Category: Horror

“Endangered Species” (2021) / Z-View

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Endangered Species (2021)

Director:  M.J. Bassett

Screenplay:  M.J. Bassett, Isabel Bassett based on a story by Paul Chronnell

Starring: Rebecca Romijn, Philip Winchester, Isabel Bassett, Michael Johnston, Chris Fisher and Jerry O’Connell.

Tagline:  Far from home. Far from safety. Far from over.  (“Far from Over!”  Cue Frank Stallone! )

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Jack (Winchester) and Lauren (Romijn) take their son (Johnston), daughter (Bassett) and her boyfriend (Fisher) on a long-planned dream vacation to a wilderness park in Kenya.  Looking to get close to wild animals, the group leaves without filling out proper paperwork or getting guides,  They then venture off-road into the Kenyan wilderness.  When their vehicle is totaled by an irate rhino, things become desperate.  Without food, water and with a pack of hyenas closing in, their chances of survival are slim.  Things are about to get worse.

Endangered Species is irritating.  The characters do nothing but argue and make stupid decisions. They leave the camp without letting anyone know.  They go on a “safari” drive without a guide.  They leave the designated road and travel into the wilderness.  They don’t bring enough water and the water they do bring is in glass bottles which easily break.  They decide to get closer to a wild rhino.  They let someone who doesn’t know how to drive, take them to the rhino.  Even the poachers who capture the family are stupid.  Like bad James Bond villains, they tell the family that they are going to kill them. Then they leave the family unattended so they can drink around the campfire.  What?

I made it through Endangered Species and it has a couple of scenes that work. I’ll give it the benefit of my kind heart (or am I, like everyone in the movie, also making a stupid decision) by rating it 2 of 5 stars.

“The Horde” (2016) / Z-View

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The Horde (2016)

Director:  Jared Cohn

Screenplay:  Paul Logan

Starring:  Paul Logan, Tiffany Brouwer, Sydney Sweeney, Nestor Serrano, Vernon Wells, Bill Moseley, Costas Mandylor, Thomas Ochoa and Don Wilson.

Tagline: Fight back or die.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

John Crenshaw (Logan), an ex-Navy SEAL accompanies his girlfriend (Brouwer) and some of her photography students into the deep woods for a class assignment.  When the group is attacked by a family of inbred mutants, it will be up to Crenshaw to save them.

The Horde wants badly to be  Rambo Meets The Hills Have Eyes.  That would seem to be an achievable goal.  They’ve got a star who is believable when it comes to fight scenes.  They have several actors known for their work in horror films.  The plot is simple.  It takes place in the woods at night; sets shouldn’t be a problem.  So what went wrong?

Everything is so bad.  Navy SEAL tough guy at a loss for words with his girl because he’s so in love.  Spoiled, rich student who insults everyone, but is still part of the group.  Two students in the back seat who make-out for the entire hours long trip to the deep woods — with their teacher fully aware.  A female student falling for one of the male students on the trip and casually discussing sexual advice with her teacher.   They’ve been driving for hours and in the background it looks like they are still in the neighborhood.  The dialogue is terrible.  The acting only slightly better.  (Thomas Ochoa is the exception — he is funny/irritating/believable as the spoiled rich brat.)

Fans of low-budget horror/action may like The Horde.  It just wasn’t for me.  The Horde rates 1 of 5 stars

“Rosemary’s Baby” Alt Poster by Ciarán O Donovan!

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Ciarán O Donovan has hit another home run with his alt poster for Rosemary’s Baby.  That shouldn’t be a surprise to regular readers here.  O Donovan’s first appearance here came in 2019 with his alt poster for Escape from New York.  That was followed up with his alt Maltese Falcon poster.  Then last December we got a look at O Donovan’s alt Sin City: The Hard Goodbye alt poster.

I’d love to see an The Art of Ciarán O Donovan book.  Until that time, we can make do with Ciarán O Donovan’s Instagram or Twitter!

SYFY’s Mini “Twilight Zone” Marathon on May 11th!!

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George Pérez

For some reason, May 11th is designated National Twilight Zone Day.  As Paul at The Twilight Zone points out, this isn’t the most appropriate date to honor the show.  No one knows why May 11th was selected, but any day (heck, every day) is fine by me to praise and bring more eyes to one of the all-time best television shows.

To that end, the SYFY Channel is running a mini-Twilight Zone Marathon.  It starts on May 11th, at midnight with the last episode starting at 10:00am.  If you can’t stay up all night to watch and you don’t want to record them all, then I suggest these 5 episodes.

  • 12:00 am  The Twilight Zone  S1 The Howling Man
  • 1:30 am  The Twilight Zone  S1 The Shelter
  • 3:00 am  The Twilight Zone  S1 To Serve Man
  • 3:30 am  The Twilight Zone  S1 The Last Rites Of Jeff Myrtlebank
  • 10:00 am  The Twilight Zone  S1 – E28 The Masks

“The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942) / Z-View

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The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Director:  Erle C. Kenton

Writers:  Scott Darling (screenplay), Eric Taylor (original story)

Starring:  Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers and Colin Clive.

Tagline:  The King of all Monsters strikes again! No chains can hold him! No tomb can seal him in!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Ygor (Lugosi) discovers Frankenstein’s monster (Chaney) buried under rubble of Dr. Frankenstein’s castle. Ygor and the monster journey to find Dr. Frankenstein’s son, Ludwig (Hardwicke), who is also a doctor. When they arrive in Ludwig’s town, the monster befriends a young girl.  Townspeople fear the monster is going to hurt the child and attack the monster.  Two villagers are killed before Ygor and the monster escape.

Ygor wants Ludwig Frankenstein to use his father’s notes and put Ygor’s brain in the monster.  While Ludwig considers this, he is visited by his father’s ghost (Ha! THAT explains the title) who says to find a good brain for the monster.  As villagers search for the monster, Ludwig prepares to operate, but whose brain will he use?  And what will be the result?

I have many fun memories of watching The Ghost of Frankenstein with my buddy late at night on Sammy Terry’s Nightmare Theater.  It’s a fun movie for kids.  You have Bela Lugosi (Dracula!) as Ygor and Lon Chaney, Jr. (Wolfman!) as the Monster.  You get the monster fighting villagers on a rooftop, chained in a courtroom (What?) and breaking free, plus the mandatory laboratory scene with electrical arcs and rioting villagers.  What’s not to like?

If you see The Ghost of Frankenstein as an adult for the first time, your mileage may vary quite a bit from mine.  I still enjoy The Ghost of Frankenstein even though we have Ygor and the monster as friends. They were bitter enemies before.  Chaney plays the monster as if it is blind, which explains why the monster’s eyes are always closed and it walks with arms outstretched.  This is never really explained in the movie. The Ghost of Frankenstein isn’t as good as Frankenstein or The Bride of Frankenstein (or even Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) but I like it well enough to give it 3 of 5 stars.

“The Forever Purge” (2021) / Z-View

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The Forever Purge (2021)

Director: Everardo Gout

Writers: James DeMonaco

Starring: Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Will Patton and Zahn McClarnon.

Tagline:  The rules are broken.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

When crazies across the US keep “purging” after the deadline, a rich ranching family joins their Mexican employees in a search for safety.  When they hear that for 24 hours Mexico and Canada have opened their borders to refuges looking for safety, the group heads for Mexico.

Kind of heavy-handed plot, huh?  The rich white family begins to understand how foreign families would leave everything to cross the border for safety.  If this was a better movie perhaps it would just seem ironic.

The Forever Purge rates 2 of 5 stars.

The Forever Purge Blu-ray
The Forever Purge DVD
The Forever Purge 4K

“The Wolf of Snow Hollow” (2020) / Z-View

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The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Director:  Jim Cummings

Writers: Jim Cummings

Starring: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster and Will Madden.

Tagline:  Welcome to Snow Hollow

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Deputy Sheriff John Marshall (Cummings) is a recovering alcoholic.  He’s losing sleep and his nerves are frayed.  His ex-wife wants sole custody of their daughter.  His father’s (Forster) health is failing and he won’t take care of himself.  Complicating their relationship, John’s father is also John’s boss, the Sheriff.  John’s daughter is staying with him and at the teenage rebellious stage.  No wonder John Marshall has anger issues.

What could happen to make things worse, you ask?  I’m glad you did.

When the first victim’s body is found, badly mutilated with parts missing, word gets out that there is a deranged killer living in their small town community.

Then a second mutilated body is found missing parts. The story becomes they have a serial killer in their midst.

Once the third dismembered body is found, rumors circulate that the werewolf is back!  With each new victim, Deputy Sheriff John Marshall feels himself losing it a bit more.  He’s got to find the killer before he kills again.  And everyone knows there’s no such thing as werewolves, right?  Right?

Jim Cummings wrote, directed and stars in The Wolf of Snow Hollow.  I wonder why he made his character so unlikeable.  Robert Forster is always good and his role in The Wolf of Snow Hollow is no exception.  I like the design of the werewolf and there are a couple of cool scenes where we clearly see how huge it is.  There’s a nice (if not unexpected) twist near the end of the film.  Had I liked the main character better, The Wolf of Snow Hollow may have earned more than 3 of 5 stars.

“A Quiet Place Part II”  (2020) / Z-View

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A Quiet Place Part II   (2020)

Director:  John Krasinski

Writers: John Krasinski (screenplay) based on characters by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck

Starring:  Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe and Djimon Hounsou.

Tagline:  Silence is Not Enough

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A Quiet Place Part II begins on day one of the alien invasion.  The aliens are massive creatures with armor-like scales.  Although blind, they are exceedingly fast and strong.  They use their sensitive hearing to locate and kill.  The scenes of the aliens arriving and attacking are worth the price of admission.  The story then picks up where the original film ended.

The Abbotts have been surviving on the family farm since the alien invasion began over a year ago.  Lee Abbott (Krasinski) has been killed by aliens. Lee’s wife, Evelyn (Blunt) is left with her three children, Regan & Marcus as well as a baby. Her oldest, Regan (Simmonds) is deaf.  They accidentally learned that amplified feedback from Regan’s hearing aide disorients the aliens.  While disoriented, the aliens are vulnerable to be destroyed.

With limited supplies, Evelyn and her children leave the farm in hopes of finding other survivors.  Evelyn wants a safe place for her and her children.  Regan wants more.  Regan believes that if she can get to a radio station, she can broadcast how to weaponize sound against the aliens.  Evelyn and Regan both understand the dangers the aliens present… but neither has taken into account that humans can be as dangerous.

A Quiet Place Part II is an excellent follow-up to the original.  I was really happy that in Part II, they take us back to day one of the invasion.  There are terrifying scenes of the aliens attacking.  One scene in particular involves Evelyn escaping an attacking alien and coming head-on with an out of control bus — and then things get worse!

I’m an Emily Blunt fan.  John Krasinski continues to impress both in front and behind the camera.  I didn’t recognize Cillian Murphy at first, but he is a great addition to the cast.  Djimon Hounsou comes in late to the story, but plays a role with heart and does it well.  Millicent Simmonds gets a bigger part this time out, but she is more than up to the task.

A Quiet Place Part II is a worthy  follow-up to the original.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman”  (1943) / Z-View

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Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman  (1943)

Director:  Roy William Neill

Writers:  Curt Siodmak

Starring: Lon Chaney Jr., Ilona Massey, Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye.

Tagline:  All New Thrills as Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Four years after the events of The Wolf Man, grave robbers break into Larry Talbot’s crypt.  When light of the full moon hits Talbot’s corpse he comes back to life as the Wolf Man!  Two days later Talbot (Chaney) awakens in a hospital. Talbot remembers killing people in his werewolf form, but is unable to convince Dr. Manning that he is a wolf man.  Thinking Talbot crazy, he is restrained.  Talbot escapes and goes in search of a cure.

Although Dr. Frankenstein is dead, Talbot believes the doctor’s journals may provide an answer.  As he searches for the notes, Talbot frees Frankenstein’s monster, who is buried in ice below the castle.  Posing as a potential buyer of the Frankenstein estate, Talbot meets Dr. Frankenstein’s daughter, Elsa. With the aide of Elsa, Dr. Frankenstein’s journals and laboratory, Dr. Manning believes he can drain the Monster and the Wolf Man of their life energy.  What could possibly go wrong?

The Frankenstein Monster and the Wolf Man in the same movie!  What kid didn’t love that?  Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was another of our favorites when it appeared on Sammy Terry’s Nightmare Theater.  Although the Monster and the Wolf Man don’t fight until the climax (we wanted more!), their battle destroying the laboratory as flood waters rushed in was always exciting.  Every time I re-watch Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man it takes me back to being a kid excited to see two of our favorite monsters in the same movie!.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man rates 4 of 5 stars.

“Wait Until Dark” (1967) / Z-View

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Wait Until Dark (1967)

Director:  Terence Young

Writers:  Robert Carrington (screenplay), Jane-Howard Hammerstein (screenplay), based on the play by Frederick Knott

Starring:  Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston and Samantha Jones.

Tagline:  The blinds moving up and down. . .the squeaking shoes. . .and then the knife whistling past her ear. . .

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Mike Talman (Crenna) and Carlino (Weston) are small-time crooks waiting for their partner, Lisa (Jones).  Instead they are greeted by the very creepy Harry Roat (Arkin).  Roat explains that Lisa secretly passed the heroin she was bringing them to a a man she met on the plane.  The man, Sam Hendrix, wasn’t aware the object he was asked to hold contained heroin.  The unknown object is somewhere in Hendrix’s apartment.  Roat wants to hire Talman and Carlino to help him find the drugs.

Talman and Carlino aren’t interested, until they learn that Roat killed Lisa and has set-up them up to take the fall.  If they help Roat find the drugs, he’ll help them dispose of Lisa’s body and the evidence against them.  Talman and Carlino reluctantly agree.

The plan involves getting into Sam Hendrix’s apartment.  Sam’s blind wife, Susy (Hepburn) will be home alone.  To get in, Talman will play an old friend of Sam’s.  Carlino will play a cop and Roat will play a couple of different roles.  Roat believes that since Susy is blind, conning her will be easy. If it comes to killing her, even easier.  Way too late Talman and Carlino learn that they’ve partnered with a sadistic sociopath.  Even if they find the heroin will Roat kill Susy… and them?

I was fortunate to see Wait Until Dark during its original release.  It made a huge impact on me.  Over the years I’ve watched Wait Until Dark repeatedly and it still holds up. 

If you only know Alan Arkin for his comedies, you’re in for a treat.  Arkin plays one of the creepiest killers ever to show up in a thriller.  Richard Crenna is excellent as the ex-cop turned criminal who still retains a certain sense of decency.  Jack Weston is surprisingly believable as Crenna’s tough crime partner.  This is my favorite Audrey Hepburn film.  She smart, strong and vulnerable.  Credit should also be given to director Terrence Young.  If you only know Young as the director of big-budget 007 films like Thunderball, Dr. No and From Russia with Love, you might be surprised at how well he adapts a play with just five main characters. 

Wait Until Dark is a film I like to share with others.  Most haven’t seen it and end up being surprised at how good Wait Until Dark is.  If you fall into the “haven’t seen it” category, you might want to give it a go.  And don’t blame me if during a couple of scenes you let out a scream.  I still do.

Wait Until Dark earns 5 of 5 stars.        

“Day of the Dead” (1985) / Z-View

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Day of the Dead  (1985)

Director: George A. Romero

Writers:  George A. Romero

Starring: Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Sherman Howard and Gary Howard Klar.

Tagline: First there was “Night of the Living Dead” then “Dawn of the Dead” and now the darkest day of horror the world has ever known.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The zombie apocalypse is well under way.  A small group of soldiers, scientists and civilians have found safety in an underground military bunker.  Isolation and increasing hordes of zombies are wearing on the groups’ nerves/sanity.  When the group learns that one of their scientists has been using soldiers in experiments, the breaking point is reached. The living become as dangerous as the dead.  Will anyone survive?

Day of the Dead was George Romero’s favorite of his “…of the Dead” movies.  I wish I could say the same.  I prefer my zombies as unthinking killing machines.  In Day of the Dead, not only are the zombies learning but one uses a gun!  I also didn’t care for any of the living characters.  Still, it is a Romero zombie film and even if I don’t prefer his vision, I respect it.

Day of the Dead gets 2 of 5 stars.

“Jurassic World Dominion” – The Poster and Second Trailer are Here!

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Jurassic World Dominion – The poster and second trailer look great.  I’ll need to see this on the big-screen!

This summer, experience the epic conclusion to the Jurassic era as two generations unite for the first time. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are joined by Oscar®-winner Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill in Jurassic World Dominion, a bold, timely and breathtaking new adventure that spans the globe.

From Jurassic World architect and director Colin Trevorrow, Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures.

Jurassic World Dominion, from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, propels the more than $5 billion franchise into daring, uncharted territory, featuring never-seen dinosaurs, breakneck action and astonishing new visual effects.

The film features new cast members DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Emmy nominee Mamoudou Athie (Archive 81), Dichen Lachman (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Scott Haze (Minari) and Campbell Scott (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). The film’s returning cast includes BD Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, Justice Smith as Franklin Webb, Daniella Pineda as Dr. Zia Rodriguez and Omar Sy as Barry Sembenè.

Jurassic World Dominion is directed by Colin Trevorrow, who steered 2015’s Jurassic World to a record-shattering $1.7 billion global box office. The screenplay is by Emily Carmichael (Battle at Big Rock) & Colin Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World) & Trevorrow, based on characters created by Michael Crichton. Jurassic World Dominion is produced by acclaimed franchise producers Frank Marshall p.g.a. and Patrick Crowley p.g.a. and is executive produced by legendary, Oscar®-winning franchise creator Steven Spielberg, Alexandra Derbyshire and Colin Trevorrow.

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Perfect World Pictures, a Colin Trevorrow film. jurassicworld.com

“Watcher” – The Extended Trailer is Here!

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Last month we got the first trailer for Watcher.  Then I said I thought it looked good.  Today we get the extended trailer and my opinion hasn’t changed.

US Release Date: June 3, 2022
Starring: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman
Directed By: Chloe Okuno
As a serial killer stalks the city, Julia – a young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend – notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street in this terrifying thriller.

“Rattlesnake”  (2019) / Z-View

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Rattlesnake  (2019)

Director:  Zak Hilditch

Writers:  Zak Hilditch

Starring:  Carmen Ejogo, Theo Rossi  and Appy Pratt.

Tagline:  Time waits for no one.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Katrina Ridgeway (Ejogo) and her little daughter Clara (Pratt) get a flat tire on a deserted desert road.  As Katrina changes the tire, Clara wanders a bit and is bitten by a rattlesnake.  With no cars in sight, and no cell service, Clara is fading fast.  Suddenly Katrina hears music coming from a trailer!

Katrina runs Clara to the trailer where she finds an old woman.  Katrina explains what happened.  The woman says she can help.  She tells Katrina to change the tire. There is a hospital ten minutes away.  As Katrina turns to leave, the woman says, “We can talk about payment later.”  Katrina changes the tire and returns to find the old woman gone.  She rushes Clara to the hospital, but doctors can find no evidence of a snake bite.

The doctor suggests Clara spend the night for observation.  Katrina agrees.  A few minutes later a well dressed man enters the room saying he is there to discuss payment.  Katrina tells him she has insurance. The man cuts her off saying, “What was done for your daughter doesn’t come cheap. Her little soul was spared. And now you owe one in return.”

Katrina Ridgeway, “I’m sorry, I thought you said soul.”

“Ms. Ridgeway, you don’t have long to pay your debt. You only have until sunset, which is now only seven hours away. The soul you take can be any one of your choosing, but it must be human. And it must be paid in full and on time.”

Katrina quickly comes to realize that unless she kills a human within seven hours, her daughter will die!

Carmen Ejogo is the glue that holds Rattlesnake together.  Theo Rossi is so good at being bad.  Rattlesnake is like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone.  My favorite scene is in the hospital where Katrina begins to realize the deal she’s made.  Rattlesnake is one of those films where it’s about the journey and not the destination.

Rattlesnake rates 3 of 5 stars.