Brain Damage (Arrow Blu-Ray)

                                                               By MrParka

                Arrow brings us the sleaze epic on Blu-Ray in a packed edition with all the bells and whistles.  “Brain Damage” follows the story of Brian, a handsome young man who is chosen by an ancient parasitic creature named Elmer to be his new host. Brian is given a strong hallucinogen drug, injected directly into his brain. In return, he must sometimes unknowingly bring victims to Elmer so Elmer can feed on them. 

                Frank Henenlotter is a director with a unique vision; his films carry an aesthetic, a certain style, which can never be mistaken. Most of his films were made in in the heyday of gritty New York City, “Brain Damage” is no different. The locations look unsafe; the interiors are lined with crud and filth while trash meanders through the streets, the human variety among it. This backdrop, along with a heavy punk scene scattered throughout the film, creates a setting that is fun to glimpse at from a distance while assuring the audience can breathe out a collective sigh of relief when the credits roll; they only have to wander a few feet to shower off the symbolic scum collected throughout the duration of the picture.  The allegory for drug abuse and addiction is heavy in “Brain Damage” and makes it dirty, timeless, and real; it’s hard to shake the scene of a Brian going through withdrawal, shaking violently on the ground, his shirt stained and skin pale. Along with this seemingly grim setting is a darkly comedic style; “Brain Damage” is filled with bizarre characters and a highly intelligent, manipulative parasite with a crude streak of humor. These elements bring an outrageous feel to the film; they mix well with its downbeat setting and fantastical concept, due to the filmmaker’s talent. Henenlotter manages to take all these elements and somehow ground it to create a wonderful world of fun, splatter, and nihilism. 

                The technical aspects of “Brain Damage” are a mix of practical and optical. Elmer’s design is very phallic, resembling “A black dildo” as Henenlotter put it. For a phallic creature, he is very animated; the special effects team created several Elmer’s that, when used together, create a very effective creature. Puppetry and stop motion elements are mixed and work wonderfully.  The optical effects are good for the time and hold up to this day aside for some of the work done on the subway, where Elmer keeps popping out of Brian’s mouth for a late night snack. This effect is dated, appearing subpar to the rest of the work, but has an organic charm, regardless. The lighting, mixed with some of the post optical effects, create a visually appealing film; almost everything has a wonderful blue hue to it, not your typical teal color that is seemingly oversaturated in today’s market, the colors pop so well they are truly mesmerizing. The visuals are best in the surreal drug trips. The strongest of these is when Brian’s room fills with dark blue water and his overhead light turns into an eyeball, staring into him.  Along with New York City, there are some built sets and miniatures that blend in seamlessly together.   The voice of Elmer brings a lot of life to the character; the powerful booming voice of horror host John Zacherle seals the deal, his pacing and delivery is top notch. As for the other actors in the film, they do well and while some of the performances are bizarre, it all manages to work to the film's advantage.  The bizarre synth score works with the electric imagery and optical effects; these are most used when Brian’s brain is juiced with Elmer’s drug.  One thing about “Brain Damage” that can’t go unmentioned is the splatter, the scene where Brian goes through withdrawal is by far one of the most gruesome over the top moments in any splatter flick. A healthy helping of his brains are pulled out of his head through his ear canal, it seemingly never comes to an end! Each time he pulls a string of his brain, more meat is ready to slide out, until it comes to a volcanic eruption of blood and gore. 

                The film looks and sounds top notch, the work Arrow has done has made everything look great. The features on the disc are there in buckets, included is a 50 minute documentary featuring many of the cast and crew, an extra interview with stills photographer, optical effects artist, fx artist Gabe Bartalos, a bittersweet stop motion film entitled “Behemoth Bygone”, a Q&A with Henenlotter, a new commentary with Henenlotter, a fan interview/collection, and more.  All and all the punk splatter, gritty New York style, darkly comedic, monster movie has never been presented better.

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IT'S A HEADACHE FROM HELL!

IT'S A HEADACHE FROM HELL! From Frank Henenlotter, the man behind such cult horror favourites as Basket Case and Frankenhooker, comes Brain Damage - the ultimate head-trip, now finally on Blu-ray! Meet Elmer. He's your local, friendly parasite with the ability to induce euphoric hallucinations in his hosts. But these LSD-like trips come with a hefty price tag. When young Brian comes under Elmer's addictive spell, it's not long before he finds himself scouring the city streets in search of his parasite's preferred food source - brains! Featuring late TV horror host John Zacherley as the voice of Elmer, Brain Damage boasts some of the most astonishing bad taste gore-gags ever realized, including the notorious "brain-pulling sequence" and a blow-job that ends with a distinctly unconventional climax.

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original Mono and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Isolated Score
Brand new audio commentary by writer-director Frank Henenlotter
Listen to the Light: The Making of Brain Damage - brand new documentary featuring interviews with actor Rick Herbst, producer Edgar Ievins, editor James Kwei, first assistant director Gregory Lamberson, visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti and makeup
The Effects of Brain Damage - FX artist and creator of 'Elmer' Gabe Bartalos looks back at his iconic effects work on the film
Animating Elmer - featurette looking at the contributions of visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti
Karen Ogle: A Look Back - stills photographer, script supervisor and assistant editor Karen Ogle recalls her fond memories of working on Brain Damage
Elmer's Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage - featurette revisiting the film's original shooting locations
Tasty Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession - an interview with superfan Adam Skinner
Brain Damage Q&A with Frank Henenlotter recorded at the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival
Image Galleries
Original Theatrical Trailer
Bygone Behemoth - animated short by Harry Chaskin, featuring a brief appearance by John Zacherle in his final onscreen credit
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
Limited Edition O-card with exclusive artwork
Collector's Booklet with new writing on the film by Michael Gingold, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

The Violent Shit Collection: 5 Film Set

                                                                    By MrParka

                Synapse puts together a big box of shit for its fans, “The Violent Shit Collection: Five Film Collector’s Shitition”! This set includes the infamous German SOV splatter film series “Violent Shit”, “Violent Shit 2: Mother Hold My Hand”, “Violent Shit 3: Infantry of Doom”, and “Violent Shit 4.0: Karl the Butcher Vs Axe” also included is another splatter film from the director, “Zombie 90: Extreme Pestilence.” The director Andreas Schnaas has become one of the biggest names in the German Splatter world and for good reason, what he lacks in storytelling and finesse he makes up for in effects and bloodshed.

                 The first film of the series was released in 1989 eloquently entitled “Violent Shit” it starts off simple enough; a mental patient with a sordid childhood escapes and makes his way into the wilderness disemboweling and mutilating anyone he comes in contact with. Our killer seems to have an insatiable bloodlust and, in between the dozens of murders, has encounters with Satan, Jesus, and even manages to give birth via Immaculate Conception.  The dialogue is silly and painfully wretched; so much it becomes apparent that Andreas Schnaas is in on the joke.  The characters are worthless and are only there to die and even in its short running time it manages to stop for long periods of time just to introduce these random characters who will die minutes later. The film itself doesn’t look good, being that it was shot on video and poorly at that, but at least the aesthetic manages to help the films strong point… you guessed it, the gore. The effects are very cheap but abundant and at times clever.  It makes it hard to not acknowledge them.  All the staples of nasty splatter films are included such as genital mutilation, hacking, slashing, and disemboweling. So make sure you shut your brain off for this entry.

                “Violent Shit 2: Mother Hold My Hand” follows the story of Karl the Butcher’s son who, with the help of his mother, begins his spree of murder and mayhem. “Violent Shit 2” manages to improve on everything from the first film; the set pieces, body count, and the gore is bigger and better.  A healthy amount of action is also incorporated into the story, keeping the pace a little bit more tolerable. “Violent Shit 2” has elements of crime and strange karate fight scenes which sets the tone for the whole film. A boring journalism angle ends up trying to tie the film together, but is mostly used for info dumps and padding; these scenes are the weakest of the film. When V2 gets its stride going, Karl Jr. seems to stumble from massacre to massacre, spouting off one-liners as he hooks testicles and ravages innocent morons, all done to the pleasure of his incestuous mother. V2 soon gets to an insane pace where our masked madman enters a construction site and happily kills a group of men who can’t seem to get out of the mud fast enough. The film comes to a violent end in a porn theater where squibs and splatter fill the screen in crummy detail.

                “Violent Shit 3: Infantry of Doom” starts out with an unlucky trio of vacationers who end up washing ashore on an island that is ruled by Karl the Butcher and his ruthless army of goons and zombies. Quickly, one of our vacationers is dispatched, leaving our survivors to team up with an exiled soldier; the trio is then hunted mercilessly by the aforementioned forces. “Violent Shit 3: Infantry of Doom” is an insane romp mixing kung fu, zombies, and war films into one demented, gory, cheesy, ride that leaves you wanting to applaud and scratch your head at the same time.  The fight scenes are a blast with some inventive kills including a decapitated head with a blade sticking out of it spinning into someone’s back. When the grotesque Fulci like zombies appear a Fabio Frizzi type song sneaks into the soundtrack setting the stage for another bloodbath. By the end of the movie any gore fan will be satisfied, making the 3rd of the series the biggest and very best.

                “Violent Shit 4.0: Karl the Butcher VS Axe” is set in the post-apocalyptic world where the sectors are divided between the gangs. Karl the Butcher is released from hell to kill a new threat, Axe. Soon enough the duo team up and decide to kill everyone else. We are given tons of exposition and the introductions of over the top characters, most of which don’t do much but die. Although Andreas is still having fun making the film, it doesn’t translate to the audience like parts 2 and 3 did so well. The first of the series to be spoken in English, it makes the lousy performances cringe worthy. It becomes embarrassing for the audience to watch and, unlike the shoddy yet funny introductions of cannon fodder in the previous films, these characters seem like they are bad Tarantino rip offs without any acting chops. A little blame can be put on the fact that the performers are not speaking their native tongue. The end of the film sports an all-out war with everyone who is still standing and, although it has moments of great gore and silliness, it also features poorly done digital effects. All and all it’s a shame to see the series go out on a low note after the steady climb it had. This title is the only one with special features, included are a teaser, trailer, premier footage (concert), and some behind the scenes.

                The final film in the set is Andreas Schnaas second film “Zombie 90’: Extreme Pestilence” in its comedic dubbed version.  The story in “Zombie 90” is pretty thin; it follows a pair of scientists who attempt to stop a zombie outbreak. The gore in this one seems a step down from the previous aforementioned Violent Shit and the dubbing is so over the top and stupid that a second grader would have trouble at finding the humor in it. All and all it is amateur film making with a couple inspired gore moments that can’t justify watching it, even with its short runtime. Worth mentioning is an ending ripped directly from Fulci's “Zombie” as the living dead wander across a bridge. To accompany this shot is some narration, a bastardization of the iconic “Dawn of the Dead” quote. In “Zombie 90” it reads. “When the sun goes down and the dead walk, there will be no tomorrow.”

                Surprisingly all the films are presented in widescreen which might be jarring for fans of some of the early films as they are not present in their OAR.  Anyone that does manage to stumble onto this set that isn’t aware of SOV will most likely junk it, but those hardcore gore and SOV fans will find it well worth checking out. Violent Shit 2 and 3 are well worth the price of admission alone.

Information and Video Review Below

https://www.amazon.com/Violent-Shit-Collection-Andreas-Schnaas/dp/B06VT1XR2T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491334588&sr=8-1&keywords=violent+shit

http://www.cavd.com/product.php?productid=2774

https://www.amazon.com/Violent-Shit-Collection-Andreas-Schnaas/dp/B06VT1XR2T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491165131&sr=8-1&keywords=violent+shit

Plot Summary:
In 1980s Germany, horror film censorship was a huge problem. The government rarely let classic horror films pass without severe cuts when they were released on home video. To combat this unfortunate situation many German horror fans scraped together a few bucks, rented video cameras & created their own ultra-violent, gory, splatter films. Arguably the most famous of these micro-budget German gorefests are the VIOLENT SHIT films from director Andreas Schnaas. Shot on standard definition video cameras, these films are a sight to behold. Although they are amateurishly made, choppily edited & loaded with ridiculous low-budget gore, these films have an undeniably offensive charm that has kept horror fans entertained for over 25 years!

Synapse is proud to present the original VIOLENT SHIT trilogy, along with 2010’s VIOLENT SHIT 4.0: KARL THE BUTCHER VS. AXE on DVD for the first time in North America, now completely remastered by the original owners. Includes the crazy English language dub version of ZOMBIE ’90: EXTREME PESTILENCE on a Bonus DVD with liner notes & additional VIOLENT SHIT 4.0 Bonus Features.

Special Features:

- The first three VIOLENT SHIT films, remastered by the original owners, plus VIOLENT SHIT 4.0: KARL THE BUTCHER VS. AXE
- Liner notes from Ted Geoghegan (Screenwriter of NIKOS THE IMPALER, & Writer/Director of WE ARE STILL HERE)
- Special BONUS DVD, including the English dub version of ZOMBIE ’90: EXTREME PESTILENCE & VIOLENT SHIT 4.0: KARL THE BUTCHER VS. AXE
- Trailers

VIOLENT SHIT
The legend of K. the Butcher Shitter is born in this German DIY video roughie, shot on the low-fi Video-8 format. A demented killer escapes the police & leaves a trail of blood & gore in his wake. Newly re-mastered by the film’s original producer.
Anamorphic (1.78:1) Widescreen - Dolby Digital German 2.0 Stereo - Subtitles: English (Optional) 73 Mins.

VIOLENT SHIT II: MOTHER HOLD MY HAND
Set twenty years after the original film, Karl the Butcher Jr. continues his late father’s legacy. After receiving a machete as a birthday gift from his mother, Karl Jr. turns into a maniacal killer slashing, chopping, shooting & disemboweling his way through the German countryside. Newly re-mastered by the film’s original producer. Anamorphic (2.35:1) Widescreen - Dolby Digital German 2.0 Stereo - Subtitles: English (Optional) 74 Mins.

VIOLENT SHIT III: INFANTRY OF DOOM (aka ZOMBIE DOOM)
A group of friends get lost at sea & land on a remote island, but they are not alone! Captured by Karl the Butcher Jr. & his father, these men are subjected to a sadistic version of The Most Dangerous Game brought on by the Butcher Shitters and their army of metal-masked killers! Newly re-mastered by the film’s original producer.
Anamorphic (2.35:1) Widescreen - Dolby Digital German 2.0 Stereo - Subtitles: English (Optional) - 79 Mins.

VIOLENT SHIT 4.0: KARL THE BUTCHER VS. AXE
The year is 2023, & the world has become a desolate wasteland with gangs taking over the streets. Karl the Butcher Jr. returns from the bowels of Hell, on a mission to kill a new mass murderer named Axe. Original English Language Version.
Anamorphic (1.78:1) Widescreen - Dolby Digital English 2.0 Stereo – 78 Mins.

BONUS FEATURE: ZOMBIE ’90: EXTREME PESTILENCE
Shot for a reported $2000 between the filming of VIOLENT SHIT 1 & 2, ZOMBIE ’90: EXTREME PESTILENCE follows two bumbling doctors as they investigate a zombie outbreak. After a military plane crash releases strange chemicals into the German countryside, the dead rise to attack the living! Can they be stopped? Transferred from an original PAL 1” master given to us by Cinematographer Steve Aquilina.
Full-Frame (1.33:1) - Dolby Digital English 2.0 Stereo – 76 Mins.

The Thrill of a Kill

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Capture. Torture. Kill.

The notorious Norwegian slasher/ torture nasty available for the first time in the USA. Poor little Kim has a fight with her mother and runs off into the woods to escape, but she should have stayed home. A chance meeting with a local photographer's sons quickly dissolves into a living nightmare as Kim is captured and run through a series of gruesome tortures with a variety of tools and instruments of death, one worse than the last ... and she's not the only one in this killer's menagerie of pain. Will she be able to liberate herself and others? A graphic and disturbing exploration of punishment and pain - recommended only for the most depraved, experienced

Faim De Mort Trilogy

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The hunger for death can always leave one, starving.

A man lost between life and death confronts all sorts of events that turn him into real voracious cannibal. It is taken strange bloody hallucinations which push him to fill his hunger and to fight against demonic forces. Comes with the Making of Faim De Mort, Trailers for other Unearthed Films dvd's.

Demon Mind

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6223862/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
From IMDB: An ancient demon head and a pair of demonic battle axes transforms a collector into a hideous and barbaric demon who slaughters any soul caught in his blood thirsty eyes.

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Starry Eyes (2014)

Starry Eyes (2014)
directed by:  Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer
starring:  Alexandra Essoe, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, Maria Olsen, Fabianne Therese, Shane Coffey, Mark Senter, Natalie Castillo, Louis Dezseran, Pat Healy          

(out of 5)

      Wow what a film!  First response.  This is one of the those movies for me that I was angry at myself for not watching sooner.  And now also not purchasing it on Blu-Ray.  I have owned this movie for about a year and what an idiot I have been just letting this one sit.  Last time I felt this way was when I watched Blue Ruin.  Which by the way I bought at the same time as this one. 
     The movie follows an actress by the name of Sara who fumbles her way through life in search of a dream.  The dream of course in the Hollywood hills is to become an actress.   Sara wants nothing more than to quit her job as a waitress at Big Taters and become the next Marilyn Monroe.  She has a small group of friends she rolls with and all of whom have similar dreams but Sara is different or so she thinks.  She auditions for a part in a new horror film called the Silver Scream for a big time horror film producer.  Soon it seems the whole casting is too good to be true.  Something begins to happen to Sara's body soon after meeting with the head producer and she frantically begins searching for answers.  The movie really can't be critiqued a whole lot in my opinion script wise.  The pace moved right along and the dialogue held natural from beginning to end.  I loved the end I really cannot go into a whole lot without spoiling it for the people out there like me who have not sat down and watched it yet.  I will say that Sara finds what she's looking for but soon she realizes that there is more here at stake than time and money for rent.  Spectacular story telling.

     The actors in this one were all so perfect for their roles I never really came out of the film once.  This is one of those movies that just pulls you in and never lets go.  Alexandra Esse, Amanda Fuller, Noah Segan, and Maria Olsen most especially knocked it out of the park.  One fine thing in particular was during some of the more violent scenes in the film.  The actors portrayed the pain they were receiving.  This is a giant pet peeve of mine in any film.  When a person is stabbed etc they cry out, the freak out, they tremble, shake, etc.  I'm sure some people will go into shock etc but really in a film I generally want to see the feeling of what's going on, not an excuse of shock to cover up the fact that my actors can't act.  Definitely not the case here.

     The effects on the blood and gore were old school no cgi flubs taking me out of the film either.  Usually this happens with blood splatter but this one for the most part all around were practical effects which in my opinion always looks more real.  Sara's body goes through some changes in this film including color changes and what a job the effects artists did with her.  There have been a couple films I can compare this to, Thanatomorphose and Contracted but only in parts and pieces and mostly due to the fact that the women leads in the movie slowly go through a lot of violent body changes. 
     The movie definitely left me wanting more and thinking hard about what just transpired during the entirety of the film itself.  I loved it.  Sheer masterpiece of modern cinema.  Do not pass this up as I did for so long!

Slime City and Slime City Massacre Double Feature Blu-Ray

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The City Where Slime Never Sleeps

Available for the first time in High Definition, Gregory Lamberson's 1989 cult hit Slime City and 2010 sequel, Slime City Massacre, dripping with gruesome extras! Slime City (1989) - In a run-down apartment building in NYC, a student stumbles across the remains of a cult and transforms into a murderous, slime-dripping monster! Slime City Massacre (2010) - When a greedy real estate tycoon sends mercenaries into a bombed out city to destroy the homeless, they stumble across the remains of a cult of hideous, oozing slime creatures, sparking an all-out war for control of Slime City.

Making Slime
Slime Heads
Slime City original trailer
Slime City Grindhouse Collection trailer
Slime City 2006 trailer
Return to Slime City
Three director commentaries
Slime City Massacre Trailer
Slime City Massacre Behind-the-scenes
Interview with composer Mars
Slime City Survivor (On Set Interviews)
Slime City Massacre Deleted Scenes

Killbillies

http://mvdshop.com/products/killbillies-dvd
The Hills are alive with the sound of...Slaughter!
After a night of partying, the amateur model Zina heads for a fashion shoot in the countryside, accompanied by the ambitious Mia, apathetic Dragica and snobby photographer Blitcz. On the idyllic location, an ordinary fashion shoot soon turns into a fierce fight for survival.

The Curse of Doctor Wolffenstein

                                                                  Review by Mrparka

In a small German town in 1930 outraged towns people cut out the tongue and bury a "Doctor Wolffenstein" alive for his inhuman experiments on men and animals alike. In a true mad scientist/witch fashion he puts a curse on them in his final moments and soon rises from the grave. We then cut to present time where a group of five teenagers heading to a concert festival end up stranded in the small town where Doctor Wolffenstein still resides. Doctor Wolffenstein is hiding out in the outskirts hacking and chopping up anyone he comes in contact with for experiments and to replace his rotting flesh.

                Doctor Wolffenstein's main goal is gore and, on that front, no German Splatter fan should be disappointed; though some other aspects are somewhat lacking. Wolffenstein can become tedious; watching people being hacked and slashed in similar fashions for nearly two hours is a bit prolonged. The first hour and 25 minutes of the film seems to jump back and forth between two different movies. The first being the group of teens who drink and practice shenanigans on each other with the backdrop of clubs and pop music playing. The second being a much more grotesque film where a rotting doctor hacks and slashes naked women and men to bits and pieces in grueling detail. This second film seems to play more like a torture porn film, but does add in a parasitic creature which adds a layer of B-movie fun. Although the film has a repetitive nature it is well acted for its type, the special effects are great (although the trick machete gag is used way more than it ever should be), and it’s an ambitious film that believes in what it is doing. The positive of the long run-time is that we do get to know the characters a bit; they aren't really the most three dimensional but they aren’t despicable and there is sympathy to be had when they meet their end.  At certain points the film seems to come to complete stops to showcase the gore, the main feature, but this choice effects the pacing; spending 15 minutes killing non characters with a machete is a bit excessive. Sprinkled in these non-characters are a few familiar faces that make the film a bit more enjoyable, bringing their brand to the film, including Manoush and Olaf Ittenbach. Any other negatives are minor, including some poorly chosen sound FX cues that seem to appear in too many other indie movies.

“Curse of Doctor Wolffenstein” is one of the most ambitious German Splatter movies made in recent years, but it is only really great if you like gore films. The Blu-Ray/DVD edition packaging it top notch and features Behind the Scenes, Bloopers, Still Galleries, a Short film, and a Trailer.

https://www.facebook.com/Marc-Rohnstocks-The-Curse-of-Doctor-Wolffenstein-525278394192746/

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Dr. Victor Wolffenstein, a genius and at the same time devilish doctor, has set himself a huge goal, he wants to become immortal.

In the Year 1930, in a small village and with the help of scientific experiments and occult rituals, he brews a serum (vielleicht besser POTION), which is supposed to help him achieve his goal. But the Serum has an unwanted side effect, he becomes immortal but has to pay a huge price, he becomes infected with necrosis, through which his limbs start to rot and the only thing left for him to do is to replace his body parts.

Dr. Wolffenstein recklessly starts to harvest limbs from the other villagers; he mutilates and kills with no remorse. The villagers don't put up with this kind of the devil’s work! An angry mob overpowers the Doctor in his office, kidnaps him and buries him alive.

More than 80 years later, five teenagers are on their way to the biggest Rave party of the year. On their way they get stranded in a small village, due to a car accident, now they have to wait for the repair. To get the best out of their situation, the teenagers decide to visit a local discotheque and then the terror begins.

Dr. Wolffenstein is back, with the help of his evil minion the Infiltrator he persuades his victims to come to him. The only thing in his mind is to end his curse, to find the flaw in his serum and to cure himself from the necrosis. Nothing and no one will be safe from him.

Starring
Mika Metz, Isabelle Aring, Roland Freitag, Stephanie Meisenzahl, Robin Czerny, Julia Stenke, Mario Zimmerschitt und Oliver Krekel

Directed By
Marc Rohnstock

Written By
Marc Rohnstock

Screenplay By
Marc Rohnstock

Produced By
Lars Rohnstock, Marc Rohnstock, Dominik Ruf

Zombie Croc (2015)

Zombie Croc (2015)

directed by:  Robert Elkins

starring:  Robert Elkins, Brittney Scalf, Apryl Crowell, Crystal Howell, Tony Jones

format:  Amazon Prime

tagline:  Evil Has Been Summoned

     I am a giant fan of these cheap ass giant monster animal movies.  Are they all "so bad it's good"?  Hell no, Shark Exorcist was absolutely painful to watch.  I have seen some people compare this movie with that one and I have no clue what they saw when they watched Shark Exorcist.  Number one, Crystal Howell was amazing.  Best actor in the film by far and none of the actors were terrible, some not so great but definitely not terrible.  The drunk Sheriff did a pretty decent job as well but really for me the shining star was Howell.  Going to look for more of her in the future. 

As far as story goes a voodoo sort of medicine man comes out of the swamps upset with the locals about something that happened to his ancestors in the past.  So of course he summons up a zombie crocodile and sends it and a legion of zombies out after the townsfolk.  They kept it pretty simple and I thoroughly enjoyed it the whole way through.  Even pausing the film which in the case of a silly movie like this I almost never do because I usually don't want or need to see every moment and nor do I care.  This one however I found enjoyable enough script wise to have the need to see all it had to offer. 

Yes this movie is cheesy and silly.  But the fx and the actors at least for me made it.  Most of these style of productions the fx are just so bad, most especially the cgi that it ruins the movie for me.  I love good cheap fx but it's a very subjective fine line.  This was not the case for me.  The gore and blood was thrown around a lot and most of it not cgi.  A clown's head was thrown up in one key scene that definitely had me giggling and then the scene with a victim walking through the swamp missing half an arm.  That effect was the best in the movie and damn good, a lot better than movies with 10 times it's budget.  The croc was pretty cheap looking overall but it was far better than some cgi croc that looked like it came from a video game.  In short I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys cheeseball movies like Sharknado.  I definitely liked this one and am planning on purchasing it.  Last but not least some of the scenes had some gritty old projector fx added to make the movie look more authentic and for me this worked.  Anything creative like that for me is a plus. 

Tenebrae

http://synapse-films.com/synapse-films/tenebrae-single-disc-blu-ray/
http://synapse-films.com/dvds/tenebrae-single-disc-dvd/
http://synapse-films.com/
http://www.cavd.com/product.php?productid=2679 Blu-Ray
http://www.cavd.com/product.php?productid=2680 DVD
https://www.amazon.com/Tenebrae-Blu-ray-Anthony-Franciosa/dp/B01HP2FAMS/ref=sr_1_1_twi_blu_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473614026&sr=8-1&keywords=tenebrae Blu-Ray
https://www.amazon.com/Tenebrae-Anthony-Franciosa/dp/B01HP2FALE/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1473614026&sr=8-1 DVD

...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, (Sherlock Holmes)

                Forced to return to his Giallo roots after the financial failure of “Inferno”, Argento returns with a bang. “Tenebrae” follows the story of Peter Neal, a famous American author visiting Rome on a publicity stretch only to find himself and his novel the target of a deranged killer.

 “Tenebrae” is one of Argento's most straight forward affairs, especially for the time. It also manages to be one of his most violent. The violence in “Tenebrae” is done in artistic splashes; the blood is the paint, the knife is the brush, and the canvas is the white walls and attire. The result of this concoction is morbid art at its finest.  The violence isn’t the only thing done artfully, however, the camera work, acting, writing, special effects, and the score all share the praise. The best camera work is the voyeuristic shots; the camera creeps around the outside of a house looking at potential victims. It’s these extra steps that make “Tenebrae” a cut above a lot of its predecessors, being one of the last in the genre. The script is well thought out, filled with traditional red herrings. Yet, unlike some Giallo we are afforded all pieces of the puzzle and some wonderful hints, including one by the lead when he quotes a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story. The movie doesn’t make guessing our killer as easy as one would think, managing to feed scenes that would put its viewers off the right path. The script also seems to have a playful edge, poking fun at the director’s detractors by putting Argento, himself, in the shoes of Peter Neal. Peter Neal is accused of misogyny because of his latest novel as was Argento for his elaborate murder scenes of women in his films.  The film also brings up the idea of blaming violent crimes on violent media, which Argento has scoffed at in the past. The cast of the film helps in abundance, bringing several familiar faces from all around the globe to be slashed to ribbons including John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, Giuliano Gemma, Anthony Franciosa, John Steiner, and Christian Borromeo. The actors do well with their characters and even come off sympathetic at times, which isn’t a Giallo strong point. Three members of Goblin bring a vastly high energetic and memorable score to the film, pulsating during moments of mayhem and shattering glass.

The restoration on the disc looks really good; the set design, wardrobe, and well-lit scenes finally are on display in a top notch way. Also on display is the film's bleak, harsh nature. The sound comes in well and delivers no noticeable pops or hisses.  Included on the Blu-Ray is a wonderful feature length documentary entitled “Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo”. This doc assembles a good amount of film makers and experts to dig into the Giallo genre with a focus on Argento. In an interview in the doc, Richard Stanley brings up some interesting ideas involving the career or Argento, placing him as the metaphoric lead in nearly all his early films. The disc also features the rare English inserts in HD, a few trailers, and an informative commentary by a film historian.    

                                “Tenebrae” is a great film with a great release, sure to please fans. Here is to looking forward to more Argento on Blu-ray.

American mystery author Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) comes to Italy to promote his newest novel, TENEBRAE.  Unfortunately, a razor-wielding serial killer is on the loose, taunting Neal and murdering those around him in gruesome fashion just like the character in his novel. As the mystery surrounding the killings spirals out of control, Neal investigates the crimes on his own, leading to a mind-bending, genre-twisting conclusion that will leave you breathless!

Featuring an amazing synth-music score from Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Pignatelli and Massimo Morante (formerly of Italian progressive-rock band, Goblin), this all-new TENEBRAE release was created from the original uncut camera negative. Also stars John Saxon (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET), Daria Nicolodi (Dario Argento’s PHENOMENA) and John Steiner (CALIGULA).

Special Features:

All-new Synapse Films supervised color correction and restoration of a 1080p scan from the original camera negative, presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1

Dual English and Italian language options with newly-translated English subtitle tracks for both

Audio commentary track featuring film critic and Argento scholar, Maitland McDonagh

Rare high-definition 1080p English sequence insert shots, playable within the film via Seamless Branching

Feature-length documentary, YELLOW FEVER: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GIALLO by Rising Productions, chronicling the Giallo film genre from its beginnings as early 20th century crime fiction, to its later influences on the modern slasher film genre

Original UNSANE (U.S. version of TENEBRAE) end credits sequence

Alternate opening credits sequence

Theatrical trailers

Zombie Holocaust / Doctor Butcher M.D. Blu-Ray Severin

Like most good cannibal affairs, “Zombie Holocaust” starts off in the big city but soon enough moves to a more suitable gut munching zone… the jungle. The plot moves along quickly; we are introduced to our characters and a catalyst in the disguise of flesh eating foreigners.  A team is assembled to figure out why these foreigners are practicing cannibalism and why they all appear to have come from the same geographical location. Our leads are soon on their way. Included are a few notables; video nasty favorite, Ian McCulloch (Zombie), Alexandra Delli Colli, and Sherry Buchanan. Our adventurers are aligned with a local Doctor (Donald O’Brien) who shares his hospitality and workers to help them with their mission. They soon realize they are in grave danger as they are eaten off one by one. Zombie Holocaust’s onslaught of insanity continues as the Doctor who was once thought there to help them turns out to be responsible for the carnage. He has been practicing grotesque experiments that have resulted in the natives going awry and spawned a batch of murdering zombies.  

A plot like this has enough substance and cheese to make three Italian gore fests, but here we are treated to just one bizarrely beautiful disaster.  “Zombie Holocaust” sports a truly amazing score which seems so much more poignant and heartfelt than the film, itself.  A major highlight are the top notch Italian splatter effects we have all grown to love; the slit throats are some of the best to grace dingy theaters anywhere. The clay molded zombies are cheap but effective and with the amount of innards spilled, it would be enough to feed a small horde of zombies. The dialogue is unintentionally hilarious and the sound effects match it.   “Zombie Holocaust” has no shame in what it is; a cash in on successful films of the genre that have come before like “Emmanuelle and the Last Cannibals” and “Zombie” using Donald O’Brien from the former and Dakar, Ian McCulloch, and the locations from the later. “Zombie Holocaust” flows by at a fairly brisk pace giving us splatter or nudity when it can, never slowing down to realize how ridiculous the whole ordeal is. Directed by the father of Enzo G. Castellari, a very prominent director, Marino Girolami (with over 70 credits to his name) turns in a surprising horror exploitation number in a very capable way.  “Zombie Holocaust” is a must for fans of Italian Cannibal and Zombie flicks. On this rare occasion, they are both in one film fighting for screen time. Another rarity this film can brag about is that we are spared the awful animal cruelty usually associated with the cannibal films from this time.

Severin’s release of “Zombie Holocaust” isn’t the first Blu-Ray release of the film, but I can assure you it has got to be the best.  Included are two prints of the film, each on their own disc. One print included is the one that caused an uproar on 42nd Street in New York, “Doctor Butcher M.D.”. “Doctor Butcher M.D.” has got to have one of the most outstanding taglines of all time: “He's a depraved, homicidal killer...and he makes house calls!”. Just as outstanding is how the tagline came to be, created by the Aquarius Releasing to put asses in seats in the theater; this information is relayed by the owner of the company in a wonderful interview included on the disc.  This cut of the film is trimmed for pacing and includes an alternate opening directed by Roy Frumkes (Street Trash). This opening was used to avoid paying extra for the title “Zombie Holocaust”. The scene is shoe horned in and forcefully made to look as if it is part of the affair; we are also given the scene separately on the disc to see as much as we can of the unfinished film. Both prints look great for these types of films and offer a grainy yet nice looking picture quality.  A slew of extras and interviews round out the rest of the discs, including interviews with Sherry Buchanan, Ian McCulloch, Rick Sullivan (Gore Gazette),  Jim Markovic, Rosario Prestopino (FX), Maurizio Trani (FX) , and Terry Levine.  Other extras include locations now and then, trailers, a walk around with Roy Frumkes and Chris Poggiali, Enzo Castellari remembering his father, and more. The “Doctor Butcher” disc seems to focus on the theater experience, while the interviews with cast and crew from the film appear on the “Zombie Holocaust” disc. This edition even comes with a barf bag so you don’t make a mess from all the excitement.  

Severin seems to have outdone themselves with the amount of care and hard work put forth on this release.  It’s refreshing for Severin to have taken an exploitation film and given it the utmost respect and treatment that most wouldn’t. The best compliment you can give to a niche label is that they have given a film a treatment that it seemingly doesn’t deserve. Severin has given the vastly entertaining yet undeniably stupid film “Zombie Holocaust” just that.

Film 4/5: Let’s face it “Zombie Holocaust” isn’t winning any academy awards, but for what it is. It doesn’t get much better.

Release 5/5: Has more features than I could imagine on the disc. It looks good, sounds good, and has both cuts of the film, even a deleted scene that’s absent in most prints.

http://www.cavd.com/product.php?productid=2684

https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Butcher-Zombie-Holocaust-Blu-rays/dp/B01GGPI1R6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468724812&sr=8-1&keywords=doctor+butcher

DISC 1 DOCTOR BUTCHER MD - Featurette: Butchery & Ballyhoo: Interview with Aquarius Releasing's Terry Levine - Featurette: Down On The Deuce: Nostalgic Tour Of 42nd Street With Temple Of Shock's Chris Poggiali and Filmmaker Roy Frumkes - Roy Frumkes' Segment Of Unfinished Anthology Film 'Tales That Will Tear Your Heart Out' - Featurette: The Butcher Mobile: Interview with Gore Gazette Editor & Butcher Mobile Barker Rick Sullivan - Featurette: Cutting Doctor Butcher: Interview with Editor Jim Markovic - Illustrated Essay: Experiments With A Male Caucasian Brain (...and other memories of 42nd Street) by Gary Hertz - Theatrical Trailer - Video Release Trailer 1 - Video Release Trailer 2 DISC 2 ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST - Featurette: Voodoo Man: Interview With Star Ian McCulloch - Featurette: Blood Of The Zombies: Interview With FX Master Rosario Prestopino - Featurette: Filmmaker Enzo Castellari Remembers His Father Director Marino Girolami - Featurette: Sherry Holocaust: Interview With Actress Sherryl Buchanan - Featurette: Neurosurgery Italian Style -Interview With FX Artist Maurizio Trani - Featurette: New York Filming Locations Then Vs. Now. A look at the Big Apple locales as they are today - Audio Bonus: Ian McCulloch Sings Down By The River - International Trailer - German Trailer

The Mind's Eye

Written and Directed by:
JOE BEGOS

Starring:
GRAHAM SKIPPER, LAUREN ASHLEY CARTER, JOHN SPEREDAKOS, NOAH SEGAN



Available in Theaters, VOD & ITunes: August 5, 2016



Running Time: 87 Minutes

Rated: Not Rated
SYNOPSIS

Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.

A Day of Violence (2010)

A Day of Violence (2010)
d:  Darren Ward
s:  Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Nick Rendell, Christopher Fosh, Victor D. Thorn, Peter Rnic, Helena Martin, Tina Barnes, Steve Humphries
format:  Personal Collection NTSC:  Region 1

(out of 5)

     Imagine a much more violent Payback without all the Hollywood actors and you have A Day of Violence.  And when violence is in the title you can believe that I was going in expecting there to be lots and lots of violent mayhem.  Well it certainly paid off in that respect.  Hell we even get a gut wrenching scene most men will shy away from but that's all I'll say there. 

     Mitchell has stolen a large amount of money from the local

mob and as a result people begin getting murdered and tortured as they try and figure it out.  Once the thugs make their way to the home of Mitchell's best friend and begin interrogating his wife things get out of control for Mitchell.  The main goon Chisel begins extracting her teeth and Mitchell goes ballistic knocking Chisel out cold.   Now they are after him and soon enough also figure out that he is the one who stole all the money.  I won't go into much more on the story and plot to keep things spoiler free but let's just say the movie may have borrowed it's idea from Payback but it certainly isn't the same once everything has unfolded.  I would say I liked this better but this doesn't have Lucy Liu in a G-string.

My favorite Italian actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice plays a small role in this movie at the very beginning and in fact really begins the "Day of Violence" when Mitchell murders him in search of money Radice's character owes to the mob.  The fx on the killings and torture in this movie are very much on point I especially liked how well they did creating a smashed up swollen face when Mitchell finally gets caught.  None of the actors really did a bad job in this movie.  One guy at the very end whom arrived late off a plane to a mob meeting was a bit of a tool but I think in fact that was exactly the character he was playing so he worked well.  Radice is just as awesome as he ever was.  Nick Rendell who played Mitchell was absolutely great being our protagonist and Christopher Fosh who played Chisel both worked very well in the fight scenes I was very impressed there.  Another great talent in this movie was the girlfriend of Mitchel's late friend whom was played by Helena Martin.  Her reactions and emotional breakdown could not have been more believable. 

    

As for the shots and music in this movie there was not a whole lot in the way of creativity from either but I will say the sex scene at the introduction of the film was very hot and better than 90% of sex scenes I see these days.  Truthfully some nice shots during this scene and the boner boys will certainly be happy with it to say the least. 
I definitely found interest enough in this movie to watch it again.  I'll never look at pruning shears in the same light!  Very recommended to anyone in the mood for a hearty violent picture of mob life.

      

Mrparka Review's "Nutsack Part 1"

Lung II (2016)

(out of 5)

Lung II (2016)
directed by:  Phil Stevens
starring:  David Chopping, Phil Stevens, Samantha Coppola, Angela Jane, Michael Kennedy, Bryant W. Lohr Sr., Colette McKenna

The Movie:  Stevens' follow up to a personal favorite...Flowers.  Well all I can say is...well done.  I friggn LOVE Flowers I've watched it probably ten times or more, it has become a movie I throw in and fall asleep to and while that sounds negative in my little world it is not.  Staple films like Flowers have to be earned and awesome from either a cinematic aspect or a novelty aspect.  I was excited and concerned when I saw a follow up was being made.  Would it live up to my own expectations?  Will it be as good as Flowers or dare I ask...better?  I'm happy to say that Lung II was exactly what I wanted and yes better in a lot of ways.  Horrific and disturbing to say the very least.

The Acting:  Without the ability to verbally convey your emotions an actor is limited.  Yet these folks did just that and pushed their expressions to the limit.  There was never a time where I looked into one of their faces and was pulled directly out of the movie.  Bad acting always pulls me out of a movie.   None here.

The Script:  There is no dialogue.  One thing I love about these movies and something that sets them apart is the lack of speaking.  I have a large collection of silent films from the 20s and before and seeing new films try and tackle this auditory obstacle is just icing on the cake.  This is a viewpoint into the mind of a diseased man.  His childhood, his life, his victims, he is lost.

The Gore:  Marcus Koch.  Enough said. 

The Score:  Great score and sound work.  Scores keep my attention right with a movie's emotional edges.  There is nothing worse than a bad score or soundtrack in a movie.  The sounds were so creepy and dismal they fit perfectly for every scene.

The Shots:  Yes the real beauty here.  Surreal and atmospheric to say the very least.  Black and white which for me is a favorite, never complain about any movie being shot in black and white.  The shooting though was just spectacular and my all around favorite aspect of these movies.  Not just a bunch of cheap "that angle looks cool" placements etc.  You can tell Stevens really knows how to shoot a film and has a love for it.  The gory scenes of disgust and revolt really were brought alive and the flashes within our protagonist's mind were just frightening.  Well done sir.

The Rating:  5 out of 5 Bloody Handprints.  Just awesome sauce.  Bloody, gory, and well made awesome sauce.