Reviews

This very watchable and super enjoyable gay themed detective film shows how much one can do on a more limited budget when a cast and crew have talent and vision. The story follows the investigation of an attempted murder and subsequent events by gay private detective Donald Strachey, played with perfection by a very sexy, very hot Chad Allen. Part of the reason for Chad Allen's superb performance is his natural ease and great comfort with himself and his character. He doesn't seem to be acting so much as becoming his character, which is a great credit to his ability. The film follows his character through a series of events filled with lots of twists and surprises that will satisfy any mystery/private detective connossuer. The seamless development and constant freshness of the storyline show how well written, well directed, and well performed this terrific film is. The mystery is revealed with great care and would make any mystery writer proud and the relationship storyline with Chad Allen and Sebastian Spence is treated with great respect, ease and much humor. It's great to see Jack Wetherall, from Queer As Folk, in a pivotal role in this film and he does a fantastic job here as the character much of the story revolves around. Third Man Out is the first in a series of films about the investigations of Donald Strachey - and that's great news. I look forward to many more. It's a credit to Chad Allen, Ron Oliver, and a very talented cast and crew who've already made this series a big success!

I saw Hellbent near the end of the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. I'm so glad I saw it when I did - it was a super finale to the film festival. Hellbent is great fun, probably the most fun I've had in years during a horror flick. It delivers on all counts - it's scary as hell (sorry, I couldn't resist!), gruesome in a couple of well placed scenes, and funny without weakening the tension. In fact, it's one of the scariest films I've seen in quite some time. In addition, the action revolves around five hunky gay men who are pursued by the psycho slasher - a refreshing and welcome change.

Four gay men go out in West Hollywood on Halloween night to have a good time, unaware that the previously mentioned psycho slasher has his eye on them. The boys party like only gay men can, and one of them talks to another hunk that he's seen around who joins them. One by one the boys are picked off until the final confrontation. What makes this film differ from others in the horror/slasher genre is the concentration on and the respect for the characters of the film. Paul Etheredge-Ouzts develops well-fleshed characters for the film, giving the performers much to work with in the story. The cast is terrific, in addition to being great to look at. Matt Phillips is particularly effective, funny and even touching, showing the vulnerability of his character even through drag.

I had the opportunity to meet Paul Etheredge-Ouzts and Matt Phillips at the film festival. I was fortunate to be able to compliment them on their great work for Hellbent. I hope to see Hellbent again soon when it's released on a national scale. It's great fun - and I'll be looking for Hellbent 2 soon!

The only reason that I rate this film a ten is because the rating scale on IMDB doesn't reach 227. The Trip isn't just a film - it's an extraordinary, a true gem about everything that matters in life - people, relationships, pride in one's self, matters of the heart and soul. The film shows what can be achieved when millions aren't poured into special effects and high-priced superficial "talent". I saw The Trip on the last day of the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2002. The timing was truly fitting, because it was a fantastic grand finale to a festival which included many other fine films. The Trip, however, was by far, the best of the festival and, in my opinion, walked away with the award for Best of Everything in all Categories. The film follows the relationship between two men starting from 1973 continuing into the 80's, giving an opportunity for many political and social commentaries having to do with the times, including Anita Bryant and Ronald Reagan, and gay rights. There was also much opportunity to fill the film with with many truly hysterical fashions and one-liners inspired by those times. These qualities make The Trip a wonderfully balanced film with both genuinely funny moments along with many warm, heart-teasing scenes too, particularly because the characters are so constantly involving, as is the superbly written storyline. The cast is outstanding, to say the very least. Larry Sullivan and Steve Braun are excellent, both simply amazing as the lead characters, Alan and Tommy. Steve Braun is so charming as Tommy, and Larry Sullivan easily steals everyone's hearts - including mine - as Alan - he's truly wonderful. To portray a Republican with as much heart and vulnerability as Alan displays is no small accomplishment, and Larry Sullivan does this with commanding skill. Sirena Irwin and Alexis Arquette are terrific in supporting roles, but it is Jill St. John who steals every scene she enters as Alan's mother, reminding us that she should be seen More, More, More! It's rare that a director displays such talent and skill in a film while, at the same time and in equal parts, shows such joy and love for his craft. Only a truly talented director could accomplish this, making his hard work appear so effortless, resulting in the most fun an audience has had in years. Please see The Trip if you have the opportunity - don't let it pass you by. And to any distributors that may read this - please take notice of this movie. Please help this truly wonderful film to be seen by everyone as it should be.

What an extremely excessive waste of time! I've seen very few movies that are this obnoxiously unpleasant right from the start of the film - this one is right at the top (or should I say bottom) of this list. The main character of the film is a thoroughly disgusting rich boy who, by day, holds a position of importance in some nondescript office setting and, by night, tortures and kills - mostly killing those less financially fortunate than him. He's meant to be portrayed as a man who is beautiful on the surface but ugly on the inside. However, the character is so empty and so void of any character that he's thoroughly and completely ugly. I find it unbelievable that any of the other characters would find him attractive in any way, shape, or form. During the film, we hear him describe his beautification regimen in the beginning, then later we hear him describe his fear as he hides evidence after a killing. It's bad enough that we have to see this waste of a human being - do we have to hear him talk about his habits and emotions as if we care? This film breaks one of the most important rules for holding an audiences' attention - the main character should be someone that the audience cares about. The murders and the aftermath of these murders contain some very unfunny scenes that I assume were meant to be humorous. Is this tongue-in-cheek humor? Do we even care? I don't think so.

After reading the other comments about Carnival of Souls 1998, I now understand why I didn't hear more about the making or release of this film. Carnival of Souls 1998 apparently wasn't well received or liked, and I really can't understand why. The only reason I can determine for this is that Wes Craven's name is attached to this film. Usually this great director's name would be a positive force for a film. In this case, however, it may have been misleading. Others probably rented Carnival of Souls expecting unrelenting fear. However, this film is not in that category. Carnival Of Souls 1998 is much more than that. It's an absorbing, well-timed, thought provoking story about a troubled woman's fear of death, and her resulting fear of life. Haunted throughout her life by witnessing her mother's murder, she's likewise haunted by the possible release of her mother's murderer. She fears that he return for revenge, and she fears for herself and even more for her younger sister. Bobbie Phillips plays Alex, the troubled woman. She's brilliant, and conveys her fear with such eloquence you feel her fear and confusion as if it were something concrete. Shawnee Smith plays Sandra, her younger sister. So wonderful every week on the TV situation comedy Becker, she shows us that she has many more dimensions to her acting ability. Watch this film with an open mind. Forget about Wes Craven's name on the box and credits. You may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Why don't more people know about this movie? From what I can gather, it was only released in theaters in France. I guess it went directly to video here in the US, and even there it was snuck in through the back as if it were stolen goods. What a shame that is! This is a very creepy and atmospheric little thriller, but don't let the word little mislead you. The multiple scary moments are very big, huge, in fact. In addition, the film will leave you with a particularly unsettled feeling that's absent too many times after more recent horror romps. The plot goes something like this - visitors and travelers wandering through the small town that's the setting for this film are and violently murdered, then show up again as residents. The town sheriff is completely baffled, both by the murders and by his wife's strange behavior. That's all I can say without giving out too much. The cast is top-notch, particularly James Farentino as the sheriff, Melody Anderson as his wife, and Jack Albertson as the town coroner who likes his job a little too much. Wouldn't it be nice if such well-made thrillers as this got the recognition that big-budget empty no-thrill thrillers receive just because of their special effects and so-called big names?

If this really happened, heaven help us all! If you're looking for a really entertaining bad movie, this is the one! A disco waitress is mistakingly admitted to "the fifth floor", a psychiatric ward in a hospital after being drugged by an evil co-worker. While there, she battles unscrupulous and apathetic doctors and staff, and still manages to teach her fellow inmates the latest disco dance moves.

The House That Dripped Blood is yet another example of the quality horror fun that was released in the decade of the 70's. The film follows four stories within the framework of the last story. Each story is better than the previous one, until the movie ends with the best one by far, the story that displays the comedic talents of the wonderful duo Jon Pertwee and Ingrid Pitt, who is as breathtakingly beautiful as she is funny. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are always dependable, and Nyree Dawn Porter is excellent in her role as a perplexed governess. Definitely worth watching, if you can find it on tape or late-night reruns.

Once again, as in Vampire Lovers, the traditionally based vampire legend comes back from the grave containing the permissive sexual standards of the times. The end result is Count Yorga, Vampire, a wonderfully fast-moving, edge of your seat scare ride that keeps you taunt until the shocking end. We first meet Count Yorga at a seance he holds for a group of friends, one of which has just lost her mother. During the seance, Count Yorga builds a strong bond between Donna, the grieving daughter, and himself. Everyone at the seance agrees that the Count is refined, well-mannered, and eloquent. We soon find out that Count Yorga is one of the most blood-thirsty and ruthless vampires we've seen on screen in years. He eliminates each of the friends one by one until it's up to two remaining friends to become reluctant vampire hunters to save Donna from an existence of living death. Count Yorga Vampire was made on a very small budget. However, nothing was spared as far as creativity and skill. Robert Quarry makes your blood run cold as the modern day Count Dracula, and Roger Perry is driven and pretty funny as Dr. Hayes, the modern day Dr. Van Helsing. This genuinely frightening movie contains scenes that you won't forget easily. There was a sequel called Return of Count Yorga, but after seeing this movie, you'll wish for a remake of this one instead of a pretty mediocre sequel.

Night of Dark Shadows was Dan Curtis' follow-up to the immensely popular movie from the hit soap opera Dark Shadows. This movie reinforces many known facts about sequels. Sequels always have much to overcome. They are invariably compared to the original. If the movie is a carbon copy of the first, it's criticized for being un-original. If it takes a different road, the public laments that it's not what they wanted. Dan Curtis deserves much never received praise for taking an entirely different road to Collinwood this time and risking the public's ire. At the time of it's release, Night of Dark Shadows received undeserved criticism for being slow and disjointed. The probable reason for this was that Dan Curtis was forced to edit Night down to a double-feature friendly running time, so much of it's plot and character explanations landed - guess where - on the cutting room floor. However, if one really watches this film closely, they will be richly rewarded with a delightfully moody and atmospheric haunted house/possession/witchcraft flick that will send chills where they should go during a horror flick. David Selby is stoic and forboding as Quentin and Charles Collins, and Kate Jackson is the embodiment of purity and goodness as Tracy. Grayson Hall plays Carlotta with sheer relish. She's the kind of housekeeper that motivates one to become a better housekeeper, so that we can one day fire her. Lara Parker will make you forget to inhale or exhale as Angelique. Her beauty is indescribable, as is her ability for evil. John Karlen returns as Quentin's best friend Alex, and Nancy Barrett is approachable yet truly seductive as Alex's wife Claire. They are simply a joy to watch together. Once again, the elegant Lyndhurst mansion is the perfect home for the Collins family, this time a haunted one. If you haven't seen Night of Dark Shadows yet, give it a try. If you have and weren't impressed the first time, give it another chance. It deserves that much - and you'll be glad you did.

The decade of the 70's reigns, by far, as the most prolific decade for quality vampire flicks. House of Dark Shadows, released right at the helm of this decade, is the reigning king of them all. House of Dark Shadows was the movie spin-off of the highly entertaining yet technically challenged soap-opera Dark Shadows. Compared to other films of the time, House of Dark Shadows was also technically inferior to others. Compared to the series though, it's Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz rolled into one. In spite of the sometimes obvious technical limitations, this is simply one of the most entertaining horror/vampire movies you will ever see. Seeing our favorite characters come to life on the big screen was, and still is, a fantasy come to life. And the players step up to the challenge with obvious glee and enthusiasm. Jonathin Frid is even more menacing and sanguineous as Barnabas and Kathryn Leigh Scott forever beautiful as Maggie Evans, the fair maiden in danger. Joan Bennett is breathtakingly elegant as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Grayson Hall is a sheer delight to watch as Dr. Julia Hoffman, and Nancy Barrett will make you weak at the knees as the seductive socialite-turned-vampiress Carolyn Stoddard. In addition, the locations picked for Dark Shadows first outing to the cinema was nothing short of ingenious. The Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown NY is the perfect backdrop for this gothic horror romp. This movie should be required watching for all - not just DS fans.

Hammer Studios speeds up to the more sexually explicit times with Vampire Lovers, a sleek, beautifully filmed atmospheric filming of the vampire tale Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. This wonderfully done film combines the traditional vampire legend with the more permissive sexual standards of the 70's resulting in a sensual yet frightening version of this well crafted story. Ingrid Pitt is breathtakingly beautiful & sensual as the main character Carmilla. She is the human embodiment of a sexually charged feline, and Peter Cushing is appropriately sincere as her nemesis The General. This film singlehandedly established Ingrid Pitt as the reigning queen of vampirism in the 70's. Vampire Lovers is well worth the time for a viewing.

Black Christmas is the perfect Christmas movie. It has genuine chills, lots of humor, and a terrific cast who all perform wonderfully. It's great to see Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, and Andrea Martin all in the same film. I watch this film every Christmas like others watch Scrooge & It's A Wonderful Life & I'd highly recommend that others do the same.