Feb 5, 2008 - New horror out on DVD today

It's another good week for new releases and there's lots of micro-budget indie horror, but let's start with Jamie Blanks' "Storm Warning"...

"Storm Warning" comes out of Australia from "Urban Legend" director, Jamie Blanks and it's based on a screenplay that was written over 30 years ago, but was considered too violent for the time. Now, of course, the idea of a yuppie couple getting lost in a swamp then running into a group of deranged rednecks seems tired, but "Storm Warning" gets quite violent, especially when it comes to the female lead getting her revenge. Jamie Blanks got his start, kind of, when he filmed a short trailer for "I Know What You Did Last Summer", appealing to producer Neal Moritz for the directing job. The job had already gone to Jim Gillespie, but Moritz liked the trailer so much that he had Blanks direct his later project, "Urban Legend", which was Blanks feature length directorial debut. "Storm Warning" is his third feature after "Urban Legend" and "Valentine", his next feature is called "Long Weekend".

"Descent" comes from first time feature filmmaker Talia Lugacy, whose other credits include assistant to Mr. Weisman on "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" and production assistant on "Man of the Century". She attended the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute with Rosario Dawson and collaborated with her on various short films, so I'm assuming that may have had something to do with landing her for the lead role... it goes to show, maintain your friendships from film school. Not necessarily for the friendship, but for the fact that they might 'make it' sooner than you. In any case, if you're a fan of the 70's grindhouse, rape/revenge type films, this one's for you and it does get quite brutal. It's rated NC-17 for brutal rape, graphic violence, profanity and drug use. In fact, some say it's hard to watch at times... and certain scenes most definitely are. Trust me.

It's with mixed emotions that I write about "Killer Pad", the second feature length film directed by Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. His first feature was "976-Evil", which I actually didn't mind. "Killer Pad" is a horror-comedy about three friends who move into a place in the Hollywood Hills and refuse to believe that the house is actually a portal to Hell. "Killer Pad" is brought to you by the producer of "Dude, Where's My Car?". Now... please, take time to pause and digest that... Robert Englund. "Dude, Where's My Car?"

Charles Band started out as an indie filmmaker in the early 80's, then started up a company called Empire Pictures. That company collapsed due to the fallen Italian currency, which happened to be where the studio was situated. So, he then started up the legendary Full Moon Pictures, which now has several subdivisions, including: Pulsepounders, Surrender Cinema, Pulp Fantasy, Action Xtreme, Alchemy, Filmonsters, Moonbeam, Torchlight, Monster Island and Cult Video. He, personally, has produced over 230 films and occassionally gets behind the camera and directs a picture or two (32, to be exact), such as: "Trancers", "Dollman vs. Demonic Toys", "The Gingerdread Man" and now... "Dangerous Worry Dolls".

"The Orb" is a low-budget horror from Scott Lee Mason, that was originally completed in 2005. It's about a group of friends who travel to Hawaii and a meteorite crashes near their campsite. They go to inspect and find a glowing orb, which enters them, one by one, and turns the group into mindless killers.

Now, there's a string of micro-budget indie horror, which tend to be my personal favorites. I've seen some of these, not all of them, but I'll endorse each and every one. These are all true indie film and you should pick them up, just to support them. This week, you're getting "Deadhouse", "Bone Sickness", "Naked Beneath the Water", "Home Made", "Demon Seduction" and "Sabbath". Now, a little bit of info on each one...

"Deadhouse" comes from Shattered Dreams Productions, distributed by Brain Damage Films. Written, directed and produced by Pablo Macho Maysonet IV and Brian Rivera, "Deadhouse" is essentially another "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" rip-off. It was actually completed in 2004 and premiered at select theaters before being picked up by Brain Damage and now being released to a wide audience. It's their first feature, it was independently produced and financed, shot all on DV....

"Bone Sickness" is 'the story of a woman caring for her terminally ill husband, who is dying from a degenerative bone disease. With no cure available, she gets the help of a friend and turns to an alternative form of medicine, one that angers the dead.' Written and directed by Brian Paulin and completed in 2004, "Bone Sickness" will not disappoint on one level - gore. It's filled with it and the last 15 minutes are out of hand. Having said that, do know that you're getting a micro-budget horror-spoof. There's a lot of negative reviews out there, but I'm assuming that they didn't know what they were in for when they got it.

"Naked Beneath the Water" is writer/director Sean Cain's feature length directorial debut. He's worked on some other infamous micro-budget films, including editing "Zombiegeddon". After that, Cain created Velvet Hammer Films with Jim Wright and this is their first feature. They've done a great job with next to no budget and that's backed up by the fact that there's next to no bad reviews of it out there...

"Home Made" is another micro-budget horror, this one from Jason Impey, who did almost every role possible in getting this film made, including playing the lead role. Shot in the summer of 2006, "Home Made" is about a horror filmmaker who embarks on making the ultimate snuff film.

"Demon Seduction" was originally called "Demon Sex" and was released in a 50 pack of movies called, "Tomb of Terrors". It was written and directed by Greg Lewolt and stars notorious scream queen, Brinke Stevens, star of over 100 low budget horror and sci-fi movies. If there's only one reason to check this film out, it has to be for Brinke Stevens. She's open to being in almost any film and deserves a lot of credit for helping out young, up and coming filmmakers. You really need to see her list of films, check it out here at imdb. Crazy.

"Sabbath" comes from writer/director William Victor Shotten, who's first feature film, "Dead Life", was a micro-budget horror. I can't find much information on "Sabbath", but, from what I can tell, it's about the last day for humanity and zombies.

New on DVD, Feb 5, 2008: