Tubi Thursday: Fear Chamber (1968/1971)

 Another look at one of the final Boris Karloff Films.

This is another one of the quartet he filmed his parts for in 1968, but the Film was finally released in 1971.

The Film opens oddly with two people walking around in what's supposed to be a deep, underground cave.  They're looking for...something.

Meanwhile, the Father- Karloff- of the lady down there is on the phone with her the whole time...somehow.

After this, we get a prolonged bit where a woman goes to bed- making sure we see her in her underwear- before strangers turn her room into, well, a Dungeon.

She's scared, chased around and scared some more before coming face to face with Karloff in robes.

What's going on?

Well, here's the silly truth- they found a strange rock and the only thing it feeds on his pineal gland juices from people who are very scared.

How they found that out is anyone's guess.
Why they agree to elaborate rituals to scare, take juices from and then release women is also a good question to ask.

While this is going on, one lady is scheming and willing to do anything to get the creature's secrets.

She mentions once that the property of it is 'like diamonds.'

Now he's obsessed with 'getting diamonds' and becoming 'king of the world.'

This Film will go on.

After a lady dies- in a shorter ceremony- Karloff nearly also dies.

In the aftermath, he gets his Daughter and her boyfriend to stop working on the stuff.

The other two keep it up.

We then randomly get a lecture an hour in from Karloff to camera about how they found the creature.

...um, thanks?

Things go poorly for the scheming duo as the dumb guy 'bonds' with the creature and tries to kill her.
She's fed to the creature, while our...Heroes, I guess, try to stop it.

They manage to freeze the creature- who we still barely see- as the lab nearly burns down.

The happy couple survives with grandpa.

The End.

A Film that is confusing, salacious and just kind of bizarre.

To summarize, Scientists find a living rock and start terrifying random ladies to feed it.
Sure- why not?!?

This is the good kind of ridiculous at times, with the prolonged scare sequence being notable.  Too bad there's only one Scene like it.

The creatures is never fully in frame and just kind of exists in random, scattered closeups.
We only see a limb in the last 10 minutes.

This is the kind of crazy that had potential, but just kind of disappoints.
I wanted to love it- if only for Karloff- but I can't.  
Just like I can't love this terrible AI created image used on Tubi.

I nearly didn't watch it because of this.

A Film that starts out crazy and then just kind of peters out.  Oh well, Karloff didn't have to ever see it!

2025 Catch Up: 28 Years Later (2025)

 A Zombie Franchise that refuses to die?  Yeah- that tracks.

Danny Boyle is back after years of rights issues and rewrites.

This is...

A Cold Open introduces us to Jimmy, who has to flee from his town and family when the Infected strike.

Who is this kid?
Well...wait and see...for a while.

In 2030, the infection is somehow only in Britain (just pretend that Paris nuked itself like Boyle has suggested, I guess) and the Islands are locked off.

A family man (Quicksilver Meets Kraven) is raising his kid in a Village on one of those Islands.

They cross a small land bridge to hunt.

Their trip doesn't go too well, as the kid- Spike- doesn't like the killing of Infected.

They are also chased by a new Infected- an Alpha!

They already did this in Zombieland: Double Tap and the whole Alpha thing is not...a thing, but intensity.

Spike is unhappy that his Mom is getting worse health-wise and there's no Doctor.

He decides to break out of the Village with her to find a Doctor...that he was only told might be out there...from a story 15 years ago.

Kids r smart.

They eventually meet the strange Doctor, after being chased by more Infected and meeting a random Soldier.

Will this end well?

Speaking of ending well, this...is a bit divisive.

To find out how this all goes, stream it now.

A tale of two Films...or is it 3...or 4?

The first half of this Film works pretty darn well.
We get immersed in Island life, see the family and get the gist of things.

When they go Hunting, some interesting stuff happens.  It builds nicely.

...then we get a strange turn where the Film becomes all about Spike being, if I'm honest, kind of a jerk.  He's a kid, yes, but I can still judge his action, since they were written by smart adults.

His plan is not great.  His attitude is terrible.  His life skills...are lacking.

Ralph Fiennes is thankfully quite good in this, bringing some life and nuance to the 2nd half.  Does he also bring many not fully explained Plot Points and possible Plot Holes?  Also, yes.

Without full SPOILERS, the Movie is a blatant setup for The Bone Temple (and possibly more).  It just kind...of...stops.

Like the heads of random people in this Film, I'm torn.
I liked part of it.  I didn't really 'vibe' with the rest of it.

I'm a bit annoyed that they just ignored all of 28 Weeks Later, but, again, I'm not mad.

A Film with so much promise and lots of time 'in the oven.'  That said, it is all over the place in Pacing, Tone and Story.

Shudder Day: Marshmallow (2025)

 A Film getting really mixed reactions on Shudder.

Let me be the one to see where the truth lies!

This is...

A sad kid named Morgan is not doing well.

On top of his shyness, he watches a family member die.

Oh, and he also has freaky nightmares that involve drowning.

That's probably nothing, right?

Well, time to go to Summer Camp!

This one is not as bad as Sleepaway Camp, but the Counselors are only slightly better than Camp Crystal Lake's ones.

They tell the kids the tale of a Doctor who used to own a Cabin where the Camp now is.  He did freaky Dr. Frankenstein stuff.

Well, anyways, go to sleep, kids!

Morgan is recovering an accident and doesn't drink his hot cocoa.

He sees a strange person in a mask wandering around.

Is that the Doctor from the story?
Is it...real?!?

The kids must gather together and figure out what is going on.

Can the save themselves and the other kids?

To find out, stream it now.

A Film that starts out strange, gets pretty cliche and then goes pretty insane.

For starters, why is it called Marshmallow?  I think it relates to a Plot Point involving hot cocoa...maybe.

Getting past the Title issue, the Film does a good job of feeling real.  The kids feel real and the Counselors are relatable.
Is the Film full of cliches?
Well, yes...but so is life.  Boom!

Anyhow, the Film takes quite a few strange turns- that I won't SPOIL- and really makes you go 'Oh...interesting.'
I'm not 100% sure I follow it- and I get Tenet- but I appreciate the ideas.

If you're looking for a normal, Summer Camp Horror Film, look elsewhere.
If you want something odd, this is for you.

A Film that builds and builds to something strange.  How you feel about the direction it goes will vary.

Forgotten Prequels: Underworld- Rise of the Lycans (2009)

 A Film that basically exists to bring 2 Actors back into the Series.

This is Underworld- Rise of the Lycans, the 2009 Prequel to the first 2 Films.  This is...necessary?

In the first Film, we are told about what happened to create the Lycan Revolt and see Michael Sheen.
Now we got an entire Film about the thing we already know happened and one that causes mild retcons.

They had to go back and recolor Sonja's hair from the first Film. 
Kind of like how Lucas went back and replaced the ugly looking Palpatine in the first Film.

This is a full-on Flashback Film- with Selene narrating at the beginning and end- and elaborates on the whole Lycan situation.

It is also worth noting the Kate Beckinsale was married to Michael Sheen before she met Len Wiseman during the first Film's production...and went on to marry him instead.  
So maybe a Film that has Sheen back and not Beckinsale was also easier.

Regardless of whether it should, this Prequel exists, so let's blue...I mean, read on...

Long, long ago, we get the return of Viktor (Bill Nighy).

He has to deal with the threat of wild Werewolves- that never become human again- and decides to raise Lucian, the first Lycan.

He can and does become human.

This Film is about 30% just him making faces.

He uses Lucian to make a whole bunch of Lycans and then enslaves them with silver collars.

What a nice guy.

He's also not getting along well with his daughter Sonja (who is now brunette as intended).

She is impulsive, strong-minded and, well, him, but nicer.

As it turns out, she's also having an affair with Lucian, shown in a Scene that feels like a rehash of the chopped up one with Selene and Michael.

Well, except for this silly shot.

Lucian takes his collar off to save Sonja from some Werewolves, which does not make Viktor happy.

He gets his first of two on-screen whippings- a non-Roots record, right?- and is imprisoned.

While there, he forms an alliance with the Human Slaves- kept there for food and to make more Lycans- and the other Lycan prisoners.

Amongst the group is Kevin Grevioux, since he was one of the Writers of the first Film (and the general lore).

He escapes, but then comes back when Viktor arrests Sonja.

During this, we also see the conniving of Tannis, the only person from Evolution to be in this one. 
He gets put in place for his appearance there.

The rescue itself...goes poorly.

Viktor sentences his daughter to death and makes Lucian watch.

His first attempt to escape fails, but he soon summons the Werewolves (the 2nd time we see them charge the Castle here) and a battle ensues.

He thinks he's killed- but obviously didn't- Viktor, who flees with the other Vampires into the 1st Film.

We also get wrap-up via new Selene narration and a repeat of an Underworld Scene.

She is told that Viktor spared her for resemblance to his Daughter, because, sure, why not? 
The End.

A decent, if somewhat unnecessary Film.
Have I made that point yet?

In all seriousness, there are many good things here.

Nighy as Viktor is pretty one-note, but enjoyable.  He's just the evilest erudite until they brought in Charles Dance for the 4th Film.

Rhona Mitra as Sonja is pretty good too, really pulling off the look and having a presence.

As you may or may not know, she lost the Selene role to Beckinsale, so this is a good 'Silver Medal.'

The Werewolf VFX, as always, are nice.  They apparently used some of the leftover Suits from Dog Soldiers for this one, since they needed more on-screen at once than ever before.

The biggest issue here is visibility.
Since this is mostly about Vampires, it is almost always nighttime.  Throw in the continued abuse of the Blue Chroma Key feature and this Film is hard to make out for many, MANY Scenes.

While a bit redundant, I had some fun with this.  It's not great, but I won't lose my head over it.

Yes, this is a re-used prop from Evolution.

Next up, I wrap up my look at Underworld by going back to the original.  I also have the Unrated + Extended Cut, so there's hopefully more to love.  Stay tuned...

Tubi Thursday: Frostbiter- Wrath of the Wendigo (1988/1995)

 A special thanks to the person who posted in the Rifftrax Facebook Group with a clip from this Film.

Thanks to you, I finally saw this one.

Of course, I say 'Thanks,' but this is...

A man in unconvincing old man makeup narrates to nobody that he is the Guardian of a Bone Circle that keeps a Wendigo in check.

Gee, I wonder what will happen...

In short order, these two Hunters wander there and break the circle.

The main guy also kills the Guardian...for no good reason.

Elsewhere, a bunch of jerks are hanging out at a Cabin before some Evil Dead stuff starts to happen.

Elsewhere, this lady who looks like Milana Vayntrub is called by the Guardian and told that she is the new one...for some reason.

We are never told why.

She goes to the Island, but has to survive a plan crash and creature attacks!

The others eventually find her and still don't believe the tales of the Wendigo.

This is after the Witch (above) and a creature that literally ATE ONE OF THEIR HANDS.

But no, a magical creature is a bridge too far for these geniuses!

Things escalate to the moment that inspired me to find this one on Tubi.

The Wendigo finally makes an appearance and it is an inspired, if unconvincing bit of stop motion.

Can they stop it?
Of course they can.  

This is an '80s Horror Comedy after all.

A Film that I can both applaud...and criticize pretty well.

On the positive side, they really tried here.  They didn't spend a ton of money, but tried to do creative creatures, a Plot with a big scale and many Action Scenes.

That said, the Budget will either make you love it or hate it.
They used the same Miniature Shot of a Cabin- despite having a real one- and multiple matte paintings that just didn't look great.

They also put lots of kind of annoying Music in every Scene.  I'd have preferred less.

That said, there is a weird charm to it.
It is aimless, random, not that funny and cheaply made...but I can't fault them for being weird and having fun.

Just don't expect me to start taking requests...or else.

A Film with a silly charm that can work in small doses.  That said, it is also a bit grating in many moments too.

'The Abyss' and Its Copies Compendium

 Having finally covered James Cameron's (does Math) 6th most Famous Film, it is important to remember that it was very influential.

Specifically, people in the Direct to Video Market wanted some of that sweet, underwater Movie cash.

This is a complete List of the Film and its unplanned ilk...

1) The Abyss: The Film that started it all still holds up to scrutiny multiple Decades later.

It was hell to make, but a joy to watch.

2) DeepStar Six: This one signaled the turn to creature feature.

That said, I had some fun with the unoriginal Plot.

3) Leviathan: The most proper one of these copycats and arguably the best.

A Stan Winston creature and a strong Cast elevates this from okay to pretty good.

4) The Rift: This one also exists.

It features some good names and decent effects, but really doesn't stand out when compared to the rest of these Films.

5) Unknown Origin: No, not that rat one- that's OF Unknown Origin.

This one rips off The Abyss for setting, while doing The Thing and Aliens at the same time.

6) Underwater: A Film that had worse luck than a guy who moved to Hiroshima in 1943.

In spite of escaping Film Limbo right in time for COVID, this Film...is actually really good.
Seriously, go see it.

And no, I didn't ever do a Review of Lords of the Deep.  

If I ever do, I'll add it.

Shudder Day: 28 Weeks Later (2007)

 As a Film Monster Connoisseur, I've always preferred Zombies to Infected.

That said, I should pay more attention to this Series, since it suddenly revived for 2 Films in the last Year.

Let's jump back to 2007 for...

As a refresher, a strange infection started to show up in England- specifically around London.

People would get bit, get red eyes and become dangerous infected.

They would chase you down, tear you apart and snarl the whole time.

That brings us to know as our Hero- Robert Carlyle- is hiding out in the Countryside with his Wife and other survivors.

They help a child and then immediately get attacked.

When his wife is cornered near him, he chooses Flight over Fight.

Later, we are introduced to the new situation.

The US Army has moved in and has locked down the area.

Led by the top brass (including a waste of a role for Idris Elba), they have the Isle of Dogs as a Safe Zone...for now.

Enter these two kids.

They are the Children of Carlyle and his Wife.

After he's not exactly honest about how he lost their Mom, they break the quarantine and go home to get a picture of her.

Things go wrong.
They go very wrong.

Can they get out when the infection is revived and people start to die?

Let's avoid 18 year old SPOILERS and say 'To find out, watch the Film now.'

A tense Film that will hinge upon how much you care about Children.

This Film seems to inspire two vastly different reactions- 'Those poor kids' or 'Those damn kids!'

Simply put, the crux of the Plot is them breaking quarantine and discovering Mom.  Granted.

That said, the point here is that this tenuous barrier was NOT going to hold it.  If they didn't do it, some lady might go back for her hair dryer, some guy might want his skateboard or some other kids may wander over just for fun.

Also, let's be clear- the Dad is at fault here.  If he stayed, these people wouldn't die.

For many, the real villain is the shaky cam.

It can be good in small doses.  It can create a look of frantic chaos.

If you actually want to see what is happening and avoid taking Dramamine though, this is a problem.

It is also funny to wonder if this Film is the origin of Jeremy Renner being cast as a Soldier (The Hurt Locker) and the 'guy on the roof' (The Avengers).

Regardless of how you feel about kids, this one has impact and kept the Series running...in about 2 Decades.

A Film that delivers what you want from the Infected in Films.  That said, it is full of that damn Shaky Cam!