6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A B-Movie Epic!, November 9, 2005
This review is from: DR. HORROR'S EROTIC HOUSE OF IDIOTS (DVD)
One of the pitfalls of being a B-movie fan who grew up in the 80's is that my idea of what makes an entertaining piece of schlock is skewed considerably from what such films originated as. Sure, I might have caught THE TINGLER once or twice, but the majority of what I saw were sex comedies with wall-to-wall T&A, or slasher flicks with chainsaws hacking limbs off left and right, blood painting the walls and guts hanging from the ceiling fan. Hell, if you got lucky, you'd see all those things in one movie!
But before it became all about shocking and titillating audiences seeking cheap thrills, there was a time where filmmakers concerned themselves with telling great stories and crafting the best movies they could, implementing monsters and beautiful women, mixing in corny jokes, and entertaining the audience in the best possible way despite having z-grade production value. Back then, it was more about hard work and less about how many naked lesbian vampires you could cover with a bucket of sloppy fake intestines. Not to detract from what has been achieved since the days of Ed Wood, but it seems to me that all too often, B-filmmakers take the easier route and stick with a formula that sells versus trying to get out there and really be ambitious.
Director Paul Scrabo, together with the regal indie horror legend (and co-writer) Brinke Stevens, has crafted an epic tribute to old-school B-filmmaking with the hysterical, awe-inspiring DR. HORROR'S EROTIC HOUSE OF IDIOTS. While the title itself is a definite parody of the slew of films with the word "erotic" in the title that have flooded the indie horror film market in the last few years (I think I've reviewed every single one of them, actually), the movie itself is both a celebration of a style of movie-making that has been overlooked and goes largely underappreciated by today's audiences (who seem to only be excited by the prospect of counting severed limbs and lesbian sex scenes on score cards or something) and a flat-out funny comedy as well.
DR. HORROR's plot is as much a lament for monster movies and corny comedies of eras past as it is a modern day take on a classic theme. The script is fun, witty, and well-crafted indeed...but it's the incredible cast of DR. HORROR that will truly amaze you. It's a mix of actors from the heyday of B-movies (star Conrad Brooks was in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) and current indie favorites like Trent Haaga, Barbara Joyce, and of course our beloved Miss Debbie Rochon. On top of that are tons more cameos by actors most any fan of current independent horror will instantly recognize, rounded out by the presence of the immortal Zacherle, who provides some of the film's most howlingly funny lines.
DR. HORROR'S EROTIC HOUSE OF IDIOTS puts most of the independent films I see these days to shame, and should serve as an example of the kind of movies that hard work and imagination can produce. It's not only a labor of love, but downright entertaining as well. I absolutely loved it!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
'House of Idiots' A Good Showcase for Debbie Rochon, August 21, 2009
This review is from: DR. HORROR'S EROTIC HOUSE OF IDIOTS (DVD)
Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots is a spoof, if you will, of old b-movies from the fifties and sixties. It's often funny and clever, but the pace does slow down from time to time.
The film is virtually a who's who of some of the best b-movie actors working today. There's Trent Haaga who starred in Suburban Nightmare and Dead & Rotting. There's Michael R. Thomas who starred in Bite Me and Shock-O-Rama. There's Tina Krause from Bloodletting and Blood & Sex Nightmare. There's Rachael Robbins from Bikini Bloodbath Carwash and Screaming Dead. And there's Ruby Larocca and Barbara Joyce who have each starred in several softcore erotic movie for E.I. Cinema.
However, the actress that made the biggest impression here was of course the Debbie Rochon. She has been one of my favorites for years, right up there with Julie Strain and Brinke Stevens, who by the way co-wrote the script for Dr. Horror's Erotic House of Idiots. It was a wonderful occasion to see Rochon with so much screen time here. The first two movies I saw Debbie in were American Nightmare and Bleed, and she was the main star in those too. However, just like the aforementioned Julie Strain and Brinke Stevens, as well as another b-movie favorite of mine Linnea Quigley, she mostly only has small roles these days or just makes cameos. So, it was great to see her in the spotlight here.
Like I said earlier, Erotic House of Idiots can be funny, but it probably could have been trimmed. Still, though, it's definately worth seeing for the actors and the funny bits.
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