VIDEO
SHORTS VOL.2 (1992)
Directed by David “The Rock”
Nelson
David “The Rock” Nelson
VHS
Buy
It From David "The Rock"
Nelson
THE FILM
Pop David “The Rock”
Nelson’s Video Shorts
Vol.2 into your VCR. Watch
it. Next, make a quick rummage through
your vast collection of films. The
challenge: I guarantee you won’t
find a single release that will
absolutely glue your eyes to the
set as much as this tape. It’s
that engrossing, hilarious, and
off-the-wall. Suspend your disbelief
-- is this really happening?!
Spewing forth from his 8 mm camcorder
and the suburbs of Chicago, “The
Rock” challenges you to a
two hour set of random monster video
insanity. And I do mean insanity.
Amidst jump cuts, replayed scenes
(over and over), and more of those
sensational rainbow dubbing lines,
the content hits you continuously
and steadily until you’re
not sure which way is up. By the
time the tape had ended, I was so
spellbound that I didn’t care.
Showcasing some early shorts, a
billion trailers, random weirdness,
and some Rocky Nelson TV appearances,
the video work collected here spans
the year 1992. What a year. We begin
with an introduction by Nelson himself
from the “Basement Of Bloody
Horror.” After that, the 50s
monster-novelty rock n’ roll
kicks in and so do the toy guns
that “have no effect”
on rubber masked monsters. Each
short features Nelson playing numerous
roles, along with one or two other
friends or family members, and a
number of recurring visuals: “Rock”
boxing it up for the camera (he
was Golden Gloves, you know!), foam
bricks and rocks being thrown at
monsters, and lots of pro-wrestling
styled grunt-fighting. Oh, and what
of the actual shorts?
Seven big ones are on display here,
including “Werewolf Vs. Dracula,”
“Dracula From Space,”
“Frankenstein Meets John ‘Pain’
Fakey,” “Sodam Insane
Pigs Out,” “Dr. Johnson
Meets The Werewolf,” “The
Giant Fly,” and “Studio
205 Demolition.” I’d
like to preserve some of the mystery
for you, as not knowing exactly
what to expect was the best part
for me. Suffice to say, these shorts
run the gamut from straightforward
monster rumble, ala “Werewolf
vs. Dracula,” to incredibly
odd nonsense, like “Sodam
Insane Pigs Out,” where Nelson
dons a Saddam mask, fills his face
with food, and babbles nonsensically
to the camera. The one that caught
me most off-guard though was “Frankenstein
Meets John ‘Pain’ Fakey,”
in which the Rock, posing as a John
Wayne Gacy-type, kidnaps Frankenstein
and shackles him in a basement dungeon.
The two have conversations and drink
soda pop. Probably one of the most
surreal viewing experiences I’ve
ever had, beating any actual “film”
hands down. That, my friends, is
saying a lot.
Rounding out the tape are trailers
and featurettes for “Conrad
Brooks Vs. The Werewolf,”
“Vampire Woman,” random
stuff that defies categorization,
and a few of Rocky’s TV appearances,
most notably an amazing bit on “The
John Stewart Show.” The tape
stopped midway through a trailer.
I knew it was over.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
The material contained herein was
recorded on an 8 mm camcorder in
1992. It was edited in combination
with a VCR deck and then dubbed
for a master. So bad, but so very
good.
EXTRAS
There’s a fine line between
features and extras. I’m not
sure where it begins or when it
ends and that’s half the fun.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There’s something special
going on here. Amidst tear-filled
laughter and stone-faced disbelief,
you may ask yourself why you’re
enjoying this tape so much. I don’t
have the answer to that. However,
I do know that anyone interested
in true eccentricities and/or cheap
monster thrills will need to see
this tape at all costs. Now go buy
a copy and thank me later.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 05.31.04 |
"Oh Werewolf, pass out!"
Frankie, don't do it
Pizza party
Airwaves get ruled
|
