Tag Archives: James L. Edwards

Grossfest guest list… so far

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This energetic, talented actor, director, overall cool human being has been one of my favorite and possibly most interesting people I have had the pleasure meeting over the years. You may know him from one of the best Indy “massacre” films ever made in “Pool Party Massacre”. But he also has parts in recent projects such as: The Barn 2, Amityville Hex, Scare Me, and Slashlorette Party as Grossfest is honored to have Drew Marvick as a guest.

This talented newcomer to the filmmaking community busted onto the scene with a film not only shot on video but prefers the process and has already carved a niche into the scene with their first big project “Spirit Animal”. Now they are about to rock the boat of Indy filmmaking again with their latest “Bathtub Shark Attack”! I dare you to say there is a bigger supporter of SOV films and shark films out there? So with great pleasure we will be having Madeline Deering as a guest.

This filmmaker is a quiet, talented fellow that I have known for many years and have had the pleasure watch him grow and learn with his films. I get super excited when this individual has a new release because I know it’s gonna be gory, fun, and possibly a little disturbing. He might be best known for such titles: Welcome to Deer Creek, Tonight You Die, What’s Wrong With Mom?, and Happy Hour Holocaust . But the I believe the Indy world is about to be blown away by this filmmaker’s most complete feature to date with “Then My Mind Walked Away” as we enjoy knowing Jim Roberts will be joining Grossfest as a guest.

Now this dude is excellent and his career has spanned a few decades where he started in a little role for a little film called “The Dead Next Door”. From there he was in such titles: Robot Ninja, The Sandman, Polymorph, Killer Campout, Frames of Fear 3, Deathboard, Hell Van  just to name a few. But recently has really made an impact as a director with titles: Her Name is Christa and Brimstone Incorporated! We believe Grossfest fans will enjoy his presence and we are happy to announce James L. Edwards as a guest.

Now yinz know we cannot have a Grossfest unless we have this individual as a guest? This director, actor, producer, has given Indy fans such fun titles as: Basic Slaughter, The Slasher Hunter, Everyone Must Die!, Super Task Force One, and then showed off his talent even more when he broke through with not just his “Meowy” series but his “CarousHell 1 and 2” breaking into the mainstream! This multi-talented star is on the edge of going global but always has time for us folks at Grossfest as usual we enjoy knowing we have Steve Rudzinski as a guest.

Over the past decade Mr. Clevenger has had a variety of roles through several Indy projects but also is a director, producer, etc. It isn’t often someone can make waves with one Indy film project and if I could point out a film that in our opinion is why we wanted him as a guest for Grossfest it is his first directed feature 2018’s “People to Kill” starring the very talented Erin Ryan. That film stands out big time when we discuss independent films over the years and take our word on it… It will stick with you as you get to meet this very cool individual who we are happy to have as a guest at Grossfest, Mr. Adam Scott Clevenger.

$10 ticket to get in/$50 for a vendors table

Comfort Inn Conference Center Pittsburgh East

699 Rodi Rd., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15235

412-244-1600 or www.comfortinnpittsburgh.com

Need reservations? https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/TP87S2

One day event with guests, movies, filmmakers, vendors from 11am to 7pm. (Guests will be announced soon and as always subject to change)

Gross Movie Reviews #540

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Gross Movie Reviews #540

The Beast Beneath (DVD) – In a small town of Desert Valley, California an earthquake wakens its residents in the middle of the night with its shakes and simmers but nothing is thought of it. But this event has caused a monster to emerge from its slumber in the desert and it is time for the beast to snack on its new food source… humans! After a few people go missing the local authorities get involved and act like the disappearances are not that big of a deal but the mayor knows and wants it kept quiet. The beast is brought to the attention of a brilliant scientist (Brinke Stevens) and she is trying to work on a quick answer for the monstrous problem but when someone being attacked is caught on social media the mayor and police have no choice but to blow it up. The build-up of this low budget monster flick was a lot of fun and on par with what we used to get from SyFy Channel in the mid-2000s but the ending or non-ending was not the payoff I think viewers will be looking for as I give the film 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Stale Popcorn & Sticky Floors (DVD) – Another cool documentary that covers some of the memorable grindhouse, horror, and B-movie titles from the 70s and 80s we grew up watching. There is interviews and stories from such stars of iconic films such as Lynn Lowry, Camilla Carr, Brinke Stevens, and a host of others. And people let’s not forget Frank Farel is on here telling more stories about one of my favorite films of all time ‘Spookies’! The doc separates itself enough from others as the stars tell stories about one film that was picked such as an ‘I Spit on Your Grave’. This title doesn’t come off as interviews as much as you the viewer just grabbed a beer with said star and you are ready for story time and for that I give it 4 out of 4 stars.

Cult of the Cobra (DVD) – A bunch of U.S. service men on leave pay a hundred bucks to be sneaked into a secret meeting to witness a woman who has the ability to change into a snake. To their disbelief she does but one of them tries to take a photo and a scuffle ensues and the service men attempt to kidnap this special oddity. She gets away and of course the men are all warned they will all die but they don’t care as their deployment is over and they are heading home for good. Some time passes by and the men settled into their homes back in New York not knowing the precious snake woman has traveled there to seek her revenge. One by one the men fall but the snake woman might be having a change of heart as one of the men has taken time to be very friendly with her let’s say as I give this mid-50s flick 2 stars.

Death Rink (DVD) – The film is set in the year 2001 at the “Roller King!” roller skating rink where Rachel the manager is hanging out with the younger employees for an impromptu birthday party. They play games, smoke tea bags, eat pizza, discuss the lawsuits against the roller rink, along with wondering who in the hell is the person or ex-employee that calls every night to yell “Satan” into the phone. Things are going great and the fun is starting to whine down as everyone wants to leave at some point including Rachel as her boyfriend finally called her back… But an unwanted guest has found their way into the rink while they close up shop. This unknown individual slowly kills the employees one by one. Everything about this movie screams I should love it. Now don’t get me wrong this isn’t a horrible horror film as it had a great cast, great dialogue, some blood, great location, but it all just didn’t add up to success for me as I thought this film could have pressed the gas and gone over the top? Instead I felt the film found a way to limp over the finish line in the end as I give it 2 stars.

The Earth Dies Screaming (DVD) – This is a quick mid-60s post-apocalyptic flick where one day people around the world all die at the same time except for a select few. After a small group of people find themselves holed up at a hotel they figure out they were not in the open when this all happened and believe it could have been a gas attack? To make matters worse generic alien robots walk and a “zombie pace” and cannot be killed by guns but their asses are no match for a jeep. And just when the humans thought they were screwed enough, “oh yay if you are killed by an alien they zombified your ass and control you.” The only hope is if these select few humans figure out how to stop these slow ass trash cans from taking over the world as I give it 2 stars.

Brimstone Incorporated (DVD/Vimeo) – An interesting low budget anthology film directed by Indy vets James L. Edwards and Brad Twigg. The three stories are straight forward serious horror stories which are usually hard to pull off in the low budget world but this crew did it as the titles are: First Date, Mama’s Boy, and Skunkweed. And the wraparound story is called Temper and Associates but we will get to that in a bit. Without spoiling too much First Date gets a little uncomfortable (watch for the kiss you’ll understand), second story Mama’s Boy is not exactly what you think it is which makes it a pleasant surprise, and the third story is about a man who may have been given bad weed? Or was it? But the most interesting thing was the wraparound story as these days seems to be a throw away in the Indy world in my opinion. But these fine filmmakers took a cue possibly from 70s British anthologies and made the wraparound their strength as a character from each story is being reviewed by Gregory to decide where they will fit in “down here or in the corporation”. The Gregory character was actually my favorite thing of the anthology but this film is based more on the great performances from the actors than just throwing gallons of blood and gore against the wall. This is an anthology I will be pointing out to people for years to come as this cast was one of the best I seen for an Indy anthology in years. So if you are looking for a great not subpar Indy anthology look no further than this new feature Mr. Edwards and Mr. Twigg as I give it 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews . Remember folks always support your local independent movie theater, independent video store, and independent filmmakers! It will keep horror alive………

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!

You can now purchase copies of Jagoff Massacre and our new feature Blood Freak DVDs online that I co-directed with Dan Boyd at https://drunkenyinzersproductions.company.site/ !  

Gross Movie Reviews #510

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Gross Movie Reviews #510

 

Camp Killer (Blu-ray) – David Lightfoot is a small town masked serial killer who has supposedly been stalking the woods for years. After the last body count Tina Wilcox just happens to be the lone survivor of the latest slaughter in the woods. But what looks like the usual paint-by-numbers independent slasher flick changes in a heartbeat as minutes later we see the small town sheriff and the notorious killer meet up at the local bar to have a drink together. Their discussion involves how dumb humans can be over the past 30 years as they keep coming back to the woods to get killed. But here is the kicker there is a story behind why the brothers are making sure many people keep getting killed over and over. Thirty years ago they made a pact with the devil and they are almost at 666 kills, then its retirement for the brothers. But if Tina has it her way the brothers will get it in the end. This was an enjoyable, smart, very bloody slasher film that separates itself from the usual slashers as I like to give it 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

 

Maniac Farmer (Blu-ray) – A punk named “Blasphemous Rex” is about petty crime, he is all about the violence and how his little gang of punks needs to step it up in their country bumpkin town. Rex wants to kill people for no reason, no motive, just to keep the police guessing as they try to track down the mysterious killings of this country town. But next on Rex’s list is a quiet farmer who doesn’t bother with anyone and takes care of his mother. The farmer of course doesn’t take to kindly to the violence that is trying to be inflicted on him so he captures the punks himself and turns the tables on them. The film isn’t bad at all it just should never run longer than 30 minutes. It gets to the point quickly and just becomes a dull mess that you see the ending coming immediately as I give the film 2 out of 4 stars.

 

Ark of the Sun God (YouTube) – A mid-80s adventure film about a master thief that is set up by a former agent of Scotland Yard; to do an impossible job in Istanbul. Rick Spear (David Warbeck) is talked into searching for a mysterious scepter by this Lord Dean. Starts off kind of interesting but becomes full schlock by the halfway point and keeps going downhill from there. I give this mess 1 ½ stars.

Her Name Was Christa (DVD/Vimeo) – James L. Edwards an independent acting vet dips his toe into the writing and directing waters with this curious project. The plot involves a man named Steve who is in his 40s, single, and just quietly going through life. Then one day at work Steve meets a new co-worker who becomes quick friends with Steve and believes Steve needs to get back out in the dating scene. But Steve is looking for love not a quickie! The new best friend pressures Steve into trying a hooker and eventually explaining “The Girlfriend Experience”. First time out goes bad but by accident Steve strikes it rich when he is eating at a diner alone. When Steve sees a pretty young lady out front and strikes up a conversation, Candy soon becomes interested in the arrangement they make for Candy to be the fake girlfriend. After several dates and things going well for both Steve loses his job after a disagreement but Candy/Christa admit her love for Steve and wants to take it to the next level. I could see the plot twist coming but surprised how far it goes… Is Steve just broken or insane in this slow burn film that takes a creepy and uncomfortable turn in the third act that will have the sleaze hounds applauding for hours afterward? A very twisted love story with an insane payoff as I give the film 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

 

Blood Vessel (On Demand) – It is almost the end of World War II and there is survivors in a raft that got off their sinking ship but are in much bigger danger as they have no food or water. Hopeless and not sure what they can do a German ship comes near but no one is aboard. With no other alternative the survivors board the ghost ship. They find food but also see the ship is about to blow if they do not turn the engines off and let them cool? But the survivors soon find themselves in even a worse situation when they figure out they are not alone and the cargo on the German ship is alive… sort of. From there it turns into a wonderful creature filled bloodbath as I give it 3 stars.

 

Gehenna: Where Death Lives (DVD) – Paulina is heading to a resort in Saipan to see if it is ripe for a real estate transaction. The land is considered sacred by the natives but they also believe it is cursed. Paulina and her crew just need to make sure they get the whole layout before they go on with the sale but during the surveying they find an old bunker from WWII. The group goes exploring so there is no surprises during the construction of the new resort. But once in the group is locked into the bunker and things begin to change and they must face an unknown evil. Not a bad concept of a film but the upsetting part is once you have watched it you will say “there isn’t any point to it?” For that I can only give the film a ½ star for Lance Henriksen showing up for 30 seconds.

I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker (DVD) – It is present day and we meet the great grandchildren of Jonathan Harker. Yes, that Harker from the famous Dracula story. Well his great grandchildren are dysfunctional and they still own the skull of the last vampire killed in 1912. The Harker family is given one week to leave their home as they have no money to keep it. Now a serial necro-rapist invades their home to rob them of their riches they do not have and instead unleashes a vampire into the town when he bleeds on the skull before he dies accidentally. The Harker family and best friend don’t wannabe caught with a dead body so they dump it which when found rumors start about vampires and the Harkers have come with an idea to save their home. This lower budgeted horror comedy hits on all the right notes and is one big gore fest when needed as I give it 4 stars. And if that wasn’t enough they promise werewolves in the sequel.

 

Book of Monsters (On Demand) – Sophie when she was a kid always had her mom read her stories of these monsters in this weird book until one night a monster took her mom away. Now it’s her 18th birthday and her friends are doing it right for her until monsters that took her mom are now crashing Sophie’s party! As the monster bloodbath occurs Sophie must rally the friends and put a stop to the murdering monsters before they capture Sophie and use her for their spell! I really enjoyed the film for its monsters; the whole backstory of Sophie’s mom was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, but my only complaint was it felt choppy in parts. But this horror film is still a must watch for monster fans as I give it 3 stars.

 

The Barge People (DVD) – Two couples head off to the countryside to hang out and party in a barge that slowly moves down the stream. Unbeknownst to them besides the weirdo couple they pissed off and now this country couple wants a piece of them, they are being stalked. This isn’t your ordinary stalker but some weirdo mutant creatures that seek outsiders and take them to their own barge for lunch. They are quick, strong, and ugly! If you just need a weirdo creature feature ‘The Barge People’ will give you your fix as I give it 2 ½ stars.

 

Glerbrot (DVD) – Or for most people the title is ‘Broken Glass’ a TV flick from Iceland in 1988. Bjork plays a young woman whose family commits her because she never listens or comes home on time. Once there is she is abused until she escapes and meets up with her boyfriend. Or all you need to know is an Iceland art film. I give it 0 stars because I was hoping for some crazy Icelandic monsters and shit!

 

Sinners (DVD) – A short film about a man who died during an accident for three minutes and has come back different. He goes to a church to bare his soul but is really there to kill him! Pretty cool concept I give 3 out of 4 stars too.

 

Lady in the Walls (DVD/YouTube) – A short film where the plot of the film about a boarding school in 1958 where two older girls take the younger new girl into a den with history and tell her the story of the “Lady in the Walls”. Of course they just try to scare her and shut off the lights only for her to disappear. Years later an old woman goes to see if the legend is still true. I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

 

Scared to Death (DVD/YouTube) – This short film involving the famous Drew Marvick who has a zombie knocking at his door. Next thing you know Drew is running for his life as he believes the zombie invasion is on! I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

 

Play Time (DVD/YouTube) – In this short film a woman is being haunted by a terrifying spirit in her home. This wasn’t horrible but there wasn’t much substance to it as I give it 1 out of 4 stars.

 

The Family that Prays (DVD) – A short film that has a group of young people going to their local haunted attraction. But this haunted attraction is looking for dinner and they have some help… I give the short film 3 out of 4 stars.

 

Vibes (DVD) – A hilarious film about two psychics (Cyndi Lauper and Jeff Goldblum) hired by Peter Faulk to help find his son in Ecuador. Once there they learn they are there actually to find the “City of Gold”. Along the way the two psychics start to fall for each other but must help to get to the “City of Gold” first as there are others looking for it for evil reasons including their doctor friend played by Julian Sands! There they find out it isn’t gold but the epicenter of psychic energy that could have someone rule the world. Yeah it is a super corny movie but Cyndi Lauper is hilarious, Goldblum is Goldblum, we got Julian Sands (Warlock himself), and fucking Colombo people! This will be a rewatch down the line for sure as I give it 3 stars.

 

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews . Remember folks always support your local independent movie theater, independent video store, and independent filmmakers! It will keep horror alive………

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!