The streaming landscape is so vast it becomes difficult to single out one film to watch. In an effort to save you time and energy I’ve scoured the streaming services and started offering film/television recommendations that you might appreciate. These five horror films are incredibly eclectic, but they all offer something different for the viewer. If you are looking for something to watch you can’t go wrong with these five films. Enjoy!
1. Scream 2
Scream 2 is so good it defies all sequel logic. Scream hit the theaters in 1996 and exploded into a cultural phenomenon. A sequel was ordered and it was to be released in 357 days. Thus, in one year a script needed to be written, actors had to be cast, locations had to be scouted, filming had to commence, editing was required and marketing needed to do its thing. In the world of sequels a one year turn around is tantamount to disaster. No other sequel that has been released a year after the original has been as critically beloved and audience appreciated. It was a perfect blend of craftsmanship, talent and synergy.
Scream 2 is the best horror sequel ever made. Make sure to check out the piece I wrote about it and our podcast on all things Wes Craven.
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2. Hush
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Hush is the best horror film of 2016 (so far) and Netflix was smart to snatch it up. Hush tells the story of cat-and -mouse game between a resourceful woman and a deadly killer. You will love how practical, smart and efficient it is. Director Mike Flanagan (Oculus) is turning out to be a fantastic horror director and I can’t wait to see what he doesn next. An added bonus is Stephen King loves it!
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3. Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead is gloriously violent and all kinds of fun. Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel and Gretel) is a maestro of mayhem who turns the violence and humor up to 11. He has found a way to make head smooshes, decapitation and blood eruptions palatable via his offbeat humor. The antics never seem mean-spirited because Wirkola infuses his films with a glee filled imagination that incorporates blood-letting very well.
Dead Snow 2 is so full of life and ludicrous characters that you can’t help but enjoy the ride. We are blessed with likable characters, cheeky one-liners and a zombie sidekick who routinely gets killed and brought back to life (Martin’s hand revives dead zombies). Just when you think the gore can’t get any crazier we get a massive Russian zombie vs. Nazi zombie battle. It is excessive (miles of intestines are pulled), inventive and ends on a tank fist fight.
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4. The Hallow
The Hallow is a neat little Irish horror film that excels at creating likable characters and gooey practical effects. What I love about the film is how it plays with conventions while subverting them. You never know where it is going and despite the familiar elements it all feels fresh. If you like the movie make sure to check out our podcast where we go in-depth into all things gooey and evil.
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5. Devil
I am a big fan of Devil (even the toast bit). It is an under appreciated horror film that starts strong and doesn’t overstay its welcome. The opening shot of Philly upside down does a fine job of establishing dread and proving that the world is upside down. It has a refreshing lack of pretense and it simply wants to tell the world a new story. Shakespeare it ain’t but it was never intended to be the next Exorcist, Omenor Sixth Sense. The horror landscape has a dearth of original ideas so it pains me when something trying to be original gets dismissed before it ever hits the movie screens (people laughed out loud when they saw “produced by M. Night Shyamalan”).
The lack of interest and preconceived notions is a shame because Devil is a neat little one-off film that features a claustrophobic vibe and singular story. The 52% Rotten Tomatoes rating is better than the standard horror film rating and it is light years ahead of the 25% average of Shyamalan’s prior three films. Devil features one of the coolest openings of recent memory and I loved the grey and off-kilter vibe it established. Also, I have no problem with toast being used a devil detector.
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Hush: The Best Horror Film of 2016 (so far)
After watching Hush make sure to listen to our podcast that covers the film. You will love it!
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Hush is a fantastic horror film that does a lot with little and Netflix should be stoked they are streaming it exclusively. I love the film because it plays very practically and features a nameless villain that doesn’t need a backstory or motives. Hush is smart, exciting and Stephen King loves the heck out of it.
Hush was recommended to me (thanks!) and I’m bummed I didn’t get on the bandwagon sooner. It does everything I appreciate and director Mike Flanagan (Oculus) proves once again he can make stock horror elements fresh. Hush isn’t exactly original, but it takes the best of the genre and makes it better. It is perfectly fine to tell a familiar story when you have a good story and capable actors.
Hush tells the simple tale of a resourceful woman surviving a night of horrors. Our hero Maddie (Kate Siegel – who also co-wrote the script) moved out to the country to finish her second book and alienate herself from a bad relationship (I’m guessing). In a true horror coincidence she happens to be deaf, but her deafness isn’t a major hindrance when fighting off the brutal masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) who sucks her into into a game of cat-and-mouse. Her inability to hear or speak is what allows her to initially stay alive because the killer sees her as easy prey and wants to play with her before he kills her.
The back-and-forth between the two is a lot of fun because their interactions keep defying expectations. There are no monologues, jump scares or “dumb dumb” moments (listen to our Forest podcast). What I love the most is how Maddie keeps digging deeper into her reserves and finding ways to not die. You understand why the killer is playing the games and his underestimating of Maddie is what makes the movie fun.
There are some minor gripes and I still wonder why a deaf woman who lives in isolation doesn’t own a gun. However, they are only minor complaints and the positives far outweigh the negatives. I was really impressed with Kate Siegel’s performance because she was able to blend determination with vulnerability. She doesn’t become an unstoppable force (think You’re Next) and she isn’t fodder to be cut up. I love that she had a hand in writing the script because she was able to form her character on the page and create someone who feels real.
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Hush does a lot in its lean 81-minute running time and I totally recommend you check it out on Netflix. Also, check out this very informative piece that Flanagan wrote on his Facebook page. I love how he breaks down the villain. Let me know what you think!
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The Nice Guys is a fantastic buddy film that is heavy on laughs, blood and more laughs. I enjoyed every second of the madcap mayhem and buddy shenanigans. Director/writer Shane Black is a comedic force of nature who understands that great characters trump all, and his films always ring true because of this. The Nice Guys may not reach the wonderful heights of Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Lethal Weapon, but it is a lot of fun and I hope it gets a sequel.
Director/Shane Black burst onto the scene back in 1987 when he wrote the script for Lethal Weapon. Since then, he has been an important force of nature in Hollywood. Whether he is writing or directing, his movies have a unique personality and always give people like me something to write about. With The Nice Guys he is back doing what he does best. He is telling a story about a private detective who teams up with an enforcer and they solve a crime. The Nice Guys is Shane Black 101, but I love that class.
What makes The Nice Guys work is the chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Buddy-comedies live and die on the strength of the the core duos chemistry and the two actors seem to be having a blast (or they are really good actors).
Ryan Gosling proved he had comedic chops in Crazy, Stupid, Love, and his performance in The Nice Guys reinforces that fact. Gosling’s character Holland March is a terrible detective who has no sense of smell and is always drunk. Gosling is at his best when he is reacting to the insanity around him. His reactions range from confused to flabbergasted and he is an endless source of entertainment. You will love the relationship he has with his daughter and appreciate the all-in performance.
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I was worried when I watched The Nice Guys trailer because I’ve never bought Russell Crowe as a schlub. I 100% believe that he could be a gladiator but I don’t buy him as an everyday dude who can’t punch his way out of any situation. In The Nice Guys, Crowe’s character Jackson Healy is a perfect combination of out of shape schlub and powerhouse. I love that Healy is a decent guy who only wants to drink Yoo-hoo and beat people up for money. You will love this different side of Russell Crowe.
The Nice Guys is a breezy film that will leave a smile on your face. If you are into buddy-cop films that revolve around murder, alcohol and one-liners you will love this film. If you haven’t watched Shane Black’s other films I totally recommend you check out Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Last Boy Scout.
I will leave you with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in therapy.
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Movies, Films and Flix has a long history with Dolph Lundgren movies. I started the site in 2010 and wrote ad nauseum about terrible Dolph Lundgren films. In hindsight, the posts weren’t any better than the movies. but I enjoyed writing pithy reviews about real and fake Lundgren movies. When I saw the promotional material for Shark Lake I knew it would be the perfect film to help me reintroduce Bad Movie Tuesday to the populace.
Shark Lake tells the age-old tale of a shark harassing the people who live around Lake Tahoe (filmed in Mississippi). The movie starts with a car chase involving the police forcing exotic animal dealer Clint Gray (Dolph Lundgren) to drive straight into a lake. The bull shark in his van (100% true) escapes, and five years later people start dying. From there, we are introduced to some terrible actors who spout hackneyed dialogue while scantily clad women are killed by a shark. Shark Lake could’ve been a contender but instead falls back into pure stupidity and feels like a beautiful idea (Dolph wrestling sharks) was wasted and replaced by everything that makes a movie bad. Also, I’m pretty sure they stole my idea for the fake film Squid Lake (Listen to the pod, it gets weird).
Shark Lake is a really weird movie. It wants to be Sharknado, but it also tells the tale of a redeemed animal collector. It isn’t dumb enough to be fun, and it is too dumb to be a cohesive movie. The shark(s) are superfluous and the performances are hindered by a script that hurts the soul. Lundgren’s character isn’t done any favors because he is set up as a terribly negligent father who deserved jail time and shouldn’t have a chance of being in his daughter’s life. Also, there is a really odd relationship between a cop and a smart scientist guy that leads to some very disconcerting dialogue involving handcuffs.
Shark Lake is the kind of film that doesn’t go far enough to make anything enjoyable. There is a tiny amount of blood and the director never pushes the bikini clad portion far enough. Shark Lake is a PG-13 rated “dumb dumb” fest that only features one person getting their leg bit off whilst gliding over the lake.
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Don’t watch Shark Lake. It is not fun, and the idea of Dolph Lundgren wrestling a shark is far better than the movie. The budget was reportedly $2 million and I have no clue where that money went. The movie looks like it was shot in two days and nobody learned their dialogue ahead of time. If you are looking for a fun yet terrible shark movie I recommend the classic Sharks in Venice.
Sharks in Venice is amazing. You need to watch Stephen Baldwin phone it in.
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If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome!
The MFF podcast is back, and we are talking about X-Men: Apocalypse and Jeff Goldblum accidentally releasing Thanos! We also break down the X-Men cinematic universe and rank all the films. You will hear about leather jackets, blue people and Roger Ebert’s thoughts on Cyclops.
I like this young crew. Too bad Apocalypse was terrible.
As always, we answer random questions, and ponder how we would abuse super powers (steal Blu-rays!). Sit back, relax and listen to a whole lot of randomness!
Yes, you are!
You can stream the pod on Blog Talk Radio or download it from Itunes. If you get a chance please rate and review the pod. You are awesome!
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ANIME: Demon City Shinjuku (1988), contemporary dark fantasy mixing Vampire Hunter D (1985) and Wicked City (1987).
MY CALL: Vampire Hunter D (1985) and Wicked City (1987) heavily influenced this good, but not great, anime foray into contemporary dark fantasy. Still highly entertaining, though. Enjoy the spider demons, tentacles and succubi. MORE MOVIES LIKE Demon City Shinjuku: Check out Vampire Hunter D (1985) and Wicked City (1987) for more supernatural fare. Also try Bio Hunter (1995), Ninja Scroll (1993) and all manner of Tokyo Shock cinema like Tokyo Gore Police (2008) and Vampire Girl versus Frankenstein Girl (2009). however, despite the themes of psychic space vampires and cyborg zombies, Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990) struck me as a boring major disappointment.
Anime can fall flat without meaningful characters that we come to love. When we first met protagonists like Makie (Wicked City) and D (Vampire Hunter D), they had instant appeal and offered backgrounds of intrigue or mystery. Our hero of Shinjuku is Kyoya, a swordsman charged with protecting the president’s daughter and preventing Hell on Earth. I generally like him as “a good guy,” but I’m not nearly as invested or interested in him as I was the aforementioned heroes. I’m not hating here–just identifying my single negative criticism of this movie. Everything else was great.
Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Wicked City, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust) sure knows how to make an awesome contemporary dark fantasy. First, an evil swordsman opens a gate to Hell after some sort of Highlander (1986) duel with Kyoya’s father–who fights down to his last limbs like the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). 10 years later, evil demon tentacles thrash from a bouquet of flowers and kidnap the president! That’s what the world has come to…evil thrashing tentacles abound.
The demons in this movie are pretty cool. Following in his father’s footsteps practicing the way of the sword, Kyoya must defend the president’s daughter from their attempts at her life.
Much as Wicked City (1987) had its Black World dimension, many of the monsters of Shinjuku possess gifts of interdimensional travel through shadows, teleportation or dreams.
A bit of a throwback to the lady spider demon from Wicked City (1987), one of them is a sort of spider-centaur with a giant hermit crab claw and a toothed maw on his stomach! As if this fiend wasn’t powerful enough, it teleports through the shadows. Kyoya is also pulled into an underwater dimension to battle what I can only describe as a three-eyed demonic sloth hag.
And perhaps influenced by Vampire Hunter D (1985), the mysterious Mephisto battles a constricting succubus composed of tentacles.
Throw in all manner of lashing tentacles (at one point randomly and most amusingly dismembering a stray cat) and a villain reminiscent of Vampire Hunter D‘s (1985) Count Dracula complete with white hair and telekinesis, and we have a damn good time. It may not be terribly original, but it’s highly entertaining.
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MY CALL: This sequel is just plain silly…like, even sillier than part 2…which was even more ludicrous than part 1. It’s stupid and funny and it knows exactly what it is. As long as you understand what you’re about to watch, you’ll probably enjoy this. MORE MOVIES LIKE Leprechaun 3: Leprechaun (1993), Leprechaun 2 (1994) and the loads of sequels taking Warwick Davis from “da hood” to outer space. But whatever you do, don’t watch Leprechaun: Origins (2014)–terrible even for a direct-to-DVD B-movie. The Wishmaster 1-4 (1997-2002) franchise follows a similar pattern of gore and humor, however a dash more dire for the most part.
The writing quality is bottom shelf as always, as we find a double amputee in a Las Vegas pawn shop selling a life size Leprechaun statue so he can “buy gas and get out of town.” Such refined exposition, isn’t it? Our desperate statue pawner warns to leave the ostentatious medallion on the statue, which of course the shop owner removes almost immediately. The punishment for which is apparently that the Leprechaun (Warwick Davis) animates, rambles in rhyming limerick, and bites off his ear and toe before scrambling off with his gold. And naturally, a single coin is left behind.
As laughable as this sounds, take note that in three years the world has witnessed as many Leprechaun movies! So if the we the people disapprove, we’re not exactly voting that opinion with our theater-going dollar. But I, and much of the horror community, continue to delight in this movie series.
With sequels, the stakes tend to get bigger with each subsequent story. Whereas part one had nothing of the sort, Leprechaun 2 (1994) boasted three wishes granted to a Leprechaun’s captor. But now in part 3, one wish per gold shilling is granted–which could mean 100 wishes!!! We now have every reason to hope the Leprechaun wins because I’m simply not comfortable with someone wielding that kind of world-dominating power. Moreover, these wishes are truly granted and not distorted as in Leprechaun 2 (1994), Wishmaster 1-4 (1997-2002) or The Monkey’s Paw (2013).
Director Brian Trenchard-Smith (Night of the Demons 2, Leprechaun 4: In Space) has taken all of the already-shaky-at-best rules of evil Leprechauns and wishes and thrown them out the window. Not only will a gold shilling grant you a wish, but when the coin changes hands each subsequent owner also gets a wish. The only constant seems to be that Leprechauns are nearly immortal.
As our protagonists, Scott (John Gatins; Witchboard 2, Pumpkinhead II) and Tammy are pretty worthless characters. But they offer up some campy comic relief.
After being bitten and exposed to the Leprechaun’s magically toxic blood, Scott seems to be afflicted with Leprechaunthropy–which consists of an insatiable appetite for potatoes and impersonating Tom Cruise from Far and Away (1992) doing his impression of the Leprechaun. Scott’s transformation into a were-Leprechaun is slow and silly, he has a magical duel, and all the while Tammy is dressed in a slutty magician’s assistant costume.
The real highlight for campy horror fans comes when Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Halloween II) wishes for beauty, then gets monkey pawed with grossly inflated boobs and butt by the Leprechaun–but it’s nothing compared to what happened in Faust (2000).
Again, nothing compared to what happened in Faust (2000). LOL
There’s that, and of course the scene that somehow combined Frankenhooker (1990) and Deadly Friend (1986).
The director of one of these fine films once suggested that each Leprechaun movie was about a different Leprechaun, which is the only sensible notion in the entire series considering that we have seen three Leprechauns meet horrible deaths in three states (South Dakota, California and Nevada) in as many years. But now with the inception of the communicable zombiechaun infection spread through bite, I’m shocked we have not yet seen a Leprechaunado or a Leprechaun Apocalypse.
All in all, this was extremely stupid but (with the right expectations) quite entertaining. Warwick Davis has been unchained and permitted to go as over-the-top as he wishes, and it’s pretty loony.
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MY CALL: A fine possession-themed horror comedy with enough good qualities to interest me in what the director does next. Featuring a great premise but shaky writing, it’s a nice little indie that explores legal consequences and support groups aimed at possession victims. MOVIES LIKE Ava’s Possessions: In terms of style, quality and merits, I’m reminded of the super low-budget Lo (2009)–which is an obscure one, I know, and pretty rough around the edges in terms of filmmaking. More appropriate dark horror comedies include The Voices (2014; darkest), Housebound (2014; pretty dark), He Never Died (2015; pretty dark) and Cooties (2015; light dark). Wanna’ get silly? Other horror comedies include Zombie Strippers (2008), Zombieland (2009), Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009), Piranha 3D (2010), Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010), Final Destination 5 (2011; not exactly comedy, but occasionally hilarious), Piranha 3DD (2012), The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Smothered (2014), Zombeavers (2014), Ava’s Possessions (2015), What We Do in the Shadows (2015), The Final Girls (2015), Krampus (2015; not exactly comedy, but occasionally hilarious), Love in the Time of Monsters (2015) and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015).
Could this make-up be a nod to Beetlejuice?
Meet Ava (Louisa Krause; The Abandoned, The Babysitters). Ava has just been exorcised and awakens to the harsh reality that often goes completely unaddressed in horror movies on the topic: so what happens now? You were possessed, the spirit has been banished, but you did some things and the real world packs consequences for our actions.
There’s a most welcome dark dryness to the humor in this exorcism/possession satire and these scenes are truly precious when you think about it. Her mother (Deborah Rush; Orange is the New Black, The Box) and father (William Sadler; Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, Bordello of Blood, episode The Man Who was Death) come visit, make sure she’s eating enough…blame her possession on her use of marijuana. Ava asks if anyone called in sick for her during her weeks long possession. No? Probably out of a job. Want support from your friends? They’re probably afraid of you. And did you try to sleep with your besty’s boyfriend while that demon was inside you?
And then we meet her wonderfully deadpan attorney JJ (Dan Fogler; Hannibal, Hellbenders), who illustrates that yes, she faces a lot of vandalism and assault charges from when she was rampaging the streets with the devil in her. It’s basically jail, or join a group a lot like AA but for possession victims: Spirit Possession Anonymous. Ava must now make amends with those she affected during her possession and take action to see that the spirit does not re-enter her. That’s the purpose of Spirit Possession Anonymous. Besides, even The Last Exorcism (2010) had a sequel–aptly named The Last Exorcism 2 (2013). SMH
Another nice nod to Beetlejuice here.
Written and directed by relative newcomer Jordan Galland (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead), this very low budget horror comedy comes with a healthy share of style. The staging and heavy-contrast colored lighting of some scenes smacks of a hybrid between a Broadway horror play and an episode of Tales from the Crypt. And like both, this film was clearly produced on a low budget…but it works just fine. At least for the first 30 minutes…
Yes, that’s right. The first act of this film is good. I liked the opening style, meeting the characters and being introduced to the consequences of possession and the notion of a support group designed for it. The problem was that the story quickly spun into a mystery of sorts that found no sense of synthesis. Sure, I liked seeing John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos, The Iceman), Carol Kane (Scrooged, The Princess Bride) and Alysia Reiner (Orange is the New Black), but their parts were over-filled with over-exposition delivered with uninspired dialogue. This mystery of murder and informant prostitutes started feeling like a bad episode of Silk Stalkings.
This is where I have to say it. Jordan Galland, I like you as a director but I think you need someone else penning your scripts after you dream up your story. You have cool edgy ideas, but after the premise is painted your brush was stricken with acuity-warped palsy. I loved the first 30 minutes and then got lost in the stale convolution of the next 30 minutes. I found some redemption in the end where in a whirlwind of 15 minutes all the convoluted mess was explained in fine detail–but a little late to save the film. Galland’s story is a deep one–too bad it takes 75 minutes before you realize it. Leave some breadcrumbs along the way of the plot next time.
There were enough good qualities here to leave me very interested in seeing what Galland does next. I just hope he’s not writing it alone and that someone gives him more of a budget. He made the budget work for him, but we would have benefited from better (and more frequent) gore or makeup. Overall, it’s a nice little indie!
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John’s Horror Corner: Hush (2016), a credible home invasion movie with a believably tough victim.
MY CALL: Perhaps not original (generally speaking), but an excellent film! Sure, it’s something I’ve seen many times before. But it was done very well by a filmmaker and cast we can respect. Credibly tough victims are hard to find in the slasher subgenre. So you should give this one a chance. MOVIES LIKE Hush: You’re Next (2013), The Strangers (2008), Vacancy (2007) and The Purge (2013).
Living in quiet seclusion, one random evening deaf novelist Maddie (Kate Siegel; Oculus) finds herself stalked by a masked man (John Gallagher Jr.; 10 Cloverfield Lane, Jonah Hex). We don’t know how or why he chose her, or how he stumbled across her home that night. We only know that he wants the worst for–he wants her to want to die.
Directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Absentia, Before I Wake, Ouija 2) and co-written by star Kate Siegel (Oculus, Ouija 2), this seemingly simple plot is delivered with striking execution. In the short time we have with Maddie before her peaceful life would be so traumatized, we quickly grow fond of her. She doesn’t seem like someone living with a handicap, but rather fundamentally a regular person with a regular life who happens to lack the ability to hear.
Moreover, Maddie is far from the helpless final girl fumbling and whimpering about. She is a capable survivor and, as such, our stalker finds that he is in for a challenge.
It took me a while to realize that Kate Siegel was carrying no audible dialogue at all for half the movie. Her performance was shockingly effective despite its taciturn nature and it just goes to show how powerful a good actor’s performance can be in the hands of a smart director…even without a single spoken word. Much to the contrary, our stalker played by John Gallagher carried most of the dialogue after the introductory scenes. He, too, is quite capable and unnerving opposite Siegel’s survivor. It takes two to tango but make no mistake, this is Siegel’s movie!
This film was told through a very practical and realistic lens. Maddie considers the possible outcomes of escape attempts and concludes they just won’t work. Her adversary is bigger and faster than she is, he will eventually get inside, and there is no help nearby. So what does that leave for her?
While more about the cat-and-mouse game at the start, this film has some shocking moments of abrupt brutality–among them was a devastating bone break. And among the many strengths of this film, nothing terribly unrealistic seems to transpire. Which means little opportunity for even the critical movie-goer to roll their eyes.
I very much enjoyed this film. Sure, it’s something I’ve seen (generally speaking) many times before. But it was done very well by a filmmaker and cast we can respect. Credibly tough victims are hard to find in the slasher subgenre. So you should give this one a chance.
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You’re probably wondering where they got this title?
A kid makes a random comment in the movie about a big blue monkey–that’s it.
Presto! Movie title!
MY CALL: This feisty Aliens (1986) rip-off features a giant mutant praying mantis wreaking havoc in a hospital. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, then I don’t know what else will. MOVIES LIKE Blue Monkey: Slugs (1989) and The Nest (1988) will deliver loads of creepy crawly 80s horror fun.
Many thanks to my online horror buddy, Zane, for sharing this bad 80s masterpiece with me. Zane is a true 80s horror aficionado and even took part in making an 80s style horror film: The Barn. So that’s my “thank you” plug for Zane and his movie. On with the review!
Also released as Invasion of the Body Suckers [no clue where that title came from] and Insect [vague, but appropriate], I love that this movie gets straight to business. After being pricked by a strange exotic plant and passing out, an old man is rushed to the hospital only to have a large white worm emerge from his mouth resulting in his death! The worm parasite quickly gets the entire hospital quarantined when numerous patients begin to show strange symptoms after the arrival of this “insect.”
Some playful young patients come across the specimen and unknowingly feed it a “nucleic acid promoter” that augments growth and hormonal activity…so presumably we’ll have a giant mutant bug in no time. Yaaaay!!!!
Director William Fruet (Goosebumps, War of the Worlds) has made his filmmaking intentions obvious as Ranger Rick meets slimy science fiction in this feisty Aliens (1986) rip-off in which we emulate the infection scene (in the greenhouse with the plant), chestburster scene, the queen alien egg-laying scene complete with flashing blue background lighting, kids and monsters in ventilation shafts like Newt, and slimy secretions galore from a giant insectoid creature that grows at an alarming pace.
They even reproduce the scene in which the queen xenomorph is infuriated by lighting her egg chamber and offspring on fire.
Our biological updates about the praying mantis monster are delivered by the local entomologist (Don Lake; Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Short Circuit 2) and non-scientific exposition comes courtesy of the hospital administrator (John Vernon; Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Uncanny)–both roles being much appreciated by this 80s horror fan.
There’s plenty of goofy rubber monster suit action in this fun 80s creature feature. We see a lot of our monster and like Peter Pan across the Broadway stage it swings from the ceiling. It’s laughably awesome and there are a few scenes of festive gore.
The film ended with a typically campy twist that left a smile on my face. There was even an implication that two intoxicated patients were spared because of their inebriation–much like Grabbers (2012). If you like any bad 80s horror, then you should enjoy this.
Movies, Films & Flix 