PHIL'S FILM ADVENTURES

Hello everybody and welcome to Day Seven of my trip to Cinequest 24! Once again I saw five excellent films today so let's get this show on the road, shall we?

The first film of the day was the very interesting VICTORIANA, which is about a married couple Tim and Sophie Becker that buy a rundown Brooklyn Brownstone.They allow the two tenants that are that were already living there to stay during the remodeling. One of them is a wicked old lady who just complains and complains and complains. That's when things hit the fan! The old lady gets accidentally killed, Tim an Sophie have to hide the body and so they bury it in the backyard, Tim takes her mail, places it all in a black garbage bag and dumps it 10 blocks away. The cops coming looking for clues but they can't find any. Oh, and then there's the uneasy strain between Tim and Sophie, there's some cheating going on, Tim takes a job he hates to finish off the remodeling but turns out he's really good at it. So in the end, all is right and all is miserable.

What I really enjoyed about the film was that even you may achieve this legendary American Dream, there's a good chance you're going to be unhappy! Here we have Sophie and Tim, who by the end of the film are just empty shells of there former selves, and are happy in their self-made misery. What a great social commentary on today's real estate world! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! The film will be played one more time on Sunday, March 16th at 3:45pm at the Camera 12.

The second movie I saw had one of the best titles at the festival! A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A SPECTACULAR SUICIDE is about twenty-something Tom, who has tried every way possible to commit suicide, and has failed every single way. So he decides to think outside the box and devise the most creative way to die. During this time Tom struggles with his self-destructive tendencies while developing a relationship with a cute stalker, his shrink, and this old cranky dude that he helps out.

The best feel good movie about suicide of the year! It's witty with a nice sense of dry humor, which you can tell by the title alone. Great storytelling by director Graham Hughes, who keeps the laughs coming at the right times. What more can I say is that if you're looking for a dark comedy that treats the subjects of death and suicide with respect and comedic ridiculousness and lunacy, then this here film is for you! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! Today was the last day screening for the film.

Movie number three was the quite drama NOBLE FIR. It's tree-harvesting season and Hank Dean is having difficulty with this paticular season. Hank's had a recent loss in his life that causes him to withdrawal from those around him who try to offer help, like his family, his friends, and the town's local preacher. However, nobody can help out Hank with his issues, except for himself.

The film caught me off guard right from the start. At first, I couldn't tell if this was a feature film or a documentary. Shooting with hand held cameras and on a real Christmas tree ranch, the movie takes its sweet time to establish the theme of the film and we learn more about Hank as the film progresses, slowly revealing the traumatizing event that destroyed his soul. Lead actor Richard E. Wilson delivers a powerful performance that needs to be seen! Truly a griping drama that makes us reflect and analyze ourselves. 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended! Today was the last screening of the film.

Film four had the other best title at the festival! The Norwegian teen comedy KISS ME, YOU FUCKING MORON is about a young 17-year-old girl named Tale who acts in her local amateur theatre troupe. She hires an aging mid-life crisis actor to direct them, however there's one little catch: Tale must also bring in the school's hot soccer star but true moron Lars as her lead! The heat of hatred for one another slowly turns into the heat of passion, and the two suddenly find themselves in a situation that wasn't in the script!

What a fun and refreshing teenage romantic comedy! Here the teenagers are just that: teenagers! The look, talk, and act like real teenagers and not the pathetic xerox copy of a typical Hollywood teenager. These lads have much more depth to them. Actress Eili Harboe is wonderful as the smart and witty Tale! The film is as sweet as it is hilarious and really takes the teenage comedy genre to the next logical level. Boasting a smart script and solid acting, the film is a sure winner! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

The fifth and final film I saw today was the poetic THE DESERT FISH. This stark and poetic drama is about a nine-year-old boy named Ahmad who's been having visions of his dead mother, who was lost at sea years ago. While his father dismisses his son's idea, Ahmad decides to travel to his parent's old village by the sea to seek out his missing mother, with the help from his uncle who he hasn't seen in years.

Director Mohammad Ghorbankarimi crafted a magnificent film! With its sheer size of emotional heartbreak and the sweeping landscape of Iran, which has never been captured on film before, the movie is a reminder of what art looks like. The combination of the beautiful scenery, amazing directing, perfect cinematography, astounding script, and riveting performances, THE DESERT FISH is my favorite foreign film of the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!! After the screening, both Mohammad and his wife/costume designer Nassim Azadi participated in an informative Q&A with the audience.

And folks, there you have Day Nine of Cinequest 24! All together I've seen 42 films in 9 days. So far I'm right on track to reaching 60 films! Remember the festival ends on Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

We're getting down to the final days here folks so welcome back to Day Ten of my trip to the 24th Annual Cinequest Film Festival! Another five film reviews await for you to read.

Film number one of the day was the Norwegian export IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE. The film focuses on a woman named Jenny, who was in prison for the past ten years for shooting a man and her boyfriend in a botched break-in. Now out of prison, Jenny is looking to start over again and to spend time with her daughter. But when the banks won't give her the loan she need to fix-up her home so that her daughter can live there, she goes back to her old habits and starts selling drugs again for her "old friends." But soon things get out of hand and Jenny needs to settle her debts the old fashioned way.

Lead Silje Salomonsen is not only a talented actress but she is also quite stunning. Her eyes are just so captivating. When she's next to her "daughter" the resemblance is really uncanny! We the audience sympathize for Jenny and we want her to get even with her enemies! Look out Jennifer Lawrence because there's a new bad ass, tough as nails, beautiful actress on the scene! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended!

Movie number two was the Vietnamese comedy FUNNY MONEY. Meet Lucky Loc. He runs a company making fake paper money and high-end ceremonial gifts to be burned as offerings to the dead. But when his luck takes a nosedive overnight, Lucky is convinced it has to do with him with accidentally paying one of his "funny money" bills to an suspecting salesgirl named Quyen. Soon, he tries to woo her heart while also being conned by a gang of Chinese criminals who want him to make some counterfeit bills out of his "funny money."

Here's another classic example of the Chinese taking something simple, like a romantic comedy, and just cutting its head off, then gluing it back on upside down. The film doesn't follow the norm, nor does it want to. Instead, it relies on its sheer randomness to communicate laughter and romance without taking itself too seriously. The characters are off-the-wall but sweet and funny. Sure the script lost me here and there a couple of times, but overall, it was a funny movie to watch! 3 out of 5 stars!

The third film I saw today was comedy NOTHING IN LOS ANGELES. Now Imagine if Woody Allen grew up in Los Angeles instead on New York and made his films in sunny SoCal. That's how the film feels when watching it. Aspiring writer Quinn (writer/director Alexander Tovar) is having trouble writing his future award winning script (a screenplay about a screenwriter named Alexander who is trying to write a screenplay, which if you're a cinephile you'll catch this as a reference to Federico Fellini's 1963 classic 8 1/2). He's in love with his best friend's wife even though the husband is having a fling with another man. But Quinn is already dating someone, granted he's 25 and she's 50. One suspects he's only dating her for the experience of someday writing about it. Oh, what's am inspiring LA writer to do!

The film features a lot of cool landmarks (which I've been to like Griffith Observatory), but it's the script that kept me into the film. Smart, witty, and little sad, Tovar recreates that longing for love feeling while exploring the idea of self discovering. Boasting an strong and funny ensemble cast, great directing and that little nod to Woody Allen, Tovar shows us that he's the next big thing and proves it with this movie! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!!

The fourth film I saw was screening over at the California Theatre. MYSTERY ROAD is a excellent murder mystery thriller that takes place in a small town in the outback. Star Aaron Pedersen portrays Jay Swan, an Aboriginal cowboy detective who returns home to solve the murder of a teenage Indigenous girl whose body was found under the highway trucking route that leads out of town. As Swan battles with uncovering drug dealing, corruption, and civic sanctioned child prostitution, he starts to shed light on the town's inherent racism and misogyny. The gun fight at the end is his answer to all the naysayers.

The film is a loving tribute to the old west films from Hollywood, but just slightly transformed to represent the times that we are currently living in. Bold in its depiction of racism and misogyny, the film doesn't hold anything back a lets the viewer engage in this ugly world. Pedersen is brilliant in the role of Swan and really holds his ground against his Hollywood costars such as Hugo Weaving. One of the best major indie films I've seen in a long time! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!

The fifth and final film took place over at the San Jose Rep. But first there was a Cinequest PTP short entitled CHECKMATE. The short is about a young blind boy who challenges his greedy landlord to a game of chess o get his father's farm back. A very smart and rewarding short!

The main feature of the night was the extremely experimental and advent garde HAPPENINGS ON THE EIGHTH DAY. Ok, let me see if I can explain this one to you all. First there's this thing......wait I'm getting ahead of myself. First there's....ok it's a big long joke at the process of moviemaking! But the flipside is that it's very non-linear, incoherent, abrasive in its brashness towards any kind of narrative, and it mostly takes place here in San Jose.

Now I like extremely experimental and advent garde films. THE MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA is a perfect example of this, as well as the films from local icon and legendary Bay Are filmmaker Bruce Conner. While the film looks like it was editing together by using a series of outtakes and deleted scenes, I really dug the film. Now a lot of people are going to say that you need to be on drugs to watch this movie, or while watching the movie it will make you feel like your on drugs. But nevertheless, I fund it to be very engaging, provocative and down and dirty! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewings either on or off drugs!!

Another fun-filled day at Cinequest 24, which now brings my total to 47 films! Remember the festival ends this Sunday, March 16th so make sure you come out here to San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

This is it! The final weekend of the Cinequest Film Festival! Now I had to miss a couple of screenings because today was also the big Best of the West Award Show for my job (which I proudly supported all the winners from my division) which was held in San Francisco. After the show was over, I flew back down to San Jose where I saw three films!

The film film I saw was the afternoon screening of ETERNITY: THE MOVIE! Now I already saw this film (in fact I was there for their big world premiere), but because of all the buzz they were getting, they were having a little something special for this, their third and final screening. Yes, it was the ETERNITY: THE MOVIE SING-A-LONG!! I was so looking forward to participating this even, which is a first in Cinequest history! After the screening, the cast came up and conducted a hilarious Q&A session with the audience. After seeing it a second time, it's still my favorite film of the festival!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Loved this movie!!

The second film I saw was playing at the historic California Theatre! Tonight the festival was screening of the 1924 silent film masterpiece THE HANDS OF ORLAC. Director Robert Wiene and star Conrad Veidt worked together previously on an earlier German Expressionism film, the 1919 horror classic THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. In this film, Veidt portarys Orlac, a concert pianist who survives a horrible train crash, but loses his hands in the process. However, surgeons are able to graft new hands on his arms, albeit the hands come from a recently executed murderer. Soon, Orlac's life spins out of control: he can't play the piano, the creditors are coming after him and his hands are to blame for it all, even murder?

A great example of German Expressionism! Viedt is magnificent in the role of Orlac, and director Weine controls the camera with such ease that he really does make it easy to watch and enjoy. This is way I love watching silent films. They are so clever that they are able to express such emotions without saying a single word. Here we have a chilling and frightening horror film that relies of its shadows, its camera work, and its eerie scenery and acting! Also helping making the film even more creepier is the astounding Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ! It's been a while since I've seen my old friend perform and his performance was just outstanding! Also contributing to the show was Michael Pecak on the grand piano! One of my favorite highlights from the festival!

After a late dinner, the third and final film I saw was GO DOWN DEATH. The film is about....well...OK I have to admit something here. I slept through most of the film and I am very sorry to say that. Now during the festival I would wake up about an hour before my first screening, so I would get a decent amount of sleep. Not much, but enough to get me through the day. However, since I had to get up early for my Best of the West Award Show (I woke up at 6am ans left my 7am to make it to the city by 8am) I couldn't sleep in, so by this time I was working on fumes and I crashed hard at this screening. But I did see a little bit of the movie and here's what I think: great black and whit cinematography, bold directing, not much of a score, and there were themes of death, discovery, and it's a experimental film. So there's a good chance that I would have enjoyed watching it. But since I slept through a majority of it, I cannot give it an honest rating. However, if I find it playing somewhere, or if I get my hands on a screener copy of it, I'll update my review.

Another day of moving watch here at Cinequest done, which now brings my total to an even 50 films! Remember the festival will be running till March 16th so there's plenty of time for you to join in on the fun here in Downtown San Jose! To view the festival's film schedule and purchase tickets and passes, visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

OK folks!! This is it!! The final weekend of the Cinequest 24 Film Festival! For today I saw a total of six films, so let the movie reviews begin!

The first film I saw today was the Italian comedy ZORAN, MY IDIOT NEPHEW. Paolo, an arrogant 40 year-old who spends his days between drinking sessions and an unsatisfying job. One day, his nephew shows up out of nowhere.Enter Zoran: he's 15 years old, a bit eccentric, and wears big Harry Potter like glasses. Just the idea of being an uncle makes Paolo sick to his stomach. However, when he discovers that Zoran is a master at playing darts! He always hit the bullseye every single time! This gives Paolo an idea of how to make money off of him! He takes Zoran to enter him in the world darts championship, where the winner makes off with a huge grand prize.

I was laughing so hard that I was coughing throughout the movie. Now being part Italian, I love watching Italian comedies. They're so funny and slightly off beat and absurd that it just takes me away and I'm completely engulfed with their traditions and wacky ways of living. The film has larger than life characters, beautiful shots of Italy's landscape, and loads of laughter. What's not to like abou this film? 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!!

The second film I saw today was the documentary THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK. The reason I was going to see it again was because I was going to take my brother to see this. My brother is a professional wrestling referee and has worked with many famous wrestlers ans well as Lucha Libre superstars. But my brother never got back to me (damn kid) and so went and saw this again. And I loved it the second time around (You can read my original review of the film here). One of my favorite documentaries!

The third film I saw today was the midnight film from last night that I was planning to see but was way too tired. The film APP is a horror/thriller about a killer app. Yes, technology has finally been caught red handed. In this Netherlands export, the beautiful Anna (Hannah Hoekstra) is a young psychology student who downloads this new app called IRIS. What starts out as a very helpful new app begins to terrorize Anna and soon, all of her friends die from gruesome deaths. She can't delete it, or else it will take another life, maybe hers!

Now what makes this film really unique that prior to the movie, there is a disclaimer by the filmmakers encouraging the audience to download the movie app so they can participate with the film with their phone while watching the movie. This has been dubbed “First Film for the Second Screen,” and it's a pretty cool idea. It worked well with the film but overall, it mattered little to me. I was too busy watching the film, which I enjoyed very much. Hannah Hoekstra was great in the movie, the death scenes were very cool, and it was obvious that this was a big budget mainstream horror film. But because it won't likely see a release here, I'm glad that Cinequest was able to bring this clever and innovative horror film to the festival. 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended viewing!!

Film four of the day was A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY, which was based on an original script by director Michael Maren. Brooklyn based writer Nathan Fisher (Bryan Greenberg) is having problems writing his new book and keeping his girlfriend. In the end, his girlfriend leaves him. To make matters worse, he gets a call from Florida from his Alzheimer stricken mother Sandy who tells hm that his father just had a stroke. He flies down to be with his parents (along with his older brother) while finding the inspiration to write his book.

The movies boasts some big name talents. One of the film's producer is non-other than Academy Award-winner Milos Forman, who's directed modern day classic films such as ONE FLEW OF THE CUCKOO'S NEST, AMADEUS and MAN ON THE MOON. The mom Linda Lavin is famous for her role in the TV series Alice. Bryan Greenberg is from FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. So there's a lot of good acting in the film and great directing. It's a sweet dark comedy that tackles some of the issues of life that we all struggle with . Overall an enjoyable movie! 4 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!

Movie number five was preceded by a Cinequest PTP short entitled DREAMING OF THE SWEET LIFE. The short focused on a homeless mother and daughter. The mother dreams of her and her daughter living in a nice home, where her husband used to beat her. To escape from their Hell, they run away together. A really powerful short film!

THE PURPLE ONION (which is still a work in process) was named after the now defunct comedy club in San Francisco. The film focuses on Johnny Lee (actual stand-up comedian Edwin Li) who is a bus boy at a Mexican restaurant. He dreams of being a famous comedian, bur when a mysterious woman shows up at his door (now as to it's his mother, sister, or an old girlfriend is never made clear) he begins to come out of his shell and thus, becomes a better comedian because of it.

As I stated earlier, the film is still a work in process, so it's still a little rough around the edges. But the film is a very intriguing dark comedy that relies on the simplistic acts of comedy: a funny face, a strange noise, etc. Also as the film progresses, Johnny's act becomes better and funnier. I am very curious as to see what the final cut will look like. Maybe we'll see the finished film at Cinequest 25? I hope so! 3 out of 5 stars!

The sixth and final screening of the day/night was the SHORTS 5 PROGRAM: SHIFTED REALITIES. Let my reality get shifted!!

BIOGRAPHER: Sergey Krugov works at the Research Center for Personality Reconstruction. His job is to modify people's fates by changing their past. But can he make them truly happy? And can he find his own happiness?

BOX:

CARGO: Stranded in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, a man sets in motion an unlikely plan to protect the precious cargo he carries: his infant daughter.

A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHEATING WITH MY TIME TRAVELING FUTURE SELF:

A man travels back in time to tell himself his life will get better if he cheats on his girlfriend.

GÖDEL INCOMPLETE: A time-travel romance between one of the great minds of the 20th Century, Kurt Godel, and a lonely particle physicist, Serita Cedric, a research student working at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland.

I'M 23 AND THERE'S A FUCKING MONSTER UNDER MY BED: A young man moves back in with his parents after college, only to discover that the monster - which tormented him as a child - is still in his bedroom.

OVER THE MOON: Heroine Connie Radar defends the moon from the USA and attempts to prevent the first moon landing.

SHIFT:

SORRY ABOUT TOMORROW: Baldwin's life is spinning out of control. Luckily, he's been working on a time machine with some friends and decides to take a chance to see if he can fix it.

A STITCH IN TIME (FOR $9.99): Laura Fein has an appointment at a time travel agency to have a burning question answered: Does her co-worker like her?

And that was the last day of regular screenings, which if you were counting I'm up to 56 screenings!! Tomorrow is the festival's Encore Day and the festival will be showing all the favorites as voted by the audience and the festival's jury. Plus tomorrow night is the closing night screening and party! So even though it's the last day, tickets for Encore Day at the Closing Night Gala are still available! Please visit their website at www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Well here we are everybody and welcome to the final day of the Cinequest Film Festival! Now for the past couple of years the festival ended on Saturday with the closing night gala, while Sunday was dedicated as Encore Day. This year, the festival decided to combine both in one day. So today I was able to see three films during Encore Day and then attended the Closing Night Show and after party!

The first film up was the really crazy and truly dark comedy FRIENDED TO DEATH. Meet Facebook junkie Michael Harris, a smart ass and annoying LA meter maid who's having a really bad day. First he gets fried from his job because of his tweeting pics of cars, and his best friend Joel ditches him for a new homie. Feeling like it's all over, Mike begins to question whether anyone would care if he died. So he comes up with the crazy idea of posting his fake death online! Why you may ask? To see if anybody would attend (and if Joel would show up)! Soon things get out of hand real fast as a mysterious person discovers the truth! And where the hell is Joel at?

What a freaking hilarious movie! The film brings the subject of self obsession with social media, which many of our youth are consumed with.

The third film I saw was the amazing LOADED. Back in high school, Ethan, Raza, and Alex were the best of friends. Fast forward ten years later, and Ethan, Raza come to the aid of Alex, who is now your typical average alcohol and drug addict. So the deal with Alex's dad goes like this: Raza and Ethan must pick up Alex in Los Angeles and drive him to San Francisco to check in to a rehab center to finally get cleaned up. Along the way the former friends begin to discover the secretes as to why they are no longer friends.

This powerful film walks that fine line of dark comedy and serious drama. One one hand, it's a guy's road trip comedy, but because of the seriousness of the subject matter, it falls in the drama category. All three male leads are fantastic in their respective roles and have great on-screen chemistry. But because it deals with the issue drug addiction, as well as lost childhood friendships, growing older and growing up into adulthood, the movie kept me glued to my seat! What a powerful, emotionally charged and funny film this was! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

Well folks, there you have it! I have to say that this was THE best Cinequest Film Festival ever! What made it so great were the films, the filmmakers, the audiences, the afterparties, the whole vibe was intoxicating. Sometimes during the festival I thought it would never end, but it did. And I can't wait for next year's festival. Overall I attended 60 screenings in 13 days! I did it!! A new record for me!! So now I would like to say hi to all my friends, old and new, from the festival. I had the best time seeing you all again and I hope to see you at next year's Cinequest. To all the filmmakers I got to meet, good luck with your respective films and I hope to see them again on either the big screen or on DVD. And to all my friends and followers who read my blog during the festival, thank you! Have a great week everybody, and I'll see you all again soon!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello again everybody and welcome back! Now that Cinequest is all over and done with, and I've some down time to catch up some well deserved rest, I decided it was now time to give you my Favorite Films of Cinequest 24! Now thanks in large part to my OCD, I have listed my favorites under three categories: Best North American Film, Best Foreign Film, and Best Documentary. So ladies and gentlemen, here are my Favorite Films of Cinequest 24!

BEST NORTH AMERICAN FILM - ETERNITY: THE MOVIE

This should come as no surprise!The film tells the story of Todd and BJ (Barrett Crake and Myko Olivier repectively), two inspiring R&B singers who want to make the best music ever created. Soon this dynamic duo is known as Eternity, the greatest 80's R&B band ever! But their friendship is put to the test as they both fall in love with the same woman (the beautiful Nikki Leonti). Can the guys survive this or will Eternity will be nevermore? Like I said in my original review, "ETERNITY: THE MOVIE is the greatest 80's film never to have been made in the 80's!" Both Crake and Olivier were awesome in their roles and had perfect on-screen chemistry. The production values were top notch!You are not going to find a better indie film than this! To learn more about this indie gem, visit the film's official website at www.eternitythewebsite.com (also make sure to buy the totally radical soundtrack)! Also follow the movie on Facebook and Twitter!

BEST FOREIGN FILM - THE DESERT FISH

The equivalent of reading a poem captured on film! This stark and poetic drama is about a nine-year-old boy named Ahmad who's been having visions of his dead mother, who was lost at sea years ago. While his father dismisses his son's idea, Ahmad decides to travel to his parent's old village by the sea to seek out his missing mother, with the help from his uncle who he hasn't seen in years. Director Mohammad Ghorbankarimi crafted a magnificent film! With its sheer size of emotional heartbreak and the sweeping landscape of Iran, which has never been captured on film before, the movie is a reminder of what art looks like. The combination of the beautiful scenery, amazing directing, perfect cinematography, astounding script, and riveting performances, THE DESERT FISH is my favorite foreign film of the festival!! To learn more about the film, visit the official website at http://cine4d.com/the-desert-fish and follow the movie on Facebook as well.

BEST DOCUMENTARY - THE RUGBY PLAYER

What an amazing documentary! This doc focuses on the life of Mark Bingham, one of the heroes aboard the United Flight 93 on 9/11. The film talks about his early life, his time as a rugby player for Cal Berkley (Go Bears!!), his coming out as a gay man, and his act of heroism that inspired a nation. Told through candid interviews by those who knew him and personal video footage shot by Bingham himself, the documentary tells the real story of a local man who became a national hero. This is local history that I knew a little about, but now thanks to the film, many more people will come to know of the courage of Mark Bingham, who has now become a local hero and an inspiration to many. For coming out gay, he broke the common stereotypes that are acquainted with being a gay man. He was a successful business man, a rugby player, a son, a friend, and now a national treasure. My favorite documentary from Cinequest 24!! To learn more about Mark Bingham and his life, visit the film's official website at www.therugbyplayerfilm.com. Also follow the film on Facebook and Twitter.

And folks there you have it! My Favorite Film Picks from Cinequest 24! So be on the lookout for any of these films in your local theater, on cable, or VOD, or any other media outlet! Also, if you would like to learn more about Cinequest, their mission statement, their Picture the Possibilities program, and how to make a donation, please visit their website at http://www.cinequest.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Greetings and salutations from Burbank!! Oh, why yes, I am back down in SoCal for another one of my many adventure! But this was no ordinary adventure! No, no, no my friends! I was there attending the convention known as MONSTERPALOOZA, which was held at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. For almost three days, yours truly (along with my friends Michelle and her boyfriend Bobby) had once again the most amazing time! I got to meet cool horror celebrities, saw some amazing make up effects and designs, got a ton of autographs, bought a bunch of cool stuff.

I had the pleasure of meeting several horror actors and actresses during this weekend. Of course I don't want to brag, but here's who I got to meet: Nancy Allen from DRESSED TO KILL, BLOW OUT and the ROBOCOP series, Bela Lugosi Jr., Ron Chaney and the rest of the Chaney Family, the cast of the HELLRAISER series, Courtney Gains and John Franklin from the original CHILDREN OF THE CORN, Sara Karloff, historian Bob Burns, just to name a few. Now there was a lot to see and do for those three days! Lucky for all of you , I took an insane amount of pictures! So for all of you out there on the world wide web, sit back, relax, and have fun checking out my favorite pics from this year's Monsterpalooza!!

Outside the Marriott waiting to get in.

The guys at the Midnight Syndicate Films were on hand to offer up some excellent chills and thrills. They had several movies on hand to purchase, as well as their awesome soundtracks like the newly released MONSTERS OF LEGEND! I picked up their 3 Disc Deluxe Edition of THE DEAD MATTER. For more info check out their website at www.midnightsyndicate.com.

Scares That Cares is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization that"fights the REAL MONSTERS of childhood illness, burns and breast cancer by helping families that are experiencing these extraordinary hardships cope with the financial burden." To help make a donation, please visit them at www.scaresthatcare.org.

Oh the sea of humanity!!

Me with actress Nancy Allen from CARRIE, BLOW OUT, and the ROBOCOP series.

Genie from the Bottle. How cool looking is this?

This is Christopher R. Mihm. This talented writer/director is based out in Minnesota & makes the ultra cool retro 1950's sci-fi & monster movies! I recommend them all! Check out his website www.sainteuphoria.com.

The main entrance to the Exhibit Area.

And let the draining of my bank account begin!! Look at all this cool stuff I need to buy!!

Composer John Harrison was on hand to sign the newly released CDs of CREEPSHOW and DAY OF THE DEAD!! I of course bought DAY OF THE DEAD because it's my favorite!

Amazing detailed models and statues on display for collectors to purchase.

Awesome custom made dioramas for your action figures.

Here I am along with cult actor/director Greydon Clark! He stared in the cult classic SATAN'S SADISTS. He went on direct other classics such as SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS, JOY STICKS, FINAL JUSTICE, and ANGEL'S REVENGE. The last two films become popular on the hit TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. Go check out his website at www.greydonclark.com and pick up his new autobiography On The Cheap: My Life in Low Budget Filmmaking!

Rotten Cotton "is the best Underground Horror, Sleaze, & Exploitation T-Shirts in the Universe!" And it's based out in Antioch, CA! So check them out at www.rottencotton.com. And remember kids: If it ain't Rotten Cotton, it ain't shit!

Alien space babes! Why yes, I would like to mate with you!

The autopsy table with the body of the late, great Frankenstein's Monster.

Hey it's Mia from the EVIL DEAD remake. This awesome replica comes from Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights and it was made by Patrick Magee of MAGEE FX!

The Reaper wants your soul!

This is what happens when you fall asleep in a tanning bed kids.

What's scary than a freaky looking puppet? Two freaky looking puppets! Want these two to add to your collection? Then head on over to www.thescarycloset.com today!

Another awesome creepy looking product courtesy of the fine folks over at www.thescarycloset.com. This of course is from the incredibly scary James Wan film INSIDIOUS.

Me again with another beautiful model who's name I can't recall. Well, this explains why I don't have a girlfriend. I can't remember beautiful women's names!

Oh Brittany! You've done it again!!

This is what happened to Snoopy during the zombie outbreak.

OK, I am trying to recall her name right now, but I cannot recall what it was. Mainly because I was so enthralled with her! I mean, c'mon! Look how hot and spooky she looks! I wanted to marry her right then and there!

Yup, it's just me hanging out with my old friends Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Freddy Kruger.

This was such a kick for me! To see this young girls (who was about 10 years old) got dressed up to meet her idol Tippi Hedren, star of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. I thought this was fantastic, especially since she wasn't even born when the film first came out!

Here's actor Russ Tamblyn autographing my original one sheet poster of the cult classic SATAN'S SADISTS. The other signature on the left is by Greydon Clark.

THIS WAS THE BEST WEEKEND I HAVE EVER HAD!! (OK I know that I saw that phrase a lot, but look at all the fun things I do!) I meet so may icons in the horror genre, saw some great movies, party hard with all my friends, stayed up way too late, got up way too early, drank, ate, everyday was party!! This was such a blast! No you're all probably wondering when's the next convention? Glad you asked! There's gonna be a show called Son of Monsterpalooza and it'll be held on September 12-14, 2014! As soon as more details are released. I'll let you all know! In the meantime, to see who else was there, and to learn more about the event, check out their website at www.monsterpalooza.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

The Aero Theatre marquee displays the Troma Marathon.

Hello again! So while Bobby, Michelle, and I were attending Monsterpalooza, that same weekend there was a Troma Movie Marathon over at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, which was about a half hour away from Burbank. They were going to show four classic Troma movies: THE TOXIC AVENGER, CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH, TROMEO & JULIET, and it's newest release RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1. Now what made this event even more special was that Troma President and co-founder Lloyd Kaufman was there live in-person!! Now I have been a fan ever since I saw the first three TOXIC AVENGER films on the old USA Up All Night program back on a cold Saturday night in February of 1992. These three films changed my life forever, and 22 years later, I was going to finally meet my hero and idol!!

Mark Torgl and myself outside the Aero Theatre.

The theater lobby was packed with fellow Tromites (Troma fans as they are affectionately called) and for the first time, I felt like I was home. Lloyd and his wife Pat had a table set up filled with Troma merchandise: DVDs, Blu-rays, stickers, buttons, posters, comics, they had it all! Plus Toxie was there as well as other celebrities such as Mark Torgl, who played Melvin the mopboy in the first TOXIC AVENGER film and the sequel CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER PART IV. I was able to shack his hand get an autograph from him. A really cool guy who also just happens to have an Indiegogo fundraiser to help make his new project TOXIC TUTU. To learn more about this project and to make a donation, please visit the website http://toxictutu.com.

I also saw some old friends of mine. SpookyDan was on hand there, as well as Will Keenan from TROMEO & JULIET, TERROR FIRMER, and a film I saw at Cinequest 22 entitled THE GHASTLY LOVE OF JOHNNY X (you can read all about that infamous screening here). Also in attendance was Alyce LaTourelle, Will's co-star from TERROR FIRMER who also just happens to be his wife! How cool is that? Plus Count Smokula was there to entertain fans with his outstanding accordion skills and E. Yarber, the man who wrote tonight's program that was handed out to fans entitled 40 Years of Troma-More Than Meets the Bile. At 7:30pm, it was time for the marathon to begin!

Troma President Lloyd Kaufman and Mark Torgl.

Lloyd thanked all the Troma fans out in the audience that came out for this historic event, which was hosted by the American Cinematheque. He engaged the audience by having a Q&A session, which was being video recorded by his lovely wife and former New York City Film Commissioner Pat. Will Keenan and Mark Torgl also participated for bit. Count Smokula also serenaded the crowd. Plus making his first SoCal appearance was Stefan Dezil, who portrayed Slater in the RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH. For me, it was so great to be able to interact with Lloyd, Pat, Mark, and even Will. What I love about Lloyd and Troma is they are very loyal to their fans. I had Lloyd autograph just about everything I own and he did it without hesitation. Name one studio head that would do that? None! As long as their is a Troma, I will always be a fan! Now, let's talk about all the movies I saw on that Tromatic night!!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1984)

THE TOXIC AVENGER (1984): Meet little Melvin. He's a 98lbs loser who works at the Tromaville Health Club where he gets picked on a lot. But when a practical joke goes awry, Melvin falls into a vat of chemical waste, thus transforming him into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength. Melvin becomes The Toxic Avenger, the first superhuman from New Jersey! Soon Toxie is fighting crime and cleaning up Tromaville, much to the chagrin of its fat corrupt Mayor Peter Belgoody (Pat Ryan). But can Toxie and his blind and beautiful girlfriend Sara (Andree Maranda) survive the wrath of the mayor's revenge?

This is the film that put Troma on the map. Originally, nobody wanted to see the film. But when it was booked at the midnight screenings at the Bleeker Street Cinema, the word of mouth spread. Soon there were lines around the block. With its gratuitous nudity, gore, the infamous head crushing scene, toilet humor, and not so special effects, the film went on to win the hearts of fans and became an instant cult classic! The film spawned three sequels to date (with a fourth one in the works), a children's cartoon show, merchandise, action figures, books, games, etc. As we speak, Hollywood is working on a big budget remake of the film. Click here to view the film's original trailer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1986)

CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH (1986): Tromaville High is your typical ordinary American high school, with just one exception. It's located only one mile away from the Tromaville Nuclear Power Plant! When the plant has a major meltdown, its toxic chemical waste seeps into the school's water supply, thus transforming students into Cretans! High school couple warren and Chrissy (Gil Brenton and Janelle Brady respectively) are the only ones who notice that something's wrong, but when their mutant baby becomes a chemical creature of destruction, they have no choice but to blow up their school!

This is personally my favorite Troma film. It has it all: hot naked chicks, high school pranks, mutant monsters, Cretans, teenage rebellion, destruction to private and public property, and drug usage. What's not to like about all of that? My favorite scenes were all the exterior shots, which was filmed beautifully. Troma Fun Fact: When the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the radioactive dust from Chernobyl was blowing over the south of France (this fun fact came courtesy of Lloyd Kaufman's first book All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger which I highly recommended reading). Click here to view the film's original trailer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1996)

TROMEO & JULIET (1996): Body Piercing, Kinky Sex, Dismemberment. The things that made Shakespeare great! With both Will Keenan and Jane Jensen cast in the lead roles as our favorite star crossed lovers, the film takes place in the modern world where the war between the Capulets and the Ques begin to escalate. But can true love conquer hate or will Tromeo and Juliet suffer the same fate as their past incarnations?

After being in a creative slump, Kaufman bounces back with this ingenious adaptation of Shakespeare's beloved classic. The film also boasts an exceptional soundtrack with music by bands such as Motorhead, Superchunk, Ass Ponys, Supernova, The Meatmen as well as Jane Jensen herself. Troma Fun Fact: the movie was written by James Gunn, who would go on later to write the two SCOOBY-DOO films and the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake. He also wrote and directed the horror film SLITHER, the superhero parody SUPER, and the upcoming Marvel Studio's blockbuster GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Hard to believe it, but it's true! Click here to view the film's original trailer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2014)

RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 (2014): The newest Tromamasterpiece from Lloyd Kaufman. The Tromaville Nuclear Power Plant has been torn down to make way for the Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate. But when bloggers and lesbian lovers Chrissy and Lauren (Asta Paredes and Catherine Corcoran respectively) begin to sense that something is amiss, the Tromaville High Glee Club is mysteriously transformed into a vicious gang of Cretins! And just what is wrong with Lauren's pet Kevin the Wonder Duck? Can these two luscious lipstick lesbian loves lick this investigation?

While both equal parts a remake and a sequel, Kaufman demonstrates that he still has that magic touch. The film is filled with humor (both political and satirical), social commentary on school lunches, evil corporations, violence in schools, and gay rights. Oh, and it still has all the gore, violence, and nudity that one would expect from a Troma movie. Originally the film was one long feature until Quentin Tarantino suggested to Kaufman that he split the film into two volumes like he did with his film KILL BILL. Overall this is another worthy entry in the franchise that all of you out there should see! And guess what? The movie is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD so go out there and pick up a copy for yourself! Click here to view the film's trailer.

And folks, there you have it! One of the most amazing cinematic experiences I have ever had! Meeting Lloyd, Pat, Mark, Keenan, Toxie and the rest of the gang was awesome!! So do yourself a favor, if you've never seen a Troma film, I would recommend seeing these four movie today! All of these cinematic gems and more are available to buy on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download. To learn more about Troma, their film library, and to make purchases, visit their website at www.troma.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Boy, this was one crazy busy weekend!! Not only was I attending Monsterpalooza at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, but I was also at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica Saturday night to attend the Troma Marathon! Now on Sunday, after spending the last day at Monsterpalooza, Bobby, Michelle, and I then headed down the street to the Dark Delicacies Bookstore to checkout the RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 signing with Lloyd Kaufman and two of its stars Stefan Dezil (Slayer) and Gabriela Fuhr (Kelly). It's been a couple of moths since I was at the bookstore and I was really looking forward to going back to this excellent place where horror is alive and well!

The lovely Pat Kaufman.

Once again Lloyd's wife Pat was there managing the Troma merchandise table. While there I did a little birthday shopping for my younger siblings. For my baby sister Stephanie, I bought her a DVD copy of POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD and a poster of CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER IV. For my younger brother Thomas, I got him the TOXIC AVENGER Boxset and a 8x10 pic of Lloyd Kaufman. To make their gifts even more Tromatic, Lloyd personalized them all, which proves without a shadow of doubt that he truly does love his fans!

Oh I almost forgot. The previous night at the Aero Theatre, I won a RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH poster in a raffle. So I also got that and by Blu-ray copy signed by Lloyd as well as by Stefan and Gabriela!! I also saw my friend Del Howison, the owner of Dark Delicacies. I told him to keep up the great work of getting these events because I will continue to come down from San Jose to attend these!!

Lloyd Kaufman, myself, and the Toxic Avenger.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is a wrap from sunny Southern California!! Wow, what an incredible weekend!! I don't think I've had this much fun in one weekend before! First I want to personally thank Lloyd Kaufman for taking the time out to autograph all my Troma memorabilia and for chatting it up with me! Big hugs to Pat for being such a sweetheart! To all the people I got to meet at Monsterpalooza and to all my friends living in SoCal, it was great to see you all again! So far this was my third trip down here, so you know for a fact that I'll be back down here again soon for another one of my crazy adventures! And last, but not least, thank you all out there for reading my articles! I really appreciate that you take time out of your busy lives to read all my wacky reviews and trips! Till next time my friends! And don't forget, to learn more upcoming events at Dark Delicacies, business hours, and product, visit their website at www.darkdel.com. To learn more about Troma, their film library, and to make purchases, visit their website at www.troma.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello once again everybody! After my SoCal trip, I decided to take a break until the next big movie release. Of course that only last a week because on Friday, the release of Marvel Studio's CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER came out! OK this is a big deal and I'm gonna see this one! So I along with my friends Alison and Craig headed on over to the Cinelux Theater in Campbell to see this latest installment in the Marvel Cinema Universe.

The film's official synopsis: After the cataclysmic in New York with The Avengers, the film finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America (Chris Evans), living quietly in Washington D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web in intrigue that threaten to put the world at risk. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy - the Winter Soldier.

While watching the film, my mind was remembering George Orwell's novel 1984, in it he warned us that Big Brother is watching us. Well, Big Brother was watching us, and he was making huge weapons of mass destruction. This thought occurred when Sgt. Fury (once again by Samuel L. Jackson) was showing Steve the newest weapons from S.H.I.E.L.D. The best line came from Steve when he said, "This isn't freedom. This is fear." This is a horrifying and sobering thought to process while watching a comic book movie sequel.

The film is a throwback to the 1970's spy and espionage films from America and from Great Britain. James Bond films, In Like Flint, All the President's Men are just a few that stand out in my mind. Kudos goes to screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for writing such a thrilling and compelling script, fleshing out all the major characters (especially Steve and Natasha), creating new villains like the Winter Soilder (Sebastian Stan), all new characters like Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) and Sam Wilson aka the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). Plus the story is filled with a lot of twist and turns and surprises that totally caught me off guard. And this is what I look for in a sequel: does it take all the main characters to the next level? Am I being entertained? Is it a worthy entry to the overall franchise? I say a thundering "Yes!" to all three on my criteria.

Chris Evens once again as the Cap does an impeccable job with adding more depth and humanity to his character while still kicking major ass. His on-screen chemistry with Johansson is fantastic and they play off one another very well in the movie. Of course it also helps that they're also good friends in real life. Samuel Jackson as Nick Fury is bad ass as always, but Robert Redford's acting is top notch!! He proves once again that he can take any role and make his own. And he takes the Alexander Pierce character and he not only runs with it, but scores a major touchdown! Phenomenal acting on the part of Redford!!

Stepping in the director's chair are brothers Joe and Anthony Russo. These two have directed other films like WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD and YOU, ME, AND DUPREE plus episodes of televisions shows like Happy Endings and Community. They did such a great job directing this film, that they've already been assigned to direct the next sequel.

Overall CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is a solid, entertaining and thrilling blockbuster!! This is the film that all the other Marvel films will be judged by! This is the milestone in the Marvel Cinema Universe! Go see this movie today!! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2014 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night yours truly was back as the host! The series continued with the screening of Park Chan-Wook's 2003 film OLDBOY! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

American Theatrical Poster (2003)

The film's official synopsis: An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, Oh Dae-Su soon finds out that his kidnapper has a greater plan for him and is set onto a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to uncover the motive of his mysterious tormentor.

The film is the second chapter in Wook's Vengeance Trilogy. First came SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE which was released in 2002. OLDBOY was released in 2003 and the final installment LADY VENGEANCE came out in 2005.

The films were released here in the states by Tartan Asian Extreme. Eventually all three films were available DVD boxset, then it came out on Blu-ray. This film was just released in a 10th anniversary Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, the new home for the Tartan label.

Upon the film's theatrical release, it garnered positive and soon rave reviews. The website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 80% based on 133 reviews. One of those fans was filmmaker Spike Lee, who remade the film with star Josh Brolin in 2013 to less than critical acclaim.

What a great crowd we had that night!! Over 30 people showed up to see this modern day cult classic! And we're only getting started! Next month we'll be showing Walter Hill's 1976 cult film THE WARRIORS! Now that show will be sold out fast! To view the full 2014 Cult Movie schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Marvel Studio's juggernaut onslaught of major blockbusters to dominate movie theaters this year continues with this past Friday's newest release. Now if you recall, I disliked the relaunch of America's favorite wallcrawler THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. In fact, I ripped that film a new one in my review and gave it only one star! In fact, the last statement I wrote in it was, "Sony Pictures wants to recapture the magic of the Sam Raimi films, but after seeing this, it looks very doubtful." Now two years later, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field and director Marc Webb return with the latest installment of the franchise THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. And this time, the filmmakers finally got it right!

The film's official synopsis: It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

Right off the bat the on-screen chemistry between Garfield and Stone is much better and more believable and makes the audience care about their respective characters. Of course it doesn't hurt that Garfield and Stone are actually dating in real life. So their acting is honest and real and really quite enchanting to watch. Plus Garfield's Peter Parker looks and sounds like his comic book counterpart and Stone's Gwen Stacey is more three dimensional and sounds and looks like a real woman. Two vast improvements over their previous performances in the first film.

For the newbies in the film, really outstanding jobs all around. Jamie Foxx proves that he has ability and capability to portray a truly deadly super villain. His version and vision of Electro is a sympathetic and tragic person who embraces his inner most desire of vengeance against those who wronged him. Hey, if I had his electrical powers I'd wreak havoc all over the place! Here we get to see the evolution of the timid gaining the powers of a god and as the old saying goes, "Absolute power corrupts absolute." Foxx's Electro is a perfect example of this. My vote for Best Villain of 2014! A great performance on the part of Foxx!

Dane DeHaan's performance and his version of Harry Osborn is again another improvement of the previous incarnation, this being the James Franco version from the original Sam Raimi trilogy. Here, DeHaan's Harry is, to me, much more fleshed out and much more interesting. His background is more complete, the animosity between him and his dying father Norman, his strained friendship with Peter, and suddenly the young heir is given the keys to the Osborn Kingdom are all interesting aspects to his character development. And his rise as the Green Goblin, Spider-Man's most deadliest foe of all time. Kudos to Dane DeHaan for making Harry a more well-rounded character and for bringing back that element of pure evil!

Once again Marc Webb steps into the director's chair and has improved tremendously. The look of the film is way more dynamic, looks like the comic book coming to life before our very eyes. Instead of imitating what Sam Raimi did (like he tried in the first film), Webb transforms the franchise and makes it his own; visually stunning and entertaining, gripping action scenes, tender moments of human emotions, and the ultimate sacrifices that capture the audiences' interests. Also congrats to screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt for crafting a smart, personal, exciting, and entertaining story, which is based on the old comic story by the legendary team of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Now the film is available in both 2D and 3D. I saw it in 2D since there was no 3D version available at that time frame. However, I am very interested in seeing it in 3D, just because these is so much action in film, I am very curious in what it looks like in 3D.

Overall THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is an impressive, all-out action packed, thrill ride of a superhero movie! It superiority over the first film is dully noted and those who didn't like that film will love this one! Hands down one of Marvel's best summer films! 4 out of 5 stars!! Recommended!!

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the Cinelux Theaters here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cineluxtheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Greetings and salutations my fellow horror hounds! Today is a very special day not only in horror film history, but in film history in general. On this exact date, 34 years ago, a horror icon was born and a franchise was created. On May 9, 1980, Paramount Pictures released a small, low budget horror movie called FRIDAY THE 13th. And the world was forever changed for the better.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1980)

Now if you haven't seen this film yet, or you have only seen the 2009 remake, then you really need to see this! I have seen this film an ungodly amount of times; to the point that I could recite the whole film in my sleep! This summer camp slasher classic tells the story of a group of camp counselors who are stalked and killed on the eve of the grand re-opening of Camp Crystal Lake. Look for Kevin Bacon making his film debut as Jack Burrel. Also appearing in the film is the great Besty Palmer as Mrs. Pamela Voorhees, who seems to know more about the grizzly murders than she's letting on. The ending is still one of the greatest endings in modern day horror films.

The film was directed by Sean S. Cunningham, who in 1972 teamed up with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET creator Wes Craven on the exploitation cult classic THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. Make up legend Tom Savini supplied the gore to the film with his then cutting edge tricks and techniques. While seem tame by today's standards, these make-up effects were revolutionary at that time. Except in Italian horror films, American audiences had never seen a throat slash open and spew out blood before. Nor see arrows piercing through neck, an axe to the head, and we all have to thank Savini for all of this!

Mrs. Voorhees herself, the great Besty Palmer.

The film grossed an unbelievable $59,754,601 during its theatrical run (the film's budget was only $550,000). Paramount was so pleased with their investment that the studio immediately demanded a sequel. In fact, during the Paramount years, there were a total of seven sequels! In 1981 FRIDAY THE 13th: PART II was released, with others shortly behind: FRIDAY THE 13th in 3D, FRIDAY THE 13th: THE FINAL CHAPTER, FRIDAY THE 13th, PART V: A NEW BEGINNING, FRIDAY THE 13th, PART VI: JASON LIVES, FRIDAY THE 13th, PART VII:THE NEW BLOOD (the first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason Voorhees), and FRIDAY THE 13th, PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN. Due to dwindling box office receipts for each film, Paramount decided it was best to let the franchise leave.

Young Jason Voorhees portrayed by Ari Lehman.

The rights of the series reverted back to its creator Sean S. Cunningham. He then made a deal with New Line Cinema, which was the home to another horror icon Freddy Krueger of the NIGHTMARE OF ELM STREET series. With a new distributor, Sean and team cranked out two more films: JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY and JASON X. But the big reason why Sean chose New Line was to finally pit two of the greatest horror icons in one epic movie. For fans it was dream came true when on August 15, 2003 FREDDY VS JASON was released to theater nationwide. Grossing an outstanding $82,556,855 million in North America and another $32,286,175 in foreign sales. With renewed interest in Jason, Sean Cunningham and his team decided it was time for a remake. Enter Michael Bay and his company Platinum Dunes, the same folks that made the THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake back in 2003.

Jason Voorhees Action Figure from PART VII.

The FRIDAY THE 13th remake combined elements from the first three films and was released to theaters on . It went on to gross $65,002,019 in the states, take of $26,377,032 in foreign sales. The final tally for the film $91,379,051 in worldwide box office. Even as I write this tribute, a sequel is currently in production.

It's hard to imagine the horror film landscape with out FRIDAY THE 13th. Its launched many actors and actresses careers, brought the world of special effects center stage, and created on of the greatest legends in horror film history. Jason Voorhees is as popular, recognizable, and profitable as Micky Mouse. Action figures, costumes, comic books, posters, games, cards, even plush dolls and bobble heads have Jason's likeness.

So today is a day of celebration! Even though it's not the 13th, it's still Friday and so it's the perfect day to go watch this horror classic. It's available on DVD, Blu-Ray and even in the ultra cool Blu_ray Tin Boxset! So there's a number of ways to watch this film. So grab a bunch of your friends, order some pizzas and soda, kick back and watch FRIDAY THE 13th!! Just make sure that Mrs. Voorhees doesn't show up and ruin your fun!

FRIDAY THE 13th and the entire series is available on both DVD and in a special Limited Edition Tin Blu-Ray Boxset. To purchase these films, visit your local retailer. To learn more about the series, and to make purchases, visit the official website at fridaythe13thfilms.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming!

Hey kids! What time is it? That's right! It's summertime! School's out. College graduations are commencing. And you know what else? That's right! The Big WOW! ComicFest returns to the San Jose Convention Center this weekend May 17th and 18th! Yes, San Jose's premier comic book show is back with comic book artists, gamers, filmmakers, cosplayers and costume contests, local and international celebraties and so much more!

With Hollywood's big GODZILLA remake opening this weekend, Big WOW! pulled out all the stops by having several legendary Japanese actors appearing at the fest! First is Kenpachiro Satsuma, who first came to fame by donning the famous Godzilla suit for the 1984 film RETURN OF GODZILLA. After the film's release, he would play the famed reptile 11 more times! Joining him are actors Satoshi “Bin” Furuya, best known for being the original Ultraman, and Daisuke Ban, best known for his title roles in "two of the most iconic series of all time, KIKAIDA and INAZUMAN!" If you are a true Japanese fan, then you will want to meet these three acting icons!

There are numerous comic book personalities already signed up to appear at the convention and all are icons in the industry: Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy), Joe Linser (Cry for Dawn) Sergio Aragones (Groo the Wanderer), Michael Golden (The 'Nam, Dr. Strange), Joyce Chin (Vampirella, Xena, Guy Gardener: Warrior), Mark Badger (Spider-Man, X-Men), Arthur Adams (Superman, Godzilla, Monkeyman and O'Brian), and Neal Adams (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) just to name a few.

Along with comic book personal, there will be other celebrities appearing from all avenues. In the entertainment world, fans can meet local stars such as Balrok and Cave Girls Shotzi Black Heartt and Madison Hannah from the hit KOFY TV20 television show Creep KOFY Movie Time, horror hostess Miss Misery from Miss Misery's Movie Massacre, horror host Lord Blood-Rah of Lord Blood-Rah's Nerve Wraking Theatre, Strephon Taylor from November Fire, local documentary filmmaker Tom Wyrsch and legendary Creature Features host John Stanley.

As for Big WOW! celebrities, look no further than William Katt (from the TV series The Greatest American Hero, CARRIE, HOUSE), Clare Kramer (from the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, BRING IT ON, and BIG ASS SPIDER), Richard Kiel ("Jaws" in the James Bond films, HAPPY GILMORE) Costas Mandylor (from the TV series Picket Fences, the SAW series), Kevin B. Grevioux (co-writer and producer of the UNDERWORLD films), Jane Wiedlin (guitarist of The Go-Go's), and Alison MacInnis ( Dana Mitchell the Pink Ranger on the current season of Power Rangers Super Megaforce) just to name a few!

Fans will also meet some of the finest cosplayers around, including Valerie Perez (Wonder Woman), Anthony Misiano (The Joker), Ivy Doomkitty, and Vegas Powergirl for starters. Then there's all the comic book artists at the Underground and Artist's Alley creating original works of art, the cool Anima area that includes my friend Carlyfornia, plus all the dealers, toys, comics and everything else you can imagine!

There's also cool programs and panels during the two days, including a Power Rangers panel, Top Cow Studios panel, Cosplay 101, Cultural Diversity in Comics, a Costume Contest and so much more. Plus there's also going to be a Magic the Gathering Tournaments for all you gamers out there!

Some of the big events to check out is the1st Annual Famous Monsters Film Festival, hosted by the fine folks over at Famous Monsters of Filmland, "the magazine that has inspired generations of imaginations such as Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and many more." The film festival will be running the entire first day and some of Sunday morning. Also worth checking out is the Batman Museum: Celebrating 75 years of the famed Caped Crusader! Witness and marvel (no pun intended) at rare original artwork, toys, games, posters and collectibles of all kinds!

So what are you waiting for? Start planing to attend Northern California's premiere comic book and entertainment event! To learn more about the convention and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit Big WOW! ComicFest's official website at www.bigwowcomicfest.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

During the Big WOW! ComicFest at the San Jose Convention Center May 17th-18th, there will be another special convention happening simultaneously. CreaturesCon 3 is "the world's ONLY convention dedicated to the Bay Area's beloved TV phenomenon Creature Features." For those of you who live outside the Bay Area, this legendary show ran on KTVU Channel 2 in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1971 to 1984. The show was hosted by Bob Wilkins, and later by John Stanley, who took over in 1979. During the convention, we celebrate this beloved television show!

Celebrities in attendance for CreaturesCon 3 are as follows: Creatures Features host John Stanley, filmmaker and Creature Features archivist Tom Wyrsch, Strephon Taylor from November Fire, HARDWARE WARS director Ernie Fosselius, and Bay Area horror host Lord Blood-Rah. Bob Wilkins, who hosted the show from 1970-1979, passed away from Alzheimer's disease on January 7, 2009

John Stanley with Bob Wilkins in his famed yellow rocking chair.

There will be informative Programs and panels for fans to attend: "CreaturesCon 3" and the other "Remembering the Ackermansion." There will be a props area, cool Creatures Features items for sale, but the biggest event happening is that there will be a LIVE Creatures Features show hosted by John Stanley!! That's right! I said a LIVE CREATURES FEATURES SHOW HOSTED BY JOHN STANLEY!! Now I grew up watching the show, and to see it live, it is a dream come true for not only myself, but for fans of the show! And the film that John will be screening is none other than George A. Romero's 1968 zombie classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

So for all you horror fans out there in the Bay Area, make sure you come out d be part of all this fun! To learn more about the CreaturesCon 3 and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit their official website at www.creaturescon.com. To purchase tickets and passes for the Big WOW! ComicFest, visit their official website at www.bigwowcomicfest.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show

An actor in a rubber monster suit. Decal buildings and toy cars. Flying creatures on strings. Firecracker explosions decorating the scenery. These images from my childhood conjure some many nostalgic emotions for me. For you see, I use to watch the old GODZILLA movies, and they captured my imaginations like no other! To see Godzilla battle Mothera, or team up with Ultraman, or go head to head with King Kong, these movies were incredible! Sure the budgets of these films were about $35 but who cares! They were entertaining as hell! And I loved them!!

Then came the 1998 remake film with Matthew Brodrick. My childhood died that night.

Now here we are, several years later and Warner Brothers unleashes its newest interpretation of the famed King of Monsters. And after watching it, GODZILLA is a phenomenal cinematic adventure that will appeal to diehard fans worldwide!

The film's official synopsis:

Greetings and salutations everybody! After taking some time off due to having major surgery, I'm ready to go back on my cinematic adventures! And the first thing I did was head on over to the Castro Theatre to attend the very first San Francisco Silent Film Festival's Silent Autumn Event! Now in the past the particular event was held in the winter, but the festival moved it to autumn. Now personally, it doesn't affect me because it gives me the chance to see all my old friends and to see some amazing silent movies. And Saturday's all-day event was nothing short of spectacular! What a perfect way for me to make my triumphant comeback to the world of film reviews!

The show started at 11am with the program ANOTHER FINE MESS: SILENT LAUREL AND HARDY SHORTS. Also known as "The Boys," the program consisted on three classic silent shorts from their time at the infamous Hal Roach Studios. The three shorts were:

SHOULD MARRIED MEN GO HOME? (1928): When Laurel comes over to visit Hardy, hilarious hi-jinks ensues. When Mrs. Hardy tells them to go golfing, the fun continues when the boys try to impress a couple of females, only to end up in a mud fight with the other golfers.

TWO TARS (1928): The Boys are sailors on leave when the rent a car and meet with a couple of cutie dames. Soon ther're stuck in a traffic jam which leads to an all-out temper tantrum with everybody commenting acts of vehicle vandalism. And by that I mean cars are torn apart. Funny stuff!!

BIG BUSINESS (1929): A staple over at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, the boys are Christmas Trees sales reps. When they go knocking on the door of a grumpy old man (played by James Finlayson), the kid gloves come off and it's an all out war as both parties destroy each others properties while a cop looks on. One of my all time favorites!! Musical accompaniment was provided by the great Donald Sosin, who did a fantastic job of bring comedic melodies to these silent comedy classics!

The second movie shown was the newly restored edition of SON OF THE SHEIK (1926) starring silent film heartthrob Rudolph Valentino and sexy Vilma Banky. Ahmed (Valentino) falls in love with the beautiful dancing girl Yasmin (Banky), but he's tricked into thinking that she was involved with him becoming kidnapped and held for ransom, he seeks out revenge and captures her.

In the film Valentino pulls double acting duty, portraying both the hot headed young Ahmed and his father The Sheik (which he previously played in THE SHEIK back in 1921). Originally he didn't want to make the film, but felt he had to to make he fans happy. It premiered in New York to rave reviews from critics and movie goers. However, Valentino unexpectedly passed away at the age of 31 on August 23, 1926, less than two weeks before it was released to theaters. This was his last film, but what a why to go out! The film was released to theaters by United Artists on September 5, 1926. The outstanding Alloy Orchestra provided an incredible score to the film!

Up next was the program entitled A NIGHT AT THE CINEMA IN 1914, which was presented by the British Film Institute (or the BFI). The program was created to show American audiences what British movie goers were watching exactly 100 years ago! This was a real treat for all of us to watch. A total of 14 short films were shown, mostly newsreels and a couple of pretty funny comedies. The great Donald Sosin provided the music. Here's what was screened:

LOOPING THE LOOP AT HENDON (March 1914): Newsreel about British pilots Gustav Hamel and Bentfield Hucks performing some stunts at Hendon airfield.

PALACE PANDEMONIUM (May 1914): Activist and campaign leader Emmeline Pankhurst is arrested Buckingham Palace for trying to go to the king himself so that women can have the right to vote.

AUSTRIAN TRAGEDY (July 1914): This newsreel showcases the Austro-Hungarian royal family and the wedding of Archduke Karl, who succeeded Franz Ferdinand following his assignation.

DOGS FOR THE ANTARCTIC (August 1914): Newsreel showing Sir Ernest Shackleton selecting his dogs for his next expedition trip to Antarctica.

DAISY DOODAD'S DIAL: A crazy comedy short starring Florence Turner as Daisy, who tries to enter a funny face making competition only to end up getting arrested for disturbing the peace.

EGYPT AND HER DEFENDERS: A brief newsreel about British Consul General Lord Kitchener (before he was Secretary of State for War) inspecting the troops.

LIEUTENANT PIMPLE AND THE STOLEN SUBMARINE: OK this short had me at hello? Lt. Pimple (whose face is painted to look like a monkey) watches over a submarine (made out of cardboard) only to let it get stolen. The props look like it came from an Ed Wood movie! So random and absurd that I laughed my head off!

SCOUT'S VALUABLE AID (August 1914): A couple of Sea Scouts stand on a cliff and look for invading fleets of Germans or something. Very short short.

GERMAN OCCUPATION OF HISTORIC LOUVAIN (September 1914): This heart wrenching newsreel showcases the German invasion Belgium and the complete destruction of the town called Louvain.

GENERAL FRENCH'S CONTEMPTIBLE LITTLE ARMY: General French is the commander of the British army in France. He beats the Germans in this animated short by pioneering animator Lancelot Speed.

CHRISTMAS AT THE FRONT (December 1914): Troops celebrating Christmas at the front, but their whereabouts are withheld for security reasons.

THE PERILS OF PAULINE: An awesome action/adventure short starring Pearl White as Pauline, who accidentally hitches a ride in a hot air balloon and then is kidnapped and trapped in a burning house!

THE ROLLICKING RAJAH: This short originally came with a synchronized sound disc, but it has been lost for ages. However, the sheet music still survives and Donald Sosin played and sang the lyrics to this interesting short that features a singing Rajah and a bunch of lovely ladies wearing the latest styles and fashions.

A FILM JOHNNIE: And of course we couldn't end this program without Britain's favorite son Charlie Chaplin. In one of his earliest Keystone shorts, Charlie heads to the cinema, where he falls in love with the stunning Peggy Pierce. He then heads over to the Keystone studio where he meets Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Mabel Normand, and Peggy. Oh and a whole lot of shenanigans transpire.

The next film screened is a silent film classic! A silent comedy gem! And it was my first time seeing it on the Castro screen! THE GENERAL (1926) is without question Buster Keaton'smasterpiece. Set during the Civil War, Johnnie Grey (Keaton) is a train engineer on the General. He also loves his girl Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). When Annabelle and the General are kidnapped by Union spies, Johnnie must cross the enemy lines to rescue both his loves and warn the Confederate army of the upcoming Yankee invasion. And oh yeah, there's a lot of funny stuff that happens in the movie!

There is nothing that I can say about this film that hasn't already been written. It doesn't get any better than this folks! This is not only one of the greatest silent films of all time, but also one of the greatest comedies of all time. This film is ranked in the Top Five of every critics lists. It has been revered as a classic. If you haven't seen this film yet, then get off your butt and go watch it now! The movie was released by United Artists on December 31, 1926. The musical score was provided by the Alloy Orchestra, who outdid themselves with their performance!

The last film of the Autumn Event seemed only fitting since next month is Halloween, so why not start the celebrations early. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI(1920) is a prime example of German Expressionism at its finest. The film tells the story of a mad doctor who trains a sleepwalker named Cesare (Conrad Veidt) to kill people in order to study the effects of somnambulism. To this day the film, and its ending, still gives me the shivers.

With its distorted sets, bizarre lights and shadows painted on canvases, and deformed spaces, the film achieves its nightmarish imagery right from the start and doesn't let you go till it twisted ending. Director Robert Wiene forever changed the face of German cinema as well as cinema itself. Many Universal horror filmmakers have cited the German Expressionism films as their inspiration for DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, and many others.The film was originally released by Decla-Bioscop in Germany on February 26, 1920. It was imported here in the states by Goldwyn Distributing Company on March 19, 1921. Donald Sosin provided the eerie musical score to this brand new 4K digital restoration!

And so my friends that is a wrap! What a great time I had! And don't forget The San Francisco Silent Film Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on May 28-30, 2015 so mark those dates on your calendar! Now if you'd like to learn more about the SF Silent Film Festival, and how to become a member, visit their website at www.silentfilm.org.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Since the release of IRON MAN in 2008, Marvel Studios has been releasing blockbuster after blockbuster in their shared cinematic universe like clockwork. Their "First Phase" of films led to the 2012 runway hit THE AVENGERS that united their superheroes in one film. Comic book fans and film buffs came out in droves to witness history in the making. After my initial review of it I thought to myself, "Boy, I can't wait to see how they top this!" Fast forward to this past weekend and I am sitting with my family to witness the next chapter of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Thus, here I am reviewing THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

The film's official synopsis: When Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth's Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron (James Spader) emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for a global adventure.

Also appearing in the film are newbies Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver), and MCU regulars Don Cheadle (James Rhodes aka War Machine), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson aka Falcon), Paul Bettany (Jarvis/Vision), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).

Once again writer/director Joss Whedon (THE AVENGERS, FIREFLY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) pulls out all the stops with this, his best film to date. Unlike its predecessor, Whedon abandons his traditional style of filmmaking and takes it to the next level. The look is far more cinematic, flowing and grander. It reminds me of the old style of Hollywood filmmaking, much like John Ford or Billy Wilder; taking something simple (like the old west or, in this case, superheroes) and having it reflect the filmmaker himself: his personality, eccentricities, and vision. The first film Whedon was criticized that the look and his directing style was more towards looking like a television episode rather a movie, Here, he silences his critics and creates a cinematic work of art that reflects his vision in its purist form. Dare I say that Joss Whedon has taken his first steps of becoming an auteur.

Also worth noting that not only his directing, Whedon's script bring to light more of the charaters backgrounds and what makes them tick. From Captain America's longing for his lost love Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell making a brief cameo) to Black Widow's brainwashing and training to become a lethal assassin, we the audience is given a very special treat: character development, which something rarely seen in sequels. The last time we saw this kind of crafted screenwriting was in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLIDER. Whedon proves that, without a shadow of a doubt, he has the capability to produce some amazing and outstanding films.

The cast is reunited to combat a deadly foe, and who else could've pulled of Ultron beside James Spader? No one, that's who! Spader (who is phenomenal on the hit television show Blacklist) portrays one of the most iconic villains in the Marvel Comics Universe and is just one of the most intelligent, evil beings that has ever graced the silver screen. The rest of the cast does a fantastic job once again and newcomers Olsen and Taylor-Johnson give it all and then some.

Overall THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is one of Marvel's biggest and most ambitious film yet and it pays off in spades! This is one summer blockbuster that really deserves to be seen on the big screen! So beat the heat and check out this outstanding chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRONis currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16. To view showtimes, visit their website at ww.amctheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

I love horror movies. I love them immensely. I have seen countless horror films, raging from the Universal classics and indies to the glut of remakes and cult classics. Now you may have noticed, Hollywood has been cranking out a series of horror remakes, re-imagines and reboots. This trend started back in 2003 with the remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, which was a very good remake that I enjoyed. However, lately I've had the painful responsibility of watching really crappy remakes as of late. This brings me to the latest in this uninspiring cycle of crap. Ladies and gentlemen, boils and ghouls, I present to you my review of 20th Century Fox's remake of POLTERGEIST.

The film's official synopsis: Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan reimagine and contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.

While the synopsis sounds interesting and horrifying, Fox forgot to mention that it sucked and wasn't scary at all.

This is just another sad example that Hollywood has completely and utterly run out of original ideas. Being a serious horror fanatic, this makes me absolutely furious! While their have been other remakes, reimagines, and reboots in other genres, none has been beaten to death than the horror genre. Time and time again, year after year, we have been subdued to watching a pathetic parade of classic horror films being given the Hollywood make-over. But how bad was this film? Let me give a list of reasons why it sucked so damn bad.

1) The film moved way to fast. Unlike the classic Tobe Hooper directed/Steven Spielberg produced 1982 film, director Gil Kenan and screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire totally botched this film by rushing the story and paying no mind to us the audience. We have to be invested in the characters, we have to sympathize with them, we want to feel for them and be scared when they are. But you can't do that when your film is flying at 100 miles per hour because you're hoping that we wouldn't noticed that the script wasn't finished in time before production started.

2) What made the original so great and terrifying was that is was just that. It got under your skin, it terrified you, it made you think twice about purchasing a home that was built on a cemetery. The scary trees, the freaking clown doll that wants to kill you, peeling your face off in the mirror, the demonic spirit that wants your daughter, all these ingredients made the original a classic. The remake had none of these whatsoever. I just sat there thinking that when the hell is this going to get scary.

3) There was no character development. Who are these people? Why should we care about them? Do I even have to like them? The answer to these questions is a resounding no. I didn't know them and, to be honest, I didn't want to. I could care a less about any of them.

4) The directing didn't look or feel smooth or fluid, rather it felt confusing and just all over the place. Granted this is only the third film that Kenan had directed, but I feel like he might have bitten off more than he could chew here. Maybe this a paid job and not something he really wanted to make?

5) Did I mention it wasn't scary? Oh I did? Ok moving on then.

6) All the good stuff was in the trailer. In fact, the trailer made the film look scary, which I claim as false advertisment. But what I did find scary was that horror icon and my hero Sam Raimi and his company Ghost House produced this piece of crap! Why Sam why?!? You made the original EVIL DEAD trilogy! You gave us the awesome SPIDER-MAN trilogy! You made DRAG ME TO HELL! But why did you help make this one?!? I need answers man! I can't live like this!! WHY?!?!?

Sorry about that. Got a little carried there. But I'm OK now, really. But I digress...

POLTERGIEST is a worthless, unoriginal, uninspiring, total waste of my hard earn cash remake of a film. This film gave me diarrhea. I felt stupid by the end credits. It doesn't deserve your time and attention. This film hurt me so bad that I'm not even going to rate it. It sucked people. Don't see this movie. Stick to the original and you'll be a lot better off.

POLTERGEIST is currently playing in both 2-D and 3-D in theaters nationwide, including at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16. To view showtimes, visit their website at ww.amctheatres.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

MAGGIE Blu-Ray Cover (2015)

MAGGIE
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson, Douglas M. Griffin, Rachel Whitman Groves, Jodie Moore
Written by John Scott 3
Cinematography by Lukas Ettlin
Directed by Henry Hobson
Released by Lionsgate

Hello again horror hounds and welcome back to another installment of Phil's Horror Watch! While mainstream media is blasting Arnold Schwazenegger's newest film TERMINATER: GENISYS, one might have missed his smaller, intimate indie horror/drama the played in select theaters. A film that some horror fans may not even knew was released given to its stars. However, one must seek out Lionsgate's newest release MAGGIE to witness a zombie film unlike anything that's been made before.

The film's official synopsis: After a couple of weeks seeking out his teenage daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin), Wade Vogel (Arnold Schwarzenegger) finds her in the quarantine wing of a hospital. Maggie has been infected by a lethal outbreak that transforms the victim into a zombie. Wade's friend Dr. Vern Kaplan (Jodie Moore) releases Maggie to spend her last days with Wade and her family. Her stepmother Caroline (Joely Richardson) asks Wade to take their little kids to her sister's house to keep them safe. While Maggie is slowly transformed, Wade stays with her protecting Maggie. But Dr. Vern warns him that the moment that he will have to take an ultimate decision is closer.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2015)

This might be a film that Schwarzenegger fans may not like. This is not an action, adventure, shoot-em-up, big effects, big explosions type film. This is something very different from the norm, even for the zombie genre. Here is a film that is thoughtful, sensitive, emotional and makes you reflect on what's important in your life. Like I said, not your typical Schwarzenegger flick but that's a good thing for Schwarzenegger. We get to see him stretch out his acting capabilities and he's quite believable in his role as the world weary, loving husband and father Wade. I think this his best role he's ever played and it's very refreshing to see him in this 180 type role. When you think of dramatic roles, Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't the first name that pops into your mind. But after seeing him in this film, you might want to reconsider that stereotype you have of him.

Abigail Breslin once again turns in a powerful performance, in this her second outing in the zombie genre (the first one was the horror/comedy ZOMBIELAND). Her portrayal of teen infected girl turning zombie Maggie is very believable and you feel for her outcome: you know she's infected right at the start of the film and you continue to root for her and tell her to fight the virus. You want her to overcome it be a regular, normal teenage girl. But unfortunately that's not possible. A brilliant and compelling performance on the part of the young actress.

Now believe it or not, this is Henry Hobson's directorial debut and he just nails it from the first frame to the last. The film looks a feels like a beautiful nightmare that unfolds gracefully. Brilliantly photographed by cinematographer Lukas Ettlin, Hobson's vision of a father's loving devotion to his only daughter set against a world that is in a chaotic state of decay and death is lovingly captured for us film lovers to watch and discuss. And since this technically a zombie film, there are some scares and some minor bloodshed to be found, but overall this is a zombie film that is more about life than death. A triumphant directorial debut on the part of Hobson!

Overall MAGGIE is hands down one of the most original zombie films I have ever seen! A new type of filmmaking has been achieved and for horror fans, this is a reason to celebrate. Everything is usually a remake, reboot, or a re-imagining. Here is an original film for a unique director who had a unique voice and was brave enough to make a personal, reflective, and creative work of art. Five out five stars!! Highly recommended!!

MAGGIEis available on both Blu-Ray and DVD and can be purchased at your local retailer or at the Amazon website at www.amazon.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 9-March 15, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 10-March 13, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 11-March 14, 2014

Phil attends Cinequest 24: Day 12-March 15, 2014

Phil attends the Final Day of Cinequest 24- March 16, 2014

Phil's Favorite Films from Cinequest 24- March 20, 2014

Phil attends MONSTERPALOOZA 2014 at the Marriot Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank-March 28-30, 2014

Phil attends the TROMA MARATHON at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica-March 29, 2014

Phil attends the RETURN TO NUKE 'EM HIGH: VOLUME 1 signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank-March 30, 2014

Phil sees CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER at the Cinelux Plaza Theater in Campbell-April 5, 2014

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of OLDBOY at the Camera 3-April 17, 2014

Phil sees THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 in 2D at the Cinelux Alamden Cinema-May 2, 2014

Phil celebrates the 34th Anniversary of the FRIDAY THE 13TH-May 9, 2014

Phil counts down to the BIG WOW! COMICFEST at the San Jose Convention Center May 17-18, 2014

Phil counts down to CREATURESCON 3 during the Big Wow! ComicFest at the San Jose Covention Center May 17-18, 2014

Phil sees GODZILLA at the Camera 7 Pruneyard Campbell-May 16, 2014

Phil attends the first annual San Francisco Silent Film Festival's Silent Autumn Event at the Castro Theatre-September 20, 2014

Phil sees THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16-May 16, 2015

Phil sees POLTERGEIST at the AMC Showplace Manteca 16-May 25, 2015

Phil's Horror Watch: Phil reviews MAGGIE (2015) from Lionsgate-August 8, 2015