Scary Film Review

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

All The Horror Movies That Came Out in June 2009

Here you, a special list, all the horror movies that came out in June 2009! These dvd's are in stores now and some are anime...and a couple are kung fu. I can't help it..I post what's interesting.

The Betrayed DVD
Blade of the Phantom Master DVD
Everybody Dies DVD
Header DVD
Heroic Age: The Complete Series, Part Two DVD Set
Kaidan DVD
Monster X Strikes Back Dvd
Samurai Champloo: The Complete Collection DVD
Scream DVD
Sea Beast DVD
Second Coming DVD
Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Fifth Season DVD
They Call Me Bruce DVD
Anaconda Blu Ray Dvd
Anacondas: Trail of Blood Dvd
Elsewhere Dvd
Elsewhere Blu Ray Dvd
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Blu Ray DVD
Highlander The Complete Animated Series Dvd
The Hunger: The Complete First Season Dvd
The Legend of Blood Castle Dvd
Maison Plaisir Dvd
Morbito: Guardian of the Spirit Volume 4 Dvd
Retardead Dvd
Razortooth Dvd
The Secret of the Black Widow Dvd
Silent Venom Dvd
Aquarion: The Complete Series DVD
Gypsy Blood DVD
The Kiss DVD
The Legend of the Blood Castle DVD
Predator 2 Blu Ray Dvd
The Shield: Season Seven - The Final Act
Iron Maiden: Flight 666 DVD
Iron Maiden: Flight 666 Blu Ray Dvd
Born DVD
The Cell 2 dvd
The Cell 2 Blu Ray Dvd
Elfen Lied 2: Complete Collection DVD
Friday the 13th Dvd
Friday the 13th Blu Ray Dvd
Ghostbusters Blu Ray DVD
Hydra DVD
Little Red Riding Hood and Other Stories DVD
The Sender DVD
The Seventh Seal DVD
Simoun: Complete Collection DVD
Sword of the Stranger Blu Ray DVD
Sword of the Stranger DVD
Undefeatable DVD
Backwoods Dvd
D. Gray-Man: Season One, Part Two Dvd
Darker Than Black: Volume Five
Death Note: Re-Light, Vol. 1 - Visions of a God Dvd
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa DVD
Hobgoblins Dvd
Hobgoblins 2 Dvd
Legend of the Bog Dvd
The Monster Squad: The Complete Collection Dvd
Origin: Spirits of the Past Blu Ray Dvd
Romeo x Juliet: Romeo Collection, Part 1 Dvd
Simon Says Dvd
Trapped Dvd
Waltz With Bashir Dvd
Waltz with Bashir Blu Ray Dvd
Zombie High

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Monthly Death Toll June 09 Edition

Friday, June 26, 2009

Sleepaway Camp 3 Teenage Wasteland Review

Today I had a plan of giving a good review. In fact, I thought that this was going to be a great review, but instead, I found myself appauled that I ever liked this movie. This is the third film (as noted in the title) of the Sleepaway Camp series. Like all other horror movie sequels, this one has been toted as the worst in the series. At least in 1989, which was terrible. It hasn't aged well, but I still think it's better than the fourth full length film.

I'm going to have to give somewhat of a disclaimer here. I don't usually write shorter reviews, but I couldn't really give you a good overall essay on this one. It just was downhill from the start...

Here is a trailer for Sleepaway Camp 3 Teenage Wasteland:

The movie follows along the same path as the other films. The beginning of the film was actually kind of cool. we follow what appears to be a new girl, a new woman. A new character? Not really, nudity is shown right away, and was on her way to camp. Until a dump truck follows her and leads to her murder...and someone takes over her identity...who? Angela! Oh yeah, she's back for the third film and she's ready to start kicking ass and taking names!

The movie goes through the same thing that the other two films go through. There's a camp that is not being run correctly and kids are getting killed in awkward and funny deaths, just like the first two films. This was definitely really cool the first time I saw it. The movie goes fast and really has no major thrills, until the ending.

The ending (which I will kind of spoil for you) has an ambulance with a paramedic taking care of Angela, but she wakes up and goes nuts and starts fighting! That was really cool, and I was actually cheering for that sort of thing. That was really cool.

So what's the verdict here and why is there not much of a review? Because of all the films that I've done on this site, this one is one of the worst ones I had to watch again. I like it in contrast to the whole box set of Sleepaway Camp, but it's not really worth it too recommend it. If you already saw it, fine, you already know, but if you're looking for a good horror movie, this is not going to top your list. Sure 1989 was a bad year for horror, and this one would have been doomed to straight to dvd or straight to hbo hell...but it wasn't half bad at the time...now it's just dated. Sleepaway Camp III Teenage Wasteland isn't half bad...if you're watching it with friends.

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wetback Review

Sometimes horror doesn't present itself in terms of graphic cinema, killers, and murders. Sometimes horror presents itself in such a real fashion that it transcends mere explanations and turns our hearts from desensitized and jaded to flesh, a near religious experience occurs when truth and horror mix in documentary format. Much like Snuff was a film that woke me up, this film woke me up and the subject matter seems political up front, but once you get into the film, the graphic nature of the movie presents a much more savage and grotesque view of immigration. You might disagree that this film is not a horror film, but for me, this is one of the most horrific movies I've seen.

Why?

Because this movie documented my story, not my personal exact story, but my story none the less. I got here via my parents, when I was young. We traveled across the border via a Coyote. I rode in the front seat while my father was stuffed in a trunk under a bunch of trash. We made it to America...and my memories of the events are made lucid with documentaries that don't pull punches, just like this one. However, there are horrors to be faced.

The movie I submit for your consideration is Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary.

The movie follows several families trying to get to the United States. The camera doesn't turn away when police show up, when INS raids different locales. The film really shows you how hard it is to get through the nations of Latin America and try to cross the border. The movie sometimes makes the U.S the villains as these people are caught. However, the camera also dives into secret tactics that Latinos use to cross the border.

We also get fed media coverage on immigration. The purpose of the film doesn't seem to showcase a definitive point of view, it doesn't tell you that you should be pro anything. It shows you with film, and while it heavily sides with the Latino side, the film talks to the Minuteman. The Minuteman make the worst arguments for basically ratting out anyone trying to get into our country. It is just saddening really.

Here is a trailer for the movie Wetback:

Is Wetback Scary: Yes.

This film turns to the macabre when they discuss immigrants trying to get into the country by jumping on moving trains. Many of them fall to their death, and even more fall off and get run over by the tracks, leaving them with no legs and in many cases no arms or confined to a wheel chair, all in the name of freedom. The camera shows you these horrendous injuries, unflinching it its pursuit of showing you the unfiltered truth that no media coverage has ever shown.

If that wasn't enough to make your stomach curl, there are stories told of being robbed by machete wielding criminals. Of carrying drugs to escape situations, one man showed his fresh machete wound and said he only escaped because he had some drugs, and gave the drugs to the bandits. (He wasn't using the drugs, he had it only for this purpose) The wound was fresh, red, and looked infected. This is real, not latex or corn syrup.

The overall feel of this film is horrific to me as a human being. You can show me videos of a starving kid in Africa and it is a shock, but you show me a man crying on the border as he is being handcuffed and sent back to Central America after weeks of walking, running and not eating.

In America, people cry that their freedoms are taken away whenever legislation passes, yet they forget how real and scary life is for these people.

I admit, this movie is NOT a straight up horror movie. However, it is scary to me, and horrific the way these people, many of which die or are injured beyond belief...to no sympathy, and are villains in mainstream media; If you are not moved by this than you are not human. Wetback really brought back memories of my families struggle to make it in this land of the "free", and really moved me and scared me. I am blessed to have survived my immigration ordeal, and movies like these remind me that I'm not alone in the struggle for a better life. This is real horror movie to those of us that have experienced the journey, and this is a scary movie if no one is moved by it.

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Interesting Horror Movie Releases 6/23/09

This weeks interesting horror movie releases aren't that interesting at all. In fact most are anime. I guess that's what happens late/mid June. So enjoy these and if you have cash, get em while they are in print!

Backwoods Dvd
D. Gray-Man: Season One, Part Two Dvd
Darker Than Black: Volume Five
Death Note: Re-Light, Vol. 1 - Visions of a God Dvd
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Conqueror of Shamballa DVD
Hobgoblins Dvd
Hobgoblins 2 Dvd
Legend of the Bog Dvd
The Monster Squad: The Complete Collection Dvd
Origin: Spirits of the Past Blu Ray Dvd
Romeo x Juliet: Romeo Collection, Part 1 Dvd
Simon Says Dvd
Trapped Dvd
Waltz With Bashir Dvd
Waltz with Bashir Blu Ray Dvd
Zombie High

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Sleepaway Camp 2 Unhappy Campers Review

I remember when I was going through puberty that I picked up this film and was awakened, so to speak. This movie became the go to film when I was renting movies and couldn't rent porno. At least until I got to the proper age. Now that I've completely lost half of my readers, I guess it's ok to continue. The film stars Pamela Springsteen, yes sister to a famous rock persona. This movie took the ideas of the first film and spun them with later on the years of the story line, and this time advertising (falsely mind you) that Jason and Freddy would be involved in this mash up of horror cliche's. The year is 1988 and the film we're going to try and review for today, is none other than the camp horror movie classic, Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers!

The movie starts out with a new campsite, this time it's Camp Rolling Hills. THe movie's plot surrounds Angela, six years later, and is simply a camp counselor that has a low tolerance for moral mishaps. She is completely insane, but the movie takes a slow build towards showing that aspect, making her seem like the protagonist here in the first few sequences of the film. In fact, anyone that has ever gone to camp at all, will relate with the good to do counselor that is getting picked on.

Here is a trailer for Sleepaway Camp II Unhappy Campers from 1988:

For 1988 this film really turned up the gore. The gore in this film is tremendous in comparison to the original film. The original film was content with showing you the aftermath of the slayings, not the progress of each slaying. This film shows you the cause, and the consequences all in one slick continuous motion. People get killed based on what they are doing wrong. For instance, there is some voyeurs snapping photos of naked campers, they get their eyes ripped out. (although these guys get punished off screen) The best of the kills has to be when a girl is put into an outhouse and killed with some sickening realistic poop getting some full camera time. The kills are completely over the top, and completely different than the way the original film in the series portrayed the death sequences.

The plot is simple, people misbehave and a near supernatural killer dishes out what appears to be a moral judgment that ends with the death of those that are doing wrong. This is best seen in other films like, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and others in the slasher series. Those films create cliche's that are now subject matter for horror writers and reviewers. However, in 1988 these things didn't seem like cliche's they seemed like parodies or complete ripoffs of such things.

The film is harsh, and fast paced for an 80's film. The rating is strictly R thanks to some nice gratuitous nudity, and a somewhat realistic teenage sex scene. I enjoyed these aspects of the film because they weren't just gratuitous in nature they made a good point in the overall punishment that comes through and Angela's one liners are good overall in contrast.

Is Sleepaway Camp II Unhappy Campers scary? : No. The movie isn't all that scary. There is one main reason that I'm going to cite in regards to the camp horror genre at this point. I don't know a lot of people that are going to any sort of camp where they are away from their parents. Sure, there are some religious groups that have camps of this nature, and In 1999 - 2002 I went to them as a camper. However, the social stigma of being Mexican in what appeared to be an all white world was really harsh. So if a killer was stalking people, I'm not sure I'd be so scared...unless I adhered to the idea that the minority gets killed first. On a sidenote, did you see Night of the Demons or Demons 2? Both movies featured main characters that were minorities and they saved the day. Just saying....

The reason why this film doesn't scare me 20 years later, is because I'm not associated with any sort of camp reflection outside of my own memory. Furthermore, you won't get scared by this film either. There are not a lot of jump scares, or suspenseful moments to speak of, this is a straightforward slasher film with comedic moments, and bits of gore. The overall presences of the killer and the "who done it" mentality really flies out the window within moments of seeing the first slaying. I just don't really find this movie scary, and I don't think anyone would find it scary either.

Heck, when I first saw this film, at age 10 I loved it. I then saw it at age 13 and thought this was as close to pornography that I could get my grubby, perverted hands on. At age 19 I bought the box set, and this film was great. I saw it again recently and you know? It's still good to me, but it's not that great overall. It has some major plot holes, and you have to throw out your mind to enjoy this a little more than usual. It really relies on the premise that camps are run by complete morons with no sense of responsibility for their campers. If this really happened, even in 1988 the camp would close down and it would be an after thought. But oh well, the camp slaughter continues and the ending really made this film cool. The whole, what if? Ending was really cool, I admit that much.

Check out Sleepaway Camp 2 on dvd, it's kind of cool. I don't hate it completely, but it's a far off film from the first time I saw this, and while I like it overall, I don't know if everyone is going to agree with my affection for this film. Plus, after all this talk of adolescent "exploration" with this film, I might not garner much readers. But hey...I'm honest.

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl Trailer

The Japanese are consistently making better gore films than America. I'm almost ashamed at the American horror movie scene because while people praise new films like "Drag Me To Hell" with its pg-13 glory, the Japanese are pushing films like this one. Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl looks like a hybrid of Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police. Both of those films are a bukkake fest of blood and this one is beyond that.

I also find some of the scenes racist.

The film is going to be a cult and I do mean cult classic.

However, I wonder if there is a social merit to these films beyond laughable scenarios. I am assuming that by watching this film you admit that you're so desensitized that normal horror films no longer apply to your thirst for gore. Is this the natural progression for us?

Consider what we were watching as kids, here is a clip:

Within the first few seconds of this clip we have Tom shooting a shotgun at a flock of ducks, striking a young one in the arm and creating a plot point for the rest of the episode.

My problem with grown up horror and gore is not that it seems gratuitous at all, it seems to be that people forget that it's a natural progression of our own psyche. Maybe the point of the cartoons were that the progression in each episode Tom never really caught Jerry and killed him.

However, there is absurd violence in these stories, and furthermore in the stories of Coyote and Roadrunner. It's made "childish" because Coyote doesn't die due to his various infractions.

Maybe I'm just pushing tin here, but come on, we have grown up in such violent imagery. G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, Inspector Gadget, Batman, and so much more have images and themes of violence yet we don't realize them.

Is this the natural progression into gore and violence?

Maybe.

Maybe I'm just trying to over compensate for forgetting to watch a horror movie last night. Just saying....here's the trailer:

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.