Fargo (1996)

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Leave it to the Coen Brothers to provide movie audiences with a crime heroine that we’d never really see coming at some of the worst criminals around. Marge Gunderson is not your typical gumshoe and probably never really desired to be one growing up. She’s a small town simple woman who is about to give birth to a baby, and only really works until she is able to head off to the hospital. But things go from mundane to extraordinary when what seems like a random series of homicides on a snowy road side turns in to a very disastrous plot to extort and embezzle money out of a car dealership.

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Veronica Mars (2014)

The movie that Kickstarter gave us is finally here, and it’s pretty great to see Veronica Mars back and in action. I fondly recall following “Veronica Mars” during season two after I grabbed a hold of season one and tore through the entire freshman year in one sitting. Like many series before it, “Veronica Mars” is one of the more under appreciated crime dramas that never got its due, despite a loyal fan following and critical acclaim. Thankfully creator Rob Thomas is finally able to put his love child to bed, and give fans the sign off we’ve been pleading for, for years.

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The Bates Haunting (2012)

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I’m sure Byron Turk thought the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride was amazing, so setting a horror film in and around it would be amazing. It wasn’t. It was also likely going to be a good opportunity to promote the ride. Originally titled “Welcome to the Bates Motel,” the movie gives audiences the impression it has something to do with “Psycho,” when it really doesn’t. The owner of the haunted hayride is named Randy Bates, but that’s as far as it goes. Really, the only reason you’d be interested in seeing this is if you’re a “Jackass” fan. Bam Margera has a five second cameo for a commercial for the attraction, while the late hilarious Ryan Dunn plays an angry customer ordering a pizza. Beyond that, the tagline for the film “Some Things are Best Left Alone” should serve as instructions for anyone looking to rent this title.

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Heavy Nova (2013)

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I really enjoy the fact that director Peter Leon has access to these incredible special effects, and pretty much just stages a murder mystery aboard a space ship. This premise could have been set anywhere, and that’s why the movie is so fun and creative. The humor doesn’t always land, but when it does, it’s pretty good. The special effects for the most part are spectacular (including the green screen), and I enjoyed how the establishing shots in space put you in the atmosphere of this science fiction comedy.

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X-Ray / Schizoid (BluRay/DVD Combo)

xrayschizoidFrom Scream Factory comes two slasher films included in a pack that will test the resolve of even the most loyal slasher movie buffs. “X-Ray” tranquilized me and by the time “Schizoid” was almost done I was desperately trying to keep my eyes open. To their credit, they are a double pack for experimental horror fans, but on their own and without a distraction, they’re two of the most mind numbing slasher films I’ve ever seen.

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Charlie Chan Collection (Shadows Over Chinatown / Docks of New Orleans / Shanghai Chest / The Golden Eye) (DVD)

ChanCharlie Chan is a great character I’d love to see depicted by an actual Asian man someday and as a brilliant detective surrounded by a world of racists who assume him an ignorant little Oriental man. I’d cast a wonderful Asian actor, and create a very elaborate murder mystery for the resurgence of Charlie Chan. If handed the reins I’d certainly aim for a character that strays from his racist roots, whole hog.

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Bullified (2013)

The short drama thriller “Bullified” as directed by Steve Sage Goldberg  gets in to the inescapable pit of the question “Why?” I kept asking why through most of “Bullified” and when I was finished I wasn’t quite satisified. Surely “Bullified” has potential. With some nipping and tucking and tightening of logic, “Bullified” could be a very good thriller with a moral, but as it is, it’s neither here nor there in its intent.

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