UNDEAD
Zombie Bloodbath (1993)
Plot: Nuclear radiation brings the dead back to life, and they go on a flesh-hungry rampage.
Few directors embody DIY, guerilla filmmaking quite like Todd Sheets. He’s been putting out this stuff since the mid-eighties and is still going strong today. Zombie Bloodbath is everything the title would suggest, and if that sounds like your type of jam you’ll rock ‘n’ roll with it. Granted, zombie rampage movies have been done to death, and while this one isn’t particularly groundbreaking it still delivers the gruesome goods with plenty of grue, enthusiasm, and aplomb.
Bone Sickness (2004)
Plot: A man consumes the flesh of the dead to treat a rare bone disease only to turn into a zombie. Elsewhere, the undead are rising from their graves to bring about the end of days.
This was made for the equivalent of a day’s catering budget on an average Hollywood movie, and every buck has been put into creating gore-soaked thrills and undead deformities. Like all of his films, director Brian Paulin’s ambitions here are grand scale and defy budget limitations. He sets out to create an epic, apocalyptic splatter opus and, once you’re in the moment, it’s easy to overlook the movie’s lesser aspects and embrace the heart, drive, and creativity on display.
Buy Bone Sickness on DVD from Amazon.
Frankenstein Created Bikers (2016)
Plot: An undead biker gang must do the bidding of a mad scientist.
James Bickert’s follow-up to the sleazy Dear God No! is impossible to categorize as it incorporates a little bit of everything from Hammer horror to southern biker action yarns, women-in-prison movies to creature features. The bloodshed is constant and most of it is extremely messed up, but the movie’s tongue is firmly planted in its cheek and boasts plenty of charm despite going out of its way to offend.
Buy Frankenstein Created Bikers on Blu-ray from Amazon.
Zombie A-Hole (2012)
Plot: A monster-hunting cowboy and a mechanic hunt down a zombie who has a habit of killing identical twins.
This is another splendid effort from the aforementioned Dustin Mills, this time with a neo-western adventure set in a world that’s populated with bad asses, bombshells, and a well-dressed zombie menace who’s a real a-hole. This isn’t your traditional variation of the undead either; Mills give us a playful alternative and draws inspiration from Sergio Leone, comic books, animation, and vintage grindhouse flicks to tell a captivating story. The stylistic experiments throughout gel seamlessly and ensure that the movie is never hindered by its low budget trappings, which also makes the near two-hour running time feel like a breeze.
Buy Zombie A-Hole on DVD from Amazon.
Premutos: The Fallen Angel (1997)
Plot: A man accidentally resurrects Premutos, an evil fallen angel who plans to summon an army of the living dead and wipe out the human race.
German schlock maestro Olaf Ittenbach is a god among disciples of micro-budget splatter, and Premutos: The Fallen Angel is an unholy gift that deserves to be cherished and celebrated as long as long as time exists. But this isn’t all blood and guts, as we’re also treated to an ambitious story that transports us through several time periods — from ancient times to modern day. It is mostly about blood, guts, and exploding heads, though, and the carnage is frequent and satisfying. If you’re a fan of early Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi, this will tickle your sensibilities.
EXPERIMENTAL
Applecart (2015)
Plot: An anthology of disturbing tales featuring abuse of the elderly, abduction, and more.
This is my final Dustin Mills entry, and it’s one which shows the director at his darkest and most experimental — as both a storyteller and filmmaker. Applecart is a black and white portmanteau silent film that contains four segments which focus on the fear of seemingly normal people. What do our neighbors really get up to behind the closed doors? Are the people who’re supposed to care for us really equipped to? Every character wears a creepy mask throughout which only adds to the film’s surreal qualities, but the situations themselves don’t feel too far removed from the horrors of daily news stories.
Lo (2009)
Plot: A heartbroken fool summons a demon to rescue his girlfriend from the underworld, but the beast has other plans.
Director Travis Betz’s entire filmography is made up of distinct oddities that defy convention and classification, but with this one in particular he captured lightning in a bottle. Lo is staged like a play and feels very intimate as such. We witness a lonely soul converse with a demon that wants him for dinner. In between their chats about life, love, and Hell we are treated to some musical numbers. Lo is indescribable magic, a film rooted in existential dilemmas, tragic romance, off-the-wall comedy, catchy songs, and lots of eccentricity.
Franklin: A Symphony of Pain (2015)
Plot: A man recalls a nightmare journey which involved him being abducted and tortured.
Don’t let the simplicity of that plot description fool you — this isn’t straightforward by any means. The story chronicles a man as he embarks on a psychedelic, hallucinogenic odyssey which sees him stripped of his masculinity and identity after being sodomized by a wooden symbol. I also imagine that this is what a LSD trip is like, as everything is disjointed and complemented by trippy visuals and an overwhelming sense of introspection. There’s a lot to unpack here, and to be honest I still haven’t been able to make sense of it all yet, but it’s an engrossing, hypnotic experience nonetheless.
When Black Birds Fly (2016)
Plot: When two children living in Heaven find a gap in a wall that opens a door to forbidden terrains, they begin to learn that paradise is not the perfect place it appears to be.
This warped animated feature from weirdo Jimmy Screamerclauz is downright fucked up, but it’s not without merit. At the heart of the story is a biblical allegory which encourages viewers to ask questions about religion and state, and while Screamerclauz doesn’t give us these answers, he does provide a nightmarish and debaucherous backdrop which makes trying to figure out what he’s trying to tell us all the more unsettling.
Buy When Black Birds Fly on DVD from Amazon.
Romeo’s Distress (2016)
Plot: Boy likes girl. Her father and brother do not approve. Bad things happen.
Named after a Christian Death song, the debut feature-length from Jeff Frumess is that rare type of film that feels like a lifetime of passions pouring out on screen. On one hand it’s a Gothic Shakespearean tragedy about unrequited love. On the other, it’s a love letter to avant-garde cinema, echoing the likes of John Waters and David Lynch, and alternative music. The soundtrack features handpicked cuts by death rock and post-punk artists like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and T.S.O.L., both of whom the director is a vocal fan of. However, Romeo’s Distress never feels self-indulgent at all — in fact, it’s a breath of fresh because of how odd and quirky it is. This is a pure passion project, and while it’s not for everyone, many will embrace it.
FRINGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muZcBGm-Ui4
Parasites (2016)
Plot: College students get lost in the grimy streets of LA and incur the wrath of homeless savages.
Chad Ferrin is the director behind underground nasties Easter Bunny, Kill Kill and Someone’s Knocking at the Door. For this one, though, he switched gears and delivered a survival thriller that seeks to capture the spirit of old school Walter Hill and John Carpenter, with a hint of Judgement Night and Street Trash. It’s an ode to familiar movies, but it retains the attitude and trademarks that make all of Ferrin’s films feel quite dirty.
Dust Up (2012)
Plot: A Snake Plissken-esque vigilante goes up against a cannibalistic drug lord and his goons.
After Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez unleashed their Grindhouse experiment over a decade ago, a wave of send-up movies followed that tried — and mostly failed — to bring back the spirit of the exploitation fare that used to fill up sleazy theatres and drive-ins. Dust Up is one of those movies — and it’s one of the better ones. Ward Roberts’ actioner is gross, offensive, zany, and gung-ho from start to finish. Roberts hasn’t directed a movie since, which is a shame because he’s a promising talent with crossover potential.
Buy Dust Up on DVD from Amazon or watch via Amazon Video.
Toad Road (2013)
Plot: Two nihilistic teenagers embark on a drug-fueled journey to explore an urban legend that’s said to be a gateway to Hell.
When Jason Banker was casting this one, he sought out a real group of friends who embodied the hard-living lifestyle of the characters portrayed in the film. As such, Toad Road is practically a documentary that incorporates just enough fictional elements to progress the story. The drug taking that takes place on screen is real and the actors interactions are mostly their natural conversations. On top of that, the experience is made all the more haunting knowing that actress Sara Anne Jones passed away a few months after the film’s premiere. This one stuck with me for awhile.
Buy Toad Road on DVD from Amazon.
Adam Chaplin (2011)
Plot: A man summons a demon to give him superhuman strength so he can avenge his wife’s murder.
This movie is pure carnage, and I can’t get enough of it. Produced by Necrostorm, an Italian production and distribution company that specializes in stylish shoestring genre fare, Adam Chaplin is basically the Faust legend recycled with touches of The Crow thrown in — only much crazier and ridiculously hyper-violent. The whole movie is basically a gory rampage through the streets of the fictional Heaven Valley city as our titular vigilante crushes skulls, punches through faces, and tallies up an impressive body count.
Buy Adam Chaplin on DVD from Amazon.
Super Task Force One (2013)
Plot: An unlikely hero gains powers and must save mankind from an evil galactic emperor.
There are other Steve Rudzinski movies that could have taken this spot. The majority of his oeuvre is more horror-centric, but instead I chose a Power Rangers parody/homage. How often do we get to talk about American-made tokusatsu movies, let alone ones made by unknown filmmakers from Ohio? Only sometimes, that’s how often. But Super Task Force One has the same sense of humor as his horror comedies CarousHELL and Captain Z and Terror of Leviathan — both of which I wholeheartedly recommend. Plus, there is plenty of monster and robot action here to get your blood pumping and make you feel alive again.
Buy Super Task Force One on DVD from Amazon or watch via Amazon Video.
