Terror on Tour (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)Before the infamous "Video Nasties" ruling of 1984, in which some of the most graphic and explicit low budget video titles of the preceding years were subjected to censorship and cuts from their pure original form by the powers that be, it almost seemed like anything went in the world of underground movies. 1980 was one of the scene's peak years; you had the notorious "Maniac," "Don't Go in the House," "Eyes of a Stranger," along with such Italian walking dead splatterfests as "Zombie."
One extremely obscure (and in some ways maybe deservedly so) entry of the slasher wave from that year and one that has been largely lost to time is Don Edmonds' "Terror on Tour." Edmonds had already established himself in the world of underground deviant cinema with such low budget schlock fests as the all but banned "Ilsa, She-Wolf of the S.S." (1974). So he was more than well acquainted with the form.
"Terror on Tour" concerns a fictional Kiss-like rock band known as the Clowns, who don costumes and face paint, making them all but indistinguishable from one another, and whose wild stage shows feature such delightful things as mannequins (all female) being chopped up and torn apart in mutilation-style. Unbeknownst to the band, someone is dressing up like one of the the Clowns' members and sadistically murdering their groupies back stage both during and after their concerts.
This film bears the dreaded "Unrated" classification and at times you can see why. There is rampant partying and drug use, such as smoking grass, doing lines, and popping ludes, so much so that one of the victims is identified in the closing credits simply as "freebase chick." And, then there's the stabbings and throat slittings of mostly bare-breasted backstage groupies. Suspicion points to one of the band's roadies, a socially inept loser unable to mingle with women who therefore is obsessed with applying the Clowns' make-up to get a taste of the action. At one point he peeks through a window in envy at one of the drugged-up band members getting it on with one of the groupies.
This film gets three stars from me for the explicitness and general spirit of rock 'n' roll abandon it possesses. That said, all of the groupies are portrayed as brainless and slutty and are indistinguishable from one another, so some more sensitive viewers will not like this platform or all the violence against women depicted here. In addition, all the actors are amateur or one step above it and there are no name players to be found.
Still, I'd love to see a long overdue DVD release of this. If such equally low budget entries as "Pieces" and "Nail Gun Massacre" can get lavish DVD treatment, then why can't this one? I have a 1985 Media Home Entertainment ex-rental VHS copy that I transferred onto DVD-r. I'd love to see this though without such crummy and grainy picture quality.
While not a great movie by any means, if you cherish the bygone days of the early video revolution and like your slasher movies sleazy, low budget and without morals, then "Terror on Tour" should satiate your fixation for a good 90 minutes or so.

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Daddy Darling (1972) Review

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(More customer reviews)The creepy taboo of incest is explored/exploited by Joe Sarno (All The Sins Of Sodom) in this flick, but at least it`s the daughter lusting after Dad and not the other way around (I ain`t sayin` it`s right, but there IS a psychological condition known as 'The Electra Complex' that exists in certain young girls who have an unnatural preoccupation w/ their fathers). Katja lives alone w/ her father, and they share a deep affection - too deep, perhaps. One day Dad announces he`s re-marrying, and Katja`s world comes unglued. When she sees them in bed together, she decides to take matters into her own hands (no pun intended) and tries to disgrace her new mom while attempting to seduce her dad, who`s oblivious of his daughter`s fixation. This film is Danish-produced, and they were/are more lax in the apparant taboos we have ensconced in our American society, so the subject matter doesn`t seem so unusual or wrong (again, I ain`t sayin` it`s right, I`m just sayin`). And that`s why the movie works. For a film made in 1969, it`s notariety lies in its stretching the limits and possibilities of soft-core erotica, just before the advent of hardcore movies took us over the top. It helps that the actresses are attractive, the nudity abundant, and the exploitation envelope pushed. All in all, a good example of reasonably intelligent erotica from a lost era, well-handled (again,no pun intended) and well-executed. (Ignore the reviewer who whined about the picture quality, mine was fine). Loads of extras, trailers for other Joe Sarno flix, and a booklet - now, who`s your daddy?

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August Underground's MORDUM DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)the first time i tried to watch "august underground's mordum" a few years ago, i had to stop after about ten minutes because it immediately felt like a pointless film that would've wasted my time. recently, i sat down to watch the whole thing through. i really should've heeded my first instincts. this movie is absolute scheisse.
these words are not written out of disgust with the shocking footage. (i'm somewhat desensitized to violence at this point in my life.) rather, this movie is just utterly boring and lacks any redeeming value whatsoever. there's no plot in this simulated snuff film. the badly acted one-dimensional characters just torture and kill people for no reason and that's basically the entire movie, aside from some random footage depicting the killers' everyday lives, sprinkled in to give the viewer respite from all the torture. there's no setup, motivation or direction to any of this. all the scenes are just spliced together with no real transitions. on top of that, throw in some loud annoying cursing, screaming and laughing all the time in place of a soundtrack or real dialogue. yeah. and then it all finally mercifully ends! i like horror movies, but this is not a horror movie. it is a trial to test your patience. if you're not easily shocked, prepare to be extremely bored. if you are easily shocked, then you'll probably turn off this film long before reaching the so-called "ending" for other reasons.
at least critics can praise the cinematography when they dislike everything else about a movie. well, not here. there's not a drop of "cinematography" to be found in this movie. the worst part is the shaky out-of-focus hand-held camera work. ugh. the washed out colors and grainy shots destroy much of any aesthetic appeal to the special effects. in short, this movie looks like crap. crap shot on a broken camera, no less.
the movie that previously held the title of "worst movie i've ever seen" was the japanese simulated snuff film "guinea pig: the devil's experiment." i stopped watching that about ten minutes in as well. i didn't think it was possible, but "mordum" somehow became a new winner. congratulations are in order.
there's something about the dark side of human nature that has always been fascinating. it manages to revolt and attract at the same time. we seek it out to remind ourselves of the uncivilized animal we have been and could be still. if you wish to see man's inhumanity to man on film, try watching "salo, or the 120 days of sodom," pasolini's interesting adaption of the marquis de sade's novel. on the other hand, you could also spend some time watching the military channel to appreciate the positive aspects to the art and application of concentrated violence. however, if you must watch "mordum" out of morbid curiosity (like i did), try not to pay too much. there's a decent chance you will stop watching after the first few minutes, out of moral disgust, or out of sheer boredom.

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Maid In Sweden (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)For Christina Lindberg completists, this DVD will certainly fill
a void. Of course, if you've seen any of Miss Christina's other
films from this period, you pretty much know what to expect.
It's another Swedish coming-of-age 'sexual awakening' picture,
so the pace is pretentiously deadly and the acting likewise.
But the real beef I have with the dvd is the transfer. It's
full frame, washed out, and a little dark. You know you're
in trouble when the theatrical trailer (included on this disc)
looks 80% better than the actual feature presentation. However,
there is a major coup here with the 2008 video interview with
the usually low-profile and reclusive Miss Lindberg, who now
has to be pushing sixty at least. Unfortunately, the interviewer
doesn't really know how to coax reminiscences out of her, so she
really doesn't have a whole lot to say about her body of work.
She put me in mind of another famous Swedish actress (Greta Garbo)
from Hollywood's Golden Age who just 'vanted to be left alone'.
Surprisingly, she admits she was only in the movie business for
2-3 years, during which she made over 25 films. Anyway if you're
interested in becoming familiar with Christina Lindberg's work,
I would recommend films like 'Anita' or 'Exposed' - both of which
are now available on dvd as well.


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Bad Boy Bubby (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the film Bad Boy Bubby, the title character is a thirty-five year old man child who has been locked inside a cramped, dingy room by his abusive mother for his entire life. When Bubby's Pop suddenly shows up after a thirty-five year absence, Bubby is flushed out of his home, and the only world he has ever known, by his Mom and Pop, and into the "real" world, where he experiences equal measures of human cruelty and human kindness.
The film is at times bleak, harrowing, funny, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful. All of the actors do a very fine job, but Nicholas Hope's performance as Bubby is absolutely stunning. There's a long tradition of actors delving into roles of this type, Sling Blade, Awakenings or Rain Man for example, and while Hope's performance isn't as widely regarded as the lead performances in these three films, it surely would be if the film Bad Boy Bubby had received a wider release - especially in the United States, where until now it has been practically nonexistent. Now however, thanks to Blue Underground and this great DVD release a much wider audience will hopefully be able to see this exceptional film for the first time.
Once again Blue Underground has done a really topnotch job. The film transfer looks great and there are two sound options: a 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and a Dolby Surround 2.0. Of special note, the sound for the film was recorded using a binaural sound system that is meant to allow the viewer the experience of hearing everything the same way the main character would. The extras on the disc are a 24 minute interview with director Rolf de Heer, who describes the interesting binaural recording process and reveals a lot of fascinating insights and details, including the fact that over 30 different cinematographers were used to shoot the film. There is a second 15 minute interview with Nicholas Hope who discusses his career before, during, and after Bad Boy Bubby. The short film that led to Nicholas Hope being cast in the role of Bubby, titled Confessor Caressor, is also included. And finally, there is also a theatrical trailer for Bad Boy Bubby and a poster/stills gallery. In all a great disc befitting a remarkable film.

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Winner of Four Australian Academy Awards, Including Best Actor - Nicholas Hope, Best Director - Rolf De Heer, and Best Original Screenplay.L.A. Weekly called it "disturbing and compelling", and it was awarded The Grand Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Despite a limited release in America, it would shock and delight audiences to become one of the most daring and controversial cult films of the past decade. Nicholas Hope in what Variety hails as "an astonishing performance" - stars as Bubby, a demented man-child kept locked his entire life in a squalid apartment by his depraved mother. But when Bubby - who can only communicate by mimicking what others say and do - escapes into the outside, he soon discovers the wonders of sex, crime, rock & roll and pizza. Will this 'mad bastard' be destroyed by the realities of our cruel world, or does a higher calling ultimately await him in the most unlikely place of all?Extras: Christ Kid, You're A Weirdo - Interview with Director Rolf De Heer Being Bubby - Interview with Star Nicholas Hope Confessor Caressor - Short Film Starring Nicholas Hope (20 mins) Theatrical Trailer Poster & Still Gallery

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I Told You Not To Call The Police (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)With a name like Bill Zebub, you probably have a pretty good idea of what you're getting in terms of film quality, acting, and plot. That should frame your expectations, so you don't complain that the camera work doesn't hold up when compared with Titanic, or something ludicrous like that. It is pretty much what it claims to be. You'll see a variety of young women stripped, have demeaning sexual acts performed upon them, and threatened heartily. The majority of the movie is seen from the perspective of the rapist. That's...pretty much it. It suffices as a plot, puts things into some kind of context, but probably won't engage your mind very much. Overall, not very enjoyable to my tastes. The women were all fairly attractive, goth-type chicks. They do appear to get completely nude, and the camera wanders over them to reveal lots of detail (but little enough that "appear to get" is the operative phrase here). The 'action', such as it is, is focused on the humiliation of being raped by a stranger, with the unusual addition that rapist forces one woman's father to do the honors. Visually, it's about what you'd expect. Fit, young women are shown with some good lighting, but the camera is kind of unsteady at times. The droning background music is repetitive which inspires more of a feeling of annoyance than the dread that was obviously intended. Plot-wise...yeah, I've talked about that already. The 'surprise ending' isn't. After the ending, there are a series of advertisements for Mr. Zebub's other work, which promise to be much more active but less revealing.
Anyway, I sated my curiosity, but it'll be a while before I watch another Bill Zebub movie. I don't feel completely ripped-off, at the price I paid.

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