This Week's Viewing (Aug 15 - Aug 21)

This Week's Viewing (Aug 15 - Aug 21)

Hey gang, checking in with another week of what the hell I'm watching. This week, I mixed things up a bit more, ventured to a touching documentary, consumed more Japanese programing and watched some extras...so lets get to the list!


First, last weekend was filled with a variety of movies...while other films stood out for various reasons, this one absolutely added a lump in my throat and a tear to my eye. As a kid, like most, I loved Sesame Street. I grew up in the 70's and for me, with limited programing on television, Sesame Street gave me a glimpse of community, taught me a few things and showed me about the diversity of friends you'll make in life. Sadly, I never made a friend like Oscar the grouch or Big Bird but I truly loved this show, so when I had heard about I Am Big Bird, the Caroll Spinney, it was an opportunity to revisit an old friend.


This is a very straight forward documentary, highlighting his career and working relationships. Like a lot of entertainers, this also shows how hard it was for the, now 81 year old, to be on the road without his family. Very touching, heartfelt and completely glad I took the time to watch this film. I know I tend to be more horror based, but let's get it straight, I'm a Sesame Street kid. Highly recommended and worth the time.

I'm sure I've talked about it before but The Office, the American series, is my top favorite show of all time. Yes, Roseanne and Seinfeld are close but nothing compares to Steve Carell and company. It's clever, fun and has multi levels of comedy, plus some real heart. Anyways, for the past year and a half, it's safe to say that The Office, streaming on Netflix even though I own the entire series, has been on each and every night more that 98% of the time. This past week, I found myself watching seasons 1-5 again. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this series....if you ask Kim, entirely too many. The humor is exactly what I love and the writing teams are extremely solid. So, on most nights, I am laying in bed hoping to drift off to slumberland while watching Michael Scott and his adventures. My favorite episode is probably "The Dinner Party" in case you were wondering.

Last weekend, Kim and I also started to revisit the Gamera trilogy, with Gamera Guardian of the Universe and Gamera 2, Advent to Legion. We had watched Gamera 3 prior but I must confess, the Gamera suit in Gamera 3 might be my favorite kaiju suit at the moment. He's a complete bad ass.

Other stuff watched:

Tetsuo The Iron Man

Atlantic Rim (Hulu) - an Asylum rip off of Pacific Rim, but honestly not too bad. These SyFy movies are hit or miss, this wasn't bad.

Tetsuo The Iron Man - if you've never seen this...do it.

Masked Rider 555 movie

Black Rat - Japanese high school revenge flick

Meatball Machine - Crazy, gory and a real beaut

Machine GirlLite - Last week I purchased the Machine Girl, 3 disc Steelbook edition dvd set and this week I watched the other two discs. Machine Girlite was a short equal of sorts, also know as Shyness Machine Girl, that was completely crazy. The "making of" feature was also educational, at least for me and I love seeing how people get things to work. Highly recommended.

Ultraman Saga movie - not great but still had some fun with it.

Favorite film of the week:

Two fkn bosses!

Ultraman Ginga Theater Special

So much fun..not just the movie but the entire disc. Released in 2013, I grabbed this a few weeks ago at Monster-Mania and absolutely loved it. Sure, one could say that the Ultraman series has definitely shifted into the Star Wars mode where its all based around toys but I almost didn't care. I had so much fun watching this one. Not only was Ginga awesome, but Jean-Nine was great! Awesome design!!


The disc also had Mega-Monster Rush: Ultra Frontier Dino-Tank Hunting and a behind the scenes feature that was hosted by the toys...it was a blast. I will probably rewatch this again soon. AA+++ for me folks.


Well, there you have it, thats what bI watched this week. Hope you guys are able to watch a few of these and enjoy just being a fan of film...after all, thats what its all about. Enjoy the weekend!!

Current Influence - Noboru Iguchi & Japanese Splatter

Current Influence - Noboru Iguchi and Japanese Splatter

Still from Tokyo Gore Police

If we are friends online or you follow any of the social media outlets I post, you know, currently I am watching A LOT of Japanese Splatter films. It was an obsession years ago, but recently stuck a chord with me again. Why? No idea, but I am so glad it did. Sure, this is a pretty niche sub-genre but it's over the top special effects, insane use of weapons and buckets and buckets of blood make me so happy to sit and watch them.

Iguchi-San sporting his House shirt

There are plenty of directors behind these films, but for me, I'm somewhat enamored by the genius writer/director of some of what I've fallen in love with, Noboru Iguchi. He's wacky, weird and quite honestly, wonderful. He uses the 3 "B" formula for success - Blood, Broads and Beasts. I must be upfront and say this, his movies aren't for everyone. They lack in "real world" type of actions, but I feel so strongly in this style of filmmaking, it's almost obsession.


I know, you're like who?? Maybe you've seen ABC's of Death and watched F is for Fart. Yep, that's my guy. His films tend to contain Japanese school girls, bullying, sometimes Yakuza and just my kind of zaniness. I can't recommend watching these enough, and going in with an open mind. Let's also remember, I'm currently writing a new script for our project "SQUARE" that I pitched to Matt 2 weeks ago and all he could say was "wow...thats crazy." You're damn skippy its crazy.


Let's name some films that you should see:

Still from Gothic Lolita Battle Bear

First and foremost, I think my favorite out of all I've seen thus far is Tokyo Gore Police. The score, the style, the gore, it has me completely captivated. I LOVE this film. Next is RoboGeisha, as anytime a girl/robot turns into a tank and attacks a walking mountain...well, sign me up. The Machine Girl is also a really great adventure. I grabbed the 3 disc steelbook version, which has making of and plenty of extras including the spin off short film - Machine Girlite (Shyness Machine Girl). Now, as wacky as The Machine Girl is, the short film is even more insane. Imagine, you get embarrassed and a machine gun pops out of your ass? Yep.

Iguchi-san and Zaborgar

I never hide my love for Tokusatsu (think a show like Power Rangers, Kamen Rider, Ultraman or maybe even Inframan). I can never get enough of the series that mix Sentai and Tokusatsu and this is where my love really takes off for Iguchi. He created Karate-Robo Zaborgar and is it ok to think, this was just for me? Haha, I can't help it. It has action and just a great mix of why I love tokusastu films and series. If you watched Kikaida or Kamen Rider, this is a must see for you.


Also, make sure you check out Mutant Girls Squad, as this also was a lot of fun. Swords for boobs, a chainsaw out of your rear? Yeah, these are my kind of ladies. Plus, make sure you look for Dead Sushi. This one I actually haven't seen yet. My Netflix rental queue is jam packed with all kinds of gory goodness (currently I have Tokyo Zombie and Meatball Madness) but trust me, it's coming. Other films to look for Zombie Ass - Toilet of the Dead which used to be streaming on Netflix, but now its down. I'm really just offering titles that are more well known, but google his work, watch and enjoy.


The film I'm most anxious to see has yet to be seen by many titled Nuigulumar Z (Gothic Lolita Battle Bear) which quite frankly looks to be a mix of Ted and Power Rangers. Below I've attached the trailer. Thank you to Iguchi-san for being a writer and director and having imagination that is pure heaven for some of us. You are a blessing to us (at least some of us.)

This Week's Viewing (Aug 8 - Aug 14)

This Week's Viewing (Aug 8 - Aug 14)

Megalon rules!

This week continued the craziness with my viewing habits. If anything, I've notice I'm staying in the Asian film swing but now venturing into other sub-categories. I continue to rent from Netflix for the discs I don't have, but I figured I would make notes of what is also streaming and where.


This week I saw a few that actually created an impulse for me to buy and I figured I would lightly highlight them as well. Keep in mind, this isn't designed to be a review, but more of what options are out there...good or bad.


I want to mention two that I absolutely feel in love with: Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl, being the first of the two. I must admit I had never seen this one and once I started this one, I was hooked. So much fun. This is streaming on Hulu Plus and its a blast. I believe it plays almost like the perfect transition of live action anime. Really a blast. I ended up buying this bluray and it was very affordable (it's not here yet), now I'm hoping they have some extras on the disc.

The second one was Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris. This is another film that I grabbed the bluray of (actually the three pack which sells for less than $10 and can be found almost everywhere) years ago and it just sat on my shelf with no love.

I truly made a mistake by not revisiting this film sooner. Wow, what a tremendous Kaiju film. Released in 1999, Gamera himself, is a beast with an amazing suit and overall look thats just fierce. The miniatures and scale of everything is fantastic. I need another viewing or two, but this is easily in my top few Kaiju films right now. I think it really has some very real moments but still the charm of being fantasy.

Ok, now onto the list of what I've been watching:

Godzilla vs Megalon (Streaming on Hulu)

Alien Vs Ninja (Streaming on Hulu)

Zeiram

Zeiram 2 (I actually wrote about this films earlier in the week HERE)

Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl

2nd disc of Tokyo Gore Police (short films)

High Kick Girl

This Girl is Baddass (Streaming on Netflix)

Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris

Grabbed some DVDs!!

After last week, I ended up buying a few titles. The Machine Girl was offered as a 3 disc, steel book set and it has a bunch of extras and some additional short shorts. With my current obsession, I think I'm just a completist and needed to have this set.


Following suite, I already had The Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police but once I saw they both had different sets with additional offerings, I needed them. So, I grabbed Tokyo Gore Police 1.5. It has some short films that were fun, yet bizarre to watch....I love that shit.


Thats it for now, but this weekend, I plan on a Gamera marathon and really want to watch and enjoy these films again. Have a great week!

This Weeks Viewing (July 30 - Aug 7, 2015)

This Weeks Viewing (July 30 - Aug 7, 2015)

As of late, I've dove back into some wacky Asian cinema, especially the over the top, crazy, gory stuff that was out a few years ago. My taste and viewing habits are always changing and I never seem to be cookie cutter, by any means. I usually try a bit of everything and this week, well, this was no different.


I few days before Monster-Mania I dug around my collection and rediscovered the film that seemed to start the trend of the Asian splatter gore with high levels of unbelievability  (at least for me) - The Machine Girl. I remember buying The Machine Girl and instantly needing to see more. This stemmed an entire landslide of watching the bizarre and it was like we were off to the races. BTW...Tokyo Gore Police is  just so much fun. Yes, I know films like Ichi The Killer have been around longer, but this restarted my love for these film types.

* Please note, this is not a review of any of these films. I want to create awareness that other things exist than the stuff in theaters. 

While everyone else is out running to go see Fantastic Four, I seem to be more happy watching crazy Japanese movies that evil scientists are trying to rule the world. Keep in mind, this is the craziness that I'm watching as I write our new script.

Ok, so here's the list:

The Machine Girl

Robo Geisha

Karate-Robo Zaborgar

Mutant Girls Squad

Zebraman

Tokyo Gore Police

Death Kappa

Plus, I watched, what might be one of my favorite films in a Sentai series (think Power Rangers, but better) Heisei Rider vs Showa Rider - Kamen Rider Wars. I actually can't wait to rewatch this one. So much craziness, so many fights and just great action. If you can find it, then check it out.

Also upon returning from Monster-Mania, I've been watching the Battle of there Planets series at night. The original series was Gatchaman, but this was the US version of that series that was voiced by Casey Kasem plus they added some elements to relate to Star Wars. I can remember watching this on TBS as a kid, whenever I could find it on. I absolutely love this series and I'm so ecstatic to relive my childhood as I devulge back in time to watch G-Force.

As for this week? Who knows yet. I know I have the live action Death Note sitting here as well as hoping to revisit Suicide Club plus the Ju-On series. Anyways...enjoy the films and step outside the box.

Wrong Turn 3 Review - Left for Dead....and no Nascar = SCARY!!!

Wrong Turn 3 - Left For Dead

Reviewed by : Rob Dimension

I know, I know...NASCAR...Hillbillies they don't always go together, but come on...they are close. I sat down to watch the third installment of the Wrong Turn series titled: Left for Dead. Directed by Declan O'Brien, who directed Sharktopus...so he can't be that bad.

This film has a few sub plots going on....you have this girl Alex and her friends rafting, her friends bite the dust, early on. Prisoners are being transported, they end up being Hillbilly dinner, at least most of them. Then, you have a truck full of money that just creates more trouble since everyone is greedy (Especially the guy writing this review).

Our Hillbilly this time is Three-Finger, who was seen in previous films, and his son Three-Toes....gotta love this family tree. They set the booby traps and the goriness is sprung. A lot of fun traps and cool effects are in this one. My only complaint is when CGI is used, it is very noticeable. Sometimes, older special effects would just work better, but after watching the special features, they were limited on time...24 days to be exact.

You have wild, angry cons on the loose, a hot chick (although, she is no Eliza Dushku), a prison guard trying to keep the peace and our raving lunatic Hillbilly. Overall, it wasn't great but wasn't terrible either. The money truck, loaded with cash created a diversion in the story to cover the lack of good writing, just my .02. It just made the movie annoying for me at times. Double crossing each other gets old fast, but the Hillbillies don't need money.....remember that folks!

Gore - Plenty of gore, shock scenes that are cool. A lot of the same from past films, arrows threw the faces, the traps that slice and dice.....my biggest gripe is that Three Finger looks like he is 5'4 and 135 pounds. I know, small but mighty. If you were a fan of the first 2 Wrong Turns, go ahead...turn of the GPS and drive blindly and make a few wrong turns.

Attention Piglets - Schlock it To Me!!! New review!

SCHLOCK it TO ME!

Reviewed by Pigamortis Wrex

FACES of SCHLOCK: Boobs and Blood Edition
Independent Entertainment
In Association with Gonzoriffic Productions


"Blood Witch"
Written and Directed by Andrew Shearer

"Mike Wuz Here"
 Directed by Justin Channell

"One Foot in the Grave"
 Directed by Chris LaMartina

"Slay Ride"
Directed by Henrique Couto


Howdy, Piglets.

Well, this is by far a movie that is EVERYTHING you expect it to be from the title.
We have a lovingly crafted homage to 80's style gore with a whole mess of boobs and chicks making out to keep you interested thru those pesky NON-killin scenes.

Created by four directors who should all probably be on some sort of government watch list of some kind, Faces gives us four tales hosted by your fanged creepy whore-er host "Slutpira".





Our first tale "Blood Witch" is about a skanky goth broad named Lucia who manages, through the use of her generic black book of spells to bring back "the Blood Witch". A demonic assassin who kills all she is commanded to. Soon noone is safe from Lucia's ridiculous wrath. Not her bible-thumping roommate, not telemarketers, not the bug man (who made me LOL more than once), not even Lucia herself.





The next tale "MIKE WUZ HERE" features Josh Lively, TJ Rogers, Zane Crosby and Heather Lucas. These were the folks behind "Raising the Stakes" and "Die and Let Live" which if you HAVE NOT seen, you really should, its funny stuff!



This tale is about a fella named Derek applying for the job as a theatre manager since the previous manager had since died. One small hitch to this job, one of the employees is Mike, a ghost who has also committed suicide after being fired from his job but still remains on the payroll, despite being unliked by most of the staff. I don't know, I didn't write this! I WILL give Kudos for the shout out to "Booberry" in this film! (Suck it, Dimension) The film tackles some touchy subjects on anti ghost sentiment and ghost bigotry (make that BOOGOTRY), but its handled in a sensitive, respectful manner that makes you think. When Mike gets fed up with Derek's new management and possesses him, all Hell breaks loose and the carnage follows. (Spoiler: No nekkid broads in this story.)




The next story, "One Foot in the Grave", Directed by Chris LaMartina (Grave Mistakes, Book of Lore, Faces of Schlock 2) tells of a beautiful dancer,Katie(Sara Cole) who loses her foot due to incompetent malpractice by a freaky foot doc (George Stover). Normally, that would sideline a dancer and probably send her off the deep end to suicide or at least to countless hours of couch time in therapy. But not our girl... this is just a minor set back as she goes to black magic for her solution. Why does everyone go RIGHT to the black magic? Sheesh. Dr.Scholl (YES that is the foot doc's name... C'mon the movie is called "FACES OF SCHLOCK") better watch out!
Katie's foot comes back from the grave(?) and seeks vengence. Never knew a foot could hand out such an ass kickin! Hahahah See what i did there? Ok, I'm sorry. All the puns and crappy jokes in this movie just got me in that mindset.




Our final terrible tale comes from the mind of Andrew Shearer and directed by Henrique Couto (Satans House of Yoga, SlumberParty Murder Mania, Headcheese). And WHAT A MIND IT IS! Mr. Couto seems to embrace the idea of schlock and he excels at it. Our foul mouthed character Biancaaka "TRASH" (Ruby LaRocca) is left at home for Christmas as punishment by her parents for getting expelled from school. Her parents cut off the power and the phone while they are away (how utterly convenient) So like any teen left home for the holidays, she gets drunk and shows off her newly pierced nipples. I think this was the original script for "HOME ALONE". Couto makes a Hitchcockian cameo in his film and plays the perfect drooling, horny mongoloid psycho, perv, Toby. When her ridiculously nerdy classmate Deb stops by to help Bianca with her science, things go from bad to worse. Mr. Couto doesnt pretend to be reinventing the wheel with this film. To be honest i don't even think he pretends to know what a wheel IS in this film. Its simply boobs and blood and he does something alot of folks have forgotten how to do, entertain. Not a bad combo. So Kudos to Couto.




If you're not some film snob who needs some plot driven story or some crazy twist worthy of a shamalanyan ending, then this movie is for you. Just check your brains at the door and enjoy what the Schlock Gods have offered you.

Blood Freak review - Turkey in the Hemp!

Turkey in the Hemp – Blood Freak 

by : Dean Vanderkolk

 

How many times has this happened to you? You’re sitting at home channel surfing when you think to yourself “Man, there’s nothing on television these days. If only I could find a nice pro-Christian anti- drug propaganda gore film about a man who turns into a bloodthirsty turkey monster.” If so, my friends, then Blood Freak is the film for you! 

Released in 1972, Blood Freak is the story of Herschel, who is played by ex-Tarzan actor Steve Hawkes. You may never have heard of the man, but the filmmakers were very proud to land him for the role, as indicated by the credits which announce him twice within a few minutes of screen time. 

Herschel is a Vietnam veteran who, judging by his hairstyle, longs to be the next Elvis Presley. In emulation of The King, he spends his time smoking pot at various parties, accompanied by his girlfriend who tries to teach the assembled burnouts about the joys of Christ by reading passages from her Bible. Since there’s not a lot of cash in dope smoking, Herschel takes a job at a nearby turkey farm. But this is no ordinary turkey farm. The owners are creating chemically altered turkey meat, and they need a human subject to consume it in order to gain FDA approval. Guess what Herschel’s job duties are going to include? 

Trouble is, the super turkey meat reacts badly with the ganja, and Herschel soon finds himself transforming into a half-man, half-turkey monster, complete with a papier-mâché head. Old Herschel has a case of the munchies that Doritos can’t possibly satisfy, and he embarks on a murder spree that leaves the countryside in terror. For a turkey man, he’s very resourceful, dispatching his victims via strangulation, throat slittings and, in one particularly hilarious case, with a buzz saw. Just when all seems hopeless for our hero, he awakens to find it was all a horrible dream. 

Naturally, a story this complex may leave the viewer somewhat confused, and the filmmakers are prepared for this eventuality. From time to time, a narrator appears on screen to tie things all together; or rather he tries to, when he isn’t busy chain smoking himself into an on camera coughing fit while reading his lines from the script left in plain sight on his desk. 

As you may expect, the film is complete with bad lighting, camerawork, direction and sound. In an attempt to save money, all of the murders appear to have been shot without sound, and the same scream has been dubbed in for every single victim. The monster also tries to communicate his plight to others, although this is somewhat undermined by his inability to speak in anything other than a dubbed-in turkey’s gobble. 

Given the pro-Christian sentiment of the film, one might be surprised at the amount of gore present on screen. While the effects are executed in an extremely amateurish manner (when one victim has her throat cut, the blood sprays merrily from her shirt instead of her throat), they are plentiful. The film even manages to throw in a bit of brief, though mild, nudity. 

All in all, despite its flaws, Blood Freak has to be viewed as the greatest killer were-turkey movie in existence today, and will serve as a perfect flick to pop in on Thanksgiving Day while waiting for the L-Tryptophan to take effect. At least, it will be until Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving is completed. 

Dean Vanderkolk is a freelance writer based out of Detroit, Michigan, so he obviously knows scary.  When not dodging gunfire, he works as the head writer for Wolfman Mac's Chiller Drive-In, seen nationally on the Retro Television Network.  He is currently scripting a feature film, an original short horror comedy and is developing an original web series, all of which will begin production in 2011.  Mr. Vanderkolk is currently seeking representation.  If you are interested in working with Dean - please email him at nswriterdude@gmail.com

The Human Centipede [The First Sequence] - I'll Lead....you Follow

The Human Centipede [The First Sequence]

Reviewed by Rob Dimension

Oh boy...where do I start? I want this review to be exactly as if you and I were just talking about this...nothing to deep, nothing earth shattering...just simple fun with a movie that made Horror fans wait with batted breath for it's release. Hopefully this review is more entertaining than the second half of this film.

To me, the premise is very twisted and down right degrading. If you don't know what the Human Centipede is, let me try and explain. Imagine you, me and another chick (I will imagine that you are a girl, at least for my sanity) are on all fours..you know, hands and knees. Got it so far? Awesome. Next, imagine that your face was stuck to my "pipe hole" (my Heiney area...trying to keep it clean here) and then the other Girl had her mouth attached to your "tail pipe"...therefore, we are now connected, looking like a centipede. Sound lovely? I know...that's why all us crazy Horror fans wanted to see this....especially the first time the lead needs to "pinch a loaf".

The Movie - Honestly, this could have been a short film and I would have loved it. Cut the film when The Doctor, played by Dieter Laser, I will get to him in a minute, rejoices..."Yes, my Centipede...Walk..(kissing the mirror in tears). To me, that was the perfect ending and highly creepy. Let my mind wander about what happens next. I felt that once the Police showed up, the film lost massive steam. Instead of making it more dramatic or intense, it just dragged on. This film is all gimmick and not much story. It's a premise, a truly nasty, gross, highly entertaining premise, but still needed more. Once the Lead and Rear of the Centipede were left...umm...un-responsive, I felt tired.

(This is the obvious Jewelry choice to give to that Special Lady in your life)

The Special Effects and Gore - Surprisingly, for a film this intense and with a highly offensive subject matter, very little gore. Still some, but not as much as I would have expected. If it would have been a short film, the final scene with them connected would have been brilliant. I did see some neat effects but nothing that made me flip out. I'm a Gore-Hound but was left feeling a little like "meh..."

The Acting - I was a HUGE fan of the Doctor, Dieter Laser, in the first half of this feature. I felt that once he lingered on the screen, he just lost his control and it weakened his character. The Asian lead was ok, he really didn't do much, but what could he do? The girls were decent, I actually bought them as friends. I could believe in the way they cared for each other....if it would have been me, I would have bailed when I had the chance....but I'm a douche. In all, the Doctor is the shining star of this film...I especially enjoyed when he was giving his victims a lecture about his "proposed" centipede idea. They were all flippin' out, he still, without losing a beat, continued as if he was lecturing a class on Heart surgery. I also enjoyed his stalking and quiet method of acting.

Would I recommend it - Look, unless I truly hate a film, I rarely bash. I recommend that if you are curious, check it out. I highly recommend that you view this with a few people...the jokes and countless one liners I could think of would make this a MUST have party flick. The hype made this film have to climb uphill just too much. I will definitely check out Part 2 which is supposedly a part of a rumored Trilogy....I have a feeling this will gain some momentum and could even possibly garner an actual Theatrical release. One never knows....watch CLERKS 2, you will forever have the #1 rule in your head..."You never go ass to mouth!"

 

Inside (A L'interieur) - Movie Review - The French are maniacs :)

À l'intérieur aka Inside

Reviewed by :Michael K Snyder

The French do something special with horror filmmaking, something I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s the fact that they aren’t afraid of ratings, or maybe it’s just the way they intricately frame all of their shots. French filmmakers seem to treat each shot as a canvas, and all of them are trying to create their ultimate masterpieces. Much like Martyrs and Frontiere(s), Inside is an extremely strong horror film. 

The film’s simplicity is equivalent to the original Halloween while still maintaining a modern amount of violence to keep all the gore lovers satisfied. Along with the Carpenter-esque lighting and shots, the film’s editor, Baxter, is rising through the ranks as one of the top editors of today. This film, along with Piranha 3D and Haute Tension showcase Baxter’s ingenious editing skills. Of course, both the directors and Baxter are working with scenes composed by one of the genre’s greatest cinematographers of recent years, Laurent Bares. 

The plot behind Inside is a deeply disturbing, and intricately pieced together story about loss and revenge. Revenge seems to be a reoccurring theme in French cinema, and Inside is no different. The anger behind the revenge in this film is, however, very different from anything I’ve seen before. It deals with a fragile and innocent aspect of everyday life that will touch a nerve on almost every viewer; childbirth.

Once again, French cinema delivers a serious of extremely strong performances by an ambiguous cast. The lead females portray two opposite characters with similar goals. One, a depressed woman who wants nothing more than to give birth to her child and have a peaceful Christmas in a rage filled France. The other, a sadistic woman with horrifying plans to get herself a child no matter what she has to do. The outcome is a dirty, gory, bloody and dramatic mess that will leave all of its viewers cringing in their seats and loving every second of Inside’s cinematic genius. 

Inside is a film I will go back to again and again. Not only for its entertaining display of intense violence and rage but also for its well executed scenes and amazing cast and crew. It’s something I’d love to see more of here in the States.

Michael K. Snyder is a student filmmaker in Winter Park, Florida. When he's not in class he is working on screenplays, short films, working with Rob and the Late Night Crew and anything film related to keep him busy. He is always looking for work and is currently seeking an agent or any form of representation. If you are interested in working with Michael please email him at mksnyder1990@gmail.com

Motorhead? NOOOOOOO Machine Head! movie review

Motorhead? NOOOOOOO Machine Head!

Machine Head (2000)(released 2004)

Director: Leonard Murphy/ Michaal Patrick

Reviewed by : Pigamortis Wrex

Hello Piglets. This installment I bring to you a classic in the making. An ubridled tale of science vs. religion, man vs. the elements, a tale of a modern day Prometheus. Man's conquest to no longer be restrained by the chains of life and death set for us by a higher power... Ok, no i'm getting a lil crazy here. This is a movie about a nerd who with his PC and a 4 stroke engine, brings a fella back to life. Think Weird Science meets Reanimator meets Revenge of the Nerds, without all that pesky budget to get in the way. While this movie is far from stellar, it is a solid film that just suffers a bit from the lack of budget. Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying you can't have a great film with no budget. I'm just saying that in my opinion, this movie could have been SO much more. Maybe I expect too much? I'm hardly knocking it, it was an ambitious outting. They just didn't hit the mark.


Lets go over our ingredients list for this stew. One leading man, Max Kelp (Josh Walitt)is your stereotypical genius/nerd kid who everyone picks on and never gives any respect to. Stir in the jocks who constantly bully Max and throw in the overbearing, God-fearing, unsupportive father (who happens to run a funeral home... how convienient), sprinkle friends and family of the cast and crew in as extras, a $25,000 college scholarship, thats right the folks in this High School class would give Andrea Zuckerman a run for her money (kudos to those who get that reference) annnnd lets not forget the innocent, unknowing (and likely uninterested) love interest, mix vigorously and let simmer for 79 minutes and you have the makings of a movie called MACHINE HEAD.

This has all the earmarks of the classic Frankenstien tale. Fella invents a process to reanimate the dead. Reverse Impulse Bypass Manipulation in which he uses his a 4 stroke motor attached to the corpses head (Thus Machine Head) and uses his computer to pump digital signals to replace the lost synapse. Its really a very plausible premise. I s'pose as plausible as any reanimation story. Needless to say Max loses control of his creation and things go from bad to worse when Machine Head runs amock on the town. Like all creations gone wild stories, as the movie progresses we realize that Machine Head really isn't that much of a monster. 

Just misunderstood. Aren't all monsters??

Kudos to Rich Cowden for playing a believable and a rather likeable Machine Head. As always I won't give away any spoilers in this review, but the end has a twist worth of M. Night Shamalamawhatever. The gore was low in this movie, they could have really made a niche for itself if they let the blood flow a bit more. One thing this movie had goin for it was that it never took itself too seriously, which is one of the downfalls of most low budget movies these days. Its the use of the comedy that keeps this movie from being an utter failure.
So what i'm saying is if you get hold of this dvd, give it a watch. Its a fun movie, but just don't expect much.

Wrong House Contest - Win a Free DVD!!!

Win a copy of "The Wrong House" on DVD!

Plot Synopsis : An isolated house in the woods looks like an easy mark to a group of friends camping in the Maine wilderness. The thieves haul away several ounces of pot and hallucinogenic mushrooms in the heist. But when the homeowners track them down, the friends learn too late that there are some people you just shouldn't mess with... and that they picked The Wrong House.

Here is your chance to win a copy of The Wrong House, which is available on DVD Friday May 21st, nationwide. Don't miss this chance to see the movie that the guys from Late Night have been raving about for the last month! 

Rules - This is pretty easy, since it deals with nutty people, we assume EVERYONE has dealt with nutty/wacky neighbors - so send us an email with your story of the crazed neighbors or the worst situation you have had to deal with. Keep the names out, since we don't want your Kooky, next door, misfits at our door. Send your story to LateNightHorrorHotel@Hotmail.com - Rob and John will be reading them but we will pass the final few along to Shawn French and Sue Stevens (the really creepy killers in the film!!)

The Winner will receive - 1 Wrong House DVD and a Wrong House Post card!

Entries MUST be received by Friday, June 4th

Questions? Email us - but please make sure to visit : http://thewronghousemovie.com

 Official Trailer

Rob and John review The Wrong House