Greetings everyone; your friendly neighborhood Vault Master here with a few things to share with you. First off, check out my rockin' "digital badge" that I just received in an e-mail the other day. I got this for donating a dollar to the "DETROIT NEEDS ROBOCOP" project. Essentially, some crazy folks decided that they want a RoboCop statue built in the middle of Detroit. Against the pleas of Detroit's mayor, more than enough funds were pulled together to make the (1:1 scale) statue a reality. It is currently in the process of being molded (or is it being sculpted?) and should make its triumphant unveiling next year at Wayne State University's TechTown campus!
Directive 4: Donate to worthy RoboCop-related projects.
And now onto the latest updates from the B-Movie Film Vault Empire:
I know that isn't much, but fear not for Summer is here and all of us under the Vault banner are taking more time out to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We have not gone quietly into the night, we have not yet surrendered without a fight! More new stuff is coming from ALL of us, I promise!
And now for something truly entertaining... and random. I have become a huge fan of Underbelly and this latest episode caps off their "superhero month" perfectly. In this episode, Newt dons a costume and prepares to become the next legendary superhero whose exploits will make tales worthy of contemporary comic books! Prepare for the coming of...... UNDERBULLY!
Finally, here's some kick ass news that I've been sitting on for at least a week now. (I would have posted about it sooner but I sorta forgot.) The Rifftrax crew (i.e. Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy) are bringing fans another dose of RIFFTRAX LIVE on August 17th! The movie of choice this time? "JACK, THE GIANT KILLER" featuring Kerwin Matthews and various stop-motion creatures that look like horrific versions of Gumby characters. Feast your eyes upon the trailer!
I actually loved this movie when I was a kid but I'm more than willing to sit down and watch it be verbally torn asunder by these three demigods of movie riffing.
Well that's it for tonight folks. I currently have a LOT of stuff I want to write about; I have it all up in my thick skull, I just need to get it down on paper.. err... I mean Wordpad. Besides some new movie reviews (like the horribly belated ones for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter"), I have some new articles in the works (including two new "Indie Films You Should Be Stoked For" articles plus some new stuff for the Casual Gaming Blog) and the outline for a new podcast. Stay tuned for more blogging and whatnot as the days go by!
Oh, and before I forget, be sure to head on over to FREDDY IN SPACE! This frequently updated Horror blog has now reached its THIRD YEAR ONLINE and garnered a good cult following, and deservedly so: its webmaster consistently delivers quality articles and reviews, and frequently has awesome contests! Make sure to bookmark Freddy In Space.com right now and visit it often!
For any of you that follow film news religiously, you probably were saddened to hear that Guillermo del Toro will NOT be directing an R-rated "At the Mountains of Madness." This is because Universal (who was recently hemming and hawing over the budget of Ron Howard's proposed "Dark Tower" series) refused to budge on the rating; they feel that they are taking a huge financial chance on a Lovecraft-themed film and didn't want to lose out on the teenage crowd. (And as we all know... today's youth just loves H.P. Lovecraft. That was sarcasm by the way. 90% of kids today have no idea who Lovecraft is... unless they managed to see Cthulhu's appearance on South Park.)
"Universal.... you are forcing my hand. Give me an R-rating or else...."
In any case, Guillermo hopped from his dream project to something infinitely cooler (in my eyes): A little film called "Pacific Rim." Set to start filming at the end of this year (for a Summer 2013 release), the film already has Idris Elba (Heimdall from "THOR") and Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) attached (with Charlie Day interested in a role as well), and features one of the coolest storylines ever. From Slashfilm's latest news article:
Set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, the planet must band together and use highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace. This project will give the Hellboy filmmaker the opportunity to create two worlds. The first is an alternate version of Earth in the near future, decades after a historic date in November 2012 when the first kaiju, a towering Godzilla-like beast, emerged from a hole in the Pacific Ocean and attacked the city of Osaka, Japan. The second is “The Anteverse,” another universe on the other side of that gaping portal, 5 miles below our ocean’s surface. Since the first attack, the rim has been “spitting out” a variety of gigantic monsters at an increasing rate, which then stride out of the ocean and begin destroying sea-bordering cities, like Tokyo and Los Angeles. In order to combat these monstrous, otherworldly menaces, the military developed the “Jaeger” program, which trains teams of two pilots to jointly operate massive, building-sized mechanized suits of armor and high-tech weaponry.
Yes, you read that correctly folks, a portal to another dimension opens beneath the Pacific and spits out GIANT MONSTERS! To protect ourselves, humanity builds GIANT ROBOTS (mecha to be more precise) to combat these invading kaiju! This is kind of a shocker as giant mech/robot films (and TV shows) are almost primarily an export of Japan. Actually, the only real shock about this is that American film companies haven't jumped on an idea like this before; the only real mecha-moments we've had in our movies hail from the films of James Cameron (e.g. Aliens, Avatar) and the Wachowski brothers (e.g. "Matrix Revolutions").
Once again, "Pacific Rim" begins production later this year (shooting starts in September/November) and for some reasons will be held up until NEXT Summer. I'll be posting more news on this as it happens. In the meantime, enjoy the opening of "Evangelion: Neon Genesis," one of the most well known mecha vs. monster anime shows of all time:
Good afternoon b-movie fans! It is a gorgeous day in the neighborhood (well... sort of) and I have plenty of cool things for you to check out today. First up, the gang at FRIGHT-RAGS dropped me a line to let me know that they have three new shirts available PLUS a rockin' "Friday the 13th" poster. The new shirts feature ye olde logos of several horror magazine publications and came about as a result of the popularity of their recent Rue Morgue t-shirt release. Check this stuff out!
3D! AHHHHH!
Next up: NEW UNDERBELLY VIDEOS! The first has the Underbelly team visiting the New Jersey Renaissance Faire (wow, these LARPers are verily tripping over their tongues while talking to the hostess of this episode) while the second is an attempt at vindicating "The Man of Steel." Watch and subscribe!
This morning I also got word from director Jay Woelfel that "Closed for the Season" (read my review of the rough cut HERE) is done and finally being released on DVD on AUGUST 26TH. I've been eager to see the final product, so I shall definitely be picking up a copy and you should too. (Support independent cinema!) The DVD will have an audio commentary by writer/director Jay Woelfel, deleted scenes with (optional?) audio commentary, multi-part behind-the-scenes featurette, two tour videos of Chippewa Lake from 1993 and 2008, and Webisodes. The film will be featured in 2.35:1 widescreen, with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound audio. This is a lot of love for a small film like this (kudos to MTI Home Video) and I'm excited to check out all the special features but... did they really have to use that generic photoshopped cover? The original poster art, in my opinion, is far superior.
Finally, I found something rather fun over at Unreality Magazine. They posted an article recently called "15 Movies that Can Also be Watched Backwards." CLICK HERE to check it out and prepare to laugh; make sure you're not drinking or eating anything while reading this stuff.
Well that's it folks; I gotta get my butt to work. When I get home tonight, I'll be doing a bit more writing and should at the very least, have a new Genre Watch up for you! Enjoy the rest of this whimsical(?) Wednesday!
It's been a long couple of days b-movie fans; my apologies for not making any new posts (or adding new content). Saturday was a marathon of parties, starting with a birthday party for my (now) four year old niece Lily, where I was taken down by a vicious pack of children, as a pride of lions would bring down a caribou. Following a short visit to my buddy Adam's graduation party, I ended my Saturday at an engagement party (Congrats to Josh and Lorraine!) where I got SLOSHED.
In any case, it has been back to the ole grindstone for yours truly since that busy weekend, but tonight I've managed to reserve a bit of energy in order to bring you a dose of awesome. Here are some cool videos that are bouncing around Youtube at the moment that will most assuredly bring a smile to your face.
First up, how about a little music to brighten our spirits? Ever hear of that catchy song "Istanbul (not Constantinople)?" Well here's a new version of it as sung by THE BAD ASS RUSSIAN:
Wait... did I see a "Baseball Fury" from "The Warriors" sitting at the bar? I did! I did!
Next up is a video featuring actor Nathan Baesel (in character as Leslie Vernon) asking fans to help him raise funds for the prequel/sequel/remake of "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon" (one of my favorite genre films). If you've failed to see it, definitely check it out. It does a wonderful job at deconstructing slasher films, then uses those same cliches to create a completely satisfying slasher movie climax! Here's hoping this new film comes to pass; check out the video below then CLICK HERE to donate to this worthy cause:
This next video is a fun little parody created by the special effects guru behind the creatures in Norway's awesome mockumentary TROLL HUNTER. This "explains" why one of the creatures in the film has only one arm and it is just so monumentally awesome. Check it out; then get your paws on a copy of TROLL HUNTER and watch it!
Finally, here's something that truly blew my mind tonight. I discovered the first ever teaser trailer for Troma's upcoming TOXIC AVENGER 5: THE TOXIC TWINS. While I was immediately jumping for joy, I was saddened to learn that they haven't even written the damn movie yet. Still, its a nice way to let us fans know that it is eventually going to happen, and... HEY! They used Toxie's original voice from the first movie! COOL!
Hope you enjoyed all of those videos folks. Stay tuned for more posts (and hopefully new reviews and whatnot at the Vault) and... oh wait, I have one more thing to say....
Yikes, I've been blogging like crazy lately... I hope this urge to write constantly continues!
I just got in the door from seeing "Green Lantern," but before I get into that I'll share some cool movie news with ya'll. First up, here is a photo of Hugo Weaving as Captain America's stalwart nemesis, THE RED SKULL:
God he looks freakin' awesome! While I'm still not one-hundred percent sold on the look of Captain America's WWII costume, I have no complaints about the Red Skull.
Next up, here is the all new trailer for Vivid Entertainment's next Super-Hero Porno: SPIDER-MAN - THE XXX PARODY! Apparently Vivid did a HULK porno that got rave reviews, so they decided to continue bastardizing America's mythological heroes by having them bone the comic book gals us nerds always fantasized about.
The list of characters consists of Peter Parker/Spidey, The Kingpin (played by... Peter O'Tool? Hahahahaha!), Electro, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, Betty Brant, Black Widow, J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, and Flash Thompson. (There's no way Marvel would OK this, so I'm assuming they are utilizing the same law that allows Weird Al to parody the work of other musicians.) And this isn't some project done on the cheap folks... this is a full feature-length film, with hardcore sex and CGI f/x! I'm not kidding; watch the trailer:
Finally, before I head off to bed, let me chat a bit about "Green Lantern" while it is still fresh in my mind. I went into the theater with lowered expectations (thanks to a heads up from Newt from Underbelly) and that helped me to not hate this movie. At best, the "Green Lantern" is a mediocre superhero film that only succeeds in being an entertaining cinematic experience because of its failures. (There are a lot of scenes here that are supposed to be dramatic, but ended up giving the audience a good laugh.)
"This suit is too dull. Let's 'improve' it with a few million dollars worth of CGI!"
Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan, a cocky fighter-jet pilot who ends up getting a Green Lantern ring from a dying alien named Abin Sur. Hal eventually learns how to access the ring's power, and makes a trip to the planet Oa where the audience is given a bunch of expository information. (If you know absolutely nothing about The Green Lantern, this section of the film will get you up to speed.) He is told of the Lantern Corps origins, and briefly trained in combat by fellow "emerald knights," Kilowog and Sinestro.
After being defeated (i.e. humiliated) by Sinestro (who literally goes all Captain America on Hal at one point), our hero goes back to Earth to mope around until he gets a taste for superheroics and receives some tender advice from his love interest. Finally accepting his role as a Green Lantern, Hal must defend Earth not only from his first major foe, Hector Hammond (the lovechild of Professor X, John Carpenter, and The Elephant Man) but also an evil fear-devouring monstrosity known as Parallax. Will Hal be able to save Earth (and his girl) from the world-devouring Parallax? Will Sinestro foolishly try to utilize the power of the Yellow Ring if Hal fails in his mission? Truthfully, you probably won't really give a damn.
This movie will be a major letdown to the hardcore Green Lantern fans, and just plain "meh" for everyone else. (Except kids; they'll probably love the sh*t out of this movie.) The characters aren't really all that interesting (except for Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond), the whole subplot involving Hal's psychological issues is pretty generic and handled rather clumsily, Blake Lively is cute to look at but doesn't prove to be much more than a damsel in distress, and the effects.... Christ the effects are really a mixed bag.
CAN YOU DIG IT?!
Mere months ago I saw Marvel's "THOR" and was blown away at how well that movie brought Asgard to life. It was done so well, and the film itself managed to find a good balance between spending time on Midgard (Earth) as well as Asgard. "Green Lantern" attempts to do the same, but fails miserably. And Oa, though cool to look at, seems more like something you'd see in a video game cut scene; it fails to pull you in and make you believe that it is a real place. Also, a lot of the CGI in this is laughable; you'd think the effects artists could have done a better job, especially when given some extra time and around nine-million to do some "touch up work" mere weeks before opening day.
Overall, "Green Lantern" is a lousy start for a new superhero franchise because it fails on so many levels. However the final battle between Hal and Parallax (the giant fecal space-octopus) is admittedly cool, and Peter Saarsgard gives a memorably goofy performance as the whiny big-brained Hector Hammond. (Sarsgaard is so over the top at times and results in many of the films unintentionally funny moments.) If you're dead set on seeing "Green Lantern," then I highly suggest you catch a matinee of it. Otherwise, save your money for next month's Summer blockbusters or, better yet, go see "Super 8" instead.
John Carpenter as The Elephant Man in "Green Lantern."
Oh yeah, I almost forgot! There is an extra scene that takes places shortly after the credits begin to roll. For those of you who know the Green Lantern mythos, you won't be surprised at what happens: Sinestro takes possession of the Yellow Lantern ring (that the Guardians stupidly created) and is engulfed by the power of FEAR! So Hal and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps will now have to contest with the "Sinestro Corps" if the sequel gets made... and it most likely will. Here's hoping that Warner Bros. and DC do a better job with the story and effects (and characters) the second time around.
Hey all! Just discovered a trailer for a new Horror/Comedy called "Detention." The first half of the trailer makes the movie look like a typical teen/high school comedy, and then people die! It actually looks pretty entertaining and I wouldn't mind giving it a look. Check out the trailer and see what you think:
That whole "Heath Ledger" joke caught me off guard and gave me a good laugh. ("What? Too soon?") In fact, it seems like this movie is going to have a lot of witty banter; I'm very curious about this one, and have added it to my "movies I need to see" list. (Yes I actually do have one of those.)
Next up is a trailer for an indie film called "Monster Brawl," a film where various legendary monsters battle it out in a wrestling ring to become the mightiest monster of all time. The lineup includes "Frankenstein," "Cyclops," "The Mummy," "Witch Bitch," "Swamp Gut," "Lady Vampire," "Zombie Man," and "Werewolf" and only one will survive this "fight of the living dead."
Hahahaha. "Monster Brawl" was an official selection of the Fantasia Film Festival this year and it looks totally ridiculous (holy shit! Jimmy Hart?!) but should be a fun watch. Visit the OFFICIAL SITE to learn more about the film and its mon-stars. There's no release date yet for this film, but it has been picked up for distribution so I'm thinking it'll get a release sometime in September or October.
Lastly, I need to get something off of my chest. "Super 8" has given me a craving to go back and revisit some of my favorite Spielbergian films from my childhood. I really wanted to watch "E.T." but I don't own it and NetFlix isn't streaming it at the moment (bastards!). So I opted for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" instead. I haven't seen this particular alien film in well over a decade, and it is surprising how much I didn't recall.
It's a great movie and Spielberg was at the top of his game when he wrote and filmed it. The film triggered my superhuman "nostaglia sense" and I felt like a kid again; it had me reminiscing about watching this film late one Summer night on The Disney Channel, long before it became cluttered with horrible "tweener" sitcoms.
However... after mulling it all over, I've come to a huge conclusion: The alien beings in this movie are complete dicks! (Note: SPOILERS AHEAD!)
"People of Earth..... F*CK YOU!"
First off, lets discuss how they first make their presence known to the scientific community in the film. The aliens come down and drop off a half-dozen World War II fighter planes, still in mint condition. Later, during the climax, they release all of their human captives, including the pilots of those six planes! While this is all well and good, you have to stop and consider this: The pilots have not aged; they've been missing for nearly forty years; everyone they knew is either old or dead; everything they knew is now either changed or gone.
These guys are going to have to adapt to (what they would consider) a more futuristic world with no family or friends to help them! (And that's even if they are allowed back into society; methinks the military would probably just keep them bottled up somewhere for vigorous questioning for the remainder of their lives.)
Secondly, along with giving (most likely) hundreds of people a bad sunburn, they also implant a sort of post-hypnotic suggestion in various folks, compelling them to come meet their eventual conquerors for a friendly chat at Devil's Tower in Wyoming. One of said folks is Richard Dreyfuss' character Roy Neary.
After his brief encounter with a U.F.O., Roy begins to have a near psychotic breakdown. He sees a certain mountainous shape in everything and tries to unlock the mystery behind it. He continuously creates a mountain-like shape out of everything and anything he can, whether it be shaving cream, modeling clay, or delicious mashed potatoes.
"This means something...... most likely divorce."
This causes him to act a wee bit crazy and it wrecks his entire life. He loses his job, his wife takes the kids and runs off (mainly because she's terrified), he destroys a good portion of his house to create a huge scale model of Devil's Tower, the neighbors think he's insane, and he seems pretty OK with it all once he discovers where Devil's Tower is.
He just picks up his stuff and drives off to Wyoming without a single thought, and risks life and limb to escape from military custody and witness the first contact between man and extraterrestrials. In the end, his reward for having his life on Earth completely destroyed, is to be chosen by his tormentors to go with them into outer space, where he is quite likely to be brutally (and frequently) anal-probed.
Finally, because they probably couldn't bear to leave Earth without giving us technologically inferior humans a final "f*ck you," the aliens totally snub the government's elite chosen crew of abductees. A group of personnel that we briefly see a few times throughout the film, were hand selected to go up to the stars and learn more about the aliens.
Their identities are taken, they are given a quiet moment of prayer, and then marched up to the mothership (with Richard Dreyfuss following gingerly along). The aliens approach the group of would-be galactic travelers, grab Richard Dreyfuss, and take off. ("Wait! Guys! You just unloaded about four dozen other kidnap victims, I think you have room for eight more people! Oh come on? Really?! You chose Richard Dreyfuss over US?! F*CK YOU ALIENS!")
And these are just the main indications that the superior race of beings that visits Earth in this film is made up of assholes. They also bait police officers into a "car chase," which ends with one cop driving off a cliff. (We never know what happens to this bit part character, so I'll assume he died in a fiery inferno of screaming metal.)
And they also kidnap a child and drive his mother as equally insane as Richard Dreyfuss. Do we, the people of Planet Earth get an apology for any of this, or even demand one? Hell no! They just mess with us, destroy lives and property, then wave goodbye. And we practically thank them for it! And for that, I guess we deserved to be on the receiving end of the antics of these visiting galactic fratboys.
Well that's my rant about "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Its a classic, and a great film overall with all the right Spielbergian touches that made cinema of the 70's and 80's awesome. If you haven't seen it, or just haven't see it in a while, give it a watch. It is still widely available and currently streaming on NetFlix!
Check back tomorrow night for two new capsule reviews and enjoy the rest of this gorgeous Thursday!
I'm still slowly getting my reviews for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter" typed up (wish I wasn't so damned tired after I got home from work) and plan on having them completed and posted by Friday. Both movies are getting high ratings from yours truly, and if you have the time and the money, please go see both; please help support GOOD cinema!
Also, I'm probably going to go see the "Green Lantern" this weekend. It looks pretty damned cool and seems like it will be a faithful adaptation of the DC comic hero. To get psyched up, watch this trailer:
"In brightest day, in blackest night. No evil shall escape my sight. For those who worship evil's might, beware my power... GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"
As I've continued to work on my review for "Super 8" (coming soon I assure you!), I thought to myself, "Man, Spielberg sure likes his alien movies." Off the top of my head I recalled "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the remake of "War of the Worlds," plus he had aliens show up in both "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." And then I checked his IMDB page......
Films Spielberg has directed that somehow involve alien beings: 1964 - Firelight 1977 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1982 - E.T. - The Extraterrestrial 2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence 2005 - War of the Worlds 2008 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Well nothing at all alarming there right? I mean the guy has done "Jurassic Park," "JAWS," "Schindler's List," "Saving Private Ryan," and an entire spectrum of films from nearly every genre. But then you look at the films he has produced / is producing, and the alarm bells start going off.
He's smiling because he's thinking of aliens and robots right at this very minute!
Films and TV series that Spielberg has produced, that somehow involve aliens:
1982 - E.T. - The Extraterrestrial
1987 - *batteries not included
1997 - Men in Black
2001 - Evolution
2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence
2002 - Taken (one episode) 2002- Men In Black II
2007 - Transformers
2009 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2011 - Super 8
2011 - Terra Nova (Pilot episode)
2011 - Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 - Cowboys and Aliens
2011 - Falling Skies (8 episodes)
2012 - Men in Black 3
And let's not forget the Spielberg-produced remake of "When Worlds Collide" that is coming out next year. No aliens, but humanity is about to be taken out by a rogue planet. However, there's a second, life-sustaining planet riding shotgun with it. Will some people (enough to repopulate) manage to make it to the other planet before Earth is eradicated?!
In any case, one really has to wonder.... what is Spielberg's sudden obsession with alien movies?!?!
There is only one answer: SPIELBERG IS AN ALIEN!
Also, Steven seems to have a spin-off obsession with robots now as well. Once again, allow me to list some films to prove this point:
Spielberg-directed robot movies:
1971 - Duel (I'm grasping here, but c'mon, it has a killer truck! It could be a robot in disguise...)
2001 - A.I. Artificial Intelligence
2002 - Minority Report (spider-bots!)
2005 - War of the Worlds (the alien "tripods")
2013 - Robopocalypse
Spielberg-produced robot movies:
1987 - *batteries not included
2001 - A.I. - Artificial Intelligence
2007 - Transformers
2009 - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2011 - Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 - Real Steel (Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots: the Movie!)
2013 - Robopocalypse
Ok yeah I may be really reaching here, but there's no denying that The Spielberg has suddenly gotten a huge hardon for robots and aliens lately. I'm not really complaining though because I too enjoy robot and alien cinema (which this has been a landmark year for), but I have to admit that its a bit eerie that he's directing and producing so many in so short a time. If you're worried about aliens, then continue to watch the skies. Me? I'm going to watch The Spielberg instead.....
Got home from work and discovered a slew of cool movie posters all over the web. First up is the teaser poster for next year's highly anticipated "The Dark Knight Rises."
Hmm.... looks very cool. Batman is floating over Gotham with his cape while numerous helicopters surround him. The only thing that looks a bit off is the bat symbol embedded in the shattered window we're supposed to be gazing through. Did he leap through the window and leave a cartoonish outline of his body in it? We still have a full year before we gaze upon the awesomeness of this latest film in the new Dark Knight saga, but it doesn't hurt to start getting fans excited now, right?
Next up is a super-cool retro poster for Marvel's upcoming Captain America (in theaters on July 22nd):
WOW! That is too damned cool! I would love to have this poster framed and hanging in my movie room! Cap punching out Hitler is a great touch, giving a nod to cover of the very first issue of Captain America! Seeing stuff like this makes me feel all warm and gooey inside; it is nice to know that some film companies really know how to promote their movies!
Next we get a first glimpse at next year's The Avengers, fully assembled with Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and The Mighty Thor:
I'm still not sure how this will pan out with Mark Ruffalo taking over for Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk), but I can't help but be excited for this movie. This is an unprecedented feature film that will pull together characters from (at least) four different Marvel films. Here's hoping that it actually works!
Finally, here's a fun poster created for the short Horror film the kids in "Super 8" made, called "The Case." (Note: Do not leave after the end credits roll for "Super 8." Stick around and you'll be presented with the completed "kid made" horror short, "The Case.")
Wow.... as if I didn't love "Super 8" enough already...... This poster was created by Yehudi Mercado; you can see the creation of the poster, and check out his other drawings and animations over at his blog, SUPER MERCADO!
Hey all! Just a quick post here to keep you all in the know about what I'm up to and to share a little movie news while I'm at it. I'm currently working on two capsule reviews for "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter," and should have them up within another day or two. I caught both movies this past Friday, which made for a day of purely awesome cinema.
Speaking of "Super 8," it is currently numero uno at the box office, pulling in a pretty decent $38 million this weekend. This is good news for J.J. Abrams and company, seeing as how the film only cost $45 million to make. (From here on out, its all profit!) If the film continues to do well (which it probably won't because the fickle general public is going to send "The Green Lantern" to the top spot next week) it'll be a victory for everyone, and might send a message to Hollywood that we the people of these United States are willing to pay to see a GOOD movie!
That ISN'T a remake or comic book adaptation!
And that ISN'T in f*cking 3D! (Cue short rant.)
Damn you Hollywood, stop giving us gimmicks and soulless effects-filled tripe, and give us some damn stories with likeable characters that we can relate to! Is that too much to ask?!
"Super 8" is a fantastic movie; I highly recommend it! It relies on a great cast to move things along (greatest cast of child actors I have seen in a film since, well... the 1980's!), and is for the most part, family friendly. The soundtrack (and score) are great, the acting is fantastic, the effects are well done (though I really, REALLY wish they did some practical effects to bring the film's mysterious creature to life), and it manages to hearken back to a better time in cinematic history that I like to call the "Amblin Era." Go see it!
Everyone within the B-Movie Film Vault Empire has been hard at work lately, bringing you new content as often as possible. Here are all the latest articles, reviews, and musings from our small (but mighty) collective of blogs:
According to Bad Ass Digest in a recent article, Platinum Dunes (though they've been given the greenlight for sequels to their remakes of "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm St.") is apparently going to distance themselves from the Horror genre. As announced in this really cool video, which features Platinum Dunes' very own Brad Fuller, saying it like it is, the bomb is dropped at the 9:44 mark in the video, after Fuller finishes discussing how disappointed he was with the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm St." For many Horror fans, this is fantastic news, but I'm kind of disappointed as I was actually hoping for another chapter in the rebooted "Friday the 13th" series. Still.... its really satisfying to know that PLATINUM DUNES IS NO LONGER DOING HORROR REMAKES!
In other news, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL got a distributor! Magnolia Picture's very own Magnet Releasing label has snatched up the rights and we will all FINALLY get to see this movie that has been praised, hyped, and begged for since the middle of last year! Magnet is releasing "Tucker & Dale" in select theaters (probably only in LA and NY, which is utter bullsh*t!) on September 30th, and will also be releasing it via various Video on Demand services on August 26th! I'm guessing that they'll put it out on DVD and Blu-ray sometime in October, and you best believe that I'll be buying it once its available!
Finally, I'd like to share with you a teaser photo of a new t-shirt design from those awesome guys and gals at FRIGHT-RAGS! This is only one of five new tees they will be releasing, and I can't wait to see the rest of them! (The rest will be unveiled next week!) Behold fellow Horror and Sci-Fi nerds..... ZOMBIE WARS: THE LIVING DEAD STRIKE BACK!
Well that's all I've got for you today b-movie fans! Check back soon for more cool stuff at the Vault as I continue to celebrate its 11th year online, and enjoy this gorgeous Thursday!
As of June 6th this year, The B-Movie Film Vault has been online for ELEVEN YEARS! To celebrate this milestone, I present to you a refurbished review for the 1982 creature feature, THE BEAST WITHIN. This movie features a veteran cast of character actors, some cool old school practical f/x, and a rather intriguing storyline that puts a grotesquely different spin on rape & revenge cinema! (Also, I finally got my groove back a bit and put up a new GENRE WATCH article. CLICK HERE to see what's new in stores and theaters this week!)
Also, I wanted to share the latest episode of Underbelly. The writers and cast of this web series have teamed with VSauce, and in their first co-op episode, Underbelly's very own Newt shares his comic book knowledge with VSauce's Michael (and viewers). Newt delivers a list of the SIX WORST COMIC VILLAINS EVER, which is made up of some of the goofiest baddies I've ever (or rather, never) heard of. Check out the video and don't forget to subscribe!
Well I'm off to do more writing. I'll be posting a new article soon over at the Casual Gaming Blog soon (be sure to head over now to read Derek Miller's continuing Top Ten List of classic NES Wrestling games), will be maintaining my weekly vigil at the Genre Watch blog, and I plan on getting some more reviews, articles, and maybe even a podcast or two added to the Vault archives before this month is through! Stay tuned for more awesome stuff b-movie fans! Blog ya later!
Youtube is full of new and exciting (and entertaining) content these days, and one of the several web-shows I follow is UNDERBELLY. They cover everything in pop culture, from movies, to comic books, to video games, and they do it with their tongues firmly in cheek. Their latest video picks out numerous comic book heroes that are for the most part, just plain stupid.
There's MATTER-EATING LAD (he can eat through anything), EXTRANO (gay Mexican magician who battles THE HEMO-GOBLIN, a vampire that spreads A.I.D.S. to minorities), SQUIRREL GIRL, and several other bargain basement/bad idea superheroes. (Although, I have to admit that MAN-THING does not belong on the list. Although his name is highly suggestive and he's been eclipsed by DC's Swamp Thing, he has been getting plenty of action lately in Marvel's THUNDERBOLTS series.)
Without further ado, here is the latest Underbelly episode that is kicking off their month-long celebration of superheroes:
Egads! It's been a long time since I last posted on this here blog, and it has been almost as long since I've written a review or article. (Speaking of which, CLICK HERE to read the last article I posted: Indie Films You Should Be Stoked For: Vol. II!) Rather than go into why I've been "slacking," let us pretend that I was cryogenically frozen for a month and have only now thawed out because someone accidentally unplugged the freezer I was trapped in.
Anyway, while I recover from my severe case of freezer-burn, and prepare to write up some new content to celebrate the Vault's ELEVENTH YEAR ONLINE (as of June 6th!), here's some interesting stuff to distract you:
First off, TCM announced last week, with a really cool trailer I might add (scroll down to watch), that they are celebrating June by having "DRIVE-IN DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHTS" every Thursday of this month. They have thirty films queued up for fans of classic monster cinema, and have already gotten things underway with a delightful combo of Godzilla and dinosaur films. I actually sat down and watched "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Rodan" with my dad earlier tonight and.... it was really cool.
In all the years I've known him, we've spent very little time watching movies together. (He kind of looks down upon my obsession with cinema, especially "those weird movies" I have, if only because he doesn't understand it.) But tonight, we sat there and quietly watched (and occasionally laughed at) two classic kaiju films in the living room, and dare I say.... my old man enjoyed them. (To paraphrase Indiana Dundee himself: "Rodan was ok.... but Godzilla was much better.") Excuse me, while I mark this day down on my calendar and send a thank you letter to the staff of TCM.
If you missed tonight's impressive lineup, have no fear because there's plenty more monster movies on the way over the next four Thursday nights in June. For the full lineup of movies being featured this month, CLICK HERE!
The next item of interest on my list is a fairly new podcast by the CULT MOVIE CABAL. These guys choose two or three cult/b-flicks, watch them, then record their thoughts on the wonders (or horrors) that they have seen. I've listened to several and I'm enjoying their podcast so far, so be sure to check 'em out and subscribe! In fact, check out their latest podcast now and see if the Cult Movie Cabal is right for you.
Well, I'm going to head off for a bit and do some writing and website tinkering. Since Monday marks the Vault's 11th year online, I'll most definitely be trying my best to add a good chunk of new content to the site. So keep your eyes peeled for new stuff, and enjoy the month of June, because Summer is about to begin, there's gonna be cool movies out in theaters, and plenty of awesome stuff to watch on TV! Blog ya later b-movie fans!
