The Executioner II (Tubi) – I know there is a recent special edition of this forgotten action flick too for the physical media collectors. There is a serial killer or vigilante on the streets of LA cleaning up the streets as police and mob people are baffled who it is but both want rid of the person. The film looks more like 1977 than 1984 but adds to the exploitation of the flick that comes complete with Vietnam flashbacks, a gang bothering innocent people of course, a cop’s daughter needing “the dope” who gets into more trouble she can handle, a mob dude known as the tattoo man, and the detective who figures out his Vietnam buddy is the one going out looking for criminals. It is no “The Exterminator” but it does the job for those of who love these action type of flicks from the early 80s as I give it 2 stars.
Virus of the Dead (DVD) – A viral outbreak story is told across 15 segments of this anthology using cameras, phones, etc., that was edited together and shot by over a dozen directors. With the editing aspect you are able to see the progression of the outbreak through several people’s point of views, different parts of the world, and how they are reacting to it. For me this didn’t feel like a true anthology or a found footage film (as some critics called this 2018 project) but an independent zombie flick going for a different take on the genre? Definitely the project “5G Zombies” borrowed this idea and did a much worse execution of the concept. I enjoy zombie films as I just believe this concept isn’t for me. I think the concept was the right kind of thinking before COVID just needed that little something to make it stand away from the bloated zombie genre as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.
Friday the 13th Blood Loss (Blu-ray) – A fan made feature about the infamous Camp Crystal Lake that has Ari Lehman playing a bartender who begins to tell a story to two young men who are there just to piss around because like many they have heard about the legend of Jason. Apparently the legendary campground has been reopened again as the stories of Jason refuse to go away. But with a few recent nearby homicides and a child gone missing who fell in the lake this only fuels the community to wonder if Jason has returned. A down on his luck detective is brought in on the case of the missing kid more like fresh eyes to the case, plus a second chance for him to keep his job. As the detective digs deeper into the case he learns that many believe the lake is the source of all the problems that have surrounded this community for decades and talking to a ghost isn’t helping his sanity. Overall the film starts off solid having Jason involved but more of a background character like his ghost mother but in the end the film feels like a mess as the story feels like it falls apart and with no real ending other than the boy being found. Now, I also can see I am contradicting myself, but it felt there was no real ending to tie everything together as I can only give the project 1 ½ out of 4 stars.
Pantomime (Google Drive) – The latest short film from filmmaker Matthew Diulus who gives us a magnificently fun project about a clown found in a park. Also a reminder to stay away especially when they have signs on trees nearby declaring “Beware of Clowns”. Melissa Sapienza makes this short film special with her inherently creepy performance as the killer clown! Because of all that this film deserves 4 out of 4 stars.
Wrath of the Skunk Ape (YouTube) – An oldie but a goodie from 1997 out there free to watch from the early days of Mike Hartman and Silver Bullet Pictures. This SOV feature has an old dude hunting for the notorious creature in the woods that killed his brother many years before. For whatever reason when the skunk ape isn’t stealing campers’ beans and bananas it attacks unsuspecting campers and kidnaps beautiful women. This is some fun hijinx long before this crew made features like “Chubbies” and “Blood Orgy at Beaver Lake” as I give this feature 2 out of 4 stars.
Big Shark (Tubi) – Finally the project has been released into the wild for all of us to see as for years we would hear it wasn’t finished or played at some film festival no one heard about. Anyway, the cult star Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed, and stars in a shark film about three firefighters in New Orleans that are put into action to go kill a “big shark”! The film is as bizarre, absurd, and incoherent as advertised but I do quite enjoy Tommy Wiseau wearing a hat and gloves at all times throughout this mess whether he is in a wet suit or not and for that I can still only give 1 star for this.
Emotional Support Shark (Blu-ray) – A Mark Polonia flick that doesn’t fall into his usual stuff but also not exactly the killer shark film horror fans would be used too. Tim Hatch is Virgil the janitor for the local aquarium attraction that has sharks. Virgil is quite attached to the sharks as he spends time everyday to talk and watch them. Virgil truly feels these amazing animals are his only friends as this project takes the slow burn approach with shark psychology and physiology that builds up pressure on the main character of Virgil as he feels only comfort with them. There is a part in the film where Virgil is under pressure to pay his bills as he is behind but he has no internet and then two minutes later he is looking at something on a laptop, lol. As the walls are closing in Virgil of possibly being fired, poked fun at by the beautiful receptionist, bullied by his supervisor, etc. Virgil has dreams of someone killing people with a shark mask. It is a fun pressure cooker I believe most are not used to seeing from Mark as you start to wonder if there really is a killer, is Virgil the killer, or is there something entirely different going on here? Definitely a very different killer shark film from the independent filmmaker as I give 3 out of 4 stars.
Hey Chuck (DVD) – A short film project from Broaden Torture Productions that is quite entertaining nine minutes of a young man being followed by a demented individual. This demented individual tortures the young man and only speaks the words “Hey Chuck” while following him… everywhere! And its hilarious where they have him followed so if you need a few laughs this is worth checking out as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.
The Final Wasteland (DVD) – Another feature from the Broaden Torture guys as they head to their final wasteland convention knowing they will with to contend with their old friend Dan. Things seem to go well until finally they begin to interact with their friend and all hell breaks loose as Dan makes sure it is the last convention the boys attend. I give the project 2 out of 4 stars.
Pigskin (YouTube) – Another interesting short film project from MMH Productions as they are tasked with making a quickie film about a killer football player. The crew takes an hour and a camcorder and came up with this with the promise of a sequel soon. MMH Productions is constantly coming up with off the wall independent projects and mainly short film style but don’t sleep on this talent as I like how weird Mr. Hunter gets when it comes to the features as I give this 2 out of 4 stars for its on the spot idea.
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