31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 13 Zombiethon

Zombiethon
Source-Full Moon DVD

This is basically a highlight reel of any film Empire/Full Moon had the rights to that had zombies in it. So you got stuff like Fulci's Zombie,Oasis of the Zombies and many others. With the only original footage being kind of wraparound piece. About a woman that is being chased by zombies. So she hides out in a theater. That is full of zombies and is showing movies.

A few years back I got a VHS rip of this and reviewed it here on my blog. I knew Full Moon had put it out on a DVD.But it was 15 bucks which is much more than I wanted to spend. Then earlier this year I found it in a bodega. And they only wanted $5. It was mixed in with all the other DVDs they were selling. Which was all big mainstream movies. No clue how this oddball got mixed in there but I am happy it did.

The DVD looks slightly better than the VHS rip I saw.And the only extras are a short intro from Charles Band. And a bunch of trailers.

Zombiethon gets a B.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 12 Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays
Source-Echo Bridge 20 movies for $5 DVD pack

Before buying the 20 horror films for $5 pack I hadn't even heard of Home for the Holidays. I was looking at the back of the pack,saw this film's title and that Sally Fields was in it I had to grab it.Then I started looking it up. Seems it was made for TV in 1972. And Aaron Spelling was the producer.

A man calls his 4 daughters and asks them to come to his house for the X-mas holidays. They get there and he reveals he thinks his new wife is poisoning him and wants him dead. Then a horrible thunderstorm hits. And the killer appears. Wearing a yellow rain jacket and armed with a pitchfork. Now since this was made for TV the violence and gore levels are pretty much at zero. But the acting is really good and I was kind of surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie.

I like how this came out before Black Christmas and Halloween,both of which are considered the first slasher films,and all the slasher tropes appear in this film. For that reason since seeing it I have considered this film a proto-slasher. Kind of how like now Psycho is considered a proto-slasher.

The DVD is bare bones. And looks like it is a VHS rip. But considering the VHS is kind of rare,and this is the only DVD release of the film and how much this cost it is worth grabbing if you find a copy.

Home for the Holidays gets a A-.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 11 Zipperface

Zipperface unrated version
Source-Echo Bridge DVD

Now I love slasher films. And thought I had at least heard of all the ones released in the States during the 80s and 90s. Then I bought a 20 films for $5 pack. It was full of horror films and at that price I took a chance. Saw the name Zipperface and had to watch it.

Zipperface came out in 1992. Seems it was a DTV release. With an R rated and a unrated release. From my research the unrated version is becoming hard to find on VHS.

Set in the early 90s in a big city out in California,this is a slasher that tries to be different. And it is in a few ways. First off this is the first horror film I know of to use BDSM leather gear as the outfit for the killer. Zipperface looks like a twisted version of the Gimp from Pulp Fiction. He is hiring hookers. And once they come to him after tying them up he kills them. So of course a couple of detectives are assigned to track down Zipperface and stop them. This is kind of a throwback slasher. In that it feels more like an early 80s slasher. You get a few red herrings,the best being the sleazy photographer the female detective ends up dating.

If you remember the old show Silk Stalkings,imagine an R rated version of that show. But with way more sexual overtones.

I checked the running time and this DVD release is the unrated cut. But really there doesn't seem to be anything in this film that would prevent it from getting an R rating. Maybe the distributor had an R rated cut made so Blockbuster Video would carry it.Yeah if you didn't know Blockbuster had a policy of not carrying any unrated films. Blockbuster is the reason there is an R rated cut of Showgirls on VHS.

So if you are a slasher fan that has already seen all the 70s,80s and 90s slashers give Zipperface a watch. I still see that 20 pack all over for $5. And the same pack also has a decent looking copy of the hard to find proto-slasher Home for the Holidays. Those 2 films are worth the $5.

Zipperface gets a C-.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 10 Halloween 2 remake

Halloween 2 director's cut
Source-Unrated Director's cut DVD

I skipped this one when it hit theaters. At the time my local theater hadn't remodeled and was horrible. Bad projection,bad sound and they charged way too much for a ticket. Then everyone I talked to that saw it hated it. I haven't seen the horror community throw out this much hate since the backlash about 2 months after Blair Witch came out.

Then one night I was in town looking for something to watch. The DVD of this film had been marked down to $5 so I grabbed it.

First off it should be known that I do not like the original Halloween 2. To me the first Halloween film was as close as we got to an American giallo film. Then Halloween 2 was pretty much a paint by numbers 80s slasher.

I sat down to watch this,thinking well if everyone hates it I am sure it has to be horrible. After the film was over I wondered why it was so hated. I even asked quite a few people why they hated it and it was always tiny nitpicky things like "Why did Zombie have to cast his wife in this one too? ","Michael barely wears the mask in it!" and other whiny fanboy reasons.

Now as for me. I enjoy the movie. I like seeing how what happened in the first film has effected Annie and Laurie. I like how Dr Loomis has used his new fame to become a money hungry media whore. And yes I even like the Sherri Moon Zombie and White Horse dream sequences.

The DVD like the first films is loaded with fun extras. The commentary being the best of the extras. But the others are worth a look.

Halloween 2 remake gets a C.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 088 Adventure Heroes by Jeff Rovin

TITLE-Adventure Heroes Legendary characters from Odysseus to James Bond
AUTHOR-Jeff Rovin
FORMAT-Hardcover
FIRST TIME READING-Yes
PRICE-25 cents plus shipping

Months back I was watching one of James Rolfe's videos. Where he was talking about his reference book collection. One book he talked about,Encyclopedia of Monsters,sounded really good. So I looked on various used booksites to get a price range. Saw that the same author had written and bunch of other encyclopedia style books.Along with a bunch of 80s era Nintendo game tip books.

Over the past 8 years I have been getting more and more into the pulp hero genre of fiction. So I thought a book about adventure heroes would be a fun read.

Once I got the book in it took the top spot in my bathroom. Yes I am one of those folks that reads while using the toilet. So for months now this has sat in my bathroom. And I slowly read my way thru the entire book.

Rovin covers all the usual suspects when you think of adventure heroes,like say Doc Savage,Tarzan,Lone Ranger. But it is the oddball ones he talks about that make me love this book so much. When I first got it I was flipping thru it and noticed there is an entry for Star Comics,Marvel's kids line,short lived Planet Terry comic. I collect the Star Comics and I barely remember Planet Terry.

From what I know most of the entries in this book are accurate as of when the book was written. And sure now books like this have been replaced with websites. But there is something about a nice hardback reference book that I like.

When I ordered the book,which cost me a quarter plus IIRC 2 bucks for shipping,and it was listed as used I figured it would be complete but a bit beat up. What I got was an ex library copy. And since it is classified as a reference book that means it wasn't allowed to be checked out. The book is in amazing shape. I would like to have a poster of the cover image.

Adventure Heroes by Jeff Rovin gets a 4.55 out of 5.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 09 Halloween remake

Halloween remake
Source-Unrated Director's cut DVD

This film came out at a time when I wasn't going to theaters to see anything. So I didn't see it until I bought the DVD over a year later. But everyone I knew that saw this remake at least liked it. With a few people saying it was better than the original. Then around 2008 I started posting at a forum for a horror podcast. And wow the hate this film got there. You would think that Rob Zombie had dug up the podcast host's dead grandmothers. Then defiled the corpse in front of them  while burning all their autographed pictures.

As for me,I do enjoy this film. Do I think it is better than the original? Nah. But it is the best Halloween film since part 5. And better than the original part 2,H2O and the one with Busta Rhymes.

I like how we get a back story as to why Michael did what he did that one Halloween night. I like how Laurie isn't a perfect angel in this film,and yes I do remember in the original the scene where she smokes a joint with her friend. I like how they explained where Michael's mask came from. Really my only complaint about this film is Sherri Moon Zombie isn't the best choice to play Michael's mother. She tries her best but just isn't the right person for the role.

Now I know there is 3 versions of this film. There is a workprint that leaked right before it hit theaters.There is the theatrical cut and then there is the director's cut. All I have ever seen is the director's cut.

The DVD is fairly loaded with decent extras. The commentary is worth a listen. And the documentary on the making of the film is great.

Halloween remake gets a B.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 08 Terror Firmer unrated Director's cut

Terror Firmer
Source-Unrated Director's cut 2 disc DVD

I have love Troma since when I first saw Toxic Avenger back in the 80s. So as soon as Netflix had Terror Firmer for rent I rented it. For a few years I would blind buy anything  Troma put out. But they had a 3 or 4 year long slump. So I switched to renting their stuff first to see if it was worth buying. And Terror Firmer was. But the only versions I could find locally for sale were used and looked to be in bad shape. So I figured if I waited I would find a decent copy for a good price.

I didn't know at the time I would be waiting 11 years. Yep 11 years. At the 2014 Coastcon,I was at this one dealer's table. She always has a great selection of new and used DVDs and Blu rays. I am standing there chatting with her. We found out the year before we have a mutual friend. When I saw Terror Firmer in her bins. And it was still sealed. "I am asking $8 for it since it sounds like one of the discs is loose." I shook the case heard a disc rattling around. But figured it wouldn't be too scratched up to play. Plus since it was still sealed that meant it would have the Terror Firmer mini poster. I paid her for it and the other things I was buying. And opened it up to see if there was any damage to the loose DVD. Nope not even a tiny scratch.

Set on the set of a low budget film,Terror Firmer is in some ways a film version of  Kaufman's first book on how to make a movie. There is some lady killing off people involved in the film. Add in the normal issues on the set of a low budget film and you get all kinds of mayhem.

The cast is pretty damn good for a Troma film. You got Debbie Rochon as the diva actress,Lloyd Kaufman playing a version of himself as the blind director,and then there is Will Keenan and Trent Haaga. I had seen Keenan in Tromeo and Juliet. And Haaga I had seen in a few Full Moon movies. Both are good actors and really shine in this film

The FX are also pretty damn good for a modern Troma movie. And thankfully there is no CGI. There is even a few scenes where Haaga,who plays the FX guy in the film,explains how they do a few of the FX.

Now of course with this being unrated and a Troma film that means it is loaded up with gore,nudity and plenty of non-PC stuff. If this film had been sent to the MPAA it would have gotten an NC 17.

The 2 discs of this set are loaded with extras. The movie has 2 commentaries. Both of which are worth listening too. And there is a great Easter egg. Where you will be shown the R rated version of the film. When it comes to a scene that had to be cut to get an R rating,Lloyd shows up on screen and describes  what is going on. The second disc has a really long and really good documentary on the making of Terror Firmer. Which is almost as entertaining as the film is.

Terror Firmer gets a B+.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 07 Delta Delta Die!

Delta Delta Die!
Source-Full Moon Slashers 101 DVD

Back in 2004,it was a Friday night. And I didn't feel like going out. Had some friends over,so our plan was to split a 12 pack of beer and watch a cheesy horror film none of us had seen before. I walked across the street to the Hollywood Video store. Looked thru the kind of small horror DVD section. And grabbed Delta Delta Die!,now I could lie and say I grabbed it cause it is a slasher and I love slashers. But there was 4 drunk guys,plus me,wanting to see a cheesy horror film. And this being from Full Moon and having Brinke Stevens,Julie Strain and Tiffany Shepis I was sure it would be cheesy.

After that viewing I kind of forgot about Delta Delta Die.Not because it was a bad film,but mostly cause I had been really drunk when I watched it. So back this past summer I was waiting on someone to finish their shopping at one of the many Dollar Generals in my area. To kill time I was digging thru their DVD bins. Saw the above pictured DVD and it was only $7. And with each film having it's own disc I figured it was worth the price.

The film is about a college sorority. Where the sisters like to entice men over ,then eat them.So for right at 90 minutes we get scene after scene of the sisters getting various men to come over. Usually by promising the guys sex. Then the guys get killed and eaten.

The acting is decent. With Ms Shepis doing a great job. The FX work isn't bad. This came out at a time when Full Moon was struggling so most of their films had a real low budget look to them at the time. Not this one. It looks like something Lionsgate would have given a theatrical release. Really the main drawback to this film is it is about 15 minutes too long. Before most of the kills the sister that got the guy/guys to come over will do a strip tease. And all of these could have been cut down by a minute or so . That would have improved the pacing greatly.

Delta Delta Die! gets a C.

31 Days of Horror 2015 EXTRA Gummy Body Parts Candy from Frankford

I was trying to find boxes of the three monster cereals Sunday. There was a place on the shelf for them. But they had never hit the store. So went to see if any candy they had caught my eyes. Plus I was in charge of buying the "bag of candy incase we have trick or treaters(They have had a total of 15 over the course of 12 years)but get stuff we like".

Found the Gummy Body Parts candy I have grabbed the last few years. Always loved gummies. And these are usually pretty good.

Instead of pictures I just did video.

The song playing in the background is The Browns-American Werewolf in Calgary. AFAIK they broke up a few years back. And only released 2 albums.But if you want a kind of poppy horror rock the Browns are a good choice.

And I tried each piece. The song in the background is Sex in the cementary by The Accelerators. The brain and eyeball gummies are the most flavorful of all of them.The bowl I was placing them in is a Sesame Street bowl I got when I was 2 ,so is from the mid 70s.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 06 Black Sheep

Black Sheep
Source-Dimension Extreme Unrated DVD

Back when the Weinsteins started up the Dimension Extreme label because the films were usually cheap I grabbed everyone of them I found. And Black Sheep turned out to be the best of all the ones I grabbed.

Set in the rural areas of New Zealand,this is  a tale of mutated flesh eating sheep. Yeah sheep.Once a guy who is afraid of sheep comes back to sell his share of the family farm the shit hits the fan.Seems his brother has been performing genetic experiments on the sheep.

This is a nice combo of creature feature plus the gore/comedy stuff Peter Jackson use to do. To offset all the gore there is so much humor in this movie. And the humor is what makes this stand out. When this came out the DTV market was flooded with piles of modern creature features that had subpar CGI for the creatures. Black Sheep has decently done CGI and some great practical FX work.

The DVD has a nice amount of extras. We get some deleted scenes that can be watched with or without commentary. A film long commentary with writer/director Jon King and actor Nathan Meister. And a halfway decent making of Black Sheep featurette. IIRC this DVD was $7.50 brand new and is totally worth that price.

Black Sheep gets a B.