I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with most films from Asylum. With over 50 movies in the can, the production company has yet to lose money on a single feature. Often from the time a title is announced to the moment the film is available to purchase is less than six months. This is cynical filmmaking to say the least but there is something ingenious about the business side of this sort of low brow end of movies approach. Is this really anything different than what Roger Corman did in the 60s and 70s? Joe Dante’s Piranha was a shameless rip off of Jaws. The Asylum’s Hansel and Gretel is a shameless rip off of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. The real question to ask…does this rip off work or is it even worse than the “blockbuster” it is trying to capitalize on. Let’s take a bite out of Hansel and Gretel.

As Hansel & Gretel begins we witness an overweight girl tied up in shackles trapped in a dark and dreary basement. She manages to get herself free and she runs out of the house and into the woods only to find herself trapped yet again. An apple in the mouth and some seasonings and she has become the next meal for the family who lives in the house. After “treated” to the opening Saw “homage”, I was already tuning myself out of the film. But then something strange happened. The movie developed a sense of humor about itself and it went from being a chore to sit through to becoming one of the more entertaining movies of the last few years. We have our two heroes (Hansel and Gretel, of course) on a race against time as they battle the delightfully evil Dee Wallace as the witch. But I mean Dee Wallace runs a bakery that sells meat pies called The Gingerbread House. How great is that?

I’m been complaining lately that there haven’t been enough good-bad horror movies lately. Horror movies that aren’t exactly great but are shamelessly entertaining. The Asylum’s Hansel and Gretel completely fits the bill. Not only is this Asylum’s best work to date, it is also their most enjoyable work yet. A terrifically over-the-top performance by Dee Wallace who gets to shout lines like “EAT YOUR FUCKING DINNER!” and “I was always going to eat YOU!” seals the deal. A must watch for slasher fans. I can’t wait to dig in for seconds.

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.

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.

If you are into cult horror films then you probably already know of Warlock, if not, the this may be a new one for you. Directed by Steve Miner, know for his Friday the 13th fame, Warlock begins in the 1600’s and with the help of a fancy CGI portal, we are taken to the glorious 1980’s. Along for the ride is a witch hunter and the Warlock himself. The Warlock is taken in by the very 80’s Kassandra and it’s not too long before he goes on a bit of a killing spree with the witch hunter on his tail.

The production value is surprisingly high with solid cinematography, costuming, acting and location selection. The effects were also very impressive and fun too watch as Steve Miner really brought this unique film to life. It was able to drag in $9 million plus at the box office and has gained a cult following as of late.

Although this is a well produced project, don’t go in expecting a similar feel and tone to Miner’s Friday films. Warlock is much more serious and plays with a mysterious and slower pace. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, and are a fan of Mr. Miner, grab some popcorn and pop this in tonight.

Set in 1989′s Wisconsin and described as a “hyper-hipster 1980s horror comedy”, Blood Junkie tells the story of two teenage girls Laura (Sarah Luther) and Rachel (Emily Treolo) who are babysitting Laura’s little brother for the weekend. Left with $35 (“Do you know how much alcohol you can buy for $35? A LOT!”), the two girls head to the local gas station to get some supplies. It is at the gas station that they meet Teddy (Mike Johnson) and Craig (Nick Sommer), a couple of guys looking to go camping and score for the weekend. Before long the fivesome have made their way to the forest for some sex, drugs, and death.

Can I describe for you in a sentence how this movie looks? The sets look like someone threw up wood chips and the clothes look like they were hand me downs of hand me downs of hand me downs from decades past. This might not be a selling point for many, but for me, this film never loses sight of its 80′s homage style. The performances are all absolutely perfect with special attention paid to the Nick Sommer as hot-shot Craig with one of the ugliest mullets and sweaters around. If anyone could sell this asshole character and make him likeable, it is Sommer. An all around fun time, if you like your slasher films cheap with a good sense of humor about themselves, this is a must watch.

“Curtains” is a whopper of a slasher film that does nearly everything right. Creepy costume? Check. Intriguing backstory? Check. Likable, if slightly over-the-top, characters? Check. Great death scenes? Double check. I know this movie went though hell in post production. Rumor has it that the film was shelved for a year, during which there were re-writes, re-shoots, and one major re-casting done. Eventually numerous crew members had to be re-hired to shoot the footage to complete the film.

This movie should be a mess. The fact that it isn’t is a miracle in and of itself but the fact that the movie is a damn near masterpiece? Well, let’s just say that the slasher gods must have been looking down on this movie because it is simply incredible. Love the twist at the end, love the figure skater who gets killed by the masked man in the old hag mask, and love the final chase. Sure it isn’t entirely believable and there is a bit of logic that must be stretched thin but that doesn’t stop this movie from being one of the best of its kind. Definitely worth checking out for slasher fans everywhere.