Poor Bastards of Cinema: Another 48 Hours (Part 2)

 A guy so unlucky and random that even I forgot to cover it!

In Another 48 Hours, they are tracking down these Bikers that want our Heroes dead.

Like in the last Film, they find them at a cheap place (a Hotel, not an Apartment Building).

It's also in Chinatown.

The plan to get the drop on them fails, however, as the other Biker- aka The Wishmaster- spots them and a shoot-out begins.

It is all sorts of chaotic.

Somewhere in the middle, it cuts to this random guy walking out of his Room to see what all the noise is...

...and he's immediately shot.

He's never mentioned before or after.

Within the span of about 10 seconds, he appears, gets killed and disappears from the Film completely.

It seriously took me about 4 tries to get these Shots (no pun intended).  It is so fast and random!

Why did this guy die?
Because he just happened to be in the wrong Building on the wrong night.

The moral- enjoy your free Showtime/HBO and don't leave the room at night. 
You'll be better off for it.

Next up, a really inexplicable one with a fun connection to my childhood.  Poor lady.  Stay tuned...

Shudder-day: Chucky- Season 1

 At the recommendation of a family member, I finally checked this Show out.

Naturally, I start watching it once it is cancelled.  Oy.

This is the first Season of...

A young guy named Jake is not the most popular guy in School.

He's openly gay and is into making Art out of dolls.

He finds a 'vintage' Good Guy doll to use for his sculpture, but it won't come apart.

With his drunk Dad at home, he can't keep it there, so...

He soon learns that Chucky is alive and has been in hiding since the events of Cult of Chucky (I guess I need to see that one, eh).

He tries to get Jake to kill for him, 'earning' that by killing his Dad with a loose wire.

Jake is antagonized by his classmate Lexy, who is also dating his Cousin.

He tries to resist Chucky's push to kill, while also trying to get anyone to believe him.

Somehow Chucky has killed people since 1988 and nobody believes it.

The Season is 8 Episodes long and I won't recap it all.

I'll give you a brief summary to end this though...

A fiery dance party.  

Death in the Hospital.  

Old(er) faces from the past Films.

To see it how it plays out stream it now.

A Show that is a must-see for fans of the Franchise.

I've never hated the Films (like, say, Hostel), but I've also never been a huge fan of it.

Did it win me over?

Kind of.  I liked the Show's Story, connecting with Jake and his friends.  I wanted to see them win.

Dourif, as always, is great as Chucky.  I was less of a fan of watching him dub over someone who looks like Tommy Wiseau that was supposed to be him from 1988.

The returning Characters was a nice thing.  As someone who didn't watch Cult of Chucky, I was definitely missing some details.

The new additions to Chucky lore were good, but a bit weird.  Things don't get explained super well.  When they resort to the 'it is magic, we don't have to explain it' thing, you know something is a bit off.

The Show is also pretty gory at times, so be warned.

With all that said, I'm curious to see how it all plays out in the next 2 Seasons, regardless of how USA treated it...

A Show that has renewed my interest in the Chucky Franchise.  Let's see where it goes from here.

Almost Heroes: Roger from 'Trick or Treat'

 This old segment returns.  

A new Hero has entered the fray!

In Trick or Treat, a young man accidentally summons a dead rocker via backwards playing of a record.

His friend Roger is with him, even if he doesn't know that last part yet.
He's just a good friend.

When he realizes that the Tape is now key to the villain's power, he asks Roger to steal it.

He actually does, risking his health to help his friend.

Of course, he also plays it, in spite of being told not to...

This gets the Rocker summoned at the Halloween Party.

After many people are killed, he sees his friend and our Final Girl in danger.

He tries to blow out the power in the School, robbing the Rocker of his strength.

It works, the breaker exploding in sparks.

It doesn't take out the Rocker permanently, of course, as our Lead has to.

Even so, he saves the day in one moment and pays for it.

Roger was a good friend.
He made mistakes.
We all do.

In the end, he was Almost a Hero.

Remake This?: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Could you tell that I was putting this off?  Well, I was.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the 2003 Remake of the 1974 Classic from Tobe Hooper.  They gave him a token Co-Producer Credit, so that's something.

The new Writer- Scott Kosar- got a weird trend going in his Career.  After this did well, he ended up writing more Remakes in a short amount of time- The Amityville Horror and The Crazies.  He also wrote for Bates Motel, which is not a Remake of that infamous Pilot though.

The new Director- Marcus Nispel- would also go on to Direct a couple of Remakes- Conan and Friday the 13th.

It had been 30 years and the original didn't exactly cost millions of dollars then.
So, can you pour enough money into this to make it better?

If Twitter is any indication, I'm going with 'no.'

To find out, read on...

The Film begins with fake-old footage from the '70s and the return of John Larroquette as the Narrator.

It also introduces a new Element- Found Footage.

We get a tease of 2 Cops investigating the House long after the events of the Film before the Title appears.

Does reminding me of The Poughkeepsie Tapes get this Film off to a good start?  No.

Anyhow, we meet a bunch of young, good-looking people driving through Texas from Mexico.

What they picked up there is a Plot Point.

They almost hit a Hitchhiker and pick her up.

She acts all strange and they tell her that they'll take her home.

She freaks out, draws a gun and shoots herself in the head.

Enjoy the middle part of this one neat, if gratuitous tracking shot out of the Van.
It's the best part of the Film.

They try to call the Police, but the locals aren't much help.

The group is split about what to do.  Some want to just leave the body and go, while the others want to stay.

The fact that they had some pot with them is an issue as well.

This wouldn't be an issue in The Colorado Chainsaw Massacre, of course.

This part of the Film, by the way, feels very drawn out.

Our Final Girl- Jessica Biel- and her boyfriend go to this weird guy's House to call the Sheriff.

Meanwhile, he just kind of shows up at the Van and acts like a dick to the others.
To be fair, was R. Lee Ermey ever cast to play, I don't know, a Friendly Guidance Counselor?

Since, I guess, he's bored, the Boyfriend wanders around the House.

He's somehow snuck up on by a 400-lb man in a creaky house with a hammer and dies.

We later get extra pathos when Leatherface finds a ring he was carrying.

That's nice and cruel- thanks, Movie.

Did you want an Origin for Leatherface?

Well, you get one!

He had some sort of disease and his nose eventually rotted off.  That's why it's okay that he murders people and skins them?

Skipping ahead, the Cast is whittled down to just Biel and the nerdy guy Morgan.

The Sheriff beats him up- because cruelty- and she ends up with the family.

There's oddly NO Dinner Scene in this one- this is the closest you get.

In a prolonged bit, she rescues Morgan, they hide and then Leatherface kills him.

She cuts off the baddy's arm and runs over the Sheriff, escaping Town with the baby that the Family stole from the Hitchhiker.

The End.

Oh wait- not really.

We need to wrap up the Intro too.

The Cops go down to the Basement and get killed by Leatherface, even giving us the Cannibal Holocaust shot (below).

Somehow, the Family escaped...to never return, since there's no Sequel to this one somehow.

The *real* end.

A Film that does many things right, but so many things wrong.

I'm going to feel like I'm repeating myself after covering The Hills Have Eyes Remake.  Both Films are interesting because they are Horror set in the daytime and in real places.  That is in contrast to, for instance, the dark Cabin in the Woods or the creaky old Castle.

This one has ONE Scene like that- the Chase out of the House.

The rest of the Film's big scares happen in the dark Basement, at night OR at night in the rain.

Face meet palm.

Putting that aside, it has good looking people in danger and Ermey is great here, even if his role is barely even two-dimensional.  Hate the game, not the player.

The Film is also very front-loaded, with it taking a good 45 minutes to get to 'the good stuff.'  I'm curious how Audiences reacted to this, as I was not part of them in 2003.

On top of all that, the Film is a weird mix of looking too sleek (as it was shot with 2003 tricks) and too grimey.  Jessica Biel is hot- I'll grant you- but you could always just read FHM at this time to get your fix.

Take us away, accidental bit of Comedy in the Cold Open.

Next up, the 2006 Prequel.  I really went back and forth about whether or not to do it first.  Oh joy.

Tubi Thursday: Beyond the Living Dead aka The Hanging Woman (1973)

 Have you ever watched a Film just to make it go away?

Every time I would go onto Tubi, this would pop up and start its random preview clip.

Well, now I've seen it and it's...

A rich guy dies and a big ceremony happens.

Why does one woman lurk in the shadows afterwards?

A woman goes down to the Crypt to take something from the man's body.

A strange person/creature stalks her, however, and she shoots at it unsuccessfully.

That night, a man- Serge Chekov- shows up in Town.

He wanders around for a bit when he hears a noise and then sees the woman from earlier hanging from a tree (hence the alternate Title).

He would turn out to be the new Heir to the dead man's Estate.

He's caught up in the middle of a bunch of family intrigue.

The guy's business partner has a Laboratory in the House and his Daughter is a Maid.
The Daughter is sneaky and into black magic.

The Butler is creepy and violent.

Notably the Film features Paul Naschy as a Gravedigger named Igor.

He was apparently filming another Movie nearby at the time.

He is vague about some evil and threatening, before the Police kill him.

As it turns out, the evil lady and the Scientist were bringing corpses back to life (hence the more regular title).

A big, prolonged scuffle between the Police, Chekov and the Zombies occurs.

The Scientist dies and his body is taken away by his Daughter, but we get the usual 'They don't really win' Ending because '70s.

A pretty good Film, even if the Plot is kind of a weird mess.

So, there's a Scientist and also a wannabe-Witch in the same House.  There's also a murderous Grave Digger.  Could you pick a Plot?

Other than that, it is pretty good.
The Acting is fine.  Mind you, it is all dubbed, so I can only judge so much.

It is mostly a tale of interpersonal Drama with the whole 'killer on the loose' thing and the 'Reviving the dead' Plot kind of lingering in the background.

Our Lead is kind of a jerk.  The Cops aren't much better.

In the End, the Film has a few good moments throughout it, looks nice and lingers more than you'd expect something like this to.

Also who is Bracula?

A decent enough Film, but the dubbing makes it pretty so-so.  The Plot is a bizarre mishmash to boot.

Shudder Day: Arcadian (2024)

Nic Cage and Shudder are a match made in Heaven.  

Let's see what his most recent Film is like...

It's the end of the World as we know it!

Naturally, Nic Cage survived.

15ish years later, he's raising his two Sons as they live out in a Farm.

They live a humble life and are sure to be locked into the House by sundown.

They try to make the most of the situation, living comfortably as a family.

However, the one Brother is constantly leaving to go to 'The Rose Farm.'

Considering that someone or something is trying to claw their way into the house every night, should you be distracted that much.

Is it safe for you or anyone else?

Of course, he's a young man, so he's got one thing on his mind.

And no, it's not roses.

Who will live?
Who will die?

Will the reveal of the Monsters be worth all of the build-up?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that is interesting contrast of many things at once.

The Film looks peaceful, with its lovely farmlands and hills in Ireland.
The Film gets very chaotic when the Monsters make their (erratic) moves!

The Film is all about Family and staying together.
The Family is torn about by one's desire to hang out with a girl somewhere else.

The Monsters- no SPOILERS- are freaky things.
The Monsters don't really get explained and you *really* want to know how they got like this.

The Film is sold on Nic Cage vs. Monsters.
Nic Cage is a key part of the Film, but the Plot gives the main focus to the young Leads.

Arcadian is a fun and interesting low-budget Horror Film.  There are certainly lots more 'Family surviving against weird monsters' after A Quiet Place (not that the Film introduced the concept).

This is a good one of those, even giving us a Relax at the Waterfall Scene to boot!

A Film with a tight focus, a small Cast and some crazy Monsters.  They are definitely worth the build-up, so give this one a chance.

Tubi Thursday: Horror Hospital (1973)

 Let's escape the horrors of the Present by seeing some Horrors of the Past.

Oh look- they're all in one Hospital!

A wannabe Rock Star and a Lady looking to visit her Aunt both end up at a 'Health Hospital.'

They meet on the train and pretty much fall for each other immediately.

This is the last Film of Actress Phoebe (billed as Vanessa) Shaw, so she does nudity.  Thanks for asking.

They see some things that they don't like.

Of course, now the place is locked down by the Head Doctor (Michael Gough) and patrolled by a bunch of faceless bikers.

They really were all the rage in the '60s!

The Doctor has been experimenting on people for a while.

Oddly, we don't get his big monologue until *way* late in the Film.  It even comes with flashbacks, which makes it feel even later in the Film than it is.

He has the two in his power, so why not tell them your whole plan?

The guy- Jason- does make an escape, leading to a chase and a prolonged fight just there to introduce the bubbly marsh into the Plot for later.

Speaking of later, the Aunt decides to say 'See you later' to Gough after another young man (Abraham) shows up and she's convinced that things aren't going well.

They did just kill the guy who got people to show up too.

Well, her exit is less than amicable when a strange guy who appears to be covered in goop chokes her to death!

Can Jason, Abraham and the Dwarf (coming this Fall to ABC) make an escape?

Nah, it won't be that easy.

Instead, there's a big old climax and, shock of all shocks, they burn the place down!  How unique!

To see how strange this gets, stream it now.

A fun flick, even if it is pretty damn silly.  To be fair, that is part of its charm- intentional or otherwise.

I'm honestly not clear if this was *meant* to be an absurdist Comedy inside of a Horror Film at most points.

There is one bit where they prolong an action like how Family Guy used to do which makes me think that it is a Comedy. Other parts include torture and bloody deaths, so dunno.

The Plot is a weird mix of ideas, cliches and new things tossed into one freaky salad of a Film.  
For example, there's a late reveal with Gough that is right out of House of Wax.  

Other bits like controlling humans with machine parts is a unique (for the time) riff on old Zombie Films.

The Film is far from perfect, of course.  It introduces Abraham very late into the Film and his whole Arc (gotta rescue my girl) ends abruptly with no great resolution.

Horror Hospital has a few things going for it, like a few gimmicks, a fun Cast, a good location and a bizarre Plot.  It has encapsulated how so many of us feel after Tuesday night...

For a fun bit of '70s silliness, check it out.  The fashions alone date this- not even getting into the technological aspects.