Yellow Dragon's Village

Director - Yugo Sakamoto (Green Bullet, Baby Assassins)

Starring - Yuni Akino (Stop the Bitch Campaign: Reboot, My Favorite Girl), Itsuki Fujii (Vampire Clay 2, Pan), and Wataru Ichinose (Antihero, Sacrifice)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been actively watching Asian horror films for around 15 years now and while my knowledge of Asian cinema is fairly small, I know that some of my favorite horror films I've seen have been Japanese.  Movies like House, Tokyo Gore Police, Meatball Machine, Ichi the Killer, Versus, and Helldriver just to name a few.  Several weeks back I bought a Japanese double feature from Terror Vision and added it to my watch pile to check out when I had the time.  I bought the set for the second film, Visitors, which is why my review appears out of order.  I had to watch the second film first but once I finished with it I quickly tossed in Yellow Dragon's Village.

    The film follows a group of college students who are making a trip out into the country for some camping when they run into car troubles.  They just happen to break down near an old village steeped in tradition with promises of getting their car repaired the following day.  However, the next day they awaken to one of their own missing and at breakfast they learn that the village has a strange ritual that involves butchering outsiders that stumbles upon them.  The town descends on them to slaughter when they flee but several in the group are actually trained in hand to hand combat for just this occasion after losing a family member to their sick game some years before.

     I went into this one absolutely blind and found myself really enjoying it.  The movie, much like Visitors, is far from perfect with a lot of issues with the story but is still very entertaining.  In fact, I could see this one spawning a sequel or even a prequel due to it's rich story with endless possibilities.  The acting in this one is very consistent and very well done.  Much like Visitors, the characters are very one dimensional with very little personalities.  The cast does the best with what they were given but the characters are easily forgettable.  The story for this one is pretty fucking clever.  The film's artwork made me think I was getting into a slasher.  Instead, the film follows a small village that lives like a cannibalistic cult that slaughters anyone that walks into their domain.  This would have been good enough for a straight forward horror flick.  However, we get the additional storyline of several of the youths who have trained to seek revenge against the villagers for killing someone they loved sometime ago.  It feels a bit cheap and doesn't really improve the film.  In fact, it pulls the film down in my opinion.  The movie would have been much better if the film followed the campers as they fought off the villagers.  Finally, the film has plenty of blood and minimal effects.  The kills fit the film very well but if you are looking for memorable deaths and outstanding gore then you will be disappointed.  Yellow Dragon's Village is a pretty solid Japanese horror film with a decent enough story.  While some of it could be edited out to improve it, the film is just fine as is.  It's not going to be someone's favorite film but it is entertaining.  

Visitors - Complete Edition

Director - Kenichi Ugana (Rolling Marbles, We Are Aliens)

Starring - Ryuta Endo (The Tokyo Wind Orchestra, Junnai Dissonance), Saki Hirai (Aru Shokuba, Omimi ni Aimashitara), and Rii Ishihara (Flashback Before Death, The Lump on My Heart)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm always open to Japanese horror.  Over the years I've seen some of the wildest and most depraved films that Japan has to offer.  These are some of my favorite films and I'm always recommending them to genre fans that have never stepped outside of the country in regards to what they watch.  I'm always on the lookout for other Japanese horror films that I had never seen before.  Recently, Terror Vision released a Japanese horror double feature that really caught my eye.  The release featured two films, Visitors and Yellow Dragon's Village, with Visitors really peaking my interest.  I snagged a copy and tossed it on my watch list until I had the time to check it out.

     The film follows a group of friends as they make the trip to visit the brother of one of them.  He hasn't spoke with them for some time so they are paying him a visit.  This quickly turns deadly when they one by one become possessed by something ancient and sinister.  One of them survives and starts hunting demons where she saves a man from a trap set by a different demon.  She becomes possessed and follows the man she saved back to the apartment where this all began where they encounter even more zombies but live in relative peace.  That changes when demon hunters show up and start killing everyone.  Those that survive find themselves abducted by visitors from another world.  

     I went into Visitors knowing absolutely nothing about it aside from the comparison to Evil Dead and that it had a cameo from Troma's Lloyd Kaufman.  I went into it blind and was a bit confused.  After doing a little bit of research I learned that this was originally a short that had subsequent shorts attached to it which is why it felt like an anthology at times.  It was fun for what it was but the entire time if felt like a huge missed opportunity.  The acting in this one is solid for what it was.  The characters have some pretty big characters to bring to life but they brought the energy to do so.  The characters are a lot of fun and they bring so much to the film but they are lacking depth.  In fact, it's hard to keep a lot of the character separated.  The story for this one has a lot going on but the film itself is stretched too thin.  I loved the idea of the friends visiting a friend only to be possessed one by one by an evil presence.  The short should have left it at that.  Instead, we drag it out with other connected shorts that ties back to the original short.  This is what makes this the complete edition.  Honestly, I wish I would have just seen the original short instead of the follow up segments.  They don't do a great job wrapping up the story and feel out of place from everything else.  Finally, the film has a lot of practical effects.  The deaths have a lot of blood and some light gore along with some seriously fantastic make-up effects.  The movie does draw a lot of inspiration from the Evil Dead franchise and the effects are the most obvious.  Overall, Visitors is a must watch for fans of Troma, Evil Dead, and Japanese horror.  It does fall a bit short of what it could have been but it's still fun as it is.  Check it out.  

Assault of the Party Nerds 2: The Heavy Petting Detective

Director - Richard Gabai (The Bike Squad, In the Dark)

Starring - Richard Gabai, Christopher Dempsey (Breaking Bad, Virtual Girl), and Michelle Bauer (Scream Queen Hot Tub Party, Hellroller)

Release Date - 1995

Genre - Comedy

Tagline - "The party nerds are back!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I went into Assault of the Party Nerds not knowing what to expect and I found myself actually enjoying it.  To be honest, it's nothing we haven't seen before. It's not very original and it feels like a combination of several raunchy comedies from the early 80s but it works.  I doesn't try to reinvent the wheel.  Instead, it knows what it wants to be and runs with it.  It's fun, especially for a first time watch, but I can see myself spinning it again from time to time.  When I bought the blu I didn't realize it included the 1995 sequel but I'm glad it did.  It was just as fun as the first film.

     The film, once again, follows Ritchie (Gabai) who is now married to Muffin (Bauer) and is a private investigator.  Ritchie is tasked with getting dirt on a wealthy businessman's soon to be son-in-law who just happens to be Muffin's ex-boyfriend Bud.  This comes as he is getting ready for the 5 year celebration of the big party from part one.  However, they are on the brink of losing their frat house forcing Ritchie to help them as well before the party.

      Assault of the Party Nerds 2 isn't the funniest or raunchiest film I had seen but it did make me laugh a few times while exploiting the beauty that is Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer.  I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the first film but it was still a solid sequel that tried to feel like an 80s sex comedy but was really a straight to video mid-90s comedy.  The acting in this one is exactly as the first film.  The characters are very cliched and unoriginal but they fit the film so well.  The cast does a solid job in their roles with Bauer and Quigley giving viewers what they want.  The story for this one doesn't follow in the college sex comedy approach.  Instead, it feels like a crime comedy with nudity and a plot that you would find in a kids movie from the same era.  A private investigator searching for dirt on someone while saving his frat house is not the most thrilling of stories.  Hell, if you took out the nudity and replaced Gabai with a teenager then you would have a film that would feel like it was made by Full Moon's sister company, Moonbeam.  I liked the story but it's a huge departure from the previous film.  Finally, don't expect to see any blood and gore.  Instead, we get some nudity and humor.  Overall, Assault of the Party Nerds 2 is a decent enough sequel that fans of Michelle Bauer and Linnea Quigley should really check out.  Some of the humor works and while it doesn't have the replay value of the first film it still delivers.  Check it out.  

Assault of the Party Nerds

Director - Richard Gabai (Blood Nasty, Virgin High)

Starring - Richard Gabai, Richard Rifkin (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Lords of Magick), and Joe Whyte (Night Visitors, Hotel Translyvania 3: Summer Vacation) 

Release Date - 1989

Genre - Comedy

Tagline - "When the nerds get crazy it's the frat bash of the century"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the era from which I grew up.  I was born in the 80s and grew up in the 90s.  The video store and late night television were my homes away from home.  I've always been a fan of cinema in some form or another and I remember spending a lot of my time, especially on the weekend and summer breaks, watching movies on tape or checking stuff out on cable.  When I was little I remember staying up late to watch shows like MonsterVision and USA Up All Night.  I will occasionally watch episodes of both of these on YouTube just to get that nostalgic feeling.  A few months back I saw that Terror Vision was releasing Late Night Classics Vol. 2: Assault of the Party Nerds 1 and 2 on blu for Culture Shock Releasing.  I had never heard of these two films before but when I saw that the bonus features an Up All Night appearance with director and star Richard Gabai it reminded me how much I loved the show.  I snagged a copy and worked it into my review list.  

     The film follows the last remaining four members of their frat and are about to graduate.  They have just a few months to recruit new members and decide to throw the biggest party campus has ever seen.  However, they don't have the funds and decide to trick their frat's main office in order to make some quick money.  With the money in hand, they plan on throwing the party while dodging another frat that they tricked into failing their mid-terms.  

     I watched several movies as they aired on Up All Night but I don't recall seeing Assault of the Party Nerds.  I have a pretty good memory, especially of films that I've seen, so I'm almost positive I never watched it when it was on television.  I wish I had watched during it's airing but I'm sure if I did a little looking I could find a VHS rip on YouTube if I really wanted to.  As for the film itself, I really liked it.  I could see myself watching it over and over again if I would have discovered it when I was young.  It was a lot of fun especially when you consider it was at the tail end of the raunchy sex comedies of the 80s.  The acting in this one is enjoyable for a low budget comedy that went straight to video.  The cast had solid careers up to this point and several would continue to act or provide voice for film until now.  This is my introduction to Richard Gabai and I have to admit that I do like his style of comedy.  His character is not the most original even by 80s standards.  The raunchy sex comedies became a staple of cinemas and video stores long before 1989 so by this point it's a bit difficult to create something a bit more original.  With that being said, he does a solid job but anyone could have portrayed this paint by numbers character.  The film also introduced me to Richard Rifkin who would find success in other films and voice acting but nothing I had really seen before now.  I really liked his character here even though it was rather cliched as well.  He is a mix between Booger from Revenge of the Nerds and Bluto from National Lampoon's Animal House.  One of the main reasons I snagged this was for Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer.  It was cool to see them in another 80s flick but their characters were also rather cliched and unoriginal.  The story for this one is a melting pot of so many different college comedies from the late 70s through the 80s.  The nerdy frat plans a party as one big bang before graduating.  A rival frat tries to stop them and college girls love to show their breasts.   Honestly, it's not original but it's still fun for a late night flick.  The humor works at times and when it doesn't we have the nudity to fall back on it.  Finally, no blood in this one.  However, is college girls in the nude, along with Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer are your thing then this one is for you.  Overall, Assault of the Party Nerds 

The Emasculator

Director - Susana Kapostasy (Metal Maniac, Night of the Zodiac)

Starring - Brad G. Grinter, Carly Sonafelt (Bathtub Shark Attack, Crackcoon), and Desmond La-Fontane

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "He'll pull you up... by the root"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing films for well over a decade now and I still find films that completely surprise me.  I've been a fan of indie horror for a long time now and started seriously collecting these films when I was in high school.  Over the years I've noticed that I find myself drawn to several sub-genres of horror and the same can be said for exploitation.  Exploitation cinema is important to movie history and over the years has saw several amazing sub-genres pop up.  I'm a huge fan of blaxploitation, hixploitation, sexploitation, cannibal, and the most controversial of them all, rape and revenge.  Exploitation in it's own is controversial but every sub-genre that it created has it's own controversies with rape and revenge being one that gets the biggest emotional response from me.  Horror doesn't really pull an emotional reaction from me anymore but a well done rape/revenge film can leave me feeling some sort of way.  Sometime back I received an email from Makeflix about a new release of theirs.  The film, The Emasculator, looked like something I would really enjoy so I pulled the trigger and bought a copy.  I'm glad I did because this was one indie release I needed to see!

     The film follows a father who is struggling with the loss of his wife and has turned to drinking to cope.  His daughter, known around town for being a bit loose, goes on a date where she is drugged and raped while the act is filmed.  She tells her father and forces him to promise not to turn to the police due to the fact that it was the son of the small town sheriff that was in on it.  That night she kills herself leaving behind a grieving father.  He turns to the skills he learned in the military and his cattle emasculator to get his revenge on the aspiring pornographers.  

     I only had a vague idea as to what the film was about prior to watching it but I wasn't expecting it to be a rape/revenge flick nor was I expecting myself to connect with the killer in the way that I did.  I Spit on Your Grave is one of my favorite films and I've always loved how justice was served in the film.  The Emasculator does the same while giving the viewer a character they can associate with.  The acting in this one is a bit uneven but it's far from being bad.  Some of the cast does show inexperience but they are all fully committed to their role.  With that being said, I really liked the characters and what the cast did with their roles.  It's these characters that made the film so much fun.  The story for this one is a bit different than your normal rape/revenge flick.  Typically, the film will feature a woman who is defiled by a man or group of men and then sets out to kill those responsible.  Here, the film uses the father's love for his daughter to fuel his anger for revenge.  Honestly, I'm a father of two little girls and I couldn't imagine something like this happening to them so seeing a father go to the lengths he does here makes the film for me.  As much as I loved the story to this one, some of the scenes are a bit drawn out and boring at times.  Some editing and trimming down would help the pacing of this one out tremendously.  Finally, the film has some blood and with some decent practical effects but it's clear that this no budget feature didn't have the funds for serious gore.  While it does work for the film, I was expecting a little more in regards to the red stuff.  Overall, The Emasculator is a fantastic S.O.V. tribute to one of the most controversial sub-genres in cinema history.  It's depraved at times and a lot of fun for fans of underground cinema.  I highly recommend it.  

Primal Games

Director - David Ryan Keith (Ghosts of Darkness, The Redwood Massacre)

Starring - John Love (The Droving, No Ambition), Hannaj Bang Bendz (Wrath of Dracula, Ship of the Damned), and Gary Kasper (Redwood Massacre: Annihilation, Bigfoot)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Action/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Only the elite survive"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been following the career of filmmaker David Ryan Keith for sometime now.  I first befriended him when he was promoting his slasher The Redwood Massacre about a decade ago now and since then I've reviewed several of his films.  He's a very talented filmmaker and his body of work speaks for itself.  A few weeks back David reached out to me to review his newest film Primal Games.  This sci-fi action flick looked like a fun time so I agreed to check it out.  Like always, I want to thank David for sending this one my way to check out!

     The film follows Ben (Love) and Sarah (Bendz) as they travel through the woods.  However, on their way they cross paths with a man who seems to be having car troubles.  Ben offers to give him a lift but Sarah has her own reserves about the man.  Things take a deadly twist when he shoots Ben and starts killing Sarah.  Ben is able to get the upper hand on the sadistic man but not before Sarah dies.  During his escape, Ben is able to seize the man's cellphone and while looking through it he discovers that he is the paying customer of the ultimate hunt revealing that Ben and Sarah are clones.  People pay to hunt the clones and their bodies are used to harvest organs for medical emergencies.  Ben then uses the device to increase his intelligence and fighting prowess to stop the other hunters in the park.

     I went into Primal Games blind and found myself really enjoying it.  Hell, I honestly loved it for the most part.  The story did have me scratching my head fairly early on but as the film progressed I realized that it was going to be something a bit different especially for an indie production.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  John Love and Hannaj Bang Bendz made the film for me.  I love their on screen chemistry and the characters they portrayed.  They both carry the entire film on their backs and do one hell of a job with their roles.  The same can be said about Gary Kasper.  While he may not make the film for me as the other two do, his performance is nothing short of brilliant.  He does an amazing job as well.  The supporting cast is solid but it's these three that shine.  The story for this one is is not what I was expecting.  Hell, I thought I had the film figured out before the big reveal which I did not see coming.  It's a well written film that reminded me a lot of the direct to video sci-fi action flicks of the late 90s.  I wasn't a fan of these films growing up but the library on Tubi of these lost classics has really opened my mind up to these type of films.  I loved this story and how it left itself open to possible sequels further down the line.  Finally, the film has a lot of violent deaths with plenty of blood.  We do get a few gruesome scenes with solid effects but they are not that memorable or original.  Most of the deaths are done by gun or knife so we don't have a lot of room for creativity here.  They work for the film but don't stand out.  With that being said, I wasn't a fan of the visual effects used.  It does cheapen the film and takes away from the overall presentation.  Overall, Primal Games may not be a straight forward horror flick.  In fact, it's not really a horror film at all.  It's a sci-fi action flick that is just clever and violent enough to appeal to horror fans.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.  

Wolf Man

Director - Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man, Insidious: Chapter 3)

Starring - Christopher Abbott (Kraven the Hunter, Possessor), Julia Garner (Ozark, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), and Matilda Firth (Vampire Academy, The Power)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Protect your own"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Many genre fans, myself included, cut their teeth on the Universal Monster movies.  I remember collecting the reissues VHS as a kid and picking up extra copies to trade among friends.  This was long before the genre really took hold.  I was still watching shit like Air Bud, Heavyweights, Space Jam, and any other kid appropriate film of the mid-90s but there was always joy in watching Bela deliver Dracula's iconic lines or Boris throwing that little girl in the water.  The films have seen several reboot over the years with some being personal favorites of mine.  Brendan Fraser's The Mummy being one of them.  A few years back Blumhouse produced The Invisible Man and it was one I went into with an open mind but in the end I didn't enjoy it.  However, the success of the film spawned interest in more classic Universal Monsters and before long we were given Wolf Man from Leigh Whannell who also directed the Invisible Man.  I had reserves about this one but I was still interested in it.

     The film follows a father who receives documentation that his missing father has been declared dead along with the keys to his childhood home deep in the woods.  He decides to take his family there to try and rekindle his marriage and spend more time with his daughter.  However, their trip there is anything but normal when their vehicle is ran off the road by a humanoid creature and the person taking them to the cabin is killed.  He suffers an injury but is able to get his family to safety in his father's cabin but soon finds himself severely ill.  As he slowly succumbs to his illness, his body starts to change.  He starts losing his teeth, finger nails, and hair.  It doesn't take long before he is unrecognizable but he still has a little of his humanity left and puts himself between the creature, who happens to have the same tattoo as his father, and his family.  

     I went into this one not knowing what to expect.  I had seen some promotional images and a few pictures from some event but that was the extent of my knowledge of the film.  With that being said, I actually enjoyed the film.  There was a few things that I didn't care for but the overall film was enjoyable.  I will say that if you went into this one expecting a solid werewolf flick then you may be disappointed.  I would recommend going into this one with an open mind and to expect what you wouldn't expect from a film titled Wolf Man.  The acting in this one is one of my biggest problems with the film.  Abbott and Garner show absolutely zero emotion.  They scream but the entire film their faces remain stone.  I thought Kristen Stewart was the worst for showing no emotion but these two rival her with their performances here.  The remainder of the cast, as short as it may be, was solid enough but with these two starring it didn't leave much room for the cast to make up for their shortcomings.  The story for this one borrow some from the original Wolf Man along with the 2010 remake but not enough to be noticeable.  In all three films we follow an estranged son returning to his family home and that is about the end of the similarities.  The film takes a more grounded take on werewolf lore that almost feels like it was influenced by Ginger Snaps.  It treats it as a sickness or disease rather than people being cursed to turn into a monster by moonlight.  I prefer the original lore surrounding werewolves but I kind of liked this take as well.  Sure, the story does drag it's feet in the third act and is a bit bloated near the ending but the overall film was enjoyable.  Finally, the film has some great practical effects and a few awesome scenes that I don't want to go into great detail with but I absolutely loved the self-harm scenes.  I would have liked a bit more monster make-up and some gore but we can't always get what we want.  Overall, Wolf Man is nothing like the original or the 2010 remake but I still enjoyed it.  While I'm not the biggest fan of Whannell, he did a solid job with this one.  It's not going to be an iconic film or one that defines the genre but it's still fun for a late night viewing.  Check it out.  

Gush

Director - Scott Schirmer (The Bad Man, Found) and Brian K. Williams (Time to Kill, Space Babes from Outer Space)

Starring - Ellie Church (Amazon Hot Box, Hunters), Alyss Winkler (The Barn Part II, Slaughterhouse Slumber Party), and Jason Crowe (Mr. Buzzkill, Don't Fuck in the Woods 2)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Thriller

Tagline - "Inspiration comes at a price"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing for Horror Society for over a decade now and during that time I've seen some wild flicks.  I have a soft spot for films that are unique and weird.  Movies that follow trends or intended to be quick cash grabs are not for me.  Instead, I want a movie with a story that I had never seen before with memorable moments.  That is exactly what I can count on when I see a film with Scott Schirmer and Brian K. Williams attached.  Some of the wildest and strangest films have these two attached to them.  Last week I was contacted by Williams to check out their newest film Gush.  I had seen some images from the film and was really looking forward to it so I quickly agreed to check it out.  I'm glad I did because I absolutely fucking loved this movie.  Like always, I want to thank Brian for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a horror author who is struggling after the loss of her pregnancy.  She has become distant from her husband because of the loss which is impacting her writing.  Her agent sends her to a home deep in the woods in order work on her new book.  Still mourning the loss of her child and suspicion that her husband is not faithful, she reluctantly goes to start on her new book.  Things start out innocently enough but a nightly visit from a beautiful woman has her forgetting her troubles and highly motivated to finish her new novel.  She soon learns that the woman that has served as a distraction from her life and serves as inspiration may be a muse who has motives of her own.  

    I went into Gush knowing very little about it.  All I knew was that it featured Jason Crowe, Ellie Church, and Alyss Winkler but I knew nothing about the story or what the general plot of the film was.  I'm glad I went into this one completely blind because the mystery is part of what makes this film so damn good.  The acting in this one is top notch.  Ellie Church is easily one of the best actresses in the genre and has always stole every scene she was in.  I didn't realize that Schirmer and Williams were attached to the film when I first became interested in the project.  It was Church's involvement that sold me on the project.  Also in the film is Jason Crowe who is one of my favorite actors in the indie horror world.  I've been a huge fan of his for years and he never disappoints.  Gush is no exception.  He once again delivers a great performance.  It would also be a crime if I didn't mention how amazing Alyss Winkler is this one.  I've mentioned in previous reviews how Winkler is easily the most attractive actress I've seen in film and it seems I am not the only one that thinks that.  Her character here says so much without saying a word.  Her body and mannerisms, mixed with her raw sex appeal, makes her performance here unforgettable.  The story for this one is one I was not expecting.  The movie has a lot going on without making it complicated to follow.  We have a struggling author dealing with the loss of her unborn child and the suspicion that her husband is sleeping around on her.  She is then forced to complete a novel she is not mentally ready to write by an agent seeking a payday.  It's here that she meets a muse that helps her get her life on track before something sinister is revealed.  It's a very well written story that is told perfectly on screen with great pacing and dialogue.  Finally, this is not a bloody or violent flick.  Sure, there is some blood and minimal practical effects but it's not something a lot of gorehounds will appreciate.  The film relies heavily on the story and the character development instead of pointless gore.  Overall, Gush is my favorite genre title of the year so far.  It has a phenomenal cast and one hell of a story.  I highly recommend checking this one out.  You will not be disappointed.    

Bite School 2

Director - James Balsamo (Hack Job, Bite School)

Starring - James Balsamo, Craig Muckler (Hollywood Werewolf, The Hand That Feeds), and Bob Cummings (Demonoids from Hell, Mind Melters 2)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Bad cop.  Bat cop"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A decade or so ago I befriended filmmaker and pun-gineer James Balsamo as he was promoting a few of the films he was releasing.  I reviewed several of them around that time like I Spill Your Guts, Hack Job, Cool as Hell, Killer Waves, and Bite School.  I liked most of his films but Bite School was probably my favorite of those releases.  I've randomly reviewed a few of James' releases since then but Bite School has always stood out to me.  A few nights back James reached out for me to review a new one from him and it just happened to be a sequel to Bite School.  I was really looking forward to checking this one out so I moved it to the top of my review list so I could quickly check it out.

     The film follows former millionaire playboy Tony Canoni (Balsamo) who has been hunting vampires for the last ten years when he comes across a large gathering of vampires performing a ceremony with Robot Dracula.  Now, he must stop them before their diabolical plan takes over the world.

     Bite School 2 goes a route I was not expecting but I did dig the direction.  However, the way Balsamo's films have been in recent years is something I'm not really a fan of.  I had a lot of fun with his earlier films but the endless cameos and random scenes filmed at conventions or in hotel halls takes away from the overall film.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  Some of the cast, actually a great deal of it, is random scenes from celebrities and musicians talking to the camera from what I assume was a video sent to Balsamo to be added to the film or from conventions and hotel lobbies.  It's clear that they have no idea what the film is about and is asked to give out some random bits of dialogue for the camera so it could be pieced in during editing.  When you remove those scenes you are left with some pretty decent acting.  Balsamo does a solid performance and the remainder of the cast is the same as well but the film doesn't give them much time to really get into their roles before we move between cameos.  The story for this one suffers just like the acting does.  I liked the Robot Dracula character and picking up with Tony ten years later.  However, as soon as the film gains tractions it is derailed by the random cameos that don't really fit the film.  I would love to see this one edited with these removed so we can get a more coherent story.  Finally, this is probably the most impressive film in regards to effects that I've seen with Balsamo attached.  The make-up effects are solid enough but what impressed me was the prosthetics and creature design.  I absolutely loved the look of the vampires and Robot Dracula.  I would have loved some gore but I'll take what I can get here.  Overall, Bite School 2 is a film that I liked but only half of it.  The random inserts and cameos does take away from the film which is a bummer considering how much I love the first film.  I wanted to love it but couldn't.  

Ed Kemper

Director - Chad Ferrin (The Deep Ones, Pig Killer)

Starring - Brandon Kirk (H.P. Lovecraft's The Old Ones, Night Caller), Cassandra Gava (Conan the Barbarian, Night Shift), and Brinke Stevens (Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity, The Slumber Party Massacre)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Thriller

Tagline - "The true story of an American psycho"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     This looks to be the year of true crime for Horror Society and myself.  I've reviewed dozens, if not hundreds, of films about serial killers and madmen but I rarely get in true crime flicks to review.  Yet, here I am just four months into the year and I'm reviewing my second true crime flick.  Several weeks back Unearthed Films sent over Evilenko for review.  The film is based on the heinous crimes committed by Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo.  It had been a very long time since my last true crime flick so I was really looking forward to it.  It was a solid enough film which made me turn to Tubi to watch a few more true crime flicks before I got back into reviewing.  A few days back I was sent the press release for the new Chad Ferrin film Ed Kemper.  I was really interested in this one so I reached out to Epic Pictures and they were kind enough to send over a link for me to check out.  I want to thank Epic for sending this one my way!

     The film follows Ed (Kirk) who is released from state care after spending years locked away for the murder of his grandparents when he was only 15 years old.  His mother blames him for his father leaving her and takes it out on her.  Ed gets a job and tries to get acclimated into society but finds himself drawn to female hitchhikers.  It doesn't take long before he is killing and then raping them before posing their corpses in different positions to photograph.  Eventually, his mother goes too far and he kills her before he is brought in by police.

     Ed Kemper is one very interesting guy.  Those that have met him in real life, especially those that have interviewed him for magazines and so forth, have stated that he is a very nice and well spoken individual even though he committed those horrible crimes.  What makes his story even more interesting is the fact that he narrates audiobooks for the blind and has over 5000 hours recorded on titles like Star Wars, Flowers in the Attic, and The Rosery Murders, and so much more.  This doesn't overshadow the atrocities he committed but it's not something you would expect from a gruesome killer.  This true crime thriller from Chad Ferrin really does capture the intelligent side along with how he used his charm to lure female hitchhikers into his car.  It's not my favorite true crime film but it's up near the top for sure.  The acting in this one is great.  Brandon Kirk steals the show with his portrayal of Kemper.  I had seen and watched videos of Kemper for years and while he does have some resemblance to the infamous killer, he doesn't really look like him.  With that being said, his demeanor and tone of voice does resemble Kemper.  I thoroughly enjoyed him here and look forward to seeing him appear in other genre efforts.  We also get a small performance from legendary scream queen Brinke Stevens along with a powerhouse performance from Cassandra Gava.  Gava and Kirk's chemistry on camera made the film for me.  The story for this one focuses on the relationship between the the deranged Kemper and his verbally abusive mother.  It makes this a huge part of the story without over doing it.  We then follow Kemper as he branches out to his murders, rapes, and photographing the corpses before his eventual arrest.  It has solid pacing, the scenes don't over stay their welcome, and the story is very easy to follow.  Kudos to the writers on this one.  Finally, the film does use some computer generated images to enhance a few of the scenes.  It's very noticeable but not bad.  We also get some great practical effects that are rather gruesome.  We don't get a lot of gory deaths but the prosthetics and props look absolutely amazing.  Overall, Ed Kemper is a top tier true crime flick.  I've been of a fan of the Ed Gein film starring Steve Railsback for years now and this one is up there with it.  It's got a great cast and does play close to the real story of Ed Kemper and his crimes.  Check it out.