Grindsploitation

 



Director(s) - Tony Newton (Frames of Fear, A Taste of Phobia), Tommy Pistol (The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol, Beyond Fucked: A Zombie Odyssey), and Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger, Tales from the Crapper)
Starring - Lloyd Kaufman, Sadie Katz (Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort, Party Bus to Hell), and P.J. Soles (Halloween, Carrie)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Everything.  All at once..."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I started reviewing movie for Horror Society in 2013.  Before I was brought onto HS I was writing reviews for my small blog which I started in 2011.  I started out reviewing forgotten exploitation and action flicks but my obsession with horror soon took hold and I was reviewing anything and everything genre related.  Before long I started befriending filmmakers and actresses.  A few years later I heard about Tony Newton and his anthology/trailer compilation Grindsploitation.  I absolutely loved the title and couldn't wait to check it out.  Sadly, there was no release date scheduled for the film so I put it to the side and forgot about it.  Not long ago Troma announced that the film, along with two sequels.  Thank you Troma for sending this release my way.

     The film is a series of faux trailers and shorts ranging from horror, sci-fi, exploitation, Blaxploitation, and so on. 

     I originally went into this one thinking it was a traditional horror anthology but I was wrong.  Grindsploitation is actually a trailer compilation for the most part with almost all of the trailers being fake.  The film was still fun but the biggest crime here is that some of these amazing trailers would make some kickass films.  The acting in this one is not consistent and there is so much content in this 2 hour film that I would be here all day if I went over each segment separately.  Some of these segments had a stellar cast that really showed some acting chop and others were back yard fun with no acting experience.  The stories in these trailers really got me excited only to be brought down to Earth when I realized that they will never be turned into real films and if they are real films I can't find them on social media.  With that being said, the shorts scattered throughout the film tended to be very lackluster and unoriginal.  Most seemed to have similar stories and did not bring much originality to the film.  Finally, the film is a visual feast of special effects of different caliber.  Some of the trailers and shorts has solid practical and visual effects but others show their budget and experience.  They are not consistent and others do shine above others.  Overall, Grindsploitation was a little bit of a let down when I realized it was not a traditional anthology but I did enjoy what it brought to the table.  This one is well worth a watch so check it out.  

 



Rednecks



Director - John Birmingham (The Vampires of Zanzibar, Crazy Animal)
Starring - John Birmingham, Royce Hobson (Plan 9, House on the Hill), and Jeremy Ambler (The Walking Dead, Milfs vs. Zombies)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Comedy
Tagline - "We'z a differnt breed"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

    

 I love goofy no budget films.  In fact, that's what I prefer.  Most no budget movies take themselves way too seriously resulting in a stale and often clichéd movie experience that is anything but entertaining.  That is why I have such a deep love for Troma.  Their movies are often fun and deliver just as much comedy as it does gore.  Sometime ago Troma acquired John Birmingham's Rednecks.  The film stars Brandy Mason who I was lucky enough to work with in Razor Sharp's Steve: Death Collector.  I was looking forward to checking this one out.  Thank you Troma for sending a review copy my way.

     The film follows the three Redneck brothers who live on a family homestead but when Dr. Jessie dies they are forced to find the money to get the land back or face eviction.  Their troubles are solved when they find a rainbow with a leprechaun and make a wish for a better life, teeth, and their property back.  They get their wishes but one of the brothers is heartbroken that his lovely Dixie is no longer part of his life.  He unwishes the wish and goes back to their old ways.  Realizing they screwed up, they make a pact with the devil but their deal turns sour like before and they once again return to their old lifestyles.  They once again realize that their life sucks and makes yet another deal with the devil.  Like before, their lives are improved but soon go south before they all realize that life was perfect on the farm.
     I went into this one with a lot of excitement and curiosity but as the film progressed I found myself wishing this was the movie I thought it was going to be and not what was delivered.  The acting in this one is hit and miss for me.  The cast seems to really enjoy themselves in their roles but some of the characters were a little underwhelming.  Some were bright and colorful characters that filled the screen while others were just there for the sake of being there.  With that being said, some of the characters were portrayed in the same manner as another character almost as if the same character was being portrayed by the two different actors at the same time.  Different personalities would have helped tremendously here.  The story for this one had so much potential.  The music portion had some laughs but the music and lyrics were painfully awkward.  I could have lived without that but I will give credit where credit is do.  I thought the Danzig parody was funny as fuck.  The film moves at a snails pace and the laughs lack timing.  They stack up on top of each other with no build up and fall flat.  Also, some of the scenes are redundant.  The scenes where they go to a better life are painfully slow and do nothing for the story.  I wish the film focused on the three brothers doing trailer park antics almost like a Troma take on the Trailer Park Boys.  Finally, if you are looking for blood and gore you wont find it here.  However, if you want campy fun visual effects and some poop then you are in the right spot!  Overall, Rednecks just wasn't for me.  I really wanted to like it but the execution and delivery just made the film extremely boring.  Troma collectors will want this one for their collection but the everyday indie movie lover may want to skip it. 





Rose and Viktor: No Mercy

 



Director - Moses (Clownsploitation, Grindsploitation 666)
Starring - Mercedes (An Ultraviolent Colour, Honor Killing), Jim Schumacher (Honor Killing, Grindsploitation 4: Meltsploitation), and Tina Alper (The Hot Chameleon, Honor Killing)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Action/Crime
Tagline - "2 bounty hunters full of drugs and out for blood"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     My original intention for my reviews was to review forgotten or unheard of exploitation and action films of the 70s and 80s.  People know me for my love of horror but my love for horror is outshined by my love for exploitation flicks.  I grew up on them with Blaxploitation stealing my heart.  Sometime ago Troma announced that they would be releasing Rose and Viktor: No Mercy.  I watched the trailer and it looked like a good ol' fashioned exploitation film.  I couldn't wait to check it out so I requested a review copy.  When I tossed it in I was very surprised by what I had in front of me.  There was some things I would have changed but it was very entertaining.  Thank you Troma for sending this one my way.

     The film follows bounty hunter Viktor who meets the sexually abused Rose.  Rose wants Viktor to take out her abusive father but Viktor takes a liking to Rose and offers to show her the ropes and let her father be a learning experience for her.  After they take care of him they travel the desert taking on clients and eliminating anyone that gets in their way.

     I went into this one thinking it was a straight forward exploitation film with a linear story.  I was wrong.  This is actually a loose ended anthology that is basically was a collection of shorts involving these two characters without a wraparound segment to tie them together.  The acting in this one is great.  Mercedes and Jim Schumacher are fantastic in their roles.  These characters are near and dear to their hearts and it shows.  Every scene they bring these characters to life and deliver unforgettable performances.  The supporting cast for each short is fantastic as well.  Some characters are more memorable than others but the cast does a great job and they work very well together.  The story for this one is a bit of a let down.  I was expecting a feature length film but was given a series of shorts that basically have the same plot centered around different people they kill.  This was fun until the 45 minute mark and then the shorts become repetitive and predictable.  Taking the story and stretching it to feature length would have made a more enjoyable experience.  Also, they say they are bounty hunters but they are mostly hit men or mercenaries contacted by regular people who were wronged to even the playing field.  Finally, this one has several on screen kills that mostly use practical effects.  We do get some camera tricks and possible a little CGI that is unnoticeable at times but most of the practical effects look great.  The film does reuse the same gag several times so it loses it's dramatic effect as the film progresses.  Overall, Rose and Viktor: No Mercy is a fantastic watch.  Its combines rock n' roll with grindhouse cinema and for that I love it.  The cinematography is brilliant but the story does start to wear thin by the 45 minute mark.  This one deserves a watch but doesn't have much replay value. 



Greetings from Tromaville

 



Director - Adrian Esposito (Diffability Hollywood, Liberation Unit)
Starring - Lloyd Kaufman (Guardians of the Galaxy, Death House), Debbie Rochon (Return to Nuke Em High Volume 1, I Spill Your Guts), and Ron Jeremy (Orgazmo, Detroit Rock City)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Let's go make some art"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

      I grew up renting movies from the video store.  Every Friday night I would grab a handful of tapes to check out all weekend.  At this time I was a general movie fan but once I hit the fourth grade my taste shifted and I became obsessed with horror and cult films.  This was when I found Full Moon at the video store.  Their artwork pulled me and the world of indie horror became my new obsession.  When I was in high school a friend of mine told me to check out Class of Nuke Em High and The Toxic Avenger by Troma because I liked Full Moon so much.  I ordered a copy of each of the films on VHS from ebay and realized that The Toxic Avenger was the inspiration one of my favorite cartoons growing up.  Once I got those in I was hooked.  Since then I have collected anything and everything stamped Troma.  In 2017 Adrian Esposito started work on a Troma documentary focusing on their legacy, how they have adapted with the times, and how they have influenced other filmmakers.  Sadly, I did not hear about this until recently when I was browsing my feed on Facebook.  Once I found it I knew I had to add it to my collection. 
     The documentary follows Troma founders Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman before they founded the prestigious Troma.  We get a little insight to Lloyd's upbringing before jumping to his college career and pursuit of filmmaking.  The film then follows Lloyd through his legendary film career from working on pre-Porky's sex comedies to Troma staples The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke Em High.  While discussing the legacy of Troma we get a glimpse at how they had to adapt with the changing times, their fan base, and guerilla filmmaking that is brought on from no budgets and being independent. 
     I love Troma and discovering them has really changed the way I watch movies.  I still enjoy the serious bigger budgeted horror films but my love will always be the goofy and fun horror and exploitation films that Troma has been delivering to fans for over 40 years.  I was very excited to check this documentary out and see how someone would approach such an iconic company in a documentary.  I really enjoyed what this did and this is one of the better documentaries I've seen in recent years but my opinion may be biased.  The interviews in this one range greatly which does offer up some diversity.  We have screen legends like Roger Corman, Ron Jeremy, and several Troma alumni who share some great behind the scenes stories on Troma along with a great deal of insight into the company that not many people know about.  With that being said, it would have been cool to have some interviews from people who are not Troma fans.  Troma is a permanent name in the horror community but not everyone is a fan of theirs.  In fact, the ones that dislike Troma are very vocal about it.  Would have been cool to have some of those people interviewed to see their opinion of Troma.  The topics discussed in this does very well to demonstrate what it means to be Troma along with what has shaped Troma into what it is today.  The hardships, the changes, the filmmaking style, and the collaborative effort it takes to succeed.  The film moves in a chronological order as well which helps the flow of the film.  Finally, the editing in this one is smooth.  We move from topic to topic very well and each discussion bleeds into the next very well.  Overall, Greetings from Tromaville is essential for any Troma and indie horror fan.  I cannot recommend this film enough.  Check it out. 








 



Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark

Director - Sam Qualiana (The Legend of Six Fingers, Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast)
Starring - Simeon Qualiana (Swamp Squad of the Dead, The Legend of Six Fingers), Mike O'Keefe (WrestleMassacre, Return to Nuke Em High: Volume 1), and Andrew Elias (Killer Rack, Battledogs)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi/Comedy
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     Horror has and will always be a huge part of my life.  The genre is vast, like the oceans, with more sub-genres than you can shake a harpoon at.  As much as I love the genre I have to admit that some of these sub-genres are just not for me.  Jaws is a classic horror and summer blockbuster but one of the films that I just can't get into.  People tell me that it's amazing but I just fail to see it.  I typically avoid the shark flicks but a few months back I crossed paths with one I couldn't resist.  Director Sam Qualiana announced that he had completed a new film Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark.  With a title like that I couldn't resist.  I reached out to him and he was cool enough to hook me up with a copy.  Thanks Sam!

     The film takes place sometime after a nuclear disaster.  Soviet Russia has invaded the U.S.  They brought with them genetically altered sharks that are humanoid in appearance and was created by an evil German scientist.  They use these beast to take hold of America with a band of resistance fighters fighting for their freedom.  The resistance is struggling to gain any traction and just when hope is lost an American scientist has made a discovery that will change the tide of the war. 
     I wasn't expecting a movie that would forever change the way I view horror and sci-fi flicks but I was expecting something that was funny.  Post Apocalyptic Commando Sharks was a fun movie experience but there was several things that could be changed to create an even better film.  The acting in this one is campy and works very well with what Qualiana is trying to achieve.  The characters are all entertaining and make the scenes fun.  Some stand out more than others but that doesn't make them all better than the other.  This just means more emphasis was placed on certain characters during the writing process.  The story for this one has is not consistent.  I was really looking forward to this one.  The title made my imagination run wild with so many possibilities.  I was expecting a film in the same line as Mad Max or the biker gang post apocalyptic Italian films like 1990: Bronx Warriors but what I was given was something much different.  Doesn't make this one a bad movie but it just doesn't fit the title.  Instead of Mad Max meets Sharkenstein we get Sharkenstein meets Red Dawn.  The setting for the film is post apocalyptic America but the movie doesn't look that way.  People are still being people with no change to their behavior.  Hell, they still have cookouts and bonfires even with the threat of having their soft innards ripped out their peepholes from commando sharks.  Now, with all that being said, the movie does not take itself seriously.  We get several laughs throughout the film with great timing but there is several scenes that just drag on or repeat the gag from an earlier scene.  Finally, if you want blood this one has it but if you want gore you will be disappointed.  The sharks looks campy and the kills are even campier.  The effects are minimal but it works for the film.  Overall, Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark is a fun late night war film with some horror and a lot of comedy.  I respect what they were going for but there is some much more that could have been done with it.  Check it out. 



Hotel Inferno 2: The Cathedral of Pain

 



Director(s) - Giulio De Santi (Adam Chaplin, Taeter City) and Tiziana Machella (Snow White Meth, Gorebreaker)
Starring - Rayner Bourton (Outland, Hotel Inferno), Roland Stone (Suite 313, Killer Doctors on Death Row), and Jade Matthew (Judy, Kiss of Death)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The first splatter colossal is born"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

      Several years ago I came across a forum post on Upcoming Horror Movies for two Necrostorm films.  I had never heard of Necrostorm before but the artwork for their two releases looked fantastic.  I went to their website and discovered that they were an Italian production company with a keen eye for splatter.  I checked out their films and reviewed them for my blog.  Fast forward a few years and a new film was released by them.  Hotel Inferno was being billed as the first horror film filmed in first person.  This was far from being correct but I still wanted to check it out.  I reviewed it and a few months later I received several emails from Necrostorm requesting my review be pulled.  I wrote a positive review for the film and was confused as to why it had to be pulled.  Regardless, I kept the review up and the emails stopped.  Sometime passed and my friends over at Wild Eye had acquired the U.S. distribution rights for the film and sent over a press release for it.  I shared it and the coming months was a night.  Necrostorm would send multiple emails a day ordering us to remove the post or face legal action.  We never backed down and eventually the emails stopped.  I love their films but I refuse to support them so now I turn to ebay to purchase their work.  Petty huh?  Last year I bought Hotel Inferno 2: The Cathedral of Pain on ebay and completely forgot about it until I was packing my movies up after the fire.  I found the copy and decided it was time to finally check it out and review it. 

     The film once again follows hire hitman Frank who has died at the end of the first film.  He finds himself in a sort of hell centered around an ancient church.  He is able to break his restraints and befriends a witch who has knowledge of this special level of hell.  She helps him through the cathedral of pain so he can slay demons and cultists to retrieve the five elements that will give Frank back his body and free him from this hell.

     I had high expectation for Hotel Inferno 2.  I loved the first film and I couldn't imagine that they would outdo themselves with the follow up but they did in every single way.  The acting in this one is a little unconventional due to the way the film is shot.  The voice acting is damn entertaining.  Rayner Bourton and Roland Stone is fantastic.  Their characters are very entertaining and the voice acting works for the style of the film.  Sadly, that is the only real acting you see.  The bodies on camera are just there to die and due to the way these scenes are shot you never see any acting.  The story for this one is more of what was established in the first film but centered more around the occult and hell.  It flows like a video game with mini-bosses, the dialogue, the missions, and levels.  I liked where the story went and how the pacing was.  There is very few scenes with down time which is a great thing.  I also enjoyed the sets and the story set around each one.  Finally, if you want blood and guts then you are in the right place.  The film is full of on screen deaths that use visual and practical effects.  The visual effects are hot and miss.  Some of the blood looks like trash but the demonic runes looked great.  The film also uses real guts, possibly from a cow or big, which works for the film.  Overall, Hotel Inferno 2: The Cathedral of Pain is a fun film.  It is a one trick pony but it does that trick very well resulting in a lot of carnage and entertainment.  Check it out. 



The Watcher in the Woods

 



Director - Melissa Joan Hart (The Goldbergs, So Weird)
Starring - Anjelica Huston (The Witches, The Addams Family), Tallulah Evans (Son or Rambow, Penelope), and Nicholas Galitzine (Handsome Devil, High Strung)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I grew up on a healthy dose of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Goosebumps, and Big Wolf on Campus.  I didn't know I was horror obsessed but most of my entertainment came from horror based television shows.  On weekends I would rent tapes from the local video store.  Most were random comedies and action flicks but I always had one horror flick.  It was around this time that I first watched The Watcher in the Woods and I absolutely loved it.  Sometime back I got a press release that the Lifetime produced remake directed by Melissa Joan Hart was getting a DVD release.  When the fuck did they remake this classic?  Either way I was excited to check it out so I requested a review copy...and was extremely let down.

     The film follows an American family who is spending the summer in the Welsh countryside when they encounter the formal owner of the home they are staying in.  She is a strange older lady who lost her daughter 30 years ago in the woods and never seen her again.  This intrigues the oldest daughter of the couple and she starts investigating her disappearance and the local legend of the watcher in the woods.

     I grew up on kid friendly horror.  Movies like Monster Squad, The Willies, Silver Bullet, and so on were always watched in my home outside of the television shows I love.  The Watcher in the Woods was a fantastic film.  The atmosphere and suspense really worked and the mystery around the story was very compelling.  Sadly, this remake lacked all those elements and heart.  The acting in this one is not convincing at all.  Even legendary actress Anjelica Huston was lackluster.  She was not dedicated to her role and it was clear she was after a paycheck.  The supporting cast was the same.  There was no conviction to their dialogue and every character was flat.  No personality to distinguish them from the other.  The story for this one is similar to the original but it lacked the dark atmosphere and tension that made the original film so enjoyable.  The movie looks and feels like a Disney or Nickelodeon show that a pre-teen would watch after school.  It does know flow like a horror or thriller.  The pacing is also off.  Some of the scenes went on for what felt like days.  Finally, if you want some blood and gore you will need to check out something else.  However, if you want to see outdated CGI then you are in luck!  Overall, The Watcher in the Woods is a huge let down.  The characters are boring, the story is boring, and the overall representation of this classic tale is boring.  Skip it. 



The Hart-Break Killer

 



Director - Sean Donohue (Death-Scort Service, Cannibal Claus)
Starring - Eight The Chosen One (Crackbaby Billionaire, American Guinea Pig: Bouquet of Guts and Gore), Ashley Lynn Caputo (Chaos A.D., Amerikan Holokaust), and Anthony Wayne (Taste Me: Death-Scort Service 3, Joe Vampire)
Release Date - 2019
Genre - Thriller/Comedy
Tagline - "Meet Robert.  Robert has a little problem that just wont go away"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I have no idea what is going on in the water in Florida but some of my favorite sleazy and gruesome indie horror flicks has came from that state.  Folks like Chris Woods, John Miller, Chris Leto, and Sean Donohue are turning out some awesome stuff.  Those of you that love boobs, blood, and boobs should really check these mother fuckers out.  Sometime ago Sean Donohue and Eight the Chosen One announced a new film that would be a departure from what they had released in the past.  The new film, The Hart-Break Killer, would be a new vehicle for Eight and would take the two in a new direction.  Anything with Sean and Eight's name on it has my attention so I was waiting patiently to check it out when Sean hit me up to review it.  I had to act like I wasn't excited but I was.  Thanks Sean for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check it out. 

     The film follows hopeless romantic Robert Hart (Eight the Chosen One) who is sleeping with a known prostitute and amateur pornstar but she often ignores him and stands him up.  Heart broken, he turns to his co-workers who set him up with another woman in their office who leaves during their date with another man.  When he finds himself depressed or heart broken is taken to a black room where a more cooler and grounded Robert is there to guide him back without acting on his horrible urges. 

     Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this new Gatorblade Films release but I enjoyed what was presented before me.  The movie is different than previous releases but I think that was one of the many reasons I enjoyed it.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  Eight the Chosen One can be seen in several films like the first installment of the American Guinea Pig series, Taste Me: Death-Scort Service Part 3, and Crackbaby Billionaire.  With each film you can see him growing as an actor.  He is extremely comfortable in front of the camera and in this film he creates a character unlike any other he has portrayed.  The character is funny and different than previous performances.  I really enjoyed watching his nerdy decent into madness and how his acting range has changed so much over the years.  With that being said, his performance is duel rolled.  He confident Robert is the Eight that we have seen before.  This persona is almost like a professional wrestling.  Most of his scenes could be cut and used as a shoot promo for an independent wrestling organization.  His confidence and charisma in front of the camera is unparalleled.  Which makes sense considering this film is a one man show.  Sure, there is other actors and actresses in the film but every scene is centered around Eight and he kills it.  The story for this one struggles to find it's footing but still delivers.  The film tries to play out like a thriller with a man reaching his breaking point when he fails to find happiness through love.  Solid premise if you ask me.  However, some of the scene are just too fucking funny.  The dialogue mixed with Eight's reactions were fucking funny.  These laughs mixed with the darker scenes created an uneven environment.  Finally, if you are looking for the blood and sleaze you expect from Gatorblade films.  This film is character driven with some minor sleaze but the brutal gore scenes are nowhere to be seen.  Overall, The Hart-Break Killer is a break away from the gore soaked no budget horror flicks I typically review.  This one has a lot of Hart (har har) and is actually pretty damn entertaining.  I hope the two walk away from this one with enough insight to bring us fans a black comedy or horror comedy with the same vibe as this film.  They would knock it out of the park. 



In the Mouth of Madness

 



Director - John Carpenter (Halloween, Memoirs of an Invincible Man)
Starring - Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Snow White: A Tale of Terror), Julie Carmen (Fright Night Part 2, The Butcher), and Jurgen Prochnow (The Seventh Sign, Dune)
Release Date - 1994
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Lived any good books lately?"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror has seen its fair share of horror icons over the years ranging from characters to actors and directors.  John Carpenter made a name for himself when he released Halloween in 1978 and was credited with creating an entire sub-genre.  Though this was not the first "slasher" but it was the first to reach a mainstream market.  He would go on to release several other import films in the horror and sci-fi genres.  One of those films is the 1994 film In the Mouth of Madness.  When I was in high school I owned this on VHS and I never took the time to watch it.  The artwork did not appeal to me so I always skipped on it.  That changed when Scream Factory announced their release on of the film on blu.  Their new artwork had me hooked.  I couldn't wait to check it out.  I'm glad I did because this is easily my favorite Carpenter flick to date. 

     The film follows insurance investigator John Trent (Neill) who is tasked with tracking down famed horror author Sutter Kane (Prochnow) who went missing after writing his last hit.  He takes all his published works to his home and realizes that the covers are clues.  He finds that they point to a small area in New England and heads there with the publisher's assistant.  On their trip their the assistant starts noticing things that stand out and before long realizes that these strange occurrences are situations that Cane had written about.  She tries to warn Trent but he refuses to pay her any mind.  When they arrive at the hotel he starts to notice the little things she had mentioned and he now starts to believe.  The town is the incarnation of Cane's work and in the middle of it they find him working on his newest novel which will elevate him to a god.  Trent tries to stop his work from getting published but Cane is so powerful that his writing forces Trent to do as he is told ushering in a new age of chaos.

     I've seen a good portion of Carpenter's work but none has  floored me like this one.  The artwork for the VHS copy I had was just so fucking generic and boring looking.  I couldn't imagine that a movie that had a poster as bland as that would be as entertaining as this film actually was.  The acting in this one is easily my favorite of any of the Carpenter films which is saying something when you have films like Escape from New York and The Thing.  Sam Neill was coming of the blockbuster smash Jurassic Park and then absolutely destroyed it with his performance here.  His character demanded a lot from him and he fucking delivered.  Easily my favorite character from him.  Once again Jurgen Prochnow brings an amazing character to life.  His performance in this film is legendary and its a shame more people don't talk about the character of Sutter Cane when they mention horror icons.  The supporting cast is great as well including the cameo from screen legend Charlton Heston.  The story for this one is heavily influenced by H.P. Lovecraft but Carpenter is able to spin most of these tales into his own.  They work very well resulting in a film with solid pacing and scenes that are truly terrifying.  Finally, this is not a gory film.  There is blood but the bloody stuff is done mostly off camera.  With that being said, it has some phenomenal practical effects and creature designs.  Overall, In the Mouth of Madness is now my favorite Carpenter film.  Since I watched this for the first time I've been looking forward to my second viewing.  Any fan of Carpenter needs this for their collection and this blu from Scream Factory is perfect.  Check it out.