xpunk_rock_poetx Reviews

Luster (2010)

Another hit from Adam Mason.

[9/10 · 31 October 2010]

When you hear the name Adam Mason followed by Andrew Howard, you instantly are filled with this sudden realization that you are in for a treat, it is almost the same feeling you get Christmas morning as a child, when you look over at your clock and take in what day it is, at least that is how I feel every time I find out they are working together on another project and it was no different when I heard the news that "Luster" was in the works.

I have watched this film now a total of four times, and each and every time I view it, I find more and more to like about it. Once again Adam Mason has a winner on his hands with "Luster" and proves that he is not a name to be forgotten. After a string of classics such as "The Devils Chair", "Blood River" and "Pig" and now "Luster" he has gone way beyond the needed criteria to land a spot on my list of top horror directors.

"Luster" has it all, a solid and entertaining story that is both original and ultra thought provoking, stunning practical special effects that shame most big budget Hollywood releases by sticking to the gritty and raw feeling that Mason has mastered over the years, and to finish the total package an excellent all around cast and convincing top notch acting by all who were involved.

Once again Andrew Howard does an incredible job, this time portraying Thomas Luster, who has found himself on a downward spiral in every sense of the word. Andrew delivers such a realistic and moving performance, you really build up an attachment and sense of honestly feeling bad for his character and what he is going through something that is rarely achieved in the horror genre these days where most characters are nothing more than slabs of meat included for the sake of being dismantled in gruesome ways.

The entire cast of "Luster" did astonishing jobs with their characters, Tess Panzer, who plays Thomas's wife Jennifer Luster was on top of her game, and my personal favorite character Les played by Tommy Flanagan, who you may recognized from his role on the hit FX series "Son's of Anarchy" really stole the show for me, you would honestly believe that he was a homeless vet he plays the role so authentically.

The writing ability of Adam Mason and Simon Boyes, time after time produce truly creepy and most of the times very feasible scenario's in their viewers minds that leave them haunted forever by what they just witnessed. "Luster" is no different in this department, once it all becomes unraveled and you grasp what has been going on you will find yourself desperately craving to find another soul who has seen the film so you can gab about it like a tween girl who just finished the latest issue of "Tiger Beat".

While "Luster" is not your typical Adam Mason style horror film, as it has more thriller, psychological, who did it undertones than his previous films, any fans of his earlier work will not be let down this time around. While there is not as much gore in "Luster" as his previous films either, when it does occur it's done in the familiar gritty fashion that Adam has always delivered in his films.

I guarantee after you watch "Luster" you'll think twice about taking that little chalk flavored capsule in order to get to sleep when a bout of insomnia strikes you again, you'll start to second guess yourself every time you "Misplace" an object in your home and you will forever feel the effects left behind by "Luster", ensuring that there's always a part of you that asks what if? Thanks to an insanely strong script, and characters that are both believable and memorable both main and supporting wise, "Luster" is sure to win crowd after crowd whenever it is released. I highly recommend any fan of the horror genre go out of their way to see this movie upon release and if you are not familiar with Adam Mason's earlier work, I insist that you IMDb his name and go down the list, I would start with "The Devils Chair" and work my way through his impressive library of true horror films.

On Behalf of The Liberal Dead I give "Luster" a very solid and deserving 9 out of 10, and award for best psychological twist in a horror film in a very long time.

The Book of Zombie (2010)

A true zombie classic.

[9/10 · 31 October 2010]

Wow, after viewing "The Book of Zombie" I am speechless, we get a lot of low budget zombie films in the mail here at The Liberal Dead, and a large chunk of them are of the comedy hybrid variety thanks to the success of "Shaun of The Dead" and other films such as "Zombieland", sadly most of these attempts turn out being unimaginative and half-a**ed. "The Book of Zombie" is absolutely incredible, it's fun, original, and something that I rarely get to say these days but it is also a very unique and fresh take on the zombie sub genre.

The story is beyond original, this is by far the most fresh take on the zombie film I have seen in ages, it's been a very long time since I had so much fun with an indie zombie flick. For those who have been screaming for something different from the genre, look no further "The Book of Zombie" will leave you satisfied and dying for more Mormon zombie madness. The dialog is all well written and a lot of the time very humorous, I laughed out loud many times during this movie, you can really tell that a lot of effort was put into the script and it shows in the end giving the film a very witty feel when it comes to interaction between the survivors.

The survivors are all interesting in their own ways, and the acting in "The Book of Zombies" while not Oscar worthy comes off very real and it really makes you care about each of the survivors, you honestly spend the entire film hoping that no one gets left behind because each and every one of them become important to the whole package, this is a feat a lot of directors and writers strive for but fall short of.

My personal favorite survivor had to of been Darwin Nedry (Andrew Loviska), I found him to be very easy for me to relate too on a individual level as I was pretty much that kid when I was his age as far as him being a nerdy stoner and armed with smart ass one liners for any occasion.

The relationship between him and his best friend Charlie Cooper (Paul Cantu), sets a very realistic tone when it comes to these two characters, once again the writing in this film really does an amazing job at making the characters feel like real people, making your audience form attachments to characters is something more horror films should work towards, it really makes it that much more effective when you kill someone off if you will authentically miss them in the movie.

Gore, gore, and more gore, "The Book of Zombie" is a blood bath when it comes to good old fashion gore. The special effects while your basic 80's splatter grade, get the job done just perfect. Loads of latex and buckets of blood with very little CGI usage, the only time I noticed outright that something was CGI was a flame effect but overall it took nothing from the experience.

So many scenes pop out when I think back to the gore, I forced myself to keep from using screen shots of the best of the best because I want you all to be as surprised as I was when the blood really started to hit the fan, but trust me gore hounds you will not be let down with "The Book of Zombie".

I laughed, I screamed "hell yeah" thanks to remarkable gore, and I even felt myself feeling bummed out during certain scenes, overall I loved this film and on behalf of The Liberal Dead give "The Book of Zombie" a very well earned and deserved 9 out of 10, don't pass up a chance to view this film as its one of the best indie zombie films to come along in a very long time.

9/10

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

The worst movie I've seen in 2010 so far...

[3/10 · 11 September 2010]

I'm not sure where to start when it comes to "Resident Evil : Afterlife", I went into this film totally unaware what it was about beyond it was the next Resident Evil film, I had avoided trailers and spoilers and sneak peeks successfully hoping that it would be a solid addition to the franchise, but at the same time was worried it would be more of what the third one served up, to my surprise the situation was much more dire as this is hands down the worse movie of the franchise thus far.

"Resident Evil : Afterlife" moves at such a slow and uninteresting pace that by the time you even see a "zombie" you are half asleep and wondering if you have been duped into a zombie less world. Don't fret this is not the case there are in fact billions and billions of flesh eating horde roaming the streets of the world, but you won't get to see many of them because the only time their interjected into the main story arch is when they need to dispose of a unneeded character, always in a sudden and unimaginative fashion and to the shock of myself with very little gore, but I will go into that later on in this review.

The story felt thrown together and just void of any effort, with so many cases of "six months later"," 2 years later" etc it's hard to figure out the time-line during the first watch. And the ending felt so tacked on I started to have flashbacks from the "House of The Dead" film as quality comparison.

Where the f*#k was the gore? Honestly the only real gore you see is when it comes to dispatching various umbrella baddies, most of the time when anything interesting occurs the camera cuts away and you are thrown away from the action into a new scene, very disappointing for any zombie fans out there hoping to see some people get eaten and such. The movie has a few nice special FX moments but not nearly enough to warrant seeing it, and to be fair some pretty awesome 3D scenes.

The over use of slow-mo, freeze frame, and bullet time made the movie feel like it would of been a better 45 minute short to be released as fan service, I honestly felt like I had been tossed into a time machine and transported to when "The Matrix" was first released and everyone and their mom was using the bullet time and slow-mo gimmick in their action flicks.

Over all I really disliked this film, from the bad use of outdated gimmicks, to the uninteresting disposable characters that felt like they were added in just so they could justify killing someone, to the sporadic time line the film attempts to create , it was all in all just a bad movie. My score on behalf of The Liberal Dead is a very weak and below average 3 out of 10 and award for most occurrences of "jumping the shark" I have witnessed in a single film to date.

• Ted Brown "liberaldead.com"

Spring Break Massacre (2008 Video)

Retro, fun, gore filled ride from start to finish.

[7/10 · 18 July 2010]

A spring-break sleepover takes a turn for the worse for six sorority co-eds, after Stanley Peterson, convicted serial killer, escapes from maximum security prison. It's up to the college ladies to survive the night, and at the same time figure out who is behind all of the grizzly blood-soaked antics. No you have not stumbled onto your very own Hot tub time machine, although this film does an excellent job at reenacting the feel of a classic 80's who did it slasher, "Spring break Massacre" is actually from 2008, and a great example at how a homage film is done.

Recently I have watched a lot of homage films mostly paying tribute to the 70's exploitation film or the 80's slasher with only a handful managing to pull it off to their advantage, "Spring Break Massacre" happens to be one of these mentioned movies. This movie feels so retro that it should be sold on both VHS and DVD in my opinion and any fan of the era will come away from "Spring Break Massacre" more than pleased with their viewing experience.

Story wise "Spring Break Massacre" is your classic who did it slasher, constantly confusing you around each turn as to who the killer is and why they are eliminating college guys and girls at an alarming rate. All the 80's clichés are here and often done in a very humorous way everything from good old fashion 80's style gore, to your typical dose of T&A, it can all be found within the running time of "Spring Break Massacre" causing it become a must see film for any old school horror fans looking for a fix of pure popcorn fun you'll feel like your back at the drive-in minutes into this film.

The special effects are your basic 80's style practical effects, nothing but latex and buckets of blood the way such a film should be created. There are some very fun kills that reminded me of the early "Friday The 13th" franchise during its hay day, one involving a coat hanger you should keep an eye open for when viewing "Spring Break Massacre".

Overall I enjoyed this movie, but I warn you it is geared towards the fans of cheesy gore loaded 80's horror so if you find yourself not liking most of the era's offerings your best bet is to skip this one, but for your fans this is a hidden gem you will absolutely love and I highly recommend you give this one a watch. On behalf of The Liberal Dead I give "Spring Break Massacre" a 6.5 out of 10.

6.5/10 - Ted "Ritualistic" Brown www.liberaldead.com

Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (2007 Video)

Fun Gore Filled Slasher

[7/10 · 29 May 2010]

In Ed Gein : The Butcher of Plainfield the horror icon Kane Hodder takes the role of one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. A man who is the basis for such legendary cinema madmen as Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill, and let's not forget Leatherface. Gein a real life serial killer who went on a brutal wave of violence in the 1950's when police officers searched his home and found the following items. Human skulls mounted on his bed posts, various things made out of human skin such as lampshades, clothing, and a chair, also in the home police were shocked to find a box of preserved vulvas that Ed admitted to wearing.

I was scrolling through netflix instaview and noticed this little gem, being a huge TCM fan I try to watch every Ed Gein related media I can get my hands on. And as a bonus this one just happens to star the great Kane Hodder of Jason Vorhees and other horror fame. I've heard a lot of complaints about this film not following the facts. And for you who feel this way and think that is reason enough to dub this a bad movie I'd love an example of a based on a true story movie that follows the real life account fact to fact not changing one detail for the sake of making it cinema friendly.

Now with that said and out of the way I enjoyed this film from start to end it reminded me of my childhood and how much fun the 80's slasher genre was. If this film would of been released in that era instead of 2007 it would of seen a theatre release it would also of been a great drive in movie experience. While it does nothing new for the genre it does do a good job at sticking to the old' classic slasher formula of extreme violence and over the top blood and gore delivered in a fashion that can only be described as brutal and unforgiving. The makeup effects in this movie are beautiful a true symphony of screams and blood soaked bodies.

The story may not be 100% accurate but that's no reason to over look this movie. If this film would of had a title that had nothing to do with Ed Gein a lot of the people belittling it due to this fact would probably watched it and came away loving it especially fans of the Friday the 13th series and children of the 80's splatter generation. If you can find a copy of this I recommend you give it a shot and once again for all you Netflix subscribers out there you've nothing to lose as it is currently available for instaviewing I have a feeling it will feel familiar and comfortable for all you long time horror fiends.

7/10

The Devil's Chair (II) (2007)

A must see horror film

[9/10 · 29 May 2010]

The Devil's Chair follows the story of Nick west who after taking his girlfriend out for a crazy LSD induced night with in the walls of a deserted asylum, finds himself accused of her brutal murder and is shipped off to a mental hospital. Years later a doctor who is writing a book decides to take Nick back to the scene of the grisly murder along with some other students to find out the truth about what happened that night.

It's very rare that after I watch a horror movie these days that I'm totally blown away and speechless. But The Devil's Chair did just that too me, for anyone who has become jaded and heartbroken with what horror has become in the eyes of the mainstream, it will remind you of all the reasons you fell in love with the genre to begin with. This movie has it all a well written and acted script, beautiful special effects, and a ending that will leave you running the entire film over and over through your mind as if it's stuck on repeat for weeks to come.

It's really sad that a movie like this did not see a nationwide theater release as it would have been a very fun and intense experience on the big screen. And I believe audiences would of left very happy with what they paid too experience something that I'm sure a lot of today's mover goers don't have the pleasure of saying too often. If you have not seen this film it should be added to the top of your too watch list. Adam Mason does a wonderful job at keeping your attention and makes it all worth your while when it comes to the end leaving you satisfied and lost in a state that can only be described as pure horror bliss. The special effects and overall setting in this movie is beautiful. The blood and gore are realistic and the kills are very intense. I was very impressed with the way this movie was filmed, at first when I was going into this movie I was expecting something along the lines of the quality you'd find in most B horror movies. But I was very wrong the special effects and overall visuals of this movie are on par with what you see Hollywood churning out these days.

But unlike Hollywood horror your also blessed with a mind blowing story that's backed up with very solid and believable acting. The dialog in this movie at times is very thought provoking and really makes you take into consideration what the main character is saying. I was highly impressed with the writing in this movie, something I don't get to say about to many horror movies these days.

In the end when all is said and done and I think back to the experience I had while watching this movie I believe it deserves the rating of 9 out of 10 and a spot on my list of important horror movies to see before you die.

9/10

• Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Lost Signal (2006)

a mind bending trip

[6/10 · 29 May 2010]

Dead of winter, also known as Lost Signal, follows Santos and McCoy, a young couple who are unknowingly slipped a high dosage of LSD at a New Years Eve party. As the drugs start to take effect, and the couple leaves the party, they start to become paranoid that someone is out to get them. After a car accident leaves them stranded in the woods, their trip continues gaining momentum as does their fear.

I found this movie by total accident in the wee hours of the mourning. I was bored and needed some background noise while I was studying for finals. Before I knew it I was drawn in and hooked, not able to take my attention away from the movie. I've seen quite a few movies with the "Bad Trip" scenario, and hated most of them, but what makes this movie stand out from the rest is there is no madman, no monster, you are simply viewing two people who have no clue that they are having an extremely strong LSD trip. The actors who play the two mains do an excellent job of portraying this terrifying situation as well, both are very believable during the entire movie. I really had a good time watching this film. It turned out to be one of those random "it came from Netflix" gems I find now and then when sleep isn't an option. I highly recommend giving this movie a chance, it is very much atmosphere driven so don't expect ton's of story or over the top special effects. If it wasn't for the super cheesy special effects, that caused me many times to be reminded that what I was watching was only a movie due to how silly they were most of the time I would of given this film a bit higher of a score. But none the less I feel its worth your time.

6/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Stoic (2009)

Uwe's best work.

[7/10 · 29 May 2010]

After a game of poker takes a turn for the dark side, three inmates find themselves trying to cover up the brutal beating and torture of the fourth inmate in their cell. Stoic, starring Edward Furlong, Shaun Sipos, Sam Levinson, and Steffen Mennekes leads you through the horrible acts, using flashbacks and interview style Q&A with the inmates involved. Stoic is also based on the true story of an inmate from a German juvenile detention center, who was brutalized by fellow cellies.

I had huge doubts going into this movie knowing that it was directed by Uwe Boll, Who's only movies I had been exposed to before this were video game related. The fact that I happen to be a big Edward Furlong fan caused me to give this flick a try. After all, If I was able to sit through the third crow film, I can survive anything. This movie takes every fear a man has about going into the prison system, and rolls it up into one nonstop ride of fear, and uneasiness. The worse case scenario of jail is unfolded in front of you in a very graphic and unforgiving manor. You can really feel the tension rise to higher and higher levels as things continue to spiral further out of control with each passing minute. It's very rare a movie ever makes me truly feel sorry for a victim, because I'm always able to tell myself it's just a movie, it's all in good fun. Stoic does a really impressive job at making you feel for the young man being tortured for no real reason at all.

Now, the things that bothered me about this film, first of all, when in prison, guards check on cells on a pretty frequent time frame, it seemed like a lot of time passed in this movie with no guard in site, beyond when they got food. Of course, that can be overlooked, but there is one scene in the film which I won't spoil just for the sake that some of you may go watch this after reading this, but let's just say huge shenanigans called on the red button incident with no one double checking on the claim made.

With that said I'm shocked, and kind of disturbed to say I enjoyed an Uwe boll movie, and not just because Edward furlong was involved. I was very impressed with the raw, and realistic nature of the film for the most part, and also its ability to make you feel something. I recommend you give it a watch, especially you Netflix users out there, as it is currently viewable via instaqueue.

7/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Peacock (2010)

worth the watch a nice change of pace

[5/10 · 29 May 2010]

Peacock is a very interesting, and original film. It tells the story of a small town bank clerk named John Skillpa, who has a very big secret. Little do his fellow towns people know that John also has a split personality, that happens to be a female. This causes him to dress as a woman to do chores for John, and to also cook him breakfast every morning. After a freak train accident in his front yard during his daily chores, he finds himself having to work extra hard to hide his other half from the towns people, and at the same time, trying to stay on top of the ongoing battle between his two halves.

Let me start by saying, this movie is far from a easy watch. Before I felt comfortable reviewing it, I ended up watching it a total of three times. It tends to leave a lot of questions to be answered by the audience on their own without ever confirming it within the film itself. So your first time through, you may find yourself confused to some degree. The acting in this movie is pretty amazing especially the lead Cillian Murphy playing both the role of John and his other personality Emma. In a time of endless remakes and cookie cutter scripts, Peacock is a very nice change of pace if you're willing to watch it with a open mind, and give something different a shot. This film won't be for everyone and honestly its more drama slash thriller than horror, but in the end I recommend you at least try to make it through it, and if you manage to do that you'll be rewarded with a real treat.

5/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Staunton Hill (2009 Video)

Great gore horrible movie.

[2/10 · 29 May 2010]

Staunton Hill follows a group of young friends hitchhiking their way to a rally in D.C., but when their paths cross with an all too eager to help stranger, their lives take a horrible turn. Their journey to the home of the Stauntons, a crazed redneck family who's involved in a very grisly, and blood soaked trade.

The storyline itself is your basic cookie cutter Texas Chainsaw Massacre type deal. You have it all from the racist gas station owner, the mysterious stranger who just wants to lend a helping hand, the abandoned farmhouse, and your over the top religious crazed hillbillies, one of which who happens to be retarded to some degree. The film takes a very long time to get anywhere. The buildup seems like it will go on forever, which caused me to lose interest quite a few times along the way. The directors attempts to show you bonds and relationships between the main characters falls short, and most of the time seemed like needless filler, only there to extend the films length.

Now the movie's only high point its beautiful special effects make up. The gore in this film is amazing, and stays true to the old school latex and buckets of blood formula that I will always love. That's right ladies and gentlemen, no CGI gore to be found in this flick, just good old get your hands dirty make up.

But in the end, the gore isn't enough to save this movie. I have to say, going in, I had high hopes for this flick, as a very big fan of George's I was hoping to see his son breathe new life into the namesake. Let's hope his next film is better than this ultimately weak attempt at a movie that's been way over done since the success of rob zombie's House of 1000 corpses.

2/5 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

Lake Mungo (2008)

Paranormal fans dream come true

[6/10 · 29 May 2010]

Lake Mungo tells the tragic story of sixteen year old Alice Palmer, who drowned while swimming in the town's local dam. What seemed like an open and shut case of accidental death, would soon be turned upside down with the start of strange events within her home. Revealing a girl who kept many shocking secrets to herself about her life that would ultimately lead to finding out the truth behind her death, and the events leading up to her final day.

Going into these supernatural thrillers that are based on true events, I'm usually very skeptical of it having any chance at being good. Let me just start off by saying, I was a paranormal investigator for many years, and worked on many cases, so I know most of the tricks of the trade. This movie does a very good job at portraying paranormal phenomenon in a very realistic and respectful way. It's shot frame by frame in documentary format, much like the old television series Unsolved Mysteries, telling you the story of Alice by using interview footage of family and friends, and reenactments of key events of the case. If you are a fan of the reality paranormal shows, you're going to enjoy this movie a lot more than let's say, Paranormal Activity, as it really sticks to the facts without going overboard and that's the way I prefer it. After all, a lot of the time the truth is scarier than anything Hollywood can come up with.

The acting in this movie is very believable, it really makes you feel like you're looking at the actual people involved and not actors reenacting their story, unlike a lot of the documentary style movies, they do a great job at showing the families emotions during tough times. The multiple story twists should keep you interest peaked from start to finish but be warned, if you're looking for high budget, over the top special effects, or Hollywood's take on ghosts this is not the film for you. But for all you who are interested in true ghost stories and enjoy paranormal documentaries, and reality shows, I would give this one a shot. One final note I'd like to say I found this movie to be excellent proof that a low budget movie with a strong story can be just as good and many times better than a multimillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster. Budget doesn't mean better. In the end, if your story is weak your movie will be weak too.

6/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

The Reeds (2010)

a wonderfully told ghost story

[8/10 · 29 May 2010]

The Reed's tells the story of six friends who plan a weekend boating trip through the Norfolk Broads but soon find themselves caught in the middle of the struggle between an old man and the very teenage life's he took many years ago. The spirits of the murdered teen's now haunt the old man and anyone who steps foot on the Corsair Star boat. I want to start off by saying that so far this is my favorite out of the latest batch of After Dark films. As most people know I love movies dealing with ghosts and the paranormal but unfortunately a lot of them are just done horribly. That is not the case with The Reeds which is a beautiful example of a movie based around a haunting. The acting in this film is very solid and the special effects are beautiful all of which appear to of been practical effects no CGI that I could spot so if it was in there it was done well and unnoticeable. The story really blew me away its hard for me to review this one without giving up important parts of the movie because I just loved the story so much and the way it progressed at a very nice steady pace ending in a very satisfying way. The plot twists were executed perfectly. The Reeds does an excellent job of building tension and unlike a lot of today's horror it also delivers at the end. It didn't feel rushed or like they weren't sure how to end it like a lot today's movies seem to be plagued with it was done very well and really left you with a wow feeling as you finish piecing together what you just witnessed. If you enjoy a good haunting movie with a strong storyline beautiful blood and gore where needed all rolled up in a neat package of pure horror enjoyment I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Reeds. 8/10

Slices (2008)

A beautiful display of retro inspired horror

[6/10 · 29 May 2010]

I just want to start this review off saying one thing...I love anthology movies growing up watching Tales from the crypt, Monsters, Twilight Zone, and off course movies like creep show and although not horror the amazing stories series I have become a major anthology junkie. But sadly more than half of them completely suck the most recent good one I had seen before watching Slices was Trick R Treat. Now on to my review of the little hidden treasure known as Slices.

As you may of guessed from my little intro there Slices is a anthology of five short stories shown too you through the eyes of an insomniac who has found himself watching a marathon of a horror host television show dubbed "Tales of the macabre" which gave me flash backs to growing up with such people as Elvira and the great Joe Bob Briggs on my television screen introducing me to endless tales of gore and terror. The stories included in this anthology are very original and at the same time pay homage to different styles of horror. You get a little taste of everything from torture horror to classic 80's splatter it's a nice tasting treat for anyone who grew up in the 80's.

Out of the five I really only disliked one but for sake of not tainting your viewing of this movie I've decided to keep the one I didn't to myself I'd really like to hear some others takes on this five shorts, so please feel free to leave comments if you happen to give this film a go. Each of the stories are pretty solid and entertaining they kept my attention the entire two hours and thirty minutes. The make up for the most part was pretty good and graphic at times the only make up I thought was bad was in the fourth story the "monsters" I'll call them so as to not spoil anything look like the members of Cradle of filth, but other than that I came away pleased with the makeup and the gore displayed in this movie.

Overall when the credits rolled I found myself happy with the time I just spent with Slices I'm very picky when it comes to these types of movies and watch everyone I can get my hands on. This is a fun watch for any fan that enjoys good old fashion low budget horror you'll feel like your back in the 80's before it's over having flashbacks of your Megadeth jean jacket and skin tight pants *throws up the devil horns*.

6.5/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

The Dead Next Door (1989)

A must see zombie flick.

[8/10 · 29 May 2010]

In The Dead Next Door the world has become over ran with zombies, in response the government has created a elite squad with one mission and one mission only to eliminate the zombie menace.

And at the same time defending themselves against a cult of zombie sympathizers that believe that its god's will that zombies take over the earth. When one of their own are bitten it becomes a race to find a cure and ride Akron Ohio of the horde of walking dead.

First off one of my favorite things about this movie when I was a kid and still today was all the horror references and trivia involved with it. In the early beginning of the film be on the lookout for a quick shot of Dawn of the dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Evil Dead, and Creepshow. Also some interesting facts about The Dead Next Door the great Bruce Campbell does unaccredited voice work and was also a audio post-production supervisor. Also producing under the name The Master Cylinder, Sam Raimi was also involved and also the namesake of one of the main characters. There's also characters with the last names Savini and Carpenter.

This movie is not filled with top notch acting or big budget special effects. But what it is filled with is beautiful make up effects and mind blowing zombie gore. This is a true zombie classic that any hardcore horror fan should take the time to experience. It's very Evil Dead like in the respect it's loaded with humorous one liners and a over the top silly plot mixed in with graphic gore. This is no where near a serious movie but it is loads of campy classic 80's horror fun. And once again for you readers with Netflix memberships this film is currently available via instaview so you have nothing to lose and a ton of enjoyment to gain.

8/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com

The Red Skulls (2005 Video)

Gangs of new york with a psychobilly twist.

[7/10 · 29 May 2010]

After his best friend is killed by a rival gang Uri, Leader of the The Red Skulls decides to give up gang life before he ends up dead just like his friend. Meanwhile The Red Skulls plan their revenge for the death of a fallen member after Long time Red Skull Lester takes over as leader. After a raid on the rival gangs warehouse The Red Skulls discovered a weird red liquid in jars that when consumed turn the person into blood thirsty murders. Slipped into the gangs booze supplies by one of their own things take a turn for the ultra gory and violent in this entertaining and unique film by the Campbell brothers Andrew and Lucas.

The best way I can describe this movie is Troma meets Gangs of new york with a psychobilly twist and just a dash of The warriors for good measure. I really enjoyed this film it's not your average run of the mill horror flick it has a interesting enough story and moves at a good pace. The acting is nothing special but is made up tenfold with the beautiful practical special effects .

The Gore in this movie is amazing very graphic and raw specially for a low budget movie. The throat slashes in this movie really blew me away and the pure brutality of the last 30 minutes or so of the movie makes it well worth a watch. This movie won't be for everyone if you find yourself mostly only liking the mainstream horror hits then may be disappointed. But if you enjoy experiencing something different then The Red Skulls may well be a hidden treasure for you just as it was for myself.

For you Netflix subscribers The Red Skulls is also currently available via Instaview so if you're in the mood for some good old fashion violence and gore queue The Red Skulls and bask in the showers of crimson that this movie produces. And I should also mention it has a soundtrack that rivals return of the living dead in levels of pure f**king awesome.

7/10 - Ritualistic The Liberal Dead http://liberaldead.blogspot.com