The Collection

Yep, it's here, the sequel no one was waiting for. 

I'll say one thing for "The Collection", it really ups the ante.  This movie is so ridiculously over the top it's almost funny, almost.

This is how I picture most raves anyhow

In the opening scene the Collector manages to kill at least 150 people.  He kills the entire rave full of people, with a giant lawn mower machine.  I won't even get into the logistics of hard this would be to set up.  We'll just assume he's a rich, psychopathic, mechanical genius, and able to walk around unnoticed wearing a leather mask.  Okay, to be fair at the rave the mask thing really wouldn't be an issue. 

The place wasn't much cleaner before. 

He does of course keep one person alive, so that he can put her in another deathtrap laden warehouse.  Which is always the downfall of evil geniuses.  Their goal is almost complete and instead of just killing the hero, they toss him/her in the deathtrap and walk away.

One of the biggest problems with this movie and the original is the Collector himself.

 He doesn't have anything distinctive about him.  He's just a guy dressed in black, wearing a mask.  There's no attempt to give him any personality either.  He needs a more distinctive look and personality to make him unique.  You also don't get any hint of why he's doing this until the very end of the movie. 

I really think this movie was just a montage of leftover ideas from the "SAW" series.  Writer/director Marcus Dunstan and co-writer Patrick Melton were responsible for the last four "SAW" movies, so this isn't surprising. 

 I will give the movie credit for something original.  The ending was absolutely not what I was expecting.  I won't give it away, but it certainly defied convention.  

I can only hope there won't be a part three. 

Evil Dead Remake

The first poster for the "Evil Dead" remake is here.  After watching the trailer I am looking forward to it. 

Mystery Solved

I just realized that on “Good Times” the family lived in the Cabrini Green Housing Projects in Chicago.

Which just happens to be the setting for the movie “Candyman”.

I guess that explains what happened to James Evans. The Candyman got him.

DeathShip

Paddle faster!

"DeathShip" is being released on Blu-Ray/DVD on 12/18/12 by Scream Factory.  I never got to see this and I always wanted to.  I saw it on the video store shelves for years as a kid, but my parents wouldn't rent it.  When I was old enough to rent it myself, all the copies were long gone.  Scream Factory has done a great job with other releases so I know this one will be excellent too. 

It will be good to finally see this. 

Horror Movie Marathons Part Two

Even though it's past Halloween, the true horror fans keep the spirit alive all year.  So here is another theme for your marathons.  This time it's "Remakes that are as good or better than the original". 

  5. "My Bloody Valentine 3D" (2006)

Odd that both stars of "Supernatural" were in horror remakes. 

This one managed to beat out the original in every sense.  It had a better cast, better effects and story.  The "whodunnit" angle is one that worked well in this movie.  I also submit that Tom Atkins presence in a movie automatically adds two stars. 


4."The Omen" (2006)

Just a creepy kid in a swing, nothing to see here.  

This movie gets a lot of undeserved hate.  The performances are all strong, and very little was changed from the original.  I can get that a remake wasn't necessary, but at least they did it well.  It was also great fun seeing this in the theaters on 06/06/06. 

3. "Night of the Living Dead" (1990)

If the zombies are coming, I want Tony Todd on my team. 

Again, not much was changed and that's a good thing.  Savini simply had a better budget and more resources on this than he did on the original. The cast on this version was amazing.  Tony Todd, Patricia Tallman, Bill Moseley, and Tom Towles are all horror royalty now. 

2. "The Thing" (2011)

Not really a remake but a prequel to the classic 1982 film of the same name.  Very well done and it fit into established continuity very well.  I still want sequel to wrap things up. 

1. "Dawn of the Dead" (2004)

A powerhouse cast, top notch script, and excellent effects really make this one stand out from the original.  It was nice to see the original cast get cameos as well.  The success of this film critically and commercially is what really started the horror remake trend.  

The Walking Dead season three premiere

Wow, the new season is off to an amazing start.  I think this image sums it up best.

Great to see T-Dog finally get some lines.  Carl is proving to be a useful member of the group at last.  Everything is right, now bring on the Governor. 

Dredd 3D

If your only exposure to Judge Dredd is the 1995 version with Sylvester Stallone, then you're in for a real shock with "Dredd 3D".
This version abandons all the giant robots and flying motorcycles and brings Dredd to a grittier more realistic world.  Admittedly, still not quite the same as the comics.  The comics were really a mix of both Dredd movies.  This version is about as close as you can get without starting to look like "Blade Runner".

Olivia Thirlby is better than Rob Schneider in every way. 

The plot is very simple Dredd and Judge trainee Anderson go to the Peachtree apartment complex to investigate a murder.  While there they bust a drug operation run by Ma-Ma played by Lena Headey. 

Seriously, don't fuck with her. 

 Ma-Ma locks down the building, all 250 floors of it, and announces it won't be opened until the Judges are both dead.  Dredd and Anderson have to escape Ma-Ma's goons and the apartment residents who want them dead. 
Removing the wild science fiction elements helped make Dredd more accessible, but it also made it more generic.  The plot was so simple that you could put just about any set of  characters into it.   This could have easily been a Robocop film, or a Jason Statham film. 

While "Dredd 3D" is a great action film, it just doesn't do much to distinguish its self from other action movies. 

and no, he never takes off the helmet.