While many of the influences for SNL are apparent, director-writer Oz Rodriguez has a great eye for unfolding some great horror that’s absolutely entertaining but also socially conscious (like his contemporary Jordan Peele). “Vampires vs. The Bronx” is a surefire amalgam of “The Lost Boys” and “Attack the Block.” It’s a creepy, fun, horror flick with an all Latinx and African American cast that’s also very clear cut condemnation of gentrification.
Tag Archives: Adventure
Shortcut (2020)
I admit that I was a bit hesitant during “Shortcut” as it seems to meander back and forth between time lines and whatnot. However, during the final half, Alessio Liguori’s “Shortcut” finds a path and sticks to it, offering a horror movie with great substance. “Shortcut” is a mix of It Chapter One” and “Jeepers Creepers 2” (sans the uh… uncomfortable pedo overtones) and really sucked me in as a creepy, weird, and engaging tale of coming of age in the face of a dark force on a deserted highway.
The Goonies (1985) [4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
Even though I was born in the eighties, I don’t have a particular connection with “The Goonies” as while it’s mostly considered a masterpiece, I’ve only ever considered it just pretty good. Director Richard Donner’s adventure film is the Hardy Boys Meets Indiana Jones and for the most part it’s an entertaining call back to fodder like “The East Side Kids,” which keeps in line with Spielberg’s ode to his childhood cinema.
Crazy Samurai Musashi (2020) [Fantasia Festival 2020]
An action-filled telling of Miyamoto Musashi’s most famous battle where he defeated 588 enemies, this film is a 77 minute fight sequence with intro and conclusion added around it.
Random Acts of Violence (2020)
A comic book writer who took inspiration for his work from a serial killer and now someone is reproducing the gruesome murders from his work. As things go from bad to worse, the writer is pulled deeper into the situation.
Max Reload and the Nether Blasters (2020)
Max, a teen with dreams of becoming a video game creator, unleashes a world of evil upon his small town after getting a box of games out of the blue. This thrusts him into the hero role that he is not quite ready to play, but desperately needs to learn from.
Promare (2020) [Blu-Ray/DVD]
There’s nothing I hate more than a movie that has so much going for it, but has no idea how to deliver a great narrative. “Promare” is a movie that, by all accounts, should have blown me out of my seat. But by the middle of it, I was counting down the minutes, and waiting for it to get to the point. It’s so sad that a movie that looks so amazing could be so lacking in originality with government corruption, clandestine organizations, and an evil politician who has plans for the world, yadda, yadda. It’s all so old hat for such an epic looking animated movie.