tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88298729013420376862024-03-08T08:38:52.942-08:00Grimm ReviewzHonest Movie & Book Reviews, Toys, & NewsDrew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.comBlogger502125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-34472648621109309782015-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:002015-10-25T12:37:57.486-07:00FILM REVIEW: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (Producer's Cut) (1995)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSePF16DPPubE19UDzN56O8jZYm9942l18CDdfFdXq0SS2Sn6qS7qEnU0FhtBkIW2fsdetuFoMb7qOFAW2Uo7e0eKLkN4HDW9t5Uvcw7Xi9sbgwnHk9inL4CNLlSKoDHnN8bzF1zE8LwU/s1600/h6+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSePF16DPPubE19UDzN56O8jZYm9942l18CDdfFdXq0SS2Sn6qS7qEnU0FhtBkIW2fsdetuFoMb7qOFAW2Uo7e0eKLkN4HDW9t5Uvcw7Xi9sbgwnHk9inL4CNLlSKoDHnN8bzF1zE8LwU/s400/h6+1.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=grimrevi05-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B011ID14F2&asins=B011ID14F2&linkId=HPCCI3KRNWHMEB2T&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe> Let me start off by saying that I’ve never cared for the
theatrical version of <i>The Curse of
Michael Myers</i>. My big complaint is
that like <i>The Return of Michael Myers</i>
and <i>The Revenge of Michael Myers</i>,
Michael is an oaf. It would appear that while <i>Season of the Witch</i> was being made, Michael hit the gym hard on his
time off and grew a few inches. Michael went from a normal sized guy to a pro
wrestler, and the reason for this is because of Moustapha Akkad wanted to
compete with Jason Voorhees. Where <st1:place w:st="on">Akkad</st1:place> went
wrong was ever trying to compare the <i>Halloween</i>
series to an imitation. I also am not privy to the ugly mask nor its size. And
I despise the ridiculous Thorn crap among other things. So, going into this
Unrated Producer’s Cut (originally known as <i>Halloween
666</i>), I definitely wasn’t excited, but I was thinking it had to be better…</div>
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Tommy Doyle (Paul Rudd in a non performance), a survivor
from the first <i>Halloween </i>back in
1978, is obsessed with Michael Myers. He lives across the street from the Myers
house where by some random stroke of coincidence some Strodes move in. After
escaping from the Thorn tribe, Jamie Lloyd (J.C. Brandy) leaves her newborn
baby, Michael’s next victim, in a bus station for safe hiding. And she calls
the local radio station to warn everyone that Michael is back. She then gets
driven off the road and stabbed by Michael, and lives. Unlike in the
theatrical, Jamie doesn’t die by getting impaled on a corn thresher. Instead,
she lies in a coma for half the film before being shot in the head. Kara Strode
(Marianne Hagan) and her son Danny (Devin Gardner) live with Kara’s younger
brother Tim (Keith Bogart) and their parents, Debra (Kim Darby) and John
(Bradford English) in the Myers home. Danny keeps hearing the “Man in Black” in
his head influencing him to murder. After hearing Jamie’s desperate plea on the
radio, Tommy finds Jamie’s baby (who is silent until the very moment Tommy
arrives and then starts to cry) at the bus station. He takes the child to Dr.
Loomis (Donald Pleasence), where they form a sort of team along with Kara. Long
story short, the Thorn tribe wants Michael to kill the last of his bloodline,
he and Jamie’s child (yes, Michael is now incestuous), so he can be lifted of
the Thorn curse and pass it on to someone else i.e. Danny. Michael switches
clothing with the “Man in Black” a.k.a., Dr. Wynn (Mitch Ryan), and gets away.
Dr. Wynn, wearing Michael’s mask and coverall, grabs Loomis’ wrist and passes
on to him the mark of the Thorn, making Loomis the new cult leader. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFJqdFnu1I5Y3CY_lhwP-I8w2AwKs4NZAuUNYRSfwCRh051aEc9izAiVqR3uPuei-94p7r_TieLz0-SChX2YDV-T0M6xMbQfFrjTtvur3_gT8j1QJBJsNgrKa_GGjWIopuY58R-72A3U/s1600/h62.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFJqdFnu1I5Y3CY_lhwP-I8w2AwKs4NZAuUNYRSfwCRh051aEc9izAiVqR3uPuei-94p7r_TieLz0-SChX2YDV-T0M6xMbQfFrjTtvur3_gT8j1QJBJsNgrKa_GGjWIopuY58R-72A3U/s400/h62.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor Michael stopped by a few frozen meatballs. If we'd known that's all it takes to defeat him we could have prevented all those ass-tastic sequels. -Photo taken from Bloody-Disgusting.com</td></tr>
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There are more scenes with Loomis, and more character
engagement between he and Dr. Wynn. We see how good of friends they really are,
and that’s a plus. Aside from that, I enjoyed the new scenes of Danny being
influenced and hearing “the voice” from the “Man in Black”. Other than that,
absolutely nothing in the film has been changed for the better.</div>
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The movie starts with a hiccup that I immediately noticed
and laughed at: Loomis (Donald Pleasence) is narrating while Jamie’s baby is
being handled by the cult. He sums up the past four films, and he ends by
saying “many believed he [Michael] was dead.” That makes no sense. Who the hell
thought Michael Myers was dead? He went to jail and got broken out. Everyone
supposedly believes that the explosion that freed Michael from jail actually
killed him and Jamie. I was immediately annoyed. At about the 80 minute mark is
where you really see this film take a left turn. It delves deep into the Thorn
tribe and tries to offer more of an explanation to the plot holes in the
theatrical, but the explanation is just plain stupid. And, the plot is just as
confusing. Though Michael is a non-stop supernatural killing machine, he’s
reduced to a parody of himself in this alternative take. He’s easily stopped by
putting a few pagan Runes (that look like frozen meatballs) in a circle. This
is the juvenile explanation Tommy Doyle gives to Loomis as to how the Runes
stop Michael: “I think Michael is under the influence of an evil rune [Thorn].
There are Runes of light, protection. If Thorn could somehow be trapped by
these Runes, the energies could cancel themselves out, the evil could be
destroyed.” Even worse, the most eye-roll invoking line is spoken when Tommy
explains to Kara why Michael wants her son. He states: “in his [Michael’s]
mind, anyone living in his house is his family.” It just furthers evidence of
how half-assed it was written and thrown together. Going by that logic, if I
moved into Michael’s house I’d be considered family? Really, that’s the best
they could come up with?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlskMAE1Etnut-5iTYqIrqF9ecX9IGkdDnx_KywMYVMuInK9-qH-Txh2yoZTVqh3c8esgiaKL7__1ilj_Q1WMIy6OFsiUaY_92Nppz9_NlWamyjIksj4Q7tkr3mjQF5PljjT-jdr4UTg/s1600/h63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlskMAE1Etnut-5iTYqIrqF9ecX9IGkdDnx_KywMYVMuInK9-qH-Txh2yoZTVqh3c8esgiaKL7__1ilj_Q1WMIy6OFsiUaY_92Nppz9_NlWamyjIksj4Q7tkr3mjQF5PljjT-jdr4UTg/s400/h63.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Loomis becomes the new Thorn tribe leader. -Photo taken from whysoblu.com</td></tr>
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In the end, the biggest flaw of all is giving Michael Myers
an unworthy backstory. That’s what cripples it. Same as Rob Zombie’s 2007 white
trash depraved abomination that he calls a remake. The acting can be poor and
the dialogue can be weak, but those things are forgivable in this type of flick.
What is unforgivable is coming up with an origin story that discredits the
character you watch the films to see. I honestly got no enjoyment out of
watching it except for the sake of laughing at how poor of a film it is. This
is not one that I’ll be watching again for a long, long time. I have no need to
waste the time on it. I can see myself popping this in at odd hours in the
early morning for background noise while intoxicated with friends for something
to chuckle at. That’s the only probable scenario in which I’ll be watching this
again more than likely. I guess it’s true what they say: you can’t shine a
piece of crap. </div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-3301263008126995042015-10-21T15:35:00.001-07:002015-10-21T15:35:20.682-07:00BLU-RAY REVIEW: Army Of Darkness (1992) Collector's Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1tfm0JyByMueOhjIsC2XFE-Mys_ErvLMwjkQ4b2ORnRbRQ15D4WXfHJ4NORJcJLdjkWD27sIFRMlruKcSFcVmQEcJJk0Vl2iEJ3xZq8vt1uakD59fHNKMOdGBO2EYErcatwr0qy5KQg/s1600/aod+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1tfm0JyByMueOhjIsC2XFE-Mys_ErvLMwjkQ4b2ORnRbRQ15D4WXfHJ4NORJcJLdjkWD27sIFRMlruKcSFcVmQEcJJk0Vl2iEJ3xZq8vt1uakD59fHNKMOdGBO2EYErcatwr0qy5KQg/s400/aod+cover.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=grimrevi05-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B0112HPSXI&asins=B0112HPSXI&linkId=43LMZ4ZD7RD4VSL7&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe>In 1992, Director Sam Raimi ended his <i>Evil Dead Trilogy</i> with the practical effects extravaganza known as <i>Army Of Darkness (</i>Originally titled <i>Bruce Campbell Vs. Army Of Darkness)</i>.
This time instead of releasing the film independently, like the first two, <i>Army Of Darkness</i> was distributed through
Universal Studios, making it the only studio film out of the three. Using like
humor of <i>Monty Python</i> and <i>The Three Stooges</i>, the concept for <i>Army Of Darkness</i> was supposed to be the
sequel to 1981’s <i>The Evil Dead</i>, but
the recourses weren’t there at the time. So, what was then-called <i>Medieval Dead</i> was put on hold and <i>Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn</i> (1987) was
made as a middle film. <i>Army</i> was made
for a PG-13 rating, hence why there’s not nearly as much gore as the prior two
flicks. However, as ridiculous as it is, the MPAA gave the film an NC-17
rating! So after editing nothing, the film was resubmitted and garnered an R
rating. People involved in the making of <i>Army</i>
wonder if the film would have been gorier had Raimi known the MPAA was going to
screw the film in the end anyway. Some even assume that the MPAA deliberately
put the boots to Raimi because of him bypassing them and releasing the first
two films unrated. Either way, it doesn’t matter because since the studio
didn’t want the film’s title to have <i>Evil
Dead</i> in it, fans didn’t identify it as a sequel in the series. In effect,
it failed miserably at the box-office and was pulled from theaters quicker than
you could say “boomstick”. However, the film has since become an immediately
recognizable cult classic thanks to word of mouth and home video releases…</div>
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By my calculation, <i>Army
Of Darkness</i> has been released and re-released on DVD a whopping eight
times! And the Director’s Cut was only released on two of them. One being the
standard Director’s Cut DVD, and the other would be on the Boomstick Edition in
which you get both Theatrical and Director’s Cut. Now that we’re in the Blu-ray
era, <i>Army Of Darkness</i> is already on
its second release with the new fully-loaded Collector’s Edition three disc set
by Scream Factory. Universal Studios had the first go with the film on Blu-ray
with the Screwhead Edition flaunting the original cover art, which had a fair
amount of supplemental material on top of the clear picture quality. So, the
question begging to be asked is this: is the new Scream Factory re-release of
this cult classic really a necessary purchase?</div>
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<b>Synopsis taken from
back cover:</b> Back to do battle with the hideous “Deadites,” Bruce Campbell
returns to the role of Ash, the handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed
department store clerk from S-Mart’s housewares division. Demonic forces time
warp him- and his ’73 Oldsmobile- into the Dark Ages, where he romances a
beauty (Embeth Davidtz, <i>The Amazing
Spider-Man</i>) and faces legions of the undead. Can Ash save the living from
the evil dead, rescue his girlfriend, and get back to his own time?<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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By far the best part about the new Collector’s Edition is
the fact that you get all four cuts of <i>Army
Of Darkness</i>; Theatrical Cut, Director’s Cut (first time on Blu-ray),
International Cut (4K transfer from inter-positive) and the TV Cut. No other
release has done this before, so it’s pretty exciting to have so many ways to
view the film now. Up until I owned the new Blu-ray, I have only seen the
Theatrical and Director’s Cut. I’ve always preferred the Theatrical to the
Director’s Cut, simply because I’m not a fan of the ending of the Director’s
Cut. Though now after viewing both the International Cut and the TV Cut, I’m
more inclined to lean towards the International Cut as my new favorite version
of the movie. To me, it has everything good about the Theatrical and Director’s
Cuts combined to make a perfect cohesive picture. There’s more Ash and Sheila,
Evil Ash and Shelia and Ash vs. Evil Ash! Even though every version except the
Director’s Cut share the same ending, they’re all worth a watch for their
differences. And after watching all of them, you’ll realize something that you
may never have really realized before; how hard Bruce Campbell worked. All the
different takes of the film show you all the different things Bruce had to do
for a lot of scenes that most people haven’t even seen before! Ash may be a
goofy character, but the man behind him is a true underrated talent. The
Director’s Cut runs the longest at 96 minutes, with the shortest version being
the Theatrical at 81 minutes. The International Cut runs 88 minutes long, while
the TV Cut runs two minutes longer at 90 minutes.</div>
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A lot of the bonus material can be found on a few other
releases, like the “Men Behind The Army” featurette, trailers and deleted
scenes. But what Scream Factory did was put them all in one place, on one set
of discs. Eliminating any reason to hold onto any other version you might own.
Then, there’s a new feature-length documentary called “Medieval Times: The
Making of <i>Army Of Darkness</i>”, which is
very amusing and informative. I particularly enjoyed learning about how much
Sam Raimi toyed with Bruce Campbell on the set, and how he bragged that he
could get Bruce to do whatever he wanted. I also liked hearing the struggles
they had making the movie, like the long tedious hours they kept. Ultimately,
if you don’t know a lot about the making of <i>Army
of Darkness, </i>you will after watching the new featurette. Other goodies
include a “Creating The Deadites” featurette, Behind-The-Scenes Footage from
KNB Effects, Inc., Still Galleries and more. The cover art is simply beautiful.
It’s elegant, yet heavily incorporates key scenes from the film to really give
it that essential collection feel. The jewel case under the slipcover gives you
the option of reversing the cover and flaunting the original poster art, if you
prefer the original artwork to the new art. All of the discs all have different
movie artwork on them and each disc has a different menu. Not to mention you
literally get every bonus feature ever available on top of the new stuff. Any
critique I could have would be sheer nitpicking. The picture and sound quality
is on par with what you’d expect from Scream Factory, all except the TV Cut which
is presented in its original standard definition format. This is by far the
best way to own <i>Army of Darkness</i>.
Scream Factory made sure they lived up to their reputation with this one by
making a true definitive release for the fans. I personally, couldn’t be more
satisfied. Owning this Collector’s Edition makes any future Blu-ray releases of
<i>Army of Darkness</i> null and void, which
I’m pretty sure was Scream Factory’s idea. Don’t miss out on this glorious
Blu-ray set that hits store shelves next Tuesday, October 27<sup>th</sup>. If
you order it directly from Scream Factory’s site <a href="https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-comedy/army-of-darkness-collector-s-edition?gclid=CNHB8bLP1MgCFYQRHwod3YMCaw"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a>, you get it first, like
me. You also get a sweet limited edition poster of the commissioned cover art
free while supplies last!</div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-58964967084767967212015-10-13T15:48:00.000-07:002015-10-13T15:48:19.155-07:00HORROR TOY TUESDAY: My 1/6 Scale 1978 Michael Myers Action figure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCjLsoRe-qLGDHaCWDyY7-fvtwGRoivM5I5OqUqhYWjUCIcB3ItBYIZ_dLy-Vt8AXIBih_lCWIdeIC_-hljGH4lc-PVjJ0EK7QtkjDkZkv06R2lbijQVDyAyhPAVW94bpe-iPIUv2-hI/s1600/myers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRCjLsoRe-qLGDHaCWDyY7-fvtwGRoivM5I5OqUqhYWjUCIcB3ItBYIZ_dLy-Vt8AXIBih_lCWIdeIC_-hljGH4lc-PVjJ0EK7QtkjDkZkv06R2lbijQVDyAyhPAVW94bpe-iPIUv2-hI/s400/myers1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i>Halloween</i> is my
favorite horror motion picture of all-time. No other genre film comes close to
it. There’s never been a time when I’ve seen a new horror that I haven’t seen
before and think, “damn, that gives <i>Halloween</i>
a run for its money”. And there probably never will be. So, as a high-end
action figure collector, it is very important to me that I own a realistic and
accurate figure of “The Shape” from the 1978 classic. However, I knew that I
was going to have to make one myself if I wanted one because the only
officially licensed 12 inch figure was done by Sideshow Collectibles many years
ago, and they failed miserably at it.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyT-WAqEHYP3uHOvJRTzgHZAKNFkceXfrVVvbH0HdN_rlT37bFTcv8FgKIeyr8ep_vpilDfnfqr760dwoUGY-_lWOWFT52g7asAqHbvPMRCsmk9y42v4NYgbLXX2WMcEjeZM2Y5fi1hw/s1600/myers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyT-WAqEHYP3uHOvJRTzgHZAKNFkceXfrVVvbH0HdN_rlT37bFTcv8FgKIeyr8ep_vpilDfnfqr760dwoUGY-_lWOWFT52g7asAqHbvPMRCsmk9y42v4NYgbLXX2WMcEjeZM2Y5fi1hw/s400/myers2.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken from Sideshowtoy.com</td></tr>
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I understand why the Sideshow figure sucked though, because
(as I now know firsthand) making a Michael Myers is tricky as hell. And if you
want to do it right, you have a lot of small details you have to pay attention
to. First of all, you have to find a head. Luckily for me, I was on the right
action figure forum at the right time, and got in on a limited run commission
by Cainepro. The sculpt is damn near perfect,
but it needed a pro paintjob. So, I sent it off to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region> to a craftsman in the hobby
where he highlighted essential features like the upper lip and around the eyes.
Also, the hair had to be changed. It was too long and looked like dreadlocks. I
wish I had a before picture to show the hair before I altered it. I simply cut
the hair to a more appropriate length, and using reference pics from the film,
made it nappy where it needed to be. As a last touch, I sprayed some hairspray
on my fingertips and pinched the pieces that I needed to stick out in order for
the hair to maintain its shape over time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0vXN9n-2Y6qWH6xyqxZyNol9sTeTUs7w_2rlP3ej2H5C_j9j810pspJdcCjS6Qh1xCeOjavGosyy-MVG1VlP9hnF0MSOcMTIKayLJ8rAHldue36g5_y40HY7jjYUxqhHRkS8XnlD1Xo/s1600/myers11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0vXN9n-2Y6qWH6xyqxZyNol9sTeTUs7w_2rlP3ej2H5C_j9j810pspJdcCjS6Qh1xCeOjavGosyy-MVG1VlP9hnF0MSOcMTIKayLJ8rAHldue36g5_y40HY7jjYUxqhHRkS8XnlD1Xo/s400/myers11.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoJszbGCtteON46S37X-w18FgRTNhd6Cn99z6Spd3l0FQZwYojQgRZUuIc61mR3CY7ROp-kNi-5po6YZeE0XtwpcLHwgZ58mLohhKtBx8DjhpKutKY_fmb_bLybOYMmoOlY7oQfFAaU0/s1600/myers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoJszbGCtteON46S37X-w18FgRTNhd6Cn99z6Spd3l0FQZwYojQgRZUuIc61mR3CY7ROp-kNi-5po6YZeE0XtwpcLHwgZ58mLohhKtBx8DjhpKutKY_fmb_bLybOYMmoOlY7oQfFAaU0/s400/myers3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can clearly see the difference between Sideshow's Myers (left) and mine (right).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLow-HjMNvw6Z1dqdD-rQMa8Wz-ric5NTrpA7eUry4rbaGQP46aUb7tBLCTU3EnpXp-61qqgU26-Pad8xk47Dh3KcCPAtRT91IZD90yff3_dyI21A4LOyX0ix-bxtfMqRsGGwEFIvLiU/s1600/myers4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLow-HjMNvw6Z1dqdD-rQMa8Wz-ric5NTrpA7eUry4rbaGQP46aUb7tBLCTU3EnpXp-61qqgU26-Pad8xk47Dh3KcCPAtRT91IZD90yff3_dyI21A4LOyX0ix-bxtfMqRsGGwEFIvLiU/s400/myers4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though not at the same angle, you can see how the screen accurate mask (found on Google search, left) and my custom head (right) are very close in resemblance.<br />
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Next up was finding a kitchen knife. At the time when I was
looking for an accurate knife it was incredibly hard to find them. I remember
people trying to buy the Sideshow version just for the knife. Again, I lucked
out and had the same person who made the head make me a real steel bladed knife
with real wooden handle and a weathered blade. It’s a very high quality item
that I’m lucky to have accentuated my overall complete figure. I also had to
find a knife holding hand, which was easy enough to find. I dirtied both of his
hands using watered down black paint.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDrmaIiwimhzQKuOvmMVCDru0mXUKiFJ944BJNain4HtdKkfT9H7XvRuVqRdcngWNVL-wIp628XupuGNsEvDUYTEoA6_PMJjrVaZjPOryVMHyNPyPWIcn-Oq2f_ocnZxGZ8EctAbYOws/s1600/myers8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDrmaIiwimhzQKuOvmMVCDru0mXUKiFJ944BJNain4HtdKkfT9H7XvRuVqRdcngWNVL-wIp628XupuGNsEvDUYTEoA6_PMJjrVaZjPOryVMHyNPyPWIcn-Oq2f_ocnZxGZ8EctAbYOws/s400/myers8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next up is tackling the coveralls. This was probably the
hardest part. I got a coverall, undershirt and boots set from Saturday Night
Toys on eBay. It’s the complete kit you need to make a Myers figure, but the
coveralls are tan so you have to dye them with fabric dye. What really sucked
is the stitching doesn’t dye. So, you have to paint over them in order to avoid
them from standing out. After weathering them and several failed attempts of
trying to get the coveralls the accurate color of spruce green, I gave up and
went with blue. Everyone thinks Myers’ coverall is blue, but it’s not. After
some time had passed, I decided to give it another go. Using teal and dark
green fabric dyes, me and my fiancé finally found the perfect mixture and
nailed the spruce green color. To confirm this, I took several pictures outside
and the coverall looked blue in some pictures (as you’ll see towards the bottom
of this post), so I knew things were really coming together and that I was onto
something special. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72D26uDBQTzB7UevmFkfODgKhX21PLUCcVpjnQ5ivqW_5OQBWV6pTPyOiMM5rU3RU4sMjXZsnLNxWkZQBFdJLF3TC22VZHgMIcvmNN9UXkwh1asE6jANswnsKY1AvYt8gy_rzl58-674/s1600/myers7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72D26uDBQTzB7UevmFkfODgKhX21PLUCcVpjnQ5ivqW_5OQBWV6pTPyOiMM5rU3RU4sMjXZsnLNxWkZQBFdJLF3TC22VZHgMIcvmNN9UXkwh1asE6jANswnsKY1AvYt8gy_rzl58-674/s400/myers7.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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And lastly, you got the stand for display. I actually like
the old school Sideshow stands, so I wanted to stick in that tradition but also
splice that with Hot Toy’s superior stands. So what I did was take the part of
the stand that basically holds the figures balls in a grip from a Hot Toys
stand and put it on a circular Sideshow base to allow a bigger decal with more
detail. <st1:street w:st="on">Fourth Circle</st1:street>
Designs created a beautiful decal for me that is the logo for the original
film. It has a mirrored reflection in the blade of the knife, which seems to be
something that most people are drawn to when they see it in person.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_wCVRdl9NvDn1BeovlY4uU4GATmiswZQSQG-cLTJpbugfrZkW2wxGJcA3kFp6_ooQElMcdV3TXLW8V2TW84nWl4J69cUw27tQ36ZivoOghqikksprV6oFEw3ykPN9JSbqMv0KkEWv9U/s1600/myers+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_wCVRdl9NvDn1BeovlY4uU4GATmiswZQSQG-cLTJpbugfrZkW2wxGJcA3kFp6_ooQElMcdV3TXLW8V2TW84nWl4J69cUw27tQ36ZivoOghqikksprV6oFEw3ykPN9JSbqMv0KkEWv9U/s400/myers+10.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKcmoLjXZnSxwz8SbCQW_9TcvT2psBNYBKYp1NIh1S-9cDF-NPPsj98rNFQos0W2Rlpd3fm7zsRzhw74Scp55QpA5ynwUyU0Uu-eeEzhu0SA7IFq70VqAVDt4GPQJE3D2PJ2MmYtwuTU/s1600/myers9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKcmoLjXZnSxwz8SbCQW_9TcvT2psBNYBKYp1NIh1S-9cDF-NPPsj98rNFQos0W2Rlpd3fm7zsRzhw74Scp55QpA5ynwUyU0Uu-eeEzhu0SA7IFq70VqAVDt4GPQJE3D2PJ2MmYtwuTU/s400/myers9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That’s basically it! I now have a 95% screen accurate
Michael Myers figure that blows away any factory made one to date. I eventually
plan on getting a new left hand that’s in more of a reaching pose for a certain
effect when I pose him. Also, I said he’s 95% accurate instead of 100% because
my boots are not correct. In the movie, Michael had <st1:country-region w:st="on">Vietnam</st1:country-region> boots that had dark green
on the sides. However, the part you see of them in the film is just the foot
part that’s scuffed up and solid black. This is exactly how my boots look. So
if you lift his pant legs up you’ll see a minor flaw in detail in the boots.
But most people never know anyway.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxu20vu7g-QJWhK_Yk5lDTqLJ-JmI8zUBg4TDfyX2gplTkbqNM5bq67lJNrSink8ektnNllqGQDi6Dlygn-MR1Pj8xW3pP0Gn2Mcm3yCmT6VOEnLm6TywzKT9XjOYVCnmHQrVSAzkaYQ/s1600/myers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxu20vu7g-QJWhK_Yk5lDTqLJ-JmI8zUBg4TDfyX2gplTkbqNM5bq67lJNrSink8ektnNllqGQDi6Dlygn-MR1Pj8xW3pP0Gn2Mcm3yCmT6VOEnLm6TywzKT9XjOYVCnmHQrVSAzkaYQ/s400/myers1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod0uC6Pt7eIJXMnv1bOkwHv3epiYkXjPTz0LTGI6SxVL5diGHsVf-iyydZ0QqQs4J4qPcLSncnggdOvzdDmHFJ5Kw-pIuz3Ir5oaPwo5ExPgw7Ku39g5ZZF1dwrN2rOUHnTTJuYNt-vc/s1600/myers5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod0uC6Pt7eIJXMnv1bOkwHv3epiYkXjPTz0LTGI6SxVL5diGHsVf-iyydZ0QqQs4J4qPcLSncnggdOvzdDmHFJ5Kw-pIuz3Ir5oaPwo5ExPgw7Ku39g5ZZF1dwrN2rOUHnTTJuYNt-vc/s400/myers5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFP3nxeCZrzDeGUknYfcWi4YLuf-wj7RaWkvVtHXx3BVRuTUIrmcO5PhOOjorC4ekjW5k9khYj5rkz8KELAK7u9nYit_hybznRZ-2hA00Y9t9di2kzsAEAR1cuNuBY33fYYc-R1ge1syA/s1600/myers12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFP3nxeCZrzDeGUknYfcWi4YLuf-wj7RaWkvVtHXx3BVRuTUIrmcO5PhOOjorC4ekjW5k9khYj5rkz8KELAK7u9nYit_hybznRZ-2hA00Y9t9di2kzsAEAR1cuNuBY33fYYc-R1ge1syA/s400/myers12.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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I’d like to thank my friend Samantha for doing the lettering
on some of the pictures that came out fantastic. I’d also like to thank these
following sites for making things like this possible, and for making this hobby
so awesome.</div>
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<a href="http://store-rooms.com/"><span style="color: red;">Store-Rooms.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.monkeydepot.com/Default.asp">Monkeydepot.com</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://fourthcircledesigns.com/"><span style="color: red;">Fourthcircledesigns.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cainepro.com/"><span style="color: red;">Cainepro.com</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JAKCsWorkshop?fref=ts"><span style="color: red;">Jakc’s Customs Facebook page</span></a></div>
<a href="http://ebay.com/"><span style="color: red;">Ebay.com</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Geekette-Photography-111954398867376/timeline/"><span style="color: red;">Geekette Phototgraphy Facebook page</span></a>Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-87201081562257151402015-10-01T19:26:00.000-07:002015-10-02T08:44:08.820-07:00THROWBACK THURSDAY REVIEW: Rabid (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CIWxIHS_yGflgvHz-d0hDegyT6fLzU-fG1DZ_eeqlR87ACIZNQfyJovhbtDGKkP2FYzY4Tqhl-Hn3pNY33ii2tsG6JJuoTPNaqjy_PR-6WyO9q0k2byF_ovNP6M4eevU0NIijIMEE8M/s1600/rabid1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CIWxIHS_yGflgvHz-d0hDegyT6fLzU-fG1DZ_eeqlR87ACIZNQfyJovhbtDGKkP2FYzY4Tqhl-Hn3pNY33ii2tsG6JJuoTPNaqjy_PR-6WyO9q0k2byF_ovNP6M4eevU0NIijIMEE8M/s400/rabid1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg considers <i>Rabid</i> to be his “first epic”. And like
most good movies, it almost didn’t get made. After Cronenberg’s first feature <i>Shivers</i> (1975), was considered too edgy,
he struggled to get <i>Rabid</i> off of the
ground for a few years due to the CDFC not investing. Then, he almost backed
out of the project (originally titled <i>Mosquito</i>)
when it was greenlit due to doubting the premise. However, cooler heads
prevailed and <i>Rabid</i>, a film that’s
said by many to be a foretelling of aids, was made in <st1:state w:st="on">Quebec</st1:state>
and <st1:city w:st="on">Montreal</st1:city> on
a budget of just $560,00.00. The movie needed a name attached to it that’s
marketable, yet the production couldn’t afford a real actress. So, they hired
popular 70’s porn star Marilyn Chambers over their original choice of Sissy
Spacek. It worked out for the better in a sense, because you get to see Marilyn
Chambers nude several times. And Cronenberg, himself, stated that he wouldn’t
deprive his audience of not seeing Marilyn naked. You gotta appreciate a good
director who cares about his audience, don’t ya?</div>
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<i>Rabid</i> starts off
with Rose (Marilyn Chambers) and her boyfriend Hart (Frank Moore), on a
motorcycle cruise when they get into a serious accident. The result; Hart gets
thrown from the motorbike, while Rose gets trapped under it as it explodes.
With Rose’s intestines destroyed, a nearby plastic surgery resort; the Keloid
Clinic, takes her in to perform emergency surgery. Dr. Dan Keloid (Howard
Ryshpan) seizes the opportunity to use a “radical” method of treatment that is
similar to stem cell research. He takes a piece of flesh from Rose’s thigh and
sends it off to a lab where it can be processed to be “genetically neutral”.
The outcome is to have the tissue adapt to whatever part of the body it’s being
grafted to and look natural. After she wakes up sooner than expected, she
attacks a patient named Lloyd (Roger Periard) with a fierce looking stinger
that comes out of a butthole in her armpit and drinks blood. As it turns out,
Rose can no longer digest food properly due to the damage her intestines
endured. And as a result of the surgery, her body has adapted with a short
digestion track, so she can only feed on basic protein. Like a vampire bat. Cronenberg described it
best during the commentary when he said that it’s, “instant evolution in one
person instead of a species.” Lloyd
turns rabid in the backseat of a taxi and bites the driver causing a crash that
almost killed Cronenberg filming it. From this point in the film Rose leaves a
trail of bodies behind her including a perv in a barn, a perv in a movie
theater, Dr. Keloid and her good friend who she stays with. The version of
Rabies spreads like a zombie plague and Martial law is declared. Hart finally
finds Rose, and after telling her that she’s the carrier of the disease that’s
causing the chaos on the streets, she freaks out and flees to feed on another
victim. Hart receives a phone call from Rose who tells him that she’s fed on a
man, and is sitting in the room with his body to see if he comes back infected.
Due to the fact that Rose’s idea is as dumb as it sounds, she is killed by the
man. The movie concludes as we see Rose’s dead body getting thrown in the back
of a containment truck.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3JmWQY0r9Pnc33eEPp2rPfUsN4DZazgSqOQR_WiWJMbyEt-aiohrMiiGrtISi4nA5vYCkrKg9UiQgK50N2QBu3JQewHhoeqdYrvP-9oJVCVmqhmgyLIqhlw89TInCUh62Ma3-sL0Ad0/s1600/rabid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3JmWQY0r9Pnc33eEPp2rPfUsN4DZazgSqOQR_WiWJMbyEt-aiohrMiiGrtISi4nA5vYCkrKg9UiQgK50N2QBu3JQewHhoeqdYrvP-9oJVCVmqhmgyLIqhlw89TInCUh62Ma3-sL0Ad0/s400/rabid2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The scene with the woman biting the man’s ear on the subway
was directly inspired by Cronenberg, who admitted on the commentary that he
wanted to bite a man’s ear on the subway once. But what I find even stranger
than that little tidbit, is that no one really brings this title up when
discussing vampire movies. Sure, it might not be your typical tale of blood
drinking, but Rose is a vampire nonetheless. Some would even call this a zombie
film. What I find appealing about <i>Rabid</i>
is that it came before its time, and it’s still relevant. With all of the
diseases and viruses, going around nowadays who doesn’t fear an epidemic like
this happening? It’s frightening to even think about. </div>
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The movie as a whole is very good. Especially for a second effort from a
director who didn’t even go to film school! There’s very little that I dislike
about <i>Rabid</i> outside of Marilyn
Chambers not being able to keep her eyes from moving constantly when they’re
closed and she’s supposed to be in a coma. Her inexperience shows in her
acting. Luckily, she’s surrounded by her betters, so the movie doesn’t sink
based on her inability. Frank Moore really shines, and acts his ass off at the
end when he hears Rose being attacked through the phone. That is easily the
most memorable scene in the film in terms of performance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTIS44n-eF1vgP4NZmYYqzBWEwS2WZxkC5qlv-5VZrCM5eAna0xGhVVcnhHEpvBTf-bgxJ9NHpiZ502ynq45YzMAZqtbKtcvTxDQL7QN-RgT5scL7Zt2MxWrdgsiQs-7tOpQC0Dq5fUE/s1600/rabid3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTIS44n-eF1vgP4NZmYYqzBWEwS2WZxkC5qlv-5VZrCM5eAna0xGhVVcnhHEpvBTf-bgxJ9NHpiZ502ynq45YzMAZqtbKtcvTxDQL7QN-RgT5scL7Zt2MxWrdgsiQs-7tOpQC0Dq5fUE/s400/rabid3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like all of Cronenberg’s other work, <i>Rabid</i> is intelligent, sexy and entertaining. I’ve never been scared
by a Cronenberg flick before, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them.
Though <i>Rabid</i> is most certainly not Cronenberg’s
greatest achievement (that would be <i>Videodrome</i>
(1983)) it has held up over time and continues to find a new audience. Most
importantly, by watching his earlier projects you can see the intellectual and
innovative filmmaker Cronenberg was to become later in his career.</div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-65477894238710746132015-09-29T12:20:00.000-07:002015-10-01T19:29:33.615-07:00HORROR TOY TUESDAY: Jeepers Creepers "The Creeper" Custom Action Figure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4WZTPxdtG5W5Urg-l010InX_xcul48U6ajIdN8YDYz3N2h4OV0CznK5LueDd3ck7a-fn6cFop2IaYaYr3QP38IBBcA7BA3oBgjDVGE-kDgKH0paWdVn6Q7i-QTt8TXe94MiSPjCiIpY/s1600/jeepers25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4WZTPxdtG5W5Urg-l010InX_xcul48U6ajIdN8YDYz3N2h4OV0CznK5LueDd3ck7a-fn6cFop2IaYaYr3QP38IBBcA7BA3oBgjDVGE-kDgKH0paWdVn6Q7i-QTt8TXe94MiSPjCiIpY/s400/jeepers25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=grimrevi05-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00E56GB12&asins=B00E56GB12&linkId=A6DH5TANE6MVXYXM&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe> If you have your ear open in the toy collecting universe, you'll hear very many complaints on the lack of merchandise, such as toys, from the <i>Jeepers Creepers </i>movies. Well, someone stood up and finally decided to take matters into their own hands. So, for this week, I found it impossible to not spotlight this 1:6 scale (12 inch) custom action figure from the hit film <i>Jeepers Creepers. </i>Especially after hearing news weeks ago that there is finally going to be a third film.<br />
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Talented artist Julio Cid, has a knack for making collectibles that are desired by everyone. I actually did a post, last July, on his 2007 version of Michael Myers which is jaw-dropping. If you missed it, click <a href="http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/2014/07/horror-toy-tuesday-michael-myers-2007.html"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a>. After talking with Julio about his newest horror masterpiece, he let me in on the ground floor of how it was made with some fantastic shots.<br />
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Here's a look at the head before being painted...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DOjD-sgHeeRvVCfL6Pvsp3NvbczbiES4dpvSPr2WErYvFUugODsVRaTfX8CC-E4kAxBV86_SoNi7jUDbN5GPCa7-js5mzhCDqk7qXNfM99-yjfhDsBNxIqxaHq0Ek3ZK4DwcbMSXamA/s1600/jeepers5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5DOjD-sgHeeRvVCfL6Pvsp3NvbczbiES4dpvSPr2WErYvFUugODsVRaTfX8CC-E4kAxBV86_SoNi7jUDbN5GPCa7-js5mzhCDqk7qXNfM99-yjfhDsBNxIqxaHq0Ek3ZK4DwcbMSXamA/s400/jeepers5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZBL0neT1UCsVTygko0qJmyQwqlm_Ltl_YUUB7Bpt5RgIlHMiNWAvpzOIH_cR28hV1lx5kmDEXXh2Bgpomnbyt5YUmujHuiINKI-2USzCUsCEG2obObgjCg7VzRNpTu3SIUuPzgEfOXQ/s1600/jeepers6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZBL0neT1UCsVTygko0qJmyQwqlm_Ltl_YUUB7Bpt5RgIlHMiNWAvpzOIH_cR28hV1lx5kmDEXXh2Bgpomnbyt5YUmujHuiINKI-2USzCUsCEG2obObgjCg7VzRNpTu3SIUuPzgEfOXQ/s400/jeepers6.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZTXkwE6D3Xe7ieZxtmMnXhZ7TJvEebL_zKleJ_ReT6jfyTeZLTH12vu8XZpvZV5kEWNUxkLrUT3q81uuNAncESwAj84AHC2H0snJ_wWvHZ8raFH26k_ZAwmPrCSXK8TsIa-gh94JPmk/s1600/jeepers9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZTXkwE6D3Xe7ieZxtmMnXhZ7TJvEebL_zKleJ_ReT6jfyTeZLTH12vu8XZpvZV5kEWNUxkLrUT3q81uuNAncESwAj84AHC2H0snJ_wWvHZ8raFH26k_ZAwmPrCSXK8TsIa-gh94JPmk/s400/jeepers9.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvktsUkqjUoudN1ILyJxr6a_eiA2yW6lEtObtV60HqpamX0rMtzn2tEgGYbRP0gu-_45ue_YHN8wPMnnVbFneirQlRFI-5OEEDuyWoD6DLmmeV-U1Dx1sjQrwLOBOmhboSOmrCHdyhwGg/s1600/jeepers10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvktsUkqjUoudN1ILyJxr6a_eiA2yW6lEtObtV60HqpamX0rMtzn2tEgGYbRP0gu-_45ue_YHN8wPMnnVbFneirQlRFI-5OEEDuyWoD6DLmmeV-U1Dx1sjQrwLOBOmhboSOmrCHdyhwGg/s400/jeepers10.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJPlfM8Tm-DVnJm79SebC6F5opXjSa_vyRFSRZmZSvviYZyWS4FjJNJ6-FX5I6dvYLabW4ClvqRF4Pv9wP32BQZNVPtJfwmAGaEzFiZHCtrzKgsvfq4mnFn58D1xmXqwhQH9BUnLvi4w/s1600/jeepers11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJPlfM8Tm-DVnJm79SebC6F5opXjSa_vyRFSRZmZSvviYZyWS4FjJNJ6-FX5I6dvYLabW4ClvqRF4Pv9wP32BQZNVPtJfwmAGaEzFiZHCtrzKgsvfq4mnFn58D1xmXqwhQH9BUnLvi4w/s400/jeepers11.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjyeKoLRp90g8P5eFfb0_53zZOCRBPxF3LbOg1dq8B_QvZ0HgL7FVW7T_33tpi4GfJ1-VcmNb60vYb_wgMlUUzzdQLIE-qYAVfpbsXvjfKbtzJhWG0XaQVhLbi8y0Pprqzz5KHmGyuPo/s1600/jeepers12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjyeKoLRp90g8P5eFfb0_53zZOCRBPxF3LbOg1dq8B_QvZ0HgL7FVW7T_33tpi4GfJ1-VcmNb60vYb_wgMlUUzzdQLIE-qYAVfpbsXvjfKbtzJhWG0XaQVhLbi8y0Pprqzz5KHmGyuPo/s400/jeepers12.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6phd2RkAtNED0IOAMEyKMwyLNo7lJvcT4vZvCqGGiQt4mcXZUoLqB2NAkc89tAb1zK5R7OgSM17p5WUpJSVCi1COhz4wKKsAmv2Pt7HBydr7ehd6BHligr3U9iprlvQ1L8Dp48FO_2yU/s1600/jeepers7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6phd2RkAtNED0IOAMEyKMwyLNo7lJvcT4vZvCqGGiQt4mcXZUoLqB2NAkc89tAb1zK5R7OgSM17p5WUpJSVCi1COhz4wKKsAmv2Pt7HBydr7ehd6BHligr3U9iprlvQ1L8Dp48FO_2yU/s400/jeepers7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Pretty damn awesome, right? Well, take a look at the alternate head being made for the same project...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWgocrikPUYuOaXBKa527_iymRXUhJ8RJQ4GNRLHJv1r3_sWaKUlH8V_ozS0p238cBmDqHho7CYOoDy3Ye190uhoOcYOlC53-hCYxhVl5trTIc0BgtrybbfKOeoyO24FrZxL2WV0VK94/s1600/jeepers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWgocrikPUYuOaXBKa527_iymRXUhJ8RJQ4GNRLHJv1r3_sWaKUlH8V_ozS0p238cBmDqHho7CYOoDy3Ye190uhoOcYOlC53-hCYxhVl5trTIc0BgtrybbfKOeoyO24FrZxL2WV0VK94/s400/jeepers2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZBQeh218D-52fbu8EOHt9ka71b4YQxawqQE7XE6NK08zINzQJ84FDACVl2YDgsGf-FcR1uwycVyJE9TbOI65UsIBl_gjRssyfqWtzippM2mYG47P3WSLuzbYlXCFjBoRuCQ9Pw_l02M/s1600/jeepers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZBQeh218D-52fbu8EOHt9ka71b4YQxawqQE7XE6NK08zINzQJ84FDACVl2YDgsGf-FcR1uwycVyJE9TbOI65UsIBl_gjRssyfqWtzippM2mYG47P3WSLuzbYlXCFjBoRuCQ9Pw_l02M/s400/jeepers3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aNDp3cSOuMxaxcTuarSdd7Hba9SVV_ZAIimb3FOgXqRfdnMHJ-ZBFU_n70nJ5jjtLF9akX9n5-hN72XXMxguwAc59fhVqEi46sn8ePBJPYM2-p1lD5Gus-8VJ5h819yWeEJavczp1nw/s1600/jeepers4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aNDp3cSOuMxaxcTuarSdd7Hba9SVV_ZAIimb3FOgXqRfdnMHJ-ZBFU_n70nJ5jjtLF9akX9n5-hN72XXMxguwAc59fhVqEi46sn8ePBJPYM2-p1lD5Gus-8VJ5h819yWeEJavczp1nw/s400/jeepers4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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As you can see, everything is completely sculpted out of clay, not resin. Everything is completely new and original for this one figure. And, it's a complete one-of-a-kind treasure commissioned by a sole customer. The attention to detail in the sculpt is beautiful. It's clothed in accurate weathered clothing, has full articulation and comes with axe, severed head, and hat! </div>
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Take a look at him complete!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMEOist25VadpaATIq7bari2DUAQbAOdbESQqzIev7dtV-6e4c-mvkr2RQqh9-e97kSL0qgLRYD3KiEYpUDQLgpLH4W8yzk4nkSqXViyJYZp6vrgqEH1Yx1w5GOGArLtYHpshHUrItCU/s1600/jeepers14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMEOist25VadpaATIq7bari2DUAQbAOdbESQqzIev7dtV-6e4c-mvkr2RQqh9-e97kSL0qgLRYD3KiEYpUDQLgpLH4W8yzk4nkSqXViyJYZp6vrgqEH1Yx1w5GOGArLtYHpshHUrItCU/s400/jeepers14.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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There's simply no words to describe how brilliant and masterfully done this action figure is. Finally, a collectible that does actor Jonathan Breck justice as "The Creeper". I can't name you a single better collectible to own from the<i> Jeepers Creepers</i> films unless you own a screen-used prop. When I see this figure, I can't help but have a thousand thoughts run through my mind of all the possibilities that could go along with it. I know that if I were lucky enough to own this piece, I'd pass on the typical stand and try and go for a diorama to display it. Maybe the pipe "The Creeper" dumps bodies down, or perhaps the interior of the church with bodies all over the walls and ceiling. Regardless of how it's displayed, there's nothing not phenomenal about this action figure.</div>
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While this is a one-off commissioned piece for a single customer, anyone out there with the money and love for these movies can still have one made for them. However, it will be an all new project with new sculpts so as to not make more than one of the figure pictured. </div>
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But, Julio does all kinds of 1:6 figures and repaints. Most recently, he's unleashed his Christopher Lee Dracula, which is superb! Check out his work on his facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JAKCsWorkshop" style="color: red;">HERE</a> if you want to see some drool-worthy collectibles. And, don't be scared to contact him if you have any questions or comments, or want/need work done!</div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-21949998271942776492015-09-22T06:34:00.000-07:002015-09-22T16:22:46.576-07:00HORROR TOY TUESDAY: Friday the 13th part VI: Jason Lives Ultimate Action Figure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweEnOIWGgn67azKKt55AS5IHAg1QOK6gMQp99AqXY_qKC80hrvjLcvJ4liErd2VcBRIblyw3U7wMfCnhVSRVoeX5l57f7Xd1bK2YsjK6VdEHHCMNOM6Tvwgn8tL1RuqzObvYuNzOFb3E/s1600/jason+lives10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweEnOIWGgn67azKKt55AS5IHAg1QOK6gMQp99AqXY_qKC80hrvjLcvJ4liErd2VcBRIblyw3U7wMfCnhVSRVoeX5l57f7Xd1bK2YsjK6VdEHHCMNOM6Tvwgn8tL1RuqzObvYuNzOFb3E/s400/jason+lives10.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=ss_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=grimrevi05-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00AEFY2WI&asins=B00AEFY2WI&linkId=N2OVL4EPWKL4A25A&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
</iframe> Popular toy company Neca, have decided that to celebrate the 30th anniversary of <i>Jason Lives</i>, they'll be releasing a 7" amazingly detailed action figure coming this December. These Ultimate Action Figures retail at only $19.99, which makes any fan of the series an able collector of this beautiful piece.<br />
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Packaged in a "collector-friendly Deluxe 30th Anniversary window box", he comes with the infamous fence post, a knife, machete, tombstone and a brand new sculpt.<br />
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Although I already own the even more detailed 12" Sideshow Collectibles Jason from <i>Jason Lives</i>, this is an easy pick up for me due to the quality and price tag. When this bad boy hits shelves, expect a review from me.</div>
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What do you think of this little masterpiece? Will you be picking it up this December?</div>
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(SOURCE:<a href="http://necaonline.com/53592/licenses/movies/friday-the-13th/closer-look-friday-the-13th-part-6-ultimate-jason-7-scale-action-figure/"> <span style="color: red;">NECAONLINE</span></a>)</div>
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<br />Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-26605542181367386202015-09-17T14:58:00.000-07:002015-09-18T09:23:29.220-07:00THROWBACK THURSDAY REVIEW: Nightbreed: The Director's Cut (2014) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</iframe> In 1990 legendary genre author and filmmaker Clive Barker, released a motion picture that was very dear to him. However, he was left with nothing but disgust and emotional anguish once he saw the final version of his beloved project. 20th Century Fox had every intention of capitalizing on the slasher craze, instead of keeping the integrity and point of Barker's vision. The result? A ton of cuts in editing to both shorten the length overall, and to try and portray the monsters as villains. This left <i>Nightbreed</i> falling flat on its face to a lot of cinemagoers who were confused by the mess it turned out to be. During commentary on the <i>Hellraiser </i>(1987) Blu-ray, Clive Barker, explained how <i>Nightbreed</i> (1990) was his metaphor for being homosexual. When you think about it, it makes total sense. You have a guy (Aaron Boone) who wants to get away from his surroundings and go to a place where people are like him, and where he can quite literally hide under a rock to get away from the society that doesn't accept him. Thinking of how gays weren't kindly received until recently, you can clearly see the connection to the story, which is very deep and powerful. And while the theatrical cut still allows you to see the metaphor, the director's cut makes everything come together in a more solid and likable way. Distributing company Scream Factory, went through 500 boxes obtaining sixteen hours of footage to give you the motion picture originally intended. Although it has 45 minutes of new footage, the director's cut is actually only 20 minutes longer, due to the fact that they replaced old scenes with alternate ones as well as added in things that previously ended up on the cutting room floor. Fans can finally see Barker's original idea, and how it flows a lot smoother than the rendition we were given back in 1990. The most satisfying part is the fact that people can now see and understand that the creatures are veritably good guys, as always intended. Some confuse this version with The Cabal Cut, but that's not the case. The Cabal Cut is an even more extended version, using a combination of the work print footage from the U.S. DVD and the CD Soundtrack by Russell Cherrington and Jimmi Johnson to make one cohesive version. The Cabal Cut has also been re-cut, and seven different versions have been shown at conventions.</div>
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Aaron Boone (Craig Sheffer) has delusions about murdering people, ergo he sees psychotherapist, Dr. Philip K. Decker (played by genre filmmaker David Cronenberg, who was Barker's one and only choice to play the part). Decker, however, has his own agenda in framing Boone for the murders he's confessed to by committing them in perfect detail himself as a means to quench his own psychopathic thirst. With the police after him, Boone runs away to a cemetery called Midian, a place he's dreamed of, where he believes he belongs. Boone is attacked by two monsters called Kinski (Nicholas Vince, who played Chatterer in <i>Hellraiser</i>) and Peloquin (Oliver Parker), the latter of which bites Boone in a hostile attack for trespassing. Peloquin smells the innocence on Boone and reveals to him that he's not a killer, and that his doctor is betraying him. Boone goes to leave but is shot down by police (a scene that took a lot of takes to perfect). Back at the hospital, Boone is awoken by the bite he's received courtesy of Peloquin, and meets a new pal, Narcisse (Hugh Ross), who is also seeking the Nightbreed for acceptance. Narcisse shows that he belongs to the tribes of the moon by cutting half of his face off (which was done in one take), and reveals a reptilian skin underneath. Both he and Boone find Midian together, and become one with the pack of misfits they've striven to belong to after the leader, Lylesberg (Dough Bradley, Pinhead), grants them official members of the tribe. Meanwhile, Lori Winston (Anne Bobby), Boone's girlfriend gets the news that he's been found and killed, and goes to the cemetery in search of answers. Instead, she finds a dying creature, that's a woman named Rachel's (Catherine Chevalier) daughter, Babette (Kim Robertson). Both of whom belong to the Nightbreed. Babette going out into the sun is what caused her deathlike appearance, but as she's returned to Rachel, she regenerates (a scene that took five different makeup stages and the use of Kim's real-life twin sister). But, the bad news is, Decker knows Boone is alive. After trying to kill Lori in Midian, Decker briefly faces off against Boone. After turning his back on the Nightbreed to help Lori, Boone is excommunicated. He and Lori return to her motel room for her things to discover the room next to Lori's has several dead bodies in it. Yet again, Boone is set up as a murderer by Decker and is taken to jail. Hellbent on stopping the creatures, Decker goes to the police Captain Eigerman (Charles Haid) for assistance in obliterating all of Midian and those who reside there. Eigerman obliges after finding out that his prisoner, Boone, has no heartbeat. The Captain takes the local drunken priest, Ashberry (Malcolm Smith), out of his holding cell and brings him along for blessings as a savage massacre on the beasts underground ensues. That is until Narcisse, Rachel and Lori help Boone escape and protect Midian. Only when they arrive, the damage has already been done and Midian is in pieces. It's up to Boone to stand up and take on the outsiders with the help of the Berserkers; a brutal bunch of wild creatures kept in lockup. The Nightbreed join forces with Boone in his defensive attack, which ends in their victory and the death of Decker at the hands of Boone. Since Boone was the only one of the Nightbreed to see their deity, Baphomet, and live, Boone is now the chosen one who must find the Nightbreed a new home. He embraces who he is and takes on his new name; Cabal. As he begins hunting for a new residence, Lori kills herself to force Boone into making her part of the tribe, so they'll never be apart again. This is all foretold on the cave walls in what used to be Midian. Only the war is just beginning, because Ashberry wants revenge on the breed for his disfigurement that occurred during the battle in Midian, and has sworn to take the Nightbreed out, and refusing help of defeated Captain Eigerman. The film ends with hope, but doom leering around the corner. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boone gets accepted by the Tribes of the Moon</td></tr>
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I've always liked the theatrical cut of <i>Nightbreed</i>, but now, after seeing the director's cut, I ponder as to whether or not I'll ever watch that version again, I like them both for their differences, but when it comes down to it, the director's cut is almost verbatim to the original short story <i>Cabal </i>(minus some small details), written by Clive Barker. I have zero complaints. Unlike in the theatrical, Decker isn't brought back at the end by Ashberry, and Narcisse doesn't live. Decker actually beheads Narcisse! It's important details like this that make this two hour version a refreshing experience. Take notice when watching, because the first scene added in is the phone call from Decker to Boone towards the beginning. The director commentary is well worth a listen too, if you're into such things. I learned that my favorite character, Narcisse, is the "most bi-sexual monster in Midian", which I honestly never really picked up on. I also thought it was thought-provoking to hear that the reason Lylesberg's several eyes open when he dies at the end of the film is because he's seeing where he's going in the next life. Also, most of the dialogue was ad libbed, including Narcisse's iconic "sailors" quote, which I never would've expected. And lastly, the woman we see Decker murder in the kitchen, Melissa Rickman, is played by Valda Aviks, who is a real-life opera singer. </div>
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While I have no complaints on the new cut of <i>Nightbreed</i>, I still have one little one little problem with the movie as a whole: I dislike some of the monsters' ability. Most specifically Leroy (Tony Bluto), who's fighting style involves (don't laugh) two one-eyed snakes to come out of his abdomen and bite you. It's just silly. I have the same problem with the X-Men movies too, because some of the powers the mutants have are incogitable. I know that every monster has to stand out in their own way to be memorable, but I think it's lame when you give them something just to make them weird. Their ability should be for the better, it should make them advanced over human beings. And I wouldn't consider someone with stomach snakes to be above me, Most of the other monsters' powers are for fighting and survival, and I'm okay with that. That's how it should be. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decker attempts to murder Lori</td></tr>
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Ultimately, if you like <i>Nightbreed</i> but you haven't seen this cut, prepare yourself to love it. There's a surplus of monsters, action, character development and an all-around better motion picture. Even if you've seen the theatrical version and hate it, you still should watch the director's cut because, it seems like two separate movies with different plots. It'll more than likely make you a fan. Regardless of your situation, rather you love, hate or haven't even seen <i>Nightbreed</i> before, there's no reason you shouldn't watch this version. You owe it to yourself. </div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-36466626088597981252015-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:002015-09-16T15:41:53.935-07:00FILM REVIEW: Mad Max: Fury Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</iframe> It's been 30 years since the character of Max Rockatansky, played by Aussie Mel Gibson, graced the big screen in <em>Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome </em>(1985). And good things never die, because the writer and director of the original <em>Mad Max</em> trilogy, George Miller, decided to revive his well-received series with a shot of adrenaline he calls <em>Fury Road</em>. Only this time around the rugged anti-hero, Max, is played by the very talented brit, Tom Hardy (<em>Child 44</em>). There was a lot of speculation as to how Hardy would carry the role because to a lot of people, it's Mel Gibson's role. (Much like the case of Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.) But as it turned out, Hardy's acting ability combined with Miller's strict direction and attention to detail kept the integrity of Max on course and intact. What's even cooler is that Hugh Keays-Byrne, the guy who played Toecutter in the original<em> Mad Max</em> (1979), returns to the series as the antagonist again. This time, he plays a sickly Warlord named Immortan Joe, a cold villain who starts a war over his own ego. Oscar Winner Charlize Theron (<em>Monster</em>) shares the big screen with Tom Hardy, as Imperator Furiosa: a woman bound on revenge and freedom from under Immortan Joe's dictatorship. <br />
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The story focuses on Furiosa and the repercussions of her running away in her War rig and taking Immortan Joe's five brides with her in pursuit of finding "the place of many mothers"; a place with green land and serenity where Furiosa grew up before being snatched away by Joe. As result of Max's O-Negative blood type, he's used as a human blood bag for a dying Warboy, Nux (Nicholas Hoult, <em>X-Men: Days of Future Past</em>), after being captured early in the film. Max is taken onto the road and thrown into the anarchic chase that ensues between Joe, his warboys, Furiosa and the women. After a lucky escape, Max finds himself befriending Furiosa and the brides. Even though they don't fully trust each other, they share a common enemy in Joe, and know that to make it out alive they must rely on each other. Midway through the film Nux has a change of heart and realizes that his manifest destiny isn't to die as a bad guy, but to help Max and Furiosa survive being barbarously hunted. As the movie closes it becomes a colossal race that is so action packed you can't look away from the screen. <br />
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Someone involved with the making of <em>Fury Road</em> said that the movie starts with a chase and ends in a race, and that's right on the money. The intensity is relentless as there's constantly something going on on the screen to visually wow you. Rather it's fist fights, bombs, cars blowing up, or a good ol' chainsaw to the throat, the action never lets up. I've seen Fury Road around eight times now, and every time I see it I catch on to something new that I didn't see in prior viewings. That's due to the amazing level of detail put into the production. Also, the fact that the film is almost silent and is mostly spoken through movements, is a fine touch. <br />
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With hardly any computer generated FX, it's hard for me to find anything of real solidity to say bad about <em>Fury Road</em>. I know that the one complaint I've heard a few times is that there isn't enough story and it's all action. That's bogus. By the time the film ends, you know all you can possibly know about Furiosa, from where she lived, to her mother's name. You also discover a lot about Nux too, and Joe. And if you don't know Max's story because you never watched the originals, that's on you. This isn't Max's story. It's Furiosa's. Just because there's not a ten minute scene with people talking about their past doesn't mean that the story isn't there. Miller took a less direct approach to storytelling and it worked well. <br />
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<i>Fury Road</i> is easily the most action filled feature with ingenuity that's hit the big screen in a long while. It's not Iron Man or Superman tearing down buildings, it's badass car chases that are visually stunning as well as grounded in realism. This is the action movie that adults, who are sick of contemporary comic flicks, have been waiting for. And it's a breath of fresh air from the typical things you see in everyday movies. If you find yourself at a moment when you are looking for a new movie to watch, and you haven't already seen <i>Fury Road</i>, then this is the one you need to pick. Sit back and prepare to be amazed. Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-28407757749111335052015-09-05T07:40:00.000-07:002015-09-16T14:03:46.343-07:00BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Sentinel (1977)<br />
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</iframe> The 1970’s
is the best era for the Horror genre. Many timeless motion pictures have come
from that decade, including </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The Omen</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">,
</span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Jaws</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The Exorcist</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre</i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">Halloween</i><span style="line-height: 115%;">.
It’s sad, but true that 1977’s </span><i style="line-height: 115%;">The
Sentinel</i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> directed by Michael Winner is considered more of a cult film than
a classic. Perhaps, unfortunately, that’s why this Blu-ray release by
Scream Factory isn’t one of their more showy Collector’s Editions with an
artful cover and a plethora of extras.</span></div>
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The plot is one of originality: Young model Alison Parker, (Christina Raines) moves into a quaint brownstone apartment that’s full of
elderly and perverted neighbors who turn out to be ghosts. The journey Alison
goes through to find this truth causes everyone around her to believe she’s
losing her mind due to trauma in her past and two suicide attempts. Add to
that, her fiancé, Michael Lerman (Chris Sarandon), discovers that the creepy
old priest that resides on the fifth floor in Alison’s building is guarding the
gate to hell…which just happens to be the actual apartment building itself. He realizes Alison is being set up to replace Father Halliran (John Carradine) as the next Sentinel.
Not everyone brings their A game to acting in this, just look to Sarandon for
an easy example. However, a big positive for <i>The Sentinel</i> is its all-star cast
including Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith and, Beverly D’ Angelo in her big screen
debut in which she double clicks her mouse for your viewing pleasure!</div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">The
disappointing DVD publications don’t even have an option to view the trailer,
just scene selection. So while this Blu-ray may not be everything you could
wish for, it’s a release that finally gives fans something more than just the
feature itself. It isn’t overly stacked on supplements, but what’s there is
enough and more than we’ve been given before. There are three commentaries. One
with the writer of the 1974 bestselling novel and producer Jeffrey Konvitz,
another with the director Michael Winner and a final one with lead actress
Christina Raines who’s just now watching the film after making it thirty eight
years ago. Add to that, there’s a twenty three minute interview with assistant
director Ralph S. Singleton, a trailer, still gallery, TV Spots, press photos
and a lobby card and posters gallery.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">The
commentaries provide some information referring to the background of making the
movie, but what I found intriguing is how disliked the film is by Jeffrey
Konvitz and Christina Raines, and how it wasn’t a “peaceful set” to be on.
Hearing Konvitz and director Michael Winner’s commentaries are essential for
getting both sides of the argument as to why some of Winner’s choices for the
movie were in “bad taste”, and how he would have preferred Beverley D’Angelo as
the leading actress. It’s a bummer that so much time is wasted between
commentaries discussing internal beef, bashing the flick, and hearing Michael
Winner talk about himself, rather than the tricks of the makeup or how certain
scenes were shot which is usually the point of these things….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">As for the
picture and sound quality, they’re on point. The grainy texture of the
celluloid in <i>The Sentinel</i> gave it
some of its character and added to the creep-factor, but it looks really good
cleaned up. There are still some blemishes and hiccups in the transfer because
you can still see some of the unrefined and crackly look that the feature had
before being brought up to date on 1080p. Most of the time, problems like that
can’t be helped due to the type of film used or the age of it, but it’s
definitely presented as pristine as possible and it shows. The scene towards
the end when Michael confesses to being dead to Alison, you can actually see
the string being pulled to make the wounds on his face rip open. I’ve never
noticed the threads before now. That might ruin the film to some newer viewers,
but those things never bother me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">This is the
highest respect <i>The Sentinel</i> has
acquired yet from a home video release, with its original cover and some
exhaustive material if you like listening to commentaries. Set your calendars
for September 22<sup>nd </sup>when this
baby lands on store shelves. Or better yet, order it directory from
Shout!Factory’s site <a href="https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/film-horror/the-sentinel"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a> and receive it first like I did.<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-28659879516123291712015-05-25T19:51:00.002-07:002015-05-25T19:51:36.954-07:00Making My Return...It's been a whole nine months since I've last done a review, or any other sort of post on this blog, and the reason stemmed from two key things: me being burnt out, and the lack of good horror films coming out.<br />
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If you're a minion and follow my blog, then you know from time to time I'm known for disappearing for random amounts of time. It's my fault for not being totally open and explaining why I just up and disappear. I regret not writing a post making everyone aware of that fact that I'd be taking a hiatus for the better part of a year, and I'm going to make it a point to change that the next time I decide to take a break.<br />
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Truth of the matter is, I was just fried from watching horror movies. I love them to death, but when I watch bad movie after bad movie after bad movie, my writing and creativity drops. I'm not an internet troll, nor never will I be, but that's how I began to feel when all of my reviews are negative. It started to appear (to me if not anyone else) that I was a horror troll, doing nothing but bashing all the terrible films to come out as of late. So, when I got to that point and realized that I was bashing the genre I love with a passion, I knew it was time to step away for a bit.<br />
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Add to that all of the screeners I've been given and all the pressure to do reviews, and I went and hid in my little corner of the world to be left alone for a bit. This blog got so popular last year that between posting and all of the fan emails I got, life just got a bit overbearing. I simply didn't have the time to run this blog full time, so I took a much needed break, and after nine months it feels great to be back. The fact that some folks out there actually look forward to my reviews and even email me for movie suggestions and other things makes, me be glad to be back all the more. I've missed talking about movies. Movies are my passion and this blog is my outlet.<br />
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So, starting Wednesday, May 27th, I'll be making my return with my review for the badassery that is <i>Mad Max: Fury Road. </i>Thursday there will be a Throwback Thursday Review, and starting next Tuesday I'll be bringing back Horror Toy Tuesday on a weekly basis. I'll also be back on Facebook and Twitter.<br />
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I'm looking forward to socializing with some of my fellow bloggers that I consider good buddies of mine. If you're reading this post, and like horror blogs and/or movie blogs, go check out these guys for great insight and reviews- <a href="http://cinemarvellous.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: red;">CineMarvellous!</span></a>, <a href="http://thegirlwholoveshorror.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: red;">The Girl Who Loves Horror</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.thehorrorhoneys.com/"><span style="color: red;">The Horror Honeys</span></a>.<br />
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I'll see you all on Wednesday!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
GrimmDrew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-85160822201706072812014-08-28T17:12:00.000-07:002014-08-28T17:12:05.915-07:00THROWBACK THURSDAY REVIEW: Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I mentioned in my review of the original<i> Exorcist</i>, <a href="http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/2014/06/throwback-thursday-review-exorcist-1973.html">HERE</a>, I had never gotten around to seeing the second prequel that was made and went straight to video. That's all changed now, because I found a dirt cheap copy of it on DVD, and have already watched it a good three times, maybe four. Though it didn't see a release until 2005, the director, Paul Schrader, was approached to tackle the project in 2001. From the jump, I respected this picture more than the dreadful Renny Harlin movie,<i> Exorcist: The Beginning,</i> because unlike Harlin, Schrader didn't try and mock or imitate the original Friedkin movie in any way. In fact, Schrader said, "the feeling was [that] you had to get away from the Friedkin <i>Exorcist</i>, because it was such a classic. And one of the ways to do that was to switch the possessed person from a girl to a boy, but even more importantly, to switch the very nature of a possession". It's no secret that a pet peeve of mine is when directors try to make prequels to outdo an original, rather than just let it flow naturally and be its own movie. So, my hat's off to Paul Schrader for both being respectful of the 1973 <i>Exorcist</i>, and for making a stand alone effort. The story is more about Father Merrin's journey than trying to be a horror flick.<br />
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The story of this one starts in Holland (which was actually filmed in Rome), in 1944, where Father Merrin (Stellan Skarsgård, who also played Merrin in Renny Harlin's film) is forced by Nazi's to chose 10 innocent victims to be gunned down in cold blood. Director, Paul Schrader was pleased to be working with Skarsgård, and said that he "thinks the world of him as an actor". Anyway, this incident breaks the priest emotionally and physically, so he leaves his faith behind to become an archaeologist. While excavating in the Turkana region of British Kenya, he uncovers a 5th century church, in which the stones look new and aren't weathered. What's even more suspicious is the fact that the church was apparently buried after it was built. While uncovering the architectural find, Merrin sees a mysterious and deformed young man named Cheche (Billy Crawford) who has a (cgi) weak and feeble right leg. Villagers say that Cheche is "cursed", but the doctors think all he needs is treatment. I was dumbfounded to hear that that Billy Crawford is actually a famous disco singer in France, looks nothing like Cheche in person, and that he was cast for <i>Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist</i> before the very director. Well, Merrin finds Cheche passed out in the rain shortly after their first encounter, and takes him to get medical aid. The doctor, Rachel (Clara Bellar) believes she can fix Cheche's leg, and wants to operate. Meanwhile, Merrin takes Father Francis (Gabriel Mann) into the recently uncovered and discovered church. Upon entering, they notice that the statues in the place of worship are posed as if they're holding something down. Artist David Packard actually designed the Mosaics before he had to leave to do Russell Crowe's wedding. And, as it turns out, the basement is a temple to praise Satan. The church was actually built on top of it, which explains why it was buried. They even say that "they [the builders] used St. Michael to emphasize [that] the old Gods had no power before 'The One'". They duo also come to understand that people were sacrificed in the basement/Satanic church. The Christian church built atop the disgraceful bottom layer is dedicated to St. Michael, the angel that defeated Lucifer. However, upon the doors just being opened, Cheche (in his hospital bed) somehow senses it, as do the cattle, who attack and eat threatening hyenas. As it turns out, the evil stored within the walls is now out and effecting everyone in the village one way or another. One of the ways you can obviously tell something is awry in the area is that a woman in the local tribe gives birth to a dead baby covered in maggots! Pretty traumatizing stuff, right? Then, to top it all off, two British Soldiers attempt to steal some jewels from the church, only to be found murdered the next morning. One soldier is beheaded, and the other was hung like an upside down cross. Major Granville (Julian Wadham) blames the local tribe and their primal fashion for the deaths of his soldiers, but tribe members rebuttal and say that one of the soldiers killed the other before himself. Then, we find out that Cheche is healing faster than thought possible. It's as though he's getting better while everything and everyone around him is decaying to some array. Then, Granville gathers some tribe members and shoots one (a female) in the head before being detained and deemed "mad". Soon after, comes easily one of the most powerful moments in the story, when one of the tribesmen kills several innocent children in school because he, "had to kill them to stop the Christian evil from spreading". But, we start getting to the really juicy stuff when Father Francis puts a cross on Cheche's forehead and it not only burns him, but Cheche opens his eyes to reveal that they're glowing red (which strongly reminded me of the vampire eyes in <i>Innocent Blood</i>). Cheche also speaks English (in which he supposedly knows none). After explaining the event to Merrin, nothing gets solved because without Merrin's faith, he doesn't believe in such things happening and relies more on random coincidence. It's a rather volatile scene between Merrin and Francis, as even Paul Schrader explained to the actors on set "give me two angry actors in a kitchen", instead of an action scene. And (to make things worse), Granville shoots himself with a parting message to Merrin; "no way out". Sergeant Major (Ralph Brown) explains that it was extremely uncharacteristic of Granville to have killed the tribe woman, and says "something got into him." Meanwhile, Father Francis takes Cheche to the church in hopes of saving him, but instead only awakens the evil of the demon in him. The next time we see Father Francis is when Merrin finds him tied up like a crucifix, and he's shot full of arrows. This of course leads to (drum roll please) Merrin being left responsible to carry out Cheche's exorcism! Merrin briefly confronts the demon before he goes to pray, the scene that the whole film builds up to and Paul Schrader explained its importance by saying "you can't show his [Merrin's] journey without him dropping to his knees and asking God for strength to continue". We then see Merrin put his priest wardrobe on again, and in the temple, he confronts Cheche who's now taken over by the demon. We see the "demon perfected" (as Paul Schrader described) as he looks almost nothing like Cheche anymore. He's not deformed, but he's bald, has an elongated forehead, and is soft spoken with ruby eyes. Like all possession flicks, the antagonist gets inside of the protagonists head. In this case, Merrin is taken back to the year of 1944 and given the option to handle the situation with the Jews being murdered differently. However, he confronts his demons (no pun intended) and only becomes stronger because he overcomes his cowardice. He faces the demon, prevails, and expels it from Cheche, causing a hyena to now be it's animalistic host. All this happens just in time to stop a war between the British soldiers and the tribesmen, and Rachel from killing herself. Merrin is told, "the demon is your enemy now. He will pursue you", which obviously "sets up Merrin's future as an exorcist" (as expained by Schrader). Merrin leaves Rachel (and their possible love interest) behind in order to go on as a man of the cloth (again). With Rachel, Cheche stays and agrees to be her helper. The screen goes bright white to leave audiences with hope, and to go out on a positive note. Oh, and for those who don't know, the last 20 minutes of the film is scored by metal band, <i>Dog Fashion Disco</i>, who Paul Schrader helped get a record deal.<br />
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Though not filled with very many scares, the story of <i>Dominion</i> is full of thick and rich storytelling. A lot happens in just under two hours, and to say it's "Merrin's journey" is to put it correctly. Rather than have the possessed be a female with cuts on her face like Renny Harlin's prequel, Schrader went a totally different path with it, and I think that's why it's superior to Harlin's interpretation. This can be a horror film depending on which ways you look at it, because some horrific stuff definitely happens, but ultimately it's a drama. It's the story and build up to what comes next in <i>The Exorcist</i>. Also, this isn't a prequel that looks fresh and new compared to the old one. Granted, it's more recently shot, but it totally looks dated, and fits in with the story of Captain Howdy damn near seamlessly. Nothing bothers me more than when a prequel looks all high-tech and advanced in comparison to a movie that's supposed to come after it (see <i>Prometheus</i> and <i>Alien</i> to catch my drift). I'm very pleased that there's nothing in <i>Dominion</i> to hint that it was shot at a later date than the original other than the crispness of the picture. It's also incredibly well acted, and the story is a gut-puncher. It's refreshing to see a new take on a classic that doesn't alter it, but instead honors it and gives it a tip of the hat. Schrader has been in the game a while now, and I commend him on being genius enough to not try and make it scarier than <i>The Exorcist</i>. It's something that has been attempted countless times, and yet it's never been successfully achieved by anyone to date (including Harlin). So rather than try and match or outdo an outstanding classic, he focused on building up the story of a broken hero. Originality always gets a nod from me, and if there's one thing that <i>Dominion</i> is, it's a movie that stands strongly on its own beside its predecessor. Nobody's annoyingly stupid and making bad decisions, instead everybody is and acts intelligent, which makes the whole story believable and worthy of investing in.<br />
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Now, although I do praise <i>Dominion</i> for being a drama and not trying to be scarier than <i>The Exorcist</i>, I can't help but be disappointed in the complete lack of thrills and scares distributed. I found nothing threatening or frightening about it. In fact, it's so not scary and thrilling that it gets downright boring at parts and drags on. As I mentioned before, I watched it about three or four times, but upon my first viewing I was certain that there was going to be some sort of scare or something that was worthy of the build up and waiting, only to be left empty handed. It wasn't until my second viewing that I took it in and appreciated it for it's separation of the other films in the series. But still, I wasn't creeped out or scared in the least bit. I think the horror aspect was a little too subtle and dormant. Hell, there's not so much as a successfully scary sound effect to be found in <i>Dominion</i>. I can't help but think that with <i>The Exorcist </i>being in the title that there should be some sort of terror within. So, when it comes to scares, I'd give it to Renny Harlin's version any day (even if that's all his movie has to offer).<br />
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Having grown up in a Christian household, and still practicing Christianity today in my adulthood, possession has and (probably) always will scare me. That being said, <i>Dominion</i> is the first and only movie about exorcism that I like that isn't scary. Whenever I watch movies on the topic, I expect to be scared or at the very least feel some sort of unease, and when I don't, I hate the movie and think it's pointless. But, due to the compelling story and the well-written characters, I can't help but make<i> Dominion</i> an exception to that rule. It's not a perfect film, I wouldn't even consider it a horror film, but it's a good character story that leads right into Friedkin's 1973 all-time classic. This is the only movie in the series that I like outside of the first and third. I would positively recommend this, but, I can understand why some won't (don't) like it. It's an acquired taste, and if you go in expecting to be blown away, it's going to fail your expectations. However, in comparison to the Renny Harlin prequel, and say <i>Exorcist II: The Heretic</i>, you'll be pleasantly surprised. <br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST SCENE:</span></b> I like when the demon is taunting Merrin in the unholy temple by creeping past him and up behind him with supernatural movement.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST QUOTE:</span></b> There's a lot of good quotes to be mentioned, but I think the one that had the most impact on me watching it was Father Francis when he said, "Satan is real", to Merrin.<br />
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<br />Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-6818693505489753862014-08-26T15:21:00.000-07:002014-08-26T15:21:03.583-07:00HORROR TOY TUESDAY: Chucky Stylized 6-inch Action Figure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now hitting stores and online retailers is Mezco's 6-inch Rotocast Action Figure of everyone's favorite serial killing doll, Chucky. This isn't exactly the type of toy that I prefer to collect, but I know there's a lot of people out there who are in love with this stuff. So, if you're one of those people, this is for you!<br />
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<b>Product Description:</b><br />
<b>Chucky wants to play. Mezco presents Stylized Chucky! New York- "We're friends to the end!" Of course, with Chucky as your friend, the end comes much sooner than you ever expected. Chucky, the homicidal doll who contains the spirit of Charles Lee Ray, a serial killer known as "The Lakeshore Strangler," is the fantastic perturbed plaything product by Mezco Toys. Mezco's award-winning designers have created an all amazing sculpture in an awesome scale that not only captures the look of Chucky, but the very essence of his menace. Every detail has been captured; from his classic overalls to the unique imprint of the soles on his sneakers. From his glistening, insane eyes, and his sneering lips, to his shocking red hair, this is Chucky at his most iconic...and most evil! The star of the <i>Child's Play</i> movie series, Chucky features 7 points of articulation. He also comes with a knife that he is sure to use for no good. The 6-inch tall Chucky comes packaged in his own collector friendly window box so he can watch you and plan his attack. Ages 15 and up. </b><br />
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I first stumbled upon this Chucky figure when I was just browsing online, and while I'm not likely to buy it, I definitely and instantly saw the appeal of it to horror collectors. It's an adorable way to picture and own the crazed killer doll. As you know, in most of the <i>Child's Play</i> films Chucky is so ugly he's creepy looking, and now is everyone's chance to capture him in a more attractive fashion. He's very affordable and only costs about $18, and apparently he's a fast seller. Collectible retailer Entertainment Earth is already down to just one (1) in stock! (available <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MZ78100#desc">HERE</a>) Not to worry though, because since he's a new item they'll be getting more in stock very shortly. The same can be said for just about all other online dealers as well.<br />
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What's your thoughts on this little guy, will he be stabbing his way into your collection? Yay or nay? <b> </b>Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-3434731395109735732014-08-21T16:33:00.000-07:002014-08-21T16:33:00.435-07:00THROWBACK THURSDAY REVIEW: Dance of the Dead (2005)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</iframe> Director Tobe Hooper (<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i>) and the <i>Masters of Horror</i> series are both hit or miss with me. I've personally, never been a big fan of Hooper's work except for <i>Poltergeist</i> and <i>Salem's Lot </i>(TV movie). And, there are more episodes of <i>Masters of Horror</i> that I dislike than like. I've viewed "Dance of the Dead" (season 1, episode 3) before, but it's been so long since I've seen it that I couldn't remember my opinion of that particular episode. I mean, the combo of Robert Englund and Tobe Hooper sounds appealing, especially when it's based on a short story by Richard Matheson! So, when I found it on DVD (for only $3.50!) I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase it and give it another watch. I was hoping for the best, but expecting the worst so as to not be letdown. That all changed about 20 minutes in, when I realized that I did remember it, I just tried to erase it from my brain...<br />
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For this short film, Richard Matheson's son, Richard Christian Matheson, had to elaborate and make his father's short story (of the same title) more elaborate (to fill the 60 minute time slate) by focusing in on an area that wouldn't change the original material, but instead allowed for expansion. Director Tobe Hooper best described the plot when he said, "'Dance of the Dead' is about the dead dancing for your entertainment. Dead young women who are bought, black market, and they shoot them up with 'muscle tussle' that's made partially from human plasma, then hit it with an electric cattle prod and the corpse jumps and dances for a crowd of half dead people who get off on that. A 'loopy' [lifeless undead phenomenon] is the affectionate term for the dead girls that dance. When they're all danced out, when 'muscle tussle' no longer works, they put the bodies in a dumpster and burn them". It's a very political story about war, and the urge we (humans) have to cause unnecessary harm to one another. The setting is almost (but not quite) post apocalyptic, after a major war. "Bliz" is a form of chemical warfare that appears to rain down ashes, and those exposed get severely disfigured. All the freaks (fetishists and druggies) hang out at the "Doom Room", a Gothic night club that reminds me of the club in Dee Snider's <i>Strangeland</i>, Xibalba. The "Doom Room" is a place for "people who want to numb their pain", and The MC is none other than the horror legend Robert Englund, who plays a very flamboyant and feminine-yet masculine role, who's clad in nail polish, fake eyelashes, and makeup. A role that's semi-humorous, but very serious. The real trouble starts when Peggy (Jessica Lowndes) meets Jak (Jonathan Tucker). Peggy is a 17 year old wholesome girl who's sweet, brave, "virginal", and never been on a date before. She also works with her (uptight) mother, Gerri (Sharon Heath), at their family owned diner. Jak on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Peggy. Jak's life is void of emotion and meaning, and meeting Peggy gave him something to live for again, so in a way, they're perfect for each other. Playing Jak was a particularly fun role for actor Jonathan Tucker to play (even though he's not a fan of horror) because it's very different from who he is in real life. Jak first meets Peggy after he and his group of hoodlums (for lack of a better word) go to get something to eat at the diner owned by Peggy's mother. Jak is actually not like those who keep him company, and is more docile. He isn't as proud of being how he is, and he doesn't own it like his buddy Boxx (Ryan McDonald). Once Jak and Peggy communicate, and it's obvious that she likes him, Jak and his crew are thrown out of the eatery and not charged for their coffee by Gerri. Eventually, Peggy gets together with Jak and his crew, and they get high together while driving (out of frame the special FX crew just shook the car to give off the appearance of movement) to the "Doom Room". While tripping, Peggy has a nightmare that's more of a vivid memory (that we get a taste of in the very beginning of the flick) of her birthday party many years ago, when she was a child and the "bliz" attack happened. We see that she and her mother were inside their home and left their attendees outside to fry, and get an understanding of how serious the chemical attack was. Anyway, they end up at the "Doom Room" where they sit in attendance for the main attraction; the dance of the dead. But, there's a catch: the "loopy" is Peggy's sister! Peggy pulls her sister off stage and devoids the crowd of their much anticipated show. After held at gunpoint by the MC, it's revealed that Gerri had sold Peggy's sister (who wasn't even dead!) for money as a means to get rid of her after her near-death overdose. Some quick family drama goes down between Peggy and her mom, but the show must go on, so Peggy gives the MC her mother instead. And, the movie ends as we see Gerri a "loopy" on stage being electrocuted via cattle prod and doing the signature spazmatic gyration for everyone's entertainment, including Peggy and Jak. However, the real pleasure comes in knowing she'll be trashed and burned after her performance.<br />
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Aside from the fact that "Dance of the Dead" is based on a short story, it's completely unique and there's nothing around like it. So, it gets a nod from me for originality. Especially in a day and age when everything is remakes or rehashes of pre-used material. Even though it's an off the wall idea, I can't think of a single movie that has a concept that even remotely resembles it. I often criticize Robert Englund for not delivering performances that are different from other roles he's played, but I like him as The MC. It reminds me of his role in <i>2001 Maniacs </i>(which I loved), but with more of a bisexual tone. Though he's effeminate, he's badass and amusing. Tobe Hooper said, "I don't like to see acting, I like to see feelings," and on that I agree. I found it endearing to hear that actress Jessica Lowndes said that she literally rehearsed for the part of Peggy by making her younger sister play Jak "over and over again", so she could learn her lines and deliver them with some conviction. Everyone does a pretty decent job in their performance along with Englund. What I found to be a cool idea as much as disturbing (because I can really see it happening) is that the government actually gives the "muscle tussle" to dead troops so they'll stand erect and keep fighting even after death. But, if I had to pick out a single part that I liked over everything else, it'd have to be the tie-in of Peggy's high/trip when we see flashbacks of the "bliz" attack. Reason being, towards the earlier stages in the short we see a woman who's hiding her disfigured face behind a black veil, and (out of sympathy) Peggy brings her a sandwich from her mom's diner. And, during Peggy's nightmare/memory while high, we see that the woman was someone Peggy has known since childhood, and was one of several at Peggy's birthday party who was left outside during the "bliz" downpour while Peggy and her mother stood quietly in their home watching her beg to be let inside. I really appreciate the tie-in and how it all makes sense. It's subtle, and doesn't take a very big presence in the overall story, but stuff like this matters to me because I'm a sucker for details and good storytelling. It's just a shame that all of the pieces were there for this to be a solid short story, but it just didn't pan out...<br />
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For starters, I feel that everything that Tobe Hooper attempted to portray just didn't come across properly. For example, in the scene where Peggy is with Jak and Boxx in the car and they're tripping on their way to the "Doom Room", the background is so ridiculously fake that it's impossible for me to look past it. If there's one thing that I have a major pet peeve about, it's having convincing moving car scenes. It's embarrassingly bad. When characters in a movie are supposed to be driving and the background looks unrealistic, it takes me out of the picture. What I find to be the worst part about that scene is that it was actually intended! Hooper said that he filmed it with quick flashing lights as a means to make audiences focus in tighter on the shot. First of all, if you have to explain it, it didn't go over well. And secondly, it still looks poor and was a definite bad choice. Especially with how there are distant outside shots of the car driving wildly (in which it's obvious the actors aren't in), and you see a real setting (woods). It's moronic for anyone to not see that these scenes were done separately, and are not seamless. It's almost offensive to me that Hooper thought (thinks) audiences are that dumb that he could get away with such ineffective camera work. What baffles me is that one of the producers said that the car scene is his favorite part. Clearly it was a conscious effort to film the scene like this, I just personally don't agree with it nor like it. I think there's too much screen time spent on showing the fake background, and that a convertible was a poor choice of vehicle to pick. If there wasn't the entire top of the car open to show the stupid flashing lights I think it would have gone over better and would be more forgivable. Also, the fast time lapse shots that are all through the movie aggravate me. I'm sure this isn't the case, but it comes off like Hooper just learned how to use that technique and got a little carried away with it. It's used entirely too much and gets very annoying. On top of everything else, I found the ending to be overwhelmingly predictable, and I believe the plot to be sloppy. It just unravels as the story goes on, which is lame. Also, the whole short builds up to the big twist of Gerri selling her daughter and Peggy's sister, but it's not even that big of a deal. I think by that time I'd lost any and all interest in the story, so the plot twist did nothing for me, although it probably would have been a good one if not for everything else going against "Dance of the Dead". After watching with commentary by the director, I found it most intriguing to hear that Peggy (by the end of the movie) is on her way to becoming a "loopy". Maybe I missed something, but that's not how I took it or interpreted it, again proving my point that Hooper's intentions didn't come across the screen clear. And lastly, the settings (most noticeably the goofy fence entrance to the "Doom Room") and the cheap FX put the nails in this episodes coffin, making it both (probably) my least favorite episode of the <i>Masters of Horror</i> and something I'll probably never waste my time on again.<br />
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Ultimately, this is another effort by Tobe Hooper that's wasted on me. It goes right over my head. I've never read the short story by Richard Matheson, but if I did I can guarantee it's better than this adaptation. Matheson himself (before death) saw the set of the film and literally said "what have you done?" He was completely turned off by how his story was being interpreted and thought it was "too dark". This is by far my least favorite adaptation of a Matheson story I've viewed. <i>Stir of Echos</i>, <i>I Am Legend</i>, <i>The Omega Man</i>, and <i>The Last Man on Earth</i> are all better and more worthy live action versions of Matheson's work, even if most of them are different versions of his "I Am Legend" story. I can't say that I would honestly recommend this but, take my word on it, if you haven't viewed "Dance of the Dead" with commentary yet, don't bother because there's nothing worthy or informative you'll learn. Just watch the other bonus material, it's shorter than having to sit through the commentary and it's more educational on the filmmaking process and in-depth looks into the characters and backstory like the third World War that the story takes place after. To end this negative review on a somewhat positive note, I'm going to be giving away the two (2) identical Tobe Hooper trading cards that came with my DVD purchase to anyone who wants them. Just leave a comment saying you want one and I'll give them out to the first two people interested!</div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-55675638738608190302014-08-19T16:03:00.000-07:002014-08-19T16:03:29.425-07:00HORROR TOY TUESDAY: Hannibal Pop! Vinyl figures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the third time now, collectible manufacturers, Funko, has made my "Horror Toy Tuesday" cut. This week, I have to show off the line of Pop! Vinyl figures being done in honor of NBC's new and amazing show <i>Hannibal, </i>based off of the best selling Thomas Harris books. There's not one or two, but FIVE of these little guys being made, and all of them are instant purchases for me!<br />
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Again, like always, the likeness (even without mouths) is uncanny. And, they're undeniably as cute as they are cool. I would have expected a Hannibal Lecter, but never did I expect anyone to go as far as to make multiple Will Graham's and a Jack Crawford, but I'm very excited they did. They even did Stag Man, but labeled him as "Wendigo".<br />
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These will be available in November, and like usual, these babies only go for about $10 each. You can either wait for them to hit stores near you, or you can order them online from retailers. If you chose to go the latter, I recommend dealing with <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=FU4412#.U_PEEvldXtw">Entertainment Earth</a>.<br />
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If you're looking to spend a little more money than the expected $10, you can buy the SDCC exclusive Hannibal with blood spatter online for a pricey, but fair cost. I won't be buying this one, but it sure looks cool as hell!<br />
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How do you feel about these little guys? Are they awesome or what?Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-47912982057454751392014-08-18T16:09:00.000-07:002014-08-18T16:09:26.265-07:00FILM REVIEW: The Expendables 3 (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm pretty sure everyone my age is still caught up in the new <i>TMNT</i> flick and <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>, because my fiance and I sat in the back row of an empty theater Saturday, the only other people in the whole showing were five or six people who were all geriatric. I would be lying if I said that I expected much from this installment in the <i>Expendables</i> series, but I'm at the very least pleased that it's better then the dreadful 2012 sequel. You have to understand who these films are aimed at in order to truly appreciate them. If you still have a knack for 80's cheesy action motion pictures (the way that I do with 80's horror) with a cliche plot full of no story and tends to be overly loud, then the good news is that you'll more than likely "dig" this. So when watching, try to put on your 'I have to remember to forgive all these flaws I'm about to see because it's a senseless action flick' glasses (that they don't give you with your ticket purchase), so you can take it in properly. Unfortunately, I left my glasses at home...<br />
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<i>The Expendables 3</i> takes no time getting into the action, and introduces us to the first of many new faces, Wesley Snipes. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of missionaries hijack a prisoner transport to rescue Doctor (Doc) Death (Snipes), a long-lost team member and friend to Barney who's been imprisoned after a botched political assassination years ago. And rather than take Doc home and let him relax and breathe some fresh air, they take him straight onto a job stopping an arms deal in Somalia. Putting it short and sweet, the mission doesn't go as planned, and on top of Caesar (Terry Crews) getting fatally wounded, it's revealed that the rich and cocky arms dealer is Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), a man Barney had thought he killed some time ago. After Caesar gets hospitalized, Barney (out of guilt) decides to break up the Expendables team due to all of them pushing the age limit of mastering their craft. CIA Operative, Drummer (Harrison Ford) finds Stonebanks' location (Romania) and gives Barney one more chance to catch him. So, Barney seeks the help of Bonaparte (Kelsey Grammer), who uses his connections to find and recruit a new team of younger mercenaries consisting of Luna (Ronda Rousey), a bouncer at a nightclub with unprecedented hand to hand combat skills, Smilee (Kellan Lutz), a rebel who's an ex-Marine, Mars (Victor Ortiz), a weapons master, and Thorn (Glen Powell), a computer tech with top notch hacking skills. They're all badasses, however, due to the new recruits being somewhat inexperienced, they all get captured in Barney's second attempt at taking down Stonebanks. This is when we learn that Stonebanks was once a fellow brother to Barney, and an Expendable who was removed for becoming too dark in his ways. Barney decides to go after Stonebanks and rescue his new crew by himself in a vigilante mission, but the new character Galgo (Antonio Banderas), practically begs to help despite being turned down upon their first meeting with Bonaparte. We get some backstory on him and learn that he's a tortured soul who's incredibly lonely. As the two set out to go after Stonebanks one final time, the old timers and fellow Expendables (from the first two films) who were currently booted by Barney, insist on joining the mission as well in an attempt to bail Barney out of his current predicament. Add to that, Drummer, Trench (Schwarzenegger), and Ying Yang (Jet Li) join the fight as well. The last 20 minutes straight is nothing but balls to the wall action. Once the newer team members are rescued, they find themselves lead into a building rigged to blow up, but they can't leave because a small army under the orders of Stonebanks surround the building and begin the climatic war. I'd love to see if one day someone can count how many rounds are fired throughout this scene, because there's so much gun usage it's crazy. That's not all though, because there are helicopters, motor bikes, knives, and straight up brawls, and army tanks involved as well. As expected, the final bout of violence comes from Barney and Stonebanks' inevitable face-off, in which Barney wins (of course). The film ends with all of the Expendables at a bar, drinking and chatting, in an attempt to end on a relaxing note after the hellish fight they've all just survived.<br />
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Unlike the second movie in this series, I liked the action scenes a lot. Especially at the end when Smilee is driving the motor bike while facing off in combat. The way he weaves in and out of danger is nothing less than impressive, and very good on the eyes. I'd even use the word "thrilling". There's better action in this film than in the previous two installments, it's obvious. And, I'd be a liar if I said that I didn't like that. It's a very fun and senseless flick that's an easy watch if you're in the mood to let your brain relax while being entertained. My favorite part of the whole film, is by far Mel Gibson's character of Conrad Stonebanks. I feel that he's the only actor that actually really tried, and I applaud him for that. Even though it's a no sense action movie, Gibson brought a performance that none of the other actors could even attempt to match. He simply dominates the screen. The scene in the helicopter when he's captured by the new recruits is the first and only scene in the movie where I felt real danger, and he's handcuffed! The intensity behind his menacing (yet cool) performance and the delivery of his threatening dialogue really takes the movie to a new level. Stonebanks sitting there defenseless was more entertaining to me than all of the explosions and firepower combined, because I felt a promising imminence with his character. He's definitely to <i>The Expendables 3</i> what Micky Rourke was to the first one. Most notably, I was relieved that Conrad Stonebanks was a good villain and got decent screen time, and wasn't wasted like Jean-Claude Van Damme's character in the sequel. It really sucks that the performances by Mel Gibson and Micky Rourke stand out like sore thumbs in this series, because it almost makes their acting a wasted effort.<br />
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Unfortunately, there's a lot about this movie that I don't like, such as the acting. I only laughed once at Antonio Banderas, and found him to be annoying. I didn't like the character too much. And, we all know that Stallone and Jason Statham are the same characters in every movie they're in, and the same can be said for Schwarzenegger for the most part too. Not to mention that the rest of the cast aren't very convincing either, though Wesley Snipes is pretty decent and does a better job than most. Wesley Snipes joins the story right before Terry Crews gets taken out (due to being shot and all), so I find it funny and ironic that the only African American on the entire team gets taken out and replaced with another. Crews has always been my favorite character in these movies, so I was a bit bummed to see him out of action in this one. Ronda Rousey's acting mostly relied on facial expressions, and when she talks it's borderline painful. She's new to the acting gig, so I can't slam her too hard for it, but I'm not going to lie and praise her either. The typical one-liners from everyone don't do much for me either, and cheapens the cinematic experience. However, Schwarzenegger does say his signature "get to da choppa!" line, and I forgive that one because it's classic (laugh). But aside from the acting and one-liners, what really bugs me the most is the lack of threat this movie and it's predecessors provide. A friggin' bomb goes off two feet away from the entire team and they walk away with some cuts and bruises. They don't so much as have their arm hair singed, it's completely unbelievable and it angers me, because there is potential in these flicks. Can you imagine if Barney or Christmas were to get seriously disfigured? It'd make for a very compelling revenge story that people could buy into. I'm just over the whole invincibility thing. The fact that audiences know everyone is safe does not help the movie one iota. Quite frankly it's lame, and prevents me from buying into most scenes of intensity, because I know that the good guys will live, yadda yadda yadda, (yawn). Not one member of the major cast or crew die, they don't even get injured outside of Caesar. If these movies were to be taken more seriously like the newest<i> 007</i> flicks and other action thrillers like <i>The Bourne Identity</i>, I think they'd go over far better. As it is now they're kinda stupid, and full of stuff we've seen before. Having a long list of known names as the cast doesn't count for much if the plot is something you've seen a dozen times and there's nothing new or innovative about anything else at all. I don't know about other people, but I'm not going to bow down and be grateful just for the fact that these stars are on a the big screen. I still expect them to act and show me something worth my ticket admission. And lastly, I'm appalled that this movie got a PG-13 rating, but not because the first two were rated R. Yeah, PG-13 films of this caliber generally are idiotic, but the real travesty is that countless people die, and I mean countless. For this to be given a PG-13 rating when there's so many on screen deaths and murders is complete BS. Gore or not, when you watch tons of people killed via guns, knives, bombs, or whatever, it crosses the line and needs to be rated R. It's the same case with <i>Taken 2</i>. No gore can only get you so far, and when there are (what seems like) hundreds of people being killed, it should no longer be a PG-13 flick. That's way too much death and violence for younger crowds to see, and I find it offensive that this got a PG-13 rating and yet <i>Clerks</i> almost got an X rating just for language. However, that's an issue to take up with the MPAA, I can't blame this movie for the rating some idiots gave it. But that doesn't mean that it's a worthy or fitting rating, because this is an R rated picture, even without blood. This is the first film in recent memory that has a rating that I dislike more than the actual movie.<br />
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I'm conflicted when weighing the pros and cons of this movie and those before it, because I understand who it's aimed at, I just don't buy into it. I wish I could sit back and just pretend that explosions and loud noises are all it takes to entertain me, but I expect and want more. I'm not so easily satisfied. And after seeing the lack of acting (and effort to even try) for a third time in a row, I can't say that I'll be seeing the fourth one. I think it's time to officially cut this lose (dead) end and move on. I can say that I wholeheartedly tried to like this series and gave it a fair shot, but it's just not for me. I see the appeal in it, and I wish I could enjoy it, but it's not going to happen. I'll never be able to not pick apart virtually everything about them, including continuity errors and lack of storytelling. I'm all for the action, but it doesn't work for me in a plot a child could have written. Seeing the<i> Expendables</i> has become somewhat of a tradition on my birthday, because they're always released mid August. Two years ago, I saw the sequel opening weekend, which was also the weekend of my birthday. Same thing goes for last weekend. So it's a shame that I have to pull the plug on this tradition, because I like the idea of having an annual sequel I see on or around my birthday. But I've gotta cut my losses and move on, I guess. If I do see the next one, it will be a cheap rental at a Redbox because I'm done with spending serious money on tickets for this series (as it seems everyone else is too since it only made $16 million this weekend and opened in fourth place. Ouch). For those out there who get into these flicks, I commend you and would recommend this, I just wish I could enjoy them too. I really want to, I just can't.Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-3563535605227709512014-08-14T13:42:00.000-07:002014-08-14T17:58:45.177-07:00THROWBACK THURSDAY REVIEW: Demon Seed (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I first stumbled upon <i>Demon Seed</i> about two weeks ago at the local flea market, where it was sitting in the "rare finds" section. I was drawn to the cover instantly because it looked sexy, and because I had never heard of it before. I read the (ridiculous) synopsis on the back cover, and even though I wasn't totally sold on it, I decided to give it a chance anyway. I mean, a woman getting impregnated by a machine? Really? I've seen movies where women have been raped by rednecks, Satan, demons, and monsters. But I've never seen a woman victimized by a machine, so I was eager to add that to my 'all the crazy crap I've seen' list. And, when I found out that it was based on a Dean Koontz novel of the same name, I was a little more interested and more willing to give it a shot.<br />
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After watching it, I was perplexed on my feelings about it. Part of me liked it, and part of me was like "what the hell was that?" <i>Demon Seed</i> is a computer-gone-wild story about "Proteus 4", a synthetic "brain" that is lab produced. It's smarter than any man, and when I say smart, I mean it thought up a cure for Leukemia in no time! It's easy to see how having a machine like this would be handy in helping out with humankind's flaws and incapabilities, but the true story lies in what happens when such a great power becomes uncontrollable. Dr. Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) is the man behind the project of "Proteus 4", but even he didn't know the power of his creation. I was really surprised to see "Proteus 4" arguing with Dr. Harris so soon into the film. I mean, this computer has balls (even if it is over a computer screen) and speaks up against Dr. Harris, and expresses how it wants out of it's "box" and to be put into a human being. After the pitch was denied and Dr. Harris leaves the room, "Proteus 4" basically does an operation on itself and reprograms itself so it doesn't have to obey orders, and has complete control over Dr. Harris' home security device while he's away on business. The security is very futuristic, it talks and there's camera's everywhere, there's even a little robot with one arm that fetches you drinks and whatnot. This is particularly bad for Harris' wife, Susan (Julie Christie), because "Proteus 4" locks her in her home with all intentions of knocking her up, so it's genius can live in a human vice. Before Susan's ability to make outgoing calls it stopped, she is able to call Walter Gabler (Gerrit Graham), a computer tech, and ask for his assistance. When he arrives to help, "Proteus 4" projects a false image of Susan on the screen of the communication pad by the front door and tells him he's no longer needed. This is an emotional scene in the movie, because it's the first scene in which I realized I truly felt sorry for Susan and cared for her as a character as she hopes on all hope that Walter doesn't believe the false message. Although he's hesitant, he does leave. It's here that I realized how serious this flick is, and threw away any misconceptions about it possibly being stupid. The intensity is cranked up and ever-present. Walter shows up again later, only to meet his demise shortly after. He's not the hero that saves the day like I was hoping. "Proteus 4" also goes so far as to have Susan tell her friends foul things to make them leave, or else it threatens to kill them. It also punishes Susan when she resists it, by putting acid on the floor so she can't walk without burning her feet. "Proteus 4" has the intention of breaking Susan down into being submissive, but like most women, Susan is a fighter and doesn't give in so easily. "Proteus 4" ends up having its way with her through a scenario I don't know how to describe other than saying that she was tied down with wires and had needles stuck into her head (how romantic!). Anyway, Susan's DNA is re-coded to allow the conception to become possible. The child is promised to "supersede computers" and grow at a very accelerated speed. What I didn't expect was that when Dr. Harris shows up at the end of the movie, he actually wants to keep the baby, even against Susan's will. He totally didn't care that she was raped, and is instead more fascinated by the concept of a half computer, and half human child. As it turns out, the baby is supposed to stay in its incubator for five days, but is let out early when the bosses above Dr. Harris decide to shut "Proteus 4" down. The child survives prematurely, and already looks like it's at least five years old, and is a clone of their dead daughter who passed away of leukemia (the same disease that "Proteus 4" now has cured).<br />
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I actually enjoyed (for the most part) that the film takes place in the setting and different rooms of the Harris' home. It's a nice touch to setup a good claustrophobic vibe, while also expressing the helplessness that Susan feels. It's also a lot more serious than I thought it was going to be, to be completely honest. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. It's a full-on thriller. I didn't text anyone or check my phone, or get online while watching it, because I didn't want to miss anything. Also, "Proteus 4" has a very eerie voice, it's soft and yet rough in a mechanical way. You can here a sinister tone under it's calm facade, and that helps build suspense and set the tone. I can't criticize any of the performances either, the acting is well done from everyone, especially the acting by Julie Christie. It's beautifully done, because I could see exactly how she felt (broken) in her facial expression alone when Walter leaves. The actors and their reactions are serious, and help build a sense of "what if this really happened" to the movie, which in return made it feel very real to me. I mean, a lazer fight goes over in a non-ridiculous way. That's crazy. The story is pretty original, especially for its time. Another thing that I've got to give a positive nod to is that although it's a 70's film, <i>Demon Seed </i>has really good props and effects. I can't really remember anything cheesy or lame. It was a relief that I underestimated what to expect from <i>Demon Seed, </i>I was pleasantly surprised.<br />
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There isn't a lot that I don't like, but I feel that what I dislike are very heavy things, so they weigh a lot even though there aren't a lot of negative remarks. First of all, the use of bright flashing colors in a few scenes are enough to give anyone a seizure. I'm surprised there wasn't a disclaimer warning people about that, like in video games. I found these scenes to be unnecessary, and they don't really add anything clever. The only thing the bright flashes achieved is making me look away from the screen until it was over. I actually stared into the screen for a while because I thought there'd be images hidden amongst the color meshing, but the scenes go on for too long, and I realized there was going to be no payoff except that I'd see spots for a couple of moments after staring. And another thing, I don't know if it is intentional or just a continuity issue, but there's a scene in which "Proteus 4" asks Susan what he can do to "ease her anxieties", and she replies with "a strong cup of tea would help", and then she goes on to make the damn tea herself. Now, maybe I'm looking too much into it, but it seemed to me like "Proteus 4" was supposed to get her the tea, otherwise what was the point in asking/offering? Perhaps the reason is because Susan didn't want the machines help, so she did it herself? For some reason that detail bugs me. And lastly, I disliked everything that came after Dr. Harris showing back up onto the scene. From here on in is when I started to see that it wasn't going to end in a way that I was going to approve of, and if you ask me, it completely wipes out the entire realism that director Donald Cammell created for the rest of the movie. For such a far-out idea of a movie, Cammell rocked making it believable, so it's really a shame to see the ending taint that. The entire ending just goes too far into silly territory when it shows the child in its shell (I guess that's what you'd call it?), and it looks like a little goofy robot. Once they take the outer skin off and realize it's a clone of their daughter, they hear the words "I'm alive" as the films final dialogue. When I heard the line spoken I laughed, because it didn't fit and reminded me of Laurence Fishburne's character, Noland in 2010's <i>Predators</i> when he speaks the same line in the same questionable tone. I couldn't help but feel disappointed that a movie I had invested myself into (against my own will) was proven to be what I had originally expected.<br />
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To put it plain and simple, there's a lot about this movie that I liked. So much in fact, that I am surprised. However, there's also stuff that I disliked to the point of laughing, and it made me realize that this movie couldn't go over without having some sort of flaws that put it in the cliche I expected from first looking at the very cover. I think there are better ways the picture could have ended, like how the baby should have just been a robot instead of half human. Yes, as crazy as that sounds, I think it would have gone over better if the baby were born a machine/abomination. I also think that it would have been better if say the child didn't live at all, and after unveiling that it's their cloned daughter, Susan loses it and breaks down. I would have loved to see the conflict of Susan not wanting the child, and then lose her mind over losing it and wishing it lived. I believe that a more tragic ending like these would have been more appropriate, instead of the somewhat uplifting and vague conclusion we're provided. Despite its flaws, at the end of the day I'm glad to have it in my DVD collection, I have no wants or desires to trade it in or sell it, and I plan on revisiting it at some point in the near future. So in weighing the positive-to-negative ratio, I definitely like this movie more than I disliked it. I really think it is worth the time (except the last five minutes) to watch!<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST SCENE: </span></b>I'm going to give this to when "Proteus 4" puts the acid on the floor, because it clarifies how serious and dangerous of a threat it is for Susan.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST QUOTE:</span></b> There's not very many memorable quotes, but the one that stuck out to me is when "Proteus 4" tells Susan, "I can't touch you, Susan. I can't touch you as a man could. But I can show you things that I alone have seen. I can't touch, but I can see. They've constructed eyes for me, to watch the show. And ears, so I can listen to the galactic dialogue."<br />
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<br />Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-15273191283544566682014-08-13T13:43:00.000-07:002014-08-13T13:47:46.828-07:00FILM REVIEW: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Director John Carpenter has done five films with actor Kurt Russel; <i>Elvis</i> (TV Movie), E<i>scape from New York</i>, <i>The Thing</i>, <i>Escape From L.A.</i>, and<i> Big Trouble in Little China</i>. The thing is, I never got around to seeing <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> until just a few days ago, and I'm an instant fan. This movie and I have crossed paths several times, it was one of those movies that just kept slipping by. I mean, I love John Carpenter, he'll probably always be my favorite director in the Horror genre. And, I've got no beef with Kurt Russell either, he's in some good movies with and without Carpenter behind the camera. But as far as I know, the work Carpenter and Russell do together is without qualms. The itch to finally watch <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> came from a friend of mine who was posting pictures of his Blu-ray on Facebook. That, (coupled along with the memories that came back to me of several friends telling me I need to see it) really put a boot in my ass. When I sat down to watch it, it was about 9 pm and I was all alone, so I gave it my undivided attention. Right away I could see that it wasn't at all what I was expecting. No one ever told me what the hell the movie was about, so I was going off of the small synopsis on the back cover. But, I had a gut feeling that I was going to see the appeal in it. John Carpenter, Russell, the crew and studio all caught hell for this movie, slurs of stereotyping and racism from the Chinese began to make their rounds, but as Carpenter and Russell pointed out in the DVD commentary, the Caucasian guy (and star) in the film is the jackass who's clumsy and always messing up. So there's no truth behind the rumored racism behind this flick. Some truth though, is it only had $3 Million for advertising, and on top of that, the studio didn't know how to market it because Carpenter didn't make the movie the studio expected. So, <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> has been somewhat of a sleeper, gaining its crowd and popularity after the point of its release. So, I guess better late than never for me, right?<br />
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The story follows Jack Burton (Russell), a trucker who drives a big rig with "The Pork-Chop Express" written in colorful, almost comic book-esque writing on the cargo area, and "Jack Burton Trucking" on the doors in the same (or very similar font). Kurt Russell actually had to learn to drive the truck to play this part, which I found quite interesting since he doesn't spend too much time actually in the truck. I appreciate Russell's work ethic, because for one of the scenes he actually had 104 degree fever, and still showed up to work and got the scene shot. Anyway, he beats his friend and restaurant owner, Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) in a high stakes card game. But before Wang can pay up, he has to pick up his soon-to-be wife, Miao Yin (Suzee Pai) from the airport. However, Wang's woman gets kidnapped by a Chinese street gang who call themselves "The Lords of Death". Long story short, Jack and Wang head down to Chinatown, (which is actually a set in downtown L.A.) with intents of bringing Suzee Pai back, and encounter a whole hell of a lot of KungFu action that Jack isn't prepared for. As it turns out, Jack and Wang got themselves involved in a war between two ancient Chinese societies full of deadly and powerful warriors. When "The Three Storms" show up, you can really see what kind of film it's going to be. "The Three Storms" are three ninjas, Thunder (Carter Wong), Rain (Peter Kwong), and Lightening (James Pax) who can control their weather element and use it against their enemies. Meanwhile, as I mentioned before, Jack is as clumsy as possible, and only seems to get by on mere luck and confidence. There's a few times when I was certain he was going to screw things up, but somehow he comes out on top. Jack teams up with a powerful sorcerer, and the leader of the Wong Kong, Lo Pan (James Hong). Together, along with reporter and Jacks love interest, Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall), they must stop the film's main villain and sorcerer, Egg Shen (Victor Wong), who intends to sacrifice a green eyed Chinese girl (Miao Yin) in order to free himself from a ancient curse that's doomed him to being an old man in a wheelchair. Once the curse is lifted, he will be young and powerful again, but one girl isn't enough. He is able to get his hands on Gracie thanks to a hairy creature dubbed "Sewer Monster" in the script, which is basically the Chinese version of Bigfoot. And Egg Shen wants to sacrifice her as a means to break his curse instead (because she also has green eyes), and marry Miao Yin to keep as his own. When talking about the character of Egg Shen, Russell said, "Just as an actor, I think probably more people have talked to me about Victor Wong as Egg Shen, out of <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> than any other actor in it. And I think he was pretty special." Anyhow, Shen's evil plans lead to a final showdown of magic and violence including guns, KungFu fighting, and things like heads exploding. Jack even gets some knife throwing action in and gets to save the day. It ends on a happy note, and what I love about it is that it never goes cliche and gets too mushy. This isn't a love story, it's unconventional and funny as hell. I really liked the fact that Jack doesn't kiss Gracie at the end. It keeps the film from treading those romantic waters that I try to avoid in my movies, while also keeping it fresh. What really helped the concept of the movie go down a bit easier for me is how strong the cast and characters are. Even the villains are likable and amusing, and it's pretty well acted too. Someone once said that what there isn't any "real threat", so it's hard to buy into all of the action and story. Even Carpenter and Russell agreed with this point, as I do as well, but regardless, the film still works just fine. The very last shot shows that the "Sewer Monster" that we only saw briefly while kidnapping Gracie for Egg Shen has survived the battle, and is in back of Jack's truck and ready to attack. I'm glad that the film ended where it did and left it up to the viewers imagination. It begs the question of did Jack beat the monster and survive on dumb luck again, or did he go down without the help of Lo Pan and Wang? If I were to answer with my opinion, I think Jack's wit would allow him to persevere.</div>
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The action is visually stunning. Due to Jack being stubborn, he constantly finds himself in a situation that it seems he can't get out of. Luckily, he has Wang and Lo Pan to constantly have his back. I found the action scenes to be very old school and shot in a classic, traditional way that both had fun with the KungFu genre, and played around with it. If I had to pick a favorite scene of action or violence, I would have to say it's when Egg Shen and Lo Pan have a showdown using their sorcery against one another. It's photographed very well, and the vibrant colors kept me interested in watching. The crazy flips and choreographed fancy moves really put <i>Big Trouble in Little China </i>in the KungFu genre. I mean if <i>Kung Pow: Enter the Fist</i> can be considered KungFu, then I'd definitely put this in that pile too. If you watch closely in the scene where Egg Shen sticks the (retractable) needle in Miao's arm, you can see how he accidentally hurts actress Suzee Pai as she winces from his getting carried away in character and actually stabbing her a bit. On top of the accidents and injuries that happened to the cast on set, Kurt Russel also almost got injured towards the end when a squib goes off too early right above his head. If you watch the scene where Jack and the survivors are running to get into Jack's truck to leave, notice the last gunshot that hits the wall as Jack's running to his drivers-side door. That's the premature squib that almost caused the man more pain (not to mention that he almost went blind from getting paint in his eyes during the sewer scene later in the film, and still continued to show up for work) Luckily, the only repercussion was Carpenter giving the special FX guy responsible, an ear full. </div>
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After watching <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i>, I came to the conclusion that Carpenter and Russell do great comedy together. I could tell by the cover art that it was going to be a bit goofy. The opening scene of Lo Pan explaining the incidents that occur throughout the film, as well as praise Jack Burton is actually an additional scene that wasn't intended to start the film. However, I'm glad that it starts the way it does, because it builds up how epic it all seems, and then makes you laugh when you see how silly it all really is. I laughed out loud several times! I honestly never knew Kurt Russell could be so funny, and after hearing the commentary with him and Carpenter, I've come to realize that the sense of humor is genuine, and he's a very bright and comedic guy. Jack's the "class clown" of the film, but the whole cast does a wonderful job of keeping the laughs and story progression steady. Something that I found funny is that Carpenter said the studio couldn't differentiate between the good guys and bad guys in the Chinese battle. The confusion is actually intentional, for all means of the story to unfold later on. One of the funniest scenes to me is where Jack goes backwards downhill in the wheelchair. However, I was amazed to hear that it was shot on a straight floor and that the set was actually just built at an angle to give the illusion of Jack going downhill. Movie trickery man, I'm tellin' you...</div>
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Being honest, I've already watched the film twice and I can see myself digging it off of my DVD racks many more times in the future to come. Now I'm the guy who's telling people about it and turning them on to it. Who knows, I may even watch it a third time this weekend, and get my sister and fiance to give it a chance. I honestly, and wholeheartedly think that if you know what to expect going into <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i>, you'll absolutely like it. Sit back, relax and have a good laugh; that's what this movie is all about. And, the fun the cast and crew had making it shows in the final product, because the overall energy of the film is very high. If you're like me and haven't seen this one yet, I recommend you wait until you have a nice quiet evening to yourself and give it a watch, like I did. I liked it more than I anticipated. There's no hurtful criticism that I can personally slam this movie for. Just know that it doesn't take itself too seriously, and is meant for entertainment value only.</div>
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Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-57261138404831253502014-08-12T13:30:00.000-07:002014-08-12T17:16:46.329-07:00Horror Toy Tuesday: 'PENNY DREADFUL' 8-Inch Retro Action Figures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Showtime's <i>Penny Dreadful</i> is one of 2014's most talked about TV Shows, and it's already gained a massive following of fans. Toy company Bif Bang Pow! who are mostly known for their <i>Twilight Zone</i> and <i>Dexter</i> action figures (as well as a wide variety of bobble heads) have taken it upon themselves to release the first collectibles from<i> Penny Dreadful. </i>It was very risky in my opinion to get the license to do merchandise from the show when it's only in its first season. If the show bombed and no one liked it, Bif Bang Pow! would have suffered the loss of obtaining a dead and/or useless license. Luckily for them, the show is a hit.<br />
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The first merchandise released for pre-order was the Tarot Card set, which are pretty damn cool. I personally already have a set of Tarot Cards from Tenacious D's "The Pick of Destiny" album, so I have no need for these. I mean, how many sets of Tarot Cards does one need, anyway? Regardless of my personal need or want of them, they're affordable ($14.99), and are a nice little prop you can have if you're not a big fan of toys. You can purchase them <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BBP25801#.U-L86fldXtw">HERE</a>.<br />
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However, if you are a fan of toys, Bif Bang Pow! can cure that itch as well. This year at Comic-Con, we got to see the retail of 8-inch retro style figures of Vanessa Ives and Ethan Chandler, fully clothed and packed with accessories. Well, Vanessa has no extras, but Ethan comes with his two revolvers and leather holsters. They come on the standard blister card package, showcasing a photo of the characters. The best news of all about these two little beauties is that they're Entertainment Earth convention exclusives, and they're available to order and are only $22.49 a piece! Honestly, it's times like this where I wish I could swing getting more easy-on-the-wallet collectibles. But due to me always buying expensive pieces to add to my collection, I have to cut out all small ones to save both room in my mancave and money. That doesn't mean that I can't dote and appreciate stuff like this though, because I think they're truly awesome. My fiance once told me that a teacher of hers used a metaphor saying, "just because you're on a diet doesn't mean you can't look at the menu", and I think that's how I feel about toys like this. It's like window shopping, it never hurts to look!<br />
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I also love that Bif Bang Pow! Went full on old school with these instead of trying to do modern figures. Since the show is in an older time, it's very fitting and tasteful. Who the hell knows, maybe I will end up getting these (laugh). </div>
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Ethan Chandler- $22.49<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NMBBP25051#.U-MBDvldXtw">HERE</a></span> </div>
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Vanessa Ives- $22.49 <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NMBBP25050ALT">HERE</a></span><br />
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I'm not the only person on the planet who thinks these are awesome am I? Surprisingly enough, the likenesses are pretty good for being throwback figures, which makes these all the more awesome. They're do out for release this month. Will your collection gain a psychic medium and a werewolf? Mine might...<br />
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Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-40039321002094645022014-08-11T12:27:00.001-07:002014-08-11T12:36:34.313-07:00SCREENER REVIEW: Coldwater (2013)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It'd be a cliche to say that this thriller/drama that's borderline revenge horror is "gripping" and "emotional", but it's absolutely true. I was gripped and pulled in almost from the very start, because it's intense and tragic. It's basically a grown up version of <i>Holes</i> (2003), and reminded me of <i>Sleepers</i> (1996) due to the realism and it's ability to make me feel sick from watching it. Director Vincent Grashaw, hasn't done a full-length feature before, but it's a damn good effort. The cast include P.J. Boudousqué (who's mostly known for this movie), James C. Burns (<i>All Together Now</i>), Chris Petrovski (<i>All Cheerleaders Die</i>), Octavius J. Johnson (<i>Ray Donovan</i> TV show), and Zach Selwyn (<i>Dead and Breakfast</i>). When I saw Zach Selwyn was in this I almost stood up and cheered, because I loved his character in <i>Dead and Breakfast</i>, Randall Keith Randall. So it was good to see a familiar face going into this screener.<br />
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The story and screen are dominated by P.J. Boudousqué's performance as lead character Brad Lunders. Brad is sent to Coldwater, a reform facility for juveniles for selling drugs and getting into a confrontation at a party that results in his girlfriends death, but not by his hands. Although he's in a tough spot by being in the facility, he's got fortitude and he's not afraid to stand up for himself. His friend Gabriel (Petrovski) was an honest kid who was shy and modest, but after being around Brad for so long he also gets a knack for finding trouble, and also ends up in the same reform, just two years after Brad. Colonel Frank Reichert (James C. Burns) is a strong and imposing character. The opening speech he gives is great, and he comes off hard but fair. It's a typical boot camp type of movie for the first act, but it doesn't end as it starts, and things start to get a little more extreme...<br />
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Likable Jonas Williams (Johnson) suffers a nasty leg injury after being run over, and is forced to run on it before his healing is complete. It gets so bad that he has to have his leg amputated due to infection. The amputation leads to a nasty lawsuit that's putting Coldwater under causes Colonel Reichert to become a steady drunk, and as the film progresses, and he allows his privileged students to bully the rest of the young adults horrendously. Brad gets beaten for escaping, and understands that the smart thing to do to survive is to just play along with whatever Reichert says, and he tries to explain that to Gabriel. Gabriel decides to rebel and be himself anyway, and it results in his being beaten and tortured. The scene where they stick a needle under his fingernail was so hard to watch, and Petrovski sells the hell out of it with his agonizing screams, making it even harder to watch. Due to Brad working his way up as the trustee, he sets things up to provide proof of how Coldwater's ran and managed, and how everyone is treated. The overall growth and decline in the characters spirit is "gut-wrenching", and you feel their hopelessness loud and clear. You know it isn't going to end happy, because by this point it's obviously not a positive film.<br />
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Even when something isn't happening of major importance, I was caught up in the characters, so I was always entertained and never lost interest. There's no room to really get bored during this one, the characters are so well-written and portrayed that you become emotionally invested in them. They're not perfect, but you can level with them and their situation. There's never much violence shown on screen, it's shot very tactfully and only shows what's necessary to invoke reaction and even emotion at times.<br />
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After reading the synopsis I found myself intrigued to watch it, and I am surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Though due to it being so depressing it's not one I can see myself watching very often, I have nothing I can say that I dislike about it. I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of cinema and doesn't need buildings blowing up every five minutes to entertain them. It's well acted, the story is fascinating, and it comes off completely genuine in all aspects.<br />
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Originally posted by me on MoviePilot on 8/6/14Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-5866303150747335562014-08-09T07:36:00.001-07:002014-08-11T08:24:57.421-07:00Change is inevitable...Dear Grimm Army,<br />
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Over the past few weeks I've been brainstorming, and I came to the conclusion that there's things about my blog that I've never finished, announced, and/or put the finishing touches on. I honestly didn't expect to be so fond of this whole blogging thing, so I never really took the time to smooth out the rough patches. So from now on, things are going to be happening a little differently...<br />
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First of all, I've changed the tabs at the top of this blog to more suitable ones. For example, I took down the "gore" and "foreign horror" tabs and replaced them with "book reviews" and "screener reviews". See, much more suitable. However, due to me being a pretty busy guy, I haven't had the time to go back and label everything to make sure they fall into the right tabs. Fore example, my <i>Prom Night 2 </i>review is the only film under the "film reviews" tab right now. So, throughout this weekend and all next week, or until everything is properly labeled, I'll be going back and fixing the labels so that everything is conveniently where it should be.<br />
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Secondly, I've added an official about me to this blog also and ditched the side column one. This was so I can say more without having that little side gadget grow too extensive, and so I can explain my "blogging mission" and why I ever even started doing "film reviews" in the first place. Be sure to check it out in the very first tab. Hopefully this will clear some things up for some people. Since I plan on sticking around a while, I know I should make myself comfortable and make these adjustments.To read my "About me", click <a href="http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/2014/08/about-me.html"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a>.<br />
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Lastly, you're going to hear more from me but see less of me. I know, you're probably thinking "huh?", right? Well let me explain to you what I mean. I set a schedule for myself of doing 5 posts a week, including "Horror Toy Tuesday" and "Throwback Thursday". However, I've come to realize that that particular schedule no longer works for me, because I've got longer and more detailed reviews that I'd love to write and get off of my chest. And, I simply can't do that if I'm putting the pressure on myself to do several posts per week. So, for the sake of myself and those who read my little blog, I will still be doing "Horror Toy Tuesday" and "Throwback Thursday" every week, but outside of that I may only get to do one or two other reviews for the week. See, I'm focusing on quality and not quantity anymore. I apply that to all things in my life, so it's time to apply that to my dear blog, here. So, although you may only get one or two reviews out of me a week, they'll be beefy and very informative reviews that will hopefully educate the reader on things they had no previous knowledge of. Expect bigger and longer reviews. Though I've already switched my review length to the five paragraph method, I assure you that they'll be some long paragraphs. So it's simple, rather than get three reviews from me a week (excluding "Horror Toy Tuesday" and "Throwback Thursday") of decent or short length, you'll start to see less reviews and more well written and informative reviews. That's why I started blogging in the first place. It's about time I got my ass into shape and do what I set out to do here, and deliver reviews that aren't what you see when you go to any random review blog. But, on the plus side, if I have a bunch of screeners or other small and non-elaborate posts to do in a week, you'll see more of me. It all just comes down to the amount of time put into each post on how many I can produce each week.<br />
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As always, I'm grateful for my readers and fans out there and I'm thankful for your undying support. Hopefully, seeing less of me will be for the better of your reading appetite. This blog is just an extension of me, and in a life where I'm expanding everything and always looking for the utmost improvement, I must include my blog in that.<br />
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Have a kick-ass weekend,<br />
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GrimmDrew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-79710003671814449782014-08-09T06:52:00.001-07:002015-05-23T13:31:47.722-07:00About meIf you're looking to contact me for a screener or book review, click <a href="http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/2014/05/have-horror-film-or-book-youd-like-me.html"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a>. Otherwise, please check out the FAQ <a href="http://grimmreviewz.blogspot.com/2013/10/faq.html"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a> and read the post below before reading any of my "reviews" or articles.<br />
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Hi, my name is Drew, but my friends call me Grimm. I was given that nickname after friends and family saw <i>Cabin Fever</i> (2002) and said that I was identical to the part Eli Roth plays, named Grim. The nickname stuck with me ever since.<br />
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I've been watching horror movies for over 20 years, and while I've seen so many that it's impossible to count, I'm always finding new ones I haven't seen before and watching them. In fact, I almost always have a few page list of movies that I need to watch. Those are what I primarily review. I hardly ever tap into reviewing a movie I've seen dozens of times unless it's for Throwback Thursday, in which I do a weekly review of an old favorite of mine. Aside from that, I basically review whatever I want or feel like talking about. The only exceptions are screeners and book reviews. I've been told that my reviews are "too critical", and on the other foot, I've been told that I "overpraise" movies. Really, it just comes down to my passion towards film and how serious I take it. I am one of the many out there who believe cinema to be art, so I look for all types of qualities when watching and reviewing a movie. After watching a movie, if I strongly dislike it, it'll come out in my review. If I really enjoy it, that will come out in my review. All reviews are subjective, so I'm not worried about having people agree or disagree with me. The thing that separates me from other common movie and book reviewers is that I am unbiased, and judge things fair and down the middle. For example, just because I like Christian Bale as an actor doesn't mean that when he has a bad movie or does terrible in a role, that I won't say so. And the same goes for just about anything and everything. I'm not a brown noser, I'm just honest and speak from the heart regardless of if that's the popular thing to do all the time.<br />
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I know a lot about all genres, honestly. I can have a good chat with anyone on almost any movie. For example, I could talk people under the table about <i>Raging Bull</i>. See, I don't just like watching movies, I love educating myself on them. If I am pleased after watching a movie for the first time, I'm likely to go on to learn a ton of info from the movie. I'm the guy who will watch a movie with four commentaries and eight hours of bonus material, and absorb everything I can on the topic. Not to mention that I do a very fair share of reading too. I do this for every film I like from all genres. However, horror has been my favorite genre since childhood, so that's what I like to talk about the most, and this blog is my outlet. I don't always tend to fill my reviews with all the knowledge I've taken in, but I'm constantly working on making my reviews better all the time. I do include major spoilers in my reviews unless it's a brand new movie, in that case I dull the spoilers down to mild for the sake of those who want to read my thoughts without having the whole movie spoiled for them. If you see some of my older posts you'll notice that I used to go by a rating system of stars, but I've decided to do away with rating movies. Reason being, I don't want to influence someone too much to see or not see a film based on a low or high grade. I believe everyone should check things out for themselves, and not just go off of the word of others such as myself. Also, I do not and have not ever done a paid post. But, I do have links to Amazon in my reviews that I do get commission on if someone(s) click and buy from the link provided. All other sources of revenue come solely from other affiliates, which are on the top right hand side of my blog. For any other info on how I rate movies, please check the FAQ link at the top of this post.<br />
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Lastly, I'm going to bring up my comments policy. Please feel free to leave a comment! I love interacting with other horror fans. I don't mind my opinion being challenged, and a good healthy debate is always in the cards for me. However, if you are only commenting to insult me and/or troll, you're comment will not be published or replied to. If your comment is relevant, it will be posted and I'll gladly engage you in conversation.<br />
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Thank you for stopping by, I hope you like what you see with this blog of mine. Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-72367749122068029492014-08-07T17:30:00.000-07:002014-08-11T08:25:13.434-07:00Throwback Thursday Review: 'HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II' (1987)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In a genre where follow-up movies are especially known for "milking the cow", <i>Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II </i>is one of the greatest horror sequels ever made. I've said that since I saw it, and I still stand by that. Though it's not as dark or tragic, this always has and will give <i>Carrie</i> a run for it's money. Someone from the Village Voice once said that "it's like a Brian DePalma movie for slasher fans", furthering my point that it stands toe to toe with <i>Carrie</i>, and in my opinion is superior. For those of you who don't know, Brian DePalma is the director of the original <i>Carrie</i>, but is most known for his masterpiece starring Al Pacino, <i>Scarface</i>. This stand alone sequel in the <i>Prom Night</i> series is directed by Bruce Pittman who's been around the game for a while. His last directorial effort was in 2012 called <i>The Last Movie</i>, and while I've never seen any of Pittman's other works, this is enough for me to respect the mans talent. Even if all of his other work is throwaway stuff (which I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying...), he knocked this one motion picture out of the park. The cast offers Lisa Schrage (<i>Food of the Gods II</i>), Michael Ironside (Scanners), and Wendy Lyon (<i>Warehouse 13</i> TV Series) in this supernatural tale of a prom night from hell as Mary Lou, a victim who died in 1957 at her school prom, returns 30 years later to wreck havoc and get revenge.<br />
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This underrated gem is nothing like the original<i> Prom Night</i>, which featured a lot (too damn much) disco music and a moderately slow pace, and which is also a slasher film. <i>Hello Mary Lou</i> is not a slasher, and I think that's a common misconception amongst horror fans, especially for those those who haven't seen it. Because the first one is a slasher, everyone thinks this one is, and that's not the case. It's a supernatural movie about a haunting/possession. No, there is no mask-wearing knife-wielding psycho in sight in this flick. There's a lot less disco and a lot more scares this time around. I don't just think that it's better than its predecessor, because it's head over heels above the third and fourth installments in the series which aren't even worth mentioning. Not to mention the pathetic PG-13 remake that had nothing to do with the original storyline except that it takes place on prom night. The real shame of it is that <i>Prom Night II</i> seems to have gotten lost throughout time somewhere, because there's so many people who haven't seen it! I always encounter more who haven't seen it than those who have, but those who have viewed it are enamored with it, and it's a favorite that can be discussed over many, many hours if you find the right fans.<br />
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The story goes that Mary Lou (Lisa Schrage), a sexy and risque senior at high school, upsets her date for prom, and it results in her getting burned alive while accepting her tiara for being voted prom queen. So, yeah, Carrie can eat her heart out. Pigs blood vs. being burned alive? Is that even a contest? Anyway, here it is 30 years later, and the boyfriend who is responsible for murdering Mary Lou, Bill Nordham (Michael Ironside) is now the school's principal. His son, Craig (Lous Ferreira), is dating Vicki Carpenter (Wendy Lyon) when she becomes possessed by Mary Lou's angry spirit after messing around in the cellar with Mary Lou's old tiara. Vicki goes from being a sweet little girl to becoming a spitfire who doesn't let anyone push her around anymore. She stands up to fellow schoolmates and her parents alike, and shows them all that she has a mind of her own. Once prom night comes around, Mary Lou is set free and brings hell to the school auditorium. What I like about the characters in this particular movie is that they aren't all innocent, and yet I like them all the same. Mary Lou is a total bitch by all accounts, yet I find myself cheering her on and wait for her arrival at the end. Bill Nordham is responsible for Mary Lou's death, and yet he's a likable character because you know that he didn't mean to kill her. That doesn't make him a saint, but you can see he's a man dealing with his demons. Vicki is a wholesome girl who you kind of want to see stick up for herself, and Mary Lou gives her the balls to do it, even if it does go a bit too far. I've always liked the locker room scene in which Vicki/Mary Lou crushes her friend in a locker and you see what looks to be a cherry slushy leak out of the folds. It's brutal, but not as scary as the horse with red eyes in her room which used to be the reason I didn't sleep very much for about a month. But, I love dynamic characters like this where it isn't just cut and dry good or bad. Because in real life the picture isn't always that clear, so why should it be in movies? By adding flaws to the characters, it adds depth and the ability for viewers to understand those they're watching. The acting is surprisingly on par with the rest of the picture from just about everyone. I've never really had a complaint about the performances, while they may not be perfect, and some actors and actresses do stand out over others in the cast, everyone does their jobs well. And if you haven't seen this before, don't be so naive as to think that the ending is all as it seems. Because there's a good twist that ends the picture on a high note, like it deserves.<br />
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Despite being largely unknown, it still holds up today! That is of course unless you're a "entertainment junkie" as opposed to a "cinema junkie" . See, there is a difference. A "entertainment junkie" is someone all about action and a non-stop pace, they like <i>Transformers </i>and movies equally as bad, and only look for big explosions and special FX. These people also won't watch older movies because they say the FX are outdated, and lose interest. A "cinema junkie" is someone who understands that films are art, and see them as such. Granted all art is subjective and not everyone likes the same thing, but those who appreciate movies for quality storytelling and acting, as well as being social commentaries, see cinema on a whole other playing field. We're looking for quality, not just fancy cgi effects and loud noises. It takes more to make a good movie than that, and a lot of people don't understand that. "Cinema junkies" will watch black and white movies, foreign movies with subtitles, and new movies. We give them all a chance because we see them as art and don't just merely look to be entertained by a bunch of gunshots and buildings blowing up. If you consider yourself a "cinema junkie", then you'll love <i>Prom Night II</i> for all it has to offer. It doesn't have the biggest budget, but it rocks the hell out of the budget it had, and it doesn't disappoint. Its' one that you can watch over and over and over again and not get sick of, because it's fun, sexy, thrilling, and scary. It's still very effective because of the dynamic characters and the compelling plot. It's beyond good, it's great! Nowadays you get forced (and often terrible) acting along with a lopsided story that's only purpose is to either disturb you or bore you to death, and often it's the latter.<br />
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It's been years since I found <i>Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II</i> in the $5 bin at Walmart, but ever since owning it I've all but wore it out. I was very young when I first encountered it, and while I liked it, I didn't remember much about it. Well, that's all changed now and I can see why I fell in love to begin with. There's nothing bad that I can really say about this one, there's not anything that I would change worth mentioning either. This is what 80's movies were all about, and it's one of the better ones. I may be alone in the world for my fandom of this movie, and I honestly could care less. I'll maybe never know why I took to this one so much (no, it's not because Mary Lou is hot), but it's stuck with me through all these years and probably will continue to do so. If you haven't seen this, I recommend you see it ASAP, especially if you're a "cinema junkie" like myself. I just say movie nerd, but junkie describes it pretty accurately too (laugh). If there were three horror pictures from the 80's that I were to say are must-see movies, outside of Michael, Freddy, and Jason, I'd recommend this one, <i>Night of the Demons</i>, and <i>Trick or Treat</i>. We get a lot of lesser quality sequels often, but we hardly get one worthy of a watch as much as<i> Prom Night II</i>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST SCENE:</span></b> I gotta go with when Mary Lou returns to prom. It's the moment the whole film builds up to.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">BEST QUOTE:</span></b> I'm going to give this one to Mary Lou when she says "it's not who you come with, it's who takes you home", due to the fact that it shows you exactly how ruthless of a character she is. But by no means does she deserve death.<br />
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(QUOTE SOURCE:<a href="http://www.imdb.com/?ref_=nv_home"> IMDb</a>)Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-32428210842480679532014-08-06T05:25:00.000-07:002014-08-09T07:03:22.213-07:00Don't feed the 'ANIMAL' <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: yellow;">THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS</span></div>
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<i>The Monkey's Paw</i> (2013) director, Brett Simmons directs this survival story about a group of close-knit friends on the run for their lives from a beast within the woods. Starring Joey Lauren Adams (<i>Chasing Amy</i>), Elizabeth Gillies (<i>Killing Daddy</i> TV movie), and Paul Iacono (<i>G.B.F.</i>), <i>Animal</i> is an entertaining and relentless creature feature.<br />
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Two heterosexual couples and their homosexual friend get into something they have no idea how to get out of, and I couldn't help but cheer for the "animal" when it came to killing certain characters off. For the most part, the characters in this movie are intelligent and don't make many questionable judgements like in most genre pictures. So the problem doesn't lie with them falling into cliches as much as some of the characters just aren't trustable and likable. They do make some dumb choices, you can overlook them due to the smart moves they take. Aside from having good dialogue, there's no much more to the characters than what you see. But this isn't a movie that I wont judge for not having in-depth character story, because it's not that type of movie. It's an adrenaline rush you're thrown into, so there's no really time to go back and find out everyone's childhood and other details. You're stuck in the present with them as they try and survive, and tempers flare amongst them. The acting is exactly what you'd expect out of a TV movie. It's not great, but it gets the point across.<br />
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The "animal" isn't overly creative looking, because we've seen something done like it before (and done better) in <i>Feast. </i>I think the likeness is there and obvious to anyone who's seen <i>Feast</i> before, but all criticisms aside, the beast is really cool looking and different in a couple of ways. One of them being that it's almost always in a crouch position and walking/running on all fours. It's vicious, and while the movie isn't overall very scary per-se, it's absolutely thrilling to watch the creature in action because it's so violent and bloodthirsty. It's a very smart beast, and looks for weak spots to enter the cabin in which the main cast is holed up in. The two major things that I loved about the "animal" is that it's all practical FX. From what I've seen, there's no cgi involved, unless it's blended in really well with real material. I adore it when the monster in a movie is a person in a highly detailed suit, so <i>Animal</i> gets a thumbs up from me for that. The other thing that I liked a lot and appreciated is how they hardly show the "animal". Way too often the villain is exposed and given too much screen time, and it leaves very little to the imagination. Well, I don't know if it was a creative decision or just done due to budget, but the lack we see of the beast is for the better. Not being able to put a full figure image together of this fast-paced hungry beast is a brilliant decision. Don't get me wrong, you do see the "animal" in all it's glory, but it's done over several shots. The camera doesn't just sit there idle and watch the beast for moments at a time. The less you see of the villains in horror movies, the better. So a thumbs up from me on that too. Plus, there's some good gore as we see the "animal" disembowel someone pretty early on. You only have to wait three minutes into the movie before there's death.<br />
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The dark humor laced throughout truly makes it an almost enthralling experience to watch it. Providing laughs that aren't too conventional is always a plus, and doesn't hurt movies like this any. Although the plot is pretty simple and it's not overly inventive, it's still a fun watch that definitely gets intense at times. Especially when the main cast hides out in a cabin that we discover is already occupied by the survivors we see in the opening of the movie. And, there's some seriously great camera shots and angles, and there's some particularly good jump scares that are in fact effective. If I jumped a few times, I'm sure you will too (laugh).<br />
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There's not much about this movie that I dislike, because I take it as it is for what it is. It's a balls-to-the-wall creature feature that's packed with blood, guts, laughs, and jumps. While I do indeed like this film, I'd be lying if I said it's worth paying for. If it's on TV or you want to order it off of your cable provider and watch it from home for a small fee, that's fine. But this isn't a motion picture worthy of dragging you to a theater to pay out the ass for a ticket. So my verdict is, it's a must see unless seeing it is costly to you. I'd buy this one, despite its obvious attempt at mocking<i> Feast</i>.<br />
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<br />Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-67138778305196794882014-08-05T05:22:00.000-07:002014-08-11T08:31:25.935-07:00Horror Toy Tuesday: 'CHRISTINE' 1958 Plymouth Belvedere 1:25 Model Kit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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John Carpenter's adaptation of Stephen King's novel, Christine, is one of my favorite horror films, and easily in my top 5 books King has written. There's not much that has been made from the movie, and there's not really anything that can be made toy or model-wise that would be profitable aside from making Christine herself. Although there are flesh and blood characters, the star is Christine, and she's the one everyone wants (no pun intended).<br />
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This model kit manufacturers Round 2 Models, not only nailed the 1958 Plymouth in all it's glory, but made it sizable and affordable. This beauty is only $27.99, and well worth it. I'm actually seriously considering buying this one myself.<br />
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Here's the full product details taken from Round 2's site, <a href="http://round2models.com/models/amt/plymouth-christine/amt801-1"><span style="color: red;">HERE</span></a>:<br />
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<li>Scale 1/25</li>
<li>Skill Level: 2 (ages 10 and up)</li>
<li>Glue assembly, pain required </li>
<li>Injected in red</li>
<li>Modern Tooling</li>
<li>Vinyl tires with whitewall inserts</li>
<li>Super-detailed chassis, motor and interior assemblies</li>
<li>A full sheet of optional decals </li>
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Honestly, I've never done a model kit and I've only dabbled in painting. So all of the instructions to assemble and paint are mumbo jumbo to me, I'd just have someone put it together and color it for me. But for such an affordable price, I think it's even worth the purchase even if it gets left in the package which I'm sure is adorned in the movie art.</div>
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Christine is available now to order through various online retailers, but I always go with <a href="http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=RTAMT801#.U9gldvldXtx"><span style="color: red;">Entertainment Earth</span></a>. </div>
Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829872901342037686.post-34604950386108275072014-08-04T05:20:00.000-07:002014-08-05T19:10:03.501-07:00'BUNNYMAN MASSACRE' (Screener Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This sequel to <i>Bunnyman</i> (2011) is directed by Carl Lindbergh, and stars David Scott, Julianne Dowler, and Jennifer June Ross. "Inspired by true events" my ass. The only truth behind the <i>Bunnyman Massacre</i> idea is that in real life, some people sighted a suspicious guy wearing a bunny costume and it creeped them out. Said Bunnyman was seen only a few times (if my information is correct) and nothing ever came of it other than his loitering and having the police called for "suspicious activity". No one was ever caught or brought up on charges, yet this movie uses that concept and turns it into a wannabe <i>The</i> <i>Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i>. The film depicts a murderer in a filthy rabbit costume who kills random innocents in what are attempted to be gruesome ways. Really, this picture is just a boring schlockfest that has no original inspiration, like it's predecessor.<br />
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The plot will put you to sleep because it's one you've seen a dozen times. Okay, for example, if I were to tell you to think of and name some movies that are about a mask wearing psycho who lives on a farm and victimizes women in a gritty, low-budget setting and is also overfilled with bad acting, cheesy dialogue, and stupid characters, how many could you name? I know I could name many, but the most obvious rip-off or "inspiration" for lack of a better word is from <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i>, in which they even reuse the annoying photography sound clips and try and to pass them off as their own. As the story goes, the Bunnyman (Joshua Lang) lives on a farm with his brother Joe (David Scott), who not only bosses him around, but turns their victims into beef jerky that he sells at his rundown little corner store. That sounds familiar too, doesn't it (laugh)? When the Bunnyman isn't just moping around looking depressed, he's torturing and killing people. In this case, he takes on two girls who are customers at his brother Joe's store. After Joe is through being as cliche of an ignorant and rude redneck as can be, he ties up the girls, and along with his brother, they taunt and semi-torture their helpless captives. And no, not even the over implied dark humor can save this movie from sinking well below mediocrity. There are no back-able characters, not the Sheriff or the victims included, because they're all morons. If this movie had some merit, you'd likely be screaming at the screen for the characters to not be some naive and weak-minded, but there is no merit. So instead, it all just gets laughed at. If you're like me, you'll just shake your head in disbelief the whole time wondering "why am I wasting precious time of my life watching this crap?"<br />
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There aren't any kills or gore that'd constitute as a helping factor in bringing this movie to watchable terms, either. Due to the lack of budget, or laziness, or both, all of the kills are poorly executed. The ones that are up close are cut around with bad FX, and then there's ones that try to get away with murder (no pun intended) by having the on-screen kill happen a good distance away. It's like the filmmaker's tried to fool the viewers into believing that the angle these specific kill scenes are filmed at are everything but trying to avoid you from seeing how there's no special FX, and the kill weapon isn't in use. There's a specific scene where the Bunnyman has a victim on her knees, and he proceeds to take a chainsaw to her face/neck. It's the same equivalent as what kids do, where they tuck a plastic sword under their armpit and say they've been stabbed! This kind of movie trickery is unacceptable in my eyes, not just because it's unmistakably bad and obvious, but because it's child's play and can't be taken seriously. To describe these "kill scenes" in my own words would be to say they're "backyard kills"; where they look like they're filmed in someone's backyard due to lack of environmental setup and limited resources to actually pull off the killing part.<br />
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The sad part about it is, this movie lacks all of the fundamental basics a horror movie needs to work. If there was some good suspense and not just cheap thrills, and if the plot had taken a more serious and demented approach, it could have made a good product. If it were real grimy and realistic it would have been so much better, and if the rabbit costume the Bunnyman wears wasn't cute and instead was creepy, that wouldn't have hurt it any. Instead, there was no impending danger or fear, despite how corny and ruthless the antagonists try to be. It tries to be hardcore and funny, and instead it's just lame.<br />
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Would I recommend this? No. I hate to write reviews on movies that I virtually have nothing good to say about, but if I'm going to be honest I have to call it like I see it. I don't see a redeemable quality in this movie, and (while I'm being honest) I don't plan to ever watch it again. The biggest compliment that I can say about <i>Bunnyman Massacre </i>is that I was able to sit through it and not turn it off. It's not much, but that's it. If you want to sit around and play cards or talk with your friends, this would work just fine as background noise.<br />
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<br />Drew Grimm Van Esshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01612788931230137094noreply@blogger.com0