Month: August 2015

1974's "Spasmo" is a film about madness, and it successfully makes the viewer feel insane while watching it. Directed by Umberto Lenzi, the feature delves into acts murder and paranoia, with lines of reality blurred in a manner that reflects the characters and their concerns, and also the era in which the movie was made, finding sexuality head-spinningly random and motivations more of a puzzle than just pure cinematic escalation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Unwanted" is inspired by "Carmilla," an 1872 Irish novella about vampirism that predated Bram Stoker's "Dracula." A brew of lesbianism and domestic dysfunction, the picture is certainly ambitious, with director Bret Wood cranking up the Southern Gothic atmosphere to the best of his ability, filling the feature with smoke, shadows, and bloodletting. Unfortunately, "The Unwanted" can't shed its amateurish execution, with stiff performances trying to make sense of a confused screenplay, while editing woes and budgetary restraints tend to muzzle anything of worth in the effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While writer/director/star Mel Brooks achieved his greatest career successes in the world of genre spoofs, he initially made his mark with original ideas and adaptations, including "The Producers" and "The Twelve Chairs." With efforts such as "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" cementing his name as the go-to guy for cinematic replication with a side of silliness, Brooks returned to his first love with 1991's "Life Stinks," his first new idea after two decades of box office successes. Perhaps the vacation should've lasted longer. Although designed with Brooks's usual manic spirit and timing, "Life Stinks" is a feature that just doesn't work, no matter how hard it emphasizes punchlines or slaps around actors. It's an unpleasant, unfunny comedy that attempts to make light of the dire subject of homelessness, with Brooks somehow believing that gags concerning alcoholism and mental illness are enough to generate a level of social awareness that could justify the wince-inducing screenplay. Brooks has made his share of stinkers, but this picture is his worst, dragged to a full stop by uncharacteristic lifelessness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In America during the 1950s, serial killer Ed Gein became nightmare fuel for the nation when his horrific crimes were discovered. A seemingly mild man who murdered and skinned his victims, often wearing the peeled flesh, Gein's abominable acts of brutality launched a fascination with such severe mental disorder, inspiring numerous books and articles on the man, while his legacy was reshaped to fit the needs of the film industry, with productions such as "Psycho" and "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" taking beats from the criminal's life to inspire cinematic extremes. 1974's "Deranged" is one of the first features to really examine Gein's disease and simple-minded butchery. While it's hardly a thoughtful psychological examination looking to uncover the fiend's motivations, it does manage to convey the intensity of his existence, with star Roberts Blossom contributing fine work as the Gein stand-in, grounding the horror with unexpected dramatic sincerity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1972, Isaac Hayes won an Academy Award for best song with "Theme from 'Shaft'" — a significant achievement for the artist and a breakthrough for the blacksploitation genre. With such a massive success carrying him to new heights of fame, it was time for Hayes to take command of his own starring vehicle. Borrowing the "Shaft" formula and reviving its sound for a new character, 1974's "Truck Turner" endeavored to build a bigger, broader hero with Hayes at the helm, sent into the thick of trouble as a bounty hunter in deep with a nation of furious pimps. Featuring big action and hard dialogue, the movie is an ideal fit for Hayes's inexperience as a leading man, often urging the performer into physical altercations instead of dramatic ones, slowly figuring out the extent of his big screen persona as director Jonathan Kaplan arranges a surprising amount of chaos to help mask any thespian limitations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com