DVD Movie Review #15 City Slickers II

Hello my friends it is good to see you all again for my next DVD review. City Slickers is a movie series that continues to be dear to my heart remembering the first movie a lot of the time when I was young. In my OCD nature I also needed to make sure that I got the second film in this case I was never worried as I love Jon Lovitz along with the two other people who like his work.

City Slickers II picks up not long after the first one with our heroes back at home but then discovering a map to a lost shipment of gold. Billy Crystal gets together with his loser brother and his friend to go on another trip into the west to learn the meaning of friendship and hopefully get rich quick.

The film was written fairly well showing good taste in humor and using the actors well in their roles. We're not seeing anything new when it comes to their acting styles but some may consider that playing to their strengths. The setting was of course quite beautiful as the desert comes to be known for. The music was nothing new if you managed to watch the first film and the makeup did well.

I loved the interaction between actors and the performance by Jack Palance was worth seeing as this is an iconic role for his legacy. This film was very enjoyable to watch not running into anything special or spectacular in writing or comedy but something that you can sit down and watch without too much effort involved.

In the end I give this film a 6/10 as something enjoyable but not exactly special.

The edition I have is the cheap walmart $5 version on DVD without much in the way of special features.

Used:     $5.21     Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/City-Slickers-II-The-Legend-of-Curlys-Gold-DVD-2003-Widescreen/3414366&cpid=1138616763)
New:     $6.47     Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/City-Slickers-II-The-Legend-of-Curlys-Gold-DVD-2003-Widescreen/3414366&cpid=1138616763)

DVD Movie Review #14 Jack Frost

Hello yet Again we are back for the next DVD review. I watch these in bunches so I am going to try something new spacing the reviews out publishing them a few at a time. This time I am looking at the movie Jack Frost. I'm not talking about the heart warming snow man movie I'm talking about the really bad horror movie. I picked up a horror collection with the sequel movie for $5 after finding that it had the movie "Ice Cream Man" which I really wanted to find. My OCD required me to purchase the original film which resulted in a search for an out of print DVD.

Jack Frost is a messed up serial killer who was finally caught and set up for execution all of which is set up by the marvelous intro. I wish that I could have found it for you all to take a look at as it is deliciously morbid. Well Jack gets saved but then dies after being splashed by some sort of radioactive acid stuff. He ends up becoming a snowman who is going on a killing spree around the small town of Snowmantown.  Will they survive the rampage of an evil psychotic killer snowman?

Well let's start with the downsides in this movie. The special effects are cheesy at best and the writing and acting are both terrible. The one liners sound like they've been written by a group of snarky teens on a beer binge. I was left wondering at times how the snow managed not to melt being such a sunny warm day that the initial story takes place on as well as the known snow being some sort of obvious snow substitute.

On the up side this movie is one where being soooo bad is actually a good thing. I was laughing my butt off the entire time with the snarky stupid commentary and the tremendous required suspension of disbelief. The intro alone is worth watching this film. Everything in this says cheese like few other things. This is a work of love and an old one if you look at the dvd release.

Jack Frost is a pick that I would recommend for any that love Cheesy horror I give this a 7/10.

The version I have of this is one of the few available on DVD which is the Letterbox version with obviously unseasoned features and menus. That said this is a rare find as it is no longer being made and the longer you wait the more likely the price will go up (or a new release will be made).

Used:     $28.83     Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B00008AOVG/used)

New:     $45.15     Amazon Marketplace
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B00008AOVG/used)

DVD Movie Review #13 Grave Encounters 2

Hello All welcome back for my DVD movie review. This one is a straggler from the halloween viewing called Grave Encounters 2. You may have noticed that I have done the review for the previous film and have now followed up with the sequel (hint, go back and look up the other review).

I actually originally saw this movie before the original due to two major influences. The first was my girlfriend told me that the series was really scary and the second was that CoolDuder (http://www.youtube.com/user/coolduder) was in the film and I am a big fan of his stuff. (If you don't know about him please check out his youtube and movie stuff he is awesome).  I really liked this film and when the opportunity came up to get the blu-ray for under the price of the DVD I jumped on it.

This movie picks up many years after the first one with a group of film students trying to make the perfect horror film. The extra film geeky leader of the group is obsessed with the original movie and has managed through help to locate the site of the film having heavy suspicions that Grave Encounters wasn't just a film but the real thing. After some diplomacy he gets his friends to drive down and then the real horror begins. For more info please buy and see this film :).

The Blue-Ray was definitely worth the buy, the picture was very clear and the effects were a great improvement over the original. The film's location again is very creepy as with the first one and offers a great deal of fun when it comes to terrorizing the college kids. The acting is so-so there is a much better feel than in the first film that the kids are scared for their lives.

The story I feel flowed much more freely than the first one. It was pretty good keeping you entertained with the back story instead of having them tromp all over the hospital waiting for something to happen like in the first one. It kind of reminds me of the Blair witch before they started heading off into the woods together for most of the film. When they do get to the hospital the action starts up very quickly holding you in suspense until the end. I really liked both films in the series but this one doesn't fully add up to the story of the first one.

In the end this is a fun horror romp well worth the watch I give it an 8/10.


My copy of this is the blue-ray copy I got it originally on Amazon for $10 when the DVD was $15. It is too bad I can't find it for that now but we can hold up hope.

Used on Ebay   $11.65
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360772586751&item=360772586751)

New on Amazon Marketplace     $13.15
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/offering/list/-/B00A8LWQJ4/new)

My Bottom 10 Movies

My Bottom 10 Movies

I have a collection that spans well over 5000 titles and I have  been righting reviews on new additions to my collection for the last few months. I have three sections for my collection: 1. Movies I have watched 2. Movies I have not watched 3. Used Movies not entered into my collection. This covers the first two as they are officially entered into my collection. 

I typically log in films utilizing the imdb.com rating that the film had at the time it was entered or at the time I have been looking it up. Based on those stats I am going over the bottom 10 rated movies in my collection. 

I will start with two that do not make the list but have the same rating. These two films simply don't follow as they happen to come a little before the others in the alphabet. Both are equally bad movies though Leonard Part 6 does have an assassin trout so I wanted to leave a mention before heading to the list. 

#10 S.I.C.K.

Imdb Rating:  2.1

Genre: Horror

Description: This is a film about a group of teens hanging out together and being slaughtered by a killer clown. 

Rating: This movie has the special effects of a high school production and the acting skills to go with it. After watching this film I had to wonder if most of the production cost went to the cover art. This is not a fun bad movie this is just...a bad movie. 

#9 Santa with Muscles

Imdb Rating:     2.1

Genre: Comedy 

Description: A rich body builder loses his memory and thinks he is Santa Claus leading to a Santa with Muscles! 

Rating: The acting is campy the story is terrible and it stars Hulk Hogan. Yet this is a movie I can't help but love watching. This movie is unlike the above and is of the good kind of bad variety. This is a fun ride so long as you don't get stuck up on good acting or screen writing. 

#8 Son of the Mask

Indb Rating: 2.1 

Genre: Comedy 

Description: A failed cartoon artist inherits a mask that allows for him to inherit the power of Loki god of chaos. Unfortunately Loki wants his mask back. 

Rating: I can understand why people do not like this movie. It has good special effects and makeup but by god the acting and story are bad. Again though I can't help but like this movie. It is fun and a bit funny so long as you can get over the above. Many are not able though. 

#7 House of the Dead 

Imdb Rating: 2.0

Genre: Horror

Description: A group of teens go to have fun on an island but are attacked by supernatural forces. 

Rating: No surprise that a video game adaptation made its way here. I didn't understand what was so bad about this one. I mean this is pretty much the same as others of its type: women flashing their breasts, people being slaughtered by monsters, bad acting, etc. This is much classier than S.I.C.K. but many more people hate it. Go figure. 

#6 Mr. Jingles 

Imdb Rating: 2.0 

Genre: Horror

Description: A supernatural clown killer goes around gutting people with his axe. 

Rating: This is my least favorite movie in my collection and if I wasn't going on Imdb's ratings I'd give it the #1 spot. This movie reminds me a lot of a low budget version of S.I.C.K. yet again I swear they spent a lot more money on the production photos. I can't really speak long on this film as it will make me relive bad memories. 

#5 From Justin to Kelly

Imdb Rating: 1.9 

Genre: Ugh...Musical

Description: This is a musical about two teenagers finding romance on spring break. 

Rating: Don't know why this is so low on the list but have to admit this is pretty darn bad. I think musical was a bad choice for this and I believe acting needs to be far away from Kelley Clarkson and Justin Guarini. Yet the same I can see the sappy teen crowd enjoying this high school musical 2 wannabe. 

#4 Manos the Hands of Fate

Imdb Rating: 1.8 

Genre: Horror

Description: A family vacation takes a wrong turn ending up in the lap of Satan! 

Rating: I included a picture of how many of you would be introduced to this film such as I was. This film is boring and terrible in most every way. I am surprised at it's climb up to 1.8 from 1.5 on imdb. Still if you want to see an example of a really really bad film at all angles this is it. 

#3 Baby Geniuses 2: Superbabies

 Imdb Rating: 1.7 

Genre: Comedy/Horror

Description: A new squad of baby geniuses but this time with super powers oh my!

Rating: I admit I have only seen this movie in pieces so I cannot vouch for it totally. Of course this franchise is very very bad stay away...stay far away.

#2 Disaster Movie

Imdb Rating: 1.7 

Genre: Comedy...I think

Descrition: A quirkey groups of pop culture references try to survive the threat of other pop culture references and their own bad acting. 

Rating: Terribe...tis movie has next to no labs and is just one terribly written and acted jibe after another. I do admit there was one part that was a little fun when the Chipmunks went death metal but not sure that would be worth the $0.50 I paid for this film. 

#1 Evil Behind You

Imdb Rating: 1.8 

Genre: Horror

Description: Abducted couples are 

victims of medical experiments that mutate their minds with supernatural abilities. As their mental capacities increase, so does the danger from something evil that is not of flesh and blood.

Rating: I admit to using the imdb description as I have yet to see this movie. I cannot warn you other than it is the worst rated in my collection according to imdb. Watch this if you dare! 

As a last note I hope that you all enjoyed this and if any of you have seen Evil Behind You please feel free to let me know how it is. I will be watching it but not...anytime soon. 

DVD Movie Review #12 The Inkeepers

DVD Movie Review #13 The Innkeepers

Yay! I am working on the next review! This time we go to the movie "The Innkeepers" brought to you by the same people that gave us "House of the Devil". As it is at the end of that time of the year it was good to end my holiday viewing during the Mexican "Day of the Dead" with a haunted hotel flick. 

 We start our tale with a few minimum wage slaves trying to run out the time at the final weekend of a soon to be closing hotel. One of them is a paranormal activity geek finding haunting websites and becoming very interested in the story attached to the hotel. Of course his naive grunge girl co-worker is drawn in even more deciding it upon herself to investigate on her own leading to a world of terror that she never imagined. 

We have a nice location for our horror being in a hunted inn occupied by a sinister guest that decided to check herself out. One might make the assumption that she was at the end of her rope...heh. Our protagonist investigates with the help of a famous psychic. I love the creepy atmosphere where you have a an empty hotel you are almost guaranteed to have a ghost jump out of each corner. You will enjoy the tenseness that this setting offers. 

 We have a great cast of characters, a Gunge girl, a Paranormal Geek, a TV psychic, an old man reliving his past, a woman and her child and a woman and child running from a failed marriage. The characters are acted out well and the acting is quite believable. You get drawn in quite well by the characters and though not many are terrible but only one is fairly likable. I have to wonder about the intelligence of some of the characters, but then most arn't in horror films. 

In the end the movie is very much a test of your patience and how well it draws you in. This movie doesn't fully draw on this as it's predecessor has relying fully on your interest in the backstory to keep you from getting bored. I do not feel that this movie will draw everyone and the wait for something to happen can lead you to a little bit of boredom. Now once the scaring starts though I can tell you it does feel intense. The music is fairly creepy but doesn't stand out and the makeup is good enough leaving me to believe that the dead woman is dead and that the injuries are real. 

In the end I must say that this is a suitable and good film for the end of my viewing. If you loved House of the Devil then you will love this movie. If you didn't like it then you still have a good shot at liking this movie. 

Rating: 7/10 

Again I am giving pricing options for the basic DVD version of this product as pictured here 

New:     $9.99    half.com

(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Innkeepers-DVD-2012/112241241&cpid=5000001920204)

Used:    $4.66   Alibris

(http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&qisbn=0030306819099&siteID=XWtbxYmhL3E-6odBmDePxug_gF34FmhMcg&_ptid=XWtbxYmhL3E-6odBmDePxug_gF34FmhMcg&cm_mmc=affiliates-_-na-_-XWtbxYmhL3E-_-na)

DVD Movie Review #11 The Invasion

DVD Movie Review #11 The Invasion

We are back yet again for our DVD review and lineup for review. This weekend we have been trying to get in a little bit more horror viewing in. This time is the work on a movie with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig called "The Invasion". 

This is a movie about a female psychiatrist and her son living together in Washington.  The character starts noticing that people coming in are reporting odd behaviors from their relatives as well as a strange interest in her ex-husband to get their life back together again. After realizing something is terribly wrong she teams up with Daniel Craig's character, who is connected with a school of doctors bent on fighting a global alien invasion. 

The invasion works pretty simply and it is very effective body snatchers style. It spreads as a cold-like virus turning those infected into emotion dead zombies that hock loogies at those that arn't infected. The aliens have a really effective strategy and are nearly able to take over the world. Will they win? Well you'll have to watch to find out. 

Nicole Kidman excels in her acting as expected showing that she is ready to keep at it and looking very convincing as she is trying to fight going to sleep and prevent herself from turning into an alien and at the same time trying to save her son. She comes across also as a fairly convening psychiatrist. 

The chemistry between Kidman and Craig is great. I am used to seeing Craig as bond and this character is much more refined which as an egghead he should be. The acting is very well done but the story is implausible at points and the ending is a tad abrupt. The music fits the mood yet falls to the background and the makeup is suitably creepy especially when the people start turning into Aliens. 

In the end this is not something that I would jump for joy over but at the same time is well worth checking out if you want something scary and holding you with suspense (so long as you can suspend your disbelief in spots)

Rating:    7/10 

Pricing:  

Please Keep in mind that each pricing is for the edition that I have so other editions may be available for cheaper. 

This particular edition is the widescreen DVD  version. 

I have Placed direct links this time so you can fully enjoy your opporutnities. 

Used:    $3.45     ebay.com

(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=171071720111&item=171071720111)

New:     $4.47     Half.com 

(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Invasion-DVD-2008/63627868&cpid=1382589181)

DVD Movie Review #10 Umineko

Welcome to my next DVD review. On the Slate this time is the series Uminkeo from the same peopel that brought us Higurashi (known as When they Cry in the US). This is a 26 episode series sold by NIS America available only on Blu-ray. 

This is a story about a wealthy family with a checkered past rooted in the occult. In a meeting talking about family succession a simple rivalry ends in a bloodbath. According to the antagonist this was all purported by the evil golden witch Beatrice and her host of magical monstrosities. In this tail you get to see a frequent amount of bloodshed and a lot of madness. 

Of course in truth this is all an elaborate game seemingly run but the family head Kinzo where the scene is repeated over and over again until all involved acknowledge that the evil witch Beatrice was involved using only magic. In the end only one person stands between Beatrice and total magical domination fighting her with his logic and disbelief of any magical means that could be used. So the pieces are set and the game is played again and again until either Beatrice is acknowledged or Battler (the protagonist) can prove no magic was involved. As the games pile up the battle becomes more difficult leaving Battler at a disadvantage. 

Well let's start with the cast of characters. I really like the complexity of the relationships as they occur within each family dynamic. The story becomes more and more complex as they go on throughout the series giving most of the characters surprising depth. I was very much impressed by the way that they handled this part giving the repetition a little bit more suitability. 

The animation is also well deserving of the blu-ray treatment leaving us with a show that we can all love to watch. The series has some very strong music as well having a beautiful opener and a lovely soundtrack. In the end I will have to say that the series with its complexity and beauty is a gem to watch. 

Oh well I guess we can move on to the the down side of the series. The continued repetition is a problem and the story is very much confusing. I had a hard time getting this until the end and I know that there are others that would not get this at all. I also have a problem with the Protagonist. Battler is portrayed as a pretty cool and confident genius  but acts like a bonehead having a hard time figuring anything out until the very end of the series. He is also easily frustrated and comes close to losing multiple times in their battle of wits. I really want to like this guy but he brings the series down. You can also tell that this was adapted from a video game series near immediately and the ending is well...lets just say it leaves you wanting more. 

In the end I liked this series but it is undeserving of its reputation. 

7/10 Award 

New Only    $95.98     www.rightstuf.com