Blu-ray Review: COCAINE WEREWOLF (2024)

 

COCAINE WEREWOLF

Directed by:  Mark Polonia

Distributed by:  Cleopatra Entertainment / MVD

  If you don't know the name Mark Polonia, then you probably aren't a fan of campy B-movies.   His first directing credit is from 1985 and he shows 88 directing credits to date.  If my math is right, that is over 2 movies a year!  How is that even possible?   Well, take a look at any of his films and you will see how it is possible!   He makes super cheap B (or let's be honest, even C) films on a shoestring budget, and most films look like they could have been made in a matter of days, with minimal sets and very little production value.   Also, he obviously isn't wasting time interviewing and finding the best actors in the area!   Mr. Polonia has brought us such "classics" as SPLATTER FARM, PETER ROTTENTAIL, EMPIRE OF THE APES, SHARKENSTEIN, SHARK ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, SHARKULA, and my personal favorite title, NOAH'S SHARK!    This is just to name a few, check out his IMDb page to see the full list of these amazingly titled films!  

 Now don't get me wrong, it sounds like I might be bashing this man, but he is obviously one of the hardest working people in the horror industry and people must like his movies or he wouldn't keep making them.  While they are not Oscar worthy by any means,  some of them are very fun and entertaining, which is mostly what all of us ask of our horror films. 

  COCAINE WEREWOLF is no different, it was not a "good" movie by any sense of the word, but it kept me entertained and I had fun watching it.   Here is the basic plot synopsis from the MVD website:

In COCAINE WEREWOLF, cocaine, cash and a crew filming a low-budget horror movie in the eerie woods of northern Pennsylvania clash when an unexpected visit from a blood-thirsty werewolf literally enters the picture! A Gothic Industrial Rock soundtrack especially created for the film (courtesy of Cleopatra Records) perfectly sets the mood for one wild and crazy 'howling at the moon' bloody affair!

Cocaine, cash and a crew filming a low-budget horror movie in the eerie woods of northern Pennsylvania clash when an unexpected visit from a blood-thirsty werewolf literally enters the picture

  One thing I would highly suggest, is that you watch this with a group of friends that also like campy horror films.  I watched it by myself, but I feel this would have been a lot of fun watching with some buddies and making jokes along the way.    Having a few drinks of your choice would probably also help as well!  

  If you are looking for something that is actually scary, you'll definitely want to look somewhere else.  This movie does not take itself seriously at all, and there is actually quite a bit of a comedic element to it.  Most of the comedy is intentional for sure, but I'm sure some was not!  I loved the opening scene and appreciated getting to see the Werewolf within the first few minutes and already getting a great kill scene.   The Werewolf swipes at a guys head and of course, his head goes flying off his body.  Who knew it was so easy to loose one's head!  

  The Werewolf costume was pretty cheesy, and looked like something you'd buy at your nearest Spirit Halloween store, but it did it's job for this film.   My main complaint was the amount of CG blood and gore.  Practical effects are so much better, but I guess CG blood is cheaper and requires no mess and clean up.  

  So, COCAINE WEREWOLF wasn't the greatest Werewolf film ever made, but it was fun.  Would I watch it again?  Probably not, but I'm not mad I watched it!  Also, some people love these types of films, and Mr. Polonia has quite a fan following, so this will be right up their alley!  

 COCAINE WEREWOLF is available now on DVD and Blu-ray and contains the following special features:

*  Trailer

*  Slideshow

*  Director's Commentary

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-Ray Review: QUADRANT (2024)

 

QUADRANT

Directed by:  Charles Band

Distributed by:  Full Moon Features

 If you are like me, you grew up on Full Moon movies.  I grew up in the 80's and 90's which was the hayday for Full Moon.    I have a special place in my heart for films such as Puppet Master, Demonic Toys, Subspecies, Arcade, etc.  All those films had a feel good charm to them.   They were scary as a kid, but not too scary.  The effects were fun and the stories were interesting.   I have to admit, I have felt recently that Full Moon had lost that charm.  The movies coming out lately seemed rushed and cheap and there were too many Giantess movies and those awful Barbie & Kendra movies  (sorry Charles!).   For this reason, I wasn't expecting too much from QUADRANT, but man was I wrong!   In fact, when I first saw the cover, I assumed this was an older Full Moon film I had just never heard of somehow that was getting a Blu-ray upgrade.  Come to find out, this is a brand new Full Moon movie and I am happy to report that this has all the charm of those Full Moon films from the 80's and 90's!   

Here is the plot synopsis from the Full Moon Features website:

Developed by scientists Harry and Meg, the "Quadrant" helmet allows your mind to transport you into a world where all your phobias and nightmares are real, while also granting you the strength to defeat them, liberating you from their control forever.

But the Quadrant experiment is about to go horribly wrong. When Erin, a young girl who’s obsessed with Jack the Ripper uses the device to actually BECOME the Ripper, she unleashes a reign of terror, first in her mind in an AI version of old London created by the Quadrant, and then in reality, where she now stalks the contemporary city streets, seeking out victims for her blade.

The only way to stop this savage new Ripper is for an even more vicious killer to enter the artificial Quadrant-verse and bring her down. What ensues is a brutal, bloody battle, murderer against murderer, both in this world and the surreal, dangerous, synthetic world of Quadrant!

  This is the most I have enjoyed a Full Moon film in a long time to be honest.   As I mentioned before, I love the old stuff Full Moon put out, but I haven't been the biggest fan of the newer stuff.  Well, I am happy to say that Full Moon is back to it's original glory!   

  QUADRANT was so enjoyable! It truly felt like one of Full Moon's films from the 80's or 90's, although with much better effects than those films had, of course!   This film was shot in a really cool way, with the scenes that you see while the characters are wearing the AI headset being very dreamlike, and sometimes nightmarish.  Erin's view inside the helmet is in Black & White, except for the blood which is a popping crimson read in contrast to the B&W.   My first thought was that it was like seeing a live action graphic novel.   It reminded me of Sin City in the basic look of it. 

  

  It was interesting to see Erin's progression as she uses the AI helmet to get into the mind of Jack the Ripper, eventually transforming herself into the 19th century killer.  

  This film has everything you've come to expect from a Full Moon film.  I honestly can't recommend this one enough!  

  QUADRANT is the first entry into Full Moon's new sub-label, PULP NOIR.   These films are to be a bit edgier, darker, and scarier than the rest of the Full Moon library.   I, for one, am very excited about this!   The Pulp Noir collection will consists of 10 new films and there is a Patreon you can subscribe to in order to help support and fund these films.  There are some awesome perks like signed copies of each shooting script, exclusive videos from the set, and even a chance to come hang out on set!  Click the link below to check out the Full Moon/Pulp Noir Patreon. 

QUADRANT is available now on VHS, DVD and BD and contains the following special features:

* Videozone:  Behind the Scenes of Quadrant

* Quadrant Table Read with Actors

* Pulp Noir Announcement Video

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the VHS, DVD, or BD

CLICK HERE to view the Patreon

CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 2 Indigogo campaign is LIVE!!!

 

 The long anticipated CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 2 Indigogo campaign is LIVE!!   In fact, it just went live today at 08:00 CST, and it reached it's $10K goal in a matter of hours!!  The campaign was updated with a new stretch goal of $30K, and as of this post, it is already over $28K!   Obviously there is a LOT of excitement for this new chapter of Papa Corn and his circus freaks!   Here is a message from Writer/Director Billy "Bloody Bill"Pon about the film. 

 

 CLICK HERE to back this project!!!

CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 2 Indigogo campaign launching tomorrow, Friday the 13th!!

 If you are a fan of  CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, then you are in for a treat!  The circus is back in town!!

 Director Billy "Bloody Bill" Pon brought us one of the best independent horror features  I have ever seen back in 2014 with the original CIRCUS OF THE DEAD.   10 years later, he is back to bring you part 2, but he needs your help!!  

  The CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 2 crowdfunding campaign on Indigogo will go live tomorrow, Friday the 13th! Billy needs as many people as possible to donate on that first day to help trigger the algorithm to make it a trending campaign, and get more eyes on it.   Please help Billy out, and help all us horror movie lovers out, by donating on 9/13!    I don't know what the perks will be, but knowing Billy, I'm sure there will be some interesting ones in addition to the normal DVDs, Blu-Rays, etc. 

  If you have never seen CIRCUS OF THE DEAD, do yourself a favor and watch it asap!   It is disturbing, gory, demented, and just plain fun!   It's available to stream on multiple platforms including Tubi, Prime, Pluto, Freevee, Vudu, and more.   Once you see this film, you'll realize why I am so excited that part 2 is in the works!

CLICK HERE to go to Indigogo.com and search for the CIRCUS OF THE DEAD 2 campaign

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for the original CIRCUS OF THE DEAD so you can get a taste of what you will be in for with this new film

4K UHD Review: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW DOUBLE FEATURE

 

DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW 

Directed by:  Frank De Felitta

DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW 2

Directed by:  J.D. Feigelson

Distributed by:    VCI Entertainment / MVD

  I have always considered the original DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW one of the best made for TV horror moves ever made.   I still stand by that today.  I have seen it multiple times and it never gets old to me.  It is a true classic.   Somehow, I completely missed that a part 2 was ever made!   I was so glad to find this awesome double feature that contains both the original and part 2!  

 

  A review of the original DNOTS was actually published on my blog years ago by contributing writer, Scott Baker  (see that review HERE).   So for the purpose of this review, I will mainly be focusing on part 2.   If you are not familiar with these films, here is the plot synopsis for each one courtesy of the VCI Entertainment website:

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (Orig): When young Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe) is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. Officious postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) leads a gang of bigots in pursuit of the suspect: her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake). Finding him hiding inside a scarecrow, they exact brutal mob ‘justice’…only to discover a tragic mistake! Now a strange apparition stalks the land seeking each of them out, as the legend of the Scarecrow begins.

Dark Night of the Scarecrow #2: A dark terror lies just below the surface of the small-town Chris Rhymer (Amber Wedding) and her young son Jeremy (Aiden Shurr) have settled in. One day while looking for Jeremy, she comes upon a weathered old scarecrow, and realizing that is only an inert effigy, she tells it her secret for being there. Now, suddenly after forty years, a dark terror stalks the cornfields. Is it on a mission of revenge or is it protecting Chris from outside threats? The legend of the Scarecrow continues. 

  Again, I never knew a sequel to DNOTS existed, so this was quite a treat for me to be discovering this film for this first time!    While I admit it started off a bit slow, it definitely got better as the movie went on.   The film looks kind of cheaply made, and I assume it was, but it actually worked well for this film because it truly felt like a made for TV movie like the original.   I remember thinking as I watched the sequel that whoever made this film must have been a huge fan of the original.   They really got the look of the scarecrow to match the original, and there were many throwbacks to the first film that were a lot of fun.   Well, come to find out the director of part 2 was actually the writer on the original film!  

  Unlike the original film, we actually see some of the kills in this film.   The original's kills were all offscreen, which is not surprising since it was made for TV.   I was glad to see a little more gore in part 2, although it was still light on gore compared to other films this days.  I really liked the look of the scarecrow in part 2.  It as very similar to the look of the original, except this time it had glowing eyes in some scenes which made it extra creepy.  I also really liked the way the scarecrow moved...it was almost in a jerky manor, not fluid at all.  It almost remined me of stop motion in the way the scarecrow's head moved. 

  While part 2 isn't nearly as enjoyable as the original, it was highly entertaining and a very nice homage to the first film.   If you already own DNOTS on DVD or BD, you'll want to get this new edition not only for part 2, but the 4K release is an amazing upgrade from the previous releases.   The picture is crystal clear, which I expected for the sequel, but even the original film is so clean and like I have never seen before.  After seeing how good part 2 looked, I had to check out the original on 4K as well and I was in awe of how good it looked for a film that is over 40 years old.   

The DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROWS DOUBLE FEATURE is available now from VCI Entertainment and contains the following Special Features:

*New 2023 DNOTS Triple Fan Commentary Track Hosted by Heath Holland (Cereal Midnight Podcaster) and featuring Robert Kelly noted film historian and artist, and super-fan Amanda Reyes, expert extraordinaire on TV movies, author, podcaster! 
*Original DNOTS Commentary Track with Writer J.D. Feigelson and Director Frank DeFelitta *New 2023 DNOTS2 Commentary by J.D. Feigelson 
*Video Feature - “Bubba Didn’t Do It: 30 Years of the Scarecrow” by Daniel Griffith 
*Video Feature – DNOTS Cast Reunion Q&A Recorded at the 2011 Frightfest Film Festival *1981 CBS World Premiere Broadcast Promo 
*1985 CBS Network Re-Broadcast Promo 
*Photo Gallery – Behind the Scenes

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray
CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K Ultra HD