So Much Horrific Goodness... "Freaks Of Nature"

Freaks of Nature (2015)

Rated R

Starring Nicholas Braun, Mackenzie Davis, Josh Fadem, Denis Leary, Ed Westwick, Vanessa Hudgens, Keegan-Michael Key, Patton Oswalt, Bob Odenkirk, Joan Cusack, Ian Roberts, Rachel Harris, Mae Whitman, Chris Zylka

Directed by Robbie Pickering

The Story:

Welcome to Dillford, home of the riblet. Mmm, mmm, good! It also happens to be a town where humans, vampires and zombies all peacefully coexist, though there are bound to be some temperamental flare ups now and then. However an alien invasion has put its sights on Dillford (and the riblet!) and the uneasy peace is destroyed and now it's human vs. vampire vs. zombie, none of the groups aware of the existence of the alien menace. It's up to 3 teenagers to restore peace and save the world... or die trying!

I've been lucky so far this year with some great additions to the horror-comedy genre.

I'd never heard of Freaks of Nature before, so I gave it a whirl.

I'm so glad I did!

First, the cast is phenomenal and they get some hilarious dialogue throughout the film. Usually I stop at the main cast, or sometimes add a bit player or two, but I decided to just rattle off the full cast today. Whether they were on screen for the entire movie or just a minute or two, they all add to the rich texture of the story and provide momentum for the story progression.

The three main members of the cast are Dag (Braun) a human, Petra (Davis) who becomes a vampire shortly after the movie begins, and Ned (Fadem) who winds up becoming a zombie. These three band together to figure out what is happening with their town, and as they are all new to being non-human (save Dag), they don't hold the longstanding grudges that their communities have towards one another.

Yes, in a way, there's a bit of social commentary that can be found in the middle of a horror comedy if  you're not looking, so be careful, you could laugh AND learn something.

It's a fun story, the special effects are top-notch, and it's just a lot of fun from start to finish.

So far, this has been my favorite horror film of the year. :)

Final Grade: B+ / A- range.

More Excitement Than The Real NFL "Draft Day"

Draft Day (2014)

Rated R (language)

Starring Kevin Costner, Chadwick Boseman, Jennifer Garner, Arian Foster, Frank Langella, Denis Leary, Josh Pence, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Welling

Directed by Ivan Reitman

The Story:

It's Draft Day for the NFL and the Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver (Costner) needs to make a splash in the draft.  To do that, he makes a fateful decision to move from # 7 to # 1 by giving up 3 First Round draft picks to Seattle for a new QB (Pence).  The Coach (Leary) is furious, and so is their current QB (Welling). The owner (Langella) is pleased to no end.  However, as the countdown to the draft continues, Sonny isn't sure whether he made the right decision or not. 

What a great movie.

Strangely, I didn't realize it was rated R at all.  I'm wondering if that's a typo? 

Aside from a bit of language sprinkled throughout, there was nothing in here worth slapping that rating on the film.

Cleveland. 

If you need to pick a franchise for a down on their luck sports story, Cleveland is the go-to city of choice.

My hope?

That this film will do for the Browns what Major League did for the Indians.

Shortly after the release of that film, the Indians finally started winning and making a run in the playoffs.

If any franchise ever needed a return to greatness, this is it.

Stolen from the city and moved to Baltimore, the Ohio fans could only watch in horror as their team won it all, under the banner of the Ravens.

For a nearly 2 hour movie, Draft Day moves along at a great clip, never dragging nor spending too much time on anything that could slow the pace.

You'll bounce from person to person, city to city, all the while Costner anchors the film as the  beleaguered misunderstood figure at the helm.

By the time the draft begins, you will be engrossed by what has happened, but know that the movie isn't done.

Not just yet anyway.

There's still a surprise or two up Sonny's sleeves.

If only the real NFL Draft was this much fun.

Final Grade: B+ maybe even an A-.  Either works.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would happily own this one, and it is definitely a contender for Best of the Year status.