Fright Night 2 made a definitive move in the "style vs. substance" direction, which all horror movies were doing at the time of its release, but it did so well; unlike too many others, Fright Night 2 actually succeeds in being stylish without being completely insubstantial.
Granted, the original is far superior, but Fright Night 2 brings the beautiful people and the special effects, and the story isn't a bad backup. In fact, it delves even more deeply into the retelling of the Dracula story than perhaps the first, which was basically a rehash (though also stylish, effective, and "updated"), but it focuses more on images than anything else.
But, wow! Those images are exceptional. Despite its flaws, there isn't a more recent flick that carries the stylish horror show any further any better than Fright Night 2.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Fright Night 2 - A Review
On Drive Thru - A Review
Drive Thru is a new addition to the teen slasher genre, but it's hardly what you would call an "update." It treads the same ground as every other slasher flick with its tongue firmly in the audience's collective cheek. Yes, Drive Thru pokes a bit of fun at the genre itself, and it never takes itself too seriously, but it does make a half-hearted attempt at telling its own slasher story, and it doesn't fail completely.
Granted, there is nothing here that isn't done better in at least a dozen other slasher films, but Drive Thru manages to be brutal without being gory, and I suppose that's something of a feat. The simple fact of the matter is that you can't make a slasher flick anymore, and though I could blame this group, that political party, or that religion, the genre has been covered handily.
The Friday the 13th remake went as far as anything I've seen in the last 20+ years or so, and I hear a handful of newer films are also going back to the slasher well, but Drive Thru relies solely on brutality and obvious "inside" jokes to make its point, which is apparently that "anyone can make a slasher film."
Not so, guys. Not so.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Every Don Dohler Movie, EVAR (Except Blood Massacre) - A Review
After sitting through a Halloween Don Dohler-a-thon of six movies, including The Alien Factor, The Alien Factor II, and Nightbeast -- all of which are the same movie, with the same cast and characters -- I decided to review basically every Don Dohler film, EVAR, in one fell swoop:
They are the same movie. And that movie sucks.
Okay, seriously, here goes:
A spacecraft from nowhere lands close to a bunch of rednecks. Said rednecks include a female sheriff, a male sheriff with a mustache, and Deputy Petey, as well as Mayor Mike, a girl named Mary Jane, and "Steve," who fulfills various professional roles according to the title of the movie. But it's the same movie.
The alien is impervious to bullets, so the rednecks continue pelting it with bullets, which do no good, because the alien is impervious to bullets. Cars park and people walk down stairs. Later, cars park. Most of the people die, but it's okay, because they return as the same characters in the next movie(s). Because it's the same movie.
Rednecks run through the woods and Dohler films every, fucking step. Eventually, they find a car, which they promptly park next to a flight of stairs they promptly descend. Ad infinitum. "Padding" doesn't even begin to cover Don Dohler's directorial approach, but his approach to storytelling is pretty straightforward: It's the same movie!
Were you to take all of Don Dohler's movies and edit them together, it wouldn't be a mash-up; it would be a proper editing. An alien would land, and over the course of 20 years or so, the same actors playing the same characters would run through woods, park cars, descend stairs for 20 minutes, then die.
Because it's the same movie!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Sleepaway Camp - A Review
I don't know how old I was the first time I saw Sleepaway Camp, but I vividly remember throwing a hamburger at the TV. A poorly-acted, poorly-scripted, and luridly-directed film, Sleepaway Camp has basically no saving grace, though I have to admit, I didn't hate it as much as I remembered hating it when I was younger.
To be sure, times have changed dramatically, and the creepiness with which Sleepaway Camp fills me can partly be attributed to that, but also to the fact that I'm now a lot older -- younger viewers will not feel the disconnect with the children of the film. Older viewers, like myself, will definitely be creeped-out by the all too numerous, lingering shots of half-naked boys and girls. Of course, the movie is aimed at teens and tweens, not 30-something dork bloggers, so it isn't quite as weird as it may seem. But it's pretty close.
Of all the movies that suck, we should never discount Sleepaway Camp.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Blood Massacre - A Review
Blood Massacre is a Don Dohler film. I could just end this review right here.
Actually, Blood Massacre is not the worst thing I've ever seen, but that's largely because I've seen a whole lot of shit movies. I'll give it this much: Despite how bad it is, it moves along at a clip, and even though you know exactly what is going to happen, it isn't an altogether terrible ride.
Don Dohler made Blood Massacre.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On The Prowler - A Review
The Prowler is yet another obscure slasher classic that even I was only recently made aware of. One of the early slasher flicks, this one features absolutely jaw-dropping special effects by none other than SFX auteur, Tom Savini. And... well, that's about it.
The director pads the film in a half-hearted attempt to create tension, and the ending falls together in an all-too comfortable, "Aha!" moment that causes more eyerolls than gasps, but the handful of kill scenes make The Prowler an absolute must-see for fans of SFX and the slasher genre, in general.
Aside from Savini's masterstroke SFX turn (he considers it his finest work), there isn't much to see here, but every fan of horror needs to see The Prowler at least once.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Innocent Blood - A Review
Innocent Blood is a well-respected vampire flick you might not have heard of. From director John Landis, this mob/vamp -flick shows up on cable pay channels from time to time, but remains relatively obscure. In fact, when I saw Don Rickles onscreen, I realized I'd seen Innocent Blood at least once before, but hadn't paid much attention. That isn't fair to the movie, because it's actually pretty good.
Landis is a master. Stephen King often said comedy and horror are the two hardest genres because, if you screw them up, they become the other (which, by way of bad paraphrasing, means comedy becomes excruciating and horror becomes laughable). Landis knows how to do both quite well, and often mixes the two. While Innocent Blood is pretty straightforward, Landis' trademark dark humor is apparent throughout.
Innocent Blood was released in 1992 and, in less capable hands, would have come across as little more than an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of mob movies and White Wolf's Vampire RPG. But it's unfair to dismiss Innocent Blood as such, because it's an earnest, and really good, movie. The slow start eventually gives way to a fun story that almost works, but falls just short largely because there's too much going on and Landis tries to play a lot of straighter than necessary.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On My Bloody Valentine - A Review
My Bloody Valentine (1981) is another one of my all-time favorites and I'll tell you why: It was the early '80s and I had one of my first sleepovers at my friend, Denny's. His parents were out for the evening and his brother, who was probably 15-17, babysat us and he loved these slasher flicks, which were still kinda new at the time. Like mine, Denny's family had a laserdisc player, which predated the VCR (you couldn't record anything and the discs were plastic, album-sized beasts). He'd rented some great movies for us to watch, including Flash Gordon, My Bloody Valentine, and I want to say April Fool's Day (though I may be wrong on that last one). My Bloody Valentine was the first slasher flick, and horror film in general, that I ever saw.
As for plot, story direction, character development, and the like -- move on; there's nothing to see here. My Bloody Valentine was among the first wave of true slasher flicks and followed what would become the standard formula: Local guy goes homicidal, kills a bunch of folks on Valentine's Day, is neither caught nor heard heard from again, and the town stops throwing parties on Valentine's Day because they like it that way. Of course, a bunch of young whipper-snappers say, "Fuck uh-That," and the killer shows up to tell them to get off his lawn.
[NOTE: I don't do synopses, because synopses are not reviews, however that one was necessary to discuss the plotz. I cannot promise not to do synopses in other reviews, but I refrain from doing so in general. General restraint is my key to victory.]
The acting isn't bad, but it isn't award-worthy, and the dialogue is pretty bad. As for gore, My Bloody Valentine says it all. While not as spectacular as some contemporaries, such as The Prowler or Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine has its share of nastiness. It has a perfect opening sequence which could have stood on its own for the rest of the film, which is instead bogged down by far too much useless exposition.
The tension and pacing is largely handled by plot points and story beats, but the director brings his talent to the fore as well. The true failing lay in the movie's last 10 minutes or so, when tension is oddly absent.
The reveal makes little sense and continuity errors are sure to send more ardent viewers into fits, but I still enjoy this movie. It is not as good as I remember it, and you could say that nostalgia taints my perceptions, but then I would just make fun of you for saying "taint."
Certainly not the best the field has to offer, My Bloody Valentine has one distinct, saving grace:
Best. Shower scene. EVAR.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
SyFy Cancels Caprica
SyFy has pulled the Battlestar Galactica "prequel," Caprica, from its broadcast schedule. The remaining five episodes will air early next year. Another BSG spinoff has gotten the greenlight, but is not expected until sometime in 2012.
Executives said they appreciated the support Caprica fans showed, but it simply did not draw enough viewers to justify renewing it for a second season.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Child's Play - A Review
Child's Play was a theatrical release, but, like Warlock, was released to the VHS rental market shortly after its run, where it became something of an instant classic. I believe it did fairly well in theaters, and know it did well in the rental market as the "buzz" was good, and I remember renting it to watch with my cousins and siblings not long after it had been in theaters.
It's hard for me to put into context now, as Child's Play became the template for all demonic toys movies after it was released, and there were a slew of demonic toys flicks released around the same time. Though it managed to stand-out amongst the glut, Child's Play is largely rote and unimaginative. Holland, who had a lot to do with Fright Night's success, just phones this one in and barely tries to conceal the fact.
Whenever possible, Holland simply films anything that isn't happening. It's obvious the budget was tight, and the scenes we do get of Chucky are definitely worth the wait, but by and large, Child's Play is an exercise in establishment shots and negative space. The movie doesn't even clock it at a full hour-and-a-half, leading me to believe a lot of the lingering, inactive shots were merely padding.
Holland's attempts at building suspense fall flat, though Child's Play does have an explosive reveal (which doesn't occur until nearly halfway through the film). The rest of it is needless backstory, exposition, and character development. Chris Sarandon of Fright Night returns but isn't able to summon the same brooding intensity, or audience interest, and though Catherine Hicks turns in an impressive performance, you can see she is holding back. Holland's clever camera angles provide a lot of implied action, but they are no substitute for the real action, which is all too rare.
At the time of Child's Play's release, it actually delivered, but you could clearly see the expiration date. The plot is contrived and the story and budget are absent. Sadly, there are few demonic toys movies as good as Child's Play.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Fright Night - A Review
Fright Night is a verifiable horror classic. Released just after the height of the 1980s' horror craze, director Tom Holland crafted an interesting flick that engages audiences on several levels, as opposed to the majority of era horror films which narrowly focused on one aspect (such as FX, Creature Feature, etc.). He also managed to bring the very traditional vampire tale into the modern age.
To be sure, Fright Night is nothing original in the way of story or concept, but the most refreshing thing is that it makes no pretenses about that; Fright Night is a modern retelling of Dracula, and it's very comfortable being just that. Vampires' popularity was resurging at this time, thanks to books like Interview with the Vampire and Salem's Lot, and movies like The Hunger, though it would be a few more years before it hit its height. But while most of these newer works did their best to update the vampire, or give a "new spin" on the "old tale," Fright Night gleefully skips down the paved lane to bring audiences the same old story in contemporary garb. And it scores. Big.
The story is solid and the dialoguie fluid but again, you've already heard this tale. Everything in this classic vampire flick is a cut above what audiences expect, but the acting deserves special mention, as it carries the film. Modern viewers may balk at some of the admittedly cheesy SFX, but should know that we did, too; it is more enjoyable to marvel at just how much Holland managed to do with what little money he had, not to mention how effective the scenes requiring little or no SFX are! By this time, we already had SFX heavy-hitters like Nightmare on Elm Street and American Werewolf in London, so Fright Night was never considered a big SFX event even though it delivers on this aspect.
This movie is currently being remade, which is a fucking shame, because this is one must-see horror movie for all audiences, and one that's actually appropriate for Twilight viewers (whose moms have probably already seen it). But Twilight and Anne Rice fans should be forewarned: Fright Night is not for glitter-endowed, vampire-loving pussies. It reinforces the stereotype that vampires' relationship to human life is akin to that of a lion's to a gazelle's -- because, you know, vampires eat people, not pigs or monkeys or whatever.
If you are looking for a classic vampire movie in a semi-contemporary (well, 25 years ago) setting, look no further than Fright Night!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things - A Review
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is a much-vaunted, classic horror film by one of the true greats of the genre, Bob Clark (billed here as Benjamin Clark). Best known for his comedies Porky's and A Christmas Story, Clark also helmed some of the greatest underground horror classics of all-time.
While many layman reviewers decry this a "bad" movie, and claim it has a crawling start, neither is exactly true. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is not a great film, by any means, but Clark's talent is evident at almost every level, and fans of both cinema and B-raters will find something (albeit different somethings) to please them.
I actually enjoyed the first half more than the latter, as Clark's true ability shines through. The dialogue is clever and funny, the colors are stunning, the blocking is smart and fluid, and the framing and cinematography is years beyond its time. The latter half of the movie showcases great makeup, but suffers from a number of factors, including disjointed pacing, a lack of tension, and (for whatever reason) a breakdown in the aforementioned successes. It comes across as anticlimactic, although general viewers seem to appreciate it more than I.
Though sometimes heavy-handed, the acting is strong and the characters are interesting and well-painted. While Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things never quite reaches the level of foreshadowing, there are numerous visual queues leading up to the climax that should keep intent viewers engaged. One image in particular stands out: That of the corpse's too-red fingernails, which seems to suggest both life and murderous intent without a word being uttered.
One of the great finds is the introduction of the camera as first-person POV -- a trick that was once attributed to John Carpenter for Halloween, but later accredited to Clark for Black Christmas (which I kind of reviewed here, and discuss this topic a bit more there). It is a single shot, a short sequence, which occurs early-on in the film, but cannot be mistaken for anything else. (Some film historians point to earlier films which used a similar trick, but those films never assumed the camera was the menace, which is key in this debate.) There can be no more question; Bob Clark "invented" the first-person camera-as-killer POV cinematic angle.
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is an admitted rip-off of Night of the Living Dead, but Clark's directorial brilliance elevates it to heights few would have imagined. It is a mishmash of several sub-genres, including (of course) the zombie flick, as well as the Devil Flick, and a simple moral tale... but then, on that last point, aren't they all?
A few more quick notes: Evil Dead owes this movie a debt of gratitude, as do several others. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things also features two openly gay characters who, though merely supporting and somewhat stereotypical by today's standards, seem pretty cutting-edge for the time in which this movie was made. This is also a great transfer -- I've seen this movie before on VHS and the quality was horrible! You can tell the film was bad, but despite the flaws, it's a real treat. Clark was working on having this movie remade at the time of his death.
There are far better films out there, but if you're a true horror fan, you owe it to yourself to see Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
RIP - Alexander Anderson, Jr., Creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle
Alexander Anderson, Jr., creator of Rocky the Squirrel, Bullwinkle the Moose, Dudley Do-Right, and others, died at an assisted-living facility in Carmel at age 90. Anderson suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
Prior to creating the TV show which would be his legacy, Anderson worked on the Mighty Mouse theatrical shorts. He created his own company with fraternity brother, Jay Ward (who received the lion's share of the credit from mainstream media), when his Mighty Mouse bosses refused to consider creating cartoons specifically for TV. Anderson and Ward worked out of the garage behind the former's family home.
Ward went on to television success with several of the duo's creations, while Anderson went into a career in advertising. He later won a lawsuit against the former, as he felt his contributions had never been credited.
Alexander Anderson, Jr. is survived by his wife. Rocky & Bullwinkle became an American institution in animation, spawning such oft-quipped quotes as, "Hey, Rocky? Watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat!" It was, invariably, the wrong hat.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Late Day
I may not get to posting until later today. I am seriously considering attempting the whole 31 horror movies anyway, just to do it, but I honestly do not know that I will be able to even try it. It would be fun and all, but really hard to do, given everything else that's going on. Still, I'm going to sort through some things, see how much of all the important stuff I can accomplish and how quickly, and let you know from there.
It would be kinda cool to spend the whole weekend watching scary movies, and I can always find something to say about them... Again, we'll see.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Elephantmen Vol. I: Wounded Animals
November sees a new edition of the critically acclaimed ELEPHANTMEN VOL. 1: WOUNDED ANIMALS TPB.
Currently out of print, the new printing of the ELEPHANTMEN VOL. 1 trade paperback (TPB) has been expanded and revised to include the series' sold-out 0th issue, painted by LADRÖNN, as well as an all-new sketchbook section by Moritat and the ENGLISH & MEDIA STUDIES back matter from the single issues!
The scribes behind the issues in this epic new edition include RICHARD STARKINGS, JOE CASEY (OFFICER DOWNE, Avengers: The Origin) and JOE KELLY (I KILL GIANTS, Amazing Spider-Man). In addition to LADRÖNN, artists MORITAT (The Spirit), HENRY FLINT (Judge Dredd), TOM SCIOLI (GØDLAND), DAVID HINE (THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN, Detective Comics), and CHRIS BACHALO (Sandman, Amazing Spider-Man) all lent their pencils and pens to this collection, and BOO COOK (Judge Dredd) has provided a dazzling new cover.
ELEPHANTMEN creator, Richard Starkings is overjoyed: "Revisiting our first seven issues -- EIGHT, when you count the origin issue illustrated by Ladrönn -- made me proud. We've come so far, but so much of what we set out to do four years ago is perfectly encapsulated in this first volume. In addition to the new trade dress, which now matches the sleek and sexy graphics of volumes 2 and 3, we've added over 80 pages of back matter from the original, increasingly hard-to-find back issues, and my fellow countryman, BBC radio and TV personality and TURF co-creator, Jonathan Ross, has kindly provided a whole new introduction for us, so just about everything in this first collection feels new again."
"There really isn't another book like ELEPHANTMEN on the market, and that's something I'm exceptionally proud of," added Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson. "Richard has assembled a crack team of creative talent to produce one of the most unique comic book reading experiences available, and this collection is the perfect introduction to this rich and endlessly fascinating world."
ELEPHANTMEN VOL.1: WOUNDED ANIMALS Revised and Expanded TPB, a full-color 312-page trade paperback collecting issues #0-7 of the ongoing series, will be in stores November 3rd, 2010. The hardcover edition of VOL. 1 (JAN071927) is now available, as are ELEPHANTMEN VOL. 2: FATAL DISEASES (HC: AUG082238; TP: OCT090372) and ELEPHANTMEN VOL. 3: DANGEROUS LIAISONS (HC: FEB100355; TP: FEB108471).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010 
Please Visit Comic List
Instead of posting the weekly arrivals, I am including the link to ComicList dotCom, which basically does nothing but that. This site does the lists the way I always wanted to: Providing a link to each issue's solicitation information (summary, art), in addition to the list itself. I simply don't have time for that and y'all don't buy shit.
I will still be posting artwork from upcoming issues, as well as those on-sale "now" (when it is Now).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
RiifTrax Live in Nashville This Thursday!
Not only will they be broadcasting live from Nashville to select theaters across the country, it is also National RiffTrax Live Week. Okay, Kevin Murphy probably made that up, but I'll go with it!
If you are unaware of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you are not an actual "geek." That's not a bad thing; in my day, being a geek got you beat the hell up. Often. These days, it's great to be a geek, but you simply cannot hold your ground if you do not know your MST3K.
RiffTrax takes it one step further, adding their hilarious commentary tracks to new releases and popular classics, as well as the ridiculous shorts old people like myself were forced to suffer through in our school days. Even better, they'll be joined by stand-up comedian and pop-culture commentator, Paul F. Tompkins!
Tickets in my area are only $12.50, which... you know, I have a stick, but I just can't bring myself to beat it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Updates and Technicalese
Hey, I don't know if you noticed, but after, like, two years or something, someone finally figured out how to get the favicon back on Blogger blogs (Hobbes up there), and I learned from them! I also tightened-up the keywords and some other stuff I already know you're no longer reading this. Titties.
I am hard at work on the Chill project for this Halloween. I know I did Chill last year, but I added new Champions and new Dark Conspiracy content over the summer. I have no idea when I'll be able to get into Cyberpunk -- maybe next year? Check out all the RPG content.
I also have more horror movie reviews on the way but, like I said before, that has been a real pain in the ass. I still have not received the DVD I should have gotten Saturday!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Please Support Steve Rude
Nexus artist, Steve Rude, is selling original art and taking commission work in attempts to save his home, which is under threat of foreclosure on November 15th. Image has purchased all the pages to Next Nexus #3 and Dark Horse has announced it is releasing the original Nexus in TPB collections. Steve Rude has offered to sign any items purchased from him directly.
PLEASE support this truly fantastic comic book artist and purchase any of his products to show your support for him and his plight -- a plight far too many Americans are facing and no politicians are working to stop.
I reviewed Nexus #100 sometime back and could not recommend it more highly.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On the Halloween Horror Flick Reviews
There have been several issues plaguing this noblest of endeavors, aside from my prolonged illness (which remains mysterious), including Netflix' temporary outage and some kind of mail snafu. For example, there was an entire week turnaround for one movie early in the month and I was supposed to have received another movie today but did not.
I am going to complete the project to the best of my abilities, including doing shorter reviews and several of them per day, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to do a full 31 movie reviews in 31 days. Projects like this are dependent on many things, several of which are outside my influence, and though this seemed like a totally do-able thing at the outset, it took some time to manifest as obviously undo-able.
But I am going to get back into doing more reviews anyway, of basically everything, so there will be more of them. Again, sorry, but this wasn't entirely my fault, so I can only accept partial responsibility.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Basketcase - A Review
Basketcase is actually kind of dear to my heart, as it was one of the first in a series of increasingly disturbing B-raters I saw growing-up. That sounds a lot worse than it is, but it's a good opener. I think I first saw Basketcase II first, then sought out the original. Why? A question I cannot answer.
The first half of Basketcase is plagued by uneven pacing, but the latter half of the film is handled nicely. The acting is sub-par, but passable, largely because the movie scores fairly high on the creative side. Of course, the premise is as flimsy as the suspension of disbelief, and I do not believe audiences ever find themselves truly caring for any of the characters, but Basketcase's saving grace is its brutally realistic gore, which is enough to shutdown even the most ardent naysayer in the audience.
The movie has always been, to me, a great example of the true pitfalls of censorship, in that it is not -- by any stretch of the imagination -- a good movie, which should signal to those who do not like these kinds of flicks to get up, get their things, and GTFO long before the truly gory scenes begin, but few do. The gore is more realistically portrayed than in most films, and the grainy quality of the filmstock, poor cinematography and camerawork, and seedy sets (actual New York City at that time) all lend an air of verisimilitude rarely present in more mainstream films. I can see these images disturbing some viewers, but if said viewers are willing to overlook all of the film's other, glaring inadequacies -- knowing full well what kind of picture Basketcase is -- then they deserve to be offended.
If you are a fan of the genre, and/or just a gorehound, Basketcase delivers. HAHAHA, cuz it's... nothing.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Marvel's Super Hero Squad Returns Oct. 23!
An all-new, action-packed season of The Super Hero Squad Show makes a sensational return to Cartoon Network! All of the Super Heroes you know and love are flying, smashing and clawing their way back to the small screen with 26 more full-length episodes beginning on October 23rd! The Super Hero Squad Show is a family-friendly, animated series featuring super-stylized versions of Marvel’s most popular characters, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, and Wolverine.
Marvel Television has gathered the hottest superstar talent to voice the roles of the dynamic heroes and wicked villains in the second season of The Super Hero Squad Show. This list of who’s-who includes Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch (Glee) as Nebula; Emmy award winner Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as Nightmare; Adam West (1960s TV series, Batman) as Nighthawk; Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as She-Hulk; and Emmy award-nominated Ty Burrell (Modern Family) as Captain Marvel. In addition to this all-star line-up, your favorite voice talent is back for a second season, including Tom Kenny (SpongeBob Squarepants, Transformers, PowerPuff Girls) as Iron Man, Captain America and MODOK; Steve Blum (Wolverine and the X-Men, Hulk Vs., Ben 10) as Wolverine; and Charlie Adler (Transformers, G.I Joe, Roccos Modern Life) as Dr. Doom.
“Marvel is extremely excited to bring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, and many of your other favorite Marvel characters, to Cartoon Network for the second season of The Super Hero Squad Show,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Vice-President and Head of Marvel Television. “The first season delivered all the thrills, action, and laughs that audiences just couldn’t get enough of. This season, Marvel has pulled out all the stops, from intergalactic and interdimensional travels to Emmy Award-winning talent guest-starring as some of Marvel’s most famous (and infamous) characters. From the first episode, you will be hooked.”
The Super Hero Squad Show’s second season takes viewers on action-packed galactic adventures and over-the-top otherworld expeditions! Just when the Infinity Sword has been rebuilt, Doctor Doom is behind bars, and Villanville destroyed, a new evil threatens the universe: The space-conqueror, THANOS! Determined to prove his superiority over his sister, the space-pirate NEBULA, Thanos sets out to collect the six INFINITY STONES. The stones will give him absolute power over the universe, so the Squad must stop Thanos from collecting them in his INFINITY GAUNTLET before it’s too late.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Killer Movie - A Review
Killer Movie can easily be avoided.
Kaley Cuoco chews the scenery, the wardrobe, and fellow actors as an oversexed, over-privileged actress, while situations unfold around her. Cuoco is literally doing pratfalls for the camera; the rest of the cast works to setup Cuoco's punchlines, and only then do they get on with advancing the plot. It is literally like two different casts: The "what wacky thing is Kaley gonna do" mode switches to "frenetic, teenage slasher romp" far too quickly and easily; the kids in this movie might be sociopathic and need to be tested.
Kaley Cuoco drops by Killer Movie to do her sit-com routine while everyone else looks like they're trying to make a movie. And that's it.
As a karate expert, I will not talk about this movie.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Chuck Picked-Up for Full Season
NBC has picked-up Chuck for a full season, and Outsourced as well. The first four episodes of Chuck are available on Hulu until midnight tonight. I let these slip past me accidentally, but I will see them in reruns.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Feast - A Review
Feast is the movie that culminated from Bravo's third season of Project Greenlight. It was an interesting series, but none of the movies were particularly successful. I remember Feast from the series for several reasons, but the main one is because it was directed by Clu Gulager's nephew, John.
Feast is good, but not great. It gets cynical early-on and doesn't let-up. The casting and acting is spot-on, but the script is too clever to take advantage of either. John Gulager does exploit his ability to capture beautiful pictures, though. Feast is certainly a fun visual ride, but it is not invested in its characters and relies too heavily on its plot. Even for B-rater fans, the movie has little too offer, though it will satisfy the typical gorehound.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Lionsgate Double Feature: Leprechaun and Warlock
Lionsgate Films is one of the movie companies that does cutting edge horror. Two of their classic characters come together in this giant graphic novel of horror, featuring two parts. Part one features an evil Warlock embarking on a mission to destroy a powerful book which contains a spell that imprisoned six other Warlocks. If the Warlock destroys the book, the curse is broken and the six Warlocks would be released back into the world free to cause death and destruction.
In the second part, cult film Leprechaun comes to the graphic novel world in the tale of Lubdan, the king and sole survivor of the Leprechaun. The last of the Leprechauns! A treasure dealer stumbles across his pot of gold and steals it. In this modern age, he finds buyers all over the planet through on-line auctions.
“Working with Lionsgate on this end is like coming back full circle for me. I worked on the marketing for Leprechaun 4: In Space, said Bluewater publisher Darren G. Davis. “I loved this little character and have always wanted to do something with him. As for Warlock, this was another cult film that I enjoyed, so having this opportunity to partner with Lionsgate again is going to be great.”
Nick Lyons and Zach Hunchar write the graphic novel with art by Jacob Bear and Kris Cater. Cover by Matt Bellisle. The giant-sized graphic novel retails for $17.99 and is in stores in November. The book will be available at comic book locations, bookstores as well as Amazon. The ISBN is: 978-1-4507-0261-4
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On The House of the Devil - A Review
The House of the Devil, made in 2009, claims to be a throwback to the slasher flicks of the 1980s, yet it succeeds in style and appearance, and little else. This is a confused movie that tries to combine several sub-genres and ideas without fully developing any. As an homage to better films, it is quite adept, but the movie never lifts itself above that.
To be fair, House of the Devil is very original in intent, but the approach is muddled. Devices from literally every sub-genre are literally crammed into the 93-minute running-time, and though they are effectively used, it is a clusterfuck of concepts that leaves the dedicated horror movie fan dizzy. House of the Devil is true to its title, a Devil flick, but draws on everything from mystery to suspense/psychological thrillers to the slasher to tell a story that would have better been served by the Supernatural formula.
A slow-building mystery formula -- which is present in the first half of the film -- gives way to one cinematic trick after another in an attempt to showcase the director's capabilities. Granted, Ti West's got chops, but he also has an impressive list of genre flicks to his name. While House of the Devil may help his career, the film itself would have been better served by a more direct route.
A good film, especially for fans of the 1980's movies, but it misses the mark as an Occult/Devil flick. The build and pacing of the first part is pretty solid, but the "mystery" is a foregone conclusion, which detracts from the product. The Reveal feels forced, as do other parts of the movie where West is obviously showing his take on different tropes of the overall genre, but House of the Devil is well-crafted and enjoyable.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Warlock - A Review
Warlock is one of the most consistently underrated horror flicks, possibly of all-time. It was a modest hit at the box office, but this was one of the first movies to be quickly released on VHS, and it became a huge hit in the home entertainment division. To be fair, it is probably better classified as fantasy, but the religious theme and desire to capture the fading horror market surely played into its categorization.
Warlock is a real movie -- a movie movie -- not a B-rater, and this is apparent from the start. Everything works in-tandem on this flick to present the story; no one element overshadows the others, allowing the viewer to immerse himself in the film. Suspension of disbelief is established early and maintained throughout, and though I'm sure astute observers could pick it apart... why would you do that?
One thing I noticed on the last viewing, and I have not watched it in probably 10+ years before this, is just how much of a dance Warlock is -- not just the progression of the story, not just in a metaphorical way -- the actors themselves move very deliberately, as though literally choreographed. Lori Singer, of TV's Fame and Footloose, is a dancer, but the entire cast seemed to have paid a lot of attention to the way their characters move and hold themselves. It may just be me, but it's one of those things that you are aware of on some level everytime you see the film, even if you can't pinpoint it. This just happened to be the time that I realized what I was seeing.
Warlock is a well-crafted film that deserves more notice and it's a shame Lori Singer left the business as soon as she did. But you do get to see her boobs in a film called Summer Heat (more appropriately titled She's in Heat, but I digress), and that's... ni-ice.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Frightmare - A Review
Frightmare is a good example of Troma's mixed fare. Though it has since established itself firmly, early Troma sometimes played it straight and generally got it right, as with Frightmare. It is a by-the-numbers vampire flick in the Hammer tradition, but it is a decent entry into the field, despite its utter lack of originality. Frightmare is less "steeped-in" or "inspired by" than "cobbled together from."
It follows the Hammer formula basically to the tee, with a little dose of 1950's urban legend and some good-old, early '80's punk rock culture thrown-in for spice. It is not an "update" but a rehash, especially so soon after the original Hammer Dracula films were made, but at least it's an effective one. It also owes a big tip of the hat to Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, but only for its "not a vampire" premise. Regardless, it is a traditional horror morality tale in leg warmers and jean jackets, told under neon lights.
The lush sets, wardrobing, and excellent acting keep you engaged despite the fact that it telegraphs its every move -- all of which you've seen before. The imagery is deep, vibrant, and iconographic, but there is no mistaking Frightmare's true nature-- you've seen this done before, and you've seen it done better. You've seen it done by Hammer (several times over, in fact).
Frightmare, and several movies like it, actually built Tromaville and put Toxie and his classmates through school. By 1984-85, Lloyd Kaufman had found the Troma template and I don't think he ever looked back, but Troma's early years were a careful mix of trashy, over-the-top gorefests and more traditional fare. Someone once told someone else, who told some reporter for some magazine or something, 'You make one movie for the money you need to make the movie you want to do,' (close enough!) and I believe that was Kaufman's vision for Troma from Jumpstreet.
Frightmare may be a schlocker, but it really is a decent flick that, while it owes literally everything to Hammer, shows that there are some solid, spooky players roaming Tromaville's city streets.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Surf Nazis Must Die - A Review
Surf Nazis Must Die (SNMD) is not much of a horror movie -- in fact, it is only barely that at all -- but it is a Troma movie, which means you are likely to be disgusted at some point. Like most Troma movies, Surf Nazis Must Die is more pointlessly tasteless than anything else.
While the name is synonymous with tastelessness and over-the-top gore today, it was not unusual in the early 1980s to pull a straight flick out of the fledgling company. Troma was a real mixed bag in those days, but by the mid-1980s, with the success of such titles as The Toxic Avenger, Tromaville had become overrun by outlandish, cartoon stereotypes of the cartoon stereotypes found in every genre flick. Quite brilliant in its regard, but also an acquired taste, and a knowledge of the genre is a must to truly appreciate Troma flicks.
Troma usually employs the same tropes as other horror flicks, and Surf Nazis Must Die is little more than a revenge flick with a tinge of blacksploitation. Unfortunately, Troma is also known for failing to develop a real plot, characters, or story, and follow-through on them, and this movie is no different. Like all Troma films, the visuals are the payoff, and SNMD definitely delivers in bursts, but the whole blaxploitation angle is downplayed about halfway through and the movie loses focus as it tries to "explore" the titular nazis and their whole... thing.
There really isn't much to see here, but Surf Nazis Must Die somehow manages to keep your attention right to the abrupt conclusion, at which point you will promptly forget everything that just happened. It is a good view for fans of both the company and the genre, but more for historical context than anything else.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On Slaughter High - A Review
Marty majored in cutting classmates. And chemistry. And auto mechanics. And plumbing. Home economics and decorating? Not so much. Oh, and also math, physics, and disguise. Marty, the Overachiever.
Slaughter High is better than I remember it, because I beat the living hell out of it when I first saw it (probably back in the early '90s, though it may have been the late 1980s), and some of those riffs have remained staples in my witless arsenal for... wow.
It occurs to me that I should get out more.
Don't get me wrong, Slaughter High is, by no means, a good movie -- even for a slasher -- but it plows through bodies basically from start to finish, and that's pretty much what it promises, so I have to cut it at least a little slack in my old age. But only a little. Slaughter High barely even tries; even its little variations on the omnipresent cliches (which include a perplexing full-frontal scene early-on) are limp noodles, left dangling before the audience as if to say, "Huh!? Didn't expect that, now did you?" It has enough to work with, but never manages to rise to the occasion. Swinging cock.
It is a stellar example of the mid-to-late 80's approach to the slasher, and a testament as to why it died. By the time this movie was released, there had been five or six Friday the 13th films, as well as at least one Nightmare on Elm Street, and audiences not only wanted more from their horror films, we expected it. Five years into the sub-genre, the slashers had become more pop-culture icons than villains, and Slaughter High would have worked better if the creators had capitalized on the sympathy the viewer feels for Marty. But said creators simply don't have the chops.
Slaughter High is a rote joke told by a tired comedian: There is exactly enough setup to barrel-through to the inevitable conclusion, and though there are flashes of low-key brilliance along the way, the reliance on the audience's knowledge is less shorthand than hackery.
The kills are creative, but that's literally all Slaughter High has going for it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On April Fool's Day - A Review
April Fool's Day is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I'm happy to report that it stands-up quite well, though I have to mention it was never, nor ever meant to be, a slasher flick. April Fool's Day hurt some peoples' careers due to the studio's mishandling of it, and is one of the classic stories regarding how the studio system can royally screw an otherwise good movie. However, it fits quite well in the slasher genre, and everyone involved in it should be proud of the work.
April Fool's Day is stylishly shot, exceptionally well-acted, and quite well-written. It has its holes, but I do not think you'll notice them (the first go-round, anyway); it's a very well-crafted flick that stands head and shoulders above most of its peers. It features a stellar cast, including B-movie maven, Amy Steel, and Biff from Back to the Future fame (yes, I know he has a name), and a steady, hammer-on, pacing that resists plodding for the illusion of suspense.
It's a shame the studio tried to promote it as a slasher flick, which turned-off a lot of audiences and relegated this true slasher classic to the realm of the Forgotten. This movie hits on several levels -- whether you are a gorehound, a film geek, or the significant other to one of the aforementioned losers, you will dig April Fool's Day.
[Trivia bit: This is the actual movie, April Fool's Day; Slaughter High is sometimes aka "April Fools Day," but I do not know that it was ever released (in America) under that title. I'm pretty sure it was just the working title for that film, which I review following.]
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Be Back Tomorrow
Personal Day... actually, I may post something later, but I am very close to actual Old Age, so.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On The Video Dead - A Review
One character succinctly sums-up the individual viewer of The Video Dead about 15 minutes in when he says, and I quote, "Damn fool! YA DAMN FOOL!"
The Video Dead tries to be Return of the Living Dead Part II, except that its "dark humor" is forced, obvious, and unfunny. The Video Dead actually has some decent zombie visuals and a lumbering, half-lifeless plot, but the whole movie is "cheap" done on the cheap -- this would be the rundown house in Tromaville. This movie is so broke, the family was asked to move from Nilbog!
This flick has no reverence for the genre, no respect for filmmaking, and hates the audience like a drunk hates common sense. The Video Dead raped my dog and followed it home, then date-raped me on my couch. I want the fucking trees in this movie brought-up on charges!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
On The House on Sorority Row - A Review
The House on Sorority Row had this mystic status for me because it was often referenced by others as a mainstay of the slasher sub-genre, yet I had not seen it. It deserves its cachet, as it is certainly one of the frontrunners in its group, but I think the conceit was used more than the concept in most of the similar films that followed (Slumber Party Massacre, et.al.). The House on Sorority Row has little nudity and one sex scene, both early-on in the movie, but literally every other slasher trope is present.
HSR brings all of it, from the overly-wrought childhood psychology to the domineering, old woman authority figure, to a medical conspiracy plot that would have been at-home in any Devil Flick. This is a good film to watch to learn the Horror Movie "Rules" before they became cliches. It also brings the requisite gore one expects from the Slasher, though it lacks a handful or two of boobs.
Don't we all, though?
A lot of these progenitors of the form were actually shot as Scooby and the Gang-type mysteries; the gore was added later to appeal to current market trends. Most of the archetypes for the slasher involve the overwrought childhood psychology angle, and HSR is no exception, but this one -- like The Silent Scream -- is far more invested in its plot than its characters or special effects, and just barely misses its mark because of that. It appears a lot of these early slashers were similarly retooled before release, which explains why a lot of them could have been pretty good, but... weren't.
The Gothic angle is steep in The House on Sorority Row -- which makes perfect sense and is actually fairly well-executed -- so steep that, once you think about it, the gore sticks-out as an obvious afterthought, though I don't remember thinking that the first time through. You get the feeling that something is not "clicking," but it isn't that obvious. This is one slasher flick that could truly be argued to have been hurt by the gore, but I don't want to be in that argument.
The kills are pretty effective and the reveal works well, and The House on Sorority Row has a pretty kick-ass ending, so even though it's uneven, it deserves its place as one of the "forgotten" slasher classics.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Search
Popular Content
Archives
Rundown Links
Links
- Comics List - What's Shipping
- BLAMbot - Comic Book Grammar
- The Superhero Database
- Comics Lists by Story Arc
- Comic Book Realm
- Redneck Bar & Grill
- Nostomania
- Cover Browser
- Samuels' Golden Age Covers
- Crimeboss - Crime Comics Covers
- The B. Claymoore Universe(s)
- JM DeMatteis' Creation Point
- Gremlins in the Garage
- DC Universe Guide
- Marvel Universe Guide
- Marvel Genesis
- Jim Shooter
- Chris Samnee
- Skottie Scott
- Chris Eliopoulos
- Comic Book Secrets
- Jock
ToonHeads.Tv
Podcasts
Tags
- 30 days of night (8)
- action (24)
- adult swim (41)
- alan moore (4)
- alex ross (3)
- alpha flight (9)
- americana (86)
- angel (8)
- animation (112)
- anime (18)
- aquaman (1)
- art adams (16)
- athf (18)
- avengers (146)
- barbie (9)
- batman (45)
- BattleTech (4)
- bendis (4)
- berni wrightson (3)
- bettie page (4)
- bill sienkiewicz (4)
- bill watterson (1)
- black panther (18)
- Bloom County (2)
- bluewater (167)
- bob clark (4)
- boston legal (3)
- brian harnois (1)
- buck rogers (2)
- buffy (24)
- burn notice (11)
- calvin and hobbes (1)
- captain america (59)
- cartoons (104)
- cbg (6)
- celebrity (449)
- censorship (60)
- cerebus (4)
- champions (8)
- charmed (13)
- children (92)
- chill (20)
- chris claremont (9)
- chuck (12)
- Cloak and Dagger (3)
- coca cola (4)
- collectibles (49)
- comedy (156)
- comic books (1430)
- comic strips (5)
- comico (1)
- conan (6)
- convention (74)
- corman (1)
- crime (137)
- crumb (2)
- cult (28)
- cyberpunk (9)
- d20 (9)
- daredevil (50)
- dark conspiracy (19)
- dark horse (114)
- dave sim (11)
- david mazzuchelli (1)
- DC (26)
- dead like me (4)
- deadpool (26)
- death (177)
- doctor who (19)
- dr. strange (9)
- drugs (119)
- dungeons and dragons (34)
- elektra (3)
- elephantmen (10)
- elfquest (2)
- eureka (23)
- evil dead (6)
- family guy (16)
- fantastic four (56)
- fantasy (121)
- frank frazetta (9)
- frank miller (29)
- free (28)
- frisky dingo (7)
- futurama (6)
- games (68)
- gaming (79)
- ghost hunters (5)
- ghost rider (12)
- ghostbusters (3)
- goon (2)
- goonies (1)
- green arrow (5)
- green lantern (6)
- gremlins (1)
- grendel (2)
- GURPS (1)
- hawaiian dick (2)
- heavy metal (38)
- hex (24)
- homosexuality (24)
- horror (356)
- hulu (3)
- humor (44)
- IDW (15)
- image (392)
- indiana jones (6)
- industry (134)
- iron man (71)
- jim lee (4)
- jim shooter (4)
- JLA (4)
- joss whedon (31)
- judge dredd (2)
- kevin smith (15)
- kubert (2)
- kung-fu (6)
- laura kightlinger (2)
- legal (314)
- life on mars (3)
- lindsay lohan (38)
- literature (71)
- lobo (3)
- magazines (26)
- manga (21)
- mark millar (3)
- marvel (646)
- matt fraction (4)
- matt wagner (3)
- McDonalds (2)
- media (28)
- metalocalypse (4)
- michael alig (4)
- michael turner (7)
- mike judge (1)
- mike mignola (3)
- miniatures (1)
- moon knight (19)
- morning glories (10)
- movies (638)
- MSI (1)
- mst3k (17)
- MTV (4)
- muppets (6)
- music (243)
- Neil Gaiman (1)
- new england comics (1)
- new mutants (15)
- nexus (2)
- nick fury (5)
- NotLD (1)
- optimum wound (1)
- party monster (1)
- peanuts (1)
- pee-wee (1)
- performance (22)
- perhapanauts (2)
- pini (2)
- pirates (10)
- podcast (1)
- pop-culture (83)
- porn (27)
- prairie home companion (5)
- primer (3)
- pulp (54)
- punisher (29)
- punk rock (12)
- radio (14)
- ray bradbury (1)
- reality (63)
- reaper (4)
- red sonja (2)
- review (168)
- rick leonardi (2)
- rights (26)
- rob liefeld (18)
- rob zombie (5)
- robert kirkman (22)
- robocop (1)
- robot chicken (6)
- robotech (2)
- romance (24)
- rpg (108)
- rude dude productions (1)
- rundown (669)
- sam kieth (1)
- sam raimi (8)
- sarah silverman (4)
- savage dragon (17)
- savage land (3)
- sci-fi (322)
- scooby doo (3)
- scream (1)
- sequential art (609)
- serenity (4)
- sex (22)
- shadowline (29)
- shadowrun (1)
- sherlock holmes (6)
- siege (16)
- silver surfer (5)
- simpsons (13)
- sin city (3)
- skottie young (2)
- skullkickers (3)
- smallville (36)
- snl (11)
- sociology (25)
- south park (17)
- spawn (16)
- spider-man (151)
- spider-woman (3)
- stan lee (19)
- star trek (38)
- star wars (24)
- stargate (3)
- stephen king (47)
- steve niles (5)
- studio 60 on the sunset strip (22)
- suffocation (1)
- supergirl (3)
- superhero (243)
- superman (36)
- supernatural (46)
- syfy (6)
- teen titans (4)
- terminator (20)
- terry moore (2)
- terry pratchett (3)
- the weirding (173)
- thor (57)
- thundercats (3)
- tick (1)
- tim burton (2)
- tmnt (5)
- tobe hooper (1)
- todd mcfarlane (17)
- top cow (8)
- toys (48)
- transformers (19)
- troma (2)
- true blood (16)
- tv (706)
- twilight (22)
- ultimates (37)
- universe (7)
- vampira (1)
- vampires (65)
- venture brothers (5)
- villains (3)
- vincent price (1)
- violence (40)
- walking dead (11)
- warner brothers (7)
- warren (2)
- warren ellis (6)
- watchmen (15)
- webcomics (65)
- werewolves (2)
- white wolf (2)
- who wants to be a superhero (5)
- witchblade (7)
- wizard of oz (4)
- wolverine (63)
- women (13)
- wonder woman (6)
- WotC (9)
- x-factor (17)
- x-files (11)
- x-force (17)
- x-men (236)
- xxxombies (2)
- zenescope (14)
- zombie (63)
Minyx v2.0 template es un theme creado por. | Minyx Blogger Template distributed by eBlog Templates
