Vault Empire Updates; "Super 8" and "Troll Hunter" reviews coming this weekend; "Green Lantern" opens Friday!

Here's the latest batch of reviews and articles from the small, but mighty collective of blogs that makes up the B-Movie Film Vault Empire:

Bill's Beta Ray Blog

• Cosmic Links

Casual Gaming Blog

• Hardware Review - Gtron NES USB Controller for PC/Mac

Genre Watch

• Genre Watch - June 2011 (Week of 06/12 - 06/18)

Radiation-Scarred Reviews

• The Thirsty Dead (1974)

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!"

Spielberg's dark obssession with aliens and robots revealed!

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.....

Poster-ama! Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, Captain America, Super 8!

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! 

SUPER 8 Tops the box office. New content coming soon!

Poster art by Drew Struzan.

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!

Check back soon for new reviews and more!

Latest Vault Empire Updates; Platinum Dunes calls it quits on Horror remakes; Tucker & Dale vs. Evil gets a distributor; Teaser for New Fright-Rags t-shirts!

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:

Bill's Beta Ray Blog

• UPDATED: DC Comics Reboot / Relaunch Reaction

The Casual Gaming Blog

• E3 News: New Consoles and Halo 4 announced!
• Top 10 NES Wrestling Games - #3 WWF WrestleMania Challenge

  Genre Watch

• Genre Watch - June 2011 (Week of 06/05 - 06/11)

 MMA Addict

• UFC 130 Musings

 Radiation-Scarred Reviews

• Monstroid: It Came From the Lake (1979)
• Curse of Bigfoot (1978)
• Radioactive Dreams (1985

And now the news....

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!

Vault turns ELEVEN; New (old) Review for "The Beast Within;" New Underbelly Video!

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!

Underbelly presents its list of THE WORST SUPERHEROES!

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:

If you liked what you saw, then subscribe to Underbelly on Youtube, "like" Underbelly on Facebook, follow their Twitter feed, and don't forget to swing by their IMDB page too!