|
FILMGORE (1983)
Directed by Kent Dixon
Wizard Video VHS
Reviewed 04.03.08
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
The generation gap just got wider.
In the early 1960s, a segment of
the American public sought social
repose by juxtaposing horror culture
with the art of the horrendous pun.
I didn't experience it firsthand,
but I'm sure it was great. Twenty
years later, Wizard Video and producer
Ken Dixon were midway through a
valiant, profit-hungry trilogy of
VHS compilation tapes. Numero uno,
The Best Of Sex And Violence
(1981), had dirty jokes. Zombiethon
(1986), the finale, was photographed
by dirty old men. Both were completely
entertaining. As for the intermediate?
"Who freed that gorilla --
Ape Lincoln?"
God help us. Filmgore was
the brainchild of Ken Dixon (director),
Elvira (master of ceremonies), and
Forest J. Ackerman (confused scribe).
Simply put, this is 120 minutes
of digest-versioned horror films,
chincy shot on video Elvira inserts,
and hundreds of old fart zingers.
In 1983, the logic must've sounded
good. With the debut of Blood
Feast, horror films had
changed. There were now breasts,
entrails, lesbo shower scenes...but
no Bela Lugosi. So how do you smooth
over that generational breach? Easy.
Get Elvira to recite jokes and expired
cultural references from the pen
of a 67 year old man while half
of Driller Killer fruitlessly
unwinds. "Spec-Dracular"!
Groan it: Egyptian rhumba floats
over 8 minutes of clips, all of
which will be repeated during the
next two hours. Blood Feast
(20 minutes); "It's like a
trip to Ghosta-Rica!". Texas
Chainsaw Massacre (15 minutes);
"This one's enough to give
you daymares!" Driller
Killer (10 minutes); "The
Lone Stranger writhes again!"
Drive-In
Massacre (5 minutes); "It's
an outdoor theater with wall-to-wall
car-petting." The Astro-Zombies;
I don't remember. Carnival
Of Blood (6 minutes); "This
picture is tomb much!" Dr.
Jekyll's Dungeon Of Death
(8 minutes too long); "Isn't
this the same doctor that Frances
Farmer went to?". Fiend
(8 Dohlerized minutes); see: Ape
Lincoln. Two
Thousand Maniacs (8 more
minutes); "Only 30 chopping
days before Xmas!". And finally,
Snuff (15 minutes, including
the entire ending); "This belongs
in the horror hall of flame!"
Sorry, but I need to cut this short.
I've got a pain in my Ackerman.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The color has vanished, the contrast
is stuck in the mud, and Elvira
looks a little peaked. Despite all
of that, Wizard still gives us two
title screens. Now that's what I
call Spec-Dracular.
EXTRAS
Ape Lincoln was a schmutz.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I AXED FOR IT! Alas, my hopes for
the ultra-rare Filmgore
have been defeated. Aside from Dr.
Jekyll's Dungeon Of Death,
every film on this tape is worth
watching in its entirety, ad infinitum.
Furthermore, the warmth of compilation
tape nostalgia is all-but-suffocated
by comedic suicide. My advice? Shed
a tear. Close the gap.
Thanks to Eric Robitaille for
providing a copy of this film! |
Welcome to Ghosta-Rica
Mr. Lincoln, we salute you
Tomb much!
Lucky snuff
|
