Psycho Street (2011) (Screener Copy)

Psycho Street is a gory, fun horror anthology brought to you by Muscle Wolf Productions (who I would like to thank very much for providing me with a screener DVD). The film is, like I said, an anthology, but it is tied together by one place: the creepy, terror ridden town of 'Kronanburg' (No not the beer). I thought I would break my review down by segment, including the superb wrap around tale starring the always awesome Ms Tiffany Shepis so...here goes......


Come on Down (Wraparound)

Directed by Arthur Cullipher and Patrick Desmond

Written by Marv Blauvelt & Trevor Wright

Stars: Tiffany Shepis, Jared Degado, Austin Dossey and Raine Brown

So the films wraparound, Come on Down, features the one and only Tiffany Shepis, camping it up as resident psychopath Leyla Barker.  Murdering various visitors to her home, in order to appease something nasty hiding in her basement, Tiffany does a superb job as the sweet smiling but VERY ill meaning Leyla. It isn't until Aubrey Harris (Raine Brown) shows up looking for her MIA husband (Austin Dossey, recently bludgeoned half to death and worse by the loveable Leyla) that the movie begins its trio of horror shorts, as Leyla begins to recount various tales of terror to Aubrey. The short has a FANTASTIC middle and end with Tiffany and Raine going head to head and due to a sudden turn of events it is actually Raine's character who tells us the third and final tale in this trilogy of terror.....

A fantastic 80s inspired slasher wrapround with Tiffany Shepis stealing the show and proving she has the acting chops to play a villain with ease. The opening scene with the, lets face it, very buff, Jared Degado is so much fun and Raine Brown also gives a superb, kick arse performance as Aubrey.

Oh..... I almost forgot to mention...this also features the nastiest of knives to face scenes ever! "You're disqualified!"...NICE!

Hyperchondriac

Directed by Pete Jacelone

Written By Trevor Wright

Stars: Marv Blauvelt, Raine Brown, Alan Rowe Kelly, Carl Burrows, Susan Adriensen, and Edward X. Young, Zoe Daelman Chlanda 

First story, Hyperchondriac is a fun, campy oddball horror short which features Marv Blauvelt as a big city doctor who makes the horrible error of escaping the woes of city life to work at the small medical center in the heart of Kronanburg. It is here, that Dr Oliver Combs  meets all manner of oddities ranging from busty Nurse Amber Lovejoy, questionable Dr Anthony Fixx  and a wide variety of locals with the most lovingly bizarre problems....such as toy soldier stuck....very far....up a mans arse. Nice! So the core of this twisted tale involves repeat patient Charity Betencourt (Alan Rowe Kelly) continuously convinced there is something wrong with her, slowly but surely driving Dr Combs to distraction. This short has a deliciously messed up ending as Charity's obsessiveness goes one step too far, culminating in a death or two. All of this is in conjuction with another local who you are led throughout to believe is totally off of her rocker but it turns out her fears WERE real. This side plot helps to ensure the ending of Hyperchondriac is even more fun and I was laughing out loud by this point - didn't see it coming and I loved it.  Performances were campy and fun throughout, Marv played the constantly befuddled Oliver Combs brilliantly and Alan Rowe Kelly was hilarious as the nightmarish patient which every doctors surgery probably has to deal with....just maybe not the extreme that this film goes.....  I also really enjoyed Raine Browns precocious Amber Lovejoy and it was nice to see Zoe Daelman Chlanda (I'll Bury you tomorrow) pop up as demanding patient Priscilla Grace. A great little short with its tongue firmly in cheek and enough bad taste to keep you going until the next segment.....

Antibodies

Directed by Patrick Desmond

Written By Trevor Wright

Stars: Kaylee Williams, Jared Degado, Brigid MacAulay Paul and Jameson Barbosa, and Susan M. Martin

Antibodies is by far the grossest and sick of the three stories and works very well as a kind of Cronenberg style, body horror movie. I really do not, and would not, give too much away about this one so I will be spare on detail. The plot concerns poor Aimee (Kaylee Williams) bound to a bed by her deranged mother (Brigid MacAulay) who has no issues whatsoever in allowing truckers to visit their home to sleep with her daughter. This is obviously against Aimee's wishes but there is FAR more going on in this home than meets the eye and with every sickening outcome of each truckers doomed visit, you get closer to the truth of what is going on. Its TOTALLY bizarre, very very gross, but a hell of a lot of fun. There are at least three fantastic body horror moments which will have you recoiling in horror, and that has to be a good thing right? The performances are good, with Kaylee Williams the definite stand out. Her role requires several switches of personality so I think they picked the right indie scream queen to play Aimee here.  Brigid MacAuley disturbingly camps it up as the sex crazed, immoral (not to mention criminal) mother and Susan M. Martin's character just gives you the creeps throughout. You kind of have to go into Antibodies fairly blind to get the most out of it...just expect sex, an abundance of male and female nudity and gore galore!

The end of this short takes us back to Tiffany and Raine and as mentioned this is where things get REALLY good in Come on Down.....

Lewis

Directed by Anthony G. Sumner

Written By Marv Blauvelt, Anthony G. Sumner, Trevor Wright
 
Stars: Deneen Melody, Jerry Murdock and Susan Adriensen

I got a chance to check out and review Anthony G. Sumners Lewis not so long ago and it was a complete pleasure to check out this brilliant little horror film once more. Just as it did the first time round, the authentic looking 70s setting really impressed me. There is such a wonderful, dreamy atmosphere about the whole short that it sucks you in easily...then spits you right back out with the sudden shocking end. Plot wise you have Amanda Reece (played in fine form by Deneen Melody) who returns to her childhood home town with her young daughter, Aubrey (!) in tow, after discovering her husbands affair. However there is a bigger reason that informs Amanda's decision to head back to Kronanberg - she is being plagued by flashbacks to a very ominous childhood...and she wants answers. Things are not at all right in this little town though (as if the rest of Psycho Street hadn't warned you of this!) and the residents are waiting for Amanda and Aubrey... to say much more would spoil a number of shocking scenes and an excellent horror climax. You NEED to grab a copy of Psycho Street and see this for yourself as the ending of Lewis just floors me, and the final scenes after the mayhem dies down are downright chilling. Lewis is beautifully shot, cleverly written and feature some fantastic performances. Jerry Murdock and Susan Adriensen give Deneen's perfect performance a run for its money in their incredibly jaw dropping roles, and you have to see these in action to believe it! A fine, fine closing segment for Psycho Street.

A recommended purchase which, as it goes, you can do right NOW. Head on over to Amazon people and grab a copy of Psycho Street on DVD! Support indie horror and have a damn good time doing so!