I Stream, You Stream Vol. 14

by Patrick Bromley

Get down and dirty for the New Year!

American Muscle (2014, dir. Ravi Dhar) I have retreated into almost nothing but exploitation films during the last few weeks of the year, maybe to wash out the taste of all the awards bait films I've had to watch in the last month or so or maybe because they skip out on all the bullshit and aim right for the pleasure centers of my brain. They're helping to keep my happy, so I'm not going to fight it. With that in mind, I'm recommending mostly exploitation this week, including this modern-day attempt at an old-school grindhouse revenge flick that is described by on Netflix reviewer as a movie that "feels like a bunch of bouncers and strippers got together and decided to make a movie." I do not disagree with this assessment. This is an ugly, stupid, violent and sexist film that's maybe too concerned with being cool, but which also manages to get to the heart of true exploitation. Plus, you get to see Trent Haaga as a low-level hood, Todd Farmer as the main villain and Robyn Sydney at her most to-die-for. The great Travis Stevens is a producer on this, which is what drew me to it in the first place. (Watch on Netflix)

Terminal Island (1973, dir. Stephanie Rothman) Directed by one of the few great female exploitation directors of the Golden Age, Terminal Island is a legitimately rad prison movie in which a bunch of cons are dumped onto an island (including a young Tom Selleck, playing An Innocent Man) and battle one another for supremacy. Everything about this movie kicks ass, from the performances to the violence to the scene in which a woman seduces one of her enemies and proceeds to smear honey all over his crotch and butt before releasing a bunch of bees on him. It's awesome, like this movie. (Watch on Exploitation.tv)

God Told Me To (1975, dir. Larry Cohen) I only saw this movie a year or so ago thanks to Elric Kane convincing Blue Underground owner Bill Lustig to put it out on Blu-ray. It's probably Larry Cohen's weirdest movie, but also maybe his best. It's about a New York cop investigating a series of murders committed by seemingly random people (including Andy Kaufman in a small role) who all mutter the same phrase after committing these heinous acts. Where it goes from there I won't even begin to explain, because one of the incredible things about this movie is where it ends up versus where it starts. Like most Larry Cohen films, there's no predicting this one. (Watch on Shudder)

Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988, dir. Donald Jackson, R.J. Kizer) I wrote a whole piece about this movie a couple of years back, and while it's no They Live, it's still the second best movie his Rowdiness Roddy Piper (RIP) ever made. It's a crazy movie that knows it's crazy, presenting an original vision of the apocalyptic future and Roddy Piper mugging like crazy. This was the movie I wanted to see on USA Up All Night more than any other growing up and it took me three tries (I fell asleep before it aired the first two times, and I cannot begin to describe the heartbreak I felt upon waking up and realizing I missed it) before I finally caught up with it. I actually think it gets better with age. It's super entertaining. (Watch on Hulu)

Neon Maniacs (1986, dir. Joseph Mangine) I have been wanting to get Code Red's Blu-ray of this one for a long time but haven't yet (belated Christmas gift, anyone? fthismoviepodcast@gmail.com), so for now I'll settle for watching it on Shout Factory TV -- which, unlike these other platforms, requires no subscription and can be watched totally for free. This is basically an '80s slasher movie but with weird monsters doing the slashing; the fact that it never got a sequel is baffling, because the monsters are cool enough to inspire their own franchise. (Watch on Shout Factory TV)

Black Dragon's Revenge (1975, dir. Tommy Loo Chung) Watching Death Machines this week (which everyone should totally see) led me to Ron Van Clief, the original Black Dynamite and a super cool action star who is also not a great actor. This sequel to his breakout hit The Black Dragon is in shockingly poor taste, as he and a friend are hired by a wealthy businessman to investigate the actual death of the actual Bruce Lee (at one point they hold up actual autopsy photos). But, of course, that's one of the things I love about these exploitation movies -- they either don't know or don't care where the line is and just go ahead and do whatever the fuck they want. Amazon Prime Video has a spotty track record when it comes to the transfers on some of these off-the-radar titles, but Black Dragon's Revenge looks terrific. This is one of my favorite film discoveries of the year, so I'm happy to have gotten it in just under the wire. Here's to more exploitation in 2017! (Watch on Amazon Prime Video)

10 Shock Waves Episodes You Should Listen To

by Patrick Bromley

Dive into the deep end of horror!

For the last three years, I've written pieces in October about Killer POV, my favorite horror movie podcast (and favorite podcast period). With lists like this one and this other one, I have hopefully been successful in getting a lot of people to check them out and turning them on to a great show, which is rewarding because it means that more people like good things and because, selfishly, it means that I have more people with whom to talk about the podcast. It has become the water cooler conversation for me and my friends -- this despite the fact that there is no water cooler and I have hardly any friends. I can start conversations with "Did you hear so-and-so on the new Shock Waves?" or look on Twitter and notice that a lot of people are checking out a movie I know was recommended on the most recent episode. For a lot of us horror lovers, the show has become a centralized hub of horror fandom.

This was the year that Killer POV wrapped after 140 great episodes, only to come back just a few (scheduled) weeks later as Shock Waves, now hosted at Blumhouse.com. Hosted, as always, by Rob Galluzzo, Rebekah McKendry (both of Blumhouse.com) and Elric Kane -- now joined regularly by Ryan Turek -- there is no other horror podcast that talks about the genre with this much depth and reverence. I've heard some that approach horror films academically and I've heard some that approach horror films as enthusiastic fans, but Shock Waves does both better than any other podcast (and I've listened to a lot of them). Depth is never sacrificed for the fun of talking about horror movies, nor vice versa.

The move over to Blumhouse hasn't changed the quality or the format of the show -- it's still my favorite hangout of some friends getting together and being excited about horror. There are a few more sponsorships and the three regular hosts are being joined more often by Ryan Turek, who ran Shock Till You Drop and had his very own enjoyable horror podcast (The Bloodcast) before leaving to take a development position at Blumhouse. I'll never complain about Turek joining the conversation, though, because he's great and because fucking Horror Voltron can always use an arm or a leg. Plus he can tell a story about getting his nipple licked by a man licking another man's nipple in the dark and I know that it's a joke that will be coming up on the show for a long time. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

Making this list was tricky, seeing as how there have only been 22 episodes of Shock Waves released thus far (episode 23 should be out the same day as this article). Truth be told, any of the 22 are good and worth listening to. I picked these for personal reasons or because I really liked something a particular guest said or because I thought one might make a good "in" for someone new to the show, but this is not intended to be a list of the "best" episodes so far. I considered cheating and including a few episodes of Killer POV that were released between October of last year and when it ended in April, but I want to keep this list Shock Waves-specific. If you aren't already, get caught up on both. I've said it before and I'll repeat it here: this podcast is the single piece of media I look forward to more than any other each week. I love it.

Episode 1: The Reboot! - When Killer POV announced on a Friday last April that they were calling it quits (the same week they won the Rondo Award for Best Podcast), it was a sad day for many of us. But by the following Monday, they had already risen like a phoenix from the ashes to announce their new venture -- Shock Waves -- and their new home at Blumhouse.com. A wave of blood-soaked relief washed over us all. This first episode of Shock Waves is a good place to start for anyone who didn't listen to Killer POV and is new to the show (but also why haven't you listened to Killer POV?), as it re-introduces the hosts and just lets them talk about horror for a little bit. It's so good to have everyone back.

Episode 2: We Still Scream for Scream Factory! - Several of my favorite episodes of Killer POV were when the guys from Scream Factory, Jeff Nelson and Cliff MacMillan, would come on the show to talk about titles and pull the curtain back for a look at what goes into running a company like this. We get to hear about titles they've tried to get, studios that won't license certain movies, extra features they've put together, titles they've got coming up and some responses to fan requests/complaints; this episode, in particular, is interesting because they answer criticisms over Scream Factory's decision to put out Victor Salva's Jeepers Creepers and Jeepers Creepers 2. I love these episodes not just because I'm fascinated at the behind the scenes stuff and because I'm such a fan of what Scream Factory does, but also because of the giddy enthusiasm everyone has (except maybe MacMillan, the unshakeable straight man, who is enthusiastic but never giddily so) for the horror genre. They love talking about it. I love listening to them talk about it. Everybody wins!

Episode 4: The Horrors of Mike Flanagan - One of my favorite things about being a fan of Killer POV (and now Shock Waves) since the early days is that I've seen the influence of the podcast and its hosts grow and grow over the last few years. It might be the release of God Told Me To... on Blu-ray because Elric Kane requested Blue Underground owner Bill Lustig put it out or it might be the fact that musician St. Vincent is directing an installment of the upcoming anthology XX making headlines when the story broke on Killer POV (though they did not get the credit they deserved for getting that announcement first). On Episode 4 of Shock Waves, director Mike Flanagan talked about how he'd love to someday adapt Stephen King's novel Gerald's Game for film; cut to a few months later and the film is in production for Netflix with Flanagan at the helm. How fucking cool is that? The conversation Flanagan has with the hosts is great -- revealing, honest, down to earth and always interesting. Like a lot of my favorite episodes of the show, it makes me like the guest as a person so much that I like his or her movies even more. That's no small feat.

Episode 5: The Resurrection of a Hollywood Director - This is a rarity for Shock Waves in that it's a solo outing with Rob Galluzzo as he interviews Mark Pavia, director of The Night Flier, who took a near 20-year absence before directing Scream Factory's first original feature Fender Bender this year. So many of the guests on Shock Waves (and Killer POV before it) talk completely candidly about their experiences in the filmmaking business and Pavia is no exception. His endless enthusiasm and optimism even while discussing the years he spent trying to get projects off the ground (while he didn't direct a feature between Night Flier and Fender Bender, he never stopped working) is inspiring and completely charming. It's a great comeback tale from a filmmaker who never actually went away.

Episode 6: The Masters of Horror vs. THE FLY - I know that no matter how much I might want to be, I'm never going to be friends with directors William Malone and Mick Garris. I'm never going to have the chance to sit and hang out with them for two hours, which is a bummer because they seem to be two of the nicest guys on the planet and both true lovers and historians of horror. Thankfully, I've got this episode of Shock Waves through which to live vicariously, as it feels just like sitting around and talking horror with the both of them. Though the episode was recorded during a brief window in which the show was having some sound/studio issues, it's a delightful and warm-hearted discussion with two of horror's greats. What I really love about this one is that, while both Garris and Malone get to talk about their careers and experiences, they're being brought on as horror fans to discuss both versions of The Fly. Everyone's insights into both movies will only serve to make you appreciate them more and want to watch them immediately, which happens more often than not when I listen to the show. Nothing influences my viewing habits more than Shock Waves.

Episode 9: Producing with Peter Block - You may not immediately recognize the name Peter Block, but if you're a horror fan you've been a fan of his work since the early 2000s. As one of the guys instrumental for acquiring and releasing many of the best horror films of the decade during his time at Lionsgate to his days as president of FEARnet, Block knows the genre inside and out and has some really fun stories to share. It's always great to hear when people on the "business" side of horror are able to talk about those aspects while still proving to be lovers of the genre through and through.

Episode 11: Chatting with Bill Moseley! - I've heard Bill Moseley interviewed a number of times and he always comes off as a fun, affable conversationalist. But this talk is the best I've heard with the actor (further evidence that the Shock Waves hosts aren't just talented writers and great horror fans, but exceptional interviewers as well). Sure, we get to hear his "origin" story again, but we also get to hear crazy shit like his proposed ending for Texas Chainsaw 3D and ideas for some other Chop Top stories. Plus now we all want to track down a copy of The Texas Chain Saw Manicure.

Episode 12: DON'T BREATHE/EVIL DEAD Director Fede Alvarez - Like I already said, one of my favorite aspects of Shock Waves is how much it humanizes the filmmakers whose work we love; by getting to know them as people, it makes me want to support and appreciate them even more than I already do. Promoting his second feature Don't Breathe, director Fede Alvarez is an open book when it comes to his feelings about his career (and why he's not interested in doing a big superhero movie), the marketing of his movies and so much more. He also offers some great observations about expectations and what makes his films work. He's not cocky or arrogant, just confident and assured in what he wants to accomplish and what kind of movies he wants to make. Many of the directors who come on the show are either working in the trenches of the indie world or else filmmakers who have a body of work behind them, so it's interesting to hear Alvarez talk about his craft on his way up through the studio system.

Episode 18: All Hail Larry Cohen! - It's science fact that Larry Cohen is the best. It stands to reason, then, that a long and boisterous conversation between Elric, Rebekah and Rob -- all of whom are fans well-versed in his filmography -- and an always-entertaining raconteur like Cohen would also be the best. Hearing Cohen articulate what makes his films so unique (I'm paraphrasing, but it has to do with taking concepts that are meant to be good and turning them against us) alone makes this episode required listening, but the beautiful and touching story about the long friendship between Cohen and composer Bernard Herrmann puts it over the top.

Episode 19: Deep Inside "The Tension Experience" - This is kind of a weird pick, as there is nothing about "The Tension Experience" -- an "extreme haunt" in Los Angeles masterminded by director Darren Lynn Bousman and screenwriter Clint Sears -- that is remotely appealing to me. But that's precisely why I'm including it on this list. As horror fans, we're all into this stuff for different reasons and chasing different experiences; while this doesn't resemble anything I want out of the genre (my sentiments echoed on the show by Rob G.), I love hearing what affects other horror lovers and the extent to which they'll go to chase that feeling. To my knowledge, there is nothing like any of the extreme haunts mentioned on this episode around my home in Chicago (though I wouldn't go if there was), so the thorough explanation of just what the Tension Experience involves is completely fascinating. By listening to it discussed by guests Buz Wallick and Andrew Kasch, I don't ever have to go. You read TV Guide, you don't need a TV.

New episodes of Shock Waves are available on Blumhouse.com and on iTunes every Friday.

Off the Shelf: Special Effects (Blu-ray)

by Patrick Bromley

Andrea was DYING to get in the movies...

The joy in watching a Larry Cohen movie is that you're never sure what you're going to get. Yes, you may know the premise -- couple has monstrous baby or killer yogurt becomes the biggest dessert craze in America -- but you're never sure where things will go from there. Every single one of his films (and I'm speaking here of the ones he has directed) has some sort of twist or eccentricity -- often more than one -- to keep audiences off kilter. His work resembles nothing else but other Larry Cohen movies. We have taken him for granted for too long.

His 1984 meta-thriller Special Effects was one of the few remaining Larry Cohen movies I had never seen, an oversight finally remedied by the new Blu-ray from Olive Films. It stars Eric Bogosian as filmmaker Christopher Neville, whose last movie was an expensive bomb and who is on the outs from Hollywood; his career salvation comes in the form of Andrea (Zoë Lund of Ms. 45 fame, billed here as Zoë Tamerlis), a wannabe actress who secretly moonlights in porn to the dismay of her conservative husband Keefe (Brad Rijn). While spending some time on the casting couch with Andrea, Neville strangles her in a fit of rage and catches the whole thing on his hidden camera. Seeing on opportunity for his next film, Neville begins casting and recreating Andrea's life leading up to her death with the participation of her husband, the homicide cop investigating the case and Elaine (Lund again), a lookalike cast as Andrea's onscreen stand-in.

There is so much to unpack in Special Effects, a movie that's years ahead of its time in the way that it examines the relationship between cinema and reality and how they constantly reflect one another; it's like Albert Brooks' Real Life crossed with Body Double with some Vertigo thrown in. The longer the film goes, the deeper into Neville's new project we go, the more those lines begin to blur -- Keefe is reenacting moments that really happened with his wife except he wasn't originally there and is acting opposite a woman who looks exactly like her. There are also satirical elements to the film, probably because Larry Cohen is incapable of not being satirical, like the subplot with the cop who trades in his investigation for a producer credit and starts doing his own rewrites -- everybody wants into the movie business.

The best thing the movie has going for it (besides Cohen's voice) is the performance of Eric Bogosian, still one of the all-time great pricks in cinema history. At the time still known as a playwright and New York actor, this was his first major movie role (after a bit part in Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames one year prior) and it's a part to which he is perfectly suited. Neville is impossibly arrogant and in control -- the right guy to be calling the shots behind the camera -- but also a sociopath and smart enough to not get caught. Bogosian plays the part like a shark, always thinking (sharks think?), always moving, always preying on whatever's next. Less effective is Lund in a dual performance, the first of which appears to have been dubbed by another actor doing a Southern accent and the second of which can't quite decide on an accent (she starts doing a stereotype of a Jewish New Yorker but abandons that pretty quickly). At the same time, I love seeing her in the movie for what she means to the New York film scene and because her performance, like Cohen's direction, is so full of rough edges.

Though available on DVD since 2004, Special Effects has never quite caught on the way that some of Cohen's other films -- The Stuff, It's Alive, even Q the Winged Serpent -- have found a cult audience over the years. Maybe Olive's new Blu-ray will help people find it. Presented in a new 1080p HD transfer in its original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, the movie looks solid while still faithful to its low-budget roots. Cohen shoots New York in his usual quick and dirty style, but there are some images (like Bogosian's "red room," for example) that pop in HD. The disc comes with a commentary from Cohen, joined by Steve Mitchell, director of the upcoming documentary King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen. Cohen, as always, is an engaging raconteur, talking about his intentions with the movie and praising the work of many involved. The original trailer is also included.

Special Effects is one of the happiest surprises of my #ScaryMovieMonth. Though not quite horror -- I guess "thriller" would more accurately describe it, though so many of Cohen's movies defy classification -- it is always engaging and unpredictable. I love its '80s New York independent film vibe, I love its rough edges, and most of all I love Bogosian's performance. If you're any kind of fan of Larry Cohen's work and haven't yet seen this one, it's worthy of a blind buy.

Blu-ray release date: October 18, 2016
106 minutes/1984/Rated R
1.85:1 (1080p)
DTS HD 2.0 Master Audio (English)

Bonus features:
Commentary
Trailer

Buy Special Effects from Olive Films here.