9/19/04



Basket Case 3: The Progeny (1991. USA. Fox. Directed by Frank Henenlotter. Cast: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Gil Roper, and Annie Ross. Full Screen. Stereo. Extras: None.). Although Basket Case 3: The Progeny picks up right after the second one left off, Frank Henenlotter certainly changed the mood of his franchise. No longer dark and aimed at 42nd. Street fans, he was now injecting more humor. That’s not to infer that Basket Case 3 isn’t worthy of your attention, but, instead, what used to be creepy is often just plain silly. Kevin Van Hertenryck returns as Duane and, by now, he’s completely bonkers. Also, returning, of course, is Belilal, Duane’s removed mutant (pretty much just a head and some skin) siamese twin. Belilal is about to become a father, so the extended family of freaks is relocating by school bus to Georgia. There, a friendly doctor can help with the delivery of Belilal’s bride’s baby. At this point, Duane can be found in a strait jacket ranting and raving about how upset he is that his brother no longer cares about him. Of course things never go smoothly. The local cops screw things up, Belilal’s wife gives birth to twelve hideous little monsters, Duane falls in love with the police chief’s daughter (who seems to be more interested in performing S&M with prisoners!), and Belilal kills a whole batch of people. While not close to capturing the sleaze element of the first two Basket Cases, it is, nonetheless, a respectable entry into the series. Will there ever be a fourth?

Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires (2004. USA. SubRosa. Directed by Joe Sherlock. Cast: Rob Merickel, Carrie Davis, Bill Bradford, Felicia Pandolfi, Scott Shanks, Warren E.B.B., Linsey A. Hope, Robert J. Olin, Dee Alsman, and Jeff Dylan Graham. Widescreen. Stereo. Extras: Audio commentary with director Joe Sherlock and co-writer/Assistant Director Michael Hegg, blooper reel, making of featurette, and trailer). Catherine (Felicia Pandolfi) is a sexy vampire with an hilarious Russian accent who has come to the tiny rural town of Backwash to create an army of vampires. That’s half the plot, the other is a Backwash family, the Poissiers (pronounced “Pisser”) have just won a contest with a fancy magazine to have one room in their house redecorated. This brings Jean Claude Les Eaux (Scott Shanks) to Backwash. Initially, this “fancy lad” is a bit out of sorts with the Poissiers, but it doesn’t take too long for him to get into the swing of drinking beer, eating lots of beans, playing strip poker, and joining in with hillbilly pranks. Quite frankly this is one of the most enjoyable micro-budget films I’ve seen in a long, long time. For one thing, I’ve always had a special place in my heart for hillbilly films (Pigkeeper’s Daughter is one of my all time favorite movies!), so I love the premise. More importantly, the entire cast is amazing. Many of VC’s readers are already aware of the captivating presence of Felicia Pandolfi (as she’s starred in Evilmaker, Evilmaker 2, and The Seekers). Once again, she gives a spirited performance. But, she’s not alone. It’s hard to believe this is Scott Shanks’ first role, as he’s great as Jean Claude. The entire Poissier clan is superb. There’s Rob Merickel as dimwitted Lil’ Junior Poissier, Carrie Davis is hilarious as Ma Poissier, and Lindsey Hope is both sexy and tom boyish as teen daughter Eva Poissier. If anyone wants to remake any classic seventies hillbilly movies, Lindsey could easily star. It’s hard to believe this is her first acting job, as she comes off as a seasoned pro. But, nearly stealing the show is Bill Bradford as the redneck dwarf Cletus. His performance is so over the top and funny that it deserves to be seen by those who wouldn’t normally watch a movie such as Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires. Cletus is a truly funny character. I can’t praise Bill Bradford enough. Director Joe Sherlock has the knack for keeping the jokes flowing and the action moving. There’s never a dull moment. Plus, there are plenty of great extras with plenty of insight on how to make movies for very little money. Do hillbillies and vampires mix? Maybe not the way Catherine had planned, but, for me, there couldn’t be a better combination. If your DVD collection includes titles such as This Stuff’ll Kill Ya, The Year Of The Yahoo, Sassy Sue, Tobacco Roody, Southern Comforts, and, of course, The Pigkeeper’s Daughter then you have to immediately buy Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires.


Cheerleader Camp (1988. USA. Anchor Bay. Directed by John Quinn. Cast: Betsy Russell, Leif Garrett, Lucinda Dickey, Lorie Griffin, Rebeca Ferratti, Krista Planza, and Teri Weigel. 1.7:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Mono. 88 minutes. Extras: Audio commentary with director John Quinn and producer Jeff Prettyman, trailers, alternate title sequence, behind the scenes photos, and poster/still gallery.). First, I have to say I like the original title, Bloody Pom Poms, a lot more, but, beside that complaint, Cheerleader Camp is good old fashioned stupid slasher meets cheerleader fun. A team of cheerleaders is off to a camp to train and then compete against other teams. Thanks to a rapidly receding hairline, Leif Garrett looks as if he should have been the father of the cheerleaders, instead of the hunk playboy he was supposed to be. But, he seemed to be having plenty of fun with the role. Plus, he got some of his album covers in the background. Anyway, Betsy Russell (when is someone going to release Private School For Girls on DVD) is having vivid nightmares about a slasher killing cheerleaders, and now her dreams are coming true! I hope that wasn’t too much of a “spoiler” for you. There are lots of creepy suspects, including the great Buck Flowers. But, I think one would have to be pretty stupid not to figure out who was the actual killer. If things are so obvious, why am I glad Cheerleader Camp is out? Well, the movie never takes itself seriously, the death scenes are well orchestrated, and for fans of ‘80s cool drive-in actresses it features some of the best, including Betsy Russell, Lucinda Dickey, Playmate Rebeca Ferratti, and Playmate/porn queen Teri Weigel. Cheerleader Camp is highly enjoyable and it’s easy to understand why it has such a cult following.

Happy Hell Night (1991. USA. Anchor Bay. Directed by Brian Owens. Cast: Nick Gregory, Darren McGavin, Franke Hughes, Laura Carney, and Charles Cragin. 1.85:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Mono. 87 minutes. Extras: trailer.). Raise your hands if you’ve ever heard this plot before, a fraternity initiation on “Hell Night” turns out to be a really bad idea. Okay, it’s not very original and, unfortunately, Darren McGavin doesn’t give a very enthusiastic performance. Still, Happy Hell Night is not without its charm. The initiation has some pledges breaking into an asylum to take a photo of this maniac, who has been locked up for a quarter of a century. He was put away after he killed eight teenagers. What the pledges don’t know is that the guy is really pure evil, who hasn’t spoken or eaten for 25 years. Plus, he looks exactly like Nosferatu! He gets loose and goes on a rampage killing obnoxious college kids until the smarter ones perform a ritual to send him back to Hell. With things slow down, there’s some nudity and a few very freaky shots, such as a statue of Jesus coming alive. Plus, there’s a subplot of two brothers being in love with the same girl. Happy Hell Night might be derivative, but it’s also fun to watch. Once again, Anchor Bay has done a fantastic job with the digital transfer. It looks great. Like Cheerleader Camp, Happy Hell Night is one of those ultra low budget 80s/90s films that initially met with lukewarm response, but since has developed a rabid cult following. With the Halloween season just around the corner, these two would make a great double feature.

The Hell’s Angels ‘69 (1969. USA. Guilty Pleasures/Media Blasters. Directed by Lee Madden. Cast: Tom Sterm, Jeremy Slate, Conny Van Dyke, Steve Sandor, Sonny Barger, Terry The Tramp, and assorted Oakland Hell’s Angels. 1.33:1 Full Screen. Mono. 93 minutes. Extras: Intro and commentary by Joe Bob Briggs, Conny Van Dyke video interview, Conny Van Dyke photo gallery, and original trailer). I love biker films and was really happy when I heard Media Blasters had picked up Hell’s Angels ‘69. It might not be the best the genre every offered--but it is one of the more original. Obviously, from the title, it’s the late sixties, and bored, rich young people are busy taking drugs and dancing at parties. One guy needs more “kicks” than that, so he comes up with another plan. He’s decided to rob a Vegas casino, bringing along his half-brother. The plan seems foolproof, they’ll have the perfect cover. The two will join the Hell’s Angels, go on a bike run to Vegas--looking like bikers--and then rob the casino dressed for the straight world. Hey, I said it was original, not brilliant. Needless to say, things don’t go well and they’ve got both cops and Angels mad at ‘em. The Hell’s Angels ‘69 touches on various genres--hippie, heist, love story, and action--but it never loses focus. Plus, it’s got real Angels, such as Sonny Barger and Terry The Tramp in key roles! A must for biker flick fans, as is Guilty Pleasures/Media Blasters’ forthcoming Run Angel Run.


The Mangler (1984. USA. New Line. Directed by Tobe Hooper. Cast: Robert Englund, Ted Levine, and Daniel Matmore. Full Screen. 5.1 or stereo. 106 minutes. Extras: trailer and alternate edit comparison of three scenes). Based on a Stephen King short story, this low-key Tobe Hooper film is finally getting the respect it deserves. Ted Levine is a small town cop with some heavy emotional baggage. He’s tired of his job, doesn’t seem to have many friends, and still blames himself for his wife’s death. But, there’s something very weird taking place in town and it’s starting to remind him of why he joined the force. There are deaths and lots of strange accidents. People are being eaten by an old laundry machine in a large laundromat owned by a mean spirited cripple (Robert Englund). Tobe Hooper does a fine job of blending the crime story element with good old school horror. There are some inventive deaths, a foreboding mood (the sets are certainly eerie), and there’s even a conspiracy slant. Both Ted Levine and Robert Englund turn in fantastic performances.

Massacre In Dinosaur Valley (1985. Italy. Shriek Show. Directed by Michele Massimo Tarantini as Michael E. Lemick. Cast: Michael Sopkiw, Suzane Caralho, Milton Morris, Martha Anderson, Susie Hahn, and Gloria Crystal. 1.85:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Mono. 98 minutes. Extras: Video interview and audio commentary with Michael Sopkiw, deleted scenes, video interview with director Michele Massimo Tarantini, photo gallery, and trailer). Here’s a DVD I’ve been waiting for for quite some time. Massacre In Dinosaur Valley isn’t a great film--even by jungle horror standards--but it is fun. Then again, what makes it fun was probably all unintentional. Here are some examples: the lead character looks just like Indiana Jones, who also drags a box of bones into a hotel just as Django dragged his coffin, an over the top stereotypical racist Vietnam Vet, an obvious plastic toy plane crashing into the jungles, stilted acting, poor dialogue, and cheap gore effects. I’m not complaining about any of this, as it all lacks pretentiousness. It’s really a blast. Nor am I going to complain about the death by quicksand, a piranha attack, leeches sucking blood, and some attractive actresses who were only too willing to shed their clothes to advance the story--or was that to keep things from getting boring? To jungle aficionados, Massacre In Dinosaur Valley might not be a classic such as Cannibal Holocaust, but, at least, no live animals were butchered just to make a movie. Everything in this movie is obviously fake, and I’m glad it is.

Night Of The Demons (1988. USA. Anchor Bay. Directed by Kevin S. Tenny. Cast: William Gallo, Hal Havins, Mimi Kinkade, Cathy Podewell, and Linnea Quigley. 1.85:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Stereo. 90 minutes. Extras: Audio commentary with director Kevin Tenney and producers Walter Josten and Jeff Geoffray, My Demon Nights, a 14 minute video interview with Linnea Quigley, promo reel, trailers, and TV spots.). It’s Halloween and a bunch of teenagers are going to a party in an old abandoned funeral parlor. The hosts are the school’s “spooky” girl (Mimi Kinkade) and her wild friend (Linnea Quigley). Party games evoke the demoness Angela (Mimi Kinkade, now possessed) and then it’s a wild thrill ride of teens being attacked and turned into demons. There are some amazing special effects by Steve Johnson and director Kevin S. Tenney makes sure each scene is energetic and fun. Night Of The Demons is obviously a huge influence on The Convent. For Linnea Quigley fans, this is easily one of her finest performances--it’s hysterical watching her shoplift goodies for the party. Mimi Kinkade is equally wonderful as Angela, a role which she reprised in two sequels. Anchor Bay did a great job with this DVD and I, for one, hope the two follow-ups will eventually be forthcoming. I’m aware that all three are available in a 3 DVD PAL import box set by Laser Paradise Germany--but the quality of the transfers leaves a lot to be desired. Please Anchor Bay get the rights to Night Of The Demons 2 & 3. An added bonus for Linnea Quigley fans is the 14 minute video interview with her talking about being involved with this project.

Orgy Of The Dead (1966. USA. Rhino. Directed by A.C. Stephens. Written by Ed Wood. Cast: Criswell, Ghoulita, and a cast of starlets. Full Screen. Mono. 92 minutes. Extras: Interview with A.C. Stephens and trailer). The selling point to Orgy Of The Dead has always been the script was written by Ed Wood. Actually, he probably didn’t have to work very hard, as there isn’t much of a story here. A young couple crash their car and look for help in a graveyard (!). Once there they find the “Emperor Of The Night” (Criswell) and his sexy partner (Ghoulita) bringing the dead back to life for a night of entertainment. The female dead rise to perform erotic dances and strip. Meanwhile the couple are forced to watch. Oh the horrors! More silly than sexy, Orgy Of The Dead is a classic to some (I’m raising my hand) and a bore to others (is that Karen I see racing out of the room?). Extras include a video interview with director A.C. Stephens, who promises the long awaited sequel is in the works. Tell me it ain’t so.

Sugar Cookies (1970. USA. Troma. Directed by Theodore Gershunny. Cast: Mary Woronov, Lynn Lowry, George Shannon, Monique Van Vooren, Ondine, and Jennifer Welles. Full Screen. Mono. 100 minutes. Extras: Video interviews with Lynn Lowry and Mary Woronov, Entombed music video, trailers, and intro by Lloyd Kaufman). My prayers have been answered, Sugar Cookies has finally come out on DVD. Being a fan of both Lynn Lowry and Mary Woronov, I’ve long wanted to add this tale of underground/porn movie making, lesbian love, and revenge to my collection. A controversial director (George Shannon) murders his porn star girlfriend (Lynn Lowry). An agent (Mary Woronov) is both his alibi and his nemesis. Being his former lover, he asks her to lie to the police. However, she was also his girlfriend’s lover and she decides to get revenge. It’s an elaborate plot which involves the extreme manipulation of a young, inexperienced actress (also Lynn Lowry) with the end result being the ultimate in twisted mind control. Great New York sets, lots of nudity, and erotic situations. While the violence doesn’t happy very often, it is rather unsettling. Lovers of New York low budget movies will love Sugar Cookies, as not only do Mary Woronov (Rock & Roll High School, Hollywood Blvd., Death Race 2000) and Lynn Lowry (Shivers, The Crazies, & I Drink Your Blood) turn in dynamic performances but one can also see cult stars such as Jennifer Welles (legendary seventies adult star), Ondine (Andy Warhol’s Chelsea Girls), and Monique Van Vooren (Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein). Those who love the erotic film work of Radley Metzger (Lynn Lowry was the star of his 1973 classic Score) will surely want to add Sugar Cookies to their collection. It was also produced by Lloyd Kaufman and Oliver Stone. Being on Troma, it’s unfortunately Full Screen and has plenty of Troma hype to contend with. In their video interviews, neither Lynn Lowry or Mary Woronov seems comfortable with Lloyd’s questions. Also, the introduction to the movie by Lloyd has to be one of his weirdest bits. It’s starts off with some funny comments about Yale (Lloyd was a student with President Bush)) and then turns into something incredibly sick. Those with weak stomachs and who lack toilet humor will probably want to quickly scan through this and get to the movie itself.


If you have a DVD for review, please send it to Chip Lamey c/o Video Crypt, P.O. Box 54, Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247.