Knights of Badassdom (2013)

After taking some time away from my computer attempting to catch up on some stuff, I decided to get back at it. Of course, finding the right film to kick off August with was a bit of a challenge. With the world being totally upside-down and most of society acting as if they were from another planet, I decided to pick a comedy.  My first review for the month of August is the 2013 flick Knights of Badassdom.

Plot/ Live-action role players conjure up a demon from Hell by mistake and they must deal with the consequences.

I saw the preview of this and imagined that it would be hilarious. While it was not sidesplitting hilarity, it did have some funny moments and was rather entertaining in its own way. Of course, the LARPING themes will not resonate with everyone, and may turn some people off. There were some interesting themes, decent effects, and a tremendous low budget schlocky feel. Unfortunately, the characters were flat, the direction uneven, and the overall feel felt lacking. In the end, while this one entertained me, there was the potential in place for the flick to be so much more. If you enjoy LARPING or Dungeons & Dragons, give it a shot, if not there are other horror/supernatural comedies out there that will give you more laughs.

Lilith

I present a journey deep into the bowels of history, back to a time when man was new and the snake still called the garden home. This vile daemon swept through the night into unsuspecting men’s dreams, tearing a deep gash into their hearts and looking to steal the souls of young children, a price most willing. Who is she, you ask?

The myth of our lovely Lilith was said to derive from “The alphabet of Ben Sira,” a book so filled with out of character notions that many concluded it was a satire of Judaism and Christianity. However, traces of her can be found in many different tales.

According to Hebrew legend, our lovely Lilith was the first wife to Adam, being created by God before Eve, from filth and sediment instead of pure dust, only after Adam grew tired of fornicating with the animals. Adam’s desires were destroyed when his wife refused to come together in the missionary position because being created from the same materials made her Adam’s equal and she did not want to lie beneath him. For this, she was cast from the beauty of Eden, damned for eternity.

Once removed from the garden, Lilith changed into an evil Daemon. (female Demon) Androgynous in appearance, she is reportedly half woman and half reptilian. It has been passed down that this creature drank Abel’s blood after he was slain by his brother Cain, which gave her an insatiable thirst for blood, many say this became the root of modern-day Vampyrism.

The myths continue that Lilith would appear in men’s dreams to copulate, stealing their seed to give birth to her many spawn. Liliths’ daughters, called Succubae, are also said to appear in the dreams of men, where they overtake the man’s heart, ruining him for mortal women everywhere.

Was Lilith a first thought to early feminism or was she an angel fallen from God’s grace?  The answers lurk quietly buried in her dark madness. So gentlemen, I warn you to be careful when you sleep, lovely Lilith may have set her eyes on you. Sleep tight!

V/H/S (2012)

After venturing into a few different directions the past couple days with some poetry followed by a breakdown of the controversial NDAA law. It was time to settle into some horror. Luckily, I had one video left from my trip to Family Video, so, I decided on that, V/H/S from 2012.

Plot/ When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for.

Anthology flicks are interesting, and when you throw in the combination of found footage and homage to 1980s gore, nudity and slasher format, it creates an interesting flick. Of course, some will be turned off by the violence and explicit nudity, but that is what made the classic gorefests of the 1980s awesome. Do not get me wrong, there are some flaws as the characterization is all over the place, the acting so-so and a couple of the segments did drag. However, this one, consisting of five segments plus a wrap around, had a lot to like for gore fans, who love the mindless slasher flicks. The effects were good, and as an anthology, the found footage aspect worked. In the end, this is not a perfect flick, but it is a solid and entertaining found footage flick that added something to a dying subgenre. It is definitely not for everyone, but, if you are like me a child of 1980s horror, check it out!

Nude For Satan (AKA Nuda per Satana - 1974)

Last night, after suffering through the Kids Choice Awards, I decided to venture back a few years for something different to watch. In my search, I stumbled upon a few interesting foreign exploitation flicks. What better than a combination of blood, boobs and Satan for an evening of entertainment?  Nothing, right… The flick is Nude for Satan or Nuda per Satana from 1974.

Plot/ Italian Gothic horror that tells the tale of a man who stops at a remote castle hoping to get medical help for an injured woman, only to find the inhabitants mirror the darker sides of the woman and himself.

It had bee a while since I sat down and watched a classic Italian exploitation film, and that is exactly what this one is (although there is a lot of gothic horror elements). That being said, the plot is uneven, although, the idea was there and decently interesting. Yes, it had a bunch of nude women frolicking about, but that played secondary to a tremendous atmosphere and typical Italian stylization throughout. Sure, the acting was rigid, and there was a lot of poorly dubbed audio, but for a 1970s exploitation flick, it all worked. If you love cult flicks, Italian gothic horror, boobs, or exploitation flicks, this one is definitely for you! Check it out!

Succubus (1967)

While thinking of Lilith, the 1967 classic Succubus came to mind. This international cult classic stars Janine Reynaud as Lorna, a nightclub performer whose act involves simulated murder, sex, and torture. Her husband (Jack Taylor) owns the club, and is worried about her. Her fantasies are becoming indistinguishable from reality, and maybe she is killing for real. A mysterious stranger (producer Adrian Hoven) follows her around, claiming to be a demon lover from the past. To try and describe any more would be futile. Suffice it to say, this is one of those 1960s art movies where a dwarf in a tuxedo solemnly puts LSD on everyone's tongue at a swinging party. Composer Jerry Van Rooyen keeps things jumping with an incredible score of strings and surreal jazz. (from Yahoo pictures)

 
 

Note: this film has more nudity, sadomasochism, lesbianism, word-association, mannequins, murder, and general decadence than any sane person can soak up in one viewing; hence it needs to be seen twice.