Director Quinn Monahan’s history of “SpookyWorld” is perhaps one of the most wholesome horror documentaries that I’ve ever seen. That’s by no means a slight, but it’s a wonderful testament to the often pure and unbridled passion that the horror community is capable of. I regret to admit that in all my time I never actually heard of “SpookyWorld” but it’s one of the forefathers of the horror attraction. It set the template and the bar for other haunts and horror attractions in America and would manage to become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Halloween theme park in the world.
Author Archives: Felix Vasquez
So Unreal (2023) [Fantastic Fest 2023]
One of the most common adages in the modern age is that once upon a time we used to log on to the internet to escape reality. These days we now retreat in to reality to escape the internet. The internet and technology have become such an integral part of our everyday lives that most of us aren’t truly aware of how far tech and computers have been able to reach in to the very core of our everyday existence. What began as science fiction and cheesy fodder for movies became a prophetic over arching theme in pop culture and cinema. Artists and creators predicted not only our consumption of technology but the gradual control technology has had on our lives.
Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023) [Fantastic Fest 2023]
When Bruce Lee entered the international movie scene, he filled a hole in pop culture and cinema that Hollywood didn’t know it needed. After his unfortunate passing in 1974 at the height of his massive popularity, one of the darker chapters of filmmaking history began: the search for the new Bruce Lee. This gave way to a massive boom in a sub-genre now regarded as “Brucesploitation.” The mission by many studios in both Asia and Hollywood was to find someone, anyone, who even remotely resembled Bruce Lee to carry the torch and become the next money making star of kung fu cinema.
No One Will Save You (2023)
Director Brian Duffield’s science fiction home invasion film is a deceptively massive film. It’s simplistic in that it’s limited to a cast of mainly one person, and places the enormous crux of the dramatic weight on the shoulders of star Kaitlyn Dever. Thankfully Dever is more than up to the task, offering what is easily one of her best performances to date. Director Duffield mixes so many genres and sub-genres from home invasion, survival thriller, character-based drama, themes about grief and guilt, and extra terrestrials all colliding in an absolutely outstanding cinematic experience.
Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023)
It’s been almost fifteen years since there was a new “Spy Kids” installment and one of the last times Robert Rodriguez released a film in theaters (he’s apparently locked in to Netflix like Adam Sandler). Sadly, these days Robert Rodriguez seems more committed to delivering low budget kid accessible entertainment more than anything else, and “Spy Kids: Armageddon” allows him to kill two birds with one stone. Not only is he able to continue his line of mediocre family films, but he gets to revive his long stagnant action franchise for a new generation.
And the results are decidedly a mixed bag.
“Tiny Toons Looniversity” is an Entertaining Reboot of a 90’s Classic
“Tiny Toons Adventures” is one of the weirdest anomalies of the 1990’s. Once upon a time in 1990, it was introduced to a young audience and boomed in popularity. It took the old Looney Tunes and handed the torch over to younger, newer characters that were practicing to be the new Looney Tunes legends. For four or five years the Tiny Toons were everywhere. Then the show ended. And they disappeared languishing in obscurity for over twenty years. And the Looney Tunes just chugged along, never acknowledging the series at all. So imagine the surprise when Warner decided to reboot the series for a new generation.
Five Great UFO Movies
UFO’s and aliens are the hot topic once again in the media and the resurgence of talks about aliens, as well as the upcoming feature “No One Will Save You” coming to Hulu on Friday, I listed five great movies based around UFO’s and Aliens. These five films are truly good movies centered on the topic of aliens and UFO’s, and they’re the perfect appetizer to ring in the arrival of what I hope will be another in a long line of great alien based horror movies.
Let me know in the comments what some of your favorite UFO movies are.