DVD Review: KILLER RACK (2015)

KILLER RACK
Directed by  Greg Lamberson
Distributed by  Camp Motion Pictures

  With a name like that, it's gotta be good!  Right?  Well, I gotta hand it to the filmmakers for the amazing play on words, and I can't believe it's never been done until now!  The film is KILLER RACK and I am proud to say it is lots of fun!   Here is the plot synopsis from the Camp Motion Pictures website:

  From the director of Slime City comes a screwball horror comedy about a murderous set of monstrous mammaries: Killer Rack!
  In a world that prizes breast size over accomplishments, Betty Downer just can’t get a break.  Scorned by her co-workers, ridiculed by her boyfriend and overlooked by her boss, Betty impulsively books breast enhancement surgery with the Elder Gods-worshipping Dr. Cate Thulu...and then all hell breaks loose!

  First off, go into this film realizing it's more of a comedy than it is a horror film, although there are elements of horror all throughout it, as well as some fun, over the top gore.   It is very campy and silly, but that makes it a lot of fun!  The film reminds me a lot of a Troma film, especially since even Lloyd Kaufman  has a brief cameo in the film! Also, the wonderful Debbie Rochon  is in the film as the mad doctor, Cate Thulu.  Again, great play on words there!  The film also has one of my new genre favorites, the beautiful Brooke Lewis as the voice of the "killer rack".  Yes, the boobs talk.  I told you it was pretty silly!

  Not only do the boobs talk, but they kill!  Yes, they might look good at first, but if you happen to get an up close and personal look at them, you can kiss your hand or even head goodbye!   The killer rack has a mouth/teeth where the nipples usually are and they get a lot of action!    This is where some great gore comes into play, as well as some very cheesy CGI effects when the boobs sprout tentacle like things that come out and kill!   I guess if you got implants from Dr. Cate Thulu, that is bound to happen!

  If you like fun, campy horror, check out KILLER RACK.  It is available now from Camp Motion Pictures and contains the following special features:

*  Commentary Track
*  Deleted Scenes
*  Behind the Scenes Featurette
*  Bonus Short Films
*  Trailers


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

 
 

Check out the trailer for BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN

  I have to admit, when I first saw this movie poster, I rolled my eyes.   "Are you kidding me?" I said.   You see, I am not a Madea fan by any means.  Now I will admit, I've never actually seen any of Tyler Perry's Madea movies, so maybe I can't rightly say I'm not a fan.  I just never have had any desire to see any of those movies.   BUT.....this one, this one might actually get me in a theater to watch a Madea movie.   It's Tyler Perry's latest film and it's called BOO!  A MADEA HALLOWEEN.    I decided to go ahead and watch the trailer, expecting to hate it, but I have to admit, it looks like it could be a lot of fun!     Check it out and see for yourself, and who knows, maybe I'd be a Madea fan if I just gave the regular Madea movies a chance!

BOO!  A MADEA HALLOWEEN will be released to theaters October 21st.


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Check out the trailer for the upcoming horror/comedy film, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

  If you are a fan of horror-comedies, then you will definitely want to check out the trailer for the upcoming film, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.  Here is the basic plot from the film's imdb page:

 Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection-modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.

  Check out the trailer and leave me a comment to let me know what you think.  I think this film looks absolutely hilarious!   WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS has a release date for this February the 13th.


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

DVD Review: CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS (2012)

CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS
Written & Directed by Dave Campfield
Distributed by MVD Entertainment Group

  A while back on this blog, I reviewed a great horror/comedy called CAESAR AND OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE.    I remember really enjoying that film, so I was super excited when I got the chance to review the newest Caesar and Otto film, CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS. Unfortunately, I have to admit I was extremely disappointed in this film. Here is the plot of the film from the MVD website:

  Caesar and his half brother Otto take on duties as Santa and his elf. However, the bodies begin to pile up when a fellow store Santa (CKY's Deron Miller) develops a vendetta against them, and he soon turns Caesar's list of Dinner guests into a list of Xmas-inspired victims! Features cult movie icons Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Lloyd Kaufman, Joe Estevez, Felissa Rose and Robert Z'dar.

  So don't get me wrong, the film is not terrible, and it does have a few things going for it, but I was just not entertained overall by this film.  Maybe I was hoping for too much, or expecting more from it than I should have, but this film just fell flat for me.   The film was definitely more comedy than horror, as even the "horror " scenes were campy and supposed to be funny.  Unfortunately, usually they weren't really all that funny, even though you could tell they were trying to be.  

  Also, I will use this film as my gateway to telling you about one of my pet peeves about low budget horror films, and that is the inclusion of Troma's Lloyd Kaufman in the film with a cameo.  I know that Lloyd is a huge supporter of independent film, and he offers his services for a small fee to help filmmakers  get a "name" on their cast list, but to be honest, I think it might actually have more of a  negative effect than a positive one.  For me it looks like a gimmick, and usually if a film needs to use a gimmick like that, then the movie appears to be lacking any real substance.

  I hate that I didn't enjoy this one more, as I really like the actors that play Caesar and Otto, but this film just didn't do anything for me.  Give it a shot, though, and see what you think.  Maybe I just wasn't in the holiday horror/comedy spirit.  CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS is available now on DVD and contains the following special features:

Three Commentary Tracks (Director, Cast/ Crew, Actors)

Behind the Scenes Featurette

Alternate Scenes

Short film: Piggyzilla

Short Film: Otto's First Job

Trailers

Bonus Short Film: The Perfect Candidate

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







 

DVD Review: THANKSKILLING 3 (2012)

THANKSKILLING 3
Directed by Jordan Downey
Distributed by MVD Entertainment

  A few years ago, a little independent horror film came out called, THANKSKILLING.  The movie starred a hilarious talking turkey puppet named, well, Turkie.   The film was  a lot of fun and got quite the cult following.  It was just a matter of time before we got a sequel, but now Turkie is back in THANKSKILLING 3!   Here is the basic plot of the film from the movie's imdb.com page:

  Fowl-mouthed villain Turkie carves through the likes of a rapping grandma, a mindless puppet, a wig-wearing inventor, a bisexual space worm, and their equally ridiculous friends on his quest to recover the last copy of "ThanksKilling 2".
  So you might be asking, well what happened to THANKSKILLING 2?   Well, that's a valid question, but the answer there is no THANKSKILLING 2!  This is the first movie to skip it's own sequel!  Ha! That just shows you right there the kind of humor you are in for when you watch this movie.  I must admit, this film is not for everyone.  Even though it's a remarkably bigger budget than the first film, the film is still a low-budget film and it shows.  That being said, this is one of those movies that proves you do not need a huge budget to make a fun, entertaining film. 

 The film is probably more comedy than horror, but it does have horror aspects throughout the film.  One of my favorite things about the THANKSKILLING movies is how they give nods to other horror films.  This film had a hilarious homage to the EVIL DEAD films that literally made me laugh out loud!

  If you want a fun film that you can just sit back and watch without having to think about it at all, this is the film for you.   THANKSKILLING 3 is available now on DVD from MVD Entertainment and contains the following special features:

*  Behind the Beak Featurettes
*  Audio Commentaries
*  Sprinkle of Wrinkle Music Video
*  PluckMaster Infomercial
*  Trailers
*  Stills Galleries

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

Check out the hilarious horror movie spoof trailer for GHOST TITS

 Yes, you read that right.  GHOST TITS.  Sorry, I know it's a little crude, but this was just too funny not to share!   GHOST TITS is a hilarious spoof on the modern horror film.   The trailer tells the story of a man who thought he had everything, until the day the one thing (or two I guess) he cherished most vanished!   Ha!  This is good stuff!  Check out the trailer and leave a comment and let me know what you think!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Watch the trailer for the upcoming horror-comedy, BAD MILO

  Coming soon from Magnet Releasing is the horror/comedy film, BAD MILO.  This film looks like it could be a lot of fun!  Here is the basic plot for the film from the movie's official website:

  Duncan's (Ken Marino) life is a real pain in the ass. Tormented by a manipulative, crooked boss (Patrick Warburton), a nagging mother (Mary Kay Place), a deadbeat new age dad (Stephen Root), and a sweet, yet pressuring, wife (Gillian Jacobs), his mounting stress starts to trigger an insufferable gastrointestinal reaction.
  Out of ideas and at the end of his rope, Duncan seeks the help of a hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare), who helps him discover the root of his unusual stomach pain: a pintsized demon living in his intestine that, triggered by excessive anxiety, forces its way out and slaughters the people who have angered him. Out of fear that his intestinal gremlin may target its wrath on the wrong person, Duncan attempts to befriend it, naming it Milo and indulging it to keep its seemingly insatiable appetite at bay.

  BAD MILO will be available On Demand August 29th, and in select theaters on October 4th.  Check out the trailers below and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.  Will you be watching BAD MILO?  Also, I just realized the initials of the movie title are BM!  Ha!

CLICK HERE to watch the green band trailer
CLICK HERE to watch the red band trailer

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

DVD Review: JOHN DIES AT THE END (2012)

JOHN DIES AT THE END
Writtend and Directed by Don Coscarelli
Adapted from the book by David Wong
Distributed by Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Home Entertainment

If you are a fan of horror, you by no doubt have heard of the latest film from Don Coscarelli, JOHN DIES AT THE END.  This film got a lot of hype.  The film is based on the book by the same name by author David Wong.  I have never read the book, but after seeing this film, I really want to now!   This movie is extremely hard to describe. It is more Sci-Fi than horror probably, but there is some horror to it...and some comedy.  Here is the brief plot synopsis from the Magnet Releasing website:

It's all about the Soy Sauce, a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs.

I liked this film a lot.  I have to admit it was a little confusing at times and it lives up to the term "mind-trip" that people have been using to describe this film.  This film will mess with your mind on many levels.  The acting in this film is amazing...not a bad performance in the entire cast.  The film looks really good, and looks like it costs more to make than it probably did.  There are some amazing effects in this film, including the highly touted "Meat-Monster" you have probably heard something about.

One great thing about this film is it starts off with a bang and never lets up.  There are no slow spots to speak of in this film.  It is fun and entertaining the entire time, which is very rare in most films. This film is hard to review, as there is so much going on, so pick up a copy and check it out for yourself.  I was entertained the entire running time, and I think you will be too.

JOHN DIES AT THE END is available now on DVD and Blu-ray and contains the following special features:

*  Deleted Scenes
*  Getting Sauced:  The Making of John Dies at the End
*  Creature Corps:  The Effects of Soy Sauce
*  Casting Sessions
*  Fangoria Interview with Paul Giamatti
*  Commentary with Writer/Director Don Coscarelli, Producer Brad Baruh, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes
*  Trailers


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

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

DVD Review: TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL (2010)

    
TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
Directed by:  Eli Craig
Distributed by:  Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Home Entertainment

 Sometimes the phrase "modern day cult classic" gets thrown around a little too much when people describe a good horror film.  Those are strong words for sure, and if you are going to use them, the film you are describing better be able to back it up.   Well, I have no doubt that this film can back it up.  TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL is a modern day cult classic.    This is a film that won't be forgotten anytime soon. For those that aren't familiar with it, here is the basic plot of the film from imdb:

Two lovable West Virginian hillbillies, are headed to their "fixer-upper" vacation cabin to drink some beer, do some fishin', and have a good time. But when they run into a group of preppy college kids who assume from their looks that they must be in-bred, chainsaw wielding killers, Tucker & Dale's vacation takes a bloody & hilarious turn for the worse.

 Probably most everyone reading this blog has at least heard of this film, but has everyone seen it yet?  If not, why not?   I am so behind on screeners that I was just able to finally watch this a few days ago and I am kicking myself for not watching it sooner.  Do your self a favor and get your hands on a copy of this film asap. 

 I really have nothing bad to say about this film.  It was a great film in every aspect.  It is hard to pull off a good horror/comedy film, but the filmmakers pulled this one off flawlessly.  The acting in this film is superb, with Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine in the lead roles of Tucker and Dale.  These guys were perfect for these roles and played them perfectly.  I can't imagine a different actor in either one of these parts. 

  The entire concept of this film was new (to me anyway).  I can't think of another film with this kind of story, where people think the other people are killers but they are just dying on their own.  It is a very unique plot idea, which is hard to find with most horror films these days. 

  I think this film is more comedy than horror, but there is enough of both to satisfy everyone. I know quite a few people who don't necessarily like horror films that loved this film because it was so funny.  I also know a lot of gore fans (including myself) that loved it because of the great gore in this film.  There is something in this film for everyone!

 Words can't do this film justice, so I will stop babbling on about it.  Just go watch it.  I know you will love it!  The DVD comes packed full of special features including:

*  Making of TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
*  Tucker & Dale ARE Evil:  The College Kid's Point of View
*  Outtakes
*  Storyboards
*  Commentary with Director Eli Craig, Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk
*  HDNet:  A Look at TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
*  Theatrical Trailer



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