Saturday, August 8, 2015

UPDATE - Legacy of Satan / Blood - Double Feature Coming to Blu-ray From Code Red DVD

A double dose of horror coming from Code Red DVD in September.



Legacy of Satan / Blood Blu-ray



Code Red DVD has announced plans to bring Gerard Damiano's 1974 film, "Legacy of Satan" and Andy Milligan's 1974 film, "Blood" to Blu-ray as a double feature on September 15, 2015.


LEGACY OF SATAN (1974)

Seductive witches perform black magic and Satanic rituals in this horrifying tale of sexual murder. Calling upon dark evil forces these sexy priestesses of the devil lure their unsuspecting victims into the fires of a living hell. Cast: Lisa Christian, John Francis, Christa Helm, Ann Paul, and "Last House on the Left" star Sandra Peabody. Director of Photography by Joao Fernandez! Directed by Gerard ("Deep Throat") Damiano. Produced by Lou Perry.CODE RED DVD has remastered this motion pictures from the surviving C.R.I 35mm



BLOOD (1974)

Lawrence & Regina Orlovsky (Allan Berendt & Hope Stansbury) move into a new mansion by the real estate slime Mr. Markham (outlandish Martin Reymert) not knowing they are dracula & werewolf couple!!! off the wall chiller and they even thrown in a Man-eating plant! A longer 35mm print surfaced, which marks an official home video debut in the USA! Cult icon Andy Milligan creates another crazy movie that was bought by Lou Peraino to double bill with other films due to the short time length.



Here is a short clip I found from "Blood", to give a sneak peek at the film.


***UPDATE***

Screen Archives Entertainment has said that the Blu-ray is now available to order and is ready to ship here.

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Friday, August 7, 2015

The House on Sorority Row - Blu-ray Review - Scorpion Releasing

Nothing can prepare you for what happens when she fights back.

The House on Sorority Row Blu-ray



Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Production Year: 1983
Region Code: ALL
Running Time: 1:31:53
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: None


THE FILM:

Flirtatious young sorority sisters who are days away from graduation set out to throw one last decadent celebration. Unbeknownst to them, the strict matron of their house hides a horrendous secret thought long buried. A gruesome accident is witnessed by a hideous fiend, hidden within the once nurturing dwelling, which triggers a rampage of death and destruction. Before the end, the peril faced by this sisterhood will push them to the bring of annihilation. And rivers of blood will drown all who enter... The House on Sorority Row. 

As a long time fan of the film, this movie falls in to a category for me that I compare to "comfort food." Every time I revisit it, it feels like spending time with an old friend. Yes. It is a slasher film and I find comfort in that. Call me weird but there are several films that fit in to that category for me including "Black Christmas" (1974) and "My Blood Valentine" (1981). I have always found Vicki (Eileen Davidson) to be quite likable despite her being a "bad girl" in the film. Perhaps that is why I find her likable. She has an attitude about her, she won't be pushed around and she's not afraid to break the rules. 


Kate McNeil in The House on Sorority Row


AUDIO:

This Blu-ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio track. It does a fairly good job overall. It is far from perfect, with some slight hissing here and there. The track would benefit from a good cleanup. However, it still does a good enough job that should please most fans. Thankfully the dialog is not difficult to understand and I never noticed it being drowned out by the terrific Richard Band score or the sound effects used in the film. 


VIDEO:

"The House on Sorority Row" graduates to Blu-ray thanks to Scorpion Releasing. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio via a new high definition master created from the original internegative. This release also features the pre-credit sequence, re-timed to how the Director originally intended. The video quality really looks nice. Scorpion Releasing did a very nice job with their remastering of the film. It is so nice to be a slasher fan and see a treasured (by me at least) 80's classic, given new life in the age of high definition. There are some instances of specks and spots here and there but they are minor and nothing I found to be distracting. Colors in the film look good and not washed out. Skin tones have a nice, natural appearance throughout. Black levels look fairly good, even in the darker scenes. There is a fair amount of fine detail present in the brighter close ups and as is normally the case, less of it in darker or wide shots. I found the film grain to look fine throughout, except in some of the darker scenes where it is a bit heavier. Again, that tends to be the norm in most cases. I have learned to expect that and being a fan of film grain, it would have to be overly aggressive to bother me. 


Eileen Davidson in The House on Sorority Row


SPECIAL FEATURES:

Nearly all of the special features from the Scorpion Releasing DVD were ported over for the Blu-ray release except for the option to watch the film as "Katarina's Nightmare Theater."

Audio Commentary #1 - This track features stars Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil and Director Mark Rosman. A fun, laid back commentary that feels like old friends reminiscing over old times. The ladies seem to have some fond memories of their time making the film. They do a nice job of talking about what is happening on the screen, throughout the film. I prefer this commentary over the second track, mainly due to it being more fun to listen to while watching the film.

Audio Commentary #2 - This track features Director Mark Rosman moderated by Katarina Leigh Waters. The one starts off by talking about the opening sequence and how it was intended to be in black and white, which it now is on the Blu-ray. Mr. Rosman covers a variety of topics including the budget, cast, sets,  the band that appears in the film, death scenes and more. It is mentioned how Lois Kelso Hunt's (Mrs. Slater) voice in the film, was dubber over due to her voice not being as deep and husky as they would have liked. This was a pretty informative commentary track. 

Interview with Star Harley Jane Kozak (41:39) - The interview starts with Miss Kozak talking about how she got her part in the film. She mentions how she and several other girls were on soap operas at the same time they were making the movie. Harley talks about going to the films premiere and what it was like to watch her own death scene. She also talks about some other cast members, the set, the remake, including how she thinks all of the male characters in the remake were very unlikable, and a number of topics involving the film. 

Original Pre-Credit Sequence (2:06) - Here is the sequence the way it used to look with the bluish hue.

Alternate Ending/Story Board/Still Gallery (7:11) - Mark Rosman narrates over a photo from what he wanted the ending of the film to be, where Kathryn McNeil's character would have been killed. Then we move on the a comparison of storyboards and the film. Finally, we see a number of stills from the film.

Trailers (6:13)


DISC 2 (DVD) SPECIAL FEATURES:

Interview with Star Kathryn McNeil by Katarina Leigh Waters (14:24) - Kathryn talks about her past and current career, the films production, the director, cast members, the nasty swimming pool and more.

Interview with Co-Star Eileen Davidson by Katarina Leigh Waters (7:13) - Eileen discusses her career, the film, the premiere of the film and other topics.

Interview with Director Mark Rosman by Katarina Leigh Waters (21:22) - Mr. Rosman talks about his career and some of the people he has met and worked with over the years. He also talks about the ad campaign, including the poster for the film and how it doesn't exactly represent the same type of film that was being made.

Interview with Composer Richard Band (45:15) This in depth interview with Mr. Band covers his music used in the film. He also talks about several films he worked on including "Parasite", "Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype", "The Dungeonmaster", "Re-Animator" and "Ghoulies." Richard mentions how it felt to be conducting an orchestra that is playing your own music. Watching the interview you get to see how he has had an amazing career in music. If you're not familiar with Richard Band, you should take a look at his filmography on IMDB or his own website because you will surely recognize a number of the films he has worked on in his storied career.

Interview with Producer Igo Kantor (10:11) - Mr. Kantor talks briefly about the work he had done on the film. He also talks about some other films he has been involved in over the years.  

Katarina's Trailers - "Final Exam" (1:30), "Double Exposure" (2:52), "The Incubus" (1:27), "Terror" (1:41), "Humongous" (1:12)


The House on Sorority Row


IN CONCLUSION:

I have been a fan of "The House on Sorority Row" since the first time I watched it, years ago. I was really excited when this Blu-ray was announced and Scorpion Releasing did not disappoint. This was a huge upgrade for me since I had only owned the old Elite Entertainment DVD. This has been a slasher that I always watch at least once a year. Scorpion Releasing did a great job with this release. It has never looked better than it does now. Plus it has some very nice extras with the commentary tracks and interviews. Slasher fans should own a copy of this film. 


OVERALL: 4 / 5





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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead - Blu-ray Review - Scream Factory

Kiah and Tristan Roache-Turner's.....


Wyrmwood Blu-ray


Released by: Scream Factory
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Production Year: 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:38:35
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 7.1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish


THE FILM:

In the aftermath of a comet breaking up over Earth, most of the planet's population quickly succumbs to a strange disease which turns them into "zombies." Few survive, and those who do, quickly discover all existing fuel sources have been rendered useless by the plague.

Trapped in a wilderness teeming with living dead, one of the survivors, Barry (Jay Gallagher), has lost everything except his sister, Brooke (Bianca Bradey). But even as the disaster unfolds, Brooke is kidnapped and dragged to a terrifying medical lab run by a psychotic "doctor" (Berynn Schwerdt) who is performing a series of deranged experiments on plague survivors. As Brooke struggles to devise an escape plan, she realizes that the doctor's experiments have given her strange powers over his zombie captives. Unaware of his sister's new powers, Barry teams up with fellow survivors to rescue her and protect what family he has left.


I really enjoyed this film. It is not your typical zombie film. There is a comedic element to it, but the humor is typically of the dark variety. There may not be much in the character development department in this film, but there are some likable characters. Even the demented doctor is an oddly entertaining fellow. It sounds like a sequel may be happening which is good news. I would definitely like to see what the Roache-Turner brothers have in store for the next chapter.


Wyrmwood Blu-ray


AUDIO:

There are two audio options available on this Blu-ray, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. The audio quality is excellent with the bone crunching, flesh ripping and head exploding moments sounding great! There are plenty of opportunities where the audio gets to shine and it does just that. I thought the balance between dialogue, sound effects and score was fine. I did not notice any audio issues like hiccups or drop outs at all except one instance during the discs main menu screen where at about the 31-32 second mark, there's a brief one second glitch in the audio. But at least it's on the menu and not during the film. There are also English SDH and Spanish Subtitles included in this release.

VIDEO:

"Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead" gnaws its way on to Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory and IFC Midnight. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. Overall, the video quality of this Blu-ray is great. During well lit close-ups, there is an amazing amount of fine detail present. Video quality and different aspects of the video can change frequently in this film as it offers a variety of point of views and color palettes. In some scenes colors are super rich and very saturated and in others, very cold with a minimal amount of color. The changes were not off-putting and really, just gave the film more style and made certain scenes stand out by having a different look. Black levels looked good as well. One thing of note is during that the commentary track, it is mentioned that five different models of cameras were used to film the movie over the course of the four year production. The only negative comment I have is that at approximately the 1:02:50 mark of the film, if you look near the top of the screen at Benny's hair, it appears to be a bit blurry. I am talking about just the top couple inches (depending on your TV size) of the screen. That was the only time I noticed it and it was only while the characters were standing there during that time. I do not know if that is from the original filming or if it happened afterward. But I thought I should mention it.


Wyrmwood Blu-ray


SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commentary with the Roache-Turner Brothers - A highly entertaining commentary with Kiah Roache-Turner who directed and Tristan Roache-Turner who produced. The brothers co-wrote the film as well. Viewers are treated with a large amount of information pertaining to the making of the film. For starters, "Wyrmwood" was filmed over the course of four years. The pair cover everything from shooting locations, including their mother's garage, to the cast, the script, the weapons used in the film and more. If you enjoy commentary tracks, this is a fun one that you should check out.

The Wyrmdiaries: Behind the Scenes of Wyrmwood (49:29) - This behind the scenes look at the film starts off with some make-up effects, making a gun used in the film, some video effects, stunts and more. There is also footage included showing a dangerous stunt that went wrong but thankfully the stunt-woman was not injured. You name it, I think they cover it to some degree. The cast and crew really look to be enjoying themselves while making the film. 

The 7 Minute Teaser Scene (8:14) - From what I saw in the behind the scenes featurette, this was made before shooting began on the film.

Crowdfunding Video 1 (6:01) 

Crowdfunding Video 2 (4:14)

Storyboards by the Director (1:32)

Trailers (4:23) 

Deleted Scenes (19:30) - Ten scenes that were cut from the film.

Reversible Cover


Wyrmwood Blu-ray


IN CONCLUSION:

If you prefer your zombie films to be straight forward and traditional, this may not be the film for you. However, if you like a bit of dark humor and a fair bit of craziness tossed into the mix, then you should definitely give this film a look. I found it to be quite fun and as the quote on the cover states, "Mad Max Meets Dawn of the Dead", that is a pretty accurate mash-up. The blu-ray looks and sounds pretty nice and also sports some good extras. As of this review, it can be bought quite cheaply as well. Prices sometimes rise following the week of release, so keep that in mind. Anyhow, good movie, good blu-ray, cheap price... no brainer (no pun intended).


OVERALL: 4 / 5


 

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Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Zombeavers - Blu-ray Review - Freestyle Digital Media

They'll Dam You To Hell!

Zombeavers Blu-ray


Release Date: May 19, 2015
Production Year: 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:17:04
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 / English DD 2.0
Video: 1080p (1.78 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH


THE FILM:

They’re ferocious, they’re furry, they’re ZOMBEAVERS, the stars of this 2015 horror-comedy, directed by Jordan Rubin. When a trio of sexy college girls (Cortney Palm, Rachel Melvin, Lexi Atkins) arrive at a remote cabin for a weekend getaway, their vacation is quickly jeopardized by a hungry bear, a menacing hunter (Rex Linn), and the girls’ own party-crashing boyfriends (Hutch Dano, Jake Weary, Peter Gilroy). However, these preliminary disturbances are nothing compared to what lurks in the lake by the cabin: The result of a local chemical spill, a horde of bloodthirsty, zombified beavers closes in on the unsuspecting co-eds. It isn’t long before the kids are engaged in a life and death struggle with the ferocious ZOMBEAVERS, but it turns out that the creatures themselves are only the beginning of their nightmare.

I am definitely a fan of this movie. This is probably the fifth or sixth time I have watched it now. For one thing, it's a quick movie to watch being around 75 minutes, not counting credits. Plus I found it to be a good horror-comedy. It's silly but not way over the top. The acting was good and the practical effects looked pretty good too. Some of the CGI was okay, but I am not a fan of CGI in horror films. I'll take practical effects any day. 


AUDIO:

There are two English audio tracks included on this Blu-ray, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. Both tracks sounded fine and had a fairly good balance, but to me the sound level of the dialogue could have been slightly higher, since it seemed a little softer during moments that also featured sound effects or the score. English SDH Subtitles are also included.


VIDEO:

"Zombeavers" tunnels its way on to Blu-ray thanks to Freestyle Digital Media. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio. The video quality is quite nice. Colors look bright and vibrant. Skin tones look natural in appearance. Black levels look very good in brighter scenes, but tend to look a bit flat in darker scenes. Viewers should be pleased with the amount of fine detail in the film.


Zombeavers Blu-ray


SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio Commentary - This track features members of the cast and crew popping in to talk about various scenes of the film. The participants include Jordan Rubin (Director), Evan Astrowsky (Producer),  Jonah Zimmerbeg-Helms (Creature Effects Technician), Jonathan Hall (Cinematographer), Freddy Waff (Production Design), Christopher Lemole (Producer) Tim Zajaros (Producer), actors Cortney Palm, Lexi Atkins, Rachel Melvin, Rex Linn, Jake Weary, Peter Gilroycover and Bill Burr.

This has to easily, be the most people I have ever heard participate in a commentary. Some of the participants were not physically present and talked via phone. I do wish they did two commentary tracks, one with the cast and one with the crew. I think a whole track with the cast would have been pretty fun. The only disappointing thing about the commentary is that for some reason it only runs for about 57 minutes instead of the full length of the film. Among topics discusses in the commentary are how the film came to be, funny stories involving the barrel from the beginning of the film and how one of the actors was almost fired before shooting began. They do a great job talking about what is happening on the screen, what went in to creating the zombeavers and how they had to puppeteer them also. I enjoyed the commentary even though I wish they had brought the cast back in for the last twenty minutes of the film.  

Behind the Cameos featuring Stephen Merchant, Bill Burr and John Mayer (3:44) - A humorous interview. Be sure to watch it.

Behind the Scenes (1:03) - A brief look at how some shots in the film were achieved. 

Building A Beaver (1:53) - This featurette offers a sneak peak at the work involved to create a zombeaver.

Deleted Scene (:36) - "You seriously like this music" extended scene

Man Becomes Monster (1:02) - Here we get a look at actor Rex Linn (Smyth) having a mold done of his head.

Auditions (5:53) - We get to see some audition scenes from the main cast which are then followed by the actual scene from the film.

Storyboards

Behind The Scenes Stills (2:35)

"For Your Consideration" Trailer (1:02)

International Trailer (1:38)

U.S. Trailer (1:45)


Zombeavers Blu-ray


IN CONCLUSION:

A fun film and a nice Blu-ray to boot. This Blu-ray was released exclusively to Best Buy. I do not know if/when it will be available for sale in other stores. It was fairly cheap when I bought it on release day, about $9.99 I believe. The trailer should give you a good idea if this film is for you or not. The song that plays over the end credits reminded me of the cover to the song "Down With the Sickness" from the remake of "Dawn of the Dead" in that it's the same style. Oh and be sure to watch the scene that follows the end credits.


OVERALL: 3.5 / 5


   




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Shivers Down Your Spine - Movie Review - Dead Lantern Pictures

"Shivers Down Your Spine" is the latest feature film from Dead Lantern Pictures. Written and Directed by Mathew Kister, the film is an anthology with nine short stories with a wrap around story.


Shivers Down Your Spine


Out of the Lamp - The film opens with Jeff (Steve Eaton) unexpectedly finding a genie lamp. He proceeds to sit down and rub the lamp, somehow managing to look fairly relaxed at first as purple smoke billows forth. Then a smile appears as he waits with anticipation of things to come. From the lamp emerges... Sabiah (Megan Shepherd), a beautiful semi-nude djinn offering to fulfill the wishes of the mortal. Here's where things take a left turn as Jeff quickly tells her to put on some clothes. Wait... What.. was both the reaction of Sabiah and myself. Much to her surprise, he uses his first wish to have Sabiah make him a pizza. Jeff eventually uses his second wish to task Sabiah to tell him a combination of nine scary and funny stories and then in a comical way, proceeds to break the fourth wall. The story of Jeff and Sabiah is a wrap around piece with scenes appearing between the short stories. 

RATING: 4/5


Megan Shepherd Shivers Down Your Spine
Sabiah the djinn

Deadbolt - Our first story is a cautionary tale about a girl who finds herself home alone and is terrorized by something evil. Set on Halloween, we have Cora (Jenny Chambers) who mentions to her mother (Tina Schmidt), over the phone, that she forgot to buy candy. She manages to appease one child (Genevieve Schmidt) by giving them fortune cookies. Afterward she turns off the porch light to dissuade any other trick-or-treaters. Of course the doorbell rings again. Cora opens the door to find that there is no one there. Shortly after, it happens again. Only this time we see the lock on the door open. Again, no one is there when she opens the door. Later that night things escalate and Cora realizes it's not just someone playing a prank. 

I thought the story was okay and the acting was fair. There were a few nice effects done like the pillow on the sofa. My biggest gripe with this story was that it had some good build up, but the payoff was lacking.  

RATING: 2.5/5 


Convention Girl - The next story finds Justin (Steve Eaton) being woken up by a frantic phone call from his friend, David (T.J. Roe). Justin goes to his friends room where he finds the body of a prostitute (Ali Aguilar) who has been stabbed with a stake. David explains how she got to his room and that she turned out to be a vampire. I won't spoil the ending but let's just say things do not go well. 

The story and acting were okay. There were a couple funny lines. The practical effects looked good. I also wish I knew what was said at the end of the story. That question is referenced in the following wrap around segment, which made me laugh. One other thing I wondered is, when Justin is on the phone with the police, unless I'm mistaken, the only room number he gives did not belong to David. I'm not sure if that was Justin's room number or not. Not that it really matters. It is just something I noticed. 

RATING: 2.5/5


BIRTHDAY DINNER - We open with a couple (Eric Moyer and Michelle Schrage) eating dinner at their daughters birthday party. However, their daughter is not present as she had been bad earlier, as the couple mentions over dinner. After a bit of talking, a terrible secret is revealed. 

This one was pretty short but had a wickedly good ending. I thought the story was going somewhere else, so it was a nice surprise. I found the acting to be pretty good. There is something about the story that took me back to the 80's TV shows, "Tales From the Darkside" and "Monsters". I really did enjoy everything about this film. Cast and crew did a fine job. My only complaint is I wish I was a little bit longer. But maybe that is just me being greedy.

RATING: 4/5


Shivers Down Your Spine


WHISPERING BOARD - In this film, we find three sorority girls trying to communicate with Tiffany's (Julia Farrell) deceased boyfriend, Jerry. Alexis (Jazmyne Van Houten) is adamant that they should not be using the spirit board. Bryce (Chianna) is more willing to help Tiffany try and find some closure. Soon after the trio begins to use the board, we learn that Jerry was having an affair and with who. Things then take a very dark turn. 

I enjoyed this film because it kept you on your toes and had a few surprises in store for viewers. The acting, I thought, was done well. While not able to fully see everything going on in regards to the practical effects, what we did see looked good. 

RATING: 4/5


Taylor Melone Shivers Down Your Spine

I DREAM OF DJINNI - This is a tale revolving around Sabiah from our wrap around story. This film opens with Robert (Jesse Hapke) looking at pictures online, so he can eventually 'get off'. The doorbell rings and we see, Spike (Kevin Casey) from Bareback Mountain Delivery, holding a package. Despite his claim of not ordering anything, Robert accepts the package anyway. John sits down to open the box where he finds a brass lamp. It is only a matter of time before we see the purple smoke come forth and Sabiah (Megan Shepherd) appears. After dispensing with the formalities, Robert starts making his wishes. First he wishes for money, which arrives via a debit card. Next he wishes for his ideal girl (Taylor Melone). Robert gets his wish but she's not exactly what he was expecting. He finally makes his third and final wish and things go south. The lesson here is, be careful what you wish for. 

The basis of the story is something you may have seen before. Someone gets an opportunity to make a wish or wishes, they don't quite word things properly and trouble ensues. However, with what was done with the story, this was a fun film with some funny, twisted and dark moments. The actors did a good job, especially Kevin Casey playing the creepy delivery man. I think a particular sound effect played just ahead of the video, the crunching sound effect near the end, but since I viewed this screener online, it could have been the reason. Otherwise the audio seemed okay.

RATING: 3.5/5


Joanna Kingsbury Shivers Down Your Spine


SHORTLY AFTER NIGHTFALLA noir type thriller finds hitman Josh (Justin Milani), heading to do a job when he stops to pick up a confused looking woman (Joanna Kingsbury) standing along the side of the road. Interesting that it was raining before and after he picks her up, but not during. Lucky gal? Anyway, she asks for his help and says that she just wants to go home. Josh pulls up outside the OxBow Motel and offers to put her up for the night. While he gives her time to think over his offer, he proceeds to get a few items from the trunk of his car. When he finishes, he sees that the woman is no longer in his car. Inside the motel he meets with Dennie (Kevin Casey) who proceeds to hire Josh for a job. Josh goes to room 5 where he finds the woman who says her name is Jennifer. She then gives Josh and us, a glimpse of her past. Let's just say Josh learns that Jennifer is no ordinary woman and the mystery surrounding her is revealed. Josh does resolve the issue at hand and there are brutal consequences. 

A good story with some fine acting as well. This one was a nice surprise! One negative thing was from the flashback in which a character is slapped. Maybe it was me, but it looked as convincing as some punches in a professional wrestling match. But I wouldn't hold that against the film. The black and white look really added to the noir style of the film. From the camera work to the lighting, a really nice job done by all.

RATING: 4/5


A BAD HEART - Jane (Christina Olson), who was stabbed in the heart by The Cupid Killer (Mark Popejoy) on Valentine's Day, decides to get back into the dating game. She meets Peter (Dailen Cowden), a kind young man, who happens to have had a bad heart. It doesn't take long to see where this one is going. 

Even though it is somewhat predictable, I still enjoyed the film. The acting was fine for the most part. I noticed that the volume of the audio fluctuated at times. At one point the dialogue became difficult to hear but what sounded like a knife sharpening, became louder as if the mic had been moved. The practical effects looked good. But there should have been a lot more blood. It does have a humorous ending that viewers should enjoy.

RATING: 3/5



Jazmyne Van Houten Shivers Down Your Spine

LAST BREATH - Here we meet Beth (Jazmyne Van Houten), a young lady who seems to be very depressed and suicidal, who makes a couple of attempts to harm herself. She reads through a journal and looks at photographs, becoming even more upset and her mental state further deteriorates. We then see some flashbacks which attempt to fill in some gaps in the story and show what was really going on in the mind of Beth. Will Griffey also stars, playing Beth's boyfriend Greg. 

I thought the story was interesting, but I just could not get into it. I think this one has that love it or hate it factor. Jazmyne Van Houten did a very good job as Beth. The technical aspects of the film, including the cinematography, lighting and audio were all fine. 

RATING: 2/5



Shivers Down Your Spine

A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY - A group of teens decorate a theater on Christmas Eve while a crazed killer in a Santa suit roams the streets. The final story, an 80's themed tale that is an homage to EC Comics. After some brief introductions, it doesn't take long before the kids start meeting their demise. This film stars Jazmyne Van Houten (Melissa), Jim Brodhagen (Billy), Dailen Cowden (Steve), Cody McDowell (Kyle), Ted Perez (Jerry), Kerrie Waybright Smith (Lauren) and Dale Schumacher Jr. (Santa)

The story and actors do a great job of making you feel as though you're watching a film from the 80's. The characters look the part with their outfits, which include one looking like he is from "Miami Vice", one wearing and referencing his Members Only jacket and a girl that looks like she stepped out of a workout video. Thankfully the dialogue matches quite well. I love that this short film has a shot on beat-up VHS look. The synth score is a very nice touch as well.  There's a bit of a twist to the end of this one. This was a fun film that made me wish it was feature length. 

RATING: 4/5


IN CONCLUSION: Overall I found "Shivers Down Your Spine" to be a pretty enjoyable anthology. I've seen much worse from large studios and production companies. Everyone involved in the project should feel proud of what they accomplished. I wanted to add that the total running time for the film is a hefty 2 hr 13 min 59 sec. 

Here is a glimpse of what the cast and crew had to work with to get this film made:

The film was shot over the course of 4 years, beginning in the summer of 2011. The budget was a grand total of $750 bucks and all but two of the films were shot in Nebraska. All films were shot in less than 2 days.

Pretty impressive, right?

Here is some info on the Blu-ray and DVD release for the film.

The DVDs and Blu-rays will be available on DeadLantern.com in September (DVD $10 free shipping, Blu-rays $15 free shipping)

DVD/Blu-ray Features include:

  • 90 minute outtake reel
  • 5 audio commentary tracks
  • Bonus short film "Midnight Kiss"
  • "Clean" version of A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY
  • Production photos
For now you can get more information on their Tumblr page or official site.




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Sunday, August 2, 2015

M. Night Shyamalan's 'The Visit' Coming to Theaters Sept. 11th

Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and producer Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, The Purge and Insidious series) welcome you to Universal Pictures’ The Visit. The film stars Kathryn Hahn, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie,Ed Oxenbould and Olivia DeJonge.

Shyamalan returns to his roots with the terrifying story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a week-long trip. Once the children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, they see their chances of getting back home are growing smaller every day. The film opens in theaters on September 11, 2015.

You can read about the Blu-ray and DVD release here.

M. Night Shyamalan's The Visit



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The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane - Coming to Blu-ray From Kino Lorber

She was only a little girl. She lived in a great big house... all alone. Where is her mother? Where is her father? Where are all the people who went to visit her? What is her unspeakable secret? Everyone who knows is dead.


The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Blu-ray


Above, is the tentative (reversible) cover art for the 1976 film, "The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane" directed by Nicolas Gessner. Walter Olsen from Scorpion Releasing is working on some extras for the Kino Lorber Blu-ray. There's nothing official yet, but it sounds like we may get an interview  with Martin Sheen and possibly a commentary track with the director. 


Quiet, withdrawn 13-year-old Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) lives peacefully in her home in a New England beach town. Whenever the prying landlady (Alexis Smith) inquires after Rynn's father, she politely claims that he's in the city on business. But when the landlady's creepy and increasingly persistent son, Frank (Martin Sheen), won't leave Rynn alone, she teams up with kindly neighbor boy Mario (Scott Jacoby) to maintain the dark family secret that she's been keeping to herself.



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