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Random Movie: Zombieland (2009)

Well, lookie what we have here! Another horror movie that successfully combines scares, tension, and humor. While initially it seemed odd to have another horror-comedy in the zombie sub-genre after the wildly successful Shaun of the Dead , Zombieland is extremely well done to stand alongside its cinematic sibling without infringing on it. Prior to meeting our main characters, the film starts with a nice montage of random zombie attacks that show the time between the initial outbreak from a mad-cow laced cheeseburger to the present events of the film set to Metallica. We are then introduced to Columbus (or the name we know him as) who introduces us to the rules that kept him alive a few months after the zombie onslaught. Columbus is very neurotic and paranoid and while these traits ultimately helped him survive, he would be dead first in most zombie movies. Tallahassee is a bit of a rough-neck with a burning desire for Twinkies but little else driving him other than the his disd

At Least Use The Starship Song

I saw Mannequin in the theater. They are going to reboot this film. It better have Johnathan Silverman in it. For as you can see, the first one had Andrew McCarthy , and the second had Terry Kiser . So, in order to complete the Triumvirate, a reboot, remake or sequel, it must have Johnathan Silverman. Sadly, I do not think it will. Instead, it will apparently star Zac Efron . I assume that this will mean it will be some kind of gay musical, that pre-teens will rush to see. If it is, I demand that they use "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship , which basically melted the cheese that was the first film. If you haven't seen this movie, first, you should thank what ever deity you throw money at on your day of worship. Second, here's the basic story. Kim Cattrall is an ancient Egyptian who is cursed and turned in to a Mannequin and ends up in the future (1987) and can only come to life when Johnathan (coincidence?) Switcher is around. They work together to make

Best Scene: Maniac Cop 2

I was going to write a random review of Maniac Cop 2 , but I figured why bother? Most people probably have never even heard of it nor will ever see the series even though it features such talent as Bruce Campbell , Robert Davi , and Tom Atkins . As I previously noted , there is no North American DVD release which is rather bothersome considering the lesser-known DTV sequel Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence has a shiny disc dedicated to it. But in the end, this is not a good movie. It has its moments but here is hands-down the best sequence in the film. Now, I may get around to writing a full review but I would have to start with the first movie. Use this to tide you over in the meantime.

News Roundup: Week of 1/29/10

George Lucas' CG Fairy Musical Mystery: Our Theories Will someone please take George Lucas' power and money away? For the sake for all that is holy ... OMFG #2: Lionsgate Throws Violent Blow at Paramount: 'Saw' vs 'Paranormal Activity'... IT'S ON! With the whole Leno/Conan thing out of the way, its time for Paramount and Lionsgate to battle via their competing horror franchises as well as torn directors. The Sam Worthington Project Du Jour Is...DRACULA?? Sam Worthington as a vampire that actually kills people and who doesn't sparkle or mope. This could be a good thing. DreamWorks to Show How Babies Eat, Sleep, Poop More proof that Hollywood is plumb out of ideas. Here Come More GREMLINS!? I'm not sure what upsets me more: there will be another Gremlins movie or that it will be needlessly in 3D.

Bernie Returns? PBF is Going to be Mad

Now, there are not very many details at this point so it is possible that this is just an empty threat from Hollywood, but Moviehole states Bernie Lomax may be resurrected to then die and pretend to be alive in a remake to PBF's beloved ultimate comfort movie Weekend at Bernie's . Could this be the chance for Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman to relive their fame and recover their fortune from the original film? Or will we have to suffer with actors lacking in the charisma to pull off the absurd plot of the film? So many questions, so little answers. Perhaps there can be a double feature between this and the remake of Mannequin as two movies which shouldn't have been made the first time, let alone remade.

Avatar: Unfortunate Victim of the Titanic Effect

As you might have already heard, Avatar has smashed box office records, overtaking Titanic with a current worldwide gross of $1.8 billion as of this post. As it currently enjoys an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the perceived experience of seeing Avatar in an 3D screening has seemingly overpowered some of the reported flaws of the film. Even if you actively try, you won't get far on any movie site or blog without mention of the film. I even sat through a 43 minute promotion of the film on Bones , one of my favorite television shows. Yet, in spite of the good reviews and constant promotion, I have no desire to see it. Now, I can understand its importance in the film-making industry both in critical terms and in the pop culture zeitgeist. James Cameron is an excellent director who has managed to again create a film that is appealing to many demographics of movie-goers, making the film a must-see just to be current with the times. His use of the 3D effects to create the ficti

Random Movie: Hatchet (2006)

Adam Green sure has been busy lately between the premiere of his newest film Frozen at Sundance this week as well as wrapping up filming of Hatchet 2 , the sequel of today's random entry. When Hatchet first surfaced a few years ago, the biggest draw for me was the marketing for the film as a sort of callback to old-school 80s horror movies. No one (at least no one who is a friend of mine) can argue the greatness of all the cheesy, splatter-filled slasher movies of the 80s. In this manner, Hatchet somewhat succeeds as a "lost movie" from the bygone pinnacle of slasher flicks. In the film, our heroes' venture out into a Louisiana swamp for a scary boat ride turns frighteningly real after running across Victor Crowley, a local legend who tragically died as a boy and now seeks to apparently create a bunch of amputees. The basic plot, and even backstory of Crowley, seems largely cribbed from the sub-genre classics with a deformed kid who is bullied constantly and dies

Random Movie: The Faculty (1998)

The mid-nineties were an interesting time to be a horror fan. Since the old franchise favorites of Freddy and Jason were long gone with Michael Myers soon following, they were replaced by direct-to-video nonsense and faux-horror such as Hideaway or The Island of Dr. Moreau . Then came along Kevin Williamson , a guy who could write a decent screenplay full of homages to past genre staples complete with clever dialogue. After exploding in Hollywood with Scream , Williamson took his talents and tweeked them over and over, resulting in films like The Faculty . At its core, this should not be a good movie. It was stacked with current and future WB and pop culture stars, featured established actors for a bit of gravitas, and almost blatantly ripped off countless other alien invasion films from many decades before. Add to this formula a fairly well established director , an eclectic mix of music, and a corporate sponsorship with accompanying commercials, you've got yourself a blockbust