DVD Review: RIDDLE ROOM (2016)

RIDDLE ROOM
Written & Directed by  Bryan Binder
Distributed by  Breaking Glass Pictures / Vicious Circle Films

 I always enjoy when I come across a film I have never heard of that I end up really enjoying.  RIDDLE ROOM is one I knew nothing about, but thoroughly enjoyed.   Here is the basic plot
from the film's imdb website:

  Emily Burns is being held captive in a room with no idea as to why or how she got there. Determined to escape and return to her daughter and husband, Emily discovers clues within the room that help explain what she's doing there. They even provide clues about who she is...but will they help her escape?

 One thing I really liked about this film is it starts out immediately in the middle of the action.   The woman is already kidnapped and locked in the room.  We don't have any slow parts leading up to this, we just jump in to the immediate action.  

  The film also pretty much takes place entirely in this room.   While having one set might have been for budgetary reasons, it also makes for a very creepy vibe as you almost feel claustrophobic and locked in this room with our main character.   Speaking of our main character, actress Marisa Stober did a wonderful job in this film as Emily, portraying a very believable performance. 

  This film does not have much blood or gore at all, instead it relies on the eerie vibe and creepy characters we see.   In fact, the main kidnapper is one of the creepiest characters I have seen in a while, with his burlap sac mask and creepy electronic disguised voice.

  This is one I would definitely recommend.   RIDDLE ROOM is out now on DVD and contains the following special features:

*  Cast/Crew Interviews
*  Behind the Scenes Feature
*  Cast Auditions
*  Investor Scene
*  Bonus Trailer
*  The Making of "Experiment"


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

DVD Review: ANTISOCIAL

ANTISOCIAL
Directed by  Cody Calahan
Distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures

  I always knew social media could rot our brains, but this is ridiculous!  ANTISOCIAL is a great virus film with a cool twist. The infected ones are reminiscent of the fast zombies from films like 28 DAYS LATER and such   They are not really zombies, as they were not dead first, but just highly infected people.  Here is the official plot from Breaking Glass Pictures:

  Five university friends gather at a house party to ring in the New Year. Unbeknownst to them, an epidemic has erupted outside, causing outbreaks around the world. With nowhere else to turn, they barricade themselves indoors with only their phones, laptops, and other tech devices. They use their devices to research the possible cause of this outbreak. Information and video footage over flow their computers as they descend further into the cause and the ensuing chaos. As the virus spreads, the mood in the house changes from fear to paranoia. Who is safe? Who can they trust? Reality becomes blurred as they slowly discover the source of the virus causing the sickness...and there is no going back.

  I love movies like this where people are trapped in a building and something crazy like this is going on outside around them.  Before laptops and cell phones, no one would have known what was going on outside.   This movie shows us know that with all the electronic gadgets we have nowadays, we are never truly alone and we can see and hear everything that is happening outside, whether we want to or not.

  This was a very enjoyable film for many reasons.  The acting was so-so, nothing amazing here, but the way the film was made was worth the watch.  The film had some great visuals, especially when the infected start to hallucinate.  The film also had a good amount of gore.   The writing was good with some very intense scenes, especially one in which a friend of the people barricaded inside the house comes to the door begging to be let in.  The scene inside is just what I would imagine would really happen, with some of the people saying to let him in and others saying to keep him out.  The struggle inside between the friends concerning a friend outside in need of help was very effective.

I recommend ANTISOCIAL for sure.  It is out now on DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures. Special Features include

*  Behind the Scenes Featurette
*  Director's Commentary



CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

DVD Review: THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE (2011)

  
THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE
Directed by:  Joe Castro
Distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures

I know most of you have seen tons of slasher films, but can you say you have seen the movie that holds the Guinness Book Of World Records for the highest body count in a single film?   That record is 155 kills ant the movie is called THE SUMMMER OF MASSACRE.   I am proud to say that I have now seen this record holding film.  Here is the basic plot of the film from the breaking glass pictures website:

 Director-Writer, Joe Castro (Terror Toons 1&2, The Jackhammer Massacre) introduces another original tale -- the first anthology slasher film which presents eight killers in 5 gorefest tales. Featuring Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre), Nick Principe (Laid to Rest), and Cleve Hall (Nightmare), plus a never before recorded gore epic body count with more than 150 onscreen deaths.

 Ungodly brutal beatings turns Chris, a young man, into a fiend that sets off a bloody, like never before seen, rampage. Beauty is truly only skin deep - Watch a young paraplegic, whose body is also wrecked with spinal bifida, fight for her life as her older, beautiful sister tries to murder her.

 It’s been 36 years since Jesse’s loving mother was raped by his biological father. Now, after hiding and running their entire lives in fear of this murderous rapist --- He has found them!A group of Christian teenagers are stalked, mamed and burned by a local legend in a haunted forest.

 Three legendary serial killers terrorize downtown Los Angeles by murdering countless innocent souls and the killer plan is to go out with a real bang.

 There’s nothing like the sweltering heat of summer to set off a massacre. The Summer of Massacre is a 100 mph slasher ride that never slows down. Packed with enough gore and insanity to send you looking for your barf bag.

 Well, they are right about the gore. It is non stop  Never does the film go for over a minute before you see the splattering of the red stuff.   The film is set up as an anthology which I always enjoy.  Most all the films are nothing but killing, except for the segment titled 'Lump' which actually does have a good plot and a clever twist at the end.   'Lump' is about a mentally challenged girl (with a lump on her face) who here beautiful sister can't stand.  The sister takes "lump" hiking with her and her friends and basically shoves her wheelchair over a cliff.  The girl survives the fall and then seeks revenge on her sister and her sisters friends. 

 With a 155 kills in this film, you think this would be the greatest slasher film of all time.  Unfortunately, there is one big problem.  All of the kills are done with CG.  ALL OF THEM.  And it is not good CG either.  In fact, it's not even bad CG.  It is horrible CG.   While some of the kills are cool and look good, the majority of them look so fact they are almost funny.   Take for instance a man killed by having a TV remote shoved in his mouth which somehow warrants the CG blood to fly!  And dont' get me started on the guy killed by having a bag of ice held over his face for about 5 seconds which causes his head to turn gray as if he were frozen to death.  Really?

 Ok, sorry, you know I hate CG effects in horror films.   But even some CG effects are necessary and are ok, but there is no excuse for the horrible CG effects found here.    Despite the GG, I still enjoyed this film, but I can't think about how good this film could have been if they would have cut the kills in half and spent more time and/or money on practical effects, or even some better CG effects.   This is definitely a case of the film maker's choosing quantity over quality. 

 THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Breaking Glass Pictures.

Special Features include:

* Director's Commentary
* Director's Diary  (Behind the Scenes)
* Interview with Bring Stevens
* Cast Auditions
* Joe Castro's "Childhood Massacre" short film


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

A Belated Christmas Gift from Breaking Glass Pictures!!

Hey guys and gals!  I am a sucker for a sale or a good deal, so I was super excited to check my email and see this great offer from the fine folks over at Breaking Glass Pictures!   They are giving you a chance to snag some DVD's and Blu-rays for $6 off the already low prices they have over at their shop!  Here is the official press announcement that was sent to me:

Bring in the New Year with Breaking Glass Pictures and Vicious Circle Films! We wanted to thank all of our horror press outlets for an excellent 2011. So in the spirit of the holiday BGP is offering horror fans a $6 discount off the already reduced price of each horror title in the catalog of films. This discount will bring consumers DVDs and Blu Rays for close to the wholesale price!  It’s as easy as going to the Breaking Glass store www.shop.breakingglasspictures.com choosing as many horror titles as your heart desires and then using the code horrorholiday readers will receive $6 off of each already discounted title.  This opportunity will not last forever so be sure to take advantage of it while you can.  And be sure to have a horrifying holiday!!

What an awesome deal!  Be sure to check out the Breaking Glass Pictures shop and also follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

www.Breakingglasspictures.com

www.facebook.com/BreakingGlassPictures

www.twitter.com/BreakingGlassPX

DVD Review: BRAIN DEAD (2007)

 
  
-------------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------------------
  
BRAIN DEAD
Directed by:  Kevin Tenney
Distributed by:  Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films

  

Zombies of any kind are almost always fun...especially those that don’t take themselves too seriously. (Which sorta begs the question of whether or not zombies have a sense of humor...?) BRAIN DEAD is one of those unique comedy-horror hybrids that can actually frighten you during one scene and then have you chuckling in the next.

 

If you are not familiar with BRAIN DEAD, here is the plot courtesy of the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

 

After an extraterrestrial parasite crash-lands in a backwoods American town – landing squarely on the head of a local fisherman – it sparks a fast spreading zombie infestation. As the brain hungry monsters multiply, three pairs of unlucky misfits convene on a fishing lodge for shelter. With zombies pounding at the door, the stranded, mismatched travelers must band together to stop the invasion – or serve themselves up as a main course. The problem is, they may lose their minds to each other before losing their brains to the zombies.

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this film; the screener disc came with no cover art, nor was there anything on the disc itself except for the name. But regardless, the plot synopsis said it was about zombies, so I was hooked.

And wow, am I glad I got to watch this one! BRAIN DEAD is a wild romp into horror that will entertain you on many levels.

 

A zombie film must (in my opinion) devote a good deal of effort into the make-up effects. And, from the look of them, the production team did just that for this film. The zombies in BRAIN DEAD are not groundbreaking in appearance, but they sure look good. And the gore is excellent as well. There’s plenty of the red stuff splattering, and a few scenes will even make you cringe!

 

Of particular note is a scene involving a young woman’s nether-regions (you will definitely know what I’m talking about when you see this one). I am not sure how they special effects team pulled this shot off, but wow...it definitely leaves an impression...and makes you squirm at the same time! I had to pause the movie for a moment and walk away. It’s that crazy!

 

The acting is pretty good, although I think a couple of the characterizations were a bit over the top. The writing and storyline are well done, too. I was a bit surprised, though, to see director Kevin Tenney turned to do a kid’s movie after this one (BIGFOOT)...especially after he had already amassed several other thrillers and horror movies under his belt prior. I guess that goes to show his diversity.

 

Still, though, BRAIN DEAD is a must see for those fans that enjoy a good dose of humor mixed in with their horror. Gore-hounds will be happy as well. I enjoyed it immensely and am looking forward to watching it again.

 

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD



CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films

DVD Review: BLOODLUST ZOMBIES (2011)

 

BLOODLUST ZOMBIES
Written and Directed by:  Dan Lantz
Distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films

Wow!  Have you ever written a film off just from the DVD cover only to be blown away by the film once you actually get to see it?  That is exactly what happened with me when I watched BLOODLUST ZOMBIES.  Here is the basic plot from the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

Like typical 9-to-5 cubicle dwellers, the workers at Zlantoff Industries are just counting down the minutes and seconds by the end of the day. And just like any office, mishaps are bound to happen: split coffee, jammed fax machines..mutant viral outbreaks. When a chemical spill in the lab on an otherwise uneventful weekday puts the entire office on emergency lock down, the entire staff unwittingly becomes the first test subjects for an experimental mutant virus. Now, if the biological weapon doesn't spur cannibalistic murder, the passive aggressive office banter surely will.  Featuring adult film superstar Alexis
Texas in a breakout role, Bloodlust Zombies is a a roller coaster ride of sex, gore and action. Part office satire, part apocalyptic catastrophe, director Dan Lantz's debut feature keeps the laughs - and heads - rolling.

Wait a minute...did I read that right?  This is a Dan Lantz's debut feature?  Wow, way to hit a home run your first time up to bat there Dan!!  If this is his debut feature, I expect great things of of Mr. Lantz if he continues in the horror genre.

Let me start by saying this is not your typical zombie film....the "monsters" in this movie aren't really zombies at all...they are just people infected by some kind of experimental virus being concocted in the lab at the office building.  Once infected, they do take on zombie like qualities, though, sorta like the "zombies" in the film 28 DAYS LATER.   The virus in question was being created to infect our enemies whom we are at war with.  The virus causes people to become highly aggressive and attack each other with cannibalistic tendencies, so they are similar to zombies in that regard.

The acting in this film is actually very good.  I'm always very concerned when an "adult superstar" makes their debut in a mainstream  (i.e. non porn) film.   I mean, lets be frank, I wouldn't think adult films would take much acting skills to be in.  Your acting skills don't have to be huge as long as other parts of you are!  BUT...saying this, adult superstar Alexis Texas did a great job.  She is actually a very good actress and  since I have never seen any of her films, if they wouldn't have mentioned anything about her being an adult superstar, I would have just thought that she was a regular up and coming actress making her start in a cheesy horror flick!  Well done Alexis!!
My only issue I had with an actor was with the character of Darren, played by Adam Danoff.  At first his lines didn't seem to flow too well, but towards the end he really grew on me and he actually had some of the funniest lines in the film.  He actually seemed to get better as the film went on.

Speaking of funny lines, did I mention this film is almost as much a comedy as it is a horror?  Well, maybe not as much, but it was a very funny film for a horror flick.  This was not your typical funny when it comes to horror/comedies...that is usually pretty juvenile and is usually more of spoof type comedy.  This film actually had some great and funny scenes and dialog.  Not just one liners, but conversations that were actually very funny.  The elevator scene still makes me laugh just thinking about it. 

Ok...so we covered the acting and the comedic aspect of the film, now on to my favorite part....the gore!!  These were some of the best gore effects I have seen in a long time.  Rarely do I go look to see who did the effects of a film, but this one made me do just that.  I wasn't surprised when I saw that the production company was actually called Impulse-FX.  That all makes perfect sense!  Michael Harvey is listed as the man behind the special Make-up effects, so Kuddos to Mr. Harvey and his team of workers.   The blood is this film is very plentiful so all you gore hounds take notice.   There is once scene when a security guard gets attacked and is bitten on the neck where the blood literally squirts out of his neck.  It was a very disgusting, and I mean that as a complete compliment!

Finally, let me end this review by saying the the ending of this film is one of the most enjoyable endings I have seen in some time.   We end with Alexis Texas' character, who after having a slight breakdown from being chased and seeing people attacked, pulls herself together and actually goes on the offensive to take care of the "zombies".   I will try not to give too much away, but her final stand-off against an infected man was a thing of sheer beauty.  It also results in one of the greatest decapitation scenes ever put on film, at least in this reviewers opinion.  I am not kidding, I hit rewind on the remote at least three times to watch it again.   Not only was it done so well in terms of special effects, it was done in such a stylistic manner that it deserved a repeat viewing.    If Quentin Tarantino ever did a zombie movie featuring a hot chick in a full hazmat gear be-heading a zombie with an axe, I have a felling this is exactly what it would look like. 




CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD


CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures

DVD Review: CROPSEY (2010)

CROPSEY
Directed by:  Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman
Distributed by:  Breaking Glass Pictures

A few nights ago I watched one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.  That might seem like a bold statement, but that is no exaggeration.  The film is called CROPSEY,  a documentary about the legend of an escaped mental patient on Staten Island that kidnapped kids and killed them back in the 1980's.  Here is the official plot from the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

Growing up on Staten Island, filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio had often heard the legend of ‘Cropsey.’ For the kids in their neighborhood, Cropsey was the escaped mental patient who lived in the old, abandoned Willowbrook Mental Institution and would come out at night to snatch children off the streets. Later as teenagers, the filmmakers assumed Cropsey was just an urban legend: a cautionary tale used to keep them out of those abandoned buildings. That all changed in the summer of 1987 when 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from their community.

Now as adults, Joshua and Barbara have returned to Staten Island to create "CROPSEY", a feature documentary that delves into the mystery behind Jennifer and four additional missing children.  The film also investigates Andre Rand, the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.  Embarking on a mysterious journey into the underbelly of their forgotten bouough, these filmmakers uncover a reality that is more terrifying than any urban legend.

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of True Crime stories and movies.  I have seen a lot of documentaries about serial killers but this one is by far my new favorite.  This film is as good as the PARADISE LOST  films  (The documentaries about the West Memphis 3...it you haven't seen these, they are a must watch!), if not even better.

The filmmakers do an excellent job giving you the back story on the alleged killer, Andre Rand, as well as the history of Staten Island.   The film is full of old, original news footage, both newspaper and news video clips of the Rand case.

The old Willowbrook Mental Hospital is the centerpiece here, and we get some back story on it as well.  They even show us a clip from an old expose on the Hospital (while it was still in use) by a then unknown Geraldo Rivera!  The filmmakers spared no expense in covering every aspect of this legend and more specifically, the Hospital itself.  They take the cameras with into the now abandoned Hospital and down into the tunnels underneath the Hospital, which connected all the different buildings on the Hospital's campus.  This is very creepy, especially after seeing the scenes of what happened in this Hospital years ago. Almost everyone originally involved with this case is interviewed for this film.  It was very interesting to see the original news footage and see the people back then and then see them present day and hear them talk about this case with such detail.  This case obviously effected these people and you can tell it is something they will never forget.    The filmmakers even get candid interviews with the the parents of almost all the victims.  This is very chilling to see how these folks are effected by this tragedy so many years later.  Interviews with Andre Rands friends and even his own sister are very interesting as well.  All that is missing is an interview with Rand himself, which the filmmakers tried very hard to get as we see. 

Part horror, part suspense, and part drama, this film has something for everyone.  Was Andre Rand actually the 'Cropsey' all the kids told stories about?  Or was Rand just an easy target who was set up by the real killer........meaning the real killer is still out there among us?  We may never know.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

DVD Review: FRIGHT FLICK (2011)

FRIGHT FLICK
Directed by: Israel Luna
Distributed by: Breaking Glass Pictures/Vicious Circle Films

Finally! A good gore film....no, a great gore film! I love gore films, but most of today's Horror films don't really use that much gore anymore. I'm not sure why, but the few movies that do have some gore have very few scenes and they are usually cut short. This makes two movies in a row (see previous review) that have had great gore as their centerpiece. Before I go any further, here is the basic plot from the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

Director Israel Luna (Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives) shows audiences just how cut-throat show business can be in this bloody outrageous horror-comedy that satirizes the filmmaking industry. When the air-headed leading lady of a B-grade fright flick turns up brutally murdered during the film shoot, the motley members of the cast and crew find themselves at the heart of a real-life whodunit -- and with so many competing egos on set, everyone's a suspect.

This is a clever movie, and can be a little hard to follow at times. The premise follows a team of filmmakers as they make a slasher movie. The film they are making contains all the stereotypical aspects of a bad Horror film, including a gratuitous shower scene, horrible B-movie style acting, and generally bad filmmaking. This lends some comic relief to the film, as it is fun to see people filming a movie when they have know idea what they are doing. In one scene, they are shooting through a cars windshield while filming the actor that is driving, but you can plainly see the close up reflection of the boom mic in the windshield. Funny stuff!

As I mentioned before, the film can be hard to follow at some times, as part of the plot revolves around a stolen script, or actually two stolen scripts I think. Then I loose track of who knows what and who doesnt' know this or that....but anyway, the real star of the film here is the gore. This film has some of the better gore scenes I have seen in a long time. They are all very well done and look very realistic. Two scenes that really stick out in my mind are the hedge clippers to the eyeballs scene and a throat slit scene so realistic that I still don't understand how it was done. Kudos to the makeup and FX artists on this one fore sure!

The DVD contains special features including:

Blooper Reel
Severed Scenes (deleted scenes)
"The Guts of Fright Flick": A behind the scenes documentary

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures

DVD Review: RUN! BITCH RUN!

Wow, with a name like that, it's gotta be good! And it is...it is actually very good. RUN! BITCH RUN! was written and directed by Joseph Guzman and is distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures. Here is the basic plot from the Breaking Glass Pictures website:

Catherine and Rebecca are two Catholic School girls going door-to-door selling Religious paraphernalia in order to pay for their books and education. Things go horribly wrong when they knock on the wrong door in the wrong neighborhood. Run! Bitch Run! is a throw back to the classic 1970's Rape and Revenge films like 'Last House On the Left' and 'Ms. 45.

If you like the films mentioned in the plot above, as well as films like I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE and THRILLER (aka. THEY CALL HER ONE EYE), then you are sure to like this film. It has an old school feel to it...with an intentionally grainy look that makes you feel like you are watching a classic rape/revenge flick from the 1970's.

The main difference in this film and the classic exploitation rape/revenge films that it is being compared to, is that this film is much more brutal and bloody than those other films.

While most of the classic rape/revenge flicks show you the aftermath of the murders or hint to what happened, RUN! BITCH RUN! shows it to you, in all its bloody glory!

The acting in this film is very good and the writing and directing are excellent. Breaking Glass Pictures is known for releasing some very brutal, controversial films, and this one is no different. This film is an instant classic and is highly recommended to fans of the exploitation genre of films.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Breaking Glass Pictures