Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

RAW (LIMITED EDITION)

Second Sight are releasing this French language film directed by Julia Ducournau and produced in 2017 in all its gory glory on a limited edition Blu-ray. Raw is an unusual film to say the least. It’s a coming-of-age story, but with a truly revolting twist that makes the film, at times, hard to watch. Justine (Garance Marillier) is a young girl just starting her studies at a weirdly remote veterinary school, the same as her older sister. She is a lifelong vegetarian, until the older students subject her and the new intake to a series of hazing rituals. One of these involves swallowing raw rabbit kidneys, followed with a shot of spirits. Reluctant to participate, she is more or less forced to succumb by her sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf). Justine soon finds that she has opened up a Pandora’s box by eating flesh for the first time, and craves more. Her appetite increases, and her tastes take a turn toward cannibalism when Alexia accidentally cuts her finger off.

The film tries to straddle a traditional coming over age tale of a young virgin beginning to explore her sexuality with a horror element that her arousal also compounds her inability to control her appetite for human flesh. It’s a strange mix, which never quite works because Justine soon loses any semblance of audience sympathy despite her hazing. We feel sorrier for her victims, but again, they’re not fully fleshed out (pun intended) so the audience is detached from them as well as Justine. It becomes an artful mess which, despite some stomach turning make up effects that are themselves shocking to look at and convincing in their grisliness, ultimately fails to engage.

Included in this special edition are a slew of interviews and panels, along with a selection of deleted scenes that add nothing to the finished product.

Release Date: April 26th

SPOOKIES (1986)

The term cult is bandied about freely for a lot of films that don’t fit into a general pigeon-hole or genre. A quite a few occasions, the term is overused, given to some releases undeservedly to try to pique the interest of potential fans. It’s fair to say that Spookies is fully deserving of its cult status, and this first release on Blu-ray of the 1986 horror film finally gives the film the attention it should have.

If you don’t know the infamous story, Spookies originally began as a film called Twisted Souls, which, on completion, was presented to VIPCO owner Michael Lee, who was unhappy enough to bring in a new director and have a lot of new material filmed. Now, reshoots are nothing new in this day and age, but for a film that had a budget well under £1m, this was somewhat unusual. What we ended up with is Spookies, a strange combination of footage from Twisted Souls, and other footage that is jarringly unassociated from the second director – basically we are given two films for the price of one!

Billy is celebrating his thirteenth birthday by walking through the woods at night and stumbling upon an eerie mansion where, upon entering, he finds some balloons, cake, and presents. He opens the biggest box to find an apparently decapitated head wishing him happy birthday. He runs away and is stalked by a cat person, who eventually kills him. We then move onto a bunch of unrelated people who turn up to the same mansion looking for a party, only to find that each room is home to a fresh monster that is determined to kill them thanks to the Ouija board that they decide to play with. All the while, as the events unfold, there is a sorcerer who is trying to keep his wife alive elsewhere in the house.

Plot wise, that’s pretty much it in a nutshell, and it’s very clear as you watch which parts are from which production; the leaps from one to the other are pretty jarring at times. But it is this very issue that makes Spookies the cult experience that it is.

The fact is the monster effects are pretty impressive, from the farting muckmen (yes, you read that right), to the spiderwoman, grim reaper, and the other multitude of demons. The transfer on this release means that the lighting has been fixed so the effects are on glorious full view.

The extras are pretty impressive too. There is the documentary of VIPCO, explaining how they came to be as big as they were in the ’80s and ’90s, even throughout the video nasty era. Michael Lee is interviewed extensively and he is an interesting character, happy to delve into his somewhat dodgy business practices. Another feature gives a huge background on the film itself. It is fascinating to see and hear where it all went wrong, all because one person thought he knew better than everyone else.

Other extras are what you’d expect from these releases from 101 Films, including one of the strangest gag reels we’ve ever seen (which is explained in the documentary).

However, if you’ve not seen Spookies since the ’80s, or never seen it at all, we would strongly suggest picking this up, as it will give you a fascinating background into one of the most infamous horror films of all time.

Release Date: Out Now

THE RESORT

People going to places they’ve been told not to? Check. A creepy, deserted place that’s meant to be haunted? Check. Ignoring the warning to get off the island before sundown? Check. The Resort is packed with clichés but, ultimately, it’s a harmless, fun mainstream horror film.

Young writer Lex (Bianca Haase) gets the perfect gift from her friends for her birthday – a trip to an abandoned Hawaiian island hotel that has a reputation to be haunted. To be fair, she is meant to be writing a piece on the paranormal and the legend of the ‘Half-faced Girl’ is a great temptation for her. She’s a bit miffed, then, that when they get to the island (by hiring a helicopter pilot), the rest of the gang want to hit the beach and explore elsewhere. Lex is desperate to get to the hotel, despite being warned that the only boat out from the island leaves and they eventually give the birthday girl her treat. The hotel is certainly creepy as it’s so quiet and empty, but the ominous room 306, which is meant to be haunted, doesn’t let loose its ghost. Not initially, anyway.

The biggest problem with The Resort is the structure; writer/director Taylor Chien’s story is told in flashback as Lex is being interviewed in her hospital bed by a detective (in a room that happens to have a teaching skeleton, but, yeah… ok). This tells us she survived – so no threat there. It also reveals she was the only survivor – so the rest are getting killed off. Had the story been presented in a regular fashion, we’re sure it would have been more effective. Also the group isn’t the most likeable. There’s the long-haired muscle guy (Brock O’Hurn, looking desperately like he wants to be Chris Hemsworth), the chipper bestie (Michelle Randolph), and the goof-ball who likes to prank (Michael Vlamis). Lex doesn’t seem the most fun to be around, either. They are also all creeped out by rather than in awe of a murmuration of birds, which is a strange reaction.

There’s still enough to recommend as when things kick off, there’s one particularly good gore effect, and the uninhabited location adds an eerie atmosphere, but those wanting something a little more intense will be left lacking. That’s not to say there are not some good jump scares along the way, but with the majority of the threat diluted by the flashback narrative. The other elements needed to be much stronger for us to recommend to a die-hard horror audience.

Release Date: April 30th (Digital), June 7th (DVD)

PLEDGE NIGHT

Shot in 1988 and released straight to video in 1990, Pledge Night is a college-themed slasher that pitches itself somewhere between Animal House and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The action takes place during “hell week”, a time for new students to pledge themselves to the various fraternities on campus by participating in a series of wild and often very homoerotic hazing rituals. After taking part in the “cherry race”, in which two teams of jockstrapped young men use their buttocks to pick up a cherry and transport it across the room and back as many times as possible (the losing team eats the cherries), the pledges attend the “pig party”, where the aim is to “get with” the plainest and unattractive partner. Two boys take a girl to the “boom boom room”. There’s a stripper who appears to be about 70 years old. One chap is bopped around the face by an errant flopping knocker. You get the sort of thing we’re dealing with here. 1990 was a whole other time and place… The hazing continues in similarly unpleasant and cruel ways for the entire first half of the film, until the real threat makes itself known – a pledge was accidentally killed in this very house 20 years ago and, for reasons that are never really explained, he’s managed to come back from the dead to seek revenge.

There’s a crazy amount of nudity and general crudeness, as you’d expect from a frat-house horror, and the humour might not fit in with modern-day sensibilities, but Pledge Night does contain pretty much everything you could want from a throwaway romp of this nature. A simple setup, a bunch of characters to root for (and against), a fun (if underdeveloped) villain, and lots of ridiculously over the top deaths with gruesome (and always-welcome) practical effects.

Over in the extra features, there’s an hour’s worth of interviews with the cast and crew; director Paul Ziller (later responsible for a glut of TV movies with names like Stonehenge Apocalypse and Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon – you know the type…), screenwriter/producer Joyce Snyder, and pledges Robert Lentini and Arthur Lundquist. Pledge Night may not be a well-known movie, but nonetheless it’s still fun to hear about the makings of a low-budget film from the tail end of the 80s. There’s also a very brief (3 minutes) tour of the filming locations at New Jersey’s Rutger University, and a theatrical trailer.

This edition of the film (and extras) is a direct UK reissue of a previous 2019 US-only release. If by some chance you’ve tracked that one down already, there isn’t really any reason to pick this one up as well. For anyone else though, Pledge Night definitely won’t change your life, but it’s still an entertaining slasher to pass 90 minutes of your time with.

Release date: April 26th

JUSTICE SOCIETY: WORLD WAR II

justice society world war 2 barry allen the flash fighting nazis

The Golden Age of DC Comics has held a peculiar fascination to comics fans, even almost ninety years later, and Warner Bros’ latest animated treat dips into that world, with Barry Allen’s Flash, early in his career, acting as our guide

It’s the early-1940s and the US has yet to enter the Second World War, but FDR is convinced by his advisors to put together the Justice Society of America – featuring Hourman, Black Canary, the original Flash, and Hawkman, led by Wonder Woman – to take the fight to the Nazis. In the modern-day, The Flash gets caught up in a fight between Superman and Brainiac which sees him flung back in time, where he encounters the JSA in occupied France – can he make it home?

DC’s animated features are as consistently good as their live-action movies are underwhelming, and the animation and voice-acting (by a less-than-stellar but incredibly capable cast) are the usual high-standard, with a slight tinge of Darwyn Cooke in the art style, while the story, by Meghan Fitzmartin and Jeremy Adams, explores themes of sacrifice and legacy.

The Blu-ray comes with a slew of extras, not least of which is another entry in the DC Showcase series, this time featuring Jack Kirby’s Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth, alongside a documentary featurette, previews of upcoming DC Animated attractions, and a pair of classic Justice League cartoons featuring the JSA.

The stakes are raised suitably by the third act and if DC’s live-action outings had this level of story and characterisation, they’d be spoken of in much kinder terms. Justice Society: World War II is another solid instalment in the DC Animated Universe, especially for Golden Age fans, and it comes with a guarantee as redeemable as a War Bond.

Release Date: May 11th

BATTLE ROYALE LIMITED EDITION UHD

Kinji Fukasaku’s 2000 film adaptation of Koushun Takami’s 1999 Battle Royale novel is credited with popularising a concept that is now a pop-culture mainstay – the “every man for himself” idea behind movie hits like The Hunger Games and The Purge and staggeringly successful videogames including Fortnite, PUBG, Fall Guys and countless others. It’s entirely possible that the genre wouldn’t have become so popular without Fukasaku’s Battle Royale, which makes it a more than fitting recipient for a fancy 5-disc collector’s edition.

The first two discs are dedicated to the original Battle Royale, with new 4K transfers of both the theatrical and extended Director’s Cut. The remaster does look a little grainy in places, particularly during darker scenes, but generally makes everything look incredibly sharp and clear, to the point where you can clearly (almost too clearly) see the textures and detail of fabrics, scenery and, of course, blood and gore. Battle Royale II: Requiem sadly doesn’t get the same treatment, presented here on standard Blu-ray, but again in both theatrical and Director’s Cut versions. BRII hasn’t always been the easiest or most affordable film to get hold of on Blu-ray over the years, and neither has the original film’s soundtrack (included here on disc 5), so it’s a real treat to see everything brought together in one place.

Most of the extras from previous releases are included too, along with a few new features. The most interesting piece of new content is the half-hour interview with Kenta Fukasaku, the director of BRII, who speaks warmly, enthusiastically and occasionally very candidly about his efforts to create a sequel that would live up to expectations while also honouring the vision and memory of his late father, the director of Battle Royale, who passed away just as work on BRII was beginning. Elsewhere, the audio commentary from film critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp is as informative as you could possibly want it to be, but some may find that the new 42-minute talking heads feature runs its course after 5 minutes or so… There’s also a 120-page book, reversible poster, booklet of essays and archival articles and a set of trump cards – unfortunately none of these were provided for review, but you’re generally in very good hands with the folks at Arrow so it’s pretty safe to assume that everything’s up to their usual standard. Overall, while it would have been fantastic to see both films remastered instead of just the original, this set is still a very easy recommendation for Battle Royale fans.

Release date: 26th April

FOR THE SAKE OF VICIOUS

Written and directed by Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen, For the Sake of Vicious is a brutal ride that will please the gorehounds and keep viewers’ on the edge of their seats with its simple, yet effective setup.

It’s Halloween and a nurse, Romina (Lora Burke), is heading home after a gruelling shift. Rather than relax and later pick up her child, she’s faced with a situation that no one could image. On the floor of her kitchen is her landlord, Alan (Colin Paradine), blooded and beaten. In the corner is Chris (Nick Smyth), his intention unknown at this point and a chase begins with Romina and Chris battling as best they can. It turns out that she isn’t the intended victim here, as Chris has abducted Alan as he is convinced he abused his daughter. She isn’t as convinced, and is certainly not happy about this kangaroo court taking place in her kitchen, so she unties Alan and allows him to make a call that “will sort all this out”. Unfortunately for everyone, a gang of heavily-armed masked men will soon come calling, and they don’t want any treats.

As an almost one-location film, For the Sake of Vicious has a lot of scope. It moves from essentially a three-hander conversational piece with the occasional outburst of violence to a full-on siege situation in which the walls will turn red. The first half evokes memories of Big Bad Wolves, with similar sickeningly moments of body trauma, but when the story shifts up a gear, it can be described as a much bloodier, bone-crunching, knee-capping Assault on Precinct 13. The gore effects are fantastic, but where the movie succeeds is the sound design. Each stomach-turning thud and slice is gloriously reproduced aurally. You can look away from the gore, but you can’t escape the reaction. As everything resorts to one big, continual fight, it’s refreshing to see ‘normal’ people react in natural ways, meaning they don’t suddenly become superheroes who can pack a mighty wallop.

For the Sake of Vicious may be thin on plot, but it’s high on action and once it gets going, is a totally manic, visceral ride.

ANOTHER GAY MOVIE (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

With his latest film, the Udo Kier-starring Swan Song, picking up rave festival reviews, it’s a risky move for director Todd Stephens to return to his 2006 release, Another Gay Movie – a controversial smutfest that’s built up a small cult following.

An unashamed attempt to cash in on the popularity of the American Pie series, the story here is basically the same, but gay, as four high school graduates make a pact to lose their anal virginity over the summer break. There’s a lot to object to – the low production values, the stereotypical characters (the nerd, the camp one, the straight-acting one…), and some frankly racist and ableist humour involving Asian and blind side characters.

Thankfully, the majority of the comedy revolves around the four boys’ mostly disastrous attempts at getting laid. With plenty of LGBTQ in-jokes, it’s the kind of anarchic, self-aware, low-budget movie that cares more about its niche audience than what Variety thinks, and if you’re in the right mood for it – that is, a mood enhanced by your intelligence-numbing substance of choice – there’s fun to be had. Highlights include an incident with an electric penis enhancement pump, a very camp pair of paramedics, and a bonkers scene involving Graham Norton and a BDSM dungeon.

This new cut is no Snyder-style four-hour extravaganza; coming in at a tight 96 minutes, it’s only a little longer than the original, with the one significant difference being the re-insertion of a deleted scene in which Mink Stole (from the John Waters films) shows up to give a bizarre anecdote in a club bathroom. It’s not a particularly great scene, and won’t change anyone’s opinion on the film, but the re-release gives newcomers a chance to freshly sample this outrageously gay, outrageously smutty madness.

Another Gay Movie (Director’s Cut) is available to stream via Apple from April 27th, and on DVD from May 4th – US only in both cases; no UK release date has been confirmed.

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1997)

Let’s start with a reality check: it’s been almost as long since the first Austin Powers film was released than he was cryogenically frozen. While we laughed at the way the world had changed for the spy-Lothario, how will we view his over the top sexism post-MeToo?

It’s no doubt quite a dilemma for some; while it’s still clear the character is a pastiche of classic Bond and the other screen spies of the ‘60s and ’70s, we’re not really used to seeing this level of sauciness in modern films since the likes of American Pie became unfashionable.

For those who haven’t seen it, the film involves Austin Powers (Mike Myers), fashion photographer by day and spy for the British government by night. He also ‘shags’ an awful lot of women. When he nemesis, Dr Evil (Myers again), escapes by blasting himself off to space, Powers agrees to be cryogenically frozen. He’s revived 30 years later when Dr Evil has returned. Cue plenty of fish out of water gags and crudeness of the highest degree.

All outrage that might be stoked by the sexism of a ‘60s resident dealing with ‘90s values is offset by the brilliant Elizabeth Hurley, who plays Powers’ assistant. There’s a more satirical type of humour to be found in Dr Evil’s world, as he gets his head around having a child (Seth Green) and the rising value of ransom money. The world has changed so much that Dr Evil’s legitimate company – used as a front for the nefarious deeds he used to do – is now a multi-billion-dollar asset (we know who the real super-criminals are!).

Because of the kitschy way the film is shot, it has aged remarkably well, even if the ‘new’ technology Powers is introduced to is now vintage itself. The cast seem to be loving the experience, and even old hand Robert Wagner appears to be relishing his role. The re-release Blu-ray offers nothing new, however. The bonus features are all contemporary to the film – essentially just EPK material and they’re even shot in 4:3, which shows their age – which is a shame as it would have been interesting to have a retrospective piece on the film.

It’s possible there’s a new generation ready to embrace the crass silliness of Austin Powers – much in the same way people still love the Carry On films. It’s also likely the younger viewers brought up with a social conscience and moral compass might be offended. Just keep telling yourself: it’s only a movie…

Release Date: April 19th

PAINTBALL MASSACRE

On the surface, this low budget British film could be dismissed as another ‘laddish’ horror comedy, bur is worth a deeper look. Paintball Massacre is the debut feature from cinematographer Darren Berry, which takes a familiar premise and gives it some heart.

When Jess (Cheryl Burniston) is stood up at a school reunion by her fiancé, she’s forced to go along with the plans of the group who don’t really want her there. It’s a motley crowd, who are as obnoxious as Jess remembers. A paintballing trip is planned for the next day and the worst is yet to come as the petty jealousies, rivalries, and hangovers are the least of the worries when the opposing team are found mutilated and they are next.

Once Paintball Massacre gets going, it becomes more like a backwoods stalk-and-slash movie than a ribald ensemble piece. One of the strong points is the use of physical gore; nothing over the top, but it works much better then relying on CGI. The group dynamics – or dysfunction – doesn’t provide many characters to root for, although when the threat raises its head, some handle it better than others and become a little more likable as their true colours show.

There are not many films that liken life to Fast and Furious films. This simple philosophy is among the gems in Chris Regan’s script. Former pop superstar Lee Latchford-Evans gets a wry line, “We’ll find a ladder… or some steps!” referencing his previous career. There are a couple of other familiar faces here, too: comedian Katy Brand dominates as one of the paintball marshals, while the Chatterer himself Nicholas Vince pops up as the barman at the beginning. Amongst the slaughter and swearing, there’s a serious message about how the traumas and nastiness of school life can come back to haunt us. It’s handled in a much better way than many of the American films of the ‘80s, and is a decent entry into what’s becoming a very healthy British independent horror scene.

Available on DVD and Digital from ASDA, HMV, Amazon, Prime Video, iTunes and Sky Store from 4Digital Media.