TOXIE’S TRIPLE TERROR VOLUME SEVEN:
DEATH BY DIALOGUE (1988)
PLAY DEAD (1986)
MOMMY'S EPITAPH (1987) aka EPITAPH
Directed by Thomas Dewier, Peter Wittman, Joseph Merhi
BCI DVD
Reviewed 10.05.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba

THE FILMS
Simply watching "Toxie's Triple Terror Volume Seven" is impossible. I hope you're feeling creative.

In 2004, the marvelous concept of cheap, public domain multi-DVD packs hit a 50-film zenith. BCI/Brentwood, who originated the idea with their earlier 4-, 10-, and 20-packs, sought to step things up. Enter NYC kingpins Troma. BCI and Troma teamed up to bear seven volumes of "Toxie's Triple Terror"; nicely packaged, three film compendiums of 1960s-80s trash films from Troma's moldy basement of acquisitions. Rejoice! Here was Tony Malanowski's Curse Of The Screaming Dead. There was Joseph Adler's Scream Baby Scream. Everywhere were the remnants of the long-obscured back catalog from 1980s gutter specialists, City Lights (The Newlydeads). With volume seven, the series has reached its conclusion. Prepare the epitaph.

Remember that creativity I mentioned? "Toxie Volume Seven" features two insanely hilarious shot on video (SOV) late 80s rarities from City Lights (Death By Dialogue, Mommy's Epitaph) and one meager early 80s flop (1981's Play Dead, which wasn't released until 1986). Viewed as separate entities, the valleys far outweigh the peaks. Good thing we're smarter than that.

Pick a night. Open the refrigerator. Pop every container, peel all fruit, and uncork each beverage. Pour it all onto the floor. Lie in the mess. Eat. Drink. Be happy. The next morning may bring thoughts of "What was I thinking?", but the fulfilling experience will also lead to ideas for further application. You're now in the zone for "Toxie's Triple Terror Volume Seven." Pick a night. Get all three films on deck. Make a mess. Go all the way!

Death By Dialogue. Six very non-college students visit a decaying uncle's estate on spring break. There is a haunted movie script. Botched boob jobs rub elbows with incredibly hot keyboard jams and an unbelievable ass-rock band called The Dirty Dogs ("When the axe comes doooowwwn!"). What is going on? Play Dead. Aunt Hester (Yvonne "Lily Munster" DeCarlo) obsesses over her dead brother-in-law while terrorizing her niece with a particularly acute Satanic Rottweiler. The doggie poisons and electrocutes people instead of mauling them. A hot sex scene plays out like an explicit Old Navy commercial. Mongrel this ain't (thank goodness). What is going ON? Mommy's Epitaph. A nasty "sexpot" momma ruins her daughter Amy's life with murder, a love of nightgowns, and a truly disgusting rat-gore scene. An effeminate little guy named Warren pops up in a mall, sporting a long mullet and cowboy business suit. Do I need to say it again?

From Death By Dialogue's expertise in unflattering outfits to Play Dead's refusal-to-wrap-up ending to the overused establishing shots in Mommy's Epitaph, this whole is a great catch. Keep it that way. Watch all three films in one sitting and save yourself from excess cognizance. Details overlap, intentions get vague, and phrases like "bowels of the universe" start to take on a deeper meaning. It's fun. Isn't that the way all good trash was meant to be?

Be sure to check back next week. At that time, we'll tackle the theories of the Kiln and how they might apply to Hollow Gate.

AUDIO AND VIDEO
Exactly what you'd expect. The presentation of Death and Mommy's Epitaph are identical. SOV, devoid of contrast, and extremely flat. Compression pixels swim around heads and mute backgrounds once in awhile, but it's not too bad. The mono sound for both could use a nice coat of Pledge. Play Dead hits DVD in a full frame and surprisingly clean print. Video rolls lead to an obvious source, but we're still in good shape. The mono sound was just fine. Death By Dialogue has also been released on Mill Creek's "Drive-In Classics" DVD 50 pack, but I haven't seen it.

EXTRAS
Trailers all around. A theatrical trailer is included for Play Dead, while lame Troma promos plague Death By Dialogue and Mommy's Epitaph. Death also gets an original City Lights promo trailer, which collects every great scene in one three minute poof.

FINAL THOUGHTS
None of the films included on "Toxie's Triple Terror Volume Seven" are crucial, though Death By Dialogue comes close. No matter. Taken as one, this release marks a fitting end to the TTT series, filled with more than enough rare, random senselessness (and random boredom) to get you through the night. Give it a rent sometime.

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