Don’t Sweat the Dead
Director – Sean Donohue (Naked Cannibal Campers, Zed’s Dead)
Starring – Sushii Xhyvette Holder (The Hart-Break Killer, The Cheerleader Sleepover Slaughter), Indica Jane (Bratty Foot Girls, The Cheerleader Sleepover Slaughter), and Sean Donohue
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 2/5
Model and actress Sushii Xhyvette Holder has made a name for herself in the indie horror community over the last several years after appearing in the films Death-Scort Service 2 and 3. This not only sparked a lasting relationship with indie production companies GatorBlade Films and The Sleaze Box, but it was a catalyst for Holder to continue acting in horror and fetish films.
Her imdb page already has several dozens of films under her name with another handful in pre and post production. Earlier in the year director Sean Donohue announced a double feature starring Holder. I’m a fan of both of them so I snagged a blu in hopes of catching some sleazy fun. When I found the time to finally check them out I quickly tossed in the blu and hit play on Don’t Sweat the Dead.
**Spoiler Alert** The short follows Sushii as she takes viewers through her daily routine with each exercise corresponding with a different technique that can help you overcome or overpower the walking dead. **Spoiler Alert**
I was expecting Don’t Sweat the Dead to be a parody of the horror inspired fitness videos that popped up in the late 80s and early 90s to cash in on horror fans who were gushing over their favorite scream queens. Linnea Quigley’s Horror Workout is the most popular one but by far not the only one. We had Lisa Cook’s Deadly Workouts and several more that I can’t think of at the moment. I was hoping that Don’t Sweat the Dead would be a parody of these while delivering that sleazy quality that we’ve come to expect from GatorBlade Films. Sadly, that was not the case. Instead, it was a little too much like Suchii’s Sex Seance without the fun.
The acting in this one was enjoyable for the most part. The cast is extremely small in this segment but it was worth it. Sushii never disappoints and her natural charisma and beauty makes her the center of attention regardless of the scene. She’s so natural in front of the camera and was fantastic as the instructor. I also enjoyed watching director Sean Donohue ham it up in his death scenes. It was funny for the most part but I was really looking forward to a little more from these death scenes.
The story for this one is simple and straight to the point but it doesn’t really work for me. Watching two gorgeous women workout as they slowly undress and kill the undead. It could have been something pretty fun and memorable if it would have explored the undead portion more than it did but watching them workout and a quick death scene was a bit dull to me.
Finally, the film has some blood and some pretty funny S.O.V. inspired effects but the way the film was shot you don’t really get to enjoy these cheap and cheesy deaths. The selling point of this one is boobs over blood. Overall, Don’t Sweat the Dead is not for me which is a bummer because I’m a huge fan of GatorBlade. I wanted to love this one but you can’t knock em out of the park every time.
Hott Sushii
Director – Sean Donohue (Death-Scort Service, Die Die Delta Pi)
Starring – Sushii Xhyvette Holder (Family Snapshot, Kill-Cam), Indica Jane (The Cheerleader Sleepover Slaughter, Bratty Foot Girls), and Lunathyst (Kill-Cam, Sushii’s Sex Seance)
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 1/5
When Sean Donohue and Sushii Xhyvette Holder released Sushii’s Sex Seance I knew we would have more films like it. It wasn’t the best film to come from the mind of Donohue but it was entertaining and sleazy. When I heard that a double feature was in the works I was pretty excited to check it out. However, Don’t Sweat the Dead didn’t do it for me but I was still excited to check out Hot Sushii. I knew it wasn’t going to be a film that I loved but I had hopes it would be just as fun as Sushii’s Sex Seance.
**Spoiler Alert** The short follows our host, Sushii, who shows us how to cook with limited clothes on. Once she makes her delicious delicacies she invites some friends over and things get out of hand. **Spoiler Alert**
So Hott Sushii wasn’t exactly what I was expecting while being exactly what I expected. I knew it was going to be a sexy short centered around cooking and that is exactly what it was. However, the ending was not really expected but it wasn’t enough to sell me on the film. I wanted to love it but I was not the intended audience for this one.
The acting in this one works for what it is but it’s not something that really stands out. Sushii is mostly just playing herself as she looks attractive and shows skin. We then move into the later portion of the short and we watch three beautiful ladies have fun with the food. Not necessarily acting but it was decent enough to watch.
The story for this one is straight to the point but does follow a similar formula to Sushii’s Sex Seance. We follow Sushii who does something, in this case cooking instead of playing with an Ouija board, before three beautiful women undress and act sexy for the camera. It’s alright but it’s not necessarily enough to hold my attention for the 20 or 30 minutes of run time.
Finally, plenty of nudity but no blood. If you want something with a body ount I would recommend checking out another film from Donohue. Overall, Hott Sushii isn’t for me and I’m sure most of you that read my reviews may not be interested in it either. However, if you like the seedy side of cinema or into fetish films then this might be up your alley.
