While the rest of the Movie Madness Podcast crew checks out all the theatrical releases, I’ll be doing this weekly column about the movies I’ve been watching on the small screen. I like to stray off the path and check out films in the dark realms of horror, the cheesy world of b-movies and schlock, with action, sci-fi and exploitation sprinkled throughout. I enjoy a lot of foreign releases, movies from the 30’s and 40’s, and stuff that’s sometimes a challenge (and fun) to track down. Maybe you’ll read this and track some of the movies down…or run like hell from them! Enjoy.

SUDOR FRIO aka COLD SWEAT (2010 – Argentina) When a young woman helps her friend Roman search for his girlfriend, they’re led to an old building where two elderly men live. These two old men are the last members of an Argentinian terrorist group that disbanded in the 70’s. These old coots really despise the newer generation, and they get their kicks by luring young women to their labyrinthine hideaway to ghoulishly experiment on them with all sorts of acids and liquid explosives. Once Roman finds his girlfriend, who has been lathered head-to-toe in nitro glycerine, he faces the challenge of getting her out without blowing her to pieces. It’s like the Wages of Fear on crack. In fact, a cool touch in the movie, is Roman is wearing a t-shirt with a logo to the movie “Sorcerer” on it. “Sorcerer” is William Friedkin’s remake of “The Wages of Fear.” I love Friedkin’s movie and to see a nod to it in this movie was very cool. Anyway, “Cold Sweat” is fast-paced and fun. People do explode, acid is flung around, some rowdy neighbors join in and there’s a sinister secret in the cellar. It’s available from Dark Sky Films.

SECTOR 7 (2011 – South Korea) An offshore oil rig is under attack by an undersea monster. This was a fun creature feature. It has the classic setup; we are introduced to a group of workers who are struggling to strike oil. They make a different discovery…a slimy little tadpole-like creature. They take it to the two scientists on staff to study. The creature slowly grows in size. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding this lifeform but we soon learn that maybe some of the team already knows about it’s existense and have their own secret. The action kicks in when the creature escapes and begins taking out the characters one by one. The monster design was very cool and the fact that it’s blood was like a gasoline substance was a sweet idea. The effects were 50/50. For example, a motorcycle chase on the oil rig is plagued by some bad green screen and CGI. Most of the creature rendering was really good. I’d say it’s not as good as “The Host”, another monster movie from Korea, but it fits in nicely as a double feature with something like “Deep Rising”. I saw this in 2-D but it was released in it’s homeland in 3-D. It’s being released here in the U.S. by Shout! Factory.

UNDOCUMENTED (2010) A crew of student filmmakers document a group of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States. With cameras rolling they follow a “coyote” into the night. They reach a hidden tunnel and begin shuffling through the darkness. At the end of the tunnel is a dead body full of stab wounds. The group is horrified but the promise of the U.S. at the end of the tunnel keeps them moving. It should of been a warning to them. They come out on the other side and are herded into the trailer of a truck. Bad move. Unfortunately for them, they have been tricked and are delivered to a gang of radicals who aren’t happy about illegal immigrants. One of the radicals says to them “It’s not what you think it is….it’s much worse”. The nightmare begins. The menacing thugs force the filmmakers to switch their agenda and make a documentary or “recruiting” video for them. They are forced to film twisted and depraved torture inflicted upon the immigrants. My friends, this was a harrowing viewing. I was on the edge of my seat. You will question the situations, the hatred portrayed by some of the characters, and yourself. The ringleader known as “Z” is a chilling character. Just wait until you meet “The Artist”. Freaky stuff! The film is a nice mixture of traditional filmmaking and found-footage style camera work. There are some very eerie scenes with night vision. There are some insane set-pieces that are so twisted I was jumping out of my chair. It’s available from IFC Midnight.