Little Corey Gorey (1993): Family Matters

Poor little Corey Gorey (Todd Fortune) simply cannot catch a break. After losing his father in an auto accident, he is forced to live with his rotten stepmother, Betty (Pat Gallagher), and her spoiled son, Biff (Greg Sachs), both of whom live to make Corey’s life a living hell on a daily basis. Betty and Biff take great joy in constantly abusing Corey, who is nothing more to them than a slave; a slave who’s there to fetch beer and clean up after these pathetic losers. You know things are bad for Corey when Betty hangs him from a curtain rod with a belt while Biff throws empty beer cans at him, and all because she couldn’t find the remote control to her TV. The situation is certainly grim for Corey, but just how long can he put up with this abuse before he finally snaps? How far can he be pushed?

Corey is indeed pushed too far, and this happens when Biff steals his Ozzy Osbourne tickets. To make things worse, Biff takes the girl Corey has a crush on to the concert, which is what Corey was planning to do as a way to win her heart. This sets Corey off, forcing him into complete rage mode, and this is where things take a complete turn for Coey and all those who surround him. No longer will Corey be living under the constant abuse of Biff and Betty, and he makes sure of this by killing Biff and then tying Betty to the couch while he goes about enjoying his newfound freedom.  

Much of Little Corey Gorey is focused on all the crazy shit that happens to Corey after he disposes of Biff and puts his loudmouth stepmother out of commission. This includes some random run-ins with a dangerous local Mexican drug dealer, who is holding Corey accountable for the 8-ball he fronted to Biff before he went “missing.” Corey also starts to build a relationship with the girl he has a crush on, Jackie (Brenda Pope), as she ends up moving into his house and, soon enough, the two begin making plans to run away together. Unfortunately, however, Jackie isn’t as great as she seems, and eventually even she screws Corey over.

While Little Corey Gorey was released in 1993, it is instantly apparent that the film has a very ‘80s feel about it. Interestingly enough, the film’s director, William Moroni, posted to IMDB that the film was actually shot around '89, which is certainly more fitting of a year than its actual release date. Seeing as I was 12 or 13 years old in ‘89, some of the locations and the metal influenced fashion really took me back to being a kid. I feel like the locations used in Little Corey Gorey could have been any number of friend’s or family member’s homes that I hung around in as a kid (which is likely because they are real homes), and having the Kiss “inspired” band Creature constantly playing on TV in the background doesn’t hurt that overall feel, either.  

Something else that defines Little Corey Gorey as a film is its lack of budget. The production value is similar to that of a Jan Terri music video, and I say that in as loving a way as possible. It’s low-budget is a part of its charm, and where Little Corey Gorey comes up short in terms of production value, it makes up for with its humor. The movie is meant to be a horror comedy of sorts, and it is indeed quite funny in both an intentional and unintentional fashion. There are some great sight gags as well as a few hysterical lines, my favorite being when Jackie says to Corey, “Let’s go somewhere romantic... like a hotel room!” A lot of the stuff that relates to the stepmother being tied up is surprisingly clever, too, namely the way people are so indifferent to her plight during a massive party that Corey and Jackie throw.

If you feel as if Little Corey Gorey might be the right fit for your movie going life, then you can actually watch the director’s cut of the film, in whole and for free, over at a website that the director has set up. There is also a donation button, too, so if you are feeling generous, donate a few bucks. According to the director and others who worked on the film, no one made any money off Little Corey Gorey, though there are people who have been cashing in on DVD sales (one of which I actually own) and the filmmakers have not received any money as a result. Little Corey Gorey is a total blast and deserving of a bigger status as a cult film, so take 91 min out of your life to give it a whirl.  

Little Corey Gorey Website

Antisocial (2013): Social Stream of Blood

It’s New Year’s Eve, and Sam (Michelle Mylett) has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Within minutes of this heartbreaking event, the news of the breakup is all over the internet’s most popular social site, The Social RedRoom, which causes Sam to delete her profile after seeing a barrage of insensitive comments. Despite the breakup weighing heavily on her – for more reasons than the viewer is initially privy to – Sam begrudgingly accepts an invitation by her best friend Mark (Cody Thompson) to go to a New Year’s Eve party. As Sam and a small group of friends celebrate the birth of a New Year, the evening takes a frightening turn when a worldwide viral outbreak hits, leaving Sam and her friends trapped and fighting for their lives as they try to find answers as to what is causing this horrifying pandemic.

Directed by Cody Calahan (who also co-wrote with Chad Archibald), Antisocial is an independent Canadian horror film that attempts to bring something a little new to the zombie sub-genre, in that it uses the idea of social media being the actual cause of the outbreak. Specifically The Social RedRoom, which is basically a Facebook style social site that all the kids seem to be completely obsessed with. The idea of social media plays a major role into Antisocial, even going as far as introducing the five main characters by giving the viewer an overview of their profile on The Social RedRoom. This consists of quick glimpses of videos, photos and anything else you might see on a person’s Facebook profile.

Right from the get go it's quite apparent that there's a message the filmmakers are trying to get across with Antisocial; a message that is clearly focused on the dangers of social media for teenagers in the socially driven modern world we live in. For example, cyber bullying is brought up numerous times early in the film, and Sam even makes reference to the fact that she hates how people will say things online about her that they wouldn’t say to her face, something that speaks to the trolling ways of the internet.

Once it becomes apparent to the characters that an epidemic is unfolding, Antisocial goes on to follow the typical Night of the Living Dead structure, as the teens board themselves up in the house and try to survive the “zombie” outbreak. As the night rolls on, the teenagers must deal with a variety of conflicts, especially as some of these characters begin to show signs of being infected by the disease. During this time, the characters also attempt to learn the cause of the plague, eventually coming to the conclusion that it is a direct result of using the very social network that they are all obsessed with.

As previously mentioned, the filmmakers are trying to get across a very specific message with Antisocial, and by actually having a social site be the catalyst for a catastrophic event is about as heavy-handed an approach as it gets. What I would glean from this is that the Internet – specifically social media – is a disease; It’s a poison that destroys the minds of our youth, turning them into mindless zombies without the ability to function and think on their own. In all honesty, it's a valid message – to an extent. I think the issue I might have with this message is the fact that it places the burden solely on teenagers. To say that constantly being connected can be unhealthy for the human race is a valid and fair point to make. It’s even an interesting idea for a zombie/infection film. However, Antisocial never seems to acknowledge the fact that adults are nearly as abusive of social media as teenagers are.

Now, naturally it might be more difficult to get a teenager’s attention; it might seem as if they are the ones who simply cannot put their phone away for a moment to focus on anything other than keeping up with their friends. But the reality of the matter is that has always been the case with teens. Most teenagers are always distracted, and that has been the case since, well, probably the beginning of time. It’s part of what makes them teenagers. When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was talk on the phone or hangout with my friends. Nowadays teenagers simply have different social options, not different habits.

What’s actually somewhat ironic about Antisocial is the fact that this film is, for all intents and purposes, targeting Facebook. Facebook is clearly the king of social media; however, over the past few years, Facebook has been and continues to be slowly abandoned by the younger crowd in favor of social sites such as Instagram and SnapChat. Even more ironic is the fact that teenagers are using Facebook less and less while older people are flocking to it and using it more. In fact, the idea that parents and, even worse, grandparents are on Facebook – sending out invitations to play Candy Crush Saga and commenting on their grandchildren’s drunken photos – is a huge reason why they are abandoning Facebook.

Despite my qualms with its slightly misguided message, I will, at the very least, commend the effort put forth. Antisocial is not a tongue-in-cheek splatter fest; it's not self-referential; it's not over the top and goofy. In fact, the film takes itself seriously and there is substance, and I appreciate that, especially from a low-budget horror film that focuses on teenage characters.

Inside (2007): Baby Blues

Inside opens with the aftermath of a violent car crash involving a man and his pregnant wife, Sarah (Alysson Paradis). It is quite clear that Sarah’s husband did not survive the accident, leaving Sarah alone, distraught and carrying a child. Flash forward to four months later, it’s Christmas Eve and Sarah is due to be induced the next morning. Until that time, however, Sarah will wait out the final night of her pregnancy in her home, with no one other than her cat to keep her company. While this would likely be a night where anticipation and sadness clouds Sarah’s thoughts, things take an unexpected turn when a psychotic woman (Béatrice Dalle) starts harassing her. Eventually, the woman’s harassment turns into an all out attempt to murder Sarah, and what ensues is a visceral bloodbath of violence and destruction as Sarah must fight to protect not only herself, but her unborn child, too.

Directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, Inside (À l'intérieur) is a 2007 French horror film that starts off in a fashion that is quite reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Slasher masterpiece, Halloween. The inspiration is clear in how some of the earlier moments are executed as well as the effect they have on the viewer, featuring a sort of background horror that, if you catch it, will give you a good reason to change your adult diaper. Inside plays the creepy vibe perfectly for the first act, then the film slowly unfolds into a full-on, no holds barred gorefest. Or, better yet, a gorefeast, because the bloody brutality of Inside has a satisfying taste reminiscent of the gruesome Slasher films of yesteryear.

Inside comes in under 90 min and pushes a relentless pace from start to finish. The film holds this pace with a simple narrative that only focuses on a few characters. The locations are also kept to a minimum, as - outside of the opening car accident - Inside is set almost entirely inside of Sarah’s home, with Sarah left to defend herself against the onslaught that is La Femme. There are a few sporadic characters that show up and give La Femme the opportunity to show off her ferocity, but the core of Inside is solely focused on the simplistic cat and mouse game between La Femme and Sarah.

*I’m about to get into some character motivations which might be too spoilery for anyone who hasn’t seen Inside, so please, tread lightly, if at all.*

La Femme is, without a doubt, one of the most frightening characters to ever grace the screen. The chaos caused by this woman is almost legendary. But the question remains: why would any woman, crazed or not, attempt to kill a woman carrying a child? Where is her compassion? Well, her compassion, her empathy and her sanity were all left behind in the very car accident that took Sarah’s husband from her, as it’s later revealed that La Femme was the other unseen motorist. Worse yet, La Femme was also pregnant and lost her child as a result of the car wreck, which has sent her down a path of vengeance where her goal is to take Sarah’s child and raise it as her own.

This is what makes  La Femme such an interesting character. As much as she’s a monster, La Femme is laced with a strong trace of sympathy. This is a character who has lost something that meant more to her than most viewers can ever fully grasp: her child. As a result, she blames Sarah for this loss, and her drive is that of a person who wants back what was unfairly taken from them. Does it make her a good person? No, not at all, but it is hard not to feel a little sorry for her, especially when Sarah is presented as a woman who is conflicted about being a mother herself. Why should Sarah be allowed to have a child that she doesn’t seem to really want, while La Femme, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to be a mother?

Now, in defense of Sarah, she too has suffered an incredible loss; a loss that removed an important part of her foundation. It’s clear that the death of her husband has greatly affected Sarah, and having him taken away from her results in her feeling incomplete and fearful of motherhood. The father of her child is no longer there to be the emotional support system that she always thought would be in place. And in no way does this reflect poorly Sarah as a person or make her weak in any way. In fact, I can imagine losing such a huge part of one’s life would result in an incredible amount self doubt and weakness. Furthermore, this pregnancy has likely served as a reminder of her husband’s death, something that, understandably, would be quite difficult to deal with.

Inside revels in its simplicity as a straightforward, no bullshit horror flick, but the fact that it gives a nice undercurrent of thoughtful character development shows the filmmakers were focused on keeping the audience engaged beyond the cool gore gags and buckets of blood. As much as Inside is a wet dream for a splatter fan, and as much as it delivers some truly tense moments, the strength of the film is in the internal conflict between Sarah and La Femme, two characters looking into a mirror, only to see the other’s reflection.

Christmas for Your Ears!

First of all, for those of you who celebrate Christmas, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas. For those of you who do not, I would like to wish you a happy Wednesday, and I am sorry that you have to deal with all this shit every year. Now, whether you celebrate the birth of commercialism or not, I do have a special gift for you on this fine Christmas day. In fact, I have two of them, neither of which are socks or underwear.

First up, the Zubaz clad Carl Brezdin of Fist of B-List and myself were brought in as special guest hosts on the Gentlemen’s Guide to Minite Cinema (GGTMC) for their annual Christmas episode. Now, instead of focusing on a pair of holiday films, Samurai and Big Willy – the gentlemen behind the GGTMC – chose to cover the 1990 Teddy Page/Sean P. Donahue joint, Blood Hands, and the 1985 Shaw Brothers gangster/martial arts flick, Hong Kong Godfather.

No bullshit, this episode is sure to deliver some serious joy to your heart, and I can say that confidentially because I had a complete and total blast recording it with them. If you’d like to check out the episode for yourself, I have provided the proper links below:

• Direct Download
• Listen to the Episode Online 

Now, as awesome as all of that already is, I am feeling a little extra generous this Christmas, so I have one more fun little tidbit that is sure to fill your stocking with a wad of Christmas spirit. The before mentioned Karl Brezdin and myself got together and recorded a special episode of the Midnite Ride, which is a short form podcast in conjunction with the GGTMC. Seeing as it’s the holidays, Karl and I decided to take a look at the 1989 holiday classic, Elves, staring Dan “The Camel” Haggerty!

Again, this is another fine episode about a not so fine, but utterly silly holiday horror flick. If you’d like to hear Karl and myself ramble on about this holiday shiterpiece, then please hit the links below:  

• Direct Download
• Listen to the Episode Online

Okay, I would like to get drunk now, so get the fug off my lap or I’ll be forced to give you a few black and blues for Christmas. However, before I go, here are some more links you need to check out:

• Read Karl’s Bad Ass Blog First of B-List
• Subscribe to The Gentlemen’s Guide to Midnite Cinema on iTunes
• Check Out The Gentlemen’s BLOG to Midnite Cinema
• The Gentlemen’s Facebook Page

Big and Hairy (1998): Like Your Mom

I first became aware of Big and Hairy when the Queen of Incredible herself, Emily of The Deadly Dolls House of Horror Nonsense reviewed it way back in 2012. Her review was the beginning of a legacy, as soon Emily was kind enough to send her copy of the film to The Magnificent Seven Inches himself, Justin “McMuffin” Oberholtzer, who then reviewed it over at his Movienalia blog. While that would seem like a fitting place to end the saga of Big and Hairy, somehow, someway, Emily’s copy of Big and Hairy made its way to my doorstep, and now I, Mattsuzaka, will end this Big and Hairy trilogy in disappointing fashion.

Directed by Philip Spink and based on a NOVEL?! by Brian Daly, 1998’s Big and Hairy is about a kid named Picasso (Robert Burke), who has been forced to relocate from Chicago (it’s ALWAYS Chicago!) to a small island town due to his father landing a great job making *ahem* lawn ornaments. Picasso is having trouble with adjusting to this new place, so to fit in he joins the basketball team that seems to have forgotten that basketball season ends in March (the film is set during the holiday season). However, there’s one issue: Picasso sucks at basketball. When he is first introduced, Picasso has the opportunity to get a big win for his team, the Lawn Ornaments, so long as he can make a couple foul shots. Of course, Picasso chokes, costing the team the game, which should not be a surprise seeing as there wouldn't be any conflict if he was a baller.

Picasso is labeled by his classmates as a “choker,” which to me seems a lot better than being called Picasso, but thankfully he has a supportive coach, Mr. Donovan (Greg Thirloway). Coach Donovan is the kind of fair and balanced coach who, despite popular opinion, will play every kid, no matter how good or bad they are, which is certainly the right thing to do, if you ask me. Though the wrong thing to do is to tuck your polo shirt into your khakis without a belt on. That shit is unacceptable.  

Picasso also receives a lot of support from his loving parents, who are played by Chilton Crane and the always gross Richard Thomas. I have to be candid here and say that Picasso’s parents are, without a doubt, the worst people on the face of the celluloid planet. They're basically a couple of weird hippy parents who dress in Christmas tree skirts and name their kids PIcasso. While they are clearly meant to be funny and over-the-top, I couldn’t help but want to toss gasoline on them before pushing them into a pit of lava, and that was before the scene where they do an interpretive dance, during a game, to a fake version of Stuck In the Middle with You. I fucking hate them.

Anyway, Picasso is still without any real friends, and worse yet, if the Lawn Ornaments can’t get into the *fill-in-the-blank* tournament, then Coach Donovan will be fired. What’s a Picasso to do? Well, the obvious answer is befriending a Bigfoot who is not only friendly but totally nasty at basketball! PERFECT! Not only does Picasso now have a friend to hang out with, he also gets his new buddy to join the basketball team, which results in the Lawn Ornaments crushing every team they face.

Bigfoot (or Ed as they have named him) takes the small town by storm, and soon both Picasso and Ed are the coolest dudes in school, something that seems a little odd seeing as Ed is a SASQUATCH! As Emily perfectly pointed out in her wonderful review of the film, no one seems to give a toss that there is a Sasquatch playing basketball and going to school, let alone that one actually exists. Whether or not Ed seems out of place being, you know, a Sass, I would think that having a dude that hairy around would be unpleasant. Like, there is no possible way that this dude doesn’t smell like total ass. I can imagine his breath is rank, he has to have some serious dingleberries, and I’m sure piss dribbles down his leg and dries onto his fur every time he takes a leak. Try to tell me otherwise.

When it comes to Ed, the only thing that anyone cares about is whether or not the rule book allows him to play basketball. Now, while there’s no rule against a monster playing ball against a bunch of kids, there is a rule against having 13 players. This results in Picasso quitting the team, something that will only lead to his eventual comeback where he steps up and makes the winning shot. Oh, SPOILER ALERT! Sorry.

This release of Big and Hairy comes from Feature Films for Families (which also released The Buttercream Gang), a company based out of Utah and led by Forrest S. Baker III, who, at his best, looks like a rapist. Anyway, this disc’s “special features” includes a special message from Baker III himself, who (couldn’t look any rapier) talks about how their releases contain no profanity, sexuality, violence, or vulgarity. Hunter III believes that rated R movies have a negative impact on society, so he is here to save the world (so he can rape it), but not before he asks for a donation.

While I have no love for loser Feature Films for Families, I will not hold that against Big and Hairy, which is most likely a film that the Mormon company has nothing to do with outside of buying the rights so they can release it on DVD. Though, seeing as they are a company the cleanses the human soul from sin, it’s likely that they edited some content out of Big and Hairy to make it more family friendly, which means there are no Sass on human sex scenes. Oh, well, there’s always that Farrah Abraham porno if you’d like to fill that void.

Sadly, there is no trailer for Big and Hairy, so to make it up to you I will leave you with this nice man:

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972): Shriek in Heavenly Peace

It’s Christmas Eve in a small New England town where the owner of the long-abandoned Butler Estate, Jeremy Butler (James Patterson), is looking to unload his property and the many horrific secrets it contains, which include deception, sexual abuse and murder.  

Directed by Theodore Gershuny, Silent Night, Bloody Night is a holiday themed slasher film that employs many of the traits that would come to be standard fare for the genre in the years following its release. You have a secluded location, a mysterious killer who stalks potential victims (sometimes by way of menacing phone calls) before going in for the kill, and while not overly violent by any means, there is certainly some effective bloodletting to be had by way of various types of murder weapons. Point-of-view is impressively utilized to show the world from the unknown killer’s perspective, something that would go on to become a slasher standard after the success of John Carpenter’s Halloween.  

Of course, slasher films in general were greatly inspired by the Giallo films from Italy, and regardless of being the earliest example of a proper holiday slasher film – even predating Black Christmas by a few years – Silent Night, Bloody Night certainly owes a huge debt to the Gialli that came before it. This comes specifically with the tactic of featuring an unknown assailant adorned with black leather gloves as well as the attempts to misdirect the viewer with a handful of mostly ineffective red herrings.

When it comes to the actual story, it’s fair to say that Silent Night, Bloody Night has a lot going on. My brief description from the start of this post barely scratches the surface, as the film is so plot heavy that nearly 50% of the movie requires narration, much of which is provided by the movie’s lead character, Diane (played by a lovely Mary Woronov). Using voice over for expositional purposes is, for all intents and purposes, a cheap tactic; however, Silent Night, Bloody Night has such an ambitious plot that narration is quite necessary. Furthermore, the narration is used well and actually adds to the overall atmosphere that the film gives off.

What sets Silent Night, Bloody Night apart from many holiday slasher films is the creepy tone it so perfectly exudes. Despite its incredibly low-budget, there lies a tangible layer of Gothic ambience that is quite similar to films such as Night of the Living Dead and Carnival of Souls. Silent Night, Bloody Night has a cold feeling about it, and not just in the physical sense. There’s a somberness about all aspects of the film, as it emanates a feeling of complete and utter despair, something of which comes through in everything from the locations, the set design, the music, the pace, and of course the exceptional cinematography by Adam Giffard.

Where everything seems to come together both in terms of plot and filmmaking technique is best portrayed in the film’s final act with a flashback sequence that runs nearly 13 minutes long. This sequence reveals the dark and demented history of the Butler Estate that has plagued the residents of the surrounding community for over 20 years. Blanketed beneath a hauntingly effective rendition of “Silent Night,” the surreal sepia tone photography hypnotically entrances the viewer into a world where a foreboding sense of madness is imminent. What is revealed in these moments is both fascinating and frightening, and these elements are greatly elevated in the way the segment is technically put together.

I’ve had the opportunity to see Silent Night, Bloody Night on a handful of occasions over the years – even reviewing it back in 2009 – and it’s come to be one of my favorite holiday set horror films. Film Chest recently released restored the film for DVD, and the difference between their restoration and any copy I have seen on YouTube or from a Mill Creek set is quite incredible. However, that’s not to say the film looks amazing, as this release is still filled with many imperfections, all of which can be forgiven considering Film Chest likely cannot afford to do extensive cleanup.

Silent Night, Bloody Night is a fine example of that rare perfect storm where a low-budget and artistry come together to concoct a film that is vastly more brilliant than its hokey, yet evocative title would ever allude to. If you are a fan of the movie, then the Film Chest upgrade is worth the money in my opinion. On the other hand, if you are curious about the film and aren’t quite ready to drop some cash on a DVD release, the full movie is available all over YouTube. Just be aware that the quality is going to be pretty shoddy.

Salute Your Shorts: The Winter Stalker (2009)

A woman is unknowingly stalked by an obsessive madman who has spent every waking moment watching her every move. After so much time has been spent learning all the ins and outs of this young, innocent woman, the time has come for the man to pay her a visit and do to her what he truly believes must be done. What ensues is an event that will surprise viewers as much as it will shock them.

Written, directed and produced by Stephen Reedy, The Winter Stalker is a 2 minute short film that takes place on Christmas Eve. While the short is indeed very brief, The Winter Stalker’s concept is both nicely executed and effective, delivering a perfectly misleading horror story without any unnecessary bloat.

Give it a watch for yourself, and feel free to let me know your thoughts afterwards!