Movie Review: God Bless America

If you are like me, you likely have a number of titles floating around your Netflix queue that have been sitting there a little longer than they probably should. Sitting there, teasing you, waiting for you to finally press play. Well, that finally happened for this little almost gem. I was looking for something a little over the top, something fun, perhaps even a little twisted. I am pretty sure I succeeded with God Bless America, a splattery satire of modern society. It all comes courtesy of the mind of Bobcat Goldthwait. Yes, that Bobcat Goldthwait, star of Hot to Trot and also the director of the Robin Williams movie World's Greatest Dad.

Movie Review: The Human Centipede II (full sequence)

I remember with the first Human Centipede movie came out back in 2009, there was so much hype around how gross and disturbing it was. When I saw it, it did not live up to the expectations. Still, I liked it, although I do not believe there was anything else to it other than trying to gross out a mainstream audience. On that note, they succeeded. The mainstream press jumped on it, at least until the next thing came along (currently, that seems to be the Sharknado franchise). It should come as no surprise that a sequel sprang up a couple years later (2011), the surprise may be that it took until now for me to see it.

Movie Review: Yakuza Weapon

It has been awhile since I watched one, but over the years, I have come to really enjoy Japanese splatter films. You know, moves like Machine Girl, Frankenstein Girl vs. Vampire Girl, Helldriver, all sorts of stuff like that. As it turns out, I had a related title about to expire in my Netflix queue. I know this is October and I should be watching horror movies, but this feels close enough, like the relationship between cult horror and exploitation. The movie in question is Yakuza Weapon, a wildly over the top science fiction (well, maybe not) and action, blended with the crime film. It stars Tak Sakaguchi of Versus fame (there is another movie you should check out).

Movie Review: Red State

Well, I finally got around to watching Red State and while I give credit to Kevin Smith for reaching and trying for something a little ambitious and drastically different than his career so far has delivered, I cannot help but respond with a resounding: “meh.” I know, that doesn't sound all that good, but the movie is not great either. It is certainly a step up from Cop Out, but it feels lacking in many areas. It is kind of like taking a couple of different films and smashing them together in an effort to shuffle them (similar to Green Lantern). The end result is a movie that has no consistent tone or interesting character. It is certainly watchable, but for how long?

Music Review: Jeffrey Nothing - The New Psychodalia

I have no idea when it was that I first started listening to Mushroomhead. The best I can figure is that it had to have been around the release of their major label debut, XX, back in 2001. Whenever it was, it did not take me long to become a big fan of their sound, which struck me as a cross esteem Slipknot and Faith No More, an intriguing alternative take on nu-metal. Since those early days, I have seen them live a few times, and always loved their stage show. That brings us to now, the band has just released their fifth album and I am just not feeling it.

Blu-ray Review: Killer Joe

Director William Friedkin has made a career out not being pigeonholed into a genre. I am sure that was not an easy task when you are behind such a classic as The Exorcist. Still, when you see other films like The French Connection, Cruising, Blue Chips, and Bug and you will see evidence of a man who won't be stuck in a corner, a man who wants to tell stories no matter where they come from. Rather than play it safe, he looks for new worlds to play in, new stories to tell. His latest film, Killer Joe, is another step in that search for stories, offering up a playground of rednecks, killers, murder, and black comedy.

DVD Review: Fairview Falls - Insanity Edition

My first exposure to Glen Baisley and his work came a few years back at the inaugural Hudson Horror Show (if you have not had the pleasure of attending, look them up, they put on great shows). The show featured a few short pieces directed by Mr. Baisley, including the show introduction (featuring my first glimpse of the Black Rose Killer, whose presence casts a long shadow over Fairview Falls). While I was there primarily for the feature films (with Zombie and Evil Dead), it was certainly interesting to see some indie sensibilities playing in the horror playground.

Blu-ray Review: A Cat in Paris

Here is a film that I truly wanted to like, and I guess I kind of do, but not as much as I would have expected. The trailer was intriguing, the Academy Award nomination solidified my interest, and a desire to see something different all led me to this moment. A Cat in Paris is a family friendly animated noir film that barely reaches an hour in length as it tells the story of a cat burglar, a kidnapping, a mob boss, and, of course, a cat. It is not quite what I expected, although I am not quite sure what it was that I was expecting. Now, it is not without is moments, but it is not one I foresee many visits too.

Blu-ray Review: Legendary Amazons

Legendary Amazons is a historical epic from director Frankie Chan, backed with the star power of Jackie Chan. Unfortunately, this time out Jackie isn't acting, rather, he is filling the role of producer. Something tells me the movie would have been better had Jackie's mug appeared onscreen instead of just the credits. You see, the movie provides some moments of entertainment, but for the most part feels flat and lifeless.

Blu-ray Review: White Vengeance

Directed and written by Daniel Lee (Black Mask, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dagon), White Vengeance is a sprawling epic. It is a visual feast that must have been a joy for the director of photography, Tony Cheung. However, for as pretty as it looks and how expertly staged the action is, despite it being based on actual Chinese history, I found the movie to be more than a little on the dry side and awfully difficult to connect with. Clocking in at well over two hours, it became a bit of an endurance test.