One week come visit me at this cool venue where I will be selling some cool horror s*%t!

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Next event up for the Gross Brothers and the Grossfest World Tour!

We will have a lot of 4K, Blu-ray, DVDs for only … $5.

Also will have a bunch of Independent DVD and Blu-ray for $5.

Plus just added a few other goodies for best offer… Someone say “Toxic Avenger figures”?

Halloween and Horror Vendor Marketplace, just in time for the Halloween decorating season! Horror/Goth/Spooky/Creepy art, collectibles and decor items. Many local vendors showcasing their unusual wares.

Admission is only $5 at the door. Children 12 and under are free with accompanying adult.

Our venue is
Monroeville Mall
Time and Space Event Space
(upper level across from Victoria’s Secret)
200 Mall Blvd
Monroeville, PA 15046

The event space is located on the JC Penney/ Dick’s end of the mall, upper level, across from Victoria’s Secret. Vendors will be inside of our new 10,00 square foot event space in close proximity to the Living Dead Museum.

Gross Movie Reviews #683

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H.P. Lovecraft’s Celephais (Vimeo) – A short story of Lovecraft’s adapted to film by Michael Neel who edited and directed this 34 minute short film project. This might be a story that horror fans are not too familiar with as the usuals are: The Unnamable, Re-Animator, From Beyond, or even Dagon of which we have seen adapted to name a few. This version deals with an old man fascinated with a dream place/land called “Celephais” that he has been chasing down since he was seven years old. He travels his dreamland when he sleeps constantly as he believes this is home but along his travels he encounters many that are interested in him. This short story/short film is fascinating to me as it can be taken as many things? For me for instance this old man is dying or already right at the edge and his brain is taking him to where he always thought he belonged… before he crosses over in so many words if you believe in such things as the ‘beyond’ to just put it out there broadly. That is how I see it as I may experience something like that a few years back but the point is filmmaker Michael Neel and crew just nailed this project as it was well thought out, well shot, perfect use of locations, and just enough weirdness that I think Lovecraft fans will enjoy it. This short film is one of the best things I have watched in 2025 as it’s absolutely charming at the same time hypnotically amazing! For that my friends I have to give this short film 4 out of 4 stars.

28 Years Later (On Demand) – Best way to explain this movie at least for me is: this isn’t the zombie/rage virus movie I was looking for? Of course it picks up 28 years after the virus has hit Europe. They have been able to contain it ‘Escape from New York’ style but basically if your ass was in that zone… you were fucked! A community cut off from the mainland because of high tide has managed to survive all this time because of their rules. A young boy turning into a man knows his mum is sick as he hears a story of a rogue doctor (Dr. Kelsey) who chose to stay on the mainland with the infected. The boy sneaks his mum out of the community to gain answers from this doctor in hopes of curing his mum. We learn there is “Alphas”, they can get prego, and this shit isn’t just go away, but a big part of me just wonders if I watched one long weird movie about “assisted suicide”? Again for me this wasn’t the movie I wanted to see for the third entry in the series but also I wasn’t quite a fan of the second film either as I give it 2 stars.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2 (DVD) – Literally whose fucking bright idea was it to make a sequel to a 40 year old TV movie that stars Larry Drake? Let alone at least one if not two generations of horror fans don’t even know about the original film as I hate to say it but you may have been better off remaking it instead of just a no budget sequel. Anyway, the film is about a killer scarecrow helping out a young boy Jeremy and his mom who just moved to this small farm community. Blah, blah, blah sorry but the plot comes off uninspiring as I doubt horror fans even know or care about this being released recently as I give it 0 stars.

Dead End Meg (Fawesome) – An oddity of a tale about two best friends who have a major problem. A guy named Gunnar that the two friends owe money too has a girlfriend named Meg who just had a wild kinky night of sex with one of the fellows. Here is the problem: he remembers nothing, they need to get rid of the body, and Gunnar’s guys suspect Meg is at the house? Just a weirdo off the wall independent movie with a lot of anal and penis conversations and a hilarious plot of how do they get rid of Meg? This is one of those films that will make a few viewers turn the movie off  before it is over as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.

X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (DVD) – An early 60s classic that involves Dr. Xavier having a breakthrough formula that can be used as drops in the eyes to help a human see beyond what the human brain can comprehend. The good doctor believes this could revolutionize healthcare as he keeps seeing his eye doctor preparing to possibly test on himself? As his funding gets pulled Dr. Xavier sees no other choice to prove all who doubt him wrong he must use it on himself. With the experimental formula his eyes begin to change as he can see past surfaces, see people naked, etc. but he accidentally pushes his best friend out the window when arguing about the risks. Because of the death Dr. X goes on the run as he ends up at a boardwalk circus and eventually Vegas as he tries to continue the treatment to his eyes. Eventually the experiment turns on him in this fun treat of a thriller as I give it 3 stars.

The Necro Files (DVD) – This 1997 independent feature from filmmaker Matt Jassile is a gritty, sleazy, even gory version of ‘The X-Files’. The story proceeds about a couple of cops who catch up to a somewhat cannibalistic serial rapist in the middle of his chaotic mess. The cops go a little too far with their capture of the notorious rapist as they kill him after being handcuffed. Nine months later a satanic cult (in midday mind you) performs a ritual to bring back this nasty abomination! Suddenly an undead serial rapist has risen and wonders the streets but just don’t ask why the zombie rapist’s dick is longer than most people’s arms… Even in the afterlife this horny bastard continues his demented raping and killing but let’s not forget there is also a flying demonic baby after the zombie that only bites you in the jugular (seriously not making this wild shit up)! So it’s all up to the two officers that started this mess as they chase this zombie down in their Ford Tempo and for that I give this film 3 ½ out of 4 stars.  

The Craiglon Incident II: Aftermath (DVD) – A who’s who of independent cinema joins Joel D. Wynkoop in this wild alien war project that was done during COVID. Everything was done with social distancing involved and comes off more of a history piece or lesson for film fanatics of what it was like at that time of doing nothing. Joel goes complete cheeseball mode as he has fun with aliens invading Earth, but not just this Earth but all of them. The aliens at one point are going door to door to destroy all humans. See apparently our Earth has several portals to others as three so-called warriors are called into action by a good alien to save their world… maybe? Parsons, Emile, and Dawes (Joel Wynkoop, Shawn Phillips, and Phil Herman) become the heroes once they have the alien tech to win the war. It’s a very cheesy, laughable, but entertaining piece of cinema history that should be watched by all Indy fans. Hell I am not a huge Shawn Phillips fan but thought just like Joel and Phil he went full cheeseball mode and did their best to entertain as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Jacker 3: Road to Hell (YouTube/DVD) – Mr. Herman returns to a character that caught many eyes in independent cinema thirty years ago as it fits like a glove and he wastes no time of continuing the lean into the supernatural that causes “The Jacker” to be seen as a mythical or even biblical figure. The Jacker or Mike has been quiet for 30 years as he disappeared after his reign of terror but a recent death of a drifter in the woods has caused concern along with the anniversary of the scary events. This has perked the ears of authorities and survivors alike as original characters return looking for answers. For one reason or another the time was right for The Jacker to return as he seems to be paving a road of blood to Gloria who found a way to survive The Jacker’s original attack thirty years ago. Between the return of original characters, the flashbacks to help explain the origin of sorts, and just this odd alternate world of supernatural gives the film a fun and entertaining quirkiness charm that will have independent die hards celebrating Phil Herman’s return to the character. For that I give this project 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!

Celephais review

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H.P. Lovecraft’s Celephais (Vimeo) – A short story of Lovecraft’s adapted to film by Michael Neel who edited and directed this 34 minute short film project. This might be a story that horror fans are not too familiar with as the usuals are: The Unnamable, Re-Animator, From Beyond, or even Dagon of which we have seen adapted to name a few. This version deals with an old man fascinated with a dream place/land called “Celephais” that he has been chasing down since he was seven years old. He travels his dreamland when he sleeps constantly as he believes this is home but along his travels he encounters many that are interested in him. This short story/short film is fascinating to me as it can be taken as many things? For me for instance this old man is dying or already right at the edge and his brain is taking him to where he always thought he belonged… before he crosses over in so many words if you believe in such things as the ‘beyond’ to just put it out there broadly. That is how I see it as I may experience something like that a few years back but the point is filmmaker Michael Neel and crew just nailed this project as it was well thought out, well shot, perfect use of locations, and just enough weirdness that I think Lovecraft fans will enjoy it. This short film is one of the best things I have watched in 2025 as it’s absolutely charming at the same time hypnotically amazing! For that my friends I have to give this short film 4 out of 4 stars.

Don’t forget you can get in on the movie… GO HERE: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/h-p-lovecraft-s-celephais#/

Gross Movie Reviews #682

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Christmas Revenge (DVD) – This is the short film by Derek Braasch that was included on Phil Herman’s fun project ‘I Slay Christmas’ anthology two years ago and now has been released on its own with some extras. The quick hitting short film deals with Santa being held captive by a man named Curtis. Curtis is upset and wants his revenge on Santa for kissing his mother and ruining the family. Problem, the family was weird to begin with as Santa explains it was Grandpa with mom messing around. It is what it is for the most part but it was enough to distract Curtis for Santa to hit the panic button to alert Mrs. Claus. She arrives to kick ass but also has a bone to pick with Mr. Claus in this fun holiday horror stuff as I give the short film on its own 3 out of 4 stars.

Krampus Collection: Krampus I-V (DVD) – Matthew Mark Hunter is at it again with this holiday collection of short films over the past decade he has made that deals with this evil holiday horror character ‘Krampus’. Part one deals with a young boy David not listening to his babysitter on Christmas Eve as Krampus comes to visit. Part two involves siblings and a babysitter as the older brother Sean despises the holiday as Krampus and his supernatural evil toys come to visit. Part three is a little interesting as a little girl writes Santa about causing her family pain as good ole Saint Nick sends Krampus! Part four deals with the modern day origin of Krampus and individuals believing they can control the evil menace. Part five has Krampus as a snow beast who visits those who celebrate the holiday offseason? None of the collection overstays its welcome, if anything it really shows how much of a filmmaker Mr. Hunter has grown as I give the fun independent collection 3 out of 4 stars.

The Wynkoop Tales (DVD) – Joel Wynkoop writes/directs/produces this anthology of four stories that are from storyteller Barry Atwater who is trying to sell his wild stories to a publisher. The wraparound of course is Barry telling the stories to the publisher and why they should be picked up. But first story involves a husband tired of his wife and selling her to another man to pay the bills. Second story deals with a man trying to do right by his wife after becoming a vampire recently as he tries to not involve her. Third story is an interesting twist of a couple of psychos escaping the looney bin only to enjoy killing again. Fourth story is somewhat hilarious as it involves a woman coming across some masked idoits in a forest whose cult revolves around the demon god ‘Zoltron’! Problem is her father just drove 900 miles to kick some ass to save his daughter. If you are a fan of this great independent talent then this is a must have for your collection as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Lethal Nightmare (DVD) – A recently released film from the Polonia Brothers that was made in 1991 but never made its release because of the company at the time it was with closed up. Now to their best ability you get to witness this once lost film that was shot on Super-8 by the brothers as Mark does an introduction to the film explaining why it wasn’t released and that was a remake of one of their earlier projects. This is a very bizarre Polonia Brothers project as it has a wonderful ‘Phantasm’ vibe to it as three brothers living together discover evil in their home that perhaps is coming from their dreams and nightmares. The more you think you understand the weirder the film gets as I give this very odd never quite finished project 2 out of 4 stars.

Special Needs Revolt! (Tubi) – This independent film is hilarious, made to make you feel awkward and very on par with today’s politics right now in 2025! Billy Bates is a guy with Down syndrome who is forced to live in a group home because his grandma “Is a bitch!” Billy’s words not mine. During a New Year’s Eve party Billy finally gets in the spirit of the event after seeing a candidate for President: Donald J. Kruger is going to run on the platform of getting rid of all the cripples. Billy slips on puke, hits his head, and wakes up three years later to find this moron Kruger is the president and has special needs people arrested on site. As Billy fights with authorities in public he escapes their custody in the town of Donville where he finds friends in hiding. These are people just like Billy hiding out from the new government and military as Billy decides it is time for a rebellion! Billy Bates leads a force of special needs people and wrestlers to capture President Kruger and expose him for the asshole he is. I absolutely enjoyed this film as I too have two special needs people in my life and there is a lot of possible awkward moments in the film for audiences who do not have anybody like Billy in their lives. I wish the 110 minute running was edited down as I believe the project would benefit greatly from it but don’t let that stop you from enjoying an excellently made film with a great cast that will make you squirm a little while watching it as I give it 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Channel 13 (Blu-ray) – A lost anthology that was made by the Polonia Brothers after ‘Splatter Farm’ that was never quite finished but definitely has a nostalgic vibe of what it was like at the time they filmed it in the late 80s. Again this as an introduction by Mark Polonia explaining what happened to the film and how its available now as the first tale is ‘All Hallows Eve’ where a man brings a scarecrow to life to claim it is the only friend he has. Second tale called ‘Claws of Terror’ deals with a mutant bird meets man. Third tale is somewhat funny as Mark Polonia explains it was the brothers take on ‘Motel Hell’ before ever seeing the full movie called ‘Slaughterhouse’. Hank’s Sauce Farm is the place to be if you want good food and not be seen from ever again! If you are a nerd for Polonia Brothers projects as I am this is some wonderful unfinished stuff to witness as its frozen in time and really cool how they shot Super-8 for a bit along with SOV as I give it 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!

Gross Movie Reviews #680

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The Bogmanifest (DVD) – Filmmaker Mitch Laing has something to say about Cryptids with his 34 minute tale that takes place in 1907 Arkansas. Pretty much a Sasquatch creature has killed a couple of hunters from a small community near Indian land. Sheriff gets a hunting group together to track down this person or really this thing once everyone is on board that it wasn’t the work of Indians getting revenge against the white man. But fun fact even the Indians are afraid of this Bogman legend but respect it as the hunting party tracks this thing down they get more than they bargain for as the Bogman rips some of the hunting party to shreds. There are things that give this movie some legit charm even though it’s seems crudely put together at times. Mitch and crew just like Mark Polonia with ‘Once Upon a Time Amityville’ had a great location and knew exactly how to use it. Also not straight up calling it a Sasquatch monster as they give a different twist with  more stories to be told makes it for great entertainment for Bigfoot lovers as I give the monster project 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

The Miracle of Violence (DVD) – Two guys hanging out at a movie theater are excited to sit down and check out their DV tapes to see what they got in this SOV anthology? First tape deals with two friends trying to walk home after a night of partying but something has followed them. Second tape deals with degenerates that keep drinking these slushies that are laced with drugs causing them to murder people. Next adventure is about YouTubers unboxing gone wrong because of what they were delivered from the ‘Dark Web’. The next tape deals with an unfortunate group of filmmakers getting behind the scenes footage in the woods and a random lunatic keeps shooting a gun begins to take aim at the group. Another tape has a couple old dudes fishing and discussing supposed ritualistic killings that took place at their fishing spot. And last one (unless you consider the wraparound of the two guys in the theater watching this) is about five friends who get their asses beaten down at a skate park but it only gets worse when werewolves arrive! This independent anthology has a unique feel as it comes off more like random videos taken by several people as they are trying to prove the existence of the supernatural or plain weird shit. A weird, but unique rough around the edges approach to an anthology that will have its fans as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars but would have given 3 out of 4 if the sound was more level from tape to tape and seen it edited down a few more minutes.

Strong Arm (DVD) – Anthony Moran’s first independent feature made in 2020 uses Detroit as the backdrop for everything that happens in this film. It centers on a war vet Jake Ramsey who has come back to his old stomping grounds to clean up after his sister who was left for dead in a random parking lot. Jake of course wants to go all ‘Death Wish’ on a local crime ring that is suspected of this horrific crime. The film is intense, brutal, and atmospheric but with the musical choices as the soundtrack along with Jake’s nightmares it only add to the film’s intensity as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Let Us In! (DVD) – Mr. Anthony Moran’s second feature comes off as ‘The Crazies’ and ‘Assault on Precinct 13’ had a baby in an alternate universe! This super wild film from 2022 has the government placing a “Shelter in Place” order all across Detroit on the emergency broadcast system as it is alerting residents to have no contact with the infected? As two people find themselves stranded they find a house where the person that lets them in doesn’t live there. After a long set up a gang called “Satan’s Keys” arrive at the home looking for the drugs they feel they are owed since their motorcycles were taken. This sets up for a blood filled battle between Satan’s Keys, the two individuals who are stranded at the home, and what lurks hidden in the house confines awaiting for its next slaughter. This all makes for a fun time for independent horror fans but it does feel incomplete in the end but not enough to take away from what Mr. Moran accomplished as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Clown in a Cornfield (Shudder) – Dr. Maybrook and his teenage daughter Quinn have arrived in Kettle Springs where Baypen Corn Syrup had originated at. A Midwest fly over town that is stuck in the 90s (referenced in the movie). The Baypen Factory burned down recently and a group of teenagers Quinn begins to hang out with are blamed by the town and its sheriff. Meanwhile this teenage group likes to pull pranks on each other with the clown mascot and load it up on YouTube. Things seem very innocent until a prank goes wrong at the Founders Day parade and the party that follows that evening where the group is locked out of a barn after clowns come out of the cornfield looking to slice and dice! Remember it’s all because Frendo the Clown and the town are a tradition to weed out the bad things in so many words. An excellent entertaining twist on the clown horror that will have fans watching multiple times as I give the film 3 ½ stars.     

Samhain (DVD) – Justin Freed aka bootleg Drew Marvick has escaped a facility as it goes up in flames to kill again. This no budget film pretty much goes for the jugular of a dude killing several people in a community wearing a clown mask but misses its target big time. The film felt cobbled together and not thought all the way through as it felt like they possibly were making it up as the camera filmed. Sorry I wish I could say something better about the project but I know what I watched as I can only give it 1 out of 4 stars.

Chainsaw Killer (DVD) – A 2001 Mark Polonia project that really doesn’t feel like a Polonia project as 15 years before a man kills himself with the tape from his VHS movie ‘The Force Beneath’. Now present day a madman with a chainsaw is running around a rural Pennsylvania town hacking people to pieces with the nickname “Chainsaw Killer”. This is all going on while an early YouTuber is hell bent on finding a rare copy of the movie ‘The Force Beneath’ even if it means stealing it out of handicapped dude’s garage. I believe there was a lot of reaching on making a connection between the two things that were happening in the film. Along with Mark Polonia most likely being a hired gun on a subpar script or he wasn’t given a whole lot of time to put this project together. No matter what the answer is this much lesser known Mark Polonia film is still floating out there for anybody interested in tracking down a copy as I can only give it 1 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!

Gross Movie Reviews #679

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What Happens After the Massacre? (Tubi) – An independent film set in the woods of Michigan at Camp Kiwassee where ‘Red Face’ the killer slashes his way through a new set of victims every summer. This is where Henry comes in as his job is to clean up after every massacre and get the camp all ready for the kids to come back. Between Henry breaking in a new employee to help him clean and wondering out loud why ‘Red Face’ left him alone when he seen the killer slaughter his camp counselors years ago makes it one hell of a movie idea. The film attempts to answer some questions of the 80s slashers that take place at camp sites while having some fun with the concept as they also throw in some gore to keep it interesting as I got give this ‘massacre’ film 3 out of 4 stars.

Bride of the Werewolf (DVD) – Okay here was an interesting throwback monster film done on an Indie budget. Two beautiful young women go driving through the countryside only to be harassed by a couple horny locals, their car break down, and then meet a stranger at his home with an odd friend looking for help. The stranger, Saul has a secret while the one woman, Sylvia, becomes fascinated with Saul and his work as he is also just as fascinated with Sylvia’s research. Both falling in love and wanting to protect each other. Mark Polonia treats this old school classic monster subject matter with the right amount respect while Mel Heflin just kills it as Sylvia! Imagine if someone like a Roger Corman made an American Hammer film as I give this cool monster flick 3 out of 4 stars.

The Swabian Sawmill Massacre 2 (DVD) – The German crazy splatterfest has a sequel where the killer is declared dead after injecting himself with a needle. But not so fast splatterfest fans because once the needle is removed in the morgue the killer pops back to life again so he can continue his slaughter! This not so serious massacre literally has a kill scene where the killer cuts off a victim’s hand and sticks up his ass. Pretty much just another chaotic German splatterfest that follows in the bloody footsteps of the first film as I give the sequel 2 ½ stars.

Tag Team (DVD-R) – You can find this on YouTube and some other sites if you look hard enough depending on quality if that is your thing? But anyhow this was a buddy cop pilot from 1990 starring Jesse “the Body” Ventura and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper! The premise of the show was supposed to be about these two wrestlers who get screwed over so they are forced to find a new career to pay the rent. After failing at a few things they get the idea of becoming cops after saving a grocery store from being robbed. No sooner than they graduate, their first day on the job is to protect a witness from being killed by the mob for something she seen. Yes this concept is very corny and hilarious but how did this get the axe and we were shoveled some other crap we had witnessed at that time? Who knows as it may have been doomed from the beginning as wrestling still wasn’t accepted by many? No matter what this entertaining piece of TV is well worth killing an hour for as I give it 4 stars.

Amityville Backrooms (Tubi) – Welcome my friends to entry #68 from Evan Jacobs who has done a couple entries in the ‘Amityville’ series but maybe more known for his ‘Death Toilet’ series. Anyhow, this time around the Amityville home is about to be sold again. The real estate agent selling it magically finds himself transported to the house from his office. After a week he finds himself defeated as he is stuck in this realm of the house. A week later a friend at the real estate agency looks into why there was no closing on the Amityville home and then finds himself trapped at the haunted home too. Honestly once you watch the first twenty minutes, you have watched the entire 71 minute film as not much happens other than both real estate agents bitching they can’t leave. I believe this would have made a great short film to add to the series but instead you will feel like you should win a prize just for watching it to the end as I give it 1 star.

Desert Fiends (DVD) – A Shawn Phillips feature that has a lot of cameos and people getting dicks ripped off as he puts his touch on the ‘Hills Have Eyes’ formula. Friends for a 21st birthday head to the middle of the desert for a bad ass concert. Nevermind the mutant family that lives in a cave nearby believes someone has just ringed the dinner bell! From there chaos ensues literally as we have mutant family, concert in desert, not a lot of plot, with a good amount of gore. The film has its entertaining moments but feels like a total mess that had no business running as long as it did as I got to give it 1 ½ stars for all the dick ripping, biting, and hacking off.

The Final Interview (Blu-ray) – Journalist Oliver Ross is brought to a prison to do a one of a kind live interview with inmate Darius Tidman a couple hours before his execution. Tidman is this notorious Pittsburgh killer who supposedly just enjoyed his killing ways until he got caught. Oliver Ross is an over the hill journalist whose better days are behind him as he has burned many bridges in his business and it’s his last chance to hit big! For the hour of television the two go back and forth tempting each other, challenging each other in some weird game of getting the info they want. This Fred Vogel flick is timeless, brilliantly laid out, just so damn intriguing as the characters capture your attention immediately and don’t let go! How this perfect piece of cinema isn’t playing on one of those crime channels or streaming sites is beyond me as I give this project 4 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!

Gross Movie Reviews #678

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Saurians (DVD) – Old school early 90s Mark Polonia project about dinosaurs running amok! In Fossil Valley a controlled explosion at a construction site opens a hole in the side of a mountain where two dinosaurs are discovered and not long before the ancient creatures take a stroll. Archeological students are out in the woods looking for fossils to begin with because it is called “Fossil Valley” until they are being stalked by the things! Meanwhile we get a hunter character whose offered $100,000 to bring back one these creatures before they destroy everything. It’s a fun corny time that includes Mark Polonia pulling a stick of dynamite out of his butt to defeat the T. Rex as this feature deserves 2 out of 4 stars.

Amityville Sasquatch vs. Kreppy Klown (DVD) – Entry #67 in the series comes from a newer name in the Indie scene that did me a solid several years ago by making the feature ‘Gingersquatch’ which was hilarious. Now this kind gentleman has decided to go the odd way of “$5 Kickstarter” to make the project. Whether it’s a success or not is in the eye of the beholder but this was a very interesting way of making an Amityville film that literally consisted of Sasquatch going into the Amityville house becoming possessed, then attacks a naked woman, while a Kreepy Klown which is an experiment that stalks the woods for victims, also while you get a full 16 minutes of Mr. Douglas Waltz building a tent, and did I mention Sasquatch gets caught jerking off before he faces off with Kreepy Klown in a parking lot! Again, a very interesting way of going about making an ‘Amityville’ flick as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.

Flesh of the Unforgiven (Vimeo) – This stylistic film that has high value for not much budget involves Sienna and Jack, a couple who have had some recent marriage issues decide to head to a cabin that looks like the perfect winter scene. Sienna wants to make up for her mistakes as Jack is under pressure by his boss to get something written or he is fired. Things begin to change slowly for both as Jack receives an odd VHS tape called ‘Violent Love’ and a paper that simples states “Inspiration”. Both struggle to be in the same room at times with each other but both are witnessing the same thing but in different ways as Sienna has nightmares of someone named “The Death Dealer”, Jack becomes obsessed with the VHS tape that has a snuff tape feel but cannot look away. With two strong performances from the legendary Debbie Rochon and Joe Hollow it lends to the story telling like a little sleazy thriller from an alternate reality. This is almost like a lost film from the early 2000s that I feel Indie fans will quite enjoy watching as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Holy Moly (DVD) – A 40 minute SOV film from the early 90s that involves a priest who is proud of what he does but becomes haunted by an evil mysterious individual he encounters in an alley way. This evil figure claims he will make “Holy” (the nickname for the priest) to murder someone. Holy doesn’t believe in this but after the meeting he seems to be slowly possessed by a demonic force that forces him to kill a good friend. If that wasn’t enough for the priest he does get killed by “ANAL FISTING”… Still with me as I give this lost film 2 out of 4 stars.

Four Nights in Fear Forest (Tubi) – Mark Polonia throws his hat in the ring of giving a small budget version of ‘Five Nights of Freddy’ a try where a tragic event during Halloween 1995 causes a horror attraction to shut down. Mr. Bones’ animatronics Mummy, The Bride, Dracula, and the Wolf Man supposedly attacked people? Now present day, four convicts with a special program allows convicts to defer their fines and lower prison sentences have been brought to the site to help Mr. Bones clean up. This cleanup is to allow the boardwalk to expand with newer, better things as Mr. Bones constantly reminisces about his animatronics wonders. They have four nights to do the work but after a stormy night lightning brings the monsters to life as they look to kill the convicts one by one. An entertaining cheeseball movie where Jeff Kirkendall as Mr. Bones steals the show as I say give this a try folks as I give it 2 ½ 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!

Gross Movie Reviews #677

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Gone with the Dead (Tubi) – A west coast independent zombie virus film where a virus has been unleashed onto an innocent population that is now turning them into flesh eaters! The film mainly centers on an extremely annoying group of people who spend most of the movie deciding what should be done during an outbreak of mutant rabies. I would love to say this was fun but the film quickly takes an uninteresting turn with the group so yinz are on your own if go into this as I cannot give it any stars.  

Night of the Juggler (DVD) – This wild thriller about a kidnapping gone wrong is set in 1980 New York with James Brolin as Boyd whose daughter is mistaken for a rich landlord’s daughter. Hell as the kidnapping happens early in the film and then its followed by an absolutely bad ass chase scene between Boyd and this weird kidnapper known as the ‘juggler’ that goes for twenty minutes. Boyd is an ex-cop, now divorced truck driver trying to do the right thing for his daughter on her birthday by fighting New York’s finest who have a grudge against Boyd while tracking down the weirdo. If you are like me and never came across this film years ago it is worth the time now to track it down and enjoy all the New York regulars as I give it 3 stars.

Bio-Zombie (Blu-ray) – If you were checking out rare horror bootleg films in the early 90s you came across this Asian gem that I once called “the Asian version of Beavis and Butthead fighting zombies in a mall”. Invincible and Bee are two hoodlums who run a bootleg movie and game shop but also work for a low level boss. After an incident with a random stranger and their boss’ car, they feed him the energy drink he asked for before death and throw him into the trunk. Dead guy escapes, follies galore, and a new zombie virus quickly spread throughout the mall with only Invincible and Bee left to stop it. A super entertaining rewatch with commentaries, interviews, and a bunch of fun stuff that will make you even a bigger Asian zombie fan as I give it 4 stars all the way!

Sharkdemic (Blu-ray) – Buyer beware of this project as it feels like a YouTube clip show from Japan that was turned into a feature of sorts. A young man in Japan claims he saw a flying shark which sets off a war on all sharks, I guess. When flying sharks are not enough for you, weird looking ocean life shows up with chainsaws to kill humans. This is a weird, wild, no budget piece of chaos that was not meant everyone and most likely works better in short bits in my opinion as I give it 1 star.

The Jar (Blu-ray) – A super slow oddity that really isn’t a horror film about a dude named Paul who helps an old man with a large jar only for said old man to disappear in his apartment but the jar is left. Paul stares at this jar and quickly has weird visions as he tries to destroy this strange thing but it keeps coming back to haunt him. As the film creeps along Paul’s visions get extremely more bizarre as he has flashbacks of war, being pinned to a cross, has sex with the woman down the hall then she changes into the old dude from the beginning of the film which just sends Paul over the edge. All this ends with an ending that is really a non-ending but you do get some answers in the commentary and interviews that are packed into this special edition as I give the revisit 2 stars.

Radioactive Flesh Eating Foliage (DVD) – In 2015 someone had a hilarious idea with no budget and went hog wild… and I was entertained with this little project that also features Mel Heflin and Nadia White. Somewhere in the Maryland Mountains, nature has been abused with chemicals too long as there are stories of trees attacking hikers in this fun SOV feature. Even though there is this legend of “the goatman” and other stories of ghosts, there have been too many rumors about trees trying to kill! So the only thing to do is hire two convicts with guns to wander into the wilderness only to become victims themselves of this ‘nature gone bad’ independent horror film that has lots of boobs and people being attacked by branches held by people off-screen. I know there isn’t much of an ending and it sounds super corny but it did make me laugh a few times and that I got to give 2 ½ out of 4 stars for that.

Jacker (DVD) – A 1993 SOV feature that stars Phil Herman as Mike aka “The Jacker”. This mysterious young man with an unusual mean streak enjoys looking for easy victims. No one is immune to Mike killing with no remorse as his girlfriend finds out at home when Mike claims “he needs to make a living” then kills her. The victims pile up rather quickly which causes people to eventually call Mike “The Jacker” especially for his teasing and torturing of victims. A detective named Jackson gets so frustrated with the case of Mike and knowing he is the killer that he must risk losing his job to rid society of this menace. Oh for sure this project is rough around the edges and another bold undertaking for Phil Herman and friends to pull off but again there is a weird charm about the New York accent and what exactly is this film is supposed to be as I give it 2 ½ out 4 stars. P.S. for all that need to know a twenty something Phil Herman shows off his naked ass!

Jacker 2: Descent to Hell (DVD) – Not a lot of time passes by as they did this sequel in 1996 where “The Jacker” who was believed dead has returned. Jackson now a disgraced cop after throwing the suspect off the bridge is upset “The Jacker” has called him to let Jackson know he will be around. Six months pass and “The Jacker” gets his revenge but that is not enough for this figure as the story leans heavily into this mysterious Mike turning him into a mythical or even spiritual unknown evil. With that Mike continues his killing spree in this no budget sequel that even has “The Jacker” being haunted by his past which makes the film even odder? There is a scene where Mike is shot several times by a carjacker and Phil Herman’s character is even surprised by the event… This sequel is so wild and offbeat I am not sure if there was a legit explanation I would be satisfied with but it kept me interested as I give the feature 2 ½ out of 4 stars. P.S. The Jacker does a great Darkman impression in a scene to surprise another character, fun no budget stuff.

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!

Gross Movie Reviews #676

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Cyclone (DVD) – An odd disaster film from 1978 that has a shark on the cover and has you think you are getting sharks eating people the whole film? We don’t… as this boring but yet at the same time wildly interesting film goes in a whole other direction. Pretty much the movie opens with a warning of a bad storm coming so we witness a plane crash land at sea and two boats become stranded. The passengers of the plane of who survived are wounded and the sharks arrive for a feast but three days later as they still float at sea one of the boats find them with shortly after the bigger charter boat that is stranded because of no gas finds them. This sets the rest of the picture for some really long dull parts of survivors of the storm having no food or water. So cannibalism it is kids! First they eat the dog, and then they chop up a dude that just died! They carve pieces of him and throw it on top of the boat to dry out in the hot Caribbean Sea, yep shit gets real dark. The movie is around two hours and crazy dull with moments of really dark inhuman shit as I give this must see to believe oddity 2 stars.

Raiders of the Lost Shark (DVD) – A Canadian shark film where a shark is on the loose feeding on all who enter the water. Supposedly the shark is a product of something mysterious going on an island across the water so of course some college students say “cool beans” and go investigate! At the same time their professor is hired to kill this eating machine as she has had experience in the past but somehow there has been experiments going on at the island the whole time. The film was produced by Indie vet Brett Kelly and for me at least there is no in-between on the films he is involved with: either really good or like this one pretty bad. This film really just didn’t know how to be a killer shark film as it felt like a mish mash of several which I can only give it 1 out of 4 stars.

Killing Spree (Blu-ray) – Terrorvision put out a recent cool version of this early Tim Ritter flick that is packed full of extras, commentaries, and made me want to sit down and rewatch this classic again as I haven’t checked it out in over twenty years. We are introduced to Tom, an ordinary dude who works hard, tries to avoid the nosey neighbors, and hang with his hot wife at home. Sounds reasonable until work has cut his check by 40% which makes Tom think about a second job as he doesn’t want his wife Lisa going back to work. On top of that Tom believes his wife Lisa is boinking every dude that enters the house that eventually sends him on a “killing spree”! Even decades later this underground classic works as the downward spiral of the character Tom slipping into his madness is brilliant with the fun lighting of the killing moments and its inventive kills. But wait there is more but why spoil it if by some chance you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying this Tim Ritter film that has a excellent payoff as I give it 4 out of 4 stars.

The Violence Movie Part One and Two (DVD) – Two SOV short films that were shot in 1988, then had some footage added in 2003, then scored by Harry Manfredini! WTF? These early shorts are from The Wilkinson Brothers, who one of them went to Hollywood to work on many projects but like many filmmakers in the 80s they loved ‘Friday the 13th’.  So they picked up a camera as teenagers, grabbed a friend, and made a masked killer slasher that included a goalie mask of course. The DVD includes commentary, alternate endings, deleted scenes, among other fun tidbits as I give the project 3 out of 4 stars.

Scream Park (DVD) – A forgotten 2012 moderately budget horror film that was made at an amusement park just north of Pittsburgh, Pa. The plot involves the “Fright Land Amusement Park” closing because of bankruptcy. The manager has a meeting with the skeleton crew of employees to explain how and why of the park’s closing. At the same time a mysterious dark van shows up in the parking lot that evening. Of course said manager is convinced to let the young employees’ party in the park since this it for all of them but the mystery thickens as each of them start to disappear and two masked figures roam the park. This is one of those films that probably had the best intentions on paper but once filming it all became a huge mess to say it kindly as you are not missing much with this project as I give it 1 star for the mere reason of Steve Rudzinski being casted in it.

Dinogore (DVD) – Friends head out to Uncle Dante’s cabin for the weekend as this project starts off really slow. But the party gets going with its three PBRs as it is interrupted by an earthquake that awakens a dinosaur who roams the woods to snack on humans. A lot of time is spent on the characters not wrapping their head around a dinosaur is trying to eat them but this might have just been an example of how hard it was to make a movie during COVID? I believe I have seen better from the filmmaker and from the cover of the movie you would expect it to be a lot of fun as I didn’t laugh once so I give the dud 0 out of 4 stars.

Lunchmeat (DVD-R) – This 1987 underground independent movie inspired quite a few filmmakers out there and what is weird this film still isn’t out there legit on any format other than the VHS many years ago as far as I can see? Six friends head to a cabin for the weekend of course only to be low on beer, food, and gas. After stopping at the burger joint and the film introducing two of the three hillbillies who are going to ruin their weekend it sets the stage for a low budget gorefest.  The hillbillies set a plan in motion to detour the group and hopefully use them as fresh meat to eat! From there it becomes a game of survival for both groups as they run around the woods trying to survive this low budget ordeal. Time hasn’t been kind to this grisly fun film but it is still a classic to many as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Dark Match (Shudder) – This is the latest from Lowell Dean who gave us ‘Wolf Cop’ and because of that this dude he will always have my attention with any project. Set in the late 80s wrestling world where “SAW” wrestling promotion has made a name for itself but has seen its better days in Canada. They are contacted to do a show for big money in the middle of nowhere and their shady ass promoter isn’t going to turn it down. So the wrestlers pack up the trucks and drive to the middle of nowhere only to walk into some oddness. Along the way a featured bad guy or girl in this case ‘Miss Behave’ is having dreams or visions of satanic rituals, fire, and the championship belt? Things get real weird after a night of drugged induced mischief and the bad guys are being guarded in a locked room by armed guards during the event. Five matches, five sacrifices, to make the ritual happen or so says the “Prophet” a former wrestler from the past who feels wronged by SAW. Cults, wrestling, gore, and the possibility of Satan what isn’t there to enjoy as I give this feature 3 stars.

Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon (DVD) – Oh this was a fun independent feature as to me it comes off as ‘Humanoids from the Deep’ remade as a comedy, on a low budget, with a great creature costume! This 2007 film features a story about a local professor and her students out on a field trip of sorts to test the local waterway for toxins. The reason for this is there have been reports of toxic dumping from a giant corporation years ago along with some recent toxic dumping by others. They want to know how polluted is it? There have been rumors of mutations but never proven. The field trip is going well until one of them is bitten by something mysterious underwater. As he slowly changes hillbillies roaming the shoreline are being slaughtered by a disgusting creature and if by some chance they survive the attack they become deformed and change. From beginning to end this project is hilarious with a great cast that plays up the hillbilly parts just right but the star has to be the impressive creature they cobbled together as I give this entertaining creature feature 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Movies to Watch on a Rainy Afternoon: Troma Edition (Blu-ray) – Now I checked this out 2019 when Addison just released this fun edition on DVD so with the new Blu-ray, it was time for me to check this out again with my daughter who is a huge fan of Mr. Binek’s projects. Now Addison being the smart dude he is didn’t just go for any Troma titles he went for the second tier kids! Here is the list he tackles: Rabid Grannies, Hectic Knife, B.C. Butcher, Troma’s War, Getting Lucky, Redneck Zombies, Slaughter Party, and Star Worms II: Attack of the Pleasure Pods. Over two hours of Troma hilarity. Addison goes with masks, a Troma cake, low budget fireworks, spitting up, jumbo being stapled to a wig to explain a brain, and reading a Fangoria with his feet to get his riffs over on these features. There are times I literally laughed out loud especially during B.C. Butcher and Hectic Knife (which Addison’s good friend is behind that project). Redneck Zombies seem to be the tough one out of the bunch but that didn’t stop Addison riffing on it and making fun of himself doing it. The beauty of this edition is instead of Lloyd condemning or being upset by this he embraces Addison’s fandom, ideals, and intelligence to put together a great product for not just Troma fans to enjoy but movie lovers as once again I give this entertaining project 4 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!

Gross Movie Reviews #675

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Slimoids (DVD) – This 2018 Indy flick hasn’t been talked about much in the Indie community so I thought it was time to check this project out… Well folks this has some cool people in front and behind the camera with some cool ass creatures that I believe were done by the great talent Dustin Mills. Story goes a scientist creates three small but deadly creatures to help her get revenge against her former colleagues who thought she was going too far with their experiments? No time is wasted in people being killed by these creatures in such a grisly manner that Charles Band would be jealous of the puppet and effects work with these small creatures done on such a small budget! This evil scientist enjoys her venture into human experimentation as she enjoys her creations being called “Mistakes of science”. I quite enjoyed the effort put into this project as it has that direct-to-video creature feature vibe from the late 80s written all over it as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Freak (DVD) – Not too long ago this Indy adventure decided to go in a different direction with the usual ‘killer in the woods’ stuff Indy fans were used too. This project has the same layout but an exciting surprise as five young friends head out to the woods for a weekend that has historic creepy mysterious stories about it. Be careful for what you wish for as the legend of Arthur Crenshaw haunts the campground where these kids are staying at. A little suspense, believable characters, and a super interesting creature makes for a fun creature feature as Arthur Crenshaw slaughters his way through the campground. Another great low budget gory monstrous tale worth checking out as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Death Reel (Blu-ray) – Oh this is a treat for SOV fans as this limited release a few years back features a few unreleased short films from the Polonia Brothers from 1983-1985. The tales feature the very young duo at the time tackling a killer scarecrow, things going too far at a cabin, a maniac and a cult. I believe all the tales at the time were shot on Super-8. A wraparound story is made up of a movie guy named Marty who won these short films at an auction and heads home to watch these films. The wraparound is kind of annoying but that doesn’t take away from how special this is as we get to see how The Polonia Brothers first started. If anything this should be used to inspire people to “still make their own damn movie” to use someone’s phrase once as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Sand World (DVD) – This rather recent Mark Polonia directed film of course is to cash in on the new ‘Dune’ films as a mining ship must land for repairs. The crew lands only to immediately to be greeted by these cool looking sand worm creatures that would have been great for a different “creature feature” (that is for a different conversation). The crew quickly figures out sound attracts them and knows they need to stay alive long enough to get the repairs done so they can lift off. But the crew’s acting captain is haunted by visions from the planet even though she has never visited this mysterious place. The crew and acting captain struggle with their new environment as they try to make sense of what exactly this planet is? If you are a straight up Polonia dude this may not be your cup of tea but if you are a sci-fi nerd this feature may strike a nerve or two with you to enjoy a B-movie version of ‘Dune’ in so many ways as I give this 2 out of 4 stars.

Wolf Moon Rising (Vimeo) – Todd Sheets is one of the most respected filmmakers in the Indy genre and I just enjoy when he decides to make a movie that most wouldn’t even dream to attempt. I really do feel like someone said “werewolves in space” to Mr. Sheets and without hesitation decided the film needed to be made?! The film jumps right into action as it opens up with a military transport ship in trouble as werewolves have overrun the transport ship in a glorious bloodbath of an opening. With the ship in trouble and crew pretty much dead a survivor kicks the last werewolf into a cryo tube as she jumps in hers in hopes of survival. Another ship called Amberstar receives the distress call but must make it quick as the damage has left the transport ship in critical condition. The Amberstar crew works hard to bring aboard the cryo tubes with odd readings but wants to do the right thing of saving the two beings? The tubes open and within minutes the beast is loose again within the Amberstar crew dealing with the aftermath as their biggest worry of the “space crud” being released has come true. Now Mr. Sheets has said this film is the vein of Roger Corman, I go one step further as to me this film has the vibe of ‘The Terror Within’ from 1989 which was released by Concorde Pictures. Is the film perfect… no, but you got to outright respect a filmmaker that goes completely against the grain and makes a “werewolf in space” film but also makes it god damn entertaining so folks I gotta give this crazy ass idea of a movie 3 ½ out of 4 stars. Thank you Mr. Sheets for being an inspiration in the independent horror genre.

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!