I Can Haz A Liebster?

Scarina from Scarina's Scary Vault of Scariness nominated me for this award. Check her out, she is the bee's knees.

1. What angers you the most when watching a movie in theaters?
 Just about everything I rarely even go to theaters anymore. It's too expensive, I have bad knees and have never found a comfortable seat. Plus I always get stuck behind the chatty cathys, constant movers and cell phone addicts. It's less stressful to wait for the DVD to come out.
2. What do you love about watching movies in theaters?
Being out with my friends and that never waning sense of awe of seeing something on the big screen.

3. Name a movie you never want to watch. Ever.
Human Centipede. How such an atrocious, vile, little movie even made it out of some sickos mind is beyond me? Who would pay to see that?

4. Name a movie you’re ashamed you haven’t seen yet.
Suspiria. Every single horror movie blog I have read has lauded it repeatedly. I keep meaning to see it but always get distracted.

5. Favorite weekend hangout?
Anywhere but the town I live in. But on the occasion I can't escape, it's the local tavern for some pool and Fireball.

6. Favorite band or music artist for the past week? 
I have been obsessed with Bob Dylan lately, especially Lay Lady Lay, I listen to it every morning.

7. 3D. Yay or Nay?
Nay. It's kind of obnoxious and necessary. Plus I think it was more suited for the '50s and '60s

8. Name a movie you wish you could have been on the set while it was filming. 
Probably the Dawn of the Dead remake. I am obsessed with that movie and have scene all the behind the scenes specials on the DVD. Actually any zombie movie for that matter.

9. How do you stream movies (Computer, Blu-ray Player, Game Consoles like PS4 and Wii)?
Computer, my Android tablet/phone.

10. What are your top five favorite movie podcasts to listen to?
I don't listen to podcasts, I don't have the attention span for it.

11. Who is your movie celebrity crush? You have to answer for both guys and girls.
  Alexander Scarsgard. He is one of the few reasons I still watch True Blood. As for the girl, Evan Rachel Wood. She is just so luminous.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D

 I am going to start off this review by saying something that I never thought I'd say. I actually liked this movie. You are probably thinking that I have seen so many bad films that my brain has imploded, rendering me easily amused.

 Chainsaw never had the ups and downs that one would expect from a horror franchise. There was only one up and that was followed by a number of increasingly bad sequels. TCM2 was not only a victim of extensive executive meddling but it was also silly and quite possibly the worst film Dennis Hopper ever made.

I stand corrected

 TCM3 was either a reboot or a sequel, I never could tell. It wasn't as bad as part 2 but it did not hold a candle to the awesomeness of the original. And like TCM2 it was also violated by executives who decided that a movie featuring a skin wearing serial killer was too gory and demanded cuts.

Then came TCM4 which starred  a couple of unknown actors named Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger. McConaughey reportedly tried to get this film squashed as to avoid embarrassment. From an actor who thought Failure to Launch was a good idea, that's saying a lot. It also inexplicably decided to turn out favorite redneck slasher into a whiny little drag queen.

  In the early 2000s, the franchise attempted a reboot with a couple of films that I found bland and not worth typing about here.

  Texas 3D picks up where the original left off. The local sheriff demands custody of Leatherface after the events in the original film. The family actually considers going along with it when a gaggle of rednecks led by the mayor attack the house. The only survivors are of course Leatherface and baby Heather whom one of the rednecks kidnap and raise as their own.

A couple of decades later, Heather learns that her grandmother has died leaving her a swanky little home in Texas. I have a lot of problems with this set up. First, why was the Sawyer clan living in such a dilapidated house in the middle when they obviously had money. Second, why did Granny wait 20 years or so to reclaim the granddaughter that stolen from her. Is there no punishment for her kidnappers who killed her own mother?

Heather along with her boyfriend and best friend decide to go check out the house and encounter a hitchhiker. Luckily this hitchhiker doesn't follow the TCM tradition of blowing his brains out. He does however convince these complete airheads to leave him alone in the house where he commences to robbing the place blind.

Fortunately for Heather that house has the best home security that money can't buy. That's right, good old Leatherface who has essentially been protected by Granny all these years. The films plods along and we get to see

Guy playing pool

Awkward attempt at a love triangle

And Leatherface battling a pig

   And of course all of this is in 3D!!! so expect things tossed at the camera at any given moment. These effects may have been cool in the theater but on DVD it's just kind of dumb. Heather eventually learns that the town was responsible for killing her family and eventually decides to protect Leatherface as her grandmother has done before.

For a sequel, this movie is actually pretty decent. The movie actually made me feel sorry for Leatherface in a way that I could never feel sorry for Jason or Freddy. They took a stone cold killer and humanized him without turning him into a good guy or explaining away his sins. 

 Alexandra Daddario who plays Heather is a great actress and a likable scream queen. She is tough but also vulnerable and you generally feel for this lost character who is just trying to find her place in the world. I also love Tania Raymonde who despite playing the obligatory oversexed friend still manages to put in a good performance. I have been a big fan of hers since her days on Lost and am always pleased to see her pop up in movies. 

The only quibble I have is with the dates of the film. It was established that the original TCM took place in the mid seventies and that the beginning of this films took place soon after. That would set the events of this movie in the mid-nineties based on Heather's age. This wouldn't have been an issue had a video phone not been a main part of a scene. In the mid-nineties cell phones looked like this 

Not included: VIDEO

 If you like the original TCM then definitely give this one a whirl. It's a respectful homage that despite having some dull pointless scenes is entertaining. Kudos to this movie for paying tribute to the film's predecessor by bringing back original actors, Gunnar Hansen, Marilyn Burns, Bill Moesley, and John Dugan for cameos as members of the Sawyer family. 

Listen up re booters and classic horror film violators how about a little more of this and a little less this

The Contractor

 I think Danny Trejo may have Nicolas Cage syndrome. Nic Cage Syndrome is where an actor that has proven he can carry blockbuster films still takes any crap role that shows up in his inbox. Mr. Trejo, you are Machete for Christ sake. Stop doing these awful movies.

 The Contractor is your typical worker with an axe to grind picture. We meet the bland Chase family consisting of lawyer dad, sickly teenage sprite and frigid bitch mom. They need the kitchen remodeled quickly in time for a big fundraiser. But of course Daddy Dearest is a cheapskate looking for the lowest bidder, enter Danny Trejo.

  I get it, we need a convenient reason for Danny Trejo's character to be present in this movie. But the reason is totally convoluted and is out of character for the father. This is a guy who just bought this ridiculously swank mansion and on a whim bought his daughter a horse. We're supposed to buy this cheapskate routine?

  This movie proceeds strictly by numbers. Danny charms the pants off the family, frigid bitch gets uncomfortable with him and has him fired, and of course it turns out that the beloved contractor has a personal vendetta against Daddy Dearest. You could see this coming before the opening credits finish rolling.

   Danny Trejo is a bad ass; he has played killers, gangsters, and mercenaries. You have seen him fight vampires and zombies. And we're supposed to believe that a trio of suburban dumb asses can best him in a fight to the death?

  Another thing that really irked me about this movie was a major plot hole concerning the teenage daughter. She has asthma, very bad asthma, and this fact that is touted constantly throughout the film. The fundraiser is for an asthma wing at the hospital. The daughter is reminded to bring her back up inhaler while going on a trip. The girl's angry boyfriend drives off with her stuff including her inhalers.

 One would assume that a convenient asthma attack would ensue while she and her mom are running for their lives. Nope, it never comes up and is pretty much forgotten.

  I would only recommend this movie to hard core Trejo fans and even so I would do it very reluctantly. And since this is the second Trejo film that I have hated, Machete 2 better be fucking awesome.

Secrets in the Attic or how to be a masochist without even trying

  

  Imagine you had a friend in high school, a close friend with whom you were inseparable. Eventually though you outgrew this friend and drifted away. Time passes and you look them up only to find out your friend has lost their effing mind. This sums up my relationship with Andrew Neiderman aka V.C. Andrews.

  I haven't read a V.C. Andrews book in years but Secrets in the Attic called out to me. Mainly because it I thought it might be a throwback to Flowers in the Attic. The novel centers around two besties, Karen and Zipporah. At least the Andrews' legacy of terrible names hasn't gone out of style.

  Karen begins to act strangely and eventually reveals that her stepdad is a regular Norman Bates who has been molesting her. Eventually Karen kills him and Zippy is forced to hide her friend while feigning ignorance to her trusting parents.

  This story could have been a great psychological study on whether Karen was a victim or a heartless murderer. This book could have been some Nancy Drew mystery with the girls working to clear Karen's name. This book could have been about giant zombie bunnies fighting vampire guinea pigs. Any of these approaches would have been better than what really happened.

   Aside from the murder, the plot of the book centers on Zipporah getting laid. Your best friend's virginity is far more important than being on the lam for murder. She even goes so far to manipulate some guy into thinking Zipporah's a sure thing. In the old school V.C. Andrews novel, Zipporah would have been raped, but this is a kinder gentler V.C.; attempted rape only.

  Zipporah soon finds out that her older brother not only knows about Karen, he is also sleeping with her. Everyone eventually finds out that Karen has been lying about what had really happened and is conveniently put away in a mental hospital. And that she has a convenient sequel hook growing in her belly thanks to all that secret attic sex.

   Secrets had the potential to actually be worthy of the V.C. Andrews name but was incredibly botched by boring characters and ludicrous story lines. I was hoping to read more about Karen not Zipporah and her search for a clue. Sadly, there is a sequel and I will read and review it. It’s because I may be a masochist who specializes in torturing herself.

  Hopefully Secrets in the Shadows will tie up the multitude of loose ends that Attic has left behind.

Cinemania's First Guest Post

Thank you to Spencer Blohm for this blogs' first guest post about a one of my favorite actresses, Kate Beckinsale. Happy Belated Birthday.

The talented and beautiful Kate Beckinsale turned 40 this past week. In honor of this milestone, I have collaborated with Jen to do a celebratory post on her life and career. Happy birthday Kate, I don’t think 40 has ever looked so good!

Kathrin Romary Beckinsale was born on July 26, 1973 in London. The only child of two actors, it seemed destined that Kate would join in the family business. Her first television appearance happened when she was four. She appeared on an episode of the British biographical series This is Your Life which had dedicated an episode to her father. Unfortunately, the following year, when Kate was only five, her father suffered from a heart attack and died. Kate and her mother then moved in with director Roy Battersby and she was raised with his five children.

Kate attended the Godolphin and Latymer School during her teen years and became involved with a local youth theater group. Despite being considered one of the most beautiful women in the business today, in high school Kate was a shy and reserved teen who hadn’t yet grown into her looks. She spent her teen years miserable and isolated, resulting in a difficult battle with anorexia. Eventually she suffered a nervous breakdown and was forced to undergo years of therapy to recover. She feels she fell prey to the disease primarily because of the trauma surrounding her father’s death. She discussed the rough patch with report Janie Lawrence in 1997 saying, “For some kids, if something traumatic happens to them when they're very young they pick something safer to worry about...The worst thing about it is that it takes on a life of its own separate from whatever's caused it.”

She moved on from that dark period while at New College in Oxford where she studied French and Russian literature. She excelled in college, earning the WH Smith Young Writers Award twice and joining the Oxford University Dramatic Society. Her first acting role came in 1991 when she appeared in the mini-series Devices and Desires. That same year she appeared in Hallmark made-for-TV movie One Against the Wind. Her first major role came in 1993 when she landed the role of Hero in the film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. She appeared in a few more films while attending school, but ultimately decided to quit school in 1995 to put all her time and energy into her acting career.

The same year she dropped out of school she received critical praise for her portrayal of Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm, also that year she starred in the horror film Haunted. She followed Haunted with her first professional theater appearance in The Seagull. It was during this time she met her boyfriend Michael Sheen. They stayed together until 2003, and Sheen is the father of her daughter. After starring in three more plays during 1996 she began work as the title character in the mini-series Emma, which was based on Jane Austen’s novel.

In 1998 she and Sheen moved to New York and she landed her first American movie: The Last Days of Disco. Kate received many positive reviews for her role as the uptight and snobby Charlotte. She continued to act in a series of lesser known American films through the end of the 90’s. In 2001 she landed her first leading role as a nurse torn between two best friends in the Michael Bay war epic Pearl Harbor. Despite differences with Bay and mixed reviews of the film, Kate’s star began to rise. She ended 2001 with a co-starring role alongside John Cusack in Serendipity.

Kate’s signature, most well-known role, came in 2003 when she starred as the vampire vixen Selene in Underworld. Her second action film came in 2004 when she starred in Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman. That same year she married director Len Wiseman at the Hotel Bel-Air. In a bid to diversify her resume, she accepted the role of screen siren Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, a Howard Hughes biopic. In 2006 she showcased her acting skills by reprising her character in Underworld: Evolution and also starred in the family comedy Click.

Kate spent the following years appearing in series of independent films, most of which received mixed reviews. Her most critically praised role, in Nothing but The Truth, earned her a Critic’s Choice Award nomination, but the film is generally forgotten because of its lack of a theatrical release due to the film company filing for bankruptcy in 2008. Following two films in 2009, Everybody’s Fine and Whiteout, Kate took a break from acting for three years.

She made her return in 2012 with three back-to-back action films; Contraband, Underworld: Awakening, and Total Recall. Up next for Kate is the release of her film The Trials of Cate McCall later this year. She is currently filming Eliza Graves, a thriller where she plays a patient in a mental institution.

Through the years Kate has managed to create a body of work that is unique and diverse, both in subject matter and in scale. She continues to captivate audiences no matter what role she chooses. Kate Beckinsale is, and will remain, one of a kind. Happy birthday Kate!

About the Author: Spencer Blohm is a freelance entertainment and film blogger for GetDirectTV.org. A fan of Kate’s since seeing her in The Aviator, he still considers that one of her best roles (alongside The Last Days of Disco and Pearl Harbor). He lives and works in Chicago with his cat Rupert.

10 Things I Hate About Halloween 5

1. Perfectly good storyline from part 4 is completely abandoned.

2. Ellie Cornell is killed off in the first reel taking half of the movies combined talent with her.

3. Terrible Awful Atrocious acting 

4. These fuckers don't die quick enough

5. Cliched cat scare scene

6. Dr Loomis has turned into a dick

7. Movie introduces two bumbling cops for comedic effect, torpedoes franchise for seven years.

8. This scene

9. Michael Myers' cheap dollar store mask

10. Dr Loomis dies yet returns in part 6 with no explanation

Co-ed Call Girl

 Once again, I dive into the pink ghetto known as Lifetime. Like the Nostalgia Critic, I watch it so you don’t have to.

Ahh, Tori Spelling, the spoiled rotten fruit of Aaron Spelling’s loins, how I loathe her. I try not to be that person who hates a celebrity but she just doesn't make it easy. I even read her biography in a last ditch attempt to quell my hatred, it didn't work.

Tori plays Joanna, every Lifetime girl ever. She is a smart girl with a bright future, you know doomed. Her roommates hate her probably as much as I do. As a prank, they call an escort service and leave Joanna’s name asking them for a job.

They actually call her back. This escort service is so desperate that Tori freaking Spelling is a viable option!  The girl who recruits her is played by Jeri Lynn Ryan, a girl you would actually pay for. Joanna meets her favorite author and promptly beds him, getting a healthy paycheck in return.

Joanna soon learns that prostitution does not mean she can’t sleep her way through the male population of her bookshelf. Her pimp, Ron, spends half the film cajoling her and the other half threatening her. At one point he punishes her by selling her to a client for 50 bucks, which is still highway robbery.

Ron attempts some forceful sampling of his own and Joanna shoots him. She’s arrested but the courts declare her to be like totally innocent, ya’ll.  Flanked by her mother and boyfriend, she gives the pimp a triumphant glare before trotting off to her happy ending.

About that happy ending, it’s bullshit.

• ·         She was arrested and her college’s name was dragged through the mud. You really think they are not going to kick her out of there.
• ·         She also shot a man and admitted to being a hooker, you can kiss any job that requires a background check goodbye
• ·         The pimp that she shot is alive; she’s about 20 seconds away from a drive-by shooting carried out by a neckless goon named Big Lou.

Thank you, Lifetime. If it weren't for your terrible and oddly addictive movies, I could actually maintain my self-respect.