Unlucky Day: Friday the 13th- The Series 'Tales of the Undead'

 Another Friday the 13th, the second of two this Year.

Was it worth the wait to catch another Episode of those Cult Classic Show?

Let's find out as we look at...

This Episode features a crazy-looking guy being obsessed with a rare Comic, but he can't buy it.

Our Hero- John D. LeMay- is revealed to also be a Comic Book Fan- at least for this Episode.

He also obsesses over the Comic and goes to leave the Shop.

The crazy guy breaks open the case and takes the Comic.

He grabs it and he transforms via Comic Panels into the Character from the Book!

He kills the Owner and knocks our Hero aside.

John goes to the Artist- Ray Walston- and he's a bit bitter about how the Character was 'stolen' from him (think Siegel and Schuster).

He finds out who took the Comic and confronts him, stabbing them with an Award he won.

Now he has the Comic and he wants revenge.

Before it happens, we learn from the Grandson of the Publisher that it wasn't exactly stolen.
He got paid for it...and then lost the money in a land deal.

Regardless, he confronts the man after our Heroes leave.

He transforms into the Robot and smashes the place up, killing the Publisher('s Grandson).

I guess his revenge sort of works...if you kill the son of the son of the person you're mad at.

The Leads figure out that an angry Walston wrote a Comic where the Character dies, but it was never published.

He tries to burn the pages- keeping him immortal as said Character-, but John reads the page.

It was the Award- written ironically at the time- so he uses that to kill Walston.

The End. 

A fun Episode, even if they muddy things up a bit.  Walston was wronged...or was he?  Sort of...I guess.

The idea that there are two killers/users of the device is an interesting twist.  I don't think I've seen that in the other Episodes I've done so far.

How unique is it overall?

The premise here is really silly.  I mean, why does the cursed comic let you become the Character?  Who made the curse?  Why?

I guess the idea is that Walston's rage leaked through his signature into the Comic....maybe...I dunno.

The Special Effects are stylized- which covers up the fact that they couldn't do morphing in 1987 on a TV Show Budget- and I kind of dig how cheesy they are.

As far as weird premises go, this one is up there.

Plus, the Robot is clearly *inspired* by a certain Space Knight...

A silly Episode, even by this Show's standards.  That said, they 100% commit to it, so fair play!

Tubi Thursday: Dr. Jekyll's Dungeon of Death (1979)

 A Film with a salacious Title- what could go wrong?

Like other Films of its ilk, is it a memorable Film?

This is a Film about a Mad Scientist.

Naturally, it begins with 2 guys beating the crap out of each other.

Wait- what?!?

We learn via Jekyll's Narration that he is experimenting with his Grandfather's Formula.

It brings out rage.

Oh, and he's kidnapped a Woman who he wants to marry.
Joy.

His House is full of people under his control.

A former Doctor is now his mindless servant (and looks like Blackenstein).
His Sister had a lobotomy 20 years ago and just makes weird faces.

If you like this guy narrating and abusing these people, you're in luck.

Oh, and more fighting.  Lots more fighting.

Seriously, the Film has 4 prolonged bits with people punching, kicking and screaming.

Joy.

Jekyll has invited the Father of the woman he kidnapped to his House, telling him that she was dead.

He wanted his help to perfect his formula.

Unfortunately, he's blisteringly insane.

As such, after even more fighting, he ends up with a bunch of dead folks- including the Dad- in his basement.

At least things finally pick up...right before its end.

The End.

A Film that is really strange...but that's about the nicest thing I can say.

The Film is so full of random people fighting- it's weird.  A good 40% of the Film is just unnamed people punching each other.

The titular Dr. Jekyll is full of himself.  He does more narration in this Film that David Attenborough has done in his entire life.

Leave one thought unspoken- please!

The whole Film feels like a good chunk of a Film...but they just filled it with cruelty, fighting and monologues.

The Director made this in 1979 after making two *ahem* Adult Films...so he never got the chance to prove what he could do.

Oh well.  Now let me enjoy my new wall art in peace...

A Film that feels like 60% of an interesting Film.  Sadly, this is the whole Film, so...

Should You Bother?: The Expendables- Extended Director's Cut

 I liked The Expendables when it came out in 2010.  It was a Film that knew what it wanted to be and was just that.

I've seen the 2nd and 3rd Films.  I'll see the 4th in time.

Hell, I own all 3 Films.

So, I was surprised as hell to find the Director's Cut sitting in a bin at a Thrift Store.  It was a thing?!?

Well, it is.  
It came out in 2011, released during Production of The Expendables 2.

This one is a bit complicated, but worth talking about...

A quick recap and then I can get into the meat of things...

The Expendables are a group of Mercenaries who take out bad guys.  They're a bit jaded, but take an assignment to help out an Island nation under a Military Coup...and the CIA.

They come in and save the day, growing as people and regaining some humanity in the process.

All yours now, Sly.

Should You Bother?

The big additions here are, get this, Character Moments.

Yes, in a Film like this.

Most of the new Content is about that, including showing a longer version of Statham's initial breakup with his girlfriend and having him talk about how it upsets him later as they explore the Island.

I've read some people say that this is annoying, but, let's be honest- we've all been around guys- and gals- like this.

Other Characters like Jet Li's Ying Yang (they all have codenames FYI) getting some time to talk here and a longer version of Toll Road (Randy Couture) talking about his past experiences.

He gets a nice monologue about his cauliflower ears and how they shaped him, which will surely run during his eventual Oscar Reel.

A small change, but a big one.

In the Theatrical Cut, we see Gunnar (Dolph Lundgren) hired by the bad guys to take out the group (after they fire him).

In the Extended Cut, we see how he got there- he stowed away on the Plane.

On top of that, HE offers them his services, not the other way around.

Mind you, he seems to die in both Cuts and then is just happily alive and back with the group at the End.

There are other changes here, like switching out Music Tracks to better fit the mood and using the Theme Song during the Climax.

Most of them, however, are very minute.

Simply put, Movies- unless you're Clint Eastwood Directing them- do multiple takes and pick the best (hopefully).

As such, nearly every Scene that isn't added is a slightly different take.

To give just one example, this is the Theatrical Cut...

...and the Extended Cut.

This is a Director's Cut after all, so he is just picking the takes that he preferred.

Verdict: Yes.

You can argue about whether he should have cut 'The Boys are Back in Town' from the Film and stuff like that, but honestly, this Version is what Sly wanted to make.

His Characters are more nuanced, have an Arc and are fully formed.

The Theatrical Cut is mostly there, but this is an improvement.

Immediate Response: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

 The Film is doing quite well.  Let's see how it was...

The Good
The Good

* This is a Tim Burton Film.  No question about it.

* Keaton and company shine in their return to their Roles here.  Everyone gets a bit of an Arc.

* The new Players- like Ortega, Thoreaux, Bellucci and Dafoe- are welcome additions.  They each bring something interesting and fun to the role.

* The Film feels like a more polished version technically, while not losing the visual aesthetic of the original.  This Beetlejuice is able to be much more of a Cartoon Character thanks to newer visual FX available.

* The Plot is a fun one, playing with the idea of the Afterlife and its rules.

* A fun Climax feels like a callback to, but not redo of, the Original.

The Bad

The Bad

* The Pacing of the Film is odd.  They spend lots of buildup on many Characters and the Arcs end abruptly.

* Burton spends a big chunk of time showing pictures of and referencing Jeffrey Jones here.  Why?!?

* The offhand way some Plot Points are explained is not bad, but quite silly.

* More Dafoe.  More Bellucci. 

* Poor Bob. :-)

A fun Film that works as a Sequel to a Classic.  It is a nice return to form for Tim Burton and company.

Poor Bastards of Cinema: Another 48 Hours (Part 1)

 A quick return to Eddie Murphy.

Let's look back at our first Poor Bastard in a while, this time for the somewhat-forgotten Sequel.

In the Film's opening, some bikers meet at a Desert Bar.

When 2 Cops show up, one of them recognizes one of the bad guys.

They are slow on the draw and get knocked out a window by gun shots...somehow.

The other Cop is taken out.

However, they aren't the real victims here.

The Bartender hides during the action, thinking that he needs to call for help.

However, he's met by the other Biker looming over the Bar.

Ruh roh!

Sure enough, he doesn't want him calling the Cops...er, more of them, I guess.

To quote Chris Claremont, 'Bang- you dead.'

In hindsight, the guy dealt with dangerous, usually armed Bikers all of the time.  He had to expect something like this.

The moral- stay off your phone.  It just might save your life!

Next up, a Poor Bastard so abrupt that it took me three tries to get my Screenshots.  It's that random and sudden.

Tubi Friday: Night of the Comet (1984)

 My schedule is all out of whack this week, but I can't skip Tubi.

As such, here's a rare Friday edition where I check another '80s Cult Classic off of my List...

It is 1984.  A Comet is about to pass by the Earth.

Let's celebrate!

What could go wrong?

It turns out that the radiation from the Comet turned everyone exposed to it directly into dust!

Neaby, a young Thanos takes notes.

Our Heroine survived by staying the night with her (soon written out) boyfriend in the Projection Booth.

Time to be an Action Heroine!

There are also Zombies that sometimes show up.

I was expecting way more of them, but honestly glad to not be bogged down by them too much either.

She finds her Sister- who also avoided dusting- and they try to find someone for help.

They would get it in the form of Hector (aka Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager).

The duo can't stay together forever, as Hector goes to check on his family.

Left alone, the duo try to find hope in a barren World that looks like New York during that smoke coverage last year.

Of course, they are not alone.

To find out, stream the Film now.

Thankfully, this is a Film that pretty much lives up to its reputation.

The Film is one of those that really works like a Time Capsule.  You watch it and see how things truly were back then.  I was 1 years old, so I wasn't exactly cognizant.

It is fun to see.

The Plot is a riff on the Last Man on Earth idea, but with quite a few twists and turns there.  Having the sisterly bond is nice to see.

There's lots more to the Plot than I was expecting as well.  This is one that could easily be done again in an expanded format like a Limited Series too.

Someone has to have considered it.

Plus, a partial Eating Raoul reunion to boot.

The actual Film is quite fun and sure makes me feel a bit dumb for not seeing it until now.
What?!?- I had excuses!

A Film that lives up to the hype.  If we are reliant upon some Valley Girls to save humanity, I like our odds!

Leave Me Stallone: Assassins (1995)

 A Film brought to you by an unexpected combo- The Director of Superman- The Movie and the Writers of The Matrix.

No, really.

This is Assassins, a 1995 Film with, of course, Stallone as the Lead.  Richard Donner is at the helm and, yes, the Wachowskis did write this.
Granted- there were many rewrites done (by Brian Helegeland) and they were not happy!  Even so, their credit stuck.

The Plot involves an Assassin taking work when a rival shows up.  Is he the new target?
He's given one more assignment with a big payout and, yeah, you can see where this is going.

Can he stop his younger, cockier rival?  To find out, read on...

Robert Rath (Stallone) is an older (but not old- he's the Star!) Hitman.

He's given an assignment to take out a Mobster at his Brother's Funeral.

To reuse my joke from an old Seagal Film Review, 'this does save time, no?'

Before he can shoot the guy (using a gun hidden in a fake cast), another guy- Antonio Banderas- does it instead.

The pair have a shoot-out while the Cops clear the bystanders away.

Banderas is arrested, but kills the cops to escape.

Rath takes a $2 million dollar job to stop a Hacker from giving some Data to some Dutch Buyers.

She's Julianne Moore and dresses like a character in The Matrix.  That tracks.

However, Banderas is there too, killing the buyers (who were actually feds), but failing to catch her when Rath decides to protect her (and her cat).

I actually do like this Film, but I also love to laugh at old tech.

This computer gives them both their assignments (and leads to a reveal later).

Could you even run Quake on that thing?

He continues to target the duo, leading to lots of good and tense Action Scenes.  Hell, we even get a Poor Bastard of Cinema out of it maybe.

It all climaxes at her Apartment which Stallone blows up.

Banderas puts a table in front of the blast, falls out a second story window...and is fine.

After a failed attempt to stop them in Seattle, the climax takes place in Puerto Rico.

Banderas stalks Stallone outside of the same Bank where he killed his Russian Rival ten years prior.

Of course, Stallone has this as a trap for him too!

Who will come out on top?
I mean, you can probably guess, but I won't SPOIL it here.  The End.

A Stallone Film from this Ser that I like?  Is that possible?

Thanks to the talented people involved- on-camera and off- the Film is much better than I expected.  It doesn't try to be a Stallone Fantasy about Crime and it doesn't Cast him so against type that he just looks bored.

Banderas really brings the fresh energy to this, which is evident even later when he returns for The Expendables 3.  He's quite fun.

Don't get me wrong- it's not perfect.

For some reason, they have a Day of the Dead Festival taking place in Puerto Rico...which doesn't celebrate it nationally.  
It also gets a bit bloated as it goes from Act 2 to Act 3, which stands out in contrast to the tight pacing of the rest of the Film.

At worst, the Film is an Action Movie that revels in the silly aspects.  At best, it is a very good Action Movie with good Writing, Casting, Production Values and Direction.

Finally, a Film to close up this set that I don't want to flush.  No- bad kitty!

Next up, I recently bought another Stallone Film that is dying for a review.  Yo soy le ley!

Shudder Day: When Evil Lurks (2023)

 A Film from last Year that is famously dark and bleak.

Let's take some anti-depressants and check it out...

Out in rural Argentina somewhere, a body is found by 2 Brothers.

This leads them to a nearby House that has a Rotten aka a man possessed by a Demon that is trying to come to life with them as a vessel.

The nearby resident wants to kill it, but he is told not to.

If you shoot them, the infection will spread.

There are many, many rules (okay, seven).

The Brothers leave town and the Neighbor takes things into his own hands.

Will it end well?

The older Brother goes to pick up his kids from his ex-Wife.

The issue is a spread of infection, so...you were warned.

Can the duo keep their family alive?
Can they stop the spread of evil?

Just don't go in expecting great things to happen to nice people, folks.  
NO SPOILERS.

A well-made Film- I just don't know if I'll ever work up the nerve or desire to watch it ever again.

For starters, the Film looks great.  It feels authentic.  It looks gritty.  The world looks lived in.

The idea is not completely unique- hell, the Omen TV Pilot had it possessing people- but it is definitely one that was done in a different way.  The Film doesn't do a big effect for said possessions.

I don't know if it is due to a Budget or by choice, but I really like it.

As mentioned, the Film is bleak as hell.  If you go into it expecting certain things to happen because they happen that way in American Films, you're going to be wrong all of the time.

It is dark, unsettling and cruel.

For me, that can work if things ultimately go a certain direction.  What is light without dark?

I won't SPOIL it, but...I didn't get exactly what I was hoping for.  For better or worse, the Film does what it wants to and you just have to go along with it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find an Auto Repair Shop that won't ask any questions.

In hindsight, I should have expected the bleak, almost nihilistic tone.  After all, the Lead guy does look like Logan from, well, Logan!