
Greetings, all. Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. I’ve got another gaggle of horror films for you guys this week, but before that…there’s this!



And now, let’s check out some spooky movies!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
Retro-review: HUMONGOUS (1982)
Advance Review: IRON DOORS (2011)
METAL SHIFTERS (2011)
YAKUZA WEAPON (2011)
THE DEAD (2011)
And finally…Aleksander Nordaas’ IN CHAMBERS (Short Film)

HUMONGOUS (1982)
aka DOG ISLANDDirected by Paul Lynch
Written by William Gray
Starring Janet Julian, David Wallace, John Wildman, Janit Baldwin, Joy Boushel, Layne Coleman, Shay Garner, Page Fletcher, John McFadyen, Garry Robbins, Mary Sullivan
Retro-reviewed by Ambush Bug
On the one hand, HUMONGOUS is your typical 80’s slasher flick. It’s got an unseen killer with a dastardly origin stalking clueless and hormone driven youths through a forest. Nothing we haven’t seen in a FRIDAY THE 13TH film dozens of times. Then again, despite the fact that what plays out in HUMONGOUS is highly formulaic, it follows this formula in a skillful manner that proves to be pretty horrific for its time and upon revisiting it now.

Much of the movie is dedicated to the uneasy connection between the youngsters which basically serve as fodder for our madman. Though the story of two warring brothers is somewhat interesting, this plot thread is only touched upon and the film quickly falls into convention with the virginal good final girl being the only one left to take on the monster.
The rape scene at the beginning of this film is horrific, but director Paul Lynch (who also directed PROM NIGHT) chooses to focus on the terror of it, amping it to its maximum fright potential without lingering uncomfortably on it as with other films such as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Lynch opens the film with a haunting montage of still photographs set to elevator-style jazz music. Having just witnessed a brutal rape and then being inundated with these saccharinated photos of a woman who through the photos grows older and more secluded on the island is a memorable and haunting way of opening the film. Lynch is guilty of aping POV shots seen in BLACK CHRISTMAS, HALLOWEEN, and FRIDAY THE 13TH, but impresses me with moody lighting, especially in the scenes with the disfigured monster in them, only seen in silhouette in front of a bright light source.

HUMONGOUS shouldn’t be on the top of anyone’s must see list, but if you’re looking for old slasher conventions done right, it’s sure to please. The film stars David Wallace (best known for MAZES AND MONSTERS and MORTUARY) with T&A provided by Joy Boushel (who was the bar whore who Goldblum beds in THE FLY), plus there’s 70’s “Nancy Drew” star Janet Julian as the final girl. The acting is actually pretty good and the brutality of the rape continues on throughout the film in the form of this man-monster smashing every person in its path. Though the stars pull a page right from the ending of FRIDAY THE 13th PART 2 as the final girl tries to confuse the monster by posing at its mother, HUMONGOUS has enough chills and unnerving thrills to entertain if you’re in the mood for something slasher-y.

IRON DOORS in 3D(2010)
Directed by Stephen ManuelWritten by Peter Arneson
Starring Axel Wedekind & Rungano Nyoni
Find out more about this film here!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

The fun in this film lies in the mystery, which isn’t really revealed until the last few seconds of the film. Not knowing what type of film this was definitely amped my interest as to what lay behind the vault doors, but actor Axel Wedekind does a good job sustaining interest throughout the entire film. At times, he isn’t able to act to the level the story demands, but for the most part, he gives a believable everyman performance.

But I have to give credit to writer Peter Arneson, who fills the story with pretty believable dialog, and director Stephen Manuel who keeps things moving despite the fact that the entire film basically takes place in one square room. The revelation in the end was pretty satisfying (though I won’t reveal it here), and though some might be able to predict it, it still leaves an impact. With a stronger lead, I think this could have been a stellar film. Though the film does suffer from lack of things to do by the third act and the acting is not top notch, IRON DOORS in 3D entertained.
Iron Doors 3D - Offizieller Deutscher Trailer HD from Fullfeedback Productions on Vimeo.

METAL SHIFTERS (2011)
aka IRON INVADERDirected by Paul Ziller
Written by Paul Ziller and Gary Hawes
Starring Kavan Smith, Colby Johannson, Nicole de Boer, Merritt Patterson, Jesse Moss, Donnelly Rhodes
Reviewed by Ambush Bug

The story follows a handful of small townies who just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time as a meteor from space falls to earth after crashing with an abandoned Russian satellite as it cut through the atmosphere. At the same time, an old junk man is hobbling around his yard making a seventeen foot tall iron golem…like you do in small towns, I guess. Sure as you can say Go Bots, the meteor merges with the giant metal monster and it’s all of a sudden a TRANSFORMERS movie without the annoying LeBouf or humping dogs or racist robots.

If you’re looking for a decent way to toss away a couple of hours on a lazy afternoon, METAL SHIFTERS isn’t a bad way of doing it. The cover art wants you to think it’s like TRANSFORMERS, but just by being honest to what it is, I think it surpasses those films.

YAKUZA WEAPON (2011)
Directed by Tak Sakaguchi & Yudai YamaguchiWritten by Tak Sakaguchi & Yudai Yamaguchi
Starring Tak Sakaguchi, Shingo Tsurumi, Mei Kurokawa, Takashi Nakanishi, Akihiko Sai, Arata Yamanaka
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
I’m relatively new to Asian Extreme Gorror. I’ve checked out TOKYO GORE POLICE and loved the most recent HELLDRIVER, but I can’t say I’m an aficionado like my fellow AICN Editor Scott Green, who does his AICN ANIME reviews excellently every week. YAKUZA WEAPON is adapted from a manga book, I believe, but as far as movies go, it’s a damn entertaining one.

Though I know Shozo is supposed to be a brash and cocky character, writer/director/actor Tak Sakaguchi exudes Jersey Shore levels of smarm that makes it extremely hard to identify with and care for. It is possible some of this is lost in the translation from one culture to another, but Sakaguchi’s attempts at being cool are anything but. Because of that, it’s hard to become invested in this story since it centers on such a douche-tard.

Having seen and loved VERSUS, I imagined YAKUZA WEAPON to be chock filled with mayhem and the latter half is. But unlike VERSUS, which is a rollercoaster ride through a deranged action addict’s mind, YAKUZA WEAPON doesn’t have the main character to invest in.
Still, those final fight scenes are absolutely badass and worth checking out.

THE DEAD (2011)
Directed by Howard J. Ford & Jon FordWritten by Howard J. Ford & Jon Ford
Starring Rob Freeman, Prince David Osei, & David Dontoh
Find out more about this film here!
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Writing a column subtitled “Zombies & Sharks”, I have found that there is a literal shit ton of zombie films out there. Just when you think that no new permutation of zombie film can be made, another rears its ugly, undead head. Now, a lot of these films are crap. OK, I admit. Most of them are. But when one is made with such attention to theme, atmosphere, and respect for not only Romero’s laws but the laws of African voodooism, I have to stand up, take notice, and make sure as many people check out the film as possible.

Don’t get me wrong. These zombies can be killed. All of Romero’s rules apply. A shot to the head and they’re down. It’s the sheer number of the undead that strikes fear. Like Romero’s film, the waves of undead are the real threat. Sure, one or two can be taken out, but when they are coming at you en masse, it’s not only dangerous, it’s damn scary. There will be some “fast moving zombies” fans who will scoff at the shambling Romeroian dead depicted here, but numerous times throughout the film, the dangers of these zombies is exemplified as the stars feel they have the situation well in hand and the tide turns in a heartbeat. I believe in this day and age, it’s more challenging to make slow zombies scary. Sure something running after you is frightening, but unstoppable creatures that move in your direction no matter what is much more akin to the metaphor of the inevitability of death I believe Romero intended. It’s a testament to the skill of the Ford Brothers as directors that they make these encounters with the slow moving dead absolutely frightening over and over in THE DEAD.

Again, like Romero’s films, the Ford Brothers imbue this film with multiple layers, making the film easy for metaphorical dissection. Is it a statement about AIDS? Famine? World relations? Apartheid? The answer: yes, to all of them in one way or another. Setting this film in Africa, there’s going to be comparisons and allusions to all sorts of hot topic issues, but the best thing about this film is that it doesn’t take a stance on any of them. In the end, the Ford Brothers made a zombie movie and it can be enjoyed on that level. If you want to read more into it, the context is there, but not preached or beaten into you—much like Romero’s early, more subtle work, as well.

Repetition aside, THE DEAD is not just a good zombie movie, it’s the best zombie film of the year and better than any I’ve seen in ages. Fans of Romero will love this film, and I think fans of Snyder fast zombies will be surprised at it as well. Just when you thought that you’ve seen it all, with THE DEAD the Ford Brothers go and make a zombie film that is as fresh as a zombie is rotten.
Check out my interview with the Ford Brothers from last fall and look for my interview with star Rob Freeman next week!
And finally…from the makers of the upcoming dark fantasy film THALE comes Aleksander Nordaas’ IN CHAMBERS, a gorgeously filmed, terrifying little nightmare. Enjoy!
See ya, next week, folks!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole / wordslinger / reviewer / co-editor of AICN Comics for over nine years. Mark has just announced his new comic book miniseries GRIMM FAIRY TALES PRESENTS THE JUNGLE BOOK from Zenescope Entertainment. He is also a regular writer for FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND and has just released FAMOUS MONSTERS first ever comic book miniseries LUNA (co-written by Martin Fisher with art by Tim Rees) You can order it here! Support a Bug by checking out his comics (click on the covers to purchase)!



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