Meatballs IV

 

TITLE-Meatballs IV

SOURCE-MVD Rewind Collection Blu Ray

Starting off as a film known as Happy Campers,no not the early 2000's film. But mid way through  production they paid for the  Meatballs rights,which pissed the director off. He hate sequels.

But really this ain't a sequel. Just another film set at a summer camp. This time it is a ski camp. On a lake where there is two camps. One ran by the late great Jack Nance,and the other ran by Sarah Douglas. Jack's camp is losing customers so he rehires the best skier ever Ricky Wade (Corey Haim) who even though he is the same  age or maybe a year older than the campers calls them kids often.

The camp ran by Sarah Douglas starts pulling stunts to get the other camps campers to leave. Leading up to a contest winner gets both camps. 

It's your standard 80s camp comedy. Just happening in the  early 90s and almost  all the female cast if former Playmates of the month. And  really it is one I happened to see so many  times. When it hit cable SHowtime had the rights  and aired it  at least once a week. 

This Blu Ray looks  and sounds  great. Way better than it looked when I saw it on Showtime. And better than the DVD rip  I have had for years. 

Extras there isn't many. Get trailers for 3 other films  MVD is releasing/has released. Trailer  for Meatballs 4.Then  a 55 minute interview with the director. Which is loaded with info. The director also did Repossessed and a few other cult classics.

Meatballs 4 isn't some amazing comedy. But if you want a throwback  to 80s style comedy it is perfect. And this release is a great  way to watch it.

Meatballs 4 gets a B.

TMNT Mutant Mayhem

 

TITLE-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem

SOURCE-Blu Ray

I bought this Blu Ray  at least a year ago if not longer ago. Had heard it was really good,found  it for 5 bucks new and grabbed it. Opened it  ,redeemed the digital  code. Then  never watched it. Until recently.

We get the standard TMNT origin. Splinter living in  the sewers finds the turtles and the ooze. They mutate and Splinter  raises them  teaching the ways of  the  NINJA. What changed this time is  the teenage aspect  is in  the  forefront. The 4 brothers are in their mid  to late teens. Wanna goto  school,they wanna explore the city. There is 2 other major changes. One is that April O'Neil is  now a high school kid. The other change I will mention near the end of this piece.

Seems someone known as Superfly is getting various pieces of equipment stolen. The TMNT gang along with  April try to  figure this out and fastly learn it is a gang of Mutants. Superfly,voiced by  Ice Cube,is their leader. But you got Rocksteady & Bebop,Genghis Frog,Mondo Gecko,Wingnut,Leatherhead and many of the other mutants. Seems Superfly wants to build a device that will mutate all the other animals and they can then  take over the world from the Humans.

The  animation is gorgeous. Like at first I wasn't sure,it has a very different look to it from any other animated TMNT thing. Once you get use to it it works well. I like how they made each of the turtles look different. Really in this film  there was no need for  each turtle to have a different colored bandana. Each of them  has a distinct body. 

I loved the soundtrack. A  nice mixture of mostly NYC based artists. Wasn't expecting to hear Wu Tang Clan in a TMNT movie!

Now time for that other change I mentioned... Shredder only appears right at the end before the credits start. Yep a TMNT movie with out Shredder. And I was 50 minutes into the film before I realized he wasn't in it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mutant Mayhem gets a A-.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 28 Ticks

 

TITLE-Ticks

SOURCE-Olive Films Blu Ray

Feels like this was one of those early to mid 90s films that got a pile of coverage in Fango. I read up on it wanted to see it and nope no copies hit video stores in my area. Earlier this year Cody hooked me up with his old Blu ray of it. Letting me revisit a film I didn't see until at least the early 2000s.

Clint Howards super grow mix for his pot plants drips down  through the floorboards on some tick eggs. Thus creating the titular creatures. And we got a van full of troubled teens and their two handlers heading to a near by cabin.

Yea it is a standard creature feature plot. And if this didn't have great FX and an interesting cast I bet it would be forgotten.

We got some slimy oozy fx work. Great stuff that just makes you shudder a bit. Brian Yuzna an executive producer on this so that makes sense.

Then that cast. Besides Clint Howard as the pot farmer you get Alfonso Ribiro as a very against type character for him. Yep we got Carlton from Fresh Prince dressed and acting like he was a background extra in Wu Tang's Protect Ya Neck music video. Got an earlyish role for Seth Green as the normal nerd stereotype in b films. Then the always great to see Ami Dolenz. She had a smallish career playing a similar role in piles of B movies for about a decade.

Sure it feels a bit like scenes are missing. With some plot points not explained fully. A bit of research I learned there was a pile of added scenes. Like the Clint Howard super grow formula stuff.

Worth seeing. No clue if this blu ray is out of print,I know the Scream Factory release is.

Ticks gets a B-

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 22 Monster from Green Hell

 

TITLE-Monster from Green Hell

SOURCE-The Film Detective Blu Ray

Sure I saw this as a kid on the local horror host show. But watching it now I really remembered nothing about it.

A rocket is sent into space. On it is some wasps. They get exposed to radation and the rocket falls back to Earth. Landing in a part of Africa dubbed Green Hell. Cause of the hellish jungles. A group of scientests go to investigate after rumors of giant monsters attacking,plus they need to find stuff that was on the rocket.

Made up of piles of stock footage this was a popular film on various horror packages in the days when syndicated movie packages were big on broadcast tv. Either the film was public domain or assumed to be cause it appeared on so many horror shows.

Mostly black and white,with a short bit of color towards the end,this is from near the dying days of the US cycle of giant "FILL IN THE BLANK" on the attack films. 

This is barely feature length,runs 71ish minutes,and feels much longer. Part of that is the giant wasps attacks are spaced so far apart in the film. The big climax,our heroes finding the wasps nest happens about 10 minutes before the ending. 

Monster from Green Hell is a film that is mostly remembered cause of it's great title. And well for me cause I heard the Misfits song Green Hell so many times over the decades.

Now while the film ain't great,this blu ray is amazing. The film looks great. We get a commentary from comic great Stephen Bissette. Plus the 4:3 and 16:9 versions of the film. Huge thanks to Cody for giving me this blu ray.

Monster from Green Hell gets a D+.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 21 Silent Night Deadly Night 5 the Toy Maker

 

TITLE-Silent Night Deadly Night 5 The Toy Maker

SOURCE-Vestron Video Blu Ray

Back when this hit home video the neighbor across the street told me a bit about it. Back then,had to be early 92,all I had seen was the first 2 films in this now 6 film strong franchise. This 5th film  sounded insane and I wanted to see it. No video store we rented from  had it and after a bit it faded from my memory.

Skip ahead and Lionsgate puts out 3,4,5 all on a dvd set. I grab it watched 3 and  4 and just never watched 5. Then Vestron puts out a 3 pack but this time on  Blu Ray and adds some extras.

After being  in a bad accident our lead's young son has stopped talking. She takes him to the locally ran toy store,Petto's Toys. Ran by Mickey Rooney,who was one of the folks that protested the original SNDN film. When in the store they meet Petto's creepy son Pino. And legit first few times I heard them say Petto I thought they said Pedro.

Seems Mickey and Pino make killer toys and are a bit nutty. By this entry in the series you just want good kills and maybe a small connection to the previous 4. We get both.

Clint Howard is back as Ricky,he played this part in the 4th film. This time he is a mall Santa. The kills are just fun. Got a electric larva toy that enters a guys mouth and burrows out his eye.The best is the kill near the end. Left with a babysitter our young boy is put to bed. The babysitter goes to another room to get laid. And Mickey releases a pile of toys. Got a robotic arm,that  crawls onto the bed and gropes the boyfriend. Got a pile of soldiers and tanks,that fire bullets. And a odd looking kitbased Batmobile armed with spikes and buzzsaw blades. 

By the end we learn Pino is a robot. Who then dry humps the lead lady. And after his death we get an ending that hints there is more than one Pino.

So Pino  is short for Pinchicco. Petto's first name is Joe...Joe Petto. This is a twisted Pinochio tale. 

Nothing amazing but the kills help elevate it above other DTV horror from the early 90s. 

And yes Jeff Monson,the neighbor that told me about this film decades ago,this was "Worth seeing just for the robot guy dry humping the mousey mom."

Silent Night Deadly Night 5 The Toy Maker gets a C+.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 20 Amityville The Evil Escapes RIFFTRAX

 

TITLE-Amityville The Evil Escapes

SOURCE-Rifftrax Live Blu Ray

Oh Amityville. Over the many years of 31 Days of Horror I have covered some of the Amityville movies. And I did see this one,part 4,back in the day at a friend's home. Really didn't remember much about it.

Was recently at a junkstore. Saw they had a pile of Rifftrax Blu rays so grabbed a few.  I was thinking this was the Amityville about the doll house,I get all the ones after part 3 mixed up. Nah this is the start of the haunted items leave the Amityville House and go fuck with other people.

A lamp from the infamous home is sold to an old lady. Who cuts herself on it and dies from this. So the lamp gets shipped to her sister. A sister that has her daughter and the daughter's three kids living with her. The daughter is Patty Duke,yep by 1989 Patty was down to doing made for TV horror sequels.

The Made for TV budget and restrictions show. Besides the one kill from a garbage disposal there is almost no gore,and I have read that kill was cut on the tv version having been restored on home video. So you get stuff like a parrot appearing in a toaster oven. Or the old lady cutting her finger on the lap and then the finger looking like it has gangreen.

This is not a good film. It is the kind that decades ago we would have rented,sat there chugging beer and cracking jokes. Which is ,minus the chugging  beer,what the Rifftrax guys do.

Appears the only other blu ray release of this is in a out of print Vingar Syndrome boxed set. It's not worth what that set is going for now. Betting you can find this Rifftrax version fairly cheap. And it takes a D+ movie and majorly improves it.

Amityville The Evil Escapes gets a B-. Only the Rifftrax version without that it is a D+.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 19 The AGFA Horror Trailer Show

 

TITLE-The AGFA Horror Trailer Show 

SOURCE-AGFA Blu Ray

I've always loved trailer comps and this one is one of the best. Set up like you are at a drive in and watching almost 90 minutes of trailers and ads for Drive in consessions. The trailer selection is really good too. With some of these trailers making total shithole films look worth seeing. Fear No Evil is one I had never seen and now got on my must see list.

If it was just that this would be a great buy. But nope there is more. First a commentary on the feature. Filled with info. Then a second feature. That focuses on late 80 thru late 90s SOV and DTV horror. I was impressed by how good some of these trailers in this second feature look.

Really a good trailer comp needs not the same 40 trailers we have seen many times before. And a good pace. This one does both.

The AGFA Horror Trailer Show gets a A.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 18 David "The Rock" Nelson Collection Vol 1

 

TITLE-David The Rock Nelson Collection Volume 1

SOURCE-Saturns Core Blu Ray

In the late 90s I was buying all the genre film mags. Stuff like Video Watchdog,Phantom of the Movie's Videoscope,Cults Movies and of course Alternative Cinema. It was in the latter two I started seeing ads for David the Rock Nelson films. Stuff like the Devil Ant or Conrad Brooks vs Werewolf. The films looked horrible and the one review I saw for one of them called it "the worst shit I have ever seen." I really wanted to see one. Back then it would have ran me almost 30 bucks with shipping to get one of these films. So I wasn't gonna bother.

Skip head 20+ years and now a partner label of Vinger Syndrome put out this collection. Which not only has Conrad Brooks vs Werewolf and Son  of the Werewolf  but also two of the Adventures of Janet films.  If it was just all that I would have grabbed it but maybe waited for a sale. Saturns Core also includes an almost hour long documentary on David The Rock Nelson. Yea I gotta get this. I pre-ordered it.

Who the fuck is David The Rock Nelson? A military vet who loves old monster movies. So using a vhs camcorder and super low budgets he makes these odd as hell films. And has gotten a fairly big cult following.

And how are the films? They are some of the worst films I have seen. But not the bad films that are boring and make you want to turn them off. Nah these are the kind that are horrible but stil entertaining in their horrible ways.

You get David The Rock Nelson  running around in rubber masks playing more than one character. The audio appears to be recorded using the camera's built in mic. Errors and flubs are left in.  Plus most of the films  are way longer than needed.

The films feel like shit I would start and never finish. Back in the early 90s when we got our first video camera. Gather some friends,have no script and after 1 day of filming no one comes back. But with David the Rock Nelson manages to finish his films and gets them out to the "fans".

David's love for monster movies shows in  his films. And that is part of their appeal. Feels like most of us horror fans born before 1990 had a phase where as a kid we love monster movies. 

David The Rock Nelson Collection volume 1 is a solid C.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 17 Frogman

 

TITLE-Frogman

SOURCE-Terror Vision Collector's Edition Blu ray

This is something I normally would have watched before buying.  Being not only a modern low budget horror film but also found footage. But also I like supporting smaller media labels and Terror Vision is a tiny label. So when I was in Walmart and saw this I took a chance.

Starting off in 1999 a family is on vacation and the son captures on video,for a fleeting second,a giant frog/man looking thing. Skip ahead 20 years and everyone claims the Frogman footage is fake. But the now grown kid is sure Frogman is real. So he takes a buddy and this girl he has been in love with for years up to Loveland Ohio to film a documentary about Frogman.

I know ,I know,sounds so much like Blair Witch Project. And the first bit being set in 1999 really makes this feel like a Blair Witch ripoff. Slowly we see that while this is inspired by Blair Witch it takes a different turn.

SPOILERS
----------------------------

First off we see the Frogman in this fairly clearly. And then we got the part near the end. Which gives this a Lovecraft vibe. Seem the residents of Loveland worship Frogman.

------------------------------------------------------

SPOILERS OVER

Now I've never been a huge found  footage fan.  I don't hate it but so many films that use this gimmick don't do it right.  Frogman does.  Like how not everything is framed right or even captures in the camera's view. Making this really feel like footage 3 folks in the woods shot when they were scared for their lives.

This Blu ray is loaded. Got a commentary on the film. Then a pile of BTS stuff. Plus a bunch of short films from the same director,some of which also have commentaries.  

Betting this is streaming on one of the Free Ad Supported TV apps like Tubi or PLutoTV. And if it is and you like found footage and regional folklore this is totally worth seeing. I am happy with my blu ray and feel it is worth the 20 bucks it cost me.

Frogman gets a C+

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 09 Frankenstein's Daughter

 TITLE-Frankenstein's Daughter

SOURCE-The Film Detective Blu ray

Over a decade ago I discovered a horror podcast and through their forum met a pile of fellow horror fans. Piles of them I am still in touch with, even now when that forum is long gone and none of us have bothered with the podcast in a long time. One of those folks is CodyLL. We talked a bit on the forum and I realized we had a pile in common. So at least 3 times a month we will chat on the phone for a few hours. And when Cody is clearing out his movie collection he will hook me up with stuff from it. That is how I got today's film.

I was 5 when I discovered that one of the channels we got on the tv had a guy showing horror films each Saturday night. And I was allowed to stay up and watch it. Sgt Graves was the host's stage name. He was a dead soldier from the Civil War. And his tag line ,which he said before each ad break, was "Don't touch that dial or I WILL HAVE TO BITE YA!" We got 2 movies each Saturday and I would have the VCR set to record both. There was no way I could make it through both films. The first one started at 1030pm and was over at 1230am. It was rare I made it through the first film all the way. Normally I would see half fall asleep. Then the next morning after we got back from Sunday Mass I would watch my tape and see both films.

That is how I first saw Frankenstein's Daughter. A low budget indie horror film that came out in 1958. And is either public domain or assumed to be. And ever year I knew I would see Frankenstein's Daughter at least once that year on Sgt Graves.  I loved it. 

Which means months back when Cody mentioned he had a copy and was getting rid of it I of course said I wanted it. 

Few nights after I got the Blu ray in I couldn't sleep. Put the film on and wow forgot how much fun I had as a kid watching this. Watched it twice that night. First time with the great Tom Weaver commentary. A commentary that one of the first lines was "I saw this as a kid which is the perfect age to see it" and yes Mr Weaver you are right.

Set in modern day California Dr Oliver Frank is wanting to do experiments like his grandpa did. Dr Frank is a failure with women, so he normally experiments on them. 

The lady to me looks more like a werewolf than a Frankenstein's monster. Either that or she looks like she was prom queen at Sontag High School 1956.

See that looks more like a Frankenstein's monster. And the makeup on the creature is great but has one flaw. The creature is a female. But it is obvious the monster is a male.

This is a good example of a film I looked forward to seeing as a kid and I enjoy it now cause of the old memories. I put this Blu ray on and I can see and hear SGT Graves. I get flashbacks to the Hoffman Furniture ads. 

Frankenstein's Daughter gets a C-

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 08 Fright Night II

 

TITLE-Fright Night 2 New Blood

SOURCE-Unrated FOX Blu Ray

I had skipped this thinking it was  a sequel to the remake. And really felt like Fright Night didn't need a remake. Then was at a Dollar General, found this sealed for 4 bucks. Figured worst case keep the digital copy and sell the dvd and blu ray and make my 4 bucks back.

So instead of a sequel to the remake we get another remake of the original. Yea stuff is changed. It is updated for modern day. And now the lead vampire is a female. But this is Fright Night just slightly changed.

The biggest changes is the abundant nudity and blood/gore. Like piles of nudity and gore. Got a blood bath scene that is loaded with both.

The stand outs are the lead vampire, never seen this actress in anything else. But she commands your attention when she is on screen. And the new Evil Ed. Who looks like the old one just fatter.

Worth seeing but keep in mind this is a remake.

Fright Night II New Blood gets a C.

31 Days of Horror 2025 Day 04 MaXXXine

TITLE-MaXXXine

SOURCE-Blu Ray

Few years ago pretty sure I covered Ti West first 2 films in this trilogy,X and Pearl. I loved X and enjoyed Pearl. So once I saw MaXXXine had hit home video I ordered a copy.

Maxine aka Mia Goth is in 80s era LA. Working in porn still. The Night Strangler is loose. Maxine is trying to get a part in aa horror film. Puritan II,a sequel to a infamous video nasty.

After getting cast in Puritan II Maxine starts being followed by a asshole played by Kevin Bacon. And starts getting odd messages and even a VHS.

Take 80s LA Porn Scene. Mix in the Hollywood of that time. Add in the Satanic Panic and you get a love letter to 80s Hollywood and its culture.

Best part is unlike so many films I see set in the 80s this looks like how the 80s were. Not how people that were not born back then think it looks. 

Great soundtrack,good FX work. And the cast is good. Bobby Carnivalle is great in his part. 

This feels in a way like an 80s version of Once Upon a time in  Hollywood. Just minus the way over long length,and Tarentino's need to put feet on the screen too much.

MaXXXine gets a B+

Red Rock West

 

TITLE-Red Rock West

SOURCE-Cinepathe Blu ray

Yea the above cover is the DVD. Finally 30 years later I got to see this film how it was meant to be seen. Back in 96 I had a deal with a local video store. Could rent anything I wanted free. Just couldn't be new releases and I had to have it back the next day before the store opened. So myself and the woman I was with  at the time would go most evenings right as the store was closing and get 2 or 3 movies. After renting  everything the horror section had she moved to the dramas. One  evening she grabbed Red Rock West,I think cause of Nic Cage,and we both loved it. Made a copy of that VHS. And it was a film we would tell everyone to see.

Skip ahead to 2003. I have long ago lost that VHS copy. I'm in a Dollar General. Looking at their DVDs. See the above cover and grabbed it. Not realizing this DVD was 4:3. Still loved the movie. And just recently got in the new remastered Blu Ray.

In the early 90s a pile of films came out that were inspired by the film noir stuff of decades ago. Dubbed Neo Noir this sub genre peaked by the late 90s and by 2001 was pretty much dead.

Nic Cage is a military vet. With a bad knee. He makes it into the town of Red Rock Wyoming. Applied for a job in the oil fields. Goes to a nearby bar for a drink and gets mistaken for a hitman coming from Texas. 

And that starts a the plot going. More twists and turns than most films of this sub genre. And with an amazing cast,Red Rock West is a movie that once you see it you do not forget it.

So that cast. Already mentioned Nic Cage,and this is back when he gave  a shit.  You believe him as the broke drifter. Also got Dennis Hopper,as the hitman from Texas. Dressed a bit like he was in TCM2,Dennis is his normal nutty self and your eyes will stay on  him when he is on the screen. Any noir worth a crap has that sultry evil woman. For this film that is Lara Flynn Boyle. Fresh off Twin Peaks,Lara is great as the cheating wife that is trying to double cross everyone.

Made from a new scan of the IP this Blu ray looks amazing. You can see the film grain some and I love that. Gives each scene a nice texture. Sound is great. And the extras. A fun commentary. And many other extras.

Track this down and see it!

Red Rock West gets a A-.

GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Blu Ray

 

TITLE-GLOW The Story of The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling

SOURCE-AFGA Blu ray

GLOW was part of my Saturdays for about 3 years. I got between 4 and 9 hours of wrestling each Saturday. And GLOW was the only one my parents watched with me.

Take a bad variety show,add in some lady wrestlers and you got GLOW. Imagine Hee Haw but set in a wrestling ring not a corn field.

And I loved it. Now of course more people know the Netflix show GLOW. Which was good. 

Years ago when this documentary came out I got a copy and loved it. Went out bought a few GLOW dvds and enjoyed them.

A recent Vingar Syndrome sale I grabbed this. Covering the entire run of GLOW and headed up by the lady that was Little Egypt,this documentary is a great look at the hard work all the ladies did to make that show a success.

And we also get to see what  pile of them have been up to since GLOW folded. I know Tina Ferrari became Ivory in WWE. I knew Matilda the Hun did some things. And had heard Hollywood was still working. Had no clue Hollywood films custom matches? 

Sadly we see that Mount Fiji is in rough shape. But she is gonna try her best to make the GLOW Reunion. And the last part of the documentary is that. Mount Fiji and a pile of the other ladies at this reunion. 

The commentary is great. They got a few of the GLOW wrestlers to help out. And the extras!!! Matches,promos and more!

GLOW The Story of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling gets a A-

The Crippled Masters Film Masters Blu Ray

 

TITLE-The Crippled Masters

SOURCE-Film Masters Blu ray

2010 or 2011 I first saw this insane late 70s martial arts film. My trust dvd player that  could also play DIVX/XVID files had died. I made a trip to the nearest Best Buy, over an hour away. Had 300 bucks. Dropped 150 on another player then the rest was spent on DVDs. Got a Grindhouse Experience set from Video Asia. And since buying that set that was all VHS rips put on DVD I have bought 2 of the films again on Blu Ray. 

Now yea I know Crippled Masters is easy to find cheap on DVD or streaming. And seeing that VHS rip that is easy to find is enough to catch your attention. How many martial arts films have your two heroes being one dude with no arms and the other dude has no legs? I just loved this movie so much I wanted a good copy. And this Blu ray from Film Masters is a great copy.

Film Masters is basically the new Film Detective. In that they take Public Domain films or stuff that has never really gotten a release and put it out. Load the disc up with extras and if you are a fan of stuff like Frankenstein's Daughter or Redneck Miller these two companies are your best bet.

Fully remastered from 35mm archival elements the front cover proclaims. And this looks better than I have ever seen this movie look. 

Look at those extras. Got a info filled commentary, with some digs at the owner of Video Search of Miami. A fun documentary on the history of Martial arts films in the US. The original 1982 US trailer and a newer re cut one. Almost 20 minutes worth of classic Martial Arts trailers from Something Weird. Then you see a booklet mentioned.

16 pages of info about the film. Love when companies do this now. Use to be every dvd had a card listing the chapters. Now we get nothing from the big studios. Which is why I try to pick up smaller label releases like this one.

So what about the film? Simple we got one dude with no arms and his brother who gets acid poured on his legs. But they get trained and can put the no leg brother on the other brother's shoulders and we got a supreme fighting machine.

You don't go into older martial arts films like this for the plot. You watch them for the fights. And these fights are great. I for years just assumed this was made by one of the big studios that made martial art films. Nope this was made by some small company in Taiwan.

If like me you grew up with Kung Fu theater airing right after cartoons on Saturdays and miss those days this is worth grabbing.

The Crippled Masters Blu Ray from Film Masters gets a B+

The Amazing Mr No Legs

TITLE-The Amazing Mr No Legs

SOURCE-Massacre Video Blu ray

This is one I thought would never escape VHS hell. Back in the mid 70s you would have all kinds of films hitting theaters. After finding a martial arts expert with no Legs a script was written and we got this classic.

Mr NO Legs is a film I would have rented if any of the video stores had had a copy. I never saw it mentioned in genre mags or books. Wasn't until 2004 or 2005 on the late Tracker 3 I found a VHS rip. Grabbed it and that beat up vhs rip got watched so many times. 

Mr No Legs is a mob enforcer. He not only has a wheelchair packed with weapons, throwing stars on the spokes and shotguns,he is a KUNG FU MASTER.

Ya this is a gimmick movie. The scenes with Mr No Legs fighting are great and why this film is remembered. The rest of the film is slow and forgettable.  With the car chase at the end being one of the few none no leg kung fu fight scenes that sticks in my memory

Now this film ain't from some big studio. So Massacre had to use a French Print,that was slightly edited. So for a few scenes they had to use a lesser master. And the print quality drops for those scenes. Still this looks and sounds so much better than the VHS rip we all have seen over these years.

No real extras on here. We got the trailer,then some other trailers for other films. Just never thought this film would hit DVD much less Blu ray.

The Amazing Mr No Legs gets a C-.

Death Brings Roses Blu Ray

TITLE-Death Brings Roses

SOURCE-Severin Jack Weis Double Feature Blu Ray

Jack Weis has went from being a director I hadn't heard of,to now being one I want to see everything he did.

First I saw the great Mardi Gras Massacre. Then I got in this double feature Blu Ray.

Death Brings Roses isn't a horror film. It is a drama. Set in mid 70s New Orleans,Chuck is the money man for a local "talent Agent". Chuck goes to all the clubs,bars and pubs in the infamous French Quarter and collects their "dues".

He makes good money doing this. Has a woman he would love to date. But she isn't happy with his job. Also we find out him and his best friend are on the run. Seems some pool hall fight went wrong and they accidentally killed someone in Memphis. Now they are hiding in the Big Easy.

Chuck gets sent to one strip club. The owner is weeks behind on dues. And all the strippers are refusing to sign the new contract. 

Chuck goes into the dressing room and in a scene that is badly acted but at the same time sleazy and real,Chuck slaps and beats down and harrasses the dancers until they sign the new contract.

The boss is so happy with this and all the work Chuck has put in he makes him his full partner. Yep 50/50. Which means Chuck needs to find his replacement. And he hires his buddy of course.

Then the boss is killed,shot,right outside the offices one morning. Chuck is now in charge,is seeing the girl that he wanted to. Then starts learning his old boss was mobbed up. 

The Higher ups like Chuck,make him an offer. He can retired from the business now with enough money to move away and live a quiet life. Or he can stay and really see how far the boss man's tendrils went.

Sleazy and cheap and you can feel the Louisiana humidity coming off the screen. Death Brings Roses was a movie I wasn't looking forward to. The description sounds like piles of other films I have seen.

A combination of just the era it was made and the locations helped make this much more than it should be for me. I spent my second viewing pausing it anytime they were outside and in the city. Looking at what streets it was and seeing places I knew. But from 75 or so. Which means the names are different.

The insides of the various clubs and bars looks like I remember places like that looking in the late 90s. Which would be the last time I was going out drinking in the French Quarter.

Yea this is nothing special of a film. Still it caught my attention and kept it the entire under 80 minute running time.

Death Brings Roses gets a C+.

31 Days of Horror 2024 Day 31 Crypt of Dark Secrets

 

TITLE-Crypt of Dark Secrets

SOURCE-Severin Blu Ray

Jack Weis is a filmmaker I had never heard of until the last 10 years. Saw Mardi Gras Massacre and wanted to see more from this NOLA based director. Then back during late Spring,Severin had their big sale. This double feature was cheap and the day my order finally arrived I opened this up and watched both movies.

Set in New Orleans and the swamps and bayous that are right outside the city Crypt of Dark Secrets has a generic as fuck title. Makes me think of some pre-code EC Comics ripoff from Avon or Standard.

A Nam vet is living on the island out in the bayou. The island rumored to be haunted. People claim to have seen a snake that can change into a naked woman,named Dambella,in this area of the swamp.

The cops come out to see the vet and warned him about keeping his money there at his home. Talking him into visiting a bank in the city.

While at the bank,and the bank worker unsuccessfully talking our vet into getting  a bank account,a sleazy local overhears that this vet is just cashing his military checks and leaving it under his bed.

This local plots with his best buddy and his wife to go rob the vet. So out into the swamps they go. Sneaking onto the island and waiting on the vet to return.

When he does they knock him into the swamp and it appears he has died. They make off with the money,and we see a snake coming up. It turns into a naked lady and starts to dance above the dead vet. 

Snake Lady is magical and by shaking and rubbing her naked body on recently deceased people she can bring them back to life.

Our robbers start seeing blood appearing on the money they stole. And being idiots go turn themselves into the cops.

Which leads to the cops and the robbers returning to the island. Now with the Vet back alive and Snake Lady made cause he was killed.

Wow this was obviously made cause Weis found a really attractive "exotic" looking woman who was willing to dance and dry hump people while naked.

Running under 80 minutes if you cut out the long dance parts this would be under an hour. Not complaining about naked hot lady dancing. Just explaining how little there is to this film.

The plot feels like it was rejected by the Scooby Doo writers for being too basic. Thankfully the locations make up for that. It was great seeing the swamps by NOLA. And then mid 70s New Orleans. Not sure when I made my first visit to the city of southern sin. Guessing it was late 70s. So much of what I saw of the city in this film looked the same last time I visited.

The acting....well it goes from ok to wow I guess no one else was available. At least our three robbers appear to be from the area so you do not have horrible fake CAJUN accents.

The FX is low budget. But works for this film. I am sure this was made to be the second or third film on a double or triple feature at some southern drive in.

Crypt of Dark Secrets gets a C.

The Iron Claw Blu Ray/Digitial Copy/DVD

 

TITLE-The Iron Claw

SOURCE-A24 Blu Ray

Of course I saw WCCW growing up in the 80s. It aired on some OTA religious channel we got. When I heard this film was being made I was excited. Then over the course of the film being made a pile of people I know got cast in it as extras. 

As soon as it hit streaming I watched it and then bought this Blu ray not long after it came out.

The Von Erichs,according to the film,were 5 brothers. All sons of the legendary pro wrestler Fritz Von Erich. The oldest son died at a young age. The next 3 sons in age order all wanted to be wrestlers. 

You had David,the tallest of them and the one people thought would go the furthest. He died in Japan. Rumored to be an over dose.

Then was Kevin. The only one still alive. He was known for wrestling barefoot and his odd style of promos.

Kerry is the best known to modern fans. He beat Ric Flair for the NWA world title. And had a short run in WWF as Texas Tornado. Kerry got in major trouble with the law. So instead of going to trial and facing jail time,Kerry instead shot and killed himself.

Of the brothers in the film Mike is the youngest. He was more into music and video production. But once David died Fritz needed a third for trios matches. Mike got toxic shock syndrome and almost died. Was rushed back into the ring. Then the killed himself by overdosing on purpose.

Notice how I keep saying according to the film. That is because there was 6 brothers. Chris was the youngest and not mentioned at all in the film. He wrestled for aa short bit. And killed himself.

Being the only brother still alive the film focus mostly on Kevin. With Zac Efron being a great Kevin. Jeremy Allen White,who I knew as Lip on Shameless ,is amazing as Kerry. Yea Jeremy is shorter than Kerry was. But he manages to capture Kerry.

The guys playing David and Mike I don't know from anything else.

While I do really love tthis movie it has some flaws. One thing is so much isn't explained. Like Kerry has a motorcycle wreck. Which damages his foot. Before it is fully healed Kerrry attempts to walk across his hospital room to get a hamburger and rumor is this is why Kerry's foot had to be removed. IN the film most of this isn't explained.

It feels like the director just assumed most watching the film will know the story. I guess so. But first time I watched it it was with someone that had no clue who the Von Erichs are. So more than a few times I had to pause the movie and explain stuff.

My other complaint is it is known that a pile of footage got cut from the film. None of these deleted scenes are on the Blu ray. Only extras are a 20 minute Q&A with the cast and Kevin Von Erich. Which is decent. Then a 29 minute BTS piece that isn't that good.

Worth watching even if you aren't a wrestling fan.The Iron Claw could have been so much better.

The Iron Claw gets a C+

Bad Manners

 

TITLE-Bad Manners

SOURCE-Scorpion Releasing Blu Ray

Back earlier in the year hit up the Kino Lober fall sale and really was just grabbing various items that caught my eye. And this 1984 comedy did that. I had never heard of it. Just saw Martin Mull and Karen black plus a orphanage full of bad kids and figured it was worth the 5 bucks.

Piper gets taken by the cops to a orphanage. Where he meets Girl Joey,a tomboyish referee shirt wearing tough girl.Mouse,small freckled faced terror. The one black kid at the orphanage,known as (this is how the subtitles spelled it) Blacky. And this blonde kid that I think they were trying to say was a skater kid. 

This orphanage is ran by nuns and the flamboyantly gay dude from Airplane,who in this one appears to have a crush on one of the younger nuns.

Or lead kids get put in medatation room,aka the freezer,and using Piper's switchblade cut their fingers.With Mouse cutting his middle finger,and become blood brothers.

Mouse gets adopted by Martin Mull and Karen Black. Who are some super rich 80s era Yuppies.Mouse goes to live with them and meets their oddball kids. Up first is their son. Who appears ot only ever watch Shogun Assassin ,the movie,wears his hair like a samurai and thinks he is Japanese. And their daughter played by Kimmy Robertson from Twin Peaks.

Back at the orphanage the remaining lead kids decide to break out. Make this wacky plan to shut off the electric fence that surrounds the property. The plan works in a way. They escape. 

Making it to a bus station they figure out they need about 11 bucks a kid to take the bus to where Mouse is. While trying to steal a purse in the bathroom Girl Joey gets caught. And speaking of girl Joey,I know this actress from something later on in her career. Can't be arsed to go look her up. Guessing there is another Joey at the orphanage that is a boy.

Back at Mouse's new home he is being a holy terror. Like hiding in the shower with a poloroid camera. And taking pictures of his new sister naked. Yep if you ever wanted to see Lucy from Twin Peaks naked get this film.....

Our lead kids get enough money and hop a cab. Their driver is drinking beer. Which leads to our kids drinking beer on the ride. And a conversation you wouldn't get in a comedy aimed at kids now. 

Mouse tries to escape by hitching a ride with a biker lady. He is almost to the Orphanage,yep he rather be there than be Mull's kid,but gets arrested along with a biker gang. So off Martin Mull and Karen Black go to bail their new son out of jail.

Piper and the rest arrive at the house. Kimmy talks them into tying her and her brother up to teach "My parents a lesson." Piper and his friends FUCK UP this house majorly.

Mull and Black get back home withh Mouse. More wackiness happens. And the film ends with Piper and the rest of the orphan kids,including Mouse,driving off in Karen Black's Triumph.

Credits roll over postcard like shots of the kids in various tourist areas. Including Hawaii.

Besides a some trailers and the subtitles there is no extras. The film looked good sounded good.

So yea this is very much a way too late ripoff of Bad News Bears. Got dialogue that feels like it was cut from Bad News Bears.

This was cheap in the sale. $5 IIRC. Scorpion is gone,the owner passed in 2023. So this is Out of Print and I really do not see another label putting it out on 4k or putting it out again on Blu ray. 

Bad Manners gets a C.