Phil reviews HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN (1987) DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment-January 17, 2012

The world of cult classics and B-movies are worlds that I absolutely love. As I stated in my JESSICKA RABID review, I use to watch the old USA cable network show Up All Night. Every Friday and Saturday night I was glued to my TV, watching some of the most bizarre, craziest, off the wall films I have ever seen, but these were also very original and highly entertaining. Unlike the major Hollywood films, these B-movies took chances and got away with a lot of sex, nudity, violence, and absurdity. Take for example director Donald G. Jackson's 1985 cult classic HELL COMES TO FROG TOWN, starring former WWE wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Sandahl Bergman.

In the radioactive, post-apocalyptic future (remember during the 1980s the Cold War between the USA and Russia was still going, thus a lot of films showcased the American public's fear of nuclear annihilation) Sam Hell (Piper) is one of the last fertile men on the face of the planet. However he is seized by the female military organization called Mech Tech, who plan to use Sam for their ultimate mission: to rescue-and impregnate-a group of fertile virgins who are being held captive by the evil amphibian ruler of Frogtown. Accompanying Sam on this deadly mission are team leader Spangle (Bergman) and Centinella (Cec Verrell) but unbeknownst to our heroes they are being followed by a mysterious being known as Count Sodom (William Smith), who plans on sabotaging their rescue mission and settling an old score with Sam Hell.

The screenplay was written Randall Frakes, who Jackson met while at New World Pictures, which legendary director/producer Roger Corman founded in 1970 but then sold in 1983. The film marked the on screen acting debut for Piper, who was more famous for wrestling colorful characters like "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka and Mr. T. Jackson did assign an acting coach for Piper, but his wrestling persona just fills up the screen, which makes it so much watching him. So while he doesn't have that many lines, his bad ass persona is felt in the film (one year later Piper becomes a cult movie superstar with the release of John Carpenter's THEY LIVE). Bergman brings intelligence and sexiness to her role as Spangle, along with some very nice lingerie. Yup, things were a lot simpler back in the 80's.

While in high school, Jackson actually wanted to be a comic book artist, but during a football game he was given a movie camera and was asked to film the game. He switched career goals and soon was directed a total of 35 films. His comic book storytelling came in handy when he would draw the storyboards for his films. For FROGTOWN, Jackson's directing is very smooth, precise and really polished. Then in 1995, Jackson was diagnosed with leukemia. His doctor told him he had anywhere from six months to six years to live. He beat the odds and lived for the next eight years, all the while making his films. However he did lose his fight against leukemia and passed away on October 20, 2003.

What makes the Anchor Bay edition so wonderful is that contains an audio commentary with Jackson as well as Frakes. The commentary was recorded in 2001 and is one of the last commentaries he ever did. This DVD also contains the film's original theatrical trailer and film is presented in the widescreen format. In September of 2011, Anchor Bay discontinued several of their horror and cult titles, with HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN being one of them. Image Entertainment scooped up the majority of these titles and has began reissuing them under their "MIDNIGHT MADNESS COLLECTION." However these DVDs are released without any of the Anchor Bay special features and some cases, have been released in full-screen formats. Also, these transfers are also very poor and do not deserve your money. The Anchor Bay editions are now out of print, but they're not that expensive and they're worth your time and money. For this reviewer, it was great to hear Jackson's voice on the audio commentary track, giving some awesome trivia facts about the making of the film, how he got his start, and how he come up with the idea to make the film. Trust me when I say that this is the DVD version to own and cherish.

HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN is a bona fide cult classic! The film was only the second full length feature film Jackson made, and he made it count! The film spawned three sequels, but this is the film that is required for your DVD collection. Just make sure they're no frogs watching it with you.

HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN the Anchor Bay DVD is currently available at the Amazon website. So click here to purchase your copy today. Remember these editions are extremely limited. Once they're gone, they're gone forever!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil reviews MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (2011) DVD from Michael Perez Entertainment -January 12, 2012

This was one documentary that I have been waiting impatiently for. Ever since I heard about this film, the inner fanboy started to geek out. But I'm getting a head of myself, so let me back track first. On August 15, 1985, Orion Pictures released RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD, written and directed by Dan O'Bannon. With its blend of horror, humor, gore, and slapstick, the film became a cult classic that still to this day is loved and revered among horror fans and critics alike. Now 26 years after the film's release, director Bill Philputt and writers Gary Smart and Christian Sellers pay tribute to O'Bannon's film with their in-depth, informative, and highly entertaining film MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD.

Narrated by Brian Peck (who portrayed Scuz in the original film), the film chronicles the step by step process of the making of this legendary cult classic. From the pre-production nightmare that consisted of the legal battle between John Russo and George Romero over the rights to the film's title, original director Tobe Hooper backing out of the project and O'Bannon taking over even though he never directed a film before. Some of the issues that arose during the production of the film were the firing of special effects artist Bill Munns, the spats between the cast and O'Bannon, and the grueling 14 hour night shoots over the next 6 weeks took it's toll on the entire cast and crew. After filming was completed, the executives declared it "one notch above pornography." The film was finally released a year after it was finished and it grossed over $14 million during its theatrical run.

Philputt left no stone unturned when making this film. It also helped the writers Smart and Sellers wrote the book The Complete History of The Return of the Living Dead, to which the documentary is based on. Philputt was able to get 25 members of the original cast and crew to conduct on-camera interviews, including Clu Gulager (Burt), James Karen (Frank), Don Calfa (Ernie), Beverly Randolf (Tina), Thom Mathews (Freddy), Jewel Shepard (Casey), Linnea Quigley (Trash), and Peck too, just to name a few. With these individuals sharing some hilarious, interesting, personal stories and memories, Philputt crafted an amazing film and really pulled together some fascinating facts for fans about this cult classic.

The special features on this DVD are just outstanding! First there's THE WON'T STAY DEAD: A LOOK AT RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART II: a half hour documentary on the making of the sequel and includes interviews with Michael Kenworthy (Jesse), Suzanne Snyder (Brenda), and Karen, Mathews, and Speck just to name a few. LOVE BEYOND THE GRAVE: A LOOK AT THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART 3: another short documentary chronicling the making of Part 3, including interviews with director Brian Yuzna, screenwriter John Penney, special effects make-up artist Steve Johnson, and actor Trevor Edmond (Curt). Resurrected Settings: The Filming Locations Today: both Speck and  Randolf host this very cool short showing us the actual filming locations as they are today, Stacey Q Live! An Exclusive "Tonight" music video, documentary deleted scenes, THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD told in 3 minutes, trailers for both MORE BRAINS! and NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY, and A Conversation with Dan O'Bannon: The Final Interview: the last on-camera interview O'Bannon gave before his untimely passing from Crohn's Disease on December 17, 2009.

My conclusion is this: MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD is a highly recommended documentary that belongs on every horror fans collection. In fact here's a real treat for all you creatures of the night: watch the original film and this documentary as a double feature! That would be wonderful tribute you can do for Dan O'Bannon!

MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD DVD can be purchased at your local retailer or you can purchase a copy on the film's website at www.getmorebrains.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil reviews the midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW for Phil's Film Adventures-January 11, 2012

Welcome back horror fans! This past Saturday night I attended the annual midnight screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at the Camera 3 Cinemas here in Downtown San Jose! This tradition has been going on for years and yours truly also obtained an exclusive interview with Nate and Bidgid McHavoc, two of the stars of Barley Legal Productions. BLP has been bringing ROCKY to the midnight masses for over 16 years here in the Bay Area and this was their first show for 2012! So click here to read about it. Also for all you locals, their next show will be on Saturday, January 28 so make sure to attend this event!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil reviews HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE (2010) from Something Weird Video-January 5, 2012

Demented Southern town folks killing off Northern visitors for revenge. Highway roaming she-devils looking for fun and fights. Nubile nudie cuties parading around in the buff. Bored suburban teenagers looking for kicks. A sadistic cater sacrificing young women to an Egyptian goddess. These depraved, sick, and perverted images are considered to be some of the most important and most iconic images to be captured ever in cinema's rich history. Ranging from the sublime to the subversive, the bloody to the sexy, one man dared to venture where other filmmakers never dreamed of, and as a result, has left us some of the greatest horror and exploitation films ever made. Now Mike Vraney and his company Something Weird Video has paid tribute to this iconic filmmaker with this, their first ever documentary feature film. Directed by Jimmy Maslon and Frank Henenlotter, SWV's  HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE shines the spotlight on this beloved and often overlooked pioneer filmmaker and his contributions to the world of cinema.

The documentary chronicles the film career of the man known as "The Godfather of Gore." From his humble beginnings teaching English and Humanities at Mississippi State which he later evolved into the advertisement business. When Lewis bought a half interest into a small, cheap movie studio in Chicago, he started Mid-Continent Films which produced two films: THE PRIMETIME and LIVING VENUS, which was his feature film debut as a director. It was during the making of THE PRIMETIME he met exploitation pioneer David F. Friedman, who helped Lewis distribute LIVING VENUS. With the release of Russ Meyers' THE IMMORAL MR. TEAS, the next film Lewis and Friedman made was the nudie cutie called THE ADVENTURES OF LUCKY PIERRE. After a couple of years making these nudie cuties and nudest camp films, Lewis came up with a completely different idea for a movie. A type of movie that the major movie studios wouldn't or couldn't make, but theater owners could make money at the boxoffice. Thus in the year 1963 BLOOD FEAST was made, and everything would never be the same again.

The other half of the documentary focuses of Lewis' partnership with Friedman as he created what has been called THE BLOOD TRILOGY which consisted of BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, and COLOR ME BLOOD RED (which takes up most of the middle of the documentary). These films introduced that famous four-letter word now forever associated with horror: GORE. The world of horror would never look the same thanks to Lewis and Friedman. After the completion of THE BLOOD TRILOGY, Lewis parted ways with Friedman and began to make a plethora of films within the exploitation genre such as MOONSHINE MOUNTAIN, JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT, SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS, and SOMETHING WEIRD (which Vraney named his company after). Soon he returned to the horror genre with A TASTE OF BLOOD, THE WIZARD OF GORE, THE GRUESOME TWOSOME, and THE GORE GORE GIRLS, which was Lewis' swan song. After that film's release, he became one of the leaders in the field of Direct Marketing advertising (Lewis would return to the director's chair with the 2002 sequel BLOOD FEAST 2: ALL YOU CAN EAT).

Maslon and Henenlotter really packed the film with some great, informative, and funny interviews from people like John Waters, Joe Bob Briggs, Connie Mason, Mal Arnold, Jim Dennett and others, and by Henenloter himself. All these stories and opinions give the film life and also give praise to Lewis, to which this reviewer thinks is long overdue. These two directors threw everything in this film, including the kitchen sink! Also the on camera interviews with Lewis were just fascinating; detailing how he made a lot of his films, where he shot it, how he got the money, and how he made his gore-soaked films. Another great source of information came from Friedman, who shared his memories of the good 'ol days of exploitation filmmaking. Sadly, this documentary was one the last films he ever appeared in (he'll also be appearing in Henenlotter's upcoming SWV documentary THAT'S SEXPLOITATION). On February 14, 2011 Friedman passed away at the age of 87.

The DVD comes packed with over an hour of deleted scenes (which could almost make up another film!), a rare Lewis short film entitled HOT NIGHT AT THE GO-GO-LOUNGE, a gallery of Lewis exploitation art, and an extensive Lewis trailer reel!

Something Weird Video's HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE is required viewing and a must-own for every single horror fan out there. The film serves as introduction to people who may have never seen any of Lewis' films while simultaneously satisfies his fans with an in depth biography of the man who invented a whole new film genre. Highly recommended!!

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE is available on the Something Weird Video website. To purchase a copy, please visit www.somethingweird.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil reviews the INTRUDER (1988) Blu-Ray+DVD combo pack from Synapse Films-January 4, 2011

There was a plethora of horror film during the 1980's. Some where amazing while some were out-right god awful. And then there were those that fell through the cracks that some horror fans may have missed or didn't even knew that it excited. Some of these overlooked gems were discovered on VHS at their local mom & pop video store (because the evil mega-conglomerate Blockbuster refused to carry these fright flicks. Now they're closing stores all over. See, stocking horror films is good business). Now in the 21st century, new technology has given these films the love and attention they truly deserve. Once again, Synapse Films has given us another unsung classic with the release of director Scott Spiegel's 1988 horror film INTRUDER.

The film's premise is quite simple: The employees of Michigan's Walnut Lake Supermarket has just been informed that the store is closing next month and the crew begins to price down the store's inventory. Things are already bad for cashier Jennifer (Elizabeth Cox) as she is being harassed by her psycho ex-boyfriend Craig (Danny Byrnes), has just been released from prison for manslaughter. Just when things couldn't get any worse, it does. Soon all the night crew employees are being murdered viciously by a mysterious killer, who plans on saving Jennifer for last. All evidence points to Craig, but is he the real killer, or is it someone else?

Now for those who may not know, Spiegel grew up with both Sam and Ted Raimi and Bruce Campbell back home in Michigan and they all use to make 8mm horror films back in high school. Years later Spiegel would help write 1987's EVIL DEAD 2 with Raimi as well as be one of his "fake shemps" in the film. The following year, Spiegel meet producer Lawrence Bender who helped find financing for his new horror film, which was based on an old 8mm short film he made with Campbell and the Raimi brothers. The film also showcases the extreme gore and mayhem courtesy of the pre-KNB EFX Group (Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, and Robert Kurtzman) who agreed to do the film if they'd get their names in the opening credits.

The film's casts were largely unknowns but you might recognize some of these actors and actresses. The first being both Sam and Ted having bit parts in the film and at the very end you'll see Bruce Campbell playing a cop (he'd again play a cop the following year in MANIAC COP). Linda was played by Renee Estevez (younger sister of Charlie Sheen and Emilo Estevez) who also appeared in other horror and low budget films like 1987's SLEEPAWAY CAMP 2: UNHAPPY CAMPERS and 1993's GOOD GIRLS DON'T and is now appearing on TV's The West Wing. Dan Hicks was seen in EVIL DEAD 2 as Jake and also had bit parts in MANIAC COP, DARKMAN, SPIDER-MAN 2 and MY NAME IS BRUCE. Bender has gone on to produce Quentin Tarentino's films such as PULP FICTION and INGLORIOUS BASTERDS. Spiegel's latest film is HOSTEL: PART III was just released on DVD in rated and unrated versions.

Also coming to their aid during production was Charles Band, who at that time had Empire Pictures (which was the company he had before he launched Full Moon Entertainment in 1988). Band agreed to help finance the film and distribute it. Unfortunately Empire Pictures was in dire straits and soon collapsed. Band rebounded with Full Moon Entertainment and secured a distribution deal with Paramount Pictures. Band was only allowed to take a handful of films from his old company and one of them was INTRUDER. The film was originally entitled "The Night Crew: The Final Checkout" but was changed by Paramount to give it a more marketable name (but the trailer for the VHS release has it as The Night Crew title). However, it would be a short victory for Spiegel and his film, as the MPAA literally ruined the film with their required cuts for it to be released on VHS. Bootleg copies and imports of the unedited film has surfaced for years, but the folks at Synapse Films have returned its original, unedited director's cut.

The Blu-Ray version looks incredible and is amazing to witness. The film boats an all-new 2K digital restoration and as a result the picture quality is unbelievable. The colors are vibrant and add that it's the director's cut, the blood and gore are just insane to see. The Blu-Ray contains a number of special features: Commentary by Siegel and Bender, which is very funny, informative and entertaining, Slashed Prices: The Making of Intruder featurette which most of the cast and crew members get together for, Extended Murder Sequences from the Original Workprint, Outtakes from the now-lost short film, Night Crew: the short film Spiegel made when he was a teenager, The Slashing of Intruder with Filmmaker Vincent Pereira, Behind-the-Scenes Stills Gallery, Original Cast Audition Footage, a DVD copy, as well as trailers.

Overall, this is an incredible combo release! INTRUDER is one of the best slasher films to come out of the 80's and thanks again to Synapse Films, you can enjoy this film once again in the unrated director's cut complete with all the bells and whistles that fans have been clamoring for! Folks, it doesn't get any better than this! Highly recommended!!

INTRUDER Blu-Ray+DVD Combo Pack is currently available on the Synapse Films website. To purchase a copy, visit their website at http://synapse-films.com/

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil reviews FRANKENHOOKER (1990) on Blu-Ray from Synapse Films-December 18, 2011

So for my very first review for The Midnight Horror Sinema Show, I chose a recently released cult classic that I haven't seen for a while, but when I saw it on Blu-Ray, I knew I had to get it. And I am very glad that I did! From director Frank Henenlotter comes his infamous cult film FRANKENHOOKER!

The film's about a medical student dropout named Jeffery Franken (James Lorinz) whose fiancée Elizabeth Shelly (Patty Mullen) is accidentally killed in a tragic lawnmower accident. The only thing he could save of her was her head. Determined to bring her back, Jeffery ventures out to the red light district in New York City and lures several prostitutes back to his seedy hotel room to pick out body parts for his Elizabeth. Things go horribly wrong when the prostitutes mistake Jeffery's vile of explosive superdrug for rock cocaine and they begin to smoke it, leading them to all simultaneously explode. Jeffery returns to his garage lab and, using all the dead prostitute pieces, rebuilds his fiancée, but it backfires as the resurrected Elizabeth know thinks she's a hooker.

Henenlotter directed the film and co-wrote it with Robert Martin. Henenlotter originally met with producer James Glickenhaus to pitch his film INSECT CITY. Glickenhaus passed on the project but asked him what else he had. Believe it or not, Henenlotter made up the plot for the film on the spot! Glickenhaus loved the idea and gave it the go ahead (along with BASKET CASE 3). The film was originally released on June 1, 1990 with a budget of $2,500,000, but the film only grossed $205,068. However the film was given a new lease on life on VHS, thanks to a clever and effective cover box gimmick: when the subway lamp post was pressed by a customer, the box spoke back with the line, "Wanna date?" It also didn't hurt that actor Bill Murray gave it a great review, "If you see one movie this year, it should be FRANKENHOOKER." The film has been released in edited and uncut versions for years, which leads us to the Blu-Ray release.

Synapse Films has done a great job with this release, which is the uncut version of the film. The transfer looks incredible, considering how old the film is. The colors are bright, the picture quality is sharp and crisp, and the detail is amazing! You can see everything from the blades of grass to the dirty NYC sidewalks. For the special features, there's an audio commentary with Henenlotter and Make-Up Effects Designer Gabe Bartalos, A Salad That Was Once Named Elizabeth: Interview with Patty Mullen featurette, A Stitch in Time: The Make-Up Effects of Frankenhooker documentary, Turning Tricks: Jennifer Delora Remembers Frankenhooker featurette, Jennifer Delora's Frankenhooker Photo Scrapbook featurette, and the film's original theatrical trailer.

FRANKENHOOKER is more comedy than horror, but it is a true cult classic, brimming with hilarious one-liners, a mad scientist, exploding hookers, death by lawnmower, and the amazing Patty Mullen who gives one of the best performances ever captured on celluloid. This is what I call "The perfect cult film." This Blu-Ray makes the perfect Christmas gift, so make sure you buy one for each member of your family! And have fun watching it on Christmas morning!

FRANKENHOOKER Blu-Ray is currently available at your local retailer and also on the Synapse Films website. To purchase a copy, visit http://synapse-films.com

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!