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

Popcorn IMDB

Popcorn Amazon

Popcorn Wiki

Episode 05 - Shreck/The Great Alligator

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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.

Episode 04 - 3:15 (1986)

 

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Episode 03 - Sword of Heaven (1985)

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Episode 02 - Long Weekend (1978)

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Episode 01 - Splatter... Architects of Fear (1986)

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Slasher // Video

Trash Pile Picking Tips

I started collecting VHS when I was 6 years old, and while the collecting market booms on internet forums and eBay, I still get a few questions from collectors new to the field. While most pickers may not share their tips, I feel the more the merrier. It increases exposure of the medium, and keeps the format alive. Over the few years that I've been hunting throughout New England I've found a few couple tips that I've wanted to pass on to new collectors, and maybe some tips for those who have been hunting for awhile!

1. General politeness can lead to a better haul:

It seems like a 'duh' thing, but saying things like "please" and "thank you" shows a considerable amount of character, especially with older vendors. Manners show a level of respect that can break down most walls of communication (i.e. negotiating), and can sometimes bring about our next tip.

2. Always ask if they have more, know other collectors or other stores around:

There's been many times I've found a thrift store or Craigslist posting that was a bit of a drive away, and returned empty handed. To try and get the best out of your hunt that day strike up a conversation with the vendor, person, whomever and start asking questions about the area, or maybe how long they've had the tapes. From there they may know more stores, or other collectors who may know and so on.

3. Research:

Going back 20 years ago there was a Mom & Pop video store in every town, sometimes two. Now you'd be hard pressed to find an open one, let alone one that still rents VHS. I've found the best area to start your hunt is around vacation destinations, for instance: In New Hampshire I hunt around ski resorts and the Winnipesaukee region. While you may only find one or two active VHS rental facilities, most stores have sold their stock off to the public.

From there, most VHS will end up at your local Savers, Goodwill or Thrift Store. Then it's off to find nearby flea markets and yard sales. You won't strike gold every time, but this will lead in a good direction.

4. Always be prepared:

While you may never know how many items you could be going home with, it's best to prepare appropriately. Always carry extra tote bags in your car. Whether it's a cheap tote from your local grocer, or one of these Tom Bihn bags like I keep in my car. You never know if a vendor will be out of bags, so it's good to keep extras around.

A bag may not be the only thing you'll need. I keep a notebook in my car to jot down any notes about a particular trip, or if I need to pass my number out for future picks. Having a couple pens and a notebook handy can avoid headaches down the road.

As always be loaded up on:

1. Water
2. Protein snack (jerky, nuts, bar, etc.)
3. CA$H (Plenty of ones, but don't skimp on $5, $10 bills and quarters too)
4. Change of clothes (You may not need it, but not every picking location is Howard Hughes clean.)

5. Clean up after yourself:

Lastly, the most important tip I can give is to clean up after yourself. By that, I mean if you walk into a shop/flea/etc., don't leave the section worse than when you started. Not only does this create more work for the employees, it's also a headache for any other pickers that may happen through your stop.

There has been many trips that have been cut short due to other pickers leaving a mess of the store.

We're not all out there trying to find the rarest of the rare, but when going hunting remember that there are other collectors like you. There's no reason to complicate it for others, so be respectful of not only fellow pickers but the shop owners as well.

Boys Behind Bars (2013)

It's been awhile since I've posted, and to be honest, it's something that has been on my mind. Whether I find a film good or not is irrelevant at the end of the day. As a reviewer I share my biased opinion, and you as the reader choose to accept or deny my statements. Perhaps you've read other reviews of mine, and enjoyed what I've had to say. If so, I thank you. I also appreciate when independent artists submit their material for me to watch.

As is the case with Boys Behind Bars, a shoe-budget pseudo-exploitation film from the U.K. I have a good amount of respect for anyone who can successfully complete, edit and distribute their film. I tried the "complete the film" part and that failed miserably, so to see anyone that has made it through the process impresses me. Now if I enjoy the film is another story.

Boys Behind Bars takes place in the cell of inmate Darrell in an undisclosed jail. We're introduced to Darrell as he's taking a shit into a plastic container, from which he claims a condom containing cocaine. As the scumbag is emptied an alarm sounds in which Darrell finds himself tucking his shit box under his cot. Another inmate by the name of Seth is thrown into Darrell's cell as apparently a riot, or something, has happened on a higher floor. The two come from completely different backgrounds, as Seth yearns to run out his jail time and Darrell has become accustomed to prison life. As the unseen riot progresses on the floors above, another inmate, Lanks, is thrown into the mix. As the three young men converse amongst themselves the alarm sounds a third time, and the fresh fish Nico is thrown into the cell as well. From there tensions and egos come to a head.

I said pseudo-exploitation earlier, and I mean that. That's not a shot on what director Jason Impey has done with Boys Behind Bars, but the movie is far more a character study than a real exploitation film. While the concept of taking the "Women in Prison" plot and changing gender is a very welcome, but I feel that confining the film to one location hindered the strength the story could of had. While the riot may not have been anything more than the catalyst to bring these four characters together, a little more impending doom would have highlighted the tension.

The characters are the same incantations we've seen before in your classic "Women in Prison" films like Vendetta or Red Heat. There is the a-typical leader of the group, the muscle, the person biding their time and the fresh fish. I wasn't expecting anything different, but my issue with the film comes in only the actor of Gavin Jackson, who played Lanks. Not until the near end of the film I didn't really buy any of his performance, and wasn't until he became violent that the role lifted. Again, not bad by any means, but it seems that the actor really didn't come into his own until later in the process.

Speaking of process, it seems that Boys Behind Bars was filmed within a 6-hour period, so most of my criticism has to be taken in stride. Given the limited time frame what was accomplished, Boys Behind Bars is rather strong, but it feels as if more time should have been spent with the actors to solidify their characters. Wade Radford (who also came up with the idea behind the film) really felt like he knew how to portray Darrel, and as the focal point of the film it helped that Wade's performance was as strong as it was.

Boys Behind Bars may not be something to radically change any genres, but even a few days after watching it the film has stayed with me. What director Jason Impey finished in 6-hours, with the help of a limited cast and crew, shows that anyone can make a movie, even with limited resources.

Boys Behind Bars is on DVD via Amazon. 

Rating: 3 out of 5 Trash Bags