Random Film of the Week: Dead of Night (1945)

Posted on March 4, 2013 by geelw

Even though it’s almost 60 years old, for my money, Dead of Night is still an effectively scary horror anthology as well as one of those classic movies worth tracking down. It’s also a decent comedy when it needs to be and even a bit of drama and mystery gets tossed into the mix. Four different directors (Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden and Robert Hamer) worked on the five stories that make up the film (Dearden directed the framing sections that make up the beginning and ending as well as one of the stories), but it’s a seamless production where no style overtakes another. Of course, being an Ealing Studios release means there’s a huge amount of that British film quality that studio managed to make standard issue and a sort of Good Housekeeping Seal for film buffs who want no junk tossed at them from the balcony. Of course, most film buffs sit IN that balcony, but Ealing’s films were always fit for both stuffy critics above the common folk and those cheap-seaters below tossing popcorn and balled up paper napkins upward…

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Random Film of the Week(end), Too*: Juan of the Dead

Posted on March 2, 2013 by geelw

*Hey! You get an extra RFotW column because I usually do two or so a week and I’ve been a bit too busy to watch as many movies as I’d like. Lucky you!

As we’re near completely brainwashed here in America that anything related to Cuba is bad or will turn you into a flag-waving, manifesto carrying Commie if you so much breathe in its general direction (save for stuff that can really kill us if over-consumed like Cuban cigars, Cuban sandwiches, or a fatal clot in the ass or legs from that 48-hour I Love Lucy marathon because you wanted to catch that ONE episode you missed), seeing a great indie zombie flick pop up out of that country is a nicely reaffirming sign that people are indeed alike all over. Juan of the Dead, despite the knockoff title and low budget, is a really fine addition to the crowded zombie flick genre thanks to plenty of gore and decent FX work, a load of humor targeted at current and past political policies and a solid cast that’s just fantastic throughout.

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Random Film of the Week(end): Antichrist

Posted on March 2, 2013 by geelw

“A grieving couple retreat to ’Eden’, their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse…”

Oh, that’s Antichrist in a nutshell for you, but that’s not Antichrist at all if you’re expecting some weepy blockbuster weekend grossing drama straight out of the Hollywood genre playbook (silver linings version). Then again, if you know Lars von Trier’s work, you know you’re not getting anything you “expect” and in fact, going in blind is the best way to enjoy any of his films. That said (and speaking of blind), after watching this one, you’ll probably want to remove your eyes and boil them for a few minutes. That said, if you happen to see this one with people who tend to over-think too much about movies or relationships you can expect have a hell of a conversation afterwards about all sorts of things…

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The Croods: Prehistoric Party Hands-On: The New “Modern Stone Age Family” Board Game

Posted on February 19, 2013 by geelw

With Dreamworks’ new family friendly animated film The Croods heading for a March 22, 2013 release in theaters, D3Publisher of America is getting a fun little tie in game out exclusively to all four current Nintendo platforms. The Croods: Prehistoric Party isn’t at all the platformer you’d expect to drop into stores as a quickie cash in product, but a fun board game in the vein of the Mario Party franchise that packs in mini-games galore for one to four players. D3P rolled into NYC last week with a Wii U build and I got a nice bit of playtime with it as well as a look at the movie trailer (below the jump for your viewing pleasure if you’ve yet to see it). Torus Games has whipped up a cool-looking easy to hop into game that should get anyone who liked the film cracking up in front of the TV and bringing a few friends or family members along for the ride…

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Random Film of the Week(end): Bath Salt Zombies

Posted on February 17, 2013 by geelw

As far as low-budget horror flicks go in this day and age, MVD Entertainment Group’s latest DVD release, Bath Salt Zombies is a gory wonder of economy that’s an intentionally cheesy, but wickedly fun time. Packing in plenty of blood, twisted humor, skin-ripping gore, a couple of sexy ladies, more gore, a few crazily creative fight scenes, cheap backdrops (did I mention gore?), and a leading man with quite the knack for freaky rubber-faced expressions. It’s Type AB-solutely NOT for the kiddies, so go roll them into the closet with a box of eBay Ho-Ho’s (or substitute those nastier Little Debbie rip-offs that taste like sugar dipped chocolate rolled sponges – they won’t know the diff), kick back and definitely catch this flick if you’re into the hot and heavy cult horror thing it’s got going on… Continue reading →

Toy Fair 2013: Despicable Me 2 Toy Lineup: Gru’s Grunts & Girls Get Great Gear!

Posted on February 16, 2013 by geelw

Despicable Me was quite a surprise for me, as I wasn’t expecting much before I saw it and ended up charmed by the animation and characters. Of course, so were a few many million other moviegoers, which means, yes indeed – it’s time for a sequel. If the teaser and trailers are any indication, you can expect Despicable Me 2 to be even funnier than the original, as Gru’s Minions seem to be the focus this time out. This also means in terms of licensed products, toy companies such as Hasbro, Thinkway Toys, Basic Fun and others are going all out to get fans of the film into stores and online shops to snap up some really cool new items. I got to see most of the upcoming lineup during Toy Fair off-site at a more relaxed downtown location and everything looks (and sounds, where applicable) great and is coming soon to a retailer near you.

Gallery below the jump along with some more scribblings on the collection from yours truly…

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Wait, Wasn’t The Last Exorcism Supposed to Be The. LAST. Exorcism?

Posted on February 10, 2013 by geelw

Hey, I know, I know… I’m just sayin’. The again, I didn’t see the first Last, so who am I to judge? This actually might be scary (or scarier than the trailer… which as usual, probably gives away a wee bit too much to those folks who want too much information about what they see before they get all upset after they pay their twelve bucks that the film didn’t surprise them much if at all). That said, in my part of the universe, when you say something’s “the last” anything (cookie, pair of socks, bottle of booze), there’s no more coming unless someone’s hiding something or is willing to boogie on down to the store for a fast purchase in the middle of the night.

Wait a sec… I just now figured out how some movie sequels get made… can I get a job in Hollywood now?

New Jack The Giant Slayer TV Spot: The Answer Is Obvious…

Posted on February 9, 2013 by geelw

Yeah, it’s Ray Harryhausen with a baseball bat who’s behind you. Um… Duck, You Sucker! Too late… Bonk! That said, I’d imagine Ray would have liked to go after the folks who animated the original, as they certainly mucked it up with some lousy-looking models and super cheesy “magic” effects work that were terrible back than and haven’t held up well at all today. I’d say the best thing here will be Bryan Singer’s direction, as he’s quite good at doing comic book flicks and yeah, yeah, The Usual Suspects is one of those films that keeps you hooked in right from the start.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone TV Spot: The Big Trick Is Getting An Audience…

Posted on February 8, 2013 by geelw

Oh, look… it’s another Hollywood movie about “maaa-gic.” And by my corns, does it look quite (and intentionally) silly. But people go for silly these days and it’s supposed to be a comedy, so at least that’s working for it. Bleh. My kingdom for a few corny but fun episodes of The Magician with the late Bill Bixby, Chris Nolan’s The Prestige (which I didn’t like the first time I saw it, but a second viewing helped) or even (yikes!) Magic with Anthony Hopkins (soon to be a Random Movie of the Week, by the way), which really wasn’t about “magic” at all, but a ventriloquist who maybe has a rather unique dummy (an old trick from the creepy horror anthology Dead of Night). Eh, maybe I’m being too much of a skeptic here. The again, there’s no REAL “magic” anyway… just “the foolers and easily fooled” as I once overheard some old lady say as she walked away from a street magician doing his thing.

Well, it looks sort of interesting in a “I’ll catch it on cable in eight months” kind of way, but I bet this makes a load of dollars vanish from wallets worldwide once it hits theaters. That, or it’ll disappear without a trace because it’s terrible and people magically stay away. As always, we shall see… *poof!*

Random Film of the Week: Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Posted on February 8, 2013 by geelw

If you hate clowns for any abnormal reason, this film will probably freak every bone in your head out of your skull while making you laugh so much that you might fall off the couch and break something else. Granted, despite a bit of blood and gore it’s not really “scary” at all, but it does bring the laughs faster and furiously than some horror flicks that take themselves too seriously. The Chiodo Brothers (from up here in the Bronx, yeah!) cooked up this 1988 flick and while it didn’t become an “instant” genre classic or box office hit, for those lucky enough to catch it in theaters and later on home video, it was one of the more offbeat blends of horror, sci-fi and humor of the decade. I can recall laughing at the title before I saw this, thinking it was pretty dumb (but hey, it actually fits perfectly) and yep, I would have expected the film to be pretty dumb as well had I not been a fan of The Chido’s special effects work in another 80’s “B” film Critters, itself a bit of an underrated gem. Anyway, those Killer Klowns in the title are yes indeed, from Outer Space (their ship looks like a circus tent) and they’ve landed in tiny Crescent Cove for a midnight snack that just so happens to include the population of the sleepy little town… Continue reading →