“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.
Tag Archives: Sequel
Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
It’s ridiculous how great director Bryan Trenchard-Smith’s sequel to “Night of the Demons” is. Smith doesn’t just take Kevin Tenney’s story and run with it, but he ups the ante by adding mythology, giving Angela a larger persona as the series’ official villain, and has a damn good time. And how bad ass is Jennifer Rhodes as film heroine Sister Gloria, an uptight nun whose own religious devotion becomes the only thing that can stop Angela’s reign of terror?
Night of the Demons III (1997)
Movie three and I’m still not sure about what Hull house is, or why it hasn’t been torn down yet by the city. We know it’s built to keep out demons, and we know a man is accused of slaughtering his entire family (all of whom likely possessed by demons), but beyond that we’re not given anymore information. There’s still a lot of material to be mined from the concept, but director Jimmy Kaufman is mainly here to bring us through the motions. Angela is back, and she’s preparing another Halloween party for demonic minions. That’s about it, and that’s all we’re really getting for this final outing. Unlike the second film, Kaufman doesn’t do much with Kevin Tenney’s original premise.
Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust (2008)
Gary Busey didn’t come back for the sequel? Was he holding out for more money or did his wrangler have a hard time tranquilizing him? In either case, much of “Gingerdead Man 2” is still just so damn inexplicable and confusing. Michelle Bauer plays Miss Polly who appears at a local film shoot with baked goods. Inside the box is Gingerdead Man. How did he get in there? Why is he there? Is someone sending him around to kill people? It’s never actually explained or remotely hinted.
4 Movie Collection: Return of the Vampire/Revenge of Frankenstein/Mr. Sardonicus/Brotherhood of Satan (DVD)
Mill Creek offers up a cheapie four movie set for horror fans looking to save bucks while also collecting four interesting horror movies. The four movie set here garners three really notable horror movies, and one horror movie that’s simply there to take up a slot, I assume. There are no perfect movie sets, of course. Even ones for the cheap skate horror fans looking to rake in the volume for little money.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Director Francis Lawrence’s “Catching Fire” is set directly after the events of the first serviceable installment of “The Hunger Games,” and sadly Katniss has not emerged victorious. After her attempt to end her life with Peeta, incapable of fighting to the death, the pair became celebrities. Rather than be wounded by their violation of the rules of the Hunger games, the Capital took advantage of this moment. Katniss and Peeta are now a celebrity couple and the world wide sensation, and the capital has done everything they can to exploit this opportunity. Katniss and Peeta started a revolution when they agreed to a suicide pact, and now they have to once again maintain their image.
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection) (1962)
If you’re like me, you’re a fan of “Zatoichi” and know all too well how expensive the movie series can be to purchase. Zatoichi garners almost thirty films in his movie series, two of which are released separately. The first twenty five are, of course, often released in box set form and are sold at terribly expensive prices, and immediately go out of print. If you want to collect all of the movies individually online through a purchase, good luck finding an online seller that won’t charge an arm and a leg. Back in the early aughts I attempted to buy as many “Zatoichi” films as I could, and only ended up finding four. I never could bear to buy the rare box sets at almost five hundred bucks. Thankfully, Criterion comes to the rescue, offering a deluxe box set of one of my favorite action movie series of all time, “Zatoichi.”