Tubi Thursday: Dr. Giggles

With a Medical/Asylum Theme to this year's Horror Movie Madness, I might as well check out this bizarre Film that I've never gotten around to watching.

Will this Horror Comedy kill?

This is Dr. Giggles.  He's a crazy guy who escapes from a Mental Hospital.

He's also a super genius, because reasons and returns to his hometown.

In said hometown is our Final Girl- Holly Marie Combs- and her boyfriend Not Zach Braff.

She has a heart condition and fears Doctors, so a scary one is one to avoid.

The Doctor hides out in his old House, which was apparently abandoned for Decades.  Why was it left standing when it was full of bodies?

That's not how this works.

His Dad was also a Doctor who went crazy and was lynched by the Town.  He wants revenge...and this is just Freddy Krueger's Origin Story, only Medical.

I should also note that he has a compulsive giggling fit, even if it much of it is clearly ADR (his lips are oddly still while giggling).

In spite of that, the giant man sneaks around town in full Doctor gear and picks off everyone.

As it turns out, the Son was also crazy and the Doctor hid him where nobody would look.

I won't SPOIL it.
Sufficed to say, it's gross.

Can anyone stop him as he seeks to kill everyone, because...um, reasons.

Seriously, he just kind of kills anyone, be them teens, old men or adults.

Will he get his hands on Combs?

He manages to survive being stabbed, shot and blown up.

He gets an extended chance to kill Combs in a Hospital, because nobody noticed the giant burn victim.

She zaps him with the shock pads and he breaks the 4th Wall for a bit.
The End.

A Film that can't agree what it wants to be.

It wants to be a Horror Film.  It has lots of kills, although it cuts away from most of them and usually shows only the aftermath.

It wants to be a Comedy Film.  It has the Villain giggle all of the time and act over-the-top.

I suppose there is likely an audience for this kind of thing, as shown by the continually baffling love of Art the Clown.
Dr. Giggles is arguably as much of a Mary Sue here.  He overpowers everyone, can sneak into anywhere while being as silent as a Ninja, literally walks off by stabbed in the femoral artery in one leg and just seems invincible.

With Freddy Krueger, he's literally (dark) magic.  I can make exceptions.
This is just a mental patient that is impossibly strong, silent and always two steps ahead.

It's a Film that probably worked better in Comic form, which is where it began and went back to after grossing just $8.5 million against a $7 million budget.

If people you know like this kind of stuff, let them know- just maybe be less dramatic about than Cliff here.

A Film that could really work if it either reined things in or really went for the gusto.  Instead, it is nearly a cartoon, but also tries to be shocking...and mostly fails at both.

Fiction vs. Fiction Double Feature: For Your Eyes Only and Moontrap

Two Movies that I own in Comic Book form.
Two adaptations that don't change all that much.

It would be a stretch to cover either separately and I don't want to forget about these until November.

As such, let's cover the brief differences with both here.

Let's start with Bond...

***VS***

What's the Same?

It's the same Script, pretty much.  It all plays out as intended in both Versions.

I own it in this format, but my copy is not nearly this pristine.  Kids owned it, alright!

What's Different?

M is actually in this Comic.  Since the Script had him in it, they included the Character (whose Actor was really sick and couldn't shoot any Scenes) in here.

The other big thing is a little one, but a constant one.  I'll explain.
The Film doesn't have banter from the many Henchman and glorified Extras that make up the Cast.

This is likely since they were actually Foreign and thus didn't speak English.
The Comic has them all making quips/comments constantly.

In addition, the fake Margaret Thatcher is mentioned, but not shown. 
I want to think that Howard Chaykin refused to draw her, but it's likely just a likeness issues.

This might be an edit, but it looks semi-legit.

For the second feature, we jump ahead to 1989 and...

***VS***

What's the Same?

The Story- again- is based on the Script and it's a tight adaptation.

What's Different?

The Comic version is a pretty tight one at right around 25 pages.  As such, some little things get cut.

Lots of banter between Koenig and Campbell is cut out.  If you look at the first page posted above, you miss all of the Character Setup between them and jump right into the Action.

On top of that, a pair of Scenes are missing. 
A short bit with Koenig and his Son is cut and a bit where Koenig meets up with Campbell at a Strip Club (where he's getting drunk) is also cut.

In case you couldn't tell this was from the '80s.

Amusingly, this is not just to cut out the pointless T&A.
The Comic actually adds some to the romantic bit with Koenig and Mera.

In the Film, any nudity is pretty much just implied.  In this Comic, we see her naked- albeit from behind.

Oh and the Comic has NO time for Mera's Backstory about being an Ancient Astronaut!  Kind of key.
She's just discovered and ends up with Koenig as they save the day.

So, the obvious question for both...

Which is Better?

The Film (For Your Eyes Only)

The Film (Moontrap)

Neither comic is bad- at all.  Chaykin's art- while rushed by his own admission- is good in the Bond Comic.
Moontrap's Comic is just too truncated and lacks the pathos established in the Film.

With all that said, I've own the Bond Comic- in Book form- since I was a kid (and it shows).  I spent 99 cents on Moontrap and it got me to watch the Film (and likely the Sequel), so I'm still content.

'80s Fun: Moontrap (1989)

 What happens when Star Trek meets Evil Dead?  Well...

It's not this Movie- but that is a good tagline for a Poster.
This is Moontrap, a 1989 Sci-Fi Thriller that happens to Star Walter Koenig and Bruce Campbell.

To be fair, my comparison is slightly apt, since the Director- Robert Dyke- did work on Evil Dead 2- with Bruce.

What inspired me to pick this one?  I already bought the Comic Adaptation from a 99 cent bin.
Hopefully I get my money's worth.  You'll likely find out soon.

The Plot involves some strange tech being found near the Moon.  When it creates a killer robot, they realize that they must return to the Moon- remember that this is 1989- to find the source and stop it.

How well does that work out?
To find out, read on...

In the Intro, we see weird tech activating on the Moon.

After that, we meet a pair of Astronauts- Campbell and Koenig- who are flying around in the Shuttle.

They come across a big piece of debris...which turns out to be a Spaceship.

This was the same Decade that brought us the Naked Lady Space Vampire, so why not go inside?

They find a withered body and a red, egg-looking thing.
No Space Eggs- dammit!

It's actually not an egg, but an outer shell for some tech that scans its surroundings and makes a robot body.

Say- this is a great image to use for the Comic's Cover!

They manage to stop it from destroying the NASA Base when Koenig gets above it and blows it up.

You just had to shoot it there- so simple.

This- and some Western Jingoism- gets the duo a trip to the Moon.

Koenig finally lives out his dream- being in charge on a ship.
Also going to the Moon.

The duo are led to strange building and find a lady in some sort of coma.
They wake her up, but are then attacked by another robot!

They defeat the robot, but sadly Bruce's Character is killed.

It's not the last we see of his face though (for context, see the Stinger).

The woman is finally able to speak and explains that she is from another Planet!

She was sent to warn the Earth about the alien threat, but things didn't go well.

On the Moon, the aliens take the scrap from the lander- stranding the pair- and prepare to make an escape ship.

They capture the duo, but Koenig rigs the lander to blow up!

In the aftermath, Koenig is now living with the Alien Lady.

They tease a Sequel, which was planned in 1990...and then 2011...and then 2014...and finally happened in 2017.

The End (until I watch the Sequel on Tubi).

A fun, if not all that great Film.  

The Plot is nothing amazing.  Aliens are real and we have to stop them.

The hook here is the Body Horror aspect in which the Aliens merge dead flesh and machines to make the robots.  The Film doesn't *quite* nail the potential here.

The Budget is a notable thing here, as it uses lots and lots of miniatures- especially once they go to the Moon.
Guess what Mr. Dyke did for Evil Dead 2.

Is the Film worth watching to see Bruce Campbell?  Obviously, yes.

If that's not your thing, well, I don't want to know you.

The Film definitely fights to reach its potential and I'm curious to see if it was achieved in the Sequel.  Just no Bruce- oh well!

Next time, it's October, so let's see if I can dredge up some scares, spooks and gore.  Let's start with something from my digital collection.  Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: Grave Encounters (2011)

 As October officially begins this week, I'm beginning Halloween Horror Movie Madness yet again.

To start off strong, a Found Footage Film that hit big 15 years ago.

Prepare for some...

The Film begins with a Producer talking about how he was approached by a man to make a Ghost Hunting Show.

He says that this was before there were a dozen (so everyone says that this Film is set in 2003).

This man is the Host.

His Show- Grave Encounters- ran for 5 Episodes and the sixth was never submitted.

Instead, they have the 76 hours of raw footage which THEY cut into a Narrative.

They are staying overnight in a supposedly Haunted Asylum and we see that they are bit loose with the truth- because every one of these Films is inspired by Cannibal Holocaust.

After lots of setup and seeing them in full, uncut takes- again, this is from CH- we finally get some tension build up as they wander around.

The best Character- T.C.- is having none of their shit, so, naturally, the Ghosts pick on him the most, first shoving him down some stairs.

Enough happens to scare them, but now they can't get out.  They're locked in, remember?

It seems that the Residents of the Asylum don't want them to leave...but also want to make them run away.

Pick a lane, Ghosts!

Tensions rise as their appears to be no way out!  
Exits they can find don't seem to help.

As the group gets picked off one-by-one, will they finally capture the proof that they have wanted to find for all of this time?

Will anyone live to show it?
To find out, stream it now.

A Film that is very cliche- even for its time- but is there more to it?

The Plot is basic.  You know how these go.
The Location is good, if cliche.
The Acting is...not especially amazing.
All of the Found Footage cliches are on display here.

Without going full SPOILER, the Film tries to do something where the Building itself (or their perception of it) is being warped in order to keep them inside.
If this wasn't a Found Footage Film, you could get away with the trickery aspect more- but the Cameras see what they see.

There was one- admittedly bad- Ghost Hunter Film which finished halfway and then retold the events with the real things being shown. 
Maybe do that and have them yell at a missing door.  Cut to it again and show them yelling at a wide open door that they just can't see a way out of it.
Just a thought.

In any event, this one has a very predictable beginning and ending.  Between that, a few good ideas slipped in.
On the plus side, Ghosts now to write the whole message equally across the door.  No 'Don't Dead Open Inside' mistakes by them!

A Film that I can see the hype for at the time.  For me, they only tried to do a little bit different and that wasn't enough to avoid being full of cliches.

Streaming Standard: Spider-Noir (2026)

 A Show that many people said 'Why bother?' when it was announced.

Was it too crazy to last?

This is...

In 'Into the Spider-Verse,' Nicolas Cage voiced an over-the-top Crime Noir version of the Character.

In this Show, we see A version of that Character, but not necessarily the same one.

He was simply The Spider and he fought crime, until he vanished 5 years earlier.

Ben Reilly stopped being The Spider when he was unable to save his Fiancé from drowning in the East River (inside of her car).

He's now a Detective only and he's usually drunk and/or depressed.

A woman named Cat comes into his Office and gives him a case to work.

It involves a crime lord named Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), former Soldiers he served with in WWI and a man who could set himself on fire.

...and live.  That's the key part, isn't it?

The Show is available to watch in either Black and White or True Hue Color (see below).

I chose B&W.
It is Noir, after all.

As it turns out, the Soldiers from Reilly's past- himself included- all ended up with special powers.

This is the Noir version of Sandman and Tombstone, but there's also Electro later.

The downside- what gives them powers is slowly killing them!

Will Ben Reilly become The Spider once again to bring justice to them and the entire City?

Can he still do it?

Will we get at least one Nic Cage freakout?

To find out, stream this Show now.

A well-made Show that is, sadly, only going to get a niche audience.

The Pitch couldn't have been easy- an alternative Timeline version of pre-1930s New York with an older Cage as Spider-Noir.

Hell, Nic Cage is a bit of a niche pick now.  No offense, Mr. Cage.

If you can buy into the premise and watch this one in B&W for full Noir effect, it really works.  Cage is a hard guy to love at first, but you soon realize that he's just hiding his pain and running from responsibility to avoid pain in the future.

He's a good guy.  He's relatable.

The Plot is simple enough to follow, but also complicated enough to be true Noir.  It's another balancing act.

For me, it all came together, thanks to the strong performances of everyone involved- especially Cage and Gleeson.  It won't necessarily be for you.
As for me, I'm just going to deal with the fact that Amazon just cancelled the Show...

A really creative Show that made some big swings.  The Show will either hook you or lose you right away.

Tubi Thursday: Morgan- Killer Doll

 A final Asylum Film- finally!

To close out the Month, let's pivot to their rip-off of MEGAN, just in time for the Sequel to (sadly) bomb in Theaters.

This Doll is not in this Film.

A young woman is a bit crazy and just killed her abusive Dad.

A young woman is troubled, raised by her widowed Dad after an accident.

The former confesses her love via letter and her friends make fun of it.

The girl douses herself in gasoline and burns herself.

The nice girl is left with...this...doll...

The doll comes to life and gets revenge on the people who wronged the dead girl.

Just kidding- she kills this Black Housekeeper who just showed up in the last Scene.
Her body is never shown or mentioned again.

I should also mention that Michael Pare plays the nice girl's Dad.  He's sitting down in 95% of his Scenes and the first time we see him walk around, he gets attacked.

Sitting was a good idea, Michael!

The doll kills a few of her friends.

This one has a twist, so I'll hide it a bit for you.  Highlight below if you want to know...

The Doll is actually the girl, who faked her death via fire.  Just like The Boy.

Who will survive this land of death, interiors and L.A. B-Roll?
To find out, stream it now.

A Film that promises so little and delivers just that.

Fair play- you didn't make a Killer Robot Girl.  She doesn't dance.

That said, you didn't do anything that's actually clever or original with this.
It's all cliche.

Hell, this one gave me flashbacks to The Jolly Monkey- a different Rip-Off you did. 
That and that Elves Movie with no Elves in it (or Dan Haggerty).

This Film is just full of things that almost sound deep, are almost interesting and don't really subvert things.  Did I really expect the Cop who appeared in literally one other Scene to save the day?

Of course not.

Hell, this Film didn't even appear to shoot its Cemetery Scene in an actual Cemetery.  They showed B-Roll of one and then pointed a camera up from the ground at the Actors standing around a wreath of flowers.

A Film that could have tried to do literally anything different or clever.  Ironically, the Film they were piggybacking on did just that (but nobody but me liked it for it).