Prowl joins After Dark Original series

As reported on before, the new collaboration between After Dark Films, SyFy, and Lionsgate has unveiled one of the eight new films for the After Dark Originals series. Titled Prowl, the film stars Bruce Payne, Saxon Trainor, and Courtney Hope, with direction by Patrik Syversen and screenplay by Tim Tori. From the press release:

"Amber dreams of escaping her small town and persuades her friends to accompany
her apartment-hunting in the big city. When their transportation breaks down, Amber
and friends gratefully accept a ride in the back of a semi. But when the driver refuses to
stop and they discover the cargo is cartons of blood, they panic. Soon, panic turns to
terror when the truck disgorges into a dark, abandoned warehouse where blood-thirsty
creatures learn to hunt human prey, which the friends realize is what they have now
become...”

After Dark has also been generous enough to provide stills of the film. Check it out!

Prowl and the other After Dark Originals are scheduled for a Fall 2010 release.

Movie Review - Videodrome

Videodrome

The audio review:



Well, we're on a roll this week with films that have pretty significant themes and criticisms of the horror genre. David Cronenberg's Videodrome is one such film, providing commentary on the fetishism of the ultraviolence in films while containing... a good chunk of gore itself. How's that for irony!

So Videodrome tends to focus its plot on the transmission of a mysterious television signal which is basically a series of snuff films and torture porn put to video. James Woods plays Max, a television producer for extreme cable network "Channel 83," their mission statement focused on providing quality gore and sexual violence for the sadistic masses. Max becomes obsessed with the snuff signal, aptly named Videodrome, and proceeds to attempt to find out where it's coming from, but along the way he begins to hallucinate holes in his stomach, gun hands, and giant television screen lips.

Inevitably, Videodrome becomes a trip through surrealistic images and grotesque violence. But it's not thrown all willy-nilly into the plot, which would create a lot of plot holes and unresolved conflicts. Instead, the surrealism is incorporated gradually, and it works so well because Cronenberg starts the viewer off grounded in a sleazy but realistic world. The characters seem pretty normal, and Max might have a fetish for violence and pain but it's not unheard of in reality.

But Cronenberg quickly transitions from reality to surreality in a seamless motion, and Videodrome becomes a test of understanding what exactly is really happening. Woods plays the deranged man well, and his actions become more chaotic throughout the film.

And Cronenberg does suck the audience in, too, by refusing to allow Max to become insane throughout much of the film. Instead, Max is just as confused as we are, and instead of losing the audience as the film progresses, the exposition is provided by Max as he finds out just what is happening. Videodrome doesn't devolve into psychological clap-trap, even though it is populated with ten dollar words relating to the brain and psychoanalysis. It makes the film more penetrable.

The violence is well-done, semi-comedic but also grotesque. There's a lot of stand-out sequences here, from feuding bodily organs to more torturous scenes, but they're all extreme enough to grab the attention. Cronenberg paces the film really well, so that the visceral scenes happen evenly throughout until the mind-blowing climax.

The story does conclude, too, and there are no mysteries left unsolved. Videodrome remains a film that deals with violence in media throughout, but it expands to bring in mental slavery as well, making its motif stronger for it. It might not appeal to everyone, especially those that don't like to be jerked around by non-straightforward plot twists, but anyone looking for a really enthralling, mind-bending experience would do well to check out Cronenberg's take on violent fetishism showcased here.

Videodrome on Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Review - Rear Window (1954)

Rear Window

The audio review:

 


It's hard to be ignorant of Rear Window's impact on cinema. Alfred Hitchcock movies have a huge amount of clout in the film world, and not just because of the film in question. Even newcomers to horror and suspense have seen the influences of Hitchcock's work without realizing it; Disturbia is, in large part, a re-imagining of Rear Window for a younger audience. But reviewing a film over half a century old with as much reverence as Rear Window has is a daunting task, and one that seems a little pointless.

Yet I'll do it anyway, because it never hurts to reiterate the good of a film that younger viewers might have missed. Because Rear Window is such a plodding film, it may seem a bit boring to the casual, contemporary movie-goers. But it's helpful to look at the opening of the film in a different light, recognizing the slow-moving camera of the first scene as a means to characterize main character Jeffries (James Stewart) without ever having to meet the character. And it acts as a form of voyeurism on the part of the audience, who see Jeffries' apartment long before we see the man himself.

The same can be said for the first half hour or so of the film, where the viewer is presented with a lot of exposition through dialogue and visuals. Hitchcock is eager to present the characters first, knowing that the act of voyeurism that movies (and the participation of snooping) create is fueled by a curiosity that must be sated. So Hitchcock gives it to us, letting us in on the life of Jeffries and those around him. As Jeffries spies on his neighbors, we come to know them piecemeal better than most films can do in an hour and a half. This is an even greater achievement considering we never actually meet most of them. The sense of community that Hitchcock has portrayed through sight alone is beautifully rendered by the film's expansive backyard scene.

But these parts are techniques of film alone, and they fail to recognize the entertainment of the film itself. The characters of Rear Window are interesting and multi-faceted (with Grace Kelly harnessing a tantalizing and seductive role), and those surrounding Jeffries are just as easily sucked into observing Thorwarld's (Raymond Burr) potential murder cover-up. Scenes where Jeffries watches Thorwald are well-shot and suspenseful. As the film reaches its inevitable climax, Hitchcock ratchets up the suspense even more by putting two of the main characters in danger. The thrilling sequences are paced so well that it's hard to imagine anyone being able to critique them.

And overall, there's not much to criticize here at all. An engaging plot and unbelievable direction round out this film, making it instantly likable and a movie classic. What could be argued here? Perhaps the thrills are somewhat lost in an era full of pop-out scares; maybe the pacing is a bit slow and the film longer than the normal 90 minute run; but these aren't hindrances in any sense, just added bonuses to a film which succeeds in everything it attempts.

Rear Window on Rotten Tomatoes

Magnet Releasing acquires rights to [Rec] 2

 Magnet Releasing, a subsidiary of Magnolia Pictures, will be releasing the upcoming sequel [Rec] 2 in July. From the press release:

"ced today that it has acquired US rights to [REC] 2, the anticipated sequel to the terrifying cult favorite, [REC].  Directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza return for [REC] 2, maintaining the same claustrophobic concept or the original while finding new means of delivering scares to the audience...Magnet plans an early July theatrical release for the film, which will be released through Magnolia/Magnet’s Ultra VOD program, debuting a month prior on VOD platforms nationwide."

 Also see the poster above, which is effectively creepy!

Kane Hodder to star in upcoming Sickle

Arrow in the Head is reporting that Kane Hodder, who you might know better as Jason from the Friday the 13th film series, has signed on to star in the new horror flick Sickle. Hodder will play Sheriff Slade Sickle, who kills kids and stuff... standard slasher fare. Watch the trailer below.



Thanks to Arrow in the Head for video and news.

A sneak peek at the upcoming season of Ugly Americans

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Comedy Central has also posted a new, interactive map of Manhattan, so you can see where the scenes of Ugly Americans take place. Check it out here!

The second episode of Ugly Americans airs tonight on Comedy Central at 10:30/9:30 c.

Permuted Press looking for time-travel short stories

 
Horror publisher Permuted Press is currently looking for submissions for short fiction involving time-travel for their new anthology, Times of Trouble. Here's the official press release, with submission guidelines and information:

"Time travel.

It's the ultimate impossible dream:  the ability to step through a doorway into tomorrow or yesterday, seeing all the unknown wonders of the future—or correcting the awful mistakes of the past.

It can't happen, of course.  Oh, but what if?...

And what if something went terribly, irreparably wrong?

Times of Trouble, a new anthology of original speculative fiction from Permuted Press, is looking for grim, gritty stories about the unhappy unintended consequences of mucking about with the delicate fabric of reality.  That doesn't mean there's no room for any note of hope, or the occasional happy ending—in fact, accomplishing such a feat effectively just might greatly enhance the author's chance of inclusion in this anthology—but the emphasis here is decidedly on the dark downside of time travel.

Times of Trouble most emphatically does not want to see any stories of clichéd wish fulfillment—don't bother submitting any stories in which Hitler is fortuitously killed prior to World War II—or those using time travel as a convenient plot device to place the protagonist "elsewhen" simply for the sake of a rousing adventure.  (The Editor has nothing whatsoever against a good romp with Tyrannosaurs, but the place for such is not here.)  Time travel must be integral to development of the story.

Unless crucial to the plot, it is not necessary to expound at length on the actual mechanism of time travel.  The "how" should be far less important than "what happens next?"

Examples of the sort of stories that will succeed in this anthology are "—All You Zombies—" by Robert A. Heinlein, "A Sound of Thunder," by Ray Bradbury (oh, look—you can use dinosaurs, if you do it right), and the classic Star Trek™ episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever."

Submissions open April 4, 2010 and close July 4, 2010, and should be emailed to timetraveler at permutedpress dot com. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  in Standard Manuscript Format (as described—with many worthwhile pointers—at either http://www.sfwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Mssprep.pdf or http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html, both of which are fine examples for the writer).  Submissions that fail to at least make an attempt to follow formatting guidelines will be rejected unread (but may be resubmitted in proper format).

Payment will be $0.01/word and contributor’s copy for worldwide print and eBook rights, payable on finalization by the Editor of the completed Table of Contents and issuance of a contract by the Publisher."

If I wasn't hindered by my total lack of creativity in the time-travel department, I might attempt to submit something myself! Get writing, folks, and good luck to everyone who submits!

Movie Review - The House by the Cemetery

The House by the Cemetery

AKA Quella villa accanto al cimitero

The audio review: 



The House by the Cemetery might catch one's eye because of its reliance on a simple title, one that evokes an image of classic horror movie tropes. And if you're intrigued by this premise from title alone, you can ratchet up the entertainment value of Lucio Fulci's "haunted" house story by 50%.

Fulci's plot doesn't drift much from the initial set-up that one can presume from the title. A family moves into a new house in Boston, where the husband resumes his research on suicides after his partner, strangely, commits suicide himself after killing his mistress. The family soon learns of the strange events that happen in the house, and mother and son are eeked out by a tomb that lies in the house and the cellar that is boarded up when they arrive. The son sees a little girl, too, who warns of the house, telling him to never go in.

So the presence of the house is immediately ominous, helped along by the prologue of the film where a woman is murdered explicitly by a knife through the head. Fulci weaves a haunted house story throughout, and although the presence of ghosts is already suspicious after we assume the role of the stalker in the opening scene, the atmosphere of the film is still unnerving because of the freakish characters that populate the town, including a babysitter who seems to have a strange connection between house and the husband of the family.

This is due in part to the visual nature of the film, which looks beautifully eerie in design. The house by the cemetery is spooky, and Fulci makes great use of the entirety of the house to give an idea of just how weird it is. The cellar, too, is utilized in at least three different stalking sequences, each more suspenseful than the last. The slow shamble of the killer heightens the terror, and the pacing seems slow but precise throughout.

But don't expect a lot in the way of plot. The House by the Cemetery never really succeeds in its story, perhaps in part because Fulci intentionally misleads the viewer with strange but anti-climactic events. The babysitter, as a whole, is most suspect here - she seems suspicious throughout, especially when cleaning up the blood trail of the killer, but then she devolves into just another victim. This begs the question of if all of the characters are slightly delusional.

There's a few more instances of this, but they feel more like plot holes than anything else. A crack in the house tomb is never questioned; the husband acts mighty suspicious throughout; the son's creepy friend, May, disappears about halfway through the film, only to reappear conveniently at the end as what seems like a ghost; blood trails are easily hidden; the mother apparently sees a trail of blood herself and looks beyond it. And the hastily-told tale of the Freudsteins is so rushed that it's confusing and not very convincing.

Yet the film never tries to appear like we should take everything the movie throws at us seriously, and though the plot might be convoluted, it's the special effects and atmosphere that are meant to be at the forefront. As the camera takes the point-of-view of the killer, we see vicious, brutal murders, that, while explicitly detailed, don't seem exploitative. Instead, they highlight the ferocity, the madness, of the killer himself (and maybe ourselves if you look at it in psychological terms, because I for one found the murders both fascinating and wonderfully shot).

The House by the Cemetery works really well as an intricately-shot slasher. There's not much to take away from the story, but the effects, visuals, creepiness, and overall fun of the film distract from the average script - and most likely, that's the way Fulci wanted it.

The House by the Cemetery on Rotten Tomatoes

Television Review - Ugly Americans Episode 1: "Pilot"

Ugly Americans

The audio review:



After weeks of news and promotion, the premiere of Ugly Americans has come and gone, and of course, I'm late with my review of the first episode. Yet thanks to my trusty DVR, I was able to catch the pilot of the show to review.

Ugly Americans is set in the Big Apple, where monsters and humans have come to co-exist in an exaggerated reality. The protagonist, Mark, has come to live in the city and has taken a job as a social service worker, where he finds jobs and homes for misplaced monsters looking to live in New York, an obvious critique on the state of immigration in the United States.

The pilot episode starts out strong, introducing the viewer to major players in the Ugly Americans universe. The characters are unique and detailed, and it helps that each has a distinct personality connected to their monstrous forms. Mark also has a sarcastic, likable personality that compels the audience to keep watching. His respect and compassion for immigrant monsters makes him a good character to follow throughout the series.

The creativity in the show is also a driving force. All types of monsters abound, and the jokes that involve the more classical monsters are the ones that stand out the most (at least, from my horror perspective, anyway). Much of the comedy otherwise is pretty standard, late-night fare, but I trust that as the series progresses, the writers will find a good balance of witty monster jokes and more adult-oriented humor.

As of right now, I'm pretty enthralled with the series, especially since it's catering so well to the horror fans. The art is cartoonish enough while maintaining a good mix of blood and guts, and the characters leave me wanting more from them. I'll definitely be tuning in for the next episodes.

Horror Horizon - March 23

Notable horror releases on DVD March 23:

After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4

A box set collecting the fourth year of After Dark's 8 Films to Die For series. Includes Dread, The Final, The Graves, The Hidden, Kill Theory, Lake Mungo, The Reeds, and Zombies of Mass Destruction.

Also, look for each of these on DVD separately this week.

Toxic Skies

"A mysterious disease is spreading across the country, killing people with alarming speed in this pulse-pounding, action-filled thriller. Men in Trees co-stars Anne Heche (Hung) and James Tupper (Samantha Who?) reignite their chemistry as two strangers brought together in their urgent mission to find a cure. Heche is Dr. Tess Martin, a top virologist driven by her tragic past. Her only hope is Jack Bowen (Tupper), a rule-breaking renegade who holds the key to the disease’s horrendous origins."

Mysterious stares, a biohazard symbol, and helicopters?!

Carny

Stars Lou Diamond Phillips in another one of his Z-grade creature features. This is new to me, but one I desperately need to see.


Banshee!!!

The heart of this film lies in its three exclamation marks. You know it must be good.

Legend of the Sandsquatch

"When a young woman's grandfather goes suddenly missing in the desert, she starts searching for clues as to where he might have been going. What she finds, though, is a secret he's been hiding from her; his quest to track and destroy the mysterious desert monster, Sandsquatch, which killed his friends. Determined to find him before it s too late she puts together a search party and heads into the dunes for a hunt to the death."

SyFy, Lionsgate, and After Dark cooperate to form new "After Dark Originals"

Following the success of After Dark's 8 Films to Die For series, After Dark has announced a new lineup of eight horror films. With the help of SyFy and Lionsgate, the After Dark Originals series will include eight new, original horror films. From the press release:

"The mission is to create high quality horror films that provide After Dark full control from script concept through final editing."

The first batch of these new originals has been announced, including Husk, Fertile Ground, Scream of the Banshee, Prowl, The Task, Re-Kill, Seconds Apart, and 51. Most of these are almost finished and ready for the Third Quarter release in 2010.

Last "Ugly Americans" update: "Three Hole" teaser

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Ugly Americans premieres tonight on Comedy Central, 10:30/9:30 c.

Watch the first ten minutes of "Ugly Americans!"

In honor of the premiere of Ugly Americans tomorrow, Comedy Central has released the first ten minutes of the episode for free streaming. Think of it as a little something to pique your interest! Catch Ugly Americans' premiere tomorrow, March 17, at 10:30/9:30 c!

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A Speculation on the Quality of the Upcoming Nightmare on Elm Street Remake

I've been contemplating writing this manifesto-like piece for a while now, and while I felt it might have been inappropriate for a blog which attempts to express an unbiased views on most films, I've come to the conclusion that, if written properly, this speculation may be able to give a complete, factual representation of what we might expect from A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I've been a big fan of the original film (which will be abbreviated as NOES from here on) for as long as I can remember. The sequels too, though I waver in how much I appreciate the more ridiculous ones. The plot grabbed me from the very beginning, because dreams are very strange phenomena to scientists even now, and we don't know specifically how they work. Setting a film in a dream world allows for a multitude of different thematic elements; in fact, the sky's the limit when it comes to horror in dreams, as dreams can be manipulated to incorporate all kinds of unrealistic ideas. As represented in NOES 3: Dream Warriors, both the protagonists and Freddy have the ability to change dreams into their own creations, allowing for strange and fantastic details that would be limiting to other horror films.

The original NOES had done that, utilizing a fairly generic plot model from other slashers and enlarging it to something much greater because of the dream world. It helps, too, that Freddy's voice, visage, and claw were images that stuck in the brain. It's bad enough that Freddy can get you in your dreams; it's made ten times worse when you realize you've got two strikes against you because of his giant claw-hand. NOES had a somewhat mousy protagonist in Nancy, who urges the viewer to root for her against the odds. And Robert Englund, the actor who made Freddy the icon that he is today... well, it seems a travesty to replace or redo him, doesn't it?

But that's exactly what the upcoming remake attempts to do, and, on the one hand, I can see why tackling a horror classic would be an achievement. To overcome the original, to create something memorable out of what others already love - it's a risky move, one that I can stand behind as a plus for slasher remakes. The trend of remaking slashers is not a new one, and honestly, NOES is one of the last great slashers to receive this honor (or curse). In the past few years, we've seen Prom Night, Halloween, Friday the 13th, and My Bloody Valentine (along with the DTV release of April Fool's Day) redone, each with their own distinct receptions. Halloween was a mixed bag, with some really loving it and others regretting the affair. Prom Night, I felt, was a huge waste of money, time, and energy, for both crew and audience members alike, and the same feeling held true for My Bloody Valentine, which at least tried to utilize 3D to its advantage. I've yet to see Friday the 13th, but I've heard mixed reviews as well.

Are remakes doomed to fail? I don't think so, at least not if the makers have the right ideas in mind. If the main goal in remaking the film is to make money off of a dying franchise (here's to you, Saw, even though I see the new one every Halloween), then yes, the film will almost surely fail. If the remake is at least partially in reverence to films of yore, and made with the right amount of faithfulness to the original, it's possible to make a good remake. We haven't seen much of that in recent years, surely, and part of that does have to deal with money. But enough about the bucks.

Viewing the trailer for NOES leaves me in a state of confusion. I have to admit, the trailer is pretty slick. Starting off with a faithful yet updated telling of Krueger's killing, which makes Freddy look almost innocent because of his dialogue, is enough to leave me feeling giddy. It's never a bad idea to give the monster a bit of pity.

The soundtrack is also pulsing and creepy, a good thing that drives the viewer along. The glimpses of scenes we get are intense, well put-together, and highlight some of the horror one might see along the way. We get snatches of memorable, homage-like shots, like the hand in Nancy's bath. And we get new, more abstract images of the town in ash.

But what we must remember is that good shots don't necessarily make the movie. For all we know, these could be the best scenes of the movie and the rest surrounded by useless acting and filler. Who knows? We've seen trailer techniques before that make the film look amazing and yet the film itself fails to live up to the 2 minutes of footage that looked so great.

There are things that the new NOES has going for it right off the bat. Having a strong Freddy is one; so far, I have not been unhappy with a Jackie Earle Haley performance, so I have faith in the fact that Haley can carry the weight of Englund's role. We also have an experienced cast member in Katie Cassidy, who starred in the CBS series Harper's Island and who looks to have a big role in the film.

The use of scenes from the original NOES has me worried, though. These could either be pulled off very well, giving credit where credit is due and then expanding on them for the new audience, or they could totally undercut what NOES originally did, bringing to mind how great the original is. It's a toss-up.

Otherwise, though, it's difficult to tell how good NOES will be until it's here. When compared with the other remakes that have come before it, I don't have much faith in what a contemporary film studio can do with a slasher films. But I also have to weigh the pros and cons of everything that we have seen coming out of the film. Reshoots? Yep, which tells me the filmmakers really do care about what their audience likes and dislikes.

So what's the conclusion here? I know that this speculation must sound pretty jumbled, and it hasn't really made much headway in solving my qualms with the remake. But in writing this, I think that I have come to the conclusion that:

From what I've seen, A Nightmare on Elm Street looks to be a pretty. solid. flick.

The April 30th release can't come soon enough.

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls trailer

The sequel to Pride & Prejudice & Zombies releases March 23, 2010 in bookstores everywhere.

Two new "Ugly Americans" promos - "Fun Bags" and "Christ Angel"

Fun Bags

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Christ Angel

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Ugly Americans premieres Wednesday, March 17 (this week!) at 10:30/9:30 c on Comedy Central. And don't forget to check out the positive review of the premiere in this week's Entertainment Weekly, who gave it a B+.

Moon Minis - Goldfinger

Goldfinger

The audio review:



The third film in the James Bond canon starts off with a bang - literally. In this opening sequence, it's evident just what kind of film Goldfinger is attempting to present - a suave and all-around fun action film with an eye for tongue-in-cheek humor. And while the film (and Bond himself) may differ significantly from Ian Fleming's original premise, the ideas at work here, thanks to director Guy Hamilton's eye for showy effects and Sean Connery's smooth acting, make Goldfinger an instant spy classic.

If you've seen older James Bond films, you basically know what you're getting when starting the movie. In Goldfinger, there's over-the-top car chases, not one, not two, but three women that Bond can choose from, and a devious plot to turn America's gold supply into radioactive material. Sean Connery is as personable and nonchalant as ever, and even though he finds himself in a number of seemingly hopeless situations, there's never a feeling that he can't overcome the impossible.

And so what if that cheapens the personality of Bond a little? He's not the common man, no doubt, but Hamilton never attempts to get that point across. It's evident that Bond is, by nature, the best in his trade, and it's not unbelievable to assume he's almost unstoppable, nor does it lessen the amount of emotion we have for the man.

There's a few moments where Goldfinger turns into a test of suspension of disbelief, but it's easy to overlook due to the movie's sheer entertainment value. Take Oddjob for instance, one of the strongest men alive, supposedly, who Bond overcomes in a physical fight. Oddjob, in spite of his awesome muscular power, is fit to keep tossing Bond around the room like a baseball rather than just smashing his head into a wall. But it's to move the film along, and it's a pretty sweet fight, so I had no trouble "forgetting" about the inconsistency here.

So when all is said and done, Goldfinger is able to use these hokey sequences to add to its charm, something which doesn't always work so well. We cheer for Bond, we urge on the fights, and we feel good about everything after the movie ends. What could be better for a campy action film?

Goldfinger on Rotten Tomatoes

Horror Horizon - March 16

On DVD March 16th:

The Fourth Kind

"A thriller involving an ongoing unsolved mystery in Alaska, where one town has seen an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances during the past 40 years and there are accusations of a federal cover up."

Vengeance Trilogy

"The ultimate collection of three films by acclaimed Korean director Chan-wook Park that includes SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, OLDBOY, and LADY VENGEANCE, 3 of Tartan s all-time top releases."

Eugene

"Eugene Prescott is a lonely man who desperately wants to make a connection with the world and people around him. Like most people he just wants to love and be loved. Tormented by loneliness and a deep need to connect with others, Eugene searches outside of himself for the answers only to find himself more perplexed by his confused sexual tendencies and repressed childhood memories. As the shield of his denial becomes stripped away, Eugene directs his rage inward. After a failed attempt at dating and an encounter with a hooker, Eugene s search leads him to the streets of Hollywood where he meets Josh, a young hustler who turns tricks to support a heroin habit, and Heather, a beautiful soft core porn model who dreams of starting a new life."

Mystery Science Theater 3000: XVII

"Welcome to the Satellite of Love, the orbiting home of legendary hosts Joel Robinson and Mike Nelson, along with their robotic companions: Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and Gypsy. Join them as they embark on their 17th, and perhaps most impressive, volume of gut-busting riffs on the classic cinematic missteps of yesteryear! With the shocking inclusion of not one, but two, of the episodes most requested by MSTies around the globe, Mystery Science Theater: XVII promises to be a comedic tour de force to be reckoned with! Films Include: The Crawling Eye, The Beatniks, The Final Sacrifice & Blood Waters Of Dr. Z."

Not too much to choose from this Tuesday. But look out or you'll end up like this!

Book Review - Goldfinger by Ian Fleming

Goldfinger

The audio review:



The seventh novel in Ian Fleming's now-famous James Bond series, Goldfinger packs a few punches in the way of action and characterization for Bond. Having never read any other Fleming novel, coupled with never viewing a Bond film other than the new Casino Royale reboot, left me open to experiencing Bond without any preconceived notions.

Fleming, already working off of six Bond novels, still manages to introduce a lot of characterization for Bond. Written in third-person from Bond's point-of-view, the reader sees a personal side to the man, who, after learning about the death of Jill (a fling he had early on in the novel), becomes a bit depressed and forlorn about the situation. Fleming paints Bond as cool and collected during his work, but on the inside, Bond is just as easily swayed as the common layman. I suppose that is what makes Bond such a treat to follow; his flaws are evident because of Fleming's choice of perspective, and they make him seem less like an unstoppable force and more like a specially-trained operative who is under a constant threat of danger.

Goldfinger has an involved plot, one that at times can become a bit confusing when trying to keep track of Goldfinger's employment. The gist of the novel focuses on Bond tracking down Goldfinger after his agency learns of Goldfinger's fascination with gold and his constant smuggling of the substance. As Bond gets closer to Goldfinger, he learns of an evil plot to steal all of the gold from Fort Knox with the help of a group of elite criminals, one commonly known by the name of Pussy Galore. All of this is only the second half of the novel, the first being devoted to finding Goldfinger out and understanding his diabolical scheme.

The novel does have its flaws, though, a number of which stem from Fleming's fascination with providing too much detail. Ample amounts of pages are devoted to gold explanations, a golf competition, a car ride tracking Goldfinger across countries, and other seemingly uninteresting sequences. Fleming relies on these as a means to explain the plot, but it feels as though it could have been done in a more summative format.

But Goldfinger retains interest throughout, and by the end, it's hard not to have fallen for Bond's suave yet personable and observational demeanor. Goldfinger is menacing, his henchman are almost insurmountable, and the twisting plot carries the reader on and on.

Guest Post - Brenda Hineman of Star Costumes reviews "Lover's Lane!"

I'm trying a new thing here at The Moon is a Dead World. Brenda contacted me about doing a guest post on the blog, and after checking out her fantastic site Star Costumes, I gave her the okay. Now, she has delivered with an excellent review of a horror movie I've yet to see, the 1999 B-movie Lover's Lane. Check it out, and please give your support and love to Brenda on her website!

Lover's Lane (1999)

They say every film needs a hook. The makers of Lover's Lane took that advice a little too seriously. This 1999 disasterpiece was a little past it's prime by about 10 years, when the heyday of horror flick heroes with weapons on their hands were the hook du jour.

The Plot: Thirteen years ago (yes, the flashback actually says "13 Years Ago" rather than giving an actual date), a peeping Tom on Lover's Lane used his prosthetic hook to butcher a young couple doing what young couples do on Lover's Lane. Flash forward 13 years, and he's broken out of the mental institution on Valentine's Day to exact his revenge!

Part of the fun in watching older B Horror movies is in seeing what B grade actors are dropping in. Lover's Lane has a couple of good ones, too. First is Richard Sanders, whom you might know better as Les Nessman from WKRP in Cincinnati. In Lover's Lane, he plays a snide know-it-all shrink who works directly with the institutionalized killer. It's hard to take him seriously, though, because he still looks as if he is going to interrupt Dr. Johnny Fever at any minute to bring you the weather. The other notable character plays the daughter of Sanders' character... none other than Sarah Lancaster who has gone on to be a television regular on shows such as Chuck, What About Brian, and Everwood.

A balanced review provides both the highlights and lowlights of a film and, unfortunately, pointing out that Sanders and Lancaster were in this film pretty much wraps up the highlights, unless you happen to be a fan of too-dark scenes, cliche scripting, and poor sound design.

The real downfall of Lover's Lane, however, is in the plot development. As the hooked maniac is on the loose, leaving dead teenagers in his path, we learn more about the relationships that brought about this fateful night. And just like that - spoiler alert - there are THREE character's running around with hooks. What was surely intended to be a brilliant plot twist just left the viewer thinking, "Whoa, wait a minute. So he? Wait? She? Wait? Okay, WTF is going on here?" Leaving the viewer confused 85 minutes into an already poorly developed plot is not a clincher.

The bottom line: You still need to see this movie mainly because misery loves company. Also, you get a reminder that the price of gas, as shown in a shot of a gas station, was below $2 a gallon in 1999. Oh, and some of the haircuts are just old enough to be goofy (in that boy band kind of way), but not cool (in that retro sort of way). Hmmm... looks like I remembered some more highlights.

One star.

Trailer:





Brenda Hineman is a B Movie fanatic who also writes about Costumes for Halloween at StarCostumes.com.

Moon Minis - A Face in the Crowd

A Face in the Crowd

The audio review:

 

Andy Griffith steals the show in this 1957 adaptation of Budd Schulberg's short story "Your Arkansas Traveler." Elia Kazan directs, a controversial filmmaker known for his snitching in the HUAC testimonies of the '50s. But this review is not here to reflect any political beliefs of the crew involved; instead, let's delve into the life of Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes, Griffith's prominent character in A Face in the Crowd.

Griffith portrays Rhodes as a deeply afflicted character; at first, Rhodes seems likable enough, and though slightly bipolar and a bit strange, the audience becomes pretty taken with him. As Rhodes becomes a television celebrity, he takes on a more strained personality, becoming detached from the reality that got him to his position in the first place. It is here where Griffith shines - he's able to make a transformation from an absurd character to an imposing and threatening one.

Kazan is also doing some great stuff with direction. Visual metaphors abound, and he's really striving to drive Schulberg's point home about celebrity corruption. The pacing varies on and off; Kazan has a tendency to include less-than-important scenes, or ones that seem to carry on a bit too long. Take, for instance, a baton-twirling contest that Rhodes attends; it's semi-important, as Rhodes finds his wife there, but it strays far from the path of what has become an interesting character study of Rhodes' deteriorating psyche.

Yet the film's worth the watch to revel in Griffith's performance, and Patricia Neal provides a moving finale as she grieves over her lost relationship and the chaos she has inflicted by finding Rhodes.

A Face in the Crowd on Rotten Tomatoes

Ugly Americans-themed game "Citizen Ugly"

We're almost to the premiere of Ugly Americans, the new horror-themed cartoon comedy about monsters in the Big Apple. In promotion of the event, Comedy Central has released a new Flash game where players "help the zombies, robots and vampires of New York keep their jobs and stay out of trouble!" You can check it out at the Comedy Central website.

Ugly Americans premieres March 17 at 10:30/9:30 c on Comedy Central.

Horror Horizon - March 9

Horror DVD releases for March 9:

Nine Dead

"An all-star cast including Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina: The Teenage Witch), John Terry (TV’s Lost, 24) and James C. Victor (TV's 24) triggers top-notch suspense in this gruesome tale of a masked gunman on the prowl. With hoods over their heads, nine handcuffed strangers are about to learn their kidnapper’s game. They must work together to answer one question: Why have they been targeted? One of them will die every 10 minutes unless they can strip away each other’s secrets to solve this dangerous, twisted puzzle that could leave NINE DEAD."

Melissa Joan Hart?!?

Demonic Toys 2

For when you can never get enough of evil, ankle-high killers. Who would buy those disfigured toys for their kids? Probably me.

God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand

"A boy with the supernatural ability to dream about and predict the evil intentions of men sees one particular individual reading a picture book to his bedridden daughter. The dream would have been nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact that the self-made book was about barbarously murdered girls. The nightmare not only shocks the youngster awake, but it also causes blood to pour from his neck. Slowly dying, it is up to his sister to track down the man from her brother's dream and solve the mystery."

Undead: The Vampire Collection

20 DVDs for a low price. Includes Atom Age Vampire, The Bat, Blood of Dracula's Castle, The Bloody Vampire, Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride, Crypt of the Living Dead, The Devil Bat, Horrible Sexy Vampire (how could you go wrong?!), Horror Express, The Last Man on Earth, Nightmare Castle, Nosferatu, Prime Evil, Terror Creatures from the Grave, The Vampire Bat, Vampire Happening, Vampire's Night Orgy, The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Women, and The Witches Mountain.

Carnival of Souls and Night of the Living Dead (Cinema Insomnia Slime Line)

Both hosted by Mr. Lobo - I'm thinking it's similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Haunted Echoes: A Ghost Story

"Devastated by their daughter’s murder, a couple tries to overcome their grief by restoring an old house. But soon they are confronted with the ghost of a young girl who suffered an [un?]imaginable death."

In case you didn't get the idea of the supernatural, "ghost" and "haunted" are in the same title.

Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum

"Seven students arrive at a secluded mansion to participate in a scientific experiment conducted by JB Divay, a bizarre hypnotist with a dark past. At first the group dismisses JB’s eccentricities… until the students start disappearing. Directed by David DeCoteau."

Letting the cover art speak for itself on this one.

Tales from the Dead

"A Japanese anthology film of four ghost stories, each one with a unique personality. Some stories involve revenge while others are warnings about appreciating the value of life."

Clownstrophobia

"A psychiatrist holds a therapy session at her estate to treat a group of teenagers for their fear of clowns. The session turns into a nightmare when Snuffles the Clown escapes from the Asylum and joins the group to deal out his own brand of therapy"

How did they come up with that name!

ROT: Reunion of Terror

"A deranged killer targets six high school friends who’ve gathered for a reunion party at a secluded hunting cabin. When several of the group go missing, tensions escalate as they begin to suspect each other of senseless and brutal crimes. As the night progresses, a secret is uncovered which reveals one of the most controversial and brutal endings in cinematic history."

The cover attracts me; I like plaid.

Dead Life: Redux

"A deadly virus called Necrotizing Faceitis M is running rampant through Midwest America killing the living and reviving the dead. Life changes quickly for Maxx and his friends as survival becomes a struggle. The group is consumed one by one as Maxx prepares for his final face off with the walking dead."

Hong Kong presents "Womb Ghosts" trailer

Warning: Violence abounds which may be offensive.



Check out the website for more info.

This ridiculous trailer brought to you by Bloody-Disgusting.

Zombieland 2 in the works?

Ruben Fleischer, director of the recent Zombieland, commented on the idea of a sequel in an interview with Icon Vs. Icon. Check out what he had to say:

"We are definitely doing the film in 3D... I know that the cast are all excited to be a part of the sequel, so it should be a great, fun movie to make! The script is about to be written and hopefully we will shoot it sometime towards the end of the year or early next year."

The rest of the interview can be found here.

Definitely some surprises in that relatively brief comment, and it seems like Zombieland 2 will be out before we know it. What do you think about Fleischer and company jumping on the 3D bandwagon? I like 3D movies (so far), but I'm not liking this trend of making every movie in 3D.

Thanks to Arrow in the Head for source.

Red-band Survival of the Dead trailer!

Thanks to Bloody-Disgusting for trailer.

Film Short Review - Contact (2009)

Contact

The audio review:

 

Jeremiah Kipp's short film, at only ten minutes in length, is packed with tension. The film is shot in black-and-white, with minimal dialogue, stylistic shot choices, and trippy, psychedelic music that takes the diegetic sound of the film and creates noise from it.

Our focus is on a couple who buy a drug that induces some sort of trip between the two lovers; of course, their experience isn't as happy, sexual, and free-spirited as they thought it would be, because they soon find their faces melded together in what one might refer to as an extreme super-gluing accident.

The suspense begins right at the start of the film, as a husband and wife sit down to dinner. There are three places set, and only two are filled. The lack of dialogue between the two older people sets the tone of the film; we soon wonder what their deal is, and when a knock at the door signals a scene break, it's apparent that all is not well within this family.

Then, Kipp treats us to a very intriguing shot of a younger couple (played by Robb Leigh Davis and Zoe Daelman Chlanda) framed portrait-style. These stylistic choices are what drive the short film, as Kipp uses camera angles to his advantage. Later on, the shots become more important, especially as Chlanda begins to trip on the drug. At first, the drug seems benign enough, but both the camera and music start to degrade into each other, with spinning cameras to bring the viewer along on the drug ride. It's purposefully disorienting, and tension builds as we start to see Chlanda collapse into a fit of hysterics.

The height of the film is the joining of the couple in the kiss; the gore, though in black-and-white, is disturbing, and the intimacy of the experience is broken by the disgusting "skin-rope" between the two. Kipp doesn't linger on the effects, too, which makes everything even more creepy.

And then we're back to where we were at the beginning of the short, as Chlanda, feeling much better after the effects of the drug wear off, embraces her comforting father. The significance of the family is never really explained, which does leave a bit unanswered, but overall Kipp works to create a tight and taut experience that gracefully spans ten minutes. Kipp sure has an eye for suspense, and it's obvious that the lack of dialogue and color were stylistic choices made to chill the viewer; Contact is a fine example of how limiting film effects can create a disturbing atmosphere.

Australian flick Needles gets new trailer

Do you think they're showing the best parts of the film in the trailer?

Thanks to Arrow in the Head for clip.

Movie Review - The Crazies (2010)

The Crazies

The audio review:



I've never seen George Romero's original film, so I can't comment on The Crazies as a remake. All I can do is review the film based on the film itself, which actually makes my commentary a bit more interesting because there is no previous expectations to skew my viewing.

Regardless of the film as a remake, The Crazies feels like a contemporary zombie film through and through, even though the creatures aren't exactly definitive zombies. Director Breck Eisner utilizes his share of genre stereotypes in the movie, taking advantage of similar premises like the 28 Days Later series as inspiration for atmosphere and theme.

The plot is probably as simple as one would guess from the trailers alone: a small town is plagued by a mysterious virus (government-related) that causes everyone to go crazy. Center on a strong town cop named David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant), throw in some other victims, and let the destruction commence. The Crazies isn't out to set any minds ablaze with plot twists or original ideas, but there's a charm that Eisner infuses into the film that makes it enjoyable to revisit the facets of the zombie genre that have made it so successful as political commentary entertainment.

And yes, The Crazies does have its fair share of cliches. Protagonists are generic and weakly characterized, causes of the viral outbreak are somewhat unclear, and the crazies don't always act according to the "rules" the film sets. Boo scares abound, music stings create much of the tension, and stalking sequences are the norm here.

But it's all controlled by Eisner in such a way that make the movie a huge bag of fun. It's obvious that The Crazies' main mission is to offer up an hour and a half of as many scares as possible, to create a creepy, easy viewing experience. There's no evidence of delusions of grandeur here; instead, Eisner fashions the film with an endless parade of freaky situations, absolutely pounding the viewer with action. So the film's fast paced, and even if the characters aren't substantive, the viewer might be able to overlook it.

The biggest flaw is the ending, which seems to act both as a happy medium between potential "good or bad" conclusions and a lead-in to a sequel. Much of the film had been (mostly) realistic, but the finale throws that all away in one gigantic bang... literally. It's not an optimistic end, but it's not as pessimistic as, say, Night of the Living Dead.


For the most part, though, Eisner has crafted a very enjoyable zombie movie. It's got all of the components, and it makes use of them through engaging and original scares. The tension is pretty heavy, especially in the beginning of the film; Eisner teases us with our expectations, creating a suspense when the obvious scares don't happen. Then, he throws in some scares that do exactly what our expectations tell us - we're so confused almost everything catches us off guard.

There are some great sequences here, though they seem to be haphazardly attached. There's a few screws loose, but overall, this crazy seems to be functioning quite well as a collection of genre cliches that are both acknowledged and accepted in the scheme of things.

The Crazies on Rotten Tomatoes