With 1983's "Olivia," co-writer/director Ulli Lommel tries to create an homage to Alfred Hitchcock. He doesn't succeed in matching the master's way with suspense and psychological fracture, but Lommel gets somewhere with the material, which is more than I'm sure many might expect. Merging the worlds of "Psycho" and "Vertigo," Lommel aims to concoct a proper descent into the far reaches of madness, dealing with sexuality and violence as the titular character is hit with more trauma than she can handle. The set-up connects, and the midsection has some potency. It's the last act where Lommel bungles the endeavor, but for a good hour and change, "Olivia" remains engrossing, juggling just enough lurid detail and strangeness to entertain. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Attempting to participate in the rise of Satanic Panic features born from the success of "The Exorcist," 1979's "Malabimba" strives to replicate the same uncomfortable energy as a pure, young soul is corrupted by a special type of evil bent on using and destroying the innocence of its host. The Italian production, directed by Andrea Bianchi (1972's "Treasure Island," "Cry of a Prostitute"), isn't content to remain in a space of physical torment, working to amplify the horror of the situation as wickedness is unleashed inside of a castle. The production aims to go one step further, transforming "Malabimba" into adult entertainment, moving from softcore scenes of taboo temptation to hardcore inserts, aiming to sauce up the viewing experience by adding sexual conquests featuring the hired cast and intermittent views of genital close-ups. The picture is incredibly bizarre, and it's not entirely clear if Bianchi is even aware of what he's doing here, commencing the endeavor as a traditional fright film before veering off into a loopy dirty movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1985, writer/director Andy Sidaris decided to create his own special universe of heroes and villains, using the ways of no-budget filmmaking to generate cheap thrills through the use of exotic locations, rough action, and nudity. "Malibu Express" wasn't trying to alter the curve of exploitation cinema, but it did the trick for the VHS generation, inspiring Sidaris to keep churning out titles to meet demand, reusing actors and hot tubs as he built the Malibu Bay Films empire (joined by his wife, Arlene Sidaris). 1993's "Fit to Kill" is the eighth installment of the loosely defined series, continuing the adventures of bikini-clad security agents as they defend America with their firepower, sleuthing, and distinct skills of seduction. There's certainly a "if you've seen one of these things, you've seen them all" vibe to the picture, but to criticize Sidaris for his unrepentant recycling is missing the point of the Malibu Bay experience. "Fit to Kill" isn't reinventing the wheel, but there's some cleverness to be found in the movie, and Sidaris is wise enough to introduce actress Julie Strain to the family, with the statuesque Penthouse Pet bringing needed attitude to the franchise, keeping others on their toes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1985, writer/director Andy Sidaris decided to create his own special universe of heroes and villains, using the ways of no-budget filmmaking to generate cheap thrills through the use of exotic locations, rough action, and nudity. "Malibu Express" wasn't trying to alter the curve of exploitation cinema, but it did the trick for the VHS generation, inspiring Sidaris to keep churning out titles to meet demand, reusing actors and hot tubs as he built the Malibu Bay Films empire (joined by his wife, Arlene Sidaris). 1993's "Hard Hunted" is the seventh installment of the loosely defined series, continuing the adventures of bikini-clad security agents as they defend America with their firepower, sleuthing, and distinct skills of seduction. There's certainly a "if you've seen one of these things, you've seen them all" vibe to the picture, but to criticize Sidaris for his unrepentant recycling is missing the point of the Malibu Bay experience. "Hard Hunted" is an effort that leans especially hard on the formula of the franchise, though this chapter is a little more interested in outside activity, charming audiences with bright locales and performances, while Andy gradually loses interest in providing a workable story, making the movie more of a highlight reel of Malibu Bay delights than an escalating adventure concerning a mission to prevent the end of the world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Bad Manners" was reportedly conceived as a cult film for young audiences, giving an unrepresented audience a moment of midnight movie madness with an anti-authoritarian tale of terrible kids engaging in terrible behavior while in the care of terrible adults. The recipe is there, but someone, somewhere decided to turn the picture into an R-rated romp, making it nearly impossible for the target demographic to see the work without permission from a parent. It wasn't the brightest production choice, but there's not a lot of brain power going around "Bad Manners," which primarily details a war between obnoxious characters, decorated with uncomfortably aggressive behavior that makes it impossible to pick a side. Everyone should be institutionalized in this dreary comedy, which aspires to provide Mad Magazine-style shenanigans with rambunctious, cynical personalities, but can only muster a Cracked Magazine sense of humor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the marketing for 1980's "Deadline" promises a ghoulish time with nightmare cinema, the actual feature isn't really about scares at all, at least the genre kind. Writers Richard Oleksiak and Mario Azzopardi (who also directs) aim to take the material into place of psychological horror and commentary, creating a criticism of the scary movie business while they, in a slight way, participate in it. "Deadline" is a fascinating picture, at least when it works up the energy to deliver a challenging assessment of media influence and artistic bankruptcy, creating a grim tale of a slow breakdown endured by a man who's spent his career inventing torturous situations for others. Overt frights aren't here, but something interesting is, even if Azzopardi has difficulty keeping the whole thing together at times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Biker films had their time and place, experiencing a heyday during the 1950s and '60s, with the image of a raging Hell's Angels-type was used to strike fear in the hearts of moviegoers, offering them the exotic threat of menacing types clad in leather riding around on deafening vehicles. In 1984, such acts of intimidation didn't carry the same weight, leaving "Hell Riders" with little to work with while it strives to assemble a terror show featuring particularly inept biker gang members. While it has the star power of Adam West and Tina Louise, "Hell Riders" doesn't offer much more than the occasional bit of amusing oddity, watching director James Bryan struggle with basic acts of storytelling and conflict. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1978's "Blind Rage" has a crackerjack premise, pre-mixed for optimum drive-in entertainment. It's a crime/martial arts film about five blind men who are recruited to steal a fortune from a bank, using planning and their remaining senses to pull off a seemingly impossible crime. It's B-movie nonsense of the highest order, and while it has the goods to become something special, or at least deliciously campy, director Efren C. Pinon doesn't push down on the nonsense hard enough, losing interest in developing the effort's natural strangeness. It has its amusing stretches, but "Blind Rage" doesn't explode in the way one might expect from a tale of unusual sensorial ability put to criminal use. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There aren't many comedies made about cannibalism. It takes a special filmmaking touch to blend unimaginable horror with jokes, and director Patrick Brice ("The Overnight," "Creep") gets most of the way there with "Corporate Animals." While there are a few macabre events in the movie, the screenplay by Sam Bain is more of a workplace comedy, tapping into office irritations and resentments as a team-building exercise turns into a lengthy challenge of survival. "Corporate Animals" might be relatable for some, but it really wants to be silly business for all, and while Bain can't dream up interesting setbacks for the cast of characters, he scores more often than not, while Brice manages to transform a static setting into a war of quirks, personal histories, and hunger pains. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

To best appreciate anything "Record City" has to offer, one has to secure their 1977 glasses on tight. Painfully tight. Everything in the picture comes from a different era of entertainment, when variety shows where common entertainment on television, and jokes weren't concerned with political correctness, embracing all sorts of stereotypes and dismissive attitudes, finding targets instead of punchlines. In the Wild West of the 1970s, director Dennis Steinmetz and writer Ron Friedman hope to tap into the post-"Car Wash" zeitgeist by offering a wacky comedy set inside a record store, where the hits are distributed to the public every single day, and the staff can't seem to stay out of one another's business. "Record City" is as loosely plotted as a movie can get, going episodic as a series of characters spend the day getting into all sorts of shenanigans, dealing with crime and sex as an amateur talent contest happens outside. Friedman serves up the silliness, and Steinmetz tries his best to shape something sellable out of the high jinks, occasionally interrupting a whirlwind of iffy behavior with musical performances and comedy acts. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com