Friday Night Double Feature: The Crawling Eye (1958) And Sharknado (2013)

The Friday Night Double Feature this week: The Crawling Eye (1958), and Sharknado (2013)! 

That's right guys... Friday night fast approaches... Time to get together with the woman you love, pop some popcorn, pour the bubbly, and turn on some insanely awesome & cheesy as hell, 'B' Sci-fi movies... Well your girl maybe a little peeved (unless she is in to these types of movies... Hey, you never know... Am right?) No, but seriously, unless you are truly home alone this Friday night, or are in a position for a fun good ole fashion shlockfest, then I got a couple of goodies here that will please the masses, old or young! First off... A golden oldie, The Crawling Eye (1958).

This guest at the Swiss resort probably won't be coming back... But then again, the resort officials have a lot more that they are going to have to worry about...

 Starring: Forrest Tucker (The Bionic Woman), Laurence Payne (Vampire Circus), (They Came From Beyond Space) & Janet Munro (The Day The Earth Caught Fire). This awesome tale, tells the story of a Swiss resort in the Alps, and how for the vacationers at the resort, they are about to have some Alien company... And they enjoy tearing people down... And I don't mean emotionally!

And the next one is a more recent one, this one being: Sharknado (2013)!

Aliens invade the Earth... Accept these aliens come from the ocean, and not from outer space!

Starring: Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210), Tara Reid (American Pie), John Heard (Assault On Wall Street), Cassie Scerbo (Agoraphobia). This movie tells the tale of a different invasion, when the Sharks from the Ocean begin to invade the rest of the world... Humanity will be powerless to stop them... But a bar owner, his friends, and family are bound and determined to try!

The truth is, is these movies are both cheesy as hell, awesome as hell, and if you are looking for a night of just good ole fashion thoughtless fun... You can't go wrong with these movies!
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Friday Night Double Feature: Planet Of The Vampires/The Astro-Zombies

We are proud to announce that we are now opening a new segment every Friday with the, 'Friday Night Double Feature'! These are just a couple of Horror or Science Fiction movies that we thought that we would recommend for you Fright fans every Friday night!

And for this week we thought that we would recommend, Planet Of The Vampires (1965) and, The Astro-Zombies (1968), for more information on these movies, please check out these trailers!

Planet Of The Vampires (1965):

The Astro-Zombies (1968):

Age Of Tomorrow (2014) - Movie Review

Official Score = 2 Devils

You know, 'B' Movies got there names as the short form of calling these movies, 'bad' movies, and as a matter of fact, at one time or another, if there was a movie that had been directed by: Alan Smithee (Catchfire), you would know that, that movie was going to be pretty, 'awful' just because he only directed the worst movies... (Well Alan Smithee is not actually a real person, but the moniker given to filmmakers who want to distance themselves from their crap movies...)

As time has gone on though, 'B' movies, and all of their subset genre films have grown to have a pretty decent sized following, to the point where you can't really say anymore that, 'B' movies are necessarily, 'Bad' movies anymore!

The reason that I mention this is that I recently saw a 'B' movie that may not be at the caliber that a lot of the great B movies are at, but is still pretty good, that movie being, Age Of Tomorrow (2014).

This may not be the best B-Movie out there, but it does have it's moments...

Written by: Jacob Cooney (The Majestic) & Bill Hanstock (Small Town Life), Directed by: James Kondelik (Airplane Vs. Volcano). Starring: Kelly Hu (X-Men 2), Anthony Marks (Blood Night: The Legend Of Mary Hatchet), Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager), Lane Townsend (Adaline), Mitchell Carpenter (Dexter) & Nick Stellate (Killer 2: The Beast).

This movie tells the story of how when it looks like an asteroid that is big enough to destroy the planet is on a trajectory to hit the Earth, the United States Marines send up a team to drill in to the rock and to try and destroy the asteroid before the asteroid wipes out everything on Earth...

While they are up there though, they find something interesting, this asteroid is not actually set up to destroy the planet, but to be used as a launching platform for a dying alien race to invade the planet, but to also kidnap  humans and take them to their planet!

A Fire Fighter and an Alien... You guess who would win...

The mistake these Aliens made though, is they kidnapped the Marines, and it will be up to this team to figure out how to destroy them, and to get the information to a team of surviving military officers, (and an LAFD officer,) so that they can begin to destroy them, before the Aliens have the chance to destroy the Earth!

Now the truth is, is unless you are a B movie fan, you probably won't like this movie all that much... But as a B movie fan, I think that you will might like this movie, as it has the signatures that make B movies great! The only other thing that I will say is that this movie does start off kind of slow as well!

In the end though, if you have a chance, you should check this one out, this movie may not be the best, but it is definitely one that B movie fans should check out at least once!

Three Classic Sci-fi Movies You May Not Know About, But Should See

A classic sci-fi movie I doubt many have seen in the modern day...

When I first started reviewing movies and the like, one of things that I generally did was to review movies that most of the time, people in the modern day (unless they were already fans of it,) had not heard of... And you know what? They were a lot of fun and still are! And I will go one further and say that not only are they a blast, but bringing these forgotten gems back to the surface is still to me an awful lot of fun!

And so I thought that I would bring back to the world, 5 more Sci-fi movies that you may not know about but should see!

At number 3: The Wasp Woman (1959):

A truly classic sci-fi movie, and if you haven't heard of it... Good! You will be in for a treat when you watch it!

Now this one is a Roger Corman (Death Race 2000) classic that I reviewed a few years back for AwesomeBMovies.com and I have to say that he did a great job in sort of making the B-Movie version of the classic Vincent Price (The Pit And The Pendulum) movie, The Fly (1958)

At number 2: Empire Of The Ants (1977):

A true classic that I am sure you have never heard of!

This is a movie that I personally love! I reviewed it a few years ago when I first started this site, and as far As B-Movies go... It's great! I mean it has all that cheesy stuff that makes these types of movies so much fun! Don't feel bad if you haven't seen it yet, you won't regret it when you do!

At number 1: The Crawling Eye (1958):

A true classic and a personal fave!

This one I doubt many people over the last few years have heard of... It's a shame to... I suspect that some of the more modern, 'Alien Invasion' movies can trace there roots to this one!

There are a lot more of these forgotten classics out there, but these are just a few that I do feel are quite a bit of fun!

Cheesy, 'B' Sci-fi Movies And Why They Rock

Humanity Vs. Giant Ants in, 'Them! (1954)... A great B Sci-fi movie!

So before I begin, I should probably say this just to get this out of the way, (What is a, 'B' Movie? Well a B movie essentially is a movie that is universally considered to be a, 'Bad Movie'... And the worst the movie gets, the lower the grade tends to be, With that said though, these movies maybe considered to be, 'Bad Movies' by some, but as time has gone on, these movies have found there place as, 'cult classics' among a growing fan base!)

With all of that said, there is one type of B Movie that I wanted to talk about that I am going to have to say is probably one of the bigger types of genres for B Movies... That being, 'B Sci-fi movies'!

Why do they rock? Well before B Movie enthusiasm started growing in their interests in these types of movies, that had at one time or another been considered to be, 'Bad Movies', Science Fiction movies that have been considered to be in that area were still considered to be, 'great', and back in the days of, 'Drive-In Theaters', or, 'Saturday Afternoon Movie marathons', did a booming trade!

The Drive-in movie maybe a mostly dead entertainment medium... But back in it's day was a great place to see a classic, 'B' Sci-fi movie!

And the reason for this, is that (this is not entirely true anymore, but this was true in the 40s, 50s & 60s anyway.) the reason why these movies did so well in these types of venues I believe is because of the children and teenagers that flocked to the theaters at the time! (The reason that I mentioned that the statement I just said was not entirely true anymore, is because in the growing world of the, 'B' Movies fan, more and more adults are coming to enjoy these movies as well!)

Now as for the overall reason why these movies are so great? Well a lot of reasons, and some varying... For example, I am going to have to say that the best thing about the movie: Forbidden Planet (1956) is the story! But, with the talent and the special effects... Well the story maybe the best of the movie, but if you dropped out either the special effects or the talent... well... Without good talent, or the special effects of the day, then I doubt that, that movie would have been as good as it turned out to be!

And now lets speak about the talent... An interesting thing about a lot of these B Movies, no matter what the genre is, they usually have some truly amazing talent, (unfortunately only a small handful of these people tended to rise to the next level, despite the fact that a large percentage of the actors and actresses definitely deserved to be put in to the, 'A List' rating!)

Before Leslie Nielsen made people laugh there asses off in the, 'Naked Gun' series, He had a pretty prominent role in the awesome, 'B' Science Fiction movie, 'Forbidden Planet' (1956)!

Now the last thing that I wanted to say is, 'The special effects'... Now it isn't fair to say that the special effects of these movies were, 'Bad'... At least not all of the time, because the truth is, is that a lot of the time, these movies generally tended to have what was available at the time, and are only now becoming, 'cheesy' by consideration of what we have today!

Well I guess what I am saying is this, is that between the story, the talent both in front of and behind the camera, and the special effects, A B Science Fiction movie becomes truly, 'AWESOME'! And when one drops, they all start to drop... And that is why folks, that cheesy, 'B' Sci-fi movies rock!

5 Classic B Horror/Sci-fi Movie Posters And The Trailers For Those Movies

Being a huge B Movie fan, as well as having the science fiction & horror movie genres and all of their subgenre's as some of my favorite movie genre's, I thought that you guys might enjoy these 5 Classic B Horror/Sci-fi Movie Posters And The Trailers For Those Movies:

At number 5: The Crawling Eye (1958).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="435"] A Classic Horror/Sci-Fi B Movie![/caption]

For more information on this movie,  please enjoy this trailer for: The Crawling Eye (1958):

http://youtu.be/BDGwCMcLs_M

At number 4: Frogs (1972).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="361"] A great monster movie![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy the trailer for: Frogs (1972):

http://youtu.be/Dzl1RkBxNsY

At Number 3: The Wasp Woman (1959).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="451"] A great B Movie take on, 'The Fly'![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: The Wasp Woman (1959):

http://youtu.be/E5zAPCwCh40

At number 2: Prianha (1978).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="336"] A great B Movie take on, 'Jaws'![/caption]

For more info on this movie, please check out the trailer for, Piranha (1978):

http://youtu.be/XoCKGvVlNYM

At number 1: DeepStar 6 (1989):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="321"] A great B Sci-fi/Horror Movie![/caption]

For more information on this movie, please enjoy this trailer for: DeepStar Six (1989):

http://youtu.be/pouTM3jqZCM

 

The Mighty Peking Man (1977) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

One of the areas of the world of movies that I have to admit that I am not all of the familiar with is foreign films... Just never really in my wheelhouse... That is until recenlty...

You see, although this isn't my first foreign film that I have ever seen, last year I was doing a guest recommendation on AwesomeBMovies.com, and decided to do a Martial Arts B Movie... (Something that I had up to that point never really done,) and I ended up coming across the Shaw Brothers classic, The Flying Guilotine (1975)!

Well of course I had heard of the, 'Shaw Brothers', and the fact that they are the geniuses behind some of the best Chinese B movies to come out of China in the 1970s... I had never seen any of their work though... And when I did, well I have to say that I was extremely impressed!

You see, one of the great things about 70s martial art films is just the universal cult status that is generally (and unfortunately) ignored by the mainstream due to the low budget nature that lends itself to bad dubbing, incredulous special effects, and stories that (unless you are able to suspend your disbelief ) are usually considered to be pretty bad...

Well the truth is, is I found that, that was a lot of the charm of, The Flying Guillotine, and it was also a lot of the charm of the next Shaw Brother's film that I saw, but the other thing that I was really impressed with about this movie is the fact that this movie had a great story to fall back on, some awesome talent, and the special effects all considering were pretty top drawer in this movie... This movie being the B movie adaption of the classic, 'King Kong' movie, The Mightly Peking Man (1977):

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="228"] A fantastic Chinese Sci-fi/Horror movie![/caption]

Written by: Kuang Ni (Five Deadly Venoms) & Directed by: Meng Huo Ho (The Flying Guilotine). Starring: Evelyn Kraft (Lady Dracula), Danny Lee (The Killer) & Feng Ku (Sien Nui Yau Wan Il Yan Gaan Do).

Known as, 'Goliathon' in the United States, this movie was made following on the coat tails of the popularity that was following, 'King Kong' at the time, and told the story of how Johnnie Fang (Danny Lee) is a down and out explorer, who well to say the least was having some girl problems...

Well when it looks like the fabled, 'Peking Man' is discovered in the jungles of the, 'Himalayas', he is contracted with a team that includes Lu Tiem (Feng Ku) (who is Johnnie's employer, who wants to go in to the jungle to find this illusive beast and bring him back to Hong Kong as an attraction to make money...)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Johnnie Fang & Lu Tiem as they are beginning their journey in search of, 'The Peking Man.'[/caption]

Well of course the expedition starts off bad, when at one of the local villages, a herd of Elephants stampedes in and starts killing off his team bit by bit... It will take Johnnie and his team shooting some of them down to stop that.

Well the carnage on the expedition continues with a lion attack, as well as some of the members of the expedition falling off a cliff! Well Lu and the rest of the team decide that it is not safe enough and take off, leaving Johnnie to fend for himself...

And to make matters worse, when Johnnie does end up finding the, 'Peking Man', it turns out that it is a giant ape (the size of some tall buildings), and that this beast nearly kills him. The beast stops though when his friend (a girl by the name of, 'Samantha', who had been living in the jungle since her parent's plane had crash landed there as a kid,) intervenes.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] The Peking Man finds Johnnie...[/caption]

Well after nursing his wounds, Johnnie makes the fateful decision to convince Samantha to have the both of them, and her larger then life furry friend return to Hong Kong together... This is a mistake that the people of Hong Kong will never forget... And this trip to Hong Kong will be one that, 'Johnnie', 'Samantha' and, 'The Mighty Peking Man' will never forget either!

I mentioned above what I liked about this movie, now here is what I didn't... The main problem that I had with this movie is it is a little slow moving at first... Fortunately though when it picks up, it really does and carries through out the rest of the movie real nicely...

In the end though, if you are more in to mainstream sci-fi or horror, then this one probably isn't for you, but if you like the B movie versions of these genre's, then I think you guys might enjoy this one!

http://youtu.be/kWFnvRHa1EQ

Humanoids From The Deep (1980) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

You know, I used to believe that the last great decade for horror was in the 1980s... Alas I am wrong... But there sure are some good ones though!

The truth is, is that rather or not you find the 1980s to be the last great decade for horror or not, the truth is, is there is a lot of great movies that came out then, some had great A-list (or eventual A-list talent,) some had some truly awesome B acting talent, that made whatever low budget shlock fest a totally awesome good time!

Most of these movies generally did not tend to have what the mainstream might call a, 'great' story line... but in truth, that is subjective... And let's be honest here fright fans, most of the greatest horror movies to have ever come out have had bad story lines...

Some of these horror movies have great special effects (as is the case with the later Halloween movies,) but then again some of the most kick-ass B movies around turned out to be pretty awesome, in no small part to the bad special effects!

Now you might be wondering why I am mentioning this... Well I just told you about both mainstream horror, and, 'B' horror... And the latest horror movie that I am reviewing, Humanoids From The Deep (1980) happens to be a pretty awesome b horror movie!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="221"] This.... I have to say is a pretty fun movie![/caption]

Written by: William Martin (The American Experience) & Directed by: Barbara Peeters (Starhops) & Jimmy T. Murakami (Battle Beyond The Stars). Starring: Doug  McClure (Twilight Zone: Mr. Denton On Doomsday), Ann Turkel (The Fear), Vic Morrow (The Glass House) & Anthony Pena (The Running Man).

This awesome exploitation flick, which was also called, 'Monster' told the story of how in the town of, 'Noyo' something terribly wrong is about to happen!

You see, Noyo up till recently had actually been a sort of a small fishing village that thrived on a dying industry, but when a big canning company decides they want to set up shop in town, things start looking up for the small town... That is until strange things started to occur... That being the fact that people have started going missing!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] This girl just isn't happy with her date...[/caption]

And it all really comes to a head when while fighting a fire that had been caused by a, 'hate crime', 'Johnny Eagle' (Anthony Pena) has come to discover something hideous having come up from the depths of the sea... And not only is this going to change the town, but the canning company that seems to be involved in this, and the women that these monsters seem to be seeking out to mate with!

It will be up to Johnny, Dr. Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) & Jim Hill (Doug McClure) to try and stop these monsters before they not only destroy the town, but so that they can protect the citizens of the small fishing village of, 'Noyo' that the monsters want most!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Johnny, Jim & Dr. Drake as they try to stop this menace![/caption]

Now I have told you the good stuff about this movie, here is the not so good part about this movie... In this movie I found there was just to much down time... I mean if they had gotten things going a little earlier, or slightly reduced the movies time, this movie would have been almost top of it's game!

The truth is though, is the movie is pretty freaking awesome anyway, and if you check it out, you might find the same thing as well...

http://youtu.be/3UfgTPkM83Q

Slither (2006) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Growing up in the 90s as a fan of horror and science fiction movies, some of my favorites were and still are such films as, Scream (1996), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and even, The Faculty (1998)... I thought that these and a lot of the other horror and science fiction (rather it is mainstream or indie) were pretty well made and a lot of fun to watch!

The truth is though is that when the new millennium hit, it seemed to me like filmmakers kind of lost the momentum that they had managed to gain in the late 90s with some truly awful horror and science fiction movies that came out in the first part of the new millennium (I would say that since then though that the quality of the movies in these genres have gotten better and better though.)

The reason that I mention all of this is that I just recently saw an indie B Sci-Fi/Horror movie that was not only a lot of fun, and was well made, but also was a reminder of some the great classic Horror and Science Fiction movies of the 1990s, and that movie is, Slither (2006)!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="190"] A truly fantastic film![/caption]

Why was this movie so great? Well first off I wanted to say that this movie has an amazing cast of actors and actresses, including: Nathan Fillion (Serenity), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer), Rob Zombie (Halloween), Lloyd Kaufman (Terror Firmer) & Jenna Fischer (The Office).

I also thought that the story was pretty awesome and brilliantly created, in that the movie takes place in a small town, and tells of how after an Alien symbiote queen lands on Earth, a man by the name of Grant Grant (Michael Rooker), while sexually frustrated and about to cheat on his wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks), ends up in the woods with a younger woman, but after coming across this weird Alien, ends up being infected by the queen and becomes the host!

Now at first everything seems to be normal, but as the new Alien/Grant infects the young woman, and the woman becomes fatter and fatter, weird things begin to happen, (such as dogs, horses, cows and the like disappearing, which brings Chief Bill Pardy (Fillion) to investigate...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="499"] Chief Pardy & his team as they investigate some one who just seemed to be really, 'hungry'...[/caption]

But when the woman gives birth to hundreds of these tiny little worms/symbiotes that begin to take over the town, Chief Pardy will have to gather up the last surviving towns people to stop the Grant/Alien from destroying the town and eventually the world!

The other thing that I liked about this movie is the fact that the style in which this movie was made was like an awesome homage to classic 90s Horror/Sci-Fi movies, and that they also gave a kind of fun homage to John Carpenter's, 'The Thing' when they named the mayor, 'Jack Macready' (Played by: Gregg Henry), and that it looks like his store is called, 'R.J. Macready's', (In John Carpenter's, 'The Thing' the lead character's name is, R.J. Macready!)

As a matter of fact, the only thing that I wasn't completely satisfied with, is the fact that this is supposed to be a a Horror/Sci-Fi/Comedy... But although this movie has its moments with comedy... It is more just simply awesome then funny!

In the end, I really found this one to be an awfully fun time, and if you check it out you might find the same as well!

http://youtu.be/QfPkYyfCvOU

Mega Shark Vs. Mecha Shark (2014) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know I get it.. B movies are supposed to be, 'Bad' movies right? I will admit that, that it is true in some cases... But there is a whole sub-culture of fans out there (myself included) that absolutely love these so called, 'Bad' Movies...

No, as a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say that there have been a ton of cult classics that have been unfairly labeled as, 'bad' movies, and thus has made this whole sub-genre of films, rather they be exploitation movies, cult classics or other forms of, 'B' movies great!

The problem is, is that Mega Shark Vs. Mecha Shark (2014) is one of those few exception for even a B movie fan like myself to completely enjoy!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="264"] All I am going to say is... meh...[/caption]

Don't get me wrong, this movie which was written by: Jose Prendes (Corpses Are Forever), H. Perry Horton (2-Headed Shark) & Directed by: Emile Edwin Smith (The Grove). Starring: Christopher Judge (Stargate SG1), Elisabeth Rohm (Angel), Matt Lagan (2010: Moby Dick), Hannah Levien (Children Of Sorrow), Paul Anderson (The Forgotten) & Deborah Gibson (Welcome To The Dollhouse), has an awesome mix of truly cheesy acting and higher level B Movie talent...

This movie, which I believe is the 3rd in the series, had some surprisingly amazing special effects... And you know what? Even the story was pretty fun!
This story told of how a new Megaladon ends up making it's way out of the Mediterranean, and is attacking ships and planes and what not as it makes it's way to Sidney Australia to mate... (Even though there appears to be no females that are awake... You never know... maybe the next movie eh?)

Well to stop this new threat, the United States has sent, 'Jack Turner' (Christopher Judge) & Rosie Gray (Elisabeth Rohm), a husband and wife, along with a fleet of ships, as well as a secret weapon that they believe will be the saving grace... You got it folks... That saving grace is giant sub that has been designed to look and act mostly like another, 'Megaladon'!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] 'Mecha Shark' saving a 747 from, 'Mega Shark'![/caption]

And it will be up to Jack Turner, Rosie Gray, and the onboard AI, 'Nero' (Paul Anderson) to stop this new threat before he can cause some real damage... Because lets be honest here, in the battle between Mega Shark & Mecha Shark... If Mecha Shark looses... Well mankind could be in for some real trouble!

Now you heard me mention above the fact that this movie is one of those B Movies that just isn't great... Well again it is not bad, (I mean there are some truly awesome parts that I haven't even mentioned yet...) Never the less the main problem that this movie suffers from is bad writting...

What I mean by this is that this movie does tend to suffer from inappropriate moments of overly done drama... None of the characters you particularly strongly root for one way or the other, and the story is not better emphasized...

The only other negative thing that I would say is that Christopher Judge, who at least in Stargate SG1, was a very action oriented person, but wasn't in this, and that was weak, also I found the fact that his character seemed to be inspired by Ed Harris's portrayal of, 'Bud Brigman' from, The Abyss (1989)  to be a poorly done representation...

In the end, I am going to say this... Unless you are a B Movie fan, you probably won't like this movie... And I hate to say it, but even then you may still not like it...

http://youtu.be/MwQ6HIQV0YQ

We Saw It First In Horror Movies

[caption id="attachment_2858" align="aligncenter" width="450"] 'Nine Dead' (2010)... An example of the growing number of indie horror movies that are getting better and better![/caption]

You know, the one thing that I have found with awards ceremonies is the fact that there is an award show for almost every genre in the entertainment industry... And there are some that cross those lines as well...

A great example of this is the, 'Academy Awards'... Now this ceremony for the most part has almost always awarded it's, 'best pictures award', to the most dramatic film of that year, no matter what the genre it is in... And where as I will say it is true that they have honored, 'horror' in that capacity... It has only been once in the best picture capacity!

Another thing that I would say is the fact that generally speaking, as far as the bigger production houses go, they rarely ever do horror movies, unless they are from very well established horror movie franchises that have proven themselves for decades!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="700"] A scene from, 'Friday The 13th Part 2' (1981)... A movie franchise that was once owned by Paramount Pictures... And was recently bought back by them after the remake came out![/caption]

Essentially horror has been played off as the, 'bitch' of the mainstream of moviedom... But horror will have the last laugh!

You see, with horror having been relegated to the indy circuit for most of it's life, we have seen some truly great horror movies coming out... And with the crap that the Hollywood mainstream put out for almost a decade... The indie circuit that horror has been relegated to is starting to become a major phenomena!

Don't get me wrong, there is still a ton of great mainstream movies that have been coming out as of recent, but the truth is, is that with jobs in the mainstream industry, and the rise of crowd funding sources like, 'Kickstarter' and the like coming in to power... Not only is the indie film industry becoming a major force to be reckoned with, but Horror is finally getting the chance to come out to shine in a way that hasn't been seen since it's popularity in the 80s!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 'The Prowler' (1981)... A B Movie indie horror classic from the 1980s![/caption]

In the end... Horror saw it first... And in the indie film industry, they will have a great niche forever!

http://youtu.be/AKqFfkassgo

http://youtu.be/htx3igt0ksk

http://youtu.be/D51QgOHrCj0

http://youtu.be/ai5VBakrlUU

http://youtu.be/h7aHJR5lzE8

The Sci-fi Switch

You know, when I first started on this fascinating adventure that I have been on in the blogging/reviewing world... I have to admit that I was a little bit at a loss... What I mean by this is that when I first started out, I was reviewing B Movies... And well I thought that I knew a lot about Movies in general... boy was I wrong!

You see, in B Movies (especially B Sci-fi movies) there is a certain over the top  style and method in witch the cast and crew utilize as part of their formula for making a truly awesome b movie!

A great example of this is, THX 1138 (1971).... Now I am going to go so far and say that this movie is a great example of a B Movie, and utilizing certain elements in an over the top fashion, and how it seems to expertly compliment the movie itself... The main thing that I am taking about in this movie is the use of the color, 'White'... You see, in this movie, (which is set in a rigid dystopic future), everyone wear's white (except for the Android law enforcement), just about all of the walls floors and ceiling are white (not all but pretty close to all...)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A great example of the over the top awesome example of a, 'B' Science Fiction movie![/caption]

Etc... etc...

Another great example is the first Star Trek TV series, and the low budget awesomeness in the feel of the first show!

Well that is just a few of the examples of this phenomena in Science Fiction on both the TV and Movie platform... Another version of this is also in the written form of this.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="285"] 'Astounding Science Fiction'... A great example of a great set of, 'B' Sci-fi stories![/caption]

What I mean is that at one point (at least in my opinion, and it was certainly exemplified in the works of the era.) But there was a lot of pulp science fiction out there, with a lot of extreme empires, with their extreme ambitions to take  over the world or galaxies, as well as their over the top heroes who would go to battle with these bad guys using weapons that will probably always be considered to be scientifically impossible.

But some time around the 1980s, Science Fiction (really in just about every facet) began to change... Even Star Trek, which had up til 1982 really enjoyed a certain degree of, 'B' in what it produced had gone from that over the top, 'B' status that we as fans of low budget entertainment have always enjoyed, to something that not only mankind could imagine as being possible... But that certain billionaires out there are to some extent trying to make real...

It was the turn from using, 'The Force' or, 'A lightsaber' or what ever (I am only using these as examples... Because the chance of these things ever being probable are pretty slim... And if they are possible, are probably not something that we would see in our life time. But either way it turned from that to things that Science has already began in the real world to either prove, or actually surpass.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] This type of battle is definitely something you would have either scene on screen or read about in, 'B' Science Fiction![/caption]

Is that better in any of it's forms or worse? Well for me I will say this... As far as, 'Movie' or, 'TV' go, both are pretty spectacular in my opinion, but in written form, I am going to say that the Sci-fi switch was a good thing... Primarily because I have read some pretty low budget, and extremely bad, 'B' Sci-fi...  But mostly pretty spectacular A-list Science Fiction...

But rather you are a fan or not... If you are looking for some great, 'B' Sci-fi, check out the works made before the 1980s... I think you might like it, for some great A list Science Fiction, check out the stuff starting in the 1980s, I think you might really like it!

I Spit On Your Grave (1978) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

Before I started reviewing and blogging about movies I thought that I was a bit of an aficionado (I have seen an awful lot of films from all genres), but I learned that despite the fact that I had seen a ton of films, that I was only getting started…

With that said, there is a a sub-genre of films that I discovered a few years ago that had been around for decades (and had actually seen a fair amount)… These movies are exploitation films.

Exploitation movies have been as far back as the 20s, and had been popularized in the 70s with the advent of the Grindhouse movie (a type of low budget movie)… Now these movies would exploit some sort of something that was put in to a movie and was often times over the top (I,e. Blaxploitation movies had a majority of black talent in the movie, and Sexploitation would have a ton of women having sex with Men in a borderline softcore porn manner.)

And another type of movie is the ‘Rape & Revenge’ exploitation movie… Now this type of sub-genre has a movie connected to it that is one of the most famous horror exploitation movie of all time attached to it… That movie of course being, I Spit On Your Grave (1978)!

Now this intense movie, which was written and directed by: Meir Zarachi (Don’t Mess With My Sister), and starred: Camille Keaton (Savage Weekend), Eron Tabor (Acting Class), Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols (ITV Saturday Night Theatre), and Gunter Kleemann, told the story of a young woman by the name of Jennifer Hills (Keaton) who rents a summer cottage at a lake in attempt to write her first novel…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton) a strong independent woman who is about to show some men what, 'Girl Power' can really be![/caption]

And at first everything is going pretty alright… She has time to rest and relax, and get a little sun, get some writing done, (and she even meets a mildly retarded man by the name of Matthew Lucas (Pace), who she befriends)… Everything seems to be going alright for her… That is until she meets Matthew’s friends…

You see Matthew’s friends who go by the name of: Jonny (Tabor), Stanley (Nichols), and Andy (Kleemann), start off just being pests and bothering her, but one day they decide to do more to her, and one day while she is lounging in a canoe, she is pulled against her will deep in to the forest, and brutally beaten and sadistically rapped!

This is a big mistake though, because Jennifer decides to repay them in full in such a way that these boys will never forget!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="520"] These guys will soon enough regret the day they fucked with, Jennifer Hills![/caption]

In the end, I really don’t like to see the over top realism that some directors for some reason seem to put in there movies, and the rape scenes in this movie are way to over the top! (I am no prude and I don’t have a problem with gratuitous sex scenes in movies, but when rape scenes get to look a little to real, it becomes to much!)

But on the plus side, despite the over the top rape scenes, the way the rapes fit in to the story, work and actually make you root for Jennifer as she gets her revenge on the boys that beat and rapped her!

In the end, this movie is not a great movie, but it is not the worst I have seen, and if you can get passed the over the top realism of the rape scenes in this movie, it is actually a fairly decent one (albeit not for the kiddies!)

http://youtu.be/ZkCTSn8gcL4

Starcrash (1978) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

What is a B Movie? Well originally the intention when labeling a movie a, 'B Movie' is a way of identifying a movie as being, 'Bad'... As a matter of fact their is a whole system, that not only includes labeling a, 'B' movie as, 'Bad' but if the Director him or herself don't like the film then they usually mark it as, 'Alan Smithee' having made it!

But in the last few decades or so their has been this growing wave of people who have turned what initially had been considered to be, 'Bad' movies in to icons of pop culture films, or, 'Cult' films, and I have to admit that I am a huge fan of B Movies!

The reasons for this are innumerable, but first of all, yes it is true that the special effects are oft times incredibly cheesy (But not always), the costume design is often times campy as hell (But again not always), and oft times the scripts are written in what a lot of the critics would say is pretty pedestrian...
You know what? All that I mentioned from above is part of the reason why these movies are so often so great!

You see despite the truly ultra low budget nature of these movies, they oft times have some amazing talent, with a Director that can usually turn the limited resources that he or she has to use, and turn it in to something that most of the time is truly an amazing, fun time! And all of this is true in the case of, Starcrash (1978)!

Written by: Luigi Cozzi (Hercules), Nat Wachsberger (They Came To Rob Las Vegas) & Directed by: Luigi Cozzi. Starring: Caroline Munro (Maniac), Marjoe Gortner (Earthquake), Christopher Plummer (A Beautiful Mind), David Hasselhoff (Baywatch), Robert Tessier (The Deep), Nadia Cassini (The Nurse In The Military Madhouse), Judd Hamilton (The Last Horror Film) & Joe Spinell (Maniac).

[caption id="attachment_1468" align="aligncenter" width="600"] 'Stella Star' (Caroline Munro) and, 'Akton' (Marjoe Gortner) after the are arrested...[/caption]

Starcrash is the amusing story of 2 outlaws by the name of Akton (Gortner) and Stella Star (Munro), you see these two star smugglers have been being chased by the Imperial Police Force all over the Universe literally for years!

During the most recent chase by their nemesis, Elle (Hamilton) and Thor (Tessier) they end up coming across an Imperial launch that was completely powered down and mostly empty...

While this is all going down Elle and Thor do manage to catch up with them and due to the fact that they have an unwanted vistor, Akton and Stella Star decide that it would probably be best if they just let themselves be captured (so that they're guest can get the medical treatment that he needs.)

Ultimately this gives both of them harsh prison sentences... That is until their 2 pursuers end up finally catching up to them and setting them both free (they both got sentenced to different penal colonies on separate planets!

You see due to their deft piloting skills and teamwork, the Emperor (Plummer) has asked that they journey in to the territory of Count Zarth Arn (Spinell) and see about locating a major base on a secret planet with in his territory and destroy it, as well as try and locate his son, 'Simon' (Hasselhoff) and rescue him if they can.

[caption id="attachment_1469" align="aligncenter" width="573"] I don't think the rescue effort is going to well, do you?[/caption]

So off they go on their mission to save the Empire, save lives, an adventure that will change the course of galactic events all over the universe... Because if they fail, they're maybe no hope for the forces of good in the fight against the forces of Darkness!

In the end this movie truly is an awesome piece of B Movie mastery, and if you get a chance to see it, and you are a fan of these types of movies, then you might find the same results as well!

http://youtu.be/pzfuNSpP0RA

Top 5 Reasons Why 'B' Sci-Fi Movies Rock!

First off let me say that the definition of a B Movie is... A B Movie is a movie that has been categorized as being a, 'bad' movie for some reason... Well I would say that, that has changed over the past few decades, what with the revolution of great classic cult films coming out of what the mainstream would consider to be a, 'Bad' Movie! And since I am a huge fan of the B Movie craze in any genre, I have taken it upon myself to do what I can to help bring these classic, 'B' Science Fiction or Horror movies to light, and give them the chance that they never got when they were initially released

With that in mind I thought I would give you guys, what i believe is the top 5 reasons why, 'B' Sci-Fi movies rock!

Number 5: Campy Special Effects!

Not always (as I feel was the case with the movie, Battle Beyond The Stars (1980),) A lot of the times B Science Fiction movies are fairly low budget and so generally tend to have some pretty campy special effects!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] One of the ships from, 'Planet Of The Vampires' (1965)[/caption]

Number 4: Ridiculous scripts!

That's right folks... Now again this isn't all the time, but a lot of the times the script for these B Movies are pretty ridiculous, with lines for the cast that are pretty hilariously bad, and with names for people, places, and planets that are pretty Elementary school!

Number 3: Oddly bad talent!

Again, this isn't always the truth, but more often then not Science Fiction B Movies will have a couple of eventually, or at the time, big name talent that kind of make up the movie, and then their are people that you have to wonder if they are really just not good at acting or if it was intentional considering the subject matter!

Now at this point I want you to ask yourself this question... Why is a guy who obviously likes B Science Fiction Films attacking them... And these next two reasons will give you your answer!

Number 2: True talent discovered from these movies!

That's right folks, a lot of the big name talent of the last 30 years or so go their start in Campy B Movies, and look at where they are now!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Sylvester Stallone (The Expendables) in a scene from, 'Death Race 2000' (1975), before Sly became a superstar![/caption]

Number 1: All of what I said above is just part of the charm!

What I mean by this, is that all of the bad elements and good elements that I mentioned above are, as well as so much more, are what makes up these truly awesome, 'B' Science Fiction Movies, and if you didn't have the majority or all of what makes a B Science Fiction movie so great in the B Movie you were watching, then the chances are that you are going to find that you have crap!

In the end, you might give them a try, I did, and I am happy to have done so!

http://youtu.be/XBoT0LJ0mgM