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January 1, 2011

Movie Review: Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell (1987)


It was around the late 80's that my film tastes began to progress towards exploitation and the less mainstream examples of horror. In my hometown we had an amazing video store that had a mind-blowing array of oddities. Video Plus was the place, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. This moldy,mom 'n pop is where frequented, to get my pre-teen sleaze-hound fix. The "horror" wall, simply put, was… a vision. On days I didn't rent the likes of Don't Go in the Basement, Meatcleaver Massacre, Bay of Blood, my impressionable eyeballs would ogle the cover boxes. Anything with a warning was generally up my alley. One particular video box I'd scan anytime I got the chance was a video called Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell. It's just previews. I always thought; why would that be a good viewing experience? Oh hell, I grabbed my sister, had her rent it (thanks sis!) and was on my way home.

Buy Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell on DVD!


Well, it's about 22 years later since the day this video embedded my love for exploitation trailers. I could have started using hard drugs; instead I became addicted to cult film trailers. Two to five minutes of sex, blood and the world's ugliest leading man, Bill (Blood Feast) Kerwin. For this, Mad Ron, I thank you! Virgil Films, Mad Ron producer James Murray, Ron Roccia and director Jim Monaco have made what I thought to be impossible, a DVD, of this beautiful monstrosity. Here on this DVD you see all the trailers from the original VHS release re-mastered! Mad Ron and his crew actually went back and cleaned up the previews for this upcoming DVD release. Even a few of the wrap-around bits with "Happy" and comedian Nick Pawlow (your hosts) in the projection booth look better on this DVD.


For those who never got a taste of Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell, you get 47 trailers including: Wildcat Women, Torso, Africa Blood and Guts, I Dismember Mama, Blood-eaters, Night of the Living Dead, I Drink Your Blood, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Man From Deep River, Deranged, Three on a Meathook, Corpse Grinders, Cannibal Girls, Tales From the Crypt, The Ghastly Ones, Lady Frankenstein, Sister, Flesh Feast, Vault of Horror, Black Christmas, and many more. As mentioned earlier, Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell also features comedian Nick Pawlow and his dummy, Happy Goldsplatt hosting this insanity. Pawlow is kind of the Jeff Dunham of exploitation trailer compilations. The bits are incredibly cheesy (zombies meander through the theater and even take-in what is being shown on the screen) but they also add a demented charm and playfulness to this collection that makes the experience all the more fascinating.

The upcoming DVD release from Virgil Films also offers additional footage not seen in the original Off the Wall Video release from 1987,which certainly sweetens up an already wonderfully trashy package. Trailer DVD aficionados who already have their shelves filled up with 42nd Street Forever and Something Weird Video atrocities need to buy this DVD. Sit back, squirt some blood on your popcorn, and give Mad Ron's Prevues From Hell a whirl in your DVD player!

2 comments:

  1. If you love weird, sleazy, bloody and flat out awesome films, then you MUST have a copy of "Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell" on your shelves. Great write up Jeff!

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