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Gross Movie Reviews #371
0Gross Movie Reviews #371
By Tim Gross
Passed the Door of Darkness (DVD) – Two detectives that are having trouble catching a serial killer that is always one step ahead. The older detective finds out he has a brain tumor and is blacking out. Eventually he comes to the realization that the killer is him. The film fails to try and hide who is the killer from the start and just about put me to sleep trying finish the film as I give it a ½ star.
Wer (DVD) – The film begins with a family hiking it out in the middle of rural France only to capture their vicious animal attack that killed the husband and kid and scarred the wife, Claire Porter. Immediately, local authorities bring in a very large hairy man that doesn’t talk much and lived with his mother nearby the attack. This gets the attention of an American Human Rights Lawyer, Kathrine, who has a practice there and wants to represent the very large hairy man, Talan. The local authorities disregard that only an animal could do the damage it did and this man Talan has a rare disease that affects his joints, bones, etc. So it seems like a slam dunk for the lawyer to get Talan off from this brutal murder. But tests keep coming up inconclusive; the police know more than they are saying and Kathrine and friends dig deeper into Talan and his family and find a history like no other. That’s when the movie gets even more interesting when Talan escapes and begins a city wide murder spree! A werewolf flick with a whole different spin on the werewolf legend in this American/French production that was shot in Romania. On top of that I loved the creature and blood effects in this entertaining and refreshing spin on the werewolf genre. I give the film 3 ½ stars.
Evil Bong 420 (DVD) – Who says, “You can go to the well too many times”? Apparently Charles Band ignores that phrase with this entry into the “Evil Bong” series. The film is a sequel of sorts to “Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong”, which the movie came inside a cereal box where the cereal tasted like a generic ‘Cookie Crisp’ in case you were not paying attention? Anyhow Sonny Davis’s character manages to break out of Eebee’s weed fog inside the bong reality and open up a topless bowling alley. Once, Charles Band makes sure all of the characters from both franchises made their appearances exception of Tommy Chong. Gingerdead Man makes his escape and Eebee is pissed as she comes back to take her revenge in capturing all who escaped. Thus setting up another sequel… I give it 1 star just for the mere reason I am still a fan of Charles Band, Sonny Davis, Robin Sydney, and David Decoteau made an appearance! Plus it doesn’t help the film come off as one long ad for Full Moon merch. Sorry Mr. Band you have a few websites for that.
Cyborg Cop III (DVD) – The film was originally called “Terminal Impact”. But honestly who is paying attention to that except for Jon Cross, maybe Ed Demko’s dad, and me? So Delta Tech builds cyborgs while a local news reporter is investigating this cyborg thing. She finds out about something she shouldn’t have and Delta Tech sends cyborgs after her. Lucky for her two lucky go happy bounty hunters happen to drive by and help her out. I give the flick 1 ½ stars.
Insane (Vimeo/DVD) – One of my favorite hard working independent filmmakers Massimilano Cerchi is back with his latest release, “Insane”. The film is about a hot young couple buy their dream home off the internet and pictures don’t do it justice. But of course the weird neighbor just happens to stroll by and tell the young couple they are pretty much “doomed” if they stay because of the history of the home. Michael’s girlfriend Sarah is completely pissed off and wants to know why the realtor didn’t tell them this before they bought it. Michael of course believes it isn’t a big deal until the weird neighbor begins telling Michael of the stories about the murders that happened there. Michael becomes obsessed and begins filming everything and documenting anything to find evidence of something possibly supernatural in his new home. But just like the weirdo neighbor says, “You might not like what you find?” The evil clown is a nice touch but Cerchi’s approach of stripping down the bloated paranormal genre with few characters, not a ton of dialogue, and allowing the scenes tell the story make this feature refreshing and fun. I’m still not a big paranormal film fan but it’s nice to see there are still some entertaining and creepy ideas from great filmmakers out there! I give the flick 3 out of 4 stars as you can find out more about the flick and Mr. Cerchi at: https://www.facebook.com/massimiliano.cerchi?fref=ts&ref=br_tf .
The Last Witch Hunter (DVD) – From the beginning this Vin Diesel flick could have been the next great horror film but internet geeks and word of mouth never allowed this movie to have a chance. Now saying that I am not saying this is one of the best movies out there I just believe anymore these days most movies don’t survive the harsh criticism of it before it is ever released. As I try to do if the movie exists I will give it a chance and that is what I did here. Vin Diesel plays a witch hunter who is not one by choice but becomes one after his family is murdered several hundreds of years ago and is guided by a man/priest given to him by the church. Michael Caine plays the latest who believes it is time to retire but wants to give Diesel’s character the full story of what the church is hiding. But he is killed, maybe? And Elijah Wood steps in to help or fuck shit up just to bring the original witch queen back from the dead. I wanted this movie to be so bad that I enjoyed it because of what I heard, example “Cursed” anyone? But it wasn’t… It’s not great but like I said, “it exists”. Maybe it would have been better without Vin Diesel as the ‘Last Witch Hunter’ and should have been a Rutger Hauer or Jeffery Combs? Who knows? But the point is at least watch the movie then decide if it’s as bad as a lot of people believe because I don’t as I give it 2 stars. This film just suffers from ‘never having a chance once thought went to paper’.
Appleseed: Alpha (DVD) – Another fun CG-animated sci-fi feature about a cyborg and his female partner just trying to make it in the wasteland and maybe save the world. The two are just trying to repay their debt to a shady guy who rules New York City. So when they go out the outskirts of the city to remove some unwanted cyborgs, they stumble across another cyborg and a girl who are traveling to complete a secret mission. The two unlikely couples decide to travel together but now have evil cyborgs and the shady dude from New York City trying to stop them from accomplishing their mission. These types of movies are fun stuff: “Resident Evil”, “Bio-Hunter”, etc. This is geeky, fun flick for someone like myself as I give it 2 ½ stars.
John Wick (DVD) – Keenau Reeves jumps feet first into the action genre about a man who just lost his wife and has a dog and a bad ass Ford Mustang. He gets the shit kicked out of him, his dog gets killed, and his classic car stolen by some dumb ass mob kid. When word gets around whose car the kid stole people begin to panic as John Wick used to be a hitman that was flawless and stopped at nothing to kill all he was suppose too. From there the bullets fly and John Wick kicks ass. Even though I enjoyed the film two things bothered me as I watched it and maybe I am just a product of the 80s (Rutger Hauer, Arnold, Sly, Dolph, even a Jason Statham) but it seemed like Keenau just didn’t fit the role. Also I felt they built up the John Wick character a lot and he is easily captured and beaten up! I give the film 3 stars.
The Survivors (The Hack Collection Volume One) (Blu-ray) – Well the talented independent filmmaker Steve Rudzinski finally granted my wish of doing a sequel to “Slasher Hunter” and did not disappoint at all. According to Steve, “it’s not just a sequel; it is a sequel to everything he has done.” If you have been following Mr. Rudzinski’s films they all have been leading to something or leave you wanting a little more and it all comes to this… Steve puts everything together in this latest project where ‘The Slashers’ are in complete disarray as Frank is in hell and they lack real leadership. Meanwhile, the group just known as “The Killers” is stronger than ever and keeps two steps ahead of the “Survivor Initiative” until now. “The Slasher Hunters” have some new allies (helps if you have seen some of Steve’s past films to understand some of the characters and why they are there) that includes one my favorite’s ‘Wolfster’. Wolfster is a character Steve came up with early in his filmmaking career I easily could have seen as a movie franchise with a new entry every 12 to 16 months? It all comes down to one final fight between The Slasher Initiative and The Killers leader Norm unless Frank finds a way out of hell? We also find out what was Frank’s worst mistake thanks to hell. This project is beyond hilarious, entertaining, and everything I have expected from such a talented filmmaker. Steve has a way of writing very likable characters good and evil that in my opinion makes him successful for the long haul. Steve this is one of the best independent projects I have seen in 2016 and hope to see a lot more as I give the film 4 out of 4 stars. The copy of “The Survivors” I have is part of “The Hack Collection Volume One” Blu-ray two-disc set that has bloopers, trailers, almost all of Steve’s movies and a lot more. Find out more about the film or purchase it at: www.silverspotlightfilms.moonfruit.com and https://www.facebook.com/SilverSpotlightFilms/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf .
Land of Doom (VHS/DVD-R) – A lesser known C-grade Wasteland film that looked like it used the leftovers from Fred Williamson’s Eye-talian films. The Peter Maris film has a woman named Harmony trying to make her way across the wasteland just trying to get away from everything only to meet up with a man who is trying to get these ‘raiders’ to believe they can rebuild. Cannibals, killer snakes, horrible motorcycles, and no real ending (Thanks Metalstorm) are the highlights of this film as I give it 1 ½ stars.
Marked (DVD) – Six years after a woman witnessed her father murdered and the murderer die in front of her is doing paranormal research for answers. Answers for what not totally sure but it is just another miserable entry into a bloated genre that is starting to rival the other bloated genre, ‘zombies’. I give it 0 stars.
Lost Souls (DVD) – A late 90s flick about John Savage, his wife, and kids just moved into a new home. His daughter happens to be autistic and some murdered children from years ago are trying to communicate through her after they find an old device in storage at the house. Every time the machine is turned on something paranormal happens. After a few twists and turns the family finds out it is the local sheriff with the murdering past. The movie was a TV movie that had a few showings on the now defunct channel UPN before going into obscure cheap paranormal DVD box sets. I give the film 2 stars.
Let Us Prey (DVD) – An Irish film about a new constable starting her job for a station in a small town. While walking the beat she witnesses a drunken kid run down a man. She takes the kid in but cannot find the man. Later the mysterious man is found by other officers and brought in to get a statement but refuses to speak but just stare. The mysterious no name man is put into a cell while they call a doctor and that is when things begin to get weird because anyone that is near the mysterious man knows their deep secrets. But what all inside the station don’t know he is there to collect souls before the stroke of midnight and everyone’s past comes back to haunt them in one way or another. The film starts slow but builds into a chaotic, bloody climax worth checking out. In the end, the movie starting off slow makes a lot of sense after watching it as this is one of those lesser known recent horror movies worth seeking out as I give it 4 stars.
The Gates of Hell 2: Dead Awakening (DVD) – Literally a sequel no one knew about and for good reason. From what I could stay awake for the film is very low budget and set in the early to mid-80s, never mind the dedication to Lucio Fulci. But anyway no zombies and barely demons on-screen that are brought forth by some stupid middle aged men who are also looking for a woman who has a medallion that is supposed to help them with conjuring some demons. The film was mostly shot in Fort Worth, Texas in 1986/1987 according to sketchy information I was able to dig up on it. But fuck it, the movie is so bad it shouldn’t exist so let’s stick with “Death Metal Zombies” and “Heavy Metal Massacre” for our fun bad stuff shall we? I give it 0 stars.
Indigenous (DVD) – The usual crap about stupid American college kids not listening and going to a waterfall in the middle of a dense jungle of Panama. Bad shit happened there supposedly but they don’t listen and go visit only to become dinner to a Chupacabra. But that’s when the movie gets interesting when a guy uploads his video to his social media and it goes viral within four hours causing a military to search for them and millions to watch on 24/7 news channels for their rescue. I liked the monster/Chupacabra looked like an extra form “The Descent” but I thought the movie was much better and interesting when the film took a serious turn in using social media as part of the storyline. Now, I thought if the movie would have continued that storyline instead of wasting storyline and film of the rich kids partying, bumping uglies, drinking, and repeat before they visit the Chupacabra? Then a lot more horror movie fans would be talking about and seeking out this monster flick. Sometime filmmakers it’s better to color outside the lines than keep coloring inside the lines of the same picture film in, film out. For that I give this movie 2 stars.
Any comments or questions please send to: GrossMovieReview@verizon.net, GrossMovieReview@aol.com 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………
You can always visit and see some past reviews, independent film news, or me ranting at: www.grossmoviereviews.com !!!
Don’t forget you can also hear Kyle Poling and me talking about horror flicks on a weekly basis on the Bloodbaths and Boomsticks podcast at: www.bloodbathspodcast.blogspot.com/
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 for details.
Don’t forget you can come by the vendor table I will be at for a book, shirt, or a movie March 4, 5, 6th, 2016 at Pittsburgh’s Horror Realm Convention (for details: www.horrorrealmcon.com) and Cinema Wasteland April 1, 2, 3rd, 2016 in Strongsville, Ohio (for details: www.cinemawasteland.com) .
Refuge
0REFUGE
Highly Acclaimed Post-apocalyptic Thriller Released by Gravitas
Ventures Coming to VOD, iTunes, Amazon Feb. 16
Refuge is a post-apocalyptic thriller from Passerby Films. Refuge was enthusiastically received by audience s last year at multiple festivals around the world, including fan favorites Toronto After Dark, ScreamFest and won Best Director for Andrew Robertson in Sydney a t Australia’s Fantastic Planet.
Refuge has been compared to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road as the austere s etting a nd large cast of villains are reminiscent of the world that film inhabits. Director Robertson says of the post-apocalyptic universe: “I wanted to focus on a family living in isolation..to portray the quiet fear that would become the default if we all went into hiding after a big societal breakdown. I expect life would become a slow burn, interrupted with bursts of fear and violence.”
Refuge’s distributor, Gravitas Ventures, says of Refuge: “Gravitas is excited to be collaborating with the bold and innovative filmmakers behind Refuge and bring these new voices in horror to 100 million homes across North America.”
SYNOPSIS: Refuge chronicles the struggles of a family trying to survive in the wake of a deadly and mysterious catastrophic event that has brought America to its knees. Despite their efforts to remain hidden from the pervasive marauders and dangers that surround them, the family is ul timately discovered and forced to fight for survival. But, fighting back has its consequences.
*the fight begins on February 16th, 2016, when the film is available through VOD on: iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, XBOX live and Playstation Network.
Downloadable trailer link: https://app.box.com/s/41y1thubsvdrejmm2o9383ky7917ju8m
Website: www.refugethemovie.com
Release Date: February 16th, 2016 (VOD & Cable, US & Canada).
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures (http://www.gravitasventures.com)
The Chosen
0The Chosen
“The First Kill is the Hardest!”
Los Angeles, California–On July 24th, Terror Films released its first horror film, The Chosen in a co-distribution partnership with Supergravity Pictures. The film was released on various platforms, including iTunes where it has remained in the top 100 of all horror films for over 8 weeks. As of December 1st, the film is now available through an exclusive SVod deal on Netflix and will be available at Redbox starting December 15th.
The film centers around Cameron (Kian Lawley), a directionless 19 year-old destined to never leave his hometown. He is thrust into the role of hero when his 10 year-old niece, Angie (Mykayla Sohn), becomes possessed by the mythical demon Lilith. With only six days to break the demon’s grip on the child, Cameron, with the help of his sister (Angelica Chitwood), must perform the unthinkable task of systematically killing his family members. He must do this in order to rid his niece of the demon and bring peace to his fractured household.
First time feature film director, Ben Jehoshua stated “the story behind The Chosen was sparked when I was sitting at breakfast with my friend and co-writer, Barry Jay Stich. We were talking about our favorite horror films of all time, which led to the topic of our families and how often you hear people say, ‘I’d do anything for my family.’ But then I asked myself, would they really? That was our starting point. My brother Judah, who is an occult fan, suggested the Lilith storyline. We’re Jewish and wanted to explore our own mythology rather than Christian possession or the Greek themes that so often make their way into Horror films dealing with possession.”
Terror Films’ Joe Dain, Miles Fineburg and Jim Klock produced the film and The Chosen stars Kian Lawley, Elizabeth Keener, Angelica Chitwood, Mykayla Sohn, Barbara Goodson, Chris Gann, Casey James Knight, Emily Killian, Dayna Devon, Harv Popick and Penelope Richards.
Trailer:https://vimeo.com/137642361
Downloadable version: https://app.box.com/s/3bnk5v61ew0pn72n6m4bba0mncq3c9t5
Feature Link for Reviewing purposes:https://vimeo.com/137736282 Pw: ChSNFtrSt
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-chosen/id1035045930
Netflix:http://www.netflix.com/search/The%20Chosen?jbv=80064518&jbp=1&jbr=0
RedBox on December 15th: http://www.redbox.com/movies/the-chosen
Coming this Tuesday
0COMING THIS MONTH FROM SGL ENTERTAINMENT: On Blu-ray and DVD, The Horror Slasher Thriller INTRUSION Written and Produced by Craig Everett Earl that Stars Katie Stewart, Lee Haycraft and Teresa Lawrence II… Now Available For Pre-Order at Best Buy, FYE and Other Fine Retailers: www.sglmoviestore.com/horror/intrusion
The Jokesters Pulls a Terrifying Prank Available July 21st on DVD, Digital HD, and On Demand
0Los Angeles, CA – Random Media and Cinedigm have announced the July 21st release of The Jokesters on DVD, Digital HD and On Demand. Directed by AJ Wedding, The Jokesters is a tension-filled found footage horror film starring Nathan Reid, Gabriel Tigerman, Luis Jose Lopez (American Sniper), Dante Spencer and Jen Yeager.
The “Prankmasters” are an Internet pranking sensation, who decide to take it to the extreme for their series finale. When their leader, Ethan, announces that he is getting married and leaving the life of pranks behind, the team plans on a fitting going away present. They decide to pull off one final stunt that turns their friend’s honeymoon into a “Cabin in the Woods” nightmare. What happens next is a descent into terror.
The film’s trailer is available here: https://vimeo.com/123115496
The DVD release of The Jokesters (SRP $19.97) will exclusively include a making-of-featurette, behind the scenes footage, bloopers and trailers.
Lance Henriksen Confronts BEING!
0A solid cast of top talent headlined by Horror/Sci-Fi legend Lance Henriksen have joined forces to Kickstart the new indie film, BEING. In addition to Henriksen, the cast also includes heavyweight actor Robert John Burke, best known for his lead roles in RoboCop 3 and Stephen King’s Thinner, and indie film veteran Brian Foyster.
BEING is an edgy and one-of-a-kind film that transcends the typical horror genre. The story provokes an unnerving reflection of human behavior and tragic violence that occurs when someone, or something, threatens a person’s beliefs. BEING is designed to leave you on the edge of your seat and shake the convictions of what you believe in.
BEING already has several days of shooting in the can from locations in Norwalk, CT and the Catskills in upstate NY where paranormal activity and UFO sightings are frequently reported. Production is targeted to resume in August 2015 after the completion of a Kickstarter campaign and the production team is encouraging involvement from fans of the Horror/Sci-Fi genre.
“When this film becomes a reality, it will be in large part because of Kickstarter fans” says Director Doug C. Williams, “The opportunity to endorse and be a part of the artistic film process can be one of the most rewarding and exhilarating experiences a person can have in their lifetime. The pride of joining with extremely talented artists to develop cinematic works of art is immeasurable. We have taken advantage of every resource and contributing factor available to us, which has allowed us to already shoot some amazing footage for the film and to release our promotional teaser.”
The teaser and Kickstarter campaign can be found at:
The story all takes place over one night on a farmhouse in a small town in the mountains. A mysterious, bright burst of light explodes from inside the barn, knocking out the power. The drunken gathering going on in the main house comes to an abrupt halt. There is a creature they will discover in the barn. Something they do not understand. And as always, when the beliefs of the weak and fearful are threatened, they turn on each other…
“The modern world is getting very comfortable with fear and isolation…and if isolation becomes comforting to you, there’s something very wrong with that” says Lance Henriksen. “Fear in a spiritual sense is becoming an addiction” continues Henriksen, “and I’m very happy to be a part of this crew and believe me they’re kicking butt!”
Kickstarter contributors are rewarded with memorabilia from the film and participation levels go from $5 all the way up to $10,000 with the reward of being named as an Executive Producer on the film.
Midnight Syndicate Christmas CD, band announces plans for 2015 and beyond
0(Go support these cool fuckers now! Awesome people!)
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 12, 2015 – Midnight Syndicate has announced that their eighteenth album will have a Christmas and Winter Solstice theme. I think there’s a rule that after a band’s been around for years they are required to produce a Christmas album. So, that’s how we got here, joked Edward Douglas. âIn all seriousness though, a Yuletide-themed Midnight Syndicate album is something our fans have been asking us for since we began; this album will not disappoint them. I will say that this album has been particularly challenging because we’re taking songs that are SO familiar and that have been treated in so many different ways throughout the years and trying to make them uniquely our own, added Gavin Goszka. We don’t want to make yet another Christmas album – we really want it to stand on its own as something truly original. We hope that it will evoke the spirit of the Yuletide season while also reflecting our ongoing musical style and vision. Content-wise; the album will be a mix of new material and twists on classics. I’d describe most of the covers on the album as being reinvented, rather than simply adapted, said Goszka. I’ve found myself approaching this material with a very wide palette and a limited sense of allegiance to convention. That being said, it still has to make sense in some way and stay grounded in the familiar. I think we’re stretching our creative wings more than ever here, but there’s still a consistency and overall purpose to it. The original songs have been a lot of fun to work on, added Douglas. I think the fans are in for a lot of pleasant surprises. Fans will not have to wait until Christmas for this present. Midnight Syndicate will be exhibiting at DragonCon in Atlanta this year on Labor Day weekend (September 4-7) and plans to have the CD available at the show. Midnight Syndicate Live! Update: In October of 2014, Midnight Syndicate Live! Debuted at Cedar Point Hallo Weekends event. From the audience response to the critical reception to record-breaking attendance numbers, the show was an overwhelming success. Although the band will be using 2015 to focus on the new album, plans for a return of Midnight Syndicate Live! In 2016 are already underway. The success of the inaugural run of Midnight Syndicate Live! has ensured that live Midnight Syndicate shows will be a permanent part of our plans going forward, said Douglas.
Midnight Syndicate 2015
Midnight Syndicate Live
I finish up reading Mike Watt’s latest book “Movie Outlaw”
0Gross Movie Reviews checks out “Movie Outlaw”
By Tim Gross
Yeah it is crazy to think I read two books in a year let alone in a month. Most likely this hasn’t happened since the days of before my writing on a regular basis that I ordered all of Joe Bob Briggs books together off of Amazon before his “Profoundly Disturbing” books. But when you get great stuff like Mario Dommick’s first effort or Mike Watt’s latest “Movie Outlaw” (which I will discuss) it causes me of all people to put down the latest sequel of Charles Band’s “Puppet Master” or SyFy’s latest mash-up “Sharknado” flick and take notice. Hell, I keep the beer in the fridge and bust out some coffee not the instant shit just so I can feel smart, educated, or refine to read such material. If that wasn’t enough I even stop listening to the voices in my head to rewatch the “Swamp Thing TV series” DVDs that sit eye level with me every time I am at the computer and that takes guts folks… You just don’t understand how tough it is?
But anyway enough of that random shit about my weird ass I am here to talk and review Mike Watt’s latest effort “Movie Outlaw”. Mr. Watt has always written for several magazines, websites, movie scripts, etc., etc., etc. The dude has gotten around and rightful so as he is a talented fellow. But the last couple of years Mike’s career is proof with age comes wisdom and greatness apparently as he is hitting a stride like no other I know of. Between his flick “Razor Days” and his last book “Fervid Filmmaking” Watt has had me excited to read or see what’s next and he does not disappoint with his book “Movie Outlaw”. Now you might say or know it took me a couple months to literally find myself sitting down and reading this but hopefully my introduction to this review explains a little about me. Some are addicted to drugs, alcohol, porn; I am addicted to horror flicks so it’s hard to pay attention to anything else. With saying that Mike’s book is an amazing trip through the unknown, weird, and just rare films that you may be interested in but never watched or films you know and seen on certain celebrities IMDB pages and asked yourself if that flick even exists?
Mr. Watt does an amazing job of not only explaining the film and its origins but talks about what went into the film, where it went, and why most of them were never successful or haven’t been released in the latest Hi-Def format. He writes about films like: The Dark Backward, Dust Up (which I recently purchased just for the mere reason after reading about it in the book it perked my weirdness of checking it out), Escape From Tomorrow, I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle (a personal favorite of mine), Killer Tongue, The Odd Job, The Spirit (two different versions) just to name a few. He dissects them, analyzes them, and brings to light what worked, what didn’t, and what it could have been. Or in my case it was like watching Joe Bob’s Briggs Monstervision days where he decided he was going to discuss a young Robert Patrick in “Future Hunters” for five minutes before the next commercial break. I enjoy how Mike breaks down the film good or bad he makes it interesting and how the book flows you do not have to read from beginning to end, you can start in the middle or at end. The structure allows weird film geeks like me to choose where to go next or what to discover next I should say. As like his “Fervid Filmmaking” the book gets your inner film nerd excited to know about some flicks most haven’t even thought of. It is a journey my friend but what makes it even a little different or more interesting is Mike invited some contributing writers to give their take on the same film he just dissected and gives you a whole different view of what Mike may have just written.
In closing, anybody including myself can sit there and write reviews. Tell the reader the flick sucks balls or is the greatest thing since Rutger Hauer played a blind man with a samurai sword. But Mr. Watt separates himself from the crowd, the bloggers, the vloggers, the journalists, the whatevers to make you take notice and discover the beautiful, the odd, and possibly and truly bizarre works of art we call film that you may have never known about and for that I am thankful! I give the book “Movie Outlaw” 4 out of 4 stars.
For details on Mike Watt or to purchase the book here’s a couple links to follow:
Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Movie-Outlaw-Mike-Watt-ebook/dp/B00MHV3EJY/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430061258&sr=1-2&keywords=Movie+Outlaw
Gross Movie Reviews #345
0Gross Movie Reviews #345
By Tim Gross
Gingerclown (DVD) – A film made in Budapest but takes place in Hollywood, California 1983 where a group of local high school teenagers are hanging out behind the famous Hollywood sign and they call themselves “the Wolfpack”. Of course the lonely nerd named Sam or Tully as the “Wolfpack” calls him rides by on his bike and they make him an offer to be a part of their gang “The Wolfpack”. Sam takes them up on the offer for the mere reason he likes the cute blonde Jenny. They go to an old abandoned amusement park and is told he has two hours to enter the park and come back with something to prove his effort. The strange old place has a history of mysterious deaths and fires and hasn’t been open since the 60s. Once Sam enters, Jenny follows and the two are faced with odd evil things from an evil tea kettle to an evil pile of crap, something that makes you think this flick was lost from the Charles Band’s Full Moon collection over the years. What it comes down to is the park is full of expelled demons from hell that prey upon humans that enter. It has the cast of famous genre favorites in: Lance Henriksen, Tim Curry, Brad Dourif, and Michael freakin Winslow but they are all voice overs for the characters in the park. A fun concept for a horror flick but just never reaches its potential and for that I give it 2 stars.
The Scribbler (DVD) – Our film begins with a woman named Suki being interviewed or interrogated by a doctor and a detective to figure out what just happened at this woman’s mentally unstable halfway house/apartments I guess. The film is based on a comic book I never heard of but sure T-shirt Joe Garcia from www.fastcustomshirts.com would know? The film is a little ridiculous, weird, dark, and very interesting. But you need to stick with this oddity as it takes about twenty minutes to get going as it lays out some plot for you to dig into and understand the subject matter better. But Suki tells a story of how crazy people in this building are being killed and the doctor and detective know that Suki suffers from multiple personalities herself. But without trying too much more of giving the film away Suki is given an electrical device from her that is supposed to help her get rid of her multiple personalities one by one. From there it becomes a lost project from the mind of David Croenberg if possible? It stars the likes of Gina Gershon, Eliza Dushku, Billy Campbell, and Michelle Trachtenberg and no doubt will be on end of the year list for best movies of 2015 as I give it 4 stars.
Apocalypse Pompeii (DVD) – Asylum Entertainment once again proves nothing is off limits and tries to capitalize on the big budget piece of crap called “Pompeii” that littered theaters last year. Adrian Paul’s wife and daughter go visit the ruins and the volcano erupts and only Adrian Paul and the brilliant John Rhys-Davies can save them. Its unwatchable crap but I still watched it as I give it 0 stars.
Razor Days (DVD) – A long awaited project that has been years in the making from Mike Watt and Happy Cloud Pictures is making its way out on the festival circuit. The film stars Debbie Rochon as Jessamay, a disfigured woman who has survived a horrible attack of rape, torture, and cannibalism. She approaches Anita (Amy Lynn Best) who helps women defend themselves and takes interest in Jess when Jess tells her story. But Jessamay believes if she escaped then there has to be other survivors? Survivors that need to be found as they got to feel the same way she does and that is to find these horrible things or men and wipe the earth clean of them. With Anita’s help they find a woman named Reina across the state and together they become fast friends and soon share the wanting of closure and no longer of being haunted by their horrible past. This new project from Happy Cloud Pictures is much different project you are used to seeing as they go dark, very dark and miserable. The flick feels a little like “Ms. 45”, “I Spit on Your Grave”, and “They Call Her One Eye” but walks that fine line of not going too far extreme and have Debbie Rochon possibly give her best performance since “American Nightmare”. The film also has appearances from Michael Varrati, Alan Rowe Kelly, and a few other Happy Cloud Pictures regulars. As much as I really enjoyed the deep darkness and grit of this film for me at least it felt like something else was going to happen but didn’t? But do not let that stop you from checking out Mike Watt’s darkest film to date as I give it 3 out of 4 stars. For more info on the film go check out: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Razor-Days/125372234198963?fref=ts .
Starry Eyes (DVD) – A young woman named Sara who is a struggling actress believes she is meant to be a big star and will eventually do anything to get there. After another rejection for the film “The Silver Scream” she takes out on herself but the people see this and believe she could be right for the part if she is willing… At first Sara turns it down but soon runs back even if it means sucking an old dude’s wiener! Even with that she must complete the transformation. Predictable flick but has some great gore but not enough for me to want to revisit the film anytime soon as I give the film 2 stars.
The Pyramid (DVD) – It is 2013, Cairo, Egypt, and archeologists may have stumbled upon the biggest discovery ever as they find a pyramid under the surface of the desert. Something that may predate any of the ancient pyramids. Excited to investigate it all the plug has been pulled on them as war has broke out inside Cairo. Forced to pack up the archeologists and the camera crew that is following them quickly make their way into the tomb/pyramid to investigate soon understanding they are in a maze that was constructed to keep something in? I am always a sucker for this subject matter as a horror movie but sometimes it fails and this is one of those times. It’s not horrible but with a film like “The Descent” still fresh in many horror movie fan’s minds you cannot help but comparing the two. Interesting horror film that just taken the wrong turn of how it could have developed into something far cooler as I give it 2 stars.
Pain Shack (DVD/YouTube) – Now mind you fine folks the film I watched is a rough cut that has since has a couple new scenes added and deleted in the official DVD that will be available. Anyway the film is made by the duo of Marissa and Alex Murphy. No, that isn’t Robocop Alex Murphy before you ask. But the film takes you on a long spiraling dark ride with the character Alex who believes his dream is to review music. To do this he studies YouTube and its users to come up with his own gimmick the “Noodledroop show”. In the process Alex becomes obsessed with a movie reviewer Ricky Shores and becomes abusive in his relationship with Marissa so he can achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a YouTube sensation as his followers grow or do they in this dark horror/comedy. The film runs a little long for its subject material in my opinion but I really enjoyed all the performances by all in the film and really enjoyed how Alex and Marissa filmed their characters because I believe I know some of these people currently or of at least met them on occasions at several conventions and for that kids I give the flick 2 ½ out of 4 stars. For more info on where you can purchase a copy of this film or see where its playing at next check out www.facebook.com/rickyshoresingstheblues .
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