Admittedly up until this year I hadn’t actually seen Joe Dante’s “Piranha” before. And for folks who still haven’t seen it to this day in spite of its apparent cult status, Dante’s horror picture might be a little jarring. Tonally “Piranha” is unusual and quite surreal. The first half of the film is almost like a B dark comedy featuring drawn out bouts of exposition and a small stop motion bipedal fish walking around a secret lab for some inexplicable reason. The next half then suddenly becomes a stern straight faced horror film with the atmosphere amped up to eleven. It’s such an oddity on film that I couldn’t help but enjoy it from start to finish.
Tag Archives: Thriller
Fright Night (2011)
Don’t be fooled by the hullabaloo, “Fright Night” 2011 is a mess. And not just a mess but a pretty crummy remake of a movie that is deserving of its classic status. As a remake it switches elements up plot wise and distorts much of the themes of the original film’s narrative, but at the end of the day it’s all just so horribly put together that it’s all just so poorly conceived and eventually becomes incredibly monotonous. Like most modern remakes of classic horror films, this completely misses the point of the original film. But then that’s the point, many will argue. The point of the film is that it misses the point of the original film.
Piranha 3DD (2012)
Let’s be real here, it’s not like “Piranha 3D” was a cerebral ride in to the inner depths of human complexity. It was a basically ridiculous and absolutely brain dead film that, in spite of my original negative review, is something of a movie I can sit through for ninety minutes to pass the time. “Piranha 3D” is watchable in spite of its awfulness because it knows how to balance humor and terror and makes use of its throwbacks. This sequel however fails on every conceivable level and is practically the antithesis of entertainment. It’s a black hole of nothing sometimes, with a premise that goes nowhere when it’s going everywhere.
Zombi 2 (1979)
For the uninitiated, back in 1978 when George A Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” was released in foreign countries, it was renamed “Zombi” and re-cut for Italian audiences sans the dark comedy. When the movie became a hit, Lucio Fulci took it upon himself to direct the “sequel” entitled “Zombi 2.” Basically, Fulci’s “Zombi 2” is not actually a sequel to Romero’s “Dawn” but unofficially his horror film acts as a pseudo sequel/prequel for “Dawn.” So basically “Dawn” has two sequels, one official, and one unofficial. I of course prefer “Day of the Dead,” but Lucio Fulci’s “Zombi 2” is not without its merits. It’s a terrifying and often haunting zombie film filled with such effective gore and grue that you could smell the stench of the walking dead permeate off the screen at times.
Subspecies (1991) [Blu-Ray]
Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention but what is the Bloodstone supposed to do, anyway? The entire first film of “Subspecies” revolves around the sacred macguffin called the Bloodstone. Allegedly it’s supposed to drip the blood of the saints but then what? Does that grant the vampire god-like abilities? Isn’t that a bit redundant considering a vampire is already near invincible? Does it allow them to walk during the day? Does it make them holy or something? I could never quite figure out what if anything the bloodstone was for. “Subspecies” in spite of its inherent narrative faults and logic gaps is a time when Full Moon was trying to deliver us quality entertainment.
Apocalypse Pizza Video (2012)
As is the case with most short films these days, “Apocalypse Pizza Video” is only really existent as a pitch for a feature film. It’s a small glimpse in to a humongous world and massive narrative that promises to be wide in scope should it ever become a feature film. Or a series. I’m not sure which. Some information I’ve read claims this film is part one in a series, while other sources claim it’s a “trailer” for the feature film the producers are trying to get funding for to make in to a feature film. None of that matter as I’m a complete sucker for any form of fiction that concerns the apocalypse and the film from Je Suis Bien Content is one of the most creative piece of post-apocalyptic cinema I’ve seen in a while.
Demons 3: Books One and Two [Digital]
I really like how these extra additions to these rare limited edition re-releases of the horror classics known as “Dremons” are really intended to connect the mythology. And yes, even in “Demons” a movie without rhyme or reason for being one of the most chaotic horror films ever made, there’s room for a good writer to create a mythology. Set in the world of “Demons 3,” writers Stefan Hutchinson and Barry Keating tell a compelling story in two graphic novels about the rise of Michel and Christopher. Along the way a man named Nostradame is plagued with endless horrible visions of the apocalypse, blood and guts, and endless turmoil caused by the rise of demonic entities that will destroy all of society and civilization.