Film Review: Creepshow 3

This is the sequel that no one wanted yet here we are discussing the in-name-only sequel to the George A. Romero and Stephen King anthology series. Originally inspired by EC Comics, CREEPSHOW was a landmark in horror film cinema blending both dark comedy and gut wrenching gore into one cohesive whole; CREEPSHOW 2 managed to capture the feeling of the original film but lacked the great storytelling of the first film. In this new film CREEPSHOW 3 everything that made the series what it is, is thrown out the window for this indie produced film.

The vignettes in CREEPSHOW 3, unlike in the previous two films, are loosely linked together by characters and situations. In one of the stories you have a disenfranchised teen who finds herself being thrust between dimensions by a remote control developed by the neighborhood inventor. There is also a story about serial killing stripper who discovers something more dangerous then her just down the street, and there is even a story with the inventor and his new fiancée whose students believe that she is a synthetic robot who will stop at nothing to prove it. This is just a sampling of the stories contained within this film as the filmmakers (directors Ana Clavell and James Glenn Dudelson, who both also contributed to the screenplay) clearly wanted to take the series into a new director by linking all the stories. This is actually the only good idea the filmmakers had with this film as the rest is a complete mess.

The film is neither funny nor scary but just hovers on being just gore-filled enough to keep the casual viewer from falling asleep during the films all to predictable stories and unoriginality. None of the comedy comes off as being funny or disturbing (as is befitting of most great dark comedies) and there is no suspense in the film whatsoever. The lack of suspense in the film goes to the fact that most of the film happens during the daytime in what appears to be an uninspired cinematographer in which all the images are washed out with no flare to interesting camera positions or movement. This horror film just comes off as being dull.

Another bad idea on the part of the filmmakers is the horrible animation used to show the “comic book” aspect of the film. Using computer CGI was a huge mistake as it looks like something a high school student put together on their fifteen-year old computer. Now I hate to come down on a film as much as I have on this one (although this is not the worst film I’ve ever seen) but the truth is that if you are a filmmaker extending upon an already successful franchise, there are some things that must be in the film in order to appease the fans (the people who end up buying or renting such films as CHILDREN OF THE CORN 7 or HELLRAISER 8) and if you don’t meet the fans’ expectation then don’t be disappointed with the bad reviews. It’s your own fault.

No fan of the first two films will enjoy this film and only the casual horror fan will even take notice. It’s an experience worth forgetting ever had.

Film Review: Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis

There were so many directions that the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD franchise could have gone after PART 2 (which threw away much of the mythology established in the first film) and PART III (which was a mixture of Romeo & Juliet and an Italian gore-fest) but instead with RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD: NECROPOLIS we are subjected to inane teenagers in one of the most under-developed messes in recent memory.

NECROPOLIS follows a group of teens who break into a research facility to save a friend of theirs who has been secretly kidnapped in order to do research on him. Peter Coyote plays a research scientist who has uncovered the last remaining barrels of Trioxin gas, which brought the dead back to life in the previous films. He’s using it to experiment on both the dead and the living in order to create bio-weapons, among other things. When one of the teenagers become part of the experiences his friends band together to break him out but instead unleash all the living dead held in the facility.

The biggest problem with the movie is the screenplay by William Butler and Aaron Strongoni which has every science gone mad film of the ‘50s through the ‘60s with no originality in sight nor any logic to why characters and situations are so inadequately done. In a research facility that does so much illegal activities why is there no decent security? Why are the living dead even being kept considering that they aren’t even of use to the facility? Why hasn’t anyone, before now, wizened up all the people disappearing without any bodies to be buried? Why would a research facility hire a high school student for security? This just scratches the surface on what dumb things shouldn’t be in a modern day horror film. They could’ve gotten away with it twenty years ago when no one knew any better but any savvy audiences today could see through this film.

There are a handful of gore sequences but they all come off as PG since these zombies just take a nibble out of a person’s brain rather then go for the jugular. I guess this they did this to save on the effects budget. They could have just saved everyone the wasted time and money by not producing this film in the first place.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - An Animated Epic Adventure!

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS is a great reminder that the Star Wars universe is not dead after the abysmal last three prequel films. Seen more as an extended pilot to the television series this feature length animated adventure feels like not only a great bridge between the films but a great first “episode” to another adventure. Even though George Lucas is credited with the story, the screenplay is written by Henry Gilroy, Scott Murphy, and Steven Melching and it comes off as a grand adventure as the original Episode 4 “A New Hope” or Episode 6 “Return of the Jedi.”

This film concerns Anakin Skywalker who is given an apprentice of his own Ahsoka Tano to train in the ways of the force as the universe is on the verge of war. Unbeknownst to them an evil scheme is being hatched by Count Dooku and Darth Sidious in which they plan to kidnap Jaba the Hutt’s son in order to lay blame on the Jedi and force a war between The Hutts and the Jedi. It is Anakin and Ahsoka’s mission to rescue Jaba’s son and return him safely to his family before all is lost.

This new film is meant to be the maturing film of Anakin that Episode 2 “Attack of the Clones” should have been but wasn’t. By giving Anakin an apprentice we are able to see Anakin’s faults and how he overcomes them since Ahsoka is very much like how he used to be.
Although there are a few too many “cute” spots in the film with the Baby Hutt, the action is non-stop and the animation is on top form. The highly stylized look of the film is unlike anything currently being done today. There is little to wonder why Lucas decided to premiere the new series as a theatrical film rather then on the small screen; as usual he has broke new grounds in animation and CGI and it shows. There is little to gripe about the film other then I wish this had been the way the prequels should have been.

TROPIC THUNDER - Funniest Film of the Year!

The “have funny laugh-a-thon” film of the summer has to be Ben Stiller’s TROPIC THUNDER. This mile-a-minute comedy-a-thon is some of the actor/writer/director’s best work (which is a lot coming from me since I generally dislike many of his films). There is no denying that Stiller hit upon a great comedy troop of actors when he joined forces with Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black for this movie-imitates-life-imitates –movie movie.

TROPIC THUNDER is the story of a director (played by Steve Coogen) whose career and film is falling apart because of the three big Hollywood actor-Divas he’s forced to work with. With a film rumored to be in trouble and never get finished the director decides to do something drastic which is put his actors out into the real jungle and shoot the film gorilla style. Everything goes as planned until the three actors Kirk Lazarus (Downey JR.), the Oscar winner who becomes “black” to get deeper into his role, Jeff Portnoy (Black), the comedienne who has a drug problem, and Tugg Speedman (Stiller), the former action hero whose career is fast becoming a thing of the past, all get stranded in the middle of the jungle after their director is killed. Now they must fend for themselves as a group of ruthless drug dealers will stop at nothing to stop them from accomplishing their mission to finish the film.

The great thing about this film is that not once did I ever feel like all the great jokes were given away in the previews for the film; in fact, the previews never came close to showing all the great moments in the film. I’m not a Stiller fan but this film felt fresh and new and kept the momentum from beginning to end. In addition to Coogan’s small role the film also boasts a list of great actors from Nick Nolte, Matthew McConaughey, and a stand-out performance from Tom Cruise, to name a few. If anyone steals this film it would be Cruise with his from left field performance as the Executive Producer of the film being made.

TROPIC THUNDER is just one great film from beginning to end that should not be missed.

Book Review: "How To Survive A Horror Movie" By Seth Grahame-Smith

Horror films, no matter how inane, have always been able to find an audience unlike any other genre known. Many of the most obscure films have a deep cult following that surpasses belief and defies expectations. Most fans of the genre relish in the clichés and the stupidity of the genre while also clamoring for more sophisticated fair. In Seth Grahame-Smith’s “pocket-sized” book “How To Survive A Horror Movie” he delves into the dos and don’t of horror film fandom in case you find yourself trapped inside one.

The book is a cleaver and funny look at all the clichés of the horror genre and all its sub-genres and how to survive any situation that you might somehow find yourself in. Grahame-Smith calls this place the “Terrorverse” and anything can and does happen when you find yourself visiting there. Everything from how to survive encounters with zombies to vampires to demons to slashers and even the chance encounter with Satan is touched upon in the book making for some very funny anecdotes. He even provides examples and much of what he explains both from famous films and just in general in a “real life” situation (these make for some of the best read). Although the book has no photographs from any films the artwork is dead on perfect for the book illustrating some of the threats one might encounter in a horror film.

The book touches upon a little of everything leaving nothing to chance although in hindsight (and for a possible sequel or “remake” of the book they should put in interviews with some survivors of horror films to add to the insanity of it all). As Grahame-Smith explains it, the Terrorverse is filled with all kinds of supernatural as well as natural monstrosities and you shouldn’t go anywhere without first consulting this book because even if you’re stuck with snakes on a plane, this book will help you get through and survive.

I recommend this book to all those horror fans whose lives are just a little too exciting.

Graphic Novel Review: "Bram Stoker's Dracula"...Again...

Now we’ve all read Bram Stoker’s DRACULA or at least know the story really well. Vampire buys a home in London. Vampire terrorizes a bunch of people in London. Vampire hunter from out of London comes to kill vampire and make London safe again. Nothing new here but the story has transcended time from generation to generation captivating readers (and even film viewers) time and time again no matter how old the story is and like the vampire Dracula himself his story is as immortal as time. Is it little wonder that Fernando Fernandez’ adaptation of the classic novel doesn’t really offer anything new yet is still as captivating as the immortal Dracula himself regardless of the current time.

Although the story offers nothing new it is Fernandez’ lush visuals and colors and make his adaptation stand out amongst all the others. Originally published in 1984 but brought back to life in 2005 by Del Rey Books Fernandez’ DRACULA has such striking visuals due to the realistic painterly style that you can’t help but to stop and take notice. This is one of the reasons why I picked up the book in the first place. Having already read the novel and other adaptations several times before I really wasn’t interested in another version until I opened the book and was awestruck by the artwork inside. I’ve never read anything else Fernandez has done but I will definitely be on the look out for more.

This over-sized graphic novel is short but the story is lush and Fernandez crams a lot of info in the text in case he happens upon the odd person who has not read or know the story. Fernandez did pick one of the better stories to adapt enabling him to reach a far wider audience then something more original (this graphic novel caught my eye). Although I’m not a big fan of the vampire genre those that are will enjoy this book and even the casual gothic horror lover will love this book and should add it to their collection.

Graphic Novel Review: IDW's "Land of the Dead"!

The comic book publisher has made a name for itself in the comic book industry thanks to the break out success of Steve Niles’ first “30 Days of Night” series (and subsequent and endless sequels). It has now become one of the leaders in horror comics along side Dark Horse and even Marvel (especially with their ever growing Marvel Zombie titles). With there adaptation of George A. Romero’s LAND OF THE DEAD this is no exception. Now compiled into a graphic novel readers can see the full film in four color glory from artist Gabriel Rodriguez and writer Chris Ryall, with colors by Jay Fotos, and amazing covers by Chris Bolton.

If you’ve seen the film this book doesn’t stray much and in fact is the “Director’s Cut” of the film restoring scenes that were cut from the theatrical version of the film (but subsequently inserted back into the DVD version). Ryall does a capable job with the material but then again you can’t really improve on Romero’s writing; he does make the transition from film to comic book less noticeable like many other adaptations that I have read. It is Rodriguez’ artwork that makes the book stand out as it is a great companion to the material and both Romero and Ryall’s writing style. Although he does take some liberties with the representations of the actors, Rodriguez still manages to capture the feeling of each character regardless of what “actor” is playing the character. This is the greatest asset to the comic as if there had never been a film this book would still be a very good way to spend and afternoon reading.

The book, like the movie itself, is very fast paced and a quick read which is why it is better reading it in graphic novel form rather then as individual issues. Also with the graphic novel you get all of the covers by Bolton which are gorgeous and a work of art unto themselves. My only complaint is that there aren’t enough extras like character sketches or sample script pages or a forward or anything else that makes buying the graphic novel worth the extra bucks if you’ve already got the individual issues. Sadly none of the extras are present so this would be a redundant buy for those who already have the entire five issue series.

This is a small price to pay for one of the better graphic novel adaptations currently out there.

DEATH RACE Returns With A Crash & A Bang!

Writer & Director Paul W.S. Anderson’s remake DEATH RACE (2008) is one of the most fun films of 2008 since Sylvester Stallone’s RAMBO. Anderson has done some of the best guilty pleasure films in the past two decades with the first MORTAL KOMBAT, EVENT HORIZON, RESIDENT EVIL, and most recently ALIEN V. PREDATOR, and his new film is no exception.

In the future the prisons are run by corporations and for profit and as such Warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) created the reality television show “Death Race” which has prison inmates battling each other on a race track in supped up automobiles to kill each other and win their freedom should they win the race. New to this is Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) who takes behind the seat of the famed legend of Death Race Frankenstein, whose legend Hennessey refuses to let die. Ames was framed for murdering his wife and faces a life sentence in the prison with the Death Race his only way out, but when he realizes that the warden has something with his being put into prison he decides to take matters into his own hands and find an alternate way to win his freedom from both prison and the death race.

The film is simple and straight forward with lots of subtle sub-stories for all the other characters including Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, and Natalie Martinez, to name a few, so Anderson was trying to add as much color to the film as he could. The true character of the film are the amazing car races (and crashes) and stunts throughout this non-stop action film. Like RAMBO the action is grand and fierce and never boring and Anderson has had a history of always delivering the goods and what the fans of his films really want.

I’ve never seen the original Roger Corman film DEATH RACE 2000 but I enjoyed this film from beginning to end more as a film-fan then as a filmmaker (since this is not high art) and I recommend this film to all action film-fans.

Disappointed By "BABYLON A.D."

Having loved Vin Diesal in PITCH BLACK and it’s sequel THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK I had high hopes for the futuristic post-apocalyptic film BABYLON A.D. but the film missed the mark completely. This film starts off well enough with it being in the future and the world is held together by the propaganda of the High Priestess (Charlotte Rampling). Vin Diesal plays Toorop, a mercenary whom we learn very quickly lives by a strict code of honor in whatever job he takes next.

He is soon hired by an underground low-life Gorsky (Gerard Depardieu) to escort a woman into America, a country whose borders are on lock down and they only allow a certain “breed” to enter of which he does not belong yet he strives to return. He is joined on this journey by Sister Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh) who is ward to his package Aurora (Melanie Thierry), who harbors a dark secret that puts all of there lives in danger. Aurora has spent her entire life in a monastery and thus knows nothing of the outside world in which they are to embark. As they try to make their way into America they are pursued by a group of anarchist who claim to be sent by Aurora’s dead father.

The film starts off okay as an futuristic action film (when the action does in fact come) but the film suffers from trying to be a complex story about the impending future of humanity and its reliance of the image of a religious deity to hold power over it. The film becomes really complicated in its last twenty minutes and it falls apart real quickly as if the film is trying to be the first part in a series of films (ala THE GOLDEN COMPASS), but instead the film falls flat on its face.

The other bad thing about the film is the unoriginality of the action and fight choreography which makes the film seem like something you’ve already seen better in some other film. This is a surprise coming from director Mathieu Kassavitz who did such a great job on THE CRIMSON RIVERS or even GOTHIKA. It also seems like Diesal is somewhere else as his Toorop resembles Riddick just a tad too much and not in the good way. Although its always good to see Yeoh in American films, like her other film this year THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, she has even less to do in this film then in that one. The film just has too many shortcomings for me to overlook.

Georgia's Homegrown "THE SIGNAL"

Being from Atlanta, Georgia I knew about the indie film THE SIGNAL long before it was picked up for distribution by Magnolia Films. I know many of the actors in the film and knew about it through them (at the time I was in the middle of production on my own film which has yet to find a distributer). It was great to hear that the film had been picked up for theatrical distribution by one of the major indie distributors.

The film made headlines all over the net and in magazines and newspapers and it was suppose to be one of the major indie films of the summer. Too bad the film didn’t make it into theatres. Due to some technical difficulties (of which I’ve heard a thousand rumors) the film was held for almost a year before getting a limited release with little publicity and little fanfare. By the time the film was finally released to theaters the “buzz” behind it was gone amid mixed reviews and a timid response from those reviewers that had happened to see the film at a film festival.

I ended up missing the film during its theatrical release, but this did not stop me from purchasing the film when it hit DVD. The film concerns a couple who are just trying to find each other amid an apocalyptic event that makes sane people go out and start killing people for no reason. The film is told in three segments by three different writers & directors, so, in a sense the film is trying to be a new type of anthology film that retains the same characters throughout. This is a very lamentable goal except that many audiences were turned away by the shift in tone and mood between the first and second “transmissions” (as they are called in the film).

I admire what the filmmakers tried to accomplish but the film looses something when it goes from the first transmission to the second one since the film shifts gears to focus on the villain of the film and bring in a bunch of new characters that were not in the first transmission. I actually enjoyed the comedy and dark humor of the second transmission and only wish that it had gone a step further (although upon a second viewing I’m beginning to think that it’s the score of the film that turned my off during this part of the film). The first transmission is a very good setup for the film but because the main character Mya (Anessa Ramsey) has little to nothing to do in the second and third transmissions she is sorely missed. This and the fact that the first transmission is the shortest of the three leaves me a tad disappointed since she did such a good job in the film.

The second transmission has more gore but it seems to take away from the film at times or just plain is a little too much. It feels like it’s trying to be THE EVIL DEAD which the rest of the film is not. The funny thing is that everyone in this segment does a great job but this transmission feels like a very good short film and not a piece of this feature.

The third transmission focuses on Ben (Justin Welborn) who after being captured and beat up by Mya’s husband he tries to find her amid the chaos of Terminus City while being chased by Mya’s husband.. This is more of a suspenseful chase film only less suspenseful since it’s one man chasing another man instead of a man chasing a woman. What saves this segment is Welborn’s performance as something is “lost in translation” when you have a male maniac chasing after another male character.

Overall, the film is not a bad film simply because it tries to throw away all the clichés of the genre and present something new while also providing audiences with something personal which is the journey of two people trying to find each other amid the chaos, whatever it might be.

"The X-Files: I Want To Believe" But Will You?

It’s been a very long time since the last X-Files film so I was very excited when news came that they were filming another one. The strange thing was, though, is that there was little notice given to the sequel until it’s cinematic release. I saw the film on opening night to a little less then a half filled audience who had little reaction to the film.

Now, first off I’d like to say that the film written by Frank Spotnitz and creator Chris Carter is a very strong character film in the “art house film” tradition. It’s a great stepping on point for both people who have never seen an episode of the show and for those people who stopped watching the show when star David Duchovny left.

Carter (who also directs this time out) delivers an atmospheric murder mystery with just enough “strangeness” to call it an X-File but herein lies the biggest problem of the film. It doesn’t ever really feel like an “X-Files” story. With the exception of a cameo appearance of Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) no one from the series returns for this film and since neither Mulder (Duchovny) nor Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) even belong to the FBI there is little reason to even call this film an X-Files film. The nature of the case in which Mulder and Scully are brought in to assist is barely an X-Files in itself and the big reveal at the end of the film (which I will not reveal here) leaves you wondering why the filmmakers decided this was the story by which to resurrect the franchise. This film takes elements from the most low-key episodes of the series rather then pull from the most popular which featured aliens or monsters or re-interpretations of old myths and legends. Unlike the series, this new film takes itself way too serious in a story that pulls more from an episode of Law & Order then it does from its own series.

I enjoyed the film rather more out of respect for what Carter & Co. were trying to accomplish then anything else as the film was not well received by audiences or fans of the series and it died a quick death at the box office. I do believe that upon DVD the film will find its audience but there is little chance of the franchise continuing after this one.