Film Review: Yuen Wo-Ping Introduces the Action World to Donnie Yen in Kung-Fumedy ‘Drunken Tai Chi’ (Siu taai gik – 1984)

 Action, Asian Cinema, B. Woodell, Comedy, Hong Kong, Martial Arts  No Responses »
Jan 282012
 

drunken-tai-chi Drunken Tai Chi is an absolute Yuen Woo-Ping gem from 1984, and is the very first film by the great Donnie Yen. Like many kung fu films made in the late 70’s and early 80’s by the Yuen clan, Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung, Drunken Tai Chi is filled to the brim with mind bending feats of physical abilities, amazing kung fu sequences, revenge and comedy galore.

Being a revenge film, it follows the formula we’ve all come to know and love. Chan Chuen Chung’s (Yen) brother embarrasses Ta Sha, a rich schoolmate, and a rivalry ensues. It escalates to the boy having his father pay Iron Steel to kill Chan and his family. Chan is not home, but instead is fighting in a gambling hall Continue reading »

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Film Review: Nishimura’s ‘Helldriver’ (2010) Drives Levels of Splatter & Comedy to New Heights

 Action, Asian Cinema, B. Harris, Comedy, Exploitation, Extreme, Horror, Japan, Sci-Fi, Yoshihiro Nishimura, Zombies  1 Response »
Nov 222011
 

helldriver After a meteorite makes impact with Japan, it sends alien spores into the atmosphere, infecting humans with a virus that mutates them into flesh-eating fiends with little horns protruding from their foreheads. Japan, as the world knows it, ceases to exist and in its place is an island nation divided into two parts by a massive wall, effectively separating the living from the infected (read: zombies). To make matters worse, the horns of the dead are being illegally harvested, dried, ground up and sold on the black market as a new drug.

Factions within the current Japanese government are intent on halting the advance of the horde by putting together a special team, lead by Kika, and sending them into the infected zone. Their mission Continue reading »

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 Posted by Brian Harris at 5:29 PM  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Film Review: Who Wouldn’t Want to be ‘Friends with Benefits’ (2011) with Mila Kunis?

 B. Woodell, Comedy  No Responses »
Aug 152011
 

Theatrical Poster

Friends with benefits….something many have toyed with in the real world with results that never stay within the boundaries given up front. People fall in love, get hurt, and wonderful friendships are lost. Luckily, this is Hollywood and what happens in real life never pans out the same on the big screen. Friends With Benefits is a wonderful little romantic comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.

Jamie (Kunis), a “headhunter” for agencies brings Dylan (Timberlake), a successful website manager from LA to New York to hire him as the head Arts web editor at GQ Magazine Continue reading »

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Film Review: Richard Kelly’s Ambitious ‘Southland Tales’ (2006) Brings Sci-Fi to its Knees

 Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller  No Responses »
Apr 262011
 

Theatrical Poster

A friend and I were discussing the current trends of cinema this past summer and how few studios and filmmakers themselves were willing to take chances anymore and try to deliver something unique to audiences. Aside from Christopher Nolan’s Inception, it seemed that nearly every film that was being released suffered from a lack of ambition to not only entertain, but to engage the audience. At some point during this discourse, I had mentioned my admiration for Richard Kelly’s sophomore effort, Southland Tales. My friend described it as too much ambition. Although I saw my friend’s point, I view Southland Tales as a more coherent and effective cinematic experience than most give it credit for Continue reading »

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Film Review: Sartorio’s ‘The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol’ (2010) is Packing More Than a Pistol

 B. Harris, Comedy, Erotic, Horror  No Responses »
Apr 132011
 

Theatrical Poster

Unable to hold down a job and distracted by his lifelong dream of going to Hollywood to be an actor, Tommy Pistol is given an ultimatum by his wife, “It’s us or your dream.” Twelve months later while pumping penis and watching porn, Pistol drifts off into a fitful slumber and into a nightmarish landscape filled with snuff, gore, and oozing, possibly contagious, Staph infections.

From eager dreamer to a jaded, overweight porn director…is this the gruesome death of Tommy Pistol or does a fate far worse await him?

Admittedly I’m no fan of low budget horror cinema, let alone a low budget horror comedy, but I simply could not pass up the opportunity to review Continue reading »

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Film Review: ‘Ghost Shout’ (2004) Offers Love, Ghosts and Everything In-Between

 Action, Asian Cinema, B. Woodell, Comedy, Japan, Martial Arts  No Responses »
Mar 132011
 

DVD Artwork

Ghost Shout, aka Ghost Negotiator according to the opening credits of the film, is a fun little Japanese slapstick comedy dealing with the supernatural and love.

A singing spirit who has the power to turn all who listen to her songs to stone, returns to haunt the rehearsal of a ceremony for a school’s principal. The Ghost Negotiators are called in to determine why the spirit is there, and to help her move on to the next world. Yoko, the girl who is sent to help out, is the best negotiator on the team, but she desperately wants to quit. She now has a fiancé and has a dream of opening up a tofu shop. Her boss convinces her to do one last negotiation with the promise of his friend’s tofu Continue reading »

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Film Review: ‘Howard the Duck’ (Revisited – 1986) – When a So-So Comic Sees a So-So Adaptation

 Action, Comedy, Fantasy, J. Kayy, Sci-Fi  No Responses »
Jan 192011
 

DVD Artwork

Howard, a sarcastic humanoid duck is pulled from his home world and hurtled to Earth where he meets a young woman named Bev, as well as other weird characters. Now stranded on Earth, Howard must help his new found human friends stop an alien invasion.

What can one say about a film staring a talking duck? Epic? Amazing? Classic? Well thought out? HELL NO! When Howard came out in 1986 it tanked at the box office and, even later, on home video. Was it because Howard was a turkey? Well, at the time yes.

Director Willard Huyck and writer Gloria Katz seemed to have no idea how the events of the film should play out so the Continue reading »

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Film Review: ‘The XXXorcist’ (2006) – Just keep Telling Yourself…They’re Only Hump…Only Humping…Only Humping

 Comedy, Erotic, Horror, J. Felton  No Responses »
Jan 142011
 

DVD Artwork

Horror and sex have always been closely interwoven, from horny kids getting killed in any number of slasher flicks through to the wonderfully sleazy Euro-trash movies where a bit of nudity never goes amiss. Now though we have full blown (of course the fucking pun is intended) horror porn. Now you get to enjoy the best of both worlds. Or do you?

Well far be it for me not to find out! So, I ordered myself a copy of The XXXorcist, which itself was a mean task I can tell you, but that is neither here nor there. One thing is for sure, and that is that I didn’t really know quite what to expect, other than it will obviously Continue reading »

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 Posted by Jude Felton at 9:31 AM  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Film Review: ‘Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale’ (2010) – Not All of Them Have Happy Endings

 Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, J. Felton  No Responses »
Dec 072010
 

Poster Artwork

Let’s face it, the majority of movies that feature Christmas as its theme, whether they be horror or not, tend to play to the mass-marketed Western ideals of Christmas. That in main means a jolly fat old Santa Claus, all white beard and a red costume. In other words the Coca Cola Santa, a Santa that is relatively new in the grand scheme of things. What we don’t get is a story that plays on the origins of where Santa really came from, the Santa of Finnish folklore, the Santa that collected children and did less than pleasant things to them. Until now that is.

Set in the barren landscape of rural Finland Rare Exports begins with the excavation of an ancient burial site by an Continue reading »

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 Posted by Jude Felton at 8:53 PM  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Film Review: Full Moon’s Demonic Clown of Chaos Returns in ‘Killjoy 3′ (2010)

 B. Harris, Comedy, Full Moon, Horror  No Responses »
Nov 292010
 

DVD Artwork

Four college kids agree to house-sit for their professor while he’s away on vacation but their festivities are cut short when a mysterious package arrives containing an ornate mirror. No sooner does the mirror go up on the wall before one of the group ends up severely beaten by, what he claims to be, Killjoy! That’s right kiddies, the legendary demon of vengeance himself! Is Killjoy really there in the apartment, reaching the kids through the mirror? If so, who summoned him and why?

Folks, I must admit that I was never a big fan of Full Moon’s urban horror film line, I mean you have to respect Charles Continue reading »

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Film Review: Not All Vampire Films ‘Suck’ (2009), Especially Coming from Glass Eye Pix

 Comedy, Horror  No Responses »
Oct 152010
 

Poster Artwork

From Christian rock singer in PHIL THE ALIEN (don’t worry most people haven’t seen it) to Sucks front man of THE WINNERS Canadian director Rob Stefaniuk returns to his favorite subject of musical mayhem via the rock & roll vampire horror comedy SUCK

After playing the film circuits SUCK finally gets its long awaited DVD release. Not the best of names and you’re pretty much opening the floodgates of name bashing/Suck jokes. However much like its bloodsucking creatures of the night portrayed in the film, this film also has creeped-out out of sight from societies /movie fans’ eye.

Going nowhere Canadian rock band THE WINNERS starts to find success after its bassist becomes a vampire. However they quickly realize success Continue reading »

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Film Review: ‘Colin Fitz Lives!’ (2010) – You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down

 Comedy, J. Felton  No Responses »
Aug 092010
 

Poster Artwork

Colin Fitz does live, eventually. There are always films that seem to exist in a sort of limbo before they finally see the light of day, whether it be theatrically or on DVD. Movies such as the terrific Trick R Treat which took a couple of years to finally get released, or All The Boys Love Mandy Lane, which was made in 2006 but has yet to get a wide release, are a couple that spring to mind. Neither of these two get close to the limbo that Colin Fitz Lives! has been in though. Not even close.

Colin Fitz Lives was made in 1996 and hit a few festivals in 1997, and now nearly 15 years later it is finally seeing the light of day. That is one hell of a long time to be sitting on a shelf gathering dust Continue reading »

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 Posted by Jude Felton at 8:53 PM  Tagged with: ,
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