Chattanooga Film Festival 2017: Bleeding Skull presents - Jungle Trap

Once again, I was able to return to the Chattanooga Film Festival with Mass Listeria!  I love cinema in all of its forms, so the Chattanooga Film Festival is one of my favorite times of year because I spend four days being surrounded by movies and fellow film lovers!  To get a sense of why I love the Chattanooga Film Festival so much, read my post from the start of my coverage of the 2016 Chattanooga Film Festival (found here)...every word of it still holds true!

We already did an overview episode on Mass Listeria (found at masslisteriapodcast.com), but for the next several episodes of The Gargyle Podcast, I'll be providing reviews of each of the films that I saw individually.  Up next in my coverage of the 2017 Chattanooga Film Festival is:  Jungle Trap, presented by Bleeding Skull



I'll be providing the description of the films provided in the Chattanooga Film Festival program and trailers via YouTube, when available.  The descriptions and trailers of the movies might let you know what they are about, but if you want to know what I thought of them...well, you are just going to have to give the podcast a listen.

The CFF program description for Jungle Trap, presented by Bleeding Skull, was:

Exploitation demigod James Bryan's decapitation-fueled shot-on-video masterpiece about a jungle hotel haunted by kill-crazy ghosts in loin cloths, made in 1990 and unreleased until THIS VERY MOMENT.  Beginning his career in the '70s, Bryan moved from adult movies to action epics like Lady Street Fighter to drive-in horror ragers like Don't Go in the Woods.  But the straight-to-video distribution market was evaporating, a realization he had only after he'd completed photography on Jungle Trap.  The few remaining distributors were not adventurous enough to handle the project.  Heartbroken, Bryan shelved the movie and never directed again.  We were shocked that he had an entirely unseen feature just waiting to be pieced together.  We watched it and confirmed that all the parts were there.  And they were UNBELIEVABLE.  We hired an editor to assemble the movie, as well as cover a final reconstructing and mastering of the audio.  Also, a new score was recorded by Taken By Savages, using '80s synthesizers and perfectly emulating the era's sound.  In its raw state, the movie was HUGELY entertaining, but it's a monumental video era triumph in its long-delayed final form.  It was not only James Bryan's final directorial effort (to date), but his collaboration with the might Renee Harmon.  The duo spent decades together in the exploitation trenches, and Jungle Trap ranks among their best work.  Seriously.  - Zack Carlson


I saw 21 feature films, short films, partial films, or live shows during the Chattanooga Film Festival!  So, be sure to check back soon for more of my CFF coverage!  And if you enjoy movies, conventions, comics, games, cartoons, Star Wars, horror, or just about anything geeky...be sure to keep coming back for all things geekery!!  In the meantime, follow me here, on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and be sure to subscribe to my podcast on iTunes and/or Google Play for more geek coverage!

music for The Gargyle Podcast by Bensound