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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Shandar – The Shrunken City (1998)

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

You have to love how our kiddy duo complain that the bottled city of Kandor–er–Shandar isn’t protected when it’s been seated by hieroglyphs deep in a cave underground. And in Pennsylvania! No one would ever expect a bottled city to be hidden in Pennsylvania. Directed by Ted Nicolaou who brought us many of Full Moon’s more entertaining genre outings, “The Shrunken City” (or as it’s known now: “Shandar–The Shrunken City”) is a entertaining enough for kids, but incredibly convoluted. I was never quite sure what the hell was going on, all I knew was that two kids found the miniature city of Kandor–er–Shandar.

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Gravity (2013)

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Many audiences have compared Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity” to the indie horror film “Open Water.” And in many ways that comparison is perfectly apt. Much in the way the aforementioned film sought out to provide audiences with a feeling of aimlessness, sea sickness, and a futile fight for survival, “Gravity” strips away any feeling of equilibrium or safety from the very second it begins. The safety being, of course, gravity. The characters within the scope of the film are engaging in a space walk and have nothing but a tether to keep them tied to their ship. When that option is gone, there’s nothing we can do but submit to the void of space and let fate take hold.

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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 PC Thug: A Little (Final) Rant on “Star Wars”

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Wars, I think it’s fun escapism that’s dunderheaded but still massively entertaining, but the prospect of the entire series being continued in such a hectic rush is irritating, if only because it feels like a car wreck waiting to happen. I’m glad Disney bought the rights for the series from Lucas, but we’re not sure what difference it will make yet.

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The First Wave (2014)

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

Director David Frayne’s “The First Wave” is intended as a prologue for a now in the works feature film. And from what I’ve seen in the entire six minutes of this short introduction, the feature film version of “The First Wave” promises to be quite an incredible twist on the zombie sub-genre.After a massive epidemic of flesh eating zombies plagues the city and families are consumed, science has finally found a way to cure the epidemic. Now once walking dead cannibals are turning up in hospitals cured, as doctors anxiously try to move forward and maintain the steady rise of recuperated monsters.

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Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1 [Dark Horse Comics]

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Felix Vasquez

“Leaves on the Wind” has a lot to cover in one issue, and surely enough we’re fed a lot of information. And to make things better, the first issue flows smoothly without missing a beat. Sure, the story rushes forward after the events of “Serenity,” but it’s also marching to the beat of the original short lived television series. I’m glad the Firefly clan are back, and as always, they’re being dealt a horrible hand by fate. After losing Wash and the Shepherd, Serenity is now adrift in space and the deaths of their comrades seem almost in vain.

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