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October 2006
2005 ~ Director: Tim Sullivan
Lionsgate
 Yeeeeha! The South will rise again.
I was fully prepared for this to suck out loud, but director Tim Sullivan actually did a great job with this remake. He stayed true to the original and added a few twists of his own for good measure, but I can fully say that this was a great flick.
H.G. Lewis is the Godfather of Gore with such greats to his credit as Gore Gore Girls, The Wizard of Gore, Blood Feast and many more, he took horror to new and uncharted levels and Two Thousand Maniacs is one of my favorites. I remember reading about his movies in Fangoria as a kid, marveling at the pictures of guts of blood and spewing entrails from his flicks. In fact, it was at a Fangoria convention that I saw Two Thousand Maniacs for the first time and loved every minute of it. What makes this movie so great is that it was one of the very first Splatstick films. For those of you not familiar with the original, it is like Brigadoon gone horribly wrong. People are lured to a tiny hick town having a celebration, and the town ends up inventively killing each one off for its destruction during the Civil War. What’s great about Two Thousand Maniacs is, not only is it funny and gory, but it’s filled with derogatory humor and Tim Sullivan takes his version even further.
2001 Maniacs takes the inventive deaths from the original, but peps a few up. Instead of a huge rock, it’s a giant bell. Instead of the barrel roll, they kill a black man by crushing him in a cotton gin and kill a gay man by impaling him from behind. There’s plenty of gratuitous sex and nudity and of course Robert Englund, who is always great, but just perfect in the Mayor Buckman role. Lin Shaye (Magda in There’s Something About Mary) is also fantastic as Granny Boone, as well as Giuseppe Andrews (Lex in Detroit Rock City) as Harper Alexander. Even the original theme song is incorporated thanks to the traveling minstrels played by Johnny Legend and Scott Spiegel. Speaking of which, the music is fantastic, especially “Trouble Came a Knockin” and the heavy metal version of the theme song.
The DVD is packed with great extras like a making-of featurette, a bloopers reel, outtakes, and much more. I just had a blast watching this film and I highly recommend it to horror fans everywhere.
A -Choppy
2006 ~ Directors: Barrett J. Leigh & Thom Maurer
Lionsgate
 When they said you can’t judge a book by its cover, the phrase should have been extended to movies too. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this for quite a while and when finally got the chance to check it out, I was disappointed.
This film didn’t fail because of the bad wigs or horrible acting; it failed because of editing. Many of the cuts are hard and fast, which is all right sporadically, but these cuts run the length of the movie, giving not the desired feel of someone losing their mind, but an epileptic’s nightmare!
It's is not ALL bad, however; the opening credit sequence is very good, there's well done gore and some of the acting is not bad. The film features William Sanderson, best know as TV’s Larry from Newhart, who does a great job as the near catatonic mental patient. Tom Savini makes a quick cameo as the sheriff, but once again does not do any of the effects, which is a shame since he was once one of the greatest special effects artists of all time. I will say that most of the mental patients are very good as well and help with many of the background shots.
Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name, the film tells the story of the strange goings on at the Ulster County Asylum. Joe Slaader (Sanderson), a mountain man with an odd hunchback, was sent to the asylum for heinous and unspeakable acts against his family, foreshadowed in the opening sequence. Edward Eischel (played by newcomer Fountain Yount) is an intern at the asylum with the worst wig in history. Eischel is experimenting with the brain's pleasure regions on a helpless inmate and becomes obsessed with Joe Slaader. Dr. Wardlow (played horribly by Kurt Hargan) is also obsessed with Sladder, but for different reasons. He wants to remove the lump on Slaader’s back. The film culminates with gallons of blood, decapitations and the worst CGI monster I’ve ever seen.
If the film were intended as a comedy, it would have been great with the aforementioned wig issues (though revealed at the end to be deliberate). There’s a nice tip of the hat to Lovecraft in a scene in a doctor’s office, where the author's portrait can be seen on the wall. All in all, not the worst film out there and worth a look if just for the end sequence and maybe a good laugh here and there.
C -Choppy
2004 ~ Director: Brian Paulin
Unearthed Films
 I bought Bone Sickness on DVD at a convention last year from director Brian Paulin. It was a self-distributed shot-on-video film and, that said, I gotta admit I was expecting the usual fare. Bad acting, lots of blood, and a quick story. What followed after I placed the DVD in my player was a full blown assault on the senses! But before I get into that, let me tell you what the story is about...
Alex (Rich George) has an incurable sickness that turns his body into a cesspool of worms and maggots and his vital organs into liquid shit. His wife Kristen (Darya Zabinski) has no way of solving the dilemma, though Kristen's friend Thomas (Brian Paulin), who happens to be a coroner, thinks he has figured out how to save Alex's life – utilize the bones of the dead as alternative medicine. But the dead seem to have a problem with this and exact revenge on those involved in helping this poor soul.
And when I say "exact revenge", I mean it! There hasn't been a nastier zombie film made since Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. There are maggots, worms, millipedes, more worms, scorpions, vomiting, and even more worms after that. Blood is mostly, but not limited to, the 'squirt on the wall' variety and there is plenty of it. How much you ask? How does wall-to-wall almost literally sound? But there's also brain matter, organs, ripped limbs and skull crushings as well. And the best part of all this sanguinary spillage is that it is all done extremely well. It's easy to realize that Paulin's intent was to gross out as far as he could possibly coudl...and he succeeded.
The atmosphere is about as good as you can get apart from the Golden Age of Italian Zombie Horror back from the late 70's to the early 80's. Great mood lighting and fog really sets the stage. The sound fx are superb and jarring, so much so you can almost taste the flesh, and is a huge plus for this film. The acting is really quite good and possess the best looking zombies since Andrea Bianchi's Burial Ground. Dry, brittle, cobwebbed and sunken eyes; just the way a zombie should be, dammit! At certain times Bone Sickness becomes dialogue-free, yet amazingly continues on with fresh pacing amongst all the zombie action, and there's a great amount of action. When the shit hits the fan, it hits all 4 blades! Unheard of in a SOV movie we have car crashes, men set on fire, M16 fire and explosions. And this is everywhere during the apex of the film. The climax does tend to drag just a bit, but you always remain interested in what the zombs have in store next and what Paulin has up his gore-soaked sleeve.
Now the great thing is that this was a review of the self-distributed DVD by Morbid Vision Films. Now its time to fill you in on Unearthed Films release of Bone Sickness.
 Unearthed asked Paulin to insert MORE GORE! Roughly 15 minutes worth of some very outlandish scenes here that would make any gorehound drown in his own saliva! I wouldn't even know where to start; all I can say is trust me. Your eyes will be red from taking in all the gore that Bone Sickness has to offer.
As far as the UF DVD goes, it is a full frame presentation with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound and a 104 minute running time. There's plenty of behind the scenes footage that is separated in 3 categories, commentary by Brian Paulin and Rich George, The Horror Channel's Uncle Creepy interviews the director, a small photo gallery, and trailers.
What Paulin has done is remarkable. Nothing like this has ever been made in the States. Usually films like this are made in Germany or Japan and are always successful. Its about time that someone here had the balls, not to mention the know-how, to pull off a film like this. One can only imagine what he can do to top this. For any other filmmaker, it would be deemed impossible. But for Brian Paulin, it's just another challenge that he will just rip to shreds. And the gore will be flying as a result of it.
A -Rich Caron
2005 ~ Director: N/A
Media Blasters
 There sure ain't two artists in the world like Buckethead, and just as his persona is a strange twisted labyrinth of nonsensical superpowers and KFC buckets, his music in turn tears the walls down between metal, funk and eardrum-twisting complexity. This double disc DVD set, Secret Recipe, is very much the same...at times amazing, and at other turns utterly frustrating. A treat for fans of the persona, a hell for those who just want the music.
Disc 1 contains a whole lot of Buckethead's amazing musical constructions, both solo and in collaboration with greats like DJ Q-Bert as well as some great Praxis material. Loads of unreleased songs, music videos, walking around and doing nothing at all collide with a bizarre narrative scheme set up by the menu system and enhanced by Bootsy Collins chattering away as the user attempts to figure out what is going on. All the oddity on display summarizes the strange world of Buckethead, even if it is just plain aggravating at times. While I could honestly not get into the rambling sections of the show, the music is undeniably fantastic. Buckethead in the studio is an amazing thing, and many of the recordings show him at his best. He does it all, and leaps genre and style with a speed that would knock most musicians unconscious even thinking about trying to follow along with him. As esoteric as any description sounds, the actual music plays well to almost anyone that isn't afraid to get loud or groovy or death metal brutal or soaringly beautiful in less time than it takes to read this sentence.
Amazing. Seriously amazing. If you read this website, you'll dig on the Buckethead sound I think.
Disc 2 contains two bootleg performances that are worth the price of the disc. Live is where Buckethead breaks out of any conceptions that listeners may have about genre or style, and both performances are fantastic. Horror fans will really dig on the guitar rendition of Halloween (with a bit of The Exorcist in there to boot), and fans of hard and heavy rock or freestyle electro jazz or just plain cool noodling will be in heaven during these recordings. And hey, it is uninterrupted by menu manipulation making it even better.
A disc that embraces the Buckethead way and provides great music. Something for everyone really. It will make you a fan if you aren't, and those who are in the know will be leaping in the chicken coop at every oddball twist and turn of the menu. Just watch out, that enclosed action doll is NUTS and will go for your player if you try to unmask him. Seriously, but not really...just like that Buckethead!
B- -David Zuzelo
2005 ~ Director: Dario Argento
Anchor Bay
 I am an Argentophile. Have been for many years. During that time, I was just awestruck by how director Dario Argento used the camera. His sense of style, atmosphere, and violence. No one can ever be like him. He is an enigma whose work I always look forward to. To complete my admittance, I must also add that he hasn't been very good since Opera...back in 1987! For every Deep Red, there is The Card Player. For every Suspiria, there is Phantom of the Opera. And for every Bird with the Crystal Plumage, there is Do You Like Hitchcock?.
Do You Like Hitchcock? is a made for TV pilot that was to start the Italian version of America's Masters of Horror series. The story starts with a young boy wandering aimlessly around when he comes across a house to see two women killing a chicken. They notice the little snoop and threaten to kill him with a chase through the woods. Now 15 years later, the story continues as it centers around a young film student named Julio (Elio Germano) who is highly knowledgeable about the films of Alfred Hitchcock. He is startled out of his sleep by the cries of a woman being murdered and decided to go figure out the mystery along with his way-to-hot-for-him girlfriend Ariana (Cristina Brondo). Using Hitchcock's films for guidance, he creates the plausible answer that the murder was done through a Hitchcock classic.
Sadly, the execution is not very good. The script just seems to go through the movements of a typical "murderer on the loose" movie. The dialogue is inane as the college students in the film fight like little children. The music by Pino Donaggio just doesn't work here. He just cannot capture the feeling that Argento favorites Goblin does, and it shows.
As for the sets, Torino, Italy is absolutely gorgeous and Argento is able to film some beautiful landscapes and architecture. Many buildings with a religious motif are wonderfully shot. The video store that is constantly visited by the cast is a let down as the posters are nothing but Alfred Hitchcock and Dario Argento films. Now I know that Argento has been hailed as the "Italian Hitchcock", but Argento was trying to shove the fact down our throats a bit too much. There are many references, though not audibly, to Hitchcock filmography including Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, and Dial M for Murder.
But this film isn't without some merit. Dario is known for his amazingly disturbing close-ups on the most basic objects. Inner working of a lock, running water, and such possess an eerie feeling at times, but is sadly not enough to save this film.
The DVD owns one of the worst covers I have ever seen. So boring in itself I can't imagine anyone purchasing it. The sound is Dolby Digital 2.0 and the picture is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen. There is a 6 minute Italian (with no subs) Making Of segment, Argento bio, and trailers.
It's sad to see how far Argento has fallen since Opera. This was a man at the top of the Italian horror genre. Now, I think time has finally caught up with Argento. At 64, he just doesn't seem to be the same man who gave us Suspiria. In many a fan's heart, he will always be the "Italian Hitchcock". But I don't recall Hitchcock ever making a turkey like this.
D -Rich Caron
Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour with the Octavarium Orchestra
Rhino
 These days it’s become almost commonplace for hard rock and heavy metal bands to reengineer their songs with orchestra arrangements. However, few bands have produced a catalog of music that truly lends itself to such a treatment. This one does.
Dream Theater celebrates their 20th anniversary with Score, three-CD and two-DVD sets that capture the acclaimed progressive metal quintet in a recent sold-out performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. From “Another Won”, the first song written by the band during their early days at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, to “Octavarium”, a prodigious marathon of metal from their latest album, Score serves as a fitting tribute to Dream Theater’s 20-year stay as prog-rock’s underground icons.
Disc one opens the set with raw performances by the band, anchored by the nearly incomparable guitar work of John Petrucci. Highlights include “Under a Glass Moon” from 1992’s Images and Words and “Raise the Knife,” an obscure but elegant track from 1997’s Falling Into Infinity. On discs two and three, the band is joined by the 30-piece Octavarium Orchestra, led by conductor and arranger Jamshied Sharifi. It is on disc two with a performance of “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” that this set earns its highest marks. One of the most complex arrangements of metal I’ve ever heard, this 40-minute epic absolutely soars with the orchestra’s backing.
Admittedly, there were a few spots during the concert where my attention drifted; too many songs over 11 minutes can wear on you. But if you can appreciate the incredible level of talent that is on display with Dream Theater, you’ll be rapt for hours on end. Score includes several worthwhile extras, including the animated sequences that accompanied the band’s performance of “Octavarium,” a one-hour documentary covering the band’s career, and other live performances culled from the band’s archives.
B+ -Dan McDermott
2006 ~ Director: John Gulager
Weinstein Company
 I was lucky enough to score some tickets to a screening of this film which, at the time, I knew nothing about. I can say that the less you hear about a movie, the better it is. I’ve seen no ads and no promotion whatsoever and this was truly the best horror flick of the summer. Funny, gory, and well conceived, Feast delivers with such ferocity it nearly rips your head off.
Feast was a Project Greenlight production; a series on Bravo started by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon which takes submitted scripts, chooses the best one and makes it into a movie. The reality series follows the movie making process from beginning to end and is a great resource to jumpstart the careers of up and coming writers and directors. You’d think that a horror film coming from a reality show would be hokey or crap and since I knew nothing of this, I didn’t have any preconceived notions while watching the film.
Directed by newcomer John Gulager, who happens to be cult actor Clu Gulager’s son, the film is fast-paced and well written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, also a first project for them. The story revolves around the people in a remote bar who are being attacked by strange creatures for no reason at all. Names are non-existent, instead the characters are identified by nicknames or their specific role in the film, some unusual fact about them, or their chances of survival (which is often not correct).
The cast features several pop icons and character actors like Henry Rollins (Johnny Mnemonic), Jason Mewes (Clerks), Judah Friedlander (Wet Hot American Summer), Duane Whitaker (Pulp Fiction), and dad himself Clu Gulager (Return of the Living Dead).
Deaths come fast and furious, many of which are horribly gruesome and often unexpected. The best part of Feast is that you don’t really see the creature till the end and when you do, you’re not disappointed. These beasts are certainly something I’d rather not mess with. My favorite part is seeing what Henry Rollins has to wear through the rest of the picture after his pants are ripped off in one scene.
If you missed it in the theater, Feast will be released on DVD October 17th. So my summer ends with a bang courtesy of one of the very few great horror movies of this year.
A -Choppy
1954/1956 ~ Director:
Ishiro Honda/Terry Moore
Classic Media
 Confession time: I have never seen Godzilla before. I've seen almost all the other Godzilla films, but never the original. King Kong, MechaGodzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Mothra and more were always his enemies. Godzilla was the good guy. But here, newly released by Toho & Classic Media, is the first release of Gojira - or Godzilla to us in the States, and I'll continue to call him such to reduce confusion.
The story here is rather simplistic. Japan's 1953 H-Bomb testing awakens the big bastard out of his underwater slumber.Now Godzilla's introduction to the film is rather tepid, but next thing you know, he's stomping all over Tokyo like George W. Bush does all around the world. Atomic breath that melts power towers and a tail that swings around like Ron Jeremy at a porn shoot. But Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) has a device that could destroy the beast. Unfortunately, he fears the government could use it for warfare. What does he do? I ask you, what does he do? He weighs his options while a secondary love triangle storyline takes place between Dr. Serizawa, Ogata (Akira Takarada) and Emiko (Momoko Kochi). Emiko was forced into engaging Serizawa, but she always wanted Ogata instead.
Director Ishiro Honda directed this film with great intensity. If you look back on the history of Godzilla, you will see that this was meant to be a very serious horror/sci-fi film with none of the campiness that grew out of the franchise film after film. This is a no nonsense, rock out with your cock out Godzilla film. At times, it's beautifully photographed with scenes that wouldn't be done today without some jackoff behind a computer.
But let's not forget the social commentary of the film. This was released a scant nine years after the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, so the idea was still a very raw one in Japanese heads. Utilizing the term "H-Bomb testing" was less risque than saying that the bombing of Hiroshima had anything to do with the story. Or maybe it was just Japan's way of saying, "Don't fuck with us again, or we'll sic this big, grey muthafucka on your ass!" Either way, the idea of radiation creating Godzilla is is a very resourceful one.
The DVD itself will stomp all over your worthless soul with a hi-def, full-screen transfer off the original 35mm print. Though there are noticable scratch marks, remember this is a 52 year old film that hasn't seen the light of day until now. Extras are small like a miniature of Tokyo, but they do carry an assload of info: "Making of the Godzilla Suit" & "Story Development" featurettes, audio commentary by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, original trailer & English subtitles.
If you always wanted to see the original Godzilla, this is about as good as a release you are ever to find.
And then in 1956, Americans wanted their own Gojira/Godzilla and they got it with 'legendary' actor Raymond Burr to boot. What was a great, no bullshit monster movie in Japan turns into the Raymond Burr show for a US audience. Actually, they called it Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The story is as follows: Steve Martin (Burr) is on a flight to Cairo but takes a social stop to Tokyo to visit his good college friend Dr. Serizawa. Martin gets himself tangled in all the Godzilla bullshit that Tokyo is putting up and proceeds to run, talk, stand and lay down on the floor all while narrating the movie with that fucking voice of his. An episode of Law & Order can put someone to sleep faster. Anyway, he is basically cut in to the original film on different sets with various Japanese extras surrounding him. And he sticks out like a sore dick with the camera is constantly on him for no good reason. I literally laughed out loud just watching Burr use up as much camera time as possible. There's a scene when all the Japanese are running past the camera. Burr comes by, stops in front of the camera to pat his forehead from sweat, then continues to run. And he has almost no contact with ANY of the original cast members. He does talk to some, but the doppelgangers, obviously, always have their backs to the cameras. And the aforementioned 'love triangle' in the previous review has been trimmed for Burr and his stiff acting.
Not that this needs to be said, but I'll say it anyway. This is the first bastardization of a Japanese classic to an American abomination. This is historically shameful and director Terry Moore should be outcasted as a filmmaker alongside of Uwe Boll and Lee Harry (Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2) for thinking that he created something great. He didn't. He created shit.
The film is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio in English language. But enough of my bitching. Lets talk about the extras for the film. Oh wait, my bitching ain't done yet: audio commentary by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Slim pickings for even less of a film.
So I guess the final word on this is get the two DVD set. It's cheap (you shouldn't pay more than $18 for it) and beautifully packaged with a foldout snapcase with a wonderful booklet on the history of Godzilla. You can't do better with Gojira. You certainly can do without Godzilla: King of the Monsters as it's like having sex with your sister; depending who your sister is.
A+ (Gojira) D (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) -Rich Caron
2006 ~ Director: Takashi Miike
Anchor Bay
 Earlier this year, Mick Garris let loose his creation that pitted all famous and infamous horror directors to make a one hour feature for the cable company Showtime. The likes of John Carpenter, Dario Argento, and Stuart Gordon were just a small few of the directors that were hired to add their own special mix of horror and made the Masters of Horror series an award-nominated series. Also added to the company was Japan's own Takashi Miike and his film Imprint. And if you've seen any of Miike's films before, then you know what you are getting yourself into.
The story follows an American journalist named Christopher (Billy Drago) in 19th century Japan looking for a prostitute he fell in love with named Komomo (Michie Ito). He left her behind with the promise that he would take her away from her hellhole of a life and give her a new one in America. In his journey back, he meets upon another prostitute whose face is horribly disfigured (Youki Kudoh). She tells him that Komomo is dead and tries to soothe him by telling him how she became what she is now. She tells a tale of pain and agony, torture and depravity, abuse and rape, and about her and Komomo. I won't spoil the story for you, but let's just say its one that's better seen than told. The torture scenes are extremely brutal, even by Miike standards. There is one so bad that even I had to turn away. Miike is the master of torture! And the screams prove it. This film is very strong in nature and there are scenes that will make you say WTF! If you are pro-life, this film is not for you. Miike knows how to cross boundaries and that's why he is garnering as a huge cult phenomenon.
Showtime was shocked by what was presented to them and immediately banned it from airing. Which, understandably, pissed off more than a few horror fans. 'NO LIMITS' my ass! And if it pisses off the suits, then you know it's gotta be good! My only gripe with the film is that the actresses all speak English with a Japanese dialect. I expected subtitles as is usually the case with Japanese films. This threw me off a bit, but I was able to adjust with the vile images that Miike throws onto the screen.
It's a nice Anchor Bay DVD package. Released in widescreen in 1.77:1 ratio, an audio commentary, 3 featurettes, still gallery and the other usual stuff you'd expect from the MOH dvds. The colors are rich and the blacks are beautiful with no grain. Overall, the film is an enjoyable one and certainly one of Miike's best. And, might I add, that's a very long list.
A -Rich Caron
1987 ~ Director: Pierre B. Reinhard
Retromedia
 Sleaze. Pure sleaze. Just how I like it! A staple of the bootleg scene, La Revanche Des Mortes-Vivantes is a leather tough and bowling shoe ugly bit of slime cinema straight from the bowels of 1980's gore era France. Director Pierre B. Reinhard, a veteran porno director, showcases not only his skill at getting his actors nude and randy, but tossing in pop shots of the darkest variety. Penetrations aren't limited to sexual contact as vaginal invasion by sword and penile protuberances going POP are the order of the day. While you can't fault it for being WELL made, it is about as trashy as a movie can be...and well worth dumpster diving for if that is your bag.
After a mysterious helmeted man poisons a passing milk truck and said milk results in killing a bride on her wedding day, the rider unmasks and finds himself sitting next to two more lovely ladies drinking the deadly stuff right next to him. Sure, his conscious eats at him, but it is too late. Well, he'll pay later. Checking in with the local big and evil corporate polluter of the area, we meet the charmless head of the office. He's skimming off the top by dumping toxic pollutants in a local graveyard (??), which brings the milkstruck maidens back to life! Oops.
Toss in sex, sex, more sex, making sex tapes, sex and then...sex. The film attempts some intrigue, but is so straightforward that before the viewer can wonder about anything, the answers are forked over. The secretary is blackmailing the boss, the boss wants her because...well..sex is good to him. But wait, I did say this was a gore flick. And wow is it ever.
The living dead girls look GREAT in there flowing robes and fooked up facial features. And these ghouls ain't playing around. They fold, spindle and mutilate anyone that gets in their way as a silly voiceover talks about revenge on occasion. As noted in Mirek Lipinski's solid packaging notes, Benoit Lestang, who also did the special effects on Jean Rollin's classic Living Dead Girl, pulls out all the stops and ladles on the gruesome details of the girl's rampage. If you don't flinch a little as a sword goes into a place where it shouldn't on a lady and results in a squirty mess, you are tougher than I am. Genitals get it the worst, but don't discount eye violence, drowning and even a flip over fire crash. It's great!
So you have a sleazy sex flick, a sweaty gore epic all sauced up in some incredibly funny English dialog spouted out by some one dimensional stick figures that you just have to enjoy for what they do. Sounds average? It isn't. This is prime splatter and sleaze, a film that matches the epic Patrick Lives Again on the “Need-for-a-Shower” scale.
The DVD from Retromedia is a welcome site, if not a mixed bag. The transfer is full frame and looks miles better than any bootleg out there, which is a huge plus. While far from perfect, I was pleased that compression errors did not run rampant over the darker sequences and this is a great way to see the film for the first time. I'm very curious about the inclusion of the “alternate ending” personally. I've never seen a print of the movie that did NOT contain this footage in the body of the picture. Without it, a major twist is lost, and though it makes little sense, it is a satisfying and, best of all, memorable scene. On watching the feature without it, the ending is totally wasted. By all means, you must watch this footage. A great trailer for the film is also included, and it highlights one of the loopy charms of the film with the amount of askew title cards on show.
If you like trash cinema the way it used too be, don't pass up this forgotten little rotten apple. Just hide your sword and double lock up your zippers gents.
B -David Zuzelo
2006 ~ Directors: The Mallachi Brothers
The Asylum
 Fine fine... the studios managed to create a cult film this Summer, but that isn't exploitation filmmaking in my book. SNAKES ON A TRAIN?? Now that's exploitation, especially since the film hit video stores before the Plane even took off and underperformed. You may take The Asylum to task for the knock off films they churn out, but Snakes On A Train is very much like these quickies. Fast, cheap and entertaining in fits and starts.
Train is certainly a stranger film by it's plot alone than anything that Flight Attendant Jackson could be a part of. A weird Mayan curse is put upon a woman on the run with her medicine man trainee lover boy. They buy their way onto a train populated by not so bright characters who are perfect fodder for the snakes that are coming OUT of the cursed woman. No kidding, she is puking mean snakes; they are ripping out of her body and attacking those in their path. It is a wonderfully demented idea that pays off well enough. A little drug smuggling plot and people arguing occurs, but it is of no importance (with the exception of some bared breasts that are whipped out on the tiniest and most unbelievable circumstance ever...not that I'm complaining) because the snakes are mad and they ain't going back into the woman.
Yeah, and you think it stops there? Look at the cover. I'm not going to spoil the ending, but let's say that the investors loved that art and wanted to see it happen. For like $40 and with ten minutes left on the sets, they pulled it off believe it or not.
While it is not perfect, SOAT does pull off the trick of entertaining pretty damn well. The Mallachi Brothers do okay with some attempt at style on occasion, but all that is eclipsed by a few surprisingly strong performances (Juliana Ruiz gives her all for sure) and some CRAZY gore effects. The budget was obviously skewed towards giving the snakes some nasty sequences and several are so far over the top that they stand out from the low budget quickie pack. Look for the penetration sequence that ends all the way in one poor dude's freakin' heart! Bleeech! Overall, an excellent piggyback from a marketing standpoint and a fun way to spend 80 minutes.
The DVD is the regular Asylum standard with a solid transfer, optional stereo and 5.1 soundtracks and a commentary track. At one point during that commentary session they explain why things are happening at the end and how much was re-sliced to accommodate the revised ending by referring to the final snake shots as “tying up an empty sack,” which is pretty much what the movie is. The snakes are the spindly rope that holds together a little movie that goes for the gory gusto and guts with great guns blazing. Fun and a fine example of true exploitation movie making in the Direct To DVD age.
C -David Zuzelo
2006 ~ Directors: David Neff & Patrick Neese
Steve The Bum Productions
I was excited to review the mini-documentary The World’s Most Famous Haunted House since I myself have been a “haunter” for over 7 years now.
The documentary is a fairly good teaser, but I wanted a little more. Actually the special features had more material than the actual documentary. I loved the behind the scenes stuff which will be great to watch after haunt season is over, just to feel nostalgic.
I visited the Steve the Bum Productions website to find out more about the company and their films and through research I found out that this was actually taken from another documentary called Generation Fear, which follows the seasons of two haunted houses. This DVD is basically a short interview with Richard Garriott, creator of Britannia Manor which was a haunted house that ran season to season from 1988-1995 and just suddenly stopped. The mini-documentary doesn’t help to give the viewer any inclination as to why or even mention the fact that the haunt is no longer open except for the back of the DVD.
Short snippets from the haunt are thrown in and I felt as if I were left hanging to find out more information. There wasn’t even a mention that this was from another documentary and where someone could get it except from the stills in the special features section. If I weren't writing this review I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to find out more about this film, but now that I know about Generation Fear I’m interested in seeing it.
The DVD packaging has this great demon on the front that reminds me of my days as 'The Dark One' while working on the hayride at Spooky World in Foxboro, MA. As for special features, there is an entire tour of the mansion and, as far as haunts go, this one was quite elaborate. The behind the scenes stuff and still phots are amazing.
So for a grade I’m torn. The mini-documentary was a 'C' but the special features were a 'B+', so I’ll split the grade to a 'B' and call it even. I’m looking forward to checking out Generation Fear and more from Steve The Bum Productions.
B -Choppy
August 2006
AMICUS TRIPLE FEATURE
Dark Sky
I had not heard of Amicus Films until I was asked to review these three DVDs from the Dark Sky Films collection. Amicus was a film company that produced British horror films in the 1970’s to rival Hammer Films. The difference between the two was that Amicus set most of their horror films in modern times (modern meaning the 70’s) and Hammer Films were more gothic period pieces. Almost every horror fan knows of Hammer, or should! Most Hammer films are now considered classics, and while Amicus’ output never quite reached this standard, they gave them a good run for their money at times...
1972 ~ Director: Roy Ward Baker
Asylum is a good little anthology horror film that shows what Amicus Films was really all about. It’s set in a mental hospital for the incurably insane in the 1970's. A new doctor has arrived to apply for a job at the asylum. He is put to a test and must interview four of the patients to figure out witch one was a doctor at the asylum at one time, but is now insane. As he interviews each patient, we are sent into their heads to see their creepy story.
I enjoyed this film for what it is. It’s well written by screenwriter Robert Bloch, who wrote the novel Psycho, and well acted by a great British cast that includes Peter Cushing, who is always amazing to watch, and Patrick Magee from A Clockwork Orange, just to name a few. It’s well directed and has some nice cinematography and great editing. Check out the scene where the guy hacks up his wife with a hatchet and tell me if Sam Raimi didn't steal the whole scene, crazy camera angles and all, for Evil Dead.
Yes, this is a stuffy British horror film from the 70’s with no gore, but fun as hell to watch!
B -Bruce Millet
1973 ~ Director: Roy Ward Baker
This story has a haunted house full of severed hands that crawl and an eyeless ghost that rapes any virgin that enters the house. Sounds like an interesting horror movie, though my second venture into Amicus Films is not quite as good as the first.
And Now The Screaming Starts, has, as the title suggests, a lot of screaming in it from sexy British models of the day. It is also one of the few period pieces put out by Amicus. Once again it has high filmmaking standards like great cinematography and good acting, but and I am particularly enjoying Roy Ward Baker as a director. Being a "wannabe" director myself, I admire those with their own style. I noticed it in Asylum and will look for other films he has directed. The editing, however, is choppy and paced poorly in this film. The story has promise but is slow and cheesy, especially compared to other horror films that came out around the same time (The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left).
This would make a good lazy Sunday afternoon atmospheric haunted house movie. Plus, as usual, Peter Cushing is amazing.
C+ -Bruce Millet
1974 ~ Director: Paul Annett
This is quite possibly the worst werewolf movie ever made. It was very hard for me not to hit the fast forward button on this one, but I suffered through it. The Beast Must Die looks like a TV movie from the 70's and has a black lead (Calvin Lockhart) that reminded me of Shaft. Sounds like it should be a good bad movie, but its not. Even the hip funky 70's porn music can’t help save this mess. Amicus was trying branch out and make a cutting edge, modern, funky horror film, but what they ended up with was a movie that’s difficult for anyone to sit through.
The werewolf that they only show in the last few minutes of the film is a dog with fake hair stuck to it. While that sounds funny, its not. I will give this movie credit for two things: 1) There is a break in the film at one point where they ask if we know who the werewolf is and give us 30 seconds to guess before they come back and tell us. I have never seen this done in a film before. 2) Peter Cushing is amazing. But please watch another Amicus Film that he stars is in, as this one is easily one of thier worst.
F -Bruce Millet
2002 ~ Director: Robert Madero
Tempe
Since the popularity of The Evil Dead back in 1983, every horror fan dreamed of being the next Sam Raimi and creating their own horror classic. Almost all of them fail miserably. From films like Woodchipper Massacre to Demon Summer and peeeeeeeee-lenty in the middle, horror fans have seen just about every bad homemade film known to mankind. A sad sight for our sore eyes, indeed.
Then came this little number from Texas Trouble Entertainment. It turns out that Camp Utopia isn't such a bad film. It contains some shitty acting (especially by the overhyped cameo during the opening credits by former RATT frontman Stephen Pearcy) and piss poor FX, but stick my balls in a blender and switch to puree, it ain't that bad!
What could a shot on video horror film with no budget and Stephen Pearcy possibly be about? Well, I'll tell ya...back in `69 (its always in `69, isn't it?), Timothy Bach (Pearcy) plays a Charles Manson type leader who too has ‘family’ complete with peace signs, nude women, drugs, wavy dancing, and loving life and each other. Then, our favorite RATTman decides to go "Round and Round" with a machete, killing everyone in sight and disappears without a trace. Sounds cliche, but the film works!
Step ahead 30+ years as five campers head out to the wilderness for the weekend. During their time, they argue, swear for the point of swearing, come across a fucked up forest ranger, and the men are totally rejected any sexual contact; though nudity abounds. But someone has decided that killing would be a much better activity. After a while of romping through the woods, the body count begins to grow. A blow to the head and multiple arrows are the choice of death here, along a severed head that is just laughable at best. But, somehow, the film still works!
Could this be the work of Timothy Bach? I won't tell, but it doesn't take much of a genius to figure it out and believe it or not, the acting does get better as it approaches to the climax. As far as the DVD goes, we have a full screen presentation. The colors get grainy, but it’s about as good as you can expect from a film like this. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette and trailers.
An amusing film that’s somewhat fun...and works!
B- -Rich Caron
2005 ~ Director: Brett Leonard
TLA Releasing
Now that we are in the dog days of summer and there ain't shit at the theaters (with the exception of the glorious The Descent), time to start breaking out the DVDs for a little indoor horrorfest. And the Rabid One has come across a flick guaranteed to make you puke up that hamburger you ate at your parent's BBQ over the weekend. The film is called Feed.
It’s a grotesque portrayal of a very real subject – feeding fat women as a fetish over the internet. Introducing Australian cyberporn investigator Philip Jackson, played by Patrick Thompson who could be the next David (The Beyond) Warbeck, who discovers a website which takes him into the dark world of people called 'feeders' and 'gainers' – a complete site filled with info on these women including weight, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. After a while, old Phil realizes that many of the women on the site are missing. Where are they? No one knows. But our main man of the porn police takes himself across the pond to the US. The woman in question that's seen throughout the film is simply known as Deidre, played by Gabby Millgate. Deidre weighs in at a keg-crushing 600 lbs. and watching her chow down is probably the nastiest thing you will see all year. Will Phil catch the man responsible for making these women disappear? Will Deidre make it to 700 lbs.? Should I buy stock in Burger King and Wendy's knowing people like this exist?
The shear repulsiveness of this Australian film is sure to make you gag. And I thought I was ungagable. The film is so gross you will be sighing relief when you see that Gabby's body isn't real, but an amazing body suit (and in my personal opinion, could pass for special effect of the year!) with realistic pockmarks, stretches, and folds. It even makes fast food (which isn't good for you anyway kids!) look downright stomach-churning. The most frightening aspect of this film is that Deidre is happy and gleeful about not only her appearance, but her goal to be bigger.
As for the DVD, you get a sweet, (no pun intended) unrated 1:78 anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 Dolby Digital that clocks in at 101 minutes. As for the extras, well they’re not quite as fattening: deleted scenes with an altenate ending (though I prefer the ending in the film), final day interview (which is all of 3:30), scenes of the premiere in Philly, behind-the-scenes footage and an infomercial.
A -Rich Caron
1972 ~ Director: Pete Walker
Shriek Show
A madman is stalking a theatrical troupe rehearsing for a mysterious producer, many bottoms are bared, many breasts are exposed and the occasional off screen murder occurs as The Flesh And Blood Show unfolds with more skin than murderous sin. Pete Walker’s first horror film is certainly a film that is more of interest than interesting as it turns out, but fans of the British independent filmmaker should certainly turn up and take a look at it’s rather charming simplicity. While gorehounds will undoubtedly be turned off at the lack of blood, which is written large and drippy on the cover, the film does have lots of things going for it.
A group of young actors are brought together to produce some sort of variety show that includes cave man numbers and lots of erotic dancing by an unknown person. Why? Well...who knows? But it doesn’t matter to them. Led by Mike (Ray Brooks), the troupe attempts to hammer out something interesting to present for their big break on the London stage. But something is amiss right out of the gate. Since they are all shacking up in the deserted theatre at the edge of a spooky pier, they provide a 24 hour a day target for a madman on the loose. The remaining props from years gone by provide a guillotine (which is used of course) and plenty of sharp objects for stabbing annoying young people who have little more on the brain than silly skits and getting down to the business of bums and tits.
And there is plenty of those assets to hang your coat on, since Walker had produced several sex comedies (and quite good ones at that), he had no compunction about getting the kits off and letting the characters build up their own jealousies and motivations to provide red herrings for the viewer to latch on to. After a few bodies surface and one particularly harrowing hobo attack occurs the lot run into Major Bell, a doddering old fella who wants to watch the rehearsals, and won’t stop until he does. Lucky for us, he interrupts on even more naked women, providing a giallo styled moment of stalking, even if it is minus the slash.
Things come to a head as the group is told of the dark history of the building and how a production of Othello led to missing actors, slashed bodies and shattered dreams. And perhaps even a mysterious secret for one of the actors as well! In a finale that makes an excellent double use of the film’s title, The Flesh And Blood Show comes to a finish, and though nobody was wading in gore along the way we get double the flesh for our money. And besides, you get a 3-D finish at the end...sort of.
Fans of British genre films will enjoy The Flesh And Blood Show for a solid cast that includes Jenny Hanley, Luan Peters, Patrick Barr and sex comedy icon Robin Askwith. Most notable for the horror fan in me was the appearance of Candace Glendenning who would also appear in Tower of Evil and Norman J. Warren’s outstanding Satan’s Slave as well. It did take me a while to recognize her, but sitting nude and still reminded me of her best parts let us just say. Each plays their role well and as with many of the Walker films, the story is never dragged down by poor acting. Also very good is the score by Cyril Ornadel, which has a grand and gruesome sound that lifts up virtually every sequence involving the killer with swooping organs and odd percussion. Walker gets stylish in these sequences and even though the running time could have been chopped down and the pace picked up, these bits are a fun precursor to the later successes in Frightmare and House Of Mortal Sin especially. The downsides are evident however, those looking for a rollicking gorefest will doze off during the long waits and anyone looking for a good thriller will probably be turned away by the abundant skin and sleaze. A film for Pete Walker fans who are curious about all of his films, though not an ideal place to start for the uninitiated.
The DVD from Shriek Show is solid, with a clean presentation that only shows some warts during the flat version of the 3-D flashback scene. It should be noted that the same sequence is included as an Easter egg on the extras menu in the original 3-D, which was very thoughtful and should be advertised in my opinion. Also present are trailers for the other Pete Walker Collection titles, and a fantastic bit of salesmanship is on show in each little celluloid time capsule of cinematic promises. Finally, an interview with Walker is included that features lots of good tidbits about the cast and his own thoughts on the film. My only caveat here is that for some reason Walker is interviewed outdoors and the occasional wind blares up and causes a GHASTLY noise, especially grating if you are watching through a home theater set up. I won’t dwell on it, but it makes the entire interview seem very amateur in presentation. To be fair, I will say that the packaging and use of the garish poster art makes up for this in an age where DVD artwork has become horribly bland, this leaps off the shelf and deserves praise.
Overall, Shriek Show’s release of The Flesh And Blood Show is a good package for an interesting, if not entirely successful, film. This is a movie that is perfect viewing for Pete Walker’s fans though I would not recommend it as a horror film by its own merit.
As Simon says in the film, “If only it wasn’t so tragic and horrible, it would almost make a movie script.”
C -David Zuzelo
2006 ~ Director: Stefan Hutchinson
Anchor Bay
If there’s one thing the folks at Anchor Bay Entertainment know how to do it’s milk a franchise like one of Ava Devine's titties. The Evil Dead franchise is one, while most of the Halloween series is the other. Always looking for the almighty dollar, they don’t mind making you double, triple, quadruple, and quintuple dip for the aforementioned film’s latest brand-spanking 'new' release. However, AB has released a Halloween DVD that's not only new, but also in no need of an update.
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror is a 2 DVD set that gives a revealing look at not only Halloween but the entire franchise – from Michael Myers’ early years to him going toe to toe with Busta Rhymes. Included are many, many, many, many interviews and rare stills with the cast and crew of all 8 films. Some of the stories in here you've heard before, but at least they go balls out. No stone is unturned. They even talk about what mistakes they made. Honesty abounds in this and they don't sugar coat it. For once, a film franchises realizes they already got your money. You might as well enjoy it.
The documentary itself is 84 minutes, but the whole set runs over 4 hours of Michael
Myers-Mania! The only setback is that AB is 3 years late on its release as the 25th anniversary of Halloween was back in 2003. But this is a minor point. Overall, this is a must have for die hard Halloween fans and considered a nice pick up for casual fans of the series. While, personally, I find the series to be atrocious (even the first film I am not particularly fond of...Part III is the best of the bunch), it has way too much info for me to dismiss this to the back of class.
A- -Rich Caron
1984 ~ Director: Lucio Fulci
Shriek Show
“…One of Lucio Fulci’s most entertaining works” reads an obviously trumped-up cover sleeve quote from our friends over at DVDManiacs.net. I’d sooner have my tongue extracted a la Mark of the Devil than speak such irreverence. Murder Rock, Slashdance, or whatever hip title you wanna give this is the furthest thing from entertaining. I tend to refer to it as the poor man’s – make that the penniless man’s – New York Ripper.
A gloved psycho (imagine that) goes around offing dancers at a local studio with a hatpin through the boob to pierce the heart. I guess that’s cool, but the endless diatribe of dialogue padding drowns out any form of enjoyment. It’s a chore to get through. Like all gialli, there’s a certain amount of necessary build up to play the whodunit guessing game, but Murder Rock has a really weak payoff...and middle...and beginning.
Oh, and did I mention that the opening credits montage contains lots of BREAKDANCING? I would pay good money to go back in time to simply see the reaction on the late maestro’s face as these numbskulls wormed their way across his set. I can almost hear the sound of his pipe hitting the ground now...
And while I enjoy ELP as much as the next guy, Keith Emerson’s score is completely obnoxious, even for a movie full of undulating, sweaty bodies.
I’ll give Murder Rock credit for the stylish cinematography of Giuseppe Pinori (notably the skyline shots of NYC and the effective dream sequence about 30 minutes in), accentuated further by what is probably Shriek Show’s most pristine film transfer to date. It was admittedly much easier on the eyes to sit through than the 3rd generation VHS copy I’ve since trashed. The team of Ray Lovelock & Olga Karlatos is probably Fulci’s classiest pairing, and it’s a shame that they didn’t have more to work with.
Why this is a two-disc set I’ll never know, but it’s packed full of some decent extras (the 5 image photo gallery notwithstanding). The beautifully filmed Tempus Fugit is a re-edited version of Daniel Gouyette’s documentary Non Respondi Piu and is chock-full of interesting interpretations of Fulci’s work. A smattering of those interviewed include Luigi Cozzi, Dardano Sacchetti, Claudio Argento and scriptwriter Antonio Tentori who, surprisingly, provides the most insight. It's the reason to purchase this dual edition.
Extended interviews with Lovelock & Pinori are also included as is an audio commentary with the cinematographer and journalist Frederico Caddeo that surprisingly holds up throughout the entire run time.
The film’s best line (uttered by the great Cosimo Cinieri), “He’d sit on his mother’s head for a laugh,” is something I would’ve preferred to watch as, sadly, this is post-Sacchetti Fulci at its most mind numbing.
D+ -Mike Baronas
2006 ~ Director: David Zucker
Weinstein Company
Who the hell likes these movies and why?
Even though this was directed by David Zucker, who created such greats as Airplane and Police Squad, the writing team was just not up to snuff on this one and I think I know why; Jerry Zucker was not a part of it. Jerry hasn’t been part of this group since 1994’s The N aked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and it shows. This movie was so bad, I fell asleep during it and had to watch most of it over again so I can give it a proper review.
This movie isn’t very funny. Maybe if I smoked a bag of weed, maybe, just maybe, I’d have really laughed, but that’s doubtful. The cover gives you an idea of the movies they will be (piss)taking on; The Village, Saw, War of the Worlds, The Grudge and...King Kong? I never saw one bit of King Kong in this movie. Did I miss something? I was actually looking forward to seeing them rip that apart, not that I didn’t like King Kong, I just thought it could be funny. The one good scene in the whole movie was the Brokeback Mountain bit that made me laugh, but the rest was dismal.
Originally conceived by Shawn and Marlon Wayans, who haven’t been funny since Don’t Be a Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood, Scary Movie was a take-off on Scream, which, in case you didn’t know, was Scream’s original title. I’m surprised who turned up in this as well; Charlie Sheen has a part near the beginning that is semi-funny with him trying to kill himself; an idea that has happened in countless comedies to the point where it’s a tired gag. The real shocker was Michael Madson who plays Tim Robbins’ character in the War of the Worlds spoof, which completely misses the mark by not playing off Madson’s tough exterior.
I think the biggest problem is the dialog. Original Zucker productions relied on punchy dialog that often toyed with accents; it was smart slapstick. Another thing the writing team forgot that’s essential to all things Zucker is the running gag. They are the basis behind movies like The Naked Gun and there just aren’t any in here.
The DVD offers many extras so if you happen to be brain dead and like the movie, you’ll enjoy all the junk they put on here. I wasted enough time with the film to check out the extras, but by looking at the cover they have 15 deleted scenes, a blooper reel, a visual effects featurette, a David Zucker biography and more.
You’re not missing anything here except a good nap.
F -Ryan 'Choppy' Travis
1989
Warner Bros.
The Tales from the Crypt series on DVD has been met with more than mixed emotions. While the series is presented here uncut and full-frame complete with opening and closing monologues by everyone's favorite rotted host, the one thing that keeps the series from garnering an explosive rating is the lack of extras, and Season 4 is no exception.
There are only two 'extras' in the set: Commentary on “What's Cookin'” episode by The Cryptkeeper, writer Alan Katz and series chronicler Digby Diehl and “The Stars of Season 4” montage hosted by The Cryptkeeper. The real shame is the complete lack of the interactive menu monologue by CK (unlike the first 3 sets). It just shows that the folks at Warner Brothers are caring less and less about the series. Is there really not that much to talk about? It’s Tales from the Crypt for fuck’s sake!
But gore abounds in these 14 episodes which are complete with good scares, and you can really see that TFTC is getting into the swing of things at this point. If you have the first 3 sets, you might as well get this one.
B+ -Rich Caron
1974 ~ Director: Tobe Hooper
Dark Sky
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: the gritty little movie with a great big title that changed filmmaking forever. It will always be, in my humble opinion, the Pinnacle of Horror and Dark Sky Films has blessed us with an absolutely gorgeous presentation. Yes, I just described this 84 minute roller-coaster of claustrophobic anguish as “gorgeous.” The causal observer may find this a peculiar adjective to use, but the throngs of us who have studied the film scene by scene for years are likely never to see TCM given such love. The colors, hues and contrast pop like never before without losing the realistic, almost documentary, feeling. It is absolutely breathtaking – like seeing it again for the first time. Bravo Dark Sky!
What more needs to be said about this cinematic masterpiece that hasn’t already been said? Former Anchor Bay supplement guru Michael Felsher answers this with his new company Red Shirt Pictures’ documentary Flesh Wounds. Aside from the stunning restoration of the film itself, this is the 2-disc set’s jewel – a fun, lovingly-constructed, seven segment collection of anecdotes from stars Gunnar Hansen & Ed Neal, “Grandpa” make-up artist W.E. Barnes, cinematographer Daniel Pearl, and TCM fan club operator & cool mofo Tim Harden. Felsher also gives insight into the movie’s longevity at a couple of horror conventions and even acknowledges those who have passed on (Jim “Old Man/Cook” Siedow, Paul “Franklin” Partain & Art/Production Designer Robert A. Burns) with a classy little tribute. This is easily one of the best documentaries on any genre disc ever...and I used to be in this line of work!
Equally as important to the history of the film’s creation is former Blue Underground’s supplement guru David Gregory’s The Shocking Truth. Originally released in 2000, this in-depth documentary tells the tale of the film from beginning to end via an enormous majority of cast and crew (including the late Siedow, Partain & Burns). Gregory was even able to wrangle a chat with one of the film’s investors, Robert Kuhn, who recounts the tale of the infamous distribution deal gone wrong with the mafia-connected Bryanston Distributors and Louis ‘Butchie’ Peraino (a complete timeline of this deception can be found here at Tim Harden’s awesome TCM site). The only drawback is the excruciatingly monotone delivery of the doc’s narrator Matthew Bell. Other than that, this too is top notch.
Additional bonus features include two commentary tracks – the Hansen, Hooper, Pearl chat from the Pioneer DVD and a lively new one featuring Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, Robert Burns & Paul Partain. Outtakes, bloopers, trailers, stills, etc. (some new, some not) round out this beauty.
Being the film’s third pressing on DVD may cause some to question how much is too much Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but what we have here is as close to complete biography as we’ll ever get on the little horror film that could.
A+++ -Mike Baronas
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