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Reviews
Dreaming Purple Neon (2016)
So much gore - So much fun!
I honestly did not believe there was that much fake blood and latex left in the world!!! Of course, I'm talking about Todd Sheets's latest and greatest splat-tacular, "Dreaming Purple Neon" – His most joyously gross film to date (even I had to turn away a few times!) filled with demons, gore, nudity and highly creative kills – All paced with the pedal to the metal for the full run time! But that isn't even the best part: Todd gives us an amazingly original story with a fine ensemble cast highlighted by the devilishly scenery-chewing Cyrus (Jack McCord), an attractive yet flawed heroine Katriona (Millie Milan) and the always charismatic Antwoine Steele as Ray Ray, the 'almost' hero...! Other highlights include what might be Toshi Hiraoka's best soundtrack (please put out a soundtrack CD), impressive digital effects and Todd's best lighting and photography to date! If you long for a throwback to classic Satanic cult movies, but always wanted them to be more exciting, more fantastical and MUCH GORIER, then THIS is your movie - I loved it!
Apocalypse Kiss (2014)
Sci-fi serial killers in a noirish future
A jealous serial killer stalks in a film-nourish future in this beautifully-visualized, well-cast and well-acted indie sci-fi from Potent Media and the gang. The comparisons to "Blade Runner" are inevitable, but "Apocalypse Kiss" offers a new cynicism about the future that is at times humorous (e.g., the commercials) and often brutal (e.g., the murders, the politics). It was great to see Tom Atkins again in a role similar to the one he played in "Night of the Creeps", with an appearance by Michael Berryman of "The Hills have Eyes" and an effective, somber Lloyd Kaufman in a serious role. Also, Carmela Hayslett is an effectively brooding murderess, Tom Detrik is a believable gumshoe detective and DC Douglas is, well, impossible to take your eyes off of. I don't want to give away the story, but suffice it to say when the opposing forces meet at the end there is humor, tension and a satisfying pay-off that is cleverly staged and shot. This movie LOOKS like a well-budgeted Hollywood product, far better than many of the movies you see on the SyFy Channel. It's an originally plotted indie from the makers of "Deer Crossing" and "Booley". "Apocalypse Kiss" is definitely their most polished and entertaining movie to date.
House of Forbidden Secrets (2013)
Todd's very best homage to Italian Horror movies!
So, what was the best part about October 12, 2013, at "Horror on the Boulevard" in Kansas City, KS? Seeing Todd Sheet's INCREDIBLE new homage to Italian horror flicks "The House Of Forbidden Secrets" on the huge drive-in screen! Let me assure Todd's fans right now: This is HIS VERY BEST MOVIE! It pays homage to Lucio Fulci's best films (especially "The Beyond") but unfolds in a unique way that keeps you watching and guessing. Best of all, it's told with Todd's trademarked style including the "Suspiria-esque" splashes of color, effective mixes of hand-held camera work and creepy Dutch angles, over-the-top gore, great zombie and demon make-up effects - AND HUGE TECHNICAL ADVANCES including perfect sound, a beautiful location, some incredible CRANE SHOTS (!) a FANTASTIC cast of cult movie stars (who aren't afraid to poke a little fun at themselves) along with some of his best regulars AND AN AMAZING SOUNDTRACK featuring tracks by THE Fabio Frizzi (of "Zombi 2" and so many more...) I've been a fan of Todd's work since "Goblin" and own almost all of his movies on VHS. I've always enjoyed the ambition and energy of his old SOV flicks, and NOW I've seen him pull it ALL together! THIS is Todd Sheets at his very best! DON'T MISS IT! Can't wait to be able to buy this movie!
Junkfood Horrorfest (2007)
A no-budget horror film school
Scarlet Fry's Junkfood Horrorfest is a no-budget horror anthology which, if you're in the mood for this sort of thing, gives you just what you'd expect: Cheesy gore and some clever shoestring effects in a series of straightforward horror tales with some intentional (and probably unintentional) comedy. The big difference for me was all the extras on the DVD - In fact, the extra anthology and feature are probably more fun than the featured anthology. People interested in making their own no-budget horror movie can learn a lot by watching SOV horror flicks and anthologies like this one. Here, you get two for the price of one and even a horror hosted version of the feature 'Carnival of Souls' - How did they fit all that on one DVD? If you're looking for a no-budget horror film school, this has a lot of bang for the buck.
Booley (2010)
Well-acted, satirical and fun revenge flick
"Booley" has a story that's familiar to most of us; a story about being bullied and deceived until finally reaching one's breaking point. Shot and edited digitally on a low budget, you'll find many indie movies exploring the same themes as "Booley", but few with the wicked sense of satire AND the exceptional acting and direction to actually pull it off.
In reading some of the other IMDb reviews, it appears that Carmela Hayslett's performance is a bit of a lightning rod. Personally, I thought she nailed the brooding, immature "Rose"; giving her just enough weakness to make her sympathetic. Honestly, I didn't think there was a weak link among the actors, with Tom Detrik perfectly cast as the downward spiraling "Angus Booley", Christopher Mann satirically portraying a motivational speaker named "Jack Harrington" and Carmela's "Rose" each standing out. To have this many good performances in a low budget movie is really a tribute to the director, Christian Grillo. He truly understood his characters (it's his screenplay too) and got great performances all around.
We all know what's going to happen to "Angus Booley", but the manic energy he emanates as his vengeance spirals him out of control is worth experiencing. The solid (and often exceptional) acting keeps things interesting and there's a good musical score too. I was glad to read that "Booley" is now available on DVD. I'm looking forward to watching these performances again.
The Dead Matter (2010)
Excellent Production Values and an Engaging Story
"The Dead Matter" has raised the bar for independent horror movies big time! The production values (direction, photography, music, lighting, sound) are of Hollywood quality, but unlike Hollywood (fortunately!) "The Dead Matter" has a unique and engaging story that unfolds throughout the film's entire run-time. In fact, it isn't really fair to call "The Dead Matter" a horror movie - it's much more than that - it's a supernatural movie.
Most Hollywood horror movies these days are remakes or are so 'by-the-numbers' you pretty much know everything that is going to happen after the first 5-10 minutes. "The Dead Matter" follows multiple stories that converge in the final frantic 20 minutes. The plot melds so many different supernatural elements that it's reminiscent of the creativity the old Shaw Brother's horror movies used to exhibit in the 1980s. Those movies, like "The Dead Matter" didn't follow the rules of horror genres; they created their own supernatural mythologies.
This review wouldn't be complete without mentioning the excellent actors assembled for this movie, including b-movie favorites Tom Savini and Jim O'Rear, but it is the welcome return of Jason Carter that really sets this one apart from its indie contemporaries. Jason Carter may be best known for his role on the TV series Babylon-5, but he really shines in "The Dead Matter". I hope this film re-energizes his career so we see him in more horror and sci-fi films.
If you're looking for something engagingly-different with Hollywood production values, "The Dead Matter" is for you!
Zombitch! (2011)
Grade-Z Zombie Movie with Funny Self-Conscious Humor
SPOILER NOTE: I have a small, unpaid "surprise" cameo near the end of this movie, but I had nothing to do with the movie "creatively". I was inspired to write this review after seeing this movie play at a horror convention to big laughs and applause. I don't feel I'm being biased in this review, but I wanted anyone reading this to know about my cameo upfront.
"Zombitch" is one of those very rare zero-budget movies that's filled with self-conscious humor and inside jokes that are actually funny! If you've seen a few grade-z zombie movies (movies shot-on-video in the filmmakers backyard, probably in one take, mostly edited in the camera with terrible photography, bad sound, lame acting, cheesy make-up effects, etc...) you know how dull and painfully unfunny these typically are; especially when they try to be funny. Somehow, from it's opening scene all the way to the, um, 'big finish', "Zombitch" (intentionally?) makes all of the grade-z movie mistakes but in a way that just makes you laugh. It's like the movie wants to be laughed at and it is! I saw this movie with an enthusiastic crowd at a horror convention and they laughed throughout its 16 minute run-time. Zombie movie fans stumble across grade-z efforts all the time, so finding one that is honestly funny is a treat.