up. Most of the time when someone says the movie is so bad its good they are referring to a movie that was horrible in every sense of the word but the viewer still had a great time. These movies were made with every hope and dream of being good but were way off their mark. However, sometimes a movie was made bad on purpose which is an entirely different experience. Recently, I reviewed two films from indie director Richard Mogg and we started talking where he revealed he was working on a new bigfoot film. Most of you know how I feel about cryptozoology so I inquired about it. He was kind enough to let me check it out. Thanks Richard!
The film begins with a young woman and her boyfriend out in the woods having a picnic when they step away to have a piss break. When she goes looking for her boyfriend she finds bigfoot standing over his corpse. He is spooked by her arrival and flees. We then meet the local sheriff who is trying to get a team together to hunt the beast who is approached by a detective with a lot of bigfoot knowledge and a score to settle. Also in the woods looking for the beast is a former child star who is now an adult and having a hard time finding work. He plans on recording himself fighting bigfoot in a last ditch effort to rekindle his career. Along for the ride is a news anchor trying to uncover the story as it unfolds. What they don't know is that bigfoot is hungry and they all look tasty. I first came across Mogg and his work several years back when I discovered Easter Bunny Bloodbath. The film was a throwback to the holiday slashers of old but had a charm about it. A no budget comical charm. The second film I saw of Mogg's was Teenage Slumber Party Nightmare which was another throwback to the slumber party slashers of the mid to late 80s. I followed that up with Frames of Fear in which he had a segment. Once again that segment was a throwback to the late 80s S.O.V. slashers. I've come to realize that Mogg loves slashers and, big and, his films are very unique. Almost Ed Wood like. They are flawed and far from perfect but god damn you can't deny how fun they are. He should have his own sub-genre in horror. When Mogg mentioned he was working on another film I just assumed it was another slasher. I was wrong. Bigfoot Ate my Boyfriend embodies a lot of the charm that I like about Mogg's previous films but dials up the insanity to 11. The acting in this one is rough for the most part. That is something I have come to expect from a Rick Moe flick. The cast has been in several films by this point so I am starting to think it is bad on purpose. This is confusing considering how amazing Kevin Paynter and his character is. The rest of the cast is awkward to watch but in a playful way. They are comically bad which is what makes me think this is on purpose. The story for this one is not that original but originality is not the point of this film. It's the delivery. The film gives us another monster movie that follows a group of people as they are stalked and killed by a creature in the woods. Similar to a slasher in the woods. What makes this one so fun is how flawed it is. The creature "kills" and "eats" his victims but hes actually not doing it. He attacks his victims and just brushes his hands over them until they falls down and pretends to scoop up parts to eat. When the other character come across the bodies they verbally say what is wrong with the body but it is far from the truth. Finally, those of you looking for blood and gore won't find any here but if you want some humor and cheese then this one is for you. The film lacks gore but does has a man in a cheap costume. Overall, Bigfoot Ate My Boyfriend is a ridiculous comedy that embraces it's flaws and delivers an entertaining experience. If you like crazy characters and oddball scenarios this movie may be for you. Just be warned...its a bad one!
Director - Mitch Dolan
Starring - Mitch Dolan
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Have you ever met someone, in person or virtually, and wonder where they have been your whole life? I want to say something cute and wonderful about this is what I thought when I first met my wife and how my whole world changed when I met her but I'm not. When I say this I'm referring to Mitch Dolan. I have no fucking clue who Mitch Dolan is, where he's from, or whether or not he shakes his pecker dry or dabs it with toilet paper after he pisses but I do know one fucking thing and that is indie cinema needs him. I can sit here and name at least 100 amazing indie horror directors who I absolutely love. Their films never let me down and I always look forward to their next project. But, big but, very few filmmakers can make me gut laugh with their humor. A few weeks back Mitch reached out to the Horror Society Facebook page and asked us to share the trailer for his experimental short Pillow Talk. This bizzaro little short looked like something I would love so I shared it. A few days later Mitch asked me to review. Fuck yea, I jumped on it. I have now watched this absurd piece of trash 6 times. I fucking love it. I don't love it as much as giving myself the stranger while Baywatch is on but it's pretty fucking close. I want to thank Mitch for changing my life. Well, not changing my life but entertaining the hell out of me.
The film follows a man who time travels. During one of his adventures he comes across Donald Trump's diary. He starts reading it to his dog. He starts out with a tale about how he fed his roommate to his dog before moving on. We are then tossed into a story about aliens, trannies, cum swallowing, and shit getting smeared all over someone's face.
I had no idea what Pillow Talk was about but it looked like something I would see with a Troma seal of approval on it. It looked fun and like something I would enjoy but most of the time I don't expect much from films like this. However, Pillow Talk fucking delivered and I can't fucking wait to see what Mitch has for us in the future. The acting in this one is just not there. It's not. Mitch is a one man show. He delivers some funny ass dialogue. His opening speech is fucking brilliant and really makes fun of the social media warriors and how they get offended over the most trivial thing. We then get to the short itself where Mitch continues to casually talk as he reads from the Trump Bible, I mean diary. Once again, no real acting but he still makes it fun. The story for this one is a fucking acid trip meets the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The story is satirical, politically charged, and raunchy. What more could you ask for? It makes absolutely no fucking sense but it pulls you in just long enough to shit all over your senses. Finally, if you are looking for blood and gore you will very greatly disappointed. With that being said, the film is overflowing with visual effects. In some of the scenes the visual effects look great and really hook the viewer while others are downright laughable which fits perfectly. Overall, Pillow Talk is a trash cinema masterpiece. It's funny, gonzo, and bat shit crazy. If you want to see something that is mind numbingly fun then Pillow Talk is for you.
A police inspector investigates a serial child kidnapper, his repressed childhood memories awakened in the process.
The Treatment is an unsettling Belgian murder mystery that gets under your skin and stays there. A nail-biting suspense yarn based on one of a series of best-selling novels by British crime writer Mo Hayder, the film is not an old-fashioned Agatha Christie-type whodunit, but its gritty themes of sexual violence and pedophilia give it a raw, contemporary intensity that places it in the same company as the "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" book and film series. Police inspector Nick Cafmeyer is investigating a case where a mother and father have been bound and beaten, and their young son is missing. An obsessive loner, Cafmeyer discovers that there are other similar cases - tragedies where the parents were forced by a psychopath to harm their own children, who then vanish. For the inspector, this triggers memories of his own brother's abduction as a child, and the possibility that he may still be alive somewhere. Grim and wholly engrossing, The Treatment is a thriller with an edge.
Director - Curt McDowell (Sparkles Tavern)
Starring - Marion Eaton (Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat), George Kuchar (Bongwater), and Melinda McDowell (The Devil's Cleavage)
Release Date - 1975
Genre - Horror/Comedy/Erotic
Tagline - "Ecstasy so great, that all heaven and hell become but one Shangri-La"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I watched a great deal of sexploitation and vintage porn last month so I thought it would be awhile before I watched another one. I was wrong. When I started getting my horror movies together to review this month I remembered that Synapse sent over a unique horror porn from 1975 titled Thundercrack! Horror porn is a very weird and fun experience to check out. I'm more accustomed to the horror porn I watch and review being parodies of famous horror films but Thundercrack! was different. This one was a porn with an actual plot that payed homage to the cliches of horror films from the 30s and 40s. Once again I want to thank Synapse for hooking Horror Society and myself up with this strange film to review.
The film begins during a very dangerous thunder storm. Several people are traveling and seeking refuge from the storm. They approach a mysterious house known as the Prairie Blossom. The Prairie Blossom is owned by an alcoholic window whose late husband was a horrible country western singer. As more and more travelers show up we are presented with everyone's back story along with several secrets of the mysterious house and it's alcoholic owner. In between these pivotal stories we are greeted by unsimulated sex scenes.
Horror porn. Most horror fans look at me with a confused look on their face when I bring it up. Most don't even realize that it is actually a thing. For the most part, horror porn is parodies of horror hits or classic horror films that are well known to movie fans. What most people don't know is that there is some horror porns out there that have an original story but are full of hardcore sex scenes. Dawna of the Dead and Porn of the Dead are just a few that have actual stories with hardcore sex scenes. Thundrecrack painted a very illustrious image with the synopsis on the back of the blu but it was a huge let down for the most part. The acting in this one is rather annoying to watch. Most of the cast act angry with each other for some unknown reason that is never mentioned in the plot. I don't know if they were told to be intense or what but they come off as angry the whole film. They actually yell at each other for a good portion of the film. With that being said, Marion Eaton was fun. She was odd and strange but this worked with the style of the film. I would have loved to see her character play a more vital part to the story. The story for this one is all over the place. The film, at it's heart, is a porn. Nothing complicated there. The purpose of the old house is a plot device to get everyone in one area to fuck it out. This could have been such a fun story but the gothic haunted mansion story was never fully explored. We needed more of the house and not all the character's back stories. Finally, this film has no kills, gore, or blood. In fact, if you are looking for carnage then you are looking in the wrong place. This film finds it's way into horror by setting some dark, gothic scenery along with the cliches of the haunted mansion films of the 30s and 40s which it does a great job at doing. Overall, Thundercrack! could have been one hell of a horror flick but put too much focus into the porn aspect and not enough into establishing the story. Sadly, it somewhat fails as a porn as well resulting in a movie that just cant figure out what kind of movie it wants to be. Skip it.
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These women are serious about their TASTE in men. To avoid a serious avocado shortage, the U.S. government hires feminist anthropology professor Margo Hunt (Shannon Tweed) to find the man-eating Piranha Women tribe who inhabit the avocado jungle of Southern California. Assisted by chauvinist Jim (Bill Maher) and a dimwitted student named Bunny, Hunt must convince the tribe to move to Malibu condos while simultaneously fending off her rival Dr. Kurtz (Adrienne Barbeau). Meanwhile, Bunny's contemplating joining the Piranha gals...but she must consume Jim first.
Director - Jack Perez (Some Guy Who Kills People)
Starring - Danny Bonaduce (Bigfoot), Michael L. Wynhoff, and Mollena Williams (The Wiz)
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Some things weren't meant to be videotaped"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I typically don't get along with found footage flicks. Some have impressed me over the years but I can easily count those films on one hand after saying I've watched several dozen. Most people like the classics like The Blair Witch Project, August Underground, and The Poughkeepsie Tapes but I find no interest in watching them. When I was in middle school I watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time and loved it. I revisited it a few years later and was not a fan. Most of the other found footage films are boring with some of the worst dialogue and characters ever caught on film. A few weeks back Camp Motion Pictures released the "lost" 1991 found footage film America's Deadliest Home Video. This early found footage flick oddly stars child star Danny Bonaduce. Alternative Cinema was kind enough to send a review copy of the film my way. Thanks guys.
The film follows Doughie (Bonaduce) who has just bought a new camera to record important moments with. However, he accidentally catches his wife cheating on him and sets out to secure him a little tail. When that fails he goes on a little adventure where he finds himself at a stone quarry and he witnesses three individuals pushing their car off a cliff. They catch him recording them and approaches him. They introduce themselves as the Clint Dryer gang. They kidnap him to record their carnage and force him to play along. That is until he falls for Clint's woman resulting in friction between Clint and Dougie. Dougie and the women split with Clint giving chance resulting in a shootout in front of a police force being recorded for reality television.
I'm pretty tough on found footage films but I have good reason to be. These films could be something untouchable in the world of horror but they are approached the wrong way. Some try to make it feel authentic and home video like and give us some of the most boring dialogue ever spewed on film. Others try to do away from that and give us a film that is very story rich but under sales the fact that we are watching a horror film that was recorded as it unfolded. It's hard to find that happy medium for found footage. I have only seen a few films be able to actually pull off that found footage look. Sadly, this horrible found footage film was one of the few to actually make it work but did not deliver what they had set forth to give us. The acting in this one is pretty choppy. When I first learned that Danny Bonaduce was in the film I was very intrigued by this. He is an actor one does not associate with horror and after seeing this film I can see why. He just did not fit the role and made a lot of the scenes he was physically in miss their mark. With that being said, Michael Wynhoff and Mollena Williams were brilliant. I really wanted to like the film because of their performance but when you tape dance on shit you are still standing in shit regardless of great the routine is. The story for this one is pretty weak. It could have worked out for a found footage film but it falls apart quickly and comes to a slow crawl at times. There needed to be more going on here other than robbing places at gun point. It was boring. Only Tarantino could turn something so plain into an entire scene. We needed more to it than that. The story may have sucked but the film did look and feel like a genuine found footage flick with is rare for the sub-genre. I will definitely give them credit for that. Finally, those of you looking for gore will not find any here. In fact, the only thing you will find are gun shot wounds that take place off camera. There is some blood but that is as far as it goes. As for the practical effects, there is none. We get some blood and fake gun fire but that is the extent of it. Overall, America's Deadliest Home Video is pretty weak for a film aimed at the horror crowd. Minimal blood, no gore, and zero story makes for a pretty boring watch. It does a better job than most at looking like a genuine found footage flick but that is the best I can say about it. Skip this one unless you have a lady boner for Bonaduce.
From the vaults of the golden age of slasher films comes LAKE NOWHERE, a raucous, bloody romp which resurrects the thrill of gory midnight movies for an hour-long plunge into the depths of horror. Inspired by the dusty days of VHS, LAKE NOWHERE is preceded by original trailers & commercials, replicating the experience of watching a long lost bootleg tape. When a group of friends arrive at a desolate lakeside cabin, they are stalked and murdered by a Masked Maniac, whose lust for blood transcends our world. This age-old tale of senseless slaughter quickly spirals into the realm of supernatural horror and classic monster movies, as we learn the true power that lies within LAKE NOWHERE Special Features
Previously unreleased teaser trailers for 'Harvest Man
Behind the Scenes 'Lake Nowhere' featurette
Behind the Scenes featurette for trailers and commercials in the film
Author - Jackie Sonnenberg
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Format - eBook (Review Copy)
Rating (out of 5):
Most of you may have noticed that earlier in the year I was reading and reviewing books in pretty rapid fashion. At least it was fast for me. I was able to check out several works from Terry M. West, Kevin Strange, and several volumes of my favorite series, Vampire Hunter D. A few months back the Horror Society Facebook was contacted by author Jackie Sonnenberg to check out her novel My Soul to Keep. At the time I was churning out a book review on a weekly basis so I accepted to check it out. Sadly, things at work and home have been so hectic and I couldn't make the time to finish the novel until now. I want to apologize to Jackie for taking so long to get the review up!
The story follows a young girl who is having a hard time coping with the loss of her father. Her mother had taken her to several doctors and even had her medicated but nothing seemed to work. She tried something a bit more drastic and had her sent to a private school so she could better heal. She quickly meets an old friend and rekindles that old connection but something strange starts to happen on campus. She spots a group of people wearing robes and follows them to a clearing where she witnesses them levitate. She believes that they can communicate with the dead and tries to learn more about them. She soon discovers that they are a group of students on campus that believe in their inner light. She quickly joins the group in hopes of speaking to her father again but things are not as they seem. She soon finds out that some things are better left alone.
I'll be honest, this is not the kind of book I would normally pick out for myself to read. I really enjoy bizarro horror stories that following talking dildos and other strange characters like you find from the mind of Kevin Strange or serious horror stories that paint visceral images of gore like Terry M. West. This story looks and feels like it was aimed towards the teenage readers. With that being said, I really enjoyed it. The story for this one is well thought out and full of intrigue and mystery but does go on for a little too long. A little too good an eye for detail if you ask me. The story is a teenage drama at it's base and then surrounds itself with the supernatural. It's primary focus is the life of a young girl who has a heavy heart and trying to fit in. She has to deal with social organizations, peer ridicule, and clicks. This is something we have seen so many times before in film and literature. What really sets this one apart from the others is the supernatural angle. This fun take on the supernatural left me guessing up until the very end. My only real complaint is the length of the story and how much detail Sonnenberg went into. So many pages could have been cut and left out just to help move the story along. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters as well. They are written in a similar manner as R. L. Stine would write his characters. They are cookie cutter characters that can be found in any children's book or television show. This gives the reader something to identify with. Stories like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson has the reader following characters with abnormal abilities which the reader has nothing in common with. Finally, this novel is well written and very easy to follow. There is no over complicated words or a complex reading experience making this one a perfect read for any teenager or adult minus a few profanities. There is a few, very few, errors and mistakes. In fact, this 388 page novel has fewer mistakes than this short review. Overall, My Soul to Keep may not be the type of story I would normally adventure to but it was still an entertaining read. It hit all the right notes and pulled me into another world. Check it out!
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The Movie Collectors Are Dying To Watch.
The House On Cuckoo Lane...Some believe it is a genuine snuff film. Some believe its existence is purely rumor. This is the video nasty every horror collectors wants. But you don't find this movie...this movie finds you.
Starring - Ian McCulloch (Zombi, Doctor Who), Alexandra Delli Colli (New York Ripper), and Sherry Buchanan (Escape from Galaxy 3)
Release Date - 1980
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "He is a depraved, homicidal killer...and he makes house calls!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Back in high school I was introduced to Italian horror. A high school friend of mine was a huge Italian horror fan and he introduced me to several amazing films. He opened the world of Lucio Fulci to me and soon I was renting Zombi, Gates of Hell, From Beyond, House by the Cemetery, and so on. This then opened the door to Dario Argento, Mario Bava, and many more. When I was in college a friend of mine told me to check out Dr. Butcher M.D. He told me he found it on YouTube and later linked me. I checked it out and quickly realized that it was a film I had seen before and actually owned on DVD only under a different name. The film. Zombie Holocaust. is one of my personal favorites but most of my friends that enjoy Italian horror hate it. I don't know why. I absolutely love it. Recently Severin released the film, both cuts, on bluray. I reached out to them and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy. Thanks guys!
The film begins with medical students observing an autopsy when they discover that the body is missing pieces. The police investigate and soon find a man with a mark on his chest stealing parts from the cadavers. He jumps out the window when confronted and kills himself. Soon Dr. Peter Chandler (McCulloch) arrives and investigates. He discovers that the mark belongs to a tribe of cannibals on a tropical island. He sets out to investigate the island and meet up with another doctor who lends him his assistant to go look but something is off. The other doctor is secretly running experiments on the locals where he is returning them back from the dead. This has brought about a civil war where the living members of the tribes are killing and eating intruders while the undead kill and eat the primitives. Now Dr. Chandler and his group must fight to survive and stop the mad doctor before he can kill and transform more humans.
Italian horror can be fun. Well most of the time, anyway. Personally, giallo is hit or miss and I don't care for a majority of the cannibal flicks but the zombie films will always be my favorite. They are always dark, gruesome, and offer up more story than most of their American counterparts. Cemetery Man is a prime example of this considering it was based on a comic not counting the amazing films of Fulci. That's what I liked about Dr. Butcher M.D. The film tosses several sub-genres into a blender which results in some amazing Italian gore. The acting in this one is what you would expect from an Ian McCuloch led film. McCulloch is great as ever and shows why he has had the career that he did. He was great as the strong and intelligent lead. I, also, really enjoyed Donald O'Brien's performance as the mad doctor/ Dr. Butcher. The remainder of the cast is decent considering the caliber of film this is but these two steal the show. The story for this one is fun and very bold considering. First and foremost, the film is a cannibal film. I typically don't care for these films but tossing in the mad scientist angle (which I love) and zombie results in a fun experience. Fans of all three sub-genres have something to look forward to. Sadly, it is rather predictable and some of the scenes are stale. Also, as much as I love the cannibal vs zombie angle there is a few times that something spectacular could have happened but doesn't. There is wasted opportunity here but that can be said about any horror film. Finally, this film has got some decent gore. Well, it's got great gore just not as much as I first expected when I found out what kind of film it was. When you hear Italian horror you think of a gore fest. We get some great scenes of gore and some amazing practical effects and gags but not as much as I would have liked. The effects are great and the gags are flawless but I don't really care for the 3M blood. Overall, Dr. Butcher M.D. is one of the lesser talked about Italian horror films that deserves more recognition. I will probably catch hell for liking this movie as much as I do but I can't help it. The film has a great cast, a fun as hell story, and gore. Would prefer more gore but it's still well worth the price Severin is offering the bluray.
