Starring Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders
, Jacob Batalon
Screenplay by Erik Sommers, Chris McKenna
Based on the comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Cinematography by Matthew J. Lloyd
Edited by Leigh Folsom Boyd, Dan Lebental
Produced by Kevin Feige, Avi Arad, Stan Lee,Victoria Alonso
Directed by Jon Watts
Released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
When I first saw SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING two years ago, I thought to myself, "Finally!! They did it right!! We finally have the Spider-Man we the audience have been waiting for!!" And it was glorious!! Unfortunately, the bad part was that we were gonna have to wait a while for the sequel, since the AVENGERS films would be released first. After the emotional rollercoaster that was AVENGERS: ENDGAME, I finally got to see the final chapter of the now called "The Infinity Saga" that first began with IRON MAN back in 2008. And needless to say, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME lives up to the hype and is a fitting epilogue to this first epic conclusion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
The film's official synopsis: Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best
friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation.
However, Peter's plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are
quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover
the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across
the continent.
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME is a high intense, action packed, hilariously funny, ultimate superhero comic book movie sequel you've been waiting for! It's also a very satisfying and logical conclusion to the "The Infinity Saga" and sets up the next phase of the MCU perfectly!! So grab the family and go see the last MCU film of the year on the big screen!! 5 out of stars!! Highly recommended!!
SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME is currently playing in theaters in 2D, 3D, and IMAX nationwide,
including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view
showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.
StarringCraig Peck, Wendy Bednarz, Mark Collver, Bonnie Bowers, John Carhart III, Claudia Flores, Jeff Dachis, Lisa Grant
Written byRolfe Kanefsky Cinematography by Ed Hershberger Edited by
Victor Kanefsky Produced by
Victor Kanefsky Directed byRolfe Kanefsky Originally released byPrism Entertainment Released by Vinegar Syndrome
Greetings and salutations gore hounds! I decided to continue my theme from my previous review, and for today, I watched another Troma movie that was just released by Vinegar Syndrome on a brand new Blu-Ray/DVD combo. Now I did a review of this movie back in 2016, but with this new release, I felt that I needed to do a new write-up for it. After all, with it's fourth wall breaking, creature feature vibe, laugh-out-loud gags, nudity, and gore galore, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE still remains one of the greatest cult hits of the early 1990's!
The film's official synopsis: Mike is always getting in the way of fun. His obsession with horror
movies and their rules dictates that no matter where he goes, he can’t
help but expect to find a monster lurking around every corner. But this
time, his paranoia might be justified…After being invited to a remote lodge, along with some friends, Mike
immediately begins to sense that something isn’t right, but none of his
friends believe him. Unfortunately, they’re dead wrong, and a slimy
alien frog monster has indeed landed in the nearby woods and set out to
fulfill it’s mission of killing all human males and mating with females.
Can Mike convince his friends that there IS something out there, before
the men have their brains sucked out and the women are carrying green
mutant fetuses?
Director Rolfe
Kanefsky was only twenty years old when he made the film back in 1990.
Plus, he wrote the script during his senior year in high school. Now
back in those days, movies were shot on film and Kanefsky shot his
directorial debut on 16mm film stock. His father Victor helped edit and
produce the film. The budget was about $350,000 but back in 1990 that
was a lot of money. Now that would barely cover craft services these
days in Hollywood. What I loved about the movie was the script, which
was very funny, clever and unique. It was a horror film with comedy that
referenced horror films of the past. Does this sound familiar? Well, it
should because five years later legendary director Wes Craven's SCREAM would do the exact same thing. Both Kanefsky and his film were way ahead of their time.
The
actors and actresses were awesome in the film. Lead actor Craig Peck,
who portrayed our horror aficionados Mike, is funny, smart and is a
walking encyclopedia of horror movie trivia. He has the best one-liners
and is the hero we all would want to be! Bonnie Bowers'
character Stacy was in a sexy two-piece bikini for most of the whole
film and was a total professional! That must've been very difficult to pull
off, but she made it look so easy.
Original Theatrical Poster (1991)
The
movie was originally released on VHS by Prism
Entertainment back in the mid-90's. Years later, Image Entertainment release a special
edition DVD version of the movie. Then in 2011, our good friends at Troma Entertainment released an
ultra cool two-disc 20th anniversary special edition with all kinds of
special features. And then out of nowhere, Vinegar Syndrome announced late in 2018 that they were planning on releasing the film on Blu-Ray for the very first time!
The movie was newly scanned & restored in 2k from it’s 35mm interpositive and it looks impressive. The picture looks much sharper and clearer, the colors look brighter and clean, and looks like a brand new movie! The combo package has a reversible cover artwork, and for collectors, there's a special limited edition embossed slipcover and
is limited to only 2,000 units! The slipcover is designed by Earl
Kessler Jr. and it looks super cool! This limited edition slipcover is
available only at the Vinegar Syndrome website.
Vinegar Syndrome spared no expense when it came to its special features, and boy, are they special! Just check out what's on the discs: “There’s A Movie Out There” – new interview with writer/director Rolfe Kanefsky and editor Victor Kanefsky, ”40 Years Of Cutting” – new interview with Victor Kanefsky, new interview with actor Craig Peck, a brand new group commentary with director Rolfe Kanefsky, Joe Lynch (filmmaker), Jeff Reddick (filmmaker) and others. There's also several short films to watch as well: ”Copycat” – a short film about the film’s influence, ”Murder in Winter” – an early feature film by Rolfe Kanefsky (Blu-ray only), ”Just Listen” and ”Mood Boobs”with a behind the scenes of “Mood Boobs” as well. Then there's all the special features that were imported from the Troma DVD release: Archival ‘20th anniversary’ commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky, archival group commentary with Rolfe Kanefsky, Victor Kanefsky, Craig Peck, Mark Collver and others, archival interview with Rolfe Kanefsky, theatrical trailer, music video, production stills gallery, behind the scenes rehearsal footage, pre-production footage and video storyboards, original cast auditions, and animation test footage and deleted shots.
THERE'S NOTHING OUT THEREis one of the best indie horror/comedies from the early 90's and has gone on to became modern day cult classic! The
film still continues to attract new viewers to this very day! Now with this new release, old school fans and newbies alike will be able to see the very best version of the film ever released! If your looking for a wild, wacky, off-the wall, cult classic to watch tonight, then make a date with Mike and the gang and watch this fantastic fun fright flick tonight! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE is available in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack from
Vinegar Syndrome. To order a copy for yourself, visit their website at vinegarsyndrome.com.
Starring Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Michelle
Bauer, Andras Jones, Hal Havins, John Stuart Wildman, Kathi
O'Brecht, Carla Baron, Robin
Stille (as Robin Rochelle) Written by Sergei Hasenecz Cinematography by Stephen Ashley Blake
Edited by Tom Meshelski, Barry Zetlin
Produced by Charles Band, David DeCoteau, John Schouweiler, Thomas Keith Directed by David DeCoteau Originally released by Urban Classics Released by Full Moon Features
Hello B-movie fanatics and welcome to the first installment of Phil's Cult Classic of 2019! For today's film, I decided to revisit a favorite of mine, and for those who've read my blog, you may recall that I did a review of the this film several years ago. However, Charles Band, the man behind Full Moon Features, teamed up with director David DeCoteau to restore this beloved 80's gem of a flick. Looking brand new like never before, SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA is now once again available to fans in a new 2k restoration!!
The film's official synopsis: Three frat boys Calvin (Jones), Jimmie (Havins), and Keith (Wildman) sneak into the Tri-Delta sorority to witness the
initiation of two new pledges Taffy (Stevens) and Lisa (Bauer). However the boys are busted by sorority sisters Rhonda (Kathi
O'Brecht), Frankie (Carla Baron), and den mother Babs Peterson (Stille). As punishment, Babs sends the new
pledges and the unwanted frat boys to the local bowling lane to steal a
trophy. There the group meets Spider (Quigley) who is robbing
the bowling alley. However an accident causes the trophy to break open,
releasing an evil imp who then begins wreaking havoc by granting wishes
that have dire consequences.
The film was directed by David DeCoteau, who was one of the Top Three B-movie directors during the 1980's (the other two being Rick Sloane and Fred Olen Ray). DeCoteau has directed several low-budget classics from the 80s, such as CREEPOZOIDS, NIGHTMARE SISTERS, DR. ALIEN. DeCoteau would also go on to direct films for Charles Band's company Full Moon Entertainment: PUPPET MASTER III, BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND, THE KILLER EYE for example. In recent years, he has directed a plethora of television movies for the Hallmark Channel, including THE WRONG STUDENT, DEADLY LESSONS, and MY MOTHER'S STALKER just to name a few. Then there's the films he's made for his own company Rapid Hearts Pictures like the 1313 SERIES, LEECHES, 90210 SHARK ATTACK, and SWAMP FREAK. Overall, DeCoteau has directed a staggering 147 films!!
Original Theatrical Poster (1988)
Another interesting and noteworthy fact is
that this was the first film that had all three of the legendary Scream
Queens together at once. Quigley, Stevens, and Bauer were at that
time the biggest names in the B-movie universe. They appeared in
countless films during the 1980s, however it was DeCoteau who was able to bring these ladies together in one film. He would do this again with NIGHTMARE SISTERS that same year, and almost 25 years later, DeCoteau would reunite them again years later for 1313: COUGAR CULT
and 3 SCREAM QUEENS. SORORITY BABES had a limited theatrical release on January 29, 1988,
courtesy of Band's Urban Classics label. It was later released on VHS
and was a staple on the USA cable's late night movie show UP ALL NIGHT during the 1990's. The show was hosted by Rhonda Sheer and Gilbert Gottfried on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.
Again, this transfer of the movie is the best version that I have ever seen! It looks so damn amazing that I thought I died and gone to heaven. So the story goes is that DeCoteau was going through Band's collection at the Full Moon Warehouse and he came upon the original camera negatives of the film. So they took them, did a 2k scan of it, did a color correction, and added some new special features and released on Blu-Ray. For all these years, what Full Moon Features have been doing is releasing the movie on VHS and DVD, but using an old video copy as their source material, which is way it always looked bad.
As I stated, there's some cool new special features on the disc: Tales from the Bowling Alley: never before-seen behind the scenes featurette featuring an in-depth interview with director David DeCoteau on the making of the film, Original Theatrical Trailer, New 2017 Restored Trailer, Brand New audio commentary with director David DeCoteau, writer Sergei Hasenecz and Scream Queen Brinke Stevens, new intro by David DeCoteau, and several Full Moon Features trailers.
SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA
is one of best B-movies to come out of the 1980s! While the film seems
tame by today's standards, what makes it so much fun was that there's a touch of innocence to it. These films were just innocent fun,
and unfortunately, they don't make 'em like this anymore. So if you're
looking for a midnight movie to watch, give this film a whirl and have
fun! Just don't let any imps out of bowling trophies! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from Full Moon Features. To purchase a copy, visit their website at www.fullmoondirect.com.
Starring
Linda Lovelace, Harry Reems, Dolly Sharp, Carol Connors, Ronnie Shark, William Love, Bob Phillips
Written by Gerard Damiano (as Jerry Gerard) Cinematography by João Fernandes
(as Harry Flecks) Edited by Gerard Damiano (as Jerry Gerard) Produced by Phil Parisi
(as Phil Perry), Louis Peraino
(as Lou Perry)
Directed by Gerard Damiano (as Jerry Gerard) Originally released by Bryanston Distributing Company Released by Sunset Entertainment
Greetings and salutations all you sexy people and welcome to the first installment of Phil's Porno Chic Theatre for 2019! For today's review, I'll be talking about one of the most important adult films ever made in cinema history. Now, for those of you may not know what "Pono Chic" means, it refers to a time when it
seemed okay to go out and see a "dirtornimovie" at your local cinema.
Couples were going, along with groups of women and celebrities, who were curious as to what the
clamour was all about. Today's film has been called, "the one that started it all." On June 12, 1972, the adult film DEEP THROAT
had its world premiere at the World Theatre in Times Square in New
York. On that warm, summer day, history was made and the world we live
in would never be the same again.
The film's official synopsis: The film tells the story of Linda Lovelace, your typical girl-next-door,
who unfortunately is having problems achieving an orgasm. Even though
she has a very high and adventurous sex life, she still feels
unsatisfied. After a wild sex party leads to disappointment, Linda asks
her friend Helen (Dolly Sharp) for help. She recommends that she visit a
doctor, so Linda meets the wacky Dr. Young (Harry Reems). During
Linda's examination, the doctor discovers that her clitoris is
mistakenly located at the back of her throat. What's a girl do to?
According to the good doctor, she can achieve orgasms by performing the
oral sex skill he calls "deep throat." After seeing fireworks going off,
bells ringing, and rockets exploding, Linda is finally sexually
satisfied. She works for Dr. Young as a nurse and performs her "deep
throat" talent on various patients until she finds the one she wants to
marry.
The film was a first of its kind. It was a pornographic movie with
a plot. Up until then, what was being shown were the old stag films as
well as loops in converted store front theaters. But in early 1973, a
news article about the film appeared on the New York
Times. Written by reporter Ralph Blumenthal and using the phrase "Porno
Chic" for its title, it helped usher in what has been coined "The Golden
Age of Pornography," which lasted between 1972-1984. Because of the New
Your Times article, it made couples want to go porno theatres and see
what the hype was all about. Celebrities also came to see the film: Jack
Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palm, and Johnny
Carson. Seeing the film became the hip thing to do.
Original Theatrical Poster (1972)
The film was an amalgam of slapstick comedy, bad puns, and hot sex with
hilarious one-liners, such as, "Mind if I smoke while you eat?" While
amateurish in certain parts, the film as a whole is quite entertaining
and captures the 70's sexual revolution: its ideas, its frankness about
sex, and stating that women have the right to have orgasms. It was in
some ways a form of enlightenment for women, who saw the film as a form
of sexual freedom and exploration. However, with this new freedom, there
came a hefty price.
The film was tried and banned in New York, and soon, it would become
banned in 23 states. Actor Reems was tried and was almost sent to
prison. The film was then distributed by a network of Mafia-connected
associates of the Peraino family. The film has been rumored to have
grossed as high as $600 million, which would make the film one of the highest grossing films of all time. It's been reported that the film actually earned somewhere between $30–50 million. However, because of the Perainos, it is unsure as to how much the film actually earned.
The popularity of the film became part of the mainstream in a major way. Assistant FBI director W. Mark Felt, the Watergate informer that blew the whistle on then President Richard
Nixon was nicknamed "Deep Throat." It was talked about in the news, on
late talk shows as well as variety shows. It's been referenced in books,
newspapers, mainstream movies, as well as becoming part of the sexual
dictionary. In 2005, the film would also become the subject matter in
the documentary entitled INSIDE DEEP THROAT. In it, directors
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato chronicled (and in some parts
exaggerated) the history of the film and the ramifications of its
impact.The movie was also the first film to be inducted into the XRCO Hall of Fame. On August 9, 2013, the dramatic biopic LOVELACE, starring Hollywood A-listers Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Sharon Stone, Adam Brody, James Franco, Chloë Sevigny, and Juno Temple, was released to theaters by The Weinstein Company. Based on Lovelace's life, it was written by Andy Bellin and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.
On
April 22, 2002, Linda Lovelace died from injuries sustained from a car
accident at the young age of 53. Then Gerard Damino passed away at age
80 on October 25, 2008 following complications from a stroke he
suffered. And then finally, on March 19, 2013, Harry Reems died from
pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. In December 2014, the website The Rialto Report (which documents the golden years of adult cinema) released a podcast which revealed the identify of Dolly Sharp, who had disappeared from the public's eye after the release of the film. Through their investigations, they reported that Sharp was actually in fact Helen Wood, a former Broadway performer and Hollywood actress, who appeared in the 1953 musical GIVE A GIRL A BREAK and in director William Friedkin's 1968 film THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY'S. Sharp passed away from colon cancer on November 1, 1998 in Los Angeles. She was just 63 years old.
The new Blu-Ray release looks absolutely gorgeous!! There are still some small scratches and dirt, but overall, the movie has never, and I mean never, looked this pristine before!! It looks like a brand new movie all together!! The visuals look so crisp and sharp, the soundtrack and dialogue sounds clear, and it looks amazing in HD!! Congratulations to Sunset Entertainment for making this the best version of the film ever!!
Sunset Entertainment also offers up some cool special features for this Blu-Ray release. There's an interview with the late Linda Lovelace, several random adult trailers from the 1970's, and a second feature DEEP THROAT II, which was written and directed by the legendary Joseph Sarno and released in 1972. The sequel is an exploitation comedy, rather than a true adult sequel. The picture and sound quality is decent, but that's about it. The film was produced once again by Phil Parisi and Louis Peraino and though the production company that made the film was called Damiano Films, Gerard Damiano had no involvement with the sequel. DEEP THROAT and its impact on our society and culture have been
immeasurable. It was the first of its kind, and while there have been a
plethora of its kind since then, it still remains as one of the most
important films in American cinema history. Forty-seven years later,the film still resonates within our society, and its influence is still part of our
pop culture as well as our sexual lexicon. But one must remember, when
watching the film, we are watching a time capsule that captured a
society on the eve of change. The film documented a cultural shift;
an open mindedness about sex. For a brief moment in history, it looked
like America was going to adult about its sexuality. However the
opposite occurred, and now we live in society that glamorizes and
praises violence while sex is still a taboo subject. As a result of
this, we repress our sexuality instead of talking about, exploring it,
and celebrating it. So ask yourself this question: Would you rather see
gratuitous acts of violence or gratuitous acts of love? 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
DEEP THROAT is available on Blu-Ray from Sunset Entertainment. To purchase a copy for yourself, visit the Diabolik DVD website at www.diabolikdvd.com.
BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE
Starring Thom Meyers, Laura Ellis, Robert Bradeen, Big John Brigham, Glen Coburn, Franny Coppenbarg, Dan Gallion
Screenplay by Glen Coburn
Cinematography by Chad D. Smith
Edited by Karen D. Latham
Produced by Rick Garlington, Garl Boyd Latham, Karen D. Latham, Larry McInerney
Directed by Glen Coburn
Originally released by Karl-Lorimar Home Video
Released by Vinegar Syndrome
Welcome back horror hounds to my annual Halloween Horror Watch! For Day 17, I decided to pull and oldie but goodie from that lovely decade called the 1980's. The movie was part of the straight-to-video trend that was becoming popular, since video stores were desperate to find product to put on their shelves. Shot on 16mm film stock in rural Texas, BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE is a bona fide cult classic that you have never heard of!
The film's official synopsis: A mysterious and invisible alien presence has landed in rural Texas
and has started turning the nearby townspeople into white-faced,
bloodthirsty killers. As the local authorities begin to investigate the
strange and violent goings on, a photographer and his girlfriend find
themselves trapped in the midst of an unexpected rural bloodbath, which
seeks to turn them into another pair of bloodsuckers from outer space. A low budget, low rent horror comedy from writer/director Glen
Coburn, BLOOD SUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE is a gory and silly slice of home
made regional genre filmmaking.
This was one of the most goofy, silly, hilarious local indie horror films from the 80's that I have ever seen! It almost has a Troma-esque feel to it. What makes it so enjoyable to watch that it's such a low budget movie that the filmmakers didn't really take it all so seriously. However, the film was made with a lot skill and care: the sound was awesome, cinematography was nice looking, and the cast put on a great performance. But you can tell they were just having a ball making it! Like I've said previously, you can see the comradery and passion within each frame of the movie, and everybody involved was giving a 110%! This is a perfect snapshot of the local DIY indie film movement that was taking place in the country.
Original In-Store Poster (1984)
Writer/director Glen Coburn was very fortunate to have such a talented crew to help bring his unique and quarky vision to fruition. His cast and crew made a film that has lasted for over 34 years, and the fact that it's still talked about to this day proves that they left their mark in cinema history. What I enjoyed was Corburn's script, which had a lot of funny one-liners, great comedy moments, and some clever fourth-wall breaking. Add the on-screen chemistry between Thom Meyers' character Jeff Rhodes and Laura Ellis' Julie, plus the rocking score by Emilie Aronson, Ann Armstrong and Steve Hughes and you have one radical movie!
The movie premiered in October of 1984 at the Joe Bob Briggs' Drive-In Movie Festival. It was reviewed by Travis Box of the Dallas Observer, calling it, "one of the best low budget films made in Texas." It was picked up by Karl-Lorimar Home Video and released on home video shortly soon after. In late 2008, the company Media Blasters released the movie on DVD to a new generation of fans. Then in 2018, Vinegar Syndrome re-released the movie in a Blu-Ray/DVD Combo, newly scanned and restored in 2k from 16mm negative elements.
Since I'm a hardcore collector of physical media, I purchased my copy with the limited slipcover (which is now sold out but is still available in a regular edition). The combo set comes with some interesting special features: Commentary Track with writer/director Glen Coburn, actor Thom Meyers, and cinematographer Chad D. Smith, "34 Years Later" - A 50 minute 'making-of' documentary, " Back To Bloodsucker Town" - 15-minute featurette, "Bloody Arm Rip 101" - A how-to guide on recreating the special effect from the film, Stills Gallery: Featuring over 100 images from Glen's personal collection on the making of the film, and a reversible cover artwork.
BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE is a Grade-Z, horror comedy classic that has a lot of heart and soul, which makes up for the extremely low budget! The movie falls into the , "It's so bad it's good" category, but for other reasons! The cast and crew did the impossible and have left their mark in the annuals of horror film history! This was the over-the-top, cheesy, campy VHS rental of 1984, and now it's the must-own Blu-Ray of 2018!! 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! Definitely worth a watch!
BLOODSUCKERS FROM OUTER SPACE is available in a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack from
Vinegar Syndrome. To order a copy for yourself, visit their website at vinegarsyndrome.com.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (aka HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION)
Starring the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Gaffigan, Kathryn Hahn, Chris Parnell, Chrissy Teigen
Screenplay by Michael McCullers, Genndy Tartakovsky (based on characters created by Todd Durham)
Edited by Joyce Arrastia
Produced by Michelle Murdocca, Carey A. Smith, Genevieve West
Directed bu Genndy Tartakovsky
Released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Welcome to spooky Day 13 of my Halloween Horror Watch! So for today, I decided to veer off from my normal criteria and watch something that was fun for my whole family. My kid is only six years old, but I'm trying to teach him about the classic horror films, more specifically the Universal Monster Films of the 1930's. In the modern age, these monsters have found a new lease on life in the form of the HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA franchise, which features characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolfman, etc. This past week, I picked up the latest installment of the franchise HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 for all of us to watch!
The film's official synopsis: Join your favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation adventure
on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can finally take a break from
handling everyone else's vacation at the hotel. It's smooth sailing for
Drac's Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the
cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and
catching up on their moon tans. But they hit rocky waters when Mavis
realizes that Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship,
Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could sink their plans for a
dream vacation.
The whole gang is back to voice these iconic and hilariously entertaining characters that I have been a fan of since I was a kid. Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher,
Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, and Keegan-Michael Key all return to voice their respective characters that I've enjoyed from the past two movies, but this time we are introduced to a couple of newbies to the series. Funnyman Jim Gaffigan comes on board to voice Dracula's long time enemy Abraham Van Helsing. If you have ever caught his stand-up specials, then you know what to expect from the man! Joining him on his mission is is great-granddaughter Ericka Van Helsing, voiced by the extremely talented Kathryn Hahn, who can see in films like WE'RE THE MILLERS, AFTERNOON DELIGHT, BAD MOMS, and its sequel A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS. Also lending his voice is Chris Parnell from Saturday Night Live as Stan and the rest of the Fishmen. Parnell has also voiced several other characters in the previous films.
Original Theatrical Poster (2018)
The movie was released to theaters on July 13 of this year and it performed extremely well! The film's budget was a staggering $80 million (cause of the star power paychecks the studio had to pay) but is grossed a worldwide boxoffice total of $426,104,170!! So it's safe to say that we'll probably get more sequels later on down the road, especially since the film's ending was left wide open for more movies.
The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack comes with a lot of special features for the kids to watch: Three All New Scary-Oke Sing Alongs: Sing along to three HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 inspired songs with your favorite characters:
“Dennis Had a Giant Dog” – Sung by Dennis & Winnie, “Monsters Like to Party Down” – Sung by Johnny, “Oh These Wolf Pups” – Sung by Wanda Werewolf, Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover: This feature will give you all
details on how to make your own sleepover spook-tacular! From snacks to
crafts to games and more, follow these steps to create a Hotel T
sleep-over with your friends and family, the perfect setting to binge
watch all 3 Hotel Transylvania movies, Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial: Learn how to turn yourself into your favorite HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 characters, Behind the Screams – The Voices of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: Step
behind the "screams" with the returning stars and hilarious new cast to
see how these characters are brought to life in the recording booth, Johnny’s Home Movies (Franchise Recap): Johnny brings viewers up to speed on what’s happened in the Hotel Transylvania franchise so far, “I See Love” Monster Dance Party Dance Along: Get up and get moving to this haunting monster mash, Drac’s Zing-tastic Read Along: It's storytime with your favorite characters have a silly tale about Drac's search for a Zing!, and Two Mini Movies: Puppy and Goodnight Mr. Foot.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 is a family fun movie that will make fans of the franchise laugh with joy while fans of classic horror monsters will get a kick out of the modern interpretations! There's also a message that everyone can relate to: Nothing's more important than your family! And you can Zing! more than once! If you don't get the last one, then you better get your kids to have you watch the two previous chapters of the series!! And what better way to spend the Halloween season with this monster-filled family fun film!! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 is available in a Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo and DVD + Digital from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. To purchase a copy for your family, visit your local retailer. The movie is also on VOD, iTunes and other streaming platforms.
BONG OF THE LIVING DEAD
Starring Tiffany Arnold, Eric Boso, Daniel Alan Kiely, Laura E. Mock, Dan Nye, Cat Taylor, Sarah Starr
Screenplay by Max Groah, Tim Mayo
Cinematography by Justin Russell
Edited by Max Groah
Produced by Tiffany Arnold, Max Groah, Tim Mayo, Chris R. Mayo, Cynthia Mayo, Vincent J. Restivo
Directed by Max Groah
Released by Scream Team Releasing
Welcome folks to Day 13 of my Halloween Horror Watch! As you may have noticed, I am a big fan and supporter of the indie horror film community. There is so much activity happening now, and with technology readily available, friends and strangers are coming together to create new visions and new voices for the genre we love to death. And speaking about death, today's film comes courtesy of Scream Team Releasing and is a horror comedy that will make you feel high on life! And high of zombies too! So grab your special stash, pour your favorite bowl of cereal, and plunker down on your couch as I take you all on a stoner's nightmare come true with BONG OF THE LIVING DEAD!
The film's official synopsis: Hot off the film festival circuit and
FINALLY available to enjoy from the comfort of your own couch, comes the
multiple award winning stoner/zombie masterpiece from Backward Slate
Productions...BONG OF THE LIVING DEAD!!! Its the story of five friends who share
both a love of pot and a lifelong dream to see the zombie apocalypse
become reality. But when the undead actually rise to gruesomely (and
hilariously) eat the living, the group discovers it's not all corpse killing montages and mall raids ... and that their relationships
will be pushed to the limit if they're going to survive.
The film is funny as hell but it also hits you in the feels, especially with its emotionally charged ending! Seriously, WTF Max Groah! Dude, that ending was so damn emotional! I was having a blast with the film, and then that third act to a turn for the worse, meaning it got dark real fast! I was on the edge of my seat! I did not see that ending coming! Holy crap! You got me Max!! You got me good!! sniffle...what? No, I'm not crying.....sniffle sniffle......hang on a sec.......OK I'm back. I'm good, I'm good. So where was I? Oh yeah, my review of the film.
Original Festival Poster (2017)
The movie's five main leads are incredibly talented and they make it so much fun to watch! Tiffany Arnold, Eric Boso, Daniel Alan Kiely, Laura E. Mock, Dan Nye all deserve praise for their performances, especially Kiely as Hal. His scene at the end..man.....uh oh....the feels man, the feels...hang on a sec folks...sniffle.......OK I'm back. So yeah, way to go Daniel Alan Kiely! Good work man!!
The film played at several film festivals and won numerous awards. Some of the festivals it played at include Nevermore Film Festival, Nightmares Film Festival, Twisted Dreams Film Festival, Midwest Horror, Sci-Fi & Grindhouse Film Festival, and Days of the Dead Film Festival to name a few. Then filmmaker Justin M. Seaman (writer/director of the 2016 horror film THE BARN) approached them to have it released on his distribution label Scream Team Releasing and fans of the movie are so glad he did.
Scream Team Releasing has a Blu-Ray/DVD Combo that you can choose to have unsigned or signed by the cast and crew, plus it comes with a limited edition slipcover and a signed rolled poster! So obviously, I got the autographed edition. Both discs have a plethora of special features: Audio Commentary by Backward Slate Productions, 420 Friendly Commentary, Behind the Scenes & Bloopers, Deleted Scene, Smoke Pistola Grande Informercial, Stacey Seagull Big Workout, VHS Music Video, Zombie Killer, Swords and Bitches 3, Behind the Scenes, and Trailers.
BONG OF THE LIVING DEAD is a fan festival favorite, stoner cult
classic of the year!! It's got Romero references, weed, flesh-eating zombies, weed, blood and gore, awesome special effects, weed, stoner jokes, nudity, weed and.....did I mention weed? So definitely check out this bad boy this Halloween season! And don't forget to bring your favorite baseball bat weed bat! Just in case you need to crush some zombie heads between tokes! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
BONG OF THE LIVING DEAD is available on a special collector's edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo, both signed and unsigned by the cast and crew from Scream Team Releasing. To purchase a copy for yourself, please visit their website at screamteamreleasing.com.
RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES
Starring Anthony Starke, George Clooney, Karen M. Waldron
(as Karen Mistal), John Astin, Steve Lundquist, Costa Dillon, J. Stephen Peace
Written by John De Bello, Stephen Andrich, Costa Dillon, J. Stephen Peace
Cinematography by Victor Lou, Stephen Kent Welch
Edited by John De Bello, Stephen Andrich
Produced by Lowell D. Blank, J. Stephen Peace
Directed by John De Bello
Originally released by New World Pictures
Released by Arrow Video
Welcome back to another thrilling installment of Phil's Halloween Horror Watch! After watching yesterday's mean and nasty film THE UNSEEN, I wanted to watch a more light hearted horror film. A horror comedy, maybe? Yes! So for Day Nine, I decided to watch the hilariously brilliant horror comedy that's a sequel to one of the greatest cult classics of all time! And it only took 10 years to finally getting around to making it! Go figure? Anyway, I went back to 1988 and watched my favorite entry of this legendary series entitled RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES!
The film's official synopsis: The killer tomatoes are back! But this time around, they’re going to
have to contend with late ’80s George Clooney and his wicked mullet… Is
it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? Nope, it’s RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES! Ten years on from the Great Tomato War, mankind lives in fear of
another uprising by the waxy red menace. Meanwhile, Professor Gangreen –
played with gusto by the great John Astin from TV’s The Addams Family –
sets out to pursue his own evil ends by creating a burgeoning army of
tomato militia men (who, somewhat conveniently, look just like regular
men).
This movie is a laugh riot! In the same vein as AIRPLANE and THE NAKED GUN, the film is chock full of random humor, over-the-top cheesy acting, hilarious fourth wall breaking, brilliant self awareness, and the ridiculously humorous product placement running gag!! John De Bello, Stephen Andrich, Costa Dillon, J. Stephen Peace deserve eminence praise for making such a clever and hysterically batshit crazy movie that still speaks to my inner thirteen year old! The jokes still hold up, the cinematography looks even better than ever, and it's just a silly, funny, and entertaining film!
Original Theatrical Poster (1988)
The actors are all amazing! Anthony Starke's crazy and frantic Chad Finletter plays off well with the George Clooney's straight and suave ladies man Matt Stevens. Iconic actor John Astin's performance as Professor Gangreen is what a scientific madman should look and act like! And then there's the girl of my dreams: Karen Mistal. Good lord did I have a mad crush on this woman! She starred in another cult classic called CANNIBAL WOMEN IN THE AVOCADO JUNGLE OF DEATH and appeared in a number of television shows like The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, Coach, Baywatch, and Men Behaving Badly. Her last credit was on an episode of Dragnet as the character Laura Canrinus. Now known as Karen M. Waldron, she's co-produced the TV movies At the Hands of Another, Inside the Circle, The Note and the TV series The Clinic.
The film was released to theaters by New World Pictures on April 22, 1988. The company was actually founded by the legendary Roger Corman back in 1970 and was sold in 1983. The film grossed $5 million at the boxoffice. This fan found it at his local video store and rented it repeatedly until I bought it. Anchor Bay Entertainment released the movie on DVD several times before Arrow Video gained the rights and released it in June of 2016 on a High Definition Blu-ray.
The Blu-Ray comes with some cool special features: Brand new audio commentary with writer-director John De Bello, Brand new interview with star Anthony Starke, Original Theatrical Trailer, Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin, and a Fully-illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing by critic James Oliver.
RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is a horror comedy cult classic that will tickle your funny bone till milk come out of your nose!! It's far and away superior than the original, and it has the beautiful Karen Mistal and George Clooney and his wicked mullet!! Oh, and it's freaking funny too! So grab some friends and make it a night-in as you all watch this totally hysterical and wickedly smart film!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES is available on Blu-Ray from Arrow Video. To purchase a copy for yourself, visit the Diabolik DVD website at www.diabolikdvd.com.
HOUSE SHARK
Starring Trey Harrison, Michael Merchant, Wes Reid, Wayne W. Johnson, Melissa LaMartina, Nathan Bonk, Jennie Russo
Written by Ron Bonk
Cinematography by Ron Bonk
Edited by Ron Bonk
Produced by Ron Bonk, Jonathan Straiton, Howard Gromero, Tim Ritter
Directed by Ron Bonk
Production by SRS Cinema and Duke Films
Released by SRS Cinema
Welcome to another installment of Phil's Halloween Horror Watch! For this edition, I watched the latest project from the legendary Ron Bonk. If you are not familiar with his name, you should! Bonk has been making low budget films for over twenty years, directing films like CITY OF THE VAMPIRES (1993) and THE VICIOUS SWEET (1997), MS. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (2012), and EMPIRE STATE OF THE DEAD (2016). One of the pioneers of the Shot-On-Video movement (or S.O.V. has it's affectionately called), he has also written and produced a slew of other titles for other filmmakers. He's also the brain and the brawn behind SRS Cinema, releasing a number of horror, sci-fi, cult, and SOV titles. Today, I had the pleasure of watching his latest creation known as HOUSE SHARK, and as he puts it, "It's JAWS in a house!"
The film's official synopsis: Just when you thought it was safe to go home! When Frank (Trey
Harrison) finds his happy home under attack by a dangerous but largely
unknown breed of shark, he's enlists the aid of the world's only "House
Shark" Expert, Zachary (Michael Merchant), and a grizzled former real
estate agent, Abraham (Wes Reid), to embark on a desperate quest to
destroy the beast and claim back his life.
Bonk plants his tongue firmly in cheek as the film's title alone should indicate you that your suspension of disbelief will be used. And holy shit was this film freaking awesome! He and his crew had a damn good time making this movie and it shows! Containing over-the-top acting, not-so special effects, blood and guts, and a house shark, the film delivers the goods in spades!
Film's Promotional Poster (2017)
Our three leads are terrific in their respective roles. Trey Harrison is the everyday man, who just happens to have a shark in his house that keeps eating people. He plays Frank with sheer fun and . Michael Merchant's Zachary is the scientist with a funny accent who plays off Harrison so well that I just laughed every time he said something. But for me, the Oscar goes to Wes Reid for his portrayl of the drunken insane hero Abraham, who's a cross of Ahab from MOBY DICK and Robert Shaw
's Quint from JAWS (which was perfect for this film). Together, these three actors ham it up for the camera and it's just awesome! They have such amazing on-screen chemistry that I'm surprised that they haven't been teamed up before! I hope they will be starring in another film together soon!
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the the genius of Ron Bonk. This man directed the hell out of the movie! Combining traditional framing with Grindhouse style compositions, the film feels almost like a throwback to those classic B-movies I used to watch on USA Up All Night back in the 90's. He keeps the story moving with gore, laughter, blood, and the importance of family and friendships made along the way.
Now I purchased the special two-disc limited slipcover edition Blu-Ray that was also signed by the cast and crew. In this edition, there's a plethora of special features, including three separate commentaries, bloopers, deleted scenes, Skype sessions, the film's trailers, slide show, and trailers for other SRS films. There's also a DVD that's available as well, plus shirts, shoes, pillows and other memorabilia from the film!
HOUSE SHARK is a modern day cult classic that will make you stand up and cheer!! It's a film that doesn't take itself seriously at all and knows what's its purpose is: to entertain audiences everywhere with its absurd humor and hilarious originality!! This is a future midnight movie for sure!! So make sure you watch this movie during this Halloween season!! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
HOUSE SHARK is available in a special collector's edition Blu-Ray and DVD. To purchase a copy for yourself and other memorabilia, please visit their website at srscinemastore.com.
DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III
Starring Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Erik Sandoval, Chelsea St. John, Skyler Rousselet, Greg Sestero
Written by Various Screenwriters
Cinematography by Jon Salmon
Edited by Brian Firenzi
Produced by Various Producers
Directed by Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon
Production by 5 Second Films
Released by Scream Team Releasing
Hello friends and welcome to another year of Phil's Halloween Horror Watch!! Throughout the month of October, I watch an ungodly amount of horror films and write a review for each one! For today, I watched a bona fide cult classic that has plenty of gore, blood, and laughter to go around! So strap in folks as I talk about the bloody hilarious and grotesquely charming indie cult hit DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE PARTY III!
The film's official synopsis: A satirical twist on the gory and sexually charged 1980’s slasher
genre, DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE PARTY III is presented as the only surviving
VHS copy of the reviled horror franchise’s third, and final,
installment. In the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico’s frat row,
loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to
investigate his twin brother's murder at the hands of the serial killer
known as Motherface. As they are picked off one by one, Brent and his fellow Dude Bros
must face the terrifying reality that their deadly foe, believed to have
been killed (twice!), has returned from the grave (again!), and is
hell-bent on the destruction of the Delta Bis.
Original Promotional Poster (2015)
This was such a brilliant satire and a loving homage to the classic 1980's slasher films! By having it looked like it was recorded off a TV onto an old VHS tape, the fate of this long lost horror classic still continues to scare up laughs with modern audiences. And containing a cool 80's sounding soundtrack, the role reversal of having the woman wanting to take a man's virginity, cheesy acting, and a copious amount of blood, the movie was just so much fun to watch!
According to their website, film company 5-Second Films is "a vertically-branded viral humor depository, delivering original
commercially-minded content to shareholders and upwardly mobile males,
females and space chickens ages 18-35 (with disposable income) since
October 30th, 2008." All their films are exactly five seconds long, so it's not just a marketing ploy folks! The inspiration for the film was based on a short fake trailer with the same name. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign in 2013, the gang went straight into making their short into a feature length reality once they reached their goal.
Hats off to directors Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon for crafting a slasher movie that would fit into the lexicon of 80's horror films. Their compositions and set-ups are lifted right from that era, and they cram so much fun and gore into each frame! It truly does look like it was recorded on an old VHS tape, and includes some hysterical commercials. These gentlemen have certainly done their homework, and thus, should be applauded for their hard work!
Big news came earlier this year when it was announced that the film would be available to view on the horror streaming service Shudder, which was when I first saw the film. But then, Scream Team Releasing (founded by indiefilmmaker
Justin M. Seaman, the writer/director of the 2016 cult hit THE BARN) announced that they were releasing the movie on a special collector's edition Blu-Ray! The special features on the disc includes a Director's Commentary, Gag Reel, Deleted Scenes, Trailer, English, Spanish & French Subtitles, and the making-of documentary "Livers of Darkness"
DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III is an over-the-top modern day cult classic that horror fans will get a kick out of!! It's easily this year's "Best Bro Horror Flick!" So for all you bros out there, grab your best bro, pick up a couple of kegs, kick back on the couch and check out your fellow bros up on the TV screen! Just make sure that you leave a space for Motherface!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III is available on a special collector's edition Blu-Ray. To purchase a copy for yourself, please visit their website at screamteamreleasing.com. To learn more about 5-Second Films and to watch their films, visit their website at 5secondfilms.com.
Greetings from San Francisco! I'm back up here in the City by the Bay to partake in another great silent film event, presented by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. This incredible event was called GREATEST HITS BY CLUB FOOT ORCHESTRA! According to their Facebook biography: The Club Foot Orchestra is a music ensemble founded in 1983 by Richard
Marriott. After a brief career playing dramatic, complex music in San
Francisco clubs, they became known for
their equally dramatic and complex scores for classic silent movies. The
ensemble got their name from a performance art nightclub called the
"Club Foot" which flourished in the Bayview district of San Francisco.
Marriott, who lived upstairs, formed a house band that came to be called
the "Club Foot Orchestra". As you probably guessed, I was super pumped for this event!! Never before have I ever heard of one band doing an entire silent film event. As you read from previous posts from my silent film trips, there's usually multiple musicians or orchestras providing musical accompaniments, but this would be the first time I've ever heard of just one orchestra doing the whole thing! As I arrived to the Castro Theatre, I made my way to the front row to take in all this excitement! At one o'clock, the lights dimmed and the show began!
The afternoon started with the silent comedies. First was a Felix the Cat cartoon entitled FELIX WOOS WHOOPEE (1928). In this animation short,Felix is up all night at the Whoopee Club, having a hell of a time,
overindulging himself with drink, and dancing about with another
inebriated friend. Meanwhile, at home, his angry wife Kitty is pacing up
and down in front of the clock, which reads 3 a.m. Finally leaving the
nightclub, Felix drunkenly tries to make his way home without Kitty
finding out. He encounters scary apparitions- weird monsters and other
vivid figments of his imagination- on his way home. Finally, Felix
sneaks home and into bed, but he continues to fight his monsters, only
to find that he is fighting his pillow in the midst of a nightmare. This was a trippy cartoon, way ahead of the norm of seeing the usual pink elephants. After that, it was time for some classic Buster Keaton shorts!
Buster Keaton & Sybil Seely in ONE WEEK (1920)
The first short screened was ONE WEEK (1920): Buster and Sybil
Seely play newlyweds that attempts to build a do-it-yourself house kit.
However her jealous ex sabotages the kit's component numbering, thus
the house is less than perfect when completed! Next up was THE BLACKSMITH (1922): Buster clowns around in a blacksmith's shop until he and the
smithy get in a fight which sends the smithy to jail. Buster helps
several customers with horses, then destroys a Rolls Royce while fixing
the car parked next to it. The last short shown was one of my favorites! COPS(1922) is a funny,
funny, funny film! In a series of mishaps that plague our poor Buster,
it all ends with him being chased by every single policemen in town! And
I mean EVERY policemen!! It also boasts appearances by Joe
Roberts, Virginia Fox, and Edward F. Cline as a hobo. The film was
written and directed by Keaton as well as Cline. It was produced by
Joseph M. Schenck Productions and released by First National in March of
1922.
Conrad Veidt & Lil Dagover in THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920)
The second film of the day was one I've seen many times, but still enjoy. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI(1920)
is a prime example of German Expressionism at its finest. The film
tells the story of a mad doctor who trains a sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt)
to kill people in order to study the effects of somnambulism. To this
day the film, and its ending, still gives me the shivers.
With its distorted sets, bizarre lighting and shadows painted on
canvases, and deformed spaces, the film achieves its nightmarish imagery
right from the start and doesn't let you go till it twisted ending.
Director Robert Wiene
forever changed the face of German cinema as well as cinema itself. Many
Universal horror filmmakers have cited the German Expressionism films
as their inspiration for DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, and many others.The
film was originally released by Decla-Bioscop in Germany on February
26, 1920. It was imported here in the states by Goldwyn Distributing
Company on March 19, 1921. The film is available on a special edition Blu-Ray and DVD from Kino Lorber.
Brigitte Helm in METROPOLIS (1927)
Up next was a film that I had the pleasure of watching here at the Castro Theatre several years ago during the SFSFF 2010, one whole year before I started this blog. METROPOLIS (1927): In the future, the society of Metropolis is divided in two social
classes: the workers, who live in the underground below the machines
level, and the dominant classes that lives in the surface. The workers
are controlled by their leader Maria, who wants to find a mediator
between the upper class lords and the workers, since she believes that a
heart would be necessary between brains and muscles. Maria meets Freder
Fredersen, the son of the Lord of Metropolis Johhan Fredersen, in a
meeting of the workers, and they fall in love for each other. Meanwhile,
Johhan decides that the workers are no longer necessary for Metropolis,
and uses a robot pretending to be Maria to promote a revolution of the
working class and eliminate them.
Again, seeing it back in 2010 was extraordinary! The stunning resurrection of Fritz Lang’s futuristic filmto
its epic original cut, a version believed forever lost, began in a
modest Buenos Aires cinema museum in the spring of 2008, when a rusted
film can turned out to contain a 16mm negative of the entire 150-minute
silent film. Spliced together with the 35mm nitrate film, it's now the most complete version of the film ever! It was released on a special edition Blu-Ray and DVD from Kino Lorber.
Ma Shreck in NOSFERATU (1922)
After a quick dinner break, I was back in the front row, awaiting the final movie of the day! NOSFERATU (1922): The
story of the film goes as follows: a real estate agent named Knock
sends his assistant Hutter to Transylvania to have some paperwork signed
by his new client Count Orlok, who just happened to purchase the old,
deserted house right across the street from Hutter. However his innocent
wife Ellen senses danger on his journey, and she is correct. From the
moment he arrives at the Count's castle, strange occurrences unfold, and
when Orlock leaves for his new home, the shroud of death follows him
across the sea and to his final destination; Wisbourg, Germany. It is
here where the lovely Ellen realizes that only she can put an end the
Count's reign of terror. With
his rodent-like face, long spider fingers, and soul piercing eyes that
will make your skin crawl, Max Shreck's performance as Court Orlock has
become an icon in not just silent horror films, but for the horror genre
in general. Few can come close to achieve his personification of dread
and evil, a creature devoid of humanity and pathos. While the vampire
itself has evolved, thanks to actors such as Bela Lugosi, Christopher
Lee, Gary Oldman, Klaus Kinski (who stared in the 1979 remake), and
Willem Dafoe (who portrays Max Schreck in the 2001 film SHADOWS OF THE
VAMPIRE), none have come close to capture the feel of death and darkness
as Schreck achieved back in 1922. The film was released on a special edition Blu-Ray and DVD from Kino Lorber. And that my friends is a wrap! What a great time I had!! And major props to the Club Foot Orchestra for doing an amazing job providing music for all the films!! I can't wait to come back here to the Castor Theatre for the SFSFF's A DAY OF SILENTS, which will take place on Saturday, December 1st! Also, mark your calendar for the SFSFF 2019 on May 1st through the 5th!! Now if you'd like to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival,
and how to become a member, visit their website at www.silentfilm.org.
In the 1980's there was one studio that dared to be different, bold, and daring by releasing some of the most bizarre, inept, batshit crazy, out-of-this-world films of all time: Cannon Films. During this decade, they released WTF films like THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN, OVER THE TOP, NINJA III: THE DOMINATION, MISSING IN ACTION 1&2, DEATH WISH2-5, BREAKIN', MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, DELTA FORCE, and CYBORG just to name a few. Though no longer with us, those of us who came of age in this time period have a soft spot for Cannon Films. All of this nostalgia leads me to my Netflix Pick of the Week for the awesome documentary ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS and why you should watch it!
Official Theatrical Poster (2014)
The film's official synopsis: A documentary about Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus - two movie-obsessed
cousins whose passion for cinema changed the way movies were made and
marketed - and the tale of how this passion ultimately led to the demise
of the company they built together.
I found myself relating to Menahem and Yoram because I'm just like them: I love movies. They transport us to different places, different times, telling us stories that we lived and ones that we haven't lived, etc. From the silent films to modern blockbusters, films have the power to take us on fantastic, magical rides. Menahem and Yoram did just this, only taking us more on a low budget ride on coach.
Writer/director Mark Hartley is no stranger to this subject of filmmaking, having made the incredibly awesome 2008 documentary NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF OZPLOITATION! and the phenomenal 2010 documentary MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED! Here, Hartley does the same thing: providing the audience with some of the most outrageous stories about Cannon Films from those who were there like actresses Sybil Danning, Martine Beswick, Catherine Mary Stewart, Lucinda Dickey and Bo Derek, actors like Elliott Gould, Alex Winter, Michael Chambers, Michael Dudikoff and Richard Chamberlain. Also contributing to the documentary are industry veterans like Michael Hartman, John G. Avildsen, Mark Rosenthal, Tobe Hooper, Greydon Clark, and Charles Matthau just to name a few.
As a young kid and teenager coming up in the 1980's, I was there at my local theaters watching first hand these insane films that were being churned out by Cannon Films. I remember seeing BREAKIN', MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, OVER THE TOP, MISSING IN ACTION and SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE. They weren't all that great, but they were somewhat entertaining and I found myself just wondering how the hell these were even made to begin with! Well, now I know, thanks in large part to the documentary.
What I took away from this documentary was the passion that Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus had for films. They lived and breathed movies twenty-four hours and day, seven days a week. It's a shame that they split up and stopped talking to one another, and then Menahem was diagnosed with cancer. Lovingly known as the "Go-Go Boys", when Mark Hartley asked them to be part of this project, they declined, and instead, made their own documentary entitled THE GO-GO BOYS: THE INSIDE STORY OF CANNON FILMS. It was released four months before Hartley's film. Sadly, Menahem Golan passed away on
Tel Aviv, Israel at the age of 84.
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS is a loving tribute to both Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and the legendary Cannon Films!! If you're a die hard fan of 80's cinema and you went and saw these films in the theaters, then you'll have a fun-filled traveling down Memory Lane as you are transported to that decade of decadence. And if you missed out on all the fun, then watch this film and then go seek out those cinematic gems that have become cult classics! This is one of my favorite documentaries discoveries of this year on Netflix and you should definitely check it out!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS is now streaming exclusively on Netflix. To start your subscription, visit their website at www.netflix.com.
