Video Naties: The Definitive Guide

I was thrilled to hear Severin Films was finally bringing this beast to the States. Beforehand, you could only get an imported copy for out of print prices. I luckily was able to procure a copy when it was first released, but have since lost it, and was not about to fork out a hundred bucks for something I assumed would be in print again. I was right, and Severin came through.

The meat and potatoes of this set is definitely Jake West's(Evil Aliens) documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship And Videotape. It is an overall look at the 72 films that made this infamous list, as well as a history lesson of VHS invading your homes, or at least the homes of some British personalities that I am sure you will recognize. Since its initial release, we have gotten a couple of documentaries on VHS history. First with Adjust Your Tracking, and then with Rewind This. Those films made this part of the lesson seem regurgitated, but as I remembered, this was before those, and it only takes up mere moments of the film. It is also still interesting to see and hear from a different side of the world on these moments in history.

The film starts off with a graveyard full of these films being showcased. Imagine Sam Raimi building a contraption to go through the graveyard in one shot, while The Damned sing their amazing, and fitting song "Nasty." This basically sums up the opening. Sure Sam Raimi had nothing to do with it, but the amazing way this intro was filmed had his influence all over it.

Interviews range from film personalities such as Neil Marshall, Andy Nyman, Kim Newman,  and Christopher Smith. They tell stories of seeking these out as children. They wanted to find the sickest, most gruesome, yet entertaining films they could. They would rent them, and have parties to showcase them to all their friends. An action I very much can relate to. Where it changes from what I grew up with, is when the BBFC comes in and censors them, and causes a mass panic. I was lucky enough to  not have to deal with this kind of shenanigans. At least not until Blockbuster showed up on the scene and secretly did something similar, but alas, that is not what this is about. This is about the famous list of 72 films, mostly picked on solely due to title and cover art. It can be infuriating to see such reckless abuse of power, and those points are further driven home by stories of imprisonment, and businesses being destroyed.

Don't let this scare you off, sure it deals with these things, and they are important to our history, but it is also an amazingly entertaining film. Clips from some of your favorite 70s/80s horror flicks followed by brief commentary on them from an insanely interesting bunch of people. They even go into detail on how it affected culture at the time. Stories from many are told, as well as TV references, including, but not limited to The Young Ones and the episode "Nasty."

In the end this is 90 minutes well spent if you are a fan of cinema, specifically horror cinema. It is important to not forget the past, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a history lesson. This was a trip down memory lane, even if I wasn't directly involved in the movement.

Adjust Your Tracking, Rewind or Die, and kick Mary Whitehouse to the curb. Revel in your nastiness. 



Discs two and three have trailers for all 72 films on the list, as well as introductions from Emily Booth on both discs. Disc two is the 39 films that were successfully prosecuted. Disc three is the 33 films that were originally banned, but eventually acquitted. You can watch these just as trailer reals, which is perfect for parties. Or, you can watch them with introductions from a variety of experts on the subject. With this feature you are looking at roughly ten hours of entertainment. I have watched through these before, but that didn't stop me from spending a whole day off doing it again for this review. These are full of great information, as well as hillarious anecdotes from a who's who of horror film and journalism.

This is a set any lover of horror, or history of cinema must own. The documentary is excellent, and that is the just the beginning. The features will keep you salivating for hours.


Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship And Videotape- 4.5/5
Extras-5/5

This will be released June 3rd and can be picked up directly at Severin, as well as many other outlets.


-Tromeric

Fantasm- Kyle Kuchta

I remember back in the eighties and nineties, I would read through Fangoria and constantly see adds for conventions. It blew my mind. The thought of meeting Freddy, Jason, The Tall Man. I would have killed at least seven orphans to make it to one. The thing is, I was in Washington, and most the conventions seemed to be East Coast. There were occasionally one in California, but for a ten year old that was about a days worth of driving I couldn't pull off. I dreamed of the day I could finally hit one of these beasts. I made it to few smaller comicons, and even went to Twin Peaks fest five years in a row, which was amazing, don't get me wrong, but I longed for a real horror con. Just thinking about it had the same effect that seeing Phoebe Cates in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" had. Lots of boners, if you didn't catch where I was going.

Jump ahead to the new millennium. I heard about Crypticon Seattle. A full fledged horror convention coming to Seattle. I was living about a hundred and fifty miles away at the time, but knew I had to make the trip. My mind was blown. So many people in one room, talking horror, selling horror, and hanging out with so many people I had only known through films until that point. My life was different for the better.

We now get to Fantasm, finally. Kyle Kuchta sets out on a journey to a handful of horror conventions. Interviewing celebrities, vendors, and fans. Most of the time all are one in the same. He digs into why they are such a hit?, if the popularity will ever go away?, and most importantly, why everyone loves them so much?

The interviews stay interesting throughout, spliced with him explaining his love, and why he set out on such a project. I found myself intrigued the whole time, never bored, but just wanting more.  My biggest complaint would be that the run time is under an hour. With that said, I also appreciate it not being overkill. Many filmmakers are so afraid to cut things, that it becomes less entertaining,and more of a chore to finish. I guess what I am saying is that a short run time is not always a bad thing. I am looking at you "Terror Toons."

If you have ever been, or just wanted to attend a horror convention, I can't recommend this enough. Kuchta has captured the feeling you get from a convention and locked it onto celluloid. I can't thank him enough for this.

"Fantasm" is playing at select film fests and conventions now. You can also watch it for free this month(2/14) online as part of the New Hollywood Online Film Festival.

4/5

- Tromeric

4 Must See Documentaries From 2013

Documentaries are a hard thing for me to judge. It is rare that I put one on that I am not interested in. Even with subjects that seem less than exciting, like say sushi, or Helvetica. Obviously some outshine others, but basically I am just a sucker for docs. I spend lots of my free time watching what South Park refers to as "Murder Porn." ID channel is a part of my everyday life. Instead of making a long list with all the documentaries I watched this year. I am just going to showcase four that fit in on the grog a bit more. All four of these I have watched numerous times, three of them I was lucky enough to see in the theater with directors in attendance. These are in no order. Just four that I feel any genre fan should check out.

Adjust Your Tracking

I felt like I was waiting for this forever. I saw the first teaser and then waited and waited. Finally it was out, I just had to wait for it to hit West Coast. It finally showed at Crypticon Seattle. I was a vendor there, so I knew I had to check it. Luckily I had some friends with me that offered to watched my table while it played. In fact, it was the only screening I was able to make it to this year. I loved it. It was able to show some history, while still showcasing the passion and excitement of the people involved in collecting.

A couple months later it came here to Portland. There was a VHS swap meet, and the directors were in attendance. Gabe Nye and I walked up to the Hollywood, stopping at the liquor store for some Bushmills first, of course. We hung out with some fellow VHS lovers, bought a metric fuck ton of tapes, met some new friends, saw some old ones, and watched the movie. Even though I had already seen it, it was nice to see it in a less busy feeling environment. Needless to say, I love this movie. It captures that feel you have digging though some random ass dudes basement, sifting through shit just to find that one holy grail. Check my full review here.

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

 

A couple of years ago a documentary came out called "Never Sleep Again." It was all about Freddy, and the Elm Street legacy. It was four hours long, and incredibly in depth. Needless to say it made my shit rock hard. I have watched it numerous times. Interviews with so many of the people involved in all eight films. Since the birth of that, I have been dying for one on Jason. I love Freddy, but have always fancied myself a Jason fan more. Lucky for me the same team that brought the Elm Street beast to life, took on Friday. Being that there are twelve Friday films including the remake, and Freddy vs Jason, I knew this bitch was going to be long. I waited and waited, and finally got a screener. I popped it in and sat there for seven plus hours, granted I didn't realize it was that long until after it was over and I saw what time it was. Engaging from beginning to end is an understatement. The next day I watched it with the commentary, and was just as engulfed. I have now watched it a few times, and it never gets old. As stated previously, I am a sucker for docs, this is the reason why. If you can make a seven hour film about one franchise and not only make me enjoy it, but also watch it repeatedly, you have won at life. To read my full review click here.

Rewind This!

It has definitely been the year of the VHS. This was the second documentary on the subject I saw this year. Where AYT is more about the collecting of VHS, this is more a history lesson in the roots of VHS, as well as the VCR, and some other formats that didn't make it. Great interviews, clips and more. I was able to attend a screening of this as well, with the director in attendance. Definitely a well crafted doc that any fan of film or home video needs to see.

I Am Divine

Anyone that knows me, knows that outside of David Lynch there is no filmmaker that I respect, and love more than John Waters. I have watched everything he has ever been involved with, read everything he has ever written, and listened to or read any interview or commentary I can get my hands on. I have always been an admirer of Divine. The dirty, fuck you attitude he embraced. His performances got better and better, until he was taken a little to early.  I had been dying to see this when I finally saw that it was playing at the Q-doc film festival here in Portland. The deal got sweeter when I saw that the director as well as Mink Stole were going to be making appearances. I got my ticket, my copy of Female Trouble(for Mink to sign), and the day off, and then just waited. It finally came, and so did I. Such a great tribute to one of my favorite entertainers ever. It is so well crafted, and full of amazing interviews, that I see this being a monthly watch for me once it hits home video.

Well there you go. Four documentaries that I promise you should seek out. There were plenty of other great ones, but I figured I would stick to film docs for this particular list. If you haven't yet, make sure you check the 20 Greatest Moments from 2013, and keep your eye out for the remaining year in review lists headed your way.


- Tromeric

Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th- Daniel Farrands

I have lived with Friday the 13th my whole life. The first one came out the year I was born, and by the time I was six or seven I was watching them all religiously after I caught part five on cable and fell in love. Through the years I continued to watch them sometimes one at a time, sometimes in marathon form, especially on any Friday the 13th that popped up. Jason is a huge part of our culture, and I dare you to find someone not familiar with his name.

"Crystal Lake Memories" spends just shy of seven hours going over every detail of the process of bringing him from the bottom of Crystal Lake all the way to space, or even pot fields. To some that might scare you off. I mean seven hours is a long time, don't worry. It's worth it. I put this bad boy in and was hooked right off the bat. I watched the entire thing in one sitting, then turned around the next day and watched it again, with commentary.

You will learn and hear from a large majority of people that have been involved over the years. I could nitpick that some are missing, but with this many people involved it is not realistic to get everyone. Sure Kevin Bacon was busy, but for that there are hundreds of others that took the time to sit down and reminisce on all things Crystal Lake.

It comes as a DVD/Blu Ray combo pack, so no matter what your watching preferences are you're covered, unless you prefer VHS, but we can hope for a future special edition while we enjoy it digitally. It looks and sounds fantastic. Every backdrop is great, and the sound is sharp the whole time.

As far as special features, you get a commentary. That is right, a seven hour commentary. I watched this directly after the feature, and was shocked that there was so much more to say after I watched a seven hour documentary about it. They stay talking and interesting the whole time. That is about it as far as features go, unless you pre-ordered it, then you get a  bonus disc with four more hours of material.

From the second it starts you can tell that "Crystal Lake Memories" is a labor of love. It took years to put this together, and I don't know if it would be possible to get a better end result. This is the end all on Friday the 13th. Made with blood and love.

You can order the disc directly from Crystal Lake Memories here, and I promise it is worth it.


 

5/5


-  Tromeric

Adjust Your Tracking- Dan M. Kinem/Levi Peretic

This movie has been on my radar for a while now. It is a story I definitely feel a part of, and assumed it would transfer better than the first time I recorded "A Nightmare on Elm Street" with a video camera pointed at my shitty TV when I was like eight. I was right. It looked a lot better than that.

VHS was my generations Drive In, or even Grindhouse. Sure I saw some flicks at both of those, but it was VHS that really brought me into the world of horror, and film in general. I spent  more time in video stores than Macaulay Culkin did in MJ's bedroom. That's a lot.

I stupidly sold my collection in the early 2000's when I thought I should update to DVD. A decision I have regretted since. After a stint of unemployment I was forced to sell my 2000 plus DVD collection. Something that I was not excited about, but at the same time gave me an excuse to start digging through boxes looking for all those labels I have longed for since.

As I said earlier, I have been following this film for a while. I waited anxiously for a chance to see it. That chance finally came when I found out it would be playing at Crypticon Seattle this past weekend. While I was working a booth all weekend, I hoped I would be able to find someone to watch the booth so I could finally check this. Luckily for me it all worked out.

Interviews feature everyone from heavyweights such as Tony Timpone and Lloyd Kaufman all the way to people like me who just enjoy collecting. Tons of great footage and clips from some of VHSland's most bizarre titles. Outside of great interviews and clips, we get to follow the filmmaker to a few VHS conventions that make me wish I was on the East Coast more.

This is for fans of film. Whether you once were a collector, or still are, this is highly entertaining and informative. It takes you back to simpler time that I think most horror fans miss.

4/5

-Tromeric

31 days of Horror Nerd Indoctrination- Day Eleven: Documentaries

     I have always loved documentaries. I remember watching random nature docs as a child and just being sucked in and had my eyes glued to the screen.  I also loved science TV shows like Mr. Wizard, Bill Nye and Beakman's World. I,  to this day think Beakman was the best. Gabe Nye likes to argue this, luckily I know I am always right. Just because he is the science guy he thinks he knows. Well to that I say just look at Beakman, dude is indeed a bad ass.My point being, I love documentaries so as I started getting older and discovering my love for horror I wanted to just consume as much as possible. I was like a fat kid at a buffet. Actually I was a fat kid at a buffet then I would take my full ass stomach home and learn everything I could on horror.

     Some of my first memories watching horror docs were the Full Moon Video Zones.  After every Puppet Master film or Subspecies film there was a look at the making of and interviews. I would just watch them over and over. It got to the point I would rent any Full Moon movie even if I had no desire to see it just because I wanted to the see the video zones.  

    In 2004 Bravo aired The 100 Scariest Movie Moments. I had my friend John tape(yeah tape) it for me. This became my bible only less embossed.  Sure some of the commentators where irritating and some of their choices were different than mine but over all it was a great watch and I would watch the five hour epic repeatedly, in fact I still have the tape and watch it at least once a year.

    When we were doing our first big marathon which was cleverly named the forty nine days of horror(guess how many days it was?) I stumbled across a documentary called The American Nightmare on IFC. I was instantly hooked. Interviews with most of my favorite horror directors were highlighted. Carpenter, Hooper, Craven, Cronenberg and Romero, wow.  They were discussing everything from stories from the set to social metaphors. I was sold and luckily I had a tape(yeah again) ready and got it recording. This documentary ended with the ending of TCM where Leatherface is spinning in circles while Godspeed You Black Emperor played in the background. At the time they were at the top of the list for music for me so it was like heaven, but I could see it. I would watch this and lend it out to anyone I could for years till I finally got my hands on an official DVD of it. It is still regular viewing for me.

    By the mid ought's DVD was here to stay and now most of them had documentaries on them. This made my intake get kind of out of control. I would go out hunting all the time and head home and look at the special features to see what was there. It was always a letdown when you would think you were getting a documentary and it ended up being like a five minute fluff piece. Thank the grog you had companies like Anchor Bay and Blue Underground, among others that pretty much always had extensive docs included.  Speaking of DVD this also brought the availability of documentaries higher than a junkie on skid row.

    These days horror docs just keep coming out like George Michael.  When I can go to the cinema to see a documentary on Troll 2 I know I am happy to be alive.  Jim Wynorski got his own and you god damn better know he deserved it and so did many of the other directors that have gotten the doc treatment.  Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Castle, Val Lewton, Dario Argento and Fulci have all recieved one as well as many more.   Scream Queens, grind house's, slasher films, American films, indie films, and special effects artists have all gotten some love and these days it's all about the franchise documentaries.

     Halloween was first to get an overview, then came the in depth look at Jason and finally Never Sleep again took us on an epic Stephen King mini series length trip.  Hellraiser, Saw and plenty more are lined up for the retrospectives so keep looking out.

Tromeric

Auschwitz- Uwe Boll

     Uwe Boll has made some of the worst movies ever made. He takes video games, makes ridiculous movies out of them, they don't make money and everybody hates them yet he still gets funding and pretty decent actors to make the next one. When I first saw House of the Dead I absolutely hated it. Next up was Alone in the Dark. Wow, what a piece of shit. Then came Bloodrayne, as I watched that it was awful, it was painful yet for some reason I was enjoying it. I then realized I had missed something all along. Uwe Boll is a genius. After that my eyes had been opened. Every thing I watched now made sense. It became a challenge to sit through his movies, but a rewarding one. Postal was the film that would fully turn around  my opinion. That movie was so fucking funny and his role in it. Wow. He continued to put out movies that I would always pick up and enjoy for what they were. Seed, Farcry, In the Name of the King and then something happened. I saw Rampage. Not a perfect film by any means but overall it was a powerful story with decent acting and effects. I couldn't believe it, it wasn't even based off a video game. My mind was blown.
     This brings us to Auschwitz.  I saw the trailer for this about a year ago and was in awe. Woman and children being gassed and put into ovens. No music just pounding on the walls and screams. A line that so many Americans have had drilled in their head "Never Forget."  I was sold. Uwe had completely lost his mind, and he obviously had the biggest balls in the world. Jump ahead a year and I finally got the chance to see this. Still not fully sure what to expect Gabe Nye and I put it in and sat back with our Bushmills and prepared for the unknown. I am pretty sure it was similar to the way the first astronauts felt.Uwe came on screen to explain what he was doing(or at least he tried), it then went into German teenagers being asked questions about the Holocaust, interesting stuff but after that is when the chaos began.  Lines of people being loaded onto trains, inter cut with people being gassed. Overall it was pretty impressive. The shots were laid out well and the music was haunting and simplistic. There were some interesting editing choices and as I am sure no one will be shocked given the subject matter it was insanely fucked up and depressing. I will say due to the fact that I am a fucked up individual there was a scene where guards kill like three babies in a row by shooting them in the head. It is in super slow mo with this deranged score and as in your face as possible. I laughed my ass off. It is twisted and disturbing but I can't help but applaud Dr. Boll for his fuck taboo's attitude. Uwe Boll has killed more kids that crib death.
     In the end Auschwitz is a unique viewing experience that should be seen by anyone that can handle it. No one besides Uwe knows his true intentions on making this and I am OK with that. Make sure to keep a copy of some cartoon from the 80's to put on after this to avoid feeling like making The Bridge part two.


4/5

Tromeric

S&man- JT Petty

     So I have been seeing little things about this here and there but  I have purposely avoided finding out much about it as I prefer to see movies like this with little knowledge.  
     I went to the mall today to grab a few DVD's so I could have an all day tequila and horror film marathon, while looking through the racks I came across this and since I love JT Petty due to The Burrowers being insanely bad ass and basically Tremors meets The Wild Bunch. I started off the day watching a few episodes of TV from last night such as community and It's always sunny and then cracked open the Tarantula and started off with the Psycho Legacy as I preferred to see this a tad(not a fat grunge band) more sober than the rest.  Now that it was finished and I randomly got some tamales it was time to move on so I put in this little movie I knew very little about aside from the director. 
     I don't want to ruin much, as I said knowing little is very beneficial in this.  What I will say is HOLY FUCKING CHRIST BALLS!  What starts out as a documentary following a dude that likes to film the lady's turns into what at first what seems like a doc on the sub-genre  of fake snuff broooootal low budge Ala Toe Tag or Bill Zebub.  While this is interesting the real story starts when JT meets up with Eric, the maker of the S&man films.  This is where your insides carefully drop into  your rectum.  It has been a long fucking time since I have seen a movie where I was literally on the edge of my seat. It may be random but as far as I can remember the last time I felt this tension that wasn't haute was when I saw The Hurt Locker. I literally almost fell off my couch, and I'm full of tequila.  JT has made a movie that is more well crafted than a stumpkin.  Go out and buy this movie.  I have loved JT this far but this movie cements him as a modern master right up there with Mike Mendez and the rest of the crew that has saved us from the bullshit the 90's brought us.  I want to give this movie a 5 but as I have put back a fifth of tequila I will restrain just in case but seriously I swear on the corpses of Bob Clark, Anthony Perkins and Alfred Hitchcock(no disrespect intended) you must watch this film.


4.5/5

Tromeric

Every other day is Halloween- C.W. Prather

Oh to be a kid again, I unfortunately didn't grow up in the DC area so as a kid I did not get to experience what seems like something that would of definitely been a huge part of my childhood if I had. I did grow up watching USA up all night and Joe Bob Briggs Monster vision as well as all the Elvira videos that came out. which I still have some of my fondest memory's this side of actually cumming after rubbing myself raw to the JC Penny's catalog. Even as a "adult" I have since visited and revisited many of these shows, thanks to the internet and underground bootlegs. This is a fun, well crafted, entertaining document of a time that many fans will never forget. Everyone involved obviously had and has so much love for what they did and are still doing to this day. The people that it affected still hold a fondness that one would not expect, Jeff Krulik and Steve Niles being among many of the people interviewed make you wanna go back to sitting in front of the TV eating Count Chockula and watching the horror films of your childhood, for me its Puppet Master, Bad Channels and pretty much anything Full Moon put out, but it could be anything. This is for anyone that appreciates that feeling you got and is not only Valid for people who Watched Count Gore De Vol specifically. I cant say enough good things about the count or this doc, order this, people like this keep horror alive and have been doing so for many years.

4/5

Tromeric