Category: Movies

The Man Who Turned to Stone

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Longtime ZONErs know how much I enjoyed watching horror/monster movies as a kid growing up in Indiana… especially those shown by late night horror host Sammy Terry. For years I’ve been saying that someone needs to find a horror host and run a double feature of scary movies late on Saturday night. Although, no major network has stepped up to the plate, my buddy Bill Black has released a series of dvds that fits the bill [as in black].

Last night I watched “M is for Madman” the third in Bill’s Crypt of Horror series. It’s a double feature of “The Man Who Turned to Stone” and “The Brute Man” hosted by Lon Madnight. Madnight [whose name is a play on “London After Midnight” – the lost, silent horror film starring Lon Chaney] maintains the perfect balance of insightful trivia about the movie to be seen and bad puns. He’s just what the doctor [or at least I] ordered. The production values on the dvd are top notch. The films are crisp and clear with excellent sound. The movies can be seen without the Lon Madnight openings and closings, but they’re so much fun, who’d want to miss them? Priced at less than twenty bucks for two remastered movies and Lon Midnight — you’d be hard pressed to find a cheaper evening of family fun.

So let’s take a look at “The Man Who Turned to Stone”…The Pitch: Mad scientists run a woman’s reformatory and drain the “bio-electrical” life force from inmates in order to prolong their unnatural lives.

The Good: The special effects are surprisingly well done for a low-budget film of this era. You’re slowly made to realize that the people in charge of the reformatory aren’t just bad, they’re…

The Bad: This isn’t a classic horror movie — it’s bad in all the right ways. The hero kind of looks like Lee Harvey Oswald.

The Ugly: What happens when Eric doesn’t get enough “bio-electrical” life force.

The Summary: “The Man Who Turned to Stone” isn’t a classic, but it’s better than you’d expect given it’s lack of budget and notoriety. It’s exactly the kind of movie that works when you’re in the mood for an old time horror movie that you haven’t watched a million times. I can’t wait to watch it with friends/family who love scary movies.

 

Harsh Times = Bad Time

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I really, really wanted to like “Harsh Times.” David Ayer directed it. Ayer also wrote it. Okay, you ask, “so who is David Ayer?” He’s the talented writer of such films as “Training Day,” “Dark Blue,” and “The Fast and the Furious” among others. Ayer also directed “Street Kings” which I really enjoyed. So even though “Harsh Times” starred Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria and Terry Crews [in a small role], it was Ayer who was the major selling point for me.

The Pitch: “Training Day” meets “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” without the comedy and where Ferris is an over-the-edge ex-marine.

The Good: The scene when Bale & Rodriguez attempt to sell a handgun in a Tex-Mex bar. The tension throughout the movie — who’s going to die?

The Bad: There’s a lack of redeeming characters. The movie is dark, dark, dark.

The Ugly: How disappointed I am, that I didn’t like the movie more.

The Summary: “Harsh Times” was too bleak for me. Good director, good cast, but without characters that I could really get behind.

Comics, Movies, and Lon Midnight

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This morning I headed over to the the Daytona Beach Comic and Toy Show. My buddy, Steve Myers, runs it and I knew that several other friends were going to be there as well. The plan was we’d all meet up at the show and then some of us would cut out for lunch. It was great seeing Bill and Reb Black, Nick Northey, Tim Gordon, Mark Gmuer, and Chris Hanson. I’d hoped to meet Jerry DeCaire, but he was running late and arrived just as I was leaving. John Beatty and Bella were also running late, and decided to just meet us at Uno’s for lunch. When we left the show there had already been over 100 people through the doors, so it looked to be a success.


Lunch at Uno’s was fun. How could it not be when you’re sharing table time with Bill Black and John Beatty? Bill brought me some dvd’s that I’d been wanting to see from his online movie store. The amount of product that Bill has available [ranging from horror to superhero to tv detectives to…] is amazing. I’m especially looking forward to the horror movies hosted by Lon Midnight! [That’s Lon and me in the photo above. If you’re not sure which of us is the horror host, it’s the guy on the right.]After lunch we all headed in different directions, but all plan to get together at Tim Gordon’s August Show. Maybe we’ll see you there!

“First Blood” Exclusive

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On May 15th at 7:30 p.m. at select theaters nationwide, Stallone fans will be able to see a special showing of “First Blood.” Then, following the film, the alternate ending (where Rambo dies) will be shown for the first time ever in theatres. Then to top off this one night event an exclusive, never-before-seen interview with Sylvester Stallone [who will discuss all of the Rambo films] will be screened.  – Craig

Greatest Fight Scenes Ever

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Rotten Tomatoes has posted their picks for the 20 Greatest Fight Scenes Ever. They picked Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed as their #1 choice. Can’t say that I disagree.Although I think that they’ve left off some great fight scenes [Emperor of the North: Lee Marvin vs Ernest Borgnine; Hard Times: Charles Bronson vs Robert Tessier; etc], I’ll play along. Using just their choices, here are my top ten:

10. From Russia with Love: Sean Connery vs. Robert Shaw
09. The Karate Kid: Daniel-san vs. Johnny
08. Road House: Patrick Swayze vs. Ben Gazzara’s thugs
07. Charlie’s Angels: The Angels vs. Crispin Glover
06. Raiders of the Lost Ark: Indiana Jones vs. the big, bald Nazi
05. They Live: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Keith David
04. The Matrix: Neo vs. Agent Smith
03. Game of Death: Bruce Lee vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
02. The Transporter: Jason Statham vs. everybody in the bus depot
01. Rocky: Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed

More Spirit Than Last Time

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AICN has scored the first look at the full Spirit teaser poster. I like it a whole lot better than the earlier promotional posters for Frank Miller’s The Spirit movie. It’s a bit odd that my feelings about the movie continue to swing between really liking what they’re doing to it just being okay. Actually, I’m kind of diggin’ this newest poster. 

20 of the Toughest [2008]

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The List Universe posts their Top 20 Classic Tough Guys. Okay, I’ll play using just the guys on their list, here is how I’d rate them:

  1. Lee Marvin
  2. Charles Bronson
  3. Clint Eastwood
  4. Sean Connery
  5. John Wayne
  6. Kirk Douglas
  7. Robert Mitchum
  8. Charlton Heston
  9. Burt Lancaster
  10. Robert Ryan
  11. James Coburn
  12. Anthony Quinn
  13. Yul Brynner
  14. Humphrey Bogart
  15. Steve McQueen
  16. John Garfield
  17. Richard Widmark
  18. Dana Andrews
  19. James Cagney
  20. Edward G. Robinson

Fandango the Escape Artist Who Brought Down “Machine Gun Kelly” [2008]

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Last night my wife and I were watching the 1958 Roger Corman cult film Machine Gun Kelly  starring Charles Bronson. Morey Amsterdam, who is probably best known for his classic role as Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show, was one of the co-stars. Amsterdam played a swishy, one-armed weasel named Fandango who eventually brings about Machine Gun Kelly’s downfall, but before he does there’s a scene that’s so unintentionally funny that I’ve got to tell you about it.

Okay.

So the police have brought Fandango into the station. Fandango is a small, wimpy wanna-be bad guy that everyone pushes around. The cops have been sweating him in order to find Machine Gun Kelly. Despite their best efforts they’re unable to get Fandango to break so they turn him loose.

After Fandango leaves the room the head detective tells his partner not to worry, he’s put his best man on trailing the one-armed weasel. Less than five seconds later the door opens and a cop says, “He got away. I lost him. He slipped into the ladies room and got away.”

My wife and I both burst out laughing. Their best cop lost a small, one-armed man named Fandango before he could even get out of the police station! The next scene showed Fandango arriving at the hideout and he was still wearing his huge overcoat with the sleeve pinned up. He didn’t even have to try to disguise himself or lose his overcoat.

There’s a lesson here. If you really need a quick get away, hit the women’s room and don’t look back. Not even the best cop will be able to track you through there.

Street Kings

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There are currently three movies at the local multiplex that I want to see: “Street Kings,” “The Ruins,” and “Diary of the Dead.”Today, “Street Kings” won out mainly due to the outstanding folks behind it.

The screenplay was created by James [novelist and screenwriter – do I really need to list credits for him?] Elroy, Kurt [“Equilibrium” “The Recruit”] Wimmer, and Jamie Moss.

It stars: Keanu [“Matrix”] Reeves, Forest [“The Shield”] Whitaker, Hugh [“House”] Laurie, Chris [“Fantastic Four”] Evans, Cedric “The Entertainer,” Jay [“Suicide Kings”] Mohr, Terry [“Harsh Times”] Crews, Naomi [“28 Days Later”] Harris, and Amaury [“Prison Break”] Nolasco.

It was directed by David [“Harsh Times”] Ayer.

The Pitch: “The Shield” meets “Training Day.” Keanu plays a bad cop falsely accused of killing his old partner who had been talking to internal affairs. His team has a cover-up in place, but Keanu wants to find the killers… no matter the cost to him or the team. Soon no one can be trusted.

The Good: * The story. The action from the opening scenes to the end. * The cast. Chris Evans, Naomi Harris and Cedric the Entertainer need special mention as they made the scenes they were in even better. I was worried that Cedric would be out of place in a serious movie, but he made his character work. * The Tension: The scene in the apartment especially — “I am your nightmare.” The scene in the car when Keanu works the handcuffs and the two scenes that follow — not your typical turn of events. * The ending [as surprising and as bold as the ending of “The Mist.”]

The Bad: everyone.

The Ugly: the two gangbangers after being dug up.

Summary: Although not a classic, “Street Kings” will definitely find a home in my dvd collection. If you’re looking for action in the “Training Day” vein, then “Street Kings” is for you.

Remembering – Charlton Heston

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Charlton Heston passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Perhaps best known for his Oscar winning role as the title character in Ben-Hur, I will always remember him first as Taylor from the Planet of the Apes.Don’t get me wrong, I loved Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur which was one of those event movies back in the days before cable tv, VCRs [remember those] and of course DVDs. The first time I watched

Ben-Hur was on a little black and white tv with my mom. I can remember my excitement during the chariot race and my fear of the lepers. A few years later I watched Ben-Hur for the first time on color tv at my grandparents’ house and my grandpa told me about the chariot race [and someone actually getting killed during the filming of it].I would see Charlton Heston pop up in movies after that, but it wasn’t until The Planet of the Apes [one of my favorite childhood movie experiences] that he hit a streak of movies that really made me take notice. Mr. Heston had a small role in the sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes — and there were of course starring roles in The Omega Man and Soylent Green. Although these movies have not held up as well as my childhood memories of them, Mr. Heston was on a roll as far as I was then concerned. You can imagine my delight when he showed up in the all-star cast of the disaster epic, Earthquake.


Despite winning a Best Actor award, Charlton Heston wasn’t one of the first names that came to mind when discussing great actors. Yet, when I think of all the movies that I’ve enjoyed that he’s appeared in from Ben Hur to Tombstone,  you’d have to agree that he had talent enough to make him a star.In his later years, Charlton Heston became more known for his strict conservative political views than his acting. This was quite a change from his liberal views in the 1950’s and 60’s. In 2002, Mr. Heston announced that he was suffering from sympton’s of Alzheimer’s disease.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fans of Charlton Heston.

Lacking Spirit

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SuperHeroHype.com got a first look at three posters which create a bigger image to promote Frank Miller’s Will Eisner’s The Spirit movie. [Say that three times quickly.] I enjoy The Spirit and am an even bigger Frank Miller fan, but I’m not really diggin’ the poster. Is it just me?