It's here.... The moment you've all been waiting for. Of all the alien invasion films to chose from, the question remains, which is worthy for inclusion in the Week of Reel Whorror!? Naturally, Reel Whore has to end The Invasion Will Not Be Televised series with a personal favorite; a film featuring an alien invasions that's both gory and sexy.
Species
Release: 07.07.95
Rated R
1 hour, 48 minutes
Full Price
Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley) is a government mule whose been ordered to terminate his latest little science project. The project is a young girl, Sil (Michelle Williams), who isn't ready to be gassed and instead escapes into the night. Fitch reaches out to a handful of experts, Dr. Stephen Arden (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2), Dr. Laura Baker (Marg Helgenberger), an empath Dan Smithson (Forest Whitaker, Body Snatchers) and Preston Lennox (Michael Madsen, Reservoir Dogs), to assist in locating and neutralizing any threat Sil may pose.
Of all the invasion plots, this is by far the most clever. Aliens send their DNA sequence and an instruction manual on how to incorporate it within our genetic makeup over radio waves. Humans, being the curious creatures that we are, mix up the alien cocktail which grows to be the super hot blonde with an overwhelming desire to procreate. Obviously, no one's going to turn down sex from a horny Natasha Henstridge so presto fucko, you've got an instant alien invasion force being cranked from her womb.
Species doesn't quite get that far. Instead it shows the evolution of Sil from the young Michelle Williams (I still can't believe that's her!) to the sultry Natasha Henstridge. Adult Sil is naive to the ways of the world, and director Roger Donaldson (The Bank Job) deliberately shows Sil learning how to interact socially as well as other things like driving. This illustrates her high level of adaptability and helps to explain how she can elude the task force sent to annihilate her.
Sil suffers from what can best be described as nightmarish wet dreams, monsters and demonic trains race through her sleeping mind, hinting at the big bad alien which lies underneath that soft complexion. These further prove how undeniably cheesy Species is. Another reason to love Species is the casting; usually you might have one actor whose now a big name, but almost everyone here has quite the reputation.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 7
MMM: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised
Happy Halloween stargazers! For the past week, Reel Whore has been celebrating its my Week of Reel Whorror! in honor of this day. There's still one more installment waiting in the wings for The Invasion Will Not Be Televised series, but to tide you over until its release, here's a group that totally embodies this past week's out-of-this-world vibe with a fitting video for Halloween. Enjoy!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 6
The sixth day of my Week of Reel Whorror! is nearly over which means Halloween is right around the corner. For today's selection, I have chosen last month's Apollo 18 to join the ranks of The Invasion Will Not Be Televised.
Apollo 18
Release: 09.02.11
Rated PG-13
1 hour, 26 minutes
A Netflix Night
Commander Nate Walker (Lloyd Owen, TV: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), Captain Ben Anderson (Warren Christie, TV: Alphas), and Lieutenant Colonel John Grey (Ryan Robbins, TV: Sanctuary) are tapped by NASA to man the Apollo 18 mission to the moon. Although officially, the Apollo program had ended with the seventeenth mission, the Department of Defense green-lights their mission to install early detection equipment to warn of missile launches from the USSR. With Grey manning the Freedom Command module, Nate and Ben make moonfall in the Liberty lunar module and begin to work. It isn't long before the two begin to suspect the camera equipment is meant to identify something far more dangerous than Soviets.
Maybe it was some sort of solidarity move or maybe just coincidence, but the theater showcasing Apollo 18 was completely without heat, so I and one other patron sat there, in the vast dark, struggling to stay warm as the "found-footage" of the Apollo 18 mission flashed before us. You'd think my numb toes and chattering teeth would have been enough to keep me alert, but it wasn't long before my eyes were rolling into my head like Regan MacNeil.
Apollo 18 suffers from a few issues.The most annoying issue is the end-of-reel cuts and the intentional low quality blurring. In an effort to give the story an authentic feel, these effects were added to the scenes. Over time it just grows more annoying, especially since the end-of-reel cuts always end on some foreboding moment. Even more annoying is the constant static and buzz Nate and Ben encounter when communicating with John and Mission Control. It feel incessant, and detracts from the characters.
Which is the major problem for Apollo 18. Some equate it to a Paranormal Activity ripoff, and there are some obvious similarities, the difference is the audience is barely given time to sympathize with the characters. Nate, Ben and John spend the first act rattling off space jargon; launch protocols, equipment installation and sample collection. While it's an accurate portrayal of life during a moon mission, it's hard to develop a connection when non-astronauts are listening to their technical jibber-jabber.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 5
Wow, it's already the fifth day of Reel Whore's Week of Reel Whorror! Next up in The Invasion Will Not Be Televised series I have another John Carpenter classic from the '80s, which is an adaptation of Ray Nelson's short story Eight O'Clock in the Morning.
They Live
Release: 11.04.88
Rated R
1 hour, 33 minutes
Full Price
Dirty Undies
The drifter and Frank rack up a healthy alien body count as they run roughshod through LA. There isn't a lot of blood or gore, but it's action for action's sake, which keeps the pace moving. If you're patient, Carpenter slips in a sexual situation at the very end; it does have its purpose, and the nudity is a bonus.
The Money Shot
They Live is still an awesome flick twenty-three years later and its social commentary is, unfortunately, still relevant. Carpenter sets up the story, gets to the meat of the matter and doesn't dawdle after the resolution. If you're tired of seeing Michael Myers loiter on the streets of Haddonfield, watch Rowdy Roddy mop up in LA.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 4
The weekend is upon us and so is Day 4 of The Invasion Will Not Be Televised. I couldn't really do an alien horror recap without including at least one film about the pod people!
Release: 10.14.11
Rated R
1 hour, 27 minutes
Group Rental
There's quite a few films based on the Jack Finney novel The Body Snatcher, this just happened to be the one I could get my hands on most easily. Having now suffered through it, I understand why. I'm getting ahead of myself so let's start at the beginning.
Marti (Gabrielle Anwar, For Love or Money) is none too happy about being moved to a military base with her dad Steve (Terry Kinney, Sleepers), little brother Andy (Reilly Murphy) and step-mom Carol (Meg Tilly, The Two Jakes). Dad works for the EPA and has to run samples on the toxic goo General Platt (R. Lee Ermey) is storing on-site. To make things worse, her brother and Major Collins (Forest Whitaker) are ranting about the strange behavior of the base's inhabitants. As everyone is consumed by pod people, the only plus for Marti is the hunky chopper pilot Tim (Billy Wirth, The Lost Boys) who has taken an interest in her.
Despite the Netflix rating, I was kind of excited to see Body Snatchers. Gabrielle Anwar, R. Lee Ermey and Forest Whitaker made for a nice cast pedigree. Plus I was psyched, Abel Ferrara, director of Bad Lieutenant was at the helm. Even with all this going for it, Body Snatchers seriously sucked. Granted, it does have its moments. Whitaker's insane, pill-popping rant opposite Ermey is a must-see scene. Tilly's freaky "Go Where" interrogation is a chilling turning point. Then there's everything else. The impending doom of the body snatchers is barely developed before the shit hits the fan. There are tons of squandered opportunities to show the take over by the pod people, but instead audiences are given a slew of characters who just randomly turn up as cabbage heads two scenes later.
Trailer Trash: The October 28th Quickie
Time for a brief intermission from the Week of Reel Whorror to showcase all the goodies Hollywood is tempting us with this Halloween weekend. Taking a look at IMDb we've got jack shit in terms of spooky and scary. It's all animated cats and a singer-wannabe-action star... Hmmm, that actually does sound pretty scary, only for entirely different reasons.
In Time The stench of action vehicle hangs off this as badly as last month's lame Lautner flick, Abduction. In Time has got a ton of talented, and gorgeous, people surrounding and supporting Justin Timberlake. I guess that's supposed to somehow convince audiences to take him seriously. Where's Ben Foster and Ryan Gosling when you need them?
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
Puss in Boots I love the point Dylan over at Man, I Love Films made, " I don’t know about you, but I already saw The Mask of Zorro." I would actually be somewhat psyched to see this except it unnerves me that the trailers rely on those risque golden egg jokes to sell this KIDS movie! Why not just let your house apes settle in with Bad Santa this holiday.
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
The Rum Diary This may come as a shock to some, but I didn't much care for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This film looks like a much...tamer, imagining of the Hunter S. Thompson's work; kind of like Palahniuk's Choke was to Fight Club. I'm certain Depp and the drool-worthy Amber Heard will give it their all, I just won't be there to see it.
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
Enough distractions, time to get back to the whorror!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 3
Hey stargazers! After tackling John Carpenter's The Thing yesterday, why not roll into Day 3 of The Invasion Will Not Be Televised with the recent rehash starring North Carolina's own Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
Release: 10.14.11
Rated R
1 hour, 43 minutes
Full Price
In 1982, scientists at a Norwegian research station discover an alien spacecraft buried beneath a 100,000 years worth of ice. Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Black Christmas) is recruited by the project lead, Dr. Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen, Hitman), to catalog and identify the accompanying life-form found outside the craft. But once the alien ice pop is brought to the lab, the warm, monstery center explodes from its casing before the crew can even get in their three licks. As the creature preys on the staff, the remaining crew begin to suspect one another as the latest host of this unknown menace.
I went in to The Thing 2011 believing it to be a remake of the John Carpenter's take on John W. Campbell Jr.'s story Who Goes There?. Turns out this version is a prequel which I though was a phenomenal concept. Instead of attempting to tweak, or directly copy, elements of Carpenter's version, first-time film director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and writer Eric Heisserer are given a chance to interpret the idea of fighting this alien menace as they see fit.
By doing this, audiences are treated to a new group with a differing set of flight-or-fight responses to their hunted status. It's like having the new crop of killees in a Freddy or Jason flick; the viewers know the threat, but the enjoyment comes from watching the potential victims try to a) work out a means to survive and b) work together to do it. Like in Carpenter's version, dissension within the ranks happens quickly, especially considering Lloyd and Dr. Halvorson were already embroiled in a pissing contest before the alien threat. Overall, the cast nail that frantic uncertainty.
This go 'round, the research station was manned with a couple of non-mans which provided some nice equal opportunity ogling. Still they're in Antarctica, so not much of chance to catch either sex in their skivvies.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 2
Welcome to Day 2 of Reel Whore's Week of Reel Whorror! Next up in The Invasion Will Not Be Televised series is the classic '80s adaptation (but not the first adaptation) of John W. Campbell Jr's short story Who Goes There?
The Thing
Release: 06.25.82
Rated R
1 hour, 49 minutes
Full Price
It took me the better part of nineteen years watch John Carpenter's The Thing. To be fair, I would have been six when this was released and my folks weren't real big on going to the movies. Upon the addition of VHS to our home, I was more excited about perusing the new release racks than revisiting all those old films. Luckily, Hollywood felt the need to remake The Thing this year, so I queued up the original and now I hate that I put it off watching it for so damned long!
In a most bizarre beginning, a sled dog is racing across Antarctica being chased by a rifleman in a helicopter! The pooch makes it to an American research outpost just as the crew heads out to see the commotion. The crazed rifleman, a Norwegian unable to speak English, springs from the the chopper and, after nearly killing one of the Americans is shot for fear that he'll kill them all. In the commotion, a sinister creature has infiltrated their camp. Trapped by a winter storm with a creature that can assume the appearance of their prey, the men begin to point fingers and guns at the one's they think are the threat.
Heading the cast is Kurt Russell who plays the chopper pilot, MacReady. Though he's not the big man on the totem pole, when the shit goes down, you know everyone turns to Russell. In addition to Russell, The Thing is chock full of great '80s actors like Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, Charles Hallahan, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat and Keith 'Mutha Fuckin' David! You couldn't ask for a better group of guys to be trapped with an alien in the freezing cold. Well, except that Brimley's Dr. Blair goes nutso and wrecks shit in an attempt to save humanity. Together these guys are so believably freaked out by the events that even the audience wonders who's who.
Dirty Undies
I'm not sure if it's that the drugs of the '80s were just that good or if Carpenter and creature creator Rob Bottin were still high on '70s opiates, but the creatures are amazingly freaky. Watching The Thing is kinda like attending a pig pickin'; live things are killed and torn to shreds, blood is splattered everywhere, and every once in a while a meaty chunk gets barbecued. Speaking of meat, this was cast as a sausage fest in an icebox so don't expect any enticing sexual imagery.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Week of Reel Whorror!: The Invasion Will Not Be Televised - Day 1
There's only one week left before Halloween, and that means it's time for the official raising of the Reel Whore's Week of Reel Whorror! This year's whorror theme is The Invasion Will Not Be Televised. For those a little slow on the uptake, this means the Reel Whore is getting invaded by ALIENS! But you can damn well bet I'm the one that'll be doing the probing!
Let's kick off this party with a flashback to one of 2010's better alien movies featuring a monster we should all know, respect and fear:
Predators
Release: 07.09.10
Rated R
1 hour, 46 minutes
Full Price
Ever have those dreams where you're falling? You wake up and all is okay. Well, the mercenary Royce (Adrien Brody, The Thin Red Line) has it worse. He wakes up to find himself in a freefall over a jungle. His chute opens automatically just as he plummets through the canopy. He lands next to an enforcer named Cuchillo (Danny Trejo, Desperado). After a series of awkward icebreakers, seven of the baddest mofos from Earth and one spazzy doctor (Topher Grace, Spider-Man 3) band together on an alien planet to defend themselves from being shredded by a group of Predators.
You would think a small group of highly-trained killers armed with a variety of weapons would be unstoppable, but the Predators' massive size, hunting skills, and advanced tech makes these folks look like children with slingshots. Surprisingly, the underdogs turn out to be quick learners, surviving far longer than you might expect. That, in large part, is due to Royce and his super-mercenary skills. For a lone gunman, he quickly brings the group under control, guides them through the foreign terrain, and even identifies the many hunting techniques being employed against them. The only ability he didn't have was using that ginormous bill to sniff out the cloaked creatures.
Like any diverse array of victims, um, I mean characters, they won't all go down in a shining blaze of glory. I was mostly pleased by each person's encounter with the Predators. The first casualty totally pissed me off; not in execution (pardon the pun), but in the executed. My only major qualm with the choices of director Nimród Antal (Vacancy) is that he fails to capitalize on one particular character in earlier scenes. Had this character been better established, it would have made for a stronger climax. Sorry for being vague, but I'm trying to not ruin anything for audiences.
Dirty Undies
Tense and violent, Antal really captures the hunted vibe of the original Predator. The creatures look amazing and if anything has changed from their original look, it's that they are more menacing. I have to agree with Walton Goggins (TV: Justified); Alice Braga (I Am Legend) does have an awesome ass. She can also kick ass with the best of 'em. But, of all the gun-toting, ass-whooping humans on the planet, nobody beats Goggins's portrayal of death row inmate Stans. Had the man actually had a firearm, I can only imagine the hurt he would've put on those aliens.
The Money Shot
Predators is not without its problems, but did anyone seriously expect it to be a masterpiece of cinema? No. I went in expecting Predators to kill some folks, but also get what they had coming to them, and somewhere along the way, see some shit explode. It achieves all three while staying true to the heart of the original concept. What more can you really ask for?
Monday, October 24, 2011
MMM: Come Back and Haunt Me
95% of the time, I could do without the incessant advertising reel played before movies. I'm not talking about trailers, but the loud, grating mass of interviews, scene snippets about upcoming television shows and movies and commercials about cellphones, cars and random social causes. Even if you don't go to the movies as much as I do, by now I'm sure you've seen this particular commercial which I totally expected to be sponsored by some sort of non-profit foundation, but should not have been surprised when it was a restaurant ad. Maybe it's their environmental message or their song selection, but luckily for Chipotle I'd place their commercial right up there with the Dean Winters' Allstate commercials, in the tolerable 5% of advertising.
I missed my chance to see Willie Nelson in concert last week, so here's a little taste of Willie covering Coldplay while hocking the taste of Chipotle.
As a bonus, and in honor of the release of their latest album, here's the original version of The Scientist.
And just because he's awesome, here's Dean Winters in one of my favorite Allstate commercials.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Trailer Trash: The October 21st Quickie
Another weekend of cool and sunny weather in my area. As easy as the Reel Whore is, the theater is going to have to offer up one helluva movie to coax me into a seat. Checking both IMDb and The Numbers tells me we have four major releases vying for our attentions, but is our attention warranted?
Johnny English Reborn I swear I watched Johnny English back when it came out, but I can't tell you the first thing about it besides Rowan Atkinson starred alongside Natalie Imbruglia. Yeah, Imbruglia, I know. Reborn looks like mild, silly fun, and movies like that play best on cable television which is where I'll catch this.
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
The Mighty Macs Since the boys can't resolve the lockout, let the ladies sate your b-ball appetites. This is a true story tale of inspiration about an all-women's Catholic college basketball team from the 70s. Carla Gugino stars and she always inspires me to go to the movies. Bonus, Bones fans can get their David Boreanaz fix while they wait for the new season to begin. Sounds like a win-win all around.
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
Verdict: It's Friday, I Don't Want to be Alone.
The Three Musketeers Milla Jovovich is my go to action actress and I will see just about anything she's in, but this looks so colossally terrible that not even my love her can justify wasting the money. I wonder whose ass is gonna get reamed when the weekend box office numbers are released next week.
Verdict: Exercise the Right to Cinematic Celibacy.
That's all I got folks. Come back next week, big doings are in the works.
Monday, October 17, 2011
MMM: No Shoes, No Shirt, ...
Up today is my new favorite ham. Sorry, I meant jam - guess I still have that massive country ham biscuit on the brain from yesterday's trip to the Fair! Since I'm on the subject of porkly goodness, the video for this Monday Mood Music selection is a serious sausage fest, so consider yourself warned. That said, enjoy!
I'm just wondering how many speedo sportin' dudes are going to be strutting around the clubs Halloween weekend. Kinda makes me want to stay home and pass out candy to the kiddies.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Trailer Trash: The October 14th Quickie
A bright and sunny weekend lies ahead, the State Fair is in town and AMC's The Walking Dead premiers. This leaves very little time for going to the movies. If you or I do make it to the theater, IMDb says there are three major releases looking to lure us away from its competitors. The question is which, if any, has the right stuff to do just that?
Footloose The idea of banning dancing and good ol' Rock'n'Roll seemed redonkulous in 1982 and remaking the concept for today's headphones-wired-into-our-cortex society deserves a new descriptor. How about Footfukintardtastic?
Maybe not. No worries. I've got plenty of time to come up with one since I'll be staying way the fuck away from this one.
Verdict: Exercise the Right to Cinematic Celibacy.
The Big Year I'm very excited about The Big Year. Don't misunderstand, the trailers gives me some serious heebie-jeebies. I'm guessing this will be a colossal fail. I'm excited because its release means Steve Martin will be hosting SNL very soon thus tying Alec Baldwin's record. Those eps are always a blast to watch.
Verdict: Exercise the Right to Cinematic Celibacy.
The Thing No lie, I watched the original for the first time two days ago and it held up pretty damned well. Not sure how this remake will fair, but its got three things going for it;
Mary,
Elizabeth,
Winstead.
North Carolina Represent!
Verdict: Moist With Antici...Pation!
Daylight's burning stargazers. I'm off to enjoy the hell out of my weekend and I hope you do the same.
Monday, October 10, 2011
MMM: When We're Spinning
Morning stargazers. I've had a few crazy-busy weeks, but I'm hoping things will start returning to normal today. It better, because the State Fair opens this week and I need time to consume my yearly requirement of fried goodness.
Speaking of being consumed, the fall television season is in full gear and I am as happy as a schoolgirl that the BBC series Luther is back. If you haven't gotten into this show, Netflix is streaming the first season. It's the perfect time to jump on board. Besides there's only six episodes from last season and this season is only four episodes; not a huge commitment.
In the meantime here's the theme song from Luther. This may be a repeat selection, but enjoy it just the same.
By the way, this is not the official video for Massive Attack's song, this is. Their video is not safe for work, so it might be best to enjoy it this evening.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Trailer Trash: The October 7th Quickie
Oh how the day has gotten away from me. But the weekend is here and IMDb says we have two new releases to enjoy. Since I'm already behind the gun, I'll try and keep my comments to five words of less.
The Ides of March
Clooney & The Gos...mmm.
Verdict: Moist With Antici...Pation!
Real Steel
The Robotic Rocky.
Verdict: Moist With Antici...Pation!
I think that about sums it up. Have a great weekend at the movies and I'll catch you on the flipside.
Monday, October 3, 2011
MMM: Jean Claude Van Damme You're Sexy!
Morning folks! I'm in the mood for something light and fun to kick off the week. For that I turn to the musical talents of Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome. Kate you may know better from her semi-regular role as Shelley on Raising Hope while I affectionately remember Riki as the psycho girlfriend from Last House on the Left. Also each makes one-half of the musical duo, Garfunkel and Oates. No matter how you know them,just be sure you do because they're gonna be here making us laugh with music, movies and television for a long time to come.
One Night Stand
And here's a bonus vid to really get you psyched for the week: