Reviews

Before the end of the golden age of sex comedies, a few movies snuck in under the radar. By 1995, this type of flick had all but disappeared. Yet that year saw the release of Wish Me Luck, Broadcast Bombshells, Assault of the Party Nerds 2, Bikini Bistro, and, of course, California Heat. Not to be confused with the other Heat from '95, this one is way more obscure. Which is a shame, because it's pretty good.

Here are the basics: a hunky lifeguard can't commit to any one woman, so naturally he makes a bet with a female friend that he actually can. Humor and sex scenes ensue. The pace is quick, the jokes passable, and the story engaging.

I can't say this ranks among my favorite nineties sex comedies (Beauty School and Knockouts), but I definitely enjoyed it. Worth a watch if, like me, you're on a quest to watch every raunchy comedy ever. Even if it didn't usher in a resurgence of goofy boobie movies, California Heat manages to deliver the classic tropes while keeping things fresh and interesting.

A wraparound story about a salesman trying to hawk sexy movies at a small-town video store serves as the intro to several funny segments. The title and cover suggest eroticism, and that is certainly the theme, but no one should go into this expecting Red Shoe Diaries.

The vignettes approach sex and romance with humor, which mostly works. Even if none of the shorts are masterpieces, they're all entertaining. When compared to other sexy spoofs like Video Vixens or The Boob Tube, Hollywood Erotic definitely outshines the competition.

This one isn't easy to find on physical media; for a Paramount tape there aren't many floating around. However, if you're cruising the inter webs and happen upon it, you could do a lot worse.

When the director of Bikini Car Wash Company turns a horror flick from New Zealand into a softcore comedy, the results are at least going to be interesting. While this is kind of a mess, it's still somewhat entertaining.

New footage creates an amended storyline about Satan wanting to come to Earth so he can woo human women, which for some reason requires kidnapping and killing five of them. This is ostensibly a comedy, and things never get too heavy. The new segments are really just an excuse to add boobs-good ol' Ed Hansen takes absolutely every opportunity to make sure his weird amalgam of movies qualifies for Skinemax.

Anagram, the original film from which Hell's Belles was derived, is an oddball supernatural thriller about reporters searching for missing women and finding some kind of computer-based satanic cult. The offbeat proceedings do have a certain charm, even if it's all pretty tame by New Zealand horror standards.

The two narratives don't exactly fit together seamlessly, but Hansen adds enough of his trademark elements to keep it engaging. If you're looking for obscure VHS-only devil-themed comedies, you could do both better and worse.

Okay, I understand this movie is not for everyone and I certainly wouldn't suggest that some of these one-star reviews are unnecessarily harsh and disingenuous. What I can say with absolute certainty is that this mid-nineties shot-on-video epic is definitely for me and I sincerely love it. Like, I literally watch it all the time.

Plot-wise, it's basically sorority pledges versus a vampire queen and her undead minions. In terms of actual content, it's a goofy horror-comedy with a ton of jokes and funny sequences. If you can't enjoy an "Everyone Attack Now" music video, surfer-dude subtitles, and zombie fashion shows, then why even watch a movie called Sorority House Vampires From Hell?

Yes, sometimes the audio is a little low and other elements might be a bit rough around the edges-but by SOV standards it's still way above average overall. Plus, every B-horror quota is met while passing the Bechdel test many times over. It's a gyno-centric (to borrow some Troma vocabulary) horror parody that is (I think) consistently entertaining throughout.

Those looking for high-brow cinema should definitely keep moving, but SOV junkies need to check this out! It's available in several multipacks, all of which can be found for cheap. No excuses!

A wild mash-up of genres, Die Hard Angels mixes girls-with-guns action and '80s horror tropes with amazing results.

I don't speak Japanese, and have yet to find a subtitled version, so I only have a basic understanding of the plot: a team of seven women, each with a particular skill (swordplay, computers, seduction, etc.), take on a rampaging maniac who's been brought back from the dead! Their mission takes them to an island resort, where they attempt to uncover the conspiracy that allowed a brawny lunatic to become Zombie Man.

There's a sequel that's a direct continuation of the story, and they really should be watched together. But don't worry, this first part has enough good stuff to make you fall in love. Besides the awesome ladies, there are nods to such disparate movies as Evil Dead 2 and The Terminator. We get a little of everything here, and it's all great.

I don't think there's been any kind of official DVD release, but it can definitely be found if you look hard enough.