Reviews

I found Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys to be an enjoyable film. The first reason I liked it was the fact this was an all original film, in the sense that it didn't use repeat scenes from past films. Curse of the Puppet Master, Puppet Master: The Legacy, and Dollman vs Demonic Toys all suffer heavily from showing a barrage of repeat scenes from past Full Moon films. PMvsDT is fresh from start to end, which was great to see. While it does add a new continuity to both series, it does touch upon the old films, perhaps more to the side of PM then DT though. It does pay homage and makes a mention of the events in PM3, and the new background information on the history of the puppets could have a possible connection to Retro Puppet Master.

PMvsDT had one thing I thought the several of the last PM films had been missing. It had humor and it was fun to watch, really fun. Besides Baby Oopsie's cracks, limited swearing, and one liners, Corey Feldman's Robert Toulon had some goofy and humorous moments. The way he portrayed the character of Robert Toulon gave us a new kind of Puppet Master. He did have a touch of that vengeance within him, like Andre Toulon wanted to avenge the loss of his wife and friends, ready to go whatever it took to get his daughter back. Robert had that fun energy inside of him like Rick Myers, the Puppet Master of PM 4 and 5 had. Robert Toulon added a new element to being a Puppet Master, being a family guy, having his daughter Alex to care for.

Many PM fans were disappointed by the fact that not every Toulon puppet returned for this film, only four, Blade, Six-Shooter, Pinhead, and Jester are in this film. One report I heard was that Sci-Fi Channel just wanted these four in the film, the reasons for that not currently known. While it would have been great to see everyone of them, people have to realize that these films are on limited budgets, they do all that they can with what they have available and possible. Besides, by only having four puppets, you can focus on them more. In Retro Puppet Master, there were six puppets, but three of the six didn't contribute much to the film. Retro Tunneler didn't do anything other than make appearances, Cyclops did the same as Retro Tunneler except playing a part in connecting past/present, and Retro Six Shooter only had one scene of glory. In Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys, all four puppets play a important part, both when they are in regular form and Cyber form. They all get their shining moments. I thought Blade, Six-Shooter, Pinhead, and Jester all looked well, both in regular and cyber forms. They were all a tad different than past films, different sculpts were used, but I liked the look because it stayed mostly true to how they looked before.

As for the Demonic Toys, they are only three, and once again, I think this is because of Sci-Fi's request. All three have been altered in looks, looking much less frightening than in the previous two DT films. However, at the plot of this film, they are toys called Christmas Pals, which are being sold around the world to millions of kids. At the start of the film, they show a television ad for Christmas Pals, where Baby Oopsie Daisy and Teddy Bear are shown being all cute and loved by children. Now, if they had looked like how they did in the original two films, I think sales would have been quite low. Part of being demonic is trickery, fooling people, so Erica Sharpe is fooling millions with her Demonic Toys, which if the plan hatched by her and the evil Demon Ba'al works, millions of Demonic Toys will rise Christmas morning, spreading chaos across the world. That would've been something to see.

All in all, I really enjoyed this film, I plan to purchase it on DVD when it comes out, and I hope a sequel is made.

I have been waiting for Tremors The Series for some time and now that I just watched the first two episode, I feel pretty excited about what the future will bring. The first episode "Feeding Frenzy" was well done, a good introduction to the series, with Burt Grummer back once again! I was really impressed with the CGI effects done when El Blanco made his full debut. They has a side camera shot of the Graboid which was very impressive, even better than what I have seen in the films. The special effects were great but limited. It would have been great to see more but maybe this is a taste for things to come.

The cast of the show was all around good, even though some of the film actors could not come back and have been replaced. The best however was the excellent addition of Christopher Lloyd in the second episode! He was great, playing a never before known character in Perfection Valley, a hermit who has many mysteries but much knowledge when it comes to science. He seemed to fit right in perfectly with the show, can't wait to see more of him.

I will say that the first episode was better than the second, since the second focused on a 'ghost' creature and not a Graboid creature. However, the episode served a purpose for the future so I can understand why it works. You'll have to watch it and see.

Overall, I enjoyed the show and want to see more. It might not be quite like the movies, but it has a great quality about it. Hopefully, some of the techniques used in the series will be applied to the next film. If you like the films, I'm sure you'll enjoy the series!

Halloween: Resurrection is a decent film and better than H20, but I think many people agree that these present day horror films don't compare to the originals back in the 1980's and early 1990's. This film was pretty predictable since it flows the standard rules of the horror film genre. Since Rick Rosenthal directed this one, it felt very similar to watching Halloween II. There are only a few moments where the film is scary, not because of Michael Myers but because of Busta Rhymes! What a mistake it was to have him in the film. He is a fine rapper and actor in some other films but he was terrible in this film. The Kung Fu stuff he did was pretty cheesy, it laughed pretty hard and had to rewind the move a couple times to laugh at it. If I want real Kung Fu action, I'll watch, Bruce Lee or Jet Li. The important point is this; when Busta Rhymes is scarier than Michael Myers, it is time to end the franchise! I really miss Donald Pleasance, he was awesome, and he did a much better job of being Michael's foil than Busta. There should be an ending when Donald rises out of his grave and pulls Busta underground, akin to Freddy's claws dragging Jason's mask underground in The Final Friday.

As for Michael Myers himself, his look in this film is the worst of all the films. The mask seems to get worse with every movie. However, he made up for his look with some good scenes, like the scene with the mental clown man in the hospital, the scenes with Jamie Lee Curtis, and his running around the house. I think he himself was in disbelief of Busta's acting because sometimes I swear his face mask transformed and made the "What the heck?" facial expression. The killing were done nicely, a fair amount of blood, but some more would have been better. As for the other players, Bianca Kajlich did a good job with the lead role. She's sexy yet innocent, reminding me of Jamie Lee Curtis in the first two Halloween films. I could watch this film just for her and the other female leads aren't too bad either. It was nice having Jamie Lee Curtis again although I will admit, I do not like how H20 started a whole new direction, skipping Halloween 4-6. Personally, I'm glad they finally got rid of her, but you never know, they could always bring her back somehow. As for Tyra Banks, all she really did was shake her bum for the camera like she did in Coyote Ugly, which takes a ton on talent. Other than that, she didn't add anything to the film.

Like I said, this is a decent film, it could be better and it could be worse. I recommend watching the first six Halloween films, much more enjoyable, and most of them have Donald Pleasance! As for the future, I don't know where they can go with this series now, so maybe this will be the last one. However, with the horror genre, we never really know. I wouldn't mind seeing Michael Myers again though because he is a legend of horror, he just needs a better story to work with than the last two entries. On a final note, the music was great. I love that classic Halloween theme! Can't get enough of it!

The first time I tried to watch this movie, my girlfriend fell asleep in the first twenty minutes. The second time I tried to watch this film, we both fell asleep about an hour into it. Now, since we both get the average eight hours of sleep a day, I can concur that this film is depressingly boring. There is nothing exciting or interesting that happens in this film. The trailer made it seem like it was an upbeat movie but the film couldn't keep my interest. The actors all seemed to be bored with their roles, except for Alan Arkin, who was the only good element to the film with his Grumpy Gus type character.

I enjoy movies that are thought provoking but they require action and good lines which get my mind going. All the quotes on happiness during the film we have all heard before. This film lacks originality because everything that happened in it we have seen happen in so many films before. I am really glad I did not see this film in the theater and I am really sorry I paid money to rent it. While I love independent films, I love them when they excite my senses, not dull them into collapse.

Hellraiser: Hellseeker restored my faith in the Hellraiser series. By having a connection to the first two Hellraiser films, it gave some strength and purpose to the film. Bringing Kirsty back was a great move and I must admit, she is quite sexy now. Having Dean Winters as the lead also made me smile because I enjoy his role in Oz. Both of them do well in the film.

Of course, having Doug Bradley as Pinhead is the real treat and I am glad he is still around to do the role instead of having some other actor try to fill his shoes. I enjoy the fact that Pinhead is the creator of these different Hells and he wields all the power. We only see Pinhead around the same amount of time as we did in Inferno, but instead of a cameo, he has a central purpose. Watching him interact with Kirsty brings back fond memories from the first films and I thought this present day adaptation was in good homage to the original. It was good seeing a number of Cenobites in this films as well, although I miss the original bunch.

I recommend checking this one out. It might be similar to Inferno but it is done better, where the past connects to the present.

For Tremors 3: Back To Perfection, the best elements from the first two films were put together to make this film, which makes for a good time. Michael Gross, who plays Burt, is hilarious, having the lead role as he takes the fight to the Graboids once again. It was good to see him back, along with some of the supporting cast from the first film. The new additions to the town of Perfection, such as Jodi Chang and Jack Sawyer, really didn't do it for me though. They had a couple decent moments but other than that, I found them to be a tad annoying. There is also a small group of U.S. Government goons, who try too hard to be X-Files in appearance, but also do nothing to advance the plot.

The creatures are great, especially the newest additions. I won't reveal the latest evolution of the Graboids but they're interesting, developed well with CGI technology. We also see "El Blanco", who is albino, the "Moby Dick" of the Graboid universe, and there is a "Moby Dick" reference which made me laugh. In a way, other than "Stumpy" in the first Tremors movie, we have a creature with personality.

Well, great film overall, can't wait for the next one, hope to see more "El Blanco" next time. This film is recommended to the Tremors fans and anyone who enjoys good, clean sci-fi action.

Arachnid is a pretty good movie which follows the similar sci-fi mutated monster style of film in the tradition of Critters, Anaconda, etc. We have a group of humans who are trying to survive against a species of alien spider, which is done up by better than average special effects. The group of humans are interesting, consisting of a female pilot, a spider researcher, two medical people, some soldiers, and some island natives. It's like Survivor with spiders! Much of the film consists of build up, with a bit of gore dropped in every so often. Unless you are terrified of spiders, this film won't scare you at all.

I can't say enough of things about Alex Reid, who plays Mercer, the lead female heroine. She is incredibly attractive and sexy. Most of the film she is dressed a la Tomb Raider style, if not less. I believe this is the only film she has done so far but hopefully, we can see more in the future. Forget the spiders, watch the film for her!

I recommend this film not only for Alex Reid but because the special effects are decent, and it always fun to see who will survive against the monster.

I wasn't very impressed with The Business of Strangers. It was far from perfection. This film seemed like it would be better suited as a short film on late night cable. It was not worth the four dollars I paid to rent it and I am glad I did not pay eight dollars to see it at the theater.

The only positive things I can say about this film is that it has occasional humor, such as the humorous dialogue between Julia Stiles and Stockard Channing in the elevator, as they are surrounded by a bunch of men. Another humorous element is how the director tries to make Stockard Channing appear sexy, especially next to the young, attractive Julia Stiles, but Channing isn't sexy at all.

As for the negative elements, the music tries to be the musical score from American Beauty but fails miserably. The story is pretty flat and very predictable. It ends quite quickly as well, which is a relief, but at the same time, leaves many things unanswered.

While I am a big fan of independent films, The Business of Strangers is one to be avoided. It seems like very little work went into it and very little came out of it.

One out of five stars!

This film had the potential to be something wonderful but instead, it is a pretty horrible film. The only real positive thing I should mention about it is the interesting idea it uses of having four screens and shooting scenes in constant timing. If you are looking for a new approach to how films are made, this film is remotely worthwhile.

However, if you are looking for a film to enjoy, bypass this one at the movie store. First of all, the title of the film has little to nothing to do with the film. I certainly didn't see any 'code' and it was a waste of 'time' to watch it. Next, the constant earthquake effect is annoying and adds nothing to the film. It is clear that the cameraman is merely shaking the camera and everyone is reacting. When the so-called earthquake is over, everything goes back to normal like nothing every happened. It is ridiculous. The story, which sounds interesting because we have lesbian lovers and the Hollywood lifestyle, is very boring. Most of the characters are highly annoying and did nothing for the plot. Most of the time, the actors talk so softly, you can't even hear them unless you pump your television volume to the max. The music is horrific, especially the idea where they mix rap with opera singing, just terrible. The ending comes out of nowhere and doesn't make much sense but I was just glad that the movie was over.

Like I said, avoid renting or buying this one, you will be doing yourself a huge favor. I give this film a complete zero. I am very sorry I watched it.

I just saw this film in the theater last night and I thought it was excellent. I mainly wanted to see it in case the censors decided to edit the film down because of it's content, like they did with Original Sin and Monster's Ball. The story of the film is interesting and the ending is superb. The humor in this film is done in a tasteful manner.

Some people complained that there was too much male nudity in the film but I felt it had a good blend, it was equal and just. The sex scenes were realistic, some showcasing the humorous side of sex, the innocence, and the steaminess. They are also critical to the story so if the movie was edited down, it would not make any sense.

I also learned a lot more about Mexican culture through this film. The narrator explained everything in wonderful detail so when you finish watching the film, everything make complete sense. The imagery of Mexico is quite beautiful, which is another reason to watch and enjoy the film. As the three adventurers take their journey, you feel like you are right there in the car with them.

I truly enjoyed this film and hope others will get the chance to see it in the theater as well.