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BBandBC Podcast EP46 – Bio Zombie In EP46 of the Badasses, Boobs and Body Counts Podcast, your hosts Mike and Iris discuss the Wilson Yip directed Bio Zombie from 1998. However, and before discussing this late 90′s zombie comedy, they both tackle the recent Evil Dead remake and then go on to bash the terribly bad The Amityville Haunting .
Enjoy the show!
Bio Zombie (22:25) Category: Body Counts Badass: Woody (both Mike and Iris) Boob Count: 1 pair Body Count: 11 Iris’s Rating: B Mike’s Rating: B Recommend: Yes (both Mike and Iris)
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Contact The Show: The BBandBC Facebook Fan Page (please like) The BBandBC Facebook Group (please join) Mike on Twitter (please follow) Iris on Twitter (please follow) Show Email Show Voicemail (702) 751-7469
Coming up in EP47 In EP47, your two show hosts Mike and Iris will be discussing two films chosen by Mike, in that of Doris Wishman’s Deadly Weapons (1974) and Double Agent 73 (1974). Along for the ride during this episode and returning to the studio for a second time will be guest host Ian Sokoliwski of the Ian The Comic Artist web site http://www.ianthecomicartist.com/ .
Show Notes: Bio Zombie (IMDB) : The Projection Booth
The Plot: Hands of Steel aka Atomic Cyborg begins in an apartment building in which we’re lead to believe is the headquarters of an organization attempting to change the world via ecological science. Just outside of this building, an unknown man finds his way inside and attempts to kill the blind leader of said organization. However, we see that the blind man survives and the assailant escapes to the underground tunnels of the city.
Now running for his life, Paco Queruak (Daniel Greene), the so-called terminator, finds a vehicle to escape and drives towards the desert. We’re next introduced to Francis Turner (John Saxon) whom is the international industrialist that created Paco. You see, Paco is 70% cyborg and 30% human. It seems that Turner’s programmable cyborg had a conscious after all and couldn’t kill the blind scientist thus foiling Turner’s plan to rid the earth of the ecologically correct scientist.
At this point, Turner needs to clean up the mess he’s made and sends out a couple of men to exterminate Paco. Paco eventually finds himself at a small roadside hotel/diner in the hot Arizona desert where he befriends the owner, Linda (Janet Agren) taking repair jobs in exchange for room and board. After becoming close, Paco will protect Linda from the local thugs all the while running from Turner and his assassins whom are bearing down on him.
The Takeaway: Hands of Steel was a surprisingly entertaining film to watch. I honestly didn’t expect too much going into the film so this is likely the reason I enjoyed it so much. If you’re a fan of the 80s action genre, then you’ll no doubt see that Hands of Steel is the bi-product of films that came before it. In particular, The Terminator (1984). And while Over the Top (1987) came before Hands of Steel , one has to wonder how the arm-wrestling scene is so similar to that of the Stallone acted film.
As far as the film goes, at least from a technical stand point, director Sergio Martino does a serviceable job moving the film along at a nice steady pace. There’s nothing too spectacular here, and considering the films budget and somewhat weak script, it turns out to be a fun watch. This is mostly due to the performances of Daniel Greene as the cyborg Paco, John Saxon as Francis Turner and Italian genre favorite, George Eastman as Raul Morales the arm-wrestling trucker.
Film Facts: Hands of Steel was written (screenplay) and directed by Sergio Martino (credited as Martin Dolman). The film was scored by Claudio Simonetti, shot by Giancarlo Ferrando (credited as John McFerrand) and edited by Eugenio Alabiso (credited as Alan Beugen). This of course is an Italian production disguised as a 100% Made In America film, thus is the reason for all the pseudonyms used in the credits.
Sergio Martino was for the most part a director for hire. Although he’s often thought of as a horror director, if you look at his resume, it’s clear he was just making a living doing what he loved, directing film, any genre of film. Blade of the Ripper (1971), The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail (1971), All the Colors of the Dark (1972), Torso (1973), High School Girls (1974), Silent Action (1975), 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) and many others.
If you’re a fan of Italian film, then you’ve likely heard of composer Claudio Simonetti. For the most part, Simonetti stuck to the horror genre and scored wonderful music for films such as Deep Red (1975), Suspiria (1977), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Tenbre (1982), Conquest (1983) and Demons (1985) just to name a few. As a side-note, Simonetti was the keyboard player for the Italian band Goblin.
Cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando has a number of genre films under his belt as well. Torso (1973), The Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978), Screamers (1979), The Scorpion With Two Tails (1982), 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) and what has to be the low point of his career, Troll 2 (1990).
Last but not least is editor Eugenio Alabiso. This guy has 160+ credits as an editor and has done some amazing work. For a few Dollars More (1965), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Django, Prepare a Coffin (1968), The Unholy Four (1970), Blade of the Ripper (1971), The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972), Torso (1973) and Eaten Alive! (1980) to name just a few.
As far as Daniel Greene goes, he’s what makes Hands of Steel work so well. His performance as Paco the cyborg won’t win any Oscars, but it will sure put a smile on your face more than a few times when watching this low budget production. Greene has appeared in many films over the years but never did get that leading man break. Some of the films include Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), Soldier of Fortune (1990), Kingpin (1996), There’s Something About Mary (1998), Me Myself & Irene (2000) and most recently Hall Pass (2011).
Thoughts In My Head: - This looks like an extremely low budget film - Daniel Greene is so sexy and sweaty - What is all this duct work on building windows and cars - Acid rain, HAHA! - Dr. Peckinpah, someone was a fan of Sam - Hmm, how did Paco lose his shirt. You just had to get that shirt off didn’t you Daniel - Every shooting location in this film looks like a shit hole - Ooh, arm-wrestling, with George Eastman no less - This film is only interesting when Paco is on the screen - Raul looses an arm wrestling match and he wants to kill Paco, what a sore loser - This asshole wearing the sunglasses is starting to bother me - My god, the FBI are slow and apparently they don’t have access to Government secrets - OK, so he’s the 6 Million Dollar Man - Boobies! - Wow, that’s an ugly fucking pair of ‘see through’ shorts - Yeah, Raul’s a sore loser - Oh shit, this woman’s a cyborg - Off with her head “they will destroy you” she says - Can’t afford extras for your film, just put one guy in a helmet and reuse him over and over again - LOL, this laser-gun is ridiculous - The FBI are completely inept - “you don’t own a man until you own his heart” says Paco to Turner (a brilliantly corny line)
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Daniel Greene as Paco. He’s fucking unstoppable Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Two skanky strippers at a bar, neither are noteworthy Favorite Death Scene: I’m gonna say George Eastman as Raul
Boob Count: 2 pair Body Count: 13
IMDB Rating: 5.2 / 10 My Rating: 7.0 / 10
Final Thoughts: Hands of Steel is a low budget Italian production with high hopes of survival. I think it’s well worth a watch as it mimics the Terminator only on a much smaller scale. And oh, Daniel Greene is fucking AWESOME!
The Plot: Slither begins by introducing us to its main characters, Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) and his beautiful young wife Starla Grant (Elizabeth Banks). When Starla refuses to have sex with Grant, he becomes agitated and storms out of the house finding himself at the local bar. After a few drinks, he picks up a woman and they both wander out into the woods half drunk. It’s here that Grant stumbles onto a strange alien-like spore creature. After poking at it with a stick, the creature opens up and shoots a small dart into his chest.
The next morning Grant comes home and seems to be a bit off. Starla then enters the room and apologizes to him for rejecting him the night before. Shortly after this, the two fall to the floor making love. That day at school (where Starla works), Starla remarks to her colleague about the renewed passion from Grant as she clearly enjoyed the love making session. However, and once back at home, Grants mood begins to change. While getting ready for a night on the town, Grant approaches Starla while in the shower and for the first time shows the viewer what that dart in his chest is turning him into.
While at the town dance (without Grant), Starla sees her childhood heart-throb, Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion). It’s clear that the two still have feelings for each other as they talk about old times. At this point, Grants condition turns from bad to worse. His hunger for red meat increases ten-fold and we find that the alien in his body wants to take over the locals and eventually the earth. It’s up to Starla, Sheriff Pardy and his remaining deputies to stop Grant from infesting the whole town and eventually all of earth.
The Takeaway: I took to the theaters to see Slither back in 2006 for one reason, Michael Rooker. I had long been a fan of Rooker and his work so it was a given that I see Slither . What a nice surprise this “B” style movie turned out to be. Performances from the whole cast are spot-on as the movie itself is over the top and each character plays it as such. Direction from Gunn is superb as the film progresses at a good pace never really giving you time to breath in between scenes. The chemistry between Fillion and Banks pays off as the two clearly care about each other in the film and it shows in their performances.
What Slither is really about are its special effects and while a good chunk of the films effects are CGI, they’re exceptionally well done. From the creatures slithering about on the ground (similar to that of Night of the Creeps 1986) to the many head explosions caught on screen by shot-gun blasts. Slither delivers the gore in bucket-fulls. Though the CGI plays its part, there are many scenes in which good old fashioned practical effects are used. Grants transformation is a good example of this. From his bee sting like face when we first see him infected, to his full figured alien-like body near the end of the film. The effects are just wonderful.
Film Facts: Slither was written and directed by James Gunn. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures and had a budget of $15,000,000. The film grossed $12,800,000 making it a financial flop for the studio. Prior to directing Slither (this was Gunn’s directorial debut), Gunn worked closely with Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Studios) directing and producing numerous smaller projects. Gunn’s first big break came in the form of writing, where he wrote the screenplay for Raja Gosnell’s Scooby Doo (2002). He followed this up with the screenplay for Zach Snyder’s successful Dawn of the Dead (2004) remake and most recently directed Super (2010) starring the very funny Rainn Wilson.
Michael Rooker broke out in 1986 when he took the role of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986 – a must see film). Following this he found himself in films such as Above the Law (1988), Days of Thunder (1990), JFK (1991), Cliffhanger (1993), Tombstone (1993) and most recently in AMC’s The Walking Dead (seasons 1 and 2) as Merle Dixon.
Thoughts In My Head: - The alien egg looks like a dart shooting vagina - There’s an indirect nod to Gunns past, Troma’s Toxic Avenger - Oh how exciting, the 2005 Deer Cheer, LOL, country folk make me laugh - Wow, that’s some bee sting… - “What the fuck was that ” says Sheriff Pardy - No doubt about it, Grant is no longer human - These slugs are ruthless - “Bitch is hardcore” HAHA! - Gregg Henry as the Mayor is fucking movie GOLD - OK, Grant is not looking good whatsoever - For better or worse, this is definitely worse - The make-up on Michael Rooker is amazing
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badasses in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Sorry kids, no boobs in this one Favorite Death Scene: Wally. Starla blows half his head off with a shotgun
Boob Count: 0 pair Body Count: 7 + the remaining town
IMDB Rating: 6.5 / 10 My Rating: 7.5 / 10
Final Thoughts: While many have called Slither a horror comedy, I’m of the opinion its a horror film with sprinkles of comedic gags thrown in. Regardless, Slither is a highly underrated, brilliant, B-Horror film that works on many levels. If you chose to skip it, then its truly your loss.
The Plot: Death Spa opens with a long slow crane shot of the city behind a spa. This shot eventually finds its way down onto the streets and into the primary location of the film, the Starbody Health Spa. We’re then taken inside the spa as the camera slowly pans past all the high-tech workout equipment, ending up in the aerobics room were Laura (Brenda Bakke) is working out. Once she’s through with her workout, she’s met by the last remaining spa employee in the building, Marvin (played by the iconic Ken Foree). Marvin tells her to lock up before leaving as he walks out the door. Laura then heads to the sauna and disrobes once inside. As she lies there enjoying her steam bath, the steam begins to increase at an amazingly fast pace, burning her body landing her in the hospital.
It’s at this point we’re introduced to the spa’s owner, Michael (William Bumiller). Michael rushes to the hospital hearing the news about Laura whom we find he is dating. Laura is Micheal’s first girlfriend since the mysterious death of his wife. The following day, it’s back to business at the spa for Michael. He makes his rounds at the spa introducing the viewer to certain individuals who later plays a role in the story. We’re then taken into the computer room where we meet David (Merrit Butrick), the spas IT man. We see panels and panels of late 80′s computer equipment in which we learn run the spa. Want to work out? The slide your key-card at a piece of equipment and your greeted with a female version of Stephen Hawking and your workout is recorded. Pretty advanced stuff for a health spa.
Now that the plot has been properly setup, things begin to go bad in the spa. At first the accidents are mild, but they quickly become deadly. One victim is lured down into the basement where she dies from acid water coming from the sprinkler system. Another loses her hand in a drink mixer that wasn’t plugged in. Another is confronted by a ghost and gets his hand blown off when he attempts to shoot it. As the deaths continue to mount (no need to shut the spa down, it’s OK if people continue to die while we figure this all out), Michael half suspects David is the killer but can’t quite prove it. He also uncovers that his attorney and another spa-member setup the first incident with Laura in an attempt to wrestle the spa from him. As far as the police investigation goes, well, lets just say that these two knuckle-headed investigators are too busy drinking coffee, eating lunch and tossing out one-liners to really make a difference.
The Takeaway: Putting Lloyd Kaufman’s brilliant Toxic Avenger aside, has there ever been a successful horror film themed around health spas or exercise? There’s Killer Workout , naw, that’s crap. What about Aerobicide ? Oops, that’s the alternative title for Killer Workout . There are workout scenes in Happy Birthday to Me , A Nightmare on Elm Street parts 2 and 4, Demons 2 , I know What You Did Last Summer , Fear No Evil and even The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Do those count? No, they really don’t. OK, then, lets not put Lloyd Kaufman’s brilliant Toxic Avenger aside and call it what it is, the most successful health spa/exercise horror film to date. But wait, I’m not here to write about The Toxic Avenger , am I.
I’ve been wanting to see Death Spa for some time now. I rented one of Lucio Fulci’s films (on VHS) about 12 years ago (I forget which film it was) and saw a trailer for Death Spa on it. The trailer looked amazing, so upon returning the Fulci tape, I asked about Death Spa and was told they didn’t have it. Time begun to pass and each trip back to the video store yielded no results. Then the DVD craze hit and VHS copies of films began to dwindle as did my hopes of seeing Death Spa . With no Death Spa DVD currently released (or on the horizon fro that matter), I opted to hit the online gray-market area and finally purchased a copy on DVD-R. Sadly, and in this case, the trailer ended up being better than the film.
Death Spa , as promising as it looked, lacks solid direction, pacing and editing. The script feels almost unfinished as the film seems to go a whole new direction mid-way through. It begins firmly enough and lays the ground work for what could have been a great film, yet it manages to trip all over itself and completely veer off course. This is what hurts the film the most. Then there are moments of pure stupidity within the script. How does someone setup acid water in a sprinkler system? Then how do they get the sprinkler system to turn on in the basement and nowhere else in the spa? How does a bartender lose her hand in a blender that’s unplugged while dozens of people are standing around watching but not helping? How do dozens upon dozens of people at a party not see or help with the bizarre occurrences happening all around them? The script also ignores proper police procedure by throwing two inept investigators into the mix, who would later just become part of the body count (which had to have been the plan from the get go). And why in the world would you reveal the so-called killer so early in the film? I mean it was 45-minutes into the film and I still had no idea who the killer was (sure, I had my suspicions, but I didn’t know who it was) and then BOOM, the writers just dumps him into my lap. Poor execution to say the least.
Despite all the films issues, I’ll give credit where credit is due. A couple of the death scenes are impressive and are worth mentioning. The scene where a woman is decapitated by an exploding mirror stands out as does the victim of the acid rain as her face melts away quite nicely. Credit goes to Chris Simmons for the wonderful work he did in the special effects department.
Film Facts: Death Spa was directed by Michael Fischa and was written by James Bartruff and Mitch Paradise. Prior to Death Spa , Bartruff had one writing credit to his name, the mid-80′s TV show ‘What’s Happening Now’ (one episode) and no other writing credits since. Paradise had only 3 writing credits for TV and only one after Death Spa . It’s pretty evident that Death Spa was doomed from the beginning from at least from a writing standpoint. The films director, Michael Fischa, had two directing credits prior to Death Spa and seven afterwards. So putting together an inexperienced director with inexperienced writers was a recipe for disaster, at least in the case of Death Spa .
A couple of people did manage to survive Death Spa in terms of future careers. Chris Simmons, the special effects supervisor went on to work in films such as Batman Forever , Independence Day , Deep Impact , I, Robot and Monsters vs Aliens in visual effects. Ken Foree has been working steady since his role as Peter in George A. Romero’s masterpiece Dawn of the Dead (1978) and usually spends his time in supporting roles. Luckily for us, genre fans that is, Death Spa didn’t kill Ken’s career. Others in the film also went on to work in the industry but I won’t bore you with those ‘soap operaish’ details.
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badasses in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Shower scene, plenty of fun-bags to be seen here Favorite Death Scene: The decapitation of a spa member when a mirror explodes
Boob Count: 9 pair Body Count: 14
IMDB Rating: 5.1 / 10 My Rating: 3.5 / 10
Final Thoughts: Unless you’re a glutant for punishment, just stick with the Death Spa trailer. It has everything you’ll want to see, and its much shorter.
Next Episode 7/15
Podcast Listening Portals Follow BB&BCs via Email Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 1,209 other followers Recent Posts BBandBC Podcast EP88 – Road Games BBandBC Podcast EP87 – White Line Fever BBandBC Podcast EP86 – 20 Million Miles to Earth BBandBC Podcast EP85 – Disco Godfather BBandBC Podcast EP84 – Black Dynamite BBandBC Podcast EP83 – She Freak BBandBC Podcast EP82 – Mamorial Day Special BBandBC Podcast EP81 – The Lost Empire BBandBC Podcast EP80 – Santo & Blue Demon VS. Dracula & The Wolfman BBandBC Podcast EP79 – Robot Jox BBandBC Podcast EP78 – 10 Violent Women BBandBC Podcast EP77 – Naked Killer BBandBC Podcast EP76 – Gummo BBandBC Podcast EP75 – The Manitou BBandBC Podcast EP74 – Stone Cold BBandBC Podcast EP73 – Night of the Cobra Woman BBandBC Podcast EP72 – The Return of Swamp Thing BBandBC Podcast EP71 – Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout BBandBC Podcast EP70 – House on Bare Mountain BBandBC Podcast EP69 – Jackie Brown BBandBC Podcast EP68 – Kidnapped BBandBC Podcast EP67 – Kill Baby, Kill BBandBC Podcast EP66 – Manos: The Hands of Fate BBandBC Podcast EP65 – Flesh Gordon BBandBC Podcast EP64 – Riki-Oh: The Story of the Burning Moon BBandBC Podcast EP63 – Bitch Slap BBandBC Podcast EP62 – Don’t Open Till Christmas BBandBC Podcast EP61 – Nude Nuns With Big Guns BBandBC Podcast EP60 – The Magnificent Butcher New BBandBC Capsule Reviews Web Site Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com . The Parament Theme . Follow Follow “Badasses, Boobs and Body Counts” Get every new post delivered to your Inbox. Join 1,209 other followers Powered by WordPress.com Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Cancel Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. %d bloggers like this:
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Join 1,209 other followers
Recent Posts BBandBC Podcast EP88 – Road Games BBandBC Podcast EP87 – White Line Fever BBandBC Podcast EP86 – 20 Million Miles to Earth BBandBC Podcast EP85 – Disco Godfather BBandBC Podcast EP84 – Black Dynamite BBandBC Podcast EP83 – She Freak BBandBC Podcast EP82 – Mamorial Day Special BBandBC Podcast EP81 – The Lost Empire BBandBC Podcast EP80 – Santo & Blue Demon VS. Dracula & The Wolfman BBandBC Podcast EP79 – Robot Jox BBandBC Podcast EP78 – 10 Violent Women BBandBC Podcast EP77 – Naked Killer BBandBC Podcast EP76 – Gummo BBandBC Podcast EP75 – The Manitou BBandBC Podcast EP74 – Stone Cold BBandBC Podcast EP73 – Night of the Cobra Woman BBandBC Podcast EP72 – The Return of Swamp Thing BBandBC Podcast EP71 – Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout BBandBC Podcast EP70 – House on Bare Mountain BBandBC Podcast EP69 – Jackie Brown BBandBC Podcast EP68 – Kidnapped BBandBC Podcast EP67 – Kill Baby, Kill BBandBC Podcast EP66 – Manos: The Hands of Fate BBandBC Podcast EP65 – Flesh Gordon BBandBC Podcast EP64 – Riki-Oh: The Story of the Burning Moon BBandBC Podcast EP63 – Bitch Slap BBandBC Podcast EP62 – Don’t Open Till Christmas BBandBC Podcast EP61 – Nude Nuns With Big Guns BBandBC Podcast EP60 – The Magnificent Butcher New BBandBC Capsule Reviews Web Site
BBandBC Podcast EP88 – Road Games
BBandBC Podcast EP87 – White Line Fever
BBandBC Podcast EP86 – 20 Million Miles to Earth
BBandBC Podcast EP85 – Disco Godfather
BBandBC Podcast EP84 – Black Dynamite
BBandBC Podcast EP83 – She Freak
BBandBC Podcast EP82 – Mamorial Day Special
BBandBC Podcast EP81 – The Lost Empire
BBandBC Podcast EP80 – Santo & Blue Demon VS. Dracula & The Wolfman
BBandBC Podcast EP79 – Robot Jox
BBandBC Podcast EP78 – 10 Violent Women
BBandBC Podcast EP77 – Naked Killer
BBandBC Podcast EP76 – Gummo
BBandBC Podcast EP75 – The Manitou
BBandBC Podcast EP74 – Stone Cold
BBandBC Podcast EP73 – Night of the Cobra Woman
BBandBC Podcast EP72 – The Return of Swamp Thing
BBandBC Podcast EP71 – Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout
BBandBC Podcast EP70 – House on Bare Mountain
BBandBC Podcast EP69 – Jackie Brown
BBandBC Podcast EP68 – Kidnapped
BBandBC Podcast EP67 – Kill Baby, Kill
BBandBC Podcast EP66 – Manos: The Hands of Fate
BBandBC Podcast EP65 – Flesh Gordon
BBandBC Podcast EP64 – Riki-Oh: The Story of the Burning Moon
BBandBC Podcast EP63 – Bitch Slap
BBandBC Podcast EP62 – Don’t Open Till Christmas
BBandBC Podcast EP61 – Nude Nuns With Big Guns
BBandBC Podcast EP60 – The Magnificent Butcher
New BBandBC Capsule Reviews Web Site
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