Some Guy Who Kills People Review

Modern horror comedies recently have been very hit and miss. They are either overly cheesy and get dull or are just plain unfunny. That is why when I first head of Some Guy Who Kills People I was kinda worried that this was just another disposable horror comedy to add to the avoid pile. Three major factors made me change my mind and want to give this a watch. Number one, it is the first film put out by Grimm Entertainment label. Number two, John Landis (An American Werewolf In London) is the executive producer and number three, it has a kick ass trailer. Probably out of the three main reasons, the fact that Grimm Entertainment is the new venture from Grimmfest which is Manchester based company that puts on it's own festival and has screenings of some fantastic films. I took a chance and got in touch and the guys kindly sent me a disco for me to review, so let's get started by checking out some still from the film:

 Some Guy follows the story of Ken a comic book obsessed loner who has been recently released from "the loony bin" after he spent years there recovering from the torture he received at the hands of some jocks he insulted in his comic book. He works in an ice cream parlour and lives with his rather harsh and bitchy mother who is constantly disappointed. Ken's life is about to get a little more interesting as he is unwittingly reuinted with his estranged daughter, getting romantically involved with a bumbling British cutie and not to mention the jocks that had tortured him years earlier are mysteriously getting picked off one by one in some gruesome ways. Will he develop a bond with his daughter? Will his new relationship last? Who is behind the attacks? Is Ken seeking out his revenge? That is for you and the not too bright police department to find out. Be careful though, it's going to be bloody!

Overall, this is hands down one of the best horror comedies to be released in a long time. Not only is the comedy genuinely funny but it never oversteps the boundaries of taste. The scenes involving the police, especially the Sheriff (Barry Bostwick) have the best laughs and they kinda remind me of the cops from the original Last House On The Left. Ken is played perfectly by  Kevin Corrigan who puts in a genuine and honest performance. His love interest Stephanie is played by Lucy Davis who is pretty much playing the character she plays in most things, the bumbling British character. Both are likeable and work well together. The rest of the cast, especially Ken's daughter Amy also put in some great performances. This is a well put together cast indeed. The story is simple but never boring and has some twists and turns. The kills although not the most imaginative are pulled off brilliantly and the gore is spot on. A bonus is that there doesn't seem to be a drop of CGI at all in this film and if there is, it's done brilliantly.

This film is a well balanced horror comedy at a time where horror comedies are hit and miss. There is a fine balance of comedy and drama. There are some genuinely dark and tense moments which add to the experience. It may not be the most goriest slasher or the most absurd but it sure is a hugely entertaining film from the director who brought us the cheese fest Mega Shark v.s Giant Octopus. The kills are satisfying and overall, the film feels almost like a flick from the late 80's or early 90's. If like me, you are bored of horror comedies, then check this one out as it will restore your faith in this over saturated sub genre. This is a great first release of hopefully many from Grimm Entertainment and is well worth the price of admission.

PDx

Some Guy Who Kills People is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and on demand from Grimm Entertainment and Koch Media. Home release includes a making of and an audio commentary.

GRIMM LABEL WEBSITE

Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice From Rapid Eye Movies

Hanzo The Razor: Sword Of Justice

(dir. Kenji Misumi, 1972, 90 minutes)
Rapid Eye Movies, Germany

Hello guys and girls. Today we are looking at the first of 3 films from the Nippon Classics sent to me by a German company called Rapid Eye Movies. Now first of all, these will not be reviews of the films themselves as this trilogy of posts is showcasing these releases to people who are collectors and who already know about the film. If you want a review of the films, let me know. Like I said I will just be going through the releases themselves. We will be looking at the packaging, presentation, transfer and special features. So let's get straight to it with the first in depth look, Hanzo The Razor, Sword Of Justice. Below are some snaps of this gorgeous release.

As you can see, you get a gorgeously presented edition of this film. A beautifully designed slipcover showcasing the fantastic Japanese poster for the film which houses a fantastic digipack which boasts some stills from the film. The inside showcases one of the infamous images from the film. The digipack is slim but not too slim and makes it a fantastic size for the shelf and the collection. With the addition of the slipcover, these editions will look fantastic on the shelf. When you open up the digipack you will also find a flyer showcasing other titles from the Nippon Classics selection as well as an assortment of postcards with iconic stills from various Asian cult classics, the postcards are of high quality and are a welcomed addition. Probably the best extra you get is the double sided poster which again has the original Japanes poster design on the front and a original design on the back talking about the film itself. Overall, these are really nice additions and this will please the collectors out there wether or not you decide to actually use the poster and postcards. All in all, these editions are put together brilliantly with collectors in mind. So no we have looked at the packaging and presentation, let's look at the film itself.

 As you can tell by the stills, the transfer is fantastic. The audio is great too. Now, this being a German release, this intended to be watched by either someone who knows or is Japanese or German as the only audio option you have is the original Japanese an the subtitles are only in German. This really isn't a big deal for me personally as the edition itself is what I find most exciting and you can always pick up a cheap DVD. Just remember to bare that in mind if you are going to buy this title. Special features wise, you get the trailer for the film, some information on the film and also some trailers for other releases from Rapid Eye Movies. To some, that might not be a lot but I always welcome at least a trailer on any release and from what I have gathered not many other releases have anything more than a trailer. Overall, if you know Japanese or German (I should know a lot more by now) then  this release is perfect for you.

Overall, I am really impressed with this release. All the supplementary materials you get and the presentation alone make this a welcomed addition to the collection. I cannot stress enough that this release is of course aimed for a German audience so only collectors or lovers of Hanzo should really pick this up. Rapid Eye Movies have done a fantastic job with this release and have given the German public and us collectors  a great release of a film that is deserving of this treatment. You should definitely check out Rapid Eye Movies by clicking the links below and see what they have to offer and to potentially get your hands on this film. There really is nothing negative I can say about this release. Fantastic presentation and has a gorgeous DVD transfer.

RAPID EYE MOVIES SITE
RAPID EYE MOVIES YOUTUBE

PDx

My Top 5 DVDs and Blurays Of 2011

2011 is well and truly over. It's that time of the year when every blogger, Youtuber.... EVERYBODY does a list of their favourite films or releases of the year. I thought that since I have already done this on Youtube I would do a kind of follow up on the blog. For anyone who hasn't watched the video or any of my videos I will embed it down below for you guys to check out (subscribe if you haven't done so already or your 2012 WILL definitely be over!). In a nutshell, this year has been OK for releases. A lot of stuff didn't interest me. A lot of stuff was too expensive. A lot of stuff became hard to find but I am pretty happy with how my collection of titles released this year. They didn't make the list but one of my favourite labels this year has to be the mighty Arrow. I could have filled the list with Arrow titles but I though... EVERYONE loves Arrow so they didn't make it. So without further or do, let's get started.

5. BFI Dual Format release of Alice directed by Jan Svankmajer (1988)

This is at number 5 because I actually haven't got round to watching it yet. Yes, starting off with a title I own but haven't watched yet. Why is it on the list you ask? It's packed full of special features and short films, it looks amazing on the shelf and from the clips I have seen, it looks and sounds gorgeous. The BFI release so many great, high quality editions of some fantastic films. Everything from the Post Office documentaries of war time England to recent European gems. The BFI is great full stop and this will not be the last film I pick up from their back catalogue.

4. Camera Obscura DVD release of Libidomania by Bruno Mattei (1979)

I bloody adore this film! As soon as I found out that there was a proper release of this film coming out, I had to pre order it as soon as possible and boy was I right to do so. This is one of Bruno Mattei's fantastic mondo films and in my opinion, the greatest mondo film of all time. What makes this release so special is the love and effort gone into it. Packed full of features like deleted scenes, trailers, an essay and an amazing audio commentary. It is also one of the nicest looking packages I have seen for a while with it's fantastic contemporary looking slipcover art. The picture and sound is really nice as well, especially for a film like this. One of the greatest things I have bought all year!

3. Blue Underground 2 disc bluray of Zombie by Lucio Fulci (1979)

Another one of my all time favourites. Fulci for me is one of the greatest directors of all time. This is one of the greatest films of all time and Blue Underground have created one of the finest horror bluray's from this year. This film has never looked or sounded so good. Packed to it's undead rim with special features (most of them ported from different releases) and presented beautifully with a great cover design and an amazing slipcover. This is a must for all horror fans. Especially due to the fact that it's a multi region blu and is also on DVD so everyone can enjoy it. Take note all you labels out there. This is how it's done!

2. Distribpix 2 disc DVD of Radley Metzger's The Private Afternoons Of Pamela Mann (1974)

This is a special title for me. Not just because this was kindly given to me for review from Ste at Distribpix but because this now one of my all time favourite adult features from porn's greatest era. This is a sublime release that again, companies should take note. This is how you release a film full stop. Especially all you companies that distribute "legitimate" films. This presented beautifully. Packed again with some amazing special features (I mean come on! Porn commentary tracks!? Yes please!) and not not only that but it looks and sounds fantastic. A restoration done right. The film itself is just as amazing. A real gem in my collection and boy I can't wait for the release of Naked Came The Stranger now! Not for everyone but all my fellow classic smut fans... you HAVE to buy this!

1. Blaq Out 3 disc set of Rubber by Quentin Dupieux (2010)

That's right gang. Rubber takes the top spot. I adore this film. This film is probably the best film I have seen in recent years. Terribly underrated and horribly misunderstood by the majority of the people who watched it. I really got this film, I enjoyed the wackiness, I enjoyed the awesome special effects. I found this film genuinely funny and totally appreciated the satire and message. Not only that but it is shot beautifully and has a great soundtrack from Quentin and Gaspard Auge. If you love Oizo, then you will truly appreciate this. The edition I picked up is just amazing. It works as a great edition and also as a great design piece thanks to brilliant artwork from SO ME. This French edition totally wipes the floor with the generic American and UK release. The third disc is Quentin's first film; Nonfilm which again I love. Nice special features too including the best interview I have ever seen. Words can't describe how much I love this addition to my collection. It just had to have top spot!

So there you have it guys. There is my top 5 releases from 2011. I'd do some honourable mentions but that would take all bloody day! For anyone who is interested, feel free to check out my video version of this list. Go out and buy them all. You have to!

PDx