Body Melt

 



Director - Philip Brophy (No Dance)
Starring - Gerard Kennedy (The Lost World, Neighbours), Andrew Daddo (Ned, Trouble Down Under), and Ian Smith (The Jesus Spoon, Underbelly)
Release Date - 1993
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Tagline - "State one: hallucinations.  Stage two: organ failure.  Stage three: body melt"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

 

     Ozploitation is something I just discovered a few years ago which is rather pathetic really.  There has been some quality horror films come from Australia that I am just now discovering.  This all started a few years back when I discovered Razorback and fell in love with.  This made me try other films like Wolf Creek, The Loved Ones, Wymwood, Daybreakers, and so on.  Sure, I grew up watching Mad Max but I never considered that part of Ozploitation until now.  A few months back Vinegar Syndrome released the 1993 horror comedy Body Melt.  I had never heard of this one before but after checking out the trailer for it I knew I was going to enjoy myself.  Thank you Vin Syn for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a group of people who are being used as part of a pharmaceutical experiment.  When they are first introduced to the drug they begin to hallucinate, then they start to die from the inside out and then their skin begins to melt off their body.  As the company tries to abort their experiments but the police get involved and matters get even more complicated when a disgruntled employee goes behind the CEO's back to conduct experiments of her own.

     I had no idea what to expect when I tossed in Body Melt but now I can safely say that Vinegar Syndrome has earned my undying respect.  They earned by heart with their Demon Wind release and they just continue to impress me with film after film especially their horror and exploitation releases.  Body Melt was a fantastic gruesome horror comedy full of slime and oddball characters.  I will be revisiting this one over time and I'm sure I will enjoy it just as much the next time as I did the first.  The acting in this one is very entertaining.  The cast is not going for any awards.  Instead, they bring to life some very colorful and entertaining characters that the viewer will not soon forget.  The story for this one is super fucking fun.  We get a pretty straight forward story following a pharmaceutical company that is experimenting on people but then we get these side stories connected to the main story.  This made for a very entertaining movie experience.  There is a few slow scenes that did not affect the overall film but did throw the pacing off.  Finally, this film is full of slime and gore.  The effects are top notch and fit the film perfectly.  In fact, I was very impressed by how amazing some of the gags actually looked.  I'm shocked I've never heard someone praise this movie in the horror groups considering how everyone is all up on other movie's dicks that don't look nowhere near as good as this one.  Overall, Body Melt is the Australian horror film you didn't know you needed.  I cannot recommend this film enough.  Check it out on blu from Vinegar Syndrome. 



Blood Suckers from Outer Space

 



Director - Glen Coburn (Hollywood Deadbeat, Tabloid)
Starring - Robert Bradeen (Bloodsucker Reunion), Big John Brigham, and Glen Coburn
Release Date - 1984
Genre - Comedy/Horror/Sci-Fi
Tagline - "Nobody can escape..."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I always come across movies I want to watch but can never make the time for.  When I was in high school the local video store went out of business.  They were selling tapes for a couple quarters a piece so I grabbed what ones caught my eye.  I remember grabbing Neon Maniacs, Frankenhooker, Monster Squad, The Gate, and Bloodsuckers from Outer Space.  I got to watch them all except Blood Suckers.  The tape had mold on it and I couldn't get it clean enough to work.  Several years ago I found the DVD super cheap and grabbed it but I had already begun reviewing movies so my spare time to watch whatever I wanted was behind me.  That changed recently when Vinegar Syndrome released the 1984 Glen Coburn film on blu.  They were kind enough to send a copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a photo journalist and a woman he just met as they try to flee from a small, rural town that has been taken over by the locals who are turned into bloodsuckers by an invisible beam from outer space.  They must fight their way through the horde before a war hungry general launches a nuke on the town killing everyone in it's path.

     I knew this horror comedy was intended to spoof the invasion horror films of the late 70s but I had no idea how obsessed with it I would become after watching it.  I watched the film for the first time just a few days ago and now I've seen it over four times.  I absolutely loved it and I can't believe I've went this long before giving it a chance.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but I can't call it bad either.  The cast really embrace their characters but there was times where the acting doesn't work for the scene.  This does add to the cheese of the film which is something I always support.  The story for this one takes the story that was popular in the 70s and 80s and spoofs it while keeping the campy horror element very much alive.  The characters are very clichéd and the story is fun but there is several slow scenes that is a chore to make it through.  They do move the story along so they are not pointless but these few scenes could have been handled differently.  Finally, the film is a spoof of horror to an extent so there is several on screen death that are not meant to be taken seriously.   The effects are used in a comical way in some of the scenes and in others they are there to move the story along.  The gray paint on the infected was clearly done for comedic effect and the bright red blood only furthers the humor along.  Overall, Blood Suckers from Outer Space is a fucking fun 80s cheesefest that I can not recommend enough.  Be sure to check this out on blu from Vinegar Syndrome.  

 



Sunset Society

 



Director(s) - Phoebe Dollar and Rolfe Kanefsky (The Black Room, Party Bus to Hell)
Starring - Catherine Annette (Supershark, Noobz), Phoebe Dollar (Werewolf in a Women's Prison, Orgy of the Damned), and Robert Donavan (Paranormal Sexperiments, Cheerleader Massacre 2)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Horror
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I recently had a metal horror film marathon when I decided it was time to finally check out the 1995 S.O.V. Todd Jason Cook flick Death Metal Zombies.  It was one that was on my radar for some time that I never had the chance to check out.  I decided to follow that up with a few more metal inspired horror flicks.  I checked out the surprisingly entertaining Death Rot before moving on to the Lemmy Kilmister lead vampire film Sunset Society.  Sunset Society was one sent to me for review from the folks over at MVD.  I'm a huge Motorhead fan so I couldn't wait to check it out.  Thank you MVD for sending this one my way. 

      The film follows a secret society of vampires known as the Sunset Society who is tasked with keeping vampires a secret from the human world.  When news of a DVD consisting of footage of actual vampires is announced the society springs into action to track it down before their nighttime world is revealed to the masses.

 
     This was a film I was really curious about.  The late rock icon Lemmy is plastered all over the cover and promotional artwork for this.  Knowing the horror business and how cameos get glorified on the promo material I was curious how little screen time he would have.  Sadly, the film went the route I was afraid it would.  The acting in this one is far from perfect.  Some of the scenes have some of the most underwhelming performances I have ever seen in an indie production.  I'm used to seeing a cast with no experience give their performance everything they have and then some but it's rare that we get a solid cast that delivers some of the most boring performances ever to grace video.  The story for this one feels like it was tossed together as the filming progressed.  The scenes revolving around Lemmy you can tell were filmed at a different time with a different camera that was lacking in quality.  We then get the remainder of the film that wraps around those segments.  I suspect that they filmed Lemmy's scenes and then made the movie around what they had after he passed.  It is very boring and not very consistent.  Finally, This film has your typical vampire related films but there was a few scenes with some great gore and this has one of the best sex scenes in a horror movie that I have ever seen.  It truly has to be seen to be believed.  Overall, Sunset Society was a huge disappoint.  There is one scene that I think everyone should see but other than that this is one of those you should skip.  Wal-Mart horror at it's finest. 



Death Rot

 



Director - Dominic Wieneke (Zombie Outbreak, Chaos Reigns)
Starring - Lena Howe (The Ink and the Willow), Jason Yapp, and Jason Hegg
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Prepare to get shredded"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I'm obsessed with pairing films with other films.  A lot of times I will find similar movies to watch together because it does create a fun experience to see new movies.  A few days back I decided it was time to finally check out Todd Jason Cook's classic 1995 S.O.V. horror film Death Metal Zombies.  It was a fun but a very cheap metal horror film centered around a metal band that is using their influence to steal their fan's souls.  I decided to follow that up with what I thought was another metal horror zombie flick Death Rot.  I failed to read the synopsis but the title and artwork suggested that it was a metal horror flick centered around the undead.  I was wrong but the film was still a fun watch that worked with the theme I had going. 

     the film follows death metal pioneers Death Rot who break down on a rural road while on tour.  The band members go different routes while trying to find help when their cell phones fail to work.  Two of them venture down a dirt road in hopes of finding a home but cross paths with a homicidal local armed with a bow.  The other visits an old drive in before he crosses path with another local.  Those that are not slaughtered on the spot are taken back to their private slaughterhouse where they kill sinners and sell the meat to oversees buyers looking for exotic meat.  The surviving members of the band thinks their time is up until one of them is able to escape the last minute and save the others before they are murdered.

     Death Rot is one of those films that threw me for a loop.  I popped it in expecting a zombie flick but was greeted with a story more up my alley.  It did fall a little short but it was still a solid watch.  The acting in this one is not consistent.  Some of the cast delivers better performances than others and I think experience has a lot to do with that.  Just a very few number of the cast had other credits to their names on imdb but they all tried.  They were very dedicated to their role and it showed.  The story for this one is one that I am very fond of but there was some things I would have loved to see done differently.  I grew up in the poorest county in the U.S. and part of the bible belt.  Low income always breeds religion.  People have nothing to live for so they seek out a higher power.  I've always found religion to be a scary thing especially when dealing with small rural communities who take things too literally.  Kevin Smith's Red State is one of the most horrifying films I have ever seen.  The movie itself doesn't pack that much fear but the story literally gives me chills.  I've seen how far some of these extremist will go and Red State is not as ridiculous as it sounds.  Death Rot takes that religious family meets out of towners cliché one step further with the addition of the metal music.  Growing up I would often wear Slayer, Pantera, Black Sabbath, and Type O Negative shirts which would often put me in the center of hate among the church goers.  Even the teachers would join in on the bashing.  I know how much religious flocks hate it so it made sense to throw it in the movie.  My biggest gripe with the story is the religious figure in the family, the son I believe it was, is very underutilized.  The character is very intense and blind by his religion which makes him very dangerous but they never follow through with it.  Such a wasted opportunity.  Finally, the film has several death scenes.  The budget does dictate the effects we get but the film is able to work with what they had very effectively.  The blood and gore is a little underwhelming but this does not affect the overall film.  Overall, Death Rot may not be the film the artwork paints but it is still a damn fun watch.  Fans of religious horror and metal should really check this one out now on DVD from Wild Eye Releasing. 



Skeleton Cop

 



Director - Chad Knauer (Murder Clown 1985)
Starring - Richard Bauthier (Harvest of Blood, Beer Run), Chad Knauer, and Ronald Grimwood (Black Box, Rotten Harvest)
Release Date - 2019
Genre - Horror/Action/Crime
Tagline - "He's got a bone to pick...with crime!"
Format - Streaming (online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      Everyone knows me for my love of horror.  At work and around town people often refer to me as the horror guy and I'm absolutely okay with that.  My movie collection is roughly 95% horror and about 99% of my reviews are horror but my original intent for my reviews was to review old exploitation flicks from the 70s and 80s.  That took the backseat when indie directors started requesting I review their films before Horror Society brought me on.  I love exploitation cinema and Blaxploitation flicks are where my true love lies.  A week or so ago I saw a post from director Chad Knauer in a horror group asking for reviewers.  I was curious and got in contact with him where he sent over info on his new short Skeleton Cop.  This short looked like it was everything I didn't know I was looking for and I couldn't wait to check it out.  Thank you Knauer for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to see your new short.

     The film follows a rogue cop who happens to be a skeleton who is partnered with by the book detective.  The two must work to overcome their differences before their city falls under the control of an evil ninja gang. 

     I'll be honest here.  I went into this one with high hopes.  When Chad sent over the film's artwork I immediately fell in love with it and I needed this film to be just as awesome as the poster.  Lucky for me the short was amazing and provided me with everything that I love about independent cinema.  The acting in this one is campy but on purpose.  At least the cast makes it feel like they are overacting to make it feel campy and fun.  I absolutely love the characters and the amount of fun they had on screen.  The story for this one is every cult cinema fan's dream.  We have ninjas, a skeleton cop, more ninjas, and an octo-squirrel.  The short packs a lot of action and fun story into short a running time.  In fact, the film is just too damn short.  I would have loved to see how insane a feature length film would be.  Finally, if you want a gory flick you may want to go somewhere else.  The film is bloody and we have a great stop motion/visual effects scene near the end but that's about the end of it there.  I did enjoy how they did the skeleton scenes which not only looks great but it does add a little sense of humor to an already absurd film.  Overall, Skeleton Cop is a necessary watch for any grindhouse movie fan.  Fans of classic martial arts, crime, and any other late 70s exploitation will love what Knauer has brought to the screen.  Check it out.  

 



Death Metal Zombies

Director - Todd Jason Cook (Evil Night, Demon Dolls)
Starring - Lisa Cook (The Dummy, Lisa's Nightmares), Bill DeWild (Rock Star, Zombiefied)
and Todd Jason Cook
Release Date - 1995
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The loudest, weirdest film ever made!"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

 

      When I was in late elementary school I started to find myself becoming obsessed with horror.  Goosebumps started the trend and before long Stephen King, cryptozoology, and Are You Afraid of the Dark? sold me on the genre.  When I hit high school I started collecting horror.  It was mostly on VHS then but I would still buy DVDs when I could.  I couldn't get enough.  This obsession took me to horror sites and forums where I would learn about more obscure titles.  This was the first time I had heard about Todd Jason Cook's 1995 S.O.V. classic Death Metal Zombies.  I was looking for a copy of Hard Rock Zombies on DVD or VHS and someone told me to check this out.  I didn't and over time I forgot about it.  Sometime last year I saw a DVD copy of the film pop up in a horror group on Facebook for sale so I jumped on it.  I was in a metal horror mood and decided it was time to finally check it out. 

     The film follows a metal head who wins a cassette tape from his favorite band.  However, this is not any normal cassette tape.  Instead, it is a magical tape that turns those that listen to it into mindless flesh eating zombies that do the bidding of the death metal band.  Now, his girlfriend must save their souls before the lead singer of the band, Shengar, uses them as pawns to take over.

     I knew this was a no budget shot on video horror flick from the mid-90s.  I wasn't expecting the best movie ever but I was hoping for something fun which is what I got.  The film is far from perfect but it does entertain.  The acting in this one is rough.  A decent amount of the cast has some acting experience but they are all no budget flicks where they are unable to really learn the craft.  They are fully dedicated to their roles but their performances do fall flat.  The story for this one is pretty fucking metal and 90s rich.  I was born on the tail end of the 80s so I grew up in the 90s and this film brought back so many memories.  The metal heads collecting rare, one of a kind cassettes and the whole death metal angle was great especially for the mid 90s.  I loved the zombie angle was well.  My only real problem with the story is the pacing in the film.  We get some very slow scenes that will put you to sleep.  Finally, this one has some gore.  The effects do reflect the films budget but I did enjoy the gore.  The zombies are not very convincing with their make up and no effects but the guts do work in the film's favor.  Overall, Death Metal Zombies is backyard fun.  The no budget and amateur cast makes this simple story work.  I highly recommend this one to fans of no budget or S.O.V. cinema.  Check it out. 

     



Gutboy: A Badtime Story



Director - Nick Grant
Starring - Charly Bivona (Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption, My Brother's Keep), Coco Conroy (The Letter), and Will Cooper (Chasing Banksy, Most Evil)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Fantasy
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     There is so much to love about Troma.  Not only have they released some of the most iconic horror and exploitation films but they never shy away from an independent filmmaker regardless of the style of film.  Sometime ago I got the press release for Nick Grant's Gutboy: A Badtime Story.  I loved the artwork on the blu and I couldn't wait to check it out.  I reached out and was lucky enough to get a review copy on blu.  Sadly, I misplaced it and didn't find it until I was packing up my collection after the fire.  Thank you Troma for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check out the film! 

     The film follows a young man who is tricked into trading his skin to a wealthy business man.   His skin is removed and he is left in the woods alone when a skinless woman rises from the pond he was fishing in.  She has magical powers and falls in love with the newly skinned boy who now goes by the name Gutboy.  She offers him one wish and he chooses to marry the daughter of the muscle bound sheriff instead of her.  She promises to grant his wish but she has plans of her own to become that woman he marries even if she has to skin her and wear it.   Along the way he promises to get his revenge on the businessman who wronged him but finds love in an unexpected place.
     I honestly didn't know what to expect from Gutboy but I have to say that I was impressed.  I absolutely loved the film and I can see myself revisiting this one often which is something I rarely say about indie films.  The voice acting in this one is hit and miss.  Some of the characters, like Gutboy and Besto, have great character voices that really brings their personalities to life but some of the other characters fall a little flat or stale.  The story for this one is not as gruesome as I was expecting but it was still fun.  The movie is almost predictable but just when you think you have a grasp of where the story is going it throws something else new and fun at you.  I found myself glued to the screen the entire time.  The pacing is smooth and the movie moves right along.  Finally, the puppets are far from perfect but they are fun and work for the grittiness of the film.  This is a film centered around puppets so don't expect blood and gore.  Overall, Gutboy: A Badtime Story is a fun watch.  It is the most Troma film I have seen in a few years but I absolutely loved it.  Check it out. 



Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty

Director(s) - Shane Ryan (Amateur Porn Star Killer, My Name Was "A" by Anonymous), Jason Impey (A Taste of Phobia, Fluid Boy), and Zac Amico
Starring - Hetty Baynes (The Dumping Ground, Tales of Erotica), and John Patrick Brennan (Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space, Comic Book Men)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror/Comedy
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     Trilogies often end on the wrong foot.  Series like Child's Play, Blade, and Creepshow are prime examples of this.  There has been a few dozen amazing trilogies but most should really stop after the second film.  A few days ago I started watching the Troma release of the Grindsploitation trilogy.  I was expecting an anthology series but was greeted with a trailer and short film compilation.  I really enjoyed the first two film but the gimmick was wearing thin with me when I tossed in the third film.  I wanted to enjoy this third installment as much as the first two films but this one just did not go the distance for me especially with a running time of almost 2 and a half hours.
     This compilation rangers from trailers and shorts for slashers, horror comedies, and even classic Troma characters taking on characters from gothic literature.   






     I went into this one expecting to have just as much fun, if not more, than the previous two installments.  I had watched the trailer before hand and was looking forward to this one because there was a segment directed by Troma alum Zac Amico and featured Troma staple Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD.  Sadly, the gimmick had ran it's course and the film just didn't go the distance.  The acting in this one is no different than the other films.  The segments range in experience and performance quality.  Some consist of cast members who have never been in front of the camera before while others flourished while stealing every scene they are in.  The stories in this one is fun.  We once again see fake trailers for films that will never come to pass which is a damn shame.  Some of the shorts were  fun while others lacked originality.  They were trying way too hard to be dark and dramatic resulting in a rather boring short.  Finally, the effects are just like the acting.  We have some segments that deliver top notch practical or visual effects while others show their lack of budget of experience.  Overall, Grindsploitation 3: Video Nasty flows just like the other films in the series but the lack of a wrap around story and the length of the film makes it a chore to finish especially if you had already watched the previous two films which clock in at almost four and a half hours.  It does deserve a watch but one I would not recommend movie marathoning through. 
 

 

 

 



Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels

 



Director(s) - Nick Box (She's Dead, Suicide Preachers), Mike Connors (The 12 Slays of Christmas, 60 Seconds to Die), and Shawn Shillingford (60 Seconds 2 Die: 60 Seconds to Die 2)
Starring - Tymisha Harris (Blood of the Tribades), Wednesday Alice Edrie (Trashploitation), and Rusty Apper (The Nobodies, Escaping the Dead)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Tagline - "Still hungry? Time for a SECOND SERVING"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screening)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I had to take a long weekend.  When I was at work Thursday I started to feel ill and left the store early.  I spent the next three days in bed or in the bathroom.  It was not a pleasant experience to say the least.  I wanted to get working on my reviews but sitting up was too much of a task so my reviews took a back seat for a few days.  My last review was for the 2016 trailer and short compilation Grindsploitation.  I had watched the follow up, Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels after the first film and this break gave me a little longer to think about it.  I liked what it was but there was still something it was lacking.  The film is currently available in a three film collection from Troma.  

     This installment is once again a compilation of fake trailers and shorts ranging from grindhouse inspired product ads to aliens invading the world. 

      I went into this one expecting much of the same as the first and I was not disappointed.  I was, once again, disappointed in the fact that there was nothing holding all these shorts and trailers together but it was still entertaining for what it's worth.  The acting in this one is not consistent.  Like it's predecessor, the shorts and trailer feature various degrees of actors and actresses.  Some have been in front of the camera before and have a several credits to their name on imdb while others are new to being in front of the camera.  Each segment should be considered its own film when looking at the acting instead of the overall film.  The stories for this one are just as entertaining as the first film.  We have several vampire, slashers, aliens, and grindhouse stories.  The trailers were the more entertaining segments with the shorts missing their marks due to their lack of running time.  Lumped together most are fine but by themselves they would be extremely boring and unoriginal.  Finally, this one has tons of practical and visual effects.  The practical effects and blood is fun but I was really impressed with how well some of them incorporated computer generated effects into their trailers and shorts.  My biggest complaint, which is the same that I have for the first film, is that it lacks a bookend segment to hold them all together.  We just wonder aimless from one segment to another.  Overall, Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels is a fun watch.  Some of the shorts and trailers will make you frustrated when you think about how amazing they are yet we will never see a feature length film for it while others just lacked imagination.  Check this one out now on blu from Troma.