Art
Of The Dead
(2019*)/Bliss
(2019*)/Chain
Of Death
(2019**)/Get
Gone
(2019**)/Kiss
Of The Tarantula
(1976 aka Shudders/VCI
Blu-ray w/DVD***)/Ladyworld
(2019/**all Cleopatra DVDs/***All MVD)/Twin:
The Complete First Season
(2019/*all Umbrella PAL import DVDs)
Picture:
B-/B-/B-/B-/B & B-/B-/C+ Sound: B-/B-/B-/B-/B & B-/B-/C+
Extras: D/D/C/C/C+/C/D Main Programs: C+/C/C/C/C/C+/C
PLEASE
NOTE:
The
Art Of The Dead,
Bliss
and Twin
Import DVDs are now only available from our friends at Umbrella
Entertainment in Australia, can only play on DVD, 4K and Blu-ray
players that can handle PAL DVDs and can be ordered from the links
below.
This
group of thrillers, usually in the horror genre, are releases you
might not have heard of, but show the B-movie spirit remains alive...
Art
Of The Dead
(2019) is
a fun independent horror film about a recently deceased painter that
crafted seven pieces of possessed art that each feature the seven
deadly sins known as the 'Sin-sation Collection' and each features
animals in grotesque creations. When a rich family wins them at an
art show for a hefty price, the paintings end up leaving a blood bath
in their midst as each of the victims commit one of these deadly sins
of greed, envy, gluttony, lust, sloth, pride, and wrath. Soon, a
rich mansion in LA becomes a house full of literal sin.
The
film stars Tara Reid, Richard Grieco, Jessica Morris, Lukas Hassel,
and Sarah French.
Art
of the Dead
is presented in anamorphically enhanced, standard definition with a
widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital audio
mix, both of which are up to par for the format. The film is shot
nicely and doesn't have any glaring issues.
This
should have gotten more buzz than it got initially as it actually
isn't too bad of a film. It could have been a bit stronger with some
bigger names attached, but it at least attempts to tell a
semi-original story. There are some realistic looking special
effects in the film, namely one scene where a woman is skinned and
her back is cut open. Gross! There are some bad effects in the film
too, like the laughable Satanic goat demon that's obviously a guy in
a costume that's screen use is a bit gratuitous.
Unfortunately,
Dorian Wild, who is the anti-villain artist character that created
these paintings, is a bit over the top and would have been more
effective with better (or veteran genre movie star) casting. Still
it is definitely inspired by '80s horror movie cinema and you can
tell is made by people who have an appreciation for genre B movies.
All in all, Art
of the Dead
isn't too bad for a modern low budget horror film, but inarguably
could have been better.
No
extras.
Joe
Begos' Bliss
(2019) is a wild and weird vampire film that isn't what you would
usually expect from the genre. The film centers around a starving
artist named Dizzy (Dora Madison Burge) who is low on cash and
inspiration. She then goes to a party and has a wild sex and drug
driven night. The next day, she wakes up seeing several bizarre
hallucinations and a sudden craving for blood. With only a few days
left to finish an important art piece for a show, Dizzy must work
through her addictions to finish her work... if she can.
The
film also stars Tru Collins, Rhys Wakefield, Susan Slaughter, Jeremy
Gardner, and Abraham Benrubi.
The
film is presented in an anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 widescreen
aspect ratio and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The film is
compressed on standard definition DVD but has a wide color palette
and interesting cinematography. The soundtrack is appropriately
grungy and experimental and matches the film's surreal style.
No
special features.
Bliss
has a typical vampire story mixed with drugs, sex, and dizzying
camerawork. At times the film is interesting and at other times
feels like its trying a bit too hard to be freaky.
David
Martin-Porras' horror film, Chain
of Death
(2019) is an hateful indie that centers around a man named Mike,
(John Patrick Amedori) who joins a bizarre cult after hearing of
contracting a neurological disease. Hoping for an 'assisted
suicide', he instead finds out that he is has to kill someone on his
own to qualify. He descends into madness and ends up a maniac
killer.
The
film stars Madeline Zima, Jamie Clayton, Ray Wise, Neus Asensi, and
Adrienne Barbeau.
Chain
of Death
is presented in anamorphically enhanced standard definition on DVD
disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy 5.1 Dolby
Digital mix. The film is nicely photographed but is presented here
with compression issues evident to the format.
Special
Features include:
Deleted
Scenes
Theatrical
Trailer
and
an Image Slideshow
Chain
of Death
is a silly movie that tries hard to be scary with lackluster results.
The
ultra low budget horror film, Get
Gone
(2019), lands on DVD courtesy of MVD and Cleopatra entertainment. In
the same vein as the Texas
Chainsaw Massacre
franchise, the film revolves around a redneck crazy family (to which
horror film veteran Lin Shaye leads as the mother) who are threatened
by the town to foreclose their property. As the town and others
attempt to take back their land, the family murders and slaughters
anyone that attempts. Of course, there's a masked maniac in the
bunch that loves to hack away. The lack of originality in this film
is pretty astounding.
The
film stars West Coppola Cage, Bailey Coppola, Bradley Stryker, and
Robert Miano.
Get
Gone
is presented in anamorphically enhanced standard definition on DVD
disc with a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a lossy 5.1 Dolby
Digital mix. While the image is quite compressed, as is usual for
the format, the film looks and sounds as fine as it can.
Special
Features include:
Trailer
and Slideshow
and
trailers for other MVD/Cleopatra releases.
Get
Gone
isn't anything original or recommendable. Just a run of the mill low
budget slasher flick inspired by stronger genre works.
Chris
Munger's Kiss
Of The Tarantula
(1976 aka Shudders)
is a classic B Movie that is a fun time capsule piece that's worth
revisiting on Blu-ray from VCI. The story centers around a disturbed
young girl who can command her tarantula to attack her enemies.
Campy, yet plenty of fun, Kiss
of the Tarantula
was definitely a drive-in movie on a double bill once upon a time
ago. If the sight of real tarantulas freaks you out then this film
may not be for you! It definitely made my skin crawl!
The
film stars Ernesto Macias, Suzanna Ling, Herman Wallner, Patricia
Landon, and Beverly Eddins.
Kiss
of the Tarantula
is presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect ratio
of 1.85:1 and an English LPCM 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix. Also included
is an anamorphically enhanced standard definition DVD with similar,
yet compressed specs. The film looks and sounds fine considering its
age and the fact that it was a very low budget to begin with.
Special
Features include:
Commentary
by genre film historians David del Valle and David Decoteau
and
Trailers.
Kiss
of the Tarantula
reminded me a little bit of Cathy's
Curse,
another '70s lost horror film that is available on disc (from Severin
Films). If you're a fan of this then you may want to check that one
out too. Either way, Kiss
of the Tarantula
is fun to listen to along with Riff tracks or to commentate with your
friends at home.
Indie
Filmmaker Amanda Kramer brings a dark vision to the screen with
Ladyworld
(2019), a film that did quite well on the festival circuit.
Featuring Maya Hawk (Daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke) who is
starting to become a great actor like her parents, shines here in
this disturbing and interesting commentary on the horror of modern
living.
Eight
young women get trapped in a house without electricity and slowly
begin to lose their sanity. As they start to run out of basic human
resources, they start to resort to a barbaric mentally and become
completely unhinged. Going as far as creating new personas for one
another under sloppy heavy make-up and a bizarre hierarchy.
The
film stars Annalise Basso, Ariela Barer, Odessa Adlon, Ryan Simpkins,
Tatsumi Romano, Atheena Frizzel, Noel David Taylor, and Zora
Casebere.
Ladyworld
is presented in anamorphically enhanced, standard definition on DVD
with a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital
mix, both of which are standard for the format and come across fine
here. The film has a weird soundtrack that sounds like women
whispering in several intense moments that evolves into moaning. This
certainly adds to the unease and tension that the film tries hard to
create.
Finally
we have Twin:
The Complete First Season
(2019) offering a premise that might make for a good B movie or a
limited TV series, but the makers here have gone whole hog to have a
multi-season TV series that has been enough of a hit to allow at
least two seasons. Ingrid (Rebekka Nystabakk) is married to Adam,
whose brother Erik (both played by Kristofer Hivju) who is a bum and
not married, et al. The brothers have not talked for 15 years, but
Erik goes to see Adam to continue their quarrel and Ingrid
accidentally kills her husband. The solution, so both of them do not
look criminally guilty? Have Erik pretend to be Adam and hide the
dead body!
Well,
that can be intriguing, but a premise I felt had limited
possibilities, no one to feel anything for (and that does not make it
a Noir by any means) and though the actors are not bad, but this
starts to show its troubles by the second and third episode, dragging
things out and is not even a mood piece. Maybe you'll be interested
or amused, but it just did not work much and is only for the most
interested. I'll be surprised if we see a U.S., Aussie or U.K.
remake.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is an HD shoot with some
motion blur and detail limits here and there, but color is
consistent, though this is stylized to be a little dark, but that
gets played out eventually. The lossy Norwegian Dolby Digital 5.1 is
also not bad (subtitles are good here), but this is mostly
dialogue-based, so only expect so much in the surrounds.
There
are no extras.
To
order the
Umbrella import DVDs The
Art Of The Dead,
Bliss
and/or Twin,
go to this link for them and other hard to find titles at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
Nicholas Sheffo (Twin)
and James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/