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Bite Size MOVIE REVIEWS In
an effort to catch up with a whole stack of DVDs, I've created this new section. |
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Lloyd Kaufamn/Michael Herz present: Blood Junkie 2010 Troma Entertainment Starring: Nick Summer Mike Johnson Sarah Luther Emily Treolo Brady Cohen Written and Directed by Drew Rosas Length: 72 minutes The same studio that brought you The Toxic Avenger, brings you another hilarious mayhem time warp. Set your mental clocks to the 1980's, and step back to the days of hairy muffs, sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, and a hazy future. Nick Summer and Mike Johnson play two bumbling dufuses, who use every wrong line imaginable to pick up two teenage girls, (Luther and Treolo) and wind up spending a fright filled weekend with them at an abandoned factory in the boondocks of Wisconsin. The girls can't ditch little Andy, (Brady Cohen) so he's forced to come along for the weekend. Fornication, beer, "hey baby", you name it, it's all here!! Blood Junkie is a movie that you will easily laugh along to, as you're frightfully entertained. The way Summer and Johnson play two losers from the 80's, who probably would not have amounted to anything is so real, you'll swear time did reverse itself for an hour and ten minutes. Let's not forget the premise though. Blood Junkie is a horror movie at heart, and there is a walking nuclear meltdown of a man, lurking in Wisconsin's darkest corner. He's salivating at the thought of your demise, and all too eager to make mincemeat out of you!! Slowly, the cast begins to disappear, but leave it to little Brady Cohen to save the day. Or was he the bad guy all along?? The introduction with Moneybags Kaufman, and Debbie Rochon had me rolling on the floor laughing. They just can't seem to remember what movie they're introducing, can they? Watch a few more Troma flicks, and you'll see what I mean. Good stuff from the Troma Team once again!! www.troma.com
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Lloyd Kaufamn/Michael Kerz present: Blood Oath 2010 Troma Entertainment Starring: Natalie Hart Roger Horn Jamie Reynolds Katie Vaughan Patrick Holt withTiffany Shepis and Tina Krause Length: 75 minutes If you can't take seeing what people look like on the inside, and if blood and gore make you regurgitate, then skip this review!! Blood Oath lives up to it's name!! Let's face it, if your kid is a little screwed up in the noggin, the wrong thing to do is to abandon it in the woods. We've all read the stories, we've all seen on the silver screen what happens when past mistakes come back to haunt you. A group of partying college agers, scurry off to the deep woods to investigate the legend, and well.............., let's just say they find out!! Plenty of suspense, and a sh*tload of mutilation. Maybe not original in plot, but a refreshing focus on what always seems to work in horror movies. Fine performances too, by Troma's in house Scream Queen's/Pieces of Tail (with all due respect) Tiffany Shepis and Tina Krause. www.troma.com |
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Forget Me Not Phase 4 Films - 2011 Written by Jamieson Stern Tyler Oliver Produced/Directed by Tyler Oliver Starring: Carly Schroeder Cody Linley Brittany Renee Finamore Christopher Atkins Review by Mike Porciello Legendary screen actor Christopher Atkins
(The Blue Lagoon) makes a small appearance in this movie, as Mr.
Channing, lead actress Sandy's father. (Carly Schroeder) |
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Synapse Films - 2010
Written & Directed by Philippe Robert Starring: Yann Sundberg This is a very ambitious French horror action film that boosts some impressive special visual FX, nice physical FX and stunt work. The movie plays more like an action film rather than a true horror movie and that's not a criticism. The story, which is circular in nature gets a little bogged down at times and the overuse of the TREMORS effect loses it's power after being used countless times. A meteorite falls from the sky into the scenic countryside. A group of friends take a getaway to this very countryside and end up being in the wrong place and the wrong time. A psychopath escapes from prison and there's a legend of a ghostly female apparition haunting the area. But the real problems start soon after the friends pick up a hitchhiker, a thick fog envelopes their car and sends them over a cliff. Somehow reaching the ground safely they face an ancient creature that lives underground that waits to dispatch them one by one. The movie was shot on non-anamorphic standard definition video on a micro budget and for that you've got to love what was attempted and what is pulled off. It's the story, the pacing and overall effectiveness of telling this story that took away from the experience. I do give kudos for Synapse Films for picking up a movie like this that was made for such a low budget, but was done with a lot of passion. Synapse presents the movie in letterbox and includes the Theatrical Trailer.
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Screamers: The Hunting Sony Pictures Home Entertainment -
Written by Tom Berry
Directed by Sheldon Wilson
95 mins.
Starring
Gina
Holden
Jana
Pallaske
Greg Bryk
Stephen
Amell
Review by Mike Porciello
Screamers (rapidly moving cyborg
terror, created to destroy the human
race) will jump right out of your screen so fast, you won't
have time to put up a block. Awesome special effects, as they literally perform
death defying hair pin turns, and dart right for you!! It would
have been interesting to see a movie like this in 3D. A worthy sequel
to the 1995, sci-fi thriller.
A team of scientists has been deployed to rescue the remaining humans, and destroy the destroyers on Planet............. OK!! OK!!, it's the basis for many science fiction horror movies, but when you get past that, and the shoot 'em up, interplanetary throw down, it's an enjoyable hour and a half. This movie will draw you in, and digest you!! Watch as the strength and virility of teamwork is put to the test. But then again what chance do they stand against a deadly robotic force? A force which only knows one thing: DESTROY!!
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SRS Cinema - 2010
Directed by Donald Farmer
Carol Carr
Melissa Moore
Length: 69 minutes
Review by Mike
Porciello
When one heavy
metal queen replaces another, this lower than low
budget kill fest releases murder on top of mayhem, and
vengeance upon chaos. If you like your Zombie flicks on
the cheap, then Scream Dream is the one for you. Deadly blow jobs, blood
and guts galore, boobs, sex, and plastic demons, Scream Dream
defines 1980's low budget horror!
Yeah kids, this is what your parents actually looked and acted like back then. Seriously, this movie looks like it could've been shot in someone's older brother's frat house. You can almost smell the stale beer, and the funny looking cloud of smoke. Michelle Shocked, the Texas musician, in no way was involved with this movie, as the lead character. Awesome poster of Iron Maiden Somewhere In Time, hanging on the wall of the manager's office, so pay close attention. Until next time, I hope you wake up screaming!! |
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Dying God Directed by Fabrice
Lambot Starring Review by Michael
Knight Dying God has a nice
looking creature in it that is supposed to be a South American God
somehow awakened and now looking to make a baby. Like I said, the
creature is a good work of special-FX /make-up-FX.
It seems the filmmakers tried to build a script around the
premise of this creature and failed miserably. The main problem is you
never really like or empathize with the main character, a hard boiled,
crooked cop with a hooker girlfriend. I could care less if this
character lived or died, not only because he was badly scripted, but he
didn’t even seem like a very good actor, either. Didn’t care for the
girlfriend character at all. There was never enough gore or violence on
screen to satisfy that horror movie fan part of me. So what was left was
a slow, dull, film that was a chore to watch. Not even a small role from
veteran actor, Lance Henriksen, could lift this film out of the
doldrums. |
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Directed by Robert
Beaucage Starring Review by Michael
Knight Spike
offers an interesting concept and a great make-up/special-fx design of
the monster, making it an original creation. Four friends get stuck when
their car skids off the road and crashes into some brush. They are soon
attacked by some unseen creature in the woods. We learn that this beast
actually has some intimate knowledge of the young woman who it takes
captive. As the friends battle to save the kidnapped woman, it becomes
clear that only she has the power to save herself. Spike is a decent
movie for its originality. However, the beauty and the beast aspect of
the story becomes a bit long winded and stretched out. I became restless
with the story as this romance aspect was repeatedly examined and
reworked throughout the movie. In spite of this, Spike is a good movie
for horror and fantasy genre fans that want to see something new in both
make-up-fx and monster concept.
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BreadCrumbs
Directed by Mike
Nichols Starring: Review by Michael
Knight I hope no one gets
suckered into paying to see this piece of garbage movie thinking it is
some kind of interesting horror version of the old Hansel & Gretel
fairytale. It is not. In fact, it is barely a movie at all. There is
very little that horror fans would enjoy about this movie aside for some
gratuitous skin and sex scenes. There is no plot, no story, no back
story, no concept, no suspense, no emotional involvement. To me the
whole movie just seems like a bunch of people running through a wooded
area with no rhyme or reason. I hope this director never makes another
horror film because he obviously has no idea what makes a good movie in
this category and is poisoning the genre with lame releases that only
dismay real fans of horror film. I’m not even going to list a website - don’t even bother! |
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Starring Review by Michael
Knight Young
reporter, Rowena Price (Halle Berry) goes undercover to investigate
Ad-executive mogul, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) and his involvement
with murder in this suspense thriller. It seems as though Hill had an
affair with Rowena’s childhood friend, Grace. After confiding this
information to Rowena, Grace turns up dead. A dangerous game of cat and
mouse begins as Rowena gets a temp job working for Hill and tries to
seduce him both as an underling co-worker and on the internet under an
alias. Despite
all of the modern technology angles and the slick and sexy visuals the
core of this story is a real suspense, who-dun-it comparable to a
Hitchcock classic or a Brian De Palma mind-bender. There are many
“Ah-Ha” moments as the story leads you through a maze of suspects
and motives. I would call Perfect
Stranger a psychological suspense movie because all of the discovery
and movement of the plot is done through dialogue rather than action
scenes. There are no explosions, car chases, or gunfire, which is quite
a departure for a Bruce Willis movie but, smart writing and a twisting
plot make for a very good mystery.
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Starring Review by Michael
Knight Young
reporter, Rowena Price (Halle Berry) goes undercover to investigate
Ad-executive mogul, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis) and his involvement
with murder in this suspense thriller. It seems as though Hill had an
affair with Rowena’s childhood friend, Grace. After confiding this
information to Rowena, Grace turns up dead. A dangerous game of cat and
mouse begins as Rowena gets a temp job working for Hill and tries to
seduce him both as an underling co-worker and on the internet under an
alias. Despite
all of the modern technology angles and the slick and sexy visuals the
core of this story is a real suspense, who-dun-it comparable to a
Hitchcock classic or a Brian De Palma mind-bender. There are many
“Ah-Ha” moments as the story leads you through a maze of suspects
and motives. I would call Perfect
Stranger a psychological suspense movie because all of the discovery
and movement of the plot is done through dialogue rather than action
scenes. There are no explosions, car chases, or gunfire, which is quite
a departure for a Bruce Willis movie but, smart writing and a twisting
plot make for a very good mystery.
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Directed by Thomas Jane Review by Michael
Knight Dark country feels like
a good Twilight Zone episode with the same kind of eerie feeling and
suspense that creeps up on you. A young couple, just married in Las
Vegas, head out across the desert with hopes to start a new life in
California. As night falls across the desert highways the couples dreams
of a new beginning are dashed. After a near collision
with a bloody faced man wandering in the road, Dick (Thomas Jane) and Gina (Lauren German)
attempt to do the right thing and take the man somewhere where he can be
helped. As they ride along the dark deserted highway the bloody man in
the back seat goes in and out of consciousness. When he regains
consciousness and sits up he is difficult to look at because his face is
bashed in and ripped apart from the accident. The bloody man begins to
chide and antagonize the couple in a way that seems as if he knows them
and their innermost hidden secrets. This drives a wedge of mistrust
between the newlyweds. Eventually, the bloody
man shows his true colors as he attacks the couple and forces the car
off the road. That is where the story takes a hard left turn into weird-ville
as the past begins to collide with the future and all that we see
isn’t what it seems to be. The movie was filmed
with many green screen (blue screen) shots which are quite
noticeable - sometimes done with artistic creative composition and other
times just blatantly fake to a fault. I enjoyed the movie nevertheless
for it’s honest and natural dialogue and its strange and eerie plot
twists. Good story, good acting and creepy atmosphere make this a film
that held my interest.
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Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Steve
Shill Review by Michael
Knight A
new temp worker, Lisa (Ali Larter) is brought in for the holiday rush
and Derek is cordial and tries to make her feel welcome to the job. Talk
about misreading somebody’s gestures of kindness - Lisa takes
Derek’s interest in her as a sign that he wants to have an affair with
her. She pursues him like a lioness on the hunt. This leads to some very
unruly scenes of her seductive trickery that really seem as though Derek
will be the suspected guilty party in these trysts. But soon it is
apparent that Lisa is delusional as she builds a fantasy world of
consensual meetings that never actually happen in her mind. She finally
shows up at Mr. and Mrs. Charles’ home putting their son in a
threatening position. Ali
Larter plays an exceptional part as the deranged-stalker-psycho-chick,
Lisa. I couldn’t wait for her to get her ass kicked! Lisa and Sharon
face off in the climatic fight scene near the end of the movie. Like I
said, Obsessed was entertaining even though we have seen this kind of
movie many times before.
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SALVAGE Revolver Entertainment Group - 2010 Directed by Lawrence Gough Unsure of it's a terrorist attack or much worse, a mother desperately fights to save her estranged daughter stranded across the street. Pretty cool little movie but it reminded me of a bunch of other movies (REC) which took away from it's overall effectiveness. Some sort of disease is causing people to become violently ill. The government tries to contain it in closing these people off from the rest of the world (sound familiar). The British cast, which is not always easy to understand with their heavy English accents, is decent and play the movie straight. I did like the grey overcast English locations. They brought the movie even more oppression and there is literaly no light at the end of the figurative tunnel. Extras include Behind-the-scenes, interviews with cast & crew and Commentary from director, producer, writer and actor. |
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CORNERED Phase 4 Films - 2010 Directed by Daniel Maze A group of people who are working in a small LA convience store get locked in and must spend the night, while a killer runs rampant. The characters are an odd assortment of people and the store owner tries to make the night go faster by having every "go in" on a poker game. As the owner cleans up at the table they start getting picked off one by one. The premise isn't new and the cast is hit or miss, with more choices off target. I was impressed the filmmaker were able to cast Steve Guttenberg not known for doing this type of movie. The film location was pretty good and the movie overall looks good. I did laugh at some of the silly action one particular character was written to do and I don't think there was any surprise as to who the killer ends up being. The DVD comes with Trailer and a Behind-the-scenes Featurett. All in all a curious little release that might amuse you a little and give you a chuckle.
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THE ROAD Blu-ray Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2010 Directed by John Hillcoat THE ROAD is a bleak, dark picture of what the world could be like in such a situation. It never wavers from the harsh reality of the movie's set up. Things are played for realism and in this way the movie is brilliantly done. First rate acting, directing and all technical aspects of filmmaking. It seems like Viggo Mortensen was born to play the dirty, unshaven/unshowered characters who like to rough it. He is so natural that none of his character choices seem forced. I wouldn't see this when you are depressed or want something to spark you up with life, but I do highly recommend seeking it out and viewing the movie because it's brutal and uncompromising. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment creates
another outstanding Blu-ray disc that comes with Director's
Commentary, Deleted and Extended Scenes and The Making of
The Road. The Blu-ray Exclusive movieIQ is really cool
because it connects you with real time information on the cast, music,
trivia and more.
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THE KARATE KID Blu-ray Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2010 Directed by John G. Avildsen The cast is magnificently chosen as Macchio pulls off a career role, Shue is cute and everyone learns to hate Zabka. But it's "Pat" Morita that steals the show as Mr. Miyagi. The HAPPY DAYS TV Star makes a mark as the patient, all knowledgeable, friendly man who happens to be a martial arts expert. His kind character is someone to admire and I don't know if anyone could have done the role better. Director John G. Avildsen is a master of the underdog story. Of course he established himself with ROCKY but has went onto to make other similar themed movies such as; ROCKY V, the two KARATE KID sequels and THE POWER OF ONE. I really got a kick out of the Blu-ray Exclusive Feature: "Blu-Pop" which you can engage while watching the movie. It's another cool way to see interviews, hear behind the scenes stories on the top or bottom of the frame, while the movie plays. There is also Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. "The Way of the Karate kid" is a multi-part making-of featurette. There's also "Beyond the Form," "East meets West: A composer's Notebook" and "Life of Bonsai" Featurettes. These informative special features combined with a modern day classic film make this a must have Blu-ray.
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THE BOUNTY HUNTER Blu-ray Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2010 Directed by Andy Tennant Butler and Aniston do have a charm when they are together and Director Andy Tennant has talent for this type of picture. I really liked the New York & New Jersey locations as I saw many places I live near including the freeway scene towards the beginning of the movie, which was filmed on the Seaford/Oyster Bay Expressway which is literally 5 miles from where I live. I do remember the traffic jam going home from work last year when they were shooting the movie. There's a fun look on the set in Making The Bounty Hunter. There's also Stops Along the Road and Rules for Outwitting A Bounty Hunter. Altogether you get a fun movie for the family and a nice package of entertainment from Sony Pictures.
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Directed by Gilles
Paquet-Brenner Starring Review by Michael
Knight The Malestrazza
building stands like a monolith; stoic in the desert landscape
surrounding it. The unique architecture design of this dwelling is
bizarre to say the least. What is even more bizarre is the discovery of
a dozen or so dead bodies
entombed within its concrete structures. Now, several years
later, A young demo engineer (Mischa Barton) sets forth with plans for
demolition of the large apartment complex. The few residents within the
building are aware of their impending eviction. These eccentric
characters dispense
whimsical bits of information wrapped in riddle. The widowed owner
(Deborah Kara Unger) and her son are clearly embattled over the
responsibility of such a large place and the somberness of the countdown
to its demise. When the son (Cameron Bright) offers the young
demo-engineer help with navigating the strange architectural design he
reveals a labyrinth of hidden maintenance passages, hallways, and
tunnels - within which one could easily become lost, perhaps even lost
forever. Walled In slowly
unravels layers of mystery and tension as the story unfolds and new
corridors are investigated. It is visually rich with a chilling
atmosphere that embellishes the feeling of being alone. Although the
movie is slow moving at times it does build into a solid plot with good
twists and suspense.
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A Night To Dismember
Juri
Productions - 1983
Story and Screenplay
by Judith J. Kushner
Produced and Directed by Doris
Wishman
Length : 69 minutes
Starring: Samantha
Fox
By Mike Porciello
Told from the first person recollection
point of view, of a homicide detective, this cult classic is in part a
murder mystery, a
revenge story, and an erotic thriller. Slow
motion death, a head burning in the hearth, plenty of sex and
nudity, this is what defined the 1980's genre; yet this movie is a
step above with it's intelligence. The disclaimer on the cover warned
of extreme violence and gore, and I nearly laughed it off. With one
viewing you'll agree, what a night to dismember!
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Starship Troopers 3: Marauder Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2008 Written & Directed by Ed Neumeier I didn't expect much from this third film in the series but I was pleasantly surprised with fun action and some good laughs. The film doesn't have the charm or talent behind it as the original but you'll have a good time watching the bugs munch on a bunch of folks who do and don't deserve such a painful way to go. This is Casper Van Dien's career role. He does another good job of portraying the leader of a bunch of hard-nosed soldiers. Besides Amanda Donohoe I wasn't really crazy about the rest of the cast. Special Features include; Evolution: The Bugs of Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and Enlist: Marauder's Mobile Infantry featurettes. There's a Music Video: "It's a Good Day to Die." Filmmaker Commentary and a 2nd Commentary with Director & Stars Casper Van Dien and Jolene Blalock.. Visit Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment to get the third film in this entertaining series.
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Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning - Deluxe Edition Paramount Home Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Danny Steinmann www.paramount.com/homeentertainment
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One Eyed Monster Liberation Entertainment Inc. 2009 Starring: Ron Jeremy Amber Benson Charles Napier Length: 84 minutes
Rated R
By Mike Porciello
Horror and comedy meet soft core porn in
this nice little diddy about a snowed in movie cast and crew, forced
to come to grips. Huh! huh! no pun intended! You won't believe your
ears, but maybe your eyes! The country cabin, the lonely crew, the
perfect setting for mayhem to unwind. The possession
of the largest member causes total
chaos among the bunch. What are they do? Screw it? Watch as
they try to cleverly outsmart the one eyed monster! A touch of
hilarity, with good acting, a convinceable plot, and a dramatic
tongue in cheek ending.
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Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys Anchor Bay 2004 Starring: Corey Feldman Vanessa Angel By Mike Porciello
Ha! You remember the Puppet
Master series of the late 1980's through the mid 90's. It started
off as a good concept, but seemed to lack steam as |
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Blood - The Last Vampire Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Chris Nahon Gianna plays the kick ass vampire Saya, who is dedicated to slaying all other vampires. BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE is based on the cult hit anime series with the same name. Chris Nahon gets very good performances from his cast and doesn't ignore the human elements that make the movie work. The bad vampires are wicked, which gives Saya the challenge of removing the Demons who have infested the Earth. Special Features include;Making-Of Featurette and Battling Demons: Behind the Stunts Featurette. Go over to Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment to pick up this little film that's sure to put a bite in
your day.
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Stan Helsing Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2008 Written & Directed by Bo Zenga On Halloween night a video clerk Stan Helsing (Steve Howey) along with his girlfriend (Diora Baird) and a couple friends detour into a town cursed with parodies of six of the most famous monsters in movie history: Freddy, Jason, Pinhead, Leatherface, Chucky and Michael Myers. There is a rule in storytelling I've always believed in that applies to this movie - silly plus silly equals stupid. The one thing that does literally stand out in STAN HELSING and is the movie's best quality is Diora Bard's bust. Anchor Bay supplies their usual excellent goodies: Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director Bo Zenga and Actors Kenan Thompson and Desi Lydic. Killer Parady: The Making of STAN HELSING. Extended, Alternate and Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Trailer, Still Gallery and Storyboard Gallery round out the DVD. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Directed
by Jamie Dixon Starring Review by Michael
Knight Bats…
is a low rent special military operations story about forces sent into a
Russian forest to find some rogue scientist who is possibly working for
Chechen rebels. A CGI Helicopter
lands them on the outskirts of the Belzan Forest in Russia. A
Russian born agent with a bad accent guides the US forces. Genetically
altered bats run combat missions and are dispersed as security to keep
the US forces out of the forest. The bats look convincing enough.
Michael Jace of “The Sheild” is the one bright spot of this movie.
Unfortunately, he is the first of the squad to be killed off.
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Directed
by: Jeffery Scott Lando Starring: Review by Michael
Knight |
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Starring: While there is a
pretty nice back story and premise to Tooth Fairy, I couldn’t help but
think of the similarities to Darkness Falls which is a much better
movie. This is like Darkness Falls with a sex scene and some gore FX and
a guy with an axe and a little girl ghost and some stalker hillbillies
and stuff. OK, so some of us have to see every horror movie that is ever
made. That would be me. If
that is you, too - it won’t be a total loss. There are a some
good parts in this flick. |
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Directed by: David Benullo Starring: Review by Michael
Knight |
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Starring Review by Michael
Knight Devil’s Den
re-hashes old ideas previously explored in From Dusk ‘til Dawn and the
lesser known Vamp, with Grace Jones. That being said, Devil’s Den may
be fun to watch for those who like some campy horror and half naked
strippers. Small time drug runner (Devon Sawa) takes the path less
traveled, stops in a gentlemen’s club and hopes to be out of sight
until the heat cools down. Once inside he is trapped along with other
unsuspecting patrons in a den of flesh-eating demons who are hell bent
on devouring all humans. Luckily a young assassin (Kelly Hu) is also
trapped in the club. She leads the battle that will pit man against
monster ‘til the first light of dawn. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Directed
by Shane Abbess Starring Review by Michael
Knight Arc Angel, Gabriel
is sent to earth to battle the fallen angels and restore balance to the
land. Upon arrival he is witness to the gloom and doom of the constantly
dark and rainy city that will set the stage for battle. His nemesis
Sammael is ready for the fight. The choice of weapons for both sides are
guns rather than the spears and arrows we see in the art world
depictions of a heaven & hell battle. This movie has a slick style
and is visually entertaining as it melds the supernatural with the
action packed feel of a good cop flick. If you like releases such as
Hitman and Constantine, this would certainly be a movie you may enjoy.
Despite the relatively small budget, Gabriel is a visually solid movie. |
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The
Thirst Director:
Jeremy Kastan Starring: Review by Michael
Knight The Thirst is a
vampire movie that tries to be different. It ravels serious subject
matter (cancer, drug addiction), into the plot of the story. Early in
the movie, the whole cancer part was quite distracting as I thought
about personal loved ones who had contracted the disease rather than the
movie itself. After that, The Thirst turns into a blood and gore-fest
rarely paralleled in today’s modern movies. The blood flows and
spatters with abandoned, spewing and spurting like a fire-hose that is
out of control. Flesh & blood… gallons & gallons of blood!!!
It’s really quite a spectacle. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Directed by: Tim Cox Review by Michael
Knight OK, so
an Alien comes down from space in some meteor/spacecraft. This time it
doesn’t inhabit the bodies of young college coeds, no… this time it
lands in a museum and takes over the body of a frozen Woolly Mammoth!
Only, for some reason this Mammoth is not so Woolly (should’ve used
Woolite). So, off on a rampage it goes. There are some decent CGI
Mammoth destruction scenes here but other scenes look fake and budget. I
would much prefer some fake looking stop motion animation, where’s Ray
Harryhausen when you need him? Good movie to kill some time on a
Sunday afternoon while nursing a hangover.
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Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Directed
by: Paolo Barzman Starring Review by Michael
Knight This
movie offers a modern twist on the old tale and does so admirably. Dr.
Jekyll (Dougray Scott) who realizes his experiments have unleashed a
side of him that should not go unfettered, convinces young attorney
Claire Wheaton (Krista Bridges) to fight in court and have him locked up
in the asylum. Once there Mr. Hyde becomes even more prominent and as
Claire tries to help he becomes increasingly violent. Both main
characters are played very well by their respective actors and the story
offers some new concepts and conflicts. However, I have seen so many
versions of Jekyll & Hyde in my years that even with the new
treatment I found the story relatively long in the tooth.
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Anaconda 3: Offspring Directed
by: Don E. FauntLeRoy Starring: Review by Michael
Knight Damn, I
didn’t know Hasselhoff was still acting… and he plays a damn badass
in this flick, too! Ok, what we got here is an Anaconda sequel, Sci-Fi
Channel premier. The CGI looks like CGI. The story is the usual faire,
evil corporation conducts secret experiment, experiment gets loose and
wreaks havoc as it heads for the city and the main populous in order to
feast on us poor incapable humans. Badass, hunter dude named Hammett
(David Hasselhoff) teams up with scientist chick named Amanda (Crystal
Allen) to hunt down the giant, intelligent, bio-engineered snake. Snake
has babies, all hell breaks loose. Explosions. The end. Believe it or
not I watched the whole movie and found it somewhat entertaining. I was
rooting for the snake! |
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Starring: Reviewed by Michael
Knight While the attractive candy stripers, played by ex-playboy
playmates, Deanna Brook and Serria Tawan are eye candy themselves the
movie never seems to take the campy shtick far enough. I kept waiting
for the brash innuendos, ditsy comments and incidental flashes of sexy
titillations that really make this genre fun to watch. That being said
the movie is pleasant to look at, has some nice special-FX (when the
candy stripers decide to show their true alien selves), and is enjoyable
enough for the once through viewing.
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Directed by The
Butcher Brothers Starring: April Fool’s Day blends the classic slasher with a real who-dunnit
mystery feel. It is a well made movie with good acting and plenty of
chills and thrills. This is a remake of the 1986 movie of the same name.
While the plot and the ending twist are the same there were a good
amount of differences from the original. Even though I knew the surprise
ending it was still an enjoyable journey.
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Directed by Don
Michael Paul Starring: Reviewed by Michael
Knight As always, Lance
Henriksen plays his character exceptionally well, stirring the lazy farm
into a chilling field of evil. The scenes of the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse are quite a vision, somewhat reminiscent of the reaper’s in
“Tombs of the Blind Dead”. Overall, The Garden is a well written,
well developed story, visually compelling, driven by interesting
characters and textured with intellectual conflict. |
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Directed by Kevin
Van Hook Starring: Reviewed by Michael
Knight A group of young
filmmakers set out to shoot a documentary about the abandoned Isla
del Roca Penitentiary. The
massive prison had laid dormant for many years since that ill-fated
night when a violent prison riot and subsequent fire, spilled the blood
and life of every inmate housed there. When a gang of small time
criminals decide to hide-out in the empty prison, the young filmmakers
are caught unaware. With first blood spilt upon the penitentiary
grounds, the restless spirits of the rioters are awakened. After all
these years the ghostly inmates are still hell-bent on inflicting
violence and maximum pain as they explode into a hateful rage within the
prison walls. |
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Vinyan Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Fabrice Du Welz Starring When the movie started with the dark watery screen, while hearing people screaming, I was excited with the artistic choice. But after four minutes of this on the screen, I knew the film was in trouble. VINYAN is the story of two parents losing their young son to the tidal wave that hit Thailand in 2004. Haunted by his disappearance, the mother frantically looks for him, even forcing herself to believe he is standing in the background of documentary footage recorded near where the tragedy took place. The video footage sparks the couple to go back to Thailand and search for him. This leads them on a wild goose chase through treacherous landscape and to deal with hostile inhabitants. They chase a ghost. Unfortunately Director Fabrice Du Welz tells the story in a plodding (opening established this) manner and the graphic ending wasn't enough. The film does have merit, it's artistically done with extraordinary exotic locations and many of you may like the foggy story.
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Laid To Rest Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2009 Written & Directed by Robert Hall This is a special make-up effects lover's wet dream of a movie. Bloodshed is abound with some real creative splatter effects not seen since Tom Savini's heyday. But for those looking for a scary movie with strong acting, LAID TO REST won't fit the bill. My biggest problem was with the writing or lack of. What the characters do and how they talk, made little to no sense. The main character doesn't even have a name, which I know plays into the plotline of the young, dark haired woman waking up not knowing who she is, but common. The other problem is the clichéd one note, faceless killer. The killer's actions were completely predictable and thus not scary at all. I also thought the movie's direction was to set up to "showcase" the make-up work. When you get a good look at rubber, latex and stage blood it loses it's effectiveness. The best example of how inanely stupid the movie plays is when the main character (brunette with no name) and Tucker (Kevin Gage) are driving a car, they decide to go to a place where the police might come to help. This is instead of driving the hell away from the place. Does that make sense? Anchor Bay includes and Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Robert Hall and Actor/Producer Bobbie Sue Luther. Postmortem: The Making of LAID TO REST explains all the behind the scenes details that went into constructing the movie.. Torture: The SFX of LAID TO REST focuses on what this film is really all about. Deleted Scenes, Bloopers and Trailer complete the bonus features. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Fantastic Flesh - The Art of Make-Up EFX Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2009 All fangs of the film world would enjoy this tribute to the art of special make-up effects. Many of the masters of the craft speak out on how they got started, the projects they've worked on and what to expect in the future. Many of the filmmakers who have worked with the greats talk about the importance of the work done on their films. There is all kinds of footage and behind the scenes stills to brake up the interviews and support what is discussed. These is an exceptional DVD that is passionately made about the creative world of special make-up effects. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Directed by Eric Bross Starring Directed with totally a different visual approach, this sequel or rather prequel works as a suspense thriller. It's sole purpose is to take you on a white knuckle roller coaster of tension & violence. It succeeds on both counts. Agnes Bruckner is a young star. The long legged blonde turns in another riveting performance and is the best part of the movie. This young starlet can carry a film. Something most actresses her age can only dream about. Bonus Material includes Deleted Scenes, "Caught on Tape: Behind the Scenes of Vacancy 2″ Featurette, “Behind the Facade: Constructing the Meadow View Inn” Featurette and Commentary with Filmmakers & Cast. In the Making of Eric Bross says he shot this film in the style of the Jason Bourne films. The hand-held frantic visual tactic works almost as good as Nimrod Antal's sure handed visuals in the first film. If you want a film to give you a jolt of adrenaline, VACANCY 2: THE FIRST CUT would do the trick. |
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Red Mist Anchor Bay Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Paddy Breathnach Medical students at a hospital study hard but party harder, until a prank accidentally puts the facility's janitor into a deep coma. The young lady (Arielle Kebbel) who the janitor had a crush on takes responsibility to try and help the man in the coma with an experimental injection. Instead of helping him, this sends his brainwaves into a tizzy that allows him to seek revenge out of his body. I was very impressed with Arielle Kebbel's performance as Dr. Catherine Thomas. Kebbel takes her time and really projects a tremendous amount of thought in each scene and I really believed that she was a medical student working on becoming a doctor. I was equally impressed with Director Paddy Breathnach because with this film, he focuses on telling the story without letting style override the importance of the actors, scenes and movie as a whole. RED MIST is much better than you'd expect and I like the film's subtly with supernatural elements as well as dramatic moments. Anchor Bay includes another nice lineup of extras. The Making of RED MIST tells how the film was done. We learn all about how the movie's dynamite lead got the film and how she pulled off her character in an Extended Interview with Arielle Kebbel. It's amazing hearing how thick the English, Scottish and Irish accents are in The RED MIST Cast in Northern Ireland. www.anchorbayentertainment.com
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Friday The 13th Part 2 - Deluxe Edition Paramount Home Entertainment - 2009 Directed by Steve Miner Starring Five years after the massacre at Camp Crystal Lake, the legend of Jason Voorhees and his mother lives on. Despite warnings to say away from "Camp Blood" a group of counselors at a nearby summer camp explore the area and find out how real the legend is. I love the Kent, Connecticut location. I'd rate this film the third best in the series, topped only behind the first film and Jason Lives. For more of my thoughts on this film please click the link to my previous review of Part 2 included with the F13th Box Set. The special features are cool which include: Inside "Crystal Lake Memories" where Peter Bracke talks about the genesis of his awesome fact-filled book, Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions shows how the Friday cast & crew represent some of the biggest draws for the horror convention circuit, Lost Tales from Camp Blood Part 2 is the second part of short film connected only by use of Manfredini's score, Jason Forever was already included in the previous box set and you also get the Theatrical Trailer. www.paramount.com/homeentertainment
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The Bell Witch Legend
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Step
Brothers Directed by Adam McKay Starring
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Produced & Directed by Alex Turner Starring
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Directed by Dennis Dugan Starring
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| Mantaray Pictures Homepage | |
