WRATH OF THE TITANS

WRATH OF THE TITANS (2012)
US
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman

CAST:
Sam Worthington - Perseus
Liam Neeson - Zeus
Ralph Fiennes - Hades

PLOT:
     Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades who are working with Zeus' father.

REVIEW:
     When Clash Of The Titans was remade, I was kinda excited to see it. Needless to say the disappointment was there at the end of the movie. It had a great set-up, yet lousy follow through with some interesting set pieces thrown in. To bad Mads Mikkelsen's character Draco didn't survive to be in this one as he was one of the few things good with the remake. The 3D in that one also didn't help the movie. Well two years later the sequel to the remake is out and here I go with the review for it. I have to say first that I love Greek mythology and the family dysfunction and constant in-fighting trying to top one another and the complete disregard for the people that pray to them as it is ripe to be plundered for film and story, yet it seems as if no one really knows how to do it truly right.

     Sam Worthington isn't going to win any Oscars anytime soon, but I can say he knows what he's good at playing. As Steven Seagal and Arnold Schwarzenegger were action icons in the 80's, Worthington can easily be considered one for this new generation of film goers. I will say that he has improved since the remake, and can actually show some real emotions in this one unlike the previous one. Liam Neeson reprises his role as Zeus from Clash Of The Titans as does Ralph Fiennes as Hades. I really like both actors as they know how to act, sadly in this most of the time I really felt like they were going through the emotions rather than really trying. Thankfully toward the end of the movie when they could in character go out and have fun their expressions show that they are finally having fun for a change, even at the end after everything is done and each one has their final words. And it seems like in each movie one actor steals the movie. In Clash it was Mads, as I mentioned before, and in this one it is Bill Nighy as the god Hephaestus, the creator of the Tartarus and the labyrinth that protects it. Nighy is just fun as he knows his role isn't the biggest in the movie, yet to me he just comes in and sweeps all the other actors to the side as all attention is on him as he chews the scenery around him, even with Bubo in the scene. Which I got a good laugh out of by the way, and also the fact the filmmakers put this nod in to the original Clash.

     One of the things most people complained about the remake of Clash for was the use of post-conversion 3D they used. Thankfully that problem is fixed in Wrath, although it's not the best use of the technology I've seen. Some scenes are really well done in 3D, such as when we see Cronos move his arms and pieces fly from them as well as lava flowing off. I will say that the 3D did piss me off at one point. That scene took place in Perseus' village when it is attacked by a hell hound, which is a dog like being with two heads and a snake like head as a tail that can can hiss and bite. Now that I set up the creature, the scene is it was running ramshod through the village killing people and destroying humble abodes as it goes. Once Perseus has the creature somewhat contained the tail comes into play. Now that part didn't piss me off, what did is when the full screen all of a sudden went to a widescreen format. You know the type. Black bars on the top and bottom. And then the snake tail tries to bite Perseus and we're giving a view of the snake-tail lunging forward. Which in turn is set to go out of the viewable picture frame, and guess what, the damn snakey thing is shown over the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Great way to take a person out of a film by doing that as you ruin what your eyes were used to seeing. What's even worse is that right after that the screen goes back to full screen. I was not a happy camper due to that. Film is supposed to suck you in and make you forget you're in a theater, not make you remember that after only fifteen minutes in.

     Director Jonathan Liebesman did both good and bad in this film. The good is that he knows how to pace a movie to keep things moving, sometimes at a breakneck pace as the story is always moving toward a goal. Speaking of story, this movie has a major father issues as that is the key to the whole story. From Kronos coming for his son Zeus, to Zeus giving all to save his son Perseus, everything revolves around family and fighting for them. Now the bad Liebesman did in the movie. He mistakes a moving camera, shaking and up close for dynamic footage, which in return makes the action skewed and hard to follow at times. The perfect example of this is the minotaur fight. The action is hidden for most of the fight and the only steady shot during the whole confrontation is close ups of the beast and close ups of Perseus. I will say the special effect are actually very well done throughout when you can see them for an extended period of time. One thing the story could have done better though is include more of the children of the gods, as for this film not only do we get Perseus, but we also get Toby Kebbell who plays Poseidon's son Agenor, which actually helped the story. And they even eluded to Rosemund Pike's Queen Andromeda being a demi-god as well. Yet the story turned sour with the end as it felt like the writers didn't know what to do, so they put a whole bunch of cheering which just felt forced and tacked on. I will say that Wrath Of The Titans is much better than the Clash remake, yet no where near what it could have been with the rich mythology to pick and choose from.

BEST DEATH:
      Kronos wiping out an entire city with the wave of his arm.

BEST LINE:
     I am great.

FUN FACTS:
     Javier Bardem was considered for the role of Ares, though role went to Edgar Ramirez in the end.

     Director Jonathan Liebesman's last movie he directed was Battle: Los Angeles.

     Sam Worthington, who was a finalist to play James Bond before Daniel Craig was cast, has blurred vision.

THE DEVIL'S ROCK

THE DEVIL'S ROCK (2011)
NZ
Directed by Paul Campion

CAST:
Craig Hall - Captain Ben Grogan
Matthew Sunderland - Col. Klaus Meyer
Gina Varela - Helena

PLOT:
     Set in the Channel Islands on the eve of D Day,two Kiwi commandos, sent to destroy German gun emplacements to distract Hitler's forces away from Normandy, discover a Nazi occult plot to unleash demonic forces to win the war.

REVIEW:
     I like WWII movies a lot, but not a lot of them though. I don't really know why, I just do. Actually, I should put it as war movies instead of WWII movies. It could be because of the action involved in the movies, yet I think it's more due to the drama involved. In general the best film I've seen dealing with WWII was actually a HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers. If you haven't watched yet, you should go and try to find it. I promise you will not be disappointed with it. Yet it's when you add the added bonus of horror to the mix you have the potential for some really fun horror. In both the aspect of story and visual.

      One of the best parts in this movie is the actors. The cast is small so you actually get to know the characters, more so than in other films with bigger casts. Craig Hall, who plays Captain Ben Grogan, does well as a commando who still cannot get over the loss of his wife and is his driving factor of what he does in the movie. Matthew Sunderland, who plays the antagonist Col. Klaus Meyer, though is the true star of the film as he always has thinking ahead as his character, who was the lead in a occult experiment for the Nazi SS. Meyer knows how to use emotions to his advantage here and uses them he does in his tense battle of wits he play with Hall's character Grogan who uses morals to determine his actions. The last of the main characters is Gina Varela who plays dual roles as Grogan's dead wife Helena as well as the demoness in the film. Varela has to play coy and modest when we are first introduced to her character until we find out what she really is in the movie. After that the Helena demon takes over trying to seduce Grogan with love and power. Varela does an excellent job once the veil of humanity is lifted from her character.

     The story for The Devil's Rock even though it seems straight forward has quite a bit of meat to it. What most younger people don't understand is that during WWII, the Nazi party controlled by Hitler had multiple divisions within it. The SS was one of the groups, but within that branch were multiple other ones including the Ahnenerbe SS branch dedicated to the search and retrieval of occult items and mysticism. One of the lines in the film has the Helena demon talking about artifacts the Nazi's were after. One was the Spear Of Longinus, which supposedly in reality was taken by them and brought to Austria. Also in the same line was a reference to the classic film Raider's Of The Lost Ark. Another stand out aspect of the story is the battle of wits being played out between Col. Meyer and Captain Grogan. Even though it doesn't seem like they are, they are in fact trying to think ahead of one another. From Grogan switching papers in Meyer's necklace to Meyer having Grogan help him set up his own death trap, it's a battle of wills being played out in a minimalistic level where it's not about big ideas but little moves in a deadly game of chess.

     Director Paul Campion, who got his start at Weta Workshop and then moved on to directing. His past with special effects work comes into play in the film as he knows how to set up the shots when there are make-up effects being used and to get the right light on them to make them look the best and not fake. Campion as well knows how to tell a story as he also helped write the screen play. He knows that this film relies on seriousness from the actors in telling of the story as the two main actors are playing a very deadly game while playing off of each other. I should also mention the sound design in the film as once the action heads into the German bunker there's a sound design at work to put the viewer at unease. Even in scenes where there is no music there is still background noises that almost sound like voices all around adding a air of anxiety and restiveness.  The effects work is top notch as well with the effects work of Weta in full bloody, messy, and very gory display which is something you would expect from them. In the end The Devil's Rock suprised me by how well it handled itself and was a very interesting watch that had no humor to it what so ever and was a very serious film, but one that I wish would have come to theaters instead of some the other supposed horror movies as this one is very suspenseful and filled with dark atmosphere.
     
BEST DEATH:
     Col. Meyer's pre-masticating severe head trauma. 

BEST LINE:
     Their leader has long been searching for so called wonder weapons, magical items with which he will kill your people in multitudes. He already holds the Holy Lance, he had within his grasp the Ark of the Covenant, he tried to awaken the Great Old Ones, and now he has within his reach the power to summon Lucifer himself!

FUN FACTS:
     The design of the German bunker is based on the real WW2 German bunker MP4, a Range Finding and Observation Tower which still exists in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands.

     The tunnels and gun pit scenes were filmed at Wrights Hill Fortress in Wellington, a real semi-restored WW2 bunker.

     The occult black magic ritual at the climax of the film was filmed on Friday the 13th.

FAMILIAR

FAMILIAR (2011)
CA
Directed by Richard Powell

CAST:
Robert Nolan - John Dodd
Astrida Auza - Charlotte Dodd
Cathryn Hostick - Jordan Dodd

PLOT:
     Through a series of tragic events, a middle aged man grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind may not be his own.

REVIEW:
      I know I mentioned that I really like when directors or producers get in touch with me about their work. In fact, I'll probably keep on loving it actually. The reason why is that it means that I'm doing something right (to me at least). Another reason why I think I'm doing something right with this is that most feedback I get from those same producers and directors say I'm usually fair and don't try to pander to them, but actually give a review that isn't afraid to pick out a problem. Yes, I can be rough sometimes. Even mean if the film is really bad. That's the thing though, when people send out their work for review, they want an honest opinion because it helps them find their weak points and in turn that makes them work on fixing problems.

     Even though the film has three actors in it, it really only has one in all respect. Yes, Astrida Auza does a good job as Charlotte Dodd, as a wife and mother. As well does Cathryn Hostick as Jordan Dodd, the daughter who could care less about her family. Both play their roles competently though both of the characters are used more as plot devices more than anything. The one thing Familiar lets the viewer know is that John Dodd, played by Robert Nolan, is the main character. Most of the conversations between the family members are sporadic and minimal at best. There's nothing wrong with this as there is plenty of conversation in the short. Actually, all the main conversation takes place between John Dodd and himself. Robert Nolan, who plays John Dodd does an outstanding job making sure you know who is talking during these moments of communication between himself and, well, himself. While the real John is talking there's a twinge of sadness to his lines and a resignation. Yet when the hidden John Dodd talks, Nolan adds venom to every word and a sense of depravity to the thoughts spoken though left unsaid. Nolan voicing makes it easy to understand who is talking and the seductive nature of his other character is easily heard.

     Director Richard Powell has directed a rather nasty piece of work that is offsetting as well as hard to watch at times. The film is wonderfully shot, and I'm also happy to see that more directors are using Red One cameras as it makes the shots look vibrant and brings out the little details. This is especially true during the ending of the film when John Dodd has had enough and and the crystal clear image of Dodd's final choice is displayed. Yet it's also during this that the true horror of the film comes to light, and Director Powell actually out-does David Cronenberg in the body horror field of the genre. The one hit this short has from being almost perfect to me was the transition the story takes from psychological horror to physical horror. It was as if the story hit a speed bump that was hard to work around. Though if the run time had been longer the unexpected turn in story could have been worked in slowly throughout and not be as jolting once it happens.  What was a surprise to me was what I thought was going on turned out to be something different entirely and I would love to go into that, but if I do it would ruin the film for most. Powell also handles the two personalities of John Dodd quite brilliantly and how stray thoughts can have an impact on ones life and how those same thoughts can turn into a life of its own.Whether acted upon or not, the still have a way to worm into your being and fester till they have a way of breaking free no matter how hard the person tries to overpower the urges.

BEST DEATH:
     John's decidedly unfriendly razor manipulation on himself.

BEST LINE:
      The world is different when people are asleep. Better.

FUN FACTS:
     The film follows the story of John Dodd, twin brother to WORM's psychotic high school teacher Geoffrey Dodd.

     Astrida Auza has been in two shorts with another one in production right now.

     Director Richard Powell has written and directed three short films: Consumption, and the interconnected Worm and Familiar.

THE HUNGER GAMES

THE HUNGER GAMES (2012)
US
Directed by Gary Ross

CAST:
Jennifer Lawrence - Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson - Peeta Mellark
Woody Harrelson - Haymitch Abernathy

PLOT:
     In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed,  replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. A game of death played by children, that is televised for all to watch.

REVIEW:
     I'll go ahead and say that going into the movie I had no idea what to expect. The only thing I heard was from what JeNee told me, which is little bits and pieces of the story from the novel. And yes, I read bits and pieces here and there from reviews from different sites to see what the general feeling has been toward it. And from what I can gather people are generally pleased with the finished product all in all. Some of the backlash from it is that it's being compared to the likes of the cult film Battle Royal, which was finally released over in the US even though it came out in Japan in 2000, and contrary to popular belief was never banned here. Even one of my friends mentioned a little known film called Series 7: The Contenders. I realized that no matter what, there is going to be backlash against Hunger Games after the atrocity that is the Twilight Series (vampires do NOT sparkle!) and people will judge it from just that alone which I will say isn't fair to the film.

   I can easily say that  Jennifer Lawrence, as Katniss Everdeen, carried the film and the weight that came with playing the lead role. She put a decent amount of emotion and physicality into her role. There's also a certain amount of deceit that also is put into her role as well.  I'll go more into this later as it's one of the few things that bothered me. Josh Hutcherson has the hard job of making Peeta Mellark likeable. When we're first introduced to his character he seems to be more interested in making the most out of what time he has being pampered and Hutherson does a great job of making his character seem like a complete douche through most of the film. Yet Hutcherson  also has to make sure the audience know he's in love. Unfortunately during some of these scenes his acting falters slightly as if he wasn't sure what the director wanted from him. Now Woody Harrelson, as Haymitch Abernathy, acting stuck out the most to me as every scene he was in you knew it, as his presence outshined the other actors in the film as the ever drunken past winner of The Games. He's surly and somewhat manipulative to get what he wants out of Katniss, but you still like his character as you can tell that there is something else going on in his mind and a pain he's trying to hide.

     I mentioned that I was going to get into the character of Katniss and something that bothered me.That something is even without reading the books I know that something was missing from her character. We know from the very start of the film that her character has nothing but complete contempt for The Capital. She doesn't like what she is about to have to do, yet she learns very quickly she has to manipulate the audience that is watching her before the games to get sponsors to help her during them. This I think is well done in the movie and makes the character seem very smart but yet it still feels like something is missing.  It's when later in the film when Katniss and Peeta are together that the manipulative aspect of her character is fully seen, partly to help Peeta, and at the same time to somehow make up for not being able to protect another character. I know that there is a lot missing from Katniss's character as she seems to be able to think through different scenarios to give her an advantage yet at the same time at certain points the movie tries to hide this fact, which I'm happy to say doesn't work. Thankfully what the film doesn't do is make Katniss seems stupid or inept. Peeta's character though is a little bit different, he starts out the manipulator once the games start partly to save himself but more than anything to help save Katniss even at the cost that he knows is his life.  It can easily be seen that everything Peeta does throughout the film is for Katniss only and not for himself, as Peeta knows he was  doomed once his name was drawn for the games. The one thing both Katniss and Peeta have in common is that they both don't want the game to change them or for The Capital to have control of their lives even though this is hardly mentioned, it is slyly implied more than anything else.

     The weird thing about this film to me was the choice of director for it Gary Ross. The violent aspect of the film, all dealing with the killing of children by other children, is going to be rough for the audiences and  Ross, who is known for more than anything else more happy film fare, does actually a decent job of making it more horrific than what I was expecting from him. The first couple of minutes once the game actually starts is more brutal and bloody than I was expecting and at the same time was a little chaotic and was never played for laughs and we know from that point. The chaotic film work is there to cover up the violence that is happening as the start of the game is a slaughter of more younger contestants by the more older ones, who take pleasure in what they are doing. It's kinda funny thinking about those first minutes of the game that if this film was made fifteen or ten years ago this film would have been rated "R" for the violence that is shown. Ross also has a sense of pacing for the film that actually surprised me as the film never really felt as if it lagged anywhere. My one complaint against Ross is that the film didn't have the feel of desperation that one would expect from the situation the characters were put in and the darkness associated with the pain of being forced to kill someone as a means of control. But I will admit that with all these complaints and and small gripes I have with The Hunger Games, it is a well put together film that transports you to a different world that is fully realized, and at the same time a world that very much could happen in real life which makes it more surreal than false. As well, the film makes you want to see the next one much sooner than you would expect as you know this one only scratched the surface of this world and there were other factors involved in what was actually happening.

BEST DEATH: (Spoiler warning)
     Not really a death, but the after affects of a death.

BEST LINE:
     Here's some advice. Stay alive.

FUN FACTS:
     Jennifer Lawrence left her lead role is Savages to do The Hunger Games.

     Danny Elfman left film due to scheduling conflicts.

     Early ticket sales for The Hunger Games broke the record held by the Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

HUGO

HUGO ( THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET) (2011)
US
Directed by Martin Scorsese

CAST:
Asa Butterfield - Hugo Cabret
Chloe Grace Moretz - Isabelle
Ben Kingsley -  Georges Melies

PLOT:
     Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

REVIEW:
     The Oscars have come and gone. The lights and false glamor has faded and the inflated egos of the some have been fed even more. Where does this leave the films that were nominated for different categories?   Well where I live, most are not around here. No big surprise there. Bear with me on what I'm about to say, and think about it before anyone starts to complain to much. What does it say about the movie that won best picture this year, The Artist, where the dog from that film has gotten more press than the actually film. No, keep thinking about it. Okay. Not pretty is it. There were other choices for Best Picture, even though compared to previous years, the 2012 Oscars choices were not really that exciting or, to me worth mentioning most of them save Midnight In Paris and Hugo.

     There was just something about the actors and actresses in this film that fit it so well. Each person was perfectly cast to fill their roles and each showed a love that usually isn't there in most other films. The two main actors, Asa Butterfield as Hugo Cabret and Cloe Grace Moretz as Isabelle are both quite amazing in their roles. Butterfield plays an orphan who has been on his own for over a year living in the walls and ductworks of a train station keeping all the clockworks running ever since his father died. His portrayal of Hugo has  an innocence, but at the same time a adult trickster feel to it after having to fend for himself for so long. Moretz though is the better of the two young leads as she just has a sense of wonderment to her character as Hugo opens her eyes to a wider world than what she knew previously before meeting Hugo. Even with the trouble Hugo gets Isabelle into and a less than pleasant introduction to each other, they form a bond that opens each others view of the world around them. Ben Kingsley who play Georges Melies, though is the true star of the film. Kingsley is both elegant and surly in his role of a old, and I could easily say, broken down store owner. The rest of the cast is filled out by a amazing cast. And Sacha Baron Cohen is actually fully watchable in this film as I must admit most of the things he has done I can't stand. Yet in this, he is fun to watch as a mean, love struck Station Inspector who's luck is far from the best.

     So what is the film, or I should say what is it really about. While on the outside thanks to the trailers, it seems as if the film is only about Hugo and a robot. This is just a simple way to put this story, and doesn't do it justice at all. There's so much more going on as there is a dual story going on at the same time. One is Hugo, with the help of Isabelle, trying to figure out the secret from an automaton that Hugo and his father was working on before his father's death. Hugo's passion to fix and see what mystery lives inside the automaton, which is his last relic from his old life and his one true possession that Hugo can call his own, is what drives only half of the story. It is also with Hugo's side of the story that he shows Isabelle the wonder that is cinema at the time and the excitement and escapism that is present while watching movies. This is also when the second storyline comes into play as it deals with Georges Melies and why he seems so broken, as he seems a shell of a man. I don't want to give away Georges Melies story as when his life starts to intertwine with Hugo's to me the film truly came to life and I was hooked. This is also when the film became more magical as it shows why we love film and the experiences and emotions it can evoke from us.

     The one hit I can put against the film is that the beginning of the film starts out slow and shows to many characters all at one time, yet this is also done to help set up the world that exist around Hugo. There is a bit of wondering off during the first thirty or so minutes, thankfully this also helps establish the world in the train station where most of the story takes place and also to make the station feel like a living entity more than a landmark. After this, the true story and the ride that is this film really starts.  Scorsese is just a master behind the camera as there is always motion in this film whether it be from the clockworks in the train station to the living that occupy the station. Even the background characters played from such respected actors as Christopher Lee, Frances de la Tour, and Richard Griffiths are always in motion and help add to the world of the station. The audio and special effects (specially Hugo's nightmare, now that was creepy) are all above great and just add to what we are seeing before our eyes and hearing. This film is an experience to be had for people that love film. It shows what can be done with film still if the creators are willing to take a chance against the studios expectations (which is why movies are less now than what they were before thanks to the studios). If you, the reader of this love film, truly love film, this is for you and a must watch no matter what. 

BEST DEATH:
     The death of Georges Melies dream during wartime.

BEST LINE:
     No it's not. It worked perfectly!

FUN FACTS:
     The cam mechanism in the automaton is heavily inspired by the machinery in the Jaquet-Droz automata, built between 1768 and 1774. Indeed these automata are still in working condition (they can be seen at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire of Neuchâtel, in Switzerland) and are capable of drawing figures as complicated as the drawing depicted in the film. Many nuances such as the head following the pen as it was drawing and dipping the pen in ink were also present in the automata in real life.

     The opening track shot of the city ending at the train station was the very first shot designed and it took one year to complete. It required 1000 computers to render each frame required for the shot.

     The train station depicted is the Gare Montparnasse. In real life Georges Melies did in fact work as a toymaker at that station after World War I. The derailment scene during Hugo's dream is a reference to the famous 1895 derailment at the station.

     This is the first Martin Scorsese feature film to not feature Leonardo DiCaprio in a the starring role in over 12 years.

THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE

THE SUMMER OF MASSACRE (2011)
US
Directed by Joe Castro

REVIEW:
     Yep, it's another anthology movie I'm reviewing. This one kinda came up out of nowhere on me so I just had to see what was going on with it. Now anthology movies are nothing new, I reviewed a couple just recently in fact. Yet what got me with this one is it supposedly has the highest body count for a for a slasher film yet. And with a end tag line claiming the movie will have the viewer looking for a barf bag by the finish of it caught my attention the most. With it saying that it has a lot to live up to.

RAMPAGE:

CAST:
Tim A. Colley - Chris

      So let me get this one straight in my head. Guy gets mugged by three underachieving yet well dressed dudes in park. Said guy gets half of his face cut from side of his mouth to his ear and his eye gouged out then passes out afterwards. After he comes to he goes on a killing rampage with massive head trauma and losing blood as he goes along. Okay. Why is there no one screaming at the site of him and running the hell away or at least calling the cops after seeing him walk what I can only guess is half the damn city he lives in (he likes to walk I guess). And where is the rest of the story? And why does he go around killing random people, though I will admit in very interesting ways. Yet this segment is the second worst in whole movie but alas that isn't saying very much.

LUMP:

CAST:
 Nick Principe - Laurie
Lisa M. Garcia - Kimberly Ann

     You ready for this one. Laurie, a mentally challenged "female" (wait until the twist at the end for this one) suffers from spinal bifida and one serious head cyst among other problems (including really hairy dude legs) is sent over the edge of a cliff by her sister to help speed up her dying process. Problem is Laurie is no longer as mentally challenged now thanks to that and decides to go and kill everyone "she" sees for past slights. And this one has some of the worst acting in it and the most awkward love scene in a movie I've seen. This one is just terrible all the way around.

SON OF THE BOOGYMAN:

CAST:
Deanna Meske - Young Mother
Scott Barrows - Mr. Boogens

     Wait a minute, how did this one get in here? There's a actually story here! A young girl is raped by the local boogyman legend and has a kid by the incident. 30 years later daddy wants to terrorize his son. The reason why I say this one has a story is because it sets up the present by having a back story of what happened in the past. You also have a monster in the form of Mr. Boogens and his dedication to finding and then terrorizing his son throughout the segment. Yet what this does correctly is ruined as well due to the same reason why the others fail which I'll go into after after a little bit. And I'm still wondering how Boogens is still walking around after taken at least 6 bullets to the face at point blank range.

BURN:

CAST:
Cleve Hall - Father Daniel
J.T. Seaton - Devon Hopper

     Two gay firefighters are burned together by their co-workers. Simple set-up as possible for a story. And it starts out with a campfire tale about them at a church retreat in the same area where disappearances have been happening for over 30 years all related to the families who helped burn the two gay lovers. I can except that somehow the two lovers survived being burned and living with ease. What I can not accept is that there is a church retreat and a church in the same area where there have been so many people have gone missing and killed and have the church still open and retreats happening knowing that the offspring of said families of those killed will be there. Great setup for a story but lousy follow through.

THE WAREHOUSE:

CAST:
Dan Lovell - Dax

     And now we come to the wrap-around story. If you actually can call it that. It's actually just a four scenes before each segment and a end scene where you see the three convicts in a warehouse filled with dead bodies they've killed. I will give Dan Lovell, who plays the convict Dax, a little bit of respect due to he was the best actor in the whole movie (but that really wasn't hard to do) and that he didn't overact at all is even more amazing. And like all the other segments in the movie this one suffers the same fate as the rest. One other thing I wondering about in this one. How the hell did they get a nuclear weapon and no one knew about it?

     That rest (as I mentioned in almost every segment) is some of the worst special effects I have ever laid eyes on in a movie. Actually make that they were the worst special effects I've seen in a movie. This movie makes the Japanese gore films look like a breath of fresh air. Ninety percent of this movie has cheap and terrible CGI. All the deaths use it instead of in camera effects which cheapen the production even more. The look of the CGI isn't even good as it looks like it comes from the early 80's. Also considering that most of the backgrounds in the movie use this CGI, if you want to call it that, make the production of the movie look like crap. The sound and sound design aren't much better than the special effects and the music for the movie is just annoying. But the worst part The Summer Of Massacre is its just boring as I kept looking at how much time I had left before this eyesore was over. Movies like this are the reason why horror movies in general get no respect, and I'm afraid there's going to be more movies coming out like this. One other note, this film boast that it has over 150 deaths in it, yet in reality it's more like forty. The rest are dead bodies shown in the background of horrible looking CG done by the same bad CG. Or if you want to really get technical the death count is more like three million thanks to a bomb. So even the filmmakers got the dam body count wrong. Do yourself a favor all those that read this, stay far away from this abomination. You have been warned.


BEST DEATH:
     Considering that most of the deaths are just horrible looking, this looks like it was done by WETA or ILM in retrospect.

BEST LINE:
     My kitty kitty.

FUN FACTS:
     Joe Castro has worked on the special effects for over twenty movies, including his own films.

     Joe Castro has directed one sequel movie, and that was for his film Terror Toons, Terror Toons 2: The Sick And Silly Show.

     Brinke Stevens has had a very long career in film dating all the back to the 1972 movie Necromancy, and has been in over 130 films.

NEW LOOKS

     As I've said before in previous posts (two so far I think, making this a third time), The one movie I'm looking forward to this year the most is Prometheus. Since everyone is posting the new trailer, or the Space Jockey, I've decided to post just two pics from it.  Possible spoilers below........You have been warned!

If that isn't a Xenomorph, I don't know what is:

And the last picture I'll post shows what looks like is a hybrid.