This is an animated sci-fi comedy featuring Chode McBlob, a purple outlaw space captain, and his crew as they adventure throughout space. His crew consists of Six, the ship's science officer and Chode's sex robot, T'Nuk, the ship's pilot and cook, Gus, the ship's butler and engineer, Whip, the ship's foreman, and Bob, the ship's AI. Chode and his crew are a for-hire crew whose jobs could range from smuggling to mercenary work to being a legitimate curior, but they frequently take time away from paying work to chase after get-rich-quick schemes.
The show's comedy revolves mainly around sex. In addition to sex jokes, there are many references to other science fiction series throughout the show including but not limited to Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Battlestar Galactica. It also has references to many other novels, movies, and television series in other genres. Other humor involves body humor, puns, wordplay, relationship humor, dysfunctional family humor, and insult humor.
Overall, it's a fun 20 minute cartoon that works perfectly for watching right before bed or to have on in the background when doing something else.
Favorite season so far! Honestly, I would have loved 40-60 episodes, expanding on the political machinations and other nations, but I'm glad we got what we have!
Black Christmas is what happens when a director decides to make a slasher but also decides to make a good movie.
Each character has a purpose. By that, I don't mean simply to drive the plot along. Each character is a person, and they each have their own unique personalities and motivations. Barb isn't just the drunk and morally abrasive stereotype; she's driven by her jealousy and likely by issues from her childhood. Each character feels about as deep as her, at the least.
The only character who isn't fully explained is Billy, and that's for the best. Billy isn't a character we want explained, and it only drives the horror deeper that he isn't.
This should be on every horror fan's Christmas playlist.
It's about what I'd expect. It's silly and cheesy, and as such, only watch if you don't want to take it seriously. There are extended fart jokes and 'teen slang' jokes. Sometimes these can be funny, but this movie handles them in a lazy way. Freddie Prinze is a miscast, but Lillard, Cardellini, Atkinson, and Gellar all work or excel as their characters. The writing is subpar, the story is disjointed, and the characters feel watered down. Maybe they're just too tame.
Either way, this movie isn't exactly a waste of time, but don't be concerned about falling asleep and missing something, and I definitely cannot recommend paying for it above the level of a dollar or two.
The actual comedy in this show isn't always stellar. It's not incredibly unique. What makes this special worth watching is the 'real' parts of the show. Neal dives into some really deep subjects and it makes the viewer think. This special isn't just a comedy show, it's a real life story with ups and downs and cuts and notes. If you're looking for traditional comedy, it might be best to avoid this, but if you liked Bo Burnham's Make Happy, you'll probably like this.
It really feels like Kon found the silliest concept he could still make a serious love story with and went for it. It definitely worked, as the movie is entertaining, but it is certainly different. The story is unique and is certainly worth a watch for the gimmick (if you want to call it that) alone, but the story is also quite moving.
Overall, like I said, the concept seems silly on paper, but it really does work and does add some emotional heaviness throughout.
This short is worth its time, even if just for the animation style alone.
The Backwater Gospel is a cutting horror-satire pointed at organized religion and the hypocrisy which often lies within. In a town full of 'religious' folk, there's one who isn't. The attempt to exercise that lone individual from their happy, peaceful town leads directly to the consequence the town was hoping to avoid the most.
The animation is top-notch, there's lots of gore, lots of symbolism, and even a catchy folk song. This short is really only lacking in duration, but that's part of what makes it such a powerful piece.
Give this one a gander when you get the chance.
The Addiction is one of the more thoughtful films about vampirism available today.
While the film is incredibly thoughtful, with loads of subtext at every corner, it borders, and sometimes crosses into, pretention. There are times where the narration is attempting to add subtext, but it's so heavy-handed that the film loses sight of the fact it's a horror film. I'd argue it's thought piece first and horror film second, honestly. Maybe that makes it even more frightening.
Christopher Walken is wonderful, and Lili Taylor does a fine job, as well. The choice to shoot the film in black and white was a great idea, as well. There's a real focus placed on the ideas the film is pursuing.
Even though the subject of the horror in this film are vampires, the movie is truly describing humanity.
Macabre is a constantly flowing, dialog-free short with a very interesting art style and an underrated plot.
Without diving too much into the plot to avoid spoilers, this dark and heavy, animated short is all about endurance, transformation, and maybe even escape. Even just for the visuals alone, it's worth the twenty minutes it takes from your day.
The lack of dialog really puts the focus on the actions of the film, and every minor detail stands out because there is no dialog to trick you into thinking you can look away for a moment, not that you'd want to.
While I can't say this is the easiest short to follow, which is likely by design and is basically just not slapping the viewer in the face with the story as some dialog-free shorts tend to do, it's short and fun enough to to be viewed a few times over.
The Babysitter is a fun, over-the-top horror/comedy, which will have very polarizing opinions, depending on the viewer.
I'm quite sure The Babysitter has some deep flaws. There are certainly some issues with the logic, probably anyway. Maybe the characters are a little one-note. The thing is, I was having way too much fun to care.
From the comic-book text overlays to the major twists and turns to the child-engineering-prodigy trope to the humor-gore, I really, thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
The tone started off as a comedy/coming-of-age story, but when it decided to delve into horror, it really delved into horror. It kept some of the comedic and coming-of-age elements, but from the first instance of horror on, it was without a doubt a horror movie, just a dang fun one.
I'd imagine this is a rather polarizing film. Either people will love some of the wackiness, or they'll feel it gets in the way of what The Babysitter could be. From some people, there will be eye-rolling and snickering, and from others, there will be belly laughs and big smiles.
I highly recommend checking it out, but don't go in expecting a serious movie, or you'll be rather disappointed.
Dracula, or Horror of Dracula, is a pretty by-the-numbers Dracula film.
This one, in particular, focuses on Dr. Van Helsing, giving the titular character very few scenes. Regardless, the acting is effective in most of the main characters, including Dracula himself.
This film doesn't stretch the lore of Dracula much, rather just producing a solid film within the already-crafted confines, which works well enough. While it's not groundbreaking, it's not bad, either, which is a very good thing.
Overall, it's a touch of a drag, but the solid score brings the viewer right back into the action, which is a nice touch on most of these older movies.
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a fairly straight-forward horror film, but even sixty-five years later, it still works.
The movie plays on the fear of the unknown creature. Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, there might be some kind of ancient, half-fish-half-man horror that sets out to kill all humans who come into its territory. Maybe it even wants to steal away the women to continue living. That's a scary thought, in and of itself.
When you add that to the movie's best quality, the score, it makes for some truly chilling, truly tense scenes. The whole film is well done, especially for 1954. The set design is fully believable, and the acting is solid all around. Julie Adams specifically does a great job. Even gill-man's costume was relatively well done, especially for the time.
Night of the Creeps is a fantastic movie to watch in many different situations: with friends, at a sleepover, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the day, and so many more.
It's an easy to watch flick, and it contains the right balance of horror elements, gore, campiness, humor, and absurdity to make each viewing as enjoyable as the last. It's got a touch of body-stealing aliens, a touch of zombies, a touch of traditional serial killer, all mixed with all the fun that can come from being placed in a sorority house.
Sure, it's not downright frightening, and it's not necessarily an utterly funny movie like a comedy, but the balance it strikes between the two is where the beauty shines through.
Rites of Vengeance is a dialog-free revenge short, and that's mainly what it is.
This short feels like it would be cathartic to many who may relate too well to the concept of the film. Other than that, I didn't see a lot of depth from the film. There's not a lot of extra themes going on, but I'm not sure it needs more going on. It's five minutes of cathartic revenge directed at an office that has caused many, many people pain, and sometimes, even for those who can't directly relate due to not having gone through the trauma, that cathartic revenge being released into the ether can be an enjoyable five minutes.
The best way to describe Chupacabra Terror is it's a film. There's nothing really wrong with being just a film, but there's not a ton right with it either.
John Rhys-Davies is a bunch of fun, and I actually really like the chupacabra costume. Overall, the acting is mostly fine, which is a good plus if the movie isn't going for straight cheese. The blood and gore effects are about what you'd expect from a low-budget, circa-2005 film, but that certainly doesn't get in the way of the general enjoyment.
I don't think the doctor, played by Giancarlo Esposito, is written all that well, and there are some inconsistencies surrounding his actions. There's also something off about Chelan Simmons' Jenny character. I'm not sure if it's acting, writing, or some mix. There are also a few weird bits as to how the chupacabra is handled in general. There are some intentional morons on the ship, which function as one-note plot devices, and I'm not sure they're needed.
All in all, it's a standard made-for-TV movie; it will entertain well enough, but don't go in expecting something incredible.
Dédalo is a sci-fi horror short out of Portugal. It leans pretty heavily on alien horror, which is something I tend to enjoy.
The set, props, and lighting are well done, especially for a short, which adds a ton to the enjoyability of the film. Some of the gore and the alien suit itself are a little lacking, but it's not so bad that it completely breaks the tension.
The main character's acting is fine, and the emotions on her face really sell the story. The movements of the alien, on the other hand? Well, they're pretty cheesy.
With a tension-filled short like this, the slightest bit of cheese basically erases the tension, which means the alien's movements, especially immediately after the climax, drain the entire short of it's sticking power, rendering the ending fairly neutral instead of the emotions the director is attempting to get across.
That being said, most of the execution and the idea itself of a man-eating yet still man-like alien hunting the only remaining crew member of a space ship are both solid, and if you've got ten minutes, you could certainly do worse than Dédalo.
The Urge is a psychological horror film that isolates the feeling of addiction and gives it some horrible consequences.
Gillian MacGregor plays the office worker who is psychologically tormented by her addiction, her urge, to her cigarettes. The entire six minutes of the film show the rising struggle she has to keep her urges under control.
Sometimes, as witnessed in the film, those urges take on a mind of their own and leave some dastardly consequences.
The film is meant to be a metaphor, but six minutes may have been a touch too long or a touch too short. In a 3-5 minute short film, you can condense the rising aggravation to show the absurdity of an addiction and how quickly those urges overtake a person, and in a 12-15 minute short film, you can explore a more gradual rise and a stronger, more terrifying falloff.
It's definitely unique, but as it stands, The Urge leaves me unsatisfied, wanting a little more.
Lights Out (2013) is a very short horror film which immediately plays off of humanity's fear of the dark.
In three short minutes, director David Sandberg created a fantastic horror short. He took a singular premise, fear of the dark, and created a grueling three minutes of tension without a single line of dialogue.
There isn't much to say about a film that only lasts three minutes other than my heart was pumping for almost all of it.
The beauty of this film is its duration. We have no time to find anything out, but that's okay. The movie is about being afraid of what runs around with the lights off. We don't have to know the history of the creature, nor do we need to know a thing about the victim.
This is one of those movies that could give your child nightmares for weeks before you even knew they were watching it.
I Want You Inside Me is a modern twist on a horror classic. The film is a great take on the idea of a vagina dentata, at least in a loose sense.
Our protagonist's first boyfriend disappears after the pair have sex in a cave. He keeps trying to call her, but something interferes with the sound. We don't really find out what happens until our protagonist moves on.
The whole thing could be looked at as a metaphor about giving in to your desires in case you'll be fully consumed.
He Took His Skin Off for Me is an incredibly strange film. The premise of the movie is exactly the title and the following fallout.
I suppose it is body horror, of a sort. Really, it's a strong metaphor about relationships, about love, and about sacrifice. In its runtime of eleven minutes, the movie dances on the line of what will be the last straw before the man who took the skin off of his body for his significant other puts his skin back on and leaves. We see struggles and frustrations.
In the end, what the author of the short story, Maria Hummer, and the director, Ben Aston, wanted to say about relationships.
All in all, using such an extreme body horror technique to illustrate such a tender metaphor is unique, to say the least.
Black Sunday is a black and white gothic horror film focused on the revenge plot of an executed plot and the people trying to stop her.
The plot itself is fine. It's nothing extra special, but it facilitates the movie well enough. The characters and many of the other general building blocks of the film are also fine. So why is this movie worth watching?
Well, the director, Mario Bava, does a stellar job of setting the scene. The soundtrack to the movie is spectacular. The black and white really aides to the atmosphere, as does the cinematography. The cinematography, in particular, is outstanding. The film relies on a wonderful selection of long shots. There are many shots where the length doesn't particularly add to the story, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere and overall creepiness of the movie. The film also includes some fairly gruesome scenes, nothing quite like a splatter film, though. The scenes are well placed and add to the experience rather than become the focus themselves.
All in all, if you're after a great atmospheric horror film and don't care much about a plot or characters, you may find yourself enjoying Black Sunday.
Sisters tries really hard. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler certainly have chemistry and some of the best moments of the movie come from that chemistry. Still, the film falls flat on its face more than once.
The movie is mostly cringe humor. It's filled with one character or another doing something embarrassing. While this can be done really well if used correctly, Sisters seems to hit everything with the cringe hammer until it cries.
This isn't really expected, and neither is the abundant use of bodily and sexual humor. There are some great moments in the movie relating to these, as well.
The real issue with the movie is it feels like the writers went at it with a list of "funny" situations and tried to fit them all into a loose theme. Throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks inevitably means there will be a bunch of junk laying on the floor.
A religious conspiracy theory, at best. The cinematography is nonexistent. It's really worse than that. The narrator, Trey Smith, who is also the writer, director, and everything else, is about six inches from the camera, covering the entire right-hand side of the screen. The other half is a semi-random set of images and short videos. The narrator's voice is extremely nasally.
Ultimately, it's probably more 'information' than old-school History Channel documentaries, but the quality of what is shown is way lower than those. The theories he talks about are somewhat interesting, but I do feel that the video could be half as long and get the same point across.
The movie is just three episodes stitched together into a loose narrative. There are some extra scenes, which aren't bad, but this is an extended clip show at best and a blatant cash grab at worst. It actually changes some of the plot points from the episodes it uses as a base in order to change the narrative. The added scenes really don't add enough to call this a movie.
In all honesty, this is best used to scratch the itch of wanting to watch the show a year after you finish the series, not the day after. Either way, I wouldn't recommend paying money for this alone, but if you have access to it, it's probably worth a watch after you give yourself some time away from the show.
