The Ghouls

I can't say enough for this movie. You can tell it's low budget, but it doesn't disappoint. The acting, cinematography, editing and the directing never strike a false note. How many films can you say that for? I rented this movie at Blockbuster, and even though I'm a horror fan, I have to say, Blockbuster has become a maven for low-budget bad horror films. And, for some reason, horror fans seem to accept less than other movie-going audiences would accept in terms of budget, plot, direction, cinematography and character (maybe because gore is a category in and of itself, as is being bad in all above mentioned categories). Anyway, this movie has it all...good character development (give the first 30 minutes time), good acting (dispicable characters that you somehow feel for), good editing (flawless, actually), good cinematography (wait for that alley car scene), a good script to unite it all and, to make it all come together, I have to give credit to the director. Really an excellent, although low-budget, horror film.

First and foremost, the distributors fooled me. The box implied that this was a large scale zombie movie and that there would be a handful of survivors in a ravaged city. This was simply not the case. However instead of being angry as would generally be the case, I was taken aback. This movie is no zombie fest, but it was a very dark and thought provoking movie. I was pondering it long after the very odd and fitting credits rolled. Ghouls, is about a sleazy paparazzi reporter who makes his pseudo-living by filming scenes of crime, murder, and tragedy. The gruesome sights never bother him until he finds himself on the receiving end of the horror. Ghouls come in two varieties here: the flesh-eating type and the social type. There are some powerful themes running throughout this gem, largely about the media but also some other ideas, like smoking, identity and overall moral standings in our society. I had some trouble warming up to the "hero", but I realized we aren't meant to like him. You might pity him, sympathize with him, even feel concern for him, but you never truly like him. Much better than I would have expected, but this IS a thinking movie-goer's zombie film, action isn't the real point. If you're thinking about buying this solely to see scads of the undead, look elsewhere.

Independent fear-maker Chad Ferrin's, low-fi, high die, superlatively-splattery, gut-swingingly grisly subterranean snuff sensation 'Cannibal Dead: The Ghouls' is certainly not for sensitive Sally's, timorous Timothy's, or the frequently faint of fart! Something far worse than a City Load of septic sewage fulminates evilly beneath the mean streets of L. A. And preternaturally perverse paparazzi Eric Hayes (Timothy Muskatell) shall certainly grue the day he deigned to opportunistically film these deranged denizens of the dark that cavort cannibalistically upon the ferociously flayed flesh of all those who foolhardily descend into their diabolically dank domain! Old school ghouls, sinister splatter mad-hatters, gruesome gore gourmands, morbidly-minded morgue maniacs, grisly graveyard gawpers, and brain-dead zombie freaks will dig gravely upon the gloriously ghoulish, salaciously sick-headed shenanigans of Ferrin's locomotively lurid, voluptuously visceral, deliriously dismembering blood feast! Like Gorefather H. G Lewis hungrily buzzed on high grade hydroponic hemp, this moonshine mental, membrane-slinging murder movie is the snuff of low budget legend!!!

I first heard of Chad Ferrin one night while watching a Troma film. There was a trailer for the movie Unspeakable on it,now let me tell you i was blown away by what i saw.very disgusting and morbid,and I LOVED IT ALL !!!! That movie prompted me to name my site after it.Unspeakable when first looked at would make one believe the content is much more different than the norm,hence Unspeakable Magazine...A site for the overlooked companies in this lovely horror genre.People like Chad Ferrin defy all odds of small indie filmmakers not being able to put out good quality films like the big dogs...horseshit..from the two films i've seen from Ferrin i'm a believer in what he's capable of. The Ghouls stars Timothy Muskatell(who is also in Unspeakable) as Ric Hayes, one who videotapes various police chases, amubulance runs, and random street violence and sells their tapes to the highest bidders, sort of like a ghetto paparazzi. From the start of the movie there is a pretty disturbing scene that'll make you go "WTF". Ric takes a tape he just filmed of a murder to a local news station only to find out he's been beatin to the punch, then realizing his life is a big pile of turds.Things start to downspiral from there. After a falling out with a local news broadcaster( Joe Pilato from Day of the Dead), missing out on a big police chase, and unsuccessfully trying to reclaim his love interest(Tina Birchfield), Hayes solves his problems with glass after glass of alcohol, more cigs than a AA meeting ashtray and the occasional snort of I believe coc.well one night on his way home, he sees a couple of bums who look like their about to rape a young woman. He follows them into an alley with his camera running, shocked to discover that they weren't bums at all, but flesh eating ghouls who have torn the woman apart. Narrowly escaping them, Eric flees to take the news office, only to discover he was too damn drunk and his dumb-ass had forgotten to put a tape in the camera.

Determined to find out what he saw, he enlists the help of another stringer named Cliff(Trent Haaga)which i might add did his usual brilliantlly funny job.. Each armed with a gun and their cameras, they split up and head out into the streets to investigate and find out what these ghouls really are. But when Eric gets the footage he desires, he's also lead to realize what kind of horrible things he's filmed and how big of a skank he is by doing so. However, maybe he can use his talents for good by warning the public of what is lurking in their streets... if only he can get the footage.And finally pull himself out of the gutter.

The Ghouls is a horror film that features a great cast, with many familiar faces to Troma fans (Troma released Ferrin's aformentioned first film, the shocking and overly disturbing Unspeakable). Along side Haaga and Musketell The Ghouls cast only gets better, James Gunn, Stephen Blackehart, and the ever so lovely Tiffany Shepis( even though you have to be a die hard Shepis fan to notice where she's at) also appear in the film. .Not since the Hellraiser series have I seen gore and other special effects at this level ,and I say Hellrasier due to the type fo gore this flick has.Once you watch the movie you'll understand couldn't really notice and negative aspects about the film.One of my favorite parts of the movie is the suprise ending.I laughed bu tat the same time was appalled.Now that's entertainment

The Ghouls sways away from the normal horror flick and adds some flair .The Ghouls is deffinatelly a must see for any true diehard horror fan. I knwo it's not even out yet but I'm foaming at the mouth awaiting his next flick.Keep an eye out for The Ghouls in your local video stores.This guy's going somewhere. Spellcaster of Fear

Heh, to start this all off.. This movie was packaged along with Hannibal Rising. My friend and I thought to ourselves, "Oh, a free movie! Hey, this looks pretty cool." Unfortuantly, we were wrong. The whole 30 minutes that we wasted (Honestly, me nor her could sit and watch the whole thing,) was horrible. Not just the subject matter but the filming. I know that it had a strong underlying subject, but I (as well as almost everyone else who saw the cover and read the back summary) was fooled.

Just as a warning.. Don't buy Hannibal Rising (Unrated) that comes with The Ghouls. It's just a waste.