Tuesday, May 31, 2016

WolfCop Review


WolfCop is available HERE
I love cult and horror, you know this. 800 plus reviews thus far has proved it. Well, last night while everyone in my house was asleep, I decided to slip in an action horror movie known simply as “Wolf Cop”. I had heard of this before, and I want to say that I saw it advertised at art theaters near me, but I never went to see it. This movie’s premise reminded me of an idea that I had about writing a novel with this notion of a half man, half wolf cop. Then again, maybe I dreamed this movie? I don’t know. Either way, “WolfCop” lives up to a lot of hype, even if the running time is way under the average movie. It’s only around 88 minutes total, but they do a lot more in this than many other horror movies. With that in mind, consider these thoughts on “WolfCop”.

The Transformation


The transformation in “WolfCop” is the most graphic I’ve seen. I say that because it starts with a penis shot transformation and it’s really graphic. In fact, I would not let a younger viewer watch this, it’s that graphic. It may be a few moments, but it’s enough to make you feel very uncomfortable. Heck, I had to look down to see if my junk was going to explode into a wolf penis. Other than that, the transformation is definitely great, fast, and it looked painful to boot. The practical effects and overall cinematography was great to watch, and I loved that aspect.

The story is a bit fast, convoluted, but I can dig it. A drunken cop gets thrown into a serious mess when a coven turns him into a werewolf. This all goes fast, but while he’s transforming, there’s someone close to him that is set to help him thwart off the danger of the coven, that just wants to drink his blood. Our anti-hero must defend himself and try to turn back to human before he is stuck as a wolf forever.

A Fast Paced Visual Feast


There’s enough cult movie references, and status to make “WolfCop” a good watch. It’s fast paced, doesn’t let up, and features a great deal of gore and practical effects. The story is simple, and the ending is quite enjoyable. I liked how it all panned out, and especially give credit to the director of photography for pulling out some great shots in this one. You really get a mix of grindhouse cinema and modern horror mixed with that 1980s cliché visual design palette.

Peter La Rocque’s visuals mixed with Mark Montague’s editing make this a great overall feature in my book. Lowell Dean writes and directs a classic in my book, with a great poster to boot. It’s definitely a quality horror movie that mixes action and 1980s cop influences. This is my third favorite werewolf movie of all time now, and that’s saying a lot. This is a classic folks.

Pick up “WolfCop” by clicking here, and see what all the hype is about.


Saturday, May 28, 2016

Barrio Tales Review

Barrio Tales Is Available On DVD HERE
I never get screeners anymore. I did at one point, but these days, no one trusts me enough to send them. That happens, I guess. So whenever you see me review anything, I don’t get it for free like some other sites. Oh, and if I say anything bad about any film, unlike “Freddy in Space”, send it to the director or anyone involved. I’ll man up and stick to my guns about what I say. Unlike that site, and writer. I would like to say that if you are a man enough to write a negative review or opinion, you should be man enough to stand by it if someone else tweets the director. Otherwise, go to hell.

Now, let’s get into the movie “Barrio Tales”, a Latino version of the classic 3 story horror tropes. A couple of brothers directed this, Jarret and Brent Tarnol, and I was immediately drawn to it because the cover looked like a Cypress Hill cover. The movie’s tag line stated, “Terror, from south of the border”, so boom.

This is a trio of tales, like “VHS” and other movies, and it starts with a couple of young adults going to Mexico to score some drugs. When they get there, they end up meeting a Mexican guy that tells them to beware of where they are going, and what they are looking for. As the two question where the drugs are, the sage of sorts tells them 3 stories of Mexican horror, and each one has a different moral, pushing the limits of horror and generalization.

The stories go from cannibalism, witchcraft, and a monster myth. Each one is a short version of horror tropes that you already think about. From teens getting made into edible goods, to witches getting their revenge on a mean person, to the unkillable monster, each option has a Latino twist to the classic horror stories that you already know about. My favorite of the trio of stories is the opening one. A young maid gets drowned by some rich kids, only to end up having revenge taken upon them by witches that hear of the news of the death of the Latino maid. It’s a quick tale of how treating people badly, could result in reaping some serious consequences. This one really felt like “Scream Queens”, with a bit of humor and visual style overall, good stuff.

“Barrio Tales” is a fascinating movie that flows fast, and has some nice cinematography, and decent acting. At times it feels like “Scream Queens”, and at other times it feels like “Tales From The Crypt”. Either way, it’s a lot of fun, and definitely worth checking out overall. The gore was minimal, the horror elements were fine, and for an independent movie, it has some gusto. I’d give it an 8 out of 10, and definitely a rental. I definitely had fun.

You can pick up "Barrio Tales" on dvd by clicking here.