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Showing posts from January, 2013

Tweet Tweet Tweeting...

As many of you know- I do a lot of tweeting.  Wednesday nights, I tweet along to horror movies as part of " What Movie Wednesday ."  You probably also know that Thursday nights, I can be found  @camethebasement tweeting along to Jay and Shawn's radio show.  Well, I'm going to be doing a lot more tweeting starting this Friday. Why? Because this Friday will mark the first of a new Twitter series that sees me tweeting along to NON-Horror movies over in The Basement .  That's right- Jay and Shawn have agreed to let me invade their Twitter profile so that I can ramble, rant, and even mock along to all sorts of movies. So, follow along with me tonight as I tweet along to the " We Came From the Basement " radio show from 10:00 pm - 11:00 (PST).  You can listen to them on 92.5 CFBX on your FM dial- or you can listen via the internet at www.thex.ca !  Then join me tomorrow night starting at 7:00 pm (PST) on their Twitter account as I pop this week'

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (X-Box)

Unless you're a gamer, you may be looking at the title of this review, and wondering what this particular game has got to do with horror.  Well, it has a horror related feature called, Zombies... " Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 " has three main modes to it- Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies.  While I thought Campaign mode was fun, and really enjoy playing the Multiplayer mode with my nephew and niece, it's the Zombie mode that I'm going to discuss. Within Zombie mode, you have three types of games you can play- Tranzit, Grief, and Survival.  This variety helps to give the game some measure of replay value.  All three game types are well done. In Tranzit (available on the bus stop map only), you work your way through the maps by riding an automated bus.  At each stop you can build equipment to help open doors, act as a shield, etc while buying new weapons and killing zombies.  I haven't been able to "finish" this game type yet, so I'm not su

The Bat (1959)

As I was watching " The Bat " (1926) last wednesday, I decided that I would also watch the 1959 remake starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.  I wanted to compare how it would translate from a silent film to one with sound... While renting a mansion belonging to a small town's bank manager, mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder finds herself the target of a mysterious killer called, The Bat.  He's seeking a million dollars in stolen bank money... money he believes is hidden in the mansion. .. This film is notable for three of its stars: Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead (Endora on the TV series " Bewitched "), and Darla Hood (from The Little Rascal films).   This movie marked Hood's last appearance in a movie. The story doesn't deviate too much from the original 1926 film, but there are some rather drastic changes in regards to characters.  Cornelia's maid is a lot more level headed than in the silent film; the niece is now just a friend,

The Bat (1926)

This past " What Movie Wednesday " saw the first time that a silent film was chosen for me to watch and tweet along to... While staying at the mansion of the local bank manager, a group of people are searching for the money that had been recently stolen from the bank.  Soon, their lives are at stake as well as The Bat searches for the hidden loot... and kills anyone who gets in their way... " The Bat " was originally based on a hit Broadway play written by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood.  Until recently, this silent film was thought to have been a lost film- as are many films from the silent era of cinema.  Roland West went on to remake this film in 1930 as " The Bat Whispers "- which Bob Kane credited as the inspiration for the creation of Batman . I always enjoy the opportunity to watch silent films.  Some are masterpieces of cinematic magic and creativity, while others are interesting as a reminder of how far we have come in regards to

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper- Case Closed (Patricia Cornwell)

I have found over the years, that sometimes, reality can be more horrific than fiction.  This can truly be said of the Jack the Ripper killings... Using forensic techniques, Patricia Cornwell (author of the Scarpetta series), pieces together a case regarding the true identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper ... " Portrait of a Killer " is an interesting piece of non-fiction writing.  The style is fairly easy to follow, though some areas are a bit murky to understand due to use of technical jargon.  Cornwell's writing also flows nicely  too- with her being able to make even the drier parts interesting and engaging. I liked the fact that she goes to to out of the way places in search of evidence to support her case, and she does a credible job of it too.  Credible, but not altogether convincing.  While her presentation of the evidence is persuasive and skilled, there is still reasonable doubt as to whether or not her suspect was actually Jack the Ripper. While of

30 Nights of Paranormal Activity With the Devil Inside The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2012)

In addition to horror, I enjoy comedies.  When the two are combined, I'm usually quite interested in seeing the result.  Other times, I just wind up wanting to drink the memory away... Shortly after moving into the house where her father killed several people (and a dog), Dana and her husband begin to experience supernatural events that will ultimately lead to a confrontation between the family and evil ... " 30 Nights of Paranormal Activity With the Devil Inside the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo " is a parody of horror movies.  Unfortunately, I think the actual concept of a parody has been destroyed by the "Scary Movie" franchise.  It used to mean poking fun at movies, while still respecting the source material... and having a coherent, strong storyline and characters.  Now, it means sticking random vignettes based on popular films together in a sequence that kinda simulates a story. The ACTUAL premise- as stated above could've provided a good starti

Underworld: Awakening (2012)

I remember watching the first " Underworld " movie with Jay (from " We Came From the Basement ") several years ago, and being impressed by the action direction that it took the vampire and werewolf mythos.  I recently sat down to watch the FOURTH movie in the series to see if the ride would still be enjoyable... After spending 12 years in a cryogenic freeze, Selene is freed by a mysterious person, and begins a quest to seek out her lover, Michael.  Soon, however, she winds up fighting to save the vampire race from a new species of werewolves ... The premise is very strong in my opinion, and was certainly strong enough to support the characters, and action scenes in this movie.  The subplot of the company trying to find a vaccine to cure the vampires and werewolves was interesting, as was the subplot involving Selene discovering her daughter, Eve.  These subplots wove together nicely with the main plot to create a cohesive and engaging whole. I also liked th

Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

While I am known more for watching and reviewing "older" horror films (anything made before 2001), I do manage to catch the opportunity to watch more recent fare... While visiting his brother in Russia, Chris and his friends decide to visit the abandoned town of Prypiat- near the site of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear meltdown.  Upon arrival, the group find themselves trapped in the radiation zone... trapped with something stalking them through the empty streets ... I had high hopes for this film, as the Writer/Producer Oren Peli also brought us the very well done low budget film, " Paranormal Activity ".  While the film is quite good from a technical and visual aspect, it lacks something that the first " Paranormal Activity " had- a connection with the audience. The premise was promising.  Take our characters and strand them in the middle of a radioactive city with something that is hunting and killing them one by one.  Unfortunately, beyond that

Night (2005)

These days, it's fairly simple- and cheap to make a movie.  All you really need is a camera, people to act in the movie, decent editing software for video and sound, and directing skill.  Often, it's acting or the directing skills that make the difference between a Good , Bad , or Ugly movie... Detective Jimi Cannon's friend has stopped coming into work, and hanging out with him.  Jimi must find out why... and find a way to save his best friend from the seductive violence of the night... I actually quite like the premise, since it provides a lot of potential for interesting character interaction, action, suspense, and gore.  The love triangle between Mike (Jimi's partner), Tonia, and Konatsu is an interesting subplot- and is fortunately, not done the same way as in the " Twilight " books.  This combined with the main plot of Jimi trying to save Mike from the vampires could've made for a really enjoyable and entertaining movie. The characters are a

Hands of Steel (1986)

One of the pitfalls of buying movie box sets (ie- ones with 50 movies in them), is that sometimes, not all of the movies are of the genre advertised on the box.  Such was the case with the second of the January 16th " What Movie Wednesday " winners, " Hands of Steel ". After attempting to assault the leader of an environmental movement, a drifter named Paco flees to the deserts of Arizona, and meets Linda.  Soon, the corporation that sent Paco after the environmentalist, is on his trail to silence.  Too bad for them, Paco is more than a mere human ... " Hands of Steel " is more sci-fi/action than horror... though the surprise ending does have a bit of a horror touch to it.  Generally, though, this movie is more or less a cheap knock off of the much better movie, " The Terminator. "  I liked the idea of a killer cyborg attempting to break away from their programming to begin a new life, but I wondered why a practically indestructible cyborg

Fangs of the Living Dead (1969)

I often think that my Facebook and Twitter followers eagerly await Wednesday, because they know that they'll have a chance to get me to sit through horrible movies... and they've chosen some horrid ones for me to watch over the past year or so.  Fortunately, sometimes, they manage to choose something decent for me to watch and tweet to... Sylvia arrives at Castle Walbrooke to claim ownership of it, and her title as Countess Walbrooke.  The night of her arrival, the mysterious and sexy Blinka warns her that her Uncle, the Count, is after her.  Soon, Sylvia learns a dark secret about her family's past that may cost her her life ... As is often the case with horror movies, the premise is really quite good, and serves as a great starting point for the story.  " Fangs of the Living Dead " does a decent job of delivering an interesting storyline that actually kept me watching.  There is very little in the way of "fat" in this movie.  The few subplots ac

6 Degrees of Hell (2012)

Recently, I sat down with Jay (from " We Came From the Basement ") to watch a film that they had been "pimping" pretty hard as part of their October 2012 " Month From Hell " special- a special that included an interview with Corey Feldman.  Yes, THAT Corey Feldman.  The film was " 6 Degrees of Hell "... After a brutal mass murder at a Halloween attraction called, "Hotel of Horror," Kyle Brenner- a paranormal investigator, arrives to get to the bottom of things ... I have to admit, I was really looking forward to seeing this movie- especially since I grew up in the 1980's watching many of the movies he'd been in.  Whether you like him or not, you have to admit that many of the roles he created were memorable, and many of the movies he was in are classics of the 1980's. Which is why I'm sad to say I was a little disappointed watching this movie. The premise was an excellent starting point in my opinion

Zombie Bikers From Detroit (2001)

Over the years, it has been shown that with very little money, a skillful director can put together a high quality horror movie (John Carpenter's " Halloween ", " The Blair Witch Project ", and " Paranormal Activity " being a few of them).  So, when it comes to determining a movie's quality, budget is no longer a negative... Ken and his mother have moved from Hell, Michigan to Grosse Pointe near Detroit.  Upon his arrival, he meets the lovely Courtney, and her jealous suitor Chad.  While Ken and Chad square off, an evil is growing within Detroit and slowly spreading towards Grosse Point... where Ken will meet his destiny ... This week's " What Movie Wednesday " winner was " Zombie Bikers From Detroit "- a low budget horror movie that feels like it was put together as a school project.  High School, or College... I can't really tell. The premise- as stated in my little synopsis is interesting- as was the title.