Talk about an intense look!

This is the month to celebrate horror films – the classics as well as the obscure…so, for those of you eager to try new things, here’s one for 70′s horror buffs to enjoy, with some amazing extras as well…

A Banned Classic Returns!

Kudos to the folks at Severin Films…they are on a mission to rescue neglected exploitation films of the 70′s & 80′s, and they’ve done a fantastic job with this one! In addition, they have included, for a short time only, a really terrific documentary as well! More on that in a moment, but for now, time to head up “Straw Hill.”

Here’s how Severin describes their new release: “Banned in Britain for thirty years, ‘The House on Straw Hill’ is a shockingly violent and erotic tale of seduction, brutality and revenge!”

Cult movie icon Udo Kier stars as a successful novelist suffering from writer’s block, who rents a country cottage in the hope of finding inspiration.

But the arrival of a sensual secretary, played by Linda Hayden (Blood on Satan’s Claw, Taste the Blood of Dracula) sets in motion of chain of events that culminate in an unrestrained explosion of sex and savagery.

Severin notes that “House On Straw Hill” was condemned as a Video Nasty in the UK, but is now fully restored from the only uncut elements and is available for the first time in the US with brand new extras!

“Video Nasties!”

The term “video nasty” is well known to movie fans in England. The government would routinely demand cuts to a film or they would ban it outright, and when horror films began showing up on video in the early 80′s, so-called “video nasties” were banned outright.

Severin’s great blu-ray release of “The House On Straw Hill” includes commentary tracks, trailers and a terrific – and surprising – addition as well!

Honestly, Linda!

One of my favorite parts of this release is the nice 15-minute interview with Linda Hayden, in which she discusses several of her memorable movies…and then she says the only film she wishes she had never done was this one!

It was interesting to see some of the other films she made, and the well known stars she worked with, like Christopher Lee, David Niven and Vincent Price.

After this upbeat talk, it comes as a big surprise when Linda trashes “The House On Straw Hill”! But she comes across honest and articulate, and it’s a very interesting conversation. Using the entire interview, including the negative comments about “Straw Hill” was a brave inclusion from the Severin team!

Now, Time For A “Video Nasty!”

The other terrific addition to the blu-ray, for a limited time only, is a two-part documentary about the era of “video nasties” in the UK. Here is how Severin describes it:

The 80s video boom has become a time of sweet nostalgia for movie fans of a certain age but in the UK it was also a time of moral panic perpetuated by ill-informed politicians and a sensationalist media.

‘The Video Nasties’ witch hunts which led to Britain becoming the most highly censored nation in the western world targeted distributors, store owners and a list of horror movies which were prosecuted as obscene and subsequently banned.

David (PLAGUE TOWN, THEATRE BIZARRE) Gregory’s two part documentary from 2006 tells the full shocking story and will receive its first official US release as a Limited Edition bonus DVD in the first 3,000 units of Severin Films’ upcoming release of HOUSE ON STRAW HILL. HOUSE…, known in the UK as EXPOSE, was one of the final 39 condemned Video Nasties and remains banned in its uncut form in the UK to this day.

Congrats to Severin for including this full length documentary! Make sure you buy it now to get yours!

Many outlets in the UK show these banned videos as part of their midnight screenings! Let me know which if your favorite!

Welcome To Seattle!

I grew up in Seattle – which is a beautiful city full of nice people…and yes, it rains a lot, but that’s not the point here:

Behold Seattle’s Northgate Theater!

When I was growing up in Seattle’s north end, there was a single screen movie theater attached to Northgate mall. The Northgate Theater was my home away from home…

The Northgate Theater showed first run films for years, until a renovation of the mall spelled the end to this great movie theater…

One reason I love the internet is that you can find stuff you think is long lost…for example, here is one of the many ads for the theater:

Our Moviegoing Life!

We’ve all had great times at the movies. Here is a wonderful, well behaved youngster enjoying a film…

And then…there was US at the Northgate Theater:

Midnight Madness!

Yes, I went to many movies at the Northgate theater, but it was always chaos when my friends and I headed there for one of their wild midnight movie marathons:

These vintage newspaper ad always promised lots of bloody fun…but rally, the theater was just turning over its auditorium to a lot of young, drunk kids…who would pay to see ANYTHING at that hour of the night…and how do I know? I was there almost every week!

This is an homage to those great nights, when we took over the theater and embraced our youth!

All day long, the theater showed some of the biggest hits of the day, like this one:

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry…”

And then at midnight, we’d take over to see movies that were made to appeal to teenage boys! I mean, look at the ad for this film that offers a funny take on the “Love Story” ad – because it was a decidedly NON-Love Story!

“Love means never having to say you’re ugly.”

The Abominable Dr. Phibes!

Look at these various ads:

And It’s Rated GP!

OK, these campy ads are for the classic horror film starring Vincent Price called “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”…here is the trailer:

Doctors are being murdered in a bizarre manner: bats, bees, killer frog masks, etc., which represent the nine Biblical plagues.

The crimes are orchestrated by a demented organ player with the help of his mute assistant. The detective is stumped until he finds that all of the doctors being killed assisted a Dr. Vesalius on an unsuccessful operation involving the wife of Dr. Phibes, but he couldn’t be the culprit, could he? He was killed in a car crash upon learning of his wife’s death…

This is a camp classic! Vincent Price chews up the scenery, while veteran Actor Joseph Cotton no doubt wishes he could hide on this movie poster!

Great Trivia Thanks To IMDB!

Joseph Cotten would grumble on the set that he had to remember and deliver lines, while Vincent Price’s were all to be post-dubbed. Price responded, “Yes, but I still know them, Joe.” In fact, Price was well-known in Hollywood for his ability to memorize all of the characters’ lines in a given production, not just his own.

At the end of the day, “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” was a big hit and ushered in many more Vincent Price films, like “Dr. Phibes Rises Again” and “Theater Of Blood!”

Great New DVD Set!

Just released on October 22 is a great, 6-film DVD collection of great Vincent Price films, including Dr. Phibes!

You can read all about this collection, which really is terrific, by clicking here!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00DOZNI8Y/dvdtalk

Johnny Depp IS Dr. Phibes!

And news just broke that Johnny Depp and Director Tim Burton are teaming up again – this time to remake “Dr. Phibes!”

So, let’s see if Johnny Depp ends up putting on the Dr. Phibes makeup and turns out looking like THIS!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

“You will be doomed, you will destroy yourself at your own hand!”

OK, calm down everyone, there’s a Hippie holding court! Time to celebrate some of the wildest movies to be unearthed for our enjoyment!

How can you refuse a movie that promises this:

“Machine gun-wielding Mimes, Robots, Bloodthirsty Sharks, and Free-Loving Debauchery!”

Yes indeed! Bring the hippies on!

An American Hippie In Israel!

Talk about an obscure classic! Grindhouse Releasing has done an amazing job rescuing this film from obscurity!

Here’s the plot: “Incited by a disillusioned young man who has decided to flee from civilization, a group of four people go searching for freedom and happiness on an isolated island . When their boat goes astray and they are left without food, their animal instincts take over!”

Check out the trailer:

I Need A Hippie NOW!

This movie is everything I love about obscure cult cinema. How can you go wrong with dialogue like this:

Hippie: “Man, how does it feel to be free at last?”

American Hippie Mike: “Man, I feel really turned on.”

Turned on, indeed!

These hippies love to turn on and then get it on! And then, of course, one of them has a bad trip and has to start pointing fingers…

This Hippie Is LOADED!

This new blu-ray comes with a bonus DVD of the original, uncensored Director’s cut of the film, called “The Hitchhiker” – plus new interviews, deleted scenes, and tons of other bonus features!

According to the review on the terrific website “Mondo Digial”, there is a “four-minute “A Cult Is Born” segment that interviews young Israeli fans at a cinematheque screening, enthusing about their multiple viewings and calling it “love at first sight” with “a strong Kubrick influence.” Apparently they really, really love dancing onstage, strapping on horned hats, and doing improvised songs while the film is playing, too.If Rocky Horror can inspire such dedication, why not this one, too?An Israeli “Channel 10″ segment also devotes ten minutes to the film’s burgeoning midnight movie cult.”

Thanks to Mondo Digital for fleshing out the great extras!

But that’s just the beginning of this mind-blowing mayhem! Grindhouse Releasing also has this gem:

Cat In The Brain!

A horror film director is stalked by a mad psychiatrist/serial killer bent on killing people to model the killings after the director’s gory death scenes from his movies. Many events in the film are based on Lucio Fulci’s experiences as a filmmaker! Check out the trailer:

Here is some trivia for you:

The original script was 49 pages long and contained no dialogue. It consisted of descriptions of bodily mutilations/imagery and sound effects that would compliment them on screen! Fulci was literally sharing his favorite death scenes from his films!

Juxtaposing gory horror clips from several of his own past horror films which he either directed and/or produced, Lucio Fulci shot a wrap-around segment featuring his own plot and used Vincenzo Tomassi’s film editing (as well as his own voice over) to create the storyline – a personal insight into the effects of horror filmmaking on the psyche.

It’s a fascinating exercise by a Director who is one of the greatest in the genre of Italian Giallo…

I’ve written about other classic Lucio Fulci films as well, in the vein of the iconic “Italian Giallo” style – it’s Italy’s version of “pulp fiction”, with lurid books in yellow jackets…it’s a fascinating movie genre, so check them out here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/09/halloween-giallo-masters-agentos-animal-trilogy-fulcis-tortured-ducklings-italian-pulp-fiction/

And of course, check out ALL of Grindhouse Releasing’s classic cult films by going to their website – kudos!

http://www.grindhousereleasing.com/

Time For A Very “Tromatic” Holiday!

Why not bring this guy home for the holiday? Or this guy!

Yes, New Jersey;s first and only super hero is on sale for the holiday! That’s right – to celebrate the tromatic holidays, Troma is offering 50% off all orders from Troma.com before Christmas!

And it’s time to “Return To Nuke ‘em High”!

So much Troma news to share – and so much great cult stuff to buy for your exploitation movie fan…let’s get started by honoring the master himself:

Behold Master Filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman!

I’ve known Lloyd Kaufman for many years. He went to Yale. He is proud of that fact. He is also proud of the fact that he runs the longest-lasting independent film studio in the world. He believes in freedom of speech, art above all else, and lots and lots of blood and nudity. He rejected Madonna after an audition, and still doesn’t know whatever happened to her.

I’ve got a look at the best of Troma for this holiday season, beginning with the new “Tromasterpiece”:

Return To Class of Nuke ‘em High!

Here is the official trailer – :

WARNING! FULL FRONTAL NUDITY IN THIS TEASER – VERY VERY NSFW – OR EVEN YOUR OWN EYES!

Well, hard to argue about this one…it’s pure Troma in spirit and execution – and of course green foam and blood….

“Return To Nuke ‘em High Part 1″ is screening across America right now…Lloyd is attending many of these events, including in Chicago right now…

Keep your eyes open for more “Return” screening news, but if you head to Troma.com, you can see the hundreds of films they have in their library – and you can order a ton of Troma classics for holiday gifts at 50% savings! Here are some of the best!

The Toxic Avenger: The Japanese Cut!

Wait – MORE Toxie?!?!?!

That’s right! Troma Entertainment just released the Japanese cut of “The Toxic Avenger”!

This Toxie is longer than the U.S. director’s cut and includes an additional four minutes of footage starring our fearless mutated friend. It also includes trailers from the Toxic Avenger franchise, production stills, an intro by Lloyd Kaufman and “Tromatic extras,” which can only mean more glorious schlock!

Why stop there? Just get the whole “TOX BOX” and be done with it! That’s right, just buy a whole “Box of tox” and get ALL of the “Toxic Avenger” films, with tons of extras!

I first met Lloyd at the Cannes Film Festival, where his Troma team annually wrecked havoc on the world’s most glamorous film festival, all to create awareness for Troma Films.

This is me surrounded by Sgt. Kabukiman and Tiffany Shepis. The other Troma guy is forgotten to time, but i’m sure a fan will remind me…no disrespect intended. If you ever wondered what it would be like to go to the south of France with Lloyd, just keep reading and you will see.

I have always admired the tenacity of Lloyd Kaufman’s vision. And I have admired how he has created a dedicated fan base that loves Troma, worships Lloyd, and believes in independent art above all else. He has mentored many who have moved on to great careers in entertainment; some of their work is on this list.

“Make Your Own Damn Movie!

Lloyd has also published a series of best-selling books about filmmaking, including this one: “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger.” It was written with the great James Gunn.

OK, here is a classic shot of a younger James Gunn in Cannes with Troma! Gunn graduated from Troma and has gone on be a great Writer/Director on such films as “Slither” and “Super”, and is now directing the big budget “Guardians Of The Galaxy”:

The “Guardians” cast includes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Bradley Cooper!

“Make Your Own Damn Movie!”

Lloyd has continued writing about filmmaking, from producing to directing… buy the box set of documentaries all about the filmmaking process….

Lloyd proves it: don’t claim you want to make a movie, MAKE A MOVIE! He shows you how with a ton of great insight from Writers and Directors such as John G. Avildsen, the Director of “Rocky” – and George Romero, Director of all of the “Night Of The Living Dead” films. James Gunn is on here as are Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Eli Roth and Stan Lee. It’s a treasure trove of great information, the best “how to make a movie” series ever done…

THE TROMATIC CLASSICS UNVEILED!

Class Of Nuke ‘Em High! 1986. By 1986, it seems that Lloyd had latched onto a great idea: crazy “over the top” movie titles, and lots of crazy actors acting crazy, tearing off limbs, and going topless, all with a punk rock soundtrack.

The pupils at a high school next to a nuclear power plant start acting and looking strange after buying contaminated drugs from a plant worker. That’s it, a simple plot upon which to hang anarchy in all its forms.

“Reading, Writing and Radiation”!

“Class Of Nuke ‘em High” is a great way to start dipping into the Troma library. And, if you want to jump right into the deep end of the Troma pool, there is this:

Troma’s WAR. 1988. This is Troma’s masterpiece. Don’t take my word for it, look at the description on the Troma website!

TROMA’S WAR is Troma’s masterpiece. Directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, TROMA’S WAR is packed with gargantuan battle scenes, heart stopping stunts, and never-before-seen special effects. TROMA’S WAR is the action film that all good citizens of the world can be proud of and enjoy! TROMA’S WAR is Troma’s answer to PLATOON and APOCALYPSE NOW. It is the first war picture that combines satire, sex, special effects make-up, stunts, gore and a beautiful love story.

Lloyd LOVES this movie. He has told me so. And I believe him. It is terrific…From IMDB: “A small group of typical Tromaville citizens find themselves in the path of a terrorist army controlled by the power elite. The freedom of Tromaville and the world is at stake! Troma’s War creates new kinds of heroes. A used car salesman, a handsome environmentalist, an obese junk-food gourmand, a seventy-year-old housewife, some sensational young women, a year old jingoistic baby and more sensational women all become deadly soldiers… “

Go to WAR and make Lloyd happy!

Surf Nazis Must Die! 1987. When the grandson of a gun wielding woman is murdered by Neo-Nazi surf punks in the post-apocalyptic future, this grandma hunts them down for some bloodthirsty revenge.

Here is how Amazon describes this movie: In the near future, a Californian beach has been taken over by a ruthless gang called “The Surf Nazis” whom are modern day Neo-Nazis and their leader nicknamed Adolph who literally can surf and would hurt anyone who enters their territory or gets in their way. When an African-American fellow named Leroy gets murdered by them, his mother sets off to buy weapons as she plots to take revenge for her son’s death.

This is basically Troma’s version of “Beach Blanket Bingo”, and all the better for it! This is also an example of the wealth of material that Troma includes on their DVD’s. Look at what is added to this release:

Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman
The first ever interactive tour of Troma Studios
Troma intelligence test
Gnarly observations by director Peter George and producer Robert Tinnell
Trailers for other Troma movies
Lost Scenes of Surf Mayhem
Scenes from the “Tromaville Cafe” TV show
Link to the Troma Website
Very special private Troma Public Service Announcements
The Aroma du Troma

Another reason to love Troma – they have mastered the art of “loaded up” DVD extras…

Stuck On You! 1983. Greetings from Tromaville! Before he latched on a great blend of outrageous titles and sex-n-violence, Troma was into sex comedies: low budget movies that were what I call “good clean naughty fun!”

A couple are in a legal battle over palimony, and a judge/angel Gabriel (Professor Irwin Corey) helps them resolve their problems by taking them through a tour of historical disfunctional couples.

Fans should also seek out Lloyd Kaufman’s “The First Turn-On” and “Squeeze Play!” as other examples of this era of Troma film.

Here is what an Amazon viewer says: “I was shocked to find this movie was released on DVD. Seriously, I don’t know how this movie is not more well known. I die every time I watch it. I’d rank it up there with Animal House and Fast Times. It’s hard to believe it even came out on Troma when you compare it to the other movies they’ve made.”

All The Love You Cannes! 2002. Full disclosure: I am in this movie. I am. It might be a single b-roll shot while Lloyd mentions me in passing – and my name is spelled wrong – but hey, I’m a Troma star!

Here we all are in Cannes one year: E! News Host Steve Kmetko, who allowed my wife Alex, along with James Gunn, turn him into “Dolphinman” for “Sex On The Riviera”. Lloyd is on the left, by the way…

Every year I was in Cannes, Lloyd and his Troma team were up for any shenanigans…and their tireless energy is captured in Lloyd’s documentary about life at the Cannes film festival. If you want to see the best documentary about the pomp, circumstance, and sordid underbelly that is Cannes, this is the movie for you!

The Troma Team is willing to try every stunt imaginable to get a little publicity, including walking the streets of Cannes dressed as various Troma heroes, staging lesbian make-out sessions, hilariously crashing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “press conference,” where JCVD shows up for about 2 seconds.

Troma Star Tiffany Shepis was there many years, and I was lucky enough to shoot a ton of segments with her and Troma when I was at E! – and Lloyd and his group were always eager to help us out. I love this documentary, especially when Lloyd harasses the Warner Brothers Exec’s dog…priceless!

Oh, Lloyd will say that I’m the reason Troma was thrown out of the carlton Hotel…he might be right, but it didn’t take much for Lloyd to start flinging blood around, trust me.

Terror Firmer. – “A homicidal maniac is on the loose in the city and the low budget film crew on a Troma movie have the power to stop them!”

“Terror Firmer” is Lloyd’s “8-1/2″ or “Day For Night” – his “movie within a movie”, a chance to show the filmmaking process while still delivering Troma-sized thrills.

Lloyd Kaufman plays Larry Benjamin, a blind movie Director who just wants to complete his film. Yes, this is the plot of Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending”, except Lloyd’s movie came out years earlier.

“Now, let’s make some art!”

No special effect here, just a naked Troma employee racing through Times Square. “Let’s Make Some Art, Indeed!”

Yes, once again, this DVD is LOADED with extras, including a full-length “no holds barred” documentary that looks deep within the filmmaking process…as fascinating and fun as the film itself! These documentaries are as honest and indepth as any ever released on DVD – and entire additional movie added to the DVD – what a deal…

And of course, Joe Lynch has a role in the film…Joe went on to write and direct “Wrong Turn 2″, wrote and directed a sequence of “Chillerama”. Lynch’s next feature is the unique action/thriller EVERLY, with Salma Hayek in the title role.

A few years ago at Comic-Con, I took part in a roast of Lloyd Kaufman, and Joe Lynch told a story about how he used to appear as “The Toxic Avenger” at conventions…and once was so sick during an appearance that he vomited into the mask he was wearing. The story got a big laugh.

Without missing a beat, Lloyd got up and told the crowd that, “what Joe didn’t tell you, was that he took the vomit that was in the mask and turned it into the screenplay for “Wrong Turn 2.”

And that is why we love Lloyd.

Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead!. 2006.

When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren’t the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take “possession” of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat!

People take Troma films for granted: they assume that critics must hate them, but that’s not true: The New York Times routinely gives Traoma’s new films great reviews, because they get what Troma stands for…for example, here is what they said about “Poultrygeist”:

“IT IS JUST ABOUT AS PERFECT AS A FILM PREDICATED ON THE JOYS OF PROJECTILE VOMITING AND EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA CAN BE!”

It is also a DVD loaded with extras: “Poultry In Motion”, the full-length documentary about the making of the film; audio commentary from Lloyd and Co-Screenwriter Gabe Friedman; a “happy ending” with Ron Jeremy, a short course on moviemaking, music videos and deleted scenes…

Gabe worked with Lloyd for a long time before he headed out to Hollywood and worked on a number of G4 shows – another Troma alumni doing great!

THE TOXIC AVENGER QUADRILOGY! Forget Alien: THIS is the Quadrilogy you need to own! Lloyd created New Jersey’s first Superhero, and 4 films into the story, it just keeps getting better…

Here is the IMDB summary of “The Toxic Avenger”: “This is the story of Melvin, the Tromaville Health Club mop boy, who inadvertently and naively trusts the hedonistic, contemptuous and vain health club members, to the point of accidentally ending up in a vat of toxic waste. The devastating results then have a transmogrification effect, his alter ego is released, and the Toxic Avenger is born, to deadly and comical results.”

“Citizen Toxie” is the fourth in the series, and included “Hank The Angry Drunk Dwarf” as GOD – but of course it did. The DVD also includes a full-length documentary on the making of the movie, and a ton of deleted scenes.

Tromeo & Juliet. Behold the most Tromatic masterpiece of all. This was written by James Gunn, Directed by Lloyd, and truly stands as a masterwork. As Variety said, “Shakespeare is transformed into a NO-HOLDS BARD!”

As the poster says so beautifully:

“BODY PIERCING. KINKY SEX. DISMEMBERMENT. THE THINGS THAT MADE SHAKESPEARE GREAT!”

When I was in Cannes, my wife Alex was interviewing Kennth Branagh for his 4-hour opus “Hamlet.” She told him he wasn’t the only Shakespeare film in Cannes, and showed him the “Tromeo & Juliet” poster. He read the words above in his classic British accent, then added, “perhaps I can get my soundtrack done by the ASS PONYS!”

I put that entire sequence in that year’s “Sex On The Riviera” special, told Lloyd about it, and wasn’t too surprised when, 6 months later I got the latest Troma press kit, which included the Kenneth Branagh interview! God bless Lloyd!

Juliet Capulet: Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Tromeo Que: Yeah, it totally sucks.

How can you not love a film that turns Shakepeare upside down in one of the most hilarious, proifane – and creative ways EVER!

Detective Ernie Scalus: Now you fucks have gone too far! Goddamn heads landing on cars while Long Island families are singing ‘Found a Peanut’! They found a peanut, all right, honey. They found a peanut of death!

Bravo, Lloyd and James, BRAVO! Now head to Troma.com and buy up all of these cult classics for the holidays!

Is It Time To Take A Hammer To Movie Remakes?

This edition of “film Fight Club” wants to smackdown the endless series of BAD BAD BAD remakes that have stunk up the cinema lately – including THESE bombs:

Wha-Wha-WHAT!??!????

Sorry, that last picture of Nicolas Cage destroying “The Wicker Man” is too much for any movie lover to stomach…well, until THIS:

Samuel L. Jackson has every reason to look terrified – its the latest remake disaster! One of the biggest bombs of 2013 was the Spike Lee remake of the classic Korean thriller “Oldboy”…

The film opened Thanksgiving weekend and bombed horribly – but was the remake’s critical and commercial trashing deserved? Is “Oldboy” just another example of Hollywood’s desire to trash every great movie by remaking it wrong?

Time For The Film Fight Club!

Let’s look at Hollywood’s latest remake disaster and see what’s worth fighting about. First, here is a quick look at the original Korean classic “Oldboy.”

Oldboy -

This is the classic 2003 Korean thriller directed by Chan-wook Park – with one of the most intense first ten minutes of any film ever made! It begins with a man who goes on a drunken bender one night, only to wake up trapped in a hotel room. For 15 years!

The opening ten minutes of this movie will suck your eyeballs out, so put them back in and enjoy Korean melodrama at its finest. Director Chan-wook Park is a brilliant filmmaker – his is the kind of aggressive, no holds barred filmmaking that many of our American movies lack right now.

The original “Oldboy” has a number of jaw-dropping moments, but perhaps the most notable is the fight scene that involves….well, let just say this: You’ll never walk down a hallway with a ball-peen hammer the same way again…

The movie gets more and more intense, and the bodies pile up until we find out why he was imprisoned, in a shocking finale…

This is brilliant, melodramatic filmmaking of the highest order – a classic action film.

Cue Spike Lee to remake it.

As a huge fan of the original film, I did everything I could to judge Spike Lee’s version on its own merits. The plot is, essentially the same. Josh Brolin stars as a drunken businessman who wakes up after a night of boozing to find himself imprisoned in a hotel room.

“15 Will Get You 20!”

Well, it takes all of five minutes for this movie to turn sour. A longer prologue shows us just what an awful person Brolin is – but did Spike need to do this? It’s just the first of many artistic decisions that not only derail the film for fans of the original, but simply confuse and alienate any viewer trying to enjoy the film…

The story let’s us know that twenty years have gone by, not fifteen years. Why the change? No reason. Strange changes in the story serve to call attention to the film’s inability to entertain like the original.

What The F!??!?!?!

Look at Samuel L. Jackson. LOOK AT HIM. What is going on here? Oh, and more importantly, WHY? Watch both versions of the film and you will be stunned at Lee’s choice to create Jackson’s character and storyline.

A bit of a spoiler here: Spike Lee has chosen to create some sort of “prison hotel” company, run by Jackson…why? Because apparently we need this type of explanation – but since it is never explained, it’s just a contrivance designed to distract us…

In addition, the Director has made some choices that didn’t work for me at all. In “Annie Hall”, having Woody Allen and Tony Roberts watch flashbacks as they were remembered worked; here, to see Josh Brolin watching the action around him from years earlier was just strange and very distracting…

Bring Down The Hammer!

Yes, the most legendary scene from the original “Oldboy” needed to be “improved” as well…

In this remake, the fight now moves across multiple floors of a parking garage…and the dozen or so men with weapons all bounce around and WAIT FOR THEIR ONE-ON-ONE CHANCE TO KILL BROLIN!

It’s almost laughable – he is surrounded by thugs, who all wait patiently – while bouncing around – while he kills them one by one. It was sad to watch, actually….

Cue The Octopus!

And what about this scene?

In the original, we see an octopus eaten live…in the remake, in one more example of acknowledging the original in the least interesting way possible, Brolin enters a restaurant and sees this:

At this point, I let the unpleasantness of the film just wash over me – a laughable villian, endless flashbacks with Brolin watching in the scene, Elizabeth Olsen being exploited in a number of pathetic ways, and then the ending, with the antagonist explaining everything before the movie ends with a “twist.”

Hammer Time!

I tried to judge “Oldboy” impartially – I like many Spike Lee films, and was open to a remake. Yes, I missed the originality of the original “Oldboy”. I missed the deranged intensity of this hammer shot. But it’s more than that…

The biggest danger, to me, is to acknowledge the original when you remake it. I hated the various “homages” put in the remake that lacked any creativity – in fact, they distract – and if you didn’t see the original, they make NO sense – most of all, I hated that “Oldboy” was turned into an unpleasant viewing experience – the shock of the original was emotional and riveting – in the remake, it was simply distasteful…

Let The “Film Fight Club” Begin!

So, I want to know: am I unwilling to accept remakes – unwilling to let new Artists re-imagine films for a new generation? Or does this:

Just become THIS in all the worst ways:

http://filmfightclub.com/

Hey, if you like to debate movies, head over to the “filmfightclub” website for stories on horror films, James Bond theme songs and more!

And please, let me know what you think: are these films being remade, or are they being destroyed? Leave a comment at “filmfightclub.com” and let the fight club begin!

You want to surprise your film buff this holiday season?

Here’s a sure way to make a loved one smile…

Talk about a happy holiday! Sure, you can buy Oscar-winning films, acclaimed documentaries, and “Breaking Bad” box sets – OR you can go a different direction…

Remember what they said: to each his own – and let’s be honest, it’s virtually ALL “his own” when it comes to this type of film – that said, I have gotten a lot of interest from female fans of exploitation films as well – especially movies like this:

Behold Japan’s “Machine Girl!” Trust me when I tell you she has revenge on her mind – a a HUGE machine gun attached to her arm! This new genre of “J-sploitation” is a great holiday gift, as well as some of these more aggressively outrageous films in the exploitation genre, like:

It’s An “Exploitation” Holiday!

If you want to give your film fanatic a thrill this holiday season, I’ve got just the gifts for you! Time to look at ten of the wildest “sexploitation” classics you can buy this holiday for the film buff in your life! I will share some, shall we say, “obscure” titles…

And I will share some that are among the most legendary films ever committed to celluloid – and are just plain, well – WRONG:

They are ALL fascinating examples of a bygone era of movie making – and thanks to some great independent film companies, you can enjoy them now as well!

“Sexploitation” Lives!

If you are new to the genre, “Sexploitation” describes a class of low-budget film generally associated with the 1960s and 70′s and serving largely, as wikipedia describes:

“A vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity.”

Can’t argue with that! And if you do, you can expect to get roughed up a bit:

This is the classic sexploitation film “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” And there are a number of legendary sexploitation stars as well…like Christina Lindberg!

“The Godfather” Of Grindhouse!

Let’s get started with your shopping list – the ten wildest sexploitation movies ever, beginning with “The Godfather” of the genre, starring Christina Lindberg of course!

#10 – Thriller: A Cruel Picture – AKA “They Call Her One Eye!”

Yes, I started with the most controversial exploitation film of them all – and to many fans, the best one as well!

I have posted about this several times already – it is the “Godfather of Grindhouse”…and one of the most legendary as well! It was originally released on grindhouse screens in the US in the early 70′s as “They Call Her One-Eye” – and even “Hooker’s Revenge”, although she’s not a hooker!

Director Quentin Tarantino expressed his admiration for both the film and Lindberg’s performance, and she later served as an inspiration for Darryl Hannah’s character in Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” films.

Here is Quentin more recently with Christina, who he greatly admired, for good reason!

Take a look at the classic trailer, with the US grindhouse title:

Lindberg plays Frigga, who lives with her parents on their farm. Unable to speak after being horrifically raped by an elderly man when she was young, her parents spend the majority of their money on speech therapy classes for their daughter in the hope that one day, she will speak again. One day, Frigga misses the bus to get to her speech therapy class.

She accepts a ride off a suave looking gentlemen named Tony who pulls up beside her. Once they are in town, he takes her for a meal. Afterwards, he takes Frigga back to what appears to be his bachelor pad. He gives her wine that has been drugged, as she passes out.

The man then takes no time in bringing a crooked doctor in to get her fixed on high class heroin.

But Christina escapes after being partially blinded in a brutal attack, and trains herself for the ultimate revenge!

“The Roughest Revenge Movie Ever Made!” Sez Quentin Tarantino!

“Thriller” is a classic of the genre – chock full of sex, violence and revenge!

Quentin Tarantino called it “the roughest revenge movie ever made”, and recommended that actress Daryl Hannah watch the film to prepare for her role in “Kill Bill” as the one-eyed killer Elle Driver.

A long standing rumor surrounding the film was that a real corpse was used for the scene where Madeleine’s eye is taken out with a scalpel. In a March 2006 interview, Christina Lindberg confirmed this. The body was of a young girl who had committed suicide. Makeup was added to the eye, and the shot was filmed in the hospital that had received the body!

If you don’t appreciate grindhouse cinema, DO NOT buy this one. But these films were all european made, and they exhibit a style and mood that is unlike some of the more outrageous US releases at the time…and they are an important part of film history as well…

Honorable mention: ALL other Christina Lindberg movies!

Yes, EVERY single Christina Lindberg film is a sexploitation classic! “Exposed” is one of her great movies, “Anita” is another!

As you can see, Christina Lindberg was the “Queen Of Artsploitation!”

Click on the story below to find out all about this fascinating woman – and see more of her classic films!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/21/swedish-sex-kitten-christina-lindberg-the-original-queen-of-artsploitation/

Now, we continue in Europe for what is, for me, one of the wildest, most depraved grindhouse films found by the Danish!

9 – The Sinful Dwarf!

Let’s take a look at “THE MOTHER OF ALL DWARFSPLOITATION FILMS!!”

This 1974 Danish film was recently uncovered after years of being lost, and let me tell you, they found a wild wild WILD movie!

“A young bride, left alone to the lewd passions of an evil dwarf!”

Meet the film’s star – the diminutive former kiddie-show host Torben Bille – who looks disturbingly like Jack Black in a trash compactor -

The Sinful Dwarf is the pint-sized pervert who imprisons drugged teenage sex slaves in the attic of his drunken mother’s decrepit rooming house…and that’s just the first ten minutes!

Poor Anne Sparrow!

Anne Sparrow stars in the film as well. Just look at this description of her, from the cover art on the DVD:

“The delicious Anne Sparrow – in her first and understandably only screen role – co-stars in this towering achievement in graphic depravity, now fully restored from a 35mm print discovered hidden in a janitor’s closet at the Danish Film Institute!”

Anne Sparrow certainly had a good reason NEVER TO ACT AGAIN – Oh, did I mention that our Sinful Dwarf has a Mom – a Mom who is CRAZY – and yes, she SINGS!

You will never clean your ears the same way again…and yes, that’s right – this movie was not only found in a janitor’s closet in Denmark – but they chose not to throw it out!

You will NEVER see a more bizarre film than “The Sinful Dwarf” – and yes, it’s as “euro-sleazy” as they come…this is grindhouse at its best – or worst!

#8 – Mantis In Lace!

Here’s another classic for you – with a plot that is almost “too wild” to believe!

Lila is a good-natured go-go dancer who strips at a seedy topless bar on the Sunset Strip. After ingesting LSD, Lila becomes a psychopathic serial killer.

Read This Carefully!

Now listen to how crazy this plot gets: she continues to pick up men at the bar where she is employed, but:

after her sanity is lost she routinely is interrupted mid-coitus by psychedelic bad trips in which she visualizes a balding, half-naked old man clutching wads of cash in one hand and a bunch of bananas in the other.

Yes, you read that right! Here is what that “half-naked old man clutching wads of cash” looks like:

And of course, the poster for this classic piece of sexploitation lives forever – behind The President and Vice President! How funny that Obama and Biden visited a hamburger stand that proudly showcased the film right behind them!

Well, it could have been worse, I suppose….perhaps like this?

#7 – Lorna The Exorcist!

Legendary softcore filmmaker Jess Franco made a ton of great sexploitation movies: stuff like “The Hot Nights Of Linda” and “Female Vampire”, both starring sex kitten Lina Romay…

Did I mention she was his wife and longtime creative partner? One of their most shocking films of all is this strange classic:

“Lorna The Exorcist” is a pure european arthouse shocker: like many of the Christina Lindberg films, there are long, moody shots interrupted by a surprisingly amount of nudity – and Lina was an exhibitionist – so the nudity part was never a problem…

You can read more about this fascinating Actress – and the Director who filmed her wildest movies – by clicking on the link here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

And you have to see the end of “Lorna”, which has Lina’s most dramatic acting ever!

Time to head back to the states and praise a maverick Director who let his passions – and obsessions – play out on drive-in movie screens across America!

#6 – Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

It’s got one of the greatest – and most iconic – movie titles in film history: and it also introduced the world to the toughest, most independent – and yes, most liberated women in exploitation!

Director Russ Meyer LOVED women – and he loved to highlight them in his films, which were full of liberated, progressive, ASS-KICKING LADIES!

There is no denying the impact “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” had in America. It tore down all sorts of barriers in films: lots of sex, violence, and nudity – plus a strong, feminist point of view! For that, Meyer deserves some credit, even though his films certainly oogled his female stars in pure “sexploitation” fashion…

As Russ Meyer would say himself, one is never enough, so to see ALL of his amazing work, head to the post I have right here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/03/16/sexploitation-classics-the-russ-meyer-edition/

“Giallo” To You, Too!

Time to head to Italy for what is a fascinating genre of film, most effectively captured in all of his nudity and bloodshed by the nicely titled:

#5 – Strip Nude For Your Killer!

This movie has a lurid title to be sure, but it’s really a well done suspense thriller about a killer on the loose in Rome.

A fashion photographer is suspected, and of course, he shoots LOTS of pictures of nude models, so it is up to him to solve the crime…

As I said, these italian suspense films were very popular in the 70′s, and they are good movies as well – even with outrageous titles!

If you are unfamiliar with the classic genre “italian giallo”, then click on here for find out all about Europe’s “pulp fiction”!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/09/time-to-strip-nude-four-flies-and-baba-yaga-to-you-yes-its-classic-italian-giallo/

From Italy, time to head to the other side of the world, where they are indeed turning sexploitation upside down!

#4 – Robo Geisha!

RoboGeisha! - 2009. Yes, this is a film about a robotic Geisha. If you want to jump right into the deep end of the japanese j-sploitation “crazy pool”, this is the movie to start you off!

Here is the plot: Yoshie, the younger and ill-treated sister of a renowned Geisha, is discovered to have natural strength and fighting ability. She’s recruited into an army of Geisha assassins by the rich and powerful owner of a steel-works, Kageno. During training large (and interesting) parts of their bodies are altered into weaponry directly linked to their brains.

Let’s stop for a second and repeat one line:

parts of their bodies are altered into weaponry.

So what you see above you is a “buttsword”. Yes, it is. She has a sword that comes out of her butt. And that is just the beginning….they also have breast machine guns!

Did I mention that the film features Tengu Warriors – who wear red penis noses?

“Fried Shrimp!”

Did I mention that one girl plunges fried shrimp into the eyes of her enemy?

That’s right: FRIED SHRIMP!

And yes, she has a rotating buzzsaw face…but did you expect less? This movie is CRAZY!

Now, to continue our trip into fantasy land…

#3 – Alice In Wonderland

Yes, this is one of the strangest, and most erotic films of the 70′s – an adult telling of the story of Alice – but this trip is a completely DIFFERENT kind of wonderland!

In this notorious X-rated version of the story, Alice is a virginal librarian, cheerful and outgoing, who acts and dresses younger than her age. While daydreaming about reliving her life, a white rabbit taps her on the shoulder, and she follows him to Wonderland, where playful animals and people introduce her to her imagination and to pleasure.

Kristine DeBell stars as the virginal Alice, who learns alot obout life while down the rabbit hole…

This movie was a big hit – and a rare example of a sexploitation film that highlights comedy and characters over sex and violence…

Now, back to our buddy Jess Franco, and one of his action adventure films…

#2 – Countess Perverse!

Bullseye!

Here is another aspect of a classic sexploitation movie – with a classic film plot that gets twisted, exploitation style! In a play on “The Rules Of The Game”, Jess Franco takes the concept of hunting humans and puts his “euro-sleaze” take on it – he gets a woman to hunt down and kill people – naked!

Alice Arno stars as the naked hunter – and, since it is a Jess Franco film, Lina Romay is back – as the hunted!

The plot is simple: a young girl stumbled upon a castle on an island – and discovers that she is scheduled AS the next meal!

There is SO much nudity in this film that it’s almost hard to concentrate – but then again, that IS the point of the genre:

And once you see a naked woman hunt another naked woman with a bow and arrow, your life will never be the same…

So how this this whole genre begin? I’ve written about it before, but in a nutshell, the sexual revolution of the sixties created an opportunity for savvy Producers to sell “SEX SEX SEX” even if they really didn’t have any sex to show!

#1 – A Smell Of Honey, A Swallow Of Brine!

This film is #1 on my list of the greatest sexploitation movies because it encapsulates everything I have been talking about!

First of all, look at that title: pure sexploitation perfection! This early 60′s film is amazingly tame, even by sexploitation standards, but it acts like it’s a cautionary tale of drugs, sex and sin!

“I May Be A Bitch, But I’ll NEVER Be A Butch!”

Here is a brief scene from the movie that captures everything that makes early sexploitation films so much fun!

This is classic sexploitation: wayward young women discovering how gritty the streets of a big city can be:

Of course, these women grow up fast – meeting all the wrong guys, and finding themselves in the most adult of situations:

So there you have it – ten of the wildest movies you can give someone – films that celebrate an more innocent time, when audiences could still be shocked and amazed at the depravity all around them…enjoy your holiday viewing!

Yes, It’s Jenna Jameson And Sylvester Stallone!

Wait until you hear the story behind this picture!

OK, this was designed to be, as it is known in TV, as a “deep tease.” You will have to keep reading to find out how I ended up taking this picture of Jenna Jameson and Sylvester Stallone – it’s all part of a birthday celebration of sorts…

Two Years Of Posting!

Yes, it’s the two year anniversary of this blog! When my wife Alex suggested I start this blog two years ago today, she thought it would be a fun creative outlet. She had NO idea it could lead to THIS:

Yes, I used that trust Alex placed in me to share things like this “bacon cube burger”, and some of you have thanked me for it. I have also shared things like THIS:

If you don’t recognize this image, consider yourself lucky. (Yes, it’s The Bee Gees as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!) While this blog has been a fun project for me, it has also turned into much more: it’s been a way to share a wide variety of stories of interest to me, and more importantly, it has been a great way to meet a lot of new people with similar passions…like all of the Todd Rundgren fans I’ve met…

521,270 Strong!

I wanted to update everyone on the blog, and of course to thank all of you who take the time to read it. Last year at this time, I had just cracked 104,000 views.

In the last year, I saw a huge increase in the average daily traffic to the site – thanks in part to the huge amount of interest in things like the Eagles reunion tour, which you can see above – as well as the large number of people who have been interested in seeing just HOW Marlon Brando remembered his lines on the set of “The Godfather”:

As you can see, he DIDN’T! Yes, that is Robert Duvall holding cue cards for Brando! That story has been very popular, and if you missed it, here it is:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/20/brandos-cue-cards-real-horse-heads-the-godfathers-best-stories/

I also shared Clemenza’s recipe for meatballs – you know, when you need to feed a dozen guys after you “go to the mattresses”:

So, thanks to all of you, I smashed through a half a million views for the blog! I wanted to not only thank everyone for their support, but to share some of the most popular stories – and preview what is still to come!

Cool It, Ringo!

So, what have people responded to most? Well, it’s been everything from crazy stuff like this picture of Ringo and Raquel Welch clowning around on the set of the cult classic “The Magic Christian”…in fact, these guys always do great:

The Beatles never cease to interest people, and rightly so – my single most viewed story of last year was this one – looking at the “lost” Beatles documentary, “Let It Be”:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/06/let-it-be-the-beatles-lost-documentary-londons-live-beatles-rooftop-concert/

Over 49,000 views for this story so far – as always, The Beatles have spoken…well, at least their fans! And speaking of rabid fans, let’s hear it for “Jerseylicious!”

“Jerseylicious” Forever!

Thanks as well to the terrific cast of “Jerseylicious”, and to the fans who love them…my wife Alex Duda created this show in 2009, and in the five seasons so far I’ve been lucky enough to befriend many of the incredibly talent people followed on the show…

Oliva is not only “America’s Sweetheart”, she’ a terrific makeup artist – and a wonderful person as well…Tracy is also great, and yes, she got married in the “still to be seen” season six of the series…

I’ve had an amazing amount of interest in my behind-the-scenes looks at the show…like when Gigi, Tracy and Olivia visited Steve Harvey:

It was a great year for the team – I had more than 11,000 views of the story about the “Jerseylicious” book by Anthony and Olivia – with amazing cast pictures by Karl Giant!

So many fun posts so far, and more “Jerseylicious” to come….you know, THE WEDDING…

In addition to stories about TV and movies, I also love posting stories about music…including stories about the eagles, Paul McCartney, great new female singer/songwriters like Grace Potter, the best and worst Jame Bond themes, and of course:

“Todd Is God!”

Todd fans know what that means, and they showed it in a big way this year…I want to thank the Todd Rundgren fans who have really shown support for this blog, including a retweet from Todd himself! Here is that story:

http://musicplatter.com/2013/11/01/laura-nyro-todd-rundgrens-muse-todds-retweet/

The original story was about Todd’s friendship with Laura Nyro, an amazing singer/songwriter…and apparently Todd approved!

I posted this story and got a retweet from Todd’s twitter account – which was really cool – I’ve also been lucky enough to have been acknowledged by Director William Friedkin, Actress Rebel Wilson and the legendary singer/songwriter Paul Williams….among many others who have RT’d my stories and shared them with friends…

You can always sign up to receive all of the music-specific stories here:

http://musicplatter.com

What’s With All The Sites?

I’m sorry if I confused some of you with the “topic-specific” sub-sites, but here’s an explanation: When I started blogging, Alex suggested a title that would capture what the site was all about – but as you see, it’s about a lot of different stuff! So I used my name as an easy entry point…

Well, maybe not so easy, since my entire life has seen RIEBER spelled “REIBER”…So, to resolve the confusion, here’s how it works…I post virtually every single day on Johnrieber.com. I hope you all sign up to get notifications – so you won’t miss anything like THIS:

Yes, “Love Actually” is my favorite holiday film…well, except maybe for “Planes, Trains & Automobiles”…and in case you missed this post, here is a list of ALL of the best holiday films:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/23/amazing-love-actually-facts-rare-wonderful-life-photos-the-best-holiday-movies-ever/

You see, Del Griffith understands! You don’t have to do anything to get a wide variety of stories from me – just stop by Johnrieber.com and see what’s new…and, if you want more on a certain type of subject, the mini-sites are a way for you to take a blog shortcut:

If you need a quick “bacon fix”, you don’t have to look through the 500+ posts on Johnrieber.com …because “biteeatswallow” has a bacon tab that will take you immediate to this:

Yes, you know I will always have bacon for you somewhere!

Bite Down Hard!

I enjoy posting about strange and unique food items – or as you can see above, “bacon superheroes”…and of course, I love burgers, like this ramen burger from Japan:

And you can never go wrong with a slider…I have posted many recipes for making unique sliders from around the world, like this incredible one from Japan – the “wasabi avocado slider”!

I post all of the food stories on this site first, but later I also post them on a more-specific site devoted to the wacky world of food – like this food stadium to make for Super Bowl Sunday!

Remember, any time you need a burger fix – or any other food stories, you can always go here:

http://biteeatswallow.com

Something like this will ALWAYS be waiting!

Time For A Fight!

I was most excited this year to start the “film fight club!” This allowed you to hammer down on the important film arguments of the day!

The purpose of “Film Fight Club” is solely to argue about movies we love, hate, and love to hate!
This is where you can discuss your favorite James Bond theme song, as well as why you think “The Human Centipede” is a misunderstood masterpiece!

And yes, I got lots of hate comments from fans of “Centipede”, who couldn’t understand why I called it “misguided”! Check out all of the film battles here!

http://filmfightclub.com/

Forget movies, let’s see the world!

I know that some of you enjoy vacationing here:

Let’s Travel The World!

Yep, for those of you who love to travel the world – well, I’ve got you covered: whether it’s Barcelona’s amazing aerial trams, which give you an amazing sky-high view of this incredible city, or surfing with Sasha Grey on Australia’s Bondi Beach…

I posted a number of stories recounting my G4 shoot in Australia with Sasha Grey: everything from her surfing Bondi Beach – to getting photo bombed by live sharks:

I always have to remind people that there was NOTHING between Sasha and those sharks…and then there was this clip of Sasha in the tallest building in the southern hemisphere – by far the most popular video I posted, with more than 24,000 views:

Sasha went 88 stories high in Melbourne, Australia’s Eureka tower – just one of the many travel adventures I’ve been able to share. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some really fun places, and I’ve gotten a great response from people when I post these stories on “spinningorbit”, which you can check out here:

http://spinningorbit.com/

So, I want to thank everyone who has read a story, and I hope you come back for many more in the years ahead…there have been many fun adventures – interesting people, places and food – so what is next?

Year Three…

Here is a tease: there are more great adventures to come, including my legendary trip to Thailand with Jenna Jameson!

And it wasn’t just us…we hung out with Sylvester Stallone too!

More on that trip soon – really one of my most unique travel adventures ever – and more on Tracy’s “Jerseylcious” wedding as well:

I also have some VERY unique food to share soon:

And I have some great stories about some of the best movies of the 70′s – films that deserve to be remembered, revered, and watched!

Yes, I will be telling the story of “The Getaway”, a classic action film that also caused a Hollywood scandal! And for fans of TRULY unique movies, I have some of the most amazing exploitation classics to share with you as well!

Yes, more crazy world cinema to share! You can always read about it by clicking here:

http://jrsploitation.com/

This is my mini-site devoted to the most unique and outrageous movies the world has ever offered!

And there is a whole world of entertainment still to explore! That’s just a sneak peek of what is still to come…see, there IS a reason to keep reading!

Thanks again to everyone for your support – as always, please leave comments pro, con, or “positively negative”…I enjoy hearing back from you – and thanks again for reading! I will leave you one last tease – a new post about Todd Rundgren and some of his neglected masterpieces is on the way…

Here’s proof: click on the link to enjoy Todd’s amazing live version of “Fade Away”…more to come on this as well!

Here’s a discussion you could lose your head over! It’s Friday the 13th, and that means it’s time to get scared!

Do you know this image? Well, it’s just one of the many films I’ve got for you today…

Our Friday The 13th Shockfest 2013!

It’s time to celebrate horror! And I know there are ALL kinds of scary movies. THIS is the image you expect to see on Friday the 13th:

Time to welcome Jason Vorhees back into your house! It’s the day we grab the scariest movies we can find and turn down the lights…and if you don’t invite your friends in, they will find a way to visit anyway…

I love scary movies…and there are SO many different ones to enjoy…so what are the best? I have my favorites of course…

Yes, it’s time to get completely “horrified” for Friday the 13th, and I wanted to share a wide variety of “horrific” directions you could go…like, say….

Wait, WHAT? Too much too soon? Then you certainly WON’T appreciate this:

Friday The 13th Is On!

One of the great arguments is the debate over what is the scariest movie of all time…there is so much classic horror, psychological terror, and just outright bloody good fun…

“Scream” certainly had it share of jolts – but also a self-awareness that undercut some of the horror….some people love that, some don’t…some just want to get to the kill…

To that end, is Michael Myers the scariest person in film? In 1978, “Halloween” shocked a nation eager for a new face of horror…does that make “Halloween” the scariest film of all time?

Some upscale movie fans think THIS is the face of horror…

Yes, “The Shining” is a great horror film to put on at night with the lights out….oh, and speaking of scary looks, this one’s pretty good too:

Um, does somebody want to tell sweet Regan that she is turned the wrong way and can’t see the TV? Seriously, you can’t go wrong with these two classic horror films, read more about “The Shining” and “The Exorcist” by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/31/the-shining-room-237-the-exorcist-the-greatest-horror-movies-ever-made/

Need more? Sure you do!

“Evil Dead” Perhaps?

Without a doubt, the first “Evil Dead” has a lot of shocking moments, but the sequel added lots of laughs with the blood…undercutting the horror a bit….then again, you could go further along the supernatural route by trying “The Changeling”…

The brilliant “The Changeling” starring George C. Scott isn’t as well known as “Evil Dead”, but both deliver the goods! Click here to read about both!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/07/halloween-horror-bloody-tension-scary-changelings-and-the-evil-dead/

The above story includes some “Switchblade Romance” AKA “High Tension” as well – a slasher shocker that delivers!

“Light Comedy” Perhaps?

Well, you’ve come to the right place if you are one of the people who think THIS is a black comedy:

In 1974, this guy ran around with his friendly chainsaw and shocked audiences…the first example of “shock and awe” in movie theaters…

Yes, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is just about the most intensely scary film to watch in the dark, and you can read all about the classic “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as well as the brilliant – ORIGINAL – “Carrie” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/06/17/pea-soup-pigs-blood-and-grandpas-silver-hammer-the-horror-the-horror/

Yes, Brian DePalma’s “Carrie” is a perfect horror film: lots of blood, sweat and fears!

Or Maybe Just Hang With “Jessica”?

Oops, too late – she’s dead! Well, this is a classic creepy horror film, and so is “Rosemary’s Baby”, so check out both by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/26/rosemarys-baby-jessicas-scared-to-death-great-halloween-horror/

Talk about a colic-y baby!

So, every film on these lists is full of good scares – some creepy, some shocking…and then there is, for those of you who JUST NEED BLOOD:

Yep, “J-Sploitation” to the rescue! You have to check out these “over the top” bloody horror camp classic by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/15/tokyo-gore-for-halloween-behold-j-sploitation-nishimura-rules-extreme-japanese-cinema/

I promise you: you will NEVER find movies with more blood than these ones!

Well, that said, I MAY have found a challenger- or two – to the crown – also from overseas:

“Trouble Every Day”, Indeed!

Yep, those french sure do love to soak up the screen in the color red! And they aren’t alone! Check out these obscure horror classics from France, South Korea and Hong Kong – all GREAT horror films: “Trouble Every Day”, “Cold Fish” and “Dream Home” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/03/27/eye-popping-extreme-cinema-cold-fish-bloody-vampires-vengeance/

And speaking of foreign shock and scares…

Need some Italian “Pulp Fiction”?

While not “horror” like “The Exorcist”, there is a category of film known as the “Italian Giallo” film that features lots of shocks, scares, and mayhem!

These italian horror slashers will do the trick this Halloween for you:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/09/time-to-strip-nude-four-flies-and-baba-yaga-to-you-yes-its-classic-italian-giallo/

Yes, SHOCKING!

Now, In Case You Need Something Even MORE Distateful:

Yep, there is “Nazisploitation Horror” - you know, movies about how the Nazis avoided losing WW2 because they fled TO THE MOON – and are now coming back for revenge on the Earth – as Zombies! Bite down on this wacky horror trend by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/23/bad-taste-this-halloween-nazi-zombie-halloween-horror-halloween-party-movies/

Or, if you REALLY want to camp it up – get some “old lady horror!”

If you ever needed to see Debbie Reynolds in a horror film – and I really think you do – then this is the link for you!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/09/old-lady-horror-crazy-ladies-chew-up-the-screen/

So, on this Friday the 13th weekend, I encourage you all to get scared, and let me know what your favorite horror film is!

Home For The Holidays!

OK, I get it, you’ve celebrated the holidays – relatives visiting, with wonderful meals, gifts and conversation…day after day after day – and now you just need to be alone. But guess what?

THE RELATIVES JUST WON’T LEAVE!

Sure, this Jimmy Kimmel party LOOKS fun, but even these partygoers left at some point! I know there are traditions and all, but you can’t just keep entertaining…enough is enough! It won’t work if you put on a classic holiday film like this:

Who would leave before finding out if he was going to “shoot your eye out with that thing?” But what if, instead of “A Christmas Story”, you decided to screen THIS MOVIE:

How fast do you think this film would clear the room? I’ve got just what you need to send the relatives back to Fresno where they belong? What’s my secret?

Well, it all begins with “scum!” I mean, to clear a room, you’ve got to put on a really bad film. How bad? REALLY BAD! How do you define awful? Is it fair to consider a movie “bad” just because it looks like THIS?

There is a “special” kind of film that not only offends, but actively drives your guests away…and this could be the “Citizen Kane” of awful…

“They Mangle The Beautiful Into The Mutilated!”

That is just one of the great taglines on the poster for “The Ghastly Ones”…sounds like a great horror film, right? RIGHT? So, when Uncle Ed or Aunt Millie refuse to take the hint that your holiday party is over, offer to put a film on, load up your DVD with one of these films, and you are on your way!

Let’s look at “Blood Feast” – which is considered “The Godfather Of Grime”! A more shocking way to end a holiday I can’t think of!

A great exploitation movie offers up a certain number of guaranteed elements: plenty of blood, gore, nudity and sexual situations – all presented as cheaply and garishly as possible!

“Nothing So Appalling In The Annals Of Horror!”

Talk about truth in advertising! This film IS appalling – in how it is made! But I’m having a bit of fun here, because this is considered “The Godfather Of Grime”! In 1964, this film SHOCKED the world with its depiction of bloody violence and sex – take a look at the classic trailer:

Yep, I call this the “Godfather Of Grime” – the first time anyone dared to film such mayhem and madness – the work of legendary Exploitation Director Herschell Gordan Lewis! Flaunting all movie codes, Lewis made “Blood Feast” for around $50,000 – and it grossed millions! Yes, it’s a lousy movie, but it really blew the doors off grindhouse theaters across the country!

The plot is simple: A crazy Egyptian caterer named “Ramses” collects body parts from young maidens in order to bring Ishtar, an ancient goddess of good and evil back to life. And he does it with VERY BIG EYES!

This film was a shocking sensation, thanks to some very clever marketing. Legendary Grindhouse Producer David F. Friedman came up with some very effective publicity stunts for “Blood Feast” which included giving theater goers vomit bags reading:

“You may need this when you see ‘Blood Feast’”!

Lewis went on to make another classic exploitation film:

“Gruesomely Stained In Blood Color!”

While Lewis kept piling on the blood, Producer Friedman kept to the bedroom to uncover America’s sordid sex secrets:

“DEPRAVED! DEMENTED! LOATHSOME! NAMELESS! SHAMELESS! THESE ARE THE:”

“Hell is their only address!”

Trust me when I tell you that there is A LOT of sleazy stuff on display here, all presented a a cautionary tale! Friedman was the master at it. To read more about this amazingly prolific Exploitation Producer, click on the whole story HERE:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/27/nudie-cuties-a-swallow-of-brine-the-defilers-meet-the-producer-of-scum/

And don’t miss Friedman’s classic:

“Everything They Touch Is Stained!”

Herschell Gordon Lewis directed “Blood Feast”, and he also loved to exploit sex…starting with early “nudie cuties” – education films that offered the only legal way to show nudity in movies, by offering an “educational” angle to the nudity…like his take on “nudist camps!”

After that success, Lewis decided to shock American instead…

The phenomenal success of “Blood Feast” inspired the Director – he also directed the classic “2000 Maniacs” and “Color Me Blood Red!”

“Drenched In Crimson Color!”

These are classic of the genre – and all of them are pretty awful!

It’s enough to give you a splitting headache!

How was that for a segue? Don’t worry, it all makes sense, as we now venture into the world of arguably the world’s WORST film maker! And don’t worry, it’s presented:

“In Cranium-Cleaving Color!”

How can you resist a movie that offers this tagline?

The Ghastly Ones!

I love classic grindhouse poster art – always offering sex, violence, SHOCKS BEYOND BELIEF! – “c’mon in suckers, the water’s fine!”

Check out the “Doctor’s Warning” on the poster – a classic “come on” for the suckers at that time…love it! Now, back to why we are here: “The Ghastly Ones” is one of the world’s WORST exploitation films ever made! Check out this legendarily bad trailer!

Here is the plot: Three married couples spend the night in a Victorian-era house where they start getting killed off by a deranged psycho who’s bent on claiming an inheritance they are all entitled to.

Sure, that’s a servicable plot: but under the Direction of Andy Milligan, it’s a debacle! Here’s a great bit of trivia, thanks to IMDB: In several of the fight scenes of the film, the crew and their cameras and sound equipment are visible.

There are also moments when the director can be heard softly reminding the actors of their lines!

Now THAT”S film making! As one reader on IMDB stated:

“This is an absolutely horrible film in every way possible.”

Now, that’s what it takes to make this list – you have to lose your head!

Once again, thanks to the great film buffs at Something Weird Video, you can have “The Ghastly Ones” as part of a Milligan double bill! Congrats to the SW people for keeping this part of movie history alive!

To see ALL of Milligan’s directing madness – and trust me there is plenty of jaw-dropping badness to share, click here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/13/fleshpots-rats-cranium-cleaving-color-meet-andy-milligan-sexploitations-ed-wood/

And if you want to guarantee to clear your house – and I mean fast – then this is the movie for you:

“A young bride, left alone to the lewd passions of an evil dwarf!”

Severin Films is officially going to Hell – and taking you with them – with the DVD release of what may be the sleaziest film in EuroCult history:

Diminutive former kiddie-show host Torben Bille – who looks disturbingly like Jack Black in a trash compactor – stars as a young man who takes a special interest in the female guests at his mother’s boarding house…

Yes, that is Torben Bille – The Sinful Dwarf – who stars as the pint-sized pervert who imprisons drugged teenage sex slaves in the attic of his drunken mother’s decrepit rooming house…and that’s just the first ten minutes!

Poor Anne Sparrow!

Just look at this description from the cover art:

“The delicious Anne Sparrow – in her first and understandably only screen role – co-stars in this towering achievement in graphic depravity, now fully restored from a 35mm print discovered hidden in a janitor’s closet at the Danish Film Institute!”

Anne Sparrow certainly had a good reason NEVER TO ACT AGAIN – in classic euro-sleaze style, she is abducted and abused by our Sinful Dwarf – while her husband naively looks for a job…

Oh, did I mention that his Mom is CRAZY – and yes, she SINGS! Happy Mother’s Day indeed! You will never clean your ears the same way again…

And yes, that’s right – this movie was not only found in a janitor’s closet in Denmark – but they chose not to throw it out!

You will never see a more bizarre film than “The Sinful Dwarf” – and yes, it’s a euro-sleazy as they come…this is grindhouse at its best – or worst!

Put in any of these classic exploitation films and watch the floodgates open and the driveway clear! And by the way, I own all of these films!

Time to celebrate a classic genre of 70′s film, and celebrate two women who not only broke racial barriers by starring in these films, but they scored big at the box office as well!

First up: FOXY BROWN!

Michael Anderson: I don’t know… vigilante justice?
Foxy Brown: It’s as American as apple pie.

Pam Grier IS “Foxy Brown!”

In the 70′s, blaxploitation films were the rage, with such classics as “Shaft”, “The Mack” and “Cotton Comes To Harlem” leading the way…

Cue “Coffy!”

The success of this urban action genre led to a series of hit action films with WOMEN as the stars – breaking a lot of barriers at the same time – and none were bigger than Pam Grier!

Pam Grier burst onto the scene (more in a moment on that) and became a star as “Foxy Brown” – who had attitude, confidence, and street smarts – and she could kick ass when she needed to as well – as “Bobbi” is about to find out!

Bobbie: Listen skinny, before you start talking tough, I’d better warn you I’ve got a black belt in karate. So why don’t you get out of here quietly, while you still got some teeth left in that ugly face?

[Foxy knocks her down with a barstool]

Foxy Brown: And I’ve got MY black belt in barstools!

Here’s The “Foxy Brown” Classic Blaxploitation Trailer!

Here’s the very succinct – and very descriptive – description of “Foxy Brown” on IMDB: “A voluptuous black woman takes a job as a high-class prostitute in order to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.”

“Voluptuous” Indeed!

The Rise Of Pam Grier!

Pam Grier got her start as a “party goer” in “Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls”, but she broke out big in Director Jack Hill’s classic of exploitation, his “women in prison” epic, “The Big Doll House!”

“They Caged Their Bodies – But Not Their Desires!”

These were classic exploitation films that played every drive-in in America – sexy, crude “women in prison” films – a popular genre that made tons of money at a time when exploitation was getting more daring…and Pam Grier stuck out and made a big impression on the crowd!

This sweltering mix of hot young women – angry, violent and mostly naked – in prison was very popular at the time, and Grier used her popularity in this film to go on to star in one of the first “blaxploitation” films of the era, called “Coffy”….

This low budget, violent action film was such a success that a sequel was inevitable. According to director Jack Hill – yes, the genius behind “Big Doll House”, “Foxy Brown” was originally intended to be a sequel to his “Coffy”, and in fact the working title of the film was “Burn, Coffy, Burn!”

However, American-International Pictures decided at the last minute it didn’t want to do a sequel, even though “Coffy” was a huge hit. So a new action star was created, “Foxy Brown!” Pam Grier’s rise to stardom was confirmed, as “Foxy Brown” was a big hit!

Tarantino’s Homage To Pam!

Director Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of Pam Grier and her iconic action status that he made “Jackie Brown” just so she could star in it – and made her a leading lady again!

Pam Grier was the best known “Blaxploitation queen”, but there was another leading lady kicking ass and taking names as well….and her name was:

“Cleopatra Jones!”

Tamara Dobson is “Cleopatra Jones!”

Here’s the story of Tamara Dobson: she was a young actress in Hollywood, with only two small parts to her credit…then, because everyone was looking to take advantage of “Foxy Brown”‘s success, she got cast as the lead in a new action movie – “Cleopatra Jones”! That is the story of Tamara Dobson in a nutshell – a 6′ 2″ model who overnight became one of blaxploitation’s biggest stars!

Here is the trailer for “Cleopatra Jones” starring Tamara Dobson and Oscar Winner Shelley Winters!

Oh as you can tell, Shelley Winters doesn’t just chew up the scenery, she beats the hell of it as well!

There was one sequel, “Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold” – in hindsight, it sounds like an earlier incarnation of an Indiana Jones movie!

Even though “Cleopatra Jones” was a huge hit, Tamara Dobson wasn’t able to capitalize on that – the blaxploitation genre dried up, and she never become a huge star – and unfortunately, Dobson struggled to find roles going forward…sadly, she died in 2006.

“Cleopatra Jones” is a fun, action-packed film with some crazy scenery chewing by Shelley Winters…definitely worth checking out!

If you need more crazy Shelley Winters, try out this story – she was the leader in another 70′s fil genre about crazy old ladies who killed, killed, and killed some more – click on this link to find out all about the wacky genre of “Old Lady Horror”!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/09/old-lady-horror-crazy-ladies-chew-up-the-screen/

Kudos to “Foxy Brown” and “Cleopatra Jones” for showing the world that women could kick ass just a hard as a man! Leave a comment telling me YOUR favorite blaxploitation film!

“What Secrets Are Harbored Within The Sinister Highways Of The Mind?”

Time to celebrate someone who has helped save some of the world’s craziest films!

Sad news to report about the passing of a man who spent his life saving obscure cinema for the world to savor: Mike Vraney, the founder of Something Weird Video, has died. The website has the entire story and a very nice eulogy to Vraney, which you can see here…

http://www.somethingweird.com/

I wanted to share some of the incredible films that Something Weird has saved for future generations, including my favorite “worst movie of all time”…yes, wait for it:

PSYCHED BY THE 4D WITCH!

For that I will ALWAYS be grateful to Vraney, but it speaks to his unique passion for film: he knew that NOBODY would ever let “The Godfather” fade away to obscurity – Vraney focused on the kind of movie that snuck in and out of your local graindhouse theater or drive-in during the 60′s and 70′s, and he decided to keep their spirit alive! How? Well, how about THIS!

“Confessions Of A Psycho Cat!”

“What Secrets Are Harbored Within The Sinister Highways Of The Mind?”

With twisted violence, macabre humor, and lots of gratuitous skin (it was apparently shot as a straight horror film with the nude scenes added a year or two later), CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHO CAT is a delirious, out-of-its-mind instant cult classic, and the scene where Virginia dresses like a toreador to come after “Raging Bull” La Motta is exploitation at its best!

Wait – JAKE LAMOTTA????

Yes, Jake LaMotta!

This is why we need to celebrate Vraney’s efforts!

Here are several of Something Weird’s other masterworks – who else would have thought to keep alive the classic movie madness of:

“DEADLY WEAPONS!”

When Gangsters kill her boyfriend, the eye-popping, excessively endowed Chesty Morgan seeks revenge with two of the most incredible weapons ever seen on the motion picture screen: her 73-inch breasts! Yes, this bizarre sexploitation oddity was directed by Dorish Wishman, and Something Weird has saved many of the Director’s films from obscurity!

Or how about THESE!

Something Weird has the classics from the “Godfathers Of Grime”, Herschell Gordon Lewis and David F. Friedman!

“Nothing So Appalling In The Annals Of Horror!”

Talk about truth in advertising! But I’m having a bit of fun here, because this is considered “The Godfather Of Grime”! In 1964, this film SHOCKED the world with its depiction of bloody violence and sex – take a look at the classic trailer:

Yep, it’s the work of legendary Exploitation Director Herschell Gordan Lewis! Flaunting all movie codes, Lewis made “Blood Feast” for around $50,000 – and it grossed millions! Yes, it’s a lousy movie, but it really blew the doors off grindhouse theaters across the country!

This film was a shocking sensation, thanks to some very clever marketing. Legendary Grindhouse Producer David F. Friedman came up with some very effective publicity stunts for “Blood Feast” which included giving theater goers vomit bags reading:

“You may need this when you see ‘Blood Feast’”!

Lewis went on to make another classic exploitation film:

“Gruesomely Stained In Blood Color!”

The phenomenal success of “Blood Feast” inspired the Director – he also directed the classic “2000 Maniacs” and “Color Me Blood Red!”

“Drenched In Crimson Color!”

Mike Vraney also saved the work of arguably the world’s WORST film maker! And don’t worry, it’s presented:

“In Cranium-Cleaving Color!”

How can you resist a movie that offers this tagline?

The Ghastly Ones!

Check out the “Doctor’s Warning” on the poster – a classic “come on” for the suckers at that time…love it! Now, back to why we are here: “The Ghastly Ones” is one of the world’s WORST exploitation films ever made! Check out this legendarily bad trailer!

Here is the plot: Three married couples spend the night in a Victorian-era house where they start getting killed off by a deranged psycho who’s bent on claiming an inheritance they are all entitled to.

Sure, that’s a servicable plot: but under the Direction of Andy Milligan, it’s a debacle! Here’s a great bit of trivia, thanks to IMDB: In several of the fight scenes of the film, the crew and their cameras and sound equipment are visible.

There are also moments when the director can be heard softly reminding the actors of their lines!

Now THAT”S film making! As one reader on IMDB stated:

“This is an absolutely horrible film in every way possible.”

Now, that’s what it took to get Mike Vraney to save your film – but he may have saved the best of all!

Behold an original drive-in theater ad for the amazingly bad, perfectly chosen by Something Weird video classic:

“Psyched By The 4D Witch!”

Earlier I mentioned this classic film. Well, it’s not so much a “classic movie” as it is a series of b-roll shots with a poorly written narration laid over it…and shots of this actress…

This movie was actually released in movie theaters…with NO synched sound at all, the worst voiceover narration ever recorded, and random footage strung together to fill time…in fact, it was described by Something Weird Video (who was smart enough to release it on DVD) as:

“the most maddening, jaw-dropping, mind-bending piece of celluloid lunacy ever to play American theaters!”

You understand that is EXACTLY why Vraney saved this film – he was passionate about the obscure, often atrocious movies that deserve to be savored by future generations of bad movie lovers!

Once again, congrats to Vraney and the SW team for keeping this part of movie history alive! I plan to honor their work by going to the website and ordering up a few obscure classics to enjoy forever…

RIP Mike! Go check out ALL of his movie – and there are hundred! – by clicking here!

http://www.somethingweird.com/

Time to honor an Actor who has always put it all out there!

Congratulations to Michael Douglas, the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actor…for his amazing portrayal of Liberace in “Behind The Candelabra!”

Michael Douglas has always been an Actor willing to take risks – and never afraid to look like a fool! Need proof?

Sure, it looks like Douglas is having fun, but acting is tough work…I mean, you have to act with SO many people, and you are expected to do SO MANY THINGS:

And if you don’t watch out, you could end up making love to Sharon Stone, Glenn Close AND Demi Moore….like I said, acting is sure TOUGH WORK…

Well, if you are getting it on with these three, then you aren’t just ANY Actor: You are “Mr. Penis”, Michael Douglas! I mean, is there another Actor who let it all hang out for the good of Hollywood?

Well, HELLO MICHAEL!

Time to celebrate Michael Douglas, a great Actor who, in several great films, willingly put himself out there for all to see! They are three great sexploitation classics, all made by major studios…but they are, indeed, “sexploitation” based on what is on display!

Let’s begin with the entry that was oscar-nominated for Best Picture of 1987!

Fatal Attraction

Yes, it’s the “Citizen Kane” of crazy lady movies, and it is easy to forget how effective this movie is as an erotic thriller! And before you scoff, remember that “Fatal Attraction” was nominated for Best Picture of the Year, and Glenn Close was nominated for Best Actress among its many nominations! It was the second highest grossing film of 1987, and Alex and I can watch it over and over and over…because Glenn Close is so good, and Michael Douglas is so stupid – and they both let it all hang out!

“Are you….discreet?”

Happily married New York lawyer Dan Callagher has an affair with his colleague Alex, and the two enjoy a wild weekend of sex while Dan’s wife and kid are out of town.

Of course, Michael Douglas sees it as just a bit of fun, and boy do we see them having some fun fun fun! Good old Michael shows a lot of flesh – as does Glenn Close, as they do it every way they can all over her apartment building…

But an increasingly unhinged Alex will not let go of him, and she will stop at nothing to have him for herself. You know the rest – after a bit more sex, things get bloody…

Dan Gallagher: [to Alex] This has got to stop.
Alex Forrest: [to Dan] This is not gonna stop. It keeps going on and on.

“Fatal Attraction” is a movie full of intense erotic scenes with Douglas, who is always willing to step up for the good of the movie…and Glenn Close puts it all out there as well – much like Sharon Stone did in Douglas’s next notorious sex thriller:

Basic Instinct!

Without a doubt the most controversial movie of 1992, and one of the most notorious Hollywood films of the last 30 years – you know, because of THIS scene:

Sharon Stone cemented her place in Hollywood history with this memorable “show and tell” during her police interrogation…immediately turning the cops into a bunch of drooling idiots…

AND THE LEGEND GROWS!

According to Sharon Stone, director Paul Verhoeven asked her to remove her underwear for the leg-crossing scene, as he said they were too bright and reflected at the camera. Stone agreed to do so under the assumption that her genitals weren’t visible. It was only at an early preview that Stone discovered Verhoeven chose to use this specific shot. Stone was mainly cross with Verhoeven for not discussing the matter with her beforehand, but decided to let the scene go without changes, as she felt this conformed with her movie character.

However, Verhoeven’s version of the conflict is that he told Stone beforehand about the leg-crossing shot, as it was important for showing Catherine Tramell’s free-spirited nature and her constant drive to toy with people. Stone was reportedly excited about the idea and shot the scene. However, during the early preview, her agents supposedly disproved of the scene, fearing it would harm her future career. According to Verhoeven, Stone radically changed her mind about the shot and demanded that he remove it, which he ultimately refused.

It remains one of Hollywood’s most memorable scenes. And “Basic Instinct” was one of the most controversial films as well. A former rock star, Johnny Boz, is brutally killed during sex, and the case is assigned to detective Nick Curran of the SFPD. Michael Douglas is perfect as the cop with a secret past who is also sex-obsessed…and of course, Douglas bares it all over and over again…

So choreographed were the sex scenes that Sharon Stone referred to herself and Michael Douglas as “the horizontal Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of the ’90s”!

There is non-stop sex and violence in this film, and it is to the credit of all involved that they performed ALL of it!

Go, Michael Go!

There aren’t that many Actors willing to put it all out there the way Douglas did. Whether you like, love or LOATHE “Basic Instinct”, it was another example of Michael Douglas putting it all out there and not being afraid to look like a fool…

Full “Disclosure”!

Finally, Michael Douglas proved willing to get down and dirty with Demi Moore in the high tech erotic thriller “Disclosure!”

Michael Douglas willingly steps forward to portray a software tech who is seduced by a former co-worker…but now, she has more devious ideas behind her sexual advances…

You have to admire Douglas for being willing to stare Demi Moore IN THE BREASTS…but it’s just one of a number of intense sexual encounters designed to put his entire career at risk…

Of course, there is much more to the story – Alex and I love this movie because it’s ridiculous, erotic, well written and just plain fun…and kudos to Demi Moore for her performance as well….

As always, Michael Douglas is willing to be a food led along by a woman suing her sexual charms…that’s a common denominator in all three films: the women are the proactive, confident sexual creatures, and Michael Douglas is a fool who gets what he has coming for being a stupid guy!

So kudos to Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone and Glenn Close – and kudos to everyone involved in these great erotic thrillers!

“I DO IT FOR KICKS – AND I PLAN TO GET SOME!”

Now how can you not LOVE a movie that has a goal like that! Welcome to the world of the “Psycho Cat!”

“Confessions Of A Psycho Cat!”

If someone ever asked you, “hey, how wacky and offbeat WERE those early sexploitation movies anyway?” – well, here is your answer – take a look at this trailer:

What a classic piece of exploitation! Here’s the plot: A deranged, wealthy woman offers $100,000 to three men if they can stay alive for 24 hours in Manhattan, and then hunts them down. Here are the three losers as they wait in a room filled with dead, stuffed animals…

The “Raging Bull” Himself!

Boxer Jake LaMotta – yes, the “Raging Bull” himself – plays one of the three men who accept the bet – and he does a pretty good job in the movie!

LaMotta plays a washed-up wrestler, who accepts the Psycho Cat’s challenge, shouting at her:

“You don’t have a chance. I get in close, I’ll break you in half!”

Each of the three men wait for a notification that their “hunt” has begun, and then the “Psycho Cat” proceeds to stalk them through the city of New York, which allows for a lot of interesting b-roll from that era…as one of them tries to hide out in Central Park…

Two Movies For The Price Of One!

One of the unique aspects of “Confessions Of A Psycho Cat” is the “two movies in one” aspect of the film – it is a straightforward thriller, as each of the three men is hunted down by the crazed psycho cat…

But the film also has lengthy orgy scenes, all from a “party” that one of our victims shows up at – but for the most part, the nude scenes have nothing to do with the rest of the film…it was clearly a way to force nudity and sexual situations into the movie…and the film goes back to the party over and over again to show people making out and disrobing…

Another way this “two movies in one” shows itself again is in a bizarre sequence involving Jake LaMotta, as he sits in his apartment waiting for the “psycho cat” to arrive…

After making a phone call, he begins to argue with someone – it turns out to be this woman, who is shown supposedly sitting on a bed in the same room…

But here’s the thing: LaMotta and the woman are NEVER shown in the same shot – and after sitting like this on the bed for a moment, she takes her top off and delivers this classic sexploitation monologue:

“What you bring me up here for anyway? All you’re doing is reading that silly little paper. I came up here to have some fun. What’s the matter? Don’t you like me? (Takes off bra and examines her breasts) I never had any complaints before. Can’t you tell I’m a girl? I think I look pretty good. I think you’re putting me down. I’m sexy and that’s what I came up here for…sex!”

And then she makes out with the mirror! It’s a truly bizarre sequence, and after french kissing the mirror for a minute – topless the entire time – she storms out of the room, never seen in the same frame as LaMotta, so clearly this nude scene was filmed afterwards to add more nudity and sexual situations to the film!

“What Secrets Are Harbored Within The Sinister Highways Of The Mind?”

As Something Weird describes it: “With twisted violence, macabre humor, and lots of gratuitous skin (it was apparently shot as a straight horror film with the nude scenes added a year or two later), CONFESSIONS OF A PSYCHO CAT is a delirious, out-of-its-mind instant cult classic!”

And they are right in every way!

A Mind-Blowing Spanish Matador Battle!

You need more proof that this is a “sexploitation classic?” Well, here is one last moment to savor: the ultimate battle between “Psycho Cat” and “Raging Bull!”

Yes, “Psycho Cat” dresses like a toreador to come after “Raging Bull” La Motta in a bizarre action sequence that encapsulates everything that makes “Psycho Cat” exploitation at its best!”

Kudos once again to Something Weird Video – thanks for keeping cult cinema alive! And, to read about the man who founded this company, here is my appreciation of the late Mike Vraney:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/07/something-weird-wild-wild-cinema-celebrating-a-weird-genius-rip-mike-vraney/

“Down Boy, Down!”

A friend “just knew” that a movie called “Zombeavers” was just the film for me – that’s right, Randy, it IS the kind of film I love to share – because it’s extreme – and extremely goofy!

“Zombeavers!”

Yes, there is a new film that captures the fury of mother nature – IF Mother Nature was a Beaver!
The title tells you all you really need to know, but the trailer reinforces the fun they have in store for you!

Here’s the plot: a bunch of kids go to a cabin in the woods and have a big party – and then they all decide to go swimming in the lake outside….

And the zombie-infused Beavers eat them. Got it? Well, of course you do, it’s just the latest in a long line of wacky, bloody “animals eat people” movies…

A History Of Bad Animals!

This genre is seeing a resurgence now, thanks to camp movies like – you guessed it, the phenomenon that is “Sharknado”…

This campy movie genre actually got its start in the 50′s, as America needed a break from the cold war – and moviegoers found just what they needed when nuclear-mutated giant Ants began to attack…

“Cue The Frogs!”

In the 70′s, campy classic like “Frogs” continued the mayhem…

And recently, the trend is back, thanks in part to a popular remake of a classic 70′s horror film…which was itself a campy homage to “Jaws”…bring on the piranha!

“Beer, sun, and naked honeys making out under water!”

Well, that is what “Switchblade Romance” director Alexandra Aja promised when he remake the 70′s camp classic “Piranha!” And he delivered, too!

And of COURSE it would be in 3D, so you could “appreciate” everything the movie had to offer – and it did, a funny, sexy and bloody good time!

I love ALL of these films – and look forward to seeing the campy fun of “Zombeavers” as well – keep it up, wacky movie makers! Let the animals roam!

Time To Kick Some Naked Ninja Ass!

If you are reading this, you are not only ready to “go ninja”, but you want to see the movies that do it best! Well, you’ve come to the right place!

From Naked Ninja To Killer Dwarves!

How often do you find an acclaimed film Director who goes from naked female yakusas to killer dwarfs? Well, the answer is simple:

The answer is: ALL THE TIME IN JAPAN!

Female Yakuza Tale!

Teruo Ishii is the Director to celebrate right now – I mean, let’s look at the kind of crazy movies he gave us – starting with “Female Yakuza Tale!”

The full name of the film is “Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture” and it’s a classic Japanese sexploitation film from the early 70′s: lots of blood, sex and nudity – and a plot that is seemingly repeated in film after film:

A young woman is abused and seeks bloody revenge. Yep, that does it!

Teruo Ishii directed the film, which was a sequel to director Norifumi Suzuki’s “Sex & Fury”, which was made earlier the same year.

These are considered two of the classic Japanese “pinky” films of the 70′s.

Both have lots of nudity, sex and blood…all of it the result of a sharp sword! One thing that has helped “Sex & Fury” maintain a higher profile is the addition of European “Artsploitation” star, Christina Lindberg!

Click HERE for the story of “Sex & Fury” – and Christina Lindberg!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/05/31/mutant-girls-pinky-violence-sex-fury-and-lady-snowblood-too-japanese-sexploitation-lives/

Now, Time For A “Blind Beast!”

Time to celebrate this Director’s final film!

Blind Beast Vs. Killer Dwarf!

Director Tereo Ishii faded from view in the 80′s, working mostly in TV. However, his final movie has now been released – with much fanfare!

BANNED FOR TWO YEARS! LEGENDARY DIRECTOR TERUO ISHII’S FINAL DISTURBING MASTERPIECE!

“Teruo Ishii is a fantastic director, a great director! I love Teruo Ishii.” – QUENTIN TARANTINO

When prolific Japanese Cult Director Teruo Ishii passed away in 2005, his final film “BLIND BEAST VS. KILLER DWARF” became his epitaph – and let’s face it – he chose a CRAZY WAY TO GO!

Check out this trailer!

This film stands as the culmination of his life’s work and includes the bizarre and shocking excesses that one can come to expect from the director of “FEMALE YAKUZA TALE”: naked Japanese girls and lots of blood!

Throw into the mix the deranged, depraved and deformed and you’re starting to get the picture – this is a movie that set out to break all the rules – and did!

Borne of a lifelong obsession with the writings of Edogawa Rampo, PANIK HOUSE film releasing is calling Teruo Ishii ‘s swan song “a veritable circus of the insane!”

The press release makes a bold promise: “PANIK HOUSE is proud to present BLIND BEAST VS. KILLER DWARF in the director’s final, approved edition –sparing none of its macabre sex or over-the-top violence!”

I for one cannot wait to see it!

Time To Settle A Beef – With Beef!

If you know who Beef is, then you will be thrilled to hear about a terrific new special edition of Beef’s movie! It is, as the movie trailer proclaims:

“A Cinematic Odyssey Through The Rock Universe!”

Yes, welcome to the brilliance that is:

Phantom Of The Paradise!

This is one of my 5 favorite films EVER. It is Director Brian DePalma’s musical masterpiece, a re-telling of “Phantom Of The Opera”, set in the world of rock’n'roll. And it is SO great…it is also one of the most neglected classics of the 70′s – until now…

Here is the trailer:

“Our love is an old love baby, it’s older than all our years….”

The music in “Phantom Of The Paradise” is terrific – a great mix of musical styles that both lampoon – and honor – the musical styles of the 70′s. When my wife Alex and I got married, our first dance was to a song from this film, called “Old Souls.” Here is this beautiful ballad, sung by Actress Jessica Harper, with a montage from the film as well….

Brilliant Music From Oscar-Winner Paul Williams!

That gorgeous ballad was written by the brilliant songwriter Paul Williams, who is a celebrated singer/songwriter – Williams took home the Oscar just a few years later for his song “Evergreen”, from “A Star Is Born” – Barbara Streisand’s re-telling of the classic Hollywood tale!

Paul Williams not only wrote the entire “Phantom” motion picture soundtrack, but he stars in “Phantom” as well!

More on Williams in a moment, but first, a quick recap of the brilliant “Phantom Of The Paradise”!

Paul Williams stars as the mysterious Record producer “Swan” – who steals both the music and the girl from composer Winslow Leach. The disgraced and disfigured Leach plans revenge on Swan and his rock palace, The Paradise, and becomes “The Phantom”.

William Finley stars as Winslow Leach, a talented yet naive songwriter who falls in love with young singer Phoenix, played by Jessica Harper. After being betrayed by “Swan”, “The Phantom” begins to terrorize the Paradise. But there is a deal to be struck: Swan promises to make Phoenix a star if “The Phantom” writes all her music…

Winslow quickly learns there is more to Swan than meets the eye – the moment he has to sign his “lifetime” contact:

Swan: [holding a contract] It’s all here. Read it carefully, then sign at the bottom in blood. Messy, I know, but it’s the only way to bind. Tradition.

Swan: Ink isn’t worth anything to me, Winslow.

The film is a hilarious sendup of the 70′s music scene, as well as a bit of a horror film, and a poignant love story also. The musical soundtrack is full of great pop culture references, and the movie is brilliantly directed by Brian DePalma, whose next film was another of his many masterpieces, “Carrie”.

“Phantom” Danger!

The movie is a terrific musical and a wicked send-up of the music industry. In one scene, Winslow breaks into a record pressing plant to get his music back…to near fatal results…

Great IMDB Trivia!

According to the website IMDB, the record press that disfigures “The Phantom” was a real pressing plant (it was an injection-molding press at an Ideal Toy Co. plant). Actor William Finley was worried about whether the machine would be safe, and the crew assured that it was. The press was fitted with foam pads, and there were chocks put in the center to stop it from closing completely. Unfortunately, the machine was crushed the chocks and kept closing! It was Finley’s speed and timing that saved him from being hurt, as he got his head out just in time. And his scream in the scene was real!

All Hail The Majesty Of “BEEF”!

Garrit Graham is hilarious in the film as “Beef”, the singer that Swan secretly plans to feature in the opening of The Paradise. “Beef” quickly realizes something is wrong, and wants out – especially when The Phantom visits him in his dressing room in a spot on, classic parody of Hitchcock’s shower scene from “Psycho.”

This is one of the film’s many classic highlights, made all the more enjoyable by the over-the-top performance by Graham:

Beef: “There really is a phantom. He was just in my shower. He threatened my life. He said his music was for Phoenix. Only she can sing it. Anyone else who tries, dies.”

Needless to say, but Beef was right!

The film is full of great songs that parody everyone from The Beach Boys to David Bowie and Kiss – but strangely, “Phantom Of The Paradise” was a box office bomb when it was released – but thanks to home video, it has become re-discovered as one of DePalma’s masterpieces…really worth buying, because as the tour manager says bitterly to someone waiting in line for the show:

“THIS CREEP GETS NO COMPS!”

Arrow Films Hits A Bullseye!

Take a look at what Arrow films has done with “Phantom Of The Paradise” – an amazing new “Steelbook” release full of terrific extras!

You can read all about the release by going to the company’s website here:

http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/phantom-of-the-paradise-steelbook/

Here is a look at what they have to offer fans:

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Limited Edition Steelbook packaging
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the feature, available in the UK for the first time!
Uncompressed Stereo PCM / 4.0 DTS-HD Master Audio options
Isolated Music and Effects soundtrack
Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
Paradise Regained: A 50-minute documentary on the making of the film featuring director Brian De Palma, producer Edward R. Pressman, the late star William Finley, star and composer Paul Williams, co-stars Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham and more!

Guillermo del Toro’s Paul Williams Interview!

And look at this! There is a new 72-minute interview with Paul Williams by Director Guillermo del Toro! How cool is that…and there is more included as well…

The Swan Song Fiasco: A new video piece exploring the changes made to the film in post-production
Archive interview with costume designer Rosanna Norton
William Finley on the Phantom doll!
Paradise Lost and Found: Alternate takes and bloopers from the cutting room floor
Original Trailers
Radio Spots

Gallery of rare stills including behind-the-scenes images by photographer Randy Black
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Red Dress
Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth and an
exploration of the film’s troubled marketing history by Ari Kahan, curator of SwanArchives.org, illustrated with original stills and promotional material.

What an amazing collection – I cannot wait for a US release! I mean, you don’t want to make Swan angry…

Paul Williams Still Alive!

And click here to read all about an amazing documentary all about Paul Williams:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/11/16/paul-williams-still-alive-phantom-of-the-paradise-soundtrack-of-the-70s/

A fantastic story about a truly gifted Artist….

William Finley RIP!

And if you want to read more about the star of “Phantom”, character Actor William Finley, here is an appreciation of his life:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/04/16/the-phantom-is-gone-an-appreciation-of-william-finley/

And congrats to Arrow films for a great new release!

When Do You Know A Movie Is A Classic? Hint: When It Comes With THIS:

Enough with the Oscar winners: time to have fun with the “other” classic films! That’s right: imagine a movie SO SHOCKING, SO UNSETTLING, that the film makers offered up a vomit bag for your own protection! Well, the movie did offer this scene:

“Hold Your Tongue, Indeed!”

This 1970 film was notorious for scenes of torture – and much was made of the film’s most disgusting elements – if you aren’t familiar with this film, you have missed out on a “euro-sleaze” classic!

Here is the trailer:

“Rated V For Violence!”

“Mark Of The Devil” advertised itself as the first film “rated V for violence!” There was no such thing, but a great tag line, huh? In reality, the film was a standard horror movie from Germany, looking back at the witch trials that terrorized Europe. There was plenty of blood and torture – which was the main aspect of the film’s promotion…

“Mark Of The Devil” was just one of many movies that used this form of promotion – for example, “When The Screaming Stops” also came with a vomit bag – but remember, “DO NO RE-USE!”!

This was a funny gimmick to drive awareness for a film, and it worked! The early exploitation classic “Blood Feast” was the first in a long line of exploitation movies that promised far more than moviegoers had ever seen before, and it was also the first to offer a vomit bag:

When the films were advertised in newspapers – and even in the trailer – much was made of the unprecedented violence in the films, so much blood that the audience needed to be warned! And the hits kept on coming – even movies with virtually NO gore at all, like “Tomb Of The Blind Dead”!

“Death Stop Holocaust” – WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

And what about this film – I’ve never heard of it, but the vomit bag was MANDATORY!

Oh, based on the bag the movie was banned in 47 countries! Well, that explains why I missed it…

“Throw Up” Too…

And for the film “Bad Taste”, they didn’t offer vomits bags, they just called it the way they saw it, and gave out “throw up” bags!

“Check, Please!”

And how about this, a claim check that will allow you to come back for another screening if the film make you pass out!

These are all hilarious movie gimmicks, and they worked too, because “Mark Of The Devil” was a big grindhouse hit…let me know if you saw it, and if you needed the bag!

Hurray To The King Of “Scum!”

Much credit for these shenanigans must go to legendary exploitation Producer David F. Friedman, known for his crazy gimmicks to drive audiences wild!

Friedman had an angle for everything: he was the Producer of a multitude of great sexploitaiton classics of the 60′s and 70′s, like this gem:

To read how Friedman managed to lure audiences into films like “Scum Of The Earth”, click on the whole story right here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/27/nudie-cuties-a-swallow-of-brine-the-defilers-meet-the-producer-of-scum/

And then read all about his career by getting his hilariously revealing autobiography as well – and kudos to the genius behind “A Smell Of Honey, A Swallow Of brine!”

And let’s not forget who is keeping the spirit of independent cinema alive – with their latest movie in theaters and soon to be unleashed on blu-ray!

That’s right, Troma President and great filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman is back with his latest “Tromasterpiece” – read all about it here!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/02/11/tromas-top-ten-the-tromatic-classics-unveiled/

Make sure you support Troma by purchasing “Return To The Class Of Nuke ‘em High Pt. 1″ when it is released on blu-ray – it keeps independent cinema alive – and you get a great movie to boot!

Time To Celebrate Lina Romay Again!

The late Lina Romay was one of exploitation’s biggest stars. She began appearing in Director Jess Franco’s films from the time they met in 1971. They eventually married and she made more than a hundred films, most of them directed by Franco.

The majority of their films together were in the sexploitation category, as well as horror, comedy and action/adventure as well.

Among the most famous of her cult horror movies are “Female Vampire” and “Barbed Wire Dolls.” With more than a hundred films, it can be difficult to find the best ones, but I am here to help!

Kudos To Severin Films!

Because of the dedicated effort of a few great home video companies, some of Romay’s best movies are now available – including this notorious, controversial classic!

The Hot Nights Of Linda!

Jess Franco’s legendary sexploitation classic is finally unearthed, thanks to Severin Films! The Director’s wife, Lina Romay, stars in one of her larger roles for him – and among the most notorious! And the blu-ray release is full of great additional material!

Here is the plot: A young woman is hired to care for an elderly man who lives on an island off the Greek coast. When she arrives there the man warns her that his daughters are evil and dangerous. The woman discovers that one of the daughters is a crazed nymphomaniac who pursues, and seduces, everyone in the house, including her crippled sister.

A Barcelona Bordello Discovery!

According to Severin, the film is restored from a 35mm print discovered in a Barcelona bordello! I don’t care how they found it, I’m just glad they did, as it is loaded with Bonus Features and presented in high definition for the first time ever in America!

Blu-Ray Bonuses!

Look at all of the bonus material included in this release:

Hot Nights – an exclusive Interview with director Jess Franco;
Jess and Lina talk LINDA – Exclusive Interview with Director Jess Franco and Star Lina Romay; Fantasticfest Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to Jess Franco;
NIGHTMARE USA/BEYOND TERROR Author Stephen Thrower on LINDA;
Out-takes from the film and of course, the Trailer for the movie…

BUT THERE IS MORE…..

The Notorious “French” Version!

The blu-ray is a three disc effort – the film on blu-ray, on DVD, and a third disc, with the notorious “alternate banana” version of the film – the french cut, which is completely uncensored!

Again, kudos to Severin Films – what a great job! I recently posted about another classic sexploitation film they released in an elaborate package as well – “House On Straw Hill”:

Check out “House On Straw Hill” by clicking on the link here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/10/14/house-on-straw-hill-video-nasties-documentary-great-blu-ray-release/

And check out everything Severin has to offer by going to their website:

http://www.severin-films.com/

And, here is some additional information about legendary Sexploitation filmmaker Jess Franco:

Franco’s themes often revolved around lesbian vampires, women in prison, surgical horror, sadomasochism, zombies and sexploitation – and were drenched in blood…

Franco’s films were notorious at the time – and in many cases they were censored or banned – and of course, many starred his wife, Lina Romay.

He managed to write and direct around 160 motion pictures in his lifetime, encompassing a wide swath of different genres, with practically no financial backing available.

Franco and Romay worked together for decades – it is a fascinating story, and includes movies that are notorious, controversial, and wacky beyond belief!

Here is a look at two of their best efforts!

The “Naked” Prey!

“Countess Perverse” and “Lorna The Exorcist” are wacky, bizarre films that must be seen to be believed! “Countess” is basically a “extremely naked” version of “The Naked Prey”, while “Lorna” is a classic european shocker that is only a little bit about Exorcists, but includes one of the greatest closing scenes of all time!

To read about these two classic Lina Romay films, just click on my story here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/02/17/countess-perverse-lorna-the-exorcist-jess-francos-naked-masterpieces/

You will never look at cinema the same way again!

We all know the obvious: Female Ninjas Kick ASS!

I have posted before about one of the WILDEST film genres today: Japanese exploitation movies, known in Japan as:

“J-Sploitation!”

Get to know this name, it will never let you down!

This unique form of japanese exploitation movie looks closely at the various aspects of the country’s culture, especially its treatment of young women. Therefore, many of the films deal with school girls who are abused, and the movies document their ultimate revenge against the men who abused them…and yes, in some cases it involves specially mutated body parts that turn these young women into robotic killers!

As I said, this genre of film is really CRAZY: lots of over the top action, bloodshed, and more action! Let’s get started!

Mutant Girls Squad!

Talk about a kick ass groups of girls!

Action, comedy and splatter: times three! For the first time ever, Japanese cult filmmakers Noboru Iguchi (Robo-Geisha, The Machine Girl), Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl) and Tak Sakaguchi (Death Trance, Versus, Yoroi: Samurai Zombie) have joined forces to bring you three times the heart-pounding action, three times the jaw-dropping comedy and three times the head-exploding splatter of your average action / horror / comedy film!

Just watch the trailer – and you will understand!

So you get the idea: “Mutant Girls Squad” is an outrageously bloody, violent, and hilarious take on gender warfare! It’s just one of the long list of classic “j=sploitation” movies available now! Here are a few more of the outrageous films coming to us from Japan’s twisted Horror masters!

More Iconic “J-Sploitation!” It’s “Tokyo Gore Police!”

I call this the “Citizen Kane” of J-sploitation…”Tokyo Gore Police” has to be seen to be believed!

Set in a future-world vision of Tokyo where the police have been privatized and bitter self-mutilation is so casual that advertising is often specially geared to the “cutter” demographic, this is the story of samurai-sword-wielding Ruka and her mission to avenge her father’s assassination.

Ruka is a cop from a squad who’s mission is to destroy homicidal mutant humans known as “engineers” possessing the ability to transform any injury to a weapon in and of itself. “Tokyo Gore Police” was shot and completed in just two weeks, but you’d never know by the insane level of special effects work done…

Also, look at some of the creatures that Nishimura created, using the plot line that humans can transform any injury into a weapon…and they transform in amazingly disturbing ways in the film…

The film’s most iconic, and disturbing image involves one such radical transformation….

Yes, this is disturbing…But as I explained in the film’s description, “Tokyo Gore Police” is more than just bloodshed and unsettling creatures…the film tackles social issues like “cutting”, an epidemic in Japan…

And as I said, the imagery is so over-the-top that the scenes are more fascinating than revolting, and the film has a storyline that never slows down for a second:

Here are some of the other films I have talked about in the past – such as this classic!

“Zombie Ass: Toilet Of The Dead!”

<img src="http://johnrieber.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/japanese-sexploitaiton.jpg" alt="japanese sexploitaiton" width="640"

Yes, the movie lives up to its title! Here is the trailer:

“We are going to flush you! The most crap-tastic zombie movie ever to emerge from Japan’s cinema sewer is finally upon us, and it’s from the twisted mind of cinematic madman and legendary ass-fetishist Noboru Iguchi, creator of THE MACHINE GIRL, ROBO-GEISHA and KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR!”

The terrific Japanese Director Iguchi has created a splatter comedy guaranteed to warm the bowels of those with the stomach for it… while more sensitive viewers may want to plug their noses and flee in disgust!

Wracked with guilt over the suicide of her sister Ai, who was tormented by high school bullies, pretty young karate student Megumi accompanies a group of older friends on a trip into the woods.

Things start to go badly when Maki finds a parasitical worm inside a fish they catch – and wolfs it down alive, in the hope that it’ll help keep her skinny! And then… zombies!

The group is attacked by a crowd of poop-covered undead who emerge from an outhouse toilet, and seek refuge at the home of strange Dr. Tanaka and his daughter Sachi. But unbeknownst to them, Tanaka has been conducting experiments on the parasites – and the zombies! – and has another fate in mind for the five strangers from the city.

So much drama! So much violence! So MANY Zombies! And the question on everyone’s mind is this: What’s the connection between the parasites and the undead?

The Liberating Power Of Farts!

This is what makes J-sploitation so unique – this plot asks the question: can Megumi’s karate alone help them escape, or will she have to rely on the liberating power of farts to save the day?

Now, time to celebrate Hollywood’s classic monsters – done in a unique “j-sploitation” style!

Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl

The deranged genius behind “Tokyo Gore Police” is back with a chilling new flick that’s re-writing the hallowed history of the horror genre. “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” is the terrifying story of two classic monsters re-imagined as super hot – and extremely lethal – Japanese school girls.

Gore reigns supreme in this “blood-cake cavalcade of carnage” – which was chosen as the winner of the Audience Award at the 2009 NY Asian Film Festival.

Fan boys and movie blogs are already buzzing over this bloodbath du jour, and aficionados of psychedelic blood-filled chocolates, mad scientist principals, sumo wrestlers from hell, and sex-crazed school nurses are guaranteed to lose their heads over this old school splatter-fest.

This film isn’t quite as cohesive to me as some of the others, but once again you see a Director who is going to throw everything he has into making this an over-the-top gore fest, and for that you should be thankful.

Here’s another example of the “j-sploitation” trend to focus on school girls:

Attack Girls Swim Team Vs. The Undead – AKA “The Girls Rebel Force of Competitive Swimmers”.

How can you argue with a movie with this title!

Here is the plot: Aki is a student with a troubled past. She was kept prisoner and abused by an enigmatic professor and trained to be an assassin. She had just transferred to a school at the worst possible time. There’s a mysterious virus in the school and students and teachers are being rounded up to receive a vaccine to counter the virus. However, the very same vaccine supposed to protect them from infection is actually a drug that turns everyone to flesh-eating zombies!

You will see more nudity in this movie than in most of the others, as well as plenty of bloodshed. Who could ask for more?

Time to get out of the pool and back into action!

The Machine Girl.

Ami is a typical college girl. She’s bright, friendly, popular and athletic, with nothing to set her apart from other girls her age other than the fact that she is an orphan, left to care for her younger brother after her father committed suicide after being falsely accused of murder. Ami’s brother has racked up a considerable debt to another boy at school, and that boy just happens to be the heir to a clan of vicious ninja-yakuza. Ami’s brother can’t pay, violence breaks out and in the course of trying to avenge her brother, Ami is captured by the clan. They torture her and hack her arm right off.

Ami escapes, barely alive, and is taken in by the owners of a machine shop who build her a customized, bullet-spewing arm. From that point, the quest for revenge is on in earnest.

Don’t worry, “The Machine Girl” delivers on every single thing you want: bloodshed, exploitation, and REVENGE!

As you can now see, these films begin and end in a similar way: young Japanese women are treated horribly by men, and they find a way, usually with scientific modifications, to exact revenge…bloody bloody revenge! Since there isn’t a single guy in these films worth rooting for, you can’t wait for the next act of revenge to occur, and trust me, they occur PLENTY.

To get a regular dose of this – and other exploitation mayhem, just click on to my website devoted to the world’s wildest cinema!

http://jrsploitation.com/

Enjoy!

Remember when you first saw THIS?

There are images from films that stay with you forever…and perhaps no movie has ever included more of these shocking images than “The Exorcist.”

I have been asked several times about what I consider to be the most shocking films ever made: in terms of raw power and brilliant film making, the 70′s had a number of them: “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange” are two of the best examples:

Both films were considered controversial movies at the time…but brilliant as well: in fact, both “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange” were nominated for Best Picture.

Another extreme and controversial movie is the complete uncut “Straw Dogs”, which is also considered a masterpiece.

What makes these movies so controversial? The often taboo subject matter of course, especially in the context of their time. They all showed things on film that were beyond the pale at that point in time. I will never forget the shock when Dustin Hoffman sheds his pacifist skin and takes up arms against his enemies in “Straw Dogs” – in shockingly violent ways….

This sudden explosion of violence is not only shocking, it’s the moment when the audience is forced to take sides, and accept violence as a suitable – and as the film advocates – “necessary” alternative to peace…

And of course, the shocking rape scene is one of the most uncomfortable moments ever captured in film…Director Sam Peckinpah knew it would shock the audience, and it also traumatized Actress Susan George…

The film ends with an orgy of violence – including her chance to get revenge on those men who assaulted her…

These movies had shocking imagery, adult themes, and taboo subject matter – they pushed buttons and outraged censors.

“A Clockwork Orange” was nominated for Best Picture of 1971. The movie’s critical acclaim didn’t lessen its controversial nature, however. Shortly after the film’s release, Director Stanley Kubrick was shaken by an incident of “copycat violence” in his native England.

Kubrick asked Warner Brothers to withdraw the film from British distribution, disliking the allegation that the film was responsible for copycat violence in real life. The film went unseen in England for decades.

If you want to read all about Oscar’s X-Rated fixation, check out my post HERE:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/07/x-rated-butter-cowboys-droogs-oscars-x-flirtation/

Even today, Malcolm McDowell’s look in the film is iconic. And who can forget this image from “The Exorcist?”

In the decades since, there have been many shocking films released – many without artistic merit, but some that are challenging AND worthwhile…and I am going to discuss three recent examples now.

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

I have to admit up front that some of you SHOULDN’T read this post: I am discussing three of the most shocking, extreme films ever released. There are many more of course, some of which (Irreversible, Anti-Christ, Trouble Every Day, The Human Centipede) I have written about in other posts. You might find these movies simply too extreme for your taste, and that is understandable.

However, for those who are adventurous, and willing to understand that some stories are told in an extreme way FOR AN ARTISTIC PURPOSE – whether they are easy to watch or not, then this post is for you.

Here are two of the most shocking and controversial films ever released to mainstream audiences – both can be found on DVD – they were theatrically released, and most importantly: they received rave reviews alongside with harsh criticism – they are controversial and polarizing, yet they are artistic statements with as many supporters as detarctors – and they are shocking.

Martyrs – 2008

This shocking French film is part of what is called “the new French extremism”. There are other examples, but this one has an ending that is both shocking and intellectual…Here is the original French trailer, which is GRAPHIC:

Here is the plot: Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her oppressors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna, who also suffered abuse, she quickly descends, without hope, into madness and her own delusions.

The story of Anna and Lucie soon turns from one of revenge into something MUCH darker…

Mademoiselle: “Lucie was only a victim. Like all the others. It’s so easy to create a victim, young lady, so easy. You lock someone in a dark room. They begin to suffer. You feed that suffering. Methodically, systematically and coldly. And make it last. Your subject goes through a number of states. After a while, their trauma; that small, easily opened crack, makes them see things that don’t exist.”

“Martyrs” begins as a revenge action film, then abruptly shifts into a philosophical discussion of what is, in fact, a “martyr”…

Mademoiselle: “Martyrs are exceptional people. They survive pain, they survive total deprivation. They bear all the sins of the earth. They give themselves up. They transcend themselves… they are transfigured.”

The film was categorized as a new example of new era French horror films with regards to the level of violence it depicts. Others, such as “Inside” and “High Tension” (AKA Switchblade Romance) also break new ground in graphic imagery.

Todd Brown at Twitch called Martyrs “without a doubt the single most divisive film to screen in the Cannes Marche Du Film this year”.

It is a tough viewing experience, and haunting in many ways….

WARNING!

LAST CHANCE TO TURN AROUND!

Now it’s time to discuss what is, without a doubt, in my opinion the most extreme film that has ever been theatrically released…you have been WARNED.

A Serbian Film – 2010

First, here is the official US trailer – again, the trailer, like the film, is VERY GRAPHIC:

Every few years a movie is released that polarizes EVERYONE – so rough, so beyond the pale, that it prompts calls for legislative action – and in this case, prompted a Film Festival Executive to be ARRESTED simply for showing the film.

Here is the plot of “A Serbian Film”: In Serbia, the retired porn star Milos is married to wife Marija and they have a little son, Peter, that is their pride and joy.

The family is facing financial difficulties, but out of the blue, Milos is offered a job in an art film. Milos is introduced to the director Vukmir, who offers a millionaire contract to act in the film.

However, Vukmir will neither show the screenplay or tell the story of the film to Milos. He must accept it sight unseen. Milos discuss the proposal with Marija and he signs the contract. But soon he finds that Vukmir and his crew are involved in sick snuff films of pedophilia, necrophilia and torture – and Milos has to find a way to protect his family and save himself.

Here is how one Critic described the film: “‘A Serbian Film’ is an metaphor standing for the writers perception of Serbian government; how they are puppeteers; controlling everything around them. They deliberately showed their metaphor in an extreme way; to emphasize their opinion.”

A Meditation On A Police State…

In the press notes director Srdjan Spasojevic is quoted as saying “this is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government. It’s about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do”. Taking place in a country that lives in the shadow of The Yugoslav Wars, the film’s metaphorical representation of the Serbian government and its nation during that time is not only apparent in the story but is overtly referenced in some dialogue passages (“Vukmir! Sounds like a name of one of our guys at the Hague tribunal”).

I agree the film is a metaphor – an extremely powerful one at that…but WOW! – this is simply the most shocking, controversial film ever released to mainstream theaters…Look at what has happened upon release:

The Serbian state prosecution opened an investigation to find out if the film violates the law. It was investigated for elements of crime against sexual morals and crime related to the protection of minors.

It was banned by a court in San Sebastián, Spain for “threatening sexual freedom” and thus could not be shown in the 21st Horror and Fantasy Film Festival. The film was shown at an adults-only screening at the Spanish Sitges Film Festival during October 2010. As a result, the festival’s director Ángel Sara was ARRESTED and charged with exhibiting child pornography by the Spanish prosecutor who decided to take action in May 2011 after receiving a complaint from a Roman Catholic organization over a pair of scenes involving the rapes of a young child and a newborn. The charges were later dropped.

On November 26, 2010, the film was refused classification by the Australian Classification Board, banning sales and public showings of the film in Australia. However, on April 5, 2011, the Australian Classification Board approved a censored version of the film. However, later in 2011, the censored version was also re-refused classification after review.

On July 12 and 16, 2011, the film was screened at FANTASPOA in Porto Alegre, Brazil and at least at one other film festival in the country, before being banned just before a screening in Rio de Janeiro. Initially the ban applied only in Rio, but afterwards the decision became valid throughout the country, pending further judgement of the film.

But Then There Are Awards, Too…

As controversial as this film is, it has also been critically acclaimed. On March 2011, A Serbian Film won the Special Jury Prize in the 31st edition of Fantasporto, Portugal’s biggest film festival, in Porto. It was banned in Norway on account of sexual representation of children and extreme violence in a fictional medium. It is one of the few modern day movies to be banned in Norway – the first since Takeshi Miike’s “Ichi The Killer” (2001)

I have seen reviews that apologized for making it to the end of the film – reviews that demanded you NOT TO WATCH - I can’t argue that, but now you know what the fuss is all about – it is, without question, the most extreme movie ever made.

Thanks for reading this look at the world’s most extreme films – I would love to hear your thoughts!