All Discussions - Grindhouse

Trailer for new action/grindhouse 'SUSHI GIRL' movie.

TansyBlue — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:13:45 -0400

Awesome new trailer & 2 film clips premiered at SD Comic-con for a new movie, SUSHI GIRL. It looks like a wild ride with a super cast. Hamill stars as Crow, a psycho bad ass who does sick stuff with chopsticks. Love the looks of the clip 'CHOPSTICKS'. Tony Todd stars in it, too. Sushi off a gorgeous naked girl is an added feature. You can check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SushiGirlVideos
http://www.sushigirlmovie.com/

Psyco

gena — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:19:55 -0500

Psycho is probably one of the best horror movies that makes sense! This movie, although not as violent as i expected to be, is intense in a way that it produces a psychological effect on its viewers. Of Course, I have always like most most of Alfred Hitchcock's films.

Death Proof Movie

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:10:15 -0500

The Rob Zombie/Quentin Tarantino ‘Grindhouse’ collaboration was a tribute to everything 70′s; both films were a retrophile’s wet-dream. Naturally, this is what we’ve chosen to kick-off our reviews with, because the Death Proof/Planet Terror duo started a resurgence of the grindhouse trend, and a renewed interest in trash and exploitation cinema. Since I believe in doing things in alphabetical order whenever possible, we’re going to start the Grindhouse review with Death-Proof, –and we’re doing them in two parts because they’re two different films. Lumping them together just doesn’t do them any justice.

Death Proof is similar to Planet Terror in a couple ways; they both manage to pack in as much vintage and retro stuff as possible, and they pile different exploitation themes as well. Death Proof manages to pull off sexploitation (barely), hixploitation, blaxploitation, vigilante, revenge-sploitation, shocksploitation, but most importantly, carsploitation.

There is no sex in Death Proof, so you’re probably saying, ‘wtf?’ Point being, there’s a lot of in your face cockteasing in the film. We’ve got a ton of profanity, shock-value violence, but no tits? And yet, they manage to toss in a lapdance. Kind of unfair, really. The hixploitation bit, –all I have to do is point to Jasper, in the second half of the film; yet another depiction of a perverse southerner. Blaxploitation; I’m not pointing to Jungle Julia here, more in Kim’s direction. She’s the classic vigilante black woman; she carries a gun, doesn’t take shit, loves cars and works as a stunt driver. What a woman!

The vigilante action doesn’t kick up until the fourth quarter, along with some light revenge-sploitation. Shock-sploitation is also kind of light; we don’t see a lot of really graphic violence, but it is there. Example, Julia’s leg coming off, and Pam’s short ride in Stuntman Mike’s passenger seat, or Butterfly’s loss of face, –these were brutal, and pretty shocking, but fairly short, which is why the shock-sploitation is a minor element. Carsploitation is where it’s at; the entire film focused on one badass car, the murder weapon even. In the end, there was the white car vs. black car, good vs. evil, Kowalski vs. ‘the man.’

The muscle cars featured in order of appearance are:

1971 Chevy Nova: Featuring the same, charming license plate as Bullitt’s Mustang, ‘JIZ 109′, Mike’s Chevy is fearsome. He also has the same Daffy Duck hood ornament as Rubber Duck has on his RS700L Mack truck in Convoy.

1972 Chevy Mustang: Is there any polite way to say that this car will make your pussy wet? It was the first in the pony car class, even though it was like Frankenstein’s experiment, composed of leftover parts.

1969 Dodge Charger: Also known as General Lee, the Charger in Death Proof references several different films, –just because the 69 Charger was used in numerous chase scenes. Most notable, its license plate is the same as the Charger’s from Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, ’938 DAN.’

1970 Dodge Challenger: Kowalski’s car, the white Challenger is probably one of the most memorable cars in existence. But its appearance was a little less genuine than the others; the Challenger was built with frameless windows, originally. The car had to be modified for the ship’s mast stunt.

Another interesting point about the cars; for some reason, Mike is always driving an older car than the girls in the latter half of the film. His being a lot older, and kind of washed up, seems to drive the ‘old vs. new’ metaphor home poetically.

"Spicy Brown" - blaxploitation trailer

DrewMKordik — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:49:29 -0500

Synopsis: Vigilante vixen Spicy Brown seeks justice after the world's most powerful coke lord moves her empire to the mean streets of LA.

facebook.com/ThatsSpicy

Starring Melisa Resch

Directed by Drew M Kordik

Written by Matt A. Fox

Produced by Maggie Clancy

Shot and Chopped by Craig Erpelding

Nun of That (Nunsploitation)

maniac — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:33:23 -0500

I'm laughing my ass off at this wonderful nunsploitation flick. The Jesus song is fantastic, check it out here. It happens about 18 minutes into the film, after one of the nuns get killed. It's a great campy piece of fun. Crime fighting hit-nuns.

Nunsploitation

maniac — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 05:56:22 -0400

Featuring nuns in dangerous or erotic situations.

New Nunsploitation web series.

Cinesterfilms — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:09:03 -0400

Check out Episode 1 of "Sister of No Mercy" a new, nunsploitation, ongoing web series.

http://youtu.be/YyjYhY7QkN0

God Has Amnesia. On Purpose.

PiPi — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:31:24 -0400

Check out this "Religious Vampire Thriller" book project on Kickstarter. I think it might make a great movie!

http://kck.st/oPrJhV

It has a "Queen of the Damned" sort of feel, but God is one of the main characters! They are also looking for artists and editors to help finish the book. So you creative-types out there, go for it!

Rawhead Rex...

diabolique — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:25:42 -0500

This movie has always seemed to be a blend of both the legend of Bigfoot with undertones of "An American Werewolf in London." Directed by George Pavlou in 1986, this film depicts and Irish farmer who accidentally releases a morbid beast from his underground tomb. The creature, in turn, proceeds to rain havoc among the natives.

It rates a 6 on the "Cheesetacular" scale, but the director seems to make the best out of the obviously low budget.

Kill Bill 3

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:06:28 -0500

Here's the Spoof Trailer

The latest grindhouse news is that Quentin Tarantino is working on a third Kill Bill movie. IMDB.com says that the movie will come out in 2014 and that Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah are already set to star in the film.

Kill Bill is one story divided into two movies with five chapters each. It follows The Bride, a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. She tries to leave the group and ends up getting married in Texas. The Viper Squad and their leader Bill find her, and the poor pregnant Bride gets shot. She doesn’t die, but instead goes into a coma; she loses the baby and wakes up four years later. She vows revenge and makes a hit list of all the people who assaulted her that day in Texas.

Kill Bill is one epic revenge story, with homages to earlier film genres, such as exploitation films, Hong Kong martial arts films, Japanese Chanbara films and even Italian spaghetti westerns. On top of that, the two films are packed full of bloody gore and violence. Fans of grindhouse loved the Kill Bill movies and will no doubt love a third one.

Here’s hoping the third film will be as amazing as the first two.

Machete

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:12:39 -0500

In true grindhouse fashion Machete graces us with an intense opening action sequence, the tension obvious when we see Danny Trejo (Machete) driving at high speeds across the Mexican landscape disobeying orders. The bullets fly and the body count begins almost immediately, this of course would not be as impressive as one might believe, until you see the very naked woman, a flamethrower, and believe it or not Steven Seagal as a villain!

From there this movie only proceeds to get better, Robert Rodriguez has certainly created another film that will wind up a cult classic. With all-star acting, action that doesn’t quit, and a high level of humour, Machete will keep you entertained from opening to closing credits. With the right amount of gore, some Michelle Rodriguez side-boob, more than one appearance of Lindsay Lohan’s tits, a doobie smoking priest played by Cheech Marin, and Robert DeNiro playing a corrupt senator, this movie does not fail to deliver everything a Grindhouse fan could ask for. Even if you are not a fan of the genre, I highly recommend this one.

Grindhouse Shorts

Sureality — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:08 -0400

This DVD looks awesome. I found more info here on it: MikePecci

Pornochanchada

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:33:54 -0500

Exploitation film genres are weird; pornochanchada is fun, though soft-core, and more than a little entertaining. However, when you spell it out, it sounds more than a little weird. This is the scenario: A friend comes over, asks what you’re watching. You say, “pornochanchada”, and try to explain the genre. “Oh, it’s soft-core, Brazilian porn comedy.” “…huh?” That would be correct; pornochanchada is soft-core Brazilian porn with a comedic twist. Sao Paolo, one of those cities we’re constantly being subjected to tourist commercials about, is where pornochanchada was invented, –later on, the films were produced and filmed in one of the most crime saturated cities on the planet. Pornochanchada is probably one of the most benign things to come out of Brazil.

Two of the most famous actresses to be involved in pornochanchada are Vera Fischer and Sônia Braga. Vera Fischer was a Brazilian Playboy model, and was best known for her role in a Brazilian adaptation of The Graduate, A Primeira Noite de Um Homem in 2004, and the classic pornochanchada “A Superfêmea” released in 1973. Sônia Braga is still a very prominent Brazilian actress; she’s recently accepted a role in the Brazilian version of Desperate Housewives, and even her niece, Alice Braga, has been in big budget films, such as I Am Legend, with Will Smith.

One of the most popular pornochanchadas is O Bem Dotado, 1978, about a shy country boy from a little town called Itu. For some reason, everything in Itu is unnaturally large. He’s invited to work in the home of a rich woman in the city; she eventually gets a look at his huge er… qualities. Another, is Lua-de-Mel e Amendoim, 1971, about the exploits of two young men in Brazil; the film is segmented, so one guy gets the camera for one segment, the other, in the next segment.

Mister Fister

bloodybill666 — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:36:38 -0400

I made this for the "Hobo with a Shotgun Trailer Contest" and did real well with it. It also screened before my horror short "Doll Boy" in Dallas at the Texas Frightmare Weekend. The audience loved it. Enjoy!
Bloody Bill

Ozploitation Films

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:32:36 -0500

Ozploitation films are Australian exploitation films that were produced during the 1970s and 1980s. They covered a variety of genres, like sexploitation, biker films, horror films and even some Kung.

Here’s a look at some of the best known ozploitation films:

Mad Max (1979): The film’s lead role is played by the then unknown Mel Gibson. Set in the future, Mad Max tells the story of a destroyed society, murder and vengeance.

Alvin Purple (1973): A sex-filled comedy about the misadventures of the naïve Alvin Purple whom women find irresistible. He must try to resist all of the many women who want him. Heis so worn-out he seeks psychiatric help to solve his problems. His psychiatrist is a woman (of course) and he falls in love with her since she’s the first woman not to throw herself at him.

Long Weekend (1978): The story follows couple Peter and Marcia, who, along with their dog, go for a weekend camping trip. The pair show inconceivable disrespect for nature, such as polluting, killing an innocent dugong, throwing lit cigarette butts in dry bush, spraying insecticide and more. As tensions between the couple builds, nature is not pleased with their environmental misconduct and starts to strike back.

American Scary

maniac — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 04:44:45 -0500

Finally got my hands on American Scary. Looking forward to checking it out, and will try to come back here with a short review. American Scary is a look at horror hosts.

Boobs and Blood

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:05:00 -0500

If you love boobs, blood and grindhouse films then the Boobs and Blood Film Festival is totally for you. The festivities will take place in L.A. at the New Beverly Cinema from September 24 – 26. Those that attend get all the grindhouse exploitation and Japanese cult cinema they could ask for – that’s right a film festival featuring pink films. Yay boobs!

Pink enthusiasts will have the chance to see ‘Twilight Dinner’ aka ‘Moon Light Dinner’ and meet the film’s director, Yutaka Ikejima. This is the very first screening of the film outside of Japan. The sexy Reiko Yamaguchi will also be making an appearance.

Other than all of that fantastic pink goodness, attendees also get to enjoy Suicide Girls, Playboy Playmates and lesbian vampires. Kick ass right?

Here are the details from their official website:

Welcome to an unapologetic and affectionate celebration of boobs (both anatomical and dim-witted), plus all things psychotronic. And if you don’t know what psychotronic is – look it up.
This is the first of an ongoing, annual film festival that both celebrates the past (rare screenings/ cast interviews) and showcases the future (live demos of new media, world premieres). And all outside of the current mainstream media.

24-26th SEPT. 2010
NEW BEVERLY CINEMA,
7165 Beverly Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA 90036-2548

American Horror Film (Book)

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:14:52 -0500

If you’re a huge fan of horror flicks, but sick of the shit that’s been produced lately, then I’ve got the perfect book for you – American Horror Film: The Genre at the Turn of the Millennium edited by Steffen Hantke.

“Creatively spent and politically irrelevant, the American horror film is a mere ghost of its former self-or so goes the old saw from fans and scholars alike. Taking on this undeserved reputation, the contributors to this collection provide a comprehensive look at a decade of cinematic production, covering a wide variety of material from the last ten years with a clear critical eye.

Individual essays profile the work of up-and-coming director Alexandre Aja and reassess William Malone’s muchmaligned Feardotcom in the light of the torture debate at the end of President George W. Bush’s administration. Other essays look at the economic, social, and formal aspects of the genre; the globalization of the U.S. film industry; the alleged escalation of cinematic violence; and the massive commercial popularity of the remake. Some essays examine specific subgenres-from the teenage horror flick to the serial killer film and the spiritual horror film-as well as the continuing relevance of classic directors such as George A. Romero, David Cronenberg, John Landis, and Stuart Gordon.

Essays deliberate on the marketing of nostalgia and its concomitant aesthetic, and the curiously schizophrenic perspective of fans who happen to be scholars as well. Taken together, the contributors to this collection make a compelling case that American horror cinema is as vital, creative, and thought-provoking as it ever was.”

Have you read it? If so, let us know what you thought.

Planet Terror Movie

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:17:17 -0500

One of the many, many odd things about Planet Terror is that despite the numerous hot chicks in the movie, there’s no nudity anywhere in the film. Instead, there’s maybe three seconds of topless chicks in the Machete preview.

Then again, it’s not odd, considering that many grindhouse features promised more girly action than they delivered. So when Tarantino and Mr. Zombie conceived the details, they pretty much managed to fill in every single trashy movie cliche they could, right down to the blue balls effect in the beginning, during Rose McGowan’s Go-Go/Cry-Cry dance.

One of the best grindhouse genres alive, and still kicking, is the zombie movie. Zombie movies, unlike mainstream horror, never managed to shake their trash film stigma. One reason, is because it doesn’t take much money to make zombies; it only takes some volunteers, and a few raw materials. There’s no major effects or monster building. There are tons of low budget zombie flicks out there, some being made right now. Obviously the effects in Planet Horror are quite a bit more sophisticated than what we’re used to seeing in grindhouse zombie flicks, so there’s really no comparison there.

One of my personal favorite genre references in Planet Terror is the hero’s chronic Shatner-pause. In fact, it turns out to be terminal. And since it’s set in Texas, there’s also some extra-fun Mexploitation; naturally, from the ‘Crazy Babysitter Twins.’ We can’t tell them apart, but they’re both pretty hot. There are plenty of hot chicks, one might call that a similarity to Death Proof ‘femsploitation’ in the first half of the film. The female exploitation element is one we’re all familiar with; women acting like morons in a setting where common sense could have easily saved the day. The women of Planet Terror instead, are an homage to retro dyxploitation; it’s a tiny homage. Throw in a couple lesbians, kill one, watch the other one react.

There’s also a shoddy military conspiracy, army men doing questionable things, doctors that don’t care, and characters that can’t run. All in all, it was a movie built to be hilarious, maybe slightly scary, but mostly nostalgic. Normally, creating a movie and making it deliberately silly would seem like a plan doomed to backfire, but Planet Terror is also extremely entertaining, –like its companion, Death Proof.

Rape and Revenge Films

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:54:31 -0500

These exploitation films are about a woman who is raped, left for dead, recovers and then later extracts an incredibly graphic, gory revenge against the person/persons who raped her. It is common for the main character in these films to be a successful, independent woman from the city, who is attacked by a horrible man from the country.

Here’s a look at the best known rape and revenge films:

I Spit on Your Grave (1978): This is hands down the most famous of all rape and revenge films. It follows Jennifer, a writer who leaves the city to finish the novel she is working on. She hires a riverside apartment in upstate New York to finish her book, attracting the attention of a number of unruly male locals. They catch her one day, strip her naked and rape her. Jennifer is later attacked and raped a further two times by the four miscreants, and her novel is also destroyed. But Jennifer slowly recovers and in her now-twisted and psychotic mind, she then begins to seek revenge on the four men who raped her.

The Last House on the Left (1972): In some rape and revenge cases, the woman is killed at the beginning of the movie, and the revenge is then carried out by her family, like in this film. In The Last House on the Left a gang of rapists and murderers kidnap and butcher two teenagers and then, unknowingly, seek refuge with the parents of one of the victims. The parents soon learn about what the gang has done, and they get their revenge.

Baise-moi (2000): Baise-moi tells the story of Nadine and Manu – Manu is brutally raped and Nadine sees her only friend shot. After a chance encounter, the two women embark on a bloody and horrific journey of sex and murder. This film stirred a whole lot of controversial for its violence and real sex scenes.

Spaghetti Westerns

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:49:00 -0500

Spaghetti Westerns (also known as Italo-westerns) were Italian-made Western films that surfaced in the mid-1960s. They were significantly more violent and immoral than the average Hollywood westerns. They got their name from the fact that most were produced and directed by Italians, typically in co-production with a Spanish partner or a German partner.

Here are a few of the most notable Spaghetti Westerns films:

Tierra brutal (1961): English title “The Savage Guns.” Set in Sonora, in a isolated valley near the border of Arizona, ex-major Summer tries to forget about the horrors of the American Civil War. He is now a pacifist, refusing to even wear a gun, but everything changes when a gang of villains ravages the small town.

Da uomo a uomo (1967): English title “Death Rides a Horse” or “As Man to Man.” About Bill, who as a child witnessed the murder of his family by four robbers. Fifteen years later, he embarks on his revenge. During his journey, he crosses paths with Ryan, an ex-con who wants the money the robbers owe him.

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966): English title “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” A classic spaghetti western starring the legendary Clint Eastwood. The Good is Blondie, a honorable gunman. The Bad is Angel Eyes, a sadistic hitman who never misses. The Ugly is Tuco, a Mexican bandit who only looks out for himself. Set during the Civil War, they search for a fortune in gold buried in a graveyard. Each knows a portion of the gold’s exact location, so for a while they’re dependent on each other. But of course, none of them want to share.

Anthology Horror Shows

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:18:33 -0500

As horror hosts and old fashioned TV began dropping out of style, and recording films began o cost less, the horror anthology show was born. The list of series is longer than anything you’ll find on Wikipedia, just so you know. For example, did you know that Robert Englund hosted two horror anthology series? Yup! Some of the most popular television shows in history, are anthology series, –like the reigning horror champ: The Twilight Zone. You’d be hard pressed to find a single person in the civilized world who hasn’t heard of the show, not to mention seen a bit of a show. The horror anthology series has mostly been left dead, on the side of the road.

Not that there hasn’t been some attempts at bringing it back to life. For example, Masters of Horror, –great show, had fabulous episodes, each story self-contained. It even spawned a knock-off, –Fear Itself, which was equally well-produced. But neither lasted very long. Masters of Horror aired in 2005, only to finish in 2007, and Fear Itself was canceled after a single season. There was even a shot at a similar show for the sci-fi genre, called ‘Masters of Science Fiction, –but it only aired four out of its six episodes, and lasted less than a month.

What caused our favorite grisly horror directors, makers of some of the greatest cult horror and grindhouse horror films, to be unable to hold our attention? There were zombies, giant bug people… and everything we expect in a good, cheap b-horror anthology. They had all the bases covered, and yet…

Later on this month, I’m going to explore a few more of the horror anthology series, our favorite shows, and our favorite episodes in them. In the meantime, readers, what’s your favorite horror anthology series? Your favorite episode of Tales from the Crypt? Or The Twilight Zone? And can you guess which horror anthology series lasted the longest? And where did the horror anthology have its roots? You might just be surprised!

Movies to watch this Halloween

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:17:47 -0500

Most folks have the annual tradition of watching horror flicks on Halloween night, so why not join them? Here are some horrifying grindhouse flicks perfect for any Halloween movie marathon.

Don’t Answer the Phone!: About a disturbed photographer and Vietnam veteran, named Kirk Smith, who terrorizes Los Angeles by going around strangling young women in their homes while taunting Lindsay Gale, a young psychologist, by calling her on a radio call-in show to describe his sexual hang-ups and wicked ways.

Zombi 2: Yes, Zombi 2! About a group of strangers looking for a woman’s father who arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.

Cannibal Hollocaust: A film about an anthropologist who heads a rescue party into the South American jungle to find a missing film team making a documentary on cannibal tribes. They end up only returning with their footage, which reveals their crueler intentions.

Basket Case: A film that follows a young man carrying a big basket that contains his deformed Siamese-twin brother and his journey of vengeance on the doctors who separated them against their will.

A Bucket of Blood: About Walter Paisley, a busboy at a Bohemian café, who is jealous of the talent of its various artistic regulars. But after accidentally killing a cat and covering the body in plaster to hide the evidence, he is acclaimed as a brilliant sculptor – but his new-found friends want to see more of his work. Since he lacks any artistic talent whatsoever, Walter has to resort to similar methods to produce new work, and soon people start mysteriously disappearing.

What movies would you guys recommend for a Halloween marathon?

Horror Host Interviews

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:16:39 -0500

While looking up info on some of our favorite horror hosts, I came across an AMAZING interview! Scott Ruth managed to land an interview with not one popular horror host, but over ten! Kick ass! Here’s a small peek at the interview:

When did your love for all things horror begin?

Joe Bob Briggs — “Oddly enough, it was a flick called “Wolfen” that people don’t watch
much anymore. Despite starring A-list upper-class Brit Albert Finney, it
scared the proverbial doo-doo out of me and, among other distinctions,
was the first film to effectively make use of the Steadicam. Ravening
supernatural wolves rampaging through the South Bronx. YES

Count Gore De Vol — “That’s a pretty big assumption. I don’t love all things horror. theirs literally hundreds of horror movies that I dislike with a passion. what I do like are scary movies and stories and to scare me takes a lot of creativity and talent. My love for scary began at a very young age with scary movie trailers for movies my parents wouldn’t let me see.”

Ormsby — “Early. My mother when I was little in the 1970s always tuned the tv to Chiller (channel 11 would show host-less horror movies each week here in the New York area), Kolchak the Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows. So growing up I had a steady diet of horror every day. Most Kinder gardeners knew Big Bird, I knew Bela Lugosi.”

Bone Jangler — “Well, I’m an ancient, immortal, evil being. So, it just kind of comes with the territory.”

Read the full interview HERE!
http://www.examiner.com/horror-in-philadelphia/the-horror-host-showdown-at-sundown-a-short-q-a-with-some-of-the-top-horror-hosts

Maniac in Theaters

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:16:02 -0500

Awesome news grindhouse fans! Grindhouse Releasing has partnered with director Bill Lustig of Blue Underground to present William Lustig’s controversial horror classic MANIAC in theaters across North America.

Maniac, which came out in 1980, is about a schizoid serial killer who randomly stalks and kills various young women in New York, which he sees as revenge for the mistreatment he got while being raised by his own abusive mother.

According to Grindhouse Releasing founders Bob Murawski and Sage Stallone, “MANIAC is an absolute classic and definitely the best of the late 70s/early 80s slasher movies. We knew it would be the perfect follow-up to EVIL DEAD since it’s also one of those rare exploitation films that fully lives up to the hype and delivers on all levels. As usual, we have gone all-out for this release, striking brand new 35mm prints and commissioning Stephen Romano to create a stunning new one-sheet to promote the film,” said Murawski.

“MANIAC is an extremely powerful movie, and I’m glad a new generation of fans now have the opportunity to experience it on the big screen,” said Szulkin. “Landmark Theatres has already booked the movie solid in November, and I expect to see it hit an additional 50 theaters in 2011.”

Check out Maniac showtimes HERE.

Sharktopus

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:11:55 -0500

SyFy recently unleashed the Sharktopus upon the world, a grindhouse flick featuring a horrifying shark/octopus mutation. What’s not to love there?

The Sharktopus was created by the Navy to be used as their next super-weapon. But of course, it gets out of control and mass chaos ensues. The creature turns its fangs and tentacles on, what else, sexy blonde women in bikinis and innocents swimming in its waters. The unstoppable Sharktopus drags its victims off of beaches, bungee cords and boats – and not even machine guns can stop it. Ba ba buuuum!

So far, fans of B-grade flicks are loving Sharktopus, and why wouldn’t they, it’s a thriller about a Navy-engineered half-shark-half-octopus killing machine! This low-budget made-for-TV movie from Roger Corman won’t be winning any Oscars, but it has been winning the hearts of everyone that loves breasts, beasts and gore.

Did you watch the movie? If so, what did you think?

Sir Graves Ghastly

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:11:14 -0500

Sir Graves Ghastly was a horror host character created by Lawson J. Deming for the beloved television show of the same name. Sir Graves Ghastly (originally billed as Sir Graves’ Big Show) ran on WJBK TV2 in Detroit from 1967-1982. That’s a whole 15 seasons. But, the growing popularity of televised sports in the early 1980s, like college football, caused Sir Graves to go into hiatus after airing one show in November 1982. If that wasn’t bad enough, a management change during this time then led to the program being officially canceled in 1983. But even after the show ended, Deming continued to do speaking engagements and personal appearances well into the 1990s.

The Sir Graves character was a vampire whose personality, appearance and over-exaggerated laugh (“Mwah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaah!”) were all intended to spoof the cliche vampires from movies of the time. Other characters on the show included Sir Graves’ sidekick Baruba, a ghost known only as The Glob and a cemetery caretaker known as Reel McCoy, who usually opened each episode by unearthing a movie reel from what appeared to be a grave. The show involved back-to-back horror films, interspersed with brief sketch comedy pieces featuring the show’s popular characters.

To this day, Sir Graves Ghastly is one of the best known horror hosts.

Teenage Wasteland: Slasher Movie Uncut

maniac — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:07:31 -0500

Teenage Wasteland: Slasher Movie Uncut by J. A. Kerswell is the perfect book for fans of slasher grindhouse films. Check it out:

“Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Movie Uncut lifts the lid on the glory days of the slasher perhaps the most reviled but also commercially successful of all horror’s subgenres. Taking its cue from the Parisian theatre of the Grand Guignol, German krimis, Alfred Hitchcock, grindhouse movies, and the gory Italian giallo thrillers of the 1970s, among others, slashers brought a new high in cinematic violence and suspense to mainstream cinema.

Following the development of the slasher, from its beginnings through the “Golden Age” (1978-1984), and the recent resurgence of the slasher as seen in such movies as Wes Craven’s 1996 success Scream, Teenage Wasteland also looks at the political, cultural and social influences on the slasher, and its own effect on other film genres and culture generally.

Packed with in-depth reviews of the best (and worst) slashers, and illustrated by the distinctive and often graphic colour poster artwork from around the world, this book is unlike any other published on this subject.”