Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon

Director - Jason Lei Howden (Guns Akimbo, Deathgasm)

Starring - Milo Cawthorne (Blood Punch, Wolf Man), Kimberley Crossman (Stream, The Almighty Johnsons), and James Joshua Blake (Dangerous Game, Jackals)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Evil cums again"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I tend to go against the grain, so to speak, when it comes to horror movies.  I often like the no budget backyard flicks with a ton of imagination and lack of resources over the bug budget films that lack imagination. However, there is a few movies that pop up from time to time that offer up a bigger budget than I'm used to and delivers.  Over a decade ago the Milo Cawthorne lead film Deathgasm was released on the world and immediately became a hit.  I've watched this one many times since it's release and always find myself glued to the screen like it was a first time watch.  A few weeks ago I received news that a sequel was getting released very soon so I reached out to Raven Banner to see if I could review it.  They were kind enough to send me a link for Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon.  I want to thank them for being so kind as to let me review the film before it's release.

     The film picks up many years after the events of the first film.  Brodie (Cawthorne) is struggling with his music career after two members of his band died the night he saved the world.  Unemployed and an alcoholic, he finds himself living with Giles after Medina (Crossman) left him to further her music career.  He decides to use the pages from the first film to resurrect his bandmates in hopes of winning a battle of the bands competition.  His spell works but they are unpredictable and their appetite for flesh is uncontrollable forcing Brodie to once again reverse the spell while trying to get Medina back.

     Sequels rarely live up to the original but Deathgasm 2 is a fantastic follow up to a film that that I've loved for sometime.  Is this review a bit biased?  Absolutely, but I'm still going to be as honest and fair as possible.  The acting in this one is great.  Most of the cast returned for this sequel a decade later and bring the same energy that made the first film so damn fun.  Cawthorne carries the film as the metal head turned reluctant hero while Crossman was not in the film as much as the original.  I assume it was due to her rates, scheduling, or something of that nature.  The entire film features some seriously fun acting with no weak links to be seen.  The story for this one is a rehashing of the first film but it still finds a way to mix it up a little.  We have music to summon his dead bandmates only for one of them to steal the pages and then they try to raise an army of the dead to take over the world.  It's equal parts Evil Dead and Stan vs. Evil which I'm here for.  While it does rehash a lot of the original story from the first film, it adds some new things that make it just as fun as the first.  Finally, the film has just as much blood and gore as the first films.  We have some seriously fantastic practical effects and a lot of severed penises, peeni, penis's, whatever the plural of peckers are.  The deaths are a lot of fun and these effects look absolutely amazing.  Overall, Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon is a worthy sequel to a film that I absolutely adore.  Metal, blood, and the undead is all I ever wanted and this movie, along with the original, delivers.  Check it out.  

Fun-Size Pieces of Sharp Candy: The Movie

Director - Dylan R. Nix (The Demon of Serling, 10/31 Part IV)

Starring - Jason Eckles, David E. McMahon (He Never Left, Children of Sin), and Dylan R. Nix)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Step one to making a horror movie?  Don't!"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've met some seriously talented filmmakers through Horror Society over the years.  Some of them are responsible for some of my favorite films that I've seen in the last 15 years while other created movies that are part of my go to lineup for various reasons.  These particular films mean a lot to me and I try to watch them as much as possible or, at least, once a year when I can.  Some years ago I befriended author and filmmaker Dylan R. Nix who was kind enough to send over his indie horror anthology Baron Von Laugho's Halloween Spook-A-Thon.  I've worked this one into my annual October horror binge every year since.  I've reviewed several other films from him, like The Demon of Serling and Sharp Candy, and I've really enjoyed them all.  Recently, Dylan reached out to me to review his new anthology Fun-Size Pieces of Sharp Candy: The Movie.  I wasn't able to get to it right away but as soon as I had the time I hit play on it.  I want to thank Dylan for sending this one over.

     The film follows Nix's character Baron von Laugho (Nix) has he once again takes us on a chilling journey through three horror tales.  The first involves a safe cracker who is tasked with opening an old safe for a small business unaware he was sealing his own fate.  The second story follows director Dylan R. Nix as he breaks the news to fans that the film failed to raise the funds needed to bring his vision to life before he receives a bit of fan mail in the shap of a doll in the Baron Von Laugho garb.  This awakens something sinister inside of him.  The final segment follows a movie critic who finds himself locked up with David E. McMahon who is drugged and dressed up as the Easter bunny.  

     Fun-Size Pieces of Sharp Candy: The Movie brings some of Nix's short stories to the Baron von Laugho universe which is something I fully support.  He is a huge fan of the genre and his films really demonstrate that.  Fun-Size was a solid anthology for the most part but like any indie production, there is a few aspects of the film that I didn't care for.  The acting in this one is a little underwhelming in a few scenes but is fairly well done for the most part.  Nix is at home as his Baron von Laugho character where he carries every scene he is in.  The supporting cat is a little inconsistent with some showing inexperience in front of the camera while others are very comfortable in their roles.  It's not poorly acted but there is a few awkward scenes.  The story for the segments are very uneven but finds a way to work in the end.  The bookend segment with Laugho telling horror tales actually works.  I enjoy it and could see this hold it over for several more sequels.  The first tale in this one is my favorite segment in the film.  It has a Tales from the Crypt style ending that you don't see coming and works very well.  The second segment is the weakest in the film for me.  I understand that this is more of a personal segment for the director when he was unable to raise the funds he needed to make the movie he wanted but it's out of place in the film and completely derails what could have been a solid psychologal horror segment.  The final segment is very middle of the road.  This Saw parody with the director taking his frustrations out on film critics with a drugged up horny David E. McMahon should have been the best thing ever filmmed by an indie director.  However, it's not as funny as it could have been.  It feels like it's trying a bit too hard and misses it's mark.  With all that being said,  some of Laugho's scenes were a little bit underwhelming due to some of the self-righteous dialogue.  It didn't fit the film and is a bit confusing.  Finally, the film doesn't really have the gruesome deaths that most genre fans are looking for.  The movie is very low budget and worked with what they had but money for practical effects were not in the cards.  However, we do have a pretty wild looking nutsack that looks like something James Bell may have crafted.  Overall, Fun-Sized Pieces of Sharp Candy: The Movie doesn't really hit like The Demon of Serling and Baron Von Laugho's Halloween Spook-A-Thon but it's a solid watch especially if you are a fan of Nix.  I fucking love horror anthologies and this one was worth a watch.  Check it out.  

CarousHELL 4

Director - Steve Rudzinski (A Meowy Halloween, Amityville Christmas Vacation)

Starring - Steve Rimpici (Shingles: The Movie, Easter Casket), B. Barnabei (I: Scream - A Minty Musical, The Survivors), and Aleen Isley (Head Case, A Cheesy Christmas)

Release Date - 2026

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "It has all led to this"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     About a decade or so ago I was asked to review the indie slasher CarousHELL by director Steve Rudzinski.  It's not a by the numbers slasher but it still did thing very well and is one  I often referenced when I would review other films of his.  Since then he has released some seriously fantastic movies ranging from family friendly holiday films to several sequels to CarousHELL.  While the sequels were solid entries, they just didn't scratch that itch like the first one did.  Steve recently hit me up to review his latest installment in the CarousHELL franchise with part 4.  I couldn't pass up this opportunity and agreed to check it out.  I want to thank Steve for sending this one over for review.

     The film once again follows Duke (Rimpici) and his son Robbie (Barnabei) who looking for a little getaway so the pair can bond.  They rent a cabin but learn on the ride to it that it has a tragic history.  They ignore the warnings and go anyway only for Robbie to read from the Nekkomeownicon in order to speak with his late mother unleashing waves of the undead with ties to Duke and his bloody rampage.  

     I knew absolutely nothing about CarousHELL 4 prior to reviewing it but I never expected it to be a damn near perfect tribute to Sam Raimi's masterpiece Evil Dead II.  I had just returned home from watching Evil Dead II at my local theater as part of their Flashback Cinema series when I decided to check it out which is kind of a coincidence in a way.  I was not prepared for what I was about to watch and while I've always said his film Captain Z and the Terror of Leviathan was my favorite film of his,  this film has surpassed it.  The acting in this one is great all around.  The voice acting is top notch.  I couldn't imagine anyone other than Rimpici voicing Duke and Barnabei will forever be Robbie.  They brought these characters to life and made them iconic.  The supporting cast is solid as well with some returning faces reprising roles from previous Silver Spotlight films.  They do a great job getting back into character which makes this one so much fun.  The story for this one does a great job at continuing the connection between several other Silver Spotlight films while furthering the story for Duke and Robbie.  It's not a return to the slasher sub-genre that I enjoyed in the first one and was hoping for but it does everything it can to surpass my expectations.  The occult angle and heavy influence of Raimi's classic really caught me off guard the first time I watched it.  The second rewatch while I wrote this was just as fun.  I loved seeing the returning characters and how they were incorporated perfectly into the story following their horrific deaths in previous films.  With that being said, the movie does get a bit repetitive with the character reveals.  We really only needed a few instances of this before moving on.  Finally, the film makes great use of some practical effects and a lot off make-up effects.  The effects are absolutely fantastic and easily the best I've seen from Steve's films.  The undead deadite things look fantastic and the deaths we do get fit the film perfectly.  While it's not the goriest film I've seen, it still looked fantastic by indie movie standards.  Overall, CarousHELL 4 is not the slasher follow up to Steve Rudzinski's CarousHELL that I was hoping for but it was so much fucking fun.  This is a loving tribute to Evil Dead II and easily my favorite indie horror release of the year.  I cannot recommend this one enough.  

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.  

After... Part Two: Tied Up and Tied Up Well

Director(s) - Cecilia Bartolome (Lejos de Africa, After...Part One: You Can't Be Left Alone) and Jose Juan Bartolome (En Pantalla, After...Part One: You Can't Be Left Alone)

Starring - Rafael Alberti (Teatro, Caudillo), Cristina Almeida (7 Vidas), and Santiago Bautista 

Release Date - 1983

Genre - Horror 

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I took the dive into this set for review, I never expected to see as many documentaries as this set contained.  What makes it even more surprising is the fact that the documentaries are for so many different topics besides the one sequel in the set.  Which brings me to the last film in the set which is the 1983 sequel After... Part Two: Tied Up and Tied Up Well.  The first doc was a bit lackluster but I was still excited to check this one out.

     This documentary continues to examine Spain after the death of it's dictator, Franco.  We look into how hard it was for the old powers at play to be removed, how the media played in big part in political, and social injustices that many citizens still faces after his death.

     While I wasn't really a fan of the first documentary, I was excited to check this one out.  I had hoped that it would fix it's inconsistencies the original had while making it a bit more enjoyable for international fans.  Sadly, that was not the case with this follow up feeling like it was made back to back with the first doc.  The interviews in this one is mostly from historians of the area or those that lived through the changes the country faced after Franco's death.  We also get interviews from people that are involved in different political parties, media, and so on.  It's a wide range of people being interviewed and they offer up a lot of insight into the matter.  The topics for this one pics up around the time the first film leaves off and we see the power vacuum from Franco's death and the subsequent consequences that followed.  It was a little more interesting in that regard but it's still a difficult doc to finish.  Finally, the editing in this one is rough and not very easy to follow.  Some of the interviews and topics bounce around creating some confusion.  Overall, After... Part Two; Tied Up and Tied Up Well is a documentary that I could see myself getting into if it was done a bit better.  The topics and interviews themselves are interesting but the confusing jump from topic to topic makes it a bit difficult to follow.  This is one from the set I would recommend skipping.  

Whispers

Director - Miroslav Petkov (Paranoia, Room #4)

Starring - Miroslav Petkov, Simona Rose (Creep Footage 3: Night Nurse, OnlyFangs), and Nikol Topalova

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - The park is listening"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been asked to review several indie features over the last month or so.  Some have been fun while others were clearly not for me.  While I didn't care for some of them, I still enjoyed watching them.  I love to experience indie movies and see all the hard work that goes into the feature.  That includes movies that I may not have liked.  Sometime back I was asked to review Whispers from Miroslav Petkov.  I loved the poster for the film and quickly agreed to check it out.  In fact, I took a break from reviewing the Exorcismo set from Severin just to watch it.  Sadly, it wasn't for me but I respected what Petkov was going for.

     The film takes place in a small town with a paranormal presence.  Several people have gone missing with their loved ones frantically searching for them.  However, as they get close to the cause, they start to witness something sinister.

     I went into Whispers completely blind which is my preferred way to watch indie flicks that I'm going to review.  I didn't care for the film itself but there was some things I did enjoy.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  Some of the performances are extremely flat with forced dialogue and zero emotional range.  However, we do have some fun performances scattered throughout the film.  It's evident that we have a cast consisting of experienced and inexperienced players.  The story for this one is an interesting idea that only learned was a sequel to two previous films.  While I had never seen the first two films, I can only assume watching them beforehand would have answered a few questions that I have here.  As for just this film, I found the pacing to be all off.  What we have is a solid base for a supernatural tale but the awkward character interactions and horrible pacing makes it difficult to finish.  Finally, don't expect a film with a high body count and memorable deaths.  The film uses the story to get chills to the viewer.  It almost succeeds but the pacing and lack of tension makes it impossible to achieve.  Overall, Whispers is a film that could have been so much more but the fails to really gain any traction.  I really wanted to like it but it wasn't for me.  I'll circle back around and check out the first two films before revisiting this one.  

Mulva: Demon Ass Kicker

Director - Chris Seaver (Anal Paprika, SexSquatch)

Starring - Deana Naja (Screamwalkers, Victim No More), Katie Keating (Indiana Jones and the Legend of Bimini, Wellsville Nights), and Jason McCall (The Bleu Cheese Brothers, The Weirdsies)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "You gotta kill for your right to party!"

Format - Streaming (The B Stream)

Rating (out of 5):

       I don't know what I can say about Chris Seaver and his films that I haven't already said in previous review.  I've reviewed a lot of his movies over the years and really enjoyed most of them.  Hell, I still have fun with the few that I don't like.  His movies really is an experience that I recommend to anyone that grew up in the 80s or has the sense of humor of a teenager.  Sometime back I was surprised to learn that Seaver had wrapped on a sequel in 2023 to one of his earlier films.  The movie, Mulva: Demon Ass Kicker, was getting released through Makeflix but they seemed to be dragging their feet on it.  I started keeping an eye on Seaver's Instagram account and noted when the film was released.  At the time I wasn't able to snag a copy but kept an up with it until I could.  However, during that time the movie hit some streaming services and I was able to check it out on The B Stream.  I want to thank The B Stream for sending me a promo code so I could check them out!

     Mulva: Demon Ass Kicker follows Mulva (Naja) who is about to celebrate her birthday when she suspects that her friends are doing something special for her.  When she presses them further she learns that they are planning a Halloween party.  As she prepares for the party, two people she accidentally offended previously sets out to sabotage her.  They use an ancient book to summon a trio of sex demons who they promise can rape and kill everyone at the party.  However, that is no easy task when Mulva puts on her ass kicking boots.

     The first two Mulva films are not for everyone.  Hell, Demon Ass Kicker will not be for everyone but it's worth noting that the first two films and this one are very different in regards to look.  Seaver's films are known for making the best out of nothing.  His no budget films are meant for those that have fun with movies without needing the big budgets for effects and polish.  Not having a budget is why he masks everything with humor.  However, this sequel is leagues above the first two and may be one of my favorite films of his only second to The Weirdsies.  It was a lot of fun and easily one of the better shot films to come out of the Warlock Home Video camp.  The acting in this one is a lot of fun which is the first thing I expect from a Low Budget Pictures/Warlock Home Video/Midnight Kids Productions.  The characters always have a lot of energy and deliver some hilarious dialogue.  We have a lot of returning faces and the cast is always fun to watch regardless if they are brand new or genre legends with decades under their belts.  While on that same topic, Debbie Rochon who portrayed Mulva in the first sequel appears in the film as a different character.  She was solid as Mulva but I really enjoyed her more in her role here.  She has a lot of experience in front of the camera and easily slips into the style of characters Seaver is known for.  The story for this one is pure Warlock Home Video.  We have more sexual innuendos than you can shake your dick at while keeping the essence of Mulva there.  The sugar addicted surprisingly badass Mulva character still has all the quirky things that made her so memorable early on in Seaver's career while bringing in the trends that many of his fan has seen in his work over the last 10 or 15 years.  The set up for the story is not really that creative or imaginative but it's the characters, humor, and what happens once the party starts that makes the journey worth it.  Finally, the film has surprisingly better effects than almost every other film I've seen from Seaver.  While it's not a gory flick, the monster cocks and the gags associated with it look great.  The kills may not be the most brutal but they fit the film and are very memorable.  Overall, Mulva: Demon Ass Kicker is so much fucking fun especially if you have the mind of a teenager with a nudie mag hidden under your bed.  I know most of the horror community will turn their nose up to it but those of us not high on our own farts will truly appreciate the humor.  I highly recommend this one.  

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Director - Emma Tammi (Five Nights at Freddy's, Into the Dark)

Starring - Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games, Ultraman), Piper Rubio (Robogobo, Project U Move), and Elizabeth Lail (You, Robot Chicken)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "You there?"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm an avid gamer and a horror fan.  I love to game when I'm not watching movies and I love even more when the two worlds collide.  I've been lucky enough to review a few horror video game adaptations with Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City, Silent Hill, The Last of Us, and Five Nights at Freddy's.  I really enjoyed most of those adaptations but wasn't really a fan of Five Nights at Freddy's.  The movie itself was very underwhelming to me.  I was actually pretty excited for the film and found myself struggling to finish it.  Fast forward to now and I was given the opportunity to watch the sequel.  I was on the fence about checking it out but after watching the trailer, I decided to give it a chance.  I'm glad I did because it was leagues better than the first film.  

     The film takes place one year after the first film.  Mike (Hutcherson) is still struggling to provide for his little sister Abby (Rubio) after the horrific events they went through.  However, the terror is not yet behind them as a sinister presence at the very first Freddy Fazbear's Pizza location tricks her into letting out the haunted animatronics and they begin killing adults that they think did them wrong.

     I'm not going to say that Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is a contender for my favorite film of the year or any of that.  It's far from perfect and I did have some issues with it but it was still a fun watch.  I wish I would have liked it more than I did but it's an above average flick that somehow better than it has any right to be.  The acting in this one is my biggest complaint.  The film has characters that are extremely unlikable and the cast's performances are fairly lazy.  The film's leads, Josh Hutcherson and Piper Rubio, act as if their hearts aren't in it.  They have no energy for most of the film and the dialogue feels forced.  Elizabeth Lail gives us a little bit more but it's still not impressive.  She has a little more emotional range but is still stiff during a lot of her scenes.  I don't know if the scenes were rushed or they just didn't have their heart in it but the acting in this one is very disappointing.  The story for this one does pick up from where the first one left off but made it a bit more interesting.  We get some back story on the disappearances and murders that took place decades ago before going deeper into the lore of Five Nights at Freddy's.  With that being said, we have a lot of scenes that are unnecessarily long.  They throw off what little bit of atmosphere the film tries to establish while making the film longer than it needed to be.  Finally, the film has some blood but it's not that graphic which is what you would expect from a horror title with a PG-13 rating.  I do like the visuals and the looks of the animatronics but that is about the extent of it for me.  Overall, Five Nights at Freddy's is a better film than the first film but it's still a movie that is barely above average.  The audience for this one is children and I think it works for them while playing fanfare to adults watching.  It's a solid film but it's nothing memorable.  Check it out especially if you want something to watch with your little ones. 

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.  

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.  

Return of Eva Man

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

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

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Sci-Fi/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

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

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

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

Human Hibachi 3: The Last Supper

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

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

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Kill. Pray. Eat"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

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

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

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

Tales of Dracula 2: Dracula Meets the Werewolf

Director - Joe DeMuro (Tales of Dracula) 

Starring - Wayne W. Johnson (Night of Something Strange, Star Trek Phase II), Tom Delillo (Cyberkill, Hollow's Ridge), and Olga N. Bogdanova (Graveyard Shark, Castle Rock)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The fang and claw death match!"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing films over here at Horror Society for over a decade but it doesn't feel like it has been that long.  Honestly, it feels like it has been a handful of years at most but that is about it.  It's crazy to think that I've been here for as long as I have and I'm grateful the opportunities that writing for the site has presented to me.  September of this year made exactly ten years ago that I reviewed the indie tribute to Universal monster movies Tales of Dracula from director Joe DeMuro.  It doesn't feel like it had been that long but I just looked up my review of the film and was shocked by the date.  The reason I'm talking about this is because Joe recently sent me a copy of the film's sequel, Tales of Dracula 2: Dracula Meets the Werewolf.  I knew I had seen it but didn't remember a lot about it so I turned to my review to familiarize myself with the film.  Once I did that I was ready to dive into this sequel.

     The film follows a man who has been marked by the curse of the werewolf to transform into a heinous creature every full moon with an insatiable appetite for flesh.  He partners with a group of Ramani people to destroy Count Dracula with an ancient cross but betrays them when Dracula promises to cure him of his curse.  Things then take an unexpected twist when Dracula crosses paths with his brother, the original werewolf.

     I went into Tales of Dracula 2 after rereading my review for the first film and then revisiting it.  I liked the first film.  It's a solid tribute to the classic Universal monster movies while giving viewers a somewhat original story.  I went into the sequel hoping I would be getting more of what we had already established in the first film but that wasn't the case. The movie had a solid start but wasn't able to follow up with that.   The acting in this is a bit uneven but not bad.  Wayne W. Johnson is a man that has appeared in several films that I've reviewed over the years, including one of my favorite indie horror flicks Night of Something Strange, and he always does a solid job.  He goes above and beyond to get into character with this one but his dialogue was so bad.  I love campy and cheesy horror but the dialogue given to his character just didn't work.  It almost felt like a parody of the drive-in era Dracula films that were a dime a dozen back then.  It doesn't fit the film and created some unintentional humor for the most part.  Tom Delillo returns as the man cursed by the werewolf and delivers another solid performance as well.  He does a great job at pulling on the viewer's heartstrings which may be exactly what I said in my review for the first film but it still holds true here.  The supporting cast is hit or miss but they all suffer from extremely awkward dialogue that doesn't fit the look of the film at all.  The story for this one is not enough for a feature length film.  It runs for around an hour but some of it could be trimmed down to about 40ish minutes.  With that being said, the story kind of goes nowhere.  Dracula prevents his assassination by a werewolf only to fight his brother who was the first werewolf.  I liked the lore that was provided but it's not fully explored as I would have liked.  I feel like the story had more planned and something happened preventing them from giving us their original vision.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects that look great with a lot of traditional methods used to give viewers that classic Universal monster magic.  However, if you want blood and gore then you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Tales of Dracula 2 doesn't live up to the first film.  It does miss it's mark and feel incomplete.  I wanted to like this one but just couldn't.  Skip it.  

G. B. H. 2: Lethal Impact

Director - David Kent-Watson (The Eye of Satan, The Assassinator)

Starring - Cliff Twemlow (The Benny Hill Show, Dead of Night), Terrence Hardiman (The Demon Headmaster, Doctor Who), and Brett Sinclair (Target Eve Island, Killer Waiting)

Release Date - 1991

Genre - Action

Tagline - "Beyond the law.  Beyond redemption.  Beyond Vengeance"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've worked through dozens of box sets and collections over the years and very few offered up such a strange and interesting catalogue of films as this set has from Severin under their Intervision label.  These films are not entertaining, at least not in a traditional sense, but I've really enjoyed watching them.  They are a type of bad that doesn't necessarily make them "so bad they are good."  It's more like a train or car wreck.  You can't look away no matter how hard you try.  However, one film in the set was surprisingly entertaining and that was the crime thriller G.B.H.  I knew there was a sequel to the film in this set but it wasn't paired with the original film.  I decided to watch the movies in the order in which they were in the set and that took me some time to get to the sequel.  Sadly, it was not as enjoyable as the first film.

     The film follows the man from the first film that didn't actually die at the end.  Instead, he survives that his niece was sex trafficked and forced into under age adult films where she eventually takes her own life.  He sets out to bring the organization down that did this to her.  

     I had no idea where a sequel to the first G.B.H. was going to take me but I had high hopes for it.  However, it was quickly evident that the film had no idea where it was going either.  I wanted to like this one but the lack of plot and complete disregard for the ending of the first film makes this one another rough watch which seems to be the theme with these films.  The acting in this one is more of the same.  We have some super cliched characters that have no originality to them brought to life with stiff performances and emotionless dialogue.  With that being said, this is the kind of acting that I dig with cheap action flicks and found myself somewhat enjoying the performances even if it was for unintentional humor.  The story for this one is an interesting idea wrapped in a lot of bloated scenes that go absolutely nowhere.  The movie tries to Death Wish it's way into a serious gritty action film around rape and so on but that's as far as they were willing to write it.  We then follow that up with random death scenes with very little pay off or explanation as to why.  It's implied that those being murdered had something to do with the sex trafficking but it never fully explains.  Having a finished story would have went so much further with this one.  Finally, the film has some gun deaths and a lot of stuff happening off camera but that's about it.  Nothing memorable or original happening in this regard.  Overall, G.B.H. 2 borrows heavily from the Death Wish films but forgets that there is more to it than just copying someone's homework.  It fails to deliver on anything other than some corny acting.  Skip it.  

The Death Molester's Barn of Blood

Director - Matt Enos (Battle Legends: The Legend of Battle Master, The Slim Duffy Show)

Starring - Matt Enos, Michael C. Urchin (Don't Plan on Selling It, Shakespeare's Shitstorm), and Rod Lord (Last Days in Waldo County), Battle Legends: The Legend of Battle Master)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Nothing can prepare for a film this vile"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5): 

     Early last year I was invited to review the action comedy Battle Legends: The Legend of Battle Master from director and star Matt Enos.  I was unfamiliar with Enos and his previous work, which included The Jim Duffy Show, but it all looked extremely fun.  I agreed to check it out and loved it.  I added Enos on Facebook and kept an eye on his next project which happened to be a horror comedy that serves as a sequel of sorts to Battle Legends.  The new film, The Death Molester's Barn of Blood, looked like it incorporated much of the same humor as the previous film but set in a more horror based story.  I couldn't wait to check it out and I quickly agreed to it when Matt messaged me to check it out.  I want to take a moment to thank Matt for sending this one my way for review!

     The film follows two brothers who suspect that their drooling cousin is a necrophile.  When his employer, along with his heir, is conveniently found dead, the necrophile is left a farm with a barn that he uses to rape corpses with another local pervert.  It's up to the two brothers to expose him as the infamous Death Molester so they can stop him... and get famous enough to bang chicks.

     I knew The Death Molester's Barn of Blood was going to be more horror than the previous film but I had no idea it was going to go the way that it did.  If anything, the post should have been an indication as to what to expect with the giant dillschlong plastered on it.  Honestly, i didn't know what to expect but I fucking loved it.  This is the kind of movie that I can see myself revisiting time and time again without tiring of it.  The acting in this one is over the top and very enjoyable.  The characters are written with humor in mind and it works.  The cast does bring a lot of energy to the film especially from director and star Matt Enos who portrays multiple characters.  The story for this one feels like a tribute to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the crime of Ed Gein meets Battle Legend: The Legend of Battle Master.  The film follows characters from The Jim Duffy Show and Battle Legend as they are thrown into a world of murder and necrophilia.  The film does go to a dark place a few times.  While it does sound dark, the humor and South Park level humor makes it much lighter than it should be.  I loved the sense of humor here and would love to see more of these characters in a horror setting again sometime soon.  With that being said, the film does drag on a bit.  The scenes are not necessarily long but a few of the scenes does feel repetitive.  Some trimming would do this one wonders.  Finally, the film has some hilarious effects.  The film is clearly a no budget production so that meant nothing went into the effects.  We have some fake blood, fake shit, and a hilariously bad prop body but that all makes the film so much fun.  Fans of Warlock Home Video and Low Budget Pictures can appreciate the humor in this kind of effects.  Overall, The Death Molester's Barn of Blood is not going to be for everyone.  Hell, it's not going to be for a lot of people but good god damn did I have fun with it.  I highly recommend this especially if you like movies similar to Death O'Lantern and Skinned Alive.  Check it out!