"Happy Death Day" To You!

Happy Death Day (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Ruby Modine, Charles Aitken,

Directed by Christopher Landon

The Story:

Tree (Rothe) wakes up in Carter's (Broussard) dorm room. She partied way too hard the night before. Not the most illustrious way to start out her birthday, but by the end of the night, she faces the prospect of dying at the hands of a mysterious murderer! Once she has been killed, she wakes up, and relives the day over and over again. Can Tree solve her own murder and possibly end the time loop she's stuck in?

It's always good to find a "Best of the Year" candidate in January.

I absolutely loved this movie, from start to finish.

I even watched the alternate ending on YouTube and didn't hate it nearly as much as the test audiences did. : )

But anyway, Christopher Landon helms his next great horror comedy (The Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse) and it is a lot of fun.

Red herrings galore as their is an infinite number of suspects that crop up as Tree goes through her day, then eventually tries to track down  her murderer.

There's a lot of fun and humor in each of her situations as she tries to avoid being killed, then as she eliminates suspects, has to endure another day.

Sure, it sounds like Groundhog Day, but that's because if you're going to have a plot where you relive a day over and over again, that comparison is always going to be made. The point is, can you make one that is enjoyable for the audience, because the formula works, as long as you don't deliver a snoozer of a film.

Rothe is fantastic as Tree. She's really quite unlikable when we first meet her, then as her days repeat, she wins the audience over as she both becomes a better person and we endure the mystery of trying to find her killer at the same time.

So, enjoy the spot at the top of the list for now; Marvel Studios is sending 3 definite contenders, but I'm pretty sure this one will still end up on the Top 10 list by the end of the year.

To be even more fair to the film, I want out and bought a copy of it over the weekend.

Plus, the rest of the family that has seen it, they all loved it as well.

Can't ask for much more than that from any film!

Not sure how they'll work with the inevitable sequel, but if it's half this good, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Final Grade:  A- 

He Sees You When You're Sleeping..."Better Watch Out"

Better Watch Out (2017)

Rated R

Starring Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic, Dacre Montgomery, Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton

Directed by Chris Peckover

The Story:

Ashley (DeJonge) is coming over to babysit Luke (Miller) while his parents (Madsen & Warburton) go to a Christmas party. Luke has a serious crush on Ashley, and hopes to act on it that evening, but an apparent home invasion may dampen the mood and kill the Christmas spirit.

Sooo...

If you saw the trailer, and thought this is another entry in the horror comedy genre similar to the Netflix Original: The Babysitter and thought perhaps it's too similar of a concept, let me stop you right there.

That trailer gave away entirely too much of The Babysitter.

Better Watch Out played bait and switch, promising one movie, and delivering something much different.

While there were some amusing aspects and funny moments, Better Watch Out foregoes much of the comedy for a darker thriller that while you see much of what's coming, it's definitely not what was advertised.

Still, a fairly engaging film that keeps you guessing and second-guessing throughout until it's over, and then you still wonder if it's truly over.

For horror fans that like their Christmas horror soaked in blood, you will likely be disappointed as much of the violence is implied. Personally, that often works to the advantage for a film as the mind can often depict something so horrible, no special effects artist can even come close.

This likely won't become an annual Christmas tradition, but it might get added to the list of Halloween horror films. :)

Final Grade:  C+ / B-

Check Those References Carefully..."The Babysitter"

The Babysitter (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Andrew Bachelor, Emily Alyn Lind, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino

Directed by McG

The Story:

Cole (Lewis) is 12, and he's the only kid his age who still has a babysitter. He doesn't really mind when his mom and dad (Bibb & Marino) leave though, because his babysitter, Bee (Weaving) is hot! However, when he finally decides to break curfew and spy on what his sitter does when he's supposed to be asleep, he learns that Bee is not the sweeetheart he was led to believe!

A Netflix original released in time for the holiday season, it's a worthy addition to the horror-comedy genre.

If you've managed to somehow miss this one so far, my recommendation is to avoid the trailer as it's a little spoiler-ific.

Or, if you don't have 90 minutes to spare, watch the trailer and you'll see a lot of the fun condensed into 2 minutes.

The cast is a lot of fun, and the script lets them poke fun at the genre while still never letting go of the fact that this is supposed to be a scary movie.

Amell does such a great job as Max that you almost aren't rooting for him to get killed as the movie goes along. :)

Fun stuff, and I'll be back next year for another round!

Final Grade: B

Be Careful Who You Push Around..."Some Guy Who Kills People"

Some Guy Who Kills People (2011)

Rated R

Starring Kevin Corrigan, Ariel Gade, Barry Bostwick, Karen Black, Leo Fitzpatrick, Eric Price,

Directed by Jack Perez

The Story:

Ken Boyd (Corrigan) has finished his stint in the mental institution, and he's back, trying to make a living at the local burger and shake establishment. However, some of the people that were hurtful to Ken back in high school start turning up dead. The local sheriff (Bostwick) slowly begins to suspect Ken is the killer, but he's dating Ken's mom (Black) and doesn't want to mess up that relationship.

Sounds like the latest review for a decent entry into the horror comedy genre.

Corrigan carries the movie, but he is surrounded by some eccentric characters in his own right.

In addition to Bostwick having some serious fun as the sheriff, there is also the adorable daughter-he-never-knew-he-had (Gade) who brings some much needed love into Ken's life.

Will Ken's murderous revenge be curbed now that he has something worth living for?

Will it all be for nothing, as his daughter watches him get hauled away again?

Will the sheriff still be able to date the mom if he puts the son in prison?

All of these questions, and many more will be answered in a charming little B movie that was fun to watch, and would be a welcome entry to anyone who likes their horror with a side of fun.

Final Grade: B

Zom-Rom-Com... "Night Of The Living Deb"

Night of the Living Deb  (2015)

Not Rated

Starring Maria Thayer, Michael Cassidy, Syd Wilder, Ray Wise, Chris Marquette,

Directed by Kyle Rankin

The Story:

After a night out, Deb (Thayer) wakes up in the apartment of Ryan Waverly (Cassidy) the biggest hunk in Portland Maine. She has no idea how she got there, or what happened, and Ryan basically shows her the door. The only problem, on the outside of that door, a zombie apocalypse pretty much sprung up over night!  Now these two have to put their differences aside and try and get to safety!

Another horror comedy that is currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Deb gets the most screen time as the heroine/final girl of the film.

She seems to be dippy one moment and then tough-as-nails the next, so expect a somewhat uneven tone if you settle in for this one.

Then of course you have the oil/water relationship between her and Ryan. It sets up a sweet 2nd half when Ryan realizes that whether he loves her or not, he certainly cares that Deb is alive and kicking.

Plus anything with Ray Wise in it is instantly better than without.

This is also one of those rare zombie films where the source of the virus is explained and that also helps drive the narrative.

While not joining the ranks of wanting to watch it every Halloween season, it was good for viewing at least once.

That's better than some movies I've seen this year. :)

Final Grade:  C+

"Krampus" Knows If You've Been Naughty...And Will Make You Regret It!

Krampus (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, Stefania LaVie Owen, David Koechner

Directed by Michael Dougherty

The Story:

Max (Anthony) and his family (Scott, Collette & Owen) have become disillusioned this holiday season. So that means, Krampus has decided to visit the family and rekindle their holiday spirit, even if it kills them!

I've seen a lot of good horror comedies so far this year.

Heck, I have a couple that will be vying for favorite movie of the year honors when all is said and done.

Krampus won't be joining that list.

The main problem, as I saw it, the movie tried too hard to be scary and forgot to be funny.

And then they tried too hard to be funny and would forget to be scary.

So you take a good cast and give them a film with an uneven tone, and the results will be average, at best.

So yes, there's a few good laughs, and a few good scares.

But when it's over, much like the ending, it will be a vague exercise in trying to remember what exactly you just saw.

Final Grade:  C

We've All Known A Few... "Bloodsucking Bastards"

Bloodsucking Bastards  (2015)

Rated R

Starring Fran Kranz, Emma Fitzpatrick, Joey Kern, Pedro Pascal, Joel Murray,

Directed by Brian James O' Connell

The Story:

Evan (Kranz) thinks he is about to get promoted at work by his boss (Murray). Instead, he loses out to Max (Pascal) and things really begin to change around the office. Add to that, the fact that he lost his girlfriend (Fitzpatrick) due to a bone-headed decision, and suddenly Evan's life is horrible. The only thing that might make it worse, is discovering that his co-workers are being turned into vampires.

Yep, things are about to get worse!

Another fine entry in the horror-comedy genre has arrived, and it's great fun.

The cast sucks you in and you're along for the ride as Evan and his best friend Tim (Kern) slowly unravel the plot to turn everyone into vampires, and then battle for survival and to try and save Amanda.

However, in their defense, the vampire outsourcing program is a very sound fiscal and productive move.

:)

Blood will be shed...launched... across the screen, but that's part of the fun from the film.

It's played straight, and for laughs, all at the same time.

I've seen a lot of enjoyable horror comedy this year. This and Freaks of Nature are the cream of the crop.

Final Grade:  B+

Jane Austen Is Rolling Over In Her Grave...And Craving Brains! "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies"

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Lily James, Bella Heathcote, Matt Smith, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth

Written and Directed by Burr Steers

The Story:

What's the best way to describe the story?  What if you took the writings of Jane Austen, and decided to frame them around a deadly zombie outbreak?

Why yes, that would probably do it.

So all of the players are on the board, they just have to survive the zombie hordes if they hope to make it to the altar alive.

Good, but not great.

That's about the easiest way for me to sum up my reaction to the film.

They made a beautiful period piece, and they intersperse the zombie apocalypse in there pretty well.

However, the film just sort of drags along with fits of brilliance interrupting periods of dullness.

So yes, a typical Jane Austen work.
:)

I don't know, perhaps they played it too straight, but there is no sense of fun or impending dread, two things that often set the best zombie movies apart from the lumbering pack.

Who knows, maybe I was just tired while I was watching, but I often found myself starting to drift when the cast wasn't in peril.

That said, Lily James certainly carries this film on her shoulders in a way she was unable to do with the extremely boring Cinderella remake.

Final Grade:  C+

That's Going To Be A Really Busy Place... "Bad Kids Go To Hell"

Bad Kids Go To Hell (2012)

Rated R

Starring Cameron Deane Stuart, Ben Browder, Ali Faulkner, Augie Duke,

Directed by Matthew Spradlin

The Story:

It's Saturday afternoon at Crestview Academy, and six students begin their day of detention. The rumors of the school being haunted begin to seem true as one by one, the students meet their grisly fates!

It's the Breakfast Club re-imagined as a horror film, and for the most part, it works fairly well.

It's many of the cliches of high school and horror movies all woven into one crazed Saturday detention hall.

The best parts of the film are the flashbacks that show how the new kid, Matt (Stuart) was involved in just about every aspect of each of the other kids getting suspended. Normally, it was by circumstances that were beyond his control. Wrong place, wrong time.

It's no wonder nobody else really likes him.

:)

You'll see some of the twists and turns coming, but for the most part, Spradlin wrote and directed a pretty decent horror comedy that works on many levels.

Plus, it really does go full circle with The Breakfast Club when you find out who the principal of the school is.

:)

Naturally after sending the disc back, I have since discovered that it's also streaming on Amazon Prime.

I need to check that site more often. :)

Final Grade: C+ / B- range

"The Voices" Made Him Do It

The Voices (2014)

Rated R

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver

Directed by Marjane Satrapi

The Story:

Jerry (Reynolds) is a nice, quiet, unassuming guy who has some issues. His doctor (Weaver) insists that he take medication, but when he does, life seems so dull and grey. He prefers to skip the meds, because life seems so much brighter and he gets to talk to his pets, Bosco and Mr. Whiskers. They talk back to him as well and encourage him to do things. Some of those things aren't very nice...

 Here's a dark comedy about a serial killer who doesn't really mean to be one.

He's simply trying to date his office crush, Fiona (Arterton). Things take a turn for the worse when he accidentally kills her.

Or was it an accident?  Jerry is never really sure.

That was bad enough, but when Fiona's head starts telling Jerry about how lonely she is and would really like a friend, that's when Jerry has to decide whether or not to go after Lisa (Kendrick) and have a relationship with her, or make her a victim.

Hey, I guess if you can have a successful series on cable about a serial killer, what's wrong with a darkly humorous movie that tries to have a little fun with the voices that some people have in their head?

The worst part about the movie: you start feeling bad for Jerry and hope that he will get away with it. Perhaps that's just how likable Reynolds is as an actor.

:)

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime as of this writing.


Final Grade:  C+

A Boy And His Zombie... "Fido"

Fido (2006)

Rated R

Starring Kesun Loder, Billy Connolly, Dylan Baker, Carrie-Anne Moss, Henry Czerny

Directed by Andrew Currie
The Story:

During the 50s, a cloud of radiation has covered the earth and it turns the dead into zombies! Thankfully, Zomcom has developed a collar that will neutralize those zombies and make them productive members of society! Finally, the Robinson family has a zombie to call their own, and Timmy (Loder) decides to call him Fido (Connolly).

I think the best way I could describe this movie is...

Remember The Iron Giant?

Well, replace the robot with a zombie, and there you go.

But not quite. ;)

However, that's the essence, vibe and feel that the movie gives with the 50s setting and while the zombies are bad, they possibly can be harnessed for good.

It's a throwback feel that's a lot of fun and a great entry into the horror comedy genre.

A fun cast, with Connolly giving a great performance behind the zombie features that still imbues a lot of life into his character.

Which isn't easy to do when you're supposed to be a zombie.

A lot of fun and worth a look if you missed it the first time, like I did.

Better late than never! :)

Final Grade: B

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.

The One Time "Cooties" Isn't Too Bad

Cooties (2014)

Rated R

Starring Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Allison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Leigh Whannell, Jorge Garcia

Directed by Johnathan Millot and Cary Murnion

The Story:

Clint (Wood) has come back to his alma mater to teach after his writing career went nowhere. He sees Lucy (Pill) the girl he always had a crush on, but she's going out with Wade (Wilson) the gym teacher. Awkward love triangle on the first day, complicated by a sudden zombie outbreak among all the little children entrusted to their care. It's students vs. teachers in the ultimate battle for survival!

Okay, I'll admit it, this was a pretty fun movie.

I love a good horror comedy, and as zom-coms go, this was right up there.

An actual plausible reason why kids could get sick is introduced in the opening credits (and is rather disgusting to think about).

That it escalates so quickly is insanely glorious in the scariness of it all.

If the same concept were played straight and not for laughs, this could easily have been one of those blood curdling horror movies that is thinly disguising a social message.

:: whew ::

Thankfully, it's played for all the fun and gore that a name like Cooties implies.

Lots of humor, great job from the entire cast and a pretty fun script that takes itself seriously while never attempting to not have some fun at the same time.

As usual, Rainn Wilson does not disappoint in his role.

I know I'd watch this one again in the future, so that's always a plus.

Final Grade: - B

Oh The Horror! "The Final Girls"

The Final Girls

Rated PG-13

Starring Taissa Farmiga, Malin Ackerman, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Alia Shawcat, Thomas Middleditch, Adam DeVine

Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson

The Story:

Max (Farmiga) is the daughter of a famous B movie scream queen (Ackerman) who was tragically killed in an auto accident years earlier. Reluctantly attending a viewing of her mom's most famous role, Max and her friends find themselves somehow sucked into the film. At first, Max is thrilled that she gets to spend time with her mom, but as the killer comes calling, none of them may make it out of the movie alive.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love entries into the horror-comedy genre, especially when they are very well done and exceed any and all expectations.

That would be this film.

Not a spoof like the Scary Movie films, but smart and fun like Cabin in the Woods or Scream, this film makes you like it just on the merits that you've enjoyed the genre before and they can take all the obvious clichés and have fun with them and still make an enjoyable film.

I won't say too much about the film to avoid giving away much of the fun that they have making it, but if you like the horror genre, or specifically the slasher films of the 80s, you're really going to like this film.

Or so I hope.

:)

And like those films, I wouldn't even mind the eventual sequel that can't live up to the promise of the original but still brings back a bit of nostalgia.

Final Grade: B+

Today's Movie Lives Up To Its Name... "Big Ass Spider!"

Big Ass Spider! (2013)

Rated PG-13 For Language, Violence, Gore-ish...

Starring Greg Grunberg, Clare Kramer, Ray Wise, Lombardo Boyar

Directed by Mike Mendez

The Story:

Alex (Grunberg) is an exterminator who gets bit by a brown recluse spider.  He goes to the hospital for his shot, and learns that there is something very sinister roaming the hospital grounds.  He teams with Jose (Boyar) the head of security and the two begin looking for something that is on the loose. Meanwhile, the Army shows up to wrangle an experiment gone wrong.  To stop this spider, the Major (Wise) and Lieutenant (Kramer) may just need Alex's help to stop...

The Big Ass Spider!

Loved it.

A B movie horror comedy that takes itself seriously enough, but still has fun with the premise.

Add a buddy cop movie with great interplay between Alex and Jose, that elevates the picture even more.

That they are able to attempt to squeeze a romantic angle in to boot?

Well done.

The CGI effects on the spider are actually pretty good as well.

Forget Sharknado and all the other SyFy garbage films, we need more like this.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would be willing to do either, and both.

The Best of 2013...Part Two... The Horror Films

The future of horror looks funny.

And that's a good thing!

I've mentioned before that with Horror/Scary movies, I have to be very careful with my selections.

As I am normally the only one that will watch, I have to pick and choose my battles (movies) carefully if I'm going to lock myself away for 90 minutes some night, or over the course or 2 or 3 nights.

Or in the event my honey watches with me on some date/movie night... it better not be too blood-soaked/gory or gruesome.

It's a fine line balancing act, but it can be done.  You just have to choose wisely.

In recent years, it was getting harder and harder to find anything that I even remotely wanted to make time for. 

I was nearly turned off a few years back from the entire horror genre with the Saw franchise and its ilk when the kills just become too graphic.

The pendulum had swung from "gotcha" and make you jump to sadistic realism that was stomach churningly awful.

But in 2013 I found that Horror had discovered something recently that had been done well sporadically in years past:

A sense of humor.

In fact, 6 of the 7 movies on the list are humorous in tone, 5 of those I labeled as Zom-Coms as the year went along and I realized how fun these movies were fast becoming.

Here are the best of those budget Zom-Coms that you might have missed:

John Dies at the End - 

A street drug that sends people to other dimensions.  Aliens ready to invade and take over Earth.  Maybe a tad more sci-fi than horror, this was quite a bit of crazy fun and shouldn't be missed.  You could never quite figure where the plot was going next, and maybe that was part of the film's charm.

A Little Bit Zombie - 

What happens when a mosquito transmits the zombie virus to a human host?  Hilarity, naturally.  Infected, but not totally turned, a groom-to-be fights off the zombie urges to feast on flesh, and his fiancée and best friend try and help him make the transition to partially undead.  Meanwhile, there's a pair of zombie hunters hot on his trail.

Detention - 

It's the Breakfast Club vs. Zombies.  A group of high schoolers face the zombie apocalypse from the detention room.  Naturally with a cast that size...

They're not all going to make it out alive.

Cockneys vs. Zombies - 

The Brits tackle a zombie invasion at an old-folks home.  Featuring, bar none, the greatest zombie chase in the history of zombie chases.  This one was a whole lot of fun, and I quite enjoyed it.  Those Cockneys are a tough lot to kill!

Warm Bodies - 

The one probably everyone heard about on this list was Warm Bodies.  A very well done horror love story, that has more heart and soul than any of the Twilight films.  :)

Toning down the gore and amping up the love and humor, this was the best of the bunch of Zom-Coms for the year.

Yep, a kid-friendly zombie movie.  If you're going to bring the next generation of horror fans into the fold, this was a fun way to start.


Naturally, with the success of The Walking Dead on AMC, Hollywood has taken notice and finally threw some money at a big budget zombie film, and they enlisted Brad Pitt to make it happen.

World War Z - 

The trailer looked amazing, and the movie actually lived up to the hype.  Naturally, I prefer slow zombies, but they made a logical reason behind why these zombies were fast, so I have no arguments with their decision.  Very well done, and I anticipate a sequel, Pitt-free or not, I'll be willing to take a look.

Finally, the best horror film of the year?

Cabin in the Woods - 

The most horror...check!  The funniest dialogue...check!  This one had it all, and it had it in great doses.  A smart film for fans of horror, and fans of good movies in general.  An intriguing premise filled with twists and turns at every corner.  Give it a spin and see what you think.


Tomorrow, things will get a little more family friendly! :)

"Grabbers" Failed to Grab My Attention

Drunk Irish Fun?

Not quite...

The Story:

A small community on an Irish coastal island is ground zero for an alien invasion.  Apparently, the only way that the humans are not targeted by the aliens...

They have to get blind, stinking drunk.

Shouldn't be a problem, right?

Ah, but therein lies the problem.

This is another movie that I let it run for 22 minutes waiting for something to happen.

Anything.

There was a periodic monster sighting or kill...

But it was so....slow....

zzzzzzzzz

I think this was supposed to be a horror comedy.

However, it was neither scary, nor funny.

Two terrible strikes against a movie of this genre.

You're welcome to give it a whirl on Netflix if you'd like, as it is streaming.

Final Grade: D

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Not interested in finding out what happened after I turned it off.

Halloween Weekend Concludes... "Cockneys Vs. Zombies"

Those pesky zombies are at it again!

The Story:

Over in London's East End, a pair of slacker brothers, Terry (Rasmus Hardiker) and Andy (Harry Treadway) decide on a plan to rob a bank to save their granddad's (Alan Ford) retirement home.  They bring in some assistance including their cousin (Michelle Ryan) but wouldn't you know that during their robbery, a zombie outbreak sweeps through the streets.  Now the gang has to get to the retirement home and save their grandfather and other residents before it's too late!

Bwahaahahaha....

Good stuff.
Again!

The horror-comedy genre is alive and kicking, and maybe I should specify that it's a zombie-com... Zom-Com?  Could this be the latest subgenre of film?

If so, count this guy as a fan.  I've been having a blast watching these films this year, and Cockneys vs. Zombies is a proud addition to the roster.

The film relishes its R rating, and the Brits are swearing up one side and down the other as they try and fight off the Zombie hordes.

As to how the outbreak started, stroke of historical genius that I won't spoil here, but made for a very amusing start to the film.

All of the cast does a stellar job, and I was only familiar with one cast member: Honor Blackman.  Yep, apparently Pussy Galore is alive and well, and living in a retirement home!  She gets to kick a little butt when the zombies attack the retirement home.

Plus, I would be remiss if I didn't say that this movie has....

THE
GREATEST
ZOMBIE
CHASE
SCENE.

EVER!!!

I kid you not.  I was laughing so hard, and it must be seen to be enjoyed properly.

Highly Recommended!

Final Grade: B+/A- take your pick, I wouldn't argue either way.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Again, it's hard to pull these off at my house, but I wouldn't complain about seeing it again during the Halloween holiday season.  I think we're closing in on double digits of great horror comedy films, just this year alone!

: )

Twas the Weekend Before Halloween... "The Revenant"

There are apparently worse things than dying...

The Story:

Bart Gregory (David Anders) is a soldier in the military who gets killed.  However, he winds up coming back to life, and with the help of his best friend Joey (Chris Wylde), he decides that it wouldn't be so bad if he killed bad people and used their blood to keep him alive.  Theoretically, he's doing the rest of the world a service.

Ah, the best laid plans of the undead...

I'm torn.

I'd been on such a great streak with all of the Zom-Coms this year, this one seemed to be heading down similar territory.

Instead of going for full-on vampire or zombie, they used the old myths of the Revenants, corpses that came back from the dead and needed to feast on blood to stay alive.

However, the movie then changes the tone by having the best friend get turned also.

Okay, now we have buddy revenants out for a good time...

But then they come back to the original love story from the beginning...

And the movie seems to lose direction...



Then boredom began to set in.

: /

And don't get me started on the meandering,  "totally lost their way" 3rd act.

It's like a movie that had no idea how it wanted to end, or find a way to execute it.

The final decisions aren't bad, and partly clever.  The beat-around-the-bush way of getting there though downgraded a movie that started off with a fairly strong premise.

Ah well.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Have to say no to both.

But tomorrow, the scary weekend is redeemed!

Sunday's Screamer...I Mean Streamer..."A Haunted House"

Some weird things are going on in this house!

And there's a ghost, too!

The Story:

Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) has his girlfriend Kisha (Essence Atkins) move into his house with him.  Malcolm didn't ask for the demon to come along with her.

Ah yes, a parody of the "found footage" horror movies that are box office hits.

And, they do some of the same stunts, which actually generate some suspense and chills, but they are buried deep and wide amongst the throw it at the wall and see if it sticks comedy.

Now, for those that have seen the Scary Movie franchise, you probably know exactly what kind of comedy you're going to get.

When Marlon Wayans is your most grounded character in the film, you know there's going to be issues. :)

You've got Nick Swardson playing Chip the gay psychic who is infatuated with Malcolm, and is more concerned with getting with Malcolm than getting rid of the demon.

Then you have Cedric the Entertainer at the end of the film as the exorcist.  Small part, but he has a good time with it.

Whether or not they are successful ridding the house of the demon...

Well, I just saw that a sequel is in the works, so that should give you a clue.

Available to stream instantly as of this writing on Netflix.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nope, I'm good on this one.  There were some amusing gags in the film, but not enough to warrant subsequent viewings.  Yes, I will likely watch the sequel though.  :)