Phil's B-Movies Madness: Phil reviews VIRGIN HUNTERS (1994) from Full Moon Features-December 14, 2012

VIRGIN HUNTERS DVD Cover (2011)

VIRGIN HUNTERS (aka TEST TUBE TEENS FROM THE YEAR 2000)
Starring: Morgan Fairchild, Ian Abercrombie, Brian Bremer, Christopher Wolf, Sara Suzanne Brown, Don Dowe, Michele Matheson
Written by Kenneth J. Hall
Produced by Charles Band, Jerry Goldberg, & Karen L. Spencer
Directed by David DeCoteau (as Ellen Cabot)
Originally released by Torchlight Entertainment
Re-released by Full Moon Features

Welcome back to another installment of Phil's B-Movie Madness! Continuing from BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND, today's review is another film that came from Full Moon's short lived Torchlight Entertainment line. The movie VIRGIN HUNTERS is fun sexy romp that I loved to watch when I was younger and it still holds up to this day.

The film's official synopsis is as follows: The year is 2019 and corporations have taken over the world. Sex and thoughts of lust are outlawed and the only form of pro-creation is via test tube babies. With the help of their history professor (Abercrombie) and their voluptuous classmate Reena (Brown) two 21st-century teens Naldo (Bremer) and Vin (Wolf) travel back to 1994 in hopes of preventing the sex-hating woman named Camella Swales (Fairchild) from enacting her frosty schemes. Arriving at a modern day all girl school, they begin to carry out their mission but can they complete it in time before they are captured by the Lex 500 cyborg (Dowe) that the corporation has sent back in time?

TEST TUBE VHS Cover (1994)

This was the second release under the new Torchlight Entertainment banner and it was once again directed by David DeCoteau. VIRGIN HUNTERS was the original title of this movie, but at the time it was to be released, Paramount (which were the distributor of Charles Band's Full Moon releases) felt that the title was too controversial and had the name changed to "Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000," as well as commissioning less explicit poster art. Now that Full Moon has the rights to the film, they have re-released it with the original title and artwork.

Like all of Full Moon releases, the movie came with a installment of their VideoZone; a video magazine that contained behind the scenes making of, spotlight interview, trailers, and ordering cool collectibles. Actress Sara Suzanne Brown was the host Torchlight's VideoZone and it is included on this release in its entirely. Now like the BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND DVD, the transfer isn't that great, but considering that the VHS is long out of print and can fetch between $20-$30 on eBay, I can't complain. It's been over 18 years since I've seen this film and it's great to have it on DVD.

The Torchlight line didn't last long unfortunately. However, it was relaunched in 1996 and rechristened Surrender Cinema, which released a plethora of softcore erotica films such as FEMALIEN 1-2, LOLIDA 2000, PETITECOAT PLANET, VIRTUAL ENCOUNTERS 1-2, and PLEASURECRAFT.

VIRGIN HUNTERS is another sexy, light-hearted, feel good B-movie that puts a big 'ol smile on my face! Another great blast from the past release from Full Moon Features! Loads of humor, action, and naked girls, I miss these films because they were innocent and didn't take itself too seriously. It's a fun-filled low budget classic! 5 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

VIRGIN HUNTERS is currently available on DVD. To purchase a copy, visit the Full Moon website at www.fullmoondirect.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's B-Movie Madness: Phil reviews BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND (1993) from Full Moon Features-December 13, 2012

BEACH BABES DVD Cover (2011)

BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND
Starring: Sarah Bellomo, Tamara Landry, Nicole Posey, Michael Todd Davis, Ken Steadman, Michael Roddy, Linnea Quigley, Joe Estevez, Albert Andrukaitis, Burt Ward, Joey Travolta, Don Swayze, Jackie Stallone
Written by Alexander Sachs
Produced by Charles Band, Jerry Goldberg, & Karen L. Spencer
Directed by David DeCoteau (as Ellen Cabot)
Originally released by Torchlight Entertainment
Re-released by Full Moon Features

Hello there my faithful followers and welcome to the return of Phil's B-Movie Madness! It's been a long time since I reviewed one of the many classic B-movies that I used to watch when I was younger. Now tonight's film is in my Favorite Top Ten B-Movies of All Time. Featuring an impressive ensemble cast, sophomore humor, cool special effects, and scantily bikini-clad girls, BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND has all the markings to make this a true B-movie classic for the ages!

The film's official synopsis is as follows: An intergalactic babe named Xena (Bellomo) borrows her dad's T-bird ship to do a little planet hopping with her two friends Luna (Landry) and Sola (Posey), but they run out of fuel unexpectedly, and must land on earth. They land on the California coast and run into Dave (Davis), Jerry (Steadman), and Ziggy (Roddy), where they have fun and a few close encounters at the beach. Dave's Uncle Bud (Estevez), who just wants to meditate and hang out, is being threatened with condemnation of his beach house unless he puts some money into repairs. The alien babes offer to enter the local bikini contest with their way-out designs to try and win the money he needs, but they are hampered by garment designer Sally (Quigley) who will stop at nothing to win.

Making cameos in the film are Don Swayze (younger brother of Patrick Swayze) and Jackie Stallone (Sylvester Stallone's mother) playing Xena's parents Gork and Yanna, Burt Ward (Robin from the 1960's TV show Batman) as suntan lotion king Mr. Bun, and Joey Travolta (younger brother of John Travolta) portrays scientist turn vegan snack shack owner Dr. Veg.

Original Promotional Poster (1993)

The film was the first release under the new Torchlight Entertainment banner, a line conceived by Full Moon founder Charles Band, which produced softcore films for the adult market. Band is an icon in the horror film world, having creating the PUPPET MASTER series, the SUBSPECIES series, and the TRANCERS series for Full Moon. His previous company Empire Pictures released such cult classics like GHOULIES, RE-ANIMATOR, TROLL, and FROM BEYOND. In the 1990's Band also created the family oriented company Moonbeam Entertainment to produced films aimed at kids and tweens. Torchlight Entertainment was just another way for Band to tap into a specific type of audience and entertain them the only way he knew how.

The film was directed by David DeCoteau, who was one of the Top Three B-movie directors during the 80s (the other two being Rick Sloane and Fred Olen Ray). DeCoteau has directed several low-budget classics from the 80s, such as CREEPOZOIDS, NIGHTMARE SISTERS, and DR. ALIEN. DeCoteau would also go on to direct films for Full Moon Entertainment: PUPPET MASTER III (1991), THE KILLER EYE (1999), and newest installment of Full Moon's flagship title,  2010's PUPPET MASTER: AXIS OF EVIL. All together, DeCoteau has directed over 80 films in his career!

At the end of every single Full Moon movie, there was a new instalment of Full Moon's VideoZone; a video magazine that contained behind the scenes making of, Spotlight interview, trailers, and ordering cool collectibles. BEACH BABES had it's own as well entitled Torchlight's VideoZone and it was very similar to Full Moon's. Now the VideoZone on the DVD here is different than the original that was seen on the VHS tape. The one on the DVD was the original version, but host Sara Suzanne Brown didn't like the way it was shot and complained to Band, thus having to reshoot her segments. While it was cool to see the original VideoZone, it would've been nice for Full Moon to have the VHS version included on the DVD as well. The transfer of the film isn't that great either, but seeing that this is the only way to watch the film now that the VHS copy is long out of print, I can't complain too much.

All in all, BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND is a cult classic that I hold near and dear to my heart! I rented the film when it first came out back in 1993 and I've held on to my old, beat up VHS tape for all this time. It's great to see it again on DVD. So if you're looking for some light, silly, sexy, B-movie fun, then look no further! 5 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND is currently available on DVD. To purchase a copy, visit the Full Moon website at www.fullmoondirect.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!