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Category: Troma Tuesdays

  • Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (1982)

    Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters (1982)

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    In 1966, Woody Allen released What’s Up, Tiger Lily?, a redubbed version of a Japanese spy caper from 1964. Soon, other filmmakers used this technique of taking old foreign films and recutting and redubbing them to make new content. Roger Corman reedited several movies from the Lone Wolf and Cub series to create 1981’s Shogun Assassin. Charles Band cobbled two women-in-prison films together, shot additional footage with Linda Blair, and released it as Savage Island. It was only a short time until Lloyd Kaufman decided to get in on this after acquiring a Filipino movie called Passionate Woman. While the film was shot in English, Kaufman replaced the language track with one scripted by his brother Charles. They attempted to take an unintentionally funny foreign wrestling movie and make it intentionally funny, which horrified the original producer. The result was the retitled spoof Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters.
    ​

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    Synopsis

    Bambi (Eva Arnaz) is a Judo champion who, despite her fighter prowess, wants to leave the fighting world behind. However, her mother insists she keeps fighting to earn enough money to afford an operation for her little brother. According to the doctor, her brother suffers from a condition where semen rushes to his head when he gets excited. Bambi gets involved with an Elvis-impersonating trainer named Barney (Barry Prima), who gets her into criminal activities. While the money is enough for her brother, Bambi confides in her friend Mia (Leily Sagita) about the degrading wrestling. Barney can also see that this underground wrestling ring isn’t right for Bambi, so he helps her escape. What follows are several poorly staged fight scenes, a jive-talking snake, and a lot of farting. But Bambi is determined because she is a ferocious female freedom fighter! At least, that’s what the dub says.

     

    Review

    If the synopsis sounded incomprehensible just from reading it, imagine watching Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters and making sense of it. Granted, I can’t imagine the movie would make much sense with the original audio, but the “comedic” dubbing hurts it. Part of me wishes I could watch this movie with the original audio, but I doubt it would’ve helped. Troma wasn’t taking the film seriously, considering all the farts, sex jokes, and low-brow humor used in the dubbing. It’s like what the company behind the dub of the anime Ghost Stories did, only with fewer racial jokes. Unfortunately, because of the dub, it’s hard to follow along with what’s happening in the movie, let alone care. I’m not saying the original film was probably some lost masterpiece of Filipino cinema, but its plot could’ve been decent. Instead, what we got is a complete mess.

    It’s hard to gauge the acting in this film, considering we aren’t hearing the actors’ original voices. Going off of their facial expressions and body language, it seemed like they were trying their best. Also, to give the actors credit, some of the fight sequences aren’t half bad, even if sloppily put together. There are some unintentionally hilarious moments from the original film, most notably a random mud wrestling fight. Also, some of the dubbing made me chuckle, mostly the Elvis impersonator and the weirdly out-of-place snake that speaks jive. But aside from some mild giggles, the rest of the movie is dull, and the humor falls flat. Lately, I’ve been trying to write longer reviews to explain things better, but honestly, there’s not much to say here. Overall, Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters is another movie whose title is better than the actual content.

     

    Buy Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters from Amazon: https://amzn.to/46opywm.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Parts of the Family (2003)

    Parts of the Family (2003)

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    1989’s Rabid Grannies became a popular title for Troma Entertainment, so Lloyd Kaufman formed a partnership with producer Johan Vandewoestijne. The following year, Vandewoestijne produced Maniac Nurses Find Ecstacy, which was directed by Belgian filmmaker Léon Paul De Bruyn. When Troma acquired the distribution rights, they considered retitling it to seem like a sequel to 1976’s Bloodsucking Freaks. Instead, they used the original title, and the film ended up being another small hit for Troma. Vandewoestijne also produced 1994’s State of Mind, which featured American actors Lisa Gaye, Fred Williamson, and Jill Scholen. A decade later, Vandewoestijne reunited with De Bruyn to produce a Belgian zombie movie called Parts of the Family. When Troma acquired the movie for distribution, they found the final product unwatchable and decided to “fix” it. When they released the film on DVD in 2003, they included the original and an “improved” version with questionable results.

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    Synopsis

    After pulling off a bank heist, Jason Goodis (Bob Dougherty) is fleeing from the cops and looking for a hideout. While on the run, he kidnaps young model Elle (Cecilia Bergqvist) and holds her up in an old mansion. As the police try talking Jason down and bringing in a negotiator named Carl Ressler (Lloyd Kaufman), things turn dark. Through flashbacks, we learn that Elle knew the family who previously lived in the mansion and was their maid. She was having an affair with the son but was found by the father, and she killed them both. When the mother and daughter came home, Elle killed them and buried the bodies, vowing to keep them safe. In the present, the family rises as zombies and goes on the hunt, attacking Jason and the police outside. Who will survive, and who will become a part of the family?

     

    Review

    I should mention that the version of Parts of the Family I’m reviewing is the original, not the Troma-edited version. From what I understand, the main changes made were a mocking commentary by Lloyd Kaufman and some stock footage. Having seen the original version, I can see why Troma wanted to “fix” it since the film is plodding. I don’t mind a slow-burn movie if it produces a good payoff, but unfortunately, this one doesn’t. It almost feels like the filmmakers tried taking a cue from From Dusk Till Dawn with its genre switch. However, the characters and the writing kept you engaged before the vampires showed up, making the Rodriguez/Tarantino collaboration work. With this, we know so little about the characters, and the dialogue is so dull that it’s hard to care. Sometimes, it feels like watching a soap opera with nudity and blood.

    In terms of acting, everyone does a serviceable enough job with the material, though no one stands out. Cecilia Bergqvist, while not terrible, was most likely hired because she looks good naked rather than her acting ability. Her delivery is flat, lifeless, and more laughable than believable when she tries to show emotion. Bob Dougherty isn’t much better, as he tries to play a tough guy but fumbles around and doesn’t offer much. Aside from Lloyd Kaufman as a police negotiator, everyone else might as well have been a cardboard cutout. Even the actors playing the family, when they’re living and undead, blend into the background and offer nothing. It doesn’t help that all these elements – crime thriller, erotic drama, and zombie horror – don’t mesh well together. It’s like Léon Paul De Bruyn had all these ideas but didn’t know how to make them work.

    Admittedly, the only things that held my attention were the nudity, the gore, the decent soundtrack, and the gloomy atmosphere. As I said, Cecilia Bergqvist looks great when she’s naked, and we see her like that constantly. Also, the movie is full of blood and guts, especially in the last act when the family returns as zombies. The makeup for the zombies is crude but effective, and there’s enough blood spray to make Sam Raimi blush. While repetitive, the score adds a creepy, almost haunting feel to the film, and there’s some decent cinematography. It’s clear the director tried making more of an arthouse horror film, so it’s a shame that it didn’t work. Even at 85 minutes, the movie’s so slow and tedious, and it’s only worth seeing for the few trashy elements. Overall, Parts of the Family isn’t the worst Troma movie, but there are much better ones.

     

    Buy Parts of the Family from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Zed34e.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990)

    A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990)

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    While working on 1988’s Mutant War, a cast member asked director Brett Piper if they could produce a film together. Piper agreed so long as the actor could raise the money, which they did, so the two started brainstorming. They adapted a script Piper had written years earlier called Dark Sun, which they retitled The Dark Fortress. Piper drew inspiration from classic adventure films, most notably ones that featured effects from legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. The movie was shot in and around New Hampshire and Massachusetts with a tiny budget. During production, Piper remembered a conversation with a distributor, who suggested minimal dialogue would make the film more commercially appealing. After filming wrapped, Troma was interested in distributing the movie, but negotiations stalled until both parties agreed. Troma recut the film, shot a new opening, and retitled it A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell.

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    Synopsis

    After a nuclear armageddon ravages the land, the earth is filled with radioactive mutants and long-dormant dinosaurs. Among those not affected by the radiation is the young nymphoid Lea (Linda Corwin), who is searching for a home. One day, she gets attacked by some barbarians until a local named Marn (Paul Guzzi) saves her just in time. They fall in love and spend the day at the beach when they attract the attention of Clon (Alex Pirnie). With his group of reptilian henchmen, he bests Marn in battle and kidnaps Lea for his nefarious purposes. Marn is nursed back to health by an old man (Al Hodder), who gives him a pistol to fight Clon. While Marn rushes to save Lea, she manages to escape, only to face other mutants and monsters before being recaptured. Will Lea survive or die as a nymphoid barbarian in dinosaur hell?

     

    Review

    With a title like A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell, you’d expect a fun, if dumb, sci-fi B-movie. Sadly, the movie doesn’t live up to its ridiculous title and poster but instead is a dull excuse for entertainment. Granted, Troma has a history of retitling their films to make them sound more exciting than they actually are. To his credit, writer/director Brett Piper wanted to make a low-budget Ray Harryhausen-style movie, and he did it. The occasional stop-motion dinosaur/creature is a treat, even if it’s not the best-looking stop-motion I’ve seen. Also, the costumes and variety of monsters are impressive, given the limited budget, so kudos to the filmmakers there. It’s a shame that more work was put into these aspects than the script, the acting, and the pacing. Again, I wasn’t expecting much, but I didn’t expect this.

    As mentioned in my introduction, Piper intentionally included minimal dialogue to reach potential overseas markets. Sometimes, having very little conversation can work if the film’s visuals and pacing are handled well. Sadly, the visuals are about what you’d expect from this budget, and the pacing is beyond glacial. To emphasize this, I had to rewind the movie at least two or three times to remember what happened. The movie clocks in at 82 minutes, but the sluggish pacing makes it feel like the longest 82 minutes ever. There’s nothing to say about the acting since hardly anyone talks, and when they do, it’s okay but nothing special. While it’d be easy to lambast Brett Piper for making such a dull movie, I blame Troma for misrepresenting it. Overall, A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell is too dull of a movie to have such a hilariously awesome title.

     

    Buy A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell from Amazon: https://amzn.to/45tucsr.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Dolly Deadly (2016)

    Dolly Deadly (2016)

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    Hailing from Northern California, Heidi Moore has wanted to direct movies for much of her life. She started Wretched Productions as a way to get her films off the ground, as well as help fellow artists. In 2012, she directed a short called Mommy, initially intended as a segment for The ABCs of Death. That same year, she made the short film, Boyfriend: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Wo-man Scorned. In addition to being a director, Moore was also a mother of two sons named Lawrence and Justin. For her first feature film, she took inspiration from the torment she saw her son Justin go through at school. Moore got her movie off the ground with some bribery and a few favors, but mainly through hard work. At some point, Troma acquired the distribution rights and released Dolly Dearest in August 2016.

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    Synopsis

    After witnessing his mother’s death as an infant, Benji (Justin Moore) has to live with his grandma Mitzi (Kimberly West-Carroll). She and her slob of a boyfriend, Donald (Jay Sosnicki), constantly mock Benji for playing with dolls. Even the neighborhood kids, Crystal (Paloma Couoh) and Kenny (Lawrence Moore) hassle him for his doll obsession. In his solitude, Benji retreats into dreams of his mother, Tina Lyn (Dana Nelson), reminding him that she loves him. At one point, Benji leaves home and runs into Rock Bottom (Donny Gonzalez), who shares some bizarre stand-up comedy. He also meets a homeless guy (Christopher Calvano) who says, “Do unto others as they would do unto you!” This inspires Benji to no longer take the abuse and kill everyone who mocked and tortured him. Benji is no longer a neglected child but instead is now Dolly Deadly!

     

    Review

    Going into Dolly Deadly, I expected it to be some run-of-the-mill generic slasher film about a creepy doll. However, what I got instead was a fascinating character study of a mentally scarred kid pushed to his limit. It brings to mind similar movies like Sleepaway Camp or Silent Night Deadly Night, where the killer is almost sympathetic. You may disagree with them killing people, but you can understand what drove them to this point. Like the controversial Christmas slasher, this one deals with a character’s identity crisis, with the killer embracing who’ve they become. The cast does a phenomenal job, even the kid actors, which is rare even in big-budget movies. Even if it is nepotism, Justin Moore does a fantastic job of playing a kid who just needed some love. He’s excellent at being sympathetic and terrifying, and I’m excited to see what else he does.

    Kimberly West-Carroll and Jay Sosnicki do a great job playing such hateable characters that it makes their deaths more satisfying. The death scenes are creatively gruesome, and the practical effects are top-notch, given the low budget. While the film mostly has an intentionally flat look, some dark sequences utilize brightly-colored lighting, adding a surreal, dreamlike quality. It reminds me of the colors used in Creepshow to give that film its comic-book look. If I had any complaints, I’d say that a few scenes, particularly with Donny Gonzalez, feel out of place. Even at less than 90 minutes, parts of the movie feel padded, and it takes a while to get going. But despite its flaws, this is still an impressively horrific yet heartfelt character study/slasher film that exceeded my expectations. Overall, Dolly Deadly is worth checking out if you want something twisted yet deep.

     

    Buy Dolly Deadly from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pW8gav.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Dolly Deadly (2016)

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  • Divide & Conquer (2022)

    Divide & Conquer (2022)

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    After making her directorial debut with Honor Killing, Mercedes the Muse continued working for Troma on all her future projects. She followed that film with 2020’s Evul Twinz, about twin brothers going on a rampage after running out of medication. 2021 was a busy year for Mercedes as she also helmed Gruesome Twosome and co-directed Dark Mixtape and Gorenography. She also appeared in movies like Faces of Fear, VHS Violence II: VHS and KILL, and Grindsploitation 9. In 2019, she co-wrote and starred in the film Hellfire!, directed by her long-time collaborator Moses. For her next directorial effort, Mercedes decided to make something of a sequel to the 2019 feature. This would be her most ambitious project to date, filled with reverence for Troma while commenting on gender roles. In 2021, Troma unleashed Mercedes the Muse’s most significant project, Divide & Conquer, for the world to see.

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    Synopsis

    Three gyno warriors – Lilith (Irie Divine), Athena (Knotty Peach), and Toxie (Mercedes) – are out to destroy the patriarchy. After killing a few misogynist guys at a bar, the girls have attracted a local White Supremacist group. Known as the Knights of White, the group comprises Neo-Nazis who dream of conquering the world and spreading their ideology. During their journey, the gynos are ratted out by a sleazy motel clerk (Mark Torgl) and pursued by “The Stormtrooper.” With little hope of survival, the gynos are forced to return to their hometown of Tromaville to find help. Athena gets in touch with El Whetta Loca (Vada Callisto), who provides the gynos with serious firepower. They also get some help from gay club owner Ronny (Jade Theriault) and The Trash King (Lloyd Kaufman). Before the night is over, these gynos will use their pussy power to crush rapists and misogynists wherever they strike.

     

    Review

    Divide & Conquer is not made for everyone without mincing words, but that’s part of its charm. This movie is made for people who love trash in all its beauty and reject what’s considered “good taste.” You might want to look elsewhere if you can’t handle women urinating on misogynists and hypnotizing people with their vaginas. The movie is full of gross-out gags, cheap-looking gore, and gratuitous nudity, but it all serves a purpose. It’s meant to piss off people with conservative values and the stereotypical incel who love terms like “feminazi.” That said, the movie isn’t entirely black and white with its message, showing that both genders are capable of harm. It helps that the film doesn’t appear overly preachy or pretentious and remembers what it is. This is a foul, gross, outrageous exploitation film meant to shock and appall and largely succeeds.

    The three leading ladies all have a blast playing the gyno warriors, each bringing unique qualities to their characters. Irie Divine and Knotty Peach are the biggest standouts, though Mercedes also does well despite having few lines. Troma fans will also smile seeing people like Lloyd Kaufman and Mark Torgl in small but memorable cameos. Everyone else is appropriately over-the-top and ridiculous, though this can come off as annoying at times. Also, some effects stick out badly because of their cheap quality, though that might’ve been intentional. I wouldn’t say this is one of those intentionally bad movies, but more one that revels in its low-budget qualities. As I said earlier, most people will probably hate this film, but fans of trash cinema might like this. Overall, Divide & Conquer is loud, abrasive, disgusting, and unapologetic, and that’s what makes it work.

     

    Buy Divide & Conquer from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3py4lAe.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (1981)

    Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (1981)

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    Originally from Latvia, Ito Rebane, later renamed Bill Rebane, became a staple of cult cinema in the 60s and 70s. After working with producer Adalbert Baltes, Rebane sold his first independent production, the short Twist Craze, to American International Pictures. In 1961, Rebane decided to try his hand at feature filmmaking and started shooting Terror at Halfday in 1963. Unfortunately, he ran out of money and sold his footage to Herschell Gordon Lewis, creating the notorious Monster A Go-Go. In the later 1960s, Rebane purchased a ranch in Gleason, Wisconsin, which became his new studio, The Shooting Ranch. He shot numerous low-budget sci-fi/horror films there, most notably 1975’s The Giant Spider Invasion and 1987’s Blood Harvest. Rebane also made Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake in 1975, but that film wouldn’t be released until 1981. The film was retitled Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell and eventually sold to Troma.

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    Synopsis

    Kelly Morgan (Glenn Scherer) and his girlfriend Chris (Doreen Moze) go to his childhood home at Shadow Lake. While there, he tells her about how a strange creature attacked him and his family when he was 11. We flashback to young Kelly Morgan (Brad Ellingson) at the homestead with his dad John (Alan Ross). At the lake, they meet a paleontologist named Elli (Karen McDiarmid) and her niece Susan (Julie Wheaton). Kelly brings them a strange bone he found, and Elli deduces that it came from a type of fish creature. Little do they know that said fish creature, locally known as “Rana,” is lurking around the surrounding woods. Rana attacks and kills a couple of sleazy loggers before making his way to Kelly and company. Now an adult, Kelly wants to find the creature’s lair to get revenge, but he’s unprepared for what he’ll find.

     

    Review

    Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell is one of many movies where the cover art is better than the actual movie. You look at the cover and its title, and it sounds like something akin to Humanoids from the Deep. Sadly, we get nothing nearly as gruesome and sleazy as Roger Corman’s movie about human-fish monsters running amok. Sure, some of the acting isn’t half bad, and there are some fun kill scenes, but it’s mostly boring. Much of the screen time is just dialogue, and most of it is either exposition or inane banter. Even when something menacing happens, no one seems to react or even care what’s happening. Granted, things do pick up once the creature shows up and starts killing people, but it doesn’t improve things much. Plus, the framing device ruins any suspense the movie might’ve otherwise had since we know that Kelly survives.

    Given the previous work of Bill Rebane, the fact that the movie looks so cheap shouldn’t come as a surprise. That said, there are plenty of cheaply-made B-movies whose low budget adds to their charm, such as Nightbeast. Sure, the middle act was slow, but the first and third acts were so ridiculous that they compensated for it. In this movie, the few kill scenes with the creature don’t make up for the slow parts. It doesn’t help that many of these scenes are so darkly lit that it’s hard to see what’s happening. Even at 86 minutes, it feels like the movie is dragging its feet to try and reach feature length. While there are certainly worse creature features, this is a dull affair best enjoyed with some substances. Overall, Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell isn’t one of the worst movies ever, but it’s not the best.

     

    Buy Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pPnoj0.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (1981)

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  • Toxic Tutu (2017)

    Toxic Tutu (2017)

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    While not a mega-blockbuster, The Toxic Avenger put Troma on the map and established Lloyd Kaufman as a cult figure. But while their landmark superhero horror-comedy became a cult phenomenon, it didn’t seem to do much for actor Mark Torgl. After playing Melvin the Mop Boy, he didn’t act in anything until Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV in 2001. To commemorate the original’s 30th anniversary, Torgl was invited as a guest to the Mad Monster Party Convention in 2013. While there, Torgl was accompanied by filmmaker Joe Nardelli, who filmed his time at the convention. This sparked an idea between the two to make a mockumentary about Torgl’s whereabouts after the original film. With the fanbase’s and Troma’s support, they raised $4,500 to shoot their fan project, which took roughly four years. In 2017, Toxic Tutu premiered worldwide at that year’s Mad Monster Party Convention, where it all began.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”Rating” number=”40″ bar_bg_color=”#E09900″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_circle_counter][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Synopsis

    After thirty years of being out of the public light, Mark Torgl makes his first-ever convention appearance. He meets all his loyal fans and is reunited with Lloyd Kaufman, who immortalized him as Melvin the Mop Boy. Unfortunately, before he can take in the sights and sounds, Mark is taken away by armed goons and presumed missing. On The Toxic Avenger, Torgl was exposed to toxic waste, which disfigured his face and has since resurfaced. The sludge has been linked to several deaths, as well as caused heightened sexual stimulation, which makes it highly valuable. At the same time, the kidnappers who abducted Mark are two sisters who specifically want him for their nefarious purposes. As the fans scramble in a panic, a group known as the Tutu Brigade sets out to rescue Mark. What do the sisters want, and what made Mark disappear for so long?

     

    Review

    Long before I started doing Troma Tuesdays regularly, I was a massive fan of the studio and Lloyd Kaufman. As a fan, I was interested in seeing a mockumentary about what happened to Mark Torgl, thinking it’d be fun. Unfortunately, while the film has ambition, Toxic Tutu stumbles over itself and becomes a disappointingly chaotic mess. I understand this movie had a minuscule budget, but I’ve seen much better-looking movies that cost very little. At first, the film starts like a mockumentary, with Mark Torgl being followed around as he tours the convention. There are some genuinely fun moments, and it’s heartwarming seeing Torgl reunite with Kaufman after all these years. Unfortunately, once Mark gets kidnapped, the movie seems to forget it’s a mockumentary and goes off the rails. What follows is so cluttered and all over the place that it’s hard to know what’s happening.

    We jump from Torgl touring a convention to a conspiracy about the toxic waste he ingested and how it resurfaces. Then, there are subplots about rival sisters, the director trying to uncover secrets at Troma, and overly convoluted backstories. I’m all for guerilla filmmaking, and sometimes what you capture in the moment works better, but it doesn’t work here. It doesn’t help that most of the acting is terrible, except for Torgl, Kaufman, Joe Nardelli, and Genoveva Rossi. Granted, there are some fun cameos from Diana Prince, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Mel Novak, and Shawn Phillips. We get a few interview segments with some of the original cast, which is a nice touch. Still, unless you’re a die-hard Troma fan, you will most likely hate this rather messy and unfocused mockumentary. Overall, Toxic Tutu is a film made by fans for fans, but that’s about it.

     

    Buy Toxic Tutu from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3WSTFsa.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Demented Death Farm Massacre (1972)

    Demented Death Farm Massacre (1972)

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    From the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, Donn Davison made a name for himself in the exploitation scene. After getting his start working on various roadshows, he decided to pursue filmmaking after receiving encouragement from Ron Ormond. In 1968, Davison released Moonshiner’s Woman, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in, to great success. Davison followed this up with the 1971 hicksploitation film Shantytown Honeymoon, which was rereleased as Honey Britches in 1972. Afterward, Davison started doing promotions for Film Ventures International, an independent company founded in 1968 that went bankrupt in 1985. Years later, exploitation filmmaker Fred Olen Ray acquired the rights to the film and inserted new footage of John Carradine. The new scenes had Carradine as “The Judge of Hell,” who narrates throughout the film as it goes on. Ray sold the movie to Troma, who released it as Demented Death Farm Massacre in 1986.

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    Synopsis

    Jewel thieves Phillip (Jim Peck), Kirk (Michael Battlesmith), Karen (Trudy Moore), and Suzanne (Pepper Thurston) are on the run. While driving through the remote Carolinas, their Jeep runs out of gas, so they ditch it and find shelter. They come across local moonshiner Horlon P. Craven (George Ellis) and his young wife Reba Sue (Ashley Brooks). It’s not long until the thieves take advantage of their hospitality, with Kirk moving in on Horlon’s wife. During a scuffle, Reba Sue accidentally kills Karen, which leads to the other thieves threatening Horlon. Phillip and Kirk plan on taking over Horlon’s moonshine business and a supposed fortune that he has hidden away. Soon, the temptations of the diamonds, moonshine, and Reba Sue lead to the thieves’ downfall at Horlon’s hands. Who will survive and strike it rich from this demented death farm massacre? No one but The Judge of Hell (John Carradine) knows.

     

    Review

    Admittedly, Demented Death Farm Massacre is a movie whose backstory is more interesting than the movie itself. Hell, reading through a list of the film’s alternative titles is funnier than any of the gags in the movie. In addition to Shantytown Honeymoon and Honey Britches, there’s also Hillbilly Hooker, Honey Pie, and Little Whorehouse on the Prairie. That last title makes me wonder if the makers of Little House on the Prairie tried suing the filmmakers. Aside from the backstory and the many alternative titles, this is a barely watchable slice of 1970s exploitation trash. Granted, you shouldn’t go into a movie like this expecting something like The Godfather, but this one is rough. The story is paper-thin, none of the characters are likable, and it’s relatively light on the exploitation. Sure, there’s some blood and scantily clad women, but it’s not nearly as sleazy as its title suggests.

    It says a lot about the acting when John Carradine, who only has five minutes of screen time, performs best. Granted, he looks confused and was only added after the fact, but he’s at least committed to the material. Everyone else is loud, obnoxious, scummy, or stupid, with everyone mugging for the camera, especially Ashley Brooks. Admittedly, George Ellis is mildly entertaining as the Bible-thumping moonshiner who loves to call women “whores” and “tramps.” Jim Peck tries adding a bit of class with his performance as ringleader Phillip, but even he can’t save it. Much of the film consists of boring talking scenes, characters stumbling around, or poorly-staged fights. There are a few unintentionally funny moments at an hour and twenty-five minutes, but most of it is a slog. Overall, Demented Death Farm Massacre might be worth a watch if you’re curious, but it’s best left forgotten.

     

    Buy Demented Death Farm Massacre from Amazon: https://amzn.to/43RhTph.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Demented Death Farm Massacre (1972)

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  • Honor Killing (2018)

    Honor Killing (2018)

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    An “honor killing” refers to someone killed for a perceived dishonor against a family, either an outsider or a member. Men usually commit these acts against women, which is common in Middle Eastern countries like Pakistan and India. These are often triggered by refusing an arranged marriage, wanting a divorce, being a rape victim, or even homosexuality. While the act is generally frowned upon in most parts of the world, honor killings are heralded in certain countries. Mercedes the Muse, the actress/c0-writer of Rose and Viktor: No Mercy, decided to tackle this subject. This film would be her directorial debut, taking inspiration from Thriller: A Cruel Picture and I Spit on Your Grave. She intended to empower women and speak on a controversial subject with the typical sleaze found in grindhouse movies. In early 2018, Troma released Mercedes’ directorial debut, Honor Killing.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”Rating” number=”40″ bar_bg_color=”#E09900″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_circle_counter][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

    Synopsis

    While walking home from the library, a young woman (Mercedes the Muse) is assaulted and raped by some gang members. Upon returning home, she asks her mother (Virginia Puccio) for help but is ostracized for bringing shame to the family. Her father (Sam Lopez) shoots her in the eye and leaves her for dead, only for her to reawaken. After recovering, the woman hires bounty hunter Viktor (Jim Schumacher) to train her to use weapons and hurt people. With her training, she kills the men who raped her and plans on getting revenge against her father. She also saves a prostitute (Vivi Marie), a stripper (Erin Shimokawa), and a biker babe (Soma Stardust) from abusive men. She even runs into a cult led by a deranged man (Cash Hann) and rescues the women under his influence. Soon, her father will get his comeuppance for his honor killing!

     

    Review

    Honor Killing is a narrative mess of a film, but it has ambition and a message to tell. While it does borrow from several other rape-revenge films, it helps that it’s based on something happening in real life. The most significant comparison would be Thriller: A Cruel Picture, from the one-eyed lead to them hunting their father. But while Mercedes tries her best, the movie doesn’t entirely work, primarily due to the poor cinematography and inconsistent acting. So many scenes are shot so close, and the camera shakes so much that it’s hard to tell what’s happening. It makes sense for the more intense moments, but even the ordinary scenes are like this, and it’s disorientating. Most of the acting is flat, with actors underacting and saying their lines like they’re reading off cue cards. Even Mercedes, despite her efforts, doesn’t sound convincing when she’s trying to be tough.

    Much like Rose & Viktor, most of this film consists of random vignettes that don’t necessarily tie together. It’s cool to see our hero save a prostitute from an abusive pimp, but it doesn’t advance the story. Also, aside from the rape that sets everything in motion, most of the violence is pretty tame, which is surprising. I’m not saying a rape-revenge film needs to be super gory, but this is a lot lighter than you’d expect. Part of the appeal of these films is seeing rapists and abusers getting punished in satisfyingly brutal ways. There are a few decent kills, but don’t expect anything like the castration from I Spit on Your Grave. The movie feels padded at just barely over an hour, so this might’ve worked better as a short film. Overall, Honor Killing certainly tries, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. 

     

    Buy Honor Killing from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q7ivs0.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Deadly Daphne’s Revenge (1987)

    Deadly Daphne’s Revenge (1987)

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    In its nearly 50-year history, Troma has become infamous for many things, including mismarketing some of its films. For instance, they tried selling Combat Shock as an all-out action film when it’s more of a character study. There was also The Dead Come Home, which they sold as a horror-comedy called Dead Dudes in the House. Other times, they’ll retitle a film, such as You Better Watch Out being retitled as Christmas Evil. Thankfully, Troma never recuts or reedits the films, but the mismarketing can lead to confusion. Such is the case with The Hunting Season, a rape-revenge film from Orange County by writer/director/star Richard Gardner. While the movie was initially released around 1979-1981, Troma acquired the rights and released it on VHS in 1987. Since then, the film has been rereleased on DVD and Blu-ray with the title Deadly Daphne’s Revenge.

    [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_circle_counter title=”Rating” number=”50″ bar_bg_color=”#E09900″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_circle_counter][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.21.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Synopsis

    Charlie Johnson (Anthony Holt) and his friends Steve (Richard Gardner), Bruce, and Bobo are taking a weekend RV trip. Along the way, they pick up seventeen-year-old hitchhiker Cindy (Laurie Tait Partridge), who’s immediately put off by Charlie’s bigotry. She confides in Steve and even makes love to him, but Charlie and Bobo rape her after he leaves. Steve confronts Charlie the following day while Cindy runs off to try and press charges against Charlie. While her lawyer Starke can help her, Cindy is reluctant because he insists they prosecute all four men, including Steve. Charlie and Bobo get arrested, and while they’re eventually let out, the story spreads like wildfire across town. Steve loses his high school coaching job, Bruce kills himself over the guilt, and Cindy is second-guessing her decision. Little do they know that a woman from Charlie’s past named Daphne is seeking her deadly revenge!

     

    Review

    Mismarketing aside, Deadly Daphne’s Revenge is one of the weirdest rape-revenge movies I’ve ever seen. Rather than going the I Spit on Your Grave route of the attackers getting killed, this becomes a legal drama. While it’s unique, you wouldn’t expect a sleazy exploitation movie to turn into The Accused years before that came out. It’s interesting to see this obscure exploitation film tackle issues of double standards and victim blaming in a nuanced way. Unfortunately, whatever points the filmmakers tried to make are outdone by the acting, which ranges from mediocre to ridiculously over-the-top. Anthony Holt, in particular, is so stereotypically hateful that it comes off as one-note, which clashes with the serious tone. Laurie Tait Partridge is decent, and it’s easy to root for her, but she doesn’t leave much of an impression. Also, the titular Daphne gets her revenge but doesn’t appear until the last 10 minutes.

    The rest of the cast is largely forgettable, although a pre-Fresh Prince of Bel-Air James Avery has a minor role. Aside from that, I’ve touched on just about everything there is to say about this movie. While the rape scene is appropriately disturbing, the revenge aspect is very unsatisfying and lacks the punch of similar films. There’s nothing on par with a crossbow-wielding Linda Blair in Savage Streets or architect-turned-vigilante Charles Bronson in Death Wish. Sure, the filmmakers handled the subject matter more objectively, which is commendable, but it could’ve been better. I can only imagine Troma fans’ disappointment when they popped this in the VCRs back in the day. It doesn’t help that they were probably confused about why the lead woman wasn’t named Daphne like the title. Overall, Deadly Daphne’s Revenge is a film whose title is more interesting than the actual movie.

     

    Buy Deadly Daphne’s Revenge from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IC39lV.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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