HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Monday, July 31, 2017

MAN UNDERGROUND -- Movie Review by Porfle



MAN UNDERGROUND (2016) is about how hard it can be for one man to get the truth out to the people when nobody wants to hear it or believe it.  Especially when shadowy forces in the hush-hush inner government would rather such truth remain secret despite the obsessive efforts of one lone conspiracy theorist (i.e. "nut") to shine a light on it.

Unkempt, eccentric loner Willem Koda (George Basil) is the "nut" in question, or at least he seems like one to the waitresses at the diner in rural Middle America where he eats the same thing every day. 

One of them, Flossie Ferguson (Pamela Fila), takes a shine to him and, being an aspiring actress, agrees to appear in an autobiographical shot-on-video film Willem has decided to make with his goodnaturedly nerdy pal Todd Muckle (Andy Rocco) in order to tell Willem's story to the public more effectively than with the occasional sparsely-attended speech or social media video.


So far, the whole thing seems to play like an ultra-dry deadpan comedy, especially when we start to see the three of them filming Willem's comically overdramatized account of his past trauma under the most amateur of conditions. 

The events that made him the man he is today, we find, involve his working as a geologist for the government until having a terrifying close encounter of the worst kind after uncovering a sealed underground vault. 

We know of Willem's horrific past experience, resulting in a painful breakup with his wife, solely through these humorously-staged, laughable recreations (there are no dramatic flashbacks), and thus have no way of knowing whether he's telling the truth or simply tragically delusional.

Still, the smartly-written script of MAN UNDERGROUND by co-directors Michael Borowiec and Sam Marine manages to come up with some spooky clues here and there which, at times, have us hanging on this pathetic, socially-malajusted paranoiac's unsettling nocturnal encounters as though we're watching a low-key political thriller or an episode of "The X-Files."


All of this potential background intrigue, meanwhile, is presented within the context of three societal misfits (and Flossie's annoying boyfriend Francis, played with smooth-nerd aplomb by Felix Hagen) making a glorified home movie while stumbling through their own awkward relationship problems--most of which stem from Willem's mercurial, distrustful nature--as deadpan humor gives way more and more to increasingly absorbing human drama. 

The film's climax, in fact, is surprisingly dramatic, and by this time the writer-directors have managed to make these borderline-farcical characters more than sufficiently well-rounded enough for us to care about them.  More than that, they're quite thoroughly sympathetic and likable, even realistic in their own way, which is due in no small part to some wonderfully deft performances by the leads. 

MAN UNDERGROUND is unlike any "conspiracy theory" story I've seen, mixing subtle humor and serious drama the way real life often does, with the same variances in tone and lack of clear-cut resolution, and with the same kind of unsettling yet somehow appealing unpredictability.   

Tech Specs
Runtime: 93 mins.
Format: 1:85 Flat
Sound: Dolby 2.0
Country: USA
Language: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Sci-Fi/Horror/Comedy




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"TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER" On DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on September 5



"TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER"

Six All-New Episodes and a Special Featurette with the Adorable Tinky Winky on DVD September 5

Family Entertainment with Developmental Benefits


CULVER CITY, Calif. (July 28, 2017) – The wonderful world of Teletubbies is back with 6 all-new adventures for your little ones when TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER arrives on DVD on September 5.

Celebrating 20 years of entertaining families across the world, the new generation of Teletubbies is designed to appeal to today's tech-savvy infants and toddlers through relatable storylines, and high-tech features including their Touch-Screen Tummies and Tubby Phone smartphone. Parents will be able to provide their toddlers with creative learning experiences that are fun, playful and inclusive.


The DVD encourages early social skills, including taking turns, physical activity and coordination, as well as recognizing colors, objects and patterns.

Synopsis:
Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po as they laugh, play, sing, dance and share big hugs. Teletubbies makes exploring and experimenting so much fun, your child will shout "Again! Again!". Contains six new episodes, including “Follow the Leader”.

Bonus Feature Includes:
·         Meet the Characters: Tinky Winky

TELETUBBIES: FOLLOW THE LEADER has a run time of approximately 75 minutes. The collection is not rated. 

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT TELETUBBIES
Originally created in 1997, Teletubbies is one of the most successful global children’s brands of all-time. Targeted at young pre-school viewers, it has reached over 1 billion children to date. The original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages.

Debuting on Nick Jr. in May 2016, the new Teletubbies series (60 x 12 min. episodes) stays true to the original series but is designed to captivate today’s digital toddlers with updated elements and visual CGI-enhancements. The characters now have Touch-Screen Tummies and high-tech gadgets like the Tubby Phone smartphone, introducing a contemporary twist for a new generation of pre-schoolers. The multi award-winning Teletubbies encourages young children to watch television creatively, providing a safe and beneficial viewing experience. Teletubbies is produced by DHX Media. www.teletubbies.com

ABOUT DHX MEDIA
DHX Media Ltd. (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B; NASDAQ: DHXM) is a leading children’s content and brands company, recognized globally for such high-profile properties as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, and the acclaimed Degrassi franchise. One of the world’s foremost producers of children’s shows, DHX Media owns the world’s largest independent library of children’s content, at 13,000 half-hours. It licenses its content to broadcasters and streaming services worldwide and generates royalties through its global consumer products program. Through its subsidiary, WildBrain, DHX Media operates one of the largest networks of children’s channels on YouTube. Headquartered in Canada, DHX Media has 20 offices worldwide. Visit us at www.dhxmedia.com.

TELETUBBIES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of DHX Worldwide Limited. ©2017 DHX Worldwide Limited. All Rights Reserved.



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Artsploitation Puts Theatrical Release Under the Tree for "RED CHRISTMAS"



Artsploitation Decks the Halls with a
"RED CHRISTMAS"


Craig Anderson's Festival Hit Opens in Los Angeles August 25th
Blood-Soaked Holiday Cheer to Spread in Limited Release


"An energetic, candy-colored romp through genre tropes that manages to take its subject matter seriously while poking fun at itself at the same time."
-- Variety 


"Quite simply, Wallace can do no wrong, and Red Christmas proves that she still is - and always will be - a horror force to be reckoned with."
-- Horror Film News


Philadelphia, PA - Artsploitation has unwrapped a gift for all the bad boys and girls with the upcoming limited release of the Australian horror film Red Christmas.  Veteran television director and actor Craig Anderson makes his feature debut with Red Christmas, combining the banal horror of family gatherings with the issues of abortion, feminism, ethics, religion and privacy, with a blood-splattered twist on what happens when secrets refuse to stay dead.


Genre icon Dee Wallace (The Hills Have Eyes, The Howling, E.T., Cujo, Critters) stars as the stressed-out mother of a squabbling family, gathered together in a remote Outback estate on Christmas Eve.  Their petty dramas threaten to blacken the holiday until a mysterious and deformed stranger appears at the door seeking bloody vengeance.  Red Christmas will open in Los Angeles August 25th for a weeklong run at the Laemmle Music Hall, and expand to screens in San Francisco, Denver, Dallas and more over the coming weeks.

August 25th Theatrical Release:
Laemmle Music Hall 3
9036 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Dee Wallace headlines as Diane, a matriarch presiding over the gathering of her squabbling grown children on Christmas Day.  Tensions give way to terror when a deformed stranger appears at the door with vengeance on his mind.  Diane must protect her family as limbs are severed and secrets are brought into the light.

Red Christmas (Official Trailer)

Red Christmas: English / Australia / 82 minutes


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Sunday, July 30, 2017

APT 3D -- Movie Review by Porfle



The old "haunted apartment" routine gets another crack at chilling our jaded blood in APT 3D (2014).  And, in its own slow, low-key, almost minimalist sort of way--with a few unexpected elements tossed into the mix, including sci-fi--it kinda does.

First-time writer-director Zack Imbrogno (with co-director Horst Dieter Baum) plays it like a slow tease, never giving us too much information at a time but always keeping us on edge, making us wait for each little clue as to what the hell's going on.

It all starts when Ben (Imbrogno) and his girlfriend Erin (Maxxe Sternbaum) move into the New York apartment of Ben's sister during her three-month jaunt to Africa.  Ben's all excited about his new TV-writing job, but Los Angeles girl Erin feels like a fish out of water and hates being left alone during the day.  This is just the beginning of a growing rift between them.


Making matters worse is a pushy, too-friendly neighbor named Chris (Jordan Lewis), whom Erin eventually suspects of stalking her.  The tension level is increased when we're shown brief glimpses of this.  But is he simply a pervert?  Or is there something more complicated, and perhaps more sinister, at work?

The apartment is small and modern, hardly the spacious old Gothic layout we see in such films as THE RESIDENT, but the directors manage to make it eerie enough with peripheral touches we almost don't notice--a shadow flitting across the wall, a closed door creaking open a crack--and weird, unexplained noises emanating from the most unlikely places.

It seems like a simple case of either stalking or paranormal infestation, except there are other things at work here such as UFOs glimpsed from the rooftop and bizarre visions that come over both Ben and Erin.  Some of the physical manifestations they experience along with these hallucinations seem...well...alien in nature.


APT 3D strings us along expertly and maintains a constant level of suspense, brimming with paranoia, that neither overdoes it nor loses its tension.  The gradual introduction of the more unbelievable, improbable aspects of their baffling plight only adds to our rapt involvement, even when we share Ben and Erin's skepticism when the enigmatic Chris turns out to be their main source of information.

Any more than this I'm loathe to reveal, save that this modestly budgeted mini-thriller with limited locations, a tiny cast, and a modicum of visual effects lets its actors and story carry us along in lieu of spectacle or sensation.  It's like a crackerjack extended episode of some excellent TV anthology like "The Outer Limits" or "Friday the 13th--The Series."

The one sticking point--which may be a make-or-break thing for many viewers--is the abrupt ending. Just when I think it's switching into high gear, there's the fadeout leaving us hanging.  But the more I thought about it, the more satisfied I was with the way APT 3D gives me just enough information and then allows me to imagine what happens next.  

Tech Specs
Runtime: 79 mins
Format: 1:85 Flat
Sound: Dolby SR
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller

Buy it at Amazon.com





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Saturday, July 29, 2017

"CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND" -- 40th Anniversary Trailer & Poster -- In Theaters Sept. 1



Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(Sony Pictures)


Release Date: September 1, 2017
On Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Sept. 19


40th Anniversary Trailer and Poster

After an encounter with U.F.O.s, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.
 


Written and Directed by:
Steven Spielberg

Produced by:
Julia Phillips and Michael Phillips

Cast:
Richard Dreyfuss
Teri Garr
Melinda Dillon
with Francois Truffaut as Lacombe

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Friday, July 28, 2017

THE MAN FROM OUTER SPACE -- Movie Review by Porfle



The story of a man frantically trying to juggle family and career, THE MAN FROM OUTER SPACE (2017) is a simple, somewhat threadbare tale even though it's made up of two interwoven storylines.

In the first one, Louis (Christopher Mychael Watson, UNTOUCHED) is an aspiring screenwriter whose big break comes when he and his narcissistic young agent Kyle (Darren Hummel) are allowed the privilege of pitching some story ideas to big-wig producer Harold (Todd Christian Elliott).

But when Louis gets cornered into whipping up a script over the weekend, this conflicts with all the fatherly stuff he's promised he would do with his daughter Makayla (Aliyah Conley), putting him in the dog house with both her and his rather unyielding wife Alyssa (Erica Auerbach, UNDERCURRENT).


The second storyline consists of the relatively pedestrian sci-fi yarn Louis is making up on the fly about an astronaut from Mars who crash-lands on post-apocalypse Earth and discovers two inhabitants, a mother and her daughter, living in the wild. 

The three characters are played by Louis and his family, so it becomes clear pretty quick that this is all a metaphor for what's going on in his real life at the moment.  The astronaut will eventually have to decide what's more important--his mission, or the relationship between him and his new "family."

In his feature debut, writer-director Ben Hall does a decent job with a modest budget while giving us a story so predictable that actually watching it to the end feels like going through the motions.

The real-world Louis has my sympathies as he desperately struggles to make good on his big break despite being made out as a neglectful father by a wife who seems to have zero empathy and understanding for him.  The kid I can understand, but Alyssa really turned me off as a character.


Fantasy-Louis is somewhat more interesting despite the fact that his big sci-fi saga--the one that's supposed to grab the demanding producer's attention--is about as original and deep as "Space Ship Sappy" with the Three Stooges. 

And when some of his fellow astronauts from Mars show up acting all arch and threatening, it reminded me of TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.  Which was fun in a way, but not terribly involving.

My reaction to THE MAN FROM OUTER SPACE as a whole was similarly mixed--fun at times (mainly the bad sci-fi elements) but not all that engaging overall.  Maybe next time Louis could come up with a more harrowing script based on his life, and call it "The Man Who Was Almost Nagged To Death."





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Thursday, July 27, 2017

"ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON" Makes its Retail Debut on 9/5, Packed with Laughs, Guest Stars and Hours of Bonus Programming!



Although "Saturday Night Live," "MADtv" and other sketch shows have captured some of the flavor of "Laugh-In," no other comedy show has matched it in terms of its hyper-speed outrageousness and offbeat sensibility.
-- The Los Angeles Times

"The frenetic, chaotic comedy still earns laughs 50 years later...
it's a wonderful time capsule of the era"

-- DVD Talk

From 1968 to 1973, anarchy reigned supreme on NBC,
and network television was never quite the same

-- Winston-Salem Journal

MORE LAUGH-IN FROM TIME LIFE?
YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY!

THIS SEPTEMBER, TV'S GROUNDBREAKING VARIETY SHOW LAUNCHES AT RETAIL WITH A ZANY, STAR-STUDDED
INAUGURAL SEASON DVD SET

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN:
THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Street Date: September 5, 2017
DVD SRP: $24.95


The 4-Disc Set Features 14 Remastered Episodes from the Landmark Emmy® and Golden Globe®-Winning Series - 64% of Which Have Never Before Been Available at Retail -- Hours of Bonus Programming Including the Pilot Episode and a New Interview with Creator George Schlatter; Guest Stars Include Harry Belafonte, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Cher, Tim Conway, Sammy Davis Jr., Sally Field, Jerry Lewis and Many More!



PROGRAM SYNOPSIS
The '60s gave us "in-crowds," "be-ins" and "love-ins," and starting in 1968, the happening place for free-form comedy was Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, broadcast from beautiful downtown Burbank. Straight man Dan Rowan and wisecracking co-host Dick Martin led a gaggle of goofballs through a rapid-fire assault of one-liners, skits, bits and non sequiturs that left viewers in hysterics and disbelief. Anything and anyone in the public eye was a target.  Political correctness?  Forget it!  The off-the-wall groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning show would go on to anchor the Monday 8 p.m. time slot on NBC until March 12, 1973, transforming both pop culture and the medium of television.

Following the acclaimed release of LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SERIES (available exclusively through TimeLife.com/Laugh-In), the TV-DVD archivists at Time Life are making ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON available for classic TV aficionados
and comedy lovers alike.  Comprised of 4 DVDs and 14 complete episodes - 64% of which have never before been available at retail -- the star-studded set delivers audiences to the beginning of the landmark series which became an instant classic and one of the most popular shows in the history of television. 

Flip Wilson as Adam (now residing outside of the Garden of Eden); Tim Conway and Cher as John Smith and Pocahontas; a silent salute to presidential candidate George Wallace; a Mod, Mod World look at the Olympics -- these are just a few of the zaniest things crammed into Season 1.  Also making their appearances for the first time: Goldie Hawn's giggly blonde, Judy Carne's "Sock-It-To-Me" girl, Jo Anne Worley's anti-chicken-joke militant, Ruth Buzzi's perpetually-frustrated spinster and Arte Johnson's "verrry interesting" German soldier.  The biggest news, however, was the first national television appearance of Tiny Tim, the ukulele-toting, falsetto-singing throwback to a bygone era of American pop music.  He made the rest of the cast seem normal -- and Dan and Dick squirm.  The show's first season was also highlighted by long running fan favorite features including "Sock It to Me," "Cocktail Party," the "Joke Wall", and the first appearance of Johnson's elderly Tyrone F. Horneigh and Sammy Davis Jr. introducing the all-time classic sketch "Here Comes the Judge".


ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON includes hours of specially-produced extras, including the rare Laugh-In pilot, an all-new interview with creator and executive producer George Schlatter, 25th Anniversary Cast Reunion Highlights and Laugh-In Bloopers.

CAST
Dan Rowan
Dick Martin
Pamela Austin
Ken Berry
Eileen Brennan
Ruth Buzzi
Judy Carne
Barbara Feldon
Henry Gibson
Goldie Hawn
Larry Hovis
Arte Johnson
Gary Owens
Jo Anne Worley 

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Format: DVD/4 Discs
Running Time: 869 minutes
Genre:  TV DVD/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo



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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

THE BEST OF HARVEY KORMAN -- DVD Review by Porfle



A lot of people these days only know Harvey Korman from his Mel Brooks movies ("That's Hedley!"), but there was a time before that when his star shone brightly as the Emmy-winning second banana on TV's legendary "The Carol Burnett Show."

Time-Life's DVD release THE BEST OF HARVEY KORMAN assembles four complete (more or less) nostalgia-heavy episodes from 1969-71, three of which haven't been seen in 40 years, and they serve as a real time machine back to the way variety shows looked in those days.

Watching them now, the show's comedy is as incredibly corny as it can be, with paper-thin writing and forced punchlines, but also with a laidback informality (the performers break character often to either ad-lib or crack up at each other) that continues to appeal.


Production-wise, it often looks almost like a local TV production even though it was a top-rated show on a major network.  Strangely enough, this also adds to the show's charm--it didn't need a big budget with such likable performers to keep audiences happy.

Chief among these of course was Carol, that lovable, rubber-faced genius of physical and verbal comedy who always came across as the superstar next door.  She was a bundle of sparkling personality, especially during the celebrated Q & A segments with the studio audience.

Korman was second only to her in versatility, playing everything from henpecked husbands to weaselly lotharios (as in the lengthy and tedious Latin lover sketch) and everything in between. 


Rounding out the cast was cartoonishly handsome Lyle Waggoner, forever goodnaturedly spoofing his own manly image, while a sweetly callow Vicki Lawrence was the perennial "kid sister" before her eventual breakthrough as "Mama."

Comedy skits alternate with often cringe-inducing song and/or dance numbers, with the first episode in the set giving Lyle and Vicki solo songs that are less than memorable. Even veteran performers such as Bernadette Peters, Nancy Wilson, and Diahann Carroll can't do much with the tacky arrangements they're given. (A pre-"Jeffersons" Isabel Sanford appears briefly as a housekeeper in one segment.)

As for Korman, his appearances in the set are sporadic--the episodes seem pretty much picked at random and don't really showcase his best work at all.  The fact that he's in them seems enough to qualify them for inclusion here.


A skit in which he appears in drag seems to be the collection's highlight. Other points of interest are "The Old Folks" (Harvey and Carol as a doddering elderly couple), a solo comedy song emphasizing Harvey's vanity, Harvey as Richard Nixon, and a guest appearance by future castmember Tim Conway who would become Harvey's most frequent comedy foil. 

While not exactly THE BEST OF HARVEY KORMAN as the title suggests, it's fun to watch these episodes again after all this time and relive those decades-old memories.  Still, viewers who aren't seeing these creaky old skits and corny musical numbers through a golden haze of nostalgia might wonder what all the fuss is about.

Buy it at Amazon.com

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Format: DVD/Single
Running Time: 178 minutes
Genre:  TV DVD/Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audio: Stereo



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Sunday, July 23, 2017

BENDER -- DVD Review by Porfle



You might think a Western about America's first family of serial killers would be a hootin' and hollerin' free-for-all of frontier gore, played as much for laughs as for queasy thrills.

But first-time director and co-writer John Alexander had a more interesting vision for the fact-based BENDER (2016, Candy Factory Films), making it look like a series of stark Matthew Brady photographs brought to solemn, melancholy life with muted colors and even more muted mental and emotional turmoil seething below the surface of its severely odd characters.

The Kansas prairie of 1873 seems endless and capable of swallowing up the unwary traveller.  This appears to have happened to several patients and acquaintances of Dr. York (Jon Monastero), who sets out in search for them one day and ends up at the tiny Bender home in the middle of nowhere. 


While Alexander directs all his actors to speak with a stiff formality that makes them seem odd to begin with, there's something exceedingly wrong about the Benders despite their initial pretense of civility. 

Ma (Leslie Woodies) draws Dr. York in with the promise of a meal, but it's daughter Kate (Nicole Jellen), a strange, almost supernatural girl (she claims to be a "healer" and a "seer"), who intrigues the mild-mannered doctor with her ethereal beauty and knowing, almost seductive demeanor.

Kate's taciturn little brother is a peculiar enough little sprout himself, though nothing compared to the old man--Pa Bender is veteran actor James Karen (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD) at his most gloriously unpleasant, giving a whole new meaning to the word "grizzled." It's one of his best roles ever, and he's obviously having a ball with it.


What happens next is shocking, with an otherwise normal scenario taking an abrupt turn into the utterly demented.  And still, BENDER doesn't descend into the expected exploitation fare, keeping its restrained Old West ambience in uneasy juxtaposition to the horrors occurring beyond the knowledge of an inquisitive sheriff (Buck Taylor playing another of his wonderfully authentic Western characters) and a concerned town mayor (Bruce Davison, WILLARD, DISPLACEMENT).

Even when a doozy of a plot twist rears its head late in the story, things continue along a slow, deliberate course that unhurriedly plays itself out until a curiously understated but satisfying ending caps the tale off in suitably morbid fashion.

The overall mood is a richly evocative sort of prairie Gothic with almost a hint of Lovecraft adding a dark undercurrent to the frontier trappings.  Even the scenes set in a nearby town, where longtime fave Linda Purl (MAID OF HONOR) plays one of Dr. York's clinging patients, betray a general sense of unease and emotional malady among its wary denizens.

Absorbing and ultimately rewarding for the patient viewer, the stylishly-photographed BENDER takes its familiar, atmospheric Old West setting and infuses it with the perverse and strange, showing us what goes on behind the closed doors of the "Little Abattoir on the Prairie." 


Tech Specs
Type: DVD/Digital/HD
Running time: 75 min.
Rating: N/A
Color
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: 5.1 surround
Closed captioned
Street date: Aug. 1, 2017



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Saturday, July 22, 2017

WTF! -- Movie Review by Porfle



It isn't often that your run-of-the-mill teen slasher pic actually defies and/or exceeds expectations, but WTF! (2017) lives up to its title by doing just that.

Not that it reinvents the wheel or anything.  It's just that debut director and co-writer Peter Herro has managed to toss in all the familiar ingredients and whip up something that doesn't taste like the same old microwaved mess.

Perez Hilton's cameo is, thankfully, brief, as he yells "F***ing spring break, pussies!" at a pool party (perfectly setting the film's early tone) and tries to be Steve-O for five minutes before disappearing.  (Yay!)


Then, it's off to a secluded cabin in the woods for our cast of bratty young party-hearty-ers and a fun-filled weekend of alcohol, weed, sex, skinny-dipping, and death.

(Oh, and just to get a couple of things out of the way to begin with -- there's no Wi-Fi and no cell phone service.)

All the stereotypes are here and then some, along with many of the familiar tropes (including the gas-station hick who warns the kids to "stay away from that place") which, by now, are so comforting that we sort of welcome them.

In fact, this movie wants to be predictable so that it can play around with, and sometimes bend, all our expectations.  Not to mention the fact that letting go and indulging in all the foolishness this genre has to offer, if done right and with tongue firmly in cheek, can be fun.


WTF! does just that by being a nicely-filmed self-parody pretending to be a serious horror flick.  The kids inhabit their roles to the hilt--the spoiled rich girls, the horny frat boys, the various loners (final girl, sensitive boy, etc.)--and actually play them with conviction.

This is especially true once it finally dawns on them that party time is over and the gore has hit the fan.  It's rare, but in this case the ensemble acting actually improves once the cast are expected to emote their heads off.  They're terrific, in fact, as is Herro's direction. 

Not only that, but after some pretty brutal kills, there's a nifty twist that I didn't see coming.  Or rather, I sorta saw it coming but not quite from that direction.  "WTF!", indeed. 


The MOD physical release of WTF! (SRP $14.95) is available exclusively from Amazon.com
Available Nationwide on Cable VOD and Digital HD




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Friday, July 21, 2017

PSYCHOANALYSIS -- DVD Review by Porfle



First-time director James Raue tries his hand at the mockumentary thing with the mostly interesting PSYCHOANALYSIS (2015, Candy Factory), which takes on the form of a TV documentary being filmed with a famous psychologist as its subject.

What gives the premise its zing is the fact that this celebrated rock-star headshrinker, the cocksure Paul Symmonds (Benedict Wall), has just lost five patients to suicide in a week's time.  This calls into question not only his unorthodox methods but his very competence as well.

Adding insult to injury, Paul must submit to having both of these assessed by none other than his main rival, Dr. Andrew Fendell (Ryan O'Kane), whom he suspects of being behind the deaths in an effort to eliminate the competition. 


The question of whether the suicides were a result of Paul being too intimate with his clients--which Fendell points out as the most fatal flaw in his methods--or something more sinister is at work against Paul is the scintillating mystery that lures us into the story.

What makes it increasingly interesting is watching Paul grow more and more obsessed with uncovering what he sees as a conspiracy against him and the lengths he eventually goes to in order to prove it. This includes enlisting the willing aid of a former client, Ryan (Michael Whalley), whose mental state is questionable at best.

As the various conflicts drag on, Paul's marriage to wife Ally (Jennie Lee) begins to suffer and his desperation drives him to take greater risks which put his reputation on the line.  The mystery of the five suicides remains compelling throughout the film and keeps us watching.


The film does have its negative points, however.  The acting ranges from quite good to somewhat overly arch in some scenes. There's an ill-advised attempt toward some kind of dark comedy, particularly with the "Ryan" character, which I found jarring.  Things also tend to drag here and there overall.

Still, PSYCHOANALYSIS overcomes the occasional awkwardness of its documentary framework and ultimately comes off as a satisfying experience.  I especially like the unexpected way in which the mystery is finally resolved, not with a burst of sensationalism but with a sort of bitter, understated irony.

Type: DVD/Digital HD (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play)
Rating: N/A
Running time: 79 min.
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Audio: Stereo
Street date: July 25, 2017





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Bruce Willis in "FIRST KILL" Now Playing In Theaters and On Demand -- Watch the Trailer Here



"FIRST KILL"
LIONSGATE PREMIERE
 
Cast:  Hayden Christensen, Bruce Willis, Gethin Anthony, Megan Leonard, Tyler Jon Olson, Shea Buckner 

In order to reconnect with his son Danny (Ty Shelton), big shot Wall Street broker Will (Hayden Christensen) takes his family on a hunting trip to the cabin where he grew up.

While out hunting with Danny, the trip takes a deadly turn when they stumble upon several robbers and witness the murder of one of the criminals.

After becoming entangled in a bank heist gone bad that results in the kidnapping of Danny, Will is forced to help the kidnappers evade the police chief (Bruce Willis) and recover the stolen loot in exchange for his son’s life.

Watch the Trailer


Genre:     Thriller 
Rating:  R for violence and language
U.S. Release Date:   July 21, 2017 (In Theaters and On Demand)
Run Time:   97 minutes
 
Directed by: Steven C. Miller Written by:  Nick Gordon Produced by: Randall Emmett, p.g.a., George Furla, p.g.a., Mark Stewart  

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