Upon first glance at the cover, it’s pretty obvious “The Monster Club” didn’t just take a bunch of images and pasted them together (seriously, take a look at the cover! It’s like a poster! The horror gods shine on you Kerry Gammill). And “Festival of Fright” is not just a pastiche of trailers to sell DVDs. “Festival of Fright” is in the tradition of trailer compilations of the VHS era that not only help us relive some of the best and worst horror films ever made, but also show us that film can still be fun because it invokes nostalgia, amusement, and lets us marvel at how film has evolved and devolved over decades.
Masters of Horror: Pro-Life
I love Ron Perlman. Whether as the bad ass demon ass kicker “Hellboy,” or in a long-winded turkey like “Desperation,” there are not many instances where he can lose with me. In “Pro-Life” his performance is powerful, and I utterly loved him as the anti-abortion terrorist doing anything to get his daughter back from the clinic. He’s the highlight, here. “Pro-Life” drops down on a reality where abortion clinics have armed guards and fences that keep out protestors. Apparently, this is the near future but nonetheless, the whole concept of Carpenter’s installment is to somewhat paint the pro/anti-abortion issue into a more horrific light.
Masters of Horror: Sounds Like
The new installment “Sounds Like” is not so much a horror story with blood and guts, but an examination of a man who has special hearing. Special hearing that serves as a great service to his company, and a curse. As all gifts are. He can hear when a service rep at his software company is about to become angered at a customer, and he fires them upon this instinct, yet he was also able to hear the defect in his son’s heart before his death. Brad Anderson’s installment is a solid character study, a facet of the horror genre he’s strived in with “Session 9,” and the excellent “The Machinist.”
Halloween Night (2006)
Asylum’s “Halloween Night” is a film cashing in on a popular horror flick in the same vein, and they won’t admit it. Heaven forbid we should notice the similarities. Pumpkin inter-spliced with knife in hand, and the words “Halloween” and “Night” plastered on the cover. As much as I revel in bashing Asylum for their blatant horrible rip-offs, they’ve become just like every other film company. They chose to unofficially remake big budget films and they’re no better in the fact that they basically remake “Halloween” before Rob Zombie, and say, in a press release, that this film is better than both “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” combined. For shame. Now, let’s get to the meat of the situation, I’m roasting the big pig known as “Halloween Night.”
Mantis (2005)
The whole perception of society, marriage, and spousal abuse is put under the microscope, as director Foster-Algoo examines the whole picture of man and woman and how many times men can be victims too. Director Brendon Foster-Algoo first sets up the film as Adam is with his children in a stand off, and he’s depicted as a somewhat possessive husband. But throughout the course of the film, we not only learn that abuse is not just a woman’s cross to bear, but he also challenges our thoughts on the sexes, and how we instantly perceive the man as the violent aggressor, and the woman as the submissive persona. The funny thing is many of you won’t realize that you’ve made a snap judgment, and that’s what Foster-Algoo aspires and succeeds with.
Dust Devil – The Final Cut (1992) (Limited Collector's Edition DVD)
Richard Stanley’s “Dust Devil” is “The Hitcher” with a supernatural twist. It’s a compelling story about a man who kills random drivers on the road, yet is also a monster impossible to kill. With the special edition of “Dust Devil” from Subversive Cinema, now on DVD, you don’t only get one DVD, you get five. You receive the final cut, the more extended work print, and three other film works from Richard Stanley that are very avant-garde. Like the “Cannibal Holocaust” boxed set, this is well worth the money because it gives film collectors something to really bite on with a wonderfully constructed library of goodies with extras, booklets, production diaries, and even a “Dust Devil” comic book.
Future-Kill (1985) (DVD)
“Future-Kill” is an immensely dated and standard science fiction punk flick from the era of leather jackets and Mohawks. In some unsure futuristic world, a gang of mutants and gladiators in the vein of “Mad Max” meets “The Warriors” are battling among one another, and the tensions are obviously high. You can see that by the opening where the leader confronts the loose cannon Splatter, a violent individual who hides behind body armor and is basically an intimidating presence. Moore then introduces a comedic element for some reason with a group of frat boys curiously detracting from the future element, that have to pledge a fraternity. Moore’s film has not held well over time.