Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

2006's "Pathogen" puts a film critic in quite a precarious position. On one hand, the movie is created by 12-year-old Emily Hagins, who pours her love of cinema, especially horror pictures, into the making of this no-budget production. On the other hand, the movie is made by a pre-teen perhaps unprepared for the technical challenges of the process. "Pathogen" is a riff on zombie outbreak endeavors, this time taking the action to the suburbs of Austin, TX, where the undead are rising, putting five middle-schoolers in a difficult position to save the world. It's a backyard effort from Hagins, who's sincere in her quest to follow her dream and realize her screenplay, but it's hard to imagine this feature being of any interest to someone who doesn't have a personal connection to the helmer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2003's "The Core" aims to participate in the supercharged disaster movie movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s, where productions such as "Armageddon" and "The Perfect Storm" offered audiences the sheer power of visual effects, making an enormous amount of money in the process. With the dangers of space, sea, and land already explored on multiple occasions, screenwriters Cooper Layne and John Rogers aim to come up with something different, conjuring a doomsday scenario involving the center of the Earth. "The Core" hopes to be sincere with its science and characterization, which is laudable, but it's much more entertaining when it ventures into ridiculousness, trying to sell a nutty concept for planetary rescue while offering up the usual in disparate personalities and sequences of destruction. It's not a picture that welcomes a deeper inspection of scientific and technological particulars, but director Jon Amiel ("Entrapment," "Sommersby") gets the whole thing up and running with impressive speed, trying to build momentum capable of plowing through the layers of weirdness this endeavor provides. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Women in prison pictures already contain elements that border on parody, but co-writer/director Tom DeSimone offers a comedic take on the harsh realities of such an experience with 1986's "Reform School Girls." A veteran of two similar features ("Prison Girls" and "The Concrete Jungle"), DeSimone loses patience with playing it straight, going a bit wild with this offering of juvenile delinquency and institutional madness. The camp factor is dialed up just a bit from the usual women in prison routine, but it's clear DeSimone is trying to have fun with this one, playing to his appreciative audience with grand displays of overacting, intimidation, and chaos, endeavoring to throw a screen party with the movie, which plays right into cult film sensibilities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Masters of (many) disasters, Cannon Films wanted in on the growing trend of slasher movies, trying to make some "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" money with their own take on the horrors of mystery killers and the victims they hate. For 1980's "Schizoid," producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus turned to writer/director David Paulsen to come up with something scary and sellable, with the helmer already practiced in the subgenre, previously creating 1979's "Savage Weekend." Paulsen had mere weeks to come up with a workable screenplay for his latest endeavor, and speedy creative process shows in "Schizoid," which is more about select scenes of mental illness than a deeply considered whodunit. Paulsen has the basic shape of a decent shocker, but he gradually pulls pacing out of the effort, which grinds to a full stop on multiple occasions, creating a disappointingly dull viewing experience with extraordinary little power as a fright film. Unless you count actor Klaus Kinski's handsy approach to his visibly uneasy female co-stars. That's pretty horrifying. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Masters of (many) disasters, Cannon Films wanted in on the growing trend of slasher movies, trying to make some "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" money with their own take on the horrors of mystery killers and the victims they hate. 1983's "X-Ray" brings a nightmare scenario to a hospital setting, with Playboy Playmate Barbie Benton hired to portray a woman experiencing a night of horrors as a simple trip for test results turns into a game of manipulation and survival. "X-Ray" is a cheapie and a quickie from director Boaz Davidson and writer Marc Behm, who have a mission to make something scary and simple for producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, but they can't even get that right with this clumsy take on obsession and murder. The production manages to come up with some sense of style during the knowingly precise 90-minute run time, but suspense isn't invited to this endeavor, which mostly exists to prey on genre fans up for anything that involves occasional ultraviolence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In his quest to become part of the action movie movement of the early 1990s, producer/co-star Jalal Merhi returns with 1992's "Talons of the Eagle," which strives to give viewers a swift, slamming offering of physical harm and dented heroism, while a buddy cop film attempts to break out every now and then. Director Michael Kennedy is in charge of this picture, and his vision is simple, endeavoring to put Merhi and co-star Billy Blanks (the Tae Bo king) into some sense of danger every ten minutes, forcing the characters to fight their way out of trouble. "Talons of the Eagle" isn't complex, but that's what makes it mostly appealing, watching the production set limited creative goals as it concentrates on feats of strength and self-defense. It's a fun sit, but it definitely requires a general relaxation of expectations when it comes to thespian skill and spectacle, with the feature happy to get away with the least amount of effort at times, trusting in body blows to guide the viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While there have been a few lengthy explorations of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series, "Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street" doesn't have much interest in the screen wrath and pop culture influence of Freddy Krueger. Instead, filmmakers Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen quest to spotlight the life of Mark Patton, the star of 1985's "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge," who was set to hit the big time with his turn as Jesse, the boy tormented by the razor-fingered menace, only to find himself crucified by viewers for the gay overtones of the movie created by screenwriter David Chaskin. Patton was destroyed by the experience, erasing his desire to continue acting, but "Freddy's Revenge" wouldn't go away, growing in popularity and analysis as the years passed, giving the feature a second life, while Patton was singled out as the first male scream queen, complicating his relationship with a despised horror sequel he thought would rocket him to the big time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Few filmmakers have enjoyed a creative streak like Dario Argento, who found his footing with 1975's "Deep Red" and tore through a series of murder mysteries, supernatural horror, and surreal freak-outs for the next 12 years, creating movies with incredible visual power and genre authority. 1985's "Phenomena" arrives just before Argento lost his way, acting a potent reminder of his talents during his heyday, merging growing Americanization with his Italian filmmaking instincts, coming up with a completely bizarre but terrifically nutso chiller that somehow incorporates insect friendship, heavy metal, family woes, and a knife-wielding chimpanzee without falling apart. It's the Argento way, and he scores with this intensely atmospheric and brazenly bananas serial killer story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When 1982's "The Sword and the Sorcerer" went into production, the plan was to put the film together quickly, on a mission to beat "Conan the Barbarian" to theaters, hoping to siphon some ticket sales from the big Universal release. The scheme worked, helping the picture achieve box office glory in a way few could've imagined, making it the 18th highest grossing feature of the year (just below, wait for it, "Conan the Barbarian"), doing its part to make the sword and sorcery subgenre a powerful draw at theaters, at least for a brief period of time. The actual quality of "The Sword and the Sorcerer" is debatable, as co-writer/director Albert Pyun tries to keep his low-budget endeavor together for most of the run time, managing monetary limitations and storytelling disappointments as he attempts to make a grimy swashbuckler that often takes on more than it can handle. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1988's "The American Scream" is frequently compared to "Troll 2" by horror fans, with the pictures sharing a love for…well, production completion. Logic isn't a guest at this table, and while "Troll 2" conjures its own sense of insanity, "The American Scream" barely comes together as a complete idea. Writer/director Mitchell Linden wanted to make a genre film, and he has one with the endeavor, but he forgets to add important things like coherency and pacing to the effort, which often plays like collection of R-rated ideas thrown together without much in the way of planning. Linden has gore, nudity, and characters in dangerous situations, but it's difficult to find the rhythm of the film, which is loaded with filler and whiplash-inducing tonal changes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Charles Pinion made a weird movie in 1993's "Red Spirit Lake," paying passable attention to storytelling needs as he worked in many fetishes and freak-outs, hoping to pay his respects to the great gods of underground cinema. 1996's "We Await" mostly does away with a traditional plot to keep viewers in the toxic sludge of mental illness, with Pinion striving to melt a few brains with this endeavor, which combines the power of crystals, the wonders of cannibalism, and penis torture in a surprisingly sluggish 54-minute-long run time. And there's a giant, obese Jesus attacking a car worked into the mix, because why not? Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Charles Pinion attempts to conjure a special sinister mood with 1993's "Red Spirit Lake." It's an offering of underground cinema that's captured on video, with Pinion striving to create a disturbing viewing experience involving elements of evil in a rural setting. It's not exactly a fresh take on the same old hellraising, but the helmer hopes to darken the endeavor with grisly acts of violence and focus on torture, sold with surreal touches and defined moments of shock value. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While 1976's "Draguse" was more of a random viewing experience from director Patrice Rhomm, 1978's "Le Bijou D'Amour" delivers a more consistent tale of sexuality and horror to follow. The feature details a reporter's encounter with a cursed ring from Casanova, giving him seductive powers as his encounters the sinister ways of succubi living in a rural area. It's more than just swinging adventures for the main character, who's pulled into something more dangerous than initially believed, permitting Rhomm a chance to showcase his love of fetish play during fantasy encounters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1976's "Draguse" is an episodic exploration of fetishes and desires involving Parisian characters, and there's something of a horror element to the endeavor, giving it a different tone than most adult efforts of the era. Director Patrice Rhomm doesn't have a game plan for the feature, but there's the vague shape of a story, tracking the determination of an author working through a case of writer's block, tasked with creating erotica, which brings him to a remote house inhabited by a seductive and potentially evil presence. Throughout the movie, elements of sex, tourism, and Naziploitation are offered screen time, giving viewers an unexpectedly unsteady ride of carnal and commerce delights. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1984's "Delta Space Mission" is a Romanian animated film that attempts to rework elements of "Star Trek" for a young audience. It's more in line with classic Saturday morning television programming, offering a deep space adventure with a cast of heroes as they encounter a series of alien and A.I. entanglements, forced to fight their way out of dangerous situations. It's an episodic feature, beginning in the middle of chaos like a matinee serial, but it's immense fun to watch, especially when the production gets a little ambitious with its style, playing with movement and angles to spice up an offering of cartoon escapism with a super space team. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Wolfpack" is from 1987, but it definitely plays much more interestingly in 2022. Screenwriters Fred E. Sharkey and William Milling (who also directs) use drama at a New Jersey high school to explore the rituals and dangers of fascism, where lessons from Nazi Germany are being utilized by the football team to generate a form of control over the student body and staff. It's analysis of power that's eerily reminiscent of the world we live in today, with the writing using the trials of adolescence to detail the ways of the Big Lie, highlighting the ease of its return and the influence it carries. "Wolfpack" is a teen movie that's quite different from the competition, and while it still deals with the ways of love and acceptance, Sharkey and Milling attempt to subvert subgenre expectations, providing a slightly more muscular intellectual exercise. The production hopes to hit impressionable minds with the work, providing a look at the ease of influence and submission when the seductive ways of deception take command of the masses. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's probably a book to be written about the career of writer/director Bill Condon, which has enjoyed such extreme turns of fate and opportunity since he began his rise in the industry. There's the man who helmed "Dreamgirls," "Kinsey," and "Gods and Monsters." And there's the man who made "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh," "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" and the live-action version of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." It's been a wild ride for Condon, but he officially stepped behind the camera for the first time with 1987's "Sister Sister," in charge of creating an atmospheric southern gothic thriller focusing on violence in the bayou, adding bits of eroticism along the way. As debuts go, "Sister Sister" is a bit of a narrative mess, but Condon has surrounded himself with talented cast and crew, making him look capable as he struggles to tell a dark tale of Louisiana murder and mystery, which always looks and sounds great, but slowly loses its initial appeal. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Created during a fertile period in slasher film distribution, 1982's "Madman" takes a slightly different route than the average kill-all-the-campers genre offering. Rooted in urban legend idolatry and executed with the slow-burn build of a campfire tale, the feature hopes to creep out audiences with prolonged silences and extended stalking sequences. Patience levels are periodically tested during the run time, but as the effort unfolds, there's an appreciation for frights and atmosphere that keeps the picture interesting when it stops being engaging. Perhaps it doesn't reach the iconic highs of "Friday the 13th," but "Madman" has its simple pleasures, including attention to character and an unusual interest in music to help secure its creepy intent. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2019's "Blood on Her Name" begins with a compelling mix of violence and shock, establishing a visceral thriller to come concerning one woman's decision-making process when involved in a deadly act. Co-writer/director Matthew Pope gets about 15 minutes into the feature before he gradually moves away from the potential of the premise, more interested in making a psychological study with "Blood on Her Name," which isn't nearly as interesting as the pulpy chiller it initially promises to become. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Ham on Rye" is film about the moment when adolescence transforms into adulthood, with some enjoying an adventure into the unknown of future possibilities, while others remain where they are, continuing their existence without opportunities or interest in growth. Co-writer/director Tyler Taormina doesn't prepare a story for "Ham on Rye," instead working with atmosphere to summon a sense of malaise involving teenagers on the precipice of great change. The helmer is dealing with the traditions of teen cinema, but he refuses to submit to formula, endeavoring to creating a more abstract viewing experience concerning universal feelings of fear and melancholy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com