What do you get when you combine $6000 with the raw love of film making and genre geekdom? A really enjoyable post apocalyptic road to Zombie picture. Writer, Directer, Producer, Actor Jeremy Gardner has scored a solid home run with his tag team tale of baseball player buddies wandering onward to no where fighting flesh eaters along the way.
Ben (Jeremy Gardner) and Mickey (Adam Cronheim) are an unlikely pair. In this walking dead world baseball catcher Ben does all the dirty work while Mickey mopes around headphone music blaring, longing for female companionship. Never wanting to linger in one place to long Ben works hard to keep things safe while Mickey complains and longs for a comfortable stop along the way. They try but we all know that safety is fleeting especially when the dead want there pound of flesh, literally. Sainthood will certainly be awaiting Ben on the other side of the pearly gates after pampering the highly annoying lump that is our pitcher Mickey. Add in a disembodied lovely voice on a walky talky air wave and the plot twists to a clever turn.
'The Battery' is more angst than gore ridden, but in a sea of zombie flicks that have nearly drowned us all since the living dead 1960's through the modern masterwork that is 'The Walking Dead' this film is a cool ride of non nightmarish fun.
Scream Factory has once again gone above and beyond in honoring independent horror film. 'The Battery' Blu-ray edition is presented in a wonderful 2.35:1/1080p/AVC-encoded image and an equally great 5.1 DTS-HD Master and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. There are English subtitles and the special features include Audio Commentary with Writer, Director and Producer Jeremy Gardner as well as Producer and Actor Adam Cronheim and Director of Photography Christian Stella, Tools of Ignorance: The Making of The Battery, Outtakes, Trailers, and a soundtrack piece called Rock Plaza Central at the Parlor.
When the world as we have known it ends and the dead come calling we could do worse
than to have a couple of ball players lead us out of the chaos. Gore covered baseball bats and catchers masks work in a pinch. For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, At the old ball game.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
'Pumpkinhead' Blu-ray Review: The hills are alive with the sound of vengeance
'Pumpkinhead' is a wonderful film. With special effects genius Stan Winston as the director it's atmosphere is thick and visceral. It took to the big screen in 1988 and was welcomed with less than glowing praise. Seeming a bit before it's time 'Pumpkinhead' has since become a favorite of many clearer thinking horror fans.
It's 1957 and little Ed Harley witnesses a horrible sight. One he won't soon forget and perhaps a mere glimpse into his sad future. Time passes and Ed (Lance Henriksen) grows into a simple man who loves his small son with all his heart. His peaceful life is soon undone by a group of less than compassionate outsiders with more money than brains or heart. Tragedy strikes and all hell is soon literally let loose. All moral dilemmas aside we can surely side with poor Ed Harley. Some folks deserve to die. Legends run wild through the darkness of the mountain top. Portents of mystical justice have deep roots and a monumental myth is about to be born from blood. Lance Henriksen is a superb and disturbingly underrated actor. His angst is palpable in this role and it makes the film a true supernatural gem. If you haven't ridden this wild ride before, do yourself a favor an climb aboard this classic tale of wrongs righted and souls sold.
Scream Factory is brilliant in giving due respect to all their horror film presentations and their 'Pumpkinhead' Blu-ray Collectors Edition is no exception. The 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 image is lovely as is the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack offered. The special features include the new "REMEMBERING THE MONSTER KID: A TRIBUTE TO STAN WINSTON" featuring new interviews with actors Lance Henriksen and Brian Bremer, special effects artists Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Shannon Shea. Also included are new interviews with producer Richard Weinman and actors John D'Aquino and Matthew Hurley. PUMPKINHEAD UNEARTHED (now in HD) – a documentary on the making of PUMPKINHEAD featuring Evolution of a Demon, The Cursed and the Damned, The Torture Soul of Ed Harley, Constructing Vengeance, Razorback Holler. Audio Commentary by Co-screenwriter Gary Gerani and Creature & FX Creators Tom Woodruff, Jr. and Alec Gillis. Completing the package is a Featurette: Demonic Toys, as well as Behind-the-Scenes Footage, Still Gallery, and Theatrical Trailer. If you love the film you will love this wonderful DVD.
The unspoken code of life and death while rarely paid heed to is scarily real non the less. Call it karma or simple Gypsy curse but mess with the simple salt of the earth type folk and most times Satan comes a calling. Que Sara Sara my ass.
It's 1957 and little Ed Harley witnesses a horrible sight. One he won't soon forget and perhaps a mere glimpse into his sad future. Time passes and Ed (Lance Henriksen) grows into a simple man who loves his small son with all his heart. His peaceful life is soon undone by a group of less than compassionate outsiders with more money than brains or heart. Tragedy strikes and all hell is soon literally let loose. All moral dilemmas aside we can surely side with poor Ed Harley. Some folks deserve to die. Legends run wild through the darkness of the mountain top. Portents of mystical justice have deep roots and a monumental myth is about to be born from blood. Lance Henriksen is a superb and disturbingly underrated actor. His angst is palpable in this role and it makes the film a true supernatural gem. If you haven't ridden this wild ride before, do yourself a favor an climb aboard this classic tale of wrongs righted and souls sold.
Scream Factory is brilliant in giving due respect to all their horror film presentations and their 'Pumpkinhead' Blu-ray Collectors Edition is no exception. The 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 image is lovely as is the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack offered. The special features include the new "REMEMBERING THE MONSTER KID: A TRIBUTE TO STAN WINSTON" featuring new interviews with actors Lance Henriksen and Brian Bremer, special effects artists Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Shannon Shea. Also included are new interviews with producer Richard Weinman and actors John D'Aquino and Matthew Hurley. PUMPKINHEAD UNEARTHED (now in HD) – a documentary on the making of PUMPKINHEAD featuring Evolution of a Demon, The Cursed and the Damned, The Torture Soul of Ed Harley, Constructing Vengeance, Razorback Holler. Audio Commentary by Co-screenwriter Gary Gerani and Creature & FX Creators Tom Woodruff, Jr. and Alec Gillis. Completing the package is a Featurette: Demonic Toys, as well as Behind-the-Scenes Footage, Still Gallery, and Theatrical Trailer. If you love the film you will love this wonderful DVD.
The unspoken code of life and death while rarely paid heed to is scarily real non the less. Call it karma or simple Gypsy curse but mess with the simple salt of the earth type folk and most times Satan comes a calling. Que Sara Sara my ass.
Monday, September 15, 2014
'Prom Night' Blu-ray Review
The killers are coming? What ever happened to tag you're it? That's the first thought one has when a crazed hide and seek game goes horribly wrong during the opening moments of the 1980 horror film 'Prom Night'.
Ah the slasher film, the seventies birthed them and the the eighties milked them to within an inch of their ever loving lives. But really what's not to love? Angst ridden teens all hoped up on hormones with deep dark hidden secrets, masked killers armed with all manner of weaponry with revenge filled obsessive mutilation on their minds. In the lexicon of these gore laced babies 'Prom Night' is still a top ten contender in this particular horror genre.
It's six years after the tragic death of an eleven year old girl at the hands of a known child molester. Kim (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Nick (Casey Stevens) Hammond are still mourning their sister. So are their parents Mother Hammond (Antoinette Bower) and Father Hammond (Leslie Nielsen) who happens to be their high school principle. You see the night is all a bustle with prom preparations, but crape paper and glitter are taking a back seat to morbid threatening phone calls and vengeance on the cusp. Red herrings abound what with creepy janitors, escaped child killers, and dateless old maids running a muck in the neighborhood. Michael Myers would be proud. Before the night is over blood will shed, cherries will pop, heads will roll, and all to the pump of the disco beat. Canadian film director Paul Lynch gets a lot right in this cliched tale of juvenile mayhem. It's corny and campy but with enough scares to keep you jumping. Popcorn horror to it's silly core.
Synapse Films respects the horror fan and with 'Prom Night' once again delivers a near perfect package. The Blu-ray image is fantastic in it's HD 1080p widescreen specifications, as is the audio featuring DTS-HD 5.1 Surround/Original 2.0 Mono. English subtitles for the deaf are also available.
The special features include audio commentary with Director Paul Lynch and screenwriter William Grey, a making of featurette, a collection of additional scenes added for TV broadcasts, never before seen outtakes that are exclusive to Blu-ray, and finally the usual trailers and still gallery.
Nearly 35 years later 'Prom Night' like all it's 1980 hack and slash film companions seems almost 70's porn like in it's delivery. Sexy slim babes, weak effeminate boys, and hideous get up and boogy soundtracks all swirl us up into a way-back machine vortex of fun and feeling slightly groovy. High-wasted jeans and perms for all.
Ah the slasher film, the seventies birthed them and the the eighties milked them to within an inch of their ever loving lives. But really what's not to love? Angst ridden teens all hoped up on hormones with deep dark hidden secrets, masked killers armed with all manner of weaponry with revenge filled obsessive mutilation on their minds. In the lexicon of these gore laced babies 'Prom Night' is still a top ten contender in this particular horror genre.
It's six years after the tragic death of an eleven year old girl at the hands of a known child molester. Kim (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Nick (Casey Stevens) Hammond are still mourning their sister. So are their parents Mother Hammond (Antoinette Bower) and Father Hammond (Leslie Nielsen) who happens to be their high school principle. You see the night is all a bustle with prom preparations, but crape paper and glitter are taking a back seat to morbid threatening phone calls and vengeance on the cusp. Red herrings abound what with creepy janitors, escaped child killers, and dateless old maids running a muck in the neighborhood. Michael Myers would be proud. Before the night is over blood will shed, cherries will pop, heads will roll, and all to the pump of the disco beat. Canadian film director Paul Lynch gets a lot right in this cliched tale of juvenile mayhem. It's corny and campy but with enough scares to keep you jumping. Popcorn horror to it's silly core.
Synapse Films respects the horror fan and with 'Prom Night' once again delivers a near perfect package. The Blu-ray image is fantastic in it's HD 1080p widescreen specifications, as is the audio featuring DTS-HD 5.1 Surround/Original 2.0 Mono. English subtitles for the deaf are also available.
The special features include audio commentary with Director Paul Lynch and screenwriter William Grey, a making of featurette, a collection of additional scenes added for TV broadcasts, never before seen outtakes that are exclusive to Blu-ray, and finally the usual trailers and still gallery.
Nearly 35 years later 'Prom Night' like all it's 1980 hack and slash film companions seems almost 70's porn like in it's delivery. Sexy slim babes, weak effeminate boys, and hideous get up and boogy soundtracks all swirl us up into a way-back machine vortex of fun and feeling slightly groovy. High-wasted jeans and perms for all.
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