A House is Not a Home

Director - Christopher Ray (3-Headed Shark Attack, Reptisaurus)
Starring - Gerald Webb (Sharknado, Workaholics), Bill Cobbs (Demolition Man, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer), and Richard Grieco (A Night at the Roxbury, Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "No one leaves this house alive"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love a good haunted house flick.  We don't see that many anymore but I miss them.  Maybe we don't seem then that much anymore because the black and white films of yesteryear, like House on Haunted Hill, had a lot more atmosphere and amazing sets.  Sadly, most modern haunted house flicks use jump scares and cheap effects to get a rise out of the viewer.  Sometime ago I was sent the haunted house flick A House is Not a Home which features a small role from Richard Grieco and Bill Cobbs.  The artwork was very bland and unimaginative but that didn't stop me from wanting to check it out.  I want to take a moment to thank MVD for sending this one my way for Horror Society and myself to check out and review.  I appreciate it.
     The film follows a family who purchase their dream home in hopes of a fresh start.  The house was extremely cheap but the family thinks nothing of the price and move in.  Everything is fine at first but strange occurrences happen resulting in the family becoming afraid.  Things take a dark turn when the family is attacked by ghostly apparitions.  Not knowing where to turn they seen an interview with a voodoo witch doctor on television and invite him into their home to rid them of the evil.  They think they have rid themselves of the evil but the house is alive and refuses to let them go.
     I hate when I dislike a movie that was sent to me for review.  I will always be honest regardless if you agree or disagree with me.  I always feel I am being ungrateful but if I don't like something I just don't like it.  I refuse to lie to prevent from hurting someone's feeling.  A House is Not a Home just wasn't for me.  The acting in this one is great.  This is one of the better acted horror flicks I had been lucky enough to review this year.  The cast had amazing chemistry and worked so well with each other.  It will be some time before I see another film that has a cast like this one.  The story for this one had so much promise but was unable to reach the full potential.  It started out in a rather cliched manner following a family getting the perfect house at discount prices only to discover it had a dark past and a deadly presence inside.  It is here that it falls below mediocrity when it is unable to properly deliver an effective ghost story.  The story feels very rushed and key points left out during filming.  Finally, the film starts out rather gruesome but turns into a bad CGI flick that rivals the films you would find on the Sy-Fy channel.  The practical effects we get are solid but the visual effects are laughable.  Overall, A House is Not a Home just wasn't for me.  I love cheap movies but this one just didn't have heart.  Skip it.  

Too Naughty to Say No

Director - Humphry Knipe (Love Bites, Erotic Eye)
Starring - Ginger Lynn (Streets of Vengeance, The Devil's Rejects), Angel (Hot Blooded, Passions), and Lisa De Leeuw (Midnight Zone, Scared Stiff)
Release Date - 1985
Genre - Erotic
Tagline - "Nasty enough to say yes"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I recently took a dive into a few new releases from Severin Films.  After watching the late 70s slasher Drive-In Massacre I caught two nunsploitation flicks, The Other Hell and Dark Waters.  I haven't seen that many nunsploitation flicks so I decided to venture into another one that I had waiting to review.  Sometime ago Vinegar Syndrome released the sexploitation/vintage porn flick Too Naughty to Say No.  This film was not going to be like the other two horror based nunsploitation flicks but would involve nuns nonetheless (see what I did there?).  I once again want to thank Vin Syn for sending this one my way.  

     The film follows a catholic schoolgirl who witnesses one of her fellow classmates dressed up in a skimpy outfit.  When she confronts her about leaving school the young woman invites her along.  The two are then picked up by a man where he takes them back to his place and pays the one for sex while the other watches.  She finds the sexual freedom of her friend very enlightening and decides to join in her body of work.  She meets her Madame who immediately puts her to work which freaks her out.  She runs away from the brothel only to find herself in the middle of more sexual adventures and awakening. 
     Before I tossed in this one I started to believe that I was not a fan of nunsploitation with the exception of Dark Waters.  I knew this one would be sleazy but I at least hoped it would be fun.  The acting in this one is surprisingly entertaining.  Ginger Lynn is a babe and shows why she is known for her craft.  Her sex scenes are hot and she has some acting chops to boot.  Angel was a new one to me but she is a knock out but her acting could use some work.  The supporting cast was strictly there to fuck and get paid for it.  Little to no acting is applied to their scenes and the movie suffered for it.  The story for this one just isn't there.  It works for those looking for some cheap thrills but fans of raunchy cinema and sexploitation will find it lacking.  The sex is fun but the overall story just isn't enough to carry the film to feature length running time.  We really needed a little something more added to it.  Finally, those of you that want blood and guts will be very disappointed.  However, the film is home to beautiful bodies and heavy sex.  You sleazy movie lovers will love it.  Overall, Too Naughty to Say No is a sexy film that surprisingly has two great leads but the story just isn't there.  If you want sex this is the film for you but if you want something more you may want to check out another Vin Syn release.

Dark Waters

Director - Mariano Baino (Never Ever After, Based on a True Life)
Starring - Louise Salter (Interview with the Vampire, Our Friends in the North), Venera Simmons, and Mariya Kapnist (The Lost Letter, Lushka)
Release Date - 1994
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Sometimes, evil lurks where you least expect it"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I recently made my way through two Severin releases, Drive in Massacre and The Other Hell, so I decided to give another release of theirs a spin.  The Other Hell was what some call a nunsploitation flick and this other release went perfectly along with it.  The film, Dark Waters, was a new one to me and as I stated earlier I know very little about nunsploitation flicks.  I love exploitation so it only makes sense that I should enjoy a few of these.  I really didn't care for the artwork on their new blu release but Severin has a good track record with me so I decided to give it a go.  I want to thank Severin for being awesome and sending this one my way.

     The film follows a young woman who just had her father pass.  While looking into his belongings she discovers that he had been donating a substantial amount of money to a convent on a small island where her mother mysteriously died.  When she visits the island she is greeted with cold shoulders and malice until the mother superior offers one of the nuns to show her around the island where she uncovers something dark and sinister lives underneath and the convent keeps it at bay.

     I was a little disappointed with The Other Hell and the artwork for Dark Waters made me think I would find nothing but dissatisfaction but I was very surprised with the overall film.  I really enjoyed the look of the film and how dark and ominous it is.  Mariano Baino really has an eye for horror and I'm shocked that he never went on to direct more.  The acting in this one doesn't sit well with me.  The characters we get range from your typical final girl we see in horror movies to strong women characters and even some rather funny characters that bring a laugh but don't do anything to move the story along.  The wide range of characters doesn't make the film feel consistent.  If the acting and characters were all more grounded it would have made the film so much better.  The story for this one is great.  A secret convent performing rituals to keep a demon at bay is pretty fucking bad ass.  Sadly, that takes the back burner to the leads interaction with the nuns.  We get a lot of character development, which I typically like, but this time it just doesn't work well with the rich story we have.  There was some missed opportunity here but that doesn't make it a bad film.  The way the story is given to us is still great and the film has some chilling moments.  Finally, aside from the chilling imagery and beautiful scenes we do get some blood and gore.  The effects are great and the gore looks great but the kills are not that imaginative.  Overall, Dark Waters is a solid horror film but there was so much more left on the table.  If you want a beautifully shot horror film then look no further.  Check it out.

The Other Hell

Director - Bruno Mattei (Hell of the Living Dead, Zombie 3)
Starring - Franca Stoppi (Beyond the Darkness, Women's Prison Massacre), Carlo De Mejo (City of the Living Dead, Terror Express), and Francesca Carmeno
Release Date - 1981
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Say your prayers"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Bruno Mattei is no stranger to my reviews.  This man has received some very mixed reviews from me.  Some of his films are top notch Italian horror with amazing stories, gore, and releases while others were complete duds.  Some of my worst reviewed films just happen to be Mattei's.  Mattei has made a wide array of horror flicks ranging from zombies, rats, and even a post-apocalyptic flick or two.  One sub-genre or style of film I had never seen him tackle before was the nunsploitation flicks that were very popular in the 70s before dying out in the 80s.  Severin recently released Mattei's 1981 nunsploitation flick The Other Hell on blu.  I had never seen it and was curious how it would play out so I reached out to Severin and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy.  Thanks guys!
     The begins with a convent where a murder takes place.  A priest tries to do an exorcism but the church disagrees with this ancient ritual so they send in a young priest to investigate.  He thinks that there may be a killer among them instead of a demonic presence.  When he arrives the nuns and mother superior are in a panic.  They try to burn everything they think is evil to rid the convent of the demonic presence.  The priest starts his investigation believing there was a scientific explanation to what is occurring at the convent but what he uncovers is so much worse.

     I went into this one excited.  I'm not too versed in the nunsploitation flicks of the late 70s and early 80s but I do know that Mattei can make a movie.  I may not always agree with them but the ones I did like I really enjoyed.  Sadly, The Other Hell was one that did not sit that well with me.  The acting in this one is solid.  The entire cast brought about an eerie feel to the film.  You never truly know who is evil and who is good.  I really enjoyed the casting and their portrayal of their characters.  Their acting really made the story feel more interesting that what it was.  The story for this one is a very slow moving one.  The film does a great job at building atmosphere and scenery but the story is very stretched making it difficult for the viewer to follow the story from scene to scene.  I enjoyed the conclusion to the film but getting there was a very rough climb.  The story definitely needed someone added to it to make it reach the film's running time.  Finally, the film has a few bloody deaths but they are not that gory.  The kills are stock slashings with minor practical effects.  When dealing with the devil you would expect to see more blood and gore.  I was not satisifed with the bloodshed we were given.  Overall, The Other Hell is a very underwhelming from a legend in the genre.  His films are always hit and miss with me and, sadly, this was a miss.  The blu release is great but the film is far from perfect.  

Drive In Massacre

Director - Stu Segall (Summer School, Hot Blooded)
Starring - John F. Goff (Manson's Lost Girls, Maniac Cop), Douglas Gudbye (C.B. Hustlers, Ilsa: Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks), and Bruce Kimball (Snakes, The Tormentors)
Release Date - 1976
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "...your nightmare are about to come true"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

 Rating (out of 5):

     I've always had strange taste in movies.  While most of my friends were pissing their pants over movies like Air Bud: Golden Receiver and pretty much every Disney release I was wearing Adventures in Dinosaur City, Prehysteria, and The Midnight Hour out.  When I got older and my taste for horror grew I found myself still watching those same films but adding movies like Demon Wind, Children of the Night, and so many more.  Most of my friends that liked horror didn't care for these at all so I would typically be watching these on my on.  Sometime after I graduated high school I bought a horror movie box set with 50 flicks in it.  A few of my friends and myself started watching some of them and we started with Drive In Massacre.  The quality was bad due to the transfer but I really enjoyed the film.  Sadly, my friends did not.  Recently, Severin films re-mastered the film and released it on blu.  I was looking forward to seeing a quality version of the film so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way.  Thanks guys.

     The film takes place in a local drive in where couples go to catch a cheap movie and some cheap thrills but this time something sinister is unfolding.  Couples that attend the drive in are being murdered by a maniac wielding a sword.  The police suspect that it is the supervisor or the groundskeeper at the drive in due to their background in carnival sword acts but things take a bloody turn during their investigation.

 
     I will be the first to admit that Drive in Massacre is not a perfect film.  In fact, there is a lot going wrong with it but it does entertain which is all I can ask for.  In terms of pre-80s slashers it is one of my favorite ones alongside the essential Halloween.  The acting in this one is pretty rough.  The cast has a lot of on screen experience and talent but they just don't feel dedicated to their roles.  The cast really needed some motivation or a little better written characters.  The story for this one is simple and effective though it does have a lot of room for improvement.  The plot flows like a traditional slasher where people are being butchered by an unknown killer.  I do enjoy the masked slashers to the non-masked slashers but this one is still fun.  I do hate how the film has no resolve.  Leaving the killer unknown is a horrible angle for a slasher.  What makes slashers so fun are the killer reveals and the kills themselves.  The film does take a cheap route which makes it feel as if it is unfinished.  Finally, the film has several on screen kills that use clichéd effects and tricks that are still fun.  They are cheap and nothing we haven't seen before but it does make for a fun drive in experience while sitting in your living room.  Overall, Drive In Massacre is a cheap slasher that is hit or miss among horror fans.  Personally, I dig it but I know that it is far from perfect.  Trashy movie fans should really check this one out.

    

Alien: Covenant

Director - Ridley Scott (Prometheus, Alien)
Starring - Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, Blood Creek), Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Steve jobs), and Danny McBride (This is the End, Eastbound & Down)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Sci-Fi/Horror
Tagline - "The beginning of a nightmare"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      Horror is an impressive genre.  People love horror movies but they tend to get a bad rap among general movie goers.  Over the years we have saw the release of some amazing movies like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Exorcist, The Omen, Night of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm St, and so many more that are known outside the horror genre.  One film that has a huge fan base spanning genres is Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece Alien.  The film has one of the most dedicated fan bases in all of horror fandom.  I enjoy the film but I would be lying if I said it was among my favorite films.  I've seen all the sequels and the prequel Prometheus and I see them as all the same quality which really pisses some of the fans off.  When Alien: Covenant was announced I was excited but I didn't piss my leg and skip work to watch it.  I knew I would see it when it was available on DVD or blu.  I reached out and was able to secure a review copy.  Thanks for sending it my way!

     The film follows a colony ship as it heads out for an unknown planet in hopes of colonizing it when they experience a distress call from a nearby planet.  The captain Oram (Billy Crudup) decides to investigate instead of continuing their mission.  They change course and set out for the beacon where they discover a planet similar to Earth. After doing some searching they find a ship that had crash landed with the belongings of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw who went missing with the Prometheus.  They then experience some of their crew becoming ill before a creature of unknown origin bursts out of them.  In a panic they run and their ship is destroyed while their actual ship, Covenant, can't make it to land due to a storm.  They seek refuge when a synthetic named David.  He befriends them and offers them solitude before they uncover a dark secret David is hiding from the crew.
   I enjoy the entire Alien series, Resurrection and Prometheus included.  The films are great to watch on a rainy day or late at night but to me that is as far as they go.  I won't be getting a tattoo dedicated to the film anytime soon but I will take the time to watch any new installment that is released because they tend to be fun in a popcorn movie sense.  Alien: Covenant was just that.  A fun flick to watch in a theater setting or on a rainy afternoon when you want something newer to watch.  The film had problems, can't deny that, but it was still fun.  The acting in this one is great.  Michael Fassbender is great in his duel roles at Walter and David.  His roles was very demanding and he knocked it out of the park.  Katherine Waterston  and Billy Crudup were very underwhelming.  Crudup is a familiar face in my home.  Big Fish and Watchmen are two of my favorite films so I was expecting more from him than what we got.  Also, Waterston has been compared to Sigourney Weaver's performance as Riley and I just don't see it.  She shows no emotion and or reactions to situations around her.  She is rather boring to be honest.  With all that being said, I was shocked by Danny McBride and his performance.  He is known the world over for his raunchy comedy skills but he took on a serous role here and absolutely killed it.  The story for this one does have some issues but is still fun for a watch.  In fact, I had a lot of fun with it.  The film picks up 10 years after the events in Prometheus and would still be considered a prequel to Alien.  We then follow the crew as they suffer a casualty and then discover the beacon that they follow to the planet.  Once there they encounter a superior breed of alien and we then meet David from Prometheus.  The 10 years between Prometheus and Alien: Covenant is then condensed for the viewer which is a huge let down.  This leads to the ending and makes it very predictable.  There is a few segments throughout the film that some consider to be plot holes or un-discussed errors but I don't see that. Entering spoiler territory but in the end when David is pretending to be Walter the viewer knows because his face has not healed like Walter's did in the cave which should have set off an alarm to Daniels but she was never privy to that information.  She doesn't know that Walter can heal himself.  Some of these minors details are so talked about but they really don't hold the film back any.  Finally, the film does have several amazing on screen kills that use practical and visual effects.  Some of the kills are fantastic with a lot of gore and amazing practical effects.  There is several instances where there is visual effects that look great as well but the bad outweighs the good with there being more examples of bad visual effects.  I really enjoyed how brutal and bloody the kills.  My horror side was screaming when I saw them.  Would have loved to see those in theaters.  Overall, Alien Covenant isn't an instant classic but still an enjoyable film.  If you feel like you have to dissect the film then you probably won't enjoy it anyway because you just don't want to.  However, if you take it for what it is you can really have fun with it.  Check it out.