R.I.P.D. Trailer: D.O.A., Or Will This Horror-ish Flick Cop A Feel From Fans?

Posted on May 11, 2013 by geelw

Hmmmm. As soon as I saw this trailer, I thought of the great cable series from a few years back Dead Like Me having a baby with Men in Black (with a hefty amount of rewriting so the seams aren’t showing, of course). Well, that could go both ways, as in this will either be really good or really bad. Interestingly enough, I’ve been seeing some negative press about this and a few other summer flicks from overpaid analysts who seem to predict doom a wee bit too much based on some cracked crystal ball and a need to collect a paycheck. I often wonder if any of this “analysis” is paid for by competing studios who don’t mind stabbing another studio and their big-budget projects in the face with these opinions, but let’s keep out of trouble on that front (for now)…

Random Film of the Week: FRENZY

Posted on May 2, 2013 by geelw

FRENZY poster While the middle to late 1960’s weren’t too good for Alfred Hitchcock’s film output, his fantastic 1972 thriller, FRENZY saw the director return to fine form with a chilling blend of murder, “wrong man” plot, police procedural (of sorts) and black comedy. Between the solid casting of mostly imperfect-looking British actors, actual London locations blended perfectly with studio sets, a bit of nudity and one very unsettling (and lengthy) assault/murder scene that’s shocking but necessary to drive the plot, this is one of those films where you can feel the director’s complete confidence in himself, his cast and crew.

Right from the opening notes of Ron Goodwin’s somewhat regal (and intentionally pompous, I’ve always thought) main theme, the film doesn’t skip a beat before delivering its first corpse, a nude woman who washes up during a politician’s waterside speech about cleaning up the Thames River. Keep an eyeball peeled for Hitch’s requisite cameo and get your smile in, as things are going to get darker in Merry Olde London soon enough…
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Fast & Furious 6 (!) Trailer: Wishing For A “Thelma & Louise” Finale (Please)…

Posted on April 28, 2013 by geelw

Yeesh. I still can’t believe this crash cow franchise has run this damn long, but hey – I’m not the one buying up all those tickets. The last thing I heard, the “crew” split a big fat multimillion dollar payoff, which would in the real world, make ME disappear forever to some nice country that’s not sinking under riots and bad government with my stupidly large game collection so I can finally finish a bunch of games and reviews. “Fatima, peel me a grape!” and all that. Anyway, here we go again and yep, it’ll rake in another mint no matter what the critics say. Oh well, I guess it’s better than seeing a TV series popping up and becoming a big “hit” on cable or whatever. Then I’d need to write something snarky every seven days or so and burn out from all the bad car puns I’d need to come up with. Oh well… I guess one more go-round for this franchise is a good thing after all…

The Purge Trailer: Hmmm… There’s A Joke in There Somewhere…

Posted on April 4, 2013 by geelw

Joke, what joke? Oh, something about how binging on too many horror flicks can lead to tossing one’s cookies afterwards. And NOT because they’re particularly scary horror flicks, mind you. I’m actually not a big fan of these home invasion sub-genre nasties because they tend to be more mean-spirited than actually scary. Anyway, I guess a little star power and solid acting can help any project, but the premise here (and in the rest of this sub-genre) is usually more disturbing than freaky because we already have criminals who act like this running around in some places. Hmmm… I guess that IS scary to most folks at the end of the day. Lock your doors! Cloooooose your windows! Put a bear trap out as a welcome mat! And that’s so you don’t LEAVE your house to go see this one (har, har)…

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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Random Film of the Week: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

I’ve decided to keep things a bit lighter on such a heavy day here and not post reviews of a couple of games just out of common courtesy, Anyway, time for some much-needed comedy:

For his final encore (that’s a little vaudeville joke there, I think), the great W.C. Fields created one of the more surreal comedies of the era that’s just as quirky today as it must have been back when it was originally released. 1941’s Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is the not quite true, but very true story of Fields’ problems in getting his often outrageous for the time comedies past brainless executives and censors who deemed his material too wild for movie audiences. Playing himself, the film is basically Fields trying to sell a screenplay he’s written to a producer at the aptly named Esoteric Pictures with scenes from the script turning into some pretty bizarre and hilarious stagings thanks to some really fun special effects work and plenty of Fields’ comic genius.

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AMC’s The Walking Dead Also Gets The Halloween Horror Nights Treatment…

Posted on July 18, 2012 by geelw

“We want people to experience the same terror of the walker-filled reality our characters faced in seasons one and two – and will continue to face in our third season,” said Greg Nicotero, Co-Executive Producer and Special Effects Make-up Artist for the series. “Our collaboration with Universal Studios’ creative teams is exciting as we work to truly capture the essence of the show.”

Well, now… this is getting really interesting. Hmmm… I’m betting this is a secret weight-loss plan for some of the flabbier citizens of this country where deep-fried butter and bacon-wrapped everything are a normal way of life for too many out there. Hey, you! Want to lose 20 pounds FAST? Just go to Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Studios Orlando during Halloween Horror Nights and hit both The Walking Dead and Silent Hill attractions. Make sure you don’t eat beforehand, as the zombies at the former love the smell of digesting beef patties, artificially colored cheese and soda pop PLUS those nurses at the latter can aid in taking care of those bite marks on your flesh… by sticking a few knives and needles into them (ouch!). Stock up on adult diapers and a portable defibrillator at the souvenir shop (conveniently located smack dab in between the two attractions) and you’re good to go.

“With ‘The Walking Dead,’ we want to make fans of the series feel like they are literally walking in the footsteps of the show’s characters, experiencing all of the horrific events from the series just as they experienced them,” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood. “The goal is to make guests of Halloween Horror Nights feel like they are trapped in the world of ‘The Walking Dead,’ using all of the attention to detail and movie-quality production values that Halloween Horror Nights has become famous for. You’re no longer sitting on a couch, watching a show…you’re living it!”

In other words, be prepared to do a lot of running. And screaming, too. Wear comfortable shoes and maybe some football gear if you tend to knock people over on your way to the exit sign…

Helloooo, Nurse! Silent Hill Goes The Horror House Route At Universal Studios

Posted on July 17, 2012 by geelw

“This is not a game. This is not a movie. This is real. And guests will be tormented by horrifying creatures from an alternate dimension, including the iconic deformed nurses and the executioner. “

So, Universal Studios is adding a Silent Hill theme to its hugely popular Halloween Horror Nights attraction at its Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood locations. That’s a good thing or a bad one, depending on how much you like being scared silly by things that go bump in the night. Personally, I’ve never really been scared at any horror house I’ve been to most likely because I have a pretty morbid sense of humor to begin with and tend to elbow anyone who tries to do a “jump out’ scare on me in the eye. I also know that at the end of the day everyone going in will come out alive (soiled shorts optional) and all those mask and makeup wearing guys and gals putting the fear of fear into the heads of those who show up are making an honest buck.