The Rage Carrie 2 (1999) VHS Movie Review

by AnalogJonesTOFNovember 1, 2018

The Rage Carrie 2 (1999) VHS Movie Review

Every podcast thinks terrible thoughts and this week those terrible thoughts are about The Rage: Carrie 2. Analog Jones is joined by The Jersey Ghouls to review this over the top 90’s horror film.

The Rage: Carrie 2 was released into theaters on March 12, 1999. The budget was $21 million, and the movie made $17.8 million in the box office.

Directed by Katt Shea
Produced by Paul Monash
Written by Rafael Moreu
Based on Carrie by Stephen King

The Rage: Carrie 2 Cast
Emily Bergl as Rachel Lang
Jason London as Jesse Ryan
Dylan Bruno as Mark Bing
J. Smith Cameron as Barbara Lang
Amy Irving as Sue Snell
Zachery Ty Bryan as Eric Stark

The Rage: Carrie 2 Trailers
The World is Not Enough (James Bond)
The James Bond 007 Collection
The Mod Squad (1999)
Blast From the Past
Rocky Marciano
The Lesser Evil
The Corruptor

The Rage: Carrie 2 Plot
Barbara Lang has schizophrenia and is locked up in a mental institution called Arkham Asylum. Rachel has to live with foster parents.

Years later, Rachel talks with her best friend Lisa, who has lost her virginity to Eric, a football player. The football players have a game where they sleep with girls and receive points. After Eric rejects her, Lisa commits suicide. Her death ignites Rachel’s dormant telekinetic powers.

Rachel discovers a photo of Lisa and Eric. She tells school guidance counselor Sue Snell and Sheriff Kelton that Lisa and Eric slept together. Kelton looks into charging Eric with statutory rape.

Walter, Rachel’s Basset Hound dog, is hit by a car, but Jesse drives by and takes the dog to an animal hospital. They have coffee while Walter is recovering.

Eric, Mark and several other football players learn that Rachel had a photo of Eric and Lisa together and gave it to Sheriff Kelton. They pay Rachel a visit at her house to intimidate her into not talking, but her powers stop them.

Sue Snell meets with Rachel and learns Rachel is telekinetic. Snell shows Rachel the original high school from Carrie (1976) that she survived, but 70 people died in the fire that Carrie White started.

The Senior D.A. covers up the statutory rape because of the political influence of the wealthy families. Encouraged, Mark plots to humiliate Rachel for what she did to Eric. He apologizes to Jesse and offers his parents’ cabin so Jesse can spend the night with Rachel. Rachel loses her virginity, both unaware that a hidden video camera is filming them.

Rachel goes to a party, and the popular kids reveal their sex game that she is a part of, which triggers Rachel’s telekinesis and unleashes the rage in her. Rachel closes the doors, kills most of the party goers, including Sue Snell in a horrific display of power. Rachel gets crushed by a piece of the house, Jesse says he loves her and she saves him.

A year later, Jesse is at college, sharing his room with Rachel’s dog, Walter. Jesse dreams Rachel approaches him in his dorm. When he walks towards her, she shatters into pieces in a very odd ending.

Behind the Scenes of The Rage: Carrie 2
Original the script was titled The Curse and was stalled for two years. When the film started to shoot in 1998 it was retitled to Carrie 2: Say You’re Sorry.

A few weeks into production the first director Robert Mandel quit over creative differences, and Katt Shea took over.

Buy the double feature with the 2002 TV version of Carrie and The Rage: Carrie 2 by Scream Factory.

Come back next week when we review Heart and Souls (1993).

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Email us at analogjonestof@gmail.com with any comments or questions!

Geekscape’s Guide to Scream Factory’s SDCC Title Announcements

by SaintmortJuly 21, 2017

As the host of the Horror Movie Night podcast I find it important to say that I’ve seen a lot of horror movies. As a long time fan of horror flicks there are few companies that make my insides tingle quite the way that Scream Factory does. I’ve been blessed to get to chat with Jeff from Scream Factory on multiple occasions (check out the most recent one here).

Tonight at the giant Shout/Scream Factory announcement panel we found out just a few movies coming out near the end of the year. Now keep in mind, this is hot off the heels of the Poughkeepsie Tapes announcement. Since Scream Factory’s acquisition of that particular title was so mind blowing to every horror fan in the world, it’s impossible for any announcement to surpass it. But they definitely still had some big surprises for us.

One last thing to mention is that Shout Factory Select will be releasing Mac & Me and Matinee on Blu-Ray. Both of these easily would have been right at home with Scream Factory but so long as we get lots of special features and maybe a Paul Rudd commentary on Mac & Me then I’m happy enough.

Alright let’s dive in:
Attack of the Puppet People – This is a weird announcement. I remember I saw this film once and it’s a fun dumb 50’s sci-fi horror movie. It’s nothing overly special but it’s got that old timey charm that I can’t resist. I’m definitely curious and invested in seeing this one again as it’s been over a decade since I’ve seen it.

Eye of the Cat – Not only is this the only film announced that I’ve never seen, I’ve never heard of it. It is from the writer of Psycho though so I’m a little interested. The fact that it’s never ever received a home video release makes it even more intriguing.

Darkman 2 and 3 – So this is one that I find to be a fun announcement but not anything I’m particularly stoked for. I recently rewatched the trilogy and while I find the original to be a complete masterpiece the sequels really lack the style and charm that Sam Raimi brought to the table. While I am not a fan of the films, I am curious what special features Scream Factory will include to draw me in.

American Gothic – At the panel this one got almost no response. This is infuriating. This is probably the announcement I was most excited about tonight. American Gothic is a genuinely early and bizarre (but memorable as hell) horror film from the late 80s/early 90s. This should be the top of your “to get” list.

Cyborg: Collector’s Edition – You hear that sound? That’s the sound of Jonathan London crapping himself at this news. The Jean Claude Van Damme classic is getting an elaborate collector’s edition release and the entire Geekscape family could not be more thrilled about it.

Misery: Collector’s Edition – If you were to create a list of the greatest Stephen King adaptations and you didn’t put Misery on your list… then your list is incorrect. As douchey as it feels to type that, it’s true. Misery is a masterpiece of film-making and one of the most faithful adaptations of King’s work. Despite all that (and some awards) the DVD release is bland and mostly featureless. It’s fantastic news that Scream Factory is gonna give us the release we have needed.

Drag Me to Hell: Collector’s Edition – When this film came out I heard so many people speaking poorly of it. I was blown away when I finally got to see it just how fun it was. The energy never let’s go and it’s arguably one of Raimi’s best. While it’s DVD release isn’t lacking in features; I have faith that Scream Factory will make this release a must by (much like Slither).

The Strangers: Collector’s Edition – The Strangers is one of the movies that scared the piss out of me. It’s a beautifully paced and understated film. I have no words for how excited I am to see what Scream Factory has up their sleeve for this release.

Silent Night Deadly Night: Collector’s Edition – The big final announcement, the christmas “classic”. Every DVD and Blu-Ray release has been … fairly tame. I’m ready for Scream Factory to blow us away. In my heart of hearts I hope this leads to release from the rest of the franchise. The infamous Part 2 is not particularly easy to find and Part 5 is an under appreciated masterpiece. This is going to be a big release and i Hope it’s as huge as it felt when it was announced.

The Saint Mort Show Episode 142: Ben of Funhouse Massacre and Jeff of Scream Factory

by SaintmortAugust 9, 2016

The Saint Mort Show makes a triumphant return with two interviews from San Diego Comic Con. Matt sat down with Ben the writer/director of The Funhouse Massacre and Jeff from Scream Factory. If you’re a horror buff this is the podcast for you!

If you’re curious where I’ve been I’ve been working on my new podcast Horror Movie Club. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and Geekscape.net!

Follow Saint Mort on Facebook and Twitter and SoundCloud.

If you really like the show get Matt something nice off his AmazonWishList

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SDCC 2016: Scream Factory Announces 13 Titles At Comic-Con!

by SaintmortJuly 25, 2016

There have been a lot of great of announcements that have come out of San Diego Comic Con this week, but if you’re a horror movie fan the one you’re most likely losing your collective shit over is the 13 movies that Scream Factory announced at their panel on Friday Night.

I’m going to attempt my best to break down these titles but some of them are films even I haven’t had a chance to look into. Let’s begin with the movies that are going to be getting official “COLLECTOR’S EDITION” treatment.

First up is the Don Coscarelli/Bruce Campbell masterpiece Bubba Ho-Tep. I remember when this movie was still a traveling title going from theater to theater. Over a two year period I saw it on three different occasions, and it has always been one of my all-time favorite horror-comedies. I know my mind is swimming with what type of amazing bonus features we will get on this release.

Next we can get excited for Black Christmas from 1974. This is to many people (myself included) the original Slasher movie and I’d argue one of the best. Without Black Christmas, there’s a good chance we’d have no Halloween. The original DVD’s had some pretty good special features so we can expect that not only will Scream Factory provide us with those features but I’m banking on some amazing new features as well.

In one of the more shocking announcements we’re getting individual collectors editions for Poltergeist II and III. Typically these films are most often found included in double feature releases with no bonus features so I’m excited to see what Scream Factory has been able to un-earth for us to justify these sequels with individual collector edition releases. If I’m placing bets I expect these two fan-favorite sequels to be the big sleeper hits of this list of releases.

Finally in the Collector’s Edition releases not one but TWO Cronenberg announcements, 1988’s Dead Ringers and 1977’s Rabid. I’ve heard good things about Dead Ringers but haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it yet but Rabid is a favorite of mine that has yet to find its way into my collection. I’m glad that Scream Factory is giving me an affordable collector’s edition to add to my wall.

Killer rat films Willard and Ben are going to be coming to DVD & Blu-Ray after years of being rare and hard to find. Ben is fantastic film that I was finally able to see after stumbling upon a used VHS years ago but I’m excited that I will finally have the opportunity to see the infamous 1971 Willard (as well as see how it compares to the Crispin Glover remake).

In the realm of double features Scream Factory is finally adding Slumber Party Massacre 2 and 3 to their roster. Not only should you make this a must-own (for the masterpiece that is Slumber Party Massacre 2 alone) but also get the stellar release of the original Slumber Party Massacre that was released a few years back by Scream Factory.

https://youtu.be/LkLjFXhO5wU

The last two films that I’m not familiar with are 1987’s Dead of Winter (starring Mary Steenburgen and Roddy McDowell) and 1970’s The House That Screamed. While I’m not familiar with either of these titles, last year Scream Factory introduced Blood & Lace into my life and it is now one of my favorite early slasher films. Since Scream Factory rarely disappoints I’m excited to see how fun these two films end up being.

Between the recent release of Bad Moon and the upcoming releases of titles like Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Session 9 and Psycho IV it’s safe to say that Scream Factory is horror’s gift that just keeps on giving.

Matt Kelly is the longest contributing writer of Geekscape, mostly because no other sites what him. However Geekscape throws him an olive branch and allows him to host two podcasts The Saint Mort Show and Horror Movie Night. He also is an active blogger and loves wrestling, shitty horror movies, and writing mini-bios about himself.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare: ‘Jeepers Creepers’ Blu-Ray

by SaintmortJune 20, 2016

Let’s address the elephant in the room first and foremost, Victor Salva is a bad man. For those of you who don’t know in 1988 Victor directed a horror film called Clownhouse. During production of the movie he raped and molested the 12 year old star of the movie, he also videotaped the encounters.

Salva was sentenced to 3 years in prison but only served 15 months. After keeping a low profile for a few years he returned to filmmaking and made Powder and gained more controversy because Disney had hired a known sex offender to make one of their films.

This is all important back-ground for going into Jeepers Creepers. The movie weirdly feels like a man’s confession. The Creeper is basically a predator of young men. He finds parts of them that he likes and he can not be stopped once he has that taste. At one point he is caught sniffing Justin Long’s clothing. It’s all just bizarre, creepy and unsettling.

Unfortunately for those who can’t separate a creator for his work… it’s actually a pretty well made horror film. The opening 10 minutes is well paced (and inspired from an episode of Unsolved Mysteries)… the Creeper’s House of Pain is an amazingly impressive set-piece and the Creeper is a unique and terrifying creature.

It definitely drags in the middle and the Creeper looks more like the Wishmaster than anything else but the final sequence is unsettling and will stick in your memory forever.   Jeepers Creepers (as well as its sequel) were both released today on Blu-Ray from Scream Factory. Scream Factory has given us an excellent double disc release featuring two commentary tracks and tons of interviews and behind the scenes features.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – ‘Disturbing Behavior’ AND ‘Cherry Falls’ Blu-Rays

by SaintmortMarch 21, 2016

It seems as though late 90’s teen slashers are the new hot topic over at Scream Factory, as this month they’re releasing not one but two forgotten gems of the genre.

Today they have released Disturbing Behavior on Blu-Ray. While far from my favorite of these slasher films, there’s still a few things to love in this movie – specifically anything involving the two stoner characters.

The movie is a pseudo remake of a Canadian film called Strange Behavior which I’d go ape-shit over if it was released on Blu-Ray by Scream Factory. Both films follow a small town where any students who are “free thinkers” are slowly transformed into ‘good kids’.

These good kids however tend to have weird laser eyes and slight murderous tendencies. The movie is fun but far from good. However the Blu-Ray is packed with enough fun additions (including a great commentary track) to make this worth adding to your movie collection.

However the better purchase is coming out next week with the release of the criminally underrated Cherry Falls.

Cherry Falls is a slasher film and a parody of a slasher film at once. It’s very similar to Scream in that sense.

The movie plays off the trope about having sex. In this movie instead of the killer attacking you for having sex, you get slashed for not having sex. When news spreads that the killer is only targeting virgins a group of high school students organize a pop-your-cherry party to save their own lives.

The film is funny, witty and packed full of great scares and laughs. I stumbled upon this once on TV and remembered enjoying it but thanks to Scream Factory you can enjoy every amazing moment of this film. Just like Disturbing Behavior it is packed with some great special features (including commentary, behind the scenes footage and even a copy of the original screenplay).

It’s absolutely a must-have for any serious horror fan.

Cherry Falls is now available for pre-order as well as the double feature release of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Dunwich Horror”. Both films are available on March 29th.

Saint Mort’s Top 10 Scream Factory Releases of 2015!

by SaintmortDecember 29, 2015

Scream Factory is easily my favorite DVD/Blu-Ray distributor out there. They put out these top-quality Collector’s Editions of incredible films from the past and present. Sometimes they’re releasing films we’ve all heard of and other times it’s forgotten hidden gems.   There are plenty of other companies that do this, but Scream Factory’s releases tend to have this extra special care put into them. I frequently purchase films from them, as well as get movies in the mail to review for this site.

I’ve compiled this little list of the Top 10 releases that Scream Factory brought us in 2015. All 10 of this are must haves in a horror buff’s collection.

#10 – Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits

Vampire’s Kiss is pretty infamous for being a Nicholas Cage movie with Cage at his Cageiest (and trust me … it is), but it’s also a pretty decent movie. It plays out almost like a vampire version of American Psycho, where you can’t tell if this man is undead or just bored. However that is not the reason why I love this set, it’s actually because of the 2nd film, High Spirits. I had never heard of this haunted house/family film before and it was a real treat. Just a funny, sweet, and charming little forgotten flick.

#9 – New Year’s Evil

In the 80’s pursuit to make a slasher film out of every holiday there had to be at least one inspired by New Year’s. The film is a weird one; it’s not particularly good, and the kills aren’t anything to write home about, but yet I love it anyway. What the movie lacks in quality kills it more than makes up in an absurd premise, a killer soundtrack and a pretty bad-ass slasher mask.

#8 – Troll/Troll 2

As far as a great buy you will watch over and over again… this Troll double feature is a must have. Not only does it include both of the Troll films (including the infamously terrible sequel) but it comes with the amazing documentary Best Worst Movie.

We give a lot of attention to house truly insane the sequel is, but I think we over-look how equally bat-shit the original is. Take some time to revisit both (as well as one of the best documentaries about filmmaking).

#7 – The Sentinel

Scream Factory isn’t all about the shlock. The Sentinel is a 70’s masterpiece filled with good gore, a creepy premise, some fantastic make-up and an amazing performance from Burgess Meredith. It’s everything that made these atmospheric haunted house films from the 70’s so beautiful. This low-budget and tragically forgotten gem feels like a mix between Rosemary’s Baby and The Beyond. Few films on the rest of this list come more genuinely recommended than this one.

#6 – Cellar Dweller/Catacombs

Catacombs is a pretty decent movie and I know plenty of people who considered it the better of these two films, but I will always be thankful to Scream Factory for putting Cellar Dweller into my life. The whole movie is pretty great but the first 10 minutes featuring Jeffery Combs and a killer monster from a cartoon he drew is just good fun.

#5 – Mad Max

Hot on the heels of the sleeper hit that was Fury Road, Scream Factory was able to release and amazing Mad Max Blu-Ray. The original Mad Max is the slowest and least bonkers of the franchise. I didn’t like it when I first saw it… but Scream Factory’s beautiful transfer returns the film to the legendary status of it’s sequels.

#4 – Carrie/The Rage Carrie 2

Be warned… this is not the original Carrie film. It is a combination of a made-for-TV movie that is … interesting but not very good and the criminally underrated The Rage: Carrie II. I Put off seeing this sequel for years until Scream Factory forced my hand by sending me a copy to review. It is probably one of my favorite movies I discovered this year. It’s super 90’s and left me feeling nostalgia towards a film I’d never even seen. The deaths at the end are brutal and fun and the performances range from good to great. It’s never going to be better than the original but I don’t think it was ever trying to be.

#3 – The People Under the Stairs

Beyond all reason, this is my favorite Wes Craven movie. You can have your Freddy, you can watch The Last House on the Left, you can have Ghost-face and the clan from The Hills Have Eyes, I’ll keep my crazy rich people in S&M gear. I rented this movie as a kid because I thought it was a completely different film (It wasn’t until years later I found out the movie I was looking for was the borderline unwatchable Saturday the 14th Strikes Back) and was so confused by it. However I couldn’t stop watching it. When I heard that Scream Factory was putting it out on Blu-Ray I knew I had to own it. They didn’t disappoint in any way shape of form. This is a top quality Blu-Ray of one of the most bizarre films ever unleashed on society.

#2 – Blood & Lace

When I requested Scream Factory send me a review copy of this movie it was because I mistakenly thought it was Blood & Black Lace. I was moderately disappointed when I realized I had been mistaken, but immediately the disappointment washed away when I watched the movie. What impresses me the most about this movie is that it’s so unknown. It’s a slasher film from 1971 that has the “Killer POV” shot a good 3 years before Black Christmas and 7 years before Halloween made the shot a famous troupe. The film is far from perfect but it’s fun and contains one of the craziest endings in slasher history (up there with Pieces).

#1 – Class of 1984

Adam from Horror Movie Night loves this movie. One of my earliest memories of him was him getting me to watch this movie and being disappointed I didn’t adore it. I enjoyed it, I just… didn’t love it. Than I saw that Scream Factory had released it on Blu-Ray and decided to buy it and give it a second chance… I’m glad I did. This film is full of colors, 80’s punks, over the top violence, and pure insanity. It’s exploitation at its finest.

It looks like 2016 is going to be another great year for Scream Factory we can look forward to releases like a double feature of The Curse and The Curse 2, Disturbing Behavior, Cherry Falls, Death Becomes Her, Manhunter, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II & Return of the Living Dead (just to name a few). If I can offer some requests I’d love to one day see My Best Friend is a Vampire, Alligator & Alligator II: The Mutation, Mom and Dad Save the World and The Brian all eventually get the loving Scream Factory treatment.

Matt Kelly is one of the hosts of Horror Movie Night, has a daily blog called Every Damn DVD and thinks you should totally buy him something off his amazon wishlist.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgic Nightmare – The Sentinel Blu-Ray

by SaintmortSeptember 27, 2015

The Sentinel is one of the better releases in Scream Factory history. This isn’t a diss to Scream Factory. I love the fact that because of them I owe schlocky gold like Motel Hell and Shocker. If not for Scream Factory my life wouldn’t have Phantom of the Paradise in it, that alone is enough reason for me to feel I owe my entire existence to the Scream Factory Gods.

What I mean is that The Sentinel is art. It’s this little rarely talked about gem that should be looked at through the same lens as classics like Rosemary’s Baby and The Shining. Yet we never talk about it.

The Sentinel is a classic horror filled with beautiful cinematograhy, freaky practical effects, a great twist ending and fantastic acting. The final sequence is genuinely freaky and super effective.

The film follows Alison Parker who rents a brownstone house divided into apartments. While there weird things begin to occur with the various “neighbors”. It’s not long before she begins realizing something weird is occurring in the house.

This little film has an impressive cast including Chris Sarandon, Burgess Meredith, Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum (just to name a few). The transfer from Scream Factory just makes the movie ever more beautiful.

If you’ve never seen the Sentinel there’s no better time than now. This Blu-Ray also contains two commentary tracks as well as an interview with assistant director Ralph S. Singleton. Pick up your copy today.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – ‘People Under the Stairs’ Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortAugust 12, 2015

Back in the late 1990’s, when a young Matt Kelly was first discovering his love of horror movies as well the resourcefulness of the internet, he began a quest to find a movie he saw as a child. The movie I was searching for involved a kid moving into a house and the only details I remember were (1) smoke coming out of the vents (2) a couch ate someone (3) a kid getting trapped in a basement.

Now it turns out this movie was Saturday the 14th Strikes Back which wasn’t a good movie… but I didn’t find that out for many years. The first movie someone suggested it might be was People Under the Stairs. Now if you’re familiar with this movie you know that only 1 of those 3 things actually happened. So this was also my first lesson in the unreliablity of the internet.

I could not figure out what to make of this movie. I didn’t like it but yet… I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Was it a comedy? Was it a horror? Few films made me feel the way that People Under the Stairs made me feel. I watched it repeatedly.

As the years went by my love for this movie grew and grew. I was obsessed with its quirks. I’ve met a small handful of people who adore this movie with the same origin story as myself, but most hate it.

Rewatching this movie in its beautiful Scream Factory transfer just further reminded me of how much I love this movie. It’s a creepy flick with a wicked sense of humor. As far as Wes Craven’s “lesser” films I think this one is his hidden masterpiece.

Scream Factory really did this Blu-Ray right. Beyond its great transfer they have finally given us a commentary track so that you can hear Wes Craven explain this insane film to us, as well as a commentary from the cast.

There’s also lots of Behind-The-Scenes footage and interviews with everyone from the actors, the special effects team, the composer and the director of photography.

People Under the Stairs is available by Scream Factory today!

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare “Cellar Dweller & Catacombs” Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortJuly 13, 2015

It feels so great to be back! Welcome once again to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare! This week I’ll be reviewing Scream Factory’s Double Feature release of Cellar Dweller and Catacombs. This will be my first time watching both of these films but I’ve heard good things for both of titles so I’m kind of excited.

Before a single credit comes on the screen we are introduced to Jeffery Combs playing a comic book artists in 1958. Suddenly his comic monster comes to life (along with the comic victim). it immediately reminded me of the Korman’s Kalamity episode of Tales from the Crypt (although the movie pre-dates that episode by a few years). Combs’ role is short lived but he manages to take the cellar dweller down with him. Flash forward to present day (1988) and another animator accidentally brings the Cellar Dweller back endangering herself and her friends.

This movie was a ton of fun to watch. It’s a quick film (a brisk 77 minutes) and fairly funny. The Cellar Dweller looks pretty good as far as low-budget creature effects go and the acting isn’t as bad as you’d expect from such low-budget schlock. The film was written by Don Mancini (one of his few non-child’s play writing credits) and directed by John Carl Buechler who directed such 80’s classics as Troll, Friday the 13th VII: The New Blood and Ghoulies Go to College.

Now on to Catacombs

Catacombs is a little slower. It’s not a bad movie but it’s not a movie for me. However I know a ton of people who would LOVE this movie. It has great sets, fantastic performances and definitely is a film that should be more well-known. I can admit this even without particularly liking the film.

Perhaps the biggest disservice for the film is that I watched it immediately after Cellar Dweller which was the superior film. However Cellar Dweller has no special features, Catacombs comes with a director’s commentary.

Either way this double feature is worth owning because Cellar Dweller was amazing and Catacombs is worth watching at least once.

The Cellar Dweller/Catacombs Blu-ray is available today from Scream Factory. Also released today is the double feature of The Outing/The Godsend and Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf.

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show and co-host of Horror Movie Night. He’s also the writer of the Every Damn DVD blog.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – ‘From A Whisper To A Scream’ Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortApril 30, 2015

Until today I had never seen this movie. In fact, I only vaguely remember its box art. I trust that if Scream Factory went up to bat for this release that it must be pretty damn good, so I’m quite excited to see what I’m in for. As opposed to a normal review this will be a stream of consciousness write-up as I watch the film.

Right off the bat the movie feels like a weird episode of Tales from the Crypt. The music has that anthology feel and I believe it is in fact an anthology movie starring Vincent Price as Mr. White (who I assume is our Crypt Keeper).

The film begins with a lethal injection execution which makes me question if this is an anthology film. Currently a reporter is asking Vincent Price (which is what I’ll refer to him as throughout this write up) about his niece’s history (turns out his niece is the one who was executed). I think I see where this is going. Price is discussing how his niece is just one in a long line of people born to be murderers in the town of Oldfield. I think I could really dig this movie.

Our first story is about Stanley. The Tales from the Crypt vibe I felt earlier is only stronger this time around. There’s a multi-layered dream sequence, bizarre imagery and comic-book level sex jokes. However anything that could be moderately seen as light-hearted disappears after the second death. It’s one of the more disturbing and depressing things I’ve seen in a horror film. Not because of gore or shock but because of the relationship between victim and murderer and the victim just yelling “why” over and over again. Sadly this darkness is offset by a really confusing ending.

Apparently this film was released under the name “The Offspring” inspired by this first segment. Personally I don’ think it’s a very good title but if you like it the Blu-Ray comes with a reversible cover.

The second story is absolutely a Tales from the Crypt episode. It’s dark, gritty and has some creative edits as well as an ending that’ll freak you out. Whatever I disliked in the first story is completely gone in this second story.

The third story takes place at a carnival, so I automatically like it. I’m obsessed with carnival themed horror movies. I think it’s because of an unhealthy obsession with the movie Freaks. Who knows. My biggest issue with this story is that it’s two voodoo/witchcraft inspired tales back to back which is the most boring thing to do in anthology horror if you ask me.

The fourth story didn’t really hold my attention at all. It takes place during civil war times with a bunch of soldiers being tortured by war orphans. It’s bizarre but not as interesting as the other stories.

Also I’m questioning Mr. Price’s reliability as a storyteller and how big the town of Oldfield is exactly. I’m having trouble accepting that all 3 of locations so far are all in the same town.

All in all I’m glad I watched this movie. While I didn’t adore it, the whole film is worth watching just for that second story. The rest of the stories are decent enough but the second story is definitely the highlight of the film.

Pick up your copy of From a Whisper to a Scream from Scream Factory. While there check out some of their other films (like the Ghoulies double feature)

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog and why not get him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – The “Carrie” Double Feature Blu-Ray

by SaintmortApril 14, 2015

Get your tampons ready because today we’re reviewing Scream Factory’s Carrie Double Feature. Filled with more fire and menstruation than a burning sorority house and more crucifix’s then a church this double feature will have you warning everyone you know that they’re gonna be laughed at. Let’s watch!

Show of hands, who remembers The Rage: Carrie 2? Okay, so only the kids of the 90’s. How about the Made For TV adaptation of Carrie? No one? Okay then, you’re in luck… sorta. Scream Factory have brought both of these carrie adaptations onto the same disc.

When I first received the package in the mail I thought it was Brian De Palma’s adaptation, so I was a little disappointed when I realized it was the made-for-tv movie starring Angela Bettis. It’s unfair to compare 1976’s Carrie to this TV movie. De Palma’s original is a masterpiece and even 30 years later remains one of the better King adaptations. Before I talk about the things working against this version I’ll focus on what it does right.

Angela Bettis is a great Carrie. It’s basically impossible to outdo Sissy Spacek’s career-defining performance but she steps up to the challenge and creates an equally (but very different) Carietta White. Also quick shout-out to Katharine Isabelle, not because she has anything important to do, but I’m always excited to see Isabelle in anything.

It was also written by Bryan Fuller who is the television genius behind cult shows like Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me and Hannibal. As far as adaptations of novels go this does an applaudable job. The book’s “retro-active story-telling” style is presented in a series of interview segments between Detective Mulchaey (David Keith) with a handful of survivors.

The issue is the direction. Despite my absolute love of David Carson’s previous mini-series The 10th Kingdom this film just feels sloppy and rushed. The camera moves too chaotically in sequences, the performances feel like first (and only) takes and the camera stock seems off. I wouldn’t be shocked if this was one of the earliest TV movies made with a digital cameras. It has that early 2000’s digital film look.

It’s weird because this movie isn’t good, but it’s not offensively bad either. It’s just disappointing. On paper you have a bunch of people I like remaking a book that I like and it just doesn’t work. However I’d still say it’s worth watching because the whole movie feels like an experiment that didn’t work. I have to give the filmmakers credit for trying to do something new with a very well known and respected property.

Now while this was my second time watching the Carrie TV-Movie this was the first time I watched The Rage: Carrie 2 even though I specifically remember seeing the trailers on TV and the posters all over my local mall.

Everyone warned me that The Rage: Carrie 2 was a terrible movie. Now I’m not saying it’s NOT a terrible movie, but what I am saying is that with how low they made my expectations I ended up really enjoying this movie.

Right off the bat I’m loving the fact that in the first 10 minutes we have two cast members of American Pie (Mena Suvari & Eddie Kaye Thomas), Jason London and a soundtrack featuring Far Behind by The Hippos.

Now don’t get me wrong, this film is pretty terrible. The dialogue, the plot, the acting and the direction are all just slightly off. But I enjoyed it.

The Rage: Carrie 2 is written by the man who penned the masterpiece known as Hackers and directed by the woman behind Poison Ivy… so you kinda know what you’re in for from the start. However going into this movie with nothing behind a memory of the trailer and everyone’s word that it was complete garbage left me pretty surprised that I was entertained.

The film has all the 90’s cliches. Diners, convos about Sharon Manson, asshole jocks keeping score of girls they’ve slept with, prank phone calls, huge party sequence, Brad from Home Improvement… the list goes on. It’s goofy as all hell but done in such a serious tone.

The film does this weird thing where every time Rachel (on yea… there’s no Carrie in this movie) uses her powers it cuts to black and white. It’s doesn’t achieve anything and is more distracting than anything.

There’s a bunch of logic leaps throughout, the movie is super slow in the middle and it basically plays out as a weird high school version of Romeo & Juliet (with Juliet having the ability to murder with her mind) but I honestly enjoyed it.

The slow-burn is really worth it for the final massacre at the party. It’s really is a collection of great practical effects, some cringe deaths and solid gore. If it was a little shorter and had better direction I think The Rage: Carrie 2 would actually be a pretty well liked cult film from the 90’s. No Bullshit.

The Blu-ray comes with a bunch of special features including commentary tracks for both features. Pick up your copy from Scream Factory today!

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Watching both of these movies back to back reminded Matt of the time he was pelted with Tampons cheer him up by getting him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmares “Invaders From Mars” Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortApril 7, 2015

After a brief break Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare is back! This week we’re reviewing the Scream Factory release of Invaders From Mars. I’ve seen it once before this Blu-Ray came in the mail and raises the question if I’m the wrong audience for this movie.

Before I talk about Invaders from Mars I want to discuss the fact that I’ve thought it was directed by Joe Dante for a long time. I guess it just feels like something Dante would make, a fairly innocent and non-offensive movie about a child in a weird situation with occasionally adult moments. It’d felt right in with Gremlins and Small Soldiers, but instead this movie is directed by Tobe Hooper which might not work to it’s advantage.

Tobe Hooper has had an uneven career and that’s speaking as someone who defends more of his movies than most people. It’s undeniable that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a masterpiece and whether or not Poltergeist was directed by him or Spielberg it’s still a great movie. That being said, I’ve also defended The Funhouse as an unappreciated masterpiece, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 was a brilliant ‘fuck you’ to people forcing him to make a gorier sequel, I found Lifeforce to be a complete blast, and I don’t even completely hate Eaten Alive.

Somehow I never knew this movie existed until I was in college. The peak of my horror fandom was in Junior High during the very early years of the internet. I had no clue what IMDb was back then so I wasn’t checking into filmmaker’s filmographies and even then Tobe Hooper wasn’t really at the top of the list of directors whose filmographies I felt I needed to see anyway.

Anyways, when I worked at a video store I stumbled upon the VHS of this and watched it. It was okay, nothing to write home about. I remember thinking it was probably Joe Dante’s worst movie (see first paragraph). This might sound like an insult but Joe Dante has had a pretty solid career and even at his worst he’s still damn good.

Invaders From Mars isn’t a great movie, but I don’t think anyone is pretending that it is. Not even Scream Factory. But it is a fun movie. It’s that awkward combination of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Monster Squad that makes this movie more fun than I originally remembered. The screenplay was written by Dan O’Bannon and follows in line with Return of the Living Dead’s subplot about the Army coming in and handling the situation.

There’s plenty of great performances in this movie (including a great role from Bud Cort) but the star of the show is Stan Winston’s monster designs. The creatures look so cool in that super 80’s way (specifically one alien who looks like Krang from TMNT).

What hurts this movie is its undecided tone. The movie keeps trying to be a genuine horror movie and a kids movie at the exact time, since it never seems to settle on a tone it constantly feels awkward and uneven. The ending is cliche’d and infuriating

I also can’t believe how many times they say the name David Gardener in this movie. This movie should be shown to writing students as a reminder to limit how often people refer to each other by name.

Invaders From Mars is available on Blu-Ray from Scream Factory today. Beyond a beautiful transfer of the film it also contains a commentary track from Tobe Hooper and an amazing behind the scenes feature. Pick up your copy today!

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Instead of eating Ham and Mashed Potatoes with his family on Sunday he watched Invaders from Mars FOR YOU! Show up how much you appreciate his handwork by getting him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare: ‘Exterminators of the Year 3000’ Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortMarch 3, 2015

This week on Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare Matt watches and reviews Scream Factory’s Blu-Ray release of Exterminators of the Year 3000. It’s a Mad Max Rip-Off done in a way that only Italian cinema could successfully get away with. Let’s watch!

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Before I discuss this movie I have to address the minor elephant in the room about its release. When Scream first announced plans of releasing this it was to be a double feature with Cruel Jaws. When this was first announced I flipped my shit. I literally posted on a ton of websites and forums losing my mind about this. I couldn’t believe I lived in a world where something as mind-glowingly amazing (and terrible) as Cruel Jaws was going to be released on Blu-Ray. For those of you who don’t know, Cruel Jaws is a wanna be Jaws rip-off (sometimes even advertised as Jaws 5) that skipped the whole annoying “building a shark” thing in favor of stealing footage from various Jaws movies and Jaws rip-off films like Great White/The Last Shark. I couldn’t even wrap my head around how Scream Factory was going to legally release it… turns out they couldn’t either. A few days later they announced that due to the multiple pieces of copyright infringement they were just going to release Exterminators of the Year 3000 on a solo Blu-Ray. It hurt… but I’ve learned to live with it.

I would like to take this moment to just say to whoever is reading this from Scream Factory that you can totally make up for this by finding a way to put Great White/The Last Shark on Blu-Ray. Thanks!

So what is Exterminators of the Year 3000? Well take Mad Max and slash the budget down to roughly $500 and you have this incredible piece of Italian cinema. The film takes place in the Year 3000 (as the title suggests). After nuclear war has turned Earth into a massive desert, water is a rare commodity (sounding sorta familiar yet). The film follows Tommy (a young boy with a bionic arm) and a loner (named Alien) as they search for a well while avoiding bikers and Crazy Bull (their blood-thirsty leader).

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I had no clue what to expect from this movie, if I’m honest I kept putting it off… but within the first 5 minutes I knew I was in for a movie I was genuinely going to enjoy. The film is packed with solid special effects, well done chase sequences, a dark sense of a humor and a boy with a bionic arm. I know I mentioned it once already but I mean, that’s pretty off the wall and amazing.

If you’re like me and enjoy having movie nights with friends filled with beer, pizza and B-movies than you’re in luck. That is 100% what Exterminators of the Year 3000 is.

Exterminators is now available on Scream Factory’s website. The release comes with an interview and a commentary track from actor Robert Iannucci. Also out today is the double feature of Blacula/Scream Blacula Scream

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Tax season was not kind to Matt os cheer him up and get him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort Nostalgia Nightmare: New Year’s Evil Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortFebruary 24, 2015

This week for Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare we’re going to be discussing New Year’s Evil which is now available on Blu-Ray from our friends at Scream Factory. Let’s see if this one drops the ball or not (ZING!)

I love Slasher films. LOVE them. Scream was my first major introduction to horror movies and turned me into someone who NEEDED to feed on horror movie content. I’ve made it a goal to see as many slasher films as possible and even own an unreasonably large amount of documentaries and text books on the subject.

New Year’s Evil managed to avoid my sights for years. I didn’t even know it existed until it was briefly mentioned in Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (a must have for any serious horror fan). It wasn’t until last year I finally got to see it when it was briefly on Netflix Instant watch. I really wasn’t blown away by it, but at the time I watched it I was also in the middle of moving into my house so I had it on but I didn’t have my full attention on it.

This time I did all the chores I needed to have done, turned off the phone and really focused on the film. It is still one of the lesser 80’s slasher films, but it is however not a terrible movie.

The plot centers around Diane (aka Blaze), a TV personality hosting a televised New Years Eve Punk Rawk party. While taking callers on the air she begins talking to a man going by the name Evil. Evil threatens to kill a “Naughty Girl” she loves every time it strikes midnight in a different time zone. The cops are reluctant to take the threats seriously, assuming it’s a dark prank from the creepy crowd her shows tend to draw in. After each murder he calls back in and plays the recording of the murder over the air.

The film is unique as we know what Evil looks like within roughly 20 minutes of the movie. It’s not so much a mysterious whodunnit as much as it’s a WhoIsItAndWhy? The movie does contain some clever editing, some enjoyably cheesy music (specifically it’s theme song and the song Dumb Blondes), a cool mask for the killer to wear and a fairly unique premise. Even by 1980 the slasher film had already established itself as the “unknown, masked killer stalking high school girls from the trees”. This took a slightly more suspenseful twist which is interesting at least.

The biggest problem with the movie is how overwhelmingly mediocre it is. It’ll never be a movie good enough to recommend to a friend, or bad enough to watch with a group of friends. Dread Central’s Matt Serafini’s review reference to it as an ideal “late night horror fix” and I think that’s exactly the way to watch it. This would be a fun movie to have randomly discovered on USA in the 90’s.

Now as you’ve probably figured out I’m a Scream Factory fanboy. Even if I wasn’t being asked to review movies for them I’d still be a fanboy. I don’t think anyone at Scream Factory thinks that this is a masterpiece of slasher cinema but they still celebrate it as if it were by throwing in a new commentary track and a new collection of interviews with some of creators and stars behind the film.

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While I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s Evil, it’s still an interesting definitely worth watching if you’re a horror fan. Scream Factory has really put out a handful of other good (but painfully underrated slashers) like Terror Train, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Burning and Sleepaway Camp.

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show Podcast and co-host of the Reddit Horror Club. He also runs the Every Damn DVD blog. Since Philadelphia just got slammed with a little bit of snow he’s going to probably spend the next weekend inside staying warm watching TV and dreaming of summer. Get him something off his Amazon Wishlist to watch.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – “The Phantom of the Opera (1989)” Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortFebruary 17, 2015

Welcome to another edition of Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. This week I’ll be reviewing Phantom of the Opera from 1989 now available on Blu-Ray from my friends at Scream Factory. Much like last week, I’d never seen this film prior to this viewing but I sure as hell remembered it’s box-cover. Let’s see how it is.

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I’ve always had a weird obsession with Phantom of the Opera. I blame it on Gremlins 2: A New Batch, as well as an old book of classic horror movie moments that my grandfather had in his basement. I loved the look of Lon Chaney’s original make-up and would frequently imagine the iconic music and the moment when the mask is lifted off revealing his true face.

That being said, it’s rare that I find a version of Phantom that I genuinely love. I like the classic Lon Chaney film and I can appreciate the musical, but I definitely don’t love it. For some reason nothing has reached that unattainable excitement for the original film (that I didn’t even see until after college). I do however love gory 80s/90s horror movies, so I went into 1989’s Phantom of the Opera with high hopes.

I can recall the box cover from my younger days of wandering video stores, but for one reason or another I never rented it (I’m willing to assume it’s because I still hadn’t seen the original). I can’t say that this movie’s transfer has never looked better (since I have no previous viewing experience) but what I can say is that this doesn’t look like a movie that’s 25 years old. The transfer gives it the picture quality of a movie released in the last 2-3 years.

That being said, I walked away from this movie not knowing how to feel about it. Robert England puts in a great performance and while I’m not a fan of the Phantom’s make-up Kevin Yagher’s other effects are pretty impressive. There are definitely things here, however, that don’t work for me.

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I started off kind of confused; the movie does a sudden flip from modern day to the victorian era that occurs so suddenly that if you sneeze or blink you’ll miss it. The movie is slowly paced but when it gets good it’s “severed head in a soup pot” good.

There’s a lot to like hidden within the movie but the actual journey to those moments can be tedious and boring at times. The movie also ends in an awkward abruptness, it’s obvious that they were setting up a sequel (which despite my lukewarm opinion of this movie I would have loved to have seen) that never came to fruition due to its poor box office performance.

However, since this is a Scream Factory release it doesn’t matter the quality of the film because the Behind the Mask Retrospective making of documentary on the DVD is packed with interesting stories about the history of the Phantom. If you’re a fan of this adaptation you’d be doing yourself a disservice not picking up this up for that making of and commentary track alone.

If you haven’t seen this adaptation but you’re a fan of 80’s gore and/or the Phantom of the Opera story than this might be worth checking out, but I think you’re actually better off checking out Phantom of the Paradise (also from Scream Factory). In fact, the screenplay writer even mentions watching Phantom of the Paradise for inspiration while writing. Both have extremely similar plot-lines (both being inspired by both Phantom of the Opera AND the story of Faust) but Phantom of the Paradise has the tongue-in-cheek fun (and memorable musical numbers) that this adaptation is lacking.

Saint Mort is the host of The Saint Mort Show and Reddit Horror Club podcasts. He also posts reviews in his Every Damn DVD blog every single week. He’s also the Phantom of his Apartment and attacks anyone who speaks ill of his DVD collection. If you’re generous enough give him some more DVDs to defend from his Amazon Wishlist.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare – Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortFebruary 10, 2015

Welcome Back to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. Glad to see you enjoyed it enough last week to revisit. Continuing in my Scream Factory Blu-Ray reviews I’ve got another double feature. Today you can own their double feature release of Vampire’s Kiss and High Spirits. Let’s dive in!

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Not only have I never seen either of these films prior to this Blu-Ray appearing on my doorstep, I’ve never even heard of one of them. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. Over the course of 5 hours I watched Vampire’s Kiss twice (once normally and once with commentary) and High Spirits.

Let’s start with Vampire’s Kiss. I’d heard many things about this movie, specifically that it’s one of the most Cage-iest of Nicholas Cage movies. I was not lied to in the least. The movie is bizarre, confusing, unintentionally funny at parts and a chore to watch at others.

The movie tells the story of Peter Loew, a womanizing literary agent who spends all day in the office and all night at the clubs and having one night stands. One night he takes home a vampire named Rachel who begins feeding on him nightly. Or does he?

Vampire’s Kiss is all about questioning what is reality while following an unhinged businessman that’s wrapped up in all the sleeze, culture and status of the 80s. Basically it’s American Psycho if Nicholas Cage played Patrick Bateman.

It’s got some fantastic moments in it and has notoriety for a infamous still which has become a meme (Scream Factory was smart to include that still on the back of the Blu-Ray). The commentary track between director Robert Bierman and Nicholas Cage is interesting to say the least. The two think highly of the movie and Bierman makes a few references to stylistic choices but then saying things like “I think I did that consciously”.

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If you can get past Cage’s awkward accent choice (he sounds like he’s doing a bad Keanu Reeves impression) and the dark comedic cruelness it’s not a bad film to watch… once. You’ll most likely never watch it again (unless you listen to the commentary track)… the same can’t be said for High Spirits.

I had a lot of fun experiencing High Spirits for the first time. I’m willing to believe that if I saw this movie when I was a child I’d hold it with the same level of nostalgic praise that I hold movies like Monster Squad and The Goonies.

Looking at this cast it’s amazing that I’ve never heard of this film. It’s a fantastic ensemble featuring such infamous actors as Peter O’Toole, Daryl Hannah, Liam Neeson, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D’Angelo.

The movie follows Peter Plunkett who’s about to have his castle repossessed. In order to keep his property he tries to claim it’s haunted to scare the Americans that are visting the castle (including the daughter of the man repossessed the castle). When their fake ghost stories are discovered, real ghosts begin haunting the castle including Mary and Martin.

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Many centuries ago when Mary and Martin were married, Martin murdered Mary for infidelity. Every night the two are forced to re-enact that night. That is until one of the Americans Jack (Guttenberg) stops Martin, putting an end to cycle and causing Mary to fall in love with him.

I hope this film finds a decent resurgence from this Blu-Ray, as it’s a fantastic Halloween movie with ghosts, romance, comedy and a handful of good jump scares.

The most baffling thing about this film is that it’s written and directed by Neil Jordan, a man known for films of more adult nature like The Company of Wolves, The Crying Game and Interview with the Vampire.

Doing research to do these reviews/writeups I can’t understand how Vampire’s Kiss was more critically well received. It’s an interesting film but for very unintentional reasons. High Spirits is a much more enjoyable film overall.

Pick up a copy of the Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits Blu-ray Today!

Matt Kelly hosts The Saint Mort Show and the Reddit Horror Club as well as writes for Geekscape and his blog Every Damn DVD. He’s also going to spend Valentine’s Day night in the basement watching horror movies while his roommate has sex. He’d love it if you bought him something on his Amazon Wishlist to convince him to take that shotgun barrel out of his mouth.

Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare: Love at First Bite/Once Bitten Blu-Ray Review

by SaintmortFebruary 6, 2015

Welcome to Saint Mort’s Nostalgia Nightmare. Every week, Matthew “Saint Mort” Kelly will either review an upcoming release that he’s been sent or ramble about some of his horror favorites that you should revisit. This week, Matt reviews the upcoming Scream Factory release of the Love At First Bite/Once Bitten double feature Blu-Ray. Let’s begin!

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The first thing that I noticed about this particular Blu-Ray release is its lack of special features. Essentially, there aren’t any (aside from some vintage movie trailers or radio spots). It’s understandable given that it’s two movies on one disc and space is limited, but it didn’t stop me from feeling a little let down given how incredible Scream Factory’s special features usually are.

Prior to this release I’d never even heard of Love at First Bite so of course I started with that. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but based on its title and its placement beside Once Bitten I assumed it was another teenage vampire movie. I was wrong.

The story follow Count Dracula (George Hamilton) after he has his castle repossessed and is forced to move to New York. He falls in love with famous model Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James) and begins to date her despite her crazy ex Dr. Jeffery Rosenberg (grandson of Van Helsing). The movie’s humor is just as wacky and irreverent as that description seems.

It’s a pretty unique twist on the Dracula mythology by flipping roles. The count is now our hopeless romantic hero and Van Helsing is the villain that we want to see fail. While I love that twist the film is still far perfect. That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have some great comedic moments; I particularly enjoyed a reoccurring joke involving Rosenberg’s (Richard Benjamin) clueless attempts to expose Dracula which include (but are not limited to) shooting him with silver bullets and holding a Star of David to the vampire’s face.

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I’d also be doing a disservice to the movie to not praise the fantastic performance from Arte Johnson as Reinfeld. Moments like him cackling with glee while watching a movie about rats attacking a women or crying while watching a commercial for Raid are just the right level of absurdist comedy to make this an enjoyable experience.

I don’t know how frequently I’ll rewatch Love at First Bite, but I’m certainly glad Scream Factory gave me the ability to experience this movie for the first time. However I think the main reason many people will be getting this Blu-Ray is for the second feature the 80’s vampire/teen flick classic Once Bitten.

I remember hearing about Once Bitten back in 1993 just as Ace Ventura was making Jim Carrey a household name to kids my age who couldn’t watch In Living Color. It became a fairly regular feature film on Comedy Central. I’d always seen the film in its TV-edited version. Maybe it’s because of this that I don’t remember how much homophobic humor is in the movie.

I think there will be a ton of critics who point to these moments (specifically the ‘Fags in the Shower’ sequence) as a reason to dislike or avoid revisiting it. I’m not one of those critics. I was raised on movies like Porky’s, Revenge of the Nerds and Hollywood Knights. We as a society have come and a long way and that’s great… but I still find something super charming about the close minded 80’s teen humor and like it or not homophobia is a big part of that.

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Most people only really think about Once Bitten because it’s a pre-famous Jim Carrey vehicle, but there’s more to the movie than that. It’s basically American Pie with Vampires. In order to maintain her eternal beauty and vampire countess must drink the blood of a virgin. Cut to Mark Kendall (Jim Carrey) and his group of friends trying to get laid. Mark believes he’s struck a sexual goldmine with the seductive Countess but he begins having weird cravings, an inability to sleep and weird dreams. It’s up to his on and off girlfriend Robin Pierce to take his virginity before the Countess drains him of all is blood.

This movie is way funnier than I remembered it. I still am a firm believer that in general My Best Friend is a Vampire (released two years after Once Bitten) is the superior Vampire Teenage film, but it’s undeniable that Once Bitten is a classic for a reason.

After watching this double feature I immediately felt like there should be another double feature from Scream Factory of Rockula and My Best Friend is a Vampire. So if anyone from Scream Factory is reading you should get on that for Saint Mort. Thanks in advance!

Get your own copy of Love at First Bite/Once Bitten from Scream Factory. It’ll be released February 10th, but you can pre-order right now! Also released the same day is the double feature of Vampire’s Kiss/High Spirits (look out for more about this next release next week).

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show, the co-host of the Reddit Horror Club and the blogger behind Every Damn DVD. He has an unhealthy love for horror movies, wrestling and punk music and wants you to buy him something nice off his Amazon Wishlist because free stuff is always nice. We at Geekscape can not support giving Matt free stuff but you can do what you want with your money. But that money would be better spent buying stuff from Scream Factory for yourself.

Scream Factory Announces March Titles

by SaintmortJanuary 31, 2015

Continuing their on going track record of keeping horror classics alive Scream Factory has some great titles coming out this March.

For starters on March 3rd the Blaxploitation classic Blacula (and its sequel Scream Blacula Scream) on a double feature DVD and will feature a commentary track from Film Historian David F. Walker (author Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak) and a new interview with Richard Lawson of Scream Blacula Scream.

For those of you not familiar with this cult classic it tells the tale of African Prince Mamuwalde (played by the intensely entertaining William Marshall) who visits Count Dracula only to end up being transformed into a vampire. After two centuries of being trapped in his tomb he gets unleashed onto the mean streets of Los Angeles.

The underrated sequel pits the titular vampire against some voodoo power and stars cult favorites Richard Lawson and Pam Grier.

That same day they’re also releasing the Italian Post-Apocalyptic Exploitation Fan Favorite Exterminators of the Year 3000.

Eagerly awaiting the release of the newest Mad Max movie? Well you can fill some time with this post-apocalyptic future where the earth is a desert and water is the most precious substance of all. A band of survivors turn to a mysterious stranger to battle a ruthless gang of motorcycle psychos for control of the wasteland and the water. A glorious crash of guns, nuclear fallout, and synthesizers make this a must-see for anyone who’s been longing for the day in which they can finally get beyond Thunderdome.

With a commentary track from the director Robert Iannucci makes this film’s blu-ray debut just that extra level of special.

They’ve also announced the upcoming releases of Invaders from Mars, The Babadook and recently they acquired Stigmata.

Keep your eyes open on Geekscape.net for some upcoming reviews for their February releases Phantom of the Opera, The Love at First Bite/Once Bitten double feature as well as the Vampires Kiss/High Spirits double feature.

Matt Kelly is the host of the Saint Mort Show available on Soundcloud as well as the sole writer of the Every Damn DVD blog.

Scream Factory Releases List of Special Features on Phantom Of the Opera Blu-Ray

by SaintmortDecember 16, 2014

I will admit it. I’m a Scream Factory Fanboy.

This past weekend I enjoyed such titles as The Incredible Melting Man, The Nest and Nightbreed (The Cabel Cut) on blu-ray. These are films that barely deserved to be released on DVD getting Blu-Ray releases with amazing transfers, great special features and most importantly the respect they just barely deserve.

It might seem to a non-horror fan that I’m trashing Scream Factory but it’s completely the opposite. Scream Factory is out there saving B-movies from obscurity, but more than just that they treat these paupers as if they were princes. It seems their planned February 17th release of Phantom of the Opera 1989 is no different.

Freddy Kruger himself, Robert England, stars as the titular character in this gory version of Gaston Leroux’s novel. Directed by Dwight H. Little (Halloween 4) and with make-up from Kevin Yagher (Nightmare on Elm Street 2, 3 & 4) Phantom of the Opera is the culmination of classic gothic horror and late-80’s gore.

Scream Factory is celebrating this film by giving it a beautiful transfer and special features that include a trailer, commentary from England and Little who also are included in the making of documentary that also includes brand-new interviews with actors, Jill Schoelen and Alex Hyde-White, Screenplay writer Duke Sander, Make-Up Designer Kevin Yagher, Make-Up artists John Carl Buechler, Everett Burrell & John Vulich as well as composer Misha Segal.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Thanks to Scream Factory it’s never been a better time to be a horror fan.

You can pre-order your copies of Phantom of the Opera at Scream Factory

Matt Kelly is the host of The Saint Mort Show Podcast (found on SoundCloud and here on Geekscape.net) and the Reddit Horror Club. He also is currently trying to watch all 2,000+ DVDs he owns at his blog Every Damn DVD. He also writes for Geekscape because he’s blackmailing Jonathan London.