Blood Punch - Review

I must admit I was weary going into "Blood Punch". Here was an independent film without a clearly defined genre and featuring a cast and crew made up of Power Rangers alum. My expectations were a bit low. Luckily, by the time the film entered its second act I was completely hooked. What I thought was sure to be another run of the mill independently produced genre outing turned out to be something that I couldn't wait to watch again. Not only was the acting stronger than I ever would have expected the story itself is filled with plenty of twists and turns and is dripping in pitch black humor.

The film itself concerns a young man named Milton living in court ordered rehabilitation for cooking crystal meth. While in rehab he meets Skyler, an outgoing and overly forward young woman who approaches him with an offer to cook a large amount of meth in only a few days with the intent to sell it for millions of dollars. Though he is weary about taking part in her plan he ends up with no choice when her bat shit crazy boyfriend Russell breaks into the rehab center and takes both of them to a cabin in the woods where he can cook the meth in solitude. Since I prefer to stay spoiler free in my reviews I won't reveal what happens next but it was truly unexpected.

It's also at this point in the film where the acting becomes most important. The remainder of the film takes place primarily in this one location so the dynamic between the three main characters is key. As the sexual tension between Milton and Skyler becomes more obvious and Russell becomes unhinged, all of the actors have to walk a fine line between seriousness and dead pan humor and for the most part they succeed. Milo Cawthorne and Olivia Tennet are particularly strong with Tennet showing a perfect blend of sincerity and pure evil leaving me constantly unsure of what her intentions were.

On top of great writing and performances, the film is also filled with tons of excessive death and violence as almost every method of murder you could imagine is attempted on screen adding another layer of fun and absurdity that blends well with all of the other elements and helps set a definitive tone for the film. That's about as close to spoiler territory I am willing to get.

Overall if there is one thing I want to reiterate about "Blood Punch" is that its well worth your time and I hope that you seek it out. It's a truly original, entertaining and darkly comic film. This one is a strong recommend and one I will gladly revisit again.

Score: 4/5

As of September 1st Blood Punch is available on DVD, Digital HD, and Cable VOD. Seek it out!

Podcast Episode 47

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In this episode of Midnight Triple Feature we focus on one of the more popular genres (for better or worse) to come out of the 80's home video boom, the shot on video horror film. Up first is "Sledgehammer", a microbudget take on the slasher film from the late great David Prior. Up next is "The Bite" from Joel D Wynkoop, a man whose earlier film "Lost Faith" received a solid recommendation from us. We also discuss two more Artsploitation releases, Cub and Reckless. We also talk about what we've been watching, horror news and more! Enjoy!

Podcast Episode 46

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In episode 46 we are traveling into the near future with two 1980's post-apocalyptic gems. First up is The Eliminators, in which a cyborg, a ninja, a pirate and a scientist must work together to stop and evil doctor from traveling through time to conquer past civilizations. We then move onto Exterminators of the Year 3000, Italy's answer to The Road Warrior. We also talk about what we've been watching, recent news items and more! Enjoy!

Podcast Episode 45

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In this episode of Midnight Triple Feature we discuss two science fiction horror movies, XTRO and Metamorphosis: The Alien Factor. XTRO is probably one of the only movies out there where you can watch a woman give birth to a full grown man. It's a movie whose reputation precedes it but can it live up to its hype? Metamorphosis is the indirect sequel to a movie we covered in our first ever episode of the podcast, The Deadly Spawn. We loved the original but do we love its unofficial follow up? Listen to find out! We also discuss Terminator Genisys, the Scream television series and more. Enjoy!

Bonus Podcast - Artsploitation Films Vol. 2 Horsehead & The Treatment

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In this bonus episode of Midnight Triple Feature we review two more recent releases from Artsploitation Films. First up is Horsehead, a surreal trip into the nightmare world of lucid dreaming. Next is The Treatment, an incredibly disturbing story where a man known only as "the troll" forces families to do unspeakable things. We also discuss "All American Bully", "The Lake on Clinton Road", and more! Enjoy!

All American Bully - Review

"All American Bully" is a film about a young man named Devon who is being bullied by his older classmate and former best friend John. The bullying eventually escalates into Devon being forced to make some false statements on video which is then posted and shared all over social media. It's at this point that his friend and secret admirer Becky steps in to help Devon by seeking revenge against John the only way she knows how, by beating him at his own game. Unfortunately for Devon and Becky they have no idea that their plot for revenge will set into motion a series of events that none of them could have ever predicted.

"All American Bully" is a movie that surprised me. I went in expecting one thing and came out completely surprised with what I had just seen. For the first two-thirds of the film everything is setup exactly as I had expected. It's kind of like one of those ABC After School Specials only with a harder edge. We have a teenage protagonist who is in some trouble and doesn't know what he's going to do to fix it. By the one hour mark I was positive I knew exactly what was going to happen and I was completely wrong. It's the breaking of that expectation that I really enjoyed about the movie. Without giving away too much it's as if the ABC After School Special were blended with a dash of Last House on the Left. I'll just leave it at that.

As far as the other elements of the film I felt everything came together pretty well. Overall the acting is good throughout with an interesting cameo from Adrienne King as the school principal and I particularly liked the main group of protagonists (Alexander Fraser, Alicia Rose & Darren Hicks). The film also looks good and never allows its lower budget to hinder its production value. Overall I can easily recommend giving "All American Bully" a chance. It's a film that takes its time to reveal all of its surprises which is something I can always appreciate, especially when those surprises really pack a punch.

Score: 3.5/5

GIVEAWAY - Der Samurai & House with 100 Eyes

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! We have two new releases from Artsploitation Films that we want to give to you one of you. We've got one Blu-Ray copy of "Der Samurai" and one DVD copy of "House with 100 Eyes". Entering is easy, all you need to do is like our Facebook page, Midnight Triple Feature, and like the giveaway post and you are automatically entered!

Podcast Episode 44

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In episode 44 we return to one of our favorite sub-genres, the slasher film, with three campus set slasher films. First up is Final Exam, a film that takes its leisurely time to get to the good stuff while instead focusing on copious amounts of frat bro bonding and one of the greatest characters to ever be named after a vegetable. Second is The Dorm that Dripped Blood. A grisly little low budget production which was heavily edited on its initial release and was even one of the notorious video nasties. Rounding out the show is Girls Nite Out which is possibly the only movie to feature a killer dressed in a bear suit slashing up college kids with steak knife claws all set to a soundtrack made up of songs from The Lovin' Spoonful. We also talk what we've been watching, revisiting 80's comedies, whats going on in the news and more! Enjoy!