Science Fiction mind fuckage in the high mode. AI experiments run rampant in a secluded state of the art home/fortress/laboratory surrounded by some of the most grandeur examples of nature imaginable. In this fabulous environment, human and artificial intelligence interact and collide, deceiving each other along the way and providing a battleground for a survival of the fittest both mentally and physically. Not hard to imagine who comes out on top. Beautifully shot with some creepy footage of the initial AI experiments of brilliant programmer Nathan. It is his last creation, Ava, who takes on a very vibrant life of [More]
Influential bassist, rocker, writer and musician Pete Way has passed. I am most familiar with his work with UFO, a popular British hard rock act from the “70’s to the ’90’s. Way wrote some of their most beloved songs and was a relentless stalker of the stage and theatrical performer. Way went on to found Fastway and Waysted and his Pete Way Band. Ways’ boisterous antics are the stuff of rock legend, and there are many tales, but his playing and writing have inspired a lot of people. We will all miss yet another larger than life character of Rock [More]
Monte Hellman was a director with three very iconic movies that can be counted to his credit: “Ride In The Whirlwind” (1966), “The Shooting” (1966) and “Two Lane Blacktop” (1971). “Whirlwind” and “The Shooting” were two Westerns which featured both Jack Nicholson and Warren Oates. Oates also appeared in “Blacktop”. I can only recommend that you seek out these titles and explore their worlds of existential angst and sad depictions of idealized lives and dreams shattered in a moment’s notice. All these movies have achieved cult status as they demonstrate the bleaker side of life that can catch us unaware. [More]
“Hand of Death” is called a science fiction/horror movie but based on its length, a measly 60 minutes, it might be better described as a long lost “Outer Limits” TV episode. Not knocking it but this movie is a whirlwind of scenes of lab work, human to monster transformation and chases. And then it’s over! A doctor works on a nerve agent for the Military but becomes exposed to his own bad gas and it doesn’t do him any favors. You’ve heard of Leatherface? This monster should be called Rubberface. With his built-in tire treads across his face in tow, [More]
This alien on the loose in a small community film caper has the great advantage of having two acting legends as part of the cast: Jack Palance and Martin Landau. Add in their over the top characterizations, manic is a kind word, and this makes for a moderately memorable viewing experience. There are some nasty attack sequences by some flying nasties that clamp on and zombify their victims. The main alien actor is a towering apparition that appears closer to the end of the film to maintain some dread and mystery as to his purpose and appearance. Landau’s bug eyed [More]
A new granular fact regarding our last Halloween Video Crypt episode, “Mysterious Mendocino”. The fate of the first POV camera we used on our remote controlled boat.
Married man home alone for the weekend. He is also an egotistical lawyer. Begins a flirtation with someone from the office. Unknown to him, she is also rather possessive and psychotic. After their weekend fling, things go all bad. Fantastic suspense film starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. Directed by Adrian Lyne. Watch it. It is quite creepy!
An outsider travels to a rural English town to conduct business and uncovers an ages old secret. The town commemorates the execution of a witch centuries before. Our businessman begins to experience nightmares of weird rituals of which he is a participant and stumbles upon evidence of unwelcome intrusions into his room. Could it be that witchcraft practitioners are still active in the town and he is to be one of their unwitting sacrifices? I think you know the answer to that. Enjoyable romp due chiefly to the presence of horror legends Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee. Both are very [More]
Bob Clark’s “Black Christmas” appeared many years before the onslaught of slasher films featuring idiosyncratic, stalking killers. This killer likes to freak out future victims by calling them on the phone and issuing gibberish about his foul intentions. There are many POV impressions from the killer’s vantage point. Victims are dispatched gruesomely and left in their lifeless, idle suspension to hang or sit undiscovered in the sorority house attic where some of the killer’s work unfolds. Many of these motifs we would see again in other films. Plenty of quirky characters inhabit this world and there are a few characters [More]
Guitar genius and legend, Eddie Van Halen passed away due to a long running battle with cancer. Van Halen, the band created with brother Alex, David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, was a dominant musical force in the record charts from the late 1970’s to the mid 1980’s and then again when Roth exited and was replaced by singer Sammy Hagar during the 1990’s. A major portion of the credit for that achievement goes to the extraordinary guitar playing and writing of Eddie. Van Halen flirted between a heavy rock and pop sound and showcased the guitar histrionics that Eddie [More]
A story from Mendocino, California which may involve the very mysterious. Namely….Bigfoot! But, who knows? You decide. This is the second video episode of Halloween Video Crypt. Hope you like it!
I love this documentary! This is a very cool mixture of documentary filmmaking styles examining the Bigfoot legend which are then combined with dramatic recreations of encounters with the mysterious hairy giants discussed by the witnesses. The hybrid style works! This thing will keep you engaged all the way through. Actor Peter Graves hosts and looks very serious and, well, grave, throughout. His demeanor expresses the Gravity of the situation of our subject. His reaction shots to the scientific fellows examining and discussing evidence are priceless. Actual recordings of Bigfoot vocalizations, footprint photos, eyewitness stories and the inclusion of the [More]
The Big One! Aliens invade our airspace and threaten our way of life. The Earth counters their incursion. Our efforts amount to naught. Surprise, surprise, it takes American ingenuity to break through the aliens’ defenses. Adrenaline fueled, special effects heavy, feel good peon to Humankind working together and preserving the sanctity of freedom and The American Way. LOL! You’ll love it!!! Pop Corn Hall Of Fame Award Winner!!! Yay!!!!
So trying to find some inspiration to make a post, I came up with possibly my weakest entry yet. But, let me say, that I spared you a review of “The Killer Shrews”, “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”, “No Country For Old Men”. Take your pick. It ain’t going to be any of those. I’ll save those for Halloween time. What I came up with was in response to a conversation I had with my wife. We are going to a Labor Day weekend wedding and she volunteered me to take pictures to produce a photo album to [More]