Blu-ray Review: THE MONSTER MASH (2022)

THE MONSTER MASH

Directed by:  Kevin Losani & Richard Terrasi

Distributed by:  Bayview Entertainment

   If you are a fan of anthology films like me, you are going to want to check out Dark Visions Films release of THE MONSTER MASH!   Maybe it's my short attention span, but I love how anthology films are broken down into multiple short films.  It's also always fun to see how they are tied together, as there are multiple fun ways to do that.  This one was done like you were watching a late night creature feature show featuring your host, Dr. Freudstein!  

 Before I go any further, here is a brief plot synopsis from the Bayview Entertainment website:

An anthology throwback to the glorious days of Creature Features that dominated television sets across America. Dr. Freudstein, along with his sidekick Ludwig fumble to create a bio-mechanical experiment all while hosting "The Monster Mash Triple Feature Show”: three gruesome mini horror films: Whispering Hollow Road - A dark shadowy noir with a monstrous twist, The House - A modern gothic tale of lycanthropy, Homebound Horror - A grimy grindhouse tale of revenge of extraterrestrial proportions

 I had no expectations going into this film. I hadn't seen a trailer or heard anything about it.  I'm actually surprised this hasn't been discussed more,  as this film is a lot of fun!  

 The film is made up of 3 short films, all of which were a lot of fun in their own way.  Most anthology films usually have a weak story or two, but that was not the case with this film. 

WHISPERING ROAD -  This is a fun tale of a serial killer on a killer spree. We see the killer kill a prostitute before going on a drive and finding a stranded woman who's car has broken down.  He offers her a ride to the nearest store to use the phone for help, but little does he know the tables are about to be turned on him!   This stranded woman is not a woman at all, and this killer has definitely met his match!

THE HOUSE  -  This was a werewolf film set in a modern time and in a different setting than your usual werewolf films.  A couple goes to look at a house out in the woods.  Apparently the man selling the house really wants to get it sold and does not take "no" for an answer!    This had some great werewolf effects  (better than I expected from a lower budget film to be honest) and some great gore! 

HOMEBOUND HORROR -  This was probably my favorite of all three short films.  It's the story of a marine that has come home to propose to his girlfriend, get married, and start a family.  He  has the case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and somehow gets dragged into a major conflict with a crime lord.   He is shot, stabbed, and has his faced peeled off, then left for dead out in field, but something falls from the sky and takes over his body.  He is now an alien zombie who seeks revenge for those that wronged him.   His repeating of the phrase, "I'm going home", is actually pretty heartbreaking when you realize what all he's going through versus the only thing he wanted to do.   Part crime film, part alien film, and part zombie film, this one has something for everyone.  It's also probably the goriest of the three films.  

 All three films feature a creature of some kind.  I thought that was a cool theme and fit perfectly with the late night creature feature aspect of this anthology.   If you like these kinds of films, you'll want to check this one out for sure!

 THE MONSTER MASH is available now on Blu-ray and contains the following Special Features:

*  The Making of The Monster Mash

*  Director Commentary

*  Behind the Scenes

*  Faux Trailers

CLICK HERE To watch the trailer

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review: CRADLE OF FEAR (2001)

CRADLE OF FEAR

Directed by:  Alex Chandon

Distributed by:  Unearthed Films / MVD Entertainment

  Once again I am here to review a film I have always known about, seen the box art countless times when perusing my local video store, yet have never watched.  Hopefully most of you are old enough to remember video stores!   I recall seeing the original DVD cover art on the shelf, but for whatever reason I just never picked it up.  

  Well, I wish I would have back then, because I have been missing out for years on a very interesting and entertaining movie!   Before I go any further, here is the basic plot synopsis from the Unearthed Films website:

Cradle Of Fear (2 Disc Limited Collector's Edition) is a brutal anthology-style horror film centered around notorious child murderer Kemper, who seeks revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment.

Confined to a padded cell in a local asylum, Kemper orchestrates his vengeance from afar, commanding a mysterious figure known only as "The Man" to carry out a series of increasingly savage murders targeting the families of those who put him away. As the body count rises, Detective Nielson--who has a personal history with Kemper--struggles to make sense of the escalating violence and its seemingly supernatural orchestration.

Blending interconnected storylines with extreme gore and shock-driven set pieces, the film has gained a cult reputation as one of the most notorious entries in British horror cinema, featuring Dani Filth of Cradle of Filth in a central role.

 I have always loved Anthology films, and this one is done really well.  Unlike other Anthology films, where they break each story up into it's own chapter, sometimes even putting the new segment title up on screen between each film, this plays as one continuous movie.  In fact, if you didn't know this was an Anthology pic, you would just assume this film was all over the place and made zero sense!  So definitely go  in knowing these are 4 separate stories that just all tie in together. 

  The first story shows you the downside to what was otherwise a satisfying one night stand, complete with a spider-baby hybrid impregnation!

 The second film involves a burglary gone wrong, and shows how things can spiral out of control very quickly when you can't trust your accomplice!

 The third instalment was probably the most interesting to me, as an amputee who is missing his leg goes to extreme measures to get a replacement leg.   Unfortunately, the leg has a mind of it's own and is apparently very upset about being removed from it's original body!

 The final instalment was my personal favorite, as it involves a man who is obsessed with violent images and snuff films on the internet.   He comes across a website where you can can watch real murders.  Not only can you watch, if you pay a fee, you can actually choose how the person is killed.   You get to choose the weapon used, how to use it, and where on the victims body to use it.   This one is terrifying to me, because it makes me wonder if something like this could really be out there on the dark web.  It wouldn't surprise me in this crazy world! 

Now, I have to be honest, this film has not aged well in some aspects.  Certain scenes were very obvious CGI, almost to a laughable degree.  I am mainly talking about a car crash scene that is hard not to snicker at when watching.   That is a very small part though, and didn't keep me from enjoying the film at all.    All the gore effects are done with practical effects and are extremely well done.   Head smashing, stabbings, eye gouging, decapitations, and one of the most realistic amputations I have ever seen on film make up just a few of the incredible gore effects in this film. 

 Unearthed Films has always been the leader in releasing some lesser known, non-mainstream extreme films, especially those with extreme gore.   This newest release is a perfect addition to their already amazing catalog of films. 

 CRADLE OF FEAR is out now on Blu-ray and contains the following special features:

DISC ONE: FEATURE & EXTRAS

• Some Making of Cradle of Fear
• Important Words
• The Special German DVD Making of Thingy Something for Cradle of Fear
• Behind the Scenes
• Gallery
• Trailers

DISC TWO: SHORT FILM COLLECTION & EXTRAS

• Alex Chandon's Shorts Collection Including:
• Chainsaw Scumfuck
• Bad Manor
• Bad Karma
• Drillbit
• Night Pastor
• Bullshit News
• Film Extremes 3 Promo
• Borderline
• Shorts Outtakes
• Shorts Behind the Scenes Gallery
• Shorts Trailers

CLICK HERE to purchase the 2-disc limited collector's edition Blu-ray direct from Unearthed Films

CLICK HERE to purchase the 2-disc limited collector's edition Blu-ray from MVD Entertainment

Blu-ray Review: V/H/S HALLOWEEN (2025)

V/H/S HALLOWEEN

Directed by:  Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly, R.H. Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Micheline Pitt-Norman, Paco Plaza, and Anna Zlokovic

Distributed by:  Acorn Media International /AMC - SHUDDER

 If I have counted correctly, V/H/S HALLOWEEN marks the 8th entry into the V/H/S movie franchise.  Now normally by the 8th installment in a franchise, the films get pretty bad.  I am happy to report that the V/H/S series is still going well and strong in my opinion!  

  

 I reviewed the last installment in the V/H/S franchise, V/H/S BEYOND, almost a year ago exactly!  You can see that review HERE.   I like how these latest installments in the V/H/S franchise are all themed towards a particular subject.    The last installment, BEYOND, was an anthology of shorts all centered around aliens.   This latest installment is an anthology all about Halloween! 

 Here is the basic plot synopsis of the film(s) courtesy of the Acorn Media International press release:

V/H/S/Halloween introduces a collection of wickedly watchable tales of terror from a host of renowned filmmakers including Bryan M. Ferguson (Pumpkin Guts), Anna Zlokovic (Appendage), Paco Plaza (Verónica, [Rec]), Casper Kelly (Adult Swim Yule Log), Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell), Micheline Pitt-Norman (Grummy) and R.H. Norman (Haji).  

 

Kicking off with Coochie Coochie Coo, written and directed by Anna Zlokovic – we meet two high school trick or treaters, dressed as babies who come face to face with a malevolent spirit known as ‘The Mommy’ – an urban legend who supposedly kidnaps children from their homes on the spookiest night of the year. 

 

Next up is Paco Plaza’s Ut Supra Sic Infra where Enric – the sole survivor of a Halloween party massacre – accompanies police to the original crime scene to try and help them reconstruct the events of that fateful night – but unbeknownst to them, evil entities await them inside. 

 

Halloween candy takes on a new life in Casper Kelly’s Fun Size, as four friends on the hunt for sweet treats are swallowed up by a candy bowl.. They emerge in a parallel reality where sweets rule supreme and humans are turned into sugary snacks. 

 

Kidprint – from writer-director Alex Ross Perry – takes an even darker turn, feeding into the all too real fear of kidnappings. When disturbing secrets about a local video store that specialises in creating video IDs which can be used to help search for missing children come to light, every parent’s worst fears are about to come true. 

 

A homemade house of horrors comes to life in Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman’s Home Haunt as a family construct their annual haunted house for Halloween. But the fun ritual takes a deadly turn when a spooky stolen record makes the decorations come to life, wreaking paranormal havoc on the guests. 

 

Bryan M. Ferguson’s frame narrative Diet Phantasma weaves through the feature, with each segment documenting a group of taste trial participants who face life-threatening side effects from a new kind of diet soda. 

 

Grab your sweet bucket and press play on V/H/S/Halloween for another round of truly disturbing found footage nightmares centred around every horror fiend’s favourite time of the year. 

 

  While all of the shorts were very entertaining, I did have my favorites.  Anna Zlokovic's COOCHIE CHOOCHIE COO was probably my favorite entry in this collection.   There were so many disturbing images in this film, as the girls go from room to room trying to find a way out of this house of horrors that they are trapped in.   It was super creepy and the first person perspective made it seem as though the viewer themselves are going through this super creepy house. The "mother" in this house was one of the creepiest creatures I have seen put to film....something about her really got under my skin.  I think this film has also turned me off of drinking milk forever!  You'll have to watch this segment to understand that reference! 

  Another favorite of mine was Paco Plaza's UT SUPRA SIC INFRA.   The survivor of a Halloween party massacre takes detectives and police to the scene of the crime, hoping they can get some memories to resurface so they can find out exactly what happened that night.  Little do they know, they will get more than just memories from that night.  They will get an encore performance!   This one was really creepy and had some amazing effects.   

 Bryan M. Ferguson's DIET PHANTASMA was also a lot of fun.  This is the film that starts and ends the movie, and has a view segments in between the other films.   Basically it a group of kids in a lab testing this new drink called Diet Phantasma.  It's marketed that it's made from real ghosts!  Ha!  Well, something about this drink is spooky for sure, as all the kids that drink it have some very vile and disgusting reactions!

 While these were my favorites, all the entries in this V/H/S film are very strong and very entertaining.  Most all contain some great effects and gore.  

  I'm so glad to see that the V/H/S series is still going strong, and I look forward to any future installments for sure!

 

 V/H/S HALLOWEEN will be released on April 7th, 2026 and contains the following Special Features:

*  Filmmaker Commentaries

*  Behind the Scenes:  Diet Phantasma & Coochi Coo

*  KidPrint Deleted Scenes

*  Diet Phantasma Uninterrupted Cut

*  Diet Phantasma Commercial

*  Diet Phantasma Gallery

CLICK HERE to purchase the Blu-ray

CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD