It’s coming: Superman vs. Batman and I’m trepidatious. I can’t say I’ve  loved Ben Affleck, well…pretty much in anything, but at least the other guy, Henry Cavill, looks like a Superman. Seriously, check out the trailer and let us know what you think!

Don’t you just love classic movies, I for one adore my classics (as I’m sure you will find out) and 2014 marks the 75th Anniversary of what many critics and movie fanatics call the greatest year as a whole for quality classic movies, 1939. 1939 brought us the ultimate family movie in “Wizard of Oz”, everyone must have a special place in their lives for this film, for generations it has opened up the imaginations of youth. Frank Capra and James Stewart gave us the ever brilliant “Mr Smith Goes to Washington”. A film about corruption in politics, but has a wonderful sense of patriotism, James Stewart’s look of wonder and excitement as he looks at all the various monuments of the capital, I’m not an American but even I feel kinda of moved at these scenes. These two went on to do the fantastic “Its a wonderful life”. Charles Laughton gave us one of the greatest performances of all time in “Hunchback of Notre Dame”, it was a painful character performance and helped us feel so much pity for Quasimodo, it reminds me of John Hurt in the “Elephant Man” which was released 1980 so Charles was first!. Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Jr teamed up for “Gunga Din”, not a film I enjoyed but I can understand it been regarded a classic. We also had Robert Donat who was amazing in the very touching journey through life drama of a well loved teacher, “Goodbye Mr Chips”. Errol Flynn traded his Swash-buckler image in for revolvers to become a cowboy in “Dodge City” to huge commercial success. The great Greta Garbo proved she was still Box Office success with “Ninotchka”, which came behind Gone With The Wind and Oz as third most successful film of the year. To top off 1939 we had of course the film that swept the Academy Awards… “Gone With The Wind”, which happens to be a personal favorite of mine. There is many more films from that year too that are regarded as classics. If you own the 70th Anniversary edition of “Gone With The Wind” there is a very insightful documentary on 1939 which talks about all the great films released by each studio in turn, its a great watch, its also narrated by Kenneth Branagh. What I want to know is, What is your favorite movie and acting performance of 1939? And do you think 1939 was the greatest as a whole?. I’ll end on this..Brace yourself for what no doubt will be endless Blu ray/DVD releases of 75th Anniversary editions of most of the films from 1939. I will be posting reviews of new and classic films so keep an eye on this site, keep listening and checking out the brilliant shows these guys do.

Up this week, more movies from across the pond. Flesh eating ghouls, people being hunted through the wilderness and foul-mouthed slackers graced the screen.

THE PACK (2010 – France) “La Meute” is another entry in the wave of French horror. We are first introduced to Charlotte (Émilie Dequenne), a very rough around the edges type of girl, who picks up a hitchhiker named Max (Benjamin Biolay). He’s a seedy sort of character and he leads Charlotte to an even seedier truck-stop. They meet the owner La Spack (Yolande Moreau) who has plans for Charlotte. She’s always in need for a fresh supply of flesh and blood for “the pack”, a group of ghouls who rise from the ground to feast. Turns out Max is her son and he helps do the “grocery shopping” by luring people to their trap. Throw in a wacked out cop played by Philippe Nahon (High Tension, I Stand Alone), and a lunatic motorcycle gang and you have a dark twisted flick. I really enjoyed this movie. The characters were all people you’d never want to meet but it worked well for the movie’s dark and eccentric tone. La Spack was an evil, cackling brute of a woman and very menacing. I loved Franck Richard’s direction. The camera glided around the dank and dirty sets. There’s no jarring, “found footage” camera work. The color pallette was dark and filled with shadows.
Once the ghouls rise from the ground you are in for a treat. It was like a page taken from a Tales from the Crypt magazine. The ghouls are awesome looking and in some scenes they shamble towards their victims with the full moon as a backdrop. Awesome visuals! “The Pack” is a great movie to throw in your player at the stroke of midnight. Available from Bloody-Disgusting Selects.

A LONELY PLACE TO DIE (2011 – UK) The Scottish Highlands are the breathtaking backdrop for this fast paced thriller. Five mountaineers are hiking and climbing through the wilderness. Their peaceful excursion is shattered when they hear cries drifting on the wind. The cries of a child. It leads them to a breathing pipe sticking up out of the ground. They brush dirt and leaves aside to reveal a door. They discover a little girl is trapped underground in a wooden room. With nothing but the breathing pipe and water, the little girl is weak and afraid. She is Serbian and they cannot understand her words. Alison (Melissa George) and the rest of her companions begin their trek back to civilization to take the girl to the police. That begins their nightmare as they are hunted down by mysterious assailants that aren’t too happy about them helping the little girl. To tell you anymore would spoil the intense adventure that unfolds for the remaining running time. Along the way there are several punches to the gut and by the end of the movie you will be exhausted. Beautiful cinematography, exciting mountain climbing action, startling violence and great performances are all wrapped up into one thrilling movie experience. Highly recommended. Available from IFC Midnight.

NEW KIDS TURBO (2010 – Netherlands) We’ll file this under “wild and weird”. Five yahoos get fired from their jobs and so they decide they are going to quit paying for things. They steal food and enormous quantities of beer. They are wreckless and idiotic, causing the police to send for the Ministry of Defense to put a stop to them. It all leads to a massive shoot out in the normally quiet village of Maaskantje. Well, I kinda liked this movie. Maybe because it was foreign and I didn’t know who the actors were. New Kids is a Dutch comedy sketch show featuring a group of rowdy foul-mouthed youths. Think a group of real life Beavis and Buttheads revved up on turbo juice. Hearing them shout obsentities in another language is funny. Their outfits and hairdos are fun; they look like retro gangsta rappers with mullets. I loved the hyper techno songs that were used as the soundtrack. Also, shock is the name of the game here. The humor was vulgar and very “un-PC”. There’s some gore thrown around during some of the film’s violence but it’s played for laughs. Maybe I’m getting old but the movie really went out of it’s way to be offensive and I didn’t care for some of it. I wanted to watch this because I’m anticipating the sequel “New Kids Nitro” in which this group of morons battle zombies. The trailer for that one looks cool. Kut!

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Academy Awards. It was like watching the Oscars with my grandparents: a throwback to the 1950s. The jokes were funny, if mostly safe.The acceptance speeches were mostly sweet and not challenging. The outfits were beautiful as were the presenters.

I can’t even say I was surprised by the awards. I didn’t catch any real politics or a travesty of justice. I must say I didn’t really find myself blown away by any of the nominees either. This year was rather a yawn for movies and the Oscars.

Billy Crystal, I thought, was a great choice to recover some of the charm of the Oscars but hardly a stretch or look to the future. Though I shudder to think what would happen if they pass the mantle to Will Ferrell or Zach Galifianakis.

I don’t have much else to say this year except: thank you Cirque du Soleil for adding a touch wonder.

Today is Friday the 13th and what better way to celebrate than to sit down with one of my favorite horror franchises. I remember the first time I saw Friday the 13th on HBO back in the 80’s. My dad gave me the blessing to watch it one night (he wasn’t the biggest fan of slashers). I remember being so giddy, watching the clock and waiting for the time when the movie would start. Leading up to that night, I remember flipping through Fangoria magazine and hearing the older kids talk about it. I wasn’t disappointed! The music is unforgettable. Tom Savini’s ghoulish effects were awesome! It was the beginning of a series that would stretch over the years with 10 movies, a remake, a mashup with Freddy, documentaries, and an “in-name only” television series.
My favorite of the franchise is Part 2. The body count doubled and the potato sack Jason freaked me out. I watched Part 2 late at night when my parents were gone and when Jason crashed through the window at the end I leaped out of my chair. I was freaked out for days.
I met Kane Hodder at Horror Hound Weekend and he was a real cool dude (see picture above of him crushing my throat). Kane’s portrayal of Jason is a fan favorite.
So grab your favorite Friday film and watch it tonight. Just make sure your house is locked up tight. Cheers.

Since I missed joining Doug and Craig with their top 10 of the year, I threw together my list of movies that chilled and thrilled me. My love for movies lie in the dark corners of the horror genre, the colorful worlds of animation, the spectacle of sci-fi and action adventure. I tend to like the little movies rather than big Hollywood blockbusters. Also, several of the movies on my list are foreign releases. They may be 2010 releases in their respective countries, but the U.S. was not blessed with them until 2011. So, here we go…

10. THE REEF (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
So Jaws is my number one shark attack movie and The Reef is right behind it. I thought this import from Australia was frightening. For most of the movie the camera is bobbing up and down in the water with the characters, and the director only lets you see as much as they can. And when the water splashes you know the shark is near and there’s nothing they can do until it’s too late. There’s a glutton of goofy shark movies out there but this is one that will scare you.

9. COLD PREY 3
I’m putting this Norwegian movie on my list even though it’s not a 2011 movie and there was no U.S. release for it. But I did see it in 2011 (my column, my rules). I love slashers and the Cold Prey series is top shelf. Part 3 gives a little insight into the origins and then flash forwards to the 80’s for more mayhem. The movie is beautifully shot and the suspense is thick. More of a moody piece than a gorefest.

8. DREAM HOME (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011) No, this is not the Daniel Craig movie, this is the blood soaked slasher movie from China. Gorehounds rejoice! The death scenes are so outrageous and gory you don’t know whether to laugh nervously or run away. It’s about a woman who begins murdering people in a condo to bring down the property value (which in Hong Kong is ridiculous). Flashbacks woven throughout her killing spree tune us in on why she’s flipped her wig.

7. I SAW THE DEVIL (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
Dark places is where you’ll be heading to with this Korean flick. You won’t have any time to catch your breath in between one brutal scene after another. A vengeful cop and vicious serial killer play a deadly game creating a nail-biting thrill ride. It’s a mash-up of unrelenting action and horror. If you want a taste of how wicked it is just watch the “Taxi Scene” on YouTube.

6. THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN
I was blown away by how real everything looked and yet it still had a comic book flair with the exaggerated features of the characters. This was a great adventure and I’ll be happy if there are more stories to follow. It reminded me of the glory days of Indiana Jones.

5. TROLL HUNTER (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
All the way from Norway comes this fun, mockumentary of a group of students who follow the “Troll Hunter” as he does his secret job in the dark and icy mountains. There are a variety of trolls to see and they are executed with flawless special effects. A ton of fun.

4. CARS 2
The talented people at Pixar never disappoint. More of an action-adventure than a heart-string puller, I had a great time at the theaters with my kids. The animation, colors and attention to detail are amazing! The spy-element was a great addition to the Cars universe.

3. ATTACK THE BLOCK
London street kids battle ape-like aliens with wicked teeth! At first I was put-off by the thuggish attitude of the main characters, but when alien ass needed to be kicked they came together to help. The main lead Moses went from a-hole to hero and with the help of his friends brought heat to the space invaders using everything from fireworks to samurai swords. The alien effects were awesome and the techno score pounded.

2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
I love the Harry Potter books and films and Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a triumphant finish to a great series. Every frame was soaked in an inky darkness creating a sense of dread that built to an intense climax that will have you standing up to cheer. The special effects and camera work are stunning. Every performance is top-notch and I was teary eyed when the final frames rolled by.

1. SUPER 8
True story…my friends and I tried to make a zombie movie in the late 80’s on super 8 film. It was never finished because our lead actor was grounded. Anyway, I loved Super 8! It’s got humor, chills, action and a great deal of mystery and magic. It had the Spielberg touch and Abram’s direction was solid. The performances were so natural, I felt like these kids had known each other forever. I loved that they actually showed their finished zombie movie at the end. A great time at the movies!

Favorite DVD Releases of 2011:  Shout Factory’s Roger Corman Presents…
So far I’ve picked up Joe Dante’s Piranha, Humanoids from the Deep, Galaxy of Terror, Forbidden Planet, Star Crash…all of them cheap and cheesy gems from the 70’s and 80’s. These dvd collections are awesome! They all feature quality uncut presentations and the dvd sleeves are reversable with alternate artwork, all of them with the original poster art!