Gross Movie Reviews #630

It’s a Wonderful Slice (DVD/Vimeo) – So I was privileged enough to check out a not released yet holiday Indy flick from an unknown filmmaker to me, Michael Moutsatsos (hope I spelled that right?). Anyway, Michael goes an unconventional route of holiday anthology story telling that gives the viewer a history lesson of Santa, Krampus, and a mischievous elf on their killing ground that eventually leads into the introduction of the storyteller. When the storyteller appears this is where the real movie begins as he ties together five quick holiday horrors that a man being sliced in his shower, a friend using wolves as cover for a murder, Santa attacking a couple in the woods, Satan controlling a man, and finally a beautiful woman toying with her victim. The story telling isn’t breaking new ground (but unconventional) as I quite enjoyed how the filmmaker went about putting everything together in this no budget production using a small if not same cast in each segment and using maybe three sets or areas the whole film. Otherwise, knowing what you have (not much) using it to your advantage and a high budget glossy look along the way. How to put it: when I see something like this I already know this might not be the filmmaker’s best work to date but it shows me they are usually testing or experimenting of putting together something even more entertaining in their next project or the one after that? Again anthologies can be a tough sell since a lot of filmmakers make them these days but these stories are quick, don’t linger, and you got someone dressed as Santa slaughtering people and quite simply you are going to have Indy movie viewers smiling in the end as I give this 2 out of 4 stars.

Cybernator (YouTube/VHS) – It’s the future of course in this direct-to-video early 90s B-flick where two cops are looking into cyborgs assassinating high ranking officials. Then bootleg Vernon Wells who is actually William Smith shows up for a paycheck as bootleg Steven Seagal! (Did you understand that gibberish?) Anyhow after one of the cops is killed in action the other finds out he has been bootleg Robocop for the past few years and now has a new mission to seek and destroy William Smith’s cyborg character. Pretty much a very terrible flick pitting good cyborg vs. bad cyborg as I can only give this film 1 star.

In Search of the Last Action Heroes (Tubi) – An absolute gem of a documentary that talks all about action films and how they got started to how they have fizzled out these days. Everything from James Bond to Bruce Lee to George Miller to how filmmakers were inspired by 50s and 60s westerns to make the modern action film! This has a bit of everything to interest even the occasional viewer of action movies as I give it 4 stars.

Calamity of Snakes (DVD) – Holy balls is this movie just fuckin wild! A crapload of snakes are uncovered at a construction site that is in a rush to get their apartment building built. The man financing the project says “Fuck it” and begins commanding the death of the snakes so they may continue the project. But all are warned these snakes will seek revenge! Once the building is up and operational tenants are reporting snakes are attacking which causes the manager to bring in the “Master of Snakes” who comes and chops them all into several pieces. Problem is believed to be solved again until the snakes come back in truck loads this time to attack a cocktail party and that is when the big king snake is revealed! This is not a film for those who are against animal cruelty or the squeamish as this movie gets bat shit crazy with the attacking snakes as I give it 3 stars. P.S. I didn’t know there was a whole snake burning army on call?

One More Shot (On Demand) – If you are Scott Adkins fans you are going to enjoy this flick as it tries the one continuous shot like Bruce Campbell in “Running Time”? Now I know they probably made a cut or two but they try the whole movie running time to be a continuous shot which is fun. Also a part of this project is Michael Jai White and Tom Berenger. Scott Adkins is CIA agent Harris who was part of an op in Poland trying to protect an asset. It all went bad as the movie starts soon as the plane lands at an empty airport near Norfolk and we are introduce to the Harris character. From there his asset is still in demand as there is a dirty bomb somewhere in the city set to go off in two hours and a military grade security team is there to kill off whoever has the asset to use him to take over everything in the U.S. This has a wonderful twist to an old action film formula that is well worth paying attention to more than just Scott Adkins amazing onscreen presence. Can’t wait to see what else this dude does as I give this flick 3 ½ stars.

Wanted Man (On Demand) – Dolph Lundgren is Johansen an old high strung bigot detective who has been under fire at the Del Vista Police Department recently for his actions towards a suspect. The “Defund the Police” crowd wants him gone but instead he is given a job to disappear into Mexico to go protect two escorts who witnessed DEA agents getting killed. While on the way back to the border Johansen is shot along with one of the witnesses as it’s all made to look like one of the cartels is doing it but isn’t? As Johansen is trying to make his way back he keeps getting stopped every time. A quick and pretty cool Dolph flick that also features Kelsey Grammer, Michael Pare, and a great character actor in Roger Cross as I give this action flick 3 stars.

Crabs! (DVD) – This is one of those movies that hit in early 2022 that would have been perfect for SyFy Channel if that was still a thing but also most likely this project got swept under the rug because of COVID? This cheeseball flick doesn’t try to pretend to be something it isn’t as it starts quickly with a power plant blowing up and then large crabs begin to attack people on the beach. When Phil and Maddy are not planning their prom they must come up with a plan to fight off the ocean demons who want to turn the prom into their own seafood slaughter fest! The movie has a little filler but knows how to hit all the high notes with this hilarious B-horror throwback that needs to be found sooner than later by all you horror fans as I give it 3 stars.

Beach Zombies (YouTube) – A recent no budget Indy flick that comes in at 38 minutes about bootleg versions of Beavis and Butthead who got older and held a long conversation about zombies in a car ride. They meet up with two shady dudes for a job that will pay big time if they dispose of a barrel at the closed beach? Instead when they go for the barrel a fog machine in the garage turns the bootleg duo into zombies that has them wandering around doing nothing. The beginning of the film doesn’t lie as it warns of what happens to idoits turning into zombies as it did make me laugh so I gotta give it 2 stars.

Zombie Beach (DVD) – A bad low budget Canadian zombie flick from 2010 that has college kids who go to the “Zombie Beach” to take pictures and get eaten. Apparently the beach is part of a centuries old agreement that where evil can walk or something? It is part of a prophecy that a chosen one will fight the zombies supposedly if you last through this entire terrible concept of a film that I have to give 0 stars.

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

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 you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

Leave a Reply if you want or just send me more beer?