Society's Fault 11-1-13 SPOOKY SHOW #2

Even FURTHER past the holiday, here's the second Halloween show we did. This one, in my opinion, might be even better. So, if you're still in the mood for some scary shit, check it out...otherwise, the next podcast will be back to the regs.

Society's Fault 11-1-13 SPOOKY SHOW #2 by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Society's Fault 10-25-13 SPOOKY SHOW #1

Welllll, it's a little late, but DEAL WITH IT. Here's the Halloween edition of Society's Fault. We actually had so much spooky material that it turned into two shows, the second of which you will hear next week. This one's got classics like the obvious 'Halloween' by Dead Kennedys, and some deep cuts like 'Ow, My Finger!' by the Screamin' Mee-Mees...also, PLENTY of horror movie clips and trailers, and satanic nonsense! Enjoy...if you DARE!

Society's Fault 10-25-13 SPOOKY SHOW #1 by Bizarrojerry on Mixcloud

Films 14 - October part 2

Alright, a week later and I've watched like 20 more movies, so here are some reviews. These are, of course, low-budget horror films in the spirit of the season.

'Twisted Issues' - 1988

This might be THE coolest punk film of all time. And that's coming from someone who grew up on shit like 'Repo Man' and 'Suburbia' (the cool one, not the shitty 90's one.) Yes, it's shot-on-video, and uses members of the Gainesville, FL punk scene as actors, but if those aren't immediate turnoffs for you, then you should definitely check this out. What started as a documentary on Florida punk turned into a splatter-film involving a power struggle between two bizarre godlike characters (one who spends his time watching TV and taking turns with his girlfriend at murdering each other), a resurrected straight-edge skater, and plenty of stoned and drunk debauchery. It's much more intelligent than your average SOV flick, and a hell of a lot more fun, too. And, it's got a GREAT soundtrack of mid-80's Gainesville punk. Look out for the 'butt people.' You'll see what I mean. Oh yeah, get it from director Charles Pinion himself because he's a swell dude.

'The Bloody Video Horror That Made Me Puke On My Aunt Gertrude' - 1989

Yes, that's the real title of those messy SOV flick. And, as most other reviews will tell you, it's not really all that bloody, and it's just barely a horror film. It's got awful production values and REALLY bad acting, but that's not a reason to avoid it. In my opinion, this is is the movie 'Clerks' would have been if Randall had written and directed it instead of Kevin Smith. It concerns a snarky, lazy video store employee who rents out some equipment to a weird middle-eastern guy who uses it to make a snuff film. Then, for some reason, he accidentally leaves his video in the recorder. To cover his tracks, he kills the young man's boss. Said boss had trouble with the mob, so the video store guy assumes it's the mob who killed his boss, so HE kills a mob guy. There are some ridiculous plot twists I won't give away, but suffice to say most of the film consists of the lazy dude saying mean shit to his boss and being a dick to customers. Whatever the case, from the typed cast list at the beginning to the half-assed ending, this is a film that really doesn't care if you like it or not. I love stuff like this, because when else but the 80's could movies like this end up on the shelves of video stores? It's about an hour-ten, and I didn't feel like I totally wasted a night by watching it. In fact, I'll probably watch it again. Oh yeah, the director also did that awful 'Vampiyaz' movie that Something Awful made fun of a while back. The more you know.

'Things' - 1989

This is what happens when drunk, stoned and demented backwoods Canadian dudes make a splatter-horror film. It has nothing to do with the 'real' world, and makes about as much sense as 'Eraserhead,' but with a room of friends, you can't go wrong with this one. So, you've got a couple guys from 'New York' (yeah, sure) who visit one of their brothers in backwoods Canada. His wife is pregnant, so they need to be quiet, which doesn't really make sense because it seems like they are visiting for a weekend of beer-drinking and partying. Then, she gives birth to some weird insect creatures (which subsequently kill her) and all hell breaks loose. Well, kind of. See, none of the characters really appear to give a shit about this, and they continue to drink, say weird things, make sandwiches, and play tricks on each other the whole time. One guy disappears 'into the 4th dimension' but is back later for no reason. Another guy gets killed at least a few times, but is unphased by it. And, the whole thing is scored with some seriously weird synth music. Yeah. It's fucked. Definitely one of the strangest things I've ever seen, and perfect if you want a horror movie but don't want to deal with all the gore, because it's really not that bad. It's also the first straight-to-video horror flick to come out of Canada, which the director seems REALLY proud of.

'Alien Dead' - 1980

Early effort from trash-god Fred Olen Ray, who also did 'Scalps.'  and like a million other trashy horror flicks. Unfortunately, this one isn't nearly as weird or well-done as 'Scalps,' and it was actually pretty boring. I fell asleep and didn't catch the ending. Oh well. From what I remember, it has to do with some rednecks huntin' gators and instead finding some weird radioactive aliens who kill them. That's about it. There are lots of better films with similar plots, but if you're a fan of Ray's work, it's worth checking out.

'Slaughterhouse' - 1987

One of my all-time favorite slashers. This film scared the shit out of me when I was ten, but now it's just kinda silly in the way that 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2' is. In fact, it's pretty similar to that film thematically, though not as funny and original. It's about a fat, mentally handicapped guy named Buddy whose dad runs a failing slaughterhouse. While his dad wants to keep things 'old-fashioned,' some slaughterhouse corporate fatcats (I guess there's probably such a thing...?) are trying to buy him out and turn it into a 'modern' slaughterhouse. Or something like that. The dad foolishly gives Buddy a giant butcher knife for his birthday (oh, dad!) and Buddy proceeds to kill all his dad's enemies, and any teenagers that get in his way (and there are plenty.) A good-time, down-home slasher for ya if you've watched things like 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Friday the 13th' too many times.

'Terror Toons' - 2002

Okay, finally into some more 'recent' stuff I guess. I tend to only watch older stuff, so I steered clear of this one for a while (especially since it's a no-budget horror film about evil puppets) but oh man was I wrong to do so. This is one of the most original trash-flicks I've seen in a long time, and director Joe Castro does incredibly with the little he has. The story is pretty simple...a girl's parents are gone for the weekend, so she watches a cartoon video while her sister parties with dudes. The cartoons come out of the TV and kill them all. Hilarity ensues. And yes, this is a hilarious film, and intentionally so. It's also very weird and colorful, and has been described as a bizarro-world version of a Tex Avery cartoon (live-action style, that is.) It's got lots of old-school computer animation and off-color jokes. It reminds me of something Charles Band would cook up, if he was smoking PCP nonstop.alien d

Films 13 - October part 1

Welllll, it's that time of the year again, and these posts seem to be the most popular, so here's a few more oddball horror flicks to watch around Halloween-time. I might throw together another 'sounds of fall' list too, so look out for that, I guess. Or don't.

'Killing Spree' - 1987

In the 9th 'films' post, I reviewed a flick called 'Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness.' It was an odd mess of a slasher flick made by Tim Ritter and featured a guy getting into increasingly violent games of truth or dare with everyone he meets. Ritter apparently has SEVERAL similar films, and all of them seem equally entertaining. There are about 5 sequels to the 'Truth or Dare' movie as well. Unfortunately, the only other one of his movies I could track down was this 1987 low-budget oddity. Well, not 'unfortunately' really because it's completely awesome. If anything, it's weirder and more disjointed than 'Truth or Dare,' but with a slightly lower budget. He kinda promotes these monsters like they're 'regular' slasher flicks, which I don't understand how anyone could fall for...I mean, everything is just so WRONG. It's similar in plot to 'Truth or Dare,' in that a guy catches his wife cheating and goes ape shit. However, he doesn't 'really' catch her cheating because he just keeps finding her diary. Then he kills all of her supposed lovers, and punches out a few random beach bums for no reason. Woops, turns out she was just writing steamy romance stories(!). So, keep in mind it's a fairly 'reality'-based slasher...no supernatural elements...until all the dead people randomly come back to life halfway through. Yeah. It's nuts. See it at once. Don't worry, I didn't ruin the plot for you, because it's completely see-through the whole time. But yeah, this one's totally great.

'Dead Ringers' - 1988

Here's a Cronenberg flick for ya. I never saw this one back in the day. Don't know why, because I've always loved 'Videodrome' and 'Scanners.' Just got lost in the shuffle. Anyways, it's pretty good. Not the best he's done. Kinda slow and boring in parts, but it's an interesting story. I guess it's more of a 'psychological drama' than a true horror film, but it's got some pretty terrifying parts. Two twin brothers share lives until an actress chick gets in the way and one falls in love with her. Then, one gets strung out on drugs while the other one gets more successful. Then he also gets strung out on drugs because why not? They're also gynecologists, but it's not a super-gross film or anything. That might've been what put me off this one initially, knowing Cronenberg's tendency for splatter. It's pretty tame by his standards. Probably won't watch it again. Oh well. He still rules.

'Demon City Shinjuku' - 1988

Never really thought of putting an anime horror in one of these lists, so here's the first. This is a slow-burning, menacing flick. Kind of a 'traditional' anime-horror plot...city is possessed by evil, one guy has to stop it, turns out it's family-related. But, it's particularly well-done, and it's got some real imaginative animation.

'Eyes of Fire' - 1983

This is one of the most interesting 'gothic' horror flicks I've ever seen. It's got a pretty low budget, too, but you really can't tell. It plays like a cross between a slightly less surreal 'El Topo' and 'Salem's Lot.' It's a pre-revolution era story about some colonist folks who live in a super-puritanical village in the south. The town preacher is sleeping with some lady who he's giving a home to while her husband is out exploring, and the rest of the town doesn't play that shit, so they try to hang him. He's got a mute supernatural girl on his side, though, and she helps him out. Then, they all decide to leave the town so they don't get killed. They end up in a weird abandoned town out in the woods which the preacher says is 'perfectly alright' to stay in. It's not, however, and some evil spirits who live inside trees start messing with them. Acid-weirdness ensues. I'd say watch this one alone. It's actually pretty frightening, and has a lot of cool visuals, mostly thanks to the director's photography experience. He did that one Tragically Hip album cover with the dog on it. This one's really good, definitely need to re-watch it a few times.

...that's it for now...I'll put some more up once I watch more movies.

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.

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...

Films 5 - October part 1

Here's some more movies for y'all to check out. What I'm thinking is that I'll post 31 films for the month of October...a horror movie for each night. These'll be the first ten to get things going.

'Body Melt' - 1993

A really trashy Australian flick. I would put this in the same class as 'Street Trash' or 'Dead Alive' as far as trashiness goes. Basically, some big corporation is testing a new chemical (that will supposedly advance the human species) on a suburban housing development, with disgusting consequences. The humor is gonzo and offbeat, and there's enough gore to make it a cult horror classic.

'Where the Dead Go to Die' - 2012

Okay, before you're turned off by the 2012 release date, this is one of the most completely fucked movies EVER released. Let me give you the backstory: This film was made by an ex-Juggalo rapper on his PlayStation animation software. Yes. It obviously should be the most laughably bad thing ever, but look up the trailer on YouTube. The animation might be rudimentary and the voice-acting sub-par, but this is a really really REALLY creepy and psychedelic thing which (if you can get past some pretty disturbing subject matter) will blow your mind. A document of true 'outsider' filmmaking.

'Lost Highway' - 1997

Pretty much David Lynch's only 'straight' horror flick. I mean, it's still a Lynch film which means the plot makes little to no sense on the surface and everything is just completely wrong, but it IS terrifying. Especially Robert Blake. Maybe a little too slow and atmospheric for your basic horror audience, but I highly recommend it, especially if you're unfamiliar with Lynch's work as it's a great starting point.

'Slime City' - 1988

Another one in line with 'Street Trash.' This one's not quite as funny, but it's still a low-budget movie about 80's cokeheads melting into puddles.

'Blood Diner' - 1987

TERRIFIC splatter-horror-comedy. I've heard somewhere that this was deliberately intended to piss off a film studio. It certainly seems that way, as the humor is racy (and often racist) and the deaths are gleefully offensive. I'd have to cite the fat guy getting choke-slammed until he pukes the best part of this film. The story? Oh yeah...you've got some brothers whose dead uncle was a crazy satanist. Now they've re-animated him, but they have to create a Frankenstein-style female monster for his spirit to inhabit. They also run a vegetarian restaurant that isn't really vegetarian, they just feed dead folks to a bunch of yuppies. Everything about this rules, and you won't be bored for even five minutes.

'Videodrome' - 1983

I love, love, love David Cronenberg's films. 'Scanners' is probably his scariest film, but you just can't fuck with this one. Surreal like a Lynch film, but not as alienating, this is one wild ride. Sure, it's a comment on violence in the media and its effect on the mind, but it's got gun-arms, insane television hosts and a guy being sucked into a TV as well.

'Dead Alive' - 1992

I would hope most of ya have seen this one, or at least have heard of it, but if not, here goes: Before he was the money-generating Hollywood director of 'Lord of the Rings,' 'King Kong,' etc. Peter Jackson did low-budget splatter films in his homeland of New Zealand. This is the second of these, and the best. Jackson has gone on record saying that most of his modest budget went to fake blood and guts. It shows. This is perhaps the most violent movie I've ever seen, and that's considering it was one of the first horror films I saw in junior high. You just can't top this. The comedy is goofy and off-beat, the blood is ridiculous, and above all Peter Jackson is an amazing filmmaker no matter what he does.

'The Dunwich Horror' - 1970

I wasn't overly impressed by this, but it IS an H.P. Lovecraft story, and a pretty faithful adaptation. Plus, Electric Wizard liked it enough to write a cool song about it. Definitely a high point in the late 60's/early 70's 'psychedelic' horror style. 'Suspiria' is better, though, but I already wrote about that one.

'Real Killers' - 1996

Apparently this film is also known as 'Killers,' but the copy I rented back in high school had the 'Real Killers' title. I figured it was a big-budget thing, but as I'm now researching it, it seems like it was a barely-released independent feature. I can't find much info on it. It's an exploration of the media's glorification of violence and its effect on youth. I think this was directly inspired by the Menendez brothers who killed their parents for no reason. This film, if you can find it, has one of the craziest fucking twists ever.

'Shrunken Heads' - 1994

I mentioned this one before in my review of 'Forbidden Zone.' That film, the only one made by the Oingo Boingo troupe (before they became a band) is like a Rocky Horror Picture Show/Eraserhead hybrid. This one is definitely Richard Elfman's project, not his brother Danny's. Sure, Danny scored the film, but it's fucked-up in an entirely different way than that fellow's projects. The first half of the movie plays like some no-name 80's kid's film...like 'Space Camp' or some such bullshit....everything is soft-focus, the heroes are a trio of young boys, and it's all about comics and stopping bullies and shit like that. Then, they die. Then, their friend Mr. Sumatra (a voodoo priest apparently) resurrects them as shrunken heads. THEN the real movie starts. I can't really describe this one...it's a very odd picture...the happy-go-lucky 50's vibe stays throughout the rest of it, but it's also offensive, demented, violent, and a lot more artful than most b-grade flicks. Also, it's a Charles Band production (Full Moon) which automatically means it's worth seeing.

I'll definitely be back with more of these...