Absolute Underground TV

Yes, even the people from South Africa are also born to bang their heads. The heavy metal scene is excellently explored in March of the Gods: Botswana Metalheads and this documentary makes for a great primer into this world located deep south. But this land-locked country located between Namibia (in the west) and Zimbabwe (the east) with South Africa proper (south) has come a long way in a continent often plagued with internal strife. When this country’s economy is dependent on diamond mine production, what’s next will depend on what other trades will emerge as exportable.

It’s difficult to add to the alphabet, but fairly soon, maybe the ABC’s of Death will create a periodic table of artists, directors and producers from around the world who either are or can become today’s new masters of horror. The sequel, the ABC’s of Death 2 adds to the list with names like Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (Big Bad Wolves), Jen and Sylvia Soska (American Mary), Steve Kostanski (Manborg) and Vincenzo Natali (Splice). This video will be released to select theatres and Video on Demand on Halloween, offering, quite literally a “Nexus” of delights for the night (skip to N to find a treat).

Edgar Allan Poe crafted a better supernatural drama in his poem, Annabel Lee, than with director John R. Leonetti’s studio made product, Annabelle. This horror film about a haunted doll attempting to ruin the love John and Mia Gordon (Ward Horton and Annabelle Wallis) have for each other and their newborn daughter, Lea, is not without some problems. Although there is a slight connection with The Conjuring in this film, that importance is never explained. Instead, the way this film dwells upon a church sermon to guide the plot ruins the film.

The Raid 2: Berandal certainly owes a great debt to North American films like Die Hard, The Godfather and Kill Bill. They created a standard for how to make a gangland movie as violent as hell, and with censorship standards different in other countries, some films from Korea (like I Saw the Devil) can easily show just how man’s inhumanity to man can easily be inflicted on screen, and fans of ultra-violent films can check out this movie when it releases to DVD/Blu-ray on July 8, 2014.

The title Good Vibrations can be deceptive unless a plot summary is next to it. Some people may think that this movie is about the Beach Boys, and it’s very far from that. Instead, this film looks at the emerging punk rock movement in a country embroiled in a civil war. This film is a fictionalized account of Terri Hooley’s life (Richard Dormer), a free-age thinker, who just wants to life to be gentler, if not kinder to him and his world.

Based off Never Goodnight, a Swedish graphic novel written by Coco Moodyson, We Are the Best! is a movie that looks at the lives of three girls who are coming of age. Two of them, Bobo (Mira Barkhammar) and Klara(Mira Grosin) decide to form a punk rock band, and they think that by declaring their independence now will help them survive in the future. They bring Hedvig (Liv LeMoyne) into the fold, and although she slightly resists, her freedom doesn’t arrive until she’s rightly initiated.

When four snooty gals declare independence from men because of all the wrongs they've done to them, perhaps the big question they should ask themselves is what do they have to gain by targeting a less than bright fellow on a social media site called ConnectMeNet? In the movie Creeper, a film that mixes in grindhouse, exploitation and survival horror into one product, the big question is who is stalking and preying on whom?

Writer/Director/Cinematographer Matthew Gunnoe does a very good job in writing a story about the dangers of social media/dating websites designed for supposedly 'consenting' adults. It's not a topic often explored. Although this made-for-video product will require a repeated viewing to get that message, the hints are very sublime. He also takes a poke at all the sinful joys of watching reality television programs.

The Modern Prometheus has issues and some of that gets explored in I, Frankenstein. While this film tries to follow after the events from Mary Shelley’s masterpiece novel, Frankenstein, the events do not continue in that universe. The tale and focus shifts to that of a comic book one, completely toned down by writer/director Stuart Beattie for a general PG-13 rated audience to enjoy. Fans of the graphic novel of the same name most likely will appreciate this film more.

Gypsy Punk may not be a concept everyone is familiar with and the band Tower of Dudes will soon release an aptly titled third album, Make Your Own Culture, to help define it for the masses. In fact, some listeners may well have to examine for themselves to see how these two cultural worlds work together. The history lessons offers some interesting perspectives, and listeners can hear for themselves what this sound is all about when this album releases in March 2014.