Upon first glance at the cover, it’s pretty obvious “The Monster Club” didn’t just take a bunch of images and pasted them together (seriously, take a look at the cover! It’s like a poster! The horror gods shine on you Kerry Gammill). And “Festival of Fright” is not just a pastiche of trailers to sell DVDs. “Festival of Fright” is in the tradition of trailer compilations of the VHS era that not only help us relive some of the best and worst horror films ever made, but also show us that film can still be fun because it invokes nostalgia, amusement, and lets us marvel at how film has evolved and devolved over decades.
Tag Archives: Science Fiction
Future-Kill (1985) (DVD)
“Future-Kill” is an immensely dated and standard science fiction punk flick from the era of leather jackets and Mohawks. In some unsure futuristic world, a gang of mutants and gladiators in the vein of “Mad Max” meets “The Warriors” are battling among one another, and the tensions are obviously high. You can see that by the opening where the leader confronts the loose cannon Splatter, a violent individual who hides behind body armor and is basically an intimidating presence. Moore then introduces a comedic element for some reason with a group of frat boys curiously detracting from the future element, that have to pledge a fraternity. Moore’s film has not held well over time.
District B13 (2004)
I don’t know. Perhaps I’m burned out on action films, particularly from action films with flashy stunts that don’t serve much of a purpose. In the end, “District B13” is a string of action sequences featuring shoot outs, fight scenes, and acrobatics, and not much of a story or characterization to keep us watching. I mean sure, the action scenes are great, but I couldn’t pretend to care when I wasn’t sure who was who and what the grand plot of the entire film is supposed to be.
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman – The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
Season four is when “Lois & Clark” started to fall apart. While this series basically was just Luke & Laura a la Krypton, by season four, we saw Lois and Clark finally wed, and that’s when the series began to topple, because that’s when the romantic chemistry died, and the “Moonlighting” dichotomy faded; thus season four was the final season of this series, now on DVD from Warner Brothers Home Video.
Those who know me, know I’m a hardcore passionate Superman fan, have been since I was four. But those at the superman site I discuss the character with also know very well that “Lois & Clark” was probably the worst Superman adaptation I’ve ever seen.
City of Rott (2006)
Don’t be fooled, its goofy animation isn’t a sign that it’s for kids. This is strictly an adult affair, folks. Imagine “South Park” played with a straight face, imagine Romero’s “Dead” films without a plot, and you’ll get Frank Sudol’s “City of Rott.” An old man is the basic hero for Sudol’s zombie epic in which a new toxin discovered in water creates a citywide epidemic of flesh eating zombies that are rotting from the inside out. Armed with only a walker, which is his best friend, his means of conveyance, and his weapon, he looks around for some new loafers to help his ailing feet, but he can’t stop running into those stupid zombies, and the parasites that leak from the bodies when destroyed.
Appleseed (Appurushîdo) (2004)
Aramaki’s “Appleseed” has the distinction of being one of the better animated films I’ve ever seen simply because of its amazing animation and landscapes. For those who can find no true plot aspects, they can at least marvel at the beautiful animation. In essence, “Appleseed” is technically astounding with wonderful landscapes and creative mixing of mythology and technology. “Appleseed” should be seen for the marvels it accomplishes. I don’t know, I don’t like to watch an animated film feeling as if I’m actually watching a video game. I don’t like video games, and the sneaking suspicion that I’m watching a video game sequence drawn out into a two hour film really irks my gurken. “Appleseed” is basically all style and zero substance, and it’s a techno pop video game/music video.
The Island (2005)
It was no surprise to me that “The Island” was dumb. It was idiotic, it was ludicrous, it was moronic, and it was every other homonym for the word stupid I can think of. It’s Michael Bay for crying out loud. I was actually looking forward to Bay’s most recent shit pile, only because it seemed to have an original concept to it, but man, whatever potential this has to be a story about life, and exploring the world beyond what we’re presented with is thrown out the window thirty minutes in, when it becomes a typical stunt show.