John’s Horror Corner: Arcade (1993), an embarrassingly bad, early techno-horror about a virtual reality videogame.
MY CALL: This movie opens and closes with gore, CGI effects and horror, and middles in the realm of crime thriller with a lot of illegal legal advice from a videogame demon. Yeah, I’d watch that movie! But I might just regret it. MORE MOVIES LIKE Arcade: So other early techno-horror include Demon Seed (1977), 976-Evil (1988), The Lawnmower Man (1992), Brainscan (1994), Virtuostiy (1995), Strangeland (1998), White Noise (2005) and Pulse (2001, 2006).
High schooler Alex (Megan Ward; Crash and Burn, Trancers 2-3, Amityville 1992) joins her friends to Dante’s Inferno arcade for the release of an all-new game with next level virtual reality. After her boyfriend Greg (Bryan Dattilo) plays and loses the game, he disappears. When Alex plays the at-home promotional version of the game, the game knows her name and taunts her that it has Greg inside.
Alex insists that the game is somehow “alive.” Not surprisingly, Nick (Peter Billingsley) and Stilts (Seth Green; Ticks, Idle Hands, It) are skeptical until they find their friend Laurie (A. J. Langer; The People Under the Stairs) clearly driven mad by the game. Meanwhile, the game directly challenges and threatens Alex to play by its rules, or it would come for her in her world.
The writing and acting are bottom shelf. And whereas the videogame effects may have been acceptable in the early 90s, they verge on insufferably bad now—and not bad in a way I could enjoy. The dialogue has the feel of a young adult novel, giving the teenagers unrealistic confidence and agency in the world to investigate this game and the disappearance of their friends… but it never feels earned as it did in Invaders from Mars (1986) or The Stuff (1985). When I was 12 (in 1993) this may have been great for me. But now (at 43 years old) I fail even to find a nostalgic pleasure from it… and for me, that’s unusual! The problem isn’t the YA tone, but the lousy writing behind it. It’s insufferable. And the game’s dialogue is equally awful.
When inside the game, Alex and Nick explore what looks like Pitfall and Doom meets Tron. And guess what? If you are hurt in the game, what you suffer is real. I know, right? Barf. Oh, and be sure to watch out for the computer game demon. Double barf! Well, at least all the effects suck and the finale sucks, too. They also totally rip off the riddle of lies from Labyrinth (1986). It hurt listening to that scene play out.
Director Albert Pyun (Cyborg, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Kickboxer 2, Dollman, Nemesis 1-4) tried… but not very hard. This movie is terrible. Really terrible. I kind of hate this movie. But I also kind of enjoyed hating it. So, I guess there’s that.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 577: Love and Monsters, Creature Features and Grenades
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 David Cross discuss the 2020 creature feature Love and Monsters. Directed by Michael Matthews and starring Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, and a large crab monster, the movie focuses on what happens when a naive guy makes an 80-mile trek across a landscape loaded with hungry monsters. In this episode, they also talk about movie grenades, post-apocalyptic travel movies, and beach fights. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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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Alien: Romulus (2024) – Review
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – With a back to basics approach and an appreciation of the entire Alien franchise, director Fede Álvarez has created a fun Alien film that fits nicely in the franchise.
Set 20 years after the events of Alien (somewhere around 2142), director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) was driven by the idea of “ would it be like for teenagers to grow up in a colony and what would happen to them when they reached their early 20s.” This idea grew into the plot for Alien: Romulus, and the end product is a film that delivers plenty of fan service but also branches out and isn’t afraid to build to a gnarly ending that I’m certain will be divisive (which is cool with me. Alien Resurrection, Prometheus and Covenant weren’t afraid to be divisive either). Also, it’s worth noting that the reason Álvarez chose younger characters to be the focal point of the film is because “As a rule of thumb, in horror, the younger the people the tougher it is to watch them die.”
The film opens up with a twentysomething named Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) learning that the amount of work days needed to leave the soul-draining Weyland-Yutani mining planet she lives on have doubled, which means she’ll have to put in at least six more years of work before she can head to a less terrible world. It’s a death sentence for her and her android “brother” Andy (David Jonsson), as mining accidents, poison air and zero hours of sunlight have created an atmosphere of desperation and hopelessness. It’s a strong opening and it makes her decision to travel with her friends to a derelict ship seem like a good idea as there is no hope to be found for them on their death planet.
Rain and Andy team up with fellow twentysomethings Tyler (Archie Renaux), Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu), who have devised a plan that involves stealing the sleep pods from the derelict Weyland-Yutani ship named Corbelan IV that is orbiting their planet, and using the pods to keep them alive during a nine-year journey to a hospitable colony. It’s a plausible plan to get off of a terrible planet.
Since it’s an Alien film directed by Fede Álvarez, who delights in putting his characters (and actors) through worlds of pain, the movie quickly becomes a horror film as Tyler and Bjorn unwittingly unleash some facehuggers that cause chaos and death. From there, it becomes a survival horror experience as Rain, Tyler, Andy, and Kay have to make it to the other side of the gigantic ship to survive. Along the way, they battle xenomorphs, uncover mysteries and have pissed off chestbursters explode from their chests.
The best part of Alien: Romulus is the relationship between Rain and Andy. Andy is an old school android that predates Ash from Alien and isn’t nearly as evolved as David from Prometheus. He’s a loyal companion who’s directive is to look after Rain and do what’s best for her. While on the ship, Andy’s programming is updated and he becomes more analytical and clinical. The update switches his directive as the new Weyland-Yutani code forces him to save a mysterious item that is located on the complete opposite side of the massive Corbelan IV. I won’t say anything else, just know that Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson have wonderful chemistry.
I do wish that Ridley Scott would’ve been able to finish what he started with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. However, knowing that he likes Alien: Romulus gives me some peace. There’s a lot to like about Romulus, and I think it’s a welcome entry to a franchise that has been consistently entertaining since 1979.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 576: Dark Angel, I Come in Peace, and Dolph Lundgren
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 John (@MFFHorrorCorner on X) discuss the 1990 science fiction action film Dark Angel (AKA I Come in Peace). Directed by Craig R. Baxley, and starring Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley and a deadly space gun, the movie focuses on what happens when Dolph Lundgren battles intergalactic drug dealers (it’s amazing). In this episode, they also talk about underrated action films, spin kicks, and Dolph Lundgren’s best performances. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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: The First Omen (2024), a “pretty good” installment to the franchise.
MY CALL: This was a solid horror movie from writing and acting to strikingly impactful visuals. I enjoyed it—it just feels a bit longer than it needs to be. MORE MOVIES LIKE The First Omen: For more Omen antics, the original The Omen (1976) and the sequels (1978, 1981), along with the remake (2006) are all good choices..
Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson; Game of Thrones, The Witch, Intruders) seeks the venerable Father Harris (Charles Dance; Game of Thrones, Dracula Untold, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Patrick: Evil Awakens, Underworld: Awakening) for information about a young, devoted woman who became pregnant by unnatural means, and whose now teenage daughter has others waiting with dark intentions for her to come of age. After sharing this story, Father Harris comes to the very kind of Final Destination death we first saw in The Oman (1976). The effects are sound, and the gore is slick yet shocking.
In 1971, a young American nun-to-be, Margaret (Nell Tiger Free; Game of Thrones) arrives in Rome, Italy to a convent that caters to mothers-to-be and serves as an orphanage for girls. She quickly takes notice of a quiet, troubled girl (Nicole Sorace) who makes provocative drawings, and is often punished in isolation for her behavior. Margaret is warned of this young girl. As Margaret investigates the girl’s history and origins, many who have been in contact with her come to horrible, deadly ends.
Frightening jump-scare nun imagery may conjure playful sentiments of The Nun 1-2 (2018, 2023). But this film boasts much more than just jump-scares. Among such horrific offerings is a very graphic, very disturbing birth scene! There is gruesome, gory imagery, and the iconic “it’s all for you” self-sacrifice scene is re-conjured with an immolation. Many of these death scenes are re-imaginings of those of 1976. Then there’s yet another birth scene more reminiscent of Possession (1981), complete with milky and bloody fluids and possessed convulsions, rolling into a very graphic C-section.
While quite satisfying, the film is longer than it needs to be. But overall, I find this film quite well-made, usually decently paced (with some lulls here and there), and effectively creepy atmosphere. We also enjoy a small role by Bill Nighy (The Phantom of the Opera, Shaun of the Dead), and the plot adds a few new details to the classic paradigm of birthing the Antichrist to rule the world that kicks off the original story.
This story ends transitioning to the very beginning of the 1976 (or 2006) story. So my next stop will be revisiting the 2006 remake, and then starting back at 1976 and moving my way through the sequels. Director Arkasha Stevenson (Brand New Cherry Flavor, Channel Zero) fared well here.
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Sing Sing (2024) – Review
Quick thoughts: Grade – A – Powered by excellent performances from Colman Domingo, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, and Paul Raci, Sing Sing is a vulnerable piece of filmmaking that will be a major player come awards time.
Based on a true story about the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) theater program inside New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Sing Sing can best be described by actor Colman Domingo who calls it a “beautiful hybrid imbalance that’s kind of meta, but then there’s narrative, it’s real, but it’s not real.” Filmed over the course of 19 days inside decommissioned correctional facilities, and featuring men who participated in the RTA program (which gives it a welcome authenticity), Sing Sing is a movie about how opening yourself up to others and being vulnerable isn’t as horrible as society has led us to believe. There’s something very refreshing about a film that is very specific, but also deals with themes (dealing with anger, hope, mental health, rehabilitation, masculinity) that will resonate with viewers. It’s also nice that the typical prison movie cliches (evil warden etc…) are ignored and instead the film is focused on the humanity of the characters.
The lead character in Sing Sing is John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo), a well-respected member of the RTA who is part of the guiding committee and an aspiring playwright. Whitfield and his friend Mike Mike (Sean San José) also help recruit for the company and they set their sights on Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin (playing himself), a natural thespian and creative type who has buried that aspect of himself and accepted that he’ll spend the remainder of his days in prison — where he feels the most comfortable. Things get unwelcomely complicated when the company decides to tackle their first comedy after years of Shakesperian dramas and downbeat plays that have become a bit stale. The play involves time travel, mummies, cowboys, gladiators, and Freddy Kreuger (played for some big laughs) pushes the group out of their comfort zone as they attempt to understand the time travel logistics and deal with the difficulty of making audiences laugh (comedy isn’t easy).
One of the best things to come out of the film is the friendship between Whitfield and Maclin. The two men are completely different, but they’re good for each other because they see through each other’s weaknesses and show loyalty when it’s most needed. Their unique and evolving bond helps them overcome grief and feel hope for the future when everything seems lost. The friendship gives the film a beating heart and provides an acting showcase of Domingo and Maclin (who I hope get a lot of award’s recognition).
Director Greg Kwedar (watch Jockey now) excels at creating intimate situations that feature characters dealing with broken pasts and uncertain futures. He’s been working on this film for eight years and after reading an Esquire article about the RTA’s two night performance of Breaking the Mummy’s Code, he decided to focus on the moment in time when the RTA group prepped for the absurd comedy. After many meetings with RTA alumni and instructors, Kwedar and co-writer Clint Bently became teachers in the program and taught acting classes at Green Haven, a maximum security prison. It’s because of their teaching experience and years of interviews that Sing Sing feels so authentic and mature.
I know I’ve already mentioned it several times, but Domingo, Maclin and Raci really are excellent and they deliver lived-in performances that are equal parts raw, emotional and introspective. After Zola, Rustin, Euphoria, Selma, The Color Purple, If Beale Street Could Talk and now Sing Sing, I’d love to see Domingo win an Oscar because he’s one of the best actors working today.
Final thoughts – Watch it in theaters and get lost in the performances.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 575: Unlawful Entry, Classy Thrillers and Yuppie Kurt Russell
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 John discuss the 1992 thriller Unlawful Entry. Directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Kurt Russell, Ray Liotta, and Madeleine Stowe, the movie focuses on what happens after “a burglar holds a knife to Karen’s throat while her husband does nothing (the IMDb synopsis is insane).” In this episode, they also talk about class thrillers, Kurt Russell, and the excellence of Ray Liotta. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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: Amityville 1992: It’s About Time (1992), this 6th Amityville Horror movie is… a watchable bad movie.
MY CALL: Yet another not-really sequel to chum the bad movie waters. But this was definitely not unwatchable at all. I enjoyed it for its badness. I just wish there was more in the way of passable horror effects. MORE MOVIES LIKE Amityville 1992: Uhhhhhh, when it comes to Amityville sequels, I’d stick to Amityville II: The Possession (1982) and otherwise tread carefully into the depths of the extended franchise. Part II has all the dumb fun you’re looking for with great pacing, but Amityville 3-D (1983) and Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989) are both boring slogs. Definitely skip The Amityville Curse (1990), the worst of the first five Amityville movies. Amityville Dollhouse (1996) is a solidly fun bad movie, but it truly has nothing to do with Amityville (it is neither sequel nor spin-off, it just has a similar theme and uses “Amityville” in the title for literally no good reason).
I’m pretending that The Amityville Curse (1990) didn’t happen. So, after the slaughter of now two different families, a botched paranormal investigation and exorcism, and a cursed yard sale lamp (from the house) shipped to California to raise Hell, we have another cursed antique from the Amityville house. So, I’ve gotta’ ask, was this clock from the same yard sale as that lamp from Amityville Horror: The Evil Escapes (1989)!?!
Returning home from a business trip, Jacob (Stephen Macht; Graveyard Shift, Trancers 3-5) brings an antique clock to accent his living room. In case the title of the movie didn’t give it away, the movie makes sure we know it was from the original Amityville house just before it was torn down. The clearly bewitched clock literally drills itself into place, as if to anchor into its new haunt. But the first thing the clock seems to affect is the neighborhood dog, which ends up hospitalizing Jacob after a violently bloody attack.
Conveniently, Jacob’s on-and-off-again ex-girlfriend Andrea (Shawn Weatherly; Shadow Zone, Love in the Time of Monsters) was around, and now she’ll be reluctantly taking care of him during his painful recovery. Jacob pressures her to get back together, his kids Lisa (Megan Ward; Crash and Burn, Trancers 2-3, Arcade) and Rusty (Damon Martin; Ghoulies II) reconnect with Andrea, and we begin to see more influence of the clock’s presence, which seems to distort space and time, but not in any interesting way.
The special effects are, well, not great. There’s a door-slam and we see the wire pulling the door clear in the shot. There’s some mucky thing under some bedsheets that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, a muck-bleeding mirror that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, a weird hallucination (by Andrea’s current boyfriend) that I cannot explain and it doesn’t even lead to anything, and Lisa becomes possessed and apparently filled with incestuous lust… it’s all dumb and empty. Meanwhile, Jacob (a corporate architect) begins to obsess over his housing development project, scribbling sketches of the original Amityville house and behaving erratically.
The one effect that got me to want to watch this (from screen grabs shared on social media) shows a teen boy essentially melting into a goopy puddle on the floor. It’s pretty gross and rather entertaining. If only more scenes could have been so worthy. That was exactly the kind of gross horror scene I’d expect from director Tony Randel (Children of the Night, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Ticks). But I guess the budget only allowed for so much.
This movie is really bad. But I didn’t mind watching it. Truly, the odd relationship dynamic between Jacob and his kids with his ex Andrea, and then with Andrea’s current boyfriend (Jonathan Penner; The Bye Bye Man, Jason Goes to Hell) and Jacob and his kids, and then the psychic lady (Nita Talbot; Puppet Master II) down the street was all just entertaining enough for me not to regret this movie.
I’m not sure what the clock wants. What is its motivation? Jacob says it’s all about power, and not Hell. No clue what that means. But Jacob slipped into homicidal madness with his gnarly evil-infected bite wound.
The ending is dumb, but not completely unsatisfying. I’m not recommending this. But I also won’t warn you away from this if you’re looking for an entertaining bad movie night.
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Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 574 – Lisa Frankenstein, Diablo Cody, and The Cure
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 Zanandi (@ZaNandi on X) discuss the 2024 horror comedy Lisa Frankenstein. Directed by Zelda Williams, and starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, and a deadly tanning bed, the movie focuses on what happens when a gentlemanly zombie and a teenager cause some chaos. In this episode, they also talk about Diablo Cody’s screenplay, Carla Gugino, and the excellence of Liza Soberano. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). 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: Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story (2022), the prequel story to X (2022).
MY CALL: This film is a fine character study, and Mia Goth gives the performance of her life (so far). Still, this film titillates far less than its predecessor. I admire what was done here, but I don’t really see myself returning for subsequent viewings. MORE MOVIES LIKE Pearl: Well, hopefully you’ve already seen X (2022), which occurs in 1979 long after the events of Pearl. And then move on to Maxxxine (2024).
Mia Goth (X, Infinity Pool, Suspiria, A Cure for Wellness) portrayed both Pearl and Maxine in X (2022), a very pleasant surprise for movie fans. Swiftly becoming quite the horror icon, Mia Goth reprises her elderly role with the youthful prequel story of Pearl, now also as a co-writer. Director and writer Ti West (X, The Innkeepers, House of the Devil, The Sacrament) has clearly found his muse and favorite colleague in Goth, as this would be the second of his X trilogy starring Goth (with Maxxxine to follow).
Such a strong start! Down to the classic scoring and on-screen font of the opening credits, this film begins with purity, innocence, and the wholesome feels of a 30s to 40s-era family film. Even when the cinematic rug is briefly yanked from beneath young Pearl’s feet by her draconian German mother (Tandi Wright; Alibi), the bright technicolor and timely music persists as she practically wishes upon a star to escape her family farm and find fame. A perfect, stable ziggurat-staircase of haystack allows her to strut to the top as if in a Broadway musical, and the timely arrival and bloody fate of a goose harbingers the change in tone to come.
Safe at home in 1918 while her husband (Alistair Sewell; Bad Behaviour) is away at war, Pearl helps tend to the farm chores, caring for her invalid father, and dreaming of motion pictures. She swoons scarecrows with musical numbers, fantasizes physical affections, and enjoys a curiosity in the macabre. As Pearl yearns for fame and love, she seems to be living an adult fairy tale with a wicked, disapproving mother.
In her rebellious journey, she frees herself of her abusive mother. As Pearl finds a lustful love (David Corenswet), we come to find her true madness within. She is sociopathic, generally disturbed, obsessive, and overwhelmed with a sense of inadequacy.
The violence includes a healthy dose of bloody farm-implement stabbery and some horrible moist burn wounds. While a few scenes are quite brutally graphic, this is overall less horror-ish in tone than X (2022), with a more limited sense of dread. Instead this film focuses on the exploration of Pearl, the character who we meet in her venerable years in X (2022).
I’ll hand it to Mia Goth, she does crazy fantastically. Manic, hysterical, sociopathic, lovelorn… she nails them all. This was an impressive film experience. But I’m not sure I’d recommend it, whereas I strongly recommend X (2022).
Movies, Films & Flix 