‘The tuition isn’t all that will kill you.’

Murder University is a 2012 American horror film directed by Richard Griffin (Flesh for the Inferno; Dr. Frankenstein’s Wax Museum of the Hungry Dead; The Disco Exorcist) from a screenplay by Lenny Schwartz (Scary Little Fuckers; Normal).

Main cast:

Jamie Dufalt, Michael Thurber, Samantha Acampora, Rich Tretheway, Juicy K. Thunder, David Adams Murphy, Dave Almeida.

Plot:

1983: A series of brutal, cult-like murders are taking place at a New England college.

Josh Greene, a shy freshman, is the lone survivor of a series of murders that are reminiscent of a similar string of killings some twenty years prior. As he seeks to uncover the secret behind the attacks, he is joined by Detective Forrester, who was instrumental in halting the bloodshed before, and his daughter Meg, who had barely escaped being a victim previously…

Reviews:

“Griffin and screenwriter Lenny Schwartz have a real gift for comedy and the cast deliver every line with a perfect deadpan, loved it. The music s great, a burping 80’s synth score with shrieking stingers and droning atmosphere. There’s also a cool 50’s flashback scene featuring a trio performing a ditty about the pinko commie threat, sweet, followed by some sex, gore and humor in short order.” McBastard’s Mausoleum

“The filmmakers have obviously watched many, many genre films and have set out to make a worthy and respectful tribute to a classic style that is rarely seen these days. The wanton nudity and over the top gore are strangely, refreshingly comedic at a time when more polished, sterilised films are prevalent from the studio system … Murder University is a typical example of a good idea that just hasn’t either been thought through well enough, or not conveyed adequately to the screen.” John Townsend, HorrorNews.net

“Throughout, the acting is better than average. This isn’t a genuine slasher movie containing nothing but gruesome murders. Sure, you have that but there is also a good story with plenty of humour, jokes and music, terrible as the latter may be. The characters are also three-dimensional with even the bad guys coming across as real people. This is because the script is reasonable and the actors are not cardboard cut-outs.” Rod MacDonald, SF Crowsnest

“Murder University would be a good slasher/giallo tribute if it stuck to BEING a slasher/giallo tribute. It has a good slasher storyline, likable characters, passable effects, a bit of good comedy, and plenty of sex, blood, and nudity. However, the tangents the script takes into weirder, more out-of-place comedy cause a wildly inconsistent tone and actually overshadow the few moments where the jokes work!” Mike, Horrorfreak News

Filming locations:

Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA

IMDb | Image credits: Horrorfreak News | HorrorNews.net

Related: Final Exam | Graduation Day | Splatter University

‘The night she came home!’

Boo! A Medea Halloween is a 2016 comedy horror film written, co-produced, directed by and starring Tyler Perry. It also stars Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Lexy Panterra, Yousef Erakat, Andre Hall, Brock O’Hurn and Bella Thorne.

The film is released in the US by Lionsgate on October 21, 2016.

Plot:

Mabel “Madea” Simmons (Tyler Perry) spends Halloween keeping an eye on a group of misbehaving teens and fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies…

Cast and characters:

• Tyler Perry as Mabel “Madea” Simmons, Brian Simmons, and Uncle Joe Simmons
• Diamond White as Tiffany Simmons
• Bella Thorne as Rain
• Cassi Davis as Aunt Bam
• Patrice Lovely as Hattie
• Andre Hall
• Yousef Erakat as Jonathan
• Lexy Panterra as Leah
• Liza Koshy as Aday
• Brock O’Hurn as Horse
• Jimmy Tatro as Sean
• Jc Caylen as Mikey
• Kian Lawley as Bean Boy
• Mike Tornabene as Dino
• Bradley Martyn

Filming locations:

Atlanta, Georgia

Wikipedia | IMDb

Sorority Slaughterhouse is a 2016 American comedy horror film producer and directed by David DeCoteau (Creepozoids; Ancient Evil: Scream of the Mummy; Evil Exhumed) from a screenplay by Rolfe Kanefsky (Megafoot; The Killer Eye) for Rapid Heart Pictures.

Back in March 2016, David DeCoteau told Fangoria:

“After years of directing little-creature movies, I thought I would direct a killer-doll film where the doll actually spoke. I wanted the movie to be a combination of horror and comedy, so I contacted Rolfe Kanefsky, who wrote and directed the hilarious There’s Nothing Out There, and asked him if he wanted to tackle this assignment. Rolfe loves the genre and loves comedy, and wrote a hilarious, sexy horror/comedy…”

Main cast:

Eric Roberts (Camp Dread; Amityville Death House; Self Storage), Jessica Morris (Crabs!; American Exorcism; Reel Evil), Jean Louise O’Sullivan (Trophy Heads; Gingerdead Man 3), Kelli Seymour (666: Teen Warlock), Anthony Caravella, Brianna Joy Chomer (Zoombies), Vince Hill-Bedford, Alexia Quinn.

Plot:

After a sorority girl breaks up with him, Mr. Whitman, the headmaster of the college, takes his own life. But what should be the end becomes only the beginning due to a magical, evil 12-inch clown doll named Bobo that gets possessed by the soul of Mr. Whitman.

Now, in the body of Bobo, Mr. Whitman can get revenge on all the people who wronged him, especially the hottest girls of the Delpha Pi sorority…

IMDb

Sowkarpettai – aka Shiva Ganga (Telugu) and Tantra Shakthi (Hindi) – is a 2016 Indian Tamil comedy horror film written and directed by V.C. Vadivudaiyan, with P.G. Durai contributing some dialogue. It stars Srikanth and Lakshmi Rai in the leading roles.

The title refers to people from Sowcarpet, a sprawling neighborhood in the northern part of Chennai, India.

Plot:

Two lovers, Maya (Raai Laxmi) and Vetri (Srikanth), are about to get married but are murdered by a Marwari moneylender named Godhra Seth (Suman) and his three sons. The pair return from the dead as ghosts to seek vengeance.

Meanwhile, Shakthi, Vetri’s look-alike brother and an evil tantric, is out to get Maya, whom he lusts after…

Reviews:

“It’s yet another horror-sleaze-comedy … it’s the kind of film where even ghosts (Raai Laxmi mostly) aren’t spared from being objectified … The only thing horrifying about this adult-rated film is how everyone else in the theatre had disappeared, leaving me alone, scared.” Vishal Menon, The Hindu

“For a horror film, Sowcarpettai is hardly scary. It is one of those cheaply produced, paint-by-numbers horror films that hopes to cash in on a trend, relying on tacky visual effects, an overloud score, and costumes and makeup that make the characters seem like poorly dressed guests at a Halloween party …Whenever Lakshmi Rai is in the frame, the camera is often placed at voyeuristic angles.” M. Suganth, The Times of India

Cast and characters:

• Srikanth as Shakthi / Vetri
• Raai Laxmi as Maya
• Suman as Gothra
• Saravanan as Senior
• Powerstar Srinivasan as Junior
• Singampuli as Puli
• Ganja Karuppu
• Manobala
• Vadivukkarasi
• Meenakshi as Sanya
• Thalaivasal Vijay as Shakthi’s / Vetri’s father
• Rekha as Shakthi’s / Vetri’s mother
• Aarthi
• T. P. Gajendran

Wikipedia | IMDb

Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space is a 2016 comedy science fiction horror film directed by Troma alum Dylan Greenberg (Amityville: Vanishing Point; Dark Prism) and Reverend Jen Miller.

Shot over a four year period, the independent low-budget film stars Janeane Garofalo, Dave Hill, King Missile’s John S. Hall, and Troma’s own Lloyd Kaufman.

Plot:

Three werewolf women from Uranus, (Reverend Jen, Paige Flash, and Scooter Pie) are sent to Earth by their Chihuahua Queen to rid the planet of all douchebags.

On their quest, they must face off against pretentious art critics (Janeane Garofalo and Dave Hill), the Westboro Baptist Church, Goldman Sachs executives, (John S. Hall and Todd Seavey) and Freegans. Hot on their trail are bumbling officers Fremulum (Faceboy) and Hymen (Darryl Lavare), and Hymen’s daughter Candy (Rachel Trachtenburg) who wants to write an article about the werewolves for her school paper.

Meanwhile, a crazed liquor store employee (Robert Prichard) grows obsessed with the werewolves as the end of the world appears to draw closer…

IMDb | Image credit: Fangoria

‘A cinematic masterpiece – if you’re high!’

Evil Bong High-5 – aka Evil Bong High-5! – is a 2016 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Charles Band from a screenplay by Kent Roudebush, based on Band’s storyline.

The Full Moon Features production was partly financed by an online IndieGoGo campaign and released on April 20, 2016.

Main cast:

Sonny Carl Davis (Evil Bong 420; From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series; Butcher Boys), Robin Sydney (Killjoy’s Psycho Circus; Gingerdead Man Vs. Evil Bong; The Haunted Casino), Amy Paffrath (Hauntsville; The Purge: Anarchy; Zombies Vs. Strippers), John Patrick Jordan (Stan Against Evil; Evil Bong and sequels; The Wailer), Chance A. Rearden (Ooga Booga), Mindy Robinson, Rorie Moon,  Jacob Witkin, Jonathan Katz, David DeCoteau [as himself], David Del Valle [as himself].

Plot:

Learning from her previous mistakes, EeBee the Evil Bong is back and she’s stoner… er… stronger than ever. With Larnell, Sarah Leigh, Rabbit, Velicity and a lobotomized Gingerdead Man trapped in her dastardly web of weed, The Bong World, for good, she once more sets about her plan of world domination.

This time, one toke at a time. EeBee has outsmarted everybody who has outsmarted her. There’s no way out for our hesher heroes, so she teleports them to insane locations, where they enlist a bevy of baked soldiers (Ooga Booga, Killjoy and tons of surprises), to sell her magic ganja in a bid for guerilla weedfare. It’s up to our dopes to figure out Eebee’s new rules and stop her before humanity goes up in smoke…

Reviews:

“This time we actually get a story that follows the cast doing something more than smoking pot.  It was fun and broke up the monotony of the original films. Finally, the fifth installment is no different than the others and offer up no blood and gore. Just pot, pot, and more pot with a large amount of humor tossed in.  Overall, Evil Bong: High-5 is another great installment in a series meant for laughs.” Blacktooth, Horror Society

” … the tricking of stoners to smoke from the bong and then be transported away to another world and be killed was at least more along the lines of what Full Moon usually does with horror. This has just become a comedy now. It is more a less a teen stoner comedy without the teens. This has to have some audience out there or they’d not have made five of them and from the looks of the ending, six is coming as well. I just don’t know who the crowd is unless it is the stoner or teens demographic.” Chuck Conry, Zombies Don’t Run

“Sadly there is nothing redeeming about this film, its not a horror film its a sad attempt at appealing to the lowest common denominator, stoners. With terrible effects and writing from a company that used to pride itself on great effects, puppetry and using its low budget to do its best work … When you reach the point where even the worst stuff from Troma is good in comparison to your company’s best director’s recent works you have to stop.” Cody Rapp, IMDb

IMDb | Facebook

‘Death was the only living thing…’

Garden of the Dead is a 1972 American zombie horror film directed by film John Hayes (End of the World; Grave of the Vampire) from a screenplay by Jack Matcha. It was also released as Tomb of the Undead.

The film stars Duncan McLeod, Lee Frost (director of The Thing with Two Heads; Love Camp 7, House on Bare Mountain) and Susan Charney.

Plot:

At the Hoover work camp of the Windsor County Department of Correction, a place where formaldehyde is produced, the warden, whose methods are cruel and outdated, realizes that his career is over. The camp soon will be closed.

Among the prisoners, there is a faction that has become addicted to the fumes of formaldehyde. Encouraged by their ringleader, Braddock, these men frequently indulge in an orgy of breathing fumes and dousing themselves with the liquid. Later, they make an initially successful escape but are then nearly all shot in the ensuing chase.

As guards dig the graves, barrels of formaldehyde that have been riddled by gunfire leak onto the corpses and into the graves. The corpses then come alive, some pushing their way out of the dirt, and kill the gravediggers. Taking shovels, an axe and other weapons, the zombies proceed toward camp, chanting: “We will destroy the living!”

Reviews:

“The zombie make-up is at once ineffectual and yet also overdone. Because they’ve dead only a matter of hours they can’t be decomposing but instead wear stark black and white make-up that makes them look more like members of the KISS Army than the walking dead. Although this is by no measure a good film it is at least fun (occasionally hilarious). It fails in what it sets out to do, but it’s stupidity, combined with its brevity, make it a decent way to kill an hour.” The Zombie Site

“As a movie, it’s cheap and careless, with an awkward pace and ridiculously mismatched canned 1950s jazz score … But some of the convict actors seem to be having fun. If not for the slow pacing and dark lighting, the camp value would be higher.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

“This scruffy low-budget production anticipates the pointless and depressing amateur zombie movies of the early ’90s by almost twenty years.” Peter Dendle, The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

“Garden of the Dead really has very little going for it. At just an hour or so it is surprisingly slow moving, and even the rare gory bits manage to be low octane. But I quite liked it – the 60s feel, perhaps, or the corniness of Carol in her flimsy nightdress, or the agricultural feel of the dirt-caked zombies armed with their crude tools.” Prison Movies

“It’s all incredibly silly, campy stuff.” Glenn Kay, Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide

Cast and characters:

• Philip Kenneally
• Duncan McLeod
• John Dullaghan as Sgt. Burns
• John Dennis
• Susan Charney
• Marland Proctor as Paul Johnson
• Tony Vorno
• Jerome Guardino
• Lee Frost
• Eric Stern
• Virgil Frye
• Phil Hoover

Wikipedia | IMDb | AFI | Image thanks: The Zombie Site

‘We must all face our demons’

Inkubus is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by Glenn Ciano from a screenplay co-written with Carl Dupré (Hellraiser: Hellseeker), based on the latter’s story. It was produced by Chad A. Verdi for the Woodhaven Production Company.

Main cast:

Robert Englund, William Forsythe (Dear Mr. Gacy; Halloween; The Devil’s Rejects), Joey Fatone (Army of the Damned; Jersey Shore Shark Attack), Jonathan Silverman, Mike Cerrone, Tom Denucci, and Michelle Ray Smith.

Plot:

A skeleton crew working the final shift at a soon-to-be demolished police station in Woodhaven, Rhode Island. The night takes a gruesome turn when the demon, Inkubus (Robert Englund), calmly walks into the station holding the severed head of a murdered girl.

Inkubus toys with the crew, allowing himself to be restrained, and begins to proudly confess to his litany of crimes, some dating back to the Middle Ages. Inkubus has a score to settle with the one detective (William Forsythe) that almost put him away some thirteen years ago...

Buy: Amazon.com

Reviews:

” … the film easily could have played out as a typical slasher, but it diverts from the stalk-and-slash formula. Instead, Inkubus takes a more interesting approach, in which the killer plays mind games with his victims, psychologically toying with them before they meet their demise. The digital effects are cheesy as expected, but there are some good practical effects by Rob Fitz to make up for it.” Alex DiVincenzo, HorrorNews.net

“Is Inkubus a perfect horror film? No, but it is certainly entertaining. The combination of Englund and Forsythe with the excellently utilized supporting cast make for a complete ensemble. Although the story is a bit muddy in parts, it comes together well by the film’s completion and has created a great anti-hero with the demon Inkubus. Almost certainly better than most mainstream horror released recently…” Scott Hallam, Dread Central

“Though short, Inkubus still drags through its confusing tale and left this viewer more bended than the, as already stated, overuse of one of Inkubus’s Houdini tricks. With all of the hocus-pocus and special effects, the key point of the story – the idea that Inkubus has been around since the beginning of time – and is responsible for the downfall of man – is lost. Despite the structural downfalls, the films’ effects (be them abused) and overall quality are actually very nice.” Bloody Disgusting

Buy: Amazon.co.uk

“It kicks off with an opening seemingly inspired by 80s’ body horror sci-fi and continues the craziness throughout. All involved try to keep a straight face, but that just makes it seem worse, although there are some genuinely good ideas behind the shoddy execution. The kill sequences and gore gags are fun if predictable and the pace quick enough that it’s never a chore to watch.” Joel Harley, Horror Talk

Interview:

Glenn Ciano talks to Scott Hallam for Dread Central

Cast and characters:

• Robert Englund as Inkubus
• William Forsythe as Detective Diamante
• Jonathan Silverman as Tech
• Joey Fatone as Detective Caretti
• Michelle Ray Smith as Cole
• Mike Cerrone as Mudge
• Tom DeNucci as Pax
• Kevin DeCristofano as Miles “The Headless Horseman” Coogan
• Dyan Kane as Dr. Emily Winstrom
• Tom Paolino as Meat

Filming locations: 

Cranston, Rhode Island

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Peltzer has an imaginary friend. Unfortunately for him… It’s Ronnie’

My Bloody Banjo is a 2015 British comedy horror film written and directed by Liam Regan. It was originally titled Banjo and is an expansion of Regan’s short film Confessions of Peltzer.

Main Cast:

Plot:

Peltzer Arbuckle (James Hamer-Morton) is a meek and bullied office employee, humiliated by his megalomaniac boss, teasing colleagues and his cheating partner. Peltzer spends his days in misery, stuck in his own mundane, nightmarish reality. Once news about his embarrassing sexual accident makes it’s way around the workplace, Peltzer decides to put up with his humiliation no more, and conjures up his childhood imaginary friend Ronnie (Damian Morter).

Peltzer’s world is soon turned upside down, when Ronnie attempts to manipulate him to exact revenge on his tormenting co-workers in the most gruesome fashion. As the body count stacks up, Peltzer must ultimately decide whether to run away from his past or take control of his future…

Reviews:

“Damian Morter does a superb job as Peltzer’s imaginary friend playing him over-the-top, caked in prosthetics and stealing every scene he appears in … His scenes with James Hamer-Morton are all great to watch and James also gives a great performance as Peltzer. The bloody manhood scenes and the condom scene made me cringe and probably have the same effect on many male viewers but it was good to see it done in such a humorous way.” Dean Sills, UK Horror Scene

“Admittedly, the film really doesn’t come alive until Ronnie appears which is probably the point, but the downside. In the first 20 minutes or so, you do really wonder what the director is really going for. Birdemic or American Psycho? Overall, Banjo is surprisingly decent for a low-budget comedy horror.” Liam Regan creates perfectly a comical but dark world…” Louise Tooth, The Hollywood News

Interview:

Liam Regan talks to Scream magazine

Cast and characters:

IMDb | Official website

Ghoulies IV is a 1994 American supernatural comedy horror film directed by Jim Wynorski from a screenplay by Mark Sevi (Pterodactyl; Arachnid; Scanner Cop II). The film was produced by CineTel Films and, in the US, released straight-to-video by Columbia TriStar Home Video. It was released on DVD in 2007 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.

It has been criticized by the fans of the series because the ‘ghoulies’ in this film are completely different; two dwarf actors in costumes played the ghoulies.

The 1994 UK release was cut by 9 seconds to achieve a ’15’ rating. The 2004 release was uncut for a ’12’ rating. despite sexual references to bondage with handcuffs and a used condom being hurled from a moving vehicle.

Main cast:

Peter Liapis, Barbara Alyn Woods (The Terror Within II), Stacie Randall (From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money; Puppet Master 4), Raquel Krelle, Bobby Di Cicco, Tony Cox, Arturo Gil, Andrew Craig, John Cann, Michael Chieffo, Lynn Danielson-Rosenthal, Antonia Dorian, Nathan Jung, Tony March, Ace Mask (976-Evil II; Transylvania Twist; Not of This Earth).

Plot:

While in pursuit of cop Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis), his demonic nemesis, Faust, sends his disciple Alexandria (Stacie Randall) to hunt down the amulet that will set him free. Meanwhile, the Ghoulies find their way through an open porthole and onto the streets of Los Angeles, creating madness and mayhem as they search for a way to get back home. As the body count rises, it becomes an ultimate battle between a demonic killer, a rule-breaking cop, and our favorite creatures from the netherworld…

Reviews:

“Ghoulies IV was slammed by critics and fans alike. I really can’t understand why, especially if the gripes are coming from people who liked the previous installments. I thought it was one of the more better-acted films of the genre I’ve seen, with truly likable characters and a story, while stupid, that managed to hold my attention the whole way through. Can’t ask for much more than that. I kind of wish the trolls would’ve exploded, though.” Matt, X-Entertainment

“The Ghoulies movies were always threadbare, never budgeted high enough for name actors or seamless effects, but this is where they bottom out. It’s pocked with gratuitous footage from the (superior) first movie; marred by stage lighting out of a high school theater production; full of conviction-free line readings. I hope, at least, that everyone involved with its making had an OK time on set and felt adequately compensated for their labor.” Alice Stoehr, Letterboxd.com

“The only ghoulies (Tony Cox as “Ghoulie Dark” and Arturo Gil as “Ghoulie Lite”) are almost afterthoughts, contributing little to a plot that really doesn’t need them. You could say Mark Sevi’s script is all backwards. Producer Gary Schmoeller is capable of better stuff than this messy, oft-demeaning movie.” John Stanley, Creature Features

Filming locations:

Chateau Bradbury Estate – 2232 S. California Avenue, Duarte, California

Wikipedia | IMDb

Hobgoblins is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by directed, written, and produced by Rick Sloane, who also served as cinematographer and editor. Kenneth J. Hall (director of The Halfway House and Evil Spawn) fabricated the hobgoblins.

The plot concerns small, hobgoblins (demon like mythical creatures) although they do not appear until 29 minutes into the film.

Often seen as a rip-off of Gremlins, the film is generally considered to be of exceptionally poor quality, and has come to be regarded as one of the worst films ever made.

The film had a low profile until director Rick Sloane submitted it to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team. MST3K writer Paul Chaplin later commented: “It shoots right to the top of the list of the worst movies we’ve ever done.” The ensuing negative publicity led Sloane to produce Hobgoblins 2, a self-mocking sequel in 2009.

On October 24, 2016, Vinegar Syndrome released the film on Blu-ray, with the following bonus features:

Scanned, restored & preserved in 2k from 35mm original camera negative
Archival commentary track with director Rick Sloane
Hobgoblins Revisited: brand new making-of featurette
Brand new interview with hobgoblin creature fabricator, Kenneth J. Hall
Hobgoblins: The Making of a Disasterpiece: featurette
Hobgoblins Invade Comic-Con: featurette
Trailer
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH Subtitles

Buy: Amazon.com

Plot:

Kevin just got hired to be the assistant night watchman at an old film vault. Warned to stay out of one mysterious chamber, the rookie guard can’t help but satisfy his curiosity and unwittingly unleashes a group of hobgoblins: furry aliens who grant people wishes only to kill them in the process.

As the body count starts to rise, Kevin, with the help of his friends, decide to track down the deadly creatures before they wreak havoc on the city…

Reviews:

“It’s in the absolute cellar as far as production values and filmmaking competence are concerned, but the acting, creature effects and attempts at comedy are so atrocious that it never once gets boring. There’s so much surreal anti-humor, from the extended garden tool fight scene to the hobgoblins themselves, completely unarticulated puppets that need to be held against the characters…” Jim Vorel, Paste magazine

“There’s nothing charming about writer/director Rick Sloane’s oily failure, no sense of glorious insanity that accompanies the most charming flops, no feel of outlandish camp that comes with an over-the-top bomb. What we have instead is a loathsome, ugly, and downright dumb stab at comedy, a sort of Ghoulies reimagined by someone who doesn’t have a single clue as to what he’s doing.” David Cornelius, DVD Talk

“Hobgoblins is a movie that I had immense pleasure in watching. If you can stomach unknown actors who are not that good, bad effects, and dumb comedy that is so stupid that it makes you laugh, it is a movie that you will likely enjoy as well. It clearly takes its inspiration from the movies that preceded it, but it does enough with the material to set it apart from the pack.” Jesse, HorrorNews.net

Buy (English audio option): Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Tom Bartlett as Kevin
• Paige Sullivan as Amy
• Steven Boggs as Kyle
• Kelley Palmer as Daphne
• Billy Frank as Nick
• Tamara Clatterbuck as Fantazia
• Duane Whitaker as Roadrash
• Jeffrey Culver as McCreedy
• Kevin Kildow as Dennis
• Kari French as Pixie
• Daran Norris as Club Scum M.C
• James Mayberry as Sergeant Parker
• Ken Abraham as Thug
• Don Barrett as Comstock

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Fear is a construct!’

Groblins is a 2016 American comedy horror faux trailer created for The Nerdist website.

The spoof features Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Corey Feldman (The Zombie King; Bordello of Blood; The Lost Boys), Barbara Crampton (Death House; You’re Next; Re-Animator), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes), and Playboy model Lindsey Pelas.

Tarnation is a 2017 Australian “demon-unicorn-cabin-in-the-woods-twisted-fairy-tale-monster-horror-adventure” written, edited and directed by Daniel Armstrong (Sheborg Massacre; Murderdrome).

Principal hooting is due for completion on October 29th with an expected release in 2017.

Main cast:

Daisy Masterman (Murderdrome; Sheborg Massacre), Emma Louise Wilson (From Parts Unknown; Sheborg Massacre), Danae Swinburne (Sheborg Massacre, Cat Sick Blues), Blake Waldron, Joshua Diaz, Mitchell Brotz, and Sean McIntyre (Sheborg Massacre). Local punk rockers, The Mercy Kills, also feature.

Plot:

When Oscar’s dreams of becoming a rock star are brutally crushed her boyfriend leaves (taking the cat and sofa with him), forcing her to reflect on her life. Oscar hits the road with her roommate Rain, Rain’s fiancee Bo, and Bo’s hot cousin, Wilmer, to recuperate at a cozy cabin in the woods.

Unfortunately the cabin is host to a cursed painting, and the surrounding woods are, literally, Satan’s playground. Oscar soon finds herself battling demons, a flying unicorn headed monster, a spider with a human face, a zombie kangaroo, a demon unicorn, Satan himself and, ultimately, the evil inside herself in an epic battle for her soul…

IMDb | Facebook

Stan Against Evil is a 2016 American supernatural comedy horror television series created by Dana Gould (The Simpsons) and Susan Burke. Directed by Jack Bishop and Justin Nijm, the TV series is a 3 Arts Entertainment and Radical Media production and is currently showing in the US on the IFC Channel.

Main cast:

John C. McGinley (The Belko Experiment; Se7en), Janet Varney, Deborah Baker Jr., Nate Mooney (Vampire Vermont), Mick Ignis, Danielle Phelan, Gregory Nassif St. John.

Plot:

Stan Miller (McGinley) is a perpetually disgruntled former sheriff of a small New England town who was forced into retirement. Stan has trouble relinquishing his authority to Evie Barret (Varney), the tough and beautiful new sheriff in town, but they form an unlikely alliance when both begin to realize things are not quite right in their quaint New England town.

Together, they valiantly fight a plague of unleashed demons that have been haunting the town, which just happens to be built on the site of a massive 17th century witch burning.

Reviews:

“Stan Against Evil might not be the most original program that you watch on TV this season, but there’s no denying the passion and love for the genre that just oozes out of IFC’s new series. There is a strong, fun, macabre mentality at play here and the episodes push binge-worthy storytelling where cliffhangers are populating most of the episodes.” Daniel Kurland, Den of Geek!

“Overall, Stan Against Evil is a fun and sillier horror comedy alternative this fall, guaranteed to please those who have been looking for a solid stand-in for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With Gould’s humor and appreciation for the genre, as well as the natural charisma of the cast on display, Stan Against Evil certainly rises up and delivers monsters and mayhem, even with its tongue planted firmly in cheek.” Ken W. Hanley, Fangoria

“The main reason to tune in to this cheerfully goofy show is to see typically excellent performances from leads John C. McGinley and Janet Varney, who work well together … The only recurring annoyance is that the title character’s constant litany of complaints contain a lot of lazy sexist jokes, which the show seems to think are funnier and more original than they are.” Maureen Ryan, Variety

“The effects for the witches (who love popping up for jump scares) are familiarly latex-looking or CGI cheap, an economic necessity that’s either endearingly part of the joke or tossed-off, depending … Still, the cast is game, and, if you’re looking for a knockoff Bruce Campbell this Halloween season, you could do a lot worse than John C. McGinley.” Dennis Perkins, A.V. Club

“ …it’s a sort of Mayberry RFD strained through Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with as many bad words as basic cable will allow. There is a bit of a through line, a low-lying arc; but it’s basically episodic television, each week giving its heroes a new sort of spook to understand and dispatch … Stan is busy enough and its players … appealing enough to keep you interested if not really invested.” Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times

“Stan’s nothing more than an insufferably sexist and homophobic throwback, willing to risk everyone’s life in order to prove that Starsky and Hutch were secretly gay. At best, Stan Against Evil could be described as a campy mash-up, some sort of would-be Wet Hot American Horror Story, but Gould’s no Lloyd Kaufman, and his series will be lucky if it runs longer than the buffoonish cartoon of a series it most echoes, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo.” Aaron Riccio, Slant magazine

IMDb | IFC

‘The first movie to skip its own sequel’

ThanksKilling 3 is a 2012 American comedy science fiction horror film directed by Jordan Downey (shorts: Critters: Bounty Hunter; Craw Lake; Hackjob) from a screenplay co-written with Mike Will Downey and Kevin Stewart. It is a directed sequel to ThanksKilling (2008)

Unlike the original film’s paltry (ahem) budget of just $3,500, the sequel’s grandiose $112,248 budget was raised on crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Main cast: 

Daniel Usaj, Joe Hartzler, Preston Altree, Wanda Lust, Christina Blevins. Director Jordan Downey provided the voice of Turkie and three other puppet characters.

Plot:

Fowl-mouthed villain Turkie is back and hacking his way to find the last copy of “ThanksKilling 2” which has landed in the hands of a group of disturbingly crude puppets.

The death toll rises as Turkie carves through the likes of Flowis the rapping grandma, Rhonda the bisexual space worm, Yomi the puppet in search of her mind, and their equally ridiculous friends who all travel through fantastical settings such as the FeatherWorld and Turkey Hell…

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“What separated ThanksKilling 3 from ThanksKilling was a once missing sense of individuality, transforming from unwatchable horror crapfest to one of a kind horror/comedy volcano of confusing hilarity. With a bigger budget, Downey is at least able to polish his turd … Downey also threw in cult references into the script for people to chuckle at, at least making the film more fun and enjoyable for horror fans and pop culture fans alike.” Matt Donato, We Got This Covered

” …while the budget here may be (considerably) higher than the first time around, fear not! Everything looks as cheap as ever — maybe even cheaper, if such a thing is humanly possible. And we even get glimpses of places called FeatherWorld and Turkey Hell. Honestly, what’s not to love? I admit, some of the charm (if that’s the word we’re looking for) of the first film is lost here…” Trash Film Guru

“Perhaps in a sublimely drug-induced state this film will make perfect sense as a rendition of alternate reality with a killer bird and puppet granny with aspirations to be a rap star. It seems pretty clear that there was at least some herbal enhancement needed to concoct this insane story and the characters who play it out. Even without the benefit of a bong, though, ThanksKilling 3 can keep you entertained. Sometimes horrible is actually good, and stupidity can come across as semi-brilliant.” Don Sumner, HorrorFreak News

“The story, though weird, isn’t too bad. It goes off the rails and doesn’t have much cohesion but it works in an odd sort of way. The film and visual styles also jump around quite a bit. It goes from live action to animated to early 90’s video game without warning. The live action scenes don’t even stay within the same style; it’ll be serious one minute, then a raver acid trip complete with wild colors and techno music the next.” Undead Review

” …there are many embarrassing moments where it tries and fails to bring South Park style humor into its limp shenanigans. It also taunts itself as being a raunchy puppet film but it comes nowhere near the debauchery and violence of Meet the Feebles, which predates it by 23 years. There are some worthwhile moments here though, including some trippy scenes accompanied by a surprising excellent electro-score.” Tavern of Terror

IMDb | Facebook

Chainsaw Maidens from Hell is an American comedy horror film written and directed by Matthew Martino (The Drachen Recruitment Experiment). Kane Hodder is an associate producer for this the SGV production which is also known as simply Chainsaw Maidens.

Main cast:

Allen McRae, Kane Hodder, (Death House; Old 37; Smothered; Jason X) Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman, Sarah French (American Satan; Bite School; Insectula!), Chelsey Cayer (Crazed), Karin Webb (Grindsploitation; TEN), Sean M. Kennedy (Grindsploitation 2: The Lost Reels; Blood of the Tribades; Dead Bounty), Sarah Michelle (Parts Unknown; Crazed; Night of the Naked Dead).

Plot:

Blake is captain of the football team and destined for a career in the pro leagues – that is if he passes his chemistry class. But destiny has a way of tackling the toughest of players when demons invade his college and begin to enslave the student body. A divine angel descends to give Blake an invincible suit of super football pads and send him out to battle the forces of evil.

Unfortunately, the suit is missing one vital piece – the jockstrap. In order to get it back, Blake must descend into the underworld and face the guardians of doom known as the Chainsaw Maidens from Hell. And he’s got to do all this while studying for a chemistry quiz…

Cast and characters:

Blake – Allen McCrae
Jane – Chelsey Cayer
Dr. Trundle – Sean Kennedy
The Coach – Lloyd Kaufman
Destiny – Sarah French
Desire – Monique Renee
Wrath – Karin Webb
Madness – Sarah Michelle
Bael the Demon – Viral Keshwalla
The Angel of Death – Kane Hodder

IMDb | Facebook | Twitter | Official site

Revenge of the Spacemen is a 2014 American science fiction comedy horror film directed by Jay Summers, making his feature debut, from a screenplay by Connor Duffy. It stars Janine Sarnowski, Richard Raphael, and Janet Jay. The budget was just $150,000.

Troma Entertainment have picked up the rights at the recent American Film Market (AFM) and plan an extras-packed Blu-ray release.

Official synopsis:

‘Revenge of the Spacemen descends onto earth in a flying saucer, leaving a few witnesses in a small redneck town in a state of shock. Unable to convince other backwater locals that what they saw was more than a hallucination, the witnesses embark on a mission to find proof of the extraterrestrial invasion.

When the gang turns up a couple of missing backwater cretins who recount their tales of anal-probed alien abduction, compounded with a seriously out of this world case of gas, townspeople finally start to believe. The noxious gases go from unbelievable to unbearable, and it takes a boozy backyard standoff to eradicate the extraterrestrial BDSM terror!’

Filming Locations:

Medina, Ohio, USA

IMDb | Facebook | Official site

‘Pizza. Anytime. Anywhere.’

Zombie Pizza is a 2017 American comedy horror film written and directed by Mike Dudko for Untamed Pictures. The plot revolves around a teenage boy who carries on delivering pizzas after a zombie apocalypse.

Main cast:

Rachel Barrer (Gravedigger), Gleb Kaminer, Richard Bird (Vamp Bikers; Patient: 23), Katherine Flannery (The Domicile), David Mohr, Vincent Leong,  Matthew McCurdy, José André Sibaja, James Vincent Boland, Shaun Rey, William Douglas Turner, Sean Murry.

Plot:

After losing his father, a teenage boy decides to continue the family business and deliver pizza by bicycle during the zombie apocalypse…

Filming locations:

Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York, USA

IMDb | Facebook | Related: Pizza (पिज़्ज़ा)

‘There’s a new name for terror…’

Parents is a 1989 American black comedy horror film directed by Bob Balaban from a screenplay by Christopher Hawthorne. It stars Randy Quaid, Mary Beth Hurt, Sandy Dennis and Bryan Madorsky.

The film received a mixed response from critics and fared poorly commercially – grossing $870,532 in the US on a budget of $3 million – but has since developed a cult following.

On January 31, 2017, Parents is released on Blu-ray as part of the Vestron Video Collector’s Series. The following special features have been announced:

• Audio Commentary with Director Bob Balaban and Producer Bonnie Palef
• Isolated Score Selections/Audio Interview with Composer Jonathan Elias
• Four Featurettes:
• ‘Leftovers To Be’ with Screenwriter Christopher Hawthorne
• ‘Mother’s Day’ with Actress Mary Beth Hurt
• ‘Inside Out’ with Director of Photography Robin Vidgeon
• ‘Vintage Tastes’ with Decorative Consultant Yolando Cuomo
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spots
• Still Gallery

Plot:

Ten-year-old Michael Laemle has moved with his parents Nick and Lily from Massachusetts to a new neighborhood in 1954 suburbia. As Michael is very socially awkward and also has an overly active imagination, he has trouble making friends at school. He is also prone to extremely weird dreams, such as dreaming that he has jumped into bed- only for it to collapse into a pool of blood.

Emotionally distraught from the move and the dreams, Michael is traumatized by accidentally viewing his parents having sex (he believes that he is seeing them biting into one another) and by viewing his father cutting into a corpse in the Division of Human Testing at Toxico, where Nick is developing a chemical defoliant (like Agent Orange) for use in jungles.

As time progresses, Michael begins to suspect that his parents are cannibals, after he discovers (or dreams that he discovers) body parts hanging on a meat hook in the basement…

Reviews:

“…it would have been very easy and much more profitable to follow the over-the-top wacky, campy route a la Eating Raoul. The fact that Balaban chose to remain so low-key, unrelentingly grim, and  blackly funny is something to be respected.” Jim Knipfel, Den of Geek!

“There is not enough weight or complexity to the material to justify the serious approach, and while the potential for considerable black comedy exists, Balaban only scratches the surface. The laughs never come.” Roger Ebert

Buy: Amazon.com

“A surprisingly perfect picture from first‑time director Bob Balaban (previously best-known as a mild-mannered character actor), this makes unsettling use of kitsch ‘50s suburban décor (kidney-shaped coffee tables), creepy‑comic performances and subversive ideas (the message is don’t trust your parents).” Kim Newman, Empire

“The satire of the 50’s is more bland than biting, dependent on authentically garish costumes and sets. And when the horror-film scenes begin to intrude on normal life (what is hanging from the cellar ceiling, anyway?) Mr. Balaban can’t make the dark elements seem comic enough to mesh with the rest of this nightmarish joke.” Caryn James, The New York Times

“Neither particularly witty nor horrific, Parents is simply a predictably boring product of its time, although cashing in on 1950s nostalgia in 1989 is the equivalent of releasing a disco record in 1979 — a day late and a dollar short.” Patrick Mitchell, The Film Yap

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Randy Quaid as Nick Laemle
• Mary Beth Hurt as Lily Laemle
• Sandy Dennis as Millie Dew
• Bryan Madorsky as Michael Laemle
• Juno Mills-Cockell as Sheila Zellner
• Kathryn Grody as Miss Baxter
• Deborah Rush as Mrs. Zellner
• Graham Jarvis as Mr. Zellner
• Helen Carscallen as Grandmother
• Warren Van Evera as Grandfather
• Wayne Robson as Lab Attendant

Filming locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Wikipedia | IMDb

‘Upset the head… and you’re dead!’

Head of the Family is a 1996 American comedy horror film directed by co-producer Charles Band [as Robert Talbot] (Puppet Master: Axis Termination; Evil Bong; Crash!) from a screenplay by Neal Marshall Stevens [as Benjamin Carr] (Thir13en Ghosts; Hellraiser: Deader; The Killer Eye), based on Band’s storyline.

Full Moon Entertainment is releasing the film on Blu-ray on December 20, 2016.

A sequel, Bride of the Head of the Family, has been announced more than once but it has never been produced. Meanwhile, the film has spawned various items of merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs, mouse mats and resin figures.

Main cast:

Blake Adams (The Killer Eye; Lurking Fear), Jacqueline Lovell (The Killer Eye; Hideous!), Bob Schott (Fear), James Jones, Alexandria Quinn,Gordon Jennison Noice, J.W. Perra, Vicki Skinner, Robert J. Ferrelli, Bruce Adel, Gary Anello, Dyer McHenry, Rob Roeser, Steven Novak, Van Epperson.

Plot:

Howard (Gordon Jennison Noice) is the meanest nastiest thug in town, a criminal with a hot wife Loretta (Jacqueline Lovell). Loretta’s problem is she’s having an affair with Lance (Blake Adams), owner of the town diner and Howard’s getting suspicious.

Driving back from one of their nightly flings, Lance witnesses the local family of weirdos, the Stackpools, dragging a man from his truck and into their house. Seeing this as an opportunity, Lance discovers the Stackpools’ terrible secret.

They are quintuplets but instead of being born as a normal human, they each have one of the traits of one human being: One is extremely strong; one has extremely well-developed senses; one is extremely attractive (Alexandria Quinn); and, one is extremely intelligent.

The whole family is run by the one who has super intelligence, the ‘head of the family’ from the title, Myron (J.W. Perra). Little more than a giant head with hands in a wheelchair, Myron psychically controls his other siblings, but seeks more…

Reviews:

“Lovell is treated to a tongue-on-flesh scene that posits her as Full Moon’s ’90s-era Barbara Crampton, participating in what is easily the most unnerving nipple licking ever committed to 35mm. This scene alone makes Head of the Family worth a watch for any self-respecting Full Moon fan; it’s the perfect synthesis of the grotesque and softcore that the company does so well.” Ike, Yell! magazine

“It’s not likely to become any movie buff’s favorite piece of cinema ever, but it has a fun story, some good practical effects (the makeup job on Myron is quite a piece of work, as are a few of the surgery-aftermath applicatons), a decent script, and plenty of Grade-A nudity to boot.” Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies

“The inadequate financing apparently prevented the filmmakers from even using real fire during the finale, leaving far too much to the imagination – so much, in fact, that nothing appears resolved, as if the story just tapers off with no clear conclusion. Nevertheless, the dual lack of plausibility and clothing, mixed with a few bits of outrageously accidental humor, make this cult film a perversely erotic, strangely worthwhile watch.” Mike Massie, Gone with the Twins

Wikipedia | IMDb | Image credits: Yell! magazine