Naked Violence

I ragazzidel massacro (Fernando Di Leo - 1969)  

It’s Fernando-time again and as often before his openings are hard to watch. A female schoolteacher is raped and killed by drunken pupils. 

There is no Henry Silva coming around to get the bastards, unfortunately. This one is more in the vein of left wing 70thies drama.

Much of the film centers around Police Inspector named Liberti and his effort to make the kids come forward to testify. The kids are from troubled backgrounds, so the society is to blame. Liberti also reckons that there is a mastermind behind it all that has misled the young delinquents.

A talkative movie that does not have the power to convince.

Watched on a 16:9 enhanced DVD from Raro Video. One is given the choice between Italian (with English subtitles) or English audio.

Don't Go in the Woods

Don't Go inthe Woods (James Bryan - 1981)

By chance I came stumbled upon a list ranking the 20 worst slashers ever. I realized that I had many of them in my collection already, and made an effort to complete that list. Acquiring Don't Go in the Woods was a part of that effort.

The film features: Campers, woods, killings and a villain. So far so good, but what’s missing is a plot. There is no effort to build up any suspense or drama, things just happen. There are killings and there are made some effort to run away. That’s it. Oh, yea: The evildoer is a caveman! No explanation for that whatsoever.  

On the plus side we really get the feeling of being in a wood. In an proper film we would have a foreground and a background and the characters framed into a composition. Her we just dive into the vegetation and in the long run it provides a feeling of Jungian disorientation and unease.

Watched on the 25^th Anniversary Edition from Code Red. Sharp picture, but presented in Full Frame.

Osaka Elegy

Naniwa erejî (Kenji Mizoguchi - 1936)

This film from Kenji Mizoguchi, the director of Ugetsu monogatari (1953)is a part of the Criterion Collection’s box set entitled Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women.  Saw "Ugetsu…" way back in time on VHS and was left with a lasting impression. Osaka Elegy is indeed a very sad monogatari.

We follow young Ayako into prostitution to save his father and help to her brother, but ingratitude is once again the reward. In the end she’s cast out of the family nest and she’s all alone in the dark. Given the surprisingly “modern tone” and feministic approach one cannot but think that her newfound wisdom derived from her “glimpse behind the curtain” will make her stronger and able to choose her own path.

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors

Dr.Terror's House of Horrors (Freddie Francis - 1965)

It’s always good to see the boys in the band, Freddie Francis, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, come together in a Hammer or, as in this case, Amicus fare.  In addition we meet a young Donald Sutherland in an early role. 

Five strangers a train have their fortunes told by a mysterious Tarot reader and five separate stories unfold. Given a running time of approximately 93 minutes there isn’t much time allotted for each story, and the whole thing is a bit heavy handed. 

Nevertheless I was very amused by the experience. It was “form triumphing (well patina mostly) over content”. A British novelty plentiful with atmosphere and gothic mood. 

Watched on Anchor Bay UK’s DVD-release with a 16:9-enhanced aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1.

Scarecrow Gone Wild

ScarecrowGone Wild (Brian Katkin - 2004)

What to say? It’s the third and last movie in this box. Not to be judged as good by any standards, it still is a step up from its predecessor Scarecrow Slayer. There is a plot, acting and competent technical department that make this look like a movie. It comes close to be enjoyable late night entertainment. 

Watched on Echo Bridge Home Entertainment's Midnight Horror Collection: Scarecrow/Scarecrow Slayer/Scarecrow Gone Wild. 

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids (Paul Feig - 2011)

One of the reviewers on IMDB shares these sentiments with the world:

“Could have been a cute movie, but went over the top with foul, crude and offensive language. The humor is sophomoric and seems like a movie that was written by Beavis and Butthead.”

I agree in the description, but not in the verdict. It was refreshingly to see mature women in “Dumb & Dumber” (1994) ‘like situations. And it wasn’t all craziness as it presented a balanced menu of romance,drama and of course the allotted amount of subtle and less subtle humor.

Scarecrow & Scarecrow Slayer

Scarecrow (Emmanuel Itier - 2002)

Scarecrow Slayer (David Michael Latt - 2004)

Bought this box with containing a series of three Scarecrow movies. It was a disappointment to see that all of the entries were crammed into one disc. The quality was similar to a divx-file created back in the days when bandwidth still was an issue. 

The plot is all too familiar: The schools misfit is picked on and eventually killed. The he returns as a scarecrow to get his revenge. The scarecrow costume and mask looks really good. It’s a good chill reminiscent the uncanny Husk (2011), but a major disappointment lies ahead: Scarecrow starts wisecracking before the kills and spins around in the air and fights with fancy martial art moves. The horror goes down the toilet and we have a straw packed and evil version of Toxie.

Still the first film was to some extent enjoyable. Budget restrictions are very apparent, but there is some efficient storytelling going on.

The sequel is a couple of steps down. There has been done some effort to make a more complex plot, but somewhere in the process all the marbles have been spilled on the floor. It has become an incoherent mess, the actors are clueless and the whole thing is badly put together. It’s marred with incompetence and bad taste (the barracks with the “wannabe marines”, what was that?)

There is a third entry with the promising title Scarecrow Gone Wild (2004), but two of them in one sitting was enough for me. 

Watched on Echo Bridge Home Entertainment's Midnight Horror Collection: Scarecrow/Scarecrow Slayer/Scarecrow Gone Wild.

30 Rock – Season 6

30 Rock – Season 6 (2012)

Saw the first 3 episodes last night and it felt good to have Miss Lemon and Mr. Donaghy back. No new major characters, no replacements and no new settings. In other words - more of the same stuff. And that’s what I want.

What is there to be said about 30 Rock that hasn’t already been said? Nothing.  

Blood Cabin

Murder Loves Killers Too (Drew Barnhardt - 2009)

It starts of as a traditional slasher. Five teenage friends have rented a cabin for a weekend. Then things happen really fast. Four of them are killed off in the first 25 minutes, but the killer has to make a 30 minutes long effort to catch the last girl. Eventually she ends tied up in a bed, as the killer has a plan for her.

The most fascinating aspect of this film is that the killer looks and behaves just as a regular Joe. When he addresses his female captive it’s with a deadpan attitude and expressionless voice.  “You see, I have a sexual problem… Call me dad”. Before he can abuse his daughter by proxy she tries to escape. She gets knocked in the head and placed in the trunk of his car for later disposal. 

Then the film completely breaks off in another direction.  The killer goes home to his family – an unfaithful wife, a troubled teenager and two mortgages. There are a couple of scenes that dramatize his subdued personality and troubled personal life before the ending with a not too surprising twist. If there is a surprise element it’s the abrupt termination of the story, and the whole thing clocks in at 75 minutes.  

There is a ludicrous voice over narration at the start that putts me off, but when that’ forgotten this feature has much going for itself. Its shot on video (what isn’t these days) and looks like it, but the photography is nice. The soundtrack is all over the place. The fast pacing, efficient gore moments and thrilling “hide and seek”-segment live it up. One of the girls has a tattoo on her back that says “Enter here” and an arrow pointing downwards. That’s not very subtle, even by my standards.

The ending does not work for me. It’s a blatant break with Aristotle's demands for unity of place and action. It cuts of any emotional involvement from my side.

Watched on anamorphic DVD from Label: 4 Digital Media

Death Machines

Death Machines  (Paul Kyriazi – 1976)  

Pointless tour the force walkthrough of 70thies action clichés with martial art and a heavy handed touch of orientalism.

Did I say pointless, but I loved it! How does that ad up? It’s because this is the real McCoy – Real 70thies exploitation with lots of fighting, shooting, swordplay, bazookas, small airplanes going up in smoke, car crashes and a weird queen of Chinatown criminal mastermind (hilariously dubbed). More than a coherent narrative this a catalogue of scenes typical of its time and the film is an example of “text that refers to another text”. And it features old school “fighting sounds”, you know like “yreeee” and “arrrrr”. How charming isn’t that?

Viewed on Marketing Film release with 1:85:1 ratio and anamorphic widescreen. The picture is a bit soft losing some detail, but otherwise pleasant.

The Iron Rose

La rose de fer (Jean Rollin  - 1973)

A young couple walks through a large cemetery. I daylight they are virile and self-confident, but when darkness falls doubt and fear gets firm grip. The Garden of Eden is gone and Adam and Eve can’t get out soon enough.

Rollins personal touch, gothic imagery and favorite motifs are present, and here he really manages to balance the elements and create a well-structured and meaningful whole. I don’t want to over emphasize arguments of quality that are based on expectations to structure, form and meaning. Fulfilling existing norms is quality but not art. And Rollin knows it. Besides excellent craftsmanship this film has multiple layers and a complexity that withstand obvious attempts of interpretation. 

In my view this is one of the best films ever. 

Viewed on Redemption’s beautiful Blu-ray release. 

The Hills Run Red

The Hills Run Red (Dave Parker - 2009)

When I pick up a DVD solely based on the cover, the thrill is that I never know what I get. Is it an amateurish effort made in a weekend or is it a professional product? Both have their pros and cons. This time it was a more elaborate film featuring real actors and skilled cinematography.

Some students embark on a quest to trace a lost 80thies slasher. It’s a bumpy ride into the merciless woods and very bad things happen. The structure is a bit like Cannibal Holocaust and numerous others “making a movie about a movie”. The today overused ” talking to the camera” element is toned down and otherwise successfully integrated into the narrative.

It has its bizarre and gory moments and the villain is genuinely creepy. There is some nudity. The film has a primitive energy and fast pacing and there is no time to reflect on the implausible story.

Viewed on Warner Home Video release with 16 : 9 enhanced picture

Killer vs Killers

Killer contro killers (Fernando Di Leo - 1985)

After viewing the Fernando Di Leo's Crime Collection on Blu-ray (a highly recommended box set from Raro Video USA) I wanted to revisit more entries by the same director. I had previously seen Killer vs Killers on VHS, but remembered only fragments. 

Like many other of Di Leo’s films the opening is brutal and cynical, as he wants to establish the rules of the game as early as possible, even before the title sequence. The plot surrounds a great caper. The theft of an industrial formula is carried successfully through in the first half of the movie. The organization that commissioned the theft wants to get rid of all “loose ends” in second half of the movie. Unfortunately for them one of the “loose ends” is Henry Silva and he once again makes himself worthy of the merciless badass reputation. His numerous appearances in De Leo movies are among his best performances.

Viewed on a Raro Video release featuring a non anamorphic letterboxed image. It’s a two disc set with Il boss presented with a 16:9 enhanced image.

Mustang Sally's House of Horror

Mustang Sally (Iren Koster  - 2006)

Another entry from the bargain bin. I just had to give this one a chance. With a title like that and the one liner: “Hell hath no fury like a mad hooker” how could I give this one a miss?

It’s about some college guys visiting a whore house. Before they get the chance to do the dirty deed, they realize that they have been lured to the honey trap to pay for their fathers sins. The Rape & Revenge story is far-fetched, but in the end it actually adds up. He acting is perhaps not worthy of the academy award jury, but there is done a nice effort to give the many characters distinguishable personalities. The whole enterprise has energy and playfulness that makes this an amusing experience. 

Viewed on Boulevard Entertainments full screen release

The Slayer

The Slayer (J.S. Cardone – 1982) 

To my surprise this had the markings of quality movie. Considering the title and Vipco’s unsubtle promotion of this as a gore fest on VHS back in the day, id anticipated a more silly and grotesque exploitation flick. To couples are going to have a vacation in an isolated island. There is a slow build up establishing the tensions within this small group and fine atmospheric imagery depicting the island. It’s all done in a somber 70this kind of fashion, but unfortunately the acting is flat, the script in unimaginative and the ending disappointing.

The film was viewed on an abysmal full screen version released in the Beyond Terror-series from Cornerstone Media. 

The Girl in Room 2A

La casa della paura (William Rose - 1974)

As an avid consumer of giallo and Eurosleaze this purchase was mandatory, but I have to admit that the striking cover made med to prioritize this one. The initial sequence with a nude woman tortured and killed raised the expectations even more (I know but it’s just a movie), before it turns into a fairly well conceived Hitchcockian fare. 

I don’t provide any synopsis, they are available elsewhere and (I am a bit embarrassed to say this) I am not able to, anyway. The second part of the movie featuring a cult of masked killers didn’t engage me. Instead, as often is the case, I just sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere and aesthetics. The whole thing was reasonably well executed inn all departments.

A tip to the good people at Mondo Macabro: The use of stills on the back cover on every MM release gives the impression of being a full screen VHS-transfer. I’ve followed this label for many years and know what level of quality they stand for. Despite that my hart sinks when I pick up a release and see washed and grainy out imagery on the back.

Firecracker

Firecracker (Cirio H. Santiago - 1981)

Loved this one and the 3 disc box set it came with: Roger Corman's Cult Classic's Lethal Ladies Collection (Firecracker, TNT Jackson, Too Hot to Handle). With nice looking anamorphic transfers this is a must have. Enjoyed Too Hot to Handle as well, but decided to save TNT Jackson for a rainy day.

Take a look at the high energy trailer for Firecracker. Violence, nudity and a really cool soundtrack!

Head Cheerleader Dead Cheerleader

HeadCheerleader Dead Cheerleader (Video 2000 - Jeffrey Miller)

This Easter I got myself an iPad and due to bad weather I sat indoors much of the time. Inspired by a review of a blu ray release of Halloween I embarked on a shopping spree. I searched for titles containing Massacre, Cheerleader and Camp. I ordered the one with lowest price and cheesiest cover.

But why? I wanted to test out the hypothesis that this strain of films is so firmly based on conventions that it can’t go wrong. Like driving a train – the direction is given and the only question is whether you arrive sooner or later. A subsidiary notion was the anticipation the viewing would recall the positive emotions and found memories of watching Sleepaway Camp, Sorority House Massacre, Friday the 13^th and their sequels. 

And the conclusion? It worked for me. The narrative, acting and cinematography leaves something to be desired, but there is a charm to it all. No suspense, no thrills and no emotional involvement, but that can be nice too. I seem to be more and more drawn to cinematic experiences that are meditative or just provide the experience of being "somewhere". Art-house or lesser exploitation movies can give me that and Head Cheerleader Dead Cheerleader provided a slasher-flavored walk down the memory lane.

Red

Red (Robert Schwentke - 2010)

I watched Red yesterday evening. It was just the lighthearted pizza-film I’d thought it would be. Enjoyable, but they could have made an effort to stray away from the most obvious routine.  The “Weed-woman” is cute (if it’s a suitable thing to say about a MILF) and I always had a thing for Hellen Mirren. Particularly her embodiment as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the British crime series Prime Suspect was captivating.

Viewed on Blu-ray.

Shark in Venice

Shark in Venice (Danny Lerner - 2008)

C.G.I. sharks govern a Marco Polo related treasure hidden in the canals in Venice. It’s actually an underwater Indiana Jones-kind of story mixed with sharksploitation. It’s a tad more entertaining than the plodding 2-Headed Shark Attack (2012), but that is not the film that should set the standard anyway. 

Give me a sharkie flick with the intensity of Jaws and the charm of new Piranha movie and I’ll be happy.

Viewed on DVD / Warner Home Video / 16:9

X312 - Flight to Hell

X312 - Flug zur Hölle (Jesus Franco – 1971)

Jess Franco has made numerous of personal and eccentric movies. Sadly, this is not one of them. Here Jess simply is a hired hand directing a low-budget adventure movie. Straightforward storytelling is not Franco’s forte, and combined with a silly script the result is a slow paced and not very plausible fare. The Franco regulars Ewa Stroemberg and Howard Vernon make minor appearances. There is some nudity, exploitation elements and a quaint charm to it. 

The Image Entertainment release has a non-anamorphic image in a roughly 1:66.1 aspect ratio. The langue is German and the feature is provided with English subtitles.

Black Cobra

Cobra nero  (Stelvio Massi - 1987)

This is meant as blog accounting for features and television programmers that I have seen, but the initial entry is a feature that I tried to watch, but gave up. Sadly this Elstree Hill Entertainment copy of Black Cobra had an image and sound quality comparable to third generation VHS-copy. 

Stelvio Massi directed this Italian-made action film, a rip-off of George Cosmatos' Cobra with Fred Williamson in the Stallone role. I sat through an opening hostage scene which is very similar to the Cobra before I decided to give this one a miss and wait for a better version to emerge.