Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) [Fantasia Film Festival]

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL

“Plan Nine” is often cited as the worst film of all time, but I tend to disagree. Say what you want about Ed Wood’s schlock disaster, but it at least has a narrative to it. It’s a pitiful narrative, it’s unnecessarily convoluted, but it’s something. Hell, even “The Room” has some kind of narrative to it that resembles the worst romance melodrama seemingly derived from a Spanish novella. “Manos The Hands of Fate” (or in English: Hands The Hands of Fate?) is the template of how not to make a movie.

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Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985) [Blu-ray]

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

There are two reasons to watch “Howling II”: The sheer utter hotness of Sybil Danning, who walks around throughout the film in a tight leather leotard that makes her look like a Batman villain. And Two: The utterly inept performance by the one and only Reb Brown. It’s a long way to go from Dee Wallace to Reb Brown, but hot damn the creators of the sequel to “The Howling” are more than up for the challenge to remind us which of the pair is more convincing as a human being. “Howling II” is the official sequel to “The Howling”; it’s a goofy, wonky, and camp laden werewolf picture hell bent on celebrating the new wave movement by literally handing us European new wave super villains that happen to be a cult of werewolves.

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Don’t Play with Ghosts (2015)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

It’s always nice to see the beginning of a filmmaker’s career and if “Don’t Play with Ghosts” is any indication, Sydney Hord has a long road ahead of her filled with surprises. “Don’t Play with Ghosts” is a part of a 48 hour film competition with a three and a half minute length, and in that time Hord manages to paint a really spooky picture. It’s a simplistic premise, but one wrought with some interesting twist and turns.

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The Murders of Brandywine Theater (2015)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

It’s refreshing in this day and age that some indie filmmakers aren’t just content with splattering the audience with red ooze and goo and calling it a horror film. There are some filmmakers that really want to convey a story, and Larry Longstreth seems to be one of those directors who aren’t happy with just grossing people out. “The Murders of Brandywine Theater” is a complex, and very unique horror film that isn’t just eerie, but it’s also damn spooky to boot. To say Moxxy is a creepy antagonist really is underplaying the top notch puppetry that’s put to work here. Moxxy seems very rigid when we first see him, but soon enough he not only begins to take on his own life, but his limited expression make him a menace to be reckoned with.

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Scared Silly: 13 Classic Horror Comedies (DVD)

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

For the Mill Creek compilation “Scared Silly,” the company brings together the roots of horror comedy with a thirteen movie set that’s well worth the cash. Some of it is the same old material you’ll find in other collections, but considering the sub-genre, that’s nothing to sneeze at. On Disc One there’s 1961’s Creature from the Haunted Sea starring the googly eyed sea weed monster, as directed by Roger Corman. It’s a classic you can’t help but giggle through.

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The Phantom Of The Opera (1989) [Blu-ray]

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

The Robert Englund starring “Phantom of the Opera” is a mix between “Darkman,” the original “Phantom of the Opera,” with a hint of “Nightmare on Elm Street.” Like the aforementioned film, Englund’s character thrives in dreams, and sports a nasty pizza face that is only slightly darker than Krueger. It’s almost as if Krueger was pulled in to our world, and found a way to live among the mortals through various false faces. Christine Day is an opera singer trying out for a brand new musical, and decides to sing a mythical piece of music called “Don Juan Triumphant.” While performing, she’s knocked unconscious by a falling light that drops her like a bag of rice, and she awakens in ancient times.

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Gone Girl (2014)

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

It’s great that such a polished film like “Gone Girl” doesn’t opt for a more safe and Hollywood bound climax where we’ve seen a labyrinth of lies unfold in to a new bow. By the time “Gone Girl” has ended, director David Fincher has written his characters in to a corner, and they’re not at any point going to squirm out of it. I loved “Gone Girl” mainly because it’s a murder mystery without the kind of surprises you’d expect. Our characters are amoral and unlikable, and director Fincher has a keen sense of cynicism toward marriage and how it can be a fiasco that devolves in to a play.

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