Couch Cutter

Get Back in the Trailer: “Rawhead Rex” (1986)

Mr. Anon — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:00:51 +0000

Oh, Ireland. The beautiful landscapes, the alcoholism, the 10-foot tall rubber monsters that existed before time…

David Does Traumatic Cinematic

David Anthony — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:41:37 +0000

You are almost certainly beside yourself without your bi-weekly dose of the David Does The Internet podcast, but here is something to wet your appetite until we get back on track. The boys at Traumatic Cinematic were kind enough to have me on, and things got… Weird.

“Switchblade Sisters” aka “The Jezebels” (1975)

Matthew Poirier — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:00:27 +0000

I had no idea when I saw this on Watch Instantly that it was another flick from Tarantino’s Rolling Thunder pictures, especially considering my last review for Couch Cutter was Detroit 9000. While it might seem like I’m going through the whole Rolling Thunder catalog, it was actually another auteur, Albert Pyun, that made me seek this one out. His recent effort, Tales of an Ancient Empire, had a Switchblade Sisters feel to it, and I wanted to see what kind of influence this film had on him, and others like him that come from an exploitation background.

Switchblade Sisters follows Lace, the head of a gang of girls known as the Dagger Debs. She’s in love with Dominic, the head of the Silver Daggers, one of the toughest gangs in town. Enter Maggie, a tough chick herself, who befriends Lace, but attracts Dominic, creating a depraved love triangle that threatens to bring both gangs down.

I thought this was a pretty hot flick, especially with the chicks in tight pants or skirts and big boots. It was violent, bloody, and depraved, all the things you want from an exploitation flick. It wasn’t the kind of female empowerment vehicle though that you could trace a lineage from down to the protagonists in the films of people like Pyun. Even when this features women in positions of power, it still has the feel that it’s in an exploitation sense and that it’s meant for men, like a women in prison flick– or maybe the better metaphor is a savage women in the jungle type flick from the 50s and 60s.

The one thing that keeps me from giving this a higher rating is the scene where Dominic forces himself on Maggie, and then she falls in love with him after, because I think that says some really irresponsible and disturbing things about rape in our society; and I’d keep that scene in mind if you’re planning on watching this with some friends, in case some of them will be turned off– I don’t want you to have an awkward movie night. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid exploitation flick, and worth checking out.

★★★☆☆

“DEAR GOD NO!” Signs Intenational Distro Deal with Archstone

David Anthony — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:59:27 +0000

Finally, one of the best films produced in 2011 has announced a distribution deal!

Hailed as One of the Five Best Films of 2011 by CouchCutter.com, SonOfCelluloid.com, BrutalasHell.com and HorrorPhillia.com, instant grindhouse classic Dear God No!, www.deargodnomovie.com, will soon be hitting the Berlin and Cannes film markets. Big World Pictures has signed with Archstone Distribution’s (Machete, The Human Centipede, The Human Centipede 2) Tombstone Distribution label for international distribution of the independent feature-length film. Tombstone is dedicated to delivering action, horror and thriller films with a unique edge to fans around the world.

“Add this to your blood bucket list,” says Brady Bowen, president, Archstone Distribution. “’Dear God No!’ takes aim and shoots all other movies in the face.”

“It’s amazing to have a distribution partner that’s as excited by exploitation cinema as we are,” notes James Bickert, the film’s writer, producer and director. “The cast and crew, we are all extremely proud of what we’ve created.”
Shot on Super 16MM film, using equipment from the era, Dear God No! is a fast paced biker/horror Southern style drive-in film that, “when it comes to grindhouse, is the closest thing to the real thing this century,” according to CouchCutter.com. An authentic throwback to 70’s exploitation films, Dear God No! follows outlaw motorcycle gang The Impalers through a murder spree that ends in a home invasion gone terribly wrong when they attack two graduate students, a disgraced Anthropologist and his teenage daughter. A demonic creature in the woods, a deadly secret in the basement, rivers of blood and abundant nudity add to the surprises that are sure to thrill genre fans.

“I wanted to incorporate all the technical aesthetics and wonderfully sleazy elements from this era to make the film as authentic as possible, without the computer gimmicks and revenge storylines of recent grindhouse attempts,” Bickert adds. “This isn’t a quick cash-in or a self-aware homage. We’re fans of the genre who wanted to make something as unique and exciting as finding a lost film in a VHS discount bin back in the day. Dear God No! is the kind of entertainment that plays fast and loose like the Crown International & New World Pictures trailers that continue to inspire me.”

The film has received rave reviews from grindhouse and horror enthusiasts as well as festival honors that include:
· Winner Best Exploitation Film – Arizona Underground Film Festival 2011, Tucson, Ariz.
· Winner Best Exploitation Film – Pollygrind 2011, Las Vegas, Nev.
· Winner Audience Award Best Feature Film – Pollygrind 2011, Las Vegas, Nev.
· Winner Audience Award Best Feature Film – Corpsedance International Horror Film Festival 2011, Raleigh, N.C.
· Winner Audience Award Best Feature Film – Zinema Zombiefest 2011, Bogota, Colombia

Woo! Now we simply wait on pins and needles for an American distributor to be announced…

It’s So Bad: Professor Snape Sings Karaoke

David Anthony — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:44 +0000

I actually shot this one myself. It was a late night at Dragon*Con 2011 and we needed to grab a bite. We walk into a downtown Atlanta Karaoke Bar and who do we see? None other than Professor Snape wailing the lyrics to the Simple Minds 80′s hit, “Don’t You Forget About Me”…

You’re welcome.

Get Back in the Trailer: “Staying Alive” (1983)

David Anthony — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:00:06 +0000

This seldom-acknowledged sequel to “Saturday Night Fever” was directed by Sylvester Stallone. So, as one would imagine it plays out like a ROCKY sequel, complete with epic montages and oily muscles. This is seriously the best dance movie ever made.

Listen to that cock rockin’ soundtrack and tell me I’m wrong…

Download the “Deadgirl 2″ Screenplay

David Anthony — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:00:57 +0000

Fans of “Deadgirl” rejoice! Well… sort of. Despite there being almost zero chance that the film ever gets made, screenwriter Trent Haaga has released the screenplay for “Deadgirl 2″! That’s some consolation, right?

As he stated on this weeks David Does The Internet podcast, Trent has no expectation of a sequel getting made, but he wanted to share what the film could be with the fans. So go download it at TrentHaaga.com and see what he had in store for you…

“Destroy All Monsters” (Blu-Ray)

David Anthony — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:00:59 +0000

I don’t typically do these blu-ray reviews, where the quality of the release is on trial more than the film itself. But, being that we are in the 21st century, I felt it was time we give it a go.

“Destroy All Monsters” is the mother of classic Godzilla films and Media Blasters have given it the royal treatment as far as transfers go. If you are not familiar with this somewhat rare gem, this one stars nearly all of the classic kaiju monsters. Rodan, Mothra, Godzilla, Minya, King Ghidora, Baragon, Gorosaurus, and many more of our favorite and obscure city-wreckers show up to wreak a little havoc.

As a kid, I felt this film dropped the ball with so many monsters and not enough destruction. But as an adult, I found there was a lot more monster action than I remembered. Definitely deserving to be among the top 5 Godzilla flicks of all time.

But on to the release. As stated above, the transfer is magnificent. The color is vibrant, the film grain is still intact, and it is quite likely that this is the best release of this film that we will ever see. There are three audio tracks to choose from: The original Japanese, International dubbed, and the (universally panned) English dub.

Even after seeing the film a thousand times, seeing it like this was like watching it for the first time. I highly suggest this purchase for any Godzilla or kaiju buff.

★★★★¼

Logan Meyers Unleashes “The Bear”

David Anthony — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:00:42 +0000

The director of MONDO SEXXXX has blessed the world with another short film. This time about wrestling!

Now, if you’re feeling inspired to go out and make your own wrestling movie, be warned… It’s not as easy as it looks.

Check out the ups and downs Logan faced during the production of “The Bear” in his own words: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?266577-Rednecks-Concussions-wrestlers-pokemon-and-half-of-a-film.&p=2468488#post2468488

Podcast: David Does The Internet with Trent Haaga

David Anthony — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:37 +0000

Ep.4 - Trent Haaga: Deadgirl writer, CHOP Director, and Cult Movie Icon

Since starting out his career at Troma, Trent Haaga has done it all. He has been involved in over 40 feature-length films, written the cult classic “DEADGIRL”, and directed the critically acclaimed dark horror-comedy, “CHOP”. Now Trent joins David, sinking to what is unquestionably the lowest point in his career to talk about his work, how certain Hollywood remakes simply don’t make fiscal sense, and the finer points of A SERBIAN FILM.