NEVER OPEN THE DOOR (Blu-ray Review)

USA/2014
Directed By: Vito Trabucco
Written By: Christopher Maltauro, Vito Trabucco
Starring: Jessica Sonneborn, Mike Wood, Deborah Venegas
Black & White/64 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: December 6, 2016

The Film
A group of friends spending Thanksgiving together at a secluded house in the forest have their good time shaken when a stranger bangs at the door and spits blood all over one of the girls and collapses upon entering the house managing only to point at one of the men and say "never open the door" before dying. What follows is a horrifically bizarre night of twisted timelines, fake identities and bloodshed.

NEVER OPEN THE DOOR lost me almost as soon as the creative and well done opening credit sequence was over. The credits had an almost German Expressionistic look and feel to them and I'm always a fan of a director taking time to make his credit sequence something special. As soon as they end we're submitted to a sequence lasting several minutes of a POV shot of something sprinting through the woods interlaced with the six friends sitting around the dinner table and the entire time I asked myself why these people are friends. They all seem to absolutely despise each other deep down but disguise it on the surface as good natured ribbing. Friends can rip on friends and laugh it off but these people were taking every chance they could to lay in to someone else, down their entire existence or even try to one up everyone there, including their wife who just announced her pregnancy. It's quite obvious nobody in this group really respects each other and frankly most of them weren't very likable either. With no reason to care about any of these people or how their night turns out the only thing left to keep me interested was the identity of the stranger and why this is all happening in the first place.

Unfortunately the script just doesn't do it. A mish mash of psychological horror, characters turning evil and disappearing and reappearing, random men stalking the house in the shadows and piss poor CGI effects all fail to be interesting. The cast is uneven, perhaps as a result of a screenplay that has characters changing so often they could never settle in. The cinematography is the easily the best technical aspect of the film. It's a stark, understated black and white look that adds a dream like feeling that helps the overall atmosphere of the film. Sadly that's all I've got to say about Vito Trabucco's NEVER OPEN THE DOOR, it has a bit of style that I admire but the idea puts the writing in to the deep end of the pool with no floaties and it can't swim.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray from Maltauro Entertainment looks quite good, letting the stark photography of the film which is it's best quality, shine. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is clean and has good detail levels while black levels are deep with no signs of compression or blocking. The English audio mix is stable and steady coming through strong and clear. There's no distracting imperfections to mention.

The Extras
-Interview with Director Vito Trabucco
-Interview with Producer Christopher Maltauro
-Interview with actress Jessica Sonneborn
-Trailer
-Photo Gallery

The Bottom Line
NEVER OPEN THE DOOR is unsuccessful foundation in setting up likable, realistic characters which doesn't allow for it's loftier ambitions to have a chance. It's an obvious skip when my favorite part of the film is the opening credits sequence.

NEVER OPEN THE DOOR is available HERE

THE ID (Hutson Ranch Media - Blu-ray Review)

USA/2016
Directed By: Thommy Hutson
Written By: Sean H. Stewart
Starring: Amanda Wyss, Patrick Peduto, Jamye Grant
Color/87 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: October 25, 2016

The Film
Amanda Wyss stars as Meredith, a middle aged woman living for little else than to care for her sick father. Their relationship isn't good as Meredith's father is abusive toward her every chance he gets. A phone call from an old high school friend gives Meredith a small light in her life but quickly pushes her to the brink of a broken mind.

THE ID is a small production, using a single location and only a handful of characters to tell its story. Amanda Wyss carries the film with a strong performance of a middle aged woman who has been stunted in her mental growth by an abusive father. Meredith still lives in her childhood home in a bedroom decorated with high school banners from over 20 years ago. Her only interaction with the outside world is with the girl who delivers food for her father daily but their interactions are brief and usually end abruptly with Meredith being cold and rude. She is not to blame for how she handles interactions with other people as her father, played disgustingly and perfectly by Patrick Peduto, is an absolute piece of shit to her going as far as spitting in her face and pissing his pants on purpose and laughing in his daughter's face while she has to change him.

Meredith's mind is already a mess as she has visions of killing her father and slips into these visions frequently. When her old high school boyfriend Ted looks her up for a reunion Meredith slips further into a damaged state, while something nice has happened to her and gives her something to look forward to, her Father berates her over it calling her a whore and saying she can't go which only makes things in Meredith's mind that much worse. When the reunion finally happens Ted and his wife find an obviously disturbed woman, living in a reality that doesn't exist and cut their trip short but that's only the start of Meredith's problems.

THE ID is small and tight. It's driven by characters and their performances. Wyss and Peduto are really good together, and they endure a lot. My gripes with the film are minor and deal with the writing particularly dealing with the Ted scene. Ted and Meredith hadn't seen each other since they graduation 28 years earlier, how close could they have been if they didn't have contact in nearly three decades? I understand that in her mental state Meredith could make it the big deal she did when hearing from Ted but what are the chances that after nearly 30 years a happily married man with children randomly looks up an old high school girlfriend out of the blue and then fails to mention his wife and surprises Meredith with her on arrival? That didn't make any sense to me and felt like a plot hole that could have been fixed. It doesn't take away from my overall enjoyment and appreciation from the film but it's not so big that much would have to change to fix it.

Thommy Hutson does a nice job directing this film, it's not overly stylish but he's competent in doing what needs to be done to let the film organically shine. This is a psychological thriller based around a bastardized relationship of a father and his daughter and their brief and tragic encounters with the outside world. Don't let THE ID fly under your radar as it is well worth your time.

The Audio & Video
Hutson Ranch Media releases THE ID on region free Blu-ray with a nice looking 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen Scope aspect ratio transfer. The film has a natural color palette which is pleasing to the eye along with strong finer details and skin tones. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix is free of any background noise or imperfections and has a stable mix.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary with Director Thommy Hutson
-"Needs, Wants & Desire: Behind The Scenes Of THE ID"
-Deleted and Alternate Scenes
-Additional Behind-The-Scenes Footage
-Audition Clips
-Photo Gallery
-Trailers

The Bottom Line
THE ID is a really solid modern psychological thriller that deserves to be seen.

THE ID is available HERE

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA (DVD Review) - Wild Eye Releasing

Australia/2014
Directed By: Stuart Simpson
Written By: Addison Heath
Starring: Glenn Maynard, Kyrie Capri, Aston Elliot
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: May 24, 2016

The Film
Warren is a lonely and totally awkward ice cream truck driver obsessed with a soap opera star named Katie. He also has to deal with a shitty bully who is trying to run him out of his favorite spot while stealing ice cream cones. One day fate shines down on Warren and Katie visits his truck while on break from filming in the area and they strike up a friendship. Katie visits the truck a few more times over the next several days and eventually agrees to go out to dinner with Warren but when he arrives to pick her up for their date she blows him off and Warren suffers a breakdown of the worst kind.

I went into CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA knowing very little about it other than it was marketed as a horror film to the best of my knowledge and one look at the DVD cover art would make anyone think that this film is about a killer ice cream man. I'd have been fine with that premise as it is a fine idea for a horror film even if it has been done several times in the last twenty years. This is not a killer ice cream man film. This is the story of Warren, portrayed brilliantly by Glenn Maynard as a troubled man, dealing with issues and life events that have plagued him for a long time and trying to make his way in the world. He's a genuine and kind soul that is sadly damaged mentally. His shyness and overall awkwardness can't be mistaken for psychosis however as he is not a violent man, he's a loving man that has no real way of showing it but in strange introverted ways. It's not until a series of events starting with his accidental killing of his pet cat to being tormented daily by some local thugs and eventually the love of his life rejecting him that he finally loses control.

It's an emotional journey for the audience to watch Warren slip further and further from reality, it's entirely possible the Katie's visits to the truck are nothing more than fantasy, and deeper and deeper into a broken mental state. It's difficult to watch Warren when he snaps as it is one of the most intense and disturbing mental breakdowns in memory. There are lighthearted comedic moments but most of the comedy has a bit of a dark side and the film's final five minutes turn into what you'd expect from the artwork.

Director Stuart Simpson keeps the film tight in terms of locations and characters. It's a small scale production giving us a glimpse into Warren's everyday life. It all works towards the film's success.

The Audio & Video
Wild Eye Releasing delivers an attractive looking anamoprhic widescreen transfer on DVD with excellent clarity and colors for standard definition. There's nothing much to say about this release other than only an HD treatment would improve it. The English audio is much of the same, handled with care and featuring a stable mix free of distortions or damage.

The Extras
-Audio Commentary With Director Stuart Simpson
-Behind The Scenes
-Deleted Scenes
-"Baby Did A Bat Bat Thing" Short Film
-"Round The Block" Full Episode

The Bottom Line
I wasn't expecting what CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA ended up being but that didn't hamper my enjoyment. This is a character piece that is well worth the 80 minute investment it requires and if you're a fan of very dark comedies you'll want to seek this one out.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY VANILLA is available HERE

THE PERFECT HUSBAND - Artsploitation Films (Blu-ray Review)

Italy/2014
Directed By: Lucas Pavetto
Written By: Lucas Pavetto
Starring: Bret Roberts, Gabriella Wright
Color/85 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: July 26, 2016

The Film
Nicola and Viola are recovering from a miscarriage of their first child and decide to take a trip to a family cabin in the woods to rekindle the flame of their marriage and work through some issues but the weekend quickly turns into a violent, paranoid blood rage that will leave both husband and wife fighting for their life.

THE PERFECT HUSBAND is my first exposure to Italian filmmaker Lucas Pavetto and I hope I run into his work again soon if it's up to par with THE PERFECT HUSBAND. The film is in English and the production features actors from English speaking backgrounds but it is quickly apparent that Pavetto's first language isn't English. While there's no major issues with dialogue there are little things throughout that just don't sound like how native English speakers would talk. It's not a major issue however, and that is one of my biggest problems with the movie. Otherwise I think the acting is very good with strong performances from both Gabriella Wright and Bret Roberts. Roberts giving an especially raw performance that channels his inner Jack Nicholson from The Shining.

There's actually quite a few things that remind me of Stanley Kubrick's classic film that was adapted from a Stephen King novel. Lucas Pavetto's use of a secluded setting to isolate a couple that isn't in the best mental state, all the way down to Nicola's wardrobe and appearance consisting of a plaid shirt, disheveled hair all while creating mayhem with an axe. The strong psychological element is also present however in a different way.

THE PERFECT HUSBAND is a violent film, with lots of blood spraying around and thankfully the majority of the effects are practical. There was only one moment that stood out as poorly rendered CGI blood. At times it can be an uneasy viewing experience from several viewpoints. On top of the bloody violence there's also rape, physical abuse that doesn't hold back and the broken psyche of a couple on the edge of a total breakdown. Throughout the majority of the film there's never a true protagonist as both Nicola and Viola have plenty of moments where the audience is given plenty of reason to find them quite unlikeable and at fault for at least some of the problems this marriage is faced with. Then the finale hits and reveals the truth which sort of flips the film on its head. I found the ending to be a bit hamfisted and clunky, perhaps on future viewings knowing it is coming would make it a bit smoother but on this first time viewing it hits like a bout of turbulence in an airplane - It comes out of nowhere, it's shaky and thankfully it didn't ruin the journey. It works but it could have been much smoother.

The Audio & Video
The Blu-ray from Artsploitation Films is gorgeous. The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio transfer is sharp with vivid colors, including deep crimson reds and inky blacks. Detail is strong in everything from textures of clothing to surfaces such as the wood in the cabin or the rough rocks at a waterfall. There's no damage or excessive DNR to this very nice looking disc. The English audio is handled with a 5.1 surround sound mix that has a sparkling crystal clear mix. Dialogue and music never compete for the foreground as they compliment each other as they should. The audio is free of distracting background noise or any distortions.

The Extras
Extra features include the original short film, a behind the scenes featurette and a selection of trailers.

The Bottom Line
THE PERFECT HUSBAND is well made, bloody violent and carried by great performances. Well worth your time.

THE PERFECT HUSBAND is available HERE

FEVER - Artsploitation Films (DVD Review)

France/2014
Directed By: Raphael Neal
Written By: Raphael Neal, Alice Zeniter
Starring: Martin Loizillon, Pierre Moure, Julie-Marie Parmentier
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: May 24, 2016

The Film
A pair of high school students commit a murder with no motive and for no real reason and have gotten away with it until a neighbor makes a possible connectino to them. The teens now have to worry if she really has proof it was them but their own conciesnce may break on them first.

FEVER is a psychological drarma/thriller partially based on the Leopold and Loeb case from the 1920s but frankly the film is never as interesting as the story of that case or other works that used the famous case as a foundation. While the film is technically sound, including straight forward and competent direction from Raphael Neal and performances from the entire cast that don't have a real weak spot it's simply a boring film. I never felt a deep connection to either of the boys and again, it wasn't due to their acting, it was just that there was never anything in the script to connect the audience to them.

When the film starts the crime has already been committed, we only see with them as they handle it over the passing days as their time in high school is coming to an end and there's never a key moment that could be seen as more important than any other. It's just time passing, saying they'll never break until one of them possibly does. It's a waste of a good cast that is capable of putting on good performances because the script doesn't give them anything to do.

I wish I had more to say about FEVER but I really don't. It is what it is.

The Audio & Video
Artsploitation Films gives FEVER an attractive DVD release for it's North American home video debut. The film has a strong, sharp look with vivid colors and a nice overall clarity that I think could only be improved upon with a HD scan and presentation. The French language audio is handled through a crisp sounding and crystal clear 5.1 surround mix that is stable and well mixed throughout. English subtitles are included and are timed perfectly and read naturally.

The Extras
A trailer is included with a small selection of trailers for other Artsploitation releases.

The Bottom Line
The idea behind FEVER is an interesting one but the film didn't strike a visceral chord or an emotional note with me which left me feeling distant and uninterested from the characters and their story.

FEVER is available HERE

REGRESSION - Anchor Bay (Blu-ray Review)

Spain, Canada/2015
Directed By: Alejandro Amenabar
Written By: Alejandro Amenabar
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Emma Watson, David Thewlis
Color/106 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: May 10 2016

The Film
In 1990 a wave of fear involving Satanic cults has swept the country and in Minnesota detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) has been assigned a case of Angela (Emma Watson) who has accused her father of ritualistic rape and torture. Her father has blocked the memories and undergoes regressive memory therapy to help him relive memories that open the door on a much bigger and deeper mystery.

Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar (The Others), REGRESSION is an engaging psychological thriller with roots its roots planted in horror films from the 60s and 70s. The story and characters make REGRESSION the film it is and carry it so that it doesn't need to rely on shocks and scares. Ethan Hawke is dynamic and strong as detective Kenner and Emma Watson is perfect as the traumatized victim who gets our sympathy. The darkness she's dealing with and a family she can't confide in make us want to hold and shelter Angela, giving her protection from the physical and mental demons. Along with David Thewlis who is great as the psychologist on the case, the entire cast is great and make Amenabar's sometimes emotionally trying script feel real.

While REGRESSION is mainly a character and story piece, there are a few creepy scenes including flashbacks of black mass and cult rituals. These scenes aren't overly explicit but instead use atmosphere, setting and camerawork to be downright unsettling. REGRESSION has a very oppressive look and feel to it. It's dreary, cold and overcast and that helps build a sense of paranoia in Detective Kenner as the story goes along and he finds himself getting deeper into something that he may not be ready for.

When the credits began to roll I found myself satisfied with REGRESSION and the twists and turns it took. The film plays on the emotions of the viewers and it is entirely possible you'll feel betrayed or cheated by the way it plays out but that is a good thing in this case. I don't think REGRESSION was perfect as some characters come in to play as a major player but are left to do very little of any significance and the story's resolution happens abruptly and it isn't the easiest pill to swallow when it does but the problems REGRESSION has don't nearly stop it from being a well made psychological piece filled with good performances.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay's Blu-ray of REGRESSION has all of the bells and whistles as far as the A/V is concerned. The anamorphic widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio transfer is pristine. Colors are reproduced with perfection in regards to the look of the film and the black levels are super deep and inky. Skin tones are healthy with a natural flesh tone and no signs of waxiness or excessive DNR. A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix handles the English audio in a dynamic and powerful mix with crystal clarity. There's no trouble with background noise, distortions or damage and there are optional English and Spanish subtitles.

The Extras
Four short featurettes are included, that unfortunately largely repeat content.

-Ethan Hawke on "Bruces Obsession"
-Emma Watson on "The Complexity Of Angela"
-The Cast of REGRESSION
-The Vision of REGRESSION

The Bottom Line
REGRESSION deals with a lot of deeper issues than the surface of a psychological thriller mystery movie will show on the surface. It succeeds at being creepy and unsettling at times while being a relatively smart film.

REGRESSION is available HERE

April Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge 2016 - Days 20, 21, 22

4/20 DUUUUDEEEEEEE. Smoke weed or something. Also, Hitler was born that day. Not worth celebrating the biggest piece of shit of the 20th century but it is a reason to watch Nazisploitation flicks so I watched one - ELSA FRAULEIN SS - This one wasn't as exploitative, violent or offensive as many of films in the genre but it was also a bit better made with solid performances and a decent story and there's still plenty of sex and violence. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Cirio Santiago decided to make another visit, this being the fourth film I've watched from the Filipino  director this month and it is yet another winner. DUNE WARRIORS is trashy post-apocalyptic action starring David Carradine. It's packed with cool cars, flame throwers, sword fights, wimpy leaders and the lamest name for a main villain of all time. It's campy, cheap and incredibly fun.

April 21st had no viewings. It was one of those days where I wasn't in a particularly good mood to begin with and then the passings of Chyna who was a major part of WWE during a time that I was growing up with wrestling and Prince who I need not mention how legendary he is but I will say that I think he's somehow underrated in ways, if that's even possible. Those things combined made it so that I wasn't in the mood to sit down and watch anything.

Day 22 was a strong comeback though. The first of three movies on the day was SCHRAMM. Jorg Buttgereit's fourth feature film is my favorite of his and his most polished in my opinion. It has all of the sick shit that his previous films such as Nekromantik and Der Todesking had and raises the level of his writing and the performances he gets from his cast. This is a great film that just got a Blu-ray release and I have reviewed the brand new boxset of Buttgereit's films so you should check out that video right here.

Next up was a movie I've pretty much fallen in love with immediately. While I don't think it's a perfect film it does what many contemporary Gialli fail at - feeling authentic to their original period. Many newer Gialli try to feel authentic without being able to really capture the true look and feel. FRANCESCA is a 2015 film straight from Italy and while it has it's flaws it has a solid story, interesting murder sequences and stylish direction. All of the Giallo tropes are present without it feeling disingenuous. I highly recommend Giallo fans checking out FRANCESCA.

The night ended with NUKIE - The 1987 E.T. ripoff set largely in Africa. Yeah... I have seen a couple scenes from this and the trailer but sitting down to watch this on VHS was really an experience. It's a terrible movie with some of the most obvious and glaring plot holes I've ever seen. Nukie, the main alien character and his twin brother are fairly creepy looking, nothing a child would want to encounter. To be fair I feel that way about E.T. as well. NUKIE is awful but I think everyone should see it once just to know about it.

Today's Rundown
Elsa Fraulein SS - 6/10
Dune Warriors - 7/10
Schramm - 8.5/10
Francesca - 7/10
Nukie - 3/10

PIGS - Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray Review)

USA/1973
Directed By: Marc Lawrence
Written By: Marc Lawrence
Starring: Marc Lawrence, Toni Lawrence, Jesse Vint
Color/81 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Blu-ray/DVD

The Film
Upon arriving in a secluded California town, Lynn takes a waitressing job with Zambrini, a retired circus performer who now runs a small cafe with a large pig pen out back. A local legend says that his pigs only eat human flesh and that he has been murdering drifters to feed to them. Now the sheriff and the locals have grown suspicious of Zambrini and his pigs along with trying to protect the new girl in town.

PIGS is not at all what I expected it would be and it was for the best. I'm all for a movie about killer pigs running wild on a small town, perhaps in some sort of vengeance for being harvested for their meat. Mmm killer bacon. PIGS is not that movie. PIGS is a fever dream of a horror film, steeped in sweaty, hazy atmosphere. It's highly psychological and mythological. There's also plenty of that supremely weird 1970s vibe that can't be faked. It's sleazy, but not to be self gratifying. It only goes as far as is necessary to make the psychological horror aspect to the film work.

The film succeeds so well because the screenplay is crafted to be suspenseful and hallucinatory and doesn't give in to excess that would only serve to cheapen the overall experience of the film.

The Audio & Video
Vinegar Syndrome gives PIGS a full makeover and facelift. It's like this Blu-ray came straight from the salon! The 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer is sharp and highly detailed. Colors are natural but keep the film's natural sweaty haze. Dark scenes have a bit more graininess than day time scenes but the black levels are quite deep and have no issues with blocking or compression. A DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix handles the audio and it sounds fantastic. Free of any distortions and background noise, the simple mix gets the job done with sparkling clarity and a natural crispness. Nothing gets lost with the dialogue and score complimenting each other. An overall fantastic HD presentation.

I must note that the new 2K scan has been taken from the 35mm Interpositive with select shots taken from theatrical prints due to missing or severely damaged elements. Vinegar Syndrome makes not of this before the film starts to clarify the shifts in quality - I didn't notice any dramatic shifts in quality and couldn't pick out when the theatrical prints were used. That's just another example of the quality work Vinegar Syndrome does.

The Extras
This release packed, stacked and certainly doesn't lack.

-Featurette with star Toni Lawrence
-Featurette with composer Charles Bernstein
-Audio Interview with cinematographer Glenn Roland
-Alternate "Exorcism" opening sequence
-Alternate "Daddy's Girl" opening sequence
-Alternate "Daddy's Girl" closing sequence
-Original trailers
-Promotional Artwork Gallery
-Reversible artwork

The Bottom Line
This may be the best non-porn release from Vinegar Syndrome to date. They've taken a rather obscure horror title and given it the royal treatment and packed it with extras. As far as I'm concerned this is an essential release.

PIGS is available HERE

EXCESS FLESH (DVD Review) - Midnight Releasing

USA/2015
Directed By: Patrick Kennelly
Written By: Sigrid Gilmer, Patrick Kennelly
Starring: Bethany Orr, Mary Loveless, Wes McGee
Color/103 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: March 8, 2016

The Film
Jill is jealous of her beautiful roommate Jennifer who works in the Los Angeles fashion scene and is a social butterfly, rarely staying home each night. Jill is recently single and struggles with body issues and eating disorders and rarely leaves the house. Jennifer's constant verbal abuse masked as friendship eventually leads to Jill spinning out of control.

EXCESS FLESH has a beautifully simple idea at its core dealing with some of life's darker sides. Eating disorders, body image issues, and unhealthy and damaging relationships are all looked at in the confines of this picture. Director and co-writer Patrick Kennelly hammers home the importance of food in this picture, with almost every scene having some sort of cooking or eating often with obnoxious chomping sounds and tight close-ups on the food and chewing itself. It hammers the point home immediately and never lets it lighten up.

Bethany Orr does a wonderful job playing the damaged Jill. She lets herself get lost in the role and turns into a dirty, abusive and obsessive broken mind. Mary Loveless lives up to her last name as Jennifer who severely mistreats and takes for granted her friendship with Jill. Even if her intentions are good sometimes she's an immediate catalyst to Jill's fractured psyche. Both of our female leads are great in their roles.

The movie takes a turn from strictly psychological to more physical horror when Jill chains Jennifer to the wall and begins to torture her mentally and physically abuse her. The biggest problem i have with the film and it's a glaring one, is that eventually Jennifer escapes, bruised and obviously beaten wearing nothing but bra and panties and Jill, who is also in underwear and absolutely filthy, manages to talk her way out of a confrontation with the police and Jennifer never opens her mouth to ask for help. It doesn't ruin the film for me but I think this scene would have been better left on the cutting room floor because it does nothing to forward the plot and only serves to make the viewer bang his head against the wall in frustration.

Few movies are perfect, and fewer independent movies yet. EXCESS FLESH successfully tackles several psychological issues to make a horror film that is genuinely disturbing at times and even a bit depressing. A bit more restraint and subtlety may have made this picture a bit better but as it is I'm a fan.

The Audio & Video
Midnight Releasing's release of EXCESS FLESH is a standard but well done DVD with a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that has relatively good sharpness and detail level and natural color reproduction. A 5.1 surround sound track handles the English audio mix with no problems. Clarity is good and there are no problems with distortions.

The Extras
-"I Don't Race" Music Video
-Official Trailer
-Teaser Trailer

The Bottom Line
There are some things I don't like about EXCESS FLESH but they're vastly outweighed by those that I do. Recommended.

EXCESS FLESH is available HERE

Private Number (DVD Review) - Arc Entertainment

USA/2014
Directed By: LazRael Lison
Written By: LazRael Lison
Starring: Hal Ozsan, Nicholle Tom, Tom Sizemore
Color/97 Minutes/R
Region 1
Relesae Date: June 2, 2015

The Film
As Michael Lane faces the mounting pressures of writer's block while writing the sequel to his successful fantasy novel and struggling everyday to maintain his sobriety a series of strange phone calls begin harassing him and his wife during the night saying only "Remember me?". With little help from the police is up to Lane to solve the mystery before it breaks down everything he has fought for but the outcome may be more terrifying than he had ever expected.

Driven by psychologically terrorizing our victims who are already a bit fractured in their own right, PRIVATE NUMBER uses a common supernatural tactic with the haunted phone calls even after they're unplugged. It works well enough because there are few things as irritating as prank phone calls or just your phone constantly ringing in general, especially in the middle of the night. Writer/director LazRael Lison takes the high road and allows the psychological aspect of the film and the actors rock solid performances to carry the movie instead of opting for a bunch of cheap thrills or jump scares.

Hal Ozsan and Nicholle Tom really carry the movie as a couple in love but unable to deal with both their individual issues and their marriage that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. PRIVATE NUMBER isn't a game changer and it isn't a masterpiece but it is a decent psychological horror/thriller that is just a bit too predictable for its own good.

The Audio & Video
Arc Entertainment's anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer looks nice for DVD. The image is crisp and sharp with nice colors and depth. The English language 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track is also very nice. The mix is well done with no damage to speak of.

The Extras
Extra features include:

-Making of - a 15 minute behind the scenes featurette with interviews of the cast
-Deleted scenes
-Trailer

The Bottom Line
PRIVATE NUMBER is worth a watch for fans of psychological horror/thrillers.

PRIVATE NUMBER is available HERE

HOUSE OF LAST THINGS (DVD Review) - Revolver Entertainment

USA/2013
Directed By: Michael Bartlett
Written By: Michael Bartlett
Starring: Lindsey Haun, Blake Berris, RJ Mitte
Color/110 Minutes/Not Rated
Region 1
Release Date: February 10, 2015

The Film
HOUSE OF LAST THINGS centers around a couple who leave their home in the hands of a young girl as the caretaker while they visit Italy in an effort to save their marriage. The girl allows her boyfriend and her brother to stay at the house with her when all sorts of weird things start happening such as pictures changing their image, ghostly apparitions, and perhaps most of all, her boyfriend kidnapping a boy in a harebrained ransom plot. The house is pushing them towards the brink of insanity while exposing a nasty truth.

From the start, HOUSE OF LAST THINGS throws so many different tones at the viewer that I have no clue if they knew what kind of movie they wanted to make. There's moments of comedy that are along the lines of Three Stooges slapstick style thrown in on psychological horror and supernatural horror along with moments that make your daily soaps look good. There's plenty of loose ends that are so messily tied up its like they didn't bother tying their shoe, they just stuffed the laces in the sides.

With moments that harken back to The Shining, Asian horror films of the early 2000s, and maybe even some David Lynch films HOUSE OF LAST THINGS really doesn't manage to hit any of the right notes. There's some interesting visuals and some scenes are directed pretty decently but the movie runs too long, is way too worried about being weird instead of crafting a tighter film and simply does not manage to pull itself together.

The Audio & Video
Revolver Entertainment's DVD release of HOUSE OF LAST THINGS features a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that looks quite good. The picture is sharp and features vibrant colors with strong detail levels. The Dolby Digital audio is equally as nice with great clarity and an excellent mix job between dialogue and soundtrack. There's no background noise or damage.

The Extras
None.

The Bottom Line
HOUSE OF LAST THINGS is an effort that shows potential in multiple areas but ends up being a muddy mess of ideas that never come to fruition.

HOUSE OF LAST THINGS is available HERE

Curtains (Blu-ray Review) - Synapse Films

Canda/1983
Directed By: Richard Ciupka
Written By: Robert Guza Jr.
Starring: John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Linda Thorson
Color/90 Minutes/R
Region A
Release Date: July 29, 2014

The Film
Director Johnathan Stryker (John Vernon) wants to make a film called "Audra" and he and his leading lady Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar) concoct a plan to have her put in a mental asylum for a short stay as a patient to prepare for the role. Stryker seemingly moves on from Sherwood who has to break out of the asylum on her own. Stryker hosts a group of actresses, including Sherwood at his home to audition for the part in "Audra". Shortly after the actresses start missing and getting killed by a psycho wearing a disturbing mask.

CURTAINS had a very troubled production. From director Richard Ciupka hoping to get fired off the project (his debut as a director) to extensive re-shoots happening almost two years after principal photography was completed that ended up replacing about a third of Ciupka's film. The producer wanted a cheap and easy slasher film and Ciupka had ideas about a psychological thriller/horror film. The final product is a weird mishmash of both ideas that somehow comes together and works for an entertaining film even if some of it just simply doesn't make sense.

While CURTAINS is messy because of the production troubles there are a couple of really great scenes including the ice skating scene and the final sequence taking up about the last 15 minutes of the film. They're filmed beautifully and make CURTAINS worth checking out on their merit alone. CURTAINS has long been an oddity that you've only been able to see on poor quality VHS and bootlegs on the convention circuit, not anymore. This release is what the actresses involved feared! We're going to see it and hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

The Audio & Video
There's good reason when Synapse Films delays a release even for only a few weeks. They're making sure the film looks and sounds as good as it can. There's a reason they could be crowned kings of the cult home video market. They just plain get it. And their new Special Edition Blu-ray of CURTAINS proves it again. The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer got a new 2K scan from the original vault materials and it shines. Colors are vibrant and pop just a bit. Skin tones show look fleshy and natural. The picture quality is very sharp and has a light layer of grain that keeps the feel of the film photography. There a newly mixed 5.1 DTS-HDMA track and the original 2.0 Mono mix for HD and overall sound quality is excellent. Its a crisp track with no background noise and an excellent mix. I love the ice skating scene where score gets bumped to the forefront but we can still hear the skate scraping against the ice as the girl moves along. This is just a fantastic job.

The Extras
The Blu-ray features quite a few quality special features including:
-"The Ultimate Nightmare: The Making of CURTAINS" - An all new 2014 retrospective that runs over 35 minutes and documents the film's conception to theatrical release and subsequent status as a cult favorite
-"Ciupka - A Filmmaker In Transition" (Blu-ray Exclusive) - A vintage behind-the-scenes documentary on Richard Ciupka that was filmed during the production of CURTAINS
-Audio commentary track with stars Lesleh Donaldson and Lynne Griffin
-Alternate audio track with vintage audio interviews with producer Peter R. Simpson and star Samantha Eggar
-Theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
The back cover of this release has a quote that calls CURTAINS a "Must see for slasher completists". I'll go a step farther and say that if you're even the slightest fan of slasher films you'll want to see CURTAINS it is weird, a bit disturbing and totally endearing. If Synapse Films had rushed the release and given us a bare bones release with just a passable transfer it would still be a revelation for this film and I'm sure fans would be satisfied with it but the fact that they went the extra mile and gave CURTAINS a very nice selection of special features and a brilliant A/V presentation is just awesome. The wait for CURTAINS is over and it was worth it.

CURTAINS is available HERE

L'Immortelle (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

France/1963
Directed By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Written By: Alain Robbe-Grillet
Starring: Francoise Brion, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Guido Celano
Black & White/101 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: April 1, 2014

The Film
Alain Robbe-Grillet's debut film is a strange one. The entire thing is shrouded with mystery and it pushes the viewer to extract what you will from it. A man who has recently moved to Turkey to be a professor at a local school meets a beautiful but secretive woman who he spends several days with seeing the sights around the city and the local people. Suddenly she vanishes without a trace and nobody around the city recalls or is willing to recall her being with him. Just as suddenly as she vanished, they meet again, but before she is able to explain her disappearance she is killed in a car crash with the man. The rest of the movie is spent with the man going over the events again trying to determine if he caused the crash or not and psycho-analyzing every little detail of their brief relationship.

L'IMMORTELLE is a stunning film to look at. The gorgeous black and white photography, often shot at severe angles give the Turkish ruins, waterways and tunnels a very stark look. On a deeper level the film is incredibly interesting to look at and break down. From the main man and woman to an art shop keeper, to the stranger and fisherman. Every character symbolizes something and eventually the man finds himself facing a criminal underworld that he isn't prepared to deal with.

This was my first viewing of L'IMMORTELLE and I really like this film. I know my love for it will grow deeper with subsequent viewings as I gather and notice new things. Robbe-Grillet showed instantly that he can create incredible visuals and art with this film and it is something I've learned quickly that he would do again and again.

The Audio & Video
Kino Redemption gives L'IMMORTELLE a stunning HD transfer. The 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation seems to be taken from a very clean print as there are only a few instances of dirt or scratches. Detail level is strong while the black levels are handled brilliantly and are deep and inky. The 2.0 French language track (with optional English subtitles) is solid, but not perfect. Extremes in the high end mix are a bit of trouble for the mix but it is a rare occurrence.

The Extras
Along with a trio of trailers for other Robbe-Grillet releases and a 2014 promo short, this release features an interview with the writer/director that clocks in at over half an hour.

The Bottom Line
The debut film from the French director is a mysterious, strange and engrossing one. It appeals to many of the senses and this release does it absolute justice. L'IMMORTELLE is certainly worth your time.

L'IMMORTELLE is available HERE

Frightmare (Blu-ray Review) - Kino Redemption

England/1974
Directed By: Pete Walker
Written By: David McGillivray
Starring: Sheila Keith, Rupert Davies, Deborah Fairfax
Color and B&W/86 Minutes/Rated R
Region A
Release Date: March 18, 2014

The Film
Dorothy Yates and her husband Edmund are freed from a mental institution after years of treatment after she committed acts murder and cannibalism. Now Dorothy has guests visit their isolated farm home for tarot card readings. Their eldest daughter Jackie also visits hoping to keep her mother sane with the help of her father. Jackie has to deal with her younger sister Debbie who hangs around a biker gang and is generally a nasty brat of an adolescent. Jackie keeps their parents a secret from Debbie, fearing the relationship will be toxic. Unfortunately for Debbie, and her father who is in the middle of a disastrous mess, Jackie is well aware of her mother and they both despise Debbie for keeping them apart.

FRIGHTMARE is a brilliant psychological slow burn from the underrated genre director Pete Walker. Sheila Keith is wonderful as the disturbed mother as is her on-screen husband Rupert Davies who is lost in the mix of a family torn apart by broken minds. Walker's direction is tight, and the story is far from just pure psychological horror as it features some rather nasty murder scenes. If you've never seen FRIGHTMARE you're doing yourself a disservice as it is one of the best horror films to come out of the UK in the 1970s and it gets better with with each viewing.

The Audio & Video
What can I really say about this Blu-ray besides "YES!"? Kino Redemption has delivered a stunning looking and sounding disc. I dare say it is a near perfect presentation. The 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is gorgeous, with strong detail, lifelike skin tones, vivid but natural colors and no edge enhancement or DNR. The soundtrack is pristine with no background noise, crackling or popping. The mix is spot on and I doubt this will ever sound better on home video. It is weird to smile during a film such as FRIGHTMARE but when you first experience this disc you will be ear to ear.

The Extras
There are several special features on the disc including:

-Audio commentary with Pete Walker and DP Peter Jessop conducted by Steve Chiball, author of "Making Mischief: The Cult Films Of Pete Walker"
-"For The Sake Of Cannibalism" - An interview with Pete Walker by Elijah Drenner
-"Sheila Keith: A Nice Old Lady?" - A profile on the late actress featuring interviews with former collaborators
-Original theatrical trailer

The Bottom Line
This release isn't a FRIGHTMARE or even a nightmare, it is much closer to a dream come true. From the film that has always been excellent, to the new HD transfer that is the definitive home video presentation of the film, this is a must own.

FRIGHTMARE is available HERE

Dead Weight (DVD Review) - Horizon Movies

2012/USA
Directed By: Adam Bartlett, John Pata
Written By: Adam Bartlett, John Pata
Starring: Joe Belknap, Mary Lindberg, Michelle Courvais
Color/90 Minutes/Unrated
Region 1

The Film
Charlie awakens on his day off to eat cereal and read comic books as he typically does until he receives a frantic phone call from his girlfriend Samantha who lives several hours away in Minnesota telling him to turn on the TV to see the chaos that is happening around the country. A viral outbreak is widespread and terrorizing the entire country, turning its victims into violent, bloodthirsty maniacs. With the major cities being overrun and highways jammed and at a stand still Charlie tells Samantha to meet him in the small town of Wausau, Wisconsin where they first met.

As the days turn into weeks Charlie meets up with a trustworthy group to travel with. As they head to Wausau they encounter the struggles of survival in an apocalyptic environment. Food and water supplies are low, other survivors are usually dangerous and maniacal, and the task of finding a safe place to sleep sometimes seems impossible. As the tension builds around them, it also builds within them and Charlie begins to succumb to the rage building inside him as all he wants is to desperately find his love Samantha. When Charlie hears that Wausau fell victim to the virus he won’t let anyone stand in his way of getting to the meeting spot even if it means murdering people that helped him but when he arrives in Wausau he finds that things aren’t what he had hoped.

The writer/director duo of Adam Bartlett and John Pata took a low budget film and make it look far more expansive and costly than their budget would likely normally allow. DEAD WEIGHT is a minimalist film, we barely see any of the infected zombie creatures, there are practically no special effects and there is no CGI. The snowy scenes were filmed in the snow while the cast and crew were getting wind burn. This is gritty, real film making. It is well written and for the most part, well acted. DEAD WEIGHT is simple but successful because it pulls on real human emotions, and real situations set within a hellish version of reality. And remember to ask yourself “Why’d you jump out of the goddamn bushes?”

The Audio & Video
The Horizon Movies DVD release of DEAD WEIGHT is a very nice looking and sounding release. The anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) transfer is sharp, with top notch clarity and detail for a standard definition release. The stereo sound mix is good with no pops, crackling or other audible annoyances. The soundtrack never interferes with the character’s dialogue and overall I have no complaints about the A/V.

The Extras
DEAD WEIGHT is a pretty loaded release with a pair of commentary tracks, one with the writer/director duo and the other with stars Joe Belknap and Mary Lindberg. Also included are extended scenes, a 55 minute making of featurette and trailers.

The Bottom Line
Combine the loaded release with the fact that DEAD WEIGHT is a well executed horror film dealing with real life themes in a world run amok and you’ve got a DVD that is well worth your time and money to check out.

DEAD WEIGHT is available HERE

Gut (2012)

Tom is tired of his go-nowhere suit job, and is letting it affect his life at home with his wife Lily and daughter Katie. They've begun the process of looking for a new home away from the city, much to the chagrin of Tom's childhood best friend and co-worker Dan. Tom and Dan's friendship was based largely on their mutual love of horror films, something that Tom has grown out of with time and his growing family. Dan has recently received a disc that has him very excited to show his friend, one of a woman being lustfully sliced open in a surgical fashion and it all feels much too real. These discs keep coming, and viewing them starts to mess with both friend's psyche. Tom has nightmares of the images, and Dan's new girlfriend ends up murdered. Their relationship is falling apart from these possible snuff films and their lives are at stake when Tom takes a short trip to continue the search for a new home and job and returns to find his worst nightmares have come true.

GUT was directed by Elias, and is a low budget psychological horror film, that has a few moments of really well done effects. The acting from men carry the weight of the film with no trouble. It is a surprisingly strong performance from the whole cast really, except perhaps the bitchy diner waitress who is overdoing it. The soundtrack is subdued, as it should be, adding to the mood but never becoming something you notice. GUT is a solid effort. The main problem is that it goes exactly where you expect it to go, without any twists or turns along the way. It sets a goal and head's straight for it, and in some cases that is fine and works for that particular film. With what GUT is trying to accomplish it keeps the film from excelling and being "next-level".

GUT is a promising film, that just lacks a couple of punches to the viewer to really make things interesting. It is a shame that it ends up being a mono tone affair because it didn't have to be and it holds the film back from better things. 

Lord Of Tears

Recently I was approached by a filmmaker about his soon to be released horror film that is in post production but needs some funding help to finish up the soundtrack and other loose ends. After only a brief discussion with Lawrie Brewster I was immediately aware of his passion for not only his project but creating horror and art on a broader level. And rest assured, this is not a backyard production looking for help so they can burn DVD-Rs on their computer in the basement. No, this is a project filled with talented people that has a gorgeous look to it as is evident in the trailer. The trailer alone is a triumph and is among the most interesting and terrifying I've seen for any horror film in recent memory. This film needs a little bit of help to wrap things up, and I for one had no reservations about posting this to try and spread the word on LORD OF TEARS as I am extremely anxious to check out the final cut. Below is some information and links about the film, thanks for reading.

Links
KICKSTARTER
TRAILER
FACEBOOK
IMDB