I remember seeing the preview for “Shrunken Heads” back in 1994 during the end of a double feature from the video store and even then I thought the idea was a weird one. A kids movie about disembodied shrunken heads getting revenge on their murderer is unusual. “Shrunken Heads” is a strange god awful movie, but one that affords itself some nostalgic value so while it is a waste of talent and resources, it’s not totally a waste of time. Whether it’s Danny Elfman’s involvement as the sound track artist, or Meg Foster curiously cross dressed as an Italian mobster with a pomp haircut, every single move to this movie is confusing and often times disorienting.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Goobers aka Mystery Monsters! (1997)
It seems Charles Band is in no short supply of excuses to bring small animals and monsters on the screen and “Mystery Monsters” is proof of it. At only fifty two minutes in length, Band’s 1997 (I miss the nineties) family film is much too rushed to even be considered worthy entertainment. Worse yet the film revolves around three magical monsters who seemingly do nothing and serve no purpose. We’re told they have to be minions of evil, but they’re moved around so awkwardly and lazily by the puppeteers it’s tough to imagine they can do much of anything worthwhile.
Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003)
Ah, the search for Toulon’s formula, this is what accounts for plot with “Puppet Master Legacy.” It’s not uncommon for horror films to feature clips from their earlier films, but the Puppet Master series has made it ridiculous by saving money through obvious manners. One is showing the puppets but only in their docile form, and two is padding the film with about as much filler as possible. This filler is clips from the past movies that the director uses to compensate for lack of fresh footage of the puppets. This method would later be included in the rank “Axis of Evil.”
Demonic Toys (1992)
With a screenplay by David S. Goyer, Charles Band’s brand of miniature madness presents the audience with something of an imagination and creativity. It’s “Demonic Toys,” another in a brand of Full Moon tiny terrors that I loved as a child and continue to to this day and for a Full Moon fan like yours truly, “Demonic Toys” has somewhat evaded me over the years. The 1992 horror film is a wicked entry in to Brand’s trademark creativity where director Peter Manoogian manages to make good use of the single setting piece he sets up for the audience.
Unknown (2011) [DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
The key to a great mystery is the lead in, the ultimate catch and macguffin that will bring us in to the cusp of a surprise. “Unknown” has the surprise, there’s no doubting that, it’s jut the problem that the lead in provides that makes it an entirely mediocre piece of thriller that’s almost about a nonsensical as you can imagine. The writers literally write themselves in to conundrums throughout the movie as plot points go unexplained, only for them to completely undermine their previous direction, and you can sense them almost trying not to destroy the narrative from minute one.
Super 8 (2011)
You can feel the youth of Steven Spielberg and JJ Abrams permeating through every film cell of “Super 8.” The 2011 movie veiled in mystery has become one of the most highly regarded films that isn’t directed by Spielberg but very well may have been. From familial discord, the death of a parent, and the like “Super 8” channels these themes from classic Spielberg fare like “Close Encounters,” and “Jaws” with a sprinkle of “Stand By Me” and “The Goonies” for good measure. We follow a group of children tasked with uncovering a mystery their adult counterparts couldn’t possibly fathom, a menace that promises to destroy the world. Or at least destroy their lives for good.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (2011)
One thing DC is really good at is providing us with animated movies that act as prologues and or inbetweenquels for their big budget movies and for the Green Lantern they’ve pulled out all the stops with a film that is something of a prologue. It’s not so much a prologue as it is a look at another day at the GL Corps, and “Emerald Knights” is an anthology of tales from the corps that isn’t just meant to give viewers a refresher course on the characters, but to give them an idea of what we’re looking at should “Green Lantern” potentially reach franchise status.