Shudder-day: Late Night with the Devil (2024)

 At long last, the Film that made different groups mad for VERY different reasons.

How do I feel?

Let's find out...

A Late Night TV Host- David Dastmalchian- has been competing with Johnny Carson, but he's never beaten his ratings.

His Contract is nearing the end and he's desperate.

So, on Halloween Night, he books a *spooky* Episode with some possibly real danger behind it.

I wonder if Conan ever tried that with The Tonight Show?

He books a Psychic to impress the audience and then a famous Skeptic (based on James Randi).

The goal was to get conflict, which would hopefully pop the Ratings.

The Psychic experiences some strange issues during his set and be taken to the Hospital.

The main Guest was now booked- a girl who was possessed by a demon!

What could go wrong?  
To find out, stream the Film now!

It's really good, so I really don't want to SPOIL too much.

It gets intense.
It gets freaky.
It gets good.

The Film does a nice job of building up tension like, well, a '70s Film.  I guess that's on-brand.
Dastmalchian really shines here.  It's nice to see him in a Leading Role, as he's shined in Supporting Roles for a long time.

I will say that the Film's beginning is really exposition and narration heavy.  I love Michael Ironside's baritone voice and all, but the poor guy has lots of heavy lifting to do.

That aside, the Film is a really good one.  I'm glad that the outrage- justified or otherwise- has not stopped people from checking this one out.

You should too.  What's the worst thing that could happen?

The rumors are true- this is quite good.  Listen to the Devil on your shoulder and check it out.

Immediate Response: Godzilla x Kong- The New Empire (2024)

Very late to the party here, but it is still in Theaters.

Should you catch this on the big screen?

The Good

* This is a blast!  You get to see giant monsters of many varieties do battle across the World.

* Like the previous Film, Kong gets a bit more focus and as much of an Arc as you can give a Giant Ape that doesn't talk.

* A mix of new and old Characters keep the dynamic fresh, not just relying on callbacks or familiar beats.  Dan Stevens is a welcome addition!

* The human really do add plenty here, from Drama to Comedy.

* The new villain is not just another familiar kaiju, so this one feels more like worldbuilding than nostalgia.  Plus, he's a pretty mean character!

* They play with gravity to make the Action Scenes- especially in the finale- interesting and with a unique dynamic.

The Bad

* No Mid/Post Credits Scene.  This is more about me saving you time, if you don't want to read the 4,003 names in the Credits.

* There is a striking similarity between Kong later in the Film with the smaller Ape and a big-name game franchise.  Why not copy what works though?

* The Film does require a lot of buildup, getting everything and everyone in place for the big battle.

* The Film tries its best to recap the previous ones, but I could see someone being a bit lost at certain points.

* This is far more of a Kong Film than a Godzilla one, if that's an issue for you.

All in all, a big, fun Action Film with lots of big, fun Characters.  It might be a bit slow of a buildup for some, but I'm looking forward to enjoying it at home in, what, a month.

*Not* Tubi Thursday: Nemesis 4- Dark Angel

 So, here's the thing...this 4th Entry in the Series is not on Tubi.

I'm not just going to skip it, so I found a different digital copy to view.

My commitment to this Series is strong...if questionable at this point.

So, all of that talk about and setup for Alex going back to the future (not TM if lowercase) and saving humanity?

Eh, that doesn't matter.
At all.

Alex is a Bounty Hunter that kills cyborgs for money.

She's also in Mexico.
Also, the future is really unimpressive.

Her Boss is Andrew Divoff, who we only see in close-up like this.

He wants her to retire.
He keeps talking about how weird she looks and how she can't blend in.

That feels like a weird thing to say about your Lead Actress, no?

She kills her target in his Car- since the Film can't afford to shoot at a Motel, I guess- and then goes to her cohort.

He's a mutant like Divoff, who hooks up with her and then also tries to kill her.

She talks to a 'Dark Angel,' who says that she will collect her body when she dies.

She apparently killed the wrong target, so this guy comes to kill her.

He's immediately taken out by a single, thrown pipe.

Oh, and I should mention that Alex is nearly naked for about 80% of this Film.
I mean, good for her...I guess.

Wounded by the guy earlier and figuring that she has no chance, she calls her friend Johnny Impact (not the one from this Film) to kill her.

Naturally, they hook up...but then she sees the Angel appear again and shoots her!

She was no Angel- she was just working for Divoff as part of his scheme to get rich and kill Alex.

Alex and Johnny kill him after the latter gets the payment for 'killing Alex.'

The End.

Um...what is this?

According to IMDB, the original plan for this was far different and actually connected to the previous Films.  That would have been nice!

If this was a weird, one-off Film, I'd be far less bothered by this.

Granted- the Film is not good in that regard.  It has almost no Plot.  It has very little variety.  It was shot in 5 days in about 2 locations- if you count a street next to the previous location as a new location.

There are random bits of sci-fi nonsense in here- shown via morphing and close-up practical effects.  They can be fun, if cheesy and ridiculous.

There's not nearly enough of them.

As weird as this might sound, this Film about a nearly naked lady bodybuilder killing Cyborgs is somehow boring!

I know- I was shocked too!

Well, there's one more Film- made in 2017- so let's see if this 'Series' can go out with a bang.

A surprisingly dull Film, all things considered.  I guess Tubi was trying to do me a favor.

Buy the DVD!: Godzilla- The Animated Series' 'Lost Episodes'

 I don't know why I didn't talk about this before.  Let's amend that...

In 1998, a TV Show based on the Roland Emmerich Godzilla Film came out.  
It was actually good.  Not amazing or lifechanging, but good.

However, it had to compete with a boom period for Anime in America, especially on its own Network.

It had to fight for air time against Shows like Digimon, which would get double-episode blocks or Marathons.

As such, 2 Episodes were bumped from Airing.  At all.

As such, you need the DVD Set (which I got from Dollar General) to see them.

In Tourist Trap, a man is trying to make a buck filming the HEAT Team catch/battle Monsters.
He's voiced by the same Actor who played Earl (The Dad) on Dinosaurs and it is 100% that voice.

A deep-sea fish has wandered into our area and is eating up the place.

They have to stop the man from interfering, while also stopping the biggest of big mouth bass!

In The Ballard of Gens Du Marais, a strange creature is on the loose in New Orleans.

It can shoot oil and seems to be attacking places owned by a rich magnate.

A local man shows up and explains that he 'summoned it' with 'his hate.'

The magnate was polluting the land and he seems to be able to influence, just not fully control, the creature.

It, of course, ends in a big battle.

This one, however, does not go in Godzilla's favor.  Instead, the creature's attack exposes the bad guy and the local man gets it to leave.

Two 'lost' Episodes that thankfully live up to expectations.  I know that there's not a massive fanbase for this show in 2024.

Even so, it deserves some praise here.

I previously covered the one where they go to the Future (of 2022) and it was good.  Having watched more Episodes since, it keeps a good mix of Plots- even if they all involve a giant monster or two-, locations and Themes.

Yes, they all amount to 'They go to X to stop Creature Y,' but they managed to have Character Arcs, a good variety of ideas and the battles don't always go the same.

They also did a neat 3-Parter that I should rewatch and review where we get a neat riff on Mecha-Godzilla.  Remember that one, Future Me.

Even just these two manage to have a bad, boisterous Villain who isn't really all that similar.  Even the creatures- while sticking to water- aren't identical.

If you get it where I did, the whole Show is like $7.  That's a good deal for 40 Episodes and, to my knowledge, it isn't Streaming anywhere.

Amusingly, the one identical thing here is that one of the Crew has the same last name as our Hero- Nick Tatopoulous!

Honestly, this Show is a hidden gem, held down by its connection to a very, very divisive Film.  Check it out, folks!

Tubi Saturday: Nemesis 3- Time Lapse/Prey Harder (1996)

 I can't review a Film that defines a Generation of Pop Culture AND a direct-to-video Action Film from Albert Pyun in one day.

As such, I bumped this one back to now.

The Film begins with Alex laying out in the Desert, covered in blood and confused.

This allows them to recap the last Film for around TEN MINUTES.

Joy.

The confused lady finally wanders over to find...Tim Thomerson?!?

Yes, he's back as another version of his Cyborg/Android Character, this time sent back in time to scan our Heroine and get her full DNA code.

This apparently takes 10 hours, which they remind us of about 43 times.

Depending on the shot, he's either this terrible CGI Model or Thomerson with random CGI accents.

None of them look good.
The danger of playing with your new toys in 1996.

She lets him scan her a bit and inject her with a drug that slowly restores her memories.

Something about her 'Sister' showing up.
Something about going back to a Time Portal.

She finally shoots Thomerson and leaves, wandering through the desert warzone.

Thomerson, meanwhile, is trying to fix the robot from the last Film and is using two Humans to do it.

What's funny is how they try to cover up the lady on the left, even though she's 'secretly' one of the Superhumans (aka Bodybuilders).

This pays off later, but boy is it a bad tease.

The Androids are causing all sorts of low-budget trouble.  Some are normal guys like Thomerson, while others are YET MORE lady bodybuilders.

If it had less explosions, it would be a weird Fetish Film...and it still kind of is.

Our Heroine tries to escape in a car, is blown up and...that was all just her remembering what happened already.

Oh good- one of THOSE Endings!

Oy vey!  This is a great example of putting good stuff in a bad package.

The whole way the Film plays out is just unnecessary.  Why not just tell it normally?
It was a silly flourish for Tarantino to do it, but for Pyun to do it 2 years later...no.

The positives- the fun action moments, real explosions, silly F/X and a unique Lead.
I'm not going to accuse Sue Price of being a great Actress here, but she does have a certain presence.

Sadly, she and many others here are wasted here when the Film is just so annoying to get through.
It will likely lose many people with the Intro, which is a shame.

The Film could have been an enjoyable romp with explosions and Action.  As it is, I lost interest far too early and it was hard to win me back.

As I approach the Series' end, I just think of who could possibly Star in a modern update.  I think that the choice is obvious...

A Film that has some fun moments, but boy is it a slog to get through it.  The Framing of the whole thing was just a big mistake.

5,000th Post Celebration!!!: Pulp Fiction (1994)

***A big number deserves a big Film to Review***

A Film that is very iconic.  A Film that won many Awards.  A Film that got a standing ovation at Cannes.

So why don't I like it?

This is Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino's 2nd Film and arguably his most successful one.  The Writer-Director went over to Europe, partook in the local delights (it rhymes with hugs) and filled a notebook (or seven) with story ideas.

After Reservoir Dogs did so well, he got more clout, more money and a big opportunity.  This one was going to be a make or break for him.

He's been making Film whenever he felt like for the last 30 years, so I guess it worked out.

To see why I'm not a fan, however, read on...

The Film is about Hitmen/Go-fors Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield going to retrieve an item for their Boss- Marsellus Wallace.

They take the time to discuss what hamburgers are called in France, the politics of foot massages and the Bible.

They shoot two of the men and...

We now follow a different Story.

How about a brief aside about this Boxer named Butch (Bruce Willis) who takes a bribe from Wallace.

We'll cut back to him later for an entire Story about him.

Just keep waiting for the rest of that first Story.

The most famous part of the Film involves Travolta and Wallace's Wife- Uma Thurman- hanging out at a '50s Diner and dancing.

The dance is iconic, but 24 pages of rambling Tarantino dialog are what you have to live through before it.

As part of the Willis Story, we get this completely random Flashback.

Christopher Walken appears as a guy who gives a watch to young Butch.  It was stored in a dark place that rhymes with 'his bass.'

This explains why the watch is important...but, it is still random AF.

Butch's Story involves him actually winning his fight (not shown) and running off with the money.

His exit is delayed and he ends up with Wallace in the Basement of a Pawn Shop.

It's famous...but, again, it is random AF.

We finally get to see the end of the story of Jules and Vincent after about 90 minutes or so.

We see a sudden death (another one), a small role for Harvey Keitel, Tarantino himself saying the 'N-word' 4x and they end up at the Diner from the beginning proper.

The Robbers we saw first are now back.  Yep, that part was happening later...or earlier.

Look- time is a relative thing, especially here.

The Film ends with a redemption arc for Jules, but we also already know that Vincent dies later, so...hurray?

Is this Film worthy of its reputation?

Most people say 'Yes.'

I get why.  If you view the Film segments on their own, they are mostly quite good.  Some of them are paced terribly- like the Travolta/Thurman Diner Scene- and others go in strange directions- the Butch/Wallace Story.

Like many 'greatest of all time Films,' most people don't actually watch the whole Film in one sitting.  That or if they did, it was 20+ years ago.
The reputation is reinforced over and over again until the actual Film doesn't matter.

I liked many parts of this.  
Jackson, for one, earned his Oscar nomination.  Travolta was good too.
The Finales of most of the Stories are memorable, whether it is for a good reason or a bad one.

In summary, I get why people love it.
For me, however, it is too long, it didn't need to be shown out of order and it has all of Tarantino's vices.

I'm not going to 'do the dance' here and tell you that I love it if I don't.

Next up, let's look at a classic John Carpenter Film.  Let me make up for lost time by watching it now.

Remake This: The Fog (2005)

 We think about these Remakes as being a really recent thing, but yet this one came out nearly 20 years ago.  

Sorry for making you feel old just now.

In 2005, the 1980 Film by John Carpenter was remade.  Why?
Best guess- Pirates of the Caribbean made lots of money and this Film is *sort of* about them.

Interestingly, the Film really leans into the fact that it is 'From the Makers of Halloween.'  To be clear, that's a lie for a couple of reasons.
1) John Carpenter said he only visited the Set once and 'wished them luck.'
2) Debra Hill died from Cancer before the Film actually began production.

It is the return of Tom Welling to Mondo Bizarro too.  Is this the Film that made him a big, breakout Movie Star?

To find out, read on...

The Film begins in the Past with someone rowing away from a burning boat.

I'm sure they're fine.  I mean, the water will put out the fire...right?

In the Present, the nearby Town is celebrating the Anniversary of its founding.

I hope that they have a bonfire.
To be fair, their Mayor is Windom Earle, so that's on brand.

Local Boat Captain- Welling- is out with some customers and his anchor disrupts one of the items dropped in the boat fire incident.

That apparently sets the Plot in motion.

Damn you, Anchor!!!!

His former girlfriend is back after 6 months (they shot this in Canada, so his absent girlfriend can't be there).

He wants to be serious with her in their relationship.
She continues to have weird dreams.

I'm watching the 'Unrated Version.'  That means that it is a whopping THREE MINUTES LONGER.

I'm sure they spent this on all of the Scenes of her having visions, acting confused and using Google.

Yes, they use actual Google and not 'WordSearch' or 'Spoogle.'

In the B-Plot, the local DJ- Selma Blair- is trying to raise her kid as a Single Mom.
This seems necessary.

She's also got the guy at the Lighthouse always making moves on her via Skype.
I'm sure his 2005 Internet Connection in a small, Oregon Town is great.

After far too much build-up, the titular Fog finally encompasses the Town.

After killing a few folks the day before, it gets to work.

It kills the Lighthouse Guy with fire...as Ghosts do.

They cause mild, mostly PG-13 mayhem in Town during the Third Act.

It's all about killing the descendants of the Founders who burned down a ship in the Intro Scene.

Ghosts always do this and it never seems fair.
If my Great Grandfather punched a baby, does that mean that a Ghost should kill me?

There's no stopping the Ghosts...until there is.

The Lead one thinks that our Female Lead is the spitting image of his love.
She somehow agrees to kiss him and... turns into a Ghost to go back to the Ocean with him.

Um...huh?  The End.

Look- I know it has been a while.  That said, I was working in Theaters when this come out in October 2005.
I have ZERO memory of this Film.

I remember Films like Hostel, King Kong and even Supercross (mostly the empty Theaters TBF)...but not this.

I watched this Film last week and I'm struggling to remember key details already.  I remember lots of build-up, lots of searching for information about old Ships and Ghosts occasionally doing vague, evil stuff.

To mix things up, I watched this first and not the Original. 
If this is different, I don't know yet. 
If this is better, well, I doubt it.
We'll find out after the next Anniversary post.

As for me, well, let me celebrate this rarity- a Film that features a pointless beefcake shot and not female nudity.

Next up, the original Film by Carpenter and company.  How I've gone this whole time without seeing it is anyone's guess.  See you then...