DVD Movie Review #20 Zombie Strippers

Back again for another fun time movie review. I went out to the Halloween sale at Movie Stop and came home with three movies. This was the one movie that stood out thanks to Robert Englund. I mean who could really turn down a movie like "zombie strippers"

This movie is in a world under the Bush's 4th term. If you are a republican you need not watch this film as it is pretty darn terrible and it tends to bash republican values throughout. In this world any form of nudity public or private has been banned and strip clubs are underground illegal places to make lots of quick dirty cash. At the same time as we appear to be at war with everyone we have developed a zombie virus to make up for the lack of people to send off into combat. Well these two worlds collide to make super zombie strippers.

I am not sure that I can say much about this film that I like. I can enjoy a good zombie movie and some of the over the top effects such as the stripper pole tornado do leave me chuckling. The music is ok and the makeup is pretty good. It also has Robert Englund and I kept saying this to keep my interest up.

The plot line if pretty much dumb and republican bashing mixed with very very bad recycled zombie movie plots. I am not a republican and even I felt this was in poor taste. The acting is pretty much god awful and I have to admit I really didn't know who I was rooting for and ended up cheering for the Mexican janitor the whole time. The effects though ok can kind of make you sick to your stomach and I've seen a few zombie movies. In reality I have to wonder in the end how films such as this get made.

Well if you like republican bashing, un-needed extra gore and bad acting you will love Zombie Strippers.

Rating: 3/10

I got the regular unrated special edition DVD of this and am glad for once that I didn't find this on Blu-ray.

Used:     $4.50    Ebay
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281204864123&item=281204864123)
New:     $7.98     Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/Zombie-Strippers-DVD-2008-Unrated-Special-Edition/70268746&cpid=1389392997)

DVD Movie Review #19 Monsters University

Yet again we fly into the breach with Monsters University. As Pixar for the most part has a lock on the best animated feature academy award I tend to always purchase them in anticipation for my favorite time of the year "oscar season". I also really enjoy Pixar's works and have yet to find a film by them that I did not like at least a little bit.

Here we are with the prequel to the film Monsters Inc. where we find our heroes Mike and Sulley going to school in order to learn to be professional scarers. They end up having to team up with a group of slightly incompetent heroes to try and win the title of scariest in the school where they learn the true meaning of friendship.

You know I actually find this as less original in story than Cars 2. I mean most people will go on about how Pixar has the best writing and the most original stories but this one is just one of those typical college underdog stories placed in a fairly original setting. In the end this is probably the weakest section of the film and will probably be the one that that could trip it up on the way to its probable academy award (like Cars 2 which did not even get nominated).

This film has a lot of good to say about it. The score is not 100% original but it is fun and entertaining. The Voice acting is of course very nice with high ranking talent like Billy Crystal at the helm. Where I did point out the originality of the writing it is still a plot line that is enjoyable to watch play out in the fairly original setting. The characters are very fun and the interaction is well established.

I really enjoyed this film. It was light and really enjoyable but lacks the depth that we find in other films such as Walle or Up or even Brave.

Rating: 7/10

I got the blue-ray dvd combo pack with the digital copy. I really enjoyed the Disney Movie Club price cut I got taking 60% off. Below though are the cheapest copies I could find.

Used:     $22.98   Alibris.com
(http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&qisbn=0786936836233&siteID=XWtbxYmhL3E-AgzKeOOQAtPHYcX9SMS8nA&_ptid=XWtbxYmhL3E-AgzKeOOQAtPHYcX9SMS8nA&cm_mmc=affiliates-_-na-_-XWtbxYmhL3E-_-na)

New:     $26.96    Walmart.com
(http://www.walmart.com/index.gsp?affillinktype=2&dest=40&sourceid=19722312372574300654&veh=aff&wmlspartner=XWtbxYmhL3E)

DVD Movie Review #18 The Blue Umbrella

Hello again, this is my first DVD short review. I bought my copy of Monsters University as it will be winning the Academy award for best animated feature this year. Of course their shorts are nothing beyond spectacular in their own right and have won many different awards in their own right.

The Blue umbrella is an inspiring love tail about two umbrellas seeking to romance one another during a rain storm. There is a problem and there is a resolution I will not go into a lot of detail.

The animation is beautiful at first I thought I was staring at a live action scene. The rain is wonderful and this is one thing that will blow your mind away.

The biggest detractor in this is that the friendly traffic lights and signs are at best creepy and are a little hard to find friendly.

Rating:  8/10

I got this along with the monsters University Collectors Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy pack.

Used:     $22.98   Alibris.com
(http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qsort=p&qisbn=0786936836233&siteID=XWtbxYmhL3E-AgzKeOOQAtPHYcX9SMS8nA&_ptid=XWtbxYmhL3E-AgzKeOOQAtPHYcX9SMS8nA&cm_mmc=affiliates-_-na-_-XWtbxYmhL3E-_-na)

New:     $26.96    Walmart.com
(http://www.walmart.com/index.gsp?affillinktype=2&dest=40&sourceid=19722312372574300654&veh=aff&wmlspartner=XWtbxYmhL3E)

DVD Movie Review #17 Weekend at Bernie's II

Well we are back again and yet again for a sequel of a movie that the original is not reviewed here. This film actually has a little more significance for me than the sequel to City Slickers. I actually watched Weekend at Bernie's II more often than I watched the original movie. This one has a sentimental value that made me happy to purchase it along with the original film.

Well we leave our heroes not long after the last movie and they rightfully get fired for dragging their boss's corpse around and of course blamed for their boss's illegal activities. Poor and feeling hopeless they find that ol' Bernie had some mob money lying around. Unfortunately for them the mob also wants their money and decided to hire a voodoo priestess and two incompetent foot-soldiers to get it.

Lets start with the negative points of the film. The acting is so-so at best with a kind of kooky story that produces small and predictable laughs that mostly slap stick and aimed at a simpler audience. The effects are actually not so bad for their time but not anything spectacular.

On that note I enjoyed the cute little animated short at the beginning that is very much the same as many comedies at that time. The laughs are not original but they are present leaving you with a fun easy to enjoy movie. The musical themes are appropriate for the subject matter and gives you that nice island vacation feel.

In the end I feel that this movie's good points outweigh the bad. I will be interested in hearing from anyone that did not have this one growing up as sentimental value can cloud the mind at times.

Rating:     7/10

The version I have is the stripped down DVD release of the film. I am hoping that you can get a better version than mine but my goal was just to obtain the film.

Used:     $7.10     Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/Weekend-at-Bernies-II-DVD-2001/3365277&cpid=1072143393)

New:     $7.64     Ebay.com
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380767324795&item=380767324795)

DVD Movie Review #16 The Great Gatsby

We are back and this time with a 2013 movie believe it or not. The movie in question is the Great Gatsby. I remained mildly interested in this film when it was advertised but did not wish to spend any money in seeing it as I had heard bad things about the soundtrack. Well in a contest that Movie Stop (www.moviestop.com) I was able to guess the box office and won a free copy of the Blue-Ray DVD combo pack and even then it was some time before I actually got to see the movie.

This movie takes place following Tobey Maguire's character and his reported exploits with a rather eccentric wealthy mysterious friend played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie starts depicting the lavish lifestyle of DiCaprio's character and eventually changes to a sorrowful love story with Carey Mulligan. If you haven't read the book or seen the other version of this I will not ruin it for you.

Many people who talk to me about this compare it to the original how it centers totally on the love story angle and not as much on the characters involved yet many seem to think it superior. I have not seen the other movie nor have I read the book so I cannot compare. I will say that this movie is a flawed gem having some substantial issues yet very redeeming qualities.

Let's start with the negative which I will say mainly revolves around the Jay-Z soundtrack. I really don't know why anyone would think that R&B is the perfect fit for a 1920s party. Now when you think about who directed this piece it makes more sense with Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet being other entries into their filmography. This also plays into the cinematography and the confusing method that this film was executed in. During the first hour I would say that you will have a hard time nailing anything down. Really when the Jay-Z R&B tamps down and the music becomes a little more time appropriate the film also seems to settle down and become far more watchable.

Now as is also included in the director's filmography the visuals are ever impressive making this a blue-ray must. The Acting is very well portrayed with a great cast that makes you want to enjoy this film even more. After the initial confusion dies down and the story starts up you are pulled in and start to feel that the first hour was well worth what followed behind.

Even as a flaws piece this is worth a watch. I give this film a 7/10

My version of this is the blu-ray dvd combo pack pictured below. (Yay I got it free!)

Used:     $9.33     Half.com
(http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Great-Gatsby-Blu-ray-DVD-2013-2-Disc-Set-Includes-Digital-Copy-UltraViolet/168476276&cpid=5000056917273)

New:     $13.99    ebay.com
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281205551003&item=281205551003)

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.