Music is My Life!!! - 20 MORE Essential Punk Recordings

I know, I couldn't resist...

Inspired from my last post, I decided to make a follow-up list from my 30 Essential Punk Recordings list, but this time I'll make it 20 so that it'll be an even 50...

I love Punk too much. I couldn't leave it at just 30...

Here goes...

1. "Blank Generation" by Richard Hell & The Voidoids
"It's such a gamble when you get a face..."
Richard Hell and Co. created a classic, iconic punk anthem that was the theme song to a generation... a blank generation!

2. "Roadrunner" by The Modern Lovers
Who knew that annoying-as-hell singer from "There's Something About Mary" was behind one of punk's defining anthems? Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers were way ahead of their time before the punk movement even started! This song went on to be covered badly by The Sex Pistols...

3. "Oh Bondage! Up Yours!" by X-Ray Spex
Led by the incomparable Poly Styrene, these geek-punkers from England sang about sadomasochism and all of its perks in this classic song, backed by Lara Logic and her gnarly saxomophone...

4. "Orgasm Addict" by The Buzzcocks
Hailing from the same stomping grounds as such legendary punk bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks hammered through this risque track about wanking...

5. "Lexicon Devil" by The Germs
Snotty, bratty, abrasive, and totally in-your-face, The Germs could have taken over the world with this song (if punk was more accessible, that is...). The late, great Darby Crash was one of the most dynamic frontmen in punk music. I want a Germs burn!!

6. "My Way" by Sid Vicious
Taking the mike this time, the late Sid Vicious sneered through this memorable cover of the Sinatra classic. I prefer this version. Oi!!!

7. "Out of Vogue" by Middle Class
One of the first Hardcore bands to come out of L.A., Middle Class tore through this minute-long track about not wanting to know what happens in the world. Yep, that was punk...

8. "Sex & Violence" by The Exploited
A punk classic, this band went on for five minutes about Sex & Violence! They must have liked it a lot to basically reiterate the same lyrics throughout the whole song!! "Sex & Violence!! Sex & Violence!! Sex & Violence...."

9. "Tell Me Why" by MIA
I love this song... It's basically asking you why you like living in the U.S.A. A true punk classic...

10. "We're Comin' Out" by The Replacements
It was hard to pick one great Replacements song, so I decided to pick their "coming out" party! This song signifies the introduction of a truly great band. And it was a pretty fast up-tempo rocker as well...

11. "Suburban Home" by The Descendents
"I wanna be stereotyped. I wanna be classified."
What is more Punk than the acceptance of Suburbia, and wanting a home there? Oh wait, it isn't. These guys didn't care though. From their landmark album "Milo Goes to College," this song melds pop sensibilities with Hardcore awesomeness...

12. "Let's Go Mano!" by The Donnas
Taken from their raw, dirty debut album, these teenage Rock & Roll machines dedicated this song to beating up lame-os. I fell in love...

13. "File 13" by A.F.I.
Davey Havoc screams and careens amidst a Hardcore backbeat in one of their earliest songs from "Very Proud of Ya." I liked Hardcore A.F.I. Goth A.F.I. is kool too...

14. "Surfin' Dead" by The Cramps
Taken from the punk-horror classic "Return of the Living Dead," lead singer Lux Interior swaggers through this psychobilly romp, and the Dead have never been happier...

15. "People Who Died" by The Jim Carroll Band
This poetic, fast-paced punk 'n roller is a stirring tribute to the many friends that Jim Carroll lost growing up. A classic track from a classic band.

16. "The Damned" by The Plasmatics
I love Wendy Orlean Williams. She sang like she was the crazee punk offspring of Janis Joplin and Lemmy!! The Plasmatics ripped through this punk-metal track, and the video was BEYOND awesome!!!



17. "Monkey Gone to Heaven" by The Pixies
Classic track from the forebearers to Nirvana. This song was totally heavy, yet melodic at the same time...
"If the devil is 6, then GOD IS 7!!!"

18. "Just Like Honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain
This song is literally 3 minutes in heaven. It's totally distorted but melodic and beautiful at the same time.
"I'll be a plastic toy... I'll be a plastic toy..."

19. "Take the Skinheads Bowling" by Camper Van Beethoven
"There's not a line here that goes or ryhmes with anything... Anything! Anything!"
Shit... the skinheads need love too! Just take them bowling!!

20. "Final Solution" by Pere Ubu
This song captures what it is to be a punker. The lyrics and the beautiful sounds meld together in a cathartic way at the end of it. Listen on...



Okay, that's all, I promise... well, for now.

And, as Chop-Top so succinctly puts it, "Music is My Life!!!"

Music is My Life!!! - 30 Essential Punk Recordings

Rock and Roll rules my very soul, much like teenage metalhead Eddie Weinbauer's in the classic 80's heavy metal horror flick "Trick or Treat." Even though he defeated his demonic idol Sammi Curr, Eddie still loved heavy metal in the end. I share this same devotion to punk music. I have quite an attraction and admiration to punk music. I also relate to it far more than any other kind of music. As it relates to this blog, I'd figure I'd share my all-time top 30 favorite punk songs that are essential to any punk fan.

Witness the Power & The Passion...

1. Tie between "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones
The Ramones are one of my all-time favorite bands, so I couldn't decide between these two landmark songs. "Blitzkrieg" is an all-out sonic blast about killing Nazis, and "Sedated" is easily my favorite song of all time. 'Nuff said...

2. "Anarchy in the U.K." by The Sex Pistols
Total obnoxious, in-your-face aggressiveness courtesy of our favorite London lads. Sid Vicious couldn't play for shit... God bless him for it...

3. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
An all-out rallying cry for the 90s youth of America, this song meant nothing, yet meant everything... I still miss Kurt...

4. "TV Party" by Black Flag
Showing that even punks can have a sense of humor, Henry Rollins and Co. have a beer-soaked good time watching TV and hiding from the harsh realities of life.
I know... deep.

5. "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies
Hardcore thrash at its best, this classic mosh-pit must told the story of poor Mike, who keeps getting hassled by his parents and friends for being a little nutty. Like Norman says, "We all go a little mad sometimes." Now get him a Pepsi already!!!

6. "When the Shit Hits the Fan" by Circle Jerks
"I used to like these guys."
I prefer the classic acoustic version as made famous in the 1984 cult classic "Repo Man." And, as funny as it was, it was also a tirade against Reagan-era America. Reagan was a constant target for punkers. Some respect is owed to Reagan for inspiring such timely, hateful punk songs...

7. "Holiday in Cambodia" by Dead Kennedys
No bastard was as clever a punker as was Jello Biafra. With his tongue planted firmly in cheek, he and his band created some funny-as-hell, but poignant punk classics, including this song which tried to convince you to take a nice "holiday" in Cambodia. "Pol Pot!!"

8. "New Rose" by The Damned
One of my all-time favorite love songs, this up-tempo punk 'n roller makes me want to fall in love... possibly with a redhead??? Naw... any chick can be a rose...

9. "Pay to Cum!" by Bad Brains
Classic lightning-paced thrash-em up, this song is more than about prostitution. It's more of a call to arms! It's about revolution! Resistance!! Urgency!!! Uprising!!!! Viva la Bad Brains!!!

10. "Where Eagles Dare" by The Misfits
"I ain't no goddamn sonofabitch... you better think about it baby..."
A rousing, dirty rocker, Mr. Glenn Danzig spearheaded this legendary group, and was responsible for most of the lyrics as well. This little ditty looked right into the void, and appropriately spit a loogey in its face!!

11. "I Don't Care About You" by Fear
The title says it all. Lee Ving really doesn't care about you. Deal with it...

12. "Johny Hit and Run Paulene" by X
A crazee punk-rawkabilly jam that served as an anti-rape song, with a bitchin' Chuck Berry riff. I love X. They were true originals. Poets, punks, practitioners... that was X.

13. "Straight Edge" by Minor Threat
This bite-sized Hardcore masher dared you to live life without sex, drugs or alcohol, and rightly inspired a punk movement in the process. I basically live a "Straight Edge" life. Props to Ian MacKaye!!!

14. "Ode to..." by Beastie Boys
This Hardcore blaster comes courtesy of the Boys from Brooklyn! Before they ignited the hip hop movement in the mid-80s, they were just a group of Hardcore kids who were heavily involved in the New York scene along with Bad Brains, and countless others...

15. "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges
A groovy late 60s proto-punker, Iggy wanted to be totally dominated in this song. And he made no apologies for it. And that is what punk is all about...

16. "Kick Out the Jams" by The MC5
Spawning from the same desolate area that The Stooges were from... Detroit, Michigan, this band of rock-and-rollers were full of piss, vinegar, and all-out political rage!!! But, they also wanted to rock your balls!!!!!

17. "Lookin' For a Kiss" by New York Dolls
"You goin' ta church??!?"
If the Rolling Stones were down-and-dirty punkers, they'd be the New York Dolls!! I actually even prefer the Dolls to the Stones (with all due respect). Headed by the incomparable David Johansen, and featuring the late, great Johnny Thunders on lead guitar, these guys were just lookin' for a kiss...

18. "Janie Jones" by The Clash
The Clash showed their fangs on their first record. They were all political rage, dub beats, fast punk, and lovelorn... all on their first album. No wonder they are known as one of the bands that really "mattered"...

19. "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen
I grew up with this song. I had this on cassette!! I love, love, love this song!! I totally wanna meet my Punk Rawk Gurl!!! I wanna go take a walk to Zipperhead, and find a girl who'll knock me dead...

20. "Fairytale in the Supermarket" by The Raincoats
This post-punk all-girl group from the U.K. demanded your attention with their screeching guitars, distorted violinist, and banshee-like vocals from all of the members. This band remains one of Kurt Cobain's favorite groups. I know why...

21. "Warsaw" by Joy Division
Before turning to moody doom punk (which later evolved into Goth), this seminal group churned out this punk 'n roll goodie that proved they were a force to be reckoned with...

22. "Don't Want to Know if You Are Lonely" by Husker Du
This break-up song was mad, gloomy, depressing, and longing at the same time! Only the melodic punkers Husker Du could churn out songs like these. Listen to their landmark album "Candy Apple Grey." It's chock full of 'em!

23. "History Lesson Part II" by Minutemen
NO! This isn't the lame-o Disney band!!! These "fucking Corn Dogs" from San Pedro were named after the fact that they had songs that were mere minutes long. This song is different. It's a nice, slow, melodic jam that pays tribute to punkers from the past like... "Richard Hell, Joe Strummer, and John Doe..." Classic.

24. "Amerarockers" by Scream
I'll love this song forever... Melding a nearly invisible line of Hardcore and Reggae, this is a song you can groove to, and ROCK to!! And it has a universal message about the power of music.
"You dance with me, and I'll dance with you..."

25. "Parade of the Horribles" by Circle Jerks
Yes... this is the total theme song to this blog!! Listen up...



26. "Nervous Breakdown" by Black Flag
From their early days (with Keith Morris fronting before he went to the Jerks), this song was a full frontal assault on your senses!! It's also the ringtone on my phone...

27. "Dance With Me" by T.S.O.L.
"Dance with me, my dear... on a floor of bones and skulls..."
Yes. This song will be at my wedding party. Total Goth-punk ambiance...

28. "Halloween" by The Misfits
Classic Misfits, this song IS Halloween!!! That is all.
"I remember Halloween, this day, anything goes..."

29. "Urban Struggle" by The Vandals
"I want to be a cowboy..."
A song you can seriously mosh to, even if it is about the mortal enemies of punkers... rednecks!!! A genius moment from a genius band...

30. "Born to Lose" by The Heartbreakers
"Living in the jungle, it ain't so hard..."
I truly identify with this song. If Springsteen was a nihilistic, drug-addled punker, he'd write this song. Johnny Thunders was truly one of a kind...

Well, there you have it! 30 songs that rock and roll my soul...
Essential for any punker or any fan of some good hard-rockin' music!!

Here's some examples...
"Fairytale in the Supermarket" by The Raincoats



"Urban Struggle" by The Vandals, and some memorable scenes from the punk movie "Dudes"...



There you have it, boils and ghouls... and as Chop-Top so succinctly puts it,
"Music is My Life!!!"

Romanticizing: Orphan (2009)

"Orphan" (2009)

Inspired from my last post, I've decided to give this film a nice little review. Amidst a flurry of high-powered remakes and sequels last year, one sneaky little Summer sleeper managed to "scare" up some gravy, and raise some eyebrows. That movie was 2009's "Orphan." Released smack dab in the middle of Summer, the film gained a bit of controversy over its ad campaign that somewhat casted orphans in a bad light. The producers of the film denied these allegations, and the film's release surprisingly made a substantial amount of bank at the box office. I was one of the people who was interested in the film's negative publicity. At first, though, I didn't want to see it. Only after hearing a few positive reviews and also finding out that Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the producers, my interest grew and I subsequently went out to see the film. I got totally floored!!

For starters, the film was beautifully made. Director Jaume Collet-Serra gave the film a unique visual flair that gave the film class and grace, despite the horrors that unfold. The story, as it were, concerns two young parents Kate and John (played by Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard) who have two children (one boy and one girl), in which they decide to adopt a third child from an orphanage. This doomed couple meet Esther, a bright, charming 9-year-old child whose original family perished in a tragic fire. Recovering from the loss of the third child they were supposed to have, the couple adopt Esther and are immediately entranced by her. Eventually, the seemingly normal Esther starts to show her fangs. Not literally, folks.

Esther's bratty schoolmate has a mysterious "accident" at the playground (in a tense little scene). Esther also has ribbons on her neck and wrists and refuses to take them off. She also carries around a mysterious little bible everywhere she goes. A nun from the orphanage makes an unwanted visit and ultimately "disappears." Mere coincidences?? Fuck no. Innocent little Esther is on a rampage!! Not since "The Bad Seed" has a child been this evil. In fact, Esther could kick the shit out of little Patty McCormick!! Delivering the film's scenery-chewing performance, young actress Isabelle Fuhrman was ice-cold evil in her portrayal of Esther, even pointing a gun at her innocent little 5-year-old "sister," and threatening to cut off her "brother's" penis!!! And even though Regan MacNeil takes the cake in terms of evil children, she was possessed by the devil!! Esther didn't have Satan on her side. She had her cunning manipulative skills and her unhinged lunacy!!! I loved this character! Ms. Fuhrman gave us a great new pint-sized horror villain that we could root for (and against)!



See that? That's evil...

In terms of the rest of the cast, Vera Farmiga was excellent as a flawed, tragic character wanting to rebuild her life and her family. Another gifted actress of note is young little Aryana Engineer as the couple's deaf, mute 5-year-old Max. One particular scene I enjoyed was at the beginning of the movie when Kate read a story to Max in a total silent scene (with subtitles). This scene was remarkably well-staged, and served as the "calm" before the storm of Hurricane Esther...

A few weak links in the acting area were Peter Sarsgaard as the husband and Margo Martindale as Kate's therapist helping her through the death of their "third" child and Kate's former alcohol addiction. I didn't like these characters. Sarsgaard basically played his character as disbelieving of whatever his wife says, and the doctor is basically the same. During the movie, Kate starts suspecting Esther of various "occurences" that happen, and naturally nobody believes poor Kate. These characters were so fucking annoying, I really wanted Esther to dispose of them!! And that, folks, is proof of an awesome horror movie!!

And, now we get to the juicyness.... the ending. The ending to this film totally caught me by surprise and was WAY out of left-field!! I must insist that you should watch the movie to see what I mean (in case you haven't already). This ending is most definitely among my Top 10 favorite endings in a horror flick, but that's for another post...

All in all, I give "Orphan" a solid 4/5 stars (****)

It was beautifully-made, well-shot, well-acted, it had a nice pace, and a killer ending!! Highly recommended for horror nuts and/or any of you who want something a little "different." It was a nice, fresh, slick, dirty little spin on all of our beloved "evil children" movies. This flick is a keeper...

In conclusion, I'll leave you with a bizarre, twisted little noise-punk assault from classic late-70s New York group Teenage Jesus & The Jerks (featuring the incomparable Lydia Lunch). This song most definitely sums up this flick, and even should have played during the end credits...

"Orphans" by Teenage Jesus & The Jerks:

Let's Review! - Splice (2010)

The Summer blockbuster season has started. A barrage of sequels and 3D flicks will subsequently be invading the theaters. Who wants to see "Eclipse"?? Anyway, there are some exceptions to this Summer Movie Madness going on. Sometimes there are a few little dirty gems amongst all the polished, big-budget drivel. And usually, those little gems are horror movies. Last Summer saw the release of two great little sleepers called "Orphan" and "The Collector." They both gave me quite a surprise, and the end of that Summer saw the box office smackdown of "The Final Destination," and Rob Zombie's "Halloween II." Sadly, this Summer seems to be quite devoid of horror, which is unfortunate. This past weekend, I went out to see "Splice," a movie that I feel kind of "uneven" about. Here's my first full review:



Splice (2010)

The Dark Castle Remake Machine has been running out of steam lately. Over the past few years they have been doing actual "original" horror movies (what a concept). Last year's "Orphan" is one such example. Now these films aren't "totally" original. They are more like fresh "spins" on classic horror staples. "Orphan" was a nice fresh spin on "evil children" horror flicks like "The Bad Seed" and "Children of the Corn." This year's "Splice" is a take on the "Frankenstein" films and the various bizarre sci-fi shockers of David Cronenberg. The "It's Alive!" films also seem to be sources of inspiration to this film. The film's main focus is on the two central characters of the film named Clive and Elsa, played by Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley. I loved the references to "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" with their names. Clive's name comes from the name of actor Colin Clive, who played Frankenstein's creator in the original film, and Elsa's name came from the actress Elsa Lancester, who played the infamous Bride of Frankenstein. It's cool when films pay homage to the classics. I would prefer homages rather than remakes. Anyway, Clive and Elsa are a hot, nerdy scientist couple working on a new breakthrough in cloning by adding human DNA to various other species of animal DNA. What they get is Dren, an entirely new species, and ultimately a threat to humanity. Dren has certain characteristics of a human, but also has the characteristics of various animals. She can breath underwater, she has a tail with a stinger on it, and she has wings! At one point, Clive wants to destroy it, but Elsa wants it to live on, and eventually starts to love her as her own...

Who wouldn't love this face??



So, the film becomes a "dysfunctional family" tale at one point, which was pretty interesting. But you can't have a rosy, cheery, puppy-dog ending with these movies, so what ensues is various horrifying circumstances beyond the control of our leads, and the old adage of "Don't fuck with Mother Nature" comes into play.

I liked this movie. I didn't "love" it, but I liked the film as a whole. It had a lot of interesting concepts, and the acting was its strongest suit. I really liked Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as this quirky, geeky, hot young couple. They were unconventional, which is why I liked them. Their performances were solid as well, as Polley was a motherly, strong-willed character, and Brody was the more reasonable, laid-back character. The performance that made the movie, however, was Delphine Chaneac's incredible performance of Dren. Her character was innocent, child-like, yet seductive, angry, and... pretty hot. I have a crush on Dren. Yeah...

The biggest let-down for me in terms of this film, was the ending. I don't want to reveal anything, but I guess I was expecting something truly shocking. I kept hearing all this buzz about the controversial ending, and I was expecting a "Sleepway Camp"-style ending. What I got wasn't that shocking or surprising. I expect too much out of films, especially horror films.

All in all, I give this flick a 3/5 (***)

It was a solid film, it had great characters, an engaging story, but it fell flat in terms of scares, shocks, and surprises. It also had a low gore count, which was kinda disappointing, but oh well. I would recommend watching it once. Maybe a rental. I would also recommend repeated viewings. I hated the fuck out of "The Matrix" when I first saw it, but now I love that flick!! In conclusion, it's an interesting little spin on the films of Cronenberg and the various "Frankenstein" films, so watch it if you wanna see something different...

Now here's a great little song called "Test Tube Babies" by The Plasmatics, that sums up the whole flick:



I can relate any great horror movie to punk music...

A Nice Double Feature: Silent Scream (1980) and Pranks (1982)

Some people have crack addictions, some people are addictive shoppers or compulsive drunken gamblers... My drug of choice in this case, is slasher movies!! I have a great love for these bloody, gory, boob-filled slaughter-fests, and I am not ashamed to admit it. There are many times when I feel like watching not one, but TWO slasher movies in a row. Hey, it cheers me up! Don't judge me!!! Anyways, I've sat through many a double feature, which includes such pair-ups such as "Terror Train" and "Prom Night"(both with Jamie Lee Curtis), "Splatter University," and "Final Exam"(both set at colleges), "Slaughter High" and "April Fool's Day"(both set on April Fool's Day), and "Student Bodies" and "Cutting Class"(both of which are pretty hilarious). See a pattern here?

So we enter into this little segment called "A Nice Double Feature," where I review two related horror films. In this case, I delve into two vastly underrated Slasher gems: "Silent Scream" (1980) and "Pranks" (1982)



"Silent Scream" (1980)

In the wake of the success of 1978's "Halloween" dozens of Slasher flicks were subsequently made, regardless of quality, and made a nice amount of bank at the box office. "Silent Scream" was different, in that it had some name actors and was stylistically made. Co-written and directed by Denny Harris, the film was also written by Jim and Ken Wheat, who both later went on to co-write "A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4" and "Pitch Black," amongst others. The film's plot concerned our young college coed heroine Scotty who is looking for a room to rent for school. She eventually finds an isolated house next to a beach that is owned by the mysterious Mrs. Engels (played by Yvonne DeCarlo). She moves into the house with three other college roommates, and that is basically where the fit hits the shan... People start dying, detectives are baffled, and a dreaded family secret is revealed. All in all, it's a pretty solid flick. There was a fair amount of suspense and style and a nice sense of dread as well. People who hate creepy houses and attics and cramped spaces will be rightly creeped out by this flick. Not much in terms of gore, but hey, I can dig a great story with great characters without the wet stuff. I'm flexible... Another great part of the film was its acting. Veterans like DeCarlo and Cameron Mitchell ("The Toolbox Murders") added some class to the flick. Not to mention that the lead Rebecca Balding was quite a memorable, spunky, cute-as-hell heroine. She was almost like Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island," if Mary Ann liked having sex and showing her totties. No virgins here, folks. Anyone could bite it in this flick! The most memorable performance here, though, is legendary horror actress Barbara Steele's brilliant performance as a creepy "houseguest." See this film and you'll know what I mean. Usually "brilliant performance" and "Slasher movie" don't go hand-in-hand, but trust me.

As far as ratings go, I use the 5-star system. I'm usually pretty lax in terms of rating movies. I give out a lot of fives. For example, "Citizen Kane" and "Pieces" are both 5-star movies, and really, if I was faced with a decision to watch either "Citizen Kane" or "Pieces," I'd go with "Pieces." Yeah, I said it. What?

Anyway, "Silent Scream" gets 4 out of 5 stars (****)

5 Stars (*****) = Classic
4 Stars (****) = Very Good
3 Stars (***) = Good
2 Stars (**) = Okay
1 Star (*) = Suckitude

It's a very good film, it had great characters, was slickly made, and had an interesting plotline. It lacked gore and your usual slasher campiness, but it had style... and nudity...



"Pranks" (1982) (also known as "The Dorm That Dripped Blood")

This fun little slasher is set during Christmastime, however, it is not emphasized and there's no snow in the flick at all!! But that plot point didn't get in the way too much (it could have been set in California). Anyways, this flick concerns a quartet of college students who are put in charge of preparing an old dorm building to be torn down after Winter break. Weird occurences go on concerning the mysterious hermit who lives nearby, and all sorts of mayhem and murder happens, much to my delight... People get ran over, strangled, drilled, steamed, and, my personal favorite, get a spiked baseball bat to the face!! The killer in this flick is pretty interesting to me. He was also kind of "punk" as he was wearing Converse during one particular death sequence (with said baseball bat). I like my killers in Converse. That is just coolage... The body count in this flick is spread wider in this flick as opposed to "Silent Scream," as 10 people bite it in this flick! That's a nice round number. There's also some nice bits of gore as well. Not much nudity, but they can't all be winners... This film is mostly known as Daphne Zuniga's first film, in which she went on to better 80s flicks like "Spaceballs" and "The Sure Thing," and eventually to "Melrose Place" in the 90s. There's also a little "twist" at the end of the film which would most likely divide viewers, but it's indeed interesting. Overall, it's a well-paced little shocker, has a nice body count, and is most definitely worth seeking out.

"Pranks" gets a nice 3/5 stars (***)
It's fast-paced, violent, entertaining, and slightly creepy, but the title really gets to me, as the flick doesn't have much to do with "Pranks." I am patiently waiting for the DVD release of "The Dorm That Dripped Blood." It's a better title by far, and it will most likely have a better transfer than my copy. I will indeed bump it up to 4 once I get my hands on "The Dorm"...

I picked these two as my "Double Feature" because they both concern college students, and they don't get as much appreciation as their ilk. They are both also very well-paced, as they are both under 80 minutes long! I implore you all to enjoy these two quick and dirty "slices" of Slasher mayhem!!!

The trailers: