Gross Movie Reviews #658

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Tsunami Sharks (YouTube) – Another shark flick out of the UK where this time around an unlikely tsunami hits a European city and along with it comes blood thirsty sharks. As the water rises the sharks infest the city as they trap people in their homes, buildings, and restaurants, you get the picture. The people need to be quick on their feet as they try to survive and figure out how to escape the sharks. It is a quick stupid shark filled fun flick I give 2 stars too.

Mountain Shark (Tubi) – Just another rando shark film out of the UK area where this time a scientist has perfected an experiment of a shark living and swimming in the countryside mountains of the UK. Think ‘Tremors’ with bad CGI? Anyhow it was supposed to be a decommissioned military project but the shark has escaped. A non-descript group of military persons are brought in to supposedly capture the creature but the good doctor is using them to make his killing machine that much more perfect. There was something that bothered me in the middle of the film when the scientist is holding a gun on the military persons and kept looking away let alone the gun he had on them was going away from them too… Why didn’t one these fuckers fuck his ass up immediately? Isn’t this what they train for or am I weird movie nerd overthinking this and the movie would have been half as long? Anyway, if you get past the shark looking better in the original PSone Resident Evil game you will be entertained and enjoy as I give this 2 ½ stars.

Blood Tracks (DVD) – A relatively unknown weirdo flick from the mid-80s about a rock band “Solid Gold” going to a snowy mountain with an abandoned factory to shoot their latest music video. Unknown to those who have invaded these premises a family has been living off the grid in the factory over the past four decades. Think ‘The Hills Have Eyes” meets “Slaughterhouse” with snow! An avalanche and the camera man being attacked by something leads the crew to be on high alert but just speeds up the process as the family wastes no time murdering everyone in a bloody manner. One problem folks, even cleaned up there is still some dark scenes that you will keep you squinting to see as I give the film 2 ½ stars.

Dick Dynamite: 1944 (On Demand) – The latest crowd funded project involving Nazis getting their ass kicked in bloody style. Its 1944 and the Nazis have a new experimental liquid that they are testing on women and children that they want to drop on Manhattan to turn the whole city into zombies. Anyway Dick Dynamite is a big muscle bound soldier who is released from prison to lead his dirty half dozen to stop the Nazis ultimate plan. The project was shot over a couple of years and has a lot laughs and gore but if you are like me you have seen this type of film maybe one too many times? It isn’t terrible but its non-ending in my opinion didn’t help me liking this film as I place this in the category of the “trailer looks better than the finished project” as I give it 2 stars.

Backwoods Marcy (DVD) – This interesting project is a 1999 SOV film out of Sharkey Video directed by and stars the talented Dawn Murphy. A real estate dude named Donald is lost in the middle of nowhere for a meeting about a property he was going to check out. After picking up one hitchhiker to get his whistle wet he picks up another named Marcy. Marcy literally looks like a backwoods person who hates city folk but is very willing to help Donald for a ride to see her kin. When Donald gets upset by her smell he throws her out of the car with being lost and frustrated then accidently runs Marcy down with the car. This is where the real story begins as Marcy has Donald exactly where she wants him. Marcy catches her victim then proceeds to rape, torture, and cages Donald for her pleasure as she will kill anyone that comes sniffing around the campsite. The film is simply brilliant with its use of story, use of locations, and reversing the roles of backwoods horror as Marcy is relentless in making Donald her pet as that makes for an entertaining no budget film as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

It’s a Wonderful Knife (Shudder) – Winnie is a senior in high school looking forward to college and life is grand until a serial killer shows up to her small holiday town of Angel Falls. Then Winnie’s life is changed forever as she just happens to kill the serial killer and he is unmasked to reveal it is the asshole real estate guy Mr. Waters who employees her father. One year later Winnie is stuck in a rut as it looks like all around her has forgotten the events of last Christmas except her. So just like the old holiday classic she wishes to never be born as this throws her into an alternate reality where everything is different as Mr. Waters own everything and still killing anyone who he feels is not a volunteer part of his end game. Winnie finds a new friend and they must kill again in order to restore Winnie’s reality? A holiday horror maybe aimed for the ‘Happy Death Day’ crowd but I still enjoyed it for what it was as I give it 2 ½ stars.

Santastein (Tubi) – A young man named Max has been stealing corpses in his spare time from the local morgue. He has a plan on restoring Santa as Max was the reason for Santa’s death several years ago and since then it doesn’t snow along with Santa no longer delivering presents. With the help of his friend’s Paige experiment his plan is to reanimate Santa to bring back Christmas! Sounds great in theory to Max until the undead Santa is slaughtering folks who are naughty. I enjoyed, I laughed at this project that doesn’t overthink it as it has fun with the story at hand as I give it 3 stars.

Junk Bonds: The Return of the Junk Bucket (Tubi) – In this Indy sequel Cassie is a survivor of a cannibal family who loves cutting off people’s junk. Yes it is a parody of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ but with dicks! As the survivor Cassie is recaptured by the family they want to celebrate their son’s special day with strippers of course which sets in motion a whole new batch of dick cutting and vagina stabbing. I could never tracked the first film so of course I just went ahead and watched the sequel first as fans of old school Troma will be happy seeing this project keeping the Troma spirit alive as I give the film 2 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!

Grossfest 2024, August 2nd and 3rd… Come join us for a great time!

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Grossfest 2024 (August 2nd&3rd)

www.grossfest.com

This is it!!! Now we got great guests, we have unbelievably talented and cool vendors, all we need now is you, your relatives, your friends, neighbors that you don’t talk too, etc., to come through the door and support Independent horror everything!

Again folks, let’s keep it simple, let’s have fun, let’s support each other, and make Grossfest continue year after year. And beforehand thank yinz for coming! (And yes, we do have another random gift bag giveaway for one lucky person on Friday and Saturday coming through the door.)

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

(The Grossfest convention is on the bottom floor of the hotel. If needed you will be directed by the front desk and also if you come in that way there is steps off to the right down the hallway that will lead yinz to us! Otherwise there is a door out back that leads directly to Grossfest also.)

Need to reserve a room call (412) 244-1600

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day or $15 to hang on both days (no matter what you must pay admission at the door to get into Grossfest 2024 and to also get a tattoo from the great Angel O’Connor. No the tattoos are not free, Angel sets her prices, no one under 18 will get a tattoo, she will be doing small ones 30 to 60 minutes on average) NO EXCEPTIONS!

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

August 2nd, Friday 4-10pm

August 3rd, Saturday 11-7pm

Grossfest 2024 guests

Sean Donohue and Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Roni Jonah and Jason Crowe

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise.

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Also Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

The talented Vendor list:

Neko Shark Films

Minerva Trinkets

Neens Soaps

Kiss of Death Productions

Scream Team Releasing

Addison Binek – Psycho Ape

Horror Movie Heaven

Barry the Movie Demon

Cluck Cluck Productions

Celebration of Spirits

13 Occult

Studio Arata

Video Nasty Productions

The Odd End

MMH Productions

Ultra Violent Magazine

Nostalgic Nightmare Productions

Once Upon a Killer

Mike Ancas

Fairly Dark Productions

BPO Films

Burgh Brats Krafty Kreations

Melissa Spezia

Josh Graves – Late Checkout

Drunken Yinzers Productions

Dazed and Disorderly

Vicious Creations

Cindy’s Creative Chaos

Fast Custom Shirts

Are you going to be at Grossfest August 2 & 3, 2024?

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Yinz excited for Grossfest 2024 yet?! We are only weeks away so we hope yinz got your hotel reservations set, your vacation days in at work, and ready to have some independent cinema fun as we have stated before: We got the guests! We got the vendors! Now we just need yinz to show up at the door to buy a ticket for one or both days n’at! So see yinz in a few weeks in August!

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2 or call (412) 244-1600

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day or $15 for both days (must have paid admission at the door to get into Grossfest 2024 and also get a tattoo from the great Angel O’Connor). NO EXCEPTIONS!

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 11-7pm

Grossfest 2024 guests

Sean Donohue and Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Roni Jonah and Jason Crowe

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise. 

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Also Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

Vendor list:

Neko Shark Films

Minerva Trinkets

Neens Soaps

Kiss of Death Productions

Scream Team Releasing

Addison Binek – Psycho Ape

Horror Movie Heaven

Barry the Movie Demon

Cluck Cluck Productions

Celebration of Spirits

13 Occult

Studio Arata

Video Nasty Productions

The Odd End

MMH Productions

Ultra Violent Magazine

Nostalgic Nightmare Productions

Once Upon a Killer

Mike Ancas

Fairly Dark Productions

BPO Films

Burgh Brats Krafty Kreations

Melissa Spezia

Josh Graves – Late Checkout

Drunken Yinzers Productions

Dazed and Disorderly

Vicious Creations

Cindys Creative Chaos

Fast Custom Shirts

Gross Movie Reviews #640

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Crocodile (Blu-ray) – For the first time this Taiwan/Korea production from 1978/1979/1981 aka Crocodile Fangs (watch the extras and read about it at www.synapsefilms.com you will totally understand) has been released in special edition Blu-ray form. Apparently there was several editions released even with a different director’s name in the credits but this the U.S. version restored. You can check out some alternate and deleted scenes in the extras after. Anyway, after a horrible storm and some atomic blasts this causes a crocodile to come hunting for humans! Two doctors and their families are on vacation and become victims to the ever growing mutation of a crocodile. These two doctors being very distraught resign their jobs and begin doing research on crocodiles and why would a giant one eat their families? While those two do that the giant crocodile feeds every three days on the next village downstream destroying all in its path. After getting the bad ass local fisherman involved the second half of the movie literally becomes almost a scene for scene of ‘Jaws’ exception for the leaping giant crocodile that had me laughing for a good five minutes. This flick is some wonderful international B-movie cheese but the real treat is the extras: besides the commentary from a writer and film historian along with the several different openings and endings that are alternate or deleted scenes that may have not been seen by U.S. audiences? My favorite extra has to be the interview with Won-se Lee! The real director as his interview is around 35 minutes and gets into him not actually knowing his name wasn’t in the credits (Sompote Sands by the way), or how hard it was doing a Thai/Korean production, or how much the film has fans outside of his country? This interview alone is entertaining, interesting and worth the price of the Blu-ray edition of the film as I give it 3 out of 4 stars and can be found at www.synapsefilms.com .

Living to Die (VHS/YouTube) – This is a fun B-grade blackmail detective flick starring none other than Wings Hauser as Nick the burned out former detective who is brought in by a high roller in Vegas to check out who is trying to blackmail him? Nick tracks down a sleazy dude in Arnold Vosloo named Jimmy that came up with a scam. Problem when Nick is visiting Jimmy, Jimmy is shot to death in front of Nick and now has a whole host of other questions? Every time Nick gets close to some solution the person he visits is getting killed including eventually himself. Justifiable fun crap to watch when you are indecisive about what to watch on a rainy day as I give it 2 ½ stars.

A Soul’s Window (DVD) – Jason Burke’s latest short film tackles the story of Grant Herman. A man who awakens to a few familiar people in front of him with a death wound to the temple of his head. Mr. Herman is forced to hear out these people how he has harmed them in some way all because he is a bad “business man”. Burke’s writing and set up is brilliant for this project as I have written something similar but have never brave enough to bring it to film so I gotta respect the awesome job he did bringing this to life as I give this short film 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Just Before Dawn (DVD) – A 1981 fun slasher set in the mountains that follow a group of young people who are heading for some camping and checking out the land one of them own. Within minutes the city folk are stopped and warned by the forest ranger (George Kennedy) “the mountain doesn’t read”! Once settled the group explores the wonderful mountains, waterfalls, etc., including running into a backwoods family that isn’t too keen on them hanging out there. When they meet this family it’s about halfway through the movie and then the film takes a real gritty screwed up tone as the group is stalked by ruthless backwoods twins who stalk and kill them one by one. Will the group survive long enough to make it off the mountain or will the secret survive of why people have disappeared over the years in these woods? To this day the film is still entertaining as hell, well worth a rewatch, and has an ending you maybe have never seen or see coming as I give it 3 stars.

Rat Disaster (YouTube) – You had me at rats attacking people so I took a chance and checked out this killer rat flick from China filmed back in 2022 where rats carrying an unknown virus have made their way on a train. Once the train gets rolling the rats begin to wonder they are agitated and fall from the ceiling of a boxcar to start biting all humans. After several innocent people are sacrificed what’s left of the people on the train must decide if they can make it to a nearby town for a cure that just came into a hospital and make it back before nightfall. The rats hate sunlight. There is just a wonderful scene that reminds you of ‘Day of the Dead’ when they make it to the town and see the rats have killed everyone as they are stacked up in the streets, cool rat killing stuff! Best way to describe this is that it is a combo of  ‘Train to Busan’ and ‘World War Z’ with rats as I give this cheesy and dramatic entertainment 2 ½ stars.

Dreams of the Dead (DVD) – Many moons ago (1994) a young Brad Sykes made a SOV horror film in Virginia but never released it, now it is soon to be. This bold and interesting horror vision introduces us to a young man named Adrian who begins to get letters to his home for a past resident who suddenly disappeared? The letters are all addressed to an Edgar Kim and this fascinates Adrian to the point of distracting him away from finishing a movie script with his friend. As Adrian slowly dwells on the mystery of Edgar Kim he begins to have visions of a beautiful woman who he doesn’t know but does know she is connected to Edgar in some way. Adrian refuses to let this go as it sucks him in deeper. Also let’s note I quite enjoyed the scene with Adrian looking up Edgar in the yellow pages oh those were the days in 1994. Without giving up the brilliant ending Brad’s film comes off more like a psychological thriller than a straight up horror film? I don’t know if Mr. Sykes pulled off exactly what he wanted but this movie has kind of a ‘Sledgehammer’ vibe that I believe will have SOV fans screaming to preorder this immediately as I give this project Mr. Sykes should be proud of 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Don’t go in the Woods (DVD) – It is 1981 and some people are going missing in the same part of a small town wilderness where a group of four people have just shown up to go camping. After about 30 minutes of everyone else being killed off by a crazed mountain man the group trips over the cabin this crazed individual is staying at. From there in this terrible form of ‘Just before Dawn’ the four are just trying to survive long enough to get off the mountain as I give the film 2 stars.

The Blue Hole (DVD) – Dave Castiglione returns to the director’s chair some 17 years after his last directed film even though he has kept himself busy with acting roles. Rounding out his cast with some familiar Indy vets Dave puts together a mystery horror film of sorts that begins in Pine Barrens, New Jersey aka The Pines aka Pinelands June 1997 where a masked man stalks two women at their pool and kills them. This leads into a reporter being sent to the area 24 years later to interview a former police chief of the area and connect truth to folklore hopefully? Bree is not exactly happy with this latest gig because she has been passed over for managing editor but once there she becomes fully engrossed with the chief and her cameraman as she tries to connect several events of missing persons that this former police chief still wrestles with into retirement! As they go through all the strange things over the years Bree soon finds herself in possible trouble with ‘the blue hole’ legend? The film feels like a lost episode of a long canceled sci-fi TV series of the early 90s which will quickly find and entertain an audience for sure as I give the film 3 out of 4 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!

Grossfest 2024 is coming!

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August 2nd and 3rd, 2024, Grossfest 2024

If you have any questions please email us at grossfest@gmail.com

So spread the word we are two days this year. Tell your friends, relatives, scream it from the rooftops; share it on all yinz social medias n’at as we want this to be the biggest Grossfest yet?!

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day, $15 for both days for those who will be attending

Vendor and movie room hours:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 11-7pm

Guest list (in case yinz forgot and of course subject to change)

Sean Donohue

Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Roni Jonah and Jason Crowe

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise. 

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

(Movie room schedule is coming together and hopefully have it posted Fourth of July weekend)

Grossfest 2024 vendor list

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Grossfest 2024 vendor list:

Neko Shark Films

Minerva Trinkets

Neens Soaps

Kiss of Death Productions

Scream Team Releasing

Addison Binek – Psycho Ape

Horror Movie Heaven

Barry the Movie Demon

Cluck Cluck Productions

Celebration of Spirits

13 Occult

Studio Arata

Video Nasty Productions

The Odd End

MMH Productions

Ultra Violent Magazine

Nostalgic Nightmare Productions

Once Upon a Killer

Mike Ancas

Fairly Dark Productions

BPO Films

Burgh Brats Krafty Kreations

Melissa Spezia

Josh Graves – Late Checkout

Drunken Yinzers Productions

Dazed and Disorderly

Vicious Creations

Cindys Creative Chaos

http://www.grossfest.com

Friday and Saturday August 2 and 3rd, 2024

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day, $15 for both days for those who will be attending

Vendor and movie room hours:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 11-7pm

Grossfest 2024 guests

Sean Donohue

Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Jessa Flux

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise. 

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

Grossfest 2024 is only four months away

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Grossfest 2024: Friday and Saturday August 2 and 3rd, 2024

A reminder it is only four months away! We have sold out the vendor spots now we need your help to get people through the door for this two day show. Share the post, tell a friend, text it, print up a flyer, tell relatives, and help us make it the biggest one we have done yet? Let’s keep it simple. Let’s all have fun, promote each other, meet all the great people coming through the door, and celebrate independent horror!

http://www.grossfest.com

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! Discount available until July 1st: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2 (By the way it just about sold out for the one day show last year so don’t wait on this. Also if there is any problems with reservations, contact us!)

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day, $15 for both days for those who will be attending

Vendor and movie room hours are:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 11-7pm

OUR Grossfest Guest list(Guest list subject to change)

Sean Donohue

Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Jessa Flux

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise.

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

And… Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

Also we have started the movie list that will be showing (subject to change)

Hexercise

Swamp Woman

Incest Death Squad

Deep Undead

CarousH3ll

Happy Hour Holocaust 3 (premiere)

A reminder Grossfest 2024 is five months away!

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Grossfest 2024

A reminder: let’s keep it simple. Let’s all have fun, promote each other, meet all the great people coming through the door, and celebrate independent horror!

(BE WARNED IF WANTING TO BE A VENDOR WE ARE ALMOST SOLD OUT. ALSO YOU HAVE UNTIL JULY 1ST TO GET THE DISCOUNT ON HOTEL ROOMS (REMEMBER THE HOTEL SOLD OUT OF ROOMS LAST YEAR FOR OUR ONE DAY SHOW)

www.grossfest.com

Friday and Saturday August 2 and 3rd, 2024

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! Discount available until July 1st: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day, $15 for both days for those who will be attending

Vendor and movie room hours are:

Friday 4-10pm                                  

Saturday 11-7pm

Guests (Guest list subject to change)

Sean Donohue

Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Jessa Flux

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise. 

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Jennifer Nangle

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

Another Grossfest 2024 special guest announcement

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For those who may have not heard we have another special guest coming to Grossfest making their first Pittsburgh convention appearance! This person is a writer, director, and actor whose career has spanned at least four decades now. This talented person has been known to act in such Indy films: Psycho Vampire, Hung Jury, Psycho Sisters, and Easter Bunny Bloodbath 2: No More Tears, but also directed films like: An Ex-Hooker’s Christmas Carol, Deep Undead, and The Blue Hole which they are putting the finishing touches on as we speak. But this person might be known to Indy fans most for being the founder of Sharkey Video and his talented underwater camera work of the feature Deep Undead that just got a wonderful rerelease recently we are delighted to introduce all of yinz to Dave Castiglione!

http://www.grossfest.com

Grossfest 2024

Friday and Saturday August 2 and 3rd, 2024

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Need to reserve a room: Hotel link to reserve a room for Grossfest 2024! https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/ET81E2

Tickets: $10 at the door for one day, $15 for both days for those who will be attending

Vendor room hours:

Friday 4-10pm

Saturday 11-7pm

Grossfest 2024 guests

Sean Donohue

Sushii Xhyvette Holder

Jessa Flux

Kelsey Livengood

Matt Cannon… also appearing with Matt is Victor Butler who was the detective in Hexercise. 

Jorge Delarosa

Nathan Rumler

Rebecca Rinehart

Special guests

Dave Castiglione

Steve Rudzinski

Also let’s not forget ultra-talented, super horror movie fan, tattoo artist Angel O’Connor who will be doing tattoos at Grossfest both days!

Gross Movie Reviews #504

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Gross Movie Reviews #504

 

Zambo, King of the Jungle (DVD) – The film stars Brad Harris as one of two convicts who claims he is innocent and has been thrown into some third world prison. He is being transported most likely to his death with another convict on a prison train. They make a break for it during the ride and use the jungle for cover. But the jungle can be a deadly place as they got to cross through 50 miles of it to make it safely across a border. Along the way Brad’s character Zambo loses his friend to death and natives find him. Three years Zambo is a jungle legend of helping the natives throughout the jungle in their fight against the white man and others who are trying to invade their territory. Everything is hunky dory until some hot babe and friends come looking for Zambo for help in treasure hunting. The premise sounds fun but I would have to say this might one of the more boring exploitation flicks I have watched… But always keep in mind when watching these early 70s flicks it was a whole different world then so when we watch our view could be skewed but I say it was dull and only giving it 1 ½ stars.

 

The Stay Awake (DVD) – A horror film from 1988 that was brought to my attention by a good dude Zane Hershberger a couple months back and was able to finally check it out. 1988, horror movie I never heard of, let’s just say I was stoked as hell. So apparently we open with a serial killer of 11 women is given the needle and of course vows to come back also like ‘Prison’, ‘Shocker’, ‘The Horror Show’, insert a couple more titles from that year or so… Anyway present day 1988 the ghost reappears to haunt some girls at the St. Mary’s School where a teacher and students hang out all night in an event called “The Stay Awake”. Of course this isn’t a U.S. thing and IMDB claims South Africa which could also explain why it is so hard to find until recently. Zane I really wanted to enjoy this film man but not a whole lot happens except the women running around the school and for the ghost of a serial killer he lacked the skill in killing as no one was really dying. Maybe this is just an example of us products of the 80s that are movie nerds that need to shut up or just go watch ‘The Monster Squad’ for the hundredth time… again as I give this 1 ½ stars.

Deep Undead (DVD) – This is a 2005 independent film from Dave Castiglione that just got an upgrade in every way for independent film fans to rediscover all over again. Two divers mysteriously die in the Miles Cove Harbor where there just happens to be a shipwreck from 1923 and a recent nuclear power plant accident nearby. The locals have lots of questions but authorities are keeping things quiet as fish have also recently disappeared or died off so a dive team is hired to find the bodies. The dive team is not all too happy finding out the spill was nearby where they are going but want paid and don’t wanna make too much of a fuss. As the investigation moves forward strange things begin happen, stuff washes ashore, a reporter really digs into the truth of what is actually happening, and people keep bringing up the weird shipwreck accident of 1923. Add that in with more mysterious deaths you get an amazing low budget film that has some wonderful underwater shots for the film that will make filmmakers take notice that it can be done if you put your mind to it. I really enjoy this film because it has that Roger Corman early 80s creature feature feel combined with that independent early 90s look. This entertaining film has all you could want: weird creatures, great underwater scenes, and a toxic spill for a backdrop as I am grateful Dave is getting this out there again as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

 

Beyond White Space (DVD) – So as usual I took a chance watching bootleg Michael Pare in a film that is set in 2156 A.D. Bootleg Michael Pare is chasing after some space dragon that is able to jump time and space that killed his father several years before. If he can capture the dragon it becomes the space haul of a lifetime? Honestly the film is more filler than anything and even with the 30 second cameo from Vernon Wells it still wasn’t worth checking out as I give 0 stars.

 

Skeleton Man (DVD) – As I continue my quest to watch “dumb shit no one wants to watch” I came across this feature that stars Michael Rooker and Casper Van Dien. They are part of an undercover delta force team posing as hikers so they are able to hike through the woods on a search and rescue mission. They are searching for a second group of soldiers that have disappeared in these woods from the impossible force of an invisible entity that when it appears it is a generic grim reaper. Yes it was dumb! So folks just remember stick with watching the racist bootleg version of ‘Predator’ in the hilarious ‘Robowar’ as I give this film a ½ star.

Amityville No Escape (Blu-ray) – Henrique Couto takes his own stab at the notorious franchise to see if he can breathe some new life into an old concept. George is writing a paper on “Fear” and he is making a documentary about his experiment into “Fear”. George gets a few friends and they head to Amityville so he can record reaction and feeling of himself and friends facing their fears. We the audience is introduced to a long lost VHS tape that was from 1997 recording events of a woman that moved into the infamous Amityville home and what transpired. Once the group finds their location and start talking about “Fear” that spookiness ramps up as a little girl is seen and we get flashes of footage of strange occurrences in the 1997 VHS tape. I have likened very few paranormal films and this falls more in a different category than that for me and that is “not my cup of tea” feature. First, I love the ending of the film and that is a great cast of actors but I just could not get into the film. That doesn’t mean it is bad by any means I just feel I may not be the audience for this stab into the “Amityville” series. Second, no matter what Henrique makes I will always give the film a fair shot for the mere reason that dude is one the most talented people behind the camera today! For that I give the film 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

 

Amityville Vibrator (Google Drive) – Just when I thought I seen it all in the past year: “House Shark, Velocipastor, Shark Exorcist, Banana Splits”. You know stuff I believe only exists in my weird ass brain but somehow gets pooped out into the universe? Well I was wrong as Nathan Rumler a filmmaker trying to make his mark in the independent scene decided to come with one of the sleaziest films that has graced this earth in some time! This borderline porno flick begins with the notorious shooting we all know about in 1976 in the infamous Amityville home. The audience is in for an eye opening experience from the get goes as the opening scene is a woman in a demon mask going to town on herself… then having her head blown clean off into a huge blood stain thus allowing the vibrator to fall to the floor and getting lost.  Now present day we get Cathy who has just purchased the infamous home and has thrown out her useless boyfriend. Cathy does what any depressed human would go do and that would be go to a random yard sale with your hot punk girlfriend and receive a free possessed vibrator! As Cathy gets home and the possessed vibrator introduces the young lady to ungodly visions of pleasure we come to find out her ex-boyfriend isn’t just an asshole? Chad just happens to be a part of a duo who has been tracking down all the possessed items from the haunted home so they can no longer harm people. If that doesn’t sound weird at all, prepare you are in for a treat as shit goes globally satanic in a graphically sexual way like never before. We come to learn Satan needs inside Cathy as I will leave at that. Nathan kudos to you for beating Joanna Angel to the punch in making something that will not be forgotten as I give this sleazefest 3 out of 4 stars. The flaw I could point out in this hilarious idea is the shrooms scene went on way too long, there is a point to it but shouldn’t have been longer than 30 seconds.

 

Scarecrow County (Blu-ray) – Our story begins with a woman donating books to the local small town library. She is from the small town but is just in to clean out her recently deceased parents’ house. She has a verbal spat with the town drunk about her dead brother in the library that sets the tone of the film. The librarian finds a notebook in the pile of books from the dead brother Joey Gibbs. A name most in town haven’t heard or talked about for years. The librarian reads on as it peaks her interest and begins asking her father questions about Joey as he went to high school with him. Small town legend, small town ideas but her reading this book sets things in motion not only among old friends but people start having untimely deaths. If you are into killer scarecrow in small town drama then this is up your alley for a Saturday afternoon watch as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

 

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net 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………

Don’t forget you can also hear Kyle Poling, John Shatzer, and me talking about horror flicks on the Bloodbaths and Boomsticks podcast at: www.bloodbathspodcast.blogspot.com .

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