Rubbed Raw Reviews

Slaughterhouse of the Rising Sun (2005)

Not really convincing as 1972

[4/10 · 9 December 2007]

This is not a horrible movie. It has a few moments. But there are many obvious giveaways that make it clear that it was not made in 1972. Things like hairstyles, clothing, the use of a steadicam and other modern digital editing techniques totally spoil the potential illusion. I don't know how anyone can say that it is convincing in this respect. Unless they have not watched a lot of films from 1972. The music is probably the most convincing part. I also think they make the mistake of playing for laughs at times (and not getting them) when they should have just played it straight. It could have been funnier that way. Just watch SCTV for examples of how that can work. But, in fact, I would have preferred it if they were not going for laughs at all. If they had instead chosen to just make a good solid horror film in the style of movies from 1972. And just an odd side note: Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out in 1974. I'm not sure how to interpret homage to/parody of a movie which is embedded in a movie that's supposed to be made two years earlier.

Sani no yuutsu (1993)

misleading box cover; confusing movie

[5/10 · 28 September 2006]

This is not a movie about a female named Sunny who uses guns (like an assassin might). The cut line, "bullets are a girl's best friend", does not make sense. The pictures on the front and back cover, of a woman holding a gun, do not represent the movie well.

Sunny is actually a minor character in this movie. She is more like a helpless victim than an action hero. The main characters are two bumbling male criminals who are looking for her. It is not an awful film, but it is not a great one either. There are many montage sequences of neon signs and buildings, which I'm sure are designed to pad the running time out to 70 minutes. There are moments of inadvertent comedy. The ending (I mean the last 10 seconds) was so insane and ridiculous that it made us laugh out loud.

I can't really recommend it. But if you like weird action movies with some camp appeal, you could do worse.

Sugar: Howling of Angel (1996 Video)

Not bad female assassin movie

[6/10 · 7 August 2005]

Kind of like other Japanese movies, such as Zero Woman, or the Prisoner Maria. I think it might be trying to be Black Cat (La Femme Nikita), or Naked Killer,but just isn't quite as good. I think it was influenced by the classic Charles Bronson movie, The Mechanic (professional killer makes a friend - or in this case, takes a lover - and then trains him/her to be an assassin). Sugar has a few good moments, and one scene of over the top violence(in which she tortures a gangster to get some information) which is probably worth the price of a rental. It also has a fair bit of nudity and sex, which does help to make it an entertaining film. Some of the subtitles are quite bad, and probably inaccurate. Don't expect the best, and you might enjoy this movie.

Scalpers (2000)

Like the Ed Wood of our times...

[1/10 · 31 May 2003]

This movie is so unbelievably bad, that it's almost good. Just like Ed Wood's work, this film will have you laughing for all of the wrong reasons, but in that way it's kind of worth seeing. The filmmaker clearly wants to be a cross between Tarantino and Seinfeld - the film is full of overlong conversations about things like urinal etiquette. In fact, this writer/director seems to be obsessed with bathroom scenes - this film has at least two very long ones, and his first film (Hand) also has more than one. It's possible that going to the bathroom is the only dramatically interesting thing that he does in real life, and therefore it's what he writes about. In any case, this film probably has to be seen to be believed. There isn't a single moment in it that rings true. It's almost as if the writer/director has no sense of the real world, or real people. I recommend it to people who appreciate truly bad movies. If you've seen and enjoyed all of Rudy Ray Moore's movies, this one may be an acceptable, although majorly less cool, follow up.

Christmas Evil (1980)

A Great Movie

[9/10 · 18 December 2001]

This movie belongs in the same category as films like Taxi Driver and Ms. 45 - it's the story of someone going over the edge. It is well written and acted. Other horror films which might be compared to it... Maniac (with Joe Spinell) and Don't Go In The House. It is nowhere near as graphic as a film like Maniac, but it is just as much of a character study. It is strangely moving, like a classic monster movie in which we find ourselves feeling sorry for the monster. It is not a movie featuring pointless violence every two minutes (as some people who've commented on it here seem to wish it was). It is a sad fable, and when the infrequent violence does erupt it is far more effective than in the average slasher film.

Return to Horror High (1987)

A Clever Horror Comedy

[8/10 · 5 April 2001]

Most people who have reviewed this movie here don't seem to realize that it was intended to funny - it is a spoof of low budget horror films, and the making of them. It very cleverly plays with several levels of reality: the police investigating the massacre, the film crew shooting the movie and experiencing a 'real life' horror, and the scenes from the movie they are making (which are kind of like flashbacks to the original massacre). If people have trouble following this movie (which I didn't) perhaps it is because they are used to simplistic stories which do not demand anything from the viewer. Writer/critic L.A. Morse (in his book Video Trash and Treasures) says it is "...easily the best satire thus far of a genre sorely in need of an injection of wit, humour and fun". I agree with him.

Witchouse (1999 Video)

Full Moon Failure

[2/10 · 21 March 2001]

Probably the worst Full Moon Video I have ever seen. The acting, direction, and writing were all weak. The film only clocked in at 65 minutes, which in principal offends me, but in this case it was a blessing not to have to sit through another 25 minutes. Can it be true that they made a sequel to this disaster? Something tells me I won't be renting it.

Night Life (1989)

Good start, fizzles by the end

[5/10 · 8 March 2001]

I thought that Night Life was very promising for the first half hour. The characters were likeable, and the story was interesting. But the horror aspects don't really enter the picture until the last half hour - and when they do, they are disappointing. The zombies are not like traditional zombies at all. They drive cars, operate machinery, and seem to retain much of their human personalities. What's worse, there are only four of them and they seem to be indestructible (like Jason from Friday the 13th pt 2 -?). In my opinion, the threat of zombies should be sheer numbers. As individuals, they are not very strong, fast, or coordinated. It should not have been so difficult for the heroes of this movie to deal with a paltry four walking corpses.

Junior (1985)

Highly entertaining exploitation film

[8/10 · 28 December 2000]

This movie combines several exploitation genres in a high energy, highly entertaining way. It includes Women In Prison, Good Old Boy Action Comedy, Horror, Soft Core Sex, Women Stand Up and Fight Back Against Town of Rednecks, and more! It is not, as the box suggests, just another slasher film. If you are looking for that, you might be disappointed. If you like campy humour, and lots of beautiful women in bikinis (and often out of them, too), you can't go wrong with Junior.

Messiah of Evil (1974)

Excellent, atmospheric horror film

[10/10 · 15 December 2000]

Don't think of it as a zombie movie (although there are a couple of brilliant scenes that would fit right into the genre). It reminds me more of the writing of H.P. Lovecraft. Mysterious, disturbing, and gripping. I highly recommend it.

10 to Midnight (1983)

An excellent thriller.

[10/10 · 30 November 1999]

A very exciting cop movie, which picks up where Dirty Harry left off and raises very similar moral questions. Bronson is in top form and the villain is one of the most interesting of the eighties. Don't just take my word for it. Gene Siskel liked it, and Joe Bob Briggs picked it as one of the years top films.

Breakout (1975)

A fun Charles Bronson movie!

[10/10 · 30 November 1999]

This movie is just plain fun. It mixes a sense of humour with its action, not unlike television shows Simon and Simon and Magnum P.I.. And it's classy. I don't know why it hasn't found a wider audience. Check it out - but don't expect brutal violence.