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Category: Sci-Fi

  • Ready Player One (2018)

    Ready Player One (2018)

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Special Review” subhead=”This review is a special request from Patreon supporter BodaciousCNO. If you’d like to support me on Patreon, click the button below.” text_orientation=”center” button_one_text=”Visit Patreon” button_one_url=”https://www.patreon.com/filmnerd” background_overlay_color=”#f96854″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ background_color=”#f96854″ custom_button_one=”on” button_one_bg_color=”#052d49″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”25px||25px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]In 2010, aspiring author Ernest Cline sold the rights to his first novel, Ready Player One, to Crown Publishing Group. Not long after, Warner Bros. bought the film rights before the book was published the following year. Cline wrote the original screenplay, Eric Eason and Zak Penn handled rewrites, and Steven Spielberg was hired to direct. After a lengthy casting process, principal photography commenced in June 2016, mainly in Birmingham and Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. Thanks to Spielberg’s reputation, many of the pop culture references featured in the book were brought into the movie. Filming wrapped in September 2016, and ILM, Digital Domain, and Territory Studio handled the visual effects and post-production. The film initially had a late 2017 release but was delayed to avoid competition from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. After premiering at South by Southwest, Ready Player One hit theaters in March 2018.

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    Synopsis

    It is 2045, and people are escaping reality by entering a virtual reality program called The Oasis. Created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg), what started as a game quickly became a phenomenon. Unfortunately, Halliday passed away but left three keys hidden in The Oasis, leading to a golden Easter egg. Whoever found the keys and got the egg would win total control of The Oasis, but people lost interest. That is except for a few passionate egg hunters, aka “Gunters,” and rival tech CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn). One of these Gunters, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), finds the first key, which paints a massive target on his back. He soon finds himself in a rebellion led by fellow Gunter Samantha Cook (Olivia Cooke) to take down Sorrento. With control of The Oasis at stake, will our heroes succeed, or will Sorrento claim it for himself?

     

    Review

    Before going further, I will address that I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how the movie compares. That said, Ready Player One has plenty going for it, and it’s easy to see why some people enjoy it. It’s got some exciting world-building, the characters are likable, and there’s a charm to seeing all these pop culture references. Unfortunately, once you strip all of that away, you’re left with a pretty bland story you’ve seen done before. The characters are all stock archetypes, the plot devolves into a “chosen one” narrative, and there’s nothing unique here. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using familiar stories and character types, so long as you make something different. Star Wars is a perfect example of taking tropes and ideas from other media to tell a unique story. Aside from the video game angle, this has nothing unique to offer.

    To get into some positive aspects, I thought the performances were generally strong despite lacking substantial material. Tye Sheridan makes for a decent, relatable, and sympathetic lead, especially as the film progresses. Though his scenes are brief, Mark Rylance has an innocent charm that makes him feel more human. Simon Pegg is enjoyable as always, and T.J. Miller is funny in his role as i-R0k. Also, while some of the visuals haven’t aged as well as others, there are some decent-looking digital effects. Alan Silvestri’s score fits the action well, though it sounds like his Back to the Future score. Steven Spielberg’s direction is on point, as always, though the film lacks some of his usual style. Oddly enough, the scene that felt the most like Spielberg was towards the end when Parzival meets Halliday. Sadly, that’s where most of my positives for this movie end.

    While the rest of the cast is decent, many are either forgettable or repeats of previous performances. The worst example is Ben Mendelsohn, a great actor, whose role is more or less the same as Rogue One. While most references are relegated to the background, it gets annoying when the movie blatantly tells you the reference. In particular, when they mentioned The Shining, Buckaroo Banzai, and Child’s Play, I wished I was watching those movies instead. This movie should not be two hours and twenty minutes long, especially with all the unnecessary padding. Sure, it has an action-packed climax, but I was waiting for everything to end by then. I wouldn’t call this one of Spielberg’s worst movies, but it’s a far cry from Jaws or Schindler’s List. Overall, Ready Player One has some surface-level enjoyment, but it won’t leave much of an impact.

     

    Buy Ready Player One from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AniUMA.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Mutant Hunt (1987)

    Mutant Hunt (1987)

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    While Charles Band’s Wizard Video label gained popularity in its early days, it was nearing its end by 1987. Combined with the cost of running Empire Pictures and each film bombing, Band was losing more and more money. His cost-saving deal with Tim Kincaid to produce cheap quickies in New York wasn’t proving fruitful as Band had hoped. Substandard movies like Breeders and Robot Holocaust were not flying off the shelves as their licensed European titles. But there was another film Kincaid shot before the previous two that had been sitting on the shelf for years. This would end up being Kincaid and company’s most ambitious project up to this point. Unfortunately, this also was the last film released under Wizard Video before the label shut down. Though filmed in 1985, Tim Kincaid’s Mutant Hunt didn’t hit video store shelves until April 1987.

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    Synopsis

    Robots have become a daily necessity for everyday life in the not-too-distant future, but that’s about to change. A genetic scientist working for the world’s leading robot manufacturer, Inteltrex, named Z (Bill Peterson), has gone mad with power. He injects his powerful Delta 7 cyborgs with a drug called “Europhon,” which mutates them into bloodthirsty killers who melt. When Z’s colleague Paul Haynes (Mark Umile) discovers the truth, he and his sister Darla (Mary Fahey) try to escape. Paul gets captured, so Darla enlists mercenary Matt Riker (Rick Gianasi) to help rescue her brother and stop Z’s cyborgs. Along the way, they meet Paul’s friends: undercover operative Elaine Eliot (Taunie Vrenon) and weapons expert Johnny Felix (Ron Reynaldi). While Z sends his cyborgs to do his bidding, his business partner Domina (Stormy Spill) has something brewing in secret. The fate of the free world rests on the mutant hunt!

     

    Review

    If you’ve been following my Full Moon Fridays series, you’ll know that I’ve torn Tim Kincaid’s movies apart. Even for low-budget filmmaking, Kincaid’s offerings are usually dull, poorly acted, and incompetent attempts at entertainment. Admittedly, Mutant Hunt has many of the same problems as his earlier efforts, but it’s easily the best. This isn’t some accidental masterpiece or anything like that, but it’s at least got more going for it. The special effects by artists Ed French, John Bisson, and James Chai are incredible, given the meager budget. Each mutant cyborg is given a distinct look as they melt and deteriorate into monsters as the film progresses. The highlight is one cyborg who loses much of his face and jaw, now being played by a puppet. It’s, without a doubt, the best effect in the entire movie, and that’s saying something.

    The music is also worth mentioning, as that late 80s stock synth score seemed to work back then. Also worth noting is that some of the music used was taken from another Wizard Video release, David DeCoteau’s Dreamaniac. It makes sense that they’d use that film’s music since it was undoubtedly the best thing about that movie. A decent variety of locations are also used, particularly a former Navy harbor near Manhattan used for the climax. Since all of Kincaid’s films were shot in mid to late-80s New York, they serve as a time capsule. It’s a peek at New York City before it was gentrified and cleaned up in the 1990s to increase tourism. While this movie would’ve been perfect for a 42nd Street Grindhouse, the fact that it was released direct-to-video is ironic. Regardless of the film’s overall quality, it still has some value for its historical place.

    Sadly, the rest of the movie is the same dull walk through New York alleys we’ve seen before. The acting isn’t as bland as Breeders, and some stand out in unintentionally hilarious ways. For instance, Rick Gianasi’s introduction as Matt Riker involves him fighting a cyborg in his apartment in his underwear. He does have a few funny lines of dialogue, but his true potential wouldn’t be showcased until Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. Bill Peterson is weak as the villain, though Stormy Spill has her moments as she plots her revenge on Z. The guys playing the mutant cyborgs make the most of the trim material they’re given and are having some fun. While this isn’t a good movie, I will say that if you have friends and some substances, you’ll enjoy this. Overall, Mutant Hunt is probably Tim Kincaid’s best movie, though that’s not saying much.

     

    Buy Mutant Hunt from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RAp1mV.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Mutant Hunt (1987)

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  • AIMEE: The Visitor (2023)

    AIMEE: The Visitor (2023)

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]From the Greek legend of Talos to literary works like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, people have been fascinated by artificial life. The idea of human thought being mechanized and automated has been researched and tested for centuries. However, the concept of artificial intelligence was fully explored once scientists gathered for what became The Dartmouth Workshop of 1956. Meanwhile, science-fiction writers like Isaac Asimov and Phillip K. Dick were telling stories about the dangers of AI. Similarly, filmmakers like Stanley Kubrick, James Cameron, and The Wachowskis expressed similar fears of machine learning. As technology continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, more research was being done into how effective AI could be. Ever the opportunist Charles Band of Full Moon Entertainment decided to explore this by creating the first AI-generated femme fatale. The result was the 2023 sci-fi thriller AIMEE: The Visitor.

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    Synopsis

    Scott Keyes (Dallas Schaefer) is a computer programmer who spends his days watching porn and eating fast food. He’s hired hacker siblings Hunter (Felix Merback) and Gazelle (Faith West) to steal top-secret software to sell online. The two bring Scott a new artificial intelligence program, which he tinkers with and unlocks AIMEE, an ai-generated woman. Scott is immediately drawn to how seemingly perfect she is: she’s intelligent, funny, does whatever Scott wants, and never complains. Elsewhere, two government agents (Joe Kurak and Tom Dacey Carr) are snooping around when they’re mysteriously electrocuted. While Hunter is perfectly content, Gazelle is suspicious of AIMEE and starts digging into its code. She finds out about AIMEE’s dark secrets and tries to pull Scott away, eventually beginning a romantic relationship with him. Little do they know that AIMEE is willing to do everything and anything to keep Scott all to herself.

     

    Review

    Given AI’s prevalence in the last few years, it makes sense for a movie like AIMEE: The Visitor to emerge. As technology evolves, we find ourselves being pulled further into the digital world and away from the real one. Granted, this concept isn’t anything new, and that’s one of the biggest problems with Charles Band’s sci-fi thriller. In 2023 alone, we had the film M3GAN, which tackled the same issue of an artificial person replacing human contact. Granted, if it’s told well and given some uniqueness, there’s nothing wrong with retelling the same story repeatedly. The only thing that separates this film is that the AI is the titular artificially generated woman. In this movie’s defense, Aimee is terrifying and manipulative, and she makes for a great villain. She does an excellent job of showcasing how dangerous artificial people can be if technology goes too far.

    Dallas Schaefer plays Scott as an arrogant yet lovable jerk who appreciates his colleagues despite constantly mocking them. Granted, he doesn’t fit the bill of someone who spends all day eating junk and using porn to relieve himself. While he comes off a bit unlikable, you also get the sense that he’s confused as Aimee keeps manipulating him. Felix Merback and Faith West also perform well as hacker siblings who put up with Scott’s antics for the money. Admittedly, the romance between Scott and Gazelle comes out of nowhere and isn’t given a proper build-up. While we don’t know the character’s history with each other, how they interact doesn’t suggest a romance blossoming. Considering this is a modern version of a 90s erotic thriller, the romance could’ve been an excuse for some nudity. It doesn’t help that we’re not given much development at only an hour in length.

    Like many recent Full Moon offerings, this one could not have had a large budget, though Band makes it work. The small cast and single location help give a sense of claustrophobia and tension as Aimee spies on our heroes. There’s also a decent use of light and shadow to make the film look more dynamic and suspenseful. While there is some questionable CGI here and there, it’s not distracting enough to take you out of the action. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that the ending genuinely surprised me with how depressing it was. As easy as it would’ve been to end happily, the fact that it ends on a bleak note is commendable. While I wouldn’t call this one of Full Moon’s best, it’s at least one of their more ambitious movies. Overall, AIMEE: The Visitor is flawed but has some fun sci-fi thrills.

     

    Special thanks to Full Moon Features for providing me with an early screener copy for review.

    Buy AIMEE: The Visitor from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fv3THc.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990)

    A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990)

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    While working on 1988’s Mutant War, a cast member asked director Brett Piper if they could produce a film together. Piper agreed so long as the actor could raise the money, which they did, so the two started brainstorming. They adapted a script Piper had written years earlier called Dark Sun, which they retitled The Dark Fortress. Piper drew inspiration from classic adventure films, most notably ones that featured effects from legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. The movie was shot in and around New Hampshire and Massachusetts with a tiny budget. During production, Piper remembered a conversation with a distributor, who suggested minimal dialogue would make the film more commercially appealing. After filming wrapped, Troma was interested in distributing the movie, but negotiations stalled until both parties agreed. Troma recut the film, shot a new opening, and retitled it A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell.

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    Synopsis

    After a nuclear armageddon ravages the land, the earth is filled with radioactive mutants and long-dormant dinosaurs. Among those not affected by the radiation is the young nymphoid Lea (Linda Corwin), who is searching for a home. One day, she gets attacked by some barbarians until a local named Marn (Paul Guzzi) saves her just in time. They fall in love and spend the day at the beach when they attract the attention of Clon (Alex Pirnie). With his group of reptilian henchmen, he bests Marn in battle and kidnaps Lea for his nefarious purposes. Marn is nursed back to health by an old man (Al Hodder), who gives him a pistol to fight Clon. While Marn rushes to save Lea, she manages to escape, only to face other mutants and monsters before being recaptured. Will Lea survive or die as a nymphoid barbarian in dinosaur hell?

     

    Review

    With a title like A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell, you’d expect a fun, if dumb, sci-fi B-movie. Sadly, the movie doesn’t live up to its ridiculous title and poster but instead is a dull excuse for entertainment. Granted, Troma has a history of retitling their films to make them sound more exciting than they actually are. To his credit, writer/director Brett Piper wanted to make a low-budget Ray Harryhausen-style movie, and he did it. The occasional stop-motion dinosaur/creature is a treat, even if it’s not the best-looking stop-motion I’ve seen. Also, the costumes and variety of monsters are impressive, given the limited budget, so kudos to the filmmakers there. It’s a shame that more work was put into these aspects than the script, the acting, and the pacing. Again, I wasn’t expecting much, but I didn’t expect this.

    As mentioned in my introduction, Piper intentionally included minimal dialogue to reach potential overseas markets. Sometimes, having very little conversation can work if the film’s visuals and pacing are handled well. Sadly, the visuals are about what you’d expect from this budget, and the pacing is beyond glacial. To emphasize this, I had to rewind the movie at least two or three times to remember what happened. The movie clocks in at 82 minutes, but the sluggish pacing makes it feel like the longest 82 minutes ever. There’s nothing to say about the acting since hardly anyone talks, and when they do, it’s okay but nothing special. While it’d be easy to lambast Brett Piper for making such a dull movie, I blame Troma for misrepresenting it. Overall, A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell is too dull of a movie to have such a hilariously awesome title.

     

    Buy A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell from Amazon: https://amzn.to/45tucsr.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Arena (1989)

    Arena (1989)

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    After Trancers and Eliminators became minor hits, Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo were assigned more scripts by Charles Band. One assignment he gave them was a sci-fi wrestling movie with aliens, which the duo wasn’t entirely sold on. They took the job anyway and used 1947’s Body and Soul as a reference for their screenplay. Their original concept was more of a spoof of boxing movies from the time, which didn’t sit well with Band. At some point, the script went through many rewrites after Bilson and De Meo left to work on The Flash. Peter Manoogian, who previously helmed Eliminators and Enemy Territory, was given $2 million to film Empire’s most ambitious film. The movie was shot in the old Dino De Laurentiis studios in Rome and finished in 1988. Unfortunately, due to Empire’s bankruptcy, Arena wouldn’t see a release until 1991.

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    Synopsis

    In the year 4038, on a lone space station, alien races battle in a gladiatorial arena for dominance. The reigning champion is the cyborg Horn (Michael Deak), whose promoter, Rogor (Marc Alaimo), is rigging the fights. After Horn pummels her last fighter, Quinn (Claudia Christian) desperately seeks a new one to take on Rogor’s champion. Enter Steve Armstrong (Paul Satterfield), a young man from Earth who’s a cook working with his friend Shorty (Hamilton Camp). He gets into a fight with one of Quinn’s fighters, and she’s so impressed that she offers him a contract. Steve initially turns it down, but once Shorty receives threats over gambling debts, he agrees and becomes a good fighter. Feeling threatened, Rogor sends his henchmen Weezil (Armin Shimerman) and Skull (William Butler) to sabotage Steve’s fight with Horn. Will Horn defend his title, or will Steve become the new champion of the Arena?

     

    Review

    Arena has the ingredients to make a fun sci-fi movie: likable characters, unique creature designs, and a decent story. Despite this, the film can’t decide whether to take itself seriously or have fun with the premise. This movie is a standard rags-to-riches boxing story, even with its outlandish setting and otherworldly aliens. It’s Rocky in space but without the heart and soul of John G. Avildsen’s original classic. How differently would the movie have played out if they had used Bilson and De Meo’s original script? Unfortunately, what we got was a predictable boxing movie that happens to have a decent setting and unique monsters. That said, you can see the $2 million budget on the screen with the elaborate sets and alien designs. While John Carl Buechler handled much of it, the highlight is Screaming Mad George’s contribution.

    Paul Satterfield makes for a decent leading man, giving the role plenty of charm and charisma to make him endearing. It helps that he looks like a blonde Christopher Reeve, which makes me wonder why he never got bigger. The rest of the cast includes character actors like Hamilton Camp, Claudia Christian, Marc Alaimo, Shari Shattuck, and Armin Shimerman. Most people will recognize them from roles in shows like Babylon 5 and various iterations of Star Trek. They all do a serviceable job, though Hamilton Camp stands out for his goofy charm and comedic timing. Peter Manoogian’s direction is decent, Mac Ahlberg’s cinematography is good as usual, and Richard Band’s score gets the job done. If the film had more camp and didn’t take itself as seriously, this would be an underrated gem in Empire’s catalog. Overall, Arena isn’t terrible, but there are better Empire movies to check out.

     

    Watch Arena on Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/3YsTgh3.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Robot Holocaust (1987)

    Robot Holocaust (1987)

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    As stated in previous reviews, Charles Band formed Wizard Video after being forced out of Meda (later Media) Home Entertainment. Band released several oddball exploitation films through this label, including Zombie, The Driller Killer, and The Boogeyman. In addition to acquiring the distribution rights for foreign cinema, Band made some in-house productions, including compilations and direct-to-video movies. Except for The Best of Sex and Violence and Psychos In Love, most of these were pretty dreadful. Enter Tim Kincaid, the New York-based adult filmmaker who transitioned to mainstream movies with Bad Girls Dormitory. Kincaid and Band made a deal where Tim would produce several low-budget genre films for Wizard Video, starting with Breeders. His next film for Band became arguably his most infamous for appearing on the second season of Mystery Science Theater 3000. That movie would be the 1987 post-apocalyptic sci-fi film Robot Holocaust.

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    Synopsis

    Society has all but collapsed after a robot revolution that took place in the far future of 2033. The remaining humans are either slaves to the robots and their leader, The Dark One, or nomads roaming the wasteland. The Dark One is an advanced computer aided by the human Valaria (Angelika Jager) and the robot Torque (Rick Gianasi). A scientist named Jorn (Michael Downend) is imprisoned since he’s the only one who can stop The Dark One. His daughter Deeja (Nadine Hart) searches for someone to help rescue him and finds a drifter named Neo (Norris Culf). With his robot sidekick Kylton (Joel Van Ornsteiner), Neo agrees to help and gathers other drifters to aid them. With humanity’s fate at stake, our heroes must trek across the New York ruins to stop The Dark One. It’s man versus machine as the two sides clash in this robot holocaust!

     

    Review

    Much like his 1986 movie Breeders, Robot Holocaust sounds like it’ll be a fun watch, but it’s largely uninteresting. Granted, this one is less painful of an experience, but that’s saying little considering what we’re comparing. The biggest problem with this film is that most of it is either exposition dumps or characters just walking. What makes matters worse is that the characters could be more memorable, and the acting could be more exciting, though there are exceptions. On top of being gorgeous, Angelika Jager is the film’s highlight, as she’s chewing up all the scenery. Like before, Ed French’s effects work is decent, given the limited resources he had to work with. While some monsters look like cheap hand-puppets, the robots are pretty cool, especially Torque’s design. That explains why the Blu-Ray cover features him prominently despite not being the central villain.

    Honestly, this movie is hard to review because there’s little to say about it, and I’ve covered almost everything. Another strike against the film is the constant narration explaining everything we see as if we’re blind. It makes Harrison Ford’s narration in Blade Runner sound profound by comparison, and that was a great movie. The film reuses music from other Charles Band productions like Laserblast, which is fitting since it was also on MST3K. I’d almost prefer watching that movie instead since it at least had stop-motion aliens, explosions, and Eddie Deezen. While it does get slightly more exciting in the last 20 minutes, it’s hardly worth the first 50. The movie clocks in at roughly 80 minutes and feels like the longest 80 minutes imaginable. Overall, Robot Holocaust is less “so bad it’s good” but more “so boring it’s bad.”

     

    Buy Robot Holocaust from Amazon: https://amzn.to/43w5ZR9.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Seedpeople (1992)

    Seedpeople (1992)

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    After Empire Pictures went bankrupt following the release of 1989’s Arena, filmmaker Peter Manoogian had trouble finding work. Once Charles Band started Full Moon Features, Manoogian ran into him and made a deal with him. For $15,000, Manoogian would get to direct for four weeks, which turned into three to four months. While he was initially supposed to helm one film, Manoogian shot two back-to-back, the first being 1992’s Demonic Toys. That project went over so well that Charles Band had another in line for Peter Manoogian to direct. Originally intended as a “psychological thriller” by Band, the film became a riff on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Manoogian tried to make it more of an action movie, but unlike his killer doll movie, this didn’t get sequels. Just weeks after his film about evil toys, Peter Manoogian’s Seedpeople hit video store shelves in May 1992.

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    Synopsis

    In the small town of Comet Valley, geologist Tom Baines (Sam Hennings) is visiting to lecture on meteorites. The townsfolk have become enamored with meteorites after several of them landed recently, much to the chagrin of local farmers. While visiting, Tom runs into his old flame Heidi Tucker (Andrea Roth), who’s dating the local sheriff Brad (Dane Witherspoon). Tom soon notices the other townsfolk are acting strange, Heidi’s niece Kim (Holly Fields) believing him and wanting to investigate. Meanwhile, strange plants have sprouted up all over town, sending local nutcase Doc Roller (Bernard Kates) into a panic. Tom and Kim soon find evidence suggesting a connection between the plants and the townsfolks’ strange behavior. Heidi initially doesn’t believe them, but after seeing video proof, she joins them in fighting the alien seed pods. Who will survive, the uncontaminated humans or the Seedpeople?

     

    Review

    Seedpeople isn’t as good compared to Demonic Toys, but it’s still an enjoyably silly creature feature. Sure, it’s a low-budget version of Don Siegel’s 1956 classic, but plenty of similar movies have been made. The acting is above average, but none of the performances would earn any awards recognition. Sam Hennings makes for a decent lead and has good chemistry with Andrea Roth, though their love triangle is unexciting. Bernard Kates has some fun moments as a crazy old man trying to expose the aliens despite being mocked. Full Moon regular Sonny Carl Davis also appears as a local farmer who meets a horrible fate. Peter Manoogian’s direction is decent, especially during the nighttime scenes where he uses various colored lights. It helps that he had Full Moon’s go-to cinematographer Adolfo Bartoli on hand to enhance the style.

    The film’s real highlight is the creature effects from John Carl Buechler and Mike Deak, primarily puppets and rubber suits. Each titular monster’s distinct look closely matches the box cover, which is a plus. Admittedly, the film’s low budget shows when you can tell the actors are just moving the puppets around. That said, it’s very progressive how they hired disfigured performers to wear alien costumes and gave them opportunities. This movie feels like the filmmakers wanted to pay tribute to classic 1950s B-movies and succeeded, for the most part. At barely under 90 minutes, the film goes by fairly quickly, though there’s a lot of filler sprinkled throughout. This isn’t on par with Full Moon classics like Puppet Master III or Dark Angel: The Ascent, but it’s decent. Overall, Seedpeople is best recommended as a rental, much like other Full Moon movies you’d find at the video store.

     

    Buy Seedpeople on:

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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    Where to watch Seedpeople (1992)

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  • Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

    Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

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    In 2006, James Cameron announced that he’d want to make sequels to Avatar if it was a hit. Fortunately, the movie grossed over $2 billion worldwide, breaking the record for the highest-grossing film set by Cameron’s Titanic. The film earned nine Oscar nominations and won three for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. With this overwhelming success, Cameron confirmed a sequel was in the works in 2010 with a 2014 release in mind. However, like the original, the first of many sequels would take longer than expected, with filming starting in 2017. With a budget of $350–460 million, the film is one of the most expensive ever made, surpassing Avengers: Infinity War. After three years of filming, the movie was scheduled for a late 2020 release, only to be delayed eight times. Years after the original, Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters in December 2022.

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    Synopsis

    Years have gone by, and human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is raising a family with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Their children include Neteyam (James Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver). Unfortunately, their peace is interrupted when the RDA returns full force to mine Pandora for its resources. Among them are a group of avatars with memories of dead marines led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). After Quaritch captures a human boy named Spider (Jack Champion), who befriended the Na’vi, Jake and his family flee. They move to the eastern seaboard to take shelter with the Metkayina clan led by Chief Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). Despite objections from the other tribespeople and his wife, Ronal (Kate Winslet), Tonowari welcomes Sully’s family with open arms. As Jake’s family learns to adapt to their new home, Quaritch and his team are on the hunt.

     

    Review

    After more than a decade of waiting, how does the long-awaited sequel to the initial blockbuster stand up? If you enjoyed Avatar, you’d enjoy Avatar: The Way of Water since it’s the same movie, for better or worse. Like its predecessor, the film is visually stunning and impressive on a technical level, only to stumble narratively. This film’s most significant innovation was being able to film motion capture underwater, which had never been done before. Despite the difficulties this presented for the crew, it’s undoubtedly impressive, and Cameron deserves credit for his ambition. Still, all these innovations mean very little if the story and characters aren’t exciting, which is the case here. This one hits similar beats as the original: humans invade Pandora, Quaritch leads the invasion, and Sully defends the people. Granted, there are some slight changes, but it’s more or less the same movie.

    While Jake Sully and Neytiri were at the forefront of the first film, the sequel focuses on their kids. Aside from having 73-year-old Sigourney Weaver playing one of the kids, they all do a fine job. I found Lo’ak, played by Britain Dalton, to be the most interesting with his subplot of feeling like an outcast. Like the last film, Stephen Lang is the biggest highlight, though he doesn’t have the same impact since he’s CGI. Part of what makes it so hard to feel for the characters since they’re almost all digital creations. Say what you will about the original, but that at least had a good mix of human and digital characters. With an over three-hour runtime, it culminates in a final battle that’s not as exciting and has obvious sequel-baiting. Overall, Avatar: The Way of Water is all style but no substance, more so than its predecessor.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Buy Your Tickets on Sale to watch “Avatar: The Way of Water” playing in theaters starting December 16th![/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Avatar (2009)

    Avatar (2009)

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    In 1994, James Cameron wrote a treatment for a science-fiction film inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard. Cameron initially announced filming would begin shortly after the massive blockbuster Titanic for a planned 1999 release. However, Cameron felt that the technology at the time couldn’t realize his vision, so he put the project on hold. He started preparing the project between 2005-2007, but Fox was weary due to Titanic going over budget and behind schedule. Fox told Cameron they were dropping the project in 2006, at which point Cameron took it to Disney. Not wanting Disney to take over, Fox agreed to take on the project with Ingenious Media providing funding. With a budget of $237 million, principal photography began in April 2007, followed by two years of post-production. After years of delays and development, James Cameron’s Avatar finally hit theaters in December 2009.

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    Synopsis

    In 2154, all of Earth’s natural resources have run dry, so the Resources Development Administration (RDA) turn elsewhere. They’ve set up operations on the planet Pandora, home of the Na’vi, to mine a valuable mineral called Unobtainium. To try and make peace with the Na’vi, Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) has developed the Avatar Project. Essentially, a person’s consciousness is placed in human/Na’vi hybrids, allowing them to explore Pandora without needing a breathing mask. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine, is assigned his deceased brother’s Avatar, much to Dr. Augustine’s chagrin. Jake manages to make peace with the Na’vi, which prompts Colonel Miles Quaritch (Steven Lang) to make a deal. The government will restore Jake’s legs in exchange for any information about the Na’vi and their home. After meeting and falling in love with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Jake questions his allegiance to the RDA.

     

    Review

    From a technical perspective, Avatar is groundbreaking, especially regarding motion capture technology and being able to create realistic textures. Probably the film’s most significant innovation was being able to capture facial expressions to bring characters to life. These new techniques help make these giant blue humanoid creatures seem real, like you could interact with them. Visually, the movie looks impressive, with the world of Pandora fully realized with its lush greenery and unique creature designs. James Cameron does a great job making the world feel alive, and his direction is on point. There’s also the fantastic score by the late James Horner, which helps add to the film’s massive scope. This kind of movie is best enjoyed on a giant screen with the best sound system available. Unfortunately, for all its innovations and technological enhancements, the film’s story and characters suffer the most.

    As many reviewers before me have mentioned, this story has been done in films like Dances With Wolves or Pocahontas. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with telling a similar story if you do something different with it, but this one doesn’t. It doesn’t help that the acting ranges from decent to flat, though there are some stand-outs. Stephen Lang steals the show as the hardened marine, and Sigourney Weaver has some fun moments as the cynical doctor. Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, and Wes Studi all do fantastic jobs utilizing motion capture technology to give great performances. Sadly, the significant outlier is Sam Worthington, who weirdly became a prominent name despite having little to no charisma. Thankfully, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel David Moore, and Giovanni Ribisi provide enough charm to compensate. Overall, Avatar deserves credit for its advances in filmmaking technology, but it suffers from a derivative story and lackluster characters.

     

    Buy Avatar from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BAfAuV.

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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  • Oblivion (1994)

    Oblivion (1994)

    [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]In 1986, Charles Band had a concept for a film called Shoot to Kill, a science-fiction/western mix. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t made after Empire Pictures went bankrupt years later, but Band carried it over to Full Moon. In the early 90s, Band shot several movies in Romania, including Subspecies, Mandroid, Trancers 4 and 5, and Lurking Fear. Seeing the potential, Band and cinematographer turned producer Vlad Paunescu established Castel Film Productions due to the inexpensive costs. For their first project, Band decided to resurrect the Shoot to Kill idea and hired comic book writer Peter David. Initially, Jeff Burr was set to direct before being replaced by Sam Irvin, who previously worked as Brian DePalma’s assistant. With a reported budget of $2.5 million, this was going to be one of Full Moon’s most ambitious films. While intended for a theatrical release, Oblivion hit video store shelves in late 1994.

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    Synopsis

    In 3031, on a remote planet, the alien outlaw Red Eye (Andrew Divoff) invades the Old West-style town of Oblivion. He challenges the town marshal, Zed Stone (Mike Genovese), to a duel, only to cheat and kill Stone. Red Eye and his goons – Lash (Musetta Vander), Bork (Irwin Keyes), and Wormhole (Frank Roman) – take over the town. Elsewhere, the marshal’s son Zack (Richard Joseph Paul) rescues a native named Buteo (Jimmie F. Skaggs) from a giant scorpion. Unfortunately, Zack learns of his father’s death from the local undertaker, Mr. Gaunt (Carel Struycken), and attends the funeral. Despite the outcries from the townsfolk, Zack abhors violence due to being an empath and refuses to confront Red Eye. However, when Red Eye and his gang kidnap Buteo, Zack decides to face his fears and rescue him. It’s high noon in outer space as cowboys and aliens go toe-to-toe in Oblivion!

     

    Review

    Oblivion is a fun genre mash-up showing what Full Moon could do with a sizable budget. For one, the cast is to die for, with names like Andrew Divoff, Meg Foster, Isaac Hayes, and Julie Newmar. Divoff, in particular, is having the time of his life playing the notorious reptilian outlaw Red Eye. Another highlight is George Takei as a drunken inventor who spouts off Star Trek quotes and is quite belligerent. There’s also Musetta Vander, who steals the show as Red Eye’s right-hand lady, Lash, who chews through the scenery. Admittedly, Richard Joseph Paul is a bit weak as the hero, but he does come through toward the end. Additionally, Jackie Swanson and Jimmie F. Skaggs come off as somewhat bland, though Skaggs at least has more to do. This is a movie where the villains are far more interesting than the heroes.

    Many of the costumes and sets may look cheap, but by Full Moon standards, this is a big-budget blockbuster. The blending of Old West and modern-day technology is a nice melding that helps it stand out from other westerns. Sam Irvin manages to stage some exciting action sequences, and Peter David’s script is filled with great gags. One joke that stands out is when Zack gives an emotional speech at his father’s funeral during bingo night. There’s also some excellent stop-motion animation from the late David Allen, which is always a treat. It’s a shame this movie didn’t get a theatrical release because I could’ve seen it doing relatively well. Sure, it doesn’t stack up to 1994’s The Lion King or Forrest Gump, but it’s better than The Flintstones. Overall, Oblivion is a flawed but entertaining genre mash-up from Full Moon’s heyday.

     

    Buy Oblivion from:

    Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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