SUMMER 2005

SHOCK-O-RAMA PREMIERES AT THE WEEKEND OF HORRORS

Shock-O-Rama Cinema is thrilled to announce that Shock-O-Rama receives its premiere screening at the 2005 Fangoria “Weekend of Horrors” Convention, being held Sept. 24 - 25, at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands, in Secaucus, New Jersey. Fangoria Magazine has long been recognized as the #1 horror film publication worldwide, and Shock-O-Rama Cinema is proud to have its titular fright film unveiled at this prestigious annual event.

Shock-O-Rama is the newest film written and directed by cult horror veteran Brett Piper and represents the third collaboration between Shock-O-Rama Cinema and the prolific Piper, whose previous films for the horror studio & label include the haunted insane asylum shocker, Screaming Dead, and the mutant bugs-on-the-loose fright flick, Bite Me! It stars several ei Cinema “regulars” including Misty Mundae, Julian Wells, Caitlin Ross, A.J. Khan, Erika Smith, Rob Monkiewicz, and Michael Thomas. Piper modeled Shock-O-Rama after the many popular Amicus horror anthologies from the 1960s and 70s (Tales from the Crypt, The House that Dripped Blood), horror film legend George A. Romero’s cult favorite Creepshow, and classic horror comics from EC and Warren publications. A potent melding of a film-within-a-film scenario with a traditional anthology, Shock-O-Rama features three individual tales of terror woven together to deliver the horror goods like only Brett Piper can. An FX wizard, Piper is also responsible for the multitude of outrageous special effects that bring Shock-O-Rama to monstrous, breathtaking life including stop-motion animation and special make-up effects as well as matting, miniature, green screen, and various digital effects.

In January 2004, Shock-O-Rama Cinema was afforded the distinct opportunity and honor of premiering its then new release, Screaming Dead, at that year’s Fangoria “Weekend of Horrors,” also held in Secaucus, NJ. The event was a tremendous success, with Screaming Dead playing to a packed house and writer/director Piper and stars Misty Mundae and Rachael Robbins on hand for a post-screening Q&A session. Thus it is with great satisfaction that Shock-O-Rama Cinema returns to the “Weekend of Horrors” with a brand new, just completed film in hand. Fans attending the Con and the sneak peek screening represent the first audience ever to lay its eyes on Shock-O-Rama. And once again, director Piper follows up the premiere ready to field audience questions.

Shock-O-Rama will play at 1:00pm, Saturday, September 24, and all fans that attend the screening will receive a complimentary DVD of a past Shock-O-Rama Cinema release. Log on to www.fangoria.com/special_events.php for complete information on the 2005 Fangoria “Weekend of Horrors.” And a big thanks to Fangoria editor Tony Timpone for having Shock-O-Rama Cinema back for another opening day movie screening.

SCREAMING DEAD GOES TO TV

Screaming Dead, the first film written & directed by cult horror veteran Brett Piper for ei’s Shock-O-Rama Cinema horror label, has recently been picked up by the Starz/Encore channel/network. It will begin airing in December 2005 and represents the first Shock-O-Rama Cinema horror film to play on premium broadcast TV.

After premiering at the 2004 Fangoria “Weekend of Horrors,” the eagerly anticipated Screaming Dead was released to home video in March 2004, and it quickly became Shock-O-Rama’s most successful and popular film to date. Fans and critics alike enjoyed the haunted insane asylum shocker – shot at the abandoned Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital – which starred acclaimed ‘B’ beauty Misty Mundae in her first horror role. Screaming Dead also enjoyed the distinction of being the first independent ‘B’ horror movie to be play on MovieLink.com – the feature film streaming site run by the major U.S. motion picture studios.

Stay tuned to Shock-O-Rama Cinema news for Screaming Dead’s upcoming Starz/Encore play dates.

UNCUT WOMENS PRISON MASSACRE

Retro Shock-O-Rama Cinema is happy to report that DVDs of the uncut version of Bruno Mattei’s 1983 “sleaze” opus – Womens Prison Massacre ­– will be available at the upcoming Fangoria “Weekend of Horrors,” running September 24 – 25, at the Crowne Plaza Meadowlands, in Secaucus, NJ. The uncut version will also soon be available on-line at AlternativeCinema.com, Amazon.com, and MoviesUnlimited.com.

The new version of this violent Italian exploitation cult classic restores approximately 2 minutes of graphic footage of nudity and bloodshed that was missing from the Retro Shock-O-Rama Cinema version released in April 2005. The label wishes to sincerely thank David Szulkin and Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing, who graciously released their uncut print of Womens Prison Massacre to Retro Shock-O so that a brand new, widescreen transfer (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) could be created. The DVD includes a Retro Shock-O-Rama Cinema trailer vault and a booklet featuring liner notes by exploitation film historian 42nd Street Pete.

NEW RELEASES FROM SHOCK-O-RAMA CINEMA:

PRISON-A-GO-GO

The two newest releases from Shock-O-Rama Cinema will be hitting rental and sell-thru stores soon – Prison-A-Go-Go and Feeding the Masses!

Prison-A-Go-Go, Barak Epstein’s inspired and outrageous homage to the classic women-in-prison sub-genre of exploitation filmmaking, street dates on July 26. Starring cult film legend Mary Woronov (Death Race 2000, Silent Night Bloody Night) and Rhonda Shear of USA “Up All Night” fame, Prison-A-Go-Go has already achieved a pre-release level of popular notoriety due to its various film fest screenings (including Shock-A-Go-Go in Dec. 2004; a Bonus Extra on the DVD) and good press.

After her sister is abducted for scientific reasons, brainy and beautiful Janie (Laurie Walton) must solve the mystery and attempt a rescue. The lone clue leads to a notorious, maximum-security women’s prison in the Philippines where committing a crime may be her only way in. Once on the inside, Janie comes face to face with the jail block’s colorful population of bizarre convicts including luscious lifer “Jackpot” (Rhonda Shear), a ruthless warden (Mary Woronov), vicious prison guards, and horrifying genetic experiments at the hands of a mad doctor. As Janie struggles to save her sister and other female guinea pigs from almost certain death or worse, she must also deal with the daily rigors, violent encounters, and super-sexy exploits that can only come with life in a 100% all women’s prison!

DVD Extras include a mini-documentary on Prison-A-Go-Go’s screening at the marathon 2004 Shock-A-Go-Go Film Festival in Los Angeles; an interview with director Barak Epstein; behind-the-scenes of P-A-G-G; plus…over one hour of entertaining, informative, never-before-seen Q&A sessions with ‘B’ legends Roger Corman, Mary Woronov and David Friedman from the 2004 Shock-A-Go-Go Fest.

“Airplane meets Caged Heat!” – Film Threat.com

“Exploitative brilliance…If you've been hankering for a new film along the lines of The Big Birdcage and Black Mama White Mama…this is just the ticket.” – Ain’t It Cool News

FEEDING THE MASSES

Three weeks following the release of Prison-A-Go-Go, buckle your seat belts once again and brace yourself for Richard Griffin’s (dare we say) intelligent walking dead film, Feeding the Masses, written by popular ‘B’ horror actor Trent Haaga (Citizen Toxie, Suburban Nightmare, The Ghouls) and starring Billy Garberina (Stink of Flesh). Sinking its teeth into the rotting flesh of our paranoid times, Feeding the Masses is a biting social commentary and a vicious, bloody and brutal apocalyptic zombie film shot in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

In a nation dominated by mass media manipulation, rampant consumerism and a brainwashing government, a zombie epidemic known as the Lazarus Virus is bringing the recently deceased back to life. As the dead feed upon the living, Channel 5 TV News feeds its audience a false picture of the danger, death and doom that is close at hand. The station’s lead anchorwoman learns of a government-mandated broadcast blackout of all walking dead news and live footage, so she enlists the help of her trusted cameraman and a demented military guard to spread the word any way they can. With the truth on their side and flesh-hungry monsters gathering in numbers and strength, the trio must warn unsuspecting citizens about the nightmare at their doorsteps…before it’s too late. News at 11…

Feeding the Masses DVD Bonus material includes audio commentary by director Griffin and actor Billy Garberina; behind-the-scenes of Feeding; “A Year of Shocks” – a mini-documentary summing-up of Shock-O-Rama Cinema’s 2004 inaugural year; and another installment of Shock-O-Rama Cinema’s “Shocking Shorts,” featuring two short subject horror films by filmmakers Duane Graves and Justin Meeks (creators of the disturbing and poetic short Headcheese).

Pick up your very own DVD of Prison-A-Go-Go & Feeding the Masses at fine retailers nationwide including Best Buy, SunCoast Motion Pictures, Sam Goody, Media Play, f.y.e., Saturday Matinee, Coconuts, Borders, Tower Records, Virgin, Hastings, Newbury Comics, to name a few and on-line or via catalog at Amazon, Netflix, DVDEmpire and Movies Unlimited.

“Do yourself a favor; don’t just watch Feeding the Masses…Listen!” – Horrorwatch

“We hold Feeding the Masses on a higher level than any of the three “of the Dead” films by George A. Romero.” – Screaming Stoner Video

NEW RELEASES FROM RETRO-SHOCK-O-RAMA CINEMA

Retro-Shock-O-Rama Cinema is thrilled to announce two Collector’s Edition releases of cult classic films from the mid 1970s and 80s.

First up, and available on September 13, is the Nick Philips Horror Trilogy Collection consisting of Satan’s Black Wedding & Criminally Insane (a.k.a. Crazy Fat Ethel) and the bonus feature Criminally Insane 2. Satan’s Black Wedding & Criminally Insane are the long-sought-after fright films by 1960/70s sexploitation filmmaker Nick Philips (a.k.a. Nick Millard) – his only forays into 1970s horror. Best known for grim and despairing soft-core features including Roxanna and Pleasures of a Woman, Philips switched gears in 1975 and directed what are rightly considered creepy, outrageous and idiosyncratic horror cult classics. Both films have been recently transferred from the original film elements and are enhanced for 16x9 TVs. This is their first release ever on DVD.

Criminally Insane

Tipping the scales at 300 pounds, Ethel Janowski (Priscilla Alden) – “Crazy Fat Ethel” – has just been released from a mental institution. Ethel is full of repressed rage, but she can’t get full no matter how much she eats. When her grandmother locks away the food, Ethel kills the old woman for the keys to the pantry and soon becomes a bloodthirsty, mass-murdering monster that will slaughter anyone who gets in the way of her appetite. But what will Ethel do with the corpses that are piling up in the attic?

Satan’s Black Wedding

Mark travels to California to unravel the mystery surrounding his sister's death. He learns that she had been writing a novel about satanic worship and spent a good deal of time at an abandoned church outside of town. When Mark begins seeing her in the company of a creepy-looking priest, he goes to the old church and learns that Satan himself has chosen him and his sister to be wed in unholy matrimony...and become the proud vampire parents of the Antichrist.

In addition to the above outrageous feature films, the Trilogy Collection includes Philips’ Criminally Insane 2, which he shot in 1987 with star Priscilla Alden reprising her role as “Crazy Fat” Ethel Janowski; Black Wedding & Criminally Insane interviews with Nick Philips; “Criminally Insane: A Look Back” with Philips and Priscilla Alden; and commentary tracks with Philips and exploitation film historian 42nd Street Pete.

On October 11, Retro-Shock-O-Rama Cinema will street Slime City - Gregory Lamberson’s vile, gory and gruesome splatter film theatrically released in 1988 and a midnight movie favorite for years. This Collector’s Edition release features a brand new 1.78:1 transfer from the original film negative supervised by the director and is enhanced for 16x9 TVs. Slime City delivers the gut-churning goods like fellow 80s cult classics Basket Case, Combat Shock and Street Trash.

When Alex and his virginal girlfriend Lori move into a New York City apartment, they fall victim to blood-thirsty supernatural forces that have horrifying plans for them. The apartment is haunted by the restless spirits of an occultist named Zachary and his fanatical followers who had committed mass suicide years before. Seduced by a mysterious woman, Alex is gradually possessed by the diabolical Zachary. Only Lori can battle the putrid powers of darkness and save Alex’s soul when he transforms into a murdering, melting monster…a hideous slime-splattered demon that cannot be stopped.

Slime City’s slimy DVD Extras include the bonus horror feature film, Naked Fear, directed by Greg Lamberson in 1999; Slime City and Naked Fear audio commentary with Lamberson and star Robert Sabin; “Making of Slime” mini-documentary; “Shock-O-Rama Cinema: A Year of Shocks” mini-documentary; and a collectible color booklet with liner notes by Greg Lamberson.

Slime City should be quite visible on the shelves of retailers nationwide, as it will sport a bright, slime green DVD amaray case. It’s Slime Time all the way!

Some Slime City quotes from back in the day:

“A serio-comic gore saga!” – The Phantom of the Movies/NY Daily News

“Repulsive!” – Variety

“new and exciting…a gory, low-budget fun-fest” – Film Threat Magazine

“…splatter-your-brains-against-the-wall effects…” – Slaughterhouse Magazine

THE PRINCE OF GORE

Shock-O-Rama Cinema and its budget-priced, micro-budget cinema label, Video Outlaw, have recently acquired the rights to several films directed by Kansas City, Missouri’s most infamous ultra low-budget horror filmmaker – Todd Sheets, a.k.a. “The Prince of Gore,” who has been producing his own brand of ambitious, home-made horror, sci-fi and exploitation flicks since 1985. Added to the films it had purchased many years ago from the Tempe Home Video label, ei can now proudly lay claim to 24 splatter spectaculars from the prolific and irrepressible Sheets whose vast filmography and its raw and visceral quality is equaled by no other moviemaker – ever! And while Todd Sheets has the somewhat dubious honor of being known for making films so bad they are good, there is no denying that each one is lovingly packed to the gills with the most extreme in blood, guts and gore that no true chunk-blowin’ gruehound can walk away from unsatisfied.

Video Outlaw’s most recent acquisitions include popular Sheets films Zombie Bloodbath, Zombie Bloodbath 2: Rage of the Undead, Zombie Bloodbath 3: Armageddon, Bloodthirsty Cannibal Demons, Dead Things, Moonchild, Catacombs, Fear of the Dark, Vampire Holocaust, Whispers in the Gloom, Biker Babes from Beyond the Grave, Violent New Breed and Zombie Rampage 2. In the coming months and over the next couple of years, these films along with Goblin, Dominion, Sorority Babes in the Dance-A-Thon of Death, Zombie Rampage, The Shivers, Prehistoric Bimbos in Armageddon City, Bimbos B.C., Bimbos In Time, Nightmare Asylum and Madhouse will experience their DVD premieres – likely as double or triple feature releases packed with extras such as behind-the-scenes, news stories, TV spots, trailers and more. Sheets’ horror and exploitation output on disc has been a long time coming and eagerly anticipated by Sheets fanatics, and Shock-O-Rama Cinema and Video Outlaw are thrilled to be the label behind their reintroduction to hardcore horror fans worldwide.