Fantastic Fest Film Review: ‘Apostle’!
Easily my favorite movie of Fantastic Fest so far, Apostle is the type of movie that will stay with you hours after watching it. Gareth Evans wrote and directed this disturbing tale of Thomas (Dan Stevens) who infiltrates a religious cult on a remote island in order to rescue his kidnapped sister. Any further descent into the plot would ruin surprises that were a joy to discover during the movie. Evans’ ability to depict brutality and rage is second to none. What’s that? You haven’t seen The Raid or its sequel? Go watch those then come back to this review.
read comments (0)Fantastic Fest Film Review: ‘Hold the Dark’!
Jeremy Saulnier has now made three movies about the darkness at the fringes of civilization. In Blue Ruin it was a revenge tale where a man rejected societal expectations to get his pound of flesh. In Green Room, we follow the journey of a punk rock band trapped by neo-Nazis in a woods far from help. In Hold the Dark, he explores the darkness of remote Alaska to make one of the bleakest movies in recent memory.
Fantastic Fest Film Review: ‘Murder Me, Monster’!
Murder Me, Monster is a horror film out of Argentina that turned out to be absolutely bonkers. In the remote regions of Argentina, a woman’s body is found with no head. Cruz, an officer assigned to the crime, begins to investigate what is going on. While Cruz is looking into the death, he is also having an affair with a married woman. The woman’s husband is named David and he has gone missing again and Cruz sets off to find him. Cruz finds David in an abandoned village in the mountains.
Fantastic Fest Film Review: ‘Suspiria’ 2018!
Fantastic Fest’s Secret Screening this year was the remake of Suspiria starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton. Everyone in the theater loved it and the buzz in the Drafthouse afterward was fever pitch. Every review I have seen so far has praised it up and down. Unfortunately, this is not going to be one of those reviews. I recently rewatched the original Suspiria because to say this movie is very hyped in the horror community would be an understatement so I was prepared to see it next month. As the festival got closer and Suspiria wasn’t announced as an opening or closing film it slowly became the odds-on favorite for the secret screening. As I sat down to watch, I was truly excited.
Fantastic Fest Film Review: ‘Halloween’ 2018!
The original Halloween is barred none the best of the slasher genre. It is a simple story, a young boy kills his sister and is put in a mental institution, 16 years later he breaks out and goes on a rampage murdering people on Halloween. Michael Myers is terrifying in a way that Jason or Freddy isn’t. He feels more “realistic” in his behaviors in the first movie. Michael is just an unstoppable force of death who Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) runs in to. All of the sequels to Halloween try too hard to explain things or add significance. Sure, there are some fun entries that with the right amount of inebriation are quick fun. But ultimately they all abandon what was so great about the first, its simplicity. Halloween, 2018, erases all of the sequels in just 3-4 lines of dialogue and goes right back to the roots of what made the original such a groundbreaking horror film.
The Unbalanced Note #8 – ‘The Byrds’!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry. However, in this 8th episode, Jacob has gone on safari and we have a very special guest host and Boomstick Comics regular Jonathon Kimbrell joining the show from Classic Waxxx Records.
Film Review: ‘White Boy Rick’!
White Boy Rick is a mediocre biopic about the insane Wershe family story. When I say insane, I mean completely insane. When crack was on the rise in the 1980s, Rick Wershe was a police informant, drug dealer, and kingpin for a solid amount of time with the help of his Dad. This story had so many twists and turns related to the rise and fall of this family that a good hour on the ‘Ol Google Machine’ after the movie really left me shocked with how much of it was true. Despite my fascination with the subject matter the movie didn’t land as well as I thought it would. I’d compare it to Black Mass which is another truly incredible real life story that couldn’t figure out how to present it as a compelling movie.
My Bloody Podcast #21 – ‘Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers’!
Here is the super spectacular 21st episode (all-adult) of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
My Bloody Podcast #21 - 'Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers'! [ 1:48:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadFilm Review: ‘The Predator’!
Another reboot to the franchise brings more blood, guts, and humor to one of our favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger 80’s film ‘Predator‘. Now, it’s simply titled ‘THE PREDATOR‘, which vaguely addresses the past two films with zero mention of any characters. Shane Black is at the helm of this distant sequel to the original film, which is interesting, to say the least. Shane was in the first film back in 1987 and played the part of Hawkins who told the funny jokes through the film. Shane went on to write the ‘Lethal Weapon‘ movies, ‘The Monster Squad‘ and more importantly ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang‘, ‘The Nice Guys‘, and ‘Iron Man 3‘, before taking this on with his fellow ‘Monster Squad‘ collaborator Fred Dekker.
My Bloody Podcast #20 – ‘Surf Nazis Must Die’!
Here is the super spectacular 20th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
Film Review: ‘The Nun’!
Coming in as WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR so far, ‘The Nun‘ fails to impress on every level. I don’t say this lightly either. I’m a huge proponent of the horror genre and do believe that ‘The Conjuring‘, ‘The Conjuring 2‘, ‘Annabelle‘, and ‘Annabelle Creation‘ are some of the best modern day horror movies we have around. When we were introduced to this demonic nun un ‘The Conjuring 2‘, I had terrific nightmares where I had to sleep with the lights on. This character was horrific in a fantastic way. This nun was the hit of the ‘Conjuring‘ sequel for sure and now we have a whole entire film, simply titled ‘The Nun‘ that gives us a story about her from a couple of decades prior to the events in ‘The Conjuring‘. It’s not a prequel or origin story though as nothing about this demonic nun known as Valek is discussed. With a terrible screenplay, awful dialogue, dreadful editing, and camera movements, and not to mention stale performances – I prayed for the film to get better, but ‘The Nun‘ let me down at every turn. In fact, the film is so horrendous that I actually started to enjoy it on some comedic type of level.
TV Review: The New ‘JACK RYAN’ Series!
This weekend I had the time to watch the entire first season of Amazon’s new series Jack Ryan. Growing up I enjoyed all of the Harrison Ford versions of Jack Ryan and even liked the Ben Affleck iteration. The reboot attempt with Chris Pine fell pretty flat for me a few years back but I’ve always enjoyed the character. John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan is a perfectly serviceable TV hero but is really bogged down by the story around him. In an effort to be optimistic, I will say that I am hopeful for the second season.
Directorial Interview: Josh and Jonathan Baker, ‘[KIN]’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
On August 23rd, I had the privilege to sit with the twin directors of KIN, Josh and Jonathan Baker. Adorable, funny, and in charge, these two are about to take the world by storm. Tune in and discover this handsome duo’s origin, perspectives, and insights as well as the impromptu pop quiz they sprung on me. Josh and Jonathan are a hoot and a half. So much fun and interesting conversation were had.
Film Review: ‘Searching’!
I have to admit that I had no interest in Searching going in. I saw the trailer and thought nothing of it. I saw some positive buzz about the movie the past few weeks and still thought it was going to be a bad movie. Well, I was completely wrong. Searching is a great thriller that really uses its online concept in brilliant ways to keep the suspense and twists coming in ways that feel earned.
My Bloody Podcast #19 – ‘SCREAM’!
Here is the super spectacular 19th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
The Unbalanced Note #7 – JIMI HENDRIX!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
Film Review: ‘[KIN]’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
Crash. Pew Pew. Woosh. Boom. Maneuvering through the ruins of an abandoned building, KIN opens with the coolest sound mixing that I have heard and literally felt in a long time. Eli Solinski (Myles Truitt) searches for scrap metal to sell, but finds a weapon endowed with great power and a secret that will alter his life. An outsider, Eli has few friends and lost his mother at a young age. It is no wonder why he is so reserved in his demeanor. At least until you mess with his family. Hal Solinski (Dennis Quaid), Eli’s father, comes home to find Eli suspended for fighting and his elder son, Jimmy Solinski (Jack Reynor) released from prison. Can his day get better? Read the rest of this entry »
LP Review: ‘Mondo’s ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ Soundtrack!
In 1986, legendary filmmaker John Carpenter gave us his fantasy, Chinese themed western ‘Big Trouble In Little China‘. It was one of the many collaborations with him and Kurt Russell in which they made some of the coolest motion pictures to ever grace the big screen. It wasn’t a big, huge success back in 1986, but over the years it is one of the most popular and best cult films amongst movie fans. With that, Carpenter and his friend Alan Howarth composed and produced a fantastic soundtrack for the film, which consists of Carpenter’s famous synth score mixed with rock n roll music.
Film Review: ‘The Happytime Murders’!
The Happytime Murders is the worst movie I’ve sat through in 2018. It isn’t funny or clever or charming or enjoyable or just so stupid you laugh. It is a horrible script with even worse acting blasted into your poor eyeballs for an hour and twenty-five minutes. This is a terrible one, guys. I hate to say it but avoid this.
My Bloody Podcast #18 – ‘Freddy vs Jason’!
Here is the super spectacular 18th episode (barely legal) of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
Fantastic Fest 2018 Second Wave of Motion Pictures Announced!
Fantastic Fest is one of the events that is pure bliss for any fan of genre cinema. If you love horror, sci-fi, foreign, action, and even adult-oriented movies from the 1970s, then Fantastic Fest is the place to let that freak flag fly high and be with like-minded individuals that truly appreciate the art of movies. All of the madness and fun will take place in Austin, TX starting on September 20th and run for 10 days at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar St. This year, which is the 14th annual festival of Fantastic-ness, captures the essence of the Korean movie scene with a ton of cool films being showcased from Korea, both new and old. This is something you won’t want to miss.
The second wave of movies (1st wave can be seen here) – has been announced, including the US Premiere of the upcoming sequel ‘HALLOWEEN‘ from director David Gordon Green, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, who reprises her iconic role as Laurie Strode. In addition to that, Jeremy Saulnier‘s new film ‘HOLD THE DARK‘, will have its US Premiere at the festival. Also, Gaspar Noe’s newest movie ‘CLIMAX‘, will be shown too. This is shaping up to be an amazing festival. Below is the complete list of the second wave.
The Unbalanced Note #6 – Boston!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
Film Review: ‘Mile 22’!
Mile 22 is a movie where John Malkovich (in a weird hairpiece) looks straight into the camera and says, “He’s not a double agent…He’s a triple agent!” That pretty much sums up the quality of this latest collaboration between Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg. It is loud, full of action, and constantly twists itself in stupid knots trying to be more than a fun summer blockbuster.
Mile 22 opens with a decently long prologue of a team known as ‘Overwatch’ (no relation to the video game), led by Mark Wahlberg infiltrating a Russian sleeper cell home in a suburban town. Wahlberg’s on the ground team consists of Lauren Cohan and Ronda Rousey. In the sky, there is John Malkovich and a group of computer nerds watching every aspect of the operation. There are also two males on Wahlberg’s team which I will address in a minute. This opening sequence is really, really well done, It has a lot of tension and the suspense builds and builds through the final moments. Despite my enjoyment of the scene overall they still went out of their way to show that ‘Overwatch’, which is allegedly the best of the best and doesn’t exist, is also really terrible at their job because all the planning and technology advantages they still let some 20-year-old guy get the drop on the two male members of ‘Overwatch’ killing them.
My Bloody Podcast #17 – ‘Return of the Living Dead Part II’!
Here is the super spectacular 17th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
My Bloody Podcast #17 – ‘Return of the Living Dead Part II’! [ 1:09:54 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadTheater Review: Dallas Summer Musicals presents ‘[School of Rock the Musical]’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
From the great musical maestro, Andrew Lloyd Webber comes new music to rock you out of your seat. Dallas Summer Musicals presents School of Rock the Musical, based on the film of the same name. Jack Black made you laugh to your core in the lead role, Dewey. Dewey (Rob Colletti) wants nothing more than to become a rock star. He is a leech seemingly stuck permanently to his best friend, Ned’s (Matt Bittner), backside. Much to the dismay of Ned’s girlfriend, Patty (Emily Borromeo), who wants Dewey to grow up and contribute to the household. Faced with the threat of eviction, Dewey assumes Ned’s identity as a substitute teacher for the elite, posh Horace Green Preparatory School. Wackiness ensues and so does your good time!
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – Finn Balor vs Baron Corbin!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about the Merc with a mouth sequel either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
Ep. #23 Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling – SummerSlam 2018!
This is our 23rd episode our amazing podcast called ‘Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling‘ or WEW for short, which is part of the Boomstick Comics brand on the Multi-Media Men Podcast label. That was a mouth full. Angi Sanders and Bryan Kluger discuss in detail the matches set for SummerSlam 2018 so far, some surprise returns, Dean Ambrose, and much more… Enjoy!
Ep. #23 Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling – SummerSlam 2018! [ 47:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadThe Unbalanced Note #5 – ‘Black Sabbath’!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
Film Review: ‘Ahockalypse’!
The past decade and a half, the undead have risen in all forms of entertainment. We’ve seen zombies on the big screen with big stars like Brad Pitt, we’ve seen the undead walk on prime time television and win awards, along with playing zombies in video games, and even in our kid-friendly cartoons. Zombies are the main-stay nowadays and like superhero movies, they’ve completely oversaturated the movie market, where it becomes tiresome to watch yet another zombie movie. We’ve seen Nazi zombies, Shakespeare zombies, marijuana zombies, romantic comedy zombies, and even zombie beavers. What’s next? I’ll tell you what’s next, it’s a movie called ‘AHOCKALYPSE‘ and is a hockey sports movie with zombies that was made in Minnesota.
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – Dolph Ziggler vs Seth Rollins!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about the Merc with a mouth sequel either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – Shinsuke Nakamura vs Jeff Hardy!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about a scoundrel and Wookiee meeting for the first time either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch vs Carmella!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about dinosaurs trying to survive an eruptive volcano either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
Film Review: ‘Never Goin’ Back’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
A friend is there through thick and thin. Right there, to draw a penis on your face while you are fast asleep. That is the opening scene of the hilarious adventures of Angela (Maia Mitchell) and Jessie (Camila Morrone) two young waitresses trying to make a way. Never Goin’ Back is based on the true story of its creator and director, Augustine Frizzell. I had the privilege of interviewing Frizzell (more on that awesome experience later), but first here are some reasons to watch this arduous girl power film. Angela and Jessie are high school dropouts that share a house with Jessie’s special in the head brother, Dustin (Joel Allen). On the eve of Jessie’s 17th birthday, Angela comes up with the perfect gift for her dearest friend. The gift sets into motion a trail of calamitous events, drugs, innuendos, and literally a holy crap moment.
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – Alexa Bliss vs Ronda Rousey!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about the destruction of Vibranium either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
Film Review: ‘The Meg’!
If you watched the trailer for The Meg in which a 90-foot shark appears to stalk a wedding party because the bride’s tiny dog jumped in for a swim while ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’ blares over the speakers and hated it, then The Meg is not for you. The Meg is continuing a growing trend of low-tier Hollywood movies knowing exactly what they are. It is big, loud, preposterous, silly, funny, and so over the top, it hurts. It leans into these descriptors so hard that I found myself sort of admiring the fact that everyone involved was like, “We’re gonna see how ridiculous we can make this and the audience will either smile or their eyes will roll out of their head.” I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of it all, but not in a malicious way. I enjoyed the movie but will never see it again.
My Bloody Podcast #16 – ‘Deep Blue Sea’!
Here is the super spectacular 16th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
The Ultimate Guide to SummerSlam 2018 – AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about Thanos trying to destroy the galaxy either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
LP Review: ‘Luke Cage Season 2’ Soundtrack!
Marvel is certainly on a roll with their content over this past decade with their billion dollar movies and their successful television shows across multiple platforms. One of these shows is called ‘Luke Cage‘, which just debuted its second season on Netflix. Luke Cage was the first black superhero in comic books to be featured as the main protagonist with his name as the title. Cage is an ex-convict who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit who was experimented on, thus creating his superpowers of strength and unbreakable skin. Once he hones in on these powers, he basically becomes a hero for hire and is one of the coolest characters in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ep. #22 Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling – NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 4 and SummerSlam 1991!
This is our 22nd episode our amazing podcast called ‘Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling‘ or WEW for short, which is part of the Boomstick Comics brand on the Multi-Media Men Podcast label. That was a mouth full. Angi Sanders and Bryan Kluger discuss in detail the matches set for NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 4, which is going to be amazing. Since it’s SummerSlam season, we also go back in history and talk about SummerSlam 1991 and SummerSlam 2002 and how important they both were to the WWE brand, and much more… Enjoy!
Ep. #22 Wrestling is Everything is Wrestling - NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 4 and SummerSlam 1991! [ 45:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadThe Unbalanced Note #4 – Eric Clapton!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
The Ultimate Guide to WWE SummerSlam 2018 – Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns!
The big summer blockbuster is almost here. I’m not talking about Tom Cruise jumping from building to building either. I’m talking about WWE’s 31st annual SummerSlam PPV of entertainment and pro-wrestling, which is set to take place on August 19th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York and can be watched live in HD on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month or for free if you’re a new subscriber. Over the next few days, our writer Angi and I will be conjuring up some entertaining pieces about each match at SummerSlam 2018. We’ll cover each WWE Superstar, the background of the match, the odds of winning, and what to look out for in each match.
4K UHD Review: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’!
THE FILM
For the last decade, we’ve been getting to know most of the Marvel super-heroes. In 2008, we met Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) when the comic book company Marvel decided to start making their own films with their own company, without the help of any other big studio. It was a massive success, which led to 17 more films that included a ton of more superheroes, including Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Captain America, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Guardians of the Galaxy. For the first few superhero films, we were introduced to their origins and character, which led to the first Avengers films. Needless to say, that first Avengers movie broke box office records at the time and put in motion a story arc that culminates into what we have today – ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘.
My Bloody Podcast #15 – ‘Dead Alive’!
Here is the super spectacular 15th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
Interview with Donnell Rawlings!
I had the distinct pleasure to talk with actor/comedian Donnell Rawlings about his new show ‘HOLLYWEED‘ amongst other things. ‘HOLLYWEED‘ is a new TV show pilot that stars Rawlings and Kevin Smith, the latter of which wrote and directed the show. It’s a lot like ‘CLERKS‘, but instead taking place at a convenience store, it’s at a cannabis dispensary. It’s fantastic, to say the least. Donnell Rawlings is mostly known for starring in Chappelle Show on comedy central.
Kevin Smith Re-Made ‘CLERKS’, but at a Cannabis Dispensary This Time called ‘HOLLYWEED’!
Filmmaker Kevin Smith defined a cinematic generation back in 1994 with his iconic motion picture ‘CLERKS‘, which he financed himself on a dozen or so credit cards. Smith enlisted the help of his friends to perform and make the movie itself on a low budget about a couple of people who work at a low-end convenient store and video rental place. It was a philosophical and hilarious look at the lives of everyday people and what goes through their mind. Some 25 years later, ‘CLERKS‘ is still as relevant and important as it was in the early 90s.
Since 1994, Smith has made a ton of movies in a variety of different genres, along with some A-List actors. The dialogue he writes is so realistic, quirky, and downright hilarious yet sentimental that you can’t help but fall in love with all most every character he comes up with. Let’s backtrack three years ago where Smith filmed a TV pilot called ‘HOLLYWEED‘ that stars himself and actor/comedian Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle Show/HBO’s The Wire), where the two work at a cannabis dispensary, talking about their issues with society and going on weird adventures – much like Dante and Randal did back in 1994 at the Quick Stop.
Fantastic Fest 2018 First Wave of Motion Pictures Announced!
Fantastic Fest is one of the events that is pure bliss for any fan of genre cinema. If you love horror, sci-fi, foreign, action, and even adult-oriented movies from the 1970s, then Fantastic Fest is the place to let that freak flag fly high and be with like-minded individuals that truly appreciate the art of movies. All of the madness and fun will take place in Austin, TX starting on September 20th and run for 10 days at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar St. This year, which is the 14th annual festival of Fantastic-ness, captures the essence of the Korean movie scene with a ton of cool films being showcased from Korea, both new and old. This is something you won’t want to miss.
The first wave of movies has been announced, including the World Premiere of the WWII horror movie called ‘OVERLORD‘ from J.J. Abrams. In addition to that film, Fantastic Fest will host Gareth Evans‘ horror movie ‘APOSTLE‘. Gareth gave us the amazing films ‘THE RAID‘ AND ‘THE RAID 2‘, so you can expect some insane fight scenes and horrific imagery. Alos, a film called ‘THE NIGHT COMES FOR US‘, which stars the badass from those ‘RAID‘ movies will be shown, meaning Iko Uwais will stun us once again with his amazing physical skills. If you were a fan of ‘THE GREASY STRANGLER‘, the director of that movie Jim Hosking has a new film called ‘AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN‘, which is being described as a David Lynch meets John Waters type of movie. You had me at Greasy Strangler.
Lastly, there are some vintage films coming through from AGFA (American Genre Film Archive), one of which has peaked my interest from the title alone – ‘MARY JANE’S NOT A VIRGIN ANYMORE‘. I have high hopes for this one. Below is the list of films with cast and crew info, along with a brief synopsis. Enjoy and hope to see you all there.
LP Review: ‘Inside Out Soundtrack Single 45’ by Michael Giacchino!
The music or score of any film almost always adds a heightened level of excitement, sadness, horror, or any other emotion to the image on the screen. There is just something great about a good musical score that makes us bond and feel those glorious sentiments with the characters and stories in film. Pixar has done an incredible job of giving us some of the most iconic scores of all time that we still hum and sing on occasion. With all of these added emotions, it’s no pun that a movie about emotions called ‘Inside Out‘ has an incredible score by a fantastic composer named Michael Giacchino.
Michael is no slouch either when it comes to making an orchestra sound alive and full of action. With movies under his belt such as ‘The Incredibles‘, the ‘Star Trek‘ movies, and many other Pixar films, along with recent ‘Jurassic World‘ movies and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘ – you know the music maestro knows what he’s doing. It’s great to have Mondo release the 45’ single of ‘Inside Out‘ with a couple of its main themes for fans of the film.
My Bloody Podcast #14 – ‘Saturday the 14th’!
Here is the super spectacular 14th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
Theatre Review: ‘Love Never Dies’!
A quick survey to theatergoers asking for their favorite musical or what comes to mind as the most memorable, and the response would no doubt have Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ high on the list. Viewed by over 130 million people since debuting in 1986, this gothic darling has become somewhat of an unstoppable force. Hoping to continue the magic, Webber has followed-up with ‘Love Never Dies‘ after years of planning. But as with any sequel, there’s inevitably going to be skepticism and divided sentiments. If one can look past the questionable plot and magnified melodrama, this ‘Victorian Circus’ dazzles with its radiant set design, prolific props, and alluringly spectral atmosphere.
Film Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’!
Who would have thought that some 22 years later, we would still be getting ‘Mission: Impossible‘ films with Tom Cruise as the go-to guy in saving the world time and time again? I definitely didn’t expect this, but I’m thrilled Tom Cruise and company continue to make these electrifying films that seem to up the ante and get better with each installment. Tom Cruise is 56 years old, which is 5 years older than Wilford Brimley was in the movie ‘Cocoon‘. Let that sit with you for a minute. What I’m trying to say is that Cruise doesn’t look nor does he act like a 56-year-old man. Instead, he looks and acts like a 25-year-old youngster with a death wish and penchant for the extreme and I believe every second of it, especially in this sixth film ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout‘.
The Unbalanced Note #3 – ‘AC/DC’!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and I talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
Why you need Need ‘Texas Star Burlesque’ in your life!
I believe Axl Rose said it best back in 1987 – “Take me down to Paradise City where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.” This is what I think of when a burlesque shows heads into town. However, you receive so much more, especially with the brand new show ‘Texas Star Burlesque‘ had their first extravaganza in the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood of Downtown Dallas on July Saturday the 14th at Trees. Not only are the people devastatingly beautiful, and while there wasn’t green grass inside of Trees, you can sense the paradise and glistening stage and lights that amplified these talented performers. When the music hit the sold-out crowd, the cheers were turned up to 11, and the lights were as bright as they could be, you could feel the sense of joy wonder and excitement between everyone in attendance. It was truly a Paradise City.
‘JAWS’ On The Water Experience!
I took my wife to ‘Jaws‘ on the Water last night presented by Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow. Before I even got invited to this I knew Drafthouse was the best theater chain in America when it comes to putting on the best presentation. Now after attending this event, I can confirm they are the best chain in the World.
My Bloody Podcast #13 – ‘Thir13en Ghosts’!
Here is the super spectacular 13th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record-Chronicle and I talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
4K UHD Review: ‘Ready Player One’!
THE FILM
One of the most anticipated movies of the year is finally upon us with Steven Spielberg’s return to the fantasy/sci-fi realm in ‘Ready Player One‘, which is based on the pop-culture fandom novel from 2011 of the same name by author Ernest Cline. The novel was a best-seller and was chock-full of the 1980s and 1990s references in the form of video games, movies, TV shows, and more. in fact, every page of the book was like reading a nostalgic diary of your past childhood favorite things. ‘Ready Player One‘ takes places a few decades into the future where a simulated and very realistic virtual reality game is the main form of entertainment where people put on goggles and can be anyone or anything they want.
The Unbalanced Note #2 – ‘Metallica’!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and myself talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
‘The Princess Bride’ is coming to Criterion!
The magnificent Criterion Collection has just announced their October 2018 titles, which include Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s long-unavailable television series Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day, a working-class soap opera suffused with affection and solidarity, Warren Beatty in Shampoo– a sly sendup of sex and politics in the 1960s directed by Hal Ashby, Brian De Palma’s Sisters, the virtuoso director’s twisted and terrifying first foray into Hitchcock territory, and Cornel Wilde’s stripped-down action film The Naked Prey. But more importantly, the iconic film ‘The Princess Bride‘ is finally getting the high-end home video treatment from Criterion.
Criterion is Releasing the Ultimate Ingmar Bergman Blu-ray Box Set!
The incredible Criterion Collection is celebrating Ingmar Bergman’s 100th birthday by releasing an all new gigantic Blu-ray box set of Begman’s movies, which will come with 39 of his films and a big 248 book about the filmmaker. Ingmar Bergman is one of those legendary filmmakers whose motion pictures are studied in schools and watched in every generation. This is great news to have this kind of set released, celebrating the amazing filmmaker. Below is all the information you will need. The set will be released in time for the holidays on November 20, 2018 and will be around $300 or less. That’s a heck of a deal, considering there are so many movies.
Varese Sarabande Brings Three Vinyl Soundtracks to Barnes and Noble!
My Bloody Podcast #12 – ‘Sleepaway Camp I, II, III’!
Here is the super spectacular 12th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
My Bloody Podcast #12 - 'Sleepaway Camp I, II, III'! [ 1:07:19 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadFilm Review: ‘Skyscraper’!
Summer blockbusters have been a staple for all of us for many years in the movie theater. We can expect, a ton of action, one-liners, witty actors, explosions, feel good endings, and sometimes monsters, zombies, aliens, robots, or a combination of all four. These big summer blockbusters usually lack an award winning story or break-through performances, but it makes up for that in sheer entertainment and high stakes. When you bring in a former charismatic WWE Champion with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to play the “every character from our favorite 80s-90s action movies, you’re gonna get something wild, fun, and nothing short of spectacular, which is why I’m hear to say that ‘Skyscraper‘ is the big budget summer blockbuster you’ve always wanted.
The Unbalanced Note #1 – KISS!
Here is the BRAND SPANKING NEW debut of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘The Unbalanced Note‘, where the show is related to all things MUSIC! Here on this new show, musician Jacob Douglas and myself talk about everything we love or dislike about music, musicians, and the music industry.
Film Review: ‘Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation’!
Hotel Transylvania 3 picks up after Hotel Transylvania 2 and I assume 1. It follows the father-daughter relationship of Dracula and his daughter Mavis. The first one was about Mavis, a vampire, marrying a normal human named Jonny. The second was about Mavis and Jonny deciding where to raise their child. This one is about how tough it is being wedding planners at Count Dracula’s Castle so they all take a vacation where Dracula attempts to find love again.
My Bloody Podcast #11 – ‘Return of the Living Dead’!
Here is the super spectacular 11th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music.
Texas Star Burlesque presents their 1st Show EVER in Dallas ‘The Belles of Burlesque’!
There’s a brand new Burlesque show in the North Texas region called Texas Star Burlesque, and they’re having their first epic show smack dab in the middle of Dallas, TX on Saturday July 14th at 9PM. The venue will be the historic and landmark locale ‘Trees‘ in Deep Ellum and will feature a ton of amazing and famous performers from around nation. You can expect the best part of your weekend to start and end with this show. Be sure to get your tickets before they sell out by CLICKING HERE!
Film Review: ‘The First Purge’!
We’ve arrived at the 4th installment of The Purge, which is a prequel to the previous three films, simply titled The First Purge. The creator of this film franchise – James DeMonaco has left the director’s chair for the first time in this franchise and given the reigns to Fruitvale Station associate producer Gerard McMurray. While DeMonaco is still listed as the writer and producer of this new film, The First Purge doesn’t do really anything new, nor does it enhance anything that we haven’t already seen before in the previous films. Each Purge film has a different overall feel to it. The first movie can be described as a home invasion film, while the 2nd Purge took to the streets in a very Escape from New York kind of way, while the third film was its mostly a violent political thriller at best.
Dan Moran’s Review of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’!
Ant-Man & The Wasp is perfectly fine. Its ok. It is certainly a two hour movie in which things happen. I was entertained by things that happened in this movie, that I definitely saw, but I don’t think matter at all. I love Paul Rudd. Evangeline Lily as Wasp is delightful. Michael Pena steals every single scene he is in again. Michael Douglas certainly enjoys his paycheck. Walton Goggins is wasted, but my face lit up every time he spoke. This is without a doubt the best cast of all the solo Marvel films. The problem with the movie is that it was released at the worst possible time to get anyone to care about it.
Film Review: ‘Fags in the Fast Lane’!
With a title like ‘Fags in the Fast Lane‘, you can hope for fun, debauchery, charm, cocks, and well…fags. You get all this and more in ‘Fags in the Fast Lane‘ as this movie evokes the true spirit of exploitation at its finest. With the spirit of John Waters, 42nd Street, and Russ Meyer, this wacky movie aims to please and satisfy your morbid curiosity in a variety of ways. One thing is for sure, if you are feeling nostalgic on the likes of ‘Pink Flamingos‘, but have seen that one too many times, ‘Fags in the Fast Lane‘ is your new go-to in exploitation films.
Film Review: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’!
A few years later, we have a sequel to one of the Avenger’s more minuscule components in ‘Ant-Man‘. The original film was funny, charming, and had a good deal of entertainment value, mostly due to Paul Rudd’s unique and perfect comedy timing and delivery. Now, after the big consequences of ‘Black Panther‘ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘, Marvel thought it be best to make ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp‘ with a funnier tone and with much lower conflict and chaos. It’s a nice breather before what’s to come in future Marvel movies.
Film Review: ‘Sicario 2: Day of Soldado’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
Three years ago, Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) and Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) were introduced as FBI agents fighting the war on drugs in Sicario. The duo returns in Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado and the age-old strategy of pitting one enemy against another is re-imagined. Why fight all of the cartels one at a time when you could incite them to fight each other? Enter the daughter of a cartel king and a bad little girl, Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner). This girl will wow you.
A Reconstruction of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’!
Reconstruction of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
By Tuesday Shank
(Find Tuesday Shank on Twitter and Instagram!)
There are three types of movies in this world for me; bad movies (which I may or may not enjoy because of or despite of their badness), good movies, and movies that annoy me. Movies that annoy me are the ones I obsess over.
Movies that annoy me tend to be “close but no cigar” to a good movie. They annoy me, because I wish the film had gotten the cigar. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is a movie that annoys the crap out of me.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales was intended to be a soft reboot of the series. It was supposed to introduce new characters in a similar environment and allow the series to have a “fresh start.” The film had absolutely everything it needed to accomplish this task. Instead, the movie is a jammed pack, convoluted, dragging two-hour film.
My Bloody Podcast #10 – ‘My Demon Lover’!
Here is the super spectacular 10th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music. We have a special guest for our 10th episode as well, which is our amazing friend and wizard of all things movies and coolness – James Cole Clay from Fresh Fiction. In our tenth episode, our topics include discussions about the new ‘Predator‘ trailer, along with new trailer for ‘Mandy‘, starring Nic Cage. We also talk about watching ‘JAWS‘ on the water, Jared Leto joining a horror Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, and more. We also give you “Bloody Recommendations” of three horror films, being ‘The Vagrant‘, ‘The Addiction‘, and ‘Haunter‘. Our big topic is of course is ‘My Demon Lover‘, where we discuss the film, it’s production history, the actors, and more. It was so much fun. This episode is guaranteed to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you.
Best Movies of the First Half of 2018!
I’ve had the chance to see a ton of movies this year but still feel like I have missed out on some indie ones that are necessary to catch before December. Below is my list so far. I was really shocked with what a good year it has been for horror and movies staying with me in general. It is pretty rare that I think about a movie days after seeing it but this year there have been so many.
Film Review: ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’!
Sicario: Day of the Soldado is a stunningly topical sequel that almost lives up to the original. I personally had Sicario in my top 3 movies of 2015. The first Sicario is a masterpiece from one of the best writers, Taylor Sheridan, and best directors (Denis Villeneuve) of our time. Sheridan wrote this sequel and has now put together 4 straight incredible crime/western scripts in a row: Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River, and now Sicario: Day of the Soldado. It is a worthy follow up to the original and one of my favorites of the year.
Film Review: ‘Island Zero’!
Let me preface this by saying that I don’t have the talent or patience to create my own movie. I know it takes a ton of hard work to make something from scratch. Island Zero is obviously a very low budget film, which I tried to keep in mind during the excessively long runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Spoiler-Heavy Thoughts on ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’!
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a huge waste of time. The first Jurassic World was light on story and by no means great, but it had a healthy dose of mindless entertainment. The sequel though, wasn’t even enjoyable. Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies of all time. It was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw in a movie theater and I spent years playing with dinosaurs after seeing it. I love these kind of movies, but this sequel is just so, so bad. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom fumbled one of the easiest plots to execute in Hollywood: Have dinosaurs attack people while Chris Pratt charms the audience.
Video Film Review: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’!!
Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the 5th installment of the Jurassic series, blows up the silver screen. It’s been three years since the largest predators broke from their chains (again). Isla Nublar is full of life and…death. An Extinction Level Event befalls the island and its massive inhabitants. Question: Does an extinct species entitled to the right to live? Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), and yes, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) return to the screen to answer this question.
Justifying the Female Villain: An Essay by Tuesday Shank!
Justifying the Female Villain
By Tuesday Shank
(Find Tuesday Shank on Twitter and Instagram!)
I stumbled through my college career. After the better part of six years, I began my work on my senior thesis. I undertook the easiest thesis I could think for myself to do: analyze a television show. My advisor’s academic expertise was gender studies. As a fan of Joss Whedon, I knew of Joss Whedon’s reputation for feminist characters and decided to use my thesis to sing Whedon’s praises.
Thus, I began my work on “Careful Jayne, You’ll Scare the Women: An Analysis of Gender Representations in the Television Show, Firefly”. I watched Firefly enough that I’m still not eager to see it again. Halfway through the semester, I just wanted to watch anything else.
Dan Moran’s 4 Quick Movie Reviews of ‘Upgrade’, ‘Ocean’s 8’, ‘Hereditary’, ‘Hotel Artemis’!
UPGRADE
Upgrade is an excellent 90 minute Black Mirror episode. If you enjoy action movies or anything sci-fi I suggest checking out this quiet little movie before it leaves theaters. The basic plot is in the near future a guy has his spine severed when he and his wife get attacked by a group of men. After becoming a quadriplegic, he undergoes an experimental procedure that puts an AI chip in his spine. This chip gives him some superhuman abilities and senses which he uses to hunt down his wife’s killers.
My Bloody Podcast #9 – ‘Ninja III: The Domination’!
Here is the 9th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music. In our ninth episode, our topics include discussions about the new ‘Halloween‘ trailer, Ewan McGregor becoming the adult Danny Torrance in the upcoming ‘Shining‘ sequel, the renewal of ‘Lucifer‘ and more. We also give you “Bloody Recommendations” of two horror films, being ‘The Midnight Man‘ and ‘Nomads‘. Our big topic is of course is ‘Ninja III: The Domination‘, where we discuss the film, it’s production history, the actors, and more. It was so much fun. This episode is guaranteed to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you.
Theatre Review: ‘The Lion King’!
Ever since ‘The Lion King’ (1994 film) debuted in movie theaters, the musical’s popularity has conquered more than just that box office. Only third in line to the thrown of Disney’s top-grossing films, it was inevitable that this animated picture would be adapted into a stage production. Satisfying the lingering hunger of audiences, ‘The Lion King’ (1997 musical) is not only Broadway’s third longest-running show, but it surpassed the film’s success as Broadway’s top-grossing musical ever. Combined with phenomenal puppetry, vibrant costumes, a sensational set design and a disreputably epic soundtrack, it’s easy to see why ‘The Lion King’ has been crowned the best. Be prepared for a royal experience—this interactive musical will pounce on your emotions and leave your heart roaring with excitement!
Podcast: A Fun Discussion with Filmmaker John Landis!
John Landis is one of those filmmakers that comes along once in a lifetime. The director has made some of the most iconic and most memorable motion pictures to ever grace the big screen. With films like ‘Animal House‘, ‘An American Werewolf in London‘, ‘Three Amigos‘, ‘Spies Like Us‘, ‘Coming to America‘, ‘Trading Places‘, ‘Blues Brothers‘, ‘Michael Jackson’s Thriller‘, and more are some of the films that came from John Landis.
Blu-ray Review: ‘Ninja III: The Domination’!
THE FILM
Back in 1984, the world was given a movie by the name of ‘Ninja III: The Domination‘, which was the third film in a trilogy. If you were to go back and watch all three Ninja films, you’d be hard pressed to find a similar tone or continuity throughout each of them, minus a small ninja aspect. After the first two ‘Ninja‘ films, it was time to throw everything in the bag, including the kitchen sink, which eventually became ‘Ninja III: The Domination‘. The movie plays out like Hunter S. Thompson wrote it over a drug-induced bender in Vegas, but only had a few dollars to make the film that is a mix between ‘Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo‘, a horror film, and the wackiest Kung-Fu movie this side of the Mississippi. In fact, the star and director of ‘Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo‘ also star and direct ‘Ninja III‘, which makes perfect sense when you think about it. This is a film that I imagine had fantastic intentions and thought it was going to be the biggest blockbuster ever made, but the results gave us something much more. It gave us a movie that was so beyond weird and insane, that cult audiences around the world fell in love with it and keep it alive still to this day.
4K UHD Review: Tomb Raider (2018)!
THE FILM
(This film portion was written by Dan Moran.)
Well the streak remains intact. There still hasn’t been a good video game movie. Tomb Raider isn’t a horrible time at the movies but it sure isn’t a good one. You know that old saying “You can’t put lipstick on a pig.”? Well you can’t put great actors in a video game movie either… its still a damn video game movie.
Film Review: ‘The Incredibles 2’!
The Parr family is back in action in ‘The Incredibles 2‘ with more action, wit, and spectacular visuals that is guaranteed to thrill and entertain everyone who watches. It’s been 14 years since we last saw the Parr family come to terms with being superheroes in a world that doesn’t want them. Pixar really took a chance on their first outing with superheroes in hiring an outsider in Brad Bird to take the helm back in 2004. Before then, it was only Pixar people who got to make Pixar films, but with ‘The Incredibles‘, Pixar took Bird in as their own, most likely due to Bird’s amazing film ‘The Iron Giant‘. The result was magnificent with an intimate portrait of a family with love and problems all the same. Not only that, Bird set the story in the 1960’s in a noir spy thriller type of genre, complete with a fantastic score to go along with the time. I just can’t believe it’s taken this long to get a sequel.
4K UHD Review: ‘Forrest Gump’!
THE FILM
In 1986, author Winston Groom gave us the book ‘Forrest Gump‘, about a simple minded guy who accomplished a lot through his life, including running a shrimping boat and being an astronaut. That book was made into an award winning film called ‘Forrest Gump‘ that starred Tom Hanks as Gump and Robin Wright Penn, amongst other people. Even though there are many differences from the book, this adaptation that director Robert Zemeckis made was truly inspirational, emotional, and a lot of fun.
Series Review: ‘Ducktales: Destination Adventure’!
A ton of us grew up on ‘Ducktales‘ back in the 1980s and 1990s. We can even sing the theme song by heart with that famous “WOO-OOO”, which always brings a smile to my face. It seemed like ‘Ducktales‘ was only set for re-runs, but lucky for us, Disney revived the hit animated TV show and now we have new episodes featuring some of our favorite duck characters. We now have a new DVD titled ‘Ducktales: Destination Adventure!‘, which features six episodes of the new series, along with two classic episodes from the original tv show. Now that’s fantastic.
Film Review: ‘Ocean’s 8’!
Ocean’s 8 is an enjoyable heist movie, but it brought a fresh spin to the screen for the franchise, and for that reason it’s in the running for my favorite of the films. An all-female cast can come off pretty campy (hey Sex and the City), but when it’s done well (I see you Pitch Perfect), each character brings their own sass and charm to the screen. Oceans does just that, with each of the stars carrying their weight and adding a spark to the role they play as part of the heist team. No one out shined the other; they truly worked as a unit, which I think overall the Ocean films have tried to do. Clooney carried the day in the male led films, but here, all the women brought it.
Film Review: ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’!
In the dumpster fire that is our world these days, Won’t You Be My Neighbor is film you didn’t know you needed. It’s soothing, it’s sweet, and it’s a sentimental look back at what may be the best children’s TV show ever made. The documentary, brought to us by Morgan Neville, centers on Fred Rogers himself and mission he had to bring his message that love conquers all to viewers everywhere.
Film Review: ‘Hotel Artemis’!
Writer Drew Pearce, best recognized for Iron Man 3 (2013) and Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), has entered his first directorial credit into the heated competition of summer blockbusters. Set up with a unique concept of a secret hotel/emergency-room for criminals in futuristic Los Angeles, ‘Hotel Artemis’ sounds promising on paper, right? But upon execution, the result is a mediocre thriller whose only saving grace is the appearance of Jeff Goldblum and a few comical one-liners from supporting cast.
4K UHD Review: ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 1!
THE SERIES
HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ series is one of the better series to come out in the last 20 years. Based on the books by George R.R. Martin, which are called ‘A Song of Fire and Ice’, this series adaptation is top notch in every aspect. If you haven’t seen HBO’s ‘ Game of Thrones’ or read George R.R. Martin’s novels, then I highly suggest you do a few things. First, purchase this 4K UHD set. It will be one of the best purchases you will make this year so far. Second, set your DVR’s to record the last season coming up in a few months. And third, get the books, because they are truly a great read. This is one of the best HBO series to have ever been aired and it will sorely be missed when it’s gone.
Theatre Review: The Second City Summer Blockbuster!
It’s been over a decade since I last saw The Second City live. If you remember correctly, The Second City is the hilarious comedy enterprise that started a several decades ago in Chicago. It was the highlight for comedy and comedians to enhance and perform their sketch comedy and improv. Since the inception of The Second City, many talented entertainers have started there, including Bill Murray, Tina Fey, John Candy, Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, and many others.
My Bloody Podcast #8 – ‘Hereditary’!
Here is the 8th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music. In our eighth episode, our topics include discussions the ‘Pumpkinhead‘ remake, a possible ‘Cloverfield‘ sequel, new Scream Factory releases, news on the upcoming ‘Suspiria‘ remake and ‘Halloween‘ reboot sequel, and more. We also give you “Bloody Recommendations” of two horror films, being ‘Jaws 4: The Revenge‘ and ‘The Phantom Carriage‘. Our big topic is of course is ‘Hereditary‘, where we discuss the film, it’s production history, the actors, and more. It was so much fun. This episode is guaranteed to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you.
Film Review: ‘Hereditary’!
Being a huge fan of the horror genre, you always hope for something that will stick with you long after you see it, and that will cause you to sleep with the lights on and truly terrify you. More often than not, the horror movies we digest can be easily forgotten in a matter of minutes after viewing with some small laughs and eye rolls, even though we might have a cheap scare, forcing us to jump. Then there are times when we get a seriously horrifying movie that we just can’t shake off. A horror film that scares us to our core and reminds us why we love the horror genre and continues to pave the way in original and creative ways for all things scary. It doesn’t happen as often as it should these days, but we can all rejoice today, because the film ‘Hereditary‘ is here to scare the hell out of us in the best ways possible.
My Bloody Podcast #7 – ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’!
Here is the 7th episode of the newest podcast under the MULTI-MEDIA MEN banner called ‘My Bloody Podcast‘, where the show is related to all things HORROR! Here on this new show, Preston Barta from Fresh Fiction and the Denton Record Chronicle and myself talk about everything we love about horror movies, tv shows, and horror themed music. In our seventh episode, our topics include discussions on Jamie Foxx becoming the new Spawn for the upcoming comic book movie, new toys for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth‘, bad news with ‘The Crow‘ remake and more. We also give you “Bloody Recommendations” of two horror films, being ‘Upgrade‘ and ‘The Incredible Melting Man‘. Our big topic is of course is ‘Bubba Ho-Tep‘, where we discuss the film, it’s production history, the actors, and more. It was so much fun. This episode is guaranteed to thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you.
4K UHD Review: ‘Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Collection’!
THE FILMS
Presented here in 4K UHD are the first 4 ‘Jurassic Park‘ films, including ‘Jurassic Park‘, ‘Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World‘, ‘Jurassic Park 3‘, and ‘Jurassic World‘, which came out only a couple of years ago. Back in 1993, Steven Spielberg gave us the world of dinosaurs in such a moving, emotional, and entertaining way, that his first film ‘Jurassic Park‘, became a milestone in filmmaking and paved the way for a ton of creative minds over the next few years. With a mix of practical effects and state-of-the-art CGI effects, Spielberg and his crew of filmmakers created dinosaurs all over again, which became a huge phenomenon.
Blu-ray Review: ‘A Wrinkle In Time’!
THE FILM
(This film portion was written by Beka Perlstein!)
I really wanted to like A Wrinkle in Time more than I did. I gave it my best shot, but in the end, the only thing I can honestly say was that it had lots of great colors. Perhaps it was my high expectations for a Disney film, plus Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling that set me up for disappointment, but regardless, I was left feeling let down in a film that I knew practically nothing about. I have never read the 1962 Madeleine L’Engle novel, so I honestly had no clue what the plot was but whatever, it’s Disney, it’s gonna be good. Well…
Blu-ray Review: ‘Peter Pan’ 65th Anniversary Signature Edition!
THE FILM
Five years have past since Disney opened the vault and let loose their animated ‘Peter Pan‘ movie. In 2013, it was the 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. Now, it’s 2018, and we have the 65th Anniversary Blu-ray Signature Edition. This is the same exact Blu-ray release from 2013, but with a few new bonus features and different cover art. Both the 2013 version and this 2018 version come with Digital Copies, which is good, along with a DVD version. If you have the previous edition, there’s really no need to re-buy this one, unless you’re a huge fan or want the new bonus features, which will be listed out below. It’s the same film, the same video and audio presentations as well.
Film Review: ‘Sequence Break’!
I’m gonna take a shot in the dark and say that Graham Skipper watched a lot of horror movies in the 80’s and played “tempest” at the arcades one too many times. And good for him. The end result of years of B movie horror and old school cabinet games led to his writing, directing, and producing of “Sequence Break.”
4K UHD Review: ‘The Matrix’!
THE FILM
There are only a handful of times where a single film completely flips the entire cinema world upside down and becomes the landmark and milestone for future movies and filmmakers in the decades to come. In 1999, the filmscape was forever changed with a sci-fi action movie called ‘The Matrix‘ by the Wachowski siblings. Nobody had ever heard of the filmmaking duo before and there was not a single soul in the world that though Keanu Reeves would become the action star he became after this movie, but it all worked out well and drove a ton of creative people to think, philosophize, and create even more work based on ‘The Matrix‘.
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