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andyunderhill72
Reviews
A Meowy Christmas (2017)
A Weird, Yet Family Friendly Christmas Movie
I've been following Steve ever since I picked up a film of his at Cinema Wasteland and I have always been impressed with how he seems to hate the idea of only making one kind of genre as an artist. His last family film was a few years ago and now after several horror movies he's back with a loving homage to as many Christmas films as possible.
One of Steve's signatures seems to be that he takes everything that makes up the genre he's tackling, puts it into a blender, and purees the heck out of it. Expectations are either sent upside down or delivered in entirely different ways.
And this film is no different while still being child appropriate. For the kids we have the cut animals, cat puns, visual gags, and slapstick. For the adults we have a parody of Info Wars, inversions of tropes of the genre, and as many references to other Christmas films as can fit into a single hour.
The animals are adorable. The voice acting is surprisingly top notch, especially from Amie Wrenn as Whiskers herself. The acting is hit or miss, the burglars are really great but many of the other cast are only okay (nobody is bad). Funny enough the stand out to me is Rudzinski himself as the lead detective, who feels like the lovable idiot you could place in almost any children's film and it would feel right.
This is obviously a cheaply made film, but aside from the few locations it doesn't feel like it. Shots look solid, editing feels smooth enough, the music is at times hilarious, and above all the script is hilarious. I've seen quite a few of these talking animal movies and Meowy Christmas might be my favorite.
Definitely worth a viewing no matter what age you are. I was very pleasantly surprised by this one!
Plank Face (2016)
Breaking a Man or: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Testicles
Where do I start with Plank Face? It's so weird that I felt like I needed to share my thoughts but I have no idea where to start. I picked this up at Cinema Wasteland and first I have to say that I don't DISLIKE the film at all. I do not think it's a bad film. Don't let my 5/10 give you the wrong idea, I use the 10 scale where 5 means I'm really in the middle.
The film is about a man who is kidnapped and raped by a feral mountain family with the goal of turning him into their new alpha, except that he is accepts that position in an unbelievably short amount of time. That's technically a spoiler except the back of the box gives it away; it gives only the question "Will he be broken or find their ways alluring?" (leaving out the third option clearly points in the direction they chose). This is where the film loses me most. The main character goes from being tortured, raped, force fed testicles, and treated like a thing yet in the course of what the film makes seem like only a FEW DAYS he totally changes his entire outlook on everything in life, abandoning everything from his past including loved ones he fought so hard to protect just days earlier. Why? Well, who knows. The film definitely doesn't explain his change of attitude. Not only does he join the family, he is totally cool with ALL of them including the ones who tortured him most. I could have bought his turn more if he killed Grandma and The Bride, leaving the only crazy family member who consistently treated him well. As is his disregard for "the old ways" is so jarring and out of nowhere that I could no longer enjoy the story. The way the story was presented to me I did not believe at all why he would suddenly murder innocent people for a family that nailed his feet to the floor and raped him. While on topic of the story the pacing of this felt very off. Act 1 is pretty perfect but after that I quickly found myself bored and distracted, constantly feeling like NOTHING was happening in movie.
Okay so I really disliked the story. What about the rest? Well the lead actor plays his role well. The rest of the family also plays their roles really well, as they were written at least. They're weird, they don't talk, they randomly picked this dude as opposed to any of the dozen of other male victims they've had (who is to say any of the other guys they killed would have been ready to murder?). But again, as they were written, the cast did nail the themes and looks they were aiming for. Full success from all of the actors for the family. Max's girlfriend in the film is given little to do so becomes forgettable to me and we get a fantastic cameo from Dave Parker who is also given little but elevates his creep factor to 11.
If you are expecting a slasher film, which would be fair given the cover and the trailer, you will be let down. There are only a few kills in the film and they're okay. However this is NOT a slasher film and isn't really meant to be, it's a psychological horror. It's meant to make you uncomfortable, which it does in spades. The gore factor here is unimportant, but if that's what you want there is little to have.
I know I'm speaking a lot of ill but I have to also say the following positives: The film LOOK amazing. It's well shot, well lit, and just the overall cinematography is great. The music is probably my favorite music in a horror film in recent memory. The creepy synths and slow beats compliment the film in a really beautiful way and when the story was losing me, the music usually roped me back in. Brian Williams did multiple things on this film, but deserves (in my opinion) the largest praise possible for the score.
So is Plank Face bad? Not at all, regardless of how the first chunk of my review read. Now I do absolutely think the script has some major problems with story telling and showing the main character's arc and that's a big deal to me. But the other bits really come down to pure subjectivity: This is CLEARLY not my kind of film. I am not the target audience for Plank Face at all. I prefer light, fun horror and this was a harsh, visceral, psychological story which is well shot, well acted, and very well scored.
Do I still think it has some major script issues? Yes, I can love films in genres I don't enjoy if the story is strong. However, the film DOES do so much else SO RIGHT that if you're a fan of deeper, darker, more serious horror you will very likely enjoy the film.
I recommend the film for those people that this sounds appealing to, I am confident that you will love it. But it was a mixed bag for me.
Captain Z & the Terror of Leviathan (2014)
One of the Funniest Indie Films, Period
I don't know where to start with this. I picked it up at a convention because I was a fan of the filmmaker's other work not really knowing what to expect. It's like a low budget, modern version of Army of Darkness and it's surprisingly wonderful. No other indie movie has made me laugh as much as Captain Z.
In 1714 demons have possessed humans to raise the Leviathan using a necklace. In the knick of time Captain Z stops them, causing them all to be sucked into another dimension. 300 years later Captain Z has become the thing of legend. But hillbillies find the necklace and open the portal, causing the entire family to be possessed and Captain Z to be brought into our time. It's up to Captain Z and a supernatural expert Glen Stewart to thwart the demons from allowing Leviathan dominion over our world.
I was shocked when I found out how much this was made for. The shots, the visuals, the make up, the acting, the locations, even the audio (mostly) are all top notch quality you'd expect to see in a studio film. I half expect SyFy to want to pick this film up. It just LOOKS much more expensive than it is.
The writing blows other movies with this kind of budget out of the water. The plot doesn't bring much new to the table but it is VERY solid. The pacing is great, the laughs are all genuine, and all of the characters are absolutely interesting. It's just very tight, never was I bored or looking at my watch. I don't know how, but Steve Rudzinski (the writer/director) somehow took a really silly idea and made me take it seriously (as seriously as a comedy would expect you to, at least).
Acting in the film again is fantastic, there wasn't a bad actor in the bunch (just varying levels of good). Captain Z and Heather were perfectly stupid, Glen was snarky as needed, and Mr. Kincaid was delightfully salty. I think my favorite of the batch were the hillbilly family, with my favorite character definitely being Vepar (played by Aleen Isley). She was a joy to see on screen and the movie could have used even more of her. She absolutely carries the climax on her shoulders, with this movie having my favorite climax in any low budget film.
It's not absolutely perfect. There's a couple of spots where the audio seems canned and I felt that a stab sound effect was missing three times in the film; the CGI also was pretty weak but barely featured.
That's it, to me those are the only problems. Like I said, it's not perfect but it's very close. Not perfect compared to movies with over a hundred thousand dollars to use for a budget, but placed against most films I've seen with a budget UNDER that? This movie does so much right and I didn't expect it to do much of anything.
If you like low budget indie films, see this and see what skill and heart can do. If you like comedies or Army of Darkness, see this because I laughed more at this than most studio films. 9/10, without hesitation.
Godzilla (2014)
A good Godzilla film...but at the bottom of the good.
I am by far a very dedicated Godzilla fan. I own every film in the highest format available and have watched them all plenty of times.
I went into this movie excited, it looked RIGHT. The trailers were giving me a tone I could dig an I was interested to see what they did with it. Interestingly the trailer lured us all wrongfully on purpose which was fantastic! This interpretation of Godzilla goes back to an older way of looking at him, that of sort of an anti-hero. The concept is that instead of being created by the Atomic Bombs of Japan years ago, Godzilla is instead millions of years old and basically Earth's way of keeping the balance tipped away from other giant monsters (assumingly because back then, giant monsters ruined everything). In this sense, it's very reminiscent of the Showa Era of Godzilla. Which is where its weaknesses lie.
This film is just as slow, if not slower, than the Showa Era Godzilla films. There's a lot of (uninteresting) human character story, a lot of fight teasing, and just a very small amount of Godzilla until the final climax. Which would be fine except for two things. Firstly, the climax still doesn't give us enough giant monster fighting for my taste. Other Godzilla films, even if they have a heavy focus on the human element through the film, give us a climax of about a straight 10 minutes of nothing else happening except Godzilla kicking butt. This film STILL kept cutting back to the humans while everyone just wanted to see Godzilla vs. Muto.
Secondly, while it's VERY comparable to the Showa Era, that is my least favorite era of films.
Don't get me wrong though! It's still a GOOD Godzilla movie and all around a good movie. It's fun, funny, entertaining, at times jaw dropping and adrenaline pumping. It's well made and belongs right next to all of the Toho created films. As my title says, it's absolutely a good Godzilla movie. Without a doubt! I just would rank all of the other good Godzilla movies over it.
Definitely check it out and see if you may like it more than I do!
Depression: The Movie (2012)
A Mixed Bag of Emotions
I picked this up at a convention a while ago and just haven't had the chance to check it out. Finally last night I watched it and I feel it was generally a good indie film, but with some problems and a lot to be desired.
It's shown as an anthology film, with the final scene showing that all of these characters are connected via being in a band (except for the most unnecessary, who is in the audience). As with most anthologies segments are hits and misses, interesting since all share the same writer and director.
First segment was over all okay. It's about a guy who is not attractive in any way, shape, or form, yet has the crippling problem of having too much sex. The dialog is very well written, but the stupid German girl humor, some misplaced slapstick, and completely unneeded full body nudity (I love tits, but I did not at all need to see that, especially in this film) really brings down the whole segment. The acting is great though.
The second segment is the gem of the film. It is the absolute funniest AND the absolute saddest and most emotional bit. This is about a man who has a terrible relationship with his father and finds out about his grandfather's death several months too late. The acting is top notch from everyone involved and really showed the potential of what the entire movie could have been.
The third segment is a complete waste and feels completely out of place. The acting is passable, but the situation is nearly completely a monologue from a character I don't care about. A man takes a drunk female friend home and takes an offer to sleep in the same bed as the perfect moment to bear his soul as to why he only stays friends with women instead of trying to start a relationship. It's trying too hard, it's boring, and it's brought down with a stupid fart joke to top it all off. Could have been completely cut out.
The final segment is pretty good but completely off compared to the rest. A young woman is seen as a screw up by her sister yet asked to babysit. For some reason, there's a psycho killer on the loose who busts in to torture and murder her and the child. Fortunately she saves the day, but her brother-in-law doesn't care. Out of place but with a purpose, this segment kept my attention even if the dialog between the girl and the killer was a bit over the top. Some good laughs and some decent tension.
Overall Depression is shot decently, good uses of close ups but nothing really stands out. Editing is solid and acting is hit or miss. The writing seems to be the biggest detriment to the film, due to at times trying too hard and failing yet other times nailing it. This could have been something really sad and/or really funny, instead it teeters on mediocrity.
It's certainly not a bad film but hard to recommend. Is it worth DVD price? Probably not. But a digital rental is a great way to see if this is the kind of indie film for you.
Night of the Tentacles (2013)
A well oiled machine
This isn't the first film I'm reviewing from Dustin Mills and I doubt it will be my last. I finally got to check this out recently and felt the need to share my thoughts.
It's not as high quality as Easter Casket, being more grounded and intimate by comparison. A down on his luck loser has major heart troubles and can't afford treatment. Instead of exploring better medical options based on insurance, Medicaid, or even Canada, he instead makes a deal with the devil. He gets himself a brand new, awful, Lovecraftian, monster heart! The only downside is that the heart needs to feel on humans for him to survive.
It sounds like b-schlock and it is in the best way. Performances are interesting and usually hit home runs, the effects are fine, the monster is a bit cheap but works for the film. The story seems straight forward but really does everything that it wants to, and does it well. I felt for the lead character at several points and I really felt his struggle to cope with his choice. There's some absolutely fantastic character moments that seems to be a great example of Dustin's writing. Shots were also pretty solid, especially given that almost the entire movie is in one apartment.
The biggest downside in the film is a lot of low-brow humor from the devil's "assistant" or whatever he was. This sort of stuff is hit or miss and to me, it was a big miss. I was glad whenever he left the screen.
I'd definitely recommend this film to fans of indie movies. Dustin is definitely one of those directors that continues to impress.
The Lego Movie (2014)
A Perfect Animated Film
There isn't much to saw that hasn't already been said ten times over. This is a very funny, very genuine, very heartfelt animated film. It gives you non-stop jokes (that are ACTUAL jokes, not pop culture references), a surprisingly interesting story, great characters, and an all around good message meant for all ages.
I did not know what to expect going into this. I just figured that it would be more or less a feature length advertisement with some funny moments. Instead I saw a decent contender for one of the best movies of 2014, depending on what else may come out. I don't foresee too many films surpassing just the over all enjoyment I had with this though.
The cg animation itself is also breathtaking. This is a must see in theaters, as seeing every single tiny Lego bit is mind boggling. You think it's impressive all of the way through, then you get to the ocean scenes and it's even more amazing.
Is it an absolutely perfect movie? Certainly not, there is no perfect film. But it is perfect in its tone and execution. I give this a 10/10 without even thinking about it, I haven't been this impressed with a film in years.
Scream Park (2012)
It's biggest crime is offering absolutely nothing new
But for me, I already own this movie 15 times. Being in an amusement park doesn't set it aside enough to make me care about the characters or plot. The plot is weak and most of the characters are paper thin. The one thing all indie films should EXCEL at is a great script. This film does not deliver.
Almost every character is so bland that I couldn't find myself invested in any of them.
That's not to take anything away from some of the actors. The two leads (Wendy Wygant and Steve Rudzinski) both excel at the roles they're supposed to play. Wendy is a very capable lead, making me believe in being frail but badass while Steve is perfect as a really nice weasel. Doug Bradley does great in his five minute cameo, as should be expected from one of the greats. Nivek Ogre also certainly brought his character to life in a great way, I hope he keeps doing more films as he was a perfect maniacal killer.
The rest of the acting is an extreme range though. On the GREAT end you have Alicia Marie Marcucci and Kyle Riordan, both were a joy on screen. On the HORRIBLE end you have Kailey Marie Harris and Tyler Kale, who seemed to have gotten their parts based on their looks alone and never went through an actual audition. To round out the kids we have both Nicole Beattie and Dean Jacobs, neither of whom are bad but are seen so little that they never get a chance to show off who the characters are.
"So that's all well and good Andy, but what about the rest of the movie?" Well since the biggest issue I have is with plot and characters I'll keep everything else to a minimum.
The movie is a combination of great looking and poorly shot. There aren't many "bad" shots, just that often times there's a chance for great establishing shots in a terrific park that we never get, too much of the camera is right up in character's faces. This is purely subjective, but the best shots in the movie were things like the wide establishing shot of a killer on the other end of a body of water or a victim on a carousel. Great mood setters that were too few between.
Pacing in general is fine except for a painful Act 1. Never before have I wanted to kill a character we never meet more than Blake, as he is the entire focus point of all of Act 1. Which is even worse given that the pay off is really a let down. Otherwise Act 2 and 3 move along nice and brisk. I appreciated that the killing is also sprinkled throughout a good chunk of the film, as opposed to being all in the end (some indie slashers suffer from this).
The kills as a whole are okay. Some look great, some look bland. The best was by far the one with the axe you don't see coming until it's too late. Body count is a grand total of 9. For most people this will be plenty, for me I felt like I wanted more.
The music in the movie is great. It was wonderfully creepy and well done.
Editing is also for the most part really good. There are definitely times when there's some poor shot usage or off scenes, but I've seen enough movies to know that there's only so much an editor can do sometimes with what he has. Although in the copy I had, there were full blown unfinished effects in a surveillance room. Marking tape was clearly visible where footage was supposed to be, footage that would appear randomly. I really hope this is a case of it being an early copy and not what will end up being released.
The killers are good, but I can't help but feel I'm giving them a pass due to Ogre's amazing performance. I think it's more than possible that anyone less great than Ogre would have made the killers really bland. BUT, since Ogre is in fact in the movie and his performance is in fact amazing, I do like the killers in the movie. Both are just different enough and the outfits are pretty interesting.
So would I recommend this? No. To be fair, this isn't a BAD movie. Objectively it's pretty average, I should score it a 5/10. But personally, I just didn't like it. Especially since it really seems like they had a lot of money to make this (the actors and location), yet I've seen plenty of movies made for under $5000 that were better. That shouldn't happen, Scream Park should have been better. That alone, for me, is enough to knock off that extra star for it to be a 4/10.
For the average slasher fan you may very well enjoy the movie. It has a great location, a few great kills, and a few great actors. But personally, I just didn't like this.
There's certainly potential and I do look forward to what comes next from the writer/director. Hopefully Cary Hill can learn from the mistakes he made and the next film he makes will be even better!
Easter Casket (2013)
An Excellent Example of Great Micro-Budget Filmmaking
I've been meaning to write a review for this film for a while now. I picked this up some months ago at a horror convention and I don't regret it at all. The short version is that this film is worth your time and excels at doing as much as it can with such a small budget. It's funny and impressive.
There's some negatives I'll get out of the way first. A couple points have pacing issues. One of them is an extended dialog scene between the two lead characters, a priest and a school girl. While I understand it's to get to know these characters, and I appreciate what is a VERY calm moment in what has otherwise been an extreme roller coaster, it lasts too long. The other is an OVERLY extended nude strip sequence that has to do with a ritual. I love nudity in my horror films. So if I think a nude scene is too long, there's a problem. And the only other negative I can point out is that during the final sequence of the film, Peter Cottontail is impossible to understand.
That's it. In the whole movie that is ALL that is wrong with it. It's otherwise a GREAT story, as well as is completely unique. The ACTUAL Easter Bunny, Peter Cottontail, is an Old God/demon hell bent on returning to his rightful place as a ruler. Standing in his way is what I can best describe as a Templar Power Ranger, who has special battle armor to fight the demon and his evil baby chicks.
It's fun, it's funny, and I want every movie to have Super Pope in it. Trust me, you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it.
The acting is also very balanced throughout. While not every SINGLE actor is perfect, NOBODY is bad. Everyone plays their part fine at worst, but most of everyone in the film nails what they're meant to do.
I completely suggest Easter Casket to anyone that wants to give a Microbudget film a try.
Zombie Atrocity: The Italian Zombie Movie - Part 2 (2010)
The sequel is an okay indie film, vast improvement over first
I picked up both parts of this film at Cinema Wasteland and finally got around to watching them.
While I am reviewing the second one, I feel it's important to quickly mention the first film. Most of the plot exposition and establishment was in the first movie and just wasn't entertaining, funny, or cool in any way. It was poorly made, poorly executed, and just not interesting. It was actually painful to watch at times. It was a huge chore for me to toss in part 2, but I was already this far deep in pain so I decided to finish it.
Part 2 was a vast improvement in almost every way. Granted it's still extremely low budget, moreso than the other movies I picked up at the show, but it was all around BETTER than what I had just watched. Shot just a little better, written just a little better, paced a little better. Gore was better done, it actually made me laugh several times, I just all around enjoyed this one better.
I can't even fully place my finger on HOW things improved or what improved, it was just a much better attempt at the filmmaker. I'm curious where he goes from here.
Dredd (2012)
Blew Me Away
I'm going to keep this review brief, as all I have to say has been said dozens of times before. But Dredd is a great example of what the modern action film should aspire to be. Gritty and gory without a NEED for flash or dozens of special effects on screen at once.
Dredd got to the point without any time wasting and delivered absolutely everything it needed to and more. Characters were good and interesting, cinematography was great, story was interesting, and the pacing never let up.
The effects that WERE in the movie never failed to impress. All of the slo-mo sequences were genuinely gorgeous to look at and added so much to the scenes it was used in. This especially was helped by the fact that there wasn't slow motion just for it to be there, it actually had an important place in the story.
The 3-D of this film also worked better than most 3-D movies, but that barely matters in this review.
This film not making more at the box office is a crime.
The Last Stand (2013)
Fun popcorn flick with no lasting value
The Last Stand is a fun ride. There are some very nice action scenes throughout the film and it never fails to entertain. It can be pretty funny at times and pretty brutal at other times.
But nothing in the movie really sticks out, which is the downfall. Walking out of the theater, nothing stood out as memorable. Nothing screamed at me to see it again, unlike other action films of the past year (like say Dredd). This is a quick fix film, worth a few bucks for a quick ride, but it's a cheap one.
Seeing Arnold back in action was certainly a thrill, for more than just nostalgic reasons. He's a good actor and gives us a very good performance in the film. He's dramatic, old, tired, but still able to kick ass when it matters. And he certainly gave this film his all. I look forward to him being used in some more films, at least I hope so based on The Last Stand's box office performance.
This is by no means a bad movie in any way. Nothing about this movie is really negative and there's a lot to love. It's just not great or original. It certainly deserved higher than 10th place it's opening weekend.
Everyone Must Die! (2012)
Original and Fun Script
This is not a film I'd tell anyone to enjoy. It was definitely made on the cheap (the commentary track said $3500) by an obviously small group of people. More people than I think usually work on low budget stuff, based on all the stuff I've seen, but a small group nonetheless.
Getting the negatives out of the way first, there's some pacing issues in a couple of parts. There's a few jokes that swing and miss. If you're looking for sick gore, this film (while being extremely bloody) doesn't get into too much of the gory chunky bits. Not all of the shots look great and professional. And some may not enjoy how simple the plot can be at times.
Although to me, that last part is great.
This film does an interesting take on the slasher genres for several reasons. One that I liked more than the others was the fact that, albeit one or two exposition scenes that describe the CONCEPT of the killer, we don't get to actually "meet" the killer. We don't know his motivations or why he's doing this. While some would be let down by this, wanting more explanation, I appreciate this angle. Because characters in the movie outright state the obvious point of it, "Who cares? He's outside with a machete!" The motivation and purpose doesn't matter, we really only know as much as the main characters (which isn't much). The script is about them, not the killer.
Which is the other thing I loved about this film. The script is sensational. These guys did a GREAT job writing what I think is a pretty interesting plot filled with really funny characters while turning slasher tropes upside down throughout (in ways I don't want to spoil). There's a lot of characters in this movie but I never felt over whelmed. Not only that but the movie never seemed like it was preaching to me about what characters to hate and which to love. All of the characters, as weird as some were, were all given a great amount of screen time and I was allowed to root for who I wanted to live.
Aside from the two pacing issues (one exposition scene and the 'party' starting a bit too late for me) the movie is a fast, fun roller-coaster of bloodshed. There are plenty of laughs, well written dialog, and plenty of blood. Whenever you feel too much time is passing, they throw in an extra kill out of nowhere. Which was confusing to me only at first until I realized the killer was literally wiping out everyone around the group of kids before getting to them.
This film is not horrific. It's fun and funny. While it does have a few serious dramatic moments, I feel these are heightened by the comedy. There's a real story underneath all the wackiness of a guy who loves eggs (a lot), a serial politician, and strange fetishes; dramatic moments in the midst of this shows why we care. I think a dramatic scene in the middle of comedy holds more ground than a "more dramatic" scene in a "drama." When everything is sad, how does one tell which moment is supposed to be the sad one? Here, you know when you're supposed to stop laughing and care (although the amount it affects people will vary, I know some people will be annoyed by leaving comedy completely even for a few moments).
Everyone Must Die! is a surprise treat I wasn't expecting. If you like low-budget indie stuff, I think this is a good example of what a tiny amount of money can accomplish with the right people working hard on it. I'd give this flick an 8/10, I had a great time with it.