Film House Fever

I saw this movie because I found it on YouTube during the first lockdown caused by the pandemic (April 2020) because some days I ended up watching even three movies a day. And I could easily relate to the leads.

The movie hasn't really a plot. It begins with Vinnie and Tony (Steve Buscemi and Mark Boone junior) that after an entire week at home in front of the TV decide to go out for going to the movie theater and watch an entire day of non-stop movies! What follows is basically an entire series of clips and snippets of some very awful movies from the 1960s and 1970s made by some of the worst directors ever and when the movie day is over, everybody in theater turns into zombies!

This movie has an incredibly dated direct to video look and the clips of the movies that Buscemi and Boone Junior watch are at times pretty nasty and nauseating to watch. A truly unpleasant and worthless movie... and I can see why only 8 persons apart me dared to review it!

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

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?

Obviously quickly filmed Horror movie collection of trailers and clips. The set up is that two "guys" are room mates and spend all their time watching movies (ah, the memories of my first VCR and video store membership, I really could relate to these guys) and going to theaters to see movie marathons. In between silliness (mostly unfunny variety) there are some interesting things to see. The biggest expense was probably getting rights to show these clips and also a scene where Steve Buscemi and his room mate are shown in a car, speeding down a street to get to a movie marathon that is about to start across town in one minute. If you like video horror compilations ( and I do ) definately seek this one out, IF you can find it. If you like Steve Buscemi, it's worth seeing to check out what he was up to in his early days. This movie is best seen late at night when our tolerance for silliness goes up and we get more in the mood for a video like this.

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.