Video Nasty - Cannibal Apocalypse

Cannibal Apocalypse

1980

Edmondo Amati Presents / Jose Frade Producciones Cinematograficas S A / New Fida

Almi Cinema 5 / Cinefear / Replay Video / Video Program Distributors VPD

5.25 / 10

What the writers Antonio Margheriti, who also directed, and Dardano Sacchetti give the viewers of Cannibal Apocalypse is a cannibalistic thriller with a twist of zombie fetish... and it works.

While fighting in the Vietnam war Charlie Buckowski and Tom Thompson are captured and imprisoned in a pit with very little to eat.  During a rescue by Norman Hopper a Vietcong falls into the pit; unfortunately for her, the prisoners are ravenous and start to tear her apart with their teeth as they feast.  Once back in the USA all of the team are subject to psychological tests.  Though it's only when Charlie is released that things start to take a darker turn.  As he's trying to kill time by going to the cinema he has the urge to devour the woman in the seat in front of him.  As she and her amorous boyfriend start to make out Charlie leans forward and takes a bite...  Meanwhile, Hopper who was bitten by Charlie during the rescue is starting to feel the hunger too...    Can the apocalypse be stopped before everybody become infected?

However, it's the rest of the pieces which deter from the film.  The acting, on the whole, is above average, even Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Charlie) performs better than he did in Cannibal Ferox.  John Saxon does a more than passable portrayal as Hopper, a man trying to help his friend while trying to resolve the mystery.  There's even a shining light in the shape of Cinzia De Carolis who is brilliant as the blossoming teenager Mary who has a crush on  Hopper.  Even Luca Venantini as Bobby (Mary's younger brother) gives a few good creepy kid scares.  However, it's Tony King's over-the-top acting as Thompson that hinders the film, as well as the actors representing the bike gang, and most of the extra's.

The direction, though above average could have been helped by adding a little more action as well as tension to the atmosphere of the film as the pace of the story is pretty regular throughout, another drawback to this type of movie.  A few iconic shots and differing camera angles wouldn't have gone amiss either.  However, the bad lines in the film actually help to keep the audience unintentionally entertained.  I loved the scene where the cop transforms into a Cannibal and when his superior officer confronts him, while he's devouring a colleagues hand, he says in a caring tone, "My God son, put it down."  Awesome scene.

This is an enjoyable film and I would definitely recommend it to everyone especially if you like Zombies or Cannibals.  This is, in fact, storywise, one of the strongest Cannibal movies made.  Since it doesn't feel like a horror film, as there's not enough eeriness (which is harder to create due to it being shot mainly in daylight) you can enjoy it in the full daylight - no need to watch at night or in the darkness behind closed curtains.  Well worth one viewing, though you may just find yourself coming back to it again... and again...

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Cannibal Apocalypse

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The Last Doctor

A Sci-Fi Urban Mystery:

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By L A Frederick.

Can he escape?

Over the past six months, the Doctor has become riddled with doubt. Is the work he is doing at the mysterious Newton Street facility immoral? Has he gone too far? Is it time to get out of the urban jungle that is New Hampton? Can he even get out with Doctor Zhirkov and Darkmore in charge?

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Movie Review - Plan 9

Plan 9

2015

Darkstone Entertainment

Bounty Films / Gravitas Ventures

6.25 / 10

To be honest, I cannot believe that somebody had the balls to remake Plan 9 From Out Of Space since this was voted the worst film ever made and boasted the worst dialogue and scenes ever put on celluloid.  Even though it flopped it later gained a classic status for its wrongness.  I have to say I have a warm place in my heart for it.

So when I caught the trailer for Plan 9 I knew I had to give it at least one viewing.

The major trouble with the movie is the writer and director John Johnson.  When you take on a project such as this one you have to decide what to keep, what to change, what to eradicate, and what to add and it's here where all his problems arise.  The original is loved because it is so bad on so many fronts so you have to keep some of these bad issues in the movie as well as add some, though you have to make it humourous to keep your audience.  In some of the other reviews, it's been noted about all the fourth wall shout-outs to other films.  I believe this to be intentional and in the "bad" mode, though he may have taken it too far.  Also, there are lots of similarities to Romero's Night Of The Living Dead and other Zombie films.  I believe Johnson took Plan 9 down the zombie road to pay homage to the movie and send up the sub-genre (it's also not a bad thing as there's a lot of Z-lovers out there, so it gives him a ready-made audience - which is what Edward D Wood Jr did).  Though he does keep enough science fiction elements to keep it in this genre.  For me the Z's took second place, it wasn't about them it was about the annihilation of mankind so we could all be used as cheap fuel.

As for the acting, most of it is average, though on Mr Lobo's part I believe this was intentional, and he does gloriously over-act at times.  Whereas, Brian Krause is back on form as the male lead role Jeff Trent.  Though it's James Rolfe as the policeman that gets some of the better, and funnier, lines and scenes.  I found Sara Eshleman as Lucy Grimm a little wooden though again this could have been intentional in homage to the original.  If this is the case then she's a good actress as she does wooden well.  However, it does make for enjoying the movie a little difficult as it's a great excuse for anything which didn't work too well... it was a homage!

It would have been nice for Johnson not to pay homage to the film by trying to add elements to his remake but to make a straight forward sci-fi flick based on the original story.  He proved he can add tension and an atmosphere of dread as is shown with the arrival of the aliens themselves.  They were a nice twist as they came to the town members as human, they clearly weren't.  Johnson even did an okay job with the action when the heroes go after the aliens.  If the same mood and quality had been used throughout we might have had a decent film and not this strange homage.

On the whole, the movie works and is nicely filmed.  I would gladly recommend it as it is a decent "leave your brain at the door" waste of time.  It definitely isn't the worst movie out there... that's the original...  Though this is at least worth one viewing on a cold and wet night when there's nothing better to do.  However, I do believe this film to be of the "Marmite" Syndrome - you'll either like it or loathe it.  It made me smile and laugh more than grimace and frown, so I love it.

Movie Review - It Came From Outer Space II

It Came From Outer Space II

1996 

Duchowny Dow Films

MCA Home Entertainment / Universal Studios Home Entertainment

5.5 / 10

It was Ray Bradbury's name that brought this movie to my attention.  Just before Christmas and before I started reviewing I had watched, and enjoyed, the original.  So there wasn't much choice but to view the sequel... even though it's not.  This is actually a brought-up-to-date remake.

However, even though it has Bradbury's name it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.  That is probably due to him not having his screenplay filmed.  He actually had four screenplays for the movie and none of them was chosen, not for the original and not for this remake (Harry Essex scripted the original while Ken and Jim Wheat have written this one.)  I've not read the Bradbury versions, though being a fan I can honestly believe they might be better than what we received here.  Since he was still alive when this was filmed I would have asked him to update the script for the modern age.  Had there been issues with the original, his gained experience from 1953 to '96 should have been able to smooth them out.

That said, Ken and Jim Wheat don't do a bad job of bringing this film up to date.  However, they're not too good at characterisation or flow.  Though some of this could be down to the director Roger Duchowny.   What this needed was an injection of excitement and relatable characters.  Most of the people in the town are bleak and depressing; though this is believable, the way they are handled makes them more two-dimensional than possessing deep personalities and was a major cause of my boredom.  Even the likes of Elizabeth Pena, Dean Norris, and Mickey Jones who are good actors and had a few decent scene's still couldn't inject life into the dullness.

The other cause of my dissatisfaction is the slowness of the pace.  This could have been used to create atmosphere and draw the viewer in.  Sadly this wasn't the case and only added to the films dullness.

The special effects are okay for the period and there are some nice ideas though due to the slow pace and the way they were shown their impact is dulled and not fully utilised.  

This is one of those films I would recommend to only the die-hard sci-fi fans and lovers of the original film.  However, if you want to watch a decent film I'd say watch the original as it's much better on every count, especially if you've never seen it.  There's a reason it's a classic and this one is seldom heard of.

Movie Review - Asteroid: Final Impact

Asteroid: Final Impact

2015

Frostbite Pictures

Amazing DC / Marvista Entertainment

5.25 / 10

This film starts off a sound disaster movie with the said asteroid of the title disappearing.  When astrophysicist Steve Thomas (Mark Lutz) wants to use his asteroid tracking site to find the missing rock he finds it's now being used by the military to spy on the populace.  After he blows the whistle he loses his job, his reputation, and friends.  Then after a deadly meteor storm hits America he comes to realise theirs greater issues at hand.   The missing rock has become a dark asteroid, which is undetectable by normal technology, only Thomas' satellite will be able to see it.  However, things only get worse as it may be indestructible also.

This, for the most part, is a respectfully written, directed, and acted film.  Daniel Winters creates a nice story of distrust and the consequences of one's actions, even when they are the in the right.  The actors do a good job of bringing the characters to life and generating a believable universe.  While the director, Jason Bourque,  keeps the pace fluctuating in all the right scenes to create excitement.  The special effects are decent though nothing ground-breaking, they are used well and to their greatest potential to strengthen both the story and film.

Unfortunately, and it's a big unfortunately, the ending lets the story down to the point of breaking the believability and leaving the viewing audience feeling cheated.  It feels rushed, crude, and childish, which is a shame as with a better and more reasonable and realistic outcome this film could have been a rare thing - a TV movie which breaks out of the average mould.

So if you like disaster movies this may be worth watching as long as you remember that the ending needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.  If bad movies bring a smile to your face when something incredibly awful and silly happens then the finale should bring a smile to your lips as it did mine; if not then stay away from the film.