Seven exploitation films in twelve hours. The second Ex-fest from Exhumed Films can be summed up best by the tagline on the poster they made:

“She was young… she was pretty… she was innocent… until Exhumed Film’s eX-Fest Part II!”

Interesting line-up this year. I had only heard of two of the films, and I hadn’t seen any. Nothing beats experiencing the first viewing of a film in the theater. Especially at the International House, and especially with the EF crowd.

Again, the group always puts on a good show. Check out my recaps and reviews here: http://reelfriction.com/index.php?s=exhumed+films

The films:

1) The No Mercy Man

Vietnam vets protect an old man’s ranch from a gang of carny ruffians. A slow burn film with some good action set-pieces and corny dialog. The ending is a highlight: a long-awaited killing spree followed by a mano-a-mano fight to the death.

2) Fear is the Key

This opens with one of the longest car-chases I have ever seen. Some good stunt work, a cool central character, and Ben Kingsley very young mask a convoluted story of revenge, too much coincidence, and underwater salvage.

3) The Man from Hong Kong

Jimmy Wang Yu goes to Australia and kicks butt on the trail of a martial artist mob boss. Great stuff from Brian Trenchard-Smith. The perfect blend of action, comedy, and old-fashioned exploitation fun. The highlight of the night.

4) Death Weekend

The usual story of a gang of young ruffians dead set on terrorizing a young model and her weekend date. It’s spiced up a bit by portraying the date as a rich jerk with very few qualities that bring him above the level of their tormentors. Takes a bit to get to the usual revenge stuff. Nothing special.

5) Wipeout!

An Italian crime film. Amidst double crosses and assassinations a mid-level mobster rises the ranks of the “family.” Henry Silva could play a roll like this in his sleep, and he pretty much does here. It’s a decent actioner that has well-filmed explosions, gun fights and car chases. The best part was the rock-guitar music cue that pops up throughout.

6) Vice Squad

From 1982, this film was down-right new compared to some of the others shown. It’s the story of a prostitute turned police-informant who is being hunted by a psycho-pimp. The style isn’t as sleazy or dark as you would imagine. It’s more colorful than you would expect, with some hints of intentional humor. Great performance by Wings Hauser as the villain. Thoroughly enjoyable.

7) Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS

An ultra-rare 35mm print. I should be honored to have seen it! The notorious film, about a female Nazi doctor who experiments on and has sex with both male and female prisoners, is not as shocking as you would think. For the time it’s notoriety was probably earned, but now it is pretty tame compared with what can be seen in mainstream movie theaters. But it is campy and stupid and was a nice nightcap to an outrageous slate of films.

Another great show from Exhumed Films! All five original features. In 35mm Scope! Lots of trailers, lots of bananas, and some very good vegan banana ice cream. You all know the drill by now, so on to the films:

Planet of the Apes Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968

A smart, exciting apocalyptic sci-fi film. It truly deserves its status as a classic of the genre. Not only that, but essentially its a screed against intelligent design. And it was made before evolution became such a hot-button issue in more recent years.

The message aside, it is a damn-fine adventure film with some great scenes. From Heston getting hosed down and screaming at the insanity of the situation, to Heston getting captured in a net and yelling at the ape who grabs him. But the message is strong, and it really comes through in the famous final shot. Heston, realizing what has happened to the world, yelling at those who destroyed mankind. Yelling at us.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes Ted Post, 1970

This one gets rid of the mythology set up in the first film, thereby ripping out the guts of it. Taken by itself, when you don’t compare it to the first one, it contains some interesting sc-fi ideas. Namely the underground telekinetic mutants worshiping an atomic bomb. The ending is good. Heston literally destroys the Earth, effectively ending the story of the planet of the apes. Until….

Escape From the Planet of the Apes Don Taylor, 1971 -

After the Earth is destroyed and all the characters are dead, where do you take the series? Well, I think they had the right idea. They just decided to make a completely different movie. Two apes from the original films somehow take a spaceship back in time to the 70s, before the Earth blows up.

This one is more a fish-out-of-water comedy for most of its running time. And an entertaining one due to its utter strangeness. The apes become celebrities, but quickly things take a turn for the worse when it is found they might be the cause of the coming apocalypse. The kooky 70s comedy becomes very dark, with only the gleaming smile of Ricardo Montalban to keep us happy until the next film.

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes J. Lee Thompson, 1972

Drifting even further away from the mythology of the first film, this one shows us a version of how the apes came into power. The apes, now used as slaves, are lead in a revolution by Cesar, the son of the two apes from the previous film. The idea behind this film was great. The story works and leads to quite a climax.

The problem is that the scenes are choppy. Something is off in the pacing and the editing. But there is enough here to make a good film, and Ricardo Montalban is back so that pushes it to almost great.

Battle for the Planet of the Apes J. Lee Thompson, 1978 -

Was four apes films too little? Did they need a fifth one? Well, it’s here and I got to watch it. This time the conflict is between the chimps, the humans and the gorillas. Cesar is still in charge, and he has made a nice little community. But unfortunately there are some issues. The friendly humans feel subjugated, the radioactive humans are bored, and the gorillas are in need of some combat.

So, the audience is treated to a battle for the planet of the apes. There isn’t much else here, besides the chance to see Paul Williams and John Huston is ape costumes. Which I guess was a fitting end to this up and down series.

12 hours of exploitation films? Sign me up. I’ve gone on enough about Exhumed Films, the Philadelphia International House, and why I love both of them, so I’ll get right down to the show.

The Ex-Fest was seven exploitation films, each of a different genre. Again, we only knew the genre of the film until they appeared on the screen. So see how many you can guess. I almost guarantee that no one could guess any of these films. They were all very obscure. I only heard of one of them. And good luck finding any of these screening anywhere at all, this was another once in a lifetime show.

#1 – Euro-western (From Spain)

This film had a great plot but failed on execution. A group of convicts are being transported through the mountains when the wagon is hijacked and robbed. They are left with nothing, so now a guard and his daughter have to shepherd these killers through the harsh winter landscape on foot. And where is the missing gold? It’s got a lot of promise but it it wasn’t solid enough to take full advantage of its potential. I would love to have seen this movie directed by Werner Herzog or Nicholas Roeg. That would have been interesting.

#2 -Italian Revenge Drama

Alain Delon’s face was the first shot of this movie, so I knew it would be interesting. He plays an assassin who wants to get out of the business, but when he tries the mob puts a hit out on him. Unfortunately, his wife and child are involved and revenge must be had. Some great absurd car chase scenes through the streets of Italy, along with some stylish gun battles, make this an above-average action film. It was a definite product of its time and place.

#3 -Travolta-sploitation (A film so rare that apparently no one has ever heard of it)

This was a surprise. I knew nothing of what to expect, and even during the first fifteen minutes of the film I couldn’t get my bearings as to what type of film I was watching. But then the rhythm of the humor and satire became apparent, and I fell in love with a really smart, likeable comedy.

A group of hotel employees go on a mission to turn one of them into John Travolta himself in order to get him a date with the girl he likes. There are lots of rapid-fire jokes, lots of choreography of movement and dialog, and a guy that really looks just like John Travolta (Giuseppi Spezia).

Here’s a clip! My theory about the dubbed in English film print is that some company bought the rights to distribute this Italian film in the US, had the print made, and then went out of business or gave up on the project. We may have been the only US audience to have seen this in the theater.

#4 -Blaxploitation (From the Philippines)

This was a decent actioner. But besides some small cool things and a great title, I didn’t get much out of this film. A mercenary in a war-zone gets jailed and starts working with the revolutionaries. There is a lot of shooting. Some sex. Some interesting locals and a few memorable lines of dialog. It’s a great example of this sub-genre, and a competent film, but not much more than that.

#5 -Hicksploitation

I was very surprised with the level of my respect for this film. Based on the genre, the title and the opening shot I wasn’t expecting much from this film. It turned out to be a great, campy action/mystery that was full of great characters, great dialog, and a lot of surprises. The best hicksploitation film you are ever likely to see.

I have to say something about the print for this film, which was in excellent shape for the type of film that it was. I have no idea where they find these things.

#6 -Marital Arts

There are something like 800 Shaw Brothers movies so there must be some bad ones, right? Well, I haven’t seen a bad one yet. This one follows the usual martial arts formula, but like the others it manages to feel unique. Great fights, great atmosphere. Just a lot of fun as usual. And this one has that cool sound that Tarantino borrowed for Kill Bill.

#7 – Sexploitiation

This adult musical version of a classic fairy tale was much more entertaining than it deserves to be. Maybe it was because the adult situations were not very risque, so the film seemed to be more fun than trashy. The jokes were funny, the characters were over-the-top, the costumes and sets were cheap but well-executed. A great film to end the night with.

Overall it was a nice change from horror. A lot of the films we saw were entertaining throw-a-way movies, but there was some gold in there that I was glad to have experienced on the big screen.

To see other amazing Exhumed Films shows of the past, check out my reviews.

The Philadelphia Cinefest started a few days ago. This year I did not purchase a pass, and only managed to see four films.

A word about the festival before I get to the reviews: It’s cheap and easy to navigate. The selection doesn’t have any big films (those you can see anywhere, so whats the point?), but it does have a broad selection of lesser-known foreign and indie movies.

The downside of the festival is that there are too many horrible-quality DVD screenings of films. I mean, really bad dark dark digital projection. Unfortunately, the format of the screening is not listed in the program. I don’t think I’ll go back to a screening unless I know it’s not digital.

The reviews:

Living on Love Alone
Isabelle Czajka, France, 2010, 90 min.

An insignificant little film about a young girl trying to make a living in Paris. Except she seems to fail at every turn, eventually hooking up with a charismatic thief. Things go from bad to worse, but I learned nothing through the journey.

Incendies
Denis Villeneuve, Canada, 2010, 130 min.

An excellent film all the way through, from the strong opening to the devastating ending. This story of two siblings trying to unlock the secret of their mother’s past is amazing on all fronts. I can talk more in depth about it, but that would ruin the film for those who haven’t seen it. Watch it, then we can discuss.

Lapland Odyssey
Dome Karukoski, Finland, 2010 90 min.

A loser, who in no way deserves his girlfriend, has been given one simple job by her: buy a cable box. She even gives him the money. A comedic journey ensues as he tries to accomplish the task. The premise is forced, but it does have its moments. A decent but forgettable comedy.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Hong Kong, 2010, 105 min.

The DVD screening of this film was horrible. It was way too dark, way too loud and the speed was off. The film was really just a second-rate martial arts picture. Nothing special.

That’s it for this year! Maybe I’ll attempt to go to the festival next year. We’ll see.

I survived the Exhumed Films 24-hour Horror-thon Part IV! The presentation this year was awesome as usual. There was great coordination by the group to get things moving, there was plenty of vegan food to eat and DVDs/t-shirts/posters to buy. And, most importantly, there were no digital projections. It was all real film!

The movies were a mixed bag this year. There are some stellar highlights, and some dreadful lows. They squeezed in 14 films which left little time for breaks. Based on the films shown I would have definitely dropped one and then added in more trailers and shorts and the like in order to break things up.

But overall I can’t complain. Where else could I have done something like this? I really appreciate the fact that this 24-hour show even exists and that I have gotten to go on several occasions. It’s a must for any film-fan.

As usual we got clues to what movies were going to be played but didn’t know the actual films until they popped up on the screen. There was a contest to see who could guess the most before the show started. The winners got 4 movies correct and won a blu-ray player. I am claiming a score of 3. How did you do?

Again, I have a lot of respect for the Exhumed Films group and the International House. It’s a great theater and it was a great show.

2007 Line-up
2009 Line-up

And now, without further ado, the 2010 lineup!

#1 – Silly slasher sequel that is not nearly as good as the original, but is still pretty entertaining.

I never saw any films from this series, but I was very impressed with this one. Creepy tone, lots of Barker-esque images, and great characters and music. I actually thought it was a really well-made film. I guess I should watch other films from this series. It was a nice film to start the night with.

#2 – Giant monster movie

The Shaw Brothers have left no genre untapped. This time they did a great job with a pseudo-King Kong remake. The opening was excellent and the sequence in the jungle before the ape gets to the big city was hilarious. The campy effects played very well on the big-screen (in Shawscope!). It was a dynamite film-print as well. This was a very enjoyable change from the Japanese monster movies.

#3 – Nifty, creepy horror anthology

This anthology was made before the TV show so the funny little undead guy was nowhere to be found. So instead of comedic, the stories were creepy and horrific. More like the original comics. Some shorts were better than others but overall it was a good anthology.

#4 – Campy creature feature sequel that may actually be a little bit better than the original

If this film is better than the original than that doesn’t bode well for the original. This story of babies being born as creepy little killer monsters was pretty poor. The creatures looked cool, but you never got to see them. The film makes the error of not showing the monsters enough. Usually, leaving it to the imagination is good, but it doesn’t work here. Perhaps because the film had nothing else going for it.

#5 – Zombie Movie

They said they could never show this movie but they finally managed to pull it off! This was one of the highlights. I always loved this film, and have seen it a few times. Because of that, and since it is pretty long, I thought it would get boring. No, it didn’t. I became fully engrossed in the story and themes. It’s an epic epic film that really has an atmosphere all its own. It was pretty amazing to see it on the big screen. Score!

#6 – Goofy, gory horror/sci-fi exploitation flick

Is this a sequel? Apparently, although it doesn’t matter. An asteroid crashes, releasing a deadly eggplant monster. It hides out in a basement and starts eating the residents in gory fashion. It took a little while to get going, but it was pretty enjoyable. I mean, if you like that sort of thing. I didn’t think it was anything that special.

#7 – The movie that “Rocky Horror Picture Show” wished it could be

The best film of the night was this musical. The director is one of my favorites and his re-imagining of Phantom of the Opera was something I always wanted to see. Like his other films it is full of life and energy and a love of cinema. It’s an incredible oddity that works wonderfully. What a great film and a great choice for the horror-thon.

#8 – Holy Fucking Shit. The greatest, bloodiest kung-fu movie of all time. I don’t even know what else to say, I just… I mean, this movie is… holy fucking shit.

That description is very over-the-top, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great movie. It’s a quintessential Shaw Brothers kung-fu film. Some martial artists have to beat a clan of ninjas that fight with the power of the elements! Its a classic story. First they lose, then some training and then a rematch. Its full of spectacular fights, mystical powers, and bloody craziness. If you like martial arts this is a must see.

#9 – Sleazy slasher movie directed by a genre favorite

If you like slasher films then this one is pretty good. Some kids spend the night at a carnival and see a murder. They are caught and have to run away from the crazy carny and his deformed monster son. A nifty setting, dripping in color, gives this some atmosphere. And some solid direction keeps this from falling into the unwashed heap of slasher films.

#10 – Tongue-in-cheek monster movie classic directed by a genre favorite

I’ve seen this at Exhumed years ago and I was getting very tired at this point, so I fell asleep a bit. That doesn’t mean the film was bad. It’s actually a pretty good werewolf film. It’s good some horror, some humor, and some good creature effects. Overall, its a solid film, just not something I was really into at the time.

#11 – Supernatural shocker that is so utterly ridiculous it must be seen to be believed. And even then you still probably won’t believe this movie exists in our universe. Maybe the most inept movie Exhumed Films has ever screened. Could be this year’s Raw Force. On the other hand, could just as well be this year’s Dracula vs. Frankenstein

I was excited and scared to see this film based on that description. I never heard of it before but when the film started playing I knew right away that this was going to be really really bad. I was just hoping it a fun type of bad. Well, it was very funny for a few minutes but soon I just wanted it to end. It was horrible, inept and I think I died a little inside trying to watch it. It was shot on video and had the aesthetic of a home movie. I won’t bore you with the story (was there one?), I will just say it was definitely no Raw Force. Nor was it a movie that felt like it belonged at Exhumed Films.

#12 – Influential slasher sequel that many people feel surpasses the original

This is another slasher series that I never really got into. This one is just not my cup of tea. But I guess this was better than the original. How many times could you watch this type of movie? I shouldn’t talk, there are some types of films that I can watch endlessly. Well, this one really wasn’t that bad. I was just hoping for something better at this point of the night.

#13 – “Animals Attack” movie with a snazzy sci-fi twist

Ug! This film was very bad. It started out well, with an earthquake releasing thousands of fire-setting roaches that terrorize the town, but that didn’t last long. It ignored that part of the story and then concentrated on a scientist who is attempting to breed the insects. Why? Who knows. Maybe I missed something because I was so tired but the film had no direction and nothing making me want to watch it.

#14 – Historically, the horror-thon has always ended with a zombie movie. I guess this film counts. Kind of…

There was a zombie in it, but otherwise the film is full of a creepy kid named Bob, a haunted house, a weird librarian, and a stupid story. I was hoping for something good for the final film but alas, Fulci movies are never good when you are tired.

So even though the line-up was a very front-loaded, the 24-hour fest went off without a hitch and was another great event in the history of Exhumed Films. Year 13 and still going strong!