mad ron's prevue's from hell [1987]

i''ve been watching more movies this week than i have watched movies last month.  a bona fide celluloid/video/digital junkie i find junk and treasure galore via netflix.  when i get home from work and finish doing those domestic things needing to be done i plop myself before the TV in the back room [my sanctuary that houses most of my book and dvds; well, really, it's mine and nick's sanctuary for he's back here with me quite often] turn on netflix and get to exploring.

the thing is the algorithm netflix employs to create a profile of your viewing habits is pretty spot on.  not like totally spot on of course but so far it has recommended a few films i had no idea existed in our universe.  such as this one under review.  now okay, really, i've been aware of mad ron's prevue's from hell for a few years because the dvd distributor GRINDHOUSE often placed the trailer for this pic as an extra on its discs.  GRINDHOUSE would take years to lovingly restore horror/exploitation films so it wasn't a wise idea to hold your breath when the company announced a pending dvd release.  so when it had announced about 10 years ago that they were going to restore this trailer compilation cum video release i thought i'd never get to see it.

well now, dvds are on their way out.  it's digital downloads and online streaming now.  i don't know if mad ron's was released on dvd, or even vhs.  it is available via streaming on netflix.  this movie is a compilation of horror movie trailers with wraparound scenarios of zombies watching the trailers in a theater.  the wraparound scenarios are shot on video.  the projectionist of said trailers is, yep, mad ron chained to his projector because he is, like, nuts, you know.  the movie is hosted by a nerd named nick and his talking undead ventriloquist dummy named happy.  the zombies in the audience are an enthusiastic bunch eating brains for horror movies.

now the year of this video's production, 1987, is the tail end of the mom&pop video store era.  chains like blockbuster were putting the mom&pops out of business.  but mad ron's is a straight-to-video release tailored for the mom&pops.  i haunted video stores at that time and i don't recall seeing this movie on the store shelves.  perhaps i did see it on the shelves and the video sleeve art made no impression on me.

still i love trailer compilations.  i own several dvds of them.  youtube was created for music and movie clips and trailers.  mad ron's is grainy, cheap, goofy, and stupid fun filled romp thru the dark side of horror films.  the shot on video zombie theater ron nick and happy crap is part of its delight.  the producers of this flick do stoopid reel good.  the trailers look like 4th generation bootlegs.  either you love them that way, or you probably wouldn't even think of watching something titled mad ron's prevues from hell.  trailers from hell?  not for this horror movie nut.  they are drops of heavenly delight.