Mother Noose Presents Once Upon a Nightmare

Director(s) - Dan Beck (Bug Saw, Blood to Blood), Eric E. Poe (MonsterDICK, Cam Girl Killer), and Richard Tanner (Frankenthug, Zombie Horror)

Starring - Erin Brown (Strip Club Massacre, Dick Shark), Jezibell Anat (The Grandson, The Corn Teen), and Jon Devlin (Joe Stryker, Amazon Hot Box)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror/Comedy/Fantasy

Tagline - "Stories to die for"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     About a year or so ago I was asked to share news about an upcoming horror anthology titled Mother Noose Presents Once Upon a Nightmare.  I was curious about this one when I saw that Joe Stryker's Jon Devlin was in it and some of the segments were directed by Frankenthug director Richard Tanner.  I was curious about this one but over time I forgot about this one until recently.  A few weeks ago I decided to finish my Misty Mundae collection.  While she has since went under her real name of Erin Brown she is still acting in indie films.  When I saw she was attached to this film I contacted Jon Devlin about getting a copy of the film.  He let me know that physical copies are not yet available but he did ask me to review the film.  Not to turn down an indie feature I gladly said yes.

     The film follows an evil story teller, Mother Noose, who is telling a series of stories to a person she has taped to a chair in hopes of raising a demon that she once loved.  

     I was really curious about this anthology.  Frankenthug was a pretty fun flick when I reviewed it sometime ago so I was excited to see how this fantasy horror anthology would play out.  I was not expecting to love it as much as I did.  It was funny, sexy at times, and very well done.  Some of the stories were not as fun as the others but I still really enjoyed myself with this one.  You can bet your sweet ass and half a tit that I'll be adding this one to my collection when it's available.  The acting in this one is pretty consistent across each segment but a few of the cast members do stand out.  The first is credited on imdb as S. Watkins who portrays Sindy in Sinderella.  This actress only has one other credit to her name but she was absolutely amazing in this segment.  She's fucking gorgeous and did a phenomenal job.  I need to see her in more films.  Another performance that really stood out was from Nathan Hamilton.  His performance as Hawker is brilliant.  He's bold and his character easily steals the scene.  As I stated earlier, everyone does a fantastic job but these two really stood out to me.  The stories in this one is mostly grim spins on classic fairly tales and it works.  The horror take on fantasy stories was just purely entertaining.  It's been a long time since I found myself having this much fun with an anthology.  The pacing is solid and each story has their own memorable moments.  With that being said, the wrap around segment started out fun enough but I just wasn't feeling how it ended.  It was a cool way to tie it into the stories but it also feels a little cheep.  Finally, the film has some bloody moments with some practical effects.  The kills are not really what stand out here but the practical and make-up effects do look great.  I specifically liked the final scene in The Real Boy.  This one really stands out to me compared to the others.  Overall, Mother Noose Presents Once Upon a Nightmare is a fun horror anthology that doesn't take itself too seriously.  It reminded me a lot of shows like Faerie Tale Theatre meets Tales from the Crypt.  The horror spins on these fantasy tales was really enjoyable.  I highly recommend this one.  You will not be disappointed.  

Wrong Turn

Director - Mike P. Nelson (Summer School, The Domestics)

Starring - Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, The Dark Knight Rises), Emma Dumont (The Gifted, Pretty Little Liars), and Charlotte Vega ([Rec] : Genesis, The Lodgers)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "This land is their land"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school the first Wrong Turn film was released.  I quickly became obsessed with it.  I rented it from the local video store a few times and when I was able to travel out to a big box store I snagged a copy of it on DVD.  In the following years I bought all the Wrong Turn films when they were released but I never bothered with watching passed the third film.  When I heard that the series was getting a reboot I was on the fence about it.  I fucking love the first two Wrong Turn films so I was apprehensive to say the least.  However, when I was given a chance to check it out I went ahead and jumped on it.  Where was this reboot going to take me?

     The film follows a group of young adults who head to Virginia to hike the Appalachian trail.  When one of them fails to check in with her father for six weeks her father visits her last known location where he learns about a local group that lives deep in the woods known as The Foundation.  They are a reclusive and self-efficient group that does not take kindly to trespassers.  His daughter and her friends have an altercation with them resulting in the death of several of her friends but she is taken as their leaders wife.  He's captured and sentenced to death but she helps him escape and flee the woods but their horrors are not behind them just yet.

     I was hesitant going into this one but I when it was all said and done I found myself really enjoying this one.  It does struggle some with pacing issues but it is easy to describe this one as a rollercoaster of a film.  We have a lot of ups and downs.  It's a fun one but I don't think the Wrong Turn title should have been used here.  There has been more horror movies set in the woods than I care to count and they were all able to pull in their own audience without having to recycle a popular brand.  This film should have done the same.  The acting in this one is pretty solid.  The characters are pretty cliched especially for a more modern contemporary setting.  The cast does a well enough job with what they were given but the characters all lacked any sort of depth.  They are easily forgettable and does very little to carry the film.  The story for this one is not a sequel of the original Wrong Turn films.  Instead, it's a reboot intended to relaunch the franchise in a new direction.  However, it lacks what made the original series so much fun. What made the Wrong Turn films so enjoyable was Three-Finger, Saw-Tooth, and One-Eye.  The inbred cannibals are what drove fans to the franchise.  Not having them, or a reimaging of them, in this reboot really makes it feel incomplete.  The movie could have used a different title and established itself as a new horror franchise instead of borrowing this title.  With that being said, it's still a fun flick.  Having a group of extremists living deep in the woods that governs themselves is nothing that far fetched.  It works on it's own and the rollercoaster like pacing does make it fun.  Finally, this one has some pretty memorable and extremely graphic death scenes.  The movie makes great use of practical effects to deliver some seriously brutal death scenes that look fantastic.  Overall, Wrong Turn is a fucking solid horror flick.  The title is a bit misleading but the movie speaks for itself.  I highly recommend it but don't expect to see inbred cannibals!

Freaky

Director - Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse)

Starring - Vince Vaughn (Brawl in Cell Block 99, Dragged Across Concrete), Kathryn Newton (Supernatural, Pokémon Detective Pikachu), and Celeste O'Connor (Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Wetlands)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Comedy/Horror

Tagline - "Basic switch.  Killer new look"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Back last year Blumhouse and Universal released the horror comedy Freaky theatrically around the time the world shut down.  Everything quickly became a mess and a lot of people started avoiding crowded places as they should.  Covid is no fucking joke.  Theaters were one of the industries that got hit the hardest which is understandable.  I wanted to watch Freaky, The Hunt, and The Invisible Man but I didn't want to risk exposing my family to Covid so I never went.  Since then most of these films has received a physical release.  A few weeks back I received the press release for Freaky and I was really fucking excited.  I reached out to them and they hooked me up with a Freaky care package with a shirt, scarf, flashlight, and a few other awesome items.  Thanks Universal and Blumhouse for hooking me up.

     The film follows high school student Millie (Newton) who finds herself waiting on her mother late at night after a football game.  However, her mother passes out drunk leaving her standed at the football stadium.  Lurking in the shadows is the local legend The Butcher (Vaughn) who has his sights set on killing Millie with an ancient dagger he just found.  Things do go as planned and the two find themselves swapped in each other's body.  Now they have 24 hours to find The Butcher in Millie's body before 24 hours or up or the swap becomes permenant.  

     I figured Freaky would be a fun one time watch that I would never give a second viewing to.  I was dead fucking wrong.  I absolutely loved this movie and I can't stop watching it.  I'm almost obsessed with it.  I think it's safe to say that Christopher Landon has become one of my favorite directors of the modern era.  His movies are just so much fun and Freaky is probably the most entertaining.  The acting in this one is great.  Vaughn delivers what I would consider my favorite performance of his.  Most know him for his comedic roles but these films, aside from a couple, are movies that I don't really care for.  It was until I saw Brawl in Cell Block 99 that I considered him to be a serious actor.  This film takes the comical roles that he is known for and meshes it with the more serious films he has taken in recent years.  It's funny but not a role I would associate with him. Seeing Vaughn priss around as a teenage girl is fucking hilarious but he also delivers a solid slasher performance as well.  The same can be said about Kathryn Newton.  Her dual performance mirrors Vaughns.  She's an innocent teen fighting for her life before flipping and is turned into a ruthless killer limited by her age and gender.  It was fun watching these two interact with each other and copy mannerisms.  The supporting cast is great as well with some memorable characters  that are brought to life but these two carry the film.  The story for this one is a slasher spin on Freaky Friday which is not a surprise to any film fan.  The title and story both are inspired by Freaky Friday but this slasher spin really makes it fun.  The film starts out with a bang, does slow down in the middle, and then the ending picks up the pace yet again.  The humor hits hard, the horror elements do miss its mark at times, and the slasher storyline is a little cliched but all this works in the film's favor.  Finally, the film has some seriously brutal and gory deaths.  The slasher aspect of this one rings lound and clear at times with some memorable deaths with unforgettable practical effects.  The most stuck up horror snobs would really appreciate these kills.  Overall, Freaky is an absolutely blast.  It's just fun.  It doesn't try to be a serius horror film and it doesn't go over the top with the comedy.  It finds a fine line and walks it.  I fucking loved it and if you are open to you I'm sure you will as well.  I highly recommend this one.  

Panic Beats

Director - Paul Naschy (The Night of the Executioner, The Beast and the Magic Sword)

Starring - Paul Naschy, Julia Saly (Night of the Werewolf, Demon Witch Child), and Lola Gaos (Blood Hunt, My Dear Killer)

Release Date - 1983

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A blood-soaked tale of revenge from beyond the grave"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm a huge fan of Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy.  If you have read my reviews for any length of time you've noticed that I've reviewed a few dozen or so of his films by this point with almost all of them getting a positive rating.  I love his films and I seem to have a rather larger love for the films that he has directed.  A few days ago Mondo Macabro sent out three of their newest releases for me to review.  Queens of Evil was my favorite of the bunch but the second film, Blood Ceremony, did not disappoint either.  I decided to end my marathon with Naschy's Panic Beats.  This is one I've wanted to see for sometime but never had a chance until now.  Thank you Mondo and CAV for sending this one over.

     The film follows Paul (Naschy) who takes his ill wife to his family manor deep in the country in hopes of the quiet living would help her with her heart condition.  However, he is only doing this to look like a loving husband on the surface.  Instead, he hopes of scaring her to death with helps of his mistress.  His mistress, a woman even more evil than Paul, has other plans for Paul which invokes the wrath of his ancestor who returns when any of his bloodline is wronged.

     There is just something about the films of Paul Naschy from the mid-to-late 70s but I don't think I had seen any of his work in the 80s.  Panic Beats has his usual style and tension but the 80s look is a little different even though it is just a few years disconnect from his other films that I had seen previously.  I really enjoyed this one and how the story was not what you expect.  The acting in this one is great.  We get another duel role from Naschy himself.  Both characters are similar to his other roles from previous films but that doesn't make them any less entertaining.  With that being said, his supporting cast carries the film a hell of a lot further than his performance did.  The characters are so well written and the cast does a phenomenal job bringing them to life.  The story for this one is a bit of a slow paced one.  The character development carries the story through the slower scenes and the ending makes it all worth the wait.  The slow moving story works with the atmosphere Naschy crafts and the tension during some of the later scenes is absolutely perfect for the scene.  Naschy has always been known for his roles in horror but you never hear people mention how much of an amazing director he was.  Finally, the film has several bloody deaths that I was not expecting.  The kills themselves use the bright red blood but the practical effects are absolutely amazing.  They are brutal and Naschy milks the deaths for every second he can.  Overall, Panic Beats is a must for any fans of Naschy or Spanish horror in general.  I absolutely loved it but some of you may not enjoy the slow build up.  Regardless, this is a great release from Mondo and I highly suggest that collectors snag this one.  

Blood Ceremony

Director - Jorge Grau (Story of a Girl Alone, Violent Blood Bath)

Starring - Lucia Bose (The House of the Doves, The Guest), Espartaco Santoni (Lisa and the Devil, The Feast of Satan), and Ewa Aulin (Death Smiles on a Murderer, Death Laid an Egg)

Release Date - 1973

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A nightmare tale of depravity"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I really respect what Mondo Macabro is doing.  Instead of focusing on movies that everyone has seen countless times, they bring international horror and exploitation titles to us.  These releases are hit and miss with me but I really do appreciate the hard work they put into these releases that may not be for everyone.  A few days ago I received a few Mondo releases for review.  Among them was Blood Ceremony, aka Ceremonia Sangrienta.  The film was edited and released in the US on VHS as The Legend of Blood Castle.  I was curious about seeing the unedited version.  Thanks Mondo for sending this one over.  

      The film follows a mean-spirited countess that discovers that blood makes her skin ageless.  Soon she finds herself obsessed with bathing in blood to retain her youth.  The townspeople believe that a vampire is among them but countess, along with her husband, kill for blood to fulfil her desire to remain young.  

     I went into this one still high on Queens of Evil.  Queens was a fantastic horror film that blended amazing atmosphere with psychedelic's.  It was an absolute blast.  Blood Ceremony was a solid horror fair but it did have it's own issues.  It's far from perfect but I enjoyed what it brought to the table.  The acting in this one is solid but nothing that really stands out.  The cast does a well enough job to progress the story but the characters don't really stand out.  I really wanted some of the characters to stand out but their performances were very one dimensional and easily forgettable.  The story for this one is one of the many film adaptations centered around the legend of Countess Bathory.  Here it blends a gothic murder mystery with vampirism.  I actually enjoyed the story and how it was delivered.  It does get a little clunky at times and some of the scenes is a little confusing but if you stick with it, it can be a lot of fun.  Finally, this one has plenty of blood but if you want some gore to go along with it you will be very disappointed.  The film makes good use with the blood and how it fits to the story but if you are looking for great practical effects you will not find them here.  Overall, Blood Ceremony has a solid cast and plenty of blood but the story is the film's hook.  It's entertaining but doesn't really have much of a rewatch value.  The blu release looks great as well which is what you can expect from all Mondo Macabro releases.  It's well worth it.  

Queens of Evil

Director - Tonino Cervi (The Naked Sun, Butterfly)

Starring - Haydee Politoff (The Collector, Young Wolves), Silvia Monti (Blackie the Pirate, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin), and Evelyn Stewart (The Psychic, Syndicate Sadists)

Release Date - 1970

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love getting random ass horror movies in for review.  As a collector there is nothing more exciting than opening a package and seeing a new movie in the box.  A few days back I was surprised by a package from Mondo Macabro which I was not expecting.  I had requested their three newest releases but I never received word back on if they were coming or not.  I couldn't make my mind up on which movie to watch first and decided to go with 1970's Queens of Evil. 

     The film follows a hippie who accidentally kills a man in a car.  When the police arrives he flees into the surrounding woods to hide when he finds a shed.  He believes it to be abandoned and spends the night.  However, he awakens the following day to find three beautiful sisters who inhabit the house beside the shed.  The invite him in and welcome him into their home.  He is entranced with their beauty but feels as if something is off with them.  After a few days he of spending time with them in the day and sleeping in their shed he decided to venture into their home at night.  After finding it empty he goes into the woods to find them performing some sort of ritual.  They find him and invite him in for the night.  The next day he meets some of the other people from the local community and that night their real intentions are revealed.

     Queens of Evil is one I had never heard about prior to receiving the press release from CAV about the Mondo Macabro release.  With that being said, I fucking love this movie after checking it out.  It's atmospheric, intriguing, and ends in brilliant fashion.  I'm shocked more genre fans have not been talking about this early 70s underrated classic.  It's brilliant.  The acting in this one is absolutely amazing.  The three sisters carry every scene they are in.  They are mesmerizing in every second of screen time they have and their characters are so mysterious and enthralling.  Also, Ray Lovelock is amazing as the hippie with a curious side.  He works so well with the three sisters and does a fantastic job in the film.  The supporting cast doesn't have that much screen time but they are solid.  Nothing that memorable but not bad.  The story for this one makes you think it's going to go one way and be one type of film but changes on you.  You are given something completely different that is trippy and eerie at the same time.  This is the type of movie people are referring to as a "bad trip."  I loved the beginning, middle, and end.  The character development, reveal, and slow burn ending is absolutely brilliant.  Finally, this film has some blood but nothing that really stands out.  We have only one real death scene but it's the worst aspect of the film.  We have some blood and one of the lackluster death's I've witnessed in horror.  It doesn't take away from the fi lm but doesn't really contribute either.  Overall, Queens of Evil is an amazing and extremely underrated early 70s Italian psychodelic horror trip.  I fucking loved and I love the work Mondo put into this release.  Genre fans really did this release for their collections.  Well worth the price!

The Quacky Slasher

Director - Peter McKeirnon (Dead Town, The Dog Walker)

Starring - Andrew Butterworth (The Dog Walker, Dead Town), Neil Gallagher (Good Tidings, Coronation Street), and Michael Hagen (Creed, Queer as Folk)

Release Date - 2017

Genre - Comedy/Horror

Tagline - "Don't fuck with the duck"

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the stupid side of no budget horror.  As most of you may have noticed, I review a lot of movies with some crazy titles.  Movies like Death Toilet, The Living Placenta, Slimebox, and so on.  I love these wild no budget movies that consistent of more imagination than budget.  They are extremely fun to watch and rarely let me down.  A few night ago I was browsing through social media when I came across the Facebook page for The Quacky Slasher.  This is the kind of movie that I need in my life so I reached out to them to see how I could get a copy.  Sadly, they no longer had them but I could still check it out on YouTube.

     The film follows the deranged Michael Quackers who witnessed some wild ducks savagely eating his father (he had a heart attack and they were actually eating the bread he was feeding them).  From that moment on he was locked away...that is until one day he escapes, dons a duck mask, and goes on a murderous rampage.

     I didn't expect The Quacky Slasher to be the slasher to revitalize my love for slashers.  I went into it expecting some cheap laughs and fun puns.  What I was given was some funny moments and some cheap slasher inspired kills.  I really enjoyed this one and I'm kicking myself for missing the physical release of this one.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but the cast does a solid job bringing the laughs.  They really get into their characters which helps the viewer look passed the budget constraints.  The characters are hit and miss.  Some are absurd and memorable while others are one dimensional and cliched.  The story for this one is short and sweet but really does bring together a lot of the slasher tropes and clichés.  I love shorts because they don't waste time.  The Quacky Slasher goes straight into the murdering and then we have a little comical revelation about who the killer is and his backstory, before moving on to the parody ending that pokes fun to classics like Halloween.  I really liked what they did here and I loved the humor.  Finally, the kills are nothing that spectacular but a few of the practical effects gags were pretty impressive considering this shorts budget and experience.  It's nothing we haven't seen before but it was still fun to watch.  Overall, The Quacky Slasher will not be for everyone.  I know I've said that before but this short slasher is not for fans of op horror.  It's for those of us that grew up on Troma, USA Up All Night, and MonsterVision.  If you like the goofy side of cinema then I highly recommend spinning this one.  

Frat House

Director - David Worth (Kickboxer, Shark Attack 2)

Starring - Bruce Dobos (Star Trek: Nemesis, Senseless), Michael Parker (Pro-Ball Cheerleaders, Ultre Flesh), and Turk Lyon (Taboo, Hot Dallas Nights)

Release Date - 1979

Genre - Comedy

Tagline - "It's the HOTTEST frat at Faulk University.  Good ol' Faulk U!"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     In 1978 director John Landis teamed up with writers Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller to create National Lampoon's Animal House starring John Belushi, Peter Riegert, and Tim Matheson.  The film was a hit and would go on to become the definitive college film.  The movie has spawned several parodies, cheap imitations, and direct rip-offs, as well as, influenced countless more.  In 1979 David Worth was tasked with creating an adult film that was obviously inspired by the the college comedy.  That film would be Frat House which was one of two releases in December from Vinegar Syndrome.  After watching High School Fantasies it only made sense to spin this one after.

     The film follows the brothers of the local fraternity who has an ongoing game.  That game is to see how many times they can get laid throughout the semester.  

     I had a lot of fun with High School Fantasies and was really looking forward to Frat House.  The film wasn't as fun but it was still extremely entertaining.  It made for a great sleazy double feature.  The acting in this one not bad but the characters are very linear and one dimensional.  It's obvious they are here for the sex scenes and put very little attempt at creating a character to carry the story.  That's one of the biggest problems with sexploitation.  You either get movies that are story driven with boring sex scenes or sex forward films with no story.  It's rarely even and consistent.  The cast makes this one sex heavy.  The story for this one is pretty straight forward and works on the sexploitation level.  A bunch of frat guys spending all their time trying to get laid is pretty well grounded and realistic.  It's fun, for the most part, and works on the sleazy side.  With that being said, the film does feel rather repetitive at times which makes it a bit dull here and there.  Finally, there is no blood and gore in this one as you would expect but there is plenty of nudity and sex if that is more your speed.  Overall, Frat House is a fun and sleazy good time from the folks over at Vin Syn.  The blu looks great and it's perfect pairing with High School Fantasies.  I highly recommend it.  

High School Fantasies

Director - James Bryan (Hell Riders, The Executioner Part II)

Starring - Rene Bond (Disco Lady, Girl in a Basket), Larry Barnhouse (Hitler's Harlot, Beach Blanket Bango), and Ric Lutze (Sunny side Up, Video Tramp)

Release Date - 1974

Genre - Comedy

Tagline - "A fabulous flash of the 50's"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been tearing through a lot of horror releases over the last few weeks.  I love my genre but too much of a good thing can become boring after awhile.  After digging into some no budget features and a horror documentaries I've decided to take a break from horror for a day or two.  In December Vinegar Syndrome released two adult flicks.  The first one is 1974's High School Fantasies from director James Bryan who also directed Hell Riders and The Executioner Part II.  Genre fans should be very familiar with these two titles.  

     The film follows a lonely nerd who is trying to get laid but has a crush on high school hottie Marry Lou (Bond).  She refuses to give him the time of day so he tries to find it elsewhere.  The high school jock sends him on a wild goose chase looking for Spanish fly.  After some mis-adventures he returns empty handed.  This gives the jock the idea to make his own to trick the nerd.  However, their own brand of Spanish Fly seems to work so they use it on the ladies at school.  That is until their little game backfires and the nerd is able to land Mary Lou.

     It had been a minute since my last sexploitation review so I was looking forward to spinning this one.  Honestly, I really was looking forward to checking out a sexploitation flick set in the 50s starring Rene Bond.  The movie was fun, sleazy, and unexpectedly funny.   The acting in this one is pretty solid especially for a sexploitation flick from the early 70s.  When Vinegar Syndrome started releasing these films with Rene Bond I quickly fell in love with her.  She's gorgeous and naturally comfortable on screen but sometimes her performances are a little underwhelming.  She uses her looks to get by on camera instead of actually acting.  Here she uses both which works.  With that being said, the rest of the cast delivers some funny over the top performances with high energy characters that is rather uncommon for sexploitation flicks.  They are fun and you can tell they really enjoyed coming to set.  The story for this one is a little coming of age comedy mixed with 50s stereotypes and lots of sex.  I actually enjoyed it and the humor but it's not something that I could see myself watching again.  Finally, no blood or gore in this one as you suspected but there is plenty of nudity and sex so if that's your thing then this one is for you.  Overall, High School Fantasies is a fun sexploitation flick that has memorable characters and a solid story.  If you are looking for a fun late night skin flick then let this one be it.  The blu from Vinegar Syndrome looks great.  They never disappoint so check it out.  

Direct to Video

Director - Dustin Ferguson (Angry Asian Murder Hornets, Stale Popcorn and Sticky Floors)

Starring - Clint Howard (Ice Cream Man, Addams Family Reunion), Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet), and Tiffany Shepis (Tales of Halloween, Scarecrow)

Release Date - 2019

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Straight to video horror of the 90s"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been having fun with these horror documentaries from director Dustin Ferguson.  Both of his Penny Pincher films are very solid and his Stale Popcorn and Sticky Floors doc is a must see for genre fans.  After watching a few genre films I decided to visit yet another horror doc from Ferguson.  This time I'm digging into his 2019 doc Direct to Video.  I grew up in the 90s so most of my time was spent renting a lot of these movies from Dewey's Video, my local video store.  I couldn't wait to check this one out and hear some amazing stories about the making of these movies that I grew up enjoying.  

     The film interviews several actors, directors, and effects artist who worked on the genres most popular direct to video releases of the 90s.  They discuss the budgets, issues with filming, and the stigma that the "direct to video" label has with it.  

      The original artwork (featured above) has Julie from Return of the Living Dead III which really made this one a must see for me.  The doc wasn't as insightful as I was hoping but it was still a lot of fun.  I really appreciate that these often overlooked movies are getting some much needed attention.  The interviews in this one really shed some light on some of these classic films while giving fans some amazing stories about the making of the films.  A lot of the stories I heard in this was the first time I heard them.  By this point in my life I've watched so many different horror docs and most of them tell the same old stories and facts about films that EVERYONE has seen so it was cool to see movies rarely mentioned explored to this depth.  With that being said, I feel like the movies represented here did not get enough screen time.  Direct to Video should be a series with each episode focused on a specific movie.  I'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult to get several cast and crew members from a lot of these films to discuss their roles, filming, and behind the scenes.  The topics discussed in this one is focused more on each film instead of the different aspects of the films.  I enjoyed that approach here better than it was handled in the previous Ferguson docs.  I really enjoyed that each segment was split up by film instead of by topis.  With that being said, I still feel that the films discussed did not get enough time to fully explore them.  Finally, the editing in this one is smooth and very professional.  Out of all the horror docs I've seen from Ferguson I believe this is his most professional and pieced together doc.  It looks great and works.  Overall, Direct to Video is a must see for any fan that grew up during the VHS era of horror.  It's fun and brings on a wave of nostalgia.  Check it out.