Category: Horror

“Alien: Earth” – The Trailer is Here!

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The Alien: Earth trailer is here.

And I like it!  Deal me in.

We were safer in space.

Alien: Earth. OFFICIAL TRAILER.   #AlienEarthFX premieres August 12 on ‪@FXNetworks‬ | ‪@hulu‬ and with #HuluOnDisneyPlus.

When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, “Wendy” (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.

FX’s Alien: Earth is created for television and executive produced by Noah Hawley.

Guillermo del Toro’s “FRANKENSTEIN” – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN is here.  I’m going to check it out.  My worry is that too many viewers will expect the Universal movie Frankenstein and not Mary Shelley’s novel.

Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, FRANKENSTEIN is on Netflix this November.

Starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, with Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz.

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. #TUDUM

“Curse of Frankenstein” (1957) directed by Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee / Z-View

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Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Director:  Terence Fisher

Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster; based on FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley

Stars: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee.

Tagline: PLEASE TRY NOT TO FAINT. Not recommended for people of nervous disposition.

The Plot…

As he waits for his execution, Victor Frankenstein recounts how he ended up headed to the gallows.  Frankenstein was obsessed with bringing the dead back to life since he was a boy.  Working with Paul Krempe, another scientist,  the two achieved success with reviving a dead dog.

Krempe wanted to share their results with the world.  Frankenstein wanted to keep their success a secret and begin experimenting with reviving dead humans.  Very quickly Krempe sees that Frankenstein is obsessed.  Frankenstein robs graves, pays for body parts and even resorts to murder to get the parts he needs.

When his creature comes to life, Frankenstein is shocked to learn he cannot control it.  And the monster isn’t happy.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Curse of Frankenstein was a huge box office success.  Over the years, the film’s reputation has grown.  I’m in the minority, because the movie just doesn’t resonate with me.  I hate the creature’s design.  It reminds me of a bad attempt to monsterize Cesare the the somnambulist from 1920’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  Dr. Frankenstein is totally unlikable, so who cares if he hangs?

Christopher Lee (who plays the monster) reportedly complained to Peter Cushing during the start of filming, that he had no lines.  Cushing replied, “You’re lucky. I’ve read the script.”  If this isn’t true, it should be.

As always, your mileage may vary but for me…

Curse of Frankenstein (1957) rates 2 of 5 stars

“The Eternaut”: Season 1 (2025) created, co-written & directed by Bruno Stagnaro; based on “The Eternaut” by Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Francisco Solano López / Z-View

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The Eternaut: Season 1 (2025)

Created by: Bruno Stagnaro, based on The Eternaut by Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Francisco Solano López

Director:  Bruno Stagnaro

Teleplay by: Bruno Stagnaro, Ariel Staltari, and Gabriel Stagnaro (Eps. 1-2, 6), Bruno Stagnaro and Ariel Staltari (Eps. 3, 5),  Bruno Stagnaro, Ariel Staltari, and Martín Wain (Ep. 4)

Starring: Ricardo Darín, Carla Peterson, César Troncoso, Andrea Pietra.

Tagline:  None

The Plot… (beware of spoilers)

One summer evening snow begins to fall.  Juan Salvo and some friends move to the window to check it out.  They’re shocked to see anyone outside suddenly drop dead as the snow touches them.  The snow falls though the night.  Juan rigs together a suit with gas mask so that he can venture out to search for his daughter.

As the days go on, it becomes clear that few have survived.  Many of those who did are just as dangerous as the snow.  Then they learn about the arriving aliens.   Juan and his friends will need to band together in order to live.

Thoughts 

The Eternaut is an Argentine television series created by Bruno Stagnaro.  It is based on the comic strip The Eternaut created by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López.  The strip ran from 1957 through 1959.  In 1977, Héctor Germán Oesterheld, along with his four daughters were taken into custody by Argentina’s last military dictatorship. Oesterheld’s writings against the military junta made him a target.  He and his daughters were never seen in public again.

I liked the pacing of season one.

Bring on season 2!

 

“Peninsula” (2020) Presented by “Train to Busan” / Z-View

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Peninsula (2020)

Director:  Yeon Sang-ho

Screenplay: Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae

Stars: Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-hyo, Kim Min-jae, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Do-yoon, Lee Re and Lee Ye-won.

Tagline: Escape the Apocalypse

The Plot…

A zombie virus outbreak left South Korea a wasteland.  When the apocalypse started, Jung-seok, a Korean marine, brought his sister, her husband and their little boy to a military safe location.  While there a man infected with the zombie virus made it through.  When the man turned, Jung-seok’s sister and child were killed.  Both Jung-seok and his brother-in-law have carried the guilt of not being able to save them.

Four years later, Jung-seok (now a civilian), his brother-in-law and two others are offered a job that will make them rich.  Chinese gangsters say that a truck containing $20 million is located in the Busan peninsula.  If the four can make it to the truck and bring it back, they are promised $10 million to split.

Jung-seok and his three partners take the gig.  They know the area is overrun with zombies.  What they don’t know is that a rouge military and others have made the area home. And they don’t like strangers.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I’m a huge fan of Train to Busan. I consider it a classic zombie movie.  So you can imagine my anticipation to see Train to Busan‘s writer/director Yeon Sang-ho’s sequel, Peninsula.  Sang-ho cowrote and directed Peninsula.  Unfortunately it falls short of the original.  I’m reminded of how I felt after seeing Escape from LA since I loved Escape from New York.

Although Peninsula is a Train to Busan sequel, no characters from the original film appear.  It’s another story set in the same world as the first film.  I wouldn’t mind seeing more tales from Busan.

Peninsula (2020) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Wolf Man” (2025) directed by Leigh Whannell, starring Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott / Z-View

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Wolf Man (2025)

Director:  Leigh Whannell

Screenplay: Leigh Whannell, Corbett Tuck

Stars: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger, Ben Prendergast, Leigh Whannell, Rob MacBride and Benedict Hardie.

Tagline: Protect your own.

The Plot…

Blake and Charlotte still love each other (and their daughter, Ginger), but their marriage has been strained lately.  So when Blake gets notice that his father has been declared dead, after going missing for seven years, Blake decides that a trip to his childhood home in the remote Oregon woods might be the right move.  Charlotte reluctantly agrees.

The home is deep in the wilderness.  No cell phone reception.  No neighbors close by.  No towns either.  A one lane dirt road in/out.  As darkness falls, and they’re close to the old home, a creature appears standing in the road.  Blake swerves to miss it and crashes through brush down the incline.  The creature attacks them and Blake’s arm is terribly clawed.  They make it to the farmhouse.  All the windows have bars and the door is reinforced as well.

As they huddle inside, the creature attempts to get in.  Unable to call for assistance, and unsure how long before the creature finds a way in, Charlotte wonders how things could be worse.

Then she notices her husband is starting to change…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

 There are some cool scenes where we get what the people are saying and hearing and as the camera pans it changes to how the Wolf Man perceives it.

I wish Blake and Charlotte were better developed characters.  Also they both make bad choices that put their families in danger.

Wolf Man (2025) rates 3 of 5 stars

“Alien Earth” – The Poster and Public Service Announcement is Here!

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How about a poster and public service announcement for Alien Earth?

The IGN World Guide for Alien: Earth launched today, Earth Day 2025, and it provides fans of the acclaimed sci-fi horror franchise an exclusive look at the FX-Hulu series coming this summer. As part of this launch, we’ve partnered with FX on this tongue-in-cheek Earth Day public service announcement. We’re also rolling out a series of short videos across our social media channels this week chronicling the gestation of a xenomorph.

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s highly anticipated TV series Alien: Earth from creator Noah Hawley.

Alien: Earth is set in 2120 when five corporations – Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold – wield the power of nations, and proprietary advancements in technology provide the promise of a new tomorrow.

Lead by Chandler, the series showcases an expansive international cast which includes Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El.

FX’s Alien: Earth original series coming in Summer 2025. Watch on Hulu.

“Sinners” (2025) Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler, Starring Michael B. Jordan / Z-View

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Sinners (2025)

Director:  Ryan Coogler

Screenplay: Ryan Coogler

Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Buddy Guy, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Li Jun Li , Lola Kirke, Tenaj L. Jackson, David Maldonado, Yao, Sam Malone and Delroy Lindo.

Tagline: Dance with the devil.

The Plot…

The notorious SmokeStack twins have returned home after seven years.  In between they served in World War I and worked for Al Capone.  Now flush with cash (that they stole from mobsters), Smoke and Stack plan to open a juke for colored folks.  It will serve food, Irish beer, good whiskey and moonshine.  Their cousin Preacher Boy is gonna be a big time Blues Man.  He’s gonna play. And they’ve got Delta Slim for opening night.  Music, dancing and food.  Word is out.  They’ve thought of everything to make it a night to remember.

Yeah, they’ve accounted for everything… except one.

Vampires.

Let the good times roll.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins Smoke and Stack.

Director Ryan Coogler said that Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn and The Faculty were two major influences in making Sinners.  Other influences according to Coogler were ‘Salem’s Lot and The Twilight Zone episode The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank.

Miles Caton makes his film debut.

Writer/Director Ryan Coogler has another winner.  Excellent film all around from start to finish and top to bottom.  Great casting, wonderful special effects and a story that entertains, provides scares, thrills and has a heart.

Sinners (2025) rates 5 of 5 stars