Gross Movie Reviews #651

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Blood Red River Bed (YouTube) – A slasher film of sorts from a first time filmmaker that its plot centers around a young man having issues with losing two friends along a river bed in a mysterious manner. There is a little bit of a sound issue at the beginning while establishing the two friends being killed but the issue fixes itself as the film is made to look gritty for effect. The young man against his better judgment goes with friends to party along this river bed where the legendary “Reaper” roams claiming victims on an all too regular basis. But as the friends are slaughtered around him the young man he must face his fear in order to survive the horror. A super solid no budget Indy flick that has a little filler in spots but still establishes being entertaining for fans of Indy horror as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Woodchipper Massacre (Blu-ray) – I took a chance on picking this special edition up from Terror Vision and they did not disappoint! Terror Vision claims this is a new transfer from the master tape? But if we as fans are being honest “there is only so much you can do to shine up a turd?” Meaning this SOV flick is always going to look like a SOV flick from the late 80s no matter what tech you throw at it. But that wasn’t why I got this amazing Blu-ray. For those of you who might not know or heard me screaming about this Jon McBride classic made for almost no money its plot has three kids of various ages who accidentally kill their aunt and cover it up. She rules them with an iron fist when father goes out of town but hey there is a woodchipper out back?! This is one of the more bloodless ‘massacre’ films I have ever watched but it is so much fun and it only gets better with the extras on this new special edition as it differs from the Camp Motion Pictures original DVD transfer… This edition has an excellent commentary done by Mark Polonia interviewing Jon McBride for one of two commentaries. The second belongs to the actress (Denice Edeal with Brad Henderson of Terror Vision of course) who was a teenager at the time of this film and some of her stories are just heartfelt and funny about the memories of working on the film. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this SOV classic especially since it was McBride’s follow up to ‘Cannibal Campout’ as I say your collection is not complete unless you own this Blu-ray as I give it 4 out of 4 stars.

In a Violent Nature (Shudder) – Possibly one of the most talked about horror films of 2024 and possibly since ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ being released? Some of the reviews I have read or people I have talked too who seen this film is either “Love or hate”, there is no in-between and that is where I come in. A necklace is removed from a grave by a dumb twenty something just trying to impress his woman and because of this an undead dude rises from the grave to wander the woods for the first 27 minutes of the film. Or as I like to call this the remake of ‘Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives’. Once or if you are able to get through establishing this undead forest legend wandering the woods the killing spree begins as it is swift and brutal. Part of me wonders if some of the kills were ‘Terrifier’ inspired. This slasher concept was quite intriguing and I was starting to understand why so many horror movie fans were calling this “movie of the year for 2024” until… the ending happened or I should say didn’t happen. We get an extra seven minutes of a survivor just sobbing, passing out, etc., in a truck or plainly nothing happens. I felt like it was a shitty ending for an interesting way of shooting a slasher film and that is why I can only give this horror feature 2 ½ stars. I will say I am very curious about the sequel of what direction it goes and how it is filmed?

Amityville: Where the Echo Lives (Amazon) – Well kids you can thank me later for checking out entry #64 that was in a few theaters for one weekend then went straight to Amazon the Tuesday after. A so-called paranormal investigator is investigating a house that has a connection to a missing murdered girl and a serial killer. Okay fuck this… let’s get to the point and my theory! This film comes off as a cheap documentary about a fictional paranormal investigator that has baggage. You are correct this has nothing to do with Amityville as many in the series do not. But my theory is someone (Lionsgate) noticed for the past several years many Indy filmmakers have been making a name and money on the title “Amityville” when major studios have long forgotten this series? Well time for them to cash in on unsuspecting horror movie fans who want to watch everything “Amityville” or people like me? Shame on yinz Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment because this wasn’t entertaining let alone deserved to be called hot garbage as I give it 0 stars as it was dumb and boring.

Unnatural (Vimeo) – A low budget horror western from Little Monster Entertainment and filmmaker Whit Whitman that stars genre vets Al Snow and John Wells. Al Snow plays the old raspy voiced cowboy who roams the old west searching for creatures because he is on a mission from God. Now stuck with his grandchildren after rescuing them from a werewolf attack he must allow them to travel with him to an odd town called ‘Possum Trot’. It is a quiet town but too quiet as Remington (Al Snow) wants to meet the sheriff full well knowing the sheriff is a vampire who made a deal with the town. Good vampire story, solid leads, great location and a horror film that horror fans should not overlook as I give it 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

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Gross Movie Reviews #374

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Gross Movie Reviews #374

 

By Tim Gross

 

Vicious Lips (DVD) – A forgotten and lost film that has found its way to a DVD four-pack not long ago from the great Empire Pictures. Charles Band is an uncredited producer but something tells me he had more to do with this film from the stories I have been told by several people over the years who have worked with him? But that being said how about Greg Cannom and John Carl Buechler doing effects and the legendary Albert Pyun directing? Well that is exactly what you get in this weirdo sci-fi film where a band is traveling to a different planet to get their big break and with a new lead singer. There isn’t much else to say as I just described the whole plot of the film in one sentence. It is a forgotten gem for movie nerds to have for their collection as I give it 2 stars.

 

Shinjuku Incident (DVD) – Jackie Chan is a Chinese immigrant who finds himself in Japan trying to make things go his way. But the only way to make it work is steal merch and resell. Soon he becomes highly regarded by his fellow immigrants as he becomes feared by some in Japan’s local mob circles. As Jackie Chan uses the local mobs they use him to get what both want. Not your typical Jackie Chan crazy action-stunt film but an interesting film about the rise of Chinese immigrants in Japan. I give the film 2 ½ stars.

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Auntie Lee’s Meat Pies (VHS/DVD-R) – Let me just say this any horror film that begins with Suicidal Tendencies “I Saw Your Mommy and Your Mommy is Dead” gets 4 stars no matter what comes next. But that just isn’t enough for this fun gem of unknown goodness! Karen Black stars as Auntie Lee, Pat Morita as the local small town sheriff, Michael Berryman as the weird dude (Larry) who takes care of the nieces’ cars after deliveries, and the very beautiful Teri Weigel. Teri may have done a lot of porn but always found a way into a stray horror film which I always enjoy finding. Teri is one of the best. But after jamming out to Suicidal Tendencies we are introduced to some lunatic who tries to carjack a young lady and becomes a victim himself for Auntie Lee. Auntie Lee for years has sold her famous meat pies to the local town folk of Penance. And these days now her nieces are all grown up they go out and lure men in for the taking. Usually if there is car trouble or car cleaning needing to be done it’s up to Larry until he is caught one day with a trunk full of bones! Pat Morita decides then with the bootleg David Bowie as a private investigator try to bring down Auntie Lee. But the real question is will the sheriff bring her in or will he become the next meat pie? Everyone is awesome in this light-hearted “Motel Hell” horror film. This movie deserves to be seen all horror movie fans as I give this fun meaty morsel 4 stars.

 

Night of the Zombies (VHS/DVD-R) – The film is also known as Part II starring the famous Jamie Gillis as a CIA agent who is sent to search for poisonous canisters after two scientists going missing. The more he searches for these mysterious canisters the more he understands he has become part of a war that never ended 40 years ago. Zombie fans may even overlook this one as the film is filled with very dull scenes but tries to make up for the lack of good film with weird, nasty looking zombie make-up which was just enough to keep me watching to the end. I give the Gillis-zombie adventure 1 ½ stars.

 

Mutilations (YouTube/DVD-R) – A funny low budget flick from the mid-80s where students and their teacher witness a spaceship flying by. When the ship lands the alien feasts on some hobos. Meanwhile the next day the teacher and students while in class debate about UFOs! So after agreeing they investigate the UFO sightings further and we are bombarded with fun scenes of Claymation and the destruction of the student body by the alien… It has that “Deadly Spawn” kind of feel to it if it helps as I give the film 2 ½ stars.

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Fun Time (DVD) – Some lucky people get invited to a night of Funhouse fun filled with clowns. If they make it through the night they get $500,000. If not, they become part of the body count. Not so much the invitees surviving as much as the clowns entertaining themselves and not paying anyone as usual. The clowns put the contestants through several torturous games in “Saw” like fashion to be one step closer to escaping. But will they as the clowns begin to turn on each other? Michael Taylor Pritt proves clowns are always gonna be an effective thing to scare the poop out of people as I give this independent feature 2 ½ out of 4 stars. Found out more about the film at: www.facebook.com/OfficiallyFunTimez .

 

Unnatural (DVD) – A selection from the 2015 After Dark Horrorfest which I was surprised it was still going on? Middle of nowhere Alaska a photographer and a couple of models are doing their latest project. They just happen to be staying in a cabin with James Remar who tells the story of an unstoppable polar bear to scare the city folk. His story becomes true when people become bloody puddles of mess as a scientist (Sherilyn Fenn) is running for her life from a genetically altered polar bear who wants to fuck some humans up! A fun ‘when animal attacks’ movie that also has Ray Wise as a head honcho of an envoirmental company claiming bullshit when the polar bear kills all. I give the horror flick 3 stars.

 

The Collapsed (DVD) – The apocalypse has happened and no one is sure of how or why? A family fighting for survival out in the woods making their way to a rural area to get away from all the craziness of the big city. But something evil is stalking them and slowly they die one by one by this mysterious evil. Not the best of the recent apocalypse films but has an interesting plot twist of the mysterious evil that follows the family. The answer will make you happy you made it all the way through the film as I give it 2 stars.

 

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You can always visit and see some past reviews, independent film news, or me ranting at: www.grossmoviereviews.com !!!

Don’t forget you can also hear Kyle Poling and me talking about horror flicks on a weekly basis on the Bloodbaths and Boomsticks podcast at: www.bloodbathspodcast.blogspot.com/

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