Blu-ray Review: DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE (2024)

 

DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE

Written & Directed by:  Michael Kallio

Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment  / MVD Entertainment

  I had the honor of meeting Gunnar Hansen many years ago at Texas Frightmare Weekend, the annual Horror Movie Convention I attend each year in the Dallas area.   He was a very kind, soft spoken man, and I remember thinking how crazy it was that he was the actor that portrayed the character of Leatherface in the 1974 film, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.    He was so kind and polite, and made time for all his fans lined up to see him.   This is a documentary about Mr. Hansen, as told through first hand accounts of actors and crew that worked with him over the years. 

Here is a brief description of the film from IMDb.com:

Documentary about Gunnar Hansen, the actor who portrayed Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974). Friends, colleagues, filmmakers, and fellow actors share personal stories and discuss the dichotomy between the maniacal chainsaw-wielding character he played on-screen and the very intelligent, creative, soft-spoken man he actually was in real life.

 I love horror movie documentaries, and this was a great one to get the honor of reviewing.   DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE touches briefly on Mr. Hansen's background with him being born in Reykjavik, Iceland, and then moving to the U.S. at the age of 5.   He went to the University of Texas an majored in English and Mathematics.  He worked as a computer operator right out of college and took the role in THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE just to make some extra money during the summer.   I'm sure he thought he'd go right back to his computer operator job, but little did he know the film would be such a hit and would lead him down the road of movie making!   I often wonder while filming if any of the cast/crew had any idea just what exactly they were creating.   THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is my favorite horror film of all time, and is widely considered one of the best horror films ever made.   It still holds up today, and is just as scary when I watch it now as it was the first time I saw it.   This is undoubtedly largely due to Mr. Hansen's amazing portrayal of Leatherface!

 As I mentioned before, this is basically a set of interviews from some actors and filmmakers that worked directly with Mr. Hansen and they just recount the times they shared with him.  You can tell from all the interviews that he made a deep impact on everyone he worked with.  He was truly loved by all!   

  Interviewees include  Barbara Crampton, Bruce Campbell, Edwin Neal, Kane Hodder, Felissa Rose, Michelle Bauer, Tiffany Shepis, Debbie Rochon, Fred Olen Ray, Betsy Baker, Allen Danziger, Kim Henkel, William Vail, and many more!   

 This was a very touching tribute to Gunner Hansen and is a must see for all his fans!

DINNER WITH LEATHERFACE is available now from Anchor Bay Entertainment and contains the following Special Features:

 *  Audio commentary with writer/director Michael Kallio and editor Josh Wagner

 

 *  Extended Interview with filmmaker and historian MIchael Felsher

 *  Extended interview with fimmaker Jeff Burr

 

 *  Convention Chat with actress Danielle Harris

 

 *  Southern Hospitality Trailer - 2022 Remastered, Recut, HD

 *  Tales of Gunner Hansen

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-Ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

GUEST REVIEW: THE WOMAN & OFFSRING [4K UHD Limited Edition]

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

THE WOMAN

Directed by Lucky McKee

OFFSPRING

Directed by Andrew van den Houten

 When you think about big names in horror fiction, certain names flash into mind: Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, etc.  But you would be remiss if you did not include Jack Ketchum in that list.  Ketchum wrote some of the most horrific and terrifying novels ever published, and he was a true master of the genre (he passed away in 2018).

 

  Ketchum coordinated with a couple of directors to turn two of his books into movies:  OFFSPRING and THE WOMAN.  (Technically, THE WOMAN was published after the movie was released, but from what I understand Ketchum already had the idea when OFFSPRING was originally published).  Both movies deal with cannibalism and torture, and both have merits…but I must confess I liked THE WOMAN a lot better than OFFSPRING.

 

If you are unfamiliar with either movie, here is the plot synopsis of this set courtesy of Arrow Video:

 Almost a decade after Lucky McKee burst upon the indie horror scene and became a 'Master of Horror' in the making thanks to his directorial debut May, he teamed up with legendary cult author Jack Ketchum for his most shocking and brutal film to date: The Woman, an instant cause célèbre on its Sundance premiere.

The Woman (Pollyanna McIntosh, The Walking Dead) is the last surviving member of a deadly clan of feral cannibals that has roamed the American wilderness for decades. When successful country lawyer Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers, Room) stumbles upon her whilst hunting in the woods, he decides to capture and "civilize" her with the help of his seemingly perfect all-American family, including his wife Belle (Angela Bettis, May) and daughter Peggy (Lauren Ashley Carter, Darling). The Cleeks will soon learn, however, that hell hath no fury like The Woman scorned...

 Experience McKee and Ketchum's uncompromisingly twisted vision of the dark side of the American family in a definitive edition, including a 4K remaster, a slew of bonus features, and a bonus disc featuring a restoration of its gut-churning 2009 predecessor Offspring, also starring McIntosh.

 

 OFFSPRING is a movie based on his book of the same name.  The book is a follow-up to his controversial debut Off Season, which many critics and reviewers deemed “violent pornography”.  Even so, I am curious as to why the filmmakers decided to make a movie based on the sequel when there was no adaptation for the first one at the time.  I would love to see Off Season translated to the screen.

 

OFFSPRING is a decent film, but it’s a bit confusing to start off (probably because it’s actually a sequel).  The opening scenes use newspaper headlines to sorta build the foundation of the story, which again does help a little bit, but it is still not enough to make a solid start.  The story itself is intriguing enough to warrant attention, and it unfolds at a nice pace within its 79 minute runtime.  Still, I would have liked more clarity as to what was happening and why.

 

 The 4K transfer looks excellent compared to previous versions, and if you don’t believe me there’s a comparison video in the Special Features.  This video runs clips from the movie in both resolutions side-by-side so you can see the difference.  And wow, is there a difference!  The 4K transfer is much more colorful and takes the graininess out of the low-light scenes. 

 

 THE WOMAN is a direct sequel to OFFSPRING and pretty much picks up where its predecessor ends.  This film is much better in my opinion.  It ratchets up the intensity and makes better use of Pollyanna McIntosh’s acting skills.  McIntosh does a superb job of portraying the feral Woman once again, and it’s easy to see why she was selected for the role. 

 

 Like OFFSPRING, the 4K transfer for this film looks great as well.  I had a Blu-ray copy of this film years ago, but I don’t remember what the picture quality was like…it would be interesting to see a side-by-side of it compared with this.

 

 Ketchum set a high standard bar for horror, and both films aim to reach it.  THE WOMAN gets closer to that goal than OFFSPRING, but both films are fun to watch and definitely worth owning.  This Arrow set is a fine addition to any horror fan’s collection, and I feel it would make Jack Ketchum proud.  

THE WOMAN & OFFSRING Box Set is available now and contains the following Special Features:

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 4K restorations of The Woman and Offspring, supervised and approved by Lucky McKee and Andrew van den Houten
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork for both films by Vanessa McKee
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing by Michael Blyth, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Kevin Kovelant

DISC ONE - THE WOMAN (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

• 4K restoration supervised and approved by Lucky McKee
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director Lucky McKee, editor Zach Passero, sound designer Andrew Smetek and composer Sean Spillane
• Audio commentary with star Pollyanna McIntosh
• Audio commentary with critic Scott Weinberg
• Archive commentary with director Lucky McKee
• Dad on the Wall, a 75-minute fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes documentary filmed by the director's father Mike McKee
• Being Peggy Cleek, an interview with star Lauren Ashley Carter
• Malam Domesticam, an archive making-of featurette
• Meet the Makers, a short featurette on the making of the film
• Deleted scenes
• ¡Mi Burro!, a short film by editor Zach Passero
• "Distracted" music video by Sean Spillane
• Frightfest Total Film Panel Discussion, a 2011 onstage chat about the future of American indie horror at the popular horror film festival, featuring Lucky McKee, Andrew van den Houten, Larry Fessenden, Adam Green, Joe Lynch and Ti West
• Theatrical trailers
• Image galleries

DISC TWO - OFFSPRING (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)

• 4K restoration supervised and approved by Andrew van den Houten
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with director/producer Andrew van den Houten and digital colorist Matt McClain
• Archive commentary with writer Jack Ketchum, director/producer Andrew van den Houten and producer/cinematographer William M. Miller
• Interview with Pollyanna McIntosh and Andrew van den Houten
• Fly on the Wall, a behind-the-scenes documentary
• Extended interview with Jack Ketchum
• Restoration comparison
• Audition comparison
• Progeny: The Birth of Offspring, an archive behind-the-scenes featurette including interviews with cast and crew
• First Stolen's Bailout, an archive behind-the-scenes featurette
• Webisodes, short featurettes used to promote the film online
• Archive Easter Eggs
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

CLICK HERE to purchase the 4K Ultra HD limited edition set

Book Review: THE ART OF HORROR

THE ART OF HORROR

Edited by:  Stephen Jones

Published by:  Applause Books

 

  

  If you are not familiar with Applause Books, here is a bit about them from their website:

Applause Theatre & Cinema Books

Now in its fourth decade, Applause Theatre & Cinema Books is America's foremost publisher of theatre, cinema, and TV books. Our books range from biographies of film and theatre luminaries to playscripts, librettos, monologue books, and explorations of film, TV, and theatre history. Applause is an imprint of Globe Pequot.

  I am a huge fan of horror art books, they are so much fun to look through and they contain the history of horror films right at your fingertips.   THE ART OF HORROR:  AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY is one of the best horror art books I have come across.  This beautiful coffee table sized book is a must have for all fans of the horror genre. 

 Here is more about this book, again from the Applause Books website:

The Art of Horror – a celebration of frightful images, compiled and presented by some of the genre's most respected names. While acknowledging the beginnings of horror-related art in legends and folk tales, the focus of the book is on how the genre has presented itself to the world since the creations of Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley first became part of the public consciousness in the 19th century. It's all here: from early engravings – via dust jackets, book illustrations, pulp magazines, movie posters, comic books, and paintings – to today's artists working entirely in the digital realm. Editor Stephen Jones and his stellar team of contributors have sourced visuals from archives and private collections (including their own) worldwide, ensuring an unprecedented selection that is accessible to those discovering the genre, while also including many images that will be rare and unfamiliar to even the most committed fan. From the shockingly lurid to the hauntingly beautiful – including images of vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts, demons, serial killers, alien invaders, and more – every aspect of the genre is represented in ten themed chapters. Quotes from artists/illustrators, and a selection from writers and filmmakers, are featured throughout.

  I have read a few of these type books in the past, but this is one of the best ones by far!   While a lot of art books just show art and have a caption with a little description about it, this book goes way beyond that with in depth articles about the art, the actors, the films and the characters.  This is much more than just an art book, so by calling it that I feel I am doing it a little disservice.  

  This book doesn't just cover one aspect of horror, it covers it all!   From ancient Egyptian wall drawings found in pyramids representing horrors in real life, to the modern day slasher and monster films.   I like that it also doesn't just cover one type of media.   While there is a ton of horror film art, it also has the art from old comic books and horror magazines.

  THE ART OF HORROR is available now and should be in any horror fan's library!    Here are some pics of what the book looks like on the inside.    Do yourself a favor and grab this book while you can!

CLICK HERE to purchase the book from Amazon

Blu-ray Review: A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE (1977)

 

A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE

Directed by:  Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi

Distributed by:  Severin Films / MVD

 Severin Films has always been one of my favorite distribution companies.   They put out some amazing releases of classics that are well known, but then they release some very obscure, hidden gem type titles that you may have never heard of.   Such was the case for me with the recent release of the 1977 film, A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE!   Here is the plot synopsis from the Severin Films website:

  Less than two years after the end of Spain’s oppressive Franco regime, Goya Award winning filmmaker Antonio Isasi (THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS, SUMMERTIME KILLER) co-wrote and directed the action blockbuster that shocked European audiences and became one of the most culturally-charged survival thrillers of the decade: Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nominee and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Jason Miller (THE EXORCIST, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) “gives a fantastic performance” (This Is Quiet Cool) as a political prisoner who escapes custody, only to be relentlessly pursued by a military dictatorship dog driven to hate, hunt and kill. Donatello Award winner Lea Massari (L’AVVENTURA) and Goya Award winners Marisa Paredes (HIGH HEELS) and Juan Antonio Bardem (THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER) co-star in “one of a master director’s most significant films” (Madriz), now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative.

  While not a horror film in the regular sense of the word, I feel this film is definitely a close cousin to the horror genre.  While is is definitely more of an Action/Thriller, there are some horror elements to it for sure, including a bit of gore.  You could classify this as a creature feature for sure, in the likes of JAWS, or any other film where animals attack and kill humans.  The dog in this film is trained to kill, and does not give up until he gets his man!   

  At the very beginning, when the star of the film, Aristides, is shown, I knew I had seen that actor somewhere.  After looking on IMDb, I kicked myself for not realizing this was the actor that played Father Karras in 1973's THE EXORCIST.   I don't recall ever seeing him in anything other than THE EXORCIST before, so that was fun to see him in completely different role.   He does some things in this film that Father Karras would definitely not be proud of!

 The action in this film is great, with the intensity of the dog chasing right behind Aristides throughout the film.  There were some very cool camera shots, making it look like we were seeing what was happening through the dog's eyes.  The intensity never lets up, until the film comes to the end with a bang!   Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean!  

 The film is unique in that it starts like a typical 1970's grindhouse type film, but then transitions to more of a political drama/action film in the 2nd half.   That being said, I did feel in 2nd half of the film dragged on a bit in some sections, and the 115 minute run time could have been trimmed down a bit in my opinion.   That is my only complaint with this film, though, as overall I found it very enjoyable and am happy to have discovered this one!  

 One thing I must note, is that this film does depict some violence against the dog, but that dog did his fair share of damage as well!   I know violence against animals bothers some people, so just wanted to throw that out there before you watch it.  Rest assured, through, that no animals were harmed in the filming of this movie.   There is even a disclaimer from the director before the movie starts letting you know this.  

 If you like creature feature type horror films, and action/ survivalist films, you'll want to check this one out for sure!

A DOG CALLED...VENGEANCE is available now from Severin Films and contains the following Special Features:

• A Film Ahead Of Its Time – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
• Memories Of A Guerilla Woman – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes
• Daughter Of Titans – Interview With María Isasi, Daughter Of Director Antonio Isasi And Actress Marisa Paredes
• Trailer

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: DOLL GRAVEYARD (2005)

 

DOLL GRAVEYARD

Directed by:  Charles Band

Distributed by:  Full Moon Features

 Full Moon Films has always been one of my favorite horror film companies.  They were a staple of my childhood, especially their Puppet Master films.   They have many "puppet" films in their film library, such as DOLLMAN VS. DEMONIC TOYS, BLOOD DOLLS, OOGA BOOGA, and the aforementioned PUPPET MASTER films.   I have always really enjoyed the creepy doll movies, so I was super excited to get a chance to see DOLL GRAVEYARD.    This is one of the few Full Moon "puppet" films I haven't ever seen before.  

 Here is the basic plot synopsis from the Full Moon Horror Website:

 In 1905 a lonely 12-year-old girl named Sophia escapes the miseries of her home life by playing with her creepy handmade dolls. When her abusive father forces her to bury her beloved playthings in the backyard, she "slips" and breaks her neck. To cover up his negligence, Sophie's father decides to entomb his child's body right along with her "friends". 

 100 years later, young Guy Fillbrook and his family move into the very same house and when playing out back he inadvertently unearths the buried dolls.  Except now, Sophia's vengeful spirit has possessed the dolls and they come screaming to life, protecting Guy from any and all who dares to torment him. The more they kill, the more powerful they become and the corpses begin to pile up. 

 Can Sophia's otherworldly rampage be stopped? Or will the entire Fillbrook family end up in the doll graveyard?

 As I stated before, I love the "puppet" films that Full Moon puts out.  They have a such a cool character to them, and I have always been a fan of stop motion animation.   DOLL GRAVEYARD was like revisiting my childhood, it has all the charm and character of the puppet films I watched as a kid.   The dolls in this film looked really cool, all having their own unique look and methods of killing.  I really liked the baby doll that opened it's whole face to take a bite out of it's victims!   I recognized a few of these dolls from other Full Moon features, especially Torch from the Puppet Master series and what I assume is the first appearance of Ooga Booga.  The Samurai doll looked familiar to me as well, but I am not sure where I might have seen that one before, if at all.   I'm sure there is a Full Moon super fan out there that can let me know what movie it was from or if it was an original concept for this film. 

 

 The story is very simple and everything takes place in one setting, so it is not a movie you have to think about too much at all.  You can just sit back and enjoy the doll carnage!  One thing of note was the gore in this film, I felt it was a bit more than the other doll films and I always appreciate the use of practical effects over CG.  The scene of the dolls raising from their grave was also super fun and very well done!   

 Overall, I really enjoyed DOLL GRAVEYARD.  This is one that will definitely be going in my collection and I will definitely re-visit in the future. 

DOLL GRAVEYARD  is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from Full Moon, and contains the following special features:

* Making of Featurette

* Blooper Reel

* Full Moon Trailers

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Did you know you can have a mystery horror box of Blu-Rays sent your home every month?

  

  This might not be news to some of you, but if you don't know about this service, listen up!   Horror Pack is a monthly subscription service that sends a random assortment of 4 horror movies to your home every month!!   The folks at Horror Pack sent me one a few months back, and it was fun getting such a cool variety of films!   One thing I was wondering was if I was going to get all movies I already owned.  Well, even with the thousands of DVDs and BDs I own, only 1 of the four was one I had already.    It looks like each box is a good mixture of sub-genres, and every box comes with a Horror Pack exclusive limited edition Blu-ray!    I had never even heard of 2 of the films I was sent, which is a great way to discover films you might never discover otherwise!

  Here were the Blu-rays in my box:

There are 4 different monthly plans you can choose from.  You can pick from a 1, 3, 6 or 12 month reoccurring subscription, with the cost of the subscription going down for the longer you sign up for.  

 This is a great deal that comes out to less than $8 per Blu-ray,  and like I mentioned, one of the Blu-rays each month is a limited edition Horror Pack Exclusive!  

  Keep physical media alive and join Horror Pack today!!

CLICK HERE to check out HORROR PACK!

DVD Review: HAUNTEDWEEN (1991)

HAUNTEDWEEN
Written & Directed by Doug Robertson

  I love finding out about lesser known, independent horror films.  I find a lot more passion and heart goes into these films than a lot of the well known, mainstream horror films that we are constantly fed these days.   This was the case when I came across Doug Robertson's low budget horror film called, HAUNTEDWEEN.    I love checking out low budget horror films, and I am so glad I had to opportunity to watch this one!

 Here is the basic plot synopsis courtesy of the film's IMDb page:

  Twenty years ago a deadly accident forced Eddie Burber from his home. Since Eddie was younger he wanted to be part of the family business "The Burber Haunted House." A note is placed on the local Fraternity giving permission to use the old house as a fund-raiser. While the students prepare the house, they soon are hunted down and placed in the Haunted House for amusement. One thing is for sure. Nobody knows it really happening - People are dying, and people are laughing.

 First thing I have to get out of the way right away is to mention again that this is a very low budget movie.   Know that going into the film and you will have a lot of fun with this one.  Yes, you have to get past some pretty bad acting, but it is still a lot of fun.   I could tell from the beginning that this was a film made by horror fans that knew what other horror fans wanted in a film.   They did not disappoint at all!

 The film has a very cool premises of a killer that makes his way inside a haunted house and turns one of the supposedly fake rooms into an actual killing room.   In this room, the maniac kills off the college kids one by one, in some crazy, bloody ways.  All this happens while the customers of the haunted house look on and cheer the killer on, believing what they are watching was set up by the makers of the haunted house.   It's really quite eerie if you think about it, and makes you wonder if this has or ever could happen in real life.  

  All of the effects are practical, of course, and the filmmakers did an amazing job with the budget they were working with.  

 If you are a fan of low budget, independent cinema, you will definitely want to give this one a watch.   The DVD is available now and contains the following special features:

*  45 minute making of Documentary
*  Photo Album of the cast and crew
*  Director and Producer running commentary
*  Scene titles and jump to feature
*  Hauntedween - the music video
*  Original movie trailer


CLICK HERE to view the HAUNTEDWEEN Facebook page
CLICK HERE to visit the HAUNTEDWEEN website and purchase the DVD

Check out the ultra disturbing trailer for the upcoming film, FLESH OF THE VOID

 









 

  If you are a movie buff like me, I highly recommend the website MoviePilot.com.  They have a tons of great movie news and info, and while recently browsing their website I came across an article about a film I have never heard of.   The film is called FLESH OF THE VOID and from the looks of the trailer, it is going to be a very shocking and creepy film.  

  Here is a brief snipit from the Movie Pilot article:

  From Sodom & Chimera Productions comes controversial Austrian director James Quinn's first feature-length horro film, Flesh of the Void. Both gut wrenching and awe inspiring, this experimental art film is shot by sequence on expired Super 8 film from the '80s, and progresses to 16mm to both attain and accentuate the abstract and grotesque realism that FLESH OF THE VOID aims to capture. The trailer alone is instantaneously panic-inducing and more than succeeds in filling viewers with an undeniable sense of dread.

  Check out the full article for more details.  Give the trailers below a watch and let me know what you think about this upcoming film.   

  ***Please be warned, the trailers show graphic images and nudity, NSFW***

 CLICK HERE to read the full article at MoviePilot.com
 CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
 CLICK HERE to watch the teaser trailer