Tuesday, November 03, 2009 05:20 PM
Michael Gingold
DVD & Blu-Ray
 Back in August 1986, two horror movies debuted on the same Friday in New York-area theaters. The film that got more publicity, and that most of the genre fans I knew wanted to see, was THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2. But one pal and I were more interested in checking out the one that promised a “Free Creep Prevention Mask” to the first patrons on opening night.
Read more...
|
 “This is what you want…this is what you get…this is what you want…this is what you get…” Public Image Ltd. chants under the end credits of Richard Stanley’s HARDWARE. If what you’ve been wanting for the last decade is a worthy disc release of the 1990 sci-fi shocker, what you get from Severin Films’ recently issued two-DVD set and Blu-ray is everything you could imagine, and a few things you probably couldn’t.
Read more...
 One of the real joys of Back Catalogue is getting to sift through movies I actually want to watch instead of whatever happens across my desk. This look at the older titles available through VCI Entertainment offered a little bit of everything. Mario Bava, made for TV fare, cult classics, exploitation and even documentary. Needless to say this was quite a viewing party.
 This weeks Rapid Fire will focus on two DVD's to touch down on shelves this past Tuesday. An assortment of new films were made public on the 20th, but I was a bit late getting my rear end in gear and missed out on a couple pictures I had my sights set on. Such is life - let's move on and discuss what I did manage to check out.
 DRIVE-IN HORRORSHOW is an anthology of five gore-filled short films consisting of serial killers, monsters, and torture. At an abandoned drive-in theater, The Projectionist is the dark-humored host who serves as the narrator in-between each film showcased.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 11:39 AM
Chris Haberman
DVD & Blu-Ray
 Next time you get a hankerin’ for nasty cannibal chaos, pop in WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END. When you’re in the mood to watch a group of chained convicts argue and fight in the woods for the better part of 90 minutes, check out WRONG TURN 3: LEFT FOR DEAD (just out on DVD and Blu-ray from Fox). A very frustrating flick, this third installment of the popular series trades TURN 2’s madcap freakishness for machismo gibberish.
Read more...
 Is it only fitting that ORAL FIXATION (now out on DVD from LifeSize) sucks? This isn’t even a horror flick—it’s a thriller with no bite, a bland, boring and badly acted low-budget FATAL ATTRACTION clone that quickly grows long in the tooth. OK, that’s enough bad mouth jokes; I’m truly and sincerely sorry, but for some reason this movie set my teeth on edge. Perhaps I was predetermined to dislike this film because of my own oral fixations—I talk too much, eat all the time, overindulge in sugar and am constantly chewing on my nails. I blame my mom. But enough about my psychological issues—let me give you a lesson in ORAL history.
Read more...
 Touted as the UK’s answer to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, GNAW (just out on U.S. DVD from Dark Sky) shares many elements with its illustrious predecessor. Both feature a group of attractive teens intent on a relaxing vacation in the country. Both contain the horror-staple image of a girl running down a road with her attacker in hot pursuit. Both films’ villains are cannibalistic in nature. But while GNAW works to follow these established rules, it also deviates frequently from the well-traveled path of its subgenre.
Read more...
 For $250, four strangers agree to participate in a psychological experiment where they must spend eight hours locked in a room together. Sound like easy money? Think again. THE KILLING ROOM is a fast-paced psychological thriller that could’ve easily fallen into the cliché category but doesn’t. After a brief introduction of the subjects, the tone immediately shifts with a shocking scene that grabbed my attention and kept me hooked in till the end.
 I have to admit, I am a big C. Thomas Howell fan…at least based on one movie. THE HITCHER, from 1986 starring good old C. Thomas and perennial psychopath Rutger Hauer, was a classic horror/thriller film with two actors doing brilliant work, and will always be embedded in my subconscious as a wild ride and featuring one of the most maniacal performances of all time from Mr. Hauer.
 While out of town on personal business I had a little difficulty tracking down this weeks DVD releases. Unable to fall back on my trusty local shops, I was forced to rely on outside sources to lead me to decent outlets. And though I was lead to a few fair retailers, I was still unable to snag a few of the flicks I was seeking; GNAW, THE OBJECTIVE, and IMURDERS are three particular releases I was anticipating that sadly, evaded my grasp. Perhaps once back home I'll be able to provide a little coverage on the aforementioned films; for now, we'll discuss the two discs I did manage to obtain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 21 |
