Palisades.

This week's intro is for the US-based Palisades Entertainment.

The intro above was taken from my worn copy of The Scorpion With Two Tails, an old Sergio Martino flick starring John Saxon. Palisades was founded in the 1970's by Richard Grod and quickly became a notable distributor of cult “midnight” movies such as The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Last House on the Left and Night of the Living Dead.

They also - in connection with my review of Felidae earlier this week - were responsible for releasing a few fringe animated titles such as Wizards, Fritz the Cat & Heavy Traffic. And unlike a lot of distributors that disappeared or got swallowed up after the home video boom, Palisades is still going strong.

For more info on Palisades Entertainment, including a visual history of the films they have distributed, click here.

Growing Up Is Hard To Do.

After a sizable break, I was finally able to dig into the second episode of The Walking Dead game's sophomore season entitled A House Divided.

I was happy that in this episode Clementine wasn't in as much direct danger, as I needed a breather after the intensity of All That Remains. This episode dealt more with relationships and inter-group politics, of which Clementine often had to act as mediator. In fact, it was during A House Divided that I realized just how much she has grown over the course of this series. Her dialogue tree options are nothing like they once were. Clementine now challenges and deflects in a manner far beyond her years. She has become an active member of the group, rather than a liability and is no longer the timid little girl Lee rescued from her tree house a lifetime ago.

Speaking of the group politics, I am continually impressed with how Telltale manages to keep the dynamics fresh. The story is constantly serving up interesting dilemmas and rarely gives you an easy choice. Negotiating the ensuing situations is tricky business, especially considering you have no control over the actions of the other characters. And it doesn't help that certain individuals seem predisposed to making the worst decisions possible. It's then always up to you to put out the fires. It's a lot to ask of an eleven-year-old, wouldn't you say?

There were some nice surprises this episode, as well. When the new villain Carver, first mentioned in the previous episode, showed up, I recognized the gravelly voice of Michael Madsen almost immediately. The first meeting between him and Clementine was fantastic and rivalled Hollywood production in its pot boiling intensity. It was also good to see the return of a character that was thought long devoured. Of course, the jubilation was short lived because it then brought up instant loyalty issues between comrades, old and new.

Clementine meets Carver (Michael Madsen)

The last set piece of the episode was, again, top notch. I, unfortunately, fucked things up good during my playthrough though. However, now knowing how the mechanics work, I'm sure I would've ended up in the same spot regardless, it just may have been less my fault. 

Anyway, I'm even more excited to see where things go from here. Keep up the great work, Telltale!

Felidae

I watched a German animated film called Felidae last weekend, and boy has it been on my mind ever since.

Francis, an inquisitive house cat, moves into a new neighbourhood with his owner and immediately learns of a rash of local cat murders. Despite the danger, he goes about trying to solve the crimes.

If The Secret of NIMH, The Plague Dogs and a giallo had a three-way, I believe the result would be something approaching that of this movie. Based on the 1989 novel of the same name – the Latin term for the feline family – Felidae is certainly NOT for kids. I had to wonder to myself while watching this just how many German children were traumatized by this film that features all manner of grim death including decapitation, evisceration and electrocution. For those who gravitate toward stuff with more of an edge than the sugar coated stylings of Walt Disney, Felidae is among the cream of the crop.

I never thought I would see another animated film that would be as disturbing as the aforementioned Plague Dogs, but here it is. My mouth fell open on a few occasions because it had been so long since I’d seen subject matter – really shocking and disturbing stuff – presented in this manner. It was truly disarming.

Right there with you, Francis.

I loved the animation style of this film, as it reminded me a lot of my favourite visionary, Don Bluth. This applies to not only the personalities and mannerisms of the characters (Francis, Blaubart & Felicitas especially), but also the fantastic action set pieces. Coming in at under eighty minutes, the pacing was also very good. Felidae builds a world, separate from the one we know as humans, yet still functions alongside it. There was a lot of exposition put forth over this time, and I was surprised at how intricate a mystery was contained in this initially innocuous cartoon.

Francis & Felicitas during happier times.

I’d love to own this movie (especially on Blu-ray) but sadly the only English release of this movie is dubbed. There is a decent subtitled version on YouTube though, which I have embedded below.

To be honest, I was a little floored by this movie. Felidae stands wonderfully alongside classic subversive animated films like Wizards, Heavy Metal and Fritz the Cat, featuring images you won’t soon forget.

Trailer Tuesdays: Night of a 1000 Cats.

This is a trailer for a film I remember renting from Jumbo Video many, many years ago. 

There are several things I love about this trailer. First, the quote “Alone, a harmless house pet. 1000 strong they become a man eating machine!” Second, that the film management was nice enough to offer free burials for those who dies in their theatre. I'd love to know why caskets are optional on the west coast.

Also, I love that on the movie's Imdb page there is an actress credited as “Woman who shoots doves.” Love it!

DKTM 223

To all my Yankee readers out there, hope you are having a good Memorial weekend, and you got a chance to check out that awesome new X-Men flick. Here's what I have for you this week.

Trailers Unhitched.

Here's a trailer for the upcoming possession horror Deliver Us From Evil.

There's some great stuff in this trailer - that bit with the stuffed owl is super great - but the “from the makers of Sinister” leaves me  little weary. Those guys have a knack for visuals, but the last act of Sinister was pretty balls. Also, the fact that Olivia Munn is in this is a huge bonus, especially since I thought she'd sworn off the genre after fake blood destroyed her Blackberry during the filming of 2008's Insanitarium. Deliver Us From Evil releases July 2nd.

Speaking of “evil”, this trailer for Dark Dungeons defies explanation.

I mean... wow. I just this last week found out about Chick Tracts (comics put out by some religious zealot named Jack Chick on which this movie is based) so the sheer absurdity of this whole thing hit me like a speeding train.

It's like this movie doesn't take place on Earth. Where in this world would role playing games and frat parties ever, EVER converge??? What makes Dark Dungeons even more confounding it that it is not - or at least not intended to be - parody or satire! Although, I'm sure a lot of backers to the Kickstarter must have thought that it was, because I mean... COME ON!!!

As much as I would love to own a copy of this movie, I can't condone this lunacy by paying good money for it. However, if you would like to, you can do so by clicking here. Your soul will thank you. Apparently.

South of Heaven.

It was announced this week that Eli Roth will be teaming with Jason Blum to produce a series called South of Heaven. An eight episode has been ordered by AMC-owned WE tv. South of Heaven features a young demon hunter named Maria vanquishing evil along with her brother, David.

Eli Roth.

WE tv, formerly Romance Classics, seems like a weird fit for this type of show, but I suppose if it is of the Supernatural and Bitten ilk it could be successful. Roth will direct the pilot episode. His other television property, Hemlock Grove begins its second season in July.

Save Linnea's House.

You may heard that America's Scream Queen Linnea Quigley has fallen on some rough times of late and has reached out to the horror community for help. I'll let her explain in her own words;

“Hello friends and fans. My name is Linnea Quigley. America’s Scream Queen. I have been in over 100 movies including Return Of The Living Dead, A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 and Night Of The Demons, to name only a few. Several years ago I put my career on hold and moved into my parents house to take care of them. While taking care of them my money was soon depleted and the family home developed a serious roof problem. I tried many ways to get the money to repair it but nothing worked. My parents have passed and I recently started back to work but just can’t come up with the money fast enough to save the house. Last week I got an estimate from a local general contractor. It’s going to cost $10,000 to fix the roof and $5,000 – $8,000 to fix the damage inside the house. The drywall has fallen from the ceiling and wall in places. My clothes and other things are being ruined. There is black mold in several places now too.  I’m an animal lover and have rescued many animals and several of them share the house with me. I ask that you please help me save my family home and give me and my rescued animals a safe place to live.”

Linnea Quigley, as Trash in Return of the Living Dead (left) & Sam in Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (right)

It's a really unfortunate situation, so if you'd like to help, click here.

Video Two-Fer.

I've got a dual video home video intro for you today.

Malofilm was a Canadian company that was started in 1983 in Montreal, Quebec that dabbled in both film and television production. It was named for its founder René Malo. They distributed almost two hundred titles in the Canadian market, including genre films such as Scanners, House II, Frankenhooker and Hide And Go Shriek. Malofilm (sans Malo after he retired due to illness in the late-nineties) is now currently operating under the name Seville Pictures.

The second intro, for RaeDon Entertainment Group, is far more infamous. Founded in 1987 and operating out of Southern California, they were known for making some of the worst movies of the home video boom, including Alien Private Eye, Death Collector and Brain Sucker.

The music heard during the RaeDon intro is the opening score from my copy of the 1987 horror anthology Chillers, which technically is a Troma picture, but distributed by RaeDon. I recall this being somewhat decent, but it has been over twenty years since I actually watched it, so who knows? 

I can't really harp on RaeDon too much, as they did give me Rollerblade Warriors starring two of my favourite scream queens Kathleen Kinmont and Elizabeth Kaitan.

For more info on RaeDon's infamy, check out this great piece by Mike Malloy by clicking here.

Trailer Tuesdays: Razorback

While we're on the subject of Aussie horror, it seems fitting to play a trailer for one of my faves, the 1984 killer boar picture Razorback.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy - who would subsequently go on to direct the classic film Highlander - this is a great little flick. Not only does it feature the numerous set pieces spied in the trailer, but also Dean Semler's amazing cinematography, which was extremely influential on the next generation of filmmakers.

This is a title that is screaming for a domestic Blu-ray release. Are you listening Scream Factory?