INVASION OF THE SCREAM QUEENS -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 6/27/14

 

This is one of those documentaries in which you're either very interested in the subject, and thus won't mind so much sitting through eighty some-odd minutes of talking heads with the occasional film clip...OR, you have no interest whatsoever in scream queens or the movies they appear in or a documentary about them, in which case it's unlikely you'll ever find yourself watching director Donald Farmer's INVASION OF THE SCREAM QUEENS (Wild Eye Releasing, 1992) anyway.

Of course, if you're in the first group, then these are some pretty nice talking heads and chances are what most of them have to say will have you perking up your ears. This is because (a) these ladies are just plain fun to look at, and (b) anyone with a passion for B-movies, and especially low-budget horror flicks, will find inside info and anecdotes here that are quite engaging.

I wish I could say this is true of the entire film. Unfortunately, it alternates between the good and the not so good, since some of these actresses tend to be on the yakky side and it's not all riveting stuff. Plus, I was surprised to find so few film clips on display to spice up some of these monologues--indeed, although we hear about the making of several movies, we rarely actually get to see scenes from them. And a number of them aren't even what I would consider "scream queen" material anyway.

One disadvantage I had in watching this is that I never really sampled a wide variety of films of this nature, choosing instead to pick a few favorite actresses and concentrate exclusively on renting their videos (or watching heavily edited versions of them on "USA Up All Night"). So the best passages, for me, are the ones in which they're onscreen talking about movies and filmmakers that I'm familiar with. This includes Michelle Bauer (my all-time favorite scream queen), Martine Beswick, Brinke Stevens, and the venerable Mary Woronov. (Linnea Quigley is conspicuous in her absence here.)

Michelle Bauer tells us how she got started in the B-movie biz after meeting Fred Olen Ray during a "Playboy" video shoot. She's strikes me as the most talented and professional of the bunch (with the exception of Mary Woronov), although this may be entirely due to the fact that I've had the hots for her ever since the day I first rented HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS.

Always lovely Martine Beswick talks about the catfight scene with Raquel Welch from ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. and also her co-starring role in another well-remembered Hammer production, DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE (from which we actually get to see a lengthy film clip). Later, another familiar face, Elizabeth Kaitan, speaks at length from the balcony of her apartment.

Perky Janus Blythe is almost unrecognizable as the actress who played Ruby in THE HILLS HAVE EYES for Wes Craven and has some stories about working with snakes and meeting Jonathan Demme on the set. Soft-spoken Melissa Moore turns out to be both cute and captivating as she relates her experiences working with Roger Corman and getting to appear with BLOOD FEAST's Fuad Ramses himself, Mal Arnold.

Several other women are featured as well, including Ruth Collins (LITTLE DEVILS), Goth-y sisters Marya Gant (A POLISH VAMPIRE IN BURBANK) and Katina Garner (HALLOWEEN NIGHTS), Deborah Stern of Mark Pirro's NUDIST COLONY OF THE DEAD, and writer-star Vivian Schilling (TERROR EYES, SOULTAKER).

The stories these women tell are interesting because they're real behind-the-scenes accounts of their experiences making B-movies, rather than pre-written Bruce Vilanch-style quips for them to recite. Most of the participants speak in a warm, relaxed manner in which they let their natural charm come through rather than having to do shtick for the camera.

Video and sound quality are on par with an old VHS tape you might stick in the machine after finding it lying under a couch cushion for several years. (Some parts may have you reflexively reaching to adjust your tracking.) The videotape-level visuals don't bother me at all--in fact, they're rather appropriate even though some of the clips look like third generation dubs--but the sound made me wince a few times. (This may have been due to my watching a screener, however.) There are rough transitions and, overall, the casual, unpolished air of home video.

There's a lot to like for fans of these actresses and their movies in INVASION OF THE SCREAM QUEENS. For me, however, there just wasn't enough of it, and too much tiresome footage that threatened to yakkity-yak me to sleep. So as much as I gained from watching it, I must admit that I was a little relieved when it finally ended.

(NOTE: I reviewed a screener without the extras. The official disc should include a new 2013 interview with Donald Farmer, deleted/extended interviews from the original production, and an excerpt featuring Linnea Quigley from the out of print book that started it all, "Invasion of the Scream Queens.")

INVASION OF THE SCREAM QUEENS -- DVD Review by Porfle

CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle

(Originally posted on 8/28/12)


When we last checked in with those wacky half-brothers Caesar and Otto, they were frantically eluding the bloody clutches of a serial killer in CAESAR & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE and trying not to get sued by the Prince of Darkness himself in CAESAR & OTTO MEET DRACULA'S LAWYER.  Now, with CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS (2012), even "the most wonderful time of the year" becomes a nightmare of horror and hilarity for our dauntless dim-bulbs.

Directing his own screenplay (from a story co-written with Joe Randazzo) in his usual frenetic and wildly inventive style, indy auteur Dave Campfield once again stars as "effete tough guy" Caesar Denovio, a whirling dervish of cowardly aggression who fancies himself a great actor even though he bungles even the tiniest bit parts (such as "Waiter" or "Background Pedestrian").

Caesar constantly bullies and beats up on his much larger but mild-mannered half-brother Otto (Paul Chomicki), an unemployed "sponge" living in Caesar's apartment.  Together, Campfield and Chomicki form a comedy team that harkens back to such classic duos as Abbott & Costello and Ren & Stimpy, but with their own amusingly unique style.

Several elements from SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE are carried over here, including Caesar and Otto's quest for employment leading them into the manipulative clutches of the deceptively pleasant Jerry (Ken MacFarlane), who now heads an evil organization called XMas Enterprises.  Caesar gets to display his bad-acting chops again, this time failing his audition to play Santa due to a childhood trauma caused by crazy Grandpa Denovio (a hilarious cameo by Troma's Lloyd Kaufman).

There's a road trip complete with endearingly bad (if not impossible) process shots, along with another of Caesar's BABY JANE-style attacks on Otto as they compete for the same acting role.  The suspenseful climax recalls that of the previous film, with Caesar, Otto, and their dad Fred in grave peril at the hands of Jerry and his minions.

One of the most delightfully funny new wrinkles in DEADLY XMAS is when Caesar gets the chance to write, direct, and star in his very own low-budget horror film (financed by XMas Enterprises) which, of course, is a disaster.  "Hand-hold it, the shakier the better!" he says gleefully during one scene.  "That's, like, never done in independent films!"

 

Other returning castmembers include Robin Ritter as Nurse Helen, Avi K. Garg as the plucky Drew (who remains upbeat even though he keeps losing his arms and having them reattached), Scott Aguilar as Caesar and Otto's no-good but lovable dad Fred, Summer Ferguson as Otto's boyhood love interest Allison, Keith Bush as the Caesar-hating chief of police, Dawn Burdue, Jen Nikolaus, and Derek Crabbe. 

Felissa Rose (SLEEPAWAY CAMP), Martin Sheen's brother Joe Estevez, and scream queens Brinke Stevens and Debbie Rochon make their customary cameo appearances, while Linnea Quigley plays Caesar's crabby agent Donna and recreates her celebrated death scene from 1984's SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

Felissa's husband Deron Miller, who had a much smaller role in SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE, plays Santa-clad serial killer Demian, a crazed lackey of XMas Enterprises who becomes fixated on our heroes and starts killing off everyone on the "called to cancel" list for Caesar's annual Thanksgiving feast (which features pretzel sticks, popcorn, and toast on picnic plates).  Demian's axe-wielding exploits supply the film with most of its over-the-top comedic gore, aside from a dream sequence in which a mortified Caesar gets drenched from head to toe in the red stuff while Santa dismembers Otto with a chainsaw.

Once again, Dave Campfield is able to overcome a rock-bottom budget simply by means of creative directing, camerawork, and editing (the latter is especially good), along with sound design and a hyperkinetic pace which recall classic theatrical cartoons.  In addition to this, the cast is brimming with talented performers rather than, as in so many low-budget features, a bunch of nitwits thrown together on the cheap.  There's a lot of good comic acting going on here, with each castmember seemingly inspired by the project.

This is especially true in regard to Campfield himself, who, given the right resources, has (in my opinion) the potential to develop into one of the sharpest and most visually creative comedy filmmakers working today.  While still suffering from a lack of polish that a decent budget would solve, his "Caesar and Otto" series has its own distinctly warped slapstick style and sensibility in the same way that, say, the Zucker Brothers' comedies do.  I'm not saying Dave Campfield is the next Buster Keaton, but I think ol' Stone Face might've gotten a few good laughs out of CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS.

caesarandotto.com

Caesar & Otto’s Deadly Xmas--Fun Facts and Trivia

Story: With the holiday season approaching, Caesar and Otto find themselves employed at X-Mas Enterprises Inc., where a disgruntled employee wearing a Santa suit has begun a killing spree, and has appeared to have found himself the perfect patsies.

Cast: Dave Campfield, Paul Chomicki, Deron Miller, Ken Macfarlane, Summer Ferguson, Brinke Stevens, Scott Aguilar with special appearances from Lloyd Kaufman, Felissa Rose, Debbie Rochon, Joe Estevez and Linnea Quigley.


Trivia

The film is part spoof of 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night, and features many direct homages. Most notably, Linnea Quigley being impaled upon antlers.

Lloyd Kaufman’s appearance is a direct spoof of an opening scene from Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).

Deadly Xmas is a sequel to Caesar & Otto’s Summer Camp Massacre, which lampooned “Sleep away Camp” (1983). Summer Camp featured Felissa Rose in a role that parodied her Angela character from the original.

Deron Miller, who portrays Demian in this feature, was lead singer of the hit rock group, CKY.

Deron Miller and Felissa Rose play husband and wife in the film. In real life they in fact are.

Neil Leeds is in fact a local Los Angeles celebrity known for his around the clock television ads as Leeds Mattress owner and spokesperson.

Preproduction has begun on the next installment, which will satirize both Halloween and the Paranormal Activity movies.

Intended to be a modern day throw back to the Abbott and Costello horror/comedy crossovers of yesteryear.

 

CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle