>>REVIEWS
Anchor Bay, 2007
· Pelts (dir. by Dario Argento) – The second season of the Masters of Horror (MOH) series has, so far, surpassed the first – gorier, more twisted and topical. This sickfest from Dario Argento is revolting (and I mean that in the best way possible). Meat Loaf Aday stars as Jake Feldman, a ruthless furrier looking to strike it rich with the perfect fur coat, in order to fulfil his lecherous longings for a lesbian stripper. Enter an alcoholic hillbilly (John Saxon) who has gathered a bunch of ghostly raccoon pelts that drive everyone who touches them to self-mutilation. Hardly subtle, but one of the more gruesome flicks I’ve seen in awhile.
· Pro Life (dir. by John Carpenter) – The ick factor in this MOH entry includes demon rape, a spider crab fetus and, uh, abortion equipment being put to creative use. Disturbing fare for horror fans only.
· Family (dir. by John Landis) – Landis’s second entry in the MOH series is set in a sterile suburbia, where a young couple (Meredith Monroe and Matt Keeslar) has recently purchased a home next to the nebbish Harold (George Wendt). Little do they know that Harold is insane, kidnapping people and stripping the flesh off their bones, then setting the skeletons up around his house so he can talk to them. Landis tones down his usual wacky humour, instead focusing on some nasty effects and a disturbing twist ending.
· Right to Die (dir. by John Esposito) – This MOH entry from director Esposito (Wrong Turn) is a sick shocker about a married couple, Cliff and Abby (Martin Donovan and Robin Sydney), whose acrimony is about to get murderous. When a car accident leaves Abby horribly burned and in a coma, her wandering ghost seeks revenge on her cheating husband. Cliff’s Terri Shiavo-inspired dilemma of whether or not to pull the plug becomes clear as Abby starts to kill everyone around him. Cliff’s desperation leads him to some nasty discursions and an awesomely stomach-turning scene.
· Re-Animator (dir. by Stuart Gordon) – If you didn’t have a chance to pick up the limited two-disc Millennium edition of this classic, now is your chance. Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna’s splatter-fest, based on a few H.P. Lovecraft tales, remains a gross and glorious exercise in excess. When Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) descends on Miskatonic University to perfect his re-agent, bringing the dead back to life, he succeeds instead in creating crazy, slobbering monsters. This one’s got severed heads, demonical cats and one of the most notorious scenes ever, adding new meaning to the phrase "giving head." Anchor Bay has gone all out on this package – hypodermic syringe highlighter, two commentaries, feature-length retrospective/making-of documentary, interviews, deleted scenes, photo galleries and more.
· Phantasm (dir. by Don Coscarelli) – Coscarelli’s (Bubba Ho-Tep) cult classic is still as incomprehensible as ever, but the stark visuals and sparse, bloody effects are still striking and creepy. And don’t forget the killer spiked metal ball and the deathly Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). This new DVD release has a load of special features, including commentary, making-of documentary, featurettes, interviews, trailers and more.
· Phantasm III (dir. by Don Coscarelli) – Long considered the worst entry in the series by fans, this new release is touted as the definitive uncut version. It starts right after the events of part two, with the Tall Man still after Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) for some unknown reason. Coscarelli throws in a sharpshooting kid and a nunchuk-wielding army woman. Some creative sequences, but still turgid and dull.
· The Mario Bava Collection, Volume 1 (dir. by Mario Bava) – Gorgeous set of the giallo auteur’s work, including The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Knives of the Avenger, Kill, Baby… Kill!, Black Sunday and Black Sabbath. The flicks might not horrify today’s jaded audience, but for those looking for classic tales with old-school suspense, Bava’s flicks still impress. Anchor Bay has cleaned each DVD up with great sound and visuals – the director’s lush films (either in stark black and white or washed in primary colours) look amazing. Not a lot of special features though, and if there’s any complaint, it would be that the DVD should have included the original English audio tracks along with the films (they’re all uncut, in the original Italian). A must-have for horror fans.
· Kidnapped (dir. by Mario Bava) – Fans are finally given a chance to see Mario Bava’s own cut of the film Rabid Dogs, alongside the previous release, Kidnapped. From the violent opening sequence, set to a jumpy score, Kidnapped is a classic caper movie, albeit much more disturbing.
· Thirst (dir. by Jeremy Kasten) – Goth kids and probably nobody else will like this vampire love story, with its radio-rock soundtrack, blood spray and ADD-inspired editing. Matt Keeslar and Clare Kramer star as a pair of recovering crackheads who are reluctantly turned into vampires. The couple joins a blood-sucking family, a group of killers dressed like Klondike-era hillbillies, led by Darius (Jeremy Sisto, with a dubious Eastern European accent). Battle of the vampire wills ensues. Disc includes commentary and deleted scenes.
· Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (dir. by Scott Glosserman) – For a genre already ironic and self-referential, movies like Behind the Mask are usually an uninspired slog. Fortunately, this one’s a clever flick that works due to its suspense and inspired performances. Nathan Baesel stars as the title character, a wacko who invites a documentary crew to follow him as he creates a murderous legend to rival Michael Meyers or Jason Voorhees. Also featured in small roles, are Robert "Freddy Kruger" Englund and Zelda "this house is clean" Rubenstein. Disc has commentary, deleted scenes and making-of featurettes.
· I’ll say it again – the MOH series has given great, old school horror directors a chance to go return to what made them cult heroes in the first place, and the second season is more gloriously gruesome than the first. Watch for future DVDs including The Screwfly Solution (directed by Joe Dante), about a plague that turns all the men in the world in to woman – killing maniacs; The Black Cat (directed by Stuart Gordon), a genre-bending tale of Edgar Alan Poe; The Damned Thing (directed by Tobe Hooper), a gory adaptation of the Ambrose Bierce short story; and Valerie on the Stairs (directed by Mick Garris), where a boarding house full of failed writers’ creations come alive to seek revenge. |
Copyright ©2007 FFWD. All rights reserved.