Fiebre del cine

I love trailer clip shows. I do. I've seen many trailers that were better than the movies they were about. This doesn't qualify. I don't think this cost more to make than a twelve pack of beer. Watching Buscemi and Boone as they barely react to the crummy clips - not even trailers and barely letting the audience know what mostly garbage films they come from - isn't worth watching it for. Even the 'lost footage' by Raimi and Campbell (who I didn't even see mentioned in the credits, not even a thank you) doesn't make watching this trash worthwhile. I'm actually surprised it hasn't show up on the SyFy(less) channel. Unless you really have NOTHING to do, don't bother. Watch Cinematic Bloodbath or American Grindhouse instead. Both are far superior to this drek.

A rare first appearance by now famous actor Steve Buscemi is the highlight here. He, and another actor, have "humorous" dialogs that wrap-around a mediocre collection of horror and Psychotronic film trailers and short scenes. The dialog isn't funny and the trailers/scenes are either over-seen or unimportant. For a better collection of trailers, check out Mad Ron's Previews From Hell and for a better collection of film scenes, check out Terror On Tape.

There's only two good reasons to endure this schlocky collection of mostly unattributed film clips: young Steve Buscemi and young, thin, almost wholesome-looking (almost) Mark Boone Jr., probably best known these days for playing the sleazy but good-hearted motel clerk in `Memento.' The `host segments' (to borrow an apt term from MST3K) are shot on video and as such are reminiscent of public access television. And that's very appropriate, since this entire production reeks of the public access clip-show aesthetic. Though the bits of comic business Buscemi and Boone get up to together are mostly unfunny (by even the most lax critical standards), they nonetheless elicit chuckles because they're being performed by very game, very earnest (no doubt very glad to have even a crappy job like this) talented young actors. If this was the only thing you'd ever seen him in, you'd never imagine that Buscemi would end up turning in Oscar-worthy performances years later. And to reiterate, the normally dissolute Boone looks almost cuddly - kind of like a low rent Curtis Armstrong (who's already low rent).

The only major criticism to be leveled at this collection of clips is that the attributions are sporadic and follow no apparent logic. Some get superimposed credits at the bottom announcing what they are (seemingly all the Hershel Gordon Lewis clips get this favored treatment), but most whiz by without telling what they are. This is a bit maddening if you care about trivia like that. But if you don't, why the hell are you watching trash like this in the first place?

Can't believe nobody's mentioned the REAL reason to check this out -- mixed in among the public domain, z-rated echh-sploitation stuff, you'll find the ONLY legally issued pre-"Evil Dead" footage by young Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and friends! Several segments from their Three Stooges-like comedy shorts "Torro, Torro, Torro" (about a lawnmower gone berserk) and "Cleveland Smith: The Waders of the Lost Park" appear here, reproduced from nice, crisp sources. Unfortunately neither film is shown in it's entirety (for that, you'll still have to resort to the smudgy, muffled bootlegs that have been making the rounds for years.)

• Ken Lieck

As I watched "Film House Fever" I couldn't help but wonder if this film cost more than $6.89 to make. And, the more I think about it, $6.89 might be MORE than they spent...it's that bad and that cheap...and has a direct to video look.

"Film House Fever" is a bit like a really bad and unfunny version of "MSTK3000" but instead of watching a single film and make comments, two guys instead watch clip after clip from various bad ultra-violent and soft core exploitation films from the 1960s through the 80s and say almost nothing. The clips are inserted randomly and with no finesse nor style. And, because of the randomness, they really aren't fun to watch in the least and it's all incoherent. It's a shame, as the idea MIGHT have worked had the filmmakers shown SOME skill or sense of humor.

So is there any reason to watch this film? There's only one I can think of....to see Steve Buscemi in one of his first movies. But apart from that, I think you'd be better off just seeing these exploitation films yourself instead of in clips. Or, download the films yourself and make your own clip movie...it certainly couldn't be any worse than "Film House Fever"! Or, better yet, just stare at a photo of Steve Buscemi for an hour....it STILL would be better than this movie.