This week no special guest but Kyle and Tim bring you a quality show as only we know how. We talk about Tobe Hooper’s Invaders from Mars remake, and John Saxon and Burt Young in Blood Beach. Along the way Kyle professes his love for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and his dislike of Terminator 2: Judgement day. Tim watches Cheerleader Camp and a ton of other stuff. And we debut a new segment…CAN YOU DIG IT!!!
Gross Movie Reviews #314
By Tim Gross
Cheerleader Camp (DVD) – A 1988 slasher that got past me during my teenage years and once I found out about the film I made it a point to track it down and review the slasher flick. And after many years the horror film did not disappoint me as I enjoyed its gory cheese the whole way. The film sports a great cast for a slasher film in Leif Garrett, George “Buck” Flower, Betsy Russell, the amazing looking Lucinda Dickey (the Breakin’ films), and a before porn and absolutely beautiful Teri Weigel! The film follows a group of cheerleaders that leave for the wilderness to train and win the Cheerleader championship… Sounds fun for all until Allison keeps having bad dreams and her boyfriend Leif Garrett keeps trying to bang other women, then next thing you know someone gets a bear trap to the face and another gets hedge clippers to the face. Blood, boobs, and more blood make this slasher film worth revisiting again as I give it 3 stars and may boast the funniest mascot eating lunch scene ever? Apparently depending what country the film was released it could be found as “Bloody Poms Poms” on VHS and DVD.
Circuitry Man 2: Plughead Rewired (VHS) – Vernon Wells stars as Plughead in this futuristic film where most humans live underground and the government has Plughead to experiment on until he makes a deal with a scientist (Traci Lords) to help her have a baby. After helping Plughead escaped he is back in business and rewiring humans in order for them to extend their life by ten years and it is up to the Romeo droid again to stop him. George “Buck” Flower and Nicolas Worth round out this great low budget 90s sci-fi flick. Vernon Wells always makes movies better and this no different as I give the flick 3 stars.
Sorority Girls and the Creature from Hell (VHS) – This beyond low budget sci-fi film from 1990 has an archeologist stumbling upon an ancient relic in a mountain that just happens to possess him and search for blood. Meanwhile his niece, daughter, can’t remember goes with friends to his cabin to fuck around until they are massacred quite quickly. I give the flick 2 stars.
Invaders from Mars (DVD) – A mid-80s Tobe Hooper flick that I always get mixed up with 1983s “Strange Invaders”. This flick plays out more like a very creepy episode of “Goosebumps” with wicked ass alien creatures. But anyway one night during a stormy night aliens land at Copper Hill, a small California town where they begin to take over humans and consume copper. Soon most of the town is taken over except for a kid and he gets the school nurse (Karen Black) to believe him and try to help get the army to stop it before it’s too late. The kid is played by Hunter Carson who just happened to be the original Bud Bundy but was let go after the pilot when Ed O’Neal felt like he just wasn’t right for the part. Plus we get a quick Conehead impression from Lorraine Newman (pay attention at the end of the film), James Karen playing an army general, and the legendary Phil Fondacaro is uncredited with playing one of the alien creatures. A cool and creepy classic sci-fi/horror film for many who grew up during the 80s. I give the film 3 stars.
Girls Nite Out (DVD) – A 1982 slasher film starring Hal Holbrook that looks more like it was made in 1977. It’s ‘Hell Week’ at college and the new pledges are told of the legendary Dickey Cavanagh who couldn’t take the break up with his girlfriend real well and killed her. Security guard Hal Holbrook makes a phone call to the asylum only to find out Dickey killed himself two days ago when these killings started. This may be the best bear suited slasher film to date as I give it 2 ½ stars.
Kiss in Attack of the Phantoms (DVD) – The made for TV movie was also known as “Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park” but in 1978 was beyond the imagination of Kiss fans as they could not get enough of Kiss. But the film also marks the beginning of the end for the legendary rock band or at least the original members as fights broke out behind the scenes. The film may be more notorious for its behind the scenes action than what was actually being filmed for the NBC movie of the week? The film had problems from the beginning as Kiss having such a heavy touring schedule at the time was not able to write new songs for the film or even be able to reshoot some scenes that were unusable and eventually some dubbing was done. Plus there was pointing of fingers of drug use, rewrites, etc. But after it was finished all four members refuse to acknowledge the bad film. Basic plot is Kiss comes to play a couple concerts at an amusement park but ends up getting entangled in a fight with an evil scientist that wants to destroy Kiss. The film was based on their comic book characters which also explain how big the band was at the time. The film is completely retarded and doesn’t make much sense but will always give me the memory of my mom looking for the VHS tape for almost a full decade during the 80s so she could give it to my brother for his birthday one year. Too much time has passed for me to remember why it was so hard to find but it always makes for a great memory when watching Peter Criss flipping around, Gene Simmons roaring like a lion for no reason, Paul sporting the hairy chest, and Ace karate kicking weird ass cat people next to a roller coaster! I may only give the movie 1 star but I will always have that memory.
The Retaliator (VHS) – The very underrated actor Robert Ginty aka ‘The Exterminator’ is pissed that he captures a American woman (Sandahl Bergman) who is helping terrorists while his team was there to rescue two kids. When Ginty’s character tries to find out more about her he learns she went brain dead so the CIA decides to experiment on her and turn her into a weapon aka “Eve of Destruction”. But soon she gains some memories after killing her target and decides she needs more targets. Great low budget action stuff that will make you forget the Gregory Hines film. I give the flick 3 stars and can be also found under the title “Programmed to Kill”.
Any comments or questions please send to: GrossMovieReview@verizon.net, GrossMovieReview@aol.com or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews . Remember folks always support your local independent movie theater, independent video store, and independent filmmakers! It will keep horror alive………
You can always visit and see some past reviews at: www.grossmoviereviews.com !!!
Also you now can purchase the co-directed film project from Daniel Boyd and I called, “Jagoff Massacre” at www.jagoffmassacre.com . There is a sequel in the works…
Don’t forget you can also hear Kyle Poling and me talking about horror flicks on a weekly basis on the Bloodbaths and Boomsticks podcast at http://bloodbathsandboomsticks.blogspot.com/ .
Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place that you can purchase a Gross Movie Reviews t-shirt but also Cannibal Campout, Woodchipper Massacre, and Spookies T-shirts also!!!! Go towww.fastcustomshirts.com for details.
Gross Movie Reviews loves the new “Delirium” magazine!
By Tim Gross
For years I have collected horror magazines: Fangoria, Gorezone, Slaughter House, Toxic Horror, Fango’s poster mags, Horrorhound, Ultra Violent, Rue Morgue… They were all good in their own way but at all times I always felt something was missing and me being me it was Full Moon! Yeah I have shouted from the heavens for years Full Moon and Charles Band never got much respect in the horror magazine world. Call me crazy but it was one of the many reasons I stop buying magazines a couple years ago. Every once in a while there would be a blurb two sentences long about Band’s latest flick and that was it. But didn’t “Batman Returns” and even Gene Simmons grace the covers of Fangoria. Really, but that is for another article and another time of ranting.
Then a couple months ago I heard rumbles that Full Moon was going to be in the business of not only doing their own streaming channel but a full color magazine? At first, I thought this had to be another of Charles Band’s crazy ideas that may never see the light of day as the man seems to have more projects going all at once than most studios attempt in a full year. But after the streaming site went up and I heard Full Moon fans actually giggle in delight I knew I had to take this seriously. But what also got my attention was Chris Alexander was going to have a big hand in bringing the Full Moon magazine to life. Mr. Alexander deserves credit for bringing back Fangoria from the dimension of “No one gives a fuck about that magazine any longer”. So I knew when this magazine was released I was in for a treat and a treat it is Full Moon fans. Imagine the original black and white Full Moon newsletter, the great Videozone after all the great Full Moon films, and Charles Band’s great You Tube updates all smashed into a beautiful creation called, “Delirium!”
Delirium is a magazine fully dedicated to everything Full Moon and to top it off for its first issue they go get Stuart Gordon for an interview and talk everything “Re-Animator” which makes my Full Moon heart just melt. The first bi-monthly issue not only covers Stuart Gordon, but Barbara Crampton, music of Richard Band, 88 Films, Tourist Trap ( a Chuck Connors classic), The new Wizard Studios, and lets you in on Blue Underground has just hooked up with Charles Band and company. What makes this magazine special is it makes me think Charles Band read my mind but in all honestly just shows Full Moon is back and seems to be traveling the path of being as popular as they were in the 90s if not bigger… with much more to come! So be sure you do yourself a favor and get a subscription to my new favorite magazine NOW!!! The Puppet Master fan in you commands you to do so or face the fury of Blade, Jester, Pinhead, and Leech woman.
The Laughing Mask
“Beware the Laughing Mask!”
The Laughing Mask is an indie horror co-production from America and Brazil and from director Michael Aguiar and production house Bravestarr Pictures. Recently, The Laughing Mask was shot and completed in Florida, over a rigorous twenty-eight day shooting schedule. The Director of Photography, William Schweikert, used a Red Epic camera to capture all of the horrifying imagery, while Daniel Mazikowski (The Sadist) handled all Special Effects. Also, the cast was compromised of several rising stars, including Fran Rafferty, Inge Uys, Gabriel Lee, Sheyenne Rivers and Thomas Noel Smith. Horror fans can preview one of the most exciting indie horror films of the year, with this teaser trailer for The Laughing Mask!
The film’s story involves the loss of family. The character Jake has lost his wife to a deranged killer – The Laughing Mask. Now, Jake’s daughter is missing and he will stop for nothing to get her back. Jake must team up with Det. Kate O’Malley in order to find The Laughing Mask’s lair and to find this madman himself. In darkness, a father will face one of the most murderous killers ever known: The Laughing Mask.
Director Aguiar says of the teaser and the film: “my idea for this film film was to have a thriller and horror film in the vein of Angel Heart (1987) and John Carpenter’s Halloween; I wanted to keep all the effects as practical as possible. This is an old school horror film and I hope fans will be pleased with the results.” Fans are encouraged to take a sneak peek at the film, with the first official teaser trailer for The Laughing Mask, right here!
*release details will be revealed later in 2014.
The official trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMzYftQK6CQ
Official synopsis: The Laughing Mask begins with Jake Johnson. After the brutal death of his wife, Jaycee, and the disappearance of his daughter, Barbara, Jake will do whatever is necessary to capture the man the media has dubbed: “The Laughing Mask.” As the corpses begin to pile up, Jake has to find help in the detective skills of Kate O’Malley. Together, they will play a deadly cat and mouse game with a killer, in order to find Jake’s daughter and avenge the death of his wife. But, The Laughing Mask knows of Jake’s desires for revenge and he has plans of his own” (Bravestarr Pictures).
Director: Michael Aguiar.
Cast: Ryan Rafferty, Inge Uys, Gabriel Lee, Sheyenne Rivers, Thomas Noel Smith and Matt Ganey.
More on the film is available here, on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLaughingMask
Airplane vs. Volcano
“Based on the True Story!”
Burbank, California: The Asylum and the Kondelik Brothers have come together to create the most exciting tale ever told –Airplane vs. Volcano! This exciting, action packed feature is set to raze DVD store shelves and several theatres in just a few weeks. Airplane vs. Volcano hosts an all-star cast, including: Dean Cain, Robin Givens and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs. From Jon Kondelik and James Kondelik (A House is Not a Home), this title reinvigorates the action thriller genre. And, fans of The Asylum or of sensational cinema can take a look at the first trailer for Airplane vs. Volcano right here!
Based on a true story, Airplane vs. Volcano takes place high in the skies. Here, an airline crew and several passengers find themselves trapped in an active volcano region. There is no escape, except to fly the plane down and no one knows if anyone will survive. Airplane vs. Volcano is a harrowing story of terror, at 30,000 feet.
Also, Airplane vs. Volcano is just like Jan de Bont’s explosive thriller Speed (1994), but in the air! This title is the most harrowing flight ever recorded in film and viewers will need their air sickness bags if they want to survive this exciting trailer. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for the ride of your life!
*the DVD release will include a Making-of-featurette.
The official trailer for the film is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhL3GQGfL14
The trailer is also available for download here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3e902g0wgqxblx8/AIRPLANE%20VS.%20VOLCANO_%20Trailer.mp4
Official synopsis: When a commercial airliner is trapped within a ring of erupting volcanoes, the passengers and crew must find a way to survive – without landing.
Release Date: May 27th, 2014 (DVD).
Directors/writers: James and Jon Kondelik.
Cast: Robin Givens, Dean Cain, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs.
http://www.theasylum.cc/product.php?id=243
Come on out as I will have a table with co-director Daniel Boyd as we continue pimping out our new film Jagoff Massacre! We will have copies of the film for sale and we still have a few T-shirts left. Plus I will have my book The Big Ass Book of Gross Movie Reviews for sale and of course I will be there to talk about the Bloodbaths and Boomsticks podcast, Spookies, Jagoff Massacre 2 as its in pre-production, my next book which was recently finished and just waiting for the perfect cover from the great artist Ed Quillin! And as always we will have a beer or two or 12… So come on by the convention check out all the guests, movies, and at some point stop by to chat with Gross Movie Reviews himself Tim Gross. I will see yinz there!
VANTAGE MEDIA INTERNATIONAL ACQUIRES WORLDWIDE RIGHTS TO
BENETONE HILLIN ENTERTAINMENT’S HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED HORROR FLICK
PERNICIOUS
James Cullen Bressack Directed Gory And Supernatural Feature Film
Stars Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore And Emily O’Brien
Hollywood/Santa Monica – Vantage Media International (VMI) has acquired the worldwide rights to the much buzzed about horror title Pernicious, it was announced jointly by Andre Relis, Founder and President of VMI and Daemon Hillin, President of Production of Benetone Hillin Entertainment (BHE).
Ciara Hanna (Power Rangers), Jackie Moore (100 Ghost Street) and Emmy-nominated Emily O’Brien (Young and the Restless) star in the film directed by James Cullen Bressack. One of the hottest young directors in this genre, Bressack is perhaps best known for numerous 2013 releases including To Jennifer, Hate Crime and 13/13/13.
In the vein of such horror fest standouts as Hostel and The Grudge, Pernicious follows the plight of three American beauties whose dream summer adventure in Thailand quickly turns into a nightmare when they unleash the spirit of a murdered child with only one thing on her mind…revenge.
“VMI is thrilled to acquire the worldwide rights to Pernicious and to further diversify our slate with such an intriguing and beautifully shot feature film,” said Relis. “We look forward to sharing Pernicious with an eager global audience.”
“We are proud that Pernicious was one of the first films to be produced under the newly formed Benetone Hillin Entertainment banner,” said Hillin referring to the recent merging of Hillin Entertainment USA and Benetone Films, the largest foreign film production company in Thailand. “The film reflects the high quality, universally marketable feature films shot in breathtaking and unique locations that BHE is committed to producing. We are excited that Pernicious is now in the extremely capable hands of VMI.”
Hillin and his BHE partners Rachvin Narula and Kulthep Narula served as producers on the film. Executive Producers of the project are Rajpal Narula, Deepak Simhal, Farid Khan, Ajay Vasu and Albert Sandoval.
About VMI
VMI is a worldwide distributor of quality independent film, documentary and music content with an impeccable reputation in the industry. Founded in 2003, VMI prides itself on its lasting and loyal relationships with its producers where the goal is to promote not only the current production, but also upcoming projects. The company has an extensive network of buyers and has cultivated longstanding direct relationships with the top networks, distributors and releasing companies throughout the world. To that end, VMI attends and exhibits at all major film and television markets including: NATPE, Berlinale, Hong Kong Filmart, MIPTV, the Cannes Film Festival, LA Screenings, DISCOP, MIPCOM, AFM and ATF in addition to regular sales trips throughout the world.
About Benetone Hillin Entertainment
Benetone Hillin Entertainment (BHE), a merging of Hillin Entertainment USA and Benetone Films, the largest foreign film production company in Thailand, is poised to become a one-stop-shop for everything production related in the United States and Asia. The newly formed international production and servicing company is a strategic partnering of Santa Monica based Daemon Hillin who serves as President of Production and oversees the domestic arm of the company and brothers Rachvin and Kulthep Narula who remain on site in Thailand where they also operate Benetone Films.
BHE is committed to producing beautifully shot, high quality independent films of all genres and budgets.
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