tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19932392346771293252024-03-14T06:18:03.450+00:00DeadShed ProductionsWalking Dead Memes. Reviews of Movies, DVDs, and Exploitation Cinema. Filmmaking. Writing (Scripts and Novels), and a few random things in between.Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.comBlogger1449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-79455918784839217842024-03-13T12:49:00.001+00:002024-03-13T12:49:50.744+00:00Destroy All Neighbors (Josh Forbes, 2024) Review<p><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more horror comedy reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JsCzDwA1ydQ3V1kRCO3H8G4qNpffviGkeVYX5io0qyG90Qw8H5xojlKBBuq50xp4CpVW0AgSaTfhLTMf8-2Cyy6mi1-av0DWIBE4mvLqZuE4I3TRe_6hExwhNsDQsokrWg42FD6Ew-T4X74uldNT94nr6z1OwR714lE1M9nT7RYC-Mqv6RYeGNnZpsXU/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JsCzDwA1ydQ3V1kRCO3H8G4qNpffviGkeVYX5io0qyG90Qw8H5xojlKBBuq50xp4CpVW0AgSaTfhLTMf8-2Cyy6mi1-av0DWIBE4mvLqZuE4I3TRe_6hExwhNsDQsokrWg42FD6Ew-T4X74uldNT94nr6z1OwR714lE1M9nT7RYC-Mqv6RYeGNnZpsXU/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Rock
and roll is about being on time.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The nightmare neighbour next door with their loud music blasting all
through the night while you lie there in bed awake, eyes bloodshot
and weary, wanting to put a stop to it and never having the stones to
do it. But what if one day you worked up the gumption to bang on that
door and tell them to turn it down … and then accidentally killed
them?...</span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV352azBrj17kSNew5PW1D7ABaYG3lIFcMmuxouqGwppd3hwPOnG9XSJtXFOE8vTmUoCoeUZBpD-H4WH4Gzp7YEfZFK4qk6XLRzNVp2_VLAeVwCDMBkSpTjCJcpBTHLMGU1UVcW1PsQcsm5Q2EtnxiMpfOrFgLa-RV-mRKSRRME1o5CbloVwjwDDH_rCO/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV352azBrj17kSNew5PW1D7ABaYG3lIFcMmuxouqGwppd3hwPOnG9XSJtXFOE8vTmUoCoeUZBpD-H4WH4Gzp7YEfZFK4qk6XLRzNVp2_VLAeVwCDMBkSpTjCJcpBTHLMGU1UVcW1PsQcsm5Q2EtnxiMpfOrFgLa-RV-mRKSRRME1o5CbloVwjwDDH_rCO/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Well,
Mr Knob Turner, maybe you can twiddle my knobs.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
William (</span><i>Jonah Ray, </i><i><b>Christmas Bloody Christmas</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
is an audio technician by day and an aspiring God of prog rock music
by night, endlessly tinkering with his terminally unfinished album.
Having reached the point of obsession it's beginning to get in the
way of his relationship with Emily (</span><i>Kiran Deol</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
but he's a nice enough guy, always amenable to his landlord's list of
'quick' chores she needs help with, and yet he's also a bit of a
doormat.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
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<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You
murdered him by accident?!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Then one day Vlad (</span><i>an unrecognisable Alex Winter, </i><i><b>Freaked</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
moves in, a curious Eastern European goon of a man who is obsessed
with lifting weights to brain-numbing EDM dialled up to
wall-trembling eleven. How's a Milquetoast prog rocker supposed to
finish their magnum opus? Having finally grown a set of balls, or the
nearest approximation to them, William confronts the twirling tornado
of chaos that is Vlad – and it all goes arse-up when the nightmare
neighbour next door unintentionally becomes skewered on his own
makeshift exercise equipment.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmhbWIREsrlMtLg_BI2rfeeDW-op8haZLuLEf77WVU_0lBCFhAAC8PIGYuXpH_Et-JoZsDm0RuzE6Py2iUVk1JOe2NtHVZR3yXkrpuYIpWFZU6tODViDM0JbzhR5DnR757SgBJDnVMQR3275d_CenIJJM5d9dCvrvu-frYoTqV80ZlBneP9jwzBu4c-vl/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmhbWIREsrlMtLg_BI2rfeeDW-op8haZLuLEf77WVU_0lBCFhAAC8PIGYuXpH_Et-JoZsDm0RuzE6Py2iUVk1JOe2NtHVZR3yXkrpuYIpWFZU6tODViDM0JbzhR5DnR757SgBJDnVMQR3275d_CenIJJM5d9dCvrvu-frYoTqV80ZlBneP9jwzBu4c-vl/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlwZWsdX0zKefY6rSfwc9XtH5wzmQxG4TgrTel4Sh0WHgMyiE4AdEYcUo2b1Zw7cLVSo5BKjq7hT5oKJEiDFkuPUjsQXX7jPFH2x3ESVv4ophXY0uPiqMh5ujRtZkF9yhdSEOrndUXcD-1aVtEll3c5MwB8RKqIEDxDStinVRGUZ7I7yUPLr3-FkZF_m8/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghlwZWsdX0zKefY6rSfwc9XtH5wzmQxG4TgrTel4Sh0WHgMyiE4AdEYcUo2b1Zw7cLVSo5BKjq7hT5oKJEiDFkuPUjsQXX7jPFH2x3ESVv4ophXY0uPiqMh5ujRtZkF9yhdSEOrndUXcD-1aVtEll3c5MwB8RKqIEDxDStinVRGUZ7I7yUPLr3-FkZF_m8/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Why?
Because fuck you, that's why. I'm not gonna let death stop me from
partying.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Now, guided by
his prog rock hero Swig (</span><i>Jon Daly</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
in the first sign of William's crumbling sanity, he sets about
disposing of the body only to discover the severed parts aren't quite
as dead as he thought. Is he going insane or is this real, and why do
people keep winding up mangled and butchered in his presence?</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWJbp7f-BUUkx80V7zGBOzWsbLVCIuelJVk4TKIA3DdRT9j2cz9hwjtxnji5a2KgYBGICXmXqFSpNKhU2rkaXl0wLV-nVyL0urHPyVV_tbnn2QA_m3POwoz6Ym0OV7aDZp_El77jh5mjhPs88MnNyUborBsXkFVOjpKA0KBmvP7F28wQ2-g4-pOkGUOC6/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWJbp7f-BUUkx80V7zGBOzWsbLVCIuelJVk4TKIA3DdRT9j2cz9hwjtxnji5a2KgYBGICXmXqFSpNKhU2rkaXl0wLV-nVyL0urHPyVV_tbnn2QA_m3POwoz6Ym0OV7aDZp_El77jh5mjhPs88MnNyUborBsXkFVOjpKA0KBmvP7F28wQ2-g4-pOkGUOC6/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBzG-6hjY61n9_KJ8O3jFsQQalQclwcKB4Xr1ZkOwL8O_GLyDm8qdmUR69fVZhw_e1Hl0N1SfUAIImeD1tirhlQ2MWOGXUtRvJi6tTkxCuIZd2_JWV6IdEKMhklZs1HlxgdKtR92SmsukQEpYCgJQ5AEbvJt6G9He-y_ShWzP5XabeCUX2y8BK7ImwXws/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBzG-6hjY61n9_KJ8O3jFsQQalQclwcKB4Xr1ZkOwL8O_GLyDm8qdmUR69fVZhw_e1Hl0N1SfUAIImeD1tirhlQ2MWOGXUtRvJi6tTkxCuIZd2_JWV6IdEKMhklZs1HlxgdKtR92SmsukQEpYCgJQ5AEbvJt6G9He-y_ShWzP5XabeCUX2y8BK7ImwXws/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
don't know how to work these new vibrators.” // “It's a
toothbrush!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Written by
Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Destroy
All Neighbors</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is destined to become a cult favourite in a similar mold as the
movies of filmmakers like Frank Henenlotter. Too many genre movies
these days flounder when it comes to characters, brandishing a
selection of pretty but bland individuals to say nothing of
consequence, do nothing memorable, or just linger around annoying the
audience, if they haven't already fallen out of their memory within
microseconds.</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JHHYT-5QbP7TjbcRcC1KRSCka9GbNqMN64FapIhG8ja0dPY2uDpn8S175-WOEjfZdSIrZj8Xrfb8AT7GLF79X5mxUy_hqnz8pwbtCMiAdVa5I7UHz1dHjnraW4YANCJGVgJ-zFTI6RdnDZGBwJaByM5d-aqUO7vGb38T8IYVv1EfV09f8V4kQx5TPDv6/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JHHYT-5QbP7TjbcRcC1KRSCka9GbNqMN64FapIhG8ja0dPY2uDpn8S175-WOEjfZdSIrZj8Xrfb8AT7GLF79X5mxUy_hqnz8pwbtCMiAdVa5I7UHz1dHjnraW4YANCJGVgJ-zFTI6RdnDZGBwJaByM5d-aqUO7vGb38T8IYVv1EfV09f8V4kQx5TPDv6/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznQlmV-zzOM44o8_b97TXLhBfGxGWEf3RzLzBbLlm9w1vdgSAVQuUUvnRhyphenhyphenxtKG1C_UswWWm4otF7cDKcWPkCHohKNerMlOFYAWCZO24YEjIhAT4dqzC6id3l8DNzwPmAb5YdSvnwDQ0a1aXd7G-pNihDP-O-SxfSAIG8zZPDhBmEqCEpHSP57FEGdJ5o/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznQlmV-zzOM44o8_b97TXLhBfGxGWEf3RzLzBbLlm9w1vdgSAVQuUUvnRhyphenhyphenxtKG1C_UswWWm4otF7cDKcWPkCHohKNerMlOFYAWCZO24YEjIhAT4dqzC6id3l8DNzwPmAb5YdSvnwDQ0a1aXd7G-pNihDP-O-SxfSAIG8zZPDhBmEqCEpHSP57FEGdJ5o/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zqyXDzuqQrZzCgFYrpXmGnIcScqfkpDSYnELf6RmX8mYP5ZqM_EC70e8Gcr235yEOd8cPMxYlzolFvq1Jk5zQ2NiPt0gL257ihElMJ5IaCsopd364MZDF_obcK10NIABkNtjWTLEH3mmOh5iD3BsSlsDxMJnJ2qFKd1UVk8p_4qqAr5HAMB7hGpcnWat/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zqyXDzuqQrZzCgFYrpXmGnIcScqfkpDSYnELf6RmX8mYP5ZqM_EC70e8Gcr235yEOd8cPMxYlzolFvq1Jk5zQ2NiPt0gL257ihElMJ5IaCsopd364MZDF_obcK10NIABkNtjWTLEH3mmOh5iD3BsSlsDxMJnJ2qFKd1UVk8p_4qqAr5HAMB7hGpcnWat/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
film, though, certainly manages to make the most of its relatively
small cast, giving them all individual personalities and
idiosyncrasies that fit hand-in-glove with the genuinely humorous
dialogue. Whether it's small details like the way landlady Eleanor
(</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Randee Heller,
</span></i><i><b>The Karate Kid</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
eats popcorn, prog rock star Swig subtly bemoans his problems between
the lines of his instructional videos, or how the weak-willed Scott
(</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thomas Lennon,
</span></i><i><b>Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
continually about-turns to the beat of Caleb Bang Jansen's (</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ryan
Kattner</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
drug-addled drum, every supporting player gets something memorable to
do and say, breathing life into each of their scenes.</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU7c1AqNLwIw2jaWSRZy0xM8Pa9gcapwBr3DXtzGouMy2Vh0T-_PrRMj3Jv4jTS0SLZEkhxO3Va4aEZKJKHkGb8n8ghaN0U3EXiTkq7Ker3iRso6Fw7Cu0pI72NcZ2vHLyhdmrWNIYRfAIkWboK1noNStxiDdUZ5_ynZrrpAZ8q5c7ESVI4-rvmZyApI-/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggU7c1AqNLwIw2jaWSRZy0xM8Pa9gcapwBr3DXtzGouMy2Vh0T-_PrRMj3Jv4jTS0SLZEkhxO3Va4aEZKJKHkGb8n8ghaN0U3EXiTkq7Ker3iRso6Fw7Cu0pI72NcZ2vHLyhdmrWNIYRfAIkWboK1noNStxiDdUZ5_ynZrrpAZ8q5c7ESVI4-rvmZyApI-/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWt0501fSNUzKNVGNMareaMgjWqUn6ayHL6NKJ7wNI-mxEoWgy937L-jV4jkbwS8dkEHWXrhXOxJIOlkGEsbZaP5PZxEhrUsUItDrWzfns6BpikcSzaaoIKI8hNObyqGi6FvRbhFPq4wuyt48LphKireoiSABJQ8FObiw8qsBskFxmWkvwPViCvVw5iUX/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWt0501fSNUzKNVGNMareaMgjWqUn6ayHL6NKJ7wNI-mxEoWgy937L-jV4jkbwS8dkEHWXrhXOxJIOlkGEsbZaP5PZxEhrUsUItDrWzfns6BpikcSzaaoIKI8hNObyqGi6FvRbhFPq4wuyt48LphKireoiSABJQ8FObiw8qsBskFxmWkvwPViCvVw5iUX/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
not a serial killer! Just a serial manslaughterer at best.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Being a horror comedy, of course, there has to be some blood and guts
strewn about somewhere, right? Most certainly, and in-keeping with
the Henenlotter vibe of the movie, the make-up effects have been
designed by Gabe Bartalos, who has worked on countless genre
favourites such as the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Leprechaun</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
movies and, back to Frank Henenlotter, </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Brain
Damage</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Frankenhooker</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
This may be a low budget affair, but the film uses that aesthetic to
work in classic style practical effects, dousing William with geysers
of crimson with every act of bodily dismemberment, while also skewing
into the sight of a mangled torso playing the drums with its
intestines – yes, indeed!</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb8KcwcyrD5yWbrmf-JU-aT5qFgHEl9xrKS8iOXtcOp9m2Um7J9xYOcNggqzgoaZNhMMA4a8DgaUHkbGpviAH8Z8Lyx7bhNAcXL6sRLsFOn8T_LvKu2oCBRnvwGangioUHI1ncGnRu7MzcW3_zrTkyWVtMFxu2fJ-WhEgUMHJTQS-Q4mJLEUuPhTZhHnY/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIb8KcwcyrD5yWbrmf-JU-aT5qFgHEl9xrKS8iOXtcOp9m2Um7J9xYOcNggqzgoaZNhMMA4a8DgaUHkbGpviAH8Z8Lyx7bhNAcXL6sRLsFOn8T_LvKu2oCBRnvwGangioUHI1ncGnRu7MzcW3_zrTkyWVtMFxu2fJ-WhEgUMHJTQS-Q4mJLEUuPhTZhHnY/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud6ZfLTf7aZUkTcnx2mDLaELc08BD-Nr8Kjeg0g7CCAOgapAzk6DIcQHdOdwjxTNeKqzDreT79pRIZp9StTUSzwqNUlqgAKX7AUnNkAgCo9Xaspm0wMgsPgfySge-n21S-rJAApQN1MqiKwWTQh9fdw5iOZEQQ68mepXyrCwWu_KYZRenkIUu-PTg16xN/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud6ZfLTf7aZUkTcnx2mDLaELc08BD-Nr8Kjeg0g7CCAOgapAzk6DIcQHdOdwjxTNeKqzDreT79pRIZp9StTUSzwqNUlqgAKX7AUnNkAgCo9Xaspm0wMgsPgfySge-n21S-rJAApQN1MqiKwWTQh9fdw5iOZEQQ68mepXyrCwWu_KYZRenkIUu-PTg16xN/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkOJE5P7iUxlWA5BZpHWsKBF1055MPW7-1NzwVGdB9PO64zWn3-qIQcUY9j3upoJqtjSJ75KPiZgcavu5jrg5R6zHqmNiusLFSEy3rBUuuiuLYxuBeyR8t6DGqOI2K8eXVT4EXRtiKnhfWuISddJC0GpCNXwdSBEgrl0BCWNd8Mu7dCEvgsE-t-LPvM3w/s1280/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkOJE5P7iUxlWA5BZpHWsKBF1055MPW7-1NzwVGdB9PO64zWn3-qIQcUY9j3upoJqtjSJ75KPiZgcavu5jrg5R6zHqmNiusLFSEy3rBUuuiuLYxuBeyR8t6DGqOI2K8eXVT4EXRtiKnhfWuISddJC0GpCNXwdSBEgrl0BCWNd8Mu7dCEvgsE-t-LPvM3w/s320/Destroy%20All%20Neighbors%20(2024)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
know it's a hassle, but we've gotta go through all this due process
crap.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> The movie also
looks the part, splattered with colourful hues of blue and orange
(among others) as if filtered through junk food packaging or the
rainbow vomit of a hyperactive kid double-fisting bags of Skittles on
a sunny day. However, even with all that brash vigour, the film is
not without the odd stumble. The third act feels like the movie is
somewhat running out of steam, unsure of how to appropriately wrap
everything up to some degree, but the cracks are papered-over nicely
by the general sense of madness – embodied by Alex Winter in
full-body make-up as the dangerously unpredictable Vlad, deviously
stealing his scenes whether as a severed head propped on a shelf or
as a hairy, vest-wearing maniac violently wrestling a couch through a
doorway. Shudder's latest film may occasionally be a bit messy, a
little rough around the edges, but there's more than enough bizarre
humour and glee-filled splatter to wash the viewer through the
efficient running time to secure it as a quirky cult favourite. Well
worth checking out.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-37602504928917333452024-02-29T13:33:00.003+00:002024-02-29T13:33:35.278+00:00Flavours of the Month: January & February 2024...<p style="text-align: justify;">Bone-crunching action, mysterious woodland happenings, and the rediscovery of creativity is just some of what's been setting the tone of my January & February 2024...<br /></p><p><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="color: red;">LOOKS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Reacher: Season 2</span></b> - it's probably fair to say that the villain doesn't get an awful lot to do all-said-and-done, and that there's something a little 'superhero-like' to some of the action, pulling some of the more realistic grit away from the show at times, but it never really bothered me that much as I thoroughly enjoyed this second season of Amazon's runaway hit that has been an absolute smash with both men and women. Considering how much money has been wasted (<i>and continues to be wasted</i>) on the likes of <b>The Rings of Power</b>, a poorly-conceived and hyper-expensive exercise in how NOT to adapt source material that is beloved the world over regardless of race/sex/gender/religion/etc, <b>Reacher </b>brings classic meat & potatoes action thriller TV back to our screens in a way that is surprisingly unusual when compared to much of the thoroughly mixed output that has been swamping our eyeballs for the past several years.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Fargo: Season 5</span></b> - the running theme of 'the war of the sexes' feels leaden in its execution, somewhat dated, and about as subtle as a brick to the goolies. Considering the sheer quality of the writing in the first two seasons (<i>which are some of the best television I've had the pleasure of viewing</i>), and the solid writing of the third and fourth seasons, this fifth season comes partially-hobbled by some catastrophically heavy-handed writing at times. The nuanced, complex, and richly-drawn characters of past seasons have, for the most part, been replaced with quite cartoonish individuals. Chief among them is Sheriff Roy Tillman, an ultra-conservative, Bible-thumping lawman who believes women are property and spouts Trumpisms with the aforementioned subtlety of building materials to the jubblies. His son is similarly cartoonish, the vape-sucking son full of impotent rage and self-importance behind a badge. Even Dorothy's mother-in-law, the head of a billion-dollar debt collection company is text book 'rich bitch', replete with the clichéd encounters with crusty old chauvinists who are bettered with a mere swat of withering humiliation.<br /><br />Being that one of the narrative threads in the series revolves around Domestive Violence, a considerably serious and weighty topic (<i>help information is displayed on-screen in certain episodes</i>), the above-mentioned sub-par characterisations and blunt force dialogue surrounding any and all matters of the sexes only serves to clash with, and diminish, the more dreadful realities at-play in the story. It's all the stranger considering Noah Hawley, the creator of the series, described season five as being "more comedic" in tone.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">James May: Our Man In India</span></b> - only three episodes this time around, compared to the usual six for the trips to Japan and Italy, and it's evidently not enough time to explore such a large and varied country as India. Opting to travel from west to east, the areas that are explored do provide a fascinating peek under the surface of the nation. One of the most fascinating segments centred on the 'slums', comparing outsider impressions with the opinions and daily lives of those on the inside.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Obliterated</span></b> - created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald (<i>who created the superb <b>Cobra Kai</b> television series</i>), this eight episode action comedy set in Las Vegas follows a special ops team who, having saved Sin City from nuclear obliteration, go on a celebratory bender only to discover the recovered bomb was in fact a fake with the real one still very much in-play. It gets off to a brisk, breezy, and chaotically entertaining start, sags quite a bit in the middle, and then rallies for the final sprint to the finish. Eight episodes is certainly too long, so six would've been much more suitable, but in this day and age it was refreshing to watch something that was just seeking to entertain its audience and not hammer them over the head with lectures and political pandering - and yet still with a very diverse cast. It may be a cheeseburger of a show, and one that won't be returning for a second serving, but all said and done it was a good bit of fun.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">True Detective: Night Country</span></b> - HBO's crime thriller, created by Nic Pizzolatto, returns after a five year hiatus. However, this season is headed up by Issa López and is two episodes shorter than all its predecessors. The unique setting (<i>a remote Alaskan community where a mining operation and native peoples uneasily live side-by-side</i>) certainly gives <b>Night Country</b> its own identity and feel, López drawing inspiration from the likes of <b>The Thing</b> and <b>The Shining</b>. The lead characters, played by Jodie Foster and professional boxer turned actress Kali Reis, make for an intriguing clash of personalities, even though the material they are given proves to be a bit of a mixed bag and sometimes feels like its retreading the same small patch of ground. Indeed, some narrative threads are left dangling and unexplored, with many side characters feeling quite undeveloped as mere functional blocks to deliver a few lines of dialogue. As such, <b>Night Country</b> can prove to be frustrating as there appears to be so much more lurking beneath the surface, but it's rarely engaged with.<br /><br />Overall it's okay, certainly not terrible, but it's a very long shot from the previous three seasons (<i>the first and third in particular</i>). The story is full of promise, even boasting some truly nightmarish moments, but is often left clawing in the dark in search of propulsion in episodes two through five. The clash of the sexes theme can also be distractingly cartoony (<i>e.g. buffoonish male officers taking silly selfies with a tangle of dead bodies</i>), with certain characterisations weighed-down with albatross levels of righteous fury. It also seems a little strange to try and link this season with the previous three as <b>Night Country</b> is overtly supernatural, while its predecessors are only tangentially so, and in a more metaphysical and figurative manner. Indeed, come the finale, the show can't seem to make up its mind about just how supernatural it wants to be, having already fumbled many detective genre elements, leaving a muddled and disappointing aftertaste paired with the sense that this season will fade quickly in the memory.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Walking Dead: Season 11 (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - a re-watch ahead of the arrival of the latest franchise spin-off "<b>The Ones Who Live</b>", which will feature the return of departed fan favourite characters Rick Grimes and Michonne.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Masters of the Air</span></b> - created by John Shiban and John Orloff. From the producers of <b>Band of Brothers</b> and <b>The Pacific</b>, this miniseries focuses on the 100th Bomb Group during World War II, who performed a series of dangerous missions bombing targets deep within German-occupied Europe. Right, from the get-go, let's get something clear - much like with <b>The Pacific</b>, <b>Masters of the Air</b> simply cannot recapture the lightning in a bottle that was <b>Band of Brothers</b>, which was a nigh-on perfect miniseries and one that I have rewatched several times.<br /><br />One of the reasons that <b>Band of Brothers</b> was so successful was the storytelling, aided by the true story of the 101st Airbourne having a natural structure that seamlessly gelled with the nature of linear narrative storytelling. <b>The Pacific</b> faltered somewhat due to the coming-and-going of various characters, though true to life, was much harder to follow as a story. <b>Band of Brothers</b> also benefitted from its very clearly defined and portrayed characters, the bulk of whom were perfectly established in a lengthy opening episode that allowed the viewer to get to know them during their training. <b>Masters of the Air</b>, conversely, seems too impatient to get us into the action, and we're left forever playing catch-up. Who exactly are these men? What are their names? Which plane are they in? Who's dead and who's alive? Naturally, having your cast all dressed the same, wearing oxygen masks, and all in identical-looking planes doesn't help the audience understand what is happening, and to whom, for a lot of the time, so the emotional impact of character deaths is restrained behind a general lack of clarity in portraying the events of each episode.<br /><br />It's still worth a watch for fans of <b>Band of Brothers</b> and <b>The Pacific</b>, but be forewarned that you'll likely find yourself regularly trying to understand what is happening and to whom, further complicated by how much of the cast look very similar to one another. The characters are also very thinly written, further hampering the audience's ability to emotionally connect with, or even recognise, numerous characters. Further narrative troubles include some thunderously poor characterisations of any Allied nationality other than Hollywood hero Americans, bordering on the point of xenophobia, with <b>Masters of the Air</b> coming across as actively hostile towards the British, who are all depicted as posh, sexist, bullies thoughtlessly bombing with self-righteous abandon, or other simplistic clichés with a binary choice of accents that are either 'cor blimey, guv'nor' or the Queen's perfectly plummy English. Indeed, a side character in an exceptionally dull (<i>and almost entirely pointless</i>) subplot in episode six is supposedly Scottish, but her accent is most certainly not from North of Hadrian's Wall. There may only be a handful of these offensive scenes, but <i>fuck you</i> all the same. At least the air battle sequences are pretty gripping, while scenes of airmen trapped behind enemy lines carry their own nail-biting peril, all highlighting the almost impossible odds faced by the 100th Bomb Group and others like them.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Ted: Season 1</span></b> - created by Seth MacFarlane, this spin-off series is set in the early 1990s. The episode length is a mixed bag, sometimes the 45-ish minute episodes work and sometimes they feel too long, so perhaps a more strict half hour for, say, ten episodes would enforce a more reliable sense of pacing. There's plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but there is also certainly too much 2023 turning up in this 1993 setting. Even if you're trying to make a joke from 'identity politics' issues, nobody actually talked like that in 1993 and it's just kinda grating. Still, a couple of wobbles aside, it was a good, fun watch and I'd certainly be up for a second season.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Formula 1 Drive To Survive: Season 6</span></b> - naturally, as a big F1 fan I'm always eager to dig into the behind the scenes glimpses that this show provides, despite the evident editing techniques - but at least they've got rid of the utterly fake narrative subplots as glimpsed in the past couple of seasons, which is a significant improvement in itself. There is, however, the growing (<i>almost meme-like</i>) problem of Will Buxton's increasingly distracting talent for super dramatic soundbites. Still, kudos to the team for including Alex Albon's humorously on-point spoofing of the show's style.<br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">SOUNDS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Green Day "One Eyed Bastard"<br /><br />Rakel "Follow You Into The Dark"<br /><br />Motorhead "Everything Louder Forever" (album), "Eat The Rich", "Hellraiser"<br /><br />John & Jane Q. Public "Watermelon"<br /><br />M83 "Fantasy" (album)<br /><br />Old Gods Of Asgard "Herald of Darkness"</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">VIBES & FLAVOURS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Alan Wake II (Xbox)</span></b> - Remedy Entertainment's 2010 third person action horror thriller game <b>Alan Wake</b> no doubt found itself somewhat under the shadow of the major release of Rockstar Games' <b>Red Dead Redemption</b> (<i>in the UK they were a week apart, and in the USA they were on the same day</i>). The game was well received by those who played it, but it didn't garner a wide audience upon initial release. However, the game had legs and built a faithful cult following, teased in numerous following projects from Remedy, who have been consistently dedicated to returning to the world of Bright Falls.<br /><br />The release of <b>Alan Wake II</b> has certainly been plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, suggesting the money men were pushing for a release and not a bug-fixing delay (<i>players prefer the latter</i>), and so I held back on getting the game until some of the bugs were patched. Kudos to Remedy for continually working hard to fix the technical issues with the game and for clearly communicating their developments with the players. Mind you, the continuing issue of totally random hard crashes on Series S is one particular problem that desperately needs to be fixed.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the cultureverse, there were certain folks who pissed and moaned about the character of Saga Anderson being 'race swapped', as she was a previously established character. Now, I'm a big fan of Remedy and have played all their games since <b>Max Payne</b> multiple times each, but I couldn't for the life of me remember any Saga Anderson. Turns out she was a small character who appears in an easter egg moment in <b>Quantum Break</b> alongside Sam Lake's FBI agent Alex Casey. So it's not exactly as if they took, say, the fan favourite Mona Sax from <b>Max Payne 2</b> and turned her into a little old Asian man, is it? Indeed, this Saga Anderson is a fully fleshed-out character, not a vague easter egg. She is an agent of the FBI who comes to Bright Falls to investigate mysterious cult activities and the appearance of a long-lost agent who went missing in the original game.<br /><br />Now, some might say that the titular character has been swept aside, that this is a 'bait and switch', but it wouldn't make sense to call the game 'Saga Anderson', would it? She is entering an already established world, and from a storytelling perspective, especially with an IP that has been somewhat lost in the shadows for over a decade, it makes sense to take the perspective of a character entering this world for the first time. It's a richer, more interesting approach to the narrative, and makes sense considering that Alan Wake himself also 'went missing' (<i>from our reality</i>) at the end of the original. And yet the game also allows you to play two parallel stories, one for Saga and one for Alan, in two very different but equally well-realised settings.<br /><br />It is fair to say, though, that there are moments where the meddling of an outside company does rear its head. I'm fundamentally opposed on principal to companies seeking to change the artistic output of others (<i>especially as a means to grift money</i>). However, after more than twenty-six hours of playing the game (<i>so far</i>), I have only encountered very few instances of these 'outside alterations'. It's good that they're few and far between, but that in itself also suggests their utter pointlessness. Indeed, the bulk of the few objectionable lines of cringe-inducing dialogue is featured in the first two hours of the game. For instance, a pair of 'true crime bloggers' from New York compare Bright Falls to 1960s Alabama, which makes zero sense whatsoever for anyone who has played the original game, as it just doesn't chime with what we previously experienced (<i>or even experience in this sequel, in fact!</i>). It also smacks of the lack of perspective these 'outside meddlers' have, as these bloggers consider themselves victims, even though they knowingly with-held evidence in a murder case for their own personal gain.<br /><br />There's another moment prior to that where two bumbling deputies assume that Alex Casey is 'in charge', when in fact Saga is. It's a very clunky scene, especially when you consider that Casey is deliberately leading the way for the player's benefit (<i>showing us where to go</i>), and therefore it would make sense for someone to assume the first person to approach them is the one in charge. I've experienced that myself, simply because I reached a member of staff first. It's just a very simple misunderstanding and there's no need to throw in a couple of half-witted lines about chauvinism or whatever else.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One other moment, again rather small but nonetheless obvious when it occurs, is Saga's strangely offended assessment of the 'Mother' doll. Being that these are crude carvings meant to depict specific things, it's quite obvious that a 'mother doll' would perhaps be shown to be pregnant - it clearly conveys the notion of the doll, much like a wizard would have a pointy hat, or a monster would have scary teeth. Indeed, being that Saga is herself a mother, why would she be in the slightest bit offended? These brief lines of dialogue are, quite honestly, decidedly sub-par compared with the rest of the admirable and involving writing that populates the entire rest of the game, and yet again further makes the point of why these meddling outsider companies (<i>and their lack of actual talent</i>) should have no business at all tinkering with other people's work.<br /><br />That all said, though, 'culture warriors' who have written-off <b>Alan Wake II</b> as 'woke' are fucking morons who clearly didn't bother playing anything more than two hours of the game, and got hung-up on the 'race swap' of an exceptionally minor and undeveloped easter egg side-character from two games ago. Indeed, Alex Casey's actor remains the same because he's played by Remedy's Creative Director Sam Lake - so he's readily available and has often cameoed in his games (<i>he was famously the original face of <b>Max Payne</b></i>). The above point about outside meddlers fiddling with someone's else's writing is still very much valid, though. But enough of that shite and back to the artistic achievements of Remedy, who once again deliver a beautifully realised and thoroughly immersive world, split between the 'real world' of the Pacific Northwest, and the 'dark place' where Alan Wake must explore a twisted Noir nightmare version of New York City in order to break free from his shadowy prison.<br /><br />There's the odd little quibble, like having too many versions of a similar weapon - e.g. flares, gas bottles, flashbangs, and rocket flares. Four of them, really? Two would suffice - flares and rocket flares only, please. Keep it simple. It's also far too fiddly to heal during boss fights (<i>three different items to choose from, too!</i>), and I've also experienced numerous random crashes, the cause of which is still a mystery as it happens so randomly - and it's why I'm forced to save very regularly indeed. It'd be nice to be able to rely on the game not randomly crashing, but this is what happens when the money men force you to release instead of delaying for some serious bug fixing time. I've also found, even on the easiest difficulty, that there are some sudden difficulty spikes (<i>usually the Overlap bosses where a mere handful of hits snuffs you out</i>), which is a similar bugbear I had with their previous game <b>Control</b>. I do hope I'm not going to reach a point where I'm stuck, because not only am I a paying customer, but I'm very much invested in this story and these characters and I want to see how it all shakes out in due course.<br /><br />Minor flaws aside, the game is dripping with chilling, atmospheric brilliance and artistic design, as well as Remedy's trademark sense of humour and fondness for unusual moments - such as the 'Herald of Darkness' rock musical sequence. Quite rightly the game is hoovering up numerous awards, and despite having not quite turned a profit at the time of writing, the game seems to be selling well (<i>1.3 million units and counting</i>), and I'd further expect the sequel to have similarly long legs to the original; <b>Alan Wake II</b> certainly already has the feverish cult following. Perhaps this goes hand-in-hand with releasing a game with too many bugs, but look at what happened with <b>Cyberpunk 2077</b>, which had a disastrous launch only to now be reaping much praise for how it has completely been turned around into the game it was always meant to be. The money men, eh? They don't understand creative industries. Sometimes you can't rush it, and if you do it will have a negative impact on your sales from which you will have to recover. But that's another rant entirely. The point is, <b>Alan Wake II</b> is a delicious creative achievement, crafted with love, and it most certainly deserves all the praise it has received.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"The Devils of Port Rose"</span></b> - I had the idea for this horror feature back in November 2022, got to planning some of it out before setting the notebook aside. Then there was a sad turn of events in early 2023 and my creative juice just up and vanished completely. November 2023, feeling a little glimmer of creativity peeking out of the darkness, I forced myself to go back to that notebook, refamiliarise myself with the story and finish mapping it out. Then, in January 2024 I sat down and got back to writing for the first time in a long time and hammered out the first draft in less than three weeks. Come February I went back for the second draft, aided in my polishing by some recent script read-throughs on some other active projects, and it feels good to get back into the storytelling mode again.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-29765347017859748512024-01-19T14:25:00.002+00:002024-01-19T14:25:57.953+00:00Vice Academy (Rick Sloane, 1989) Review...<p><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLO4GEsRZlOzaRpdwZB8hol0QLwWZs6WiJffLib1bkPotrm9WQROzK-AckjP52gdLsXpCgJMvUz9VhK2VvTFy97dGpp1TBhL982aW84q6UmXlNSKFHFmK2SzIHujsgTiKmilwlvOZmf2_JKY3-pUpoYcrv5tCQt-4URb-2aQ84m2-BD0pDM60fPMnWnX/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaLO4GEsRZlOzaRpdwZB8hol0QLwWZs6WiJffLib1bkPotrm9WQROzK-AckjP52gdLsXpCgJMvUz9VhK2VvTFy97dGpp1TBhL982aW84q6UmXlNSKFHFmK2SzIHujsgTiKmilwlvOZmf2_JKY3-pUpoYcrv5tCQt-4URb-2aQ84m2-BD0pDM60fPMnWnX/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“</span><i><b><span style="color: red;">A
Vice cop?! I feel used and violated.”</span> </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">From
1984 through to the end of the decade, </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">six</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Police Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
movies were released (</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">a
seventh came in the mid-90s</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">).
What started out as a raunchy comedy quickly turned into a family
franchise with cartoonish gags and even broader characters, rendering
it practically a parody of itself. And still, along came </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Vice
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
a cheap-as-chips combination of sauciness and spoof, in which a
gaggle of goofy police trainees – headed up by Scream Queen legend
Linnea Quigley (</span></span><i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/sorority-babes-in-slimeball-bowl-o-rama.html" target="_blank">Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-o-rama</a></b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
– attempt to make ten arrests to qualify for graduation. First
stop, that most hilarious of subjects: an under-age smut operation …
wait, </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">what?!</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">...</span></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4k9izx_S-xRMHm9pbu8nQZoYWeDPZUrmRQKo7JddqN4mE3xyU10DmLnAF8SmpOzd0MvQNeah5i_eEFxDBSj_jYIrzEPJYzjSC9r8QXxDR2PWUKw_VhYgfUcmDXzoF8TQ5SJeYS5n5OiExR8wEqDMLQ61VRYNoK91gCNsyg1Vfg7JcGAnf8nSP4UU13k4/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4k9izx_S-xRMHm9pbu8nQZoYWeDPZUrmRQKo7JddqN4mE3xyU10DmLnAF8SmpOzd0MvQNeah5i_eEFxDBSj_jYIrzEPJYzjSC9r8QXxDR2PWUKw_VhYgfUcmDXzoF8TQ5SJeYS5n5OiExR8wEqDMLQ61VRYNoK91gCNsyg1Vfg7JcGAnf8nSP4UU13k4/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Keep
trying – you'll eventually hit a target.”</b></i></span> Yeah …
really. Indeed, this is probably what Jason Mantzoukas, of the
podcast <i>How Did This Get Made?</i>, would gleefully describe as a
“<i>wild!</i>” movie, what with it's bizarre script, incredibly
low budget, and disorienting tonal mix. The aforementioned Quigley
plays Didi, one of a host of new recruits being put through their
paces by Miss Devonshire (<i>Jayne Hamil, </i><i><b>Vice Academy 2</b></i>),
a stern instructor with a curiously sordid back story. Along with
fellow trainee chums Shawnee (<i>Karen Russell, </i><i><b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank">Murder Weapon</a></b></i>), whose go-to tactic of disarming a gun-toting crim is
to flash her assets, and Dwayne (<i>Ken Abraham, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/creepozoids-david-decoteau-1987-dvd.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Creepozoids</b></i></a>),
the only male in the group whose fun zone is regularly the target for
a swift jab from a procession of knees, they'll have to buck up their
lazy ideas if they want to graduate.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZTHqsqtlUYvrE9G6NatXp3EEkFegEnyHgHLr_25fC9yy0-BGJkUV8a7IecHu26fI4VNdV_EZMAhqA9KgqWqAOZBDKKyEK3cLdDcTEBkuH4oJKZ_R2uOVHgewjsWXkcc_bAJ2VHvVSe0qVkrHw-D4ycvvdxmc2ePZs-Z97o8XtPG1B_Cj4SZaakCEqVJf/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZTHqsqtlUYvrE9G6NatXp3EEkFegEnyHgHLr_25fC9yy0-BGJkUV8a7IecHu26fI4VNdV_EZMAhqA9KgqWqAOZBDKKyEK3cLdDcTEBkuH4oJKZ_R2uOVHgewjsWXkcc_bAJ2VHvVSe0qVkrHw-D4ycvvdxmc2ePZs-Z97o8XtPG1B_Cj4SZaakCEqVJf/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumNf0kmVL3aoiWKp6_DtSnnRdQPuOcBAARSYZUSUSEHySDc5V2hQfCpoq5klvxPC0OQcH4BGEm3QnIf4tGevW3EypEbus2c2Ag-nZbMGhoMfSg_dd5iUv4UeNF7QAU9WXKHy_SJA3NtyMjkmng9H4Lmdf4aOtM1WRk3V1p_4h-kOsShJxny8o2XBhSMW4/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumNf0kmVL3aoiWKp6_DtSnnRdQPuOcBAARSYZUSUSEHySDc5V2hQfCpoq5klvxPC0OQcH4BGEm3QnIf4tGevW3EypEbus2c2Ag-nZbMGhoMfSg_dd5iUv4UeNF7QAU9WXKHy_SJA3NtyMjkmng9H4Lmdf4aOtM1WRk3V1p_4h-kOsShJxny8o2XBhSMW4/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlyVzyzkUJeHBFuKWnrfDLwopfx8Hbr4gWPMdB9uLxb8EB_pbugzdIa8FqwxQADu4TScm1p1jKidPrUFOn_lOsYbv5zU1ufJ5I8MTbYANke6IuxM829yIOp81nCKRO2OJqMiK4aTvaZh4Vz3nUpuNmxsRPgDDLiY54rUhaZRtnXY_LHKi98g7V7WSH0Tp/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlyVzyzkUJeHBFuKWnrfDLwopfx8Hbr4gWPMdB9uLxb8EB_pbugzdIa8FqwxQADu4TScm1p1jKidPrUFOn_lOsYbv5zU1ufJ5I8MTbYANke6IuxM829yIOp81nCKRO2OJqMiK4aTvaZh4Vz3nUpuNmxsRPgDDLiY54rUhaZRtnXY_LHKi98g7V7WSH0Tp/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
wish I knew what slut this résumé belongs to.” / “So would I –
I'd like to meet her!”</b></i></span> In competition with Daddy's
girl/class suck-up Holly (<i>Ginger Lynn, </i><i><b>The Devil's
Rejects</b></i>), the daughter of the Chief of Police, Didi & Co
are drawn to the case of Cherry Pop (<i>Allison Barron, credited as
Christian Barr</i>), a teenage runaway who is trying to escape the
porn industry. This is where the tone of the movie gets, shall we
say, quite uneven. Cherry Pop, aged fifteen, has been beaten and
wound up on the streets in fear for her life, and so Didi, Shawnee,
and Dwayne decide to take down the production company who knowingly
used Cherry Pop in their movies.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCjhJqne6BOnXNEspj-IuyFwpYZiADJkj-0mLbBi6cVQ4F18VqnotC-Gl9ISOIaGKqumLlFWH0xIBQs6yaSi7df07VMZV7HGwLQmyOA09MWUYm6cJivj7uqfGIdOeCPVeWu6VHsDpkXAbRh_AR9P5VUjihvJkmPJpEltPFoa-EcMa1RgNJDQFFR9dPVve/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCjhJqne6BOnXNEspj-IuyFwpYZiADJkj-0mLbBi6cVQ4F18VqnotC-Gl9ISOIaGKqumLlFWH0xIBQs6yaSi7df07VMZV7HGwLQmyOA09MWUYm6cJivj7uqfGIdOeCPVeWu6VHsDpkXAbRh_AR9P5VUjihvJkmPJpEltPFoa-EcMa1RgNJDQFFR9dPVve/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn-NutazxEGgVhQ33vEUymGjGXe819A-kNuyyGEJKiJA5PvZ7ScOpcx5UXTax1rm7iG_7PhqSNy6hi-cN22Vk_O4___tYlLGmWWXTlUnILlCRhXEKaDi7Gy6Vrdb9msZ-GWApfTddylCWULpCRJGgsgF9x8qQYJd71zzeQbPYsybuUzpHNmKsX7gQpvqS/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn-NutazxEGgVhQ33vEUymGjGXe819A-kNuyyGEJKiJA5PvZ7ScOpcx5UXTax1rm7iG_7PhqSNy6hi-cN22Vk_O4___tYlLGmWWXTlUnILlCRhXEKaDi7Gy6Vrdb9msZ-GWApfTddylCWULpCRJGgsgF9x8qQYJd71zzeQbPYsybuUzpHNmKsX7gQpvqS/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Now, to be fair, all these years
later, this is a decidedly jarring element to inject into the plot of
<b>Vice Academy</b> – a flick that is otherwise intended to be a
silly bit of T&A comedy movie fun – but at the time of its
production it was a hot topic. Not long beforehand there had been a
huge scandal in the adult entertainment industry after the discovery
that Traci Lords, one of its biggest stars, had been performing
under-age (<i>a fake ID and birth certificate had changed her birth
name and date</i>). At the time it was a massive story with a major
fallout, but even still, it's a curious idea to take inspiration from
that event and inject it into the plot of a <i>comedy</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIso3XbwRyVTys-jyG_7nhOZuajTRj8hEJHegw7EI_1mpVc65iu6CezuSDFueLCHSlvjZufpq5xg3-k0P47lJ_Bewt-S2gNCkog1M8buGUMvhcGzlaNhmtyYx0vzmdtGoaaD7SGfh-RHM0oj5sAduQ-hXEFr9-jyzN00jZ1s-ccX3awikpfQvqRuEI5bXb/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIso3XbwRyVTys-jyG_7nhOZuajTRj8hEJHegw7EI_1mpVc65iu6CezuSDFueLCHSlvjZufpq5xg3-k0P47lJ_Bewt-S2gNCkog1M8buGUMvhcGzlaNhmtyYx0vzmdtGoaaD7SGfh-RHM0oj5sAduQ-hXEFr9-jyzN00jZ1s-ccX3awikpfQvqRuEI5bXb/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROYmUsARIqa3o6cGE0PUm7XE_qQs76lbLce-KM4fE7Uwdh1JH6BGDSPHfCsy9u5yLJre2jn-emIv5ZiDY-VRyQko4NyNabijwy_7FwpDA5wwl0nFBZHS-Y2aaSb5UEUy-VtqjvXopOkBFRhfycfeGz22FpeSiyxNsJVwExJmMigwUwEcVXHzjc5c263WU/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROYmUsARIqa3o6cGE0PUm7XE_qQs76lbLce-KM4fE7Uwdh1JH6BGDSPHfCsy9u5yLJre2jn-emIv5ZiDY-VRyQko4NyNabijwy_7FwpDA5wwl0nFBZHS-Y2aaSb5UEUy-VtqjvXopOkBFRhfycfeGz22FpeSiyxNsJVwExJmMigwUwEcVXHzjc5c263WU/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Brilliant!
You got the part!” / “Oh, great! I'll do it for free.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
As if the movie wasn't already weird enough, Didi infiltrates the
production company in question, gets a job on their next movie (</span><i>using
an eyebrow-raising CV provided quite readily – and suspiciously –
by Miss Devonshire</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), and becomes
infatuated with its male lead – buff pretty boy Chucky Long
(</span><i>Stephen Steward</i><span style="font-style: normal;">). Not
only does Chucky </span><i>know</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
about the production company's unethical and illegal ways, but the
smut flick Didi ends up starring in is directed by a sex-positive
feminist woman (</span><i>and Dominant to boot</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
who </span><i>also knows</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> about
the production of illegal content!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6o3IGr-IswhVg9QunwjDqFxnKdbIcTX3SPQawouKAft89xNBQeoQcUa40GlURhdXP1fa_pKjZ01NZWzpsEQxBeXbvqtFPzZk5P4u_N9AbYuOa_oWiZ35egTvWtYFD5kKArgnFqS_5DbZPSF8QgGY24mQLTdQOZvaWXfxRn9Dh6_bPlCbQ_2h4fAf7Xc1/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6o3IGr-IswhVg9QunwjDqFxnKdbIcTX3SPQawouKAft89xNBQeoQcUa40GlURhdXP1fa_pKjZ01NZWzpsEQxBeXbvqtFPzZk5P4u_N9AbYuOa_oWiZ35egTvWtYFD5kKArgnFqS_5DbZPSF8QgGY24mQLTdQOZvaWXfxRn9Dh6_bPlCbQ_2h4fAf7Xc1/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQUYDsxESQ-mBQgJXe-HYIJFvCsoLuF8RSGvKYZuOI-Py9qcpnsMUP8e1kELOucnnEVDS1Rif2hF14U-w4fEtF-ImXmVK8PEBjYpB0PvMA6nAysu98bG3atr0fWhfER8k6TgPNMO2f2qz2NAsijIawBfrcwOCdfT7VgCL-uQQZ7o9k8_Z39Klea4h-SvD/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQUYDsxESQ-mBQgJXe-HYIJFvCsoLuF8RSGvKYZuOI-Py9qcpnsMUP8e1kELOucnnEVDS1Rif2hF14U-w4fEtF-ImXmVK8PEBjYpB0PvMA6nAysu98bG3atr0fWhfER8k6TgPNMO2f2qz2NAsijIawBfrcwOCdfT7VgCL-uQQZ7o9k8_Z39Klea4h-SvD/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span><p></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Not weird enough? After the
academy trainees make their bust, Didi spirits Chucky away to her own
apartment, cuffs him to the sink, and has her way with him! </span><i>Wild</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is certainly one word to describe the bizarrely jumbled tone of this
movie, but then again, if you're expecting upright morals and virtues
– or any ordinary sense of reality – to be coming from a movie
like this, then you need your head examined. In fact, all these years
later, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Vice Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
does serve as a window into a bygone era when, seemingly, </span><i>any</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
mixture of ideas could get tossed into a comedy. No subject was
seemingly taboo and there were square pegs jammed into triangular
holes all over the shop.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdDynHlmN4WZ8OMg_NVSzOfbaM3g7keW2_0EtxZeVdnNklOVIE1AQjljo4MtrqxNacbcZwC7r3136uQ_KvOvYmiyYhyphenhyphenY5rvpg0nWdFKrM4BDsp3u1-9QFONTvYALbgUPVhRlkcqGfWFtzP1zG5Ntd9LnHO_eU7OpDUxkyS2NzlwsykuSLgoP_xBhwZXjI/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdDynHlmN4WZ8OMg_NVSzOfbaM3g7keW2_0EtxZeVdnNklOVIE1AQjljo4MtrqxNacbcZwC7r3136uQ_KvOvYmiyYhyphenhyphenY5rvpg0nWdFKrM4BDsp3u1-9QFONTvYALbgUPVhRlkcqGfWFtzP1zG5Ntd9LnHO_eU7OpDUxkyS2NzlwsykuSLgoP_xBhwZXjI/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelMnOv07INUPHrfdCbojHXNPq6CSpoST8AtdEjwZEmeWo-w4AVBicpiL0lC9_AvUFtLIgzBNfEo96ZXjt5hT6ZeJKLy6_DoUU6cryYhKGzkhdCNqaSh8h3bjhiSGwukIh_BHNFmTNmVPN2mesZ-r29xCAnOCqjvguQdGceiD4GOREHhQP16tvbIpx3YRq/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelMnOv07INUPHrfdCbojHXNPq6CSpoST8AtdEjwZEmeWo-w4AVBicpiL0lC9_AvUFtLIgzBNfEo96ZXjt5hT6ZeJKLy6_DoUU6cryYhKGzkhdCNqaSh8h3bjhiSGwukIh_BHNFmTNmVPN2mesZ-r29xCAnOCqjvguQdGceiD4GOREHhQP16tvbIpx3YRq/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2UYsPil1U8CJP4xdn-GkSMLlepAop4DPBRWNnJj1FFeJL6u65tMX7dBn1JNl3M9WAaVat6J-7mxRqDwBaMK4YCICEyy5umh38YwDy-ZfIaXXXImeT6-JWnWyc6PJGA0I1W8vvZgdO1icSdj5miROQ2KLRcb6MS0v3bIMeH-sSiCCnqLngs96uUjlrE7g/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2UYsPil1U8CJP4xdn-GkSMLlepAop4DPBRWNnJj1FFeJL6u65tMX7dBn1JNl3M9WAaVat6J-7mxRqDwBaMK4YCICEyy5umh38YwDy-ZfIaXXXImeT6-JWnWyc6PJGA0I1W8vvZgdO1icSdj5miROQ2KLRcb6MS0v3bIMeH-sSiCCnqLngs96uUjlrE7g/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Severe
Tyre Damage? They're my favourite group!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Iffy plot elements aside, what's the rest of the movie actually like?
Written and Directed by Rick Sloane (</span><i><b>Hobgoblins</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who also gave the world </span><i>five</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Vice Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
sequels, the movie was clearly made on a slender budget. With the
cast wearing their own clothes (</span><i>fans of Quigley's work will
no doubt recognise that blue dress from other modestly priced
productions</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), the scenes shot on
the seedier sections of Hollywood Boulevard were done so without
permits. Indeed, in one scene you can actually see one of the
production vehicles waiting nearby with its doors open, ready to
scoop up the cast and crew in case the </span><i>real</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
cops show up! With minimal coverage and training ground scenes shot
on some scruffy sports field beside a nondescript California highway,
fans of low budget filmmaking will get an extra kick out of the
movie's limited production.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHba0hCZ2LpqeONLk7S3N_zE9K7b2YzMR5vIWFAzFv3h2ev0s7kmTDL5-_vQkVdPyuKWKzewk4bUl43yOODAf9l6XtHW3G4Q_-kGait7ic5u8fKBXj6WJdDc6MyHSSMa9bJzpwUgnxq0Id3JLxYxGAo3lbhSZBJRigOIrhSJqtATcNO_nYBnIB5XYm-cw/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHba0hCZ2LpqeONLk7S3N_zE9K7b2YzMR5vIWFAzFv3h2ev0s7kmTDL5-_vQkVdPyuKWKzewk4bUl43yOODAf9l6XtHW3G4Q_-kGait7ic5u8fKBXj6WJdDc6MyHSSMa9bJzpwUgnxq0Id3JLxYxGAo3lbhSZBJRigOIrhSJqtATcNO_nYBnIB5XYm-cw/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_y-1hi4QsojUCEJI4pB-RymbY4IaDErFHooqq-UCF5hQ81gt7Iqu5-gboOPSRP1EvRbvXTSX6rV5GDMQogXvwk_ve6kr9JBfsxuFHqdbIgNdLADGR28fD_RbZX4tIpybN7qP2TK5a9mz-bFO4eZ4qHWyY4qL0T3ZElzY35ai_elLhRg-Dt8bVCN1r2Vn7/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_y-1hi4QsojUCEJI4pB-RymbY4IaDErFHooqq-UCF5hQ81gt7Iqu5-gboOPSRP1EvRbvXTSX6rV5GDMQogXvwk_ve6kr9JBfsxuFHqdbIgNdLADGR28fD_RbZX4tIpybN7qP2TK5a9mz-bFO4eZ4qHWyY4qL0T3ZElzY35ai_elLhRg-Dt8bVCN1r2Vn7/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm31UJaWGDq3ptFlsa4jIxL-UC274qBhHM-tY8OlLRPHPw118C8CPKWpHwC5IRWeuCFx_sI3d5GvzkMRHHz4iqABHlEhTlLnGCM3WNypOlABDpcPZvyCTqPKa-jxWqqlC4kcqbsx2O91xK8LU0JxjL2Qt6t4TuG9u-ruWxVWBTebgaSTusM08ecBH9pzT/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPm31UJaWGDq3ptFlsa4jIxL-UC274qBhHM-tY8OlLRPHPw118C8CPKWpHwC5IRWeuCFx_sI3d5GvzkMRHHz4iqABHlEhTlLnGCM3WNypOlABDpcPZvyCTqPKa-jxWqqlC4kcqbsx2O91xK8LU0JxjL2Qt6t4TuG9u-ruWxVWBTebgaSTusM08ecBH9pzT/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>The
only time I watch the stars is when I'm on my back.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">In terms of the film's
sense of humour, it's hit and miss. Numerous opportunities to more
deeply explore certain ideas (</span><i>such as Miss Devonshire's
apparent history of starring in innumerable outré adult films</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
are never really followed up on, while cartoonish sounds as Dwayne's
love spuds are clobbered by every student in the class pretty much
establishes the extent of the flick's funny bone. Another example
would be the main villain: Queen Bee (</span><i>Jean Carol</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who sports a 'stinger' on her rear to match the voluminous beehive
hairdo balanced atop her head. Weirdly enough (</span><i>but perhaps
to be expected by this point</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
the tonally jarring sequences in the porn production company have
some of the film's 'best' gags – the cue cards in particular.
Despite the ropey jokes, though, Linnea Quigley is dependable as ever
and elevates the middling material with a game sense of fun and a
deliberately campy performance.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmfgayzbp5HcZv3cce6izCS_fQigryiJfF1q_LFflv5l_pVQGGkIKKrbcO36Yw04AkFvr5MhZgq_HLJUkX28EMpKrvuXohLcOXk1F4RePvUM20jgvEksSiXCyObwTQWdkzj3VLzrL4EbVJ3-kKdymCgW_3edZC30cdpqkBQx1Bn0Ve6lYQWMMxwQKgnqt/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmfgayzbp5HcZv3cce6izCS_fQigryiJfF1q_LFflv5l_pVQGGkIKKrbcO36Yw04AkFvr5MhZgq_HLJUkX28EMpKrvuXohLcOXk1F4RePvUM20jgvEksSiXCyObwTQWdkzj3VLzrL4EbVJ3-kKdymCgW_3edZC30cdpqkBQx1Bn0Ve6lYQWMMxwQKgnqt/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFJVgOa-dJAp2cZ1dlynLJzsTpuivQgZlnjLi2Ls1-nMmeJlYIOFdj-diPPoesoMYCXok4CWzfJ_A_OZGz1iBZBMYJ-PUEWdaDlsH54iTA48bG264UIdBh4O_J6JZSE0oGTzCvdSpqrCbWaB5Q50OlPLV5lpz7vuVJxRXfA3WdRVhrA4MmlIPHRCzMzjk/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFJVgOa-dJAp2cZ1dlynLJzsTpuivQgZlnjLi2Ls1-nMmeJlYIOFdj-diPPoesoMYCXok4CWzfJ_A_OZGz1iBZBMYJ-PUEWdaDlsH54iTA48bG264UIdBh4O_J6JZSE0oGTzCvdSpqrCbWaB5Q50OlPLV5lpz7vuVJxRXfA3WdRVhrA4MmlIPHRCzMzjk/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIIDQHkAsrhiaNcECUfpHhWk0wtsw0S-WbpqzMx85Wv2lwqqUR6nGqAWSE_V_xEAKIApFOx9fAcsyHazRgb5s-SYvgx2Sun85zfktWfsAB9bzelM2yiOQfVHL0PNytWbuLmEWlfEmu4sBsbqYQTy3J5NcM9PUGQ55URqwW1vmNjwKXHtJva4fZOzQJvuN/s1280/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1280" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIIDQHkAsrhiaNcECUfpHhWk0wtsw0S-WbpqzMx85Wv2lwqqUR6nGqAWSE_V_xEAKIApFOx9fAcsyHazRgb5s-SYvgx2Sun85zfktWfsAB9bzelM2yiOQfVHL0PNytWbuLmEWlfEmu4sBsbqYQTy3J5NcM9PUGQ55URqwW1vmNjwKXHtJva4fZOzQJvuN/s320/Vice%20Academy%20(1989%20Rick%20Sloane)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Well,
I like what I do and I do it well.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
As if the whole charade wasn't strange enough, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Vice
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> proves to be a
T&A movie with an odd lack of T&A. Even with a veritable
catalogue's worth of lingerie paraded about, the movie comes off as
kind of coy, especially in comparison to some of its peers of the
time, like </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hollywood-chainsaw-hookers-fred-olen.html" target="_blank">Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers</a></b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> and
</span><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Nightmare Sisters</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
both of which also exhibit better jokes and a more consistent tone.
All said and done, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Vice
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> feels like a film
that needed more of everything – more thought over the script, more
money in the budget, and yes, more nudity on the screen, could have
helped make this a raunch-com classic. Instead, though, you've got a
good title, good poster, and a few good moments in an otherwise
vaguely disappointing flick that nonetheless manages to leave your
eyebrows pinned to your hairline.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-17488987538007410122023-12-31T13:29:00.001+00:002024-01-03T13:38:35.827+00:00Flavours of the Month: November/December 2023...<p style="text-align: justify;">Whammin' bammin' slammin' action, two very twisted brothers, and a flatulent cartoon quest are just some of what's been setting the tone of my November/December 2023...<br /></p><p><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="color: red;">LOOKS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Richard Hammond's Workshop: Series 3</span></b> - a little more attention paid to the actual restoration of classic cars wouldn't go amiss, the focus seeming to shift a smidge away from that this season, but it's still good viewing (<i>and always fun to see some familiar roads and locations popping up</i>). Hopefully there'll be a fourth season.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Upload: Season 3</span></b> - the remainder of the season didn't disappoint, so it was a really solid season all-said-and-done with genuine laughs and heart combined with a range of complex characters who are also fun to spend time with. With little, really, in the way of 'pandering', the show is free to follow the story where it needs to go and how it needs to get there, while securing the above point about richly-drawn, complex characterisation. Another season, please!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Get Gotti</span></b> - from the makers of the excellent crime doc <b>Fear City</b>, this documentary mini-series tells the story of the rise and fall of New York City crime boss John Gotti from both sides of the law. Perhaps a little flawed here or there, but overall it was told in a pretty gripping manner with oodles of style and tension, with even a little bit of humour thrown in when the quirks of real-life outstrip what you could get away with in a scripted show/movie.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - perhaps I was a little too hyped for this one, especially after hearing some reviews from others about how full-on the escalating finale is, but while it maybe didn't quite click as much for me as previous entries, I still loved it and will no doubt settle into it more with repeated viewings. Being a 'part one' inherently hamstrings the script, leaving viewers without a real conclusion (<i>also see <b>Fast X</b></i>), and as a result the script here is uncharacteristically a little rough around the edges. Still, it was always going to be a very tall order to beat the previous entry, <b>Fallout</b>. Still, there's lots of great action, even if some of the key setpieces were over-advertised and therefore lacked some added oomph (<i>e.g. riding a motorbike off a cliff into a base jump was highly promoted and shown in numerous clips and trailers</i>). I'm very much looking forward to the concluding part.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Beavis & Butthead: Season 2</span></b> - the new incarnation of the show, that is. Now this is how you bring back a classic, you don't mess about with it, you just do what was successful before, add-in some creative additions (<i>e.g. the 'Old Beavis & Butthead stories</i>), and take inspiration from today for more hijinks within the established order of things. Simple and effective.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Archer: Season 14</span></b> - a lukewarm final season of eight somewhat meandering episodes suggest the show has decidedly run its course. It doesn't help that so much time is spent trying to introduce a new character, who takes far too long to settle into the long-established vibe. Considering this is supposed to be the final season, there was also a distinct lack of finality to the season-long story. The strong three-part finale "<b>Into The Cold</b>" at least provides a much more focussed ending, but even its placement, tacked-on weeks later, speaks to the what has been a somewhat sloppy close to a show that has almost always hit the target.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story</span></b> - hosted by the reliably affable and charming Keanu Reeves, this four-part documentary series (<i>on Disney+ in the UK</i>) covers the eventful 2009 season which saw a racing team on the brink of dropping out of the sport altogether (<i>due to the 2008 financial crash</i>), only to be bought for £1 and go on to achieve something incredible. It's a gripping and passionately told tale, featuring all the biggest players still alive today. Excellent stuff.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Scott Pilgrim Takes Off</span></b> - come the surprise twist at the end of episode one, you get the impression that the show might as well have been called '<i>Scott Pilgrim Gets Written Out Of His Own Story</i>'. The trailers, which is really what most people are going to have gained their expectations from, decidedly don't give you a clue as to the 'remix' nature of this animated adaptation, created and co-written by Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski. I really don't think the 'bait and switch' nature of the trailer, suggesting this would be an adaptation of the graphic novels that would include a whole host of material that never found a home in Edgar Wright's excellent 2010 film only to then seemingly 'kill off' the title character was at all necessary and doesn't really bring any benefit. If you're down for the surprise, then whatever (<i>does it really add any enduring value?</i>), but if you've been expecting one thing and then get something very different, you're going to feel tricked and pissed off. Why not clue-people-in ahead of time?<br /><br />Jarring and unadvertised switcheroo aside, as Ramona Flowers now mostly takes centre stage (<i>with numerous supporting characters, including the Seven Evil Exes, all getting new, extensive material to explore</i>), it is worth sticking around to see how it pans out. However, seeing as Scott only appears in three-and-a-bit episodes, his relationship with Ramona once again suffers from not enough screentime to really make it stick. With Ramona having only gone on one chaste date with Scott, and with her selfish nature of relationships past, why would she really feel so different and go investigating the curious vanishing of one Mr Pilgrim? Perhaps if the surprise had happened at the end of episode two, with more time to invest in their relationship, it would've made more narrative and emotional sense? At least, however, <b>Takes Off</b> does rectify one particular wobble of the 2010 film - namely the too-aloof nature of the cinematic incarnation of Ramona Flowers, who comes across softer and warmer in this version.<br /><br />Having felt a bit scorched during episodes two and three, reeling from that twist, I'm glad I stuck with it. To be fair, re-telling the same story beats for a fourth time (<i>graphic novel, movie, videogame, and then animated show</i>) would've most likely been a bit tired, even with the chance to explore the material the movie couldn't use. It's a bold move, but with the heavy involvement of Scott Pilgrim originator O'Malley it does ultimately pay off and proves to be mostly satisfying, taking inspiration from O'Malley's own life in recent years. Taking many of the familiar elements, throwing them into a blender, and exploring new angles opens more doors than it closes. While Scott is removed from the story for too-long, many supporting characters get alternative material to explore, although it's give and take: Young Neil and Knives Chau get far more to do while, Kim Pine, say, gets somewhat lost in the shuffle.<br /><br />The animation style is great and the voice acting is mostly on-point, some vaguely disconnected wobbles aside, and it does somewhat suggest there could be a second season. Perhaps then we could see more of the existing material adapted along with new story ideas, while also getting much more time with Scott and Ramona on-screen together? I'd certainly welcome it. Quite the switch-up from those 'bait and switch' grumbles in the first few episodes, eh? Again, there was no need for that approach, and a trailer that was more open and honest about the 'remix' approach would've much more been the way to go.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Fast X (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - did I enjoy it? Sure. However, this franchise has gone on so long now that it's struggling under its own weight. How many times can a villain be suddenly redeemed? How many times can a supposedly dead character be resurrected? How many times is Dom going to rebuild his Dodge Charger? These past couple of entries, with the keenly-felt absense of screenwriter Chris Morgan (<i>responsible for films 3 through 8, plus the two Hobbs spin-offs</i>), have somewhat descended into farcical territory, abandoning yet more shreds of internal logic and wildly throwing around the constituent parts of its recipe without properly understanding the appropriate measures and timings to use.<br /><br />It's not without its daft charms and fun, but the franchise has become too over-the-top for its own good, while the continued absence of the late Paul Walker's character of Brian (<i>who is still alive in the franchise from a story perspective</i>) screams ever louder the more trouble Dom & Co find themselves in. Speaking of not quite understanding how to perform Chris Morgan's deft balancing act, those behind the scripts for the 9th and 10th entries in this series too often seem to be taking the more outrageous things too seriously and serious things too lightly.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Two Doors Down: Series 7</span></b> - Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp's brilliant Scottish sitcom returns and, with all the episodes available upon release, I absolutely stormed through it gasping with laughter. Sadly, co-cretor Carlyle passed away recently, but hopefully Sharp will be willing and able to continue the show and maintain its quality and humour. Over the winter break I even re-watched all the previous six series.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Pearl (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - having already seen the first film in Ti West's trilogy (<i>"<b>X</b>"</i>), it was great to finally catch up with the follow-up prequel, which rewinds to 1918 and the events surrounding a young version of Pearl (<i>from the first film</i>), a farm girl with starry-eyed dreams of becoming a dancer, who is not only trapped by her circumstances but also her own warped mental state. A slightly slower burn than the original, Pearl nonetheless ramps up into some bloody violence as Pearl's world begins to crumble. I found this movie to be a real treat, a wonderful example of what can be achieved by taking some calculated risks and allowing creative minds to flourish, something sorely lacking throughout vast swathes of the Hollywood system. Co-written by Ti West and his titular star Mia Goth, this movie essentially came about as a result of discussions between writer/director and star, which have now morphed into a full-blown trilogy of films (<i><b>Maxxxine </b>is in post-production at the time of writing</i>). Supported by A24, Pearl proves to be a wonderfully realised film in all regards: direction, writing, acting, cinematography, score; and what's more, it is boosted by its predecessor while also returning the favour.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">X (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - returning to this, now after having seen <b>Pearl</b>, it's a richer experience, with the withered and elderly version of Pearl now containing even more tragedy and sadness, while her unhinged mental state is also amplified as a result of the prequel film's heartfelt expansion of her backstory. I loved it when I first saw it, and I love it even more now. Here's hoping that the trilogy-closing <b>Maxxxine</b> will be a similarly superb home run.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Sisu (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - essentially meaning grit and determination in extreme circumstances, or to extreme degrees. Written and Directed by Jalmari Helander, who teams up with some familiar faces from his 2010 film Rare Exports, this blood-soaked tale of Aatami, a Finnish gold miner who takes down a ragtag group of battle-weary Nazis, proves to be a rollicking good time with gallons of gung-ho gusto, "<i>fuck yeah!</i>" action beats, and splashes of jet-black humour. I would've loved to have watched this movie with my Dad, who no doubt would've been chuckling along to the escalating chaos and Aatami's increasingly inventive ways to reclaim his gold.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">World War II: From The Frontlines</span></b> - Netflix documentary series featuring restored and colourised footage. The technical aspects of how the footage has been handled isn't anywhere near as impressive as what Peter Jackson and his team achieved with <b>They Shall Not Grow Old</b>, but it mostly works quite well, helping to diminish the barrier between now and then. It tells an expansive overview of the conflict, but it nonetheless has some glaring omissions. Among them, there is absolutely zero mention of the creation of the SAS and their efforts which helped enable the fight back in North Africa, while D-Day - rightly described as a huge undertaking and a massive swing in momentum - is rushed through a mere minutes, trying to sell footage of support troops landing on a calm beach as an initial assault. Flaws aside, it was pretty good overall.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Tremors 2: Aftershocks (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - just like the first movie, it has a perfect screenplay (<i>again written by Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson, the latter of whom also directed this time</i>), which catches just the right balance between playing on what we know and what we want while also giving enough of a twist to mix things up and create new challenges and thrills. I fondly remember walking into our local video shop one day, not even a teen at the time, and being pleasantly stunned when I saw <b>Tremors 2</b> on the shelves and available to rent. Back in those days you could easily be totally unaware of a sequel coming along and get a cracking little surprise like that. I adore the first film and the second film equally. The Arrow Video disc is maybe a bit light on extras, especially when compared to the first film's release by the same company in 2020, but what's there is generally good and very informative.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Crime: Series 2</span></b> - there's some clumsy and occasionally heavy-handed portions of writing in the earlier episodes of the second series, made all the more baffling by how they seem to have next-to-no impact on the actual story, vanishing from the narrative to such a degree you wonder why some of these minor subplots were ever inserted. That said, there's a pleasingly rich and complex array of characters with practically none of them in the slightest bit squeaky clean, proving most of the writing on-show to be superior to far too much of what's out there in mainstream entertainment these days.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Reacher: Season 2</span></b> - I certainly enjoyed the first season, and so far the second season seems even more confident, having figured out exactly what it needs to be and how to achieve that with, seemingly, a bit more cash to splash. Proper good telly, so much so that season three was confirmed even before this second outing began streaming. I've found myself eagerly awaiting each new episode week-to-week.<br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">SOUNDS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Green Day "Look Ma, No Brains!", "Dilemma"<br /><br />The Newton Brothers "Dies Irae/Violet" and "The Overlook"<br /><br />Sex Bob-Omb "I Feel Fine"<br /><br />VV "Neon Noir" (album)<br /><br />Twin Peaks "Music From The Limited Event Series" (album)<br /><br />Twin Peaks "Limited Event Series Soundtrack" (album)</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">VIBES & FLAVOURS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Not Forever, But For Now" by Chuck Palahniuk</span></b> - more delightfully grotesque storytelling from the <b>Fight Club</b> author. It somewhat flags in the middle portion, feeling a little in-need of some extra oomph or wider escalation on a grander scale, but I thoroughly enjoyed it most certainly.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">South Park: The Stick of Truth (Xbox)</span></b> - I played it back on the Xbox360 in the dying days of that console generation (<i>where it had dreadful loading times</i>), so this was a nice little replay and it's still a damn good game with, mercifully, much smoother traversal of the map (<i>no nuisance loading pauses as before</i>). Last time out I missed the friend-making achievement by one and was going for that, but because I missed one specific Chinpokomon I was therefore damned once more. Grrr!!!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Didly Squat: Pigs Might Fly" by Jeremy Clarkson</span></b> - there's something really quite enjoyable about these books he's putting out in connection with his <b>Clarkson's Farm</b> show on Prime. They're brisk reads that get you chuckling, while also providing some intriguing insider knowledge about the everyday tribulations of farming while also holding a searing light up to the face of governmental incompetence and ignorance when it comes to the farming profession. Plus, the little sketches that punctuate the articles have a real charm to them.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Crackdown (Xbox)</span></b> - a bit of Xbox360 era nostalgia (<i>available for free on the Xbox Store</i>). I played it back about fifteen years ago now (<i>eep!</i>) and the sheer fun of just leaping about the city collecting glowing orbs hasn't aged a bit.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-44451350287910014652023-11-17T15:35:00.002+00:002023-11-17T15:35:50.194+00:00Ski School (Damian Lee, 1990) Review...<b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9auSIC3HUQZQoYGvhmZVtqrOpKjKYySChRPZ6xAdxxCPkjcq88SN5gDNSxO8ll3W-mZe1l7owECyE5Arp0LZxhRATgADPr7CGvWT8pN3PYGPkuzBQOQYt9bNGPID8HVCHEQcuA-UdGNUa-EG9Nk5KAIH6FViVu6p6OJx_7jiWh7uSma-iKHHlI7hb9kx/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9auSIC3HUQZQoYGvhmZVtqrOpKjKYySChRPZ6xAdxxCPkjcq88SN5gDNSxO8ll3W-mZe1l7owECyE5Arp0LZxhRATgADPr7CGvWT8pN3PYGPkuzBQOQYt9bNGPID8HVCHEQcuA-UdGNUa-EG9Nk5KAIH6FViVu6p6OJx_7jiWh7uSma-iKHHlI7hb9kx/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>It's
not how far you go, it's how go you far.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Atop Whistler mountain it's the annual Spring Pageant Week and
control of the ski slopes is up for grabs with the loser to be
banished. With square-jawed preppy jocks on one side and the
all-American party dudes on the other, it's </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Animal
House</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in the snow...!</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tu-yUd7soDJEWAervnSU4c9RN4iU3GNq3-2Iu5CcbxZBBcMlbNQc2lU_Fa3x5kZ0vooxVMBc7uGmRnWHd_Wf6LcHcnK-XG8kmqQZDOoXGen7MRxQE2qC_ETrE4SfA4OyYeKwWXBS4EdKvDx0uJEmVdLT94geApqn7-vq5IJnWFKlwkWYApuYaWRmpSnV/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tu-yUd7soDJEWAervnSU4c9RN4iU3GNq3-2Iu5CcbxZBBcMlbNQc2lU_Fa3x5kZ0vooxVMBc7uGmRnWHd_Wf6LcHcnK-XG8kmqQZDOoXGen7MRxQE2qC_ETrE4SfA4OyYeKwWXBS4EdKvDx0uJEmVdLT94geApqn7-vq5IJnWFKlwkWYApuYaWRmpSnV/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I've
already put into motion an elaborate plan, a series of events
diabolically designed to rid this mountain of you and your Satanic
presence forever.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> The
Whistler mountain All-Star Ski School is a popular destination for
those looking to learn the skills to really carve up the white,
crystalline powder with the best of them, but there's two schools of
thought on how to get there. On the one hand you've got the founder
of the ski school, Reid Janssens (</span><i>Mark Thomas Miller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
whose narcissistic self-aggrandisement roars loud and proud of
Reagan-era self-interest – and on the other hand you've got
smirking freewheeler Dave Marshak (</span><i>Dean Cameron, </i><i><b>Summer
School</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcV45bZE8VQmjoaj1EEs4bi4vlblslOjqZXovmtQsx1zaRAUfY8eO5Eg81F8NMjenb5fhbr_GMge0xjgEMZ5U_xd1RM4Lta4U78bCJsDZbHwyTfEKPmqV1RMRagOd4t7ReI6F-M4qTIv7FW4_YUUFpUupnPU9FqGIvnonPANirAw1KvYz1RtrS0Z7Wvks/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcV45bZE8VQmjoaj1EEs4bi4vlblslOjqZXovmtQsx1zaRAUfY8eO5Eg81F8NMjenb5fhbr_GMge0xjgEMZ5U_xd1RM4Lta4U78bCJsDZbHwyTfEKPmqV1RMRagOd4t7ReI6F-M4qTIv7FW4_YUUFpUupnPU9FqGIvnonPANirAw1KvYz1RtrS0Z7Wvks/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8x8a74_s6U76LwpwyAP3fL-n57wnb_jJwKz-K1dcD0nk6_nrk8VZOsba8lrzBLVSGcuAhQ5qRkrZjhjUSNCeBhp1iOxReYJRBe2ZPjHpY0ZzmJBLXLlCXEMNMTCcS4IYJxg0IPQQexerclU2yTrObe4qptQqlw90TeL1RteV046CJOAtb60R0KfDafvz/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8x8a74_s6U76LwpwyAP3fL-n57wnb_jJwKz-K1dcD0nk6_nrk8VZOsba8lrzBLVSGcuAhQ5qRkrZjhjUSNCeBhp1iOxReYJRBe2ZPjHpY0ZzmJBLXLlCXEMNMTCcS4IYJxg0IPQQexerclU2yTrObe4qptQqlw90TeL1RteV046CJOAtb60R0KfDafvz/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4ddrQCriTa-WAC6Q-bgciEtecpV_v01NOqz23j11p22CGv5hXC59Ukiwjxc3ze2ciCHF_zvGP5ARonxW6T4lSTuuUMNNnJMZTXyM5dS3uilKWt6qy02pWnL-S7O6Pg77ucmcCuZD_y0svskERyonGTAYwPs6PCRo1IEooqGltFwpaglT5r5TUHDadvkr/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4ddrQCriTa-WAC6Q-bgciEtecpV_v01NOqz23j11p22CGv5hXC59Ukiwjxc3ze2ciCHF_zvGP5ARonxW6T4lSTuuUMNNnJMZTXyM5dS3uilKWt6qy02pWnL-S7O6Pg77ucmcCuZD_y0svskERyonGTAYwPs6PCRo1IEooqGltFwpaglT5r5TUHDadvkr/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Loutish
party animals all, Marshak's 'Section 8' ski squad are, in the mold
of 1978's </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Animal House</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the beer-chugging Delta Tau Chi frat layabouts to Reid's 'Section 1'
Omega Theta Pi youth wing of the Republican-voting Hamptons set.
While Section 8 are all about topless parties in day-glo fashion
under black light and raucous misbehaviour, Section 1 are the
self-proclaimed Gods of Whistler mountain, swanning about in tailored
suits at cocktail parties. However, inflated by his own puffed-up
sense of ego, Reid makes a crucial error in shafting talented
newcomer John E. Roland (</span><i>Tom Bresnahan, </i><i><b>The
Brain</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">) with Marshak's band
of hooligans.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ33H4A8zQF7Jv4gijSC_nBzjDyi0z3hDEkDvlCutb2eziTUYo4qh8HLHfxL0r9yjWQdZmc16ia1H16dxl3iSqa7QvVjVMLN1TzjKc_WhwSsk7dyLvhcpITq_cCLRwt9HzTsvkAslYe2l9KE3HO_XefWmMr-haRcrmaQJc5i7SAfhFXDEvM8NKGUNMLRH/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQ33H4A8zQF7Jv4gijSC_nBzjDyi0z3hDEkDvlCutb2eziTUYo4qh8HLHfxL0r9yjWQdZmc16ia1H16dxl3iSqa7QvVjVMLN1TzjKc_WhwSsk7dyLvhcpITq_cCLRwt9HzTsvkAslYe2l9KE3HO_XefWmMr-haRcrmaQJc5i7SAfhFXDEvM8NKGUNMLRH/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJbNVOV8b-kba5EBQcGAaIX_y1Gb7D8MYoPtW0WmLiu0Dzl1rJlwV77dz7ag0v_ZDdfrig09UinsHfYN5QwbD2-QdwrZ0PVPZiN8khJRlxdHZtaAauqd1mXUiP8IGs3NCQ3vZaCEthyhWwtjF_K04iDOlPOO-drPbLnUppChqwWDej1yGdO915RqNsO5t/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJbNVOV8b-kba5EBQcGAaIX_y1Gb7D8MYoPtW0WmLiu0Dzl1rJlwV77dz7ag0v_ZDdfrig09UinsHfYN5QwbD2-QdwrZ0PVPZiN8khJRlxdHZtaAauqd1mXUiP8IGs3NCQ3vZaCEthyhWwtjF_K04iDOlPOO-drPbLnUppChqwWDej1yGdO915RqNsO5t/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1iz455xFQ_Wx9HVk_ytj6z9-sFeLtv482UF-ajjt29KFJsWfPzpAf4N6y1X9WfgUGU_SfrvgHOeqCozQuyjSVNvh2yIVnt_s8HR78CTD4v8TEeOqcqVhnpELgQHyW5ze2GgtAbrQQ2x0vnq0Xzq4ksHL2dXnzlYJ646t90oVPg0zFYMSFIN9ODc1d7P3/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1iz455xFQ_Wx9HVk_ytj6z9-sFeLtv482UF-ajjt29KFJsWfPzpAf4N6y1X9WfgUGU_SfrvgHOeqCozQuyjSVNvh2yIVnt_s8HR78CTD4v8TEeOqcqVhnpELgQHyW5ze2GgtAbrQQ2x0vnq0Xzq4ksHL2dXnzlYJ646t90oVPg0zFYMSFIN9ODc1d7P3/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
simply helping a damsel in aerobic distress.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
And so it goes – jocks versus jerks, Cristal versus keggers,
entitled Yuppies versus hedonistic tricksters – as the competition
on the slopes spills over into the chalet hot tubs and saunas. So
much like </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Animal House</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
is </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ski School</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
that there is even its own version of the notorious Dean Wormer in
the form of suit-and-tie stick-in-the-mud Anton Bryce (</span><i>Mark
Brandon</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), whose consternation at
Marshak's 'folk hero' popularity is getting in the way of his
attempts at a juicy property deal – he even goes so far at one
point as to 'expel' Section 8 from Ski School! How does that make any
sense? Don't know, don't care!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yGO2x9163Fn5qSENE4qCZUsDY4wCpRCO_FtnzGRlXUavU5KVEbCvpIADCtPTtEp-jcAoy-VDQTqj62a5yiBACQ5N0Raj-bTdfQCqkN-RUG-U-sug5TzMJ2ae7RDXvg7u6HtNSAvTIUqVS8m6HIIHIMOsxrU5BAjlRU0ylu0tX_RzeCVmG7yNM9C1cDuW/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yGO2x9163Fn5qSENE4qCZUsDY4wCpRCO_FtnzGRlXUavU5KVEbCvpIADCtPTtEp-jcAoy-VDQTqj62a5yiBACQ5N0Raj-bTdfQCqkN-RUG-U-sug5TzMJ2ae7RDXvg7u6HtNSAvTIUqVS8m6HIIHIMOsxrU5BAjlRU0ylu0tX_RzeCVmG7yNM9C1cDuW/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7X805-4Ra-GZQSNPyeHKQ15gsoMMQjvExerdwibmhD2BDcTWJqkaxonfo6E4Or3HjP-yarNt5onghQK2_x_4dLrDHj9dDWhIzhqYYRCBYbvfaMzyZ6ax3qZW_YPnBWGp6NwnVOqLGoDoYlt1soo5HATxf740Uu2KXlP78c632sH8BT_zxyPVcqbfu7GP/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7X805-4Ra-GZQSNPyeHKQ15gsoMMQjvExerdwibmhD2BDcTWJqkaxonfo6E4Or3HjP-yarNt5onghQK2_x_4dLrDHj9dDWhIzhqYYRCBYbvfaMzyZ6ax3qZW_YPnBWGp6NwnVOqLGoDoYlt1soo5HATxf740Uu2KXlP78c632sH8BT_zxyPVcqbfu7GP/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Well,
I'm not exactly sure what I've learned, but how many of you have seen
Paulette butt naked?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">
</span>Certainly more focused and raunchy than the similarly-themed </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2020/12/hot-dog-movie-peter-markle-1984-review.html" target="_blank">Hot Dog! The Movie</a></b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ski
School</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> merrily bounces
along with the usual sort of antics you'd expect from a salacious
comedy aimed at teenage boys. Buxom ladies free their proverbials for
mountain-top distractions and hot-tub shenanigans alike, while
Section 8 brandish their inventive and resourceful prank skills
during a humorous hijacking of Reid's video presentation, laying bare
Section 1's terror of anything even remotely homoerotic.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqLd0v7ttRjQo-GhBPfAP_Vo5R6-CTwQAVZ4XrhxKFhBBu2WLcxym0SSlO52Mun09FGNOfrVsmeG8YFntRllzFmyK7JEHdQJuEbcQH9Ax3__rqMCb4LIpwrIIif0Q8Gj2uo1-m7ciSa4vHVf0FyyfCkNRpP69welKgkIBnMjYBHlD5x6VGEuU98VZU4YK/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqLd0v7ttRjQo-GhBPfAP_Vo5R6-CTwQAVZ4XrhxKFhBBu2WLcxym0SSlO52Mun09FGNOfrVsmeG8YFntRllzFmyK7JEHdQJuEbcQH9Ax3__rqMCb4LIpwrIIif0Q8Gj2uo1-m7ciSa4vHVf0FyyfCkNRpP69welKgkIBnMjYBHlD5x6VGEuU98VZU4YK/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZlgNlsBSV8HeigEKPUevO9vNiN1mmv0nF0xtxvehTqA0zuGfrR6tO5EbOf_oNFT4XX0duVKx1oGda4dd1QrnDq44lfNoghcZbHg6MfeMo03iwwJpRIAoVoaVzf2GKFHjfV03kftmV4fIwOLQEUPMyMi1fIUQXD2btuvyYr3gFUSC-GwCu6L1e8Go16bT/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZlgNlsBSV8HeigEKPUevO9vNiN1mmv0nF0xtxvehTqA0zuGfrR6tO5EbOf_oNFT4XX0duVKx1oGda4dd1QrnDq44lfNoghcZbHg6MfeMo03iwwJpRIAoVoaVzf2GKFHjfV03kftmV4fIwOLQEUPMyMi1fIUQXD2btuvyYr3gFUSC-GwCu6L1e8Go16bT/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span><p></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Writer David
Mitchel certainly has his warring tribes of snow riders clearly
marked, with the likes of dimwitted Derek (</span><i>Spencer
Rochfort</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and Erich (</span><i>John
Pyper-Ferguson</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) on Reid's side,
and the skirt-chasing duo of Ed (</span><i>Patrick Labyorteaux,
</i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/09/ghoulies-iii-john-carl-buechler-1990.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Ghoulies III</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">) and
Fitz (</span><i>Stuart Fratkin, </i><i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/dr-alien-david-decoteau-1989-dvd-review.html" target="_blank">Dr Alien</a></b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
flanking Marshak all-the-way.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp81Fcn-h0n5WaD44wJv2kG-LsiF4om5YpSrDObawcBJl7SyF1OOnKkgR-5qU7V5BPWQwS9qh4_Z6PuQMIVBKuLd_tSC2W1NW2doVVWAIPI5_HtXkBdVAj12UdT4FE0rmiyXYE92SfkRU9ggO1Bv7O5AYN_5Kozmzb90V5cu3mMs64s6CIoAVuCvkwtvg/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwp81Fcn-h0n5WaD44wJv2kG-LsiF4om5YpSrDObawcBJl7SyF1OOnKkgR-5qU7V5BPWQwS9qh4_Z6PuQMIVBKuLd_tSC2W1NW2doVVWAIPI5_HtXkBdVAj12UdT4FE0rmiyXYE92SfkRU9ggO1Bv7O5AYN_5Kozmzb90V5cu3mMs64s6CIoAVuCvkwtvg/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOQ8n3_vxwUSTbMaCV8wVk_ghdBfakFwCViFVoS_RJPBVOchY5_tohu2NBZ5ttlcOkXEBpLavSxOIZRoATggIUfBJ1VtN1cxSJlQxsN1bn_O4XmFE5DjsRauiHpQyRlU9cDVy86tdqCVeRO6pBxTqFUtrxW-z89oig_FUro6z7GCWevYDEL9R-JdHmfsw/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOQ8n3_vxwUSTbMaCV8wVk_ghdBfakFwCViFVoS_RJPBVOchY5_tohu2NBZ5ttlcOkXEBpLavSxOIZRoATggIUfBJ1VtN1cxSJlQxsN1bn_O4XmFE5DjsRauiHpQyRlU9cDVy86tdqCVeRO6pBxTqFUtrxW-z89oig_FUro6z7GCWevYDEL9R-JdHmfsw/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdnyq_7dqRZW8Gv2BV2fu18WvpH_L5Mhyphenhyphend6a7gVyN-q2KxYQFQ-n5XfupX8dx7ZyJIxykfypnovhxSKYiHg5jSYbTJ_927SF8WDlPWjtm9FCBnmfn5sybPOg3ujRRLM-zmYznha26jQu0fjgP4YMHNq39EigtXW9IvLv5jalDJvYtNB_VZcQVAs8Mv0WB/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdnyq_7dqRZW8Gv2BV2fu18WvpH_L5Mhyphenhyphend6a7gVyN-q2KxYQFQ-n5XfupX8dx7ZyJIxykfypnovhxSKYiHg5jSYbTJ_927SF8WDlPWjtm9FCBnmfn5sybPOg3ujRRLM-zmYznha26jQu0fjgP4YMHNq39EigtXW9IvLv5jalDJvYtNB_VZcQVAs8Mv0WB/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Room
two-twenty, where I'm gonna do you.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Naturally, one shouldn't go into this movie expecting any real degree
of characterisation beyond the straight-forward clash of yobbos and
Yuppies, with the likes of Reid's sort-of-girlfriend Paulette
(</span><i>Charlie Spradling, </i><i><b>Puppet Master II</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
and Roland's good time gals Lori (</span><i>Darlene Vogel, </i><i><b>Back
To The Future II</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and
Victoria (</span><i>Ava Fabian</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
only getting limited material to chew on. Further to that, the
developments in the plot are so briskly implemented that you'll often
find yourself mildly bemused by what is happening or why, more so
considering how easily Section 8 brush off their rivals'
retaliations, or John's romantic entanglements work out so casually.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1v5czxxhPbOYGDBFcGTdhAOlXrXYwWO3z8M2QpioeuS8Gd8l8c6fbiQLbmGxQEsWWa9SGbhg9BfgWGc7aQdhVxT_S8TMIpGAOELenqPxPirpdo3cF8Lo-eryanYTqZ4Sy5uq_tR3qwXnEhHQ1h4qO49Fay6spV7NR2LDcDucCF_8umoBG1LC66aPGRSj/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1v5czxxhPbOYGDBFcGTdhAOlXrXYwWO3z8M2QpioeuS8Gd8l8c6fbiQLbmGxQEsWWa9SGbhg9BfgWGc7aQdhVxT_S8TMIpGAOELenqPxPirpdo3cF8Lo-eryanYTqZ4Sy5uq_tR3qwXnEhHQ1h4qO49Fay6spV7NR2LDcDucCF_8umoBG1LC66aPGRSj/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzN_Sjd-MZ8AhJ_5fxsCyPVuNa4qz3PvlOkfKQbNgPnxTqGzvrawG3eNugoALqdoy6dcDzJuMneTkkPF3WIwHWXiDImsoMJBYuAvKeO_EZlmTwA_Pi-UKiqcWHgb7NF6HAgjxCa0H21QeYI-GfF-_LIrBorSHWYEJ0g0uk4vpD1XgqqYTR0RX4o1kLQPk/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzN_Sjd-MZ8AhJ_5fxsCyPVuNa4qz3PvlOkfKQbNgPnxTqGzvrawG3eNugoALqdoy6dcDzJuMneTkkPF3WIwHWXiDImsoMJBYuAvKeO_EZlmTwA_Pi-UKiqcWHgb7NF6HAgjxCa0H21QeYI-GfF-_LIrBorSHWYEJ0g0uk4vpD1XgqqYTR0RX4o1kLQPk/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrWGmM1BD-2vcfPycF8qsJ1Df6c__-FAyLQEkWkFl4IT27a2aAZR8NOaTXJh-LRgGB4vYHvqGRe6hpY2eXnijz5bOUJAYQdxz-KRmsItmASGbzy28dd5Wd8fs86ssGXXDDTluBOHclDVrCq1wsiM_9ffPpVif1SCEgIvBQh33KVWriqXMws9IVdnBeLlq/s665/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="665" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrWGmM1BD-2vcfPycF8qsJ1Df6c__-FAyLQEkWkFl4IT27a2aAZR8NOaTXJh-LRgGB4vYHvqGRe6hpY2eXnijz5bOUJAYQdxz-KRmsItmASGbzy28dd5Wd8fs86ssGXXDDTluBOHclDVrCq1wsiM_9ffPpVif1SCEgIvBQh33KVWriqXMws9IVdnBeLlq/s320/Ski%20School%20(1990)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span><p></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Then again, if you're questioning the storytelling rigour of a film
such as this, then you're somewhat missing the point – but a little
more narrative focus would've helped the audience root for Section 8
more passionately during the occasionally confusing competition
sequences. </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Porkies</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
or </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>American Pie</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
this certainly is not. Released in 1990, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ski
School</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> is still very much
a youth comedy of the 1980s – so with that in-mind, there should
still be fun-to-be-had even for new viewers (</span><i>assuming
they're not of the 'Offendotron' mindset</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
even if it fails to inhabit the more classic status of, say, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Fast
Times at Ridgemont High</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-21897628751114121632023-10-31T13:38:00.002+00:002023-10-31T13:38:45.825+00:00Flavours of the Month: September/October 2023...<p style="text-align: justify;">Gothic tragedy, dystopian revolution, and some nice Chianti is just some of what's been setting the tone of my September/October 2023...<br /></p><p><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><b><u><span style="color: red;">LOOKS:</span></u></b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Hannibal: Season 3</span></b> - after the unexpected change of tone and pace for the first seven episodes (<i>which could, at times, get frustratingly pretentious</i>), like a reworking of Thomas Harris' "<b>Hannibal</b>" sequel to <b>The Silence of the Lambs</b>, the final season switches gears back to familiar structural territory combined with a retelling of the <b>Red Dragon</b> story, albeit with some unique twists of its own to suit this particular exploration of Harris' source material. The climax, in particular, goes its own way, but ultimately works well for Bryan Fuller's incarnation of the material.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Disenchantment: Season 5</span></b> - the final season of Matt Groening and Josh Weinstein's animated show on Netflix. Consistently, it has never reached the heights of the long-ago prime era <b>The Simpsons</b> nor (<i>most of</i>) <b>Futurama</b>'s numerous runs, lacking the spot-on humour and baseline gag rate of its predecessors. However, what it lacks in terms of laughs (<i>but, to be fair, the background signage was always very funny</i>), it made up ground for with its beautifully designed world and animation. It certainly didn't help that there was no 'previously on' reminders for this season, made worse when the show brings back some of the more obscure supporting players and you can't remember who they are, what they did, or why they're back. Again, as with previous seasons, it took a little time for me to get back into the swing of things, but I enjoyed it more as I got reaquainted with the world of Dreamland and its surrounding areas. There were still some rather hamfisted beats here and there, or some stunningly limp 'jokes' thrown around, but flaws aside I'm glad I saw out the five seasons. Am I ever likely to revisit it, though? Ah, well, that's another thing entirely.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Spy Ops</span></b> - eight-part Netflix documentary series about various undercover operations, some during the Cold War and some in the wake of 9/11. The subject matter is undoubtedly fascinating, but the series stumbles in its telling of these stories, which routinely prove to be extremely complex and laden with far-reaching historical backstories that involve so many players and so much required context that the viewer can easily become lost in proceedings. Even when given two episodes, a single topic proves too unwieldy, the storytelling methods too scattered and undefined, to really paint a clear picture of all the 'who/what/when/why/how' basics. Even the spycraft element of spy operations is inconsistently explored, as if the series cannot quite decide where it wants to place its focus, which in-turn exacerbates the existing troubles with storytelling.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Silence of the Lambs (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon</span></b> - of all the numerous spin-offs there have now been, this one is by far the best. 'Fear' has never found firm footing and has been massively inconsistent, I couldn't even stomach '<b>World Beyond</b>', '<b>Tales</b>' was dreadful, and '<b>Dead City</b>' was a patchy affair that was overall a bit disappointing. '<b>Daryl Dixon</b>', on the other hand, is comparatively far better written, with superior pacing, characterisation, and location work with the French setting injecting a fresh flavour into a familiar experience. There's the odd flaw here or there, but all said and done I've really got into this particular spin-off and am very much looking forward to season two. Here's hoping the next spin-off (<i>'The Ones Who Live'</i>) won't drop the ball and keep this rediscovered quality going.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Hannibal (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />Bob's Burgers: Season 13<br /><br />The Continental</span></b> - set in 1970s New York, this three episode <b>John Wick</b> spin-off prequel series centering on the 'assassin hotel' featured in the film series gets off to a strong start, wobbles in the middle, and then unleashes all manner of action-fest awesomeness in the final episode. Some side characters and subplots feel a bit soft, or even a bit 'fillery', but when it's firing on all cylinders it packs a wallop.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Only Murders In The Building: Season 3</span></b> - Steven Martin and John Hoffman's murder mystery comedy series returns for more cosy New York vibes laced with death and the peeling back of numerous layers to get to the truth. Perhaps it's me coming from the perspective of a writer, but the twists in the middle somewhat flag the pacing as you just know it's far too early to reveal the truth, but you're nonetheless intrigued to find out how these mini-twists further complicate things or reveal hidden aspects of the cast of characters. Over-the-piece, the third season feels a little more confident on its feet after the initial stumbles of the second season's early episodes (<i>which were surmounted</i>), and the tease for a fourth season definitely leaves me wanting more from this highly enjoyable show.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Gen V: Season 1</span></b> - a spin-off from Amazon's successful adaptation of <b>The Boys</b>, which focuses on 'God U', a college for up-and-coming 'supes' designed to figure out their path, be it as a crime fighting superhero or a mere social media influencer or even, at worst, wind up in 'the woods', a medical testing facility in an underground lab. The characters are mostly well written and acted, and have a good amount of complexity to them, but there's only so many areas you can explore before things start repeating, and <b>The Boys</b> has covered an awful lot of ground already.<br /><br />It seems that the main struggles for the characters are all internal for what seems like too long before the external threat begins to come into play, giving off an air that the show doesn't quite have enough meat to chew on for its eight episode run. The show is a bit of an odd duck, never really doing enough to prove its true worth in adding something juicy to everything that's already been covered in the main show, and yet I have still mostly quite enjoyed it ... but you can't help but come away feeling there's a little something missing.<br /><br />The show also has some curious idiosyncracies of its own, too. There's a distracting pre-occupation with mocking or mutilating the male genetalia, which is often found attached to someone perverted or abusive, while there is a simultaneous aversion to female nudity that's comparatively like clutching at one's pearls. Similarly, the show - much likes its parent show - mocks the corporate corruption of social justice issues and co-opting for identity politics, something which is justifiably directed. However, it sometimes rings hollow as there's always an inescapable whiff that they're trying to have their cake and eat it too. And for goodness sake, how much longer is the franchise going to keep going back to the same old well of 'mommy/daddy issues' for its protagonists?<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise and Fall of Juul</span></b> - four-part Netflix documentary about the e-cig company. I don't smoke and have no interest in vaping, but as a complex story of big tech's idiotic mantra of 'move fast and break stuff' it proves to be a fascinating and informative watch, as a noble pursuit very quickly becomes increasingly corrupted.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Fall of The House of Usher</span></b> - a new ghost story series from Mike Flanagan, the man behind adaptations such as <b>Doctor Sleep</b>, <b>The Haunting of Hill House</b>, and <b>The Haunting of Bly Manor</b>? Yes please! Combining a series of Edgar Allan Poe tales into one intertwined narrative, about the obscenely wealthy American establishment family at the head of a major pharmaceutical corporation, is a shrewd idea, transposing classic stories into a modern setting where they mostly still work. However, considering the type of family at the heart of this series, Flanagan's latest is lacking the broader range of characters (<i>and personalities</i>) as found in his other works. The Ushers are almost universally a rather vile bunch, an assortment of self-obsessed, pill popping, pleasure seekers (<i>some infinitely more vapid than others</i>) with raging egos and a slew of personality defects that range from life-threatening narcisism to rampant sexual misconduct to seething misandry (<i>and everything inbetween</i>).<br /><br />With this in mind, <b>The Fall of the House of Usher</b> is unfortunately a step down from <b>Midnight Mass</b>, which held far more heart, and therefore emotional investment, for the viewer (<i>similarly, <b>Bly Manor</b> certainly knew how to elicit a lump in one's throat</i>). Yes, it's delicious to see how each of the Usher family falls prey to their impending doom, but with almost every single one of them being quite terrible people the viewer can only get so close. Similarly, <b>Usher </b>shifts to a mood that focuses more on creeping dread rather than horror. There's a handful of jump scares, but surprisingly little in the way of what fans of Flanagan's previous works might be expecting in certain regards.<br /><br />Another slightly odd stumbling block for the series is its handling of diversity. The issue is not to do with the boxes being ticked, none of which are in the slightest bit objectionable, but rather the manner in which they're ticked-off a list, particularly in the first episode, with a speed and abundance which proves to be somewhat distracting. One can sense the very conscious behind-the-scenes choices being made, as if by the blunt hand of corporate diktat, packaging human beings into labelled containers for the attainment of a boost to the parent company's stock price.<br /><br />It's also strange within the context - an elite establishment family - as not even the Kardashians are this diverse. Furthermore, there is a strange lack of diversity in the diversity, which pretty much limits itself to only skin colour and sexual orientation. Then again, Hollywood's approach to diversity has typically been handled with the deftness of a toddler smashing together primary coloured toy bricks. It is why, for instance, that still to this day Asian Americans are routinely overlooked, save for a handful of breakout hits like <b>Crazy Rich Asians</b>, or the superb <b>Everything Everywhere All At Once</b>. Getting back on-track, though, none of the Ushers are, for example, neurodiverse, deaf, blind, have any kind of mental disability, and the only mere glimpse of physical disability is practically blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Much like in corporations the world over, there is no view from a wheelchair, for instance.<br /><br />Now, does everything have to be included in every single project? Of course not, that'd be rather silly and almost impossible to deploy without placing all manner of constrictive requirements on every single story being told - and it's just not true to the lived experiences of most people in any walk of life. The point, however, is that with such a marked 'ticking of boxes', in an almost 'exposition dump' style in that first episode, those which are left 'unticked' somewhat flag-up the farce of the methodology.<br /><br />Indeed, there are moments, in this otherwise beautifully written series, that feel cumbersome when issues merging into the realm of identity politics rear their head. Suddenly, the subtlety, craft, and all-round panache that the series presents as standard is abandoned. The representation of the 1970s, for example, feels more like the skewed view of someone from 2023 (<i>with a gender studies degree and an antagonistic TikTok account</i>), rather than the time period itself, rendering it something of a crude and unintentional joke at times. Even characters within that 1970s context act and speak as if they are actually living in 2023, rather than as someone who was born in the 1950s. It's handled about as well as the contorted attempt at linking-in The Murders at the Rue Morgue to the overall story, and the titular scene for that portion doesn't even take place within a morgue! These fumbled moments are at odds with the quality of most of the writing on-show throughout the series, and while they are fortunately not too frequent, they do prove distracting when they crop up, pulling you out of the overall experience.<br /><br />Long-winded aside ... aside ... <b>The Fall of The House of Usher</b> was still an entertaining viewing experience, even if it failed to hook the viewer on a more heartfelt, emotional level. The actors all do a wonderful job with their material (<i>even if an overabundance of characters spreads their respective tales too thin, their motivations often paper thin</i>), and all aspects of the production are gorgeously brought to the screen. Considering how much it gets right, the handful of faults that <b>Usher </b>drags along with it seem all-the-more odd. A slight bit of tweaking to the aforementioned range of small issues and it would've been bang-on.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Black Cat (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - this take on Edgar Allan Poe's tale often gets lost in the shuffle of Lucio Fulci's gore-drenched turn in his late career that was birthed with 1979's <b>Zombie Flesh Eaters</b>, and then continued with a slew of bloody, ultra-violent horror fever dreams: 1980's <b>City of the Living Dead</b>, 1981's double-whammy of <b>The Beyond</b> and <b>The House By The Cemetery</b>, and then 1982's <b>The New York Ripper</b>, which notoriously sickened the British Board of Film Censors. This one isn't as gruesome as the others, quite suitably for the material, but it's not without it's own setpieces of in-your-face death and destruction, which are all-the-more surprising considering the quaint and sleepy English village setting.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Reckoning</span></b> - based on Dan Davies' book "In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile", this docudrama written by Neil McKay (<i>who wrote the superb mini-series <b>Appropriate Adult</b></i>), initially seemed like a questionable proposition when first announced. For one, Steve Coogan playing the part of Savile appeared like a strange choice, not to mention the involvement of the BBC, which came across to many like marking one's own homework. However, produced by ITV (<i>and broadcast by the BBC</i>), this actually turned out to be a gripping and fascinating four-parter, particularly from a psychological and sociological perspective, even though there has already been a raft of documentaries on the subject (<i>such as the one by Netflix, which was very well made</i>). Coogan's central performance, too, is disturbingly uncanny and multi-layered, thriving on the strength of the material he's been given.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">City of the Living Dead (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />Upload: Season 3</span></b> - Greg Daniels' sci-fi comedy drama makes a very welcome return, which came as a bit of a surprise as somehow I'd convinced myself the show had been cancelled. I could've sworn I read something about that, or that its future was in doubt, so it was a very nice surprise to see this was coming back. We're only half-way through the season, but so far so good. Great concept, humorous and intriguing situations, nicely drawn characters, and a mix of heartfelt moments with some genuine laugh out loud silliness makes this one a winner.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Big Mouth: Season 7</span></b> - aside from a couple of irritating celebrity cameos and an 'international episode' that didn't really work, this turned out to be a pretty solid season. The main reason for this is undoubtedly having a clear goal in-mind for the season: the kids graduating middle school and entering high school, which adds a sense of propulsion and direction to the story that has been lacking in recent years. It was also very interesting to note that, having spent the past six seasons as a monotone one-note joke of a character, the autistic kid in the class - Caleb - finally gets some actual story and characterisation, leading to some great material, such as the episode that sees him teamed-up with the character of Matthew at the mall. What took so long?<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Beyond (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />The House By The Cemetery (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />What We Do In The Shadows: Season 5<br /><br />Creepshow: Season 4</span></b> - still patchy, and one's own mileage will vary from story to story (<i>some are half-baked duds</i>), but this has certainly been an improvement over the thoroughly disappointing season three.<br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">SOUNDS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Transvison Vamp "Baby I Don't Care" (album)<br /><br />Airbourne "Boneshaker" (album), "Breakin' Outta Hell" (album), "Give It All You Got", "Rock N Roll", "Turn Up The Trouble"<br /><br />The Pixies "Where Is My Mind?"<br /><br />Donovan "Colours"<br /><br />Limp Bizkit "Break Stuff" and "Nookie"<br /><br />John Carpenter "Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988)" (album)<br /><br />Green Day "The American Dream Is Killing Me"<br /><br />Hall & Oates "You Make My Dreams"<br /><br />The Exectutioners "It's Goin' Down"</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">VIBES & FLAVOURS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"The Making of Creepshow 2" by Lee Karr</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Homefront: The Revolution (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - first person shooter from 2016. I had played the original game back on the Xbox360, and recall it being a brief but generally enjoyable (<i>if somewhat scruffy</i>) game. The sequel, by comparison, is more polished and expands upon the idea of an occupied North America while making good use of CryEngine to give its dilapidated urban streets and buildings a shabby sadness by day and a nightmarish threat by night. There's some scattered bugs still present, but I didn't encounter anything game-breaking. The DLCs are brief blasts, but add some extra detail to the overall story, although it's really only the third one (<i>"Beyond The Walls"</i>) that really packs the best punch in a countryside setting, climaxing as a more impressive ending than what's there in the main game.<br /><br />It's not a particularly original game by any stretch of the imagination (<i>the influence of the <b>FarCry</b> formula is quite evident)</i>, with a straight forward story and set of characters to go along with it ... but, much like a solid B-Movie actioner, this gets the job done, even if the rinse/repeat cycle of clearing out a new section of the map (<i>and I do love a bit of 'map clearing'</i>) can get a bit tired after a while. The critics were fairly harsh on it, but they're not exactly known as bastions of common sense or integrity considering some of the drivel that gets lauded or excused.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - some tweaks to the long-established formula work well in the campaign mode (<i>I don't truck with online multiplayer or zombies modes</i>), with a suitably murky style that combines a strong variety of locations with pulpy spy thrills. There is some beautiful level design throughout with well crafted characters populating the cast.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-36709055318016858082023-10-11T16:52:00.000+01:002023-10-11T16:52:23.190+01:00V/H/S/85 (2023) review...<p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find more horror reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj992l07jH55xzoSaMDa6lUnuR-oknVp3z3JWrQq3hoVZ9EKxL4OuOApazK-x7mN36TkPqumMqfq3rAsgwDhvUJ7wFusuln6G1ioti2WVxThl4ex8f75YJYQUkSegcrq1guHpxDG3IxLzXzDBRicPFdC-I-lBXQdFAt94Cky4AP3QCqcwRcSszaRDJBOzHi/s1280/VHS85%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj992l07jH55xzoSaMDa6lUnuR-oknVp3z3JWrQq3hoVZ9EKxL4OuOApazK-x7mN36TkPqumMqfq3rAsgwDhvUJ7wFusuln6G1ioti2WVxThl4ex8f75YJYQUkSegcrq1guHpxDG3IxLzXzDBRicPFdC-I-lBXQdFAt94Cky4AP3QCqcwRcSszaRDJBOzHi/s320/VHS85%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>V/H/S</b> portmanteau horror anthology franchise has been a mixed bag from its inception, but this inherently goes with the territory. The <a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2013/07/quadruple-bill-mini-musings-tapes.html" target="_blank">first film</a>, from 2012, was a bold but flawed beginning that was clearly one story too long and, most egregiously, suffered from featuring numerous characters who were outright wretched to spend any time with. The 2013 <a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2014/01/double-bill-mini-musings-horror-show.html" target="_blank">follow-up</a> clocked in at an agreeably brisk 92 minutes, balanced the tone and characters, and explored a nice variety of ideas, styles, and approaches to the set-up. Sadly, 2014's <b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/search?q=vhs+viral" target="_blank">V/H/S/Viral</a></b> was thoroughly misguided, at times appearing embarrassingly cheap and sloppy, while also featuring mostly uninspiring tales.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEqQIshzRcbU6-WLb18fmNzNSPtkVMrz8OuDSnnRGgNiJg3kFN_6EJqBr-S16MNEiVzo8MExwLXZyE5vu451Twv0rwOmc_AKu5swHA67iucVQ64hnNeJFXmxnvRWIHJtsSXbYjo91dbwP05lQ_yMWswHWT4dnu-NgWP2Dt9YgiIGGy3-0SvyWL_jVRMMd/s1280/VHS85%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEqQIshzRcbU6-WLb18fmNzNSPtkVMrz8OuDSnnRGgNiJg3kFN_6EJqBr-S16MNEiVzo8MExwLXZyE5vu451Twv0rwOmc_AKu5swHA67iucVQ64hnNeJFXmxnvRWIHJtsSXbYjo91dbwP05lQ_yMWswHWT4dnu-NgWP2Dt9YgiIGGy3-0SvyWL_jVRMMd/s320/VHS85%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Fast forward to 2021 and horror streaming service Shudder co-produced and distributed <b>V/H/S/94</b>, which proved to be a return to form and an impressive doubling-down on the 'vhs style'. It had some weak aspects, but it's strengths outnumbered its weaknesses. Hopes were high, then, for 2022's <b>V/H/S/99</b>, which absolutely dropped the ball. Aside from one segment (<i>"Suicide Bid"</i>), the film was a mess of miss opportunities, half-baked ideas (<i>some of which didn't fit the format or franchise tone whatsoever</i>), aggressive amounts of shaky-cam, and poorly-placed humour.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ-uWoobmSosamOgcbEFaNiSuNAVyGqBCfXozhYvRFoYnRFV5B9F3a9mGxFFk3abjUiBsbCcHDGpE3gO_48vRcpaKZFrEkJi-o_x66ppkTBg69xUATQvlh2KayG3F39-EnLpxoaLTtTObosmtmMSuwxvmvDJW2k4l_pbIK_emWHal0jqqzCIwZ-H77oHS/s1280/VHS85%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJ-uWoobmSosamOgcbEFaNiSuNAVyGqBCfXozhYvRFoYnRFV5B9F3a9mGxFFk3abjUiBsbCcHDGpE3gO_48vRcpaKZFrEkJi-o_x66ppkTBg69xUATQvlh2KayG3F39-EnLpxoaLTtTObosmtmMSuwxvmvDJW2k4l_pbIK_emWHal0jqqzCIwZ-H77oHS/s320/VHS85%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nonetheless, <b>V/H/S/99</b> was a ratings hit, but this was no doubt built more on the achievements of its immediate predecessor that it's own content, as born out by numerous reactions from the audience. Approaching <b>V/H/S/85</b>, therefore, came with some serious concern that the wrong lessons would be learned from <b>V/H/S/99</b>'s success. Thankfully, <b>V/H/S/85</b> feels more in-keeping with the first two entries in the franchise as well as <b>V/H/S/94</b>...<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to continue the review and see more screenshots...</span></i></b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkGbZlju8TvYjuc_m1Vhs9v8ojXnfBJpTLsnHyGjxmXQxzSJzmHyeLGzdYFJuoaLH-Hl-_19B6Md52pPe1s6L9pA-oMlKSV48oGqQ2xtw3KF18rfIAaUkrLqXPap2m2ipjj9bvGyAVmFXexGyPjUJ8RDW-Glfd4CeG_JjZ6fMEGrbN-Gp3u9gzo5dKpno/s1280/VHS85%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkGbZlju8TvYjuc_m1Vhs9v8ojXnfBJpTLsnHyGjxmXQxzSJzmHyeLGzdYFJuoaLH-Hl-_19B6Md52pPe1s6L9pA-oMlKSV48oGqQ2xtw3KF18rfIAaUkrLqXPap2m2ipjj9bvGyAVmFXexGyPjUJ8RDW-Glfd4CeG_JjZ6fMEGrbN-Gp3u9gzo5dKpno/s320/VHS85%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">"Total Copy" (<i>the wrap around story</i>) convincingly recreates the feel of those 1980s television documentaries about the paranormal, oozing a creepy and unnerving sci-fi-tinged tone, and is balanced well throughout to not outstay its welcome while maintaining a sense of mystery.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IYHV26UqAnH_Nvgyj2JQLucViwtNj6uGBgcTX0EPxkGWc3XnKSXdw1dvR4Pc_MtLNC1Q3Tbmu9kRJ7O_YLWQR229tEBzv8vQyoWof7dpZ70IDwebkYZ7F0Bl_WMoqgdN5ofvAYin97A6KXTtD6gttphffaM0WvYYnIpXhXFb0Rjv1qhW52aEHdHDiCfc/s1280/VHS85%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1IYHV26UqAnH_Nvgyj2JQLucViwtNj6uGBgcTX0EPxkGWc3XnKSXdw1dvR4Pc_MtLNC1Q3Tbmu9kRJ7O_YLWQR229tEBzv8vQyoWof7dpZ70IDwebkYZ7F0Bl_WMoqgdN5ofvAYin97A6KXTtD6gttphffaM0WvYYnIpXhXFb0Rjv1qhW52aEHdHDiCfc/s320/VHS85%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />"No Wake" features a group of young friends out for a party at a lake that turns into a blood-soaked nightmare. Fortunately, the cast of characters aren't the irritating idiots we've too often seen depicted throughout this franchise in some segments since its creation. However, the acting is uneven, so the viewer is always aware that they're watching actors performing their lines, replete with unnatural pauses in character's dialogue and actions, but a twist in proceedings invites further interest.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6JHKi9OzrQLnh3YQhXGF8v1wG3fZrvFSGPNKhsgTYxqhzauO-gYTGWIk21ldjSCeUxBRXRH-LlFjveEWzUscjdQqhv-kvJVC09qCpGx1eU3s_xIJW4ZNHRTxrg5_M6183iQYlNBaZuvtGG9ZxPg1h3quzrg22dPqnaqej9XbyvMUXu3HOlsHJLR0PVEW/s1280/VHS85%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6JHKi9OzrQLnh3YQhXGF8v1wG3fZrvFSGPNKhsgTYxqhzauO-gYTGWIk21ldjSCeUxBRXRH-LlFjveEWzUscjdQqhv-kvJVC09qCpGx1eU3s_xIJW4ZNHRTxrg5_M6183iQYlNBaZuvtGG9ZxPg1h3quzrg22dPqnaqej9XbyvMUXu3HOlsHJLR0PVEW/s320/VHS85%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihE6AdzWTTA9Okxj3vqzQwSAgVohK9Mhqi9zLgoW1kkhyphenhyphenQl1Tq3c6Vp3l5IoUShBdZlk3NRE2d187Zmk7zuEqfY6_j_ke4kcKibjzXkZ9de67QC8J1HbPPREM8qw3ORhlE1Ifq65gNzlQXcv3JbFl5Sum3c_Hqi3nJSKTTJYhveAdhz8vYJAmd9DJ63W7c/s1280/VHS85%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihE6AdzWTTA9Okxj3vqzQwSAgVohK9Mhqi9zLgoW1kkhyphenhyphenQl1Tq3c6Vp3l5IoUShBdZlk3NRE2d187Zmk7zuEqfY6_j_ke4kcKibjzXkZ9de67QC8J1HbPPREM8qw3ORhlE1Ifq65gNzlQXcv3JbFl5Sum3c_Hqi3nJSKTTJYhveAdhz8vYJAmd9DJ63W7c/s320/VHS85%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />"God of Death" mixes natural disaster horrors with supernatural wrath and arguably features the best acting of all the segments in the movie, but feels a bit weak on the scare front. The series has often featured a single segment from a non-English-speaking nation, which adds a little variety to proceedings, but they do inevitably feel slightly off-kilter with the rest of the segments. <b>The ABCs of Death</b> movies, aided by their structure, have better handled this notion of a multi-national horror anthology, but this is still a solid portion of <b>V/H/S/85</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzIWMcQ9HphhUudl7vLN7TpdMJdCPI1Q9rnmZtj1G0KdlzeQuEhiSNcvlKiiN0gRt_xDKMglhrTvzLQslIX6NHyu4gI26O7hcMQDufz9nnt08ZjFCyRHOls0W3HNo05M6L9f4u-85NL5FACC802cdJ1tl7vh0q9YFZ-N6Wl4EwjD3TjabDyaJ6S-saj4H/s1280/VHS85%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzIWMcQ9HphhUudl7vLN7TpdMJdCPI1Q9rnmZtj1G0KdlzeQuEhiSNcvlKiiN0gRt_xDKMglhrTvzLQslIX6NHyu4gI26O7hcMQDufz9nnt08ZjFCyRHOls0W3HNo05M6L9f4u-85NL5FACC802cdJ1tl7vh0q9YFZ-N6Wl4EwjD3TjabDyaJ6S-saj4H/s320/VHS85%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />"TKNOGD" faithfully recreates that feel of a pretentious black box theatre performance, but that's also its biggest problem. Quite often with these films there's one segment that just doesn't fit, and <b>V/H/S/85</b> could have easily done without this segment and quickened its overall run time. The idea of using VR is interesting, but doesn't quite work in the 1985 context. There's some good gore effects in it, but this one sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb. Each viewer's opinions of each segment will naturally vary, though, another aspect that is inherent to the portmanteau format.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdMIIAvI9_G_tuYHcwEMnccvPq9N_ijzEgFW69E7BFnId4ybyK3zVgM-qivYWsgFXqRuTH-qNsYf6M0BwKarvTi0mllzhtYX187Mo7mhwY0tUIu_0bpV3AQL5jsOrs4Lp77EvMHtr14vQoiR7HY-o4RuLhZAd6BgTDz6XhtHDFfLkNZW-n7wPrSNXPA15/s1280/VHS85%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdMIIAvI9_G_tuYHcwEMnccvPq9N_ijzEgFW69E7BFnId4ybyK3zVgM-qivYWsgFXqRuTH-qNsYf6M0BwKarvTi0mllzhtYX187Mo7mhwY0tUIu_0bpV3AQL5jsOrs4Lp77EvMHtr14vQoiR7HY-o4RuLhZAd6BgTDz6XhtHDFfLkNZW-n7wPrSNXPA15/s320/VHS85%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMHKkOrk6VLBjsHZfkLvoqkxUF0s7dKZVlPl6fgq3iDRF-Ejr8G6mLmvnbC0r8rh-vmKzOihQShjtF5EMSp2w4O5gH2Lk6Wq7gP2gGBOEEPVDBqXmKQKzdZr-QUFCi9jWlbd-sR3BmYE2aMIuyVdJoHx37Yng6dHeU7S40jCboZA1hHoHIQkqmiGEYyts/s1280/VHS85%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMHKkOrk6VLBjsHZfkLvoqkxUF0s7dKZVlPl6fgq3iDRF-Ejr8G6mLmvnbC0r8rh-vmKzOihQShjtF5EMSp2w4O5gH2Lk6Wq7gP2gGBOEEPVDBqXmKQKzdZr-QUFCi9jWlbd-sR3BmYE2aMIuyVdJoHx37Yng6dHeU7S40jCboZA1hHoHIQkqmiGEYyts/s320/VHS85%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />"Ambrosia", quite enjoyably, is linked to an earlier segment and is fairly unnerving, breaking a little bit of new ground within the <b>V/H/S</b> copybook. Yet another slew of new characters being introduced is deftly handled, avoiding the potential for viewer fatigue, and so the only downside is that a lot of questions are left unanswered, so the story feels unfinished, but the connection of two segments adds a nice spin and a thrill into what is now the sixth instalment of a long-running franchise.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HEpnROWmlzTFPvz11CP4lUc5piDFu1uiWi9xGxJe4jZSUnJtDb8HhuhcHTvZ983pEwK0K_iMLODwYMwxHGdlxairRSz-QGiaGtUqkKj3vFHynTAiolpbN3CJCSeYjdIprKT-7Pg3E4jq5E_4AX3fDRmZiL-boeKs8rBHSI6g58btixcAwIxObzX9-RxR/s1280/VHS85%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HEpnROWmlzTFPvz11CP4lUc5piDFu1uiWi9xGxJe4jZSUnJtDb8HhuhcHTvZ983pEwK0K_iMLODwYMwxHGdlxairRSz-QGiaGtUqkKj3vFHynTAiolpbN3CJCSeYjdIprKT-7Pg3E4jq5E_4AX3fDRmZiL-boeKs8rBHSI6g58btixcAwIxObzX9-RxR/s320/VHS85%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />"Dreamkill" is the most stylish of the segments, combining serial killings with the gritty style of 8mm film in a dream-like way (<i>fans of director Scott Derrickson's film <b>Sinister</b> will be in familiar visual territory</i>). The mystery of exactly how/why the murders are appearing on videotapes before they happen never quite gets a satisfying exploration, but the mystery, gruesomeness, and chilling style of this segment really stand out in a good way. Much like "No Wake/Ambrosia", this segment feels like it could easily be expanded into a feature film in its own right.<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYF3Oa-1G8sJ-UIupCcN5e5wjsvRZlLJjQKoJwq63TzMZNsqv-hRJ1y8NxnsH_goccAZfywT1QQtbD7kbIV9OY2bVJlthSC0BXeyP9HAcPCigdAqOMbOR9y5IzlP4vImddKtAaOFyBqjaCjNNVnIvx9MCgpV_8d_zCClcZIzuh1MK-ycgQNQxjcyf_0bu/s1280/VHS85%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYF3Oa-1G8sJ-UIupCcN5e5wjsvRZlLJjQKoJwq63TzMZNsqv-hRJ1y8NxnsH_goccAZfywT1QQtbD7kbIV9OY2bVJlthSC0BXeyP9HAcPCigdAqOMbOR9y5IzlP4vImddKtAaOFyBqjaCjNNVnIvx9MCgpV_8d_zCClcZIzuh1MK-ycgQNQxjcyf_0bu/s320/VHS85%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1UGG5-kvuDtzxHGiB91EIbsu4GHdt0Xz-PqgfIq0sepYwLWbQBVZVil5p5BkFQVWqBXV0_sDH8QhRRYNMQytg6Mlo0Zy_t6gC22V6nUukgYADh2yQylD_oOsDFG-Q3JqvWPAHQKwVSG-p7nGIKiZBlTIHt36nKI-gUPO_Su2ue1ZDOmzttoi5ehlW3Ig/s1280/VHS85%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1UGG5-kvuDtzxHGiB91EIbsu4GHdt0Xz-PqgfIq0sepYwLWbQBVZVil5p5BkFQVWqBXV0_sDH8QhRRYNMQytg6Mlo0Zy_t6gC22V6nUukgYADh2yQylD_oOsDFG-Q3JqvWPAHQKwVSG-p7nGIKiZBlTIHt36nKI-gUPO_Su2ue1ZDOmzttoi5ehlW3Ig/s320/VHS85%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>V/H/S/85</b> has some flaws, the most obvious of which is that there seems to be a general lack of true tension and frights. Could this be the curse of being a seasoned horror fanatic? Then again, even the generally quite poor <b>V/H/S/99</b> managed to elicit visceral reactions from its 'Suicide Bid' segment as it keyed into numerous common fears that are all deeply felt by those who endure them. However, despite the lack of scares and sweaty palms, <b>V/H/S/85</b> was consistently entertaining (<i>one segment notwithstanding</i>), and all said and done it proves to be a successful entry in the franchise.<p></p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-54321604031189390422023-09-16T23:44:00.000+01:002023-09-16T23:44:12.461+01:00Murdercise (Angelica De Alba & Paul Ragsdale 2023) Review<p><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh-l50sD4sHWcMDaVfmW1xCJ3u93CZ3KSlFBA9ex0yFTsPPqIPhcicB2pQVw9OM8zzpscAgjXig2LD6aq0iLUC7rxgZMxbpb005NUnc4PGweO_Duz0dz-f3twlertSijrn_C0N-4R3Y27nq1nAgnxTWH7OB_j96lQFsGummRDMoMwO8Mp3r19VhL5cmad/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPh-l50sD4sHWcMDaVfmW1xCJ3u93CZ3KSlFBA9ex0yFTsPPqIPhcicB2pQVw9OM8zzpscAgjXig2LD6aq0iLUC7rxgZMxbpb005NUnc4PGweO_Duz0dz-f3twlertSijrn_C0N-4R3Y27nq1nAgnxTWH7OB_j96lQFsGummRDMoMwO8Mp3r19VhL5cmad/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>How's
it you kids keep getting yourselves brutally murdered?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Like a throwback to the heyday of the 1980s Scream Queens, </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Murdercise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
poses the question – how far should one go to become the cover girl
for a cheap and tacky workout video? Is a little bit of killing a
step too far, or a fast track to success in Reagan's day-glo
lycra-clad America?...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvnR6p_NSxcnp3UYZgNk9_BBurnOQGDX2WzfqFl8cSxs5ouXapkUy2biB3dNm9H8r8T-rnCdPkKNI500Y5by_yXwmsapaRKJlg8vRbDOebHL_v9vRlDvl5wSE3lk2sCohsEnXvracUuRXWMQBVfNsk-IJnLy1krp-O-UcYqoiAb6-0F0VvnIXekRbNHyY/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvnR6p_NSxcnp3UYZgNk9_BBurnOQGDX2WzfqFl8cSxs5ouXapkUy2biB3dNm9H8r8T-rnCdPkKNI500Y5by_yXwmsapaRKJlg8vRbDOebHL_v9vRlDvl5wSE3lk2sCohsEnXvracUuRXWMQBVfNsk-IJnLy1krp-O-UcYqoiAb6-0F0VvnIXekRbNHyY/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>This
is what the audience wants, kid. They don't care about the exercises,
I mean, they just want to wank the weasel … pardon my French.”</b></i></span>
'Plain Jane' Phoebe (<i>Kansas Bowling, </i><i><b>Christmas Bloody
Christmas</b></i>) is an exercise fanatic <span style="font-style: normal;">and
self-appointed watchdog for America's growing childhood obesity
epidemic, who</span> has high aspirations for the exercise video
she's appearing in. Unfortunately for Phoebe, it's funded by the
mafia and their man on-set Gino (<i>Bryan Hurd</i>) has no interest
in trimming Middle America's expanding waistline, certainly not with
mob wife financier Dominica Stromboli (<i>Ginger Lynn, </i><i><b>The
Devil's Rejects</b></i>) on-site and pulling strings to have her
tearaway daughter Isabella (<i>Nina Lanee Kent, </i><i><b>Slashlorette
Party</b></i>) included in the cast of girls appearing in the video.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sNtIot6RGY9AnOu7AqG7iQKXO30RhwjsnNRSl0d8vCX_sStiLjyHSZDDxD3a41X0zDUiOYSbTjadttsTdtj7C49evsqwwMOLf7ftzAVG6UBCNfs_ttG3KHVvghi8kRN64NE0ucn8I62Lw8wLi0ClkzLuWcnBaPGInufcHfanOa7gQYHb925TpAL5Id-f/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sNtIot6RGY9AnOu7AqG7iQKXO30RhwjsnNRSl0d8vCX_sStiLjyHSZDDxD3a41X0zDUiOYSbTjadttsTdtj7C49evsqwwMOLf7ftzAVG6UBCNfs_ttG3KHVvghi8kRN64NE0ucn8I62Lw8wLi0ClkzLuWcnBaPGInufcHfanOa7gQYHb925TpAL5Id-f/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtAf42jCItNXZMlLHOykQndvEshUJ7Fr9OEwomHBKJ4Lf8IVGr0aB-hJIm4y_Z9vIz9vspAp9iZ1k8IcH4p_G7MTB-PRE04kae6638vrrcL1x0g7wPS6Ut0Zr0UCGoYA-wsN-aR8fOdIOZLeSnGQHEQFYsjOb3lcm6c-ZczO7zJm8nDJMezhw0TuA0lpI/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtAf42jCItNXZMlLHOykQndvEshUJ7Fr9OEwomHBKJ4Lf8IVGr0aB-hJIm4y_Z9vIz9vspAp9iZ1k8IcH4p_G7MTB-PRE04kae6638vrrcL1x0g7wPS6Ut0Zr0UCGoYA-wsN-aR8fOdIOZLeSnGQHEQFYsjOb3lcm6c-ZczO7zJm8nDJMezhw0TuA0lpI/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>It's
vulgar. We're not making a porn … are we?”</b></i></span> Temporarily
put in-charge of proceedings, Phoebe is quickly frustrated by the
distinct lack of work ethic from her fellow gym bunnies and the video
crew, who are far more interested in fast food and goofing over cover
girl Candy's latest shot-on-video slasher opus. Struggling to assert
her authority, Phoebe snaps and murders Candy (<i>Jessa Flux, </i><i><b>Space
Babes From Outer Space</b></i>), but places the blame on a mysterious
serial killer stalking the area. Finding herself in the prime slot
for the cover girl job, Phoebe discovers she's not quite got it in
the bag … so how far will she have to go to secure the gig, and how
many of her co-stars are going to survive her ambition?</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXWaYa8_FeOazIXRbMVw7scwO3JR4Sp9eDgstiLQvMaFmFl0UndeSISrzK8vEPu0NiHRPXFdCc3XqFMnH_0nAH6FSWGsn0OGJ8UDrh8OSfWOZjJnymkBEc2yXf7jvjEXjnZqsKjKAyZuIq-n61EIqBBTWkdJUKG1Av2n3mWpgAtAGShKDP_D0NYWgUrg9/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXWaYa8_FeOazIXRbMVw7scwO3JR4Sp9eDgstiLQvMaFmFl0UndeSISrzK8vEPu0NiHRPXFdCc3XqFMnH_0nAH6FSWGsn0OGJ8UDrh8OSfWOZjJnymkBEc2yXf7jvjEXjnZqsKjKAyZuIq-n61EIqBBTWkdJUKG1Av2n3mWpgAtAGShKDP_D0NYWgUrg9/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>We're
burning videotape here – that stuff ain't cheap!”</b></i></span>
Crowdfunded and shot on a reported budget of a mere $10,000,
<b>Murdercise</b> is a love letter to the quickly-shot exploitation
flicks that populated the shelves of video stores in the 1980s.
Heading the charge during that era were filmmakers like Fred Olen Ray
(<i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/06/bad-girls-from-mars-fred-olen-ray-1990.html" target="_blank">Bad Girls From Mars</a></b></i>) and David DeCoteau (<i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/dr-alien-david-decoteau-1989-dvd-review.html" target="_blank">Dr Alien</a></b></i>), who would often crank out their pictures in a handful
of days, often shooting on long weekends with 'short ends' of film
stock. With their pocket change budgets always in peril of running
out, the aim of the game was to shoot fast, nail it in one take, and
move on as rapidly as possible with more than 90% of the film shot in
one interior location. Big flashy special effects and stunts weren't
really within their grasp, but beautiful women comfortable in their
birthday suits, quip-filled screenplays, and a goofy premise were
areas where they could shine.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U2vQ_K2L2n6RK7qibTQUIamW-kPVfBwHI0gJ6owzC61y-Ww4pgah6ubdi1aGU_Gfaql1qlwsiydWk8opXcfFD_apwTLxCfVvsrXwmzwaUmYDpTvKHprh21FFDxNMlS983ckayxeD19AvBSSQHhNkqUsr6BiqjhiQDY7pxgAsS8ZMlXYFgBe3-Xj62WdZ/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U2vQ_K2L2n6RK7qibTQUIamW-kPVfBwHI0gJ6owzC61y-Ww4pgah6ubdi1aGU_Gfaql1qlwsiydWk8opXcfFD_apwTLxCfVvsrXwmzwaUmYDpTvKHprh21FFDxNMlS983ckayxeD19AvBSSQHhNkqUsr6BiqjhiQDY7pxgAsS8ZMlXYFgBe3-Xj62WdZ/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qPTXNP2_Me4S2m7xGeJI59TeY8QlDuJ2apNGFwB0EsJtL580dkBEvJkk97i1hXFgJKDVDWBxehJ7gNuv6ieR3tmLORrZ7gLFzC5zZxSzt2nLWSVpaMOUXFvxvXH5aVmju9DcYYIJ-y-vlFsZRm7dFl8XUUS2cTr1RtrVWQmPkAmsgdpC1ccnQhV3MxjG/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qPTXNP2_Me4S2m7xGeJI59TeY8QlDuJ2apNGFwB0EsJtL580dkBEvJkk97i1hXFgJKDVDWBxehJ7gNuv6ieR3tmLORrZ7gLFzC5zZxSzt2nLWSVpaMOUXFvxvXH5aVmju9DcYYIJ-y-vlFsZRm7dFl8XUUS2cTr1RtrVWQmPkAmsgdpC1ccnQhV3MxjG/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Walking
in the footsteps of <b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank">Nightmare Sisters</a></b>, <b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/10/virgin-high-richard-gabai-1991-review.html" target="_blank">Virgin High</a></b>, and
<a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hollywood-chainsaw-hookers-fred-olen.html" target="_blank"><b>Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers</b></a>, <b>Murdercise</b> takes a similar
approach. Aside from a handful of shots, practically the entire film
takes place inside one windowless office space (<i>no doubt cheap to
rent or readily available to the production for free</i>), there's a
cast of alluring young ladies, and there's even room for a bit of
stunt casting to have some star power dust the proceedings. <b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/12/witch-academy-fred-olen-ray-1991-review.html" target="_blank">Witch Academy</a></b> had Robert Vaughn (<i><b>The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</b></i>),
<b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hollywood-chainsaw-hookers-fred-olen.html" target="_blank">Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers</a></b> had Gunnar Hansen (<i>the original
Leatherface in 1974's </i><i><b>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</b></i>),
<a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/03/evil-toons-fred-olen-ray-1992-review.html" target="_blank"><b>Evil Toons</b></a> had David Carradine (<i><b>Kung-Fu</b></i><i>, but
now best known for </i><i><b>Kill Bill</b></i>), and <b>Murdercise</b>
has Ginger Lynn, one of the biggest adult performers of her era who
has gone on to appear in numerous 'straight productions' such as Rob
Zombie's particularly sadistic horror flick <b>31</b>.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUm7RsF3UAILqepkkhvad5aHJeBqvAi1mQl1c36UjFcMkCN4FSX6KoDoWMjqhuI0ilPV6s62zbmcQbnsqlXqCa8iNhBxSqzT6teZ7ffi15aJsxsUqzba98FHvT5ZgRxDAvpRTV8OZX7QDVo-WGTssJX8Hobo4ZlzP1ZqIvvGeo8-Y_kAvyo6wo8_tKG1a/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUm7RsF3UAILqepkkhvad5aHJeBqvAi1mQl1c36UjFcMkCN4FSX6KoDoWMjqhuI0ilPV6s62zbmcQbnsqlXqCa8iNhBxSqzT6teZ7ffi15aJsxsUqzba98FHvT5ZgRxDAvpRTV8OZX7QDVo-WGTssJX8Hobo4ZlzP1ZqIvvGeo8-Y_kAvyo6wo8_tKG1a/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>But
this isn't the same as working at Hotdog On A Stick. All those girls
out there are perverts, strippers, and communists.”</b></i></span> Without
the cash to splurge on splashy blood spillage, <b>Murdercise</b>,
much like its ancestors, has to rely on fun characters and sparky
dialogue. Not only is it just the right thing to do (<i>mainstream
Hollywood seems to have forgotten how to write entertaining
characters of late</i>), but it helps fill in the gaps between the
somewhat lean array of kills and crimson-tinted carnage. The entire
cast are game, which is the only approach that'll work for this kind
of material, with one character stealing every scene in which they
appear.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwc1xakHk591VR4BsHnmhukbS_OTfUpwtHyknP8rUtjjUbo0Qso1A7PCvESwaoQI7N9Y9u_B-i2ymXVkpnki9gKZbRswkpnC4dN_kSDYDnATGGDitTkWJL70f03qbrh5S215pRTNEyNE2z1HLOO_RLheynPgrWaFdDJFSjy-7Pyen6KOqwitCcLRFZxDRe/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwc1xakHk591VR4BsHnmhukbS_OTfUpwtHyknP8rUtjjUbo0Qso1A7PCvESwaoQI7N9Y9u_B-i2ymXVkpnki9gKZbRswkpnC4dN_kSDYDnATGGDitTkWJL70f03qbrh5S215pRTNEyNE2z1HLOO_RLheynPgrWaFdDJFSjy-7Pyen6KOqwitCcLRFZxDRe/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Chuck
(<i>Drew Marvick, </i><i><b>Pool Party Massacre</b></i>) is the video
crew's grip and all-round tech-head, a bearded roadie-like bloke
wearing a cut-off belly shirt and Daisy Duke jean shorts with, to
complete the ensemble, a fetching bumbag (<i>“fanny pack” to
American readers</i>). Gorging on some of the best and most humorous
dialogue in the script, Chuck also steals the movie's best visual
gag, and features in the funniest scene – one which elicited a
genuine guffaw or two from this reviewer. Having flirted with the
curvaceous and carnal-minded Candy, Chuck hurriedly sneaks off to a
quiet spot for a quickie, but comes to the realisation that his
dreams of 'joining the Union' have always been hampered by thinking
with his <i>other</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> head. His
subsequent moral about-turn – and Candy's evermore frustrated
reaction – is gleefully silly and then some, simultaneously
fulfilling some of the movie's nudity quotient in the process.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF_pOLaQwMKagW3cSYND6m9ZnHEhj2LSRPW2EUblzgGRP4oBI8SqH48pIKZynpfykeJT6HA5jc2j9wZLpkFH9Meec9cX_xuLkoUxM_hp9FBzh31SSrbcWXz2t9bUL5-UAtTYJBeaNWrFeqHqBAfSZBWCL52tgjMJfrjEcIm3P0HoREVffuYd0ZFnbsLGa/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF_pOLaQwMKagW3cSYND6m9ZnHEhj2LSRPW2EUblzgGRP4oBI8SqH48pIKZynpfykeJT6HA5jc2j9wZLpkFH9Meec9cX_xuLkoUxM_hp9FBzh31SSrbcWXz2t9bUL5-UAtTYJBeaNWrFeqHqBAfSZBWCL52tgjMJfrjEcIm3P0HoREVffuYd0ZFnbsLGa/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">A
similarly preposterous and enjoyable scene involves video director
Mikey (</span><i>Luis Maya</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
facing the ethical, moral, and relentlessly life-threatening scenario
of encountering a mob boss' horny wife. No matter what he does he is
damned, having to do everything and nothing all at once to save his
skin and further his career.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimf5TNzZME8gO2pjCf4m9UJOimNgUuDyOkqJjSFtGIeW4PD2kQ-4nqo3jyr8f-UGcwQAD4y2b--vMFBKcJMFp_kov5Z2CmGXK1yMncFhwMIxVRR6xPIYZ917hXxDGcQ3IIIME1vZRaFXLwl_4jcqSnI6H-BC2idUTDQFkDa5QIl42zBecpgnD9y-ZOQ5cb/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimf5TNzZME8gO2pjCf4m9UJOimNgUuDyOkqJjSFtGIeW4PD2kQ-4nqo3jyr8f-UGcwQAD4y2b--vMFBKcJMFp_kov5Z2CmGXK1yMncFhwMIxVRR6xPIYZ917hXxDGcQ3IIIME1vZRaFXLwl_4jcqSnI6H-BC2idUTDQFkDa5QIl42zBecpgnD9y-ZOQ5cb/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Bogus,
dude – that's not cool.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Naturally, with a mere $10,000 to hand, it must be said that the film
is not without constraints. The first place where this is made clear
is in the production's lighting package – there's not enough
illumination to cover most scenes, while seemingly rushed blocking
(</span><i>and little time for re-takes</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
means that there are multiple instances where actors either step out
of their light or into that of their scene partner, plunging them
into darkness. Similarly, scene coverage is thin, and the kill scenes
lack that additional spark of tension building, with only the final
one packing the sort of gory punch you've been waiting for since the
offset.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMnWnpHz5ciPniH9QrokrEG5PjxN-aVg7lN3xGrgm-0mHOSes9vNIsvxBL9gVZFrhq8Son6CHvaofidF9NHVgaf1a47CnCSzkCuvrJuk11RmoGIB1i4NptWMfYICGhq-4-eAYOHRHt-9qPmsdZmIvkZBXqjCvvFs1WUR9AKrpmKZf-9xaabaLKXi0YxEa/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMnWnpHz5ciPniH9QrokrEG5PjxN-aVg7lN3xGrgm-0mHOSes9vNIsvxBL9gVZFrhq8Son6CHvaofidF9NHVgaf1a47CnCSzkCuvrJuk11RmoGIB1i4NptWMfYICGhq-4-eAYOHRHt-9qPmsdZmIvkZBXqjCvvFs1WUR9AKrpmKZf-9xaabaLKXi0YxEa/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u0q24J5DG6npFha5X4G3WZRXfGA81iucCS9BIbSnafIvrjMMa-JG17Qn7JbJ9CehrRCAVv36VawTFdPtUbn3r3_RkfgSYgRVoaAyyxoYVkCC1KcnWDcaQuV5bdHfnjSLrMz_5FQRDwHqCYJ5jxC5rFzWQzAo5-b0dXZmpTTe-f52V8Zg7B-ZBetg5wzT/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3u0q24J5DG6npFha5X4G3WZRXfGA81iucCS9BIbSnafIvrjMMa-JG17Qn7JbJ9CehrRCAVv36VawTFdPtUbn3r3_RkfgSYgRVoaAyyxoYVkCC1KcnWDcaQuV5bdHfnjSLrMz_5FQRDwHqCYJ5jxC5rFzWQzAo5-b0dXZmpTTe-f52V8Zg7B-ZBetg5wzT/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">To
be fair, though, many of these issues come down to the
extraordinarily low budget and what was most surely an extremely
pressed production schedule. Considering what the filmmakers have put
together for what would probably amount to the daily budget for
napkins on your average Marvel movie, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Murdercise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
is no doubt a success and a generally good looking one at that. Also
taking into consideration how this film is a decided improvement (</span><i>in
all respects</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) over the
filmmakers' previous outing </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Slashlorette
Party</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">, just imagine what
they could have done with $50,000.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXfBm9cy5XHCUGHMFZlKchZymR5o6N7jdloPpJD954_zSDLq4NleNvkMbo2Wvbh_qCabOkDR6y0sehllSs9VQJgkoEpkcwhNEc8aRAR0tPCm_nOi2sgWLMlyohBBs1mvRrqpvZKOsC7qMi8uE4lJQ-AaOBTQFrCeH4C3haaKfiXkMtv278jzMnaSVrfhq/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXfBm9cy5XHCUGHMFZlKchZymR5o6N7jdloPpJD954_zSDLq4NleNvkMbo2Wvbh_qCabOkDR6y0sehllSs9VQJgkoEpkcwhNEc8aRAR0tPCm_nOi2sgWLMlyohBBs1mvRrqpvZKOsC7qMi8uE4lJQ-AaOBTQFrCeH4C3haaKfiXkMtv278jzMnaSVrfhq/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL-aQQixyAWAS7NIxSYOgN2b4CMUpa17gZMTfKqdCZM30d4Q-xE5RO8EZQGW_HAWafKswfWlpfstUmJUNUIaAoQXNLn8TphykgA-bbVbuA8MzGD4iBX1j7yWAIXLw_uu8d0O2qZLkQ_rfyD-qGlLZk4JmBfNjif9jbCShpZ_DrxRdXBMH7WgSfWUMVh4B/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL-aQQixyAWAS7NIxSYOgN2b4CMUpa17gZMTfKqdCZM30d4Q-xE5RO8EZQGW_HAWafKswfWlpfstUmJUNUIaAoQXNLn8TphykgA-bbVbuA8MzGD4iBX1j7yWAIXLw_uu8d0O2qZLkQ_rfyD-qGlLZk4JmBfNjif9jbCShpZ_DrxRdXBMH7WgSfWUMVh4B/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Lucky
for you I've got a pocket full of change.”</b></i></span> There is one
main stumbling block for the movie, however, and that relates to the
subplot involving the two killer cops who are on-the-loose. We get a
brief glimpse of them in a pre-titles sequence, and then only hear
about them through a couple of radio broadcasts before they finally
show up again as the third act approaches. When they do re-appear,
Phoebe's story kind of gets shoved aside, and the goofy, fun tone
that has thus far been the norm is awkwardly subverted by the
sustained sexual threat perpetrated by the two 'killer cop'
characters, who feel as if they've invaded from a grottier and more
disturbing exploitation flick. They're far from <b>I Spit On Your
Grave</b> territory, but their inclusion nonetheless feels a bit
mismatched, forcing the movie to lose focus while their story feels
only vaguely connected to the main body of the film. Either it needed
to be woven into the fabric of the movie much more, or excised
entirely.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXv47wX3zH2pm_JDfyY2e5-mItLouGvZLXOO0Dc3MnDGiEV-XnpFKdvACYXm7yBvvnrUfVUpDtS2-EbgIPeFtE80lF-9HrcLiWKhALglH_ovF7OS3w625loMIxyckWf3ZL5lbgafWld6CSzFz9eDvlJoA_yJ-zm6ah480Ltbhyjr3qBAm1qL5rCINaTge/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXv47wX3zH2pm_JDfyY2e5-mItLouGvZLXOO0Dc3MnDGiEV-XnpFKdvACYXm7yBvvnrUfVUpDtS2-EbgIPeFtE80lF-9HrcLiWKhALglH_ovF7OS3w625loMIxyckWf3ZL5lbgafWld6CSzFz9eDvlJoA_yJ-zm6ah480Ltbhyjr3qBAm1qL5rCINaTge/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTyNPYn6BcVLXpeujtqsTXfXQgW_6oRv31GWoD3k3RWneWUEUIL3M_dK5VE0d6JlBWFDNzOB3oYMEkRupt3k1lVaHJh-hADcG-npaAI0TCz-Qbowdg_rHGNPQtwEecJZMBX_fNX0nt8Un5FPFHtHvbKUOrKQePRdwTFkPJL5e-MZfSvmqPGe9jztOVKpb/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTyNPYn6BcVLXpeujtqsTXfXQgW_6oRv31GWoD3k3RWneWUEUIL3M_dK5VE0d6JlBWFDNzOB3oYMEkRupt3k1lVaHJh-hADcG-npaAI0TCz-Qbowdg_rHGNPQtwEecJZMBX_fNX0nt8Un5FPFHtHvbKUOrKQePRdwTFkPJL5e-MZfSvmqPGe9jztOVKpb/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Fuck
your glasses and fuck me!”</b></i></span> In the closing moments there are
some references for keen-eyed aficionados of the films that inspired
this fairly well made and certainly enjoyable movie. Character
surnames include “Gabai” – likely a reference to
actor/writer/director Richard Gabai (<i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/11/dinosaur-island-fred-olen-ray-jim.html" target="_blank">Dinosaur Island</a></b></i><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
</span></i><i><b>Assault of the Party Nerds</b></i>); “Strain” –
no doubt a nod towards the late Julie Strain (<i><b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2020/05/fit-to-kill-andy-sidaris-1993-review.html" target="_blank">Fit To Kill</a></b></i><i>,
</i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2021/01/day-of-warrior-andy-sidaris-1996-review.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Day of the Warrior</b></i></a>); and “Cabot” – surely a
wink to Ellen Cabot, one of David DeCoteau's pseudonyms that he used
for projects he felt were possibly not his best work, such as <b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank">Murder Weapon</a></b> and <b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank">Deadly Embrace</a></b>.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClsD1SORIt_wvchyKOLgYq-IEeDHdbbRoxEe21Ui3uJrNs3tDD6xRsqdrmoUwcQSd2k1GZAztttfglZbNxGAZxl7KR0vg5owdjAA4ulnKQM6xsBOHpPMlc_7KMODwzQNwiy7fb3H3JMBAPa1FfpGLlP7c3SngIutEGg3EupAdyqzbvHe1mtp4OEUZJlga/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiClsD1SORIt_wvchyKOLgYq-IEeDHdbbRoxEe21Ui3uJrNs3tDD6xRsqdrmoUwcQSd2k1GZAztttfglZbNxGAZxl7KR0vg5owdjAA4ulnKQM6xsBOHpPMlc_7KMODwzQNwiy7fb3H3JMBAPa1FfpGLlP7c3SngIutEGg3EupAdyqzbvHe1mtp4OEUZJlga/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9xbtdlRINiXgmWHYyt6kUS8r5J_vqHtFSvGbPNKrAfXRRS_yY8mJkhZMhJJpILUa6PSHkEltxQPSRpmEDzCyFTfy_14UZV5vXObRkFVc_EpDk_m-joeFjNq2DpI5hOaQX3voJKgZ5ffS697l3Eq3ZorNnk3bHIKT46wuI-_LRy_-Cibci-c2yctWut0p/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9xbtdlRINiXgmWHYyt6kUS8r5J_vqHtFSvGbPNKrAfXRRS_yY8mJkhZMhJJpILUa6PSHkEltxQPSRpmEDzCyFTfy_14UZV5vXObRkFVc_EpDk_m-joeFjNq2DpI5hOaQX3voJKgZ5ffS697l3Eq3ZorNnk3bHIKT46wuI-_LRy_-Cibci-c2yctWut0p/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>That's
not Reagan's America.”</b></i></span> Budgetary restraints and the odd
flaw aside, <b>Murdercise</b> will warm the heart of any fan of the
heyday of the 1980s Scream Queens, playing in the same ballpark as
1987's <b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/killer-workout-david-prior-1987-dvd.html" target="_blank">Killer Workout</a></b>. Too many filmmakers who try to make
this 'type' of film these days fail because they're deliberately
trying to make a bad movie, which defeats the entire purpose,
particularly as so many of the 'so bad they're good' movies were made
by people who were <i>trying</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to
do their best within strict boundaries and with meagre resources
available to them. It's also important to note that these filmmakers
also personally enjoyed these sorts of films, they didn't look down
on them, so co-directors Angelica De Alba and Paul Ragsdale (</span><i>the
latter of whom also wrote the screenplay</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
have both succeeded in approaching this project from the same
perspective and in the same spirit as their predecessors.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpdQG2ujLtNA5l1KVjVtbAvSkQjG8dt32DEGWPizBNIwR1e8BaG4jD2KNBGoB6gC167CcW9S7mxfyaSSfDZ4PWqWDBwHtjZOj64eFjB1hg1bZADEQCEWl4P84IAvZ3GSK9LkwmhNM6iGJsawEVutNWp2PIYHmGMfMHzR8yU4i5k8k_ZcYu7WpVJK5Ag9C/s1280/Murdercise%20(2023)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1280" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKpdQG2ujLtNA5l1KVjVtbAvSkQjG8dt32DEGWPizBNIwR1e8BaG4jD2KNBGoB6gC167CcW9S7mxfyaSSfDZ4PWqWDBwHtjZOj64eFjB1hg1bZADEQCEWl4P84IAvZ3GSK9LkwmhNM6iGJsawEVutNWp2PIYHmGMfMHzR8yU4i5k8k_ZcYu7WpVJK5Ag9C/s320/Murdercise%20(2023)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Exploitation
films can be many things and exhibit many flaws, but the </span><i>one</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
sin they must </span><i>never</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
perpetrate is to be boring. Considering just how much </span><i>fun</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Murdercise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
is, it's safe to say that it's still on the righteous path towards
sleazoid heaven.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-9249153808402060042023-08-30T23:36:00.002+01:002023-08-30T23:36:26.688+01:00Flavours of the Months: July/August 2023...<p>Tomes of Terror, a menagerie of monsters, and some rubber-burning donuts is just some of what's been setting the tone of my July and August 2023...<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;"><u>LOOKS:</u></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Walking Dead: Dead City</span></b> - created by Eli Jorné, this six-part spin-off puts Maggie and Negan together as they enter a zombie-infested New York City in order to rescue Maggie's son Hershel. Now, I'm a huge fan of <b>The Walking Dead</b>, but there's no denying the franchise is well past its heyday and AMC have practically driven the entire thing into the ground at this point. <b>Dead City</b> has some cool ideas and some nifty city-based sequences, but straying beyond the central protagonists we once again find ourselves with a pretty generic villain, more cookie cutter cannon fodder good guys, and a pointless mute girl clogging up the plot and taking away screen time that could have been far better used with flashbacks exploring Maggie's troubled relationship with her rarely-seen son Hershel. He's supposed to be the entire reason for Maggie's dangerous trip to NYC, so why do we see so little of them on-screen together and even just Hershel in his own right?<br /><br />There are good bits and some nice scenes of complex morality, but some of these ideas are merely teased and then abandoned, while some moments of abject silliness really distract the viewer. It's certainly not as terrible as <b>TWD: World Beyond</b> or <b>Tales From The Walking Dead</b>, not by a long shot, but <b>Dead City</b> also falls short of what could have been.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Jack Ryan: Season 4</span></b> - the final season of Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland's adaptation for Prime Video. I wasn't as gripped this time around compared to the excellent season three, but this was nonetheless a very good watch, drawing to a close four very solid seasons that boasted good writing and characters.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Muscles & Mayhem: The Unofficial Story of American Gladiators</span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Garth Marenghi's Dark Place</span></b> - created by Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness, this comedy show from Channel 4 originally aired in 2004 for a mere six episodes, but has gone on to become a cult favourite (<i>there's even Rocky Horror style screenings where fans cosplay as the characters</i>). Every now and then I pull the DVD off the shelf and gleefully sweep through the handful of episodes.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Bride of Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - it's often been considered that the sequel is better than the original, but upon reflection I'd still opt for the original 1931 film as the superior film. While this sequel has better filmmaking craft and scale on its side, the story and plot do feel a little less fresh and self-contained than the original, which tells a much better story overall. Still though, despite suffering from feeling more like a continuation than its own complete tale, this is a cinematic classic.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Wolf Man (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />The Creature From The Black Lagoon (Blu-Ray)<br /><br />Son of Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - despite being a bit overlong (<i>100 minutes rather than the more usual 70</i>), this was a really good film with lots of highlights. Bela Lugosi steals the entire movie as Ygor, a body snatcher who survived a hanging (<i>and now has a broken neck bone distending his flesh</i>), but there's also some other really nice touches throughout. When the Monster encounters his reflection for the first time, he's initially unaware that it's himself and then comes to realise that he is hideous to himself and he doesn't look like 'normal' people ... it's a wonderfully performed sequence by Karloff, all without dialogue, just physicality and grunts. There's also a moment between the monster and Basil Rathbone's son (<i>the grandson of Frankenstein, if you will</i>), when the little kid puts out a hand to help the monster to finish climbing a ladder and the look on Karloff's face says so much in that moment. Also, Lionel Atwill as the one-armed Inspector is superb (<i>I wonder if he was part-inspiration for Dr Strangelove?</i>) Fantastic stuff.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Ghost of Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - now onto the fourth film in the Frankenstein franchise, you can see the rot beginning to set in, but considering just how great the first two were, and how solid the third one is, it's going up against a high bar. Reining it in at a more reasonable and brisk 67 minutes, Ygor once again steals the show, however Lon Chaney Jr as the Monster works fairly well. He can't compete with Karloff, but considering the backstory of gentle giant Chaney and the child actress Janet Ann Gallow (<i>he cared for her a great deal and they became firm friends</i>), the scenes with the Monster and the little girl hold a real impact and sweetness. The stuff involving Ludvig Frankenstein (<i>the <u>other</u> son of Frankenstein!</i>) is a bit of a stretch, but it was a good flick all said and done.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - Bela Lugosi now plays the Monster, but he doesn't suit the role. It's interesting to note that this is where the classic 'Frankenstein walk' came from, as the Monster was rendered blind at the end of the previous movie. Written by Curt Siodmak (<b><i>The Wolfman</i></b>), this movie is pretty weak as a Frankenstein movie, but is very strong as a Wolfman movie, teaming the two beasts into one movie (<i>the Universal Monsters were the original cinematic universe, many decades before the Marvel Cinematic Universe</i>). We're now having to work quite hard to justify yet another scientist going mad with the power of God to once again reanimate the Monster, but despite some weaknesses this is a pretty solid movie, especially when viewed more from the POV of the Wolfman.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">House of Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - Glenn Strange now takes over the role of the Monster, but gets next-to-nothing to do. However, with Karloff returning to the franchise (<i>albeit as the mad Doctor Niemann, replete with Hunchback sidekick</i>), there is some good stuff to be chewed on. The opening portion of the film acts as a latter day sequel to the Dracula films (<i>with John Carradine in the role</i>) running in fast forward for the first twenty-or-so minutes before the film changes direction suddenly and refocuses its attention on the Wolfman and his continued attempts to be cured of his Lycanthropy. There's an interesting subplot involving a runaway Gypsy girl who tags along with Niemann and the Hunchback, the latter of whom naturally begins to fall in love with her, only for him to jealously realise she is much more enamoured with the wounded soul of Larry Talbot (<i>the Wolfman</i>). You can see the repeating mechanics of the franchise, but even at this late stage there's still some really good material to enjoy.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">House of Dracula (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - Dracula now features more prominently as yet another mad Doctor seeks to cure him of his blood affliction while simultaneously hoping to also cure the Wolfman. There's another Hunchback assistent in this one, but now the role is played as a female nurse. A little more work on the script could have fleshed out her character, perhaps adding a deeper love triangle of sorts between her, Larry Talbot, and the other nurse (<i>who is not so 'afflicted' and therefore 'more beautiful'</i>). Again, Glenn Strange has very little to do, much more of a 'prop' than a character (<i>Karloff feared this would indeed be the case, hence why he left the role after three movies</i>), and the tropes of the franchise are plain to see, but even still there's plenty of fun to be had.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - inevitably, given enough time, a franchise or genre will resort to self-parody, and here we are. That said, it is a genuinely fun movie with classic slapstick and vaudeville humour from the titular comedy double act (<i>the latter in particular</i>), and even Glenn Strange finally gets much more to do as Frankenstein's Monster.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Futurama: 2023 Season</span></b> - supposedly production season 8, but is confusingly called anything from season 8 through 11 depending on how the episodes have been organised, counted, and broadcast in various territories. We're a few episodes deep now and it's been a bit of a mixed bag. Some have been hilariously inventive, while others have fallen a smidge flat, but it's very good to have the gang back together again after yet another heroic resurrection from cancellation.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Hannibal: Season 1, 2, & 3</span></b> - the three seasons originally broadcast between 2013 and 2015, so I'm coming to this quite late, but with fewer shows worth watching these days (<i>despite a huge selection of choice</i>) it was a good time to catch up on this one. Considering just how bad so much screenwriting has become in recent years (<i>a glaring example would be Disney's content factory of quantity decidedly coming before quality, or Netflix's buggering-up of <b>The Witcher</b>, or Prime's costly folly of <b>The Rings of Power</b></i>), it's a refreshing experience to find Hannibal so well written both in terms of character and plot.<br /><br />The pacing is pretty on-point for the most part as well, coming down to the discipline of writing for a network show - in this case NBC. Content restrictions are strangely evident, to be fair; despite some pretty intense gore and violence being commonplace throughout the show, swearing and nudity are taboo to a degree that is tonally bizarre (<i>yet entirely normal for the curious way American network television approaches its material</i>). Having recently found myself wanting for a really binge-worthy show to dig in to, this discovery from a few years back has been a joy to watch (<i>even when it gets particularly gruesome</i>). One's suspension of disbelief is occasionally tested as the second season gets into its later stages, and there is an increasing air of pretentiousness that creeps into the sumptuous visuals and layered dialogue as we move into the third season, which is far too talky and ponderous in its earlier episodes (<i>which, at the time of writing, is around about where I am in the story</i>), but these are only small quibbles.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Gymkhana Files</span></b> - 2018 documentary series about the filming of the tenth 'Gymkhana' stunt driving film starring the late Ken Block.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Le Mans: Racing Is Everything</span></b> - 2017 documentary series about the world famous road race.<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;"><u>SOUNDS:</u></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Guns n Roses "Hard Skool" and "Shadow of Your Love"<br /><br />M83 "Fantasy" (album)<br /><br />Alice Cooper "White Line Frankenstein"<br /><br />Return of the Living Dead (soundtrack album)<br /><br />The Jam "A Town Called Malice"<br /><br />Transvision Vamp "I Want Your Love", "Baby I Don't Care"</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;"><u>VIBES & FLAVOURS:</u></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Mafia (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - a 2020 remake of the 2002 videogame. I had played the other two games in years past, so it was nice to catch up with this new version of the original. As with the other games in the franchise, the open world is pretty empty in many regards, serving only the quite linear main campaign. This has always been a frustration with the franchise, even if <b>Mafia III</b> did try a little harder to engage with the format, but despite that this was a good play. Shorter than I expected, and with a couple of sloppy mission moments here or there, but it certainly gets a thumbs up from me.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"TerrorTome" by Garth Marenghi</span></b> - written by Matthew Holness (<i>under his pseudonymous alter-ego character name</i>), co-creator of <b>Garth Marenghi's Dark Place</b> (<i>see above</i>), this horror comedy novel is a lampooning of cheesy genre writing. Combining genuinely good writing by Holness with the tropes and outlooks of the writing of the Marenghi character, who is in-turn self-referenced through the horror author character of Nick Steen in the stories, TerrorTome elicits out-loud laughter. The Marenghi character writes like someone who is low on talent and exceedingly high on ego and ambition, riffing their own versions of other's works.<br /><br />Some references in TerrorTome hark to films like <b>Psycho </b>and <b>Halloween</b>, while key touchstones for stories include Stephen King's <b>The Dark Half</b> and Clive Barker's <b>Hellraiser</b>. The latter, in particular, involves a grotesquely humorous man/machine tryst as horror author Nick Steen gets into a sadomasochistic affair with a possessed typewriter. Very silly and very entertaining, this is an impressive balancing act of Holness' eye for well-written parody and Marenghi's penchant for self-centred nonsense-as-great-art.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-10536121855749904652023-07-10T15:38:00.003+01:002023-07-10T15:38:51.161+01:00Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-rama 2 (Brinke Stevens, 2022) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more exploitation movie reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4O8cex1y0vMAodjyk9Yit_-pb1M48wlFN0HsDX6-8K9VazT8c6Bp7lhSCEYWLqJXkC1vuoYCyk0YscZtldFPXjy25jmDMh_e02dnGMsuQLlp6MyTQgJWB7k_X6nzu31FvuEIvZXSW89e-CXSxTnWHCgjvIIsYbjTMuWTkDi2lgFM_SykNRAhTfF9iSLE5/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4O8cex1y0vMAodjyk9Yit_-pb1M48wlFN0HsDX6-8K9VazT8c6Bp7lhSCEYWLqJXkC1vuoYCyk0YscZtldFPXjy25jmDMh_e02dnGMsuQLlp6MyTQgJWB7k_X6nzu31FvuEIvZXSW89e-CXSxTnWHCgjvIIsYbjTMuWTkDi2lgFM_SykNRAhTfF9iSLE5/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>It's
nothing, just a little debauchery … in the bowling alley.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Belated sequels are always a tricky sell. Can you ever truly
recapture the magic of the original movie(s), the texture and tone of
the way they were shot, the time in which they were made, even the
attitudes of the period? Do you risk trampling on the memory of what
came before – just look at what happened with </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Indiana
Jones</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
which (</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">at the time
of writing</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
is looking to be on-course for a disastrous reception to it's fifth
entry (</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">a
belated-sequel of a belated-sequel</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">).
So, what about a raunchy horror-comedy from the heyday of the VHS
rental era – what will a thirty-four year gap between films mean to
the tale of a nefarious Imp trapped inside a bowling trophy?...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpXyaG8lelWRKmYzHiz3JxdcmjFotuQHeZW7lMGzu93kiqL0OCAmxCs2DvRV4hBgEcEkd-F7J9dq71yV0C6QvEfKrJ178obO985nLD2RANUr-jgK9yXvnoLYW7gc2akFVSDpNTzEbYvisnZPogR4afcAy_vq6Mg1d7fcBNN9QNlwl2ZvGgQQQEiFbhE3w/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpXyaG8lelWRKmYzHiz3JxdcmjFotuQHeZW7lMGzu93kiqL0OCAmxCs2DvRV4hBgEcEkd-F7J9dq71yV0C6QvEfKrJ178obO985nLD2RANUr-jgK9yXvnoLYW7gc2akFVSDpNTzEbYvisnZPogR4afcAy_vq6Mg1d7fcBNN9QNlwl2ZvGgQQQEiFbhE3w/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Pi-Delta
have always been the stink end of the sorority stick – ingrates,
degenerates, outcasts – filled with bad grades and easy, fast girls
… God, I miss those days!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
It's pledge night at Pi-Ep, with head girl Sarah (</span><i>Jessie
Gill</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) desperate to return the
beleaguered sorority to its glory days before their reputation was
tarnished in the wake of multiple mysterious deaths in the local
bowling alley thirty-plus years ago. Apparently Linnea Quigley's
character, Spider, from the original film was a pledge sister of the
Pi-Ep sorority, and now her sister Snake (</span><i>Kelli Maroney,
</i><i><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2023/02/scare-package-ii-rad-chads-revenge.html" target="_blank">Scare Package II</a></b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
is the hard-nosed den mother of the cursed bunch.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gsPJNOPAfS2cuDzL4_atTEfKKy5v2eUeVnQULqLH80ivqagOWo7c0nPfYqE9ChDCyw7MES_yTqAMm5JHvCW3qFfk8WNAgo-Ki6MV6nvBU8hic-q9SBpVFK2oCQvqsvJ5BttUXfplMULz6vXwJN12A0oc50EYldjcpqZyvxsSZgu0Y40_4jk2bE10OGlj/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gsPJNOPAfS2cuDzL4_atTEfKKy5v2eUeVnQULqLH80ivqagOWo7c0nPfYqE9ChDCyw7MES_yTqAMm5JHvCW3qFfk8WNAgo-Ki6MV6nvBU8hic-q9SBpVFK2oCQvqsvJ5BttUXfplMULz6vXwJN12A0oc50EYldjcpqZyvxsSZgu0Y40_4jk2bE10OGlj/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmYcfXLbjBXef-h4o1-JkWIvEi8xAXvvdEdE0giWbrvKdESAibKVIIbhk5QKw6z3V2PpPigsbGupnkQG_I4xZ-4ErOc3YtYroRlQNBAgqiINpWjF1EtdmSZPFiJNwnuefNKWNm5AtppLhb58kN3E6bELBNYZmgEGWTi-g0r9ELBOaeqJumr0sR_yr1eNF/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmYcfXLbjBXef-h4o1-JkWIvEi8xAXvvdEdE0giWbrvKdESAibKVIIbhk5QKw6z3V2PpPigsbGupnkQG_I4xZ-4ErOc3YtYroRlQNBAgqiINpWjF1EtdmSZPFiJNwnuefNKWNm5AtppLhb58kN3E6bELBNYZmgEGWTi-g0r9ELBOaeqJumr0sR_yr1eNF/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>In
our day we wore it like a badge of honour – our walks of shame were
legendary.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Sadly for
Sarah, only three pledges want anything to do with the sorority:
busty 'n' bubbly Ginger (</span><i>Audrey Neal</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
tattooed blonde Devon (</span><i>Hannah Tullett</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
and husky-voiced street-tough Bitsy (</span><i>Glory Rodriguez</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).
Will Pi-Ep even be able to scrape together enough to pay their dues?
Who knows, and who really cares? Not screenwriter Kent Roudebush
(</span><i><b>Evil Bong 3</b></i><i> through </i><i><b>8</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who whisks us away to a trio of catastrophically uncharismatic frat
bros – Turkey (</span><i>Nathan Blair</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
Dinger (</span><i>Justin Lupo</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
and Bart (</span><i>Luka Parente</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
– who have installed a couple of super-obvious webcams in the
girls' shower to spy on them (</span><i>not that they seem to
notice!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">). Er...?</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh7gCZFbEk5Ch-RIO5kLJLGLAhBaEkvcq4fqcm731AdmJIzJUUAj-jeBNfnDnlm6owKBJr_hkSWv5vSCgL3P0o6onroQSr_x7F0wKVRjb3I-_aeppjBjn3hfaVcXvoPQAUBiewED5a_5_nGSO2GwEd1Z6rlztDTizSc6krcIkjPKc0miMk_jT4iJ5MiQU/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh7gCZFbEk5Ch-RIO5kLJLGLAhBaEkvcq4fqcm731AdmJIzJUUAj-jeBNfnDnlm6owKBJr_hkSWv5vSCgL3P0o6onroQSr_x7F0wKVRjb3I-_aeppjBjn3hfaVcXvoPQAUBiewED5a_5_nGSO2GwEd1Z6rlztDTizSc6krcIkjPKc0miMk_jT4iJ5MiQU/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>No
man shall fill my void.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Captured, but not in the slightest bit punished for their
transgressions, the frat boys merrily join the sorority girls as they
seek to perform the final task of their pledge to Pi-Ep. So what
exactly needs doing? Return to the bowling alley and, yup, steal the
same old trophy all over again. Surely nothing bad will come of
totally re-hashing the same plot of the original movie?</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkQka4iX8d5FgSNMZ0RuADDaOD1Q0C_-tyFDHhbqr5fFBER8OfsYSqLR4e5_O-fOMAu7gx_j7vyue5tsclfeTQ3SY9JZZ5UepxMI-K88F2SfUsJ1bO32rcxF3n8XxG-g5zLZa62PO2CM-GVBxznXrtoRJW3ZpjLgTbh6cgAqCLkaWRKlbFs2zdiDWfGj4/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkQka4iX8d5FgSNMZ0RuADDaOD1Q0C_-tyFDHhbqr5fFBER8OfsYSqLR4e5_O-fOMAu7gx_j7vyue5tsclfeTQ3SY9JZZ5UepxMI-K88F2SfUsJ1bO32rcxF3n8XxG-g5zLZa62PO2CM-GVBxznXrtoRJW3ZpjLgTbh6cgAqCLkaWRKlbFs2zdiDWfGj4/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
like her bottom line.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Already struggling to navigate the tone, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Sorority
Babes 2</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> stumbles forth
with its cast of wretched frat boys and party girls with paper thin
personalities, flailing about wildly as it tries to rip-off the
original movie beat-by-beat (</span><i>ish</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
but with none of the enjoyable pizazz or sparky charm of the original
film and its cast. Speaking of, when this new set of college co-eds
accidentally unleash the wish-granting Imp from its bowling trophy
prison, Taffy and Lisa (</span><i>Brinke Stevens, also serving as
Director, and Michelle Bauer</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
from the original movie make a cameo appearance. It's nice to see
them back, but it's too little far too late at around 40 minutes into
a 62 minute movie … yes, </span><i>sixty-two</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
minutes all-in.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBt2jNCgMrociC143CLsuvtWkIP5HftNrG_YDy9q8JEBGhHfXFVHgdEAorq97q5DPBxtVMzj7iprYXGBih8-EKXMsts3D0DKJ6HT7kmAjyLihKf4GeKVYkiYT8ifEPgCdf_J9actSBjrh2WCk7yYqI333beIl28lnZTctOfu6TSiWo6f40A5HyKfhYX-a/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBt2jNCgMrociC143CLsuvtWkIP5HftNrG_YDy9q8JEBGhHfXFVHgdEAorq97q5DPBxtVMzj7iprYXGBih8-EKXMsts3D0DKJ6HT7kmAjyLihKf4GeKVYkiYT8ifEPgCdf_J9actSBjrh2WCk7yYqI333beIl28lnZTctOfu6TSiWo6f40A5HyKfhYX-a/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcHwIs6u4BJ4IwLmlg0Ltzd1lIdOelZcyeowYURKRQ-P4PUoAwI8CL6UiYPCZSbSOPM_C3dJt-0s8l4mP5GLs5dy9c85YB-5ttE6qBEGJsj5hUv4sTxS5eUelfav7hPpYY9oKnOWz18UVAzKRwo663aSIF3ZiSHMLIJhkIkYdAcJl7Yw-EZCCLpV1hQHZ/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcHwIs6u4BJ4IwLmlg0Ltzd1lIdOelZcyeowYURKRQ-P4PUoAwI8CL6UiYPCZSbSOPM_C3dJt-0s8l4mP5GLs5dy9c85YB-5ttE6qBEGJsj5hUv4sTxS5eUelfav7hPpYY9oKnOWz18UVAzKRwo663aSIF3ZiSHMLIJhkIkYdAcJl7Yw-EZCCLpV1hQHZ/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>That
looks kinda ouchie.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Having played for time in a fairly uninteresting manner for much of
the duration thus far, the movie suddenly gets itself into a heck of
a rush to whip through some wishes-gone-wrong as encounters with 'the
perfect man' and literally being able to crap-out cash go awry.
Indeed, the movie is in </span><i>such</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
a God-damned rush that nobody thought to pull down one of the frat
boy's jeans before projectile-farting-out of oodles of greenbacks.
But this is the unfortunate case with this belated sequel – too
little time, too little thought, and too little money has been
invested into it. The first half drags, the second half is in a
terrible hurry, and playing-for-time only really works when you've
got the script and the performers to pull it off (</span><i>see the
1980s Scream Queen trifecta of Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, and
Brinke Stevens in the first-half of </i><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Nightmare Sisters</b></i></a><i>
for an excellent example of how to do it right</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWCdB_mEfg26YBI-FWZDjlyDuBYY31mSYJa3f31vRxkbOt6g7hpPV2qXNdQhvkqgKbswvyosFB2bhvnkdzJkeB94XwgapZ78J9RCDDM9hipDAdMjWbzHyCMzPcEaZw6S6tJKLix7s5uLDREaS0T1D_t9R2-XorT0dEAucNEInT5OHjPtR1e1cGDDhJWxh/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWCdB_mEfg26YBI-FWZDjlyDuBYY31mSYJa3f31vRxkbOt6g7hpPV2qXNdQhvkqgKbswvyosFB2bhvnkdzJkeB94XwgapZ78J9RCDDM9hipDAdMjWbzHyCMzPcEaZw6S6tJKLix7s5uLDREaS0T1D_t9R2-XorT0dEAucNEInT5OHjPtR1e1cGDDhJWxh/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkhia0Q0cP9_ScUbbKvPH0HZWCxsM3uXn-F8PdMI3sS9AM5adIMEAGH91JIc8TAsyjFUfXKDj9omR-MingpXGjwjoYzd8LxBG0yV8h_3LLzqWH-ThY4Rmrf0ZIz21qH5e_Dl9l2FH0CDr017LhRNB0DSbdv6BLpxczW8cEwDpIiDNXRTH6cYuNTNXlmlB/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkhia0Q0cP9_ScUbbKvPH0HZWCxsM3uXn-F8PdMI3sS9AM5adIMEAGH91JIc8TAsyjFUfXKDj9omR-MingpXGjwjoYzd8LxBG0yV8h_3LLzqWH-ThY4Rmrf0ZIz21qH5e_Dl9l2FH0CDr017LhRNB0DSbdv6BLpxczW8cEwDpIiDNXRTH6cYuNTNXlmlB/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>These
chicks are full-on free spirits.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Unfortunately, the flatly-lit and atmosphere-free </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Sorority
Babes 2</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> never really
finds its footing, and falls a great deal short of its beloved
predecessor. However, it'd be entirely unfair to overlook the
admirably game efforts of the likes of Audrey Neal and Jessie Gill,
the latter of whom really goes all-in to stand-out, imbuing her
underwritten character with much more charm and humour than the
source material seemingly provided. It's a shame, really, as the
entire cast have either very little or nothing at all to work with.
Bitsy is just a poor man's Spider and her slapdash 'romance' with
Turkey comes out-of-nowhere and isn't in the slightest bit earned,
while almost everyone else gets three fifths of bugger all to chew
on.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IFYy1YHySiGsZPXcsPAgsIetlFI2MNhbZZboTiU4NJNdiOnBWhH5e_7Tm-dFaaZwqTVqKLL_EYC1e2H3DJaCyfNIqGJwT6LCu27QWe_VPvZR675Sd3zQgWx9ikFrkcRMPEeugDYdZ0LnlVSL4Wvu115Yuew7ySCsF1zv2e2Tew80rSOre32OFBPCWXfu/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IFYy1YHySiGsZPXcsPAgsIetlFI2MNhbZZboTiU4NJNdiOnBWhH5e_7Tm-dFaaZwqTVqKLL_EYC1e2H3DJaCyfNIqGJwT6LCu27QWe_VPvZR675Sd3zQgWx9ikFrkcRMPEeugDYdZ0LnlVSL4Wvu115Yuew7ySCsF1zv2e2Tew80rSOre32OFBPCWXfu/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzjrRG90f8EhRZKOUwziBchgBIHyWA5uenRIog1yXt8p-4M0RGFVVPPjenXbuzDu3XPkhzyl_pNxHE5a2gVxHuMNxn_jGv5Qe-4aR8Cp0do6pWV2vTJnXJ8gzmnkFAWK8IjrvnydD4Of6-xhKsPGqGDrOcl-huYj3hV9l_gyk_GHqbJ5WMIE3oF0kGwtV/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzjrRG90f8EhRZKOUwziBchgBIHyWA5uenRIog1yXt8p-4M0RGFVVPPjenXbuzDu3XPkhzyl_pNxHE5a2gVxHuMNxn_jGv5Qe-4aR8Cp0do6pWV2vTJnXJ8gzmnkFAWK8IjrvnydD4Of6-xhKsPGqGDrOcl-huYj3hV9l_gyk_GHqbJ5WMIE3oF0kGwtV/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Be
careful, big boy – my Daddy's in the NRA.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Considering the notion that the Pi-Ep sorority are at risk of not
being able to pay-off their dues at all, it's baffling that the movie
opts to just do a lazy retread of the original flick. The movie could
have started with, fittingly and for instance, a bikini car wash gone
wrong in a disastrous attempt to get the cash to pay the dues – the
mysterious reputation of Pi-Ep and their run of bad luck could have
come into play from the get-go. Taking pity on the likes of Sarah and
her cohort Tiffany (</span><i>Katie O'Neill</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
Ginger and Devon (</span><i>perhaps made to look more as outsiders
failing to get in at any other sorority</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
could have chosen to pledge to Pi-Ep with Bitsy joining-in with a
much more fleshed-out backstory to tie her to Auntie Snake.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGwww82diGNa2UcA50uKbunTPuVwhqeO4PJyTJOTxDmDAWIt51bgKLMBYCliLiEk4_qu4zgyMKgMWmPKZmqW6YO5x6iqamt2OQssvABHE8xQclfc_uWLFLx8036k294pNAoY-qmVloYuG5y_efsionUuHKlebRPVpdKqz3ZvSxKpf4bp0IM5NujtfIQSg/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGwww82diGNa2UcA50uKbunTPuVwhqeO4PJyTJOTxDmDAWIt51bgKLMBYCliLiEk4_qu4zgyMKgMWmPKZmqW6YO5x6iqamt2OQssvABHE8xQclfc_uWLFLx8036k294pNAoY-qmVloYuG5y_efsionUuHKlebRPVpdKqz3ZvSxKpf4bp0IM5NujtfIQSg/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Then,
upon discovering that a wish-granting creature lay inside that fabled
bowling trophy, Sarah could have instructed her pledges to steal it
and bring it back to the sorority house so she could use it to try
and solve all of the sorority's problems. Combined with more defined
and fulfilling characters, greatly-improved pacing (</span><i>the
original ran for a brisk, but suitable, 80 minutes</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
better-deployed raunchiness, and some decent low budget gore gags,
and </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Sorority Babes 2</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
might have turned out to be a little gem. Instead though, Brinke
Stevens and the cast have been lumbered with this frustrating
swing-and-a-miss. This could have – and should have – been so
much more than it turned out to be.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2mjQ5Y09EfFVNpctrgsFL0Ot6Zt7ARxD8YIc5Qdx21oubwZNEQCCJl5MZA8AKKyTZpWznafKxfBoCr9BZogiBW3ncsUk97eVzeH9Q8Epa6NFRNFyPAs7DRgtA4aER3COWNncoYMgV_PXFt8lfmjoJ84QxEGm_YURDR5TvHCUi1PFO2caHiZ-NjOkjs53/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2mjQ5Y09EfFVNpctrgsFL0Ot6Zt7ARxD8YIc5Qdx21oubwZNEQCCJl5MZA8AKKyTZpWznafKxfBoCr9BZogiBW3ncsUk97eVzeH9Q8Epa6NFRNFyPAs7DRgtA4aER3COWNncoYMgV_PXFt8lfmjoJ84QxEGm_YURDR5TvHCUi1PFO2caHiZ-NjOkjs53/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdWxMzcA4NIGoyPJ-f8m9mCAzP7R1OsAjykZWNCl8HOiFyEEwaCB_GQ9p7wFftCGwsqiMFBPo_6tIMowlUpxEUAQiGOnmySLpe48UQ3KU5lacIzc3o7GzbZe--e-KhHMrr-log3Hdg7q8X3hOtJvWguzxd3ldLDCETNt9aWfnhAFT2YXfx8c6QFmxUtPg/s1280/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdWxMzcA4NIGoyPJ-f8m9mCAzP7R1OsAjykZWNCl8HOiFyEEwaCB_GQ9p7wFftCGwsqiMFBPo_6tIMowlUpxEUAQiGOnmySLpe48UQ3KU5lacIzc3o7GzbZe--e-KhHMrr-log3Hdg7q8X3hOtJvWguzxd3ldLDCETNt9aWfnhAFT2YXfx8c6QFmxUtPg/s320/Sorority%20Babes%20in%20the%20Slimeball%20Bowl-o-rama%202%20(2022)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Word
to the wise, choose your words wisely.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Supposedly, the budget for this movie was $500,000, but fibbing about
such figures is a common practice in the world of low budget
exploitation filmmaking. However, it's a bit of a piss-take when you
consider that the <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/sorority-babes-in-slimeball-bowl-o-rama.html" target="_blank">original 1988 movie</a> was not only a </span><i>far</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
better looking movie (</span><i>and shot on real film, not digital</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
featured much more coverage, special effects, and two major stunts (</span><i>a
full body burn and a spectacular car flip</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
– and all for $90,000, which, when adjusted for 2022 inflation, is
just north of $222,000. Suffice to say, but there's no way in Hell
this movie cost half a million dollars, and if it actually did then I
simply don't know where the money went – because it sure as shite
wasn't in the vicinity of the screen.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-80280031990264426782023-06-30T11:39:00.002+01:002023-07-01T14:50:09.215+01:00Flavours of the Month: May & June 2023...<p>Ghoulish horrors, gritty criminal cases, and a spine-tingling trip into the woods are some of what's been setting the tone of my May & June 2023...<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="color: red;">LOOKS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Florida Man</span></b> - crime caper limited series created by Donald Todd. I enjoyed it well enough, even though it perhaps doesn't quite grab audience expectations of a title like that with gusto. It took a little bit of getting into, but there was plenty to entertain along the way.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Crime: Series 1</span></b> - based on Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name, the Scottish author co-writes this television adaptation for ITVX with Dean Cavanagh. It treads familiar ground to other gritty crime dramas, but Welsh's writing style brings some freshness with it, as well as moments of caustic wit to balance out the grimmest depths of the story. Dougray Scott plays a battered and beleaguered DI Ray Lennox alongside his more wide-eyed partner DS Amanda Drummond. I thoroughly enjoyed it (<i>as much as you can 'enjoy' something so dark, that is</i>), and will be looking forward to the forthcoming second series, which was filmed last year.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">James May: Oh Cook!: Series 2</span></b> - a welcome return for this quirky cookery show. I have no interest in cooking, nor cooking shows, but being a big fan of <b>Top Gear</b> and <b>The Grand Tour</b>, as well as many of James Mays solo shows (<i>including his excellent travel series, also on Prime</i>), this was a fun watch. May's style of puncturing the fourth wall of television production adds a splash of uniqueness, that rumpled sense of British levity, while his gentle deployment of myriad facts on any given subject make for great viewing.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">I Think You Should Leave: Season 3</span></b> - perhaps not quite as fresh as the previous two seasons, but the return of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin's 'cringe sketch comedy' series is still very much welcome.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">White House Plumbers</span></b> - political satire mini-series created by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck, starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux as E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy respectively, the two main players in the Watergate scandal that lead to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Showing that calamitous cock-ups nestle comfortably alongside deliberate conspiracy, it makes for a breezy watch that often leaves you stunned by some of the nonsense that went on behind the true story.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Don't Go In The House (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - the limited edition Arrow Video Blu-Ray of this 1980 psychological horror movie, which can be summed up as 'Psycho with a flamethrower'. Written by Ellen Hammill, Joe Masefield, and Jospeh Ellison (<i>who was also the director</i>), it dives into dark themes with a gritty presentation. The first time I saw it I was a little bit disappointed, but to be fair I was expecting something a bit different - not a typical slasher, but perhaps something more along the lines of <b>Maniac </b>(<i>also 1980, also a controversial and dark psychological horror film - but considerably more gruesome</i>). However, after reading about the film in Stephen Thrower's "Nightmare USA" book, I fancied giving the film another shot and, going into it more prepared, I found a much better film than I did the first time around - a justified classic of the horror genre and video nasty era.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Colour Out Of Space (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - directed by Richard Stanley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scarlett Amaris, this gooey and unsettling doom-laden sci-fi horror is based on H.P. Lovecraft's story of the same name.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Piranha 3DD (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - a cheap and cheerful load of old schlock and sleaze in this gory monster fish sequel. The 2010 movie is obviously far better, but as low budget quick-turnaround sequels go, it's still an awful lot of fun.<br /><b><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">Dracula (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - I picked up a boxset of eight Universal Monster movies, which I've not seen since a slew of them were shown on late night TV (<i>BBC2, if I remember correctly</i>) back in the 1990s. <b>Dracula </b>is obviously a classic, but it is somewhat stagey and clunky, especially after the great opening twenty minutes, while the jarring lack of sound and music throughout so much of the film saps some of its potential energy and atmosphere. Interestingly, while I've only seen a few clips of it thus far, the simultaneously-shot Spanish language version seems to be a much more impressive production, even if it simply cannot match Bela Lugosi's performance as the titular blood sucker.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Frankenstein (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - produced just a few months on from <b>Dracula</b>, James Whale's film is still a hugely impressive thing to behold, with gorgeous set design, an audio track filled with crashing storms, zip-zapping scientific equipment, and furious townsfolk calling for blood. Beautifully shot, and with a delicious sense of humour, this blows <b>Dracula </b>out of the water as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Mummy (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - kind of repeating many of the same beats as <b>Dracula</b>, this one is honestly quite disappointing. I remember not being all that fussed by it when I originally saw it and the feeling remains the same. The classic image of Karloff as the title character is only seen very briefly and, after the first ten minutes or so, the film becomes a bit of a plodding affair.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Invisible Man (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - the first time I saw this one it made a big impression and still, all these years later, the power remains. Once again with James Whale directing, this one is a properly good film, boasting a surprisingly amount of bite for a film of its vintage (<i>balanced out with some even more delicious humour</i>). Great effects for the time, too!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Black Mirror: Season 6</span></b> - a four-year break has give the show a boost, allowing some time for new developments in technology to inspire some twisted new tales in Charlie Brooker's Netflix series (<i>formerly of Channel 4</i>). "<b>Joan Is Awful</b>" is a clash of corporate abandonment of creative artists in favour of AI technology, cancel culture, and public shaming for a multi-layered and darkly humorous story that is jam-packed with myriad ideas. "<b>Loch Henry</b>" takes a spin on the true crime documentary and was one of my favourites from this latest batch of episodes. "<b>Beyond The Sea</b>" is over-long, but the alternative 1969 space mission and use of 'machine clones' provides typically juicy <b>Black Mirror</b> ground from which to dig up a tasty and twisted tale. "<b>Mazey Day</b>" is, for me, the weak link of the five new episodes. It has little new or interesting to say about the paparazzi and celebrity culture, and the twist similarly adds little to proceedings. "<b>Demon 79</b>" rounds things out with another long episode, but this time better-paced than the third story, dusting a bit of Hammer Horror with British humour and social commentary. I'm not so sure how it really fits in with the ouvre of <b>Black Mirror</b>, but technically it is part of something possibly new called 'Red Mirror' (<i>a horror brand off-shoot to tell different stories?</i>) and nonetheless the episode works a treat.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">John Wick 4 (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - on the franchise's own scale, the fourth entry is the least of them, however by any other scale that means it's one of the best films of the year, or past several years. I remember saying something similar about the third movie, with the sequels all becoming increasingly elaborate and grandiose in scale, slipping further and further away from the stripped-down simplicity of the original film. Further exploration of the stunningly architectural 'Wickverse' is welcome, of course, but did this film really need to be pushing three hours long? Similarly, the blind assassin angle is simultaneously awesome and too silly, while the notion of bullet proof three-piece suits is somewhat like painting yourself into a corner. Caveats aside, though, there's still plenty to really enjoy. Two main highlights for me was the absolute slog up the steps towards the Sacré-Coeur and, most of all, the 'Hotline Miami' style top-down action sequence as Wick blasts through a building with dragon's breath shotgun shells - and that's on top of the huge dust-up at the Osaka Continental and the rough-and-tumble of the Arc de Triumph sequence. Epic stuff, alright.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Avatar: The Way of Water (Blu-Ray)</span></b> - fixing some of the storytelling issues with the original movie, and making the already convincing world of Pandora even more jaw-dropping, James Cameron's long-awaited return won't win over those who didn't like the original movie, but will give more of what fans want. It's over-long at north of three hours, mind you, but it must also be said that the film is a remarkable technical achievement (<i>digging into the extra features, your mind boggles at the complexity and artistry of it all</i>).<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Catching Killers: Season 3</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">SOUNDS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>M83 "Fantasy" (album)<br /><br />Foo Fighters "But Here We Are" (album)</b></span><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">VIBES & FLAVOURS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"This Storm" by James Ellroy</span></b> - the second part of the crime author's second 'L.A. Quartet'. Ellroy has spoken of how he wants to write "grandiose" fiction, and <b>This Storm</b> certainly is that. However, the problem that <b>This Storm</b> endures is an over-complicated plot and an abundance of criss-crossing characters with the book is told from the perspectives of five key individuals. The story is so entangled with innumerable players, many of whom have murky dealings with friends and enemies alike (<i>and often espouse contradictory political machinations simultaneously</i>), that Ellroy has to continually remind the reader of the main beats of the story (<i>much better that he does, than doesn't, of course</i>), but its indicative of the over-complexity and the sometimes too-gradual progression of the plot. Grandiose for grandiosity's sake is easily troublesome.<br /><br />Despite it's gargantuan length, <b>Perfidia </b>(<i>the opening, and preceding, portion of the second L.A. quartet</i>) kept a slightly more focused story and brutally whisked the reader through its sprawling narrative. <b>This Storm</b>, on the other hand, too often gets lost in its underworld of clashing extremist politics as North America enters World War II, criss-crossing US/Mexico criminal conspiracies, exiled musicians, a years-old gold heist mystery, and a multiple-murder. Combined with Ellroy's long-established stacato style of writing in clipped sentences, the onslaught of information is simultaneously brief and overwhelming. However, issues aside, when the story is firing on all cylinders, fans of Ellroy's work will still get what they're seeking - but it'd be advisable to bring along a machete to hack through the undergrowth, and perhaps make notes, breadcrumbs style, in order to keep track of the story.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Blair Witch (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - using some of the world-expanding ideas put forth in the 2016 sequel film, the game proves to be a tense and claustrophobic experience. The frame rate is inconsistent at times (<i>particularly in the part leading towards the Saw Mill section</i>), but the disorientation gets your palms sweating, while the climactic chapter in the infamous house proves to be a real spine chiller. The requirements for the 'good ending' are a bit restrictive, and it's highly likely you'll get the 'bad ending' on your first play through, but other than that (<i>and the occasional framerate issues</i>) it's well worth checking out for fans of the found footage horror series.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Diddly Squat: 'Til The Cows Come Home" by Jeremy Clarkson</span></b> - being a big fan of the series on Prime (<i>as well as the previous book</i>), this second book was simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny and illuminating on the embattled state of British farming thanks to, among other things, Brexit and completely useless government policy (<i>or even total lack thereof</i>).<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Spider-Man/Deadpool: Omnibus Vol. 1"</span></b> - a couple of the issues in this collection land like a dead seagull, with some desperately cringeworthy 2016-era political commentary that's aged as well as a fart in a lift, but over-the-piece I enjoyed it even though I'm not much of a comics reader.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-80657547608867649762023-05-16T17:02:00.000+01:002023-05-16T17:02:12.281+01:00Evil Dead Rise (Lee Cronin, 2023) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more horror reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom0XIXwrwcrjRgrsLmHURRur5B4bSFmCUj2wkjxrXvgyL_s-iTu3xpzUI_azHsZAZTSRyrodPyaOlTc657rOU9t3nQ-HVW4VspuakCg-Xsd41s5-E0QJaBvW4uoaVyHGtI3U5_KEAB4D7DVc7g_UxvfdlAv9IFe-atrA-B-n8opM9xJllJjm58CJ2nA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgom0XIXwrwcrjRgrsLmHURRur5B4bSFmCUj2wkjxrXvgyL_s-iTu3xpzUI_azHsZAZTSRyrodPyaOlTc657rOU9t3nQ-HVW4VspuakCg-Xsd41s5-E0QJaBvW4uoaVyHGtI3U5_KEAB4D7DVc7g_UxvfdlAv9IFe-atrA-B-n8opM9xJllJjm58CJ2nA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Don't
let it take my babies!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>
</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sam
Raimi's notorious 1983 film </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
Evil Dead</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was described by horror icon Stephen King as “the most ferociously
original horror film of the year”, with the poster justifiably
promising “the ultimate experience in gruelling terror”, and went
on to spawn a decades-long franchise across all media platforms. A
few years on from the unfortunately early and entirely unfair demise
of the </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ash vs Evil
Dead</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
television show, the original team return to exec produce a new tale
in the soul-swallowing series. But considering the fan favourite
pedigree of what has skewered audience eyeballs thus far, can </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Evil
Dead Rise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
leave the track record unbroken...?</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMjW5pIoxe3UGKKeQdSOFXvBKN3lY1uLAj4jtLpg2YmtdozNLlnEaTS3AyisKBURetXJ_WToRVWQr0f0wYcr017EPtCj9Cn-0TMHYJUJ_WRG0R0lKxxwsxoMkb5F9mE9QmWkE4V8GEUThpE22pWpViFDcFhInkusaeYAQLfkJXPGgMhD_8ONnBKLhVw/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMjW5pIoxe3UGKKeQdSOFXvBKN3lY1uLAj4jtLpg2YmtdozNLlnEaTS3AyisKBURetXJ_WToRVWQr0f0wYcr017EPtCj9Cn-0TMHYJUJ_WRG0R0lKxxwsxoMkb5F9mE9QmWkE4V8GEUThpE22pWpViFDcFhInkusaeYAQLfkJXPGgMhD_8ONnBKLhVw/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You
looked like you were gonna shit out a brick sideways.”</b></i></span>
Transported from the familiar woodland setting of previous <b>Evil
Dead</b> films and into the crumbling structure of a city apartment
building, newly-single mother Ellie (<i>Alyssa Sutherland</i>) is
struggling to keep her family on-track when her absent sister Beth
(<i>Lily Sullivan</i>) returns from the road just as an earthquake
hits the soon-to-be-condemned structure. Built on top of a former
bank, a hole unveils a secret vault adorned with countless religious
totems surrounding a cracked-open tomb that houses one of <i>now
three</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> volumes of 'The Book of
the Dead'. Accompanied by vinyl recordings of fascinated men of
religion examining the book's text – inked in human blood upon
pages made from human skin – Ellie's music-obsessed son Danny
(</span><i>Morgan Davies</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) makes
the unwise decision to do some sleuthing in the netherworld, much to
the disgust of climate protester sister Bridget (</span><i>Gabrielle
Echols</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) … and gosh, wouldn't
you know it, but things don't go very well from there!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivy3jjZjU7VhzM2KrmV-OZyTHupMuuA1uBJFe_gVpoHijb2B70fS2E1DZ6NQjXxYD08Z3pdmRbKgHz29gvbMWbqcAfunvt7DcwOrosTMihw9I0O0v_68AeKjB88IsmpbTMgOkIDx1FTgm-bfjj-DN1by6BFJgnm7jemSdE6AkczNNJxkRX-M7X3aLV9A/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivy3jjZjU7VhzM2KrmV-OZyTHupMuuA1uBJFe_gVpoHijb2B70fS2E1DZ6NQjXxYD08Z3pdmRbKgHz29gvbMWbqcAfunvt7DcwOrosTMihw9I0O0v_68AeKjB88IsmpbTMgOkIDx1FTgm-bfjj-DN1by6BFJgnm7jemSdE6AkczNNJxkRX-M7X3aLV9A/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Who's
the brainless meat puppet now?”</b></i></span> So let's cut to the
aforementioned chase – does <b>Evil Dead Rise</b> leave the
unbroken track record of the franchise's ass-kickery intact? Well, as
an affirmed lover of all things <b>Evil Dead</b>, it comes with a
heavy horror fiend's heart to say that <b>EDR</b> is as plagued with
fundamental problems as the Necronomicon is with passages unconducive
to living a happy, soulful life.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3s1neBSr13MaYOVi0XeWK_t0300KWBj2PZrmMzjkfb1MLnvQWXzJubgTlJBr5slV_i8Mc2AxxYWl7mFKYLqX78G7MI4czzI6JjcQv2BVJ_QE8Q53wBEfgMkN0wsibrT842ubbhy-ETqjxo8K_BA9wmvc8AMs8iIDpJVrw5GiMoxwuKyipM6IYt-1Mw/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3s1neBSr13MaYOVi0XeWK_t0300KWBj2PZrmMzjkfb1MLnvQWXzJubgTlJBr5slV_i8Mc2AxxYWl7mFKYLqX78G7MI4czzI6JjcQv2BVJ_QE8Q53wBEfgMkN0wsibrT842ubbhy-ETqjxo8K_BA9wmvc8AMs8iIDpJVrw5GiMoxwuKyipM6IYt-1Mw/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">A
considerable fault with the film, which in-turn impacts one's
investment in the events to come, is the cast of characters – most
of whom offer little reason to care about them. One of the causes of
this is simple: cast size. The main familial unit consists of five
individuals (<i>at least one too many</i>), and then there's several
neighbours – including Gabriel (<i>Jayden Daniels</i>) and Mr Fonda
(<i>Mark Mitchinson</i>), whose characterisations both comfortably
fit on a single postage stamp – plus the trio of bog-standard stock
characters in the opening sequence: mousy book nerd Teresa, obnoxious
tosspot Caleb, and empty vessel Jessica.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbFpHfJAqo59o8HRyF6xRSk81f1lS7_VnOC07fgfMpGnJ-UhIdvmURRfFMY2BVEfbZ1FLY01EZBDjzXcK8c-4uWHKihFdIZeQkYqInYPkehyVSX79TEjN3T7jpxpcAJL_hFCvCOFHuFpOm5pstF7fbT-wHMOU4DxZOD-LzEU706ZqB3PJIT9ThG3Glg/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpbFpHfJAqo59o8HRyF6xRSk81f1lS7_VnOC07fgfMpGnJ-UhIdvmURRfFMY2BVEfbZ1FLY01EZBDjzXcK8c-4uWHKihFdIZeQkYqInYPkehyVSX79TEjN3T7jpxpcAJL_hFCvCOFHuFpOm5pstF7fbT-wHMOU4DxZOD-LzEU706ZqB3PJIT9ThG3Glg/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Other
reasons for the dull and paper-thin characters are, ironically, a
little more complex. The entire family unit are what one might call
'bohemian alternative', all burgeoning with spectacular creative
abilities (<i>tattoo artistry, DJ'ing</i>), tech-savvy skills
(<i>build-your-own tattoo gun or impromptu power source</i>), snarky
mouths (<i>some dialogue is eye-rollingly awkward</i>), 'quirky'
personalities or, tiresomely de rigueur for the 2020s, engagement in
heavy-handed politics. Indeed, by far, Bridget is the most instantly
frustrating character introduced to the audience, taking mere moments
to be smug, selfish, and whiny. It's an odd talent to make a viewer
desperate to see the demise of a character within seconds of screen
time, and one that should never come within a sniff of a page of a
screenplay. As an example of just how bad that can be, check out
<span style="font-style: normal;"><b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/03/texas-chainsaw-massacre-david-blue.html" target="_blank">Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022</a></b></span>.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmMGmoqj8-4PrkaH7Btn9RobNgfRbDu0zm2O09mvBHgLhMVYZG4WuT3IYKZ1S9FkltNt-E7B32LzOoXgDmEd8CaczGXiclDlvAhziWDIseeIzVJ5gluEg144jLZN222QVAojQt5LsfBUhBH_vaXDrIWC8vojq7SM0vAqHlATdf19BFrYo9muFy2FVzA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmMGmoqj8-4PrkaH7Btn9RobNgfRbDu0zm2O09mvBHgLhMVYZG4WuT3IYKZ1S9FkltNt-E7B32LzOoXgDmEd8CaczGXiclDlvAhziWDIseeIzVJ5gluEg144jLZN222QVAojQt5LsfBUhBH_vaXDrIWC8vojq7SM0vAqHlATdf19BFrYo9muFy2FVzA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WpbLFjUZFhJv0rMiBpyvru6ddzvI1wGUexEyX1QbpNwYiPoRuRpAcP5EJxG4tFIqCne4LHt0hzHzcLfHcviWKQHlg1sYhVU9oNV6VyvV85e83BSltyzeoNQy78jB_TOXJnMOsBE-4h8D58VL10Uf0Wszd8jkUqkI0rLmoD7M4MRJsOsada9xVaQ3Mw/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WpbLFjUZFhJv0rMiBpyvru6ddzvI1wGUexEyX1QbpNwYiPoRuRpAcP5EJxG4tFIqCne4LHt0hzHzcLfHcviWKQHlg1sYhVU9oNV6VyvV85e83BSltyzeoNQy78jB_TOXJnMOsBE-4h8D58VL10Uf0Wszd8jkUqkI0rLmoD7M4MRJsOsada9xVaQ3Mw/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It's not
a clean sweep of dreadful characters, but the bizarre lack of diverse
personalities on offer certainly doesn't help. If every main
character is coming from the same outlook and background, the chance
for conflict and clashing attributes dries up quick. However, guitar
tech auntie Beth, tattoo artist mother Ellie, and mostly-endearing
youngest sprog Kassie (<i>Nell Fisher</i>) do somewhat stem the tidal
wave of blank vessels that otherwise dominate the cast. That said,
there's still plenty of room for underdeveloped backstories and some
mind-numbingly stupid decisions made so something interesting can
happen. Most egregious, though, is that <b>Rise</b> struggles to make
room for its protagonist, leaving the viewer wanting of a clear lead
to root for until, at long last, they come to the forefront in the
final act – by which point most of the audience's goodwill has long
since dried up.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX6h7Y-GQkEF-tv2Y7AQAtpS4bTPPd8LYxmrX1BUq2ygxGBvnvDio53aTm6qoVeYiHXGgcFL5CZq69pZkty6lA3Dq2yIyJWg13hy96pV1Ocw2Jd1x_sRhSGRiXsApkLWcwMekr3pW_tmCl8BiMSUiuQxGgu88t9VfXeQ0Jy1Mlfb-cPkYly-0KiS1g/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX6h7Y-GQkEF-tv2Y7AQAtpS4bTPPd8LYxmrX1BUq2ygxGBvnvDio53aTm6qoVeYiHXGgcFL5CZq69pZkty6lA3Dq2yIyJWg13hy96pV1Ocw2Jd1x_sRhSGRiXsApkLWcwMekr3pW_tmCl8BiMSUiuQxGgu88t9VfXeQ0Jy1Mlfb-cPkYly-0KiS1g/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“</span><i><b><span style="color: red;">Look
Mom, I'm a bad ass!”</span> </b></i>The movie boastingly references <b>Evil
Dead II</b> a great deal throughout its running time, but ultimately
all this does is remind the viewer that <b>Evil Dead Rise</b> fails
to possess any of the wit, energy, or invention of Sam Raimi's 1987
film (<i>or any of them, for that matter</i>). Further to this, <b>Rise</b>
also lacks the dizzying visual verve found in all the previous
entries, as well as <b>Ash vs Evil Dead</b>, to the point that this
2023 film actually begins to feel rather pedestrian in its coverage,
at times preferring to almost grind to a lazy stupor while supposed
“terror through total chaos” occurs in a less-than-arresting
fashion.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn-aGsDwcRfHmXBRUU0yBFdLVUHLv27np0UAmY4IkzG8lGDHe-gax7BY69EsWgbgC6OekggVfwifa49rBNk3q3m-LS_QqJzf961xqhyh-vJuJg7OIZRDsfFx4vCSKUB92zzgZr95UWNZ1eqHwHPQTRizJ4_HmSP9a9MYuBw65p--R83TGfqzlDY15LQ/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmn-aGsDwcRfHmXBRUU0yBFdLVUHLv27np0UAmY4IkzG8lGDHe-gax7BY69EsWgbgC6OekggVfwifa49rBNk3q3m-LS_QqJzf961xqhyh-vJuJg7OIZRDsfFx4vCSKUB92zzgZr95UWNZ1eqHwHPQTRizJ4_HmSP9a9MYuBw65p--R83TGfqzlDY15LQ/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Indeed,
for a film chock-full with demons from the depths of Hell, <b>Rise</b>
plays things coy too often. Where's the twisted blasphemy and
unrelenting mental torment? Then again, seemingly little thought has
been put into the 'rules of the monster' here, exacerbating the
confusingly low stakes. Further to this, there are some shockingly
underwhelming reactions by some cast members to events that should be
confounding on the most horrific levels. 'Shock' comes off as
malaise, 'terror' as vague misfortune, and even the supposed
reanimation of Ellie from beyond the grasp of death arouses
expressions that wouldn't seem out-of-place at a convention of
intrigued puppies.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6depvgPderKoIo-HZfbiJPLJmvYt2uU2MmZPbxzwSJUvijq3r287PfPodG1CORzpWqYQIqXPtEJnJRi9mwbJhFdeBwMmEwYRbgrcDZjqnVR--m-KmHvEZf3XkLrvPr2yZUH7xyAE7bqVaoNu8zZUwtz-9fv2ZldDUiZAf7qodFxfYxhKtbV4qDrHDQ/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6depvgPderKoIo-HZfbiJPLJmvYt2uU2MmZPbxzwSJUvijq3r287PfPodG1CORzpWqYQIqXPtEJnJRi9mwbJhFdeBwMmEwYRbgrcDZjqnVR--m-KmHvEZf3XkLrvPr2yZUH7xyAE7bqVaoNu8zZUwtz-9fv2ZldDUiZAf7qodFxfYxhKtbV4qDrHDQ/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Mommy's
with the maggots now.”</b></i></span> Similarly, <b>EDR</b>'s cast seem to
relatively cruise through the film, struggling to summon up the
convincing terror that oozed from every blood-caked pore of the cast
in Fede Alvarez's snarling <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/evil-dead-2013-all-out-stream-of-fan.html" target="_blank">2013 remake</a> (<i>the thoroughly impressive
Jane Levy chief among them</i>) - my opinion of which has grown over the years with repeated viewings. Where did the “ferocious” and
“gruelling” <b>Evil Dead</b> go, the franchise that started out
adorning the top spot in moral guardian Mary Whitehouse's list of the
most despicable 'video nasties'?</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmX1_F2w7sjLsrw3QiOoDb5hCk_KW8kG9sCZ8aPUd4iMB9v_M1sP_6cBlAvO1nZWv8uXIKps4xfKxVQphDP0Ge7Dz3Mvrqd5v_YpDIF1AOuctGh33qtlH3tToY9PGdWd97zUeKMeBv8DPs_Pepzo3eWKLGYkiTrF9YDeKnmdbrM3M4gr8BggQ4Cfptg/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmX1_F2w7sjLsrw3QiOoDb5hCk_KW8kG9sCZ8aPUd4iMB9v_M1sP_6cBlAvO1nZWv8uXIKps4xfKxVQphDP0Ge7Dz3Mvrqd5v_YpDIF1AOuctGh33qtlH3tToY9PGdWd97zUeKMeBv8DPs_Pepzo3eWKLGYkiTrF9YDeKnmdbrM3M4gr8BggQ4Cfptg/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Even
after ten years, the gut-wrenching impact of <b><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/evil-dead-2013-all-out-stream-of-fan.html" target="_blank">Evil Dead 2013</a></b>'s
spectacular gore-doused set pieces still manage to make me, a
decidedly hardened horror hound, wince and squirm – broken syringe
needle to the eyeball or self-dismemberment by electric carver,
anyone? <b>Evil Dead Rise</b>, on the other hand? Not even Hannibal
Lector has been this sedate amidst the carnage. Sequences that are
supposed to make the viewer glance away from the screen are, instead,
surprisingly dull affairs. There isn't a single shock in the entire
film – quite the accidental achievement when we're talking about
the likes of vomiting-up of wriggling mounds of bugs, the
trachea-shredding ingestion of broken glass, and the
intensely-promoted cheese grater scene – the latter perfectly
summing-up the biggest problem that <b>Rise</b> endures. The notion
in itself is terrific, but the execution is decidedly disappointing –
one quick grate down someone's leg to reveal a rather dodgy looking
effect (<i>possibly CGI</i>) and that's it … seriously?!</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlsjmRFwh0FJ86gTyRUbhE6MrBeobV7nU7QNTxfAde1rqzD42z7ZZRcDJkbuuKZZHOGBQL6mGC4jlFJ1V1Qi7LwoFl5j4WBCszCFAR3rR9TTaQcwneGA7FpCNUtOIynbX3FwAayBNp5f-0ZcLYUxu-i1jvt4zUhCWJ-KVnl9qPrphf73H2zsiKfXvUw/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlsjmRFwh0FJ86gTyRUbhE6MrBeobV7nU7QNTxfAde1rqzD42z7ZZRcDJkbuuKZZHOGBQL6mGC4jlFJ1V1Qi7LwoFl5j4WBCszCFAR3rR9TTaQcwneGA7FpCNUtOIynbX3FwAayBNp5f-0ZcLYUxu-i1jvt4zUhCWJ-KVnl9qPrphf73H2zsiKfXvUw/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5nYIWkbFn9NcqcxCaiyBUQt1jaupftyfI5HXXjrcRDvXs1fNLNl8RR1JRGUlAownVxJSuZZqlIAF5tfrXX0qs71nngIXoVjQWxefuWjidaBebQ29R5Qpkk_dIXl8Dx1lxWISBCUqjhmboBJzRYSUmCy8gRLhQrsV9_4W4IixoHeDo77HOasuyG9sQw/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5nYIWkbFn9NcqcxCaiyBUQt1jaupftyfI5HXXjrcRDvXs1fNLNl8RR1JRGUlAownVxJSuZZqlIAF5tfrXX0qs71nngIXoVjQWxefuWjidaBebQ29R5Qpkk_dIXl8Dx1lxWISBCUqjhmboBJzRYSUmCy8gRLhQrsV9_4W4IixoHeDo77HOasuyG9sQw/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Then
again, undercooked ideas is the order of the day here. The retcon
notion of <i>three</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Books of the
Dead offers opportunity, but how is </span><i>this</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
book any different from what we've already seen? Seemingly, there's
no difference – so what was the point? Speaking of which, the
opening portion – and how the events in the apartment building
connect to it – has no purpose whatsoever, adding nothing more than
several minutes to the running time.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj1PJ8v4UEMEVjAADASQKCxNwtp23Jyiy4luet4KQMm4_8KaUEzYaCzAXKK8eAI6rsn8dyWbK7Zx_exMLdyUITrD5zMQqcPnuMCn_VvQgFwXoggdTXE-GNbu5lCGMoSdz_OS9QckbpNo7_Qy8UpDfo3rZ21W1myu7ts2QP_oiYF9HSWLKmocd5N_xKA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj1PJ8v4UEMEVjAADASQKCxNwtp23Jyiy4luet4KQMm4_8KaUEzYaCzAXKK8eAI6rsn8dyWbK7Zx_exMLdyUITrD5zMQqcPnuMCn_VvQgFwXoggdTXE-GNbu5lCGMoSdz_OS9QckbpNo7_Qy8UpDfo3rZ21W1myu7ts2QP_oiYF9HSWLKmocd5N_xKA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
free now – free from all you titty-sucking parasites.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span>All said and done, <b>Evil Dead Rise</b> is a big 'so what?'
of a movie. There's a few good ideas and moments scattered about, but
the whole endeavour feels malnourished and undersold as concepts and
set-ups that are pregnant with juicy possibility are left to wither
on the vine. Case-in-point, during the climax of the film, a wood
chipper is utilised for some good old blood gushing – and yet, true
to the established form, it becomes a bit of a damp squib. The spout
that expels the mulched mess begins to turn, as if by some unseen
hand of evil, rotating the crimson geyser towards the now finally
emergent protagonist, only to halt and just spray a random car a bit.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDXogq3y8JqROauMDQYfPXkFlRm2NAiD8LZMMfsQwVetzjeadjJeNcFTidkMkQBL8W38kuFNDlXwHF1ZfJE8kLrLuh2iEtpC4kJpEKw8o_8ixRNzwfwXgziMbYy_wl4XfFuvuKKi0LsUHnPwZjjc2RTwACTaf3d8WDHM3B9wHzm_f9OEMVAOWDRwJ4g/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDXogq3y8JqROauMDQYfPXkFlRm2NAiD8LZMMfsQwVetzjeadjJeNcFTidkMkQBL8W38kuFNDlXwHF1ZfJE8kLrLuh2iEtpC4kJpEKw8o_8ixRNzwfwXgziMbYy_wl4XfFuvuKKi0LsUHnPwZjjc2RTwACTaf3d8WDHM3B9wHzm_f9OEMVAOWDRwJ4g/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPklbutRrfk8g92t2873XfY9-jtOpT6FxswANdhG30iWyLjB2SiL4TCcFfRasPZLTGL43Y8jmBIUm4k4YOWDvSoG6X9YmunV9ZE8Ogr-khwRx79JuZKMxHjTfaJsZajP5l3-i_9-LMHFhKd_q_HDdYe1dulyCgjgi0Wh_WfnIGhkVUUU7teW5Rd_Gbg/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPklbutRrfk8g92t2873XfY9-jtOpT6FxswANdhG30iWyLjB2SiL4TCcFfRasPZLTGL43Y8jmBIUm4k4YOWDvSoG6X9YmunV9ZE8Ogr-khwRx79JuZKMxHjTfaJsZajP5l3-i_9-LMHFhKd_q_HDdYe1dulyCgjgi0Wh_WfnIGhkVUUU7teW5Rd_Gbg/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">This is
an <b>Evil Dead</b> movie, right? The spout should've rotated around
to fully douse the chainsaw-wielding protagonist with <i>gallons</i>
of gore – but once again, Lee Cronin mysteriously shies away from
an open goal and deflates the ball for good measure. Heck, for the
myriad of ever-so-clever references to the previous films, Cronin
misses the biggest and most wanted one of all: the sickly yellow
Oldsmobile Delta, which had – until now – featured in every <b>Evil
Dead</b> project. If Sam Raimi can sneak it into <b>The Quick and The
Dead</b> (<i>a western!</i>), then how on Earth can Lee Cronin fail
to include it in – of all places – a parking garage?! If you're
going to douse a vehicle in blood – instead of your lead, for some
bizarre reason – then at least hose down the <i>right</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
vehicle!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hxs81U7KcSut4sxX796UuDYldXEDSAF1IgoT2ncb4tyVQWVlesVCQMwxzr9LdiX1px-29oGJgpbaGomCGGGU21Pn0WlME3uy20tadGkuitAF_V2i75yU73dCM-Q9xv91P0GaqTXJ3wljae5X0ggRi8Bu_dOw_XBQLCDfCIQvi16a7mcZuDSekdZ9cA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hxs81U7KcSut4sxX796UuDYldXEDSAF1IgoT2ncb4tyVQWVlesVCQMwxzr9LdiX1px-29oGJgpbaGomCGGGU21Pn0WlME3uy20tadGkuitAF_V2i75yU73dCM-Q9xv91P0GaqTXJ3wljae5X0ggRi8Bu_dOw_XBQLCDfCIQvi16a7mcZuDSekdZ9cA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkuKXYjIYLujeW2cSrLZqkChUvlEluNzLcxgWGYe5A22inCQXiKnuWpwTVi5rd3sdt_lI5YuEGJwe3En_OZ3gdwkRK8MIaakRpIsGGPS6eSmet8Ne11kx899IK4K39H27vIt3-tI87Fn0qph7y7PmN5QFd4n9zcbVUv8ogfNdnIEp5H8Jznzz1zO-WA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkuKXYjIYLujeW2cSrLZqkChUvlEluNzLcxgWGYe5A22inCQXiKnuWpwTVi5rd3sdt_lI5YuEGJwe3En_OZ3gdwkRK8MIaakRpIsGGPS6eSmet8Ne11kx899IK4K39H27vIt3-tI87Fn0qph7y7PmN5QFd4n9zcbVUv8ogfNdnIEp5H8Jznzz1zO-WA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Evil
Dead Rise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> makes a
frustrating habit of limiting itself continually, through its
terribly underwritten characters, its underutilised apartment
building location (</span><i><b>Critters 3</b></i><i> made far more
of such a setting</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) – save for
the generally entertaining use of the building's elevator – and its
total inability to execute any of its good ideas in a satisfying
manner. Even the use of a drone (</span><i>now everyday tech since
the remake was made</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), in the
switch-up opening shot of the film, just feels like a cranky old
franchise trying to be hip and down with 'da yoof'. Despite the best
attempts of Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, the latter of whom
certainly makes some memorable marks during her demonic possession,
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>EDR</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
is – quite sadly – a swing and a miss.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bqeKRVS4Y6p6TiwiHkEVAvIbMoZCFVzfcRoqPdb1II9LWuzYr8ecRudoW1yk2TiaGCSHErcu2NfKKVwxmGNNyI0d7STecmdpIg_n4kDK5QW37qTkkVfMnhSVVs7c5nLq7S-mWmOIxQOfp8eHmGrnc3-ZUZQUOQ7LM1gRMuLMPUmJ2QxXWaAxqzHxeA/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bqeKRVS4Y6p6TiwiHkEVAvIbMoZCFVzfcRoqPdb1II9LWuzYr8ecRudoW1yk2TiaGCSHErcu2NfKKVwxmGNNyI0d7STecmdpIg_n4kDK5QW37qTkkVfMnhSVVs7c5nLq7S-mWmOIxQOfp8eHmGrnc3-ZUZQUOQ7LM1gRMuLMPUmJ2QxXWaAxqzHxeA/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBnrrl588mmpZsd-QWifecNZ_ZB12t5QSpASu2C9O2_aty4MnOxvIPQSh6cT21RiHJVPRlC8l8UPMJ4PsW_uhpSIAgk3FfUx2ph8ZQXHB_uB_9jzJuLDsjp1Op_YGVFJCHiZIDQw3nhjaCnEj36aVyTTDQ1k5k5q404krFjFE5kHNy2j_CPn9pTbzjg/s1280/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBnrrl588mmpZsd-QWifecNZ_ZB12t5QSpASu2C9O2_aty4MnOxvIPQSh6cT21RiHJVPRlC8l8UPMJ4PsW_uhpSIAgk3FfUx2ph8ZQXHB_uB_9jzJuLDsjp1Op_YGVFJCHiZIDQw3nhjaCnEj36aVyTTDQ1k5k5q404krFjFE5kHNy2j_CPn9pTbzjg/s320/Evil%20Dead%20Rise%20(2023)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">For
a franchise that has knocked it out of the park on a consistent basis
across three films, a remake, a TV show, and a whole slew of assorted
media, this seems to be the unfortunate exception to prove the rule.
Cue the inevitable rise/fall juxtaposition. Even the supposedly
game-changing shift in setting hits weakly, especially considering
the variety of locations offered-up in </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ash
vs Evil Dead</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> (</span><i>trailer
park, militia bunker, school, a Floridian bar, apocalyptic future!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
There is one very important thing that an </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Evil
Dead</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> movie </span><i>must</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
do – make it seem to the audience that the film itself is unbound
by decency and liable to deviously run out of control … </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Evil
Dead Rise</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">, however, for
all its bloody posturing, is relative restraint incarnate and neither
ferocious or original. I so wanted to dig this flick, but even its genuinely good ideas are tarnished by the underwhelming execution. It leaves plenty to talk about between horror
hounds – but for all the wrong reasons.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-68952290482778272872023-05-10T10:27:00.000+01:002023-05-10T10:27:17.353+01:00Kids vs Aliens (Jason Eisener, 2023) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b style="color: #ffa400;">Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiJajE6vylzDWc6Zr3Nk9gdEe606GPFElGoSW73qWVgrcgbbX9IkTTxcGUzq0w46VuDhrFE57b-n5IMS0Hwu63hVX0oIrGGhUd6HJOgmyeQaFGunsG8NlBKostsEVf18pGpuQ-_9Pb9b68BZHBpluHKlSyyD5TFZ7pIBwTwiLO4OIALujx_DfEGOdWA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiJajE6vylzDWc6Zr3Nk9gdEe606GPFElGoSW73qWVgrcgbbX9IkTTxcGUzq0w46VuDhrFE57b-n5IMS0Hwu63hVX0oIrGGhUd6HJOgmyeQaFGunsG8NlBKostsEVf18pGpuQ-_9Pb9b68BZHBpluHKlSyyD5TFZ7pIBwTwiLO4OIALujx_DfEGOdWA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
tired of hearing and smelling what comes out of your face hole!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
It's been a long time since the director of </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2011/08/hobo-with-shotgun-jason-eisener-2011.html" target="_blank">Hobo With A Shotgun</a></b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
unleashed his foul-mouthed, gore-splattered, ramped-up roar of a
debut movie onto audiences, but finally the renegade filmmaker from
Nova Scotia has dished up a new feature-length helping from his
multi-coloured mind of madness...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vrjXkKQZF_H5IZdKUfQ1Mz6-0LlzZRFA2i0XQqNhG0TL6UTMOpX306ribcFCpPDAUJic_qgL_iaj17jP8VNV9bsn48K8gRIU0XTEE48ZY0zetrIvm2dBNnxNncltwe4LF-s7I0kRcyZAcMLCQf8lRLCW_4MCLSIvcptES8oMV8F4k-WoC1rrAjpFhg/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vrjXkKQZF_H5IZdKUfQ1Mz6-0LlzZRFA2i0XQqNhG0TL6UTMOpX306ribcFCpPDAUJic_qgL_iaj17jP8VNV9bsn48K8gRIU0XTEE48ZY0zetrIvm2dBNnxNncltwe4LF-s7I0kRcyZAcMLCQf8lRLCW_4MCLSIvcptES8oMV8F4k-WoC1rrAjpFhg/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><b><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</span></b></i></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Why
the fuck are you hanging out with these losers anyway?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Samantha (</span><i>Phoebe Rex</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
is a late bloomer and a bit of a social misfit, quite happy to be
making crazed home movies with her little brother Gary (</span><i>Dominic
Mariche</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and his gung-ho pals
Jack (</span><i>Asher Grayson</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and Miles (</span><i>Ben Tector</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
– think </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The Goonies</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
but with a potent fondness for the word </span><i>fuck</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
However, she has no real friends her own age and dresses like a kid,
so when the apparently charming teen hunk of the town Billy (</span><i>Calem
MacDonald</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) turns up with his
chums looking for a place to party – their eyes set on Samantha's
parents' house – she turns her back on childish things in search of
more mature teenage flings.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ5TKT9KQbo70rdE0qUVZfZdMAtRDBZzbXKa6P8w9w2bihPtK15PBZv3vULU0BxvixchI0T4WJi-Xg8olQOUQJ83WzmMlppOGcYNNsTOQ2eE-9gKidL7mLxfPv4NjZZ-NjNGVaCklczN8-qh15eHLYIDnfD4wl5jDyDMNjB3ErMdejuAEMxQUYzQxJQ/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQ5TKT9KQbo70rdE0qUVZfZdMAtRDBZzbXKa6P8w9w2bihPtK15PBZv3vULU0BxvixchI0T4WJi-Xg8olQOUQJ83WzmMlppOGcYNNsTOQ2eE-9gKidL7mLxfPv4NjZZ-NjNGVaCklczN8-qh15eHLYIDnfD4wl5jDyDMNjB3ErMdejuAEMxQUYzQxJQ/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDjWVtK-zz7f8c3M-dbVoF8VTUKTjutme1TH5w9skKdCaG2YkR8mNoQG85xRE4XD8ShGdPWAzDqygPQusJb34MqNyw7QaJid929_r7YswmP7f5RDFaIb-QPJVnZLbPIuzu8VS1vtxNA6btIBFgWd5iTqKuEJkeqeXTThDiICKiEDhwp44dVKh3M1nJg/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDjWVtK-zz7f8c3M-dbVoF8VTUKTjutme1TH5w9skKdCaG2YkR8mNoQG85xRE4XD8ShGdPWAzDqygPQusJb34MqNyw7QaJid929_r7YswmP7f5RDFaIb-QPJVnZLbPIuzu8VS1vtxNA6btIBFgWd5iTqKuEJkeqeXTThDiICKiEDhwp44dVKh3M1nJg/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4ZuvJVpZzVDFQTJekoEOAQOuEi7WR-FU1Zy_uRWq-QJV3R7pYo1ROY1LS-9h3Gtnd9kDtv0tSGp8atjJkWEOIeDQASUs9-0qO_Ex_QZ306yiHHctorfmTdXl5iiC0ArvSiS_C40YAAnEQlAW3EYG6cxV-m88oZDdRbWVQAj595J2FArYM1KiUNG1qw/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq4ZuvJVpZzVDFQTJekoEOAQOuEi7WR-FU1Zy_uRWq-QJV3R7pYo1ROY1LS-9h3Gtnd9kDtv0tSGp8atjJkWEOIeDQASUs9-0qO_Ex_QZ306yiHHctorfmTdXl5iiC0ArvSiS_C40YAAnEQlAW3EYG6cxV-m88oZDdRbWVQAj595J2FArYM1KiUNG1qw/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Well
suck time is over!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> With
Gary and Samantha's absentee parents disappearing on yet another of
their business trips, the big sister is stuck looking after the
little brother with a now-broken arm, which is gonna cramp her style
with Halloween festivities on the horizon. Until, that is, she is
coaxed into hosting an epic rager by sensitive-on-social-media Billy,
judgemental bitch Trish (</span><i>Emma Vickers</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and tag-along underling Dallas (</span><i>Isaiah Fortune</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).
Naturally, things get out of control, but concerns about a
party-trashed home, social humiliation, and a brother's revenge are
quickly swept aside when a swarm of E.T.s invade for a bit of the old
alien abduction.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUl0Q8xVBCD_EWq4P6WHjnYkamAMFxxp-IEgM3Qhlr0RipPmSWJB-esxbcA8hFt9t3SyEmkcOWIyyP1iPg2Ln34EUmzmqGVDKb-Xqg9TR3Oe37qmZzrHKpXH8yDzcpR1sUOFMTNlG9O1dZvk8jfx25uUjvo8r_otxbPpHY0B5RKSHAu_ORdXFKxrGDA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUl0Q8xVBCD_EWq4P6WHjnYkamAMFxxp-IEgM3Qhlr0RipPmSWJB-esxbcA8hFt9t3SyEmkcOWIyyP1iPg2Ln34EUmzmqGVDKb-Xqg9TR3Oe37qmZzrHKpXH8yDzcpR1sUOFMTNlG9O1dZvk8jfx25uUjvo8r_otxbPpHY0B5RKSHAu_ORdXFKxrGDA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPxP1CZtLGylquGEPhgQQQesSGOpIyy-gE5SfHkIAevjAy7yYGdnfw0mUdtHf2T1T4PrUTHtbC-6eA1eNV_1B4dFJSG95TFz8vwO8ee-xcjFSL9nnQcI-dVhTrVvDO5dHQdeJW0qRzAEvqFTj44iZKJHlWXo_cKA3sWxPD8-ywdhFa7G77dCYeMobeQ/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkPxP1CZtLGylquGEPhgQQQesSGOpIyy-gE5SfHkIAevjAy7yYGdnfw0mUdtHf2T1T4PrUTHtbC-6eA1eNV_1B4dFJSG95TFz8vwO8ee-xcjFSL9nnQcI-dVhTrVvDO5dHQdeJW0qRzAEvqFTj44iZKJHlWXo_cKA3sWxPD8-ywdhFa7G77dCYeMobeQ/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Get
the fuck outta here before I rip your shrimp dicks off!” // “Well
guess what, if you touch our shrimp dicks you'll go to jail!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Just about scraping the 69-minute mark by the time the credits roll
(</span><i>not including a post-credits scene</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Kids vs Aliens</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
is a brisk affair – although one's own mileage will vary depending
on whether or not you tolerate the mucky-mouthed kids. If you're
on-board, especially if you similarly have fond memories of making
weird home movies with your mates (</span><i><b>KvA</b></i><i> is a
somewhat auto-biographical movie for Eisener and his co-writer John
Davies</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), then there's plenty of
fun to be had. Is it as full-on and chaotically bloody as the
director's debut feature </span><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2011/08/hobo-with-shotgun-jason-eisener-2011.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Hobo
With A Shotgun</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">? Certainly
not, so it's best to go into this </span><i>not</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
expecting that, but the movie nonetheless crashes about with a
similar sense of off-kilter energy.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHiQl2X6BUrVEbv4ieCyreOsOzHv6SCzxaVJG2hJnxYo2CugYKLSbfhS99S9MQhhXNQ8v7_5rYPcMA_xio70GeXVYdAH3e3m-pixciGoSK2qD4uvHCrmlvTByCFbNrj2BMFOfZSY7N5w9CsBj3qTLnO9tAAcwHInrKdSe6KDCyfFnZeXHS1FkNx4geQ/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHiQl2X6BUrVEbv4ieCyreOsOzHv6SCzxaVJG2hJnxYo2CugYKLSbfhS99S9MQhhXNQ8v7_5rYPcMA_xio70GeXVYdAH3e3m-pixciGoSK2qD4uvHCrmlvTByCFbNrj2BMFOfZSY7N5w9CsBj3qTLnO9tAAcwHInrKdSe6KDCyfFnZeXHS1FkNx4geQ/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFdThigyWpWICWc8HskHsIKuJqP-VZilTnqG1Uaqu9wkHhCjCbeHVMxSykP-GByQse9zKkHGNQ5KekfvaEGU4iGYaOdy_r3OYUhUnnC_0BfJwKTK7N5GMY6bBHy5H396Eufhk1_gCQ7rJCb_N2B4-zmISfXu74zKHXy46TtGM3qFhRMasC3l2Deh4UQ/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFdThigyWpWICWc8HskHsIKuJqP-VZilTnqG1Uaqu9wkHhCjCbeHVMxSykP-GByQse9zKkHGNQ5KekfvaEGU4iGYaOdy_r3OYUhUnnC_0BfJwKTK7N5GMY6bBHy5H396Eufhk1_gCQ7rJCb_N2B4-zmISfXu74zKHXy46TtGM3qFhRMasC3l2Deh4UQ/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4DLd9tnZNq9UAux3BJbUGFYeSqWOVGr3DJILNZaNwXKsfiU5dvEPIhp2_aNUnasjWvl4zF894AdHMxvSG_QIBfPDw7Y5MVie8u5eHLC22TEEUL9ohJloBz8kVQWS9Bh1RM5OylHTkFa9F59W4sOnptou78dUz0-lcL_E9ih3UANz75Pq3hQn7tfsA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4DLd9tnZNq9UAux3BJbUGFYeSqWOVGr3DJILNZaNwXKsfiU5dvEPIhp2_aNUnasjWvl4zF894AdHMxvSG_QIBfPDw7Y5MVie8u5eHLC22TEEUL9ohJloBz8kVQWS9Bh1RM5OylHTkFa9F59W4sOnptou78dUz0-lcL_E9ih3UANz75Pq3hQn7tfsA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Come
on, my dick's full!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Visually, the film is a kaleidoscope of intense colours – chief
among them gaudy greens, yucky yellows, popping pinks, and brilliant
blues – with strong blasts of light often flaring into the camera
lens of cinematographer Mat Barkley. The house party scenes, for
instance, feel like a bag of Skittles shagged a bag of Starburst
while on acid and this is what popped-out of the lysergic baby oven.
In-part this helps cover up some of the budget restrictions on the
aliens, but the film rarely ever feels cheap, instead it's full of
energy, driving headlong through its swiftly-told tale – and just
when you're quite ready for some proper alien action, the
dangly-fingered greys show up to wreak havoc. Similarly adding a nice
sense of scale to this modestly-budgeting film is the surprisingly
large-sounding score by Andrew Gordon MacPherson, combining retro
synthwaves with almost Spielbergian symphonic sounds.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2Xqsl6VCIzNYODJoHfH07tISJrRqQCh9mW5uH71Lay4aQnlqioEWUxUcV3OLW98hqE8RwwvAFiwJnNdsuU7TyR9UaVmIKUiwbm2Asm8GEZzIIws71UVn9_ggqp1cmI9QBiVnwl9bK589IjIe94IJV1g5Io8KGr0uZbEsk4NPzgRGQ4iNYRy35ae4Gg/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2Xqsl6VCIzNYODJoHfH07tISJrRqQCh9mW5uH71Lay4aQnlqioEWUxUcV3OLW98hqE8RwwvAFiwJnNdsuU7TyR9UaVmIKUiwbm2Asm8GEZzIIws71UVn9_ggqp1cmI9QBiVnwl9bK589IjIe94IJV1g5Io8KGr0uZbEsk4NPzgRGQ4iNYRy35ae4Gg/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BrSwR2ViVGFvR1iPTipQRT5NzXxI_gBH9s891iddOpZVNvl7yxseZiR0CdtOUG_flz9PEGJIs_CIHaiiNl8FtodZug7xJadEBNhMG5Z56g1ppBFCaD6IRPFsXrbk_mrKSWmcp7YisRG2bzFJziWEoT2VnxlnSg8viU4O9ij9Mca913LunjstKUCqSw/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BrSwR2ViVGFvR1iPTipQRT5NzXxI_gBH9s891iddOpZVNvl7yxseZiR0CdtOUG_flz9PEGJIs_CIHaiiNl8FtodZug7xJadEBNhMG5Z56g1ppBFCaD6IRPFsXrbk_mrKSWmcp7YisRG2bzFJziWEoT2VnxlnSg8viU4O9ij9Mca913LunjstKUCqSw/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCww0VsKnPt2_NmDsPvyFFU6DZrb3bMbu_baJ3Tmy99wPxhnGCgAp6dpnGUfdlllCWgEy05MkOcZBukftO3CZp6cmjeksvIVkBJM2589D7t7q9JzpnPG6mDAhNdzRqkjj4IHIVNpDIJd818nbzBj4RC5nWqay9JjKcmVJYa1A9VqQLUEQWPo2KT1tb8A/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCww0VsKnPt2_NmDsPvyFFU6DZrb3bMbu_baJ3Tmy99wPxhnGCgAp6dpnGUfdlllCWgEy05MkOcZBukftO3CZp6cmjeksvIVkBJM2589D7t7q9JzpnPG6mDAhNdzRqkjj4IHIVNpDIJd818nbzBj4RC5nWqay9JjKcmVJYa1A9VqQLUEQWPo2KT1tb8A/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Can't
you see I'm doing someone, uh, something.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
While the character work is relatively basic, the motivations and
personalities are clear-cut and efficient, even if some of the more
emotional moments either stumble or don't get enough room to breathe.
The kids tear about the place like sugar-high maniacs from the heady
days of staying out until the street lights come on, the un-policed
land surrounding Gary's home serving as their own personal playground
of chaos to shoot their movie (</span><i>boxing dinosaur-humanoids
and all</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) – and there's even
some of that classic Stephen King trope: near-psychopathic teenagers
putting children's lives in direct danger.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FjY4gBQ20c7eqUyq3sqblHqgj2cnfDl-MAjJ-31Vc2bt3TCwByOnji4vaHxGDOTGdUS1DysRVmMFR2VM00iZMU31oY3Byc9357PKcxnIQKEZIDyIrZK2P6fCoxZYv013koNezUnkzyP1me5DUd7rLQQPJ-cVILIRiGSQohJAcW2Ehsz_mu5zIiKkCA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FjY4gBQ20c7eqUyq3sqblHqgj2cnfDl-MAjJ-31Vc2bt3TCwByOnji4vaHxGDOTGdUS1DysRVmMFR2VM00iZMU31oY3Byc9357PKcxnIQKEZIDyIrZK2P6fCoxZYv013koNezUnkzyP1me5DUd7rLQQPJ-cVILIRiGSQohJAcW2Ehsz_mu5zIiKkCA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipn3xFTy9Jvxv9PPT2GrSqmHylWiM13wZRo1a_gw4c8JBB0wS-2KbMMeRVOeI96WwdXNHAPBo9ypYZtDPxY8_XIb6jDCafFCp6uqUS1i5pE2jVgKFz5eMA9f__lhz1cIMRDvxSsruBelGC3Vx7ojUvqdccbzfwnqCfQGGN22XOj1hzxTmG4TvG8ATVQA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipn3xFTy9Jvxv9PPT2GrSqmHylWiM13wZRo1a_gw4c8JBB0wS-2KbMMeRVOeI96WwdXNHAPBo9ypYZtDPxY8_XIb6jDCafFCp6uqUS1i5pE2jVgKFz5eMA9f__lhz1cIMRDvxSsruBelGC3Vx7ojUvqdccbzfwnqCfQGGN22XOj1hzxTmG4TvG8ATVQA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN2tZciOB12N0yP_JU7zHLs9wtN1ZYFvEQPPj2w9ho0FUPUJwPPQC9U_v4nu38069Or3vZX1-ArF_HSUDpRb7xn6cUQv1wT4PftLe7YY3TOo3qaUSRBKLsccWwOkZWl7KFLh5QhSGUWo5HX1bJoGgfwcWNnd0GhH8m6kcwRX4PE3tjabWUUqPyzw6Hg/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIN2tZciOB12N0yP_JU7zHLs9wtN1ZYFvEQPPj2w9ho0FUPUJwPPQC9U_v4nu38069Or3vZX1-ArF_HSUDpRb7xn6cUQv1wT4PftLe7YY3TOo3qaUSRBKLsccWwOkZWl7KFLh5QhSGUWo5HX1bJoGgfwcWNnd0GhH8m6kcwRX4PE3tjabWUUqPyzw6Hg/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'd
rather go punch myself in the dick.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
As previously mentioned, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Kids
vs Aliens</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> doesn't match
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2011/08/hobo-with-shotgun-jason-eisener-2011.html" target="_blank">Hobo With A Shotgun</a></b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
for blistering levels of bloodshedding, but it does have some
effectively gooey moments of splatter. The aliens seem to have
invaded Earth to fuel their ship – by melting humans into goo –
which leads to one particular highlight where an unlucky teen suffers
said fate. The resulting sequence is the answer to the question 'what
if Lucio Fulci made a Saturday morning kids show?' – it's certainly
a different way to think of a gunge tank. Meanwhile, another teen is
transformed (</span><i>by ingesting alien vomit, of course!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
into what can only be described as the ice hockey version of Freddy
Krueger, a powerful and razor-toothed berserker gleefully shredding
through the scenery.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuINsrtXf3tYXiecmgL26yZ7kzKRCfE0UiJ-hCd32S_tKqyIXOkVIRDtTkct9uexnSNS3zZyB0hJy8B5YBN5xxLx7XOFxFwItFqe8oeMhn1OUHKvyiQmSrDE7k27xWVCzTp997l_WkLbPkS_bnTWllsY2TW6p-dn2eNwDRdVvsV48cs26fhxaEuv6nA/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuINsrtXf3tYXiecmgL26yZ7kzKRCfE0UiJ-hCd32S_tKqyIXOkVIRDtTkct9uexnSNS3zZyB0hJy8B5YBN5xxLx7XOFxFwItFqe8oeMhn1OUHKvyiQmSrDE7k27xWVCzTp997l_WkLbPkS_bnTWllsY2TW6p-dn2eNwDRdVvsV48cs26fhxaEuv6nA/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGvKXuNzA6sBc5jhvUf1Eyp2F7qXup_Av10z74k-RMvGK-HNbqorvFB_TheWlwLK4gagaEln14eulWJIYCY9TtIC7T8CG42xiXyE54n7ABrYt_YJSgk8WSA4JhvA6WXCTKfmhoxaUuPvSZmtHHmcTwSa28AS0eg7Ac52SFU8gJHy9pe4MoiYvNpBiUw/s1280/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGvKXuNzA6sBc5jhvUf1Eyp2F7qXup_Av10z74k-RMvGK-HNbqorvFB_TheWlwLK4gagaEln14eulWJIYCY9TtIC7T8CG42xiXyE54n7ABrYt_YJSgk8WSA4JhvA6WXCTKfmhoxaUuPvSZmtHHmcTwSa28AS0eg7Ac52SFU8gJHy9pe4MoiYvNpBiUw/s320/Kids%20vs%20Aliens%20(2023)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Great,
another boring Halloween in this shit hole town.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Essentially a fairly close, but more expanded and brash, remake of
Eisener's 'sleepover alien invasion' segment from </span><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2014/01/double-bill-mini-musings-horror-show.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>V/H/S/2</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
(</span><i>although there's no dog-mounted Go-Pros here</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Kids vs Aliens</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
may suffer a few stumbles, but is a lot of fun if you're down for the
ride. A sequel is strongly hinted at, and for this reviewer at least,
another helping of gooey extra terrestrial chaos would certainly be
welcome.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-65074680223243247882023-04-30T13:30:00.000+01:002023-04-30T13:30:20.373+01:00Flavours of the Months: February, March, and April 2023...<p style="text-align: justify;">March was a rough month, drawing to a sad but somewhat merciful close to a very difficult three years that was only going to get even worse, which is obviously why these 'flavours of the month' are later than usual.<br /><br />So ... an apocalyptic adaptation, globetrotting with Agent 47, and Mando on the skids are some of what's been flavouring my February, March, and April 2023...<br /></p><p><br /><b><i><span style="color: #fcff01;">Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</span></i></b></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="color: red;">LOOKS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Last Of Us: Season 1</span></b> - going deeper into the series and I've warmed up much more to certain characters and their portrayals. Not every episode is gold, but the depth and complexity of the writing, combined with an excellent production, has made this an enjoyable watch leaving you eager for the next episode going week-by-week. The flashback in episode seven feels too long overall, sapping some momentum from the main story, and can arguably feel a little bit 'out of place'. While episode three had the same issue with feeling 'out of place' structurally, it was nevertheless a wonderfully written and performed excursion and, by comparison to episode seven, a much more involving endeavour. The one main complaint with this otherwise excellent series, however, is the conspicuous lack (<i>overall</i>) of infected. One mere infected in the final episode feels rather weak, especially when there's been so few infected in most episodes (<i>aside from that epic action sequence in episode five</i>). Considering they wiped out most of mankind, and that they're a real threat, you'd have thought we'd have encountered more of them during Joel and Ellie's journey. Hopefully this can be rectified in the inevitable second season.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Clarkson's Farm: Series 2</span></b> - the welcome return of Jeremy Clarkson's docu-series about his attempts to run his own Diddly Squat Farm. Much like the previous set of episodes, it makes for simultaneously entertaining and eye-opening viewing. At times it's laugh-out-loud funny, while at other times the exposed plight facing farmers and the farming industry is nothing short of shocking, shining a light on utterly incompetent government policy (<i>or total lack thereof</i>), tied-in to the catastrophic consequences of Brexit on the UK farming industry. Layer in petty, small-minded local council matters, and the show really does become a champion of the beleaguered farmer. Looking forward to season three!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Thunderbirds: The 50th Anniversary Episodes</span></b> - these were made several years ago, but I stumbled across them on the ITVX streaming platform. I was a huge fan of the Gerry Anderson 1960s 'supermarionation' shows during their 1990s repeat heyday, so this was an intriguing watch. They're only half the length of the original episodes and are clearly limited by both budget and available voice cast. There's a huge amount of recycled footage and audio from the original shows, while the first of the three episodes is a surprisingly dull and pointless affair. The other two are better, but again the limitations show, but nostalgia helps paper over the cracks. Obviously, they're not a patch on the original episodes by any stretch of the imagination, but they're worth a curiosity watch for fans of the original show.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Captain Scarlet and The Mysterons</span></b> - ITVX has a whole bunch of the Gerry Anderson 'supermarionation' TV shows on it, so I was re-living a bit of my earlier years from the 1990s 'heyday of rediscovery' that these shows experienced for a whole new audience. Certain episodes have seared themselves into my memory, while others not so much, and it's fair to say that <b>Captain Scarlet</b> doesn't quite have the appeal or 'memory worm' nature of <b>Thunderbirds</b>. It's also a darker kind of show, amplified by the more realistic dimensions of the marionettes, but it's still a classic.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Formula 1 Drive To Survive: Season 5</span></b> - the previous season made the mistake of focusing too much on the on-track action (<i>of which there was a great deal as the 2021 season was an absolute stonker</i>), raking over all-too-familiar territory and sidelining the less-seen behind-the-scenes stuff that helped make the show so special. Fortunately, this latest season realigns the sights with its coverage of the 2022 season, and I hungrily devoured all ten episodes over two days. There's still some eyebrow-raising editing and 'narrative' choices made by the programme makers, although they appear less egregious than in previous seasons (<i>blatantly invented rivalries, some shockingly bad audio edits etc</i>). Perhaps vocal reaction to said things by not only fans but the drivers themselves have reined-in Netflix on that front?<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Mandalorian: Season 3</span></b> - the return of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni's Star Wars show. After the sloppy mixed bag of <b>The Book Of Boba Fett</b> (<i>the best episodes of which ignored the titular character and were dedicated to <b>The Mandalorian</b> instead!</i>) and the insulting arse-up that was <b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b>, it wasn't looking good for <b>Andor</b>. However, that show (<i>despite being at least two episodes too long</i>) bucked the declining trend with a fascinating invention called "good writing", which seems to be as foreign to the Disney corporation of late as their fascination with doing inferior 'live action reboots' of animated classics is their favourite go-to move. Anyway, tongue-tangling and wordy aside out of the way, season three of Mando gets off to a surprisingly middling start.<br /><br />The episode was okay, but it didn't have 'season premiere' written all over it by any means. It felt more like a middle-of-the-season episode (<i>and not a particularly good one at that</i>), no doubt because the Mandalorian-related material covered in <b>The Book Of Boba Fett</b> should have been covered here instead. No wonder folks who hadn't watched that spin-off show were left baffled by certain developments.<br /><br />The third episode wobbles slightly, on a structural level, as the bulk of it takes the focus away from our leads to examine obscure side characters (<i>one of whom I can't even remember</i>), when it might have been better served telling a version of that story in portions over multiple episodes, rather than one big unweildy dump - you know, in the way how episodic television has traditionally succeeded. The feeling of a lack of direction ramps up as episode four forgets the previous episode's chunky diversion entirely and is a bit of a mixed bag with a very silly ending to cap off an episode that really epitomised a decided lack of internal logic. Indeed, that very silly ending and its consequences are completely forgotten about for the rest of the season, which illustrates the shocking drop in the quality of the writing on this season. Episode five is just some stuff happening with some cartoonish 'space pirate' gubbins, and episode six thinks in-your-face stunt casting is a good idea (<i>Jack Black, Lizzo</i>), and is woefully disappointing to put it mildly; it was a meme of the cringiest heights.<br /><br />Episode seven is generally an improvement (<i>no hard feat after the utter tosh that preceded it</i>), with a rousing climactic sequence to get the juices flowing, but still had some issues and, most importantly, made it abundantly clear that <b>The Mandalorian</b> is now just 'Various Star Wars Stuff: The TV Show', cementing yet again the lack of direction and storytelling rigour. I started the season eager to see Mando and Grogu's return, but now I'm left utterly baffled as to how it could go, for the most part, so wrong. The final episode at least gives plenty of action spectacle with a decent final battle (<i>even with botched logic and lazy 'memberberry' styling</i>), and leaves things on a nice note - a merely okay conclusion to what has been, quite surprisingly, an extraordinarily patchy third season. Disney's repeated issues handling major properties once again rears its ugly head.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Waco: American Apocalypse</span></b> - three-part Netflix doc about the notorious 1993 siege between the Branch Davidians and the FBI, which resulted in catastrophe and left a very dark stain on the psyche of the USA. I had previously seen another documentary from the 1990s about this case, which very much skewed towards obliterating the government and the FBI while sweeping away certain concerns about the Davidians, but this one is generally a bit more balanced by comparison. It helps that its main points of focus are generally those who were caught up in the failings of other people, and that it also doesn't fail to bring up the darker side of Koresh's activities. The combination of archive footage and CGI recreation paints a vivid picture, while certain interviews prove to be shockingly illuminating. Perhaps a smidge too brisk to cover all the bases sufficiently, but quite solid stuff nonetheless.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Cleaner: Series 2</span></b> - a few episodes aren't as sharp as the first series, but there's still a lot of quality going on here in these six episodes as we continue to follow crime scene cleaner 'Wicky' from one curious blood-spattered story to the next. For anyone of a squeamish disposition, though, it's all pretty tame on that front and focuses more on characters and humour.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">The Vietnam War</span></b> - ten-part documentary series from Ken Burns. Thoroughly informative, extensively detailed, and placed well into the socio-political and 'psyche of the nation' context of the time.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Beef: Season 1</span></b> - ten-part Netflix crime dramedy created by Lee Sung Jin and starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. The former is a struggling working class building contractor while the latter is an upper-middle-class business woman on the verge of a hugely profitable deal. These characters, simultaneously very different and very similar to each other, get into an altercation in a parking lot that leads to escalating tit-for-tat acts of revenge that gradually unpicks their own lives in the process. Excellent writing, acting, direction and more make this a very worthwhile watch.<br /><br />It's also interesting to note, in this day and age where 'Identity Politics' is obsessed over to such a degree, that <b>Beef </b>actually manages to 'be diverse' without making a hash of it - something which Hollywood and global corporatations have often failed to achieve, especially in recent years with its black and white weaponised outlook. The main characters in <b>Beef </b>are, for the most part, descended from South East Asian nations, but they aren't defined by their 'historical racial background' (<i>although that does provide unique qualities to each of them</i>). Instead, they are primarily defined by their actions, their personalities, their faults and more - you know, like real people, because guess what: people are people are people. The worst failings of too many TV shows and movies in recent years is that they deploy the spectrum of 'identity politics' in the most gross and poorly written manner, reducing so many 'diverse' characters to literally nothing more than their sexual orientation or skin colour or whatever else. That approach to characterisation makes them not fully-rounded people, but instead mere tokens, and isn't that what one would call horrifically offensive?<br /><br />A show like <b>Beef</b>, however, does what should always be done - well-crafted and complicated characters in a compelling story. It's a simple concept, isn't it? It works and always has done, because it's not through skin colour or sex or gender or nationality etc, but through storytelling and characterisation that we are compelled to invest in characters and their story. That's all you need, but considering how much utter crap is shat out by the current Hollywood system it's evidently far beyond so many in the industry. Lee Sung Jin and his team of gifted creatives, on the other hand, have shown the flailing system exactly how it's done with depth, deftness, and thundering success.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">In Search Of Darkness III</span></b> - the third and final gargantuan part in the 1980s horror doc series. By this point it's a mixture of barrel-scraping and perusing lesser-known curiosities. There's a few ham-fisted comments littered about the place, and some of it seems like unused footage from the previous entry, but if you've come this far why wouldn't you check out the final tome?<br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">SOUNDS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Green Day "Nimrod" (album), "Insomniac" (album)<br /><br />Rob Zombie "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" (album), "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" (album)<br /><br />DIIV "Under The Sun"<br /><br />Mental As Anything "Live It Up"<br /><br />The Angelas "Trioxin Theme" & "The Shining Theme"<br /><br />The Linda Lindas "Oh!"<br /><br />CKY "The Phoenix" (album)<br /><br />Fabio Frizzi "Virus"</span></b> (from the <b>Zombie Flesh Eaters</b> soundtrack)<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Stefano Mainetti "Sequence 1", "Sequence 5", "Sequence 8"</span></b> (from the <b>Zombie Flesh Eaters 2</b> soundtrack)<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Public Image Ltd "Rise"</span></b><br /><br /><br /><b><u><span style="color: red;">VIBES & FLAVOURS:</span></u></b><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Far Cry 6 (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - in the past couple of months I've paid far less attention to this game, but finally got around to polishing off the story missions to complete it. All said and done, it's clear that Ubisoft and the developers were just going through the motions with this one. Changes to certain mechanics have had an almost unanimously negative impact on the game, while doing away with experience-based progression in favour of dull-as-ditchwater 'go here, pick up number twenty-seven-thousand of twelve bajillion collectibles/crates/whatever' has been a massively idiotic choice. Even the look of the game was disappointing, as previous titles had thrown up some genuinely awe-inspiring sights, but <b>Far Cry 6</b> barely ever managed to elicit such a reaction, while the towns and city of Yara look absurdly drab and, frankly, unfinished, as if many textures were low quality placeholders.<br /><br />The basic mechanics of running around shooting bad guys is always going to have its fun, but the more I've played <b>Far Cry 6</b> the more surprised I've been by just how disappointing the whole thing has been. On top of this, it's also stunning to see so many instances of piss poor quality control, glitches and bugs, poorly designed missions, a hugely inconsistent tone, dull storytelling, and woeful characterisation (<i>cliches, stereotypes, as well as annoying idiots abound</i>). Ubisoft are going to have to do some serious work to turn this franchise around ... perhaps, for one thing, a refreshed development team would help matters? <b>Far Cry 6</b> unavoidably feels like the results of franchise fatigue.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Hitman 3 (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - the final entry in IO Interactive's "World of Assassination" trilogy, which has shown a fantastic rejuvenation of the franchise, focusing on its core purpose and gameplay, after the interesting but generally ill-advised detour that was <b>Hitman: Absolution</b>. The first game in this new trilogy brought everything back to its sandbox roots, combining 'mission stories' with vast player freedom. The second game maintained and solidified the core mechanics while introducing a more impressive and diverse range of locations. This third game, though, possibly features the best selection of locations. In the first three missions alone you go from a gleaming skyscraper towering over Dubai to a moody country manor in Dartmoor before heading to a neon-drenched concrete bunker nightclub in Berlin. Clarity of execution, crisp storytelling, and spot-on gameplay makes this an absolute blast. Now, if only we could get a game like this for the <b>Friday the 13th</b> franchise!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels & Rally Adventure Add-Ons (Xbox Series S)</span></b> - the <b>Hot Wheels</b> expansion is fun and crazy, but can sometimes get frustrating due to silly little things, such as dodgy bits of track sending your car into a tizzy, or insanely aggressive drivatars smashing into you for no reason (<i>and why do I lose all my skill points when someone else smashes into me?!</i>). When it's working as intended, though, it's good fun. I've so far had comparatively more enjoyment out of <b>Rally Adventure</b> and its compliment of arcadey rough-n-ready rallying, even if it plays things a bit safe. It's certainly a lot of fun to nail a hairpin turn with flair and launch your snarling, turbo-popping rally monster over big jumps as a helicopter chases after you, lighting the way through the night.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">"Get Shorty" by Elmore Leonard</span></b></p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-55069434603962357982023-02-15T15:51:00.001+00:002023-02-15T15:51:33.525+00:00Scare Package II: Rad Chad's Revenge (Various, 2022) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more horror-comedy reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTmiTUQ-Seowd3vtqdnww7W4xsaCN8MhOFBe_j8ROG-XWmpkwSFiKYzGPQj6p3y41XK3B2lbtQxIs2CRZi6HX4OjaAo9PJ0vyPlZFtY7l32yMnoQOW92t41cQrJOeO2n7p4f-odr-t30ys-O6SNuJWQ3C7JwYjjHdFRu0vZRLajFdnXeqzYkvXFZUzQ/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTmiTUQ-Seowd3vtqdnww7W4xsaCN8MhOFBe_j8ROG-XWmpkwSFiKYzGPQj6p3y41XK3B2lbtQxIs2CRZi6HX4OjaAo9PJ0vyPlZFtY7l32yMnoQOW92t41cQrJOeO2n7p4f-odr-t30ys-O6SNuJWQ3C7JwYjjHdFRu0vZRLajFdnXeqzYkvXFZUzQ/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Time
to die … again.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Following on from franchise creators Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron
Burns' 2019 Shudder-exclusive comedy horror portmanteau flick </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Scare
Package</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
it's time to strap-in for movie references galore, big splattery
guffaws, and some twisted ideas turned on their severed head...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqshLGHh21U95Ng26XBGdqYDzxDpHmSWdB_dj6y5EYq17gyFKMzQdPCo8O95SKXP6kCcNAQl95u383Mp96qeHe3J1CtoxwXDX5d2vCUVjok680d9DirSQlzgujTLDXgD5Ml-u80FINBtcHP2QuKNAZBWY2pMfLiLoFTUxdzEhfK-DOAMmchahHBYITw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqshLGHh21U95Ng26XBGdqYDzxDpHmSWdB_dj6y5EYq17gyFKMzQdPCo8O95SKXP6kCcNAQl95u383Mp96qeHe3J1CtoxwXDX5d2vCUVjok680d9DirSQlzgujTLDXgD5Ml-u80FINBtcHP2QuKNAZBWY2pMfLiLoFTUxdzEhfK-DOAMmchahHBYITw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>She
can't be dead – she was just standing, having no fun, doing
everything right.”</b></i></span> Consisting of four stories as well as a
wrap-around tale, <b>Scare Package II</b> is mercifully nine minutes
shorter than its too-long predecessor (<i>every little helps</i>),
the quality of which was decidedly mixed. The original movie was, at
times, gleefully gruesome fun with its tongue firmly lodged in its
cheek, but it could also be crushingly dull and somewhat baffling.
However, the sequel has clearly focused its efforts on making some
considerable improvements, but there is still room for more.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDkE_jgDKs4aiUBo6fxlzreqntOPbnLOxcYkdpXQDxKrZZSgBtHwz1q-klHiV0SU6ACXVszOLqyvU-TjJSaIune9ehzCLKm2K_y8x-mhCCjUmaILDxgztN0UsgfeFjhNV9EO-AXGPncXQHGRHcVNPWqVjVH0wwg0u89XlbJvAxx34WaOnbYA47bH7Jg/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDkE_jgDKs4aiUBo6fxlzreqntOPbnLOxcYkdpXQDxKrZZSgBtHwz1q-klHiV0SU6ACXVszOLqyvU-TjJSaIune9ehzCLKm2K_y8x-mhCCjUmaILDxgztN0UsgfeFjhNV9EO-AXGPncXQHGRHcVNPWqVjVH0wwg0u89XlbJvAxx34WaOnbYA47bH7Jg/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXg4Td0BQGPCxctNr-_YxQcL0Endq-9ul2y39sysl4y4U8rs_3EBpdz5ooYYz9APvlKrEQxH7ZD9KDR7QPgVeMjaygZXYtGHSSPy_KlDuUBoOf0hUecPIhTR7XDLiShzcyZlFXKhX38_LPjD-ySsizCLx1uPt5hcmK1HwRuMEtvLEjZ9NYO1dArdcdA/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXg4Td0BQGPCxctNr-_YxQcL0Endq-9ul2y39sysl4y4U8rs_3EBpdz5ooYYz9APvlKrEQxH7ZD9KDR7QPgVeMjaygZXYtGHSSPy_KlDuUBoOf0hUecPIhTR7XDLiShzcyZlFXKhX38_LPjD-ySsizCLx1uPt5hcmK1HwRuMEtvLEjZ9NYO1dArdcdA/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The
wrap-around story begins at the funeral of the titular 'Rad Chad',
the video store clerk and all-round horror-mad aficionado of all
things splatterific, in the wake of events from the previous movie's
wrap-around yarn. It's an unusual twist for a portmanteau horror
sequel to actually sequel-ise its own story, and indeed <b>Scare
Package II</b> does this on more than one occasion throughout its
running time. Delivering a message to the attendees, which includes a
whole list of possible ways that Rad Chad might have met his maker (<i>a
screed of movie references in itself</i>), the mourners are gassed
unconscious and wake up in a <b>Saw</b>-like scenario in which they
must complete a series of challenges set forth by Rad Chad, speaking
to his captives through videotaped messages. All of the challenges
are somehow related to horror films and, more specifically, the
various tales scattered throughout the movie. Not meta enough for
you? Well make sure those boot laces are tied up nice and tight!</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02qUDrpXbZlRuFszeghmecsBE-iZZAQoIBfMpmcsojweJsho2E_3tTpkBHpwp-I8wc2N9URWjz5KH0JpAGptNujPmRLvNQ1IsL0VEgEugLz9dsrk7hwnXOJUcAFi3jvMLJMzO3fjhH7ofALxooNz95wB3ZCDnHnZGKWMB366i4S0Aqhr7bZ-zzPoghw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02qUDrpXbZlRuFszeghmecsBE-iZZAQoIBfMpmcsojweJsho2E_3tTpkBHpwp-I8wc2N9URWjz5KH0JpAGptNujPmRLvNQ1IsL0VEgEugLz9dsrk7hwnXOJUcAFi3jvMLJMzO3fjhH7ofALxooNz95wB3ZCDnHnZGKWMB366i4S0Aqhr7bZ-zzPoghw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGoNsWozFMDMBSplCIWHiRVM02FSPA7c3AJarJRLf32BoZZrwn5Ccy0kCGWPbpFWwGfrA8uPkmqi7i3RKy0wQoDn7RKX-K6O10zsQTD_jBubrShlueG_gPJyzvLsmg3NHQqlnuMKAtetQH5iC_RK_tSESRgljX7LzKjtov1kNKKAPhbm-Tcv_APw-Yw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGoNsWozFMDMBSplCIWHiRVM02FSPA7c3AJarJRLf32BoZZrwn5Ccy0kCGWPbpFWwGfrA8uPkmqi7i3RKy0wQoDn7RKX-K6O10zsQTD_jBubrShlueG_gPJyzvLsmg3NHQqlnuMKAtetQH5iC_RK_tSESRgljX7LzKjtov1kNKKAPhbm-Tcv_APw-Yw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>We're
all partying super hard next door and we can't seem to find our beer
bongs. Do you happen to have any?”</b></i></span> The first story –
'<i>Welcome to the 90s</i>', written and directed by Alexandra
Barreto – gets things off to a good start with a savvy spin on the
'final girl'. It's New Years Eve 1989 and Tony the Killer, a masked
machete-wielding maniac, has two houses to choose from:
party/slaughter central where a keg-fuelled rager is well underway,
or next door where final girls Ellen (<i>Stef Estep-Gozalo</i>),
Ginny (<i>Luxy Banner</i>), Nancy (<i>Shaina Schrooten</i>), Sally
(<i>Elizabeth Trieu</i>), and Laurie (<i>Allison Sugimoto</i>) are
all enjoying a thoroughly dull, and definitely chaste, evening.
Riffing on <b>Alien</b>, <b>Friday the 13</b><sup><b>th</b></sup><b>
Part 2</b>, <b>A Nightmare On Elm Street</b>, <b>The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre</b>, and <b>Halloween</b>, this fun and sparky opening tale
has a lot of fun with its premise. From Ginny's affinity for frumpy
knitted sweaters, Nancy's no-snooze pill popping, and Ellen's
fascination with bandanas, the story twists into high gear when the
gang discover one of their own dead … certainly, this is not how
things are supposed to go. Things get weirder still, when cheerleader
party-hound Buffy (<i>Steph Barkley</i>) rocks up and roles begin to
get reversed in an attempt to get to the bottom of why expectations
are suddenly being subverted.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsNiLf2rxC1toK2YmudPVq15OZWBNyI8XNEh0B3kDqCsCCQYh_FY05dbbYuPExd_7lf_n9i-BzHY9R9e_DO2nxh9zj78aMs6-NsDKRpg5CbZLPWRWxCvZfys1pKmpbwg5J0JYt8hox6iArAlTO-8xeiXMaJHYTXQRzV6T8tyGdCJz593TEU9mZtyflQ/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsNiLf2rxC1toK2YmudPVq15OZWBNyI8XNEh0B3kDqCsCCQYh_FY05dbbYuPExd_7lf_n9i-BzHY9R9e_DO2nxh9zj78aMs6-NsDKRpg5CbZLPWRWxCvZfys1pKmpbwg5J0JYt8hox6iArAlTO-8xeiXMaJHYTXQRzV6T8tyGdCJz593TEU9mZtyflQ/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUzOEtFie2vDrmtFpa0au0K7qWd1D1s3Z4QBR19w7i5hRqogPmbQumdy5P44Qh2AkCz7mvhSDwM3F6paZzfvrCgiOYCVJfwK7lqTWKao2OrJve6wUOTru6VD7bb9rlqJOp-0rlft5OG7wUQpI15zRgoWuv3QtwQr3gOQv2b3E7gup-PkYeUUFwfvNVg/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUzOEtFie2vDrmtFpa0au0K7qWd1D1s3Z4QBR19w7i5hRqogPmbQumdy5P44Qh2AkCz7mvhSDwM3F6paZzfvrCgiOYCVJfwK7lqTWKao2OrJve6wUOTru6VD7bb9rlqJOp-0rlft5OG7wUQpI15zRgoWuv3QtwQr3gOQv2b3E7gup-PkYeUUFwfvNVg/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Stylishly
realised, <i>Welcome to the 90s</i> wastes little time in clearly
establishing its sharp premise and having fun with it. Buffy's
polemic does feel a bit too on-the-nose, like a cross between
drearily academic over-examination and a clunky attempt at, for lack
of a better term, a 'woke joke' to latch on to the zeitgeist of
identity politics does momentarily stale the buzz, but such moments
are only brief and few in number throughout the entirety of <b>Scare
Package II</b>'s run time. One slight wobble aside, the first portion
of this portmanteau does a wonderful job of sweeping aside any
lingering fug of doubt left over from the original, quite patchy,
film.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuUbFmEP9FaIY6t5Ip-iUX_PaDlBENqlnXO8yP7GRlF0FqU9P8v2m9iFK0uof3zFVNFJugi0kldp2SIYcdFeeRNOZ-TG2or7n-uqAnv-iy20qi6zjho2-IJ63jg0N2RCvN0iA0SWKFrJgekYixna9RLD4skJUtHTPdGtG-lonEdozNfYWgDhaAwWRw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQuUbFmEP9FaIY6t5Ip-iUX_PaDlBENqlnXO8yP7GRlF0FqU9P8v2m9iFK0uof3zFVNFJugi0kldp2SIYcdFeeRNOZ-TG2or7n-uqAnv-iy20qi6zjho2-IJ63jg0N2RCvN0iA0SWKFrJgekYixna9RLD4skJUtHTPdGtG-lonEdozNfYWgDhaAwWRw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnirLHuywRsZHokNmDSL3Xh0xS2_AkNEWPvDYG70lJK1gSz8e3vaKiId0Wplmd02JHO4Ql-GIEL5fngx-iOsazAKLisw46YB0mzcDq6fvhd_mnNEedasQRHejGpjg2D-eFooeZVeSRs2qFckHSvZDsP4maGcsw0vVqsuuxAaoMiGt15ArIo1vgUbJ7g/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnirLHuywRsZHokNmDSL3Xh0xS2_AkNEWPvDYG70lJK1gSz8e3vaKiId0Wplmd02JHO4Ql-GIEL5fngx-iOsazAKLisw46YB0mzcDq6fvhd_mnNEedasQRHejGpjg2D-eFooeZVeSRs2qFckHSvZDsP4maGcsw0vVqsuuxAaoMiGt15ArIo1vgUbJ7g/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>He
is evil incarnate, conceived in Hell's womb, born without a soul,
nursed by the teat of the Devil, spanked by Satan himself – he is
the vessel of death!”</b></i></span> Next up, after a bout of poisonous
projectile vomiting, that is, comes '<i>The Night He Came Back Again!
Part VI: The Night </i><i><u>She</u></i><i> Came Back</i>' –
directed by Anthony Cousins and written by John Karsko (<i>with story
also by Ryan Schaddelee and Anthony Cousins</i>). A meta-mad sequel
to its sister tale in the previous film, it's also confirmation that
<b>Scare Package II</b> is successfully trouncing its forerunner.
Plagued by nightmares, Daisy (<i>Chelsey Grant</i>) is heading back
to the cabin in the woods where her life of horror all started.
Accompanied by her husband Scott (<i>Alex Galick</i>), its now twenty
years later and Daisy's 'beloved brother/psycho killer' is about to
return once again for more 4<sup>th</sup> of July mayhem in this
bright and breezy slice of self-aware horror movie humour. Playing
with the trope of the unstoppable killer, regardless of how
improbable their return previously seemed, this short also features
an enjoyably over-the-top take on <b>Halloween</b>'s Dr Loomis in the
form of Dr Castle (<i>Michael Paul Levin</i>).</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS56GRmfw1cVezIo49ILueE5gf1PSsQ0bHbzavk0vUrBTOzURyi0p_YCMyaZsCPhCCJsaFvyCpgwyVtZOkijIdnuhoXXu1jAHCLa60OhpTQCOroym1rJWV7y8IDvuMLwio9m6oP1QsKrnIQ_CSnQxEzfjFgpOBU75xO3E0rKvsDqSM6C9D9tPi7fPaQ/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS56GRmfw1cVezIo49ILueE5gf1PSsQ0bHbzavk0vUrBTOzURyi0p_YCMyaZsCPhCCJsaFvyCpgwyVtZOkijIdnuhoXXu1jAHCLa60OhpTQCOroym1rJWV7y8IDvuMLwio9m6oP1QsKrnIQ_CSnQxEzfjFgpOBU75xO3E0rKvsDqSM6C9D9tPi7fPaQ/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga84SmJzEfFrB1WIWPwwGbuZq3Thia6_mFozAZmh9_vdtFsMqB7gucvnC9ku-gqWmnEHNOghWpqGsepiX1YLGoB7u4NG1eBL3UNRwbgpVvIWUCiCqm10pPbpdgfeJMc8HY9Vsj2rYH9jEs204D9p7E_194n1qtF5kaKOx21hHvzZU-KgLqNlJW2dh6LQ/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga84SmJzEfFrB1WIWPwwGbuZq3Thia6_mFozAZmh9_vdtFsMqB7gucvnC9ku-gqWmnEHNOghWpqGsepiX1YLGoB7u4NG1eBL3UNRwbgpVvIWUCiCqm10pPbpdgfeJMc8HY9Vsj2rYH9jEs204D9p7E_194n1qtF5kaKOx21hHvzZU-KgLqNlJW2dh6LQ/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Who
the fuck is Ted Danson?”</b></i></span> The third story is '<i>Special
Edition</i>', written and directed by Jed Shepherd, and appears to be
a completely separate production parachuted-in from the United
Kingdom. Zoe (<i>Jemma Moore</i>) has moved into a lighthouse and she
and her friends are obsessed with the urban legend surrounding <b>Three
Men and a Baby</b> (<i>the supposed 'ghost' lurking in a window</i>).
This entry is quite short, which does help in the long run, because
the story is confusing and the central conceit of controlling reality
with a video controller is a cool idea within a horror context, but
the logic of how it works and why it's happening at all is either
murky or non-existent, thus locking the viewer out.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpRXE0CDifoJxlEjQUcBKCUYjhDAKXQ0UYbs9EgZ2YZobNSMqzjoJACbVc24YBgQIUCQag1wY8GFLF5pNY22ghPdXfuvPt3cCtuoSc6t3Ewg0JeLwMrV0irY1g_BAUYrsupauU-8hYNOt8__3q9BgZMPpOKRjQejFCw7uG4N4IvkRW6dRgX8ffP4Rgg/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpRXE0CDifoJxlEjQUcBKCUYjhDAKXQ0UYbs9EgZ2YZobNSMqzjoJACbVc24YBgQIUCQag1wY8GFLF5pNY22ghPdXfuvPt3cCtuoSc6t3Ewg0JeLwMrV0irY1g_BAUYrsupauU-8hYNOt8__3q9BgZMPpOKRjQejFCw7uG4N4IvkRW6dRgX8ffP4Rgg/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8eSiU1eKXu88Mh9SrE5EUedQItk4f-C3bw6yL-K-1VJ5ONCI3_QwORBbKcsCTQdhvyYvy0DgekLNY_Tj_5846Oc1RGB856E_4J3TOWlpiZP61z-usQs2Hr6M43IbfNPVerYrdljRsOrQ0m4LOK7Z7ms4iiqWpLJwjawXxIgtkcHpU2yglMGww7aPzg/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8eSiU1eKXu88Mh9SrE5EUedQItk4f-C3bw6yL-K-1VJ5ONCI3_QwORBbKcsCTQdhvyYvy0DgekLNY_Tj_5846Oc1RGB856E_4J3TOWlpiZP61z-usQs2Hr6M43IbfNPVerYrdljRsOrQ0m4LOK7Z7ms4iiqWpLJwjawXxIgtkcHpU2yglMGww7aPzg/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">It's also
by this point that it becomes clear that <b>Scare Package II</b> has
an 'abundance of cast members' problem, with so many new and
sketch-thin characters getting bumped-off within minutes of their
arrival like some sort of blood-soaked assembly line. Even the
recurring characters from the wrap-around story suffer from
meagre-to-zero characterisation, with the likes of Kelli Maroney
(<i><b>Night of the Comet</b></i>) being wasted in the role of mother
to returning-character Jessie (<i>Zoe Graham</i>). Even Rich Sommer
(<i><b>Mad Men</b></i><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">, </span></i><i><b>Summer
of '84</b></i>), gets little to do beyond gurning and getting his arm
lopped off with acidic vomit but, to be fair, he does seem to be
having a grand old time. Indeed, <b>Scare Package II</b> relies a
little too much on the viewer being able to remember the machinations
of the wrap-around story from the original movie, a problem
exacerbated by the over-population of the movie's collective cast.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo81CMQHsnAZBnQ6TlObGOB-TNdMDYksQHu4V4_nJ_zAnu_CVMCKULDFRBsrbfNMiIDzrB1FBPN2hpct2-EA_vCI2tRZlwY2WDD2mso-G1UouXM0rbtOp6RgpY9ByPwp--JN6WJgo9RvUSZkgd8nYVeK5THxmsZ5YeeFs42KTxaOSHdtj1xE6HXbYpow/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo81CMQHsnAZBnQ6TlObGOB-TNdMDYksQHu4V4_nJ_zAnu_CVMCKULDFRBsrbfNMiIDzrB1FBPN2hpct2-EA_vCI2tRZlwY2WDD2mso-G1UouXM0rbtOp6RgpY9ByPwp--JN6WJgo9RvUSZkgd8nYVeK5THxmsZ5YeeFs42KTxaOSHdtj1xE6HXbYpow/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_whF5e17EUju-dvHKTkInphsg08J8v-6odBM80gvPqkRLXAAOnut4K4Rx6Nyt2AmgQh2w_Z3PuZbvT4U3BnR6FoxapnjKcbawM7tk_0ZegnPOjmVeME50FQhGf3yOqR-QM1Og_EspUWCb_cgiyzKJH9etKRUK0rK4HJyKfCW_Ss9Gk3JYKwBVXelHiQ/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_whF5e17EUju-dvHKTkInphsg08J8v-6odBM80gvPqkRLXAAOnut4K4Rx6Nyt2AmgQh2w_Z3PuZbvT4U3BnR6FoxapnjKcbawM7tk_0ZegnPOjmVeME50FQhGf3yOqR-QM1Og_EspUWCb_cgiyzKJH9etKRUK0rK4HJyKfCW_Ss9Gk3JYKwBVXelHiQ/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>No!
Shooting me in the face turned me into an a-hole … also I was
always an a-hole.”</b></i></span> The fourth tale is '<i>We're So Dead</i>',
which was directed by Rachele Wiggins and written by Aaron B. Koontz
and Cameron Burns, marks a return to the established vibe, for which
'<i>Special Edition</i>' was a curiously disjointed departure.
However, by this point the viewer might be feeling dizzied by the
quite relentless onslaught of horror movie references. This
splatstick yarn primarily references <b>Stand By Me</b>, <b>It</b>,
<b>Re-Animator</b>, <b>The Fly</b>, and <b>Pet Sematary</b> – plus
more subtle nods littered throughout – and proves to be a fun
little bout of gruesome <b>Goonies</b> silliness as a group of
friends discover a dead body in the woods, drag it back to their
basement hangout, and proceed to use some familiar glowing green
liquid on it. There's not a lot to the story beyond its
self-awareness, but it still packs an enjoyable punch.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHMDk77wl19gLpvkjCYulnDMjPeX_1V9xPeqKQVXhJiTEofbVWGKUYdhprqCYx9kJM9xMCXK3Q7N2eCRkLg_mhDMESz1v5avo9ohpN72uTbR23bm-qAHRAR366GGRQbJ635a9bZlJn9ffO4g79V2NVVAOfthhfB5AXR6YY60Bd1hu5XrRN1JqHfIvSA/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHMDk77wl19gLpvkjCYulnDMjPeX_1V9xPeqKQVXhJiTEofbVWGKUYdhprqCYx9kJM9xMCXK3Q7N2eCRkLg_mhDMESz1v5avo9ohpN72uTbR23bm-qAHRAR366GGRQbJ635a9bZlJn9ffO4g79V2NVVAOfthhfB5AXR6YY60Bd1hu5XrRN1JqHfIvSA/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmhK4IGbJ_1CXXzxhJO3_--CtkvrBWSRciaPBS8dW4vHdb5dP5UH9iP_w2kIrLQlTeV4BvWkBi46uQ_Hf5vAF8xHV8-21jI7DO0N07o35DwsQO3DnAEFOv2edofDbIcrBwNGLk4qFQiQ9p4rILIe9pNW_Dovq6-QZmfUjouF17lTg6BSz5nh6ra8pwg/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmhK4IGbJ_1CXXzxhJO3_--CtkvrBWSRciaPBS8dW4vHdb5dP5UH9iP_w2kIrLQlTeV4BvWkBi46uQ_Hf5vAF8xHV8-21jI7DO0N07o35DwsQO3DnAEFOv2edofDbIcrBwNGLk4qFQiQ9p4rILIe9pNW_Dovq6-QZmfUjouF17lTg6BSz5nh6ra8pwg/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>It
is now time for one of you to walk the path less walkened.”</b></i>
</span>Strangely, <b>Scare Package II</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span>seems to spend about as much time on its wrap-around story
than it does on its selection of short stories, an odd thing
considering the wrap-around has usually been little more than a
framing device in past efforts, such as the beloved George A.
Romero/Stephen King collaboration <b>Creepshow</b>. The shorter
running time, even if by only nine minutes, does make a noticeable
difference (<i>the most recent two </i><i><b>V/H/S</b></i><i> movies
have both suffered from needlessly long-feeling run-times thanks to
one-too-many tales in the portmanteau potpourri</i>). Considering how
dislocated '<i>Special Edition</i>' feels, <b>Scare Package II</b>
could have easily done without it, even going so far as to drop one
of the several 'gas them and game them' interludes, which riff
heavily on the <b>Saw</b> franchise. Speaking of heavy riffing,
boy-oh-boy does this movie go above and beyond … and much further
still, before looping back around to do it all over again. A fun one
involves the title shot, which copies <b>Friday the 13</b><sup><b>th</b></sup><b>
Part VI: Jason Lives</b>, which itself was referencing the opening to
every James Bond film – so it's a reference to a reference! Amongst
the cavalcade of references not already listed here, there's an
admittedly humorous swipe at the remake of <b>The Wicker Man</b>,
while the <b>Hellraiser</b> franchise is aggressively nodded towards
on several occasions. A little restraint on the self-aware jokes and
movie references would have possibly made room for a dusting of
characterisation for the bloated cast list, with some of the shorts
(<i>and the wrap-around</i>) boasting far too many characters for
their own good.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFqKej91ratmSADJo2yRcGYVp61CxEOsUwbeRuangJ-iejaCBmlDSarwYO46LXFgn4TNJNHScMcPRk2oSLBcCX95RibuEo3p8pXxjKpfWUZm7hh9ZdJM6dc7iVDElRwWM9LxJdZXqm5RrrJUvijIidlao6zZ1ArAQMfSTj32KpadfRrJ2DCmnJB8gAw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFqKej91ratmSADJo2yRcGYVp61CxEOsUwbeRuangJ-iejaCBmlDSarwYO46LXFgn4TNJNHScMcPRk2oSLBcCX95RibuEo3p8pXxjKpfWUZm7hh9ZdJM6dc7iVDElRwWM9LxJdZXqm5RrrJUvijIidlao6zZ1ArAQMfSTj32KpadfRrJ2DCmnJB8gAw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-YaGvyBJbLtFVCRnG__BU9dN6tfTGOh5v2TYO0-6r2Vo2a8haoH_n3bmuVJQbfTVFKvOfmmtU1YSvdLtoeYYfdn7_uDiTdo9HuyUIinnWqb18F5bUOsF55c9ZVUaaByn32NK9yr81oN3xnxEZ9i0JA3dO_vczFzaAGGmDz-9clldAYlEI_FuSDV8jw/s1280/Scare%20Package%20II%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1280" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-YaGvyBJbLtFVCRnG__BU9dN6tfTGOh5v2TYO0-6r2Vo2a8haoH_n3bmuVJQbfTVFKvOfmmtU1YSvdLtoeYYfdn7_uDiTdo9HuyUIinnWqb18F5bUOsF55c9ZVUaaByn32NK9yr81oN3xnxEZ9i0JA3dO_vczFzaAGGmDz-9clldAYlEI_FuSDV8jw/s320/Scare%20Package%20II%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Slight
exhaustion and scatted complaints aside, <b>Scare Package II</b>
marks a considerable improvement over the original movie, which was
at times a real chore to get through when it lost its mojo. The
wrap-around story does get increasingly convoluted as the film
marches on, and heavily relying on nudging and winking its way
through the back catalogue of fan favourite horrors obscures its own
identity, but a seemingly boosted budget and various improvements
compared to the original (<i>including the brisk-feeling of the four
stories</i>) helps an awful lot. Perhaps a third entry could provide
the opportunity to work out the rest of the kinks (<i>some previously
mentioned here</i>) and properly nail it.</p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-360419042255967862023-01-30T16:34:00.003+00:002023-01-30T22:11:24.422+00:00Flavours of the Month: December 2022 & January 2023...<p>Dark, brooding dramas, local familiarity, and the foibles of Yara are just some of what's been setting the tone of my December 2022 and January 2023...<br /><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</b></i></span><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><u><b>LOOKS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Chucky: Season 2</b></span> - I never really warmed to some of the characters in this show, created by Don Mancini, who weren't legacy characters, and that lukewarmness continues with the second season, but there's plenty of Chucky chaos to keep things lively. Overall the season probably works better than the first, although the sometimes convoluted nature of the franchise's story can lead to some confusing moments (<i>at least for me - I've seen all the movies, but few of them more than once</i>). Certain moments are a bit clunky and blunt, but there's a considerable amount of fun to be had, quite often whenever Jennifer Tilly is on-screen and gleefully tearing her way through the story.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Terminal List: Season 1</b></span> - I'm not sure why the 'professional media critics' hated on this so much. Indeed, when it first came out I almost shit-canned the idea of ever watching it because of the apparently across-the-board consensus that it was shite. This isn't an impossibility, either, as there's been quite a lot of movies and shows released in the last several years that have been utter garbage ... however, when I saw just how positive the viewer response was to David DiGilio's show, it was clear something was rotten in criticdom. Now, it has taken me a while to get around to viewing it, but I finally sat down and bashed it out over two weekends with Dad and we both thoroughly enjoyed it, even though certain elements struck unfortunately and uncomfortably close to home. The expected functions of the revenge, conspiracy, and military genres are in-place, but that's not to say there aren't surprises in-store. What's more, the attention to detail really gives a new layer of intensity to the combat scenes rarely seen before, with Pratt's performance (<i>and evident commitment to his screen training</i>) sitting comfortably alongside other dedicated action stars such as Keanu Reeves in the, albeit much more fantastical, <b>John Wick</b> franchise. If there was to be another season, I'd certainly watch it.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Only Murders In The Building: Seasons 1 & 2</b></span> - created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. This comedy drama, available through Disney+, is a real gem that combines genuinely intriguing crime mystery with shades of both subtle and broad humour. The second season gets off to a shaky start in the first two episodes, not helped by a couple of side stories that literally go nowhere after the second or third episode, but after that it rediscovers its groove and overcomes 'difficult second album syndrome' quite capably. Good news is that a third season is coming.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Jack Ryan: Season 3</b></span> - based on characters by Tom Clancy, the Amazon Prime TV adaptation created by Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland. Quite possibly the best of all three seasons thus far, and certainly a more honed and confident outing compared to the slightly uneven second season. With an uncomfortable closeness to certain real-world events, it feels vital while also maintaining good old classic Clancy-styled political intrigue and covert operations. Breezed through it in three days over the Christmas period and got completely sucked into it.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Clark</b></span> - Jonas Akerlund's brash six-part crime drama based on the life and misdeeds of Clark Olofsson, most notorious for the Norrmalmstorg bank robbery that introduced the world to the term "Stockholm Syndrome". There's plenty of style and crazed flair to the presentation, but being that the whole story is told from the perspective of a psychopathic narcicist, Clark's repeating cycle of criminal and selfish behaviour grows old and stale in the second half. A broader perspective on the subject matter would have helped keep things fresh throughout its six episode run, which actually feels a bit over-long for how this story has specifically been told. The series does minimal work to really challenge Clark's own mythical narrative, with an admonishment in the closing minutes coming too-little too-late. If the show had sought to tell at least some of the story from the perspectives of those swept-up in Clark's self-involved orbit, then the constant cycle of criminal behaviour might not have become so repetitive in the back-half. Over all, though, flaws aside, I did enjoy it.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Hunters: Season 2</b></span> - the final season of David Weil's pulpy revenge thriller, set in the 1970s, about a group of Nazi hunters makes a welcome return with a generally more confident sense of tone compared to the uneven first few episodes of the original season. There's the odd questionable moment here or there (<i>like why would one Nazi hunter who had learned to keep hidden in the shadows brazenly display the extracted eyeballs of their latest quarry in full view of the public?</i>), but overall this proves to be a strong outing that combines the tensions of secrets, lies, and vengeance-fuelled espionage with moments of wry character-based humour and bloody thrills, all the while keeping its dark subject in close contact. Where is the line between justice and revenge, and are the two mutually exclusive?<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Rig: Season 1</b></span> - created by David Macpherson, combines ecological sci-fi horror with elements of John Carpenter's "<b>The Fog</b>" as well as "<b>The Thing</b>". Riddled with mysterious goings-on, an isolated location, and characters fighting over secrets and differences in a confined space, it's a good watch. Hopefully it'll get a second season as it does end on a sizeable cliffhanger.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Richard Hammond's Workshop: Season 1 & 2</b></span> - literally the only thing of interest to me on the Discovery+ streaming platform. Following the <b>Top Gear</b> and <b>Grand Tour</b> presenter as he attempts to kickstart a classic car restoration business, it proves to be a very enjoyable show, even moreso when Hammond and the restoration guys (<i>Neil, Anthony, and Andrew Greenhouse</i>) relax into the banter while also showing off their impressive skills. There's another layer of enjoyment for me with my familiarity for the county in which the show is made, particularly when you recognise the illogical editing of numerous cutaways (<i>roads that are as much as half-an-hour apart from one shot to another, or heading in conflicting directions, for instance</i>), or when the affable chap who painted your house suddenly appears on-screen to get his car mended.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Last Of Us: Season 1</b></span> - created by Craig Mazin (<i>the man behind the utterly superb 2019 mini-series <b>Chernobyl</b></i>) and Neil Druckmann (<i>co-director and writer of the original Playstation videogame</i>). Being an Xbox gamer, I've never played either of <b>The Last Of Us</b> videogames, and the only pieces of it that I am aware of have been through general cultural osmosis so, for me, I'm coming to this quite fresh and unawares. The first two episodes make for a strong start, and from what I can tell there's been a keen-ness, at least on Mazin's part, to stick close to the source material and respect it, which is very good to see, considering how such respect is routinely lacking from almost all videogame-to-TV/film adaptations, and something which is now frequently absent from numerous comic book, anime, and other pop culture adaptations like <b>The Rings of Power</b>, <b>The Witcher</b>, and <b>Cowboy Bebop</b> to name just three. There's the odd element or casting choice I'm not quite sold on (<i>yet, at least</i>), but so far I'm digging it. Now - having just watched the third episode - consider me fully pulled-in, with what turned out to be a beautifully written and devastatingly emotional tale.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>SOUNDS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Misfits "Walk Among Us" (album), "Earth A.D." (album), "Static Age" (album), "American Psycho" (album)<br /><br />VV "Neon Noir" (album)<br /><br />M83 "Oceans Niagara"<br /><br />Bruce Springsteen "Dancing in the Dark", "Born to Run"<br /><br />The Skirts "Santa Monica Blvd Boy"<br /><br />Green Day "Father Of All..." (album)</b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>VIBES & FLAVOURS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents" by Stephen Thrower<br /><br />Far Cry 6 (Xbox Series S)</b></span> - getting into it more, but there's no doubt it feels tired compared to previous entries. I like being able to select any weapon from your collection instead of having to tool-up at specific locations, but doing so from the weapon wheel instead of the menu would be nicer. Unfortunately, the weapons and character upgrade systems have been needlessly overhauled, making them too fiddly and overcomplicated, which is a real shame. I've also no idea why, after several games of being able to equip an M-79 grenade launcher in your 'single handed weapon slot' you no longer can. They were extremely useful for shooting from a moving vehicle, but now you'd have to lose one of your three main weapons to do it, all of which have a specific purpose already (<i>silenced sniper rifle, silenced mid-range rifle, and an LMG for when things get loud</i>).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, the game suffers from having far too many weapons that you never bother using, and even some of the vehicles are extremely frustrating to drive (<i>the ATV, for instance</i>). A more streamlined selection of truly different weapons would've been the way to go, not a whole pile of mostly indistinguishable lead-flingers, especially when you quite quickly find your choice weaponry early on and stick with it.<br /><br />Another idiotic change is related to your skills, which were previously handled with an upgrade tree that allowed you a lot of free reign. Now, though, you are extremely limited by having to wear specific clothing for specific skills and upgrades (<i>including how much ammo you can carry!</i>), meaning you have to choose between multiple very useful skills you'd like to have access to all of the time. There was no need to make a change like this and it only serves to frustrate the player and massively over-complicate things.<br /><br />It's also funny how little I have found myself using other things in the game, such as your Amigos - I don't use them at all. Comparatively, I used them all the time in <b>Far Cry 5</b> (<i>where a guy in a plane dropping bombs or a sniper were very useful tactically, or a crazy redneck with an explosives fetish or a loveable canine sidekick were just fun to have by your side</i>), but here in <b>Far Cry 6</b> I've not bothered with them one little bit and can handle every encounter on my own just fine, if not easier. Similarly, I routinely forget I have a friggin' rocket launcher on my back, another sign of over-complication in the weapons system. Hey, Ubisoft, just revert to the systems in <b>Far Cry 5</b>; you pretty much nailed it with those, so what on Earth were you thinking with these changes?<br /><br />It's also frustrating to see the quality of the mission design has slid backwards considerably. On numerous occasions I've found myself unsure of what I'm supposed to be doing or where I'm going, while supposed action set pieces turn into confused, directionless clusterfucks. Furthermore, it's inexcusable, this long after release, for there to still be a game-breaking bug during a major story mission (<i>"Harpoon"</i>), which required multiple attempts to luck my way past.<br /><br />Speaking of story, it's weak and features too many one-note cliche characters. A handful of the cast, such as the villainous dictator Antón Castillo (<i>Giancarlo Esposito</i>), his son Diego (<i>Anthony Gonzalez</i>), and revolutionaries Juan Cortez (<i>Alex Fernandez</i>) and Philly Barzaga (<i>Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz</i>), prove engaging, but the rest of the cast is either interchangeable, dull, or eye-rollingly cliched (<i>or all three</i>). The structure of the storytelling is inherently flawed, too, thanks to the game just throwing the entire open world - and all its open world map-clearing activities - at the player from the outset. It's very easy to just roam the world, taking down Outposts and Checkpoints for tens of hours and completely lose sight of the story and characters, whose plight (<i>when you do get around to it</i>) feels predictable and stock, hampered by various moments of political messaging that has all the nuance of a toddler throwing a tantrum. There is fun to be had, but almost all of the changes have made the game worse instead of better (<i>even <b>Far Cry: New Dawn</b> was beginning to whiff a bit</i>), while the overall execution feels disappointingly uninspired. The high watermark of <b>Far Cry 5</b> feels increasingly distant as you notice more of this game's flaws.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox Series S)</b></span> - similarly, getting into it much more with time. Some quirky nuisances still remain from previous entries, like not being able to re-list a failed auction item with one button (<i>you have to 'reclaim' it, then re-list it all over again</i>). There's also the continued nasty habit of other 'drivatars' crashing into you recklessly, causing you to lose your XP combo, while the basic NPC road traffic also mindlessly changes lanes at the worst times in conjunction with weird bottlenecks of spawned drivatars (<i>which often happens at important bends in the road just when you're trying to 3-star a speed trap</i>).<br /><br />Seasonal race series also seem to be stuck on 'Highly Skilled' difficulty with no option to change it to suit, which is hardly what you'd call 'skill inclusive' (<i>particularly frustrating for seasonal PR Stunts, which are now rendered almost impossible to achieve most of the time</i>). 'Highly Skilled' race series seem quite variable at times, too, although the best route to success seems to be to use a car with great launch and acceleration stats and then aggressively barge your way to the front as quick as possible to put the others in their place. Still absolutely love the game, but silly little faults like the above should have been ironed out by now, especially as the game gets so much so right.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-46011979949147883052022-12-10T13:18:00.000+00:002022-12-10T13:18:14.614+00:00Witch Academy (Fred Olen Ray, 1991) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgs7rXyZiiyqtXs_vgKgNYcDrPkdaJlsdgRiO6CHZqn6hxPAT2vibHZbGoikwgldTXpFkQtODn01PUT92U6VUPYznDCyF-brDFqySgszBvD4IJdc-q2pyKAtcEeo3Srt1ZIXCU9D3pqfcVz0xV-t1HCnfKZAtj0MvBbedFMOml4NAZmbCVnE9ChwXYaQ/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgs7rXyZiiyqtXs_vgKgNYcDrPkdaJlsdgRiO6CHZqn6hxPAT2vibHZbGoikwgldTXpFkQtODn01PUT92U6VUPYznDCyF-brDFqySgszBvD4IJdc-q2pyKAtcEeo3Srt1ZIXCU9D3pqfcVz0xV-t1HCnfKZAtj0MvBbedFMOml4NAZmbCVnE9ChwXYaQ/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<i><b>I
lost a gallon of blood because she saw some cockamamie movie!”</b></i></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">
</span>A gaggle of sorority sisters who just so happen to be witches, the
Satanic temptation of a goofy nerd, and costume design exclusively
from a lingerie catalogue is pretty much the jist of this
straight-to-video Scream Queen comedy horror flick – oh, and some
Hollywood royalty even turns up to join the fun!...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBxAX9fNJUXNJcrc7NiZS1_FSuZ3tOF4wDZc25d-TrqKjjLtdWgmA50vKCXNrL5U84acJdbrclmVC3aN0WVkpNACyDZgBcoFknJA3l2vgirk0ZFcKAVzWlGOMdBWkJjCWmyaNlMB6rsW6IZeHWSbh7SuFIACwCCRwDUj2OYD_w0FQtAK6jJXeNP3l2g/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBxAX9fNJUXNJcrc7NiZS1_FSuZ3tOF4wDZc25d-TrqKjjLtdWgmA50vKCXNrL5U84acJdbrclmVC3aN0WVkpNACyDZgBcoFknJA3l2vgirk0ZFcKAVzWlGOMdBWkJjCWmyaNlMB6rsW6IZeHWSbh7SuFIACwCCRwDUj2OYD_w0FQtAK6jJXeNP3l2g/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Relax,
everything's under control. We just invited her over for a little
degradation.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Opening with
a quote from Ted, the 'long lost brother of Edgar Allan Poe', which
reads: “</span><i>And while we move amongst the graves and dream of
things we like to save, the thoughts and visions that linger best are
girls with huge, gigantic breasts...</i><span style="font-style: normal;">”,
the tone is already locked and loaded: a combination of mammaries and
malarkey. The girls of the Sigma Gamma sorority are excitedly getting
ready for a frat party, but Tara (</span><i>Michelle Bauer, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2021/12/death-row-diner-b-dennis-wood-1988.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Death
Row Diner</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">) and Wanda
(</span><i>Suzanne Ager, </i><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/03/evil-toons-fred-olen-ray-1992-review.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Evil Toons</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">)
are still finding plenty of time to play tricks on each other – and
they just so happen to be … witches? Well, they can fling bolts of
electricity to give each others' norks a zap and play some kind of
vague off-screen prank involving fake phone calls, so … witches,
then? Joined by Darla (</span><i>Ruth Collins, </i><i><b>Doom
Asylum</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">), the girls' have
ultimately got themselves tarted-up for nothing as frat broseph Neal
(</span><i>Don Dowe, </i><i><b>Trancers II</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
calls up to cancel the bash because some serious pledge hazing needs
doing. Imagine that, a frat boy putting preppy pranks before bevvy of
beautiful sorority babes!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
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<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>What's
this broad wearing – chainmail panties?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Desperately in-need of a good wheeze for the evening, the Sigma Gamma
gals extend an invite to the exceedingly uncool and relentlessly
nerdy Leslie (</span><i>Veronica Carothers, </i><i><b>Vice Academy 3
& 4</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">), to see if she has
the right stuff to join their sorority. Yeah, right! Goofy Leslie's
idea of sexy dress-up is seemingly from the 'bed sheet collection' of
Dowdy Dames 'R' Us, while the Sigma Gamma gals' favourite past-time
is giving each other a 'clothing optional' ass paddling! Cream-pied
on arrival (</span><i>steady now</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
the Sigma Gamma girls launch into the hazing with buckets of cold
water and icky concoctions made for chugging, all before poor old
Leslie is chained up to a water pipe in the rat-infested basement.
Kind, gentle, and thoughtful, Leslie has always felt unwanted
everywhere she goes, and so naturally she's the perfect target for
some infernal enticement, and wouldn't you know it, but The Devil
himself appears and offers Leslie the chance to take a walk on the
Sigma Gamma side. Surely there won't be any rotten consequences to
that proposal?</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT4TGHBemtjma0Gj4WBGjMc2mUbW766iiudfKuLcQrIIXGTzYaGW-CCd-CGLP0NXfsfLusa5Ln6C69ncvcQClIHWNtG5N46eSgU3knRXuLv5xfW4JDnciNPa0Lv0s2D91ObmEuZnKx6MdG8pAbUb0XSUHZ5SE_3zQJ6ii7pqaBuHMfZS7FqG6Ea-0fA/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlT4TGHBemtjma0Gj4WBGjMc2mUbW766iiudfKuLcQrIIXGTzYaGW-CCd-CGLP0NXfsfLusa5Ln6C69ncvcQClIHWNtG5N46eSgU3knRXuLv5xfW4JDnciNPa0Lv0s2D91ObmEuZnKx6MdG8pAbUb0XSUHZ5SE_3zQJ6ii7pqaBuHMfZS7FqG6Ea-0fA/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYrPdgjbh4JDhwvX6utPyIWBGQqoQU13rkXYFiISmlFW2ku5IAdklyxLI_boTl1OgV2nj_tRQd2BVJeRA4T45PvSRlbtT5vpJUXuysUB1Zh6A8i5KunfYPneaWMH5hq3IFSHIkh63lpzPK4ZmfDYJ9-j6bE2ovp161hiAFHea6R4OCK6cNvSQsH-nAA/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYrPdgjbh4JDhwvX6utPyIWBGQqoQU13rkXYFiISmlFW2ku5IAdklyxLI_boTl1OgV2nj_tRQd2BVJeRA4T45PvSRlbtT5vpJUXuysUB1Zh6A8i5KunfYPneaWMH5hq3IFSHIkh63lpzPK4ZmfDYJ9-j6bE2ovp161hiAFHea6R4OCK6cNvSQsH-nAA/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Souls
schmouls. Only losers go for souls these days.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Transformed into a stunner, clad in a red lace body suit, Leslie
poses as her 'sister' Becky, and quickly finds herself much more to
the liking of Wanda, Tara, Darla, and particularly their sadistic Den
Mother Edith, who looks straight out of an S&M-themed music video
for a hair metal band and has a liking for knuckle-duster-busting gut
punches to keep her buxom underlings in-line. With Wanda jealous that
Edith has taken a considerable shine to 'Becky', it's not long before
the Sigma Gammas discover their Den Mother chained up dead in the
basement with a look of ecstasy on her face and a puncture wound in
her neck. Could there be a vampire with a broken tooth on the loose,
or has Leslie's deal with The Devil gone and backfired?</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixG1NRLoDJuZ5FDjyD_VOmH8KDVKD5zDUbrY6kroU9N2ZACDRIuVYBdOZgE5b-RMr2UWU4zns64BK0IbLl5eiiQGiYriACWzrv7T-0z8XC5CW9U3Y_C4AainJc10Y3U6xCZ7GLlcISotEqONfo_hn12N1a0H-lThZ5wkoYkO0OZArIxFFpQNW1RMebw/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixG1NRLoDJuZ5FDjyD_VOmH8KDVKD5zDUbrY6kroU9N2ZACDRIuVYBdOZgE5b-RMr2UWU4zns64BK0IbLl5eiiQGiYriACWzrv7T-0z8XC5CW9U3Y_C4AainJc10Y3U6xCZ7GLlcISotEqONfo_hn12N1a0H-lThZ5wkoYkO0OZArIxFFpQNW1RMebw/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzm2Q0XgL58aZWbjtrD-yQD72DuO7PiwCyeCUG6WiOlI7U_h6Qg0UBILyHw2h5Jm5HWt6ebyVudD5u-ybFKOHbc2hBK5N4sf1P38b7kTYvpKSnqsYs_vnqbY2LYGyY4TvD9J6h7u0DfUfBndl_R8SpgjrdH50lYb7G_u6G-kCTeVF7jEw_7ihL8S-og/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzm2Q0XgL58aZWbjtrD-yQD72DuO7PiwCyeCUG6WiOlI7U_h6Qg0UBILyHw2h5Jm5HWt6ebyVudD5u-ybFKOHbc2hBK5N4sf1P38b7kTYvpKSnqsYs_vnqbY2LYGyY4TvD9J6h7u0DfUfBndl_R8SpgjrdH50lYb7G_u6G-kCTeVF7jEw_7ihL8S-og/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>What
an ignoranimus!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Still
holding onto enough of what made straight-to-video Scream Queen
flicks of the 1980s so much fun, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Witch
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> entered the 1990s
with much the same attitude as what came before it: a low budget, a
single location, a small cast, oodles of 'bewbs and bum-bums', a
couple of sort-of-flashy special effects, and one or two rubber
monster suits thrown in for good measure. Low budget genre cinema is
often at its best when the filmmakers approach it from an angle of
“</span><i>Whatever I have to hand is going in this movie!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">”
– indeed, that's precisely what Robert Rodriguez did with his
$7,000 debut feature </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>El
Mariachi</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> – and this
tale of vicious sorority witches scampering around in lacy lingerie,
while a rented rubber monster occasionally pops up to pick them off,
is no different … in principle at least.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxqsgn7jhERBTxURZCLetzX1Hu3x5HYcS3NH_Fn2LU3bs8j8pf5OU9TWanKhMTP8L93gMalRgZl5llR7xOwiYO71emR546E5_KWvw7-bQPnrkWbTa3hi5NT55V8qBA48_ErC-TQXz4L3WzyZOf4L0d2C4LSUPlqxAsFhVWJmQY5RCMgke0UK7ai5Ylw/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxqsgn7jhERBTxURZCLetzX1Hu3x5HYcS3NH_Fn2LU3bs8j8pf5OU9TWanKhMTP8L93gMalRgZl5llR7xOwiYO71emR546E5_KWvw7-bQPnrkWbTa3hi5NT55V8qBA48_ErC-TQXz4L3WzyZOf4L0d2C4LSUPlqxAsFhVWJmQY5RCMgke0UK7ai5Ylw/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHykT-38YLsZtUOx2lnRgYiM7r4-Pz8FR5RcbMCZC9B_3QKD6a_Theu2IXuhyXNCumSezYD44HfvGPbi1UWbRIViAuJ4bBZ5UK8S-l3lBlYHEbw9XoXtlozfOTl5XbB15vCze7HCJy5uU8De5nOnvfRhfWzkUaDNcKGtIRA-LI7aLT14TLgtfSIojBEQ/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHykT-38YLsZtUOx2lnRgYiM7r4-Pz8FR5RcbMCZC9B_3QKD6a_Theu2IXuhyXNCumSezYD44HfvGPbi1UWbRIViAuJ4bBZ5UK8S-l3lBlYHEbw9XoXtlozfOTl5XbB15vCze7HCJy5uU8De5nOnvfRhfWzkUaDNcKGtIRA-LI7aLT14TLgtfSIojBEQ/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIukKB7Em5l_x12fH7CV2sgQkYdv7UiR7lhRmbWespimH2xyD_8Y-by8KnDX3NSfXgLFNDATxjJBBI0TAR3nVyH7Yxj0XgGp5M784qQegdDn1fKSFUTghYTsfhW0si87OwhVecBppfrO_MvrwpDxWqeprWlrEMCynCfXQjJHQB12fD9FOVQaGAS9gY4w/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIukKB7Em5l_x12fH7CV2sgQkYdv7UiR7lhRmbWespimH2xyD_8Y-by8KnDX3NSfXgLFNDATxjJBBI0TAR3nVyH7Yxj0XgGp5M784qQegdDn1fKSFUTghYTsfhW0si87OwhVecBppfrO_MvrwpDxWqeprWlrEMCynCfXQjJHQB12fD9FOVQaGAS9gY4w/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>This
place is turning into a morgue.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Another enjoyable aspect of this kind of sleazy VHS fare was stunt
casting, such as David Carradine randomly popping up in </span><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/03/evil-toons-fred-olen-ray-1992-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Evil
Toons</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, or Gunnar Hansen
(</span><i>iconic for his portrayal of Leatherface in 1974's horror
cinema landmark </i><i><b>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
appearing in </span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hollywood-chainsaw-hookers-fred-olen.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">. It was
seemingly almost a legal requirement that if Hansen was appearing in
a movie, then a chainsaw would likely find a use, such as in the
enjoyable low budget creature feature </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Mosquito</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gary Jones,
1994</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">.
Similarly, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Witch Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
splashes what was no doubt a decent wedge of its $140,000 budget on
two name stars that would have been familiar to a wide audience at
the time. Prescilla Barnes (</span><i><b>The Devil's Rejects</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who plays savage Den Mother Edith, had by this point been seen in
major television hits </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Three's
Company</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> and </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
Love Boat</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> while also
having a supporting role in Timothy Dalton's second-and-final outing
as James Bond in 1989's </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>License
To Kill</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">. The really 'big
get' of the flick, however, is Robert Vaughn. Cast as The Devil,
Vaughn was best known for his role in </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
Man From U.N.C.L.E.</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">1964-1968</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
as well as a whole host of guest starring roles in shows like </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
A-Team</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">; he was also not
unfamiliar with 'slumming it' in genre fare, hence his appearances in
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Zombie 5: Killing Birds</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>CHUD II: Bud The Chud</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDwlIBYe5O_aaRQoJrRK8qoIOFPeTwR-crOnirATcEWSl4AfhB_WHbYAVrZyytlwlFWaGnOMjHbj8yRW4RbQJFmhSZmqPUuztrKRV3Ch534Mg97EOgaKMfMpwJecxFqCZBftD6R_HN13qWGwYjemH1_mirQ3EyHCqLL586cqmP0MB_ETIaJ040DzGFQ/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDwlIBYe5O_aaRQoJrRK8qoIOFPeTwR-crOnirATcEWSl4AfhB_WHbYAVrZyytlwlFWaGnOMjHbj8yRW4RbQJFmhSZmqPUuztrKRV3Ch534Mg97EOgaKMfMpwJecxFqCZBftD6R_HN13qWGwYjemH1_mirQ3EyHCqLL586cqmP0MB_ETIaJ040DzGFQ/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbEBCh0vbpAbUzPfUh-sswOg8yIZE125nFzOZa6EzzNG7198lj9d62taTksMdBVrz49uPRkudmPkjLueVS59dYB3NgR1MqSekT_8pZxxF0p0ZLg1GIYrxt5l3damp9z_pr3Y0ZFOeBvPZ0yQyoWgGyL4wa6SwwxOiLSQB1vGCGaFRungfW371xQltbQ/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbEBCh0vbpAbUzPfUh-sswOg8yIZE125nFzOZa6EzzNG7198lj9d62taTksMdBVrz49uPRkudmPkjLueVS59dYB3NgR1MqSekT_8pZxxF0p0ZLg1GIYrxt5l3damp9z_pr3Y0ZFOeBvPZ0yQyoWgGyL4wa6SwwxOiLSQB1vGCGaFRungfW371xQltbQ/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You're
just looking for another cheap excuse to change your top.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Written by Thomas McGee and Directed by Fred Olen Ray, who teamed-up
the year prior to gift audiences with the gleefully silly </span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/06/bad-girls-from-mars-fred-olen-ray-1990.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Bad Girls From Mars</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;">, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Witch
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> unfortunately
tends to flounder as often as it flies. There's some good 'n' goofy
gags, like The Devil wincing when he gets a paper cut while thumbing
through the Necronomicon, or Wanda conducting an impromptu blood test
akin to John Carpenter's </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
Thing</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> in order to expose
who the monstrous killer is but, and you may glance incredulously at
the next five words, the script lets it down.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rKeQ2MtEO6BJF99WCY5mwFKkGCiRHedTPY5CDnPBUvaDAuFsovbV-WbZSrD0BA9EEiSzphJPNio51EGKx_OwCFcswKJ2l26A69jZovpuxnGFXwG6TEp-p1qkrnRZCKssuulurlwPXfN8mGFJN5EwU938c6xEQgWCGNzJ53qC-zaE74O309s61cDznw/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rKeQ2MtEO6BJF99WCY5mwFKkGCiRHedTPY5CDnPBUvaDAuFsovbV-WbZSrD0BA9EEiSzphJPNio51EGKx_OwCFcswKJ2l26A69jZovpuxnGFXwG6TEp-p1qkrnRZCKssuulurlwPXfN8mGFJN5EwU938c6xEQgWCGNzJ53qC-zaE74O309s61cDznw/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsBL1rZQnXibRZe8KGwmzM8-LaY2LyT-IcQTBLWNqhCoIw1l1XIAoHUQ_iTt5tjIRS4nWFFaZU3v0rC64ZytbtOnOHrljvWzrH7X4sd6UCsu37uswdqvlL3elW83ScwbE0KXnHikJvlIFYbGJlcyUE3YFROA8L1-beMCV-AmscI_BP-PKKdovoGwVVA/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsBL1rZQnXibRZe8KGwmzM8-LaY2LyT-IcQTBLWNqhCoIw1l1XIAoHUQ_iTt5tjIRS4nWFFaZU3v0rC64ZytbtOnOHrljvWzrH7X4sd6UCsu37uswdqvlL3elW83ScwbE0KXnHikJvlIFYbGJlcyUE3YFROA8L1-beMCV-AmscI_BP-PKKdovoGwVVA/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">We
don't find out The Devil's scheme until the very end of the film, so
that subplot lacks a certain narrative oomph, while the very notion
of sorority </span><i>witches</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is
barely explored – it hardly comes up in conversation and almost
never influences the plot in any significant way. Frustratingly, it
feels like a better movie was left on-the-table during its
conception, with far more focus paid to the assemblage of lingerie
and leather outfits. Still, </span>Vaughn and Barnes both bring chops
and class to the production, while John Henry Richardson (<a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/hollywood-chainsaw-hookers-fred-olen.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">) gives good
gurn as the sleazy Professor Lamar, and Michelle Bauer is reliably
gung-ho as always. Collins, meanwhile, filters Marilyn Monroe through
a 1980s-styled softcore gauze, and Ager dials it up to eleven and
doggedly sticks to it.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnM4Q2C4fSzsvB8kEojVDNuLk2UKnt7wj66buHSdki9XKtWWht8OizvbDh_tCwyyca7sLdcg7UO6iLrgTQULhovezIq7pVxaI73UjU8UvfqO_tLKeKpF6u-w2rFowoyv3Z1F-k9V1illgDtdxEFKhsOq-93nrMs2pAXO1Xb--rfRjmJxxUwtoG3Q40A/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnM4Q2C4fSzsvB8kEojVDNuLk2UKnt7wj66buHSdki9XKtWWht8OizvbDh_tCwyyca7sLdcg7UO6iLrgTQULhovezIq7pVxaI73UjU8UvfqO_tLKeKpF6u-w2rFowoyv3Z1F-k9V1illgDtdxEFKhsOq-93nrMs2pAXO1Xb--rfRjmJxxUwtoG3Q40A/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lp_anGSZXb1UZAYolgyTXf-Lt8TrqtuGMhCQLOSIkvTzB0VWX-99neiT5rjvB0_m3DTmSvaIxaR1Pibsszs5D-t4UhwPYKJuNb3TovuEIeyptsCSKu4HoiQ7AboILt7T5d63dLPYGZ45A_PeJGWihdfdPyDFUUZSI4JjMiuyJMwvyPl7mWmHYHajPQ/s481/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="481" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lp_anGSZXb1UZAYolgyTXf-Lt8TrqtuGMhCQLOSIkvTzB0VWX-99neiT5rjvB0_m3DTmSvaIxaR1Pibsszs5D-t4UhwPYKJuNb3TovuEIeyptsCSKu4HoiQ7AboILt7T5d63dLPYGZ45A_PeJGWihdfdPyDFUUZSI4JjMiuyJMwvyPl7mWmHYHajPQ/s320/Witch%20Academy%20(1991)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>No
police! Police scenes are boring; they tell the audience everything
they already know.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> McGee
and Ray like to keep their audience in-the-loop, never once
condescending them, nor attempting any degree of dishonesty about the
mechanical purposes of video rental fare such as this. Overall it
makes for good 'n' saucy fun (</span><i>in less than four minutes
we've already had our eyes poked by not one but two doses of T&A</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
but </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Witch Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
never quite manages to find its high gear or grasp its true potential
(</span><i>however modest that may be, that is … each to their own
and all that</i><span style="font-style: normal;">). It has some
moments, such as The Devil explaining he doesn't have horns any more
thanks to cosmetic surgery, or the moment when Wanda does a handstand
and continues delivering dialogue for no reason whatsoever other than
the actress could do it. Moments like that make these sort of movies
as fun as they are, it's just a shame that </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Witch
Academy</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> doesn't have more
of them. As a nifty bonus, though, the credits conclude with a
selection of out-takes, offering a brief glimpse behind the scenes,
which is quite unusual for this type of movie.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-34287949391382668842022-11-30T13:50:00.037+00:002022-12-01T14:03:15.482+00:00Flavours of the Month: October & November 2022...<p style="text-align: justify;">Flooring it in Mexico, the (<i>sort of</i>) end of an undead era, and the calamitous closure of a horror franchise is just some of what has been setting the tone of my October & November 2022...<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</b></i></span></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><u><b>LOOKS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Walking Dead: Season 11C</b></span> - the final eight episodes. I do love this show, but at the same time it's prime has most certainly passed. It is disappointing that The Commonwealth wasn't introduced sooner with its various layers and mechanics explored more deeply over a longer period of time, and that the antagonists are too often one-note. You wonder how on earth such a large population centre could genuinely function with such nakedly evil sociopaths in charge. Considering how shows like <b>House of the Dragon</b> benefit from such complex 'grey area characters', it's a shame that <b>TWD </b>has been determined of late to go with moustache-twirlers.<br /><br />Creeping towards the climax it's also concerning to feel that the show doesn't seem to be all that aware that the end is coming, and that it might be spending too much time trying to set up further spin-offs rather than provide a proper conclusion for the main show to stand on its own two feet. Hopefully the spin-offs to come will be a hell of a lot better than what we've had so far: the massively mixed bag of "<b>Fear The Walking Dead</b>" (<i>sometimes quite good, sometimes shockingly awful, too often mediocre</i>), "<b>World Beyond</b>" (<i>so infuriating I couldn't stomach more than two episodes</i>), and "<b>Tales of The Walking Dead</b>" (<i>truly dreadful</i>). Without spoiling it, the final episode doesn't fully satisfy in terms of closure, but it provided enough closure the juggle the balancing act of what's still to come and wrapping-up the parent show with a decent amount of gusto and some genuinely moving scenes that were wonderfully written and performed.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>House of the Dragon: Season 1</b></span> - created by Ryan Condal and based on George R. R. Martin's "Fire & Blood", this has been a welcome return to Westeros after the controversial close to <b>Game of Thrones</b>. The choppy pacing, as a result of numerous time-jumps and re-casting of certain characters, does confuse matters throughout, but it's worth sticking with as there is much meat on the bone to dig one's teeth into as rivalries over the line of succession turn increasingly sour and bloody. The production is grand and lush, and even though it can sometimes feel in-need of a little more action there is always plenty going on in the story to keep the viewer invested.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Andor: Season 1</b></span> - created by Tony Gilroy. After the thoroughly mixed <b>The Book Of Boba Fett</b> and the utter disaster that was <b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b>, my expectations were quite low for this latest Star Wars show, thrust into the 'content cacophony' by Disney, to the point that I was considering not even bothering with it. Amazingly, it's turned out to be a pretty solid and entertaining show. The pace is certainly in-need of sharpening up (<i>I just don't see any real justification for it being 12 episodes, especially in this day-and-age</i>), not helped by the week-to-week release schedule, but the grittier focus on smaller characters outside of the strictures of the Skywalker-orbit has gifted the show, much like <b>Rogue One</b> (<i>to which this serves as a prequel</i>), its own turf to play on within a familiar world. Perhaps the pacing works better in a binge-watch scenario, too. Very much recommended viewing and a glimmer of hope for the generally flagging <b>Star Wars</b> brand, which has too-often been mismanaged by Disney and its 'content overlords'.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes</b></span> - Joe Berlinger's latest three-part true crime doc. If you were into the other entries on John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy then you'll know what to expect. Not sure if it was a good idea or not to place it so close to the series that went live just a few weeks earlier, but either way it was a well crafted and revealing examination of another one of mankind's dark corners.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Pam & Tommy </b></span>- created by Robert Siegel and based on an article by Amanda Chicago Lewis, this eight-part mini-series explores the story behind the public release of the illegally-obtained 'sex tape' of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Moving with a slick sense of pace, it makes for a fascinating story, even moreso when we delve into the various ways in which the tape's release affected the lives of those involved. It can occasionly drop the odd line of thunderously blunt dialogue, which only serves to make the already quite clear themes as subtle as cannon fire, but other than that this was a thoroughly enjoyable watch, which mixed drama and dark humour to great effect. Lily James steals the whole show as Pamela Anderson, sinking into the role and justifiably capturing the audience's sympathies.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Halloween Ends</b></span> - an Endoscopy is a medical procedure where a camera is threaded down someone's throat to investigate their stomach while they're still conscious, their throat numbed with a spray (<i>which leads to a most perturbing sensation</i>). It's not a fun time, and yet <b>Halloween Ends</b> is less fun than that. Those who wrote the screenplay should be ashamed of themselves for screwing up the final film in the 'H40 saga' so completely, and Blumhouse need to look at themselves in the mirror for not only approving the script but paying for the film to be made.<br /><br /><b>Halloween </b>is a franchise that has been rebooted and retconned so many times it's almost too hard to keep up, but here we are again once more needing a retcon to undo the total clusterfuck that is <b>Halloween Ends</b>. I was truly stunned by just how bad the movie turned out to be, with only a couple of interesting ideas thrown into the mix, all of which were pursued in the wrong way and undercut by terrible attempts at humour or quirky characterisation. Even in terms of kills it's a deadly dull afair with only one decent slaying in the entire movie. Utter garbage, and all the more frustrating considering how good the 2018 film was and how enjoyable <b>Halloween Kills</b> was (<i>even with it's wobbles</i>).<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Archer: Season 13</b></span> - it took a couple of episodes to get heated up, but once it got rolling it was good fun. The show's peak is likely behind it, but not too far gone, the show having mostly got its mojo back after the iffy tenth season.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Gangs of London: Series 2</b></span> - created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery. This time around it seems as if Evans and Flannery have taken a step back in their involvement (<i>they wrote and directed two of the episodes from series one, but none this time around</i>), but the likes of Corin Hardy return (<i>here directing half of the episodes</i>). However, with a completely new staff of writers, the show does take a slightly different tack with its second outing. The gangster politics are as vibrant as ever, but certainly there is generally a little less action in series two. That's not to say there aren't jolly good blood-soaked, bullet-riddled smack-downs, because there is at least one meaty action set piece in each episode - but - none of them can reach the heights laid down in the first series: the pub brawl (<i>1x01</i>), the caravan park hit (<i>1x02</i>), and the astonishingly spectacular farm house assault (<i>1x05</i>). In some regards there is a tighter narrative focus and it's generally well-paced, there's even room for some emotionally devastating moments, the most searing of which belongs to Sope Dirisu as Elliot, who brings as much stripped-bare heart to his performance as punishing brawn. The conclusion works as either an end point or an open door for more, and either way I'd be left satisfied, but a third series would be most welcome.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Cabinet of Curiosities</b></span> - created by Guillermo del Toro, this collection of horror tales is like <b>Creepshow</b>, but minus the overt comic book humour with a more serious tone and a splash of <b>The Twilight Zone</b>, not to mention a far healthier budget. Each episode has been good with their own strong points, but personal favourites include "Graveyard Rats" (<i>a rather icky horror show about rats stealing bodies from grave robbers</i>) and "The Outside", which is like <b>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</b> meets <b>The Fly</b> meets <b>The Stuff</b>, with a terrific central performance from Kate Micucci. Even episodes you're not so keen on personally still have something about them to leave a positive impression.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Big Mouth: Season 6</b></span> - I attempted the spin-off show "<b>Human Resources</b>", but barely made it through an episode before abandoning it. A portion of story from the spin-off has made it into the latest season of its parent show <b>Big Mouth</b>, but it mostly just gets on with its own thing. When it's firing on all cylinders it can be laugh out loud funny (<i>Andrew and his family reliably elicit guffaws and outrageous humour</i>), but when it sputters ... oh, boy, does it sputter. When it decides to afix its balled-up fists to its hips, <b>Big Mouth</b> can turn into a preachy mess of desperately forced 'look at how great we are' overtly progressive piousness, an approach that usually gets the show tangled up in Los Angeles hive-mind group-think contradictions and complications. And, as I seem to say with every season, such overtly preachy fart-sniffing moments are all the more curious considering how the sole 'neurodivergent' character on the show is still nothing more than a one-note charicature of autism, but now even less-seen on-screen than before. You'd forgive the show for that if it didn't spend as much time as it does shoving itself up its own 'right on' arse, such moments that clash with what is otherwise a simultaneously illuminating and gleefully gross-out comedy.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Maniac (Blu-Ray)</b></span> - the recent 88 Films release of William Lustig's notorious, gritty and scrungy 1980 slasher flick. A boatload of extras, and the movie being uncut, make this a very nice step up from my previous Blue Underground DVD copy from twenty years ago.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Light & Magic</b></span> - six-part documentary about the special visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Two Doors Down: Series 6</b></span> - Simon Carlyle and Gregor Sharp's Scottish sitcom makes a welcome return, but this time with a slight change in the cast as Cathy has ditched Colin. On the one hand, to lose such a big character could present problems, but at the same time there was probably not much further one could go with Cathy, and her departure has provided some new material to play around with. Furthermore, new character Anne-Marie has brought a whole new range of loose-lipped weirdness to the table, while even the likes of the typically demure Beth have been given some added bite. The sitcom format has generally been in a poor state for quite a number of years now, but <b>Two Doors Down</b> is one of the few exceptions to prove the new rule. Excellent.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>What We Do In The Shadows: Season 4</b></span> - Jermaine Clement's docu-comedy spin-off is back (<i>albeit with a curious months-long delay compared to its American broadcast ... I mean, in this day-and-age, really?</i>) Having previously been available on BBC2, the lumbering behemoth of Disney+ has snatched it up (<i>much like they did with <b>The Walking Dead</b> on UK shores</i>). It's maybe not quite as sharp as it was in the first couple of seasons, but certain plotlines add an extra zest to keep things moving and, all said and done, there's certainly more than enough blood left to feast upon.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Dead To Me: Season 3</b></span> - the final season of Liz Feldman's excellent 'tragicomedy' provides a satisfying and particularly emotional close.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Inside Job: Season 2</b></span> - Shion Takeuchi's conspiracy comedy animation feels a little more focused compared to its first season, which was two episodes longer.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>SOUNDS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The 69 Eyes "Devils" (album), "Angels" (album), "Wasting The Dawn " (album), "Back In Blood" (album), "X" (album), "Universal Monsters" (album)<br /><br />John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies "Halloween Ends" soundtrack<br /><br />Foo Fighters "Medicine At Midnight"</b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>VIBES & FLAVOURS:</b></u></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic" by Howard Berger & Marshall Julius<br /><br />"Nightmare USA: The Untold Story of the Exploitation Independents" by Stephen Thrower</b></span> - having previously read the author's superb tome on Italian filmmaker Lucio Fulci a few years back, I've now embarked on making my way through this similarly gargantuan coffee table book on the independently-funded exploitation movies made in America (<i>primarily between 1970 and 1985</i>). This weighty (<i>literally</i>) and authoritative exploration also boasts many pages of lushly coloured pictures, fully illustrating the sort of commercial ballyhoo that attempted to lure audiences into the cinema.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Forza Horizon 5 (Xbox Series S)</b></span> - for various reasons (<i>including the worldwide shortage of consoles due to mining shortages during pandemic shut-downs, scumbag scalpers, and crypto gobblers</i>) I've only just hopped on to the new console generation, which has no doubt got off to a slower start than usual for some of the same aforementioned reasons. Comparing the Series X and Series S, the more expensive console just didn't seem worth it. It's a shame to not have the disc drive any more, but with most of my recent gaming experiences having been bought on digital sales, it's just the way the tech is going. I kicked off the previous generation with <b>Forza Horizon 3</b>, so its fifth outing seemed a fitting start to this new era. You know what to expect, so it's more of what you want (<i>and it's jolly good fun, with a thankfully less impactful seasonal system compared to the otherwise excellent <b>Forza Horizon 4</b></i>) - but why have they still not fixed the problem with clogging up the roads with spawning traffic every time you're trying to nail a superfast speed trap? Come on, guys!<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Far Cry 6 (Xbox Series S)</b></span> - more of the same, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as you know what to expect and you usually have so much fun that you fancy another jolt sooner or later. But does it feel as engaging as <b>Far Cry 3</b>, <b>4</b>, or <b>5</b>? Honestly? Not yet. In many ways <b>Far Cry 5</b> nailed the formula, ironing out most of the foibles from previous entries. It's going to take a little more play time to figure out where <b>Far Cry 6</b> situates itself, not helped by a changed weapons upgrade system that feels a bit clunky and unneccesary. And what's with taking away my single-handed grenade launcher, or locking it away at the very end of the upgrade tree? I wanna hop in a jeep, tear up some dirt roads, and blast enemy vehicles up into the air while I keep the accelerator planted, damn it! Are the team feeling a bit burned-out creatively? Has the franchise done all it can really do? Well, let's just see how it goes.<br /></p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-38571880850473611452022-11-10T13:41:00.000+00:002022-11-10T13:41:23.883+00:00Dinosaur Island (Fred Olen Ray & Jim Wynorski, 1994) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTyZ0fpIAplZ5asSEQ3guPgi62knixb3_z42rNWuTAuMw3RVLGadcBRBgT6nvqXH2BF4jxYhLf_Pv--4Biw7Nd6PnphL2A4BKc242ywsVl2voMQn4pcv_c8bB7iCkNtbbWG0AlSJiYef4Yow8YHHqZSlmkh655dxpYXOiyhYU0nIKEFB27Q_EQBPe8w/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTyZ0fpIAplZ5asSEQ3guPgi62knixb3_z42rNWuTAuMw3RVLGadcBRBgT6nvqXH2BF4jxYhLf_Pv--4Biw7Nd6PnphL2A4BKc242ywsVl2voMQn4pcv_c8bB7iCkNtbbWG0AlSJiYef4Yow8YHHqZSlmkh655dxpYXOiyhYU0nIKEFB27Q_EQBPe8w/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You're
about to hear one of the strangest stories in military history.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Funded by 'King of the B-Movies' Roger Corman, the intention behind
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Dinosaur Island</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
was to cash-in on the likely success of the then soon-to-be-released
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Jurassic Park</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
with a thrifty-minded recycling of the T-Rex from the 1993's
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Carnosaur</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">.
Shot over twelve days on a budget of $190,000, with filming mostly
taking place on cult movie icon David Carradine's ranch, the film was
described by co-director Fred Olen Ray as “</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
kind of movie that if you were a fourteen year old kid, it would be
your favourite movie</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">”.
Gathering a whole host of VHS-era Scream Queens and glamour models in
animal hide bikinis (</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">accurate
to the prehistoric period, most surely</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)
to scamper around betwixt natural spring hot tubs and
none-more-fake-looking dino-beasties, Ray's description could quite
possibly be the most spot-on statement of 1994...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL8G9Bt95ZBI_c8ENDRJY5SlSx_Vy-UtyzkeG4TgVsBZS8GdffMFurgktmICd6ZYqCeq56HeWYbhqQTGV1kXwTHlJDAhu8gXWr1dqdaRuxCeRO_xA4EqNM34r9JhjWVqXPTblA-uaT7ir54_WIZ7-uoPWNUyBDmYrCa2cKP4eueBNWN2F0Qii7mhzww/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdL8G9Bt95ZBI_c8ENDRJY5SlSx_Vy-UtyzkeG4TgVsBZS8GdffMFurgktmICd6ZYqCeq56HeWYbhqQTGV1kXwTHlJDAhu8gXWr1dqdaRuxCeRO_xA4EqNM34r9JhjWVqXPTblA-uaT7ir54_WIZ7-uoPWNUyBDmYrCa2cKP4eueBNWN2F0Qii7mhzww/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Section
8 is a great idea, why didn't I think of that?” / “Because you're
stupid, not crazy.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> A
military plane is soaring somewhere over the ocean, transporting a
ragtag assemblage of camo-wearing miscreants, when it is forced to
ditch into the water. Washed-up on a mysterious island, Captain
Briggs (</span><i>Ross Hagen, </i><i><b>Bikini Drive-In</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and his men venture in-land only to have a deadly encounter with a
real-live dinosaur! However, things get weirder as they're rescued by
a group of gorgeous cavewomen armed with spears and dressed in the
prehistoric equivalent of Victoria's Secret.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_egXxSIyxE8QipVJm72AiCdn6C0V1EbCfO4ngR1dO_Yyb9sx_57ZQ6k0uOGevkunEEglIPYqpIazj29RCwl2pHW_7Qqd4cDIN6Rps96JYUnHCVoaRkBAbHkPL0oEY9BxG_rxvhGcA9DQgCjeBGgk826bQVNkBOKMX5a5OIoJZRwZLNkRVYMq4CMPq0A/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_egXxSIyxE8QipVJm72AiCdn6C0V1EbCfO4ngR1dO_Yyb9sx_57ZQ6k0uOGevkunEEglIPYqpIazj29RCwl2pHW_7Qqd4cDIN6Rps96JYUnHCVoaRkBAbHkPL0oEY9BxG_rxvhGcA9DQgCjeBGgk826bQVNkBOKMX5a5OIoJZRwZLNkRVYMq4CMPq0A/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzYoGJ6CDWQzzjLNlW_lrQ4wyS_32HchHfsQ3y9FNp9T0wXHQqQmjydQQC7zTfMwdaohgPi2pQ4mo9hHRn5fX0FmPVNeVkmVifhxYDt78szPSgJYkiLyF7Hq6sMV4bRgiighA-6wxxNSGFg-TTO9YOCQKBibk0KqdhC6VDaV_QF-eJYkHUl4sP9Kiww/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzYoGJ6CDWQzzjLNlW_lrQ4wyS_32HchHfsQ3y9FNp9T0wXHQqQmjydQQC7zTfMwdaohgPi2pQ4mo9hHRn5fX0FmPVNeVkmVifhxYDt78szPSgJYkiLyF7Hq6sMV4bRgiighA-6wxxNSGFg-TTO9YOCQKBibk0KqdhC6VDaV_QF-eJYkHUl4sP9Kiww/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRhxBDS1buLVJCGSOoSw8xt9FJhDDRy5A7iellWBK5C4_SsQ7mg4RXitC_zBjyo36Bf1chz54D6cKlu8zL5gDdG6iEocPsarM7VJoao9ojER5gKj0jyyL42Ohhv7eQe0QeWhUwYqwa8ocWfoKm45YFLLykjN49rk6xg_Lxat1GMPJhgq-rbAquwKEJw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRhxBDS1buLVJCGSOoSw8xt9FJhDDRy5A7iellWBK5C4_SsQ7mg4RXitC_zBjyo36Bf1chz54D6cKlu8zL5gDdG6iEocPsarM7VJoao9ojER5gKj0jyyL42Ohhv7eQe0QeWhUwYqwa8ocWfoKm45YFLLykjN49rk6xg_Lxat1GMPJhgq-rbAquwKEJw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Check
out the hooters on those babes!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Captured by the buxom stunners (</span><i>the beauty parlour on this
island must be second-to-none</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
the foolish men are escorted to the women's tribal home and put on
their knees before Queen Morgana (</span><i>Toni Naples, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/hard-to-die-aka-sorority-house-massacre.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Sorority House Massacre 3</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">). There's
bespectacled brainiac Wayne (</span><i>Tom Shell, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-zero-boys-nico-mastorakis-1986.html" target="_blank"><i><b>The Zero Boys</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">), schlubby virgin Turbo
(</span><i>Peter Spellos, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/sorority-house-massacre-2-jim-wynorski.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Sorority House Massacre 2</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">),
and shiftless wisecracker Skeemer (</span><i>Richard Gabai, </i><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/10/virgin-high-richard-gabai-1991-review.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Virgin
High</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">), who just-so-happens
to have a tattoo that matches a symbol on the cavewomen's ancient
sacred scroll (</span><i>which looks like it was scribbled by a
toddler that morning</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghflkm7sKFK5kN3psATXGnejfXuOId86XtAimGpE2wHn5RgilyMhvi4M0LUDBykiwv-SFXJA0-n9U3jIaH1rmVUX3DClb4CTHQ3KBwyT427dTW15HynBS2bi3LBjYK2kCfs3tIg0I2g4MoW7DbDMcLymJY7QDhIvzroEdBjz4N2Te7P0yp5RA4FKlQ1Q/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghflkm7sKFK5kN3psATXGnejfXuOId86XtAimGpE2wHn5RgilyMhvi4M0LUDBykiwv-SFXJA0-n9U3jIaH1rmVUX3DClb4CTHQ3KBwyT427dTW15HynBS2bi3LBjYK2kCfs3tIg0I2g4MoW7DbDMcLymJY7QDhIvzroEdBjz4N2Te7P0yp5RA4FKlQ1Q/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2ILh8KUIh8bBB9lKOSK8hSPXNop40bpyGhQc_FeXcwZvu15kHI23AK_e05n1zAN6512zpRHDX3tdRzfVXa64bKs3uUxap-c7IFSnFj89_pWkmSMg01ZQe-woLImSQC4ugxBCp_8lFrxTSmP3t46Gtq-X2Ax8Y-3k1RK16uaqwMAmNOr7LXKWbABMyw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2ILh8KUIh8bBB9lKOSK8hSPXNop40bpyGhQc_FeXcwZvu15kHI23AK_e05n1zAN6512zpRHDX3tdRzfVXa64bKs3uUxap-c7IFSnFj89_pWkmSMg01ZQe-woLImSQC4ugxBCp_8lFrxTSmP3t46Gtq-X2Ax8Y-3k1RK16uaqwMAmNOr7LXKWbABMyw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Saved from an imminent death, the men set about trying to fulfil the
prophesy detailed on the manuscript, which unfortunately involves
having to kill 'the Great One', the largest and most fierce dinosaur
on the island. Can they triumph over the marauding carnivore, and
will love blossom with these bodacious prehistoric bikini-clad
chicks?</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpCfHfniLa0JdK0BtWwagkA0sH63QwwP1hkm8JDUE0wRjLSK-o3iBi92wa2tb56Q89tnKwIQIatFUqhpxRVEERA2P93yCEc8RuJ8fgnnsTJis6ZdKHVmYBgY_L8mH3AWvsN3twNzh1D0Q4Ht1wnSCPWOraXteohv1LC3g4RhH-ddWKbVOCUd4bf83Dw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpCfHfniLa0JdK0BtWwagkA0sH63QwwP1hkm8JDUE0wRjLSK-o3iBi92wa2tb56Q89tnKwIQIatFUqhpxRVEERA2P93yCEc8RuJ8fgnnsTJis6ZdKHVmYBgY_L8mH3AWvsN3twNzh1D0Q4Ht1wnSCPWOraXteohv1LC3g4RhH-ddWKbVOCUd4bf83Dw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMwKW0T5rrDBeUbE4ykK8gfo-ctJICalpSN27TSTWC7LJxRftKd0XNgeuaxzjg0XbgawriIEcYjyLsF2YpJ-VV2cha5oFl0lABWUEiL-bd5_g2LUEQjn14hHMwvSASd2BJiGN5Lo-0isJDuMbOBScFUpQOHTv8KZDmT_fkXmgAi6qxPe8wufvXnRynA/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMwKW0T5rrDBeUbE4ykK8gfo-ctJICalpSN27TSTWC7LJxRftKd0XNgeuaxzjg0XbgawriIEcYjyLsF2YpJ-VV2cha5oFl0lABWUEiL-bd5_g2LUEQjn14hHMwvSASd2BJiGN5Lo-0isJDuMbOBScFUpQOHTv8KZDmT_fkXmgAi6qxPe8wufvXnRynA/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Teach
me page thirty-four.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Dispensing with any real level of violence (</span><i>aside from one
brief scene</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), the film focuses
on goofy humour and oodles of flesh paraded before the camera. Quite
literally, boobs are bared from the very first shot of the movie,
with Nikki Fritz (</span><i><b>Attack of the 60ft Centerfold</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
as the High Priestess and Becky LeBeau (</span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2021/04/joysticks-greydon-clark-1983-review.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Joysticks</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">)
as the latest human sacrifice offered-up King Kong style to the
aforementioned 'Great One'.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_p45yyxc-uF2g4810b0UsUTCWRH9ydwZW6iRvNp1N9GkNQVUYFy0jy0t20sFdTHfA1qGCrYBsYNvajr7BRNHABYgX-A9Oq7kp4UWiOro29Ai79LXGaSgchw8T5K7_ovyzxvFYqkfJ8ch4hc3vm0EQjg3eA513eg3glkFcZjeQ24PMHrZtiufpltrVw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_p45yyxc-uF2g4810b0UsUTCWRH9ydwZW6iRvNp1N9GkNQVUYFy0jy0t20sFdTHfA1qGCrYBsYNvajr7BRNHABYgX-A9Oq7kp4UWiOro29Ai79LXGaSgchw8T5K7_ovyzxvFYqkfJ8ch4hc3vm0EQjg3eA513eg3glkFcZjeQ24PMHrZtiufpltrVw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ39B8KvFinlsKOUrdl03HHxVbTiv5MAgrQV4Vfkh3ON5_RF8YJBBrMClgN2yR1luM65Vn6E7xAMwsXXmGF6u2q8exrIaCp0HqFaMVc15bCtqDTiBk1WRLYrVv8W1l3f02XRGb9d7UawzDQ1SAOxT7q2NQXassAoh0xn1zOxP82xJVT0Es53QhYPV_Qg/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ39B8KvFinlsKOUrdl03HHxVbTiv5MAgrQV4Vfkh3ON5_RF8YJBBrMClgN2yR1luM65Vn6E7xAMwsXXmGF6u2q8exrIaCp0HqFaMVc15bCtqDTiBk1WRLYrVv8W1l3f02XRGb9d7UawzDQ1SAOxT7q2NQXassAoh0xn1zOxP82xJVT0Es53QhYPV_Qg/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qV1McJ1D8f3yhIjKGGnnGzHE9b3Dpfput-7wbtz-DBPZ7x1uHFoh569oFJa8gGpTTdCZ8feosr0aTlJ6J7X__Yu7wSae6fdDnPes8gGVDpxOtPFDSlFZdb49cUAVHP-9bSo8m0VgyURyvF5ftN0WQmaJX3DwohtmNV9yLb-SVfHasfq4MrtYxtk8vA/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8qV1McJ1D8f3yhIjKGGnnGzHE9b3Dpfput-7wbtz-DBPZ7x1uHFoh569oFJa8gGpTTdCZ8feosr0aTlJ6J7X__Yu7wSae6fdDnPes8gGVDpxOtPFDSlFZdb49cUAVHP-9bSo8m0VgyURyvF5ftN0WQmaJX3DwohtmNV9yLb-SVfHasfq4MrtYxtk8vA/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Even
with the amount of low angles, jiggled ta-tas, topless bathing
frolics, and softcore romps in the searing sun, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Dinosaur
Island</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> never tips into
sordid salaciousness simply by virtue of how silly the whole
endeavour is, as well as just how much fun everyone involved seems to
be having. Chief among them are Skeemer, Wayne, and Turbo's love
interests in the film: April (</span><i>Antonia Dorian, </i><i><b>Ghoulies
IV</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">), May (</span><i>Griffin
Drew</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), and June (</span><i>Michelle
Bauer, </i><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Nightmare Sisters</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">),
the latter of whom spoke, with characteristic tongue-in-cheek
amusement, about how it was a great way to get a tan while getting
paid.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ9GZyOs8TRCStr6Nen6IZ0Z2uCbcHDBMVclzM1yggmKtvtfZCey1BMqUks0s71odXc-koZuHQxpUVRlOS1Sx8xnzYu_1BNb_i5VcuQVYi0yubOsVCRLvND9JuJgmu19zbyIySJ8uv9d0ULIStJI8lQQJJ8iLq2JXUJt94MLiPXopJAJ70iRTTIPNNg/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ9GZyOs8TRCStr6Nen6IZ0Z2uCbcHDBMVclzM1yggmKtvtfZCey1BMqUks0s71odXc-koZuHQxpUVRlOS1Sx8xnzYu_1BNb_i5VcuQVYi0yubOsVCRLvND9JuJgmu19zbyIySJ8uv9d0ULIStJI8lQQJJ8iLq2JXUJt94MLiPXopJAJ70iRTTIPNNg/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUYs8MX0gsrcW1v0uZEfBPy0jIooibUwrc7R35CYWlH-JqS7FgoFal-V_slpWjqzx9HogWzWVMQbwH22kqnZ4vB9FnAI3bGiYxCJsEdi_ctJZwzJkHUYAaHKs7AQvmzDEYDYOP5o5Fjfn_meUKO_DqrIDCmhkjchmhypcFLNmZLdyY3Q8kljRI2_vfA/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqUYs8MX0gsrcW1v0uZEfBPy0jIooibUwrc7R35CYWlH-JqS7FgoFal-V_slpWjqzx9HogWzWVMQbwH22kqnZ4vB9FnAI3bGiYxCJsEdi_ctJZwzJkHUYAaHKs7AQvmzDEYDYOP5o5Fjfn_meUKO_DqrIDCmhkjchmhypcFLNmZLdyY3Q8kljRI2_vfA/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_S9I0Q9J214fowS9gtM-AKMC63fC5hG9et2InFJoE3dMFZxihCNrGKowZHSivHXOgagFjTRToRCp6j8rK-Hpy62-z4WIRn4EOZEVL9uxMhU_pu4Sr8PIJwUtEPjSDzIrB9LUGqvb0-S0_JPc412y9OKHAI0op2tN8Q0D7KjEO6gF6IJkc_EX5bKkyg/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_S9I0Q9J214fowS9gtM-AKMC63fC5hG9et2InFJoE3dMFZxihCNrGKowZHSivHXOgagFjTRToRCp6j8rK-Hpy62-z4WIRn4EOZEVL9uxMhU_pu4Sr8PIJwUtEPjSDzIrB9LUGqvb0-S0_JPc412y9OKHAI0op2tN8Q0D7KjEO6gF6IJkc_EX5bKkyg/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Oh,
that's a shame; looks like we're stuck on this island full of
beautiful women for the rest of our lives.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Similarly, Toni Naples fondly recalled getting to thrash around in
the sand with Michelle Bauer during a particularly feisty girl fight
with Queen defending her authority against Challenger. Furthering the
silliness are the quite unbelievable special effects, charmingly
deploying a host of low budget techniques from stop motion animation
composites, the aforesaid suit and articulated animatronic dime store
T-Rex from </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Carnosaur</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
and forced perspective, one of the most-used effects in the film,
whereby evident hand puppet dino creatures do battle with the cast,
gobbling up toy soldiers for a quick meal on-the-go.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Iy68UARujSrJUOPe-X36lIf7uGzF10HO4bNlR3tnJFYYVClNQ4vBFYq2qRWv59rMAUGfp-J5cDfzJ9WhfrbRbxdzz4viaI9JFlzgKKhIrOyGZdZKDTrMS52D7kpV_5x7rY5SeRDm_lx8MnAD6oo4XlNV0jdhd27lp5xGtdJzbmDKnJnFjktk7EyidA/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Iy68UARujSrJUOPe-X36lIf7uGzF10HO4bNlR3tnJFYYVClNQ4vBFYq2qRWv59rMAUGfp-J5cDfzJ9WhfrbRbxdzz4viaI9JFlzgKKhIrOyGZdZKDTrMS52D7kpV_5x7rY5SeRDm_lx8MnAD6oo4XlNV0jdhd27lp5xGtdJzbmDKnJnFjktk7EyidA/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijM-V3mEF5BQjKsR3qNs_guP7238JX_t6Qt44sHhi2JxOgMa0jhth_C0eziS0w81QePpJ5sSQiXKudg-6sx7-vHdVdjjGUf-2I15seSd4MIBr-qyqHjOBiyKvdG52oPDuerFNFZTBCtzGu69B7T7beqo4Febr2Sxf_T25gDyYew_5TRQb1tfi0qiEJOw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijM-V3mEF5BQjKsR3qNs_guP7238JX_t6Qt44sHhi2JxOgMa0jhth_C0eziS0w81QePpJ5sSQiXKudg-6sx7-vHdVdjjGUf-2I15seSd4MIBr-qyqHjOBiyKvdG52oPDuerFNFZTBCtzGu69B7T7beqo4Febr2Sxf_T25gDyYew_5TRQb1tfi0qiEJOw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoEGV1E_hEe3I12CtjJD7O2CfTacC13uYQXabQgJL9xwUmU_ZyU3gf5mxhv2HNw6sjp3hMl1Any5hbHW1DPefglkYR5Rf7LrwIUYWHFSOESkFL2KyAY-Fwl3aJaK0iT2TAdFUz_QMHm3-7ZxpT-5r6nnqU6kseZkphfO_dpni_GKbtqWdd1z2hW6wvw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoEGV1E_hEe3I12CtjJD7O2CfTacC13uYQXabQgJL9xwUmU_ZyU3gf5mxhv2HNw6sjp3hMl1Any5hbHW1DPefglkYR5Rf7LrwIUYWHFSOESkFL2KyAY-Fwl3aJaK0iT2TAdFUz_QMHm3-7ZxpT-5r6nnqU6kseZkphfO_dpni_GKbtqWdd1z2hW6wvw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>My
God, think of the cholesterol.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Roger Corman reportedly disliked the movie, written by Bob Sheridan
and Christopher Wooden, but apparently heavily re-written by
co-directors Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski, the latter of whom is
best known for </span><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2020/02/chopping-mall-jim-wynorski-1986-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Chopping
Mall</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"> and perhaps most
notorious for the sort of slapdash two-day-shoot softcore smut flicks
detailed in the fascinating documentary </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Popatopolis</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qeSX1sOtLyx8CMS7niFCEvt5yUxQ3t23dvlxZ3uav2_I5yjeqrX7d1sASSnpb_OdbdjBhdmB0m9XOvhwawzya04-rGSWthEoU6QSyJbwO1i_GZcWQxAmezgQck4fRG3vuExl_OQll7crznI0yGdO3Cuc125dD1aCrqS8E1ISbXEDBRuzRSyVSY2LVw/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qeSX1sOtLyx8CMS7niFCEvt5yUxQ3t23dvlxZ3uav2_I5yjeqrX7d1sASSnpb_OdbdjBhdmB0m9XOvhwawzya04-rGSWthEoU6QSyJbwO1i_GZcWQxAmezgQck4fRG3vuExl_OQll7crznI0yGdO3Cuc125dD1aCrqS8E1ISbXEDBRuzRSyVSY2LVw/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s2kmHn2NX_1okIyyUCk33gK_3WB8Ecimk5swLBTeICaLRRY7ZJubnLkKxgAM1ZrotlldeUyxsLg5Rm_TsKRSRgpp9aFTpjJ0GDU7Ikf0sdN4F5FUlUGLTGSSiih0hMr11PUVyXfxjAzOL4lSPV26vd9mIOHM2GKHp36_q9BVFcrE67-unH27CoP31w/s720/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s2kmHn2NX_1okIyyUCk33gK_3WB8Ecimk5swLBTeICaLRRY7ZJubnLkKxgAM1ZrotlldeUyxsLg5Rm_TsKRSRgpp9aFTpjJ0GDU7Ikf0sdN4F5FUlUGLTGSSiih0hMr11PUVyXfxjAzOL4lSPV26vd9mIOHM2GKHp36_q9BVFcrE67-unH27CoP31w/s320/Dinosaur%20Island%20(1994)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
with a beautifully rendered poster (</span><i>and with the World Wide
Web far from mainstream use for you-know-what purposes</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Dinosaur Island</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
proved to be quite the success on home video and television
broadcast. It's a sloppy movie, no doubt about that, shambling along
in a bit of a distracted mess until it limps somewhere over the 70
minute mark (</span><i>when you take out the credits</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
but it's nonetheless a charming mess of bikini babes, silly gags,
mugging performances, and spectacularly ropey monster effects. Like
many of these kinds of films, the game cast prove their value
multiple times over, with Dorian, Drew, and Bauer in particular
bringing big smiles and a zesty sense of fun to the screen.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-13734198140308917862022-10-10T15:42:00.003+01:002022-10-10T15:42:40.966+01:00Virgin High (Richard Gabai, 1991) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtZHE2O8qX5bct_heW4Z6fNYITW0mdNAasC1UehrYb29r-OStd4auXMwO1IBqx9yQjauBtcca1dy4IQ92wy2VzLimSH_vU2cL93Cgd-mt6OAGaHhqRNTgdoeHmMUYn0-5k-ptv5hkWBBK6C9TExJ-xE1H4B_et5-xhWvCb5z6NfrDqKg6ksEC4ecNog/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtZHE2O8qX5bct_heW4Z6fNYITW0mdNAasC1UehrYb29r-OStd4auXMwO1IBqx9yQjauBtcca1dy4IQ92wy2VzLimSH_vU2cL93Cgd-mt6OAGaHhqRNTgdoeHmMUYn0-5k-ptv5hkWBBK6C9TExJ-xE1H4B_et5-xhWvCb5z6NfrDqKg6ksEC4ecNog/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">“<i><b>Do
you guys ever get horny?”</b></i></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
The Academy of the Blessed Virgin is an educational home for
troublesome girls in-need of some ruthlessly religious guidance to
steer them clear of the ailments of modern society that's driving
them down a dangerous path. You won't find any loud talking or
lambada dancing going on at the so-called 'Virgin High', but this
bastion of biblical purity is about to get a sullied reputation...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-OoQqB9OY_ueLTCqq7wkWFeRNkBLG-JlLwn03uql5LghUT0lwH9-pKtiyD3h7AQIgA4gWFYSzq07y8FcHHooRNXkq6bIfz2iX9NBtxop-xltbmqGNF6KNp2r1f5PnC7-KNYnteF3Lz9PYQGYiDvsZXIRRNWl-muRwDH2pRm7sQiJ8TKsTtriFtP05w/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-OoQqB9OY_ueLTCqq7wkWFeRNkBLG-JlLwn03uql5LghUT0lwH9-pKtiyD3h7AQIgA4gWFYSzq07y8FcHHooRNXkq6bIfz2iX9NBtxop-xltbmqGNF6KNp2r1f5PnC7-KNYnteF3Lz9PYQGYiDvsZXIRRNWl-muRwDH2pRm7sQiJ8TKsTtriFtP05w/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>That's
it, young lady – you're going to Catholic school!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Christy (</span><i>Tracy Dali, </i><i><b>Bikini Summer 2</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
breaks up with her sleazy loser boyfriend Jerry (</span><i>Richard
Gabai, </i><i><b>Dinosaur Island</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
after he gets too fresh on their date, leading to her accidentally
flashing her parents and being sent to a strict Catholic high school.
Failing to see this as a sign of his rancid selfish behaviour, Jerry
embarks on a series of lame-o schemes to sneak in to 'Virgin High'
and get back together with Christy, including a semi-successful day
posing as 'Father Guus' (</span><i>pronounced 'Goose'</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeqIBy7tsIae-1ai5q77KXolEpfTKk_jP2Jo_HTSMgqfoxoZTf6Thg1VqhHHFitsnq1Mb4YUVB21YmfViHYFdbpxpyQJvXw6ocBxWw20JrpGzP9x_edhZprhgQTVpOF7f2iroZQ0agSfyp5Via4GTSn3vp8Bj0OQ3mccH-ZOGNuEK_yPTU6QWyohj6A/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeqIBy7tsIae-1ai5q77KXolEpfTKk_jP2Jo_HTSMgqfoxoZTf6Thg1VqhHHFitsnq1Mb4YUVB21YmfViHYFdbpxpyQJvXw6ocBxWw20JrpGzP9x_edhZprhgQTVpOF7f2iroZQ0agSfyp5Via4GTSn3vp8Bj0OQ3mccH-ZOGNuEK_yPTU6QWyohj6A/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yk_DN_OVYQFZQtiXK4Ksn-pSZWhismRs3YwbviSFE-KnKnNT3LTpczEzH6omH8kFqRXi3ulrZOO7_S1DXpZLTv5hEsC7K8ZTzLJ3sb7b0kc-jlWvqLnzuZKZYlkBUBSDObDleh5CQ18U6MPVYSiaRheA-pqQdlNpx_BTq0D5zheHX7pdHeftDe4v8w/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yk_DN_OVYQFZQtiXK4Ksn-pSZWhismRs3YwbviSFE-KnKnNT3LTpczEzH6omH8kFqRXi3ulrZOO7_S1DXpZLTv5hEsC7K8ZTzLJ3sb7b0kc-jlWvqLnzuZKZYlkBUBSDObDleh5CQ18U6MPVYSiaRheA-pqQdlNpx_BTq0D5zheHX7pdHeftDe4v8w/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Roping-in
his school chums Theo (</span><i>Kent Burden</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and Zoomer (</span><i>Jeff Bowser</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
both desperate for dates for the upcoming formal dance, Jerry
continues his lazily concocted plans to weasel his way back into
Christy's good books – a tough ask considering how often </span><i>his</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
actions get </span><i>her</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> into
trouble!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN0w5eC-xqiHVC5dsAUpOx0zQqajseYpetgFp1vqtL2DOiyRCdVRukeLoX_4S4vy5vz5DqUVTQW-4K5kUM7gPXH9MwzhqMvg-pO6vNElM7sWx86-_NJ1Jygk_C7hFJP-0rxGoeZ7YM7zd1pvf_MLJEc500kNMtS-ovEXdIFo12EeR1qXejgedpqaU6g/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN0w5eC-xqiHVC5dsAUpOx0zQqajseYpetgFp1vqtL2DOiyRCdVRukeLoX_4S4vy5vz5DqUVTQW-4K5kUM7gPXH9MwzhqMvg-pO6vNElM7sWx86-_NJ1Jygk_C7hFJP-0rxGoeZ7YM7zd1pvf_MLJEc500kNMtS-ovEXdIFo12EeR1qXejgedpqaU6g/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyed5dJPdiwVzxfk9n__28lBeX_QKcGPgFg1wGBFN0aotkDlYDGEj5BrZXlq8IxVTBeIDagFsl-WOdcLiQpyEqfB5EbKIWrdqy6Ap8nuTtWxLIZ__l1XBSj01xXCEMq294hB1lE4ACtS2Nc3jK3xwIW1ENBewMM3FCnUSQ1ucTX3ZjIX_uVFodmtluMg/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyed5dJPdiwVzxfk9n__28lBeX_QKcGPgFg1wGBFN0aotkDlYDGEj5BrZXlq8IxVTBeIDagFsl-WOdcLiQpyEqfB5EbKIWrdqy6Ap8nuTtWxLIZ__l1XBSj01xXCEMq294hB1lE4ACtS2Nc3jK3xwIW1ENBewMM3FCnUSQ1ucTX3ZjIX_uVFodmtluMg/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
serious, I tried everything; wined her, dined her, changed my
underwear – the works!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
From Richard Gabai, the writer/producer/director/star of the
overly-cheap and underwhelming </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Assault
of the Party Nerds</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
(</span><i>1989</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Virgin
High</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">,
co-written by Jeff Neill,</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
mercifully makes more of its budget, but nevertheless stumbles around
fruitlessly in search of a tighter script. The film's key failing is
that the main character of Jerry is an utter arsehole who keeps
landing Christy in trouble without any justification. Indeed, Jerry
is such a relentless sociopathic narcissist that he's a bummer to be
around most of the time; everyone in the movie would do well to avoid
him entirely!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidv9SnY1XDwpZJx20kNXvH8z2H-ss7wTW-xWAmA7F2b5wR1PqGk8uKb4EsOnerYrVQYNgznjqYjbQGIhXU6sPZSYrc_2pseAmpwEemF9XfxxXiZEov_luy7QWSuDhw9gbSpr06sn8f1JgewJKZJfdyaxgXTmV3sRyZ70f8kp1UyQQtzpNlYczTBG_APw/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidv9SnY1XDwpZJx20kNXvH8z2H-ss7wTW-xWAmA7F2b5wR1PqGk8uKb4EsOnerYrVQYNgznjqYjbQGIhXU6sPZSYrc_2pseAmpwEemF9XfxxXiZEov_luy7QWSuDhw9gbSpr06sn8f1JgewJKZJfdyaxgXTmV3sRyZ70f8kp1UyQQtzpNlYczTBG_APw/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlTTP0cL8KffvaSNR8uzsbaIBWo4vd_9o6dXw9ofUTqoRenqSCkdIGQULXYwAW0v1zs3xHynSOUUmC8Qit8r4g_KrFHLVRyOspWyOmslUjhqeLm_eI5dEaukvHt9u1diOeZ5tk07MkAla1kbuCHk765xIsn0vHSQf-UU4T6SBeR9BtEGiFQneVHZDDQ/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlTTP0cL8KffvaSNR8uzsbaIBWo4vd_9o6dXw9ofUTqoRenqSCkdIGQULXYwAW0v1zs3xHynSOUUmC8Qit8r4g_KrFHLVRyOspWyOmslUjhqeLm_eI5dEaukvHt9u1diOeZ5tk07MkAla1kbuCHk765xIsn0vHSQf-UU4T6SBeR9BtEGiFQneVHZDDQ/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sydn0pYpqZEP3voDbyqaYqGQM_qwDwZ_Ybk1jk270rMVCkmYOxf1X-1patdtqWIHs-36bhjq_molZrooDYrwtyiKcGE8ccm254LVT7P8GPP53zlfllkjiyqtxENiPK0JFuvd2yJdt9pK3KP4I_tkDUXuGE6_JZyHRufpbs79ZBSDhYEdRWgA0m9SMQ/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sydn0pYpqZEP3voDbyqaYqGQM_qwDwZ_Ybk1jk270rMVCkmYOxf1X-1patdtqWIHs-36bhjq_molZrooDYrwtyiKcGE8ccm254LVT7P8GPP53zlfllkjiyqtxENiPK0JFuvd2yJdt9pK3KP4I_tkDUXuGE6_JZyHRufpbs79ZBSDhYEdRWgA0m9SMQ/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
same cannot be said of Linnea Quigley's Kathleen, fortunately.
Despite being 'the school bitch', extorting money from the other
girls and fashioning schemes while shagging campus security boy Derek
(</span><i>whom she has wrapped around her little finger</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
not only does she get her comeuppance, but Quigley herself is just so
naturally watchable. Every scene she appears in she steals out from
under absolutely everyone, brandishing enough screen charisma to
balance out her character's bad girl traits. Jerry, on the other
hand, is a smug prick who is utterly oblivious to the feelings or
circumstances of anyone unlucky enough to fall into his line of
sight. While he has some humorous moments dotted about the movie, you
can't forget that this character is introduced attempting to sexually
assault his sleeping girlfriend – ho-ho-ho, such japes!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bcPy133R1GEvoSnYGiOKchFmO94Pk0kto1eWGPmouuoyIdo5GCce1pZnYr9TMo48ZAakr0uASVoJKzDX3JCkAdRpZxHoadNePmNhiF7tvSxbO3ZBs_YhSt9wVyazwc8EFZvVZzjtAnp3r4Ac8o9rMM_T06Y_tkjwgGyoWDo-ad-FL8rYgyPa3vzTXg/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bcPy133R1GEvoSnYGiOKchFmO94Pk0kto1eWGPmouuoyIdo5GCce1pZnYr9TMo48ZAakr0uASVoJKzDX3JCkAdRpZxHoadNePmNhiF7tvSxbO3ZBs_YhSt9wVyazwc8EFZvVZzjtAnp3r4Ac8o9rMM_T06Y_tkjwgGyoWDo-ad-FL8rYgyPa3vzTXg/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-4MhiQoBNjVXM1bIlGh74bmMC7LATB1cuVxU9EXIwzPjoDDQ8nrsYmmGnBHMGdAMsv_VdO3zeqc-FZTjPFbvcIa9j-5y4eaDHLZifRXP91HQ6EzR18BgClnekBnCsq3eRJNkrKeL6LlgEUOTCKlgE1TMAEG84Ok0f03mcVTfDVSv7KXEyAYze0z8ww/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-4MhiQoBNjVXM1bIlGh74bmMC7LATB1cuVxU9EXIwzPjoDDQ8nrsYmmGnBHMGdAMsv_VdO3zeqc-FZTjPFbvcIa9j-5y4eaDHLZifRXP91HQ6EzR18BgClnekBnCsq3eRJNkrKeL6LlgEUOTCKlgE1TMAEG84Ok0f03mcVTfDVSv7KXEyAYze0z8ww/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw26eBE5MGl8yUbSA2Kb3YfWzZ75T6EDti_t19NC62aPzJn6x51tX1wFGMG2abj5KLZCb_oHY9PXrx6CSe50N-CyITTg5fewofQ4CSzj3kpHWBq1Xt95eHe0W5tp8BAIy0t1dSH1VRFCnOV5tnrgYyx_oRxQpEod8BLTVTOmdURdFzzoAMTZAqpVqIBA/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw26eBE5MGl8yUbSA2Kb3YfWzZ75T6EDti_t19NC62aPzJn6x51tX1wFGMG2abj5KLZCb_oHY9PXrx6CSe50N-CyITTg5fewofQ4CSzj3kpHWBq1Xt95eHe0W5tp8BAIy0t1dSH1VRFCnOV5tnrgYyx_oRxQpEod8BLTVTOmdURdFzzoAMTZAqpVqIBA/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Three
years of public school has turned this girl into a libertine.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Despite the rather off-putting Jerry, the film does at least find
some fun through the supporting players. Christy's parents, played by
boy wonder Burt Ward (</span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/08/beach-babes-from-beyond-david-decoteau.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Beach Babes From Beyond</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and Maureen LaVette (</span><i><b>Assault of the Party Nerds 2: The
Heavy Petting Detective</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
are particularly good fun as the ultra-Catholic killjoys with a saucy
secret sex life involving leather bikinis and whips. Ward is even
seen playing with </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Batman
'66</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> toys while having a
phone conversation, for an added nod-nod-wink-wink to the audience.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyGoFaChdY9f3PKU-QUlhtQC_LtOs3djxgDPddrtT3S7bS2ge6ANjuriWMLh2l-V1itEY8ozHA73N3t4WFLkV29h00Vp4aPg7EbBCxu_vGsHl_Nko3RTdki1Pve3gGyjgUCHqCIduAQrbnC4XqvIsdZsDumQ5cnXZKel7wpVo89STu6px0TTRIUF78w/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyGoFaChdY9f3PKU-QUlhtQC_LtOs3djxgDPddrtT3S7bS2ge6ANjuriWMLh2l-V1itEY8ozHA73N3t4WFLkV29h00Vp4aPg7EbBCxu_vGsHl_Nko3RTdki1Pve3gGyjgUCHqCIduAQrbnC4XqvIsdZsDumQ5cnXZKel7wpVo89STu6px0TTRIUF78w/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp2l5nyhWGm-LKcdfOIEhIx2Gye2yiLL32CHvfFypOfD_rOFyznMGkz_K9-kq30MGM35HCljwb84VLSP7e6iCscMu0B3PdnUFunfh_qhNSIwq_WkBMyIn4w7BIl9h0wQTYnrOyxs_8qa0xl-lkMj7duO-pF_EvD2uTRE9NPJBkbVZBafD0MW5zMlkIA/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp2l5nyhWGm-LKcdfOIEhIx2Gye2yiLL32CHvfFypOfD_rOFyznMGkz_K9-kq30MGM35HCljwb84VLSP7e6iCscMu0B3PdnUFunfh_qhNSIwq_WkBMyIn4w7BIl9h0wQTYnrOyxs_8qa0xl-lkMj7duO-pF_EvD2uTRE9NPJBkbVZBafD0MW5zMlkIA/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yFlPHBhXcTG9AN_TNpXfvWr3rdiA2wmB7bXmK1Rz-SmVUOx5LcIyHW4TNQR9tF7opMPL3pqjQh789yP1E45Gd_eoizxI2QuUUgbn46E6SpZFMUo_oetdOlnEHJ6zQScXbSgZjpz1lAc9zrPzyWr7zLZf_PHyNMRUVvXLpI1rBS5rEIcAs_khGNge7w/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yFlPHBhXcTG9AN_TNpXfvWr3rdiA2wmB7bXmK1Rz-SmVUOx5LcIyHW4TNQR9tF7opMPL3pqjQh789yP1E45Gd_eoizxI2QuUUgbn46E6SpZFMUo_oetdOlnEHJ6zQScXbSgZjpz1lAc9zrPzyWr7zLZf_PHyNMRUVvXLpI1rBS5rEIcAs_khGNge7w/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span><p></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Likewise, Catherine Grace has fun as the pious head nun Sister
Felicia alongside Bishop Haughness (</span><i>James R. Sweeney, </i><i><b>Vice
Academy 3</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">), who get
festively blotto on spiked punch. However, perhaps one of the most
entertaining scenes in the film features Michelle Bauer (</span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/dr-alien-david-decoteau-1989-dvd-review.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Dr
Alien</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">) as Miss Bush, a
sexpot substitute teacher brought in to guide Jerry and his fellow
high schoolers through Sex Ed. Promising much more than what is
actually delivered, it's a disappointingly brief scene, but Bauer's
appearance, much like Quigley's, makes for a scene-stealing good
time. It does, though, demonstrate how the film often misses the
chance to squeeze all the juice available, such as how Sister Ramona
is always seen carrying a lit candlestick regardless of it being day
or night – but at no point do we see her hand becoming comically
encased in wax.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLUJgfKkIpUhi4n29dZiZX9nyvzs3-qvqBjBKW9M4TWtknXDKV3Cgt0p3rrnZaJZG7s5_k1_p69CWKGf4-QtwbTo4n-DIKWvECugUEHxpO0yU1yWlG8azLA_DkHMRY1u-KGhBwrNOa28cNRAsB5ytMpz-IwHG4tUeIXOzH4-P3LCyg6XvNXcfliCNig/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLUJgfKkIpUhi4n29dZiZX9nyvzs3-qvqBjBKW9M4TWtknXDKV3Cgt0p3rrnZaJZG7s5_k1_p69CWKGf4-QtwbTo4n-DIKWvECugUEHxpO0yU1yWlG8azLA_DkHMRY1u-KGhBwrNOa28cNRAsB5ytMpz-IwHG4tUeIXOzH4-P3LCyg6XvNXcfliCNig/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DlPVu4h72_MD6kWWsG0g7b4z9s5OmVXlOQoQZIcJDElbyyGMQJddj9AHQ8BO8utlYb83vN3LKVeNwFEvbYYkNEOnWuXMwNy2hIClaE_yq1WsbyyneFOEGwnPokebk4A8-EjQYi7ryw5IaDZLlahXy0BBFbjvRtbveUNHb71DwjncgzY06cHh3k64Dg/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5DlPVu4h72_MD6kWWsG0g7b4z9s5OmVXlOQoQZIcJDElbyyGMQJddj9AHQ8BO8utlYb83vN3LKVeNwFEvbYYkNEOnWuXMwNy2hIClaE_yq1WsbyyneFOEGwnPokebk4A8-EjQYi7ryw5IaDZLlahXy0BBFbjvRtbveUNHb71DwjncgzY06cHh3k64Dg/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWImO7EKGftQpjTUu3Z4RVEituVw5L5R1Fx3P4_PCxFLQWLLagMxvsAxetnegPsXe7l2knjj0Pnss9WiItcb6gXLB23CJPvrmpa9qZUvlqREkP2IovNkWYPtR6jFkLwyu3jqbK5E7FRy00fIq54bam_Q5o5OOayvSEc35VQPzAt-n8AIo1ZGLrbplgQ/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvWImO7EKGftQpjTUu3Z4RVEituVw5L5R1Fx3P4_PCxFLQWLLagMxvsAxetnegPsXe7l2knjj0Pnss9WiItcb6gXLB23CJPvrmpa9qZUvlqREkP2IovNkWYPtR6jFkLwyu3jqbK5E7FRy00fIq54bam_Q5o5OOayvSEc35VQPzAt-n8AIo1ZGLrbplgQ/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>If
the shoe fits, don't fix it.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Released straight-to-video, this teen sex comedy lacks the bite of
other films of its ilk and era, and is even somewhat lacking when it
comes to the raunchy stuff, which is almost single-handedly conducted
by the thoroughly game Linnea Quigley. As Kathleen, she offers up the
films sauciest and silliest moments, such as detailing an erotic
dream in the confessional booth (</span><i>much to Jerry's flustered
approval</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), doing her nails while
Derek (</span><i>Christopher Dempsey</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
energetically goes about 'giving her the business', or getting doused
with water at a charity bikini car wash. All said and done, though,
had it not been for the effervescent efforts of Quigley, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Virgin
High</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> would have been a
total bust.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwybNZWvT3jUm--GwsYJlDRZzZB4egmHa_rzcocPt0vhR_JtFcPmyGEMlBlvl9t8gpJHpm2K6kQLds8yiHhR3k8dsH2cYPdrGVWlky7ApXyb9hw3TxkoLDGo2Uq6n00NIHjAfHsuM0lAZWbGV2CFvf72bDg7vI9yy_qglhhjVjh7zOIgs3p6gf4H8UiA/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwybNZWvT3jUm--GwsYJlDRZzZB4egmHa_rzcocPt0vhR_JtFcPmyGEMlBlvl9t8gpJHpm2K6kQLds8yiHhR3k8dsH2cYPdrGVWlky7ApXyb9hw3TxkoLDGo2Uq6n00NIHjAfHsuM0lAZWbGV2CFvf72bDg7vI9yy_qglhhjVjh7zOIgs3p6gf4H8UiA/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsx2iQRAylt-IjjlF_G0Uyzlq0AHb_6tpLa5lFKtrr5l9hklexvrmeCYyvhx_QewHH0HCog6mkQoT0jQLcwmKbPGkf81UhS7GKW_MG77MWrgv5Y9XVsqZzBRTYnrLCV5uGT1W0tbn6AbRatJmO8Rpc4FYoQl1fTQ2VbDMXk4Xjak6Dso7oRYMjPPVJg/s636/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="636" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsx2iQRAylt-IjjlF_G0Uyzlq0AHb_6tpLa5lFKtrr5l9hklexvrmeCYyvhx_QewHH0HCog6mkQoT0jQLcwmKbPGkf81UhS7GKW_MG77MWrgv5Y9XVsqZzBRTYnrLCV5uGT1W0tbn6AbRatJmO8Rpc4FYoQl1fTQ2VbDMXk4Xjak6Dso7oRYMjPPVJg/s320/Virgin%20High%20(1991)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>From
now on I'm straight as an Altar Boy.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Certainly not as limp as </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Assault
of the Party Nerds</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">, but
far from the heights of similar material starring one-or-more of the
1980s Scream Queens (</span><i>Quigley, Bauer, and Brinke Stevens
were the holy trifecta for genre fans</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Virgin High</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
is probably still worth a quick peek for those minded to enjoy such
'Golden Age of VHS' silliness, but quite tempered expectations are
most definitely recommended. Fun fact, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Virgin
High</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> also marks the film
debut of Leslie Mann as 'Squiggle Girl'.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-6145334654862947672022-09-30T16:41:00.003+01:002022-09-30T16:41:45.676+01:00Flavours of the Month: August/September 2022...<div style="text-align: justify;">Climactic stories, grotesque humour, and some monstrous sights are just some of what's been setting the tone of my August/September 2022...<br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</b></i></span></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><u><b>LOOKS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Trainwreck: Woodstock '99</b></span> - Netflix's three-part docu-series about the utterly disastrous music festival. The series wisely takes the decision to not sidestep the more visceral parts of the footage in order to tell the story accurately, even if some may find that shocking ... but that's the correct reaction. You should be shocked by what you see. They're not showing it to you to make you feel good or be impressed, for fuck sake. To see how the various failings that ultimately led to the attendee's descent into madness is stunning, from the staggering corporate greed to the disgusting lack of waste management, it's no surprise that under pressure-cooking circumstances that such a debased and lawless mob mentality kicked-in.<br /><br />As revealing as it is horrifying, the complete refusal to accept any degree of responsibility on the part of the festival's head organisers is sickening. Either they're delusional to a Comical Ali degree, or they don't care one bit. There was one glaring mistake, though: at one point an interview seemingly blames, in part, the movie culture of the time, taking aim at <b>American Pie</b> (<i>for sexuality</i>) and <b>Fight Club</b> (<i>for "toxic masculinity"</i>). However, <b>Fight Club</b>, as pointed out by the author of the book, wasn't released in cinemas until <i>after</i> Woodstock '99, where it promptly did very little box office (<i>it was a huge hit once discovered on DVD in the next few years</i>). It should also be noted that, to anyone with a couple of brain cells to rub together, that <b>Fight Club</b> is not a celebration of so-called "toxic masculinity", and anyone who thinks so is either a moron or so blinded by the ideology of identity politics that they have lost all power in their critical thinking department. It shouldn't need to be said, but in this day and age it evidently does: art does not influence life, art merely reflects life as-it-is back at us.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Beavis & Butthead: Season 9</b></span> - the new season of Mike Judge's MTV classic from the 1990s, following-on from the kinda patchy made-for-streaming movie sequel <b>Beavis & Butthead Do The Universe</b>. The inclusion of 'Old Beavis & Butthead' stories proves to be a mixed-bag, sometimes funny and sometimes depressing. Overall it's far better than <b>Do The Universe</b>, with some stories proving to be sublimely stupid.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Better Call Saul: Season 6B</b></span> - the final episodes in the final season of the <b>Breaking Bad</b> spin-off. The pacing of certain sequences can sometimes be a smidge too deliberate (<i>particularly those visual stories that tend to open episodes</i>), but only slightly. It was fascinating to see Jimmy McGill become Saul Goodman, the foundations of <b>Breaking Bad</b> be meticulously constructed, and it all wrapped up in a satisfying manner. It's foolish to say <b>Better Call Saul</b> or <b>Breaking Bad</b> is better than the other as they are two different shows, albeit sharing the same world and (<i>some</i>) characters, and they each have different goals in-mind, but it can certainly be said that there are few (<i>if any</i>) prequel/sequel shows that have been better.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Locke & Key: Season 3</b></span> - the final season. Brisk and breezy, it doesn't hang about and gets the job done, satisfyingly drawing to a close a tightly told story. If you've not seen the show, it's worth checking out.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Sprung: Season 1</b></span> - what is the point in FreeVee? Seemingly, in order to access it, you have to have Amazon Prime, which is a pay subscription, but FreeVee is 'free' viewing with adverts inserted (<i>sometimes rather clumsily and abruptly</i>). It's also owned by Amazon and many of the adverts are either for Audible (<i>another Amazon-owned company</i>) or, incredibly, for FreeVee itself! Just put this stuff on Prime, what gives?! Anyway - Greg Garcia's new show has brought some welcome humour at an otherwise dark time, amazingly managing to take a Pandemic setting and find stuff to take the piss out of. Another great line up of fringe society characters keeps the comedy fresh while never losing sight of a sense of heart. Very good indeed. Interestingly, this season actually wraps up quite nicely at the end (<i>something Garcia was never able to do with his previous shows <b>My Name Is Earl</b> and <b>Raising Hope</b>, both of which were cancelled before their time</i>), but a second season would be most welcome if a suitable premise can be dreamt up to facilitate that.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>High Crime (Blu-Ray)</b></span> - directed by Enzo G. Castellari and starring Franco Nero, this poliziottescho gets off to a rollicking start and gradually gets more grim as the story proceeds, but the rather sudden and muted climax to the film leaves the viewer unusually blindsided and left somewhat underwhelmed. Perhaps it was intended to leave the viewer unsatisfied, much like a copper who still can't bring the criminal to justice, but even still the film seems to end before its finished ... if that makes sense?<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Cobra Kai: Season 5</b></span> - arguably the weakest season of the show, but still good fun. Mind you, the meme of '<i>two Dads going through a mid-life crisis start a gang war</i>' has never been more apt. A pleasing aspect of the show has been its open-ness to second chances and rehabilitation of troubled characters (<i>especially at a time when such a thing seems more absent than ever in real-life society</i>), but it does mean some of the vitality of the story and character conflict complications are lost. I'd certainly watch more, but you can't help but feel it's time to wrap things up and bow out while still in fighting shape.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Creepshow: Season 3</b></span> - the first and second seasons were patchy affairs, but were on the 'right side' of 'patchy'. Unfortunately, season three tips in the other direction. Too many of the stories suffer from being extraordinarily predictable, clobbered with thudding dialogue, and/or carelessly plotted. The tight budget is also an issue at times, clearly forcing limitations on coverage and cinematography (<i>some episodes look far too 'plain' for a <b>Creepshow </b>tale</i>). However, despite the general disappointment of this season, there were some stories I particularly enjoyed: "Skeletons In The Cloest" (<i>3x02</i>) was filled with horror genre fan service, worked well with its contained setting, and had a plot that joyfully dug into one of the darker facts of film-making.<br /><br />"The Things In Oakwood's Past" (<i>3x05</i>) is the sole animated entry (<i>clearly for budgetary reasons</i>), but had a decent story behind it and sense of pacing. Finally, there was the entirety of 3x06, with both stories proving to be well made and entertaining: "Drug Traffic", despite a couple of forced lines of dialogue, was sufficiently gruesome and had some meat on the bones of the characters (<i>those played by Reid Scott and Michael Rooker chief among them</i>). Finally "A Dead Girl Named Sue" was a particularly fun story, set on the same night as depicted in <b>Night of the Living Dead</b> (<i>the TV and radio broadcasts are interspersed throughout</i>). The black and white noir-ish style works nicely, while the clash of a crumbling society and the thirst for vigilante justice keeps you hooked.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Behind The Monsters: Season 1</b></span> - covering Michael Myers, Candyman, Chucky, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Pinhead, this Shudder series is an enjoyable look behind the scenes at the creation and enduring appeal of horror cinema's greatest icons. Some episodes feature the odd bout of needlessly po-faced commentary, or jarringly goofy takes, but for the most part it's an entertaining and informative watch.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story</b></span> - created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, this mini-series traces the story of the "Milwaukee Cannibal" serial killer, as performed here by Evan Peters in a chilling embodiment running the gamut from horrifying to pitiable to insidious. The series spends just as much time with some other players in the whole gruesome tale, including Dahmer's next door neighbour, as played by Niecy Nash, and Dahmer's father Lionel. In the latter instance, Richard Jenkins steals every scene he's in with a hugely complex character who is torn in multiple directions by anger, frustration, repulsion, love, guilt, and regret. The show also wisely explores some of Dahmer's victims in greater detail, giving humanity to his victims overall by focusing on certain individuals to tell the wider story.<br /><br />I was concerned initially, hearing that it was a Ryan Murphy show, that the tone could possibly get out of control or the writing might get a bit sloppy, but Murphy and Brennan have shepherded a well-paced and gripping true crime tale that manages to navigate the tricky waters, not shying away from the horrors while not exploiting them for shock value either. The show also delves into various issues, such as the systemic failures of the Milwaukee police, compounded by racism and homophobia. Too often these topics can be handled in a clunky and rather blunt manner, but this show manages to nestle them specifically within the context of the time, the events entirely justifying such scenes, which manage to point out the shocking failures by simply presenting them to the audience with minimal and generally well-judged comment to accompany them; the failures speak strongly enough for themselves. Shot-through with tragedy concerning all involved, it doesn't leave you feeling sorry for Dahmer, but it does highlight some of the possible reasons that such a disturbed individual ended up where he did - the many red flags that were missed, the societal blinkers that were in-place at the time, the unchecked addiction, the rampant mental health problems that were routinely ignored and so on. Highly recommended viewing.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>SOUNDS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Chromatics "Closer To Grey"<br /><br />M83 "DSVII"</b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>VIBES & FLAVOURS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"A Decent Ride" by Irvine Welsh</b></span> - focusing on the characters of 'Juice Terry' (<i>a taxi driver who deals coke and performs in 'scud films' on-the-side</i>) and 'Jonty MacKay' (<i>a sweet simpleton of a decorator</i>), Welsh's novel isn't for the faint of heart and certainly not for the perpetually-offended brigade, riddled as it is with 'offensive' content. Grotesquely funny and pockmarked by splashes of surprising violence and sexuality, it's fascinating how Welsh manages to draw the reader into his characters and emotionally invest in them amidst such extremes.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Happy Endings: The Tales of A Meaty-Breasted Zilch" by Jim Norton</b></span> - a collection of lewd, crude, and altogether grotesquely entertaining stories from the life of the American comedian, best known (<i>or most notorious</i>) for his years on the Opie & Anthony radio show. Certainly not for the easily offended, or for 'decent society' in general, which is part of the reason why it's so damn funny.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic" by Howard Berger & Marshall Julius</b></span> - a lushly illustrated coffee table book about the practical effects work in movie making across the decades, featuring bitesize interviews (<i>organised into different chapters about separate topics</i>) from those who have helped define the industry.</p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-66406273124468214192022-09-14T11:40:00.002+01:002022-09-14T11:40:23.804+01:00Ghoulies III (John Carl Buechler, 1990) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-53gkDFfrgDTDe7v6TZbiH_uI7qR9By0hLQeO3HLl21L6Z4avzHUzjT0z_ObunqrzS8PjJqbWQPjCCIbZmoIOEviLU1WxPhyqMmOXJwuZSt5cO4uahloKxxF16hPWahPvLGFUmZG1l2pS3YA2jbnR4id-Hhrf55vecjGXA8eBS0zlBh30fHHnUiWezg/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-53gkDFfrgDTDe7v6TZbiH_uI7qR9By0hLQeO3HLl21L6Z4avzHUzjT0z_ObunqrzS8PjJqbWQPjCCIbZmoIOEviLU1WxPhyqMmOXJwuZSt5cO4uahloKxxF16hPWahPvLGFUmZG1l2pS3YA2jbnR4id-Hhrf55vecjGXA8eBS0zlBh30fHHnUiWezg/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Smells
like something screwy is going on.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Those pesky l'il demons are at it again, seeking to further their
education by cranking the potty-minded hijinks up to eleven with
death-by-plunger, and an ornate porcelain throne acting as a flushing
portal to Hell...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LH7bKlCVrtWmUGJ2Z0IzKjlG_JeCCHRkWQMqnVUnxD4DoyWH457wRL3HYKSPZgUqfLMM9Z28n_AOhUwMujLBnlbn-I3BDzdJBsvw3i5g8_iL5tt2yrlvUg94bz_goreMmUYKkTLmu3VWKRkxA_OoWLQQ8zcpGEnnImDGJEENPtcDiliEaeRA6Siq5A/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LH7bKlCVrtWmUGJ2Z0IzKjlG_JeCCHRkWQMqnVUnxD4DoyWH457wRL3HYKSPZgUqfLMM9Z28n_AOhUwMujLBnlbn-I3BDzdJBsvw3i5g8_iL5tt2yrlvUg94bz_goreMmUYKkTLmu3VWKRkxA_OoWLQQ8zcpGEnnImDGJEENPtcDiliEaeRA6Siq5A/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
can't see a future with a guy whose sole goal is to become Crown
Prince of Pranks.”</b></i></span> Glazier College, a home for mind
expansion and higher learning during most of the year, but this week
it's the annual 'prank week', with rival fraternities Beta Theta Zeta
and the Gammas going to grander and greater lengths to secure the
coveted prank crown. Handsome prank superstar Skip (<i>Evan
MacKenzie, </i><i><b>Scanner Cop II</b></i>) is in his final year of
college and has one last chance to wrest the crown from the
blonde-haired and blue-eyed clutches of Gamma frat douche nozzle
Heilman (<i>John R. Johnston</i>), but all these spring-loaded park
benches, catapulted water balloons, goofy glue guns, and
remote-controlled desk demolitions are driving a wedge between Skip
and his gal Erin (<i>Eva LaRue, </i><i><b>RoboCop 3</b></i>), pushing
her towards the supposedly more mature Heilman, a master of sneaky
misdirection and blame-shifting – and Skip's unfortunate talent for
getting caught in flagrante certainly ain't helping.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyegtoUbVP_IlA-zjYLgZmaXmtV0hl7CG4xA56p3hf8HOd73u8kTtLNGqiFnBtSfgoi0CK4zFgzhy4Ui6qSwloxafAkBOAEvxYihGSZYAOvffT41gFqlRRw9N6Y4xpVsm4kGmbnNQBoHlkt80-DpktQAWF_FQMhxFEfMX4C99PRIm0Spjz0sYIVvKTzg/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyegtoUbVP_IlA-zjYLgZmaXmtV0hl7CG4xA56p3hf8HOd73u8kTtLNGqiFnBtSfgoi0CK4zFgzhy4Ui6qSwloxafAkBOAEvxYihGSZYAOvffT41gFqlRRw9N6Y4xpVsm4kGmbnNQBoHlkt80-DpktQAWF_FQMhxFEfMX4C99PRIm0Spjz0sYIVvKTzg/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxfN9OIdoolxTE0L17NRE7GO3LXyHy7JMlmUGkeX6yxaPfVHxVOH9m3OCwwM9c_0IRbOAvLXuNxe345Gl7U9eWZ1leu18UKmOciJA7oThlRyqlHfMhdVR2jx0xw-dku_kf_kGbHp9SxmFLM4NZ_5TYfISXu1Qxlz9Aqtb8-uoxc_qEv8iGA75MTfhYQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidxfN9OIdoolxTE0L17NRE7GO3LXyHy7JMlmUGkeX6yxaPfVHxVOH9m3OCwwM9c_0IRbOAvLXuNxe345Gl7U9eWZ1leu18UKmOciJA7oThlRyqlHfMhdVR2jx0xw-dku_kf_kGbHp9SxmFLM4NZ_5TYfISXu1Qxlz9Aqtb8-uoxc_qEv8iGA75MTfhYQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nqNU8fwh9SXA7ABDtCSayDM2pgHrZ9AiyuK2TFpx0vvJdjvlUXSlOsALrcR4lyxfCW1trMv7-of573MSqZwXJfsKpclbTzBE7OcGE-4PjqNa01hWNJ4bzFPOiqaOtpCHsJ1cyrV6XqY5NDv4CasG71JYo9OagWQWsiFHPnyx0gfi5cZlW3K6kLdJig/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nqNU8fwh9SXA7ABDtCSayDM2pgHrZ9AiyuK2TFpx0vvJdjvlUXSlOsALrcR4lyxfCW1trMv7-of573MSqZwXJfsKpclbTzBE7OcGE-4PjqNa01hWNJ4bzFPOiqaOtpCHsJ1cyrV6XqY5NDv4CasG71JYo9OagWQWsiFHPnyx0gfi5cZlW3K6kLdJig/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You
know, tossing the TP in a tree, bombing with the butt wipe bouquet?”</b></i></span>
Caught in the crossfire is Humanities Professor and Dean of Students
Quentin Ragnarok (<i>Kevin McCarthy, </i><i><b>Innerspace</b></i>),
this film's answer to <b>Animal House</b>'s Dean Wormer, a man who
has not one glimmer of affection for jokes, japes, jests, or any
other form of jocularity. Fatefully, thanks to the misplaced foot of
BTZ frat boy Wes (<i>Billy Morrissette</i>) dislodging a tile while
sat upon a peculiarly carved toilet, a copy of an underground comic
book called Ghoulish Tales is exposed once more to daylight.
Translated from an ancient book of demonic rituals, Ragnarok
unwittingly conjures Hell's very own version of The Three Stooges
from the burbling green waters contained within the dookie-dusted
porcelain portal!</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQEzuwSRtMlZCAxIo_B2bwRDxF4ki6WHA18TtOEjsz-hkzBKt1cqfmlsKIJUZYkkgHa4cnftkWzYF3aSWKiXxocb5U1_Qa8nKRL355NFAkB3q2ay_MtnBU-RPgK-RB5uifrUnrp4kcc0jBDcq3CQ--QMOXmS_G5holvQThKtafq9zqvvkeTPUoZAPYQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilQEzuwSRtMlZCAxIo_B2bwRDxF4ki6WHA18TtOEjsz-hkzBKt1cqfmlsKIJUZYkkgHa4cnftkWzYF3aSWKiXxocb5U1_Qa8nKRL355NFAkB3q2ay_MtnBU-RPgK-RB5uifrUnrp4kcc0jBDcq3CQ--QMOXmS_G5holvQThKtafq9zqvvkeTPUoZAPYQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0Gs3p9bqefLcIeUl9KmdVXdSrp7lZAwgSIbWE3eK8gM7AtggHg0vtmXRE9t3oMmsqnaY7bTJNAuGeG9e8TGvkPXd0xsjK9GTzSJiCwkgKN-AqZyDjV3FIPSOa-STABcxYX5-ch0MiOw88T_2JVLFvf7cT2O-OgP1kzvCkgEOAQ6fURhie_SLvinW9g/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0Gs3p9bqefLcIeUl9KmdVXdSrp7lZAwgSIbWE3eK8gM7AtggHg0vtmXRE9t3oMmsqnaY7bTJNAuGeG9e8TGvkPXd0xsjK9GTzSJiCwkgKN-AqZyDjV3FIPSOa-STABcxYX5-ch0MiOw88T_2JVLFvf7cT2O-OgP1kzvCkgEOAQ6fURhie_SLvinW9g/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6VNLP9Y4y5ZlYj79ldljApWhX1pn11KXW9BOT0gTDbH11UYmJ-c5_cJojhjNgca94b-jE51z2hyaVIxurXApdorY5sT_avU9aNgnvviOgtvV4M3OunxkTKmCg9PQ7_kLGESrgg3K-1udQUAbOAEYa4fze1FQtlTyiYamhCF7Dzdt1YbWW0jcExV2-g/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6VNLP9Y4y5ZlYj79ldljApWhX1pn11KXW9BOT0gTDbH11UYmJ-c5_cJojhjNgca94b-jE51z2hyaVIxurXApdorY5sT_avU9aNgnvviOgtvV4M3OunxkTKmCg9PQ7_kLGESrgg3K-1udQUAbOAEYa4fze1FQtlTyiYamhCF7Dzdt1YbWW0jcExV2-g/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>A
yank is a yank is a yank, but gentlemen – this is war.”</b></i></span>
Now given voices, the three ghoulies have once again been
re-designed, this time by Director John Carl Buechler's (<i><b>Friday
the 13</b></i><sup><i><b>th</b></i></sup><i><b> Part VII</b></i>)
effects team, who have increased their size to facilitate more
dextrous puppetry. With the fish-monster-like ghoulie, the poster boy
for the franchise, acting as the leader with a penchant for clunking
his buddies' heads together, the terrible trio of diminutive
Devil-spawn quickly set about indulging in a cavalcade of collegiate
chaos. Having spied on energetic boudoir frolicking, and flushing a
frat boy down the crapper (<i>after whacking him in the balls with a
bog brush</i>), the ghoulies discover the BTZ stash of beer, encased
in a truly monolithic refrigerator, and chug the lot – and these
thirsty buggers are only just getting started.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwVXEbNNMwPmoIqW7VOU2UW0D90c1E3bX8cm8t7lH389ZGbKrbqConPdcQ_DDpi2z3zmsQX0DokjyOa87yIH-znEwiXm3vITgjFbP_cylRhY4DXBBBUHSvwIgYlGq1hsfnPn_-_AFzB6nOQpk8fD6Xaisf9BiKRKhYIkrELy92JH2RuptCMb2R2g20Q/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwVXEbNNMwPmoIqW7VOU2UW0D90c1E3bX8cm8t7lH389ZGbKrbqConPdcQ_DDpi2z3zmsQX0DokjyOa87yIH-znEwiXm3vITgjFbP_cylRhY4DXBBBUHSvwIgYlGq1hsfnPn_-_AFzB6nOQpk8fD6Xaisf9BiKRKhYIkrELy92JH2RuptCMb2R2g20Q/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcTC6hQAmjUJdxexckd5lGhL-gC8uVSx0dhfOypU11U8KGxtqWirJXtsF3V-PLP8cWMBCCI1TokCor5Qi12L4Ed4sgOKKi3rF2dnrWQnZ9enpB2ow4gN4jSKtaabFCUr30cbnpT63rnES_B9E9Ol4ld1EqyivjnU5FOKtAwdIaj99aHfdNQusVXZalQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcTC6hQAmjUJdxexckd5lGhL-gC8uVSx0dhfOypU11U8KGxtqWirJXtsF3V-PLP8cWMBCCI1TokCor5Qi12L4Ed4sgOKKi3rF2dnrWQnZ9enpB2ow4gN4jSKtaabFCUr30cbnpT63rnES_B9E9Ol4ld1EqyivjnU5FOKtAwdIaj99aHfdNQusVXZalQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOroYGhLTpZpdxjg2_thgjCP5mHTU9ayDFKsa53gY1JULca3ozB59QhdEqRlzMRi3pm0TMNbXTb6ftVYMAjffD5QxMk0617ZFdYKqiTpsc9rXIUESqIjrVLjL7yKIEqK-1PFjJUfbiQibdc4UExneJG8Icla3lYd8mLS_nGsXVi52ySKf2m34hJW0uIg/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOroYGhLTpZpdxjg2_thgjCP5mHTU9ayDFKsa53gY1JULca3ozB59QhdEqRlzMRi3pm0TMNbXTb6ftVYMAjffD5QxMk0617ZFdYKqiTpsc9rXIUESqIjrVLjL7yKIEqK-1PFjJUfbiQibdc4UExneJG8Icla3lYd8mLS_nGsXVi52ySKf2m34hJW0uIg/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Officer
Barcus, what brings you here?” / “In a word, your panties.” /
“Sorry, they're being used.”</b></i></span> Written by Brent Olson and
planting its feet firmly in comedy, <b>Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go To
College</b> is arguably the most entertaining of the four films,
dispatching any ounce of seriousness that the first two films might
have contained in favour of Looney Tunes style violence, an
assortment of gut rifts and bottom burps and, of course, a panty raid
with topless pillow fight counter-attack. It's not just the BTZ boys
getting in on the knicker-knicking, either, as the ghoulies –
clumsily dressed as luminously fashionable college dude bros – get
in on the action as well, quarrelling over silky underclothes.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwzH0n4GjWrQAkxSfMdi68c6y9HC9DpbSpr4JKEwFfiADgvZO-kVyWwQyxxqPMyS9WcIvvN2JzDucrgTllIwFIYWXFETJIRby4cOtllA3R3HwPnaAI-Qjui-R64TPR8XhYSK_O4uDJc9U0o4S1NJTwh-jqhdwRyZauxE97fsyikKTrz56L_1xSrpYuA/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwzH0n4GjWrQAkxSfMdi68c6y9HC9DpbSpr4JKEwFfiADgvZO-kVyWwQyxxqPMyS9WcIvvN2JzDucrgTllIwFIYWXFETJIRby4cOtllA3R3HwPnaAI-Qjui-R64TPR8XhYSK_O4uDJc9U0o4S1NJTwh-jqhdwRyZauxE97fsyikKTrz56L_1xSrpYuA/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B5YLFnFyOgt4ZSa12r30-SwMyJYGWkGyt77U_hBzcGuStXAWGKOlQrHD40ajs81OYfWdN200CabK4TcUiG-3HV-C7uhI1gmAm7cBrhqDoWAmCE6t52APXXyB6s5ZgOtSJsggcbEh1kQ-DJhddO2hV1P68Tob9bynGwZViwDEFbwuKRHTZ2VkJ9SAqQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9B5YLFnFyOgt4ZSa12r30-SwMyJYGWkGyt77U_hBzcGuStXAWGKOlQrHD40ajs81OYfWdN200CabK4TcUiG-3HV-C7uhI1gmAm7cBrhqDoWAmCE6t52APXXyB6s5ZgOtSJsggcbEh1kQ-DJhddO2hV1P68Tob9bynGwZViwDEFbwuKRHTZ2VkJ9SAqQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo8KQZHIE8IWFVpU14Yr0RiOLmaT8kSfD_TB5cTmmWbPz8lbSfjatlm7EO6Q-5-Jw4_Gg9J6wQcSnk-WDRkUUGO-ibUuEhPW2nFB2OObh16yHtmszUZHs1yEWDmanvYIGi-EGCyomUN4jxfr9ld_LIHCxeajV_uoXvTB1DCYDHlszRMjyo_X-8uWFTg/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoo8KQZHIE8IWFVpU14Yr0RiOLmaT8kSfD_TB5cTmmWbPz8lbSfjatlm7EO6Q-5-Jw4_Gg9J6wQcSnk-WDRkUUGO-ibUuEhPW2nFB2OObh16yHtmszUZHs1yEWDmanvYIGi-EGCyomUN4jxfr9ld_LIHCxeajV_uoXvTB1DCYDHlszRMjyo_X-8uWFTg/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>What
did you do to the bodacious babe?”</b></i></span> The film is a barrel of
monkeys, Hell-bent on having as much fun as possible, and that
clearly translated to the actors as well. There's the gleeful scenery
gobbling of a wild-eyed and gurning Kevin McCarthy, world famous for
his leading role in 1956's <b>Invasion Of The Body Snatchers</b>, who
relishes every moment of screen time, especially when he's
interacting with his ghoulie minions. When catching them snarkily
repeating his words back to him, it's all McCarthy can do to not
burst into fits of giggles when he challenges them with the line “<i>The
Ghoulies have no dicks!</i>” In addition to his endlessly
entertaining scene stealing, there is Hope Marie Carlton as Wes'
girlfriend Veronica, a voraciously indefatigable sex pot whose
orgasmic exploits involve, among other gym equipment, a treadmill!
Possibly most widely known for the films she made with Andy Sidaris –
<a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/05/hard-ticket-to-hawaii-andy-sidaris-1987.html" target="_blank"><b>Hard Ticket To Hawaii</b></a> (<i>1987</i>), <a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/06/picasso-trigger-andy-sidaris-1988-review.html" target="_blank"><b>Picasso Trigger</b></a>
(<i>1988</i>), and <a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/09/savage-beach-andy-sidaris-1989-review.html" target="_blank"><b>Savage Beach</b></a> (<i>1989</i>) where she played
a fun-lovin' ass-kicker alongside L.E.T.H.A.L. Ladies legend Dona
Speir – Carlton brings boatloads of spunky fun, oodles of charm,
and a considerable injection of sex appeal to the flick.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vMxX83WItLhaGN4lxUy6D11UEQPn7kJCrbUmNpbWHUSEzkw39SmmZ2TALetQ7Fk41QJ8XRfH455M-5eo41VYFgEJlWHsR5-JKgCVdQTS4WAWosBaL9ownr1F7aKF2Vayg7kPHNCEhdUz0SHIZ6vokixVVWxD5E4dDOcukivDwiGqvu3QXmqc7zGZoQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5vMxX83WItLhaGN4lxUy6D11UEQPn7kJCrbUmNpbWHUSEzkw39SmmZ2TALetQ7Fk41QJ8XRfH455M-5eo41VYFgEJlWHsR5-JKgCVdQTS4WAWosBaL9ownr1F7aKF2Vayg7kPHNCEhdUz0SHIZ6vokixVVWxD5E4dDOcukivDwiGqvu3QXmqc7zGZoQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LyQtOTPwFdNnxDHY1G6msaIu6qPZqq5y4S4jddEFriT80tqbda3LpE-8cEqtnYZrzASvg4W-nLyHMkl4QQPWTIif0_Cf2_D9XdAgp3ntRu7Za54k-m2aaWpdLQvyONdsEgTrnJDpt_C6rkwDcDXY8i8GDm6WIYipk96h9dm_2wYJP2FYdSOoAvc2GA/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LyQtOTPwFdNnxDHY1G6msaIu6qPZqq5y4S4jddEFriT80tqbda3LpE-8cEqtnYZrzASvg4W-nLyHMkl4QQPWTIif0_Cf2_D9XdAgp3ntRu7Za54k-m2aaWpdLQvyONdsEgTrnJDpt_C6rkwDcDXY8i8GDm6WIYipk96h9dm_2wYJP2FYdSOoAvc2GA/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zxwEZSEjkRlj7nIk_ts0IH2gVWR4xmPf5BZUykbwYpntvA6sUbLmWpiT27jSjsif76OMMQm3Gty8uB21jsgZFJNeDmutridvZWjNSJcoiBA1vLgvB2C2QH9aG2njVhOpSBhuaus6Dna3LVCyzUMCUlhJwsel_1qlDJ-hI1E_iy64n1Z8aM2PVktUUg/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zxwEZSEjkRlj7nIk_ts0IH2gVWR4xmPf5BZUykbwYpntvA6sUbLmWpiT27jSjsif76OMMQm3Gty8uB21jsgZFJNeDmutridvZWjNSJcoiBA1vLgvB2C2QH9aG2njVhOpSBhuaus6Dna3LVCyzUMCUlhJwsel_1qlDJ-hI1E_iy64n1Z8aM2PVktUUg/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Ooh!
Right in the ball park!”</b></i></span> In addition to the aforementioned
cast, the rest includes a veritable laundry list of pop culture
connections, cementing <b>Ghoulies III</b> as a solid stepping stone
in a game of 'Six Degrees'. Patrick Labyorteaux (<i><b>Heathers</b></i>)
appears as Skip's BFF Mookey, while there is also Jason Scott Lee
(<i><b>Back To The Future Part II</b></i>) as hi-fi obsessive Kyle,
Griffin O'Neal (<i><b>April Fool's Day</b></i>) as Blane, Sherrie
Wills (<i><b>Exorcist III</b></i>) as serious sorority sister Buffy,
Matthew Lillard (<i><b>Scream</b></i>) as Stork, and Marcia Wallace
(<i>the voice of Edna Krabappel in </i><i><b>The Simpsons</b></i>) as
the tongue-tied Miss Boggs.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0miUTvCiHdWrRb8ZNKKTu1nS344WVbOKXhhw-yS6fXgE9l1OrSei95O-TUy-p1FqjMFsEZ0tEKUCZixKAyKFPJFNkLZiTZrq1kc1jr3wDgd6xaESep5HuerX8oOvugNjfCZUk804kqzO-QFtTWe1EFYBcwu7OQ99NchGdHBpwMH0BTMFYEhs8wI5YgA/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0miUTvCiHdWrRb8ZNKKTu1nS344WVbOKXhhw-yS6fXgE9l1OrSei95O-TUy-p1FqjMFsEZ0tEKUCZixKAyKFPJFNkLZiTZrq1kc1jr3wDgd6xaESep5HuerX8oOvugNjfCZUk804kqzO-QFtTWe1EFYBcwu7OQ99NchGdHBpwMH0BTMFYEhs8wI5YgA/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQR6f5At6oU6BaIjKeBgeXoU9jDUsI-932ySsTIkqiDDA7fAYzW9iG4JMGu_uFWCuYqgnucHw6oYatmrJRkDH81qsk_npE2NsVVU8dcboPpAskRZk4u7w3MJcFuExGoLn5cTNlHimK5RbufxoSUEf1EFqc8R55i8HvRDB8iTBWvsFQ2607prtpqYYmQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQR6f5At6oU6BaIjKeBgeXoU9jDUsI-932ySsTIkqiDDA7fAYzW9iG4JMGu_uFWCuYqgnucHw6oYatmrJRkDH81qsk_npE2NsVVU8dcboPpAskRZk4u7w3MJcFuExGoLn5cTNlHimK5RbufxoSUEf1EFqc8R55i8HvRDB8iTBWvsFQ2607prtpqYYmQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_SE-GpPVDToKKGlL9pVz0ZvVx5xSCJxWVcHeQPfooitaYld5ARUVQv8S41JRXnPNYgRkVl7Jg5BaOm3R2XMx5q7fL2ZgvvWjS4rsLQmdjZok9uvztXv7eI-RaqkmtSYGQvgVgfEku7iJccTqtii7QQ_OnUILs86_aX2A203YcV8kL3Lu3Sfo4DF7aQ/s1920/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1920" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_SE-GpPVDToKKGlL9pVz0ZvVx5xSCJxWVcHeQPfooitaYld5ARUVQv8S41JRXnPNYgRkVl7Jg5BaOm3R2XMx5q7fL2ZgvvWjS4rsLQmdjZok9uvztXv7eI-RaqkmtSYGQvgVgfEku7iJccTqtii7QQ_OnUILs86_aX2A203YcV8kL3Lu3Sfo4DF7aQ/s320/Ghoulies%20III%20(1990)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>What
a foul smelling bag of puke.”</b></i></span> Leaning heavily into the
comedy direction, <b>Ghoulies III</b> is generally low on kills and
gore, not that the previous entries were slaughterhouse affairs, but
ramps up the T&A and the unbridled silliness. Campus Security cop
Officer Barcus (<i>Stephen Lee, </i><i><b>RoboCop 2</b></i>)
certainly gets his fair share of yucks, from coveting his electric
buggy 'Bonnie' to nervously explaining away his panty fetish:
Doctor's orders, he claims, because of his sensitive skin! It might
not have as much bite as the slightly more horror-themed <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/07/ghoulies-ii-albert-brand-1987-review.html" target="_blank"><b>Ghoulies II</b></a>, but <b>Ghoulies Go To College</b> is an absolute blast –
where else will you get to see Kane Hodder riding along in an
out-of-control mop bucket?</p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-46129649306342468292022-08-14T13:56:00.001+01:002022-08-14T13:56:28.944+01:00Beach Babes From Beyond (David DeCoteau 1993) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYQOCuqdiFKmrSD4laKO8QW1HwEXKF5GrxYlrV6LlSz4yMe0uDZaBLU1-lgdVbgr5NbliSRI8TAPTCoPa5hC_qU7e8t27GdV5M64nTr7_dJmzEunGfZp57yodg858QD7pfTtfegDCvDmdyFiaFlDY813wvuKkNuyyLIMY3aNG-QxuU1zn4QDNf2EdBw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYQOCuqdiFKmrSD4laKO8QW1HwEXKF5GrxYlrV6LlSz4yMe0uDZaBLU1-lgdVbgr5NbliSRI8TAPTCoPa5hC_qU7e8t27GdV5M64nTr7_dJmzEunGfZp57yodg858QD7pfTtfegDCvDmdyFiaFlDY813wvuKkNuyyLIMY3aNG-QxuU1zn4QDNf2EdBw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>They're
kinda cute for primitives.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
It's all be done before, hasn't it? Cops and robbers, the profession
of love at an airport, the rise and fall of a criminal empire … but
when was the last time you saw interstellar petrol knocked-up at a
beach-side snack shack by a vegetarian wearing fashion that could
best be described as coming from the 'day-glo vomitorium'
collection?...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVGyi2qWc1krTTE1bwPCZk_uSLreM-pHazIRBuMzOPn66vcdnP2FboNj15ZNLnHUzdP48E8tcldnff0syZxrP-IvKfm1FCN5dkRlNHEQkRyMr_zYn7pD6hVFue6dDgRjr2OefuoSqOqSfmKhweUK2fTb6juaqJm57CJhYi-dS54xd-pWNu2we5jTIYQ/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVGyi2qWc1krTTE1bwPCZk_uSLreM-pHazIRBuMzOPn66vcdnP2FboNj15ZNLnHUzdP48E8tcldnff0syZxrP-IvKfm1FCN5dkRlNHEQkRyMr_zYn7pD6hVFue6dDgRjr2OefuoSqOqSfmKhweUK2fTb6juaqJm57CJhYi-dS54xd-pWNu2we5jTIYQ/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>And
his cranial capacity?” / “Is that all you ever think about?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Home alone on the Planet Zircon, blonde babes Luna (</span><i>Tamara
Landry</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and Sola (</span><i>Nicole
Posey</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) convince their gal pal
Xena (</span><i>Roxanne Blaze, </i><i><b>Bikini Drive-In</b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
to take her father's pride-and-joy space ship for a joyride. Cruising
amidst the stars, these 'Valley girls from space' find themselves in
the vicinity of Beta 45, the residents of which are known to be
dangerous and untrustworthy. Curious about the 'bad neighbourhood' of
the galaxy, they stray too close and crash land on the planet …
which naturally turns out to be Earth.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTECETGJpxpQc2s_P6Rw5onO1VeR74V5UxRFJPcY_dCMEzLZrifLp1NE7DPvyL9KOqKy9N3VCeVTajpBxE1AogztcSilC5jxIqk0pJMSoVCFhgatPrjIlnggIQyXT0fUHpIy_8xwa4wWNcPvvjH1deV2BqlfiQTU_LANTQqWaaMCruuvCl6D8MPJfNeQ/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTECETGJpxpQc2s_P6Rw5onO1VeR74V5UxRFJPcY_dCMEzLZrifLp1NE7DPvyL9KOqKy9N3VCeVTajpBxE1AogztcSilC5jxIqk0pJMSoVCFhgatPrjIlnggIQyXT0fUHpIy_8xwa4wWNcPvvjH1deV2BqlfiQTU_LANTQqWaaMCruuvCl6D8MPJfNeQ/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkg6y4ggejIcJL3ihj7cB40_w6uC3wqkcX25twzjVmQdFxKmkoKRK6sBfphxgHtD2fOs73LD44P_whuxE0EfuCCU-IlLDpk-yO7k3aetzsoR9IWbg59Ktn2vIuFoceZUQwxd_nHNwPkRgBuh3IFB3qr3jTqTHXdUJj8RkdqNUcC0x0pE5PAe6uIaRgw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkg6y4ggejIcJL3ihj7cB40_w6uC3wqkcX25twzjVmQdFxKmkoKRK6sBfphxgHtD2fOs73LD44P_whuxE0EfuCCU-IlLDpk-yO7k3aetzsoR9IWbg59Ktn2vIuFoceZUQwxd_nHNwPkRgBuh3IFB3qr3jTqTHXdUJj8RkdqNUcC0x0pE5PAe6uIaRgw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Their
arrival captures the attention of a pair of buff beach boys,
UFO-believer Dave (</span><i>Michael Todd Davis</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
and sunblock-disbeliever Jerry (</span><i>Ken Steadman</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who have come to visit Dave's Uncle Bud, a sort of beach bum Rip Van
Winkle, an ageing surfer hanging out in his crumbling shack of a home
brewing his own special concoction sunburn lotion/BBQ sauce.
Encountering Dave and Jerry, Xena and her out-of-this-world space
chums pretend to be Swedish exchange students so they can study the
locals, only to become embroiled in a vaguely convoluted plot
involving the cut-throat world of swimwear design and beach babe
bikini contests. Ah, yes, </span><i>that</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
old chestnut!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptqwJZd2JdJ9BNMSjYUcHVqv0VtKInYVq2WHfvWqf79RlzVazalaC3BASCHRC_-Rv7C3rtwCe08kxnR2mt3PUKqhCXGEFUq99h9DFdmZ1Rx5cvf0dZ1rXeNl7SQpRllSiKiOAQnaNWywi-QwpAxb62lCzvWD6I0-fKbmnZxCQ6irEk1UfxaT6jrwGKw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptqwJZd2JdJ9BNMSjYUcHVqv0VtKInYVq2WHfvWqf79RlzVazalaC3BASCHRC_-Rv7C3rtwCe08kxnR2mt3PUKqhCXGEFUq99h9DFdmZ1Rx5cvf0dZ1rXeNl7SQpRllSiKiOAQnaNWywi-QwpAxb62lCzvWD6I0-fKbmnZxCQ6irEk1UfxaT6jrwGKw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgXHJFTLy438ypWOdGHCY9DV1SAuVPnMqvTV9gX6VhwjR2Ea8126Y0EapL56ZY7I9Cd1cd2P1aPXjiGDXUHB9pZOxF9h_0sW0gbKv_o47ySfkcrb8o8-0GU3c6p-HA75ELPKW95Ozvd9TlJSSy9x0tCXtbNTChIpmtCGM5eLNXSZpxFtlk7TuLWmELw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgXHJFTLy438ypWOdGHCY9DV1SAuVPnMqvTV9gX6VhwjR2Ea8126Y0EapL56ZY7I9Cd1cd2P1aPXjiGDXUHB9pZOxF9h_0sW0gbKv_o47ySfkcrb8o8-0GU3c6p-HA75ELPKW95Ozvd9TlJSSy9x0tCXtbNTChIpmtCGM5eLNXSZpxFtlk7TuLWmELw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Oh
my gosh! Holy shit! You're a space babe! Can I go inside?”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Shot for $300,000 on a ten-day shoot, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Beach
Babes From Beyond</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> was the
first release of Torchlight Entertainment, the softcore erotica
sub-label of Full Moon Pictures (</span><i>most famous for the </i><i><b>Puppet
Master</b></i><i> series</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), and
was directed by David DeCoteau (</span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/creepozoids-david-decoteau-1987-dvd.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Creepozoids</b></i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">)
– under his regularly-used pseudonym Ellen Cabot, deployed for any
project he deemed to be beneath his usual standards. Visually
speaking he needn't be embarrassed, but when it comes to the
threadbare plot from writers Bill Kelman and Alexander Sachs, you can
start to see why DeCoteau reached for his well-worn AKA.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkpSQHuQuMKpp7RyJv8KfVTc1F6IEfI-aHtyUXSD6r1SvV6Hn5aCtCzo_64IkvNs4G4vmN8YuY5Oj3kSZD49hhvSj-GBL7qA0pNMUdbYkfYepl_FjOpPWIDxrrZjyx6JJ1pfgZUKzYy5sUNbB1A3WZr-FUEYb294dJu34fKC33McWC8hNjc2eju7L7w/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkpSQHuQuMKpp7RyJv8KfVTc1F6IEfI-aHtyUXSD6r1SvV6Hn5aCtCzo_64IkvNs4G4vmN8YuY5Oj3kSZD49hhvSj-GBL7qA0pNMUdbYkfYepl_FjOpPWIDxrrZjyx6JJ1pfgZUKzYy5sUNbB1A3WZr-FUEYb294dJu34fKC33McWC8hNjc2eju7L7w/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlWU9ZBlxpZ70UTTL8FdvgjodyxG-IQ1tRllhBDpwzM_5VLh94UKN4gD4OV3qKvkHfEUrLdM7z-F5F9nbFq502ug-bVySJwiFBmpyTdn9hku4ifnGfsHB0tsHY425VBkqFCSh6Ujz1fEfmz4GEwjv26wqq1W_Wy3VZzdGva9088jiQJPIo2KiGjMiIw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlWU9ZBlxpZ70UTTL8FdvgjodyxG-IQ1tRllhBDpwzM_5VLh94UKN4gD4OV3qKvkHfEUrLdM7z-F5F9nbFq502ug-bVySJwiFBmpyTdn9hku4ifnGfsHB0tsHY425VBkqFCSh6Ujz1fEfmz4GEwjv26wqq1W_Wy3VZzdGva9088jiQJPIo2KiGjMiIw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However,
several of the actors weren't fussed about appearing in the flick and
having their names liberally utilised to advertise the hell out of
it. Xena's parents Gork and Yanna make brief appearances bookending
the film, the pair played by Don Swayze (</span><i>brother of
Patrick</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and Jackie Stallone
(</span><i>mother of Sylvester and Frank</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).
Indeed, the film is a veritable cornucopia of famous family members,
as Uncle Bud is played by Joe Estevez (</span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-zero-boys-nico-mastorakis-1986.html" target="_blank"><i><b>The Zero Boys</b></i></a><i>,
brother of Martin Sheen</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) while
NASA scientist-turned Veggie snack shack owner Dr Veg is essayed by
Joey Travolta (</span><i>brother of John</i><span style="font-style: normal;">).
As if that wasn't enough, sun tan lotion mogul Mr Bun is portrayed by
Burt Ward, best known as Robin from the 1960s Batman television
series!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAb45LaIXmyiD37EJMe6UdVptik32D9bKEusNPnpJ28TD8id_ao7u7b68g21lug-iZeMS7Pthpo_YMTHdAD3SSBMXw5Vh_FOAaVTqO6Bbwlf3J9Z_qGHX6MYgZ6bU3HZAeT9xvIfLtjIZjNU3pLY39mFun23x-pg62-g1HlJZ0ikkLxmvdMhSerEGWw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAb45LaIXmyiD37EJMe6UdVptik32D9bKEusNPnpJ28TD8id_ao7u7b68g21lug-iZeMS7Pthpo_YMTHdAD3SSBMXw5Vh_FOAaVTqO6Bbwlf3J9Z_qGHX6MYgZ6bU3HZAeT9xvIfLtjIZjNU3pLY39mFun23x-pg62-g1HlJZ0ikkLxmvdMhSerEGWw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAm3tEKc-AJTmGmiuf3M4VLZoWFMSNzWajQp6pMuqbTikwlExQHMGWEqV3Trb0fjsd-tEQNYWeYf_Y2a3SJVEnd9B-kQ2L5wfzZCCXCz3oH_ONvM8tHmMD81E2fePfWIrnloKCKJ-Re3yvIYBebtTNFQTY838XVI4izShBtMqWMKCtjht-5aZx0b8pg/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAm3tEKc-AJTmGmiuf3M4VLZoWFMSNzWajQp6pMuqbTikwlExQHMGWEqV3Trb0fjsd-tEQNYWeYf_Y2a3SJVEnd9B-kQ2L5wfzZCCXCz3oH_ONvM8tHmMD81E2fePfWIrnloKCKJ-Re3yvIYBebtTNFQTY838XVI4izShBtMqWMKCtjht-5aZx0b8pg/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>You
young chicks are all alike, going after men old enough to be your
father.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Half-way through
the movie and one can't help but notice that the plot is
minimalistic, to say the least. This can partially be explained by
the fact that this is the 'uncut' version of the film as opposed to
the R-rated, and yet this 'uncut' version actually removes chunks of
the story, such as certain scenes that better explain the backstory
between Uncle Bud and his ex-girlfriend Sally, as well as a little
more to do with why he's in some legal trouble. In-place of these
plot-driven scenes, if you can call them that, the 'uncut' version
injects numerous softcore sex scenes to make sure it'd be a popular
watch on American TV channel Cinemax, which was affectionately
otherwise known as 'Skinemax' for its propensity to show lots of
naked ladies at a time before the proliferation of online smut and,
no doubt, its reputation for doing more for Kleenex's stock price
than the seasonal sniffles.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTrv_Wf1PESw7A7klkww4bFinC8jLNI8eJicCY35ZQS395Ku3IDxApHqOvN54QgNqEb19VapCzpcRIJGYNPIERvG0i6JkZ51El3eytVqHUcNE0nUuOvKEYspqyfOH_GeAdqYJ9jLGD2PFB9rSRsKf5QM6hJb9zJcLT2PN0EMhuE2t4u0f7xpafacU1Q/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTrv_Wf1PESw7A7klkww4bFinC8jLNI8eJicCY35ZQS395Ku3IDxApHqOvN54QgNqEb19VapCzpcRIJGYNPIERvG0i6JkZ51El3eytVqHUcNE0nUuOvKEYspqyfOH_GeAdqYJ9jLGD2PFB9rSRsKf5QM6hJb9zJcLT2PN0EMhuE2t4u0f7xpafacU1Q/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKj8UXyzqQ6HfCZNotgMMSmtyCmTB4a1C6iF1gumyDtmlscMs6zqLWKzMXhNZa5Q95tlt9NxsMy5HBbtvwy6m5jXjKb5-F-3mv4kuMB_4XNJuYszp54iQTdGISWTI4YBvvvaVJSar_-QJkJvaKEm5zrswZsmGlQxFjqXtUyw2XdNqM0bdnUR3hFMnpA/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKj8UXyzqQ6HfCZNotgMMSmtyCmTB4a1C6iF1gumyDtmlscMs6zqLWKzMXhNZa5Q95tlt9NxsMy5HBbtvwy6m5jXjKb5-F-3mv4kuMB_4XNJuYszp54iQTdGISWTI4YBvvvaVJSar_-QJkJvaKEm5zrswZsmGlQxFjqXtUyw2XdNqM0bdnUR3hFMnpA/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">These
sex scenes, or 'Skinemax wank breaks' if you will, are all seemingly
shot without sound, so it's just some terrible music to tickle your
lugholes while the movie routinely grinds to a halt for several
minutes of licking, squeezing, writhing, and Brazilian-style personal
topiary. The scenes are stylishly shot, although it seems as if these
sequences have been captured through progressively thicker layers of
cheesecloth and diffused lighting. Po-faced critics of the sort of
films DeCoteau often made would sniff at the 'gratuitous T&A',
but there's shower scenes to accompany exposition and then there's
</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Beach Babes From Beyond</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
which sets a new level for 'gratuitous'. Weirdly enough, the movie
would benefit from </span><i>less</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
nudity and </span><i>more</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> talky
plot bits!</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_StlRi09A7Qi1oyMHXfxKpJaxg6TTUAibod0YPjQ93Z5JsF2GoOa3I03LIvKVrr_LeAUzc1b-vMQJpcq_8S2SqfQWjoKyJT0TeIjp-h0vZkC5jMoZDZ_pdO60rHn5bqwhgxqNOPTvCF8dzwjBwOujMsR9TuKz2CazXRIEjOszjjYLO85XoArXVj6F4A/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_StlRi09A7Qi1oyMHXfxKpJaxg6TTUAibod0YPjQ93Z5JsF2GoOa3I03LIvKVrr_LeAUzc1b-vMQJpcq_8S2SqfQWjoKyJT0TeIjp-h0vZkC5jMoZDZ_pdO60rHn5bqwhgxqNOPTvCF8dzwjBwOujMsR9TuKz2CazXRIEjOszjjYLO85XoArXVj6F4A/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR89cleWX7LQ09nA5-f8vrkwtzYUlp5Awoaz13s9nbhYekc7GLG21H1N7yEf2Z2Dzb-9u3ymupqok_0O2-I41AwHjs55EDOa5ACfR5hJECqmRzlRE8O4QKdeyrNE8gJ9xMU5WmHBcKWpj3o68NiyeQyppI7zUhQNzFIDvmxJcvoOi9axYW1Zi_hxfdQw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR89cleWX7LQ09nA5-f8vrkwtzYUlp5Awoaz13s9nbhYekc7GLG21H1N7yEf2Z2Dzb-9u3ymupqok_0O2-I41AwHjs55EDOa5ACfR5hJECqmRzlRE8O4QKdeyrNE8gJ9xMU5WmHBcKWpj3o68NiyeQyppI7zUhQNzFIDvmxJcvoOi9axYW1Zi_hxfdQw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Speaking
of gratuitous raunch, if you're a fan of over-extended scenes of
beach parties set to terribly repetitive ear-worm 'beach rock', then
you'll be well catered for here. The camera prowls about a veritable
sea of toned and tanned bodies, craning high and low, sliding this
way and that, yet again grinding the movie to a halt at repeated
intervals. A few establishing shots, fine, but </span><i>this</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
many and </span><i>this</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> often?
Come on, now. But, well, you've got to fill those 80 minutes with
something. Indeed, you've never seen so many day-glo bikinis in your
life, as if the entire global supply of
luminous-yellow-and-pink-on-black or neon-green-on-pastel-blue
swimsuits were rounded up and dumped into a big fleshy pile of
sun-baked sand and fetishistic amounts of volleyball.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcd5MjaGsNiQMba2HTbarYOe7JFSoJOaje4lvRfcpI4gFjOQJtyRnjq_51Zk_gkC5t5lpKAF8afLP4wHX9pikGNN6ea6wJTI-IPcg010hyjZM7DIOPqVRnLZDRZ78AHxtduJESy_wa4TldJTQigl_B_W2knowVkCFG2S8Y-ggrA6AEOLVhfgNy-F8iA/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcd5MjaGsNiQMba2HTbarYOe7JFSoJOaje4lvRfcpI4gFjOQJtyRnjq_51Zk_gkC5t5lpKAF8afLP4wHX9pikGNN6ea6wJTI-IPcg010hyjZM7DIOPqVRnLZDRZ78AHxtduJESy_wa4TldJTQigl_B_W2knowVkCFG2S8Y-ggrA6AEOLVhfgNy-F8iA/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYjpTdjWgbJbQB-2Jp6lsyYWl6X5PsIofXHKW5Ooclqd7nPIharT-gKTK39AdlcppYKGH3badR59_S7ebe43SY6qI7L5rFPI3GI8Jjh28SznDkR4uLRyWWQf653oBqZKuDl4KutYOGrQ1FN2ofmjzSa6AleqU40FYpZIcbN71BaPJthPDSE_FlOUcXw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYjpTdjWgbJbQB-2Jp6lsyYWl6X5PsIofXHKW5Ooclqd7nPIharT-gKTK39AdlcppYKGH3badR59_S7ebe43SY6qI7L5rFPI3GI8Jjh28SznDkR4uLRyWWQf653oBqZKuDl4KutYOGrQ1FN2ofmjzSa6AleqU40FYpZIcbN71BaPJthPDSE_FlOUcXw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'd
like to be attacked by alien space babes and have close encounters of
the 69</b></i><sup><i><b>th</b></i></sup><i><b> kind.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
While not quite living up to its modest potential, particularly due
to the preponderance of extensive beach party filler sequences and an
exceptionally limited use of the 'beach babes from outer space'
angle, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Beach Babes From
Beyond</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> nonetheless
manages to have a decent amount of fun along the way. Certainly
exceeding what lesser genre-hopping filmmakers would ever bother to
achieve with such material or budget, DeCoteau's film still finds
opportunities to dial-up the B-movie silliness, particularly when it
comes to Sally (</span><i>Linnea Quigley, </i><a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-best-of-80s-scream-queens-david.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Murder Weapon</b></i></a><i>,
gamely diving into her somewhat limited screen time</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who is a swimsuit design tycoon living in a mansion permanently
populated by swimsuit models, a photographer with convoluted
'artistic' reasons for topless snapshots, and a sleazeball lawyer by
the name of Hassler (</span><i>Albert Andrukaitis</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
who has a fondness for exceedingly oily fantasies.</span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVxk0by-LhnUa-B5wj4ig1H0dzvzdoQnY-5hSAGN1flRUbjiGhhwz2zr4E_Qu0h_YB8eabeztn-54XKyHIHogtlf4VamtMBwjh_l0-EfKsa7vwTNZ_UZpSiPXBBxG9vxprZtVH0_-Zm4GR_jowDVoiwlH6YXBy-JgbeUnw13szEYSPMbRAu9lEPdLSg/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVxk0by-LhnUa-B5wj4ig1H0dzvzdoQnY-5hSAGN1flRUbjiGhhwz2zr4E_Qu0h_YB8eabeztn-54XKyHIHogtlf4VamtMBwjh_l0-EfKsa7vwTNZ_UZpSiPXBBxG9vxprZtVH0_-Zm4GR_jowDVoiwlH6YXBy-JgbeUnw13szEYSPMbRAu9lEPdLSg/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifk2qGGt4s7Tnji84gXW-Z4SZgA098L1IMhu-WkOdUcWGGX91dPUJC8iNWL9MATcN8dOnn7OtKnp5-sLhRjneO6Jb43YQQgQqG5fhx9c-BecJaGR2oDXLbKRZm5d1SJne-KbDXkmILokcsOh7eo2Sy9d8nksrIAuTeGr68bFOcJOPAZ0PSIAhrzCJKQ/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifk2qGGt4s7Tnji84gXW-Z4SZgA098L1IMhu-WkOdUcWGGX91dPUJC8iNWL9MATcN8dOnn7OtKnp5-sLhRjneO6Jb43YQQgQqG5fhx9c-BecJaGR2oDXLbKRZm5d1SJne-KbDXkmILokcsOh7eo2Sy9d8nksrIAuTeGr68bFOcJOPAZ0PSIAhrzCJKQ/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It's quite amazing just how important the film manages to make
swimsuits out to be, rooting it right into the heart of the, albeit
quite meagre, plot. The bikini contest is sabotaged by
swimwear-eating acid, while Sally deviously goes so far as to steal
Xena's swimsuit designs … but what's even barmier is that the
intolerably greasy Hassler actually takes the moral high ground when
it comes to swimsuit IP theft! These are some of the most enjoyable
elements of the film, and its a shame more wasn't done to explore
these super silly corners of the plot. However, one does have to
admire just how laid back the California beach life is, so easy
breezy in fact, that definitive proof of extraterrestrial life and
interstellar travel barely raises an eyebrow, and doesn't seem to
necessitate a call to the government or an attempt to ally the two
worlds for the benefit and future of all mankind!</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkrT7ZZl1NReFSnUIYFx_baZ4R1AfirCEls2xSRSkc7QdhYIKGoSPMNbt6659qzJ0wQw_a6AlqOvIeEIFHShOysPqJIETxxeydv_ZiBQEtoIPUVvji3Q0weU9n2AKuOeKaaSVeQJZaBRP0Hear30WwyqWvS5FEiIqd5puEF7778BsXq-0LFqaxqa0GQ/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkrT7ZZl1NReFSnUIYFx_baZ4R1AfirCEls2xSRSkc7QdhYIKGoSPMNbt6659qzJ0wQw_a6AlqOvIeEIFHShOysPqJIETxxeydv_ZiBQEtoIPUVvji3Q0weU9n2AKuOeKaaSVeQJZaBRP0Hear30WwyqWvS5FEiIqd5puEF7778BsXq-0LFqaxqa0GQ/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6lNbyLCt1r_KOGY8GGoJ1gkwPTBjqnLLncyZ2U2BCaT8hm_Mx0xsgib27ru4LKztICWrF_We1X5HwVMsYXQ-deESgU6dBdrtwfrtT_2GCfWBgsGeKGegsQMtuayCaCa0sBHzwpKVgI9w0k_ME9OLxSoo6yfW_T2sDtdSkNhcuPLm9H_ib0L28j74Mw/s1280/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6lNbyLCt1r_KOGY8GGoJ1gkwPTBjqnLLncyZ2U2BCaT8hm_Mx0xsgib27ru4LKztICWrF_We1X5HwVMsYXQ-deESgU6dBdrtwfrtT_2GCfWBgsGeKGegsQMtuayCaCa0sBHzwpKVgI9w0k_ME9OLxSoo6yfW_T2sDtdSkNhcuPLm9H_ib0L28j74Mw/s320/Beach%20Babes%20From%20Beyond%20(1993)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
wonder if they've eaten – I'd hate to be lunch.”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;">
Slipping beneath the potential of what it could have been, like so
many surfer dudes pulled under by a rip-tide, </span><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Beach
Babes From Beyond</b></span><span style="font-style: normal;"> does
occasionally dazzle with its scrappy B-movie charms, but, certainly
in this 'uncut' form, the funk of filling a Cinemax-shaped void does
it few favours in the long run. Still, with this much tie-dye and
day-glo splattered across the screen, it's hard not to kowabunga your
beach buns into the party.</span></p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-19308139591476677692022-07-30T13:49:00.002+01:002022-07-30T13:49:20.517+01:00Flavours of the Month: June/July 2022...<p style="text-align: justify;">Chaotic car-nage, the perils of prequelitis, and a murder-filled motel is just some of what's been setting the tone of my June/July 2022...<br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click "READ MORE" below to see this month's looks, sounds, vibes & flavours...</b></i></span></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><u><b>LOOKS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Enter The Void (Blu-Ray)</b></span> - Gaspar Noe's splendid sense of visual adventure is in full-swing in this 2009 circling-the-drain drug trip as a newly-deceased dealer floats free of his mortal body to explore Tokyo at night. Rising to a neon-hued climax (<i>in more ways than one</i>), it can sometimes meander, but the ride is well worth it.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b></span> - <b>The Mandalorian</b> is a great show, which introduced new characters into a familiar landscape that it could cherry pick from as much or as little as it liked, and is a show boasting great writing and directing. Then along came <b>The Book Of Boba Fett</b>, which routinely got lost up its own flashbacks, got tangled up in references, squandered the potential of its main character, and only rallied in the final three episodes (<i>two of which were exclusively 'guest episodes' of <b>The Mandalorian</b>!</i>). Now we have <b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b>, and it's quite the disappointment. The writing and direction are, quite frankly, rather poor. Characters are under-written, the plot is riddled with chasm-sized gaps in logic, several chase/action scenes are laughably bad, and supposedly tough villains are rendered as merely petulant colleagues from work. The Inquisitors are supposed to be intimidating, striking fear into all, but they're blocked by the flimsiest awning you've ever seen in your life? Come on, now, stop taking the piss.<br /><br />McGregor gives it his best, especially in the final episode with a key confrontation, but there's only so much an actor can do with material this undercooked and poorly thought out. Indeed, all the actors are stuck with scripts that are themselves lumbered with the biggest problem of all - this series is a prequel set a decade before <b>A New Hope</b>, and so there is no actual peril or mystery. Obi-Wan will be fine. Leia will be fine. Reva won't achieve her goals because we already know the fates of numerous characters, and so on. Everyone is imprisoned by the established facts of the saga, and discovering the origin of, say, a weapon holster, simply isn't interesting, while fan-tickling name-drops and line-copies similarly don't justify the whole endeavour.<br /><br /><b>Rogue One</b> worked as a prequel to <b>A New Hope</b> because the main cast of characters were new and weren't linked to already established story in later events: so anything could happen to them (<i>and did</i>). All said and done, <b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b> has no real purpose and is poorly executed, hindered by prequelitis, sloppy screenwriting, lacklustre direction (<i>the infuriating 'shaky cam' during murky fight scenes is a particular gripe</i>), and an absense of logic that is, at times, so bad as to be actually insulting to the audience's intelligence. A damn shame, indeed, because even the good bits come with a whiff of disappointment, or even end up making characters look like total scumbags because this show makes them, for instance, essentially guilty of the deaths of countless innocents. If this is the trajectory of Disney's 'content factory' approach to <b>Star Wars</b>, then I'm not holding out much hope for the myriad series they have on their upcoming slate (<i>the dizzying amount of <b>Star Wars</b> shows coming up stinks of the same arrogance that ponged-out Universal's clusterfuck attempt to start a 'Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe'</i>). Season 3 of <b>The Mandalorian</b> can't come soon enough to, hopefully, set things right again. However, there's more spin-offs before then and, frankly, the sharply descending quality of <b>The Book of Boba Fett</b> and especially <b>Obi-Wan Kenobi</b> have all-but turned me off them completely. Please don't fuck up season three of <b>The Mandalorian</b>!<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Boys: Season 3</b></span> - the second season suffered a little from 'difficult second album syndrome', but still worked nicely. Meanwhile, this third season feels revitalised and rarely sets a foot wrong. There is an obsession for any and every show to be 'socially relevant' as much as possible these days, and sometimes this can turn out to be a sloppy mess of forced messaging, dislocating the audience from the movie/show that they're trying to fully invest in, but <b>The Boys</b> manages to justify it with its approach of 'our world, but superheroes are real'. Indeed, a visit to a Vought theme park roasts the corporate co-opting of socio-political movements and inclusivity as the cynical cash-grab stock-price-juicer that it is (<i>"BLM BLTs", "Woke Wok" and so on</i>). A smattering of gleefully gruesome and grotesque highlights (<i>what happens when one accidentally sneezes inside a urethra, 'Herogasm', etc</i>) juggles the tone nicely, while the advancing threat of a now-unchecked Homelander (<i>strongly characterised, wonderfully performed</i>) provides a terrifying antagonist. Quite satisfying. Roll on season four!<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Outlaws: Series 2</b></span> - building upon what was established in the first series, co-star and co-writer Stephen Merchant's comedy/drama finds solid footing in its second batch of six episodes. There's potentially room for more, but it could just as easily, and perhaps more advisedly, be left where it is and still satisfy.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Heroin Busters (Blu-Ray)</b></span> - co-written and directed by Enzo G. Castellari, co-written by Massimo de Rita, and starring Fabio Testi and David Hemmings, this 1977 Italian crime thriller trots the globe as it plots-out a global drug-running conspiracy. It may not pack the same punch as <b>The Big Racket</b>, but it certainly crescendos in grand fashion with an extensive climactic chase scene that weaves dirt bikes through decaying outdoor theatres, utilises a construction site for a lead-flinging foot chase, and stages a dog fight between two aeroplanes as its cherry on top.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Batman (Blu-Ray)</b></span> - Matt Reeves' even darker take on the black-clad avenger of Gotham may be long, occasionally too long, but the stripped-back tone to focus on detective work and brutal vengeance breathes fresh air into a particularly familiar character, who has been on our screens in countless forms over the years. Some sequences, such as the train station beat down, are particularly effective, leaning into the 'fear of what is lurking in the shadows' aspect, while the Zodiac-meets-Social-Media take on The Riddler (<i>accompanied by Paul Dano's chilling performance</i>) gets the hairs standing on the back of your neck.<br /><br />Robert Pattinson was mocked by some for taking on the role, but he has consistently explored an interesting array of stories, films, and filmmakers since his days as a twinkly vampire, and he once again 'brings it' as this 'Year Two' version of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Great cast, impressively gloomy tone, and a raw sense of brutal justice are just some of what makes this incarnation so memorable, proving once again that DC is generally better served with more isolated films instead of the strictures of the MCU approach (<i>especially now that Marvel's cinematic and televisual outings are more frequently feeling less inspired and more like 'content' filler for Disney+</i>). A sequel would be most welcome! Kudos to Warner Brothers for included a handsome host of special features that properly dig into the making of the movie, none of that dull EPK 'selling you the movie you already paid for' bullshit found on too many other releases.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Bates Motel: Season 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5</b></span> - developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, this contemporary-set prequel-of-sorts to <b>Psycho </b>originally ran between 2013 and 2017. I was aware of it, but never got around to it. The first season powers along nicely, and while season two starts and ends strong, its middle portion is lumbered with flabby plot filler and meandering side stories that don't really go anywhere particularly interesting. Still, strong central performances (<i>Farmiga, Highmore, and Carbonell chief among them</i>) as well as the overall story and setting keep you going through the lulls. Season three rediscovers the mojo and pulls the focus back onto the Bates family and the motel, diving deeper into Norman's psychological problems while also giving a satisfying side story about some of the immediate fallout from the town's underbelly being exposed. Seasons 4 and 5 continue in a similarly satisfying vein, with each of them wielding some surprisingly effective emotional heft. All said and done, and with the sole exception of the second season's problems, it's an excellent show.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Stranger Things: Season 4 Volume 2</b></span> - the last two episodes of the season pay off big with emotional heft and kick assery abound (<i>that trailer-top Metallica moment alone!</i>). Some subplots meandered or took a smidge too long in the first volume, but the sense of propulsion in these final two episodes is spectacular. It's also quite impressive from a storytelling perspective, as several strands of the plot are interwoven with spot-on pacing and juxtaposition. Bring on season five!<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>The Offer</b></span> - 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the 1972 cinema classic <b>The Godfather</b>, and this Paramount+ mini-series, created by Michael Tolkin, recounts the making of the movie as a 10-episode drama. Some events have been moved around or tweaked, certain characterisations feel 'a bit 2022 in 1972', and the pacing of the first few episodes is uneven, however it is consistently entertaining with a cast of characters who are enjoyable to spend time with. Cinephiles will get the most bang for their buck.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Death Race 1, 2, 3, & 4 (DVD)</b></span> - I remember generally liking the 2008 Paul W.S. Anderson remake of Roger Corman's violent camp comedy <b>Death Race 2000</b>, but was disappointed that it almost entirely swept aside the savagely satirical '<b>Carmageddon</b>' aspect (<i>i.e. splattering pedestrians for points</i>). A re-watch on Prime painted an improved picture of the movie, a solid action thriller with crunchy car chaos and Jason Statham on top form doing what he does best. Looking at how the original movie was adapted and reworked, I appreciate the remake better now than I did in 2008. I'd never seen any of the sequels, but a cheap DVD of the first three movies (<i>a fourth came out a couple of years ago</i>) let me mostly catch up. Straight-to-video, the second and third movies lack the budget of Anderson's flick and it shows, but there's enough action going on that filler is kept to a minimum for the most part and, enjoyably, the sequels double-down on punchier violence in the 'unrated' versions (<i><b>DR1 </b>was a '15' while <b>DR2 </b>and <b>DR3 </b>are both rated '18'</i>). The stumbling points of <b>DR2 </b>and <b>DR3: Inferno</b>, though, come down to the scripts. They're certainly not bad, but it's the finesse that's lacking.<br /><br />We're talking about certain structural things, characterisation, introducing concepts to the audience, pacing the reveal of your drivers and their cars etc. These are the points where it fumbles things somewhat, not to mention the overly choppy action sequences in the second movie, which too often feel like a mish-mash shots almost randomly smashed together in the edit than a properly mapped-out sequence. The plot of the second movie perhaps works a little better than the third, but Inferno has better action overall while the fresh location (<i>the ever-popular more-bang-for-your-tax-dollar South Africa</i>) helps inject a little something different to the franchise's fondness for rusty shades of industrial greys. While the budgets may be lower, these straight-to-video sequels can still give good value entertainment to franchise fans. Universal's "1440" subsidiary arm for such fare has also delivered the more recent <b>Tremors </b>sequels (<i>a franchise that I'm a huge fan of</i>). It'd be fun to work on some of these kinds of movies, but to also get the chance to write tighter scripts that inject a better sense of characterisation and story pacing, as these seem to be the first place Universal 1440's fare gets into some trouble.<br /><br />Finally, there's <b>Death Race: Beyond Anarchy</b>, directed by Don Michael Paul (<i>of <b>Tremors 5/6/7</b></i>) who co-writes with Tony Giglio (<i>of the previous <b>Death Race</b> sequels</i>). Taking place after the events of the 2008 movie, it's <b>Death Race</b> meets <b>Escape From New York</b> meets <b>Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior</b>, and for my money it's the best of the sequels. A little more could have been made of the wider socio-political context of the world in which the film is set (<i>a new moralism on-the-rise against a backdrop of economic turmoil has deemed the sport illegal but still operational</i>), but the overall pacing is strong with decent characteristion, plus plenty of exploitable elements. Indeed, overall this is probably the most violent of the four films and certainly boasts the most nudity, lending the movie an enjoyable modern-day-grindhouse feel. The production is also grander, with a large scale location that is well decorated and populated to pull off the 'self-governing super-max prison' idea. The budget is unknown, but the previous sequels were about $7 million each. Was it the move to Bulgaria for filming that really paid off, or was there a bit more cash injected? Either way, it never feels cheap and gives the viewer plenty of bang for their buck. Apparently it's going to be the final entry in the franchise, but considering how enjoyable <b>Beyond Anarchy</b> was, that really is a shame.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Two Doors Down: Series 5</b></span> - the first two episodes and the 2021 Christmas Special were shown at the tail-end of last year, so it's great to get the remaining four episodes on our screens. Love this show!<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>James May: Our Man In Italy</b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>SOUNDS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Kate Bush "Running Up That Hill"<br /><br />Rammstein "Rammstein" (album), "Zeit" (album), "Mutter" (album)<br /><br />Deron Miller "Acoustified!" (album)<br /><br />Wendy Carlos "The Shining: Unused Soundtrack" (album)<br /><br />Rob Zombie "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" (album)<br /><br />Metallica "Master of Puppets"<br /><br />Alice Cooper "Detroit Stories" (album)</b></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: red;"><u><b>VIBES & FLAVOURS:</b></u></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Abandoned Asylums" by Matt Van der Velde</b></span> - a photo book about, well, what it says on the cover. Split into sections covering different mental health institutions, the reader gets a better appreciation of the architectural merit of these buildings, which have nevertheless been home to some horrific abuses and rampant stigmatism. Some segments are accompanied by side stories about famous patients, doctors, or objects, which prove to be particularly revealing and fascinating.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Widespread Panic" by James Ellroy</b></span> - the first portion of this 'confession of a tabloid tyrant' was originally published as a 'Kindle Single' before later being expanded into a novel. Written from the perspective of Freddy Otash, the author has used an excessive amount of alliteration (<i>to give it the voice of a celebrity gossip magazine of the era</i>), which actually gets in the way of the reader not only finding a flow but also getting a grasp of the narrative: the key players, how they connect, and who's doing what to whom and why. Far from Ellroy's best work, and casuals will struggle with it, but those who have consumed a great deal of Ellroy's writing will still find enjoyment despite the aggressive amount of alliteration.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"Cinema Sewer: Volume 8" by Robin Bougie</b></span> - the final 'book form' outing of the <b>Cinema Sewer</b> zine, which came to an end earlier this year with its 34th issue. You can see it's maybe running out of steam a little, but it's still quite good indeed, diving into some fascinating stories from the seamier side of filmmaking and movie culture.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Batman Arkham Knight: Premium Edition (Xbox One)</b></span> - I never played <b>Arkham Asylum</b> or <b>Arkham City</b> from the Xbox 360 generation, and this third and final entry in the trilogy just so happened to be on sale. I figured I'd never get through three games back-to-back, so just opted for the latest. As happens every time you get a new game, you've got to get into the control scheme, and being new to the Arkham series there are certain gameplay aspects that take a little getting used to before you figure out the rules, but after getting into it I'm having a lot of fun soaring around Gotham on a rain-slick Halloween night kicking boatloads of bad guy bottom.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>"A Decent Ride" by Irvine Welsh</b></span></p>Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1993239234677129325.post-77648154702814733782022-07-09T14:09:00.001+01:002022-09-15T13:20:21.672+01:00Ghoulies II (Albert Brand, 1987) Review<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>Find
more exploitation reviews <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-screen-entertainment-dvd.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-srDaxlbu2oaWd4EggKm6MYcK4cdxPcBFEByIOvz-_PVXIojlNU5wIj7Q5ygdWyt-l74ZpOO7CQEPzfFNpUnXzuRRaVW_K9BAapA0eMizKPQ9mRx5iqMkz1_mzunKL_10KNTy8D3TLwMnwbwLCBGGmCufkMXX7LEE25-0msp_EWrwI-TSjjF5geThA/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-srDaxlbu2oaWd4EggKm6MYcK4cdxPcBFEByIOvz-_PVXIojlNU5wIj7Q5ygdWyt-l74ZpOO7CQEPzfFNpUnXzuRRaVW_K9BAapA0eMizKPQ9mRx5iqMkz1_mzunKL_10KNTy8D3TLwMnwbwLCBGGmCufkMXX7LEE25-0msp_EWrwI-TSjjF5geThA/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Look
out! The behemoth returns!”</b></i></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
After the somewhat limited </span></span><a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/05/ghoulies-luca-bercovici-1985-review.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Ghoulies</b></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">1985</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">),
the ghastly little demonic hell spawn return, this time to wreak
havoc at a full-blown carnival. Surely these devious teensy
troublemakers will find something to do with all these guillotines,
switchblades, and unoccupied toilet bowls lying around...</span></span></p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-MbpjsJWKCUb0Bi5Dw8WxKw_iXqCxLIQXQVTAmbbdYXEuSs1QrkVvGiwHDqwAKDz21novZOzaz7Vk93f5hB60MaYzSUKhXhtN94PUYOMZ8BjdNzRWnrPzd8LsXsN_KIcH3MTdtWOFYJhm7W9MXT3IoQMipMrHpVxCbAPsKF-e7g6sn7S54ch8xVK2Q/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-MbpjsJWKCUb0Bi5Dw8WxKw_iXqCxLIQXQVTAmbbdYXEuSs1QrkVvGiwHDqwAKDz21novZOzaz7Vk93f5hB60MaYzSUKhXhtN94PUYOMZ8BjdNzRWnrPzd8LsXsN_KIcH3MTdtWOFYJhm7W9MXT3IoQMipMrHpVxCbAPsKF-e7g6sn7S54ch8xVK2Q/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #fcff01;"><i><b>Click
“READ MORE” below to continue the review and see more
screenshots…</b></i></span></p>
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
one of the denizens of Satan's Den.”</b></i></span> After a priest fails
to dispatch a burlap sack-load of the snickering, snarling ghoulies –
in a conveniently placed open vat of highly toxic bubbling goo –
the cackling wee buggers hitch a ride upon a passing truck, heading
on its way to the next stop on The Hardin Family Carnival's route
through the country. On board are Larry (<i>Damon Martin</i>) and his
alcoholic Uncle Ned (<i>Royal Dano, </i><i><b>Killer Klowns From
Outer Space</b></i>), who soon meet Philip Hardin (<i>J. Downing</i>),
the slick 'n' sleazy yuppie son of the carnival's owners – “the
company”. He's arrived to oversee an audit of the entire enterprise
with one simple stipulation: if you ain't turning a profit, you're
out on your arse.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOlxhn1eKdvCtdOIu29ev886sK10TKryWVfgebVjUt_2hEqKDYCGI1WsvD1yr1Xj-Z33FoAW64X_Qkqtf3a-MNwM9k3FEZGNJGmAr5lFIh3a12705pu2_wTshONML4qc9QuSqhbGw2Wn_gD443PLE7dd9NyAM3Z8e5W6UmzDEzb2HXYvr4I87o0__TA/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOlxhn1eKdvCtdOIu29ev886sK10TKryWVfgebVjUt_2hEqKDYCGI1WsvD1yr1Xj-Z33FoAW64X_Qkqtf3a-MNwM9k3FEZGNJGmAr5lFIh3a12705pu2_wTshONML4qc9QuSqhbGw2Wn_gD443PLE7dd9NyAM3Z8e5W6UmzDEzb2HXYvr4I87o0__TA/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsb_xgCrWtAAj9BRKJO1omL2vakwfwKN3C-VG6BpSn2J_AXNadWQ1ACLNWzoRJiybwpVcVYuJOy4_IWJvnCwXJE-heeNEWbP-gbMGs8jtmW_jVwGFkLutH00tbSUoOQu9Lf2UJ9tqvggziTiyX8RVlULUGc_i4U8OJ1KB9j0N7C3pznCiUB3HoW6GjA/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsb_xgCrWtAAj9BRKJO1omL2vakwfwKN3C-VG6BpSn2J_AXNadWQ1ACLNWzoRJiybwpVcVYuJOy4_IWJvnCwXJE-heeNEWbP-gbMGs8jtmW_jVwGFkLutH00tbSUoOQu9Lf2UJ9tqvggziTiyX8RVlULUGc_i4U8OJ1KB9j0N7C3pznCiUB3HoW6GjA/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FI-UTgReheNzr1DxlXGlU9Hhb_glYSHNhKM27ayHwmXMleg9AIjsNx-8GEevzr0LgXvFHRUt_f9TG0s_-QV5bK4l2YVLd6hEJ_RZRdv2LjFqrF4V5vDAFscfxLXc2Xzk0v2LGbAojWlYCfOmEO5YWu4o-ZS1Mvob_T3ij2wud-ECoHyrA8z97CHgRg/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FI-UTgReheNzr1DxlXGlU9Hhb_glYSHNhKM27ayHwmXMleg9AIjsNx-8GEevzr0LgXvFHRUt_f9TG0s_-QV5bK4l2YVLd6hEJ_RZRdv2LjFqrF4V5vDAFscfxLXc2Xzk0v2LGbAojWlYCfOmEO5YWu4o-ZS1Mvob_T3ij2wud-ECoHyrA8z97CHgRg/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>An
evil drug, caffeine – it wakes you up.”</b></i></span> With the loss of
his livelihood and the very fabric of his travelling family, Uncle
Ned stumbles upon the solution at the sharp end of a hangover, when
he believes that in one of his drunken stupors he actually performed
real magic and summoned the ghoulies to help put some pep back in the
step of the rather dated Satan's Den spook house attraction, now too
tame for modern audiences hooked on slaughterhouse movies at the
video rental store. Nobody believes him, of course, assuming his
drunken depression has once again got the better of him, much to the
concern of his nephew Larry and short-of-stature Shakespearean
actor-turned-carnie Sir Nigel Pennyweight (<i>Phil Fondacaro, </i><i><b>Land
of the Dead</b></i>).</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbE5o_UW1S0AAiz-xTgH_RXVD4NJ5DMBapKJKeXQF8AnNKgCBYbIAvaEKU82O5ckfi6tHqz6g71Njl26PK5cPl47m23FQWHMpVXALqaPqXZ2Ec0-xagFGvuPwXMFk7TYhAw5CQFATGImiVYBCcc3KSQnun0pQ0RwucCMKQ85MdboAVy2uGm8MN5-UlQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbE5o_UW1S0AAiz-xTgH_RXVD4NJ5DMBapKJKeXQF8AnNKgCBYbIAvaEKU82O5ckfi6tHqz6g71Njl26PK5cPl47m23FQWHMpVXALqaPqXZ2Ec0-xagFGvuPwXMFk7TYhAw5CQFATGImiVYBCcc3KSQnun0pQ0RwucCMKQ85MdboAVy2uGm8MN5-UlQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlc2p7JV1x_WPryojQsfZIz23-gSAcwWqk6xf1-6ZcXH1I1qDS5UyVi30ahm-KJIZPfL8bBZtx7f0koZRAmJwkh4WJxr_ebNDvkicb86_V93IjyyKkH2zmcwB9OlxXDKr6KdxFXht96glAkYDqLyIYOXy-zUM35L8PP2FVfTeEUVefT75YPO2WRyjApQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlc2p7JV1x_WPryojQsfZIz23-gSAcwWqk6xf1-6ZcXH1I1qDS5UyVi30ahm-KJIZPfL8bBZtx7f0koZRAmJwkh4WJxr_ebNDvkicb86_V93IjyyKkH2zmcwB9OlxXDKr6KdxFXht96glAkYDqLyIYOXy-zUM35L8PP2FVfTeEUVefT75YPO2WRyjApQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrt3z0EQ-j5Ga58bgCiLh_95eynyiQOzwGHpmpHXDtoIAz5xP9VkrD3psJ2G7_1i8Zx6Yozx8hJgOpZhpMjWbIStX6Q8PTscDSHBL5PcV5_ikTCoCGIaHHHw-5XFIgVukT0mK4IwpfqEi8FgoJh_RIF1iQeZw8Tibimr1uF7pSesKAjKHcYxZ1r_2GTA/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrt3z0EQ-j5Ga58bgCiLh_95eynyiQOzwGHpmpHXDtoIAz5xP9VkrD3psJ2G7_1i8Zx6Yozx8hJgOpZhpMjWbIStX6Q8PTscDSHBL5PcV5_ikTCoCGIaHHHw-5XFIgVukT0mK4IwpfqEi8FgoJh_RIF1iQeZw8Tibimr1uF7pSesKAjKHcYxZ1r_2GTA/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Have
you seen my little Muffy?” / “Who hasn't?”</b></i></span> However,
when the lacklustre Satan's Den spook house suddenly becomes popular
due to the ghoulies' troublemaking, crowds and cash flood in – and
Philip Hardin senses an opportunity for a hostile takeover to squeeze
the green for all its worth. But how long will it be before they
realise that these naughty gnomish monsters cannot be controlled, and
how many will have to die in the process?</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitzRXnyx6YA10zrk0vvB_bXa7Z1QrB3892YQpA71jNaIcXLQOXfieo4RMg8EUUfSa9MGIkx3o9EOE6-u1D6V8qL1ZscaN1xYOhT5YWW-HudjWmO-EGYuv-1ZydL1UF9USrn-suOt1PzbWGInU3h151uWMx7pjdeMnYVQVs-7iPzFbm4ip9EdLkFrS0g/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitzRXnyx6YA10zrk0vvB_bXa7Z1QrB3892YQpA71jNaIcXLQOXfieo4RMg8EUUfSa9MGIkx3o9EOE6-u1D6V8qL1ZscaN1xYOhT5YWW-HudjWmO-EGYuv-1ZydL1UF9USrn-suOt1PzbWGInU3h151uWMx7pjdeMnYVQVs-7iPzFbm4ip9EdLkFrS0g/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSCMH9ayYXciUmb280O6CJf0B-BrIfgW-gTB8kDdMBPeLo6jMpWKP-eu2nkhMHFfKnXJuM5-t0RmNWuj3-I3QMdD5gAGHYFLgPhFz85-1T9fBj1Hozw_-LS51HN_WBJcwm-q9ZNKfeodmM6W4-sMrSPCV2MEfNGrQ0AKpf_ZhK-sR6PHgEHVNa8VFag/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSCMH9ayYXciUmb280O6CJf0B-BrIfgW-gTB8kDdMBPeLo6jMpWKP-eu2nkhMHFfKnXJuM5-t0RmNWuj3-I3QMdD5gAGHYFLgPhFz85-1T9fBj1Hozw_-LS51HN_WBJcwm-q9ZNKfeodmM6W4-sMrSPCV2MEfNGrQ0AKpf_ZhK-sR6PHgEHVNa8VFag/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EUFFQvQV4LXHbyBPi8eRi24nK-eU3DExJtK_VauCNfzBlykJIVtAVLktu3VyYo4N9MqIdk5IOBkIh85e2QraFncrscO2SFR5oq-T0EisGENgobxuK7Sz6O992KEyA6JvBWjkHr_1d0yEODUNq0_YbDUMDHqGZsbWq1zAHsjOLfsqK7YcN-tkg5b8lQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EUFFQvQV4LXHbyBPi8eRi24nK-eU3DExJtK_VauCNfzBlykJIVtAVLktu3VyYo4N9MqIdk5IOBkIh85e2QraFncrscO2SFR5oq-T0EisGENgobxuK7Sz6O992KEyA6JvBWjkHr_1d0yEODUNq0_YbDUMDHqGZsbWq1zAHsjOLfsqK7YcN-tkg5b8lQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>Bon
appetite, motherfucker!”</b></i></span> Much like <b>Puppet Master II</b>,
<b>Ghoulies II</b> is what the original film should have been. Chock
full of diminutive demon spawn running about the place causing chaos
and cackling like a razor-toothed version of The Three Stooges, the
second film ramps up the scale and the carnage and has a boatload of
fun along the way. The Hardin Carnival setting provides ample
opportunity for colourful visuals, entertaining characters, and
fleeing crowds of terrified thrill seekers, while the ghoulies
themselves have also seen marked improvements. After the crude but
nonetheless charming practical puppets in the first movie, the more
detailed and workable designs in the second outing allows for a great
deal of fun, with a few glimpses of some excellent stop motion
animation thrown in here and there.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkWmaReKG8pd4tNcXfRcG6cvEB49K6XqZUlvvuGnLrYHUihzphICt1Nn7jFUYqNXRiO3cLA9807J37lr8W7EpAw6osfXLSdnAgt12AnATLZBQJ9e7LGCjqQoZY5fdMlQKdO2qJ9Du-SscLsE3qoCXI-UNkj7SO34LQcPKoj9UjL6n0_gyRa-EHfuBGQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkWmaReKG8pd4tNcXfRcG6cvEB49K6XqZUlvvuGnLrYHUihzphICt1Nn7jFUYqNXRiO3cLA9807J37lr8W7EpAw6osfXLSdnAgt12AnATLZBQJ9e7LGCjqQoZY5fdMlQKdO2qJ9Du-SscLsE3qoCXI-UNkj7SO34LQcPKoj9UjL6n0_gyRa-EHfuBGQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDvHYtqAQEDTRSKILO50LHfeXWXMsWXY3pVwAiLIwkkWNZ58MAJJ9wzZBT_opRC8J-f2wE-ZgpSftyZtabqJkGshBtAKhJ-43fQbA-HeD-gCYDQ4jqVXn80C2iCw0SV1oHdbaTnTI6lSnAyIXPySYGiPWETSL3yKEXkgUebttW2PlL4DvYHiaGt5ARA/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDvHYtqAQEDTRSKILO50LHfeXWXMsWXY3pVwAiLIwkkWNZ58MAJJ9wzZBT_opRC8J-f2wE-ZgpSftyZtabqJkGshBtAKhJ-43fQbA-HeD-gCYDQ4jqVXn80C2iCw0SV1oHdbaTnTI6lSnAyIXPySYGiPWETSL3yKEXkgUebttW2PlL4DvYHiaGt5ARA/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb9HkQ3o60Xww8nqHofit7HThK21Qg0H4MSlEQeLxko8aL95ppMe0o7U_hbp3EtkDnqzHrPhuXzqay_nFCqpG-GjJA78C5RX7jm1fCzcGh8JXSq-iAz4UTmJhOCWsuU0Y4sCNIz31NakAPHaorM8PTpILdWUXL3_IxCAEok9vh_zxOvTOt6t6Mo4xAQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgb9HkQ3o60Xww8nqHofit7HThK21Qg0H4MSlEQeLxko8aL95ppMe0o7U_hbp3EtkDnqzHrPhuXzqay_nFCqpG-GjJA78C5RX7jm1fCzcGh8JXSq-iAz4UTmJhOCWsuU0Y4sCNIz31NakAPHaorM8PTpILdWUXL3_IxCAEok9vh_zxOvTOt6t6Mo4xAQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I'm
an actor, Sir – not a freak!”</b></i></span> While the ghoulies get up
to a hell of a lot more trouble this time around, the film was
trimmed from its original R-rating to a more tame PG-13. However,
this is the reconstructed uncut version, with all the flesh-chomping
and bloody limbs floating-on-by restored. It's tame for an “R”
rating, but there's a decent amount of semi-gruesome enjoyment to be
had, including a generally more satisfying use of the 'ghoulie in the
toilet' poster promise of the original film. While you see very
little of the actual kill, your mind fills-in the blanks as one of
the ghoulies' victims is presumably snacked-on from the, <i>ahem</i>,
bottom up. As an aside, when originally rating the movie, the British
Board of Film Classification hacked away at a scene involving
children using throwing stars, one of many such weapons (<i>including
nun-chucks</i>) that were anathema to chief censor James Ferman at
the time. <b>Ghoulies II</b> may not score very highly in bloody
kills, but there is plenty of chaos strewn throughout the film,
especially in the final act when the totty wee beasties are unleashed
upon the whole of the Hardin Carnival and quickly set about
sabotaging rides, running over people in dodgems, and indulging in a
spot of target practice at the shooting gallery. One of them even
hops inside a boxing glove and hurls itself at someone's head just
for the hell of it!</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsmUSGzH207gH2o46TMkQpcZOYf04_jyiTf5ZFsGGdaQb3BS0ymLnGjV4D9ykxLWpqRtVCY2UiBS11VxuFB9NUEkpoxNc62eZK4-4VSrXhCJFyUC-bwmaI-9AkV0A_RaefTjw80cUeubfQWy0I9QwQc0TBJrjbWjfV_oqGru3LFLJe5sAw8kvVLYBEQ/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20015.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsmUSGzH207gH2o46TMkQpcZOYf04_jyiTf5ZFsGGdaQb3BS0ymLnGjV4D9ykxLWpqRtVCY2UiBS11VxuFB9NUEkpoxNc62eZK4-4VSrXhCJFyUC-bwmaI-9AkV0A_RaefTjw80cUeubfQWy0I9QwQc0TBJrjbWjfV_oqGru3LFLJe5sAw8kvVLYBEQ/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWbQC_3dsLj7qZh9CKLQ5VGqVABB8zwwhy6y8LjNElqirVnSqp10GHPiM-3rWdQP5xei5T_9rQit2pHBEvsH-GEAO2oAfBC5qFQ9HuZS3iNdFS_sEFggeYQowmhxZZb2-x5GC8IH-qhgdNUP2xNGnTROBPYWnIlm6eEkrF6ClhRbzwn4yYOYAkwhL4Q/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWbQC_3dsLj7qZh9CKLQ5VGqVABB8zwwhy6y8LjNElqirVnSqp10GHPiM-3rWdQP5xei5T_9rQit2pHBEvsH-GEAO2oAfBC5qFQ9HuZS3iNdFS_sEFggeYQowmhxZZb2-x5GC8IH-qhgdNUP2xNGnTROBPYWnIlm6eEkrF6ClhRbzwn4yYOYAkwhL4Q/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9V_nx5ThvaFiPl44AZpWjiJQVErmz0633OP11NjZKZZBQvk4bQhaAbLgx_lzMbBx_21kozLx1isoPXvkM4PDjNecY8FnMIMhoY42qEVvsOqJWYpk_WntnuWsBiNKEhuCVMK_XyW4nsThB__NnEYVwGo7eac2BaESR373VYwbe1WibWQaAzUgsq3V-Q/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9V_nx5ThvaFiPl44AZpWjiJQVErmz0633OP11NjZKZZBQvk4bQhaAbLgx_lzMbBx_21kozLx1isoPXvkM4PDjNecY8FnMIMhoY42qEVvsOqJWYpk_WntnuWsBiNKEhuCVMK_XyW4nsThB__NnEYVwGo7eac2BaESR373VYwbe1WibWQaAzUgsq3V-Q/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>I
command you – go back to the hell that spawned you!”</b></i></span> The
script by Dennis Paoli (<a href="https://deadshed.blogspot.com/2019/10/castle-freak-stuart-gordon-1995-dvd.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Castle Freak</b></i></a>), with story by
Charlie Dolan, not only escalates the fun to the levels expected of
the original film, but accompanies that with some decently drawn
characters (<i>a huge improvement compared to the previous entry</i>).
While supporting players like Nicole (<i>Kerry Ramsen</i>), a former
high wire act with a fear of heights, or the tunes-lovin' rowdy teens
(<i>including Sasha Jenson of </i><i><b>Dazed & Confused</b></i><i>
and William Butler of </i><i><b>Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre
III</b></i>) don't get a huge amount to do, the overall characterful
vibe of the Hardin Carnival hooks the viewer in as the unconventional
family confront the forces of 1980s yuppie-engorging profit margins.
However, it must be said that Phil Fondacaro, as Sir Nigel
Pennyweight, steals every scene in which he appears, giving the
viewer a rich character who boasts emotional intelligence, loyalty,
and a fighting spirit to accompany his wry wit and sense that the
wider world habitually underestimates his abilities.</p><p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCi3xD7F6jx7SYOpYRTxVYGedq9Hx1pFTd-78YVCI_OJir6adu6hjs9to-mQn17_af4_zETBR5ZGaT0Mg49e6sBJ7u6mUcSRxDeZ9VQXLYd2QbBnNuufL8_YR0WymcMyXiZE0799nbagd-e_tt1XrE96GwMi7kpC19RWifcwTlIi2Y6HORv6oNzYBzg/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCi3xD7F6jx7SYOpYRTxVYGedq9Hx1pFTd-78YVCI_OJir6adu6hjs9to-mQn17_af4_zETBR5ZGaT0Mg49e6sBJ7u6mUcSRxDeZ9VQXLYd2QbBnNuufL8_YR0WymcMyXiZE0799nbagd-e_tt1XrE96GwMi7kpC19RWifcwTlIi2Y6HORv6oNzYBzg/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wBiXQMZCivbHSB9IUrYqdNmdi7zgF3NB0ulgL45wQl3N506VgOHfBUfg3U0C0GF43ZY24sd1JZd8Pl7h9uwr-GKKBHo8ZAbiiunUAeQzdI9NtyzqgBSarHArcz6fR4EjKxpgQWuF4lqeu5o5DqiUeMcSwfhosmUYIdvtkA7MuZIE-y0re2Fjj8IE6g/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wBiXQMZCivbHSB9IUrYqdNmdi7zgF3NB0ulgL45wQl3N506VgOHfBUfg3U0C0GF43ZY24sd1JZd8Pl7h9uwr-GKKBHo8ZAbiiunUAeQzdI9NtyzqgBSarHArcz6fR4EjKxpgQWuF4lqeu5o5DqiUeMcSwfhosmUYIdvtkA7MuZIE-y0re2Fjj8IE6g/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tfm3vCQNyh9DSkGlAhrEabv0okdPgkBUAIP_KfsnHWIk5-ko1k6NRU1SazjXABLx0J5D_Uv_DbYr280yxv_94EmaTr2pbYYNjhazCCTzCuX5kJU10NUnszxHlv9NLABCdLC9bsKctZq-3CVSAGB6xCLvfsOLqMhkyz5KbpgRn-_Iw8isFvrV-L0hcw/s1916/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20020.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1916" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tfm3vCQNyh9DSkGlAhrEabv0okdPgkBUAIP_KfsnHWIk5-ko1k6NRU1SazjXABLx0J5D_Uv_DbYr280yxv_94EmaTr2pbYYNjhazCCTzCuX5kJU10NUnszxHlv9NLABCdLC9bsKctZq-3CVSAGB6xCLvfsOLqMhkyz5KbpgRn-_Iw8isFvrV-L0hcw/s320/Ghoulies%20II%20(1987)%20020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<p align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: red;">“<i><b>What
openings are there for second rate hobgoblins?”</b></i></span> Between
1984 and 1994, there was quite the succession of modestly-sized
creature mayhem going on. <b>Gremlins</b> kicked things off to huge
success in 1984, with <a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/05/ghoulies-luca-bercovici-1985-review.html" target="_blank"><b>Ghoulies</b></a> being the first to hop on the
bandwagon in 1985. Along came the endlessly peckish <b>Critters</b>
in 1986, with <b>Ghoulies II</b> in 1987 and <b>Critters 2</b> in
1988. The first year of the 1990s saw both <b>Gremlins 2</b> and
<a href="http://deadshed.blogspot.com/2022/09/ghoulies-iii-john-carl-buechler-1990.html" target="_blank"><b>Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go To College</b></a>, before a one-two punch
of <b>Critters 3</b> and <b>Critters 4</b> in 1991 and 1992
respectively before, finally, <b>Ghoulies IV</b> appeared in 1994.
And that's without mentioning the likes of <b>Munchies </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1987),
</span><b>The Gate</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1987),</span>
<b>Hobgoblins</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1988),</span>
and <b>Gate II: The Trespassers</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1990)</span>, and various such films with 'small troublemaking
monsters' as part of their appeal. <b>Ghoulies II</b>, much like
<b>Gremlins 2</b> and <b>Critters 2</b>, ups-the-ante on all fronts
and, somewhat like the famous 'critter ball', a 'giant ghoulie' is
even tossed into the mix for a good old jolt of 'man in a monster
suit' glee, reminiscent of the final spectacle witnessed in <b>Humanoids
From The Deep</b>. The bite might not always be pin sharp, but it's a
well crafted mini-monster flick that mostly manages to deliver on the
promise.</p>
Nick Thomsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704640133013512272noreply@blogger.com0