BruceVain's Xanax Anyone!

"Blood Mania" has body galore!

2010-07-19T21:34:00Z

Most recently I purchased a collection of Horror films titled "Gorehouse Greats", 3 DVD's with 2 films per side, totaling 12 films. Being a huge fan of gore house cinema... I bit and the purchase was final. After thumbing through the discs- one in particular reached out to me. It was called "Blood Mania", it prompted me for some reason to place it in the Blu-Ray player and give it a go. The film presented itself to me in three parts over a three day period and with a title like "Blood Mania" how could I go wrong.....right?

"Blood Mania" Stars Peter Carpenter as "Dr. Craig Cooper"and on this particular day he is visiting a patient, a Mr. Ridgely Waterman (Eric Allison) for a checkup. During that visit Dr. Cooper also meets Waterman's daughter Victoria. Victoria lives with her father and takes care of him, when she isn't trying to sleep with anything she can lay her smoking hot body down on.

We soon learn that Dr. Cooper has skeletons in his closet, in the form of "Former Abortion Clinic Dr"....yes..that's right, he is a baby killer and someone is attempting to blackmail him for a 1970's whopping $50,000.....that's big cheese....I digress! Or the beans will be spilled, causing him to lose his medical licence. This of course leads him to allowing the ever so hot daughter, to seduce him. Reveling her amazing naked body in scenes of 70's esque porn...not that I would know what that looks like

Now obsessed with Dr. Cooper, Victoria devises a plan to kill her rich, sick father and deliver the proceeds to the ever so smooth Doc.

Meanwhile, Dr. Coopers girlfriend (Reagan WIlson) sleeps with the blackmailer( not to be confused with the black male...sorry, I continue) in an attempt to thwart him away from the morally rich Dr. Cooper, only to reveal her "Playmate of the Month"(October 1976) body in all its glory( songs of harps playing). Victoria( Maria de Aragon) becomes a hot mess and thus begins the downward spiral that is......"Blood Mania"

Ok, considering this film is from 1970, and taking it for what it is, I have to admit.....it's pretty good. It helps that there are beautiful naked bodies portrayed like 70's porn....didn't I already say that? I'm not talking brief nudity....ohh look her boob popped out. I'm talking straight soft core porn style...why do I keep saying porn? Peter Carpenters acting is a little over the top, however Maria de Aragons boobs are amazing...I mean, she plays out of her gord to the tee! **Random info alert** Apparently she played "Greedo" in the first "Star Wars" film....1st yes, however it was Episode IV...so there!

Direction was fine, aside from Carpenters overacting(not sure there was a lot of real acting going on there). Set Design is simple and minimized to the few locations. The lighting and camera angles are refreshing, if you like boob angles from every direction.

This doesn't give much away, however I will issue a **Mild Spoiler Alert** There isn't much blood in "Blood Mania"( that was it, not really a spoiler)

Overall, their really is a plot to this film, and Director Robert Vincent O'Neil executes it quite well! Some of his "Popper" induced symbolism is a bit of a stretch, although with it being a 70's budget bomb...it fits well. Casting of the hotties is spot on and whoever's idea it was to strip them down...ohh yeah, it was the screenwriters...wait that was Carpenter....was a great idea!

I like this film and recommend it to anyone who likes a little trance like horror, 70's style. Laced with naked bodies and an end twist for the ages.

BruceVain

"A Nightmare On Elm Street" (2010) a true nightmare...and not in a good scary way!!

2010-07-15T17:28:00Z

Wes Craven speaks again about the inspiration for 'Freddy Krueger" most recently in the fear.net series "Post Mortem" Hosted by "Masters of Horror series creator and Director Mick Garris. He remembers when he was a young boy, his family lived in a 2 story building, when one night he was peering out the window from the second floor down at a homeless man. Wes speaks about how the man at one point notices Wes looking at him and proceeds to toy with him, making eerie pose like depictions in the shadows of the night. Wes Craven speaks about the mans eyes and the penetrating fear evoked by his gaze( that Freddy gaze). This interaction affected him in a great way( mostly with fear), promoting him to run into his brothers room to share his trepidation of this man in the street; who now is pounding at their front door. Wes' brother now wielding a baseball bat opens the front door to find.....no one!

34 years later the incarnation of this experience is brought to life on the big screen with the iconic film "A Nightmare on Elm Street"(1984). In this writers opinion, one of the greatest horror classics of all time- about a child murderer, burned severely- hunting the "Elm Street Children", punishing them for the acts their parents committed.

Flash forward another 25 years- Freddy Krueger returns again in the Platinum Dunes reboot helmed by Samuel Bayer( Nirvana-"Smells like teen Spirit " video) for the first time, without the man behind the makeup...Robert Englund, the plot of the kids being from "Elm Street"( replaced by the kids all going to preschool together) or any real moments of fear.

The writers of "NOES" (2010) hint at a decently laid out plot, however the content inserted between beginning and end misses the mark...completely!

Jackie Earl Haley encompasses 0 believability as Freddy Krueger. He has a head that looks like "Spud Mackensie" or a small horse, this symmetry makes him look clearly unrecognizable as the iconic bogeyman. He is also too short to play the part. How can Robert Englund be typecast as Freddy and not be brought back to play the role people only know him as? I'm convinced the boys at Platinum Dunes made this movie knowing that the buzz would create enough of a box office hit to cover their budget. The film made its money simply because Robert Englund helped create a franchise like no other. Nothing new is introduced in this latest incarnation and the studios will green-light another remake for them to defile.

Ok...so what, the guys name is Freddy, he has the sweater and glove and the girls name is Nancy...big whoopee!! This film is soo not NOES its unbelievable. Another 50 million ransacked from the pockets of fans, believing the franchise would deliver again the red and green sweater-ed bogeyman. Only to raked over the coals and shuffled out for the next theater full of optimists to get rolled over.

I will admit that the dreamscape sequences were quite entertaining. The "one liners" from the previous films were refreshing. Had this film been the original- with no 8 previous films. It would have had a very difficult opening weekend.

Nightmare on Elm Street(2010) opening weekend take was $35million......week 2 it dropped 72% earning only $9million...week 3 an additional 54% drop earning $1.5million. Numbers don't lie! The buzz was never built after opening weekend, that's how bad this film was. No one recommended it or saw it a 2nd time. " Welcome to my world bitch"

They don't care you didn't like their film and wouldn't recommend it to a friend, they already got your money..... correction...our money!

BruceVain

Warning "Splatter: Naked Blood" will make you hurl!

2010-05-27T20:45:00Z

"Splatter: Naked Blood"

One of the better, simplistic formulas to shake the foundation of the genre in quite some time, has arrived. A few aspects that can be appreciated about "Splatter" are the minimal expenditures of plot twists. Director Hisayasu Sato( "Night of the Anatomical Doll", "Soft Skin") hides none of the script(written by Taketoshi Watari) behind any closed doors for the imagination to guess against. Every bit of this film is in plain view. As the film develops along its 76 min trek to absolution, no punches are pulled. What IS lacking in script writing, is made up in a major way in the special make up department. The world famous Yuichi Matsui (Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2, The Ring I, II and IV, Audition, Imprint, Ichi the Killer and The Grudge I &II. Please don't make me go on, this guys resume is beyond world class.) circumnavigates the classic effects that made him famous, ranging from disgusting, imaginative, to vomit inducing!

It's just one of those very simple films, budget is not extravagant, the story is not overly imaginative. The acting is decent, although the sound editing is great. You can hear every stab, gouge and slice in Dolby Stereo Surround. On the spectrum of short, time wise, there is a bit of a wait to get things rolling, however when the time is right and the meat of the story(or special effects) starts to develop....you know that saying..."when it rains.....it pours? Yeah....like that!

A young scientist prodigy Eiji (Sadao Abe) is working on his latest experiment, a formula aptly named "MYSON" designed to relieve pain. He feels it is very close to completion and is ready for clinical trials. His mother Yuki (Masumi Nakao) is herself a scientist, specializing in fertility. As her son comes to visit her, she is in the middle of her own trials. Three women are currently involved in a contraceptive experiment. Eiji arrives and asks if he may sit in on his mothers work for a bit. She denies him and asks him to leave her to her work. The opportunity to share his medical breakthrough passes and while his mother is turned the other way, he reveals a vial of his formula and inserts it into the IV bags, unbeknown-st to his mother and the three women.

These three women play a pivotal role in the film, their characters have very distinct attributes that make more sense later in the film. Girl #1 ( Plant Girl) has a 6 foot cactus in her apartment....yeah, kinda weird, however, maybe she is a plant lover! Well, NO( or maybe yes, just in a very odd, loving way). She just happens to have a virtual reality machine hooked up to the plant and to her(when she puts the head set on), so she can communicate with the plant, have virtual sex with it....yeah...really not sure why she has it set up to the cactus.Girl #2 ( Glutton Girl) She loves food, good food and all food she can get her mitts on. Girl #3 (Vain Girl) She loves designer clothes, looking her best at all times and of course looking at herself in the mirror.

Our young Eiji follows his test subjects from a far, watching from building tops or a few blocks away, carefully observing their responses and effects to the "MYSON" cocktail.

I thought this was a horror film with a great FX Director...where is all the good stuff at? I haven't seen a single drop of High Fructose Corn Syrup( I mean Blood)!

Patience my young Pad-Wan; patience!

Without giving away too much, I will issue a:

*Mild Spoiler Alert*

These girls have been subjected to an unknown, untested substance, with out their knowledge. This "MYSON" increases the secretion of endorphins' from the pituitary gland when pain is felt, giving the women increased pleasure when any pain is induced (or extreme body mutilation...let the gore begin).

When the makeup effects arrive, they come wielding, kitchen utensils, cooking oil and much, much more! Yuichi's work can be seen in many Takashi Miike films and he generally doesn't disappoint. This is another occasion where you will get all of your money's worth.

I'm compelled to tell you a small amount of what you can expect from the horrifically graphic, in full view scenes of "Splatter: Naked Blood".

Scene #1: Glutton Girl cuts off her vagina......and......EATS IT!!!

Scene #2: Glutton Girl sticks a fork in her eye, pulls it out, optic nerve and all....and....EATS IT!!

Splatter is carried specifically on content. Nothing about the films writing is anything to get excited about. Anyone can write stick fork in eye..eat eye. Sure to the non-gore watching community, stomachs would be turning in knots, however enlist the expertise of master effects director Yuichi Matsui and those stomachs turn into empty ones. Not the best characterization and plot development, however, If shock is what you like; you must see this film, it was for me! When the good stuff rolled in, it was in tsunami like waves. Watch it!

BruceVain

The Terror Returns to Los Angeles from May 21-23, with Creation Entertainment’s Weekend of Horrors Convention

2010-05-20T16:48:00Z

(Los Angeles, Calif…May6, 2010) The “Creation Entertainment’s Weekend of Horrors ” presented by Dark Sky Films, returns to the Los Angeles, Friday, May 21 throughSunday, May 23, with the gory best of terror talent from both film and TV. This fright-filled three-day event will beheld at the Marriot Los Angeles Airport,5855 West Century Blvd, Los Angeles,CA.

Terror favoritesscheduled to appear include:writer/director Dario Argento(from DEMONS Series) and from NIGHTMARE OF ELM STREET, Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy Thompson) and John Saxon (Lt. Thompson).

TheWeekend of Horrors also offers a variety ofstar-packed panels, including:

• Hatchet 2 Panel will bring thegenre’s hottest names to present a fun and informative panel such as Adam Green, Kane Hodder Tony Todd, Danielle Harris and more.

• Re-Animator Panel will consist of writer/directorStuart Gordon, Screenplay writerDennis Paoli, and actors Jeffrey Combs,Barbara Crampton, Robert Sampson, Bruce Abbot and more.

• Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy Panel willinclude directors Daniel Farrandsand Andrew Kasch, along withwriter/producer Thommy Hutson andmore.

• Michael Myers Panel where your favorite Halloween stars willparticipate in a special panel including TonyMoran, Will Sandin, Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur and more.

• Jason Voorhees Panel. willbring the Friday the 13^th actors together on stage including Arl Lehman, Warrington Gillette, Steve Dash, RichardBrooker, Ted White, Kane Hodder and more.

Attendees will also find a large assortment ofexhibits offering horror film merchandise and collectables along with photo opsand autographs. The GruesomeArt Ghoullery, presented by 100 Years of Monster Movies, will exhibit some of thebest artists and artwork in horror today.

Forthe ghoul in all of us, a variety of activities are planned. On Friday, April 21, Weekend of Horrorsattendees will take a stab at the Zombie Walk which will take place at the LAXMarriott Hotel at dusk. These “Zombies” are encouraged to bring a can ofnon-perishable good for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Also, not to be missed is the CreepyCostume Contest(Saturday) and the Terrifying TattooSavage Contest (Sunday). Bothcontests willoffer cash and prizes to the winners.

For after-hoursfun, Friday evening brings back the “Shock-N-Roll Spooktacular,” and XtremeFashion Show.

Weekend of Horrors, Los Angeles

“Creation Entertainment’sWeekend of Horrors” issponsored by Dark Sky Films, Coffin Case, 100 Years of Monster Movies,Dreadcentral.com, Bloodydisgusting.com,Suicide Girls, horrorsociety.com,chud.com and pretty-scary.net.

General admissiontickets are available in advance through www.creationent.comfor $20 on Friday, and $25 on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets at the door may be slightlyhigher. Tickets for children 7-12 are$10 at the door only, and children six and under are free with parent orguardian. Show hours are Friday, 2 PM – 8 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM –7 PM (times are tentative). For furtherinformation, call Creation Entertainment, 818/409-0960 or visit our website at www.creationent.com.

PR Contact: Monica Gillen, (714) 271-4081, monica@creationent.com

Wizard World Anaheim:2010

2010-04-23T05:01:00Z

EXCLUSIVE: From Anaheim Convention Center-"The Devils Rejects"Bill Mosely, Herb Dean, The Iron Sheik, The Million Dollar Man, The Honky Tonk Man and Much, Much More!!

Wizard World Anaheim was everything I had expected and so much more! I had the privilege to attend the inaugural convention in Anaheim, CA on Sunday, April 18, 2010 at the famous Anaheim Convention Center. My assistant and I arrived around 11:30 AM-On the way I was not happy thinking I was going to purchase a ticket at the door. Online they were $25.00(No Ink for the printer),so $30.00 at the door it is...or maybe not! En route to the main entrance I came across a random guy wearing a military style blazer. Low and behold, he was a scalper.Let the bartering begin....Round 1 (Ding)- His opening offer was $30.00, I wasn't having that. I explained that I could by the ticket at the door for thirty and I wouldn't run the risk of it not getting me in the door. He was adamant that this was a 3 day pass and it was worth the$30.00. "Dude, it's Sunday! Today is the last day of the con" He realized that the thirty may not hold up. Since $25 was the cost at the door, I figured cheaper than that would be a good deal. Round 2- The counter offer. I offer $20.00,he accepts and included an escort through the door. I mosey on over to the Press Pass check in- After showing my ID and stating the periodical I write for, my badge and bracelet were in hand. My assistant had reached her final destination inside the doors. All clear and I saved $10.00. Let the good times roll and get ready for Wizard World Anaheim 2010.

I was slightly hesitant to video any of the professionals, they were all charging excessive amounts of yes...MONEY! Some in excess of $35.00 for a single photograph. Don't worry, my game face is and I'll make it happen. Also, manners must be in effect at all times..please ask permission to photograph or record anyone and everything, it will be appreciated.

The crowd was controlled and minimal for the early Sunday morning, great for me getting access to all my favorite stars!!

First Stop Artists Alley

Tom Hodges-Tom is working on a sketch for an attendee, he appears very focused and has many more to create. He shows me his portfolio of con sketches. Great art from a very nice guy. Thank you Tom Hodges for taking the time. Check out his website at www.tomhodges.com

Tim Bradstreet-Tim Bradstreet world renowned artist, famous for his depictions of Marvel Comics The Punisher. He asks me "which of the colored sketches are my favorite". I reply "The Punisher and Judge Dredd". He says "Good Choices"

Next Stop: A Few Product Booths

Hmm...I'm looking for Horror. LOOK...Haunted Memories Changing Portraits Haunted Memories Changing Portraits. You really must check these out, vintage B & W photography with a horror twist. At first glance the photo appears to be a regular picture, except when you move it, the holographic magic changes the image to bloody fang bearing creatures of the night! Check them out at http://www.hauntedmemories.com/newgallery.htm

The Best is Yet to Come...Wrestling Superstars!

I knew these guys are in here somewhere. Pretty sure that I was shocked at how minuscule Verne Troyer was, when as I turned around...there he was!! THE IRON SHEIK! One of my all time favorites and master of the Camel Clutch!

Look..look...It's The Million Dollar Man-Ted Debiase w/ his body gaurd Virgil! He also has with him a replica of his $50,000 Million Dollar Belt...amazing!

Right next to the Iron Sheiks Booth was....The Greatest Intercontinental Champion Ever...The Honky Tonk Man!

He has still got it!

Horror God: Bill Mosely Interview

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "What projects do you have upcoming"?

Bill Mosely: "2001 Maniacs:Field of Screams just came out, I also have "The Graves" which premiered at the "After Dark Horror Fest" in January and "The Tortured" this year as well."

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "I read that Rob Zombie will be remaking "The Blob", you have collaborated with him on his big screen horror films. Will you be working with him again on the upcoming "The Blob"?

Bill Mosely: "I've worked with Rob in, Corpses, Rejects and a small part as a security gaurd in H2, as far as working with him again on this new project...you never know"

As I continue my interview with Mr. Mosely a group of people walk up yelling "Dr. Satan" cutting our interview a bit short...Thank you Mr. Bill Mosely. Check him out at http://www.choptopsbbq.com/

UFC Referee: Herb Dean Interview

Sometimes referred to as controversial referee for his decisions in the cage Herb Dean, who I ran into walking around the exhibit floor, gave me the opportunity to ask him a few questions.

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "Herb, were you working last nights (April 17, 2010) Strikeforce-CBS Saturday Night Fights event"?

Herb Dean: "No, I wasn't there but I did see it."

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "What are your thoughts on the post main event brawl that ensued"?

Herb Dean: "I'm a fan of the Diaz brothers-I like watching them and I'am a fan of their camp".

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "You would agree that Jason "Mayhem" Miller had no reason to be in the cage....and it was aclear sign of disrespect"?

Herb Dean: "I agree, what happened after the main event is terrible and should have never happened".

BruceVain for Killerreviews.com: "Thank you Herb for your time and keep up the good work".

Herb Dean: Appreciate it, thanks.

I can't wait for Comic-Con in July!

In conclusion, Wizard World Anaheim 2010 was a great success- a wonderfully ran event, great fans and talented professionals that made for some very special moments...Thank you! Many thanks to Jerry Milani from Wizard World PR Dept. thank you for your continued support and a job well done! I look forward to working with you again real soon. Thank you to Killerreviews.com and President Gregg D. for supporting me.

See you all very soon!

BruceVain

"Meatball Machine" has a little bit of meat but definitely wasn't a ball!

2010-04-19T20:47:00Z

"Meatball Machine"

Have you ever wanted to see a film based solely on the positives you created in your own head? Completely ignoring any cinematic standards or any reviews written on the film? Because, of course, your going to believe what you want to believe anyway. This way of thinking is very true in my case and for my latest film review for the Japanese shock film "Meatball Machine"

'Meatball Machine" is another film among the ranks of the Tokyo Gore- splatter film genres, with a pinch of Sci-Fi. I was curiously drawn to the film solely on genre, but more specifically because Japanese Effects Director Yoshihiro Nishimura helms the ever so, not so easily forgotten style of excessive blood, mutations of grandeur and everything perverse his big brain can throw at you. In this case the film is a complete success for it's costumes and effects. I've come to the realization that the best way to judge Nishimura's FX work is to base it strictly on a physiological basis. If you feel a little queasy or your stomach mildly turns, then the film is usually pretty good. If you experience any worse symptoms then the aforementioned, you better settle in and expect a wild ride.

As for the remainder of the film.... I'll get to that a bit later...after the jump!

"Meatball Machine" pits a young machine worker "Yoji" ( Issei Takahashi) as a lonely member of society. He's not great with the ladies and frequents adult theaters only to receive advancements from a transvestite. When a friend attempts to cheer him up and brings him to a brothel to de-virginize him, he walks out before anything happens.

On a daily basis he longs across a field at the affection of his desire, a young women, a co-worker whom he cannot muster enough courage to share his feelings.

This sub-plot plays second fiddle to the meat of the story that explodingly connects a bit later in the film.

Japan has become infested with parasitic alien creatures that inhabit and take control of human hosts, and when one of the host bodies are met face to face with another, a fight to the death ensues...oh and the winner rips out the alien parasite and eats it upon victory (yeah. not a real family friendly film). One of the more eventful scenes in the film is when a alien is found by "Yoji" outside the porn theatre. He brings it home and puts it in his closet. When he invites his affection home with him, it rears it's ugly head, and horrible scorpion tail, that it inserts inside her vagina, spewing the alien parasite inside her to take control of her. I swear, maybe it was just me, but it looked like she actually took pleasure when that elephants trunk stinger penetrated her Hoo Hoo....eww! This sequence sets off a chain of events that is "Meatball Machine"

Co-Directors Yudai Yamaguchi and Jan'ichi Yamamoto create this concoction based on earlier work written, produced and directed by Yamamoto in 1999. Their science experiment Circa 2005 starts very well- with elements of horrific, excessive gore, violence and welcomed extremism. My first thoughts were " I'm in for gory, gory, goodness".

Like this head split in two!!!!!( Not the best Photo)

Overall the direction was moderately constructed-Costume and Effects were pleasantly expected. The Writing at times, I felt lacked in originality and direction, at times becoming loose, making the pace and energy of the film misplaced. The love story, sub-plot was refreshingly agreeable for sheer ironic purposes. In conclusion the film is a success for any fan of the Japanese bloody madness genre. A little too weird in subject matter for my taste, but it is worth watching....once!

BruceVain

3rd Times a charm with the Tokyo Shock, this time it's "Samurai Princess"

2010-03-29T18:49:00Z

"Samurai Princess"

Once again Yoshihiro Nishimura rears his gory FX laden head in "Samurai Princess"! This time directed by Kenjo Kaji ("Ultraman Moebius").I'm convinced Nishimura could never disappoint! "Samurai Princess" is a hybrid of "TGP" and "TMG", although the lack of budget is recognizably evident, though it doesn't detract from the overall distinction of the film. The costumes are 1980's retro chic and heavily stylized. It does appear though that the cast and crew were offered a forest for a set and said go to work! That is exactly what mad scientist Director Kenjo Kaji had, and precisely what he needed to make this formula for success that is...."Samurai Princess".
Kaji does a great job, but when you include Yoshiro Nishimura into the picture, you can not expect to be shortchanged, he will gross you out....hardcore!! You may in fact get more(generally bucket fulls) than you could have ever imagined. Nishimura is truly an effects master, only the best in blood, gore and the most perverse imaginations ever created. Exploitive, yet stylistic and original.

At one point Samurai Princess was a normal schoolgirl, spending time with her friends by a nearby stream, living life as it should be, when a villainous gang of sadistic rapists comes along. The rapists do what they do best and Samurai Princess is left alone, clinging to life and left for dead. Along comes a even stranger individual, who specializes in typical mad scientist insanity, more specifically, experimentation's mixing human and machine. Now, "Samurai Princess" is known as a "Mecca" a cyborg like creature instilled with elaborate instruments of death. Also with the help of a Buddhist priestess they insert the souls of "SP's" dead friends into her. Now, flash forward back to present day..... awake and coming to the realization that her normal life is over..."SP concludes someone made her this way and she will do anything and kill as many as it will take to find out who.

Aino Kishi plays the beautiful "Samurai Princess, clad in minimal clothing, the adult film actress fits the part to the tee. Aside from the lackluster budget, that in my opinion is only visible in video production and set design, this film is a real treat to the genre. Original costume design, stupendous effect by a true effects genius and well done acting(at times quite overdone), this makes "SP" a genre must see. Although "Samurai Princess" was not a "Tokyo Gore Police", it did have similar elements, only turned down a few notches.

"Samurai Princess" wields Katanas that discover the best in arterial spray in every direction possible. Anyone standing anywhere near the spraying is sure to be bathed in blood, at times covering the camera lens, a Nishimura trademark! Two removable breasts that when attached together yield a grenade, that on occasion will make heads explode in full view. A circular saw that extends from the sternum of "SP"....I'm sure you can imagine what that does. Chainsaw legs and a guitar that emits sound waves when strummed, causing a serious mess.

"Samurai Princess" is a highly creative film, filled with high quality scenes of gore filled madness, done by only the best effects director possible. What the film lacks in development and budget, it completely makes up in originality, creativity and style. The fun factor for "SP" is clearly off the charts....and for goodness sakes, IT HAS BREAST GRENADES!!!!

BruceVain

Pull up a seat, this buffet is a "Blood Feast (2)" and it's "All you can Eat"!!

2010-03-26T20:09:00Z

"Blood Feast 2 "-All You can Eat

39 years after the original "Blood Feast" was released Herschell Gordon Lewis, the pioneer 'Godfather of Gore" is back with his next installment..."Blood Feast 2"!

This time the grandson of the infamous Fuad Ramses, Fuad Ramses III has inherited the catering business and wants to make a bid at making the business a success. His first day in the shop he is visited by a police detective, who makes him very aware of Fuad's family history in his small town. Soon Fuad will inherit more than just the family business, revisiting the same path his Grandfather Fuad Ramses discovered 39 years earlier.

Let's skip all the formalities and get right to it. "BF2" pulls no punches and from the start hits you right between the eyes, with exactly what you were hoping for- a blood Induced visual overload!

Two homeless freeloaders digging through trashcans are introduced in the opening sequence. They find a dead cat in the trash and say that it will make for a good dinner, as they prepare the fire to cook with, a mysterious red light appears beyond a nearby back door. Upon seeing the light the derelicts appear to be possessed, one approaches the other with a large knife and cuts into his stomach and begins removing organs. The other possessed fool breaks a bottle and slashes the throat of his trash can friend. This opening scene really sets the tome for the remainder of the film and reassures the audience that "HGL" has got you covered and you are in for a wild ride.

"BF2" and it's grainy appearance , poor sound, constant overacting, strange Batlord type music, homage to B-movie splatter films of the 80's was hard to handle. One example was Fuad's (J.P. Delahoussaye) over the top chacterization of the possessed caterer. The writing had some miscue's too,like the constant denial early on of who the obvious killer was.

What "BF2" really did have going for it was the horrifically graphic GORE, explicit nudity, fantastic supporting acting by Detective Dave Loomis(John Mconnell) and the campy humor that at times was quite funny.

OK, back to the gore!
1)Full view of a corkscrew into the ear, screwed around until a lot of brains is exposed.
2) Both arms of a human into a meat grinder, ground up to the elbows.
3) Mini ice cream scooper removes two eyes, then tongue is pulled out.

Explicit Nudity
"BF2" is loaded with beautiful women with incredible bodies running around waiting to be killed in gruesome, bloody fashion, throughout the film.

Serious Comedy
One scene in particular is where Detective Myers is mentioning the weather, when Detective Loomis does an entire scene of weather reporting, with map in the background. Really a very clever well done scene.

"BF2" with a running time of 99 min is very well paced, with the perfect amount of splatter to keep you in the mood. I will say that 10-15min could have been shaved off of the beginning of the third act to save from dragging on. Not having high expectations, to being pleasantly surprised with the quality of the FX and a plot twist too, make this film a real treat! Considering the subject matter, the film lacks the typical excessive swearing you might come to expect from the genre.

Herschell Gordon Lewis' techniques and artistic representation are communicated well and are apparent in a few scenes. Like the all white backgrounds with blood saturating the foreground and protagonist, representing purity corrupted.

His framing of shots and low angles which induce confusion and powerlessness in the viewer are textbook. Adding height with his opaque shots inspires fear and insecurity along with imbalance.

"BF2" was pretty good! If "HGL" wanted to venture out of the B-Movie security blanket, I'm confident he would make a great film. Not bad for a 73 yr old man back in 2002, 81 yrs old now! When i think of "Blood Feast 2"-"All You Can Eat", only one word comes to mind.....Evisceration!

BruceVain

Do you have what it takes to dive...."In My Skin"?

2010-03-19T21:39:00Z

"In My Skin"

"In My Skin" is exactly the the way a film should be made. French Extremism is brought front and center in this film Written/Directed and Starring Marina de Van as the beautiful "Ester", a young women who descends into an abyss of psychiatric darkness of self mutilation/self cannibalism/autosarcophagy. Her boyfriend "Vincent" (Laurent Lucas, Calvaire) and friend "Sandrine" ( Lea Drucker) deal with the frustration of trying to help, to no avail!

"In My Skin" is a horribly beautiful film with just the right amount of extremism to landscape the austerity of "Esters" ailment to a frightening reality.

"Ester" is a young women who attends a networking mixer with her friend and colleague "Sandrine". Wanting to get a breath of fresh air, "Ester" ventures out of the house in darkness. Hard to see, "Ester" falls, after picking herself back up, she ventures back inside and up stairs to the bathroom, where she notices a lot of blood on the carpet. She realizes that this trail of blood leads back to her! She looks at her pant leg, it's terribly torn. "Ester" lifts the tattered pant leg, only to reveal a ghastly tear in her flesh. Amazed at the fact she felt no pain, she leaves the party and goes for a drink with her friends before visiting the hospital.

Now infatuated with her new laceration, "Ester" spirals down the path of self mutilation, with a side of denial, shame and obsessive compulsion.

"In My Skin" is a sad film. This women is so overcome by her mental illness, it becomes hard to watch. Not for the scenes of the graphic images, but for the fact that their is no explanation for her behavior. I liked de Van's direction here. I could see how this could be perceived as poor development, but on the contrary, this is real life and we don't know if she was abused emotionally or sexually to end up this way. This is a direct reflection of the horrors of real life. You could have a friend, loved one or colleague that you think is perfectly normal to only find out that after hours they are tormented by demons. Somethings in life are just unexplained, we would never know unless we walked in their shoes. "IMS" is a haunting portrayal of succumbing to demons that haunt the vast majority.

The imagination that is Marina de Van is unparalleled, a real sentiment to her writing ability, then somehow she turns it into real life on the big screen, this speaks volumes for her talent as a director. Her portrayal of "Ester" was so good, I felt for her on every slash.

Laurent Lucas' supporting role was at times a bit much and overacted(like many of his scenes in Calvaire). Gladly he leaves it all to de Van to run with, and that is exactly what she does. Don't forget the mutilations she produces on her self with every sharp instrument she can find in arms reach. These scenes are all in full view for you to wriggle about in your seat. "IMS" is so good it can not be missed. It's so real...it's scary!

BruceVain
BruceVain's Blog

"Predators" Trailer Released

2010-03-19T15:02:00Z

"The Butcher" holds up, but digs it's own grave!

2010-03-16T15:12:00Z

"The Butcher"

"The Butcher" is a 2007 South Korean Horror film Directed by Kim Jin-Won. The film is shot in a Cin`ema V`erit`e style depicting a point of view perspective for both the victims and killers. The hand held and lower resolution head mounted cameras bring you up close and personal for a snuff film in the making, that is "The Butcher".

Cin`ema V`erit`e, I get it, supposed to promote a naturalistic appearance of sheer terror, but for the first 15 min, I had nothing-nothing but heavy screaming, sniffling and moaning. I had to actually turn the volume down so my neighbors didn't think " what the hell is he watching in there". The problem was even if the neighbors thought" what is he watching"? I was getting nothing ,I couldn't see anything, all of this torture was not seen on camera.

The film begins with two characters appearing to be delivering more victims to an abandoned slaughterhouse for their eminent (off camera viewing) death. "The Director" and "The Assistant" arrive in the gloomy chamber to see the latest lineup of soon to be eradicated. The subjects appear to be stripped down to their undergarments and bound. The editing debacle that is excessive film cutting from the "The Director's"perspective to the "soon to be dead, but you won't be able to see anything peeps side of things". Shots of darkness, walls, doors and more dark areas in the room, to a conversation with the "Director" accepting a phone call from his mother, asking if he will be attending Church.

A few at a time people are taken back into another area, where more screams are heard and a chainsaw screeching at full throttle, held by a pig mask wearing, man raping psycho, f-ing people up.. At this point the only butchering going on is on my patience, desperately anticipating for any kind of clarity. 32 min into "The Butcher" and finally a hint of a not so shaky camera scene, bringing my attention into full focus.

A man who moments earlier tried to escape, is brought back into the torture chamber with his wife and sat in chairs opposite each other. The floors are covered with plastic and blood is everywhere. Cue more of the whimpering and crying, but wait? An actual story begins to unfold( a pretty good one too). With a mere flip of the coin, a choice will have to be made for their survival!

"The Butcher" teetering on decency, takes such a long time before any real substance or development is ascertained makes it a dissapointment of a film and loss of a good 32 min in the first act and at least 10 more in the last one. On a $15,000 budget much cannot be expected, yet another 2007 blockbuster on the exact budget made $100 million (Paranormal Activity). Kim Jin-Won seems to drag this one on in all the wrong places. Loaded with meaningless filler to set the mood and tone are a waste. "The Butcher was great expectations, a great idea, only to deliver letdown. If anyone can hang on past the 30 min mark, "The Butcher" becomes something else...a little better movie. The FX when they finally came were great.

I beg to differ with those who categorize this film as "Torture Porn" This film should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as the sub-genre. "Torture Porn" in my opinion is good...this film was close, but wasn't. "The Butcher" was that 80yd pass right in the hands of rookie Director Kim Jin-Won only to be dropped in the end zone with time expired.

BruceVain
http://blog.tonymulcahy.net/

New "Predators"(2010) Trailer

2010-03-15T16:25:00Z

"The Descent 2" Movie Trailer

2010-03-12T22:33:00Z

"Audition" is by far Miike's Best

2010-03-12T17:22:00Z

"Audition"

Recently my film viewing tastes have led me in the direction of exploitive Tokyo Shock films, uber gory, mutilation flicks( what's wrong with a little mutilation?) with lack of plot, character development and budget. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the sub-genre, "Torture Porn" foreign madness. But Takashi Miike's brings all of these elements into the spotlight and so much more, including his twisted masochistic approach to filmmaking. Miike doesn't disappoint with his 1999 film "Audition"

"Audition" is about Shigehura Aoyama (Ryo Isibushi) a 50's something man who recently lost his wife. Now seven years later, widowed and left to raise his son Shigehiko alone ( Tetsu Sawaki). At Dinner Shigehiko suggests to his father that he should remarry, they discuss the apparent bespiritment his father is portraying. Shigehura seriously contemplates the idea and shares it with his friend and business colleague Yoshikawa( Jun Kunimura). Yoshikawa devises an idea how they can set up Shigehura with a new wife. Being that they are in the movie industry, Yoshikawa has a script for a film and wants to cast an audition, unbeknownst to the actresses that they are actually auditioning for Shigehura's hand in marriage. He narrows the exhaustive list of applicants down to a final thirty, the audition begins. The women come in one by one to showcase their abilities, but Shigehura is intrigued by one woman in particular, the 24 year old Asami Yamazuki( Eihi Shiina, Tokyo Gore Police). After continued suggestion from Yoshikawa to steer clear of Asami,( her references don't check out) he just has a bad feeling about her. Shigehura insists that he knows what he is doing and continues to pursue her. What he doesn't know is her past is soiled with abuse and torment transforming her into a deeply disturbed individual( a cute one though)- *Spoiler* If only he knew he would have his foot sawed off with a wire saw by her in about an hour....don't tell anyone I told you...shhh!

"Audition" is a well paced, brilliantly constructed film based on the novel of the same name by Ryu Murakami. The introduction and development of the characters was just enough to make it through unscathed, only to reveal more later in the film to bring everything into perspective. Eihi Shiina is brilliant playing the disturbed Asami, a soft spoken, obedient women looking only to please, but holds dark secrets about her past. She is so creepy, in one scene she is kneeling in an empty room with nothing but a sack tied closed and a telephone. She kneels with her head contorted in a meditative state waiting for Shigehura to call her or vomiting in a dog bowl for her captive to lap up. She seeps creepiness and at this point in the film it seemed like the tide had turned and I was in for the Miike ride.

"Audition" is not even close to some of Takashi Miike's other films like "Imprint", with over the top shock. This is a real film, with real suspense , making it more thriller with a little gore, than Horror. Quite frankly the best Miike film I have ever seen(I've seen them all). In just under 2 hours,"Audition" is a bit longer than I prefer for the genre, but with Direction that good, the film flows brilliantly. The Miike style is subtle yet apparent ."Audition is Miike at his best, a masterpiece of filmmaking, with that classic Miike style. It displays scenes of masked predictability, when you find you were not even close, but...."that's life, isn't it"?

BruceVain

New "Twilight- Eclipse"Trailer

2010-03-11T16:22:00Z

More Tokyo Gore with "The Machine Girl"

2010-03-10T03:10:00Z

"The Machine Girl"

I thought for sure that I had had enough of the "Tokyo Shock" scene after seeing "Tokyo Gore Police", after seeing that film I nearly gave up on the sub-genre all together. Feeling froggy I figured it would be safe going with a Tokyo shock as long as it wasn't written and directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura. It was ok that he had done the FX, his work in that department is really quite good. Instead I went the safe route (really sarcastic) with porn director Noburu Iguchi's " The Machine Girl"

Thank goodness there was no penis gun this time around. Just your classic "Tokyo Shock" Nishimura style! Fingers, heads, arms all cut off with the single swipe of a Katana blade. Imagine again the fan like sprays of blood in full force."The Machine Girl" was a very stylistic, well written and acted yarn that spins itself around young High Schooler Ami Hyuga (MInase Yashiro).

When Ami's brother Yu and his friend Takeshi are murdered by a young gang, led by the son of a Yakuza Clan Leader, Ami stricken with anguish, vows to avenge her brother, doing whatever it takes, including becoming a "demon" for her family and tracking down his killers.

"The Machine Girl" was a really cool film with elements of "Master of the Flying Guillotine" "Mighty Morphine Power Rangers", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and Tekken. The Yakuza boss is a dead on ringer of "Heihachi Mishima", he even sounded like him too. This film never really takes it self too seriously and exploits itself in all the right ways. The characters were all very likable and stylized end over end.

One scene in particular that really stood out, raised it's arm, waived and screamed at the top of its cinematic lungs, was when Ami visits the home of one of the young gang members. She extracts info from him and proceeds to cutting his head off, the scene cuts to his mother setting the table for dinner when suddenly the power goes out and suddenly back on. Well, in that short amount of time, Ami put his head in a stew pot and when the mother opens it to see her sons head inside, she screams, giving Ami the moment to stab her in the back of the head with a kitchen knife. What comes out of her mouth is , including pints of blood, a bit of her intestine, yellow puss? I think? The camera cuts from her mouth spewing, to the stew pot filling and covering the boys head or the hand in boiling oil making a Tempura hand. Really intense and very well done( In a exploitive, over the top sort of way). Ohh, I forgot to mention that Ami loses her arm during a torture scene led by the Yakuza boss and his clan, including his sadistic wife. Only to have a Gatling gun prosthesis to replace it.

"TMG" is nothing but style and fun. The ninja "Mighty Morphine Power Ranger" looking scenes were very cool and any time you have a flying guillotine grabbing peoples heads and legs and ripping them off and showing it, is pretty freaking amazing too. Chime in the bra drill in the closing scene and you have an exploitation film at its very best. The film does exactly what you want it to do. No weird twists and turns or perverse scenes to derail this locomotive of shocking fun. Interesting that a porn director has no nudity in the film, but a very nice touch. For a good time....check out " The Machine Girl"

BruceVain

Was it a Strike or was it "Gutterballs"?

2010-03-05T19:21:00Z

"Gutterballs"

What if I told you that a horror film would have a beaver shot, what I thought to be a real blow job scene, an 8 min rape scene, genital mutilation, more F-words than "Scarface", Skanky Girls, over the top gore.....ohh and a Tranny!

If you are still reading, I present you "Gutterballs"

"Gutterballs is not only exploitive, it focus' it's strengths serving loads of sex and grisly death to no end. Just when you thought you had seen all that the genre had to offer, Writer/Director Ryan Nicholson brings you creativity in ways you don't want to imagine.

The film begins with a quick jolt right out of the gate. Lisa ( Candice LeWald) is lining up in her lane at the bowling alley preparing for their upcoming tournament, when she starts to bend over and the camera pans down to her backside and the gratuitous beaver shot begins. I literally looked around to see if my wife could see what I was watching, because honestly I had no idea what I was looking at.

It is getting late and the midnight bowling is ready to begin, as the other classes of young characters begin to arrive, their personalities fail to mesh and arguing begins,a fight breaks out and everyone gets booted. Looks like the fun will have to wait until the next night when they are allowed to return. Unfortunately for Lisa, she has forgotten her purse and will have to turn back and go back in to the bowling alley, alone! Cue the serial killer and forward "Gutterballs" HOOOOO!!!!!

I was surprised for this homage to classic 1980's horror to be right on point. What I don't remember about those 80's favs was if the acting was as atrocious as "Gutterballs" is. GB's was truly hard to sit through with the over acting, underacting, lack of acting that was going on. I know 80's horror didn't garner the greatest of acting talent , but Nicholson couldn't shock me enough to forget about it. I will give Nicholson some credit in the shock department. He is mostly known for his FX and this film was another success to his credit. The FX was very well done and quite realistic. One scene in particular that was hard to watch was a horrifically perfect penis mutilation scene....just the words PENIS MUTILATION is enough to make me cringe....yeah it was bad!

"Gutterballs" was great for it's writing and content. The FX was excellent. I could easily tell that the majority of the films budget was spent on gore. Unfortunately not enough of it was budgeted on actors with even a little ability. Maybe Ryan Nicholson needs to focus on his writing and FX strengths and steer clear of directing, because he goofed right from the get go with the casting. "Gutterballs was a decent attempt but falls short with the lack of acting ability to carry it to the next scene.

It misses the lane altogether and ends up exactly what it is...... a Gutterball.

BruceVain

Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) New Poster

2010-03-02T17:53:00Z

Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

When the announcement was made to reboot the Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise the butterflies began to flutter around inside my stomach , it's that same feeling I had back in 1984 when I saw the original. The dark bedroom sequences in the middle of the night of that damn hat rack with the brown fedora on top that I would still swear was Freddy Krueger in my room. And so began the love (mostly fear)that was the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. For what seemed like forever with constant talk of a reboot and possibly it being a prequel, the excitement in the NOES community began to grow. I had one person in mind to play the younger "Springwood Slasher" (pre-burned up), I thought Neil Patrick Harris would be perfect and a great opportunity for him to really showcase his range as an actor. Then he went all "How I met your mother" and show tunes on me and well you know the rest.

Platinum Dunes announced at San Diego Comic Con that Jackie Earl Haley (Watchman, Little Children) would don the red and green sweater. Once again the excitement grew in the NOES community, this time it was in disagreement. As time went on, finally the first trailer was released in the "Zombieland" previews. It wasn't bad, it definitely wasn't Robert England. This new Freddy was shorter, and had a grille that looked like a Spud MacKenzie dog...ohh and he had what sounded like a Scottish accent. It wasn't looking too good. Yesterday the second trailer was released and it didn't look much better. I read on the PD website that they were still tinkering with the voice and final look of Freddy, I sure hope they get it right. I will say that this new movie poster for the film looks very good. I'm sure the anticipation will grow as we get a little closer to 4-30-10. Trust me I will be in line with the rest of you....any Freddy Krueger is better than no Freddy at all.

BruceVain

"Tokyo Gore Police" will change the way you look at horror...oh and bring a barf bag too!!

2010-03-01T22:10:00Z

"Tokyo Gore Police"

What can be said about "Tokyo Gore Police" that hasn't already been said about Afghanistan, It looked bombed and depleted!

After hearing about this film and the special effects from the incredible Yoshihiro Nishimura I figured it was a no brainer to see. I had originally planned on publishing this review yesterday, but I wanted to give it a little while longer to sink in.....and that is exactly what it did. I'm a huge fan of the genre and enjoy most foreign torture porn film with all it's shocking glory, but "Tokyo Gore Police" is a completely different animal altogether. "TGP" makes "Martyrs', "Haute Tension" look like "Garfield and Friends"....except with a grotesque penis mutation that shoots.....hell, not really sure...maybe bullets out of it. I seriously haven't slept well since seeing the film. As I write this, the disgusting images remain burned in my psyche. I'm going to have to use some Tony Robbins imagery removal techniques to clean these files.

TGP finds a young women working for the Tokyo Police which has been privatized due to a new threat of criminals know simply as "Engineers". Ruka ( Eihi Shiina) is the ultimate Engineer killer and she does it in incredibly gory fashion. Typically the police go in to remove the threat, but when they realize it is an "Engineer" they bring in Ruka. She makes her grand entrance, chops a few heads, slice off a few arms or completely cuts some one in half. Imagine blood spraying in all directions in a fan like, high blood pressure display. Even enough blood to cover the camera from viewing at some points. My senses were so overloaded, I knew not what to expect next. But when I thought Director Nishimura couldn't take it any further, he picked me up and dropped me on my head. I clearly wasn't sure if at this point I was even enjoying the film or truly shocked by the content. It was almost turned off on a few occasions, then suddenly a glimpse of brilliance reemerging across the screen. Ruka, who has seen enough tragedy in her time to fill the Tokyo Bay, from the head exploding scene of her fathers assassination, to killing engineers all day or inflicting herself with countless mutilations. She normally comes in, displays a bit of decent choreography, kills her assailant and moves on to slice herself and call it a day. The next time, she finds herself face to face with the original "Engineer" "The Key Man" who makes her change in ways she may or may not be ready to face.

"Tokyo Gore Police" is not for the faint of heart or let alone anyone who doesn't want there mind twisted up and shot out of a penis gun. TGP trumps itself over and over again and just when you thought you had seen the worse, Nishimura takes it off the deep end. TGP has gratuitous scenes of perverse, bizarre and twisted themes. From a standpoint basing the film on pure movie making elements I would have to say it was a success. The writing wasn't bad, the Direction was a real treat and the FX was out of this world. From a personal opinion based solely on how this film made me feel, I would have to say it was one of the sickest most disturbing films I have ever seen and hope to never see it again. You will need to seek psychiatric help after seeing this film. Steer clear of TGP strictly for the fact that sickening perversions and horrible mutations that will leave you sleepless are not worth it. Please take this film out of my head!!

BruceVain

New Nightmare on Elm Street Trailer( 2010)

2010-03-01T16:55:00Z

BruceVain's Xanax Anyone!

"Blood Mania" has body galore!

"A Nightmare On Elm Street" (2010) a true nightmare...and not in a good scary way!!

*Warning* "Splatter: Naked Blood" will make you hurl!

The Terror Returns to Los Angeles from May 21-23, with Creation Entertainment’s Weekend of Horrors Convention

Wizard World Anaheim:2010

"Meatball Machine" has a little bit of meat but definitely wasn't a ball!

3rd Times a charm with the Tokyo Shock, this time it's "Samurai Princess"

Pull up a seat, this buffet is a "Blood Feast (2)" and it's "All you can Eat"!!

Do you have what it takes to dive...."In My Skin"?

"Predators" Trailer Released

"The Butcher" holds up, but digs it's own grave!

New "Predators"(2010) Trailer

"The Descent 2" Movie Trailer

"Audition" is by far Miike's Best

New "Twilight- Eclipse"Trailer

More Tokyo Gore with "The Machine Girl"

Was it a Strike or was it "Gutterballs"?

Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) New Poster

"Tokyo Gore Police" will change the way you look at horror...oh and bring a barf bag too!!

New Nightmare on Elm Street Trailer( 2010)

Warning "Splatter: Naked Blood" will make you hurl!