Complete (I Think) 2012 Viewing List and Faves

Despite inexplicably not having a few months worth of viewing lists, I think this is a pretty complete snapshot of what I watched in 2012. As always, I don't see enough new stuff in theaters (or even on video) to put together a "Best Of" list for that calendar year so I'll just stick with a list of Ten Favorite New Views as well as some Honorable Mentions (also new views). Big shout-outs, though, to getting to see both HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH and Stuart Gordon's FROM BEYOND on the big screen this year. Those flicks have long topped my theatrical bucket list (along with NIGHT OF THE CREEPS), so even though I'd seen them a ton of times on video it was great to see 35mm prints of both the way they were meant to be seen.

Top 10 Favorite New Views

BLOOD & BONE

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: PART 1

DRIVE

THE EXPENDABLES 2

FDR: AMERICAN BADASS

GOON

THE MAN FROM HONG KONG

THE RAID: REDEMPTION

[REC]3

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Honorable Mentions

CAT RUN

COLD WAR ON ICE

THE COLLECTOR

THE EVIL CLERGYMAN

JERSEY SHORE SHARK ATTACK

MAXIMUM CONVICTION

MURDER OBSESSION

NINJA

PIRANHA 3DD

SLAUGHTER HIGH

New Viewings

1. THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN
2. AGAINST THE DARK
3. THE AGGRESSION SCALE
4. AIRBORNE
5. ALIEN OPPONENT
6. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
7. ARACHNOQUAKE
8. THE AVENGERS
9. BARE KNUCKLES
10. BARREL FULL OF DOLLARS
11. THE BARRENS
12. BASKET CASE 3: THE PROGENY
13. BIG ALLIGATOR RIVER
14. BLOOD & BONE
15. BODY PUZZLE
16. BRAIN DEAD (2011)
17. BRAVE
18. THE BURNING MOON
19. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
20. CASABLANCA EXPRESS
21. CAT RUN
22. CELLULOID BLOODBATH
23. COLD WAR ON ICE
24. THE COLLECTOR
25. COMIN' AT YA! 3-D
26. CROSS MISSION
27. THE CUTTER
28. DARK HOUSE
29. THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: PART 1
30. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
31. DEAD SEASON
32. DEADLIER THAN THE MALE
33. DEATH WEEKEND
34. DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS
35. DRACULA: SOVEREIGN OF THE DAMNED
36. DRAGON EYES
37. DRIVE
38. ELF-MAN
39. THE EVIL CLERGYMAN
40. EXPENDABLES 2
41. FDR: AMERICAN BADASS
42. FEAR IS THE KEY
43. FINAL DESTINATION 5
44. FRANKENFISH
45. FRIGHTMARE (1974)
46. GOON
47. HALLOWEEN 2 (ROB ZOMBIE)
48. HOSTEL II
49. HOSTEL III
50. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
51. HUMONGOUS
52. I AM BRUCE LEE
53. IF YOU MEET SARTANA, PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH
54. JERSEY SHORE SHARK ATTACK
55. JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM
56. KILL SQUAD
57. LARGO WINCH: HEIR APPARENT
58. LET THE BULLETS FLY
59. LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS
60. THE LORAX
61. THE LOST BLADESMAN
62. MADAGASCAR 3
63. MADHOUSE
64. THE MAN FROM HONG KONG
65. MANBORG
66. MAXIMUM CONVICTION
67. MITCHELL
68. MONEYBALL
69. MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD
70. MURDER OBSESSION
71. MYSTERY TEAM
72. NEW YEAR'S EVIL
73. THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE
74. NINJA 
75. THE NO MERCY MAN
76. OUR IDIOT BROTHER
77. OUT OF REACH
78. PIGHUNT
79. PIRANHA 3DD
80. PIRANHACONDA
81. THE RAID: REDEMPTION
82. RAMPART
83. RANGO
84. THE RAVEN
85. [REC]
86. [REC]2
87. [REC]3
88. RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION
89. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
90. SANTO IN THE TREASURE OF DRACULA
91. SCOOBY-DOO AND THE LEGEND OF THE PHANTOSAUR
92. SCORPION WITH TWO TAILS
93. SCREAMERS
94. SENNA
95. SHANGHAI KNIGHTS
96. SHARK NIGHT
97. SHERLOCK HOLMES 2: GAME OF SHADOWS
98. SILENT NIGHT
99. SLAUGHTER HIGH
100. SNOW SHARK
101. SON OF BLOB
102. STEEL & LACE
103. THEATRE BIZARRE
104. TITANIC II
105. TODAY YOU DIE
106. TORSO
107. TRANSIT 
108. TWILIGHT
109. THE UNITED
110. UNKNOWN
111. US SEALS 2
112. VAMPIRES NIGHT ORGY
113. A VERY HAROLD & KUMAR CHRISTMAS
114. WIPEOUT!
115. WOLVESBAYNE
116. WU XIA
117. YOUNG ADULT

Rewatches

1. ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK
2. CHUD
3. DR BUTCHER, MD
4. DRILLER KILLER
5. THE ENFORCER
6. THE EXTERMINATOR
7. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3-D
8. FROM BEYOND
9. THE GATE
10. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
11. HANDS OF STEEL
12. THE HIDDEN
13. HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP
14. ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS
15. THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN
16. KINSKI/PAGANINI
17. LIFEFORCE
18. NIGHT OF 1000 CATS
19. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS
20. PRAY FOR DEATH
21. PSYCHO KICKBOXER
22. Q
23. ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL
24. SHANGHAI NOON
25. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
26. STAR WARS
27. SUSPIRIA
28. TRANCERS
29. VICE SQUAD
30. XTRO

31 DAYS OF FRIGHT: Your Body is My Religion!

This review of Full Moon's disc for the long-awaited, highly-anticipated release of THE EVIL CLERGYMAN was supposed to appear last week during the Anthology-Athon. Alas, real life got in the way and it wasn't till this morning that I was able to finally get my thoughts pulled together. Oh sure, reviewing it for the anthology block is a bit of a cheat but since the segment was originally shot for PULSEPOUNDERS I feel like I can get away with it.

I used to be somewhat obsessed with all things Empire.

What can I say? When a studio releases what immediately becomes your favorite movie of all-time you become a fan. Going to the theater to see everything they put out. Immediately renting the flicks you loved or the ones that bypassed town in favor of a quickie theatrical release in NYC. It was a love affair.

The love affair with Empire flicks was frequently reignited when the big issues of Variety would hit the newsstands. Tied into industry events like Cannes or the American Film Market, the thick issues were a "must have" and I'd fritter away hours pouring through the pages trying to glean whatever details I could about upcoming flicks from all the studios, but especially Empire (and the Go-Go Boys at Cannon).

I can still remember the full-page announcement ad for PULSEPOUNDERS, Empire's "upcoming" entry in the then-popular anthology genre. It seemed like a genius idea from the mind of Charles Band: three segments, each a sequel to or logical offshoot of one of the studio's biggest hits of 1985. There would be a sequel to THE DUNGEONMASTER (itself an anthology of sorts), a continuation of the heroic adventures of future cop Jack Deth from TRANCERS, and, most importantly (for me, at least), a return to H.P. Lovecraft territory with THE EVIL CLERGYMAN, complete with RE-ANIMATOR stars Jeffrey Combs, David Gale and the lovely Barbara Crampton.

And so we waited. And waited. And waited. Every now and then a PULSEPOUNDRES still or news would trickle out but that was about it. Releases like FROM BEYOND, DOLLS and ENEMY TERRITORY kept me sated but it wasn't long before Empire's impressive average started to slide and PULSEPOUNDERS retreated into the dark recesses of my mind, emerging from the brain muck every now and then for me to ponder whatever happened to the flick.

Like most fans, I assumed that the end of Empire and Charles Band's subsequent move to Full Moon meant that PULSEPOUNDERS was lost forever, a myth to chat about on film boards and at hotel bars during conventions.

As it turns out, PULSEPOUNDERS wasn't swept away or left unfinished because Band was too busy making horrible vampire and puppet movies. As the producer/director explains in the featurette included on the long-awaited DVD release of THE EVIL CLERGYMAN, the original negative for the film was lost when one of the labs the studio used went out of business and it wasn't until 20+ years later – when a VHS work print was found – that wheels were set in motion for PULSEPOUNDERS to finally see the light of day.

Even if it is one segment at a time.

Besides Combs, Crampton and Gale, CLERGYMAN reunites us with composer Richard Band (who contributes a lush and romantically sinister new score), cinematographer Mac Ahlberg and scribe Dennis Paoli, who once again gets to indulge in the sexual side of Lovecraft with this atmospheric tale.

A young woman (Crampton) visits the castle room where she and her clergyman lover (Combs) consummated their illicit relationship – before he hanged himself. Left alone to gather her things, she soon finds herself being warned by a bishop (David Warner) that her lover was evil and simply wants to possess her soul. (And who can blame him?) It isn't long before the gropey clergyman returns, gets all handsey and is laying it on thick with lines like "your body is my religion". (Again, can you blame him?)

Relying heavily on atmosphere, THE EVIL CLERGYMAN isn't a wild, occasionally gross ride like RE-ANIMATOR or FROM BEYOND. The 30-minute segment is – David Gale's rat suit by John Carl Beuchler aside – largely effects-free and more akin to the Lovecraft adaptations of NIGHT GALLERY or MASTERS OF HORROR with a dash of the atmosphere we'd later see in Stuart Gordon's CASTLE FREAK (an underrated Combs/Crampton outing).

Combs' snarky smirk is put to good use as the love 'em and leave 'em sinister minister who has left a trail of crazed and dead chicks in his wake. And nobody does "hot and kinda crazy" like Crampton, who shifts effortlessly from demure to sexy in no time.

Kudos to Full Moon for rescuing PULSEPOUNDERS from the trash heap and releasing it to the fans. Naturally, given the source material, the image quality isn't great but this is a rare opportunity to see a flick that was long thought to be lost forever.

The disc is currently a Full Moon exclusive and includes a featurette from the CLERGYMAN premiere earlier this year as well as 60-seconds of work print footage from TRANCERS 1.5 starring Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt and Art LeFleur in a tale scripted by Danny Bilson and Paul DeMeo. Full Moon anticipates that disc being ready for October 2013.

THE EVIL CLERGYMAN is available exclusively from Full Moon Direct.

31 Days of Fright: Poe, Poe Pitiful Me

Stuart Gordon's fifth feature film starts off well (and grimly) enough with the torturers of the Spanish Inquisition removing the skeletonized body of an accused heretic from the grave and giving it 20 lashes ... despite the fact that the body begins to fall apart about five lashes into the ordeal. As the corpse's wife and child look on in horror and disbelief you get the feeling that this flick is gonna have some spunk. After all, this is Gordon getting a chance to deal with history for the first time, and the film is less steeped in the "fantastic" than anything he'd done in his previous four films (RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, DOLLS and ROBOJOX). However, that feeling soon dissipates, leaving this viewer feeling disappointed and convinced that almost anyone could've directed this hodgepodge of historical fact, histrionic acting, and Shakespearean goofball asides.

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM is based upon three Edgar Allan Poe short stories, namely the title story, "Premature Burial" and "The Cask of Amontialado" (though only the former is credited). Originally planned as major studio debut for Gordon starring Peter O'Toole as Tomas de Torquemada, the Spanish grand inquisitor, Sherilyn Fenn as the object of his desire, Billy Dee Williams (I'm assuming as some kind of suave black dude), and Gordon regular Jeffrey Combs as a scribe, the film went through several reported start-ups, delays, financial problems and more.

When the production finally did get rolling, O'Toole had been replaced by Lance Henriksen, Fenn by Rona De Ricci, and Williams by (again, I guess) Jonathan Fuller. Combs was the only major player to have remained from the original cast announcements. With a Dennis Paoli script, Poe's inspiration and Gordon's directorial hand, I felt the flick would be – at the very least – entertaining and filled with the kind of offbeat Gordon-isms that had populated all of his cinematic outings... at least up to this point. In reality, the only connection to his earlier work besides Combs seems to be another small role for Gordon's wife, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon.

After the grimly entertaining pre-credit sequence we're introduced to Maria (De Ricci) and Antonio (Fuller), newlywed bread bakers who know in their hearts and in their minds that what is taking place at the auto-da-fe is not right. Heavy-handed symbolism and sledgehammer dialogue abound, right up to the point when Maria prays for the souls of those being tortured, confiding to her husband that she feels their pain and suffering... like she herself was the one being tortured.

While selling bread to spectators on their way to the auto-da-fae, the two innocents are swept up in the crowd and prevented from leaving by armed guards, eventually leading to Maria's inevitable imprisonment for being a witch. At this point, PIT hits a serious treadmill: Torquemada accuses Maria; she denies it; Antonio tries to save her; Torquemada accuses Maria; she denies it; Antonio tries to save her; and so the story goes.

The basic problem with THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM seems to lie in the filmmakers' indecision. At times, the flick desperately wants to be an historical look at what really happened during the Inquisition: false accusations; sexual assault; murder; overzealous torture; the works. At other times, Gordon and Co. seem intent on making a horror film packed with the usual genre trappings: rats munching away on human flesh; bizarre torture devices; hot oil to the facial region; blood-spewing; and exploding witches. At still other times they feel compelled to throw in horribly stagey "action" scenes, as well as comedic asides that feel completely out of place. Surprisingly, the bits of the other Poe tales that Paoli works into the script come off better than the elements he uses from the "inspirational" source story. In fact, those scenes remain the most creepily effective in the entire film.

Sadly, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM only shines when either Henriksen or Combs is on screen, and even then Combs's role is a minor one.

It's unfortunate that PIT hit so many roadblocks on its way to the screen. One can only imagine how a Gordon/O'Toole collaboration would have turned out. All we're left with is one of the few instances in his career when a Gordon flick feels like it could have been directed by anyone.

Poe's work – along with Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera – again serves as a source of inspiration, this time for the 1997 Elseworlds tale BATMAN: MASQUE by Mike Grell. Elseworlds, for those unfamiliar with the term, is an imprint of DC Comics which allows comic writers and artists to flex their creative muscles by placing such characters as Superman, Flash and, in this case, Batman outside the DC Comics canon.

Set in a turn-of-the century Gotham City, MASQUE rounds up a number of familiar names and faces, all playing the same roles as their modern-day counterparts... Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, even Chief O'Hara makes an appearance (and comes across as comically worthless as the 1960s TV version). Another familiar face, or should I say "Two-Face"?, appears in the form of Harvey Dent, here a ballet star whose face is horribly scarred thanks to The Batman during a performance of Poe's Masque of the Red Death. Driven underground the masked Dent sets his sights on the performance's female understudy, Laura Avian, a ballerina whose boyfriend happens to be millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

Filled with plenty of gothic trappings like candelabras, thunderstorms, flowing nightgowns and passionate – but tortured – embraces, I frankly felt a little embarrassed to be curled up in my easy chair with the book. All that was missing was some herbal tea and a shawl! But don't be fooled by the cover pic showing a touchy-feely Batman and the flowing script that adorns the back cover, MASQUE packs plenty of two-fisted action into its pages, not to mention Dent's scarred face, dancers hung from the rafters, explosions and even a bizarre brewery mishap.

I've been wading my way through a huge box of Bat-ness thanks to TOMB IT MAY CONCERN buddy David Zuzelo and I'll admit I stuck MASQUE on the bottom of my most recent pile of reads. And while it didn't quite reach the heights of the first Elseworld's tale – GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT in which The Batman matches wits with Jack the Ripper – MASQUE delivers an entertaining "what if" tale even the crustiest Bat-lover can enjoy.

Today is FROM BEYOND Day (And Much More)

For years Stuart Gordon's FROM BEYOND has been at the tip-top of my DVD Wish List. As of today that spot is now occupied by Fred Dekker's amazing NIGHT OF THE CREEPS.

Yep, the long wait is over and the uncut, unrated director's cut becomes available today. But watch your wallet when you go to the video store. Not only is FROM BEYOND being released but other genre titles hitting store shelves today include THE BURNING (uncut slasher flick with effects by Tom Savini), WITCHFINDER GENERAL (creepy 70s witch-ploitation with Vincent Price), FOOD OF THE GODS (nature run amok-ploitation), TALES FROM THE CRYPT/VAULT OF HORROR (double feature disc), CHOSEN SURVIVORS/THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (double feature disc).

9/14/07 Update – FROM BEYOND and THE BURNING arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Over at the Bava Book Blog they've been posting pix of readers – including our pal Neil Vokes – posing with the long-awaited volume. Maybe I should take video of me hugging my FB DVD with sheer joy and taking the protective wrapper off! I'm already planning a Stuart Gordon double feature for this weekend. Can. Not. Wait.

New RE-ANIMATOR Two Disc Special Edition

I wanted to get more details before I gushed about Anchor Bay's upcoming special edition of Stuart Gordon's RE-ANIMATOR (slated for release on March 20, 2007), or as we call it around ER HQ "The Greatest Movie Ever Made."

Though there have been other special editions on both laserdisc and DVD, this new two-disc special edition looks to be the one RE-ANIMATOR to have in your collection.

According to Fangoria.com, the set will feature a new remastered, 16x9-enhanced 1.85:1 transfer with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, plus:

• Audio commentary by director Stuart Gordon
• Audio commentary by producer Brian Yuzna and actors Bruce Abbott, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Robert Sampson
• All-new 70-minute documentary Re-Animator Resurrectus, featuring interviews with Gordon, Yuzna, writer Dennis Paoli, actors Combs, Crampton, Sampson and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, composer Richard Band and Fango’s Tony Timpone
• Music discussion with Band
• Deleted and extended scenes
• Theatrical trailer
• TV spots
• New production stills from Yuzna’s private collection
• New behind-the-scenes, posters & advertising, storyboard and fun-on-the-set galleries
• Stuart Gordon bio
• Screenplay (DVD-ROM)
• H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Herbert West, Reanimator” (DVD-ROM)

I wish they'd found a way to include the long out of print soundtrack as well, but I suppose you can't have everything. Oh well, at least I still have my vinyl copy. But you can have this incredible two-disc package of The Greatest Movie Ever Made for less than $20. In fact, you can pre-order your copy from Amazon today and support ER at the same time.

Celebrate Poe's Birthday with Gordon and Combs

Although I have Showtime I haven't been watching their 'Masters of Horror' show as often as I should. First off, I know that every episode will be out on DVD soon after the new season wraps up (see the ER site for Louis Fowler's continuing reviews of the first season discs). Second, I haven't been all that super impressed with the episodes that I have seen.

But that won't stop me from watching tonight's episode. Or at least setting my DVR for it. Tonight's installment, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Black Cat', is particularly timely, given that it's the 198th anniversary of the author's birth. To top things off, the episode is directed by the great Stuart Gordon (RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, 'nuff said) and stars Jeffrey Combs as Poe. (If I have to provide any of Combs' genre credits I'm not sure why you're reading this blog.)

Combs joins the great Klaus Kinski as one of my favorite actors to portray the tortured, tormented and brilliant author, whose body just happens to be buried here in Baltimore. Kinski appears as Poe in Antonio Margheritti's WEB OF THE SPIDER.