Vampire Time Travelers

Director - Les Sekely (Night of the Living Date, I Know What You Did in English Class)

Starring - Lynne Baker, Ali Elk (Of Light and Darkness, Hollywood Homicide), and Kat Facchino (Beverly Hills Bordello, Vampire Night)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Bite her in the butt"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was raised on 80s and 90s vampire flicks.  I watched movies like Fright Night, The Lost Boys, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Children of the Night all the fucking time when I was growing up.  I absolutely fucking loved them and the release of Blade catapulted my love for vampire flicks.  Sadly, as time went on I found myself more interested in zombies and slashers instead of vampires.  Fast forward to a few years ago when a friend of mine on Facebook made a post talking about the late 90s vampire comedy Vampire Time Travelers and how the VHS he just got was his favorite movie in his collection.  The title peaked my interest but the artwork was lame as fuck so I had no interest in it.  Move to a few weeks back and Visual Vengeance announced that they would be release Vampire Time Travelers on blu.  I thought the title sounded familiar but couldn't remember why it was.  I shot them a message and they were kind enough to send a copy over for review.  It wasn't until I was watching it that I realized this was that movie and how much fun it actually was.  I want to thank MVD and Visual Vengeance for sending this one over!

     The film follows a group of girls pledging a sorority.  What they don't know is that this particular sorority stopped a vampire from taking over the world recently and her sister is hellbent on revenge.  Now she is going through the sorority one by one biting them on the ass and turning them into time traveling bloodsuckers.

      I had no idea what this movie was about going into it but the title gave me a pretty good idea that it would involve vampires and some time traveling.  However, it wasn't until I got to the scene with the butt biting that I realized that this was the same film my friend had bragged about on VHS.  I love stupid movies and this one is easily one of the dumbest movies I had ever seen.  It was so much fucking fun and I can't wait to recommend it to people looking for stupid movies to watch the next time they want to pop an edible.  The acting in this one is not that great but I kind of enjoyed that quality.  It added to the overall no budget look and feel of the film.  The characters are a lot of fun and the cast, regardless if they are experienced or not, do a lot to bring their characters to the screen.  We have a lot of fun scenes with this cast and they make the movie as funny as it is.  The story for this one is a bit of a mess but that's what I love about it.  The movie is actually a sequel to Sorority House Vampires which was something I just discovered as I was typing this review.  The info I could find on it according to imdb states that that both movies were made in 1998 and featured different filmmakers.  I didn't watch the first one and I was still able to enjoy this one.  Back to this film.  We have vampires, bloodthirsty record execs, bitchy sorority chicks, ass biting, and so much more in this one.  With that being said, it's the amount of simple one liners and puns that makes this film so fun.  This movie is everything I would expect from a mid-90s direct to video comedy but it's actually a late 90s no budget horror movie.  Finally, if you are looking for some fun effects and memorable deaths then you are shit out of luck.  We have some simple and cheap visual effects and some not so impressive make-up effects but that is the extent of that.  The movie focuses more on story and humor than it does the death scenes.  Overall, Vampire Time Travelers is easily my new favorite movie.  I will be adding something from this to my horror sleeve in the near future.  I highly recommend snagging a copy of this one soon from Visual Vengeance.  

The Paranormal

Director - Todd Norris (Call Me Snake, Nighty Night)

Starring - Josh Anderson, Dave Byerley, and Davide Baldin 

Release Date - 1999

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "They knew the movie was bad... they didn't know it would kill them"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The 90s was the decade that I gound my love of horror.  It started with my grandma letting me watch Tom Savini's remake of Night of the Living Dead and then showing me the original immediately after.  It wasn't long after this that my love for reading, at the time, sent me down the path of horror with R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street along with several collections of Appalachian ghost stories and Stephen King from my local library.  Horror also took hold with my T.V. as well with Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Tales from the Crypt, and so much more.  I know the 90s is easily one of the most hate decades in regards to horror but it's a decade I cherish.  I'm always open to check out horror from the 90s and when Visual Vengeance announced the release of 1998's The Paranormal, I knew I had to see it.  I once again want to thank MVD and Visual Vengeance for sending this one over!

     The film follows a paranormal investigator who is sent back to his hometown to investigate a movie theater that was said to be the site of unexplained phenomenon.  What he thinks would be a routine investigation but finds himself, along with some others there for the investigation, locked inside the theater when it hit midnight.  Now they have to figure out what is going on and why everything paranormal happening in the theater is connected to an old zombie movie.

     This is one of the many movies I had never heard of prior to Visual Vengeance releasing it.  The press release for this one really peaked my interest and the artwork for the release sold me on it.  The movie was just as good as I had hoped and this release from VV is now among my favorite releases in my collection.  The acting in this one is solid which is surprising considering how inexperienced the cast is.  The cast works very well together and do a decent enough job at bringing their characters to life.  Also, they do a great job at showcasing their wide range of emotions that fit the scene.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting at all.  I knew it was going to be supernatural based story but I did not expect the movie subplot and how well it was going to play in the film.  The character development is a little off and the pacing has issues in some of the scenes but the overall story works.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects but that is the extent of it.  we don't get any memorable deaths or fun effects.  We get some classic movie magic and that is it.   Overall, The Paranormal is the kind of movie that I really enjoy watching late at night.  It's not that well made but it's fun for what it is.  Check it out on blu from Visual Vengeance.  

Gut Pile

Director - Jerry O'Sullivan (The Slasher Nurse, Killer Campout Part II)

Starring - Jeffrey Forsyth (Star Trek Phase II, The Vicious Sweet), Ron Bonk (Johnny Z, The Night of Something Strange), and Edward Mastin (House Shark, Joe Vegas)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Watch your step..."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

      I have a horrible habit of buying horror films to add to my collection and never watching them.  It's not because I have no interest in it but because I never have the time to watch everything I add to it.  Many years ago I bought the DVD for the 1998 horror film Gut Pile from SRS Cinema during a holiday sale.  It looked like a film I would love but I just never had the time to check it out.  Fast forward many years and the awesome folks over at Saturn's Core has put the film out on blu.  I try not to double dib but the price wasn't bad and I'm a huge fan of TV so I snagged a copy.  I decided to finally check the film out and it had to the this new release from Saturn's Core.

     The film begins with a hunter who accidentally shoots someone.  He buries the body in a shallow grave and keeps it to himself.  The next year he returns to the same spot to hunt with some of his friends.  A fun weekend of beer and hunting soon turns deadly when something sinister awakens in the woods wanting revenge.

     Gut Pile is a film I've seen very few people talking about and even fewer exclaim that they like it.  This made me a bit nervous but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.  Honestly, I knew nothing about the film prior to watching it but if I knew that the film was as Evil Dead like as it was then I would have watched it a lot sooner.  The acting in this one is solid but there is plenty of room for improvement.  The cast, for the most part, didn't have a lot of on screen experience prior but they did go on to appear in more films after this.  As inexperienced as they may have been, I still enjoyed the characters they portrayed and the performances in each scene.  The story for this one is simple and stretched a bit thin even though the movie only has a 50 minute run time.  I really liked the premise with the hunter hiding a body and going back a year later.  I also liked he flow of the film and the small talk.  It doesn't take away from the film like it does in other films.  In fact, it works with the story to progress.  With that being said, the film is padded to extend the run time.  The film has no reason being more than 30 minutes with the story we are given.  Finally, the film has some deaths with some blood and make-up effects.  While they are nothing memorable, they fit the film and work.  Overall, Gut Pile is a surprisingly enjoyable cabin in the woods type horror film.  It might not be the most gruesome film I've seen but it is a lot of fun.  I highly recommend snagging tis on blu from Saturn's Core.  Check it out.  

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Director - Danny Cannon (Judge Dredd, Gotham)

Starring - Jennifer Love Hewitt (Munchie, Can't Hardly Wait), Freddie Prinze Jr. (She's All That, Scooby-Doo), and Brandy Norwood (Cinderella, Osmosis Jones) 

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Some secrets will haunt you forever"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last year or the year before I was able to review the UHD release of the 90s slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer. While a lot of genre fans hail Scream as the face of 90s slasher, I would have to strongly disagree. I feel the first two or three films is extremely overrated but I do respect the attention it brought slashers which was a dying sub-genre by that point. I can think of several other slashers from the same time frame that are leagues better than Scream and one of them would by I Know What You Did Last Summer. I’m a fan of the film but I had never seen one of the sequels. That recently changed when I was sent the UHD for I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. I had to put it in with the left over October horror binge films and make my way to it when I could. Honestly, I’m glad I was able to finally see it but the first film is way better. 

      The film picks up one year after the events of the first film. Julie (Hewitt) and Ray (Prinze) have drifted apart after what happened to them last summer. She’s now in college while he is working full time as a deck hand on a fishing boat. When she wins a trip to Jamaica with a few friends she goes but Ray is suspicious of it and makes his way there to check on her. However, he has every right to be suspicious as it’s the islands off season and the locals are preparing for the bad weather that is sure to hit. As the bodies being to pile up, Julie is well aware that the Fisherman is back and the contest was all a ruse to get her on the island for revenge. 

      I was seriously looking forward to I Still Know What You Did Last Summer but after a few minutes I quickly realized that the film completely forgot what made the first film so fucking enjoyable. The original film borrowed heavily from the classic slasher formula that many of the slashers from the 80s followed. Sadly, this sequel would follow in the crater like footsteps left behind by the massive hit Scream. The acting in this one is probably more enjoyable that the first film. This was the only aspect I liked more than the first film. We have a lot of fun characters portrayed by Brandy, Jack Black, and Mekhi Phifer. While Freddie Prinze Jr is in the film, his character rides the backseat most of the film and I can’t stand how manic Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character is. Jack Black and Mekhi Phifer make the film to me. The story for this one doesn’t feel like a sequel to the original film. The first film follows a group of people who is being hunted one by one by someone that wronged them in the past. Same plot outline as classic films like Prom Night, Friday the 13th, and so on. I loved that the first film approached slashers with that classic take in an era where films like Scream were taking off. Sadly, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer followed Scream in the realm where the killer is part of the group and is picking them off one by one with a partner. I absolutely hated this and the “big” reveal can be seen from a mile away. The film had a great location and amazing characters only to fumble the ball and try to be another meta-slasher when it didn’t need to be. Finally, the film doesn’t have a lot of on screen kills but we do have some awesome practical and make-up effects on the aftermath. I do hate when blood hungry genre fans are given a film where the deaths take place off camera but this one tries to make up for it with great effects on the deceased. I liked them but I would have loved to see some slasher inspired kills to make up for the lazy writing. Overall, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a huge drop in quality from the first film. While I did like the location and characters, the story itself is predictable and oddly similar to Scream. I wanted to love it but this one should have never seen the light of day. Skip it.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Director - Steve Miner (House, Friday the 13th Part 2)

Starring - Jamie Lee Curtis (The Fog, Halloween), Josh Hartnett (The Faculty, 30 Days of Night), and Adam Arkin (Full Moon High, The Twilight Zone)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "This summer, terror won't be taking a vacation"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was a kid I spent a lot of time with my grandmother while my dad was out of town for work. I liked staying with her because I had an uncle that was just a few years older than me so we played video games or watched movies together. My grandma was a movie fan as well so we would watch a lot of television shows that she liked like Red Dwarf, Lexx, Doctor Who, and so on. When we wasn’t watching television shows we would be watching movies that I had rented or the random movies that aired on cable. This was the first time that I had seen John Carpenter’s Halloween. This is a franchise that I believe has been played out but I’m still a huge fan of the films. Well, I love all the films besides the new Halloween Trilogy. Most fans of the franchise despise certain installments but I have a soft spot for almost all of them. One that catches a lot of hate is 1998’s H20. I can somewhat see why people are quick to hate it but I love it. I love the casting, the location, the direction the story took, and how it ends. I’ve defended this film for years and I will continue to do so every October. A few weeks ago I received a press release for the UHD steelbook release of the film. I try to watch this franchise every October but this release actually gave me a reason to check it out. I want to thank Paramount for sending over this beautiful steelbook for review. 

      The film picks up 20 years after the first film with Laurie (Curtis) adopting a new name in hopes of putting her past behind her. She is now the headmaster of a private school and has a 17 year old son. With Halloween approaching she is on edge but her son fails to understand the nightmare that she lived through all those years ago. Now, her worst nightmare is emerging as Halloween quickly approaches when Michael Myers escapes and starts making his way to her and her son who is the same age as she was when he first attacked. 

      MY opinions on films often draw criticism and I’m completely fine with that. I like what I like and a lot of time that goes against the collective. I love all the Halloween entries with the exception of the Blumhouse produced films. I prefer Rob Zombie’s Halloween to the original but I still love Carpenter's take. I think Season of the Witch is the best film in the series and the Danielle Harris saga is fantastic. While Resurrection is the weakest of the franchise I still prefer it over the Blumhouse trilogy. H20 draws a lot of hate from franchise fans but I have so much fun with it. The acting in this one is very campy but I love the characters and the late-90s characters. I always found it vaccinating that Jamie Lee Curtis is portraying the same person as the first film but with 20 years between the two films has hardened her character. Her character has grown a lot and she is still amazing in the role. I was a fan of Josh Hartnett in the late 90s and while I do prefer The Faculty to this film I still enjoy H20. His performance is far from award winning but it’s his hamming up each scene that makes it what it is. It reminds me a lot of the male characters in Scream and the sequels. I also liked the supporting cast. The performances are just as cheesy but if anyone watches the original Halloween and can say with a straight face that they are not just as cheesy is lying to you and themselves. The story for this one is extremely realistic when you consider what it is. The film is not overflowing with Halloween imagery and that’s because the headmaster of the private school survived a massacre on Halloween and associates the holiday with the bloodshed. Once you realize that you start to see other aspects that are a repercussions of the first film. We get the same silent and stealthy kills that Myers is known for, characters that are very well written and support the story, and the deaths are very memorable. Finally, the kills we get in this one use solid practical effects and camera tricks. The ice skate to the face is one of my favorite slasher kills. With that being said, I’m not a fan of the deaths taking place off screen. I want to see them so I can truly enjoy the characters demise and the amazing effects that go into making them look real. Overall, Halloween: H20 is not as bad as people claim it to be. It’s a very well thought out sequel with a great cast and some decent deaths. I highly enjoy it and the UHD release looks absolutely fantastic. Fans and collectors alike will need this one.

The Dentist 2

Director - Brian Yuzna (Return of the Living Dead III, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead)

Starring - Corbin Bernsen (Zodiac, Psych), Jillian McWhirter (Song of the Vampire, After Midnight), and Jeff Doucette (Weird Science, Mom and Dad Save the World)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "You know the drill"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Writing for a site like Horror Society has given me amazing opportunities. Not only do I get to review films I had never heard of before, but I get to revisit films from my childhood in formats that have better quality. Many films I enjoyed on VHS still hold a place in my heard for nostalgic purposes it’s nice to read the scrolling introduction to films like Monster Squad that was almost unreadable on tape. When Vestron Video announced the blu release of The Dentist and The Dentist 2 I was beyond excited. I remembered a lot from the first film but I only remembered something about bugs with the second, so I was beyond ready to revisit them. As soon as I finished the first film, I had to quickly hit play on the sequel. Like always, I want to thank Vestron Video for sending this one over for review. 

      The film follows the good doctor from the first film who has conveniently escaped the mental facility who was placed in. He travels to a secluded small town where he soon finds himself the town’s new dentist. He suppresses his murderous impulses by cutting his arm with a straight razor but when he suspects his new love interest is seeing someone else the old urges come back. 

      The Dentist 2 is not as good in the first film in my opinion but it’s fairly close. It’s not often that a sequel reaches the same level as the original film but this one almost does. There is some things about this follow up that I enjoyed more than the original but I would still pick the first over this one any day. With that being said, I would prefer to watch them together because they both are spectacular films that could be found on any video store’s shelves during the 90s. The acting in this one is more enjoyable than the first film. Bernsen once again nails it as the diabolical dentist. I loved how intense his performance was and he could have easily brought him back for another film. The supporting cast is more grounded than the first film which is one of the only few complaints I have about it. The cast, aside from Bernsen and a few others, felt campy and out of place. However, the performances here fit the film a lot better. Even Clint Howard delivers a fairly decent performance and not his typical cheesy performance. The story for this one is more of the same but works as a solid continuation. Sure, we follow the doctor who once again finds his love interest is dishonest and this opens him up to murder patients. With that being said, we begin the film knowing of his past atrocities. The film doesn’t really push the idea much further than that but it doesn’t over stay it’s welcome either. It gives us some fun kills and memorable moments before it’s conclusion. As much as I think a third film would have been fun I honestly believe it would have pushed it too far and became a turd. Finally, the film keeps the dental themes in full but they do mix it up some to offer up a bit of variety while keeping it in tune with the film. It was awesome to revisit the bug scene and the practical effects were great but I would have liked a little more gore. Overall, The Dentist 2 may not be as well known as the original film but it’s damn near just as fun. It’s one of the few sequels that can compete with the original like Halloween II, Return of the Living Dead Part II, and Bride of Re-Animator. I highly recommend it especially if you enjoy the first film.

Whatever It Takes

Director - Brady MacKenzie

Starring - Don Wilson (Batman Forever, Bloodfist), Andrew Dice Clay (The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Private Resort), and Fred Williamson (From Dusk Til Dawn, Hammer)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Action/Crime

Tagline - "Sometimes it takes more than muscle"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Well, after watching one horror flick I decided to venture back to a non-genre title because I still feel burned out from bringing as many horror movies as I could for an entire month.  I decided to keep it within the Vinegar Syndrome family with the VSA release of Whatever It Takes.  Vin Syn was known for releasing titles from the late 60s through the early 90s so it was strange to find a late 90s action crime flick starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Andrew Dice Clay, and Fred Williamson but I've loved their VSA releases so far so I quickly snagged it.  I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it.   

     The film follows undercover officers Neil (Wilson) and Dave (Clay) who is brought in to go undercover to bust the dealer behind a new steroid that is highly addictive and deadly.  Neil befriends a gym owner who is one of the dealers for crime boss Paulie (Williamson).  Once he is close he brings in his partner Dave to work on a major deal to bust Paulie and his entire operation but Paulie gets wise to Neil and soon an all out war is fought between Neil and Paulie's goons.

     I'll always have a soft spot for direct to video action releases and I'm beside myself when Vin Syn announces a new one as part of their VSA series.  Some are a little more fun than others but I still find myself enjoying them all for the most part.  Whatever It Takes was cheesy and fun which is exactly what I was looking for when I snagged a copy of it.  I fucking love these cliched, cheesy, and action packed films and this movie did not disappoint.  The acting in this one was so laughable.  I've seen other films with Don Wilson but this one was so bad.  His faux machismo had me fucking cracking up but it's damn near impossible to take his performance and character seriously.  However, I fucking loved Andrew Dice Clay and Fred Williamson.  Williamson is no stranger to portraying a drug dealer or crime boss so it was expected to see him in a similar role.  The supporting cast is solid but a lot of the cast and characters really cheese it up.  The story for this one is one we have seen before.  A good guy cop goes undercover, finds love, and kicks the bad guys ass.  Nothing new here but what make this one fun is the amount of camp and the characters are more memorable than the other films with similar stories.  With that being said, there is so many scenes that feel pointless that offer up very little entertainment.  The movie isn't long but it could use some serious editing.  Finally, the film has some blood and a lot of cheesy fight scenes but don't expect a gory flick.  If you want explosions, fights, and Andrew Dice Clay then you are in the right place.  Overall, Whatever It Takes is extremely campy and unintentionally funny but it's so fucking fun.  I highly recommend this one especially if you have a few drinks.  

Six-String Samurai

Director - Lance Mungia (Third Eye Spies, The Crow: Wicked Prayer)

Starring - Jeffrey Falcon (Caged Beauties, Rape in Public Sea), Justin McGuire (Clownation), and Kim De Angelo 

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Action/Adventure

Tagline - "Vegas needs a new king"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Many years ago when I first started collecting DVD I often found myself buying up any horror movie I could find along with any weird or strange title I came across.  It wasn't long before I added a copy of 1998's action adventure film Six-String Samurai to my collection.  I owned it for sometime but when I finally watched it I was fucking hooked.  It was one of the wildest films I had ever seen.  Sometime back Vinegar Syndrome announced the release of this late 90s classic on UHD and it was an immediate buy.  I try not to double dip but I'm a Vin Syn collector and my old DVD had seen better days.

     The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where nomadic samurais fight for the title of king of Lost Vegas.  We meet the six-string samurai and a kid that he rescued from a gang of savage killers as they make their way across the sand-covered landscape while the top hat wearing Death and his band of metal head archers hunt for him so Death can be the king of Lost Vegas.

     I review a lot of movies and I know a great deal of them are for a certain group of viewers who have a different taste for cinema.  However, I think everyone can enjoy the wild ride that is Six-String Samurai.  It has so much going on while delivering some gorgeous cinematography and some well done martial arts.  It's so much fun and this Vin Syn release is the way to watch it.  The acting is solid but there is some good scenes and there is some better scenes. Jeffrey Falcon makes the film.  His fight scenes are great and watching how his character speaks to others is what makes this film so much fun.  A lot of the supporting cast and one off characters are so much fun.  The cast had a lot of fun with this one and it shows in every scene.  With that being said, I hated the voices used for the metal band.  Any scene that involves them talking instantly got under my skin.  They are extremely annoying and don't fit in the film at all.  The story for this one is an early 90s comic book come to life.  We get fights, roving gangs or groups with themes. a crazy ass psychobilly style, and a post-apocalyptic setting.  It's extremely wild and unpredictable.  When mix all this with the abundance of memorable characters you have something that feels out of it's time.  It's very enjoyable and blends so many genres.  The slower scenes still deliver character and story progression while the more action centered scenes pull you in.  Finally, the film has a little blood but nothing that really stands out.  We get some great shots of a barren land along with some great wardrobe but the star here is the story.  Overall, Six-String Samurai is a must see film that I didn't see early enough.  It's an important film in 90s cinema and an essential release from Vinegar Syndrome.  I highly recommend this gorgeous UHD.      

Bad Magic

Director(s) - John Polonia (Lethal Nightmare, Hellspawn) and Mark Polonia (Death Reel, Jurassic Prey)

Starring - Vincent Simmons, Bob Dennis (Among Us, Muckman), and Maria Davis (Feeders, Night Crawlers)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror/Crime

Tagline - "He's riding a soul-train of terror"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Very few filmmakers can say they've had a career as lucrative as the Polonia Brothers.  The pair made movies together for over 30 years with Mark still making movies making movies after the death of his brother John.  Over the course of this span the two made movies together up until John's death in 2008.  The movies are known throughout the genre with several of them having a fairly decent cult following.  These two filmmakers are fairly polarizing to me.  I either really love the films or I can barely finish them.  There is no in between with them.  A few weeks back I received a few of the SRS Cinema's retro DVD releases with a few Polonia films in it.  It wouldn't be an SRS marathon if I didn't watch some Polonia madness!  The first on the chopping block is 1998's Bad Magic.  I want to thank MVD for sending this one over.

     The film follows a man who lost his brother in a robbery gone wrong when the gang he was in left him behind to die.  He seeks out the help of a voodoo priest to help him with his revenge in exchange for his soul.  He uses the resources given to him to kill the gang one member at a time before he loses his soul.

     I had no idea what Bad Magic was about prior to tossing it in.  I assumed it was about voodoo or some sort based on the title and artwork but that was about as far as it went.  However, the film is more of a vigilante crime with a little slasher overtone than it is a traditional horror flick.  I liked that aspect of it but the movie itself had too many issues for me to look passed.  The acting in this one is very inconsistent.  Some of the cast really gets into their roles while others awkwardly spit out dialogue.  Vincent Simmons delivers a strong performance as the film's lead but there is a few scenes where he was either tired or lacked energy.  These few scenes were extremely flat and unenthused.  The story for this one really pulled me in.  I was all about the revenge on a gang angle and the voodoo themed slasher worked very well with this.  It has a lot of possibilities and could really be something unique but the film ruins it's pacing by stretching the dull scenes and rushing through the more entertaining scenes in the film.  The pacing and story development clash in this one.  Finally, the film has several deaths.  They are cheap and funny at times but they are nothing that really stands out.  The effects are as cheap as possible and the mask used by the dead brother in the film is horrible.  It's clearly a latex mask from a Halloween display.  Overall, Bad Magic is one of the few Polonia busts.  When they are on their "A" game they knock it out of the park but there is a few that completely miss their mark.  Bad Magic is one of the few you can skip.  

Blade

Director - Stephen Norrington (Death Machine, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman)

Starring - Wesley Snipes (New Jack City, Demolition Man), Stephen Dorff (The Gate, Cold Creek Manor), and N'Bushe Wright (Dead Presidents, Chappelle Show)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Action/Horror

Tagline - "The power of an immortal.  The soul of a human.  The heart of a hero"

Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was becoming enthralled with horror.  It was baby steps for me at first.  I discovered Goosebumps and my life changed.  Before long I was obsessed with Stephen King, West Virginia and Appalachian ghost stories, before moving on to movies and television.  This was around the time Marvel would adapt their Blade character into a feature length film starring Wesley Snipes.  This blend of action and horror really pulled me in.  I was obsessed with it.  So much so my dad was forced to drive around for a few hours until he found the VHS for me.  I didn't know much about the comic aspect of the character but this movie was everything to me.  I watched it so many times growing up that I became sick of it.  

     The film follows Blade (Snipes) who is unique.  His mother was bitten by a vampire while she was pregnant and because of this he was born with the many of the powers of a vampire with very few of the drawbacks.  It's because of this he is wanted by low level Deacon Frost (Dorff) who believes he is the key to turning him into a blood god.  Blade, with help of his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) and Karen (Wright), has been waging war on the vampire population and is about to face his strongest enemy yet.  

      Blade is not perfect.  In fact, it is pretty fucking far from perfect but the movie entertains.  I don't watch a movie for enlightenment or to find another plain of existence.  I want to be entertained and Blade does that.  Its fun and it really does pull the viewer in.  Honestly, I still feel this is the best Marvel movie to date after revisiting it.  The acting in this one is pretty damn fun but some of the performances are a little underwhelming.  Snipes is and always will be Blade but I am still open minded about the recent recasting.  He has some pretty big shoes to fill because Snipes absolutely kills it as Blade in this film and the subsequent sequels.  Dorff also delivers a phenomenal performance as Deacon Frost.  He perfectly balances out the screen with Snipes and portrays one of the first villians that I actually enjoyed.  The supporting cast is hit or miss but the biggest disappointment for me was N'Bushe Wright.  She was not a strong female character and I never really cared for her performance here.  It always felt like she was just there for the paycheck and did not deliver the performance the film needed.  The story for this one does a fantastic job of melding horror and action.  We get a lot of backstory on Blade, as well as, the vampires which adds some nice depth to the film.  The wide array of characters with different personalities works as well. My favorite aspect of this film is the vampire mythos and how it opens the door for so many more films that we never really got.  Finally, the film has so many death scenes.  Most involve some complex visual effects that really impressed me then but didn't hold up that well today.  It did not age well but it doesn't bring the film down that much.  We do get some solid make-up and practical effects and so much fucking blood which is to be expected from a vampire flick.  Overall, Blade is a great blend of action and horror that really entertains.  The characters and story makes this one so much fun.  The 4K release looks fantastic and such an improvement over the VHS and DVD release i've seen of this.  I highly recommend checking this one out regardless if you are horror or Marvel fans.  It's worth it.  

Night of the Clown

Director - Todd Jason Cook (Evil Night, Zombiefied)

Starring - Lisa Cook (Demon Dolls, Lisa's Nightmares), Todd Jason Cook), and Chad Eubanks (Evil Night, Horrorscope)

Release Date - 1998

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A trip WAY beyond reality"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few days ago I decided to check out Todd Jason Cook's S.O.V. slasher Evil Night.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  After digging into a few other movies I decided to circle back to check out a few more of his films.  The next movie of his I wanted to see is his 1998 slasher Night of the Clown.  I had always heard this was the weirdest slasher to ever to be filmed but this only fueled my curiosity.  Nothing I had heard could prepare me for this extremely weird ride.

     The film follows a wealthy man, his four identical brothers, and his wife.  He lives a luxurious life with his wife but his brothers are mostly jealous of his success.  While he continues to find success and spoiling his wife there is a killer clown lurking in the darkness killing his family one by one.

     Strange is a word I had hear often when fans describ Night of the Clown but I would not use that to describe this one.  In fact, goofy is about the only word that properly sums this one up.  It is the goofiest and weirdest slasher I have ever seen and no matter how hard I try to describe the absurd story before me it will never do it justice.  This is one S.O.V. horror flick that needs to be seen to be believed.  The acting in this one is pretty much the same as other films from Cook.  They are fully invested in the film but their inexperience and awkward dialogue gives this oddball film a few scenes with unintentional humor.  The movie has a few jokes written into it but they do miss their marks due to the unintentional humor.  The story for this one is brilliant in a no-budget horror sense.  Cook cast himself as five characters to cover the lack of cast and it a few layers to the story.  I loved that he did that and approached each character with a different personality.  It made it fun and extremely goofy.  Now, the clown portion of the film is a bit confusing but with everything going on you still find yourself enjoying it.  Finally, the film has plenty of bright red blood and some practical effects but the kills are the least entertaining aspect of the film.  I know that's a weird thing to say about an S.O.V. slasher but the kills take the back seat to this bat shit crazy story and casting choice.  Overall, Night of the Clown is not the well rounded horror film you are looking for but if you want something VERY different and weird then this late 90s horror film is for you.  Check it out.  

Bullet Ballet

Director - Shin'ya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Killing)
Starring - Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Kirina Mano (Tokyo Eyes, Adrenaline Drive), and Tatsuya Nakamura (Triple Threat, Killing)
Release Date - 1998
Genre - Crime/Drama
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've just reached the halfway point in my Shin'ya Tsukamoto marathon.  So far I have to admit that I've really enjoyed myself with Tsukamoto's unusual films.  After the first two Tetsuo films, followed by Adventures of Electric Rod Boy and Tokyo Fist, I am now on the fifth film.  Up next is the 1998 crime drama Bullet Ballet.  This is another popular Tsukamoto film that I often here cult cinema fans talking about so I couldn't wait to toss it in.

     The film follows a young man who is madly in love.  However, the love of his life commits suicide for an unknown reason.  Devastated by her death, he finds himself spiraling out of control and becoming obsessed with firearms. 




     I knew that this wasn't a horror flick but I wasn't prepared for how intense this one was.  Intense as it was, it still had it's fair share of pacing issues which really made it difficult for me to finish.  That doesn't make this one a bad film but I don't see myself revisiting it.  The acting in this one is solid but I found myself becoming disconnected with the characters.  I understand how they played into the story but on the same note I didn't care for them enough to see them through.  The cast worked with what they had but their performances and the characters made this one a tough sit.  The story for this one is intense at times and I feel as if it was very personal to Tsukamoto.  With that being said, I feel as if the story could have been told in less than an hour.  It could easily be edited down to a more manageable time.  Finally, the film does have some blood but the film is more story driven and not focused around carnage.  Overall, Bullet Ballet is not what I was expecting.  This dark drama moves painfully slow but it still has some entertainment value.  So far it's the weakest in the set in my opinion.

Vampires

Director - John Carpenter (Halloween, Ghosts of Mars)
Starring - James Woods (Videodrome, Hercules), Daniel Baldwin (Grimm, Vegas Vampires), and Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks, Texas Killing Fields)
Release Date - 1998
Genre - Action/Horror
Tagline - "Prepare for the dawn"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was getting into horror I found myself becoming obsessed with vampire movies.  I was always renting movies like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Vamp, Once Bitten, and so on.  I fucking loved vampire flicks but I found myself preferring the cheese 80s vampire flicks over the more modern releases.  That changed when I was in middle school.  My brother was on his way home for the weekend and rented a few movies at the video store for me.  One of the new releases he snagged was John Carpenter's Vampires.  I fucking loved the movie and after watching it I begged him to take me to K-Mart to grab a copy for my collection.  I watched this one more times than I care to count over the years and own it every format that I collected up until now.  Sometime back Scream Factory announced the release of the flick on blu.  Knowing how much I love this film I reached out to Scream and they were kind enough to send a blu my way.  Thanks guy!

     The story for this one follows Jack Crow (Woods) who leads a group of vampire hunters pay rolled by the Vatican.  He finds the nests with his team during the day and clears them out before nightfall.  While clearing out a nest he discovers that this one does not have a master vampire and with nightfall approaching he calls off the hunt.  They return to a hotel to party to celebrate a successful mission when they are attacked by a master vampire who knows Jack's name.  He kills all of Jack's team except one.  They are able to escape and quickly realize that someone within the church has sold them out.  The two, along with a hooker bitten by the vampire, but stop him before he is able to find an ancient cross that can grant him the power to walk in the day.
     I like John Carpenter but his films are rarely in my top whatever lists.  Halloween is a fundamental slasher but one I would not list in my top ten favorite slashers.  The same can be said for a few other of his films.  I know fans can't get enough of him but I rarely find myself wetting my pants over his films.  With that being said, Vampires is easily in my top five favorite vampire flicks.  The movie's horror and western styles blend so well together and it works for what it is.  The acting in this one is great.  James Woods, aside from being a political shit show on social media, is a damn fine actor.  He has delivered some icon horror performances over the year aside from his contributions to other genres.  His performance here is highly enjoyable and his character is what makes the film so much fun.  The slew of supporting characters we get is solid as well but I never cared for Thomas Ian Griffith as Valek in the film.  His performance is goofy as fuck in the film and really takes away from then tone of the film.  The story for this one is fun especially if you are looking for a movie that is a little more than your typical horror film.  Vampires blends western with horror which works.  We find ourselves getting pulled into the store and can't wait to see what happens.  I liked the origin story of the vampires and the mythology surrounding it.  Finally, this one doesn't shy away from the blood and gore.  Most vampire films have some blood but very few deliver the gore like this one.  The practical effects are damn near perfect and the gags in this one are the ones that I often compare other kills to.  Overall, John Carpenter's Vampires is a must watch for vampire fans and horror fans alike.  The acting is great, the story is solid, and the effects are fucking unforgettable.  This blu is gorgeous and well worth every penny Scream Factory is charging for it.  Grab it now on blu!

Addams Family Reunion

 



Director - Dave Payne (Alien Terminator, Alien Avengers II)
Starring - Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill Vol. 1, Blade Runner), Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, It), and Nicole Fugere (The New Addams Family, Things I Never Told You)
Release Date - 1998
Genre - Comedy
Tagline - "A killer comedy
Format - Streaming

Rating (out of 5):

 

       The 90s was a phenomenal time to be an Addams Family fan.  The two movies starring Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, and Christopher Lloyd spearheaded the popularity while the 90s animated series held the fans over.  As the 90s were coming to a close Saban and Warner Brothers purchased the rights to the Addams Family after Paramount skipped on making a third film after the death of Raul Julia.  They released Addams Family Reunion as a direct to video release and loose pilot for a new show called The New Addams Family.  The show was short lived but campy while the film fell into obscurity.  Hell, as I was watching the film I was notified on social media by several of you that had never heard of the film which is not shocking considering it's very limited release.  After watching the three Addams Family films I thought I would revisit this one and review it. 

     The film follows Gomez (Curry), Morticia (Hannah), Wednesday (Fugere), Pugsley (Jerry Messing), and Uncle Fester (Patrick Thomas) as they respond to a family reunion invitation at a country club.  They go and find themselves the oddballs out as the other Addams are more clean cut and prominent.  One of the them take offense to them being their and think they are showing to get in on the inheritance they would get when the old Addams dies.  A family feud begins and eventually Gomez and Morticia accidentally exposes the crooked Addams for who they really are.

      I remember renting this one or borrowing it from a friend as a kid but I don't remember much about it.  I was pre-teen age and the internet was not the beast it is now.  I remember hating Tim Curry as Gomez and not Julia but now I realize why the movie was made the way it was but that doesn't make it any more entertaining.  It's still a difficult one to sit through.  The acting in this one is not bad but the cast just can't find the characters.  We love the family because of their personalities and how they act with each other.  Tim Curry is a phenomenal actor and never disappoints but he is not Gomez.  When someone asked me what I thought of the film before I always said great acting but the wrong casting.  I still stand by that.  Curry and Hannah both bring it but they just are not these characters.  The same can be said for every except Patrick Thomas.  Christopher Lloyd will forever be Uncle Fest to be due to his portrayal in the live action movies but Patrick Thomas delivered the Uncle Fester from the animated series as a live action portrayal.  Very different but amazing.  The story for this one is extremely pointless for a movie.  It feels like they location scouted and then wrote the movie around the country club.  It doesn't work and is painfully boring for the viewer to sit through.  I found myself wanting to turn it off.  Finally, no blood or gore here.  We also don't get the amazing sets, wardrobes, and scenes that we got from the first two films.  Overall, Addams Family Reunion is more entertaining that the new animated movie but that's not saying much.  Collectors will want to check it out when it gets a new release but I don't recommend checking it out.