The Atlantis Interceptors (1983)

Exploitation films are some of the most polarizing for movie fans. Since Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez put out 'Grindhouse' in 2007 there has been a slew of films trying to duplicate what filmmakers were doing in the late '70s and early '80s. 'Hobo With a Shotgun' is a phenomenal example of capturing the spirit of those films, but 'Grindhouse' is playing it a little too safe. Sure, it's a fun movie and pays great love and admiration for the films of yore, but it's too self aware. The same can be said for 'Machete'. It too is a fun movie, but it's not the same as watching films like 'Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS' or 'Fair Game'. Movies like that took themselves serious, and pushed what, at that time, was the envelope for genre films.

Ruggero Deodato you may know from as the director of the infamous 'Cannibal Holocaust'. It's a powerful, visceral film that is a prime example of exploitation filmmaking. His follow up, 'House on the Edge of the Park' was another great example of a brutal movie with an unrelenting tale of home invasion. After making two films with unrelenting violence I guess Deodato decided that he needed to make a ridiculous, completely absurd film about Atlantis rising from the ocean.

Mike (Christopher Connolly) and Washington (Tony King), who insists on being called Mohamed, are mercenaries who are the best at their job. After kidnapping an old man for some unnamed colonel, the two take their payment and head on their boat for a little vacation in Trinidad. While journeying out to sea, a helicopter circles the vessel pissing off the crew of Mike, Washamed and their boy servant, Manuel. The chopper is carrying Dr. Cathy Rollins, an expert in Spanish languages, to a government research station in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The crew is composed of nuclear scientists who are trying to raise a Soviet submarine from the ocean floor.

On land, however, a group of a-typical post-apocalyptic cyber punks have taken to the streets, slaughtering the citizens of Miami. Their leader, a pleasant fellow by the name of Crystal Skull rules the violent gang. Suddenly an earthquake moves the oceans, and an island breaks the surface. There are trees, and mountains, and the island looks to be enclosed in a bubble similar to that of a vending machine toy. The research station is being taken down by the force of the water as Mike and his crew brave the storm in their boat, and they miraculously make it through. As the boat sails on, Mike and the gang run across survivors from the station and they head for land not knowing the horrors that have unfolded on shore.

In the early '80s there was a wave of Italian produced post-apocalyptic movies that came on the market. 'Atlantis Interceptors' is one of the better of the bunch as Deodato plays with many different genres to really make one ridiculously fun film. From action to comedy, to horror and thriller Deodato borrows heavily from many other films. You see shades of 'Escape from New York', 'The Road Warrior', and even some James Bond type of elements. A solid foundation, but the film also has a pretty well crafted original story. Just over-the-top enough to be absurd, but handled well enough that it isn't awful. The acting isn't that bad considering other films of its type. Tony King is solid comic relief, and does well at being that sarcastic asshole throughout the film.

The acting, being better than I expected, I was let down by the lack of violence that I've seen in other Deodato films. Many movies in his catalog are littered with gore that it was interesting to see a 'less is more' attitude to the violence. This is one area that would have improved the film as the gang, while raising hell on the beaches of Miami, doesn't really get to shine. The villain, Crystal Skull isn't really as fleshed out as you would like. He's the sort of character that really needs to be malicious and terrifying. We get a guy decapitated, and another guy spiked to death in a jungle trap. Other than that, we don't see this gang really be all that terrorizing other than slicing one or two people up with swords.

The soundtrack was another downside of the movie as the disco jams just didn't really fit the tone of the movie. It's awkward actually, and takes away from this Atlantis rising world. Thankfully you can excuse the soundtrack because there are some great action sequences with shoot-outs, motorcycles and Mad Max style cars.

As a cult movie though, 'The Atlantis Interceptors' is a real blast. It's nothing that will change your view on post-apocalyptic movies, but solid performances, over-the-top action really elevate it to something better than it really should have been. It won't be remembered as Deodato's best, but it's a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

'The Atlantis Interceptors' is currently available in the Grindhouse Experience Vol. 2 DVD Box Set. It's loaded with 20 other fantastically shitty films ranging from 'Jaws' knockoffs to foreign superhero films. It ranges about $20, and is really worth your time if you're looking for some bad movies.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Examining Alternate Edits

Do you remember watching a movie like Billy Madison on TV, and all of the sudden there's a scene of the staff playing kickball you hadn't noticed when watching on video? Or maybe you've heard that a movie like Johnny Mnemonic had an extra 14-minutes in the Japanese cut? One of the more trying points of being a movie fan is keeping track of all edits/alternate scenes to your favorite films. The world of alternate versions is pretty vast, so I'll select a few recent films I've viewed.

Over the past few years I've come across edits of some of my favorite movies that were released strictly for foreign markets. We, as the consumers of these films, have little to no insight as to why a distributor may feel that one scene may work for their European market, but when the film is released here in the United States the edit could be different. Let's take for instance Alex Winter's Freaked. Upon my first viewing of Freaked on HBO in the early 90's I was hooked. I loved the ridiculous characters, dialog and the plot. The film was perfect for my pre teen humor, and as I grew older I found new jokes that went WAY over my head years earlier.

This year I found the German DVD release of Freaked that contained two scenes which were not in the American edit. Sure, these were more than likely included in the deleted scenes portion of the supplemental features on the Anchor Bay disc, but to see the new flow felt a little better to be honest. The inclusion of a scene in which the Freaks play Wheel of Fortune continued the riff on Hollywood Squares to show how the mutated residents of Freek Land spend their time. Later in the film, once Ricky Coogan (Alex Winter) finds out about his horrid fate to be turned into a super-freak and destroy the others, he says fond farewells to each of the freaks. While not adding more than a few minutes to the American run time, these scenes were a welcome addition and felt like they should have been included originally.

Then there's edits of movies for television. While not every movie is edited for television, most are. In can be for a multitude of reasons (as stated prior to any airing), but more often than not these movies are relatively the same version you'd see in theaters or on video/disc/interwebs. Sometimes these result in hilarious dialog censorship (see: Casino) or glaring omissions of violence (see: Casino). Then there are films where questionable material is edited out, and new footage inserted to make up the running time. When the Disney Channel used to be a premium station, and they had the "free preview weekend", they would air a version of The Goonies which included the octopus scene, which I have recorded and is my preferred edit of the movie. There's also the discussion Jason and I
had on the podcast last year in which we detail the differences between the theatrical and television edits of Alligator.

One recent example of a TV edit that stands out was a recording I received of Fred Dekker's The Monster Squad, which was recorded off of a Fox affiliate out of Augusta, GA in 1995. Monster Squad for me as a kid was the best movie in the world. Sure, I was also a big Ghostbusters fan, but the combination of all the classic monsters was a joy to see as a 5-year old who was just discovering horror. Flash forward 26 years, and now I see a version of this beloved film with a few scenes extended, and a random flashback sequence added later on. While not adding anything major to what was already a perfect movie, this was a real interesting watch. There's something fun about watching a movie with a fresh set of eyes, looking for any of those slight changes to alter your experience.

Then there's the much maligned discussion of the "Director's Cut" and "Unrated" editions of films that have come out in the past few years. Granted, there are instances where a film deserves to have the director release their version of the film (see: Superman II), but how many fucking times do we need Blade Runner released? Anyways, this particular conversation has been done to death, so in lieu of that, why don't we leave the forum open to you. What are some of your favorite edits to a movie that may not be the most commonly seen?

Episode 24 - Night Beast (1983)

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Episode 20 - My Bloody Valentine (1981)

 

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Episode 19 - Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987)

 

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Episode 18 - Things (1993)

 

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Episode 11 - Neon Maniacs (1986)

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Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut (2014)

Guest Review by Travis Indovina

I grew up with make believe. I can relate most of my earliest memories to comic books, movies, gateways to fantasy and imagination. My father, a Peter Pan at heart is responsible for this. His childish enthusiasm for the unreal formed and shaped my mental workspace and to some extent, my perception. As I got older, the more I delved into the fantastic the more I began to learn. This, I believe, has had a significant effect on my moral standing and personality traits. I have no doubt that my hopeless optimism comes from Superman's impenetrable (if not unrealistic) faith in human kind despite their inhumanity to themselves, my racial and feminist empathies can be put into perspective by the films of George Romero and James Cameron and perhaps, because of this, is why I've been so attracted to the horror genre.

A lot of horror films trivialize death into dark fantasies making spectacles of violence, while other horror films are the melding of otherworldly forces unknown to our understanding and how they can be just as dark as some fairy tales can be light. They can also be interpreted as morality tales, scaring its audience with the evils of the world, never glorifying but exploiting them as grim and truly immoral. Horror and escapism can be used as a tool in melding humanism and social awareness for entertainment. And I would eventually stumble upon a movie that I felt would meld all that I love about fairy tale fantasy and social morality. When I was 13, I found Nightbreed.

The movie, about an outsider who joins a club of outsiders (monsters) who are ostracized and oppressed by patriarchy combined the comic book sensibilities of something like the X-Men, full of subtexts that can be correlated to civil rights, sexual orientation and any other social discrimination, the heart of a story like Frankenstein, who wasn't born evil, but misunderstood, the visual
iconicism of a slasher movie, action, fantasy and even romance. I thought it was bad ass! I'd eventually read in horror movie publications such as Fangoria and Toxic that Nightbreed was meant to be a franchise, a series of films expanding the mythology of the characters and that the film itself was intended to be much different than what we actually received. The film's story was re-purposed by the distributor which conflicted with the filmmaker's vision. Though, I loved what already was, I was now influenced by the knowledge that there was more and I could realize that something was missing with each subsequent viewing.

So I read the original novel it was based upon, “Cabal” and any issues of the comic book I could find and always wondered and theorized what Nightbreed could've been. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the movie passed out of all knowledge... Well, no, but, some years went by and shortly after sharing the movie with my then girlfriend in 2008/2009 I had read online that a 160 minute workprint had been unearthed and was going to be screened at a horror con in Indianapolis. I had to go! I was waiting for this moment for 10 years! And we went!

Before the screening there was a Q&A with writer and director Clive Barker. He mentioned that all he needed to find was some reels of film and they could begin restoring it for a Director's Cut. Now, when I watched this version my viewing experience could have been enhanced by not only my excitement, but how I mentally pieced the film together due to its technical imperfections. The quality of the Workprint was not only in rough shape, but the score, visual/optical and sound effects as well as audio mixing and re-shoots were all absent! So my pleasure could stem from my fan bias as well as how actively engaged I was at trying to make sense of it all based on my general understanding of how a movie is made. Which only, in my mind, made it a better film because not only could I reflect and see what the finished project was meant to be, but all of the holes that were apparent in the theatrical version were finally fulfilled painting a much more refined picture. The characters felt like they had more purpose and given much more weight in the film and some of the lack of re-shoots aloud the narrative to breath.

For plenty of viewers it was an eye sore because I don't think people realized how formative a stage a workprint is for a film, but I left the screening elated.

Now, when I heard that the CABAL CUT was underway it was like a dream come true. Finally someone would take both versions to make a cohesive and coherent edition of Nightbreed as it was intended. Restructuring the film in the best way possible. And when I finally saw the "Cabal Cut" either my expectations were too high, or I relied too heavily on the version I had made in my head but it was still a work in progress, and I expected it to be closer to a finished product.

The Cabal Cut jarringly cut from DVD footage to the cruddy off color muted video quality of the workprint, using some scenes that flowed and some cuts that didn't. I assumed that the footage had been found and that it would be more complete and not look so much like a glorified fan-edit, but I was wrong... Russell Cherrington, the “expert” responsible for this cut had stated before the screening that if anyone wanted to discuss the film or had any suggestions about it could talk with him afterwards. I approached him after the screening and I asked how they intended to release the film, would it include both versions, would it have deleted scenes and such and he didn't seem all that interested but he was nice enough to patronize me. He said yes to it all and I asked him about one scene that I didn't think fit and he agreed but he said he liked it anyway... I thanked him for his time and I was disappointed.

Afterwards I kept asking myself, where is Clive Barker and where's his involvement in this version? Is he supervising this cut and does he have a say? Or has he kind of removed himself from the material and faithfully relies on the hands of others? I just decided not to get my hopes up too much. Not long after that was it revealed that home video distributor Shout Factory was working on releasing an official Director's Cut.

The ultimate limited edition set was very expensive for one movie but I caved and ordered it. A few weeks before it would find its way into my eagerly waiting hands, reviews began to surface and some fans, as well as some of my friends were unimpressed with the new edit. This put a slight damper on my heart, I say slight because while I may not entirely enjoy the context of this new official reconstruction of the movie, I still have the version I've loved all these years, and I'll have a ton of special features to compliment it, so, good or bad, to experience Nightbreed yet again for the first time in a different way is enough for me.

I watched all of the features first, and I was a bit confused as to why the man responsible for this ambitious epic of blood and magic wasn't present in the main retrospective making of documentary. Also, in this feature there was footage of scenes that were not present in the deleted scenes (and neither in the Director's Cut, but more on that in a moment). I can't say I'm entirely underwhelmed, but I'm curious to know what shorthanded these features. And then, I took a deep breath to finally embark on the Director's Cut.

I started this new cut and I couldn't calm myself. I kept comparing it to what I had seen before instead of just taking it in. My mind was racing and I began deconstructing it immediately, repeating the criticisms of my colleagues. After about 30 minutes in, I stopped it and took a break. Found a distraction (the guitar) and eased my mind for a bit. Then, I started it over.

I don't think the Director's Cut is perfect, but that doesn't mean I think it's bad by any means! In this new version, I found the first act to be a bit uneven for Clive is trying to bring in more character development in an already quickly moving story, interspersing scenes of character relationship excised from the theatrical version between scenes of exposition. There's a musical number where the male lead visits his significant other performing on stage during a concert and while this scene is cool to see, I found it unnecessary for I feel their relationship is given enough development throughout the course of the story. The use of alternate takes heightening the performances I thought brought a solid emotional context to the film that wasn't as blatant in the theatrical release. Also, the movie tends to ponder during the second act, spending a lot of time on the antagonists, while I can see this being a problem for most viewers, I felt it made the climax all the more satisfying with the inclusion of some more action. Because of the heart that this new version tries to

define made the new ending work beautifully. This version is also more faithful to the novel and brings a lot more clarity to some of the ideas that originally felt rushed. I've waited forever for a Director's Cut and honestly, I am pleased. I respect Mr. Barker's intended vision of his film even though I don't find it better than the theatrical version nor do I think it is a completely different movie as it is being advertised by its developers. I like them both for different reasons; if I want a dark romantic fantasy, I have the Director's Cut, if I want an action film, I have the theatrical cut.

I can totally understand why viewers would be underwhelmed with this new version. The new footage was spoken of in legendary proportions which only lead the fans to enthusiastically speculate that this film would be nothing less than a life changing experience. After 25 years of waiting to see what could have been, we simply get a monster movie rich in myth given a bit more heart.

So now, a journey of mine has come to a close. I've devoted so much of my life to loving and studying this movie and all of my wonders and questions have finally been answered. I shall always hold this movie in my heart and in my mind as well as on my shelf.

Final notes:

Considering the materials that were given, I love the clarity in picture this Blu-Ray has to offer. But there's still plenty of footage that was featured in the workprint that is not present in this set, some of which I'd like to see again: In the workprint (as well in the novel) the mask in Decker's mind would talk to him, beckoning him to come out. Interesting to note that the workprint originally opened with the scene where Lori visits Boone at his job in the car garage (another scene I found to be unnecessary in the DC). The family Decker murders was not present nor were the two characters of the chubby guy with the tentacles that come out of his stomach and his black bull looking friend. Also, Hugh Quarshie survives and aids the Nightbreed in escaping.

Episode 06 - Demons/Demons 2

        Episode 06 - Demons/Demons 2








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Scare-A-Con

Coolidge Corner Theater

Popcorn (1991)

Long gone are the days of the gimmick film where seats buzzed, and when ghosts and monsters roamed the aisles. The amazing William Castle, who entertained audiences with such greats as House on Haunted Hill and 13 Ghosts, believed he could provide thrills outside of the silver screen. Rigging the theater with all sorts of proprietary gags made Castle a name to be recognized. With almost every other week a 3D film being released into theaters nowadays it's a little hard to think that a film in 3D was a rare treat.

Perhaps it was the changing tastes of the movie-going public that brought the end to theater gimmicks, but there are two great examples of tribute to the lost art form. The first being Joe Dante's overlooked period piece Matinee, with an outstanding performance by John Goodman in tribute to the late Castle. The other film that tips its hat to Mr. Castle is the offbeat slasher film, Popcorn.

Popcorn revolves around Maggie, an aspiring screenwriter attending UC Berkley, who keeps having vivid nightmares which she fuels to write her script. While attending class, Maggie's film teacher Mr. Davis tells them they need to get some funds for their department, or risk being shut down. So Mr. Davis enlists the help Dr. Mnesyne, who is a film historian, to re-create the lost art of the gimmick with such thrills as 3D, Shock-O-Scope and Odorama. The goal is to have an all-night horrorthon to raise money for their program.  As the event starts, Maggie starts to learn that her nightmares are repressed memories from her childhood, and it appears that her past has a deadly way of catching up with her.

As a fan of both 80's slashers and 50's Science Fiction, Popcorn is, well... a real treat as a genre fan. It's hard to look at the film as one cohesive story as there are two films going on here, both of which highly entertaining. The kills are all different and rather inventive, and while some of the actors may not be what you'd consider "A-List" (with the exception of the ever lovely Dee Wallace) they suite the film just fine. My favorite moments are the films within the film, serving as the go-between to the slasher stuff. This is just personal preference as the slasher story is handled really well for a film of this type.

Popcorn is a film that pays homage to the long gone B-Movies of the 50's and 60's while keeping modern day audiences appeased with a by-the-numbers slasher sub-plot. Popcorn isn't a film that will be known for re-inventing the genre, but it's a fun look at a bygone era of film making. With a well crafted sub-plot and an energetic script, Popcorn is a film that will entertain those looking for laughs as well as violence.

Popcorn is out of print on DVD, but available from Elite Entertainment. Synapse is supposed to release a special edition Blu-Ray this October, but I haven't heard any updates as of yet.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

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The Trash Pack: Contest 08/06/14 to 09/26/14

\I've been spotty with keeping reviews and the podcast up to date, but I do appreciate anyone who has taken the time to listen to an episode, read a review or even share my work with someone else. That's why I'd like to show some appreciation to one lucky reader. I've been teasing the thought of a contest on our Facebook page for sometime now, and here's the deal:

In order to win over 30 DVDs, 30 VHS, a few action figures, comics and more you'll have to comment below with the name of your favorite video store, existing or not. The only other rule is you have to like our Facebook page. It's that simple! This contest will run until Friday, September 26th. I'll then collect all entries, and figure out a winner at random!

Now, these are all the DVDs that will be included, but more VHS will be added once I find some stuff I highly enjoyed, or a couple of more obscurer titles. Right now there's a stack of Punisher mags I have included, but I'll be putting some more horror comics in.

Make sure to like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date on any additions to the Trash Pack contest!

Thanks for reading!

*New Additions 08/26/2014*

We're a month away from the contest ending, so I've added some more stuff to the pack. Here are detailed images of all that is included!

Death Nurse (1987)

I've seen and reviewed my share of ridiculous films throughout my time on this earth, but I find that when watching a film shot-on-video (SOV) I tend to be more relaxed with my feelings. While I will always say The Abomination is a wretched film, there is a lot of entertainment to be had with the right inebriation. There's a certain chunk of salt one has to swallow to enjoy these films, and more often than not they're poorly made and convoluted.

At the Shady Palms nursing home, Nurse Edith and her brother Doctor Gordon take care of their patients. They give them beds, offer food, and unnecessary surgery and murder. While more patients are brought in for their "exquisite" care, Edith and Gordon take turns either performing surgery or suffocating, stabbing. Soon though they find themselves with more corpses than they can handle. What are a murderous brother and sister to do?

Death Nurse is a pretty baffling movie. At the staggering 57 minute run time you are thrown into one of the most weirdly edited, shot and acted films ever. Again, that's not saying it's bad, but, well... It's bad. In an enjoyable way, but you're scratching your head as to why most of these decisions were made. Long shots of actors doing nothing. Dream sequences that are never explained, also these sequences were taken from the film Criminally Insane, so they obviously needed the padding.

The acting from Priscilla Alden is spot-on with its awfulness. It's wooden and no awards will be given for her performance, but it's endearing. The "production value" of the film was that of probably one weekend, the director's family/friends, 5 VHS tapes, a Panasonic camcorder and two VCRs for editing. It's cheap and it shows, but it's never serious and allows for organic laughs with the dark humor while everything else in the movie provides the unintentional chuckles.

Death Nurse isn't going to win any awards, but it's a movie to throw on with a group of friends. It's under an hour of your life, and most of us paid to sit through Avatar. That shit was like 3 hours. You could watch Death Nurse, Death Nurse 2 and two episodes of the Simpsons in that time frame and be more entertained that tree sex bullshit.

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

Death Nurse is available from Slasher // Video, but it is limited to 1,000 units.

Cold Sweat (2010)

For every fantastic foreign film that gets released only a handful make it to the United States. It's unfortunate that these films can't be seen by worldwide audiences, but every now and then a film finds a distributor State side to release it. Sometimes it's a small theater run to a few independent theaters, but, more often than not, those films are released direct to disc without any marketing. Alas, these are the trials and tribulations of being a cult film fan.

Growing up during the infancy of the internet I found new (and foreign) horror films by word of mouth, or by flipping through the latest issue of Fangoria at the local comic shop. In 2012 film fans now have the convenience of the internet, and there are plenty of sites that offer all sorts of coverage on cult films all over the world. The website Twitch introduced me to this fabulous Argentinian film, 'Sudor Frio', or in English, 'Cold Sweat'. I'm not too familiar with the film work of Argentina, let alone what their genre films would be like. 'Cold Sweat' was a combination of so many styles it let itself to be more of a comedy than a horror movie.

The film starts out with a bunch of news footage from the '70s about a radical anti-communist group rioting, and torturing people to gather information. Stealing 25 cases of dynamite from the government the radicals were never heard from again.

Flash forward to present day to a woman by the name of Ali searching for the address of a boy she met on the internet. Accompanied with her friend Roman they together search for Roman's ex-girlfriend, who mysteriously vanished a few days earlier. While waiting outside in the vehicle Roman receives an email from his ex stating that she left the country. Apparently, Ali is some type of computer wiz, and triangulates the sender's IP address this the same location as the boy Ali was to meet. Ali tells Roman that she will go inside to search for his ex, but to wait in the car as back-up.

What Ali doesn't know is that her conversations with the boy online were that of the leaders of the radical group! Now in their 70s the scare tactics used to extract answers have resorted to dousing their captives in nitroglycerin, and sulfuric acid. Ali and Roman will have a challenging night ahead of them if they plan to escape these two geezers alive.

'Sudor Frio' is set apart from a lot of other recent horror releases are the antagonists, one of which is relinquished to using a walker. It immediately takes the film to a very comedic level as most of us would just try to push him over.  While 'Cold Sweat' does offer a wide array of bloody shots the film isn't all about the gore. It's not really a movie that is all that balanced either, which is what I feel is one of the downsides of the film.

The film has a few too many tones, and it's really hard to find that balance between over-the-top and mean-spirited. There are times when the comedy comes through too much, and we're not really in fear for the characters. Other times, the odds are raised increasingly high only to be dropped again. It sets an odd pace for 'Cold Sweat' which makes the plot come to a crawl at points.

Almost all other aspects of 'Cold Sweat' are pretty solid from the acting to the direction. The film is primarily set in one location, and director Adrián García Bogliano utilizes the tight spaces for solid tension throughout the film. The soundtrack was also a highlight as it transitioned nicely between the life on the street, and the terror in the apartment.

All in all 'Sudor Frio'  is decently crafted horror film, but needed to focus on one particular tone to better the overall presentation.  'Cold Sweat' is currently streaming on Netflix, and is also available on DVD from Dark Sky Films.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Trash Pile Top 10: Horror Posters

We as Horror fans are often drawn to films by their artwork. The physical representation of the media more often than not is better than the film. If the movie art was just a steaming pile of shit, and it had the title 'The Abomination' you probably you wouldn't rent it. However, as you can read in my review, a lot of the times the cover will lure you in.

Regardless of the films quality their art was what studios used  to sell the film. If 'Blood Beach' didn't have the fantastic poster to accompany it perhaps it wouldn't be as fondly remembered by those of the video rental era.

To compile a list of the 10 best posters is a tall order. Throughout the decades of filmmaking   there have been thousands of fantastic posters, especially in genre films. From 50's  Creature Features to 80's Slashers, I'll do my best  to cover my favorites from everything.

10. Q - The Winged Serpent (1982) Director: Larry Cohen

As a film 'Q' isn't one of my favorite Larry Cohen features (that goes to 'The Stuff'), but the poster featured above is a phenomenal example of how to sell a movie.

9. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) Director: Jee-woon Kim

This is an example of when a poster truly captures a film. It is both haunting, and beautiful. Exactly what 'A Tale of Two Sisters' turns out to be in an exemplary tale of family horror.

8. Frogs (1972) Director: George McCowan

It's a movie poster that features a frog with a human hand sticking out of its mouth. Why would you not want to watch that movie?

7. House (1986) Director: Steve Miner

The simplicity in the poster for 'House' is that the basic image of a severed hand ringing a doorbell is so well drawn. Seeing the individual nerves, and the shading on the bone is phenomenal. 

6. I Spit on Your Grave (1978) Director: Meir Zarchi

As with most exploitation films, 'I Spit on Your Grave'  has a very eye-grabbing poster. With text exploding off the page to grab the viewer you're left with the brutal imagery of a woman yielding a knife who has obviously been through some shit. 

5. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Director: Jack Arnold

While more people tend to think of 'Frankenstein' or 'Dracula' as the more famous Universal Monsters, there's something about the Gillman. The poster is amazingly drawn, giving movement to Julia Adams' hair, and the oncoming rescue attempt by our films heroes. 

4.  Happy Birthday to Me (1981) Director: J. Lee Thompson

One of the best Slasher posters of all time. Captures the silliness of the film while the text makes you want to see how "bizarre" these murders really will be.

3.  Jaws (1975) Director: Steven Spielberg

One of the most iconic posters of all time. The speed of the shark approaching the swimmer already adds fear just looking at the poster. A great representation of the film.

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) Director: Tobe Hooper

You have to applaud Tobe Hooper and his crew for this hysterical duplication of the iconic 'Breakfast Club' pose. 

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) Director: Chuck Russell

Not only is 'Dream Warriors' my favorite installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, it also happens to be my favorite poster of all time. From the colors to the setting to the imagery, I honestly don't think you can get much better than this. 

There are hundreds of other great posters out there, and these are only a select few. As always thanks for reading, and please check out The Trash Pile TV show airing on blogTV every Tuesday at 10:00pm

Prayer of the Rollerboys (1990)

Post-apocalyptic movies offer the chance for a writer to really differentiate themselves from other films on the market. Your film can be immediately after shit hits the fan, or you can have it be a few years later when society has fallen into turmoil. My personal favorite film in this genre is John Carpenter's classic 'Escape from New York'. It's one of the director's best works, and solidified Kurt Russell as one bad ass action hero.

The star power that was Corey Haim was dropping faster than living Beatle members, but that didn't stop him from continuing to work. 'Prayer of the Rollerboys' was a film that I found in a local flea market for $2.00. I had never heard of the film before, but shit, look at that cover. A flying V of white trench coat wearing gang members, and starring Corey Haim? Sold.

In a not too distant future America is in debt to many foreign countries, and has been invaded and taken over. The poor and homeless are forced into camps, and the rest scrape by to live and eat. Griffin (Corey Haim) has moved from somewhere back to California with his little brother Miltie. Griffin makes his living by delivering pizzas, but one night destroys the delivery van while freeing a person locked inside a burning house. Turns out that the person was a member of the notorious Rollerboys, a racist gang who distributes the terrifying drug, Mist.

While rollerblading in a garage the Rollerboys come visit Griffin and Miltie. Turns out that the gang leader Gary Lee (Christopher Collet) used to be neighbors with Griffin until their parents were taken away, and put into camps. Now Gary runs the most violent gang on the west coast, and is looking to recruit Griffin up into his gang. The Rollerboys are planning something called "The Day of the Rope" and the cops want to figure out what is going on. Griffin gets roped (hah) into being an undercover agent to discover what is going on with "The Day of the Rope", and stop the Rollerboys once and for all.

I can't believe that I hadn't seen this movie when I was younger. This is the exact type of movie you would find on HBO, Cinemax or Showtime after midnight. Where to start with 'Prayer of the Rollerboys'? Well, the look of the film is halfway decent for a film of its type with desolate gray skies, and the city destroyed. While watching the film for a second time I noted how I felt like I had seen the plot in other movies. Griffin bargains the safety of his brother to become an undercover Rollerboy, and Patricia Arquette is there to be the other set of undercover eyes. Been there, done that. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but come on, give me something new.

The film isn't really anything special, but it does have some fun moments. Christopher Collet is a pretty good villain, but it's weird to see him as any other character than Paul in 'Sleepaway Camp'. The film looks more expensive than it probably should with impressive cast of extras, and good location shooting. The real downsides of the film are that of the supporting cast. There is only one member of the Rollerboys (besides Christopher Collet) that is a halfway decent actor, and that's Mark Pellegrino of 'Lost' and 'Supernatural'. Every other actor is there to pad or eat the scenery. Then there's the music, which is generic synth drums with distorted guitar chords over it. Think 'Lethal Weapon', but shittier and by Godsmack. So, just shittier I guess.

'Prayer of the Rollerboys' is not going to be remembered for showing Haim's remarkable acting ability, but it's an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic genre. It's interesting to see how the premise of this film relates to some similar trends in our times. The country being in debt, and subsequently being purchased by foreign countries is starting to sound more true. I really hope that this isn't what we're in for though because I sure as fuck can't rollerblade.

'Prayer of the Rollerboys' is available on DVD from United American Video, and VHS from Academy Pictures.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Trash Bags

Prayer Of The Rollerboys (Home Video Trailer) by NakedBrotha2007

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The Abomination (1986)

One of the best/worst things to come out of the VHS boom of the 1980's was the advent of movies Shot on Video (SOV). Independent filmmakers with access to a camcorder would churn out all sorts of genre fare that studios wouldn't produce. It's pretty shitty when you think about it, but you have to go out on your own if you want to make your film. The sad universal truth is that most studios wouldn't touch these movies "with a ten meter cattle prod", to quote Ray Stantz.

SOV Horror movies might be god awful, but that's not to say there isn't a charm to them. While the script and direction are often deplorable, the cinema style of Ed Wood comes to mind. Believing in your story, regardless of what little talent you have. Such is the case with the film 'The Abomination'. I had been exposed to SOV movies for some time now as I had viewed 'Redneck Zombies' and 'Dead Next Door' many times in my youth, but this was a title that hadn't come across my radar. Then I saw copies of the VHS selling on eBay for around or over $100, and wanted to know why the hell this movie was so sought after? Was it some sort of lost gem of the SOV horror genre? Then I got a DVD-r at a Horror convention. Then I found out why they named it.

The film starts out showing all the violent moments that you're going to witness during the opening credits. I guess this was so that we wouldn't have to sit through this awful film. After about 4 minutes of repeated scenes we are thrown into the world of Cody Lee, who is having a lot of problems with his mother. Apparently the doctors say she has a tumor in her lung, and it is inoperable, but she hasn't given up hope. She turns to Brother Frogg, a televangelist who promises to heal those who send in their social security checks. After she places her hand on the TV set during a prayer, she violently coughs up a bloody chunk the size of a biscuit. Saying hallelujah she throws the disgusting heap in the trash, but only to have it grow in size.

Cody comes home after driving around with his friends, for what appears to be 5 hours and goes to bed. The tumor then springs to life, and climbs its way into Cody's sleeping mouth. Cody then starts feeling strange, and discovers that the tumor is some type of monster who devours humans whole. As the tumor starts to multiply Cody must feed the beasts, and let the abomination take over the world!

The one thing that you have to really admire about these independent productions is that they have original stories. That tends to be the only thing to really admire as the acting, direction, script and almost everything else is offensive. It sounds like that they couldn't record any audio while they were filming, so they decided to record the audio in someone's shower. It's louder than a Manowar concert, and the mix is just terrible. It's this that really makes the dialogue hysterical. No actor, a term I use loosely, could act their way out of a paper bag, let alone carry a film. Then, there is the notion that Cody is talking to a psychiatrist at some point during the film, but then it's never revealed who he's talking to, if anyone. Then there is a 4-minute run time of a biblical quote about the abomination. It starts to really cause a migraine after the first minute.

For those of us who just want to see the gore in the movie, well, I'd honestly say find a way to watch the film for that alone. The effects are memorable in their creativity, but overall the film is a fucking shit show. Running all over the place in terms of pacing, acting and direction. The editing choices are mind boggling, but if you're in the mood for one awful fucking movie, then seek out 'The Abomination'.

'The Abomination' is available on VHS from Donna Michelle Productions, but good fucking luck trying to find it. eBay is the best option, but, like I said you're going to have to pay for it. It's best to find a site that distributes DVD-r versions of OOP movies, and shell out $10 instead of $100. Even then, it's probably not worth it unless you're dying to see it.

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Slugs (1988)

If there's one thing to learn from Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' it's that producers love to steal ideas. The amount of giant killer animal, and nature takes revenge films that came out after the summer of '75 is absurd. There are some stellar examples of films that understood what their "stories" were, and tried to make the best of it.

As is the case with any sub-genre you're often left with more bad than good. For every 'Orca' there's 'Up From the Depths' and 'Claws'. For every 'Birds' there's 'Frogs' and 'Day of the Animal'. It's a viscous shit cycle, but man do I love me some shitty movies. If you're thinking that the movie 'Slugs' can't really be about giant killer slugs, well, you're right. These are just your ordinary garden slugs, but with one exception; they crave human flesh!

In a small town, like every other horror film, a couple goes out on a boat in the middle of a lake. Suddenly the boy gets pulled into the water by an unseen force. The girl laughs as she thinks it's a prank, but little does she know that her boyfriend is being devoured alive by toxic slugs! She screams as a blood pool floats to the surface.

Town Health Inspector Mike Brady is apparently also the town sheriff, as he goes out to every emergency situation in the entire town. People are dying left and right all in bizarre fashion, and there are always slimy slugs at the scene. Mike takes a live slug to his friend, who happens to be a chemist, or biologist type scientist. Apparently these slugs have been feeding off of toxic chemicals and now have developed an insatiable taste for warm flesh! I could go on, but I highly doubt a movie about killer, man-eating slugs needs much of a plot.

Like many other films on this website, this was a VHS cover I had seen in every video store in the early '90s. I mean shit, look at that cover. That guy has had the rest of him devoured by slugs, and he's still screaming as they devour the rest of his face. That has "Rent Me" plastered all over it. The first time I got around to seeing this film I was shocked to find out that it was a Spanish/American production, and with that, some hysterical dubbing. The acting in this film, regardless of the performer's nationality, is bottom of the barrel. Some real cringe inducing dialogue allows for some real unintentional hilarity.

If you've seen director Juan Piquer's 'Pieces', then you should know the gore factor is at 11. The situations where the characters die are fucking priceless. There's a couple having sex, and then the girl falls off the bed to be eaten alive by the titular slugs. Then the guy falls to his death. We also see a guy whose digested some slug to have a collection of blood worms spew from his eyes while his face melts off. It's one of those times you know if they remade this film that all these effects would be CGI, and that makes me a sad panda. The highlight of the film though is when Mike has to kill all of the slugs, and blows them up in the methane filled sewer beneath the city. Then the town proceeds to blow up killing dozens of unnamed citizens in the explosion.

'Slugs' is one of the pinnacles of bad movies. The dialogue, acting and premise are fucking awful. I mean seriously? Killer slugs? However, if you're like me you live for these ridiculous violent horror movies you'll probably find a lot to enjoy in 'Slugs'.

'Slugs' available on DVD from Image Entertainment.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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C.H.U.D. (1984)

I've only been to New York City once in my life , but if movies have taught me anything it's that NYC is far and away the most dangerous city in the world. Monster and alien attacks, terrorists, serial killers. To quote The Ramones, "New York City really has it all."

If such hideous events unfold on the surface of the Big Apple, then what terrors lay beneath the asphalt? 'C.H.U.D.' is a film that gets better with each viewing. While it's not the most gorgeous looking film, or even the most well constructed it features a solid cast, and reaches into the fear of genetic mutation.

A woman walks her dog down a dark street at night. Right off the bat you know something is going to go wrong. While walking past a manhole she drops her purse, and BAM! A monster claw comes out of the sewer to drag her and the little dog to the hell below.

George Cooper (John Heard; aka the dad from 'Home Alone') is a former fashion photographer in New York who happens to also live with his beautiful model girlfriend, Lauren Daniels (Kim Greist). George has grown tired of the fashion world, and has started writing his own articles; one about a society of homeless living under the streets. The award goes onto heavy acclaim, and George gets constant pressure from his agent for new material. George tells him to fuck off.

Captain Bosch (Christopher Curry) leads a precinct in New York City where a large number of missing persons have been reported. One of these reports comes from A.J. "The Reverend" Shepherd (Daniel Stern; aka Marv from 'Home Alone'), who runs the local homeless shelter. Apparently a lot of the "under-grounders" have not been showing up as of late. Then A.J. drops the bomb.

A test done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been going on down in the sewers; stirring up his customers. It normally runs 2 weeks, but A.J. says it's been going on for 4, and still going on. That's when A.J. shows Bosch some "lost" equipment from the tests; a work boot and a Geiger Counter. Bosch and A.J. travel down to the spot in the sewer where A.J. found the equipment. They happen to turn on the Geiger Counter, and that's when the thing goes off the charts. Then a monstrous roar is heard. It's the C.H.U.D.'s!

So, dedicated reader, I bet you're asking yourself "Hey, Chris? What in the world does C.H.U.D. stand for anyways?" Well, it just so happens that the acronym has two meanings! The first, which is what the movie means is 'Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.' However, turns out the government has been dumping chemicals under the city for years; 'Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal.'

Being a monster movie the costumes are pretty outlandish with glowing eyes, slimy razor claws and necks that get erections! Apparently this wasn't the original design, which was supposed to be much more zombie like. I enjoy the design as it sets the film apart from other movies of the time. With that, the film features some fantastic gore effects from the creature mayhem. Decapitations, disemboweling, limbs severed. Fun for the whole family!

The dialogue and acting are both fantastic. Actors Christopher Curry and Daniel Stern took a turn at re-writing the script and really fleshed out the story. This is a Monster/Sci-Fi movie after all, so obviously my using of the phrase "fantastic" is up to reader discretion. The supporting cast is full of actors you've seen in many other places, and with bigger roles. The best supporting role in the film is that of John Goodman playing a cop who gets slaughtered in a diner. Side note; all three leads have played roles in the 'Home Alone' franchise. John Heard and Daniel Stern in parts 1 and 2, and Christopher Curry in Part 3. 'C.H.U.D.' starts futures people.

'C.H.U.D', to me, is like a fine wine that you have a rather large bottle of. You enjoy it every now and then, appreciating how well aspects of it have aged. For the first time I watched the film with the commentary featuring Daniel Stern, John Heard, Christopher Curry, Director Douglas Cheek and Writer Shepard Abbott. Easily one of the best commentaries you'll find on a movie, it features a cast and crew who are also friends. It's insightful, but it's also fucking hysterical.

'C.H.U.D.' is a B-Movie masterpiece with an original story, a wonderful cast and brutal special effects. With actual locations, and detailed sets that allow the film to offer a real world feel. It is currently available on DVD from Anchor Bay.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

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Curse of the Blue Lights (1988)

One of the main goals of starting this blog was to put films, however horrible they may be, in front of new viewers. A lot of the films I enjoy are fucking awful, but it's nice to finally explain why I find entertainment in such shitty productions. Although I might find some macabre enjoyment out of almost any film, it doesn't mean I like everything.

'Curse of the Blue Lights' was a film I had only read about through DVD-R distributor Stumpy Disks. The title interested me in the thought of promising zombies, ghouls, monsters, and presumably some type of sword fight. I found this tape while I was digging through a vendor at a local flea market. Along with about a dozen or so other tapes I ventured home having, what I at least hoped to be, a new Cult film to love. This was like taking home a diseased puppy.

The film starts in the town of Dudley, where a farmer is harvesting wheat. Seeing something in the distance the farmer exits the tractor, and finds a rotting animal in the middle of the field. Suddenly, a nearby scarecrow springs to life and starts attacking the man; then starts spewing what looks to be creamed corn. The battle drags on between the animated scarecrow, and the elderly farmer. And it keeps going. After about two minutes of the farmer struggling on the ground the scarecrow lifts a shovel, and slams into the face. Or abdomen, it's off-screen so we just have to assume it was brutal; even with the "Original Uncensored Version" plastered on the cover.

At the Dudley High School, Paul and Ken wait to pick up Ken's girlfriend, Sandy. Paul's license plate is 1M2CUL. Ugh. It's Friday, and the group are trying to figure out what to do tonight. Apparently Paul and his quasi-girlfriend Alice aren't moving as fast as he'd like as they only neck. Apparently the film is set in the '50s. Most people tend to go to Blue Lights which is like the lover's lane, but wait. If the movie is called 'Curse of the Blue Lights', and they're going to Blue Lights? Oh. My. God. Apparently the Blue Lights are the ghosts of dead passengers, or some other supernatural phenomena. No one knows anything in this fucking movie.

While driving over their lines, the gang heads to Blue Lights describing the history of the area. Apparently some train conductor hung the wrong colored light, and was "creamed" by a train. The dialogue is very Scooby-Doo. Suddenly out of fucking nowhere a horse drawn carriage crosses the road, and stops the gang dead in their tracks. The carriage houses the diabolical Loath. Loath (who looks strangely like Dr. Caligari) is searching the area of Dudley for a creature that will bring the dark ages back to mankind. Loathe sends his ghouls (the credits listed them as "The Ghouls", so you know they're stage caliber actors) to look for what is known as The Muldoon Man. And no, it's not the bad-ass guy from 'Jurassic Park'.

Back at the Blue Lights, everything is getting hot and heavy until the school rich kid, Max, shows up in his classic muscle car. In what was sure to be the best drag race since 'Grease' the group is distracted by the Blue Lights, which are now over on the other side of the river. While searching the riverbed the gang discovers The Muldoon Man buried in the dirt, and learn that the dreaded Loathe needs the flesh and blood of the living to resurrect the beast. Looks like the gang has a real mystery on their hands.

That's what I love and hate about VHS covers. The covers look fucking awesome; showcasing the best scenes to reel you in. Then you watch the piece of shit, and need to cleanse the pallet with bleach. 'Curse of the Blue Lights' was written, edited, shot and directed by John Henry Johnson, who has three films under his belt, and I'm sure they're just as bad as this. I've heard that this film has H.P. Lovecraft influence, and I can see it. I just wish the writing wasn't a rip-off of a rejected Scooby-Doo Script. It's obvious that Johnson used whoever he could find not giving a shit about the quality of acting, just to read their lines. Oh, and then there is the witch who is credited as "The Witch". She's like if Yoda fucked Bela Lugosi, and had a super obnoxious baby.

If the acting and script were better, then this would have been a halfway decent movie. The story is an interesting one with the resurrection of an ancient God-like beast, who brings the death of mankind. Loathe and his band of ghouls collect the teens, and feed them to the beast by melting them with lye. The setup of a lover's lane type of location is typical, but if done correctly could lead to good satire. Yeah, not so much here.

While the acting is dreadful, and the story just 'eh' I bet you're wondering about the special effects. We'll, they're just average from the creative team involved. Mark Sisson was behind two of the lesser 'Nightmare on Elm Street' sequels; 'Dream Master' and 'Dream Child'. Though while the special effects in those films are pretty good, here we just get your run of the mill zombie make-up, and the aforementioned melting of bodies. The film just doesn't really pack the punch of the "Original Uncensored Version" that the box would imply.

'Curse of the Blue Lights' means well, and in spots shows some shimmer of a good concept, but stale and dated dialogue along with some of the worst acting I've ever seen damage the film far too much to even be remotely worth recommending.

*EDIT* After long thoughts on this movie, I have decreed this the worst movie I have ever seen. I have changed the rating to 0 because Curse of the Blue Lights is painful. Beyond painful.

'Curse of the Blue Lights' is available on VHS from Magnum Home Entertainment, but is out of print. Copies range from $5 to $12.

Rating: 0 out of 5 Trash Bags

There is no known trailer for 'Curse of the Blue Lights', so just imagine a group of teens sneaking around a cemetery looking for clues.

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Galaxy of Terror (1981)

The blending of Science-Fiction and Horror is one of my favorite genres in film. Often times the results are horrendous, but the films have a charm about them. The way the cast interacts with the special effects, the way the director uses his crew to get the most atmosphere out of a shot. There are times when the films work fantastically; 'The Thing' (1982), 'Event Horizon'(1997), 'The Blob' (1988), and of course 'Alien' (1979) have proven to be very well executed genre films.

The movies mentioned above though have a thread in common; budgets. They can pull off fantastic effects which will dazzle the audience. Low budget features, like those from Roger Corman, try a little bit harder to get your video dollars. 'Galaxy of Terror' was a film I've only heard bits and pieces of over the years. I knew it had a decent cast, and the infamous worm scene was well discussed, but other than that the film was foreign to me.

The film opens with on a blue planet, with blue lettering for the credits. You can't read who's in it without glasses, so you know that it's not the most important. Some random person is killed by an unseen force aboard what is apparently a spaceship. It all happens so randomly and quickly it's hard to gauge what's going on. We're then thrust into what is apparently a Galactic conference of some sort with a witch, and some guy whose head looks like a lava lamp. Lava Lamp Head is apparently known as the Planet Master and rules over the fates of those in the Galaxy. Apparently he requests a team sent to the blue planet, Morganthus.

A team including Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), Captain Spalding (Sid Haig), and other body-bags enter the spaceship blasting off to the planet Morganthus. Their mission is the look for any survivors of a previous excursion, but there seems to be some devious characters aboard the vessel. The Commander is a little old for a field mission, and there's a cook. Apparently, machines normally make the food on spaceships, so a human doing it is tipping some of the crew towards interference from a government figure.

The crew is pulled down to the planet by an unknown force. Once the team lands a party is sent out to look for the missing crew members. On the crashed ship the crew finds that the missing parties are horribly butchered. Apparently when bodies of dead people are found in this future they're destroyed with a blaster because every body except one explodes when shot. A crew member lags behind after samples are collected, and soon has his head ripped back by some sort of cricket looking thing. From here the crew investigates the barren planet, but it appears that Morganthus is hiding more below it's surface.

The basic premise of 'Galaxy of Terror' is that your fears become real, and can kill you. Apparently the planet is some sort of testing ground for a new Planet Master. I really doubt I spoiled this film for you with that, but I felt that you should know exactly what's going on because even at the end of the film it's still kind of unclear. The film was beyond entertaining, and was filled with memorable moments. There's a scene where a man's severed arm throws a blade to kill him; a scene where a mammoth worm rapes and kills a woman, and not one but TWO Robert Englunds for your dollar.

The acting is what you tend to get from a late '70s, early '80s Roger Corman fare. It's cheesy, but there are actors who really like their material. Sid Haig ('House of 1,000 Corpses') asked to have almost all of his lines removed, and played the role mute except for one line. Robert Englund is just as awesome as ever, but his character's fate is never resolved; he just sort of stops being discussed about 15-minutes from the end. Then there is the always fantastic Ray Walston who most will recognize as the strict Mr. Hand from 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High'.

The look of the film is like most 'Alien' clones, but to be honest that works for me. It's all about how you film the corridor scenes to build the atmosphere. You need to feel trapped along with the characters to really showcase the fear, and thankfully the scenes here are filled with dread. Then there is the fact that a young James Cameron worked on 'Galaxy of Terror' as Production Designer and Second Unit Director. It seems that the suits were so impressed with his knack for low-cost solutions that it helped his career to what we know today.

The negative aspects of 'Galaxy of Terror' involve the fact that you're never really sure what the fuck is going on, and then the ending just sort of happens. It really takes the awesome down a huge amount as you're left scratching your head bloody and raw. There are a lot of 'Alien' clones on the market, but I found 'Galaxy of Terror' to be pretty well executed for a low-budget feature. The actors seem to enjoy their roles, and the set design and effects bring the film above your typical cheap cult films.

'Galaxy of Terror' is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray from the Shout! Factory.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

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