Movie Review: Don't Look in the Basement 2 (2015, Horror/Terror; RDM Pictures/Legless Corpse Films)

...for most avid cult film fans, public domain movies...the amassed number of which tends to rise and fall, like some unstable stock market entity, based upon...on one end of the spectrum, occasional, flavor-of-the-moment interest in the film's renewal...in-between, a whole lotta stale, albeit tasty cheese...and on the other end, total lack of interest, whatsoever...are, for lack of a better term, 'embraceably negligible' classics. Recognized classics, to be sure...but negligible, in the sense of the now-invariable ho-hum standard that they once set...many of them set on the path to obscurity, once relegated to mere truncated late-night TV viewing, and now, generically found on countless multi-movie collections (...these days, a la 'Echo Bridge' and 'Mill Creek', just to name a couple of the 'majors', in the venue)...

...Alas...Forlorn. Abandoned. Forgotten (...eh, nudge, nudge)...

...and yet, some...given an attentive study of a numerous select few...seem hardly worthy of the misfit, nary-hand-waving, matter-of-fact abandonment and ignorance, which coins a large number of those films...with certain and resignated finality, relegated to the 'public domain' category, and as such, have been underliningly rallied and championed by their equally eclectically select fan bases; and let's face it: knowing that certain films are, in fact, public domain...well, is genuinely jaw-dropping, upon close examination (...in a revelating 'for instance', it's probably no secret that the grand pooh-bah 'holy grail' of all flesh-gnashing zombie flicks...yes, director George Romero's immortal 1968 horror classic, "Night of of the Living Dead" is indeed one of them...sliding in and out of the public domain realm, all the time...Go figure, right??)...

Movie Review: Anna: Scream Queen Killer (2013)

Chemical Burn Entertainment. When that popped up on the screen I couldn’t help rolling my eyes and shuddering in disgust at the same time. My last experience with this production/distribution company brought me Piranha-Man vs. Werewolf Man. I still have nightmares... But once this flick got rolling, I was pleasantly surprised at its quality. Well, maybe ‘pleasantly’ is too strong a word. I didn’t vomit, let’s put it that way.

Anna: Scream Queen Killer is about Anna (duh), a well known horror actress who’s been called to audition for some upcoming work. It starts out normal enough - she works through several scenes calling for her to be infected by an alien virus, to become a vampire, be trapped and afraid, etc. But each scenario the director asks for becomes more and more twisted and sexual. She’s also required to remove more clothing each time. Though obviously uncomfortable, Anna continues to comply in hopes of getting the job.

As the audition process drags on (and on and on…), it seems the director just wants to get his rocks off but for Anna, the lines between reality and make-believe begin to blur.

The Ultimate Blu-ray Release of "Blue Sunshine" is Now Available From FilmCentrix!

Unexplained acts of violence and murder are occurring in Los Angeles, all with a couple of strange similarities: the killers have suddenly gone bald and are somehow connected to a drug known only as ‘Blue Sunshine.’

When Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) is wrongfully accused of murdering 3 women whose real killer was his best friend, Frannie (Richard Crystal), another victim of Blue Sunshine, he sets out to clear his name and discover the secret behind the mysterious substance. With the cops hot on his trail, Zipkin carefully elludes capture, while he unravels the mystery, leading him into the secret world of political coverups and deadly scientific studies, where death and mayhem lurk around every corner.

FilmCentrix and legendary director, Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, Just Before Dawn), proudly present this 1977 horror classic in a brand new, director approved 4K restoration, made from the original 35mm camera negative. The ultimate trip!

Movie Review: "The Bandit" (2016, Documentary; Miles End Films/CMT)

...hey, no doubt about it...it was a little '70's drive-in-flavored flick, with some rather big cohones...er, rather big ambitions. Pretty much snubbed as mere exploitative dreck by just about every studio who laid eyes upon the script...yes, even by A.I.P., of all places...hell, even by the very studio that eventually, albeit reluctantly picked it up for production...and surprisingly (...considering his previous few films of similar ilk, playing the likes of 'Gator' McKlusky, W.W. Bright, or simply Lewis, from "Deliverance"), it was even resigned and relegated as virtually unreleasable by the film's proposed star, who called the script 'ridiculous', suggesting that no one, absolutely no one would buy into it (...though, with the added 'what-the-hell' notion of 'well, OK...if you can get the money and the studio, I'll do it'). Clearly, a gamble for the film's untried director...this pretty much unknown,  recklessly seasoned, albeit capable stuntman, albeit with 20 years of experience, having executed some of the most dynamic falls, crashes and fist-fights set to film, and still managing to walk away from it all, relatively unscathed. Indeed, a gamble for even the film's aforementioned 'star' who put his own reputation and superstardom on the line...nay, not for the money, not for the fame, not even for the experience...but for his dearest and most devoted friend, who's abilities, though not necessarily the project, he had the utmost faith in, even as everyone else was suggesting...no, outright insinuating that he couldn't do it...

Movie Review: The Hawaiians (1970)

Movie Review by Greg Goodsell

Directed by Tom Gries

The first film adaptation of the sprawling James Michener novel, Hawaii was the epic of the same name in 1966 (see my previous review here). That entry concentrated on the influence of American Christian missionaries on native islanders in the early 19th Century. The Hawaiians, which followed in 1970, would concentrate on the impact of Chinese and Japanese migrants arriving in the tropical paradise at the turn of the century. Presenting a wide diorama of various cultures struggling for dominance in an enchanting land, The Hawaiians maintains an intimate narrative while thoroughly entertaining its audience.

Preeminent American screen star Charlton Heston stars as Whip Hoxworth, an irascible seaman eager to leave his business of transporting Chinese immigrants – who are essentially “indentured servants,” or “slaves” to keep the bustling island's capital of Honolulu running. Among whip's latest batch is the shrewd Mun Ki (Mako) who plans to make the at-first slovenly and unappealing “mountain girl” Nyuk Tsin (Tina Chen, the film's true star) into a first-class prostitute. But as history proves, there are lots of variables, and in short order Nyuk Tsin becomes Mun Ki's “wife.” The Hawaiians then focuses on Nyuk's journey from a hapless victim to a strong-willed, industrious woman who galvanizes the large family she starts with Mun Ki into prosperity – in spite, or perhaps because of the limitations placed upon her as a low-caste Chinese woman.

Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - Suicide Squad (2016)

Kevin and the Maskerpiece Theatre crew discuss the latest addition to the DC cinematic universe that includes some comparison to the Arrow-verse.

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Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - For All Kings by Anthrax (2016)

Kevin reviews the latest release from the thrash metal icons.

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Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - Stranger Things (Netflix, 2016)

Kevin is joined by the Maskerpiece Theatre crew for a longer podshort about the best new show on Netflix.

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Movie Review: Bestseller (2016)

We all know that I can be a sucker for a single location film. The ability for a filmmaker to take a single location, invest it with enough malice (in this case) that allows a small cast to take us on a rollercoaster ride, and let the audience go. Bestseller, to a large extent, succeeds in that regard. There are classic examples of the genre, like Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin’s  Wait Until Dark and, more recently, The Strangers. What Bestseller has going for it is a sympathetic lead, a remote location and some very effective cinematography. Much like early John Carpenter’s work, the actor blocking and camera combine for an effect that allows us to immerse ourselves in Ann’s plight. These strengths, periodically through the film, also become the few instances that hold Bestseller back from its true potential as a thriller.

BUY IT HERE!

Movie Review: Inserts (1975)

Directed by John Byrum

Movie Review by Greg Goodsell

In a crumbling Hollywood mansion at the height of the Depression, “Boy Wonder” (Richard Dreyfuss, fresh from Jaws that same year) a faded silent movie director who fell by the wayside with the advent of sound is grinding out porno loops to make ends meet. Alcoholic, slovenly and impotent, Boy Wonder's social circle includes former silent movie star Harlene (Veronica Cartwright, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) with a taste for smack; Rex, the Wonder Dog (Stephen Davies) his stud-for-hire not above paying lip service to those who promise him a part in pictures; Big Mac (a very young and slender Bob Hoskins), his tyrannical producer, and Miss Cake (Jessica Harper, Suspiria) a fresh-faced college girl who knows far more than she lets on.

It's a disastrous morning. Harlene dies abruptly of a heroin overdose before Dreyfus can administer the hardcore footage needed for his opus (the “inserts” of the title). While Big Mac and Rex dispose of Harlene's body, Miss Cake entices Boy Wonder to “put her in the movies.” The second hour of this two-hour film is devoted exclusively to Dreyfus and Harper's bantering, with Harper breaking a world record for continuous nudity by a mainstream actress. Everything ends horribly, with Boy Wonder literally failing to answer the knock upon the door to revamp his career.

As this wholesome synopsis suggests, Inserts was never really intended to be a barn burner with the popular movie-going public. As Julie Kirgo points out in her liner notes for this Twilight Time Blu-Ray release, limited to 3,000 copies, Inserts belongs to the sub-genre of self-loathing Hollywood epics that include such titles as Sunset Boulevard, The Day of the Locust and The Last Tycoon. The motion picture industry, these films proclaim, take the stuff of dreams and turn them into nightmares that prey upon the naïve and innocent.

The motion picture itself – Inserts, suffered a fate that  only Hollywood could dish out. Completed in 1975, after Dreyfuss completed Jaws – he said that he did the film to distance himself from such a crowd-pleasing blockbuster, go figure – Inserts sat on the shelf for two years and was given a limited release, slapped with an “X” rating. The film retains an NC-17 rating today. Rest assured, there's nothing the slightest bit erotic about Inserts. The porno film within the film lies uncomfortably close to a “Snuff film,” with Harlene being manhandled and nearly strangled by Rex. The malaise is thick and palpable throughout. The stuff that fuels this film's narrative has very little to do with sex and erotic fulfillment, boiling down to a war between the sexes. Audiences who lined up to see a hopefully snarky bit of naughtiness set in the 1930's were soundly turned off.  Inserts' thin plot does pay off with a cathartic ending, but it's not possible to leave this film's cramped universe – a mammoth set constructed on British sound stages that plays out in real time, with a slap and the tickle.

Very few extras this time around, this Twilight Time release has English subtitles for the hard of hearing and the film's original theatrical trailer. Inserts remains an interesting curiosity, a grimly uncompromising project on the fragility of dreams and the high cost involved in recording them for the whir of the motion picture camera. 

Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - California by blink-182 (2016)

Kevin reviews the latest album from a pop/punk trio with a long history.

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Music Review: Did You Mrs. Me? by Driving Mrs. Satan (2016)

I am a huge fan of cover songs. I don't know what it is, but hearing an interpretation of a classic song is an exciting thing for me. I don't care if it's Limp Bizkit covering The Who or My Chemical Romance covering Queen. Sometimes a band or singer can surprise you. There are bands that striclty do covers, like Me First and the Gimme Gimmes or Richard Cheese, and I love them both. In this case, I'm looking at a band I found randomly called Driving Mrs. Satan. On their album Popscotch, they covered Anthrax, Metallica and Faith No More in spectacular ways, and I was hooked.

Cinema Head Cheese Greatest Hits: The Podcast! #35 - Blue Valentines

Jeff, Dave and Kevin welcome Abnormal Entertainment alum Camm Harston to this week's special Valentine's Day edition.

In honor of their new sponsor, Adam and Eve, the quirky quartet shares some of their favorite adult titles in an all Blue Cheese edition of the show.

Dave talks about Grub Girl, Jeff brings up Naked Came the Stranger, Camm reminisces about Taboo and Kevin looks back at The Dinner Party and the documentary Inside Deep Throat.

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Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - Kindergarten Cop 2 (2016)

Kevin, Jeremy, Jeff and Mandy discuss a disastrous sequel to a childhood classic.

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The Laughing Mask (2014) Movie Review

While I’m waiting on my next package of goodies, I was lucky enough to be sent the link to an on-line screener (and unlucky to receive another one but that’ll have to be someone else’s problem because SOOOO BAAAADDD). In the long standing tradition of masked serial killers, Michael Aguiar gives us The Laughing Mask.

Jake Johnson’s wife is murdered and daughter kidnapped by the crazed serial killer, The Laughing Mask. Despite all his efforts to find the mad man, Jake comes up with a deadly plan: he’ll write a book about the killer and call him out on national television for being a pussy coward. THAT’LL bring the Mask to Jake for sure and then he can get his revenge.

Or then again, maybe it’ll just unleash The Laughing Mask’s wrath onto everyone else that Jake cares about. Like the plucky hard ass cop, Kate O’Malley. Or perhaps his agent, Mark. You know, in-between dishing out vigilante justice, too.

Umm….I’m confused.

Let’s deal with some of the bad first.

The acting, needless to say, is pretty rough. I’ve definitely seen worse but not by much. Most everyone seems rather stiff and unsure of themselves. Or they’re trying to hard to emote and it throws off the flow. The characters they play are pretty cliche so that doesn’t help matters. And the director used his twin daughters to play two different characters in the movie. Made for some very confusing double takes throughout the film.

Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - Turbo Kid (2015)

Kevin, Dalyn, Sam and Mandy discuss the Canada/New Zealand joint throwback to 1980s cult cinema.

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Movie Review: The Great Beauty (aka La Grande Bellezza) (2013)

The Great Beauty(La Grande Bellazza) is an Italian film centered around the character Jep Gambardella(Toni Servillo), a journalist who is among Rome's social elite class.  Jep has turned 65 years old and the movie shows his interactions and his view of life after his birthday.

Toni Servillo as Jep is brilliant in this film.  He needs to be as this is all about hi as Jep and the way he navigates his life in Rome.  The film starts at Jep's 65th birthday and it's quite the party.  The beautiful people of Rome's social elite are there and it's a wild time filled with music and dancing.  This is where we start to see Jep pondering life.  Jep is in the social elite, not because he is a journalist, but because of a novel he wrote.  As the movie progresses, we see Jep's character progress and his sharp wit is on display when he grows tired of the elitism displayed by some of his counterparts.  I also really enjoyed when Jep decided to bring an unlikely someone into his inner circle.  The choice had some ramifications on his own psyche.  Again, Toni Servillo is brilliant.

The Great Beauty is directed by Paolo Sorrentino and you can see this is his homage to Federico Fellini.  The way Sorrentino was able to navigate through all of these lives but keeping Jep the central focus was wonderful.  I took notice in the focus on faces.  There were scenes of people at parties and we were treated with the focus on their faces which visually told you what was going on.  The film takes place in Rome so the backdrop to every shot had exquisite beauty.  Thhe Great Beauty was truly a pleasure to view.

I received this film in the Boxwalla Movie Subscription Box.  You can read my box review at HelloSubscription.com.

Cinema Head Cheese: Podshort! - He Never Died (2015)

Kevin Moyers and Dalyn Viker discuss Henry Rollins as a tormented demon.

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Movie Review: The Panic in Needle Park (Twilight Time, 1971)

When people talk about the early part of Al Pacino's career, they mention only a handful of movies. Of course The Godfather, Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon are all considered classic parts of his career, but right before The Godfather arrived, Pacino played a heroin addict in a lesser remembered movie that centered around a group of addicts in an area of New York known as Needle Park.

Bobby (Pacino) is a charming scamp, full of energy and life. Honestly, scamp is the perfect word for him. He visits his artist friend Marco (Raul Julia), where he meets a lovely young woman named Helen (Kitty Winn). He is immediately enamored with Helen and decides to start a conversation that turns into a day long date of sorts. Throughout the day, Bobby shows his petty criminal side. He steals a television from the back of a van in order to pawn it. He interacts with his brother, who proudly declares how well he does robbing houses. He introduces Helen to several addict friends and other sketchy characters. Being the artistic type, she is fascinated with all of it.

Movie Review: 8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is a name all movie buffs are familiar with and I decided to not just be familiar with the name, but to also be familiar with his works.  I was fortunate enough to receive "8 1/2" inside of the Boxwalla Film subscription box(you can read my reviews subscription boxes at HelloSubscription.com).  

"8 1/2" follows the life of a filmmaker by the name of Guido Anselmi(Marcello Mastroianni).  Guido has an interesting life.  He is about to make a large budget movie but nobody seems to know when this film will start shooting.  Guido finds himself answerring to people at all times.  There's an amazing scene early on where the camera never stops and Guido walk through a large room answering questions and accepting comments from producers, actors and people generally interested in what he is working on.

Guido also has a thing for the ladies.  He has a hard time coping with why they can't keep focused on him, even though he himself is married.  This comes into play throughout the film as the story delves into the psyche of this troubled filmmaker and leads to a fantasy of having his own harem.