Review:

Bad Review

By: Gabriel Ricard

Review Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line: Solid, though flawed slasher from indie studio Ramsteer Films

Pros: Excellent cast, awesome performance from Ryan Roc, does a good job in combining horror and comedy, good pace, in spite of short running time

Cons: Entirely too short, almost all of the characters are pretty weak

Additional release materials: No (Between theater and home release)

Directed by: Bob Heckman

Starring: Ryan Roc, Keith Colvin, Ken Wood, Tommy Chiesa, Corinne Zabel

Guide Review: Bad Review

Nobody's perfect, and although this is still very much watchable, and very much worth the time, the idea that it's not always going to come together is evident in Bad Review.

The movie earns points right off though, for giving Ryan Roc the starring role. Roc, for those who don't know, is a Ramsteer regular who has always turned in great moments with small parts in the other Ramsteer films. But he's never truly been given a chance in the spotlight. Bad Review changes that, and it's definitely the highlight of the movie.

But then there's the problem of the movie's running time, which clocks in at only twenty-seven minutes. This is something of a trademark for Ramsteer, who have yet to release a film longer than forty-minutes, and in their other films, though it's occasionally a deterrent, the cast, direction, and script usually make the most of things, and make you forget that the proceedings could benefit from a few more minutes of screen time. Don't get me wrong, all of those things are present in Bad Review, but it's a little more difficult to find them than usual. Partially, because even though the cast is still great, the only one who really excels is Ryan Roc. The others range from amusing to annoying, and that's not what you would expect from these guys, if you've seen their other films.

And the direction is still pretty good, as I said before, maintaining the usual great camera work and getting a good pace going, but it's hard to shake the idea that the movie should have to work against the running time. That shouldn't be the case. It's not that this should be a full-length deal, necessarily, because that probably wouldn't work with this kind of plot, which involves Ryan Roc playing an actor who finally snaps after the final film in his long-running horror franchise (Psycho Security Guard, which is a running joke in all Ramsteer films) gets yet another unkind review from a local film critic. But still, it's easy to imagine this movie being a whole lot better than average, because that's pretty much the vibe you get from this by the time the end credits roll, if it could've just had twenty or thirty more minutes to use to its advantage. And you have to believe that a little clump of time like that could've gone a long way to giving the movie a chance to give us some better victims and a little more opportunity to throw in some great dialogue and horror-fans-only jokes, which this movie still manages to pack in with the usual energy and force.

Still, it's not the end of the world, it's not the end of Ramsteer Films, and it's not the end of what you stand to get out of Bad Review. There's still enough to warrant a watch, and there's still enough good material to keep it afloat, but this is definitely not the best of the bunch, and should probably be last on your list.

Review:

Chosen

By: Gabriel Ricard

Review Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line: Sibel Kipchak would whoop Uma Thurman's ass

Pros: Great cast, well-paced, a good blend of comedy and horror

Cons: Short running time occasionally forces it to speed things up a little too much

Additional release materials: Yes

Directed by: Robert Harrison and Bob Heckman

Starring: Sibel Kipchak, Adam Bartlett, Keith Colvin

Guide Review: Chosen

Ramsteer Films, the same wacky kids out of New York who also brought us such low-budget gems as Secretary's Day and Night of The Vampires, have also tried their hand at the hot-chick-fighting-demons subgenre, which really doesn't get nearly as much love as I'd like to see it get. The result, at any rate, is an entertaining blend comedy and horror that definitely fulfills a very basic function of giving me hope for the state of independent horror.

The story, which promises to be the first of a number of chapters, has a woman being chosen (hence the title) to fight an army of demons (or possibly zombies) and bring down a sinister figure known as the Dark Lord Akkad. It's a fairly original idea, at least, in how it's handled by writing/directing/producing team Robert Harrison and Bob Heckman, but that's not going to be why you show up for something like this. At the very least, it's not the biggest reason. Entertainment, a sense of fun and love of horror, is what Ramsteer Films appears to be most interested in, and that translates extremely well into all of their films.

Chosen is no exception. The movie's got a terrific cast, especially the wonderful Sibel Kipchak as the chosen in question, and Bob Heckman as her potentially retarded brother, going for it. There's also an excellent, clever script loaded with great dialogue (the conversation on the Hellraiser franchise is almost worth the cost of admission by itself) and, again, that excellent blend of comedy and horror, with most the emphasis going on horror. It's also backed up by some solid direction from Harrison and Heckman, who, once again, get a lot of mileage out off their locations and walk away with some great camera work at every turn.

If anything hurts the movie, it's the running time, which almost comes off without a hitch, actually, but occasionally, still moves a little too quickly. Still, Robert Harrison and Bob Heckman's handling is first-rate, and certainly makes for a compelling argument that a movie doesn't need to be ninety minutes or longer to be effective. It's not a perfect argument, but Chosen makes it look pretty damn strong all the same. If you can get past that little part, which isn't too difficult, given everything this movie does right, then you're definitely in for a great time. The special effects aren't going to knock you on your ass, but you try doing a better job with what these guys have to work with. And under those circumstances, it's pretty goddamn cool.

Basically, this is what happens when the spirit of independent film is truly allowed to run amok. You get something that's worth the price of a DVD (available at www.ramsteerfilms.com) from a great opening scene to a somewhat clich'd, though still perfectly reasonable, since it opens things up for a sequel, ending. Check this out, and if you have yet to check Ramsteer Films, then use this is an introduction. It's as good a place to start as anything.

Review:

Night of the Vampires

By: Gabriel Ricard

Review Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line: Solid vampire flick from Ramsteer Films

Pros: Good cast,

Cons: Some of the characters are a little weak, pacing is occasionally a little uneven

Additional release materials: Yes

Directed by: Robert Harrison

Starring: Chris Fernandes, Corinne Zabell, Ryan Roc, Andrew Henriques

Guide Review: Night of The Vampires

Since it's very obvious that the guys from Ramsteer Films are horror movie fans, it was kind of inevitable that they were going to tackle vampires at some time or another. So, Night of The Vampires is not really going to surprise you in that respect. What might surprise you, if you're not familiar with Ramsteer and their ability to do a hell of a lot of good filmmaking with not a whole lot of supplies, is the handling of the story itself, which tells of a group of vampire hunters on the trail of a master vampire who has taken up residence at the house a young man, by promising him immortality in exchange for victims to feed him. It's not going to blind you with its original plot or anything, but it's still pretty damn clever, and definitely not something that comes up often.

Still, like every Ramsteer film, the best stuff comes from the cast, which, as usual, has a great time in kicking a lot of ass with a funny, sincere, well-written script, a combination that seems to have a lot of trouble coming together in a good portion of the other horror films coming out these days. Though this time, the characters are a little weaker than in other efforts like Chosen or Secretary's Day. It's not that anyone turns in a terrible performance, because everyone involved does a great job, but it's a little harder to find a character to get behind and root for than usual, and that hurts it a little.

The movie, although still as well shot as all the other films in Ramsteer's canon, is also weakened somewhat by a slightly uneven pace, as the movie occasionally falls into the habit of speeding up when it should be taking its time, or slowing down when things need to get kicking. You're not going to turn off your DVD player on account of this, but it also makes the going a little rougher than usual. It's still pretty easy to get by this though, with still-memorable work from Andrew Henriques, and really, from nearly everyone else involved, and a perfect climax, which is guaranteed to have you walking away feeling as though it's still possible to wring some good twists and a lot more fun than you might expect from a chapter in horror that's been pretty much handled on every corner.

This isn't the best place to start with Ramsteer's small, though strong body of work, but if you loved Chosen or Secretary's Day, and you're more than ready for a little more of their particular brand of insanity, than certainly check this out. Chances are, you'll find something worth your time.

Review:

Secretary's Day

By: Gabriel Ricard

Review Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Bottom Line: A movie with the guts to murder actresses playing secretaries.

Pros: Great cast, wonderful sense of humor, really makes the most of its ultra low budget

Cons: Runs a little too short, may not appeal to people who don't have a sense of humor

Additional release materials: Yes

Directed by: Bob Heckman and Robert Harrison

Starring: Nirvani Mootoo, Matt Roren, Ann Craven, Jon Meltzer

Guide Review: Secretary's Day

I wasn't sure what was waiting for me, when I put my copy of Secretary's Day into my DVD player and settled back with a pack of cheap cigarettes and enough beer to start an entirely new universe of political thought. Hopefully, I imagined, this would be a comedy of some kind. Because only a complete retard would try to make something serious about Secretary's Day.

Thankfully, for the first time in awhile, I was actually right.

This is indeed a comedy and, what's more, it's a pretty damn funny one, too. The plot involves a mysterious masked killer, known, suitably enough, as The Secretary Slasher, who disappeared five years prior, after murdering thirteen secretaries on Secretary's Day (naturally), but has now returned to start the whole thing over again. Basically, it's nothing you're not immediately familiar with, but that doesn't matter.

With a movie like this, handling is everything, and that's where this extremely low-budget movie excels. Yeah, some of the jokes are pretty goofy, and that may not sit well with people who have absolutely nothing in the way of a sense of humor, but really, try to get mad at a movie that packs in as much charm and personality as Secretary's Day does into a fairly short thirty-four minute running time. This may be an indie flick, but try to gather that from how well this movie is shot, how it makes the most of the locations.

The cast, with standout performances from Jon Meltzer and Ann Craven, is really perfect, likable in every sense of the word. Everyone looks like they're having a genuinely good time with the material, which, in a lot of ways, is somewhat akin to Airplane or Naked Gun, and that shows in every single scene, and in every single joke. Even the ones that don't work, and it's not like that's a common thing anymore. And something should be added to the fact this movie only runs at thirty-four minutes. In all honesty, as good as those thirty-four minutes is, you get the sense that movie could've been even better, if it been given just a little more time to play with. This isn't a big deal, really, and it doesn't keep what's here from being as great as it is, but it does warrant a mention all the same. Still, the good definitely outweighs the bad.

This is one of the best independent horror movies I've seen in quite some time. And watching it, and getting a kick out of the wonderful opening scene or Jon Meltzer's hilariously low-key performance, will most likely lead you to wonder why Ramsteer Films, the strange folk who put this film together, aren't given a few million dollars and a couple of washed-up TV actors to play with. You get the sense that they could come up with some of the most entertaining damage dealt to Hollywood since Lloyd Kauffman decided to rent some office space in New York City.

This film is available exclusively at Ramsteerfilms.com, although the boys do make appearances at various horror conventions, and the DVD itself is worth noting for commentary, bloopers/outtakes, a strange moment in the life of Ramsteer regular Ryan Roc, and a tribute to Jon Meltzer. 

Chosen (DVD), Edited, Produced, Written, and Directed by Robert Harrison and Bob Heckman.

First off I got to say this, THIS HAS TO BE POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE BAD SHORT FILM OF ALL TIME!??

I mean that in a good way. A pretty girl named Sibel Kipchak who plays Stacey or the Chosen who must defend herself from the evil that comes in the form of a being in a blue mask and Lord Akkad. It shows the short film of 47 minutes is influenced by the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer but goes off into a whole different direction with its background characters that only losers who watch way too many horror films could love! This movie sports the very first conversation about Hellraiser sequels and knowledge about them on film that only losers like me and those fat guys in the video store looking for Erotic Survivor 4 look forward too! The acting is bad, the special effects is bad, it has no budget, but with people like Ryan Roc who dies three times in the film, the very beautiful and talented Corinne Monier aka Zabell, Adam Bartlett, Keith Colvin and Bob Heckman who just sits around the whole movie eating cereal in a bathrobe don't take the film to serious and show how to make fun bad movie and it be entertaining as hell! The movie looks like they had way too much fun making it and that's why I really love their passion for movie making and future projects they hopefully will do! I give this 4 stars as there is lots blood to go around also in the film. The DVD also comes with deleted scenes, bloopers/outtakes, and trailers. Want to own it go to: www.ramsteerfilms.com or e-mail them at ramsteerfilms@aol.com

Night of the Vampires/Bad Review (DVD), Filmed by Robert Harrison and Bob Heckman. Both short films on the same DVD, so first up is Night of the Vampires, directed & written by Robert Harrison. The movie is about a vampire named Lucky?? who walks right into a guy's house and makes him an offer of immortality if the guy, Tommy will bring back people to feed him. But Tommy's main concern isn't how this guy just walked in but if he can be a bat?? when he is changed by Lucky

Tommy not real sure on the whole matter talks to his friend Jenny (Corinne Zabell), who by the way is very cute but knows something about vampires. This John Carpenter's Vampires inspired short film takes advantage of its locations around them and gets great acting out of Jenny (Corinne Zabell) and Ryan Roc (a vampire hunter looking for Lucky) and does let a limited budget get in their way of making a decent 36 minute vampire film that I give 2 ½ stars. Also pay attention to the T-shirts all the characters in the film are wearing, is the filmmaker trying to say something? Next up is the short film Bad Review, written and directed by Bob Heckman. The short film is about a man named Larry Hama (Ryan Roc) who plays a security guard in these slasher flicks called, Psycho Security Guard?? and the latest and last of the series gets a bad review from the local film critic. With this happening, Larry snaps from the laughing from his very beautiful and talented girlfriend (Corinne Zabell) and cuts her to shreds! Larry gets into character and becomes Wallace Weems?? the Psycho Security Guard and decides he is going to kill the filmmakers who written him off after part 6 and kill the film critic who has bad mouthed his film! Funniest part of the 27 minute short film has to be a tie between the trick-or-treaters getting his girlfriend's tampons, cell phone, and money and The Easter Bunny Rampage!!! This short film is a must see, I give it 4 stars. The DVD's special features are bloopers and trailers and inside the case is an advertisement for their next two films: Secretary's Day and a full-featured film sequel to Night of the Vampires called Attack of the Vampires??! So look for good things coming from these guys at: www.ramsteerfilms.com or you can e-mail them at ramsteerfilms@aol.com .

This short film was made by Ramsteer Films which came from the great minds of Bob Heckman and Robert Harrison. These guys are huge fans of 80's horror films as I am and have made some of the funniest short horror films in the past: The Chosen and Bad Review! Well they now bring you Secretary's Day!?? The tagline is Michael has Halloween; Jason has Friday the 13th, now someone has Secretary's Day!?? The movie was even quoted by Beastmaster star Marc Singer as the greatest movie ever!?? This funny ass slasher short film is about a guy who killed a bunch of secretaries a few years ago and disappeared and is back again for no reason at all except to kill more secretaries! The film moves at a brisk 34 minutes with jokes about everything and anything from Tom Savini to the character Ralph from Friday the 13th to Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure. Lots of blood, a detective that does things by the book and bad acting in a fun way make this slasher film a joy for the whole family. I did not stop laughing until the credits are gone which are also worth watching as they of course put different names into producers, stuntmen, etc. What's great about Ramsteer Films that more small budget Indy companies need to take note from Bob Heckman and Robert Harrison, is don't take your film to seriously, have fun with it, and have passion for making the film you are making. These things do come through while watching their film work and always makes it a pleasure to review their films! Their DVD actually is two DVD's which the first disc is the movie and the movie with commentary from Heckman and Harrison which at times is as funny as Bubba Ho-Tep's commentary from Elvis (Bruce Campbell)! The second disc is their Bonus Features: Bloopers/Outtakes, Trailers, two segments A Tribute to Jon Meltzer and For the love of Ryan Roc who was an actor who was a big part of their past short films. Also for the Full Moon fans such as myself, they have Ramzone??! Which is a segment where Robert Harrison talks about the production of Secretary's Day and discusses future projects Ramsteer Films is working on for 2006. The film had me at random shot of woods?? and I give this short film 3 ½ stars! Also for anybody interested in purchasing the DVD: www.ramsteerfilms.com and $8 of your hard earned cash.

Remover (DVD) Bob Heckman and Robert Harrison are at it again at Ramsteer Films as they release their newest but oldest short film feature. What? The film was made about four or five years ago and the Bobs went back and put some finishing touches on their first film which has never been released! This isn't their usual horror/comedy fare; it is a straight forward classic Sci-Fi Thriller! A mob hitman called, a remover has a close brush with death and decides it might be time to get out of the remover business and visits and volunteers for his brother's experimental time machine! The ending is original and makes you want to watch the film over again. The film runs about 30 minutes and has all the usual Ramsteer Film extras. I give the movie 3 ½ stars and you can check it out or buy it at www.ramsteerfilms.com .

Recently I had a conversation with fellow staff member Tim Gross about how the independent horror/comedy has been completely overdone up to this point.  I totally agree about that assessment of Tim's, but there is one independent film that I recently saw that totally helps the case against that argument.  That film is Ramsteer films Secretary's Day.  It's a 34 minute film that is a total spoof of the slasher genre made by people that you can tell just love that subgenre.  It's based upon a serial killer out to kill 13 secretaries on Secretary's Day.  It's a hilarious look at the slasher genre that works on just about every level.  There's plenty of in jokes for fans of the Friday the 13th series and Halloween movies, and it's really funny stuff.  I didn't know what to expect going into the screening of it at this years Genghis Con and I left pleasantly surprised.  The movie has solid acting (considering it's a horror/comedy, the acting works the way it's presented very well), good writing, and the characters are hilarious as well.  Look out for characters like Detective Michael J. Case (who plays the comedic straight laced cop very well), his neighbor Francis (a younger version of Crazy Ralph from the first two Friday the 13th films), Roy the Paramedic (a pretty funny nod to Friday the 13th 5), Phillip the Alien, the non important guy, and much much more.  I was really overwhelmed at how cleaver and well executed this film was and you can just see the adoration that they have for the films that they are doing a parody of.  This one is a MUST HAVE for all fans of slasher films, and it's certainly worth a look for anyone out there that is looking for an indy movie that is actually really worth checking out.  You can check them out at http://www.ramsteerfilms.com/ to get your own copy, or just to see what they are going to do next.  I say keep up the good work Ramsteer!!!

Rating - ***

-Ed Demko

Johnny is a Remover, or contract killer, who works for the mysterious Mr. C. One day he is involved in an automobile accident and when he awakens sometime later, he discovers that he is suffering from amnesia. Surprised to learn what it is that he does for a living and re-discovering many things about himself and his family, he comes to the realization that his life needs changes. While changing is something he is perfectly willing to do, his employer, Mr. C might not make it so easy. So, Johnny turns to his brother, a scientist who has devised a time travel machine that offers a one way ticket into the past.

Though it's a short film, and at approximately twenty-seven minutes it's only marginally longer than an episode of your average sitcom, Remover packs enough ideas for a movie twice its length. The narrative begins with an opening sequence that leaves the viewer with several unanswered questions. Gradually the story moves forward and eventually comes full circle, so that the mysterious events at the beginning are not only explained, but take on deeper meanings that one might initially guess. The film foregoes lengthy examinations of time travel or the technology that makes it possible and concentrates instead on the characters and story, letting the core ideas drive things along rather than technobabble.

One of the great things about this film is how in such a short time it can get the audience emotionally invested in some of the characters. By the end, when Johnny has decided on a course of action, you'll be hoping he can pull it off before the forces arrayed against him can win. Additionally, the villains of the story - most notably a fellow Remover named Paul, will have you restraining the desire to reach through the screen in order to throttle him. Now, that is the sign of a good villain. The film is shot in black and white, which lends a certain "noir-ish" feel to the proceedings, and while on occasion the bright whites threaten to overpower your senses, its nothing that can't be fixed by a quick adjustment to the brightness settings.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, being that, since I'm an old guy I tend to repeat myself, but here goes nothing, comedy and horror are very closely related. Now, before you stop reading this because you think you've heard it all before...DON'T LEAVE! I just say a movie that really puts it's tongue in it's cheek and keeps it there. It's called Secretary's Day and it's a great send up of 80s horror.

By looking at the cover of the DVD and reading the back, you really wouldn't be sure what you're in for, but from the opening kill, when the victim takes the time to actually kick a bucket and sign paperwork to 'buy the farm', you know that you're in for something really special. The guys over at Ramsteer Films aren't afraid to look silly, some of the jokes here are obvious, but still made me laugh out loud, from the questioning of an informant to working the crime scene, the jokes come fast and often had me rewinding the DVD to hear the second joke I missed while laughing at the first. Secretary's Day is as close to the classic movie, Airplane, that I've seen, this ranks higher to me than Scary Movie or it's sequels.

Secretary's Day is worth the time and effort to see, the only thing I wished was that it had been a little longer, but then that might have ruined the joke...always leave them wanting more, isn't that what they say? Well, Ramsteer Films has done that, I definitely want more, like what does that 'J' stand for? If you've seen the movie, you'll be laughing, otherwise, just forgive me. If you'd like to check this great comedy out for yourself, head over to Ramsteer Films and see it for yourself. And, until next time, when I'll be doing my own spoof of the Scary Movie franchise, where I take a comedy and turn it into a drama, remember that the best movies are bad movies.

Billed as the first chapter in a horror/fantasy series, Chosen is about a young woman named Stacey that has been selected to fight the forces of evil that are constantly trying to subvert and conquer our world. Led by the Dark Lord Akkad, this army of demons, zombies and other supernatural killers is preparing for the subjugation of all humanity, but first any who oppose them must be eliminated, including one newly chosen warrior for the forces of good. Forced to accept the responsibility of destroying Lord Akkad and his minions, Stacey has quite the fight ahead of her.

I got a peculiar vibe from watching this film and after much thought and examination, I ultimately decided that the movie gave answer to the question, what would happen if Buffy Summers found herself pitted against Jason Vorhees? Not that the film is a slasher clone. Indeed, the film throws all sorts of monsters and baddies at the protagonists, but the clear focus, aside from main baddie Lord Akkad, seems to be on a killer named the Soul Stealer that doesn't seem to have the capacity to die. He stalks and kills a fair amount of people, but the confrontations with Stacey (when she isn't kicking some other demons' collective asses) are what led to this feeling. That and Stacey suddenly dealing with her newfound strengths and abilities.

The performances in this film are what help sell it, and everyone seems committed to giving it their all, though special note must be made of the great role by co-director Bob Heckman as the jobless and often clueless Eddie. The movie also has a great sense of energy about it, as if everyone involved is having a lot of fun, This is a good thing, as the movie is also an example of ideas and energy outstripping resources. The lack of a giant budget is one thing I can look past; after all, it's the ideas that count, and this film has some good ones. My only real beef would be with the fight choreography. While adequate, it still appeared somewhat…tame on occasion. A little more desperate energy and emotion thrown in would have helped spice it up…but then again, that's just me. At less than fifty minutes, this one is a quick and easy way to kill some time.

Before I get into this review, I have to apologize to the guys at (Ramsteer Films. Rather than go into lame excuses as to why I failed to get this review done on time (like "I'm pulling two jobs right now" and "I was busy moving my website to a new domain and updating all the pages"), I'm just going to be a man, and sally forth with this review for two of the greatest indie flicks I've ever had the pleasure of watching! First up is Night of the Vampires, in which a guy named Tommy suddenly finds his home invaded by a vampire named Lucky (played by Andrew Henriques, who also created some original music for this flick).

Lucky is apparently a very old vampire and is currently sought after by a pair of vampire hunters named Jason and Jack Grant. These young hunters are out to avenge their father's death and are relentless in their search for Lucky. To keep a low profile, Lucky hides out in Tommy's house, and promises his human host the gift of immortality. All Tommy has to do to become a vampire, is provide Lucky with a steady supply of food on a nightly basis. Starting that very night, Tommy begins patrolling the streets with a baseball bat and begins "harvesting" unlucky pedestrians to feed his unwanted guest. Eventually, things come to a head, and Lucky comes out on top after fooling his vampire-killing foes and poor Tommy. (Though we don't see it happen, it would appear that Lucky has turned all three of them into vampires.)

As the film ends, the Grant brothers' followers (a not-so-merry band of fellow vampire hunters) continue their search for Lucky and his growing army of bloodsuckers. (Does this mean we can expect a sequel?!) Night of the Vampires is a fun horror/comedy that features one of the greatest vampiric characters that I've ever seen in a movie, namely Lucky! He is suave, persuasive, and downright evil, and Andrew Henriques really gives this creature of the night some attitude! (This is the vampire that Eddie Murphy wished he could've been in Vampire in Brooklyn!) His foil in the film is Tommy, played by Chris Fernandes. Tommy isn't the brightest guy in the world and his interaction with Lucky is at times quite hilarious and makes for some truly memorable moments!

As you can see I really enjoyed this short film from writer/director Robert Harrison. At just forty-minutes, the movie rarely (if ever) drags, and is further enhanced by some great editing and an awesome soundtrack! On top of that, the film delivers a healthy dose of kung-fu fights, vamp stakings, baseball bat bludgeonings, and more, easily making Night of the Vampires one of the best indie vampire flicks that I've ever watched!

Next up on this double feature DVD was Bob Heckman's Bad Review. In this film, actor Ryan Roc plays Larry Hama, the star of the popular Psycho Security Guard horror franchise. (A nod toward Maniac Cop perhaps?) When we first see Larry, he is anxiously awaiting a television critique of his latest film, Psycho Security Guard 6: The Final Shift. His excitement and anticipation soon turn to uncontrollable rage after the film is mercilessly bashed by critic Jim Winters. Something snaps in Larry's mind at that very moment, which causes him to adopt the identity of his onscreen persona, Wallace Weems, the "Psycho Security Guard!" After murdering his girlfriend Courtney (trust me, she deserved it), and a really annoying neighbor (he deserved it too), Larry takes a train and goes to the home of Harrison, a bigwig producer for Ramsteer Films.

Larry ends up holding Harrison hostage, along with Wayne (the writer of the "Psycho Security Guard" films), and Josh Blaylock (the star of Psycho Security Guard 3 which had nothing to do with Larry's character!). Larry ties them up, and holds them all at gunpoint as he gives all three guys a piece of his mind. After he has his say, Larry promptly gets a chainsaw and goes to town on all three guys! Larry then travels to the home of TV film critic Jim Winters and exacts revenge on him. Before Larry kills Jim, he reads off all the critic's negative reviews for the Psycho Security Guard franchise, and delivers a counter argument for each one! (Awesome scene!) With his murderous escapades now over, Larry returns home, cracks open a beer, and watches TV with his dead girlfriend!

All I can really say about Bad Review is that it's awesome! I loved this movie! It's an extremely fun film to watch and Ryan Roc is awesome as deranged actor, Larry Hama! There's tons of humorous scenes and dialogue in this flick and I was cheering Larry on as he took out all those responsible for killing off his beloved horror movie character! The movie is extremely well done and has a highly polished look (the editing is superb in this flick, as it was in Night of the Vampires) and at only twenty-seven minutes long, it never has time to get boring!

Night of the Vampires and Bad Review are both available on a double feature DVD from Ramsteer Films. (Buy it here!) The DVD also comes with a few extra features, including trailers for Night of the Vampires, Bad Review, Chosen, Secretary's Day, and Remover. (All of which make up Ramsteer Films' current film catalog.), a fun blooper reel, and finally a "hilarious Easter egg." (Easter Bunny Rampage! Hahahaha!) I was greatly impressed with these two short films from the Ramsteer Films team and I look forward to seeing more of their work in the near future! You guys rock!

I am sure many fans of Ramsteer Films will be surprised that my favorite film of theirs is "Bad Review".  Most people would probably would recommend "The Chosen" or the hilarious slasher spoof "Secretary's Day". I however really enjoyed "Bad Review" the most mainly because of the hilarious starring character Larry Hama a.k.a Wallace Weems.

Larry Hama is a struggling but known actor who is the lead character in a horror franchise titled "Psycho Security Guard". He snaps after watching an Ebert type critic bash his latest movie as well as his acting. Larry snaps and becomes his on screen persona and goes after everyone that has to do with the series and some other people. The opening scene is great and really shows his character fall apart. The acting by Ryan Roc is played pretty straight and his believable anger makes his character hilarious. The dialog is fun and references the horror genre well. Ramsteer Films is a Low Budget film company that has mostly made low budget Horror Comedies but has also made Sci-Fi and Fantasy film. In my opinion they make the best low budget horror movies because their comedy is silly but more subtle and less vulgar than a lot of other similar filmmakers. They do use annoying emo in this movie that sounds a lot like the stuff from DSK Production's movies. A small flaw like this does not ruin a movie that shows a disgruntled actor smash beer bottles over faces, torture directors and producers and tell off a film critic for obviously not watching films he reviews. The film is of course shot on video but looks nice and I had a blast watching it for 27 minutes. I watch review shows like Ebert & Roeper and I watch tons of slashers .It was cool to see those two elements mixed well together. The off screen murders are done in  creative ways and justify the budgetary constraints. Please watch or buy this movie that pokes fun and sticks up for the slasher subgenre. Another reason to purchase this film would be because it's on a Double Feature with "Night of the Vampires" for 8 bucks. I own most of their stuff and I am damn proud to watch and review their films. Hopefully they don't make something I hate because then I might bash it and end up a dead film critic! You can buy this film and many others on www.ramsteerfilms.com.

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-Russ Rutter