Hatchet II (Unrated) DVD Review

by FuckEm

Looking for revenge after the death of her father and brother, Marybeth (Danielle Harris) joins Reverend Zombie (Tony Todd) and a group of guns for hire to track down and kill Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder).

The original Hatchet was my first film review here on The Horror Enthusiast, and was a film that I enjoyed despite seemingly almost everyone else disliking it. I felt it was a fun little film that fell victim to overblown internet hype. When Hatchet II was announced, I was quite excited, when many others scoffed at a return to Crowley’s swamp. Things didn’t turn out quite as I expected. Most who disliked the original, ended up thinking the sequel was a big improvement; while I on the other hand, was pretty disappointed.

The film opens right where the last one left off, which provides a nice shot of momentum to kick things off. There are several throwbacks to the original early on. This section was probably my favorite part of the film. Tamera Feldman, who played Marybeth in the original, had some kind of falling out with the filmmakers and didn’t return. She was replaced by genre vet Danielle Harris, who had actually auditioned for the role in the original. I’ll be honest, I strongly dislike roles being re-cast. No matter what the reason, it almost always detracts from a film, to me. I preferred Tamera’s take on the character, but to Harris’ credit, I felt she did as good of a job as she could, given my pet peeve. Though, I felt her attempt at a southern accent was almost comical at times.

The best idea in the story was making Reverend Zombie a featured character this time. I felt the end result was a mixed bag. Seeing Tony Todd is always enjoyable, but I felt it was unfortunate that a lot of his early scenes either played too long, or simply repeated things that we already knew. It seemed as if they were simply giving time to Tony, rather than really trying to build his character. It’s only much later that we start to see a new layer to him.

The script in general isn’t very well-paced. Too much time goes into setting up a very simple revenge scenario. This is all the more apparent during a repeat viewing. The film’s look is also a bit more stripped down than the original. Hatchet II attempts a somewhat darker tone than the last, so perhaps this was intentional. Though, I suppose the production budget could be lower due to this one having more big genre names on board.

Fright Night and Child's Play director Tom Holland has a sizable role as Mary Beth’s Uncle Bob; while R.A. Mihaloff portrays our principle tough guy, Trent. The rest of the cast is rounded out by the returning Parry Shen, this time playing Justin (the twin brother of his character from the last film), Layton (AJ Bowen), Avery (Alexis Peters), Cleatus (Ed Ackerman), Chad (David Foy), Vernon (Colton Dunn), and John (Rick McCallum). It’s not a bad cast overall I suppose, but again the script disappoints. McCallum and Foy’s characters are pretty faceless, and the whole lot are a bit of a drag at times. I started to miss the more vibrant cast of the original.

Kane Hodder returns of course as Crowley, and again shows that he hasn’t lost a step in portraying a powerful killing machine; delivering another animated performance. The kills are still brutal and plentiful, though I’m still not a fan of the misting blood that Green seemingly likes to include. Victor’s history is also expanded on a bit, with Hodder once again essaying his father, Thomas Crowley. The finale tries to throw in a twist to the story to limited success, but fares better in delivering a resolution that feels final. But, in Horror, we know nothing is ever truly final, do we not?

The highlight of the DVD is the commentary with Adam Green, Tony Todd, and Kane Hodder. Green spends some time discussing the controversial pulling of the film from AMC Theaters after only a few days. Some suggest the low grosses were the reason, but Green seems to think there were shenanigans involved due to it being the first unrated film to play theatrically in over 25 years. Hearing Kane and Tony on the same track was nice and kind of made up for the Blu-ray getting more supplements.

There are a few positives here, but overall, it felt like the sophomore slump got hold of this one. Hatchet II only runs 81 minutes, but feels much longer; almost like they didn’t really have enough material to return to the well. To me, it sort of justifies my feelings on the last one. Both serious and slightly more comedic Horror films can be successful, but the trick is, they have to be well done.  Hatchet III is currently being prepped, to be directed by the first two films’ camera operator, BJ McDonnell. Perhaps Green stepping away from the director’s chair is a good thing, and a fresh pair of eyes can help the franchise rebound. If not, I won’t be too upset if the next is the last we see of Victor.

Directed by: Adam Green
Starring: Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd, R.A. Mihaloff, Tom Holland
Released by: Dark Skye Films

Special Features

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green, and stars Kane Hodder and Tony Todd
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Adam Green, Director of Photography Will Barratt, and makeup effects artist Robert Pendergraft
• Hatchet II: Behind the Screams Featurette
• Trailer
• Teaser Trailer
• Radio Spot FuckEm's Rating: 

Scream 4 DVD Review

by FuckEm

Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsborro as part of a book signing tour, where she reunites with Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Courtney Cox). Only to discover that a new Ghostface killer is targeting her cousin, Jill (Emma Roberts), and her friends in an effort to remake the original murders.

I’ve said before that I’m not a big admirer of the Scream series. I’m sure some readers will bail right there.  There is a reason, however.  While some call the original 1996 film a loving ode to the slasher films of the past, I thought it seemed to take jabs at such classics without taking many at itself; which seemed smug and spiteful.  So, it was quite surprising to me when I found myself on the same side of the aisle as the franchise, when it returned carrying the banner against the Hollywood reboot trend.

It’s essentially the original cast interacting with their “rebooted” selves. Take Campbell, Arquette, and Cox out and you would definitely have pieces to a Scream remake; a film that has a new crop of characters not-so-loosely based on the old ones and sequences designed to make you directly recall the original. I think it’s an interesting idea, and was certainly worth exploring; but, I found that the concept sounded better than the film ultimately played. Part of the reason is because, the new characters themselves almost come off as just a part of the joke rather than full-blown, well-developed roles.  There was talk that the original script by Kevin Williamson was retooled prior to production, so that could be a factor in it.

There are quite a few characters to go through here, so bare with me. Obviously, Jill is our new Sidney and her boyfriend, Trevor (Nico Tortorella), is the new Billy Loomis. Tortorella seemed like he was doing a bad Skeet Ulrich impression at times, and is quite wooden.  The same goes for Jill's mother (Mary McDonnell), who gives the worst performance in the film.  The new goofy Deputy is a female named Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton), who has a thing for Dewey, now the Sheriff, to the chagrin of his wife.

Gale’s counterpart appears in the form of Sidney’s assistant, Rebecca (Alison Brie), who was little too chipper for my taste. Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudsen) fill in Randy’s exposition-spouting film geek role; while thinly-written Olivia (Mariella Jaffe) fills in for Tatum. I suppose Knudsen’s character was supposed to be the funny one, but I was more amused by Shelton’s exchanges with Courtney Cox. Hayden Panettiere is the only one who stands out somewhat, as her slightly bitchy character with a butch hairstyle, Kirby, seems to be one of the few who isn’t based on a past character. She was also a film geek. The slapstick cops came in threes this time, so why not the film geeks, I suppose.

The returning cast is also a bit of a mixed bag. I found Courtney Cox to be pretty much in character, but in order to make room for the new, dumb cops, David Arquette’s character was made a bit less comedic. I don’t know if that hurt the film significantly, however it does take away a large part of his character from the previous films and makes him feel like he’s sort of just along for the ride here. Speaking of which, Neve Campbell pretty much sleepwalks through this one; not very emotional or seemingly that interested. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t feel the need to do a bit more with her, because her mere presence pretty much cancels out Jill, leaving Roberts seeming weak and almost vapid for a large portion of the film. This is one of the usual casualties of having an older generation meet a new one.

Fans of the series will be relieved to know that despite sporting the tagline “New decade. New rules.”, it's pretty much the same old Scream. The snarky dialogue, hipper-than-you characters, movie rules, and an elaborate opening featuring cameos are all accounted for. I suppose the bottom line would be does it work in 2011?  While I was never a fan of this style, there's no denying that it did create a major stir during its heyday.  But, I feel in some ways, this one plays like a film past its time. I think the biggest thing that endangers this series’ shelf life is the fact that unlike a lot of other slasher franchises, Scream focuses on a great deal of satire. That’s one of the hardest things to pull off in Horror, in my view. Since it’s last outing in 2000 (even before), so many other films have ripped this approach off, that to see the original article back, doesn’t seem that special. They even attempt to cop to this in the film; and while the remake angle does help, it doesn’t fully cover the rust.

Probably the most interesting aspect of the franchise, for me, has always been the murder/mystery angle. I don’t think I’m giving much away at this point by saying there are once again two killers. The revelation is mixed, due to one killer not being that much of a surprise. They pretty much telegraph it by having the character blurt out something stupid earlier in the story. The other was good, and comes as much more of a surprise. And while I did find the finale rousing upon a first viewing; with Scream 5 now supposedly on the road to becoming reality, I have to wonder if it was the proper decision for the future of the franchise or a missed opportunity.

The DVD features a somewhat disorganized commentary track featuring Wes Craven, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell. Campbell appears late in the track via telephone and leaves not long after, without much to say. Panettiere also leaves before the conclusion, leaving only Wes and Roberts. It’s noted on the track that they were working from a script that was well over two hours, so not surprisingly, over 25 minutes of deleted scenes are present. They contain nothing really essential; the most interesting bit being an alternate version of the opening. All in all, Scream 4 (or Scre4m) is better than Scream 3 and is a bit of rebound for Craven after the abysmal My Soul To Take. But, for my money, it’s still an average entry into a long-running series that didn't fully capitalize on the most promising premise of the three sequels.

Directed by: Wes Craven
Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere
Released by: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay

Special Features

• Audio Commentary by Director Wes Craven, and Stars Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Gag Reel
• The Making of Scream 4 Featurette
• Scream 4 Video Game Promotion  FuckEm's Rating:

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Ultimate Edition DVD Review

by FuckEm

Four survivors on the run, hold up in a shopping mall for survival where they encounter zombies and blistering commentary on consumerism.

In 1968, George Romero cemented himself as the master of all zombies with legions of Horror buffs, when he wrote and directed Night of the Living Dead. When legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento approached Romero about doing a sequel some ten years later, it led to my personal favorite of Romero’s Dead films and one of my favorite zombie films of all time (along with Fulci’s Zombi 2). It’s difficult to write a review for a classic film such as this, due to everyone already having done it and pretty much saying everything there is to say. The only way for your review to stand out is if you hate the film. But hopefully, our readers will humor me here.

Fans of Night will notice right away the differences between that film and this one; which stretch far beyond Dawn being filmed in color. The sequel doesn’t have the same dread throughout as its predecessor, and like a lot of follow ups, took the tact of having more action and more fun. The blood in the film resembles the paint-like blood in some of the older Hammer Horror films and the music, at times, sounds like it could have come out of an old video game. Romero wanted a comic book feel to this installment, and he succeeded.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that at all, and it’s certainly entertaining; however I do think they went a little far with the comedy in respect to the zombies, making them appear too bumbling in some instances. Some have expressed displeasure with the majority of the undead appearing with a simple gray-faced makeup (often appearing as blue). I can see how they would feel that way after seeing more recent films, however the zombie outbreak was still at an early stage here, so it would make sense to have a lot of the freshly dead. There are a couple of “hero” zombies that feature more elaborate makeups, however.

The cast here is mostly enjoyable. Out of our soldiers, Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott Reiniger) deliver perfectly. Foree brings an authoritative presence to his role; while Reiniger is energetic and helps keep the spirit of the film up between action scenes. Fran (Gaylen Ross) and “Fly Boy” (David Emge) who have fled from a news station and joined up with them, are more of a mixed bag. I didn’t care for Emge’s portrayal or his character at first, but he turns it around in time and had me rooting for him.

The same cannot be said for Gaylen Ross. She remained the weak link throughout the film. Ross is like a living zombie who never really shows any emotion. She refused to scream for Romero during her scenes and to the detriment of her character, I think. It makes his attempt at giving her a character arc fall somewhat flat. She clearly thought this was a stand for strong women in Horror films (she mentions several times in the supplements that this was pre-Sigourney Weaver in Alien), but you don’t have to be stoic to be strong. When she picked up a gun later, I didn’t buy it.

One similarity in both Night and Dawn is Romero’s trademark social commentary. While he claims it wasn’t really intentional in the former, it was very much so in Dawn. Even though the characters are in a life and death struggle, they are surrounded by a wonderland of material goods and can’t help but partaking. It’s somewhat amusing, but I have to admit, that I’ve never been enamored with these type of statements. It doesn’t hurt the film certainly, but if it wasn’t there, I wouldn’t miss it. This was the first entry to delve into over the top death scenes and violence, which are provided with great glee by Tom Savini. Most of these work their way into the last act, which acts as a nice payoff.

If you’re a fan of Dawn, you likely already own this 4-disc Ultimate Edition set from Anchor Bay. If not, then trust that this is the release to pick up; as it is overflowing with special features, such as documentaries, commentaries, and easter eggs that cover everything you could ever want to know; as well as two alternate cuts of the movie. The Extended Cut is pretty much a rough cut of the film that runs 139 minutes versus the theatrical’s 127 minutes. Honestly, I’ve watched this version two times; once when I got this set and the second for this review. It doesn’t really add anything that I felt was a real attribute to the film.

The European Version, known as Zombi, was recut by Argento to fit the International marketplace; which meant more action and less talking, essentially. While I greatly enjoy Romero’s theatrical cut, I do prefer some of the pacing changes and cuts made by Dario in this 118 minute version. Another change that I liked, was how this cut features more of Goblin’s soundtrack as opposed to a lot of the cost cutting stock music that Romero used for several sequences.

Dawn of the Dead is a great fun ride, with a tight cast of characters that I (mostly) care about. It definitely upped the ante for the zombie films to come. The film was remade in 2004 in association with the original’s producer Richard Rubinstein, and directed by Zack Snyder. Some felt it stacked up to the original and praised it for introducing the “fast zombie”. I saw fast zombies in Return of the Living Dead, so I wasn’t very impressed with that aspect; and simply saw the film as an average zombie yarn with a big budget. If it’s anything like Night of the Living Dead, we’ll be seeing further remakes. But, there is just something about the original and the means by which it was made, that make it stand out as one of the seminal icons in a sea of zombie films.

Directed by: George A. Romero
Starring: Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Gaylen Ross, David Emge
Released by: Anchor Bay

Special Features:

Dawn of the Dead Comic Book
Disc One (US Theatrical Version)

• Audio Commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Chris Romero, and Moderated by Perry Martin
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Poster & Advertising Gallery
• George A. Romero Bio

Disc Two (Extended Version)

• Audio Commentary with Richard P. Rubinstein, Moderated by Perry Martin
• Monroeville Mall Commercial
• Still Galleries

Disc Three (European Version)

• Audio Commentary with Stars David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Poster & Still Galleries
• Dario Argento Bio

Disc Four

• The Dead Will Walk (75 minute Retro Documentary)
• Roy Fumkes’ Document of the Dead (92 minute On-Set Documentary)
• On-Set Home Movies
• Monroeville Mall Tour

FuckEm's Rating:

Dr. Terrible's Bad Movie Reviews: Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night

by Dr. Terrible

Hiya, true believers! It’s Dr. Terrible here with another terribly trepidatious Troma movie review! It’s a really funny stink bomb of a flick... and I loved every minute of it. Let’s begin!

Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night is about a couple college kids who go to a campground on spring break to have a nice relaxing week away from school. They run into hippies, Bible students, and slightly retarded jocks. The coons (raccoons) come, infect the campers with their scat (poop!) and the chaos and hilarity ensues.

This flick is actually meant to be funny rather than trying to make serious art out of a $5,000 budget. The actors remind me of the cast of The Whitest Kids U Know. I laughed my self into a coma the whole way.

This being a Troma movie, you’d expect copious amounts of both bush and blood, but you’d be wrong! I was wrong!. There’s some occasional blood here and there, but no guts or anything like that. There are no boobs, minus a few nude raccoons.

The acting is really average. The cast perform their roles as well as they can but, due the budget, they're forced to use one actor more than once; this is another funny part.

The raccoons that are used are freeze dried dead specimens, which is sort of gross, really, but what are you gonna do? They're really old looking and one of the few good props in the movie. They're creepy; all stuffed and frees dried and staring at you with their dead eyes. The rest of the props came from the dollar section of a costume store: Big fake mustaches, plastic doodie... you get the idea.

Over all, I’d give this movie 7 out of 10 on my poop scale. The humor and songs were dead on, but the gore and lack of boobs or raunch left me wanting.

That’s all for now, friends, I’ll see you guys soon for another titillating edition of Dr. Terrible’s Bad Movie Reviews!

FRANKENHOOKER Turns Blu on November 8

September 16, 2011 - 6:54PM EST

From Frank Henenlotter, the creator of the BASKET CASE trilogy and BRAIN DAMAGE, comes FRANKENHOOKER, a gory horror-comedy twist on the Frankenstein legend.

When Jeffrey Franken’s fiancée is chopped to pieces by the blades of a remote-controlled lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York City’s finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. Unfortunately for Jeffrey, his dear Elizabeth’s brain is scrambled and she
runs amok on 42nd Street, turning tricks and bringing high-voltage death to
her customers!

Synapse Films is proud to present the uncut version of FRANKENHOOKER in an all-new 2K high-definition transfer created from original vault materials and digitally re-mastered 5.1 surround sound!


Special Features and Disc Info:

Audio Commentary with Director Frank Henenlotter and
Make-Up Effects Designer Gabe Bartalos
A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth – Patty Mullen Featurette
A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of Frankenhooker – Featurette
Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora Remembers Frankenhooker – Featurette
Theatrical Trailer

Director: Frank Henenlotter
Starring: James Lorinz, Patty Mullen, Louise Lasser, Jennifer Delora
Run Time: 85 minutes
Release Date: November 8, 2011
Language: English (DTS-HD MA English 5.1 Surround / DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Stere0)
Aspect Ratio: High-Definition 1080p Widescreen (1:78:1)
Format: Blu-ray
Price: $24.95

For more information, check out www.synapse-films.com

Teaser Trailer for Season 2 of THE DEAD HOUR

September 16, 2011 - 6:47PM EST

The first teaser trailer for the new season of the horror webseries "The Dead Hour" has gone live.

"The Dead Hour" is an indie horror anthology series filmed in Omaha, Nebraska. The show centers around a mysterious and sexy radio DJ who brings her audience dark and twisted tales each night. The first season launched last fall and webisodes can be seen exclusively at www.thedeadhour.com. Season 2 is currently in production and will feature nine new episodes that will premiere this October also exclusively on the site.

More news, updates and behind the scenes features can be found on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/magnumpictures.

MANIAC COP Hits Blu-ray and SOUTH OF HEAVEN Comes Home on October 11

September 16,2011 - 6:40PM EST

Innocent people are brutally killed on the streets of New York by a uniformed police officer. A young cop, Jack Forrest (Bruce Campbell, TV's BURN NOTICE and THE EVIL DEAD Trilogy) finds himself marked as the chief suspect after his wife is murdered. As Lieutenant Frank McCrae (Tom Atkins, DRIVE ANGRY and LETHAL WEAPON) investigates, the death toll rises and he suspects a mysterious police cover-up. This "maniac" cop must be stopped, but it might not be so easy. He seems inhuman, and ready to take on the entire police force, hell-bent on revenge! Restored and remastered from original vault materials by Synapse Films,

MANIAC COP looks and sounds better than ever in this brand-new 2011 high-definition transfer, featuring newly remixed DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound! Long considered a classic of the horror genre, MANIAC COP was written and produced by Larry Cohen (IT'S ALIVE, PHONE BOOTH) and directed by William Lustig (MANIAC, VIGILANTE).

A bold anti-hero origin story steeped with atmosphere and ultraviolence! When Roy Coop finished his stint in the Navy,he only had two things on his mind: seeing his brother Dale, and writing the great American novel. What he gets, however, is the homecoming from Hell! A pair of violent vaudevillians (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE's Jon Gries, and Thomas Jay Ryan) mistake him for his brother, looking to collect on a debt he didn't know he owed. Eight fingers later, Roy is burnt to a crisp, forged by fire into a new man. Roy is dead. Nobody is born. Now it's Nobody's turn to have his wicked revenge, and to save his brother before it's too late. Wrapped in bandages and ready for blood, Nobody is determined to kill those that gets in his way, even the murdering masochist named Mad Dog Mantee (Shea Whigham, MACHETE and HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE).

Dodging bullets and dodging dames, Nobody meets the nasty ne'er-do-wells
Lily (Diora Baird, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING)
and Veronica (Elina Löwensohn, SCHINDLER'S LIST). In this wonderful neo-film-noir, violence and vengeance are destined to meet in a little town
they call... SOUTH OF HEAVEN.

Special Features and Disc Info (MANIAC COP):

Maniac Cop Memories – Interview with Robert Z'Dar
Out the Window – Interview with Tom Atkins
Three Minutes with Danny Hicks Featurette
Motion Still Gallery
Additional Scenes Filmed for Japanese TV
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots
Spanish Radio Spot

Director: William Lustig
Starring: Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins
Run Time: 87 minutes
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Language: English (6.1 and 4.0 Surround)
Aspect Ratio: High-Definition 1080p Widescreen (1:85:1)
Format: Blu-ray
Price: $24.95

Special Features and Disc Info (SOUTH OF HEAVEN):

Three Audio Commentaries featuring Cast Members, Filmmakers, and Critics
Three Short Films by Director J.L. Vara

Director: J.L. Vara
Starring: Shea Whigham, Diora Baird, Elina Löwensohn
Run Time: 97 minutes
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Language: English (5.1 Surround)
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic 1.78:1
Format: DVD
Price: $19.95

For more information, check out www.synapse-films.com

Uzumaki Movie Review

by Dr. Terrible

This is my first bad movie review for The Horror Enthusiast! Aren’t you all pumped beyond anything? I thought so! I should warn you that I love and cherish bad movies. They’re almost always fun and easy to watch. With that being said, be warned fellow readers!

I figured I’d start with one of my favorite bad Asian horror flicks, Uzumaki; It’s about a small Asian town plagued by spirals. It’s based on a notorious manga which is really crazy, as well. Let’s jump right into this monster!

The movie has everything you’d want in a truly odd Asian horror movie. Snail people? Check. Spiral obsessed fathers who turn themselves into spirals? Check. A woman who’s hair comes to life and drains people of energy? Check. The list of oddities here keeps going and going.

The budget was the only real setback for this movie; it was around a million dollars American. That makes for some not so sweet CGI effects, but the practical gore and makeup were spot on, for sure. The acting is as good as you can expect for a micro budget movie, minus Eriko Hatsune. She was really convincing as the school girl who has to watch her town go ape shit.

If you've read the manga, the movie will make a lot more sense. If not, prepare to ask a bunch of questions that never really get answered; Things happen and are never explained and it can be kind of frustrating, for sure, but it’s still quite a trip to watch.

Uzumaki is probably the strangest Asian movie since Tetsuo: Iron Man and I wouldn’t recommend any one watching it under any kind of mind altering substance. But, if you’re feeling like you want your head to pop off and float to a hell full of spirals, then sally forth, good man! I guess what I’m trying to say is that this movie is odd in a dark way; The kind of odd that sticks to your guts and stays with you like demon heartburn.

If you’ve seen my YouTube channel (slothbp) you know I grade things on a “poop scale.” One is for runny poop of a movie that burns the anus and ten is for a glorious, corn filled, hearty dump. I give Uzumaki a SEVEN on my (patent-pending) poop scale. I took three points off only because of the bad CGI effects.

Uzumzaki is weird and dark and I’d recommend it to anyone out there who loves cheesy movies.

Well, true believers, I hope you all enjoyed my first ever review for the Horror Enthusiast. I’ll be back faster than you can say "excelsior!" Smell ya later, blood farts!

Warlock DVD Review

by FuckEm

A 17th century Warlock (Julian Sands) flees his execution and leaps forward to 1988, where he plans to reunite the pages of a Satanic bible. He’s followed by his rival, Redferne (Richard E. Grant), who teams up with average Kassandra (Lori Singer) to take him down.

So, in some ways, it’s a reversed, less ambitious version of the Terminator formula. Written by David Twhoy and directed by the man who gave Jason his hockey mask and took away half of Michael Myer’s filmography, Steve Miner; Warlock sat on the shelf for at least two years due to New World Pictures financial woes. It was picked up by Trimark, who gave it a limited release in early 1991. The film looks a little low rent to me and plays pretty much like a DTV film, but still manages to have a degree of cheesy fun about it.

To its credit, it knows what it is. It doesn’t attempt to hold off on the introduction of the title character, nor does it waste any time getting to the action. It’s not really a gory film at all, and relies more on the fantastical; which was fitting. I’d actually call it more of a Fantasy film than Horror; though it’s subject matter alone is going to give it that label. I felt Sands did a fine job as the Warlock; giving him a good balance of suave and smarm. I also found it somewhat amusing that he resembled the early incarnation of WWE wrestler Triple H.

However, and this is no fault of Sands, I felt the character was a little underwritten as far as his abilities. There were several times in the story that he came off as too vulnerable and not that threatening to the main characters. One of the only things I felt the sequel improved upon. Though, his goal in this film is befitting of an evil character of his type.

Singer makes Kassandra a passable character, I suppose, even if she’s written a bit too shallow for my liking. Her 80’s hair and clothes should provide a few laughs. As will the idea that she’s supposed to be 20 years-old. I found Redferne to be more grating. I don’t know if it was Grant’s accent or the awful roadkill duster that he never takes off. But, I did appreciate the sense that Grant seemed to be really into the role.

I thought the pair’s early chase of the Warlock was a little uninteresting, but it did get better on the stretch to the end. The final method of thwarting the Warlock was pretty stupid, even for a film of this kind. Just not very imaginative, in my view. Several of my problems were with Twhoy’s screenplay, actually.

The film is what it is; and some will like it and some not. If you’re on the fence, try to find some footage of the hokey flying Warlock scenes. I think that more or less sums up much of the film’s tone. If you can take such things in stride and not hold it against the film, then you should be set for this. I can accept its cheesiness, but I don’t know that I’d watch it again anytime soon; which is reflected in my rating. I know it’s gained a cult following since its release, so I’m aware that my view is but one of many.

The film is presented in shitty full screen format for your viewing pleasures.

Directed by: Steve Miner
Starring: Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Richard E. Grant
Released by: Lionsgate

Special Features:

Trailer
Cast and Crew Information

FuckEm's Rating:

Indie Slasher RAYMOND DID IT DVD Now Available for Pre-Order

September 12, 2011 - 3:34PM EST

Rockford, Illinois-based Plastic Age Productions is pleased to announce that our first feature length film, Raymond Did It, is NOW AVAILABLE for pre-order on DVD!

Raymond Did It is a slasher film in the tradition of Halloween and Prom Night. When twelve-year-old Bryce Rourke is accidentally killed in a playground scuffle, his friends decide to blame Bryce's developmentally delayed older brother for the accident. Raymond is taken to a state hospital while the true killer walks free. Six years later, Raymond escapes from the hospital to seek bloody revenge for his brother's death.

The UNRATED DVD will be released on November 22nd. Fans can pre-order a signed copy from writer/director Travis Legge at http://www.aegisstudios.com/store

Signed copies ordered by October 15th will ship by Halloween!

Raymond Did It stars Lindsay Felton (VH1 Scream Queens, Caitlin's Way), Jessica Palette (Vh1 Scream Queens, Under the Raven's Wing), Elissa Dowling (Dahmer vs. Gacy, Dread), Steven Edwards, Jake Skiba, Ty Yaeger, and Kyle Hoskins as Raymond.

Written and Directed by: Travis Legge
Director of Photography: Tim Stotz
Edited by: Robert J. Williams

For more information, trailers, clips and news, visit http://www.raymonddidit.com

You can also "like" Raymond Did It on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raymond-Did-It/205521879470 and follow writer/director Travis Legge on Twitter at http://twitter.com/travislegge