Posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
31 Days of Horror Day 01 Hell's Highway
2002
Echo Bridge 20 pack DVD
With these packs all you got to go on is the film's title and maybe the cast. I picked this one based on the title and wow was it horrible.
A car full of collage kids are on a road trip. Heading down the back roads of the Southwest. They run into a girl that is hitchhiking. Turns out she is crazy. They kick her out of the car.
But run into her over and over again. Even after they see her die she keeps showing up.Then we get a twist at the ending that if they expanded on it would be interesting. But they don't. Well fuck it it was only a quarter.
Hell's Highway gets a D.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Friday, September 19, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Cheap dvd finds July 2014
Now the last few months I haven't been buying many DVDs. Mostly because I haven't found anything I wanted for a price I was willing to pay.
Well it was a few days back,I happened to need to kill some time while stuck inside my local Family Dollar. After looking through there dvds,nothing worth grabbing,I saw on the back side was those "Treasure Hunt"dvds. What these are is ex-rental dvds in a cardboard sleeve. I saw they were really cheap and started digging through the box. Found 3 films.
VHS-Saw the first 30 minutes of this right after it hit VOD. Figured for how cheap it was I would grab it.
Unlucky Charms-This 2013 release from Full Moon is one I have been wanting to see. So happy to see the Full Moon Videozone is back.
Ooga Booga-Another Full Moon release from 2013. This one I saw about 45 minutes of it last year.
Now if that was all I found it would have been a good trip. But later on that day I found out that Dirt Cheap had 2 huge bins of ex-rental DVDs and they were even cheaper. So the next day I stopped by there and grabbed 12 things.
Now I bought this set as soon as it came out. Mostly for the original broadcast cut of the pilot. But some how that DVD got scratched up. So while looking through the bin I was so happy to find the first dvd which is the one with the pilot.
Z Channel- I saw this great documentary last year or the year before.It is about the first premium uncut movie channel. Which was a LA based thing. When I opened the cardboard sleeve up this dvd looked like it had never been played.
Teenagers from Uranus-I had no clue what this was when I grabbed it. From the title I figured it was some band or a skateboarding video. When it is actually a mid 2000s era Jackass ripoff. Pretty damn entertaining.
The Omen Special Edition-Shockingly I didn't already own this 70s horror classic. Checking it out and there is plenty of good extras.
Masters of Horror:Sounds Like-Sure Masters of Horror was hit or miss. But they did load each dvd release down with extras.
Fangoria Presents Germ Z-Back in the 90s Fangoria released a handful of movies. They all pretty much sucked. But I took a chance on this one. Seems to be a mid 2000s zombie film.
Fangoria Presents Axed-From the trailer it seems this is a UK horror. A guy gets cut from his job and gets his revenge.
Powder Blue-Been wanting to see this film for a few years. It is no secret I have a massive crush on Jessica Biel. And this is the film where she plays a stripper. Plus you got Patrick Swayze in drag. Watched the first half earlier today and it looks to be pretty fun.
Memento-Actually haven't seen this since it first hit DVD over a decade ago. It's another that I couldn't pass up for how cheap it was.
Buttcrack-I grabbed this one for two reasons.First off it is from Troma who are known for packing their dvds full of great extras. Secondly it is a movie named BUTTCRACK.
Star Blazers The Comet Empire-I saw Star Blazers some as a kid. Then again when last year Syfy channel was showing reruns. When I got the entire second season for less than $3 I figured it was worth taking a chance.
The Worst Witch-Saw this once as a kid. Then a horror podcast I use to enjoy kept talking about it. For some reason I seem to think this dvd is kind of rare. I need to see if that is true,because I found 5 copies. Sure it is just the disc. But even then if it is rare I know I can get more than I would have to pay for it. Fairza Balk is the titular heroine. Charlotte Rae plays a duel role. And Tim Curry sings a cheesy song.
So I ended up getting 15 movies for a total that was under 20 bucks. Yeah I only got the discs,but hell I got empty cases.
Well it was a few days back,I happened to need to kill some time while stuck inside my local Family Dollar. After looking through there dvds,nothing worth grabbing,I saw on the back side was those "Treasure Hunt"dvds. What these are is ex-rental dvds in a cardboard sleeve. I saw they were really cheap and started digging through the box. Found 3 films.
Now if that was all I found it would have been a good trip. But later on that day I found out that Dirt Cheap had 2 huge bins of ex-rental DVDs and they were even cheaper. So the next day I stopped by there and grabbed 12 things.
The Worst Witch-Saw this once as a kid. Then a horror podcast I use to enjoy kept talking about it. For some reason I seem to think this dvd is kind of rare. I need to see if that is true,because I found 5 copies. Sure it is just the disc. But even then if it is rare I know I can get more than I would have to pay for it. Fairza Balk is the titular heroine. Charlotte Rae plays a duel role. And Tim Curry sings a cheesy song.
So I ended up getting 15 movies for a total that was under 20 bucks. Yeah I only got the discs,but hell I got empty cases.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Pre-code comics 001
Quick bit of history here. In 1954 the comic industry created a ratings/self censorship board. The comic code authority. This was done cause of all the bad press the industry had got over the past few years. Which lead to a Senate investigation.
Like how the Hayes Code changed the way movies were made,the CCA changed the entire comic industry.I had heard for years how graphic and wild the pre-code comics were. And in the early 90s started collecting reprints of pre-code comics. With the pre-code horror and crime comics being the ones I spent the most time searching out.
Fast forward to 2007. I was listening to an episode of the sadly defunct Golden Age of Comics podcast. The host,the ever knowledgeable Bill Jourdain,mentioned how the comic he was reviewing was in the public domain. And not only that but there is a website full of public domain comic book scans. So I quickly went to the site. Now that site has changed hands. And a sister site has popped up.
This site is The Digital Comic Museum. Where all you have to do is register. Which is easy to do and free,then you get access to a huge amount of public domain comics.
Once you download the comics,you will need a comic reader program. There are many free ones. I have been using Cdisplay for close to a decade now and it works great.
So with that bit of history explained onto the first of what hopefully will be many reviews of great public domain pre-code comics.
Yellowjacket Comics #1 is from September 1944. Published by Charlton comics,who most modern comic fans will know as the original home of Captain Atom and The Question. This comic was like most comics of it's era. An anthology title made up of stories of many genres.
The reason I selected this comic is for a 7 page horror story. Famous Tales of Terror,which is a fairly faithful adaptation of the Edgar Allen Poe short story "The Black Cat".
While the story isn't as graphic or brutal as some other pre-code horror,it is still a really fun read. That has some very nice art. Being a Poe fan since I first read "Murders in the Rue Morgue" back when I was 7 or so,I love seeing a comic book version of what is one of Poe's best stories.
Yellowjacket Comics #1 also has other stories in it. Like the titular superhero Yellowjacket.Where Yellowjacket fights gangsters. Back in the Golden Age lots of heroes mostly fought gangsters. There wasn't that many recurring super villains back in this era. Unless you are reading stuff from DC or maybe Fawcett.
Then there is Diana the Huntress. Where the Greek Goddess is sent to Earth to fight Nazis. Now one word of warning. With lots of these Golden Age comics that came out during WWII,there is plenty of racial stereotyping. So don't be shocked when you see "Evil" Japanese villains that have yellow skin and slanted eyes and buck teeth.
Up next is a short text only piece. Back during this time-frame every comic would have a 1 or 2 page text only story. These were done so comic books would fall under the old "book rate" mailing label. That way the publisher could save money on shipping out his wares.
The next story is the Black Cat adaptation. Then there is a one page titled "Debunker" Which tries to teach the readers that a few pieces of commonly accepted knowledge are not true. Sadly on this page we get a very racist drawing of a black man.
Then there is "King of the Beasts" Which is a 6 page story about a lion tamer. The art is kind of crap. And the story is bland. But part of that might be I am so accustomed to modern comic book art and storytelling techniques.
"Harbor Lights" is next on deck.Again this one has sub par artwork and the story,which tells of a merchant marine fighting off a u-boat full of Nazis,isn't that appealing.But I bet when this came out the kids that made up most of the audience ate it up.
"Bee Lines" is a one page humor comic. Made up of 8 one panel gag strips. Humor is a thing that doesn't always translate to later generations. And none of the 8 strips made me even chuckle.
"Filipino Kid" is a war story. And while it does have some nice looking art,once again the writing just doesn't grab me. And it is also the final story in the comic.
But there is one last thing I have to mention. Anytime I get any comic made before the mid 90s,the first thing I do is sit down and look at all the ads. And Yellowjacket Comics #1 has a great ad on the back cover. One that I remember seeing a slightly updated version of in the comics I was reading back in the late 70s.
Yep a blackhead remover gun. Never seen one of them in person.But seen ads for them for years in older comics.
Yellowjacket Comics #1 is a decent comics. You get 3 good to great stories,Yellowjacket,Diana and Black Cat. If you are interested in reading it here is a link to download it.
Yellowjacket Comic #1 download Right click and save as
Like how the Hayes Code changed the way movies were made,the CCA changed the entire comic industry.I had heard for years how graphic and wild the pre-code comics were. And in the early 90s started collecting reprints of pre-code comics. With the pre-code horror and crime comics being the ones I spent the most time searching out.
Fast forward to 2007. I was listening to an episode of the sadly defunct Golden Age of Comics podcast. The host,the ever knowledgeable Bill Jourdain,mentioned how the comic he was reviewing was in the public domain. And not only that but there is a website full of public domain comic book scans. So I quickly went to the site. Now that site has changed hands. And a sister site has popped up.
This site is The Digital Comic Museum. Where all you have to do is register. Which is easy to do and free,then you get access to a huge amount of public domain comics.
Once you download the comics,you will need a comic reader program. There are many free ones. I have been using Cdisplay for close to a decade now and it works great.
So with that bit of history explained onto the first of what hopefully will be many reviews of great public domain pre-code comics.
The reason I selected this comic is for a 7 page horror story. Famous Tales of Terror,which is a fairly faithful adaptation of the Edgar Allen Poe short story "The Black Cat".
Yellowjacket Comics #1 also has other stories in it. Like the titular superhero Yellowjacket.Where Yellowjacket fights gangsters. Back in the Golden Age lots of heroes mostly fought gangsters. There wasn't that many recurring super villains back in this era. Unless you are reading stuff from DC or maybe Fawcett.
Then there is Diana the Huntress. Where the Greek Goddess is sent to Earth to fight Nazis. Now one word of warning. With lots of these Golden Age comics that came out during WWII,there is plenty of racial stereotyping. So don't be shocked when you see "Evil" Japanese villains that have yellow skin and slanted eyes and buck teeth.
Up next is a short text only piece. Back during this time-frame every comic would have a 1 or 2 page text only story. These were done so comic books would fall under the old "book rate" mailing label. That way the publisher could save money on shipping out his wares.
The next story is the Black Cat adaptation. Then there is a one page titled "Debunker" Which tries to teach the readers that a few pieces of commonly accepted knowledge are not true. Sadly on this page we get a very racist drawing of a black man.
Then there is "King of the Beasts" Which is a 6 page story about a lion tamer. The art is kind of crap. And the story is bland. But part of that might be I am so accustomed to modern comic book art and storytelling techniques.
"Harbor Lights" is next on deck.Again this one has sub par artwork and the story,which tells of a merchant marine fighting off a u-boat full of Nazis,isn't that appealing.But I bet when this came out the kids that made up most of the audience ate it up.
"Bee Lines" is a one page humor comic. Made up of 8 one panel gag strips. Humor is a thing that doesn't always translate to later generations. And none of the 8 strips made me even chuckle.
"Filipino Kid" is a war story. And while it does have some nice looking art,once again the writing just doesn't grab me. And it is also the final story in the comic.
But there is one last thing I have to mention. Anytime I get any comic made before the mid 90s,the first thing I do is sit down and look at all the ads. And Yellowjacket Comics #1 has a great ad on the back cover. One that I remember seeing a slightly updated version of in the comics I was reading back in the late 70s.
Yellowjacket Comics #1 is a decent comics. You get 3 good to great stories,Yellowjacket,Diana and Black Cat. If you are interested in reading it here is a link to download it.
Yellowjacket Comic #1 download Right click and save as
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Capsule book reviews 001
Been doing lots of reading the past 4 weeks. Normally I will read for 20 or so minutes each night as I wait for my sleep meds to kick in.
Island by Richard Laymon
In Diberville MS there is this huge antique mall. And the back fourth of it is a used bookstore. Where it is normally 7 books for 5 bucks. Sometime 2 years ago I went in and grabbed this book and 6 others. Now I have read a bunch of Richard Laymon books before this one. And kept hearing how this is one of his best books. It is about a guy who is in college. His girlfriend invites him along on a family vacation. Where they are cruising the ocean. Through a series of what seems to be accidents they all get trapped on a small island. But quickly find out they are not alone on the island.
The book is told from the main guy's point of view. In that he is keeping a diary each day of what happens.This is a interesting way to convey the store.
As with every Laymon book I have read before,this one feels like a fun 80s era B-horror film. And as always it is full of lots of sleaze.If you are a fan of horror fiction and want something to read that isn't Stephen King or Clive Barker try out this book.Since Leisure fiction is pretty much out of business I have no clue who is currently publishing Laymon's stuff. But it shouldn't be hard to find a used copy.
Night in the Lonesome October by Richard Laymon
Now I had never heard of this novel. But with it being from Laymon I took a chance. Ed has just gotten a "Dear John" letter from his girlfriend. Wanting some time alone and to think,he goes off late at night to walk to a nearby bakery. And he learns that this small sleepy college town turns weird at night.
This is one of the most other there Laymon novels I have read so far. You got cannibalistic bums,crazy rapist stalkers and a young woman that loves to sneak into people's homes late at night.
I started reading this one night,planning on reading for 20 minutes then crashing out. Ended up reading almost half the novel that night. Night in the Lonesome October is one of the best novels from Richard Laymon that I have read so far. One warning,if you are the type of reader that wants everything explained and neatly wrapped up by the end,well skip this book. Richard leaves lots of stuff for you to figure out. Which is fine with me.
Berserk by Tim Lebbon
I had never heard of Mr Lebbon. But needed 3 more books to get the 7 novels for $5 deal. Saw this was from the Leisure Horror line. The description on the back sounded interesting. Plus I love the cover.
Set in the UK,this is the tale of a father. Who lost his son 10 years ago in a military accident. He finds out that what he was told was the cause of his son's death isn't true. And goes to investigate it. Where he learns about a secret military weapon nicknamed Bersekers. And we get a book that is one long chase.A very well written chase.
Looking through my collection of unread books I have another book that is 4 of Mr Lebbon's novellas. So I will check that out soon.
Fireworks by James A Moore
Another author I had never heard of. But it was published by Leisure Horror. And the blurb on the back sounded really good. I went into the novel expecting a horror novel about a UFO landing in a small Georgia fan. Figuring it would have touches of science fiction. What I got was a military intrigue novel.
On the 4th of July in this tiny ass hick town a UFO crashes in a lake. The US government is quickly sent in. They seal off the town. And thing escalate from there. This story really reminds me of an average episode of X-files. And has a couple of neat twists. Where there is 3 main chapters in the novel. With each chapter focusing on one person.I did enjoy the novel and from the little research I have done,it seems that Mr Moore has written some straight up horror novels.
The Walking Dead:The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
I love Walking Dead.Both the comic book,and no it isn't a graphic novel, and the tv show. I heard about the first novel in this series,which is the back story of the man that became the Governor. I found that one for $5 and took a chance on it. Fucking loved the book and couldn't wait for this novel.
Well I had forgotten about it. Was in town and looking at the new books. Found this novel for $6. Started reading it a few days later,honestly while it isn't a bad novel,it isn't that good either. Where as the first novel focused on the Governor,this one is about a group of 5 survivors in Georgia.I get that this novel was suppose to show fans of the comic,which is the world this novel seems to be set in, and the tv show more backstory on how Woodbury came to be. But that info could have been told in 3 chapters and the rest of the novel could have been more about the Governor and Woodbury. Hell until over halfway through the book we don't see the Governor or head about Woodbury. So unless you are a die hard fan of the Walking Dead,either get this used or check it out from the library.
In Diberville MS there is this huge antique mall. And the back fourth of it is a used bookstore. Where it is normally 7 books for 5 bucks. Sometime 2 years ago I went in and grabbed this book and 6 others. Now I have read a bunch of Richard Laymon books before this one. And kept hearing how this is one of his best books. It is about a guy who is in college. His girlfriend invites him along on a family vacation. Where they are cruising the ocean. Through a series of what seems to be accidents they all get trapped on a small island. But quickly find out they are not alone on the island.
The book is told from the main guy's point of view. In that he is keeping a diary each day of what happens.This is a interesting way to convey the store.
As with every Laymon book I have read before,this one feels like a fun 80s era B-horror film. And as always it is full of lots of sleaze.If you are a fan of horror fiction and want something to read that isn't Stephen King or Clive Barker try out this book.Since Leisure fiction is pretty much out of business I have no clue who is currently publishing Laymon's stuff. But it shouldn't be hard to find a used copy.
Night in the Lonesome October by Richard Laymon
Now I had never heard of this novel. But with it being from Laymon I took a chance. Ed has just gotten a "Dear John" letter from his girlfriend. Wanting some time alone and to think,he goes off late at night to walk to a nearby bakery. And he learns that this small sleepy college town turns weird at night.
This is one of the most other there Laymon novels I have read so far. You got cannibalistic bums,crazy rapist stalkers and a young woman that loves to sneak into people's homes late at night.
I started reading this one night,planning on reading for 20 minutes then crashing out. Ended up reading almost half the novel that night. Night in the Lonesome October is one of the best novels from Richard Laymon that I have read so far. One warning,if you are the type of reader that wants everything explained and neatly wrapped up by the end,well skip this book. Richard leaves lots of stuff for you to figure out. Which is fine with me.
I had never heard of Mr Lebbon. But needed 3 more books to get the 7 novels for $5 deal. Saw this was from the Leisure Horror line. The description on the back sounded interesting. Plus I love the cover.
Set in the UK,this is the tale of a father. Who lost his son 10 years ago in a military accident. He finds out that what he was told was the cause of his son's death isn't true. And goes to investigate it. Where he learns about a secret military weapon nicknamed Bersekers. And we get a book that is one long chase.A very well written chase.
Looking through my collection of unread books I have another book that is 4 of Mr Lebbon's novellas. So I will check that out soon.
Another author I had never heard of. But it was published by Leisure Horror. And the blurb on the back sounded really good. I went into the novel expecting a horror novel about a UFO landing in a small Georgia fan. Figuring it would have touches of science fiction. What I got was a military intrigue novel.
On the 4th of July in this tiny ass hick town a UFO crashes in a lake. The US government is quickly sent in. They seal off the town. And thing escalate from there. This story really reminds me of an average episode of X-files. And has a couple of neat twists. Where there is 3 main chapters in the novel. With each chapter focusing on one person.I did enjoy the novel and from the little research I have done,it seems that Mr Moore has written some straight up horror novels.
I love Walking Dead.Both the comic book,and no it isn't a graphic novel, and the tv show. I heard about the first novel in this series,which is the back story of the man that became the Governor. I found that one for $5 and took a chance on it. Fucking loved the book and couldn't wait for this novel.
Well I had forgotten about it. Was in town and looking at the new books. Found this novel for $6. Started reading it a few days later,honestly while it isn't a bad novel,it isn't that good either. Where as the first novel focused on the Governor,this one is about a group of 5 survivors in Georgia.I get that this novel was suppose to show fans of the comic,which is the world this novel seems to be set in, and the tv show more backstory on how Woodbury came to be. But that info could have been told in 3 chapters and the rest of the novel could have been more about the Governor and Woodbury. Hell until over halfway through the book we don't see the Governor or head about Woodbury. So unless you are a die hard fan of the Walking Dead,either get this used or check it out from the library.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Rock N Roll High School Forever
1991
Lionsgate DVD
I first saw this film in the early 90s. Late one night on Showtime. I was already a huge fan of the first film,mostly because it had the Ramones in it. So I tuned into this sequel expecting more hijinks's staring my favorite band ever.
The school has been renamed Ronald Reagan high. And every year they have Rock N Roll High School days. Where all the students go nuts and cause all kinds of mayhem. We are quickly introduced to the Eradicators. Which is Corey Feldman and his friends. They are seniors at Ronald Reagan High and all they want to do is play music and have fun.
After they destroy the school sewer system in the first 10 minutes of the film,the school board sends in Dr Vader,played by Mary Warnov. She takes over and enforces super strict rules. So like in the first film we get our lovable band of misfits vs a super strict Rock N roll hating authority figure.
Now this film is cheesy as fuck. And nowhere as good as the original but a handful of things stand out. First off this was made during Feldman's "I am the white Michael Jackson" phase. All through out the film he is dancing like Michael and acting like Jackson. But the funniest moment is after Vader makes every student take a drug test. The bass player in the band is bad Asian stereotype named Namrock. Him and the drummer and keyboard player are in the bathroom getting ready to take the drug test. They two idiots in charge of this get distracted. So the three guys fill the cups up with apple juice. They all turn around Namrock smells his cup and yells "THIS NO ME PEE!". Then the rest of them proceed to drink their "urine". This scene never fails to make me laugh.
I also love how the lead guitarist,Stella, dresses like a member of the Ramones and has the classic Johnny Ramone haircut. And to show how cheap the film is,when the school gets blown up at the end they just use footage from the original to show this.
So if you like 90s cheesy comedies,Corey Feldman or are just a fan of the original give this film a watch. Rock N Roll High School Forever gets a C+.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Top 5 Sequels
I love the Friday the 13th series. But part 4 is my favorite. The first established the mythos. 2 introduced us to Jason. 3 added the hockey mask. But 4 is where the series became a franchise. We got one of the best plots of the series. Some of the best acting,Crispen Glover and others. Plus Tom Savini returned to do the FX work. Plus Jason dies. Sure he has come back many times. But when this came out it really felt like he was gone for good.
4.Nightmare on Elm Street part 3 the Dream Warriors
I was never a huge Freddy fan. But this one film captured my attention. It is the peak of the series.After this it was pretty much all downhill. And what a cast. Laurence Fishburne,Patricia Arquette and Heather Langencamp coming back. And it was the perfect mix of funny and scary Freddy,.
3.Phantasm Oblivion
Now this film,well either you love it or hate it. I love it. Been a fan of the Phantasm series since I saw the first one as a small child. And Oblivion wrapped up the storyline perfectly. The people I have talked to that hate the ending seem to not understand it. Spoilers,I believe the ending says that all 4 films are a dream that the lead Mike has been having.
2.X-men First class
Kind of a cheat,yeah I know. Because some sources claim this isn't a sequel/prequel to the previous 3 X-men films. I count it as a prequel. It took what I had wanted from an X-men film since 1980 ,when I started reading Uncanny X-men regularly,and put it all up on the screen. So I am very excited for the upcoming X-men Days of Future past film.
1.Empire Strikes Back
Growing up I was a huge Star Wars fan. And this film was my favorite. Over the years my fandom of the Star Wars franchise has died. But I still love this film. As a kid it was rare that I saw any film more than once in a theater. Empire I saw at least 10 times. I can remember begging older cousins,Aunts and Uncles to take me to see it again. There has been 6 Star wars films and currently this is the only one I own on DVD.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
