If there is a movie in the attempted “Tales from the Crypt” movie anthology series that feels like an extended episode of the original series, it’s surely “Bordello of Blood.” When you get down to it, there’s just so much more substance in “Demon Knight,” but Gilbert Adler’s “Bordello of Blood” seems to capture the zaniness and inherent silliness of the original television series, while also sticking to casting a lot of C grade character actors for the films’ respective roles. That’s not intended as a slight to the cast, but compared to “Demon Knight,” the cast of “Bordello of Blood” seem like second stringers. “Bordello of Blood” will satiate those that want the dark humor and menace of the series.
Tag Archives: Fantasy
Mean Teddies (2015)
I’m still waiting for someone to deliver on an epic fantasy horror movie where teddy bears defend their masters against monsters under the bed, or from the closet. Tyler Novo’s two minute short comes painfully close to the premise and I’d love to see more of it down the road.
Munster Go Home! (1966)
One of my favorite qualities of “Munster Go Home!” is that it advances the mythology the Munsters, and extends their family bloodline. Unlike the Addams family, the Munsters aren’t all monsters. And Herman is actually the Frankenstein monster, except he was adopted by the Munster family and given their last name, hence his namesake. That doesn’t explain why grandpa is called Grandpa Munster, but hey, this is a family with a vampire mom and werewolf son, so you have to suspend some kind of disbelief here and there. “Munster, Go Home!” was a flop initially, which is sad considering the film really lends merit to the original series. It improves on its universe while keeping everything that made the original series so lovable.
Will Vinton’s Claymation Comedy of Horrors (1991)
Maybe it’s because I’ve been spoiled by Will Vinton’s Christmas special, but “Comedy of Horrors” just wasn’t my favorite from the man. It’s likely because the narrative he gives audiences just doesn’t fit thirty minutes as a whole. I think this special should have had various segments rather than just one solid story. The story at the center is just never as engaging as I would have loved it to be, and in the end I was kind of disappointed. “Claymation Comedy of Horrors” is filled with a ton of horror references both obscure and mainstream, and I dug the Easter Eggs he included.
Invisible Sister (2015)
Rowan Blanchard and Paris Berelc are two of the most interesting Disney personalities to come around in a while. So it’s pretty disappointing when they’re teamed up to star in a DCOM that’s pretty limp from the get go. Aside from barely being about Halloween at all, the entire notion of the movie never plays out effectively. The movie struggles really hard to find stuff for characters to do, and when it’s failing at that, it somewhat concoct subtle religious commentary. When it’s not doing that, it creates a series of plot holes that just leave the movie feeling incomplete and incredibly far fetched even for a kids movie.
The Root of the Problem (2013)
Director Ryan Spindell’s short horror film is something of sheer brilliance if only for the fact that he perpetuates the horror of the dentist. Going to the dentist is something no one enjoys doing and “The Root of the Problem” plays upon that fear by taking a young woman and putting her in to the hot seat of delirium and what may or may not be a heinous plot to take her wisdom teeth.
Scooby Doo Meets KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery (2015)
If you’re one of the many KISS fans that have always wondered what a sequel to “KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park” would look like, look no further. “Scooby Doo Meets KISS” should be more aptly titled “KISS Meets the Crimson Witch featuring Scooby Doo.” In all honesty, while this is primarily a cartoon for the Scooby Doo franchise, the majority of the film is based around KISS and their magical presences. Even the opening sequence is comprised of wonderful animated KISS montages with “Rock and Roll All Night” playing rather than the Scooby Doo theme song.







