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.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 05 Cannibal Holocaust

Cannibal Holocaust
Source-Grindhouse Releasing DVD

From 1980,growing up this was THE Cannibal film. The one every horror loving kid had heard of but most of us had never seen. Then finally when I was 14 I was at my local con. And there was the grey market dealer guy. Yall older fanboys know who I am talking about. His table was loaded with VHS. Most of which were copies of laserdiscs. With a few workprints or never released on VHS films mixed in. Well the guy had Cannibal Holocaust. "Yeah that is the fully uncut version. Got it off a Japanese laserdisc. So it also looks and sounds really good." I asked the price and got told $30. I handed him the money and thought that I would finally get to see this film I had been hearing about for a long time.

The bad thing I bought the tape on Sunday. The last day of the con. I  got home. Sure I had school the next day and had barely slept that weekend. But I was gonna watch Cannibal Holocaust before I went to sleep. I throw the tape in. And it is blank.Yep I had paid $30 for a blank tape. Thru a friend that helped run the con he got a message to the dealer. Got told "He said if you are willing to pay the shipping he will send you another copy plus another film from his stash as a sorta sorry I missed up gift" So I mailed the guy the money. Waited forever and never got anything. The next year at the con I planned on talking to him. And of course he wasn't there. So I gave up on seeing the film.

Then around 2005 ,might have the year wrong,I got the Grindhouse Releasing DVD. Sat down and watched it. And while the film is gory. It was only the real animal deaths that got to me. Thankfully the dvd I got has an option to watch it with the animal deaths removed. And until today when I watch the film that is how I watch it.

So how is the film? The plot isn't bad. A camera crew disappears in the Amazon rain forest while filming a documentary on the various tribes that live in the area. Another group is sent in to find the film crew but all they end up finding is the footage that was shot.

The rest of the film is us watching this footage. And we get to see how brutal and asshole like the documentary crew was acting. And at least with me after a short while I was wanting the cannibals to eat them.

Cannibal Holocaust is considered one of the first films in the Found Footage genre. And it is the earliest film from that genre that I have seen. It is also well known for how many times it has been banned or heavily censored in various countries. In the UK it was on the video nasties list in the 80s. And unless I have missed something it still hasn't been released uncut in the UK. In the USA it seems we have always gotten an uncut release.

This DVD is like every Grindhouse Releasing product loaded with extras. We got a fun commentary with the director and one of the lead actors. A short featurette on the "Road to hell " footage. A few trailers. And my favorite extra the previously mentioned animal cruelty free version of the film. For this viewing I watched the fully uncut film with animal deaths still in it. And like the first time I watched it those animal deaths still get to me.But the director has said he wishes he hadn't filmed them.

Cannibal Holocaust gets a B-.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 04 Two Thousand Maniacs

Two Thousand Maniacs
Source-The Bloody Trilogy Blu Ray from Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment

This is the second of Lewis's famous Gore Trilogy.And until I got this Blu ray I had never seen it. I knew the plot and had seen the remake,2001 Maniacs check it out it is fun.

A small southern town is destroyed back during the Civil War. A northern army comes thru,burns it down and kills all the citizens of the town. So in the modern day on the anniversary of this happening the town tricks some vacationing northerners into coming to the town.

Once there these Yankees are killed off one by one. In fairly brutal ways. One guy it placed into a barrel. Nails are hammered into it. Then the barrel is rolled down a hill. One woman gets squashed under a huge rock that is dropped off a tower.

Out of all the HG Lewis films I have seen this is my favorite. Sure it is as low budget and cheesy as his other films. But the film still manages to shine thru all the crap. The title song is great. The acting is much better than most other Lewis films. And even the gore seems to be better done.

And because this is from Something Weird Video it is loaded with extras. Like Blood Feast this film has a pile of outtakes,once again with no sound,the original trailer and an amazing commentary once again with Lewis,Friedman and Varney.

In the commentary Lewis and Friedman talk about how the movie was filmed in St Cloud Florida. Which back then was just a tiny town near Orlando. Of course now St Cloud has been taken over by Disney and is huge.

If you have never seen any of Lewis's horror/gore films this is the one to start with. And if you own a Blu Ray player get this great triple feature Blu Ray. I see it selling brand new for 10 bucks all the time.

2000 Maniacs gets an A.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 03 Blood Feast

Blood Feast
Source-The Bloody Trilogy Blu Ray from Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment

It was the mid 80s when I first heard about Hershell Gordon Lewis's gore films. And almost 10 years later before I got the chance to see the first of his gore films. There was a drive in theater about 2 hours away from where I lived. One Saturday night they had a triple feature of Night of the Living Dead/The Undertaker and his Pals and Blood Feast. By the time Blood Feast had started everyone else in the car had fallen asleep. And I was fairly drunk and the next day could only remember a few scenes from the film.

It wasn't until after Turner Classic Movies started their great TCM Underground series that I got to see Blood Feast again. And I really enjoyed it. But for some reason I never bothered getting the well done DVD release.Then back in early August I got the Blu Ray release that had Blood Feast plus the next two films in HG Lewis's gore series.

The film is about an insane caterer. He worships an ancient Egyptian God. He gets hired out to provide the refreshments for a rich girl's birthday party. So he goes around town killing young women and cutting off various body parts. What I found funny is lots of these kills he does in daylight in heavy populated areas.

Now sure the gore FX look like crap now. The acting is worse than a 3rd grade play. But some how this film rises above those flaws. And as far as anyone knows this is the first gore film made in North America. And one of the first ones made in the world.

The Blu Ray is loaded with extras. You get the original trailer. Plus piles of outtakes,which sadly have no sound. But the best extra is a feature length commentary with David Friedman RIP,Hershell Gordon Lewis and Mike Varney RIP. Since getting this disc I have listened to that commentary 3 times. It is loaded with not only info on the film. But also lots of great stories from Friedman and Lewis.

Blood Feast gets a B-.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 02 Return to Nuke'em High volume 1

Return to Nuke'em High Volume 1

Source-Anchor Bay/Troma Blu Ray

I saw the original Nuke'em High film during one of the Scifi Channels marathons of Troma movies. Yep back when Scifi was first hitting the airwaves they showed cut for cable Troma films. I enjoyed part 1,but parts 2 and 3 were much better.

So 3 years ago when I heard Troma was making a fourth film in the franchise I got pretty damn excited. But like with most recent Troma films it took a long time from when the film was finished until it got a home video release. I understand that Troma wants their films to play as many theaters as they can before it hits dvd/blu ray. But with no theater within a 3 hour drive of me that would show a Troma film I have to wait on home video.

The nuclear power plant by Nuke'em High is now the HQ of some giant global food corporation.And they are supplying food for Nuke'em High. Which of course is contaminated.

So the food ends up transforming the Glee Club into the new Cretins. And our heroes,if you can call them that,are two young ladies that goto Nuke'em high. Who through out the course of the film fall in love. 

Really my only complaint about this film is that it is broken up into two parts. And as of the writing of this post no release date has been set for volume 2.

I will say the blu ray of this looks great. And has well done sound. Plus you get two commentaries. One with some of the cast. And one with Lloyd Kaufman. And if you look around you can find this cheap.

Return to Nuke'em High Volume 1 gets a B.

3 Toys from the Junkbox Halloween edition

Thanks to store remodeling I have been getting the blind bag Imaginext figures cheap. With movie reviews and trying to at least finish 5 books this month I doubt I will do another of these this month. I got enough Halloween/Horror style toys to do a few. But on to the 4,yeah it's almost Halloween fuck the rules getting 1 extra toy this time.

From series three this is some kind of either alien or undersea creature. Good sculpting on the legs and arms and face. The spear looks really good also.

But if you take the helmet off and the spear away it looks a bit more like the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I wouldn't mind getting another of these since it has two very different looks depending on if you put the accessories on or not.

 BIGFOOT!!! There is a huge Imaginext remote control Bigfoot I have been trying to get for over a year. This smaller one,that comes with a giant fish!!!!,will make a good substitute.

Yeah you take the Mask off and and he looks doofy. But you can now add a Bigfoot mask to your other Imaginext figures.

This one is like the first one in that it has two totally different looks.With the "tater sack" mask on and weedwacker he looks like either Jason Voorhies in Friday the 13th part 2 or the killer from The Town that dreaded sundown.

You take the "Tater Sack" off and you got a great zombie figure.This line is for 3 to 8 year olds ,so a toy this creepy and scary in a line aimed at that age group is strange but a neat find.

Finally this very very well done vampire. The sculpting ,paint job and accessories are the best I have seen from this line of toys.The bat seems to hold best on the right arm. And the cape is a nice touch,

He does lose a bit without the cape. And the bat. But still a great looking figure. One I am kind of glad I got 2 of now.

31 Days of Horror 2015 Day 1 Sharknado 3 Oh Hell No

Sharknado 3 Oh Hell No
Source-TV airing

Figured I would  start this years 31 days of Horror off with what has become one of my favorite horror franchises. Starting 3 summers ago Syfy aired the original Sharknado. And it was such a hit now each July we get a new one.

We start the film with Finn in DC accepting an award from the President. His wife April is in Florida with their daughter. Of course another Sharknado hits. The first one hits DC while Finn is there. And after he helps save the President,he finds out there are more Sharknados. And one is heading right for where his now pregnant wife and teenage daughter are.

Finn heads down to Florida and on his way ends up running into Nova. Who was in the first film. Seems she now travels around North America fighting Sharknados.

After getting to Florida and saving his wife and daughter. Nova and Finn figure out a way to stop the multiple Sharknados that are heading towards the east coast. To do this they need to go up into space. So it is handy that Finn's father is an astronaut.

So we got Finn,his pregnant wife and his astronaut father going up in a space shuttle. But of course just cause they are in space doesn't mean they are safe from the Sharknados.

Sure the films are cheesy. And with each film they become more self aware. But they remind me so much of the cheesy creature features Roger Corman made back in the day. The films I would see at the drive in and then later on airing late at night on the weekends. And all the various cameos of various celebrities just adds to the fun of these films.

Sharknado 3 Oh Hell No gets a B+

3 Toys from the Junkbox 9/20/2015

Yeah I know it has been awhile since I did one of these. But I have been busy with lots of stuff this summer.

This is from the Imaginext line. They do blind buy bagged figures. Normally they are 3 or 4 bucks. But my local Walmart is clearing series 3 out at $1.50 a figure. Sadly the figures have no names so I named this guy Louie. He has articulation his hips,wrists,shoulders and neck. With the shoulders being on balljoints. Which gives you much more range of movement. I love how all the Imaginext stuff works with any figure from the line. So I can take Louie's guitar and amp and give them to say the Batman Imaginext I got back in May.

The paint on Louie is well done. And the sculpting is really good for such a small figure. You can't see it in the pic but his vest has all kinds of chains,buttons and other stuff sculpted into it.

Here is another Imaginext figure. I have named him Nok Nok the caveman. Imaginext has a dinosaur line and Nok Nok is from that set. The dinosaur he rides has a lever that makes his mouth open and close. And over all has decent articulation. And great paint and sculpting. Nok Nok comes with the mask that is made to look like it was made out of bone. No clue what these normally cost. But I got mine on clearance for $2.

And the last figure. It is Doc Brown from Back to the Future. This is from the Funko made ReAction line of action figures.I really like how these are made to look like the old Kenner Star Wars figures I collected as a kid. And like those figures they don't have much articulation. Doc Brown has joints at his hips,shoulders and neck. But that is all the old Star Wars figures had. The sculpting and paint is much better than those old Kenner figures were. And his only accessory is the toolkit he has in his left hand. Now normally these are 10 bucks each. Which is way more than I would pay. I caught this on sale for $5 and it is worth that much to me. There is only 4 figures in the ReAction Back to the Future line. They had all 4 in the store. And I was tempted to get them all. But ended up finding some other stuff I wanted more.

2015 Reading Challenge Book 87 Preacher vol 3 Proud Americans

Title-Preacher:Proud Americans
AUTHOR-Garth Ennis
FORMAT-Trade Paperback
FIRST TIME READING-Nope
PRICE-$15

By the time this trade hit the shelves I was already hooked on Preacher. I had been a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series from the Vertigo imprint,and Preacher was the polar opposite.

Most of this trade is all about Jesse and his two friends going to France and meeting the Grail for the first time.So we get the first appearances of recurring major villain Herr Star.

It is the first issue reprinted in this trade that sticks in my memory.While at an airport waiting for his plane to France,Jesse happens to run into a friend of his father's. One who was over in Nam with him. So we get the origin of Jesse's Fuck Communism zippo. This and the much later  on in the series Nam flashback story are my two favorite issues of the series. I would love to see a 6 to 8 issue mini that is Ennis and Steve Dillon telling more stories of Jesse's Dad in the war.

The art is even better than the last two trades. To me it was around this time that Steve Dillon got all the major characters figured out.

Preacher vol 3 Proud Americans gets a 4.95 outta 5.