Movies I Watched in January 2021

Date: 1/1/2021
Viewed: Tubi
Fist Viewing

Note: Happy New Year everyone and I hope everyone is having a good day. I always thought that I saw this movie growing up, but I didn't. I got this movie confused with New Year's Evil (1980) which is another New Years' horror movie from the 1980s. I'm glad that I watched this movie before I bought it because I did not like this movie at all. Bloody New Year is a boring movie to watch in my opinion. I do like the concept of this movie because this movie has some really cool ideas on paper. Sadly, this movie did not execute them very well.

This movie has boring characters and most of the movie is characters just wandering around doing nothing. The acting is not very good except for Mark Powley (Bronson). He is the only one that has a decent performance in my opinion. I do give this movie credit for trying because I do like some of the ideas that they were trying to go for. You had a Twilight Zone theme story with the characters being stuck in some time limbo on an island. I also like the spooky atmosphere and camera work. The fast-moving camera seems to be inspired by Sam Raimi's camera work for the Evil Dead movies at the time. Other than that, I can't think of anything else that I liked about this movie.

Overall, Bloody New Year is not a good movie and I only recommend it if you have nothing else to watch on a rainy day.

Date: 1/2/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
Fist Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I always heard great things about for the last 10 years now and I never had the chance to watch it. Better late than never, I finally watch this movie for the first time on Amazon Prime (As of 1/2/2021), and it was great. The Man from Nowhere is an excellent action movie with a strong emotional story. It's not every day that an action movie almost made me want to cry. The Man from Nowhere is a very dark and grim movie that feels very grounded in the real world. This movie shows the dark nature of drug lords and how deadly they can be.

I like how this movie is barely 2 hours and it flew by so quickly. There's not a single moment in the movie that felt like the story was starting to overstay its welcome. You get plenty of brutal and gory action sequences that are so much for fun to watch. It feels so satisfying watching the main character (played by Won Bin) killing bad guys for revenge. The best thing about this movie is the story because you find yourself being emotionally invested with the characters. During the flashback with the main character, you see a truck that randomly crashes into his pregnant wife's car and it made my jaw drop. The friendship bond between the main character and the little girl is very well done. I was able to really buy the connection between these two characters. You even have a gross eyeball sequence that feels like it was ripped straight from an Italian horror movie.

If I had to pick one thing that I didn't like about this movie is the ending. The movie has a twist where you find out the little girl is not dead and has been alive the entire time. You had a really great emotional scene that works well with the dark story. Having her die would have been better in my opinion because it shows that not every action hero saves the day. At least the happy ending in this movie works and it didn't feel too sappy.

Overall, The Man from Nowhere is a great action movie and I do recommend watching it when you get the chance. However, this is not a movie for the faint of heart.

Date: 1/2/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Fist Viewing

Note: Growing up, I always remember seeing images of this movie and I always wanted to watch it because the monster in the movie looks super cool. My local video store never had this movie in stock for some odd reason. It took me 25 years later to finally watch this movie and it was worth it. Biohazard is a fun cheesy movie from the 1980s. Seriously, this movie made my day. The acting and dialogue in this movie are laughable. I found myself laughing at several scenes because you have moments in the story that makes no sense. You can tell that Fred Olen Ray (the director) and the actors were having a good time when making this movie.

The movie does have some decent production values because the makeup effects look pretty cool. You also have some fun gory kills that are fun to watch. The monster in the movie is cool looking in my opinion. The monster almost looks like it could belong in a tokusatsu TV shows such as Ultraman (1966). I really did hate the ending of this movie because the movie ends so abruptly. Either they film the movie with an incomplete script or they ran out of money. I would have loved to rate this movie higher if the movie had a proper ending.

Overall, Biohazard is a lot of fun and I do recommend it for people who enjoy watching bad movies.

Date: 1/3/2021
Viewed: Netflix
Fist Viewing

Note: I love David Fincher's work and I have waited for him to make a new movie for a while now. Se7en (1995), and Fight Club (1999) are fantastic movies that I still love today. I'm even someone who will defend Alien 3 (1992) as a good movie. He has not made a new movie since 2014 and he has mostly been doing stuff on TV such as Mindhunter (I still haven't watched it yet). When I hear that David Fincher's next movie is going to be a Hollywood biopic set in the 1930s, I was pretty hype up for it. I do love history and movies that are about film making. Unfortunately, this movie was a big letdown for me. Mank is probably my least favorite movie from David Fincher so far.

It won't surprise me if this movie gets nominations at the Oscars because people at the Academy Awards love movies that are period pieces that set during the old days of Hollywood (Pre-1970s). Unlike movies such as Ed Wood (1994) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) that are set in the old days of Hollywood, I could not get invested in the story at all. Watching Mank is a chore because the movie is so slow and boring. The movie runs at 2 hours and it even feels even longer. None of the characters click with me because I feel like there was no chemistry with any of the characters. Herman J Mankiewicz (played by Gary Oldman) seems like a total jerk and I didn't care about him when watching the movie. After the movie was over, everything felt empty and my entire 2 hours was wasted. Nothing about this movie felt like it was made by David Fincher at all. This movie could have been made by almost anyone and I would not notice any differences.

I do like to do give credit where credit's due because this movie is very well made. This movie is a dream project that David Fincher wanted to make for years and I'm glad that he finally made it. You have really good production values and they did a great job of having the movie set during the Great Depression. Everything felt like it took place during 1930-1940 with the set designs and the fashion choices that the characters wear. Everyone did a great job with their performances and they felt believable as real people during that time period. Even Tom Burke (Only God Forgives) looks and sounds like Orson Welles. It won't surprise me if Gary Oldman gets nominated for best lead actor.

Even though I didn't like this movie, it's still a decent movie by the end of the day. Go check it out if you enjoy movies about filmmaking or period films.

Date: 1/3/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't watched Opera in about almost 20 years and I had the Blu-ray on my shelf for the last few years now. My January Horror Hunt gives me a reason to revisit this movie again and this movie is still awesome. Opera is probably Dario Argento's last great movie in my opinion. Just like any other movie from Dario Argento, you have fantastic visuals and a great soundtrack. I love how this movie looks and feels. It may not be on the same level as Suspiria (1977) or Inferno (1980) when it comes to visuals. However, you get plenty of colorful moments that happen in the story and a gritty cinematography from Ronnie Taylor (Gandhi) that makes Opera a delightful film to watch. You also get some awesome gory kills that are very well done in my opinion.

I always love the set designs that this movie has because the movie almost feels like a Hollywood movie, but with a smaller budget. The set designs look really neat and creative looking in my opinion. The music in this movie is fantastic thanks to Brian Eno (The Lovely Bones), Claudio Simonetti (Demons 1986), and Bill Wyman (Green Ice). You get a very chilling and memorable music score with some awesome metal songs mixed into the movie. I can listen to "Knights of the Night" all day long and not get bored with it. The story is pretty simple, but it still well done. Cristina Marsillach (Every Time We Say Goodbye) does a great job of playing a female lead character that is likable and has an interesting backstory. Her character is a tragic character that is suffering from traumatic events that happen during her childhood. She is forced to do a play that she does not want to do and finds herself being stalked by a crazy mad man-killer while dealing with her own personal emotional issues. Her character is probably one of the best characters in a Dario Argento film in my opinion.

I also like the rest of the characters in this movie too because I found them to be memorable. Ian Charleson (Also from Gandhi), Urbano Barberini (Casino Royle 2006), and Daria Nicolodi (RIP) do a wonderful job with their performances in my opinion. If I had to pick one thing that I didn't like about this movie is that you have one plot hole that still makes me go "huh?". Other than that, I still recommend Opera if you enjoy Italian horror movies or horror movies from the 1980s.

Date: 1/4/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
Re-Watch

Note: It's always hard to pick a Category III movie to watch because there are so many good ones. I was going to watch Devil Fetus (1983), but I had a hard time looking for a copy in good quality. So I decided to watch The Seventh Curse on Amazon Prime instead and this movie is still awesome. It was nice to watch this movie in HD because I always remember watching this movie in poor quality over the years. The Seventh Curse is a fun movie from Hong Kong that is wacky and over the top. You get action, adventure, horror, and martial arts in one crazy movie. Lam Ngai Kai (The director) did a great job of making a movie that does not take itself too seriously.

The story for this movie is all over the place and that's what makes it fun. With this movie, it's better if you try not to think about it too much and just go with it. Yun-Fat Chow (Hard Boiled) and the other actors did a great job with their roles. I always love the characters in this movie because they are likable and memorable in my opinion. Without a doubt, the best thing about this movie is the special effects and atmosphere. The Seventh Curse has a dark and mystical atmosphere that fits well with the wuxia genre. The use of fog and the green lighting is very well done and it works perfectly for this movie. You get plenty of practical effects that are a ton of fun to watch. Most people will be turned off by the special effects because they will view them as cheap and stupid. Unlike some people, I always love these special effects. The special effects in these movies are authentic and you don't get movies like this anymore as you used to. I'm still not a fan of the ending for this movie because the movie ends without any closure.

Overall, The Seventh Curse is a lot of fun and I do highly recommend it if you are into Hong Kong cinema or wacky horror movies.

Date: 1/5/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: If I had to pick a favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie, it would be Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind with Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (1979) coming in second place. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a wonderful movie with fantastic animation and a great story in my opinion. I love the world that Hayao Miyazaki created for this movie because you have a cool mythology that exists in this movie's universe. You get plenty of awesome looking creature designs and the character designs for the human cast are so iconic. The animation still holds up very well and it is incredible how much detail was put into animating this movie. Another thing that I like about this movie is that it feels like a nice mixture of different genres. This movie has sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure that are mix together into one cool movie.

You also get a great cast of memorable characters and a message about climate change. Nausicaä is one of the best anime female characters in a theatrical movie in my opinion. It's also an anti-war movie by showing that fighting each other is pointless. That's all I can say about this movie because I feel like that I can't add anything new to say. If you do watch this movie, watch it in Japanese or the English dub from Disney. The English dub is not bad and it is way better than the 80s English dub in my opinion. Go check out this movie if you haven't already.

Date: 1/6/2021
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: I have to admit that I haven't seen many movies from Greece and this movie looks promising. I finally got the opportunity to watch this movie and it was not bad. I like it, but I didn't love it. I like the movie's atmosphere and the movie is very stunning to look at. However, it took me a while to get invested into the story and the movie starts to overstay its welcome after 95 minutes into the movie. I probably was not in the right mood to watch this movie, but I'm glad that I watched it. I do plan on watching it again in the near future and see if my opinion will change.

Date: 1/6/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I never heard of this movie until I saw a VHS copy of it in the background in a Red Letter Media video. The poster for this movie looks very cool. I decide to rent this movie from Amazon Prime and watch it with an open mind. Hellborn aka Asylum of the Damned is not a good movie, to be honest. It's not a terrible movie, but it could have been better in my opinion. Judging by the poster and title, I almost thought this movie would be a superhero movie similar to Spawn (1997) or Faust: Love of the Damned (2000). This movie is actually a straight-up horror movie that deals with the Devil trying to take over the minds of mental patients in an Asylum. The idea for this movie sounds awesome on paper, but the execution is poorly done.

Hellborn is a boring movie and you barely have anything happening during the first hour of the movie. You have a pretty good suspenseful atmosphere and some decent jump scares. Sadly, the movie has characters that are not very interesting except for a blind guy played by Tommy Lister Jr (RIP). I normally like Bruce Payne (Passenger 57, Warlock 3), but his performance is not very good. The best thing about this movie is the production values. You have some pretty good gore effects and the suit for the monster in this movie is awesome. The Harvester is a very cool looking monster that looks both scary and unique in my opinion. It's a shame that they wasted a cool suit on a mediocre movie. I guess the nu-metal song at the end of the movie was kinda cool. Other than that, I have nothing else to say about this movie.

Overall, Hellborn was a disappointing movie and I really wanted to like it because this movie sounds like it is right up my alley. Unless you have nothing else to watch on a rainy day, go watch something else instead.

Date: 1/7/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I remember seeing the trailers for this movie when I would go to the movie theaters in 2015 and I always been curious to watch it. I even remember when the 1996 Mount Everest disaster was a big news story at the time when I was a little kid. I decided to rent the movie from Amazon Prime in 4K UHD and I didn't like it that much. Everest is not a bad movie, but it could have been better in my opinion. It's a shame because I really enjoy watching realistic survival stories. This movie has many things that I really enjoy such as the cold windy atmosphere and the beautiful cinematography from Salvatore Totino (Frost/Nixon). I love how the movie makes you feel like that you are at Mount Everest because you can feel the cold windy weather when these characters are climbing to the top of the mountain. When watching the movie in 4K UHD, you can see the detail of the movie really pop out on-screen. Many scenes in this movie feel like it is a documentary that was filmed in real-time.

You also get a feeling of anxiety when watching this movie because Baltasar Kormákur (The director) did a great job of showing how dangerous this journey truly was. I love the acting in this movie because everyone did a fantastic job with their performances. Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) almost looks like the real version of Rob Hall. The reason why I didn't like this movie is because of the pacing. I like watching long movies, but this movie felt like it took forever to end. Everest has a 2 hour run time and it feels like it is 5 hours long. Another issue that I had with this movie is the lack of development that these characters had. I know that this movie is based on a true story, but I didn't feel any strong connection with these characters.

Overall, Everest is an average movie at best and I only recommend it if you're curious.

Date: 1/7/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie since I was 10 when I watched it on a fansubbed VHS tape and I finally got the Blu-Ray released by Arrow Video. Arrow Video has done a wonderful job of releasing Japanese movies on Blu-Ray that other companies such as Criterion would never bother with. Burst City still holds up and it is a pretty awesome movie to watch. Burst City is a crazy movie with a story that is all over the place. It is almost hard to explain the story of this movie without going into spoilers. This movie is set in a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk Japan where almost everyone is a total crazy person. You have punk rockers fighting against mutant freaks, cops, and yakuza members. The movie is filled with plenty of action that will keep you entertained from start to finish. This movie also has some of the best car chases ever in my opinion.

I do love how the movie has fast editing, the extensive use of wide-angle lenses, and wacky camera angles. You can see how this movie inspired other Japanese filmmakers such as Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer) and Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man). The music in this movie is awesome and it is a lot of fun to listen to. I have to admit that some scenes in this movie are hard to watch because they remind me of what is going on in our current reality. You get scenes of riots and police brutality that is a message of what a fascist society would be like if it happens in real life.

Overall, Burst City is a ton of fun and I do recommend it if you enjoy crazy Japanese movies or punk theme movies.

Date: 1/8/2021
Viewed: Netflix
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I wanted to check out when it came out in 2017, but I didn't have the chance too. I did end up watching Dogtooth (2009) for the first time last year and it made me want to check out the other movies from Yorgos Lanthimos. Seeing that this movie is on Netflix (As of 1/8/2021), I decided to finally watch this movie. This movie was great and I'm finally glad that I watched it. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a very dark movie and it is right up my alley. I like this movie more than Dogtooth because this movie does not have gross scenes of incest in it.

This movie gives me the chills when watching it for how sick and disturbing the story was.Yorgos Lanthimos knows how to make a gross and sick movie without going too far. I love the characters because everyone felt believable. Colin Farrell and everyone else in this movie did a fantastic job with their performances. The dark and moody slow burn atmosphere is my favorite thing about this movie because I love how the movie takes its time on building up a dark story. The Killing of a Sacred Deer runs at 2 hours and it moves at a wonderful pace. The wonderful cinematography by Thimios Bakatakis (The Lodge) is wonderful and the movie is stunning to look at. I hate to sound super cliché, but you really need to watch this movie without knowing about the story. I went into this movie knowing nothing about it and the movie had me on the edge of my seat.

Movies from Yorgos Lanthimos are not going to be everyone's cup of tea, I can understand why some people won't like this movie. If you enjoy dark psychological horror thrillers, I highly recommend watching this movie.

Date: 1/8/2021
Viewed: Itunes
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to check out more movies from Tsai Ming-Liang ever since I first saw Goodbye Dragon Inn (2003) back in the 2000s. However, I never had any luck finding ways to watch his other movies at the time. Many years later, I was able to watch Rebels of the Neon God by renting it from Itunes. After watching this movie for the first time, I absolutely love it. Rebels of the Neon God is truly a fantastic work of art in my opinion. I have a hard time if I like this movie more than Goodbye Dragon Inn or not. The reason why I love this movie so much because the movie is super atmospheric. I love these slow-moving arthouse movies because I can easily suck myself into the movie's atmosphere. This movie is stunning to look at and the use of bright colors is amazing. I could see how this movie influence Wong Kar-wai with his other movies such as Chungking Express (1994), Fallen Angels (1995), etc.

I love seeing these characters interact with other characters and do everyday normal stuff such as going to the Arcades (I still miss going to one), roller skating, etc. Everyone in this movie is believable and relatable. I found myself being attached to everyone in this movie and I was upset that this movie was over. For a movie that runs at 106 minutes, it went by super quickly. I would have been okay if this movie had a run time of 2 hours because I would love to watch more scenes of the characters. I do love how these characters live in an old, filthy, run-down, and crowded part of Taiwan. It almost reminds me of a similar vibe that New York City once had during the Grindhouse days of 42 Street. The main character lives in an apartment room that is flooded with water and is filled with bugs. He could have easily lived next door to someone living at the Hotel Broslin in Basket Case (1982) lol.

I also like the theme of the younger generation vs. the older generation of disaffected youth. In the movie, you get a generation conflict between the main characters and their parents. I don't have any problems with this movie, to be honest. However, I do hate the subs that they were used on Itunes because the timing for them was horrible. Sometimes, the text would not show up on-screen when the characters are talking. The slow-moving story may put some people off, but I do highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys Asian cinema or slow-burn movies.

Date: 1/9/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: It's been years since I have seen this movie and I recently bought the Scream Factory Blu-ray on Amazon. Night of the Creeps is a lot of fun and it does a cool job by doing something new with the zombie genre at the time back in 1986. The special effects in this movie are awesome and they hold up very well in my opinion. If this movie was made today by Tristar/Sony, 95% of the special effects will most likely be CGI. I also love all the characters in this movie because they are memorable. Tom Atkins (Maniac Cop) as Det. Ray Cameron is easily my favorite character in the movie.

I still wish this movie became a franchise because the movie opens up for more. I know Fred Dekker and Tom Atkins have been talking about doing a sequel since the 90s, but I doubt it will ever happen. I don't have anything else to say because I feel like plenty of people have seen this movie and I can't add anything new to add. I highly recommend watching this movie.

Date: 1/9/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I have looked forward to watching because I like both Joe Estevez and Nico Mastorakis. I also remember seeing VHS copies of this movie at my local video stores back in the 90s and I never had the opportunity to watch it as a kid. Thankfully, the movie is on Amazon Prime (As of 1/9/2021) and I finally had the chance to watch this movie. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was mediocre at best. The Zero Boys is not a terrible movie, but it is far from being a good movie. The Zero Boys is like watching The Most Dangerous Game (1932) meets Friday the 13th (1980). You have a group of paintball players that must fight against a killer at a deserted cabin. This movie has the potential to be a good movie, but poor writing hurts it.

The characters are paper-thin and the movie is pretty boring. It takes over 40 minutes for something interesting to happen and this movie is only 85 minutes long (Not counting the credits). Not even the action sequences are fun to watch. The humor is the worst thing about this movie because the movie tries to be funny by being self-aware and they have characters make dumb pop culture references. It is noted that this movie is one of the earlier movies that Hans Zimmer worked on before he became a famous music composer. It's cool to think that Has Zimmer started off doing music for B movies before moving on to big Hollywood movies such as Crimson Tide (1995), The Thin Red Line (1998), Gladiator (2000), the Nolan Batman Trilogy (2005-2012), etc. The music in this movie is not bad and it is easily one of the best things about this movie.

Despite this movie not being good, I do give this movie some credit for trying. The production values are pretty good because the special effects are not bad for a low-budget movie. You also get solid lighting and great camera work too. Joe Estevez (Apocalypse Now, Soultaker) is easily the best actor in this movie for playing a fun killer bad guy. I still wish this movie was in the hands of a better director because this movie could have been an 80s movie classic. I don't recommend watching The Zero Boys unless you're curious and have nothing to watch on a rainy day.

Date: 1/10/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I can't remember if I saw this movie growing up or not because of none of the scenes in this movie ring a bell to me. However, I did know about this movie growing up after seeing the poster of this movie for ages. During the 1980s, you had many sword and sorcery movies that came out thanks to the blockbuster hit of Conan the Barbarian (1982). While Sorceress is not the best sword and sorcery movie of the 1980s, it's still a lot of fun to watch. It's hardly a great movie, but I find the story to be enjoyable in my opinion. The movie has a fun cast of characters and the humor is pretty funny thanks to the ridiculous dialogue. I like how this movie is pretty self-aware of how silly this movie is. It's funny how the two female characters are unaware of their own gender. It reminds me how Son Goku was during the early days of Dragon Ball without him knowing what a girl is lol.

You also get plenty of sleazy scenes in this movie as you would expect from an 80s grindhouse movie. The production values are pretty solid in my opinion. You have good looking set designs and the makeup work for some of the creatures is not bad. It's a shame that this movie was the last movie that Jack Hill directed. He is not a bad director and he has given us some great gems such as Cofffy (1973) in my opinion.

Overall, Sorceress is a enjoyable movie for what it is and I recommend watching it if you are into sword and sorcery movies or cheesy action movies. I will probably pick up the Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray soon in the near future.

Date: 1/10/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: Wong Kar-wai is one of my favorite directors from Hong Kong, but I still haven't seen all of his movies yet. I remember when this movie came out when I was in High School and I didn't bother to see it because I hear mixed things about it. Seeing that the movie is on Tubi, I thought I might as well check it out. After watching this movie for the first time, I can understand why this movie received mixed reviews when it came out. My Blueberry Nights is not a bad movie, but it lacks the oomph that made the other movies from Wong Kar-wai so good.

The acting is solid and the lighting is fantastic. Just like the other movies from Wong Kar-wai, the movie is stunning to look at. I think the premise was very interesting as well. The reason why I could not get into this movie because I didn't feel any strong connection to the characters and story. One of the reasons why I love movies from Wong Kar-wai because his movies have wonderful writing and I always found myself attached to the characters. With this movie, I didn't feel like that at all. I went into this movie with an open mind and I try to not compare the previous movies from the same director, but it's hard not to. My Blueberry Night left me disappointed and I probably won't remember this movie by next week. It was still cool to see both Frankie Faison (Do the Right Thing, CHUD) and Michael Delano (Commando, Slumber Party Massacre 2) in this movie because they both have fun roles.

I still don't think My Blueberry Nights is a bad movie and I didn't regret watching it. I still recommend checking it out if you are curious and have time to spare. You will probably enjoy it more than I did.

Date: 1/10/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I remember when this movie came out in 2009 and I didn't bother to watch it because I thought the trailers for the movie looked horrible. At the time, I thought it look like another generic horror movie. Better late than never, I finally watched this movie thanks to Film Club's Secret Cinema. I'm glad that I finally watched this movie because I enjoyed it. The Collector is a pretty enjoyable home invasion movie in my opinion. Watching this movie is almost like watching Home Alone (1990) meets Saw (2004). Don't get me wrong, I do think The Collector is a flawed movie.

I do feel like the characters could have been better because they feel pretty bland in my opinion. The ending of this movie was super predictable. However, I still enjoy it because I really like the movie's atmosphere and the gory kills. The movie has a dark and chilling atmosphere that makes the movie feel pretty scary at times. You also get solid lighting and cool camera angles that make this movie almost feel like a Nine Inch Nails music video. You have good performances from Josh Stewart (Tenet) and he did a good job with the material that he was given with.

You get plenty of gory death scenes when the characters are killed off by the traps inside the house. The special effects are done with practical effects and it's fun to see these characters get killed off. Sometimes, I'm okay watching a movie for violent shlock if it is done right. It's like eating candy, you know it's not good for you but you still eat it because it tastes good. Everyone has their own junk food cinema that they enjoy and there's nothing wrong with that.

Overall, The Collector is an enjoyable movie for what it is. If you enjoy gory horror movies or home invasion movies, check it out. This is not a movie for the squeamish and do not watch it if you don't like gore.

Date: 1/11/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I always heard about for many years for being one of the best movies from India. I do admit that I haven't seen many movies from India, but the ones that I have seen from India are good. After watching this movie on the Criterion Channel, I thought it was solid and I'm glad that I watched it. The movie is very stunning to look at thanks to the black & white cinematography. I love many of the location shots of India and the movie knows how to use a low-budget. Movies like Pather Panchali is proof that you don't need a lot of money to make a good movie. I also love the atmosphere in this movie because it really sucks you into the world that these characters are living in.

I really love Apu (Subir Banerjee) as the main character and it is interesting seeing him along with his family dealing with poverty. Even though these characters are poor, they are still able to enjoy life around them. You can also look at this movie beyond the surface level and notice the movie also deals with maturity. In the movie, we get to see Apu mature as a character with the progress and loss that he goes through. The movie is 2 hours and it is worth sitting through. However, I do admit it took me a while to get into the story when watching this movie. After 20 minutes into the movie, I was already hooked on to the story.

Overall, Pather Panchali is a great movie and I can see myself watching it again in the near future. If you like Indian cinema or foreign movies, this movie is worth watching.

Date: 1/11/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I actually remember renting this movie as a kid at Blockbuster and thinking it was a Terminator-style movie. The movie is actually not like that at all and you get a DNA hybrid Dog instead. Today, I bought the Blu-ray from Scream Factory at my local Good Will store. Instead of paying $20 to buy it, I got it for way cheaper. After watching this movie again for the first time since 1998, I still enjoy it for what it is. Man's Best Friend is a fun movie that you are not meant to be taken seriously.

The dog Max is so cute when he is not trying to attack people. The characters in this movie are okay and the real reason to watch this movie is for Lance Henriksen (Aliens-Alien 3). Lance Henriksen plays a fun memorable role and you can tell that he is having a good time when making this movie. Ally Sheedy (Wargames, The Breakfast Club) is also the lead star in the movie and she does a good job for the most part. The special effects are pretty good and the music from Joel Goldsmith (Stargate SG-1) is also solid. The rest of the characters in the movie are your standard movie characters. They are not good or bad, just alright in my opinion.

My biggest problem with this movie is the inconsistent tone. Half of the movie feels like a dumb kids movie meanwhile the rest of the movie feels like an actual sci-fi horror movie. You get plenty of dumb jokes and stupid comic relief moments that are not funny. The comedy can be very annoying to sit through at times. It won't surprise me if this movie was originally going to be a family movie and they re-shoot scenes to make it into an R rated movie for grown-ups (Basically a reverse version of Tammy and the T-Rex). I'm still glad that I revisit this movie because I still had a lot of fun watching it.

If you want to turn your brain off for 85 minutes, I recommend checking out Man's Best Friend. If you are not into dumb movies, this movie is not for you.

Date: 1/12/2021
Viewed: Netflix
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I always been curious to watch after hearing good things about it. I still haven't actually gotten around to sitting down and watching it until now. I'm glad that I finally saw this movie because this movie is great. Bad Genius is a total thrill ride from start to finish. I found myself being invested with the main cast of characters and the acting is pretty solid for the most part. This movie is filled with so much anxiety that it will have you on the edge of your seat. When watching this movie, you have scenes in the movie that will make you be like "Oh snap! How are they going to get out of this situation?".

You can really feel the stress and anxiety that the characters are going through. Thankfully, I never had to take the SAT test in High School, but I can totally relate to the pressure that these characters are going through. I also like some of the creative camera work that this movie has. You have some scenes that are filmed upside down to capture the feeling of anxiety. I was not a fan of the English acting in the movie because some of it sounds super awkward. I was surprised to see Ego Mikitas (Veronika, Birds of Prey) in this movie and he did a good job of playing a small minor role.

Overall, Bad Genius is a solid movie and it is worth checking out.

Date: 1/12/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
First Viewing

Note: I'm surprised that I never saw this movie until now because this movie was pretty awesome. I'm a big Troma fan and yet I never heard of this movie until a couple of years ago. There’s Nothing Out There is a fun movie with plenty of funny moments. This is probably the best blind buy that I bought from Vinegar Syndrome so far. Any movie that opens up in a video store filled with horror and B movies is going to be a treat for me. I had a ton of fun watching this movie because this movie is hilarious. This movie does a good job of making fun of different horror movie tropes and clichés. Unlike some horror movie comedies these days that try so hard to be self-aware and funny, this movie knows how to be funny without being super cringy. You also have nudity, blood, guts, and cheap special effects that you would normally find in a Troma movie.

I'm amazed that Rolfe Kanefsky (The director) was only 20 when he made this movie. I love the heart that these indie filmmakers go through to make movies like this. He even had his parents put a mortgage on their house to have this movie to be made. The creature design for the movie is way different from what I had in mind. Going by the poster, I thought the monster would be similar to something from the Critters movies. Instead, we get a cool tentacle creature. I actually like the design for the monster in the movie and they did a good job with the low budget that they had. Too bad, the sequel called "There's Still Nothing Out There" was never made. If Rolfe Kanefsky wants to do a Kickstarter for a sequel, I would pay good money for it.

Overall, There’s Nothing Out There is a good horror-comedy that is worth checking out.

Date: 1/13/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I was curious to check out this movie because I remember it would always show up on Netflix during the last several years. However, I had to rent it from Amazon Prime because the movie is no longer on Netflix (As of 1/13/2021). Blood Glacier is an okay movie, to be honest. The movie does have influences from both Alien (1979) and John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) which is not a bad thing (no pun intended). However, Blood Glacier feels lackluster compare to those two movies.

The characters in this movie are boring and forgettable. I can't remember any of their names after the movie was over. The acting is not very good and you have dialogue that feels super silly. For a movie that is meant to be taken seriously, you have one character that yells out "Stop eating the banana while you're crying!". I'm not even joking, that's a real line in the movie. Brigitte Kren (Slumming) is probably the only actress that I actually enjoy when watching this movie. The movie also goes on a bit too long in my opinion. The last 15 minutes starts to drag out the movie and I was looking at my phone during the last act of the movie.

I do like to do give credit where credit's due because you can tell that Marvin Kren (The director) was trying to make a good movie. He is probably a big fan of John Carpenter's The Thing and he wanted to pay homage to it. The cinematography is nice and the special effects are well done. Most of the special effects are practical and the creature designs are neat too. I do hate how they use CGI for the bees in this movie because it looks so fake.

Overall, Blood Glacier is not a bad movie and it's worth a watch if you are curious.

Date: 1/13/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: I have looked forward to revisiting this Friday the 13th movie because I remember never liking it when I was younger. As both a kid and teenager, I dislike this movie for not fully taking place in New York City. After revisiting this movie again, it's not that bad. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is in the middle ground of Friday the 13th movies in my opinion. It's not terrible or great, just alright. The movie is infamous for not having the movie be set in New York City until an hour into the movie.

The movie was originally planned to be fully set in New York City, but the disappointing box-office gross of Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) made the filmmakers use a lower budget for this movie (Filming in NYC is not cheap). If the movie was called "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason on a Boat", I think more people would like this movie. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is still a flawed movie because the characters in this movie are not as interesting compared to the characters in the last couple of movies in my opinion. I do think the 100 minute run time also hurts this movie because this movie does have a slow start. You also have major plot holes in the story that will make the audience confused about what just happen.

This movie is still enjoyable to watch because you have a nice atmosphere and fun kills. I like the dark lighting and the use of the fog that the movie has. Several scenes feel very atmospheric at times thanks to the chilling score from Fred Mollin (Who also did the music for Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood). You get plenty of fun kills that are so over the top and goofy. There's one funny kill in this movie that feels like it belongs in an Itchy & Scratchy Show cartoon. Even the scenes that are in New York City are a ton of fun to watch. Jason kicking over the radio is a funny iconic scene that never gets old when I watch this movie. New York City in this movie is also a fun little time capsule of the late 1980s too. Another cool thing about this movie is that if you are also an anime fan, Saffron Henderson (who voices Son Gohan in the Canadian English dubs of Dragon Ball Z) also has a fun memorable role in the movie.

If you have 100 minutes to waste, I recommend watching Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan with an open mind.

Date: 1/14/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I always loved this movie since it came out and this is my third viewing of the movie. Persepolis is still a fantastic movie and it should have won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature back in 2008 in my opinion. Persepolis has fantastic animation and the art direction is very unique. I do love how the movie is able to stay very faithful to the art style from the graphic novel. What makes Persepolis so great is the story because the movie shows what Iran was like during the late 1970s and 1980s. The Iran–Iraq War was a terrible war that had many innocent people die over a pointless war that ended with no reparations and border changes. You can feel the strong emotions that these characters are going through. Without going into spoilers, some scenes still make me feel emotionally upset about what happens to some of Marjane's family members.

Later in the movie, we get to see the journey that Marjane goes through into becoming a woman. She goes through maturity by dealing with being alone and having her heart-broken. Marjane also had to live in another country with a very different style of culture and had to make new friends while her family was still living in Iran. It's truly fascinating to see her character go through so much in over 10 years. I also like that the movie does have comedy to help balance the mood. The movie does have funny moments that don't feel out-of-place.

The movie does have an English dub if you are one of those people who does not watch things in subs. While the dub is not terrible, the best way to watch this movie is by watching it with subs. The story feels more emotional and powerful when you watch it in its original language. I do admit, it was cool to see Iggy Pop (Hardware, Dead Man) voicing Uncle Anoush though.

Overall, Persepolis is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend watching it. Make sure to check out the graphic novel while you are at it.

Date: 1/15/2021
Viewed: TubiTV
Re-Watch

Note: When I was a little kid, this movie was one of my favorite movies from Ray Harryhausen that I would always watch along with Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Mysterious Island (1961), and The Valley of Gwangi (1969). Monster movies from this era are always a ton of fun to watch as a kid and I still love them. 20 Million Miles to Earth is still an enjoyable movie in my opinion. It's not a perfect movie because you do have some bad lines of dialogue and the characters are pretty weak. However, you still get some fun performances from William Hopper (Rebel Without a Cause), Joan Taylor (The Savage), and Frank Puglia (Casablanca). What makes 20 Million Miles to Earth an enjoyable movie is the special effects in my opinion. The special effects from Ray Harryhausen are always delightful to watch on screen.

Ray Harryhausen was a special effects genius that helped inspired the stop-motion that we have today. The battle between the giant monster and elephant is a total blast to watch. The design for the monster (Often called Yimir) is very cool looking in my opinion. Ray Harryhausen was able to create an iconic monster that people still remember today. If you want to look at the movie above a surface level, the movie does have a message about bringing in something that is not from Earth into our society. Maybe having contact with aliens is not a good thing after all.

Overall, 20 Million Miles to Earth is a solid movie and I do recommend watching it if you are into giant monster movies or 1950s American cinema.

Date: 1/15/2021
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: Wow, this movie was a crazy ride! I almost have a hard time writing my thoughts on this movie because this movie was nuts. I could just write one review by saying "WTF?", but I don't like doing that. I'm making this into a spoiler review because it's hard to talk about this movie without going into certain scenes. So read it at your own risk.










So far, I have seen five movies from Gregg Araki and I love all of them. This movie is no exception because I was pretty blown away by this movie. Nowhere is a dark comedy that also mixes elements of drama, sci-fi, and surrealism. The entire movie feels like it could be one big music video for MTV back when MTV was experimental during the 90s. I love the colorful lighting that Gregg Araki used for the movie. The movie is very bright and colorful to look at. The movie has many bands and artists that I grew up listening to as a kid and it fits so well with the movie's tone. You have Sonic Youth, Filter, Radiohead, Marylin Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Slowdive, etc.

Easily the best of the mid-late 90s music in one amazing soundtrack. The entire movie feels like a total drug trip and you have many moments that will make you say "What the fuck?". You even have a lizard alien creature that feels like it was ripped straight from Alex Jones's imagination. The special effects for the gore and the alien creatures are awesome. The last scene in the movie feels like Gregg Araki decided to fuse scenes from Alien (1979) and Ticks (1993) into one crazy scene. Just like the other movies from Gregg Araki, this movie covers the daily problems that teenagers go through. You get to see characters dealing with love, drugs, hallucinations, sexual abuse, and suicide. The scene when Egg (played by Sarah Lassez) was getting beaten up by her boyfriend was a hard scene to watch because she ends up killing herself and I knew someone in real life that went through a similar scenario. The humor is absolutely hilarious in my opinion and I found myself laughing several times when watching this movie. The performances of all the actors are fantastic. I like how everyone in this movie feels believable in my opinion.

This movie is not going to be for everyone and I do understand why the movie is rated low by critics. I don't recommend this movie if you can't handle dark subject matter. However, if you enjoy movies from Gregg Araki or 90s independent movies, I highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 1/16/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Scream Factory)
Re-Watch

Note: Today is John Carpenter's birthday and watching The Thing is the best choice to celebrate his birthday. John Carpenter's The Thing is easily my favorite movie of the 1980s and everything about this movie is perfect in my opinion. I love all of the characters and the snowy setting is absolutely perfect. Having it in the South Pole is the best choice for this movie because it is set in the middle of nowhere at the bottom of the Earth. It's so dark and cold that no one knows what to expect. The performances in this movie are amazing too. This movie pretty much-helped kick-off the career for Keith David, who later work on movies and TV shows such as They Live (1988), Road House (1989), Gargoyles (1994-1997), Todd McFarlane’s Spawn (1997-1999), Requiem for a Dream (2000), etc.

The alien creature in this movie is one of the best movie monsters ever for being so creative. The alien creature in this movie can morph and fused with anything. It helps create that feeling of claustrophobia seeing that anyone can be The Thing. You can't talk about this movie without talking about the special effects from both Rob Bottin (Robocop 1987) and Stan Winston (Jurassic Park). The movie has the best special effects ever in my opinion with many scenes of awesome practical effects. Every scene in this movie is godly to watch. Not to mention, the amount of blood and gore in this movie is perfect too. It's amazing how the movie has so much blood and gore without getting an X rating (The original NC-17 rating) meanwhile slasher movies were forced to be edited down. Another fantastic thing about this movie is the music by Ennio Morricone (RIP). Ennio Morricone is able to create a haunting score that fits so well with the movie's atmosphere. You are able to feel the feeling of isolation and paranoia thanks to the music in this movie.

Overall, John Carpenter's The Thing is a brilliant movie and it is one of the best movie remakes ever. I know that I sound like a total fanboy in this review, but that's my honest opinion on the movie. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get on that ASAP.

Date: 1/17/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: I actually never seen this movie before until now despite always hearing about it growing up. Even one of my uncles had this movie on VHS when I would go over to visit his house. I'm glad that I watched this movie because I really enjoy it. The Boys Next Door is a solid crime thriller in my opinion. You have solid performances from both Maxwell Caulfield (Gettysburg) and Charlie Sheen (Wall Street) that make The Boys Next Door a noteworthy movie. Maxwell Caulfield's character is very creepy and disturbing because his character gets under your skin when he is on screen. Charlie Sheen's character has very good character development with his character going from someone who was doing bad stuff until he can't take it anymore. You also have a good performance from Christopher McDonald (Requiem for a Dream) that is worth mentioning.

I also love the LA setting because the city in this movie is filled with energy thanks to the bright colorful lights and gritty cinematography from Arthur Albert (Night of the Comet). It's a fun little time capsule of seeing downtown LA back in the mid-1980s by having porno theaters (They were still around at the time) and a movie theater that was playing both The Evil That Men Do (1984) and Ghostbusters (1984). I also like that this movie runs at 90 minutes and it moves at a perfect pace. Every scene in this movie is entertaining and I didn't felt bored at all. The message of this movie is timeless by having a message that warns us about people who want to take out their frustration on society. The Boys Next Door reminds us not to follow the same journey that these characters went through.

The Boys Next Door also has a great soundtrack with catchy music that is fun to listen to. Even the humor in this movie is pretty funny at times. I do dislike the dialogue in this movie because most of it has not aged well. You even have some lines of dialogue that are so stupid that it makes no sense. I still recommend checking out The Boys Next Door when you get the chance.

Date: 1/17/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Der Todesking aka The Death King or The King of Death is one of my favorite horror movies because it's a very dark and beautiful movie from the creative mind of Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik). I consider this movie to be the best modern German horror movie in my opinion. This movie is not going to be everyone's cup of tea and I understand why people won't like this movie.

One of the reasons why I love this movie because I love the atmosphere and the story. The Death King is an anthology film with a non-linear narrative. The story is set during the seven days of the week from Monday-Sunday and they are based around suicide. The dark and gritty art direction from Jörg Buttgereit makes this movie truly stand out and I can't imagine this movie being the same without him. This movie has a very bleak atmosphere that makes your skin crawl when you watch the movie. I love how Jörg Buttgereit uses symbolism and violent imagery to tell a philosophical story to show the audience how bad suicide is.

This movie is a reminder that life is precious and our life can end at any second of the day. We can't allow people to end their lives, no matter how dark things are in life. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel and you will find ways to make your life better. While this movie is not as gross and violent as the other movies from Jörg Buttgereit, it's still a pretty gross and violent movie. You do have some gross moments that will upset anyone who is squeamish. I also like the scenes where you see a dead body rotting away in stop motion. It's very well done for a movie with a very small budget. The music in this movie is also very haunting and powerful that works perfectly with the story.

Overall, The Death King is a fantastic movie and I do recommend it if you are into art-house horror movies or movies with powerful symbolism.

Date: 1/18/2021
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: I knew about this movie for years after seeing copies of this movie at Blockbuster and Suncoast back in the early 2000s. Watching the movie now in 2021 is pretty laughable, but at least we didn't have to deal with a meteor hitting the Earth by having us living in a second ice age. Anyways, Battle Queen 2020 is a pretty dull movie. The movie has a neat premise and decent production values, but that's about it. I give this movie some credit for effort because at least the set designs look pretty good. Julie Strain (RIP) is the only reason to watch this movie because she does play a pretty cool main character. You can tell that she was really trying with the material that she was given with. The other actors in this movie do a poor job with acting. Not even Jeff Wincott (Unstoppable) can save this movie.

The rest of the movie is pretty bad because it is boring to watch. All of the characters are forgettable and none of the action sequences are good. You have many pointless sex and nudity scenes that don't work with the story at all. Most of the movie feels like a porno and not a sci-fi action movie. I do find it interesting that this movie has some similarities to Snowpiecer (2013) despite this movie coming out first. Both movies have a similar post-apocalyptic setting and deal with anti-capitalism. I have nothing else to say about this movie because I won't remember this movie by next week.

I don't recommend watching Battle Queen 2020 at all and you are better off watching something else instead.

Date: 1/18/2021
Viewed: Netflix
First Viewing

Note: Seeing today was a rainy day, I decided to watch this movie to pass off time. I know nothing about this movie other than it deals with people with superpowers. After watching it on Netflix for the first time, it was not bad. Project Power is a pretty enjoyable movie and it is an improvement over the last movie that Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman directed (Viral) in my opinion. The acting is pretty good and I like the main characters. You also get some cool action sequences that are enjoyable to watch.

The special effects in this movie are a mixed bag in my opinion. You have some solid makeup work and the practical effects on the spiky henchmen were pretty cool. The rest of the visuals are your typical big-budget CGI special effects that look super boring. You have one transformation sequence that was so terrible that it reminds me of one of the transformation sequences in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (A movie that I try not to remember). The writing could have been better because the story feels very formulaic at times. I also wish that they did more with the cool premise because it felt wasted in my opinion. Maybe if they do a sequel, they can take full advantage of its premise.

Overall, Project Power is a decent movie and I do recommend checking it out if you are curious.

Date: 1/18/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I wanted to see this movie when it came out, but I didn't want to pay $20 to rent a movie that I may end up not liking. A few months later, you can now rent the movie for way cheaper at your local Red Box or digitally. I'm glad that I finally saw this movie because I really enjoy it. Love and Monsters is a fun sci-fi movie with cool monsters and fun characters. I dig the premise of this movie because I always wanted to see a post-apocalyptic movie with kaiju. While the monsters in this movie are nowhere as big as Godzilla, they are still pretty big and cool looking in my opinion. The designs for the monsters are very creative and I would love to buy an official art book of this movie if they ever made one.

The world-building is my favorite thing about this movie and it makes me hope that they will do a sequel because I want to see more cool monsters. The cinematography is excellent and the special effects are great for the most part. Some of the CGI did look fake at times, but I thought the rest of the CGI looks solid. You still get some scenes of practical effects that are noteworthy. Love and Monsters also does a good job with the main character (played by Dylan O’Brien) because I found him to be likable. I find his journey to be fascinating with the characters that he meets up with. The dog in this movie is adorable and the relationship between him and the main character was very well done.

My biggest problem with this movie is how the story is structured. I didn't like how the main character narrates almost everything and I notice it has become a trend in movies since Deadpool (2016) came out. Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) is one of my favorite actors and I'm glad that he has a role in this movie. However, I do wish he had more screen time. Another thing in this movie that I didn't like was that some of the comedy was not funny. You also have a very stupid movie cliché plot twist that you can see a mile away. I found myself face palming when it happened.

Despite the flaws that Love and Monsters had, I still recommend checking it out if you've got time to spare. I will probably pick it up on Blu-Ray soon.

Date: 1/19/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I have been in the mood to revisit this movie lately because I haven't seen it in a long time. Beyond the Darkness aka Buio Omega or Buried Alive is a solid Italian horror movie that is worth watching. Apparently, this movie is a remake of another Italian movie and I never knew about that until now. Easily the best thing about this movie is the music from Goblin. The music in this movie is so iconic that I still have the music imprinted in my brain. Every music track is fun to listen too and it works with the movie's tone. Beyond the Darkness has an eerie atmosphere that captures the tone of the dark and sinister story.

Beyond the Darkness has a well-told story about a guy (played by Kieran Canter) who commits murders after the loss of his girlfriend and is being manipulated by his housekeeper. The movie is like a character study movie by showing the mind of a crazy man that is obsessed with love. Sometimes you feel sorry for him because you find out that his housekeeper is the mastermind behind this. The special effects in this movie are top-notch because they look amazing. They really look authentic by making the blood and gore as gross as possible. This movie has some of the grosses kills in a horror movie and they are still nasty to watch even over 40 years later. All of the violent scenes are necessary to the story because the movie is a warning about what happens when someone is manipulated by other people. I also like the supporting cast of characters because they are interesting and memorable in my opinion. You do have some pointless sex scenes that could be easily cut out of the movie. Other than that, this is a great movie nevertheless.

I still highly recommend watching Beyond the Darkness for anyone who enjoys Italian horror movies or movies with serial killers.

Date: 1/20/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: The Chill Factor aka Demon-Possessed is one of those movies that always had a cool VHS cover art that you would find at your local video store and I didn't bother to watch it until now. I almost forgot that this movie even exists until Arrow Video released it on Blu-Ray over a year ago. I'm glad that I watch it before buying it because this movie was pretty bad. This movie is boring to watch and I didn't care for any of the characters at all.

The only good things about this movie are the cast, the cold chilly atmosphere, and some of the death scenes. You also have a funny scene where the main character beats up a racist guy that almost sounds like Bob from Bob Burgers. I know this movie has a cult following, but this movie didn't do anything for me. I don't recommend watching The Chill Factor and you are better off watching something else instead.

Date: 1/20/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Criterion)
Re-Watch

Note: Today is David Lynch's birthday and I had a hard time picking a movie to watch for his birthday. I end up watching Blue Velvet because this year is the 35th anniversary of the movie. Blue Velvet is still a great movie even 35 years later. The Criterion Blu-ray is a big improvement over the previous Blu-ray release because Criterion did a wonderful job on creating a 4K restoration. Easily the best thing about Blue Velvet is the visuals because the movie is stunning to look at. When watching the Blu-ray on my 4K TV, the details really pop out and it really sucks you into the movie.

I also love how Blue Velvet is able to return to a surrealist style similar to Eraserhead (1977) but is able to keep a straight forward story. Both Elephant Man (1980) and Blue Velvet are two movies from David Lynch that I can recommend to people who are not into abstract films because they are not totally strange and are easy to follow. The story in Blue Velvet also keeps you intrigued about what is going to happen next. The story has a lot of twists and turns that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat. I love all the characters in this movie for being interesting and memorable. The performances are top-notch and Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider) easily steals the show as Frank Booth. His character is so over the top and crazy that he is both funny and scary at the same time.

I don't have much to say about Blue Velvet because plenty of people have already seen it and I can't add anything new to add. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get on that ASAP.

Date: 1/21/2021
Viewed: IMDB TV
First Viewing

Note: I decided to watch this movie out of morbid curiosity because it's from Takashi Shimizu, who is best known for Ju-on (2000) and a few other noteworthy Japanese horror movies. I finally end up watching it on IMDB TV and this movie turned out to be quite terrible. Flight 7500 may not be the worst movie ever, but it was still bad nevertheless. The movie has a pretty good cast, but none of them did a good job with acting in my opinion. You can tell that they were bored when filming this movie and they knew how idiotic the script was.

The movie has cheap production values that make Flight 7500 feel like a made for TV movie from the early 2000s. Almost every character in this movie is boring and stupid. I found myself yelling out "What?" for every dumb decision that these characters made. The worst thing about this movie is the pacing because this movie felt like it took forever to be over and this movie is under 90 minutes. Watching the movie on IMDB TV made the movie even worse to sit through because of the ads. The ending for this movie is even worse because it comes out of nowhere.

I don't recommend watching Flight 7500 at all. You will end up regretting wasting your time by watching this movie.

Date: 1/21/2021
Viewed: 4K UHD (Arrow Video)
Re-Watch

Note: My 4K UHD copy of Crash finally came in the mail today and I had to watch this movie ASAP. I didn't see this movie until I was 16 back in 2007 when I randomly discover it at Suncoast and picked it up because it was a rated NC-17 movie from David Cronenberg. I was pretty much blown away by it and it has become a big fan favorite of mine. After watching it again in 4K UHD, I still love this movie. It takes a genius like David Cronenberg to make a movie about people being sexually turned on by car crashes to truly work. I haven't seen the transfer from Criterion yet, but I doubt it is as good as watching it in 4K UHD from Arrow Video because you have HDR (High-dynamic-range imaging).

All of the details really pop out when you watch it in 4K UHD and it makes everything look stunningly realistic on my 4K TV. What makes Crash a great movie is that it's so entertaining. The sex and violence in this movie have a purpose to the story and it is not just mindless porn like some people claim it to be. It's truly fascinating to watch these characters because they are socially dysfunctional. Crash has a great social commentary on how the human condition is affected by our choice of technology. These characters have a fetish for car crashes and it shows how dangerous some fetishes can be because you are sexually enjoying people getting hurt or killed. You have some disturbing scenes of blood and gore when people are killed in a car crash. People are killed in car crashes almost every day and David Cronenberg is reminding us of the dangers of car crashes. Your life can end at any second just by driving in your car.

James Spader (Stargate) and the other actors do a phenomenal job with their roles. They were the perfect choice to play a bunch of disturbed and crazy people. Another great thing about Crash is the atmosphere and the cinematography from Peter Suschitzky (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back). Everything in this movie feels so dark, cold, and gritty by having the movie feel grounded to reality. I also love the chilling music score from Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings trilogy). The music helps the movie feel more creepy and disturbing.

Overall, Crash is a great underrated movie from the 1990s that is worth checking out. This movie is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, so don't watch it if you don't like sex and violence. If you can handle sex and violence on film, you need to see this movie ASAP.

Date: 1/22/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime (Rental)
First Viewing

Note: I loved The Void (2016) and I could not wait for the next movie from Steven Kostanski. The movie finally got released this year in theaters and VOD (Video on Demand). I end up watching the movie at home because I didn't feel like driving an hour to see a movie in theaters. So I end up renting the movie from Amazon Prime and I thought the movie was pretty good. Psycho Goreman is not as great as The Void in my opinion, but it was still pretty solid nevertheless.

I really love the production values that this movie has because the special effects are awesome. You get plenty of practical effects for Psycho Goreman (The main character) and the other alien creatures. Even some of the special effects feel reminiscent of a tokusatsu series from Toei such as Kamen Rider and Super Sentai. That's not a bad thing because I'm a huge tokusatsu fan and it was cool that one of the characters reminds me of the villain designs from Tensou Sentai Goseiger.

I do like the characters in the movie because they are enjoyable. I didn't have any problems with the main two kid characters (Played by Nita-Josee Hanna and Owen Myre) like some people did. They actually did a good job with acting unlike most child actors do in my opinion. Psycho Goreman himself is a badass anti-hero that has a cool voice and an awesome design. It was a lot of fun seeing the gory kills in this movie because the blood and gore feel very authentic looking. I also like that Psycho Goreman does a good job of not taking itself too seriously and it knows how silly the premise is. Psycho Goreman does not try too hard on being self-aware unlike some movies such as WolfCop (2014) in my opinion.

Psycho Goreman is far from perfect because the humor is a mixed bag. You do get really funny moments that give me a good laugh. However, some of the humor can be really cringy at times. I also wish that they went crazier with the gory action sequences in my opinion. There's also a dumb and pointless sing-along that is very annoying to listen to. Overall, Psycho Goreman is a fun sci-fi action movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 1/23/2021
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I always wanted to see for years because I'm a fan of movies from Nobuhiko Obayashi. Some of his movies were never released outside of Japan which is why I never saw this movie until now. After watching this movie for the first time on YouTube, I end up loving it. His Motorbike, Her Island is an excellent movie in my opinion. His Motorbike, Her Island was the perfect type of movie that I needed today after a long hard day of work. I love how relaxing that this movie is because the movie is beautifully shot and the pacing was perfect. His Motorbike, Her Island was not too long or too short. Nobuhiko Obayashi knew how to tell a great story in 90 minutes without adding pointless filler.

I do love how the movie is able to switch from black & white to color because it adds a dreamy quality feeling to the movie. When the movie is in black & white, it makes the rain in this movie look so good. I haven't seen rain look this good in a movie in a while. The characters in His Motorbike, Her Island are the best thing about this movie because they are well written in my opinion. I love how likable that these characters are because you really become attached to them. The romance between the two main characters actually works and it didn't feel mushy. When these two characters are happily together on screen, it creates that warm fuzzy feeling of happiness. His Motorbike, Her Island can also be very funny at times with the ridiculous lines of dialogue and the over the top comedic relief moments. Some people are going to watch this movie and expect it to be similar to House (1977) when it's not supposed to be. If you hated House for being too strange, you will probably end up liking this movie because it's not a surreal movie.

I highly recommend watching His Motorbike, Her Island when you get the chance. I do hope Criterion will release this movie on Blu-Ray someday because this movie is right up their alley.

Date: 1/23/2021
Viewed: Itunes
Re-Watch

Note: I wanted to revisit this movie for a while now because I haven't seen it since it came out on DVD back in 2009. The movie has no Blu-Ray release in the Region A market at the moment, but you can rent it or buy it digitally in HD on Itunes, Youtube, etc. Thankfully, Eden Lake still holds up pretty well in my opinion. What makes Eden Lake a solid movie is that it is an intense thrill ride from beginning to end. Eden Lake is one of those movies that you find yourself on the edge of your seat biting your nails because it's so suspenseful. When watching this movie, it makes you wonder how these characters will escapes. I love when a horror movie is set in the woods because I find the woods to be a creepy setting in a horror movie because a forest can be big and empty. You never know what is coming when you are alone in the woods. Eden Lake did a good job of making the forest being a total death trap with the main character (played by Kelly Reilly) trying to run from these crazy killer teenagers.

You have great performances from both Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes 2009) and Michael Fassbender (Prometheus). They did a good job of creating two characters that you actually like and you want to see these two characters get out alive. This movie introduced me to both Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender because I never heard of them until I saw this movie (I watched this movie before I watched Inglourious Basterds). Jack O’Connell (This Is England) also does a good job with his role in the movie as well. Eden Lake is known to be an "Extreme Cinema" movie, but I don't think the movie is as extreme as many people make it out to be. It's still a very violent movie with gory moments that will upset anyone who is squeamish. The special effects and make-up work for the movie are solid and they never use any digital effects for the blood. I'm not a fan of the ending for this movie because I always felt that they could have done a better job with the ending.

Overall, Eden Lake is a good movie and it is worth watching. The movie does need a Region A Blu-ray release because I would love to own it. Hopefully, Arrow Video can pick it up one day.

Date: 1/24/2021
Viewed: Tubi
First viewing

Note: Angels Fallen is baffling in how awful it is. I'm honestly confused on who this movie was made for? I would have never watched this movie if it was not for the cool poster. The story in this movie absolutely makes no sense. I had no idea what was going on because the movie has so much exposition. During the first five minutes of the movie, we find out that our main character has killed over 100 demons and has an evil brother that he has not seen in 10 years. All of this happens at once with no build-up whatsoever. I thought this movie was a sequel to another movie, but it turns out that it's not. Whoever made this movie probably assume that the audience won't care and would just go with the flow.

Watching this movie is like watching Dragon Ball Z before watching Dragon Ball because you are confused about who these characters are without knowing anything about them and everything is thrown at you on screen without context. I had a hard time caring about anything in this movie because I don't know anything that is happening and there is no character development at all. The acting is terrible and it feels like barely anyone is trying. I don't know how Michael Madsen (I almost thought he was Neil Breen for a moment. That would make the movie 100X times better) is in this movie, but you can tell that he was sleepwalking on-screen. He probably wanted a paycheck and that was it. Even Eric Roberts (Runaway Train) was in this movie and he is probably the only actor that actually tried in my opinion. Angels Fallen also has terrible special effects and they probably are just as awful as special effects that you would find in a movie from Ted V. Mikels.

Everything else about this movie felt like it was made in the early-mid 2000s by someone who was like "I'm going to mix The Matrix, Constantine, and Devil May Cry into one movie" and was somehow released in 2020. The only thing that was missing from this movie is the hard rock or metal music playing during the action sequences. Even though this movie was awful, I still had fun watching it. I found myself laughing at several scenes for all the wrong reasons.

I only recommend watching Angels Fallen for a bad movie night with a group of friends. Otherwise, skip it.

Date: 1/24/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Red Box Rental)
First viewing

Note: I wanted to see this movie when it came out a few months ago, but I was too busy to watch it. I can finally watch this movie now because you can now rent it at your local Red Box or rent it digitally. After watching this movie for the first time, I really enjoy it. Synchronic is a very cool and solid sci-fi movie. I honestly like this movie over both Tenet and The Wave when it comes to Time Travel movies that came out in 2020 in my opinion. I love the dark atmosphere and the creative story that this movie has. The idea of having a time-traveling drug is implausible and nonsensical, but I was able to go with it. Sometimes, you have to use your own suspension of disbelief when watching a movie.

I love the surreal imagery even though I wish there was more of it. The best thing about Synchronic is the characters in my opinion. This movie does a wonderful job of creating two main characters played by both Anthony Mackie (8 Mile) and Jamie Dornan (Marie Antoinette). Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (the directors of this film) were able to create great chemistry between these two characters. You can really feel the friendship bond between the two main characters and you do feel sorry for the struggles that they are going through. I was surprised by how emotional this movie was because I found myself shedding tears. Without going into spoilers, there are two scenes that made me felt upset (in a good way) when watching this movie.

If there is anything bad that I didn't like about Synchronic is that the movie did have characters making some really dumb decisions that make no sense. Some of the time travel stuff in this movie still made me scratch my head at times. I still recommend watching Synchronic when you get the chance. I do plan to check out the other movies from Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead in the near future.

Date: 1/25/2021
Viewed: Netflix
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie in the last 15 years and I'm glad that I rewatched it. Kung Fu Hustle was the perfect movie for me to watch today after having a bad day. This was one of my favorite comedy films when it came out back in the mid-2000s. I was already a Stephen Chow fan before 2004 and this movie had everything that I wanted from a martial arts comedy. The action and comedy in this movie still hold up in my opinion. You get plenty of hilarious moments that will make you laugh out loud. The fight scenes are so well choreographed that there is not a single bad action sequence in my opinion. I do love how the fight scenes in this movie are like an odd mixture between old Looney Tunes cartoons and classic Golden Harvest movies.

Every character in this movie is awesome and Yuen Qiu (Rumble in Hong Kong) as the Landlady of Pig Sty Alley is one of the most memorable characters in the movie. Most people who casually watched this movie still remember her character. Sadly, the CGI in this movie has not aged well and I forgot how much CGI was used in this movie. Back in the mid-2000s, you probably never notice it. Now after 15 years later, the dated visuals stick out like a sore thumb. It can be really annoying to watch at times.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get on that ASAP.

Date: 1/25/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Jesús Franco has a reputation for making low-budget trash. However, he has done some gems that are truly noteworthy and one of them is Vampyros Lesbos aka Las Vampiras. This movie feels like you are on a psychedelic drug trip in my opinion. Vampyros Lesbos has colorful cinematography and surreal imagery that is absolutely stunning to look at. The movie feels like an Italian Giallo movie despite not being a Giallo movie at all (It's not even made in Italy). I love the atmosphere in this movie because it feels very spellbinding. When watching this movie, I feel like that I'm being sucked into another person's dream. The Blu-ray release from Severin Films is perfect and easily is the best looking version of the movie in my opinion. It looks way better than the old DVD that I used to have.

The music is fantastic and I love every bit of the music score in this movie. Ewa Strömberg (She Killed in Ecstasy) as Linda Westinghouse is a great character with a solid character arc in my opinion. I love how this movie has a social commentary on the complete rejection of men. The acting in this movie is better than most people give it credit for. I have seen people bash this movie by saying it's a porno when it's not. The nudity and sex scenes do have a purpose to the narrative. If I had to pick one thing that I didn't like about Vampyros Lesbos is that I wish there was more character development for some of the supporting cast. This movie won't be for everyone and you probably won't like this movie if you are not into sleazy films or art-house cinema.

Overall, Vampyros Lesbos is a fantastic movie and I do recommend it for anyone who enjoys LGBT movies or art-house horror films.

Date: 1/26/2021
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: This is one of my guilty pleasures because I have a lot of nostalgia for this movie. I remember watching it as a little kid on late-night TV when I was sleeping over at my Grandma's house. Creepozoids is hardly a good movie, but it is a lot of fun. I do consider this movie to be one of David DeCoteau's best movie that he has directed (I know that is not a very high bar). The story is hardly original because it's pretty much an Alien clone, but set in a post-apocalyptic setting. Creepozoids is set entirely inside one place and I actually like that. It makes Creepozoids feel more claustrophobic in my opinion.

David DeCoteau did a good job of making the movie feel so rusty. Creepozoids does feel like it takes place in a post-apocalyptic world by having broken down buildings, characters covered in dirt, and rusty technology. I also like the lighting and the special effects that this movie has too. You have solid makeup work and some cool gore effects for a low-budget movie. I even like the mutant monster in this movie even though the design is not very original. The movie's biggest flaw is the characters because they are pretty bland in my opinion. Even though the acting in this movie is hammy at times, I still love the actors in this movie. Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) as Bianca is one of my favorite characters in the movie. The music from Guy Vernon Moon (The Brady Bunch Movie) is awesome because it's very catchy to listen to. The music feels like it was ripped straight from an NES video game.

Overall, Creepozoids is a fun B movie and I do recommend it if you are into cheesy movies.

Date: 1/27/2021
Viewed: Criterion Channel
First Viewing

Note: Seeing that this movie is leaving the Criterion Channel soon, I finally sat down and watched this movie. I remember seeing parts of this movie on VHS as a kid, but I never actually watched it until now. After watching this movie for the first time, I loved it. King of the Hill is yet another great movie from Steven Soderbergh in my opinion. King of the Hill has fantastic acting and a well-told story. I love how Steven Soderbergh was able to re-create the 1930s while still looking like a movie from the early 1990s. The solid cinematography from Elliot Davis (Vamp) and the great production values really make you feel like that you are right at home with these characters.

The story takes place during the great depression and it is a reminder of how bad those times were. Back in the depression era, making $65 a month was a huge deal. People were struggling to survive to do anything to live. The main character, Aaron (Played by Jesse Bradford) has to live on his own without his family and will do anything for money. In today's world, this would never happen and it shows how much has changed in the last 90 years. Steven Soderbergh did a great job of balancing the tone of the story by having it be upbeat and still having a serious storyline. You really feel bad for these characters, but things do get better for them later on.

King of the Hill has some of the best child performances that I have seen in a movie. Jesse Bradford (Hackers, Flags for our Fathers) does a fantastic job of playing a 13-year-old in the 1930s. Everyone else in this movie did a great job of playing believable characters. I don't have anything else to say about this movie other than it's fantastic. Go watch this movie ASAP.

Date: 1/27/2021
Viewed: 4K UHD
Re-Watch

Note: This is the movie that started it all. Even 42 years later, the first Mad Max movie is still a solid movie. Mad Max may not be the first post-apocalyptic story ever (H. G. Wells' Things to Come did come out first), but it did help inspired many post-apocalyptic stories and spawn a big wave of copy cats during the 1980s. I love how Mad Max started off as a low-budget independent movie before it became a big mainstream movie franchise from Hollywood.

The movie's low-budget does prevent it from being a big scale post-apocalyptic movie like the sequels are. However, I do think this movie is very atmospheric by having a large open scale version of Australia. I love how Mad Max is able to give you a big scope on how large and dangerous the world that these characters live in. You have dangerous criminals going around killing and hurting innocent people in a world that is totally corrupt. The 4K UHD release from Kino Lorber is fantastic, and the movie looks so crisp and clear. You can really see the full details pop out and it makes the cinematography from David Eggby (Predator) look better than it has before.

I'm surprised many people who watch this movie now these days think that this movie is boring when I disagree. The movie has plenty of action and the car chase scenes are awesome. Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky is a total badass and this movie helped kick off his career as an action star. Mel Gibson is a total nutjob, but I still love his action movie roles in both the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon movies. I can't imagine the first three Mad Max movies without him. Mad Max also takes some influence from Death Wish (1974) by having Max get revenge on the Bikers that killed his family. I always like how powerful some of the drama scenes in the movie are because it adds more depth to the story.

Most people seem to skip this movie and watch the sequels instead. I'm against skipping the first installments in a franchise because they are important. I was lucky enough to watch this movie first as a kid when a TV channel marathon all three Mad Max movies back in 1997. I do agree that Mad Max 2 and Fury Road are better movies, but I still highly recommend watching the first Mad Max movie first if you haven't watched any of the Mad Max Movies yet.

Date: 1/28/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I always find the legends about the Windigo to be interesting and an 80s horror movie based on the Windigo sounds like it would be up in my alley. Sadly, Ghostkeeper is a pretty dull movie to watch in my opinion. This movie has stuff that I do like such as the cold windy atmosphere and the slow burn story. Even the kills in this movie are pretty good in my opinion. What ruined the movie for me is the boring characters. I had a hard time enjoying any of the characters in Ghostkeeper, to be honest. It was nice to see Riva Spier (Rabid) in this movie and she did an okay job with acting. I have nothing else to say about this movie because I'm probably going to forget about this movie by the end of the week.

Maybe I will like this movie on a second viewing in a better mental state. Sadly, this movie was not for me. However, I do give it credit for effort. I only recommend this movie if you're curious.

Date: 1/28/2021
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I never heard of this movie until it was released on Blu-Ray by Unearthed Films. I decided to finally watch it on Amazon Prime and it was pretty cool. Nightwish is a cool gem from the 1980s in my opinion. I thought the story was pretty cool by dealing with dreams and reality because this movie was trying to blur the line of reality and dreams long before Paprika (2006) and Inception (2010). I love the foggy atmosphere and the colorful lighting that this movie has because it gives it a very special vibe. The special effects are awesome with many great practical effects in my opinion. Some scenes in this movie remind me of the special effects that you see in From Beyond (1986). The green smoky effects in this movie look very cartoony and it feels like it was ripped straight from the Ghostbusters movies.

Even though Nightwish has a cool premise, the writing could have been better. You have plot holes that really start to stick out like a sore thumb. The characters in this movie are really stupid when they are in a bad situation. The acting is not very good because some of the actors are overacting at times. However, Brian Thompson (The Terminator) has a cool role that is worth mentioning. Many people hate the ending, but I didn't mind it. I like how the ending makes you really think about what really happened or not. Despite the flaws that this movie has, I still really enjoy watching it and I will probably buy it soon on Blu-ray.

Overall, Nightwish is a flawed movie, but it is still worth checking out. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi Horror movies or movies about dreams.