DVD SPOTLIGHT: Elite Entertainment

Communion

Why bother with this low budget, late 80s, CGI-free alien abduction movie? Two words: Christopher Walken. The film's dream logic gives Walken free reign to indulge in some of the most bizarre, yet oddly persuasive acting that I've ever seen. While some actors have trouble executing insanely over-the-top performances without looking stupid and/or stripping themselves of all credibility (Tom Cruise, I'm looking at you buddy), Walken manages to pull it off in a performance that will delight his fans to no end.

Based on the best-selling (and supposedly true) book by Whitley Strieber -- who also wrote the screenplay -- Communion takes a psychologically compelling look at the phenomenon of alien abduction. Director Philippe Mora has crafted a hauntingly surreal film about a very controversial, endlessly fascinating topic. Walken plays a man faced with a horrifying dilemma: has he been abducted by aliens or is he crazy?

Elite has done an amazing job with this DVD and it's loaded with cool extras. For starters, there are two theatrical trailers, a still photo gallery, and storyboards. There is an excerpt from another Phillippe Mora film, According to Occam's Razor, which features bloody footage of an alien implant being removed from the arm of a supposed abductee. There is also some behind-the-scenes promotional footage featuring interviews with Walken and the real Strieber family, as well as some totally insane outtakes (with director commentary) that feature a naked Walken dancing with the aliens (two more words for you: solid gold!). Lastly, there is a feature length commentary by director Phillippe Mora and William J. Birnes, publisher of UFO Magazine.

The (anamorphic) 2.35:1 transfer is first rate -- the film looks beautiful -- and the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack works well (listen for music by guitar great Eric Clapton). Millions of people claim to have had UFO sightings. Are they telling the truth or is it a delusional epidemic? Mora's film does not come down firmly on either side but, instead, allows viewers to examine this one man's story and draw their own conclusions. -- Sarah Duda

Eaten Alive

Tobe Hooper is one of the great horror icons of the 20th century. But why? For starters, there's his infamous The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which continues to shock audiences and remains unparalleled (ie. the appalling 2003 remake). There's also his lesser known works, such as Funhouse and this underappreciated, poorly distributed follow up to TCM. All three have a lot in common: they all take place in one night (real time is always scarier), all contain freakish, marginal characters, lots of bloody casualties (this peaks with Eaten Alive), and a downright harrowing narrative. Hooper moved further away from these qualities with each film, culminating in the very un-Hooperian, Spielberg-"produced" Poltergeist. After that, well, let's not go there.

Eaten Alive is an absolutely solid film that definitely has its share of thrills, chills, and blood spills. Heck, it's even got Robert Englund as a sex fiend saying the now iconic line "My name is Buck and I'm ready to fuck!" that was later referenced by Hooper friend and fan Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill, Vol. 1. Add a horrendously fake-looking alligator and some maniacal acting from Neville Brand as Judd-the-hillbilly-alligator-feeder/motel-runner -- he's truly insane in this role and definitely adds to the film's overall creepiness -- and you've got a fairly kick-ass follow up to TCM.

As rough and grainy as the transfer looks, I truly think it enhances the film's sense of scary. Audio in mono is good: everything comes across clearly with the exception of Judd's much-appreciated, nonsensical, nearly inaudible dialogue and bizarre mannerisms. The DVD also comes with the film's theatrical trailer. That's it. I'd definitely recommend this as a reasonably priced alternative to the Chainsaw sequels and re-make. Viewed alongside the original TCM, this makes for a kick-ass horror double-header. Daredevil horror fans might even want to throw Funhouse into the mix. -- Neil Karassik

Don't Mess With My Sister!

Don't Mess With My Sister! is the second and last movie ever made by notorious writer/director/producer Meir Zarchi. Zarchi acheived notoriety with his 1978 rape/revenge shocker I Spit on Your Grave, which contains an extended rape sequence that makes Irreversible look like a walk in the park. Many critics were outraged by what they felt was a vile, tasteless piece of exploitation and Roger Ebert even started a movement to have the film pulled from theatres. In recent years, some feminist film scholars, most notably Carol Clover, have argued that I Spit on Your Grave is actually a film about female empowerment. In any case, the ever contorversial film continues to polarize viewers around the world.

That brings us to Zarchi's little-seen sophmore effort. This poorly written, directed, and acted film will disappoint both fans and detractors of I Spit on Your Grave, alike. Hoping to capitalize on Grave's notoriety, Don't Mess with My Sister! is marketed as an exploitative revenge movie but, sadly, it's nowhere near as controversial or unsettling as its predecessor. Rather, this is a dull character study, chronicling an extended Italian-American family -- complete with offensive stereotypes -- while they struggle to cope with infidelity and the hierarchy of the family business.

Don't let the DVD's cover art fool you, though. There's very little in the way of cool shot-gun action or nifty explosions in this sorry little movie. In fact, there is barely any plot to speak of and the film has perhaps the worst ending I've ever seen. Still, the (anamorphic) 1.85:1 transfer is pretty good (for a low-budget B-movie) and the mono 2.0 soundtrack is quite clear. Extras include the theatrical trailer (also very misleading) and some extensions of scenes already present in the movie. Exploitation fans be warned, this is not the Zarchi film you are hoping for. Unless you're already a fan, steer clear. -- Sarah Duda

Dark Forces

This movie is strange. For one, it has a guy shoot a lighting bolt out of his mouth. It starts off very similar in tone (but not as well in execution) as The Omen. An androgynous mystery man miraculously heals a sick child who, in turn, seems to get sweet magical powers (ie. he can make his board game float, yipeeee!). The boy grows strong and the family befriends the mysterious man who helped him. The boy looks up to the man and the mother falls for him (maybe it's that nice black nail polish or his fabulous unisex attire). Needless to say, the asexual politician husband gets jealous.

The magical man tries to do good deeds. But alas, he cannot save us from the PTB (powers that be), though he does perform some sweet magic: lightning bolts from the mouth, a flying piano, a flying man, flying tambourines, etc. Essentially, he's really good at making things fly and shooting lightning bolts from his mouth. Right on! Oh yeah, be ready for an uber schlocky surprise ending.

The transfer here is questionable. At first, I was pleased to see some 2.35:1 widescreen action but man, the colors are totally supersaturated and, if you look closely, there is dirt everywhere. The image never looks quite right. However, it's watchable. Audio comes in serviceable mono. When I checked the back of the box I initially thought that there were tons of special features. Elite listed everything as a special feature, including the aspect ratio, animation motion menus, 24 chapters with motion images (ha!), French dubbed track, Spanish dubbed track, dual layer disc for high quality picture and sound (!!!). Jeez. We also get a fairly decent commentary with the director and the producer. It's quite informative but, like the film, rather dull. -- Neil Karassik

Patrick

"He's in a coma...yet he can kill!" Patrick is a super low-buget, surprisingly solid Australian horror film from the late 70s. The story concerns a guy who lapses into a coma after killing his mother and her boyfriend. For years, he lies motionless in an isolated hospital, his eyes open and unblinking (creepy) with only a nasty spit reflex to keep him company (yet again, Tarantino must have seen this). Enter a pretty young nurse who likes Patrick and begins to pay special attention to him, a la Johnny Got His Gun. Patrick likes the nurse too and soon begins to interfere with her life, using his powerful psychic abilities. Her apartment gets trashed, typewriters type messages all by themselves, and the killing begins.

If you're thinking that this sounds a lot like Carrie, you're right. Also, like that film, Patrick rips-off many ideas from Hitchcock. But at least director Richard Franklin owns up to this in his amusing commentary. Franklin actually spent time with Hitchcock during the filming of Topaz and was subsequently asked to direct the underrated Psycho II by Univeral execs after they saw Patrick. Thankfully, this DVD contains the full length uncut European version of the film, which never made it to North American theatres . The North American version was not only cut to shreds but it was also re-voiced by American actors. In his commentary, Frankin reveals that he was complicit in this re-voicing because the studio convinced him that Americans wouldn't understand the Aussie dialect. Until Franklin saw first-hand evidence to the contrary, he didn't think Americans knew what a "lift" is.

Rounding out the DVD are 2 theatrical trailers (Aussie and American), some cast and filmmaker biographies, and an Easter Egg, which turns out to be a picture of the soundtrack that Goblin did for the Italian version of the film (too bad we don't get to hear it!). The audio is fine, as is the 1:78:1 transfer but, unfortunately, it's not enhanced for anamorphic TVs. Overall, this is a strong release from Elite and fans of slower, psychological horror should definitely check it out. -- Sarah Duda

Psychic Killer

Let's be fair, Psychic Killer is a below average B-movie horror/thriller that could've packed some more punch. Everything is very low-key -- which can be good for a change -- but, in the end, it plays like an overdrawn episode of The Outer Limits or The X Files. Still, the film has its share of neat-o cross-fades and psychic/psychedelic camera movements.

Jim Hutton plays Arnold Masters, a man committed to an institution for a crime he didn't commit. He befriends some voodoo guy who killed his daughter for being a prostitute. Voodoo guy then dies, gives Arnold his possessions, and one item happens to be a medallion that gives him psychic powwwwerrrrrs. He then gets all kinds of revenge: he kills the psychiatrist that had him committed, kills a naked nurse that was mean to his mother, he even (to comical effect) kills a butcher who overcharges his customers.

The DVD sports a pretty reasonable transfer and solid mono audio, although it's always hard to gauge what a cheap-o film like this had to work with. Also included is the film's theatrical trailer. Overall, this hit-and-miss film definitely benefits from Hutton's above-average performance and some good ol' nurse boobies. I wouldn't want to persuade a purchase so I guess it would make for an okay rental. Make sure you top it off with something better, like Eaten Alive. -- Neil Karassik

The Suckling

The Suckling gets the award for having the youngest killer ever. And no, I haven't forgotten about the mutant baby from Larry Cohen's It's Alive. The story deals with a dense teenager who convinces his pregnant girlfriend to visit an illegal brothel/back-alley abortion clinic. After all, who better to discuss your options with than a fat scary whore named Big Mama? After a coat-hanger abortion, the fetus is unceremoniously flushed down the toilet where it encounters toxic waste and begins to grow. Soon, it has mutated into an adult sized killer-fetus, complete with razor sharp teeth, a lethal umbilical cord, and a bad temper. Returning to the brothel, the fetus proceeds to kills off the whores, pimps, and johns, one-by-one, until it finally scores a little one-on-one time with its mommy.

The tone of this film is seriously confused. Is it trying to be a Troma movie or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Given the utter tastelessness of its subject matter, I expected over-the-top gore or comedy but got neither. This ultra-low budget horror movie is also surprisingly restrained and seems to take itself seriously, in spite of its horrendous acting, cheesy stop-motion effects, and awful dialogue ("you wouldn't know bullshit if you were standing under a bull"). That said, I still think this movie has a lot going for it, particularly the look of its mutated-fetus monster (played by Michael Gingold, managing editor of Fangoria and writer of Leeches). Don't expect any fancy CGI or high-tech special effects, though. This monster is strictly old-school (but surprisingly effective, nonetheless).

The Suckling is definitely for genre fans only. The (anamorphic!) 1.85:1 transfer is appropriately rough, as is the sound, and the only extra is the film's theatrical trailer. If you prepare yourself for something distasteful, ridiculous, and low-budget, you won't be disappointed. -- Sarah Duda

Flesh Eating Mothers

WTF is this rubbish? On the back of the DVD they actually dare to compare it to Shaun of the Dead. I'm sorry Elite -- I mean, I love you guys -- but that comparison is so not cool. Flesh Eating Mothers has got to be the most painfully acted/written/shot/ edited/created film I've ever come across. Honestly, I've never even seen a porno look or sound this bad. I know, that's the point, right? But I seriously don't think anyone set out to make a film this unwatchable. I really can't believe I sat though this alone at 3 in the morning. I felt dirty afterwards and almost took a 4:30 A.M. shower.

I know 80s films can be dingy but this one takes the cake. This is almost too low-budget for my tastes. Half an hour into the film, I couldn't believe that there was a whole other hour to endure with nothing happening, just a bunch 30-year-olds playing teens speaking insanely bad dialogue. The film deals with a bunch of, well, flesh-eating mothers. They get a venereal disease from some dude who's going around screwing all the moms in the neighborhood and then they inexplicably start to eat their children. The only mildly entertaining aspect of the film is the parents eating their toddlers. I didn't think they'd go there but they did.

The DVD has a pretty good transfer for a film that I'd assume was shot on the lowest grade film stock available. So I guess it's a miracle that this film is even visually coherent. The DVD also claims that it's the first time the film's been presented in widescreen. The repulsive dialogue is loud and clear in mono, while the full-frame trailer is the only extra. Whatever you do, do not exchange money for this DVD. If it's on television, for some apocalyptic reason, just watch a few minutes and laugh at me for reviewing this reprehensible disc. -- Neil Karassik