Night Game

Director - Peter Masterson (Blood Red)
Starring - Roy Scheider (Jaws), Karen Young (Heading South), and Lane Smith (The Mighty Ducks)
Release Date - 1989
Genre - Crime/Drama
Tagline - "Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than hunting down a murderer is...finding him"
Format - BluRay (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school the local video store shut down to make room for a beauty shop.  They had VHS tapes going for $5 or 3 for $10.  I checked em out and they were mostly shit that I don't watch like Jerry Maguire and Sweet Home Alabama.  I passed on the sale and went home.  A few days later a friend of mine said they pulled all the tapes from the racks and had them on sell for 50 cents a pop.  I left school early that day just to check em out.  I was able to grab more VHS tapes that day then I could carry.  I was able to get Frankenhooker, Neon Maniacs, Godzilla 1985, Vamp, Uncle Same, First Blood, Night Game, and several others.  Night Game was the only one I had never seen but the artwork suckered me in.  Hell, it looks like a baseball oriented slasher.  As soon as I got home I showed my friend and he told me that Night Game was not a horror flick, but instead, it was a crime drama.  That bummed me out so I never watched it.  Recently, Olive Films announced that they were releasing the film on Blu.  Once again the artwork suckered me in and I had to finally see it.  I requested a copy and you are now reading my review.  Funny how that keeps working.

     The film follows Detective Mike Seaver (Scheider) who is working a murder case involving a group of several beautiful women that were slashed by an unknown weapon.  The murders draw heat from the governor who sends down a lackey to take over the investigation but Seaver starts to notice a pattern.  Every time a beautiful young woman is murdered it is when the Astros win a night game at the Astrodome.  As Seaver makes his way closer and closer to uncovering the killer, the killer sets his sights on Seavers extremely young fiancee Roxy.  Before the killer can attack, Seaver uncovers that the murders were committed by a a former pitcher who lost his hand in a bus accident and now sports a hook.  Seaver is able to track Roxy down and intervenes before he can kill is future wife.

     I normally dislike crime dramas because they are way too predictable and offer acting equivalent to a day time soap.  However, Night Game really surprised me and made me feel like an idiot for never watching the VHS that I still have.  The acting in this one is great and Roy Scheider shows hes still got it after all these years.  1989 was a decade and a half from one of Roy's biggest roles in Jaws.  With that being said, I liked this role a lot fucking more.  I normally hate the cliched beat cop detective role that has been played out for over 4 decades now.  However, Roy added a lot of personality to his character which makes it extremely easy to like.  The remainder of the cast did a phenomenal job except for Rex Linn who portrayed the killer Epps.  Linn made the killer almost unbelievable and his lumbering performance made it almost laugh worthy.  The story is your typical crime drama but this time they mix it up a bit with a serial killer running wild holding a grudge against an athlete.  That is one of two reasons this one sticks out from the rest.  They story is obviously the inspiration for the 1995 comedy classic Ace Ventura which features a transsexual replacement kicker that holds a grudge against Miami quarterback Dan Marino.  Also, the film has some pretty bloody kills for a crime drama that really impressed me.  That is the other thing that sets this one apart from the others.  It flows like a slasher and has the kills to rival one and that is why horror fans will find some interest in this one.  Finally, this blu release has an amazing transfer that looks awesome and a vast improvement over the VHS release (popped it in the VCR after sitting on it for 10 years).  Another fine transfer from Olive.  Sadly, the film lacks any kind of special features which is a huge let down.  I absolutely hate when the release does not include a trailer.  Overall, the Night Game release from Olive Films is a solid release.  The movie is fun and the film quality is great but it does lack any kind of special features.  Fans of special features will not be happy with this release.   

Digging Up the Marrow

Director - Adam Green (Frozen, Hatchet)
Starring - Adam Green, Ray Wise (Chillerama), and Will Barratt (Frozen)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "There's no such thing as the marrow"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Adam Green is a director that I just recently realized that I like.  I enjoyed Hatchet.  So much so that I went out and bought Frozen even though I have yet to watch it.  One of my favorite anthologies released in the last ten years is Chillerama which features a segment from him as well.  On top of all that, I recently checked out the web-series Holliston on blu and was really surprised.  This made me realize that I actually liked Adam Green and his career.  Not long ago a fellow writer for Horror Society announced the release date for the upcoming mockumentary film from Adam Green titled Digging Up the Marrow.  I reached out to try to secure a review copy of the film but was unable to get a reply.  However, I received an email just a few weeks later stating that there was copies still available and they were kind enough to send one my way.  Thanks for giving me the chance to check it out!

     The film follows director/actor Adam Green who is taking time away from filming season three of Holliston to explore a notebook he had received from an elderly fan William Dekker (Wise).  Dekker claims that he found an entrance to an underground world where the deformed and disfigured go to live in seclusion.  Adam is mesmerized with the idea and takes Will to film a documentary on the entire ordeal.  During one of the trips they find a creature and capture it on camera.  Adam then puts out cameras to capture more and leaves for a month long convention tour to return and find Dekker feeding one of the creatures in the hole on the camera footage.  They start to suspect that they were set up and head out to the hole to check it out without Dekker.  Something grabs Adam's boot and takes it off his foot.  He reaches into the hole to get it and Dekker arrives and tells them to run.  Shit hits the fan when creatures from the Marrow start attacking them forcing them to flee.
     Adam Green is a fan of the horror genre and makes the films that he would want to see himself.  That is clearly evident in his Hatchet films and his contribution for Chillerama.  When I first read the synopsis for Digging up the Marrow my jaw dropped by the amazing story.  I was concerned by how Adam would pull off the mockumentary/found footage angle but I still tried to keep an open mind.  The acting in this one is awesome by the entire cast.  The cast has a relaxed approach to the film which really helps with the mockumentary angle.  Adam is familiar with doing interviews so this comes natural to him.  With that being said, the legendary Ray Wise turns it up a notch from what we are used to and gives one hell of a performance.   The on screen cast is pretty small but the remainder of the cast does a decent job at making the mockumentary feel genuine.  The story for this one is so fascinating.  The premise really is interesting considering the scope that it could take.  The film has the potential to feature an entire underground city full of deformed and disfigured creatures.  Sadly, we don't get that wide array of creatures but we do get several that are fun and worthwhile.  The story also reminded me a lot of the horror classics Basket Case 2 and 3 which features a home for the disfigured.  Finally, the film does not feature any on screen kills or blood but it more than makes up for it with the different types of creatures.  However, the creatures vary in quality.  Some look fantastic and the practical effects are great, however, one of the creatures look down right silly and almost embarrassing to look at.  Overall, Digging up the Marrow is a fun creature feature that offers a variety of beasts but the viewer will be distracted by the documentary style the film was shot in.  Check it out because it is well worth the watch,

The Boogens

Director - James L. Conway (Supernatural)
Starring - Rebecca Balding (Charmed), Fred McCarren (The Dukes of Hazzard), and Anne-Marie Martin (Halloween II)
Release Date - 1981
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "There is no escape"
Format - BluRay (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in middle school I watched a few movies for the first time during a horror movie marathon on the IFC channel.  I fell in love with all the movies I saw that night but one really stuck out to me.  Those movies I watched were My Bloody Valentine, April Fool's Day, and The Boogens.  The Boogens was the one that stuck out the most to me.  It was a fun creature feature that does not get a lot of attention from the horror community.  Lucky for me, Olive Films released the film last year on blu and I completely missed the announcement.  I let the release slip by me.  I reached out to Olive Films and they were kind enough to shoot me a review copy of the film.  I was extremely excited to finally check out the blu.
     The film follows a mining crew as they reopen an abandoned mine.  They use dynamite to blast it open and when they do they unsuspectingly release a family of small monsters that drag people into their underground tunnels to feast on.  Tossed in the mix is two mining crew members and their girlfriends who live in a house near the mines.  The monsters, boogens, are able to get into the house and attack because every house is connected underground by a series of tunnels.  The boogens travel from home to home eating until an old eccentric steps in.  His father shut the mines up years ago because he discovered the boogens.  Now his son is forced to step in and destroy all the tunnels in order to save the local community.
     I have a fascination with anything from the 80s.  I was born in 86 so when I came to conscience mind the 80s was over and the 90s had begun.  However, I have always found a love for anything from the 80s and an 80s monster movie is the cream of the crop.  When I first saw The Boogens I loved the look and feel of the film but it was very aged even for a t.v. version.  When I found out that the film was being released on blu it blew my mind.  I could not wait to see this film in a whole new light.  The acting in this film is 80s horror stock.  The cast create over the top characters who react to each other over-dramatically.  I love this stereotypical horror acting from the 80s.  This is the same tone that we get from the slashers of that time.  The acting is not that good but it is classic of that age.  The story for this one is one we have seen before in several other films but never done in a monster flick.  Growing up I watched a vampire flick from the late 50s and early 60s about a man who is searching for gold and unearths a vampire.  This story is similar to that but features small monsters that predate Gremlins and Critters.  The story is fun and takes the year of the slasher and tosses in some monster mayhem.  Finally, the film has some decent special effects but not that great of a selection of on screen kills and blood.  The creatures look schlocky but fun which is how I love my monsters.  If you are looking for a realistic beast then you will not be happy with this one.  Now, as for the blu release.  This film is boasting an impressive film transfer that looks crisp and clear.  This is a big improvement over the t.v. cut of the film that I saw all those years ago.  Olive has been hit or miss with me with their releases.  Moontrap did not really impress me but this film looks amazing.  Sadly, the film skips on the special features.  We are only given a commentary track by James L. Conway, David O'Malley, and Rebecca Balding.  I would have loved to see a few more special features on this release.  Overall, The Boogens blu release from Olive is a solid release of a classic monster flick.  The film looks great but it lacks special features.  Worth a pick up but can be easily replaced with another release with more special features.

Collar (2014)

Collar (2014)
directed by:  Ryan Nicholson
starring:  Nick Principe, Aidan Dee, Mihola Terzic, Ronald Patrick Thompson, Fred Levasseur, Mackenzie Murdock, Momona Komagata

(out of 5)

The Movie:  Definitely enjoyed this rough little romp about a deranged giant homeless man.  This movie takes you down to the deep seedy levels of disgust without drowning in the stupidity of just being an over the top let's see how gross we can be type of movie, God I hate those.  This is a fine line and dependent on the viewer but in my opinion Ryan Nicholson definitely had a story to tell and told it well.  At first I thought this was just a movie about a killer homeless man who happens to kidnap a police woman and tortures her.  Nope there was more to it than that.  The giant hobo has more than few screws loose and he does more than kill his victims, he eats them and continued through out the movie to seem to be appeasing something in his head.  Throw in a couple of dumb ass criminals and you have yourself a fun little movie.

The Acting:  On point with the one exception of Fred Levassur,  Fred just seemed to be trying too hard at certain moments.  It wasn't terrible by any means but not really in sync with the other actors in the movie.  Nick Principe was just awesome at playing the mad hobo, and upon doing a little research Nick also played Chrome Skull in the Laid To Rest movies which is very cool because the first one of those in my opinion is in the top ten for post-2000 slasher films.

The Gore:  Pretty well soaked.  There's some cannibalism, a scene involving an unborn baby, severed head, axe to the face...yeah a gorehound's wet dream this gorehound included.  There was one head smashing scene I did not care for but that was one small exception to the great fx all throughout the movie.  The axe to the face in particular was just off the hook!

The Script:  A little campy in parts and that's no knock.  The whole story and dialogue throughout I felt were pretty good.  The movie delivers a scary element, an element of disgust, and pops out a few surprises.  I read somewhere the script was shoddy?  Hmmmm.  No I don't think so.  Although I find as I have mentioned before saying a movie has bad writing in my opinion for most is a scapegoat for having nothing else to say when the critic or viewer just doesn't like the movie. 

The Rating:  3 and 1/2 bloody handprints.  Definitely rewatchable.  Definitely checking out more by Ryan Nicholson.  Wasn't a fan of Live Feed but I'm revisiting that now.  It's been many years and my film opinion changes over time with certain films. 

Headless

Director - Arthur Cullipher (Psycho Town)
Starring - Shane Beasley (Found), Kelsey Carlisle (Caligo), and Dave Parker (Kill That Bitch)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Without faces we are free"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     One of the reasons I decided to check out the film Found was because of the film's connection to the new film Headless.  Found was a bit of a let down but it was still a decent horror film with the highlight of the flick being the movie inside the movie titled Headless.  That was one of the highlights of the film for me and watching Found finally made it all click in to place.  The new film, Headless, was not actually a sequel or prequel.  Instead, it was a continuation of the film in the film.  I reached out to director Arthur Cullipher for a review copy and he was kind enough to send me a link to the online screener.  Thanks Arthur for giving me a chance to check it out!

     The film follows a tortured man who suffered years of neglect from his mother and sexual abuse from his sister.  His family lock him up in a cage but one day a small boy appears wearing a skull mask.  The young boy lets him out and he kills his mother and sister.  We then jump several years in the future and the young boy is now a man wearing a skull mask as he murders, rapes, and eats beautiful women everywhere.  This leads him to a beautiful young blonde.  She is having a rough time working at the roller rink where her boss is constantly trying to fuck her and to make matter worse, her deadbeat boyfriend refuses to get a job because he is trying to become a rock star.  The man starts killing everyone near and dear to the young girl until he finally sets his sights on her and her pot smoking boyfriend.
     Headless had me hooked from the very beginning but I was concerned that it would not live up to my expectations just like Found.  However, Headless far exceeded my expectations.  The film was everything I hoped it was and more.  The acting in the film is fucking fantastic by the entire cast.  We get amazing performances from Ellie Church, Dave Parker, Shane Beasley, and Kelsey Carlisle.  I was really impressed by the cast and would love to see them all appear in another film together.  Each cast member gave their roles 100 percent and it shows in the final product.  The story for this one is your typical slasher flair but with some differences.  The film is a period piece taking place in 1978 and the film does a great job keeping the look alive.  We are also given a great back story that most slashers skip on.  Sure, most slashers give us a little insight on why the killer kills but Headless dives right into it and gives us gore up to our shoulders.  Finally, the film is full on graphic and violent on screen kills that will satisfy the bloodthirstiest of the horror fans.  We are also given more gore than any gore hound would know what to do with.  This is one of the bloodiest films I have seen in recent years.  Also, the practical effects in this one is fucking amazing.  Overall, Headless is the quintessential slasher for the modern age.  This film needs to be watched by anyone that calls themselves a horror fan!  Check it out.

     

Found

Director - Scott Schirmer (Hellavator Man)
Starring - Gavin Brown (The Impersonators), Ethan Philbeck, and Phyllis Munro (Psycho Street)
Release Date - 2012
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Marty loved horror movies...until his life turned into one"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     The indie horror community is extremely tight knit.  Word spreads quickly when a new film is released and it does not suck.  One person will buy it and brag about it on social media and before you know it the film is an indie horror hit.   We have seen several indie horror flicks pop up in recent years that have went on to become something of a cult classic with films like 100 Tears, Her Name Was Torment, The Red Sin Tower, and so many more. A film that I was seeing a lot of hype about was one titled Found.  The artwork never appealed to me so I never had an interest in checking it out but once it was picked up and distributed in Wal-Mart I decided to grab a copy and give it a try.  I found the film in a local pawn shop for $1 and grabbed it.  I threw it on my shelf and completely forgot about it until the release of Headless.  I decided that I would check it out before I checked out Headless.    

     The film follows typical fifth grader, Marty (Brown).  Marty is having a rough time fitting in at school.  Marty is withdrawn and his only friend is getting fed up with always being ridiculed for calling him his friend.  Marty's only solace in life is his older brother.  His brother cares for Marty dearly but his father is tough on him.  The two often butt heads leaving Marty in the middle.  Marty's relationship with his brother is very complex which only adds to Marty's seclusion.  Marty discovered that his brother is a serial killer and has been keeping the secret from Marty for sometime now.  Marty makes the grave mistake of showing his only friend the head his brother keeps in the closet.  This drives him away from Marty and he starts telling people at school he is a freak.  This leads to Marty getting in a fight at a church function.  His father is furious with Marty and tries to discipline him for getting out of line and this draws in the wrath of his brother.

     Some movies never live up to your expectations.  When you continue to hear indie horror fans praising certain films you start to expect that the film is is above average and nothing short of amazing.  Sadly, Found did not live up to my expectations but it was still a decent watch.  The acting in this one is great by the entire cast with an impressive performance by the lead Gavin Brown.  He showed a lot of talent and dedication.  The remainder of the cast did an outstanding job as well.  The story for this one is a solid horror outing that has the potential to be a horror classic but fails to actually deliver.  The story involving Marty and his killer brother is very impressive from an indie stand point but this amazing story unfolds at a snail's pace making several scenes a chore to follow.  The pacing is all wrong and needs to be strongly re-edited.  Finally, the film is home to some very impressive and gory practical effects but the kill scenes are done off camera and the film goes on forever without in bloodshed before we are finally able to see some.  Overall, Found is a decent horror outing but was not the film I had in mind.  The film is a great drama about a 5th grade outcast that is sandwiched between some horror cliches.  Check it out.