A Man for Emmanuelle

Director - Cesare Canevari (Killing of the Flesh, The Nude Princess)

Starring - Erika Blanc (Kill Baby... Kill!, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse), Adolfo Celi (The Phantom of Liberty, Madly in Love), and Paolo Ferrari (Nero Wolfe, Married to a Cop)

Release Date - Drama/Erotic

Tagline - "The queer... the erotic... the hippie... all turned her on!"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I went into the Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection, I thought it was four films featuring Sylvia Kristel as the title character.  However, that was not the case at all.  The first three films in the set did feature Kristel in her iconic role but the fourth film really caught me off guard.  The final Emmanuelle film was actually the 1969 Italian drama A Man for Emmanuelle starring Erika Blanc as Emmanuelle.  I became very interested in the film especially when I realized that it was not one of the films starring Kristel.  Like always, I want to thank Severin for sending this one over!

     The film follows Emmanuelle (Blanc) who has her eye on someone.  Instead of approaching them like a rational human being, she starts sleeping with everyone she crosses paths with regardless of gender.  

     I went into this one not knowing what to expect.  Was this a film that would later inspire the Emmanuelle series that I know or would it just be a film that shares a common name?  I don't know the back story behind this one but I did like it as a film but it wasn't near as sleazy and enjoyable as the Sylvia Kristel films.  The acting in this one is solid for the most part and pretty consistent which is something you can't really say about the previous three films I reviewed.  Blanc doesn't really carry the scene like Kristel can but she is a hell of a lot better actress.  The supporting cast does a solid job as well but it's Blanc that's the focus of the film.  The story for this one is nowhere near as sleazy as the first film but does have some sexy moments.  With that being said, it does lack in the story department with what feels like an anti-sex message.  We have a woman bouncing from sexual partner to sexual partner as she explores her sexual freedom.  The further she goes into these encounters, the more her life is turned upside down.  The film seems to have a completely different message than the subsequent Emmanuelle films.  Finally, the film doesn't have the amount of skin as I was expecting but there is some.  Those of you wanting a sleazy watch may be disappointed just like those of you wanting some blood and gore.  Overall, A Man for Emmanuelle is nothing like I expected but it was still an enjoyable film.  While it doesn't live up to the Emmanuelle name, I can only assume that it inspired the now legendary franchise.  Check it out especially if you dig the other films.  

Goodbye, Emmanuelle

Director - Francois Leterrier (The Hippies, The Bodyguard)

Starring - Sylvia Kristel (The Swing Girls, Sexy Boys), Umberto Orsini (The Bible Collection: Esther, Beyond Good and Evil), and Jean-Pierre Bouvier (The Divorce, Mail from the Sky)

Release Date - 1977

Genre - Drama/Erotic

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When Severin sent me the Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection, I had already seen the first two films in the set.  However, this collection features two Emmanuelle films that were new to me.  I do enjoy the first two films and had a lot of fun revisiting them which only made me even more excited to see these final two!  The next film in the set is the third Emmanuelle film from 1977 titled Goodbye, Emmanuelle or Emmanuelle III.  I want to thank Severin for sending this one over!

     The film follows Emmanuelle (Kristel) who is once again in an exotic location with her husband living the swinging life.  However, after Emmanuelle gets close with a filmmaker, her husband starts to become jealous and wants to keep her all to himself.  

     I know there is a lot of these Emmanuelle films but I wonder how many of them recycle the same stories?  Goodbye, Emmanuelle doesn't really bring us anything new but god damn was it still a lot of fun.  I went into this one thinking it was going to be the turning point in the series but I was wrong.  This is one of the instances where if it's not broke then it doesn't need fixed makes complete sense.  The acting in this one is more like the first film with Kristel really finds her groove as Emmanuelle.  She carries every scene she is in with her sultry sex appeal and natural charisma in front of the camera.  Sadly, the supporting cast is hit or miss in this one.  In some of the scenes the cast delivers stiff dialogue with zero emotion while other scenes are decently acted by the same cast members.  I don't know if these scenes are rushed, poorly written, or the cast is just over it by that point.  I can only assume but it's clear something is off.  The story for this one is just the same rehashing of the first two films with a little change.  We follow Emmanuelle and her husband in a different country as they get busy with different people.  However, this time we have the addition of the jealousy angle that takes up a very small portion of the film.  This little change does bring something new to the story but it's nothing that truly stands out when you sit back and compare it to the other films.  Finally, this one offers up just as much skin as the previous films.  Lots of beautiful women baring it all for sleazy movie fans to enjoy.  Overall, Goodbye, Emmanuelle is a solid entry in the iconic Emmanuelle series.  It's not a revolutionary sequel but it's still a fun watch.  Check it out.  

Emmanuelle II

Director - Francis Giacobetti

Starring - Sylvia Kristel (Private School, Private Lessons), Umberto Orsini (The Damned, Solomon), and Frederic Lagache 

Release Date - 1975

Genre - Romance/Drama

Tagline - "The erotic masterpiece"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm only assuming here but over the course of a decade or longer I think I've reviewed close to 100 sexploitation films thanks to companies like Mondo Macabro, Blue Underground, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin, Synapse/Impulse Pictures, and so on.  These boutique labels really care about preserving cinema.  While most have an eye for horror and exploitation, they do frequently release films that are on the sleazy side of cinema.  A few years back I was lucky enough to review an Emmanuelle double feature from my friends at Umbrella Entertainment.  I can no longer find those reviews for some reason but I do remember really enjoying those films thanks to the salacious performance from Sylvia Kristel.  A couple weeks ago I was sent the Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection by Severin to check out.  This was a great reason to revisit these historic films in 4K.  I want to thank Severin for sending it over!  

     The film once again follows Emmanuelle (Kristel) who travels to Hong Kong to find her husband.  On the way she has sex with a woman who professes that she was once raped by several women and enjoyed it.  She then meets a young man and his mistress.  She quickly becomes close friends with them both and starts sleeping with her before she moves on to exploring Hong Kong where she will continue to explore her sexuality.

     A lot of the sequels I review never live up to the original film.  However, Emmanuelle 2 is one of the few instances where the sequel is just as good.  This is wild when you think about how this is the directors only film and it's an erotic drama from the mid-70s.  Most of these films rarely gain traction yet the original film spawned almost a dozen sequels.  I remember liking Emmanuelle 2 when I first watched it several years back but I really appreciate it as a film after revisiting them both.  Between the two films, this one is not as enjoyable but as a film it is leagues above the original.  The acting in this one is very well rounded.  Sylvia Kristel once again shines as the sexy star of the film.  Her character is what makes these movies so enjoyable and her performance here once again shines.  The supporting cast delivers performances that are just as good making the acting in this one more consistent than the previous film.  The story for this one does expand on the previous film some but doesn't really bring anything new to the table.  What made the first film so much fun was the way in which Emmanuelle was reluctant at first to the sexual exploits she was in.  In this follow up we have her more than willing to dive head first into these encounters while giving viewers a similar story as the first film where we follow her in a different country as she experiences new sexual situations for the first time.  A little drama in this one would have went a very long way.  Finally, there is a lot of skin in this one with some gorgeous women baring it all for us to take in.  There is no blood or gore for us horror fans but fans of exploitation will really dig it.  Overall, Emmanuelle II has better acting and cinematography but the story doesn't really give us something new.  It's still a fun watch but don't expect something that will stick with you like the original.  

Emmanuelle

Director - Just Jaekin (The Story of O, Girls)

Starring - Sylvia Kristel (Dracula's Widow, Red Heat), Alain Cuny (Don't Touch the White Woman!, Cross of the Living), and Marika Green (Pickpocket, Rider in the Rain)

Release Date - 1974

Genre - Drama/Romance

Tagline - "X was never like this"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing exploitation for sometime now.  I started my writing career reviewing forgotten exploitation and action flicks.  Over time I was introduced to sexploitation and found myself truly enjoying them for the most part.  More genre fans would be open to them if they would get out of the mindset that these films are just porn.  These movies are story rich and highly entertaining even if you fast forward through the softcore dry humping.  Sometime ago I was sent the quintessential sexploitation film from my friends over at Umbrella Entertainment.  I reviewed the film at the time but it had been years since my last viewing so I was excited when Severin announced the release of their Saga Erotica: The Emmanuelle Collection.  I had only seen the first two films and really wanted to revisit them while seeing the other two films in the set.  I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send this set over.  I want to thank Severin for letting me check it out.  

     The film follows Emmanuelle who is married to a diplomat currently in Bangkok.  She visits him and when they finally see each other after several months apart, he is sad to learn that she has not explored their open relationship.  This soon changes after she meets several beautiful women and men who open her up to the world of sexual desire. 

     Sexploitation is a sub-genre that is often hated on by movie fans that tend to only watch popcorn flicks.  They hear nudity and instantly form an opinion about a film without seeing it.  These people are truly missing out.  As I said earlier, these films are a lot of fun and if nudity makes you feel uncomfortable, you can just fast forward through these scenes.  Emmanuelle is a fantastic movie that is a part of cinema history and one of the more popular sexploitation flicks.  Personally, I enjoy it but it's not one of my favorites but I can see why it became as popular and as important as it has.  The acting in this one is great.  Sylvia Kristel is a gorgeous actress with a lot of talent in front of the camera which is why I think the Emmanuelle movies are so much fun.  She's a great actress on top of making the sex scenes extremely hot.  Normally, I would fast forward through the sex scenes in sexploitation flicks but I can't do it here.  I have to watch.  The supporting cast is a bit uneven but in all fairness, no one watches these films for the acting.  The story for this one is pretty straight forward and clearly written to be an erotic film.  What stops this one from falling into obscurity as another skin flick lost to time is the character development and the performance from Kristel.  It works and is just as enjoyable the second and third time around.  Finally, this one doesn't have any of the red stuff many of you genre fans may want.  Instead, it's got plenty of skin and a lot of sexy scenes even for a film that is pushing 50.  Overall, Emmanuelle is not a film you toss in because it has a thought provoking story with passionate performances.  It's a skin flick with a gorgeous leading lady and a lot of skin.  It's fun and should be seen especially if you did exploitation.  This release from Severin is a must see! 

Ssssstoner Snake

Director - Daryl Hook (Mr. MeatHook's Shitty Video Reviews, Sharkoween)

Starring - Mel Heflin (Darbie's Scream House, Pigshit), Clint Beaver (Onlyfangs, Orgy of the Dead 2), and Henrique Couto (Smart House, Found Footage: The Series)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy/Sci-Fi

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Most indie productions are passion projects from dedicated genre fans.  No one goes into a no budget film with dreams of getting rich or becoming famous.  These filmmakers love the genre and have a vision.  That's why I love reviewing no budget horror flicks.  Sure, they are far from perfect but I love seeing the wild ideas and, in some cases, how far a filmmaker can grow between films.  Sometime back I befriended Daryl Hook after several friends of mine shared a few posts of his about his horror comedy Ssssstoner Snake.  I fucking love stoner comedies and horror so I quickly added him.  I shared the trailer on the site and followed the film for sometime but never had the chance to see the film until recently when Daryl messaged me to review it.  I want to thank him for sending this one over!

     The film follows an extraterrestrial snake that finds itself on Earth where it crosses paths with a stoner.  He shares his joint with the snake before he is brutally murdered by it.  This sends the snake on the hunt to get fucked up and murder every human he crosses paths with.

     Director Daryl Hook had mentioned several times on Facebook that some may consider Ssssstoner Snake to be one of the worst movies ever made.  While it is bad in several aspect, it's still a fun movie experience.  I love the being bad on purpose style of filmmaking that was made popular by filmmaker Chris Seaver and the films of Dire Wit Films.  Ssssstoner Snake truly embraces the no budget schlock and delivers something that fans of no budget madness can truly appreciate.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  We have characters that are over the top and theatrical while other characters are more grounded and natural.  The acting required for each does clash in several scenes which is a bit awkward to watch.  As a fan, I wish the movie would have embraced the characters with crazy wigs and costumes that delivered the overdramatic performances.  It's a great way to cover up inexperience while delivering on some laughs.  The more serious performances feel out of place at times and the forced dialogue makes a few of the scenes fall short on the humor that it's going for.  The story for this one is a loving tribute to bad cinema.  We have a snake from space with a knack for murder and a nose for good weed.  We then have a horror trope loving guy tossed in the middle of the intergalactic reptile mayhem.  It's a lot of fun in an intentionally bad way.  With that being said, the film is a bit too long.  Some scenes are not necessary and could be trimmed down some to make it a bit more enjoyable.  It's not bad as it is but the pacing can be improved upon with some snips here and there.  Finally, the film is clearly a no budget affair so don't expect to see memorable blood and gore.  We get a snake plushie killing people with what resources the crew had available at the time.  This only adds to the charm the film has but some of you with a taste for blood may be disappointed in it's lack of memorable deaths and gore.  Overall, Ssssstoner Snake may not be winning any awards or making year end lists but it will be infamous among no budget genre fans.  I refuse to use the term "so bad it's good" because it honestly doesn't make sense.  This is not a bad movie.  In fact, it's pretty clever for what it is.  It's funny and has endless potential.  I highly recommend it especially if you dig movies like Filthy McNasty and anything riffed by MST3K.  

Hobocop

Director - Sean Donohue (Death-Scort Service, Naked Cannibal Campers)

Starring - Bob Glazier (Amerikan Holokaust, Die Die Delta Pi), Sushii Xhyvette Holder (Sushii's Sex Seance, Kill-Cam), and Joe Makowski (Zed's Dead, Fatal Desires)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Crime

Tagline - "It's a cop with nothing to lose"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been writing reviews at Horror Society for almost 15 years now and during my first few years on the site I befriended Florida based filmmaker Sean Donohue when he was promoting Death-Scort Service.  I instantly became a fan and he became one of a handful of filmmakers that I actively follow. I've loved most of his films and always look forward to his next project.  A few days back he messaged me to review his newest film Hobocop.  This spinoff from his Death-Scort Service film starred frequent collaborators Sushii Xhyvette Holder and Bob Glazier.  I knew this wasn't a horror film but I couldn't wait to dig into it.  Like always, I want to thank Sean for sending this one over!

     The film follows a hobo (Glazier) who finds a murdered cop.  Instead of reporting the death to the authorities, he snags the officer's badge and gun where he becomes a vigilante of sorts.  This puts a strain on a corrupt detective who has partnered with a drug pusher and pimp when hobocop tries to shut them down.

     Hobocop is a movie I knew Sean was working on but I knew very little about the project.  Over the years I've learned that it's best not to get too deep into films that I plan on watching because it's just more fun to go in blind.  This was no exception.  It was very entertaining but nowhere near my favorite film from the GatorBlade Films' catalogue.  The acting in this one is very uneven but not the worst I've seen.  Glazier and Makowski deliver solid performances.  While the characters they portrayed are not their most memorable, they still did a great job.  We also get some seriously impressive performances from Sushii Xhyvette Holder and Katie McKinley.  I've seen them in several films before and, though they never disappoint, I was not expecting such serious performances from the two.  They made the film for me and I really hope they get more serious roles in the future.  The supporting cast is where we get the uneven performances.  It could be from inexperience but some of the scenes were a bit awkward to watch.  With that being said, holy hell are the women in this movie gorgeous.  I've heard a lot of bad things about Florida but god damn do I want to visit.  The story for this one is a little spin off of the Death-Scort Service series and it works as a straight forward crime flick.  It's basically a vigilante film with a crooked cop, drugs, and a lot of nudity.  It has some humor that works for the most part and while I did enjoy it for what it is, I would rather watch one of the Death-Scort Service films before I revisit this one.  Finally, the deaths in this one are not as memorable as some of the other GatorBlade Films I've reviewed in the past.  We get some blood and some practical effects but that is about the extent of it.  Overall, Hobocop is another fun one from Donohue and company.  It's got beautiful women and some fun performances.  I highly recommend checking this one out especially if you are fans of GatorBlade's previous releases.  

I Believe in Bigfoot: Mating Season

Director - Elliott Scott (Frog Monster, Snow Beast: Blood Massacre)

Starring - Nur Alan, Elise Anderson, and Emily Antonyk (Gustov)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love all horror but I have a soft spot for no budget creature features.  Seeing a filmmaker turn something out of nothing is truly remarkable even if the film is not one that I found enjoyable.  A few weeks back I was browsing hashtags on Instagram when I came across the page for Splatter Films 69.  I decided to follow them and after a few days I found a message from the page with a link to I Believe in Bigfoot: Mating Season.  A no budget cryptid flick was just what I needed in my life so I decided to check it out.  I want to thank Splatter Films 69 for sending this one over!

     The film follows a small town cop who has arrested someone in connection to a string of murders.  However, they have the wrong guy as the real murderer is the infamous bigfoot.  With a knack for murder, he is still killing in the woods when the FBI gets involved which only gives him even more opportunity to murder.

      I went into I Believe in Bigfoot: Mating Season completely blind.  I knew absolutely nothing about it but that wouldn't have mattered.  I have no idea who this movie was made for but I would love to meet them so I can pick their brains because this movie is something else.  I don't mean that in a good way.  The acting in this one is the most confusing thing I've ever tried to review.  I'm a huge fan of Chris Seaver and his films so I'm very accustomed to acting being bad on purpose as a way to get laughs or cover inexperience.  However, this film features some of the stiffest performances I've seen in film.  The dialogue is flat and the cast shows zero emotion.  I can't tell if this was done on purpose or is the lack of experience and direction.  With that being said, if it was on purpose then it failed to deliver any laughs.  The story for this one is a sequel to I Believe in Bigfoot which I was unaware of at the time.  In this sequel we follow incompetent FBI agents as they scour the woods for clues to a murder investigation as they get picked off one by one by the elusive bigfoot.  I could really get behind a movie this simple around bigfoot especially if it was meant to be a horror comedy but I Believe in Bigfoot: Mating Season had zero laughs and the story went nowhere.  I plan on watching the first film in the next few weeks to see if that will help me with some of the questions I have.  Finally, don't go into this one expecting fun effects.  We have a bigfoot Halloween costume, a gun that looks like it's from a high school auxiliary team, and several lazy deaths with no imagination.  Overall, I Believe in Bigfoot: Mating Season is a film that has left me confused.  I hope it was meant to be funny but I couldn't find any humor in it.  I love a good bad movie but this one was damn near impossible to finish.  I can't tell you to skip it because I feel every genre fan has to sit through this one at least one time.  

Paula Takes the Stage

Director - Eric Albert Branstrom (Instant Life, At the End of the Hall)

Starring - Christopher Prentice (Butterfly, Break a Leg), Belle Eclair (Sex-Positive, Nobody Fucking Leaves), and Dawn Michel Killing (Dispatches from Elsewhere, Tattletale)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love how broad horror can be.  You can have a serious film about a serial killer and immediately follow that up with a movie about a living placenta.  Horror is a genre of imagination and creativity or it can be a genre of stale cliches from producers wanting to make a quick dollar.  Sometime back I was asked to review the short Paula Takes the Stage.  I agreed to check it out and was not prepared for how much fun it was.  

     The film follows stage actress Paula (Eclair) who is set to make her big return.  However, as she counts down the minutes for her return, madness takes over and blood starts to flow.

     Paula Takes the Stage is a short that really impressed me.  It's not a film that will really stick with you or will inspire a flood of cheap knockoffs but I seriously enjoyed it for what it was.  It's not perfect, but it was entertaining.  The acting in this one is the highlight of the film.  The entire cast is phenomenal and the characters they brought to life are absolutely brilliant.  The way everyone is able to feed off each other and create these larger than life characters is something truly remarkable.  This short has to be seen for the acting alone.  The story for this one is a little underwhelming but works for the film's short run time.  We have a woman preparing for her return to the stage who meets with some cast and crew before her call time.  During these interactions things take a deadly turn with severe harm and even death.  The short doesn't really explore the why for this but it works as it is.  Finally, we get a lot of blood.  We have some make-up effects that works for the gag and a lot of blood but nothing that would really stand out especially to those of us that have an eye for blood and gore.  Overall, Paula Takes the Stage is a short where the acting surpasses all expectations.  While the story is lacking, it was still a fantastic short that many genre fans will appreciate.  Check it out.  

Jacker 3: Road to Hell

Director - James Panetta (Doomsday Stories, I Slay on Christmas)

Starring - Phil Herman (Amityville Zombies, Psycho Night), Debbie D (Phil Herman's Unearthed, Return to Bloody Creek), and Christopher Kahler (Sundown on Black Waters, Return of the Corn Zombies)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Crime

Tagline - "The end is coming"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing movies here at Horror Society for almost 15 years now and I still find it funny when something I reviewed all those years ago comes back to me.  In March of 2016 I reviewed the Jacker double feature from my friends over at The Sleaze Box.  These S.O.V. crime thrillers looked like a lot of fun so I snagged a copy from them and added them to my watch list along with another Phil Herman S.O.V. film, Burglar from Hell.  It's almost ten years later and I was recently asked by filmmaker Phil Herman to review a couple of his newest films with one of them being a sequel to his S.O.V. classics.  I want to thank Phil for sending over Jacker 3: Road to Hell for review.  

     The film takes place 30 years after the notorious carjacker turned serial killer Jacker (Herman) went missing with no leads as to where he could be.  However, after a body is discovered murdered in a similar fashion to the way Jacker did his victims, the police start to suspect that the notorious killer was back.  Things take an even more unusual turn when former lover turned victim Gloria (Debbie D) reveals that she is alive and well before turning to news and podcasts to discuss her terrifying encounter with the Jacker.  

     When I originally watched these films from Phil Herman, I really liked Burglar from Hell but the two Jacker films were not for me.  I can see why S.O.V. fans would enjoy it but it was a little underdeveloped in the story department in my opinion.  I went into the third film with an open mind and a hope that this one would be a bit more enjoyable.  Sadly, this is probably the weakest of the three.  The acting in this one is very uneven. The cast in some of the scenes spit out their dialogue with absolutely no conviction.  It's almost as if they are reading their lines instead of acting.  Other scenes may feature a little better acting but it is awkward with unnatural body movement and delivery.  I've seen a lot of no budget genre films over the years and this one features some of the most awkward scenes I've had to review.  The story for this one is a rehashing of the first two films after a 30 year break.  The first two Jacker films were released in 1993 and 1996 before going dormant for 30 years with the Jacker randomly picking up where he left off.  By this point the Jacker has reached an almost cult like status with people cowering at the mere mention of him but the character himself is not that menacing.  There is nothing about him that makes him stand out or sends chills down the viewer's spine.  He looks like everyone's uncle that only shows up around the holidays with a buzz offering up unsolicited life advice.  We then add Debbie D as Gloria where she retells her story before we get back into a story almost identical to the first two films.  Finally, there is several deaths in the film but most of them are gunshots with very little effects.  The kills are not that imaginative and get lost in the shuffle of things.  Overall, Jacker 3 is not what I was expecting.  I was hoping the film would turn the killer into something a bit more terrifying instead of looking like the dude that hangs out at gas stations revving up his truck.  Sadly, I can't recommend this one.  

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.