Assassination Classroom (2015) [Fantasia Film Festival]

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL

It’s not often such a weird movie manages to win me over, but lo and behold “Assassination Classroom” really did. I doubt I will be back for the sequels unless I have to, but for almost two hours I was thoroughly entertained by such a richly developed and fun action movie. It avoids almost all of he clichés of an action movie, while also diving head first in to them, and sets up a bunch of storylines within its one hundred and ten minute duration. Based on the hit manga of the same name, “Assasssination Classroom” tries to fit in a bunch of threads in its run time and succeeds for the most part. The premise is so daffy and off the wall I could only gaze in sheer disbelief as two screenwriters approached this with sincerity.

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Invisible Centerfolds (2015)

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

The oh so lovely Christine Nguyen is back in what is essentially a movie with the exact cast as “Sexy Warriors.” Though much more science fiction based, “Invisible Centerfolds” gets its kicks off of the comedy it mines from turning Christine Nguyen invisible. Think of it as the famous movie starring Claude Rains, except rather than a legendary male actor, it’s an obscenely sexy young Asian woman.

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Gilligan’s Planet: The Complete Series (DVD)

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

So I guess that’s the answer to any old stale franchise in the old days? Just put them in to space? Josie and the Pussycats went there, and now the gang from Gilligan’s Island. Considered the official sequel, the premise for this series is just as outlandish as the original series. And you have to take it with a grain of salt as well. Logic be damned, rather than build a boat out of the island, the professor builds a space ship. The group manages to get off of the island and find themselves stranded in space! Now they’re on an alien planet coming across all sorts of extra terrestrials while trying to repair their spaceship to get home.

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Crimson Whale (2014) [Fantasia Film Festival]

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL

I was completely mixed with “Crimson Whale” as a feature, because when you get down to it, it feels like it pads its run time. It’s only seventy minutes in length, and a lot of it feels like its treading water to get to the inevitable confrontation with its titular foe that happens to be anomaly of nature. “Crimson Whale” isn’t the worst anime film I’ve ever seen. It just isn’t all that good. It gets the distinction of being middle of the road mainly because it’s just so damn gloomy and mean spirited. It’s violent, and dark, and definitely does not thrive on supplying a happy ending. It barely has an ending, when you cut to the chase.

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Robot Jox (1990) [Blu-Ray]

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

I’m very lucky that I don’t have any nostalgic connection to “Robot Jox.” I merely know it that that giant robot movie from Full Moon/Empire, and nothing more. Watching it without the rose colored glasses allowed me to appreciate it for what it really is. It’s silly, it’s unusual, but damn it it’s a lot of fun. I can see watching this as a double bill with “Arena.” We just don’t have nearly enough giant robot movies in America, and “Robot Jox” is that one movie that has its heart in the right place. It’s too big for its britches, but it utilizes old fashioned technology to depict a future where robots decide the fate of countries.

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“Drained World” Pilot

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

The apocalypse is the big order for the day, and there’s no sign of entertainment in that sub-genre dying down any time soon. Even Web Series are approaching the sub-genre, and the newest is “Drained World.” Normally I’m rough on web series and demand unique content, and “Drained World” seems to fit my needs so far. The twelve minute pilot is filled with a lot of questions and some healthy ambiguity that I hope gets settled with more episodes in the future.

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