z-grade's profile

With a title like DEATH WEEKEND...

...I hope you aren't looking for sophisticated cinema. This is a lesser-known entry into the backwoods brutality genre of films started by the classic DELIVERANCE. Derivative exploitation, but effective nonetheless. Please note that a majority of the reviews listed for this film (also known as THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE) in the IMDb and even MUZE (there are no "motorcycle thugs") are littered with errors in the who, what and where of the storyline... so let me set the record straight, at least based on my own viewing of this rare Japanese VHS release. Fashion model Diane (BRENDA VACCARO) accompanies her playboy swinger dentist friend Harry (CHUCK SHAMATA) to his country house to join several others for a weekend-long party. On the way, he allows her to take the wheel of his souped-up Corvette sports car and she engages a gang of hillbilly hoodlums in a dangerous road chase, which ends with the four miscreants crashing their hot rod Camaro off the road and into a creek bed, and the Vette speeding away. The menacing gang leader Lep (veteran DON STROUD) swears vengeance on the pair, especially the driver. Up at the house, Diane is observed by Harry (the voyeur) via a two-way mirror taking off her clothes and nude in the shower. Nice guy this Harry. Not surprisingly, Diane soon discovers that there are no other guests coming up to the lake for the weekend. She also realizes that sleazy Harry just wants a quickie sex romp and another notch on his belt. Meanwhile, the psychotics in the Camaro are causing havoc all over town, nearly killing a local man of the law, in search of the two in the black Corvette. Of course, the vicious thugs arrive at the lake house, terrorizing Diane and Harry, and really begin messing up the place. Two of the gang members even take Harry's expensive speedboat for a spin out on the lake and kill some drunken hicks in a rowboat, who were out to help the dentist. When doctor Harry is revealed to be a bit of a wimp and the chaos really begins to ramp up, Diane in desperation, takes matters into her own hands and begins to exact her revenge, but not before she is sexually assaulted by Len, the crazed ringleader... and dry-humped by one the creepy gang flunkies while locked in one of the rooms of the house. Strangely enough, the ending of this film has a bit of an ambiguous tone. You'll have to watch it for yourself to see what I'm talking about. Recommended backwoods brutal shocker that is destined for Z-Grade glory. //thechooper

Oh Mickey you're so fine...Oh Mickey!! Oh Mickey!!

(aka: B.J. LANG PRESENTS) Uh...ok! Here's one of the stranger films I have seen. The whole movie centers on B.J. Lang (MICKEY ROONEY), a hopeless washed-up Hollywood makeup artist (and judging from the makeup artwork on his own face... not a surprise) who kidnaps an actress named Carlotta (LUANA ANDERS), ties her to a wheelchair and starves her. He forces Carlotta to recite lines from different plays/movies that he directs (in his imaginary and delusional state-of-mind) including CYRANO DE BERGERAC. This deranged character also yells out orders to an unseen film crew, mops the floor as he sings "The Chatanooga Choo-Choo", has fake heart attacks and chases his captive thespian throughout the theater... through rooms of costumes, mannequins and props. Most of the time our loopy friend looks like some maniacal gnome. Some segments of this gem has sped-up scenes, for no apparent reason except to disorient the viewer. It works, but probably not on the level that the director intended. (Insert sarcastic laughter here... hahaha!) But wait, there's more!! The camera often zooms in and out as crazy 60's acid trip music plays on and on!! And there are flashback moments... while Carlotta stares at the only sane guy in the movie... which is the janitor. An odd and obscure career turn for the legendary MR. ROONEY. A must see for the true Z-Grade trash connosieur.