“The Last Stand” / Z-View

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The Pitch: ”Hey, what do you think about having Arnold as the police chief of a small town up against a Mexican cartel? “

“Let’s do it!”

The Tagline:  “Not in his town.  Not on his watch.”

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

When a Mexican drug cartel kingpin busts out of custody and makes a break for the border surrounded and supported by his hired killers, the only thing standing between him and freedom is a small town sheriff and a couple of green deputies.

The Good

  • I like the premise.
  • It is always great to see Forrest Whitaker, Luis Guzman and Harry Dean Stanton.  Arnold is Arnold!
  • The kingpin’s escape is well done.  The magnet was a nice touch as were the orange suited running men. [I really liked Forrest Whitaker’s interrogation scene with the Dutch soccer fan.]
  • There is plenty of action.

The Bad:

  • Some of the humor felt out of place [Arnold telling the diner people to leave, the “schmuck” line at the beginning and end of the movie, etc.].  Let Johnny Knoxville be the comedy relief and let everyone else play it straight.

The Ugly:

  • What happens when Arnold dives into you knocking you both off a two-story building.  And landing on a car with Arnold on top of you will be the least of your worries.

Rating: 3 out of 5

“Insidious: Chapter 2” / Z-View

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The Pitch: ”Hey, lnsidious was a hit, let’s make another!”

“Let’s do it!”

The Tagline:  “It will take what you love the most!”

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

Renai, Josh Lambert and their three young children survived the first film although it left Elsie Rainer dead.  While the police investigate her mysterious murder, the family moves into Josh’s childhood home with Grandma.

It isn’t long before Josh is acting weird and the strange sounds and happenings begin again.

The Good

  • Leigh Whannell [screenwriter], James Wan [director] along with original cast members Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey pick up right where they left off in the original.
  • If you liked Insidious, you’ll enjoy Insidious 2.
  • There are enough scares and creepy moments to satisfy fans.
  • When figures that shouldn’t be there are silently seen in the background.
  • The ending!

The Bad:

  • The use of humor feels more slapstick in this one.
  • The Black Bride Killer is creepy.
  • The Black Bride Killer’s mom is even scarier!

The Ugly:

  • Did I mention The Black Bride Killer?

Rating: 3 out of 5

Z-View: “Insidious”

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The Pitch: ”Hey, let’s make a really scary haunted house, possessed kid movie without the gore!

“Let’s do it!”

The Tagline:  “It’s not the house that’s haunted!”

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

Renai and Josh Lambert recently moved into a new home with their three young children. Strange noises and happenings begin to occur and their son, Dalton falls into a coma. Doctors at the hospital can find no reason for the coma. Months later Dalton (still in a coma) is moved back home.  When the supernatural events begin to intensify Renai and Josh move the family to a new house.

Almost immediately the strange happenings begin in the new home.  A psychic team is called in and it becomes clear that the house isn’t haunted… Dalton is!

The Good

  • Leigh [Saw] Whannell has created a story that puts a twist on the classic haunted house tale.  There are plenty of creepy moments and a few great scares!
  • Director James [Saw] Wan knows how to scare an audience!
  • Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Barbara Hershey do an excellent job as a normal family trying to figure out what is going on.
  • The fact that the family doesn’t wait too long before moving from what they perceive to be a haunted house.
  • There is just the right touch of comedy when the two paranormal researchers show up in the second half of the movie.
  • The ending!

The Bad:

  • How you’d feel moving away from a haunted house only to have the supernatural events continue to intensify in your new home.
  • The second half of the movie isn’t as scary, but is still a lot of fun!

The Ugly:

  • Traveling to the other side.
  • How you sound when you scream out loud at some of the scary parts.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Upgunned by David J. Schow / Z-View

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Upgunned by David J. Schow

Jacket design and illustration Tim Bradstreet

Elias McCabe is having one hell of a night:  He gets kidnapped at gunpoint by a professional hit man and is forced to shoot blackmail photos of a prominent politician.  Things go wrong with the shoot… very wrong.  When the night is over, Elias is scared to death … and ten thousand dollars richer.

If he keeps his mouth shut.

But he doesn’t — and now the hit man has targeted him for payback.

As a desperate amateur in the games of death, Elias is up against a seasoned pro.  As his entire life slides into the abyss, he has to stay alive by inventing new ways, moment-by-moment, to avoid, misdirect, and finally confront his ever-more-determined murderer as corpses and collateral damage stack up coast-to-coast in their wake.

The Good

  • Upgunned sucks you in from the first sentence and never let’s up.
  • The lead characters:  Initially I was having a tough time deciding whether I was pulling for Elias [the photographer forced to become an accessory to blackmail and murder] or Chambers [the hitman “forced” to kill everyone involved in the blackmail gone bad including his partners].
  • The supporting characters, especially “Cap” Weatherwax and the freaks at Salon [midgets, a spidergirl, a crocman, and others.]
  • Schow does his research — you’ll learn a lot about guns, Hollywood movie-making and more, but never at the expense of the action.
  • Tim Bradstreet’s jacket design and illustration and yes, that is Thomas Jane on the cover!
  • Ken Mitchrooney [a comic book buddy from way back] is thanked in the Acknowledgements.

The Bad:

  • Chambers – I was pulling for the hitman despite him killing so many people until he did something even worse.
  • What happens to Chambers that prevents him from killing Elias straight away.

The Ugly:

  • What happens to Chambers’ partners.
  • Walking in a dark room with your eyes wide open.

Upgunned is for mature audiences due to excessive violence and sexual situations. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

10 Serial Killers That are Still on the Run

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Listverse posted a piece called 10 More Evil Serial Killers That are Still on the Run.

I thought the Vending Machine Killer was creepy…

At least 10 people were killed by the strange series of murders… The killer poisoned dozens of bottles of juice and soda and hid them in vending machines… dispensing chute(s). When someone bought a drink they would end up with two bottles and accept the unexpected drink as a stroke of luck. After a few mouthfuls, nausea would set in. After a day or two, breathing would stop. On top of the 10 dead, at least 35 people were poisoned but survived. Media coverage of the crimes was accused of inspiring copycats, one of whom left poisoned milk in schools…

Then I read about the Daytona Beach Killer.  An uncaught serial killer in my hometown trumps an uncaught serial killer anywhere else.

Jonathan Maberry and his Action/Horror Novels

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If you’re not a fan of Jonathan Maberry, it just means you haven’t read any of his action/horror novels.

The Big Thrill has a nice interview with Jonathan Maberry.  My guess is if you’re already a Maberry fan, you’ll really enjoy it.  If you’re not a fan, there’s a good chance that once you read the interview, you will be.