Director: Lloyd Kaufman
Starring: Jason Yachanin, Kate Graham
Genre: Cult Cinema, Exploitation, Horror
San Francisco Premiere: July 18 at the Roxie Theater [Buy Tickets]

If Grease was gross, it’d be Poultrygeist. Of course, it’d also have topless lesbian activists, explosive diarrhea gags, racism, gore, zombies, and bestiality by a pseudo Dustin Diamond (Screech), not to mention a Ron Jeremy cameo and upskirt shots of men. And not just any men, but a lanky 60+ year-old (Lloyd Kaufman, President of the Troma empire) and his doppelgänger minus 40 years, Arbie (Jason Yachanin). …

It’s been a while since my last update, so here goes. Kris and I’ve seen quite a few films this summer – far more than we can hope to cover even in a capsule format. In an effort to weigh in on these titles (both theatrical and DVD), I’ll simply provide a one to two sentence verdict on each. But first, site updates.
First and foremost, Anime reviews are pretty much out…at least for me. While the traffic has been good for the various reviews we’ve posted, the whole process …

Rather than continuing to debate over a catchy introduction, I’ll just jump right in. If you’re reading this article you’re probably familiar with Panik House’s release of Girl Boss Guerilla. If not, no need to worry. Unlike other sukeban series (ie: Delinquent Girl Boss), the films in the Girl Boss series are pretty much stand-alone entities. In similar fashion to Fierce Creatures and A Fish Called Wanda, Girl Boss Revenge sees the entire cast of Girl Boss Guerilla playing completely different characters, while preserving basic setups of rivalries and affiliations.
The …

Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession marks our third and final review from Kino’s Masaru Konuma/Nikkatsu collection. The previous two films prompted quite different reactions from me, but from what I’ve seen, it looks like this third film was the charm. Runa’s Confession is not only the most cinematic of the three, but also provides a decent and entertaining pulp tale, while operating on a higher level than either Erotic Diary of an Office Lady or Tattooed Flower Vase.
The basic plot of Cloistered Nun: Runa’s Confession concerns a young woman, Runa (Runa …

As mentioned in our Dreamlogic update, we’ve received three of Kinos’s recent Nikkatsu titles for review. I figured, why not start with the most provocatively titled one first? So, Erotic Diary of an Office Lady it is.
Again, this being the first film we’ve reviewed belonging to the “Roman Porno/Pinku” genre we’ve actually reviewed, an introduction is in order. The television vs. film battle over audience dollars that played out in the US (taught in nearly every film class) also saw a similar counterpart in Japan. Attempting to entice theater audiences …

Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess was easily my favorite film of Panik House’s Pinky Violence collection, so when I heard that Exploitation Digital was releasing Blossoming Night Dreams (aka: Zubekô banchô: yume wa yoru hiraku), you could say I was fairly excited.
The first film in the Delinquent Girl Boss series, Blossoming Night Dreams sees Rika (Reiko Oshida) as a freshly graduated reform school delinquent. After a brief introductory sequence on campus, we flash forward to the outside world, Rika having been released and allowed a chance at the …

Ah, the classic Category III film. Their slew of absurd violence, near always strung together by a nonsensical plot, haphazard camerawork, and out-there acting, really make these an acquired taste — and quite possibly one that is easy to grow out of. For, as much as I have enjoyed the shocking lack of artistry delivered over the years by Wong Jing’s Workshop, I found A Chinese Torture Chamber Story to wear on my patience. Which is a bit surprising, as it may, in fact, be the ultimate Category III film …

Wow. Is Halloween really in only two days? I meant to put up this Halloween list earlier, but at least we’ve got 48 hours.
Previous Dreamlogic.net Halloween lists have covered a lot of our cult and personal favorites, and with each subsequent year it becomes harder and harder to come up with a list that doesn’t repeat itself. This year, rather than going completely niche, we’ve assembled a list of recent favorites as well as personal guilty pleasures. You can find the previous years’ lists here and here.
Murder Party …

Yup, it’s review catch-up time again. Here are three more films that are worth mentioning, but not deserving of a full review.
Black Snake Moan . Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci star in this tale of a young nymphomaniac and the god-fearing blues singer determined to set her on a path of righteousness. Directed by Craig Brewer, of Hustle and Flow, the film is easily one of the most original American efforts a major studio has put out in years. The film’s posters and trailer, featuring a chained Christina Ricci, …

So this weekend is going to be a bit overly busy, so a full length film review is pretty much out of the question. In exchange, I offer these horse-capsule reviews. Note, for those of you repeatedly searching for Linda, Linda, Linda, I’ll have you covered in a week or so.
Space Battleship Yamato (aka: Starblazers the Movie, Uchu senkan Yamato) . Built from the wreckage of WWII Japan’s greatest battleship, the Space Battleship Yamato, and its intrepid crew, serve as Earth’s last hope against the evil Galimus, an …

The third film in Nikkatsu/Daiei’s Rising Dragon series of female yakuza films, Blind Woman’s Curse marks quite a departure from the norm. This entry features a new heroine, new enemies, and a new theme: that of a period yakuza/horror hybrid. Meiko Kaji, in her first starring role, plays Akemi Tachibana, who, following the death of her father, finds herself the newly branded leader of the Tachibana clan. The film opens on a dark and stormy night, with Tachibana and crew confronting her father’s killers at their clan headquarters. In …

At just 80 minutes Death Proof is Quentin’s shortest film to date, and somehow his most interminable. Overly chatty and under-compelling, its tale of a stuntman/serial killer (a vehicular-homicidal maniac) lulls when it should wow and stalls when it should kick into high gear. The film is broken into two halves, the first concerning a band of shallow 20-something females on a bar-hopping night in Austin, Texas, and the second a group of Hollywood types killing time in-between set-calls while on location in Tennessee. Both involve over thirty minutes …

Way back in high-school, Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 and Black Lizard served as my introduction to 1970’s Japanese exploitation cinema. I was a bit reluctant to review this film, lest my opinion be clouded by rosy glasses and nostalgia. But, having gone back to the film again, I believe I’m prepared, and my love for it justified.
Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 starts pretty much where Female Prioner #701 Scorpion left off. Having been captured following committing “slashing vengeance” on her treacherous ex, the opening scene of Jailhouse 41 shows …

Given my reaction to Sion Sono’s Suicide Circle (you can read the rather embarrassing review here), one might be surprised I went out of my way to view another film by him. To be honest, I’m not the type to dismiss a director for a single bad run. And you know what? I’m pretty glad I did. Writer and Director Sion Sono’s modern tale of the Erotic-Grotesque, is at once repulsive and fascinating, and shows a near exponential evolution in his skill as a film craftsman. However, viewer …

With the arrival of Grindhouse in the theaters today, a lot of lists are coming out with “Grindhouse” films recommended by professional critics. Some of them are actually pretty good. But, for the majority of them, if you look closely at the lists, you’ll realize the recommenders never actually saw the films listed. Some of the offenders proffer widely known, but rarely actually seen, trash. Take, for example, Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS. I’ve seen this on countless lists. But, aside from its shocking title and amusing film trivia …

If you’re coming to this site, Grindhouse probably needs no introduction, and no explanation. This second trailer is longer and even more in line with classic exploitation trailers. Previously Rodriguez’s Planet Terror looked like the only reason to watch, but this cut actually makes Quentin’s Death Proof portion look kind of interesting. Check out the trailer, as well as some interviews with Rodriguez and Tarantino, here. Also, feel free to post the names of your favorite Grindhouse and exploitation films below. [alerted via]

Iñárritu’s latest is essentially a high minded anthology film tackling the lack of communication, compassion, and empathy in the world today. Given the amount of press this film is receiving, I’ll let you read an in-depth rundown of the narratives elsewhere. Regarding the structure of the film however, Iñárritu’s interleaving of the tales hinders, rather than helps the film. Not once, but many many times he uses a shocking event (chicken wringing, gunshot, pubic flash) to serve as the breakpoint for cutting to another tale. It is fairly abrupt, and …

The last Scorpion entry starring Meiko Kaji is certainly the least of the films. Moving forward sans director Shunya Ito, this installment finds Sasori on the run from yet another gung-ho police inspector, facing threat of execution, and falling in love. That’s right, Sasori in love. When the film starts the police are hot on her tail. Sasori manages to escape arrest, but not unscathed. Wounded, she makes her way to hiding, only to be found and nursed back to health by a young strip club owner named Teruo …