Return to Nuke ‘Em High Volume 1 (2013)

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Any movie that begins with inexplicable opening narration from Stan Lee is an automatic win in my book. From the opening exposition from Stan “The Man,” to clips from the previous “Nuke ‘Em High” series, “Return Vol. 1” is really a return to form for people that appreciated the punk rock trash “Class of Nuke Em High” series that had no limits in bad taste and grue. It’s an entirely new generation with an entirely new subtext, and Lloyd Kaufman embraces those themes head on and without fear of controversy.

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The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 9: After

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

As much as I adore “The Walking Dead,” it’s always so much better when it focuses on silence and quiet dread. Scenes of Carl walking through a deserted suburb, or Michonne walking camouflaged within a herd are some of the most uneasy moments of the new episode. Much to my surprise, the series has been veering much closer to the comic books than it has been for the last four years, and it’s borrowed some of the best and most compelling story lines involving the aftermath of the prison invasion. There are a lot of callbacks to the first season. There’s a mention of Shane teaching Carl to tie knots, there’s a top down zoom in of a military tank like the final scene of the pilot, and now Rick and Carl have holed up in a house together exactly like Morgan and Duane did in the pilot.

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The PC Thug: You Can’t Keep a Good Zombie Down

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Okay, so I know not everyone enjoyed “Land of the Dead.”

Many people I spoke to during the time of its release seemed to hate it, though I persisted in my thoughts that it would eventually gain appreciation, much like “Day of the Dead” eventually did. I fondly remember many people telling me that “Day of the Dead” was a terrible film back in the early nineties, and now it’s considered a classic. Even director George Romero considers it his favorite.

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Nurse 3D (2013)

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

If there’s anything really good I can say about “Nurse 3D” is that you certainly won’t be bored. Will you be entertained? Well, that’s debatable, but bored? Likely not. I certainly wasn’t bored through “Nurse 3D.” Granted, it’s one of those so bad it’s good exploitation horror movies, but it’s definitely a good time, and kept me watching from minute one. It also has its fair share of gorgeous women including Paz De La Huerta, and Katrina Bowden. Broken down objectively, director Douglas Aarniokoski’s “Nurse 3D” is simply just another obsession horror film, but takes the formula and completely drops it on its head. Director Douglas Aarniokoski films the story in a pulpy glossy lens, that makes the film feel like a neo-noir horror comedy very detracted from reality.

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Rudyard Kipling’s Mark of the Beast (2012)

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

It’s a testament to the talents of directors Jon Gorman and Thomas Edward Seymour that they can transplant a Rudyard Kipling horror tale in to contemporary America, and still derive a creep or two. Though “Mark of the Beast” seems like another cabin in the woods horror tale on the surface, deep down it strives to break any conventions, and brings about a unique disgusting monster among a small group of friends.

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Horror Anthology Movie Volume 1 (2013)

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

What with the welcome renaissance of the anthology horror film, indie filmmakers are pooling their resources to deliver films that can showcase everyone’s talents while entertaining an audience. “Horror Anthology Movie Volume 1″ is by no means a masterpiece, but it’s a very solid horror film with directing and storytelling that’s above par in comparison to many other anthologies I’ve seen in the past. Composed of six short films sewn together as one movie, “Horror Anthology Movie Volume 1” attempts to side step common horror tropes in favor of something new and unique.

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The Burning (Collector’s Edition) (1981) [BluRay/DVD]

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

The eighties were apparently a time where summer camps were dens for psychopaths and murderers, and “The Burning” displays no exception. Even more vicious than the first “Friday the 13th,” Tony Maylam’s slasher revenge film is a violent and very creepy horror film steeped in eighties slasher tropes, but still manages to feel fresh and unique to this day. Maylam’s direction keeps the film at a brisk pace, while Tom Savini’s special effects inspire quite the cringe, even today. Cropsey is one of the more underrated slasher icons from the eighties.

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