This website is dedicated to horror movies (independent and mainstream), beer, Full Moon, Spookies, Graveyard Shift, Leprechaun sequels, massacre films and watching every god damn horror film ever made or die trying!
First, I wanna thank the Willow Station Restaurant and Bar in Castle Shannon, Pa. for helping to have our first outdoor event and we have sold out. Second, wanna thank all the vendors that are going to be a part of the event. (There will be a list of vendors posted soon.) Sorry we had to turn a few away but like we said from the beginning it was limited space, first come, first served. Third and most important because I have already fielded a couple questions from a couple people concerning about this? The EVENT IS FREE to attendees, the public, whatever you wanna call the people from around the Pittsburgh area coming to check out all the great vendors that will be there. So let your mum, your dad, your lovers, your partner, your neighbors, even the people you dislike know to come visit our event. All we at Grossfest are kindly asking is for people to head into the Willow Station at some point because hell you are already there to see all of us to go have a drink or have brunch as it starts at 11am! Point is people it’s been a hard two years for all of us. This is another step in making a bigger Grossfest happen again but also we want you to have more money in your pocket to spend on the vendors… again THE EVENT IS FREE TO GET IN! Plus the whole point of Grossfest is to introduce you to independent filmmakers, authors, artists and to have fun doing it like conventions used to be!
So again May 1st, 10am-3pm in the back parking lot of Willow Station Bar/Restaurant. There will be parking out in front along the street (most of the public parking side lot will be taken up by vendors)
Willow Station
3841 Willow Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
Willow Station will be open for that day 11am – 4pm.
Any questions email Tom or Tim Gross or email grossfest@gmail.com about the event.
NOW FOR OUR LIST OF VENDORS
Maddie Deering – NekroShark Films (rumors that Spirit Animal star Tom Gross will be there to sign autographs with the talented filmmaker Maddie)
Melanie Stone – Dark White Arts
Lunija Gjoni – Plastinated Heart Art
Jess Weary – Celebrations of Spirits
David Milchick – Shoggoth Suds
Kayleigh Crawford and Dan Komarek – Video Nasty Productions
House of Horror
Scott Baucan
Christian Bareford – local film festival (filmmakers you may want to talk to these people?)
Minerva’s Trinkets
Angel O’Connor and Steve McBride – artist, tattoo artist, make-up effects expert, and all around cool persons
Brillobox – Luther Ickes – filmmaker (made a Pittsburgh Bigfoot movie), bar owner of a cool hot spot that just reopened
Darcy and Keith Munden – Legacy Verse Productions
David Fairhead – Fairly Dark Productions
Daniel Boyd and Tim Gross – Drunken Yinzers Productions
And of course the guests: the people, the myth, the legends, the Grossfest lifetime achievement award winners, the most talented Pittsburgh independent film duo you can meet David and Diana Silvio of Kiss of Death Productions!
So hope to see yinz n’at on Sunday May 1st, so come on dahn to visit!
Its official mini-Grossfest is sold out. We are going through all the vendors and their payments hope to have a list up soon for people attending on May 1st. See yinz then!
Amityville: The Final Chapter (DVD) – Just like ‘Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter’ this franchise lied to us big time and try to hide it by marketing this film under a different title ‘Sickle’. Over the years the title has been changed back and forth but it is entry #36 so what were you expecting? Anyway kids, this story has a 27 year old known as “The Babysitter Killer” getting released from prison after 15 years. Michael a kid at the time claimed he was visited by a creature in a top hat that made him kill his babysitter when he was 12. Now adult, some ghost hunters cross paths with the newly released man and believe it is a great idea to take Michael back to the house where it all happened? Of course this causes the demonic force known as “Sickle” to reappear and ruin everyone’s day or night… its fucking ghost hunting does it matter at this point? This hot piece of garbage is high on the Amityville list of almost unwatchable as I give this entry 0 stars enjoy kids.
The Monster of Piedras Blancas (DVD) – Say that title five times fast, anyway before I review this: quick question: is the lighthouse location in this 1959 film the same as the one in “John Carpenter’s The Fog”? Back to your regularly scheduled review, two brothers are found dead near the lighthouse after going night fishing the night before. The deaths look suspicious and of course there is a small town legend of a monster that has lived along the rocks of the ocean. The old man who lives next to the lighthouse knows the truth and has fed the monster meat scraps from the town market for some time now. But the monster hungers more as it enjoys ripping human heads off and sucking the blood out of their neck. Can the monster be stopped? Is there more than one in the caves off this coastal town? A fun drive-in flick that I am surprised I never got the chance to see on Chilly Billy or something when growing up as I give it 2 ½ stars.
Alligator (Blu-ray) – You all have seen or heard of this movie by now where a baby alligator is thrown the toilet and years later its living in the sewers feeding on dead animals and such. Now it’s up to Robert Forster to get people to believe him a giant alligator is gonna eat everybody in the city. The 1980 film is cheesy fun but now finally has gotten the special Blu-ray treatment it has deserved for a long time. We get a new 4K scan of the original negative for not only the theatrical but the TV version of the movie and it looks just amazing as when the alligator coming up through the sidewalk looks hilariously cheesy. I mean honestly for years most of the film was grainy and hid the glorious scene well. We get tons of interviews, commentaries, lots of fun stuff in this 3-disc version you never knew you needed until it existed as I give it 4 stars.
Alligator II: The Mutation (Blu-ray) – Almost a decade later we get a fun cheeseball sequel with no Robert Forster but an all-star cast that makes this sequel much more interesting than it ever should have been? This time around a baby alligator is fed a steady diet of hormones and other chemicals from the Future Chemicals Corporation and we get another giant alligator that is going to attack a city festival where Steve Railsback plays an asshole trying to buy up everyone’s property. Richard Lynch and Kane Hodder steal the show as “gator hunters”. This sequel is dislike by some horror fans, for me it has always a weird fun appeal to me and makes all the right sense in the world to pick this new version up as it also has some fun interviews that make the film worth the watch all over again as I give it 3 ½ stars. Which by the way did you know this film was made for TV not the theater or direct-to-video, weird stuff?
Aquaslash (DVD) – A Canadian horror/comedy where some high school graduates are partying at a waterpark for the weekend. Of course most of the movie has a lot of graduates making out and getting told a story of a killer who murdered a bunch of people at the park in the 80s. The movie for its short running time takes a while to set up things but there is a huge gory payoff as a mysterious killer rigs up something in one of the water slides! The horror movie isn’t horrible but feels like there isn’t much rewatchablity to it as I give this horror feature 2 stars.
The Mask (Blu-ray) – A wild 1961 film has Dr. Allan Barnes trying to help a patient named Michael from going completely insane. Up until recently Michael was well respected and working at the local museum but has become consumed with a tribal/ritual mask of sorts that has Michael believing he is now cursed. After Michael’s last appointment he rushes out of the office to go home to commit suicide but before he does he mails the mask to the good doctor challenging him to see the nightmares. Dr. Barnes curious about the mask puts it for research in what driven a person to the brink and becomes consumed with the death and weird ritual things that happen when putting the mask on. Barnes quickly becomes obsessed with the mask and even convinces his mentor to help him with the experiment of learning what makes this mask unique? A fun bizarre version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that can be seen in 2-D and 3-D with “Electro-magic sound” in this new restored version. The package also includes a short documentary and other short films that make this a must have for old school film fans as I give it 3 stars.
Killer Party (Blu-ray) – Now that we have fought through the Warner Brother DVD-R Archive crap that went on with this 80s slasher film we meaning a small but crazy fan base get a special edition version of ‘Killer Party’. A horror film from 1986 that is considered second tier slasher to some horror fans but one of my favorites growing up is all about three girls just trying to pledge to a sorority that is interrupted by a demonic presence. This pure 80s horror flick has a lot of fun new interviews that makes us physical media nerds jump for joy to have as I give it 3 stars.
Special Effects (VHS) – After Andrea and her husband Keefe have a fight about going back to Oklahoma, Andrea runs out on her man. Backstory, Andrea left him after having her baby and decided to chase a career in acting, modeling, etc., in New York City. While on the run and picking up a newspaper she finds herself on the doorstep of a famous filmmaker named Neville. Neville has just bombed out of Hollywood and lets in Andrea on whim. One thing leads to another and Neville is murdering her on his bed while filming it. Chris Neville cleans it all up and dumps the body so the husband is blamed. The husband breaks out police custody to visit Neville and this inspires the filmmaker to make a low budget film about realtime murder he committed! Neville gets so involved with the project he bails out the husband, makes the one police officer a technical adviser, and believes this is his way back to Hollywood as everything has to look a certain way as Neville relives the fantasy murder. For me this was a very bizarre Larry Cohen film to watch but glad as hell I did as I give it 3 stars.
Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Blu-ray) – The 1973 film is also widely known as “They Call Her One Eye” and has been inspiration for many filmmakers the past few decades but can’t be duplicated. A woman (Christina Lindberg) who is raped as a young girl is now grown but mute and goes into town quite often for doctor’s appointments. Innocent and naïve she gets in a car when she misses a bus into town and wakes up beaten up, hooked on heroin, and told she will now be a hooker! Not happy with this she takes it out on her first customer and in return she loses an eye and weirdly enough apparently it costs more money to bang a one eyed hooker. Soon she saves her money learns how to race a car, shoot guns, and fight. And that is when this movie just gets downright brutal as hell as she begins gut shooting customers left and right in slow motion with a double barrel shotgun. The movie is absolutely amazing, fucked up, brutal, and not for all movie lovers at the same time. I can see why this film has such rabid fan base especially when your female lead doesn’t say a damn word through the whole film! Thanks to Synapse Films this brutal film or package is going to make physical media fans drool like crazy as they have included an uncut and uncensored HD version with several subtitle and soundtrack options, rare photos and outtakes, alternate fight scene, and rare photos of a fight scene that was ruined by a film lab. If you only have seen the ‘They Call Her One Eye’ version you better be prepared for some of the graphic material in this restored film as his will not be for all audiences. Hell the movie was never made for all audiences but I am sure this package will make a lot of “Best of” lists at the end of the year as I give this 4 out of 4 stars. www.synapse-films.com
The Dungeonmaster (DVD) – Its 1984 and Paul is the IT guy who knows how to fix all computer problems as he is hooked up to his computer “CAL”. One night after a fight with his girlfriend Gwen, Paul and Gwen get sucked into purgatory or hell for Paul to conquer seven challenges in fantasy land in order for the couple to live and go back home. David Allen, John Carl Buechler, Charles Band, and Richard Moll as Satan, evil wizard, whatever you wanna call him… I will always be in to watch this crazy mess! Another fun Empire Pictures project that is just fun to pop in every five years or so and makes a little sense if double feature it with ‘Metalstorm’ that I give 3 stars.
They See You (Blu-ray) – Our story begins with three teenage boys heading into town to check out a unique/oddities shop. There is a spirit board with what looks like Halloween symbols on it that catches their attention but they are told that it isn’t for sale. Mainly the spirit board is not for sale because it’s cursed but this only intrigue the boys as with help from a couple girls they know from school they steal it along with an old book. They all head out the woods to have some fun with it, they all touch the spirit board, say some words from the old book, and it activates. Unleashing a gang of demons, undead creatures on Halloween that just don’t want to consume them but take control of the spirit board and book to stay in this world. Think of a slick independent gory film with a ‘Witchboard’ and ‘Beyond the Gates’ vibe to it. The movie has its flaws but overall Tory Jones and Jonestown Films put together a solid horror film well worth a watch as I give it 2 ½ stars.
Robo C.H.I.C. (VHS) – First let’s get the alternate titles out of the way: aka Cyber-C.H.I.C. aka Robochic aka Thunder Tronic starring Burt Ward! Anyhow, a wacky doctor puts together a crime fighting fembot (remember kids its 1990). Along the way when the fembot isn’t training we have a mad bomber who is trying to keep the city hostage as he plants bombs everywhere. It is up to the futuristic fembot to find the people who kidnap the mad bomber and stop the bombs from going off in this supposedly intentionally funny film but fails. This movie is a part of a sub-genre that seem to show on “Up All Night” with Rhonda Shear between 1987-1992 or what you could call: The Killer Tomato sequel years? Anyhow give this terrible garbage 0 stars.
Kill-Cam (Blu-ray) – Chris Woods and The Sleaze Box crew reach deep into the sleaze void to pull out a story of Samantha Styles. Ms. Styles (Katie Mckinley) is obsessed with a model Pamela Keaton that makes her drool and want to meet her but Samantha also just happens to be a sex-crazed serial killer with a super shitty past! This slow burn into the dark void of Samantha has her getting advice from a doll, stalking her ex hookup, enjoying her murderous desires until see can come up with a way to meet her obsession. Folks you are in for a rough one here as this is not for the faint of heart but I believe this will find an audience craving more with Katie McKinley’s performance as a sick and horny serial killer. As I say with projects like this: “this isn’t my cup of tea” but I can easily see this project being talked about among independent film fans for the next several years because of its content as I give the film 2 ½ stars just for Katie Mckinley performance standing out in this feature.
You can find all of my books at www.lulu.com just search for Gross Movie Reviews or Tim Gross there!
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!
Valley of Carnage (YouTube) – A newer S.O.V. short film from a new production team called Dungeon Entertainment. The short concerns a husband of an old married couple who loses his shit. He bashes his wife’s skull in and then goes about his way to brutally slay his co-workers. This short film made me laugh my balls off and if interested go check out their YouTube channel as it’s well worth your time if you are a S.O.V. fan as I give this 3 out of 4 stars.
Deathhike (YouTube) – Another S.O.V. short from the Dungeon Entertainment gang where a group of four people decide to go hiking but they do believe their friend Cyle with a C instead of a K is a complete dick. Of course you cannot hike unless you smoke weed laced with angel dust for the hike. While under the influence the group begins to be stalked by a chubby dude in a fake welders mask. A fun premise for the S.O.V. genre that I feel they execute as well as it could have been as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.
From Hell and Back (DVD) – First time writer/director/ producer Joshua Loscar takes a stab at making an independent film that involves drug dealers and a love story. A new drug K-10 has just hit the streets and a big drug lord which just happens to be Judge Rockwell wants some loose ends tied up. Meanwhile past lovers Terry and Dana get pulled into this kingpin’s world at different spectrums of his world and for different reasons only to find each other again. For a first stab at a project and not being in the horror genre I got to give Mr. Loscar kudos for giving it the old college try as it can be tough outside of the horror genre. To summarize the film simply I would say Joshua’s heart is in the right place with this independent production but the pacing is all wrong. You live and learn but if anything Mr. Loscar has me intrigue with what he does next as I give the film 2 out of 4 stars. If anything if Joshua is still interested in doing Indy projects outside of horror his best bet would be checking out some of the work from the talented Jared Bajoras of Churchill Pictures. I believe Jared’s work outside of horror speaks for itself.
The Amityville Moon (DVD) – Entry #29 apparently has werewolves showing up in Amityville, New York… We get a troubled detective looking into two young women missing from a halfway house where we all know the clergy have secrets. Their big secret is Sister Francis sleeping supposedly in the basement bedroom hooked up to blood bags to keep her satisfied. But it is a werewolf movie and nothing satisfies a good werewolf except humans so Sister Francis goes walkabout from time to time and her meals seem to be girls who disappear from this halfway house from time to time. Plain and simple though kids if your werewolf looks like shit it always equal bad movie unless you really are playing it for laughs. So let’s review kids: bad werewolf, bad movie, simple as I give this lackluster entry 1 star.
The Werewolf of Woodstock (YouTube) – This 1975 TV movie has a farmer going out during a storm only to have a freak accident with lightening. Apparently lightening changes you into a werewolf and every night Bert rip off his bandages and roam the farmland looking for victims. Once authorities figure out it is Bert they use rock music to lure the farmer out to trap him but the werewolf farmer is slick and steals a dune buggy to escape. This film is absolutely terrible but in such a fun way as I give it 2 ½ stars just for the laughs.
The Amityville Cult (DVD) – Entry #30 has a young man named Stan DeFeo inheriting his grandmother’s estate in Amityville… Wait WTF? What yinz kids doing here, come on. Anyhow a Thomas Davenport tracks down Stan to explain the inheritance. Once Stan arrives he becomes engrossed with his grandmother’s diary explaining her slutty ways in the 60s and how she fell in with some satanic friends. These Satanists supposedly control the community because they established their cult in the 60s if anything this super dull film will help you get some sleep as I give this boring ass film about Stan’s grandmother being a whore a ½ star. If interested you might find the film under the title ‘Birthright: An Amityville Horror’.
Amityville Vampire (DVD) – Surprise! Entry #31 has vampires… again. Also has the hilarious quote from a character, “I only came out here because you looked like a K-mart Ryan Reynolds”. The film is also known as ‘Red Moon Lake’ as a cleaning crew at the Amityville home in the middle of the woods disturbs the evil force. This demonic force possesses one of the crew and heads out into Red Moon Lake’s woods. Anyhow to give the movie a whole lot of filler a lovely couple is driving to Red Moon Lake for the weekend and keeps each other company discussing the vampire legend. There is a couple cool gore effects but movie is super boring at times especially when there is some of the most monotone acting you’ll ever see any movie as I give it a ½ star.
Amityville Scarecrow (DVD) – Entry #32 is set in the U.K. where the Amityville land is a cornfield where a trailer park sits and corn has really never grown because the land was cursed! So siblings’ mother dies and they argue over what should be done with the cursed land such as rebuilding on it? Meanwhile their dead mum forgot to mention her and a few others went all Freddy Kruger backstory on a dude after some girls went missing years ago. Now there is an evil scarecrow that fucks up people who stay there at the generic trailer park. Just another dumb and terrible entry into the Amityville series that literally has the two other titles “Amityville Cornfield” and “Scarecrow’s Camp”. If that wasn’t enough brace yourself there is a sequel in the works as I give this entry zero stars.
Amityville Uprising (DVD) – Entry #33 has the small town of Amityville suffer a terrible explosion at the local military base that is causing a toxic storm of acid rain above the small town. For the most part the locals are calm until supernatural things begin to happen to residents turning them into demonic things that must attack the Amityville police station. Those inside of the station must fight for their lives cause there is… zombies man! Yinz really need to stop the madness of making these subpar entries as this gets 0 stars for zero thought.
Viva Knievel (DVD) – An all-star cast along with Evel Knievel who is just trying to entertain the world. But there is a bad ass sports agent that recruits a young friend of Evel to lure him for a lucrative bike jump in Mexico. The plan is get Evel there, he dies doing the bike jump, the sports agent loads up a truck that looks like part of the Evel’s convoy with drugs and bring them over the border with Evel’s dead body? With the help of Jessie, a reporter, and an old friend Evel the crazy stunt driver he is stops the elaborate scam to get drugs over the border. If you remember Evel Knievel but not the movie do yourself a favor and carve out 90 minutes for this fun motorcycle ride down memory lane as I give it 3 stars.
Amityville in the Hood(DVD) – Entry #34 is from Dustin Ferguson again as he tries to tie “Toybox” and “Clownhouse” into this entry into the series as it takes place three years later. A couple guys break into the infamous 112 Ocean Ave. to steal the enormous stash of weed. Meanwhile back in Compton, Big M is not happy someone has stolen his ultimate product called “Amityville Possession”. The weed is possessed causing those who take part into it to become demons. An Amityville police officer contacts a police officer in Compton to get evidence of the weed being spread there so he can have a search warrant to bring down the operation in Amityville. Problem the officer is plagued by the cursed objects and has a history with the infamous Amityville home. Will this stop him from stopping the Compton craziness as all are turning into demons? I loved the ‘Leprechaun in the Hood’ vibe to the film that Dustin had but felt the premise wasn’t seen to completion? Either way this entry was entertaining enough that I wouldn’t mind seeing more of it as I give it 2 ½ stars.
Amityville Witches (DVD) – Entry #35 has a couple similar titles, info, and different release years according some websites on the Google machine making it confusing and understanding at the same time why it is so hard to track some of these entries down. In some countries right now it can be found as ‘Amityville Academy’. Our story begins with a couple women being hung in 1602 for their beliefs. We flash forward to present day where two guys burglarize a home but are confronted by three witches who pleasantly get rid of them without a fuss. Thus this setting up a storyline where two covens are battling each other and a young woman named Jessica is stuck in the middle as she is the key for both. The film feels like a mash-up of the low budget series ‘Witchhouse’ with the 90s version of ‘The Craft’ and feel it would most likely stand up better without Amityville in the title. Now the film isn’t my cup of tea as I am not a huge fan of horror films with witches but this was a pleasant surprise 30 some entries in and believe this film has yet to find its audience as I give it 2 ½ stars.
You can find all of my books at www.lulu.com just search for Gross Movie Reviews or Tim Gross there!
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!
Hey horror related vendors Grossfest is looking for you!
We already have a nice variety of cool horror vendors and two guests (the legendary filmmaking duo of David F. Silvio and Cassandra Blue) but we are looking for a few more to fill our May 1st event. It is our “Halfway to Grossfest-o-ween” event sponsored by Willow Station Restaurant/Bar. In attempt to make all people in the independent horror community happy: vendors, filmmakers, authors, attendees, artists, etc. We are having the outdoor event outside of Willow Station Restaurant and Bar in Castle Shannon, Pa., 10am to 3pm. Vendor spaces will be 10 x 10 (you supply table, chairs, tent or canopy if wanted) as this will be a rain or shine event. The limited spaces are just $25 and one space to a vendor of course. The event is free to people who are attending (we just ask after visiting the cool vendors go inside Willow Station for a beer or brunch?)
Willow Station
3841 Willow Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
Bar/restaurant hours for that day will be 11am – 4pm.
This week we do one of our favorite shows with one of our favorite people T-Shirt Joe. And that show will be a recap of the good, the bad, and the mediocre of 2021. Everyone else did it so why no us. So download this episode or NO T-SHIRT FOR YOU (because Seinfeld… ya know)
This week Tim, Kyle and John return to talk about yet 3 more movies that you may have overlooked. First John talks about a great flick that was theatrically released last year but didn’t do much at the box office in the great monster flick ANTLERS. Then Kyle talks about a buddy druggie flick that stars 2pac and Tim Roth in one of those “everything goes wrong” movies in GRIDLOCK’D. And finally Tim chats about one of his favorite independent comedies to come out lately in BURGERON BROTHERS: WEDDIN VIDEOGRAPHERS, Along the way we chat about the current state of the foosballs, how Kyle got THE COVID, We got your questions and all the news that’s fit to chat about. ALSO, we take the first trip down the Amityville road by talking about the O.G. Amityville Horror movie in what will be us covering a 52 week series reviewing any movie with Amityville in the title. So download this episode or GET OUT!!!!!
This time Tim, Kyle and John come back and bring another 3 flicks from the deep recesses of your local mom and pop video store to talk about. First we have an oldie but a goodie and what may be a very early inspiration for Batman in THE BAT WHISPERS. Then Kyle finds out what happens when Corey Feldman and his buddies get up to when they find rocket launchers and a pissed off Don Swayze while playing grab ass in the woods in EDGE OF HONOR. And Finally John talks about an Agatha Christie adaptation starring Donald Pleasence and Frank Stallone in the Cannon Groups’ version of 10 LITTLE INDIANS. We also get up to our old nonsense like talking football, reading the news, and answering your questions. So download this episode or your less talented sibling will tell you to listen to another podcast.
Final Impact (DVD) – While on my search for more “massacre” and “Amityville” flicks I came across this forgotten B-action gem from 1991 starring Lorenzo Lamas and the lovely Kathleen Kinmont. Lamas plays a miserable drunk Nick Taylor who use to be a kickboxing champion three years before but now just feels sorry for himself as he runs a strip club. A young and upcoming kid named Danny visits Taylor before his trip to Vegas to fight the long standing champion Jake. With only Nick’s help can this kid survive a fight with Jake? Fun direct-to-video stuff for the action movie ‘Carnosaur’ as I give it 2 ½ stars.
100 Degrees Below Zero (DVD) – As usual I tripped over another Asylum film that stars or I should wastes the talents of Jeff Fahey and John Rhys-Davies. This absurd flick deals with a few global events that cause mass panic as Paris begins to freeze! Majority of the film is Jeff Fahey and wife trying to get their rich twenty-something kids out of Paris before the next Ice Age. Sometimes Asylum, not making a movie can be a good idea also as I give this waste of my time 0 stars.
Crystal Lake Memories (Shudder) – Hey ‘Friday the 13th’ fans you have 6 ½ hours to waste and need Corey Feldman to guide you? Well here is your answer with this ultimate documentary that covers everything about the movie series as I give it 4 stars. (Which by the way those folks that dropped a hundred or $150 on the box set recently understand you still didn’t get the uncut version of Part 7: The New Blood?)
Reunion Massacre (Tubi) – This more recent Indy flick is also known as ‘Invitation to Die’. Not totally sure why this one had two different titles but anyhow it did fall under my “massacre” category so I know I had to watch it… at least once. A young woman gets an invite to her 10 year high school reunion and decides to go even though she is warned by a random old carnival fortune telling machine. Along the way and once in the structure she and others are stalked by a mysterious man in a clown mask! This film left me with so many questions:
A) Why did this young lady have to put up Halloween decorations before she went to this so-called reunion?
B) Is the clown mask from the ‘Camp Blood’ films which are a whole other bag of dumplings that I will get into more someday?
C) Was that the same Zoltar machine from ‘Big’ with Tom Hanks or were you just trying to find one that looked like it?
D) This home/building/school that is clearly under some kind of construction or destruction that was built in the middle of nowhere like the school for ‘Slaughter High’. How didn’t the whole movie take place there because that was a movie in itself?
E) Why does film like it was two different short films cobbled together because the second half of the film didn’t make much sense if the woman dreamt all of this but also the second half felt like it was tacked on or edited in just to justify feature length which is something that can be debated for years what justifies “feature length”?
Anyhow, wasn’t a big fan of the film as it left me with way too many questions but the honest big pet peeve was the ending as it goes out with a whimper as I give it 1 star (you get one star just for this random remote building and you made me invoke the great slasher film ‘Slaughter High’).
Hack-in-the-Box (Dropbox) – Holy mother F’N balls kids! This perfect short film from Zane Hershberger (see me in person to listen to me destroy his name with my Yinzer accent) has four bad ass women preparing to take on an unknown demonic force from a music box. To their horror what comes for them they couldn’t have prepared enough! As this old school blend of ‘Evil Dead’ and “Empire Pictures” project would make a young Sam Raimi blush then sign Zane to a multi-picture deal to his production company! What is Hollywood’s loss is the independent community’s gain because Zane, the actresses involved, and crew behind them should be all Hollywood bound as I give this project 4 out of 4 stars and the early front runner on my “Best of 2022 list”.
Body Melt (DVD) – If you don’t have enough “body horror” in your life there is this Australian gooey cult classic where people of Peebles Court, Homesville are actually an experiment. A man from Vimuville Health Farm grows a conscious and wants to warn the people they are guinea pigs for a new drug that speeds up human decomposition but was supposedly gonna be another health drug but goes horribly wrong. This man Ryan is killed but sets forth a series of events that baffles authorities as the residents of this area begin to die rapidly in horrible ways. Weird, Australian, gooey, yep, I am watching every time as I give it 3 stars.
The Cellar (VHS/YouTube) – One of my favorite actors in Patrick Kilpatrick stars in this late 80s film where he and family (The Cashen family) moves into an old desert home that is on cursed land. Apparently back in the day Native Americans were pissed at white people and cursed the land where an evil spirit in a basement creature will devour any white people that live there. The young Cashen boy discovers this monster early on but no one believes him until he devises a plan to blow the fucker up! Nowhere near a perfect flick but it has a monster, cursed land, white people are assholes, and Patrick Kilpatrick so I will always check something like this out as I give it 2 stars.
Exterminator 2 (Blu-ray) A couple years go by and Richard Ginty still has the itch to kill all criminals and make sure people still remember ‘The Exterminator’! This time around a young street gang led by a very young looking Mario Van Peebles wants to take over the city’s drug trade and then take over the city itself by killing and raping one person at a time. But Ginty, a large garbage truck, and a flamethrower are fucking up every gang member that follows Peebles character. Not as good as the first film but still worth tracking down for a watch as I give it 2 ½ stars. Look for Irwin Keyes playing a small role as one of the gang members also. Note: I now believe Shout Factory has put out this title out on DVD in a 4-pack.Update: a review published in one of my older books (never posted on the website) so I am just reposting the review. But the big thing is the 4-pack from Shout Factory is out of print but there is a new Blu-ray for us fans. Great picture quality and a commentary but that is about it on any extras you ever gonna get for this Cannon Group sequel. The film doesn’t nearly have the impact of the original but the music is enough nostalgia to make you buy the Blu-ray and enjoy the Ginty one more time.
Death Train (DVD/TV movie/internet) – An Australian 70s TV flick that stars a pre-Mad Max Hugh Keays-Byrne as an insurance investigator who strolls into a small town to investigate Mr. Cook’s somewhat mysterious death. Supposedly Mr. Cook was killed by a train that hasn’t existed for decades. As Morrow finds answers he is actually finding himself asking more questions as all the residents of this small area talk about this ghost train. The flick is a fun light-hearted mystery that shows off the acting chops of Hugh Keays-Byrne as after you see this film it only makes sense why he was so perfect as “Toe-cutter” in one of the best post-apocalyptic films ever ‘Mad Max’. I give this fun mystery ghost train film 2 ½ stars.
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Antlers (DVD) – This depressing story takes place in a dying rural town where a father and his youngest son come back from an old shut down mine shaft with something extra. Three weeks later this thing they brought home is hiding inside them and the other son is taking care of them keeping them locked up knowing something isn’t right. He feeds them roadkill or stuff he catches in the woods after school. After a teacher gets worried and explains to the school principal that maybe someone should look into it the principal eventually goes for a welfare check on young Lucas. Of course this goes horribly wrong and she accidentally lets out what now has turned the father into a mythical creature. The creature is loose and now leaving a bloody trail of bodies with Lucas and his teacher not sure what to do? A deep, dark, bloody fun creature film that horror fans should be happy with as I give it 3 stars.
The Bat Whispers (YouTube) – This 1930 film is an absolute treat of a film that combines elements of ‘Clue’, ‘The Murder on the Orient Express’, and your classic “Who Dun it?” stuff before it was a thing. An unknown figure/master criminal only known as “The Bat” terrorizes the big city authorities by stealing some famous jewels and robbing a city bank for fun. But to give it a twist he sends the authorities a note saying he is leaving the big city? The bat heads to a big mansion outside of Oakdale where supposedly there is money hidden within the mansion. This is where it gets to be a lot of fun as the viewer is introduced to several characters that all would have motive to steal the blueprint of the mansion to find the money and any could be the “bat” or be helping him. Lots of fun confusion, great dialogue setting up the climatic ending, and for a very early film still found this classic super entertaining as I give it 3 ½ stars.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (On Demand) – It took 30 years or so for them to return but they finally found a way to do it right. Egon had become a recluse or known as “the dirt farmer”. But he disappeared for good reason as he seen something coming and was trying to protect us all. Meanwhile after his death his daughter and kids struggling to pay bills and having a place to live inherit the “the dirt farm”. As they settle in they slowly uncover that their father/grandfather made his place out in the middle of nowhere for a good reason to set up a fun and exciting story that ‘Ghostbusters’ fans cannot complain about. If you are a fan and start bitching about this film then nothing was ever gonna make you happy and maybe you should just stop watching movies and find another hobby as I give the film 3 ½ stars.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (DVD) – This twisted early 80s film feels like a TV horror movie that deals with a boy named Billy who lost his parents to an accident when young and must live with his aunt. 14 years have passed and Billy is all grown up and getting excited of the possibility of leaving for college next year with his girlfriend. But Billy’s aunt isn’t your average aunt as the story unfolds it is quickly revealed that Billy’s aunt is sadistic and might not be the caring aunt all believe she is? Aunt Cheryl isn’t ready for her Billy to leave so she stops at nothing to ensure he will never leave her. This film has everything to make a cringe worthy movie worth seeking out: a bigot detective believing Billy is gay, an aunt that is sadistic and might be into incest before PornHub, and a couple fun minor twists that in the end everyone gets what they deserve as I give this interesting flick 3 stars. A couple fun facts: first, the film was also known as ‘Night Warning’ and second, look for Bill Paxton playing Eddie a high school bully/basketball teammate.
Post-Apocalyptic Desperation (YouTube) – Talented filmmaker from overseas Alex Wesley has a new film that deals with a soldier trapped in a different dimension that is completely war torn and he is just trying to survive to find answers. The soldier is subjected to cannibalism, torture, and the horror of living in a world full of radioactivity with no chance of survival as this is the end of the human race. Love the visuals and locations, but the dialogue might be lost some in translation but overall this is a solid film for us post-apocalyptic movie fans. The only real complaint was the film felt unfinished even though it clocks in about 58 minutes or so (or what is considered feature-length by some these days), like there was still an ending to come but doesn’t? Either way Alex Wesley is another filmmaker out there that always impresses me with their work and cannot wait to see more as I give this flick 2 ½ out of 4 stars.
The Wet Ones (DVD) – Filmmaker known as “Wig Wolf” put together a chaotic mess of short films into one continuous movie that runs a whopping 2 ½ hours. The filmmaker does this little story/or vignettes with Barbie dolls, action figures, random film clips, blood, murder, and fake Elvis. Now, if Wig Wolf would have gone with doing a live action version of ‘Turbo Teen’ you would have had me selling this movie everywhere but that is just showing my age… Anyway, you can call it chaos, you can call it garbage, but I do know this wasn’t my cup of tea once I finished it. But in a world consumed by social media apps and posts I could easily see this being a popular thing if broken down and sold as episodic TV on a YouTube or another streaming service? All I can say people I do know there is an audience out there, it just may take some time for them to find it as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.
Edge of Honor (VHS/YouTube) – An early 90s action/adventure film that deals with Corey Feldman and friends who are “Explorers” aka Boy Scouts out in the Pacific Northwest who find Don Swayze’s stash of military weapons in an old shed in the woods. Swayze and friends are pissed when the weapons are moved because the boys hide them and wanna be heroes when they get to the police. But all goes wrong when Swayze and friends start killing everyone and do not expect the scouts to fight back to survive these backwoods idoits. A fun movie about gunrunners vs. the boy scouts with Corey stealing some scenes along the way as I give it 2 ½ stars.
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Combat Shock (DVD) – A surprisingly different movie and caused a little backlash for its subject matter at the time when Troma picked this film up in 1986. This well done gritty flick centers in on a Vietnam vet Frankie and gives you a typical day in the life of Frankie’s harsh reality. It has been several years since Frankie has been back from the war but like a lot of vets he still has trouble adjusting. Frankie just wants to have a steady job and paycheck to take care of his family. But at some point drugs, no money, depressing family life of no hope gets to Frankie and drives him to suicide after a series of crazy, dark series of events. There is no happiness in this gritty dark film just a man slowly going insane because he cannot adjust to society. I give the film 3 stars and there is an extra loaded two-disc version available from Troma.
Strange Nature (DVD) – A film based on recent events in the Northern mid-west has a middle-aged mother Kim and her son Brody moving in with dad. Dad or Pops as he is called lives in a small rural town where most people keep to themselves as Kim hoped to avoid this. Kim has a history with the town and would like to avoid talking the past but doesn’t take long for her to stir up some shit when she becomes intrigued with some deformed frogs found in the woods. At the same time there has been a few locals going missing and never really explained at the same time as Kim thinks they can be linked somehow. All this weirdness seem to start happening when American Patriot Chemicals introduced a new product into the ecosystem and now there is parasites, deformed babies, among other things being found. The film has a solid cast and a great monster payoff that makes this lesser known recent horror flick worth seeking out as I give it 3 stars.
Bone (DVD) – Always read about this 1972 Cohen flick starring Yaphet Kotto as Bone as I finally found time to sit and watch it fully for the first time. We are introduced to a supposedly wealthy couple hanging at the pool until Bone comes by to introduce himself by removing a rat out of the pool filter. This sets up a 90 minute story of a man holding up a rich couple for money and possible rape? But that is where the film decides to take a weird left turn has the viewer take a leap down the rabbit hole as Bone comes up with a plan when he finds out the couple are actually not that rich and might be crazier than anyone thought. Instead ruining more of this fun low budget surprise I leave you with this when you watch it… did the Bone character ever exist? Now think about that after you have watched this interesting gem as I give it 3 stars.
Toolbox Murders 2 (DVD) – What in the hairy nutsack was I thinking when I watched this? Oh yeah, it is a sequel, you got me. Anyhow, a lunatic that is connected to a pair of sisters who decides to kill one and keep the other as a pet and torture her in his home made ‘Hostel’ dungeon. I feel like I should love this movie but instead I found myself so completely bored I feel asleep several times trying to get through this piece of trash. Everyone consider yourself warned about this film because the sister that is kept for the dungeon should have been purged from the script before this garbage hit production as I give this 0 stars.
Bergeron Brothers: Wedding Videographers (DVD) – Well kids, if have not been introduced to BPO Films here is a good place to start as these people are just brilliant with their latest project. Two brothers who are amateur wedding videographers have decided to have a documentary about their business, how they prepare for events, training, etc., all in the hope of getting their name out there so their business can thrive. The film crew documents the hardships of these brothers living in a garage and how they train for their first big wedding event. But remember when starting a business it isn’t always successful at even if it means these brothers must face off with their nemesis Chad Johnson (who has everything, including someone’s fiancée, watch the movie you’ll understand) on a regular basis. This documentary/comedy is not just hilarious; it is downright fucking wonderfully entertaining! Literally “the hidden cameras idea” and “the shitting incident” had me still laughing after the movie was over. This project isn’t just a coming out party for these talented bastards (BPO Films) they blow the door off the movie world hinges to show they are to be taken seriously. The script is great, the story is hilarious, but what makes this project perfection in motion is the surrounding cast, all actors involved fit these characters in the film like a glove. Now that takes talent my friends as this is surely one of the best films you will watch in 2022 as I give it 4 out of 4 stars.
13 Slays Till X-mas (Blu-ray) – A group of regular drinkers at the bar decide to tell each other stories on Christmas Eve night. An old holiday tradition according to one bar patron, as these fine folks decide to restart it. Each gets to tell two stories a piece and whoever has the worst has to pay for all the drinks. There isn’t a weak story of the bunch and a lot of good Indy talent involved in this project but wasn’t a fan of the ending of this anthology as it felt forced. But if interested the two stories from mall Santa at the bar were my favorite as one includes an evil twin of Santa Claus as I give the holiday film 2 ½ stars.
Matrix Resurrections (HBO/Max) – Things have changed now, “The Matrix” doesn’t exist, something else does and Neo and his girlfriend have been kept asleep to power the real reality. This film goes back to the first movie to explain what happened to Neo after he was first awaken and changed things for the good between man and machines. Bottom line it is fun sci-fi goobly gook that the movie nerds should enjoy. I was never a fan of the sequels but always enjoyed the first film and liked where they went with this latest entry. Need some mindless sci-fi in your life look no further as I give the latest entry 3 stars.
You can find all of my books at www.lulu.com just search for Gross Movie Reviews or Tim Gross there!
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!
The Virus (YouTube) – Philip Brocklehurst busy as ever has released his latest short film that deals with the post-apocalyptic theme or recent times and its effect on a person. Earth has been devastated by biological weapons and a man who is all alone just wants to end the madness on his own terms. A bleak but very realistic look at the world right now as I give the short film 3 out of 4 stars.
Tower Rats (YouTube/DVD) – To even give this mess of a Kevin Walter film a chance you have to imagine if Troma ran Tik Tok and made an anthology film using the things Troma fans posted. What seems like a miss-mash of no plot is a long string of weirdo short films pretty much only hardcore Troma fans will enjoy. It all seems to be set in the Tower District if that means anything to yinz and about ¾’s of the way into the film is that the ‘Puppet Master’ I am hearing? Kudos to Kevin for getting this all together for hardcore Troma fans but outside of them it’s gonna be hard to explain something like this to more mainstream film fans as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.
Open House (Vimeo) – Matt Cannon from ‘Hexercise’ fame has another short film that has made its way on a recent Indy anthology that concerns a young lady named Sue. She is being trained to sell homes. When Sue is hazed by co-workers with a mask and robe in the home she is cleaning up, Sue is startled and her past comes back to haunt her co-workers. Matt’s latest effort is simple and to the point as Mr. Cannon continues his filmmaking career along with his successful composing music for film career. I give the short film 2 ½ out of 4 stars.
The Pizzagate Massacre (DVD) – Our story begins in 2018 at a TV station where the Terri Lee show is set up and Karen Black (filmmaker/journalist) has started her new job. After dropping her headset during a live feed hearing startling news about the Illuminati conspiracy, Tootz Pizza, and children who are being used as sex slaves in the basement of this Austin, Texas pizza shop. Karen is fired but distraught by this news so of course she hires a white militia dude named Duncan to help her get proof of the lizard people touching little kids at a pizza shop! Duncan and Karen drive from Waco to Austin only to find out it’s not true but it also all goes bad in a shootout because a member of the same militia follows them and kidnaps Karen setting off a wild police chase and ending to this crazy but all but true ending as I give this interesting gem 3 stars.
Hellblock 13 (DVD) – Gunnar Hansen, Debbie Rochon, 1999, sounds like wonderful ingredients to an awesome anthology… Mostly the film comes off generic with the best performances from the two already mentioned stars that have story time before an execution. The stories are not horrible but fail to make a viewer wanna rewatch the stories being told again and again like a ‘Creepshow’ or ‘Tales from the Darkside’ as I give this anthology 2 stars.
Maniac Killer (DVD) – Bo Svenson, Chuck Connors, and Robert Ginty star in this French thriller about an escort disappearing one evening that becomes a small string of disappearances. A Professor Osborne is being wrongly accused of murder and kidnapping because of the man keeping to himself for his experiments. People who live nearby claim he is doing human experiments but the truth is Robert Ginty is to blame as he plays “creepy guy with dungeon” who believes he and his followers are purifying the evil from the French hookers. Weirdness, a couple solid actors, this is worth at least a watch as I give it 2 stars.
Honkey Holocaust (DVD) – In case you been missing out on filling your exploitation film needs this recent Indy feature does its best to intrigue you then? It is set in late 60s California where in an alternate universe The Manson Family (big strike against any filmmaker attempting to add to this turd of legacy) gets away with murder and builds a bunker. The family heads underground where Charles dies in 1979 from poor conditions but some of his clan survives including a daughter of Charles. But here is already a problem kids? If Charles died after a decade of poor conditions how didn’t the rest of the clan die? But hey, don’t let a bad plot get in the way of telling your story. After a few decades the clan comes out of the bunker to witness the “Race War”? Problem, white people are now the minority and it’s all about a prophecy being fulfilled. Kendra Manson wanders away from her clan to learn about the new world and meets a black man named Lucius who she falls in love with. Kudos for putting together an exploitation that most likely will find a cult audience but you lost me at “Manson Family” as I give this 1 ½ stars.
The Horror of it All (DVD/YouTube) – This 1964 British oddity stars Pat Boone of all people who is Jack Robinson and on his way to see his soon to be wife Cynthia. Cynthia is hanging out at the family estate because she has plans of her own before getting married but Jack cannot wait. This film is comedy of horrors that feels like an early film version of “Clue” as the family is being murdered one by one and Jack believes they all are trying to murder him before his marriage. A hilarious horror/comedy where not only Pat Boone breaks into song you can see tropes set up for future horror/comedies as I give this well worthy gem 3 stars.
The Neptune Factor (DVD) – An early 70s underwater adventure about a sea exploration crew having trouble when an earthquake on the ocean floor happens. The earthquake topples the sea lab off the edge of the ocean floor into an abyss. After a few days search by the Canadian Navy it is time for “the Neptune”. A well-equipped vessel that could conquer the deep sea for its daring rescue. The first half of the film is all about set up then the second half turns into a NatGeo special of underwater adventure with the rescue happening in the last four minutes of the film. If you like Ernest Borgnine and PG-rated undersea drama you may be in for a treat as I give it 2 ½ stars.
You can find all of my books at www.lulu.com just search for Gross Movie Reviews or Tim Gross there!
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!
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