Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut Review

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(More customer reviews)Afro Samurai has found vengeance, and has sworn off fighting. You didn't think that would last, did you?
Nope, it didn't. And the past catches up to the silent afroed warrior in a big way in "Afro Samurai: Resurrection" -- a wildly stylized, bloodsoaked, wildly anachronistic tale of what will happen after you get your gory revenge. And Samuel L. Jackson fits into the quiet, butt-kicking titular character like a hand in a fine leather glove.
Afro now lives in a temple where he meditates, carves little statues of Buddha, and thinks on his bloodsoaked past (cue wild flashback scene involving crazy ninjas and a river of blood).
That would make for a boring movie, so suddenly Kumo and the sexy, sadistic Sio appear, and steal both Afro's No. 1 headband and his father's remains. With his sword reforged, Afro sets out to reclaim the No. 2 headband so he can challenge Sio, and stop her from resurrecting his father (just so she can torture him).
But regaining the headband leads to a terrible cost -- a kindly man with a little son, haunted by the headband's bloody legacy. And the path to Sio's lair is riddled with grotesque henchmen who are very interested in seeing Afro dead -- and Sio herself plans to use a terrible weapon to destroy the man she hates above all else.
Like "Samurai Champloo," "Afro Samurai" is a stylized story that wears its hip-hop trappings and period Japanese flavour like badges of honor. Or headbands. Whichever. The actual story is rather thin, but it carries a heavy message about revenge -- one you get it, it will haunt you like a bloody ghost forever and corrupt others along the way. Ninja Ninja provides a little humor ("I'm gonna die, man! Or at least have a stroke... I HATE HEIGHTS!") but it can't lighten the storyline.
"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" doesn't hold itself back on the fights -- neatly sliced bodies, fountains and rivers of blood, savage beatings and some really creepy cybernetic/masked baddies who are unafraid to get dirty. The highlight is a balletic nighttime duel between Afro and Shichigoro, surrounded by deadly chains and glowing lanterns, and framed by fireworks reflected in the water.
And it leaves the way paved for a third "Afro Samurai" story. I'm waiting.
Most regular actors are terrible at voice-acting, but Samuel L Jackson could easily make a living at it if he wanted to -- both the deep, gravelly voice ("Watch... your damn... MOUTH") and the annoying jabber of Ninja Ninja. And Afro serves as an excellent anti-hero, who does some truly terrible things but is willing to pay for them.
Lucy Liu does a solid job as well, giving Sio both sensual viciousness and tenderness, and even a sort of moral core ("History will mourn the atrocities you now commit"), while Yuri Lowenthal and Mark Hamill have good small roles. And Liam O'Brian's gravelly/soft voice gives poignancy to his small but memorable role as Shichigoro.
The two-disc edition has a cluster of extras, mostly in featurette form -- a two-part making-of documentary, an interview with the creator, music composition, video game, commentary, and assorted other stuff. Mainly interesting if you really love the movie.
"Afro Samurai: Resurrection" is a solid sequel that shows what happens when revenge is swung back at you. A good, bloodsoaked anime that opens the way for more.

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Afro Samurai (Academy Award ® nominee Samuel L. Jackson) avenged his father and found a life of peace. But the legendary master is forced back into the game by a beautiful and deadly woman from his past. The sparks of violence dropped along Afro’s bloody path now burn out of control – and nowhere are the flames of hatred more intense than in the eyes of Sio (Lucy Liu: Kill Bill). She won’t quit until Afro is schooled in the brutal lessons he dealt those who stood in his way. There’s no such thing as final vengeance. The cycle of bloodshed spinning around the Number One Headband must roll on. Featuring the voice of Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and fresh production from The RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), the saga that began in the best-selling anime DVD of 2007 continues in Afro Samurai: Resurrection.
The Director's Cut features:

A limited edition art book featuring forwards from the RZA, Bob Okazaki (creator) and Fuminori Kizaki (director) as well as never before seen images from the anime and the original manga.
Over an hour of exclusive behind the scene featurettes including the making of the anime, the making of the video game, interviews with the cast and crew, RZA in the studio, commentary from the creators and much more! Stills from Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Click for larger image)

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Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews) In recent years, the horror genre has been plagued by more duds than gems. For every decent slasher film, there are scores of movies that barely deserve a second glance, much less a full viewing.
The reason for this is a conflict of interests that rarely compromise with each other. On one end, we have low budgeted movies that try to bring us back to the golden age of horror(circa the 1970s and 1980s) with their gritty kill-shots, fountains of blood, and enough bare breasts to make Hugh Hefner blush. On the other end we have high-gloss production houses putting out cookie-cutter horror stories, many with the dreaded PG-13 stamp.
With the release of Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, we are given the best of both worlds; a movie made by fans(in horror afficionado/director Frank Sabatella), for fans, and with a dynamic production value to capture the guts, glory, and breasts, of the film for a stellar visual effect.
The story is as follows: A young girl named Mary Mattock(played by Patricia Raven) butchers her family for no apparent reason. We later learn that this is due to a physiological problem called Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder which makes PMS look like a walk in the park. The young woman(now played by Samantha Facchi) is sent to the King's Park Psychiatric Hospital, where she is raped by a hospital night-guard. She becomes pregnant, but loses the baby in child-birth. This brings on another intense bout of MDD in which she slaughters what seems to be all staff and patients at the hospital, and is gunned down by police.
The story brings us to the present, where high school kids celebrate that night of butchery by calling it Blood Night, and proceeding to paint the town red in a night of vandalism and excessive partying. The movie focuses on one group of kids, who decide to visit Mary Mattock, or as she is now known as Mary Hatchet, at her grave, and unknowingly release the ghost to wreck vengeance once again. One by one, the group is dispatched in various, high impact slaughterings, as they try to lay the spirit to rest.
Sounds simple? It's not, but who am I to ruin it for you?
This movie lacks in nothing for entertainment. The kill-shots are highly detailed, thanks to the superb special effects of Monster in My Closet special effects artist Jeremy Selenfriend and Harrington Talents virtual effects artist John Morena. Dismemberments, spinal readjustments, and blood washes all become intensely realistic by utilizing Selenfriend's definitive prop functions, from custom sculpted heads(and brains) to mouth interiors. To make sure these effects lack nothing on-screen, Morena utilized digital enhancements to help make the kill-shots pop off the screen with the addition of blood enhancements that were shot seperately, and then transcribed into the final edit. With these talented artists and the fantastic camera-work, the film popped off the screen, much to the glee of fans of gore.
There is humor interlaced into the horror, as well. Graveyard Gus(played by Bill Moseley) is nothing short of the drunken graveyard-keeper who drinks way too much whiskey and yaps about Vietnam. A conversation about Tom Jones between Alex(played by Nate Dushku) and Chris(played by Anthony Marks) had me giggling out loud. A male virgin wiping his brow with a pink, "Princess" pillow while getting frisky with a hot chick? This movie has it. The comedy is just enough to help the viewer fall into the comfort trap before being shown a decapitated head flying across a room. By balancing these bits of comedy into the horror, the bar of suspense is raised, because you never become too jaded by seeing an overflow of gore. Not that either way would be bad, but for Blood Night, comic relief makes the suspense grow. And lets not forget Eric(played by Billy Magnussen), who is the pinnacle of every sex-crazed high school guy we've ever known.
What's amazing is that all of these actors and actresses are able to turn their clown routines off when director Frank Sabatella calls for it, with great results of suspense. Let us not forget that scream-princess Danielle Harris, playing her part impeccably in the storyline as the knee-socked Alyssa, who can never seem to hold her liquor and brings back some intense stories of her time in school.
So what defines this movie beyond all others? High production, an extremely gifted cast, and intense kill-shots, all embedded into a suspenseful story-line where even if you think you know what is going on, you really don't. At the same time it's just good, head-jerking fun, a horror movie with serious overtones, but doesn't take itself too seriously. Think Wes Craven's Scream meets Lucio Fulci's The House By the Cemetary, and out of that seemingly scandalous affair comes its offspring, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet.

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A group of teenagers celebrating the anniversary of the death of a local axe murderer suddenly find themselves face to face with the realities of this haunting urban legend.Long Island, 1978: A young girl named Mary Mattock gruesomely murders her family with a hatchet and is locked away for life in Long Island's notorious Kings Park Psychiatric Center.Ten years later, Mary escapes from the asylum, leaving a grizzly trail of bodies and blood in her wake.Gunned down by the police, Mary meets her own demise outside the sanitarium walls.This incident gave birth to the legend of Mary Hatchet's walking ghost and the mischievous night named in honor of her death, BLOOD NIGHT! Stemming from the real life Long Island legend of Mary Hatchet, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet tells the tale of a group of teenagers enjoying their annual Blood Night festivities, when they come face to face with the reality of this haunting legend.One by one, the teens begin to disappear and meet their fate. As the body count rises, so do the unanswered questions about their missing friends and the secrets of Mary's horrifying past.Is there more to this legend than the vengeful ghost of Mary Hatchet?And if so, who will survive to tell the terrifying tale? Fueled by intense and energetic performances from Nate Dushku, Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and Samantha Facchi as Mary Hatchet, audiences are in for a non-stop splatter fest filled with sex, guts, and heads that roll!Blood Night puts a neck-breaking spin on the gory and gut-wrenching "slasher" pieces from the legendary decade of 1980's horror!
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Alien Abduction Review

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(More customer reviews)The Sci-Fi Channel showed this movie over the weekend, and I'm seriously thinking of buying the DVD. Often their weekend fare seems to be low-budget techno-testosterone-adventure that's best avoided by anyone with a brain. But "Alien Abduction" is low-budget something else entirely.
It starts out seeming innocuously unoriginal, with four fairly annoying twentysomethings on a camping trip in the woods. They experience a horrifically gory alien abduction (hence the title), and then our lead woman wakes up in an institution for abduction survivors, where she has to figure out what's going on before what's going on kills her. We're not told whether the other three have survived, but they do reappear in the story after a while. (I'm being vague here on purpose.)
I knew from the outset that there would be a twist ending, and I assumed the twist would be fairly standard and predictable. Once the movie got going, though, it became obvious that I'd have to revise my prediction. I actually made several guesses through the course of the movie about what it would be, but was still surprised when it finally came. And it was pretty clever to boot.
All the hospital scenes are shot in a wash of green, or sometimes purple, contributing to the surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that pervades the whole movie. The only full color is when reality starts to intrude. If you pay attention, there are clues and red herrings scattered throughout as to the true nature of the situation, and some of them are actually not obvious, such as when the woman in charge says she is "responsible for all the abductions in the northeast region." In context, she clearly means that her hospital is responsible for the victims of such abductions. -- Or does she? The bizarre behavior of many (if not most) characters is another clue, but for this there are at least three potential explanations within the course of the story. Don't make the usual mistake of thinking this is merely bad acting. While it may be that, it also (perhaps unintentionally) has the effect of adding to the surreal, inhuman, disorienting quality of our heroine's surroundings, while at the same time preserving the quiet campiness, which turns out to complement the story surprisingly well.
Along her adventure, our heroine discovers scarred, murderous nurses; how easy it is to pose as a doctor in a military-run hospital; and the importance of wearing the right clothes for any given occasion. This is good dirty camp, and should be appreciated as such. Yet this character also acts in a completely consistent and believeable way, and turns out (after an initial spate of shrieking) to be a pretty sympathetic protagonist. This movie was made on a shoestring budget over a whopping one-and-a-half weeks, and the sound quality in particular suffered for it -- be prepared to turn your volume up, then down, then up again, several times. (This is frustrating but not fatal.) For the money and time they had, they did a pretty good job with a pretty good script.
All in all, the best B-movie I've ever seen.

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ALIEN ABDUCTION - DVD Movie

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Demons (Special Edition) (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)What can be said about Demons ? The one thing that comes to mind is that it's stood the test of time after 16 years. I consider myself a huge movie buff and this is one of the films that scarred me as a child. I can reall watching this flick with my dorm buddies in both the Air Force and colleage and they were enterainted by it. What makes this film so scary is the gore and effects. When I was 4 my parents banned from me seeing this movie. My first time seeing it I know why the film isn't for those who can't handle gore or have weak stomach. The musical score and tense pacing are amazing and if you watch the film in pitch black with surround sound it'll give you a few scary moments. I give the fim *** out of four. I give this rating based on the camera work and score. The film's only bad point is the dubbing.

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DEMONS - DVD Movie

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Hellraiser: Boxed Set (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, to those asking "why isn't this the complete collection?" I wish we could have gotten that, but Anchor Bay only has distribution rights for the first 2 films. The rest are in the hands of Dimension Films.
Now to trash a set that I've been wanting for a long time...
Ever since the UK got their version of Hellraiser 1, 2 & 3 in the Lament Cube, fans in the states have been clamoring for a release. Unfortunately special packaging is rarely released in the US because of complaints of shelf compatibility from both retailers and customers. Some of us, though, find unique ways to display these wonderful rarely-seen gems, and quickly grab them up.
I won't be doing that with this ridiculous set, though. It seems that Anchor Bay has said "OK, here's the packaging you want, but you have to take the total crap that's inside!" Seriously, why do I need the same copy of Hellraiser 1 that I just bought about a year and a half ago? Wouldn't it have been better to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the film with the Lament Cube packaging along with the new material? And why do I need 2 copies of the first movie? Completely ridiculous. If I don't have a Blu-Ray player, the 3rd disc is useless to me. If I do have one, the regular copy of the first movie is useless to me. No matter what, the consumer is being forced to pay for something they absolutely do not need, even if they own none of the items in the package.
This release is a total dud, and I can't give it any more than 1 star due to the complete thoughtlessness on the part of Starz / Anchor Bay.

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Loaded with nearly 3 hours of bonus material, this 3 disc set comes in a custom made Hellraiser Puzzle Box that slides open to reveal the discs. Disc 1 Hellraiser, Disc 2 Hellbound: Hellraiser II; Disc 3 Hellraiser Blu Ray.2009 Reaper Award Winner - Best In Show and Best Packaging

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Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set Review

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(More customer reviews)"Shigurui Death Frenzy" is among the most twisted anime I've ever seen and an outstanding vengeance tale from a culture stuffed to the gills with similarly-themed works. It is based on true events (whatever credibility you give to that) and takes place in feudal Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate. It's spectacularly graphic in both the sex and violence departments, but features extremely beautiful artwork and a pace and tone that is almost Kurosawan in it's meticulous and thoughtful storytelling and features a very gorgeous traditional Japanese soundtrack. But as artistic as it is, there enough mayhem, nudity, and general psychosis here to rival any Asian grindhouse flick I've ever seen. This one is not for the kiddies.
In the opening sequences the audience is treated to a retainer pleading with his daimyo to allow a tournament to use wooden blades rather than steel ones lest their most talented samurai die needlessly. He then opens up his slit belly and pulls his entrails out with his bare hands, telling his lord that that would be the only result of a tournament using real swords. His final plea falls on deaf ears and bloodthirsty eyes that have more than a hint of madness in them. As the tournament begins we see the first two samurai face off. It is a one-armed swordsman versus a blind samurai. While the audience mocks the pair, it is soon obvious that the two are not only skilled warriors, but have a past together. The story of "Shigurui" is that past.
Rewind to a few years back in time and we meet earnest sword pupil Gennosuke Fujiki and Seigen Irako, a stranger to the Kogan dojo who seeks audience with the sensei. The two clash, leaving Fujiki embarrassed and possibly stripped of his status as the heir to the deadly techniques of the sword school. Kogan Iwamoto is the deranged sensei whose advanced age regularly leaves him in a state of vulgar dementia with a string of neverending drool in the corner of his mouth and a habit of urinating on himself even as he performs feats of swordsmanship. Even more disturbing, the man still has a sexual appetite when in his glassy-eyed stupor. As Kogan's concubine Lady Iku, she gets to bear the brunt of that, though the sensei's own daughter gets a taste as well. The children of the town sing a song about Iku's body bringing misfortune and death to all of her lovers, but that doesn't deter Irako but getting a piece of the action. This is something that he will regret as he seeks the title of heir to the secrets of the Kogan style. And eventually, each and every character will regret the chain of events that forms.
As I said before, "Shigurui" is not for kids even if it does seem like a typical samurai anime on the surface. There's plenty of viscera, eyeball abuse like you wouldn't believe, decapitation, and dismemberment. In fact, the Kogan school seeks to spread it's name not by killing those who challenge it, but by "giving them a new look" which is to say the cut off various facial features so all of Japan can see their prowess rather than hear about it. Then there's the graphic sexual content which includes watching Kogan's drool fall upon his daughter as he "inspects" her suitability for breeding, a rather explicit but brief glimpse of cunnilingus -which I've NEVER seen in an anime (and no, I don't count hentai as true anime)- and a woman getting her nipple sliced off then watching her attacker pick it up and lovingly place it upon his tongue. Yeah, this is twisted stuff. Kogan is among the most intimidating and disgusting villains ever and the rest of the cast are more tragic victims then heroes. In fact, I think it's safe to say that there are no heroes here at all; just brutality, cruelty, and selfish deceit.
I really wish I could give this a perfect score because it is so harsh and uncompromising but still manages a plethora of beautiful and artistic flourishes that give this anime a credibility that few examples of the genre have anymore. But there is a fatal flaw that left me feeling less then thrilled at the conclusion in spite of the fact that the final kill is quite possibly the most impressive I've ever seen animated. While it is the best samurai anime I have seen in a long time, at only 12 episodes "Shigurui" becomes a victim of it's own slow pacing during the second half and the viewer can't help but feel a bit cheated at the lack of resolution in the story. After the amazing setup of the first episode, we never see it revisited for a fitting conclusion. It's almost like the staff got bored and just decided to move on before the story was done. A few more episodes -even one- could have easily garnered this show an unapologetic five star rating. But frankly, it's close enough. This is an anime that will absolutely warrant repeat viewings.
I am very pleased to say that this anime has been released in a full boxed set right off the bat. None of the month(s)-long waits and customer-gouging
while each disc is released individually. Thanks, Funimation! While there is not much in the way of extras on the discs, there is a "marathon play" feature which means that the discs will play as a continuous film rather than making you fast-forward through the opening and closing credits every 20 minutes. I hope to see more of these things in the future. They are reason enough to buy this set. If we support more quality anime releases that take the fans' wishes into account, maybe we'll see more of this kind of thing.
"Shigurui: Death Frenzy" is an outstanding adult anime that stops just short of all-time greatness, but is still an absolute must-own for fans of animated sex, violence, and chanbara films. The soundtrack, animation, plot, and characters are all first-rate. It's some of the best of classic Japanese arthouse cinema with all the cheap thrills of the grindhouse. Buy, buy, buy!
4 1/2 stars, rounded up for treating the fans right.

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Item Name: Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set [Blu-ray]; Studio:Funimation

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The Midnight Meat Train (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I caught The Midnight Meat Train for free on FearNet On Demand through my cable company. I was shocked to see it available, especially since the DVD isn't due out for months. Clive Barker can be proud of this film because other than Hellraiser, this is the best flick taken from his stories.
Vinnie Jones when used properly in roles like this, is one scary dude. He only has one line towards the end, but his stare alone says everything his mouth isn't. Bradley Cooper is likeable as the lead and the rest of the cast is decent.
You gotta love the gore here. It would make any fan of old school horror films proud. There was a little CGI used, but it didn't really get in the way. The visual style and cinematography are very good as well.
The only negatives would have to be that some of the dialogue is below average and certain characters do some really dumb things, but this is a horror movie, right? It comes with the territory.
The Midnight Meat Train deserved a wider release and will likely gain a strong following on DVD. One thing is for sure, I won't even think about riding on a subway train again.
3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

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Item Name: The Midnight Meat Train; Studio:Lions Gate

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Zombie Strippers (Unrated Special Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I grew up on low budget horror flicks of the 70s and 80s and over the years it's just not the same anymore. There's just something about these newer low budget horror flicks that are just overall rather bad. While there are some truly great low budget horror movies being produced it just seems like there are much more that are terrible.
Nowadays there are so many methods to shoot on besides film and movies are being produced on very low budgets that may not have been possible as little as 10-years ago. So due to that a lot of people who shouldn't be making films are now getting the chance. With a name like Zombie Strippers you know what you're getting into. A lot of movies coming out these days that aim for cult fans are kinda bad; when I say bad I mean they aren't enjoyable and lack compared to the movies they are homage's to.
Zombie Strippers on the other hand gets it right; again with a title like Zombie Strippers right off the bat you know what you are getting. It's kinda hard to mess a movie like this up. I think most horror fans like zombie movies and honestly who doesn't love strippers? So you get the best of both worlds. Zombie Strippers is schlock horror and never tries to be more than that, which is something that plagues a lot of movies like this these days.
The screenplay by Jay Lee is simply entertaining; the script isn't gonna win any awards and I don't think anyone is watching this movie for the screenplay. The goal was simple; entertain and that's exactly what it does. Jay Lee also directs and he actually works well with his limited budget. Where other filmmakers fail he succeeds. Bottom line is this; Zombie Strippers isn't a movie you watch to learn how to craft a film. I don't mean that as a knock against Jay Lee, like his script as director he aims to simply entertain and he does that.
He isn't trying to make one of the all time greats he isn't taking this concept and trying to play it straight. He's making a silly horror/comedy and that's it. The budget was quite low and I'll give Jay Lee a lot of credit for what he pulled off. Working on a budget this low isn't easy and he manages it well. A lot of filmmakers really fail with these kinds of movies, but Jay Lee knows what the audience wants and delivers that.
You know what I hate? Movies that have strippers, but yet they're never naked. What's up with that? Thankfully there's a whole lot of nudity. There's some zombie action early on, but after that the next 30-minutes are mostly spent with some very hot women getting naked. Due to that you'll never be bored with the lack of zombies. After the zombies come into play it's pretty much the same scene over and over again, stripper becomes a zombie, strips and kills someone, but yet it never loses the fun factor. Who knew strippers becoming zombies enhances their stripping skills.
Believe it or not the gore isn't bad. There's a lot of really bad CGI, but surprisingly enough there's some decent CGI and the practical F/X actually don't look bad at all. The movie would have been better off with more practical F/X, but for a really low budget flick the F/X don't look bad at all for the most part.
Some people have commented on the acting, but my question is what were you expecting? Did you really think there would be Oscar worthy performances? I think it's safe to say none of the actors will have Oscars in their futures, but they all put in the performances they were meant to. The performances are fun and never meant to be taken seriously; the actors get that and never try and be serious. Who knew Jenna Jameson could put in such a fun performances? Robert Englund also puts in a fun performance, but it's Joey Medina as Paco that steals the show.
Ultimate Fighter Tito Ortiz has a really funny cameo as a bouncer at the strip club. I'm not into ultimate fighting I'm more of a boxing fan, but I'm quite aware of Tito Ortiz and once the first zombie attack happens he's the first to haul out of there.
When it comes to Zombie Strippers you'll either hate it and think it's a travesty of filmmaking or you'll be entertained. Zombie Strippers isn't one of the greats, but it does serve as a fun time. It's got hot women, hot women naked and some gore. While not the perfect cult flick it's a damn good time.

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The world's most famous adult film star, Jenna Jameson stars in this thrilling zombie adventure. In the not too distant future a secret government re-animation chemo-virus gets released into conservative Sartre, Nebraska and lands in an underground strip club. As the virus begins to spread, turning the strippers into "Super Zombie Strippers" the girls struggle with whether or not to conform to the new "fad" even if it means there's no turning back. They're not just strippers...They're Zombie Strippers !!

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Halloween II (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)Going against what my gut instinct was telling me about the current crop of "remakes" that keep springing up, I went ahead and got a copy of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, which after viewing is the equivalent of Vince McMahon's (Brainstorm!) XFL, meant to improve on the traditional NFL. Like Vince, Zombie falls flat on his face!
What a total waste of effort(??)! Forget the obviously lame storyline! Zombie has taken the BEST parts of what I & others loved of John Carpenter's masterpiece and has profoundly spat on them, transforming & transposing them away from what made them appealing- Laurie Strode from a straight-lanced, innocently appealing & ultimately doomed heroine who we ended up rooting for to a foul-mouthed, UN-likeable blithering mess. Sam Loomis has been remade from a truly concerned savior, determined to stop his quarry (while being believably terrified of him at the same time)from spreading death & destruction into a greedy, uncaring opportunist. And what a howler THIS Michael Myers is......! Where-as he was a terrifying, shadowy form of living darkness in total control of his actions without expression or remorse in the original, Zombie's version is laughably inept, just another thuggish brute without the cunning or resilience of a true screen villian, led only by his childhood/"inner-self" visions/images to explain his actions (oh, so T-H-A-T's why he does & is what he is!!!!! I d-i-d-n-'t k-n-o-w THAT!). I'm not sure how much effort was made by Tyler Mane to "get into character" but you never really truly believe he's Michael Myers, or at least I didn't. Dick Warlock ('the Shape' in 1981's H2) was more convincing, emerging out of a dark corner with the occasional creepy head tilt while remaining stoic was all that was really needed.
The way I see it, the only real excuse for these re-makes (or are they re-boots???)is a set-up for a future "Michael vs Jason" clash!

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Rob Zombie's H2 (Halloween) picks up at the exact moment that 2007's box-office smash, Halloween stopped and follows the aftermath of Michael Myers's (Tyler Mane) murderous rampage through the eyes of heroine Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor Compton). Evil has a new destiny. Michael Myers is back in this terrifying sequel to Rob Zombie’s visionary re-imagining of Halloween which grossed almost $80 million worldwide. It is that time of year again, and Michael Myers has returned home to sleepy Haddonfield, Illinois to take care of some unfinished family business. Unleashing a trail of terror that only horror master Zombie can, Myers will stop at nothing to bring closure to the secrets of his twisted past. But the town's got an unlikely new hero, if they can only stay alive long enough to stop the unstoppable.

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The Machine Girl (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)MACHINE GIRL (aka. One-Armed Machine Girl) is an over-the-top, campy, ultra-violent action film by Iguchi Noboru (Sukeban Boy). The film is definitely NOT for everyone but will appeal to fans of Japanese cult films with a touch of dark comedy and unrealistic ultra-bloody violence made popular by Ichi the Killer and even Tarantino's magnificent "Kill Bill". Folks will either applaud or be repulsed by this film's execution, but it is a wickedly twisted, darkly-toned entertainment that knows exactly what it's going for. The film features well-known Japanese bikini model Minase Yashiro in her first feature role, ex-AV star Asami and the beautiful Honoka as the Yakuza boss' twisted wife. Do I have your attention yet?
Plot synopsis partly derived from the back cover:
Ami (Minase Yashiro) is a tough but otherwise average high school girl, trying to lead a normal life with her younger brother. Her whole world comes crushing down when her brother and his friend are killed by ruthless bullies led by a Yakuza Boss' son. When she goes to find those responsible, she finds herself in over her head and minus her left arm. Barely surviving, Ami escapes and finds shelter from a kindly mechanic and his wife Miki (Asami) who also happen to be the parents of her brother`s friend. They take pity on Ami's plight, helping her heal, training her and fitting her with a powerful machine gun where her left arm used to be. She then teams up with the tough mother to seek vengeance and together they unleash an unholy, non-stop, over the top kill fest against the equally creative machinery of their ruthless Ninja-Yakuza enemies.
The film is a wild blend of 70's "pink violence" and 80's super-violent splatter horror that doesn't take itself seriously. The film is full of bloody sequences and oddball weird humor that will undoubtedly garner a cult following. It was quite inventive of the filmmakers to rely on "old-school" style violence to conduct the visual blood and gore. Whether this decision was made because of budget constraints or some other factor, it made the film work; from an entertainment standpoint kind of way. The exaggerated gallons of blood complements the film's action sequences; chainsaw-fu, machine gun-fu, swordplay and brassiere-fu are the film's many unorthodox style of brutality. The film is an example of an adult-Tokusatsu (Kid's TV show)with the wild blend of action, camp, humor, sci-fi and even horror that plays like a stunt/Gore show.
The film also has some campy ideas that will make you say; "What the heck" as the film makes fun of certain anime-inspired names such as "Super Mourner Gang" and "Junior high Shuriken gang" seem attempts to somewhat tone down all the violence and brutality displayed. There are also twisted touches of oddball humor with the "sushi fingers" and "tempura arm". I've always wondered how Hellraiser's "Pinhead" got that look; Miki and Ami were very obliged to demonstrate how that sinister look can come about in a human being.
Sexy Minase Yashiro plays the lead, I'm a little undecided as to how well her first starring performance is. She has the right school girl look and she has a lot of charisma, but at times she looks a little awkward with the action sequences. Asami plays Miki and she looks a little young and definitely too cool to be the mother of a teenager. Nude model Honoka adds a lot of eye-candy as the wife of Yakuza boss Kimura. The woman is twisted in her own way, she has that no-nonsense appeal further accentuated by Honoka's sheer sexiness. She is seductively, yet creepily appealing as she displays her "Drill Brassiere" as an added campy display of villainy. Shimazu Kentaro is the Yakuza Boss who seemed to have been based on "Heihachi Yashima" from the "tekken" video game. The whirling and hurling flying razor sharp "bucket" adds more to the film's twistedly, campy appeal. Boss Kimura an intimidating villain although he isn't an originally fresh concept.
With Ami's Sailor Moon-inspired outfit, sentai/tokusatsu heroism, references to ninja and Yakuza elements, the film is definitely aimed at anime fan boys and those very initiated with Japanese cinema. The film's enjoyment requires a very large suspension of disbelief for its entirety. Take two cups of "Shoot `Em Up", three tablespoons of "Darkman" and even "Planet Terror" to two gallons of "Ichi The Killer" and stir vigorously, then you will have an accurate idea just how this film plays out. The film doesn't take itself seriously and if "Machine Girl" is any indication of the filmmakers take on twisted entertainment, then I'm sold to see "Tokyo Gore Police".
Recommended for fans of J-cinema and Pink violence [3 ½ ++ Stars]

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Ami (Minase Yashiro, in her film debut) is a tough but otherwise average high school girl, trying to lead a normal life.Her world comes crashing down when her brother and his friendare killed by ruthless bullies.As Ami tracks down the ringleader, sheis surprised to discover the bullies' association with a sinister ninja yakuza family. When she goes afterher revenge, she soon finds herself in over her head and minus her left arm.Barely surviving, Amiescapes and seeks out shelter fromtwo kindly garage mechanics. They take pity on her, fitting her with a high-powered machine gun where her arm used to be. She then teams up with the chainsaw-wielding mother (Asami) of her brother's slain friend and together they unleash an unholy, non-stop, over-the-top kill fest against the equally creative machinery (drill bra, flying guillotine) of their relentless ninja enemies.

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Dawn of the Dead (Ultimate Edition) (1979) Review

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(More customer reviews)Its about time. What more can we say? Anchor Bay has decided to release its ultimate DVD edition of George A. Romero's epic Zombie film, Dawn of the Dead. Here are the specs.
DISC 1: The origian unrated director's cut. NOT THE EXTENDED EDITION, which is not truly Romero's director's cut. This disc includes commentary with George Romero, Tom Savini, and Chris Romero along with Theatrical trailers and radio spots.
DISC 2: The extended edition, often mistaken for a 'director's cut.' This disc includes an additional 12 minutes of glorious footage. Also includes commentary by producer Richard Rubinstein, who also helmed the recent Dawn of the Dead remake. The disc has a commercial for the Monroville Mall and a memorabilia gallery.
DISC 3: The Dario Argento cut. This version of the film has less humor and more drama, released in Europe with additional music from Goblin. This version includes commentary by all four stars of the film.
DISC 4: This disc contains several documentaries including the all new THE DEAD WALK (75 min) and the classic DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD; a feature-length documentary shot during the making of Dawn of the Dead. This disc also includes home movies from the set and a tour of the Monroeville Mall with actor Ken Foree.
Buy this DVD set, you won't be sorry. Even if you haven't seen the film, for any zombie fan, this is a must own.

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: DVDArtist: DAWN OF THE DEADTitle: DAWN OF THE DEADStreet Release Date: 09/07/2004

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George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (Two-Disc Ultimate Undead Edition) (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am really a big Romero fan as well as a zombie genre fan, so I don't want to come across as a hater. This movie isn't good. I really wanted to like it, but it is just plain bad. The script is full of Romero's usual social statements which is fine, but the hack dialog was excruciating. The story was just bad as well. It involved the renegade national guardsmen from Diary finding their way to an island off the coast of Delaware which has two Irish clans fighting each other over what to do with the dead. Strangely, only a handful of people spoke with Irish accents, the rest didn't even bother. What hurts the movie is the contradictions throughout. One minute the guardsmen say money is worthless, then they are fighting over a million dollars. One of the clans wants to keep the zombies(dead heads in the movie) alive, but later on are shooting them left and right. Also parts of the movie act like the world is completely lawless after 6 days of the dead rising, while other parts have internet and television still being broadcast. I can go on and on. The zombie makeup is fair, but sometimes is looks too much like makeup. The acting runs from fair to poor. The CGI is terrible and really fake looking. The trailers showing the flaming zombie or the fire extinguisher death are good examples of how bad the special effects are. Zombie fans will certainly rent this because of Romero's name, but I would advise to watch it before you buy it.

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The newest film from horror master George A. Romero (legendary creator of the Night of the Living Dead franchise) picks up where Diary of the Dead leaves off. On a small islandoff the coast of Delaware, live two families locked in a struggle for power and control over the fate of the undead. The O'Flynns approach the zombie plague with a shoot-to-kill attitude. The Muldoons feel that the zombies should be quarantined and kept "alive," in hopes that a solution will be discovered. For both families, existence on Plum Island is a nightmarish world where humans are the minority and zombies rule.

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Vampires (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Vampires is one of my all time favorite movies, but to be fair, I could not give it five stars. However, I think anyone who likes horror, vampire movies or spaghetti Westerns MUST see this film at least once.
Vampires has almost everything it needs to be a truly great horror flick -- and it is good enough that I've been obsessing over owning the video ever since it left the theaters. It has great performances -- James Woods, of course, can always make me cringe, laugh or melt with startling ease, and it looks like he had a lot of fun with his role as obsessed vampire slayer Jack Crow. Supporting cast was solid, direction was crisp and snappy, the camera work was wonderful, costuming and props were cool (love the slayers' tools and Valek's coat!), and Carpenter's score suits what's going on onscreen perfectly.
Ironically, two of the best performances in the flick -- Thomas Ian Griffith as Valek, a genuinely scary and sensual vampire badguy, and Sheryl Lee as Katrina, a nascent vampire being used by the slayers to track Valek down -- had the least to work with where the script is concerned. Neither were given enough lines, but managed to do more with expression, tone and body language to make their characters believable than many people could have done with ten times that amount of dialog and screen time. Griffith especially was given short shrift in this department, but still manages to terrify and enthrall.
Vampires is also daring. Jack Crow (many of whose lines Woods improvised, to great effect) is absolutely uncompromising -- tough, flawed, mean, hot-tempered, and nearly as vicious as his quarry. He's the kind of person who will literally do whatever it takes to get the job done, and that's hard to look at at times. And no, he's not a nice guy. He's not PC (thank GOD!), which apparently irritated a lot of movie critics when Vampires came out. In fact, Jack Crow is a real bastard. He's also the only kind of person who would actually have the guts, and the bloodthirst, and the near suicidal singlemindedness, to actually go and hunt vampires. He's not here to charm us or even spare our feelings; he's here to save our butts. He's unnervingly fun to watch.
So, too, is his archnemesis, Jan Valek, who is right up there among my top ten Favorite Movie Badguys. Valek grabs the insipid, "vampires as lonely, romantic figures bemoaning their lost humanity and constantly falling in love with mortals they can never be with" image that has infected the vampire mythos of late and rips the living $^%$%^$@# out of it. He's a cold, scheming, vicious, arrogant, merciless, occasionally sadistic killer to whom humans are either tools, or food. He doesn't give interviews. He doesn't romance women who bear a resemblance to his lost love. He doesn't go clubbing or get embroiled in human politics or keep human 'pets'/servants. He is every inch the intelligent, cunning predator, completely alienated from human kind, and is undeniably a threat. He's also disturbingly alluring, which in a strange way just makes him even more frightening. And, like Crow, he doesn't do things halfway. Piss him off, he'll seduce your woman, tear all your friends apart and chase you down no matter how fast you run or how far you go. The movie illustrates this with a gory directness which is both disturbing and refreshing.
Ok, so that's what Vampires has going for it. Here's what it is lacking: real studio backing and funding. I don't know who dropped the ball on this one, but Vampires definitely needed a bigger budget. It needed to be about half an hour longer for character development's sake, the effects needed cleaning up in a few places, and the scriptwriter needed to be taken to a deserted area and had a gun held to his head til he revised out the cornier lines ("Unstoppable unless we stop him"?!? "I'll snap your neck like a twig"?!? Come ON!) and put in about three or four more revisions to even out the general story pacing, fix some of the dialog and GIVE KAT AND VALEK MORE LINES AND SCREEN TIME! :).
Sony/Largo/whoever also screwed up where promotion is concerned. There was almost NO advertising of Vampires once the movie actually came out, even though it was #1 nationwide its first week in theaters. The planned second soundtrack (with Marilyn Manson, etc) was to my knowledge never released, nor was there a 'book of the film', a 'making of' or any posters, etc. created besides the movie poster version you see on the front of the video box. Hello?!? Vampires made it to #1 for that week pretty much on its own merits. With some real support from its studio and distributor it could have done a lot better and also been a better movie.
Just my $0.02.

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JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES - DVD Movie

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Superjail: Season One Review

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(More customer reviews)SuperJail is by far one of the greatest pieces of animation to hit TV in the last ten years.
Clearly it's not for younger viewers as it was developed for the AdultSwim programming block on Cartoon Network.
As I mentioned before this is not a review of the Show, but of AdiultSwim's DVD product.
While the show is great in and of itself, this DVD is not.
Once again Adultswim is releasing a DVD with an "UNCENSORED" sticker on the package (Like they did with the Metyalocalypse DVDs) when this content is still COMPLETELY CENSORED as it was on the original Cablecasts and "air dates".
This is ridiculous.
I bought this DVD to see this amazing show without the silly BLACK BARS over images and without loud BEEPS over language.
Instead only the animatics, -the auxiliary extra content- is free of censor beeps etc.
I hope Adultswim smartens up and eventually releases these shows uncut, uncensored as they are currently advertising -falsely.
I doubt I'll be buying more Adultswim DVDs outside of the Venture Bros. releases (which actually are UNCENSORED as advertised)
I received this DVD in the mail on Thursday, and I just sold it this morning.
I'm waiting for the real uncensored version if it ever comes out.
-SJ

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Superjail is the largest and most brutal prison in the world. Built in an active volcano, this complex routinely has riots and murders, though nobody is ever able to escape. The Warden, who is in charge of the prison, has gone insane over the years and has decided to make his prison unlike any other in the world. Superjail! will focus on the crazy antics that occur inside the prison.

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Inside (Unrated) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, I guess I can start off this review by saying that this is solid proof that Euro-Horror and it's director's are so far ahead of us Americans when it comes to the horror genre. While our studios are continuing to crank out remakes, and basically recycling stuff that have sat in the can for years - it are the European filmmakers who are out there whipping up new and imaginative ideas like they usually do.
From French Directing duo, Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, comes INSIDE, a film that exploits a subject that surely has to be any mother's nightmare - having their child taken away from them. Now, I suppose that this would be hard for any mother, regardless the age of the child - but it has to be that much harder when the child is still in womb. In the film, we watch the main character go through the trauma of losing her husband to a crash. After the aftermath of the situation, she still keeps her sanity, just knowing that a piece of him remains, in the form of their unborn. What the Directors do here, is, well....wreck that sanity she has left, and they do it brutally. There is a mysterious woman hell bent on claiming Sarah's baby as her own. Whether she's have to kill Sarah, or just blatantly extract it from her womb, she is bound to finally become a mother herself.
INSIDE is definitely a thrill ride from the beginning to end....it's one of those "you'll never see what's coming next" kind of films. I must say that the realistic gore in the film is just fantastic and brutal, it adds more tension to any already intense situation - but the fact of the matter is that through the course of this film we watch an innocent woman(Sarah) go through absolute hell, while fighting to keep her and her beloved child alive,
The production value and direction here are great, and really capture all of the tense moments. For the most part, the film has but only one location, which is Sarah's house. I have always said that the one location thing could be a disaster (Bug (Special Edition) anyone?), but if they're handled correctly. a primary set could be the best thing to happen to a film. In the case of INSIDE, having one location works out very well as in conveys the feeling of being trapped from the point of view of our victim. And like many films of the same type. you do expect everything to dull down after awhile, but truth is, once this film gets to the subject of it's plot, there are very few dull moments, as the special effects alone are enough to have you glued to your seat. And another thing about the film is it's visual effects - I loved the CGI shots of the baby in the womb.
In the end, there's a reason that INSIDE was released under the DIMENSION EXTREME label; it is extreme, violent, brutal and just about every other adjective that you can think to call it - the scary thing is that the film's subject is one that could happen anywhere in the world or any day of the week.

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Four months after pregnant Sara loses her husband in a horrific auto accident, she is visited on Christmas Eve by a mysterious madwoman. Alone and desperate to save her unborn child, Sara fights to stay alive as each of her potential rescuers die at the womans sadistic hands.

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Hatchet (Unrated Director's Cut) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)it says it right on the cover "oldschool american horror." if you go into this expecting an Oscar winner, you are obviously gonna be disappointed. this is a no frills, no holds barred slasher flick. on the other hand, the villain's appearance among other things really keep me from taking it very seriously. part homage, part spoof, Hatchet deffinitely gets the job done.
the killer is one Victor Crowley. born with various deformities all over his body, he grew up secluded in his home with his father. that is, until the day some local kids accidentally start a fire in the house. Victor's father accidentally killed him with a hatchet while trying to get through the door to save him. now he wanders those same woods and swamps looking to dish out some pain in return for his own.
starts off with a relatively traditional horror intro (you know what im talking about)
cut to a couple days later. the main character("villain" from Grandma's Boy! also in Accepted) of this movie is highly unhappy at Mardi Gras and looks into a haunted swamp tour for some alternative entertainment. most of the characters are fairly cliched. you got the paris hiltonish girls (eh), the hero, the token back dude, the sensitive guy, the completely helpless old couple, and the sleaze. traditionally, it doesnt take too long for the chaos to begin.
a fairly over-used formula at this point, but just like "The Tripper", "Hatchet" manages to be supremely entertaining with an extremely interesting kill or two thrown in for good measure. plenty of blood and guts to satisfy any horror fan, but probably not grisly enough for the most jaded of gore hounds. kills with nothing but bare hands, kills with the ominous hatchet, and a power tool may even just get thrown in there. the action does not disappoint. while i didnt find it genuinely scarey at any moment (they hardly ever are), you feel a little tension at times, it has very satisfying death sequences(victor can be so creative!) and some surprisingly good humor, its an extremely entertaining horror movie. recommended to fans of the genre, especially slasher fans. most others wont get it.

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Get ready for one of the most talked-about, red- blooded American horror movies of the past 20 years: When a group of New Orleans tourists take a cheesy haunted swamp tour, they slam face-first into the local legend of deformed madman Victor Crowley. What follows is a psycho spree of seat-jumping scares, eye- popping nudity, skull-splitting mayhem and beyond. Joel David Moore (DODGEBALL), Deon Richmond (SCREAM 3) and Mercedes McNab (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) star – along with horror icons Tony ‘Candyman’ Todd, Robert ‘Freddy Krueger’ Englund and Kane ‘Jason’ Hodder – in this screamingly funny carnage classic that Fangoria hails as “a no-hold-barred homage to the days when slasher films were at their reddest and wettest!”

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Night of the Demons (1988) Review

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(More customer reviews)Night of the Demons is a fun little film to watch during October. Set on Halloween night with teenage punks deciding to hold a seance at the abandoned funeral home on the outskirts of town, it's high quality cheese all the way. With some above average dialogue("eat a bowl of...") and a real sense of creepiness there isn't much not to like. The opening titles alone are worth viewing for the cool animation. Some interesting gore and a very memorable scene involving lipstick put this high on the list. If you like to watch Horror for laughs this film is for you.
"They're pure evil, they're demons!"

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On the night of halloween 10 teens decide to go to a party at an abandoned funeral parlor. Hull house rumored to be built on an evil patch of land & underground stream is the place. While starting the party the teens gather around a big mirror to perform a seance..Big mistake.Studio: Starz/spheRelease Date: 08/24/2004Starring: Alvin AlexisRun time: 90 minutesRating: RDirector: Kevin Tenney

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