This might be cheating as they were released more like OVA's, but Funimation is re-releasing the first four volumes this October. Join Alcuard the most powerful vampire on the planet blow away enemies with the slickest moves and style you've seen in a dark anime. The gore factor in this probably blows away any zombie film from the 70's or 80's, including the one below. I could get into the controversy of how long this took to get to America, because of Geneon's fallout or how the 4 ending films won't come out until November, but instead I'll write this, "Alcuard becomes a mass of eyeballs and demon dog faces on a fighter jet hurtling down from the sky onto a warship filled with Nazi vampire troopers that ends with it lodged in the ship like a burning cross.
There's dark humor and fan service thanks to a new recruit and even a Star Wars reference. The main villain behind it all should receive an Oscar for his speech of loving war. "Gentlemen, I love war" in a German accent has never sounded so evil and insane and is made fun of in anime circles quite often. Gentlemen I love LA!
The Beyond
Master of Italian horror Lucio Fulci made this one and had to add zombies after investors pushed for it. They don't seem too tacked on. I picked this one after hearing buzz from Mondo about it last year. The story about a gate of Hell underneath a hotel and some great visuals like a blind woman with her dog on some bridge freeway in the middle of nowhere were just striking. Yet, it's blown away by some really bad effects and a story making any sense. There are some great bloody effects, the gore level on this beyond normal including a gunshot blowing a kids face off. Perfect for those looking for some old school B-horror bloody stupidity.
Of Unknown Origin
I had this saved since the star of it Peter Weller/ Robocop was asked about it back at the last Hero Complex. A powerful New York businessman, Bart, has his family on vacation without him and the business deal of his life on the line and than a stinking giant rat bothers him. The scariest part might be every New Yorkers attitude in this film is so pushy. Bart asks for advice and is told he isn't a man if he can't handle a rat. He also can't get any exterminator and the time he does the rat is somehow smart enough to destroy the check he left for them. The movies both silly and scary as this horrible giant rat keeps ruining Bart's life and many times attacking him. The final confrontation is insane as Bart ruins his house in attempt to kill the rat.
The name of the film makes no sense, it's possibly because it's based on the same story that inspired Alien and The Thing, but really the title has no reference to the film itself.
I really like the poison logo for the rat poison Bart chose, such a simple skull. In the film it's suppose to cause the rat to get incredibly thirsty, so much so that it drinks until it explodes.
