[42nd Street Fever] - A thread dedicated to exploitation and its subgenres on Blu-ray

[The_Chex]

A car drives alongside the Berlin Wall. The passenger inside is Mark (Sam Neil – In the Mouth of Madness). He appears tense. Even scared. Arriving home, he’s met by Anna (Isabelle Adjani – Nosferatu: The Vampyre). Their marriage is about to become as divided as the concrete barrier splitting an entire nation.

[Show spoiler]Possession is a fantastic example of why I enjoy the horror genre. It can be played straight with the singular goal of spooking its viewers or mix well with other genres to produce laughs and tears along with frights. It can also serve as an allegory to provide a commentary on relatable issues better than most genres.

On its surface, Possession is a bewildering nightmare about a wife pulled away from her family through dark forces while the husband struggles to win her back at whatever the cost. Digging a little deeper, it works as a metaphor on the ugliness of divorce. Mark’s life spins out of control as much as the frenetic swirling of the camera. Anna can’t fully give up on Mark and their son, Bob, and reinserts herself back into the family time and again. Those that become entangled in their lives suffer a dreadful fate including new lovers. After all, what the broken couple truly desire is their own ideal version of each other to create the perfect relationship.

To watch the destructive power of a broken marriage in motion can be emotionally moving. It’s also loud with lots of yelling. To watch the destructive power of a broken marriage in motion is emotionally moving. Seeing it as a reality-bending nightmare is something else entirely. It’s Kramer vs. Kramer if Meryl Streep, instead of stating she felt less whole with her husband and child, took an electric carver to cut off her arm. The horror genre truly is morbidly wonderful.

[Walter Kafka]

Originally Posted by DrEricVornoff

Oh man! Are you a Mary Hartmann, Mary Hartmann fan??

To be honest, I've seen only a few episodes. I would watch more if it were available on stream. Fernwood 2nite was on Nick-At-Nite in the late 80s, early 90s, so I saw it there. Later Mary Hartmann popped up on TV Land. I have a mad, insane, irrational passionate hungering for Debralee Scott. She is my Earth mother and I want to suckle at her earthy dug.

Talking about Louise Lasser though. In his book, Woody Allen says she was a genuine mental case. (my words.) I love Blood Rage, of course.

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by Walter Kafka

To be honest, I've seen only a few episodes. I would watch more if it were available on stream. Fernwood 2nite was on Nick-At-Nite in the late 80s, early 90s, so I saw it there. Later Mary Hartmann popped up on TV Land. I have a mad, insane, irrational passionate hungering for Debralee Scott. She is my Earth mother and I want to suckle at her earthy dug.

Talking about Louise Lasser though. In his book, Woody Allen says she was a genuine mental case. (my words.) I love Blood Rage, of course.

[Show spoiler]

I own the whole series on DVD... it was pretty expensive considering how many episodes there was. But I like Norman Lear's stuff a lot.

I too have only watched a few episodes of it... like I said there's a lot there... but eventually I'm gonna get around to watching the whole series.

But I love what I have watched... it's so different and strange. But I like strange TV. And I love the deadpan humor of the show.

I've never actually seen Fernwood Tonight... but I knew it was a spin-off of such.

Debralee Scott was cute... and I have heard that Louise Lasser was... um... different. But I've always liked her too.

Louise Lasser was actually banned from ever hosting SNL after she hosted during the first season because of her on set strange behavior (and possible drug use).

[JasonMichael]

If you have the Shout Factory set of the complete Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, there is a bonus disc of Fernwood 2 Night episodes included. Unfortunately not the whole series, but a taste of the show.

[Walter Kafka]

The full run of Fernwood 2nite is pretty much my holy grail. Mull + Willard + Thicke + Shearer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPT8F03GAkQ

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by Walter Kafka

The full run of Fernwood 2nite is pretty much my holy grail. Mull + Willard + Thicke + Shearer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPT8F03GAkQ

That’s so cool… I’m a huge Tom Waits fan!

What’s funny about this is that’s actually a real Tom Waits song from his legendary album Small Change. The song is supposed to be purposefully bad… and full of black humor. But they play it off on the show like he’s just a bad singer. It’s really quite funny. It’s like the precursor to The Larry Sanders Show.

I’ve always been a big Fred Willard fan too. I have his show from the 80s on DVD called DC Follies with all of the puppets of political figures and talking heads. I used to watch that show when it first aired as a kid. So, when Shout finally put it out a few years back… I grabbed it Day 1!

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by JasonMichael

If you have the Shout Factory set of the complete Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, there is a bonus disc of Fernwood 2 Night episodes included. Unfortunately not the whole series, but a taste of the show.

I do have that set… I’ll have to check that out!

[Walter Kafka]

Originally Posted by DrEricVornoff

That’s so cool… I’m a huge Tom Waits fan!

What’s funny about this is that’s actually a real Tom Waits song from his legendary album Small Change. The song is supposed to be purposefully bad… and full of black humor. But they play it off on the show like he’s just a bad singer. It’s really quite funny. It’s like the precursor to The Larry Sanders Show.

I’ve always been a big Fred Willard fan too. I have his show from the 80s on DVD called DC Follies with all of the puppets of political figures and talking heads. I used to watch that show when it first aired as a kid. So, when Shout finally put it out a few years back… I grabbed it Day 1!

Never heard of that show, but Willard rules! Weirdly enough, my introduction to these guys as a kid was a totally innocent Disney TV movie called "Lotsa Luck." Then, as a teenager, I rediscovered them on Fernwood.

[gbm82]

The Family That Eats Soil

A parade of absurdity with no real plot... Perhaps an answer to Visitor Q? Monty Python and surrealism in general are clear reference points as well


-not in the order that they happen but...things you'll see:
real cockfighting footage
violent claymation sex
murderous transformer
demon sex
insane gore
cheating
violent, racist, beating
people on the toilet
people on the toilet punching the wall
"baby" soiling themself
marble high diving
silent stretch of blurry footage
dad making fish sauce after no one passes it at the table
dad changing
mom berating self in front of the mirror
love poem
dad getting hit by car
man walking down street
channel surfing nightmare
cartoon nightmare
sink full of blood
Hot Mama San's Sec, Drugs and Rocky Road Show
implied incest/pedophilia
"no one is even sure if I was pregnant or am just a lunatic"
Subtitles intentionally messing with the audience

It's basically a demented sketch comedy that's so absurd you can never actually be offended. There is a structure though and themes/scenes come back around.

Most people will want to stay far, far, away.... I can't wait for this label to release more of Khavn's films

[gbm82]

Played mostly like a silent film, but with diagetic sounds (including tape recordings).

it also features a detective who can't stop eating eggs.... sound familiar?!

Everything about this is simply fantastic. Pure magic. Even the sparse soundtrack fits perfectly in this noir-fantasy.

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by DrEricVornoff

I do have that set… I’ll have to check that out!

Though I enjoyed Mary Hartman back in the 70s, I wasn't really interested in buying the set when I first saw it. But when I saw there was a disc of Fernwood 2 Night, I couldn't get it in my hands fast enough! Worth the hundred dollars just for that!

[gbm82]

I haven't watched the sixth episode yet, but this set has a very "tv" feel for the first three episodes and then the next two (and likely last episode as well) feel almost as though you're visiting the local theater. The sets are very fake and the acting is, well, theatrical. But you do get some fun direction; these aren't just filmed plays.

Keep proper expectations and this is a worthwhile set. Everyone involved is competent, at the least, and you've likely watched many versions of the stories included.

As for the Bava segment? It does show it's budget and it isn't nearly as flashy as you might expect (from either Bava) but you can still see their fingerprints. Especially with the lighting and camerawork.

[ol_Dut]

For reasons I cannot understand, this one has languished in my watch pile for a really long time. Considering it's a horror movie and it stars Rosalba Neri that's really inexcusable. Mark Damon plays twin brothers, one of whom is tracking down the mythical Ring of the Nibelung. He's convinced he's traced it to a remote valley and the Castle Dracula. So, off he goes. What could go wrong? He misses every hint the villagers throw at him about not going to the cast, but he figures since he has this magic amulet that kinda looks like a cowbell he'll be safe from any evil. But he's not at the castle long before he sees one of the castle's staff dead, and then soon enough he sees her up and walking around. Neri, as the countess, is her usual charming self, and she's really reason enough to see the film. And naturally, she has the ring. As the film progresses, we see her transition from hostess to mistress of evil, as she engages in Bathory style blood bath and serves as the leader of a black mass/wedding. The twin brother shows up, but will he be in time to thwart Neri's evil schemes? There are moments of damage here and there, and the print could certainly have used some work, but it's definitely watchable. This one is for you if you like:
1 - Rosalba Neri
2 - Hammeresque production values
3 - Bathory stories
4 - 70's style Satanistic flourishes
5 - 70's Euro-trash horror
I'll be giving this one a watch again really soon. Kino rereleased this movie a few years back and the disc seems, content-wise, identical to the OOP Code Red release. I assume that they haven't done any additional clean-up work on the print, but if they have, please let me know.

[Walter Kafka]

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is on TUBI. Meh.

Post TUBI finds please.

[BigSleepy]

Originally Posted by Walter Kafka

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is on TUBI. Meh.

Post TUBI finds please.

My Tubi watchlist is at like 600. An entire thread could be built around the gems on there!

[Walter Kafka]

Mystic Mountain (1991) AKA Camp Fear

“It's not Magic Mountain. It's Mystic Mountain. It's gonna be fun.”

It's 1991. George Bush is President, and everyone's having a good time. A group of nubile and buxom college students are off to the titular (heh) outcropping with their hunky professor. These girls have more than geology on their minds. What could go wrong? I mean, I heard that mountain is built on an old Indian burial ground. Oh yeah, California is currently experiencing a rash of earthquakes. That'll probably play into the story somehow. Before the trip, they stop off at the club to sing and dance and celebrate the price of gas. Mountain time!

Peggy Sands is the dumb blonde. She looks good in a Druish fur bikini. Erika Nann is pretty game as our lead. I mean, she's terrible, but she knows what kind of movie this is. You also get Betsy Russell as the Professor's girl. Two Van Pattens! But not the one you want! This particular VP is the hunk from Rock N Roll High School. Hey, that's a good movie. This particular VP wouldn't inspire Rambo to start a fight. Tiny Ron as the Druid! Let's go! “Buck Flowers”!

This one immediately starts with nudity. You understand me, movie. You know what I need to continue going. IMDB says this part was a Fred Olen Ray reshoot. I believe it. If you guessed that it's the only nudity in the movie, you win absolutely nothing except another 75 skinfree minutes. Let's continue.

I have no idea whether this ever aired on USA Up All Nite. But it could have. It's light and silly video content. An Indian shaman shows up to deliver a stern warning. Our gang decide it's an invitation to investigate. “There's so much I could have learned from him,” one babe says. Check out the riff when the biker gang rolls into town! You can destroy my town, biker man, just so long as you shred those hot licks. Buck Flower is doing his Buck Flower thing, and that's just delightful. The bikers have names like Speedy and Ace and Frog. Betsy Russell makes a reference to watching “In Living Color.” Hey, you know that Jim Carrey guy - eh, never mind. The monster looks like it might have been inspired by a certain James Arness movie. Druid mad! Don't tip over the cardboard Stonehenge!

Sample dialogue:

“I think our giant is a druid.”
“But they were wiped out 2000 years ago!”
“At least he thinks he is, and that's just as bad.”

This is on TUBI. It's one of those transfers where you can't tell whether it was shot on video or not. It looks like a video tape transfer anyway. Pretty bad.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by ol_Dut

For reasons I cannot understand, this one has languished in my watch pile for a really long time. Considering it's a horror movie and it stars Rosalba Neri that's really inexcusable. Mark Damon plays twin brothers, one of whom is tracking down the mythical Ring of the Nibelung. He's convinced he's traced it to a remote valley and the Castle Dracula. So, off he goes. What could go wrong? He misses every hint the villagers throw at him about not going to the cast, but he figures since he has this magic amulet that kinda looks like a cowbell he'll be safe from any evil. But he's not at the castle long before he sees one of the castle's staff dead, and then soon enough he sees her up and walking around. Neri, as the countess, is her usual charming self, and she's really reason enough to see the film. And naturally, she has the ring. As the film progresses, we see her transition from hostess to mistress of evil, as she engages in Bathory style blood bath and serves as the leader of a black mass/wedding. The twin brother shows up, but will he be in time to thwart Neri's evil schemes? There are moments of damage here and there, and the print could certainly have used some work, but it's definitely watchable. This one is for you if you like:
1 - Rosalba Neri
2 - Hammeresque production values
3 - Bathory stories
4 - 70's style Satanistic flourishes
5 - 70's Euro-trash horror
I'll be giving this one a watch again really soon. Kino rereleased this movie a few years back and the disc seems, content-wise, identical to the OOP Code Red release. I assume that they haven't done any additional clean-up work on the print, but if they have, please let me know.

I'm a huge Rosalba Neri fan, and own both copies - the Kino is just a re-release of the Code Red, no clean up work.

I wholeheartedly endorse ol_Dut's review above, perfect for 70's gothic horror fans.

[Ruemorgue10]

Originally Posted by Walter Kafka

Return of the Living Dead Part 2 is on TUBI. Meh.

Post TUBI finds please.

Originally Posted by BigSleepy

My Tubi watchlist is at like 600. An entire thread could be built around the gems on there!

I finally caught Linnea Quigley's Horror Workout on TUBI. I could watch a whole series of Linnea exercising with zombies and girls in lingerie.

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by Ruemorgue10

...I could watch a whole series of Linnea exercising with zombies and girls in lingerie.

[Show spoiler]

[DrEricVornoff]

Originally Posted by horroru

I'm a huge Rosalba Neri fan, and own both copies - the Kino is just a re-release of the Code Red, no clean up work.

I wholeheartedly endorse ol_Dut's review above, perfect for 70's gothic horror fans.

I have the newer release (re-issue)... haven't watched it yet.

God... I've got so much great Euro Horror on my unwatched pile...

... I mean not that it's a bad thing... but...