Once in a while, the stars align and the moon shines bright enough to where a bonafide cult classic of horror cinema is born. Out of the absolute depths abysmal cinema comes one of the most laughable and painfully awful horror movies of the year. From rock icon Glenn Danzig, no less, comes his directorial debut, a live action adaptation of his comic book series “Verotik,” a title that mixes erotica and violence in to one monster. That wouldn’t be such a bad idea for an anthology. But someone forgot to tell Danzig that if you want to direct a movie, you probably should know how to operate a camera, first.
Phoenix, Oregon (2020)
As mid-life takes them into its arms, two friends are over being mistreated at the restaurant where they work by a boss who cuts every corner possible. When the opportunity arises, they both follow a dream they’ve had and make a very important career move with a closed bowling alley in their small town.
Gulliver’s Travels: A Second Look
Max Fleischer’s 1939 animated feature is given a new consideration in this week’s episode of the Rondo Award-nominated “The Online Movie Show,” with podcaster and film historian Geno Cuddy as our guest expert.
M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters) (2020)
A woman fearing her son may be a psychopath with sinister plans hides cameras around their house and records herself talking about her son, her thoughts, and her fears. Eventually, things take a turn for the worse and things start changing.
The Wizard (1989): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]
After spending many years on sub-par DVD releases and in basic limbo for a new release, “The Wizard” is given a much overdue Collector’s Edition that treats the cult classic the way it deserves. Is it a glorified Nintendo commercial? Sure! Is it a glorified ad for Universal Studios? Definitely! Is it fun? Oh god yes. “The Wizard” is a movie that might appeal to you more if you have nostalgia attached, granted, but on its own it’s a solid kids adventure film that’s also ahead of its time in the way it digs in to the video game tournaments and how much mental and physical prowess they demand.
The Postcard Killings (2020)
A New York City detective goes to Europe to identify his daughter’s body and ends up involved in the investigation. As the search for the killer advances, he meets a journalist ready to help and makes peace with some of his feelings.
The Bootleg Files: 120 Music Masterpieces
BOOTLEG FILES 722: “120 Music Masterpieces” (long-running TV commercial for a mail-order set of classical music recordings).
LAST SEEN: On YouTube.
AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.
REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: TV commercials have no reissue value after they ran their course.
CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.
If you were watching American television in the 1970s and the early 1980s, there is an excellent chance that you will recall a rather unusual commercial that popped up primarily on local independent stations. It featured a distinguished older British gentleman offering an erudite pitch for the purchase of a mail-order collection of classical music recordings.