Willow Creek, Bobcat, and Another Hole in the Head

I'm very happy that I get to say I'll be attending Another Hole in the Head this year and tonight at the Balbo Theatre they are screening "Willow Creek" along with a couple other films I rudely forgot.

"Willow Creek" is a found footage film about a couple finding bigfoot, this is all I know as I've been avoiding anything that has to do with this movie, not because I think it will be bad but because I think it's going to be awesome.

What makes tonight's screening of the film even better is the fact that Bobcat Goldthwait with be doing a Q&A. I am very excited for tonight but I'm also excited for some free time on Sunday, I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog...

Entity (the one without Slenderman)

2 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Entity" (2012, UK)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

The Great Hornito - "It was a pretty generic found footage movie. I was entertained during the movie but I'm not sure if I ever want to see it again." - 3 Stars

Huntress - "This was a mildly entertaining venture with hollow characters and an anticlimactic story." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "The half found footage aspect lost me and I soon found myself struggling to stay focused, It didn't help that not 1 character was interesting." - 2 1/2 Stars

Ice Giant - "My rating is a little unfair because I thought it was a Slenderman movie and was disappointed waiting for him to appear." - 2 1/2 Stars

Bug - "The movie wasn't really what I expected, and the characters weren't all that interesting. The idea was an okay one anyway." - 3 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The trailer for this film is surprisingly good, watching it almost made me want to see the movie again. The main problem with "Entity" was it's slow-burn pace with a majorly lacking story. The other issue our particular screening had was we screened this film because Ice Giant said it was about Slenderman and since I have never read any of the short stories pertaining to him, I was very interested. This was a pretty bad mix up since "Entity" not only shares a name with the film we meant to see but it also could be argued that it too is loosely based on Slenderman, well at least while you are watching the film expecting him to show up.

Overall this film wasn't terrible, it was just kinda boring. 

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Series 7: The Contenders and a Brief Rant on Reality TV

4 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Series 7: The Contenders" (2001, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Brewha - "Good concept, definitely ahead of it's time." - 4 Stars

Huntress - "An uncanny parody that does reality tv better than it does itself." - 5 Stars

Lord Battle - "An awesome example of how much "Hollywood" is in Reality Television." - 4 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Felt like a real TV show. Paved the way for Tru TV." - 4 Stars

Ice Giant - "Series 7 tries to make it kinda lighthearted but its basically a movie about anyone's number being up saying you can go at anytime anyway and you wont see it coming... Made me think about my own mortality and depressed the fuck out of me, had some entertainment value but overall was just sad to me." - 2 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Back in the year 2001, "Survivor Season 2: The Australian Outback" aired and 45 million viewers tuned in to watch it. This was the highest rated episode of Survivor to date and also one of the first examples of the power of Reality TV, and despite the numbers Survivor drew TV stations were still not convinced Reality TV was here to stay.
 I find it pretty amazing that a film like "Series 7: The Contenders" isn't more celebrated, it really has a lot to offer. What I wrote about in my quote was the fact that Series 7 showed the Hollywood aspect of Reality TV, I'm referring to the last act where the production company sends in Will Arnett to spin an ending which is  more viewer friendly (this does not count as a spoiler so you better still watch this film!). Series 7 is Will Arnett's first real film and at the time he fit the role of narrator/host perfectly but now looking back on the film he is perfect. Will Arnett has become known for his roles playing pretty faced, lacking in morals corporate characters (Gob, Bret Wilts, John Solomon), so when he shows up at the end of Series 7 he is practically dripping evil.

 Q: Is truTV a reality network?
A: No. Our focus is on series that feature real-life situations. That is why we're using the theme "Not Reality. Actuality." for the network. The goal is to let people know that truTV programming is different from typical reality shows, which often involve contests or other highly staged events.
(The above was taken from truTV's faq on their website)

I could talk about Reality TV all day but this film has a lot more to offer. Ice Giant brought up another interesting theme the film had to offer, why it made him dislike the movie I don't understand. The fact is this is an important film and everyone that reads this blog should see it at least once.

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

The Overlook Theatre will be Participating in 25 Days of Shitmas

I am very excited to announce that we will be contributing to Shit Movie Fest's 3rd Annual "25 Days of Shitmas". We will basically be reviewing a holiday film with many of the blogging elite,but seeing as I joined a bit late, many films have already been picked. From the films I could think of that were left, I narrowed it down to...

The first film is "Santa's Slay". Ice Giant suggested this film that stars Bill Goldberg (the WCW wrestler of course) as Santa who I'm guessing kills people on x-mas.

The second pick is "Hardware", a film that I've wanted to review for a while now. I saw it was on the list of films reviewed the 1st Shitmas and since I didn't remember "Hardware" taking place during the holidays I was very surprised and just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I plan on doing a double feature screening of the films so either way both will get an Overlook Theatre style review.

Also The Overlook Theatre has recently reached a modest 100 followers on Facebook and to celebrate, I'm giving away another couple of Ultra Violet codes. This time for "Hansel & Gretel" and "The Last Exorcism part II" To enter, just jump on Facebook and send The Overlook Theatre a message with your E-mail and which movie you want.

What do "A Clockwork Orange" & "Bronson" Have in Common?

They both have awesome shirts up for pre-order over at Pizza Party Printing. Pizza Party Printing is based out of Baltimore and I love everything they make, check them out here.

I have yet to see "Bronson" but this shirt is so awesome I want it anyway.

I plan on ordering this soon, easily the coolest "A Clockwork Orange" shirt ever.

I recently bought 6 shirts from these guys and they loaded the package up with 3 stickers, 3 patches (white, green, and purple), and a tote-bag ($10 value) all in a freaking pizza box (pictured below)!! If I ever make shirts for an event I will for sure be contacting Pizza Party Printing!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

5 of 6 viewers "Liked" "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "This movie surpassed my expectations by far. Leaps and bounds over the 1st one,catching fire was very close to perfect for me. I'm sure having Suzanne Collins as an exec producer helped." - 4 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "I liked the first film because of the action and the story was new to me. The second movie was a disappointment because it used the same tricks and scenes as the first but didn't have as much action. I also didn't have enough emotion invested in any of the characters to care about what happened to them. It seemed like there was more whining and crying then good action also Peeta almost dying every 5 min got annoying. The title of this flick should have been called "Catching Tears"." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "Johanna's a badass character and if I made this film she would have escaped from the dome and survived in the woods as a barbarian queen. Years later one of her wives is killed and she leads her savage army against the boring government and the earth drinks it's fill of their blood!" - 3 Stars

Johnny Ocelot - "Survival in the dystopian world again, it was exciting with a cool new arena scheme but I felt it was a little long." - 3 1/2 Stars

Huntress - "Little differences managed to make a pretty different movie out of the same idea. I'm glad it wasn't super preachy." - 3 Stars

Ice Giant - "Much better cast than the first one although they removed some small parts that would of fit and made the movie much better." - 4 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Because this was my personal favorite book in the Hunger Games series, and because I'm one of those people who lives for the midnight premiere, book to movie adaptations, going to see this movie was pretty much a guaranteed thing. I went into Catching Fire not wanting to have such high expectations because of the reputation of book to movie adaptations, but I can't deny that I really had my hopes set on this being a good film. Luckily for me, that was the case as this movie totally lived up to and blew away some of my expectations. Of course, because it was my favorite book from the series I had to sit in the theater and nitpick every little thing that wasn't in the book or was cut out, but disregarding some minor pieces didn't really ruin the experience for me. I noticed as I was watching the credits that they made Suzanne Collins, the author of the Hunger Games Trilogy, an executive producer, and I totally believe that that is the reason as to why this movie was as good as I believe it to be.

Of course, I am coming from a totally biased opinion as I am a teenage girl who loves dumb young adult novels like these ones (and yes I can say that includes the Twilight Saga) and so I was really interested in hearing what some of the other citizens had to say about the film. Of course they are all in a totally different demographic, movie and age wise, than I am, so that probably accounted for something too. But I have to say that every citizen had very valid arguments for each of their critiques. Lord Battle brought up how some of the things seemed to come up out of the blue, such as *SPOILER* how Plutarch was on the side of the rebels, or how Prim became such an experienced healer. I didn't really pay much mind to these things because I have read this book more times than I would like to admit, but looking back on it, I definitely think not expanding on the backstory for certain things could have hurt this film a lot.

All in all, there is a lot more I could say about Catching Fire, but Lord Battle is bugging me to go down and watch another screener with him as payment for dragging him to come and see this with me, and I feel like I have written too much already. The overall feel of the movie, the improved acting, and the very nice adaptation definitely made this movie a hit to me. I look forward to dragging the rest of my friends to come and watch it with me again!

- Book Wyrm

I'm going to start letting citizens wrap up films that they screen (or love). I obviously let Book Wyrm take the lead on this film as she dragged us out to the theater. All I had to say about this film is what I wrote above, I liked the character Johanna but I'd rather see her as a barbarian queen... Oh and I will always pick and make the poster!

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Full Moon Mystery Box vs Dread Central Box of Dread

Recently, I ordered 2 of the Full Moon mystery boxes, and they both happened to arrive on the same day as the monthly Box of Dread. First, I've opened the two Full Moon boxes, they run for $25 each.

I have to admit, I like the "Subspecies" (Left) and "Demonic Toys" (Middle) shirts a lot. But for $50+ this is pretty weak...

I have never heard of either of these films and I don't know if I'd even watch "Medieval Park" but The Great Hornito seems excited. "White Slave" seems more up my alley, but I've yet to see any of Full Moon's Grindhouse collection and I am a bit worried.

These are "Ghost Cards" perfect for playing cards in a haunted house. I actually wanted a new deck of cards so I thought this was pretty cool.

It's funny, I was planning on taking some film production classes next semester. Thanks to Charles Band I no longer need to!! I am of course totally joking, but I really am going to enjoy watching these 6 discs of secrets!

Above is what was in the monthly Box of Dread from Dread Central. The quality is much better than the Full Moon stuff and for $30 less...

I really like the stuff they sent from Horror Decor. Above is a magnet, a pen, and an awesome poster of the governors fish-tank zombie heads.

A very cool H.P. Lovecraft mouse pad is pictured underneath some Good Guy stickers.

Last but not least is a Walking Dead vinyl figure. I have a few of these already and always love to add to the collection.

Opening both packages up together made it pretty obvious, the Dread Central Box is way more exciting and rewarding for less money. I was really hoping the Full Moon boxes would be cool, especially because of all the crap going on with Band not giving credit to HomeMade Horror for the Ghoulies sculpt he's producing. I should have known from all the Youtube videos that the Full Moon boxes would suck... Oh well, live and learn.

James Wan Retires From the Horror Genre

(Leigh Whannell, James Wan)

James Wan recently had an interview with movie phone, where he said he is "Finished with the horror genre". His explanation: "I've spent the last ten years of my life doing this. It's time fore a change, for goodness sake!" followed by "Hollywood puts you in a box. If you do a successful comedy, then you're known as The Comedy Guy. If you do a successful car chase movie, then you become that guy. So I'm a student of cinema, so I just want to make sure I get the chance to make other kinds of films.".

James Wan is in the picture above sawing the arm of Leigh Whannell, better known as "Specs" from the "Insidious" films. This is pretty symbolic since Leigh has written all of the horror hits and misses James Wan has directed (with the big exception of "The Conjuring") and just a few days before James dropped his media bomb Leigh had his own. He has announced the release date for "Insidious Chapter 3" along with the fact that he will be writing it. I think this may be the classic story of one door shutting and another opening. In any case the horror community will be saying goodbye to James Wan. Hopefully he and Rob Zombie are just taking a break or playing a mean joke or something, because in the short time they have been filming horror films they have changed the game and horror will not be the same without them.

The release date for "Insidious 3" is April 3, 2015

Black Waters of Echo's Pond and the Death of Degrassi's Drake

5 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Black Waters of Echo's Pond" (2009, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "I think the whole idea of cursed game boards, like Jumanji, is really cool. I didn't mind the campiness of this. Really enjoyable." - 3 Stars

Huntress - "This felt like a horror take on Jumangi but you don't feel bad for the characters. Surprisingly gory and enjoyable." - 3 Stars

Lord Battle - "Campy, gory, and totally entertaining. A couple of genre stars & a ton of unlikable characters make for an exciting murder-fest." - 3 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "This movie felt like a modern "Teen scream" movie. Very campy and the death scenes were very satisfying. I've become a huge Danielle Harris fan cuz of this movie." - 3 1/2 Stars

Ice Giant - "An adult horror themed Jumanji made a great movie." - 4 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The Great Hornito picked up this film from Best Buy as an impulse buy. Neither of us had any idea this film was basically an evil Jumanji, but damn what a cool concept. The film is a little slow to get going but once the blood starts flowing you'll be pleasantly surprised. Another thing I found oddly entertaining about Black Waters was the constant plot overload, like every character has 1 scene where they have an awkward conversation that revels WAY too much back story. Normally this bothers me but this film did it so often, and the back story so rarely comes into play, that it comes off like a self-aware joke.

The star power this movie has is a bit of a tease as T-1000 is barely in the film (about 10% of it) and Danielle Harris is kind of a secondary character but she makes up for her lack of screen time by making out with a blonde. 

If all this makes you wonder why it got a modest 3 1/2 Stars it's basically because when the film isn't being self-aware and campy it tends to drag. I would not recommend a solo viewing, this was a lot of fun with the citizens but alone this film might be kinda brutal...

Plus you get to see Drake die.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Alien vs Predator or Reopening an Old Wound

2 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Alien vs Predator" (2004, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Huntress - "This was such an offensive god awful attempt to make classics modern, I could barely sit through it. This is one bad taste that won't soon fade." - 1/2 Star (Default to 1 Star)

Book Wyrm - "I think the movie had a cool concept, but was executed poorly. The predator was my favorite part, and I felt like the humans were unnecessary." - 2 1/2 Stars

Lord Battle - "It's hard to ruin a film that features both Giger's Aliens & Stan Winston's Predator. I would have made this film from a predators perspective. My version would start with him kidnapping a human to sacrifice to the alien shrine, then he would fight his way out. The film would be very minimal dialogue and a million times better than this insulting waste of time. A film I truly hate, avoid at all costs!" - 1 Star

The Great Hornito - "Not even worth a comment." - 1 Star

Brewha - "Not really knowing much of either franchise, I really appreciate the movie for what its worth." - 3 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Reviewing this is like reopening an old wound for some of us, but to a surprising majority of citizens that night, it was a first. The film contains two of the most interesting aliens to hit the screen. First is H.G. Giger's Alien, truly terrifying the first time you see it in action, equipped with acid blood, the ability to crawl and swim incredibly fast, and a brutal breeding process, the Aliens will survive as long as film exists. 

Second, we have Stan Winston's Predator, a true big game hunter that travels the galaxy looking for his next skull to take as a trophy. Predator has become a legendary villain who appears to test many great comic characters, you can't consider yourself a true bad-ass until you've survived a predator. Here is a short list of the Predators past opponents: Batman, Judge Dredd, the Terminator, Superman, and Witchblade.

Writing about how cool each respective franchise is just makes thinking about this film all the more depressing. AVP is plagued with a boring plot that revolves around humans no one cares about, a ton of  what seems like leftover CG from the 90's, and a group of the lamest Predators to ever make it to the big screen. Honestly though, it seems that people who haven't had the joy of sitting through an "Alien" or "Predator" film think AVP isn't that bad... But then again do you want to trust a film opinion from someone who has missed out on these classics?

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Busy Busy Busy but Productive

I strive to post at least a brief update everyday just to keep people interested as a good blog writer should but I haven't been able to lately... By no means does that mean I have forgotten about the blog, in fact it's because I've had a rare opportunity to screen quite a few films.

Here is a list of future reviews to come:

"Entity"
"The Tunnel"
"Black Waters of Echo Pond"
"Hansel & Gretel"
"Suspiria"
"Retard -0 Tron 3"
"Wild Hunt"
"The Conjuring"
"Rob Zombies Halloween II"
"Crash & Burn"
"Berserk 1-3"
"My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?"
"Sound of My Voice"
"April Fools" (1980)
"Place Beyond the Pines"
"Series 7: The Contenders"
"Project X"
"Alien vs Predator"
"Drive"
"Dreams in the Witch House"
"Outlaw of Gor"
"Jack Brooks Monster Slayer"
"A Bittersweet Life"
"Hatchet 1-3"
"Samurai Cop"
"Miami Connection"
"Demons"
"Cyborg Cop"
"Hercules"
"Beyond the Grave"

If you find yourself watching a film that you'd like to see reviewed by the Overlook Theatre, please feel free to bring it to my attention.

Savage Streets and an Exploration of it's Deeper Theme's

5 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Savage Streets" (1984, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Huntress - "All the components of an awesome 80's movie. I'm glad it made it to the big screen." - 5 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "The trappings of camp are worn with such grace that this epitome-of-80's-revenge rises above it's genre with high production values, compelling & convincing female leads, and a brilliant soundtrack whose narration of the films themes is surprisingly enjoyable rather than laughable (though still also laughable)." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "This film has it all: Blood, boobs, and Linda Blair. The only thing that hurts this film is the fact it's just not crappy enough to be a classic B-film." - 4 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Cool revenge 80's movie. Great soundtrack and nostalgic moments. My only complaint was Linda Blair wasn't very convincing and some of the revenge moments were not satisfying enough." - 4 1/2 Stars

Math Mage - "Crossbows are simple weapons, so it is reasonable that our heroine is proficient in them." - 3 Stars

Ice Giant - "Great 80's sexplotation movie, Linda Blair got super hot!" - 3 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The screening of "Savage Streets" a couple weeks ago marked everyone's first time viewing this film. I had thought we were in for a campy romp through the 80's, so that's how I sold the film to everyone and damn I was wrong. What I thought would be a bloody horror film dressed up as a revenge flick turned out to be  a drama that featured a slew of awesome themes hidden under a sea of boobs. "Savage Streets" is one of B cinemas more talked about films, so I'm going to stay away from things most discussed like: the ocean of breast, Linda Blair's terrible acting (which Ice Giant has pointed out, won her a Razzie), and "The Scars" who are awesome. 

The poster I used this time around is not my favorite (my favorite can be found below) but a close second, it also has something I wanted to talk about printed on it. "The Gang War of the Sexes!" is a big theme in "Savage Streets", one that isn't as clear as this poster makes it. Sure, each gang exclusively features members of their respective sex, but the "Gang War of Sex" isn't as black and white as you think. The Scars are a pretty typical macho bunch of dudes, each even going as far as to represent a different type of douche. We have the pony boy, the Rambo wannabe, the pseudo goth metro prick, and Jake (Robert Dryer) is your typical sociopath. 

The women are a little more complicated, sure they have a token black character (who's one liners hold a lot of wisdom) and the hopelessly innocent little sister, but our lead Brenda is a pretty complicated character. She is constantly fighting throughout the film but until the second half, it's with women. Her place in society is not a celebrated one, for she is an independent woman who's turned her back on god and is now raising her little sister, Heather (Linnea Quigley). The reason I make it a point to bring up her descent from god is simple, it's important. It's not a huge moment when she reveals this but it is significant. The films use of nudity works on two levels, first, the obvious one is people enjoy it (yes people, you sexist!), second it makes you think of Brenda and her sexuality. I'm not saying she's a lesbian but I am saying ever since her dad died and she gave up on god she's become a free spirit, no longer playing by society's rules. In a blunt sense she is most likely a slut, and this would explain why the cheerleaders boy lusts for her, and more importantly why Jake knows her. This puts her at odds with the rest of her gym class, which in turn offers up a very obvious visual metaphor in the form of a fight that takes place in the center of naked women standing in running showers (sorry to ruin this classic B movie scene with meaning). Brenda at this point has already transformed into an overbearing ex-christian (or catholic, since there is a lot of guilt here) of a father, which is why her little sister has to be raped to make this movie work. As a long time fan of horror, I feel I'm much more desensitized to visceral imagery but one thing that still evokes a pure emotion out of me, is a  rape of a female character (or Indiana Jones). This has proven to work from "Deliverance" to "Evil Dead" and there is only one thing that will make the audience feel better, vigilante justice.
After having said all that I can't help but bring up the fact that the one girl who prominently wares a giant crucifix throughout the movie ends up pregnant, engaged to a douche and thrown off an overpass, go figure. 

The Berkeley Blazer brought up some other good themes hidden in this film, but I feel I've written too much already, since the idea is to do a quick review with a wrap up. But what can I say, I love defending B movies.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Stitches & Stitches...

4 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Stitches" (2012, Ireland)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "A slasher with a comedy element is usually a scary thing to commit to, since it's almost always filled with awful puns and a lame gimmick for a slasher. "Stitches" however has a good story with a charismatic slasher." - 3 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "The most creative kills I've seen in a movie. The only complaint I have is the killer clown was kinda boring." - 3 Stars

Brewha - "Frightfully hilarious! Clever kills with amazing cinematography." - 5 Stars

Math Mage - "I spent the last half waiting for the clown to kill the cast, but when he did I was bored and missed the teen drama form the 1st half." - 2 Stars

Huntress - "This showcased a lot of humor that didn't rely solely on pulling a rabbit out of a top hat or any other generic clown tricks." - 5 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

I found "Stitches" to be a pretty straight forward film. One thing I think is important to say is that the Tim Burton looking clown gang is not a big part of the film, even though they make the film seem much more interesting. The trailer I posted above doesn't show the other clowns as much as the other American trailer does but they are featured on the back of the DVD case too... Still, if you enjoy dry humor this is a solid film worth any slasher fans time.

While I was looking up alternate posters for this review I came across this Bloody Cuts short film that shares the name "Stitches". I thought it was pretty cool for a low budget short so I added it below, enjoy.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

The Willies aka Donkey Lips the Serial Killer

2 of 6 viewers "Liked" "The Willies" (1990, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Ice Giant - "Brought me back to my childhood but the main story was way too long and had a predictable shitty payoff." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "This film had a ton of potential, with Sean Astin, Michael Bower (Donkey Lips), and Dana Ashbrook (Bobby from Twin Peaks) this film truly is a trip back to the good ol' 90's." - 3 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "The Willies was an awesome kid movie. It felt like a goosebumps story. The characters were convincing too. I only wish it had more stories and the ones it did have weren't so long." - 3 1/2 Stars

Huntress - Fell Asleep - Default 2 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "First, I suggest watching the film up until the vignette with the abomination in the bathroom is finished: it's by far the best part. While timbre of this film will pluck your strings if you lived through the 90's, this tongue-in-cheek horror anthology is marred irrevocably by a paucity of stories (only two) and a later half that made me think at some point during production, the money well dried up." - 2 Stars

Math Mage - "Oh what a twist! How could we have guessed that in a film about super grow fertilizer and fly obsessed boy we would see giant fly's!" And "I wanted to list the scenes which were unnecessary and stupid, but then I realized that list would cover the whole film!" - 1 Star

                                              Beware, this trailer will ruin the whole movie...

                                                    The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

 I was very excited to finally get to screen this film, sadly it didn't go over very well. I wasn't sure if this was an anthology film or a standard horror about kids in the woods, I was hoping for the second option. Still this movie has a lot to offer if you're looking for 90's cameo-fest and or a GooseBumps style story. The thing that killed this film was it's pacing, the first few stories seem incredibly short, but set a quick pace that's pretty cool since the stories don't require much depth. Then, you hit a story that feels about 45 min long, even though you know it's not, and it's followed by another such story that feels 120 min long. They aren't terrible stories, they just drag on and on... In fact the last story features Donkey Lips as a troubled teen. I found this very exciting as I instantly started getting visions of a black and white editing job that would make it feel like a Lynch story... One day I will make it happen and I'll be sure to share it on the blog. 

A special thanks to Math Mage, who gave me two reviews for a film he hated!

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or                                                      "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Robot Jox

3 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Robot Jox" (1989, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Forget "Pacific Rim", "Robot Jox" is home of the real rocket punch!" - 4 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "An Action piece from the halls of memory, the nostalgic tone and free-wheeling, unintentional humor is satisfying if forgotten shortly after the film." - 2 Stars

Dungeon Master - "Classic Sci-Fi, should be part of any "low-art" film canon, great FX, awesome robot designs. Very fun setting with cold war inspired dystopian future." - 4 Stars

Huntress - Fell Asleep - Default 2 Stars

Math Mage - "Gundam fight all set, ready, GO!" - 5 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

"Robot Jox" was a very pleasant surprise. I heard about the film from Dungeon Master after we had just gone to see "Pacific Rim" (thus my mentioning it above becomes clear) and with a quick Google search discovered it was directed by Stuart Gordon. In my book, that made it a must see.
The double feature that day was almost ruined by The Great Hornito and I screening "Real Steel" as a joke before we started. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd love to review that film...
I really don't have much to say about "Robot Jox" due to a combination of it having been a while since we screened it and it's just a pretty solid Gordon film. By that I mean if you enjoy "The Re-Animator" not because of its very awesome adult humor but because of its comic book feel, "Robot Jox" has that very same campiness just applied to cold war mech fighting. It also contains a cameo by Jeffrey Combs!
- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Redline and what should be it's Criterion Cover

9 of 9 viewers "Liked" "Redline" (2009, Japan)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "I love this film, it's a rare blend of Studio Ghibli and Heavy Metal Magazine. A beautifully animated film that's also got a gritty 80's adult vibe. I haven't been this excited about an anime film since "Perfect Blue"." - 5 Stars 

Johnny Ocelot - "An on the edge of your seat adrenaline rush filled with a psychedelic explosion of nonstop action. Think of crazy races on steroids pumped with ecstasy like the ultra charged rides of the racers, "Redline" will keep you going till the finish line. A must see." - 5 Stars

Book Wyrm - "Absolutely beautiful animation, especially considering it came out in 2009. With music highly reminiscent of "The World Ends With You", this movie was highly entertaining." - 4 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Best racing movie I've seen since "Speed Racer". Stunning graphics and a killer soundtrack too." - 4 1/2 Stars

Bug - "This movie was good all together, the racing just isn't really my thing. Still good nonetheless!" - 3 1/2 Stars

Huntress - "I don't know which I loved more, the one of a kind characters or the in your face soundtrack." - 5 Stars

Ice Giant - "Gorgeous art, original story and really cool characters makes one of the best anime features ever." - 5 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Ice Giant had to repeatedly hound me to watch this film until I finally screened his BluRay copy. Later that night, I jumped online and ordered my own. I have never responded to an anime like that before and even I was surprised.

I feel that anime is formulaic in script and in illustration, and would much rather see a really badly animated film that features it's own unique art style than a great story that looks like everything else. Now with that said, "Redline" doesn't look drastically different from other things out, but it differs enough to feel fresh. 

The main thing I love about this film is how it feels like a weird 80's B movie that was found and given a new life in HD glory. Anime has never been screened at The Overlook Theatre, but "Redline" fits in so perfectly that I think it may open the door for more in the future, and with 4 of the citizens being avid anime buffs it's almost guarantied.

The poster I used above for the reviews I found on a blog on Tumblr called Jupiter Jazz Theory. It's so perfect yet so different from what the film actually contains that it would have to be the cover of "Redline", if it were released on the Criterion collection. And if you ask me, it should.
- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Sinister

5 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Sinister" (2012, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "Too many jump scares for me. This movie creeped me out beyond belief but I guess that's good for a horror movie." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "A commentary on horror fans with inspired directing and heavy metal undertones. "Sinister" will make you rethink being a horror fan." - 5 Stars

Huntress - "Ethan Hawke made me skeptical at first but that quickly faded. This was a genuinely freaky film." - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Scariest movie I've seen this year. Ethan Hawke was very convincing." - 4 1/2 Stars

Johnny Ocelot - "Shocking with creepy atmospheric music, awesome concept." - 3 1/2 Stars

Ice Giant - "A very pleasant surprise how good this turned out to be, great acting from Hawke and a really cool looking demon." - 3 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

I don't know how, but I got it in my head that James Wan directed this film, which then led to lots of thoughts on how he was the end all director for haunted house pictures. Thankfully, I double checked what I had thought I already knew and realized Scott Derrickson was actually the director. I am a bit let down, only because James Wan's portfolio feels light having removed this film I love so much from it. On the other hand, this was the awesome film that put Scott Derrickson on my radar and I've already begun hunting for his mysterious short film, "Love in the Ruins".
Voyeurism is the main theme in "Sinister" bringing up questions like, why do we watch this stuff? I'd be the first to admit in Ellison Oswalt's (Ethan Hawke) situation I don't know if I would. Ellison is a complicated character though. He lives far in the past and lets his future pass before his eyes. This is beautifully shown in a scene where he falls asleep on his couch after he may or may not have experienced something paranormal.
There is another scene where he and his wife are arguing in their bedroom and they shift from sitting on the bed to sitting next to a dresser (or something, I'm not sure) that eclipses the sunlight. It's framing shots like that, that got me really into this film.
 I also very much enjoy it when my film demons eat the souls of children, make cool super 8 videos, and dress like they play black metal (see previous post). Seriously though, the short films are very realistic feeling and coupled with the awesome soundtrack this film has I'd call this a must see.
*Spoiler*
I did have some complaints about the ghost children frolicking around, but I think that ties in a lot with Ellison ignoring his own children, not to mention it is a serial scene and may not of even happened.
I think this film has a lot more to offer than audiences have given it credit for, and I am truly surprised it got a 4/5 rating as it has proven to be very polarizing.
-Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Spent a bit much...

I have to say, out of all of these new films to checkout, I am most looking forward to Brian De Palma's "Passion". I'm glad they marketed it in an awesome red case, otherwise I would have never known it was out.
I plan on gathering reviewers this Friday-Sat to screen some of these, so get ready for some new reviews. Next review up should be Scott Derrickson's "Sinister", my personal favorite of his films.

Butcher Boys

0 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Butcher Boys" (2012, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Butcher bro's is more accurate of a title, since the killers are unlikable douch bags. The best parts of this film take fthe form of very obvious homage to the writers previous work." - 2 Stars

Ice Giant - "Sloppy mess of a movie, shitty plot was hard enough to follow on its own and the sub-par camera work made it a real head ache." - 1/2 Star (Default to 1)

Huntress - "I didn't hate it, I'm still unsure what the plot is... It did feel like like a teenage boy wrote it at times." - 2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Butcher Boys is an appropriate title cuz they butchered the script, they butchered the story, they butchered the cast, and they butchered the sound track. This movie made no sense at all and apparently butcher boys like to eat boobs." - 1 Star

Book Wyrm - Walked out - Default 2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The trailer basically sums up the first hour of the film, not that watching the first hour adds depth or any substance to what you just saw. "Butcher Boys" feels like a lame attempt at a modern/urban "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and the "Wrong Turn" looking dude on the poster is the biggest tease, so don't expect to see him eating our teenage characters.

I think what really killed me was how lame and unlikable the first group of bad guys we run into are. They take the form of 20 somethings that wear all black and fail at acting "sadistic", the worst part is how much time the film spends with them. There is this moment in the film where one of the girls is running through an ally and is cut off by an SUV. The SUV contains what appears to be a bunch of "Vatos" (See the worst episode of "The Walking Dead" to learn more) and one jumps out about to harass the obviously scared to death woman until he notices the crazy CHUD chasing her. I'm sorry to disgrace the name of CHUD on such a bad film but those 4 letters best describe the lame villains. He then jumps in and him and his gang drive off scared out of their minds by the douche cannibals.

A couple more things then I'll file away "Butcher Boys" for good, I promise. First, the homage I refer to in my review takes places at the very end of the film and is so obvious that there is no way you'll miss it, that is if you've seen "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" before. Second, the poster I used is titled Bone Boys because that was what they were originally going to title the film. If you are wondering why they changed it, just check out the tagline and try not to laugh.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

The Crying Dead

0 of 5 viewers "Liked" "The Crying Dead" (2011, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Ice Giant - "Worst found footage ghost movie ever. The homage to the shining was more like an insult because it was in this shitty movie." - 1 Star

Book Wyrm - "This movie made me tired." - 0 Stars (Default 1)

Lord Battle - "This film is nothing but a cash grab. Not one scene is inspired let alone good, skip this film and watch "Grave Encounters". They couldn't even rag on Zak Bagans right!" - 1 Star

Brewha - "Another ghost hunting movie. Over done!!" - 1/2 Star (Default 1)

Huntress - "This movie was just a compilation of the worst parts of several good movies. Didn't need to happen." - 2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

"The Crying Dead" is the worst film The Overlook Theatre has ever screened and I have to apologize for letting this one slip in. I picked this film because it appeared on a list of top 10 reality tv themed films. Why this film would make any list is beyond me; it was created to be confused with "Grave Encounters." With that said, there is really nothing else to say other than Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures has been the target of many jokes and for good reason and this film somehow managed to fail at mocking him. Just like everything else in "The Crying Dead".

I guess I should say a little more... The film has a very very slow start and takes an incredibly long time to even reach the haunted location. The characters are the typical terrible horror movie characters that you hope end up dying in some super fantastic slow way, all because you somehow blame them for you  watching this truly awful film. Oh and the only ghosts in this film are on the movie poster above and all they do in the film is crawl around... 

Avoid at all costs.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Wes Craven, Goblin, and a Winner

This past October seem to fly by, especially since it seemed like every website had cool horror themed stuff coming out Retroband's Halloween 3 toy, to name one(Pictured above). I apparently got so distracted by this that I never posted some stuff that I meant too, so I'm going to do a quick catch up.

First something that I was excited about for days and boosted throughout my Halloween party...

Yes, Wes Craven loved my human skull spider nest! And I say loved because technically he "Liked" that lame photo, but shortly after I took this one...

Yeah, It got a little more festive. 

Second, I wanted to cover the Goblin show...

I have a rough draft written up but that too was forgotten, I'm sure you'll see it soon. It's also interesting that this was the biggest venue they played during the whole North America tour, SF just loves them some Goblin I guess, even Mike Patton made it out.

I also got 3 posters signed, my Deep Red record signed, and my jacket, which Claudio actually said he loved.

1 of the 3 posters I got signed I wanted to give away but I soon realized Claudio didn't sign it... So now I have no idea what to do with it. If there is any interest I may still but I'd feel weird pushing an incomplete poster, the poster I should add was #3 of a limited 64.

Finally Prowling Dead won "The Conjuring", I will continue to give out Ultra Violet codes despite the fact that so little people respond, I'm stubborn like that. I have a lot to write about in the near future so I hope you all stick with me, oh and tonight I'm going to see "Carrie" so expect a review of that soon.