Bluray Tuesday!

September 1st 2015

Bluray Tuesday has arrived once again. The first tuesday of the month comes with my personal highly anticipated pickup Mad Max Fury Road finally on bluray. I loved this film, it took me by surprise when I saw it on opening night in the theaters. I went in not having seen the previous three installments in the series and I was blown away. Mad Max Fury Road will have a few retailer exclusives. Best Buy is the one I will be grabbing, they will be carrying an awesome exclusive steelbook packaging. Target's exclusive comes with a 64 page comic book. A 3D version will be available as well. On the horror front being released is a couple new indie titles. Lost After Dark is a clever homage to 80's slashers, I've watched it recently and it's worth checking out for sure. The Bloodlands and The Curse of Downers Grove also will be available. These seem interesting and look forward to checking them out. Last but not least is Scream/Shout Factory's Backcountry and The Harvest. I have seen both, liked them, and will most likely own them in the near future. What will you be buying, renting or just skipping this week? Let us know in the comments. Also check out our Instagram page Here we love to talk about horror films etc. September is filled with some great titles being released that means upset wallets for us bluray collectors.

Mad Max Fury Road: Amazon - $19.99

A apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There's Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.

Reg Version

3D Version $27.99

 

Target Exclusive Comic

 

Best Buy Steelbook 

 

Lost After Dark: Amazon - $9.99

A group of teens sneak out of their high school dance to cruise around and have some unsupervised fun. When their car runs out of gas on a deserted road, they discover an old farmhouse and the cannibal killer living inside. In this clever homage to 80's slasher films, a group of teenagers looking to party get stranded when their ride breaks down, and end up being stalked by a cannibalistic killer.

 

The Curse Of Downers Grove: Amazon - $9.99

A teen (Bella Heathcote) fears that she's next in line for a curse that kills one high-school senior every year before graduation day. The town of Downers Grove looks like your average suburban neighborhood - but Downers Grove has a disturbing secret.... For the past eight years, one senior from every high school graduating class has met a bizarre death right before graduation day. And this year Chrissie Swanson (Bella Heathcote) has a terrible feeling that she is going to be the one to die. Can Chrissie survive the curse of Downers Grove or will she, like those seniors before her, fall prey to the town's deadly secret?

 

Backcountry: Amazon - $22.99

A couple (Missy Peregrym, Jeff Roop) on a deep-wilderness hike become hopelessly lost within an aggressive black bear's territory.

 

The Harvest: Amazon - $22.47

A physician (Samantha Morton) who keeps her dying son completely secluded becomes unhinged when she learns that her new neighbor (Natasha Calis) has secretly befriended the boy.

 

The Blood Lands: Amazon - $17.99

It's Ed and Sarah's first night at their new home - an isolated farmhouse on the Scottish borders. This should be a new beginning away from their stressful London lives. And at first it is; come sunset they fall in love all over again on a wander in the woods. But as darkness falls, Sarah suspects they're not alone, Ed goes to investigate and quickly, the evening becomes a nightmare. It suddenly dawns on them; they do not belong here. And they certainly aren't welcome either.

 

Army Of Frankenstein's: Amazon - $17.99

After a failed attempt to propose to his girlfriend, Alan Jones is beaten within an inch of his life by a street gang. Transported to the mysterious lab of Dr. Tanner Finski and his kid genius assistant Igor, Alan becomes the subject in a series of horrible experiments as part of the doctor's plan to reanimate the legendary Frankenstein monster. But all bets are off when these experiments lead to a hole being ripped in space and time, pulling an army's worth of the infamous creatures from hundreds of parallel universes and sending them all back to the 19th century – directly into the heart of a bloody battle between the North and South!

 

-The Impostor 

The Pyramid, or Not Alexandre Aja's, Not Found-Footage-Film

1 of 5 viewers "Liked" "The Pyramid" (USA, 2014)

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

Book Wyrm - "I liked The Pyramid mainly from a historical standpoint. I enjoy things having to do with ancient Egyptian culture + lore and that's what I found to be the coolest aspect of the film. They put so much time and effort into the amazingly intricate detail of the pyramids hieroglyphics that it's crazy to think about. Story wise I didn't really like the characters + the monster reveal was okay, but I wish the ending was more satisfying." - 3 Stars

Lord Battle - "The CGI was laughable, which is aggravating since they had amazing practical effects for the same creatures. The Not-Found-Footage shooting style reads like a confusing cop-out of a narrative, honing all the bad elements of found footage while reading like the filmmakers felt above the shooting technique. On a brighter note, The Pyramid had a ton of story potential, which is too bad because as it stands I wouldn't watch it again or recommend it to anyone." - 2 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "I found the beginning very promising and was actually a little excited when the motley band ventured into the pyramid. At some point in the tunnels I decided to follow suit with some of the smarter adventurers and lost consciousness. When I woke up to the sight of Ascoobydoobis I asked where I was and called for an adult. This movie was a confusing and sleepy experience." - Fell Asleep - Default 2 Stars

Huntress - "The Pyramid was very tepid experience, not trying too hard to stand out but still not a complete waste of time. It was not obvious from the film itself, but a lot of love and attention to detail went into the production; the labyrinth-like walls in the pyramid were each covered with imitation hieroglyphics and assembled when the material dried. So, while the set looked great on screen, it could only make up for so much of what was lacking in the actual story." -2.5 Stars

KillDozer - "I have lost all faith in the "produced by" credit. Honestly don't attach your name to anything that you think might tarnish the horror kid's opinion of you. With that being said it honestly could have been worse. The film starts out with some fun and entertaining Egyptian lore at an archaeological dig Indiana Jones style. We are quickly introduced to our characters, "the protective father" and of course "the comic relief". Still the film is entertaining and interesting enough to continue on, then everything you think will happen... happens! Extremely obvious writing, really bad CG (Totally forgivable with a good plot), and poorly developed characters make this movie feel long and even worse, boring about half way through. After you stop caring what happens everything becomes a blur. I gave my copy away the next day. Like I said, beware the "produced by" selling point, IT'S A TRAP!" - 2 Stars (Watchable)

(This is a long spoiler heavy trailer. You've been warned...)

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

(Below is for after you've seen the film)

The Overlook Theatre is home to many opinions, some informed, some purely emotional, and some that are completely unique to the individual. I tend to think this is the beauty of the theater format and any film that inspires good conversation has achieved on some level. The Pyramid has inspired many conversations, they usually start with "What didn't you like about it?", but none-the-less it got us talking.

Let me address the elephant in the room by saying Alexandre Aja did not direct this film, in fact I question how much he contributed at all. Well I guess Aja did do a lot for the film, seeing as most of the horrors here at the Overlook only watched it because his name was attached and this did greatly help out his screen writing collaborator Gregory Levasseur (High Tension, P2, Maniac, The Hills Have Eyes, etc...) who directed (but didn't write) The Pyramid.

Alexandre Aja talks about The Pyramid

Each and every creepy crawly of the Overlook seemed to have 1 or 2 major issues with the film but otherwise liked it. The problem I had with the film relates to the not-found-footage style it was shot in. Films that flip flop in tone (The Texas Chainsaw 2013), subject matter (Tusk 2014), or presentation instantly lose me. The Pyramid was particularly annoying because it emerged in a time when hate was regularly being showered on found footage and you can feel how they tip toe around the medium, even though this film would've benefited from the shooting style. I'll have to paraphrase Adam Green and say found footage doesn't suck, the plot behind the film just needs to call for the medium. If you're cramming a regular story into the found footage medium it's usually just to save money and it's always at the expense of the film. The Pyramid on the other hand is a film that perfectly justifies the use of handheld cameras, head mounted cameras, and a weird NASA land rover. Geologists trying to maximize borrowed time to illegally document whatever they can, sounds like an awesome film! Then you locate it in a pyramid full of traps and an ancient cult? Someone needs to remake this film already.

Reenactment by Johnny Ocelot

- 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 2 or The Adventures of Ex-Deputy So & So

9 of 10 viewers "Liked" "Sinister 2" (USA, 2015)

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

The Impostor - "I wasn't expecting much going into this film due to the overwhelming negative reviews. My expectations were really low but I still was excited to see this opening night. The original Sinister was such a great film, I loved everything about it. So now after watching Sinister 2 I actually really enjoyed it. It still carried that dark eerie feel with the added humor and drama that worked well. It's hard doing horror sequels and making them as good if not better than the original. Even though I still feel the original is better I would highly recommend this to anyone. Horror fans will enjoy it so don't listen to these negative reviews and brutal critics." - 4 Stars

KillDozer - "The writers of the first Sinister installment bring Bughuul back to the screen with the director of the well received Citidal behind the camera. Being a constant hater of what I call "forced sequels," I was not in the mood to pay my hard earned money just to be bored. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up, even after going into it ready to walk out half way through. Buhguul rarely shows his "Slipknot meets KC Jones" face so that was a bonus. The new "snuff" films were creative and fun, and the child actors pulled it off with great success. The story was entertaining but lacked solid climax or a strong ending in my opinion. Still I had fun watching and am actually excited to see where Sinister takes us next!" - 3 Stars (Worth the admission)

Ice Giant - "I do like the original more but this movie had enough going for it to seem like its own original movie. The little kid actors were great, especially since a bad little kid actor can ruin a whole movie... The home movies this time around were especially awesome. "Gone Fishin'," which you get to see early in the movie was particularly amazing." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "Cults worshiping an evil Scandinavian god of art, how could this film be bad??!! Think for yourself and ignore the 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics will never appreciate horror and the rare times they do it has to be justified by giving it a different label like "Thriller" or "Elevated Genre." Sinister 2 is a lesson in sequel film making, adding new perspective to Bughuul's myth while continuing to keep him mostly hidden in the shadows. It's disappointing that the test audiences complained about the original ending, since I can't imagine anything worse that the one they used." - 4 Stars

Huntress - "I was not too concerned about the ridiculously low ratings this movie was getting, because the numbers seemed almost comical and I really wanted to see where they would take the story regardless. After seeing the film, I still have no idea why the critics gave it so much hate. Sinister 2 kept Bughuul interesting, even after a lot of his mystery was revealed in the first movie." - 3.5 Stars

B4DK - "Totally great where this picked up from the first one. Creepy vibes and some scare jumps. The home movie tribute films for Buhguul do not disappoint. Going into this and seeing a lot of negative reviews I was very skeptical. In the end this movie does not deserve such hate." - 3 Stars

Math Mage - "The adventures of ex-deputy So & So, Bughuul Hunter!" - 3.5 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "Enjoyable enough is a phrase that comes to mind. This sequel stands on its own in good and bad ways; its country setting and more ensemble approach make it seem almost like a summer vacation horror that explores the lore of Bughuul which I found refreshing, while on the other hand the spiral into despair and madness that made the first such a strong film is not present at all. Tonally, this doesn't feel very Sinister with the exception of a few choice tunes. No matter, the actors are all superb, including the real-life brothers that play the protagonists. The abusive father that huants the lives of this films family is so loathsome and montsrous that our friend Bughuul seems kawaii in comparison." - 3 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

(Below is for after you've seen the film)

After seeing The Gallows and The Vatican Tapes, it's safe to say that I was a little worried going into Sinister 2. Critics just did not enjoy this film, the score on Rotten Tomatoes was at 4% the morning we went to the theater. To my surprise, the majority of the complaints didn't even seem far-fetched and actually articulated one of my original concerns; too much Bughuul. Despite a dumb scene in a confessional and a weak (re-shot) ending, I'm happy to say this fear did not become reality and the half dozen little kids that littered the film didn't annoy me either (It's a little known fact that Lord Battle doesn't actually like Children of the Corn or Village of the Damned)! I believe I mentioned in the review of Sinister that the kids in that film were my least favorite part and my only real complaint. BlumHouse made a smart move grabbing Ciaran Foy, since he "cut-his-teeth" working with children on his first film Citedal. Believe me, it shows in Sinister 2.

Two years ago the Overlook Theatre reviewed Sinister and I wrote about how the film was a dark commentary on horror fans. Thankfully the writing duo that brought you the first Sinister (Scott Derrikson (also directed Sinister) and C. Robert Cargill) kept this narrative alive by moving in the natural direction, the origin of horror fans.

Constantly surrounding yourself with horror films, literature, and practically anything else you can get your hands on, will do two things for you. The first is always confuse non-fans; people just don't understand why horror is so amazing (their loss). The second is attract other like-minds. This doesn't mean that all my friends are horror nerds (if you read this site, you know this already) but I definitely have friends that I wouldn't even know if it wasn't for horror. The reason I stress this point is every monster-kid, horror-nerd, or gore-whore I've ever met was introduced the same way as The Impostor, KillDozer, and I, from a family member who loved horror. This doesn't mean rebellious kids who watched horror only to anger their parents don't exist, maybe it just means they end up a different caliber of horror fan.

Sinister 2 has a very interesting commentary on children growing up horror fans. In the kids movies, their families are always the subject. Is this some Freudian commentary on horror film directors, saying the horror films they make are a vessel for violence channeled at the past? Freddy Kreuger was named after a kid who bullied Wes Craven, after all. So are the kids in Sinister angry at their parents for moving into cheap housing and ignoring the tragedies that occurred there previously? Dylan and Zach Collins definitely had reason to be angry at their parents. With an abusive dad and a mom who seems to do nothing about it, they make the perfect candidates for Buhguul worshipers.

But is this what the film makers are trying to say while exploring such dark topics? I doubt it. What we can say for certain is that kids learn that they love or hate horror films at an early age and for the ones that find it's a passion that carries into adulthood, they often dream about directing their own horror stories. Lastly, Rated "R" horror is never a critics cup of tea, so don't let a bad score on Rotten Tomatoes keep you from supporting the genre you love.

- 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.

Scream Episode 9 "The Party"

This show just keeps getting better! Were you guys paying attention during the opening credits? We made a specific effort to keep an eye on them, just to make sure that the director of this one was who we’ve been waiting for. And it was! Episode 9 was lucky enough to have Ti West heading it, and it was one of the best in the season! Of course, I might have a biased opinion…

Johnny Ocelot's rendition of the party piecing the clues together

At this point in the show, we all feel very confident in our theory and you guys all know it by now. The only thing we’re in danger of is the potential multiple interchangeable endings that the writers might have been ready with. If this is the case, we all agree that the only other candidate for killer is the always nosey, always conveniently located Piper Shaw.

I want to start off by debunking one of the biggest point against this theory, which is the borderline senile “Momma James” pointing out Kieran as being Brandan James’s son, after initially saying it was Seth Branson. My biggest issue with it was that Piper supposedly went back off camera, alone, and got that information. So we are supposed to trust the mysteriously motivated reporter with such a huge piece of the puzzle? There is also the question of yet another red herring; the video of Kieran walking Nina out of the bar that Rachel shot. Isn’t it strange that both of our suspects, Audrey and Piper, are trying to place the blame on the same guy and using his mysterious nature against him? Interesting ploy, ladies.

Piper has been very weird towards Emma throughout the entire show, always trying to insert herself into Emma’s business the way a big sister would. She was also there to console her through some very personal issues, visited her at the hospital after her breakdown even, and got much closer to her than anyone else in town. She also made it a point to bring up that her father was dead, perhaps to forcibly create an emotional bond with her long lost little sister. And the whole offering her flask to Emma after her confrontation with Will had the same sisterly feel.

Meanwhile, Seth Branson or Palmer, whatever he is to you, remains subtly ominous even as he sits in the interrogation room of the sheriff’s office. Only a man with a planned out escape would be so brazen, and he knows his partner is going to ease the blame off of him by appearing in the most public way, while he is incarcerated. So he can coolly say something like, “You’ll find out soon enough,” to Emma and not worry about how it must make him look.

The last little thing I’ll mention has to do with the title of this episode: The Party. We were made to think that this was referring to the Halloween party that most of the teens in town were going to, but it’s obvious after watching it that this was referring to the smaller, more intimate party at the emotionally devastated Brooke’s house, which we will have to wait an entire week to see! Just a hint that the finale is going to be very memorable!

On a side note I'd like to say, goddammit MTV! Could you have picked a worse time to put that blaring bright green ad on the screen?? We're trying to listen to the plot thicken, but all anyone can remember from this scene is Miley Cyrus's awful flopping tongue, which is highlighted by the brightest red lipstick and then further highlighted by a neon green background. Cheap. Very cheap. 

I must say, I love the idea of stretching out a Halloween episode for 2 weeks, even if waiting for it will take some doing. Till next week!

- Huntress 

Bluray Tuesday!

August 25th 2015

Bluray Tuesday is back! This week brings a few cult classics to Bluray for the first time as well at The Walking Dead season 5. Olive Films releases The Babysitter (1995) with Alicia Silverstone this week, as well as The Sender (1982) and horror comedy Student Bodies (1981). I look forward to watching these 3 and I do have a few of these pre-ordered that should arrive tomorrow. My favorite release of this week is of course The Walking Dead season 5 and the Target Steelbook will be the edition I add to my collection. I just watched Fear The Walking Dead, it's a spin-off / prequel and it seems like a promising show. Fear The Walking Dead pulled in 10.1 million live viewers last night which is a great start to the series. This will definitely keep my Sundays busy until the premiere of Season 6 of The Walking Dead which premieres in October. Rounding out this week is Indie horror Sorrow, crime thriller Lila & Eve and a Scream Factory double feature. So what will you be buying, renting and or skipping this week? Let us know in the comments we would love to hear. Also check out our Instagram page Here.

The Walking Dead Season 5: Amazon - $29.99

The Walking Dead tells the story of the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse and follows a small group of survivors traveling across the United States in search of a new home away from the hordes of zombies. The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a police officer in the old world. As their situation grows more and more grim, the group's desperation to survive pushes them to do almost anything to stay alive.

Regular Version

 

Target Steelbook

 

Best Buy Lenticulat Cover

 

Student Bodies: Amazon - $19.99

In this seminal horror-comedy, an anonymous killer known only as "the Breather" (Richard Brando) terrorizes the teenagers of Lamab High by killing every student who indulges in sex. The long list of suspects includes the school's psychoanalyst (Carl Jacobs), nurse (Janice E. O'Malley), principal (Joe Talarowski) and, most surprisingly, virginal student Toby (Kristen Riter), who's always at the scene of the crime. Toby knows she's innocent, however, and vows to catch the killer.

 

The Babysitter: Amazon - $19.99

Jennifer (Alicia Silverstone) is a lovely teen who has been hired to baby-sit the kids of Harry Tucker (J.T. Walsh) and his wife, Dolly (Lee Garlington). The Tuckers go to a party and proceed to get inebriated, with Mr. Tucker fantasizing about his beautiful baby sitter. Meanwhile, Jack (Jeremy London), her boyfriend, and Mark (Nicky Katt), another guy interested in her, decide to spy on Jennifer at the Tucker house, with each young man also fixated on her.

 

The Sender: Amazon - $19.99

A suicidal amnesiac (Zeljko Ivanek) sends rats, flames and other nightmares by telepathy to his psychiatrist (Kathryn Harrold). A disturbed telepathic man is able to transmit his dreams and visions into the minds of the people around him.

 

Sorrow: Amazon - $24.95

A couple of depraved killers find themselves in a different situation when the survivor takes matters into her own hands.

 

Metamorphosis / Beyond Darkness: Amazon - $17.99

Metamorphosis: Dr. Peter Houseman is a brilliant geneticist who is working on a serum which will stop human aging, but his colleagues don't believe in his work. When his university funding is threatened by his skeptical benefactors, the doctor takes a desperate measure to justify his work. He administers the serum to himself, but the results are unexpected and horrendous.  

Beyond Darkness: A genteel country estate becomes the site of a holy war between two clerics and a coven of long-dead witches. 

 

Lila & Eve: Amazon - $14.88

After the senseless murder of her son (Aml Ameen), a grief-stricken mother (Viola Davis) joins forces with another woman (Jennifer Lopez) for vigilante justice.

 

-The Impostor 

Overlooked Crowd Funding: Turbo Kid

 Turbo Kid comes out in just five days! And if you've seen any of the previews or heard the synth soundtrack for it, chances are you are pretty excited for this kid version of Mad Max (so I've read). We definitely are!! But if the film is finished and ready to go, what's with this campaign, you may ask? Well it's a response to the film's overwhelming success at Sundance, where audiences ravished all the promotional merchandise and were still hungry for more. It also gives those of us who were not at Sundance a chance to get our own beanies and exclusives. 

This is one of those campaigns where time is of the utmost importance; in the five days that is has been active, the goal has been reached and several of the perks have sold out. Vinyl collectors were on top of this one, so the soundtrack LP is already gone. It doesn't help that there were only 25 of them, sure, but it still shows how quickly you should act if you want to get some of the perks that are still left! Let's look at the highlights:

Affordable: 

• $20 gets you a digital download of the movie without any bells or whistles. Well, actually that's not true, because you also get the extras that would normally come with the movie. So there are a couple of bells.
• $30 can get you your own little gnome buddy stress ball. He stars in the movie as the ornament on Apple's weapon but he's still a cutie! 

Under $100: 

• $50 will get you the DVD of the completed film, along with a making of booklet signed by the filmmakers. It may be a little more than you're used to paying for a DVD, but this release will not be available after the campaign is over. 
• $60 can get you the VHS version of the movie to add to your 90's collection. It also comes with the digital download, so you don't need to worry about wearing down the tape from too much watching. This will probably look great on the VHS shelf. There are only 50 of these available, and right now 8 have been claimed.
• $65 gets you the blu ray of the movie and the making of booklet, also signed by the filmmakers. (I'm not sure of the VHS comes with this desirable booklet, but that's some format discrimination if it doesn't...) There are only 50 of these, and about a third have already been claimed!

Breaking the Piggy Bank: 

• Can't choose which version of the movie you want most? Well $500 gets them all! Along with all the other perks; a shirt, poster, beanie, you name it! I'm pretty sure it works out be actually cost you less than buying everything individually.

There are a lot of other great things you can if you head over to the Indiegogo campaign but like I said, these perks are figuratively flying off the shelves, so act fast. I would definitely suggest getting whatever you really wanted before the film comes to theatres on August 28th for obvious reasons. And, as with all campaigns, there was one perk that stood out to me. It's usually one that is too expensive for most people, but in this case it's a reference that is beyond a lot of people who will probably love this movie.

Honorable Mentions:
For $35 you can get the floppy disk edition of the completed film! This comes with a digital download, of course. Show your age with this perk!

This campaign has a lot of stretch goals that I have a lot of hope of happening, considering how fast they reached their minimum goal. These include, but are not limited to, action figures and a graphic novel. Below are the prototypes of the toys.

I'm hoping for a second pressing of the vinyl LP but not holding my breath. Especially with so much other cool stuff in the works. Maybe later though? We'll have to wait and see.
 You can find the campaign video below or at the campaign page here.

Don't forget to head out to the theatres on August 28th to see Turbo Kid!

-Huntress

Scream Episode 8 "Ghosts"

This season is coming to a close very soon and I have a these last couple of episodes are going to keep amping up the tension! And while no one died this episode (spoiler?), something that the Overlook regulars have been waiting for finally happened.

Okay, first off, Jake miraculously survived his incredibly questionable stabbing. No surprise there, as no one was convinced for a moment that it was really inflicted by either of the killers. But after his initial scene, he is absent from the rest of the episode. Most likely he’s still recovering in the hospital. The sheriff seems to look at everyone through narrowed eyes, and who could blame him? We’ve been doing the same thing.

There are a couple of things we focused on with this episode; one of really stood out after re-watching the episode. It feels like I say that a lot, but after you hear that Maggie had a secret baby, which she gave up for adoption without even knowing the gender of the child, some of the things that outsider, Piper Shaw, say seem to take on a different meaning. Like when she proclaims, “I’m part pf the story,” or tells Emma that she will survive this because she comes “from a family of survivors.” She says this while leaning in so close and with eye unbreakable contact, almost like she’s waiting for Emma to realize their relationship through reading every feature on her face. The double meaning in her last statement could apply to herself; she also survived adoption and not knowing her real parents. This would also explain her keep-my-distance but still pretty invasive interest in Emma.

But how about this possibility: Mr. Branson, who chose this fake name and moved back to this town specifically, is the combination of Bran, Daisy’s nickname for Brandon James, and son. He’s pretty close to Piper’s age too. Consider the intense back and forth he had with Noah in class, in which he agreed that he has warranted being a suspect in front of the whole class… if you read between the lines. He could just as easily be hiding his identity in plain sight. (How the hell did McCarthyism even fit into his lesson plan, anyway??? Aside from being a set up for Noah, I mean.)

As damning as this episode was to Mr. Branson, it does not clear Audrey of her involvement. Let’s look at the things leading up to his arrest: Audrey and Noah went back to their only class’s room and continued to snoop. Was it a little weird to anyone else that she saw something above the vent that lead her to investigate inside it? Almost like she knew she would find something there..? Meanwhile, her partner in crime is in a very incriminating position, on multiple levels. He’s canoodling with Brooke on the theatre’s stage. “Is the rehearsal over?” she asks him, which seems like the queue for Branson and Audrey’s planned performance to begin. Then the scene turns into one that you’d find in countless slashers: the couple hears a noise and the guy goes to investigate while the girl waits in her lingerie for him to come back. Then it plays out like Scream: she gets accosted by the masked killer, who then disappears, leaving only the girl’s lover to be found. Then the police show up at the perfect time, before he can explain anything, and haul him away.

Clearly, Branson will have some reasonably good explanation for his sorted past and people will be satisfied. The killings, or at least the masked menacings, will not stop while he is questioned and kept in jail. This will lead people to conclude that they’ve suspected the wrong man and that the police need to keep looking. And scene.

-Huntress

Bluray Tuesday!

August 18th 2015

Bluray Tuesday is back! Very light week this week again, so our pockets will be happy. Shout Factory releases the 20th anniversary of Hackers starring Johnny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie. I don't really remember this film, I did see when I was younger. Next out is for the first time on bluray Psycho Beach Party with Nicholas Brendan from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. This I actually haven't seen and it seems interesting, so I may give it a look in the near future. Cub and Ejecta are new releases both out from this past year. Scream Factory / IFC Midnight release Ejecta a sci-fi thriller that looks just okay but do plan to watch soon. Cub is definitely one I hope will be screened soon at the Overlook and reviewed, so stay tuned for that one. Overall interesting releases this week, I am still looking forward to September & Octobers releases, there's a lot to look forward to. What will you be buying, renting or just skipping this week? Let us know in the comments and check us out on Instagram here. There are a few digital copy giveaways going on right now so check us out.

Hackers 20th Anniversary (1995): Amazon - $17.86

A young boy is arrested by the US Secret Service for writing a computer virus and is banned from using a computer until his 18th birthday. Years later, he and his new-found friends discover a plot to unleash a dangerous computer virus, but they must use their computer skills to find the evidence while being pursued by the Secret Service and the evil computer genius behind the virus.

 

Psycho Beach Party: Amazon - $17.99

Florence, a schizophrenic surfer chick, and her alter ego, Ann, a promiscuous partier with a violent streak and a mouth like a truck driver. When a rash of sun-drenched murders occurs, "both" women become prime suspects, along with a surfing guru, a B-movie actress and a Swedish exchange student. "Psycho Beach Party" is a manic party-mix of 50's psychological thrillers, 60's beach movies, and 70's slasher films. The story focuses on Chicklet Forrest (Lauren Ambrose), a sixteen-year old tomboy who's desperate to be part of the in-crowd of Malibu beach surfers. She's the typical American girl - except for one little problem: her personality is split into more slices than a pepperoni pizza.

 

Cub: Amazon - $17.99

An impressionable youngster (Maurice Luijten) sees and hears things that lead him to believe that his troop leaders' scary tale about a feral boy is true.

 

Ejecta: Amazon - $19.95

The story of two men who witness an unexplainable event in the atmosphere on the eve of a historic solar storm and must survive a terrifying life form that's hunting them. An anonymous group will stop at nothing to unearth the truth behind what happened that night to the men and prove to the world that we were never alone in the universe.

 

Nightmare Castle: Amazon - $29.99  

A sadistic count tortures and murders his unfaithful wife and her lover, then removes their hearts from their bodies. Years later, the count remarries and the new wife experiences nightmares and hauntings. The ghosts of the slain return to exact their bloody revenge, until their hearts are destroyed...
 

 

-The Impostor 

Overlooked Bay Area Showtimes, A Change of Pace from Straight Outta Compton

Hey guys! We've gotten so preoccupied with Scream debates that we have not been letting you know about all the reasons to make it out to the theatres lately. I'll make up for that now! 

This tail end of summer seems to be filled with film festivals, themed around specific directors. One of these is Hardcore Cronenberg and is happening in downtown San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Theatre, a very small and intimate screening room, tucked away in the upstairs corner of the art center. This is the same theatre that hosted the first ever screening of Maniac Cop 3 in the city, which was shown after the first and second films with breaks between each for questions and stories from director, William Lustig; an amazing event Lord Battle, KillDozer, and I were lucky enough to attend. This time the theatre came back on our radar because of this great film festival dedicated to the appreciation of David Cronenberg. We have made several small group excursions to see Dead Ringers and The Brood already. Both were great! This weekend we will be heading back for the 2pm screening of Crash. 

The Stanford Theatre (home of some of the best theatre popcorn I've ever had), is also having a film fest, Kurosawa flavored. This weekend is a good double feature to check out too. It will be running Saturday through Tuesday: 

Rashomon

7:30 and 3:50 (Saturday and Sunday)

with

Throne of Blood

5:35 and 9:20

I love this poster so much :) It'll be my first time seeing the film.

There's a new theatre near the Stanford, just a block away in fact, that is showing two movies that I really want to see. It's called the Aquarius Theatre and it just re-opened. Let's give it a warm welcome! They're showing Best of Enemies and The Stanford Experiment, and both are great looking movies. Check their site for showtimes.

Hopefully you guys can make it out to some of these! Let's support our independent theatres!

-Huntress