Posts Tagged ‘Exploitation’

Confessions of an Opium Eater DVD Review: Would You Like a Side of Beef, or a Side of Man?

Posted: 15 October, 2012 in Movies/TV
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Confessions of an Opium Eater DVD Review: Would You Like a Side of Beef, or a Side of Man?

By 1962, motion picture producer Albert Zugsmith had been far removed from the Universal science fiction classics that he will forever be remembered for with “serious” moviegoers (i.e. The Incredible Shrinking Man) and returned to what was best at: making cheap, independent exploitation flicks. The Allied Artists release Confessions of an Opium Eater is a prime slice of beef (or is it a slice of man, to mock a corny philosophical conversation that takes place within the confines of the film) wherein we learn one truly important thing: casting Vincent Price as a “good guy” action hero was a sure sign of some drug use in itself.

[Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

*Blu-ray Review* Casa de Mi Padre (2012)

Posted: 2 August, 2012 in Movies/TV
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Blu-ray Review: Casa de Mi Padre (2012)

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Casa de Mi Padre (2012) on Blogcritics.

After years of insulting viewers en masse with his outrageously obtuse form of unfunny comedy, Will Ferrell has at long last found something he is good at: speaking broken, phonetic Spanish. And he does so in a seemingly effortless manner in Casa de Mi Padre: a send-up of those peculiar peliculas and telenovelas from our brethren south of the border that joins Will with his semi-regular collaborators Adam McKay, Andrew Steele, and Matt Piedmont — a film that is spoken almost completely in Spanish. (more…)

The Convoy Collection DVD Review: Highway to Haul

Posted: 22 April, 2012 in Movies/TV, TV
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The Convoy Collection DVD Review: Highway to Haul

A good exploitation filmmaker is quick to cash in on a craze. Unfortunately, most of the bad ones are, too. In the ‘70s, the industry of trucking had transformed into a phenomenon of epic proportions. Truck drivers were seen by the public as modern-day cowboys and outlaws (a far cry from the image we have stuck in our heads today every time we see another moronic Walmart driver overturn his rig) — and there were numerous filmmakers across the nation (especially the lower states) anxious to make a buck off of America’s enthusiasm over the subject.

[Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part V – 13 Tales of Terror from Cheezy Flicks

Posted: 31 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part V – 13 Tales of Terror from Cheezy Flicks

Article first published as Horrible Horror, Part V – 13 Tales of Terror from Cheezy Flicks on Blogcritics.

With those dastardly trick-or-treaters all set to roam the streets in search of candy much like the living dead wander about aimlessly in search of living flesh, it’s time to gather up another batch of “Horrible Horror.” For the final entry in this five-part journey into total terror, I have decided to stray from my usual Catching Up at the Video Store manner and present you with a whopping “13 Tales of Terror from Cheezy Flicks.” And this time, we have every aspect of human (and some otherworldly) dreadfulness imaginable: vampires, ghosts, man-made monsters, Sasquatch, aliens, werewolves, blood farmers and plenty of bad actors, too — all of which are available from the fine folks at Cheezy Flicks.
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Act of Vengeance (1974) DVD Review: Watch Out, Men, ‘Cuz the Rape Squad is Here!

Posted: 27 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Act of Vengeance (1974) DVD Review: Watch Out, Men, ‘Cuz the Rape Squad is Here!

Filmmaker Bob Kelljan started off with a promising enough career at AIP Studios in 1970 writing and directing the cult classic Count Yorga, Vampire — a highlight of ‘70s horror cinema that Kelljan followed up the following year with a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga (which he also wrote and directed). Two years after that, Bob found himself directing yet another sequel, though this time, it was to a funky AIP bloodsucker that wasn’t of his own devise; that of the hip Blacula in Scream Blacula Scream. [Read the rest at Cinema Sentries.]

Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part IV – Freaks and Shrieks

Posted: 25 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part IV – Freaks and Shrieks

Article first published as Horrible Horror, Part IV – Freaks and Shrieks on Blogcritics.

It’s time once again for another dosage of “Horrible Horror”, the mostly marginal special feature of Catching Up at the Video Store that began with college-aged terrors and then moved onto the inimitable talents of neo-slasher flicks before being attacked by a brick wall constructed entirely of just plain weird shit. This time ‘round, we take a look at more “conventional” nightmare fuel: vampires, cannibals, weird half-people in wicker baskets, maniacal law enforcement officers, and Brazilians.
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part III – You Call This Horror?

Posted: 20 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part III – You Call This Horror?

Article first published as Horrible Horror, Part III – You Call This Horror? on Blogcritics.

In the last chapter of “Horrible Horror” (a pointless five-part special feature of my equally meaningless Catching Up at the Video Store feature) “Slashed, Bashed and Rehash”, we touched upon movies that left lasting impressions — mainly in the form of critical wounds. This time ‘round, though, we’re going to take a look at a selection of movies that will absolutely, positively and unquestionably cause you to cower in the corner in an inexorable state of fear for years to come. But it’s not because of their subject matter itself, kids. Oh, no. This selection of runny, smelly cheese consists of peliculas so obtuse, so inane and so direct-to-video in nature, that I can only ask: “You Call This Horror?”
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part II – Slashed, Bashed and Rehashed 

Posted: 7 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part II – Slashed, Bashed and Rehashed

Article first published as Horrible Horror, Part I – College is a Real Killer on Blogcritics.

Last week, we touched upon the first chapter of this special five-part Catching Up at the Video Store feature, “College is a Real Killer”. With all those titles focusing on students receiving a free education in Death 101 out of the way, my stack of DVDs has lowered slightly, but there are still an awful lot of horror flicks just-a-clamoring for attention. In fact, they’re more than willing to cut and beat you just so you’ll watch them — no matter how familiar some of their formulas may be to you. And it is in honor of their devotion to horrific duties that I dub this installment “Slashed, Bashed and Rehashed.”
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part I – College is a Real Killer

Posted: 1 October, 2011 in Movies/TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: Horrible Horror, Part I – College is a Real Killer

Article first published as Horrible Horror, Part I – College is a Real Killer
 on Blogcritics.

Hallowe’en gives kids a chance to don silly costumes and score some free candy, and adults a chance to dress up in impractical costumes, drink a lot, and maybe even get away with an “accidental” score of their own via someone outside of their relationships (“Oh, dear! I thought that was you under that mask!”). For filmmakers, on the other hand — especially video distributors — Hallowe’en means horror movies. It’s sort of ironic, too, since the month of October is also host to such honorable and protective events such as International Day of Non-Violence and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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Catching Up At The Video Store: RiffTrax Presents Low Blows in High-Def

Posted: 18 September, 2011 in Event, Movies/TV, TV
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Catching Up At The Video Store: RiffTrax Presents Low Blows in High-Def

Article first published as RiffTrax Presents Low Blows in High-Def on Blogcritics.

While truly memorable (or at least halfway entertaining) comedies are few and far in-between on big and small screens alike, it’s nice to know that the lads at RiffTrax are able to keep on-a-truckin’ by tearing into some of the strangest and sorriest works of “art” ever produced by man. Of course, the whole “made by man” thing is debatable, as master riffers Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett occasionally attribute some of the shockingly-bad movies and shorts they bear witness to as works of Satan.
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