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Reviews
Inside the Manson Gang (2007)
Chilling, entertaining, inspiring, informative, at times funny.
This documentary is basically unused footage while Hendrickson was shooting the award winning Manson documentary in the very early 1970's.
The documentary takes you from the beginning- right after the Barker Ranch Raid at Spahn Ranch right up after the convictions and penalty phases. Some of the most candid interviews and footage of Manson Family members that we never heard much about as they do daily things around the ranch including bathing, swimming, eating, garbage picking, dancing and playing music with an overdub of director Hendrickson telling you the story of what was going on at the time.
During the documentary we get to spend time with people like Bruce Davis, Clem Grogan (both convicted murderers), Mary Brunner, Cappy Gillies, Nancy Pitman, Squeaky, Blue, and some of the lesser known members like Juan Flynn, Rocky Morglea, Mark Ross, and so on.
All in all, it was a captivating film with a very ominous tone throughout. Sometimes Hendrickson's narration was a bit annoying, trying to make parks seem more eerie than they were, but it did not take anything away.
This is an essential documentary for anyone who followed/follows the Manson case.
Back Woods (2001)
Even at ONE CENT on Amazon used, the movie was a ripoff.
I won't get into this movie, but the movie's premise is (in a loss for words) corny. We see a fat lady get raped, and hearken to 35 years later she's still living in the woods (stil) pregnant with the boy conceived 35 years earlier. Now the fat lady is a fat man with a wig and a back pack reversed (so it is on his belly) to mimic a pregnant stomach.
Shortly after that we see the lady's ass (which is a bad prosthetic) separate and spit out a 300lb baby. I'm not sure what possesses him to kill, but he does and all of the typical slasher clichés follow.
The movie as a whole is just cheap, even for a low budget production. It seems like NO expense was made to make this film. A gas station is merely some guy sitting n a chair next to a 55 gallon drum with a spray painted "gas" sign on it. Everything was cheap and it all looked cheap. Acting was horrible and so was the directing and editing.
I thought this movie would at least be (so bad that it's) funny, but it wasn't It was bad and it was stupid.
The American Scream (1988)
Jaw-droppingly GREAT.
Yes, this movie is bad. Badly directed, acted and produced, but it is bad like Troll 2 bad. A movie that should be on the top 25 worst movies of all time, but in some odd way is is a great movie.
The movie lacks a plot, except the fact that Wilson Creek is a town that families bring their kids to when they no longer want them. The town folk kill them off, and then the parents leave. The movie really doesn't revolve around this concept except that the town people are trying to kill the 4 main teens.
The movie has some really bad, but funny moments, and some really funny moments. The blood and gore aren't existent, and there's really nobody dying aside from an infant, a teen girl, and some of the elder townspeople. Pons Maar (Ben Benziger) added a lot of comedy with his natural ability to be goofy. His character teamed up with Jennifer Darling (Barbara Benziger) make a great and entertaining duo.
The teens played by Matt Borlenghi (Brent), Kevin Kay (Larry), Bridgett (Riley weston) and Roseanne (Jeanne Sapienza) add their own little bit of interest to the mix. Their acting is bad, but for some odd reason it I excused it. The scenes with these actors were so abnormally bad, and some of the camera shots were completely unnecessary, that it added a loot of nostalgic humor to the movie.
The ending of the movie made no sense at all, well it made sense, but it wan't a plausible ending at all. It's like nothing at all happened. One bright spot, however, was the character played by George "Buck" Flower, who always nails his roles. By far one of the best character actors of all time.
I would recommend this movie for lovers of cheesy 80's horror. Some day hopefully it will be released on DVD with extras. In my opinion, it's a forgotten gem- much like Don't Go In The Woods... Alone, Evil laugh, The Forest, and Woodchipper Massacre, which all recently got a DVD SE release.
Dark Woods (2003)
Jason with a mullet.
It's very hard to really answer this. Am I going to compare this to a mainstream slasher like Friday The 13th, or an independent such as Bloody Murder? The movie was more or less A fan film, in the vein of the Friday The 13th fan films. The movie is very well put together, the editing is surprisingly good and the directing is also pretty solid. The movie flowed really well, and the setting helped that out a lot. I loved the setting. Usually when you see low budget camp slashers, it's rarely set at an actual camp-- usually in the woods under a tent. The blood, gore and deaths were really good, somewhat bloody and very well executed. I applaud whoever did the special make-up effects. Lastly, I loved all of the homages to 80's camp slashers (mostly Friday The 13th). In a way it was a bit overdone for a practical slasher movie, but it was warmly welcomed.
There is a handful of things that either I disliked, or hit me the wrong way. First off the acting was about a 2/10-- even for a Sub Rosa picture. At times you could barely hear the people talk, I had to constantly turn the volume up for one scene, and then back down for the next. Again, it really doesn't take a lot away from the actual film. I really hated the twist ending, and the movie was just too predictable. The last 12 minutes of the film for me was a waste. The last complaint on my list is the "killer" Victor. He was not intimidating in the least, I hated his outfit. I can understand wanting to have a Jason-like killer, but please... no more hockey masked killers. Most definitely not in army fatigues sporting a mullet. I thought the killer was corny, plain and simple. The voice, the look, the entire scene where he is chatting with the local loon.
From minute one the movie for me was enjoyable, at least minimally. The movie was a bit too much like Friday The 13th. We have a counselor fixing up a camp, another who is an artist and painting (ala Alice in Friday The 13th), a camp cook named Pam (as in Pamela Voorhees?), who not only lost her lover, but the lover is the presumed killer. Then we have the local loon (just as Crazy Ralph did in Friday The 13th 1 and 2.) who warns the new counselors. Then we have the lake, the setting, and the killings, all very much like the aforementioned movie. This movie really should have been released as a fan film, and not a legitimate release. Not because it is at all bad, but because there are way too many Friday The 13th fans out there who really are stubborn and ignorant when it comes to movies using the "formula", not to mention psycho horror movie fans who spend every minute of their day on message boards crap-talking movies. I thought the movie was a pretty solid independent movie, and a really nice fit on the Sub Rosa Studios label. The movie was enjoyable, and I personally recommend it for people who have seen and liked movies like The Undertow, Bloody Murder, Camp Utopia, Memorial Day & Friday The 13th: Revenge fan film.
Bloody Murder (2000)
Cheesy (at times bad) eighties style fun.
It's really hard to classify movies like Bloody Murder. Obviously, this movie has it's fair share of core fans- me being one of them.
The movie is devoid of good writing, and a good story, but being a fan of independent horror (I mean really low budget productions) I think the movie was really well put together considering the budget and what actors they had.
Again, this movie reminds me of some of the low budget movies we got back in the eighties. It has a really authentic camp slasher feel, with a really well thought out plot twist- albeit badly executed. It's really hard to get over the pathetic "killer" Trevor Moorhouse who's built more like a 15 year old chess player, than a linebacker (ala Kane Hodder).
The name Trevor Moorhouse was said more times in 30 minutes than I have ever heard any killer's name said in any horror movie period. That was pretty annoying and unnecessary. Later, after people start dying the teens at the camp share their theories who the killer really is, which was really fun because anyone could have been the killer.
Once the audience is directed to believe someone is indeed the killer, we later learn isn't the killer- it's the head counselor who is'also Nelson Hammond. (oops)
The movie had a lot to offer, but lacked a lot. Everything the movie lacked, it seemed like they made up for in Bloody Murder 2, which I also liked a lot. Again, this movie isn't meant for people who are looking for a scare or a good movie. It's fun, it's cheesy, and it has a really nice camp location.
It's really hard to rater this because it's more like a Friday The 13th fan film than a legitimate release. But I give it 4/10 stars.
Blood 4/10 TnA .5/10 Location 8/10 Story 5/10 Directing 5/10 Acting 4/10
And so on.
Shredder (2001)
A good slasher movie for today.... but that's really not saying a lot.
I bought this flick from Amazon.com used. For three bucks I figured I couldn't go wrong. I have read a lot of mixed reviews on it and figured that it must have had some good in it.
I grew up in the eighties, watching the old slasher films of that era and completely loving them. In the eighties I classified the slashers into three tiers. The well known and good- Friday The 13th, Halloween, and the rest. Then there are the semi-known ones like My Bloody Valentine, Slaughterhouse and Happy Birthday To Me. Lastly, the obscure gems like The Final Terror, Just Before Dawn, The Forest, Edge Of The Axe and so on.
If Shredder was released in the eighties I would definitely put it in that third tier, however compared to today's shitty slashers it is a second-tier slasher film.
So, the story we have here is a group of snowboarders heading out for a getaway at an abandon ski resort owned by one of the teen's father. After getting to the resort, we have the gratuitous death scenes- a snooping cop- that sets up a few potential Red Herrings. Later, the movie's pace starts to pick up pace with some drunken debauchery, sex and then some boarding. All of the elements of a classic slasher film.
What I liked about this film was the killer. No, the killer wasn't wearing any cool mask wielding a razor sharp machete. The killer was a vengeful family member trying to keep rude and delinquent snow boarders off the mountain. During the movie we learn that a young girl was accidental killed by some freestyle snowboarders, and when we learn that, a new set of Red Herrings emerge. The movie really keeps the suspects fresh and new. I, myself, was guessing "who" the entire movie. That's what I miss the most about todays low budget slashers.
The movie had a real secluded and confined feel. Very reminiscent of the eighties camp/woods slashers. I liked that... the movie did have a few really good and bloody )CG aided) deaths, hot chicks, breasts, a handful of suspects, and a overall fun (but cold) atmosphere.
I would only suggest this movie to people who are a fan of the eighties obscure slashers. I think someone who's expecting a movie like "I Know What You Did Last Summer" they will no doubt loathe it. It's not a great movie, but it has a lot of redeeming qualities.