Asia Argento in the news

Ho....ly.... crap. How embarrassing. I seriously don't mean this is in a political way at all, I just feel bad for her. I've had a crush on her, off and on, for ages, as many people here also have. But... she blew it! What a nightmare.

Megalomania: The History of Summer Camp Nightmare



I never went to summer Camp. I just wasn't the type of kid that would have enjoyed it. Yet, looking back, I kind of wish I had been. All these 80's summer Camp Slashers make it all look pretty cool. Minus the obvious, of course. But there's just something about Summer Camp Horror, isn't there? Yeah, it's great. However, there will be no Horror talk, today. Plenty of Summer Camp talk, though. Today, I'm going to talk about a film with one of the most misleading titles in all of cinema. Summer Camp Nightmare was disqualified from the Horror genre a long time ago, regardless of what section I originally rented it from. Yep, it was right there between Slumber Party Massacre III and Terror Train, just waiting to be rented by an unsuspecting Slasher fan. So, yeah. Not a Horror movie. Not at all. It turned out to be more of a summer Camp Thriller. With that said, I can't say I was the least bit disappointed.

Now, we come awfully close to Horror in this story, but ultimately, things never get quite dangerous enough. Summer Camp Nightmare is about one guy's thirst for power and his manipulation of everyone elses thirst for a reasonably fun summer. Let me start from the beginning: Some pushy, religious fanatic (Chuck Connors) has taken over as camp director, practically making this once fun place a "Christian Camp". Not that there's anything wrong with Christian Camps, but if that's closer to what this guy had in mind, a heads up would have been appreciated. Of course, I don't know how that would have gone. Maybe everyone would have headed to Camp Arawak instead, but the point is, Mr. Warren needs to back off because nobody signed up for this shit.

In the fall, Franklin Reilly will be headed to Millitary school, but for now, he's merely a counselor at Camp North Pines. Franklin looks forward to having some fun, getting some fresh air, looking after the younger campers, studying everyone and learning their weaknesses. Franklin isn't like everyone else. He seems like he is, but what Franklin is really after is a little complicated. Franklin wants to take over. Actually, let me rephrase that: Franklin is taking over!

After establishing himself while getting as many people on his side as possible, Franklin makes little remarks about Mr. Warren's rules, riling everyone up. Then, he oh so cleverly convinces them that Mr. Warren molested one of the younger kids. This ensures that no one will side with the Jesus freak once the revolution gets started. Oh, and by the way. There is going to be a Revolution at Camp North Pines. With a gun in hand, Franklin locks up all authority figures while promising his regime in the making that the cops will be called within a day or two ... or three. We'll see how it goes. So, with no (adult) authority figures around, why not do some hardcore, PG-13 partying in the meantime?

Well, Franklin is not fucking around, obviously, because he has already had the authority figures, over at the nearby girls Camp, locked up, as well. And yes, at gunpoint. The girls are, of course, invited over, officially beginning summer for the older kids. Camp North Pines quickly becomes one, big, chaotic party, but chaos is fine with Franklin as long as it's on his watch. Now might be a good time for someone to point out that everyone has pretty much traded one authority figure for another. And the new one seems to be one order away from becoming a cult leader. What's scary is that this is all coming together way too easily for him Things don't get too out of hand until Mr. Warren is accidentally killed, which is kept from everyone. Franklin isn't about to let anything or anybody come in the way of his control over this Camp, and anyone suspected of disloyalty will be dealt with.

A bit of a Lord Of The Flies ripoff, isn't it? Not too much, but some elements are borrowed but used wisely. Most notably, everyone's tendency to forget that there are laws outside their new society. Both stories show what isolation can do to a person's mind, but it just doesn't work as well here, because these kids are only about a week or two into their stay. Summer Camp Nightmare has all the makins for a fantastic 80's slasher, but without those Horror elements, ends up being far more story-heavy. There was one intentional murder but it was done off screen and was more or less deserved, so, this movie can never be accused of being anything more than a hard Thriller. The character of Franklin was an interesting one. We never really get to know him or how he ended up that way, but that boy must have had some damn fine parents to end up with such issues. Something tells me Franklin had a session or two with a shrink ahead of him, though. Kids like that need to be fixed before being allowed to enter society. We certainly have more than our share of sociopaths out there as it is. As for Summer Camp Nightmare, any fan of 80's Camp Slashers should be able to easily cut it some slack once it gets going. Personally, I am proud to have this misplaced Thriller in my Horror collection, whether it belongs there or not. 7/10



#Review

Maximum Overdrive Coming to Blu-ray in the US (Finally!)

This was actually a rumor last week after an image appeared of a purported featurette for the Blu-ray, but now it's official https://dailydead.com/stephen-kings-maximum-overdrive-is-coming-to-blu-ray-from-vestron-video/. On October 23rd, Maximum Overdrive will be released as part of Lionsgate's Vestron Video series. For the first time, the movie will include some extras besides the trailer.

- Interview with Producer Martha DeLaurentiis
- Interview with Special Make-Up Effects Creator Dean Gates
- On-Set Vintage Interviews with Stephen King, Emilio Estevez, and Laura Harrington
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots
- Still Gallery

Strangely, not listed is the featurette I mentioned before, which was supposed to be something with John Short and Yeardley Smith. Hopefully they just don't want to mention it yet for some reason because it sounds like hardly anyone connected to the movie is involved with this release. And none of the footage that was removed to appease the MPAA? That's disappointing. Stills of that footage have popped up over the years, so it definitely existed at some point.

Don't get me wrong though. As a huge fan of Maximum Overdrive, I'm glad this is happening. I own a few of those Vestron Video Blu-rays and they're nice. Lionsgate has come a long way since the days of their 4:3, almost bare bones DVDs. Remember those? I'm still convinced they were using VHS as their source.

Sheriff Alan Pangborn

Anybody watching Hulu's "Castle Rock"? It's a decent show, set in the Stephen King universe. Is there a name for his universe? The King-iverse?

So I've watched about half of this series, and Scott Glenn plays the character Alan Pangborn. Now, I've been hearing that name in the show, but I hadn't put the pieces together until now. Alan Pangborn is a recurring character in Stephen King's stories, and he'd even been in a few movies, too!

Back in 1993, the character of Alan Pangborn was in not one, but TWO movies. Needful Things, played by Ed Harris, and then The Dark Half, played by Michael Rooker. Normally, I'd get pretty mad at recasting, but all of these are solid actors, so I'm okay with it.

Just think it's pretty cool, is all... Anybody read the books?

The horrors of The Wizard of Oz

I've always liked how this movie is family-friendly, but it still has some horror elements to it. You've got the wicked witch, setting the standards for all witch cliches for years to come, and then you have flying monkeys and tornados, and a bunch of mini-perverts.

I was reading up on some behind the scenes problems with this movie, and apparently, the munchkins (ages 40+) were all gambling and drinking on set, as well as molesting young Judy Garland (age 16). 🥴 I wonder if Hans from 'Freaks' was one of those munchkins that partook in that behavior. If people think you're really young for your whole life, would it get confusing to you? Would you then feel alright groping young girls?

On set of that movie, Dorothy was also drugged to keep her regular for the movie, and a few people were hospitalized. Original tin-man actor got aluminum dust poisoning, the wicked witch actress was burned by the trapdoor-flame thing, among the most notable mentions.

However, contrary to previous thoughts, no munchkin hung himself in the background. Later debunked to be just a bird. A goddamn bird! I can imagine how weird that would be before high-def could prove otherwise. Watching your favorite family musical, only to notice a dead body swinging in the background?! I almost wish it was true. 😦


I've never seen "Return to Oz", but people have stated that the movie has some frightening elements to it. Family horror. What a concept, huh?

Shot-On-Shiteo: To Protect And Serve



Anyone ever wonder what it's like to be a Cop? It sounds great, doesn't it? You basically get to do whatever you want. You can hurt anyone you want and get away with it, and you get all the free stuff you want where ever you go. Including drugs. You tell someone to give you something, and they have to. You're a cop! However, only the fittest, toughest, most honorable individuals are cut out for this line of work. That's why Tim Ritter looked to his guy, THE guy, the legendary Joel D. Wynkoop, to play the role of a Police Officer in his 1999 Found Footage-Mock/Shockumentary, Dirty Cop No Donut. If anyone can play a Police Officer, convincingly, it's this guy!

So, Gus Kimble is a pretty irritable guy. Gus is bothered by nothing more than people who disregard the law. I'd imagine that's why he ended up becoming a Police Officer. Gus isn't without flaw, though. He has a bit of a temper, and perhaps enjoys a few perks under the table. Alright, I'll just say it. Gus Kimble does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, to whomever he wants. and if you don't like it, he doesn't really give a fuck, because he has a badge and you don't! Tonight, Gus is doing something a little differently. Something he wouldn't usually do, but he really wants to show the world what it takes to be a good cop. Tonight, Gus will be accompanied by a camera man who probably has his own plans for whatever footage he acquires, but that's neither here nor there. Tonight, Gus is going to tell a story, and he's going to have fun doing it.

First, the coke! Find a coke dealer and steal his coke. Then, we'll have lots of coke. That's pretty much how this whole thing begins. Gus busts in on some dealer he knows, one thing leads to another, and I'm pretty sure that guy is dead, now. So, he won't be needing that big bag od coke. Gus just loves to hear himself talk, and as you can imagine, this is only becoming more and more the case. I'm thinking Gus mostly wanted to show off for his camera man friend, because once they head into the convenience store, Gus made himself completely at home, eating, drinking whatever he wanted, rudely blowing off any and all displeasure expressed by the clerk. Gus needs a little down time before heading out to the pawn shop, where he accuses the guy of selling stolen merchandise. The coked-out Gus destroys a bunch of shit after flat-out refusing a bribe. So, Gus plays by the rules. He's just super selective about it.

After doing some coke with a hooker, then harassing a bum and sticking him in the trunk of his car, Gus heads over to some guy's house, who he claims is a pedophile. I don't know if Gus hates Pedophiles THAT much, or if he just thinks it's funny to force someone to castrate themselves while pissing on them. Well, that's what happened, regardless. Gus held a gun to his head until the wiener was detached. And then, big Gus cut a big, juicy fart for good measure. True story.

What a night this is turning out to be! And it's not over. Gus does some more coke and pulls over a drunk driver, only to get himself so worked up, he ends up destroying the woman's car. All of this done as self-righteously as possible. After raiding a party and getting ready to make some arrests, some underage girls catches Gus' eye, which might be our first clue that this Cop is a little on the "sketchy" side. Hell, is this guy even a cop at all, or just some fat asshole on coke who wants to control everybody? I'm starting to wonder.

I've always loved the films of Tim Ritter, as well as the Wynkoop brand of acting, but this film is by far my favorite project from them both. In fact, ever since I saw Dirty Cop No Donut for the first time, I automatically laugh whenever I see Wynkoop in anything, now. He was truly amazing in this, just reeking of every sleazy cop stereotype you could think of. Constantly talking out his ass about doing the right thing while topping his own hypocrisy with every cocaine-fueled scene. A lazy, ignorant bully who has seemingly found the perfect outlet for whatever neurosis he may be suffering from.

Dirty Cop No Donut is unlike anything Tim Ritter has done before or since. Ritter's only non-Horror film, Dirty Cop is a darker, trashier take on the TV show, Cops, even going so far as to get authentic reactions from unsuspecting non-actors. And I should point out, this is one movie that actually benefits from being shot-on-video. I think we can all agree on that. Some years later, something resembling a sequel was made, giving us a peak into the life of Gus Kimble after a long stay in the nut house. Certain scenes from said sequel were, in a way, merged with the original movie before getting a really nice release by SRS cinema. This epic version of Dirty Cop No Donut is the only way one should experience it. I really hope this movie finds a bigger audience someday. Made some time between the dying days of the SOV and the rise of the reality show, Dirty Cop No Donut never stood a chance at gaining the cult status of a Killing Spree or a Truth Or Dare. However, those of us who stuck around were treated to one hell of an entertaining concept. For anyone who loved the Ritter films mentioned above, you owe it to yourself to keep on going. Let this one be your next Tim Ritter film, and laugh while Joel Wynkoop acts like an asshole! 8/10



#Review

The Halloween Tree (Ray Bradbury)

I was just thinking, I wonder if this book was discussed by John Carpenter and friends, around the time they did Halloween 3? At that point, they were thinking of taking the franchise in the direction of a series of films loosely based on Halloween and/or Samhain, and what it has meant over the years to different cultures. This book could have inspired those conversations, or at least contributed ideas to them. Googling it together with John Carpenter, nothing much comes up, and I haven't heard much about this possibility over the years. It's intriguing though. Does anybody here know anything about any connections here?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Halloween_Tree

My DVD/Blu-ray collection

So I signed up to https://www.filmaf.com the other day with the daunting task of cataloging my entire DVD/Blu-ray collection. It took me around two days to completion. I must be collecting DVDs for the best part of ten years now (and still do) - I think I have a decent collection. I thought I had around 2,000, but it is actually closer to 2,100 DVDs/Blu-rays.

My DVD/Blu-ray collection:

https://gymnopedie.filmaf.com/owned

Anyway, Film Aficionado is a pretty good resource for anyone interested in cataloging their collection. Does anyone have an account with them?

Adam Marcus confirms deadite theory in Jason Goes To Hell

Necronomicon appearance in the Voorhees household more than an Easter Egg.

But hey, I always considered there to be some connection. Especially when they now have a Freddy Vs Jason Vs Ash comic.

https://movieweb.com/jason-goes-to-hell-evil-dead-connection-explained/

What are you listening to right now? (Volume 2)

I figured the last one ran its course.