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For those who saw the original Attack of the Corn Zombies, it was a very campy, tongue in cheek comedy horror. Although it had horror elements, humor was definitely the primary driving force.

With Return of the Corn Zombies, however, it goes deeply into the horror of a post apocalyptic world after roving packs of zombies have taken over. Although some of the fight scenes didn't connect at the beginning of the movie, it led with some strong character development and some extremely solid acting chops. There were some great emotional moments and you could really feel as if these characters had been travelling together and become family, warts and all.

Without going into spoilers, a group of survivors find their way to "The Homestead" which definitely has some serious vibes of being a cult. As the audience, we get to discover these horrors along with the main protagonists. And definitely, the horror builds throughout the movie leading to a very strong and deeply satisfying finale.

Obviously, this IS an indie movie so the budget was not large. However, it did a great deal with what it had and compared favorable with a lot of movies I have seen with far larger productions.

In summary, even if you have not seen the original, it is still definitely worth a look. The story is self contained and does not need explanation from the previous movie. However, if you have seen the original, you will get to enjoy a rare sequel that outshines its origins.

The Slave & The Sorcerer is a fun movie in the style of 80s fantasy epics such as Beastmaster or Deathstalker. Given that the entire movie was crowdfunded, Hex Studios was able to put together a great tribute to the era that looks absolutely beautiful. The color palette is great along with fun animatronics and CGI monsters that fit right in such as giant spiders and even a couple of arial dragon fights.

As might be expected for a tribute to 80s fantasy, the main hero, Tyrol, is a well oiled barbarian type character, overacted (intentionally) by Chris Black. It is also filled with scantily clad women such as the sorceress Nemain played by Megan Tremethick or Princess Meyra played by Briony Monroe.

If you are looking for something politically correct, you are definitely in the wrong place as this movie pays true homage to the genre and sexist attitudes of the era. However, it is an absolutely enjoyable nod to the classic 80s fantasy trope.

Jonathan Hansler, who plays the evil sorcerer Akaris puts on a truly menacing performance and steals most scenes in which he appears. He clearly very much enjoys his power!

There were a few minor issues. It was a bit loose and contrived how the main party came together to try to rescue the princess. I feel the thief/rogue character did not really get given much chance to show off their skillset. An odd choice was also made for the accent of the king which just sounded really off. I'm not sure what they were going for but, assuredly, that was not it.

On the other hand, they made excellent use of blue / green screen and in most cases it was not apparent they had done so. As was typical of the genre they also used matte paintings as backdrops which was particularly cool such as inside a giant cave with huge pillars they were trying to navigate. The fight choreography was also pretty good except for a couple of shots where an attacker clearly missed their target but they fell over anyway. However, that is the charm of this genre. The ability to bond while having a good laugh at the same time.

In spite of a few warts, this movie really stands well as a testament to the 80s era and, had it been filmed at the same time, would definitely have gained the same cult status. Indeed, it might do that yet because it truly is a fun, colorful, gory, overacted romp of a sword and sorcery movie. Two thumbs way up!

Another great win from Mahal Empire. It seems that every time I see one of their movies they get better and better. Certainly, this is the best one yet (out of about 15 movies). Indeed, it compares favorably with many movies that come with Hollywood movie budgets, even though it was crowdfunded on a relatively small budget.

So, without spoilers, what is the movie about? Basically in the not too distant future. The public is entertained by violent blood-sports on TV. The TV show "Arena Wars" normally draws it's "contestants" from the prison population. However, as the show's ratings have been trending down, the executives have to come up with creative ways to boost ratings such as putting an innocent man onto the show. It draws heavily on the idea of the Roman coliseum and most closely resembles "The Running Man" with a bit of "Hunger Games" and "Rollerball" thrown in for good measure. Though it is heavily influenced by movies such as "The Running Man", it is definitely it's own thing and does it well. The movie zips along and the running time fits perfectly (and make sure to stay for the closing credits which are pretty funny too).

Of particular note is the extremely high perceived production value. The soundtrack keeps you pumped up and the color grading is excellent. The practical effects are, for the most part, convincing and only a few CGI shots were used. The storyline, written and directed by Brandon Slagle, is also action packed, consistent and solid. Though there is a fair amount of gore, none of it feels forced and is all relevant to the ongoing story line. There is also one of the most satisfying deaths I have seen in a movie which is both hilarious and well earned. You'll know it when you you see it! :-p

There is a solid cast of well known actors whose talents and skills were well used to move the plot forward. Robert LeSardo plays one of the prisoners and is serious tough guy who kicks some ass. Michael Madsen and Robert Donovan play well off of each other as the hosts of the Arena Wars show. Eric Roberts makes an appearance as a friend and confidant of one of the prisoners.

There were a couple of standout performances that stole the show. Kevin Hager played an absolutely epic and believable antagonist in his role as Belladonna. John Wells also showed incredible emotional range in his role as the main protagonist Bender. That being said, there wasn't really a bad performance in the entire movie and many of the supporting actors have strong character arcs of their own.

Was the movie perfect? Of course not. There were a few minor niggles. There was a great establishing shot showing a fly over of the city. This was great the first time we see it bit became a bit jarring when exactly the same shot appeared multiple times throughout the movie. Also, it would have been nice to have a little more variety in each of the arenas. That being said there was still plenty of room in each arena to have some great fight choreography with multiple cast members.

In summary, if you like 80s style action movies, Arena Wars is an absolute gem. The story is solid and logical, the action never lets up and it looks and sounds beautiful. Well worth the hour and a half of your time!