Screener Flix: Killer Whale (2026)

 Aquatic Creatures can be beautiful...and deadly.

Given that 'Killer' is in this creature's name, it can't be good.

To see how you can do both more and less with this concept, read on...

A Cold Open sets up the Character Arc of our Final Girl.

It involves a gun, a Diner and a boyfriend.

A year later, her friend convinces her to go on vacation with her.  She really wants to make things up for her...for some reason.

They visit an aquatic park with a Killer Whale...and then things take a turn.

The next day, they go out on a trip to a private atoll with the guy they met earlier.

It looks beautiful.
It looks...enclosed.

Our Heroine wants to just take in the sun, while her friend and the guy drive around in a jetski.

However, as you'd guess from the Title, they are not alone...

The duo end up trapped on a rock to stay safe from the creature.

The other problem, of course, is that they have no food and water on this random rock they fled to.

How will they survive?
Can they?
Will they escape?

To find out, stream it now.

A Movie that manages to do more than I was expecting...but also less.

The Plot is pretty simple, with a dramatic beginning to set up later events (which I won't SPOIL).  They get to the Atoll pretty quickly, since the focus is on them being trapped.

I am at least glad that we didn't get this one done in the 'arty way' (showing them on the rock and then showing flashbacks to how they got there).

I liked the Acting from both ladies here.  They felt very natural and they certainly make me want to see them in more.

In older Films, there would usually be a(n often) flimsy pretense for more people to either show up or be there. 
Link, for instance, has 3 guys from earlier go to the House to up the body count.  
That or you get Films (like Piranha 3-D) that make it a larger group of people that are often cliches.

This one is stronger in terms of story for not doing it, but weaker in terms of action and scares for not doing it.
And yes, this is similar in certain ways to a tale of a lady hiding on a rock from a shark.

And also yes, the green/blue screen work here is not always great.  I did like the Whale though.

In summary, Killer Whale is a strong Film for Story, but just know that it is more about that than it is a Creature Feature.

A Film that may not please people looking for the usual Killer Animal Film.  That said, it has many high points and nails the Story.

2025 Catch Up: The Day The Earth Blew Up- A Looney Tunes Movie

 A Film that Warner Bros made and then didn't feel like releasing.

In 2025, it finally got released in Theaters and later on Streaming.

Now that it has a UK Release, I've got a Screener to check out...

This is an Origin Story for Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.

In this one, they are raised together by this big old Farmer.

One day, when they are adults, he leaves them to take care of themselves.

As you can see, things are going great!

When an Alien crashes to the Earth, it wrecks their roof and takes over a Scientist.

Now the duo have to fix the roof or be evicted.

Things look up when they meet a new friend, who just happens to work at the Gum Factory in Town.

The job goes well until Daffy sees the Scientist, who is now basically a living zombie.

He sees him put something in the gum and freaks out.

Being Daffy, well, nobody believes him...when they should.

They get help from Penelope and isolate a sample.

It goes...well, I won't SPOIL how it goes.

Sufficed to say, they now know that there's a real threat!

To save the day, they must free the townspeople, stop the Alien and save the Earth itself.

I'm sure they've got this.
Right?

To see how it goes, check it out in Theaters or Stream it on my side of the pond.

A fun, refreshing Film that makes a good use of the Looney Tunes.

This one was a bold pick for a number of reasons.

No Bugs Bunny.
A Sci-Fi Plot.
A Theatrical Release.

By making this one a Buddy Film with Daffy and Porky, it really benefits.  As an ensemble picture, it would mean less time for the growth and less moments for each character.

Said Characters are fun to watch and you empathize with them both.

Peter MacNicol is also great as the Alien.  He has such a great voice for Animation and really goes all out.

The Film goes hard sci-fi in many ways and does feature some scares.  It is still, ultimately, a Looney Tunes Adventure and one I hope that we get more of.

Now open wide...

A fun Film that is a great return to Looney Tunes Animation made for the big screen.  Hopefully, this teaches WB some sort of lesson.

Compendium: Krampus Horror

 I hope you all enjoyed Krampusnacht.  

Did you see the Parade?

Let's see how many times I've seen a killer Krampus outside of the big-time Hollywood Film...

1) A Christmas Horror Story (2015)- MONDO BIZARRO: Holiday Flix: A Christmas Horror Story (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

2) Krampus Unleashed (2016)- MONDO BIZARRO: Screener Flix: Krampus Unleashed (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

3) Krampus: The Christmas Devil (2014)- MONDO BIZARRO: Yuletide Cheapie: Krampus- The Christmas Devil (2013) (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

4) Mother Krampus (2017)- MONDO BIZARRO: Holiday Flix: Mother Krampus (2017) (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

5) Mother Krampus II: Slay Ride (2018)- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Mother Krampus 2- Slay Ride (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

6) Vikings vs. Krampus (2020)- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Vikings vs. Krampus (2020) (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

7) Krampus 2- The Devil Returns (2016)- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Krampus 2- The Devil Returns (2016) (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com) 

8) Krampus- Origins- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Krampus- Origins (2018)

9) Krampus- The Reckoning: MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Krampus- The Reckoning (2015)

10) Krampus- The Return- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Krampus- The Return (2024)

                           

Bonus

1) Something Scary (featured a Krampus Segment)- MONDO BIZARRO: Tubi Thursday: Something Scary (2016) (mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.com)

Screener Flix: American Mummy (2017)

I don't get paid to reviews these Screeners.  The ability to watch free Films is my payment.  Here's why I don't get more than that...

Out in a random Desert, three people find a Mummy.  One of them doesn't live to tell the tale!

A bunch of folks go to investigate.  What is the secret of the Mummy?

More science talk.  More bickering.  More 'intrigue.'

People seem to be affected by proximity to the Mummy and start doing stuff that they probably shouldn't do!

What is the secret of the Mummy?  All I will tell you is that it involves LOTS of blood.

Hey guys, you forgot to put your Mummy in the Film!  Mummies don't ever seem to be that hard to do.  Dawn of the Mummy was pretty low-budget.  Those later Universal ones like The Mummy's Tomb weren't exactly big-budget.  All I can figure is that they want to make a bunch of these and are saving an actual Mummy for those Films.  American Mummy is just basically an Evil Dead-variation as Characters get possessed, bloody murder ensues and it all involves some sort of evil text.  I wanted to like this one, especially since I presumably get more Screener Invites if I'm nicer.  I'm just being honest- the Film is very forgettable.  I didn't connect to the Characters and eventually just let it play in the background.  The Practical Effects for gore are nice here.  If you just want a low-budget Film with lots of blood, this will do.  As for me, it just didn't do much.  If I don't care about these people and the Story isn't that interesting, why bother?  This actually felt a lot like that Krampus Film from the same Releasing Company, complete with lots of sudden gore and assholes in the Film.  I'm too lazy to check, but it was shot in the same place, wasn't it?  In case you thought I was being too picky with the Evil Dead comparison...

Basic stuff that gives you bickering and blood.  It doesn't really give you a Mummy, so just bear that in mind.

Top Ten Best Films I Reviewed in 2016

Now for the rest of the stuff.  These are the Films that I really liked this Year- just not the ones that actually came out in 2016.

Make sense?  Good.  Great.

Honorable Mentions include some that are bad, but so just so much fun for being so: Raptor (2001), Brainscan, Black Zoo, Wild Beasts, Wolfguy- Enraged Lycanthrope and Jaws of Satan.

10. Extraordinary Tales: For something that could be routine, they make it feel fresh.  This Poe Anthology is made great by the neat Animation and use of great Voice Actors.  Thanks to Technology, it is a timeless Cast that puts Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee in a Film together in 2015!

9. Murder in the Zoo: This one is notable for its surprising content.  The Film is old enough to predate the Hayes Code (look it up), but that actually frees it up to be really dark.  A Zoo Owner kills any man that talks to his wife in violent, shocking ways and even feeds her to Crocodiles!  This is from the 1930s!

8. The Mind's Eye: It just worked for me.  It nailed the Grindhouse Vibe, but also worked on its own.  It did Scanners right, something the Sequels rarely did.

7. Tokyo Tribe: A Japanese Hip-Hop Musical Action Film.  It sounds crazy, but it totally works!

6. Adventures of Power: There's no way that something this silly works.  A Story about a guy in an Air Drumming Competition combined with a tale of Union strife in a small Town- no way.  The Film just has so much heart, however, that it totally sucks you in.

5. Moonwalkers: Fun with Conspiracy Theories!  This one works because of the Acting and all of the work done to make it feel like the time it is set in.  At least one Harry Potter Actor made a good List...

4. Red State: Does this make up for what I said about Yoga Hosers?  Smith's 2011 Comedy-Drama is actually more balanced than you'd think, doesn't sacrifice Story for Humor and only really falters a bit at the end.  A good, solid Film

3. Doomed- The Untold Story of Roger Corman's Fantastic Four: A good Doc and it was free.  It was interesting to hear the tale of how this Film that wasn't meant to be released got made.  Everyone just had fun and was totally honest- just what you hope for in one of these.

2. The Exorcist: I suppose it would be dickish to snub the most famous Horror Film of all Time.  Joking aside, it is quite good.  The Pacing is slow at first, but it earns its Horror and rarely cheats.

1. The Lobster: How can this not be #1?  A Comedy about a Future where people that can't find love are turned into Animals.  It works so well by being dry and acerbic with such a bizarre and silly concept.  Go see it already.  Oopa!

Alright, this one should be less controversial.

Seriously, go see The Lobster!

Screener Flix: Ravenwolf Towers- Episode 1 (Bad Mary)

Watch Full Moon for free, you say?  It isn't Evil Bong or Gingerdead Man, you say?  Alright...

In this Anthology Feature, we are introduced to a strange Hotel that is mostly rented out by weirdos.  This blank-faced guy is the new Assistant Manager and will serve as our Viewpoint Character.

Since this is the first of 7 Segments, not much will actually be explained here.  Here's a SPOILER-Free Rundown for you...

A 'little person' who rents the Room and sees things with these goggles...

A strange Family that rents a whole Floor.  I like to think that these are what the creatures from Wrong Turn would look like if Tommy Wiseau was the Dad...

Mr. Mascaro from Blood Dolls is here!  He...just kind of pops his head out of a door a few times.

This Scientist guy with some weird gizmos.  What exactly is he up to?

Finally, what kind of strange things are the Family up to and who is the titular Mary?  To find out, watch the Feature.

Considering it is all set-up, it is still pretty good.  I have a love-hate relationship with Full Moon.  They used to make interesting, but silly Films.  In the last Decade or so, they have made a whole lot of, well, bad Films.  I just haven't cared all that much about their endless Evil Bong and Gingerdead Man Films.  Can you blame me?  I still want to give them a chance, so I decided to watch the Screener they solicited for their new Anthology Film (of sorts).  For the most part, it sets up some interesting scenarios that I'm curious to see play out.  As stated, it is the first part of seven (to be released every Full Moon, apparently), so we'll see how things go.  They don't go for silly nonsense here, so that's a good start.  I will note that they go right for boobs (and a mostly-pointless Opening Kill) right away...

Decently-built stuff from Full Moon that is thankfully free of 'humor.'  Can they make it work long-term?  I hope so.

Screener Flix: Krampus Unleashed

Since I already have Christmas locked down (Bob knows why), I might as well do some of this stuff earlier.  So why not kick off the Month properly with a new Film on VOD?

This is Krampus.  H'es not friendly.  He's not cute.  He just kills!

Mixing things up, the Film opens with a Flashback bit in the 1890s.  I didn't expect that!

Krampus is awakened in the present day (I won't say how) and runs across a Family on which to feed!

It doesn't go well for them- at all.

It's not a SPOILER to tell you that people die in a Horror Film, right?

Can they hide from this Creature?

Or is running the only option (assuming that works)?  To find out, watch the Film.

It is on VOD now and will be out on December 13th on DVD for us non-Hipsters.

Holiday fun?  In case it wasn't clear, this is an officially-licensed Screener, so bear that in mind.  That said, I'm still going to be honest with you.  When the Film works, it does so pretty well.  The Gore is nice, it looks nice enough and it has good atmosphere.  The problem is that the Film doesn't always work.  The opening Scene- good.  The long, fairly-drawn-out middle part- less so.  Don't get me wrong- I know how Films works.  You have to take time to set everyone up, even if you are just planning to slaughter them all.  The problem is that you get Gore in the first 10 minutes and then barely anything for the next forty or so.  Pacing is the key here.  If they had given you more Atmosphere and a little Krampus action in-between, this would be easier to recommend.  As it is, Krampus Unleashed has a good Intro, a slow middle and a fairly-fun Closing.  To make the Pacing odder, the kills come hard and fast once the 'Horror' part starts up again.  I would also note that the Film has a Character re-explain the Intro to us.  Explain it to the Characters- sure.  It is so easy to not make it feel like padding.  The Cop is checking around for the creature while our Heroes meet Exposition Guy.  When he starts telling the Story, cut back to the Cop for a few minutes.  When you cut back, he's done.  Easy peezy.  The Film has some issues, but definitely delivers as a Low-Budget Gore Film- good enough.  Let's see how the next one (with friend of the Site) turns out...

Mostly by-the-books stuff, but it does use its Budget well.  If you like Low-Budget Horror, this one will not disappoint.

Screener Flix: Doomed!- The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four

Someone gave me a link to watch this Film.  I said 'Why not?'  I watched it...so here's what it is about...

Doomed! is the Story behind the 1994 Fantastic Four Film that everyone knows...even though it was never released.

 They talk to everyone involved in the Film, save for Stan Lee.  It is odd that they found the one subject that Lee *won't* talk about on-camera.  Oh well- here's Corman.

The people are very honest about how they knew that they weren't making a Blockbuster- they were just making their Film.  They're proud of it.  Shouldn't they be?

While not all of the answers are available (as some of the money men are a bit shy), you still learn so many neat things about the Film.

For example, they Cast so quickly that they hired an Actor to play The Thing before casting someone else as 'Ben Grimm!'

In the End, this is an honest look at a Film that is only known by an odd reputation and Bootlegs.  You need to know the whole Story and you can soon.

Fun, informative stuff.  You could argue that just as many people 'know' the 1994 Film, even though most of them haven't actually seen it.  They 'know' the Story and how bad it is.  Do they really know it though?  We've only ever seen a VHS Rip copy of dubious quality and assumed alot about what went into making the Film.  Want to know actually know more?  Want to know whether or not you should give the Film a fair shake or not?  Want to know just how cheap Roger Corman could be?  To answer those questions, you have to watch Doomed!  All of the people you want to hear from are there, save for a couple.  They are open, honest and fun to listen to.  Is a Fantastic Four Film made for less than $2 million in less than 6 months going to be great?  Probably not.  Either way, this Film tells you more than you could have ever thought to ask.  If nothing else, it helps explain the inside joke from that last, disappointing Season of Arrested Development...

A good, solid Documentary about an interesting subject.  What more can you ask for?