The Fly II Review

The original Fly movies are interesting, and were science fiction classics. Then a release in 1986 came out, and it blew away the critics and those that watched it. Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis really did a great job in that movie, and it truly was an interesting science film. It was grotesque as much as it was dramatic and it really did a great job in positioning the question of man playing god. Now, if you loved that film, you’re going to be sour when you really look at what “The Fly II” has to offer, and that’s the best I can say about the movie at first.

The plot is simple enough, we are treated to several months after the original movie, and we see the birth of a new fly, but this time around a baby is born through the sack that comes out of the woman, that’s supposed to be Geena Davis, but isn’t. There is a growing sequence and stops where we learn more about the child, and the child is doing well and rapidly aging working through various tests and different things to see if he’s normal, which of course we all know he isn’t.

Now, the story isn’t too bad, it’s slow and definitely lacks the depths of the original, but you have to accept that as a sequel. The filmmakers assume that you’ve already seen the original, so they aren’t going to do much to keep that balance, I think. There’s a great deal of gore in this one, and they try to make it a bit more grotesque than David Cronenber’s version, which is quite good overall. The effects and gore really make this one a worthwhile sequel if you ask me, but aside from that, the movie derails with some outlandish story telling. You’re going to either love or hate “The Fly II” as it really doesn’t do much to continue the saga, as much as it tries to position itself as something different, but can’t seem to really get going. I did appreciate the effects though, and I’d watch it again just for that, because it has some cool moments, but overall, it’s a slow moving horror movie that tries to be better than the original, but can’t hold a candle. It’s just not the same. I’d go with the original more than this one, but as a collector, I have to recommend this one as well. 

Slumber Party Massacre 2 Review

Once again, I’m drawn to a movie with the poster in mind. I reviewed the original Slumber Party Massacre before, and I finally sit down to watch the sequel. The poster features a greaser with a drill guitar and it’s the ultimate weapon in slasher films if you ask me. The movie follows the events of the first, and you even get a little bit of a flash back to start things. We move forward with the final girl from the past, and we are moving forward to a new day, putting the past behind us. 

The plot of the movie seems simple enough, a group of teenagers have a sleepover, and are stalked by a greaser with a killer guitar, no pun intended. The movie is a slice from the 1980s and it shows, with musical queues that are very specific, and of course the wardrobe that screams the date out a bit. In a way you will have to put yourself back into the past, and watch this as someone who’s not living in modern times, but rather in the 1980s or 90s, as there are moments that throw you back into the era. 

The majority of the plot comes through with simplicity, pacing being fast, and going through the motions of setting up the rest of the film. Courtney, our main hero, starts having bad dreams and the killer shows up without much of a forewarning. As with many sequels, the killer shows up and terrorizes the group without much of a backstory, considering the first movie already did that. That way the slasher runs through and starts to cause a shake up for the teens. Of course cliches abound, including those that are having sex and get killed, and of course a wrench is thrown into things with the third act, as well as the final act. I won’t spoil the movie, but suffice to say there is a psychological twist to the movie that definitely makes me mad as a reviewer. Long time readers will know what I mean when they get to the end, knowing how much I loath certain aspects of horror. 

There is some insane rockabilly moments, including a song and dance that you're going to laugh at. There's a mix of horror, gore, comedy, and more, and honestly, I can appreciate that overall. The movie takes a few weird turns, and you can't take it too seriously. 

Visually the movie isn’t going to win any awards, it is straightforward, with some blood splatter here and there. It’s definitely a slasher flick, so you don’t have to worry about it being tame in that regard. It follows the original film trope with slashing, the guitar, and the evil greaser. It’s a fun movie that really doesn’t cause you think too much and honestly, what do you expect from a late 1980s slasher? I found it to be good, and definitely worth checking out as part of the series. The poster, however, is what really sold it for me, and will probably sell it for you too. It’s within that poster framework that makes this movie interesting for me, as I’m a sucker for a good poster. Check out “Slumber Party Massacre 2” on dvd while you can. 

The Loved Ones Review

A good revenge flick needs a hook. “The Loved Ones” did not have that initial hook, but it certainly carried itself away in the revenge horror category, albeit with a twist. The plot of the movie is simple, and ramps up heavy with gore, and more. The story simply puts you in a “what if” world, that is kind of scary to say the least, and then drives the point home. 

The plot of the film features a simple premise. A young woman asks a young man to the dance, and he declines. She gets mad, and instead of just blowing it off, she decides to seek out revenge by kidnapping him and forcing him into a somewhat deadly twist of events. 

This is an Australian horror movie, and it is fast paced. It starts swift, and continues to throw you through the revenge plot and fight to get out. You don’t have a lot of time to breathe, especially once our main hero is trapped and being held against his will. By the time you get through the first two acts, you are treated with a twist that definitely didn’t get broadcasted at first. I won’t reveal it, but it’s definitely something that I liked and thought was clever to say the least. 

The movie is shot well, it has some good overall direction, acting, and hits all the right buttons for a horror movie. The drawback may be the accents for some, but other than that, you’ll find that there are some cliché moments overall. “The Loved Ones” brings about a good sense of dread, revenge plot, and even feels like a grindhouse picture at times. You root for the hero, you jeer the villain, and you hope for the best, until you get more dread than you bargained for overall. In the end, this is a horror flick you want to check out, and possibly add it to your collection. 

Press Release: BREAKING GLASS SET TO RELEASE GONZALO CALZADA'S DOUBLE BILL "NOCTURNA" THIS JANUARY

"So emotionally charged that it's hard to control the tears from a very early point" 

- Martin Unsworth, 'Nocturna': Frightfest 2021 Review (STARBURST)

"Falling somewhere between Michael Haneke's Amour (2012) and Florian Zeller's The Father (2020)" 

- Anton Bitel, Ten picks from FrightFest 2021 (SIGHT AND SOUND)

"Few horror thrillers have struck an emotional chord like Nocturna has" 

- Andrew Mack, 'Nocturna': Fantaspoa Review (SCREEN ANARCHY)

Breaking Glass Pictures is set to release Argentine writer-director Gonzalo Calzada's (Resurrection, Lucifernia) double bill Nocturna: Side A - The Great Old Man's Night and Nocturna: Side B - Where the Elephants Go to Die on DVD and Digital on January 18.

“Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night” follows a nearly 100-year-old man who, on his final night on earth, fights for redemption from his life’s misdeeds. In “Nocturna: Side B – Where Elephants Go to Die,” Calzada embarks on an aesthetically opposite experimental twist of the same story. 

Nocturna: Side A garnered the Best Actor and Best Actress awards at Brazil’s Fantaspoa 2021, screened at FrightFest Film Festival as well as in the midnight section of the 24th Shanghai Film Festival, and in competition for Best Ibero-American feature at the 20th Macabro Film Festival where it won Best Feature. The film premiered at Screamfest Film Festival 2021, where it won multiple awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor & Best Editing.

"Nocturna" is headlined by Argentine actor and playwright Pepe Soriano, a 50-year industry veteran, three-time Argentine Critics Association Award-winner, Spanish Academy Goya Award nominee for his role as Franco's double in "Wait for Me in Heaven," and Valladolid best actor winner for his work in "El ultimo tren." 

Marilu Marini, a star of French genre films from the '70s and '80s, plays opposite Soriano in a continuation of her career renaissance which includes 2017's "Los Que Aman Odian," Argentina's 2020 Oscar submission "The Sleepwalkers" and Netflix's French series "Vampires." 

Nocturna: Side A - The Great Old Man's Night and Nocturna: Side B - Where the Elephants Go to Die will be released January 18 on iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu, Vimeo, DirecTv, local cable & satellite providers, and on DVD.