LesbianVampireKillers

Now this is just silly. Shock Till You Drop is reporting that combination distributors Vivendi Entertainment and The Weinstein Company have seen fit to reduce the British horror/comedy title Lesbian Vampire Killers to simply Vampire Killers when it comes out later this year on DVD in the US of A. I'm not the biggest fan of the movie - I think its plot of two idiot men who stumble into dealings with femme-exclusive vamps and ancient curses has some half-hearted laughs and some scantily clad ladies, but is otherwise nothing special - but this decision is flabbergasting to me, because, well, why bother?

It's not as if the movie is widely popular to begin with, but the only reason it has what little recognition it does is because of the name Lesbian Vampire Killers. A christening like that comes with a certain set of expectations and a certain built in demographic, to call it just Vampire Killers is to retroactively neuter the very reason it exists in the first place. I understand the logic behind this re-title less than I understand how to forge the phallic-shaped handle of the sword used to kill the she-vamps in the movie. It's just the DVD release, for crying out loud.

After a long flight on my part and a far longer drive for both of us, Scott Weinberg and I have finally arrived in Montréal for the FanTasia International Film Festival (their thirteenth, our first). The genre-heavy festival lasts for nearly three weeks; alas, we've but one to spare, so without much further ado, here's a look at what I've seen already and what I hope to see before Scott tips his own hand with a title or two to recommend.

Of the features playing, I can highly recommend Michael Paul Stephenson's Troll 2 doc, Best Worst Movie; the Aussie revenge thriller, The Horseman (not to be confused with the barely-seen Dennis Quaid vehicle,Horsemen); and Paul Solet's beautifully bloody baby horror, Grace. Those looking for something a bit stranger might end up being a bit more fond of Black and The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle than I was, though I also seemed more easily pleased by the Nazi zombies of Dead Snow than most, so I guess it all balances out. My enthusiasm for the ultra-kitschy likes of Alien Trespass and Lesbian Vampire Killers, not to mention the admittedly boundary-pushing Deadgirl, is all a bit less than what's already been mentioned, so let's just leave those at that.