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 Favorite Thanksgiving-Themed Horror Films - November 22, 2018

Hello everybody and Happy Thanksgiving! While all of you out there are visiting with families and friends, having turkey and wine, spending quality time with loved ones, what better way to celebrate the day than to watch some really awesome Thanksgiving themed horror movies! So I thought it would be not only fun but informative to share with you some of my favorite Thanksgiving themed horror films. This is something that I've been wanting to doing for a couple of years now, but never had the time to do until now. Some of these are classic horror staples, while some are newer releases that truly deserve your time and attention.

This list contains MY favorite movies that I have enjoyed and only titles that I have seen! So that is why you won't see other worthy titles. However, they are on my to-watch list so maybe they'll appear on next year's compilation. So my faithful readers, here is my Favorite Thanksgiving-Themed Horror Films of All Time!

5) THANKSKILLING 3 (2012):  The fowl-mouthed villain Turkie is back and hacking his way to find the last copy of "ThanksKilling 2" which has landed in the hands of a group of disturbingly crude puppets. The death toll rises as Turkie carves through the likes of Flowis the rapping grandma, Rhonda the bisexual space worm, Yomi the puppet in search of her mind, and their equally ridiculous friends who all travel through fantastical settings such as the FeatherWorld and Turkey Hell. With the guidance of Uncle Donny (Dan Usaj), the wig-wearing inventor of the PluckMaster 3000, Jefferson (Joe Hartzler), Head of Security at ThanksgivingLand, and a WiseTurkey, the gatekeeper to the FeatherWorld, our collection of raunchy characters hope to fend off the murderous rampage of Turkie, all while trying to help Yomi find her mind. If you're looking for a weird, batshit crazy Thanksgiving film to watch, this one is for you! Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.

4) BLOOD FREAK (1972):  Just back from Vietnam, Herschell (Steve Hawkes) is at loose ends until one day he stops to help beautiful Bible-quoting Angel (Heather Hughes) fix her car. She takes him home, where her scapegrace sister, Ann (Dana Cullivan), immediately plies him with drugs in order to seduce him. Instantly addicted, he needs money for his habit and takes a job at a turkey farm, where he's instructed to eat some experimental lab-grown turkeys. He does, and undergoes a hideous transformation. Man, you gotta love the 1970's! In what other decade can you see something like this! This was such a fun-filled, cheesy low-budget gem of a flick that it makes PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE look like THE WIZARD OF OZ. Fun Fact: The turkey-monster head that co-writer/co-director Steve Hawkes wears was made of papier-mache. Yup, they don't make movies like this anymore! Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.

3) THANKSKILLING (2009): While on their way home for Thanksgiving break, five college kids run "afowl" of a homicidal turkey that wants them dead. As the cursed bird hunts them down one by one, the survivors scramble to find a way to defeat the possessed creature. Will the bloodthirsty turkey make this their last Thanksgiving feast ever? When I first saw this movie, I couldn't believe what I was watching. I think I was asking myself, "What the actual fuck am I watching? It's like a Troma movie but without any of the social commentary!" Filmed in 11 days during the summer break between filmmakers Kevin Stewart and Jordan Downey's junior and senior year of college on a budget of only $3,500, the movie was only to be a standalone. However, they decided to make sequel, and decided to skip making a part 2 and went ahead and make THANKSKILLING 3 in 2012. Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.

2) POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD (2006): When a fast food chicken restaurant is built on the site of an ancient Native American burial ground, the displaced spirits unite with the ghosts of exterminated chickens and transform into Indian chicken zombies seeking revenge! Now, it’s up to a dim-witted counter boy, his lesbian ex-girlfriend, and a burqa-wearing fry cook to put an end to the foul-feathered menace once and for all. If you're looking for the ultimate Troma movie, then look no further! Director Lloyd Kaufman's masterpiece has it all: social commentary on the fast food industry, addressing Native American issues, lesbianism, the idea of selling out to a major corporation, all the while singing and dancing its way into your heart! Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.

1) BLOOD RAGE (1987): IT’S NOT CRANBERRY SAUCE! What do you get if you combine Thanksgiving, American TV star Louise Lasser (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), killer ’80s synths and some truly gruesome special effects courtesy of Ed French (Terminator 2: Judgement Day)? Why, it’s Blood Rage of course! Twins Todd and Terry seem like sweet boys – that is, until one of them takes an axe to the face of a fellow patron at the local drive-in. Todd is blamed for the bloody crime and institutionalized, whilst twin brother Terry goes free. Ten years later and, as the family gathers around the table for a Thanksgiving meal, the news comes in that Todd has escaped. But has the real killer in fact been in their midst all along? Shot in 1983 but not released until 1987, BLOOD RAGE is a gloriously gruesome slice of ’80s slasher heaven. Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.

And there you have it folks! My Favorite Thanksgiving-Themed Horror Films of All Time! I hope that this list inspires you to watch some of these films, or if you're a die hard horror fanatic, it will make you want to revisit these festive cinematic gems! Since many of these movies are available to watch on Blu-Ray, DVD, VOD or on streaming services like Netflex, Hulu and Shudder, there is a plethroa of ways for you to watch them. So start carving the turkey, get those mashed potatoes and rolls buttered up good, and set back and watch these films with your family today!

Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Phil's Cult Classics: THAT'S SEXPLOITATION (2013) from Something Weird Video/Severin Films - May 14, 2015

As some of you might know, I'm a big fan of the old exploitation films, and I've been an avid fan of Something Weird Video, home of the largest library of exploitation films ever from the 1930's to the 1970's. Founded by Mike Vraney in 1990, the company has released thousands of films from all subgenres: Nudie Cuties, Roughies, Nudist Camps, Roadshow Rarities, Burlesque, Horror, Drive-In Classics, and Sexploitation. Before Vraney passed away in 2014, he along with filmmaker Frank Henenlotter teamed up with the "King of Exploitation" David F. Friedman to make the documentary THAT'S SEXPLOITATION, "The Untold Story of American Cinema from the 1920s to the 1960s!"

Original Theatrical Poster (2013)

The film's official synopsis: From director Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, BRAIN DAMAGE) and co-producer Mike Vraney (the late founder of Something Weird Video) comes the epic documentary critics call “fascinating” (Video Watchdog), “titillating” (Time Out Los Angeles) and “jaw-dropping” (Seattle Weekly): Henenlotter and legendary exploitation monarch David F. Friedman – in his final film appearance – are your hosts for this eye-popping expedition through the world of pre-code peekaboos, stags, sex-hygiene films, goona-goonas, nudie-cuties, roughies, druggies, white-coaters and more, featuring thousands of spicy, steamy and downright sleazy slips from the SWV archives.

This was a very insightful, and fun documentary that sheds a bright spotlight on these overlooked and forgotten within film history. Friedman is our ringmaster; guiding us through the hills and valleys of exploitation's vast library of subgenres and movies. Highlights are the early Roadshow Films of the 1930's and the sex hygiene movies of the 1940's: BECAUSE OF EVE, MOM AND DAD, CHILD BRIDE, SECRETS OF A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL, and WAGES OF SIN are personal favorites of mine. I own them and have watched them repeatedly. It's so amusing at what was so controversial back then is so tamed by today's society (however CHILD BRIDE is still hard to watch today). I would have loved to see these movies play in theaters back then! All the balleyhoo, posters, lobby cards, fake doctors selling sex hygiene books, it all sounded like so much fun! And people like Friedman laughed all the way to the bank.

Henenlotter shows up from time to time in the movie to give us some information about the changing times in America, what and how each decade was defined by the exploitation movies that were made, and how the filmmakers, producers, and distributors stayed on step ahead to make sure their product was bringing in the cash. Henenlotter is also a great historian in his own right, and would love to meet him one day and just pick is brain. I mean, his first film BASKET CASE actually played in a grindhouse theater on 42nd Street! That's bragging rights till the end of time!

THAT'S EXPLOITATION Blu-Ray

Last person I would like to talk about is the late, great Mike Vraney, who produced the documentary. Vraney. He and Something Weird Video has released thousands of films, not only Friedman's movies, but also films from Harry Novak, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Doris Wishman, and many others. He championed these films and made them available for all those people who were into seeing something new and different. Mike Vraney died after a lengthy battle with lung cancer on January 2, 2014. He was just 56 years old. We owe this great man a debt that will never be able to pay back.

This was also David F. Friedman final film appearance. On February 14, 2011, Friedman died in his home in Anniston, Alabama at the age of 87. There will never, ever be another "King of Exploitation." But rest assured, both Friedman and Vraney are reunited somewhere out there.

Besides looking fantastic, the Blu-Ray also contains an audio commentary with Frank Henenlotter and Lisa Petrucci  (Vraney's widow who's now in charge of Something Weird Video), film's trailer and over "3.5 hours of Sexploitation Shorts from the Something Weird Archives!"

THAT'S SEXPLOITATION is a highly entertaining, wonderfully absurd and informative documentary that diehard exploitation fans will love and new viewers will get an education on these outrageous films!! I've been a fan for decades, and it's incredible to have this movie for us to watch over and over again!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THAT'S SEXPLOITATION is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD from Something Weird Video and Severin Films. To purchase a copy visit www.somethingweird.com or severin-films.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil remembers Mike Vraney, Founder of Something Weird Video-January 30, 2014

On January 2, 2014, while I was attending The Hollywood Show, I read a very shocking headline. Mike Vraney, the founder of Seattle's Something Weird Video, the home to the very best in exploitation cinema, had passed away at the age of 56 due to his long battle with lung cancer. To fans like myself, this was such a heavy blow to take. Fans of exploitation love SWS and Mike's passion to unearth these "sinematic" treasures for all of humanity to enjoy.

I was just completely shocked by this news. Still am actually. I owe an enormous debt to Mike and his company for exposing me to these great films for these past two decades. Nothing I can say can express just how terrible I feel about this. However, his wife, artist Lisa Petrucci, released the following statement on the day of Mike's passing. It is repeated here in its entirely:

In Memorium
MIKE VRANEY
Founder of Something Weird
December 29, 1957 to January 2, 2014

We regret to tell you that Something Weird’s founder, Mike Vraney, passed away on January 2, 2014 after a long heroic battle with lung cancer. He was 56 years old, way too young to leave this planet. There was still so much Mike wanted to do in his life, so many films to be found, and adventures to be embarked upon.

This sad news may come as a shock to most of you. Mike was a very private person and didn’t want anyone, except his closest friends, family and colleagues, to know about his illness. He went through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments for over a year, but sadly the cancer spread and cruelly took him from us.

Mike had a larger-than-life personality and a genuine enthusiasm for movies. Something Weird was his heart and soul, he was obsessive in his pursuit of tracking down the weirdest, wildest movies out there. And it wasn’t enough to find a few forgotten films, he was always in search of the movie motherload. (Making 370 two-hour volumes of Nudie Cuties loops is a good example of this. Who does that?! Mike Vraney!) Even as a child, Mike loved movies. During his teenage years, he worked at the Bel-Kirk Drive-In, and then later as a projectionist at the Green Parrot and Apple Theaters in Seattle. Then around 1990, Mike went in search of as many old, unusual, obscure, and lost low budget exploitation movies as he could, and preserved them for prosperity. Mike amassed thousands of these rare movies and had them transferred to video so that people could relive the good old days of going to the drive-in or grindhouse theater, in their very own home. We have him to thank for introducing fandom to the wonderful world of sexploitation sinema, rescuing it from the dark recesses of forgotten film vaults and defunct movie theatres.

Some of you may know that prior to Something Weird, Mike was involved in the early Seattle punk rock music scene. He was a partner in Modern Productions, the group who started Seattle’s seminal rock venue, The Showbox, in 1979. Mike then went on to manage such well-known bands as The Dead Kennedys, TSOL, and Seattle’s own The Accused. Mike always seemed to be at the forefront of whatever was happening and cool.

Mike’s second greatest passion in life was collecting old comics, vintage toys, movie memorabilia, and pop cultural ephemera. He enjoyed going to the swap meet and always had a magical ability for finding great stuff. But when he wasn’t working, collecting, or telling great stories, Mike spent quality time with his beloved family. Mike adored his wife and business partner, Lisa, and two (now young adult) children, Mark and Danielle. These three were the center of his universe, and his reason for getting up each and every morning.

The folks at Something Weird fully intend to honor Mike’s incredible legacy. Mike may be gone, but his remarkable achievements will live on. One of the happiest days of Mike’s life was when legendary David F. Friedman and Dan Sonney called him “the forty-first thief,” which to him was the ultimate compliment and recognition for his work. We’d like to think that Mike’s now hanging out with his old pals Dave and Dan, reminiscing and talking shop with Dwain Esper, Kroger Babb, Barry Mahon, Joe Sarno, Doris Wishman, Bob Cresse, Dale Berry, Michael Findlay and all the other exploiteers and smut peddlers who’ve gone to the great grindhouse in the sky.

We will miss Mike with all our hearts. Goodbye dear friend, husband, father, and fearless leader…
– Lisa Petrucci, Tim Lewis, Kendall Bechtel, Mark Vraney, Danielle Vraney of Something Weird Video

Fans of Mike and of Something Weird Video are encouraged to visit the official Mike Vraney Memorial Tribute page on Facebook as well as to help make a donation to the Lung Cancer Alliance on his behalf. To Lisa Petrucci, Mark and Danielle Vraney, Kendall Bechtel, the Something Weird Video staff, and to the rest of his family and friends my deepest sympathies.

If your a hardcore fan of horror, exploitation, sexploitation, underground films, cult classics, nudie cuties, roadshow flims, burlesque features, loops, crazy cartoons, etc, please visit the Something Weird Video website at www.somethingweird.com.

Thanks for reading, and rest in peace Mike!

Phil's Halloween Horrors Marathon, Day 26: Phil reviews HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE (2010) DVD from Something Weird Video-October 26, 2012

HGL DVD Cover (2011)

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE
Starring:  Herschell Gordon Lewis, David F. Friedman, Frank Henenlotter, John Waters, Bunny Yeager, Ray Sager, Jerome Eden, Mal Arnold
Produced by Mike Vraney, Jimmy Maslon, Bill Usher, Jack Calvert
Directed by Frank Henenlotter and Jimmy Maslon
Distributed by Something Weird Video

Folks October is quickly winding down so let's talk about Day Twenty-Six of my Halloween Horrors Marathon! Imagine if you will: Demented Southern town folks killing off Northern visitors for revenge. Highway roaming she-devils looking for fun and fights. Nubile nudie cuties parading around in the buff. Bored suburban teenagers looking for kicks. A sadistic cater sacrificing young women to an Egyptian goddess. These depraved, sick, and perverted images are considered to be some of the most important and most iconic images to be captured ever in cinema's rich history. Ranging from the sublime to the subversive, the bloody to the sexy, one man dared to venture where other filmmakers never dreamed of, and as a result, has left us some of the greatest horror and exploitation films ever made. Now Mike Vraney and his company Something Weird Video has paid tribute to this iconic filmmaker with this, their first ever documentary feature film. Directed by Jimmy Maslon and Frank Henenlotter, SWV's  HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE shines the spotlight on this beloved and often overlooked pioneer filmmaker and his contributions to the world of cinema.

The documentary chronicles the film career of the man known as "The Godfather of Gore." From his humble beginnings teaching English and Humanities at Mississippi State which he later evolved into the advertisement business. When Lewis bought a half interest into a small, cheap movie studio in Chicago, he started Mid-Continent Films which produced two films: THE PRIMETIME and LIVING VENUS, which was his feature film debut as a director. It was during the making of THE PRIMETIME he met exploitation pioneer David F. Friedman, who helped Lewis distribute LIVING VENUS. With the release of Russ Meyers' THE IMMORAL MR. TEAS, the next film Lewis and Friedman made was the nudie cutie called THE ADVENTURES OF LUCKY PIERRE. After a couple of years making these nudie cuties and nudest camp films, Lewis came up with a completely different idea for a movie. A type of movie that the major movie studios wouldn't or couldn't make, but theater owners could make money at the boxoffice. Thus in the year 1963 BLOOD FEAST was made, and everything would never be the same again.

The other half of the documentary focuses of Lewis' partnership with Friedman as he created what has been called THE BLOOD TRILOGY which consisted of BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, and COLOR ME BLOOD RED (which takes up most of the middle of the documentary). These films introduced that famous four-letter word now forever associated with horror: GORE. The world of horror would never look the same thanks to Lewis and Friedman. After the completion of THE BLOOD TRILOGY, Lewis parted ways with Friedman and began to make a plethora of films within the exploitation genre such as MOONSHINE MOUNTAIN, JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT, SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS, and SOMETHING WEIRD (which Vraney named his company after). Soon he returned to the horror genre with A TASTE OF BLOOD, THE WIZARD OF GORE, THE GRUESOME TWOSOME, and THE GORE GORE GIRLS, which was Lewis' swan song. After that film's release, he became one of the leaders in the field of Direct Marketing advertising (Lewis would return to the director's chair with the 2002 sequel BLOOD FEAST 2: ALL YOU CAN EAT).

Icon director Herschell Gordon Lewis

Maslon and Henenlotter really packed the film with some great, informative, and funny interviews from people like John Waters, Joe Bob Briggs, Connie Mason, Mal Arnold, Jim Dennett and others, and by Henenloter himself. All these stories and opinions give the film life and also give praise to Lewis, to which this reviewer thinks is long overdue. These two directors threw everything in this film, including the kitchen sink! Also the on camera interviews with Lewis were just fascinating; detailing how he made a lot of his films, where he shot it, how he got the money, and how he made his gore-soaked films. Another great source of information came from Friedman, who shared his memories of the good 'ol days of exploitation filmmaking. Sadly, this documentary was one the last films he ever appeared in (he'll also be appearing in Henenlotter's upcoming SWV documentary THAT'S SEXPLOITATION). On February 14, 2011 Friedman passed away at the age of 87.

The DVD comes packed with over an hour of deleted scenes (which could almost make up another film!), a rare Lewis short film entitled HOT NIGHT AT THE GO-GO-LOUNGE, a gallery of Lewis exploitation art, and an extensive Lewis trailer reel!

Something Weird Video's HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE is required viewing and a must-own for every single horror fan out there. The film serves as introduction to people who may have never seen any of Lewis' films while simultaneously satisfies his fans with an in depth biography of the man who invented a whole new film genre. 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE is available on the Something Weird Video website. To purchase a copy, please visit www.somethingweird.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming! 

Phil reviews HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE DVD on The Midnight Horror Sinema Show-Jan. 5, 2011

Hello again my faithful readers! I've been pretty busy over on THE MIDNIGHT HORROR SINEMA SHOW. My newest review is on the recently released documentary HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE. The film was directed by Frank Henenlotter, who directed the film FRANKENHOOKER, which was the first film I reviewed for my new film blog. The film chronicles the career of the man who invented the term "Gore" with films like BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, and COLOR ME BLOOD RED. This was the first feature film release by Something Weird Video, home to some of the world's most insane, craziest, and bizarre films ever made on the face of the Earth! So click here to read my review, then go check out the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch, Day 18: Phil watches BASKET CASE (1982)-October 18, 2011

Phil's Horror Watch continues with Day Eighteen! So for this evening's cinematic fright, I thought it would be fun to stroll down memory lane and visit the old grindhouse theaters that populated New York's 42nd Street. There, you could see some of the most outrageous films ever made! Take for example tonight's film. I guarantee that you have never seen a film like BASKET CASE before, nor could you ever forget it!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1982)

According to Something Weird Video, the film goes something like this: "Carrying a mysterious wicker basket around with him, Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) arrives in Manhattan and checks into a sleazy Times Square hotel. What’s in the basket, you ask? Why, Duane’s hideously misshapen Siamese twin brother, Belial, of course! Originally born attached to Duane’s side, the little monster was surgically removed by some quack doctors and rudely left for dead in a plastic garbage bag. But Belial survived, and Duane has hit the Big Apple with his beastly bro to wreak havoc on the surgeons who separated them. Things get complicated, however when Duane gets romantically sidetracked by the sexy, wig-wearing receptionist of one of the doomed doctors, and his jealous telepathic sibling reacts...well, poorly."

Now doesn't that sound like a fun film to watch in a 42nd street grindhouse theater? Well guess what? It DID play at a 42nd street grindhouse theater! Budgeted at only $35,000, the film was released by Analysis Film Releasing Corporation in April of 1982, but it gained a cult following once it was released onto home video by the mid 80's. The special effects for Belial consist largely of a puppet in some scenes and stop motion in others, which only added to the magic and the allure of the film.

The film was written and directed by Frank Henenlotter, and it was his film debut. Henenlotter would go on to direct other classics such as BRAIN DAMAGE, FRANKENHOOKER, and two sequels: BASKET CASE 2 and BASKET CASE 3: THE PROGENY. His latest film, a documentary called HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE, was just released on DVD by the good folks at Something Weird Video.

BASKET CASE is a bonafide cult classic and still one helluva fun ride to watch! Take from me folks. Horror, B-movies, and exploitation films are my main passions in life, and I can assure you that this film is just awesome to watch!

BASKET CASE was just released on Blu-Ray by Something Weird Video this past September and is still available on special edition DVD. To purchase a copy, visit their website at www.somethingweird.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Horror Watch, Day 2: Phil watches BLOOD FEAST (1963)-October 2, 2011

Welcome back to my month long screening of horror films for this hellish month called October! So continuing my horror film escapade, I decided to watch a true classic of the genre that without it, horror films would not look like they do today. Infusing violence and gratuitous gore, director Herschell Gordon Lewis and produce David F. Friedman unleashed upon the world BLOOD FEAST, and the face of horror would never look the same again!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1963)

The film's about an Egyptian caterer named Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold) who kills a series of women to use their dismembered body parts to revive the dormant Egyptian goddess Ishtar. Hot on his heels is Police Detective Pete Thornton (William Kerwin) who plans on capturing Ramses before he sacrifices his love Suzette Fremont (Connie Mason) to Ishtar.

By 1963, Lewis and Friedman, having made several "nudie cutie" films together, decided to try to do something different. Sex was still forbidden to see on the big screen, so the two decided to go in the complete opposite direction. On a five day shoot with a budget of $25,000 (Lewis and Friedman were the ENTIRE crew), the duo forever changed the landscape of cinema, and decorated the screen with blood red gore. The film went on to gross over $3 million dollars, and two other films followed shortly. TWO THOUSAND MANIACS and COLOR ME BLOOD RED continued with the gore and these films are now known as The Blood Trilogy. These films were also recently released on Blu-Ray by Something Weird Video (which its name was taken from a Lewis film). After the trilogy, both Lewis and Friedman went their separate ways, but Lewis went to to direct other classics such as THE WIZARD OF GORE, A TASTE OF BLOOD, and THE GORE GORE GIRLS.

In 2002, Lewis returned to the world of filmmaking (along with Friendman back as producer) to direct the sequel BLOOD FEAST 2: ALL YOU CAN EAT. He has just recently directed the film THE UH-OH SHOW, which was made back in 2009. Currently, most of Lewis' films are available on DVD and can be purchased on the Something Weird Video website at http://www.somethingweird.com/

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!