Blu-ray Review: TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD (2022)

TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD 

Directed by:  Michael E. Satrazemis, Haifaa Al-Mansour, Deborah Kampmeier, & Ron Underwood

Distributed by:  Acorn Media International /AMC

  If you are a fan of AMC's THE WALKING DEAD, this is a new series you will definitely want to check out.   The new series is unlike any of the other WALKING DEAD spin-off series that you have seen so far.   While all the other spin-offs center on characters from the original show, or new characters that span the entire series, TALES FROM THE WALKING DEAD is comprised of 6 episodes, all dealing with new characters.  Each episode is a stand alone short film in the universe of THE WALKING DEAD. 

Here is some info about this new series from the official Aim Publicity Press Release:

This riveting collection of stories features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Expendables), Olivia Munn (The Newsroom, X-Men: Apocalypse), Parker Posey (The White Lotus, Dazed and Confused), Anthony Edwards (ER, Top Gun), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys, Smile), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick, Captain America: Brave New World), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Dominion), Jillian Bell (Workaholics, 22 Jump Street), Poppy Liu (Hacks) and Samantha Morton (The Serpent Queen, The Walking Dead), who each offer a different perspective into the apocalypse, capturing not just the monsters that roam the earth, but the ones that live within us. 

 

Set in the months and years following the outbreak, the series follows the unique lives of new and familiar survivors, each facing the undead world in their own way. We follow doomsday prepper Joe (Crews) as he leaves his bunker on a quest to find his online friend and meets an unlikely ally in Evie (Munn) as they embark on a roadtrip that helps them find what they’re really looking for. There’s a tale of two hostile co-workers (Posey and Bell) who try to escape Atlanta – and each other – but find themselves in a time loop, reliving the hours before their deaths over and over again. And the origin story of The Walking Dead character Alpha (Morton) is revealed when we meet her as a mother trying to protect her child Lydia in a refuge. 

 

Other stories involve a settler (Liu), who seeks to convince a scientist (Edwards), that humanity must reclaim the land from the dead; a man (Usher) who wakes with no memory and is accused of murder and a traumatised couple (Pineda and Ramirez) who take refuge in a secluded house where terror may already lurk inside.  

 

The highly anticipated Tales of the Walking Dead is jam packed with gripping performances, cinematic storytelling and the much loved franchises’ trademark blend of adventure, survival, gore and heart. With a mix of dread, suspense and unexpected wit, each self-contained saga dives deep into the psyche of its characters – this is a must-have for fans and newcomers alike.  

Here is the title and plot synopsis of each episode, courtesy of IMDb.com:

Episode 1:  Evie/Joe

In a road-trip story, a reclusive prepper abandons his bunker in search of a female prepper from his past; along the way, he meets an unlikely ally who is his polar opposite; they team up in an effort to find their lost loved ones.

Episode 2:  Blair/Gina

A fast-paced, reality-twisting buddy-action heist, where a disgruntled receptionist and her overbearing boss are trapped together as Atlanta collapses under the Walker Apocalypse, forcing them to work together to escape the city.

Episode 3:  Dee

A mother evolves after she and her daughter escape violence and take refuge on a vintage steamboat; the peaceful ambience deteriorates when a coup attempt forces the mother to revisit her violent past in order to protect her child.

Episode 4:  Amy/Dr.  Everett

A naturalist who studies walkers encounters a spirited settler; an unlikely respect is forged between the two as the settler tries to argue in favour of people taking back the land from the dead.

Episode 5:  Davon

A young stranger suddenly wakes up in a dangerous, foreign town with no memory of how he got there. He must piece together fragments of his broken mind to uncover why the townspeople accuse him of murder.

Episode 6:  La Dona

A haunting tale of an apocalypse-traumatised couple who may or may not be tormented by a haunted house; frightening memories coupled with inexplicable phenomena in the house take a toll on the couple's psyche and their relationship.

  Like I mentioned before, each episode is a stand alone story.   While I was initially thinking this was just going to be a rehash of THE WALKING DEAD we have already seen, just done with different characters, I am happy to report that this is an entirely new concept for THE WALKING DEAD.   Each episode is drastically different from each other and are much more than just a show about zombies.    Each episode is very unique and actually tells a story in styles of different horror genres.   For instance, Episode 2 is almost like a dark horror comedy, with a FINAL DESTINATION feel to it.   This episode also stars one of the most underrated actresses in history in my opinion, the amazing Parker Posey, and one of my favorite comedic actresses, Jillian Bell.  This episode was quite the contrast from the normal gloom and seriousness of the original series.  

 In addition to Episode 2, my other favorites episodes were Episode 1 and 6.  Episode 1 was as close to the original series as any of them I think, although has a different twist and feel towards the end of the episode.   Episode 6 was unlike anything you have seen in the WALKING DEAD universe, as this was more of a supernatural story about a couple that take refuge in a house during the zombie apocalypse that turns out to be full of secrets and really messes with the couple's emotions and makes them question what is real and what is a figment of their imagination.  

 Overall, this was a very enjoyable series, one that I sat and binged all in one afternoon.  The different feel of each episode helped it to stay fresh and interesting.   If you are a fan of THE WALKING DEAD series, this is a must see.  The great thing about TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD though, is that even if you have never seen a single episode of THE WALKING DEAD, it doesn't matter.  These are stand alone episodes with all new characters and situations, so everyone can enjoy this series for what it is.

  TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray from Acorn Media International / AMC. 

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

4K Ultra HD Review: SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP (1976)

 

SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP

Directed by:  Sergio Garrone

Distributed by:  88 Films / MVD Entertainment

 I am sure all my readers are aware of exploitation films, and even sexsploitation films, but not all of you might be aware of the exploitation sub-genre called Nazisploitation.  Nazisploitation films contain all the ploitations.....exploitation, sexsploitation, and of course...Nazis!  

 Nazisploitation started back in 1964 with the release of a film called LOVE CAMP 7, but is was 1974's ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS that really gained popularity and started the Nazisploitation rage of the late 70's.   Nazisploitation films were all the rage, with such titles as SALON KITTY (1976), THE GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY (1977),  SS HELL CAMP  (1977), and SS GIRLS (1977) just to name a few.   All these films follow the basic same premise/plot....women are experimented on in many different ways, all to the enjoyment of the SS officers and guards.  They all end (usually) with the women taking over and getting revenge on the SS officers in some brutal way.    

 SS EXPERIMENT LOVE camp is not the best film of the bunch, but it's entertaining enough to justify adding to your Nazisploitation collection  (I assume we all have one of those, right?).   Here is the basic plot from the MVD website:

Possibly the most infamous entry into the Nazisploitation genre, Sergio Garrone's SS Experiment Camp is a harrowing and deliberately triggering experience which, even by today's standards is as powerful as it was when originally released in 1976. From its provocative, tabloid baiting original poster of a naked woman dangling crucified and naked, the movie pushed the boundaries as far as it could. Set during the tail-end of World War II we follow the deranged experiments performed on innocent prisoners of war by the utterly sadistic and evil Colonel von Kleiben in his attempt to create the perfect Aryan race. Shocking, notorious and endlessly exploitative, the movie continues to disgust audiences all over the globe nearly 50 years after its initial release.

 The film is pretty tame by today's standards to be honest.  They are lots of surgeries and mutilations, but most are pretty fake looking.   Most of the torture scenes are not too extreme.  One "torture" was placing a woman in a tub of water and then slowly decreasing the temperature until she is frozen alive.   This effect was actually pretty good, especially for the time. There is of course the lesbian lovemaking scenes that any "Women in Prison" or Nazisploitation film can't go without.   Also, this might be the only film in existence that shows a testicle transplant.  No need to go into details on that, I'll let you get the film and check that out for yourself! 

 I remember watching this film many years ago on DVD, and I remember how dark and grainy the film was.  I'm sure it was a cheap release and it looked like it.    The new release from 88 Films is presented in a brand new 4K remaster, and it looks amazing.   I love seeing older films like this being remastered and cleaned up, to the point where they don't look as old as they did on VHS or DVD. 

 SS EXPERIMENT LOVE CAMP is available now, and includes the following Special Features/Bonus Material:

• *  INCLUDES SLIPCASE WITH ART BY JOEL ROBINSON
• *  BOOKLET WITH NOTES FROM TIM MURRAY AND RACHAEL NISBET
• *  Brand New 4K remaster from the Original Negatives presented in Ultra High Definition (2160p) in 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
• *  Presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)
• *  High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray in 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio also included
• *  English 2.0 LPCM Stereo with Optional SDH Subtitles
• *  Italian 2.0 LPCM Mono with newly translated English subtitles
• *  Audio Commentary by Italian Cinema Experts Eugenio Ercolani and Nanni Cobretti
• *  Sadistically Yours, Sergio G. - An Interview with Director Sergio Garrone
• *  SSadist Sound - An Interview with Music Historian Pierpaolo De Sanctis
• *  The Alibiso Dynasty - An Interview with Editor Eugenio Alabiso
• *  Framing Exploitation - An Interview with Cinematographer Maurizio Centini
• *  Italian Opening and Closing titles
• *  Original Trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD 

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Check out the new Officially Licensed THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD merch over at BackRabbitco.com!

 

 

  One of my all time favorite horror films is the 1985 Dan O'Bannon zombie classic, THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD.   While searching around for some ROTLD shirts, I came across this website that has some amazing new ROTLD items!  The website is www.blackrabbitco.com and it has some of the coolest new items that any fan of this film will want to get their hands on!  BlackRabbit was nice enough to supply me wth a few items to check out and review, and I am happy to say that these are top notch, high quality, items. 

 Here are my thoughts on just a few of their amazing items!

 The first thing that caught my eye, that I just knew I had to have, was this amazing Tarman "More Brains" Trucker Style hat.  This is one of the coolest hats I have seen, with Tarman's face and his signature "More Brains!" comment popping off the black hat with it's crisp and bright Orange and Green colors.   Tarman is one of my favorite characters from any horror film, so I will be wearing this hat proudly!

  Next, I got two of the super cool insulated can coozies!  I got the Tarman "More Brains" one and the awesome Trioxin Barrel one.   These are so much fun and look awesome around your favorite beverage!   I especially think the Trioxin Barrell one is super cool, as it actually looks like the barrel from the movie when you insert a can in it!

  I was also lucky enough to get one of their awesome new ROTLD t-shirts!  I got the Tarman More Brains themed shirt and I can honestly say it is one of the nicest t-shirts I have ever owned.   Apparently you can get the shirts in two styles, the "Soft Premium" or the "Luxury Heavy".   I got the Luxury Heavy style and it is truly awesome.  I am not a fan of the real thin t-shirt, although I know some people love them.  I like the thicker shirts and this one is definitely a thicker, premium quality shirt.   

 If for some reason you are not a fan of THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, don't worry!  BlackRabbit has tons of shirts and other items from many other amazing films such as ALIEN, BLACK CHRISTMAS, FRIDAY THE 13th, HALLOWEEN, HELLRAISER, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, THE EXORCIST, and SUSPIRIA, just to name a few!   There are also some non-horror and pop culture shirts as well!   Check out this awesome website and grab some great shirts or other items for you or for your horror loving friends or family today!!    Christmas is coming up, and these awesome items would make some excellent Christmas gifts!  Check them out now!

CLICK HERE to shop THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD collection

CLICK HERE to shop all items