Movie Review: A Quiet Place (2018)

It seems like every year has that one genre film that breaks out and gets on the hype train. In many cases, the hype is deserving. Even though hype has a way of leading to backlash, i have found the films to get the positive hype to be more than deserving. One thing that I am liking is that in recent year the films are retaining the quality and are skewing closer to mainstream success. I love the idea of more people discovering genre films and letting the sickness spread. In case you didn’t know, the movies I am referring to are It Follows, The Babadook, The Witch, Get Out, and now we have A Quiet Place. I make no secret that I love them all.

Movie Review: Rawhead Rex

Rawhead Rex. Think about that title, Rawhead Rex. There is something about that movie title that just sticks in your head and knowing nothing else about the movie makes you want to see it. Right? It is a name that just promises to be all sorts of awesome. Then you read a bit more about it and learn that it was written by Clive Barker. Well, that just about seals the deal, doesn’t it? It is like a match made in horror heaven. You get a little excited about Barker and an all out, guts on the wall movie called Rawhead Rex. Then you learn a bit more about it, Barker actually hated the movie and it is set in a small rural Irish town. Say what? Begins to lower those expectations.

Movie Review: Gremlin (2017)

In 1984 a movie was released to theaters that has stood the test of time, spawned a sequel, tons of merchandise, and was partially responsible for the PG-13 rating. Unfortunately, that is not the movie at hand, that movie was, of course, Gremlins. The movie we have to deal with right now is one that would seem to be trying to cash in on name familiarity, but otherwise has absolutely nothing to do with the classic. This new movie is called Gremlin and really the only thing I found to be notable about it is the name.

Movie Review: Kong - Skull Island

With the recent Hollywood produced Pacific Rim, Godzilla '14, Shin Godzilla, and now Kong: Skull Island, I have to admit to being pleased with the resurgence of giant monsters on the big screen. It all makes me that much more excited for the promised Godzilla 2 which will introduce more creatures, as well as the expected 2020 release that will pit this Kong against Godzilla. With the trailers out there for Skull Island, I admit to being pretty excited to see what they had in store for the giant ape. With a strong cast, and an incredibly large and nasty looking King, is there anyway for this movie to fail? I guess so, but I am happy to report that it does not.

Movie Review: Tremors 5 - Bloodlines

It is a little hard to believe that is has been 25-years since the first Tremors film came out. That movie was a lot of fun, and when I saw it in a theater (for the first time), it was a little like seeing it for the first time. The movie was a lot of fun, scary, a little creepy, and very entertaining. It is a good example of PG-13 horror done right. In the years since its release we have had a few sequels and a television series. Now we have Kevin Bacon dropping hints that he would like to return to the franchise, and a new sequel with the one stalwart of the series, original supporting cast member Michael Gross.

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.

Screening Report: Tremors (9/10/15 Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers, NY)

A month or so back it was announced that Tremors would be screening at the Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, NY, as part of their Prints of Darkness screening series, hosted by Fangoria magazine's Michael Gingold. On the side I had been told that they had reached out to Kevin Bacon to possibly make an appearance for a Q and A live in the theater. The theater had recently done a live Skype broadcast with him following a screening of Cop Car, plus he lives in New York City, so it was not outside the realm of possibility. Needless to say, a week score the screening, it was announced they would, indeed, have Kevin Bacon in the theater.

Movie Review: Phase IV (1974)

I love discovering awesome movies by accident, and that is just how I stumbled across Phase IV. At some point I added it to my Netflix queue, and there is sat until I noticed it was about to expire. So, with nothing else planned to watch, I selected it, pressed play, and sat back. What I experienced was nothing like what I expected and pretty much everything I liked. All I really knew about the film was that it was from 1974 and was a man versus nature film, specifically ants. I mistakenly thought the film was going to be more along the lines of Them!, but was pleasantly surprised to find something wholly different.

Movie Review: The Pyramid (2014)

Against the better advice and even my own judgment, I went and saw The Pyramid. I was warned off by a few people, telling me it was really bad and not worth my time. Mind you, these are people whose opinions I respect, but I, obviously, disregarded them and went in oping for a tasty fun horror movie. What I got was a boring slog that seemed to replay As Above, So Below (which wasn't all that good to begin with). The only real difference being a change of scenery from the Catacombs under France to the pyramids of Egypt. They also, somehow, made it even more boring. Seriously, listen to better judgment, or at least me, and pass on this.

Movie Review: The Babadook

This past August, while enjoying my time at Hudson Horror Show IX, I had a conversation with Fangoria's Michael Gingold about upcoming horror movies to keep an eye out for. One of the titles he mentioned, the only one I actually remember, was The Babadook. He said it was one of the best in recent memory. The name was unique enough that it stuck. In the weeks after that I kept hearing nothing but praise for the movie. Of course, my interest was piqued and I knew I had to see it. Still, I must admit to being a little bit skeptical. Heck, I even kinda wished I did not like it. You know, not to seem like I was going along with the hype.

Critical Capsule: Blood Tide

So, I watched this movie the other night that was so bad that it was literally a struggle to get through it. It is always a shame when I come across a movie like that, I like to think that every movie has at least something going for it, whether I be a performance, a scene, a line, even just a fleeting moment, just something. In the case of his flick, there was nothing except the merciful release of the end credits. The movie is called Blood Tide and it was released upon unsuspecting audiences way back in 1982. I feel fairly certain that not many people saw it then.

Movie Review: Neon Maniacs

The 1980's saw all manner of up and coming and wannabe film makers throw their hat into the horror ring. The results ranged from awesome to the completely unwatchable. Then there is that group of films that are completely inept and make absolutely no sense, yet remain insanely watchable. One of those movies is Neon Maniacs, a movie made way back n 1985 that I was just introduced to on the big screen in a rare 35mm projection. I have to say, for as silly and ridiculous as the movie is, it is hypnotizing in its watchability. Seriously, the movie makes no attempt to explain itself, and as quickly as it begins, it ends.

Movie Review: Godzilla (2014)

I guess it is about time to add my voice to the echo chamber. I am sure you have likely read your fill regarding this new Godzilla film, but I still feel there is a requirement for me to jump in the fray. As you may have already guessed, I loved the film. It is not perfect, but it does so much right and kept me involved the whole time that it is possible to overlook many of the flaws it may have. If you want to nitpick it, go right ahead, I'm not going to stop you, it just isn't the way I work. It seems that today an opinion is not valid if it doesn't complain about something. Whatever. It is all right to enjoy a movie that is this entertaining.

Movie Review: Godzilla Raids Again (1959)

Following the success of Gojira, Toho immediately put the production of a sequel into motion. Six months later, Godzilla Raids Again arrived on the big screen proving that Hollywood isn't the only place where sequels get rushed to theaters. The first misstep was when they did not wait for Ishiro Honda's schedule to free up for it, instead they turned to Motoyoshi Oda to take the reigns. The end result is sort of entertaining, but falls short of the horror of the original and only hints at the camp that would come through the 1960s.

Movie Review: Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)

It has been a long time since I have watched the original Godzilla. It is, after all, the granddaddy of all giant monster movies. There have been countless other monsters, but none of them have come close to unseating the King of the Monsters. Sure, some of them have put up a good fight, but in the end it is Godzilla who stands triumphant. He dos have an impressive track record and a fan base the encircles the globe. Now, for a movie monster with such a grand history, he certainly had an odd beginning that spanned two movies and three years.

Movie Review: The Bride of Frankenstein

So, the other day I discovered that Netflix had a bunch of movies expiring in the near future, so I decided to take a day and marathon a bunch of them. This includes a few that I know I own on DVD. Interesting that even when I own something on my beloved physical media, I still check Netflix first. I am lazy. Anyway, I was also looking to wash out the bad taste left behind by I, Frankenstein, so I found a soon to expire movie that seemed like just the right one to do the job. It was none other than 1935's Bride of Frankenstein.

Trailer Park: Godzilla (2014)

I am no Godzilla expert, but I do know that I live the big guy and have been entertained by hid films ever since I was a little kid. I even remember seeing Godzilla 1985 in theaters. I remember watching them on Saturday afternoon matinee television shows. I even got to see the original, remastered, in its proper Japanese form in a theater from a 35mm print, it was spectacular. Then there was the Hollywood debacle, that thing, I'll admit, had a few moments, but was NOT a Godzilla movie. I was glad when I got to see Godzilla 2000 in theaters. It helped erase the bad taste. Now we have a new attempt at a Hollywood Godzilla. Let me say, it is pretty high up on my list for next year. Read on..

Movie Review: Pumpkinhead II - Blood Wings

Way back in 1988 legendary make up and special effects guru Stan Winston decided to try his hand at directing. The result was a horror movie that has become something of an underrated classic. Seriously, it is a movie that I frequently forget about and forget about how awesome it is, or at least parts of it. The movie is Pumpkinhead and it features a great creature and a great lead performance from Lance Henriksen. It was perfectly set up for a sequel and seemed like the perfect choice for a franchise. Unfortunately, it took six years for one to materialize and it went straight to video! On top of that, it appears they chose not to pay attention to what came before.

Movie Review: The Fly II (1989)

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about remakes. It seems that among the hardcore fans there is no way to do a remake right, while mainstream audiences at large seem to be a lot less fickle. Anyway, I am very much a wait and see kind of guy, I like a lot and hate a lot. Let the movie prove itself to be bad before ripping into it. In any case, there is one movie I seem to forget when discussing good remakes, David Cronenberg's The Fly from 1986. The Jeff Goldblum/Geena Davis horror was well received and holds up in comparison to the Vincent Price original. It did well enough to spawn a sequel of its own, The Fly II in 1989.

HorrorA-Day: Mimic 2 - Hardshell

As Halloween draws ever closer, I have found at least one more shorts day in the season. I guess those few frosty mornings were just a tease. The consistently chilled weather is coming, it is right around the corner and soon enough I will be complaining about cold weather and I will be ready for the warmth of spring. But I am getting ahead of myself. This season has also allowed me to discover a few movies, some new, some old, some good, some bad, and there is still some time left. Hopefully, I will get back on a good role.