LEGO: The Movie Trailer: So, It’s Not A Joke After All? Ho-kay…

Posted on June 18, 2013 by geelw

Yikes and “Hmmmmmm…” Here we go. OK, folks – given the quality of some fan-made Lego movies (go hit the YouTube at your leisure and see for yourself), the very idea of spending a TON of loot for a CG film and all that expensive voice talent just makes me cringe a wee it too much. Yeah, it looks funny and yes indeed, LEGO probably got all the proper clearances for all those characters in one internet video conference call. Still, there’s something… off about this flick that I’ll most likely not see at all in a theater, but catch on the cable rebound circuit and think it’s not too bad at all (but still wonder if some super-fan could have done it for a few hundred bucks over the course of a few weekends)… as usual, we shall see…

Random Film of the Week(end): Twitch of the Death Nerve/(A) Bay of Blood/Carnage

Posted on June 16, 2013 by geelw

Thanks, Attack From Planet B!

One problem some of us cranky genre fans have with most of today’s Hollywood horror movies is too many of them end up with ridiculous plots, under-written, one dimensional (as in terminally dumb), sometimes nude characters going through the same ridiculous motions that get them bumped off in even more ridiculous and bloody ways at intervals you can set your watch to most of the time. Not to mention stuff like some inane product placement that makes those parts of the film seem like ads dropped in between kills for stuff that would kill you if you consume too much of it.

Oddly enough, all this and more makes Mario Bava’s seminal gore classic Twitch of the Death Nerve (or (A) Bay of Blood, Carnage, or Blood Bath or one of many other titles it’s been released as) one of my favorite “B” horror films. Maybe it’s the blinders-on Bava fan in me that makes me like this one so much (some awesome shots aside, it’s far from his best work), or maybe it’s because the movie is actually kind of (alright, REALLY) funny in a very twisted way. The story is nuts with most of its assorted beautiful, handsome or unattractive characters motivated by their greed and/or assorted desires becoming random targets (and I mean random in some cases) of a killer (or killers) with their own agendas. By the end when the bodies are laid out all over the island, none of it makes any sense because the ending literally and figuratively blows away the remaining bits of the paper-thin plot.
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Pacific Rim “Jaegers” Featurette: A Triple Shot of Metal Goes Down Surprisingly Smoothly…

Posted on June 14, 2013 by geelw

Jeah, jeah, I know it’s Jägermeister and NOT “Jaegermeister”, folks (oh boy, do I know the difference… but I don’t do that anymore, so perhaps I’ve thankfully forgotten?)… just roll with it, mmm’kay? Anyway, another nice and loving look at the heavy metal thunder about to roll into theaters soon in Pacific Rim. I must say that WB has a nice lineup of sci-fi/fantasy flicks this year between this, the just opened to positive press Man of Steel and the upcoming sequel The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Of course, I’ll be camped out at home with the video versions as well once all are released, as this seems to be the best way to see any new movie to get the full story and way too much behind the scenes info at one’s leisure and NO crazy people yelling at the screen like they’re on a damned talk or reality show set on a roller coaster. Bleh…

300: Rise of an Empire Trailer: This. Isn’t. SPARTAAAA!! (But It Sure Looks Good…)

Posted on June 12, 2013 by geelw

Spoiler: Wait, didn’t (almost) everyone die at the end of 300? End spoiler. Well, OK, this sequel that takes up things after the events of the original film isn’t supposed to be “historically” accurate (hell, the first film certainly wasn’t) and you hopefully won’t see a headless, zombified King Leonidas blurping around, but I bet this trailer really gets the testosterone rumbling in all the right places for some folks. I didn’t like 300 that much until my second viewing, as I didn’t read the graphic novel until I decided to borrow a copy from a friend and play “shot for shot” with it. Hey, I like stylized film making, but I thought it was a wee too much CG-heavy in pretending to be a moving comic book. Still, it did well and got Snyder doing more and cooler stuff, right?

Pacific Rim TV Spot 4: A Diet High In Iron Gives You Extra Power…

Posted on June 12, 2013 by geelw

… But you should also add a bit of protein as well. Lizard chunks make a tasty addition to any meal, folks. Just cook them at the proper temperature, watch that sodium and remember, portion control is key. TIP: Using a smaller plate gives you the illusion of a larger meal. Add a small salad to your lunch or dinner and eat it first to become more full and avoid the trap of heavier fatty foods as filler. Er, OK, OK… I really have nothing else to say about this upcoming movie except for if it’s terrible I’ll be really disappointed. Well, I’ll still catch it on cable a few too many times just to check out the mechs and monsters, but yeah, if it tanks, it’s a shame for all that hard work and tons of money spent creating all this lovely wreckage…

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer: How NOT To Train Your Dragon…

Posted on June 11, 2013 by geelw

Well… who said it was YOUR damn dragon anyway? Smaug is Smaug’s, so deal with it fast or start wearing that asbestos underwear and padded iron pants for a little extra protection…

Playing With The Girls: Carrie Poster Makeover Adds Back A Little Suspense…

Posted on June 10, 2013 by geelw

OK, I was bored last night poking around the internet for E3 news and such, so when I happened to see this new Carrie poster, I had to chuckle a bit because it was a case of a little too much TMI in having the tagline AND title on the same ad. So, a quick MS Paint edit and voila! – you get at least a tiny bit of suspense back in a film that pretty much gives it all away in the poster and trailer anyway (just like the original did).

Hey, it only took me about 30 seconds to do this, so it’s not like I really did anything amazing… OK, back to actual work!

World War Z “Aggressive”/”Enigma” Trailers: Yeah, That About Describes It…

Posted on June 9, 2013 by geelw

I’m not QUITE all aboard the Z train just yet, but as with any other movie I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and sit through it not based on any reviews or automatic hate coming from those who read the book and are cranky because the film swings so wildly away from the source material. Hey, it works for Game of Thrones, but you’re getting a series that’s going to run for a while as opposed to what’s crammed into two hours or so. Minus the home video version that will no doubt taunt those who paid to see this in theaters with words like UNRATED and Director’s Cut or maybe even the more tempting “Collector’s Edition” or (hold me!) “Z Edition”…

Yeah, I know you want at least ONE of those, right? Gotcha.

Random Film of the Week(end), Too: Dark City

Posted on June 8, 2013 by geelw

I didn’t get around to seeing The Matrix until its first sequel hit theaters, but when I did, I was surprised that it was so close thematically and visually it was to Dark City, Alex Proyas’ complex and visually stunning sci-fi film. For me, despite the lack of a more polished story, a reliance on mostly practical effects and a smaller budget, the film has a richer and more unique look than The Matrix that borrows from all over but manages to work almost perfectly.

Silent, film noir and more modern films get multiple nods, there’s a decidedly comic book aesthetic to the action scenes with “panel” compositions to some shots and everything’s wrapped into a “pay attention!” plot that makes for a film requiring multiple viewings to appreciate. Of course, other than loving the look and those freaky bald Strangers doing their thing (The teeth clicking? Scary and hilarious simultaneously), I didn’t much care for the film the first time I saw the original theatrical cut…

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Random Film of the Week(end): The Conversation

Posted on June 8, 2013 by geelw

It’s not surprising at all to me that everything we do on the internet or on the phone is monitored and for the most part, the average Joe and Jane is too caught up in not paying attention to this as an important issue and continues yakking or clicking away because they don’t see sanctioned invisible nosiness as a problem until it stomps on their big toe while chasing someone else.

That or there’s an “Oh well, what can you do?” attitude that’s only changed when they find out how bad things really are before case of mild online petition signing and outrage slides back into apathy as soon as that new Kardashian photo or cute cat video pops up in your inbox. Yeah, you know that’s you in there somewhere… I’ve got the transcripts if you want to come check them out sometime…

Anyway, The Conversation may (and should) make you even more paranoid as you’re watching it, but feel free to feel delighted as well as its eavesdropping surveillance whiz (Gene Hackman in one of his best performances) has his world fall apart around him while he plays catch-up with his conscience. For me, this is my favorite Francis Ford Coppola film because it’s still as timely, smart and ultimately depressing as it was when it was released almost 40 years (!) ago.

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