Film Review: BLOOD VALLEY: SEED’S REVENGE (aka SEED 2) (2014)

I didn’t think that there could possibly be a worse film than Seed (2006) but someone thought it was a good idea for a sequel so we now have Blood Valley: Seed’s Revenge (2014) which is even worse than its predecessor.  Actor Nick Principe is the new Max Seed, a serial killing force of nature who with his family terrorizes Christine (Natalie Scheetz) and her friends who are returning from a bachelorette party in Las Vegas. 

Part The Hills Have Eyes and part Texas Chainsaw Massacre there is not an original thought in this film which tries at first to present events backwards by starting at the end (i.e. Memento) but it drops that real fast as the audience realizes there is not story to this brain dead exorcise in torture porn.  There are no redeeming qualities in this trash cinema as very little thought is put in the execution of this film.  Even the actors seem bored as there is not a genuinely decent performance out of the whole cast.

The film is written and directed by Marcel Walz which fits perfectly in his demented oeuvre so fans of his films may actually enjoy this film but for everyone else this is simple trash better left in the waste basket.

Film Review: HATCHET III (2013)

Infamous urban legend Victory Crowley returns to kill again in Hatchet III (2013) which takes place directly after the previous film.  There are a few differences most importantly that writer/director Adam Green is not behind the camera this time but instead just on board as writer and producer of this film while BJ McDonnell is making his directorial debut after having worked in the camera department on the previous two films in the franchise. 

The film finds the sole survivor of the previous film Marybeth (Danielle Harris) walking into the police headquarters having killed Victor Crowley by cutting up into many pieces.  The police lead by Sheriff Fowler (Zach Galligan) take her into custody as a suspect in the murders of almost 30 people (victims from the previous film).  It’s not long before the spirit of Victor Crowley returns to kill everyone that enters his swamp which includes an entire police department and S.W.A.T. team (among paramedics and various other people).  Along for the ride is disgraced reporter Amanda (Caroline Williams), who also happens to be the Sheriff’s ex-wife and an expert on the legend of Crowley.

I happened to really enjoy the first film in the Hatchet series and while I didn’t care much for the first sequel, I loved the addition of Danielle Harris as Marybeth and who doesn’t like Kane Hodder as the immortal Victor Crowley?  This film tries to finally explain the whole legend of Crowley but quickly becomes a kill-spree free for all with some imaginative kills.  It lacks finesse but it is extremely fun and actor Parry Shen returns as another different character in the film.

Gore and slasher fans will enjoy this film tremendously but as a stand-alone film it doesn’t really hold up as well as the previous films.

Film Review: INVALUABLE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN EPIC ARTIST (2014)

There are few films that highlight special FX artist which makes the documentary Invaluable: The Story of an Epic Artist (2014) such a special treat.  Director Ryan Meade has crafted an elegant love letter to artist Tim Sullivan who was the man behind the horrifying creations seen in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films.   Meade has cobbled together an impressive collection of interviews from various associates of Sullivan’s from the Evil Dead films to give an honest look at not only a talented artist but a unique group of indie films from dedicated friends and film makers. 

What’s most impressive about the film is the fact that Meade has managed to interview Sullivan at conventions, at original locations of the films, at his own studio and a wide variety of other areas.  Meade’s also managed to get a great many interviews with such names as Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sanweiss, Betsy Baker, Ted Raimi, Scott Spiegel and Robert Kurtzman, to name a few.  Although Sullivan rarely works in film today, his artwork can still be seen all over the place as he continues to work.    The film not only delves into Sullivan’s past, but looks at his present through his convention visits and continue adoration from fans everywhere.

Meade even gets a look at some of the original props used in the films which have rarely seen the light of day outside of the films.  Meade has a way of not only crafting a love letter for horror fans but also an in depth look into an influential artist whose work still intrigues and fascinates to this day.  This is a well done film that both horror fans and general artists can enjoy.

“Rants & Ravings About Horror” - Week 4: “The Importance of Horror Novelizations”

Week 4: “The Importance of Horror Novelizations”

“I love horror novelizations!” – There I said it.  This is probably not something you would expect from a die-hard horror fan like me since novelizations of films are the bastard child of the publishing world.  If you don’t know what these are or are confused by “films based on novels” here is my definition.  A novelization of a film is a novel specifically produced from the screenplay or film that it is based on as a way to allow fans to enjoy films that they loved in an alternative way.  They are produced as a tie-in to the film and a subsidiary way for studios to make more money and profit from a film.  They are usually exactly like the film it is based on and usually written by hack writers just doing it for a paycheck.  So why, do you ask, do I love them?  

There are two really good reasons.  

Reason number one is that novelizations can sometime be written by some amazing authors and be better than the film because of this.  One of my favorite authors Alan Dean Foster is behind such iconic novelizations like Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, John Carpenter’s The Thing (not to be confused by the original novel “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, Jr.), Dark Star, Alien Nation, Starman, The Last Starfighter, Terminator: Salvation  and countless others.  These are some amazing reads that add to the story and characters and give the reader an additional experience that just watching the film cannot.  Keith R.A. DeCandido is another one of my favorites for his novelizations of Resident Evil and its sequels Apocalypse and Extinction all of which add more to the universe of the films and expands my enjoyment of the films themselves (he also wrote the novelizations for Darkness Falls, Serenity, and countless Star Trek novels).  I’ve never cared for the film Resident Evil: Apocalypse but after reading the book I watched the film a second time and enjoyed it a little more.  One of my more recent favorites has been The Woman by Lucky McKee and Jack Ketchum which is a sequel to one of Ketchum’s film Offspring that was produced simultaneously as a book and a film.   Anyone who knows me knows that one of my favorite horror franchises is Child’s Play and Matthew J. Costello’s novelizations of Child’s Play 2 and 3 were among some of the first ones I ever read as a child (I still have them on my shelf to this day along with countless others).   I love to immerse myself into the worlds of some of my favorite horror films and novelizations are a great way for me to do that.

The second reason why I love novelizations is because since they are usually based on the screenplay of a film rather than the actual film itself (since the novel is probably written simultaneous with production of the film) it is very common for a novelization to include stuff that was cut out of the film before it was released or contain major changes that can sometimes make the novel a whole different experience.  This is exactly what happened with Foster’s Alien 3 novelization which differs significantly from the final film which had major changes done to it due to the director (a young) David Fincher and the studio not agreeing on the final edit of the film (FYI – the Dark Horse comic book adaptation of the film also differs from the final film as well).  There are whole character arcs and changes in the Resident Evil novelizations.

More often than not, most novelizations are a plot point by plot point exact replica of the film and by inexperienced or incapable hands this can make for a tedious read (I know because I’m still trying to get through John Shirley’s novelization of Resident Evil: Retribution which is not written with the same style as DeCandido’s previous books).  Sometimes they may even be unnecessary as just about every major studio film has a novelization whether we care to know it or not.  Sometimes you’ll come across a great one while other times not so much.

I buy novelizations based on whether or not I enjoyed the film and wish to go back to that world in a different way.  I never buy a novelization of a film I have yet to see because why bother to read a book based on a film I didn’t like.  The exception is if I like the writer (i.e. my reading of DeCandido’s Resident Evil: Apocalypse) but this is rarely the case as I love Foster and there are a ton of novelizations of his I don’t ever plan on reading.  I will say that as a horror fan, you should read horror just as much as you watch it whether it be novelizations or original novels.  Horror can be enjoyed in so many different ways so don’t fail to overlook even one of them.

Companion to “Conversations in Horror” - “Fun & Entertaining Zombie Films Not to be Missed”

“Fun & Entertaining Zombie Films Not to be Missed”

In the podcast “Conversations in Horror” hosts Ron McLellen and I look at different aspects of the horror genre in order to entertain and educate fans.  This article is a companion to the show as a means to touch upon things that the show doesn’t have time to.  Enjoy.

Zombies are one of the most popular monsters in history and most recently has taken pop culture by storm with the popularity of AMC’s The Walking Dead (as well the comic and graphic novels) and films like Warm Bodies (2013), World War Z (2013) and especially the Resident Evil franchise (2002-2012) not to mention books, toys, Halloween costumes and more.  Following is a list of10 zombie films that might have gone missed but are worth looking for.

THE BATTERY (2012)

This is a recent zombie film that’s really a two-person deconstruction that takes place during the zombie apocalypse.  There are a lot of indie films out there which are a slow burn like this one but using baseball adds to the allure of the film.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of slow burning zombie films out there and this one may have been overshadowed but it is worth searching out.

CEMETERY MAN (1994)

Michelle Soavi’s uncompromising adaptation of the popular Dylan Dog comic book.  Although this film is a loose adaption of the comic book character it is more thematically accurate than Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011).  Its mixture of violence, gore, romance, and humor is better executed than any other zombie film out there.  There are few other zombie films produced in other countries that matches the lightning caught in a bottle like this film.

THE DEAD (2010)

Africa is not your typical place for a zombie apocalypse and this film is not your typical zombie film as location is a key component to the success and allure of this film.  The undead have never looked no menacing or desolate.  Directors Howard and Jonathan Ford did an exceptional job at infusing new life into the slow moving zombie genre which continued in the sequel (which takes place in India).  This is one of the films that should be on every zombie fans watch list.

DEADGIRL (2008)

This is not your typical zombie film as there is no apocalypse going on because there is only a single zombie girl found strapped down in an abandoned building by a bunch of kids who decide to have their own way with the undead.  A disturbing look at youth culture by way of the undead.  Not a film for everyone but an uncompromising film that stays with you long after the credits roll.

FLIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: OUTBREAK ON A PLANE (2007)

Zombie films don’t get as exciting and entertaining as this film which manages to trap a bunch of zombies on an inflight plane.  It’s a film that satisfies just about everyone.  It has everything that a zombie fan would want.  It’s a film that’s better than the title declares and should not go overlooked.

I, ZOMBIE: THE CHRONICLES OF PAIN (1999)

This is a very infamous film because it’s an extremely slow burn character film about a guy who discovers he’s becoming one of the undead and he must discover how to go on living as he’s slowly dying.  Director Andrew Parkinson is known for his slow burning character films of which watching a man slowly turn into a zombie probably isn’t the most entertaining way to spend an evening.  Also, this was Parkinson’s first feature so the production values are that of an indie feature so the film has never been given its due.  The dark material should not deter you from an otherwise very good indie zombie film.

MANIAC COP (1988)

Directed by William Lustig,  this return from the dead cop slasher is one of the most entertaining films of its kind and even though they made three of these films this is the first and best of them all.  The film stars Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, and Richard Roundtree but it is Robert Z’Dar as the title character that steals the entire film.  This is a crazy vengeance themed film as only Lustig can do. 

PONTYPOOL (2009)

I love non-traditional zombie films and they don’t get any more non-traditional than this film where the wrong sounds can turn you into a mindless automaton.  This single location thriller is anchored by one of actor Stephen McHattie’s finest performances.  This is a film for zombie film lovers with a taste for something a little different.

SUGAR HILL (1974)

A traditional voodoo zombie film as only the ‘70s can craft.  This is one entertaining film from beginning to end.  It is dated but that does not deter from the fun that this film contains.  Also, it’s one of the very few traditional voodoo zombie films that get it right.

UNDEAD (2003)

Zombies.  Aliens. Australia. What’s not to like about this over the top zombie film to the extreme?  No one does a good zombie film like Michael and Peter Spierig.  This is a horror-sci-fi-action film that successful mixes all these genres to create one of the very best undead films of the modern age.  Not only is this one of the very best modern zombie films it is also the Spierig Bros. first film who have gone on to re-define the vampire genre with Daybreakers (2009) and time travel with Predestination (2014).

Some of these films were discussed in the “Conversations in Horror” episode but more importantly here is a list of just a few great zombie films.  Some people may agree with my assessment while others may hate some of my choices.  Because zombie films are a dime a dozen there are hundreds of other films that could be on this list but I chose not to include.

What do you make of these films and do you agree with any of my choices? 

To watch the episode of “Conversations in Horror” go here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNA7grOKX7U