Up first this week is the fantastic documentary, Dinner with Leatherface. The film is about horror icon Gunnar Hansen, the man behind the mask of the original Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hansen was a gentle giant beloved by friends and fans. He starred in all kinds of independent films and was a prolific writer as well. Filmmakers, co-stars and friends talk about the man and it’s also filled with footage, interviews and more with Hansen himself. Barbara Crampton, Danielle Harris, Bruce Campbell, Kane Hodder, Felissa Rose, Tiffany Shepis, Brian O’Halloran, Debbie Rochon and other horror and cult stars give personal stories about working with him and befriending him. Many of them did the convention circuit with him and he was a genuinely good guy to everyone. It’s a great documentary on horror movies. It’s a great documentary on independent filmmaking. It’s a great documentary on a man who touched many lives. Harris has a great question and answer segment with him in the Bonus Features you should check out. Plus there are other interviews, commentary and more. I highly recommend this for any Hansen, horror or Texas Chainsaw fan.
Second we have Daddy, a film I totally didn’t understand. In the future you need approval to have children. Four random men are put together in a house to see if they are worthy of fatherhood. I get all that, but the story is frustrating. These four random men are waiting for a proctor to show up and when no one does, they instantly start questioning each other and their environment. In a matter of days they are confused at what’s happening, what they should do and who each other are. Then a stranger shows up and they question her and her intentions. I found every character to be annoying and frustrating and didn’t care about any of them. One wants to make an alliance. One is suspicious of everything. One is religious, the other is sort of a buffoon. The concept could have worked, but maybe it needed different actors because I didn’t like it at all.
Documentary Now: The Complete Collection hits Blu-ray this week from Mill Creek Entertainment. I wasn’t familiar with the show until it first hit physical media. It’s a serious of fake documentaries/stories starring a who’s who of Hollywood. Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Mulaney, Alexander Skarsgård, Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Nicholas Braun, Jack Black, Natasha Lyonne, Michael Keaton, you name it, they are most likely in this. It’s “hosted” by Helen Mirren and each segment has a different style to go with its different story. This is 4 discs and each segment is 20-25 minutes so it’s a quick binge to get into. I’d compare it to an anthology film where some segments are better than others. Obviously with the cast and guest stars it’s a top-notch production and was nominated for Emmy awards. I’m not sure if the entire collection has been available before or not so if you are a fan you’ll enjoy this. The bonus features contain deleted scenes, Behind-the-Scenes featurettes and the IFC Emmy Panel Discussion. If you enjoyed the series you’ll like this new box set.
Last we have Lamberto Bava’s The Mask of Satan. It is a reimagining of his father’s film Black Sunday and finds a group of friends skiing when they fall through a crevasse in the snowy mountains. One woman is hurt badly while others try to find a way out. While trapped they find an ancient mask and immediately decide to put it on. Of course this awakens a cursed witch. Almost all the friends escape to a small village where a blind priest takes them in. The witch changes the friends and the priest does his best to control them. It has a very 80s gothic vibe with beautiful men and women. The priest’s area has fantastic production value for the time and the acting is solid (also for the time frame). Some of the VFX is sketchy by today’s standards, but were probably groundbreaking when the film came out. Collectors of the Bava family filmography will enjoy this a lot. It’s not creepy or scary per se, but the gothic vibe of the village mixed with the characters of that time period give it a good mysterious tone. You’re not sure who will survive or if anyone will actually die and the flashback scenes to the burning of the witch give off a cool Salem Witch Trial vibe. Special Features include an interview with Bava and interviews with actresses.
The Nerds Templar 