Resident Evil: Afterlife attempts to take the series back to basics and delivers a campy action film that has fun with the material. In this chapter Alice searches for Claire and her group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse, which were headed for Alaska looking for the infection free zone Arcadia. Wentworth Miller joins the series and gives a strong performance, and the over-the-top action scenes are quite impressive, and bring a lot of energy to the film. However, things start to fall apart in the last act as the story goes off in some bizarre directions. Yet for a cheesy horror film, Resident Evil: Afterlife is pretty entertaining.
The zombie apocalypse goes global in Resident Evil: Extinction. The story picks up a few years after the T-Virus was unleashed, and finds Alice and a ragtag group of survivors navigating a post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by the undead. Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, and Ali Larter form a strong cast that’s able to carry the material fairly well. Additionally, the film has a good pace that keeps the action exciting and intense. However, the plot becomes a little unhinged at the end and takes the series in a strange direction. Resident Evil: Extinction is another solid entry into the series, but it’s beginning to get a bit too convoluted.
Exciting and action-packed, Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a non-stop thrill ride. Picking up where the last film left off, the story follows the outbreak of the T-virus in Raccoon City and Alice’s attempt to lead a group of survivors out to safety. Milla Jovovich returns and gives another solid performance, and is joined by Sienna Guillory and Oded Fehr, who both bring a lot of energy to the film. There are a few storytelling issues, as both the opening and the ending of the film are rushed, but the action is solid; delivering high-energy fights and shootouts. While Resident Evil: Apocalypse has some problems, overall it’s a fun and entertaining action/horror film that expands the series.
Based on the popular video game, Resident Evil is a fun and thrilling action/horror film. When a biological accident contaminates a secret underground laboratory a rescue team is sent in to regain control of the site. Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez give excellent performances, and prove to be strong, capable action stars. The special effects are also pretty good, and the story has a solid pace; as the team moves from level to level and faces new obstacles. Frightfully entertaining, Resident Evil delivers a number of chills and thrills.
Shutter revives the Stephen King, George A. Romero horror anthology Creepshow as a limited 6-episode television series. Season 1 features 12 stories (2 per episode) of werewolves, ghosts, monsters, and cursed objects. And a number of big name actors guest star, including Tobin Bell, Jeffrey Combs, DJ Qualls, Tricia Helfer, and David Arquette. Additionally, several members of the cast and crew from the original films return to contribute, such as Stephen King, Tom Savini, and Adrienne Barbeau; making for a nice passing of the torch/seal of approval. Also, the comic book motif from the original film is brought back and used especially well to transition between and set-up each story. However, some the CGI effects aren’t so good and a couple of the stories fall flat. Still, overall Season 1 of Creepshow recaptures the macabre humor and fiendish chills of the cult film.
Micki, Ryan, and Jack continue searching for cursed antiques into a second season of Friday the 13th: The Series. This season the objects have more of a historical connection, John Wilkes Booth’s makeup case, King Louis XVI’s handkerchief, Jack the Ripper’s syringe, and they do a follow-up episode to an object that got away last season. Also, the show is sexed up a bit, with Micki and Ryan having several torrid affairs and one-night stands (often resulting in death per Friday the 13th rules). Additionally, the backstories of the main characters are explored more and a new recurring character is introduced who helps them recover items. Plus, several interesting guest stars are featuring, including popstar sensation Vanity. Still, some of the curses are overly convoluted and the continuity in some of the episodes is pretty loose. Yet while it has its ups and downs, Friday the 13th: The Series delivers a solid second season.
From McG and Netflix comes the fun horror-comedy The Babysitter. When Cole stays awake to see what his babysitter does after he goes to bed he accidentally witnesses her and her friends committing a satanic ritual, and soon finds himself being hunted by them. Samara Weaving gives an excellent performance and makes for a compelling villain that’s both beautiful and diabolically evil. And Judah Lewis is also pretty good (as child actors go), coming off as a smart, likable kid that audiences want to root for. Additionally, the film balances the comedy and horror quite well, in a tongue-in-check way. Still, some of it comes off as a little too cartoonish, and the gross-out humor doesn’t quite fit. Yet despite having a few issues, The Babysitter delivers wicked laughs and entertaining thrills.
A bizarre mystery thriller (maybe?), Paradise Hills is an incoherent mess. The story follows a group of young women who are sent to a therapy resort but soon become suspicious of the “therapy” and begin to plan an escape. Featuring Emma Roberts, Eiza González, and Milla Jovovich, the cast isn’t too bad; though their performances are a bit wanting. And the plot is hard to follow, setting itself in a dystopian future or alternate reality, mixing sci-fi and fantasy. Still, the set and costume designs are rather interesting and makes for a number of visually stunning scenes. Somewhere in all of this there’s a message about conformity and power structures, but it’s muddled. Paradise Hills is just a poorly made film that puts too much emphasis on artistic style and not enough on storytelling.
Top Gun is a riveting action film from director Tony Scott. The story follows a hot shot Navy pilot who’s sent to an elite fighter school to learn aerial combat tactics. Starring Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Michael Ironside, the cast is pretty good. But the real stars of the film are the F-14 fighter jets, and Scott does an excellent job at capturing the intensity and excitement of the aerial maneuvers. The soundtrack is also especially well-done, and features such hit songs as “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away.” Adrenaline packed and incredible entertaining, Top Gun is an iconic ‘80s action film.
From Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay comes the explosive action-packed thriller The Rock. When a group of rogue marines capture Alcatraz and threaten to launch a chemical strike on San Francisco, the FBI calls upon the one man who successfully escaped the prison to lead a group of Navy SEALs back in. The film has an outstanding cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn, and Tony Todd, who all deliver great performances. And, Michael Bay does a fantastic job at crafting intense, exciting action scenes that draw the audience into the film. Additionally, the score brilliantly complements the electrifying and fast-paced action. The Rock is a great action film that comes together to deliver a wildly entertaining adventure.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is...Commando. When the daughter of retired Special Forces commander John Matrix is kidnapped by a deposed dictator he must take on an army in order to get her back. Newcomer Alyssa Milano delivers a strong performance, especially for a child actor, and has a good chemistry with Schwarzenegger. This is the quintessential one-man army ‘80s action film, delivering a ton of fight scenes and explosions. Commando may be a bit of a clichéd and cheesy action film, but in all the right ways, which makes it immensely fun and entertaining.
Tom Cruise returns in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, an action-packed crime thriller. Based on Lee Child’s bestselling novel, the story follows former Army investigator Jack Reacher as he stumbles upon a plot to frame a contact of his for murder and espionage. Cobie Smulder co-stars and delivers a strong performance, and Robert Knepper makes for a captivating villain (as usual). Additionally, the fight choreography is especially good, providing a number of really intense action scenes. But the story is a little convoluted and clichéd at times. Also, Reacher isn’t that sympathetic a character. Yet while it has its problems and is kind of generic, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is an incredibly exciting and entertaining action film.
Tom Cruise brings Lee Child’s signature character to the big screen in Jack Reacher. Based on the novel One Shot, former Army investigator Jack Reacher is called upon by the suspect of a public shooting, and Reacher soon discovers that there’s more to the shooting than anyone realizes. Cruise delivers a strong performance that’s energetic and witty. However, there are some pacing and script issues. But the action scenes are well-done and add a lot of excitement and intensity to the film. While it has few problems, Jack Reacher is a solid thriller with a compelling and suspenseful mystery.
“I will die for these animals.” Grizzly Man is a powerful documentary from Werner Herzog about Timothy Treadwell, a liberal activist who went to the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve to protect grizzly bears, and ended up being killed and eaten by them. Through Treadwell’s own footage the film shows his descent into madness as he loses touch with reality and rejects human society. Yet Herzog remains largely nonjudgmental, and contextualizes the Treadwell tragedy through interviews with his associates and colleagues. Incredibly fascinating, Grizzly Man is an ironic tale of a man’s passion consuming him.
Revenge of the Electric Car is a rather pedantic documentary that stretches for material. The film follows the re-emergence of electric car technology in the wake of the 2006 abandonment of the GM EV1. When the electric car appeared to have lost the fight to be the alternative energy vehicle of the future, Tesla Motors rises to prominence along with the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf. While the film documents an interesting chapter in the quest for alternative energy vehicles, there’s not enough material or distance to objectively analyze the situation. A lot of it is just PR for the car companies, which hurts the “documentary” aspect of the film. Revenge of the Electric Car is vastly inferior to the much more compelling original, Who Killed the Electric Car?, but it still manages to explore some interesting topics.
A revealing documentary, Addicted to Sexting takes a look at the modern trend of sending and sharing sexually explicit material through social-media. Several adult industry performers, comedians, psychologists, and various others discuss the sexting culture, its prevalence, etiquette, differing styles, and the media platforms that are used. The potential dangers and consequences of messages and images getting publicly released are also addressed. Plus, the social impact of more open and free communication about sexuality is talked about, as is the history of the sexualization of technology. Yet as fascinating as this all is, the film has pacing issues; stretching out some of the material to fill time. And at times it tries to be a bit too lighthearted; the comedians in particular are really hit-and-miss with their jokes. Addicted to Sexting explores one of the more intriguing aspects of today’s social-media lifestyle, but it doesn’t really go into much depth or have that great an insight on the subject.
An incredibly revealing documentary, FahrenHYPE 9/11 exposes the lies and deceptions of Michael Moore’s anti-Bush propaganda film Fahrenheit 9/11. The filmmakers interview a number of political analysts who discuss the misleading statements and factual inaccuracies presented by Moore about the War on Terror and President George W. Bush. Additionally, several people that appeared in Fahrenheit 9/11 talk about how their interviews were manipulated and taken out of context. The narrative kind jumps around a bit, seemly going from topic to topic at random, and the interviews lack a consistent visual style; with some being in-studio while others are more man-on-the-street. Yet it’s quite fascinating, and disturbing, to see how slick editing tricks were used to completely distort the truth and how many blatant lies were presented in the supposed “documentary” Fahrenheit 9/11. FahrenHYPE 9/11 has some weaknesses, but on the whole it makes a pretty convincing case against Moore and his unethical filmmaking practices.
A hard hitting, fact based documentary, Celsius 41.11 examines the anti-Bush movement as well as several of the controversies that surround 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry. It begins by analyzing the charges made against President George W. Bush, such as stealing Florida and voter suppression in the 2000 election, and lying about WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) in Iraq. The film then examines Sen. John Kerry and the criticisms levied against him about his Vietnam service and anti-war activities, and his history of “flip-flopping” on national defense issues. A number of experts and political commentators are interviewed and offer rather astute analyses. However, the production values are kind of weak and the narrative is a little uneven; lacking a cohesive throughline tying everything together. Still, while it has some rough edges, Celsius 41.11 presents a compelling (and rational) defense against the liberal conspiracies that are inflaming political divisiveness.
Robert Duvall leads the cast in the rather pointless and disappointing western A Night in Old Mexico. After losing his Texas ranch Red Bovie heads for Mexico for a wild night of debauchery and takes his estranged grandson in tow. The acting is poor, and even Duvall doesn’t put forth much effort. The writing is also quite bad; as the plot is all over the place and the characters aren’t very interesting. The film tries to come through with a message about family and honor, but it isn’t told very well. Unfortunately, A Night in Old Mexico isn’t able to find a clear focus and ends up being a jumbled mess that doesn’t work.
“You’ve done terrible things.” Director Joe Johnston remakes the classic Universal Monster Movie The Wolfman as an ultraviolent horror film. After the death of his brother Lawrence Talbot returns to his family’s estate and vows to kill the creature responsible, but during his pursuit he’s bitten by a werewolf and becomes an unholy monster. Benicio Del Toro is horribly miscast as Talbot, and Anthony Hopkins’ performance is completely phoned in. The gratuitous violence is also a problem, and makes it hard to view Talbot as a sympathetic victim. An ugly and soulless adaptation, The Wolfman is exploitative garbage.
Universal’s first attempt at a werewolf series, Werewolf of London, delivers some scares but lacks compelling characters. The story follows a botanist who contracts a werewolf bite while searching for a rare flower in Tibet, and upon his return to London he’s told that he’ll turn into a ravenous werewolf unless he’s able to cultivate the Tibetan flower into an antidote. Unfortunately, the characters are poorly developed (particularly the protagonist Dr. Glendon), and thus it’s hard to get invested in their fates. However, the wolf make-up is pretty good, creating a frightening, demonic creature. While there’s a lot of exciting action and some intense scenes, overall Werewolf of London feels rather bland.
More of a murder mystery than a monster movie, She-Wolf of London is only mildly suspenseful and doesn’t deliver any scares. After a series of animal attacks by a “She-Wolf,” Phyllis Allenby begins to believe that her family’s curse is real and that she is the werewolf behind the murders. June Lockhart leads the cast and gives a strong performance that sells her intense fear and concern for her family. But it’s pretty clear that the film isn’t interested in a female wolf, as it shies away from showing the murderers or any kind of transformation. So instead there’s a lot of melodrama with Phyllis pushing away her aunt and her fiancé, and them trying to convince her that the werewolf curse is a silly superstition. Uneven and poorly paced, She-Wolf of London promises one kind of movie but delivers another.
The Lon Chaney, Jr. classic Universal Monster Movie The Wolf Man is a provocative tale of a man’s struggle against fate. While courting a young shopkeeper Larry Talbot is attacked by a werewolf, and is told by gypsies that he has taken on the werewolf curse and will become a killer. Co-starring Claude Rains and Bela Lugosi, the film has a strong cast. But the script is weak, and does a poor job of showing Talbot’s struggle to come to terms with his affliction. And, Chaney too has difficulty bringing depth to the Talbot character. Still, the make-up effects are quite good, and the score is able to create an impressive atmosphere mood. While it has some flaws, at its core The Wolf Man is a compelling and frightful film.
Delivering nonstop laughs, The Final Girls is a hilarious and witty horror-comedy. When the daughter of an ‘80s scream queen attends a screening of her mother’s cult horror film “Camp Bloodbath,” she ends up getting transported into the film. The script is incredibly well-written and does a great job at satirizing the tropes and clichés of ‘80s slasher films (particularly Friday the 13th). The film also really captures the look and feel of an ‘80s slasher. However, some of the performances are a little weak, and the setup that gets the daughter to the theater screening is a little clumsy. Still, The Final Girls is a lot of fun and a clever spoof of the genre.
The backstory behind the creation and popularity of George A. Romero’s groundbreaking cult hit Night of the Living Dead is explored in the documentary Birth of the Living Dead. The film looks at Romero’s early career in commercials and at how he came up with the idea behind Night of the Living Dead. His guerrilla filmmaking style is also discussed, along with how he marketed the film in order to get it distributed in grindhouse theatres. And, historians and other experts look at the counterculture movement of the late ‘60s and at how it influenced Romero’s work. Additional, the film reviews Night of the Living Dead's cinematic journey, from drive-in theatres to European art houses to the public domain, and how it continually increased in popularity and won over audiences and critics alike. Extraordinarily informative and comprehensive, Birth of the Living Dead is the definitive word on Romero’s seminal zombie classic.
Corny and incredibly dumb, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave is a monotonous horror-comedy that overdoes the comedy. A pseudo-sequel to Necropolis, the story follows a group of college kids who discover a barrel of Trioxin and (mistaking it for ecstasy) turn it into a street drug that causes zombieism. The series continuity issues are glaring and the switch to a comedic tone doesn’t really work. Delivering neither scares nor laughs, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave is a pointless entry into the franchise.
Complete and utter garbage, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis is generic horror tripe. The story is idiotic, there’s not a decent performance among the cast, and the production values are awful. It’s pretty clear that the film is using the title “Return of the Living Dead” in name only, as it doesn’t follow the style or continuity of the series. The zombie action isn’t that bad, but the story is so pointless that it doesn’t really matter. Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis just screams low-budget horror, and on that count it doesn’t disappoint.
Returning to the dark tone of the original, Return of the Living Dead III brings back the gore and violence. The story follows the son of an Army base commander as he uses a barrel of Trioxin to resurrect his girlfriend after she dies in a motorcycle accident, but before long the hunger for flesh starts to overtake her. The acting is universally bad and makes it hard to get into the film. However, the prosthetic work is pretty good and creates some ghoulish looking undead. An intriguing chapter in the series, Return of the Living Dead III has some interesting ideas but it fails in the execution.
Return of the Living Dead Part II isn’t so much a sequel as a remake. Once again barrels of Trioxin are discovered and opened in a small community, resulting in the reanimation of the dead. The plot hits the same beats and recreates some of the same scenes of the original, only in slightly different ways. The tone however, is way too jokey and slapstickish. Some of it’s funny (if for no other reason than how crazy it is), but most of it’s idiotic schlock. Missing the darkness and clever satire of the original, Return of the Living Dead Part II is uninspired tripe.
“Do you wanna party?!” The Return of the Living Dead is a fun and terrifying horror/comedy that’s wildly entertaining. When a hazmat container from the original “Night of the Living Dead” incident is accidentally shipped to a medical warehouse and opened another outbreak of zombies occurs. Most of the special effect hold up and are quite horrific (in a campy ‘80s way). And, the soundtrack and the score are remarkably good; enhancing the film’s terror and its comedy. An outlandish and clever satire, The Return of the Living Dead delivers frightening thrills.
