The Horror Hangover

Another Sunday, another hangover, but unfortunately for me I have to work this afternoon. Boy am I jealous that some of you get to fight off the pain you're feeling, by sleeping in and watching some commercial filled, edited for TV, movies! YAY-UH! This afternoon is a great day for televised cinema, as well as an interesting one with how it starts, in contrast to how it all ends.

Things start with a plop over at AMC with Escape from L.A. (1996) at 11:00. This was just on a recent Hangover and I enjoy it for what it is, but it's not one that everyone likes. I don't blame them, I felt the same way for a long time. But it's on, so watch if you so desire.

Moving in a slightly better direction, TBS gives you the gift of choice with Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), which is also on at 11:00. This is another film that came up recently, but I'll quickly share my thoughts again. I enjoy the RE series for what it is, mindless action and horror that meld together for a fun time spent with Mila Jovovich. Nothing else. Apocalypse is my least favorite of the trilogy, with my favorite being, Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), which just so happens to be on TBS at 1:00, right after Apocalypse.  How's that for set up! RE Extinction is so close to being awesome, that it is awesome!

Next up, WGN is showing Wes Craven Presents: They (2002) at 2:00. I have never had even the slightest of interest in They, Wes Craven's name all over it or not. However, it is directed by Rob Harmon, the same director that brought us 1986's The Hitcher, so that gives the film a little more credibility. I also kind of dig this trailer too, but I am still only slightly more interested than not at all.  

Speaking of never been interested, TBS keeps 'em coming with The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) at 3:00. I loved Pitch Black and even loved the Riddick video game, but I have not heard too many positive things about this one, and I also thought it looked awful. Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe I'm not?!     

Things go boo-yah over at Sundance Channel with Shotgun Stories (2008) at 4:00. This is one I have not, but have really wanted to see since The Gentlemen's Guide to Midnite Cinema covered it way back. You'll get the gist of the film from the trailer, and it is a great trailer for what looks to be a great movie. Sundance will certainly due it justice, so I'll have to go with Shotgun Stories as my pick of the week! 

Second place pick of the week would have to go to IFC's showing of Right at Your Door (2007) at 4:45. Very low-key and almost as low budget, this is a movie that would fall under the genre of the Apocalypse! Set almost entirely in one home and over the course of a day or two, Right at Your Door is a solid post-911 character study about the many levels of fear and paranoia that could be faced at anytime due to attack. Great movie that uses imagination and Wellsian tactics very well, and anyone that is a fan of Pontypool, should definitely give this one a try.

That's all the guidance I can give you for this week, love. See ya next time!

Polishing a Turd

As you may have already noticed, I changed the look of the blog and quite drastically I must say. I have been wanting to do something different for a long time now (the brown blog never really worked, now did it?), so I took advantage of the new blogger design stuff to do so. I would love to hear feedback, if it looks fucking stupid, awesome, or is it difficult to read…blah, blah. I did try and go with a background as epic and powerful as the one who carries the beard, so I think I made a solid choice. BUT, if it is too distracting, please, let me know.

[REC]ording Projects in London

If you haven't already heard, Magnet Releasing just recently announced that it's picked up the US rights to [REC] 2. This is great news for [REC] 2 to be making its way stateside already. The first [REC] took a ridiculously long time to be released, though, that had a whole lot to do with the lesser remake/spoiler-alert box-art/trailer. I ended up getting a foreign copy at a convention, so fuck 'em. Anyways, I loved [REC], and outside of Let the Right One In, it was my favorite movie of that year and the sequel looks fantastic from what I have seen in the trailers. In addition, having Balagueró and Plaza back is a great sign, plus, having the sequel pick up right where the last one left off gets me excited to see where the story will go.

Magnet is looking to release [REC] 2 sometime early July, which will consist of a limited theatrical release through Magnolia/Magnet’s Ultra VOD program, as well as debuting a month prior on VOD platforms nationwide. Therefore, in only a few months, we should all be able to gain access to this one in one way or another. However, I am jealous that there will be no chance in hell that it's getting into any theaters near me. *Hmmf*

 

Something else I was pointed to today is this weird little movie called Project London coming from Spiral Productions. It's described by it's describers as a no budget special effects extravaganza, with no interjection from Hollywood. Project London is directed by Ian Hurbert and is an independently produced and distributed feature length, sci-fi, action-adventure film. Shot in HD digital video, Project London is claimed to showcase incredible digital effects work, all wrapped around a powerful story of a boy and his decision that can save Earth.

Here, watch the trailer and we'll talk more afterwards…

 

What'd you think? I mean, it is very low budget, but I am curious as to just how low that budget is. The effects do look pretty cool and the film has an interesting style, if it is indeed as micro-budget as claimed. It's tough to tell if it looks any good or not with no dialogue or character interaction, plus, that song is not too pretty for me ears. From my knowledge, the film is not yet finished, and they are still working on sound design, so that kind of explains that. In addition, the idea behind Project London is that people can follow its progress on the film's website, which is meant to be exciting for film fans, as well as software engineers and post-production artists. That is almost a red flag and makes me think that this all could be an excuse to say, "Hey, look what I can do with my computer!" Still, my interest is piqued and I will monitor this one for further developments. I mean, look at what happened with the amazing Ink…though, I would be very surprised if that level could be achieved again anytime soon, but one can hope. Check out the website by clicking right here if you would like more info about the project.

Freddy's Friday Night Dance Party!: Renegade Edition!

Taking a slightly different approach with this edition of Freddy's Friday Night Dance Party, I thought it would be cool to introduce you to the man behind this week's tight tune. This is a cat that truly walks the walk, a dude that garners respect, but does so with a positive attitude and all while wearing black leather boots, paired up with a matching black leather trench. Get ready to pop that collar kids, 'cause it's time to meet, the one, the only, CHILLY-D!

 

Nothing quite says hip-hop like the Renegade Snake Eater, Lorenzo Lamas. His moves and style out on the street are very impressive, but little boot maneuvers and random references to European fashion are nothing compared to what The Lamas is able to do when he's on stage. So, without any further ado, I present Chilly-D performing, Do You Know Who I Am!   

 

Written and performed by the husband and wife musical super duo, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson (as Ashford & Simpson), Do You Know Who I Am is taken from 1984's Body Rock. Directed by Marcelo Epstein, Body Rock is yet another entry into the Hip-Hopsploitation genre and is filled with break dancing, graffiti, and of course, rap skillz. Much of this magic was provided, or was made to appear provided, by the great Lorenzo Lamas, which should really tell you everything you need to know. This would mark the first time that a movie featured on Freddy's Friday Night Dance Party is one that I have not actually seen, but I couldn't sit on these clips any longer then I already have…they are pure gold. The skeleton dance scene is magnificent with its glow-in-the-dark neon colors and slow-mo Nunchaku moves thanks to Chilly-D. However, it does get me a little teary eyed as I wonder whatever happened to dj Skele-tone.

Totally Tubular Trailers!

I have a great mixture of trailers that have recently caught my eye, so take a look and enjoy! But don't enjoy too much – we wouldn't want a sticky keyboard, now would we? 

First trailer I got for your purdy eyes is for SES (or Voice), a Turkish film directed by Ümit Ünal and written by film-critic and novelist Uygar Şirin. SES is about a woman that begins to hear strange voices, voices that tell her things that no one else would know. Some believe she is receiving these messages from a greater being, but these voices become more threatening and intense as each day passes. No English, but even still, you will see what looks to be a very promising film that is shot very well and filled with some seriously intense sound design.

 

The Good, the Bad, the Weird was originally released in July of 2008 in South Korea, but it's taken until now to FINALLY get a release over here in the states. This film actually took the number five spot on my top 13 of 2009, though, this U.S. release date makes it a 2010 under my release date rules. But, this one took too damned long to be released, so I took liberties. Directed by one of cinema's finest directors, Kim Ji-woon, The Good, the Bad, the Weird stars two of my favorite actors with Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho. This trailer is made specifically for the U.S. limited release, which will be on April 23rd from IFC. So, if any of you get the opportunity, do not miss out on this highly entertaining action romp.

 

Being billed as a return to greatness, the Richard Berry directed 22 Bullets (L 'Immortel) stars  Jean Reno as retired mobster - turned family man, Charly Matteï, who is shot 22 times and left for dead. Only problem is, he isn't and Charly makes it a point to take a little vengeance on those that dare to try and take his life. 22 Bullets is produced by Luc Besson, so of course the first thing everyone thinks is this is Besson and Reno's return to what was done with the fantastic hitman-with-a-heart film, The Professional. Well, Besson is the producer, not the director here, so that is a little unfair to 22 Bullets' helmer, Richard Berry. The film does look quite impressive and very beautiful, so he should be mentioned before the producer, whether or not it's Luc Besson. No speaka no English once again, but trust me, this movie looks just fine without it.  

 

For the final trailer this evening, I have something that you may or may not have already seen. If not, then I'm very happy to be able to share it with you. This is one we all know about, so no need to go into background info or plot – it's the trailer for Predators! I must say, it looks quite promising and the cast is fantastic (Shane Vendrell!). However, Danny Trejo mispronouncing oriented is a little distracting (unless Trejo is British? Probably not), but it's Trejo, so he can say whatever the hell he wants.

That's it lovely's, until next time!

Even More Baby Babble: Vengeance continues to reign, getting my horror special edition and tee shirt all wet!

I have so much random shit to talk about that I couldn't even try and cram it in that last post, so here I go again. On my own. First up, I'll get right back into the topic of revenge films! As I was compiling my Top Five Female Revenge Movies list, I couldn't help but have a shit ton of revenge films cross my mind. With that, came the sudden memory that the Vengeance Trilogy super box set was due out any day now. Within an hour of that thought, I happened to drop by Freddy in Space only to see that Johnny had just received his copy in the mail, meaning that it was indeed out on standard DVD. I immediately made a mess in my pants and with my still unspent $50 Amazon birthday gift card, I went and bought it straight away! It's $44.99 new through Amazon, but being the smarty pants that I am, I bought a new copy used, and even with shipping, I only spent about $36 bucks! YEAAHHA! That leaves me with more gift card cash to buy even more stuff! Anyways, I got the set in the mail today and while it isn't the most eye catching, it's loaded more than a baked potato with cheese and bacon – which is what really matters. I cannot wait to dig into all of the extras, especially the Fade to White version of Lady Vengeance.

Something else I received in the mail s0mewhat recently, is the SFX Magazine Horror Special Edition. I actually do not have any place near me that sells either Fangoria, or Rue Morgue, so outside of Paracinema, I have not read a genre magazine in about six months. I would subscribe, but that shit is too expensive and to be honest those magazines can be pretty hit or miss. So it was very nice getting my hands on this Horror Special Edition from SFX Magazine, which is a UK based mag that normally deals in Sci-Fi cinema. The special is very well put together and has a solid and easy to read layout. It's also quite girthy, which is never a bad thing. I'm talking about the magazine, you pig! As for content, it's filled to the bloody brim with a mixture of news articles, retrospectives, interviews, and all sorts of other goodies. It came out at the end of January, so some of the news is dated, but there is plenty of great stuff to be read. You should still be able to pick up a copy at any one of the bigger book stores like Borders or Barnes & Noble, or you can order it online as a back issue. If you are interested, you can click here for more info on the magazine and some of the various articles found within.

A little while back, Chuck from Zombies Don't Run, asked if I would write a little something for one of the movies on his reader-voted Top 10 Horror Movies of the 90's. I got to write about 1992's, Peter Jackson splatter-piece, Dead-Alive! I actually wrote quite a bit about it and my first not-so-good encounter with the film. Stop by Zombies Don't Run to see what I wrote about Dead-Alive, it's placement on the list, as well as what other films made that list. There are a bunch of other guest bloggers that wrote for some of the other movies that made the cut, so check out who wrote what, about what? Huh?! 

Finally, I have one more thing to share before I stop typing your eyes out. The good folks behind Paracinema Magazine, have just began an amazing adventure into the world of cinema related tee shirts! It's called Paratees and the tag-line of this hot new thang is "Cinema Obsession Put to Cloth," and they aspire to put inspirational genre art on quality tee shirts. Their first shirt design is available and it's inspired by the Walter Hill classic, The Warriors! The shirt is titled "For All You Boppers Out There" with the artwork done by RAZ. So please, take a second to stop by the new site and take a look around from time to time - I'll be sure to keep you all updated when new shirt designs become available.

Alright, that's it for me…I've gone on more than long enough now. You're free to go, but please come back!

Baby Babble: VENGEANCE IS MINE!!! Well, not all mine

Good friend and O.G. Baby Eater, Aaron from The Death Rattle recently called for participants to get in on top five lists that he's doing every week over at his blog. It's simple enough, one subject, five films, all to span over a week's time. This is a fantastic idea and it takes a lot of dedication, so I have to give Aaron mad props for doing something that must be a bit time consuming. Some of the great subjects already covered are top five Carpenter films, five most overrated horror films, and the subject that I am breaching with Aaron this week, which is Top Five Female Revenge Movies. Aaron gives the choice of subject matter to the guest blogger, so Female Revenge was my pick for our double-dope list. I am a huge fan of revenge cinema and outside of films concerning the Apocalypse, it's my favorite genre and I'm thrilled that I got to work on this very difficult to form list. It was also quite the honor to work on something with a fine-ass bitch like Aaron, who is one of the most prolific and hardworking bloggers out there, as well as someone whose writing I've been following for some time now. Our number five choices were posted today, and it will end with our number one picks this coming Friday. So, make sure to check out what films we chose and please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on our choices as well as sharing some of your own.  Click da link!