Review: Giantess Attack vs Mecha-Fembot!

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2023
Images from the Internet

This is the third and final giantess film in this series of reviews. It is the second part of a franchise, but can also be viewed as a standalone thanks to many flashbacks.

Once again, I do not believe there is any doubt that these films are absurdist comedies, thankfully going for the lowest bar and the biggest busts.

Giantess Attack vs Mecha-Fembot! (aka Giantess Attack 2)

Directed by Jeff Leroy
Full Moon Entertainment; MVD Visual
67 minutes, 2019 / 2022
www.FullMoonDirect.com
www.MVDVisual.com
www.facebook.com/WarOfTheGargantugirls/

This film is directed by Jeff Leroy, as a sequel to his Giantess Attack (2017), as explained in the prologue by a Katy Sagal imitator. Okay. I did not see the previous one, which is recapped through periodic flashbacks here and there, although I reviewed another film by Leroy, Predator World (2017). https://indiehorrorfilms.blogspot.com/2018/11/review-predator-world.html He also did the special effects for Attack of the 50 Foot Cam-Girl (2022) and Giantess Battle Attack (2022).

 

Tasha Tacosa, Rachel Riley

After tearing a city apart and eating numerous people in the previous release, once giantesses and now normal sized Diedre (Tasha Tacosa) and Frieda (Rachel Riley; both from 2022’s AmberRoad) are the subject of protests and lawsuits. Diedre is hiding out high in the mountains in her Fortress of Immeasurable Guilt (which has the house number 3 on the door) with Frieda trying to get her to join the real world (and, of course, catfighting…that’s the theme of the pic, after all). Meanwhile, alien-in-tight-vinyl Metaluna (Christine Nguyen, is shrinking people, such as a scientist, Dr. Drew (John Karyus).

Also fighting are two normal sized actors, Fran (Chelsea Bellas) and Amber (Kali Cook), after being offered roles by sleazy agent Joe Blowfeld (Ben Stobber, who played various creatures in a bunch of Mahal Empire films).

Finally, about three-quarters into this short feature, we finally meet the titular Mecha Fembot (Vlada Fox), under the evil control of Metaluna. She attacks Hollywood, and who comes to the rescue? Our two battling babes, Frieda and Diedre, who at least for a while are able to team up. Can they defeat Mega Fembot? Can they save the city? Can they show more cleavage?

Riley, Vlada Fox

Yes, this film is definitely geared towards a very specific demographic, essentially horny teen boys and horny older fanboys, but those especially with the catfight and macrophilia bug. Yes, there is certainly lots of cleavage and a surprising number of (clothed) crotch shots, thanks to “looking upward” at both our heroes and villains (no relation to the Beach Boys). Sexist as all hell? Yeah. Fun? Kinda. It is played so over the top, that it is nearly cartoonish, like some films that show violence that is unrealistic. However, the scene with Fran and Amber are kind of gratuitous and add nothing to the story, really; it is, however, another chance to show some more skin, another catfight, and a semi-macrophilia in reverse, as they are normal size, and the male in the scene is shrunk, giving that upward perspective anyway. Perhaps they are being set up to be more forward in another sequel? Amazingly, there is actually no nudity.

Nearly all of the film is either green screened (it is pretty obvious when it is) or using models of buildings that are easily collapsible. The humor in it is definitely grade school level, with a nod to the MCU and DCU, such as a nice running joke about becoming unrecognizable through a disguise of just eyeglasses. There is also a character in the coda named Nicky Fury (Alexandra Marie), who, of course, wears an eyepatch. The ending is a possible set-up for a new film, Giantess Attack in Space (although there is no listing for it is indicated in IMDB).

The extras are the trailer, and other Full Moon coming attractions. It may also be worthwhile to check out the documentary about the making of this film, Giant Women,Micro-Budget (2018). 

IMDB listing HERE

Review: Choke

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020

Images from the Internet

Choke

Directed by Gregory Hatanaka

CineRidge Entertainment; Cinema Epoch

73 minutes, 2020

https://cinemaepoch.com/

Choking is a fetish I have never understood, but like many other fetishes in films like Fetish Dolls Die Laughing (2012) that cover tickling, bondage, and other sexual sports, they have been creeping into an ever more common sub-genre in the indie scene. Just ask David Carradine (what, too soon?).

Most fetish-related films, if they aren’t comedies, are finger-on-the-side-of-nose to those who enjoy the topic, but Choke takes itself very seriously while drowning in artiness. The art is another fetish – albeit a more stylistic one – that sometimes disguises itself in the ends justifying the means. In other words, while it’s trying to be special, sometimes it can – err – choke on its own petard (yes, I’m mixing metaphors, to be artistic, of course).

Shane Ryan

Brandon (Shane Ryan, who directed 2012’s My Name is ‘A’ By Anonymous, reviewed HERE)  is a possible serial killer who disposes of his (female only) victims by, well, you know. Or does he? Is it real, or is he another Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)?

The film follows his relationship with Jeanie (Sarah Brine; back in the day, this role may have been played by Lauren Ambrose), a 17 year old he meets on a train; jailbait, anyone? Their relationship is interspersed with scenes of his partaking of his life in general (such as visits with his ailing mom) and his hobby. Which parts are real and which are in his imagination are the questions of the day. Perhaps he’s fixating on a past victim, Payton, and creating this fantasy life with her?

Meanwhile, policeman Robert (British actor Scott Butler), who is down and out with both his girlfriend (Bella Cruz) and a prostitute (Jennifer Field), is also having a sado-sexual relationship with his psychologist, Stephanie (scream queen Lisa London), in which he is the M response to her S. But he’s just been given a case of someone found strangled. Wanna guess? The story flips back and forth between the lives of these two twisted men, Brandon and Robert, each significantly damaged in their own way.

Sarah Brine

The set up – and as far as I will go plot-wise – takes almost half the film. At this point it leaves so many questions, just the start of which is who’s lives are real, or just a figment. Is this like the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” (1890; clips of the 1959 television presentation based on this is interspersed throughout) and all in the mind of a person in the moment before they die of asphyxiation? These are just some of the ponderances that were ricocheting through my mind by the halfway mark. But no, I won’t answer any of them; no spoilers.

Scott Butler

One might call this a psychological thriller, and I would be okay with that (as if I had a say), but it really feels like it is trying too hard to make no point. It’s certainly beautiful to look at, but the structure needs a better foundation. For example, there is too much dialog that doesn’t really progress the story by being too vague, or it just seems to go on way too long, such as a motivational speech by a New Age-y snake oil salesman (Sal Landi), who promotes self-choking.

Though the film is relatively short, it feels too padded by throwing montages left and right, as people wander over music (good soundtrack, mostly, though). I’m sure they were trying to show developing relationships, but the point was made, and then made, and then made, all the while the emphasis was on style and the story seems to have been lost in the shuffle toward making “art.”

Lisa London

I appreciate “art” in a film, but not if it takes away from the narrative. That is where the biggest fault lies in the release, in my opinion, that there is not enough story and motivations given to the viewer – even with all the narration, including by characters and over the soundtrack like thought bubbles – to support the foundations on which the zeitgeist and synergy is built. If you’re going to use a loose form, say, like Slaughterhouse Five, it needs to be built on something to stand on, not just float over. I’m not sure I’m making sense. The end results in something that looks good, but its aspirations are lost in its pretentions.

The film isn’t a failure, though if one is looking for a good fetish film or murder spree (both of which are present), it’s like looking through a fog. I see this film as an exercise by the director, to test his stylistic wings in the cinema art. He has been quite prolific, but in this case, I mean, working out some kinks.

Meanwhile, now I have the desire to listen to Detroit-based punk band, Choking Susan.

Review: Porn Shoot Massacre

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2015
Images from the Internet

Porn Shoot Massacre: Unrated Edition

Directed by Corbin Timbrook
Lost Empire / MVD Visual
87 minutes, 2009
www.lostempirefilms.com
www.psmthemovie.com
www.mvdvisual.com



The ripped Ramones of Shelly Martinez

I am totally offended by this film for two reasons. No, not for the subject matter, but because the first victim is wearing a Ramones tee. The Ramones make me happy, and not associated with murder! And what’s even worse, the shirt is cut up for “sexy” purposes, with the arms ripped off and the neck cut into a vee, making the cleavage more exposed. Why would anyone do that to a poor, defenseless Ramones shirt? Didn’t the band go through enough shit?!

Anyway, enough with the digression, let’s get to the film. After the death of said first porn star (actress / wrestler / body builder Shelly Martinez) before the opening credits but after the intro full-frontal shower scene, we are taken to the set of a mysterious porn shoot in some factory with faulty lighting and hidden cameras in the hallways. Yeah, if the title doesn’t give you some hint of the action to follow, certainly the set will.

Robert Ambrose as Malfini

The women are being paid $10,000 to appear in this mystery porn shoot, being directed by the equally cryptic and somewhat flamboyant Malfini (Robert Ambrose); the name is close to “Malfeasance,” which is the “willful and intentional action that injures a party” (thank you Internet), especially by one in charge. In Italian, the “I” at the end of a word is plural (if it ended with “o” it would be singular). Therefore, the name if wrongdoing against many. He also is wearing an incredibly fake looking wig, moustache and beard, and large, blue-tinted glasses. Ruuuuun!!!!

Along with two camera jerks and a decent clip-board guy (Nick Machado, arguably giving the most credibly performance here), there is the killer, Brute (Dirk Vader). Okay, I need to digress again here for a moment. Some of the people in this film are actual porn pros, and many have this listed as their only screen credit. I’m going to venture a supposition here that many of those involved with the production, both in front and behind the camera, are not using their real (or stage) names. I mean, my sincere apologies if I’m wrong, but Dirk Vader?

The Fetish Queen and the Good Person

Getting back to the story, the porn actresses start arriving one or two at a time, depending on what is expected of them, include the nice one, the prima donna fetish queen, and the dominatrix. They help add to the heap of the body count. Now, it’s not just the women who are being snuffed off, it also includes the male actors who are generally non-descript, other than Tiny (Richard Little), the dwarf.

By the time the heroine comes into the story in act three, there are a whole lot of, well, I see dead porn people… Halie is also an actress in the field, portrayed by the most attractive looking of the cast, and most plausible player, Shirley Harper, so be afraid Halie, be very afraid; even though she wasn’t originally cast in this shoot, since she could use the money… As indicated, she is the smart one, though in a time of stress she asks someone equally screwed (pun not intended), “What should I do?!”

And who is behind all the mayhem and murder? Not who you’d expect, though it makes (semi-)sense, especially as we face a presidential election based more on ideologies than law.

Dirk Vader (snicker) as Brute

While better than I thought it would be, I have some issues with the film. For example, while I like the ampleness of the actresses, the level of obvious silicone (or saline, leave me alone) is high; there’s probably enough here to seal in an apartment building worth of windows. I’m happy to say the filmmakers didn’t discriminate by gender, but the women definitely got the gorier deaths; however, yes, there is blood aplenty, you never actually see object touch flesh, most of it happening just beyond the camera frame. You do get so see a disembodied hand and eye (looks like they got the body pieces from a Halloween store), among other things.

The story is convoluted and tries on occasion to be too many places at the same time (Look! The film set! Look! People walking down the corridor! Look! A murder happening! Now we’ll just cut back and forth between them all!). Sometimes all the bits work hard to distract from the fun stuff – be it death or sex – but as I said, for such a low budget film, they did well.

You know it’s pretty decent (pun intended) when the absolute worst part of the film is the music. Not some funky “wah-wah,” but electronica seemingly stuck on repeat every couple of bars. I really wanted a switch to leave on the dialog, such as it is, as turn off the music. Horrendous stuff.

Also, why was Brute masked? If the point is to just kill, no one can identify him; we were told why Leatherface, Michael and Jason wore theirs. But the last question I have, is why is this unrated? Yes there is lots of nudity, (no male, though), and nothing more than a hint of a lesbian scene (i.e., two nude women kissing and fondling each other), but really, there is only an R rating worth. Is there a hardcore version that exists, and that was supposed to be the Unrated one?

So, lots of boobs, lots of blood, lots of bad acting, a strange storyline and characters, and some terrible music. And yet, it was still better than I expected. Hunh. Whatcha know!