Burger King has began running print ads advertising that they stay open late. They have decided to use some horror icons to help them promote how they stay open late. Below you will find the ads.
I think that this is a great idea. It's nice to see that a big name like Burger King has seen what the horror genre can bring to them.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
New Trailer for REC 2
Below you will find the new trailer for REC 2. I am very excited about this movie and this trailer just gets me more excited.
Survival of the Dead Red Band Trailer
The folks over at IGN have brought us the red band trailer for George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead. The movie hits theaters on May 28th, 2010, but will be hitting VOD and Xbox Live a month earlier. So enjoy the trailer.
Ichi the Killer Now on Blu-ray
As you know, the Ichi the Killer blu-ray has had a very bumpy ride on its way to a blu-ray release. Set for release a year and a half ago, the movie has had many other release dates before settling on March 23rd, 2010. But that date came and went with no Ichi to call your own. Now people are reporting that Amazon is shipping out the blu-ray. We now can finally own Ichi in all of its blu-ray goodness.
Warner Bros Horror Double Feature Hitting Blu-ray This July
Warner Bros has announced that they are bringing Dr. Giggles to blu-ray on July 6th. The movie will be part of the "Double Feature" line that they introduced earlier this year. The movie will be paired up with Otis, which is already available on blu-ray. Specs and cover art have not been revealed but I will update when they become available.
Death Race 2000 Hitting DVD and Blu-ray This June
Shout Factory has announced the Roger Corman cult classic Death Race 2000 for a blu-ray release on June 22nd. This is part of Shout Factory's Roger Corman Cult Classics line. Special Features are listed below:
-2 Audio Commentaries
-Roger Corman and Mary Woronov
-Lewis Teague and Tina Hirsch
-David on Death Race: Interview with David Carradine
-Playing the Game featurette
-Ready to Wear: Interview with Jane Ruhm
-Designing Dystopia featurette
-Start Your Engines featurette
-Killer Score: Interview with Paul Chihara
-Leonard Maltin interview with Roger Corman
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-2 Audio Commentaries
-Roger Corman and Mary Woronov
-Lewis Teague and Tina Hirsch
-David on Death Race: Interview with David Carradine
-Playing the Game featurette
-Ready to Wear: Interview with Jane Ruhm
-Designing Dystopia featurette
-Start Your Engines featurette
-Killer Score: Interview with Paul Chihara
-Leonard Maltin interview with Roger Corman
-Original Theatrical Trailer
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Wolfman Coming to dvd and blu-ray This June
Universal will be bringing the remake of The Wolfman to dvd and blu-ray in an unrated director's cut on June 1st. The blu-ray will also contain the theatrical version as well. Special Features are listed below courtesy of blu-ray.com.
- U-Control
- Take Control: Special Makeup Artist Rick Baker, Visual Effects Producer Karen Murphy-Mundell and Director of Photography Shelly Johnson ASC take control of the viewing experience in this unique feature, offering a personal visual commentary by engaging with select scenes of the film to reveal details of the filmmaking process.
- Werewolf Legacy, Lore and Legend: This documentary gives viewers a visual tour through more than seventy years of Universal's Wolf Man films and thousands of years of werewolf mythology.
- Two alternate endings not seen in theaters
- Deleted and extended scenes
- Featurettes:
- Return of The Wolfman: This featurette will look at how the cast and crew behind this new retelling have tapped into the tragic roots of legend and cinematic lore to unleash a new terror for today's audience.
- The Beast Maker: A detailed look at how make-up wizard Rick Baker transformed a classic monster into a modern nightmare!
- Transformation Secrets: Whether transforming werewolves, producing hallucinogenic nightmares or recreating the fog-covered streets of Victorian London, this featurette will look at how the visual effects team has created a haunting world of moonlit monsters and unsettling thrills.
- The Wolfman Unleashed: The team behind the stunt and action units share the physical challenges of bringing the Wolfman to life and creating a series of intense and action-oriented set pieces.
- BD-Live™, pocket BLU™ app and UniversalHiDef.com:
- The first ever online streaming of the original 1941 classic The Wolf Man
- pocket BLU™ app: USHE's groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPhone(TM), iPod® touch, Blackberry®, Android(TM), PC and Macintosh to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray(TM) player and offers advanced features such as:
- Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray(TM) player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live(TM) functions with ease.
- Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the movie.
- Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray(TM) discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there's a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy exclusive content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
- Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU(TM) app-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray(TM) Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
- Keyboard: Enter data into a Blu-ray(TM) player with your device's easy and intuitive keyboard that will facilitate such Blu-ray(TM) features as chatting with friends and sending messages.
- social BLU™: Connect with friends on your favorite social networks to share information about your favorite movies, enjoy Blu-ray(TM) community features and more!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Clash of the Titans (2010) 1/2*
There is going to be a time where every movie is a remake. Well, it seems like it will, but there seems to be a remake coming out every other week. This week's remake is Clash of the Titans, a soulless, ugly, and boring remake of the 1981 classic of the same name.
For those who haven't seen the original, do yourself a favor and rent or buy the original. You will see more talent and pure movie making then this movie can must up for even a minute. You also get more mythology, which this movie is sorely lacking. If you were to take out the scenes at the beginning and at the end this movie could have taken place during the time of Robin Hood or with little fantasy elements added in.
The movie gives us very little character development and cut straight to the action. Zeus (Liam Neeson) is fed up with humans not giving the gods their praise. Hades (Ralph Finnes) suggests that he go down there and cause a little havoc. Zeus agrees and Hades gives the human a set time period, I'm not sure what it is but it involves and eclipse, to do something or the Kraken will come and takes the princess.
There is a half god, half man on earth, Percious, who is the product of Zeus raping a woman. For the majority of the movie Percious, doesn't want to believe that he is thre son of Zeus, but overcomes when Zeus comes to earth to have a chat.
By the end we have seen Medusa beheaded, giant scorpions become pets, and the Kraken taking more time to rise up out of the water than it takes for him to die. These scenes, as well as many others have the feeling of finishing before they start. There is nothing to these characters. We know that they are CGI and that's that. There is no life to the characters. They come and go and we could care less.
This movie is being presented in 3-D, but don't bother. While the 3-D for Avatar and A Christmas Carol was well done, here there were many times where I could take off my 3-D glasses and there was no difference. There is not increased depth or anything of that nature. This movie was not shot for 3-D and therefore should not be viewed as such.
To say that I hated this movie is an understatement. I despise this movie. I am a fan of the original and have an open mind about remake, come on. This is the laziest remake I have seen since Friday the 13th, and I would rather sit through that mess of a movie than sit through Clash of the Titans. Yeah, it's that bad.
Godzilla Coming Back to the Big Screen
Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. have announced that they will be bringing Godzilla back to the big screen in 2012. Legendary Pictures obtained the rights to Godzilla from Toho, who will be releasing the movie in Japan. This is great news, as I am a huge Godzilla fan. Hopefully they will not go the way of the other remake from 1998 and do the big green guy justice.
Thoughts About: The Death of Our Beloved Franchises
With all of these remakes coming out, the question remains: Will we ever see our beloved slashers in true form again? This question has bothered me for some time now and I have come to the conclusion that will never see these characters again in the fashion that we know and love.
I am an 80's child. I was born in 1980, so I grew up when all of the big horror franchises were being introduced. I grew up on Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers. When I was a kid, these characters were bad ass. Everybody in school talked about them and even Freddy was an American icon. Freddy was on all different types of products. Freddy was kind of like the Rambo of the horror scene. (Anyone who was alive in the 80's knows what I am talking about)
As I became a tween, my beloved horror icons started to disappear. Freddy went from American icon to being a joke, Jason started venturing out from Crystal Lake and then made a cameo in one of his own movies, and Michael Myers vanished for some time. It was at this time that I realized that my beloved horror icons were disappearing, and the horror movies of the 80's were slowly becoming a thing of the past.
Michael Myers was the only icon still alive in the 90's, with the releases of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and Halloween: H20, but Freddy and Jason were dead. They had both gone to hell. Their 90's movies were a pale comparison to their 80's movies and both characters were shelved in the first half of the 90's. This was a sad time to be a horror fan.
In 1996, with the release of Scream, there was a glimmer of hope. Slasher movies were on the rise again, so it was only a matter of time before the greats came back to the big screen. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The rebirth of the slasher movie would end as quickly as it started and only Jason and Michael Myers would make appearances in movies that are most remembered for their flaws rather than their strengths.
For years there had been talk of a Freddy Vs Jason movie, and every year that went by, it would become apparent that it was just talk. But in the summer of 2003 we got our wish. Freddy and Jason would square off in what would be their final appearances as the icons that we remember.
Now that the three big icons of the 80's have had their movies remade, there is no hope for a resurgence of the characters that we love so much. The studios that control these characters have no interest in going back to the golden days, instead they are focusing on the future. Jason is no longer just a slasher in a hockey mask killing your teenagers for setting foot on his turf. Now he is a skilled woodsman who sets traps and kidnaps girls who look like his mother. Michael Myers is no longer "pure evil", but a guy who had a troubled childhood. The jury is still out on Freddy, so there is still hope.
My dream is that each character get a proper send off. They should each get a final movie that settles once and for all the sows that they have reaped. With the movies already being remade, however, this will not happen. For a kid that grew up on these movies, this saddens me. But we still have the original movies to remind us of better days.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tromeo and Juliet Blu-ray Delayed
I just got word that Troma's blu-ray release of Tromeo and Juliet has been delayed until April 27th, 2010. No word yet as to why, but I will keep you updated. You can still pre-order the movie over at Amazon. Click the link below to do so.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Updated: Legion Flying to dvd and blu-ray this May
Sony Pictures has announced their "battle of the angels" movie Legion for release on May 11th. Special features include 3 featurettes. The blu-ray will add a PIP option and MovieIQ
Update: Final cover art posted
Update: Final cover art posted
Updated: Daybreakers Announced for DVD and Blu-ray
Lionsgate has set May 11th as the release date for the vampire movie Daybreakers. The movie, which did decent business at the box office, will be hittting DVD and blu-ray. The special features are as follows:
-Commentary by the directors and the special effects creator
-Making of Daybreakers featurette (blu-ray exclusive)
-The Big Picture Short films (blu-ray exclusive)
-A Digital Copy (blu-ray exclusive)
-Theatrical Trailer
Update: Final cover art has been posted
-Commentary by the directors and the special effects creator
-Making of Daybreakers featurette (blu-ray exclusive)
-The Big Picture Short films (blu-ray exclusive)
-A Digital Copy (blu-ray exclusive)
-Theatrical Trailer
Update: Final cover art has been posted
Wicked Lake Hitting Blu-ray This June
Dread Central has revealed that the 2008 horror flick Wicked Lake will be hitting blu-ray on June 29th. The specs have not been released, but here is a listing of the special features:
-Forking: a short film
-Bring Me the Head of Damien Dekay
-So Anyways: a short film
-More City Bitches: deleted scenes, alternate takes, and bloopers
-We be the Police: a short film
-Theatrical Trailer and more
Also to be included in this set is the director's cut (entitled Wicked, Wicked Lake). The director's cut will be on a separate dvd, while the theatrical cut will be on the blu-ray.
I am a fan of this movie, but not a fan of Media Blasters, who is releasing the movie through their Shriek Show label. I have many of their releases, and while they do a good job on their releases, they have no strategy for releasing their movies. Versus, another of their releases, had a few different release dates for the blu-ray and it has yet to be released. They will announce releases then move them around so many times that sometime the dvd/blu-ray just shows up at the store. This is not good business. I would not be surprised if Wicked Lake gets bumped from its June 29th release.
-Forking: a short film
-Bring Me the Head of Damien Dekay
-So Anyways: a short film
-More City Bitches: deleted scenes, alternate takes, and bloopers
-We be the Police: a short film
-Theatrical Trailer and more
Also to be included in this set is the director's cut (entitled Wicked, Wicked Lake). The director's cut will be on a separate dvd, while the theatrical cut will be on the blu-ray.
I am a fan of this movie, but not a fan of Media Blasters, who is releasing the movie through their Shriek Show label. I have many of their releases, and while they do a good job on their releases, they have no strategy for releasing their movies. Versus, another of their releases, had a few different release dates for the blu-ray and it has yet to be released. They will announce releases then move them around so many times that sometime the dvd/blu-ray just shows up at the store. This is not good business. I would not be surprised if Wicked Lake gets bumped from its June 29th release.
True Blood Season Three One-Sheet
I have to be the only person in the horror community that doesn't like this show. I don't know why, but it's just something that doesn't appeal to me. I like vampires and all, but I just can't get into this show. I have tried, but failed. Anyway, below you will see the first, of what will probably be many, one-sheet for the third season of True Blood, which premieres on HBO on June 13th. This is a pretty nifty poster and I hope that they continue with these types of images.
The Collector (blu-ray review)
The Collector, from the writers of Saw IV, V, and VI, will be released on dvd and blu-ray on April 6th. After the jump you can read my review for the blu-ray.
REC 2 Coming in July
Bloody-disgusting.com has gotten word that Magnolia, thru their Magnet label, will be releasing REC 2 to theaters in July. Of course, with this being Magnolia, they will release the movie in theaters and VOD. You can read the whole story and see a subtitled version of the trailer Here.
I love the original REC, so I am curious to see what they are going to do with this one. The trailer is very promising.
I love the original REC, so I am curious to see what they are going to do with this one. The trailer is very promising.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday's Five Favorite: Horror on blu-ray
A while ago, I posted an article that I had written talking about the lack of horror movies on blu-ray. I did some searching and for this week's "Five Favorite" I thought that I would give you my favorite horror blu-rays.
5. Freddy Vs Jason (2003) Even though this is one of Warner Bros. budget blu-rays (meaning you can find it for under $15 in most places) they didn't skimp when it comes to the quality. The picture and sound are both first rate and they included all the extras from the two-disc from years ago. Warner Bros. showed that it is possible to give a budget title a first rate treatment.
4. Midnight Meat Train (2008) Here we have a movie that Lionsgate shit on by giving it one of their patented crappy releases (this one takes the cake in the crappy release race by being released straight to the bargin theaters), but when the movie was released on Blu-ray it was given the royal treatment. Although the special features are not plentiful, what we did get is worth it, especially the commentary by Clive Barker and the director. No punches all pulled in this commentary. The picture and the sound are both top notch too. A great blu-ray for a mistreated movie.
3. Friday the 13th 3-D (1982) This is one of those movies where taking out the 3-D actually hurts the movie. This is because the movie was shot in 3-D and after years of waiting and countless bootlegs later we finally got Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D and it was worth the wait. Sure it's the blue and red 3-D, but now we get every gruesome kill the way it was meant to be seen. Add on top of that some pretty good extras and nice picture and sound and you have a great blu-ray.
2. Hardware (1990) I remember seeing the box for this movie at my local video store when I was younger. Every time I went to the video store I would see it, but I never rented it because the cover didn't catch my eye. A few years later I read about the movie and wanted to see it, but the video store didn't carry it anymore. For fifteen years I read about the movie and even thought about buying it on a bootleg but never did. I am glad that I waited because the Blu-ray that Severin put together is outstanding. The picture is fantastic as is the sound, but the real money is in the special features. They truly round out this incredible package.
1. Night of the Creeps (1986) This is another movie that I waited years and years to see and I was not disappointed. I love Night of the Creeps. It is pure cheese to me and I eat up every moment of it. The Blu-ray for this movie was one of the best and most satisfying blu-rays to come out in 2009. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out. You will not regret it.
There are more horror movies on blu-ray and even more coming, but these are the ones that I like the most.
5. Freddy Vs Jason (2003) Even though this is one of Warner Bros. budget blu-rays (meaning you can find it for under $15 in most places) they didn't skimp when it comes to the quality. The picture and sound are both first rate and they included all the extras from the two-disc from years ago. Warner Bros. showed that it is possible to give a budget title a first rate treatment.
4. Midnight Meat Train (2008) Here we have a movie that Lionsgate shit on by giving it one of their patented crappy releases (this one takes the cake in the crappy release race by being released straight to the bargin theaters), but when the movie was released on Blu-ray it was given the royal treatment. Although the special features are not plentiful, what we did get is worth it, especially the commentary by Clive Barker and the director. No punches all pulled in this commentary. The picture and the sound are both top notch too. A great blu-ray for a mistreated movie.
3. Friday the 13th 3-D (1982) This is one of those movies where taking out the 3-D actually hurts the movie. This is because the movie was shot in 3-D and after years of waiting and countless bootlegs later we finally got Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D and it was worth the wait. Sure it's the blue and red 3-D, but now we get every gruesome kill the way it was meant to be seen. Add on top of that some pretty good extras and nice picture and sound and you have a great blu-ray.
2. Hardware (1990) I remember seeing the box for this movie at my local video store when I was younger. Every time I went to the video store I would see it, but I never rented it because the cover didn't catch my eye. A few years later I read about the movie and wanted to see it, but the video store didn't carry it anymore. For fifteen years I read about the movie and even thought about buying it on a bootleg but never did. I am glad that I waited because the Blu-ray that Severin put together is outstanding. The picture is fantastic as is the sound, but the real money is in the special features. They truly round out this incredible package.
1. Night of the Creeps (1986) This is another movie that I waited years and years to see and I was not disappointed. I love Night of the Creeps. It is pure cheese to me and I eat up every moment of it. The Blu-ray for this movie was one of the best and most satisfying blu-rays to come out in 2009. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out. You will not regret it.
There are more horror movies on blu-ray and even more coming, but these are the ones that I like the most.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thoughts About Scream IV
Earlier this week I told you that Scream IV had a release date and that the major contributors to the series were coming back. Now I am going to give you my thoughts on the news.
I am not a Scream fan. I thought the first movie was not subtle in any way about it's knowledge on horror movies. I felt that the movie hit you in the face with it's "wit" and, even though the characters knew all the cliches about horror movies, the characters went out of their way to get trapped by those same cliches. I know that fans will say that that was the point of the movie, but I will always answer back with "that's just lazy writing.". To me, Scream is just another slasher movie that doesn't even bother to give us the gore that slasher movies are known for.
Scream 2 and 3 were just the same way. If it wasn't for the language in the movies they could easily pass with a PG-13 rating. But people ate the movies up and for awhile they were the crown jewel in the horror crown. Now with Scream IV, Wes Craven and company have a chance to make a real slasher movie, but I have a feeling that they won't.
There are already rumors that the major cast members are going to be killed off at the beginning to make way for a new, younger cast. If these rumors hold true, then the movie will fall into the same old pattern that it has already established. If the filmmakers are smart, they will use this rumor to their advantage and keep the audience on the edge of their seats by not killing the major characters off right away. They should let the characters die throughout the movie. This way the audience will not see it coming and will be surprised. But surprise is not in the Scream vocabulary, so I don't see that happening.
I could be wrong about Scream IV. It could be great and renew my faith in Wes Craven. Or it could be bad and add another notch in Craven's belt of bad movies. The way things have gone in the past, I think that the latter will happen.
I am not a Scream fan. I thought the first movie was not subtle in any way about it's knowledge on horror movies. I felt that the movie hit you in the face with it's "wit" and, even though the characters knew all the cliches about horror movies, the characters went out of their way to get trapped by those same cliches. I know that fans will say that that was the point of the movie, but I will always answer back with "that's just lazy writing.". To me, Scream is just another slasher movie that doesn't even bother to give us the gore that slasher movies are known for.
Scream 2 and 3 were just the same way. If it wasn't for the language in the movies they could easily pass with a PG-13 rating. But people ate the movies up and for awhile they were the crown jewel in the horror crown. Now with Scream IV, Wes Craven and company have a chance to make a real slasher movie, but I have a feeling that they won't.
There are already rumors that the major cast members are going to be killed off at the beginning to make way for a new, younger cast. If these rumors hold true, then the movie will fall into the same old pattern that it has already established. If the filmmakers are smart, they will use this rumor to their advantage and keep the audience on the edge of their seats by not killing the major characters off right away. They should let the characters die throughout the movie. This way the audience will not see it coming and will be surprised. But surprise is not in the Scream vocabulary, so I don't see that happening.
I could be wrong about Scream IV. It could be great and renew my faith in Wes Craven. Or it could be bad and add another notch in Craven's belt of bad movies. The way things have gone in the past, I think that the latter will happen.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Twilight: Eclispe Poster
I know that Twilight is not a horror movie, but the fact that the movie was directed by the guy who did 30 Days of Night is a plus. This may be the closest Twilight gets to being horror, so take it while you can get it.
Red State to Shoot This July?
Kevin Smith is all over the map when it comes to what he wants to do next. He has been talking up "Hit Somebody" for a long time now, so it came as a shock when he recently revealed that his "horror" movie "Red State" could begin filming as soon as July. I think that Kevin Smith is a talented writer, but when it comes to directing, I think that he is not very good. Just look at "Cop Out". That movie was terrible and since he was the director and the editor he is the only one to blame.
The thing about "Red State" is, he hasn't proven himself as a good director so I don't see this movie being all that great. The writing may be phenomenal, but the direction may be another story. I would say that I have faith in the man, but I don't. He hasn't made a good movie in four years and I don't think that "Red State" is going to change that.
The thing about "Red State" is, he hasn't proven himself as a good director so I don't see this movie being all that great. The writing may be phenomenal, but the direction may be another story. I would say that I have faith in the man, but I don't. He hasn't made a good movie in four years and I don't think that "Red State" is going to change that.
"My Soul to Take" Gets a Release Date?
According to bloody-disgusting.com, Wes Craven's long awaited "My Soul to Take" (formerly 25/8) will be released to theaters on Oct. 29, 2010. I'm glad that they are releasing the movie, but why take on the juggernauts that are Saw VIII 3-D and Paranormal Activity 2? This seems like a dumb movie on Rogue Pictures' part, but the movie has been sitting on the shelf for quite some time so they probably think that the movie won't make any money anyway. We'll see what happens.
Scream IV shooting soon
Dimension Films has announced that they have greenlit Scream IV for release on April 12, 2011. Wes Craven has signed on to direct the movie, with Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette reprising their roles. I am not a huge fan of the Scream series, but I am interested to see what they come up with for this movie. I'll keep you posted with my thoughts when any announcement is made.
Now Part of the Horror Blogger Alliance
I am proud to announced that I am part of the Horror Blogger Alliance. I just want to thank Carl for adding me to his listings.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Evil Dead coming the Music Box Theatre in Chicago
Grindhouse Releasing is currently touring the country with a brand new print of Evil Dead. They are hitting all of the usual spots and one of them happens to be the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. The play dates are April 30th and May 1st. This is a huge deal for me and horror fans in Chicago.
Trailer Showdown: April Fool's Day
In this installment of Trailer Showdown, I have put up the two April Fool's Day Trailers. The first one being the original 1986 version and the second being the 2008 remake.
The Road Hitting dvd and blu-ray this May
Sony Pictures has announced The Road for release on dvd and blu-ray on May 25th, 2010. The movie, produced and released theatrically by The Weinstein Company, is based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. The movie won acclaim worldwide, but did not fare well at the box office. Special Features for the releases are:
-Commentary by the director
-Deleted and extended scenes
-The Making of The Road
-Theatrical Trailer
As always, you can click on the link below to pre-order your copy of The Road from Amazon.
-Commentary by the director
-Deleted and extended scenes
-The Making of The Road
-Theatrical Trailer
As always, you can click on the link below to pre-order your copy of The Road from Amazon.
Thoughts on the (possible) remake of Monster Squad
It was announced this past week that Michael Bay and his company Platinum Dunes want to remake the 1987 horror classic The Monster Squad. This has put the horror community into a whirlwind of hate filled forum posts and emails. So, being an up and comer in the horror community, I figured that I would throw in my two cents about the whole deal.
I am a huge fan of Monster Squad. I think that it is one of the best movies to come out of the eighties. There is really no reason to remake the movie, but there's really no reason to remake anything. The thing about this movie being remade is that Michael Bay and Co. will most likely turn it into a glossy action movie with a bunch of unneeded CGI and bland characters. This is a shame to those that have yet to see the original and to those that love the original.
Remaking a movie is not a bad idea in theory. Since the dawn of filmmaking, movies have been remade time and time again. We has seen countless Draculas and Werewolves and no one seems to be bothered by that. There is a theory that there are only seven original ideas and everything that has come since are retreads of one or more of those ideas. So, Monster Squad isn't an original idea, but it is how the movie presents itself that make it stand out from the pack.
This attention that Monster Squad is getting is a good thing. Maybe people will seek the original out and discover how great of a movie it really is. We also have to look at it this way: Platinum Dunes has been talking for years about remaking The Birds and they have yet to do it. Maybe Monster Squad will be one of the fortunate movies that doesn't get touched by the wasteful hands of Platinum Dunes.
I am a huge fan of Monster Squad. I think that it is one of the best movies to come out of the eighties. There is really no reason to remake the movie, but there's really no reason to remake anything. The thing about this movie being remade is that Michael Bay and Co. will most likely turn it into a glossy action movie with a bunch of unneeded CGI and bland characters. This is a shame to those that have yet to see the original and to those that love the original.
Remaking a movie is not a bad idea in theory. Since the dawn of filmmaking, movies have been remade time and time again. We has seen countless Draculas and Werewolves and no one seems to be bothered by that. There is a theory that there are only seven original ideas and everything that has come since are retreads of one or more of those ideas. So, Monster Squad isn't an original idea, but it is how the movie presents itself that make it stand out from the pack.
This attention that Monster Squad is getting is a good thing. Maybe people will seek the original out and discover how great of a movie it really is. We also have to look at it this way: Platinum Dunes has been talking for years about remaking The Birds and they have yet to do it. Maybe Monster Squad will be one of the fortunate movies that doesn't get touched by the wasteful hands of Platinum Dunes.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Best Worst Movie trailer UPDATED
After the you find the trailer for the upcoming movie Best Worst Movie. This movie chronicles the rise in popularity of, what is called the worst movie ever made, Troll 2. I saw Troll 2 on cable when I was a kid and thought it was the dumbest movie I had ever seen, but the movie made me laugh. Of course, it was for all the wrong reasons, but I had a blast watching it and I would look for it on cable whenever I could. The documentary does not have a release date as of yet, but I'm sure that we will be seeing it in the upcoming months. Until then, check out the trailer and then go rent or buy Troll 2.
Computer Crashed- Be Back soon
My computer has crashed. This is why there was no "Friday's Favorites". It will take me a couple of days to get everything back to the way it was. But when I come back it will be with a force.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Predators Trailer Hits the Web
A few days ago, I post a "sneak peak" at the new Predators movie being produced by Robert Rodriguez and directed by Nimrod Anatal. Well, the folks over at IGN have posted the first real trailer for the movie. I don't know about you, but this trailer gets me pumped for this movie.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
No Reitman For Ghostbusters 3?
There is talk around the campfire that Sony is looking for a young director for Ghostbusters 3. I know that Ivan Reitman hasn't put out the best movies lately, give the man a break. If it were not for his smooth direction of the first one, it may not be as fondly remembered today. The man has given us many classics that he directed and even more that he produced. He deserves to have a say in Ghostbusters 3.
Thoughts about Darkman on blu-ray
Universal has announced Darkman for release on blu-ray on 6/11 and while it will be nice to have the movie in hidef, I feel that Universal missed the boat with this release. The movie was originally released on dvd in the early days of the format so there were no special features, but Universal has released the movie at least two other times since-once in a three pack with the other two Darkman movies and once on HD-DVD. Why couldn't they have put at least a little work into this movie. It would have been nice to have a commentary track or some deleted scenes. I'm not asking for an all out special edition, but we need something. It is the movie's 20th anniversary this year, so why not something? I am very disappointed with Universal. Shame on you.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Worst Five Wednesday: Remakes
I am a person who is not against remakes. We have seen countless interpretations of Dracula and Frankenstein, so what is so bad about remakes? The original hasn't been touched so I don't see what the big deal is. I, however, hate when a movie is remade and it turns out worse than the original or has nothing to do with the original other than the name. So here are what I think are the worst remakes.
Man's Best Friend review
The Movie **1/2
Coming ten years after the "king of the killer dog movies", Cujo, was released, Man's Best Friend came to us with the promise of being a newer, hipper Cujo. In some ways it succeeds and in others it fails.
The Story: The movie stars Ally Sheedy as a reporter who needs a hit story. She decides to break into a research facility known as Emax and expose the company for testing chemicals on animals.
Coming ten years after the "king of the killer dog movies", Cujo, was released, Man's Best Friend came to us with the promise of being a newer, hipper Cujo. In some ways it succeeds and in others it fails.
The Story: The movie stars Ally Sheedy as a reporter who needs a hit story. She decides to break into a research facility known as Emax and expose the company for testing chemicals on animals.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Predators Sneak Peak
Just after the break you will find a sneak peak of Predators. The movie is being directed by Nimrod Antal and produced by Robert Rodriguez so it should be a good time at the theaters. we haven't had a good Predator movie since, well, the second one in 1990. So this movie is 20 years in the making. Predators will hit screens on July 7th, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
House of 1,000 Corpses Review
Movie **1/2
Rob Zombie had his work cut out for him when he made House of 1,000 Corpses. He had promised that the movie would be unlike anything we had ever seen before. By the time the movie was released in 2003, all the hype and stories about it's troubled history couldn't cover up the fact that the movie was slight above average.
Rob Zombie had his work cut out for him when he made House of 1,000 Corpses. He had promised that the movie would be unlike anything we had ever seen before. By the time the movie was released in 2003, all the hype and stories about it's troubled history couldn't cover up the fact that the movie was slight above average.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday's Five Favorites: Clive Barker
Even though Clive Barker has only directed three movies, it seems like a dumb thing to put together a "Five Favorites" with only three movies, but Barker has had his hand in so many movies that I felt that he deserved to get a "Five Favorites" list.
Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television ***
For a lot of people Tales from the Crypt started as a TV show, but it actually started as a comic book in the 50's. The very bumpy road that Tales from the Crypt had to take is chronicled in Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television, an intriguing look not only at the rise and fall of EC, but at the industry as a whole.
Twilight Saga: Eclipse Trailer
Hitting theaters on June 30th, 2010 is the third movie in the very successful Twilight series. Below is the trailer.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Surf Nazis Must Die Coming to Blu-ray
While looking thru Amazon I found a listing for Surf Nazis Must Die on blu-ray with a release date of May 25. I have sent out an email to my contact at Troma and when I get a response, I will update this post.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Class of Nuke 'em High Blu-ray Delayed (Updated)
Some of my readers have emailed me telling me that Class of Nuke 'em High on blu-ray has been delayed. The release, originally scheduled for release on April 27th is now showing up on Amazon with a release date set for May 25th. I have sent out a letter to Troma to set the record straight and will update you when I hear back from them. You can still pre-order the blu-ray from Amazon by clicking the picture down below.
Update: I just got an email from Troma confirming the delay of Class of Nuke 'em High, They needed more time to work on it.
Update: I just got an email from Troma confirming the delay of Class of Nuke 'em High, They needed more time to work on it.
Corey Haim Dead at 38
Corey Haim, best known to us for his role in The Lost Boys, has died. It appears that his death was an accidental drug overdose. One of the two Coreys is gone. May he rest in peace.
Worst Five Wednesday: Wes Craven
I am not a big fan of Wes Craven. Even though he is considered a master of horror I feel that he has only made four good horror movies in his forty year career, so I felt that it was only fair to start the new "Five Worst".
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Five Favorites: The Friday the 13th Sequels
This week's list is about the Friday the 13th movies. There are ten of them (eleven if you count Freddy Vs Jason, which for this list I did not) so there were a few to choose from. My list will probably differ from others so let the fighting begin.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead Red Band Trailer
George A. Romero is the king of the zombie movies, but with his new movie "Survival of the Dead" it seems that the king is losing his touch. Either that or the fact that there have been so many zombie movies that the idea of another zombie movie seems tired. I hope to be proven wrong when the movie hits theaters on May 28th.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Ravenous ***
What is the difference between a vampire movie and a cannibal movie? They both set out to accomplish the same thing, just in different ways. On the one hand, vampires are drinking blood to sustain life. On the other hand, cannibals eat flesh for the very same reason. This is the question that baffled me all the way through Ravenous.
The story takes place during the Mexican-American war. A high ranking officer (Guy Pierce) abandons his men and plays dead only to find himself overtaking the enemy. Having been called out on his cowardice, he is transferred to a base in California. The base has only eight people and is in the middle of nowhere.
One night, a stranger (Robert Carlyle), comes to the base with an incredible story. He claims that, while moving westward, he was forced to eat the members of his party by an evil Colonel. The soldiers at the base decide to go see if there are any survivors-the stranger says there are a few-, but when they get there they are ambushed by the stranger, who has killed all the people in his party, not the colonel.
The story takes place during the Mexican-American war. A high ranking officer (Guy Pierce) abandons his men and plays dead only to find himself overtaking the enemy. Having been called out on his cowardice, he is transferred to a base in California. The base has only eight people and is in the middle of nowhere.
One night, a stranger (Robert Carlyle), comes to the base with an incredible story. He claims that, while moving westward, he was forced to eat the members of his party by an evil Colonel. The soldiers at the base decide to go see if there are any survivors-the stranger says there are a few-, but when they get there they are ambushed by the stranger, who has killed all the people in his party, not the colonel.
Alien 3 *
Everyone knows about the troubled production that is Alien 3. The studio didn't like what director David Fincher was doing and because of this he has all but disowned the movie. Some movies can overcome these problems and still turn out to be a great movie. Alien 3 did not do this.
Some years have passed since Aliens. The ship that Ripley is on crash lands on a planet that is a prison. Ripley was in hyper-sleep when she crashed and does not know that she is the only survivor. She inspects the bodies and the ship and concludes that an alien has come with them. So she decides that they need to burn the bodies.
The prison colony is your typical prison colony. The prisoners are really into Jesus and keep the peace, but with a woman comes urges from the prisoners and before long, some of the prisoners try to rape her. The fact that this attack comes so late in the movie and is forgotten about as soon as it ends shows just how lazy the writing is.
Sorority Row 1/2*
Remakes are becoming as common as horror movies are today. Everywhere you turn there is a remake of some movie being shoved down your throat. Sometimes you are aware of this (Halloween, Friday the 13th), but sometimes the public has no idea that the movie that they are watching is a remake.
The Story: Sorority Row tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who decide to play a prank on a cheating boyfriend by acting like one of the girls is dead. They take her and the cheating boyfriend to an old mine where they are going to dump the body. The boyfriend, not knowing that she is not dead, stabs her in the chest with a tire iron. He does this so that there will be not air in her lungs, therefore she can not float.
The girl actually dies and the sisters make a pact never to mention the events to anyone. On the day of graduation, the girls start getting messages about the girl's death. They come to the conclusion that there is a killer on the loose. Now they have to figure out who it is so they can stop him or her from going to the police.
The girl actually dies and the sisters make a pact never to mention the events to anyone. On the day of graduation, the girls start getting messages about the girl's death. They come to the conclusion that there is a killer on the loose. Now they have to figure out who it is so they can stop him or her from going to the police.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Uncle Sam Coming to Blu-ray
Blue Underground has announced that they are bringing 1997's cult classic Uncle Sam to blu-ray on June 29th. There is no cover art yet, but the features are listed below. I am excited about this release. I have loved this movie ever since I saw the box art for it at my local video store.
February in Horror
March is upon us, so I thought that I would take a look at the past month and see what we got. This list was created as a way of looking back and at the end of the year, when my top ten of the year comes out I will also pick the best month for horror.
The movies started out decently. We saw the release of a few movies that have proved pretty popular with horror fans.
Black Sheep ***
I love "nature fights back" movies. There is something about animals, bugs, and plants fight humans that always puts a smile on my face. Black Sheep doesn't fall into this category of movies and because of that I was a little let down.
The Story: After 15 years of being away from the family farm, Sean returns home to sell his stake of the farm to his brother. Sean has a fear of sheep and returning to the farm is very difficult for him. After selling the farm, the sheep start attacking people. Sean finds out that his brother has been doing experiments on sheep to better there DNA. Because they have been dumping all the test subjects done a hole at the farm, the sheep have developted a taste for blood.
The Skinny: Black Sheep is notable for two things: killer sheep and Weta Workshop. Of course the killer sheep is the main draw, but Weta doing the effects is just as much a draw.
Weta Workshop is the effects house that Peter Jackson founded and they have done some incredible work. They have done everything from the Lord of the Rings trilogy to Avatar, so you know that the effects are going to be good. And they are very good. Using a mixture of CGI and old fashioned practical effect, Weta has created some truly amazing effects.
The story, however, isn't that great. It doesn't have to be when you have killer sheep, but going down the road of science gone wrong is not that interesting. I wished that there was no explanation for why the sheep are attacking. It would have made the movie a lot scarier.
The film was shot in New Zealand and it looks beautiful. The greens and yellows of the grass really pop out and the red of the blood is dark and colorful. The interiors are dark and univiting. The mood is set early on in the movie. This is not a movie that is to be taken seriously, but it is played straight. It the actors and the filmmakers were winking at the camera the tone would have been ruined.
Black Sheep is a delight for horror fans. It has enough blood and guts for two movies and the comedy is well handled. The filmmakers seem to be going for a Bad Taste vibe and for the most part they achieve it. It's just too bad that they that they had to give the sheep a reason for killing, as if they needed a reason in the first place.
The Story: After 15 years of being away from the family farm, Sean returns home to sell his stake of the farm to his brother. Sean has a fear of sheep and returning to the farm is very difficult for him. After selling the farm, the sheep start attacking people. Sean finds out that his brother has been doing experiments on sheep to better there DNA. Because they have been dumping all the test subjects done a hole at the farm, the sheep have developted a taste for blood.
The Skinny: Black Sheep is notable for two things: killer sheep and Weta Workshop. Of course the killer sheep is the main draw, but Weta doing the effects is just as much a draw.
Weta Workshop is the effects house that Peter Jackson founded and they have done some incredible work. They have done everything from the Lord of the Rings trilogy to Avatar, so you know that the effects are going to be good. And they are very good. Using a mixture of CGI and old fashioned practical effect, Weta has created some truly amazing effects.
The story, however, isn't that great. It doesn't have to be when you have killer sheep, but going down the road of science gone wrong is not that interesting. I wished that there was no explanation for why the sheep are attacking. It would have made the movie a lot scarier.
The film was shot in New Zealand and it looks beautiful. The greens and yellows of the grass really pop out and the red of the blood is dark and colorful. The interiors are dark and univiting. The mood is set early on in the movie. This is not a movie that is to be taken seriously, but it is played straight. It the actors and the filmmakers were winking at the camera the tone would have been ruined.
Black Sheep is a delight for horror fans. It has enough blood and guts for two movies and the comedy is well handled. The filmmakers seem to be going for a Bad Taste vibe and for the most part they achieve it. It's just too bad that they that they had to give the sheep a reason for killing, as if they needed a reason in the first place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)