Phil's Cult Classics: GLEN OR GLENDA (1953) from Image Entertainment - December 1, 2019

GLEN OR GLENDA DVD Cover

GLEN OR GLENDA (1953)

Starring Edward D. Wood Jr. (as Daniel Davis), Bela Lugosi, Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Conrad Brooks, Charlie Crafts, 'Tommy' Haynes
Written by Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cinematography by William C. Thompson
Edited by 'Bud' Schelling
Produced by George Weiss
Directed by Edward D. Wood Jr.
Originally released by Screen Classics
Re-released by Image Entertainment

A plethora of adjectives flood my mind when someone mentions the name Edward D. Wood Jr. They includes words like filmmaker, actor, alcoholic, pornographer, and a transvestite with a severe fetish for angora. Wood was all these things and so much more. He was a complex individual, who longed to become a filmmaker like his idol, the great Orson Wells. That did not happen, in fact, the complete opposite transpired. Two years after his death in 1978, film critics Michael and Harry Medved (known as the Medved Brothers) published their book "The Golden Turkey Awards" announced that Ed Wood was voted the "Worst Director of All time" while his 1958 sci-fi film PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE won the "Worst Film of All Time" award. This garnered world wide attention to Wood, and soon after, he garnered a legion of new fans, his movies being played all over the world, VHS and DVD copies of his films selling like wildfire, and Wood himself being championed as a bona fide auteur. This is evident in his feature film debut GLEN OR GLENDA, which has gone on to become not only a cult classic, but an important documentation of transvestism, and a beloved film within the LGBTQ community.

The film's official synopsis: This is it! The true story of a man who lusted after women so much that he wanted to dress like them. The first film based on the strange tastes of legendary filmmaker Ed Wood and a sordid plea for acceptance in the world of bondage and the sexually confused, decades before THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and TV's Ellen. Starring famous shock star Bela Lugosi as the "Puppet Master" an Wood himself in the role of Glen/Gelnda. It also markes the screen debut of Wood's main squeeze at the time, Dorlores Fuller, who went on to become one of Elvis's star songwriters. An important film document, years before its time.

Original Theatrical Poster (1953)

Loosely inspired by the sex reassignment surgery of Christine Jorgensen in 1952, exploitation producer George Weiss was hoping to cash in on this hot story that was sweeping the headlines across the country. Wood convinced Weiss that he would be the perfect person to direct the film. However, he would make the ultimate film about self-expression, making a film about the understanding of transvestism (with about five minutes at the end talking about sex change). He would cast the great Bela Lugosi to appear in the film, portraying "The Scientist", or the "Puppet Master", or in actuality "God." By this time, Lugosi had been out of the spotlight and was a drug addict, but was hoping for a comeback. Wood cast himself in the lead role of Glen and Glenda under the handle Daniel Davis (Davis was his middle name), and cast his then girlfriend at the time Dolores Fuller as Glen's girlfriend/fiancée Barbara. He would also cast his friends Lyle Talbot (TV's Ozzy and Harriet) and Conrad Brooks (PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE).

Shot in four days, Wood would break every conventional rule there was in filmmaking. He would often shoot scenes in one take, his dialogue sounded inept, he would shoot exterior scenes with no permits, spliced in stock footage to make his films look bigger, and continuity was pretty much tossed out the window. In fact, the stories of Wood often directing in drag in later films can be attributed to this film, having to direct several scenes while dressed as Glenda. But yet, he made his films to his unique and quarky vision, and he bared his soul in this film without question.

The movie received a limited released by Screen Classics in April 1953, under the main title, as well as under different titles like I Led Two Lives, He or She? and I Changed My Sex . The film bombed, but when Wood received the Golden Turkey awards, he became a hot Hollywood property. This led major motion picture studio Paramount Pictures to re-release the film to theaters in 1981. In 1983, Kansas City native Wade Williams acquired the rights to Ed Wood's films, along with several other intellectual properties, ranging from movies to television shows. He would team up with Rhino Home Video to release these films on VHS, with Image Entertainment re-releasing them on DVD.

GLEN OR GLENDA remains a true cult classic, inspiring transvestites and queer kids to dress in drag for decades to come! It also put Ed Wood on the map as a filmmaker, leading him to create some of the most off-the-wall, mondo bizzaro, cult classics that has ever graced the silver screen! The fact that we're still talking about him 41 years after his passing is testimony on how this strange and beloved human being has touched and enriched our lived for the better! And this film is a perfect example of his love of motion pictures, and it's importance to the world of cinema is unapologetic! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

GLEN OR GLENDA is currently available on DVD from Image Entertainment. To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or visit the Amazon website at www.amazon.com. Also, check out the Wade Williams Collection of films at www.wadewilliamscollection.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil’s Exploitation Cinema: PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE (1938) from Something Weird Video - April 20, 2019

PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE DVD-R Cover

PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE (aka Main Street Girl) (1938)

Starring Jean Carmen, Ted Adams, George Eldredge, Milburn Stone, Walter Anthony, Ole Olsen, Gwen Lee
Written by George Plympton
Cinematography by Edward Linden
Edited by Carl Pierson
Produced by J.D. Kendis
Directed by Elmer Clifton
Originally distributed by Syndicate Pictures
Re-released by Something Weird Video

Exploitation films hold a special place in my heart. The social norms of yesterday and what they thought was acceptable and what wasn’t tickles my funny bone. They were made fast and cheap, providing the sizzle to lure suckers into the theaters in hopes of seeing something naughty, racy, titilazing, or perhaps all three. Truth be told, some are good, some are bad, and some are just inept (more of those types of films later). Today’s trip down exploitation’s cinematic past come to us courtesy of Something Weird Video, The home of all things exploitation. Released in 1938, the film PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE is a perfect example of the “its so bad it’s good” motto but provides audiences something amusing to watch and enjoy!

The film’s official synopsis: D.A. Milburn Stone is angry that the corrupt local parole board is recklessly releasing habitual criminals – like hitman Gunner Garson who callously mows down three people standing in front of a donut shop. Or conman “Slicker” Nixon who’s “the most dangerous of all because he has more brains than the average.” In fact, Slicker quickly reorganizes Gunner, pyromaniac Torchy, and other thugs into “a protective association” whose first attempt at strong-arming a local merchant ends with the man being shot dead. The merchant’s daughter, Pat Mallory (Jean Carmen), witnesses the murder and vows to get even. As Slicker’s fortunes rise, Pat sneaks into his home with a gun, almost gets caught, but is saved by rival racketeer “Red” Herron (George Eldredge of CAPTAIN VIDEO). She then goes to Slicker’s fancy new nightclub and is again saved by Red during a shootout. Taking a different approach, Pat next becomes a bathing-suit model in Slicker’s organization, but ends up being locked in a room with a sex maniac.

Back in the old days, exploitation films were either distributed to theaters or sold to specific territories. Hence, sometimes films were re-titled for different reasons. One of these reasons was if the distributor wanted to make more money off the film, they would re-title it and send it back out again. Another reason was if the theater wasn't making money from it, theaters would slap on a new, more profitable sounding title. It wasn't uncommon for audience members to see the same film twice.

Original Movie Poster w/Alternative Title (1938)

Kendis was part of a group of independent exploitation producers and distributor known throughout the film industry as The Forty Thieves. These individuals turned their back on the newly created Production Code of Censorship (better known as the Hays Code) and made films "exploiting" every single rule that the Production Code forbid. Depictions of nudity, sex, violence, vice, drinking, drugs, abortions, and homosexuality were displayed proudly and repeatedly. While Hollywood was struggling to make a profit, these exploitation pioneers were profiting and prospering, and this was during the Great Depression and before the United States entered World War II.

Kendis produced several classic exploitation films, including GUILTY PARENTS (1934), GAMBLING WITH SOULS (1936), SECRETS OF A MODEL (1940), and ESCORT GIRL (1941) just for starters (and all of these films are available from Something Weird Video). Kendis died in Los Angeles on August 2, 1957 at the age of 70. Director Elmer Clifton worked with D.W. Griffith in a number of projects between 1913 and 1922, and even acted in his films THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) and INTOLERANCE (1916). His feature film debut was DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS with Clara Bow in 1917. By the late 1920's his career was in decline, and found himself making movies for Poverty Row companies and lower-budget exploitation pictures, where he met Kendis. Clifton died on October 15, 1949 at 59 years old. Lead actress Jean Carmen appeared in several westerns, such as ARIZONA GUNFIGHTER (1937), THE PAINTED STALLION (1937) and BORN TO BATTLE (1935) before retiring to start her family. Carmen passed away on  August 26, 1993. She was 90 years old.

Something Weird Video was founded in 1990 by Mike Vraney, a former concert promoter who worked at several theaters during his teenage years. Named after the Herschell Gordon Lewis film, his Seattle based company would specialize in, "in releasing a rich array of low-grade trashy out-of-the-mainstream independent fare on both VHS and DVD alike that runs the gamut from horror features to softcore flicks to vintage classroom scare items to TV commercials to hardcore X-rated smut to theatrical trailers to collections of nudie loops and burlesque clips." He would go on to release the film libraries of some of the greatest exploitation filmmakers of all time, including Lewis, David F. Friedman, Harry H. Novak, Joseph W. Sarno, Doris Wishman, William Grefé, Bethel Buckalew and Barry Mahon. Unfortunately, Vraney died from lung cancer on January 2, 2014. He was only 56 years old. His wife Lisa Petrucci now runs the company and continues the legacy of her late, beloved husband.  

PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE is one of most goofiest, cheesiest, and hilariously bad exploitation films of all time! It's an absurdly weird and wonderfully awful movie! The fact that it still exists for all of us to watch in the 21st century is amazing, and it's all because of the wonderful people at Something Weird Video! It doesn't get any better than this, folks!! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

PAROLED FROM THE BIG HOUSE is available on DVD-R from Something Weird Video. To purchase a copy for yourself, please visit their website at www.somethingweird.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!  

Phil's Exploitation Cinema: THE WAGES OF SIN (1938) from Something Weird Video - February 14, 2019

THE WAGES OF SIN DVD Cover

THE WAGES OF SIN (1938)

Starring Constance Worth, Willy Castello, Blanche Mehaffey, Clara Kimball Young, Carleton Young, Paula Bromleigh
Cinematography by Harvey Gould
Edited by Robert Jahns
Produced by Willis Kent
Directed by Herman E. Webber
Originally released by Willis Kent Productions (as Real Life Dramas)
Released by Something Weird Video

Welcome everybody to a brand new installment series entitled Phil's Exploitation Cinema! In case you don't know the term, an exploitation film, "is a film that attempts to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content; are generally low-quality B-movies." Since the dawn of cinema, exploitation films have been part of the movie-going experience. Case in point, imagine if you will: The year is 1939. The two biggest films of the year GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ are battling it out at their respective theater chains. But down the street, around the corner, and down an ally way there's an independently owned movie theater where they're showing a different kind of motion picture. One that offers something different, more adult, and more scandalous. The film in question is the exploitation classic THE WAGES OF SIN.

The film's official synopsis: The sole support of her worthless family, Marjorie Benton (Worth) works during the day in a sweat shop. But when Florence (Mehaffey), a co-worker, asks her to go on a blind date, Marjorie’s taken to a roadhouse where she gets her first taste of booze and drugs. Marjorie promptly gets shitfaced and attracts the attention of slimy Tony (Castello). With big plans for her future, Tony arranges to have Marjorie fired from her job, then asks her to move in with him, promising to marry her in the morning. Three months later, they’re still not married when Tony decides to pimp her out. By the time another three months pass, Marjorie’s a hard boiled hooker turning tricks at a local hotel under the “professional name” of Judy. Starting to “look seedy,” Tony finally ships her off to Fat Pearl’s whorehouse. All of which ends with Marjorie on trial for murder and a contest for the audience: “What will the verdict be? $1,000 in cash prizes will be given for the best answers. Mail your opinion in not over 300 words to Real Life Dramas, 4376 Sunset Drive, Hollywood, CA...”

Original Theatrical Poster (1938)

Australian born actress Constance Worth was originally brought over by RKO, but then was dropped her after her first two American features films (1937's CHINA PASSAGE being one of them)  failed at the boxoffice. She worked for about three years at Columbia while also appearing in poverty row films and B-westerns like BORROWED HERO (1941), CITY WITHOUT MEN (1943), and WHY GIRLS LEAVE HOME (1945). She even has an uncredited role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1941 film SUSPICION. Willy Castello was notorious for playing the "heavy" in many B-movies! Look for him playing almost the same character in other Willis Kent films like SMASHING THE VISE TRUST (1937), RACE SUICIDE (1938), and MAD YOUTH (1939). Actress Blanche Mehaffey started off as a dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies before appearing in Hollywood comedies, westerns and dramas. She starred opposite Charley Chase and Glenn Tryon in several short comedies for the Hal Roach Film Company from 1923 to 1929, before leaving to go study voice and languages for more than a year in New York City. She made her return in 1931 film THE SUNSET TRAIL starring opposite Bob Steele. She went on to appear in other B-movies and westerns like RIDER OF THE NORTH (1931), BORDER GUNS (1934), and THE SILENT CODE (1935). She would retire from the movie business after the completion of this movie. 

Producer Willis Kent is one of the most famous producers out of what was dubbed "The Forty Thieves," a group of directors and producers that operated outside the Hollywood Production Code during this time of cinema. Kent started off producing cheap, low budget B-movie westerns before churning out some of the most infamous exploitation films, such as THE PACE THAT KILLS, COCAINE FIENDS, and MAD YOUTH (all available from Something Weird Video), as well as SMASHING THE VISE TRUST, RACE SUICIDE, and his infamous film CONFESSIONS OF A VICE BARON. The reason why this was one of his infamous films was that it was mostly made up of scenes from earlier exploitation films with new footage of actor Willy Castello as a prisoner about to be executed who dictates the the story of his life of crime added on to the front and end of it! Overall, Kent produced 43 films from  1929 till 1958. He passed away in Los Angeles on March 11, 1966 at the age of 87.

Something Weird Video was founded in 1990 by Mike Vraney, a former concert promoter who worked at several theaters during his teenage years. Named after the Herschell Gordon Lewis film, his Seattle based company would specialize in, "in releasing a rich array of low-grade trashy out-of-the-mainstream independent fare on both VHS and DVD alike that runs the gamut from horror features to softcore flicks to vintage classroom scare items to TV commercials to hardcore X-rated smut to theatrical trailers to collections of nudie loops and burlesque clips." He would go on to release the film libraries of some of the greatest exploitation filmmakers of all time, including Lewis, David F. Friedman, Harry H. Novak, Joseph W. Sarno, Doris Wishman, William Grefé, Bethel Buckalew and Barry Mahon. Unfortunately, Vraney died from lung cancer on January 2, 2014. He was only 56 years old. His wife Lisa Petrucci now runs the company and continues the legacy of her late, beloved husband.

THE WAGES OF SIN is one of most famous, funny, cheesy, and ludicrous exploitation films of all time! It's a highly entertaining, wonderfully absurd and bonkers movie that diehard exploitation fans will love and new viewers will get an education on the dangers of drugs, vice, and sex!! If you have never seen an exploitation movie before, this is the perfect place to start!! It doesn't get any better than this!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE WAGES OF SIN is available on DVD-R from Something Weird Video. To purchase a copy for yourself, please visit their website at www.somethingweird.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil's Horror Watch: THE SAND (2015) from Monarch Home Video - February 12, 2018

I have a soft spot in my heart for cheesy, low-budget and hilariously bad horror flicks. Now, they don't start out that way, but somehow they end up like that. A lot of hard work goes into making a horror movie, and those involved should be shown respect for their contributions to the genre. But as I stated, the movie still ends up cheesy. And they are fun to watch! Case in point, look no further than the film THE SAND, which I saw not that long ago.

Original Promotional Poster (2015)

The film's official synopsis: After an all-night graduation beach party, a group of hung-over twenty-somethings awake to a beating sun, and a seemingly carnivorous beach that devours anything with a heartbeat that touches the sand.

The movie looks and feels like a typical SyFy flick, filled with bad acting, traditional stereotypes, cheesy looking CGI, and tasteless nudity. So this movie was right up my alley. But to my surprise, the film was part of the FrightFest Presents banner and it was shown on Showtime Extreme under the title BLOOD SAND, which is why it took me a little bit to track it down.

Writers  Alex Greenfield and  Ben Powell give us a plot that can be described as sheer goofiness on a scale of 9. They take the premise of killer sand and take it to a whole other level. It's sheer lunacy and has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek. But because the idea is so silly, it makes the film fun. I was waiting to see who would be the next victim and see them get "eaten" by the sand. I found myself laughing a lot, but then that's what the film's goal was: to entertain me! Sometimes we, as horror fans, forget to laugh and just need to remember that not all horror films are created equally. At times, I just want to switch off my brain for a bit and just enjoy a movie that's really dumb and funny! Kudos to Greenfield and Powell for accomplishing this in spades!

THE SAND DVD Cover (2015)

The cast is young, dumb, and look sexy as hell while being eaten alive! My personal faves include lead actress Brooke Butler as Kaylee, who's seems to be the only person with a brain that tries to keep her hungover friends alive while looking gorgeous. Genre fans will recognize her as Tracy Bingham from the 2013 film ALL CHEERLEADER DIE. Nikki Leigh's Marsha is the first victim of the sand and is killed topless. Yup, that was a hot looking death. Fans will remember her as Sheila from Charles Band's film UNLUCKY CHARMS from Full Moon Features. Cleo Berry plays Gilbert, who's stuck inside a trash can for most of the movie. He was the token black gut who gets killed but he was damn funny. We also get a special appearance from the one and only Jamie Kennedy as Beach Patrol Alex. Boy, I wonder how much the filmmakers paid to have him appear in this film? But, it was nice seeing him die.

Director Isaac Gabaeff does a fairly good job of setting up fear and chills with this, his second feature film. He's mostly known for working in the art department for TV shows like Queer Eye, Boardwalk Empire, The Following, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mr. Robot, and Gotham. His style is a combination and shaky hand held and stedi-cam. It works for what the film, which is a nod to those old 1950's B-movies from AIP and Roger Corman.

Now I don't know if this was intentional or not, but the premise of the film is very similar to the 1980 film BLOOD BEACH. In that movie, something is attacking people one by one on the beach and mutating some but most of them are sucked into the sand. Yeah, I thought it sounded familiar too. So maybe this film is a remake of that?

THE SAND is a stupid, funny, cheesy, Grade-B horror movie that will satisfy that SyFy original movie heart of yours! If your a fan of SHARKNADO, CAMEL SPIDERS, and DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR, then you're gonna love this movie! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!

THE SAND is currently available on DVD at your local retailer. The film is also available on Amazon Prime, iTunes and VOD.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the horror!

Phil's Horror Watch: HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II (1987) from MGM Home Entertainment - November 24, 2017

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II DVD

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II
Starring Lisa Schrage, Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Louis Ferreira, Terri Hawkes, Brock Simpson, Richard Monette
Written by Ron Oliver
Cinematography by John Herzog
Edited by Nick Rotundo
Produced by Peter Simpson, Ray Sager, Ilana Frank, Peter Haley
Directed by Bruce Pittman
Originally distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Released by MGM Home Entertainment

Throughout the 1980’s, horror fans were treated to an endless supply of films being released to theaters. The majority of these were sequels to popular franchises: FRIDAY THE 13^TH, HALLOWEEN, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, EVIL DEAD and A NIGHTMAE OF ELM STREET for example. Then in 1987, a sequel to the 1981 slasher film PROM NIGHT was released, but failed to capture both the audiences’ attention and box office profits. Now, exactly 30 years later, fans have finally caught up to the brilliance of HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II.

The film's official synopsis: In 1957, jealous boyfriend Bill Nordham kills Hamilton High’s Prom Queen Mary Lou Maloney (Lisa Schrage). Thirty years later, Nordham (Michael Ironside) is now the principal of Hamilton High and his son Craig (Justin Louis) is attending the prom with his lovely girlfriend Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon). But when she finds and opens an old trunk in the school’s basement, the spirit of Mary Lou processes her. Now Nordham must confront his old love before she murders everyone he cares about.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that the film was never to be intended to be a sequel at all. Directed by Bruce Pittman and written by Ron Oliver, it was originally titled THE HAUNTING OF HAMILTON HIGH. Oliver’s script was heavily filled with nods to other horror films such as CARRIE, THE EXORCIST and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. Another interesting nod that he did was to have almost every characters’ last name pay homage to famous horror and cult directors; such has Wes Craven, Frank Henenlotter, John Carpenter, John Waters, Stephen King, George Romero, Todd Browing and Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Original Theatrical Poster (1987)

The movie was shot on location at Archbishop O’Leary High School in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. After filming wrapped, executive producer Peter Simpson – who produced the original PROM NIGHT – didn’t think the film worked and hired Oliver to rewrite and reshoot several of the film’s sequences in one week. These would be the rocking horse scene, the chalkboard whirlwind and the climax of the locker room death scene.

Once production was completed, the Samuel-Goldwyn Company, who purchased the film’s distribution rights, decided to change the title to HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II to cash in on the success of the first PROM NIGHT. It was a sheer coincidence that the name of the high school was the same from the original.

The film was released to theaters on November 13, 1987. It grossed $2.6 million at the box office against its $1.5-$2 million budget. The film performed poorly and horror fans didn’t flock to the theaters to see it. It did garner a positive review from L.A. TIMES film critic Kevin Thomas when he called it “THE BLUE VELVET of high school horror movies.” In a 2002 interview with the website The Terror Trap, Peter Simpson stated that, “But [Samuel Goldwyn] never had the courage of his convictions and it was released in a capricious and silly fashion. He wanted to build on PROM NIGHT so we changed the title, which I think hurt the movie.” Though the movie bombed at the box office, it eventually made a killing when it was released on home video. It’s here that the film finally found its audience and became a bona fide cult classic.

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II is an often, overlooked 80’s horror gem! With its amalgam of slasher killings, supernatural scares, radical 80’s soundtrack and its social commentary on topics revolving teen sex, pregnancy and suicide, the movie demands a closer examination. So invite a bunch of your friends, make some popcorn and go watch this horror classic! Just make sure you save a seat for Mary Lou! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II is currently available on DVD at your local retailer. The film is also available several streaming platforms, such as Amazon Prime, Netflex and Shudder with paid subscriptions.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Goes Bollywood: COCKTAIL (2012) from Eros International - Novemebr 11, 2017

Ever since seeing the anniversary screening of DEVDAS a couple of months back, I have been itching to return to that magical and wonderful land called Bollywood! Eros International is one of my favorite distributors and back in 2012 they released a film that I've been wanting to see. So after all these months, I once again traveled back to India (as well as London) to watch the romantic comedy COCKTAIL.

Original Theatrical Poster (2012)

The film's official synopsis: Three friends Meera (Diana Penty), Veronica (Deepika Padukone) and Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) move into an apartment together. All is well until love enters their lives & adds more complications than they can handle. Set against the vibrant and luscious backdrop of London and Capetown, this is a comical, new-age and warm celebration of relationships exploring various choices that life may offer and the extra-ordinary choices that ordinary people make.

What I enjoyed about the film is that it takes place in the modern world, in this case London. Instead of having the film be a period piece like most Bollywood movies, it gives the audience that sense of reality, knowing it takes place in the here and now, so to speak. The other aspect is that the characters are all relatable; we can identify with them and their personalities and eccentricities. We have a friend who they remind us of, or we see us in them. This breaks down the language barrier, giving audiences that ability to become emotionally invested in these characters. Love and friendship transcends language, and thus, becomes the universal language for the whole human race.

Khan's portrayal of Gautam is something most men can relate to: a cocky, self-absorbed playboy who sees women as a conquest. Of course, we were all like that at his age. I for one used to pick up on women all the time during my 20's and early 30's. It's something we all go through, but in time, we find love when we least are expecting it. Padukone's character Veronica is the all-night party girl we all know and maybe even dated. But there comes that time when the bright lights start to fade and you are wondering is there anything more than this? Penty's Meera represents those people who have everything planned out, but come to the conclusion that life doesn't always go as planned. Together, these three cinematic individuals represent us in our youths, those who are in their youth and the discovery of what life offers us. All three of these talented actors did a phenomenal job and their on-screen chemistry is second to none!!

Director Homi Adajania (FINDING FANNY, BEING CYRUS) as well as screenwriters Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali did a fabulous job of crafting a movie that has a lot of heart, laughter and hurt. Adajania's directing really captures the emotional context of the script while showcasing both London and Capetown as characters in the film as well. Not a lot of directors try to display their surroundings as characters, which is really a shame. We see London in all it's eclectic beauty: the flashy lights of the nightclubs, the rainy skylines and the clash of its modern building and historical landmarks. Capetown is a tropical heaven on Earth. His set-ups and composition's are simple yet elegant and suits the film's themes perfectly.

Produced by Illuminati Films and released by Eros International on July 13, 2012, the film received positive reviews by several media outlets. The film was nominated for several awards from various awards shows and won five, including the UK Bollywood Cosmopolitan award and the Vogue beauty award for best female debut to Diana Penty in 2012 and the BIG Star Critics Award for Best Actress and OIFA and the Award for Best Actor Female to Deepika Padukone in 2013.

COCKTAIL is a wonderful and emotionally charged romantic comedy that reminds us that life is full of love and surprises!! If you think Bollywood movies are just about singing and dancing, then this movie will definitely change your opinion on them. 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

COCKTAIL is currently available on Blu-Ray,  DVD and VOD from Eros International Pictures. To purchase a copy for yourself, and to learn more about Eros and their film library, visit their website at erosnow.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show! 

Phil's Halloween Horror Watch: THE BARN (2016) from Nevermore Productions Films - October 3, 2017

THE BARN Poster (2016)

THE BARN
Starring Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Nikki Darling, Nickolaus Joshua, Ryan Nogy, Linnea Quigley, Ari Lehman
Written by Justin M. Seaman
Cinematography by Zane Hershberger
Edited by Justin M. Seaman
Produced by Justin M. Seaman, Rocky Gray,  Sebastian Page, Christopher Vertosick, Lee Walker, Lee Walker
Directed by Justin M. Seaman
Released by Nevermore Productions Films

Hello again and welcome back to my Halloween Horror Watch marathon. There's been a lot of hype about today's film! It's garnered rave reviews from a plethora of media outlets for it's homage to 80's slasher films with it's authenticity towards visuals, scares, gore and poster artwork. So let's all take a trip down to THE BARN and see what's inside for us, shall we?

The film's official synopsis: It's Halloween 1989, best friends Sam and Josh are trying to enjoy what's left of their final Devil's Night before graduating high school. But trouble arises when the two pals and a group of friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside. Now it's up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the creatures that lurk within "The Barn."

The film's visuals and ascetics contribute to the feel of nostalgia for this reviewer. It looks and sounds like it was ripped from 1989! I had to pinch myself while watching the film to remind me that it wasn't the 80's again! When doing a retro-styled horror movie, it must trick the viewer into thinking that it's from that particular place and time and this fright flick accomplishes this in spades!

Writer/director Justin M. Seaman does a tremendous job of recreating that late 80's slasher vibe by having a smart script, interesting characters, sympathetic protagonists, terrifying monsters and awesome gore and bloodshed to make the horror hounds happy. He loves horror films, and his film is the perfect example of how it should be made, look and sound. His compositions are that from classic 80's horror films, appealing to this viewer's love of the genre. He is able to set the tone within the film's first five minutes, which is not an easy feat to accomplish. But Seaman does this without breaking a sweat and gives us one hell of a movie!!

The whole cast is fantastic in their respective roles, especially our two male leads Mitchell Musolino and Will Stout as Sam and Jeff, respectively. Their on-screen chemistry is solid and I had a blast watching these two guys play off with one another. Nikki Darling is just stunning hot as Nikki Howell. Lexi Dripps shines as Michelle, who has this down-to-earth personality that you just want to fall in love with. Also appearing in the film are Scream Queen icon Linnea Quigley as the extremely nagging Ms. Barnhart and Ari Lehman, the screen's very first Jason from the original FRIDAY THE 13th, as the local television horror host Dr. Rock.

I also wanted to do a quick shout out to the entire art department, special effects make-up team, costume and set designers for re-creating that awesome 80's look! Another ingredient that takes me time to that era is the film's poster, designed by the talented Marc Schoenbach of Sadist Art Designs! His work is just outstanding!! Make sure you check out the rest of his artwork at sadistart.blogspot.com!

THE BARN is the most horrifyingly radical, gore-filled, bad ass, retro-slasher film of the year!! There's a reason that the movie has garnered so much acclaim! This is one entertaining horror film that you all should definitely see!! My horror pick for every Halloween season to come!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! 

THE BARN is currently available on DVD and it was just announced that it will be released on Blu-Ray very soon! To order your copy of the film, along with other cool merchandise, visit the film's website at thebarnmerch.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Gets Tromatized: SQUEEZE PLAY (1979) from Troma Entertainment - November 20, 2016

SQUEEZE PLAY DVD

SQUEEZE PLAY
Starring Jim Harris, Jennifer Hetrick, Rick Gitlin, Helen Campitrlli, Diana Valentien, Al Corley, Rick Khan, Melissa Michaels, Sonya, Jennings, Kaye Bramblett, Michael P. Moran, Brenda Kaplan
Written by Charles Kaufman, Haim Pekelis
Cinematography by Lloyd Kaufman
Edited by George T. Norris
Produced by Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman
Directed by Lloyd Kaufman (as Samuel Weil)
Released by Troma Entertainment

Greetings from Tromaville! So who's ready to go back in time to the 1970's to visit a true Troma classic? Well, congratulations kids because our destination is the year 1979 and today's review I'll be talking about one of their all-time greats. Kicking off their hilariously raunchy comedy series, today's installment proved to be very popular among Troma fans. SQUEEZE PLAY was the film that gave the new company its first big boxoffice hit and continues to attract new fans!

The film's official synopsis: It's a wild battle of the sexes as the "World Series of Laughs" heats up on and off the softball field. In the small town of Springborn the local all-male baseball team, The Beavers, celebrates each victory by bedding their wives, sweethearts and casual dates. Tired of this chauvinistic treatment, rebellious Samantha (Jenni Hetrick) organizes an all-girl team, the Beaverettes. She forces a battle of the sexes on the baseball diamond, pitting her buxom teammates against the dirty-playing Beavers.

The film broke all the rules and is part of all those sexy comedies that would follow for years to come, such as MEATBALLS, PORKY'S and ANIMAL HOUSE. And like with a lot of their other titles, there's a lot of social commentary to be found around the nudity, racy jokes, wet T-shirt competition, softballs flying into a man's bum, topless women, vulgar language, sexual situations, cartoon sound effects and killer soundtrack. Yup, I totally miss the 70's!!

Original Theatrical Poster (1979)

There's so much comedy going in the movie you'd have to watch it three times to catch them all, but it still holds up after all these years. The sexual innuendos, slapstick, sight gags plus the plethora of cock shots you can shack a stick at!! The film contains classic lines like, "Honey, I love you. What about all the children and silverware we're gonna have, huh?" Plus, I could I forget the greatest comedic line in all of cinematic history, "I don't care how big it is, I won't put it in my mouth!" By the way, all of this is courtesy of screenwriters Charles Kaufman (Lloyd's brother) and Haim Pekelis. Man, they don't write movies like this anymore!

The cast is hysterical while showing off their ability of keeping a straight face. Lead actress Jennifer Hetrick is hilarious as female protagonist. This was her feature film debut and had a very long career in television, appearing as Veronica Barrett in the soap opera classic General Hopital, Vash on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Corrinne Hammond on L.A. Law. Her co-star Jim Harris, who portrayed her boyfriend Wes in the film, appeared in another Troma feature WAITRESS! and was in AMERICAN NINJA 4: THE ANNIHILATION. Rick Gitlin only acted in a couple more films like CHEERLEADERS BEACH PARTY, A MARRIAGE and HOTSHOT before leaving the business. Same with Helen Campitelli, who played Sam's best friend Jaimie. This was her only film she did and then disappeared until 2011 when sh started acting in a couple of short films before appearing in an episode of The Underground Kings in 2014.

Originally, Troma had difficulty in getting the film into theaters. Then one fateful night Kaufman received a phone call from a theater owner in Norfolk, Virginia asking if he could have the movie. His second feature backed out and he was desperate. Kaufman sent the film out there where it played as a double feature with THE IN-LAWS. He thought nothing of it. The following Monday the owner called back and told him that it was the funniest film he ever saw and the audience laughed their butts off. After that, the movie went out to several theaters and became Troma's first big hit. With the profits, Kaufman and Herz purchased the original Troma Building in Hell's Kitchen in New York, where they stayed until they moved into their new location in 2012.

SQUEEZE PLAY remains one of the most important films in the history of Troma and it's one of my all-time favorite raunchy comedies from the 70's!! It's interesting to see where the studio got their start and to see how much the company has grown since. Troma still remains as the only AND truly independent movie studio in America today! So go revisit this comedy classic today! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

SQUEEZE PLAY is currently available on DVD at your local retailer and on the Troma website. To purchase this film as well as books, posters and Blu-Rays and DVDs, visit www.troma.com. The film is on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Netflix and Video On Demand.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's B-Movie Madness: BIKINI DRIVE-IN (1996) from RetromediaEntertainment - April 8, 2016

BIKINI DRIVE-IN DVD Cover (2014)

BIKINI DRIVE-IN
Starring: Ashlie Rhey, Richard Gabai, Sarah Bellomo, Rob Vogl, Ross Hagen, G. Gordon Bear, Tom Shell, Nikki Fritz, David F. Friedman, Michelle Bauer, Steve Barkett, Conrad Brooks,
Becky LeBeau, Tane McClure, Deborah Dutch
Written by Steve Armogida & John N. Willey
Cinematography by Gary Graver
Edited by W. Peter Miller
Directed by Fred Olen Ray
Production Company: American Independent Productions
Originally distributed by Bullseye Video
Released by Retromedia Entertainment

Yes my friends, there's a new installment of Phil's B-Movie Madness! If there's one thing I've learned during my time here on Earth, it's that everything is linked to some cosmic event that shapes your life. For me, it always comes back to my favorite television show USA Up All Night. Because of this beloved show, I fell in love with B-Movies as well as the actors, directors and Scream Queens. One of those directors I discovered was Fred Olen Ray. Ray has directed some amazing cult classics such as THE TOMB, HAUNTING FEAR, EVIL TOONS, BEVERLY HILLS VAMP and of course HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS. For today's review, I want to talk about one of my favorite of his and all the fond memories I had watching it. After years of being out of print on VHS and the sub-par censored DVDs, we finally have an official uncut, unedited, uncensored DVD edition of my favorite Fred Olen Ray film of all time: BIKINI DRIVE-IN!

The film's official synopsis: Kim Taylor (Ashlie Rhey) inherits her late grandfather's drive-in theatre. She and her best friend Carrie (Sarah Bellomo) must raise $25,000 over the weekend, or the bank will take the property. Her plan is to enlist the services of her hot friends to attract the masses in any way possible, and to deal with the banker types directly. She also has to deal with pesky capitalist J.B. Winston (David F. Friedman) and his associates Harry (Ross Hagen) and Card (G. Gordon Bear), but help arrives in the form of J.B.'s son Brian (Richard Gabai). Together, can they save the drive-in from both the bank and Winston?

I originally found the movie on the shelf at my local mom & pop video store by the old Safeway I used to work at. The place was called Branham Video and I used to rent all my horror, B-movies and cult classics there. When I first watched it I instantly fell in love with. It was so low budget and cheesy but it was also funny, light hearted and it made me forget life for a bit. That's the power of film. It can transport you to this other world for about 90 minutes and make you feel refreshed and brand new and it makes all your worries go away. What's not to love about that? 

Fred Olen Ray sets the tone for the film right away with the opening credits. It's light, fun and filled with beautiful actresses, great actors, bad jokes, hot and steamy sex scenes, sexy women in bikinis, and a totally awesome soundtrack. Ray's your typical low budget director who knows what the public and his fans want and delivers it in spades. His set-ups and compositions are well executed, the pacing of the movie is perfect and it's just a lot of fun to watch. Ray's resume also includes other cult faves like WIZARDS OF THE DEMON SWORD, BAD GIRLS FROM MARS, HYBRID, DINOSAUR ISLAND and ATTACK OF THE 60 FOOT CENTERFOLD.

Original VHS Cover (1996)

All of the actresses are incredibly talented, breathtakingly beautiful and legendary. Lead Ashlie Rhey has appeared in several other low budget erotica and action movies in the 90's like BODY OF INFLUENCE, RING OF FIRE II: BLOOD AND STEEL, MIDNIGHT TEASE, SAVE ME, WITCHCRAFT 7: JUDGEMENT HOUR and PLAY TIME. Her on-screen best friend Carrie is played by one of my favorite crushes from the early 90's Sarah Bellomo. She had acted in the adult film business as Roxanne Blaze in the very beginning of her career before making the transition to mainstream films. She starred in Full Moon's BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND, its sequel BEACH BABES 2: CAVE GIRL ISLAND as well as FATAL PASSION and SEDUCE ME: PAMELA PRINCIPLE 2 before disappearing from the public eye forever. Nikki Fritz was another Scream Queen that acted in a bunch of B-movies like SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL, DINOSAUR ISLAND, BURIAL OF THE RATS, ATTACK OF THE 60 FOOT CENTERFOLD, STRIPTEASER and BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND with Bellomo. The sweet and bubbly Becky LeBeau appeared in several low budget gems like NOT OF THIS EARTH, BODY OF CHEMISTRY III: POINT OF SEDUCTION, MUNCHIE, TRANSYLVANIA TWIST and SCHOOL SPIRIT and had a bit part in BACK TO SCHOOL with legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Tane McClure acted in a lot of movies like DEATH SPA, INSIDE OUT II, REVENGE OF THE CALENDAR GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TEASE II, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS 2: THE HEAVY PETTING DETECTIVE, CAGED HEARTS and VICE ACADEMY 5.

The actors were staples in the low budget world and I'd see them in other films from this time frame. Our hero Brian is played by the one and only Richard Gabai. He's acted in a ton of cult classics like NIGHTMARE SISTERS, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS, VIRGIN HIGH, HOT UNDER THE COLLAR, DINOSAUR ISLAND, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS 2: THE HEAVY PETTING DETECTIVE, THE WASP WOMAN, VICE GIRLS and KICKBOXING ACADEMY. Gabai is also an accomplished director of over 25 films! Some of those included the previously mentioned ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS, VIRGIN HIGH, HOT UNDER THE COLLAR, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS 2: THE HEAVY PETTING DETECTIVE, VICE GIRLS, KICKBOXING ACADEMY plus family films like POPSTAR, CALL OF THE WILD, THE BIKE SQUAD and MIRACLE DOGS TOO. He's gone to direct many T.V. movies like IN THE DARK, THE GOOD MOTHER, IMAGINARY FRIEND and THE WRONG WOMAN. Veteran actor Ross Hagen has been acting since the 1960's. His on-screen credits include THE MINI-SKIRT MOB, THE HELLCATS, FIVE THE HARD WAY, ANGELS' WILD WOMEN, WONDER WOMEN, ANGEL, AVENGING ANGEL, PRISON SHIP, THE PHANTOM EMPIRE, CLICK: THE CALENDAR GIRL KILLER, DINOSAUR ISLAND, MIDNIGHT TEASE II, ATTACK OF THE 60 FOOT CENTERFOLD, NIGHT SHADE, INVISIBLE DAD and SHADOWHEART. Unfortunately, Ross passed away from cancer on May 7, 2011 at the age of 72. Another legend appearing in the film was David F. Friedman, who plays J.B. Winston. Friedman was the undisputed "King of Exploitation" having produced some of the most beloved and notorious film ever made including BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, SHE FREAK, LOVE CAMP 7, SPACE THING and ILSA: SHE WOLF OF THE SS. Friedman passed away on February 14,  2011 at the age of 82.

Another aspect I love about this movie is the killer soundtrack. Richard Gabai provides two songs for the movie:  "Those Days are Gone" and "Big Black Caddilac" (which were used in his film VIRGIN HIGH) while Becky LeBeau contributes to the majority of the soundtrack. My favorite song is "Caught in the Middle" and it's played during the scene when Tane McClure was dancing on top of the hood of a car with a cartoon being projected on her tight, sexy body. Oh yea my friends, it's a hot scene indeed! But I love the song! Becky LeBeau has an amazing voice and the song matches the scene brilliantly! 

As I stated earlier, this the unrated, uncensored, unedited version of the film. All of the incredibly hot sex scenes has been restored for your enjoyment. I was fortunate to have been able to rent this version all those years ago. However, if you were one of the poor souls who had to rent the movie at your local Blockbuster, I feel so sorry for you. They were notorious for editing and censoring the films they rented out, so chances are you were one of those who saw the edited version. But Fred Olen Ray has corrected this travesty once and for all.

Overall BIKINI DRIVE-IN remains one of my all-time favorite B-movies from the 1990's!! If you're like me and you grew up watching these low budget B-movies on either USA Up All Night or you rented them, this will bring back those good 'ole days of staying up late, eating pizzas and checking out these classic flicks! It doesn't get any better than this! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! 

BIKINI DRIVE-IN is currently available at your local retailer and is also available to purchase on the Amazon website. If you'd like to learn more about Fred Olen Ray, be sure to check out his official Facebook page. To learn more about Retromedia Entertainment and their films, visit their website at www.retromedia.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil Gets Tromatized: THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE (1991) from Troma Entertainment - March 31, 2016

THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE DVD (2011)

THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE
Starring: Craig Peck, Wendy Bednarz, Mark Collver, Bonnie Bowers, John Carhart III
Written by Rolfe Kanefsky
Cinematography by Ed Hershberger
Edited By Victor Kanefsky
Produced by Victor Kanefsky
Directed by Rolfe Kanefsky
Originally released by Prism Entertainment
Distributed by Troma Entertainment

Greetings and salutations my fellow cinephiles and welcome back to another edition of Phil Gets Tromatized! In case you missed my inaugural entry, with this new series I will be reviewing the good, the bad and the subhumaniod films of America's last great, truly independent film studio: Troma Entertainment. Today's movie is a personal favorite of mine. Originally released back in 1991, the film was picked up for distribution by Troma in 2011. Way ahead of its time, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE is one of the best indie horror/comedies from the early 90's and has gone on to became modern day cult classic.

The film's official synopsis: Three hot-to-trot couples and one goofy loner travel to an isolated country house for a weekend of debauchery, but soon realize they are not alone in the woods. One of them has seen this scenario before in dozens of horror movies, and he knows what it will take to defend themselves from an alien creature determined to eat the boys and mate with all the girls!

VHS Box Cover (1991)

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. So like mentioned earlier, the movie was way ahead of its 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 sexy two-piece bikini almost through the whole film and was a total pro! That must have been very difficult to pull off! Ok, the whole cast was freaking amazing! Sorry, I can't play favorites. Seriously, the whole cast made the film what it is!

The movie was released on home video (VHS to us old schoolers) by Prism Entertainment. Years later, Image Entertainment release a special edition DVD version. Then in 2011, our good friends at Troma released an ultra cool two-disc 20th anniversary special edition with all kinds of special features: director commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, still photos, interviews, pre-production footage and trailers. Also, the transfer looks incredible considering how old the film is. Major props to Troma for bringing this film into the 21st century.

THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE is one of the greatest and beloved cult classics of the 1990's. The film still has a large fan base and continues to attract new viewers with each passing year. So if you haven't yet seen this movie, go buy a copy, take it home, get some popcorn and sodas and watch it! You'll be glad you did! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! 

THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE is now available on  DVD. To purchase a copy for yourself, visit your local retailer or visit the Troma website at www.troma.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch: PAY THE GHOST (2015) from RLJ Entertainment-March 24, 2016

PAY THE GHOST

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Veronica Ferres, Lyriq Bent, Jack Fulton, Lauren Beatty, Kalie Hunter, Stephen McHattie

Written by Dan Kay

Cinematography by Sharone Meir

Produced by Nicolas Chartier, Craig J. Flores, Ian Levy, Patrick Newall

Directed by Uli Edel

Released by RLJ Entertainment

Have you noticed that actor Nicolas Cage has been in a lot of movies lately? Seriously, there's been a shitload of movies starring the man. Since 2010, he has appeared in a total of 18 movies!! Holy crap that's a lot of movies! But let's be realistic about this for a moment. A majority of those either sucked ass or went straight to video. Now the film I'll be reviewing today falls in the later category. However, I must admit that I rather enjoyed PAY THE GHOST, which also stars actress Sarah Wayne Callies from AMC's The Walking Dead and USA Network's new hit sci-fi series Colony. 

The film's official synopsis: One year after Mike Lawford's (Cage) young son (Jack Fulton) disappeared during a Halloween carnival, he is haunted by eerie images and terrifying messages he can't explain. Together with his estranged wife Kristen (Callies), he will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery and find their son-and, in doing so, he unearths a legend that refuses to remain buried in the past.

Limited Theatrical Poster (2015)

This is one of Cage's better straight-to-video movies. What I liked about it was that it was a pretty creepy supernatural thriller that also plays on every parents' worse nightmare: your child goes missing. Nothing is more horrifying than not knowing what has happened to your children. Here, Cage becomes completely obsessed with finding his son and doesn't let one day go by without him putting flyers and visiting his local police district office. But because his son disappeared while under his supervision, his wife blames him and now their marriage is crumbling down, to the point that they live apart. Cage's performance is always a little over-the-top, but here he's much more in control and is more authentic. We the audience feel his loss, his frustration with the local authorities, his depression and, of course,  his fear when he begins to discover that there might something more sinister that's involved. Of course, Callies' acting is fantastic as always. You just believe her performance and she nails the emotional roller coaster her character Kristen goes through during the film. She's is simply an amazing actress.

German born director Uli Edel has made cult classic films like LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN, BODY OF EVIDENCE and THE BAADER MEINHON COMPLEX. He's also made several made-for-television movies like Confessions of a Sorority Girl, Tyson, Rasputin and EVIL NEVER DIES. He's also directed episodes for Oz, Tales from the Crypt, Homicide: Life on the Street, and the mini series Houdini for the History Channel. Here, Edel dies a fine job of creating tension and chills and being able to keep the movie going forward at a decent pace with solid set-ups, close ups and 

After the movie was made back in 2014, it was finally picked up for distribution by RLJ Entertainment and gave the film a very small limited theatrical release in the fall of 2015. It was also released simultaneously on video on demand.

Overall PAY THE GHOST is a decent supernatural albeit predictable thrillet. But it does hold your interest with its decent story, solid acting and above average scares. If you're a hardcore Nicholas Cahe fan, then this will be right up your alley. 3 out of 5 stars! Worth the rental!

PAY THE GHOST is currently available on DVD at your local retailer. It's also available at selected Redbox kiosks and on Video On Demand.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Sci-Fi Theater: TERMINUS (2015) from Vertical Entertainment - March 11, 2016

TERMINUS DVD Cover (2016)

TERMINUS

Starring: Jai Koutrae, Kendra Appleton, Todd Lasance, Bren Foster, Brendan Clearkin, Vincent Andriano, Katherine Hicks, William Emmons

Written by Marc Furmie, Shiyan Zheng  & Gabriel Dowrick

Cinematography by Kieran Fowler

Edited by Gabriel Dowrick
Produced by Brett Thornquest & Tim Maddocks

Directed by Marc Furmie

Distributed by Vertical Entertainment

Hello again folks and welcome to the debut of a new series that I call Phil's Sci-Fi Theater. There's been a lot of great science fiction movies being released, so I thought it was time to start reviewing more of them. The first film to be reviewed in this new series was something of a surprised. My fiancee saw the trailer for this and wanted to check it out. She showed it to me and I thought t looked pretty cool as well. However, this was no ordinary science fiction film, even though the trailer made it look that way. Needless to say, we were totally blown away by today's film TERMINUS from Vertical Entertainment.

The film's official synopsis: For small town auto mechanic David Chamberlain (Jai Koutrae), life is a constant struggle as he deals with the death of his wife while supporting his daughter, Annabelle (Kendra Appleton). After a night of drinking David is blinded by the light of a falling meteor and crashes his car. His injuries are miraculously healed by a magical essence within the meteor, and he knows he has stumbled onto something big. As the rest of the world rapidly succumbs to war and desperation, David works tirelessly to protect the mystical orb, enlisting a young Iraqi war veteran, Zach (Todd Lasance), who experiences his own healing. Their secret work draws the attention of rogue government agents, and as all hell breaks loose in the rest of the world, David, Zach, and Annabelle engage in a deadly battle to protect the future of humankind.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2016)

What I found fascinating about the movie is that it's more of a character study and drama than a sci-if film. Writer/director Marc Furmie along writers Shiyan Zheng and Gabriel Dowrick crafted an intelligent script poses questions about Armageddon, love, death and destiny while answering some of them. Sometimes the answers that we seek lead to even more questions, which can either frustrate us or enlighten us. The film's plot examines many of life's themes, which are then woven between our three main leads. A thoughtful, emotionally charged script that transcends the standard norm of what a sci-fi should be.

Another outstanding aspect is the sensational acting by our main protagonists. Koutrae's portrayal of grief stricken father David is both sympathetic and believable. He is your everyday guy: struggling to make a living, trying to be there for his daughter while morning the loss of his lovely wife. With coming into contact with the meteor, his life has a purpose and is determined to see it through. Actress Kendra Appleton brings a level of realism to her role of Annabelle; she talks and acts like a real teenager that has depth. Her character feels authentic and not the typical two-dimensional portrayal that we see in a lot of other films. Todd Lasance's character Zach is a painful reminder that war is hell and it comes with a heavy price. We feel his pain, his struggle and his desire to be a whole person again. Powerful performances by all three leads!

While the movie's story takes place in small town America, it was actually filmed in Australia and is an Australian production. In fact, if you closely enough, there are several references to the Land Down Under (but I'll let you find those clues for yourself). The film had its world premiere at the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival back in June of 2015 before it was picked up for worldwide distribution by Vertical Entertainment in early 2016.

TERMINUS is a solid, sophisticated sci-fi drama that caters to those who wish to see something different and unique! It contains am intelligent script, empowering acting and great directing; all the main ingredients for making a truly remarkable film! You'll definitely want to check this movie out! 4 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

TERMINUS is currently available on DVD at your local retailer. It's also available on Redbox as well as on iTunes, Amazon, Netflix, Google Play and Video On Demand.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!