It´s that time of the year to present the films that has received the highest ratings during 2011, please keep in mind that the blog was started in October 2011 and since then 56 DVD´s has been reviewed.
Rage (2010) Rating: 7 out of 7. It pleases me enormously that only a few days from the end of year, I get one of the best films I've seen in 2011 and I belong to those who had the privilege to see the film before its release on DVD. Rage is a very effective and entertaining film, it´s a extremely well made independent film and has a ton of tension. Rage gets my highest recommendations!
Torched (Video 2004) Rating: 7 out of 7. Torched is brutal, sick and twisted! It´s a disturbing and creepy film and I recommend it highly to hardcore horror fans! I'm very interested to see what else Nicholson brings to the table in upcoming features.
Gutterballs (2008) Rating: 7 out of 7. Gutterballs accomplishes a lot, especially considering it´s limited budget. Sure it has some faults but it's a movie made by the horror fan for the horror fan. It´s a very entertaining and nice little horror film. I loved Gutterballs! I want a part two or a prequel!
Adam Chaplin (2011) Rating: 7 out of 7!! I’m very very pleased to have seen this one. This is one of the best films I´ve seen during 2011. I look forward to seeing more from Necrostorm!
A Day of Violence (2010) Rating: 7 out of 7. One word: Awesome! A Day of Violence delivers what´s can be expected and much more. I look forward to seeing more of both Darren Ward and Nick Rendell! A Day of Violence is highly recommended!
Scrapbook (Video 2000) Rating: Scrapbook gets 7 out of 7! It´s a film that is vicious, uncomfortable and uncompromising. An alternative to Hollywood´s tendency to glamorize serial killers. It´s one of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen, I actually found myself squirming in my seat when watching it, it is that hard to watch. A true gut punch. Not for the squeamish!
Sella Turcica (2010) Rating: 7 out of 7. I really liked this flick a lot. I think that if you just want to see blood n' guts you probably will be disappointed and I can imagine that some may consider that the film is a bit slow but I liked the pace, building up to the total destruction at the end. All in all good effort from the actors and the effects are fantastic! Director Fred Vogel is definitively a director to watch.
The Suppressor (2012) Rating: 7 out of 7. Now this was a really nice surprise, the plot has some similarities with Death Wish 4 but The Suppressor is a superior flick in every aspect. I highly recommend it to fans of action/vigilante films. I will keep an eye out for Ara Paiaya.
/JL
First of all I would like to thank Christopher Witherspoon for sending me a screener of Rage.
A thirty something man by the name Dennis Twist (Rick Crawford) lives in a suburb just outside of Portland says goodbye to his beautiful and loving wife Crystal (Audrey Walker) and heads into town.
There he unintentionally provokes the wrath of a mysterious motorcyclist. The confrontation between the two, sets in motion a day long battle. Beginning in the form of harmless taunts then quickly escalating into something more serious and then into something unimaginable. Rage is not only written and directed by Christopher Witherspoon, he also produced, shot and edited the film. Furthermore he plays the part of the mysterious and menacing motorcyclist. The plot is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg´s classic tv-movie Duel (1971) but it takes place in a urban setting and is much much more violent and brutal. Strong acting performances from the cast, both Rick Crawford and Audrey Walker are fantastic and Christopher Witherspoon is excellent as the mysterious motorcyclist who gets more and more brutal, he has no dialogue but is very menacing wearing a black helmet with a darkly-tinted visor, a black jacket and black boots.
The film is not overtly gory but it´s quite violent and brutal.
The soundtrack is very good and helps to create the suspenseful atmosphere. The film is beautifully shot and edited. The pacing kept me glued to the screen.
Rating: 7 out of 7. It pleases me enormously that only a few days from the end of year, I get one of the best films I've seen in 2011 and I belong to those who had the privilege to see the film before its release on DVD. Rage is a very effective and entertaining film, it´s a extremely well made independent film and has a ton of tension. Rage gets my highest recommendations!
/JL
Charlie and her friends break into an abandoned warehouse and begin setting up an impromptu party. Unbeknownst to them, something lurks in this dark place... a presence so horrific, so monstrous, it has no name. Fueled by uncontrollable, unprovoked rage, this Beast knows only one thing - Charlie and her companions chose the wrong building, and they're about to pay for it. Sweatshop is co-written and directed by Stacy Davidson, he also shot and edited the film.
The acting is below average and the characters are truly obnoxious (the males are arrogant assholes and the females are all airheads and whores). Some of the dialogue is ridiculous and laughable almost crossing over to being utterly offensive. I like the setting, the camera work is good except during the pre-credit sequence but after that the film improves dramatically technically but there are some samples of poor post-synch dubbing . The soundtrack fits the proceedings on screen but doesn´t add any suspense. There isn't much nudity in Sweatshop despite rumours of the opposite. The highlights of the film are the spectacular and gory death scenes. The special fx created by Kristi Bouls, Marcus Koch and Mike Oliver is mostly practical is excellent and very good looking!
Rating: 4½ out of 7. I love the special effects and the gore but it´s a odd film as there isn't a single likable character in it and there is hardly a plot to talk about. There isn´t much besides lots of creative and brutal kills.
/JL
When marauding orcs invade a US National Park, our collective fates lie in the hands of Ranger Cal Robertson (Adam Johnson) and his side-kick, Volunteer Cadet Hobie (Maclain Nelson), who must stop the wave of destruction before the whole world is overrun. Orcs! is directed by Andrew Black and James MacPherson. It´s a parody of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, here a army of orcs have been released from their mountain prison and are now on a rampage through a national park.
It´s a mix of fantasy and silly comedy, it goes from comedy to straight action towards the end. The best thing with Orcs! is the acting and characters, it has likeable characters and more than average acting. Adam Johnson is perfect as Cal who is very laid back and doesn´t want to take his job too serious, but Maclain Nelson and is also great in his role as Hobie. All in all the cast has good chemistry. There are some gore in screen but the special fx is mostly cgi (muzzle flashes, the impact of bullets and explosions). The orcs themselves looks like they are directly from the Lord of the Rings set. The pacing is pretty good and it never gets boring. I have no complaints regarding the technical aspects of the film, it was actually pretty good camera work and editing and the sound track is inspired by the Lord of the Rings.
Rating: 4 out of 7. A fun, silly and cheesy fantasy. Orcs! is actually a enjoyable little film which works remarkably well mainly thanks to it´s characters, their chemistry and the actors performances.
/JL
Claudio Dragonetti is an Italian assassin, one of the best in the industry. He gets hired by Ivan, a local mob boss from Gothenburg. Dragonettis mission is to clear away two of Ivan's competitors. Nothing complicated and something that Dragonetti done many times before. But this time something happens and the wrong people get murdered. Soon Claudio Dragonetti has a price on his head and a small army of elite trained professional soldiers chasing him. But he has a trump card that no one knows. Through a pact with Satan is Dragonetti virtually invulnerable, and the only thing he had to give in return was his own immortal soul ...
Dragonetti the Ruthless Contract Killer is co - written and directed by Jonas Wolcher and is a swedish low budget attempt to do a ultraviolent action/horrror film. It´s a prequel to Die Zombiejäger, also directed by Jonas Wolcher. It´s badly made, bad camera work (a lot of shaky camera work doesn´t help it´s just frustrating) and editing. There is bad sync between audio and video. The actors are truly worthless and the dialogue feels rehearsed. The special fx (both digital and practical) looks bad. There is a lot of the action sequences that´s intended to carry the film but the action/fight sequences are badly choreographed and the shaky camera work makes it hard to see what´s happening.
Rating: 0½ out of 7. Dragonetti the Ruthless Contract Killer has the dubious honor to be one of the worst films I´ve seen in the last 10 years. It probably belongs among the worst films I've ever seen but it's always fun to see swedish initiatives to do genre films.
/JL
Deanna (Michelle Boback) is a girl who has everything. She is young, beautiful and has a very promising career in healthcare. But a chance encounter that leads to a brutal rape transforms her perfect life into a nightmare. None of her previous dreams or goals does not matter. She has only one thought in her head and it's revenge! Torched is written by Vince D'Amato and directed by Ryan Nicholson. It´s not a feature but a short film (running time approx 45 minutes). The plot is good and has a couple of twists. The acting is above average but Michelle Boback is excellent and convincing as the tormented Deanna who descend into madness. The soundtrack is very good and very fitting to the proceedings on screen. Good atmosphere! Good camera work! The gore is truly nasty and very gruesome!! The special fx is excellent! The horrific imagery on display is not for the squemish!
The review is based on the DVD released by Dark Entertainment AB in Sweden.
Rating: 7 out of 7. Torched is brutal, sick and twisted! It´s a disturbing and creepy film and I recommend it highly to hardcore horror fans! I'm very interested to see what else Nicholson brings to the table in upcoming features.
/JL
It's night and a car driving through the desolate landscape. Behind the wheel sits Sarah (Johanna Leamo). A young woman in search of his sister Jenny (Alida Morberg), who had been missing for two weeks. After a long search, she decides to spend the night at the next place she has to visit. Shortly thereafter, a sign pops up that says this is "The Bridgeburn Hotel." She turns to and received by the mysterious but kindly proprietor David (Lars Bethke). He states that he has unfortunately not seen her sister Sarah but offers her a room for the night. But Sarah feel that there is something not right and begins to explore the hotel a little more closely. The closer she gets the truth, the more she begins to regret that she ever put up at The Bridgeburn Hotel. The plot is decent but as most of you have realized by now it is very similar to of Hitchcock´s masterpiece Psycho.
Insane is directed by Anders Jacobsson and Tomas Sandquist, they have also received credit as being two of the the five screen writers involved. The level of the acting is mostly below average, only Lars Bethke is good in this film but this being a independent flick you should not have too high expectations on the actors/actresses. The setting and the camera work is good. The soundtrack isn´t very good in my opinion. The pacing is, after a strong start, pretty slow and the film is at times teetering on the verge of becoming boring. There is some blood and gore, the special fx are ok but nothing spectacular except for one scene.
The review is based on the DVD released by Sick Films, it has english audio, swedish, danish, finnish, norweigan and english subtitles are available.
Rating: 3 out of 7. Hitchcock´s Psycho obviously served as huge inspiration for Insane, it's a very predictable but a pretty entertaining film for the moment.
/JL
Three adult cousins, Marley (Trent Haaga), Brad (Jeff Sisson) and Abby (Cisiany Olivar) keep their cousin Jessicka (Elske McCain) around as a pet. When she misbehaves they lock her in a cage, and when they want sex they just rape her. One day Jessicka is bitten by their dog and contracts rabies. Eventually she becomes rabid herself and takes it out on her masters..
Jessicka Rabid is directed by Matthew Reel, he is also credited as writer and producer on IMDB. The concept in this rape/revenge film is genuinely disturbing and creepy but the implementation fails because it fails to deliver the expected blood, sleaze and nudity. The acting is uneven. There is too little gore and the special fx is amateurish. The pacing isn´t very good, the film gets a bit boring despite it´s short running time and given the subject the movie is fairly tame with frequent but mild nudity and tame/soft core sex scenes which is a disappointment to us hardcore horror/sleaze fans. It´s evident that the director has some artistic ambitions which shows in the camera work.
The review is based on the DVD recently released by Troma
Rating: 1½ out of 7. I like that Jessicka Rabid unlike the average Troma film this film plays it straight but it´s a missed opportunity, in my opinion showing a little more could have gone a long way.
/JL
On a scorching summer day 6 friends venture into the mountains for one more vacation before their lives change forever. Unbeknownst to them, their lives would forever be changed anyway. In the shadows awaits a pack of the most evil, the most vile, rejects of humanity that's addicted to violence and thirsty for blood! Psycho Holocaust is written and directed by Krist Rufty and it´s his third feature. It´s inspiration comes from films as Deliverance and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The pacing is pretty good, good camera work, the sound can at times be a little low which means that it sometimes can be hard to hear the dialogue. The soundtrack is excellent! The acting is uneven, it ranges from below average to average, but the violence is unflinching. If you are a gorehound like me, you´ll pleased to know that Psycho Holocaust delivers the gore, pain and sadistic violence. I like the lack of annoying humor and idiotic one-liners. There are several scenes in Psycho Holocaust that are very brutal, disturbing and not for the squemish. The three couples suffer rapes, strangulation, disembowelment, cannibalism, flogging, and dismemberment. There is a lot of gore and all of it is practical fx done by Hank Carlson, some of it are very effective and some are not that good.
The review is based on the unrated DVD released by Independent Entertainment,
Rating: 6 out of 7. I really like that there is no humor, it´s played straight, and the amount of extreme brutality on display. This one is for the gorehounds and fans of backwoods terror!
/JL
The story of a group of young campers headed off into the wilderness for a weekend of partying at an abandoned summer camp only to discover they are not alone and the camp's inhabitant, a deranged redneck with a pig mask, is not pleased with their presence.
Porkchop is written by Zack Bassham and Eamon Hardiman, Eamon is also the director. It´s a satire and a homage to the classic slasher flicks from the 1980s and it´s filled to the brim with very silly comedy and bad acting (intentional or unintentional, take your pick). The film has a running time of 93 minutes but the pacing is slow, there is too much focus on the campers, the villain has too little screen time and the film would have benefitted if there were more gore. Actually the gore/special fx that are on display ain´t too shabby.. As expected there is some nudity. On the technical side the camerawork is so-so, the sound is sometimes bad with noise drowning out the dialogue
This review is based on the DVD released by Independent Entertainment in the USA.
Rating: 1 out of 7. Ok, I´ll admit that there are some funny scenes in it but it´s mostly too silly for my taste and the gore (the little there is) is pretty good.
/JL
The Great Dismal Swamp spans over a hundred thousand acres. Home to countless species, it is a place teeming with life… and death. For the top of the food chain lives in a dingy cabin deep in the heart of the swamp, and he has appetite for human flesh. Dana (Lydia Chandler) is failing Biology. Her affliction towards creepy critters has tested her will power and her grade. In order to pass, she must brave a trek into a remote region of the swamp along with several classmates, the newly coupled Gary (Will Triplett) and Shelly (Capel Kane), all-star stud Jamal (Jade Arnold) and his sexy companion Eve (Meagan Reedy). Led by their awkward teaching assistant, Curt (Tim Morris), they soon find out this simple assignment will be a test of survival. Where they are going it’s eat or be eaten.
Dismal is written by Bo Buckley and directed by Gary King. There are strong influences by films like The Hills Have Eyes, Hatchet and Wrong Turn which in my opinion ain´t a bad thing.
The film is well made, it´s well lit, has good camera work and has good editing. The scenery and settings are good. The gore is plentiful and creative, it´s a mix of good looking practical effects and some not so great CGI.
Pacing is great as this film never gets boring. It has a good and fitting soundtrack, the acting is good and especially Bill Oberst, Jr. is great as Ranger Dale.
The review is based on the DVD released by Cinema Epoch (region 1).
Rating: 6 out of 7. Dismal is a really nice surprise and very entertaining! And by the way Meagan Reedy, who shows plenty on the screen, is freaking hot!! If you like redneck, incest mutant killer movies this one is for you!
/JL
While at a heavy-metal concert, a female fan has a physical altercation with her former boyfriend, prompting her to become a remorseless killer intent on killing anyone and everyone in her way (friend, fan, and foe alike).
After Party Massacre is written and directed by Kristoff and Kyle Severn. The film centers around rhe live performances by the metal bands Incantation and Souless, there is actually two different versions of the film included on the dvd, one of which features extended live performances.
The soundtrack consists of death metal/industrial rock and is fitting but it hardly manages to create any atmosphere of dread and terror. The film has a rapid pace, which is hardly surprising as it´s only 67 minutes long but nevertheless it becomes a bit boring now and then. There is a lot of nudity and sex on display and some of the chicks are really good loooking which is nice..
The film has a high body count and there are a few nice gory scenes but nothing spectacular and the special fx is amateurish. The acting is so-so, in fact there are some really bad acting in in the film.
On the technical side I would say that the camera work, sound and editing is quite good.
Rating: 2½ out of 7. After Party Massacre is not a catastrophe but it´s not very good. The concept is good and refreshing but the film would had been better with less focus on live performances by the metal bands Incantation and Souless, they get a lot of screen time, and more focus on the killings and the characters
/JL
/JL
A week before Christmas a viral outbreak turns the citizens of Los Angeles into the walking dead. On the brink of severing ties with both his wife Sarah (Nadine Stenovich) and longtime partner Nash Andy Hopper), L.A.P.D. officer Frank Talbot (Jack Forinito) finds himself trapped with them. As death closes in their survival is further threatened by the fact that both men love the same woman.
Now here we have a surprise, a original take om the zombie genre with much more to see than zombies and gore. Actually this as much relationship drama as it´s horror, which might scare off some viewers but don´t worry there is plenty of zombies and gore.
The director manages to create suspense, tension and atmosphere. Silent Night, Zombie Night do get a bit slow at times, as might be expected by a storybased film but it never gets boring.
The characters are well written and realistic. The actors are competent, especially Jack Forinito who is excellent as the as the tough as nails Frank.
The production values are high and the film looks surprisingly good with good camera work, good sound and editing. There are some pratical special fx (some of which look really good) but the squibs are almost all done by CGI (that doesn´t look that good).
Rating: 6½ out of 7. Silent Night, Zombie Night is a very nice surprise, it wasn´t at all what I was expecting. It has a interesting story and multi-dimensional characters. Give this one a chance.
/JL
Leonard Miller (Michael Todd) is a frustrated artist. His publisher and his agent are out to capitalize on the blooming success of "Robot Ninja," the greatest costumed superhero since Batman! One night, Miller witnesses the brutal rape/murder of a young couple at the hands of ruthless thugs. He cries out for revenge! With the help of an inventor friend, Dr. Goodknight (Bogdan Pecic), Miller becomes the Robot Ninja, stalking the dark streets of Ridgway, intent on spilling some blood!
Robot Ninja is written, produced and directed by J.R. Bookwalter. In my opinion the idea has potential as a vigilante flick but the low budget, terrible acting, terible fight choreography and bad editing takes it´s tool. Add to this that the film is boring but it has it´s moments, for instance that our hero starts popping amphetamines to stay awake and fight which has it´s side effects. I also like the scene where he do a little bit of reparative surgery on himself. As you probably figured there is some gore but not enough and the special fx isn´t very good.
The review is based on a DVD released by Thin Line Entertainment, sadly the picture is full screen and the quality isn´t very good. I´m guessing they´ve used a VHS as master but it´s uncut and has english audio.
Rating: 1½ out of 7. Robot Ninja is a missed opportunity...
/JL
A military weapons manufacturer creates a chemical weapon that causes victims to become blood-lusting killers. A lab accident causes the building to go into lock-down and the employees are trapped inside with the crazed killers. Bloodlust Zombies is written and directed by Dan Lantz. He´s also director of photography and plays the role of one the of the security guards. It´s made on a limited budget which is apparent when watching the film.
On the techniqal side it´s better than average regarding the camera work and editing.
There are some gore but it´s mostly blood splatter, the special fx are mostly amateurish and bad. There is a fair amount of nudity, adult film star Alexis Texas as Andrea strips down several times during the film duration and hey I´m not complaining as she´s good looking...
The pacing is good, which can be expected as the film has a running time of 80 minutes including credits.
There is a large amount of comedy, both intentional and unintentional as the the acting is mostly bad but the cast do the best they can.
Rating: 2½ out of 7. Bloodlust Zombies is a quite enjoyable and charming but I would have prefered a straight up comedy or a straight up horror film.
/JL
Rikke (Isabel Vibe) is working on her new novel and travels back to the countryside for inspiration. Instead she gets something completely different.. She has a couple of unsettling encounters with the local men and one day gets a visit by two of them led by her ex-boyfriend (from when they were 8 years old). They rape and humiliate her but they are not prepared for the ruthless vengeance that awaits them.
Hora is a norwegian rape/revenge flick written and directed by Reinert Kill. The acting is all through bad, I guess that Isabel Vibe got the role based on that she was willing to show some partial nudity (she has a career in adult films) and sustain the abuse because it can´t be based on her acting skills.
Technically the film isn´t well made, it´s badly lit, the sound is bad, has bad camera work and editing.
Director Reinert Kill tries to be artistic with occasional switching to black & white photography and missing film spool messages which I only find annoying. The special fx are amateurish and simply doesn´t work.
After a strong start during the first five minutes the film quickly loses it´s pace, there is little dialogue as we follow Rikke and the film gets quite boring. Nothing happens, it´s just a long wait for things to kick off. It takes 40 minutes for something to happen, that´s a long time when almost nothing happens and there is hardly any dialogue..
I noticed somethin weird, there is optic censoring of a package of cigarettes, a shopping bag and a beer can...
The review is based on the DVD released by Njuta Films in Sweden, it not only has subtitles for the scandinavian countries but also english and netherlands.
Rating 0½ out of 7. Hora is mean spirited but badly made, badly acted and on top of that it´s boring. Hora is bad and tame compared to Eric Stanze´s masterpiece Scrapbook (which is both shocking and disgusting). The best thing with Hora is the DVD cover which looks awesome...
/JL
As requested by Infernal Films I have included a swedish translation of the review.
Necronos (Thomas Sender), one of the mightiest minions of the devil himself has come to earth to create an invincible army of the undead under leadership of barbaric demons, called Berzerkers. To achieve his goal Necronos needs numerous often very macabre and difficult to come by ingredients. So Satan sends him two assistants to achieve his goal - Goran (Timo Fuchs), a Blood Demon and footman loyal to Necronos as well as The Mighty Witch (Manoush) to locate the chosen one - a virgin witch
Necronos Tower of Doom is a german splatter film written, co-produced and directed by Marc Rohnstock. After a slow start the film gains momentum and never loses it´s pace. There is plenty of nudity (you get full frontal female and male) and extreme gore. The special fx created by Marc Rohnstock is mostly good (I´ve seen far worse) and there are some great gory moments in the film. The production values are better than I expected and it´s clear that it´s an ambitious film. The soundtrack is good and fitting.
The review is based on a screener that was sent to me by Infernal Films, the screener has english subtitles which is nice as my german is a bit rusty. You might be interested to know that Dark Entertainment AB has obtained the rights in Sweden and plans to release Necronos Tower of Doom on DVD during 2012.
Rating: 5 out o 7. Necronos Tower of Doom is a two hour long orgy of ultra violence, nudity and extreme gore which is sure to delight splatter fans around the world. I look forward to seeing more films from Infernal Films
Swedish translation:
Necronos (Thomas Sender), en av de mäktigaste hantlangare av djävulen själv har kommit till jorden för att skapa en oövervinnlig armé av odöda under ledning av barbariska demoner, som kallas Berzerkers. För att uppnå sitt mål behöver Necronos många ofta mycket makabra och svåra att få tag på ingredienser. Så Satan skickar honom två assistenter för att nå sitt mål - Goran (Timo Fuchs), en Blood Demon och betjänt lojal till Necronos samt The Mighty Witch (Manoush) för att hitta den utvalda -en häxa som är oskuld.
Necronos Tower of Doom är en tysk splatter film skriven, samproducerad och regisserad av Marc Rohnstock. Efter en långsam start filmen tar fart och förlorar aldrig takten. Det finns gott om nakenhet (du får full frontal kvinnligt och manligt) och extrem gore. Special effekterna är skapade av Marc Rohnstock och oftast är bra (jag har sett mycket värre) och det finns några riktigt bra och blodig scener i filmen. Produktionsvärdena är bättre än jag förväntade mig och det framgår att det är en ambitiös film. Soundtracket är bra och passande.
Recensionen baseras på en screener som skickades till mig av Infernal films, screenern har engelsk text vilket är trevligt eftersom min tyska är lite rostig. Du kanske är intresserad av att veta att Dark Entertainment AB har erhållit rättigheterna i Sverige och planerar att släppa Necronos Tower of Doom på DVD under 2012.
Betyg: 5 av 7. Necronos Tower of Doom är en två timmar lång orgie i extremt våld, nakenhet och extrem gore som säkerligen kommer att glädja splatter fans runt om i världen. Jag ser fram emot att se fler filmer från Infernal Films
/JL
The film, set in an unreal country called Heaven Valley, tells the story of a man, Adam, whom after the death of his wife begins to investigate on her murder, discovering the involvement of the local mafia boss: Denny Richards. Unable to trust the police, clearly corrupted and controlled by Danny, Adam destroyed by his anger, summons a demon who will give him a superhuman strength and dark powers. The demon will follow him during his trip, promising to lead Adam to the murderer if he does everything he asks.This unleash a bloody war that will bring Adam, deployed with the demon on his side; and the police corp with all its dark allies, on the other. Denny in fact, supported by his two sadistic sons Ben and Derek, will also enroll an hired killer. The fight can start… and it will be extreme!
Adam Chaplin is directed by and starring Emanuele De Santi, it mixes the familiar extreme action of anime cartoons with the live-action realism of a horror movie. It’s very, very violent and mind-numbingly gory! We get exploding heads, blood-soaked fight sequences and graphic eviscerations. The violence and gore in this movie is reminiscent of Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky and japanese anime Fist of the North Star.
Adam Chaplin is visually successful, stylistic playing around with colors, visual effects and good transitions. Emanuele De Santi has also created the soundtrack which is excellent. All these things combined creates a impressive atmosphere. The special fx are very well done and impressive. In addition to numerous digital effects there is good old handmade fx being used.
The review is based on the DVD which can be ordered exclusively from the production company Necrostorm. The picture quality is excellent and there are some nice extras on the disc. The language is Italian but there are English subtitles
Rating: 7 out of 7!! I’m very very pleased to have seen this one. This is one of the best films I´ve seen during 2011. I look forward to seeing more from Necrostorm!
/JL
A brutally sadistic rape leads to a series of bizarre gory murders during a midnight disco bowl-a-rama at a popular bowling alley. One by one, players of two teams meet blood-drenched gruesome deaths at the hand of a black bowling-gloved masked killer. This alley runs red with blood by sunrise.
Gutterballs is written and directed by Ryan Nicholson who also is one of the executive producers, the film belongs in the rape/revenge genre and we get plenty of nudity (there is actually both full female and male genital nudity), some borderline explicit sex, a lot of explicit language (there is easily thousands of F words in this film), sleaze and gory killings. On the topic of nudity, it's nice to see women with believable, realistic bodies (aside from Candice Lewald's stripper physique and implants). One of the great things about independent films, everyone's not gorgeous and perfect. In one of the first scenes we get a close rear-end beaver shot of Lisa (Candice Lewald). Yes, that's right, her shaved genitals is right in your face for about a second. And in that moment you realize what you can expect of the film.
There are several inventive kills and superb gore FX, trust me if you are a fan och blood and gore you won´t be displeased. Only one of the killings is off screen and according to Ryan Nicholson it was never scripted to be an onscreen death.
On the technical side, most of it is shot well, it´s lit very well and the set design is great. The soundtrack by Gianni Rossi is good and has a nice 1980s vibe
Dan Ellis, a Ryan Nicholson regular, is excellent and probably the most talented member of the cast. The acting varies from bad to good but it´s a clear improvement compared to Ryan Nicholson´s earlier Live Feed but hey I didn´t expect Oscar worthy performances. Gutterballs has been accused of glorifying rape but I don´t think the film does try to glorify it, it's nasty and like most reviewers I find the scene disturbing which it's supposed to be. The rape scene is long and unpleasant and makes the protracted revenge scenes so much more enjoyable! So in that context the rape scene is completly relevent. So, as you might have guessed, Gutterballs is not for the squemish or the politically correct.
The review is based on the DVD released by Dark Entertainment which has swedish subtitles but sadly, for some reason, some of the dialogue isn´t subtitled.
Rating: 7 out of 7. Gutterballs accomplishes a lot, especially considering it´s limited budget. Sure it has some faults but it's a movie made by the horror fan for the horror fan. It´s a very entertaining and nice little horror film. I loved Gutterballs! I want a part two or a prequel!
/JL
Has during the last month built up a small stock of DVD titles released by Troma Entertainment and will have a theme week sometime in the near future.
You can expect reviews of:
Jessicka Rabid
Dead Eyes Open
Grim
Psycho Sleepover
Blood Junkie
Blood Oath
They Call Me Macho Woman!
Troma's War - Unrated Director's Cut
Fortress of Amerikka
Redneck Zombies
/JL
More sleaze from Andreas Bethmann, he is director, wrote the screenplay and is the producer. He also plays the role of Dr. Morpho. On a small, secluded island is a horrible women's prison under the control of Mrs. Steel (Linda Romay). All she cares about is to satisfy her own sick sexual desires and that her cadaver discipline is maintained. The film's main character is a woman who has ended up in this prison where she is subjected to torture and humiliation even though she has not committed any crime. But her father has hired a force of mercenaries to rescue her.
There is plenty of bad acting, the pacing is slow and the action sequences are badly made.
We do get lots of nudity, degradation, torture, sadism, explicit sex scenes (both straight and gay for both sexes).
There is only one extreme gore scene and Olaf Ittenbach provides the special fx so that scene will surely delight fans of blood and gore. The DVD box in my possession contains four discs (three different versions of the film and a disc with bonus material). The review is based on the 105 minute Director's Cut Export Edition which has english subtitles.
Rating: 1½ out of 7. Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre isn´t a good film , it´s mostly boring but it is a very very sleazy flick. The special fx made by Ittenbach are truly the highlight of the film and Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre would have been better if they had less action, took out the explicit gay sex scenes, perhaps it´s a sign of double standard from my side but those scenes didn´t work at all for me, and had more sleaze and more Ittenbach-style fx.
/JL
You want extreme? You want nasty? I present to you Snuff 102, it´s written and directed by Mariano Peralta. The film has a different structure as it shifts in time, here is a synopsis; A female reporter is looking through the origins of violence. She goes through the internet, seeing a pig slaughtered, a monkey tortured, a beheading and more. She does a interview with a man about what can be watch today online, explaining why violent scene and dismemberment can be seen as interesting for certain people, that no ones can define morality... etc. While he's being interviewed, the film cuts back and forth to a place where three women are being tortured and killed
Here you don´t find comedy or relief, just pain, suffering and agony. The violence is disgusting and revolting. The director has also us sequences found on online, for instance a graphic killing of a pig, a monkey is tortured for science purpose and short clip showing a real life beheading (footage from Iraq) which are deeply unsettling. The pacing is a bit slow and the director uses a lot of flashbacks, giving the characters their backgrounds, developing the plot but the editing can be a little bit confusing...
When viewing the film I actually had to turn down the volume because of all the screaming because I was a bit worried what the neighboors migh think. The special fx which is shown is excellent, the soundtrack and cinematography is good and creates an unsettling and creepy atmosphere. In all it´s a well made film, much of the violence occurs off screen but it is nevertheless very violent and shocking. Due to the artistic ambitions of the director the film is pretty dark and grainy and are in some parts shot in black and white.
The review is based on a DVD release by T-Prod Producciones, it´s region free and has english subtitles. I bought my copy years ago from Subdvd.com.
Rating: 6 out of 7. I don´t regard myself as squemish or weak hearted but Snuff 102 is one of the roughest and most disturbing films I´ve seen but hey I like uncompromising taboo-busting flicks. All in all it's a sick little movie that makes you question what are you seeing, it´s a very uncomfortable. Cannot wait to see what Mariano Peralta will do next.
/JL
Emily (Chantal Degroat) and her friend Angelica (Maya Barovich) go to a rave in the woods, and when they arrive, they meet a stranger called Swan (Sage Stallone) that promises some Ecstasy for the girls. They follow him to a cabin into the forest where they meet the sadistic gang leaded by the psychotic Chaos (Kevin Gage). The girls are abused, tortured and raped in a night of nightmare and murder. When the killers van breaks down they make it to a house not to far from where they murdered the girls. What they don't realize is the house they made it to is one of the girls parents whom they murdered. According to the IMDB Chaos was originally planned as a remake of Last House on the Left but shortly after production started it was decided to make it a original feature but is hard ignore the abundance of similarities between the films so I would definitely call it a ripoff.
It´s a well made little film, the low budget isn´t that noticeable...The acting is mostly good, the exception being Deborah Lacey and Scott Richards (who play the parents of Emily), they are pretty bad. I do want to point out that Maya Barovich is very good as Angelica and Kevin Gage is brilliant as the psychotic and extremely vicious Chaos.
The special fx is well made and there is some nice gory scenes for instance when a chainsaw is put into play. With a runtime of just 74 min Chaos has a high pace, you won´t get bored or turn away from the screen and the terror is unrelenting.. Some particular scenes are very graphic and there are scenes of sexual violence that are definitely not for the squemish. The death scenes in the film are agonizingly brutal and quite shocking.
The review is based on a DVD released by NSM Records that is uncut. Please note that Chaos has been rereleased by NSM Records during 2010 as Last House On The Left 2 - Chaos Rules.
Rating: 6½ out of 7. Who cares if it started as a remake, a sequel, or a rip-off? Chaos is darker, crueler, more brutal and lacks the idiotic humor elements that destroy The Last House on the Left. In my mind Chaos is superior to both Ws Craven´s film and the official big budgeted remake that was made 2009.
/JL
Sarah (Victoria De Mare) is out camping with her boyfriend when they are attacked by a werewolf. Afterwards she wakes up in a prison only to find out her boyfriend has been killed and she has been bitten (we all knows what that means) and she is the only suspect. With the combination women´s prison and werewolf you can´t go wrong? Think again....
Werewolf in a Women's Prison looks and feels chep with badly made scenery and a limited amount of extras, there seems to be hardly any prisoners in the prison... As expected the acting isn´t very good and some of it is downright bad. There is some intended comedy and some unintentional…
The special fx is a mix of both practical and cgi, there are some good gore fx as the werewolf goes on a killing spree and the fun begins (the real fun begins around the 35 minutes into the movie).
Werewolf in a Women's Prison tries to be sleazy and there is a lot of nudity on display but it´s all softcore and no full frontal nudity (yes it´s a movie where people have their panties on during sex), it´s all very tame and borderline ridiculous especially compared to other films such as K3: Prison of Hell..
Rating: 2½ out of 7. It certainly isn´t a very good film but it has entertainment value and gives a original spin on the WIP and werewolf genres. Now if you want to see a real sleazy women in prison flick I recommend Andreas Bethmann´s K3: Prison of Hell which is both nasty and mean - spirited.
/JL
