THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL (2012)

Posted on 14th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: THEATRICAL (Tower, Night Time Showing-Packed House)

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Thursday, April 5, 2012 (Limited Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated (probably R for Violence and Language)

Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman

Written by: Terrence Zdunich

Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery as John, Briana Evigan as Merrywood, Jessica Lowndes as Tamara, Dayton Callie as Ticket Keeper, Paul Sorvino as God, Terrance Zdunich as Lucifer, Alexa Vega as Wick, J. LaRose as Major, Bill Moseley as Magician, Emilie Autumn as Painted Doll, Nivek Ogre as Twin, Marc Senter as Scorpion, Shawn Crahan as Tamer, Ivan Moody as Hobo Clown

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA was something entirely unique and new. A futuristic horror rock-opera that found an instant following and has continued to play midnight showings for nearly four years after it’s limited theatrical release. I was lucky enough to catch REPO! on it’s limited run and it instantly became one of my favorite movies in the past 10 years. I have introduced REPO! to countless friends and know nearly all the songs by heart. So there was nowhere to go for the creators of REPO! (Darren Lynn Bousman and Terrence Zdunich) with their next film but down. They decided to take it all the way down….to HELL!!!

Darren and Terrance have returned with a new musical (not a rock opera this time) that retells some of Aesop’s fables in a very devilish way! Though not as brilliant as REPO!, THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL is a great time for music loving horror fans. Currently, Bousman and Zdunich have just concluded taking the movie on a road tour with a sideshow act before the screening and some behind the scenes REPO! footage. If you weren’t able to make it to any of those one-night-only screenings, then hopefully you catch a DVD release of some kind in the near future. What it comes down to is this: DEVIL’S CARNIVAL is a work of passion by some very talented individuals. It shows in the actual work produced!

God (Sorvino) is singing up in heaven as he gazes on some of his negative creations. We watch as three different sinners meet their fates through different ways. We have a thief, a woman who keeps trusting the wrong people, and a grief-stricken man. All three awake in a bizarre carnival. They have ended up in hell and will meet their unique punishments at the hands of some very strange characters. The film is also a bit of an anthology as well. We cut to Lucifer (Zdunich) reading Aesop’s fables, each of which describes one of the characters.

Seeing as DEVIL’S CARNIVAL is a musical, we do get some pretty memorable songs as well. The style is far different from REPO!, which may throw some people for a loop. While REPO! was industrial/electronica type songs that were through every second of the movie (it is a rock-opera after all), DEVIL’S CARNIVAL has musical numbers that come when the story calls for them. The music is much more sophisticated with some real devilish (not satanic) touches. Though the soundtrack isn’t nearly as solid as REPO!’s, there are some duds here and there, I found myself with certain songs being played over and over in my head long after I had attended the screening.

If I had to call out which songs I loved and which ones I didn’t care for, I would name the following. “Heaven’s All Around” was a good way to start the film with Sorvino’s God singing as he works, while all these sinners meet their ends. “The Devil’s Carnival” was actually one of my lesser songs of the soundtrack, same with “Grief”. I didn’t care to much for “Off To Hell We Go” and absolutely couldn’t stand “Prick Goes The Scorpion’s Tale” and “Kiss The Girls”. I thought “Grace For Sale”, “Trust Me”, and “666″ were all really good. “In All My Dreams I Drown” and “A Penny For A Tale” are fantastic songs. My favorite piece is a duet between Briana Evigan and Nivek Ogre titled “Beautiful Stranger”, which completely floored me and I have listened to this song the most since my viewing of the film.

The cast in this film is quite impressive as well. We get returns from REPO!: Paul Sorvino, Alexa Vega, Ogre, Bill Moseley, and Terrence Zdunich (of course). Some new arrivals which range from fantastic (Ivan Moody, Marc Senter, Briana Evigan) to not so good (Emilie Autumn). Still, everyone plays their parts pretty well and give their unique characters life!

The filmmaking aspect as a whole is impressive. Darren Lynn Bousman makes the most of his limited resources and creates something very cool. The set-designs and costumes are fantastic. As a whole, the entire film feels like a stage play and this is not a knock against it at all. THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely something original and very creative that is executed with real talent.

Grade: B+: THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL is a creepy and cool musical that will delight fans of REPO! Though it’s not quite as original and amazing as that film, it’s still great! This is just a unique experience that will hopefully carry on the same existence as REPO! There are plans for a second and third installment, the second has already been written. This is a high recommendation for horror fans, musical afficianados, and cinema addicts! Visit THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL, it’s well worth the trip to Hell!

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THE WICKER TREE (2012)

Posted on 12th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: DVD (Personal Collection)

Country Of Origin: UK

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Friday, January 27, 2012 (Limited Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: R for Sexuality, Nudity, and Violence

Running Time: 1 hour 36 minutes

Distributor: Anchor Bay

Directed by: Robin Hardy

Written by: Robin Hardy

(based on the novel COWBOYS FOR CHRIST by Robin Hardy)

Starring: Brittania Nicol as Beth Boothby, Henry Garrett as Steve Thompson, Graham McTavish as Sir Lachlan Morrison, Honeysuckle Weeks as Lolly, Christopher Lee as Old Gentleman

Back in 1973, Robin Hardy directed a film that is considered ”the Citizen Kane of horror films”. This movie was THE WICKER MAN. While it told a disturbing story about a cult, it also had a huge amount of class around it and is widely regarded as one of the best British horror films of all-time.

Flash-forward almost 40 years, Robin Hardy makes an announcement that he is returning to the horror genre in a big way with a sequel to his classic. Everybody gets excited and the movie premieres at Fantasia 2011, where it receives extremely negative reviews. The movie keeps getting bad reviews until it receives a limited release in January of this year, when the negative reviews become an extremely negative response from those who are able to catch it in theaters. So despite all this bad word of mouth, I was still looking forward to THE WICKER TREE for whatever reason. Unfortunately, I can say those reviews are well deserved. This is an abomination for all the wrong reasons.

A religious country singer and her equally religious boyfriend are part of the Cowboys For Christ, a group of missionaries, and are sent to a mysterious Scottish island where nobody “believes in angels” (actual quote from the movie). They go to sing and preach the good word, just as the island is reaching a crucial religious celebration. You can see where this is going. Essentially this is just a retelling of THE WICKER MAN with a few variations and nowhere near the brilliant execution that the original film had.

Robin Hardy has only directed four things in his entire film career. THE WICKER MAN was actually his directoral debut and he didn’t have any involvement with the screenplay. He went on to direct one other movie (THE FANTASIST) and an episode of the TV series E STREET. THE WICKER TREE is his fourth directing job and third feature film. Discovering this information makes one wonder what stroke of luck must have occurred to make THE WICKER MAN as great as it is. It really makes one wonder this after watching THE WICKER TREE.

This movie feels like a total amateur effort. The screenplay is laughable at points, but it remains just plain dull for most of the running time. The acting is terrible, not that these characters were anything special to begin with. As I mentioned before, this film is basically a very lame retelling of the first movie. Instead of a religious cop in a strange community, we have a religious country couple in a semi-strange community. Sound lame? It is! There is no suspense to be had. We know exactly where this story is going from the very start.

Even if you have never seen or want to see THE WICKER MAN, this movie is unbearable regardless. It’s just embarassing on every level. Believe the hate folks! This one is that bad! The heavy-handed commentary against religion could have been handled much better, as with everything else in this film. Avoid it. If any movie deserves to be burned for it’s crimes, it’s this one! This is a movie that should have gone up in smoke with the wicker tree itself.

Grade: F: I have made my sacrifice, wasting my time to watch and review this garbage. Not much happens throughout the film, but when something does, you wish it wasn’t happening! It’s a wonder the original WICKER MAN was so excellent, with Robin Hardy revealing that he has become an untalented hack. Also, don’t think for a second that Christopher Lee is a main star in this film. He shows up for one poorly green-screened scene to deliver some stale dialogue. Avoid THE WICKER TREE at all costs!

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INTENSITY (1997)

Posted on 11th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: COMCAST ON DEMAND

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Tuesday, August 5, 1997 and Wednesday, August 6, 1997 (TV)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated (contains Violence and Language)

Running Time: 3 hours 6 minutes

Network: Fox

Directed by: Yves Simoneau

Written by: Stephen Tolkin

(based on the novel INTENSITY by Dean Koontz)

Starring: Piper Laurie as Miriam Braynard, Molly Parker as Chyna Shepherd, John C. McGinley as Edgler Foreman Vess, Tori Paul as Ariel Delane

Ah, Dean Koontz. Lots of horror fans hate him and I can’t say it’s justified…yet. See, I have not read a single of Koontz’s novels. All I know is what I’ve seen from the movie adaptations. What I can tell from these movie adaptations is that either: A. he’s an untalented hack or B. movie adaptations haven’t been too kind to his work (ala Stephen King). I’m leaning towards B for now, since I haven’t read a thing by him…yet. So just like King, Koontz has had a few films made from his work (WATCHERS, WHISPERS, MR. MURDER, PHANTOMS) and even a couple of mini-series (SOLE SURVIVOR and this movie, INTENSITY).

I’ve heard from various sources that Alexandre Aja should have been sued by Koontz over HIGH TENSION. After watching INTENSITY, I can see how this claim is semi-valid. The first part of this three hour mini-series follows nearly the exact same sequence of events that HIGH TENSION does. Now on to the plot!

Chyna Shepherd, a young woman studying psychology, is spending Thanksgiving with her friend’s family. Why is Chyna not spending the holiday with her own relatives? Well through some laughably over-the-top flashbacks we see she was abused by her crackhead mother and her mother’s psychotic boyfriend. Then the unthinkable happens. A serial killer breaks into her friend’s home and slaughters the whole family, leaving her friend tied up in the back of his RV (sounds really similar to HIGH TENSION right?). She goes after him and a mind-game goes down between the two of them, which eventually leads back to his isolated home surrounded by vicious dogs.

INTENSITY has the usual pitfalls of a TV mini-series. The filmmaking aspect and camera work is nothing special. The best aspect of the movie is actually the speed at which the story runs. For its long running time, the movie is actually well paced. The real problems fall in the dialogue and acting. While John C. McGinley is actually a good villain, the rest of the cast is pretty poor when it comes to selling their characters. In fact, Molly Park is nearly unbearable as the protagonist. She just doesn’t come off as believable in the slightest.

That may have something to do with my other big problem in this movie. The dialogue is stupid. It’s stupid on a lot of levels, especially the flashbacks involving Chyna’s childhood. These scenes are by far the most unintentionally hilarious moments of the movie. I understand they are supposed to be disturbing, but they’re not in the slightest.

Due to some pretty silly dialogue and acting, there’s only one character I really enjoyed watching and he was the person I was supposed to be afraid of. The movie is just painfully average when it comes to storytelling. It’s very predictable and doesn’t offer an original horror story in any sense of the word. Unfortunately, it doesn’t create a fresh or entertaining way of telling this same old story. Which is what makes a good horror movie. It isn’t entertaining, fresh, or just an original story. Sadly, I can’t say this is a mini-series worth checking out. If the Dean Koontz novel is anything like this, of which I have heard it is, then I can see why people call him a hack. It’s just not good.

Grade: C: While the pacing and villain are actually good, the rest of the film is painfully average. It’s a predictable, badly acted, and silly waste of time. Though Alexandre Aja may have ripped off the first part of this story, he did a much better job with it. I can’t recommend INTENSITY. It’s not terrible, but it still winds up being a three-hour waste of time.

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THE DIVIDE (2012)

Posted on 8th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: DVD (Personal Collection)

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Friday, January 13, 2012 (Limited Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: R for Disturbing Strong Violence and Sexuality, and for Pervasive Language

Running Time: 2 hours 2 minutes

Distributor: Anchor Bay

Directed by: Xavier Gens

Written by: Karl Mueller, Eron Sheean

Starring: Lauren German as Eva, Michael Biehn as Mickey, Milo Ventimiglia as Josh, Courtney B. Vance as Delvin, Ivan Gonzalez as Sam, Michael Eklund as Bobby

The end of the world theories are getting annoying at this point. With a lot of idiots believing that the world will end this December (Mayans didn’t count leap years, so it should’ve ended months ago if it were real), apocalyptic movies have been being released like crazy. Take the idiotic big budget 2012 or the lesser-known more sophisticated THE ROAD. Here’s my theory on the end of the world. If it happens, let it happen. What would there be to live for afterwards? People would turn on each other and go crazy. Hence, why THE DIVIDE is so disturbing. Rather than being about the end of the world, it’s about a group of survivors who slowly deteriorate over a matter of days.

The first scene shows Eva looking out her apartment window as nukes pummel New York. She and her boyfriend make it down to the bomb-shelter-like cellar with some of the other residents in the building (including the superintendent). The shelter seems sturdy and things begin to look up. Some men in hazmat suits show up, but instead of helping them, they take one of the survivors for some medical testing. When an attempt to rescue that survivor goes wrong, they are sealed in the cellar and the rest of the movie is set in this confined place.

In essence this movie is like a much more extreme version of the play NO EXIT. The cast of characters is relatively large (nine people) and the setting is very real, that makes it all the more disturbing though. I would definitely say this is Xavier Gen’s most mature movie thus far. FRONTIER(S) was really overrated and the less said about HITMAN, the better. Don’t let his previous work dissuade you though, this is a really accomplished film that delves into some pretty dark places. If anything that’s what will turn people off of this movie. One of my friends wasn’t a fan of the movie because of how dark and disturbing it was. There are reasons it’s disturbing, because it could (and would) really happen under the right scenarios. I found myself very uncomfortable throughout the entire second hour of the film.

The cast here really sells their characters. It helps that most of them are unknowns (with the exceptions of Lauren German and Michael Biehn) and so we don’t have much to recognize them from to begin with. Apparently, the movie was shot in chronological order. So as the characters deteriorated, so did the actors. Boy, do things get ugly in the final act. Some radiation poisoning occurs and the looks of those suffering are very creepy.

The movie is not afraid to shy away from violence either. There’s a pretty graphic torture sequence with Michael Biehn’s character that involves a severed finger (which is worn around one of the other character’s neck throughout the movie, again very disturbing). Some dismemberment of corpses goes on and every time another character dies, it’s jarring. These people may be unlikeable (save for two characters), but it’s still shocking when one of them gets offed suddenly. One of the most tragic characters is the psychologically damaged mother who lost her daughter. In essence, she becomes a sort of sex slave to two of the psychos. It’s very tough to watch.

Two more powerful aspects of the film lie in both the cinematography and the music. The film is stunning to look at (as was FRONTIER(S)), we now know that Gens can direct a scene artistically and coherently. Where FRONTIER(S) had way too much shaky cam, this film is relatively steady. We get a good long look at the horrible things happening and it’s pretty disturbing to say the least. Also, the music is simply amazing. The beautiful score near the end narrates the intense finale and it’s powerful to watch.

There is a flaw with THE DIVIDE that keeps it from being a perfect or even amazing film as a whole though. The pacing drags a bit. There are some long moments where nothing really important is occurring and it feels like these could have been left on the cutting room floor. Apparently the R-rated theatrical cut had almost 10 minutes removed. I don’t think it was to secure a rating (though that’s possible), but rather to make the movie more tight and intense. The pacing is my only complaint about the film, but even that is in 4-5 scenes total. Just long enough to keep the movie as a great film, but nowhere near perfect.

Grade: B+: THE DIVIDE is a great apocalyptic tale that delves into one of my favorite quotes: “Hell is other people” (from NO EXIT). This is a brutally realistic and shocking movie. A film that has images that remain burned in your mind. It’s disturbing, dark, and extremely intense. Hence why I can only recommend THE DIVIDE to those with strong stomachs and endurance. This is a long and very creepy trip into a realistic hellhole. Which goes back to my first point at the beginning of this review. Why worry about surviving the apocalypse? Because if you do survive, you’ll have to worry about surviving human nature of both yourself and others. Highly recommended!

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GOD BLESS AMERICA (2012)

Posted on 8th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: COMCAST ON DEMAND

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Friday, May 11, 2012 (Limited Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: R for Strong Violence and Language Including Some Sexual Sequences

Running Time: 1 hour 44 minutes

Distributor: Magnolia

Directed by: Bobcat Goldthwait

Written by: Bobcat Goldthwait

Starring: Joel Murray as Frank, Tara Lynne Barr as Roxy

We live in some depressing times. A time where idiots from New Jersey have their own hit TV show and an entire family is famous for absolutely nothing. A time where people focus on celebrity’s screw-ups rather than their own lives and a time where nobody is considerate anymore. A time where people enjoy watching a karaoke show where nobody is talented and don’t care to have meaningful conversations about the world. Of course, I am not referring to everybody in the world, but rather a good portion of it. There is a reason why other countries think Americans are obese morons, because most of our country is comprised of such (do we really need instructions on how to open a candy bar. Really?!). It’s times like these that a movie like GOD BLESS AMERICA should be coming out and making a statement, while also being hilarious. So far, GOD BLESS AMERICA is absolutely one of my favorite films of 2012!

Frank is having a bad day. His inconsiderate neighbors kept him up all night, he has just lost his job, and discovered that he has a brain tumor with mere months to live. Frank sits on his couch with a gun ready to take his own life and then something happens. That something is a reality show pops on the TV featuring an ungrateful teenage girl who feels entitled to a car different than the one her parents just bought her. Frank decides instead of ending his life, why not end people who don’t deserve to live. He is joined by Roxy, a teenager who hates society just as much as he does. Together they become vigilantes taking out the rude, the entitled, and the stupid.

Immediately, you should know if GOD BLESS AMERICA is for you. This is a socially relevant, hysterical, and outrageous movie that has some very true points to make. It’s refreshing to see a comedy with some real social commentary, which some people are completely misunderstanding. Society has gotten stupid and it’s frustrating to those who actually care about things bigger than what is Snooki doing or who won American Idol.

The comparison has been brought up that this film has some strong similarities to a unique superhero flick that hit last year. That movie being SUPER. While the two share some of the some traits (vigilantism, some points being made, a psychotic girl sidekick, and both guys are named Frank), the execution (pardon the pun) is where they differ. While SUPER was focusing almost entirely on Frank with his failed relationship, GOD BLESS AMERICA focuses on one angry man who’s fed up with the stupidity and priorities of our current society. As Frank says, “What’s the point of having a civilization, if we are no longer interested in being civilized.”

Bobcat Goldthwait (FREAKED) has some great stand-up comedy, but he’s one hell of a good director and writer. His script gets his points across with ease and never becomes too heavy-handed to annoy the viewer. In fact, the movie has some fantastic dialogue. Just look at the quotes section on IMDB for some samples. It’s simultaneously hilarious and clever, something we unfortunately don’t see a lot of in comedies these days. The film also does get very dark (in the mere opening minutes). We see lots of people being killed, but that’s the point the movie is getting across. America is full of idiots that don’t deserve to live. It’s not advocating murder, but rather getting the point across in an morbidly entertaining way so people will take notice.

GOD BLESS AMERICA may be a dark comedy, but it’s also an important film. This is one that should be viewed for the sake of listening to the message while having a good time. The acting is stellar from our two leads (unknowns) who make us care about these people and their mission. It’s a damn fine film. People may hate it, more than likely their the people the movie is referring to. It’s just a damn fine dark comedy and will probably wind up near the top of my “Best of 2012″ list.

Grade: A+: GOD BLESS AMERICA is a must-see! A dark comedy with some huge points to get across. This is the kind of movie we need to see more of. It’s original and meaningful. This is one that I will pick up the moment it hits DVD. One of the best comedies in quite some time!

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AREA 407 (2012)

Posted on 8th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: COMCAST ON DEMAND

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Friday, April 27, 2012 (Limited Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated (probably R for Violence and Language)

Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Distributor: Independent Film Channel

Directed by: Dale Fabrigar, Everette Wallin

Written by: Robert Shepyer

Starring: Abigal Schrader as Trish, Samantha Lester as Jessie, James Lyons as Jimmy, Melanie Lyons as Laura, Brendan Patrick Connor as Charlie, Ken Garcia as Tom, Samantha Sloyan as Lois, Everette Wallin as Marshall, Jude Gerard Prest as Cleaner

Found footage movies can be all over the place. From great (V/H/S, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, HOME MOVIE) to mediocre (THE LAST EXORCISM) to terrible (THE AMITYVILLE HAUNTING, RE-CUT, THE DEVIL INSIDE), you can get a found footage movie of any quality nowadays. Where does AREA 407 wind up? Let me put it this way, AREA 407 is a combination of everything wrong with the found footage subgenre. This is a film where nothing works at all and I am surprised it’s coming out from IFC Film instead of The Asylum. It’s that cheap looking and that bad!

The synopsis claims that this footage is too real for reality (no idea what that even means) and too disturbing for fiction (definitely not true either). AREA 407 is recovered footage that was recovered from a mysterious government area. We follow two sisters on a plane which crashes into a mysterious isolated area, which happens to be home to some mysterious creatures. So that sounds like an interesting premise, you may be saying to yourself. Where does it go wrong? Lots of places, nearly every conceivable place that this movie could go wrong, it goes completely haywire. This is a bad one folks so strap in!

We open on a plane with two cutesy teenage girls, one of which has probably the most annoying high-pitched voice in the world. They are recording their journey back to Los Angeles on a plane full of unlikeable characters. After making friends with what may be a pedophile (at least, I got that impression) and celebrating New Year’s on the plane by yelling, they crash. Does the high-pitched one die or have her vocal cords damaged so badly we don’t have to hear her talk? If only we were so lucky! The film then dwells on these people for a good 15-20 minutes, where they do nothing more than whine and make pained groans. Then it appears some creature is picking them off one by one. Skip the next paragraph if you don’t want any SPOILERS!

….okay, if you’re reading this, you obviously don’t care about seeing this film and I’ve done my duty correctly. The monsters are dinosaurs. That’s right! Dinosaurs and not cool Jurassic Park level dinosaurs, but rather like Syfy Channel CGI dinosaurs. We don’t see much of them to begin with, this is a movie with no payoff at all! The ending is ridiculously anti-climatic and we only see a 2 second shot of the creatures. The rest of the movie of the movie gives us a shot of a snout in the door or a tail outside the window. END SPOILERS

The acting is poor. The directing….what directing? It blows my mind that two people are listed on the directing credits here. It’s just plain terrible. Finally, the writing is just awful on every level. From giving us cliche’ characters to just laughably bad dialogue, it’s a pretty painful experience to sit through. If one good thing can be said for the movie, it’s the plane crash was pretty well-done. That’s about three minutes in this 90 minute long mess. Not a good thing.

Grade: D-: Three minutes of good material save this movie from an utter fail. Despite this, the movie still is awful on nearly every level. The characters are downright hateable and the dialogue is ad-libbed by people who should try to ad-lib. This is just an example of everything wrong with the found footage subgenre and gives the whole thing a bad name. Want a good found footage movie this year? Wait for October when V/H/S comes out. You won’t find the found footage flick of the year in AREA 407. What a mess!

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THE AVENGERS (2012)

Posted on 8th May 2012 in Box Office #1 Weekend Films

Review by Chikendet

Source: THEATRICAL (Jordan Landing, Night Time Showing-Packed House)

Country of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

Release Date: Friday, May 4, 2012 (Wide Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for Intense Sequences Of Sci-Fi Violence and Action Throughout, and a Mild Drug Reference

Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes

Distributer: Buena Vista

Director: Joss Whedon

Written By: Joss Whedon,  Zak Penn

Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/ Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steven Rogers/ Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/ Hulk, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury 

Since the release of HULK, earlier in the decade, fans have speculated about an Avengers movie. The releases of IRON MAN and THOR excited fans even more. Then, with the release of CAPTAIN AMERICA, fans prayers were finally answered. After the credits roll, The Avengers are officially released. Now here, just a few short months later, The Avengers have hit us. And by god have they hit hard. Full of intense action, and hilarious one-liners, THE AVENGERS, is the ultimate way to start a summer blockbuster season. Or any season for that matter.

Set as a sequel to all the build – up films, THE AVENGERS is a battle for the ages between Earth’s mightiest heroes and Loki (evil brother of Thor). The film begins with Loki creating a plot with an unknown ally. We are then introduced to each individual Avenger from Iron Man to Captain America and the Hulk. If you have seen the previous Marvel films (which I highly recommend, but specifically, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA) then you will know about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury’s Avenger Initiative idea. After the catastrophic destruction in THOR, S.H.I.E.L.D decided it was time to take action in case of any other other-worldly invasions. So the Avengers are called together. However, a bunch of Type A personalities trying to work cohesively as a team…does not work so well. Egos clash, and heads butt as the heroes try to obtain leadership and dominance. But the death of a loved S.H.I.E.L.D. agent quickly focuses the heroes on the true enemy and unity is achieved to topple this God-like foe and his deadly army.

So the plot is really straight forward and predictable, but that is not what makes the Avengers so damn amazing. First, I have to start before the film actually begins. The trailers that lead up gave me goosebumps as I watched: THE EXPENDABLES 2, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, and of course, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. All of these movies look fucking incredible! Just had to get that out there.

Okay, THE AVENGERS is a perfect mix of action and comedy. So let’s talk action. I was very afraid of THE AVENGERS turning into a Michael Bay catastrophe, due to the sheer size of some of the sequences. Thank the lord baby Jesus, it was not. The fight scenes, while a bit shaky and jumpy, are great. The stylized action shows off each heroes own personality. My favorite is with Hulk and Thor after they clean house. Hulk’s next move, is probably the greatest in the movie. No spoilers, but let’s just say Hulk and Thor did not get along very well for a while and it shows. The final battle is also incredible. Iron Man is a total PIMP! Just Saying.

The comedy in The Avengers is something that stands out as well. Tony Stark has some of the greatest one-liners since Rodney Dangerfield. My personal favorite is a conversation between Tony and Loki. The famous “I have an army.” says Loki. “We have a hulk.” says Tony. That part is great. Loki also tries to manipulate Hulk by saying things like “you are a god, and I am a god. I am great. I am a –“ this is where Hulk picks up Loki and swings him around like a rag doll. “Puny God.” Priceless.

The eye candy in the Avengers is also note worthy. Scarlett Johansson. And I would also like to say, thank you spandex. And Nick Fury’s assistant, or pilot, I’m not exactly sure what her job was on the ship, but who cares.

My favorite thing about this incredible movie was not Scarlett, it was not the comedy, and not the action. It was watching the characters develop from self righteous, arrogant snobs, into a well oiled fighting force for good. And it was great to see how the all became united after the death of a friend. Character development is important in any film and THE AVENGERS is a perfect example of growth and maturation in adults.

THE AVENGERS is one of my favorite films of all time. I think it was better than THE DARK KNIGHT. You read correctly, better than THE DARK KNIGHT. Best super hero movie of all time. Incredible! Wonderful! Spectacular! Dare I say perfect? Not quite, but pretty damn close. Stay after the credits roll for a bit as well. Do I sense a sequel? I do! It is two hours of action, comedy, and an all round great time. GRADE: A+ (+++++)

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THE LONG LAST CALL by John Skipp

Posted on 7th May 2012 in Books

Review by Dead Derrick

Published: October 2006

Length: 305 pages

My reading of John Skipp had been limited to just one novel. That was THE BRIDGE, which he co-wrote with Craig Spector. I was interested in checking out some of his other books, but didn’t see anything that really caught my attention right upfront (though he is an amazing writer and I imagine has some stellar books out). Then I caught a glimpse of THE LONG LAST CALL and checked out the synopsis. This was a solo effort by Skipp (who has now retired from writing and is an editor), but hot damn is this book fantastic!

The story opens simply enough with Hank driving down a deserted highway in his pickup truck. He has experienced a painful breakup and just wants to drown his sorrow with some booze. Then he spots the strip club, Wild Thangs, and decides to stop by. Then we are introduced to our cast of characters. These are mainly the staff of this grimy strip club and do include strippers (who also double as hookers for a few extra bucks), a bartender, the coke-snorting owner, a bouncer, and some redneck regulars. It’s near closing time and seems like a fairly typical night, then he comes in.

He is dressed in a dark suit and dashingly handsome…and is carrying a briefcase full of cash. Though he seems of a higher class, he is also up to no good. Hank immediately recognizes this, but no one else seems to notice. The more money he spends, the more people who touch the tainted cash and begin to reveal their true selves. Unfortunately, seeing as this is a pretty shady location full of broken souls and lustful people, the true selves revealed aren’t very pleasant. Some blood is shed and real nightmare begins.

THE LONG LAST CALL is proof positive that Skipp can tell an excellent and terrifying tale without the aid of his cohort Spector. The story does introduce quite a cast of interesting characters (not nearly as many as THE BRIDGE) and delves into the mindset of each. We root for certain people and despise others. One thing is for certain though, not everyone will be getting out of the strip club alive.

The novel isn’t told from one set perspective, we see the thing from everyone’s eyes (including the Dark Stranger as the book calls him). This book is also very addicting and will have you hooked from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue (including a nightmarish scene between two characters in the dark parking lot outside the strip club). This is just a stellar horror novel that I believe any horror fanatic will completely enjoy. Also, the novella CONSCIENCE is included and though not as great as CALL, it still is worth a read.

Grade: A+: This is an amazing and absolutely frightening novel! Skipp creates some great characters and a particularly memorable villain. The dialogue is downright creative. Apparently, Skipp originally wanted to make this into a movie, but it has not happened yet. A proper film adaptation would be fantastic! Give this one a read! It’s definitely one of the better horror novels of the past decade!

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WESTWORLD (1973)

Posted on 7th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: RENTAL (Public Library)

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Wednesday, November 21, 1973 (Wide Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: PG (contains Violence and Language)

Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Directed by: Michael Crichton

Written by: Michael Crichton

Starring: Yul Brynner as Gunslinger, Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin, James Brolin as John Blane

In 1990, Michael Crichton wrote a novel involving a futuristic theme park which goes terribly wrong. That novel involved dinosaurs and was later turned into the fantastic blockbuster film JURASSIC PARK. However, it was not the first time Crichton touched upon the idea of a theme park which goes right to hell. In 1973, Crichton directed and wrote his second film (his first was a TV techno-thriller titled PURSUIT) which concerned a robotic theme park with some deadly glitches.

Peter and John are taking a vacation to WestWorld, a technological wonderland. This is a theme park where you can fight knights in Medieval times, rule ancient Rome, or ride in the Old West. The park features robots that are programmed to give customers an exciting time, but never to harm them. Peter and John are having the time of their lives and make enemies with a robotic gunslinger who they constantly shoot down. Unfortunately, a virus is spreading from robot to robot and cutting off their safety settings. This causes the deaths of a lot of people in the park, while the duo must try to escape from the determined evil robot.

The premise of WESTWORLD has been lampooned in a few things (mostly notably the Itchy & Scratchy Land episode of THE SIMPSONS), but this movie still holds up to this day. I would say it’s one of the standout science-fiction films of the 1970′s. This is up there with SOYLENT GREEN and STAR WARS as a really ambitious movie that accomplished a lot with very little. The whole idea is on an epic level and could have easily turned into a big stupid action movie (which the upcoming remake might be), but instead we spend time with our characters and watching the scientists run the park. It builds up to a fever-pitch level of tension which ends in a stellar conclusion. Seriously, the final 30 minutes of this movie are nothing short of cinematic brilliance.

WESTWORLD is considered excellent by AFI and many critics who have seen it. I would definitely say this is one of those movies that gets overlooked way too much. It’s a pretty intense ride and you can definitely see similarities between this and JURASSIC PARK. It’s a cool adventure mixed with science-fiction and elements of horror. Another cool little combination of genres that comes out as something special!

As far as the acting goes, nobody puts in a subpar performance. The real standout here is Yul Brynner as the sinister robot gunslinger! He is downright scary and delivers his lines pitch-perfectly as a threatening inhuman villain. The filmmaking aspect is also very skillful. One cat-and-mouse scene near the end is absolutely perfect and probably my favorite moment of the entire film. This entire movie is just so damn great that it warrants a lot from any horror or sci-fi fan!

Grade: A-: WESTWORLD is one of those awesome 1970′s science-fiction films that is constantly overlooked in this day and age. It definitely deserves more attention than it gets. In fact, the only beneficial thing that may come from the planned remake is this might get more exposure. I highly recommend WESTWORLD!

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TIME AFTER TIME (1979)

Posted on 6th May 2012 in Other

Review by Dead Derrick

Source: RENTAL (Public Library)

Country Of Origin: USA

(Spoken in English)

USA Release: Friday, August 31, 1979 (Wide Theatrical)

MPAA Rating: PG (contains Violence and Language)

Running Time: 1 hour 52 minutes

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Directed by: Nicholas Meyer

Written by: Nicholas Meyer

(based on the novel TIME AFTER TIME by Karl Alexander)

Starring: Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells, David Warner as Jack The Ripper, Mary Steenburgen as Amy Robbins

The premise of TIME AFTER TIME is a stroke of genius. Combining elements of THE TIME MACHINE with the eerie nature of Jack The Ripper, the film is original to say the least. It holds up very well after over 30 years and though not perfect, it is a good time.

We open in 1893, before H.G. Wells was the famous writer he is today and when Jack The Ripper was terrorizing London. Turns out that both of them were friends (unknowingly to Wells). When Wells invents a time machine of his own, Jack The Ripper takes advantage of this and travels into the San Francisco 1979. Wells follows him through time, discovers our futuristic world of the 70′s is nowhere near what he imagined it would be and the Ripper enjoys how violent this world has become. The film is a fish-out-of-water comedy mixed with a time travel film mixed with a serial killer thriller. It’s quite the unique combination and makes for a very entertaining story.

The film stars Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells and he pulls his role off with skill. McDowell is hilarious to watch at points and totally compelling in others. As opposed to his villainous roles, he can play the leading hero when he is cast as such. On the opposing end, we have David Warner portraying Jack The Ripper. Warner is great villain and introduces some really cool elements into Jack The Ripper that haven’t been seen in other portrayals. This is because those films were stuck in the time period when the Ripper was killing, this one incorporates the strip clubs and violent television into the complex character.

As far as action and chase scenes go, this movie is much more dialogue driven than one might expect. Sure there are a couple of intense chases and even fist fight between the Ripper and Wells, but nearly every scene save for those three are driven by dialogue. In fact, most of the movie follows Wells, with the occasional Ripper scene. This is part of the reason I didn’t fall completely in love with this movie. The story should have focused on the whole face-off between Wells and the Ripper. For the almost two hour running time, the film feels like it merely glances over the main aspect at hand.

Grade: B: TIME AFTER TIME has some issues with the plot and pacing I can’t quite forgive, but nonetheless it’s a good time. The film mixes a lot of elements from different genres into a pretty unique film, but I didn’t completely fall in love with it. Still, would recommend TIME AFTER TIME to those who want a unique time travel film involving Jack The Ripper, which we don’t get many of to begin with.

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