A Bad Day (1999)

A Bad Day (1999) - Germany

Directed by: Jens Wolf

ABOUT THE FILM:

A Bad Day is yet another obscure German amateur film from the late 1990's. The movie starts innocently enough, with a bunch of teenagers in the forest, until one of the boys gets pissed off with a girl and things turn ugly very quickly. The boy ends up brutally beating and killing the girl, and continues to hunt down and kill his friends as they try to stop him.

 

REVIEW:

A Bad Day is a genuinely entertaining first effort from then young director Jens Wolf, who later went on to create the zombie-splatter drama epic Noctem. I must say that I wasn't expecting anything good, considering the cover is just in black with the title and no screenshots, but boy was I wrong.

Each different part of the movie is divided into its own chapter, with intercut title cards telling us about this next segment. It's a great way to structure this tense little story about a bunch of youngsters essentially having a bad day.

For a movie essentially made by what I'm assuming are teenagers, this one is surprisingly well shot and edited, as the director uses some creative and inventive camera angles and techniques. The lighting is all natural (as the film is completely shot outdoors), and is never too dark or too bright, letting the camera focus on the action.

Another thing I wasn't expecting was how gory this film is. There are many kills across the 40 minute runtime, including impalings, prolonged scenes of gory dismemberment with blood gushing everywhere, suicide and so much more. The effects actually aren't that bad either, although they reminded me a lot of Das Komabrutale Duell.

The movie also has a soundtrack made up of cool classic rock tracks. When else in your life will you watch a movie where someone gets cut in half to the tune of Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd?

It's obvious that Jens Wolf is a talented director who is more than capable of crafting an enjoyable movie. If you can find A Bad Day or any of Jens' other work, I can highly recommend it, especially if you're a gorehound.

RELEASES:

-A Bad Day was independently released on VHS by GOREProductions in 1999.

    -Extras:

    Behind-the-Scenes/Outtakes

The Last Days of Livermore (2016)

The Last Days of Livermore (2016) - United States

Directed by: Nathan Hine

ABOUT THE FILM:

The Last Days of Livermore is a short horror film from up-and-coming director Nathan Hine, the mind behind small independent film crew Hardgore Core Productions.

Hine has been active for several years on his YouTube channel reviewing and promoting underground splatter and horror movies, sharing his thoughts and his endless love for the genre and the community centered around it. Hine had been itching to make his own films for as long as he could remember, however, it wasn’t until 2016 that he had finally set out to do so.

The film's storyline focuses primarily on two individuals who are struggling to deal with issues they are having with their relationship. In an effort to better understand the situation and come to terms with each other, they travel out into the beautiful, yet eerie abandoned town of Livermore, Pennsylvania. They take a walk and end up at the local cemetery, where they talk and attempt to correct their troubles. It is then that things start to go horribly wrong.

 

REVIEW:

Being the first ever film produced by Hardgore Core Productions, it is not free from error and it is expected that there will be a couple of issues.

The sound mix is a little stilted in some places and you have the occasional line of dialogue that could have used another take. However, the few minor setbacks do not overshadow all of the amazing things that this short film has to offer. For starters, the cinematography is well thought-out and well-shot. Livermore, which is a beautiful real-life ghost town, was the perfect setting and made for some hauntingly gorgeous shots. The film successfully captures the unnerving atmosphere of the place. The script and story are simple, but both work well enough to be carried across the short 20 minute runtime.

The special effects are nothing short of awesome. The blood is realistic in color and consistency, yet flows like a firehose, which will please gorehounds, and the makeup effects are done well enough to get under the average viewer’s skin..

Overall, this is a solid first effort from the Hardgore Core crew.

Hine is hard at work at getting his first full-length feature film The Sideling Hill professionally pressed and prepped for distribution. Meanwhile, both him and the rest of the crew have just wrapped up shooting a new short film called Keepsake and continue to aid other indie filmmakers on their projects, namely Jim Roberts from Blind Sight Productions.

The Hardgore Core crew are obviously very passionate about the splatter subgenre and dedicated to delivering the goods. This makes them definitely worth looking out for.

RELEASES:

-This film was independently released on DVD by Hardgore Core Productions in 2018.

    Extras:

    -Intro

    -Director's Cut

    -Final Cut

    -Director's Cut Trailer

    -The Sideling Hill Trailer

-Released on VHS by UK-based Dead Format Films in 2017.

-Featured on the First Annual Short Film Compilation DVD from King of the Witches and Dead Format Films, released in 2017.

Nasty Nancy (2010)

Nasty Nancy (2010) - Croatia

Directed by: Sandi Mance

ABOUT THE FILM:

This low-budget Croatian outing features Nancy, a young, honest girl who is doing her best to pass her classes in a school where the teachers will only pass you if they can get in your pants. When she is failed on her final exam, after all of her hard work and effort, she sets out for revenge on the perverted teachers by sending out fake invitations to an orgy at an abandoned building. She dons a Japanese-style schoolgirl outfit, grabs a katana and then the bloodshed begins...

REVIEW:

It's quite unfortunate that (as far as I can tell) director Sandi Mance hasn't made another film since, because Nasty Nancy really has a lot going for it.

The only negative aspect is that the lighting is really bad in most scenes. Sometimes, scenes are so darkly lit that it's really hard to see the onscreen action and there is plenty of visual noise present, as this was shot with a cheaper camera. However, these negative aspects don't hold the film back.

The acting is stupidly hammy enough to pass for your usual Troma fare, but this actually enhances the viewing experience, because this film is not to be taken seriously at all. The movie is barely feature length with a runtime of 49 minutes, but it never feels boring and really delivers the goods.

Minus some obvious and fake-looking CGI blood, the gore effects are well-executed and there is plenty of dismemberment and bloodshed on display. The special effects were done by Miroslav Lakobrija, who also did the effects for the infamous A Serbian Film, so you know you're in for something awesome.

There's also several nods to the bizarre Japanese splatter films such as Tokyo Gore Police and Machine Girl, such as Nancy's schoolgirl outfit and katana, and the occasional Manga-style speech bubbles and Japanese writing.

If you're a fan of cheesy low-budget goodness, especially with a Japanese influence, Nasty Nancy may just be what you're looking for. I'm hoping to find more films from Croatia in the future.

RELEASES:

-Nasty Nancy was independently released on DVD by Castrum Films in 2010.

     Extras:

     -Trailer

     -Film Premiere

     -Bloopers

     -Photo Gallery

Radioactive Cannibal Vikings from Hell (2007)

Radioactive Cannibal Vikings from Hell (2007) - Sweden

Directed by: Nils Härgestam

ABOUT THE FILM:

Sweden-based indie movie-makers Nils B-Films brings us this tale of four criminals who are on the run as they come across a house, encountering a family of vikings that have long been cut off from society and are still stuck in the old times. It just so happens to be that this family of vikings are also cannibals.

..Oh, and they're radioactive.

REVIEW:

I had no idea what to expect when I first sat down to watch this. With a title like that, it could only have been great, right? Well...

I have to give the filmmakers credit for at least bothering to tell us a story. Each scene transitions fairly smoothly and tells us all we need to know about our characters in order to follow them through the film. Despite the obvious nods to Peter Jackson's Bad Taste, the story is still fun and helps keep the viewer entertained. The acting works well enough for such a low-budget film, as the cast gives a delivery hammier than a slab of bacon. The gore effects are so amateurish and laughable that they almost make Der Henker look like Tom Savini's finest hour... Okay, maybe not that bad. Some of the creatures look kind of cool.

Shot on low-quality digital video and edited with Windows Movie Maker. Despite the cheap camera, everything is shot well enough and everything is focused. The editing is serviceable for a product of second-rate editing software, and the English subtitles are at least well-timed.

Overall, I'd say that this film was a passable effort. While nothing too special, it's at least a fun watch for a rainy afternoon.

RELEASES:

-Unfortunately I couldn't find any information on this film's DVD release, if there ever was one. However, this film is available to watch online officially. I will provide a link below.

https://vimeo.com/8458110

Schlampen Schlächter (2006)

Schlampen Schlächter (2006) - Austria

Directed by: David Mayrhofer

ABOUT THE FILM:

The Austria-based film crew Blutbad Productions returns with another short tale of grisly carnage, Schlampen Schlächter (roughly translating to The Slut Butcher).

Schlampen Schlächter tells the story of a man who comes home after a long day's work, with a bouquet of flowers. We later find out that it's him and his wife's anniversary. But uh-oh, he walks in on his wife having sex with another man! As a result, he starts cutting himself, before he gets a better idea.. He decides to get bloody revenge on his cheating slut wife!

REVIEW:

I'm not going to lie, so far I've been disappointed with the output from Blutbad Productions. After years of searching for these films and hearing such good things, I've been let down by how mediocre they actually turned out to be so far.

I really wanted to like this one, because it does have a few good elements to it, but unfortunately, the negative aspects outweigh the good.

The Good:

The filmmakers were clearly trying to give us a story with interesting characters. Perhaps I'm missing something more, due to the language barrier, but they were at least trying to tell us something.

The Bad:

Most importantly, the acting kills any kind of tension or investment that the viewer could have felt. The performances are completely lifeless and void of any emotion, therefore making it impossible to feel for the characters. Even if I understood German, I wouldn't be able to follow the movie because the sound mix is so terrible, you can barely hear the "actors." The fake cries of pain from the actress got irritating within 15 seconds, and she just never shut up. I was waiting for the guy to just cut her tongue out.

On that note, the special effects feel half-hearted and the camera will shy away from most of the carnage. The camera work is shaky, the lighting is shitty, the editing is inconsistent and choppy; there is just so much wrong with this short that I could not enjoy it.

RELEASES:

-Schlampen Schlächter was self-released on DVD in 2006 by Blutbad Productions.

    Extras:

    -Trailer: Schlampen Schlächter

    -Blutbad Productions Trailers