The Video Dead

"The Video Dead" (1987, Robert Scott, Interstate 5 Productions, Highlight Productions, Manson International) is one of those 80s horror films whose cover art is the reason I got into horror in the first place.

A writer receives the delivery of a television by accident which turns out to be the gateway to the real world for the zombie antagonists of a black and white B-movie called "Zombie Blood Nightmare". Despite being unplugged, the zombies escape through the screen and begin to terrorise the neighbourhood. Some time later a new family buys the writer's house and discover the TV in the attic and the humorous zombie antics begin again!

Cheesy, clunky and bizarre this little gem of B-movie ridiculousness is one of those pizza and beer movies that will keep you and your friends laughing and eye-rolling in equal measure. From crazy characters, weird scripting and zombies in wigs this movie enjoys some amusing ideas.... and oddly no video tapes at all!

[Image: Interstate 5 Productions, et al]

Hani

976-EVIL

"976-EVIL" (1988, Robert Englund, New Line Cinema) is a film about two cousins who call a mysterious 'horror-scope' number which is actually operated by the devil to trick mortals into turning to the dark side.

Spike (Patrick O'Bryan) is a rebellious teen who likes to strut about in leather jackets, ride his motorcycle, date rocker chicks and play a lot of poker... badly. His little cousin, Hoax (Stephen Geoffreys, best known as Evil Ed from "Fright Night"), is little more nerdy, rides a scooter, wishes he was tougher and lives with his overbearing, fundamentalist Christian mother, Lucy (Sandy Dennis); who wears way too many wigs. Lucy lets her nephew live in a granny flat on her property, but she disapproves of his lifestyle while she also holds his inheritance money hostage.

Both Spike and Hoax come across the phone number and call it. Spike thinks it's all a big joke, and stops calling, but Hoax begins to work out what's going on and seizes the opportunity to pay back his bullies and get a girlfriend at the measly cost of his soul.

This film is in the 'just-bad' category. The scenes are long and drawn out and the action is extremely slow. There's just not enough horror in his horror film. The premise is promising, but there just wan't enough delivered to make it a good 'bad' film. Robert Englund directed this and one other film, "Killer Pad" in 2008. There's definitely a reason for this.

It's cheesy and 80s and has Stephen Geoffreys in it, usually that would check all the boxes for me, but this film is just not one I'd watch again.

[Image: New Line Cinema]

Hani

Popcorn

"Popcorn" (1991, Mark Herrier, Alan Ormsby, Studio Three Film Corporation) is a fun American horror comedy set in an old theatre.

The Film department at a college is new and lacks funding. The students there, along with their teacher, Mr Davis (Tony Roberts), decide to run a horror marathon in the old cinema in town to raise funds and awareness for the department.

They are helped out by local film memorabilia collector, Mr. Mnesyne (Ray Walston) who helps them decorate the cinema and also provides them with William Castle-esque shlock props (zapping seats for a film about an electrocuted killer, a giant mosquito for a movie about killer mosquitos and some unpleasant aroma therapy mist for a Japanese horror film called "The Stench").

Maggie (Jill Shoelen) is one of the students, and an aspiring screen writer. She's been having some weird dreams about a strange bearded man and plans to write about the dreams in her own movie. However, when the gang come across a strange film reel called "The Possessor" which was filmed by madman, Lanyard Gates (the same bearded man that Maggie was dreaming about), who slaughtered his family live on camera, things become very weird.

Things become stranger still when, on show night, people begin to be killed off one by one by a masked killer. Is it the mental film maker returned? What is Maggie's connection with him? And who will survive the horror fest?

Fun and surprisingly well put together for a film with not only a fledgling director, but where the director was replaced half way through!

The story is engaging and the acting is perfect for a cheesy, but very watchable horror film. The plot is one part reflective fun at older horrors and another part 80s slasher homage.

The film was actually made in Jamaica, not America, so enjoys some interesting music and Maggie's mother is played by scream queen, Dee Wallace.

"Popcorn" manages to pay homage to the shock horror films of the 50s and the gimmicks created by directors of the day, primarily Mr. Castle, who pioneered several interesting cinema gimmicks. However, the slasher (or actual horror) part of the film is pretty standard fare, it does blend well as a film, and the ending result is an entertaining and humorous film.

If you're looking for serious, mind bending horror, look elsewhere, however, as this is very much light entertainment.

[Image: Studio Three Film Productions]

 

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Red: Werewolf Hunter

"Red: Werewolf Hunter" (2010, Sheldon Wilson,Chesler/Perlmutter Productions) is a werewolf film with a little twist of Little Red Riding Hood thrown in there. It's also a made-for-TV film, so don't go in expecting any high calibre writing.

The lovely Felicia Day plays Virginia 'Red' Sullivan, a descendant of Little Red Riding Hood and a werewolf hunter. It seems the wolf that ate up Grandma in the fairytale was actually a lycanthrope and now it is the destiny of Little Red's descendants to maintain order with the wolf's kin.

Unfortunately, it would seem Red is in love with Nathan (Kavan Smith) and has accidentally brought him home to be turned. Can she and her family save her fiancé? And even if they do, can he deal with a werewolf hunting, kick ass ginger chick for his bride to be? And, even if he can, does she really want this jerky numbskull for a husband anyway?!

Certainly an interesting angle, the film is let down with the usual bad scripting that goes hand in hand with any Syfy Production, and some bad acting. Although, I think one is maybe the symptom of the other...

With some very amicable werewolf effects, the monster element certainly pleases in that lovely cheesy TV horror kind of way, but some clumsy editing, hit and miss soundtracks and boring character-building dialogue kind of detract from what could have been a perfectly fine mediocre film about an attractive red head in a leather jacket killing rampaging migrant werewolves...

[Image: Syfy]

Hani

House 2: The Second Story

"House 2: The Second Story" (1987, Ethan Wiley, New World Pictures). Is a sci-fi, Western, Haunted House film that has pretty much nothing to do with "House".

When Jesse (Arye Gross) and Kate (Lar Park Lincoln) move into an old mansion belonging to Jesse's family they, understandably, don't expect to firstly be joined by Jesse's friend Charlie (Jonathan Stark) and his girlfriend Lana (Amy Yasbeck), and then later by his dead, zombified great-great grandfather, Gramps (Royal Dano).

Soon Jesse and Charlie find themselves on the quest to find a mysterious Aztec crystal skull to restore his undead relative. Their adventures include battling strange beasts, facing off against Gramps' old friend-turned-bitter-enemy, Slim Razor (Dean Cleverdon), and babysitting pterodactyls...

Luckily for them an Adventurous electrician (John Ratzenberger) shows up to help out...

It's all very weird and hectic... Like a Western Sci-fi adventure (but nothing like 'Firefly'). The Aztec style house interior is really quite beautiful and the cheesy one-liner's and banter with Gramps is hokey and entertaining. There's a lot of things happening and a lot of jumping through vortexes into other times, but on the whole it is a batshit crazy and completely goofy experience. Not to be taken seriously....

[Image: New World Pictures]

 

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