The Lost Continent (DVD) – This feature was a Hammer presentation from 1968 directed by Michael Carreras, and it was based on the novel by Michael Wheatley. For me this was one of those deep dives of searching out something I seen part of as a kid on the old Chiller Theater and never revisited. It was time to enjoy Captain Lansen and his hidden agenda as he has a skeleton crew on a freighter is also carrying a few passengers. See Captain Lansen has taken an unsavory job that includes shipping illegal cargo to South America and a few passengers who would like to stay under the radar are on the vessel also. This illegal cargo is explosives that cannot get wet so when a hurricane warning is issued even the passengers get involved to keep the cargo from getting wet even during a mutiny by Lansen’s crew. But never mind that as we get a very cool scene of a crew member getting hung by a pulley and pulled upward to the root, fun stuff kids. Once the Captain and passengers finally abandon ship this is where the movie gets real interesting as not only are they lost at sea but run amok of killer seaweed that thirsts for human blood. If that isn’t enough Lansen and what’s left of the of the crew after finding a supposedly safe place must fight an old school Spanish army, being raided by them also, scorpion creatures, giant crabs, and more killer seaweed! The film is a bit cheesy but there is so much to digest here with the fun creatures, this Spanish army, and even the buildup of why Lansen was carrying explosives. If you go searching this was supposedly a huge budgeted film that had its share of issues but it is still a worthy fun watch of something you may have never given a second chance too as I give this 3 stars.   

The Indestructible Man (DVD) – A fun 1956 thriller that stars Lon Chaney Jr. that feels kind of like a horror movie or even a drive-in flick but plays out more like a film noir. Our boy Chaney Jr. plays a convict nicknamed “The Butcher” is about to get the last rites for his crimes when it is learned he has stashed a crapload of stolen money. But “The Butcher” is taking it to the grave until his body becomes a part of an experiment and he is revived. Now he seeks revenge and is almost completely indestructible as he can be shot, beaten, etc., and still keep ongoing like the Energizer bunny. The experiment was to cure cancer instead it brings back ‘The Indestructible Man’! A very different film you won’t expect much from but find yourself quite enjoying the watch as I give it 2 ½ stars.

Cemetery High (DVD) – This horror spoof that may or may not be best known being connected to Full Moon for the mere reason Charles Band was uncredited as an executive producer and the director just disowning the film shortly after its release. This spoof uses a gimmick at the beginning (don’t want to give it away) to set up violence and nudity throughout the film but the film centers on a group of young women who have had enough. The story begins the senior year of high school for these women when some sex crazed jocks only want to use the women for their term papers, beat them up, or the jocks are just feeling a little rapey. So the young women seek out these boys and put an end to their pathetic lives. But it doesn’t end there as they another to their group and become known as the “Scumbusters” when the local news picks up the story of them baffling local authorities with their murder spree. The young women will use whatever it takes to get their point across and kill another male: by car, by knives, guns, axes, whatever weapon that is going to get the job done. I feel the film starts off fun but just runs out of steam halfway through and becomes a chore to get to the finish as I give it 2 stars.

Black Friday (On Demand) – First off, I laughed out when this film was announced because the title is the most overused term in our lexicon and second, and felt “Black Friday” hasn’t been relevant for several years now cause ‘online shopping’ anyone? Anyhow, setting aside my beliefs of this so-called holiday, shopping day, whatever we find ourselves watching a film about abused retail workers at ‘We Love (heart) Toys’ toy store. It is Thanksgiving night and the staff must get things set up for the madness of the “Black Friday” shoppers and horror icon Bruce Campbell plays the manager of the store. But to the dismay of shoppers and staff meteors carrying alien thing are fallen to Earth and these monstrous things from the rocks are turning humans into monsters that will stop at nothing to find other unaffected humans to add to their end creation. Lots of flying goo, monsters, and a great cast made me forget that “Black Friday” isn’t really a thing anymore and just enjoy a wonderful horror flick as I give it 3 ½ stars.

Entombed (Vimeo) – A modest budgeted post-apocalyptic flick from Norway focuses in on three individuals who are trying to survive in an underground bunker. A man named Seamus just trying to survive the night of zombies finds the entrance to the underground shelter by accident and sees it as a miracle. Then Seamus meets Konrad at gunpoint that isn’t too keen on visitors and wants to know how Seamus found him and the shelter. After Seamus gains Konrad’s trust, Konrad introduces his comatose wife and Konrad does not want to leave unless he has too? But of course not everything is what it seems as Seamus doesn’t exactly trust Konrad in this underground shelter. A creepy thriller that proves all you need is location, location, and a great script that doesn’t concentrate on the zombie aspect to give you a film that shows humanity is at its worst when the chips are down as I give this tension filled flick 3 out of 4 stars and soon to be on streaming services so start looking for it kids.    

Duck! The Carbine High Massacre (DVD) – I put this flick off for years just for the mere fact it is inspired by the Columbine High School event of the late 90s. But it was time to watch it because it does have ‘massacre’ in the title. Pretty much this S.O.V. film follows two teenagers who were picked on, misunderstood for their beliefs, etc. by their peers at high school. So the two students plan their destruction of the stereotypes that have bothered them for years at school. Plain and simple it’s a low budget school shooting movie that may had message, may not? But bottom line this film is very boring and shouldn’t have lasted past the 30 minute mark. You get the point very quickly and you already know what is gonna happen in the film unless you have been living under a rock the past 25 years. Take or leave it, it happens so much over the past decade in real life and the news broadcasts being what they are the film can be pretty forgettable but I finally watched it and can only give it 1 star.

Cyst (DVD) – It is 1961 and Dr. Guy is a pimple popper dude who has an invented a machine called the “Get Gone” machine that will be the revolution of removing cysts, safely and less painful. Problem is it malfunctioned last time the patent people came through and this time it better work or they will just have Dr. Guy shut down. Meanwhile, Dr. Guy’s nurse Patty’s last day as she refuses to work with this so-called machine. So after some tinkering by Dr. Guy and a willing patient (sort of) he has a huge cyst to remove from the patient. When Dr. Guy does he unknowingly causes a mutant cyst to take a life of its own and now the people in the office are trapped with this killer mutant cyst! Think of ‘Attack of the Killer Donuts’ but with a cyst as I give this glorious B-movieish creature feature 3 ½ stars.

Jessicka Rabid (DVD) – Another film that I have finally tracked down that was on list is an independent film starring the likes of Trent Haaga, Elske McCain, directed by Matthew Reel and got picked up several years ago by Troma. Brad and Marley are two highly demented men who have mistreated for years a mentally challenged female named Jessicka. They have done this for such a long period of time that even the sister of the one man and the neighbor totally accept her being treated like a dog, literally! If that wasn’t enough torture for this pour girl she finds herself being sold to perform and have filmed with men porn scenes. But shortly after one of amateurish porn shoots she is bitten by a dog that may have been infected with rabies? Again another film that wastes too much time thinking they are the next great filmmaker instead of just trying to give the audience a film that is worth watching… Example: she is bitten like 15 minutes in and doesn’t go ape shit until the last seven minutes of this 82 minute film? Which also raises the question Did Jessicka actually have rabies or just loses her fucking mind after all the years of the abuse? This could be why this film didn’t have much shelf life as I give it 1 star.

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