The Mad Ravings of an Entertainment Junkie

2011: Year in Review

2011-12-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hello out there to all in "blogger-land"!

It has been a VERY LONG TIME since I have been on my blog...

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry (belated) Christmas, and an extremely Happy New Year!!

I also want to thank everyone whose comments that I've never replied to and to those who have sent me questioning e-mails. (there is a reason that I have not yet replied)

I hope that you are all doing well!

A quick up-date, in case anyone still cares:

After leaving Green Bay, Wisconsin, the family & I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, then to Columbus, Ohio, then to Erie, Pennsylvania, (where we spent almost a year) then to Boulder, Colorado, (we love it there!) then to Fayetteville, North Carolina, (where we spent 9 months) then to Omaha, Nebraska, and now we are currently in Bloomington, Illinois (through the end of January).

About the time that we left Wisconsin, the agencies (who provide our housing, etc.) stopped paying for wi-fi (it's pretty much either wi-fi or cable, and frankly I would rather have cable)

I figured that I could always go to Barnes & Noble or Starbucks... (not so easy with my kids running around though)

Shortly after this, my (8-year-old) laptop pretty much kicked the bucket, and me being a stay-at-home-dad had to scrounge what money I could (my wife gives me money when I need it) and save for a new laptop...

Long story short, I now have a new laptop (and an iPhone - we'll get to that later) and where we are staying in Illinois is within walking distance of both a Starbucks and a Barnes & Noble - not to mention that my kids are getting older and more behaved, which will allow me to, hopefully, get back into the swing of things!

Now that you have that background information, on to why I'm back on my blog:

(it won't be like the old days, with pictures & trailers, etc - just simple text)

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2011:

1) The Adjustment Bureau

2) Courageous

3) The Eagle

4) Fast Five

5) Fright Night (yes, the re-make!)

6) Insidious

7) The Ledge

8) Rise of the Planet of the Apes

9) Super

10) Tucker & Dale vs Evil

My Top 10 (non-2011) Films that I watched, for the 1st time, this year:

1) Behind Enemy Lines

2) Case 39

3) Dream Home

4) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (yes, I missed that one previously!)

5) Faster

6) Green Street Hooligans

7) Hereafter

8) I Saw the Devil

9) The Next Three Days

10) The Warrior's Way

My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2011:

1) The Christian Zombie Killers Handbook (no joke!) by: Jeff Kinley

2) City of Fallen Angels - by: Cassandra Clare

3) Dead Reckoning - by: Charlaine Harris

4) 11/22/63 - by: Stephen King

5) Friend - by: Franklin E. Wales

6) Infinity Blade: Awakening - by: Brandon Sanderson

7) Mile 81 (I know it's just a novella, but it's that good!) by: Stephen King

8) The Omen Machine - by: Terry Goodkind

9) Purgatory Junction - by: Franklin E. Wales

10) The Vault - by: Boyd Morrison

My Top 10 (non-2011) Books that I read, for the 1st time, this year:

1) Afraid - by: Jack Kilborn

2) The Ark - by: Boyd Morrison

3) Domain - by Steve Alten

4) Heaven - by Randy Alcorn

5) Level 26: Dark Prophecy - by: Anthony Zuiker

6) Meg - by: Steve Alten

7) Patient Zero - by: Jonathan Maberry

8) Resurrection - by: Steve Alten

9) The Trench - by Steve Alten

10 Under & Alone... by: William Queen

So, there you have it!

It feels good to be back...

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... my iPhone...

While it can pretty much do everything, it's not the most conducive to writing reviews, etc, so I'm going to stick to doing my blog, on my laptop, when I find the time.

I'm hoping to maybe find some time at the end (or beginning) of every month.

Maybe just do a "favorite film/book of the month" and maybe a runner-up, so check back, around this time, next month...

P.S. I've never been too big on social networking, however I am using the Google+ app on my iPhone... it makes for some super quick & easy posts, every now and then, so if you're on there, look me up...

Until next time!

(I have to start sorting through my 1,000+ e-mails and 700+ blog/spam comments now)

Jason

On the road again [and May Movie Madness]

2009-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time again - time to hit the road - only this time, there is no set destination, as we have yet to hear back from any of the job placement recruiters. . .

In the meantime, we are going to head over to Tennessee, as we all agree that TN may be a potential place to settle down [we all love Chattanooga]

We are going to hit the road tomorrow, which means that I will miss the theatrical releases of Pixar's UP and Raimi's Drag Me to Hell - two film's that I will definitely check out, first chance that I get!

While in Tennessee, we are going to check around Nashville, as it just so happens that the neighbors we have befriended, here in Green Bay, [the ones who were recently married] may be moving to Nashville to run one of Gill Montie's [a famous tattoo artist] tattoo studios. They are the coolest neighbors ever [seriously, you couldn't ask for better] so we figure that it will definitely be cool if we all relocated to the same location [or at least near one another]

So, that is where we currently stand - while waiting to hear back from the job recruiters [positions are currently pending, in Maryland, Ohio, and Seattle - we have already been to Seattle, so we may end up in Maryland or Ohio] Depending on where we end up going from TN, it may be a few weeks before I get back on-line, so in the interim, I will leave you with some brief reviews of the movies that I have watched, thus far this month:

[I am just going to list them alphabetically, so that you can just find the poster of the ones that may interest you]

First up, we have At Close Range, a Drama from the mid-eighties. This one was recommended to me by fellow Blogger Phantom of Pulp - this is one of his top-ten films of all time!

While the film was definitely worth watching and boded some excellent performances, I wouldn't put it in my top ten - My Rating: 3 Skulls

Not to be confused with the film, with the same title, that I reviewed earlier this month. This one is a horror/war film set in World War II - it has a great story and great direction! My Rating: 4 Skulls

With the upcoming re-make [September, I believe] I figured that now would be as good a time as any to check out the original film, from 1973, and I am glad that I did! A Great Film!

Now that I have seen it though, I think that I would prefer a sequel, rather than a re-make [though if the re-make is done well, perhaps there will be a sequel to that - one never knows] My Rating: 4 Skulls

I am sure you are all familiar with this one - I do not know about you, but I found this one to be extremely long and drawn out - in other words - Boring! My Rating: 2 Skulls

This was a great flick, from the allegories to the cool visuals, this one is one of those films that will need to be seen a 2nd time in order to be completely appreciated - My Rating: 4 Skulls

The other night, I went fishing with my neighbor and his wife, and when we returned, he whipped up an outstanding dinner of fresh fish [Northerners & Rock Bass] and potatoes. It was the best fish I have ever had! My neighbor also taught me how to clean and cook the fish, so next time I can do it myself! :-)

Anyhow, during dinner, he was telling me about this creepy World War I flick, so we decided to watch it - while it may have been creepier than the above Bunker flick, I actually enjoyed The Bunker more [we watched The Bunker immediately afterwards] My Rating for Deathwatch: 3 Skulls

This one was chosen by my wife - a very well done romantic comedy - My Rating: 4 Skulls

To cut right to the chase, I hated this film - it was just plain idiotic! I was not familiar with the terminology behind the film's title, however I had heard that this film was akin to Knife in the Water and Dead Calm - two excellent films! This one however, was not - do not bother wasting your time on this one! [unfortunately, this is one that I took over to my neighbor's, when it arrived via Netflix - if you have seen it, imagine my embarrassment!] My Rating: 1 Skull

I saw the 1st Emanuelle flick about 5 or 6 years ago and wasn't that impressed. This one however, has a subplot about snuff films, so I decided to check it out.

While better than the original Emanuelle, this one is still pretty much basically a porn film [it actually becomes X-Rated about an hour into the movie] Once the film gets into the snuff [towards the tail end of the film] it quickly becomes sick, brutal, and disturbing! My Rating: 3 Skulls

I came across this one via Netflix and added it to my Queue, simply because it had to do with a woman searching for the cause of her migraine headaches [something I occasionally suffer from] I had no idea that it is a supposed re-make of 1932's The Mummy?!? Either way, this film was Blah - The Mummy is a far superior film. My Rating: 2 Skulls

It seems like I've been waiting for this one forever - it finally arrived on DVD, just this week, and it was well worth the wait - Based on a novel written by Elmore Leonard - Not sure why it wasn't released theatrically - My Rating: 4 Skulls

Next up, I give to you a triple-feature:

Years ago, I remember seeing bits and pieces of the 1st Maniac Cop, and I recently heard that there are plans for a 4th film, so I decided to check out all three films.

Netflix currently has all three Maniac Cop films available to watch Instantly [which is what I did] and I highly recommend that you do too!

These are great flicks! All three - I loved them all - The 2nd film picks up right where the 1st one leaves off and the 3rd film picks up right where the 2nd one leaves off - I am not sure how they will do a 4th film, but I am looking forward to it! [I am not sure why the Maniac Cop isn't up there with other iconic horror figures, but he deserves to be, in my opinion!]

My Rating for all 3 films: 5 Skulls each!

From 1964, directed by Roger Corman, and starring Vincent Price, this is Poe's tale in classic form - My Rating: 3 Skulls

This one was recommended by my friend, Nikki. . . All I have to say about this one is that it is a sick, demented flick - definitely not for everyone!

I personally didn't like it [sorry Nikki] I felt that the story was weak and the end of the film was simply too easy - My Rating: 2 Skulls

The only reason for renting this one - Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, Anderson "the spider" Silva, George St. Pierre, BJ Penn, Heath Herring, etc - the UFC's top MMA fighters, all in the same movie. . . unfortunately, the movie itself is pretty lame [for MMA fans only]

Not only could the afore mentioned MMA stars save this film - neither could the abundant female nudity - My Rating: 2 Skulls

Another of my wife's picks - unfortunately, this one wasn't as good as her prior choice. This film had its moments, but overall it was a dud. If you want to see it, I recommend just waiting for television. My Rating: 2 Skulls

A Norwegian thriller [aka Naboer] This one will mess with your mind - a twisted flick! My Rating: 4 Skulls

This one is basically a dumbed down, silly version of Die Hard - still, I have to admit to liking it, somewhat - My Rating: 3 Skulls

This one was not near as good as I was expecting it to be! :-(

For those who may be unaware, this fim was inspired by Brad Pitt's character in True Romance [one of my all-time favorite films] So, I guess that my expectations were just too high - My Rating: 3 Skulls

This one was on the same disc as The Masque of the Red Death - again, based on a Poe story and directed by Corman - this time around the year of release was 1962 and instead of Price, it stars Ray Milland - My Rating: 3 Skulls

One the whole family can enjoy! A multi-layered story about morals, with a great cast and excellent animation! My Rating: 4 Skulls

While packing up, to get back on the road, I let my neighbor browse through the select horror films that I brought with me on our travels. When he inquired about this one, I couldn't believe that he had never seen it, so I took it over, and we watched it. He liked it, whereas I love it! [my rating is 5 Skulls] This is David Arquette's directorial debut - if you too have never seen this one, check it out!

I recently read a book, to review for Hacker's Source magazine, that had a similar plot to Videodrome, which just made me want to watch it again - Yep, it's just as bizarre as I remembered! :-) My Rating: 3 Skulls

So, there you have it - an idea of the types of films that I watch on a monthly basis [if I hadn't been so busy this month, I wouldn't have even bothered posting a review for a lot of these films, however since I did it this way, I just decided to include them all.

If you have any questions about any of the above films, I will be more than happy to go into greater detail, upon my return to the world-wide-web [whenever that may be]

I will log on once more, later this evening, before packing my computer, so I will reply to any comments, after then, when I get back on-line. . .

Jason

Terminator: Salvation

2009-05-20T19:45:00.001-07:00

Genre - Action/Sci-Fi

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 130 minutes

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action/violence and language

Directed by McG (Creator of the television series Fastlane - he also directed the Charlie's Angels films and We Are Marshall)

Written by John D Brancato & Michael Ferris (both of whom also wrote Terminator 3, The Game, and The Net)

Cast Includes:

Christian Bale (Equilibrium, American Psycho, Reign of Fire, The Machinist, and of course Batman Begins & The Dark Knight)

Sam Worthington (Rogue and Dirty Deeds - he is also going to be in the upcoming Avatar and next year's re-make of Clash of the Titans)

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Lady in the Water, and Spiderman 3)

Moon Bloodgood (Pathfinder)

Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett and this year's Star Trek)

Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, and the latter Harry Potter films)

Michael Ironside (Scanners, Total Recall, Highlander II, and Starship Troopers)

Rating: 3 Skulls

Plot Summary:

All grown up in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor must lead the resistance of humans against the increasingly dominating, militaristic robots. But when Marcus Wright appears, his existence confuses the mission as Connor tries to determine whether Wright has come from the future or the past - and whether he is friend or foe.

I loved the T-600 model

Review:

First, I just have to say that I am a huge Terminator fan and Terminator 2 is one of my favorite movies of all time! With that said, I was not expecting this film to be better than the 2nd one, however I was expecting it to be better than the 3rd one - to be completely honest, I'm not sure that it was - if anything it was on par with the 3rd one. . .

I think that my main issue was with the story - it just seemed weak to me.

With that aside though, the effects were top-notch!

[other than the CGI "Arnold" T-800 that is - I wasn't digging that him at all - why bother?!? While better than the CGI rendition of Patrick Stewart in Wolverine, it still detracted from the film]

Anyone who may doubt McG as the director of this film can lay their worries to rest. For what it's worth, McG definitely pulled the movie off and made it worthwhile to see on the big screen - the apocalyptic world that he envisioned is right on [though I do have a hard time believing the possibility of 2018 being the year it all goes down - I mean, back in 1984, with the year being 2029, it was much more plausible - now, with only 9 years away, not so much] :-)

Here is the 4-minute long expanded trailer:

Jason

4 Hours in a Mosh Pit [aka Music as a Weapon IV]

2009-05-17T22:15:00.001-07:00

I have not been on-line very much this month, due to this being our last month in Wisconsin.

Yes, it's almost time to move on, once again. After getting used to only being in places for 3 months at a time, we've spoiled ourselves by remaining in Wisconsin for a full year!

We still have not decided where we are going to go next - If you had asked me last week, I would have told you Bangor, Maine - however, that job did not sound as appeasing as we had hoped for, so we are just waiting for the ideal place to come up.

Enough of that though - I will inform everyone, once we have made a decision on where we are going to go next. In the meantime, I am focusing on finishing the kid's schooling up, before we head back out on the road. [hence my not having been on-line very much this month]

The reason for this post:

The family and I started our morning by traveling north, for about an hour, to attend our neighbor's wedding. [My horror loving/tattoo artist friend that I've mentioned several times before - he and his girlfriend have been together for 11 years and just now decided to get married!] They had a small ceremony, for family and friends, at a beautiful waterfall park, and it was a perfect day for it!

I am happy for the both of them and honored that we were invited to attend in their special day.

After the wedding, I took my 15-year-old son to the Music as a Weapon tour, headlined by Disturbed. This was the last day of the tour, which also included Lacuna Coil, Chimaira, and Killswitch Engage. My son is a self-taught guitarist [a pretty good one, I must say - he can play Beatles, Metallica, etc] Anyhow, Dan Donegan [the guitarist for Disturbed] is one of his inspirations, so I thought I would take him to his first major concert, and to make the event more memorable, we arrived super early, so that we could get front & center stage!

I, of course, am familiar with Disturbed and I was looking forward to seeing Lacuna Coil live, however I was not really familiar with Killswitch Engage, and had never even heard of Chimaira.

My son and I were about 10th in line, waiting to get into the concert, and as the doors opened, they had a pat down area, where I was told that my wallet chain was considered a weapon [?!?] and I would have to take it back to my vehicle. [did I mention that the line was at least a thousand people long, behind us?] I wasn't about to let our time spent in line go to waste, so I sent my son on in and told him that I would find him [the doors opened an hour before the concert started, so I knew I had time] After taking my wallet back to my truck, I skipped everyone in line and went directly back to the same security guard, to let me through, so that I could find my son, which I did, no problem.

We were right at the stage, with only one row of people between us and the rail, which was a good thing, as this allowed for some sort of cushion when the crowd started pressing forward. Fortunately for us, my son was right beside the Asgardian god of Thunder - this dude looked just like Thor! [I even told him that he should audition for the upcoming movie, which is pretty funny, as he is actually starring in an upcoming independent horror film! He's going to be the killer, due to his size - He's at least 6 1/2 feet tall and built!] So, I told my son, when people started moshing, etc to stick by that dude! This worked out perfectly for Lacuna Coil & Chimaira, but after that, Thor decided that he had had enough of the moshing, behind us, and the crowd surfers over us - not to mention the idiots that kept throwing their cups of beer - disgusting! [You don't get that kind of disrespect at a Metallica concert, that's for sure!]

So, Thor left and Killswitch Engage came on. Killswitch Engage likes to do a little something they call the Wall of Pain, where they split the floor down the middle, and then have the opposing wall of people collide with one another - this was fun and all, except for the fact that my son & I became separated at this point [no biggee as we had a contingency plan] I stayed where I was, so that I could take some pictures for his MySpace page - here are some of the pics:

[I took pictures of all four bands, however since I am a fan of Lacuna Coil & Disturbed, these are what I am posting]

Andrea Ferro [co-lead singer] and Criz Mossati of Lacuna Coil

Christina Scabbia [the other co-lead singer] of Lacuna Coil

Disturbed's Set

David Draiman [lead singer for Disturbed] coming out ala Hannibal Lecter

Another shot of Draiman

John Moyer [Bassist for Disturbed]

Dan Donegan [Guitarist for Disturbed]

Another shot of Donegan with the 'Indestructible' backdrop

One more of Draiman

Mike Wengren [Drummer for Disturbed] during his outstanding drum solo!

So, there you have it. :-)

Just an FYI that I also bought my Terminator: Salvation ticket [for the midnight showing on Wednesday night] so stay tuned for that review, on Thursday. I will also, more than likely, post a list of the movies that I have been watching, throughout the month, that I have just not yet had the time to blog about, before we leave Wisconsin. . .

Jason

Double Whammy: The Bunker & Torn to Pieces

2009-05-09T18:30:00.001-07:00

Joseph M. Monks - remember this name, and when he becomes a household name, you can say that you remember reading about his first movie and his first book, here! :-)

Not only will you remember his name, after you have watched The Bunker or read Torn to Pieces, but those who have yet to find out about Joe Monks will most likely be surprised by the fact that he is blind - yes, a blind man who has overcome his loss of sight and gone on to direct a film!

Genre - Horror

Year Released - Currently seeking distribution

Running Time - 121 minutes

Directed by Joseph M. Monks (his directorial debut)

Written by Joseph M. Monks (Co-Creator of the underground Indie Comic Book Cry for Dawn)

Cast Includes: Terry M. West, Saskia Gonzalez, Ron Sheppard, Teresa Vicario, TJ Glenn, and real-life dominatrix Madame Veronique

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

The Bunker tells the story of Julia Jennings, a 16-year-old teenager who runs away from home on the night her father, Congressman Robert Jennings, announces his bid for re-election.

Julia soon discovers that she is merely trading one nightmare for another when, a sadistic kidnapper with a taste for young victims, snatches her off the streets and locks her away in a hidden, underground cell.

With her father doing everything in his power to keep the scandal from hitting the media - including hiring some questionable private investigators to assist in the search for his daughter - Julia discovers that time is already running out. Knowing that the date of her death is rapidly approaching, the teen forms a desperate, all-or-nothing plan to escape - or die trying.

Review:

The copy of The Bunker that I received included a "wrap-around" sequence that was shot specifically for a television show in Europe - it dealt with an S&M dominatrix torturing a client, however the director decided to drop out of that project, and has since been dropped the wrap-around in favor of a different framing sequence that is more integrated with the main story.

[since this wrap-around has been removed, since I've received my copy of the film, I will not go into it any further]

The Bunker starts off with a group of hookers standing outside of a restaurant - the film then cuts to a creepy looking guy lurking in a corner, watching a lone hooker, who we soon realize is Julia - the main female character of the film. As Julia walks off, a blind guy comes walking down the sidewalk [I can only assume this to be the director's cameo appearance] :-)

As Julia walks along the sidewalk [keep in mind that it is night-time] we see that she is not very bright, as she walks right alongside a suspicious looking van, with it's side-door wide open. Not only does she walk alongside it, but she stops to look in. . . this is where Julia gets abducted by none other than another independent film director - Terry M. West [I reviewed his film, Blood of the Muse here: http://the-bone-breaker.blogspot.com/2009/01/blood-for-muse-omega-edition.html] We soon find out that Terry is not a fan of "junkie whores" [remember, Julia is a Congressman's daughter] so this little mix up does not sit very well, especially once Terry starts the mental & physical torture.

My favorite line in the film - Terry calls Julia his 'little piggy' and after a brief talk with Julia, he states, "Back to work - little piggy isn't going to torture herself"

Terry West was excellent in this film! [it's not too often that you get good directors who can actually act as well] He was extremely menacing in this film, and you cringed every time he interacted with his captive, Julia [played by Saskia Gonzalez] She was great as well - she played her part very realistically!

Still, as good as Terry & Saskia were, the best part of the film was the writing, which was fantastic - I do not want to give anything away, but just wait until you see how this film ends - your jaw will hit the floor!

Here's a trailer for The Bunker:

Also, for further information, you can visit the film's website at http://www.sightunseenpictures.com/

Now, onto Joseph M. Monk's upcoming debut novel:

Genre - Horror/Thriller

Year Published - hopefully it will be this year! (currently seeking a Publisher)

Length - the PDF that I received was 312 pages

Written by Joseph M. Monks

Rating: 5 Skulls

Review:

Whenever I read a book, that I know I am going to write a review for, I generally use an index card as a bookmark, so that I can jot down notes, etc. Well, I just so happened to have the index card that I used for Torn to Pieces [I love this title, and it is very appropriate, I must say!] in my pant's pocket - the pants that I just threw in the wash. . . Grrrrrrrrrr

Monks' used tons of little 'one-liners' in this book - quite a few that I wrote down on that index card - the one that I remember most though was in regards to a low-life scumbag - "He couldn't plan a successful nose picking if his nostrils weren't attached to his face" HA! [this was said between two homicide detectives, over a possible suspect]

Torn to Pieces is about a serial killer who literally tears his victims limb from limb [well, perhaps not literally tears, more like saws] The catch is that the killer dismembers his victims, while they are still alive - he has a special technique that he uses, so that his victims are aware, until the very end - they are still alive, even as the killer is decapitating them!

What I love most about Torn to Pieces is that Monks' writes as if he were an actual observer to the ongoing investigation. The characters are superbly written [I loved the character of Gramps - grandfather to one of the Homicide Detectives on the case]

Monks' writes this book very realistically, with political redtape and all included.

If you are a fan of Michael Slade or John Sanford or even if you enjoy watching CSI or Criminal Minds, then you have got to read this book when it gets published!

Even if you are not a big horror fan, I would recommend this book, as the gruesomeness of it all is primarily after the affect.

This book is definitely a contender for Best Book of the Year!

For further information on Joseph Monks, visit his websites at http://www.joemonks.com/ or

http://www.chantingmonks.com/

Jason

The Last Horror Film, Combat Shock, and Mother's Day

2009-05-08T18:15:00.001-07:00

With Mother's Day right around the corner, I figured that today would be a good day to inform those who may be unaware of Troma's film about a demented mother, but first I am going to talk about two of Troma's latest "Tromasterpiece" releases:

Genre - Horror

Year Released - 1982

Running Time - 87 minutes

Directed by David Winters

Written by David Winters, Judd Hamilton, and Tom Klassen

Cast Includes:

Joe Spinnell (The Godfather I & II, Taxi Driver, Rocky I & II, and Maniac)

Caroline Munro (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Maniac, and The Spy Who Loved Me)

Rating: 3 Skulls

The UK VHS Cover

Plot Summary:

Vinny Durand, a lonesome New York cab driver, who lives at home with his mother, has dreams of becoming a famous film director. Consumed by his depraved obsession with the beautiful horror actress Jenna Bates, and determined to have her star in his first film, Vinny trails her to the Cannes Film Festival. While Vinny's disturbing fascination grows, a mysterious killer begins slaughtering all of the people in Jenna's entourage.

Is the obsessed fanatic and the psychotic killer one in the same?

Will this be Jenna's Last Horror Film?

Review:

Also known as Fanatic, this film was released in 1982, however it has never been released Uncut in America, until now - on May 19th, Troma is releasing this classic 80's slasher gem as the 3rd entry in their Tromasterpiece Collection [the 1st two being Cannibal! The Musical and Redneck Zombies]

The film takes places during the actual 1981 Cannes Film Festival, which I thought was pretty cool. I have no idea why this film was Banned in America, but it is definitely worth checking out, especially for Spinnell's excellent performance [he plays delusional superbly!]

The film sports some great f/x work, a great score, and a great story - one of my favorite scenes in the film is where Munro is discussing violence in horror and the difference between real-life and illusion, while at the same time Spinnell is practically molesting an image of Munro on a film screen.

The Uncut Special Edition DVD will include a special featurette with Spinnell's closest friend, Luke Walter - Walter will also provide a commentary track, an interview with Maniac director William Lustwig, Buddy Giovinazzo's [director of Combat Shock] rarely seen short film Mr. Robbie aka Maniac 2, which features Spinnell in one of his last performances, before his untimely death, a [funny] introduction by Lloyd Kaufman, plus many more Tromatic extras!

Here's the trailer for The Last Horror Film:

The 4th entry into Troma's Tromasterpiece Collection is going to be:

Combat Shock is going to be released in a 2-Disc Never-Before-Seen Director's Cut on July 28th, so mark your calendar's for this one!

[I have been very anxious to see this one, however I have held off, as I have been aware of this upcoming release, and I am waiting to see this version]

The VHS Cover

Combat Shock was inspired by the true, ghastly headlines about tormented war veterans. The story is centered on Frankie Dunlan, a Vietnam veteran whose life is a festering sewer of poverty , hopelessness, and violence. His wife is pregnant and hungry. His one year old son is sick and horribly deformed from exposure to Agent Orange. Frankie's family is being evicted from their rundown apartment. His childhood friend is a strung-out junkie. While roaming the streets, looking for work, he sees under-age prostitutes working the streets. . .

Sounds like a "happy" film, doesn't it? Still, I have heard great things about it, and I am looking forward to this new release!

Here's the trailer for Combat Shock:

And for those unaware of Troma's classic Mother's Day slasher flick Mother's Day, I am happy to tell you that Netflix currently has it available to watch Instantly - so if you currently don't have Netflix, now would be a good time to get it! :-)

Directed by none other than Troma President Lloyd Kaufman's brother, Charles Kaufman [who also directed Ferocious Female Freedom Fighters] Mother's Day tells the story of three female friends who head out to the woods to remember their collegiate good times - all the while with no idea that they're being hunted by a dysfunctional hillbilly family.

You see, Mother is teaching her backwoods boys how to rape, torture, and kill young women - and her adept pupils are more than willing to practice their lessons. . .

A re-make of this one has recently been announced, so watch this one 1st!

Here's a trailer:

Jason

Star Trek [2009]

2009-05-07T18:00:00.001-07:00

Genre - Science Fiction/Fantasy/Action-Adventure

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 120 minutes

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi & action violence and brief sexual content

Directed by J. J. Abrams (who also directed Mission Impossible III - he is also the creator of the Alias, Lost, and Fringe television series)

Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (both of whom have also written several episodes of Alias, Fringe, Hercules, and Xena - as well as Mission Impossible III, The Island, The Legend of Zorro, and Transformers 1& 2)

*Based on characters created by Gene Roddenberry

Cast Includes:

Chris Pine as James T. Kirk (Smokin Aces and The Princess Diaries 2)

Zachary Quinto as Spock (Sylar from Heroes - he was also in the 3rd season of 24)

Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (he played Caesar in Xena - he is also in The Lord of the Rings films, The Chronicles of Riddick, Ghost Ship, The Bourne Supremacy, Doom, and Pathfinder)

Simon Pegg as Scotty (Shaun of the Dead and Hott Fuzz)

John Cho as Sulu (Harold from the Harold & Kumar films - he is also in the American Pie films)

Anton Yelchin as Chekov (Charlie Bartlett - he is also going to be in the upcoming Terminator: Salvation)

Zoe Saldana as Uhura (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dirty Deeds, and Guess Who - she is also going to be in the upcoming Avatar)

Other Cast Members Include:

Leonard Nimoy as Spock 'Prime'

Winona Ryder as Spock's mother

Ben Cross as Sarek, Spock's father

Bruce Greenwood as Captain Christopher Pike

and Eric Bana as the Romulan nemesis Nero

Rating: 5 Skulls

Plot Summary:

Captain Kirk and his trusted team on the starship USS Enterprise boldly go where no man has gone before in this 11th installment of Gene Rodenberry's sci-fi franchise that follows the early days of the intergalactic adventurers.

Review:

As a fan of Star Trek, I have anxiously been awaiting this film [remember, it was originally supposed to come out in December, of last year]

In my head, this film is extremely important to the franchise - if this film were to bomb [which it won't - trust me] the franchise would be in serious jeapordy.

Well, I am very happy to report that this film is outstanding!

For me, personally, it is now my favorite of the 11 films, [yeah, I said it!] thus far, replacing Wrath of Khan. In fact, I cannot wait to see it again! I think that Roddenberry would be proud!

The film starts off with the USS Kelvin being attacked by a Romulan vessel and the birth of one, James Tiberius Kirk - after the susequent destruction of the Kelvin, the film jumps to where we meet Kirk as a young boy - the same goes for Spock, and you can pretty much guess the rest, except for the fact that everything we thought we knew, we really don't, as J. J. Abrams and crew have changed some things around [for the better, I must say!]

Here's the trailer:

As for the crew of the USS Enterprise - I thought everyone did a superb job!

Even if you have never been a fan of the original series, I think that you will enjoy this film

[the relationship between Kirk & Spock was great, and I loved Bones, and I thought that Scotty was absolutely hysterical!]

Definitely give this one a shot, preferably in the theatre!

Jason

DragonLance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

2009-05-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

Genre - Animated/Fantasy

Year Released - 2008

Running Time - 90 minutes

Directed by Will Meugniot (Ultimate Avengers 2)

Written by George Strayton (who has also written a few episodes of the Hercules and Xena television series)

*Based upon the novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Voices Include:

Michael Rosenbaum as Tanis Half-Elven

Fred Tatasciore as Flint the Dwarf

Jason Marsden as Tasslehoff Burrfoot

Rino Romano as Caramon Majere

Kiefer Sutherland as Raistlin Majere

Marc Worden as Sturm Brightblade

Lucy Lawless as Goldmoon

Phil LaMarr as Riverwind [and also as Gilthanas, Tanis' elven cousin]

Michelle Trachtenberg as Tika

and Neil Ross as Fizban the Fabulous

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

Based on the popular novels by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, this animated epic follows a group of friends whose search for the existence of the ancient gods leads them in the middle of a war against a legion of of monstrous dragons.

Review:

So, just the other day, I was browsing around Netflix, when I came across this film - a film that I never even knew existed, and as a huge fan of the books, I immediately added the film to the top of my Queue, eagerly awaiting its arrival in the mail.

Honestly, I had no expectations for this film, other than the fact I would still love to see a live-action version made [even more-so now!]

The film starts out with an excellent opening sequence and it lays out Krynn's history fairly quickly [thanks to none other than Fizban, the storyteller] Still, the film pales in comparison to the novel that it was based upon - it was more like watching an old episode of the D & D cartoon from the eighties. Still, I will take what I can get, and I was not disappointed in seeing the characters that I loved as a kid brought to animated life.

If you are a fan of the books, and you too have been unaware of this film's existence, then I suggest you give it a shot - I liked it! :-) Even if you have never read the books, but love a good fantasy tale, then check this one out - then do yourself a favor and read the novels!

The novel that the film is based upon

Here's the trailer:

Jason

Eden Lake

2009-05-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

Genre - Horror

Year Released - 2008

Running Time - 91 minutes

Directed by James Watkins (this is his directorial debut)

Written by James Watkins (he is also a co-writer on the upcoming The Descent: Part 2)

Cast Includes:

Kelly Reilly

Michael Fassbender (Azazeal from the British television series HEX - he is also in 300 and will be in the upcoming Jonah Hex film, as well as Inglourious Basterds)

Jack O'Connell

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

Jenny and Steve are in love and about to get engaged during a calm lake getaway - but they'll first have to survive a pillaging and murderous gang of kids led by the psychotic Brett. When Steve tries to quell the violence, matters turn from scary to gruesomely deadly.

Review:

This movie was released on DVD, in January, and I just now - finally - saw it [thanks to someone out there who sent it to me, with me being totally unaware!]

I must say that this film was totally worth the wait, and even though it was released [in the UK] in 2008, it definitely has the potential to make it on my 'best horror list' of 2009!

First of all, I was totally enamored with Kelly Reilly [an actress that I am unfamiliar with] She was great in this movie - she made her character totally believable, and made the film well worthwhile. Not only was she great, the film was fantastically written - this is definitely an intense film! [I kept saying to myself - "Just let it go!" or "Hurry" or 'Get out of there", etc - always a good sign] ;-)

If you haven't seen this one yet, it is definitely recommended - just keep in mind that it is a brutal film, that involves teenagers as the antagonists.

Here's the trailer:

Jason

The Landlord

2009-05-04T11:15:00.001-07:00

If you remember, back in March, I informed you of an upcoming horror/comedy titled The Landlord.

[if you don't remember, see http://the-bone-breaker.blogspot.com/2009/03/upcoming-film-landlord.html as there is also a link to an interview with the writer/director/co-producer of the film]

I just received my advance copy of the film, which is about 97% complete, and the final print will be available on June 1st.

Here's the new trailer:

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 98 minutes

Directed by Emil Hyde

Written by Emil Hyde

Cast Includes: Derek Dziak, Rom Barkhordar, Michelle Courvais, Erin Myers, and Lori Myers

Rating: 3 Skulls

Review:

The film starts off with Tyler, the landlord of an apartment building, showing an apartment to potential tenants. They decide to rent the apartment, only to be killed off by its demon inhabitants.

Right away, the film's humor is set, as Tyler walks into the apartment, carrying a new toilet seat. When he discovers the dismembered corpses of the tenants, he promptly throws up through the toilet seat! :-)

Another funny moment is when the character, Donna, walks into a motel, with a sign displayed out front - "Manager has a gun. No Money Kept In Safe. Try the liquor store across the street"

When the manager [who I believe is the writer/director] pulls his gun during an argument, it perfectly coincides with an attempted robbery - when the robber realizes a gun is being pointed at him, he states, "chill, it's just my hand in a brown bag - I'll try the liquor store across the street"

Donna, smartly, decides to leave the motel, only to go look at Tyler's vacant apartment. Donna is going through a messy divorce, and Tyler immediately falls for her.

Meanwhile, a couple of police detectives are nosing around the apartment building, due to the fact that there has been 16 missing persons' cases all linked to Tyler's building.

There is also an interesting side-storyline involving Tyler's sister, Amy, who is a cop, and is totally aware of Tyler's 'predicament' - It turns out that she is aware of a lot more than a couple of demons running amok in Tyler's apartment building, being that she is dealing with a local gang of vampires. . .

Definitely keep an eye out for this one, as it's more than just a low-budget independent film - there is actually a good story behind this one, with great character development!

Also, a special thank you to Emil Hyde who found me on the world-wide web and sent me an advance copy of his film! Thanks Emil! :-)

Jason

My New Tattoo. . .

2009-05-01T00:15:00.001-07:00

First, a little background:

If you have a tattoo, then more than likely, you probably have more than one, as they are quite addictive. . .

I got my first tattoo [the cover of Brian Lumley's Necroscope IV: Deadspeak novel, drawn by Bob Eggleton, when I was 19. I would then say that, over the next few weeks, I got three more [the cover of Dan Simmons' novel Carrion Comfort, a Christian Rock Band's - called Fear Not - symbol - this was previously my only "spur of the moment" tattoo, and the Violator cover of the Spawn #4 comic book]

I would then say that about 7 years went by [by this time I had realized that tattoos are addictive and I wouldn't even go into a tattoo parlor - there is just something about that sterile smell, mixed with the ink, that awakens the craving]

Alas, a friend of a friend arrived in town one weekend and wanted to go to a tattoo parlor - this just happened to coincide with the grand opening of a new shop in town, and I was curious to check it out - needless to say that, the next day, I went in and got a Smiley the Psychotic Button, from the Evil Ernie comics, tattoo - and the week after that, I got Metallica's flaming yin/yang skulls logo - the one drawn by Pushead [what can I say, I have eclectic tastes] Both of these were at the time that I was dating my wife.

Time went by - we were married, we started having children, and I figured that my tattoo days were done and gone, yet here we are, today, with this post. [roughly ten years since my last tattoo]

If you have been reading my blog for the past couple of months or so, then you know that I have recently befriended my neighbor - a fellow horror aficionado. I do not believe that I ever mentioned that he is also a tattoo artist [you know where this is going now]

My neighbor is currently working on some flash designs, which will soon be in thousands of tattoo parlors across the U.S. He was wanting to show me his portfolio, and one day I was driving by his shop and I noticed that his truck was there - I had the entire family with me and our youngest was sound asleep, so I told my wife that I wanted to run in for just a few minutes. . . [again, you know where this is going]

About 15 minutes later, I came back out to the truck, with a huge grin on my face, and my wife immediately knew that something was up. You see, all of my tattoos are 'custom' [not flash] and I still have quite a few drawn up [including an entire back piece] Something that I was missing in my personal collection of drawings was a Chinese Dragon - I love dragons, yet I have never found the perfect picture/dragon, until that day - my neighbor had just finished such a dragon, which he was going to include in his flash portfolio. I immediately told him that I wanted the picture, to not include it in his flash, and since we have become close over the last few months, he agreed.

The problem was that I now had this picture with me - staring at it each day - I innocently inquired as to how long he thought it would take to tattoo on me - he guessed around 4 hours [keep in mind that the family and I are currently traveling, so I only have limited funds] He charges $100.00 an hour, so I immediately thought, oh well, I don't really need another tattoo anyway.

He then floored my by saying that if I really wanted the tattoo, he would do it for only a double-digit amount! [How could I pass this opportunity by?!?]

It is a relatively large piece and my neighbor figured my that back would probably be best - problem there is that I didn't want it on my back - I get my tattoos for me, and I would never see it on my back [hence my never getting the back piece that I have drawn up - the cover of Evil Ernie: Youth Gone Wild] So, I asked him, "what about over my ribcage?" He immediately grimaced and told me that the two worst places to get a tattoo are the ribs and the stomach [stubborn me said, "I can handle it, no problem, let's do it" completely forgetting that I am not as young and full of fire as I once was]

Again, he tried to talk me out of getting it over my ribs, but I didn't listen. . .

To make this long story a little bit shorter, as I feel that I am being long-winded, this approximately 4-hour long tattoo project turned into 10 1/2 hours! [and it's still not done, though it is done enough for me!] The day that I went in to get it, I lasted about 2 1/2 hours [got the main body/outline done]

The following week, I again lasted 2 1/2 hours - getting the top half all colored, shaded, etc. The 3rd week, another 2 1/2 hours, getting the lower half colored/shaded, etc. Last week, I told him - get as much done as you can, because I am not sure that I will be coming back - so, 3 hours later, he finished coloring, shading, adding the scales - everything that needed to get done, to finish the main body - problem being that there is really more to the picture - a whole other tail segment and more fire - at this point [I did not go back today] though, I, personally, am done! It looks good enough for me, and I am happy with it!

The morale of this story and the whole reason for this post - DO NOT - I repeat, DO NOT, EVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER GET A TATTOO OVER YOUR RIBCAGE! IT IS MORE PAINFUL THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE!!!

Well, here are some pictures of the tattoo:

My neighbor initially drew the dragon holding the traditional sphere - in the original's case, it was a flaming fireball, however my wife's job is doing ultrasounds of the heart, so I thought it would be cool if the dragon were holding an anatomically correct heart - it was my neighbor's idea to have the dragon having taken a bite of it, which I loved! I then, of course, told him that there had to be blood dripping from off the heart :-)

Did I mention that 90% of this tattoo was done free-hand?

Here are a couple closer shots [thanks to my 15-year-old for taking the pictures!]

Keep in mind that there are still some touch-up parts needed [as well as the remaining portions] but as of today, I am done with the pain! We are still in WI, through the remainder of the month, so if I change my mind, I will let you know, but don't count on it] The cool thing is that my neighbor and I have become great friends, and no matter where the family and I decide to settle back down, I can always visit and get the rest of the tattoo finished at a later date down the road, but as I have already hinted at - I think that I have found the cure to tattoo addiction! :-)

Jason

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-04-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Genre - Action-Adventure/Comic Book/Fantasy

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 107 minutes

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence and some partial nudity

Directed by Gavin Hood

Written by David Benioff (who also wrote Troy, 25th Hour, Stay, and The Kite Runner) and Skip Woods (who also wrote Swordfish and Hitman)

Cast Includes:

Hugh Jackman (reprising his role of Wolverine from the X-Men films)

Liev Schreiber (from the Scream films)

Danny Huston (30 Days of Night)

Ryan Reynolds (from the television show Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place - he is also in Blade: Trinity, the '05 Re-Make of The Amityville Horror, and Just Friends)

Taylor Kitsch (Snakes on a Plane and The Covenant)

Scott Adkins (Unleashed, The Bourne Ultimatum, Undisputed 2, and the upcoming Undisputed 3)

Lynn Collins (50 First Dates, The Lake House, Bug, and The Number 23)

Tahyna Tozzi

Dominic Monaghan (Merry from The Lord of the Rings films and the upcoming I Sell the Dead)

Kevin Durand (from the television series Dark Angel - he is also in The Butterfly Effect and the '04 Re-Make of Walking Tall)

Daniel Henney

Rating: 4 Skulls

The Cover of X-Men Origins: Wolverine #1

An earlier poster from before the film's name changed

Plot Summary:

This action-packed prequel to the popular X-Men films explores Marvel Comics character Wolverine's past, and the events that influenced the mutant before the Weapon X Program bonded his skeleton with the powerful, strong metal alloy adamantium.

After the death of his girlfriend, Wolverine seeks vengeance against supervillain Victor Creed.

Review:

So, I just got back from the midnight showing of Wolverine and it was definitely worth attending!

The local comic shop was on-hand, giving out prizes - one of which my son won [the '03 Wolverine comic-book mini-series Exile] which made his night. Another prize included a statue of the Zombie Wolverine [from the Marvel Zombies series] I wish that I could say I won that one!

As a fan of the Wolverine comics, I was looking forward to this film, and I was not disappointed!

The film starts off with Logan & Creed as young boys [the year was 1845] and follows them through the different wars... then along comes Col. Stryker [played by Danny Huston - who played Marlow in 30 Days of Night] who recruits the brothers in his quest for adamantium, etc.

In X-Men 2, Stryker was played by Brian Cox, who I really like, so I wasn't sure about Huston filling those shoes - in fact, the same can be said for Tyler Mane [who portrayed Sabretooth in the 1st X-Men film] I was disappointed when I heard that he would not be reprising the role, though I can say that Schreiber floored me - I absolutely loved him as Creed!! [and Huston portrayed a great Stryker as well]

As for Deadpool & Gambit [two of my favorite mutants]

Ryan Reynolds was excellent as Wade Wilson, who becomes Deadpool - who was portrayed wonderfully by Scott Adkins! [for even more Deadpool mayhem, be sure to check out the animated feature Hulk vs Wolverine - you can also check out my review on that one!]

As for Taylor Kitsch [who played Gambit] I'm not too keen on him - the character was okay, Kitch just isn't how I pictured Gambit.

All of this is well and good, but the movie is about Wolverine after all. How was Jackman?

Though I am still curious as to how Danzig would have portrayed Wolverine, I must say that Jackman was indeed impressive. He knows the character well enough and was able to take him back to his savagery!

The film ends a few years before X-Men takes place, and in my opinion, they should have chosen a different ending. [My understanding is that there are several different endings to the film, depending on which theatre you see it at [I saw it in a Marcus Theatre]

The ending that I saw had a horrible CGI rendition of Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier picking up some mutants [why didn't they just get Stewart to reprise the 10 seconds that he was on-screen? Or, at the very least, just show the back of his bald head, with a voice over... This ending just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Oh yeah, in case you are planning to stay all the way through the credits, don't bother! What a stupid final scene!

Here's the trailer:

As for my above rating - while I loved the film, and I will definitely be buying it [which is basically 5 Skulls] I just can't give it the same rating that I gave Watchmen :-)

Jason

Cheerbleeders ~ Free On-line!

2009-04-27T14:15:00.001-07:00

If you remember, I reviewed this 10-minute short film, back in January.

[if you don't remember, check out the review here: http://the-bone-breaker.blogspot.com/2009/01/cheerbleeders.html or you can check out the film's website here: http://www.cheerbleeders.com/]

The director, Peter Podgurski, just e-mailed me to let me know that it is currently being shown, on-line, for free! [but only for two weeks!]

So, definitely head over to http://www.countgore.com/gore/newblood.htm or http://www.vimeo.com/4261754 to check this short film out, while you can! [it's definitely worth the ten minutes of your time!]

Come back and let me know your thoughts on the film!

Jason

The Burrowers

2009-04-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

Genre - Horror/Western

Year Released - 2008

Running Time - 124 minutes

Directed by J. T. Petty (who also directed Soft for Digging, which is in my Netflix Queue, and Mimic 3, which I haven't seen)

Written by J. T. Petty (who also wrote both Soft for Digging and Mimic 3)

Cast Includes:

Karl Geary (Nadja)

Clancy Brown (Highlander, Starship Troopers, The Shawshank Redemption)

William Mapother (Mission Impossible 2 and In the Bedroom - which is, again, in my Netflix Queue)

Doug Hutchison (Tooms from The X-Files - he is also in Punisher: War Zone, The Green Mile, and The Salton Sea)

Sean Patrick Thomas (Cruel Intentions and Halloween 8: Resurrection)

Rating: 2 Skulls

Plot Summary:

The Dakota Territories - 1879 - A handful of brave pioneers maintain isolated settlements in the badlands beyond civilization. Irish immigrant Fergus Coffey is near to winning the hand of his beloved, Maryanne, when she is suddenly taken from him - her family brutally abducted in a nighttime attack on their homestead.

Suspicion falls immediately on hostile Indians.

Experienced Indian fighters Will Parcher and John Clay form a posse and set out to rescue the kidnapped settlers - taking along a naive teenager hoping to prove himself a man, an ex-slave looking for his place, and their ranch hand, Coffey.

But as men vanish into the night and horrific evidence accumulates with the dead and dying, the group discovers that their prey is far more terrifying than anything human, and their prospects are far more terrible than death.

Review:

Horror Westerns - there just aren't enough of them - good ones anyway. . .

When my neighbor brought this one over, all excited about it - I anxiously popped it into my DVD player, only to be sorely disappointed.

You see, this one was near the top of my Netflix Queue - it had a long wait attached to it, which is generally a good sign. Turns out, I need not have bothered even renting it - this one can definitely wait for television.

As I told my neighbor though - I enjoy horror [obviously] as well as westerns, and I love when the two are combined - I just have yet to find a horror western that absolutely floors me, and I think that I was hoping that this would be the one. Sadly, it isn't.

Another thing is that I love Tremors [all 4 films] and I was hoping that this one was going to be a more serious "Tremors 4" type of movie - perhaps that is yet another reason that I didn't like this one.

Here's the trailer:

Jason

The Sisters Grimm - Book One: The Fairy-Tale Detectives [A Special Review]

2009-04-27T06:15:00.001-07:00

Today's review is brought to you by my 8-year-old daughter. She read this book, a few months back, and has been after me to read it ever since. She even wrote up a book review for me! :-) [so I figured that I would share it with you all]

I was finally able to squeeze this book in-between a couple of my review books, and I must say that I rather enjoyed it.

So, whether you have children around my daughter's age, or if you just like to read mystery/fairy-tales yourself, this is a book to be enjoyed by all ages!

Genre - Children's Fantasy

Year Published - 2007 (Published by Amulet Books - an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)

Length - 284 pages

Written by Michael Buckley

Illustrations by by Peter Ferguson

Rating: 5 Skulls [I will concur with my daughter's rating]

Plot Summary:

For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life hasn't been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother - a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief.

Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy-tale detectives.

Their first case? A roller-coaster ride of an adventure to stop a giant from destroying their new hometown.

Review:

First, I just have to let you know that my daughter is an avid-reader. We probably make a trip to the bookstore at least once a week! She found this book herself, and has since read all seven books [I believe that an 8th is currently being written]

Here is my daughter's review - verbatim:

"The Sisters Grimm is a lip-smacking, eye-bobbing, heart-stopping, most exciting book that I have ever read(and the most longest)

Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are the main characters of this book. They are also sisters. When Sabrina and Daphne were younger, there parents disappeared. Yes, very sad! So, they were sent to the orphanage until about two months later, when a woman came to pick them up. She took them to some of the most unkind people, until one day a woman came who claimed to be their Grandma Grimm. But when Sabrina was younger, her father had told her that her grandmother had died before she was born.

The pictures in this book are very realistic! I hope you can make the time to read this book. I plan to read the second one."

-G-

So, there you have my daughter's review! [and like I already mentioned, she has already read all of the other books in the series, that are currently available] She intentionally did not write any of the "plot" as she did not want to give anything away :-)

I just wanted to also mention that the book includes an excellent reader's guide to the world of fairy tales in general - giving the reader a brief glimpse at the works of the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Rudyard Kipling, Lewis Carroll, Andrew Lang, L. Frank Baum, etc.

Also, the author Michael Buckley encourages and inspires others to create their own stories, which is awesome - especially since my daughter has already written two stories of her own [she may just grow up to be an author!]

Jason

JCVD

2009-04-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

Foreign Film from Belgium

Language - English [Dubbed]

Genre - Action/Drama

Year Released - 2008

Running Time - 96 minutes

Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri

Written by Mabrouk El Mechri, Frederic Benudis, and Christophe Turpin

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme (No Retreat No Surrender, Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Lionheart, Double Impact, Hard Target, etc, etc)

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in this comic action film. While visiting his family at home in Belgium, Van Damme is caught in the middle of a robbery, and the cops think the aging star has snapped and pulled the job himself.

Now, on top of dealing with financial problems, a nasty custody battle, and a waning career, he has to make like a real-life action hero and find his way out of a very tense situation.

Review:

I was pleasantly surprised this evening when I checked my Netflix Queue and noticed that this film was available to watch Instantly [it doesn't even officially come out on DVD until Tuesday!]

Being that this film was at the top of my queue anyhow, I removed it - put the kids to bed, took a break from the book that I am currently reading, and watched it on my computer, thanks to Netflix, and it was just as good as I was hoping that it would be!

Even though this is not a "traditional" Van Damme flick, it is, without a doubt, Van Damme's best performance.

The film has a great beginning, with a full-fledged action sequence during an un-named war movie, starring the one and only Jean-Claude Van Damme. This opening sequence only made me long for his glory days! There was so much action going on, that I wasn't even reading the credits. :-)

The film then jumps to a couple of foreigners discussing the action films of the eighties, with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis. The foreigners even take into account that it was Van Damme who brought John Woo to Hollywood [I never even thought of that, being that I have been a fan of Woo's long before Hard Target ever came along]

Anyway, as the foreigners are talking, one of them notices Van Damme getting out of a cab, and flags him over, so that he can have his picture taken with the action-star. Van Damme kindly does so and then explains that he was just on his way to the Post Office, across the street.

A few minutes go by, when all of a sudden, a gun shot blows out a window of the cab. It turns out that the Post Office/Bank is being robbed, and the police who show up on scene believe Van Damme to be a part of the heist/hostage situation.

The film is split into 4 different segments, each giving a different perspective of the situation. This made the film even that more interesting - I believe it was during the 3rd segment, where Van Damme gives an outstanding monologue, to us the viewers, that [I believe] was completely sincere.

A great movie - definitely recommended if you are a fan of Van Damme!

So, if you have Netflix, it is currently available to watch Instantly, or it will be available on DVD, as of Tuesday.

Here's the trailer:

Jason

Fighting

2009-04-25T16:31:00.001-07:00

Genre - Action/Drama

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 105 minutes

Rated PG-13 for fight sequences and brief strong language

Directed by Dito Montiel

Written by Dito Montiel and Robert Munic

Cast Includes:

Channing Tatum (Coach Carter - he is also going to be in the upcoming G. I. Joe film and Public Enemies)

Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow, Crash, The Brave One, and Iron Man)

Zulay Henao

Brian J White (Brick, The Game Plan, and 12 Rounds - which I haven't seen yet)

I just also have to mention that MMA Fighter Cung Le also made an appearance in this film

Rating: 3 Skulls

Plot Summary:

When Sean MacArthur, an unmotivated young man who hustles counterfeit merchandise in New York City, meets seasoned street-fighting coach Harvey Boarden by chance, his whole life changes.

Sean's fights are dangerous, but he sets out to win the prize money at stake and the respect of those around him.

Review:

This was an "okay" movie - nothing that needs to be seen in the theatre. The only reason that I gave it 3 Skulls, instead of 2, is because that I think it is better than last year's fighting drama, RedBelt [which I rated 2 stars on Netflix]

The movie is more drama than it is action [not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that the fights were nothing spectacular] The best fight is the one with Cung Le - he has it made as a martial arts movie star - I hope that he decides to do more films! [He reminds me of a young Bolo Yeung, whose most famous film is probably Van Damme's Bloodsport]

As for the drama - it was written well - good characters, etc. [I really enjoyed Zulay's grandmother, played by Altagracia Guzman - she was hysterical, and Terrence Howard, of course, was great. As for Channing Tatum - I liked his character, though I didn't buy him for the fighter that he was supposed to be...

I would have to say that New York City is probably the greatest aspect of the film - it was vividly and very realistically displayed.

With all of that said, just wait and catch this one when it hits television.

Here's the trailer:

Speaking of trailers, I saw some great ones before Fighting - such as Armored, Funny People, Drag Me to Hell, and Inglourious Basterds - all of which look fantastic!

Jason

Laid to Rest

2009-04-24T22:00:00.001-07:00

I was planning on posting a review for Disney Nature's documentary Earth this evening. You see, the family and I went to Madison [WI] for the day and spent some time at the zoo, had a picnic lunch at the park, etc. While in Madison, we dropped by their IMAX theatre, planning to see Earth on the BIG screen - problem was, they were not showing Earth on their IMAX screen, and I really would prefer to see it in an IMAX theatre - I looked on-line, and there is another IMAX theatre in Milwaukee, so perhaps next weekend I'll take the family there to see Earth and be able to provide a review. . .

Meanwhile, when we got home, I was fortunate enough to have received this bad-boy in the mail - thanks to Netflix! I have really been looking forward to this one, [it just came out on Tuesday] as it is written & directed by Robert Hall, who also wrote & directed a little gem called Lightning Bug, which I love, and I was not disappointed - in fact, the film is far better than I even expected it to be!

Genre - Horror

Year Released - 2009

Running Time - 90 minutes

Directed by Robert Hall (who also directed Lightning Bug)

Written by Robert Hall (who also wrote Lightning Bug)

Cast Includes:

Bobbi Sue Luther (she is also in The Poughkeepsie Tapes, which I haven't seen yet, and she is also in the upcoming re-make of Night of the Demons)

Kevin Gage (Lightning Bug, Chaos, Con Air)

Lena Headey (300 and Imagine Me & You - she also plays Sarah Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)

Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs, Twister, Employee of the Month)

and Nick Principe as Chrome Skull (he is the tattoo artist in Big Stan and he is also in The Thirst)

Rating: 4 Skulls

Plot Summary:

When a beautiful young girl wakes up in a coffin, she doesn't know who she is or how she got there. What she does know is that she'll have to put up the fight of her life to outwit a tech-savvy madman who wants to slay her before the night is over.

On the run from the killer, she meets up with some seemingly benign locals. . . but how can she know whom to trust?

Review:

When I first heard about this one, I thought it sounded cliche and looked pretty dumb [I'm still not keen on the whole shoulder camera, though it is somewhat integral to the story] Then, like I already mentioned, I realized that it was written & directed by Robert Hall [owner and founder of the special effects studio, Almost Human] If you have never seen Lightning Bug, do so!

This guy needs to be more popular than he is, especially now, since he has literally just made an outstanding slasher flick! This is a great movie, with an interesting premise, and superb gore effects! [I have not seen kills, like in this film, for a long, long time!]

The movie may have some issues, however they pale in comparison to the death scenes in this flick! Well worth it!

If you like slasher movies, definitely get this one!

Needless to say, I will be going out to buy this one, tomorrow!

Here's the trailer:

All Hail Chrome Skull

Jason