Movies I Watched in February 2021

Date: 2/1/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: February is Black History Month, and I felt like this movie was the perfect movie to start the month with. Unlike the other movies that I have watched from Jim Jarmusch, I actually have seen this movie before once. I remember watching it on VHS back in the early 2000s when one of my cousin's friends decided to rent it from Blockbuster. After watching it again nearly 20 years later, I still love this movie. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is an awesome movie in my opinion.

I love how Jim Jarmusch is able to make a samurai movie by also making it into a crime drama movie at the same time. Forest Whitaker (Platoon) as Ghost Dog is a very cool and interesting character. In my opinion, this is Forest Whitaker's best role. Ghost Dog is a very interesting character that speaks no dialogue until 30 minutes into the movie and he lives alone with birds. He has his own code that he lives by similar to Samurai in Japanese history. You can tell that Jim Jarmusch has done his research when making this movie because the movie does have nods and references to real-life Japanese culture.

The other cast of characters in the movie are very well done in my opinion. I like how memorable the characters are in this movie and my favorite supporting character is the Ice Cream man played by Isaach de Bankolé (Casino Royale 2006). You also have other great performances from John Tormey (Not Fade Away), Victor Argo (Taxi Driver), and Henry Silva (Umberto Lenzi's Almost Human) that are noteworthy. Another thing that I love about Ghost Dog is the gritty atmosphere that it has. I love how the movie is set in a slum area because it makes the movie feel dark and dangerous. I'm a sucker of movies that are set in a rundown part of a city and Ghost Dog did a great job of capturing that gritty atmosphere. I can't talk about Ghost Dog without talking about the soundtrack because the music in this movie is awesome. You have Wu-Tang Clan's RZA doing the music score and you can't go wrong with that ;).

Overall, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 2/1/2021
Viewed: Youtube
Re-Watch

Note: Proteus is one of those movies that I would rent weekly at my local video stores as a kid because of the cover art. I haven't seen this movie in the last 25 years and I was curious to see if the movie holds up or not. This movie didn't hold up that well when watching it again as an adult. Proteus is an average movie at best with some cool special effects. The special effects are really cool for a low-budget movie and I do like the atmosphere that the movie has. Everything about this movie feels cold, wet, and gross. The design for the monster in this movie is awesome looking even though you can barely see it. I like how the monster in this movie has a kaiju vibe to it as if it could exist in the same universe as Pacific Rim (despite coming out 18 years earlier) or any other giant monster movie from Japan.

The story does have a neat premise going for it with the idea of genome editing. Outside the special effects and the cool premise, Proteus has nothing else going for it. The characters are boring and the movie has bad pacing. The movie moves at a snail's pace during the first half-hour of the movie. I'm not sure if the version of the movie that I watched was bad, but the lighting in this movie was terrible. I had a hard time seeing what was going on. The lighting in this movie is almost as bad as the lighting in The Relic (1997) and AVP2: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007). Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) is the only actor in this movie is noteworthy in my opinion. Not even the performances from Craig Fairbrass (Cliffhanger) and William Marsh (Saving Private Ryan) are good.

I would rate this movie lower if it was not for the production values (despite the bad lighting) and the cool premise. I only recommend watching Proteus if you are a huge fan of creature feature movies. Otherwise, skip it.

Date: 2/2/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
First Viewing

Note: After watching Yi Yi (2000) for the first time back in August, I wanted to check out more movies from Edward Yang. This is a movie that I always heard about for years, but the long run time has put me away from seeing it. I do like watching long movies, but sometimes I need to be in the right mood to watch them. Seeing that I'm stuck inside during the middle of a snowstorm, I have the time to sit down and watch it. After watching this movie for the first time, I was speechless. A Brighter Summer Day is truly a great work of art and I loved every moment of it. I may like this movie even more than Yi Yi, to be honest.

This movie is almost 4 hours long and the long run time is going to turn people off. A Brighter Summer Day is a movie that is worth sitting through and it knows how to use its long run time to tell a story. The movie didn't feel like it was overstaying its welcome by being too long. There's not a single moment in the movie where I thought "This scene could be cut out or be trimmed down a bit". Every scene in this movie is worth watching and you end up being glued to your seat for over 3 hours. Edward Yang did a wonderful job of creating characters that feel so believable. You find yourself becoming really attached to the characters and you enjoy seeing these characters be happy together. Without going into spoilers, one scene made my jaw drop for how shocking it was because I didn't see it coming. Chang Chen (Happy Together) does an amazing job as the lead role and I'm surprised Lisa Yang didn't do any more acting roles after 1991.

The movie is wonderful to look at and Criterion has made the movie look even better thanks to their 4K digital restoration of the film. For 25 years, the movie was only available in bootleg form and most people had to go to tape trading groups to find it back in the day. I'm glad that Criterion picked it up, otherwise, most people would not able to watch it (including myself). I love how A Brighter Summer Day has a bright and warm colorful feeling to it. The movie does feel like it does take place during the summer of 1961.

A Brighter Summer Day may be the best coming of age story that I have seen on film. The character development is absolutely amazing and you get to see these characters change so much overtime in nearly 4 hours. I have nothing else to say about this movie because I feel like that I can't add anything new to say. I had a hard time thinking about what I didn't like about this movie and I got nothing.

Overall, A Brighter Summer Day is a masterpiece and it deserves the perfect 5 out of 5 rating. If you have over 3 hours to waste, you should watch this movie ASAP.

Date: 2/3/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: I always have been curious to check out this movie for a while now because I have seen many people compare it to Enemy (2013). Seeing that the movie is currently on Tubi (As of 2/3/2020), I finally sat down and watch it. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was solid. The Double is a very cool and enjoyable thriller in my opinion. It should be noted that I never read the book from Fyodor Dostoevsky, so I can't compare the two. I feel like the movie works fine on its own without knowing anything from the source material. My favorite thing about The Double is that the movie's lighting and the atmosphere feels reminiscent of a movie from David Fincher (Se7en, Zodiac). The movie has a dark and moody atmosphere that fits well with the bizarre story. Jessie Eisenberg does a fantastic job playing two characters at once with each of them being the total opposite of each other. You almost feel sorry for the main character and what he is going through because his life has been pretty much stolen from him

I always like watching these types of movies because they are open for interpretation. The movie really makes you think when it comes to the general themes of the movie (personality, deception, and reality). This is a movie that I would love to watch again and see if I missed out on anything that I didn't notice the first time. This movie won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I do recommend checking it out if you are into thrillers.

Date: 2/3/2021
Viewed: Netflix
Re-Watch

Note: The Shaw Brothers have made many amazing movies and it's hard to pick just one to watch. I end up watching The Five Venoms aka The Five Deadly Venoms (I like that title better BTW) instead because it was on Netflix. This movie is still awesome from beginning to end. Chang Cheh (the director) knows how to make top-notch wuxia action movies in my opinion. The action sequences are well done and I always love the characters in the movie. What I also like about The Five Deadly Venoms is the social commentary on how police will arrest people for no good reason and what happens to people when they are consumed by greed. The message in this movie still relevant in today's world in my opinion.

The dubbing in the movie is cheesy, but I do like it because of nostalgia. If you are going to watch the movie for the first time, I recommend watching it subbed. I have nothing else to say about this movie other than it is awesome. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys action movies or Hong Kong cinema.

Date: 2/4/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Seeing that I revisit the first two Warlock movies last year, it's time for me to revisit the third movie. I have bad memories of this movie when I rented it on VHS as a kid back in 1999 and I remember not liking it at all. I remember being pissed off that I wasted my weekend on both a bad movie and a bad video game (I rented Rascal on the PS1 in case if you are wondering). I was hoping that I will enjoy Warlock 3 better as an adult, but nope. Warlock 3: The End of Innocence is still a terrible movie even after 20+ years later. Warlock 3 is a very boring and painful movie to sit through.

The movie has terrible production values because the movie feels so cheap. Even for a direct to video movie, the movie looks bad. The entire movie feels like it has production values of a soap opera that would air in the middle of the afternoon on the WB. Not even the blood and gore in this movie looks good. The acting is terrible and the writing is awful. The writing in this movie is so bad that it makes Warlock 2 (1993) look like The Godfather Part II (1974) in comparison. You can tell that they didn't care when writing the script for the movie because the story is filled with plot holes and there is not a single good character in the movie. At least, the first two Warlock movies have fun characters that you still like and remember in my opinion.

Warlock 3 feels like it was originally a shitty haunted house movie, but they decided to make it into a Warlock movie at the last minute. The worst thing about this movie is that it is boring. This movie made me want to pull out my hair because the film drags on and on. I almost wanted to turn off this movie with its inactivity and pacing. The only redeeming quality is Bruce Payne (Passenger 57) as The Warlock. Julian Sands from the first two movies didn't return (I don't blame him) and Bruce Payne is a decent replacement. He did his best with the material that he was given with.

Overall, Warlock 3 is hot garbage and it is easily one of the worst horror movie sequels. Avoid this movie at all costs.

Date: 2/4/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I heard good things about this movie when it came out in January, but I didn't want to pay $20 to rent a movie that I may end up hating. Thankfully, my local Red Box has a Blu-ray copy that you can now rent and I finally sat down to watch this movie. After watching this movie for the first time, it was not bad at all. Shadow in the Cloud is a fun movie to watch in my opinion. I like that this movie took the premise of the old Bugs Bunny short with Gremlins, but they decided to make it into an R rated action horror movie. Shadow in the Cloud does a good job of not taking itself too seriously without trying so hard on being self-aware.

The action sequences are enjoyable and Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass 1-2) does a great job of playing the lead role. It was fun seeing her beating the crap out of the Gremlins in the movie. The CGI for the Gremlins do look good for the most part. You do have some scenes of CGI that look really fake and I find it to be distracting at times. The worst part about Shadow in the Cloud in my opinion was the first 25 minutes of the movie. I do like that Shadow in the Cloud is a short movie to watch because it's only 80 minutes long. They did a great job of telling a good story without feeling rushed.

Overall, Shadow in the Cloud is an enjoyable popcorn flick. Check it out if you've got time to spare.

Date: 2/6/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: For the longest time, I have never seen this movie because it didn't have Christopher Lee as Dracula. It was not until 5 or 6 years ago when I actually sat down and watch it for the first time. I end up watching this movie again today after buying the Blu-ray from Scream Factory. I do consider The Brides of Dracula to be one of my least favorite movies in the Hammer Dracula series, but I still enjoy it. And no, Christopher Lee not being in this movie is not the reason why I consider it to be my least favorite movie in the series.

Horror of Dracula was a great movie and The Brides of Dracula feels like a step down in my opinion. I feel like the story and characters in this movie are not as good as the characters from the first movie. It still takes me awhile to get invested in the story when watching this movie. It is awesome to see Peter Cushing back as Van Helsing and he is just as badass as always. The acting is top-notch and you have solid performances from everyone in this movie including roles from Martita Hunt (Great Expectations), Victor Brooks (Goldfinger), and Henry Oscar (Lawrence of Arabia). Martita Hunt does a wonderful job of playing a sympathetic vampire mother in my opinion.

The Brides of Dracula is stunning to look at thanks to the colorful cinematography from Jack Asher (Who also worked on many Hammer horror movies). The music score from Malcolm Williamson and the set designs makes the movie feel more atmospheric. Terence Fisher (the director) really knows how to create a feeling of gothic horror so well. The transfer from Scream Factory is so good and the details really pop out as if you are watching a brand new movie.

The Brides of Dracula ends up being the black sheep of the franchise because the next movie in the series (Dracula: Prince of Darkness) ignores this movie. I recommend not skipping this movie because it's still a noteworthy movie. Overall, The Brides of Dracula is a good movie and it is worth checking out.

Date: 2/7/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: For Black History Month, I do plan on watching all the Shaft movies including the new movie that came out over a year ago. Also, this year is the 50th anniversary of the franchise. Shaft is still a great movie and it holds up very well in my opinion. John Shaft is a great iconic action hero from the 1970s and is probably the most famous Blaxploitation character ever. Richard Roundtree does an amazing job of playing an awesome action hero that is popular with the ladies and can kick major ass. Shaft did help kick off Richard Roundtree's career and he would later go on into bigger movies such as Maniac Cop (1988), Se7en (1995), and Brick (2005). You also have a great supporting cast of characters that are awesome and memorable as well.

The soundtrack is also very funky and catchy to listen to. You can't go wrong with 70s funk music. My favorite thing about Shaft is the atmosphere because it's very cold, gritty, and unsettling. The movie takes place during the sleazy days of 42nd Street in New York City and you get to see what New York City was like during those days. I also like how Shaft covers the major political themes that were going on in America during the 1970s such as a potential race war in New York City. Some of the themes in the movie are still relevant in today's world such as white cops being corrupted by racism. The only bad thing that I would say about Shaft is the pacing can be slow at times.

Overall, Shaft is a great action movie and I do recommend watching it.

Date: 2/7/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I never heard of this movie until a few weeks ago and I decided to watch it because the premise sounds cool. After watching the movie for the first time on Amazon Prime (As of 2/7/2021), I was like "Wow". Excision is a very well made movie and I enjoy every minute of it. Excision is an interesting character study movie that deals with someone who wants to lose their virginity. AnnaLynne McCord (68 Kill) does a wonderful job of playing a disturbed teenager that always retreats to her sick fantasies. I know some people won't like this movie because it's very gross and disturbing. I honestly love how gross and sick this movie is because the movie has very gory body horror that almost feels like a classic David Cronenberg movie. This movie also has a dark and chilling atmosphere that you would find in a Yorgos Lanthimos movie in my opinion. Excision is a movie that knows how to be dark and disturbing by getting under your skin in the right way without trying too hard (As seen with some tryhard edge movies such as the August Underground movies).

The special effects for the blood and gore are fantastic too. I do like the movie's message because the movie is trying to tell people to pay attention to their kids because you never know what they are up to. Excision warns that angst and desperation can be dangerous if they are not properly treated. I really like the casting in this movie because this movie has actors that I would not expect to show up in this movie. You have John Waters (Pink Flamingos), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), Ray Wise (Robocop 1987), and Traci Lords (Blade) in the same movie. I didn't like the ending at first, but I do like it now after thinking about it.

Overall, Excision is a great movie and I can't wait to add it to my collection soon. I do highly recommend checking it out if you enjoy horror movies.

Date: 2/8/2021
Viewed: Netflix
First Viewing

Note: I have heard good things about this movie for a while now and I finally watched it on Netflix. After watching it for the first time on Netflix, I really enjoy it. Atlantics is a stunningly beautiful film that does a great job of covering many themes such as crime, romance, and even ghosts. The best thing about Atlantics is how visually stunning the movie is. The cinematography from Claire Manthon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) is breath-taking because every location shot looks amazing and she does an incredible job making everything look so pretty.

I love the acting in this movie because everyone felt believable. I was surprised that this movie has ghost because I didn't think this movie would have any supernatural elements in it at all. They did a good job of making the ghost in this movie feel creepy without making the movie into a horror film. I like that the ghost in the movie has whited out eyes similar to the characters from The Beyond (1981). My favorite thing about Atlantics is the story because you get to see what it is like living at Dakar. In Atlantics, you get to see people dealing with a refugee crisis and issues with unemployment. I like that the movie also deals with taking responsibility for other people and that other people's actions will bite them back in the ass.

Atlantics also does a great job with symbolism by having the Ocean represent life and death. If there is one thing that I didn't like about Atlantics is the pacing. The movie has a very slow start and it took me a while to get invested in the story. I almost give this movie a lower rating, but I found myself liking this movie after thinking about it after the movie was over. I can see myself watching this movie again in the near future and maybe give it a higher rating.

Overall, Atlantics is a great movie and I highly recommend watching it.

Date: 2/8/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: I remember seeing clips of this movie growing up, but I don't think I have actually seen the entire movie until now. Seeing it's now available on Tubi (As of 2/8/2021), I thought I might as well check it out. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was meh. The Stoned Age is just another run of the mill stoner movie. This movie was not bad because it was not boring and the acting was decent. I did like the friendship between the two main characters played by (John Carl Buechler and Clifton Collins Jr). The soundtrack for this movie is awesome because you get many great songs from iconic rock bands such as Blue Öyster Cult and Black Sabbath.

Other than that, the movie is pretty bland. The characters are generic and most of the humor was not funny. Most of the dialogue is very cringy at times which was annoying to sit through. On the plus side, the movie is only 90 minutes. I can finally remove this movie off of my bucket list.

Overall, The Stoned Age is an average movie at best. I only recommend this movie if you're curious.

Date: 2/9/2021
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to see this movie for so many years because I love The Burning Moon (1992) from Olaf Ittenbach and I always been told that this movie is insane. The movie has been out of print for ages, but thankfully I was able to watch it on Youtube. After watching this movie for the first time, I did like it. Premutos: Lord of the Living Dead is nowhere as good as The Burning Moon, but it's still a fun movie nevertheless in my opinion. The best thing about this movie is the blood and gore because the movie is filled with gory violence. Every scene of blood and gore is done with practical effects and no digital effects. You got to love the authenticity of the special effects that these movies have. Premutos: Lord of the Living Dead was never meant to be a classy movie and it gives what the main audience wants.

I watched the dub version of this movie and the dub made me laugh several times. The funny bad dubbing in this movie reminds me of how hilarious the dub for Bible Black was. Honestly, I had no idea what the hell was going on with the story. This movie jumps back and forth with many time skips that I was confused about what was happening. I do wish that I watched this movie in better quality because some scenes look so fuzzy that you have no idea what was going on. I was most likely watching a VHS transfer which can explain why most of the detail is missing. The pacing for Premutos: Lord of the Living Dead feels very off at times. This movie has a 100 minute run time and the movie starts to drag during the middle act of the story. You have many scenes of pointless filler that can easily be cut out.

Hopefully, I can watch this movie in better quality one day because not able to see some of the blood and gore really annoyed me. I still recommend watching Premutos: Lord of the Living Dead if you enjoy trashy movies.

Date: 2/9/2021
Viewed: IMDB TV
First Viewing

Note: I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this movie because I never heard of it until recently. I went into this movie without watching any trailers or reading any reviews, and I thought it was pretty good. Anti Matter is a neat sci-fi mystery movie that will keep you intrigued. At first, I thought this movie was a hot mess because I found myself being so frustrated with the story. During the last act of the movie, they do a pretty good job of wrapping up things nicely. I also like the atmosphere and some of the surreal imagery that this movie has because it almost feels like an episode of Black Mirrors.

I did like the main character (played by Yaiza Figueroa) and you do have some decent performances from the main cast. I still have some problems with this movie such as the dialogue because you do have lines that feel very stilted. Another problem that I have with Anti Matter is that you have scenes that serve no purpose to the story at all. It also bugs me that the movie has an animal rights angle with the police being involved and they did nothing with it. Why bother even having that in your movie in the first place? Anti Matter could have been so great if they went back and polish the script before they filmed the movie. Despite the flaws that this movie has, I still like it and I didn't regret watching it.

Overall, Anti Matter is not a bad movie and I recommend checking it out if you have time to spare.

Date: 2/10/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
Re-Watch

Note: I'm not the biggest fan of Brucesploitation movies, but this movie is not bad. Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger aka Bruce Lee: The Star of Stars is a fun dumb martial arts movie in my opinion. The story for this movie is pretty interesting with one of Bruce Lee's students (Played by Bruce Li/Ho Chung-tao) trying to solve the murder of Bruce Lee. The fight scenes in this movie alone are worth watching. Every fight scene in this movie is a lot of fun to watch. Tso Nam Lee (the director) knows how to direct fun action sequences. My favorite thing about this movie is the last battle that takes place nearby the Ocean.

Outside the fight scenes, the story could have been better. Some of the characters are pretty forgettable and they don't add much to the story. I still consider Exit the Dragon, Enter the Tiger to be a fun guilty pleasure movie and it's worth checking out if you enjoy martial arts movies.

Date: 2/10/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: It's been years since I have seen this movie and it holds up very well. Bamboozled is a great satire that is very creative in my opinion. I love how Spike Lee is able to do his own spin on Network (1976) by poking fun of the television industry while also criticizing it for how it handles black TV shows. The movie does a great job of covering the stereotypical depictions of black people in American history. When it comes to anti-black face movies, this movie is probably the few movies that do it right unlike Soul Man (1986).

Only in a movie such as Bamboozled where a modern-day Minstrel Show can work. Obviously in real life (even back in 2000), no one would be crazy to green light a stupid idea. That's why Bamboozled is so funny because it pokes fun at how stupid the people at the TV networks are when it comes to green lighting TV shows. I also love the chemistry with the cast of characters and the dialogue is well written. Bamboozled is also a reminder of why Black Face is a terrible thing and it should stay dead. The characters end up facing their own consequences after they air their own Minstrel Show. I love the montage at the end of the movie because it's absolutely perfect in my opinion.

Overall, Bamboozled is a fantastic movie and it was misunderstood when it came out. Thankfully, the movie's reputation has changed over time and people do knowledge it as a great movie. I highly recommend watching this movie.

Date: 2/11/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I decided to check out this movie because it looks cool. I'm glad that I watched it because it was not bad. Yellow (2012) is a cool modern giallo movie in my opinion. I like the dark atmosphere and the soundtrack that this movie has because it does a good job of paying homage to the classic giallo movies from the 1970s and 1980s. I like the design for the serial killer and his mask almost feels like it was ripped straight out of the Dead Space video games. For a short movie, it moves at a nice pace and it didn't feel like that they were rushing the story. Even the gory kills in this movie are well done too.

My biggest problem with this short movie is that they feel like they could have done a better job with the story. I was still confused about what was going on. I still hope the filmmakers can make this short into a full-length movie one day. This movie has a lot of potential to be great. I still recommend checking out this short film if you are into giallo movies.

Date: 2/11/2021
Viewed: Shudder
Re-Watch

Note: This is my first time seeing the director's cut because I have only seen the theatrical cut on TV when I was a little kid. Nightbreed is like the horror movie equivalent of Blade Runner (1982) by having so many versions. This movie is still a great movie even 31 years later in my opinion. What I like the most about Nightbreed is the story and the special effects. The special effects hold up very well with many great scenes of awesome practical effects. Even the stop motion creatures still look great in my opinion. Nightbreed has very cool world-building to it with creatures living under ground below society. Similar to the mutants from the X-Men franchise (Both the comics, movies, etc), the monsters in Nightbreed can be viewed as a racial allegory. They may look different from everyone else, but they are still normal like the rest of us.

Clive Barker did a great job of creating a message about how dangerous humanity can be. The monsters in Nightbreed were hunted to near-extinction by humans which is why they hide underground. You also get a solid message about police brutality that is noteworthy. The acting in this movie is well done and David Cronenberg steals the show as a serial killer. David Cronenberg in this movie is so disturbing and creepy in my opinion. It shows that he can really act on-screen. Nightbreed is still far from perfect because you still have moments in the story that don't add up.

Overall, Nightbreed is a great movie and I highly recommend checking it out. Make sure not to watch the theatrical cut when watching this movie. I do want to check out The Cabal Cut one day.

Date: 2/12/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: Teenage Space Vampires is one of those movies that I always remember seeing on display on VHS at my local Blockbuster as a kid and I didn't bother to watch it until now. Teenage Space Vampires may not be the worst movie ever, but it's still a bad movie. I thought this movie was going to be a cheesy bad horror movie, but I end up watching a bad kids movie instead. Everything about Teenage Space Vampires feels cheap in my opinion. The entire movie feels like a Disney Channel original movie and I don't consider that to be a good thing. The CGI in this movie is terrible and I'm pretty sure they didn’t look good back in 1999. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie from 1995 has better visuals than this movie did (That's not saying much).

The acting is bad and Lindy Booth (Dawn of the Dead 2004) is the only cast member in the movie with a decent performance. The biggest problem with the movie is that it is boring. None of the characters are memorable and the humor was terrible. Not even an 8-year-old would find this movie to be funny. I will give this movie some credit for having some decent makeup work and cool rubber suits for the Space Vampires. Other than that, I have nothing else to say about this movie.

Overall, Teenage Space Vampires is a bad movie and I don't recommend it. Go watch Life Force (1985) instead if you want a good sci-fi vampire movie.

Date: 2/12/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: Better late than never, I finally sat down and watched this movie. I did want to see it when it was in theaters because I did grew up listing to Ice Cube, and other 80s and 90s hip hop & rap music. However, I never had the chance to see it when it was released in 2015. After watching this movie for the first time, I really enjoy it. Straight Outta Compton is a solid biopic movie in my opinion. This movie is over 2 hours long and it goes by so quickly. There's not a single dull moment in the entire movie in my opinion. What I love about this movie are the story and characters. This movie does a great job of telling a story about the origins of N.W.A and covering themes of oppression. The movie is set in 1986-1995 and the stuff that was going on in the world at the time is still relevant. It's sad that America has not changed in the last 35 years.

The acting is great and they did a wonderful job with the casting because most of the actors look a lot like the original N.W.A group. Just like most biopic movies, the story is not going to be 100% truthful to the real-life story. I'm fine with that as long if the story is well told and the message is on point. Unlike other biopic movies, the story feels inspiriting without coming off as extremely sentimental. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this movie, to be honest.

Overall, Straight Outta Compton is a great movie and I highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 2/12/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: This week is both the 40th anniversary of My Bloody Valentine and Valentine's Day weekend. My Scream Factory Blu-ray came in the mail just in the nick of time. My Bloody Valentine is still a solid movie in my opinion. The gory kills and the dark atmosphere make this movie worth watching. I have never seen the uncut version until now and it's cool to see the missing footage that was rumored not to exist for decades. The special effects still look awesome even 40 years later thanks to the wonderful work from Thomas R. Burman (Teen Wolf). I love how gory some of the body organs look as if they were real body parts. They look so gross, even the director (George Mihalka) threw up when looking at them.

The atmosphere is very suspenseful and the design for the main villain is very cool looking. I do like that the movie has a nice use of fog and shadows to create a dreadful feeling to the story. I also love the soundtrack from Paul Zaza (Porky's) because it feels very moody. The story and characters are far from perfect because the plot does share many similarities to the original Halloween movie. Chief Jake Newby (Played by Don Francks) is the best character in the movie while the other characters are a bit generic in my opinion. It's a shame that this movie never became a franchise because I would love to see more of The Miner.

Overall, My Bloody Valentine is still a fun movie to watch and I do recommend checking it out. I also recommend staying away from the mediocre remake that came out in 2009.

Date: 2/13/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Shaft's Big Score aka Shaft 2 is a step down compared to the first movie, but it's still a good movie nevertheless. Gordon Parks is back as the director and Richard Roundtree returns as John Shaft. The movie has plenty of action sequences that are badass to watch in my opinion. The last act of the movie is awesome because it's filled with so much energy. I can't think of a single boring moment in this movie. Moses Gunn and Drew Bundini Brown also came back from the first movie as well. Even though Isaac Hayes didn't return to do the music, Gordon Parks does a good job of doing the music. The music in this movie is both catchy and memorable in my opinion.

The reason why Shaft's Big Score is a step down compared to the first movie because the story is lacking the heart that the first movie had. The story feels weaker by not having a strong emotional story compare to the story that the first movie had. Shaft's Big Score is also lacking the dark and sleazy atmosphere that the first movie had as well. This movie also suffers from unnecessary padding because you have scenes that can easily be cut out of the story. The characters in the movie also feel weaker compared to the first movie. Despite the flaws that Shaft's Big Score has, it's still a noteworthy sequel. I do recommend it if you enjoy the first movie.

Date: 2/13/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: It's no secret that I love watching Jason X. I'm still not going to say Jason X is a great or a good movie, but I do like it for what it is. Unlike Halloween: Resurrection (2002), Jason X knows it is being stupid. You can tell that they had a lot of fun when making this movie. I love the gory kills and the dumb dialogue that this movie has. Dialogue such as "This sucks on so many levels" and "Guys! It's okay, he just wanted his machete back!" are comedic gold. I honestly like the characters and Lisa Ryder (The Story of Luke) is easily my favorite character in the movie. Heck, you even have David Cronenberg playing a role in the movie. Jonathan Potts (Best known for voicing Link from The 80s Legend of Zelda animated series) has a fun noteworthy role that is worth mentioning.

I love the spaceship setting because it has a similar vibe to Firefly (The TV series). Unlike most people, I think Uber Jason looks cool in my opinion. Jason X is one of those Internet punching bag movies and people like to hate on it because they put Jason in Outer Space. I'm actually glad that they put Jason in Outer Space because they did something risky and creative. It's not like the other Friday the 13th movies are any different when it comes to being silly and stupid. I definitely take this movie over the pointless 2009 remake in my opinion (I will review that movie soon). This is also the last time where we have Kane Hodder playing as Jason. Hopefully, he will return as Jason when the lawsuits over the series are over.

I do admit that most of my love for this movie is because of nostalgia. This was the first Friday the 13th movie that I saw in theaters back in April 2002 when I was 10 (almost 11). Friday the 13th Part 1-8 came out before I was born and I was only 2 years old when Jason: Goes to Hell was released in theaters. So I was actually lucky to watch a Friday the 13th movie to come out on the big screen. I still remember watching the trailer on AOL Movies when it was first released on the web.

Overall, Jason X is a fun guilty pleasure movie and I do recommend it for a bad movie night.

Date: 2/14/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: Happy Valentine's Day everyone and I hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. I felt like this movie was the perfect movie to watch for Valentine's Day. In the Mood for Love is still a fantastic movie in my opinion. I love the pacing and the atmosphere that this movie has because this is a movie that you can watch and chill after a long day of hard work. The atmosphere really sucks you into the story and makes you feel like that you are actually there with these characters. The cinematography in this movie is so breathtaking and Criterion did a wonderful job restoring this movie. Almost every scene in this movie feels like it should belong in a Museum in my opinion.

Wong Kar-Wai did a fantastic job of telling a great story about sadness without being sappy. The movie has a nice balance of humor and seriousness in my opinion. Both Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung are amazing as the two lead roles. They felt very believable as if they are real-life people. This movie runs at 90 minutes and I won't mind watching another 20 minutes of this movie because I love all the characters in the movie and I wanted to watch more scenes of them.

Overall, In the Mood for Love is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend it.

Date: 2/14/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I will be talking about some spoilers. Read at your own risk.











Time to end Valentine's Day with some necrophilia XD. It's been years since I have seen Nekromantik and I felt like today was a good day to revisit this movie. I remember watching this movie with no subs on a bootleg VHS tape back in 2002. So my friend and I had to use our imaginations and we voice over the characters ourselves. I still think Nekromantik is a good movie, but I can understand why most people will not like this movie. Nekromantik is a very sick and nasty movie that will gross many people out. There are some scenes in this movie that still make my skin crawl. Jörg Buttgereit (the director) did a wonderful job of making the special effects feel so authentic. Some of the special effects do look fake, but the rest of the practical effects still look good in my opinion.

The story is pretty good with lots of strong symbolism. I do like that Nekromantik covers themes of sexual frustration and social isolation. The gross imagery is not just pointless shock value and it does have a purpose to the narrative. Germany was known to be very strict on violent movies similar to how the UK was during the 1980s and the movie is a "FUCK YOU" to the censors. Nekromantik really pushes the bar by trying to be as gross and shocking as possible. The acting is not bad and Beatrice Manowski was also in Wings of Desire that year. Being in both a classy movie and a trashy movie back in 1987 is a cool thing that is worth mentioning. Another great thing about Nekromantik is the music because it's so haunting. The music still gives me chills down my spine when listing to it.

The thing that I hate the most about this movie is the animal cruelty. While the cat was not harmed when making this movie, but they do kill a rabbit on screen. I totally forgot that scene happen when revisiting this movie. I still find it gross to watch because the rabbit didn't need to be killed (They should have used one that was already dead). I'm against animal cruelty in any form of art and it should never be allowed whatsoever. Another thing that I didn't like about Nekromantik is that the story jumped around way too much. Some scenes left me confused about what just happened.

Overall, Nekromantik is a good horror movie and I do recommend it if you can handle strong graphic content. If you don't want to watch this movie, I totally understand that.

Date: 2/15/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
First Viewing

Note: I never saw this movie until now despite me being a big fan of the Coen Brothers. It was one of those movies that I wanted to see in theaters, but I didn't have the chance to. Many years later, I bought the Blu-ray for $1 at my local Dollar Tree a while back and it has sat on my shelf collecting dust. Seeing that today is a rainy day, I decided to sit down and watch it for the first time. To be honest, I thought this movie was alright. Hail Caesar is not a bad movie, but I don't consider it to be their best movie. I consider Hail Caesar to be a mid-tier Coen Brothers movie in my opinion.

I thought the premise was pretty interesting for the most part by doing a fictional story based on Eddie Mannix (played by Josh Brolin). I do like that the film never takes itself too seriously despite having a story that is set during the Cold War. The acting is great as you would expect from a Coen Brothers movie. Easily the best thing about this movie is the production values because everything about this movie looks amazing. I can totally see why the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Production Design. It was also cool to see Dolph Lundgren (Rocky 4) and Christopher Lambert (Highlander) in a mainstream movie again seeing that they have mostly been in direct to video garbage for over 15 years now.

You also have one scene in the movie where one person is talking about how television is taking away Hollywood's business and how cinema will be dead. People have said a similar thing about streaming for the last 10 years now. It's a reminder that people have talked about the death of cinema for decades and we still have movies on the big screen (I do think Movie Theaters will make a comeback after Covid. However that's a topic for a different day). Unfortunately, I could not get invested in the story at all. None of the characters click with me.

I was also not a fan of some of the humor in the movie. The movie did have some pretty funny moments, but the rest of the humor fell flat for me. Also, Channing Tatum's (Magic Mike) character really annoyed me when he was on-screen. I still recommend Hail Caesar for Coen Brothers fans or people who enjoy period films. Sadly, the movie didn't do anything for me.

Date: 2/15/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I recently watch the first Collector movie last month and I really enjoyed it. I was quite eager to check out the sequel as soon as possible. The Collection is not a bad movie, but I do like the first movie better in my opinion. The writing and acting in this movie is pretty weak, but the special effects, gory kills, and the atmosphere make up for it. Just like with the first movie, the real reason to watch these movies are for the deadly traps and the gore. The Collection has the most brutal night club scene in a movie since the first Blade movie.

The reason why I like the first movie over the second movie because I like the story and setting better. I love the atmosphere that the first movie had by having it be set in a house which gives it that feeling of claustrophobia. Sometimes bigger is not always better because I feel like they miss the opportunity to explore more of the lore of The Collector himself. There could have been more to his personal collection that we haven't seen.

Overall, The Collection is a fun sequel and I do recommend it if you enjoy the first movie.

Date: 2/16/2021
Viewed: IMDB TV
First Viewing

Note: This movie has been on my watchlist for years after hearing about it. I would always see the movie on the shelf at Blockbuster back in the 2000s and I never bother to check it out. I finally watched this movie for the first time on IMDB TV (As of 2/16/2021) and I really enjoyed it. But I’m a Cheerleader is a solid LGBT movie from the late 90s in my opinion. I'm surprised that people didn't like the colorful production designs that this movie has because I love them. I love how colorful that this movie looks and the set designs still look awesome even after 20+ years later. I also like how over the top that some of the characters are in the story because it reminds me of a classic John Waters movie from the 1970s.

The acting in this movie is great and Natasha Lyonne (Uncut Gems) really steals the show as the main character. I also love the characters played by Dante Basco (Hook) and Clea DuVall (The Faculty) as well. It was even cool to see Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise) and Richard Moll (Evilspeak) in this movie. My favorite thing about this movie is the message on how conversion therapy is awful. It is wrong to convert someone from gay to straight because it makes them who they are. Let people be themselves and be happy. The ending for the movie is perfect and it wraps up the story nicely in my opinion.

Overall, But I'm a Cheerleader is a great movie and I can see why this movie is so important. I highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 2/16/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: This is my first time watching this movie in the last 25 years and it holds up very well. Tales from the Hood is an excellent horror movie that is timeless in my opinion. The movie does a wonderful job of covering very relevant topics such as child abuse, police brutality, racism, and Black-on-Black crime. I love how this movie is like a black spin on Tales from the Crypt by telling five great stories. The most memorable story to me is "Boys Do Get Bruised" because that's the story that has stuck in my mind since I was a kid. Watching the movie again as an adult, I like all the stories, but "Hard-Core Convert" is now my new favorite story in the movie. KKK Comeuppance is another solid story because it feels like it is a reminder of David Duke's 1988 presidential campaign in my opinion. Rogue Cop Revelation is another great story, but the ending kinda ruins it for me.

The acting in this movie is solid and Clarence Williams III (American Gangster) steals the show as Mr. Simms. Mr. Simms is a fun and over-the-top character with him being this movie's equivalent to The Crypt Keeper. The practical effects in this movie are still great meanwhile the CGI has aged terribly. Back in 1995, they didn't look bad. Watching it now in 2021, they stick out like a sore thumb. The scenes in Hell feel like they are a prototype for the Hell scenes in the 1997 Spawn movie lol.

Overall, Tales from the Hood is a great movie and I do highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 2/17/2021
Viewed: First Viewing
Tubi TV

Note: Aenigma is the very few Lucio Fulci movies that I haven't seen yet and I have waited to check it out for a while now. I watched the HD release from Severin Films because their release has the correct color timing from what I've been told. After watching this movie for the first time on Tubi, I was let down. Aenigma may be my least favorite movie from Lucio Fulci in my opinion. Lucio Fulci knows how to make fun movies, but this movie is not fun at all. I find the movie to be slow, boring, and confusing.

The story did take some influence from Carrie (1976), Patrick (1978), and Phenomena (1985), but it is nowhere as good as those three movies in my opinion. Nothing in the story makes any sense and every character in this movie was boring. The best things about Aenigma were the soundtrack, the colorful dark lighting, and some cool scary scenes. Other than that, this movie was pretty bad in my opinion.

I only recommend Aenigma for Lucio Fulci completists. Otherwise, skip it.

Date: 2/17/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Shaft in Africa aka Shaft 3 may be the weakest movie in the 70s Shaft movie trilogy, but I still consider it to be a fun movie in my opinion. Unlike Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), the title does not lie. It's cool seeing Shaft going to Africa and seeing him interact with the people who live in Africa. I do like the movie's social commentary on the modern-day slave trade which is a serious subject matter that was going on at the time. You also get plenty of cool action sequences that are fun to watch. The biggest problem with this movie is that it is way too long. Shaft in Africa is almost 2 hours long and the movie really starts to drag at times. This movie could have been 10 or 15 minutes shorter and it wouldn't have hurt the story.

This would be the last Shaft movie with Richard Roundtree as the lead role. I'm surprised that people had to wait almost 30 years later for another Shaft movie. It would be nice if they did more Shaft movies in the 1970s, but oh well. We can't change history after all.

Overall, Shaft in Africa is a decent sequel and I recommend checking it out if you enjoy the first two Shaft movies.

Date: 2/18/2021
Viewed: DVD
Re-Watch

Note: I decided to watch this movie because I haven't seen it since the late 90s and I was stuck inside during a snowstorm. Drop Zone is not a great movie, but it's still a fun movie to watch in my opinion. The movie is a product of its time because it was made during the extreme sports fad of the 1990s. Even the soundtrack is filled with music that you would find on the radio back in 1994. The story and characters are nothing special because you can tell that this movie was trying to cash in on the success of both Point Break (1991) and Passenger 57 (1992). I feel like the characters in Drop Zone were not as fun and memorable compared to the characters in those two movies.

Drop Zone is still a fun movie to watch because you have plenty of good action sequences and the sky-diving scenes look awesome. The soundtrack from Hans Zimmer is also solid despite it being repetitive at times. Garry Busey steals the show as the main villain because he is so cheesy and over the top. Wesley Snipes is also awesome as you would expect from him.

Overall, Drop Zone is dumb fun and I do recommend checking out it if you enjoy cheesy 90s action movies.

Date: 2/19/2021
Viewed: HBO Max
First Viewing

Note: I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this movie because I never heard of it until now. Seeing that it's on HBO Max, I decided to check it out. I went into this movie without knowing anything about the plot. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was okay. This movie has many big stars and I was surprised to see Will Smith in this movie. I never thought to see the day where Will Smith plays the Devil himself. It was also cool to see Scott Grimes from Critters 1-2 in this movie.

I do like the production values because the set designs do look pretty good. My favorite part of the movie is when the movie was set in 1895 and 1916 because they did a nice job of trying to recapture the look of those time periods. The acting is a mixed bag because some of the performances are great while the other performances feel very wooden. My biggest problem with this movie is that I could not get emotionally invested in the characters at all. Everyone in this movie felt forgettable in my opinion. I also hated how convoluted the story was because the writing was all over the place. The plot holes in this movie really made my head hurt at times.

Overall, Winter's Tale is an average movie at best and I only recommend watching it for a rainy day.

Date: 2/19/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
Re-Watch

Note: Planet of the Vampires was probably the first Mario Bava movie that I remember seeing as a kid on TV back in the mid-90s (I think it was back in 1996). I was curious to see if the movie still holds up or not. Planet of the Vampires holds up very well and it is an overlooked gem from the 1960s in my opinion. This movie was a major influence on both Star Trek and Alien (1979). I love the movie's atmosphere and the set designs. Everything about this movie feels very atmospheric. You have plenty of fog, colorful dark lighting, and eerie music that makes Planet of the Vampires a total blast to watch. The set designs in this movie are amazing and this movie does not feel like an Italian film at all. Planet of the Vampires can be easily mistaken for a Hollywood movie from that time period.

I even love the story with these characters going to a unknown planet and finding a planet that is long dead. The characters are interesting and the story does have cool surprises that you have to see for yourself. Mario Bava also did a great job of covering themes of boundaries of science and research. I do admit that the movie has flaws because the acting and dialogue are not perfect. You even have some scenes that are not fully explained very well. It's a shame that people overlook this movie as a cheesy B movie when the movie has way more going for it. People will probably look at the title and will be like "This looks stupid". This movie is not stupid because that will be like saying Planet of the Apes is stupid because of the silly title.

Overall, Planet of the Vampires is a solid movie and I recommend checking it out.

Date: 2/20/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I finally got the chance to watch this movie after hearing many good things about it. The reason why I didn't bother watching this movie until now because movies that normally deal with both science and religion end up coming off as super cringy. Thankfully, this movie was awesome and it blew away my expectations. First Reformed is a fantastic movie from start to finish in my opinion. I can totally see why people compare this movie to both Taxi Driver (1976) and Bad Lieutenant (1992) after watching this movie. I love the dark and gritty atmosphere that this movie has because everything feels so bleak. The lack of any music score makes First Reformed almost feel like a horror movie despite it not being one. Some scenes in the story felt so creepy and disturbing that they made my skin crawl.

I love the story because it felt refreshing to have a movie that deals with climate change and religion & science without being super preachy. When a movie deals with science vs. religion, it normally makes me want to pull out my hair and yell at the TV screen. We actually have a movie that deals with a Pastor that knows that science is real and not some hoax. Ethan Hawke (Richard Linklater's Before trilogy) does a fantastic job with acting and I love seeing his character going through several personal crises. I also love the acting from the other actors because they did a great job of playing believable characters. I don't want to say anything else about this movie because you really need to see it to believe it.

Overall, First Reformed is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend watching it.

Date: 2/20/2021
Viewed: HBO Max
First Viewing

Note: I was curious to watch this movie because I always hear good things about it. I did read the Flash Point comic and I was not crazy about it because it created the New 52. To me, rebooting the DC Universe again was so pointless in my opinion. I do my best to separate the source material and adaptions together when watching these types of movies. After watching the movie for the first time on HBO Max, I thought it was pretty good. Similar to the comic, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox has a neat premise of another alternative universe where heroes such as Wonder Woman and Aquaman are bad guys.

The story is entertaining and you get plenty of fun action sequences. I was surprised to see how violent the movie was because you get plenty of bloody scenes that really push the PG-13 rating (I do consider that to be a good thing). The animation is pretty good except for some scenes that look really ugly at times. The biggest problem with this movie is that it does not stand on its own as an adaptation. If you never read any of the comics, you will have no idea who any of these characters are. Some characters show up as cameos for fan service purposes (Not that type of fan service lol) and they do nothing major for the story. The voice acting is solid and I was surprised to see Michael B. Jordan (Creed 1-2) doing the voice for Cyborg. It was cool that he was playing superheroes before Black Panther (2018) and the awful Fantastic Four reboot from 2015.

I still recommend checking out Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox if enjoy comics from DC.

I can't find any good pictures. Sorry =(

Date: 2/21/2021
Viewed: TubiTV
First Viewing

Note: I decided to check out this movie on Tubi because the movie looks cool. I always like to watch movies with an open mind, but I did not like this movie at all. Cannibal Cop is not the worst movie that I've seen, but it was still pretty bad in my opinion. I get that this movie is a low-budget independent-made movie, but you can't always use that as an excuse. The acting and dialogue in this movie are terrible in my opinion. It's not even the funny type of bad acting that you find in movies such as Troll 2 (1990) or The Room (2003). I have seen actors on Pornhub that can act better than these people can.

The special effects for the blood and gore are terrible even for a low-budget movie. There's probably one scene in the movie that looks good and that's about it. You also have scenes of characters just walking around doing nothing. If you thought The Vast of Night (2020) had pointless scenes, this movie takes the cake. My biggest problem with this movie is that it wants to be self-aware because it's a throwback to old Troma movies. I really find it annoying when people want to pay homage to older movies and they feel like that they need to be funny. Not every modern Grindhouse-style movie needs to be hokey and I feel like they do it on purpose because they need an excuse for the bad writing. They are probably like "Our movie is supposed to be bad because it's just like a classic Grindhouse movie". Stuff like that make my eyes roll and you need to put real effort into your movies.

If I had to say anything good about Cannibal Cop is that I did like the metal soundtrack and the guerrilla filmmaking. It did make me laugh seeing people's reactions to the actor passing out "God hates Cannibals" flyers because you can tell that they were filming out in public and people on the street had no idea that they were being filmed for a movie.

I don't recommend watching Cannibal Cop at all. Go watch a Troma movie such as The Toxic Avenger (1984) instead.

Date: 2/21/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-watch

Note: This is the Shaft movie that I have looked forward to revisiting the most because this was the first Shaft movie to come out in my lifetime. Before 2000, I only knew Shaft as a character from the 1970s and I remember the references in pop culture to Shaft in other movies & cartoons (Action Hank in Dexter's Laboratory comes to mind). When this movie came out back in 2000, they aired the original three Shaft movies on TV to promote this movie and that's how I became a fan of the series. After watching this movie again for the first time in nearly 20 years, I still enjoy it. Shaft (2000) is a noteworthy successor to the 1970s Shaft movies in my opinion.

Samuel L. Jackson does a wonderful job of playing the son (It was originally his nephew, you got to love retcons) of the original Shaft by capturing the badass personality that the original Shaft had. You even have Christian Bale in this movie and he does a solid job of playing a racist rich bad guy. I can't help to watch this movie and think it is set in the same universe as American Psycho (2000) lol because Christian Bale's role is similar to Patrick Bateman but less insane. Everyone else in this movie did a good job with their performances including Jeffrey Wright (Only Lovers Left Alive) as one of the main villains.

John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood) does a wonderful job of directing great action sequences and telling a good story. I really like that the story covers themes of racism and how bad guys get away with crimes due to their white privilege so well. The story is still just as strong as it was back in 2000 with rich white people getting away with murder. I also like that the movie is a fun time capsule of New York City seeing that this movie is set one year before 9/11 happened. You also have a soundtrack with plenty of good R&B and hip hop songs in my opinion.

Overall, Shaft 2000 is a solid movie and I do consider it to be an underrated gem of the early 2000s. I recommend checking it out if you enjoy action movies or the original Shaft movies.

Date: 2/22/2021
Viewed: IMDBTV
Re-watch

Note: I have been in the mood to revisit some Sci-Fi channel original movies because I grew up with the Sci-Fi channel (now Syfy) from the 90s up until 2011. Seeing that I grew up with giant monsters, dinosaurs, and animals, I would watch most of their original movies when they would air them on TV. The last time when I saw this movie was when I was 13 and I was curious if this movie was any good. After watching this movie again on IMDBTV, this movie didn't hold up very well at all. The Curse of the Komodo is just another run-of-the-mill Sci-Fi channel movie in my opinion.

The movie has boring characters and the action sequences are lackluster. For a horror movie, nothing in the movie was suspenseful at all. The acting is nothing special and George Buck Flower (Back to the Future) is barely in the movie. He is the only reason to watch this movie, to be honest. At least you get a fun little role from Arthur Roberts (Revenge of the Ninja). The special effects in this movie are a mixed bag because the special effects are neither good nor terrible. The CGI does not look very good, but I have seen way worse.

Overall, The Curse of the Komodo is a mediocre movie at best and I don't recommend it unless you're curious.

Date: 2/23/2021
Viewed: 4K UHD
Re-watch

Note: I always have been a big fan of this movie ever since I first saw it back when I was in High School. I just got my 4K UHD copy from Arrow Video and I had to watch this movie ASAP. King of New York is still a fantastic movie and I honestly like it more than Goodfellas when it comes to gangster movies from the 1990s in my opinion. I love the story and the atmosphere that this movie has.

I always love Abel Ferrara's portrayal of New York City by having it be dark, gritty, and even gross. There is plenty of wonderful shots of the city that are breath-taking to look at thanks to the HDR (High-dynamic-range imaging). As I said many times before, HDR makes the details pop out and it allows the movie to look more realistic on-screen. The story is fantastic and Abel Ferrara knows how to tell a great story in under 2 hours in my opinion. Christopher Walken steals the show as the main character and the other actors did a wonderful job with their performances. Another thing that I love about King of New York is the themes of the story because the movie has a lot of subtext to it. The movie is a reminder that living the life of a gangster is not a good thing and you don't want to live this lifestyle.

Plenty of people already seen this movie and I can't add anything new to say. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get on that ASAP.

Date: 2/22/2021
Viewed: Netflix
Re-watch

Note: Superbad was one of the biggest movies that came out when I was a Junior in High School back in 2007. I was 16 when Superbad came out which was exactly the right age for this movie. It was hard not to hear about this movie because everyone was talking about this movie in class or during lunchtime. Seeing that I have not seen this movie since the late 2000s, I decided to rewatch it while it's still on Netflix (As of 2/23/2021). After revisiting this movie again, I still like it for what it is. Superbad is still a fun movie to watch in my opinion.

While some of the humor has not aged well, I still found myself laughing several times when revisiting this movie. I always love how likable and memorable the characters are because the characters do feel like real-life people that you would know in High School back in the mid-late 2000s. The chemistry between the three main characters (played by Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is so well done. I even the like the two cops in the movie because they are not total assholes. It also feels surreal that this movie is almost 15 years old because you can tell that so much has changed during those years. Time sure does fly by quickly if you ask me.

I have nothing else to say about this movie because so many people have seen this movie already. I still recommend checking out Superbad if you haven't seen it yet.

Date: 2/24/2021
Viewed: IMDBTV
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to check out this movie for years because it's a biopic based on Melvin Van Peebles's career and I remember seeing commercials for it on G4TV. Melvin Van Peebles is one of the most important filmmakers in history because he left a big impact on cinema with the creation of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song back in 1971. Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is considered to be the first major blaxploitation movie and it has been a big influence on many filmmakers. I'm glad that I watched this movie because this movie was totally up my alley. Baadassss is a solid biopic in my opinion. I love the story because it was so entertaining. I really love that Melvin Van Peebles had so much passion to make his movie. He had an artistic vision and he wanted to do a movie that was anti-mainstream. He didn't give up on making Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song even after being told that his idea was stupid. I'm someone who never likes to give up after being told that you can't do something in life. It shows that you should never give up your hopes and dreams.

Mario Van Peebles (the director) steals the show by playing his father, Melvin Van Peebles. It's like looking at a mirror because he almost looks like his dad from the 1970s. You also have fun performances from Adam West (Batman 1966), Rainn Wilson (The Office), and even a role from Terry Crews (Inland Empire). It was so much fun watching these characters interacting with each other as if you were watching a documentary filmed in real-time. The scenes of Bill Cosby are cringy to watch now, but it's not the movie's fault. This movie did come out long before most people knew how terrible he was.

Overall, Baadasssss! is a great movie and I highly recommend checking out if you enjoy movies about filmmaking. I also recommend it to fans of Ed Wood (1994), The Disaster Artist (2017), and Dolemite Is My Name (2019).

Date: 2/24/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Redbox Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I heard good things about this movie when it came out and I didn't have the chance to see it until now. The movie was only playing in one theater that was a one-hour drive from my house back in November and I didn't want to pay $20 for a rental because $20 is a lot to rent one movie. A few months later, you can now rent the movie for a cheaper price at your local Red Box or digitally. After watching the movie for the first time, I enjoyed it. Freaky is a fun horror-comedy movie in my opinion. I like that the movie took the concept of Freaky Friday (Both the original and remake) and The Hot Chick (2002), but actually made it into a horror movie.

Vince Vaughn does a wonderful job of playing a teenage girl in a 40-year-old man's body. He is actually really funny and Kathryn Newton (Lady Bird) also does a wonderful job of a serial killer inside a woman's body. One of my favorite things about this movie was the gory kills because this movie has brutal kills that are fun to watch. One scene in this movie felt like an homage to a death scene from Bloody Moon (1981). While the movie can be pretty funny, some of the jokes are not that great. You have dumb comedy moments that made my eyes roll for being so cringy. The last 10 minutes of the movie also felt unnecessary to me. I'm still glad that I finally saw this movie nevertheless.

Overall, Freaky is a fun movie and I do think it is worth checking out if you are curious. I recommend renting it first.

Date: 2/25/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie since I was a little kid and I just picked up the Blu-Ray recently on Amazon. I do have nostalgic memories of watching this movie on VHS because I would watch anything with dinosaurs in it. After watching this movie again for the first time in the last 25 years, I still like it. The Land That Time Forgot is a fun movie for what it is in my opinion. This movie is not perfect by any means because the special effects do look cheap and fake (Even back in 1974). Not to mention, some of the acting in this movie is not very good. However, I still have a lot of fun watching this movie.

The cheap special effects and the outdated dinosaur designs (I know the book was originally written back in 1916) gives this movie a fun charm. I love watching the dinosaurs and the prehistoric reptiles in action by seeing them interact with the human characters. I even like the main characters for being fun and memorable. They did a great job of restoring the movie in HD because many shots in this movie look fantastic. The Cinematography from Alan Hume (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) is surprisingly good with many beautiful location shots. The music from Douglas Gamley (Tales from the Crypt 1972) is also noteworthy as well in my opinion. My biggest problem with this movie is that it takes a while for the characters to discover the land with Dinosaurs and Cavemen. Other than that, I still had a blast with this movie. I haven't seen the MST3K episode, but I will probably check it out soon.

Overall, The Land That Time Forgot is a fun nostalgic guilty pleasure and I do recommend it if you enjoy Dinosaur movies or Sci-Fi Fantasy movies.

Date: 2/26/2021
Viewed: Shudder
First Viewing

Note: The reason why I never saw this movie for so many years because I always hear divisive things about this movie. People seem to like or hate this movie depending on who you ask. Better late than never, I finally watched this movie on Shudder and I really enjoy it. The House of the Devil is a solid horror movie in my opinion. I do love how this movie feels like a classic 80s horror movie without trying to be too gimmicky. The House of the Devil takes itself seriously without dumb self-aware humor and cheap digital film stock filters, unlike some other horror movies that try to do throwbacks. The movie was shot on 16mm film and it looks very good in my opinion. I could have mistaken this movie for an 80s movie if someone showed me clips of this movie without knowing about it.

The movie is a nice slow burn that does not overstay its welcome. With a run time that is under 90 minutes, it moves at a nice pace without trying to rush the story. The movie does take a while for things to happen, but it didn't bother me because I was really intrigued by the story. The movie has a very interesting premise and a chilling music score from Jeff Grace (Cold in July). The atmosphere is my favorite thing about this movie because it's so dark and moody. The atmosphere helps create a suspenseful feeling to the story that puts you on the edge of your seat. The suspense just keeps building up to one scene after another. I love how the movie keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. I also like that the movie does not hold back on the violence because the movie is pretty gory. From the looks of it, there was no cheap CGI blood that was used for this movie.

The acting is surprisingly good in my opinion. I really like the performances from Tom Nooan (Heat) and Mary Woronov (The Living End). While I do enjoy this movie, I do think The House of the Devil has some problems with the script. While the main character (played by Jocelin Donahue) is likable, but I feel like some of the characters could have been developed better. I also like to see some more backstory for the Devil Cult in this movie as well. You also have some pointless jump scares that could have been easily cut out of the movie.

Overall, The House of the Devil is a solid movie and I do recommend it if you enjoy horror movies. I plan on adding this movie to my collection soon.

Date: 2/27/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I remember when I was hyped up for this movie, but I end up not seeing it in theaters after hearing mixed things about it. Nearly two years later, I end up renting this movie from Amazon Prime and I went into this movie with very low expectations. This movie is directed by Tim Story and his track record is not very good (He directed two mediocre Fantastic Four movies back in the 2000s and his other movies are average at best in my opinion). To my surprise, I did enjoy watching this movie. Shaft (2019) may be the weakest movie in the series, but it's not as bad as most people make it out to be.

I really like the premise of having three generations of Shaft working together in one movie. It was a lot of fun seeing Jessie T. Usher (The Boys) interacting with Samuel L. Jackson in the movie. The two Shaft characters had a lot of chemistry with each other. Samuel L. Jackson knows how to be both awesome and hilarious in this movie. It was even cool to see Richard Roundtree back as the original Shaft. The humor in this movie was pretty funny for the most part. I found myself laughing several times when watching this movie. The action sequences are pretty enjoyable to watch as well.

The movie does have a lot of flaws with the script being the biggest problem for this movie. The other characters outside the three generations of Shaft are pretty mediocre and they don't have much of a purpose to the story other than they just exist to be in the movie. Alexandra Shipp's (Deadpool 2) character only exists to be JJ Shaft's love interest. There is no real drama or social commentary that the other Shaft movies had in my opinion. This movie almost had a message about Islamophobia but did nothing with it. While the movie was pretty funny at times, I do think that this movie had too much comedy. I feel like they could have edited out some comedic moments and replace them with more serious moments.

Overall, Shaft (2019) is a decent movie and I do recommend it if you are curious.

Date: 2/28/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: Seeing today is a rainy day, I had nothing else to do and I decided to watch this movie. Even though the movie has a low rating, I still like to give movies a chance because I believe that you should always judge art on your own. Well, to be honest, this movie was pretty bad. The Unwanted is a boring vampire movie in my opinion. This movie has a cool premise, but the movie is a chore to sit through. I didn't care about any of the characters at all whatsoever. I'm already having a hard time typing out this review because I'm forgetting what happened after this movie was over lol.

I will give this movie some credit for having decent production values and the acting is okay at best. Hannah Fierman (Siren) did her best by playing the lead role in this movie. There's only so much that you can do when someone gives you a shitty script to work with. It was also cool to see William Katt (Carrie 1976) in this movie. Other than that, I got nothing else to say about this movie.

Overall, The Unwanted is a forgettable movie and I don't recommend it at all. There are plenty of vampire movies that you can watch instead.

Date: 2/28/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: I do like movies from Ingmar Bergman even though I still haven't seen many movies from him. However, I need to be in the right mood to watch his movies. Seeing that today has been a rainy day, I decided to revisit this movie on the Criterion Channel. Hour of the Wolf is still a fantastic movie in my opinion. I can understand why people won't like this movie because this movie does feel slow despite it being under 90 minutes. It also takes a while for the crazy horror stuff to happen.

The reason why I enjoy this movie because it's dark, surreal, and atmospheric. You can see where David Lynch got some of his inspiration from when watching this movie. You have a cold windy atmosphere, beautiful cinematography, and disturbing imagery that makes Hour of the Wolf worth sitting through. I love how chilling the music is because it helps set up the mood for the story. It's hard to talk about the story for this movie because the story is up for interpretation. Hour of the Wolf deals with themes of death, dreams, and affairs. You need to watch the movie for yourself and decide on what the story is truly about in my opinion. I like when movies do that because it's fun to talk about movies with people. Everyone has their own take on the story and not everyone is going to have the same point of view as you do.

Overall, Hour of the Wolf is a great movie and I do recommend it for anyone who is into art-house horror films.

Date: 2/28/2021
Viewed: DVD
Re-Watch

Note: I wanted to revisit Spawn: The Animated series for a while now and the series is still amazing. This is one of those shows that keep on getting better with each viewing. Keith David is amazing as Spawn and the animation is still holds up.

You can watch it now on HBO Max or Amazon Prime. It's also better than the 1997 live action movie. Check it out now.