Cast: Paul Le Mat, Catherine Hicks, Stephen McHattie, Peter Billingsley, Edward Herrmann
Scream! Factory / Rated R / Region A (1) / Widescreen (1.78:1) / DTS Master Audio Mono / 87 minutes
Disc Features: Audio Commentary with Director Dick Richards/Theatrical Trailer/TV Spot
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I should’ve had this review written well over a month ago. I’ve watched Death Valley twice, and I’m still trying to give it a grade. Good? Bad? Mediocre? Piece of crap? I’m having trouble assigning any of these judgments to Death Valley. Knowing I’m not wholeheartedly certain about my opinion just yet, I promise to give you my verdict by the end of this review. Somehow, I’m going to do it. Continue reading →
Cast: Kevin Conway, Elizabeth Berridge, Shawn Carson, Cooper Huckabee, Miles Chapin, William Finley
Scream Factory / NTSC Region 1 / Rated R / Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) / Dolby Digital Mono / 96 minutes
Disc Extras: Audio Commentary with Director Tobe Hooper (Moderated by Filmmaker Tim Sullivan) / Interview with Executive Producer Mark L. Lester and Composer John Beal / Audio Interview with Actor William Finley / Theatrical Trailer / TV Spots/And More!
It’s interesting how some movies get thrown to the wayside, or they’re underrated for one reason or another. A movie maker of such neglected fare can only hope to gain a cult following over time. Maybe now is the time for The Funhouse to get that following. Those coming into this expecting a straight up slasher movie with over-the-top killings and tons of nudity might feel letdown. But I hate saying that, because what you get with Tobe Hooper’s (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Spontaneous Combustion) neglected gem is a dark ride of suspense, terror, foreboding atmosphere, and ultimately, one hell of a horror movie. Continue reading →
A few years ago Spanish director Jaume Balagueró—along with partner Paco Plaza—garnered fanfare and critical acclaim with his “found footage” film [Rec] in 2007, then again in 2009 with [Rec]². A third installment was released in 2012 with Plaza at the helm alone without the talents of Balagueró. During that time he was working on his own project with screenwriter Alberto Marini who worked with Balagueró in the Anna Paquin vehicle Darkness (2002). That movie, entitled Sleep Tight, gets away from the shaky, hand-held camerawork of the [Rec] series and is replaced with the polished, beautiful work of cinematographer Pablo Rosso—who also shot all three [Rec] films. Continue reading →
Cutting edge film company Breaking Glass Pictures is releasing Mitchell Reichler and Brian Michael Finn’s neo-noirLet Me Die Quietly and over the top horror-comedy Fright Flick from break-out cult director Israel Luna whose Ticked-off Trannies With Knives made a huge splash at the festivals and on DVD last year. Both of these movies were also highly acclaimed at festivals like Thriller in New York City by winning “Best Suspense Thriller” and Best Gore/Special FX respectively.
Let Me Die Quietly follows a broken-down alcoholic who’s haunted by psychic visions of murder victims. When a chance meeting brings him into contact with a woman who has the same dark gift, both set out to save the victim of their shared visions. Mario is a man who’s been tortured by visions of violent murders all his life. An encounter, a location, or even a touch can bring him the terrifying final sensations of a murder victim.
Now, as his visions intensify, he senses his own impending death. With an encroaching sense of tragedy, Mario sets out to save the life of the last victim in his final premonitions. Then, he has a chance encounter in an elevator with a beautiful woman, Gabrielle, who herself is psychic and seeing different aspects of the same murder. These two lost souls join forces in an attempt to stop a serial killer, but, in their quest, they may end up leading each other down a path of self-destruction.
In Fright Flick, Luna shows audiences just how cut-throat show business can be in this bloody, outrageous horror-comedy that satirizes the filmmaking industry. When the air-headed leading lady of a B-grade fright flick turns up brutally murdered during the film shoot, the motley members of the cast and crew find themselves at the heart of a real-life whodunit — and with so many competing egos on set, everyone’s a suspect.
Featuring gay icon Chad Allen (Ice Blues, Hollywood, je t’aime) alongside an oddball cast of characters – from the eccentric director, to the bitter supporting actress, to the scheming production assistants – Fright Flick keeps the laughs and the screams rolling with a sinful combination of dark humor, suspense and comic-book-style gore. Horror Society calls this sharp-witted slasher “a twisted, enjoyably, bloody good time!”. Special features on the DVD will include a blooper reel, a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a photo gallery.