Idle Hands

Director - Rodman Flender (Leprechaun 2, Scream: The TV Series)

Starring - Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Casper), Seth Green (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Guardians of the Galaxy), and Elden Henson (Daredevil, The Butterfly Effect)

Release Date - 1999

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "The comedy that gives horror films the backhand."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Middle school was when I was coming into my own.  Horror became a huge part of my life when I was in the 4th grade but the movies that shaped my tastes in the genre were the movies I discovered when I was in middle school.  It was this time that I really got into the films of Sam Raimi, George A. Romero, and classics like Return of the Living Dead, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and big budget releases.  Idle Hands, along with Return of the Living Dead and Halfbaked, was my go to movie.  I would often rotate those three tapes to watch before and after school.  I watched it so much that my dad threatened to burn the tapes because he was tired of hearing them playing in my room.  Once that tape stopped working I drifted away from the film.  I bought the DVD while in college but never did revisit this blast from my past until recently.  Scream Factory announced their blu release which was a perfect time to revisit this one.

     The film follows stoner Anton (Sawa) who discovers his parents were murdered.  He tells his two friends but it's too late.  They all discover that his hand is now possessed and will kill at will unless he stops it.  It kills his two friends but they were too lazy to walk into the light so they come back as the undead to help Anton.  In a blind fit of rage he cuts the hand off setting it loose to kill anyone at anytime now that it is no longer anchored to Anton.  

     I was concerned that this one did not age well but after just a few minutes of it playing I was hit with that wave of nostalgia that many of us crave.  As a product of the 80s and raised in the 90s I often find myself searching for those classic movies and shows that I grew up with.  This Scream Factory release was perfect and really took me back to a time when I wasn't stressed over bills, work, being the father my children deserves, and politics.  It was just me and a highly entertaining film.  The acting in this one is nothing amazing by film standards but I've always loved the characters.  Sawa plays one hell of a convincing stoner while Seth Green and Elden Henson work perfectly as the undead comedic duo.  Their chemistry is great together and most of the people my age wanted a friendship like this.  My favorite character will always be the metal head Randy portrayed by Jack Noseworthy.  To this day he is still the most bad ass character in any horror movie.  The story for this one is a comedic alternative late 90s approach to the devil possessed sub-genre.  I enjoy a good stoner comedy and you can bet your ass I'd break my own neck to see a horror stoner comedy.  I really like how this one just tosses so many things in a blender and it still works.  Halloween, a devil hunter, weed, a little love story, zombies, and all the humor.  So much is going on but it doesn't make it feel cluttered.  It works for what it is and the pacing is smooth.  You never find yourself becoming bored or overburdened.  Finally, the film has some blood and great make-up effects but those of you looking for a gory masterpiece will be surely disappointed.  The kills we get work for the film and the make-up effects are top notch.  With that being said, the visual effects we get did not hold up over time and look rough.  Overall, Idle Hands is my favorite release from Scream Factory.  Hands down (pun intended).  The blu looks great but the special features we do get is a bit of a let down.  I would have loved a retrospective or a reunion/interview with some of the film's notable stars over the supporting cast.  Still, well worth adding to any horror fan's collection.

The Day Time Ended

Director - John "Bud" Cardos (Mutant, Skeleton Closet)

Starring - Jim Davis (The Magical World of Disney, Project U.F.O.), Bentley Mitchum (Sometimes They Come Back, DevilDolls), and Dorothy Malone (Good Luck, Miss Wykoff, The Man Who Wouldn't Die)

Release Date - 1979

Genre - Sci-Fi

Tagline - "A mind-bending vortex of terror"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     It took some time but I'm able to finally wrap up my Full Moon marathon.  After my vacation I wanted to check out a handful of Full Moon movies I had never seen before that was sent my way for review.  I started with Prehysteria, which was a childhood favorite of mine, before moving on to the sleazy sci-fi film Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity and the Moon Beam children's film Pet Shop.  I stopped to review a few other movies that was somewhat time sensitive before finishing up my marathon with the sci-fi film The Day Time Ended.  I had never seen this one before but the trailer looked amazing.  Thank you Full Moon for sending this one over!

     The film follows a family that live in a futuristic modern home in the middle of the desert.  They find themselves visited by aliens and soon get stuck in a time vortex allowing long extinct creatures to terrorize them.

     I was really looking forward to checking this out but since you've already seen my score for the film then you know I didn't enjoy myself.  I liked the effects and the film's concept but the delivery is so dull.  I can count on one hand the movies that I've fell asleep watching and this is one of them.  Hell, I wasn't even tired.  I guess my brain felt that it wasn't being stimulated enough and shut down to conserve energy.  The acting in this one isn't bad but I wasn't feeling it.  The cast seem confused as to what reaction they should be going for and their interactions with one another feels like a church skit.  The dialogue is very forced and their reactions create several unintentionally funny scenarios when the film is trying to pull in a serious tone.  The cast feels distant and clearly lacking direction.  The story for this one has so much fucking potential but fails to pull it all together into an unforgettable film.  The way the film was pieced together makes for long drawn out scenes with little to no story development followed by scenes important to the story but done so in such a lackluster way that the viewer has a hard time paying attention to it.  There is no energy to the film and the slow pace makes it difficult to finish in one sitting.  Finally, this film looks amazing.  I love the Harryhausen inspired effects along with the very outdated but fun visuals.  No blood or gore but if you like classic stop motion puppets then you will be in for a treat...if you can stay awake long enough.  Overall, The Day Time Ended has some entertaining moments but the bad far outweighs the good.  The blu does look leagues better than the previous DVD release so fans of Full Moon will need it for their collections but it's hard to recommend it to someone as a first time watch.  

Spirit Animal

Director - Madeline Deering

Starring - Madeline Deering, Jennifer Louise Deigan, and Tim Gross (Die and Let Live, A Feast of Flesh)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "Shot on video!  Released in Smell-O-Vision"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sometime last year I saw posts from Madeline Deering about her upcoming horror comedy Spirit Animal.  The faux commercial for Dingo Pizza summed up local access commercials from the mid-90s perfectly which only fueled my interest in the film.  Over time I learned that Deering was crafting a S.O.V. throwback for fans of the weird side of cinema.  I've been very vocal about my need for this movie.  So much so that I'm sure Deering was sick of me asking to see it.  Regardless, I want to thank her for sending a copy of the film my for review!

     The film follows a group of twenty-somethings as they venture out into the woods to drink and party.  What they don't know is that a crazed man, who harnesses the power of his different spirit animals, to kill them all one by one to give the world back to the planet.

     Spirit Animal is one of those movies you know you will enjoy.  It doesn't take itself too seriously and knows how to make the viewer laugh with it rather than at it.  Fans of Troma know exactly what I mean.  The film was able to bring some laughs, 90s S.O.V. quality effects, and a story that you will not expect.  In fact, I would recommend this any day of the week over most of the real S.O.V. classics.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but works.  They want to give the viewer something fun and entertaining, which they do, but their inexperience does shine through at times.  The cast does a great job at capturing that 90s cheese that makes S.O.V. so laughably fun.  Unlike the original counterparts, this cast is willingly going for the cheese while most of the original S.O.V. horror flicks were unintentionally funny.  I really like the characters we get and hearing the Genuine Nerd, Toby Radloff voice a tree made the film for me.  The story for this one is what you get when you get a fan of S.O.V. horror with an obsession of no budget indie horror.  We get a slasher that would be at home during the original S.O.V. era but we get little additions here and there that make this something only Madeline Deering could conjure up.  The only thing that stopped me from absolutely loving this one was the dialogue heavy scenes.  Not because of the acting, because the cast did what they intended to do, but because it slowed the outrageous story down.  I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.  The changing of the killer's masks was fun for me and the environmental aspect of the film almost felt like it was making fun of environmentalists and films that try to prove a point.  Finally, if you have ever seen an original S.O.V. you know what to expect when it comes to the kill scenes.  They are often bloody but the practical effects are always far from perfect.  Luckily, that only added to the humor that this film establishes.  Overall, Spirit Animal is not for everyone.  If you take to the serious side of the genre then this film isn't for you and I highly doubt I like you.  However, if you like to have fun and enjoy yourself then I highly suggest tossing this one in.  Toss it in, throw down a few beers, and have some fun.  Keep 'em coming, Maddie!

       

Pet Shop

Director - Hope Perello (Howling VI: The Freaks, St. Patrick's Day)

Starring - Terry Kiser (Tammy and the T-Rex, Weekend at Bernie's), Leigh Ann Orsi (The Fall Guy, Home Improvement), and Spencer Vrooman (Casper, Wings)

Release Date - 1994

Genre - Children's/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Take home a pet...from another universe"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was growing up during the mid 90s I would often visit the local video store.  I wasn't a horror fan yet but I was open to all genres so I would occasionally rent random horror movies if the artwork caught my eye.  I did, however, have enough sense to know that Moonbeam and Full Moon were sister companies with different demographics.  I had seen several Full Moon films but my favorite was the Moonbeam release of Prehysteria.  I would typically search for other releases but my video store only had a few.  Over the years I've collected a few of them but several others have escaped my grasp until now.  Sometime back Full Moon released Prehysteria and Pet Shop on blu.  I had never seen Pet Shop prior to this release so I reached out to them for a review copy and they were kind enough to send one my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a group of children living in an isolated town who visit a local pet shop to get new companions for themselves.  What they don't know is that the cowboys that own the shop are not of this world and use the pet shop as a front to kidnap children to take back to their world to sell.

     Pet Shop is one of the Moonbeam flicks my local video store never carried and when I started collecting DVDs I could never find this one floating around.  I'm glad Full Moon finally gave this one a proper release because I really enjoyed it and I'm sure I would have loved it when I was growing up.  The acting in this one is what you would expect from a mid 90s children's direct to video release.  The cast does a fantastic job and the characters are all entertaining.  In fact, I would by lying if I said I liked Prehysteria's cast more.  I really loved the characters we get in this one and it really works for the story.  The story for this one is simple and works very well for a children's movie from the time.  I really loved the cowboy aliens trying to kidnap children along with the tiny alien pets.  It has that Prehysteria! vibe but rides on the sci-fi line more.  Some of the scenes do feel pointless and only there to add length to the film's running time but that doesn't ruin the film.  Finally, the film has some visuals effects that did not age well and some practical effects and puppetry that I do enjoy.  However, if you want some blood you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Pet Shop is the family sci-fi film that I missed out on during my youth.  I really enjoyed it for what it is and the blu from Full Moon looks great.  Leagues better than the VHS scans you can find floating around YouTube.  I would have preferred a little more care in the special features department but the Videozone will have to do.  I highly suggest adding this one to your collection.  

Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity

Director - Ken Dixon (Zombiethon, The Best of Sex and Violence)

Starring - Elizabeth Kaitan (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Vice Academy Part 3), Cindy Beal (Dragon Ball GT, My Chauffeur), and Don Scribner (Future Force, Twisted Justice)

Release Date - 1987

Genre - Sci-Fi/Adventure

Tagline - "Big movie.  Big production. Big girls"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     After my indie horror marathon I decided to mix it up some.  I wanted to check out some movies I had never seen before and decided to watch a few Full Moon films that were released on blu within the last year or so.  However, before I started I wanted to revisit a childhood favorite of mine from Full Moon's sister company Moon Beam.  After watching Prehysteria I looked through my Full Moon titles and decided the first on the chopping block would be the 1987 sci-fi film Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity.  This is one I had always heard about but never took the time to check it out.  I want to thank Full Moon for sending this one over for me to review!

     The film follows two beautiful slaves who escape captivity.  They travel through space until they find a planet to stop at.  What they don't know is that the evil man inhabiting the castle the find is keen on hunting those that he finds and uses their heads as trophies.  Now they must survive, and help the others like them that landed there looking for sanctuary, before they lose their heads.

     This is one of those films I had bought over the years but never got around to watching.  I wasn't expecting to see a new favorite Full Moon flick but I  did expect something fun, sleazy, and cheesy...which is what I got.  Nothing knew, groundbreaking or original but it did hit the spot.  The acting for this one is what you would expect coming from a low budget movie released by Full Moon in the late 80s.  The cast is solid but the characters are painfully cheesy and cliched.  The characters are fun but there is plenty of room for entertaining personalities to come through.  The story for this one is not your typical sci-fi flick.  It does have some horror elements tossed in throughout like the man hunting people and so on.  I actually really enjoyed the story for what it is but the dialogue is my biggest complaint.  It was so boring and made some of the scenes a little rough to sit through.  The character interactions feel forced and unnatural making them slow the film down.  Finally, the film does have some solid practical effects but there is some scenes where they are used ineffectively.  One scene that really stands out to me is the scene where he removes the head from the body.  There was no blood and, though the effects are solid, the lack of blood and the approach it took made it look laughable.  Aside from this, I enjoyed the costumes, practical effects, and the prosthetics.  Overall, Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity is a solid sci-fi flick with beautiful women, awesome sets, and gorgeous costumes.  The dialogue is boring but it doesn't ruin the film.  The blu looks great but could use some special features for those out that there really enjoy the film.  

Prehysteria!

Director(s) - Albert Band (Dracula's Dog, Ghoulies II) and Charles Band (Parasite, Trancers)

Starring - Brett Cullen (Ghost Rider, Joker), Colleen Morris (Death Becomes Her, Cheers!), and Austin O'Brien (Last action Hero, My Girl 2)

Release Date - 1993

Genre - Comedy/Family

Tagline - "They're not just fossils anymore"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was a kid I wasn't a horror fan.  Movies were movies and I would often rent kids movies from the local ma and pop video store, Dewey's Video.  I'm not going to lie to you and act like I was always a horror fan like most people in the horror community does.  I wasn't watching Hellraiser when I was 5 and I didn't cut my teeth while the Guinea Pig series was playing.  I grew up watching movies like Space Jam, Heavyweights, The Big Green, Last Action Hero, Adventures in Dinosaur City, and Moonbeam Entertainment's Prehysteria trilogy.  Those movies I previously mentioned are titles I would often rent until I was able to secure a copy for myself.  As I grew up and started having children of my own I started buying movies of my youth to someday show them.  Prehysteria was not available in the US but I was able to get all three films on DVD from Germany.  Not long after I made the purchase I received a review copy of the new U.S. release of the first film on blu.  Talk about horrible timing.  I want to thank Full Moon for giving this film a proper release here in the states!

     The film follows Frank and his two children who are struggling financially on their farm after Frank's wife passes away.  Now they supplement their income by digging up fossils from their farm and selling them to the local museum.  The owner is an unpleasant man who recently went to South America where he stole some peculiar eggs that the locals worshipped.  However, a recent mishap finds the eggs in the custody of Frank and his two children.  The eggs miraculously hatch revealing pint sized dinosaurs that the kids fall in love with.  Now they are forced to protect them from the museum owner and his group of thugs who want to exploit the creatures.

     I, like most children including my own son, loved dinosaurs growing up.  Jurassic Park jump started this love along with Land Before Time, Adventures in Dinosaur City, both Land of the Lost television series, and this film here.  I fucking loved these movies and their campiness really contributed to the type of films that I enjoy now.  Prehysteria is one of those films I wanted to show my kids but I was worried it didn't age well.  I loved it as a child but a lot of those movies I grew up loving just didn't age that well.  I was wrong.  I had just as much fun now as I did as a kid.  The acting in this one is cheesy as fuck but it fits the movie perfectly.  I love the tone that Moonbeam took with their family friendly films and the cast does a fantastic job with their roles.  The characters are all fun, though cliched, but they still make the film flow very smoothly.  The story for this one is fun, silly, and works for a film catered to children.  It's far from perfect but the simplicity, mixed with dinosaurs, works for a cheap straight to video release.  The flaws are so minor you can look over them and the pacing is so steady you never bore of the film.  It's also worth noting that Band was able to accomplish a story so simple and effective that he was able to pull it off in house with a very small budget.  It's shows but it doesn't take away from the finished product.  Finally, this one is a showcase of old school effects.  No blood and gore for the horror fans reading this but we do get some camera trickery, The puppets looked fantastic and mixed with the old school camera tricks really works especially for an early 90s children flick.  Overall, Phreysteria! is a movie that I highly suggest for people that grew up during the video store age or any fans of early 90s Full Moon.  This Moonbeam label had the look and style of their Full Moon counterparts but with a family friendly environment.  Lots of fun and the blu looks fucking fantastic.  Way better than the German DVD I previously purchased.  The special features are somewhat lacking but it was awesome to see the original Video Zone.  Be sure to add this one to your collection!

     

The Invisible Man

Director - Leigh Whannell (Insidious Chapter 3, Upgrade)

Starring - Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale, Mad Men), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Haunting of Hill House, Faster), and Harriet Dyer (Black Comedy, Killing Ground)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Sci-Fi/Horror/Thriller

Tagline - "What you can't see can hurt you"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I, like many horror fans, went through a huge Universal classic monsters phase.  I couldn't get enough of these historic films.  I loved them all; Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, and so on.  I would watch these films for days and would never tire of them.  I was especially fond of The Invisible Man.  When I would watch this film I would often feel like this film was scarier than any of the other monsters.  The thought of an invisible man, smarter than most of those around him, walking undetectable amongst us was something that would give me chills.  Anyway, when news broke of the new remake I was extremely excited for it.  This was to be one of the two movies I wanted to see in theaters before Covid hit but I was too late and the world shut down.  I was forced to wait until a physical release was announced and I reached out to Universal for a review copy.

     The film follows Cee (Moss) who is in an abusive relationship.  Her husband is a brilliant scientist that has amassed a sizable fortune for himself but is severely controlling of her.  One night she drugs him and escapes to live with her friend Detective James Lanier (Aldis Hodge).  Not long after she received word that he has died and is cremated but the weight is not lifted off her shoulders.  She still feels like she is being watched and soon realizes that her suspicions are correct.

     I was extremely excited for this one but after about 15 minutes or so I found myself ready to turn it off.  I try not to bash movies, especially movies sent to me, too severely.  I try to find negatives and positives in all my reviews but I'm struggling to find any positives in this one.  The movie was a tough watch for me and I almost couldn't finish it.  However, I stuck with it...and it didn't improve. The acting on this one isn't bad.  However, the characters are the worst I've had to watch.  The film's protagonist, Cee, cried the entire film.  She made most of the films unbearable and I just wanted it to end.  I hate to be see negative but I just didn't care for Moss' portrayal of the character.  I understand she was given a character that was bullied and manipulated but scene after scene I found myself becoming angry with her instead of sympathetic.  I blame myself for this because I believe I'm turning into a hateful old man because I honestly didn't care for any of the characters in the film.  At first I almost liked Hodge's character but as the film progressed I found myself not caring for him either.  Their performances are solid but the characters are painfully dull and boring.  The story for this one is very predictable but I cant help but wonder how more entertaining the film would have been if it was told from the perspective of Adrian, Cee's husband.  The Invisible Man and 2000's Hollow Man were more about the invisible man than those around him.  Sadly, this story puts the invisible man in the back seat while we focus on Cee as she collects herself after the torture and abuse she suffers at the hands of her husband.  This would have been a compelling story if the intent was to make a drama but just doesn't work as a sci-fi horror film centered around the invisible man.  Finally, I hope you like watching people get their throats slit because this movie loves that idea.  We get some blood and solid practical effects in that regard but the film then delivers some laughable moments when we see the invisible man in his suit glitching.  The visual effects are far from perfect and deserve the laughs they receive.  Overall, The Invisible Man was the biggest let down I've had in years.  I was so fucking pumped to check this one out but was given a drama that barely made use of the invisible man himself.  Fans of the original adaptation, and even Hollow Man, will be very disappointed in this release.  

Apocalypse Road

Director - Brett Bentman (The Night Before, Hot Dog)

Starring - Kate Kohler (The Sauce, Arriving), Ashlyn McEvers (22 Jump Street, Star-Crossed), and Lance De Los Santos (1917, Breakers)

Release Date - 2016

Genre - Horror/Action

Tagline - "Run. Fight. Survive"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     My indie horror marathon is winding to a close and I have to admit that I really enjoyed myself.  When I returned from vacation I decided this was the perfect time to dive into a Wild Eye Releasing marathon.  I started with Bonejangles before leading into Clownado and Countrycide.  I enjoyed all three and decided to squeeze in one more flick.  This time I went with the 2016 post-apocalyptic tale Apocalypse Road.  I want to take a second to thank Wild Eye for once again hooking me up with another movie for review.

     The film follows two sisters who are struggling with their own pasts as they fight in a world in which civilization has crumbled.  They heard stories about safety near the coast and make an effort to get there but soon find themselves separated.  The two go very different paths but refuse to let anything come in between them reuniting.

       I was really looking forward to this one.  I love post-apocalyptic films and was really looking forward to an indie one.  Sadly, this one was more like a drama centered around sisters than an action or thriller post-apocalyptic flick.  The acting in this one is solid but the characters are extremely vanilla.  The film follows two sisters and they chose to cast two ladies that look similar.  This makes sense but due to their personalities being identical I often found myself confused as to who was who.  I get that the cast was doing the best with what they had but everyone just came across as extremely flat and easily forgettable.  The story for this one is simple and could have worked but instead of focusing more on the perils of a crumbling society we find two sisters who, in all fairness, are pretty shitty human beings that will do anything to reunite with one another.  I understand that the story was trying to portray the two as dedicated to each other but the things they do to innocent people to reach each other is despicable.   Honestly, the drama and dialogue made it a rough one to sit through.  I often found myself checking the running time to see how much longer was left.  The action was limited and the character interactions were drawn out.  Finally, the film has a few kills with some blood but don't expect scenes full of gore and carnage.  We mostly get gun shot wounds with decent effects that fit the film but nothing memorable.  Overall, Apocalypse Road is a film that has a solid story but the delivery is just all wrong.  The characters do not stand out and the story is very dialogue heavy.  I really wanted to like it but at the end of the day I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it.  Wild Eye has several amazing movies I can recommend but this is not one of them.  

Countrycide

Director - Brett Kelly (Ghastlies, My Fair Zombie)

Starring - Robin Hodge (Ouija Shark, Murder in High Heels), Joel Elliott (Unholy Night, Monster Pool: Chapter Two), and Peter Whittaker (Homicycle, Raiders of the Lost Shark)

Release Date -2017

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Welcome to the great outdoors"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last week I took a vacation and decided to distance myself from writing reviews so I could recharge my batteries so to speak.  When I returned home I was ready to dive back into my movies.  I was especially looking forward to having an indie horror marathon.  I've neglected these films recently and wanted to get back into the films that started my review career.  I decided to throw in a few Wild Eye DVDs that I've been sitting on for some time.  After watching Bonejangles and Clownado I decided to toss in the 2017 Brett Kelly film Countrycide.  I want to thank Wild Eye for always supporting Horror Society and allowing us to review your releases. 

     The film follows a young man and woman driving across country to attend a wedding.  On their journey they discover that they secretly like each other and start to see where this takes them.  After a long day driving they decide to pull over somewhere and camp.  What they don't know is that the secluded wooded area they just picked is home to three sadistic men who hunt humans.  

     I've had this one for sometime before I finally broke down to watch it.  I'm a huge fan of Wild Eye and over the years they have released some amazing films from even more amazing filmmakers.  Some of these filmmakers I am lucky enough to call friends.  However, every once in awhile they release a film with some bland artwork.  Countrycide is one of those releases.  The film was surprisingly entertaining but I can't help but judge a book by it's cover.  I was raised during the video store era and looking at the VHS slips was almost as fun as renting movies.  Regardless, I shouldn't have put this film off as long as I did because I really enjoyed it.  The acting in this one is very well done.  The characters are rather cliched and generic but the cast did a wonderful job at portraying them.  I really liked the 3 murderers and Robin Hodge did a fantastic job as the film's lead.  Sadly, these characters are not that memorable but it works for the film.  The story for this one is not nothing unique or something we haven't seen before.  However, it is still entertaining for the most part.  We do get a few scenes that feel like they drag on but if you can make it through these you will find yourself enjoying the ride.  Finally, the film does have some blood but don't expect a gore soaked horror flick.  The effects are minimal and most of the kills take place off camera.  Overall, Counrycide is a solid effort from Brett Kelly and is worth your time.  If you are looking for something that reinvents the genre you will be disappointed but if you want a solid film you have never seen before then I highly suggest grabbing this one.  

     

Die Die Delta Pi (Revisited)

Director(s) - Sean Donohue (Dead Residence, Death-Scort Service) and Chris Leto (Crazy Lake, The Housewife Slasher)

Starring - Aaron J. Nelson (Theatre of the Deranged II, Terror Talk), Krystal Pixie Adams (Earth Girls are Sleazy, Cannibal Claus), and Andrea Alfonso (Scream Dreams 2, The Housewife Slasher)

Release Date - 2013

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Its pledge week and all the girls of Delta Pi are just rushing to die"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several years ago I was lucky enough to review the Sean Donohue and Chris Leto directed slasher Die Die Delta Pi.  I remember really enjoying it for what it was and often recommended it to fans looking for indie slashers with that 80s flair.  It has been a few years since I first saw this one and it was about time I revisited it.  Sean recently contacted me to review the new blu release of the film with some additional special features..and boy are those special features entertaining.  Once again I want to thank Sean for sending this one over.

     The film follows a sorority during rush week in 1986 when hazing takes a grizzly turn.  One of the sorority's more timid rushes is accidentally knocked into the fire.  We fast forward to now and the sorority sisters of Delta Pi are being hunted one by one by an unknown killer with a vendetta.  

     I love so many different sub-genres in horror but I will always be a slasher fan.  I grew up renting them from the local video store and as I got older indie filmmakers started paying tribute to these unforgettable slashers.  Sean Donohue and Chris Leto did a fantastic job with this no budget throwback.  The acting in this one is still uneven to me.  Some of the characters are way more entertaining than others while some of the cast doesn't seem that dedicated to their role.  Which, while I'm on the topic, is one of the new special features on the blu where one of the ladies of the film has a meltdown on set because she couldn't remember her lines.  This is audio only but still highly entertaining.  The story for this one is simple and borrows heavily from the frat/sorority slashers from the mid to late 80s.  We follow a sorority where something tragic happened sometime ago and now it is coming back to bite them in the ass.  Nothing really new here but it's not about the destination but the ride.  DDDP doesn't try to bring something new to the table but makes it sleazier...which it does.  It's fun and works nicely as a double feature with other slashers from the period.  Finally, the film has kills straight from the slasher textbook.  The kills are fun and the effects are solid.  With that being said, the kills fit the film which is something I always look forward to.  Overall, Die Die Delta Pi is a fun and sleazy throwback to classic 80s slashers with plenty of boobs and blood.  The film quality is not noticeable over the DVD.  However, there is one added a special feature that really makes this one a must have for fans of indie slashers.  Check it out now on blu from Gatorblade Films.