Sunday, October 19, 2014
The Madness: Automatons Week 2
Starting week 2 of the madness off with some more MST3K. Loving the MST3K clause. This one's about a Van Damme wannabe, a cyborg and dinosaurs running around California. Highlight of the episode was Gypsy kickboxing the crap out of Tom Servo www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGxaePBwC4....Rating: 3.5/5
Little Shop of Horrors is a great movie. The casting is perfect with great cameos from Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Candy and others, the songs are great and I love the creature effects....Rating: 4/5
Perfect movie for the Halloween season. This tv movie has it all, werewolves, zombies, vampires and it's also a lot of fun. Now we just need a proper North American re-release because upwards of $200 for a used Anchor Bay disc isn't happening....Rating: 3.5/5
This was the first episode of MST3K I ever saw. It was the mid 90's and my parents signed up for the Columbia House MST3K collection where every month we received a new MST3K tape. This was the first that arrived and I was hooked. Still love this episode today and will always be one of my favorites. Highlight of the episode has to be Joel and the Bots singing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3CDX3Q5UxY....Rating: 5/5
Hadn't seen this one in years. Found it more enjoyable this time around than when I saw it back in the early 90's. Watching Edgar grow increasingly more jealous as Miles hides him away from the woman they both love is both entertaining and depressing. The concept of being completely self aware and trapped like Edgar is a theme not explored enough in films about AI. I'm surprised it's not more readily available....Rating: 3.5/5
I didn't see this one when it came out since I would have been 15 and Disney wasn't on my radar. Maybe that lack of childhood connection is the reason I didn't enjoy this one because the rating on IMDB is pretty high and I've seen other's mention this one on lists of movies to watch around Halloween. I just found it boring. The premise is interesting and has a ton of potential but the execution left me bored....Rating: 1.5/5
Great start to season 5. I feel like the show really found its legs in season 4 with a good mix of action, drama and horror. In previous seasons the balance always seemed off. This first episode of season 5 wastes no time however and feels more like a season finale than opener. Even though it was filled with action the episode still took necessary moments to slow down and focus on characters even if only for a short time. Hopefully the show maintains its momentum going forward and continues to build on how these characters evolve following Terminus....Rating: 5/5
Demonic Toys is 86 minutes of good b-movie fun. Honestly the only thing I don't enjoy about this movie is Tracy Scoggins and unfortunately she's the heroine. However the rest of the cast is good fun and I like the design of the toys....Rating: 3.5/5
Demon Seed has been on my radar for some time now and the theme of the madness kind of dictated that I finally sit down and watch it. The movie becomes laughably ridiculous once the impregnation and final reveal occur....Rating: 2.5/5
If only there were a bonus element for terrible green screen because this one would take the cake. Before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts Mildred Hubble was a student at a school for budding witches. I was almost envious of my 4 year old as we watched this because she can enjoy it for what it is while I can't help but laugh at it. It's almost worth watching just for the awful effects and terrible songs. There's also the ridiculous yet awesome Tim Curry cameo. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhuPn8_d0Q...Rating: 2/5
An aging puppeteer has a young wife who he believes might be cheating on him. Per usual this episode has one twist ending which I did see coming followed by a second twist that I wasn't expecting. Okay episode. Watch the full episode here....Rating: 2.5/5
In this episode of Monsters a doctor who is locked up in a mental institution believes he can transfer life into small anatomically correct clay dolls. Overall a solid episode with some cool stop motion effects and a grisly kill.Watch the full episode here....Rating: 4/5
Holly's House is only the second episode of the series and is pretty weak in comparison to some others. The titular character Holly is a remote controlled robot dressed up as a giant doll. The robot comes to life and becomes jealous of her controllers relationship with murderous results. The premise sounds much better than the final product actually is.Watch the full episode here....Rating: 1/5
This episode retreads much of the same stuff we've seen in other shows and films about ventriloquist dummies and their owners but it's still a fun episode. The point where the dummy is swapped out with a little person made up to look like a dummy is unintentional comic gold.Watch the full episode here.....Rating: 3.5/5
A robot gorilla? "ro-man" is sent to earth to wipe out humanity leaving only a handful of human survivors to defeat it. Overall this early episode is solid with some great jokes but it's still visible that the show is finding its feet. The giant dart gag did make me laugh out loud for it's sheer unexpectedness....Rating: 3.5/5
Saw this one last year when it aired on ABC and it was fun to revisit. The slasher movie setup as the toys are picked off one by one leaving one "final girl" works well and while the twist is fun it takes away from the child friendly horror movie aesthetic established in the beginning and transitions into a more typical Toy Story plot....Rating: 3.5/5
This one is a follow up to a movie we hadn't seen. While I was trying to catch up on the continuity to figure out what was going on my child got a kick out of it. I thought the movie dragged a bit but then again I am not the target audience....Rating: 2/5
Poltergeist is another on my list of favorite horror films. The entire film mostly holds up (with the exception of that face melting effect) and is incredibly scary for a PG rated film. While the PG-13 didn't yet exist I can't help but think that if The Conjuring ended up with an R there's no way Poltergeist would have pulled even a PG-13 today. Overall a great film and still one of the best haunted house movies ever produced....Rating: 5/5
A boy who has a terrible mother and sister opens up a cereal box to find a small toy inside that grows when you place it in water. However this toy comes to life and keeps growing bigger and bigger. Eventually the boy uses his new friend to get back at his awful family. Silly episode but fun Watch the full episode here....Rating: 3/5
Nightmares and Dreamscapes was a short lived series on TNT where every one hour episode was based off of a Stephen King short story. Battleground is the best of the bunch. Shot without any dialogue the story concerns a hit man who takes out a target who also happens to have a large collection of toys. Later those toys show up at his home and wage a vengeful bloody war upon him. I love this episode and it even contains a little cameo from our favorite Zuni doll from Trilogy of Terror....Rating: 4/5
I still remember when I was in 5th grade and saw this movie in a theater. I had never seen anything like it and absolutely loved it. Still a great movie today and love watching this with my daughter.....Rating: 5/5
This one was on Disney channel and since we had just watched the first one we figured why not give this one a shot. It is a bit of an improvement over the first one. I have realized my biggest issues with the series is that I don't find Halloweentown all the interesting. I find the real world on Halloween night far more interesting than Halloweentown. It is interesting to note that Mary Lambert directed this one who is probably best known in the horror community for Pet Sematary. Too bad this is where she ended up.....Rating: 2/5
A giant pumpkinheaded creature kills people on Halloween. The movie is pretty awful but I knew going in that it was produced by Fred Olen Ray and stars Linnea Quigley so I got exactly what I was hoping for. .....Rating: 2/5
I am currently in Walt Disney World so I while my viewing will be lacking for several days I can make up some points via the Dark Ride bonus. The Haunted Mansion is a classic attraction and I've loved it since I was a kid. My daughter covered her eyes for about 75% of it but she warmed up to it by the end....Rating: 5/5
Another classic attraction. My daughter and 5 month old both loved this one. It's funny to see older kids and adults on it though because it's probably one of the slowest rides in the park....Rating: 5/5
The great thing about this ride is the line is filled with things to keep the children entertained. The ride itself is fun but too short.....Rating: 4/5
This was my first time on the Buzz Lightyear ride and we loved it. Tons of interaction and visuals everywhere....Rating: 5/5
This ride is part of the new Fantasyland (which is now one of the best designed sections of the park. The ride itself is pretty well done with a combination of traditional animatronics and video....Rating: 4/5
Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Madness: Automatons Week 1
Total Points Week One: 162.5
Saturday October 4th
Magic (1978, 107min)
Magic is a great film. The central performance by Anthony Hopkins is the right level of manic and over the top for me and the film carries a real sense of dread as it builds to its conclusion....Rating: 4/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 2 Bonus Points (Dummy is main character and part of the killers ritual
Total Points: 4
Maximum Overdrive (1986, 97min)
I don't care that Maximum Overdrive has a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been panned by critics. I don't care that Stephen King was coked up throughout production and had no clue what he was doing. I don't are that Lisa Simpson is incredibly grating and annoying throughout the film. I don't care that the choice to have ACDC score a horror film seems a bit odd. I love it anyway. Recommended for me and like minded viewers....Rating: 4/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Every machine in the world goes on a killing spree)
Total Points: 6
Westworld (1973, 88min)
Westworld is still quite enjoyable it does feel a bit dated by today's standards. I wouldn't mind seeing an update to this material that fully explores the themes of how we interact and deal with technology that has been created solely to amuse and please us even after it seems to break away from it's programming. Also, James Cameron had to have seen this movie before he made the Terminator....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Robot goes berserk & turns on masters)
Total Points: 6
The Twilight Zone Season 5 Episode 6: Living Doll (1963 30min)
I still remember the first time I saw The Living Doll. My brother and I were watching a Twilight Zone marathon when I was about 7 when this episode came on. It scared the hell out of us. While I don't find Talky Tina nearly as frightening today it's still a great episode and Telly Savalas is such a douchebag that watching him get his comeuppance is still a pleasure. Highly recommended....Rating: 5/5
Points: Base Points .5 + ATB (Doll is the killer)
Total Points: 3
Friday the 13th The Series Season 3 Episode 17: Jack in the Box (1990, 60min)
Jack in the Box is about a young girl whose father is murdered and she uses a Jack in the Box to exact revenge. I watched the episode because I find Jack in the Boxes to be pretty creepy and this sounded like it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. Basically whenever the girl plays the box when someone is around water they are murdered by the water. The only clever use of the idea is when someone drowns in a car wash. Otherwise, pretty bland stuff....Rating: 1/5
Points 1 Base Points + 2 Bonus Point (Toy tied to spirit & used in murder plot)
Total Points: 3
Ghostbusters (1984, 105min)
By this time on Saturday it was time for "family madness" so I introduced my 4 year old to Ghostbusters. This film is a classic and is one of my favorite all time comedies. The jokes still work for me even after so many viewings....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Casper's Scare School Season 1 Episode 2: Disarmed & Dangerous / Frankenleftovers (2009, 30min)
Casper's Scare School is an animated series my daughter recently found on Netflix. The series is fun for what it is though I am always looking for this stuff to be more referential to its influences....Rating: 2.5/5
Points: .5 Base Points
Total Points: .5
Child's Play (1988, 87min)
Child's Play is a movie I revisit often. It's a movie from my childhood and my enjoyment of it continues today. The fact that it's paced so much differently than most of the other films in the franchise playing with the audiences expectations of whether Chucky is actually alive and holding off on Chucky's reveal for a good 40 minutes helps a lot to set it apart from not only the sequels but many modern horror films of this type....Rating: 4/5
Points: Child's Play / Puppet Master Challenge
Total Points: 110 for all movies
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Podcast Episode 32
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Episode 32 features reviews of the 1965 Japanese superhero film "Invaders From Space" and the 1974 video nasty "Flesh for Frankenstein". We also discuss Captain America Winter Soldier, The Strain, some Troma Movies, I Spit on your Grave news and more! Enjoy!
Monday, September 15, 2014
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Podcast Episode 31
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Episode 31 first has us returning to Argento with his 1982 giallo, "Tenebrae". We then review the 2013 low budget independent zombie film, "The Battery". Of course before all of that we discuss the recent reboot news for "Underworld" and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown". We also try to figure out what should constitute "limited" in limited editions, attempt to rationalize format double-dipping, talk about what we've been watching, discuss some upcoming releases and more! Enjoy!
Rent or purchase "The Battery" on Amazon (and we highly recommend you do!)
Friday, August 29, 2014
Saw 34 - Short Review
I will start this review by making it clear that I despise the Saw franchise. While I enjoyed the first couple of films upon their release the franchise quickly spiraled from a relatively simple premise into a ridiculous convoluted mess that came pretty close to unintentional self parody. It was always difficult for me to understand how this franchise continued to survive and be profitable despite all of its flaws. Therefore, I am always happy to spend some time with a project that attempts to skewer this franchise for what it is.
"Saw 34" is a short 6 minute video that is currently available on Funny or Die. The creator of the video contacted us and asked if we would be willing to check it out. Apparently made for a meager 60 bucks and a pizza this is played as the 34th entry in the Saw franchise which I am honestly surprised isn't a real thing yet. Of course the key to whether or not this will work as a parody is how successfully the creators can skewer everything that's ridiculous about the Saw films.
Without giving too much away I think that overall they succeeded in creating a product that fans and haters of the Saw films will enjoy. All of the key points are addressed such as the fact that Jigsaw always seems to have someone willing to put on a pig mask and assist with abducting people off of the street. In Saw 34 it's a guy named Keith who is still in training. The ridiculous monologues that Jigsaw always has to deliver to his victims are in here as well only he's become so bored with coming up with crap to say that he resorts to reading the ingredients off of a Cheerios box. All he needs to do is read the words in that gutteral Jigsaw voice and they come off as both threatening and intellectual. The fact that it would be almost impossible for every scenario to play out exactly as planned is also addressed. What are the odds that all of the victims would so simply be abducted and that all of them would play directly into the traps the way Jigsaw plans. Everything is so dependent on the reactions of the abducted that it's almost impossible to accurately predict what they will do or say. Lastly the have to address the traps themselves. Everyone that's seen a saw film knows how intricate and over the top the traps and scenarios became as the films moved along. By the time Saw 34 comes around Jigsaw has exhausted his ideas and capabilities to the point that the victim simply needs to make a choice between an apple and a banana. Sam hates bananas but the apple is spongy, the choice is his.
Overall I enjoyed Saw 34. I am not usually a big fan of parody because feature length parodies tend to overstay their welcome and the jokes just become a barrage of pop culture references. However, in small doses like this where the focus is on one single film the format can shine. They are able to poke fun at all of the things that make Saw so ridiculous without ever going overboard. It's just the right amount to make anyone who has seen even one of these films have a good laugh. I would definitely recommend you go and check this one out!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0727307ec5/saw-34
"Saw 34" is a short 6 minute video that is currently available on Funny or Die. The creator of the video contacted us and asked if we would be willing to check it out. Apparently made for a meager 60 bucks and a pizza this is played as the 34th entry in the Saw franchise which I am honestly surprised isn't a real thing yet. Of course the key to whether or not this will work as a parody is how successfully the creators can skewer everything that's ridiculous about the Saw films.
Without giving too much away I think that overall they succeeded in creating a product that fans and haters of the Saw films will enjoy. All of the key points are addressed such as the fact that Jigsaw always seems to have someone willing to put on a pig mask and assist with abducting people off of the street. In Saw 34 it's a guy named Keith who is still in training. The ridiculous monologues that Jigsaw always has to deliver to his victims are in here as well only he's become so bored with coming up with crap to say that he resorts to reading the ingredients off of a Cheerios box. All he needs to do is read the words in that gutteral Jigsaw voice and they come off as both threatening and intellectual. The fact that it would be almost impossible for every scenario to play out exactly as planned is also addressed. What are the odds that all of the victims would so simply be abducted and that all of them would play directly into the traps the way Jigsaw plans. Everything is so dependent on the reactions of the abducted that it's almost impossible to accurately predict what they will do or say. Lastly the have to address the traps themselves. Everyone that's seen a saw film knows how intricate and over the top the traps and scenarios became as the films moved along. By the time Saw 34 comes around Jigsaw has exhausted his ideas and capabilities to the point that the victim simply needs to make a choice between an apple and a banana. Sam hates bananas but the apple is spongy, the choice is his.
Overall I enjoyed Saw 34. I am not usually a big fan of parody because feature length parodies tend to overstay their welcome and the jokes just become a barrage of pop culture references. However, in small doses like this where the focus is on one single film the format can shine. They are able to poke fun at all of the things that make Saw so ridiculous without ever going overboard. It's just the right amount to make anyone who has seen even one of these films have a good laugh. I would definitely recommend you go and check this one out!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0727307ec5/saw-34
Podcast Episode 30
Download this episode (right click and save)
Episode 30 is a packed one at just over 2 hours with Adam, Mike and Jeff all returning to the MTF studio following our brief hiatus. For the main part of our show we first return to the low budget world of Fred Olen Ray with 2004's Tomb of the Werewolf. We then take a trip back to the 80's with the 2013 found footage flick, "WNUF Halloween Special". Also, Adam argues that Jaws is the greatest film ever made, Mike tries to convey just how bad the new Ninja Turtles movie is and much much more! Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Phoenix Fearcon
Hey everyone, we wanted to take a minute to let everyone know about a cool event coming to the Phoenix Arizona area in November of 2014. On November 1st and 2nd Fearcon descends on the city of Phoenix. Fearcon is Arizona's largest independent horror event and looks like it will be a blast for anyone able to attend. In addition to a lineup of guests including Ken Foree, Debbie Rochon, Tiffany Shepis and more they will also be screening a bunch of independently produced features and short films. So head on over to their website www.phoenixfearcon.com for all of the details and how to stay updated and if you are in the Phoenix area on the 1st and 2nd of November be sure to check out Phoenix Fearcon!
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