Review of Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) by Zachary C — 13 Mar 2013

Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell has a cute novelty behind it: A horde of very '80s-looking zombies barges into a downtown movie theater to watch nearly 50 TV spots and theatrical trailers for gory horror movies while a ventriloquist and his zombie dummy oversee the proceedings.

It's neat at first, but wears out its welcome after a while. The trailers are the true stars of this fun package. Highlights include the Adolph Caesar-narrated TV spots for the Amicus anthologies Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror, the ultra-rare TV spot for House of Exorcism (a re-edited version of Mario Bava's Lisa and the Devil made to cash in on The Exorcist), a lengthy preview for the incredibly out of place and un-PC mondo doc Africa Blood and Guts (featuring live footage of animals and people being murdered), and an R-rated trailer for the Italian import Lady Frankenstein that shows off equal doses of skin and grue.

There's a few duds mixed in, such as the previews for the godawful proto-slasher Three on a Meathook and the bargain basement mad scientist flick Flesh Feast. Thankfully, there's more hits than misses on Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell.

Since the emphasis is on trailers that showcase lots of violence, gore, and nudity, Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell is definitely not for the kiddies or the easily offended. I would have liked to have seen more trailers and less of the vignettes, but the overall package is a fun trip down memory lane.

Keep it handy if you're looking for some obscure horror movies to watch.