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Apparently having only been released on VHS in Japan, Night Realm is pretty darn tough to find these days. While not exactly a lost classic, I'm glad to have finally seen it.

In the future, everyone lives underground because of nuclear fallout or disease or whatever. Unfortunately, we never see any ruined buildings or desert wastelands, which are normally staples of post-apocalyptic cinema. But we do get a lot of over-the-top costumes and cheesy fight scenes as imprisoned women are forced to battle in an arena for the ruler of the realm.

It's less Bloodsport and more Knockouts, with plenty of wardrobe malfunctions to complement the many sex scenes that seem to be the main focus of the film. Night Realm would have been better if it leaned toward Phoenix the Warrior instead of Caged Heat 3000, but I still liked it. Even so, I can't really say it's worth tracking down the extremely rare Japanese tape when other wasteland adventures are much easier to find.

As a fan of the Mill Creek fifty-packs, I was little disappointed by the overall quality of the movies in the Mortuary of Madness DVD set. Until I got to this one.

It might not sound like much: a geek and a former cheerleader team up to stop some very sex-positive alien vampires from destroying their town. Yet the characters are so likable and the banter so snappy that you can't help but get invested in their very lo-fi adventure. Unlike a lot of supposed comedies, VWFOS is actually really funny. There's a Star Trek bit that had me laughing out loud.

Of course, if you haven't already dug through the garbage piles of shot-on-video cinema, this might just look like your cousin's home movies. For me, at least, it was a very pleasant surprise.

The first five minutes of the film prepare you for what will surely be a unique cinematic experience: a few skinny-dipping ladies get down with some random guys and then turn into glowing vampire ghosts. Yeah, I had high hopes for this one right from the jump.

The next hour of the film is a softcore historical drama in the vein of Sex and Zen. Following whatever plot there's supposed to be was difficult, but it's really just an excuse to do what this flavor of Cat III movie usually does. I was expecting monster action, so it was a bit disappointing.

Finally, in the last thirty minutes, we get a little more of what was promised at the beginning. Unfortunately, it always remains closer to drama than horror and doesn't even go so far as any of the Erotic Ghost Stories. There just isn't nearly enough high-wire fighting, supernatural laser-blasting, or glowing skull faces.

Ghost Story isn't a bad flick. If you are looking for a variation on Sex and Zen, it should satisfy. As a horror movie, however, it's pretty limp.