WolfCop Review

WolfCop is available HERE

I love cult and horror, you know this. 800 plus reviews thus far has proved it. Well, last night while everyone in my house was asleep, I decided to slip in an action horror movie known simply as “Wolf Cop”. I had heard of this before, and I want to say that I saw it advertised at art theaters near me, but I never went to see it. This movie’s premise reminded me of an idea that I had about writing a novel with this notion of a half man, half wolf cop. Then again, maybe I dreamed this movie? I don’t know. Either way, “WolfCop” lives up to a lot of hype, even if the running time is way under the average movie. It’s only around 88 minutes total, but they do a lot more in this than many other horror movies. With that in mind, consider these thoughts on “WolfCop”.

The Transformation

The transformation in “WolfCop” is the most graphic I’ve seen. I say that because it starts with a penis shot transformation and it’s really graphic. In fact, I would not let a younger viewer watch this, it’s that graphic. It may be a few moments, but it’s enough to make you feel very uncomfortable. Heck, I had to look down to see if my junk was going to explode into a wolf penis. Other than that, the transformation is definitely great, fast, and it looked painful to boot. The practical effects and overall cinematography was great to watch, and I loved that aspect.

The story is a bit fast, convoluted, but I can dig it. A drunken cop gets thrown into a serious mess when a coven turns him into a werewolf. This all goes fast, but while he’s transforming, there’s someone close to him that is set to help him thwart off the danger of the coven, that just wants to drink his blood. Our anti-hero must defend himself and try to turn back to human before he is stuck as a wolf forever.

A Fast Paced Visual Feast

There’s enough cult movie references, and status to make “WolfCop” a good watch. It’s fast paced, doesn’t let up, and features a great deal of gore and practical effects. The story is simple, and the ending is quite enjoyable. I liked how it all panned out, and especially give credit to the director of photography for pulling out some great shots in this one. You really get a mix of grindhouse cinema and modern horror mixed with that 1980s cliché visual design palette.

Peter La Rocque’s visuals mixed with Mark Montague’s editing make this a great overall feature in my book. Lowell Dean writes and directs a classic in my book, with a great poster to boot. It’s definitely a quality horror movie that mixes action and 1980s cop influences. This is my third favorite werewolf movie of all time now, and that’s saying a lot. This is a classic folks.

Pick up “WolfCop” by clicking here, and see what all the hype is about.

Barrio Tales Review

Barrio Tales Is Available On DVD HERE

I never get screeners anymore. I did at one point, but these days, no one trusts me enough to send them. That happens, I guess. So whenever you see me review anything, I don’t get it for free like some other sites. Oh, and if I say anything bad about any film, unlike “Freddy in Space”, send it to the director or anyone involved. I’ll man up and stick to my guns about what I say. Unlike that site, and writer. I would like to say that if you are a man enough to write a negative review or opinion, you should be man enough to stand by it if someone else tweets the director. Otherwise, go to hell.

Now, let’s get into the movie “Barrio Tales”, a Latino version of the classic 3 story horror tropes. A couple of brothers directed this, Jarret and Brent Tarnol, and I was immediately drawn to it because the cover looked like a Cypress Hill cover. The movie’s tag line stated, “Terror, from south of the border”, so boom.

This is a trio of tales, like “VHS” and other movies, and it starts with a couple of young adults going to Mexico to score some drugs. When they get there, they end up meeting a Mexican guy that tells them to beware of where they are going, and what they are looking for. As the two question where the drugs are, the sage of sorts tells them 3 stories of Mexican horror, and each one has a different moral, pushing the limits of horror and generalization.

The stories go from cannibalism, witchcraft, and a monster myth. Each one is a short version of horror tropes that you already think about. From teens getting made into edible goods, to witches getting their revenge on a mean person, to the unkillable monster, each option has a Latino twist to the classic horror stories that you already know about. My favorite of the trio of stories is the opening one. A young maid gets drowned by some rich kids, only to end up having revenge taken upon them by witches that hear of the news of the death of the Latino maid. It’s a quick tale of how treating people badly, could result in reaping some serious consequences. This one really felt like “Scream Queens”, with a bit of humor and visual style overall, good stuff.

“Barrio Tales” is a fascinating movie that flows fast, and has some nice cinematography, and decent acting. At times it feels like “Scream Queens”, and at other times it feels like “Tales From The Crypt”. Either way, it’s a lot of fun, and definitely worth checking out overall. The gore was minimal, the horror elements were fine, and for an independent movie, it has some gusto. I’d give it an 8 out of 10, and definitely a rental. I definitely had fun.

You can pick up "Barrio Tales" on dvd by clicking here.

The Purge: Anarchy Review

Buy Purge Anarchy HERE

Look who is back to writing reviews about random horror tidbits. While I don’t have the time I used to have to write up a lot of different things in regards to horror, I still manage to catch a flick here and there. With that in mind, I went ahead and watched The Purge: Anarchy. This is perhaps one of the most talked about horror movies that I did not see when it came out. People were mixed upon the release, telling me that it either was ok or it was good. What you get here is a continuation of the original story, only this time, you are outside to see the mayhem.

The original Purge movie focused on a home invasion angle, not too unlike “The Collector” or “The Collection”. Those movies had some serious gusto, but it was the same idea that was mentioned in the Purge, with a few twists. Anyways, the marketing changed things up and you were given the notion of anarchy in the streets. This time, it was Downtown Los Angeles that was the framework starting point.

This movie mixes the notion of the original, with the concept of “Hostel”, and it works ok at first glance. But as the movie started to go through the motions, the viewer was introduced to something new, a new character that seemed very familiar. That character, as soon as I saw him, was none other than Frank Castle. That’s right, The Punisher! This movie, for all intents and purposes was nothing more than a Punisher movie to me. Even though the character did NOT have any affiliation with Marvel or the comic book world, that’s what you felt from the “Sergeant” that reuses people from mayhem.

As a horror movie, The Purge: Anarchy is not going to live up to the standards that most people have. If you’re used to slashers, gore, and monsters, this is not for you. This is more of a twisted tale, not too unlike what you’d expect from “The Outer Limits” or “The Twilight Zone”. Simple as that, this is an interesting movie with a lot of heart at times. It’s a frenetic, action movie, with horror movie marketing. So it’s not a horror movie straightway, but it does have horrific ideas.

I don’t recommend The Purge: Anarchy for horror fans. It’s not really that kind of movie. Yes, there are moments in time, but more than that, it’s a thriller or an action movie, as that’s really what you get. You get a lot of gunplay, running from foes, and random acts of evil, rather than that relentless scary element that makes this genre so interesting. It’s good, but not as great as the original, and definitely not going to win you over if you are expecting that home invasion tension that the first one had. It’s good, but not great, and well, it’s worth collecting if you love the first one, before the new one hits theaters later this year.

What do you think? If you liked it, let me know. I you hated it, let me know. If you didn't see it, then by all means pick it up on DVD by clicking here.

The Twilight Zone The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine Season 1 Episode 4 (1959) Review

Just when you thought I had thrown in the towel, I come up with a new review for you 2 readers left. This time around, I managed to watch an episode of The Twilight Zone from 1959, the first season. This one came to me right after watching Hot Tub Time Machine 2, which can be easily one of the worst sequels ever made. Regardless, this episode of the pivotal television showcase came out on October 23, 1959, and it starred Ida Lupino, Martin Balsam, Jerome Cowan, and Ted de Corsia.

Four Episodes Into The First Season 

“The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine” is the fourth episode in the first season of the series, and it hinges on what many Hollywood stars must go through. An aging actress is watching old movies of her performances, and wishes that she could go back to a place where she was wanted, adored, and the likes. As her days go on, she is in the darkness, drinking, and just doesn’t really go out. When an opportunity to star in a new movie comes about, she jumps at the chance, but recoils when they ask her to play someone more her, “age”. She goes home and is depressed. In her depression, she decides it’s better to go into the screen and live with the past. Well, in The Twilight Zone, anything is possible, and that’s what happens. Barbara Jean Trenton jumps into the screen, and that’s where she stays forever.

Do Actors Wish For This? 

This television showcase is an interesting one. It reminds me a lot of what many older people go through. I met a lot of aging rock stars in my day, and a lot of them act the way Trenton acts. They want that old glory, but they don’t want to admit they are old. The same goes for action sports. A lot of professional skateboarders are dealing with issues of this type. It’s a sad state, but it’s a true state. It got me thinking. What about me? Will I be there? I’m already there, who am I kidding. I used to own a record label. I used to have a huge record collection. I had a lot going for me, and now, I’m battling anxiety and depression on a regular basis, without any health insurance. The struggles of a writer are real.

Oh, the episode! My bad. Overall, this is an interesting episode. It features that nostalgia of past experience, mixed with the present realities. What if you could escape? That’s the premise. Would you live in your greatness and that’s it? I don’t know. The escapism attached to former glory is incredible, even if you only tasted it for a second. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get a second chance at being a record label owner. Then again, I’m a writer. I can dream up a lot of things for myself. But as far as this episode, it’s a good one. It has good acting, clever pacing, and that classic twist you’d expect from Serling and company.

Ida Lupino Is Quite The Actress

Is it my favorite thus far? No. It’s only 4 episodes into the first season. I do like the camera work, scripting, and acting. At one point Ida Lupino behaves drunk, but ever so slightly. You’ll have to watch how she plays it in the agent’s office. There’s a subtly to her movements and it’s stellar acting. Ida Lupino died in 1995, but man did she have a beautiful face in 1959. Such a good actress, and famous too. Anyways, this is a good episode, and I enjoyed it. You may like it too.

Order the complete Twilight Zone on Blu Ray by clicking here, please.

Interstellar Review

I didn’t want to watch Interstellar when it first came out. I thought it would be boring. So I didn’t watch it until it finally came out to streaming. After seeing it, I can definitely say it is one of my favorite science fiction movies. If I had a top 3 for last year, I would say that Ex Machina, Elysium, and Interstellar as my favorites from the past year. Whatever the case may be, this is a movie that deserves your time, even if some may say that it’s too long. Interstellar is one hell of a movie.

The movie has a complex premise. The world, in the future, is getting dusty and farmers are going to have a difficult time feeding the world. NASA needs to send astronauts to other worlds to get data to inhabit another earth, or humanity is doomed. Meanwhile there’s an issue going on at a former pilot’s house. A smart daughter, a dumb son, and their future seems to be pushing forward through life, setting up something grand for the future. Now, there’s a subplot here involving a ghost, and the first lines of the film give away that, but most don’t realize what is going on, so they keep going. The movie then pushes forward with our astronauts heading to a new planet to see what is going on.

In the course of over 3 hours, we meet our astronauts, NASA, and much more. There are surprising elements, including a villain that is cryogenic freeze. A fist fight on another planet, and an incredible tidal wave that looks like a building. Science is explained often, and there’s even a video about all the science issues that are described in the movie done by Cinemasins.

You can purchase Interstellar on Blu Ray Here (amazon).

Interstellar is a long movie. It’s a long epic film that nods at Stanley Kubrick’s vision from the past, but gives you something new. There’s a lot of heady material here. It’s perhaps the most science heavy movie that I’ve seen, and really enjoyed the way the movie comes through. The larger picture is a lot more villainous than meets the eye, and it’s done in such an interesting manner. Christopher Nolan pushes the limits here, once again giving you a visual feast. The movie is spotless in a lot of ways, and deserves to be seen in a large format. Imax would’ve been absolutely splendid.

The movie is hard to watch if you’re tired. It’s not action packed. There are no explosions for the sake of it, there’s nothing that you would find in a Michael Bay film. There’s a lot of layers to this movie. From science, cinematography, art, and acting. Even though there are minor gripes, the majority of the movie’s focus on love, loss, distance, time, science, time travel, and visual design is epic in scope. It’s for this reason why we go to the movies. I was more compelled by Interstellar than ANY Star Wars film ever made. There’s a reason why this movie lost so many, and it’s an intelligence factor that wins me over.

There’s fear in this movie, a real fear. You’re going to sense it as you get into the isolation that the astronauts are in. The performances are done well, including the future, past, and present. I am once again completely flabbergasted by Matthew McConaughey’s performance. Anne Hathaway is good, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Matt Damon put on a showcase. There are some other great performances here, but this movie really does great to showcase the power of acting, and cinema as a whole.

Interstellar is a heady film. It’s on the same par as Primer and Timecrimes. Two of my personal favorite movies. You have to check this one out. It’s a beautiful movie. It’s available right now on Blu RAY and quite a hefty movie. It is more than just a science fiction movie, and you’ll see it when you decide to settle in for the moody dialogue and more.

Check out Cinemasins below to see spoilers, and science notes about the movie.

Video: Did Disney Kill Star Wars - Yep, Selling Out Your Childhood

Disney Kills Star Wars Franchise? - Some Say So!

I am wide awake, and found this clip from Alex Jones. Now, regardless about how you feel about Alex Jones and his politics, you should check out this spoiler filled expansive review about the latest Star Wars.

I already said that the new Star Wars Sucks. But here is a great analysis of Star Wars, and how stupid it truly is. This whole movie was made to sell you merch and take your money.

"I don't mind marketing, but put good art out and make money, don't just make art to sell things."

They Live Skateboard Decks From Baker Skateboards - Out Now!

Ever see the movie "They Live"? of course you have! Well, every now and again I see skateboards put out in tribute of horror movies. This is one of them. Baker Skateboards just put out a series of skateboards in tribute of the movie "They Live" and they are featured below. They feature the same style of serious elements that you saw on screen when Roddy Piper would put on those special glasses.

If you're interested in purchasing these skateboards, you can do so by going to Amazon by Clicking Here. You will receive free shipping. I think these are worth putting up on a wall, personally.

Baker Skateboards Obey Series - Order Here

Baker Skateboards Obey Series - Order Here

Baker Skateboards Obey Series - Order Here

Baker Skateboards Obey Series - Order Here