Friday, October 26, 2012

Forte 10-19-12 - 'Incredibly Strange Metal Program 2'

The long-awaited sequel to the radio show I did a year and a half ago....plenty of new shit and old 'outsider' metal classics for ya. Download it or stream it from the WIDR podcast page here.

Tracklist:

Dwarr - Are You Real?
Alvin Dahn - You're Driving Me Mad
Coven - Jail House
Mourir et Revenir - Jouissance Ultime
Old Lady Drivers - Supermarket Monstrosity
Malicious Onslaught - Carcassed
Lullaby - Welcome Lucifer
Nuit Noire - I Am a Fairy
Black Hole - Land of Mystery
Black Funeral - Az-i-Dahak (Awake)
The Preachers - My Little Friend
Orthrelm - Untitled #8
Oranssi Pazuzu - Maavaltimo
Doom - Body No Body
Legion - Hold On
Reji Cat JimZ's Christ - Holy War
Woodlan's Edge - The Bloodsoaked Forest
Taist of Iron - Ouija
Black Mayonnaise - Graveyard
Lester Maddox - Egypt (the Chains are Off)
Vorak - Blitzkrieg - Fighting Under the Rune of Triumph
Killer Fox - The Sign
Furze - Demonic Order in the Eternal Fascist's Hall
Heather Leather - Child Molester
Cornbugs - Box 'A Hair
Pharaons - Nagasaki
Lugubrum - De Vette Cuecken
Pan-thy-monium - Thee-Pherenth
Uz jsme doma - Kapka - Droplet
Wolfmangler - Poludnica
Damien Storm - Stormbringer
Kuster - Love a Bit
Celtic Frost - I Won't Dance (The Elder's Orient)
Ornaments of Agony - Milarepa
Warning - Warning
Exterminator - Voyage to Hell
Brocas Helm - Hell's Whip
Varghkoghargasmal - The Forest is Whispering

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Outsider requests

Hey folks,

Since this blog is actually picking up steam now, and I am an incredibly lazy person when it comes to the internet, I'd like to give you a brief list of some outsider stuff I have but have not uploaded here. Shoot me a message at whimperwarrior@gmail.com or leave me a comment here and I will post your request. Also, if there is anything in the 'outsider' spectrum that you've had difficulty finding that you DON'T see in this list, hit me up as I probably have it somewhere.

-Dwarr discography (not just 'Animals')
-Jerry Solomon ('Past the 20th Century' and 'Into the Woods' or whatever it's called)
-3 tracks by Reji Cat JiimZ's Christ (outsider metal)
-Metal Enterprises stuff (i.e. Killer Fox, Thrash Queen, Godzilla, Kalaschnikov, etc.)
-Jim Shepard/V-3 discography
-Harry Perry's 'Greatest Hits of the Millennium'
-the Svaty Vincent album
-Armand Schaubroeck discography
-Mark Tucker discography
-Dead Horse/Michael Haaga discography
-Konrad's 'Evil' album

...these are just a few things that seem as though they'd be enjoyed by the readers of this blog. I've got lots and lots of stuff so by all means, request away.

Also, I've conducted interviews with the following artists that I'd be happy to re-up:

-Mark Tucker
-Anal Cunt (Seth Putnam and Josh Martin)
-Copernicus
-Kenneth Higney
-Cris Kirkwood (Meat Puppets)
-Bobb Trimble

Monday, October 22, 2012

Mourning Noise - 'Death Trip Delivery (1981-1985)'

Here's somethin' a little halloween-y for ya...

So, obviously, we play a lot of Misfits on our punk radio show during the October month. You probably know them. If you don't, how can you call yourself a music fan? Anyhow, what you might NOT know is that there was an eerily similar band from the SAME TOWN (Lodi, NJ) as the Misfits, and not only that, but from the SAME STREET.

A big complaint of Misfits fans is obviously that once Danzig left, the music fell way off....and since only recently are the guys all becoming friends again, it's not likely that we'll hear the OG Misfits put out something new for quite a bit of time. Sooo, in the meantime, you can listen to this band's anthology release, which is basically a lost Misfits album from the 80's. It has the same style, production, everything. If anything, it's a little tighter musically than the original Misfits. Not that I'm faulting them for being sloppy...just sayin'. Shit, apparently Danzig even drew their record cover!

So, enjoy this while you're cramming razorblades into candy apples.
Tracklist:

1. Nestle Baby Killer
2. Death in a White Cloud
3. Crimson Carrie
4. Mr. Surveillance
5. Progress for the People
6. Monster Madness
7. Murder Machine
8. Empty Grave
9. Monster Madness
10. Vincent's Theme
11. Underground Zero
12. Barbarian Hunt
13. Dawn of the Dead
14. Fighting Chance
15. Laser Lights
16. My Demon Eyes
17. Addiction
18. Monster Madness
19. Vincent's Theme
20. Underground Zero
21. Foolish Grief
22. Progress for the People (Live)
23. Fighting Chance (Live)
24. Vincent's Theme (Live)
25. Laser Lights (Live)
26. Sergio (Live)
27. Addiction (Live)
28. My Demon Eyes (Live)
29. Radical (Live)
30. Crimson Carrie (Live)
31. Dawn of the Dead (Live)
31.?? Runaway
32. Monster Madness (Live)
32.?? Runaway (Instrumental)

DOWNLOAD

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Films 7 - October part 3

...aaand the last 11 horror films I'm going to review for October.

'Def By Temptation' - 1990
Some of you may be familiar with this since Troma put it out. That being said, it's NOTHING like a regular Troma movie. I would put this film in a category with stuff like 'Where the Dead Go to Die' and 'The Room'...i.e. 'outsider' cinema. This is obviously the product of one man's imagination. It's very religious, sometimes hard to follow, and homemade-looking. However, it is also very artistic and enjoyable (even if it steals a scene from 'Videodrome'--whatever though, more films NEED shots of dudes getting sucked into TVs.) Also, look for a brief appearance by Samuel L. Jackson!

'Troll' - 1986
Lesser-known than the disasterous 'Troll 2,' but equally awful/awesome. If you don't know, 'Troll 2' does NOT feature any trolls, and was created by a guy who spoke English as a second language and insisted on writing the script IN English. He also hired a bunch of Italians who didn't speak English, then only hired American actors (the film was shot in America). It was released as 'Troll 2' to capitalize on the success (?) of this film, which was already a z-grade picture. What the fuck? Anyhow. This one's about a troll that takes on the form of a little girl and terrorizes her neighbors in an apartment complex, turning their homes into bizarre troll habitats along the way. It's pretty fucking weird, and with the PG-13 rating, totally family friendly--if you're into that sorta thing. Apparently this was also the first film Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfus was in, too.

'The Immortalizer' - 1989
Upon researching, this seems to be a direct-to-video release. Figures, it was pretty goddamn bad. A mad scientist somehow hides the fact that he's stealing young people and putting rich old peoples' minds inside their heads. He does this with the help of some fucked-up mutants he accidentally created. It might be godawful, but this prime piece of 80's trash still comes recommended if you're a b-movie fan like me.

'Trancers' - 1985
I hold films released by Full Moon to a higher standard than most b-films. Part of that is because I saw 'Puppet Master' at a very young age and thought it was awesome, and part of that is because this film is so damn good. Okay, the plot isn't very strong, some of the acting is questionable, and the whole premise is an obvious attempt to not outstretch their budget (I mean, c'mon...cop from the future goes back to 1985? Why even bother making it a sci-fi film?)....but 'Trancers' ends up being a really artistic piece of low-budget fun. Tim Thomerson is awesome as usual, the special effects are cheap but effective, and I dunno, it's just a good time. I can't recommend this one enough...

'Brain Dead' - 1990
Not to be confused with Peter Jackson's 'Dead Alive' (which is also titled 'Brain Dead' in some countries, and I believe it has that title on the image I posted a few weeks ago), THIS one comes from the mind of Charles Beaumont, one of the original writers for the 'Twilight Zone' series. I didn't realize until looking this up that he died in '67, meaning the script must've been in the vault for a looooonnnnng time. Oh well. Look at the cast of this shit. Bill Paxton AND Bill Pullman. Bud Cort (aka Harold from 'Harold and Maude). Cool, right? When I rented this, everything about it screamed 'b-movie,' from the shitty cover art to the shitty music during the title sequence, to the washed-out 80's look of the whole thing. However, the story here is VERY unusual and the acting (obviously) is top-notch. It's almost like the inclusion of a superb cast and a story by a legendary writer overcame EVERYTHING ELSE about this film. Oh yeah, it's really intentionally funny, too...some great jokes and unusual secondary characters here. Definitely for when you want a horror film that's more heady than the usual fare.

'The Stuff' - 1985
I finally watched this because it was compared to 'Street Trash' and 'Slime City,' but I think that's just because it involves people melting kinda. Not as good as those two, and not nearly as offensive as 'Street Trash,' but this was still a fun piece of 80's trash. I mean, just the idea of people freaking out about a 'new dessert' that's going to 'replace ice cream' but isn't anything like it is so unbelievably stupid. It's like the movie just formed without anybody taking the time to write it. Worth the time if you're stoned/drunk enough.

'Buttcrack' - 1998
Yes, there really is a movie about a guy whose buttcrack turns you into a zombie when you look at it. Yes, it really features Mojo Nixon. Yes, of course, Troma released it. Almost too stupid for its meager hour-and-six-minutes length.

'Dollman' - 1991
It's not really a horror film...more of an action/thriller than anything, but you'll be glad you saw this one. Featuring Tim Thomerson (the lead in 'Trancers' and several other Charles Band productions) as a foot-high cop from another universe named Brick Bardo. It should be noted that, at this point, Full Moon didn't have the budget to properly do a film like this. Thomerson is constantly being put in odd angles in order to make his short stature seem 'realistic.' Whatever, though, this shit rules. There's barely anything going on, but Thomerson is so badass with his so-dumb-it's-smart tough guy schtick. The sequel to this pits him against the evil toys from 'Demonic Toys.' Apparently, all of these films are a sequel to 'Bad Channels,' another fantastic Full Moon feature. I can't remember exactly what it is, but Brick says something really funny to a fat kid in an elevator.

'Ice Cream Man' - 1995
This has long been one of my favorite b-movies. The lead is b-movie king Clint Howard (also Ron Howard's brother? Huh...didn't know that) and it's about an ice cream man that kills kids and then turns them into gross-ass ice cream flavors. Yes, it's VERY stupid. But it's got some great one-liners, and a carnival-esque atmosphere that's not unlike the 'Puppet Master' films. My favorite was when Clint says 'you're ice cream, kid' to a boy he's about to kill.

'Teenage Caveman' - 2002
Although there's a 50's movie with the same title, this is only very loosely based on it. From the sick mind of Larry Clark (the guy who found a 17-year-old Harmony Korine skateboarding and hired him to write his film 'Kids.'...also the guy who stole Korine's ideas for later films and did his own sleazy fuckery along the way...'Bully,' 'Wassup Rockers') comes the post-apocalyptic story of a tribe of 'cavemen' whose leader likes to be the only dude havin' any sex at all. Some of his tribe figure out that they're not really cavemen, but the remnants of modern man, who was killed off in a nuclear blast. They escape and go into the city and find some goth weirdos who make them do drugs and listen to the Misfits. Then they start exploding. No joke, that's about it. The acting is awful (as with most of Clark's films) and it's about one step away from being a porno, but that's the magic of Larry Clark. You get the feeling he's closer to the characters in his films than a 'trash' film maker like Andy Warhol or something.

'Dead Dudes in the House' - 1991
Finally, one last Troma masterpiece. Although not directed by Lloyd Kaufman, I guess this is a pretty highly-regarded flick from the Troma catalog. It's also a great instance of their tendency to exploit their own filmmakers, marketing the films however they want in order to get the most viewers. In this case, it's marketed as a 'fresh, hip-hop comedy horror.' There is NO rap music ANYWHERE in the film, and the characters are more like annoying guidos than anything. Regardless, the dialog is stupid-funny in the same way as 'Redneck Zombies' and you don't like any of the characters, so it's fun to watch 'em die. I was worried the plot would wear thin and the middle would drag too much for this to be enjoyable. I was wrong, the movie definitely plays on its strengths. Check it for sure if you can find it.




Alright, that's 31 horror movies reviewed for the month of October. I'm sure I'll watch some more before the end of the month (lots of these I haven't seen in years) and maybe they'll show up here.

Also, I tried to keep this list on the 'underground.' I figure most people who find this blog have seen the more well-known stuff I could recommend, but just in case you haven't, PLEASE watch these films:

-ALL David Cronenberg, especially 'The Fly' and 'Scanners.'
-ALL John Carpenter, specifically 'The Thing' and 'Prince of Darkness.'
-'Carnival of Souls'
-SOME Troma flicks. Namely the original 'Toxic Avenger' and 'Poultrygeist.'
-'Rosemary's Baby'
-'IT'
-'Evil Dead 2'
-The first 2 original 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' films.
-'Hellraiser' 1 and 2.
-Fucking 'Eraserhead.' I hope you've seen this.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Forte 10-12-12

Here's what I played last week on my metal show...you can listen to/download the podcast thru iTunes HERE.

Tracklist:

Type O Negative - Pyretta Blaze
Volhv - Fusion with the Tree
Within Temptation - Ice Queen
Fatal Narcosis - Valle de Bajada
O.L.D. - Special Olympics (request)
Fudge Tunnel - Sunshine of Your Love
Yellow Eyes - The Solid Chime of Matching Bone with Harder Strength
Death SS - Welcome to My Hell
Pantera - Where You Come From
Trollheim's Grott - Bizarre Troll Technology
Enslaved - Thoughts like Hammers (request)
Sveta Istina Vjestica - Eternity in Flames
Turisas - Miklagard Overture (request)
Mortuary Drape - Crepuscolar Whisper
Sleep - Dragonaut
Paradise Lost - Enchantment
Illogo - Retina-Scan
Cattle Decapitation - Applied Human Defragmentation
16 - Trigger Happy
Exorcist - Death By Bewitchment
Pig Destroyer - Naked Trees
Preyer - Terminator
Lugubrum - De Maeghere Cuecken
Slipknot - Coleslaw (Demo)
Beef Supreme - Death Shuts its Mouth
Strongblood - The Night is My Whore
Arsis - Forced to Rock (request)
Parabellum - Madre Muerte
Samael - Antigod
Gorgonized Dorks - Late Night Horror Show
Black Virgin - First to the Worst

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Outsider faves

I made this 30-song compilation of some of my favorite outsider music. Mostly, it was for a friend, but some readers will probably find this interesting. You won't find any Shaggs, Wesley Willis, Daniel Johnston, etc. here. Not that I don't enjoy that stuff, but those are the most 'well-known' outsider musicians. I like to catalog the stuff that basically no one knows, because if you're into outsider music, you should hear all these tracks.

Tracklist:

1. Hasil Adkins - She Said
2. Residents - Picnic Boy
3. Vyto B - Good and Evil Biorhythms
4. Sound Ceremony - Tobacco Man
5. Sensational - I Like Crispies
6. Simon Finn - Jerusalem
7. Eddy Detroit - Vampire
8. Dwarr - Heavy Vibrations
9. Peter Grudzien - White Trash Hillbilly Trick
10. Caroliner - 20' Tall Stacked Skeleton Growling Fat Broke
11. Stephen David Heitkotter - Fly Over the Moon
12. DJ Spanish Fly - Smokin' Onion
13. Laghonia - I'm a Nigger
14. Dean Milan - Do it Like a Dog
15. Stan Hubbs - Joe and Gina
16. Alvin Dahn - You're Driving Me Mad
17. Konrad - My Girl Likes to Buy
18. Billy R. Couvson - Ching Chong China
19. Harry Perry - Message
20. Countryside Unitarian Fellowship - No Room for You
21. Jem Targal - Luckey Guy
22. Striborg - The Dark Forest's Embrace
23. Clem Hutchins - White Cloud
24. Mark Tucker - Sandbox-Upon-Storm
25. Alex Chilton - Riding Through the Reich
26. Svaty Vincent - Rikaji o mne, ze jsem blazen
27. Jerry Solomon - They Came from Everywhere
28. Bobb Trimble - Night at the Asylum
29. Skip Spence - War in Peace
30. Kenneth Higney - Rock Star

DOWNLOAD

Friday, October 12, 2012

Forte 10-5-12

...guess I'll start puttin' these up here, if anybody is interested. This is the weekly metal show I do on WIDR FM in Kalamazoo, MI. The podcasts are available for download on iTunes HERE. You have to go to the 'RSS Feeds' tab for the most recent ones. The tracklist below, lobviously, is from 10-5-12 (last week's show).

Tracklist:

Kyuss - Thumb
Brutal Truth - Anti-Homophobe
Hellhammer - Messiah
Tukaaria - Chasms in Creation
Amorphis - Veil of Sin
Solomon Kane - The Dread
Napalm Death - Caught in a Dream
Inopexia - Arterial Blood Incoagulability
AxCx - Flower Shop Guy
Assuck - Lithographs
Grinchfinger - Untitled
AxCx - Grateful Dead
Streptococcus Pyogenes - Wegener's Granulomatosis
Macabre - Rat Man
AxCx - Bill Scott's Dumb
Chemical Tomb - Combat Witchcraft
AxCx - You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side
Mordred - In This Life
Pantera - Cemetery Gates
Danzig - Twist of Cain
Brainchild - Descend
Voivod - Mechanical Mind
Isis - Carry
The Axis of Perdition - Entangled in Mannequin Limbs
Christs Nails - Lost Soul Quest
Melvins - Ligature
OLD - PeriCynthion
Fear Factory - Dog Day Sunrise
TRTRKMMR - Lux Leti (w/ Husere Grav)
Lee Aaron - Metal Queen
Portal - Omnipotent Crawling Chaos
Phlegm - Clotheshanger Abortion
Yog Sothots - Torture in the Catacombs
Night Conquers Day - What Was and Never Shall Be Again
Gardy Loo! - Garbage Dump
Misanthropic Noise - Who Cares?
Mercynary - Repent for Your Sins
Running Wild - Bones to Ashes

Requested re-up

Here's the 'Broken Halos' compilation I uploaded a while back. Pieced together by DJ Kid Slizzard of the Twankle and Glisten blog, it's a good overview of the Three 6 Mafia's early days and all their lesser-known cohorts.

DOWNLOAD THAT SHIT HOMIE.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Obscuro podcasts cont'd x 1,000,000

Only 2 more years to get through...THEN we're finally up to date...

Episode 52 - 1-22-10 CANINUS SUCKS

Tracklist:

Brainbombs - Kill Them All
Lil Mac - I Need Wheels
Dr. Michael Dean, the Singing Hypnotist - All of Me
Black Randy and the Metrosquad - I Tell Lies Everyday
ZA! - Doble Cobra
Konrad - My Girl
Caninus - New Yorkie Crew (Loyal Like a Stone)
Black Widow - Conjuration
Wicked Witch - Erratic Behaviour
Pip Proud - Purple Boy Bang
Exuma - We Got to Go
Eddy Detroit - The Vampire
Dean Elliot - Lonesome Road
The Enemy Within (featuring Peter and Mick Green) - Stab the Knife
Jodie Foster - La Vie C'est Chouette
Hall and Reasons - Orbiting
Fire and Ice, Ltd. - The Happening
Afflicted Man - Feeling
L. Ron Hubbard - Funeral for a Planet
First Chips - Pieces
Heathen Dan - I Like
Sound Ceremony - School
R. Stevie Moore - You Love Me Do Something
Jim Shepard - Reveling Finalities
Nicodemus - Self Pity
ESG - Parking Lot Blues
Soggy - Down the Shops
Vermonster - Children of the Sun

Episode 53 - 1-29-10 TADPOLES IN THE BONGWATER

Tracklist:

Dandelions - Uncle Harry
Stone Harbour - Battleaxe
Destiny - Too Many Girls
Jim Sullivan - U.F.O.
Dennis Weise - Alien Rock
Cannabis India - Hand of the King
electric eels - Black Leather Rock
Whitewood - Victim of My Mind
Old Lady Drivers - Die in Your Beauty Sleep
Katie Lee - It Must Be Something Psychological
Wesley Willis - Al Capone
Franco Battiato - Energia
Lee Edwards - Maui Girl
Alien City - Dirty Heaven
Negativland - Drink it Up
The Two Pete's - '57 Chevrolet
Bobby Brown - My Dog is Every Bit as Good as Me
Full Dimensional - Tadpoles in the Bongwater
Shawn-Daniel Foreman - Love Inside of Sound
Dorothy Carter - The Squirrel is a Funny Thing...
King Horror - Dracula, Prince of Darkness
Vyto B - Good and Evil Biorhythms
BB Gabor - Moscow Drug Club
Little Howlin' Wolf - Sunny Come Early
Damon - The Night

Episode 54 - 2-5-10 WEIRD DUDE KEEPS CALLING

Tracklist:

Dead Horse - Rock Lobster
Roscoe Holland - For a Piece
Ashfordaisyak - Leper in a Tumbledryer
Brian Ruud - From a Bum Trip to..."The Trip Beyond" (section)
The New Creation - Wind
Selvyn Cox - His Name is Jesus
Y. Bhekhirst - Freshing Air
Chris Evans-Ironside (as Hercules) - Crablogger
Helga Minna - Auerhahn Yodel
Tommy Jay - Fear of Shadows
Nova Billy - I Was a Creep
Golden Sunrise w/ Sky Saxon and YaHoWa 13 - Atlantians
Home Boy and the C.O.L. - Funk Yourself to Death
Sun City Girls - Tell Me Something Good
Mike Rep and the Quotas - Nightwalker
QSD - Sweet Enuff
The Spoils of War - Void of Mystery/The Greyness Moves in Quietly
Oliver - In Vain
News from Babel - Auschwitz/Babel
Scum Auxiliary - Con/Text
Sainte Anthony's Fyre - Lone Soul Road
Eddy Detroit - Seed of the Oyster
Let's Go to the Zoo - Let's Go to the Zoo
The Strange - Rick's Song
Garry Higgins - Down on the Farm
Stephen David Heitkotter - Cadillac Woman
When - Extremist Cow

NOTE: As the title says, some guy was bothering me in the station this night. Apparently I put his phone number on the internet. Hahaha.

Monday, October 8, 2012

The metal is back...

Forte is officially being podcasted again....if you've got iTunes, you can stream a few new episodes.

...this is the metal show I host Friday nights on WIDR FM.

https://deimos.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/BrowsePrivately/wmich.edu.4943967467.04943967469

...will try to get these up on MixCloud, but the files are so goddamn big.

Also, a band featured in one of my Incredibly Strange Metal mixtapes got featured on this awesome metal blog, along with a shoutout.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Films 6 - October part 2

It's like I'm sayin'...

10 more for ya:

'City of the Living Dead' (aka 'Gates of Hell') - 1980
Lucio Fulci is notorious for making disgusting films, and this might be the crown jewel of his career. I mean, the movie starts with a priest hanging himself. It's got that early 80's hazy look that makes all the gore look more realistic somehow. This one's good for a party because the story is kind of hard to follow anyhow, and all that really matters are the crazy zombie scenes 'n shit.

'Re-Animator' - 1985
Stuart Gordon is responsible for directing some of the best Charles Band-produced features...like 'Pit and the Pendulum,' 'Castle Freak,' and 'From Beyond.' However, he's most known for this adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story. Actually, come to think of it, a LOT of his work is adapted from Lovecraft, which is fine by me. That being said, don't expect the creep-out gothic alien weirdness of the author's work...this is 80's trash-cinema at its best. Hilariously violent and fast-paced, this is one of the all-time greatest horror movies. The scene with flickering lights towards the end is completely fucked.

'They Live' - 1988
If you haven't seen this one, I'm very very sorry. Now, go watch pretty much ANYTHING John Carpenter makes. The greatest thing about this is the anti-establishment message...definitely responsible for a slew of paranoid ideas among unstable people. I've met several people who actually believe in this film. That being said, it's more sci-fi/action than horror, but it's so great I couldn't NOT include it. Regardless of how you feel about 'Halloween' and Carpenter's more 'commercial' output, the man can direct a great film when he wants to. Also worth seeing are 'The Thing,' 'Prince of Darkness,' and 'Escape from New York.' Fucker even writes the music for most of his films!

'The Undertaker and His Pals' - 1966
I don't normally watch the 'older' cheesy stuff because a lot of it is bad-bad, not bad-good. Plus, older b-movies seen to be booooorrrring a lot of the time. I mean, I appreciate 'Plan 9' for what it is, but damned if I didn't fall asleep every time I tried to watch it. THIS, on the other hand, is incredibly entertaining. A shady undertaker and his restaurant-owning friends go out on motorcycles and kill people so that a) the undertaker gets more business and b) the restaurant guys can serve the bodies as their 'specials' each day. Yeah, not sure how the other characters keep from questioning the absence of limbs at funerals, but there you go. The soundtrack is primarily surf-rock drum solos. Yeah. It's bonkers.

'Cemetery Man' - 1994
I wrote about this'un a while back, but seeing as I have more readers now, I want to urge you to see this film again. It's a MUST for any fan of experimental cinema, and it manages to be completely unique while also flat out enjoyable. It's like a head-on collision between the Lucio Fulci school of Italian gore flicks and artsy 'Edward Scissorhands' type stuff. It's also incredibly funny, and has great acting. Probably the only splatter/arthouse/romantic comedy film in existence.

'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' - 1986
Pitch-black biopic that's a lot more interesting than the hordes of 'serial killer' films made in the 80's. The character Henry is kind of like a composite of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Richard Ramirez, as far as 'actual-life' killers go...and yeah, he doesn't do a whole lot. He hangs out with a creepy redneck dude and his sister, and they get drunk, play cards, and sometimes kill people. None of them work, and they live in a squalid apartment. Henry DOES have a lot of morals, which seem to motivate his killings. This film reminds me a lot of 'Taxi Driver' because of its slow, meandering structure. Really artistic as far as grindhouse stuff goes. Plus, the soundtrack is cool.

'The Night Flier' - 1997
I saw this when I was really young, and don't remember much of it, but I do know it's the reason I'm always excited to see Miguel Ferrer in things. It's also based on a really cool Stephen King short story, but then again, what b-horror isn't? Guy's got a fucking monopoly on shitty films. BUT, some of the best horror films have also been adapted from his work...like 'Salem's Lot,' 'Creepshow,' and 'Carrie.' I remember this being bloody and creepy, and a shock to my already-desensitized young mind.

'Fallen' - 1998
This is another one I saw when I was younger, but I've since re-watched it and found it to be just as terrifying as when I was a kid. While being a bit more mainstream, the story is really interesting, and there are some odd comedic moments. This seems to be an early example of the 'plot twist' horror genre that M. Night Shyamalan made everyone hate so much. Plus, Denzel Washington is in it and he's pretty cool, right?

'Brain Damage' - 1988
Another classic from Frank Henelotter, the weirdo who gave us 'Basket Case' and 'Frankenhooker.' This might be my favorite of his releases. To me, 'Basket Case' always seemed like he hadn't quite figured out how to make the film he wanted on the budget he was stuck with. This one uses low-budget to its advantage, and he doesn't attempt anything he knows he can't pull off. Sure, the acting isn't that great, the effects aren't that involved, and the plot's kind of silly, but I wouldn't call this a 'cheesy' film by any means. Aside from that, the underlying message about drug abuse is thought-provoking. Look for a cameo from the 'Basket Case' brothers on the subway.

'Parents' - 1989
Actually the first horror movie I ever saw, and the first R-rated film I was allowed to rent. I was pretty disappointed as a kid when I realized this wasn't so much a horror film as a black comedy, but having re-watched it, it's a solid flick. Basically, a kid starts to get grossed out by meat and ends up thinking his parents are cannibals....really cool analogy for vegetarianism...in fact, my girlfriend claims this is exactly how she felt before becoming a vegetarian as a child. At the end, you're still not entirely sure if the parents ARE cannibals, or if the kid is just delusional....very strange film.

...11 more films to come...