Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The Hidden Gems

So Denis McGrath calls me out and asks, "What are the D2DVD flicks worth watching?"

Get ready, folks...

The following movies are at all different budget levels, production value and distribution. Some premiered on cable, but they really are D2DVD's because those deals are negotiated before or at the same time as the cable sale. The one thing that separates these from the rest of the D2DVD pack is the fact that - Yes, they may be cheesy. Yes, they do have their faults, but for whatever reason - YOU HAVE TO KEEP WATCHING.

So, in no particular order:

ALIEN ABDUCTION - creepy horror/sci fi from The Asylum. Ultra low budget.

BEING RON JEREMY - need I say more?

KING OF THE ANTS - Stuart "Re-Animator" Gordon directs Kari Wuhrer (and Denis, you know what that means)

CURSE OF THE KOMODO - cheesy creature feature. Fulfills that Harryhausen addiction within.

DEATH VALLEY: REVENGE OF BLOODY BILL - ultra low supernatural slasher.

DRACULA II/ III - D2DVD sequels to DRACULA 2000. Stylish and fun.

GLASS TRAP - DIE HARD with giant ants.

FRANKENSTEIN REBORN - reimagining of Shelley's classic.

HIDE AND CREEP - redneck zombie comedy.

JOLLY ROGER - killer pirate from beyond the grave.

MANSQUITO - Man. Fucking. Skeeto. Need I say more?

RELATIVE EVIL - drug drama with Jennifer Tilly who won a DVDX Award.

SNIPER 3 - good action flick from Tom Berenger. He goes back to the 'Nam.

SCREAM BLOODY MURDER - schoolgirl slasher comedy. A little old, but still good.

TOOLBOX MURDERS - remake from Tobe Hooper. Gore. Gore. Gore.

SIDE FX - drug turns kids into vampires.

WAKE OF DEATH - the Van Dammer!

DOG SOLDIERS - a little old (2.5 years?), but really cool werewolf flick. Had a theatrical overseas, but premiered on DVD here courtesy of Blockbuster.

PTERODACTYL - dinosaurs on the loose killing college students.

SPECIES III - sequel to the theatrical movies. Lots of nudity and creature slime.

COMIC BOOK: THE MOVIE - winner at last years DVDX awards. Mark Hammill directs (and he's good at it).

---------------------------

Coming Next week - 8MM 2 starring Johnathon Schaech and Julie Benz.

That's it for now. I AM forgetting a lot more gems hidden on the shelves between the multiple copies of the latest Meg Ryan tearjack.

I am sure you folks out there will remind me.

(Sorry, I kind of blew that top five deal didn't I?)

11 comments:

Cunningham said...

Thanks. I forgot to mention that one. Another good thriller is KILLING EMMETT BROWN starring Scott Wolf (TV's Everwood). It won a DVDX award in 2003-4.

One thing about these D2DVD flicks is they tend to stay on the shelves for a longer amount of time than the big studio films. They don't rent in huge numbers, but the trend is for them to rent for a longer period of time.

Shawna said...

Did "Girl in the Cafe" come out on DVD at the same time it went to HBO? Because it never screened in theaters, and it is a good movie.

Cunningham said...

June on HBO. September on DVD.

James Moran said...

Another vote for Dog Soldiers and The Toolbox Murders - both are good, solid fun, not perfect, but a hell of a lot better than much of the arse that hit the cinemas first this year. They work, and have proper beginnings, middles, and ends, which isn't always a guarantee with "proper" cinema stuff.

And I MUST find Mansquito. Half man, half mosquito, all terror? I'm so there.

Cunningham said...

Mansquito was sold in some territories as Mosquito Man. It also "premiered" on the Sci-Fi channel to some of their best numbers. At the scribosphere gathering both Shawna and Kira said it was their fave amongst the cheesy Sci-Fi pictures. Whoever thought up the title? Genius.

DMc said...

Damn you, Bill. Kari Wuhrer AND Mansquito?

My weekend is assured...

Cunningham said...

Dum vivimus servimus...

Fun Joel said...

Having worked on a movie with Kari Wuhrer a number of years ago, I too know EXACTLY what that means! ;-)

Cunningham said...

Just so we're all clear on Kari Wuhrer and my thoughts on her career. I have nothing but the upmost respect for anyone, ANYONE who gets naked in front of a crew of 30 in the freezing cold. I worked with Kari on a movie in SC called AN OCCASIONAL HELL, and she had to run naked through the woods being chased by a killer. Not one bit of fun for anyone on the crew, and I am damn sure that Kari went through hell herself. She had scratches everywhere from the briers. She could have raised hell, but she kept going until they got the shot.

She gets work not only because she's pretty and shows off her beautiful body (at the drop of a hat), but because she delivers a performance that works. If she doesn't deliver, she keeps at it until she does. Understand that if she wasn't worth working with, she wouldn't have done all the movies she's done in her career. The business would have shut her out long ago.

Yes, we all tease and make boyish fun. I'm as guilty as the rest of the male population; but career wise, we could all do a lot worse than she has. She's genuinely a fun person to be around - one of the guys - who just happens to take her clothes off a lot in her work.

DMc said...

Watched King of the Ants last night.

and um...no. No she hasn't. Not...quite like this.

But if memory serves, Amanda Donohoe has...

Kari rules.

Movie was pretty enjoyable, too. Thanks for that.

Cunningham said...

King of the Ants is one of those stories (both onscreen and behind-the-scenes) that works. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Check out some of the other titles when you can.