4K ULTRA HD Review: THE CONVENT (2000)

 

THE CONVENT 

Directed by:  Mike Mendez

Distributed by:  Synapse Films / MVD

  I am not sure how this film avoided my radar, but not only have I never seen THE CONVENT, I have never even heard of it!   I find this very odd, as it was so much fun!   How did I miss this one all these years!!   Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Synapse Films website:

In 1960, a young woman named Christine enters St. Francis Boarding School for Girls and lays waste to the resident nuns. Four decades later, a group of college students head to the long-abandoned building late one night to tag it with their fraternity letters, little knowing that rumors of the place being haunted are terrifyingly true. Stir in a couple of disapproving cops and a band of unlikely Satanists, and the table is set for a feast of demonic infestation and bloodshed that only the grown-up Christine (Adrienne Barbeau, THE FOG, SWAMP THING) can possibly stop.

  

 This film had me hooked from the very beginning.  In fact, this might be one of the coolest movie openings of all time.  The movie shows us young  Christine going into a convent and wreaking havoc, shooting up the place, and burning the priest and nuns.  This is done in slow motion, to the tune of "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore.  This is such an effective opening, and the music is perfect for this opening scene.   

  We don't really know why Christine is doing this, but later in the film we get the full story of why she did it from the adult Christine, played by horror legend Adrienne Barbeau.   Speaking of horror royalty, we also get to see the great Bill Moseley in this film, although I was not a fan of his part.  He plays a cop alongside an interesting casting choice in rapper Coolio.  They play a very comedic pair, which was very reminiscent of the horribly out of place cops in THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.  The comic relief was not needed in that film, and it wasn't needed here either. 

  

  This film reminded me of movies like, DEMONS, and NIGHT OF THE DEMONS.  If you liked those films, you will love this one.   Although made in 2000, it had more of a feel of a 80's or 90's film, and that is a compliment for sure!    The film was full of some great practical effects, and the makeup effects on the main demon were amazing, utilizing some sort of glowing make up to make it look like her veins were glowing a cool blue color.  Very well done!  

 While I never saw an older version to compare it to, I have to say that his 4K UHD version looks amazing.   Very vibrant colors and super sharp picture!  If you have an older DVD of this film, you'll definitely want to do yourself a favor and make an upgrade to the 4K Ultra HD disc!

  THE CONVENT is available now from Synapse Films and MVD Entertainment and contains the following special features:

• *Limited Edition Combo (4K UHD + Blu-ray) Release of only 4000 units total
• *Limited Edition Slipcover only on this combo release
• *4K remaster of the uncut version supervised and approved by director, Mike Mendez
• *Mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• *5.1 stereo surround mix from the original 16-track audio masters
• *Cast and crew audio commentary, featuring director Mike Mendez
• *“Lords of Hell” audio commentary featuring Saul and Dickie-Boy
• *Video tour of both THE CONVENT and KILLERS film locations
• *Vintage “Making of” featurette
• *Vintage original studio Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
• *“It’s Always Something with a Virgin” Liner notes booklet from Corey Danna
• *Deleted scene
• *Gore outtakes
• *Still gallery
• *Promotional trailers
• *Reversible cover art

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K UHD

Check out the trailer for the upcoming zomedy, THE DEAD DON'T DIE

  If you were a fan of the film ZOMBIELAND, you will most certainly want to check out this latest Zombie Comedy!   It's called THE DEAD DON'T DIE and it has an amazing cast, including:  Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Selena Gomez, Tom Waits, Carol Kane, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, RZA, Iggy Pop, and of course, Bill Murray!   The film was written & directed by Jim Jarmusch .   This movie looks like it is going to be a lot of fun!  Check out the trailer below and leave a comment to let me know what you think!






THE DEAD DON'T DIE will be released on June 14th of this year!

CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, GAME NIGHT

If you haven't seen a trailer for this film yet, be sure to check it out asap!   The film is called GAME NIGHT, and while not really horror, it looks frightening enough to be worthy of a mention on the 4H blog!   IMDB.com lists it as an Action/Crime/Comedy, but based on the premise it looks to be a very dark comedy.  I have to admit, though, this trailer is hilarious!    Here is the basic plot from the film's official website:

  Bateman and McAdams star as Max and Annie, whose weekly couples game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s charismatic brother, Brooks, arranges a murder mystery party, complete with fake thugs and faux federal agents. So, when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all part of the game…right? But as the six uber-competitive gamers set out to solve the case and win, they begin to discover that neither this “game”—nor Brooks—are what they seem to be.

Check out the trailers and let me know what you think!








 Game night will be in theaters starting February 23.

It's Paul Blart vs. Dawn of the Dead!!

  Ha!  I love when people take trailers to comedy films and re-mix them into horror trailers.  This time around the folks at Digital Spectrum Studios have mixed together scenes from PAUL BLART:  MALL COP with scenes from 2004's DAWN OF THE DEAD remake.   Looks like these zombies wouldn't stand a chance if they invaded Officer Blart's mall!  

Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!

Blu-ray Review: DEATHGASM (2015)

DEATHGASM
Written & Directed by  Jason Lei Howden
Distributed by Dark Sky Films

  I had no clue what to expect going into this film.  I knew nothing about it and had not seen any trailers or pics from the film.  To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much out of this one, but what I got blew me away.  This is by far one of the most enjoyable films I have seen in years!  Not since the EVIL DEAD films have I enjoyed gore so much!   Here is the plot synopsis of the film from the Dark Sky Films website:

  High School is Hell! Metal-thrashing Brodie is an outcast in a sea of jocks and cheerleaders until he meets a kindred spirit in fellow metalhead Zakk. After starting their own band, Brodie and Zakk’s resentment of the suburban wasteland leads them to a mysterious piece of sheet music said to grant Ultimate Power to whoever plays it. But the music also summons an ancient evil entity known as Aeloth The Blind One, who threatens to tear apart existence itself. Their classmates and family become inhabited by demonic forces, tearing out their own eyes and turning into psychotic murderers… and this is only the beginning!
  It’s up to Brodie, Zakk and their group of friends to stop a force of pure evil from devouring all of mankind. A blood-soaked and hilarious horror comedy, DEATHGASM features an amazing original soundtrack of fist-banging metal and practical effects to satisfy metalheads and splatter fans alike. DEATHGASM will gush bodily fluids, rain limbs and tickle your funny bone, before tearing it out and giving you a stiff beating with it.

  This film is one of the goriest I have seen in quite a while, which is an excellent thing!  On top of that, the effects in this film look to all be practical effects which is also an excellent thing!   The film reminded me of other gorefests, such as EVIL DEAD, RE-ANIMATOR, and DEAD ALIVE just to name a few.   They don't make horror movies like this a lot these days, so I am very thankful for director Jason Lei Howden  for creating this remarkable film.  Also worth noting is the great soundtrack.  If you are heavy metal fan, you are in for a treat with the great music throughout the film.

  Every aspect of this film is spot on, from the acting and camera work, to the above mentioned gore effects.   While the film is a horror films, it is also a dark comedy and Howden does a great job mixing the two genres together.   Making a horror comedy can be very hard to do, as you have to find just the right balance of comedy and horror.   Filmmakers wanting to make a horror/comedy film should use DEATHGASM as the gold standard on how to achieve such a film.

  DEATHGASM is a must see in my opinion.  It is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Dark Sky Films and contains the following special features:

*  Commentary with Writer-Director Jason Lei Howden
*  Featurettes
*  Music Video:  Bulletbelt- "Deathgasm"
*  Trailers/Teasers


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

Blu-ray Review: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2
Directed by Eric Louzil, Donald G. Jackson
Distributed by Troma Entertainment

  If you are familiar with Troma Entertainment, then you know what you are getting when you put in a film called CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2:  SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN.   You are a getting a film that is just plain crazy, and that's what we like about Troma films, right?  Here is the basic plot of the film courtesy of the Troma website:

  First there was the super successful theatrical smash hit CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH...now comes the hyper-riotous, big budget sequel: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH PART II: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN! The lovable cretins from Tromaville high school have graduated Summa Cum Weirdly, and the once peaceful Tromaville Institute of Technology is awash in a wave of violence and corporate greed. Meltdowns, massacres, and mutations abound on campus where humongous giant squirrels and obnoxious talking belly buttons are the least of your problems! Gloriously restored in all its anarchic glory, it's CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH PART II: SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN like you've never seen it before!

 Now I must admit, I have never seen the original CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH, but I really don't think you have to have seen that one to enjoy this one.  In fact, the film give you a recap of what happened in the first on at the beginning, so you should be good to go.  Not that you really need to keep up with any sort of plot though, this just isn't that type of movie!   The plot is very unimportant to this film, as the focus here is more on all the crazy stuff going on around the college/nuclear power plant.   There are crazy experiemnts on the students, a gang called the Squirrels that terrorize the students, and worst of all, an actual giant radioactive squirrel that tears the place apart!   

  There is no denying this is a Troma film.  It has everything you'd expect from a Troma film including crude humor, bad special effects  (some so bad, it's good though), bad acting and gratuitous nudity.   If you are a fan of the Toxic Avenger films, you will love this one.  

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH 2:  SUBHUMANOID MELTDOWN is available now on Blu-ray and contains the following special features:

*  HD transfer of the movie from original materials
*  Audio commentary
*  Music Video trailer
*  Interview with Troma star Lisa Gaye
*  Nuke 'Em High Saga trailers including Return to Nuke 'Em High: Vol. 1 & 2
*  Premiere of Mystery's music video "Return to Nuke 'Em High"
*  Lloyd Kaufman interviews James Gunn on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy
*  Troma at the Museum of Modern Art
*  The American Cinematheque honors 40 Years of Troma


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

Check out the trailer for the must see horror-comedy, THE FINAL GIRLS

  I am a big fan of horror-comedy films when done right.  The problem is that very few are done right. It's a fine line between horror and being funny vs. being stupid.  Unfortunately, most horror-comedy films are pretty dumb.  This one looks very promising, though!   The film is called THE FINAL GIRLS and it looks like it is going to be lots of fun!  Here is the basic plot of the film from it's imdb.com page:

  A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.

  Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.  This is one I am really looking forward to!   THE FINAL GIRLS has a release date set for October 9th of this year.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Check out the trailer for the upcoming zombie comedy, LIFE AFTER BETH

  Have you seen the trailer for the upcoming zombie comedy film, LIFE AFTER BETH?  I am on the fence about this one...it could really go either way.  Parts of this look like it could be really funny.   The plot is simple...a boy looses his girlfriend, only to have her rise from the grave a zombie. 
  I love horror themed comedies if they are done well, especially zombie comedies.  Watch the trailer and leave me a comment to let me know what you think about this one!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Blu-ray Review: KILL ZOMBIE!

 
KILL ZOMBIE
Directed by  Martijn Smits and Erwin van den Eshof
Distributed by  Well Go USA

  I have a feeling a lot of you have probably never heard of this movie, but you should have!  KILL ZOMBIE! is a hilarious horror-comedy from the Netherlands that succeeds at being both gory and funny.  Here is the plot synopsis from the Well Go USA website:

  A Russian Space station crashes in Amsterdam, releasing a deadly virus that turns everyday citizens into flesh-craving psychopaths. Aziz (Yahya Gaier), his brother Mo (Ouled Radi) and several strangers emerge from jail, oblivious to the mayhem until they team up with a local police officer (Gigi Ravelli). After receiving a desperate call for help, this unlikely band of heroes sets out on an insane rescue mission - and it's going to take a seriously crazy plan if they want to get out alive...

 I am always a little nervous when it comes to horror-comedies, because most of the time they are just really not that good.  I was worried about that when I started watching KILL ZOMBIE!, but I soon realized that this was not going to be the case with this film.  The film is hilarious with some laugh-out-loud moments for me.  The acting was great, and the production value seems very high.  The post-apocalyptic look of the film is very well done.  I also enjoyed the zombie effects, complete with gross green slimy stuff mixed with their blood. You see a lot of this splattered all over the place, which is a good thing, except that most all of the effects are CG.   That is probably my only complaint about this film, but that is a very minor complaint.  I usually hate when horror movies use CG blood and effects in movies, but I guess I didn't mind it as much in this film since it was more of a comedy.   Since the CG blood splatters have almost a slight goofy look to them, it really takes away from the eerie feeling in a straight horror film, but since this is more of a comedy, it actually kind of works.

  If you are a fan of horror-comedies, especially zombie comedies like SHAUN OF THE DEAD, you definitely need to give KILL ZOMBIE! a shot.  The movie is available now from Well Go USA on DVD and Blu-ray.


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

Check out the upcoming film HELL BABY from RENO 911 stars Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon...

  Directors Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon are probably best known for their starring roles in the hilarious "Cops" spoof TV show, RENO 911.   Well, now they are trying their hand at a horror movie called HELL BABY.   They are not only directing the film, but they also star in the film along side an entire cast of comedy greats, including Keegan Michael Key, Michael Ian Black, Leslie Bibb, and Rob Corddry, just to name a few. 
Here is the basic plot from the film's imdb.com page:
 
An expectant couple who moves into the most haunted house in New Orleans call upon the services of the Vatican's elite exorcism team to save them from a demonic baby.

The directors promise this film to be a hilarious film, but also a very scary one too.  Horror-Comedy films are very hard to pull off, but if anyone can do it, I bet it's these guys! Millennium Entertainment has picked up the rights to the film, but it is not even listed on their website yet, so I don't find any sort of release date or trailer online.  Once I hear about one, I will let you all know.
   
CLICK HERE to watch an interview with the cast of HELL BABY

Movie Review: VAMP U (2013)

VAMP U
Written & Directed by:  Matt Jespersen & Maclain Nelson
Distributed by Level 33 Entertainment

  It seems like there are tons of Vampire movies that have come out the last few years.  I guess we have the TWILIGHT films to thank for that.  While I have never been a huge fan of Vampire movies, they are starting to grow on me, and VAMP U is one that I loved from the very beginning.   This is not your straight forward horror film, this is a hilarious horror /comedy, although this is much more of a comedy film than a horror film.  I am a huge fan of comedy as well as horror, so I have always enjoyed the horror/comedy sub-genre.  While there are a few horror/comedy films that work  (SCARY MOVIE 1 & 2 for example), most of them are awful (every other SCARY MOVIE since 1 & 2).   VAMP U gets it right....a horror comedy that is actually funny.   And I mean laugh out loud funny at some parts.  Before I go any further, here is the plot synopsis from the Level 33 Entertainment press release:

Wayne Gretzky (Adam Johnson) is a vampire with fangs that won’t grow. His “impotence” began when he inadvertently killed Mary, the love of his life, 300 years ago. To take his mind off the pain, he teaches college history – who better than a guy who’s been around for centuries? Attempting to regain his full vampire powers, he enlists help from his friend and colleague, Dr. Levine (Gary Cole). But nothing works…that is until a new semester brings freshman Chris Keller (Julie Gonzalo) – a dead ringer for his beloved Mary. They begin to have an affair, which quickly goes south when he accidentally turns Chris into a vampire. Now, as she leaves a bloody trail of destruction across campus – converting a sorority house full of co-eds including the irresistible Samantha (Alexis Knapp) to her vampire legion – Wayne is faced with the task of stopping her before they kill the entire student body!

Now I have to be honest here, I was not able to watch the entire film.  I was watching an online screener for the film on my iPad and for some reason it locked up after about 50 minutes.  I tried to reload it but then it kept saying "unknown film format" or something like that.   This is one of the many reasons I don't care for online screeners, but this movie looked so good I thought I would  give it a shot.  Oh well, so technically I am only reviewing the first 50 minutes of this film  (runtime shows to be 100 minutes), but I have feeling that as much as I liked the first 50 minutes, I would have enjoyed the last 50 minutes as well.  In fact, I am dying to see how this film ends, so I will be looking to purchase the DVD soon.  I would have been buying this one anyway, as this is a film I will want to watch again for sure. 

The movie looks very good from a technical aspect.  The acting is especially good for this kind of film.  Gary Cole (you probably know him as Lumbergh, from OFFICE SPACE) is great as always, as is Adam Johnson, who plays the main character, Wayne Gretsky.  The chemistry between these two actors is perfect.   As I mentioned above, the comedy is hilarious throughout the film.  The film kept me entertained the entire time with no slow spots to speak of.   I can't wait to finish this film.  From what I have seen so far, this is a must watch and I highly recommend it!

VAMP U is available now on VOD & Digital and on DVD next Tuesday, 3/12/13!  Also, if you are lucky enough to be attending the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX this month, there will be a one night showing of VAMP U at the famous Alamo Drafthouse Theater on March 14th at 10:00pm!  The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew!  You can get your tickets now by visiting www.tugg.com.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to visit the film's facebook page

Check out the trailer for the vampire comedy film, VAMP U!

 While browsing the great horror website, horrorphilia.com, I ran across an article about a new vampire comedy film called VAMP U.  I watched the trailer and it looks like this film could be a lot of fun!  Here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the film's official website:

Professor Wayne Gretzky (Adam JOHNSON) is an impotent vampire, and has not been able to grow his fangs since he killed the love of his life three hundred years ago. With the help of his colleague Dr. Levine (Gary COLE), and a new freshman Chris (Julie GONZALO) who is a dead ringer for the lost love, he finally regains his fangs. Unfortunately, Chris' new-found blood lust brings about an entirely different set of problems.


VAMP U is available NOW on VOD and Digital Download and on DVD March 12, 2013!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website
CLICK HERE to visit the film's facebook page

DVD Review: AAAH! ZOMBIES!!

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------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------

AAAH! ZOMBIES!! (a.k.a. Wasting Away)
Directed by Matthew Kohnen
Distributed by Level 33 Entertainment

Release Date: 2010

There’s nothing quite like horror-comedies. They’re like getting the best of both worlds: you get to laugh at one scene and then squirm at the next. And for that, I absolutely love them (well, when they’re good, anyway). AAAH! ZOMBIES!! is definitely one of the good ones.

The plot is simple in idea but somewhat complex in the movie’s execution:

The U.S. military, intent on creating a super-soldier formula, accidentally creates a serum that kills people but then reanimates them as zombies. A single barrel of the serum is accidentally lost in transit to disposal. Four teens are then unknowingly infected by the serum and thus turned into the living dead…but they don’t realize what has happened. In their eyes, the rest of the world has gone crazy, as every person they encounter tries to kill them. The four enlist the help of a similarly infected Army Private in an attempt to learn the truth about their condition.

This film is excellent and has it all: great cinematography, excellent story, talented cast, and superb special effects. What makes it truly unique however is how it tells the story through the teens/zombies’ eyes. Half of the film is done in monochromatic black-and-white…this is the actual world, or how the common person sees things. The other half is done in color…this is the world as seen through the teen/zombies’ eyes.

The result is a humorous journey into craziness. The teens/zombies think they’re normal, which is illustrated by their normal conversations and interactions (in the colorized scenes)…but then we see things how they really are (in the black-and-white scenes) and see the zombified teens just staggering around, grunting and moaning incoherently. As I mentioned above, it’s somewhat complex in the execution, but director Matthew Kohnen does a masterful job of making it simple for the audience to watch.

I can’t really describe the plot anymore without giving key elements away, so I’ll just leave it at this: you’ve got to simply watch this film to appreciate it. AAAH! ZOMBIES!! is pure genius, plain and simple. It’s very well written with lots of witty dialogue and dark humor. One of my favorite scenes is when one of the teens/zombies rips the arm off of a bully and then starts beating him with it, yelling out “Why are you hitting yourself?” over and over.

If I were forced to find any negatives about this movie, I would have to admit that the corky love-story between two of the characters is almost a detraction from the movie’s overall tone. It sometimes becomes distracting, while at other times simply annoying. But it’s nothing that can’t be overlooked, at least from this reviewer’s standpoint.

AAAH! ZOMBIES!! is a fun, extremely entertaining romp that will keep you laughing. It’s a true testament to the zombie genre and one that I’m proud to add to my DVD collection. This is one you will want to check out for sure.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to buy the DVD

CLICK HERE to visit the AAAH! ZOMBIES official website

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CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Level 33 Entertainment