MY CALL: After an unexpected sexy crime thriller opening (and middle), this eventually mutates into something disgusting, exploitative and utterly ridiculous. To be clear, I liked it. Sure, it starts slow. But it reaches full-tilt bonkers by the end. MOVIES LIKE Seeding of a Ghost: If it’s Chinese sorcerers you want, then look no further than this James Hong double feature: The Vineyard (1989) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). For more dark sorcery, try Viy: Forbidden Empire (2014), Mystics in Bali (1981), The Devil’s Sword (1984), Conquest (1983), Black Magic (1975), Black Magic 2 (1976), The Boxer’s Omen (1983), Devil Fetus (1983), Devil Fetus 2 (1984) and Thinner (1996).
Shortly after Hong Kong taxi driver Zhou (Phillip Ko; The Boxer’s Omen) hits a scrappy sorcerer (Hussein Abu Hassan; Centipede Horror) with his car, his wife Irene (Maria Jo; Lethal Panther) goes from thoughtful, loyal and affectionate to a sultry adulteress giving in to Ming’s (Norman Chu; Black Magic, The Web of Death) advances at her workplace. Irene is subsequently raped and murdered by two young criminals. Seeking the sorcerer who was the cause of his curse upon his life, Zhou begs for help at any cost to turn the curse to his enemies. That’s the premise. And while it may sound straightforward, director Kuen Yeung (aka, Chuan Yang; Ghost’s Lover) had some interesting ideas as to how to bring this story to life on screen. And few of these ideas are… classy.
For example, this film features what could only be described as the absolute longest slow-motion topless running scene in cinema history. It’s like the filmmakers wanted to give your mother or spouse every possible opportunity to walk in on you while watching this scene. Even clothed in bathing suits, Baywatch doubtfully ever featured such a lengthy and breasty slow-motion run on the beach. And, now that we’re on the topic, there’s quite a bit of nudity, feisty bedroom flirting and sex (and sexual assault) scenes in this movie. You’d think you were watching a sexy thriller movie; something you’d find showing on the Hong Kong CINEMAX channel after midnight.
After Irene is raped and murdered, the movie shifts into an action-crime thriller loaded with police interrogations and long street fights. There’s street brawling martial arts and everything is told with a straight face. It’s as if a completely new director was telling the middle of this movie’s story in a completely different genre.
Then we shift into the third act when Zhou pleas with the sorcerer who created all of his bad luck and the sorcerer offers to lead the ghost of his murdered wife to her killers. It’s not until this point that Chinese mysticism and black magic run amok as the sorcerer conjures her naked mummified remains and slowly turns them into something more zombie-ish and deliciously gross. Now this is the movie I’ve been waiting to see.
This vengeful black magic is quirky. Starting off rather weak, it induces the vomiting of worms, various hallucinations, and irritable bathroom plumbing. But it soon graduates to possessing naked wives and incestuous siblings to exact Irene’s dirty work from the grave. I’ve gotta’ say it again, there’s a lot of nudity. And now for a sentence I never thought I’d write… Eventually Irene’s spirit (i.e., her mummy-zombie body) has spectral sex with her victim’s ghost and becomes pregnant with a spirit of vengeance. It’s… weird. And it gets weirder.
So after impregnating Irene’s corpse, the revenge baby subsequently forms in the belly of Ming’s recently possessed and exorcised wife, from whose full-term stomach EXPLODES a gory pulsating glob in a horrific birth scene. As if inspired by The Thing (1982), it forms a mass of malformed bloody tissue, teeth and lashing tentacles and attacks Ming’s guests, who had arrived to enjoy a Couples Game Night. A human head even emerges from this aberration’s mouth and “projectile bites” like the inner mouth of an Alien (1979) xenomorph.
Nice little surprise. After this monster is finally killed… the movie just ends. Like, freeze frame on the dead monster, and cue the credits.
After an unexpected sexy crime thriller opening, this mutated into something grossly satisfying and utterly ridiculous. The corpse, monster and gore effects were all ambitious, impressive (on a budget) and very disgusting. Sure, it takes a while to rev up. But once it does, it’s full-tilt bonkers and well worth the wait.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast #310: Starship Troopers, Exploding Bugs, and Paul Verhoeven
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about the underappreciated 1997 film Starship Troopers. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, and starring Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer and Jake Busey, this $100 million budgeted action film features a heaping dose of satire, violence and more violence. In this episode, we discuss exploding bugs, cheeky fascism, and brain bugs. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 13: Shark Heists, Fin Baseball, and Carter Blake’s Shoes
You can listen to Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Spotify, Tunein, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Also, make sure to like our Facebook page!
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Jay and Mark and joined by Aaron Neuwirth (@AaronPS4 on Twitter – The Out Now With Aaron and Abe podcast), to discuss “Crack in the Window,” the 13th chapter on the Deep Blue Sea DVD. It’s the epic chapter in which the smartest shark alive uses a gurney (with a man named Jim attached to it) to smash a gigantic window (it’s amazing). In this episode, they discuss shark baseball, Ocean’s 3, and prolonged movie deaths. Enjoy!
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Make sure to follow Aaron on Twitter – AaronPS4
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast #309: Hard Boiled, Doves, and John Woo
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about the 1992 action classic Hard Boiled. Directed by John Woo (The Killer, Face/Off) and starring Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, this action epic proved itself to be highly influential with its operatic action and ballet-esque action scenes. In this episode, they discuss insane gun battles, John Woo’s career, and action classics. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
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You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
Mark and Chris Kelly (of the Classic American Movies podcast) discuss the 2008 film Role Models. Directed by David Wain, and starring Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, and the immortal Paul Rudd, this popular comedy is a lot of fun, and loaded with pretty much every comedic actor you like. In this episode, we discuss energy drinks, Jane Lynch, and 2008 comedies. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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Deep Blue Sea – The Podcast – Episode 12 – Juicy Explosions, Helicopter Destruction, and the Geography of the Aquatica
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Jay and Mark are joined by Will Slater (of the Exploding Helicopter Podcast) to discuss “Crash and Burn,” the 12th chapter on the Deep Blue Sea DVD. In this episode, they discuss juicy explosions, exploding helicopters, and the geography of the Aquatica
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Make sure to follow Exploding Helicopter on Twitter (@chopperfireball), Facebook, and Instagram.
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You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
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The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about the badasss 1979 cult classic The Warriors. We love this film, and think director Walter Hill did an excellent job creating a gritty, grimy, and sweaty world full of running, fighting and memorable characters. The producers made the wise (and dumb) decision to shoot on location, and the 1970’s New York City streets add a level of realism that still feels real and dangerous today. In this episode, we discuss movie fights, running, and the cult classics of the 1970s.
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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John’s Horror Corner: Beyond Re-Animator (2003), the weakest of the trilogy, but still a goretastic bonkers blast.
MY CALL: Let’s be honest. This film is weak when compared to its two predecessors (in terms of story, characters and execution). However, this is loads of zany, gory, slapstick fun and I was glad to see the story of Dr. Herbert West advanced in any manner I could get it. MORE MOVIES LIKE Bride of Re-Animator: After you’ve seen parts 1 and 2 (1985, 1990), I’d recommend any of Brian Yuzna’s other gory fair (e.g., Society, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Faust: Love of the Damned, Return of the Living Dead III).
MORE LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR MOVIES: For more Lovecraftian adaptations, try Screamers (1979; aka Island of the Fishmen, Something Waits in the Dark and L’isola degli uomini pesce), Re-Animator (1985), Bride of Re-Animator (1990), From Beyond (1986), The Unnamable (1988), The Unnamable 2: The Statement of Randolph Carter (1992), The Resurrected (1991), Necronomicon: Book of the Dead (1993), Lurking Fear (1994), Dagon (2001), Dreams in the Witch-House (2005), Color Out of Space (2019) and The Dunwich Horror (1970). And although not specifically of Lovecraftian origins, his influence is most palpable in Prince of Darkness (1987), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), The Void (2016), The Shrine (2010), Baskin (2015) and Cold Skin (2017)—most of which are on the more gruesome side to varying degrees.
This sequel begins with an outrageously mangled zombie and perhaps the most disturbing milk drinking scene in film history (right up there with Terminator 2: Judgment Day). Having witnessed the death of his teenage sister at the hands of one of Herbert West’s (Jeffrey Combs; Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Re-Animator, Would You Rather, The Frighteners, Lurking Fear, Cellar Dweller) milk-gargling miscreations, Howard (Jason Barry; Mirrormask) grows up with aspirations to learn from the mad scientist himself. After finishing medical school, Howard becomes the physician at the prison that has held West for 13 years.
Howard’s first day is eventful. He meets a megalomaniac of a warden (Simón Andreu; Die Another Day), his personal idol who happens to have indirectly killed his sister, an attractive young reporter Laura (Elsa Pataky; Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious) who instantly falls for him, and an ailing inmate who becomes his first re-animation gone-horribly-wrong.
And as we’ve seen in the past two movies, West insists he can reanimate the dead without making murderous rage zombies out of them. Only now there’s a twist to his work. First you reanimate them, then you need to transfer “nanoplasm” from a donor. Sounds legit, right? Well, sure. But that creates some mind-swapping shenanigans that result in a fellatio-severed phallus (a gag that persists much longer than one would expect, but for the better), a rat’s personality is placed in a man, and a sadistic man’s personality is placed in an attractive woman. It gets weird.
This feels comparably goretastic to its predecessors even if lacking some of that gory 80s charm. However, this is still rich with blood and ooey-gooey flesh-tearing bites. The gore is satisfyingly gross. We see chunks of forearms and ears get torn from their bodies. And in the finale the gore is accompanied by total insanity. Like really, we reach a level of slapstick new to the franchise. Oh, and stay turned for a great mid-credit “fight scene” that will warm your cockles. Director Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, Faust, Return of the Living Dead III) clearly had some fun with this one.
Overall this sequel is a lot of fun and I enjoy the occasional rewatch. It pales to its predecessors. But it’s not without its high-caliber campy charm. If you’re still on the fence, here’s your decision-making tie-breaker: a rat actually “fights” a reanimated severed penis in the end and the scene is longer than you’d expect.
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John’s Horror Corner: Night of the Comet (1984), this character-driven cult classic is among the earliest of the zombedy subgenre.
MY CALL: This low budget, early-era zombedy is really something. The incredibly satisfying characters and world-building completely compensate for minimal action and gore. Also, and don’t quote me on this, but this may be the first zombedy (since 1981’s The Evil Dead lacked the slapstick candor of Evil Dead 2). MOVIES LIKE Night of the Comet: Looking for more funny yet still gory zombie movies (i.e., zombedies) of the 80s? Try Re-Animator (1985), Return of the Living Dead (1985), Night of the Creeps (1986) and Dead Alive (1992).
Check out MFF Podcast #284: Night of the Comet, Red Dust and Zombies for a more in-depth discussion of the film.
The world is agog over an imminent astronomical event—the observation of a passing comet. And I am agog with the child-stepparent insubordination, disrespect and assault going on in our star characters’ household. Apparently, Regina (Catherine Mary Stewart; The Girl Next Door, Nightflyers) and her kid sister Samantha (Kelli Maroney; Chopping Mall, Not of this Earth) aren’t terribly fond of their stepmother Doris (Sharon Farrell; It’s Alive, Arcade, The Premonition) and her obvious infidelity. In fact, this movie has a lot to say about indiscriminate sexual proclivities; some more healthy than others.
But back to this comet. It comes and goes, and leaves its billions of human observers reduced to red dust and piles of empty clothes in the city streets. Well, not all of them. Some of them have become zombie-ish monstrosities. I mean, they look like zombies, have no qualms about killing anyone and eat human flesh. But they also talk and use tools quite effectively. Maybe they’re in the turning process…?
Shots of empty city streets aglow with a hazy red sky ominously bring Regina to the jarring realization that something strange has happened. At first, they are shaken by their worldly loss and take out frustrations on each other. But they’re all they have, and they do what they can to embrace that by talking things out, venting over outdoor target practice with automatic weapons, and post-apocalyptic shopping spree dance montages to Girls Just Want to Have Fun. For a zombie apocalypse movie, it’s quite uplifting. Writer/director Thom Eberhardt (Sole Survivor, Captain Ron) really served horror fans well here.
The zombie effects are adequate. What little there is, is actually pretty decent. It’s just very limited by the budget. But this movie still works surprisingly well, and the grimy bloody zombie cop scene makes up for a lot. When zombies are on the screen, they really go for it.
As Regina, Samantha and another survivor Hector take stock of what has become of their world, a group of scientists led by Dr. Carter (Geoffrey Lewis; Double Impact, The Lawnmower Man, The Devil’s Rejects) and his colleague Audrey (Mary Woronov; Warlock, The House of the Devil, Chopping Mall) seeks to accumulate survivors. Being that they are scientists in an 80s apocalypse movie, their motives are questionable.
All said, there’s truly not much action in this, and few zombie attacks. But the characters, writing, sets and cinematography still succeed in building this world and these characters alone are more than enough for me to like it anyway. This film is really much better than I realized when I saw it as a teenager (in the early-mid ‘90s).
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast #306: Dick Tracy, Madonna, and Insane PG-Rated Movies
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
The MFF podcast is back, and this week we’re talking about the 1990 blockbuster Dick Tracy. Directed by Warren Beatty, and starring Warren Beatty (again), Madonna, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman and Glenne Headly, this PG-rated (which is insane) film was marketed as a summer blockbuster, but plays more like an old-school crime noir that features excellent production design. In this episode, we discuss color palettes, swimming with fishes, and comic book movies. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions so we can do our best to not answer them correctly. We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
Movies, Films & Flix 