Give away time here at the Bloodsprayer! What we have for you today are two DVD copies of the latest from Anchor Bay Entertainment, The Collapsed!  The Collapsed will be hitting stores on June 5th.  Winning is easy, in the comment section below leave a valid email address and answer the following question!  Winners will be chosen on Monday, June 4th.  The contest applies to U.S. residents only.  Good luck!!!

Name any Anchor Bay Blu-ray or DVD horror release so far in 2012.

Here is a quick film synopsis for ya guys courtesy of Anchor Bay.

THE COLLAPSED is a chilling glimpse into one family’s battle to stay alive while traversing a hellish landscape of barbarism and cannibalism . . .

In wake of an unknown event that has catapulted civilization into a fatal downward spiral, the Weaver family — father Scott (John Fantasia), young adult son Aaron (Steve Vieira), mother Emily (Lise Moule) and teenage daughter Rebecca (Anna Ross) — desperately tries to survive.

Fleeing the city, their only hope of sanctuary is a rural hometown from their past, Dover’s Bend. With the constant threat of violent death forcing them to stay as far away from civilization as possible, they take to the forest. However, they soon discover that the danger posed by other survivors may be the least of their worries. Someone — or something — seems to have followed them into the wilderness…

Already generating buzz from screenings at the Fangoria Film Festival, the Fright Night Film Festival, Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear, as well as winning awards at the 2011 Metropolitan Film Festival of New York and the Crypticon Film Festival, Anchor Bay Entertainment presents the U.S. DVD debut of the apocalyptic thriller THE COLLAPSED on June 5th.

You never know quite what to expect from the folks at World Wide Multi Media.  They’re a great company in the sense that they give a voice to the (literally) unknown filmmaker.  The problem with this?  There are times when people’s voice aren’t ready to be heard.  Nevertheless, upon receiving a package with copies of Treasure Chest Of Horrors and Theatre Of The Deranged in it, I considered myself optimistic.  Then, I read the liner notes.

Okay, I have nothing against Shawn C. Phillips.  At all.  In fact, I find him quite entertaining.  He’s been spotted in every goddamn low budget flick that’s come out over the last few years.  Cool.  Would this constitute referring to him as a “horror legend”?  NO.  Absolutely not.  If you’re intending to do so as a marketing ploy, then I’d reckon you’re not digging deep enough into that  bag o’ tricks.  Like I said, I have nothing against the guy, but he’s CERTAINLY not a horror legend. He’s been in a lot of B movies…it ends there.  I’d bet if you asked him, he’d agree that he’s not a legend of any sort but rather a guy who loves movies and has had a great amount of good fortune by participating in several.  So, knowing that this is the type of thing I was getting myself into, I shook out the stiffness and dove straight in.  These were the results…

THEATRE OF THE DERANGED:  Writer/Director/Producer James Cullen Bressack has sent me more emails than anyone I’ve ever encountered.  He’s diligent in his efforts to keep media outlets informed on what he’s doing.  Upon receiving TOTD, I wasn’t exactly surprised.  I’d known the guy had stuff coming down the pike for quite some time.  However, I didn’t know what all was going to be involved.  TOTD is your standard anthology.  It’s narrated by Andy the Arsonist (who should never be in front of a camera again).  Andy walks us through 5 short films that that include bloodlust, cannibals, and jealousy and some other weird shit.

Things begin with Shawn Phillips and M. Kelley’s Lust For Blood.  It’s humorous and silly…which is what these 2 cut their teeth doing.  It’s not particularly well shot and it’s overacted to Ed Wood proportions. But it’s expected!  It’s not going to forge any new ground but it’s good for a laugh (seriously…there’s a dancing scene that made me laugh out loud).

Of the 5 shorts in TOTD, there were 2 more that are noteworthy:  Bressack’s Speak Easy and Creep Creepersin’s Cannibal Blood Girl.  Speak Easy is perhaps the most interesting of the shorts featured.  It’s quite short and features a very minimalist style.  It’s deadpan dialogue delivery gives it a cool element to take in.  The effects are shit (100% expected) but the overall point is made in this tale of jealousy and vengeance.  The other, Cannibal Blood Girl, utilizes the old adage “more is more”.  Adult film star Sophie Dee plays a porn star (quite a stretch) who’d been raped and murdered.  BUUUUUUT, she’s returned as a blood spewing/lactating/pissing/shitting cannibal demon (?) zombie sort of thing…I think.  What this short lacks in continuity it makes up for in garish dick swinging. A shitload of fake blood and nudity is SOMEHOW shoved into a very short amount of time.  Methinks they knew exactly what they were doing.

As for the other 2 shorts (Bad Dennis and Doll Parts), well, I suppose there isn’t too much that actually distinguishes them from the previous.  Still, they’re both very forgettable and in the case of Bad Dennis, confusingly bad.  Ever hear actual British people speak and think their accent was fake and shitty?  Neither had I, until I saw Bad Dennis.  Doll Parts, on the other hand, was not a wash entirely.  In fact the ending having a little twist was cool.  However, the acting in the first part and the delivery of characters was so mish-mashed and forced, it simply does not work.  These weak links caused this whole chain to dismantle.

TREASURE CHEST OF HORRORS:  Good lord.  This one was rough.  The in-between introductory segments were done by Percival Pirate who’s discovered Grandpappy’s hidden treasure chest…of VHS tapes.  Yeah.  This clusterfuck continues on in the fashion one would assume it to.  Of its 4 shorts, 3 were done by the same director (as well as the introductory segments), Dough Waugh.  The other, once again, by Shawn Phillips and M. Kelley.  This time, they tell the story of a 28 year old who still lives with his parents becoming a vampire.  It doesn’t stray too far from their formula.  It’s silly, has some very funny moments, and absolutely no budget whatsoever.

As for the other 3 films (all done by a young man named Doug Waugh),  there’s really NOT much to say.  TCOH starts off with his (Waugh) Rotten Classmates.   Bullies pick on a kid who’s drawing(?!) and then he kills them.  The end.  There’s little to no dialogue and it’s gone in an instance.  Waugh also closes out TCOH with a short called Mama It’s A Mannequin.  I have to be honest with you, I have no idea what the fuck was going on in this one.  It’s a killer mannequin but not…or something? At any rate, it concluded this anthology with such a fizzle, one could compare it to a balloon running out of air.

There is one highlight though of Doug Waugh’s contributions.  It’s a flick called Resident Emo.  The whole thing is so goddamn absurd, it feels like a Tim & Eric bit.  They make fun of “emo” kids (which apparently is what people use to call goth…? I’m not up on the lingo the kids’ use!) but it’s done in a cacophonous manner that involves zombies, half-retarded goth kids, blood, projectile diarrhea, Lloyd Kaufman (he’ll literally do anything), and of course, a dance number involving what else…emo zombies!!  It’s truly the only redeeming aspect of TCOH.  I am a sucker for toilet humor and Resident Emo has it.  If you’ve sought out immature dumb videos on Youtube, then this is in your wheelhouse.

Overall consensus of the 2 “anthologies”?  Not good.  Lots more negative than positive.  It’s not about a lack of budget and it’s certainly not about inexperience as directors.  I think our website does a pretty good job of supporting such things, actually.  This has more to do with a lack of coherency.  An anthology needs a strand of logic to follow and these 2 movies do not have that.  There were some entertaining moments to this, but overall, these 2 movies are a mess.  As is the case with a lot of indie films, bad audio and lighting plague almost every single one of these shorts (Speak Easy being the major exception).  Most of these shorts would be best suited posted online, where the filmmakers could show their buddies and get a good laugh out of it.  I would not, however, consider them worthy of being showcased in an anthology.  These are beginning films, and yes, you have to start SOMEWHERE but if these filmmakers want to be just that, then they need to put their best foot forward.  One would doubt the filmmakers involved consider ANY of these shorts their “best foot”.

Of the cast of cohorts involved, the one person showing the most promise would be the cat behind all of this: James Cullen Bressack.  He collectively pooled friends who’ve made films and put together something to showcase their work.  Unfortunately, it took attention away from the fact that he made a pretty good short in Speak Easy.  By piecing together several sub-par shorts and embedding his, it felt as if he didn’t have as much faith in his own…and he should have!  If anything, I would’ve isolated his and featured it, as it was the most interesting and showed the most promise.  Honestly, the kid is a one man pimping machine so I have no doubt at all that he’ll keep chipping away and we’ll hear about it.

Anthologies are a fun piece of the horror puzzle.  When their are regarded classics like Creepshow or Trilogy of Terror in the past, Trick R’ Treat and The Theatre Bizarre in the present, you’d best come with something bad ass to contribute to the future.  Theartre Of The Deranged and Treasure Chest Of Horrors sadly came with nothing to offer.

Could it be? Two pieces of independent horror from the Buckeye State in a row?  Yesterday I dropped Bleeding Through on you guys, and today we hang out in my neck of the woods in Toledo to bring you Zombie A-Hole, the second feature film from Dustin Mills (The Puppet Monster Massacre).

Zombie A-Hole is the tale of Franco Fulci, a cowboy hunting down a zombie.  Not just your typical zombie mind you, but a specific demonic zombie. At the same time, a mysterious woman missing one eye and one hand also seems to be looking for the same zombie.   This demonic zombie is currently making his way through the Midwest killing twin girls as he tries to get to a gateway to hell.  Can one (or both) people find the demonic zombie before he unleashes Hell on Earth?

Wow, what a crazy plot.  Especially for a movie shot for under $1000.  I must say though that for the most part Dustin pulled it off.  This movie has just about anything you might be looking for in a grindhouse era throwback, lots of boobs and blood.  The body count is in the double digits, so anyone looking for mayhem will be quite happy with this movie.  Oh, and did I mention that most of the victims are naked?  Bonus!!  Josh Eal as Franco Fulci does a fantastic job, and is another huge bright spot in this movie.  The puppet and animation work is also excellent, and is a step above the hilarious Puppet Monster Massacre.  It’s pretty obvious that Dustin has a real talent in this area.

The only real downer I had was that the movie was a tad long.  I’m not saying it wasn’t justified, because there is a lot going on in Zombie A-Hole, but two hours is a long time on a low budget movie.  And sure, some of the effects are very good and some are laughably bad, but that’s the beauty and charm of these types of movies.  I hold no fault there.

Overall, Zombie A-Hole is definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in the low budget genre.  Sprinkled with homage’s to some of the genre greats of yonder year (Fulci’s Zombie, Thriller:  They Call Her One Eye, and some H.P. Lovecraft) it is one hell of a ride.  Anyone on the film festival circuit should keep a look out for this one, and hopefully some proper distribution news will be coming shortly.

Hot off the presses! Today’s review is a film I’m sure most of you have yet to hear about, Bleeding Through. It is the latest from Dayton, Ohio’s own Henrique Couto (Freak Productions). So, what exactly is this brand new independent horror film I speak of about? Why don’t we take a look.

Meet Lindsay.  At first glance she’s a fairly normal college girl, that’s obviously going through a hard time.  You see, her parents passed away, and Lindsay’s having some issues moving on with her life.  She’s still living in her childhood home that she can’t afford, while attempting to balance a dead end job with her college studies (failing at both I might add).  She’s also become a complete shut in and social outcast with nary a friend to speak of. Oh, and did I mention that she’s contemplated suicide as a means to an end. That is until she meets Katie, the outspoken, fun loving friend that perhaps Lindsay’s been looking for to help her move on with life.  After a few visits from her new friend you can start to see the life returning in Lindsay’s eyes, and she even begins to try to turn things around with her plummeting G.P.A.  Of course all good things gotta come to an end, when the local bullies continue to torture Lindsay until she must decide if this is the life she really wants to live, or if suicide really is the way out.

Okay, I know it sounds more like an after school special than a horror movie, but trust me it’s not.  The psychological horror that Lindsay goes through is very real in many a young person’s life.  This movie instantly reminded me of Carrie with the whole social outcast finally finds a friend, only in this case Lindsay isn’t struggling with her mother like Carrie did, but the inner demons that are trying to extinguish her life.  I have to give credit to the actresses Sandy Behre (Lindsay) and Ruby LaRocca (Katie) as well.  If they can’t pull off the relationship between them, the entire movie would come crashing down.  Finally, similar to Carrie the movie is kind of a slow burn  but has a final act that wallops a hell of a punch.  Even you gore hounds out there will find a little something to your liking by the time the credits roll.

A minor nitpick because that’s usually how I roll with these reviews.    A little more character development for the antagonists would’ve been nice.  I know we’re supposed to hate them, but their only scenes were drunken tomfoolery.  Would’ve been nice to perhaps see them picking on someone else in one of their scenes to give them a little more edge than they had.  On the flip side that may have been the intentions, to not make them too intimidating, just stupid.

Bleeding Through is currently being submitted for film festivals, so keep your eyes open for when and where you have a chance to see this movie.  Hopefully, proper distribution will also be announced shortly as well.  For those of you lucky enough to live in the Dayton area, the world premiere info can be found here.  If you’re familiar with the work of Henrique Couto this is by far his most ambitious film to date (that I’m familiar with at least), but I think he pulls it off quite nicely.  For those of you that have never heard of this pop culture and media wizard google or you tube his name sometime.  You’ll be busy for quite awhile.  Plus he makes a damn fine ginger ale.

Bleeding Through comes highly recommended, and as always keep independent horror alive!

Hello again my Brothers and Sisters of the Psychotronic Video World! I got a big fat package…I mean, I got a big fat package of screeners in the mail from Wes yesterday, and as in all likelihood next week I will stop being unemployed, I figured I’d try and review them all before the week’s over.  All the films I received are being released through Brain Damage Films/Midnight Releasing, divisions of Maxim Media.  That being said, let’s kick things off with the film on the top of the stack, and work our way down, shall we?

Yes, lets.

Spoilers ensue.

DEADTIME (2012, Spooked Films)

Meet “Love Meets Murder” — a popular British rock band whose first album is hailed as a genre-redefining classic.  Unfortunately, the band has fallen on some creative hard times, and their producer is ready to consider them has-beens.  Their agent manages to talk the producer into giving them one last chance to jump-start their career — by recording a new single and a promotional video in an old run-down warehouse/recording studio.  The producer stipulates that they’re to be locked in the studio until they create something.  And it better be amazing.

The recording studio is a former maximum-security mental institution (I thought it was a warehouse?), which makes it an excellent recording studio — the acoustics of the solid brick walls are great, and the rest of the building is sonically “dead” — no cell signal, and you can’t hear the band from a room or two over.  Fortunately, a group of sex-crazed groupies get in before the doors lock.

Then the murders begin.  Starting with a floozy who gets stabbed in the vag, a burlap-masked maniac begins bumping off people left and right — and they have no means of calling for help or even leaving the building before Monday morning.

I really enjoyed DEADTIME.  The film takes its time warming up, introducing the audience to the characters and not only builds them up, but builds up the relationships between them, an approach I appreciated, as it made each death that much more powerful.

The killer himself is refreshingly simple and iconic — a hulking, silent brute in a stained jumpsuit, burlap sack mask, armed with a knife.  A big damn knife, a Bowie about a foot long, with a hand-guard.  There’s no unnecessary frills or fripperies to the killer, he’s boiled down to the barest essentials of the genre and is wonderfully brutal — he steps up to his victims, drives the knife in, maybe twists it a little.

MOURNING WOOD (2010, Fat Foot Films)

Welcome to the small town of Slutton (pronounced Sloo-ton), site of one of the largest disappearances in American history.  Meet Dr. Jacob Pendleton, a mad scientist who has produced such brilliant and classic products, necessary for modern existence, as FartX, Stiff Again, Dick Killer Condoms and his latest brilliant creation, ShamPube.

Unfortunately, ShamPube has some nasty side-effects.  Namely, those who are exposed to ShamPube turn into horny, pelvic-thrusting, ejaculate-fountaining zombies.  Anyone getting hosed down with zombie-spunk becomes a spunk-zombie.

As an aside, some words, no amount of journalistic experience prepares you to write.

As the spunk-zombie plague spreads, it falls to a big-chinned used-car salesman, Dr. Jacob Pendleton, and four burn-out stoners trying to make a short film while high to save the world from being drowned in undead bukkake.  Do they stand a chance in hell?

As a film, MOURNING WOOD is pretty much exactly what you expect it to be.  It’s trashy and juvenile, packed to capacity with cheap jokes about masturbation, flatulence and marijuana and as much fountaining white-tinted methyl cellulose as possible.  To cap it off, it was shot with a handheld camcorder, with all the attendant audio and video issues, and shakiness as well.

What you may not be prepared for in going in to MOURNING WOOD is how damn funny it actually is.  The comedic timing is excellent, and interspersed with the toilet humor are some brilliant sight-gags and truly funny dialogue delivered as throw-away lines.

All in all, these are two really enjoyable independent horror film efforts. Not necessarily two you’d want to pair together for a double-feature screening like I just did, as one would be hard-pressed to come up with two more dissimilar films. But definitely a good time, and you should definitely give these films the ol’ looky-loo.

First off I want to apologize to Breaking Glass Pictures, the fine folks who released The Fields on the viewing public last week. I usually try my best to get all my reviews done prior to release day, but this one somehow slipped through the cracks and I missed it. Guess I’ve been watching too much NHL Playoffs (Go Devils!!).  I was taught better late than never, so lets get too it.

The Fields is set in rural Pennsylvania during the year 1973, when the televisions of America were littered with coverage of the Charles Manson trial.  Young Steven is extremely interested in the mass murderer, and can’t stop watching whenever possible.  On top of that, he bears witness to true life violence when he walks in on his father holding a shotgun to his mother’s head.  Thankfully nothing happens, and Steven is shipped out to his grandparents farm while mom and dad work out their problems.  While on the farm Steven is given one simple rule to follow, “Stay out of the cornfield.”  Being a former adolescent myself I know that’s easier said than done.  Before long, Steven is lost in the maize maze.  That’s when things begin to get a tad strange.  Steven begins to hear voices coming from the cornfield, the family dog mysteriously disappears, and visitors begin showing up at all hours of the night.  Who, or what is haunting this young man, and what is it gonna take to stop it?

The Fields is a very effective thriller.  It uses it’s strongest assets, the setting and cast, to full advantage.  There aren’t too many places that can make a person feel more isolated than being in the middle of a cornfield, and directors Tom Materra and David Mazzoni use their locations perfectly.  Along the same lines, the farmhouse and the dairy where Steven and his grandfather visit also feel like they were pulled directly out of 1973.

Like I mentioned above, the cast in The Fields is as close to perfection as you will get, especially for an independently produced picture.  Cloris Leachman and Bev Appleton as the grandparents are absolutely phenomenal.  Cloris was the spot on tough love grandmother.  As usual she was a tad on the vulgar side to add a little needed comedy to the movie, but you could really feel her love for the young boy.  Add in the fact that she shared her love for scary movies with the boy (they are shown watching both Night of the Living Dead and Carnival of Souls) and I am a little envious that she wasn’t my grandmother.  On the flip side you have Bev the grandfather and he’s as sweet on the boy as can be.  He just oozed love for the child, especially when things start to pick up and he goes into protection mode.  Fantastic casting!

I also wanna give young Joshua Ormond some credit as well for playing Steven.  He is an unknown actor, but did a great job as well.  For you Tara Reid fans, she does receive top billing on the movie, but is only here to bookend the movie.  I’m not saying she does a bad job (she’s actually quite believable as Steven’s mother) but don’t rush out to buy it just for her.  You may be slightly disappointed.

The only real issue I had with The Fields was the finale.  The entire movie was a slow paced thriller building the suspense, but everything seemed to wrap up within mere minutes.  I was a bit underwhelmed when all was said and done.  That’s not to say that there aren’t others who will disagree.  On a side note, the movie is based on a true story so perhaps that’s just the way it all came to a halt.  If so, I can’t fault the producers for trying to keep it accurate.  As a viewer I was dissatisfied.

If you haven’t been giving Breaking Glass Pictures any attention lately, perhaps now is the time.  Just about everything they’ve been releasing has been above average or better, and when you’re looking at low budget movies thats all you can ask for.  I can’t help but look forward to what is next, as I am rarely disappointed in what I am about to watch.  The Fields, while not the perfect movie, was no exception as it was a creepy thriller right up to the ending.

I’m fresh from the midnight showing of The Avengers and…well, that’s not true exactly.  I’ve been home for around an hour and a half now, trying to figure out how to distill what I just saw into words; I’m still processing, going over scenes in my head, and generally just trying to take it all in.  I’ll make no apologies for coming across like an overenthusiastic fanboy in this review, because right now that’s exactly what I am.  A lifelong superhero fanboy who has finally, after a handful of great movies and a whole lot of bad ones, gotten exactly what he’s always wanted.

Comic books are a pretty solid investment for movie studios these days.  The characters are all right there, along with decades worth of stories for the plucking.  Comics and film are very different media though, I think more so than most of Hollywood realizes, and so a successful translation is a pretty risky proposition.  That hardly seems to matter sometimes though.  Even the worst ones generally make enough money to merit a sequel, such as Ghost Rider or Fantastic Four, and even if a studio runs a successful franchise into the ground it can always reboot in a couple years, like with the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man.  Thankfully Marvel (either through gifted foresight or extreme luck) retained the film rights to their core Avengers characters, and despite a couple middle of the road moments they have been consistently knocking it out of the park with the adaptations thereof.  Even with those successes however, everything had a real chance to crumble with The Avengers.  Superhero team-up films have been made before, but as seen in Fox’s Wolverine and Friends trilogy, giving adequate weight and screentime to a bunch of characters at once is no joke.

Remember when everyone thought you couldn't just put a guy onscreen in a comic book accurate costume? Take notes, next guy to direct a Batman movie!

Luckily this enormous and delicate project was left in the capable hands of Joss Whedon, who not only understands comics and what makes them good, but also how to make great use of the talented ensemble cast he inherited.  Even when sharing the screen, every character shines as much if not more than they did in their solo outings.  Chris Hemsworth finally gets to bring some proper thunder god action to the table as Thor, and Chris Evans manages Captain America’s sudden transition from the 1940′s to the 21st century brilliantly.  Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man is pitch perfect as always, and may have had the most potential to overwhelm the other characters, but this never happens.  Everyone in here is allowed ample time to just be great.

And seriously, Sam Jackson was born for this. Legitimately one of his best roles ever in my opinion.

I could go on, but suffice it to say all the characters are great.  There’s not a bad casting choice or a poorly written or unnecessary part in the lot.  What surprised me in particular though was how much I enjoyed Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of Bruce Banner and the way The Hulk was treated in general.  We’re on actor number three for this character in under ten years, and while everything about Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk can be discarded, I really quite liked Edward Norton’s portrayal of Dr. Banner in the more recent Marvel Studios reboot.  He was the best thing about an otherwise middle of the road action movie, and I was sad when he was immediately replaced by Mark Ruffalo way back when all this Avengers talk first began.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about; Ruffalo did a great job and stepped into Bruce Banner’s shoes like he’d always been there.  Even better, the CGI Hulk got an impressive new overhaul for this outing, and I would say that with attempt number three they’ve finally nailed it.  Just look at this guy: pure, just stepped out of a comic book Incredible Hulk perfection.  None of this goes to waste either, there are a shocking amount of great Hulk moments.  Good to finally see the character getting some proper treatment.

HULK STRONGEST AND MOST CONTEMPLATIVE THERE IS!

As for villains, there are some aliens.  The Chitauri, to be precise.  They look cool and their invasion is sufficiently threatening, but they’re there mostly to give six superheros something to beat up on all at once.  The real draw is Thor’s half brother Loki, played once again by the awesome Tom Hiddleston, who in my opinion does an even better job with the character here than he did in Thor.  You can feel the ever-increasing madness and resentment emanating from him every moment he’s on screen, regardless of whether he’s speaking at the moment or not.  Even in the comics I’ve never taken Loki very seriously as a character anywhere outside his native Asgard, but he’s pure villainous gold in this film, easily one of the best I’ve seen in a comic book adaptation.

Again. Costumes that look like the comics are AWESOME. Other movies, DO THIS.

The script here is as impressive as the casting, taking plot points from the individual characters’ lead-in exploits and weaving them together seamlessly, even taking the care to keep tabs on many supporting characters from those films.  One thing that can sometimes spell death for a comic book movie’s pacing and runtime is the dreaded origin story, and it’s refreshing to not have to deal with that this time around.  Most of the principal cast has been set up already, and the blanks are pretty quickly filled in on the others.  This was definitely a movie with a lot of things to get to, and even at 144 minutes it moves along at a consistently brisk pace.  Any exposition is usually delivered on the go, which was refreshing and appreciated as a fairly knowledgeable fan.  Comic book enthusiasts will finally get to experience a living, breathing Marvel Universe on film, and at the same time I don’t think there’s anything here that would leave a casual audience lost.

The Avengers is a summer blockbuster in the best and grandest sense of the word.  It is a movie that will barely register on the Academy’s radar if at all, but one that’s no less than perfect at what it sets out to do.  Remember back when the summer blockbuster season regularly produced good films that went on to stand as pinnacles of their genre?  Movies like Jaws, Terminator 2, or Raiders of the Lost Ark?  For comic book fans, this is one of those movies.  While you can make good arguments for Christopher Nolan’s Batman films and they are undeniably great on their own merits, I am comfortable calling The Avengers the new high water mark of comic book adaptations.  It is the best and most pure example of live action superheros to date, and is absolutely the one that other studios need to take note of and aspire to reach from here on out.  Go see it.  Go see it right now.

Oh, and force your date to sit through the first few minutes of the credits with you.  Worth your time.  Trust me.

I don’t have to tell you what’s happening tonight at midnight because we’re all more than aware of it.  The Avengers is bound to be a record breaking juggernaut that will play for the next several months on screens all across the planet.  If you’re feeling as if you’re much too excited about it, don’t…because you certainly should be!  The Avengers is going to be one the pinnacle moments in geek culture.  The culmination of several years, several films, and several million dollars has lead to this awesome event about to take place.  It’s a pretty exciting thing to have happen  in our generation.

Now, normally, we don’t delve too far into this area of town because The Blood Sprayer generally sticks to the perversions of the past and weirdness of the present/future.  I’m assuming our resident comic book warrior, Ryan, will be sharing his thoughts on the film but as stated previously, we haven’t ventured too far into that area. But, we still LOVE these movies.  So, I guess this begs the question:  Why the hell am I bothering to bring it up?  Well, because I think The Avengers is a part of a bigger thing…

In our lifetime, we’ve seen some fantastic things translated to film that years ago was never thought possible.  Consider Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings films, or perhaps the groundbreaking technology utilized in The Matrix films, and for that matter, how about the fact that in our lifetime we saw The Watchmen turned into a friggin’ movie?!  As a kid, did you ever actually think you’d get to see Freddy vs. Jason become a reality? I sure as hell didn’t.  Also, regardless of opinion, The Transformers movies did the same for lots of people.  That’s pretty incredible stuff!  2 of those aforementioned films were based on books (yes, The Watchmen counts) that seemed like a pipe dream when I was a kid, in terms of, making the movie crossover-but it HAPPENED.  Now, we’re going to follow up a string of  awesome comic book-inspired films with the mother of them all: The Avengers.  In doing so, it’s helping cement our generation’s legacy in the history of  big movies.  Pretty damn cool, huh?  THAT’S where it all becomes a part of “The Big Picture”-evoking the spirit of filmgoers.   The same spirit evoked by Walt Disney, Roger Corman, Steven Spielberg, hell, even Ed Wood is the same spirit that will make The Avengers the thrill it’s going to be.  That spirit keeps us young.  It keeps us engrossed.  We don’t want to ever lose that because when we do, the shitty hip-hop star/socialite couples win.  For 2 hours, those wretched pop culture dick warts do not get the spotlight.  Your imagination does.  And it fucking deserves it.

Though I won’t be there tonight at midnight with my anticipatory, nostalgic brethren (We have our tickets for Saturday so we can attend as a family), know that I and the rest of The Blood Sprayers are as excited about this movie (or at least what it represents) as you.  As I said earlier, it’s not necessarily our area of expertise to cover but we still LOVE being a part of this world with all of you.  Seeing the comic books and toys you loved as a child come to life is captivating.  Like I said, it’s keeping us young.  These are the types of events that allow us to create memories.  Whether it’s you going with all your friends or in my case, a father taking his son, movies are our imagination realized.  Fortunately for us, it’s on this large of a scale that the entire world gets to take part in it.

Monsters, Superheroes, Aliens, Zombies, Robots, Mythological Deities, whatever the case…they’re all pieces of our hearts and brains that continually drive us to keep going and paying hard earned money for the experience.  Please keep indulging in that experience.  Lie all the shitty aspects of the real world to rest for a few hours and dissolve into it.  When I’m doing the same with my wife, son, and unborn child (yep, another Blood Sprayer is on the way!) I’ll be thinking of all of you who love the unknown beings from other worlds as much as I do.

So, enjoy The Avengers (as you did with The Cabin In The Woods last month and will do with The Dark Knight Rises very soon) this weekend.  Enjoy the memories your making taking part in a great movie moment and we’ll see you guys on the other side!

… okay, most likely to tell you about some creepy pervert drive-in film from 1974, but hey, we’ll see ya’ either way!!

Stay Filthy-

Wes

Hello again, Brothers and Sisters of the Psychotronic Video World! You know, our little corner of perversion and depravity would be a lot blander without the subject of today’s tribute. I mean, this man, this god among cheese-peddlers, gave us everything that was good about the 1980s (besides THE TOXIC AVENGER and ROBOCOP), hours of joy in the form of SyFy Channel Original Movies, and such classics of modern sensuality as THE BARE WENCH PROJECT, THE BREASTFORD WIVES, and THE WITCHES OF BREASTWICK. He’s directed under the names Jay Andrews, H.R. Blueberry, Salvadore Russ, Bob Robertson, Jamie Wagner and others, but he’ll always been Jim Wynorski to me.

Our story begins in 1980.  Leaving behind him a successful, New York-based commercial business, Jim Wynorski (born August 14th, 1950 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York) moved out to California where he found work with cinematic mogul Roger Corman.  Corman put Wynorski to work cutting trailers for coming attractions, which translated into a crash-course in filmmaking.

In 1985, Wynorski was given his first opportunity to direct: THE LOST EMPIRE.  Since he was not sure if he’d ever get the opportunity to make another film, he decided to cram EVERYTHING into this film: Hot chicks with big tits, gorillas, magic, mad science, ninjas, police shoot-outs, hot chicks with big tits, and did I mention hot chicks with big tits?

Busty women are a recurring theme in Wynorski’s body of work, I should note.  The man likes breasts.  As a breast addict myself, I can relate.

The following year, Wynorski helmed CHOPPING MALL, perhaps one of the finest films to come out of the 1980s.  Horny teenagers hide out in a mall over night to screw around, only to be attacked by the mall’s new, suddenly-malfunctioning robotic security guards.  Brilliant film, really a perfect encapsulation of the 1980s.

Much of Wynorski’s output immediately following this was sequels.  While, certainly, 1988 saw him direct the remake of NOT OF THIS EARTH, starring former-jailbat Traci Lords, 1989 saw the production of TRANSYLVANIA TWIST, and 1990 brought about HARD TO DIE and THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA, during this same period he also directed BIG BAD MAMA II, DEATHSTALKER II (the pinnacle of the Deathstalker series), THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING (the best superhero movie ever made, bar none) and SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE II.

Throughout the 1990s, Wynorski kept churning out B-flicks, the likes of which include SORCERESS, STORM TROOPER (starring Zach “GREMLINS” Galligan), STEALTH FIGHTER (starring Ice-T), VAMPIRELLA and many more.  Call it languishing in video store obscurity, if you will, be I prefer to look at it as steady employment.

In 2000, Wynorski hit big boobed gold.  The previous year, the low-budget film THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT turned the horror world on its ear.  So, naturally, Wynorski positioned himself to take advantage of this, while also highlighting his greatest passion in life — big, jiggly tits.  Enter 2000′s THE BARE WENCH PROJECT.  This was quickly followed by THE BARE WENCH PROJECT 2: SCARED TOPLESS, THE BARE WENCH PROJECT 3: THE NYMPH OF MYSTERY MOUNTAIN, BARE WENCH PROJECT: UNCENSORED and BARE WENCH: THE FINAL CHAPTER.  Along with these, he made such films as BUSTY COPS 1 and 2, LUST CONNECTION, ALABAMA JONES AND THE BUSTY CRUSADE, THE WITCHES OF BREASTWICK I and II, THE DA VINCI COED, HOUSE ON HOOTER HILL…you get the idea.  These films feature a lot more sex then anything else (Gee, ya think?) and often feature adult actresses in “mainstream” roles.

Around the same time, Wynorski began doing Creature Features for SyFy (then called Sci-Fi) Channel, starting with GARGOYLE and CURSE OF KOMODO in 2004, both under the pseudonym Jay Andrews.  These were followed by KOMODO VS. COBRA, and most recently, CAMEL SPIDERS, PIRANHACONDA, and GILA!, a remake of the 1959 classic THE GIANT GILA MONSTER.

Concurrent with the production of THE WITCHES OF BREASTWICK, filmmaker Clay Westervelt filmed a documentary on the life and career of Jim Wynorski, called POPATOPOLIS, named after one of Wynorski’s pseudonyms.  POPATOPOLIS is simultaneously a biography of Wynorski and a production diary of THE WITCHES OF BREASTWICK, which Wynorski had chosen to film entirely in 3 days, just to see if it was possible for him to do so.  The resulting documentary is both comedic and poignant, particularly as it addresses the perceived demise of the “B-Movie” — “there are no B-movies any more, just A-movies and C-movies,” it’s lamented, and Andy Sidaris, another noteworthy B-movie auteur (and subject of a future Tribute article) interviewed for the documentary, in voicing his thoughts on Wynorski and B-movies, mourned this trend, voicing the opinion that B-movies are the films with the most vision, the most imagination, the most creativity.

I’m inclined to agree.

But anyways, this article isn’t a lamentation of the decline of B-movies, but a celebration of the life and career of Jim Wynorski, a B-movie filmmaker and boobhound that I can’t help but look up to.  Corman-trained, driven to share his love of big, bouncing pleasure-zeppelins with the world, I salute Mr. Wynorski, and wish him many happy more years behind the camera.

Until next time, Brothers and Sisters of the Psychotronic Video World!

IFC Midnight is letting it all hang out and there are two new releases that will be made available on VOD and Cable on Demand in the very near future. Some new clips for each of their new perspective offerings have made it our way. Take a look at Apartment 143 and Area 407.

Apartment 143 has a very 80′s Italian horror feel ala Argento and Fulci (and you thought we forgot about these guys). There’s something eerie about the low quality photography and head shots featured in the footage below. Check it on out and get your “On Demand Finger” ready.

Synopsis:  A team of parapsychologists sets out to investigate a series of anomalous phenomena taking place in a newly occupied apartment. Telephone calls with no caller, mysterious shadows, extraordinary light emissions, flying objects, and exploding light bulbs, are some of the events they will face while recording their every step with state-of-the-art technology. Using infra-red filming, digital photography, psychophonic recordings, movement detectors, and magnetic field alteration meters, the group’s attempts to contact the “other side” will grow increasingly dangerous as they near a point of no return…

“Is There Anybody There”

“Holy Hell”

“Something’s About To Happen”
To embed:

APARTMENT 143 is now available on VOD, iTunes, Amazon.com and other digital platforms starting April 27 and in theaters starting June 1st. Magnet Releasing does it again!

 AND

We recently announced Area 407 would be released a soon as well. Here’s some new footage, synopsis and release info. Make sure to stay tuned. The poster demands your attention.

Synopsis: After taking off on a flight from New York to Los Angeles on New Years Eve, the passengers of Flight 37A are soon sent into shock and alarm as the plane experiences severe turbulence. The relentless weather attack causes panic and terror amongst the passengers until the plane ultimately crashes in a remote government-testing reserve, AREA 407. Through footage captured by two teenage sisters, the accident and crash lead to further events that should not be viewed by the faint of heart. As they continue to film, it becomes apparent that the remaining survivors of Flight 37A may not survive the night.  

“Close the Door”

“Sorry Charlie”

Directed by Dale Fabrigar and Everette Wallin, AREA 407 stars Abigail Schrader, Samantha Lester, James Lyons, Melanie Lyons, Brendan Patrick Connor, Ken Garcia, Samantha Sloyan, Everette Wallin and Jude Gerard Prest. The film was written by Robert Shepyer.

AREA 407 is now available on IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited) and select theaters.

I am not a fan of the words “psychological thriller”. They make me think of the Oscars and how horror movies get snubbed at the Oscars. When a horror picture does make it big they are labeled with this much despised phrase. That being said this psychological thriller looks fantastic. The trailer is alluring (you like, you let us know below).  I’m a fan of most of what IFC Midnight has been putting out lately although they border on “artsy” for me (that’s a word I’m sure ya’ll hate as much as I hate psychological thriller). I think there’s a renewed trend to attempt to imitate the cinematography of Brian DePalma. This is the second release recently that I can say has that feeling. I’m okay with that. It stands to reason if we’re going retro everything that we might see a few mad geniuses imitated from time to time. Keep you eyes out for this and a few other IFC Midnight flicks bobbing to the surface.

Trailer:

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Synopsis:

 ENTRANCE is a riveting new psychological thriller from newcomers Dallas Hallam and Patrick Horvath, exploring the thin line between anxiety and naked horror in the life of Suzy (SUZIEY BLOCK), a young woman in Los Angeles who can’t get comfortable in her own skin. A loner who wallows in nostalgia and finds herself wandering aimlessly through life in the city, she can’t shake the gnawing suspicion that a true menace grows just outside her field of vision. As she scrambles to take control of her life, her anxiety rises to a fever pitch that boils over into a waking nightmare.   An official selection of the Los Angeles Film Festival, ENTRANCE is an intimate character study directed with a formalist restraint. Suziey Block’s fearless performance injects both terror and poise as this uniquely-styled thriller climbs from spark to inferno.

In Theaters and Available Nationwide on IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited) on May 18, 2012.

My experience thus far with Psykik Junky has been pretty good. While I admit that the production quality of the films they put out aren’t always top notch, they are trying to keep up the splatter cinema we love for the indy’s we hope will break it big. This release is a perfect example of just that. Independent studios have thrived for years on the anthology especially featuring new talent or spotlighting up and coming artists. Will this work for the P.J. bunch? We shall see. The trailer below has some fun gore effects. This is often where they shine. Let’s hope the adult film sensations Sophie Dee and Veronica Ricci can bring it on home. It can be difficult to tell just what your going to get when maggots eat rotting severed heads (see Italian Cinema 101). Details below from their recent pre-release.

Teaser/Trailer:

THEATRE OF THE DERANGED (PRE-ORDER DETAILS, DVD WRAP AND DVD RELEASE DATE!)

From Executive Producers James Cullen Bressack and Jarret Cohen at Psykik Junky Pictures, comes the NEWEST HORROR ANTHOLOGY starring horror film icons Shawn C. Phillips, JD Fairman and Cory Jacob and adult-film sensations Sophie Dee and Veronica Ricci:  THEATRE OF THE DERANGED!

Join Andy the Arsonist as he shares five of his favorite short horror films in all their demented glory. The collection features never-before seen films by popular indie horror writer/directors James Cullen Bressack, Shawn C. Phillips, Liz Gilbert, Brian Dorton, and Creep Creepersin.

Synopsis

Andy the Arsonist wishes you the warmest of welcomes to his Theatre Of The Deranged for a night of thrills, chills, spills and oh yes…Grisly, Gory Murders!. Under the eerie light of his dusty projector, your host and resident pyromaniac will treat you to five short films from some of the best horror writer/directors in the indie scene. He’ll take you on a demented adventure across the English countryside, through surreal homicides, only to be eaten alive by adult film sensation Sophie Dee. But first he’ll pay your admission to a sinister carnival along with horror legend Shawn C. Phillips.

The Film is now available for pre-order on amazon and is being released on DVD July 24th, 2012 where it will be available in stores and online!

Here is a link to pre-order, and the best part is you don’t have to pay until it ships!: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XIO9JA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=psykjunkpict-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007XIO9JA

Here is the IMDB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2064980/

We have some news of a new film about to meet the horizon. IFC Midnight who has been putting out some of the new horror/disgusto/shock classics of our age (not limited to be including The Human Centipede) wants you to take a plane trip that will end in a plane crash that will put you dead center in the middle of a government testing ground. It’s like a nightmare within a nightmare within a bureaucracy. All you need is for someone to ask you to vote in November and pay your taxes (or not pay them) and you’ll be in a member of proper society.

Synopsis:

After taking off on a flight from New York to Los Angeles on New Years Eve, the passengers of Flight 37A are soon sent into shock and alarm as the plane experiences severe turbulence. The relentless weather attack causes panic and terror amongst the passengers until the plane ultimately crashes in a remote government-testing reserve, AREA 407. Through footage captured by two teenage sisters, the accident and crash lead to further events that should not be viewed by the faint of heart. As they continue to film, it becomes apparent that the remaining survivors of Flight 37A may not survive the night.

Trailer:

Directed by Dale Fabrigar and Everette Wallin, AREA 407 stars Abigail Schrader, Samantha Lester, James Lyons, Melanie Lyons, Brendan Patrick Connor, Ken Garcia, Samantha Sloyan, Everette Wallin and Jude Gerard Prest. The film was written by Robert Shepyer.

AREA 407 will be available nationwide on IFC Midnight Cable VOD and Digital Outlets (SundanceNOW, iTunes, Amazon Streaming, XBOX Zune, Playstation Unlimited) and select theaters on APRIL 27, 2012.

While the trailer for REC3 has been out for some time we urge you to check out this new poster that’s hit the net. Now it’s not entirely clearly how this imagery will play into the new sequel to this demon, POV cam series with a hint of the plague and a good look at the end of times, but we can tell you that it’s bad ass. It seems like this installment has taken the series in a new direction (or so we think).  I’m not sure you’ll hang it in the bathroom when you get a copy, but make sure to share it with your friends.

From Magnet:

Synopsis: Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be running smoothly and the bride and groom and their families are enjoying a wonderful day; that is until some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. Amidst the chaos, Koldo and Clara become separated and begin a desperate search for one another. What started off as an idyllic day quickly descends into a nightmare of the worst kind…

Magnet will release the film on VOD August 3 and in theaters starting September 7.

Visit the official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rec3

It’s no secret that the sleaziest of the sleazy tightens the crotch of our bell bottoms.  The Blood Sprayer is genetically predisposed to seeking out the nasty stuff.  Hey, don’t blame us-it’s in our DNA!  So, the discovery of James Bickert’s DEAR GOD NO! was a goddamn epiphony.

This Atlanta-based filmmaker is on a hot streak currently, as his feature makes its way around the country.  He and his partners in crime (under their Big World Pictures imprint) have a “No Chicken Shits Allowed” mentality.  Raised under Ted Turner’s tyrannical/batshit programming of TV in the 70′s, Bickert & Co. ingested years of exploitation films and are using their abilities to honor their upbringing by making some of the finest must-see independent genre film seen in years.  Don’t expect sell-out, PC, commercial dick drivel from this unruly bunch: No sirree, James Bickert is here to kick ass and leave a trail of beer cans behind him.

James was nice enough to give The Blood Sprayer a little bit of his time to discuss DEAR GOD NO! and then some.  Not only was he nice enough to answer all our questions, but he rolled out what has now become one of my favorite interviews I’ve had the pleasure of conducting.  In short, James Bickert brings the goods.  He’s the real deal and I reckon you’re going to love this as much as I did.  Enjoy the interview and check out DEAR GOD NO!, currently screening at a convention near you.

BS:  To get the ball rolling, give our readers a little insight into who you are, where you’re from, and how you  became a filmmaker.

Although I’ve lived in Atlanta for the past 20 years, I’m originally from the Southeastern swam- infested part of the state where I was raised on a diet of Drive-in Trash and Famous Monsters Magazines. Most of us exploitation aficionados in Georgia are the result of Ted Turner’s crazy programming on WTCG (now TBS) in the 70′s. Back then, it was a vehicle for him to broadcast every Atlanta Braves game and he would just fill the rest of the time slots with monster films, Night Gallery, wrestling and crazy Japanese Kaiju kids shows. As a result of WTCG, many of us gravitated to the same drive-ins, video stores, dive bars, etc. Ted Turner’s brainwashed bastard children. Some kids would go deer hunting but we were the guys that got drunk and blew stuff up. After studying fine art, bras and keg stands in college, I met this dominatrix at a bar who needed a camera operator for some gothic S&M / bondage films. I don’t have any freaky fetishes, but the money was good. These films were terrible and surprisingly boring to shoot and edit. It all looked like a Nine Inch Nails video or Joel-Peter Witkin photo. Finally I said screw it to common sense and decided that if I’m going to make crap, it’s going be the crap I want to see.

BS:  Dear God No! has not only made quite a splash amongst The Blood Sprayer writing staff, it’s making its rounds on the convention circuit, and quite successfully I might add.  How did the concept for this film come about?  What was the process from inception to completion?

That’s great to hear! We just wanted to entertain ourselves and now I’m getting the chant from Todd Browning’s Freaks. There are quite a lot of us out there and it’s been refreshing meeting everyone across the country. The concept came about over a mason jar of moonshine while projecting The Glory Stompers in the backyard with my partners in crime, Shane Morton and Nick Morgan. We started talking about the end of the biker film cycle and the crazy variations that tried to keep it alive. There were not many biker films that took place outside of the California chopper culture so I wanted to create a picture with a Southern identity. It was important that it felt like the most insane lost film from the 70′s, so any technique and equipment post 1976 would have to be thrown out the window. We made it like we thought a low budget 70′s film would be made. The crew was the cast, no dolly, no Raimi cam, practical effects, shoot on film, only one take allowed, and shoot it in 7 days.  The total opposite of commercial filmmaking today. Obviously I had to use computers to edit it. Boo!

I truly love exploitation films so all those elements seemed natural as the story progressed in my head. I had come up with the ending first and wanted a fun roller coaster ride getting there. In my mind it all seemed like a natural progression of insanity. You know, even though there are some dark convoluted themes running through it the main goal was always a beer drinking, yell at the screen, good time. You’re probably right; it is a mixbag of everything I love.  Hell, wait till you see the sequel!

BS:  Of all the impressive stuff that happens in your movie, the thing I found most impressive was the footage during the opening credits.  How did you shoot the motorcycle footage and how long did that sequence take to knock out?

All biker films must have a long riding sequence. It’s a law of the genre. I didn’t want to disrupt the flow of the film once we got to the meat and potatoes so the opening credits were the only place for a riding montage. There is a highway to nowhere out in Mansfield, Georgia where The Walking Dead shoots, so we paid off a deputy to let us go nuts for six hours. We also shot two other scenes within that time frame. One of our actors was found hanging in his living room the night before. He was a really close friend to everyone on the crew so it was some much needed therapy to get out there on those vintage Harleys. It really helped us get through the next five days of shooting. We became an even tighter family.

Well, as a kid, it started with Universal & A.I.P. monster movies which progressed into Hammer, New World Pictures, Crown International, Box Office International, etc. My favorite go-to movies are The Cheerleaders, Orgy of the Dead, Spider Baby, Faster Pussycat Kill Kill, Three Way Weekend, Horror Rises from the Tomb, Hard Times for Archie, Nightdreams, Black Caeser, The Outfit, Tombs of the Blind Dead, The Savage Seven, She Demons, Mad Doctor of Blood Island, Raw Force, Wolf Devil Woman, Bare Behind Bars, Two Thousand Maniacs, Truck Stop Women, Honky Tonk Nights, Last Night at The Alamo and Mondo Topless. There are many director influences: Russ Meyer, Roger Corman, Jack Hill, Jose Majica Marins, Sergio Corbucci, Seijun Suzuki, Monte Hellman, Eddie Romero, Fredrico Fellini, Luis Bunuel, William Girdler, Larry Cohen, Jean Rollins, just to name a few.  I love the old school William Castle and David Friedman ballyhoo most of all.

I’m pretty sure it has to do with my childhood at the Drive-in. The parents putting me in the front seat with hot dogs, pizza, popcorn and soda while they made out in the back. The smell of the old PIC mosquito coils, sound from the mono speakers and countdowns that would never end. Pretending to be asleep so I could watch horror films through one half open eye. It totally influences my filmmaking mentality. In my mind, I make films to be seen outdoors in lawn chairs with a dry rubbed pork loin on the grill and a keg of cold beer. And you are totally right, we don’t give a fuck about working in Hollyweird or answering to anyone who doesn’t get it.

Well, that would be Jailhouse Brewery’s Slammer Wheat and Monday Night Brewing Company’s Kilt Lifter. That’s the best we have locally right now. I’ve been mostly drinking Southern Tier, Shiner’s Rye Lager and everything in New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series. I like pounding Weihenstephaner and a buddy turned me on to all these crazy smoked Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers. The Marzen is delicious. But hell, I’ll always drink a case of cold PBR. I’m no beer snob.

BS:  The soundtrack to DGN! is excellent.  It sounds like some of that stuff is homegrown rock and roll.  Tell us about some of the artists who’s music is featured and while you’re at it, tell us what’s been spinning on your turntable lately (or on your Ipod…whatever.).

The Forty Fives composed a great deal of the music. Bryan G. Malone (lead singer & guitarist) was our soundman so he had first hand knowledge of the direction we were going. He and Adam McIntyre were great to work with and very fast. Dusty Booze, our resident record collector, turned me onto an old B-Side by Paul Revere & The Raiders that was straight up sax-based 60’s titty bar tunes. I played it for those guys and within a week we had a badass clone to play on set for our strippers. They recorded an amazing cover of MC5’s Baby Won’t Ya but we couldn’t get the damn rights from Wayne Kramer . It was going to be ½ our budget, so we replaced it with the great Southern fried rock act Syrup. It was important that the tunes stay true to the era so The Forty Fives ran with a James Gang vibe. Bryan also brought aboard The Booze and The Biters. Johnny McGowan of Grinder Nova put together the title song and it just puts a smile on my face. We needed one of those dopey 70′s folk songs with a Southern feel and he nailed it. It feels straight out of The Born Losers. Richard Davis from Gargantua did our original score on some vintage equipment and has probably seen the film more times than anyone. I love his work; he has immense creative talent, a good work ethic and a genuine love for the genre. I would just tell him the tone I was going for and he nailed it every time.  I wouldn’t use anyone else.  I listen mostly to local music like Bigfoot, Dusty Booze & The Baby Haters, The Forty Fives and Ghost Rider Car Club. When it’s not local, it’s rock like Buffalo, Rose Tattoo, Rattler, Five Horse Johnson, Sheavy, Supersuckers, Lucifer’s Friend and the classic shit like Bon Scott’s AC/DC.

 BS:  Let’s talk beards.  Beards are an essential, manly aspect of life for me.  Judging by your cast members, the same can be said for them.  Tell us a little about your cast.  It didn’t seem as though they had to strectch too far from their own look and lifestyles to play the characters they’re playing.  Would this be a correct assumption or are they vastly different than the folks they portrayed (under the assumption they’re not pillaging, raping murderers obviously)?

Yeah, pretty much. All the bikers were cast before the script was written.  We’re all friends who have helped inspire volumes of police reports. I just took elements of their personalities and exaggerated them a tiny bit. Not much. It made writing easy because I could hear each one saying the dialogue.

The most fucked up was the explosion at the beginning of the film. The pyrotechnic guys had built a sawdust cannon that was supposed to blow several pounds of sawdust into a fireball that would dissipate into the air. They decided to experiment and add flour to the mix which caused the giant mushroom cloud to fall back like napalm. It lit a giant patch of kudzu on fire and in seconds it became a dangerous out of control fire with 50 ft. flames about to destroy our favorite drive-in! Strangely, the pyro guys didn’t think to bring any fire extinguishers, so we had to run from snack bar to snack bar gathering as much hose as we could. Luckily we kept Atlanta from being burned to the ground a second time. Then, there was the original Kooky Karl who popped a handful of Xanex and had to be replaced on the spot by Tim McGarren. I’ll save that story.

We just shot a promo for the sequel FRANKENSTEIN CREATED BIKERS. It can best be described as Leon Klimovsky making a film for New World Pictures.  It’s a 90 second trailer that our international sales agent will take to Cannes for pre-sales. If there’s enough money, we would like to make the prequel REBEL HELL at the same time and put together a roadshow package with bands for the summer of 2013. We would try to book it at the remaining American drive-ins. After that, I have a series of hicksploitation moonshine running films and a women in prison / tropical hellhole film. All have bat shit crazy horror elements.  I’m also producing MY ROOM being made by David Anthony and Logan Myers.  It’s really fucked up. If funding falls in place, that should begin shooting this summer.

On June 5^th, DEAR GOD NO! will be available on DVDfrom Amazon and a few brick n mortar stores.  It’s loaded with 2 commentaries, trailer, behind the scenes, stills & poster slideshow, 2 theatrical promos, the world premiere and five Easter eggs!  We’re negotiating some streaming rights now.  The fans have been great especially the blogs. It’s hard to crack into the mainstream press and the internet response has really helped us become noticed. If you want to keep us rolling, vote for us on IMDB and drop a review.  Next up theatrically is a midnightscreening May 4^th at Texas Frightmare Weekend and then a screening in Dayton, Ohio on May 25^th.  It will play in New York City sometime this summer. You can keep up on everything through our website (www.deargodnomovie.com) and Facebook page.

Amazing Artwork by Mitch O'Connell

Across the galaxy, from another dimension, with the sole purpose of tingling, titillating, and terrorizing your frail human mind comes the 6th Sci-Fi Spectacular! Doors open at 11am on April 28th at the Portage Theater – 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL (773-736-4050) – where there will be a pulsating celebration of all things other-worldly for 14 hours!!

Included with the festival screenings there will be vendor tables, a live charity auction benefiting Vital Bridges - which helps men, women and children impacted by HIV & AIDS build healthier lives, and a special guest appearance by Kelli Maroney, star of Night of the Comet, Chopping Mall, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High!

CURRENT FILM LINE-UP:

11:30 – Trailer Trash (Vintage Trailers & Short Films!)
Noon – Little Shop of Horrors (Original Corman Classic!)
1:30 – The Last Starfighter (80′s Awesomeness!)
3:15pm – Brazil (The Ultimate Dystopian Future!)
6pm – Night of the Comet (star Kelli Maroney in Person!)
8:15pm – Twelve Monkeys (Gilliam’s Modern Masterpiece!)
10:30pm – Attack the Block (Monster Mayhem!)
Midnight – The Theatre Bizarre (Midwest Premiere!)

SHORT FILMS & TRAILERS INCLUDE:

“Devil In My Ride” (Trailer for Gary Schultz’s feature!)
“Under the Table” – Darren Callahan
“Scary Ghost” – Leo O’Connell

TRAILER TRIBUTE TO ROGER CORMAN:

“Blast of Doom” – Kurt Long
“Henry’s Crazy Dream” – Danny Delpurgatorio
“Insane From Infinity!” – Gary Schultz
“Kusper on Ice” – Zoran Gvojic
“Children of the Invisible Man” – Darren Callahan
“The Beast From Under The Bridge” – Charlie Jaimes
“Mad Monster Mayhem” – John Danger Cambell
“The Kaledescope Man” – Andrew Klass
“The Ghoul in the Greenhouse” – Red Clark
“Catastrophe At Catalina” – Imagos Films

Tickets are available for  pre-sale for only $20 at BrownPaperTickets.com – come and go as you please the day of the event, though admission rises to $24 at the door.

You can find more updates from the Sci-Fi Spectacular FaceBook Page.

As the rest of the months become increasingly reserved for last-minute two-screen release Oscar grabs and harsh acts of theatrical terrorism via the likes of Adam Sandler, I find myself looking forward to the late spring and summer movie season more and more with each passing year.  I fully expected this year’s rich payload of cinematic treats to start delivering in earnest on May 4 with the release of The Avengers, April is usually nothing to get excited about.  How wrong I was!  Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard looked down from their respective mountains of unassailable nerd cred, saw us impatiently scouring the Internet for the latest promo images and trailer iterations and proclaimed, “Gentle summer movie fans, your wait is over!  You shall be entertained!”.  Truth be told, this movie’s been waiting around to see the light of day for a while.  It was shot in 2009 and delayed not for a lack of studio interest, but due to Whedon and Goddard’s staunch refusal to allow it to be converted to 3D.  Remember what I said about that unassailable nerd cred?  Call it luck, or hope against hope that the demand for blurry, headache-inducing entertainment is on the decline, but either way this movie arrived at exactly the right time for me.

Now I will tell you up front, before any proper reviewing gets underway, that I loved literally everything about The Cabin in the Woods.  You should go see it immediately.  That being said, it is an experience brimming with rare surprises, and thus is going to be difficult for me to talk about while guaranteeing a hermetically sealed and spoiler-free environment.  So you’ve been warned.  I’m gonna throw up the break here, then there’s gonna be a poster, and after that I’ll not be responsible for ruining anything for anybody.  I was serious when I said you should go to the theater and buy your ticket immediately.  Okay, you’ve been warned.  Here there be spoilers.

First off, let me say how much I enjoy this poster.  The more I look at it, the more I like it, and it’s the only one I’ve seen for a while that I feel compelled to own.  It’s a metaphor, the titular cabin is not literally a Hellraiser-style puzzle box.  And how rare is it to see a movie poster these days, in any genre, that approaches the artistry of ye olden days?  It’s an iconic image well executed, not overtly in your face, with a decent tagline.  Most importantly, it’s not a shoddy Photoshop conglomerate of every actor involved.  I applaud everyone involved for having a 30 million dollar horror movie starring a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth on their hands and resisting the urge to throw his face in there somewhere to move tickets.

Before showing the titles or introducing any of the principal actors, the film opens on Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) in what basically amounts to a television “cold opening”, starring characters that we won’t know much about for some time to come.  It’s a successful tactic, quickly giving the audience a glimpse of the plot’s mysterious substrata and giving everyone something to think about while they proceed to watch five doomed college students pile into an RV.  The scene also brought a smile to my face for the simple fact that every time I watch a great performance from a so-called “TV” or “bit” actor and wonder “Why aren’t these guys in more movies?”, I know Joss Whedon is somewhere going “Yeah, why aren’t they?”.  I sometimes feel like the collective call-list of every casting director in Hollywood might just about fill an index card if you wrote big enough, and in an era where the high end of television programming is quickly outpacing film in both production quality and acting, those people would do well to watch this movie and take note.

After this unexplained opening scene, the narrative adopts the expected pace of classic pre-torture porn horror.  Five college students-the established couple, the sexual tension couple, and the funny guy.  There’s your standard RV, road trip, cabin on-loan from extended family, Texas Chainsaw Gas Station, and acres upon acres of pot.  In this department, the main thing separating The Cabin in the Woods from Friday the 13th Part Whatever, or even from more modern genre attempts such as Cabin Fever (also about cabins), is that the actors here aregood.  The characters are likable, the performances are solid, and there’s not a single one of them that the audience is excited to see come to a gruesome end.  Everyone is well-cast, but the standout in the group is easily Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) as the obligatory comic-relief stoner Marty.  That’s an easy trope to dismiss as played-out, and it usually is.  Kranz hits it out of the park though, and Marty is basically the Charles Foster Kane of pothead characters.  Hopefully between this and Joss Whedon’s upcoming (he never stops!) Much Ado About Nothing, this guy will get the attention he deserves and start showing up in things that everyone will see.  Hollywood would be much better for it.

Eventually, the movie’s A and B stories begin to swap places, and the progression into well-worn horror standards is shown to be the result of outside manipulation courtesy of the characters seen in the cold opening and the mysterious, seemingly omnipotent, company that employs them.  The victims are manipulated down the path of various horror movie stereotypes, and are quickly put in a situation where they will unknowingly choose the form of their destructor, Ghostbusters style.  The creepiness of the associated cellar scene plays perfectly alongside a hilarious betting pool on the other end of the video monitors, complete with a huge whiteboard containing dozens of possible outcomes including “zombie hillbilly torture family,” “reptilicus”, “clowns”, and “unicorn”.  In following with American horror standards and traditions, the result is of course hillbilly torture zombies, and everyone gathers around the monitors to watch with satisfaction as the poor unwitting college students are cut down one by one.  We’re also treated to glimpses of similar atrocities taking place around the globe on a bank of computer monitors, the best of which by far is Japan.  I won’t spoil it for you, but if you watched much Japanese horror about ten years ago (or the parade of pointless American remakes), you’re in for a treat.

Here, I believe about halfway through the film’s run time, is where I’m going to draw my review to a close.  It only gets better, and the last half contains a parade of monster effects and character design that looks like every single issue of Fangoria made real, as well as a surprise cameo that absolutely made my day and gave me a solid reason to stay off IMDB untilafter I’ve seen a film.  I’m so glad the last bits weren’t spoiled for me, and I wouldn’t do that to you, even in an already spoiler-laden review.  The Cabin in the Woods is a great directorial debut for Drew Goddard, and yet another notch in Joss Whedon’s Awesome Writer Belt, which I assume is a thing that he has.  The casting couldn’t have been better, and the plot is a work of mad crossover genius, like if HP Lovecraft had written Monsters, Inc.  I will leave you with my highest recommendation to go see this film if you haven’t already, see it again with a friend if you already have, and buy the DVD or Blu Ray when they hit stores, because this is the type of thing that deserves our money as customers of the film industry.  Oh, and I will also leave you with this congratulatory Wheaties box that I made to honor Joss Whedon’s many accomplishments and contributions to my quality of life.  He is a true champion.  Feel free to spread it generously around the Internet, he deserves it.

There we were, sitting around the table at a sports bar (add whatever the hell name you choose because they’re all the same):  Beers sitting in front of us, absurdly-flavored chicken wings, laughing and bullshitting.  The events of the day were topic of discussion but there was so much more to it than that.  We were friends enjoying a mutual love…and it was good.

A few weeks back, several of The Blood Sprayer family attended Cinema Wasteland Movie & Memorabilia Expo in Strongsville, Ohio.  For my money, Wasteland is the best convention out there and the only one I choose to attend regularly.  Cinema Wasteland conducts itself with a family-styled spirit. Lots of familiar faces can be seen in attendance and consequently, those faces are friends of this site.  You cannot help but feel a part of something great when you’re there.  While this may come as no surprise, the guests and films often associated with Cinema Wasteland’s scheduled events also happen to be the types we put a majority of our focus on.  So, I’m sure you can see the appeal for us.

While there, we encountered several old friends:  Mike Watt and Amy Lynn Best, Chris Seaver and the Warlock Home Video crew (whom you’ll be seeing a feature about quite soon), Henrique Couto, Synapse Films, Kristoff Bates (director of After Party Massacre and madman behind Horrormerch.com), and Toe Tag Pictures were in attendance.  Artists like Joel Robinson and Don England were there selling there magnificent work.  And as always, Wasteland’s roster of guests  didn’t disappoint, giving me the opportunity to meet adult film legend Seka in person (hey, sometimes joking back and forth on Twitter doesn’t cut it!).  I feel quite blessed that my favorite horror convention takes up residence in my own home state.

As I was eluding to early, several of our crew were there together:  Myself (with wife and son in tow), Zach Shildwachter, Matt Pocock, and Courtney Wyant all got to actually hang together at the same time whilst at a convention.  It was as if planets had aligned for the mere sake of our schedules.  We ranted and raved about our excitement involving James Bickert’s sleaze Tour De Force DEAR GOD NO! (which lives up to ALL our expectations and then some), laughed about ridiculous things we’d seen as of late, talked about Zach’s preparation to take Face Off by storm, poked fun at my obsession with Jim Van Bebber…basically had an all around great time.  At one point, I took a moment to take this all in and see my friends sitting there with me while my family was also there, warmed my heart beyond belief.  It also made me think of how badly I’d have loved to have the other Blood Sprayers there with us (Bill Adcock, Jimmy Terror, Brittney-Jade Colangelo, Mike Dobrzelecki, Jeremiah Genson, Morgan Rankin, Mahlon Orrin, etc.).

The Blood Sprayer as a website has a lot in common with Cinema Wasteland.  We tend to be a bit on the nostalgic side while also lending our assistance to the independent filmmaking community as much as we possibly can.  It’s the familial mentality that has become a driving force behind the work we do.  Whether it’s seeing old friends at a convention or logging into Facebook and seeing my news feed LIT UP with glowing, hopeful reviews of a new horror film, my heart swells with pride being a part of it.  These aren’t just our brethren in horror-these are our friends!  We love to talk about movies, of course, but we also hug when we see one another.  We ask about one another’s children, lend an ear or a shoulder when one of our own is hurting;  it makes for such a strong bond amongst people who only see one another a few times a year.  This also motivates our site to continuously support filmmakers on each of their many ventures.  That’s why you’ll see the same names pop up regularly.  These are people we care about.  We care about the work they do, we believe in it, and so we want to use the resource that we have available to expose our readers to them.

As my coffee cup reeks of emptiness and Royal Thunder’s record breaths it’s final breaths, I feel this an appropriate moment to wrap this up.  I want to take that moment to thank Ken Kish and the rest of the fine people at Cinema Wasteland for reminding me why horror, as a community, is so important.  They have gone out of their way to give hardcore fans the best damn show they can give.  In turn, it serves as a reminder to be grateful for what horror films have given us.  In the very near future, you’ll see lots of coverage on DEAR GOD NO! and it’s director James Bickert, a big fat feature on the resurrected Warlock Home Video, and many other names you’ve heard in the past.  That’s our way of showing our gratitude.  When promoters such as Ken Kish go out of their way to create a family environment within horror conventions, it drives us to do the same as a media outlet.  Enjoy these friends you’ve made by being a lover of horror films…they’re some of the most loyal ones you’ll ever have.

Stay Filthy-

Wes

The good folks at IFC Midnight are putting out a new film that is supposed to invoke feelings of Roman Polanski. Since the protagonist is looking for a tenant I’m inclined to think of the apartment trilogy. I’m not the biggest fan of this trilogy as far as content, but if we’re talking about the shooting style, the cinematography and overall feel of the produciton than this can’t be passed up. IFC Midnight has clearly been pursuing some dark titles that are as intriguing as they are frightening (or in some cases gross). Keep your eyes open for Penumbra starting April 20 which is less than a week away.

We here at the Blood Sprayer are big supporters of Synapse Films. They’re good people who make a complete package product and have a kick ass logo. Let this new release be considered no different. Dolph Lundgren isn’t only the Russian Ivan Drago in Rocky IV ya know. He’s something more. He stars in the action packed Red Scorpion. See full release notes below and look for Red Scorpion on DVD and Blu Ray June 12th. He must break you… wait… wrong movie. (full release notes below if you have the balls to read them).

DOLPH LUNDGREN in JOSEPH ZITO’S

RED SCORPION NOW ON BLU-RAY!

They think theycontrol him. THINK AGAIN!

Dolph Lundgren makes stuff go BOOM! in Joseph Zito’sboombastic REDSCORPION, now on Blu-ray and DVD from Synapse Films!

Internationalbuilt-as-hell action star Dolph Lundgren (The Expendables,Rocky IV) isLt. Nikolai Rachenko, a Soviet Special Forces “killing machine,” assigned toinfiltrate an African rebel uprising and assassinatetheir anti-Communist leader.  Taken into custodyand tortured after the mission fails, he stages aharrowing prison escape.  Befriended by anAfrican bushman while on the run, Nikolai discovers hewas fighting on the wrong side of this violentconflict all along.  Nikolai finds the rebel armyonce more but, this time, he’s on their side and wagesbloody war against his former comrades!

This action-packed controversial cult classic is nowavailable from SynapseFilms in a brand-new 2K high-definition transferof the uncensored version, containing footage neverbefore seen in the U.S.  Featuring amazingperformances from Dolph Lundgren, M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner, BloodSimple) and the late Brion James (Blade Runner, Southern Comfort),REDSCORPION contains bloody, blasting specialeffects from the legendary Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead,Maniac, Friday the 13th). Loaded with interviews and other amazing specialfeatures, this disc will blow you away!

Special Features:

• All-New 2KHigh-Definition Digital Restoration of the UncensoredVersion  • Audio Commentarywith Director  Joseph Zito andMondo Digital’s  Nathaniel Thompson  • All-New DTS-HD MA5.1 Soundtrack Mixed Specifically for This Release  •HATH NO FURY– “Dolph Lundgren and the Road to RED SCORPION Featurette”  • ASSIGNMENT:AFRICA –  Video Interviewwith Producer Jack Abramoff  • SCORPION TALES –  Video Interviewwith Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Savini  • Rare OriginalOn-Set Behind-the-Scenes Video Footage  • Animated StillGallery  • Liner Notes onthe Making of REDSCORPION byJérémie Damoiseau  • TheatricalTrailer and TV Spots  • Reversible CoverDesign

Disc Info:

Director: JosephZito Starring: DolphLundgren, M. Emmet Walsh, Brion James

Run Time: 106minutes

Release Date: June 12, 2012

Language: English Aspect

Ratio: Widescreen Anamorphic 1.78:1

Format: DVD/Blu-raycombo Region: AllRegions Price: $29.95

UPC Code: 654930313893 CatalogNo.:SFD0115