Movie Review: Karate Kill

Sometimes I long for the action movies of yesteryear. You remember, the action films that were not always preoccupied with global scale plots and an overabundance of CG effects. This is what makes films like the John Wick series so welcome. Those are films that keep the focus on the execution and entertainment value. If you dig into independent cinema,you can find what you are looking for, even if it does take awhile. The movie in question here is Karate Kill. Described as Tarantino meets Cannon, it is at apt description. The film sits firmly in the revenge action/exploitation corner of the universe.

Screening Report: Hudson Horror Invades the Alamo III (Alamo Drafthouse, 9/19/15)

If you did not know, the Hudson Horror Show is a pretty big deal. You go somewhere and mention them, people know what you are talking about, their eyes light up with excitement. There is a growing camaraderie amongst the horror marathon that is amazing. Go to these shows and you instantly become a member of the family. Anyway, this past weekend the Hudson Horror crew spearheaded their third invasion of the Alamo Drafthouse, and it was a sold out affair. This double feature played to a lively crowd and went over extraordinarily well.

Movie Review: Eaten Alive! (1980)

In recent years there are few areas of film that I have fallen for more than Italian horror. There is just so much to love, they are the movies that keep on giving. Now, my knowledge of them is not always the best, but it is growing all the time. What is fun is watching a movie you think you had seen, only to realize you haven't. The movie in question is Eaten Alive! and is not to be confused with Tobe Hooper's movie of the same name, sans exclamation point. This one, from Umberto Lenzi, has more man eating cannibals and less man eating alligator. Still, I would have sworn I had seen it before, but I think I just saw other movies that were related to it.

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?

Movie Review: The Night of a Thousand Cats

The Night of a Thousand Cats is a weird movie, there really is no questioning that. The film is virtually plotless and moves along like an art house film. It can be seen as an existential rumination on the nature of sanity, or the dangerous art of seduction, or how eclectic collections can be the result of mental disorder. Or you can just watch it as a oddball movie about a psycho with a helicopter, a castle, and a lot of cats. It is not a move with a lot of middling feelings on, you will have a reaction to it. In most cases the reaction is distaste, or perhaps boredom. I think I like it, but it is certainly a trying film.

Netflix'ns: The Astro-Zombies

Netflix'ns is a series of review shorts of films, new and old, seen on Netflix, be it DVD or streaming. For better or worse, I sat through these films and have lived to tell the tale. These are not so much reviews as just comments on the film watched. Some will be first time views, others will be revisits. This is a work in progress.