Le Fear 2: Le Sequel (2015) - Movie Review

Official Score = 3 Devils 

I have found in my many years now of watching many movies that every once in a very rare while a truly magnificent modern day independent movie will come out that is just... Well... To say the least awesome!

It could be because it is that perfect bit of drama/thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat (Go (1999) was like that for me,) or it is that awesome bit of modern day horror (The Signal (2007) was like that for me,) or heck, even that fun bit of comedy, like in the horror comedy, Le Fear 2: Le Sequel (2015)!

 This one will give you a good laugh!

Written & Directed by: Jason Croot (Monsters On Mainstreet). Starring:  Kyri Saphiris (Dead Wood), Andrew Tiernan (The Pianist), Aiko Horiuchi (The Grudge 3), Denise Moreno (Cranium Intel), Scherrikar Bell (London Paris New York), Eleanor James (Bordello Death Tales), Natalie Ames (Starving In Hollywood), Leila Rand (Demons & Doors), Seye Adelekan (Le Sequel: The Filmmaker) & Hadrien Mekki (Pin Up.)

Now this is a fun little tale of the, 'Comedy Of Horrors'... You see Carlos (Kyri Saphiris) is a filmmaker who is really interested in making a great horror movie... And it looks like it may actually happen with a little bit of backing from Dirk Heinz (Andrew Tiernan),  an Australian man who is interested in the video, 'Download' market.

With money in hand, Director Carlos has a meeting with some of his crew while on set.

Well everything seems to be going well for the soon to be starting production... But when the production actually starts, Carlos will be dropped in the middle of a production with a hilariously incompetent producer who does stuff like hiring an FX person who keeps messing up the shots, breaks in to a lot and uses a trailer for a location... And that is just a small portion of it!

And as the cast and crew get deeper and deeper in to filming this movie, Carlos and his team will have to deal with more and more insanity, as more and more hilarious problems ensue!

 Carlos having a hell of a time convincing some of his crew that they are trying to make a 'horror' movie and not a 'Sci-fi' movie!

Now I will be honest with you guys and say this... This movie starts off kind of slow, and definitely has more of an emphasis on the comedy then the horror, but I have always been a huge fan of B movies, no matter what genre, and especially all of the cooky, some times stereotyped stuff that enters in to a great B Movie, and the truth is, is this movie has all that!

Basically guys, I guess what I am saying is that this movie (which is set for release in 2015,) is a great B movie, and if you are looking for a nice independent horror/comedy movie to really laugh your ass off, this is a good one for that!

The Frighteners (1996) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

I first got in to work of acting legend, Michael J. Fox (Back To The Future) near the tale end of the TV series that really helped get him started on his road to superstardom, this series being, 'Family Ties' (1982 - 1989), and since then I have been hooked!

I mean this guy is one of the few actors that I can genuinely say that I have literally grown up following his career, what with following his work at the end of the 1980s, and all the way through the 90s and even up to his semi-retirement after he ended his time on, 'Spin City'!

Why is he so great? Well... I can give you a great many reasons if you want, but when it comes down to it, one of the great things that I found that he brings to his role... Besides the level of believability (which is there in a strong way...) He also brings an element of comedy that really works well in comedy films, and compliments the more serious movies or TV Shows that I have seen him in, and one of those of course being: The Frightners (1996)!

Written by: Fran Walsh (Meet The Feebles), Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring) & Directed by: Peter Jackson. Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado (Little Women), Peter Dobson (Forrest Gump), John Astin (The Addams Family), Jeffery Combs (Re-Animator), Dee Wallace (The Hills have Eyes), Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) & Troy Evans (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective).

This hilarious movie tells the story of, 'Frank Bannister' (Michael J. Fox)... Now Mr. Bannister used to be a fairly well known architect, and was successful enough that he and his wife had at the time of her death been building their dream home...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Frank Bannister & Associates...[/caption]

Well one day during a fight and the ensuing car accident, his wife ends up dying, but she ends up dying in such a way that even with out any evidence to prove it, most people believe that he did it... This traumatized him so much that he ended up starting to see ghosts (he got so adept at it that he would often use the haunted graveyard as a sort of pool of undead help when running cons to make money!)

Well years later a malevolent force from the town past comes back to finish his work... The only thing is, is that he is dead (But that won't stop him from becoming the most prolific serial killer of all time... )

So with the Police unable to do anything, it will be up to Bannister to not just stop this force on his own, but to protect his latest victim from it, as well as save a skeptical town from this, 'Phantom Menace' before this entity ends up getting his dying wish!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The living and the dead will team up in an effort to become the most prolific serial killer team, both living and dead![/caption]

In the end I could say a lot about how good this movie is, but the best parts for me are the fact that this movie had a truly awesome cast of mid-90s entertainers, also it had fun special effects, and it didn't get to cheesy, (a problem that would happen in the late 90s with movies of this nature...) But it was cheesy fun, and I liked that!

Is this the best most poignant award winning film in the world... No... But it doesn't need to be, and that is just cool, and if you check it out you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/0yqhND5i05M

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="300"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Bruce Campbell... What can I say about this guy? I mean he is my favorite actor! Most of what I have seen him in is horror movies, but I have also seen him in such comedies such as, McHale's Navy (1997) as well and thought that movie was great as well!

Why is Bruce Campbell a great actor...

Well besides the fact that rather he is doing a comedy, a Science fiction movie, or even a horror movie, he makes the role his own, he can make and does frequently make it funny, but besides the humor of it all, he can also make the role very serious, to the point where in most of the more serious roles I have seen him in, I tend to root for him!

And in Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) you get both!

Now speaking of Bubba Ho-Tep, besides Mr. Campbell, there are two other people that I wanted to make specific mention of are Ossie Davis and Don Coscarelli!

The first of those two that I thought that I would mention is Ossie Davis...

Now this guy has been old for as long as I have seen him in movies! (Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to see him in to many movies, as a matter of fact, besides Bubba Ho-Tep, the only other movie that I have seen Ossie Davis in is, The Stand (1994)!)

In all of the movies that I have seen Ossie in, he has always played a man who at his core, is a brave man old man, that is not one of those old men to always let the younger go first when facing danger!

And as for Don Coscarelli... Believe it or not, I also haven't seen many movies that have the stamp of this epic movie director... But what I have seen, I do like! So far I like his work because he seems like he stretches out the suspense enough to really keep you on the edge of your seat!

Now speaking of, Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)...

Written and Directed by: Don Coscarelli (Phantasm), Starring: Bruce Campbell (The Evil Dead), Ossie Davis (The Stand), Ella Joyce (Stranger Inside), and Bob Ivy (Near Dark).

Something is rotten at a relatively obscure long term care retirement home in East Texas that seems to be housing some famous people in it!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Bruce Campbell as, 'Elvis Presley' in, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' (2002)[/caption]

Included in the roster is, 'Elvis Presley' (Campbell), who supposedly had changed identities with an Elvis impersonator before his old life destroyed him... (The only problem is that when Elvis wanted to switch back, his contract was blown up!).

The other one is, JFK... Who supposedly didn't die in the 60s, and is now an aging Black Man in the retirement home!

And now there is another famous person that is setting up residence in the retirement home as well.... That is an old mummy that has started speeding these old people's march toward death!

Now it will be up to Elvis and JFK to saddle up and go to war with this Ancient Egyptian evil, before the residents of this retirement facility has their slow march to the end of their lives become a quick run!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Elvis Presley and JFK are going to war in, 'Bubba Ho-Tep' (2002)![/caption]

What I like about this movie myself ultimately, is that besides the acting and directing. I just found this story (which was based on the short story by Joe R. Lansdale), to have been really well crafted... What with some great hilarious moments, fun character development, appropriate moments to root for Elvis and JFK, etc...

All in all, definitely a fun time at the movies!

http://youtu.be/X7Qo74_L3vo

Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The Thirteenth (2000) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_390" align="alignright" width="178"] Official Score = 1 Devil[/caption]

In 1996, Director Wes Craven (A Nightmare On Elm Street), created yet another classic horror movie series in the, 'Scream series'. Now Scream had been meant to be a spoof on the horror movie genre...

The only problem with that is that with all great spoofs there has to be an element of serious and continuing comedy in the movie that, that spoof is making fun of! Fortunately for Dimension and the cast and crew that made that movie, that with the lack of continuing comedy through out the first, 'Scream' movie, that everything else that makes horror movies great was in there!

And thusly Scream would go on in to the anals of horror movie history as one of the great slasher horror movie series of the 1990s!

But if you thought that was all... Look again!

Because in 2000, the Wayan Brothers created an awesome spoof comedy movie that makes fun of some of the greatest scarfests of the last 20 years called Scary Movie!

The first Scary Movie, which starred Anna Farris (The Dictator) in this case was actually a spoof of a spoof in that it spoofed, Scream (1996)!

Now unfortunately you can only go so far with spoofing spoofs of horror movies I am afraid, because following on the heels of both the 'Scream franchise' and the, 'Scary Movie franchise' came, Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The Thirteenth (2000).

This movie, which was written by: Sue Bailey (Battle Bots) and Joe Nelms (In Between) and which was Directed by: John Blanchard (The Kids In The Hall), tells the story of the new kid, in town who has a tragic past (played by: Harley Cross), and with whom is sent to Bulimia Falls High School!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Ghost Face from, 'Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The Thirteenth' (2000) as he is chasing down, 'Martina' (Majandra Delfino)![/caption]

Bulimia Hills High is a school where anything can happen... And usually does! From the most harmless of pranks (Wedgies and stuff) to having one of their students being, 'Chucky' from the Child's Play series!

Anyway through a series of attacks from the masked serial killer (who looks very similar to Ghost Face from, Scream). Dawson and his friends will have to try and escape from this masked maniac in the worst way possible!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] It will be up to this group of friends to stop, 'Ghost Face' before Ghost Face can take them all out... Possibly literally![/caption]

Now on the positive side, the truth is, is that this movie does have a pretty awesome cast! Included in this cast are, Kim Griest (Don't Throw Mama From The Train), rapper, 'Coolio', Danny Strong (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Tiffany Thiessen (Pandemic), Majandro Delfino (Roswell), Julie Benz (Dexter), and Tom Arnold (True Lies) to name a few!

And their are some seriously funny moments in this movie...

I also thought that I would mention the fact that Danny Strong who was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was reunited with actress Julie Benz who was also on the same show at the same time he was!

But beyond that, I wouldn't be expecting much more. It is fun mindless humor that is worth pulling out every once in awhile, but if your looking for true scares, this may not be the movie for you!

Unfortunately there is no trailer to view at this time....