man*machine

That's terrific news. This is a really good low-budget genre film which has seen some atrocious P&S transfers over the years on VHS, etc. It will be nice to finally see it in its proper aspect ratio.

The director ended up directing HOWARD THE DUCK years later. MESSIAH OF EVIL is way better than that silly DUCK flick.

NoirFan

This was also on their blog:

Wow, they had me at "blaxploitation, kung fu, gangploitation, subway monster hybrid".

Here's the poster:

Mondo Kane

Haven't heard the most pleasing things about this movie, but I've always wanted to see it nonetheless!

NoirFan

That comment could apply to quite a few of the titles they're releasing. I must say I'm pretty impressed with the effort and care that's gone into each of their titles. Code Red are the highest form of turd-polishers, and I salute them for it.

man*machine

GANG WARS is terrific! Unbelievable fun, spastic 1975 exploitation trash that mixes ZOMBIE HORROR with KUNG FU and BLAXPLOITATION antics!

Mucho ***SPOILERS*** follow so proceed with caution. It opens in China in 200 BC where some monks are practicing some ancient ritual around a tomb and cave. Then we cut to modern day New York City for the opening credits. Every once in a while we cut to some hallucinatory moving shots inside a subway tunnel backed by some scary electronic music. Then we meet our two heroes, a black one named Luke and a white guy named Rodan, who are hangin' out at the local martial arts gym and flexin' their muscles at each other. Blink and they're on the plane and in Hong Kong and practicing martial arts with the Chinese masters in a long sequence. Rodan finds an old cave and sees some skulls, but they leave quickly because Luke is getting impatient. A zombie has awakened in the cave and lots of wind blows. POV shots as the zombie shuffles through the woods and soon the monster makes it to the docks and scares a guy smoking a cigarette (he gets so scared that his eyes turn into ping pong balls!). Back in Manhattan, the ping-pong ball eye guy gets off the boat and stumbles around the streets of the city. Cars honk at him. He finally stumbles his way down into the subway. Then we're back on the streets and some of that cool 70's 'kitcha kitcha' blaxploitation music kicks in. Dope deals are goin' down and kung-fu gang fighting between the blacks and chinese are rampant in the streets. Black Luke lives with his girlfriend in the tenements and is concerned about the crime outside. Meanwhile, back in the subway, ping-pong ball man starts screaming and bleeding red and green blood and his inner zombie self bursts through his skin! Zombie-man calls out to his victims in a fake female voice asking for help - the victims are ripped apart, their headless bodies left for the police to find and puzzle over. A preacher played by Brother Theodore is also in on the case and preaches to pedestrians on the busy streets of Manhattan! Poor Rodan gets his face shoved into an electrical panel by the zombie and dies. So Luke gets MAD, dons a plush yellow leotard jumpsuit, and heads into the subway for vengeance! It all ends in a big battle between fist, feet, and zombie! Ka-whacka! Lots of wild kung-fu, blaxploitation, ridiculous zombie horror, and really fake red blood make this one a real bad-movie treat!!! Don't miss it!

NoirFan

Wait, Brother Theodore is in it? I'm sold!

Mountain Biker

Was Butcher Baker, Nightmare Maker ever released???

salamander2

I believe they delayed it, due to them finally locating Jimmy McNichol to participate on it.

NoirFan

According to DVDAf, Code Red will be bringing us Running Hot and the awesome Derby documentary in February.

Zen Peckinpah

That movie looks fucking bitchin'.

Norm de Plume

The movie as a whole isn't perfect, but it has some of the best individual Horror scenes of the decade: The albino at the gas station; the girl being surrounded in the theater; the other girl being killed in the supermarket; the zombies jumping through the skylight during the final attack.
I'll be delighted to see a decent DVD of this.

Wasn't Code Red supposed to be releasing The Farmer? It was announced a long time ago.

salamander2

Probably next year, but with their distributor BCI folding,who knows now?

Norm de Plume

I see, thanks.

NoirFan

Code Red is alive and kickin'! From DVD Drive-In:

riotinmyskull

NoirFan

I viewed a couple of the films in the Fruet canon during last year's Horror Challenge - Death Weekend and Killer Party, and while the latter was simply atrocious, boasting one of the most nonsensical title songs I've ever heard, Death Weekend was a competent Straw Dogs/Last House on the Left ripoff, with the requisite amount of authentic exploitation sleaze. I'll definitely give this one a rental.

man*machine

Code Red has already had a couple of titles released through Navarre back in January: DERBY and RUNNING HOT. So they have been alive and kicking after BCI's collapse even since January. Hopefully, more titles will come out faster now that things seem to be straightened out.

I bought DERBY, a very cool 70's documentary on roller derby that somehow turns into a fascinating study of one dreamer guy who does everything he can to get into the sport, as well as all his family and friends and private life. It's a really cool movie, similar to SALESMAN in it's about real people instead of just their profession. Lots of extras, too. I had seen the film years ago on VHS and wasn't sure what I remembered about it, but I'm really glad I picked up the DVD.

I haven't picked up RUNNING HOT yet, but it stars Eric Stoltz in a somewhat early role. I've never seen it, but it's an action-exploitation thriller from the 80's and I will buy it eventually. I like the type of films code red goes after so I'm sure it will be fun in the end.

They also have something called NIGHT OF THE DRIBBLER about a homicidal basketball-head maniac that I can't wait to check out. That's coming soon, too, according to their website. Fun stuff!

NoirFan

Trapped trailer:

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"Starring Henry Silva...as a one-man death machine!"

Norm de Plume

Fruet's a solid genre director. You should check out Funeral Home, a charming Psycho-styled story with a creepy ambience and a first-rate central performance from Kay Hawtrey.

dullboy

Holy shit, that Trapped trailer made the movie looked action-packed. I wonder if the movie is actually that exciting.

NoirFan

Netflix is finally carrying Sweet Sixteen, though it really wasn't worth the wait. My expectations for 80's slashers are pretty low, but this film was truly dreadful. The transfer was pretty ragged too, with night sequences being almost indecipherable at times. Oh well. At least Frank Sparks' blandly vague song "Melissa" was worth a couple of unintentional chuckles, and it was mild fun to spot the various veteran B-movie actors as they sleepwalked through their performances.

Torchur317

I thought Sweet Sixteen was a pretty good 80s slasher....

billz

I just bought KILLER PARTY on VHS.

NoirFan

From Code Red's blog: Also of note: DVDAf lists release dates for a couple more: Riot on 42nd Street: 5/19 and Scream (1981): 6/30

Reviews:

DVD Drive-In on Terror Circus

DVD Beaver on Derby and Running Hot

joliom

So Savage Streets is OOP already? It hasn't even been a year yet.