Tag Archives: Mel Heflin

Gross Movie Reviews #689

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Haunted House of Pancakes (YouTube) – A small restaurant owner Frank has bought a vintage waffle iron to take advantage knowing the waffle place down the road has burned down for mysterious reasons. A couple of brothers in Carlos and Jay are put in charge of getting the vintage appliance to start working so it can churn out waffles! While fixing it Jay cuts himself and bleeds accidentally onto the waffle iron which apparently now works because of the blood. It’s not long before the evil waffle iron possesses Carlos into making evil waffles that also in turn tells Carlos to make evil food for the customers so they all can be possessed in time for “the feast”. Jay quickly becomes the unlikely hero with his new friend Sara to defend themselves from the demonic waffles and their bloodbath they want to cause! Not since ‘Attack of the Killer Donuts’ have I seen a cool killer food film that kicks this much ass as the evil food horror project deserves 3 out of 4 stars.

Debbie Does Demons (Blu-ray) – Donald Farmer with one of his best efforts in recent memory has Lauren and friends wanting to contact a witch while fucking around with an Ouija board. Well congrats yinz just conjured a witch named Carmilla who’s a total hot sleazy bad ass that is here to haunt Lauren and friends to death. Meanwhile it just so happens a horror host/witch expert named Debbie has visions of Carmilla’s return so it’s no surprise when Lauren comes begging for help with the witch as she plans to raise hell in this present day earth! If it’s an actual term I would call this entertaining project “tasteful sleaze” as this easily could have been a throw away sequel for the ‘Witchcraft’ series but with Donald Farmer’s talent and the outstanding cast we get one hell of an Indie project for fans to watch multiple times as I give it 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Zed’s Dead (Blu-ray) – A passion project of Sean Donohue who is a huge fan of the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ decided to give a backstory loosely based on the characters who run the pawn shop, Zed and Maynard. Call it exploitation done right by Mr. Donohue as he doesn’t just attempt but does a wonderful job of telling a story about these two interesting characters. The film goes down an entertaining wormhole of what these two and their gimp do with their free time, how the pawn shop is run, and how they get into so much trouble in what we are shown in the film ‘Pulp Fiction’. If you are a fan of the award winning film you’ll enjoy this project that was limited to only a few hundred copies being made and if it helps my favorite character in all of this is “The Gimp”! Well done Mr. Donohue as I give this 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Tapeworm Z (Blu-ray) – Short version of my review is two words… “Titty snakes”! I don’t even have to review it now as I know you reading that you want to see this no budget project in a bad way! So the plot of the film is this bootleg ‘Night of the Creeps’ leech aliens arrives on earth to attack humans in a small town of course. A set of humanoid aliens arrive on earth to hunt these blood sucking worms aka “Titty snakes” before they quickly destroy this planet. The worms are a parasite that uses the human body to move around or to feed on their insides. Bad acting, gore, and titty snakes makes this a fun surprise to find as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Ssssstoner Snake (DVD) – Now before we get into the review of this film and its title this is a prime example of you know exactly what you are about to watch. It’s the ‘Jason X’ argument… where horror fans will bitch about this entry for whatever fucking reason that doesn’t make any sense other than you getting an immediate response from me: “What were you expecting after nine fucking films of slashing and hacking of teenagers in the woods? It is in space for the love of Rutger Hauer!” Like somehow this is crossing the line with sending Jason in space but it’s okay for Pinhead and Leprechaun after the third film and okay for all of yinz forgetting how Busta Rhymes made ‘Halloween: Resurrection’ unwatchable but let’s complain about Jason being in space. Point is (end of rant, for now) please don’t pretend you weren’t expecting a bad killer snake movie? If you were expecting something else or you feel this film is beneath you please stop watching horror movies! Anyhow, congrats to Daryl Hook and crew just steering into the skid about an alien snake that lands on earth in search of weed. The story about Golimar the snake is so bad it makes Poppy Butterington who is hosting it on “Trash Can Theater” question her life choices. Here is what you need to know Golimar is a stuffed animal snake from outer space, loves weed, eats people for a snack, Golimar has a rap song, Golimar trips balls on catnip and meets the poop fairy, there is a fake penis chomping scene, what more would do you want from an independent film that started as a joke? Legit, yinz had me at the rap song and Mel Heflin as Ms. Butterington losing her shit. The more impressive thing that should be taken away from this project is the amount of talent that put their time and effort in making sure this joke goes all the way. Was it perfect, nah, but is it hilariously entertaining, yes it is as I give Golimar 3 out of 4 stars.

Return to Death Park (Streaming) – The Death Park killer returns to his killing grounds at a public park after his brother visits him in the morgue bringing him back to life with a green serum. The death park killer and his brother spend most of the movie stalking the various bounty hunter groups who are looking for a big payday if they can bag the masked killer. Before viewing if need some background the prequels are now on streaming to prepare you for this project. I wanted to enjoy this film especially with it having a couple known names attached to it but its poor chemistry between characters and what should have been a thirty minute film instead of being stretched thin into 74 minutes hurt this project for the long run as I can only give it 1 out of 4 stars.

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

Gross Movie Reviews #679

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

Gross Movie Reviews #677

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

Grossfest 2025 is two weeks away my friends

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GUESTS:

Mark Polonia

Jeff Kirkendall

Jamie Morgan

Tim Hatch

Jessa Flux

Mel Heflin

Phil Herman

Steve Rudzinski

Aleen Isley

Morrigan Thompson-Milam

The official Grossfest tattoo artist and all around coolest horror movie fan ever to exist Angel O’Connor!

Special guest – Jason Burke

Grossfest August 1st & 2nd, 2025

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

Tickets for admission: $10 for one day or $15 for both days.

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

(Again no one under 18 will be allowed to get a tattoo so please don’t ask. Also you will need a Grossfest wristband in order to make your appointment with Angel the tattoo artist.)

August 1st, Friday 4-10pm

August 2nd, Saturday 11-7pm

Here is the vendor list:

Nene’s Soaps

Nekroshark Films

Burghbrats Krafty Kreations

Melissa Sapienza-Garrett

Classy Crows

Lowell Squires

Sam Hice Art

Ultra Violent

Matthew W. Parmenter

Cheevies Film Productions

Chase Will

Nomad Comics

MMH Productions

Kiss of Death Productions

RJR Craft Labs

13 Occult

Secondhand Spooky

Video Nasty Productions

Clifton Taylor

Celebration of Spirits

1282 Productions

Loretta Lynn Chambers

Steve Livengood

Static Talent/Matt Chasin/Michael Coulombe

Dandylinn

Dazed N Disorderly

Drunken Yinzers Productions

JAB Productions

Chanda Rawlings

Tabatha Rader

Grossfest 2025 – August 1st & 2nd

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(We wanna thank ahead of time the great guests, the awesome vendors, and of course the people that will attend, thank yinz all for making this happen and supporting Independent horror)

Grossfest August 1st & 2nd, 2025

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

To book a hotel room for Grossfest 2025 you can use this group link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/YB53X6

Tickets for admission: $10 for one day or $15 for both days at the door. (Yes we are lazy n’at)

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

(Again no one under 18 will be allowed to get a tattoo so please don’t ask. Also you will need a Grossfest wristband in order to make your appointment with Angel the tattoo artist.)

August 1st, Friday 4-10pm

August 2nd, Saturday 11-7pm

(Movies and/or panels will be announced closer to the show)

For show info: http://www.grossfest.com or go to our Grossfest Facebook group or event page.

(Complete Vendor list is coming and yes we are sold out)

(Movie list is coming along and will be posted July 4th weekend)

Yes, there will be a band “13 Occult” playing 7pm on back patio on Saturday after Grossfest 2025 closes! https://www.facebook.com/13occultMusic

Grossfest 2025 guest list:

The Mummy and The Monkey (Saturday only)

Mark Polonia

Jeff Kirkendall

Jamie Morgan

Tim Hatch

Jessa Flux

Mel Heflin

Phil Herman

Steve Rudzinski

Aleen Isley

Morrigan Thompson-Milam

The official Grossfest tattoo artist and all around coolest horror movie fan ever to exist Angel O’Connor!

Special guest – Jason Burke

Gross Movie Reviews #666

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Titanic 666 (Tubi) – Of course straight out of Asylum Entertainment this feature would have hit SyFy Channel a few years back but now it is a Tubi exclusive 18 months ago. So I finally decided to give it a chance after first hearing about it I could not believe it, but guess what kids the film is super watchable. It is 110 years after the original voyage and the new Titanic III is setting sail for its maiden voyage to pay respects to the original wreckage where it lays rest. Just like the original boat it claims to be unsinkable and people are just dying to get on board to be a part of history. But a mysterious cute redhead has hidden herself in some luggage to get on board and perform a ritual in the cargo area of the ship! This witch does a blood ritual that brings the spirits of the original Titanic to life again to haunt all on the Titanic III and take control of the ship so all living can relive the tragic events of 110 years ago. This of course causes panic among the new captain and crew as they were told the voyage was cursed but chose not to believe. I was expecting a terrible mess but instead was given something watchable and entertaining that I never thought I would say about a film called ‘Titanic 666’ as I give it 2 ½ stars.

The Bayou (On Demand) – A group of people try to fly on the cheap on an uncharted flight that just so happens to wreck into a swamp. But this isn’t just any swamp as the swamp is filled with unusually bloodthirsty gators that are all methed up and stalk all that were a part of the wreckage one by one. Yes, it is a plot that we have seen several times but this one keeps it gory and mean with a quick running time to keep us horror movie freaks happy as I give it 3 stars.

Slaughter Beach (Tubi) – Two friends are kicked out of their beach front house because none of their side gigs produced. Now the duo is forced to look for an actual job so they are not homeless. Bingo, bright idea the duo decides they can make money by getting rid of all of the crime along the beach so the two idoits become superheroes. Now the ‘Defender Benders’ drive a golf cart to help them clean up the beach but unknowingly stumble upon the beach serial killer aka the crusty bait shop dude! Stop the killer … they get paid! Sounds simple enough in this Indy feature that was silly enough for me to give 2 ½ stars too.

The Messenger (DVD) – A 1986 film that was directed and the story written by Fred Williamson but doesn’t have all the fun in this action extravaganza as it also stars Joe Spinell and Cameron Mitchell. Mr. Williamson aka Jake just got out of prison after three years and unfortunately finds out his girl has been doing some shady drug stuff. It all leads to a messy hit on her as with Jake out of prison she wants to be done with that stuff. Cops already looking side eyed at Jake, he takes a job from an old rich dude to clean up the drug dealers and bring down the bad mafia dudes who killed his girl! The film is classic Fred Williamson as it’s just a wonderful treat to watch him be a bad ass as I give the feature 2 ½ stars.

Night of the Dead Sorority Babes (DVD) – The film is an Indy talent filled feature that will have fans salivating! But of course it is ‘rush week’ at the most prestigious sorority on campus and they have some hand-picked ladies coming to visit the famous Gamma Rho Kappa house to pledge. Little do the young pledges know is that the Gamma Rho Kappa house has a process unlike others on campus. It all starts with two sisters who have been there from the beginning to make sure their evil ways continue as they use the young pledges to maintain their witchy powers. Now for the pledges the weekend is supposed to be for the young ladies to bond and not know they are there for evil sacrificing! This Indy feature is a no brakes; all gas sleazy fun sorority horror film we all remember from the 80s that with a little of its filler cut out would have horror fans declaring this a  top ten horror film of 2025 as I give it 3 out of 4 stars. All the young ladies in this just kill it in here as my real issue is the filler kinda of dragging down a near perfect Indy horror film.       

All Hail the Unknown (DVD) – A 2019 short film (32 minutes) comes from Matt Jefferson as his story is about a man named Paul who is given a chance to have all the power he would want from a mysterious woman. This woman hands Paul a small coffin and explains if he opens it he will have three tests to pass to get his wish for said power. Paul opens the box only to release a demon that guides Paul through the tests but when Paul actually passes the tests he doesn’t like the results of it even though he has power. An interesting and entertaining no budget short film that knew when to end the story as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Wounds (DVD) – Will is a bartender of a dive bar called Rosie’s that seems to know his place in life but happens to pick up a phone from some underage kids after a bar fight that is broken up. By accident Will takes it home to only get weird messages on it as he is curious and wants the owner to know he has the phone. Like most humans these days, Will cannot leave it alone and begins to respond to the weird messages only to have something weird happen to him. As some unusual visual shit begins to happen to Will his girlfriend Carrie gets suck into the process also as Will goes down a wormhole to truly find out what’s going on? But the knowledge if you call it that only drives him deeper into madness as a ritual has opened a portal for Will to go through. This is one of those horror films that will have horror fans calling it a “boring mess” or “one of the most misunderstood films of all time”. For me I enjoyed the weird premise and background on the characters involved but the payoff was not what I wanted in the end as I give the film 2 ½ stars.

Graveyard Shark (Blu-ray) – A legend about a half-shark/half-human thing stalking a graveyard has caught the eye of a Cryptids Hunter named Abby. Abby since she was a child has wanted to prove things like Sasquatch are real because her father was killed by a monster. Abby the so-called cryptozoologist is hired by a Dr. Lovnik who runs a Graveyard Shark survivors AA group. The good doctor would like Abby to chase down this legend and kill it for these survivors to have closure. Abby being super excited by this opportunity wastes no time investigating the Graveyard Shark legend and it is all because of a horny fisherman and his one night of passionate love making with a mermaid that made this creature possible. After witnessing the carnage Abby wants to end this “Street Sharks” look-a-like monster before it continues its bloody rampage but as usual there is more to this story such as: sasquatch sex, shark sex (doggie style and a young lady that believes her and the shark are a thing), and shark vs. werewolf for the final fight. WTF?! I am all in with this fun entertaining gory mess as I think I found another 2025 favorite that all of yinz need to witness as I give it 4 out of 4 stars. Also kudos on that bad ass shark costume!!!

The Lost Campfire Tales (Tubi) – A 2015 Indy film with no budget that has a group of people camping telling stories or I should say retelling scenes of their favorite slasher films of the 80s. It is a fun stupid thing for laughs but gotta say they didn’t take themselves too serious so the 50 minute film goes quick as I give it 2 out of 4 stars.

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

Getting to know your Grossfest 2025 guest!

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For this next Grossfest 2025 guest announcement is a person I would call a “super talented Swiss Army Knife” of independent cinema as they have carved out a career over the past decade plus I have not seen since the likes of Debbie Rochon or Tiffany Shepis! They have done everything from acting, stunt work, producing, writing, directing, podcasting, you name it this person has done it! This person has quickly become someone all Indy filmmakers strive to have in on their project and they just got started. Would not be surprised if Hollywood comes (if they haven’t already) calling for this person sooner than later as they might be known for their excellent work in such projects: Swamp Zombies 2, The Profane Exhibit, Mrs. Claus, Halloween Horror Tales, Teacher Shortage, Return to Splatter Farm, Legend of Crick Foot, with upcoming projects such as Terrifying T-Rex, Return of the Corn Zombies, and Amityville Pool Toy Massacre. This next guest isn’t just another pretty face in the crowd her drive and body of work has proven that. Grossfest folks we are honored to introduce yinz to the one and only Mel Heflin! Mel’s passionate work is immediate as soon as she hits the screen and looks like she is having a blast every second of the way so please go check out her work sooner than later.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4068733/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH4145leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHREGZfOnSN0_yjtft3ulAF2DRT0kOkiqYNTeCSniHShyMekmDbOnwnl8Gg_aem_bIJvkTBpFaxRrz1pEFeXSg

Grossfest August 1st & 2nd, 2025

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

To book a hotel room for Grossfest 2025 you can use this link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/YB53X6

August 1st, Friday 4-10pm

August 2nd, Saturday 11-7pm

(Movies and/or panels will be announced closer to the show)

For show info: www.grossfest.com or go to our Grossfest Facebook group or event page.

Vendor tables are $100 each and come with two passes contact grossfest@gmail.com for vendor application and how to pay.

(Ever hear a picture says a thousand words… this says more than Mel Heflin being passionate? Actor on a mission to make an impact)

Gross Movie Reviews #650

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Salem’s Lot (Max/remake) – So apparently it was time to remake Tobe Hooper’s late 70s TV movie based on the Stephen King’s writing again… but wait first off why did this sit around as a finished film for a couple years and second did we really need an update after that TNT debacle in the early 2000s? Well, there really isn’t any good answer why this film sat around as other remakes of King’s work made it out there immediately. Now on the other thing I feel horror movie fans totally blanked out that this had been remade before but anyhow that is for another conversation. What this film did right was go back to having it set in the 70s of Jerusalem’s Lot as they gave it few little twists enough to make it different but in the same vein as the original. We get Barlow being creepy again, Ben Mears coming back to visit the small town for inspiration, but also we get a solid vampire film that comes under two hours. I was waiting for a shitshow instead you get something old horror fans like myself can show younger people and introduce them to a fun Stephen King movie adaption as I give it 3 stars.

Meth Gator (Tubi) – The movie didn’t start off wonderful as it didn’t believe in the “steadycam” mode for the first five minutes but don’t let that scare you off as Fred Olen Ray’s kid knew exactly what needed to be done. Anyway two meth makers are chased into the swamp of small town Florida to only drop their meth while being chased by cops. Of course it is eaten by a giant gator and we are off to the cliché race of the giant gator becoming an unstoppable human eating machine because it is seeking out more meth! Think ‘Jaws’ formula combined with ‘Cocaine Bear’. Hell even the mayor is a cool familiar face in Patrick Labyorteaux who plays a great dickhead mayor who could care less about the methed up gator. It is a solid horror film about a rampaging gator as I give it 3 stars. I do have to ask why the computerized gator runs like a bear, just an observation.

Shark Exorcist 2: Unholy Waters (DVD) – The legend Donald Farmer is back behind the camera with a who’s who in front for this crazy devil shark Indy horror film. Those damn crazy nuns go raising the devil shark again to have their blessing in killing everyone, meanwhile we also get a priest who is haunted by his brother’s past and knows he must stop this devil shark. While the darklord hunts for its next victim Jessa Flux just wants wine and be at a beach but not that shark beach? If we are being honest here this movie comes off as a mess compared to some of the more recent work that Farmer has done. It isn’t terrible but I can’t tell Indy fans that it’s good either as I got to give it 1 ½ stars.

Blood Mountain Massacre (Tubi) – Yes kids, I have tracked down another “massacre” title and this was a fun one. A dangerous inmate has escaped prison transport and now stalks an all-girl band on the road. To keep the film interesting the killer wears a pig mask, they introduce another possible stalker, the music is actually good, throw in a couple of scumbags that run a bar, some actual thought out cool kills on a low budget, and the movie is played for laughs and we get one hell of a messy but fun horror film. To explain how serious the movie is besides the party scene of a band member bringing out a cement bag of cocaine we get a bartender telling a story that has very quotable hilarious lines about why he wears an eye patch such as: “Her pussy blew up!” and “The bar was full of VAG shrapnel!” I literally laughed the rest of the way through the movie because of the bartender story as I give the film 3 stars.

The Legend of Crick Foot (Vimeo) – First time filmmaker Bone Jawnson takes a cue from the original ‘The Legend of Boggy Creek’ (maybe?) to come up with an urban Sasquatch legend in Hatfield, Pa. The documentary or mockumentary is about a man who is trying to gather as much info about this legend in Hatfield through stories and interviews. But mainly the man is only finding empty hot dog wrappers and a mystery of what exactly is going on. Entertaining no budget Indy take on the Boggy Creek thing that I can give 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Strange Darling (On Demand) – This serial killer film definitely lived up to its title of being “strange”. The film is the tragic story of many lives taken by a serial killer that spanned a two year period in the Northwest area of the U.S. It is told in six chapters out of order but if it was told in order the movie would have been a very boring concept. The killer spirals out of control after a weird kinky meeting between a man and a woman in a hotel room. That’s about the gist of this strange film because if I say anymore I will give it away and I rather you watch it and decide if this is for you as it just came off more weird than anything to me as I give it 2 stars. The biggest issue with this film will be the rewatchablity so good luck if you feel different.

Halloween Horror Tales (DVD) – A 2018 Indy anthology directed by Jeff Kirkendall that takes place in the small town of Barnum where strange things have always happened. First story is about a killer clown where the victim kills the wrong clown. The second story is a different take on a horror hostess bit. Third story is a no budget story about a killer plant that harkens back to some of the old school 50s flicks. The fourth and final story is about a vampire but the investigator not believing in the bloodsucker was actually kind of refreshing. All the stories were interesting, solid, and Kirkendall knew to keep this at a great running time that makes me encourage Indy fans to check this Halloween fright flick out as I give it 3 out of 4 stars.

The Addams Family: Halloween Special (YouTube) – This 1977 TV movie on NBC was actually supposed to be a pilot to bring back the show as most of the regulars showed up to be presented in color. The Addams is celebrating their favorite time of the year Halloween, with a special celebration but of course some crooks come to steal the riches from the spooky family and fail horribly. John Astin and Carolyn Jones as Gomez and Morticia waste no time falling back into their hilarious characters and keep this pseudo pilot full of laughs keeping that old school magic from the original show. If you are a fan and never seen this it’s easy to find on the YouTube and the Tubi so enjoy as I give it 2 ½ stars.

Parasite Lady (Full Moon) – A more recent Chris Alexander Full Moon feature or sorts (43 minutes) is a tasteful artsy vampire film. A female vamp is not just seeking pleasure of the flesh but companionship as she tries to understand why she was turned into a bloodsucker in the first place. Visually it looks amazing but many vampire movie fans are going to find it tough getting through the artsy plot. Not into the artsy stuff you will wanna pass but if you are like me and wasn’t happy with some Alexander’s work you may find this a little more satisfying as I give it 2 ½ stars.

Nano Shark (Tubi) – Maybe one of the surprises of 2024 is this entertaining shark film from filmmaker Brett Kelly. New tech has allowed scientists to possibly shrink a shark down to almost nothing to enter a boy’s bloodstream to seek out and kill a rare blood disease. But… you guessed it a janitor has the tiny shark and the tiny sub injected into his backside by accident. Now it’s up to the military sub team to guide the shark out of his peen hole before it goes back to its original size! Think ‘Innerspace’ with a shark on no budget. Just when you thought the shark ideas were done this hilarious flick comes along and proves there was one more shark movie related idea out there as I give this 3 ½ out of 4 stars.

Devil’s Knight (Vimeo) – A one-eyed stranger comes out of the woods to tell the story of “The Lost Blades” an elite group of monster hunters. During a two hundred year war in the realm of Veroka where nations fought this allowed monsters and creatures to thrive and now they terrorize humans in this realm. King Samuel tired of this nonsense hires these so-called monster hunters to put an end to the demon’s reign over his people. This man is the last of the group still searching for this horrific creature. Fantasy film with some cool effects, full of creatures, and a few big names makes this an interesting find for movie fans who are constantly searching the streaming sites for a solid film to watch as I give this 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Any comments please send to grossmoviereview@verizon.net or www.facebook.com/grossmoviereviews .

Plus you can always go to the greatest T-shirt place online or if you are in Texas visit the store of “Fast Custom Shirts” where T-shirt Joe is the only place you should purchase your horror T-shirts: Go to www.fastcustomshirts.com and support!

All you need to know about Grossfest 2025!

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Okay Grossfest fans we got the date, the hotel, the guests, and we will have the vendors so mark your calendars!

The Mummy and The Monkey

Mark Polonia

Jeff Kirkendall

Tim Hatch

Jessa Flux

Mel Heflin

Phil Herman

Steve Rudzinski

The official Grossfest tattoo artist and all around coolest horror movie fan ever to exist Angel O’Connor!

Grossfest August 1st & 2nd, 2025

Location:

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235

To book a hotel room for Grossfest 2025 you can use this link: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/YB53X6

Tickets: $10 for one day. $15 for both days.

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

(Again no one under 18 will be allowed to get a tattoo so please don’t ask. Also you will need a Grossfest wristband in order to make your appointment with Angel the tattoo artist.)

August 1st, Friday 4-10pm

August 2nd, Saturday 11-7pm

(Movies and/or panels will be announced closer to the show)

Contact us with questions or vendor application questions at grossfest@gmail.com

For show info: www.grossfest.com or go to our Grossfest Facebook group or event page.Vendor tables are $100 each and come with two passes.

Another guest announcement for Grossfest 2025!

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For this next Grossfest 2025 guest announcement is a person I would call a “super talented Swiss Army Knife” of independent cinema as they have carved out a career over the past decade plus I have not seen since the likes of Debbie Rochon or Tiffany Shepis! They have done everything from acting, stunt work, producing, writing, directing, podcasting, you name it this person has done it! This person has quickly become someone all Indy filmmakers strive to have in on their project and they just got started. Would not be surprised if Hollywood comes (if they haven’t already) calling for this person sooner than later as they might be known for their excellent work in such projects: Swamp Zombies 2, The Profane Exhibit, Mrs. Claus, Halloween Horror Tales, Teacher Shortage, Return to Splatter Farm, Legend of Crick Foot, with upcoming projects such as Terrifying T-Rex, Return of the Corn Zombies, and Amityville Pool Toy Massacre. This next guest isn’t just another pretty face in the crowd her drive and body of work has proven that. Grossfest folks we are honored to introduce yinz to the one and only Mel Heflin!

Grossfest August 1st & 2nd, 2025

Vendor, movie, and tattoo room hours:

August 1st, Friday 4-10pm

August 2nd, Saturday 11-7pm

Comfort Inn Conference Center

699 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235