Gross Movie Reviews #413

House of Wax (DVD) – This 1953 film is not only a Vincent Price staple among Price fans but was one of the first 3-D films released to the theaters. Remember the world was changing at the time and theaters were looking for gimmicks to amaze audiences and keep them buying tickets. Vincent Price is an artist in the film who runs a wax museum where he does historical people and the creations are absolutely loved. Price’s business partner tries to explain they can make money from the insurance if the place is accidentally destroyed? Price the artist refuses as he talks to his creations as they are real people. Business partner burns the place down and believes he has killed Price’s character. But several months later a new wax place opens but with a lot more violent tone to it and Vincent Price returns. But Price is disfigured and believes in using real people for his wax casts now! Fun Vincent Price movie in many ways and hilarious 3-D stuff to pick up on as I give the flick 3 stars.

The Haunted House of Horror – A slightly weird late 60s British film that also was titled “Horror House” stars Frankie Avalon. Frankie and some young party goers are bored at a party and opted to go for a drive to a little known haunted house. They actually use the term ‘ghost hunting’ while stumbling around the mansion before they decide to do a séance. One of the young party goers Gary is murdered but who done it? The story gets a little weirder when Gary’s friends agree to not call the police and hide Gary’s body thinking one of them are the psychopath. By the way Frankie Avalon eventually gets stabbed in the dick! The story is a bit choppy but for good reason as watching the film I learned the original director was fired and the film was supposed to be more psychedelic. Some footage made it and a bunch got reshot by another director (Cursed anyone?). If that wasn’t enough David Bowie was casted for the film but the studio thought him and Avalon would clash? On top of the things I even mentioned the killer runs off and credits roll before police get to the mansion. Track this film down movie buffs you will enjoy the stories about the behind the scenes stuff as I give the movie 2 stars.

Sharknado 5: Global Swarming (SyFy Channel/DVD) – Fin Sheppard now a world hero is contacted by Nova who has found an ancient stone, the shark stone. Supposedly the ancients predicted the sharknadoes and predicted that world would be destroyed by them. The stone has power and the power actually allows you to control a sharknado. But not knowing this Finn and Nova accidentally causes the destruction of London when they bring the stone there. And the sharknado has kidnapped Fin’s son and Finn travels the world chasing the sharknado with the stone hoping to get his son back. Spoiler alert: There will be a sixth one! Possibly the only reason to still watch these films is what happens in the last two minutes of the film as Finn is thrown into the future world that has been destroyed by the sharknadoes. But Finn finds his son and it is Dolph Lundgren! Yep, I am in for sixth installment just for this reason as I give this sad boring sequel 1 star.

Galaxy of Horrors (DVD) – So Rue Morgue presents an anthology with several short films all sci-fi based. All the entries are really solid and we even get a weird “Videodrome-style” segment. My favorite might be the cannibals in space but the first two segments might hit home for young folks as it predicts where society is going and what it might look like? All the segments are played like music selections as a man is trapped inside a chamber that won’t release him. Again another anthology worth checking out for movie buffs as I give it 3 stars.

I.F.O.: Identified Flying Object (VHS/YouTube) – A low budget flick from 1987 that is also known under the title “Defense Play” which is the same title for a similar flick a year after this release with for more known actors in it. A misunderstood, computer savvy teenager living in Northern California who steals a mini-helicopter that has artificial intelligence, named REM and just wants to be free to fly at will. Corny movie that is a real low budget version of half of the popular 80s films at the time was most likely a movie that had its time on one the major cable channels when it was released and then disappeared. I give the movie 1 ½ stars.

The Evil Spawn (DVD) – John Carradine shows up for a minute as a scientist who is working with microbes from Venus in his experiments. He dies and his assistant begins her own experiments… on humans. She convinces a once popular actress she can have her youthful appearance back if she takes the serum. The actress desperate for a movie role as younger actresses keep getting roles she was once up for takes the serum. It works and makes more beautiful than ever but she begins to feel the side effects which her growing large teeth and mutilating people as her body is changing from the experimental serum. In no time she soon becomes a rubber monster creature that must eat. The film is a Fred Olen Ray produced flick which means no shortage of boobage. And the film is directed by Kenneth J. Hall who is known for doing several behind the scenes roles in early Full Moon projects. As usual it’s a late night monster romp from Fred Olen Ray that reminds me why this man should never be forgotten as I give the movie 2 ½ stars.

Clowntergiest (DVD/Vimeo) – Our story begins with a couple college girls who are staying over the summer in the small college town instead of heading home. Not a whole lot happens once college is out but that change one night when a man hunt is announced to a popular ice cream shop of police looking for a serial killer. No leads after a couple days and the one girl Emma begin seeing a clown and a balloon with a date on it in her dreams. But Emma keeps seeing it as the date is coming closer and does not believe it is a dream any longer, its reality. As the bodies keep piling up around Emma the paranormal clown keeps stalking Emma and her friend. The only way for Emma to not die on the date on the balloon is to conquer her fear of clowns. If anything the film isn’t as bad as it sounds as much as proving clowns are the new zombies of the low budget genre. The problem is unlike zombies the conversation about clown horror flicks ends after “Killer Klowns from Outer Space, House of 1000 Corpses, and Clown”. There isn’t a lot you can do with the clown genre unlike the zombie genre as I give this flick 1 ½ out of 4 stars and can be found at www.facebook.com/octobercoast .

The Hidden (VHS) – Kyle Machlan is a F.B.I. agent aka alien tracking an alien parasite that has killed his family and partner. And Lloyd the F.B.I. agent man has tracked this alien parasite from Seattle to L.A. Problem is the parasite is a jumper as it jumps from one human to another when it is all used up. The alien parasite likes metal music, fast cars, fast women, and power or being noticed. With the help of Detective Beck Lloyd is able to track down the thing until it jumps into a famous senator’s body. A cool concept for a sci-fi flick but does have its dull parts. But pay attention as there is an appearance from a younger Danny Trejo! I give the film 2 stars.

Pandemic (DVD) – A recent zombie film filmed “Doom or Hardcore Henry” style gives this the film a different feel. Most of the world has fallen to zombie apocalypse as a L.A. military outpost is trying to find the cure and survivors. A rescue team is sent into a hot zone to rescue survivors and get the supply drop but face off much opposition and it isn’t always zombies. Also I like they explain the stages of infection to not go full blown zombie movie but like a prequel about too? It entertained me so I give it 2 ½ stars.

Spill (DVD) – So-called action star Brian Bosworth plays a top secret service agent for the president in this mid-90s flick. Special agent Ken Fairchild plays up his real life college football angle and best friends with the president until… During a recent event set-up sweep Ken comes across some sick people in the woods. These people are sick and the fish are dying because some dude hijacked a big rig full of chemical waste that the government was trying to cover up to begin with. He crashes the rig and waste spills into the stream. When Ken believes he stops the forces behind the cover-up he is wrong and must do the right thing by going against the president. A fun one take and B-movie action flick that was in my book as I give it 2 ½ stars.

D4 (DVD) – A special ops team is hired to track down a kidnapper who is holding up at a closed down military facility with someone’s kid. Lots of money being paid out, so no questions asked. But when the special ops unit runs into a bootleg version of Dave Batista that can take a gunshot point blank range out in the woods they believe they are over their heads. They know for sure when they follow it to the closed down facility D4 that happens to be its home. And also houses another hybrid creature that a scientist has experimented on for the perfect soldier. Great poster, great concept, shitty execution of a film as I give it 1 star.

Stage Fright (DVD) – A recent horror flick that I left sit around for a while because I thought it was a remake. Nope folks it’s “High School Musical” with a gory horror flick going on in the background. Meat Loaf is running a small back woods summer camp for artists, musicians, singers for the past ten years because his star was murdered right before her big break in Loaf’s production. A decade has passed and the Loaf gives the okay to a talented, pig headed director kid to do the production. Unbeknownst to the Loaf the daughter/kitchen cook decides to audition for the lead role and nails it. But a masked killer has had enough of the Loaf and the weird kids and begins a bloody massacre posing as the villain from the production. Not a remake, entertaining to me and a nice amount of gore makes me give this small surprise 3 stars.

Demon Hunter (DVD/Vimeo) – A film from Ireland about a young woman who claims to be a demon hunter searching for the demon who defiled her younger sister. Taryn the demon hunter is captured by police one night after decapitating a demon. Brought into custody she interrogated by a detective who has a connection to Taryn from several years ago. He was the detective who promised to find the person or thing that got her sister. Never happened… so Taryn has taken things into her own hands as she searches for the one named Falstaff. Falstaff fears Taryn a bit as a small group of individuals who protect Taryn believe she is the only one that could defeat the horrible demon. I love the Irish and want to visit Ireland someday but please take away this dull ass movie as Dolph Lundgren’s “Don’t Kill It” broke the mold for recent demon movies earlier this year. For that I only give this snoozer 1 out of 4 stars and can be found at www.facebook.com/octobercoast .

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