Film Review: SEEDPEOPLE (1992)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the most influential sci-fi films in history (having had no less than three remakes thus far made) so it’s no surprise that filmmaker Charles Band would conceptualize something as bizarre as Seedpeople (1992).  Band came up with the story but it is written by Jackson Barr and directed by Pete Manooglan. 

The citizens of the sleepy town of Comet Valley are slowly changing.  It seems that plant-like aliens have started to invade the population and only a handful of outsiders can stop the invasion.  If you’ve seen any variation of Body Snatchers then you know what you’re in for with this film.  If you’re familiar with Charles Band films then you REALLY know what you’re in for.  The film includes mediocre story (yet campy and fun at times), barely passable acting, and ludicrous monsters that are in no way scary.

Instead, the film relies mostly on the over the top comedy and for the most part it succeeds.  Sometimes the film “borrows” too much from other films leaving you wanting something more original and the mediocre monster and makeup effects don’t help.  This being said, you can always do worst with a Charles Band film than Seedpeople.

Film Review: SIDESHOW (2000)

Nothing is more terrifying than a carnival full of fantastic sideshow freaks and oddities as audiences will discover in Sideshow (2000).  A group of high school students visit a traveling carnival and revel at the freaks contained within but when they receive a cryptic message of their future from a fortune teller their paths become intricately linked to the carnival whose darker secrets lie just below the surface. 

Abbot Graves (Phil Fondacaro) is the carnival ring leader who controls the fate of the high school students who disappear one by one becoming permanent parts of the freakish sideshow where their wildest desires become deadly nightmares.  

Written by Benjamin Carr and directed by Fred Olen Ray this is a fun and entertaining indie film that may lack the overt gore and horror of other films but makes up for it with its charm and Fondacaro who steals every scene he’s in.  Fondacaro is given a lot of room to explore his devilish character and the special makeup effects are effective.

Sideshow doesn’t break any new grounds as a horror film but it is an entertaining ride that you won’t soon forget and will have you wanting to buy a backstage pass to see the freaks once again.

Film Review: BOG (1983)

Never go dynamite fishing because you never know what will come to the surface.  This is the main idea behind the creature feature Bog (1983) in which a local dynamite fisherman awakens a prehistoric amphibious creature that can survive both in the water and on land.  Once the creature is awakened nothing can stop it as anyone that ventures near its bog becomes fresh meat and if it’s a female she may become fertile flesh for repopulation. 

This throw-back to Creature From the Black Lagoon doesn’t have the same charm in its subpar ‘80s man in costume horror.  Written by Carl Kitt and directed by Don Keeslar Bog is one of those films that you see on late night television that would have you laughing rather than shuddering away in fright.  Its inept characters and execution leaves much to be desired and hasn’t aged very well (as most man in costume monster movies have not).

This is a highly forgettable film that has been more or less forgotten but I happened across a VHS copy of the film and decided to take a look sense it had a pretty decent poster and artwork.  If there is anything that this film will be remembered for it will be for its artwork which in ‘80s horror films (both good and bad) was great and something that most genre fans remember the most.

Book Review: THE ZOMBIE FILM: FROM WHITE ZOMBIE TO WORLD WAR Z by Alain Silver and James Ursini

Zombies have become so popular in pop culture that they dominate TV screens (one of the most popular shows being AMC’s The Walking Dead) and movie screens (i.e. Warm Bodies and World War Z) and show no signs of slowing down.  In Alain Silver and James Ursini’s book The Zombie Film: From White Zombie to World War Z, the authors try to present a comprehensive overview of the genre and all the films ever associated with the sub genre. 

If you are a fan of zombie films this book will be a treasure trove of information as the authors leave no stone unturned by touching upon the earliest zombie films (i.e. White Zombie) to some of the most recent (i.e. World War Z).  For the most part all the films are presented in chronological order placing the films in a unique context not only in the time period of which they were made but also as an outlook on how audiences taste in zombies changed from one decade to the next.

If you want to know more about foreign zombie films those are discussed as well and the authors do an excellent job of picking both the most relevant films from around the world as well as the lesser gems.    Zombie films have different meaning to different cultures and countries and the authors do a good job of explaining some of the ways zombie films differ from country to country and from the way the U.S. perceived the genre.

Another great aspect of the book is the tons of posters, pictures, and production stills from many of the films discussed.  There are so many pictures from so many films that to some, this book may seem like a visual dictionary and it is, in a way, a visual dictionary of zombie films.

Silver & Ursini’s take on the zombie genre is as fans and the book is a very easy read for everyone.  This is not an academic book which works in the books favor as the author’s keep the book lively and entertaining especially considering how many films they discuss and delve into.  Upon finishing this book you’ll have your own personal list of films to seek out.  This is a book I recommend to all fans of the zombie genre as I’m sure you will discover something new that you didn’t know before.

Film Review: COMING SOON (1982)

Jamie Lee Curtis is the Host of the John Landis directed film Coming Soon (1982) which a Universal Studios produced “clips” film about the greatest in Universal horror and sci-fi monsters.  Curtis takes you on a journey through the classic black & white Universal monster classics characters such as Dracula, he Wolfman, the Mummy, Frankenstein’s monster and the Creature From the Black Lagoon that inspired and frightened a nation.  She also delves deep into the popularity of certain genres as the tide for horror films changed from one decade to the next. 

There an extended sequence with director Steven Spielberg while on the set of E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and mention of the popularity of his film Jaws (1975). There is also a lengthy bit that focuses on Alfred Hitchcock’s classics Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963).  This film, which is only 55 minutes in length, is for people who love classic Universal monsters and it reminds us of how the studio build its reputation.

The star power of Curtis (who has been a permanent fixture of the horror genre) and written by Landis and Mick Garris (a huge supporter of all things horror having worked on numerous Stephen King film adaptations as well as the creator of the TV series Masters of Horror) this is a film made by fans for the fans.

Film Review: HEAD OF THE FAMILY (1996)

The clan of Full Moon Entertainment’s Head of the Family (1996) is very much the same as Tobe Hooper’s Sawyer Clan of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre…only more “PC”.  Myron is the literally the “head” of his family as he is one of a quintuplet that each share the same brain but have different bodies.  Myron (the brains), Otis (the brawn and muscle), Wheeler (the eyes, ears, and smell), and Ernestina (beauty with the body) like to abduct strangers for their own personal experimentation and fun.  When local sleaze Lance (Blake Adams) secretly watches the family in action he decides to capitalize on the family’s misfortune by blackmailing them to make the husband of his mistress Lorretta  (Jacqueline Lovell) disappear. 

Myron doesn’t like being blackmailed and used and will do everything in his power to bring Blake down.  Like the Sawyer clan Myron’s clan each have their own strengths and weaknesses that are used to great effect in the film.  Myron plays a mental chess game with Blake to see who can out smart whom; he uses Ernestina to seduce men at their weakest moments; Wheeler is used to spy on Blake and get information with his super skins and Otis is the muscle that forces himself upon others (he is the Leatherface of the group).  They live in complete obscurity from the rest of the town but instead of cannibals they experiment on the people they abduct.

The film is actually better than expected as the film is anchored by the performances of Adams and Lovell  who have great chemistry with one another for a couple having an affair and Adams and J.W. Perra (as Myron) have equally great chemistry in their scenes.  The makeup effect are great and the film is better than most of the average Full Moon films.  The film also has a whit to it missing from these types of films that are aware of themselves giving it a charm that makes it worth seeking out if you haven’t already seen it.