Category: *Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies

Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “The Granny” (1995)

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Granny

Kevin: Directed by Luca Bercovici, “The Granny” is one strange horror comedy with a lot of unlikable characters and a very attractive but very bland final girl. This is exactly the kind of movie that should work but does thanks to a terrific performance by Stella Stevens as the title character. I admire an older actress that is willing to do anything and everything it takes in order to get a cheap laugh.

Steve: The cast within The Granny is a fun and diverse mix of age and personality. You’re not going to find any breakthrough performances here, but all are solid and get the job done. The Granny herself kills it with a few hysterical one-liners and iscomplimented by the more serious and professional Stella Stevens role.

Kevin: You see Granny’s family is a pack of vultures who want her dead in order to claim her inheritance. When a strange man offers her a magical elixir that promises to keep her alive (and beautiful) forever, she accepts. But..she doesn’t listen to the rules and all breaks loose.

Steve: The rules are very clear and Gremlins-esque, but of course, things do not go as planned. We have a crazy cat, a lot of blood and some very inventive and gory deaths. The family of crude and rude misfits plot against Granny in an hour of greed and get everything that they deserve.

Kevin: Wanna see a fur coat come to live and bite an evil hag of a woman to death? How about an elderly woman deep throat her decaying husband who has been dead for years? It’s all very strange but somehow it works. The dialogue is sometimes quite clever (though granny is given one too many one liners for my taste) and the actors sink their teeth into these roles with gusto. It definitely isn’t perfect and the CGI effects both at the beginning and at the climax are all sorts of awful but it is fun.

Steve: What this film my lack in budget, it makes up for with some inventive and unique camera work and interesting angles. It will definitely catch you off guard and can even take you out of the film at moments, but overall, I feel the oddness of this film this is what The Granny thrives on. If you are into experimental camera work and mean old ladies, then this film should be on the top of your to-watch list!

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “The Last Slumber Party” (1988)

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LastSlumberParty

Kevin: “You’re invited to a party … the Last Slumber Party … where the girls are dying for a good time.” Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you “The Last Slumber Party.”

Steve: If you haven’t seen this one yet, then be prepared to be wowed! Wowed as in, “Wow this movie looks like crap.” And then “Wow, worst line delivery ever.” And lastly, “Wow! That was amazing! Let’s watch it again!” This film needs to be seen to be believed. It has a workable plot in the making, but for no good reason, the story takes a few weird turns along the way. And along the way we meet some very memorable characters, a bucket full of laugh-out-loud lines and even a vintage Sesame Street poster.

Kevin: On their last day of high school, Linda, Tracy and Chris celebrate by having a slumber party at Linda’s house. The girls invite some boys over to have the time of their lives. Little do they know, the girls have another visitor. Hiding in the house is a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from a mental hospital dressed like a doctor. Armed with a scalpel, the doctor slashes gets ready for the night by slashing up Chris
and her dimwitted friends. Are Chris and company smart enough to survive the night?

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Steve: I would kill to know more about the production of this film. How many days was this shot over? What was the budget? Was there a food poisoning outbreak on set and they had to recast every role at last minute? So many unanswered questions revolving around this movie, it makes my head hurt. I really want to know what the actors are doing today and if they keep this film a dirty little secret or if they even know it exists. There is a cult out there that deserves to know these answers!

Kevin: There are bad movies and then there is “The Last Slumber Party”. The film looks like it was made for about $20, features “actors” who wouldn’t be able to get extra roles in community theater, and has the audacity to be neither gory OR show nudity. The film claims it was made in 1988 but looks like it was probably filmed in 1982 or 1983 tops. The film looks wretched, shots go on and on to the point of boredom, and the sound switches from not being able to hear a damn thing to shouting in your ear. Sound like your cup of tea? Well dig in and enjoy the bad horror movie you are soaking in.

Steve: The Last Slumber Party does everything wrong, but in a weird way, that is why this movie feels so right. Please, do you part as a horror fan and spread the word about this movie. You definitely have to have a sense of humor while watching this and many of you out there may even need a drink or two. But try it out and who knows, maybe this will catch on and be the next Shout! Factory release on Blu-ray with some awesome cover art…well, I can dream can’t I?

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “Sorority Girls & the Creature From Hell” (1990)

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Kevin: Sorority Girls and the Creature from Hell is one of the strangest horror movies I’ve seen in a while. It seems as if the producers behind this film decided to take all of the cliches of the horror genre, action genre, comedy genre, and the worst soft core pornos you have seen and mixed it up in a cinematic blender. It really is that strange but it is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Steve: Calling this film strange is going easy on it. The story can be described as odd, at best. From the boobs, to the talking rock (inspiration for Legends of the Hidden Temple perhaps?), to the dubbed audio, to even more boobs, this film will at least keep you guessing and will NO make for a boring watch.

Kevin: The “plot” surrounds a group of sorority girls who decide to take a trip up to a cabin in the woods accompanied by some boys. To their dismay, there is an escaped convict on the loose as well as the uncle of one of the girls. It’s too bad that Uncle Ray is possessed by an Indian spirit turning him into a monster with a need for human blood.

Steve: The plot/mess is the best part of this film. There is a lot going on and all the, “What is happening?” thoughts in your head will make for some unexpected joy. For all you Seinfeld fans out there, you especially will get a fun treat as the one and only Uncle Leo makes a surprise appearance. It’s interesting to see him as this outdoorsy character.

Kevin: Sound a bit convoluted? It sure is but it is also one of the most entertaining horror movies that I’ve seen in quite a while. This film isn’t for everyone and horror fans looking for less cheese and more thrills should look elsewhere. That said, the lovely Debra Dutch (star of underrated cheese classic Hard to Die) steals the show as our resourceful final girl and the film never takes itself too seriously. That’s more than can be said for most films today.

Steve: You cant really go wrong with this movie if you are just looking for cheesy film with bad acting and laughable audio. So, if you are in the mood for a unique cabin adventure, check out this film in all of its full screen gory. Take in the grainy views and bad foley as the sorority girls and their boy toys try to survive the night and escape the wrath of the creature from hell.

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “Sloppy the Psychotic” (2012) Review

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Kevin: From Maniac Films, we have a gory treat for you slasher fans in the form of Sloppy the Psychotic. Sloppy the Psychotic is the sort of deliberately offensive horror movie that most horror filmmakers are too afraid to make any more. The story centers around Sloppy, a part time clown who is living with his abusive parents. Things take a turn for the worse when, after a misunderstanding with a child, Sloppy is fired. Sloppy decided to get revenge killing all of those in his life that have teased or tormented him.

Steve: Sloppy brutally gets his revenge on his old boss, the woman who got him fired and even a random homeless man. The homeless man was actually the highlight of this film for me. He actually had great line delivery and from the look of him, he may have actually been homeless! And after drowning in a puddle of his own piss, this guy had a death just as disgusting as himself.

Kevin: Like a throwback to the best Grindhouse films of the 1970’s and the Troma films of the 1980’s, Sloppy the Psychotic isn’t meant to be taken seriously but mainly meant to have a good time with. I’d say the film succeeds in that accept. This isn’t the most polished indie film you’ll see (the cinematography and sound could both use some fine tuning) but the movie has its gory heart in the right place.

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Steve: I think these filmmakers did in fact succeed at making the film they wanted to make. And of that, I must applaud them. 100 people could have read this script and I’m sure a big percentage would have had issues with at least a few aspects. It’s raunchy, disturbing and gross; everything they these guys wanted in there film. Good for them to make the film they wanted!

Kevin: If you want to see a movie in which a drunken frat boy gets a pole shoved up his ass or a dozen birthday kids overdose on “birthday cake” while vomiting up blood, you found the right movie for you. Also, I must mention the cut off penises…I’ll have nightmares for weeks. Thanks Sloppy!

Steve: The gore effects were not bad at all. Going into low budget films, one is never sure what to expect, but they at least did their homework on the blood effects. The cooking scene was über gross as blood and guts were covering the counters. And, like Kevin said, the penis scene…well, just watch.

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “Girlfriend from Hell” (1989)

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Girlfriend from Hell (2)

Steve: This little she-devil sure packs a punch in, Girlfriend From Hell. With great one liners from the entire cast and an over the top, yet fun story to follow, this movie delivers the cheesy goods. Setting itself apart from the mundane films that we have grown far too accustom to, Girlfriend From Hell lets loose and allows it’s audience to escape into a dimension (or two) that we just can’t find in today’s film world.

Kevin: Well, what do you know? Turns out the Devil wears red dress and attends high school birthday parties. At least that’s what SHE doesn’t in the 1989 horror-comedy “Girlfriend from Hell” which is easily one of the silliest movies I’ve seen in quite some time. In this case, silly really isn’t all that bad and this movies turns out to be way more fun than I would have ever expected it to be. So…back to the “plot”…

Steve: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when we began the film with laser guns and some odd CGI, but I soon embraced this gem more and more with every outrageous scene. The acting is spot on for a film of this caliber and the characters scream likability. I was actually sad to see most of the characters leave us and wish they could have stayed around longer. Rocco and his girl are a comedic duo made in heaven. The devil chaser himself was a pleasant surprise with his mind on sex 99% of the time. His line delivery was out of this world as he had me rolling with laughter on multiple occasions.

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Kevin: What Steve, I thought you were going to talk about the plot? Anyway, The devil is on the run and being pursued by God’s assistant, a devil chaser named Chaser (played with pitch-perfect comic timing by an underrated Dana Ashbrook). When the devil makes a wrong turn to a high school birthday party, the devil takes over the body of innocent and painfully shy Maggie (wonderfully played by Liane Curtis who displays the perfect amount of tart sweetness to the role). Maggie is on the blind date from..err…hell. The bodies pile up and the fun begins as we have assault rifle nuns, soul stolen during sex, a journey throughout time, and a religious woman holding onto her dead life by a floating cheeto. Seriously. “Girlfriend from Hell” never takes itself too seriously and is never boring. It is actually a lot of fun with a clever script and a breezy pace.

Steve: This is by far the most surprisingly fun films I have seen I a while. Is it a perfect script with top of the line effects and A-list actors? Hell no. But it sure beats out the majority of the crap out there today. So, for the true experience, dust off the old VCR and don’t be afraid of making a date with Girlfriend From Hell.

Kevin: Fun fact: In early 2011, playwright/composer Sean Matthew Whiteford adapted the film into a stage musical. The pop-rock musical features 20 original songs, a revamped story line, while still using several of the original film’s characters, and using the film’s release date year, 1989, as the year the show is set in. The show opened for a test run at The Gene Frankel Theatre in NYC on July 21, 2011. The original Off-Off Broadway cast included Melissa Matthews as Maggie (the role originated by Liane Curtis in the film), Dana Gough, Gregory Krupp, Frank McGinnis, Foster Miller, Cassiopeia Ottulich, Matthew Patane, Juda Leah, Michael Siktberg, Sean Matthew Whiteford, and Margie Zarcone. The show is currently preparing for a new, revised production in June 2013 at the Center For Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, NY.

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Kevin & Steve’s Slashers: “Prom Night III: The Last Kiss” (1990)

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Kevin: Prom Night III: The Last Kiss continues that story of Mary Lou Maloney (the very beautiful and quite voluptuous Courtney Taylor), the vengeful spirit from Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, who is still haunting the halls of Hamilton High. She is a lonely ghost who is looking for a little bit of love and romance. Into her life walks Alex Grey (the bland but quite likeable (Tim Conlon), the painfully average high school junior who is looking for a little bit of excitement in his life. Little does Mary Lou know that Alex already has a girlfriend, Sara (played by underrated Scream Queen Cyndy Preston), and will do whatever it takes to get her our of his life.

Steve: The story if nothing too unique or too convoluted that would cause the audience to lose interest in the film. We are given the classic love triangle and some jealous girls that help make this film into and interesting watch. Prom Night III set out to be a comedic horror movie and succeeded all around. Nothing too pretentious here.

Kevin: Prom Night III: The Last Kiss is an interesting blend of comedy (very broad Student Bodies style splatstick) and horror, slasher and supernatural, and tongue-in-cheek and clever. It is mostly a lot of fun to watch and Taylor delivers some great zingers as Mary Lou. At 97 minutes,
the film is a bit on the long side. At least ten minutes could have been cut from the final act within losing anything storywise. That said, it is consistently funny and quite often very entertaining. The production values are solid throughout and the script is helped out immensely by a game cast that appears to be having just as much fun as we are.

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Steve: The comedy found within Prom Night III may not suit every movie-goer, but I found the silly, yet oh so clever jokes to hit each and every time. There are some fun shots as well, like when Alex uses the pay phone to call his parents. He doesn’t necessarily address the audience, but he does look directly into the camera and while you have this on your mind, you then here the Charlie Brown like voices come from the phone. A great sequence to say the least.

Kevin: Please note, if you choose to watch this film (and it is indeed recommended), the DVD version released in a double feature DVD along with Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil is a cut TV broadcast version. Most of the gore, swearing, and nudity is all but removed. However in the VHS version it is uncut, with all gore, profanity and nude scenes left intact.

Steve: Please, if you have not seen this, I urge you to do so. Like I said, the comedy may be hit or miss depending on your taste, but it is a must for the true horror fans in the world! So, search for that elusive VHS tape today and have some go wild with Prom Night III.

To purchase Prom Night 3: The Last Kiss from Amazon: Prom Night III: The Last Kiss [VHS]

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “Humongous” (1982)

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humongous

Kevin: Like all just about great slasher flicks from the 1980’s, today’s criminally overlooked “Humongous” begins on a holiday. It is Labor Day weekend, 1946. A young woman named Ida Parsons is taken from a formal dinner party and raped in the back of the house on the island. The man is killed by her dogs who protect Ida and the house and the woman is pretty much left for dead.

Steve: This initial scene really pulls you into the film right away. We have a super creepy guy taking part in an all-too-real rape scene that is at times difficult to watch, but filmed in a way that keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The addition of the barking dogs creates even more chaos that ramps up the emotional connection with the audience. These scenes can be hard to film and hard to watch, but if done in a way like found in Humongous, these shots can become powerful and can really set the tone for the rest of the film.

Kevin: We jump ahead thirty years and we meet a group of five college students who are going for a little cruise out on the boat. When trouble starts between two brothers leading the boat, the fivesome is forced to spend the night on Dog Island…the same island the woman was raped on thirty years ago. Someone or something is going to make sure they don’t survive the night…

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Steve: We find many of the classic slasher characters with this college group. The jock, the pretty boy, the slut, ect…we are given the full package here. The characters are fun and the a-hole jock, Nick, provides a needed comedic relief. I wish he would have survived a little longer within the film because I was having a great time with this character and was sad to see him go. As far as Dog Island is concerned, this place is character in itself. We are shown a great beach location with a lush forest and the house the kids stumble upon is absolutely perfect! It has the old run-down feel but still is livable and very creepy.

Kevin: “Humongous” is a fun, homage filled 80′s slasher that rips off a dozen other, better slasher films but still manages to be a lot of fun. Remember the scene at the end of “Friday the 13th Part 2″ where Amy Steel pretends to be Jason’s mother? This film sure does as the exact scene is repeated here to lesser effect. That being said, the kills are fun and characters are a tad bit better developed than most of the other 80′s slashers out there.

Steve: This is an enjoyable film to watch for no other reason then to see almost exact scenes that are found in fellow slashers. A couple movies with the Friday The 13th series have scenes that are like twins to certain scenes in Humongous. It is fun to see how these similar scenes are played out in different films and then to point out what works in each and what doesn’t. This film is definitely worth a repeat screening as there will be certain parts of the film that you will pick up on the next time you watch it.

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Kevin: David Wallace is particular is quite strong as our lead twin Eric. Most of the time in 80′s slasher, guys are given nothing to do but not so here. He almost becomes the film girl by being smart, likable, and even given a chance to emote. Lead Janet Julian possesses similar qualities and has a lot of fun with her “last girl standing” appearance. This is a must watch for fans of the early 80′s slasher genre. I can’t say that everyone is going to enjoy the film as much as I did as the film is quite slow and repetitive at times. Nonetheless, it is one of the better examples from the under-appreciated genre.

Steve: I do believe that this 80’s flick has flown under the radar for much too long. It is a fairly strong film and the acting and characters do the job that is needed. The production value is high with water and fire scenes that can be tricky to film and are both high risk during production. The film does have it’s lulls in the action and I do feel that the villain could have been amped up a notch to compete with Michael and Jason, but overall, this is a solid piece of filmmaking and any slasher fan should check out.

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Kevin & Steve’s Horror Movies: “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama” (1988)

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Today our horror hosts Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz will be looking at the cult 80’s horror comedy from the 1980’s, “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama.” How well does it hold up 25 years later? Our horror hosts are ready to dig into the campy goodiness.

Kevin: Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama is the kind of horror-comedy that simply would be never be made today. Directed by David DeCoteau (who has gone on to release a line of successful soft core gay horror films under the 1313 label) and released in 1988, it was one of the earliest Full Moon features released. It enjoyed a healthy life on USA’s Up All Night thanks to an equal share of T&A and light laughs.

Steve: A fun and slightly odd film, involving some college kids and an imp, Sorority Babes is the remedy for the boring and mundane horror films in theaters today. The characters found with this film are ones that any horror filmmaker would kill for. They are interesting, fun and very funny.

Kevin: The film centers around two sorority pledges played in tongue-in-cheek by B-movie Scream Queens Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer. The are forced to endure embarrassing hi-jinks such as spanking and whipped cream fights…no, I’m not making this up. When a trio of boys are caught spying on them, the girls who run the sorority send the two pledges and frat boys to the local bowling alley to steal a bowling trophy. An accident during the robbery causes the trophy to break open, releasing an evil imp who wreaks havoc with his supernatural powers.

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Steve: The film silly and crazy and kinda weird, but this is where the charm of it all is found. The imp aspect definitely threw me for a loop. At first, I was a bit standoffish toward the little monster, but then images of my beloved ghoulies popped into my head and my mind was again ease and back into the movie.

Kevin: Oh wow, where do we start here. This movie has enough plot for three films and enough brains for zero films. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the hell out of this cheesy flick but intelligence is not the first thing of this script’s agenda. It’s just silly brainless fun aided by a great performance by the one-and-only George “Buck” Flower as the hearing impaired janitor of the bowling alley and Linnea Quigley as the badass wannabe thief “Spider.” At 76 minutes, this film doesn’t overstay its welcome and left me with a huge smile on my face from beginning to end.

Steve: I felt the film was strongest at the beginning and then reaches a little when the imp gimmick starts, but overall I had a great time with movie and I can’t wait to watch it again. The Buck Flower character is flawless and the line delivery is outstanding throughout the entire film. He doesn’t have a huge part but he sure does leave the biggest impact. The scene with him and Linnea Quigley is by far and away one of the funniest scenes I have came across in a while. This is a must see B-movie, so if you have not found this oop DVD yet, do some searching and find it today!

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Kevin & Steve’s Slashers: An Invitation to “Happy Birthday to Me”

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Welcome to a brand new segment on Slasher Studios: Kevin & Steve’s Slasher Reviews. Every Tuesday, Kevin and Steve will be taking on a classic slasher and reviewing it here at Slasher Studios together. This is no ordinary review. These two will be discussing the film as they watch it and reporting the findings to you. This week the duo take on the 1981 slasher classic “Happy Birthday to Me.”

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Kevin: “Happy Birthday to Me” is preposterous, over-the-top, and silly. A blend of all of the 80′s excesses rolled into one far too long film (outside of the Scream franchise NO horror movie should run upwards of two hours). This is a fun film that really could have benefited from a shorter running time. As much fun as I had with this film the way it is, I feel this movie would have had an even stronger story and maybe even more of following if a few cuts were made here and there. Nonetheless, “Birthday” works. Maybe it is the silly deaths (gotta love the shish-ka-bob to the mouth or the weights to the crotch) or maybe its the outlandish ending that doesn’t even try to make any sense whatsoever. Seriously, a Mission Impossible style mask? Any plan that involves drugging someone several times in a week with a latex mask made to resemble said person is probably a plan that is too convoluted by half.

Steve: The whole mask issue at the end didn’t really bother me as much as maybe I wanted it to. Is it out of place? Yes. Does this bring up a number of unneeded question? It sure does. But, like many great films, we need to suspend r disbelief and just enjoy the ride.

Kevin: Nevertheless, whatever it is, this movie put a blood red smile across my face for the majority of its running time. Great atmosphere (love the gothic style setting of the university), steady cinematography, and a capable cast also help matters considerably. Also, I gotta give the movie credit for actually giving us characters we like and care about. These are people we really don’t want to see die and we mourn the loss for several of them after they do die.

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Steve: I gotta say how refreshing it is to watch a film and actually enjoy the characters. So, props go out to the writing, direction and casting for working together to create a well thought out and well liked cast. Whether we talk about the jock or the nerd, we have fun with them all and in a strange and maybe morbid way, I was happy to see them all again at the corpse party.

Kevin: I can’t say this is a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but if you are looking for a fine, fun 80′s slasher, this is definitely one of the better ones. Further note, the recent blu-ray of Happy Birthday to Me (on a combo pack with the original When a Stranger Calls) features an HD print that makes the film look better than it has ever looked before. Well worth tracking down! I have this film 3.5 bloody shisk-ka-bobs out of 4.

Steve: Happy birthday to me is a must see for any slasher fan. Track it down today and have a movie night headlined by this 80’s gem.

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