Click Here to Order from Amazon.comDoghouse (2009) Written by Dan Schaffer Directed by Jake West Runtime 89 min. 4.5 out of 5
A group of friends head out to the town of Moodley for a “boys only” weekend in an attempt to get away from their significant others back home and also rediscover themselves. All is well and good. Drinks are had before they left, a fun roadtrip, jokes, ribbing—but everything changes when they find the town of Moodley deserted.
Soon it is discovered the only folks left are the women—and they have a deadly appetite for human flesh. Grotesque female monsters send the boys on the run and into a battle for survival in this throwback to classic horror.
And that’s what really sums up this flick for me: classic horror. Prosthetic monsters, excellent makeup, and good old-fashioned blood and guts, along with a storyline that carried with it a sense of depth ala Shaun of the Dead.
This is one of those flicks that are worth watching again because the writing is quite good, with each line feeding off the other—whether subtly or overtly—references to earlier lines/comments, objects and people. Extremely well done.
Not only that, but the cast also had great chemistry and created a buddy-horror flick that reminded me a lot of hanging out with my friends back in the glory days of all-night partying and crude jokes (minus the cannibalistic women, of course).
The ’80s-style soundtrack gave this flick an eerie mood that reminded me of the old Nightmare on Elm Street stuff, really setting the tone.
Really happy with this film, and would recommend it in a hot minute.
Click Here to Order from Amazon.comDay of the Dead (2008) Written by Jeffrey Reddick Directed by Steve Miner Runtime 86 min. 3 out of 5
A strange flu outbreak.
Nose bleeds.
Death.
Rebirth . . . in rage.
No one knows how anyone got sick . . . at least, no one is telling us. The US Army is all over it, quarantining Leadville, Colorado. Sarah Bowman (Mena Suvari) is serving her country and is part of the troops bordering the town.
Except they can’t contain the rage-filled maniacs that have returned from the dead after being killed by the flu.
Going back for her mother (Linda Marlowe), she runs into her brother, Trevor (Michael Welch), and tries and save their mother’s life. Unfortunately, the mom falls victim to the virus and Sarah and her brother—along with his girlfriend/female interest, Nina (AnnaLynne McCord), and a couple of Army Joes—try and flee from the ever-escalating attack of flesh-hungry zombies that stop at nothing to satisfy their gut-munching desires.
Adding a strange twist to things, one of the army chaps, Bud Crain (Stark Sands), gets infected and later transforms into an angry zombie as well, but Sarah keeps him along for the ride, feeling sorry for him. Besides, he seems harmless enough and hasn’t attacked them.
When their hope of escape falls through, Sarah and the others must make their last stand against the undead before they are ripped to pieces.
Can they survive this Day of the Dead?
The first thing that comes to mind about this movie is that it’s hardcore. The zombies in this flick aren’t just your average gray-skinned, baggy-eyed monsters. The person infected dies then are suddenly transformed into pale-skinned, decayed-fleshed, white-eyed beasties loaded with so much rage that hate and hunger emanates from them before they even move in for the kill. Speaking of which, they move so fast you’d think they’re part vampire or something. Crazy speed with these guys and, for me, those quick, jerky movements of the undead creep me out every time.
The story’s simple: an outbreak, people turn into zombies, folks run for their lives. Hey, standard zombie fare, and that’s part of the fun. I also liked having a female in the lead and it was neat to see Mena Suvari—who usually plays the fun, get-along girl—take charge and blast the heads off these creatures.
I was totally into this flick. The suspense was building. Every time a zombie jumped out I was jumping on my couch. All good.
Then Bud died, came back—and was nice? This bit took me out of the movie and it’s why I’m giving this a 3 out of 5 instead of a 4 like I was going to. It just totally ruined it for me, especially when Sarah and friends were riding with him in the Humvee and, after a short debate about why this zombie was riding with them, they all seemed pretty cool with it.
Bud’s bit at the end was also predictable, but, hey, what’re you gonna do?
I did like how vulnerable these zombies were to fire and how quickly the flames destroyed them.
The ending director Steve Miner chose for this flick was the better of the two as the alternate ending on the DVD, though very similar, wasn’t as strong and was a bit hokey. Having Salazar (Nick Cannon) die was the best choice.
If you like your zombie flicks raunchy, quick and gory, you’ll love this Day of the Dead remake. If you’re one of those folks who are sticky about story plausibility—even in the realm of zombie movies—then this probably won’t be up your alley.
Click Here to Order from Amazon.comI Am Legend (2007) Written by Mark Protosevich, Akiva Goldsman Directed by Francis Lawrence Runtime 101 min. 4 out of 5
Based on the book by Richard Matheson, I Am Legend is the story of Robert Neville (Will Smith), sole survivor of a plague that, originally, was supposed to be a miracle cure for cancer three years before. Instead, most of the world died at the hands of the plague. Others mutated into bloodthirsty vampiric creatures; only a small percentage of humankind remained immune to the disease.
All alone in New York, virologist Neville tries to find a cure and “fix” the problem that stole the lives of everyone he knew and everyone he loved, while also trying to survive in a city infested with the infected and ferocious monsters.
Straight from the start you know you’re in for a ride.
An empty city, overgrown and broken down.
A lone guy speeding through the streets in a fancy car, weapon at his side.
Animals prowling the streets, free of their cages.
The lock up.
The screams.
The howls.
Yeah, good stuff.
The intense feeling of atmosphere was what drew me into this flick. Immediately isolation sets in right from the first frame as we see Neville trying to maintain a normal life in a dead city (renting movies, talking to mannequins, keeping a routine), his eyes washed with pain yet underscored with determination to keep going. This is a one-man show and I haven’t seen it done so well since Cast Away (one of my favorite movies) years and years ago.
No complaints about Will Smith here and he’s done a good job over his career to make you forget about the loud-mouthed homeboy he played in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Plus, did you see the guy in this film? He’s ripped! Shredded. But, I guess, you’d have to be if you lived a world where vampire-zombie-human things prowled the streets and your life could be in jeopardy at the drop of a hat if you weren’t too careful.
Which brings me to the monsters in question. Overall, well done. Creepy skin, no hair, loud growls, amazing agility and intensely vicious. Yeah, killer. Obviously they were CGI so they did look a tad rubbery and there were a few moments where it felt I was looking at a cartoon. Thankfully, those moments happened so fast and the action was so intense that I quickly forgot my quibble and moved on.
My only thing was the ending. Now, I never read the book so I can’t compare, but it ended too abruptly and really lost its post-apocalyptic feel in the last five minutes or so. Sort of a Disney ending, which didn’t fit in with what was a gloomy story up until that point.
Regardless, if someone asked me what I thought of this film, I’d tell them to go see it.
Click Here to Order from Amazon.comFido (2006) Written by Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie and Dennis Heaton Directed by Andrew Currie Runtime 93 min. 5 out of 5
Every so often a movie comes along in a particular genre and does things “outside the norm.”
Fido is such a movie.
Yes, it’s about zombies. Yes, it’s about gut-munching. Yes, it’s about survival in a post-apocalyptic world.
But that’s where the similarities end compared to other end-of-the-world zombie flicks.
This movie is more like a cross between Pleasantville and Night of the Living Dead, with a little bit of humor thrown in there as well.
After a zombie epidemic took over most of the world, a lone scientist invented a collar to control the undead and, through the ventures of the company Zomcom, was able to transform these mindless and hungry monsters into humanity’s slaves, turning them into butlers, house aids and gardeners.
Enter the Robinson family, the only family in the ’50s without a zombie. However, things change when the people-pleasing mom, Helen Robinson (Carrie-Anne Moss), gets Fido, a lovable zombie with life and warmth.
Fido quickly becomes best friends with Timmy, Helen’s son, but one day when the collar goes on the fritz and Fido eats the neighbor, everything changes, a cover-up ensues and it’s up to the Robinson family to hide Fido from those who would want to take him away and kill him (which is something that Daddy Robinson would love to see).
This isn’t your standard zombie movie. Far from it. It has heart, and though a comedy, it’s not slapstick or silly. Just regular funny moments. Billy Connolly as Fido is charming, lovable, fun. You genuinely care for the poor dead guy. You smile with joy when he’s happy. Your heart goes out to him when he’s sad. You even side with him when he gets mad and takes out his uncontrollable hunger on unsuspecting victims.
The story is original. The dialogue is great. The cast couldn’t be better.
New spins on genres are something I’ve always been into. Though classic takes on things have their place, every time something new comes along it’s like a breath of fresh air and Fido is definitely that.
Even hardcore zombie lovers who need a dose of shambling, rotting corpses and loads of blood will enjoy this film as there are “classic zombie moments” in it as well.
This DVD also contains director Andrew Currie’s extremely poignant short film, Night of the Living, about the cause-and-effect of alcohol in the family but with a zombie twist.
Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 2: More Scary Stories of Sasquatch Horror
The Big Hairy Beast is Back! 16 authors bring you 16 terrifying tales of the Sasquatch and bring new meaning and fright to this mysterious hairy giant that lurks in the woods.
From Bigfoot battles to trying to outrun the muscular monster, to being caught by the creature or simply living in a world where these beasts exist, this second volume of Bigfoot Terror Tales is sure to fuel your imagination and make you reconsider the furry creature that has spooked so many and has inspired haunting treks into the woods where some have emerged with incredible stories and a new fear and respect for this ancient beast.
Featuring stories by: Larry Berreth, Rebecca Besser, A.M. Burns, Jason Rodimus Fowler, Paul A. Freeman, Keith Gouveia, Bryan Hall, Jack Hessey, Bowie V. Ibarra, S. Nycole Laff, Kevin Millikin, Greg Mitchell, Bruce L. Priddy, J.W. Schnarr, D.G. Sutter, and Sheri White, Bigfoot Terror Tales Volume 2 is a must-have read for your Sasquatch horror collection.
Bigfoot Terror Tales Vol. 1: Scary Stories of Sasquatch Horror
He is Mysterious. He is Legend. He is Bigfoot.
Enter the world of the Sasquatch through fourteen stories of Bigfoot Terror by writers with a deep love for this legendary creature that has captured the imagination of millions around the world, has inspired thousands of expeditions, and has been the substance of campfire stories for generations.
From small towns with a big problem, to a filmmaker aiming to shoot the ultimate Bigfoot flick, to even Ronald Reagan taking on a Sasquatch, and much more–these hairy tales that are sure to make your skin crawl, cause you to shiver with fright and think twice about the next time you want to go into the woods alone.
Featuring scary stories by: Janice Gable Bashman, David Bernstein, Tonia Brown, Francesco Collia, Eric Dimbleby, Bruce Durham, Eric J. Guignard, Jason Hughes, Giovanna Lagana, E.M. MacCallum, Christine Morgan, Suzanne Robb, R.J. Sevin & Rosalind Sevin, Franklin E. Wales, with an introduction by Eric S. Brown, author of the popular Bigfoot War series, Bigfoot Terror Tales is a dream come true for Sasquatch and monster enthusiasts everywhere.
