VAMPIRA: THE MOVIE - Remembering Maila Nurmi...

Maila Nurmi passed away early last year (2008) so it’s only fitting that I look at the 2007 documentary VAMPIRA: THE MOVIE by director Kevin Sean Michaels. Nurmi was best known to the public as Vampira, a bedeviled femme fatale of 1950s television as a host for obscure sci-fi and horror films. Modeled after the immortal Charles Addams character Morticia Addams, Vampira was decked in black hair and black clad clothing that made her look like she had no waistline. Nurmi on the other hand was a petite blond model who only wanted to earn enough money to become a traveling preacher.

Vampira was born out of Nurmi’s need to earn money to make her dream of becoming a traveling preacher a reality but her creation would soon have a life of its own. When Vampire appeared in the ‘50s no one had seen or experienced anything like her and in Michaels’ documentary he traces the beginning of Nurmi’s life and career as a horror-host icon through Nurmi’s own words. Nurmi, a recluse who disappeared from the spotlight long ago, is very candid about her life as Vampira with the ups and the downs. Vampira was a pop phenomena during her first year on television (sadly almost all of the episodes from her show have been lost but there are clips contained within this documentary) who was sadly fired and blacklisted when her contract (or written agreement as she likes to call it) was not renewed.

Nurmi recounts her mixed feelings and experiences on the infamous Ed Wood, Jr. film PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, which is what most of her fans are most familiar with (me being one of them since I’ve never had the pleasure of being able to view the show). She is very candid about the making of this film leading to a very revealing look into the mind that was Ed Wood.

Michaels also adds in a lot of interview footage from people whom Nurmi has influenced over the years from Forrest J. Ackerman, Kevin Eastman (creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Julie Strain, Sid (HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES) Haig, Bill (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS) Moseley, writer David J. Skal , and Cassandra Peterson – aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the women that Nurmi tried to sue for infringement of copyright. The film is a unique look at a woman who had a profound effect on the horror-host identity to which many people of our current horror-hosts are indebted. Nothing can be more true then the opening of the film which has Count Smokula singing a song about Vampira. Now that’s a legacy if I ever saw one.

[REC] - A Horror Film Classic In The Making!

No horror film has gotten under audiences’ skin recently more then the Spanish film [REC] which has been taking the film festival circuit apart (pun intended) for over the last year. American studios quickly jumped on the ship with the quickie remake QUARANTINE (itself a pretty damn good film), but [REC] has a raw and unforgiving atmosphere with unknown actors (at least to American shores) that bring the scares home unlike the remake which had a cast of young & up coming actors.

If you’ve seen the American remake QUARANTINE then you already know 95% of the story as the remake played it true to the original. {REC] finds reporter Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) at a Barcelona firehouse covering the events that happen at a firehouse during the graveyard shift when all normal people are sleeping. In fact, the show that they are filming is called “While You Sleep.” Thinking that the night will be a bust since typically nothing really happens at a fire station at night, Angela and Pablo soon find themselves tagging along with the firemen during what should be a routine call in which an apartment complex has reported noises coming from one of the tenants’ homes.

When they arrive, police are already on the scene and are about to go in all the while Angela keeps films hoping to get something exciting for her show. Once they step into the apartment they encounter an old woman who appears to be senile and unresponsive but when she attacks one of the police officers the firemen are forced to defend themselves and all hell breaks loose. They try to get the wounded police officer out of the building but soon realize that they and all the other tenants of the building have been locked up in the building by order of the CDC and the police. It appears that they have been exposed to some type of infectious disease that spreads quickly turning people into, for lack of a better word “zombies” whose only goal is to kill. Now Angela and the uninfected tenants must band together in order to find a way out of the building before it is too late.

Filmed entirely from the POV of Pablo’s camera the film is relentless and fast paced from beginning to end and it puts you right into the action and danger of the film. Similar to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and more recently CLOVERFIELD and DIARY OF THE DEAD, [REC] is a testament that good horror films only need to put the audience in the same shoes as the characters in the film to be effective. Having seen QUARANTINE before this film you’d think that I would have already been prepared for what was going to happen, but [REC] is more effective and still more terrifying simply because I was unfamiliar with any of actors in the film. One of the highlights of last year (that now only has to get an official release here in the states).

MY BLOODY VALENTINE IN 3-D Makes it's Mark!

Remakes are in the air and MY BLOODY VALENTINE in 3-D is the first one to step out of the gates for 2009. Although I’ve never had the chance of viewing the original, I came with an open mind when I went with a group of my friends to go see this film. The bonus of viewing this film is the fact that it is in digital 3-D (which I’ve seen everything from U2 3D to BEOWULF to HARRY POTTER & THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX in this new format) which many of my friends had never seen a film in.

Although the film’s plot is very derivative the added bonus of it being in 3-D was what made me enjoy the film more then I probably should have. The film concerns Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) who returns to his mining time home after a ten year disappearing act. You see, ten years ago a miner went crazy and killed a bunch of town’s people and almost killed Tom. The incident left Tom scarred for life. When he returns home all he wants to do is sale off the mine where the incident happened (and which he owns over 50%) and get on with his life which might include his former sweetheart Sarah (Jaime King), who when after he left married Axel (Kerr Smith) who is now the town Sherriff. When bodies start popping up again on the ten anniversary of the Valentine’s Day massacre all blame points to Tom, but is Tom really responsible or has the killer from ten years back decided to finish what he started a long time ago?

MY BLOODY VALENTINE works not only because of the 3-D effects (although they do help) but because the film does not pull any punches in terms of scares and suspense and violence (which there is plenty of). It relies on audiences to actually be terrified of what’s on the screen in the same way that the SCREAM films tapped into that same basic instinct and reaction (which is why those films were so popular).

I’ve seen a lot of horror films so I may be a bit jaded but there is little presented in MY BLOODY VALENTINE that is actually new (many fans will recognize the FRIDAY THE 13TH and WRONG TURN references right away) but the addition of the digital 3-D goes a long way in allowing you to forget all of that in order to just sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride. The end may get a little over-convoluted especially when the rest of the films plays it loose but there is nothing that will deter you from having a good time, so, just put on your 3-D glasses, hold on to your date (or allow them to hold onto you), and sit back and enjoy the ride because who knows when the next one will be.

Horror Films 2009: THE UNBORN (2009)

2009 is starting off as a good year for the horror genre as the new psychology horror film THE UNBORN (2009) proves that you don’t have to be a remake (of an old American or recent Asian film) or sequel to be a good film. Written & directed by the prolific David S. Goyer (who contributed to both of the recent Batmen films including all three BLADE films and the classic DARK CITY) THE UNBORN tells the story of Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman of CLOVERFIELD) who believes that she is being haunted by her dead twin brother who was never born.

As her nightmares about the undead brother intensify Casey is forced to look deep into her past where is discovers that the entity that she believes is haunting her is really a Jewish dybbuk, a type of demon trapped between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Thought vanquished by Casey’s ancestor the dybbuk has been watching over Casey slowly regaining its strength so that it can return to the land of the living once and for all. Casey’s only help to rid herself of the dybbuk is Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman) who must perform an exorcism in hopes of saving Casey from what may happen next.

THE UNBORN works as a horror film because it presents many difference aspects of something that most audiences are unaware of. It’s an relentless horror film that’s not self-referential and takes the subject matter very seriously. There are many circumstances that are left unexplained which add to the allure and mystery of the film as well as adding another level of horror to what is going on with Casey. Goyer has made a career out of writing complex characters and engaging films and the same can be same of this film.

There will no doubt be references to THE EXORCIST (the grandfather of all religious exorcism films) but this is a good thing as THE UNBORN is easily better then any of that franchise’s inferior sequels. In fact, THE UNBORN presents one of the best exorcisms of any film since the original THE EXORCIST and will have you screaming in your seats before the end credits role. Yes, this is a great start for 2009 whether it be a horror film or any film for that matter.

Meryl Streep is Perfect in DOUBT (2008)

Few films this year will leave audiences questioning their faith not only in their religious beliefs but in themselves like John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT. Based on his own play (of which he also wrote the screenplay and directed) DOUBT tells the story of Sister Aloysius Beavier (Meryl Streep) who goes on a one-woman crusade to expose Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of sexual misconduct against the only African American student in their little parochial school. It is Sister James (Amy Adams), who after witnessing some questionable behavior of Father Flynn, starts Sister Beavier on her quest.

Things get more complicated when Sister James starts to side with Father Flynn believing that Sister Beavier is afraid of change and the progressive nature of Father Flynn’s methods. On the other hand Sister Beavier has had previous experience dealing with Father Flynn’s “kind” and will not let him get away with his atrocities. It becomes a cat & mouse game between Sister Beavier & Father Flynn over who is right and who is wrong and who will survive the fallout.

Shanley’s film works because you never know who is telling the truth and who to believe and all the characters are conflicted and have doubt about the events happening around them. Streep is perfect as Sister Beavier, a women so determined to be right that in any other actor’s hands might come off as 2-dimenional but in her hands is conflicted even when we want to believe that she is always right. The same can be said of Hoffman who in his arrogance believes that Sister Beavier’s beliefs are medieval and that he is helping the church move into a more progressive era no mater the consequences.
DOUBT is truly one of the can’t miss films of the year with great performances and a great cinematic story from start to finish. It’s also a film that whether you are religious or not the film is more about one’s moral conflicts & dilemmas then religious ones making it a universal film.

Novel Review: FOUL PLAY: THE ART & ARTISTS OF THE NOTORIOUS 1950s E.C. COMICS! By Grant Geissman

Anyone who knows their history in terms of the magazine and comic book industry will know about the infamous horror magazines of the 1950s era and E.C. comics who produced some of those titles which included TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE HAUNT OF FEAR, CRIME SUSPENSE STORIES, and WEIRD TALES, to name a few. In FOUL PLAY: THE ART & ARTISTS OF THE NOTORIOUS 1950s E.C. COMICS! writer Grant Geissman examines the art and artists that help make E.C. Comics what it was.

Geissman does a wise thing by examining the history and eventual downfall of the company through the art & artists that came out of the companies short lived lifespan (although one of its publications still exist – MAD magazine). Each of the companies most prolific artists gets a chapter from Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, Wallace Wood, and Will Elder, to name a few. In addition to the background on each of the artists and their contributions to the company Geissman also includes a sample comic from each of them. There is even a never before published story at the end of the book to the delight of all fans everywhere. Geissman also includes several other goodies never before seen including company photos and a collection of E.C. Christmas Party Art.

This book is a great asset to any fan of the E.C. comics and it is a great introduction for those who just want to know more about the company and the events that led to its downfall. The book is thorough in its examination and leaves no stone unturned. There are also many quotes from the artists as they relay their experiences working with the company and their fellow artists. This is one of the best companion books for the company thus far released.

FILM REVIEW: FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER - THE WORKPRINT

Anyone who has seen the original theatrical release of FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER knows that this film was meant the be the one that put the nail in the coffin on Jason Voorhees. Coming on the heels of the third part (which had its 3-D gimmick) this film was the one in which Jason dies. History know that you just can’t keep a good mass murderer down and after the unexpected success of this film the series had a new lease on life and the carnage continued (to this year’s remake).

If you’re lucky to get a copy of the WORKPRINT version of the film then you’re in for a treat (in regards to the die-hard Jason fans) because there are several scenes that were trimmed from the final release version. Although none of these scenes add any blood to the proceedings they do add to characterization especially in regards to the Tommy Jarvis (Corey Feldman) character. There are several added scare moments in regards to Tommy and his masks. One scene extends the scene in which Tommy & Trish (Kimberly Beck) are having car troubles before getting help from Rob (Erich Anderson) and the scene with Tommy and Rob in his bedroom are extended.

There are several other scenes like this that are extended but no scenes that were ultimately cut and then re-instated. It appears that nothing significant was missing from the film (although I always thought that the off-screen death of Tommy’s mother was left on the cutting room floor). Like my viewing of the CREEPSHOW: WORKPRINT, not much was left out that truly adds to the plot and/or story of the film but it’s interesting to finally see some of the scenes that were trimmed in their entirety (unless of course that death scene of Tommy’s mother truly was filmed and I’m still missing out).
I will say that I find it very interesting the differences between the release version of a film and its workprint or alternate cut. With the impending release of the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake, the first three films in the series will finally be released uncut so many fans will finally be able to see those films in their entirety. I just hope this version is not so far behind.

FILM REVIEW: FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING - VERSION 2

Not being a fan of this film in particular I was curious when I heard about “Version 2” which claimed to have alternate scenes and takes and different music, so, I decided “what the hell” I’m game. As directed by Danny Steinmann FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING was a departure from the previous films in that the killer was not Jason Voorhees but a paramedic who wanted revenge for the death of his son. To many people this film was a lame attempt trying to find a way to revive what should have been a dead franchise, but it did just this (as the subsequent 5 sequels and upcoming remake will attest). Don’t be ashamed, I thought it was a lame movie as well, until now.

Upon viewing the film again (for the first time in many years mind you) I realized that the film had a good template as a starting off point; it was just the “green” cast that made the film seem worse then it was. There are many parallels to the original film mainly in that like the original the killer is never seen but only hinted at whenever s/he kills someone. This was meant to hide the identity of the killer. The first film had the huge reveal of it being Pamela Voorhees who is the killer whereas this film has the killer being the paramedic. Both killers are motivated by the death of their child at the hand s of a caregiver; in the first film the caregiver was the camp councilors whereas in this film is was the so-called half-way house for disturbed teenagers. Both films also feature the death of random teenagers/characters (although in this film the killer seems to mover all over the place to various locations).

Although both films are filled with relatively fresh actors (so that you don’t know who will be killed next), the first film had an excuse as it was done on an extremely low budget whereas this film should have had a higher caliber cast given the much bigger budget. What this film does have is a huge body count even though the deaths are somewhat less imaginative then in some of the previous sequels. Another asset to this film is the continued reliance of the character of Tommy Jarvis (from the previous film) who is still haunted by the image and presence of the Jason Voorhees after having killed him in the previous film.

All in all the film had the marks of being an interesting sequel that would take the franchise in a new direction but producers of the subsequent films had a change of heart and resurrected Jason in the next installment.
Getting back to the “Version 2” aspects of the film, I hate to say this but I saw no significant differences between this version and the original release version. Some takes and scenes may be alternates but they’re so miniscule that you’ll never even notice and even if there were music cues that are different much of the score is similar so there couldn’t have been that much of a change (unlike say the original theatrical version of HALLOWEEN: H20 versions the PRODUCER’S CUT which restores the original music cues of composer John Ottman). Unless you truly are a devout fan of this film the “Version 2” has nothing new to offer even though the film as a whole was an interesting rewatch.

Graphic Novel Review: MARVEL ZOMBIES: DEAD DAYS

GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: MARVEL ZOMBIES: DEAD DAYS

The Marvel Universe has jumped on the band wagon in terms of how much our culture and times have made the zombie genre of horror a pop phenomena from the plethora of films (i.e. SHAUN OF THE DEAD, ZOMBIE DIARIES, 28 DAYS LATER, etc.) to animation (i.e. DEAD SPACE and RESIDENT EVIL: DEGENERATION) and now to comics (i.e. THE WALKING DEAD, WAKE THE DEAD, THE EVIL DEAD, and countless others, but it is Marvel’s alternate universe that has been over run by a zombie plague that has captured readers from all kinds.

I’ve never caught any of the Marvel Zombies series in their initial run waiting instead for the collected graphic novel. The first Marvel Zombies series was the first thing I’d read from Marvel comics in over twelve years (I hadn’t given up on the medium only become more immersed in Manga and what publishers IDW and Dark Horse where releasing) and boy did I pick the right time to come back. That first series made me an instant fan and I read the subsequent graphic novels MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. MARVEL ZOMBIES both of which made me want to know more about how this whole phenomena started. MARVEL ZOMBIES: DEAD DAYS is the collection of all the appearances of the Marvel Zombies leading up to the first MARVEL ZOMBIES stories including the prequel MARVEL ZOMBIES: DEAD DAYS (from which the collection gets it name).

In addition to the prequel DEAD DAYS this massive graphic novel collects the first story about the Marvel Zombies “Crossover” from ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #21-23, the continuation of the story ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #30-32 called “Frightful,” and the last part of this early trilogy “Good Eatin’” from BLACK PANTHER #28-30. That’s 10 big issues of Marvel Zombie goodness in one collected graphic novel. Old school Marvel readers (such as myself) may not care for the Ultimate line of Marvel titles seeing as though they are a retelling of the Marvel Universe for the newer generation. Although this was my very first experience with the Ultimate titles I wasn’t too put back as even though the Fantastic Four are a much different team now then when I was growing up the “characters” were true to whole they’ve always been which is a great testament to writer Mark Miller who wrote both “Crossover” and “Frightful.” In my opinion the story “Good Eatin’” felt like a third part in a trilogy which is big action but little story but since this story was in BLACK PANTHER this is to be expected. This can also be said of the prequel story “Dead Days,” which also works in parts but not as a whole which I presume is because writer Robert Kirkman only had the one issue to tell the story instead of several issues.

The artwork from all four stories is top notch (from pencilers Sean Phillips, Greg Land, Mitch Breitweiser, and Francis Portela) and the original covers are provided in the back of the book for those curious fans (such as myself) who wanted to know what painter Arthur Suydam concocted next. The graphic novel as a whole is a great addition to any collector’s bookshelf with stories that you will reread time and time again (I know I will).

TWILIGHT - Film Review

Now a lot of people may not forgive me for saying this but as a horror film fan I had no reservations about the film TWILIGHT, which is the quintessential “non-horror” film that would upset any die-hard fan with the “true-blue” blood flowing through their veins. This is a romantic-love story with only the hint of horror-genre trappings with the appearance of vampires and werewolves. Some would even call this the anti-UNDERWORLD (although some “true-blue” bloods won’t even consider this movie a horror film but an action film). The point is, if you are a true-blue member of the horror crowd then you won’t like this film but if you have an open mind and believe that films that cross genres can’t be all that bad then TWILIGHT might just be of interest to you, whether you’ve read the novel or not.

Based on the original novel by Stephenie Meyer with a screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg, TWILIGHT is the story of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) who moves to a new town to live with her father and becomes infatuated by the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), one member of a clan of vampires who have vowed never to take human life again. Instead, The Cullen family lives off the blood of the animals in the wild living separate from the rest of their race. As Bella becomes closer to Edward, they realize that their relationship is put in danger when a rogue group of vampires invade their town killing their prey wherever they may. Their love for one another will be tested as Edward must decide whether to kill another one of his kind or see the woman that he loves killed.

The film is definitely made to appeal to the younger crowds as is par for the course since it is based from a teen novel but the film does appeal in a basic sense to just about anyone who has experienced a forbidden love in their life. By making the movie more about the relationship between Bella & Edward the film is more a love story then anything else and the rogue vampires just represent an outside force trying to tear them apart. Many people will see the parallels with the Shakespeare play ROMEO & JULIET as well they should and like that story this story has many underlining facets that are only glimpsed at in the first film (since there are a series of novels) but which should have a very big payoff in future films.

The film is very rich in character and story and will appeal to the many people who watch films more then once to pick up on the nuances in the story which is a testament to the screenplay (and novel) and director Catherine Hardwicke. Although not a flawless film TWILIGHT is nevertheless one of the more enjoyable romantic-horror-action films of the year that I hope audiences of all ages will be able to embrace.

Film Review: FUNNY GAMES (2007)

Stephen King labeled it one of his favorite films of the year in his Entertainment Weekly column but I don’t see the appeal of writer/director Michael Haneke’s U.S. remake of his own film FUNNY GAMES (2007). Having never seen the original and going only by rumors that the remake is an exact copy of the original with some small differences (ala THE OMEN remake) I was expecting something in line with the French film ILS (aka THEM), which has a similar story line. What I got was something far inferior.

FUNNY GAMES is the story of Ann and George (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, respectively) who are on their way to their vacation home with their son Georgia (Devon Gearhart). No long after they arrive they are greeted by two strangers (played by Michael Pitt & Brady Corbet) claiming to be friends of their neighbors. When Ann has a slight altercation with one of the two strangers she soon come to the realization that this is all a game the strangers are playing on them to determine if they will survive the night or not. If you’ve seen the previously mentions ILS or the more recent THE STRANGERS then you generally know the whole story of what will happen next, but unlike those two films this film is neither a horror film nor a suspense-thriller; it is more a comedy of errors if nothing else.

The film has an impressive cast in Watts and Roth and Pitt I’ll admit but with the exception of Pitt the entire cast is underused. With an unknown cast this might have faired well but with such accomplished actors as Roth and Watts, who both do almost nothing of interest in the entire film, it just comes off as bland and uninteresting. Another fault with the film is to diffuse all the violence in the film with comedic moments (SPOILER ALERT – Do not read anymore if you don’t want to know more details of the film’s plot, but if you don’t really care then read on.), such as when Georgia is killed. When little Georgia is killed you’re watching Paul (Pitt) making a sandwich in the kitchen. It should be a tense moment, especially when it’s a child being killed, but instead the scene comes off as being comedic. Both George and Ann’s death’s are unaffecting as by the end of the end you want them to die since they keep making stupid mistakes while crying every moment they get. I was happy to see them die when they did because I was at my whit’s end. Let’s not even get into the whole killer talking back to the audience thing or the fact that the killers can rewind back time when ever things don’t go their way.

The most violent scene in the film is when Ann gets the upper hand and kills Peter (Corbet), but then Paul rewinds the film in order to prevent his accomplice from dying. An interesting plot device which is sort of set up when the killers are the only ones that can talk back to the audience but this comes off as a “cheat” that as soon as it happens you realize that you should just through in the towel because all logic in the film has just been thrown out the window (ala the twist ending to HIGH TENSION).

The film had the potential to be an art house classic (as I’m sure the original comes closer to being) but this big budget remake that’s too clean for its own good just comes off as Hollywood trash with a great looking cast. Nothing in the film is striking or even original and was better done in both ILS and THE STRANGERS.

RESIDENT EVIL: DEGENERATION - You Can't Keep A Good Zombie Down!

The RESIDENT EVIL franchise takes another giant leap forward as it reveals its first all CG feature length motion picture RESIDENT EVIL: DEGENERATION. This new film is a departure from the live action films as it follows closer to the storylines connected with the video games.

In this film Claire Redfield is coming home to Harvardville when a terrorists unleashes the T-Virus at the same airport she’s in. This all coincides with the arrival of Senator Ron Davis who is believed to be the one responsible for the catastrophe that happened at Raccoon City years earlier. In addition to the terrorist unleashing a zombie in the airport, a plane crashes into the airport full of zombies causing a mass outbreak in which Claire finds herself trapped with Senator Davis and other survivors.

When agent Leon S. Kennedy arrives at the scene his job is to save the Senator and figure out who is behind the threat. Leon is assisted by a local police agent by the name of Angela Miller, who soon discovers that it is her own brother who is behind the terrorist threats who want Senator Davis to reveal the truth about what really happened at Raccoon City, where his wife was killed.

The film starts off as a simple rescue operation but soon turns into a espionage thriller as the convoluted conspiracy gets bigger the deeper Leon and Claire dig. The story is much richer then that of the live action films and should appeal to all fans of the video game but I do miss Milla Jovovich. The CG animation is quite good in parts but at times the females are drawn a tad out of proportion but this is negligible. The set pieces are much bigger then anything they could do in a live action film (unless of course they had $100 million) which is one of the films greatest assets as both the beginning plane crash and the ending of the film are magnificent. If this is a taste of things to come for the RESIDENT EVIL franchise then they are heading in the right direction.

WICKED LAKE is Wicked Good Fun!

If you want a horror film with brains then WICKED LAKE is not for you but if just want to have one hell of a fun time then just sit back, grab a beer, and put an arm around your loved one because this film is just one great ride.

Based on an original screenplay by Adam Rockoff (which was rewritten by Chris Sivertson) WICKED LAKE is the story of four attractive and bewitching women who go out on vacation to a remote cabin in order to let their hair hang down at midnight. Unbeknownst to the women their vacation is about to be interrupted by not one, but two separate group of over-sexed men who want nothing more then to have their way with the women. Things go supernaturally wrong when the Midnight Hour chimes and the four women are endowed with supernatural powers in which allow them to live forever and have extra-ordinary strength. There is no logic to this, you just have to roll with it.

For a film with as flimsy a plot as this one, one could mistake this film for the trash that it tries to emulate yet it has a strange since of charm especially in terms of the four leads (Carlee Baker, Eryn Joslyn, Eve Mauro, and Robin Sydney), who add spice to the otherwise pedestrian (in terms of plot) film. For horror-hounds the film has many allures in terms of excessive gore and nudity (a girl on girl orgy occurs early in the film) and it all works because the film hovers on the line between being too camp for its own good. Thankfully, this never occurs (although I can’t say the same thing in terms of how the male characters are portrayed in the film) and the film comes off as a manic witchcraft film.

Like I said, don’t think to hard about the film or you’ll ruin the fun.

Film Review: Four Christmases

Very few Christmas themed movies ever cross pass my radar and if it hadn’t have been for the amazing cast of this film FOUR CHRISTMASES I wouldn’t have taken another look. It’s hard for a holiday film to outshine the classics such as IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and A CHRISTMAS STORY and A CHRISTMAS CAROLE or even the darker NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION and SCROOGED, so why bother. I’ve seen all THE SANTA CLAUSES and JINGLE ALL THE WAY and HOME ALONE films that I can stomach and therefore I’ve skipped just about every holiday film to come out within the pass decade (with the exception of A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS). So what made me go see FOUR CHRISTMASES you might ask? How about Robert Duvall. Sissy Spacek. Mary Steenburgen. Carol Cane. And I could include in that list Jon Voight, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, and let’s not forget the stars of the film Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Now that’s an impressive cast.

FOUR CHRISTMASES is the story of unmarried couple Brad and Kate (Vaughn and Witherspoon, respectively) who don’t believe in the union of marriage due to their fractured family life. In fact, instead of spending the holidays with their families they’d rather go to the islands and spend their holidays in the sun scuba diving, but when their flight is cancelled due to weather they are forced to visit each of their estranged parents and siblings in the course of one day. As they come to terms with their families they must also decide whether or not to take the next step in their own relationship or watch it whither and die away.

Like most holiday films the theme of family is very present (is there any other theme for a holiday movie I ask you). The gimmick of having the couple go to four different Christmases over one day is hectic yet works for the film and gives the tired-old-Christmas story a kick in the ass. There are many funny moments in the film as both Brad and Kate are forced to learn things about each other that they never knew simply because they’ve never really taken their relationship serious enough. Vaughn and Witherspoon have great on-screen chemistry with one another which is good considering that they are on screen every second of the movie and with all the cameos in the film no one over stays their welcome too long. Director Seth Gordon does a great job balancing out all the different elements and stories within the film creating a film that I can honestly say I enjoyed.

Christmas-holiday films may not be my thing but FOUR CHRISTMASES is a film I don’t mind adding to my list of classics.