Blu-ray Review: CREEPSHOW 2 (1987)

CREEPSHOW 2
Directed by Michael Gornick
Distributed by Arrow Films / MVD Entertainment Group

 It has literally been over 20 years since I have seen CREEPSHOW 2.  I remember liking the movie a  lot, but for some reason just have never re-visited it.   That all changed when by Blu-ray copy of the film arrived in my mailbox.   I was really looking forward to watching this one and it definitely didn't disappoint.  It was just as good as I remember it being way back when I saw it for the first time.
Here is the basic plot of the film from the MVD website:

  WHEN THE CURTAIN GOES UP THE TERROR BEGINS Horror titans George A. Romero and Stephen King deliver yet another fiendish selection of blood-curdling tales in Creepshow 2 - now newly remastered in 2K! In "Old Chief Wood'nhead", a group of young hoodlums face retribution from an unlikely source after looting a local hardware store. Meanwhile, "The Raft" sees a group of horny teens wishing they'd read the warning signs first before taking a dip in a remote lake. Finally, an uptight businesswoman finds herself with some unwanted company following a hit-and-run incident in "The Hitch-hiker". Whilst retaining the EC comic book flavour that made the original such a hit, Creepshow 2, this time directed by long-time Romero collaborator Michael Gornick, is a decidedly darker and grimmer affair than its predecessor and remains one of the greatest horror anthologies of all time.

  I am a big fan of anthology horror films, and there is a reason most all anthologies that come out these days are compared to the CREEPSHOW films.   CREEPSHOW and CREEPSHOW 2 are perfect examples of how anthologies should be made.   The 3 stories that make up CREEPSHOW 2 are all wonderful in their own way.  

  The first segment,  "Old Chief Wood'nhead", is about an old wooden storefront Indian that comes to life and takes revenge on the hoodlums that killed the owners of the store he stood out in front of.   The effects are very well done, and the segment has some very memorable scenes, including the shadow silhouette of the 'ol Chief giving one of the hoodlums a good axe to the head.  

  The next segment, "The Raft", is probably my favorite of the three.  It's a simple story of a group of kids that go swimming in a lake and get stranded on a dock out in the middle of the lake, unable to swim to the shore due to the blob like creature waiting for them in the water.   This is a fun tale with some good gory effects as the blob creature basically dissolves the person that it envelops.

  The final segment, "The Hitch-hiker", is a great tale of man that is run over by a car, but then stays with the care and driver, tormenting her along the way, as she continues to "kill" the unwanted passenger.  She soon finds out this guy just can't be killed.  The transition he makes with being more and more beaten and bloodied each time we see him is quite gory, especially at the end when he is basically just a pile of mush with eyeballs hanging down.  This was by far the goriest segment of the film with some amazing effects.

  It's no wonder this film is full of great effects.  The effects were done by Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero, and Tom Savini, among others.   If you have never seen CREEPSHOW 2 or even if you have, you need to grab a copy of this new Arrow Blu-ray.  The picture quality is stunning and makes it look like a movie that was just filmed lately.  
 
  CREEPSHOW 2 is available now from Arrow Video and MVD and contains the following special features:

*  Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
*  High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
*  Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 1.0, Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
*  Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
*  Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick
*  Poncho's Last Ride - a brand new interview with actor Daniel Beer
*  The Road to Dover - a brand new interview with actor Tom Wright
*  Screenplay for a Sequel - an interview with screenwriter George A. Romero
*  Tales from the Creep - an interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini
*  Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo
*  Nightmares in Foam Rubber - archive featurette on the special effects of Creepshow 2, including interviews with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
*  My Friend Rick - Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker
*  Behind-the-Scenes Footage
*  Image Gallery
*  Trailers & TV Spots
*  Original Screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
*  FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth


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

 

 

 

Blu-ray Review: JUST DESSERTS: THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW" (2007)

JUST DESSERTS:  THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW"
Directed by  Michael Felsher
Distributed by  Synapse Films / CAV Distributing

  Rarely does a film's special feature get it's own HD Blu-ray release, but that is just what has happened with JUST DESSERTS:  THE MAKING OF "CREEPSHOW".   After watching it, you can see why.  This is no ordinary "special feature".  Clocking in at 90 minutes, it's a legit feature film itself, that just happens to be about the making of another film.    Here is the basic synopsis of the film from the Synapse Films website:

  In 1982, Author Stephen King and Director George A. Romero collaborated on a feature-film tribute to the controversial EC comics of the 1950s.  Told through five jolting tales of terror, CREEPSHOW has become a celebrated horror classic over the past three decades. With an all-star cast, and featuring groundbreaking special effects by genre legend Tom Savini, CREEPSHOW stands as a horrific and hilarious tribute to the stories that helped influence (and corrupt) a generation of writers and filmmakers.  Now the tales behind the creation of this chilling masterpiece can finally be told!
  Featuring rare behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, JUST DESSERTS: THE MAKING OF “CREEPSHOW” also contains over a dozen interviews, including George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins and many others.  These are the terrifying stories behind the film that promised you…“The Most Fun You’ll Ever Have…BEING SCARED!”

  CREEPSHOW has always been one of my favorite horror films of all times.  I love anthology style horror films, and no one has done it better than CREEPSHOW.   George Romero and Stephen King are two masterminds of horror, so a collaboration of those two is bound to be good.   Watching this documentary about the making of the film made me remember just how good CREEPSHOW really is.    I haven't seen it in years,  but after watching JUST DESSERTS, I am really wanting to watch CREEPSHOW again very soon! 

  I am a big fan of "making of" documentaries of horror films, and this is probably one of the greatest I have ever seen.   Other than the strange absence of Stephen King, everyone involved with the movie is on hand here to give you first hand accounts about their experience on the film.  My favorite interviewee was Tom Savini, the mastermind behind the effects of the film.  He is my all time favorite effects person, so seeing him on screen talking about this film was truly awesome.

  Along with the interviews, we get to see tons of behind the scenes photos and footage, along with scenes from CREEPSHOW.   The movie is broken up into segments, talking about each entry in the film, along with a beginning section explaining how the film came to be and the influence the old EC comics had on Romero and King, and on the film itself.   I was a huge fan of EC comics growing up, so that's one reason I always loved this film....it is like watching an old VAULT OF HORROR or TALES FROM THE CRYPT come to life onscreen.

  I cannot recommend JUST DESSERTS enough...it is a must have for any fan of CREEPSHOW.   The special edition Blu-ray is available now from Synapse Films and contains the following special features:

*  Audio Commentary with Director & Editor Michael Felsher
*  Audio Commentary featuring interviews with Actor John Amplas, Property Master Bruce Alan Miller, and Make-Up Effects Assistant Darryl Ferrucci
*  Creepshow Days – An interview with Director of Photography Director Michael Gornick
*  Extended Interview Segments with George A. Romero, Tom Savini, and Bernie Wrightson
*  Behind The Screams – A compilation of on-set video footage from Tom Savini
*  Horror’s Hallowed Grounds with Sean Clark
*  Scream Greats Volume One: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects with Optional Audio Commentary with Tom Savini
*  Vintage 1982 Evening Magazine Segment shot on the set of the film, featuring rare cast & crew interviews
*  Behind-The-Scenes of CREEPSHOW Photo Gallery



CLICK HERE to watch a clip of the film
CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Help Tom Savini make the ultimate zombie movie!!

 

  While browsing the cool sci-fi website Giantfreakinrobot.com, I came across an article about legendary special effect master Tom Savini, and his quest to make the next great zombie film!  The film is called DEATH ISLAND, and he is trying to raise 1 million dollars to create this film.  Here is some info about this new feature from the films indiegogo page:

  Tom Savini, a legend in the horror genre, is set to direct a script that he helped write that will re-invent the zombie film. This is a very personal film for Tom. After directing the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead Tom said he would never want to direct another zombie film until he felt he could make them scary again. And with Tom Savini's Death Island he feels that time has come. And with your help, he will get this chance to bring this ground breaking film to life and out to the fans. So we're calling on all you zombie lovers and horror fans the world over to help us make this film.
  With a great story, some of the most unique and horrifying zombie kills ever
filmed as well as a fast paced and thrilling adventure with wonderful characters, Tom Savini promises to give the fans what they want and create a world that will be talked about for years to come. The fans want a fresh and exciting take on zombies and Tom Savini’s Death Island is that film! And with this crowd funding effort you can be a major part of making this historic film a reality!


CLICK HERE to visit the indiegogo page for the film and watch a video of Tom Savini explaining the film

If you can't contribute any $, then help spread the word by posting this link any where you can:
www.letsmakeazombiemovie.com. This link will take people directly to the indiegogo page.

DVD Review: THE DEAD MATTER (2010)

------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------
I have to say this up front: this movie is not what I expected. I thought the title was referencing a substance (‘matter’) that had something to do with the dead. Instead, the title is actually a statement, proclaiming “Those that are dead do matter.” This wasn’t a problem, although I did realize pretty quickly into the film that my assumption about the title had been wrong.

THE DEAD MATTER is a very good film, though, and one you should definitely give a look. It’s only been out for a couple of months, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it. The plot for the film is this:

The film tells the story of a guilt-ridden young woman desperate to contact her deceased brother who discovers a powerful, ancient relic that controls the dead. Her dark obsession drags her into the tangled world of two warring vampire lords, each with his own sinister plans for the artifact, and a vampire hunter who will stop at nothing to destroy it. It’s a mix of classic horror themes with modern twists and a touch of dark humor that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Let me start off the review by saying this is one visually beautiful film. The sets and locations are right on, continuously helping to set the mood for each scene. Whether the characters are in a bar or out in the woods, the filmmakers did an outstanding job of complimenting the emotion of the scene with the surroundings.

And the acting is top-notch as well. I was especially happy to see horror-legend Tom Savini in the credits. Savini is one of my favorite horror icons and always (to me) lends a sense of credibility to any production. The rest of the cast was on par with Savini, with each member using a unique personality to bring their characters to life. This is refreshing to see, especially in a genre that is super-saturated with low-budget schlock films full of so-called actors that can’t actually act.

It is also very interesting to see a vampire-zombie cross-genre hybrid movie. I can’t recall the last time I saw vampires and zombies in the same film, but director Edward Douglas does a fantastic job of weaving them both together in the story. There’s even a nice plot-twist, about three-fourths of the way through, that I didn’t see coming at all.

The special effects for both vamps and zombies are superb, although I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the lack of gore. There is a bit of blood here and there, and a couple of heads are literally torn off, but even so, there’s not much carnage that is actually shown on-screen.

My only true complaint about the film is that there are a few scenes where the background musical score (which is excellent, by the way) is so loud that it drowns out the dialogue of the actors. I had to rewind a couple of scenes more than once and read lips to try and figure out what was being said. But other than that, the film is a true gem.

A couple of my favorite scenes:

-In a dream sequence, a teacher in a classroom calls on a young boy to answer a question. When the boy gets the answer wrong, the teacher instructs the class to eat the boy. Nothing is shown, but the overall impression is rather disturbing.
-A zombie (affectionately known as Mark) is ‘invited’ in to a bar for a drink…and does just that.
-The amulet reanimates the dead…including the lunch meat in the refrigerator and a girl’s hair.

Even if you’re not interested in the movie thus far, you should check it out just for the scenes I mentioned above. They were darkly funny and made for interesting side-notes to the plot.

Full of thrills and dark with, THE DEAD MATTER is a great film and one that is definitely going into my collection.


Note from Zombie Hayes: Great Review Scott! One additional note, this film was made by the legendary gothic Horror band, Midnight Syndicate. They were formed in 1995 by composer/director Edward Douglas. Check out their website to purchase awesome music CD's....great for your Halloween parties this year!


CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film THE SADIST starring Tom Savini!

Check out the trailer for director Jeremiah Kipp's new film, THE SADIST, starring genre legend Tom Savini! I interviewed Mr. Kipp a while back about his short film, CONTACT, and I couldn't wait for his next project...well, here it is! Here is the basic plot from thehorrornews.net:

In THE SADIST, Tom Savini is a war veteran who suffers from severe psychological damage who stalks his victims in the woods. The Sadist is the directorial debut of Fangoria writer Jeremiah Kipp and and staring alongside Mr. Savini is Mackenzie Christine Hawkins, Miguel Lopez, Jerry Murdock, Santo Fazio, Zoe Daelman Chlanda, Carl Burrows and Tom Reid.

This trailer looks great and I can not wait to see the finished film in it's entirety.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer for THE SADIST