Star Hunter, Cheerleaders and Jocks Hunted

Cheerleaders and jocks hunted by an alien! It gets better...this is a straight to video masterpiece by Fred Olen Ray. With a great looking cast and a predator-ripoff antagonist, this film is going to provide a lot of fun. With cheesecake and beefcake in much peril, with some classic science fiction themes, 1996's "Star Hunter" is a film that is perfect for a Saturday evening movie night. Directed by Fred Olen Ray and Cole S. McKay, "Star Hunter" will also add in a couple big names.

Missing the bus after a game, three football jocks and two cheerleaders must take the short bus driven by Mrs. Marsh (Stella Stevens). The bus gets lost in the hood. Uh oh...the hood has been cleared out by an alien hunter and his guide (Roddy McDowell). Now Marsh, two cheerleaders, Carrie (Rebecca Budig) and Leslie (Alexander Keith), and three jocks, the pot smoking Cooper (Zack Ward), Pichel (Kenn Scott), and Spivak (Sean P. Donahue), are lost in a hunting ground. Riecher (McDowell) lures them into his warehouse with the promise of calling them a cab. In reality, Riecher is prepping them for a hunt in which a predator like thing will chase them down and decapitate them.

After false pleasantries, the six are on the run. The predator thing chases them and kills Marsh...and takes her head. Leslie is the more frisky cheerleader and Carrie seems to have the brains. The jocks...well, they're jocks. The great looking prey is hardly a match for this seasoned intergalactic hunter. But wait! The pot smoking Cooper is now possessed by an alien tracker (Ray), who is attempting to capture or kill the predator and Riecher. Now the tracker helps our surviving gang, but he won't be able to save them all from the ruthless alien. As jocks and cheerleaders face decapitation, Carrie man's up to mount an offensive against the hunters.

Is there a chance in Hell that the frisky, and half naked Leslie will survive? Will our intergalactic tracker be of any help to our jocks and cheerleaders? Is a rifle wielding cheerleader too good of a character to die at the hands of a ripoff predator? This is a fun one and the cast is very good looking. For some good cheerleader and jock science fiction action and carnage, see "Star Hunter."   

Crystal Eyes, Tango Sexploitation

Supermodels shredded with shards of glass! Supermodels shredded with a razor! Supermodels drowned in their own bathtubs! Supermodels shredded as they prepare for lesbian sex! Supermodels drilled and impaled! The beautiful will die so horribly. You might think you are watching a Giallo film from the early 1970s. Not quite. Argentina gives us 2017's "Crystal Eyes." This homage to early 1970s Giallo is blood red striking. The sets will bring you back to the 1970s and the sultry supermodel victims will do more than hint at Giallo horror. Directed by Leandro Montejano and Ezequile Endelman, "2017's "Crystal Eyes" is an uber-erotic Neo Giallo film. Don't cry for Argentina...cry for its sultry babes! 

Sultry supermodel/b***h Alexis (Camilla Pizzo) is the closing model on an artys/erotic fashion show for a Nuevo-trendy line by Lucia (Silvia Montanari). Alexis is filled with drugs and alcohol and everyone hates her...she's that beautiful. A weird accident causes her to go up in flames during her catwalk and die horribly. A year later, even though no one liked her, Lucia and her models decide to do a tribute fashion show in her honor. The deal is the best supermodel will get to wear a line of gowns Alexis wore in her fatal catwalk. Lucia is mean and through flashbacks we realize the reasons the beautiful rivals hated Alexis were justified.

Now the models are in competition to claim top model honors from their dead cohort. Yep...the bloody carnage begins. The super beautiful Irene (Erika Boveri) is chased down in a parking garage by a tall mannequin like fiend, wearing a black raincoat...and drilled to death.  A decapitation will follow, then a wonderfully erotic, horrific, and choreographed scene in which Lucia's two sultry assistants (Augistina Del Rosal and Victoria Del Rosal) will be horribly murdered as they prepare for sex. Eva (Anahi Politi) looks like what she has to be a final-girl and even dyes her hair blonde to look like Alexis. But! She's still breathing halfway through the film so she might also be the killer. As the macabre tribute approaches, the models keep getting pureed. The mannequin like specter in the raincoat wields the razor so well, and our beauties are no match for her...or him? It's Giallo after all!

Might a horribly burned Alexis still be alive? Is one of Alexis' rivals the maniacal, razor-wielding killer? Will Edwige Fenech make a cameo appearance...perhaps in a love or bath scene? This is a wildly erotic slasher film. Stylish and ominous, "Crystal Eyes" will break your heart if you get too attached to any of the beauties in the cast. Oh yes...one of the best death scenes ever put on film is included in this film. When a beauty is impaled on stage, it will be such a beautiful thing...you'll see. Enjoy "Crystal Eyes," and get your fill of Argentinian beauties...albeit, blood soaked Argentinian beauties.

Shark Encounters of the Third Kind, UFO, Aliens, and Sharks

Okay, look at 2020's "Shark Encounters of the Third Kind" as an orgasmic love letter from the Polonia brothers to fans of SHARKENSTEIN . Bikini babes in great peril! UFOs and aliens! Treasure hunters! There will be plenty of shark attack carnage and limbs will go flying. Alas, beautiful babes in bikinis won't fare well, but as a whole, this film is so very edifying.

An alien spacecraft blows away the International Space Station (no great loss) and secretes itself in the ocean beside a resort area. Sloan (Jeff Kirkendall) is a treasure hunter who has an illegal operation going beside Smash-Up Island to recover gold from a sunk U-Boat. Sharks eat his diver and will also eat a snorkeling bikini babe. Also, weird Camilla (Natalie Himmelberger) is burying a cat...don't ask.  The sultry Dr. Kay (Jennie Russo) has taken over her dad's practice. Now she oversees a group of patients who have all been abducted by UFOs and probed. One of her patients, Nesbo (Steve Diasparra), tries to tell Dr. Kay about a current alien invasion.  As another bikini babe is chewed up by sharks, harbor patrol cop Alan (Titus Himmelberger) investigates.

As Dr. Kay begins to see evidence of an alien invasion, Alan takes his boat and goes after the treasure hunters. He'll also come into deadly conflict with mean aliens. Now the sharks, controlled by the aliens, roam beaches and the oceans for human food. Uh oh...Nesbo knows the secret of the lost treasure off Smash Up Island and it is shocking.  The aliens get more aggressive and so are the sharks. Sloan resorts to depth charges and Alan finds an unlikely weapon to fight the invasion. The sultry Dr. Kay and Alan will team up and the conclusion of this film will be wild, bloody, and explosive.

What is the ultimate plan for the aliens? Will Dr. Kay and Alan fall in love or do the aliens have special plans for the nubile Earth-babe? What is the secret of the U-Boat treasure that so many divers have been eaten for? Gritty reality and some nice tips of the hat to "Jaws 2." "Shark Encounters of the Third Kind"  is a couple levels above "Jaws," and the introduction of UFOs and aliens prove that. Directed by Mark Polonia, "Shark Encounters of the Third Kind" is a must see for fans of shark films.

Wicked Lake, Sultry Monsters Eat Men

Demons? Vampires? Werewolves? Witches? Who knows? The important point here is we have four sultry women who turn into some sort of cannibalistic monsters. Even more important...they're sultry, spend much of the film nude, go skinny-dipping a lot, kiss each other and fondle each other a lot, and dance non-stop. Did I mention nudity and skinny dipping? Okay, I did. Gore and eroticism abound in 2008's "Wicked Lake," directed by Zach Passero. 

We begin this film with an elongated shot of Ilene (Robin Sydney)...totally nude. She's a nude model posing in an art class. Weirdo Caleb (Marc Senter) is infatuated with her...too bad for him. He follows her home where he is scared away by Ilene's house mates, the beautiful Jill (Eve Mauro), Helen (Eryn Joslyn), and Mary (Carlee Baker). After Caleb runs away, the four strip nude and have some sort of New Age orgy. After a lot of kissing and fondling, the four go on a road trip to a lake cabin. Uh oh, Caleb's weird family (right out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre) hears about the four babes and follow with the intent to rape and murder. Uh oh, the seductive vixens humiliate some weird rednecks at a gas station on the way. Now the rednecks follow with the intent to rape and murder.

The gals get to the lake and skinny dip a lot. That night, they are readying for another orgy when Caleb's twisted family barges in. They force the gals to do oral sex and begin raping procedures. Oh yeah, Caleb? You won't believe this plot device, so I won't even tell you. Bad news for the rapists...the girls are the aforementioned monsters. Turning the tables on their tormentors, the gals utilize paralysis, torture, knives, seduction, castration, disembowelment, and cannibalism. While naked, the gals exact a measure of revenge. But wait! Now the gas station rednecks barge in. More warfare and disembowelment...and nudity and lesbian kissing and fondling. But wait! A weird cop (Tim Thomerson) is on his way...but why?

This film is an orgasmic orgy into prurient deviant sexual fantasy...times ten. The twisted and depraved will love it...and maybe you will, too. For a year's worth of nudity, gore, deviant sex, and disembowelment...see "Wicked Lake." Go ahead, you don't have to admit to it. Then after you watch it, you don't have to admit to yourself that you enjoyed it.

Terror at Bigfoot Pond, Gritty Terror and Skinny-Dipping

Okay, so this film only got a 1.0/10 rating on IMDB. Yes, I know, when the skinny-dipping scene occurs, we are all yelling, "Put those clothes back on!" Yes, the bigfoot creature looks like a cross between an Ewok and Twiki, from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century." But! Who is to say Bigfoot really doesn't look like Twiki? Also, this is a much better film than "Jupiter Ascending" or the new "Wonder Woman" monstrosity. Today we look at 2020's "Terror at Bigfoot Pond," directed by David Rambaldi.

The plot? Fine. A group of college kids go camping in the New Mexico wilderness. They drive off road to Bigfoot Pond (a puddle, really) and immediately go skinny-dipping. No eroticism here, just awkwardness. Of all the college kids, for some reason, we like Kelly (Emerald Albritton) the best. She'll be naked a lot either skinny dipping or in the throes of pre-marital sex. In fact, all our college chums will engage in pre-marital sex. Too bad...if they have seen these kind of movies, they would have refrained from both. Darryl (Tome Trujillo), a percussion maven, will beat a makeshift drum and the gals will all dance topless around a campfire...oh, those college kids!

Then as they place a cooler near the woods, Twiki, I mean Bigfoot (Thomas Vigil) arrives. Tommy (Marcus DeVries) and Karen (Shoshana Gilbert) shun the tent idea and set up an air mattress by the pond (puddle, actually).  As Karen mounts Tommy, both yell out in ecstasy, Bigfoot attacks and kills them. Yes! Now Bigfoot, protecting his pond (puddle, actually) starts a brutal rampage that will leave many of the college kids in horrifying shock. Panicked and on the run, Bigfoot tracks them down and discombobulates them. Those that survive must deal with the remote New Mexico wilderness and a pursuing angry cryptoid.

Christopher Nolan spends hundreds of millions to bore the snot out of us. David Rambaldi entertains us for less that a 100 grand. Haters will hate, but congratulations to David and his cast for having fun, making a horror film, and showing us a good time for 90 minutes. Instead of putting on a preachy and idiotic Marvel or DC superhero film, see "Terror at Bigfoot Pond" (puddle, actually).

Circus, Blood-Soaked Shakespeare

Shakespeare enthusiasts realize that we are all actors and actresses on the stage we call life. This begs the question, who is directing? Who wrote the play we are performing. Shakespeare? Why not? How about this...what if Tamora, Queen of the Goths, is in some level of control? She might have an axe to grind and tip the themes from frivolity and comedy to dark and tragic. Today we take a look at Alyson Moon's magnum opus, "Circus." Horror fans will recognize motifs from "Resident Evil, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and "Puppet Master" (to name a few). Shakespeare enthusiasts will see a "Titus Andronicus" influence and be reminded of the literary controversies surrounding Shakespeare's true nature.

Queen Tamora's fingerprints are all over a surreal chain of events that unfold in "Circus." The victim and captive of Titus won't go out quietly and her curse permeates all of Shakespeare's work. Modern day arrives and Shakespeare enthusiasts are at risk. The spirit of the great bard, in all its evil and horrific form, is unleashed. The evil entity seeks to enslave all in the personae of evil Shakespearian clowns. As Gina (Moon) keeps delving into Shakespeare, her life is taken over by the centuries old curse of Tamora. The horrific nature of Shakespeare's most controversial play (...and yes, he did write it) "Titus Andronicus" sets the landscape of Gina's cursed world.

Images of Leatherface, and some horrific settings right out of the "Resident Evil" game will enhance the ghoulish setting.  Disembowelment and torture abound and reinforce Gina's charge...to send the evil Shakespeare nature back to the 16th century so we may enjoy the great author as we are supposed to. Tamora is a vengeful spirit. The witch is bent on eternal curses. Only Gina, the nubile and fanatic Shakespeare maven, is equipped to save the future. Her pristine understanding of Stratford's favorite son just may be enough to battle the witch's curse.  

Surreal and horrific, "Circus" utilizes ghosts, witches, monsters, and theater to deliver a powerful tale. Cautionary? Sure. Western civilization's abandonment of classic theater in favor of mainstream entertainment garbage will eventually doom us. Only the pure at heart (in the sense of real drama) will be equipped to save us. A horror tale? Oh yes...you'll see as you cover your eyes as images of Leatherface doing what Leatherface does jump out at you. Most of all, this Alyson Moon creation is a plea for our society to rekindle the love and appreciation of Shakespeare and all his plays have to offer.  See "Circus," and either be reaffirmed in your love for Shakespeare, or be turned on to his works.

To purchase CIRCUS click on this link: CIRCUS on Gumroad  The trailer for CIRCUS can be seen on YouTube by clicking this link CIRCUS trailer

 

Interview of Curt Wiser, Director of Cam-Girl

Back on August 2, 2020 I reviewed Cam-Girl on this blog. Even when Twitter shadow banned me, the hits on this entry made that film one of the most popular blog entries of this year. The maker of the film, Curt Wiser, is interviewed on this blog today. His erotic thriller may tickle our prurient interests and present a cautionary tale that may inspire so many out there to behave in a more pure manner. Or maybe not. Either way, read further and enjoy Mr. Wiser, a sensational moviemaker who tells a story so well.

CJZ:  Back in 2016, you made a terrific horror/thriller, "Cam-Girl." What drew you to the horror genre and led you to write "Cam-Girl."

Curt Wiser:  Well thanks for saying that.  I have always been inspired by the horror/thriller genre.  These types of stories are so impactful and effective when they are done right.  From classics such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Evil Dead II," "The Shining," and modern films "Hard Candy," "High Tension," and "Phone Booth" motivated my decision to write/direct/produce "Cam-Girl."

The tipping point was on New Year's Eve 2007.  I was at a house party, drink in hand, wondering how I could get my first feature made.  I had made a few shorts that played film festivals and written two feature scripts, but nothing was moving my career forward.  I thought about the first films from some of my favorite filmmakers, "Following" (1998), "Clerks" (1984), "Reservoir Dogs" (1992) and then it hit me.  Like them, I needed to write the most marketable story I could, that would be set in only a few locations.

It seemed that a good way to come up with a contained story with limited locations would be to center it around a character who worked from home.  The idea of a cam girl came to mind.  At that time camming was not portrayed in movies and I knew it would open up many interesting story possibilities.  So I got to work on the outline and the script immediately after that.

CJZ: "Cam-Girl" is such a fantastic film. You seem to play on the fact that we are now living in a voyeuristic society, filled with social media mediums that enable us to take on alternate identities and build on our most prurient fantasies. Is "Cam-Girl" a metaphor or a warning?  

Curt Wiser:  Interesting question.  I feel it is both a metaphor and a cautionary tale.  The way people create new identities for themselves on both sides of the screens, is a big part of what interested me in a story dealing with a cam girl and her clients.  I get the appeal of it, like any form of fantasy or escapism.  However, as with any vice, this can be taken too far.  That is where the danger and conflict comes from.

CJZ:  Our damsel in "Cam-Girl," Gessica (played by Erin Cline) is hardly pure.  She has a dark side. To many, she may seem abhorrent.  Was it difficult to mold the Gessica character into someone we liked, were cheering for, and desired to prevail over the evil that besets her in the film?

Curt Wiser:  Yes, I gave this a lot of thought.  My favorite main characters are complex and have frailties.  People are far from perfect in life, so this adds realism to the story.  The key for Gessica was making her a single mother.  In a few scenes we see how she is a caring mother and would do anything to care for her infant daughter.

Because of that, and how she is going to college to earn a better life for herself, we are on her side.  It is important to me that Gessica be a strong female character.  She defends her home and fights for her life.  Brick, our killer, on the other hand, commits much more evil than Gessica ever does.  But like any great antagonist, Brick feels justified doing these horrific actions.

CJZ:  Erin Cline did a superb job in a role most actresses would not be comfortable in.  Can you tell us about how you approached Ms. Cline with the role of Gessica.  Did she naturally seize onto it...or did you have to coach her into it?

Curt Wiser:  Erin Cline is an exceptional actor I knew from working in the entertainment industry in Florida when I lived there.  She did an audition of one of the emotional scenes involving voice over.  I saw instantly that she could perfectly capture the internal struggle of Gessica and embody the character as I imagined her.

As a professional, Erin Cline did a lot to inform her character.  I stayed out of the way and let her process work for her.  This made all the difference when it came to the performances we got on screen.  The one thing I did during pre-production was give Erin a paperback copy of Candy Girl, an amazing memoir written by Diablo Cody about her past experience as a stripper.  That book was the biggest part of my research to try to understand how a character like Gessica would think and feel, so I thought it might be helpful to Erin as well.

I must say, I am thrilled with all the actors I got to work with and the bold performances they gave.  Joe Coffey did an incredible job as our male lead and was a perfect match for Erin.  That chemistry really showed in the final cut.  It should be noted that I cast Erin Cline first then cast everyone else around her.  

CJZ:  "Cam-Girl" is one of my most successful entries on my blog in 2020.  This is not a film for the entire family and the subject matter may even turn off many viewers.  Still, I definitely see a following for it.  Erotic and chilling is a nice combination reminiscent of Italian horror of the 1970s.  What were your inspirations to delve into erotic horror?

Curt Wiser:  Erotic suspense films like Brain De Palma's "Dressed to Kill" (1980) and Paul Schrader's "Hardcore" (1979) were prior influences on this subject.  I have noticed that several movies dealing with camming have been made since the release of "Cam-Girl," that is a good feeling, it tells me I had a good idea way back in 2008. 

CJZ:  Are there any plans to bring back Gessica in future films?  The ending did leave room for a sequel and Erin Cline's performance and character deserve more films...in my humble opinion.

Curt Wiser:  Let's just say one of our Executive Producers, Odorico Mendes, was very happy that the ending leaves the possibility for a sequel.  Haha, the saying goes, if the producers or studios could make the sequel first, they would.  At the moment there are no plans to make the sequel or reboot, but I would be open to the idea.

CJZ:  Moving on from "Cam-Girl," are there future projects on the horizon?  I see you write, produce, and direct. What can we look for in 2021 from Curt Wiser?

Curt Wiser:  I have two short films, "Woman" and "Man" that are being submitted to film festivals for 2021.  Making these two shorts were a lot of fun and they fit my brand as a writer, dealing with the relationships between men and women.  After those shorts play festivals I will post them online.

Feature wise, I have a few screenplays I am trying to get produced or sold.  One is "Anxiety," about a manic-claustrophobic woman who loses control when she gets locked inside an office building bathroom after hours, along with a male janitor. 

CJZ:  Speaking of "fantasy"...what would be the fantasy project for Curt Wiser? A horror film I hope.

Curt Wiser:  The answer might change every year.  I enjoy working in the horror/thriller genres.  But right now my dream project would be directing a script I call "Rage Moms."  It is an irreverent action/comedy about four suburban mothers who become fed up and fall into a life of crime. 

To watch Cam-Girl free on TubiTV click on this link: Cam-Girl on Tubi

To watch Cam-Girl free on YouTube click on this link: Cam-Girl on YouTube 

To watch the 30 minute behind the scenes documentary on Cam-Girl click this link: Behind the Scenes of Cam-Girl