Phil Herman's Unearthed

Director(s) - Derek Braasch (Torture the Flesh, The Ties that Bind), Will Devokees (Morbid Stories, Macabre Medicine), Marcelo Fabani (I Slay on Christmas, Doomsday Stories), Phil Herman (Burglar from Hell, Jacker), Christopher Kahler (Around Midnight, Hobo with a Trash Can), and James Panetta (Death From Beyond, Death in the Dark)

Starring - Butch Patrick (The Munsters, Bite School), Tina Krause (Bloodletting, Side Effects May Vary), and Tiffany Helm (Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, 13 Fanboy)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I find myself bitching and moaning with every horror anthology that I review about how almost every indie anthology lacks a wraparound segment that ties everything together.  Most of these anthologies are just shorts that role from one segment to the next with no reasoning behind it.  I know it's no easy task to make a movie especially when you have zero budget and using the bare essentials in regards to equipment but an anthology without a segment to bookend everything is not an anthology in my eyes.  A few weeks ago I was speaking with director and producer Phil Herman about a few of his projects that I was sharing on the site when he offered me two of his most recent films to review.  One of them just happened to be an anthology film simply titles Phil Herman's Unearthed.  The title intrigued me some but it the was film's poster that really made me curious about the film.  I want to thank Phil for sending this one over for review!

     The film follows an unfortunate character named Doom (Christopher Kahler) who is doing a bit of graverobbing when he finds an old book.  He takes us back to his humble abode where he begins reading us tales from inside which range from a detective who may have locked up an innocent man, a young bride and her father in law searching for her missing husband, and a woman who suspects her home might be haunted.

     Phil Herman's Unearthed is a movie that I couldn't get behind but it does do a few things right.  I went into this one a bit excited but the overall movie did nothing for me but I there was a few things that really impressed me.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  Some of the segments features some solid performances while others are inconsistent.  I don't know if this is a reflection of the direction or inexperience but each scene within each segment does vary.  I would like to add that it was awesome seeing Tiffany Helm from A New Beginning with a small role.  I would have loved to see her utilized more but it was still cool to see her even if the role was small.  The stories for this one is not what I was expecting.  The segment used as the wraparound segment was my favorite part of the film.  The character that is reading from the old book, similar to From a Whisper to a Scream, was a lot of fun.  It was a solid segment that pulled everything together very nicely.  The other segments were very hit or miss with me.  The one with the husband who was abducted by aliens was probably my favorite of the film but it was far from perfect.  This story had a lot of promise and I'm a huge fan of Kristina Santiago but it failed to really go somewhere worth noting.  The other three segments were very predictable and not that interesting.  I thought the short with the woman seeking help with her home was going to be a lot more fun than it actually was but it was extremely dull and slow paced.  Finally, the film features a wide array of effects.  We have some make-up effects that look fairly decent to some visual effects that do look cheap.  While the film was not as bloody as gory as I would have liked, the make-up effects were impressive.  Overall, Phil Herman's Unearthed had a solid premise with the horribly disfigured grave robber reading stories from an old book.  Sadly, the segments that made up the bulk of the film was not as enjoyable.  This is one that I really wanted to like but it wasn't for me.  Skip it.  

I: Scream - A Minty Musical

Director - Aleen Isley (Curtains for Christmas, Head Case)

Starring - B. Barnabei (CarousHELL 3, Shingles: The Movie), Alex Hazen, and Marie Taylor 

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline -  "With 6 original songs"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love how horror is such a broad genre.  You can have something as light hearted as Ernest Scared Stupid or Halloweentown or you can go as extreme as August Underground and Let's Stop at the Morgue.  I love all horror but I do tend to gravitate toward the side of horror that focuses on humor and outlandish stories over gore with no plot.  That's something that I've said time and time again which has often drawn criticism from my peers.  Many believe that a movie with gorgeous gore and nudity is superior to a genre film that focuses more on story and character development.  Honestly, I would rather watch the Olsen Twin's movie Double Double Toil and Trouble over fake snuff flicks.  Sometime back I covered the upcoming horror comedy I:Scream - A Minty Musical from the extremely talented Aleen Isley.  This was her directorial debut and I was very interested in seeing the finish product.  A few weeks back she messaged me a link for the film and asked me to review.  I couldn't right away due to illness but as soon as I was able to, I jumped on it.  I want to thank Aleen for sending this one over!  

     The film follows a scientist who is trying to plan the perfect ice cream date for their friend.  However, things didn't go according to plan and she leaves for a game leaving the ice cream behind where a chemical is accidentally spilled into the delicious frozen treat.  The ice cream is transformed into a treat that begins terrorizing the small community.  As the bodies pile up, grizzled detective Barry Griswold (Steve Rudzinski) starts piecing together the pieces everything together while survivors band together with a former ice cream vendor to stop the mint chocolate menace.  

     I:Scream is a movie that I was not expecting to love as much as I did.  I don't mean any disrespect to Aleen and company but I'm not really a fan of musicals.  I know it's weird but I always feel awkward and embarrassed when I watch a musical.  My wife and kids love them and you can often hear them playing throughout the house but I have a hard time sitting through one.  However, that was not the case with I:Scream.  The songs didn't overstay their welcome, were actually catchy, and the story pulled me in.  The acting in this one is a bit uneven but not bad.  Director and actor Steve Rudzinski returns as a Griswold character from his highly successful Meowy series.  He brings a lot of energy to the film and the character he portrays is a lot of fun.  Also, we get some enjoyable performances from Alex Hazen, B. Barnabei, and David Dietz just to name a few.  The cast is fully dedicated to their roles but there was a few instances where inexperience rears it's ugly head.  These scenes are not what I would consider bad but the dialogue is a bit awkward.  The story for one is very enjoyable.  We have a loving nod to 50s sci-fi with the obvious being the classic genre mash-up of The Blob that blends in musicals, comedy, and the Meowy-verse into something truly unique especially in a time where a lot of the indie productions I've reviewed recently have been inspired by 80s horror.  The movie is funny, has great pacing, and the songs are not overused.  In fact, the songs are somewhat catchy and fit the film very well.  Finally, this isn't a bloody film.  The film doesn't try to give us memorable deaths and buckets of gore.  We have some clever props for the killer ice cream that works for the style of film but those looking for the red stuff may be a bit disappointed.  Overall, I:Scream - A Minty Musical is the most fun I've had with a movie in sometime.  It's not a movie that tries to redefine a genre or wants to be something it's not.  Instead, it's an entertaining film from a very talented filmmaker.  While I do enjoy watching Aleen in front of the camera, I'm looking forward to her next outing behind it.  I highly recommend checking this one out.  

     

Return of Eva Man

Director(s) - Zacarias Urbiola (A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, House of Psychotic Women) and Antonio D'Agostino (Eva Man, The Ceremony of the Senses)

Starring - Eva Robin's (Hercules, Tenebrae), Ajita Wilson (Hell Behind the Bars, Passionate Lovers), and Ramon Centenero (The Night of the Werewolf, The Dracula Saga)

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Sci-Fi/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was not expecting the wild ride that Mondo Macabro was going to send me on when they sent over the Eva Man double feature.  These two films were new to me and I had no idea how important they were in the world of cinema and exploitation at the time.  However, after finishing the first film and working on the review I quickly learned that this film was very important to movie history which only made me even more excited for the sequel.  Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over for review!

     The film once again follows Eva (Robbin's), the professor, and her friend as they fight and evade a group of criminals who are after them.  The professor used the technology from the first film to create a ray gun that when fired at someone awakens intense sexual desire.  

     Return of Eva Man, or El Regreso de Eva Man, is another wild film that does a decent enough job at furthering the already crazy story from the film film.  While it does take the same formula from the first film and makes small changes, those changes are just enough to make it work.  It's not going to win people over like the first film but it is still a lot of fun.  The acting in this one is consistent with the first film.  Robbin's and Wilson make the film.  Their charisma and personality makes every scene they are in.  The supporting cast is solid for the most part but it's these two ladies that makes these two films as fun as they are.  The story for this one is essentially the same as the first film with a few minor changes.  Both films follows a group of bad guys chasing Eva for different sexual reasons.  It's obvious they took what made the first film work and rush it into production while the iron was still hot so to speak.  It doesn't give us something new but it's still a solid sequel with some laughs.  Finally, no blood or guns in this one.  We get some skin, some laughs, and that's about the extent of it.  Overall, Return of Eva Man is no as historic as the original but it still deserves a watch.  It's not that original but still entertaining.  Check it out.  

Eva Man

Director - Antonio D'Agostino (The Ceremony of the Senses, Fashion Movie)

Starring - Eva Robins (Tenebrae, Hercules), Ajita Wilson (Macumba Sexual, Hotel Paradise), and Ramon Centenero (Chocolate, Confessions of a Congressman)

Release Date - 1980

Genre - Action/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm no stranger to sexploitation especially the sexploitation and erotica from Italy.  While I've only been reviewing these type of films for about a decade, there is still plenty of them that I've never seen.  A few weeks back I was sent over the Eva Man double feature from my friends over at Mondo Macabro.  Eva Man is an erotic action comedy from 1980 Italy starring trailblazer Eva Robin's (that is how it's really spelled).   I had never seen this one before and couldn't wait to see what kind of batshit crazy fun I was about to get into.  I want to take a moment to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over for me to check out.  

     The film follows Eva (Robin's) who is a hermaphrodite with a scientific device planted inside her to make her more potent sexually.   Eva's sexual conquests eventually reaches the ears of an impotent crime boss who wishes to kidnap Eva so he cant obtain her magical genitalia for his own needs.  

     Eva Man and it's sequel were completely knew to me.  I recalled getting the press release for these films previously but didn't really remember a lot about them.  However, after I watched the film and started working on my review I quickly realized that these films, along with Eva Robin's and Ajita Wilson, were revolutionary especially for their time.  Boutique labels are important for many reasons especially in regards to preserving physical media but one of their biggest reasons in existing is to bring obscure films to the masses.  This is a huge release from Mondo Macabro and I'm glad they took it on.  The film is absolutely wild and a lot of fun especially for what it is.  The acting in this one is inconsistent with some high and lows.  Eva steals the show.  She is so charismatic in front of the camera.  Ajita is is great in front of the camera as well but some of the scenes doesn't have the same energy as the others.  The supporting cast is nowhere near as fun as these two and don't bring the charisma like these two ladies.  The scenes need one of these two to work which is a bit of a shame.  The story for this one is a sexploitation gold mine that still blows my mind.  I've lived in the U.S. my entire life and never traveled abroad but I have enough sense to know that the outside world is more open than most of those in America.  I can only assume the said can be said about the world during the late 1970s and early 80s or this film would have never found footing.  Here we are, 40 some years later, and many here in the states would never be open to check this one out now.  That's a bummer because this story is raw sexploitation that is a lot of fun.  While I would have loved a little more of Eva and Ajita outside of the sex scenes but I'm not stupid enough to forget what I was watching.  It's sexy, funny, and chaotic but all in a good way.  Like most sexploitation films, the sex scenes are not my main focus and usually throw the pacing of the film off for me.  The film is an even mix of sex scenes and story so fans of sexploitation cinema who really enjoy the sex will really love this one.  Finally, no real effects for genre fans to marvel at.  The film is all wild story and skin.  If you want blood, gore, or visual effects then you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Eva Man is not for those that are closed minded or not open to films that are a bit different.  I'm comfortable enough in my sexuality to enjoy this one.  From that aside, it's an important piece of queer cinema that really needs to be in any movie lover's collection.  Check out the release from Mondo Macabro now!

Purana Mandir

Director(s) - Shyam Ramsay (Veerana, Inspector Dhanush) and Tulsi Ramsay (Tahkhana, Mahakaal)

Starring - Mohnish (Itihaas, Henna), Arti Gupta (Saamri, Tajurba), and Puneet Issar (Superman, Haar Jeet)

Release Date - 1984

Genre - Horror/Musical

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      When I started writing reviews back around 2010 I never expected to find myself watching the movies that I do.  I've always loved horror but when I started writing I wanted to cover long forgotten action and exploitation flicks.  My original blog and the idea behind it was to chase down any direct to video action flicks from the late 80s and early 90s along with any dime a dozen exploitation film I could find.  However, my love of horror quickly took over and before long I was diving deep into my beloved genre.  Over the years I've learned that Bollywood, or Hindi horror, is a sub-genre that I really like.  I had seen these films pop up in random message boards and horror groups over the years but never took the time to check them out until just a few years ago.  Now, I fucking love them and will go out of my way to check them out.  A few weeks back my friends over at Mondo Macabro sent me the 1984 Hindi horror film Purana Mandir on blu for review.  Like always, I want to take a moment to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over.  

     The film follows a wealthy family who has a curse placed on them by a devil worshipper.  Every woman in the line will die during childbirth.  We pick up sometime after the original curse with a man who lost his wife during childbirth and his daughter has grown up.  She is now a college student and is dating someone that is not of nobility.  Her father eventually tells her of the curse but she brushes it off and starts looking into the lineage of her father and the evil devil worshipper.  Through her research she finds his head but mistakes it for a valued solider unleashing his evil spirit.

      I've only reviewed a handful of these Hindi horror films so far but I have yet to find one I didn't like.  They are all so much fun but that doesn't make them all equal.  Some of these are much better than others with this one being the weakest of the others that I had seen.  It's a great movie but it does have it's faults.  The acting in this one is exactly like I expected.  The cast has a lot of energy and brings a lot of charisma to the front of the camera.  With that being said, a lot of the characters, even though they were fun to watch, are rather one dimensional.  This isn't so much the cast's fault but it doesn't really give them a lot to work with.  The story for this one is great but does have similarities to other Bollywood horror films that I've reviewed recently.  We have a family cursed by a supernatural presence and we follow a demon of sorts as it kills people.  It's not the most original story regardless of where it was made but once you dress it up with the Bollywood musical numbers and colorful characters then you get something you will never forget.  Finally, the film isn't a bloody and gory one.  We do have some blood and some rather forgettable make-up effects but that is about the extent of it.  Bollywood isn't really known for their memorable deaths and this one fits into that one as well.  Overall, Purana Mandir is not the most memorable Bollywood horror flick but it's not a bad one either.  It's a lot of fun and one you can rewatch several times without getting sick of it.  I highly recommend checking it out from Mondo Macabro.  

Eye Witness

 

Director - Lamberto Bava (Body Puzzle, Devil Fish)

Starring - Barbara Cupisti (Cemetery Man, Mothers), Stefano Davanzati (Dagger Eyes, The Final Executioner), Alessio Orano (Lisa and the Devil, Summer Affair)

Release Date - 1993

Genre - Horror/Crime

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been fortunate to review several box sets and collections over the years but this High Tension: Four Films by Lamberto Bava from my friends over at Severin Films has really impressed.  It's not often that you find a set of films where every movie in the set is enjoyable but this one has done it.  You can say that I'm being a bit biased because I am a fan of Bava's but these films really are entertaining but I wouldn't call them all horror.  In fact, some of the films may have some horror aspects scattered throughout, but they are mostly crime thrillers or dark drama.  I just finished the fourth and final film in the set, Eye Witness.  This one, much like the first film, feels a lot like a classic slasher meets a crime thriller.  It was a great movie but not necessarily a horror tale.  Regardless, it was worth it!

     The film follows a pair trying to steal from a department store before closing time.  However, as one of them leaves, the other is left behind to wait for them to fetch the car when one of the employees is murdered.  She is there for the horrible crime but doesn't see it because she is blind.  However, she did hear and smell the killer which is the best the detectives can get for the crime.  The killer tries to cover up their lose ends and suspects that the blind witness can sense them resulting in a game of cat and mouse between the two.

     These four made for television films from Lamberto Bava were really strange to me.  I know every country has different rules and regulations but I can't see how Bava thought any of these films would be able to air on television.  This is not the most gruesome of the four films but it is one with a little more focus on sex.  Regardless, it makes sense why not all of these films aired on television and this one was another fun one to watch.  The acting in this one is very consistent.  I've seen movies and television shows where the cast is visually impaired and it was evident that was not the case here.  It was a bit campy at times watching react while pretending to be blind.  Also, a few of the scenes at the beginning of the film is a bit stiff.  I can only assume that the film was shot in order and the cast slowly became more comfortable in their roles.  The story for this one has some horror elements but it it's base is a crime thriller.  The movie gives you the killer fairly early on with the tension and buildup taking place as this woman who is visually impaired is stalked by the known killer.  It's predictable and while it was enjoyable for a first time watch, it doesn't really have replay value like the other films in the set.  Finally, this film does have a few deaths but they are not as gruesome as I was expecting.  The first film in the set really set the tone for what Bava could do with practical effects but the three films since have not really followed in it's footsteps.  This one has some skin, some blood, and that is about the extent of it.  Overall, Eye Witness feels like it wants to be a giallo of sorts but doesn't fully commit to it.  It's a solid film but it is predictable and doesn't really have any replay value.  Check it out but don't expect it to be your new favorite film.  

School of Fear

Director - Lamberto Bava (Demons, Demons 2)

Starring - Alessandra Acciai (The Big Dream, The Youngest Son), Jean Hebert (Brivido Giallo, La Piovra), and Viola Simoncioni (The Betrothed, Club Vacanze)

Release Date - 1993

Genre - Horror

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      This High Tension: Four Films by Lamberto Bava has been a lot of fun so far.  I was afraid that this set would be like the Cliff Twemlow and Danza Macabra Volume Four where some of the films would be unforgettable and the rest would be a tough watch.  However, that has not been the case up to this point.  I may be a bit biased because I am a huge fan of Bava's but these four films were brand new to me.  The first two in the set were great with one not being a horror film like I was expecting.  Regardless, it was a lot of fun and I couldn't wait for the third film which the 1993 film School of Fear.  

     The film follows a teacher with a sorted past sent to an elite school where the former teacher fell to her death.  She starts to worry about her students the more she gets to know them before becoming alarmed by a secret game they refuse to let adults know about.  She becomes obsessed when one of her students doesn't return to class and she suspects the other students are behind it.  She becomes linked with a local detective but he doesn't believe her either.  However, that changes when she goes missing on a school trip and he suspects the students are behind it.

     Calling School of Fear a horror title is a bit of a stretch.  It has a lot of horror elements but at the end of the day it's no more the day it was nothing more than a dark thriller.  Don't get me wrong.  This was a solid film, especially from Bava, but it was a lot like The Man Who Wouldn't Die.  It had it's dark moments but just wasn't a horror film when it was all said and done.  The acting in this one was my favorite in the set by far.  The characters in this one are more natural and well grounded.  The children, while young, have better acting chops than most of the veterans with years, or even decades, of experience in front of the camera.  This is where talent, direction, and solid writing collide to create an entertaining experience for the viewer.  The story for this one is exactly what I would expect from a made for television movie.  It's not really horror, as I stated earlier, but it does borrow some horror elements.  With that being said, the film is a very dark thriller where the children are mysterious and menacing.  Well, as menacing as rich children with no conscience can be.  I do like the story and how well it played out but it is predictable with very little replay value.  Finally, don't expect a bloody or violent film like the previous two.  This one has just a little blood and a lot of character development.  Overall, School of Fear is nowhere near the top of my favorite Lamberto Bava films but it is enjoyable.  It's worth a watch especially if you are taking the time to watch the other films in this set. 

The Prince of Terror

Director - Lamberto Bava (Demons, Macabre)

Starring - Tomas Arana (Gladiator, Blood Feud), Carole Andre (Yor: The Hunter from the Future, Flawless), and David Brandon (StageFright, Beyond Darkness)

Release Date - 1996

Genre - Horror

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Lamberto Bava is a name that many genre fans know and love but is one that I could argue is severely underrated.  Bis career started in the mid-70s but it was in the early 80s that he really made a name for himself in the horror genre with films like Macabre, A Blade in the Dark, Demons and Demons 2, You'll Die At Midnight, and Delirium.  There was a few stinkers scattered throughout, like Devil Fish, but the majority of them are must see title for genre fans but they are not as widely known as films like Friday the 13th, Night of the Living Dead, and so on.  Demons especially, is a movie that I think every horror fan needs to see at least once but I can easily argue that most of the other films I previously mentioned of his should be seen as well.  A few weeks back my friends over at Severin sent me the High Tension set.  The set contains four made for television movies from an Italian show titled High Tension.  These episodes never made it to air due to their graphic nature and was recently restored by Severin.  I couldn't wait to check these out and started with The Prince of Terror.  I want to thank Severin for sending this one over!

     The film follows a horror director who calls himself The Prince of Terror and lived in a secluded home with his wife and teenage daughter.  After hosting a dinner for a producer and his date, he finds strange things happening around his home from their family pet going missing, the toilet backing up, and light fixtures suddenly exploding.  Things take a sinister twist when they find their dog skinned and a maniac inside their home.  When the three fight back they learn that the maniac is actually an actor who has history with the director who has partnered with a writer recently fired by the director.  Both are disgruntled and plan on putting him through hell but are unaware just how far the Prince of Terror is willing to go to protect his wife and child.  

     It absolutely blows my fucking mind that Bava went into this to make a made for television movie and this was what he came up with.  I don't know the ins and outs of this one so I'm not going to pretend like I do but from what I have read is that these four films were never aired but did find some sort of release eventually finding its way to VHS or BETA.  While working on this review I was able to find several clips on YouTube from the film that was recorded from sort of tape.  Regardless if it was aired or not, this was one hell of a movie and I fucking loved it.  I wish I would have seen this one earlier, especially when I was first getting into Bava and his films.  The acting in this one is over the top especially for the time but that has always been a trademark of his.  We have some of the cast delivering serious performances almost like they are chasing awards while others are hamming it up in front of the camera.  This inconsistent acting would normally ruin a film but it's fun with Bava and most other Italian genre films.  The story for this one is a bit far fetched but it wasn't predictable and the "what the fuck" moments were plenty.  I don't think this one has a lot of replay value but the story is fantastic for a first time watch.  I suspect he had this story ready for a film and was up against a deadline for the television movie so he did some doctoring and submitted it.  Finally, the film has some pretty gruesome moments that I'm still daydreaming about.  The film doesn't have a big body count but two particular instances uses some phenomenal practical effects that were absolutely gorgeous.  It's not the most gruesome Lamberto Bava film but the few times we get gore, he makes it count.  Overall, The Prince of Terror is nowhere near my favorite film from Italian filmmaker Lamberto Bava but god damn did I love it.  It's a strange film for sure but fans of mid-90s horror and Italian gore will appreciate this one.  It's not your typical made for television movie which makes me question that entirely.  

Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper

Director - Mario Cerrito (Wall of Souls, Human Hibachi)

Starring - Lloyd Kaufman (#Shakespeare's Shitstorm, Superman), Debbie Rochon (Special Needs Revolt!, Side Effects May Vary), and Dan Gregory (Happy's Horror Crypt, Blood and Lust)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Kill. Pray. Eat"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It's not often you find a trilogy where all the films work.  Hell, it's even more difficult to find an indie trilogy with all three are enjoyable.  What makes this franchise so impressive is that it has a prequel short as well that is a lot of fun.  Like with any indie horror release, I was excited when director Mario Cerrito announced a new movie but in the back of my mind I had a nagging little doubt that maybe this idea had ran it's course.  Regardless, I was excited to check it out and extremely grateful when he reached out to me to review it.  I want to thank Mario for sending this one over for review.

     The film follows a the leader of a cult who turns those that oppose him into a feast that is fittingly taken from the scripture.  However, the crime boss that helped him get in the trend of long pig starts to worry about his sudden rise to power and sends in two others to trim the fat so to speak.  

     As I look back at my intro I think some may get the wrong idea about what I meant.  I'm always excited to see a new indie horror film in production but with this one I was a little, just a little, worried that the cannibal charcuterie story had been milked enough.  While that was a minor doubt, this final film in the trilogy laid all doubt to rest about if it would be good or not.  However, it did raise another question and that is, is this still a trilogy if the franchise has a short prequel?  I don't know but in the words of the great Elvis Aaron Presley when he was in a retirement home in Texas, "what do I know, I have a growth on my pecker!"  The acting in this one is consistent with the previous films and fits the home video vibe that it's going for.  This is one my biggest problems with the franchise and I'm almost certain I've stated in reviews for the previous films which is that I dislike found footage flicks.  There is a few that I like, with these films being among those, and it's always the acting that rubs me the wrong way.    While everyone in the film does a fantastic job at getting into character, it's the small talk and lack of emotion that makes a lot of these scenes feel awkward to me.  It's not bad acting but it's the acting needed to make found footage like feels to feel authentic and it's not for me.  The story for this one really surprised me.  As I stated earlier, I was curious as to how far could they stretch this slab of meat before it snapped.  Well, the answer is clearly a lot further than I originally suspected.  Taking any story into a religious setting instantly gets my attention.  I've been a lifelong inhabitant of Appalachia which is a region steep in their religion.  Religious fanatics and closeminded zealots absolutely terrify me which is why I will always have a soft spot for religious horror.  Seeing the human hibachi story take religion down the path that I find frightening really had me hooked.  The cult angle really works for me and then when you think the movie is going the way you predicted, you get that twist that you wasn't expecting.  The movie makes great use of it's run time and doesn't stretch itself too thin was well.  While I would have liked to see the dialogue heavy scenes trimmed down, it doesn't really take away from the overall film.  Finally, the film doesn't shy away from the blood and we get a lot of fake body props.  While it's not the goriest film I've seen, it was able to use what little budget it had to add some of the red stuff to the film.  It fits the movie very well and works for the most part.  Overall, Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper may not be the best film of the trilogy (or franchise, however you look at it) but it's probably my favorite of them all.  Religious horror, when done right, is very effective and this one did a great job with that.  It is a bit outlandish but it's fun and that's all we can ask for a movie to do.  

Queens of the Dead

Director - Tina Romero (Rainbowarrior, Flicker)

Starring - Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O'Brian (The Running Man, The Mandalorian), and Quincy Dunn-Baker (The Righteous Gemstones, Inheritance)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few weeks, or even months, back I was sent a couple press releases for Tina Romero's Queens of the Dead.  I knew exactly who Tina was because I follow her on Instagram but for those of you that are unaware, she is the daughter of the late George Romero and Christine Forrest.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what the film is about after reading the title and knowing her father's legacy.  I was already thinking about my review for the film before I watched it.  I didn't know if I wanted to go into it just making a quick mention of her father before giving the rest of my time to her and her film or compare and contrast their films given that she was likely inspired by her father.  I didn't want my review to be about Romero and his legacy but I ultimately agreed that his daughter is his legacy and his legendary career that did lead to her directing this film.  

     The film follows a small club owner as she prepares for a drag show but clogged toilets, homophobic in-laws, flaky talent, sewer rats, and the undead are stopping her.  A night of major inconviences turns deadly when the undead try to break into her club.  As the rag tag group consisting of a right-wing plumber, several lesbians, and a small group of drag queens prepare to barricade themselves in the club, they learn that a boat is leaving soon and could be their only hope of surviving the night.  Things then take an even stranger turn when she learns that her wife, who works at a hospital, is pregnant and not answering her phone.  

     I was really excited to check out Queens of the Dead.  I was the one that initiated contact with them so I could review it.  A zombie movie made by the daughter of George A. Romero that features drag queens?  This one just sounded amazing to me and I couldn't wait to dig into it.  Sadly, it wasn't as fun as it could have been and it reminded me a lot of the Tubi original Slay and Kicking Zombie Ass for Jesus aka Dead Don't Die in Dallas which was a little more fun than this one.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  We have some seriously fun performances along with some extremely flat performances.  The characters with drag queen personas were a lot of fun and live up to their bigger than life counterparts.  We have a few other performances pop up here and there that was solid as well but a good bit of the film features a lot of one dimensional performances with awkward dialogue and zero emotion.  This would be kind of funny if I was talking about the cast that portrayed the zombies but I'm not.  The story for this one is a lot like Slay meets Kicking Zombie Ass for Jesus with a group of drag queens fighting for their lives against the undead.  I really liked the set up for the film but wish that more time was spent on the character that wasn't queens, as well as, where they wanted to take the story.  We have a lot of time spent on the build up of the story only for it to fizzle out.  We get a very strong start, a little bit of build up in the middle, and just more of the same throughout the remainder.  Finally, the film has some blood, great special effects that go along with it but the look of the zombies are very underwhelming.  This may be a tribute to Tina's father and his classic Night of the Living Dead but the gray glitter body paint just wasn't as enjoyable as it may have sounded on paper.  Yea, it does fit the drag queen theme but it doesn't feel like a true zombie film because of that.  Also, the lack of gore was a bit disappointing.  Overall, Queens of the Dead had the makings to be a modern classic but the lack of story, underwhelming zombies, and flat characters made this one easily forgettable.  God damn, I wanted to love this one but it just wasn't there for me.