115. Paranormal Entity
116. Year One
117. Zombie Strippers
118. Pretty in Pink
119. Commando
Paranormal Entity is one of the latest "mockbusters" from the folks at The Asylum. Years ago, The Asylum was just another company releasing schlocky, no budget DTV horror flicks. In 2005, they found a new level of success with their release of HG Wells' War of the Worlds. It hit video stores shortly before the big budget Tom Cruise/Stephen Spielberg collaboration hit theaters. And with that, The Asylum was off and running. In the years since, many of the biggest movies have had counterparts released by The Asylum. While the vast majority of these movies are pretty terrible, there have been a few good ones. How will Paranormal Entity play out?
The answer is, surprisingly well. Rather than feeling like a ripoff of the original movie, it actually feels as if it could be a sequel. Or at the very least, it could serve as a decent companion piece. Much like the original, it stars complete unknowns and is shot on video. The story is pretty much identical in that it finds some folks being tormented by a demon in their home. Rather than a couple, it's a mother and her kids here though. A lot of people who have seen this have actually said that it's scarier than Paranormal Activity. I don't particularly agree but I will say that, like PA, there are some setups that gave me a definite case of the creeps. It's slightly more graphic than PA was with a bit of nudity and a smattering of the red stuff. It's pretty well paced in that the interaction with the demon starts off early and hits relatively fast.
I can't believe I'm going to say this about a movie released by The Asylum, but I actually recommend this. Especially to fans of PA. If you didn't care for that one, you probably won't be a fan of this one either.
Year One is the comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera.
It tells the story of Zed and Oh. Zed is a failed hunter and Oh is a gatherer who can't gather. After Zed causes the village to burn down, he is banished and hits the road with Oh following.
This movie was pretty much savaged by critics at the time of release. Rightfully so. I'll admit that I did chuckle on occasion but for the most part, the movie just wasn't funny. Nor was it entertaining. Jack Black's schtick was amusing when he first broke through but now it's old and boring as hell. And ultimately, all he's doing here is playing yet another version of the same old character he's been playing all along. It looks as if his next movie, Gulliver's Travels will be more of the same. I guess we'll find out later this year.
At any rate, Year One is a pretty bad movie with no redeeming qualities to speak of. Skip it.
Zombie Strippers is a movie that completely lives up to its title. Kind of a rarity in that. You've got to admire their honesty.
It's set in the distant future. The United States is at war with a bunch of countries and even one state. With so many battles being waged, there aren't enough soldiers to fight. So, scientists have created a virus to re-animate dead soldiers so they can battle on, even after death. Of course this doesn't work quite according to plan. A zombified soldier winds up at a strip club where all hell breaks loose.
This movie was much better than I'd have ever thought it could be. I'll admit that it's not exactly action packed but I found it enjoyable. It's a nice mesh of horror and softcore Skinemax material. There's a good stretch of movie where a zombie girl dances and then bites a guy, turning him. This goes on for a solid 35 minutes,lol. I actually found myself getting a bit bored with it. No sooner did that happen, the action picked up again.
It stars Robert Englund, Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz. Those are the only names you'll recognize here. There is plenty of eye candy on display here though with Roxy Saint, Penny Drake, Whitney Anderson and Jennifer Holland showing their stuff. The acting and story isn't worth mentioning here. This movie is what it is. A cheesy z-grade flick. I almost find myself stunned by this but I recommend giving Zombie Strippers a shot.
Pretty in Pink is the 1986 teen comedy/drama starring Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy.
It tells the story of Andie. Andie is raised by a single father and lives in the poor section of town. She goes to a high school mainly populated with overly privileged rich kids who think they're better than everyone. Her best friend is Duckie. Duckie's a bit of an eccentric and a lot of a geek. Duckie is in love with Andie but can't build up the courage to tell her. Blane is one of the rich kids. He likes Andie and asks her out. Will the differences in their lifestyles allow them to have a relationship? Will Duckie finally build up the nerve to tell Andie?
This is one of John Hughes' many classics. He writer in this case. As with the majority of his works, this one has a lot of heart and holds up pretty well. Growing up in the 80s, I got to grow up with his movies basically. While Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles came a bit later, I was a huge fan of the Vacation movies, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. As time went on and my obsession with movies developed, I learned his name and was always on the lookout for new stuff from him. After the success of 1990's Home Alone, his career took a turn. Rather than writing about teenagers, he started aiming towards younger kids with the Beethoven series and a couple of Disney remakes. It was after these that his output really dried up. He more or less retired and lived a private life in Illinois.
Back on topic, this is a really solid movie. The story is well written and timeless. Someone seeing it for the first time in 2010 can relate to it the same way as someone in 1986 did. At one point in their lives, just about everyone has been able to relate to a John Hughes character. I basically was Duckie for the longest time. That type of writing is indicative of Hughes' genius. The cast is perfect. Ringwald, Cryer and McCarthy are excellent as the leads. The supporting cast is nothing to sneeze at either with Harry Dean Stanton, Annie Potts and James Spader rounding it out. Good performances from all involved.
Overall, Pretty in Pink is just a timeless movie. It's well worth watching.
Commando is Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1985 flick.
Schwarzenegger is John Matrix, former leader of a Special Forces unit. Someone is killing his old squad off one by one. He learns of this and is attacked moments later. He manages to escape unharmed but his daughter is kidnapped. As is the norm with Arnold's action flicks, someone is going to pay dearly for their mistake and the bullets are going to fly fast and furious.
This is one of my favorite Arnold flicks. It was his first flick in which he showed that sarcastic side he became known for. It's got a ton of balls out action and enough laughs to show that it doesn't take itself all that seriously.
The story is typical revenge stuff, nothing new for an action movie. The cast is what makes it work. Schwarzenegger isn't much of an actor but he's charismatic enough to make for a decent performance. The rest of the cast is solid with Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, David Patrick Kelly and Alyssa Milano rounding it out.
All in all, Commando is an enjoyable action flick. Definitely worth checking out if you're either an Arnold fan or an action fan.
2 comments:
I ADORE "Commando." When I was a kid it was my favorite Arnold movie. I don't remember much about it, but I remember I loved it and watched it over and over again.
I'm also kind of stoked about "Paranormal Entity." I know most people hate "Asylum" films, and I agree the studio guys are usually arrogant little pricks, but even though the movies are usually bad, but the ones I've seen are entertaining, and I liked "Paranormal Activity" so much that I'm willing to check this one out.
I think Commando is probably one of my favorites of his as well. After the 80s were done, his movies really took a nosedive in quality.
Like I said, it works pretty well. It's not an excellent movie or anything but it was pretty enjoyable.
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