Welcome to Reviews From the Horror Chamber, I am your chamberkeeper, Anthony Thurber.

Before I start this edition, I just want to let know that I added a new feature to the Column. Now, right before every review I will post the film's trailer, just to give it an intro to the actual review, so you guys know what I'm talking about.

Quickly, here’s a couple of news (N) and thoughts (T)

(N) Acording to the Fangoria.com January 20th is shaping up to be a big day for us horror fans on DVD. On that day, Liongate is releasing “Saw V: and “Repo: The Genetic Opera”, Anchor Bay Entertainment will release the norgien horror film “Cold Prey”, New Line Cinema will release the often delayed “Amusement” Dimension Extreme will release “King of the Hill” and yes Sony will release “Boogeyman 3” and “Vacancy 2: The First Cut.

(T) Wow, that a great list of dvds for that day that includes three needless sequels (Saw V, Boogeyman3, Vacancy 2) and two films that the major studios refused to give wide releases to (Repo: The Genetic Opera, Amusement). I think, I’ll stick with the two films that the studios abandoned, and didn’t care to make money on.

(N) Also, from fangoria.com. "Stash:, a film that I recommended inside the horror chamber, in January. The film has finally found distribution via Camp Motion Pictures. They have set a release date for March 10th 2009.

(T) Stash was one of the first films reviewed inside the horror chamber. This was a very good film and I recommend you take the time out and rent it or buy it, as I make sure to bring the film up again, as it's release date closes in.

(N) TLA Releasing / Danger After Dark have set a January 27th release date for Ryan Nickelson’s Gutterballs

(T) It’s good that this film has some news finally, because I’ve totally forgot about this film, for my year end considerations, until now. I had the chance to review this film back in May. This is truly a fun and ballsy horror film, which I highly recommend you check it out on January 28th.

(N) Finally, according to bloody-distgusting.com. You knew this was coming. Lionsgate has announced that “Saw VI” will be released on October 23.

(T) Yea, just what us horror fans needed another Saw sequel. Why do I have the feeling that this is going to be worse than “Saw V”.

That’s it for news and thoughts, now onto the reviews.

The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror
Year: 2008
Director: Jaymes Thompson
Studio: Arizical Entertainment
Stars: Mari Marks, Georgia Jean, Derek Long
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 113 Mins








“The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror” is about a god-fearing family, who run a Bed and Breakfast Inn known as The Sahara Salvation Inn. During the eve of the biggest gay party weekend of the year, five couples decide to say at the Inn, after forgetting to make reservations in the city. Soon their weekend of fun becomes their worst nightmare, when they discover that the family has dark secrets and doesn’t want them to check out. Now the guests must fight back and try to stop the family’s religiously obsessive rage before they stay there permanently.

“The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror” is a film that has a lot of problems. This was on its way to the worst of 2008 list, until the last third of the film saved it from its horrible fate. There were many problems with this film. First, the writing and directing that was done by Jaymes Thompson was flat and dull. At times, the film was very boring, with all these characters who came off, as either uninteresting or very repetitive from one another. There were times that I wanted to shut this film off, but thankfully it got better, near the end of the film, which I’ll talk about in a minute. The next problem that I had was that there were just too many characters. In a film like this, it hurts the development of the characters because the development is what makes you interested with the characters in the film. The development in this film was very flat and non-existed, because Thompson wrote too many characters, which makes it feel like it was crammed in. Also, the film was way too long with its 113 minute running time. The film could have been trimmed about twenty minute in the middle, as there was nothing happening to warrant this running length. The final problem was the fact the religious subplot was overplayed. The whole subplot hurts the film’s story because it felt like I was getting hit in the head with the Christian right and republican agenda over and over again. Once it was introduced, it kept hitting, the same note that kept playing through out the whole film, which made this boring and uninteresting to watch.

The only positive that this film had was the fact that the last third film, as it became all of suddenly became interesting, when the action picked up and we had backstory to the main villains and why they are committing, these horrible murders. Even though, that was interesting and the pace of the film picked up, I still cannot recommend this film because there are too many things wrong with it. Sorry.

“The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror” has an interesting premise, but doesn’t have any good material to make this a fun film.

Review Rating: Two Stars

Punk Rock Holocaust
Director: Doug Sakmann
Studio: Springfield Records
Stars: Kevin Lyman, Heather Vantress, Lloyd Kaufman
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 95 Mins
Official Website: http://www.punkrockholocaust.com/



“Punk Rock Holocaust” takes place at the 2003 Vans Warped Tour where bands like Rancid, The Used and A Simple Plan are playing. But the all-star lineup starts to drop like flies, when a psychopath stateboard killer begins to kill all the bands. While that’s going on, the head of tour is covering it all up, for fear of bad publicity. Now, the tour’s reporter is onto these murders and wonders why nobody is doing anything about it, as the killing continue. Soon, she must this killer from killing everyone on the tour before ending dead herself.

“Punk Rock Holocaust” is one rockin good time. Director Doug Sakmann does a good job making this film very entertaining, given the level of b-movie cheesiness that it has. One of things that he does well was to blend in footage from the Warped Tour and the film story successfully, as the story could still be told, amidst of all the performances from bands such as Rancid, A Simple Plan, and The Used. Sakmann documents, the performances very well, as they were energetic, as it helped the energy of the film. The performances also helped move along the film’s purpose, which was part concert film, part horror film. It created a fun atmosphere to make up for the low budget. The acting is this film wasn’t bad, given the fact that the director used people like Warped Tour Founder, Kevin Lyman, as one of the film’s main stars. The film also has a nice performance, from Troma head Lloyd Kaufman, as a slime-ball record executive.

The screenplay written by Sakmann and Nick Esposito, wasn’t that bad. I liked how they used a comic book type format here, which helped move the action along. He does a very good job making sure that their story is the main focus of the film and not the actual bands performing on the tour. The writers do that by making all the deaths in the film creative and entertaining, so that the gorehound like me isn’t disappointed. Also, I liked how they satired the record business industry with Kaufman’s character. It added a funny element to the film, which makes it more entertaining.

"Punk Rock Holocaust" is one fun rockfest that makes you want to rock out.

Review Rating: 3.5 Stars

Punk Rock Holocaust 2
Director: Doug Sakmann
Studio: Halo-8 Entertainment / Unitshifter Films
Stars: Meghan Sanders, Kevin Lyman, Lloyd Kaufman
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 73 Mins
Official Website: http://www.punkrockholocaust.com/



Punk Rock Holocaust 2 takes place a year, after the events of the first film. This time around, the demonic executioner is back at the Warped Tour and this time, he wants his head back. He goes on another killing spree, but instead of just killing the band off, he wants to put on their heads, on his decapitated body, so that he can find his head that’s sitting in Kevin Lyman’s office. While that’s going on, a survivor from the first massacre, is investigating the cover-up that happened on the last tour. She is determined to find out, what really happened and try to put a stop to the cover-up and this massacre.

“Punk Rock Holocaust 2” continues, the zany style of humor and violence that made the first one, very fun to watch. Director Doug Sakmann direction was much better here, even though; I also enjoyed the first one too. One of the things that made the direction better was the fact that there was more development to the film, than in the first one. I liked how, he decided to continue from the first film, instead of just completely ignoring it like some other sequels, to some of these low budget films often do. He also continues to keep the comic bookish violence and storytelling that has made each of these films very fun to watch. Its films, like this that makes watching low budget horror films fun.

The screenplay, which was written, by Sakmann and Nick Esposito has more story- oriented elements, then the first film. They did a good job using the same elements and continuing the story of the first film, as it made sense with what happened, in these films. The humor was funnier than the first film, as they used more common characters. I think, the addition of more traditional characters helped this film, as they had more personality to them than just using regular people, playing themselves. It helps more with the entertainment and story aspects of the story. Also, the ending to the film was very good, as it sets up the inevitable “Rock Punk Holocaust 3”.

Punk Rock Holocaust 2 is a sequel that out-rocks its predecessor.

Review Rating: 4 Stars

If you’re a filmmaker and interested in having your horror film reviewed in the horror chamber, you can reach the Chamber Keeper himself at horrorchamber@filmarcade.net or if you have any film in any genres that you want Film Arcade to review. Send us an email at screeners@filmarcade.net.

To find, my latest horror reviews and interviews that I‘ve recently done for this site. You can visit the Reviews From the Horror Chamber Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/reviewsfromthehorchamber, as there’s a ton of extras on that page.

In the next edition of Reviews From the Horror Chamber”, I’ll be reviewing Brain Damage Films latest release “Secrets of the Clown” and I’ll be reviewing “Edge of Darkness”

Until then, have a frightening day.

Welcome to Reviews from the Horror Chamber. I’m your chamberkeeper Anthony Thurber.

Before I go into my reviews for this edition, I want to talk about the passing of Maila Nurmi aka Vampira. She passed away on January 10, of Natural Causes. She will always be known as the First hostess of horror. She also notably appeared in Ed Wood’s Plan Nine From Outer Space. I personally never knew of the legend of Vampira besides seeing her in Plan Nine From Outer Space and a documentary on her but I know that there are a lot of old-school horror fans that know her very well. To know more about her and her legend, I suggest you check out Vamipra: The Movie. A very good documentary on her, which I saw, at this past year’s Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival. The film is currently out on DVD. You can find more information on that film at http://www.vampirathemovie.com/.

Guillermo Del Toro Presents: The Orphanage

Year: 2007
Director: J.A. Bayona
Stars: Belen Ruda, Fernando Cayo, and Roger Princep MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 115Mins
Spanish with English Subtitles
Review Rating: 5 Stars

The Orphanage is a horror film that has played in many of the major festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. It’s also the debut film from Spanish music video director Juan Antonio Bayona. This Spanish import is about a woman (Belen Rueda) returning to the house that she loved and was raised in. She decides to transform the house into an orphanage. Soon her son begins to talk to an invisible person that haunts the residents. Upon finding out this, she begins to feel that this is threatening her family so she enlists a team of parapsychologist to investigate and find the answers to why the place is haunted before it’s too late. The Orphanage is Executive Produced and presented by Guillermo Del Toro, director of Pan Labyrinth and the upcoming Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.

It is me or do these Spanish director know how to direct horror better than most Hollywood directors these days. It makes me ask that question after seeing this film and seeing past horror films by Spanish directors Guillermo Del Toro (Pan Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone) and Juan Carlos Fresdendilo (28 Weeks Later). The Orphanage was a frightening and suspenseful ghost story. Much of the film’s credit has to do go to director Juan Antonio Bayona and it’s screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez. Bayona really makes this film creepy by making the atmosphere in the film dark and keeping the suspense level up. He also relied on the atmosphere more than gore to make this film scary. His directors of the actors were very good especially the way he directed nine-year-old Roger Princep. I thought he managed to very good performance from him, as it’s tough to direct kids in this type of film. The film kind reminded me a little bit of Poltergeist and The Others. Sanchez’s screenplay was great as makes it a very dark ghost film. I thought his screenplay allowed time to develop the relationship between the Laura and her son, as it play an important part through out the whole film thought the ups and downs of the relationship. I also liked how, he explores the backstory of the Orphanage from the time Laura left until now. The story does give you a little sympathy towards these ghosts, which I won’t spoil more since it’s a major part of the film.

The acting in the film was very good. I thought the actors worked very well with each other. Belen Ruda gives a very good performance as the main character in the film. I thought she brought the mother like charm and emotion that is needed for this type of role. She also had really good chemistry between both actors, Fernando Cayo, and Roger Princep.

Before I end this review, I want to personally thank Guillermo Del Toro for putting his name on this film because it probably would have been stuck in my local art-house theater or not play in my area completely. Also, I look forward to more films from Director Juan Antonio Bayona in the near future. The Orphanage is frightening ghost film that will scare and leave you goosebumps.


Stash

Year: 2008
Director: Jacob Ennis
Stars: Kevin Taylor, Karen Boles, and Debbie Rochon
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 77 Mins
Review Rating: 4 Stars
Official Site: www.myspace.com/stashflick

Stash is from first-time feature film director Jacob Ennis. The film is about a drug dealer named Bud (Kevin Taylor). He was a good person who minded his own business as he was brought up the right way. Soon two people try to take everything away that he has succeed with his business. Unknown to them, Bud has a very dark and sadistic secret that lies from rural hills of eastern Kentucky, as they are forced to do his bidding by abducting women or end up dead themselves. When that happens, blood will definitely spill. Debbie Rochon co-stars in this film.

When first watching the trailer for this film on myspace, I thought this would be a Hostel or a Saw rip-off but surprisingly this was neither. This was a very good serial killer type film. I thought director Jacob Ennis direction was very good, as the film didn’t slow down or get silly. The pace of the film kept the suspense up for me. His screenplay does a very good job covering all sides of the abductions from the abduction to the interrogation to the victim’s families. Other thing that I thing that I thought was neat was putting the title of the film twenty minutes in to it, as it transitioned to the second act very well. The acting was very good as helped drive the story and the tension up. I thought Kevin Taylor was good, as Bud is very menacing and sadistic character, which horror fans will get a kick of.

Stash is starting to make its way through the festival circuit. So check it out if you’re into serial killer films or looking for a good old horror film than Stash is it.

Before I go, I have an announcement to make. This column will now be weekly, so stop by FilmArcade.net every weekend to get your weekly horror fix.

Filmmakers, If you’re interested in having your horror film reviewed in the horror chamber, you reach the Chamber Keeper himself at his new email adresss at Anthonythurber@filmarcade.net or the head of FilmArcade TonyD@filmarcade.net Until next week, have a frightening week!