Sunday 25 August 2013

One Sentence Review Sunday #13

Eyes Without a Face (1960)


The jaunty music detracted from the atmosphere of a great movie but somehow added to it.










Hasta Luego


Saturday 24 August 2013

'Welcome to the Bubs' Interview






First off I'd like to thank all involved in this project and how welcoming they all are, great bunch of guys! They really deserved their project to be successfully funded!


Can you tell readers a little summary of 'Welcome to the Bubs' and what you hope to accomplish in the future with this project, as I know you are already an award winning filmmaker?

Tony – Welcome to the Bubs is a story about what is the difference between survival and living, and do we as people deserve to live after something like a Zombie Apocalypse.



Where did the idea spring from for 'Welcome to the Bubs'?

Tony – The idea came from a joke we had about seeing Zombies in odd situations, and originally we toyed with a situation comedy and a groan track instead of a laugh track, but soon realized that would be funny for about 30 seconds… so then we morphed that into a story we thought would be a little different and fun to see.




How will your zombies be set apart from zombies we have seen in media in the past?


Kyle - Our zombies will be different in that some have been "domesticated". We've only seen a glimpse of such in past films ie. Day of the Dead and Shaun of the Dead.

Tony – I am a George Romero fan and so my goal is to fit in that world, I loved what Tom Savini did in Day of the Dead, and the spirit of those zombies.





What is your involvement with Welcome to the Bubs?

Anissa Matlock - I play ZL19, the one with the end-goal in mind at all times. I also do a little behind the scenes work: Choreographing fights, assisting with Zombie recruitment, and I'll also be assisting our Key SFX Makeup Artist with the zombification process.

Josh Milligan - I'm an executive producer, location scout, script editor/contributor and many more jobs. Basically if Tony needs something, I make it happen, **cough** squirrel dinner.

Kyle Moncrief - My involvement with Welcome to the Bubs is making Tony's vision a reality, with a few surprises dropped in. I'm the "Key SFX Makeup Artist".

Tony Reames – I am the Director, and the guy with the camera.  I am the one that comes up with crazy ideas and present them to these guys and they go, yeah let’s do it even BIGGER…




What interested you about this project?

Anissa - I see it as a great opportunity to gain experience in my field. I also really love Zombies.

Josh - The word zombie, what else do you need more than zombies. As a group we morphed a simple commercial contest into a short.

Kyle - My interest in this project is to do the very best I can to make the audience believe what they're watching! Maybe get noticed and .... I'm with Josh, "Zombies! What more do you need!"

Tony – Personally I love shooting shorts, and I went to school in Pittsburgh so I still go back to the
Monroeville Mall when I am home (from original Dawn of the Dead), it’s like a zombie mecca.  




Why do you think it's important to support indie film?

Anissa - Indie filmmaking is what is bringing about our future big-time filmmakers. I think the world wants more than just cookie-cutter-Hollywood-style films and the way to get them is to support independent filmmakers and their craft.

Josh - Indie films are important because they keep the movie industry moving. Indie films do not need heavy backers in order to create something everybody wants to see. Indie films helps the dedicated film maker's dreams going and it shows the film industry that the dedicated can make things happen just as well if not better than the larger muggles.

Kyle - It's important to support indie filmmaking as the most innovative and imaginative ideas spring forth from the simple passion and drive to see a project to fruition! No constraints of public opinion during preproduction. I mean, what would Netflix do to fill their libraries without Indie films, can I get an "Amen"!?

Tony – I grew up on B-Movie/Grindhouse/Indie movies.  Anything from Motel Hell all the way to El Mariachi, and I think the most inventive creative people come from situations where they had to do more
with less.




When is “Welcome to the Bubs” being released?

Tony – We are still finishing up principle photography then we have editing and post, so we are hoping to have it ready to screen in the late Spring.




How is this different from other Zombie movies?

Tony – Well this story take place long after the apocalypse, and is about a small group of survivors who want to stop surviving and go back to living.




It was a great idea to place the outcome in the hands of the backers, why did you trust the fate of the survivors in their hands?

Tony – This is an experiment. I always hear people say that they like this ending or that ending, and 9 times out of 10 it is the typical ending where everything is summed up nicely and makes the audience feel better about the whole journey. This time I want the people to tell us, we want it to end this way…. We wrote two endings, and one is a nice neat ending, and the other is dark and left open… we shall see what people want.


Who do you admire in the field of special effects and make up and what has drawn you to it?

Kyle - Frankly I have many influences and mentors. Dick Smith, Rick Baker and Stan Winston are idols! I was making paper masks and hats as early as 4 yrs. old, the rest is history.

Tony – As a kid I LOVED ILM and applied for an internship every year.  And got very cool rejection letters every year.  So I would say pretty much the same as Kyle, but maybe add Ray Harryhausen, I LOVED his work too.

  
Who are your favourite horror characters and what makes them iconic and memorable to you?

Kyle - Predator, an intergalactic hunter. Raw, primal, yet intelligent! H.R. Giger's Alien, much like zombies, yet faster and you're completely aware of the infestation and pain! And Ed Gein, he is a real American freakshow!! Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs and Psycho were all based on Ed Gein's real life!

Tony – As a kid of the 80’s I have to say Jason Voorhies, Freddy Kreuger, and of course Ash from Evil Dead.  I love that time period for film.  Growing up they just seemed larger than life.





  
Why after so many decades do you think zombies are such a popular sub-genre?

Tony – They say that zombie movies gain popularity in times of economic crisis, I am not sure how true this is, but the good movies have always had something to say about the current climate in our culture.  I think its popular now because of Walking Dead and the fact that they are telling it from a different perspective and making it about life’s struggles.  Like my wife says to people, I love Walking Dead and I am not one of those people that likes Zombies, blech.



What was your first horror movie that had an impact on you and what was the movie/film maker that drew you into the love of filmmaking?

Tony – Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and not because I liked it.  My dad rented it for me when I was a kid, and I will never forget I was eating a Dairy Queen hamburger and the scene where the guy gets into the van and starts acting all crazy, I got nauseated and sick.  To this day I remember it, and I am not sure if it was food poisoning or that horrible creepy guy.  But it stuck with me, so kudos to you Tobe Hooper.




What would you list as your top 3 movies of all time?

Tony – Empire Strikes Back, Army of Darkness, and Hitchcock’s Rope.  Odd choices huh?
My top 3 Zombie movies of all time:
1.>   Dawn of the Dead (original)
2.>   Night of the Comet
3.>   Dance of the Dead




And do you have a list of Guilty Pleasures?

Tony – I don’t watch much TV, but I do watch two shows EVERY time, Psych and Colbert Report, do those count?




Of course tv counts, and those are pretty awesome shows nothing to be guilty about there... I play spot the pineapple too. Favourite zombie kill in a comic/tv show/movie?

Kyle - Favorite zombie kill has got to be the recent head stomps on Walking Dead S3!



Tony – hmm.  I think the Scene from Friday the 13th when Jason jumps through the window after the woman.  I remember this because I remember levitating off the couch


Where can we learn more about the project and what can movie fans do to help now?

Tony – you can visit us on the web:  http://www.WelcomeToTheBubs.com, Twitter @Welcome2TheBubs, and Facebook:  http://fb.com/WelcomeToTheBubs

We are going to need help getting the word out once its complete, and hopefully we can get some screenings at festivals.

And if all goes well, we can shoot the sequel “Greenville 66” which is both a prequel and a sequel.



Lets support indie movies... you don't like what the studios churn out year after year... well help the little guy, where they don't need to stick to a formula or aim at money off certain demographics... its all about creativity!

One last thing... Needed to post this too, these guys are so awesome that the Fake Shemp that is Bruce "The King, Baby" Campbell retweeted them.





Hasta Luego


Monday 19 August 2013

A Movie From Every Year Of My Life - 1993

A Movie From Every Year Of My Life

1993

Jurassic Park




I'm feeling like I'm picking all the popular and obvious movies but sometimes movies are popular for a reason. Jurassic Park was a chunk of my childhood, dinosaurs were a chunk of it (Go in the first upstairs cupboard and at the back you will find a shit load of books on Dinosaurs from my youth) along with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and Sonic the Hedgehog.

So to anyone that hasn't seen this movie... if those people exist... basically John Hammond, the adorable Santa like grandpa played by Richard Attenborough, has figured out a way to replicate dinosaurs from mosquito blood. He is going to open a nature park with the dinosaurs in for the public but before he can he needs the ok from a group of scientists, and off they set to preview the park taking Hammonds grandchildren with them. Inevitably a power failure throws a spanner in the works and the dinosaurs are set free on the island.

Now why do I love this movie?

If I could give one reason why this movie... The music.

John Williams you scored my childhood, and I can revisit it any time I hear the Jurassic Park theme.


Yeah this bit can still make the room a little dusty.

To me the movie, the effects, the themes/message still holds up... not that I rate "still holding up today" as important. A movie looking and feeling a part of the time it was made is all good to me, and I don't really go in for calling movies "dated" because movies are clearly a product of and reflective of the time in which they are made... that said, this really is an all time classic.

As for themes I feel the science vs. nature, the whole "because we can does not mean we should." We are nature then every advance we make is natural... but then the Dinosaurs had their chance and failed. Nature evolves and the world is not the same as it was when the Dinosaurs had their turn on Earth.

This story could be seen as a family friendly version of the Frankenstein story. Man is creator. Man is God.

Money made the characters short sighted... sure John Hammond wanted everyone, rich or poor to experience Jurassic Park, but he hardly had the deal worked out with the suits to that effect. Before the park is open the corporate suits already have heaps of merchandise, and that's where their priorities are.

I also freakin' love the relationships between the children Lex and Tim and Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler. The children idolize them, which I find refreshing and they provide great role models. I love how it is Ellie who gets to go be action woman, and Alan who looks after the grandchildren of John Hammond.




Maybe my choice is obvious but this is pure Saturday entertainment with the family from my childhood, but what would you pick from 1993?










Hasta Luego

Sunday 18 August 2013

One Sentence Review Sunday #12


Lifeforce (1985)



I watched for Patrick Stewart but he shows up an hour in and gets strapped to a table and all the blood flown out of him.








Hasta Luego
@Fake_Shemp

Monday 12 August 2013

A Movie From Every Year Of My Life - 1992

A Movie From Every Year Of My Life

1992

Aladdin



It was so hard to pass up "Brain Dead" it really was but for nostalgia for me it has to be Aladdin. I remember I had the Aladdin McDonald toys, the dolls with their different outfits, the sticker and coloring books and pyjamas, the Sega game, the handheld game, I got two Aladdin VHS's on Christmas. I fookin' loved this movie and then the tv show, the sequels... not so much.







I remember where I was sitting (End of the row, left half of the seats, 2 thirds down), in which screen (2) which cinema (Odeon, and it's no longer open) when I first saw this with my Grandad. I guess him and my father took me to most of my films as a child, thank you both (even though either will never read this) for helping my love of movies from an early age. A Movie a Week made me a Movie Geek.

What would your pick of 1992 be?




Hasta Luego



Monday 5 August 2013

And the answer is...


Peter Capaldi.



My reaction went a lot like this...



"YES! YES! YES!" *unable to breathe* "Oh you beautiful beautiful man of Scottishness!" and then my mother was all "It's more important than a new Prime Minister or that Royal baby isn't it..." To me yes. But even I was "It's only a tv show... but I still couldn't be happier."


To be fair as soon as Zoe Ball was just getting ready to announce who was The Doctor, I realized I wasn't breathing... Welcome to the life of a Geek!

Then we just saw his hand and my mind was all "He's old and white... maybe it really is John Hurt cause where does he fit in all this and if not what if it really is Peter Capaldi but the internet said it might be so it won't be... Oh please don't be that old dude from Cutting It cause I don't know him let it be Malcolm fucking Tucker-" and then she said it and I jumped up and down a fair bit. Ahhhh!



I think I've spent most of the time since on Tumblr... doing shit like this...



And thinking about what a badass he's going to be... he can give the most intense stares... (check out the vid below when he is called a "bully" no really check out his magnificent sassy ass stare.) Fook I love him before the announcement and now I'm hyping him up to be in my heart as much as Christopher Ecclestons Doctor is... I love them all but he has a special place.




For those who don't know, my favourite thing Peter has done is play Malcolm Tucker in political comedy "The Thick of It"... he's bloody fantastic. And here's a video for those who haven't seen the show, or want to refresh in their minds just what we are getting for out next Doctor... also not for the faint of heart... :D



So in closing, I'm more than delighted with the Moffats choice for The Doctor,



bring on the 50th Anniversary special and bring on the regeneration at Christmas. (Oh and I am sad to see Matt going but at least we get him teaming up with Tennant before he bows out.)



and to hell with wanting it to be someone my sister would watch... cause she went out and didn't even watch the live special with us. Nor did she ask who it was when she returned, only asking "CC (for that's what she calls me... doesn't sound much like Rachel, I grant you, but she calls me it anyways) you look happy, you alright?" and when I simply answered "Yes." (because I was still thinking about Peter Capaldi) she told me that I looked like Sheldon.






Hasta Luego


A Movie From Every Year Of My Life - 1991

A Movie From Every Year Of My Life

1991

Terminator 2: Judgement Day 




Frak yeah! One of my all time favourite movies (this and the original... not so bothered about anything after this although I do enjoy the Sarah Connor Chronicles.)

I recently read Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Other book stores are available, I read it on a Kindle.

It was fascinating to read, well I am an Arnie fan, about the work that simply went into him shooting a gun whilst riding a motorcycle without blinking. "Reps, reps, reps".

(I was disappointed there wasn't more about Batman and Robin and no apology for it.)

All the decisions that went into making Arnie the badass we have come to know and love, especially after he plays the villain in the first movie. The way our expectations are flipped. We have Arnie returning looking more awesome than the first, being pitted against clean cut Robert Patrick as the cop who is there to "protect and serve". 



I gotta admit that when I was a child the chase scene where he runs like a shark and lunges on the back of the speeding car filled with our heroes The Connors and Arnie, seriously used to scare the frak outta me. 

I love the way they make the T-800 look more and more machine like as the movie goes on but his "character" evolves, if only in the eyes of John Connor.


His sacrifice at the end still makes me cry, heck Miles Dyson's sacrifice makes the room a little dusty too. 


I love Sarah Connor too, lets not forget her bad-assery. She's like a feral cat, protecting her offspring for the good of all mankind. Her emotions squashed so she can complete her goal, keep John alive and in that she's made herself into a killing machine. She needs to find her humanity once more after being broken out of the nuthouse.



They took Arnie's obscure name, went against everything people were telling him and used it to their advantage. They took his "otherworldliness", his "foreignness" and built upon it. His physical presence used to its fullest, I mean he certainly wasn't born to be a Shakespearean actor, but the lines he does deliver are instantly memorable, and instant classics.



(And yes someone has came through my work and said to me "I need your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle." and yes I indeed did reply "You forgot to say please.")



 I mean look at the poster, its all him, and all you need... is "Schwarzenegger" across the top. 



He became an icon, a personification of the American Dream. It's pretty good for genre fans that he made some good movies along the way, this being my favourite. (Let's face it he's made some awful movie decisions.)




(Whatever I enjoy 'Jingle All The Way'... it's just so bad!)

The character of the Terminator became a part of popular culture, and its great that the movie itself backs it up, actually deserves it's success. The leaps they took in effects are still fantastic to watch all these years later. Thank you James Cameron, Damn I love this man.



Oh and I've also got one of these... cause I'm a geek, if you haven't noticed yet.

1/2 Scale Plasma Rifle, my own is 212 of the 750 run.





I almost picked 'Fried Green Tomatoes', yeah check out my genre credentials, ohhhh yeah!

No I really do love it, but I love the even more gay book, that clearly has Ninny and Idgie as two separate people... something that got blurred in the movie.

But the better movie, I think we can all agree is T2... but what's your pick of 1991?




Hasta Luego

Sunday 4 August 2013

"Just when you think you have all the answers, I change all the questions"

Well it was short sighted (and I am that) of me to think I could watch the entire IMDb Top 250 in a year. Yeah sure you could but when I was working off one list (a snap shot I took from January 1st 2013) the list was ever changing.

So I've not abandoned the list... but it seems more like a lifelong goal to keep up with the movers and shakers of the list. I mean right now "Let the Right One In" (2008) is not on the list, but was when I started this. To be fair I'd already seen that when it first came out but I was going to revisit it solely for the purpose of it crept up on the list.

Now its off the List I've put my plans to revisit it to the back of my mind, even though its a fantastic movie.

Another case in point, "Perks of Being a Wallflower" has disappeared and been replaced by "Arsenic and Old Lace". This happens all the time, but luckily I found sites which notes these changes.

IMDb Top 250 Informer

IMDb Top 250 History

(I'm preferring the latter as it has a more similar layout to that of the IMBd site and you can see clearly what new movies are in, and a nice feature of what past movies have been in the list for one day, but the Informer site lets you track what you've seen on that site if you register, so either or both is good. Though you can check-in to what you watch on IMDb itself so there's that...)

Where before I was trying to watch all movies, including those I'd seen before, now I'm concentrating on those I never have. (And not just those from the IMDb Top 250, just movies I've generally never seen... re- my last "List of Shame" post)

So in closing, no I've not given up, I've just changed the rules on myself.









Hasta Luego


My Own List of Shame

I was reading a great article over at "Movies At Dog Farm" (go read, I'll be here waiting....) where Brandon posts his "List of Shame". To be fair to him his list is obscure and there's no shame in not having seen the movies he cites... unless your us. Yep a horror geek that feel the need to see the classics, the cheesy, the rare and mysterious.

This made me go look at what I'd watched this month so far... and yes we are 3 days in, but that's 3 days of Movie Geekness... and what had I watched... oh nothing but movies I'd never seen before.



Shadow People

Recent movie, sure and not even sure how I stumbled upon it on youtube. I've watched strange creepypasta-esque vids on youtube before but it was middle of the AM's on the 1st and I can't honestly remember how I found this. I saw Dallas Roberts was in it and he's cute so I gave it a go on that alone. I kinda liked it for the most part but its nothing I'd be all "YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!" about. If you're interested in fake documentaries, cause they try to in the style of The Fourth Kind splice scenes in with the "actual" people its "based on" then give it a go, it's worth the one watch.




The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

I guess I first remember hearing this referenced by Sidney and Dewey in Scream, and ever since wanted to see it. I thought I had years earlier saw it but that turned out to be 'Near Dark'... yeah I dunno how I could have ever confused the two either.

After having watched it... I wasn't exactly blown away by anything but its effects. I can see how this one had passed me by, but still so glad I can say I've seen it.




The Thing From Another World (1951)

Now this one I was ashamed to not remembering much of, sure I'd caught bits on the TV as a child but being on in the wee hours I remember falling asleep so I could never say I'd seen it.

I can't believe with my love of John Carpenters remake (yes I have the Fright Rags T-Shirt) that it took me until I'm 25 to see this.




Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)

I had known of this movie purely by the poster for years and I love cheesy old sci-fi so I was glad to check this off the "Never Seen" list.




The Prowler (1981)

I scarcely knew of this movie, I'd seen a T-Shirt of it on Fright Rags, and knew little beyond that. I'm always interested in seeing old slashers that never got the sequels or infamy that the likes of Jason, Freddy or Michael got. So for being an old slasher I was glad for that alone to tick it off.



V/H/S/2 (2013)

I liked the first one and I really liked this one too. Sure some parts look so bad, like amateurs with camcorders bad but as a whole I like the anthology concept which hasn't seen the light of popularity in forever and if you are not enjoying one segment, don't worry another will be up in a few.

First up is "Phase I Clinical Trials" which is creepy but not creepy enough once they show you way too much but good use of an eye-camera I guess?

I think I liked the "A Ride in the Park" segment the best, because of my love of zombies. I liked the way that was filmed with the dudes helmet cam, and so we get to see part of the segment from the zombies perspective.

"Slumber Party Alien Abduction" was cool if a tad obvious in their alien design, maybe coulda came up with something original but still that poor dog.

"Safe Haven" was a whole load of awesome, and what-the-fuck!?! I'd recommend watching that segment alone if you're determined to skip the rest of the movie, not my favourite but perhaps the best.

Y'know even if you were a hater of the first one, just skip to the segments to give them a go in this one, the wrap around story is bad so FFW'd that if ya like but watch the end of it, that's kinda ok.



So I'm gonna try a week of it, movies I've never seen. So far I've got lined up... thanks to Brandon "Something Wicked This Way Comes", which I've wanted to see since I saw Reece Sheersmith mention it on some TV show... maybe one of those countdown 100 Best shows, I'm not sure since Mark Gatiss has done a few horror specials for BBC4 maybe it crept up amongst one of those. I remember Reece saying that he took inspiration for the circus coming to town in "The League of Gentlemen" with Papa Lazarou.



"Eyes Without a Face", always knew the poster and that it was "good" but never got my arse round to seeing it, oh but that will change... I hope.



I'm also gonna get my ass to see John Carpenters "In the Mouth of Madness". It crept up on some horror list, perhaps on BloodyDisgusting of "how many of these horror movies have you seen equals how much of a horror fan you are" and this was one of the few I hadn't seen. Again I've known of it since I was young but it never became a rental. Let's add "Lifeforce" to the list of movies from horror directors I've never seen too.

I also also want to see "Ice Cream Man", another poster I remember but my mother wouldn't let me rent it, and we rented lots of horrors... heck mostly horrors in my youth but she thought it looked bad, and yeah it does but I like bad. So I'm gonna get my ass to see that in the next few days too. And yes I use that tagline any time I have Ice Cream "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream" with friends, even though I've never seen the movie... shame on me. But more seriously, look at that poster, doesn't that scream awesome bad movie...? Well I hope so.



Oh and 'The Conjuring' came out this weekend here so I've got to go see that, really rather excited about that one.

What is on your own personal list of shame? Be it big block busters or genre obscurities that you know you should watch but somehow have managed to put off all your life... and any recommendations for me that I have to see, bring them forth and I will watch.




Hasta Luego
@Fake_Shemp