In 1996, John Carpenter essentially pulled a Sam Raimi with one of his key creations, Snake Plissken. While “Escape from New York” is a great scifi action film, Carpenter is this time given a bigger budget and decides to cover a wider field of his mythology, cramming in as much as he could with this sequel/remake. While I wouldn’t call “Escape from LA,” it manages to rise above the rest in Carpenter’s ouevre with some very good concepts, and Kurt Russell doing a bang up job, as always.
Author Archives: Felix Vasquez
Mondo Balordo (A Fool’s World) (1964) [Blu-Ray]
There are some films you can sense where everyone put their best foot forward. And then there are some films where it’s obvious people were just running out the clock to get a paycheck. With “Mondo Balordo” you can sense Boris Karloff would shamble in to the studio, record his narration for this monstrosity and then leave back to his home. The absolutely awful “Mondo Balordo” is one in a series of pseudo-documentaries that exploit their topics to a certain degree.
A Girl, A Guy, A Space Helmet (2012)
Director-Writer Mike Timm’s passion project is a movie that jumps back and forth between fantasy and reality. It’s a very avant garde work of art that takes on the typically broader spectrum of the romance comedy and adds some creativity to it. While “A Girl, A Guy, A Space Helmet” has every chance to be a trite tale of a man and a woman falling in love, Timm’s unique direction and self awareness make it a worthwhile cinematic experience.
1BR (2020)
Going in to “1BR,” its pretty clears that director David Marmor takes pages from Ira Levin’s psyche, reflecting many themes and ideas the author was known for. Director David Marmor builds a simplistic but absolutely harrowing thriller that confronts similar feminine themes. “1BR” feels so much like a movie torn out from 1979 and altered for modern times. That element works for the movie, as the lack of more modern constructs gives his thriller a very timeless displaced feeling. This sense of aesthetic contributes to the sheer claustrophobia and alienation that character Sarah experiences.
TV On DVD: Legion of Superheroes: The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]/FLCL: Progressive/Alternative: Two – Series Collection [Blu-Ray/Digital]
“Legion of Superheroes” arrived during that darker time where “Teen Titans” and “Justice League” had ended their excellent runs and DC was embroiled in a lawsuit over the Superman name. Around this time DC and Warner were attempting to create series less about critical acclaim and more about making merchandise money. “Legion of Super Heroes: The Complete Series” (now on Blu-Ray with all 26 episodes) isn’t a bad series per se, it’s just as grand as “Justice League” or as entertaining as “Teen Titans” was. Even during its entire run, the best episodes were just okay.
Interview with Hans Hernke, Producer and Star of “Another Plan from Outer Space”
With almost eighty acting credits to his name, and experience in various fields of production and filmmaking, we spoke to Hans Hernke, the producer and co-star of “Another Plan from Outer Space.” The science fiction thriller is an impressive indie about a space crew stranded in a large harsh landscape looking for help. Hernke took time out for an interview to discuss the development for the movie, the upcoming toy line for it, and his new movie which he’s collaborating with “Another Plan” director Lance Polland on.
You Have to See This! Rad (1986)
Although I was born in ’83, I’m old enough to remember when BMX bikes of all kinds were the biggest thing in pop culture. I also recall them inevitably seeping their way in to television and movies. I’m old enough to recall my cousins bickering about BMX Bikes, (and girls, and video games) so much so that Hollywood inevitably made a few movies to capitalize on the popularity. Along with “BMX Bandits,” 1986’s “Rad” is a bland and utterly silly attempt to grab some money out of one of the biggest eighties crazes of the decade.