DCE-Hulu: Titans- 'Asylum'

After a Holiday (and sanity) break, it's time for more Titans.  Will they turn it around or...just get darker?  Let's see...

Back together, the group needs to question the man behind the machinations so far.  He will only talk to Raven, who learns more about her powers.

The group needs to break into an Asylum to rescue Raven's Mother.  There's no way that this will...

...of course.

Can they escape?  Can they do so with their sanity?  Will Raven be corrupted and call Trigon (who they refuse to name for some reason)?

To find out, stream it.

A dark, dark Episode.  I like that they are together.  I hate that they keep going back to 'we can't get along.'  We get it- they are brooding and angsty!  To be fair, it also comes down to them just not waiting five minutes to listen to the other.  Wait- is that better?!?  The whole Plot hinges upon Robin being a bit of a dick and Raven leaving after talking to Beast Boy for like 2 minutes.  Should I even point out that they call an Uber to a Safehouse?  Should I even point out that there's no way that Robin wouldn't know about this?  Should I even ask why Beast Boy didn't try to case the place out as a Tiger?  Hell, they don't case it out at all!  They just wander right up to the gate and things go wrong.  There's a learning curve for new Heroes- granted-, but you guys are really pushing it!  Also kudos for continuing to find excuses for Starfire to be out at night.  Back to questions now.  How does the group know about Starfire's powers?  They know about the incident with the Nuclear Family, but that's it.  They know nothing about what kind of power limit she may have or her weakness at night, but they somehow exploit both!  This one goes right to torture- both psychological and physical.  It's almost kind of 'funny sad' seeing people compare this to the Mad Mod Episode of Teen Titans.  Yeah, he hypnotized them and that's it.  He sure as hell wasn't carving Starfire open to see if she could regenerate!  Everyone goes to dark places in this one and I'm not a fan.  They seriously need to complete this 'always darkest before the dawn' crap soon!  With 4 Episodes left to go, I'm not holding out too much hope.  If you're wondering why this one is so dark, take a look at the Director's IMDB page to see one of their recent works...

Next time, everyone needs a break from the violence.  Will we get all of the Plot instead?  See you then...

WTF China?!?: The Oily Maniac (1976)

An exploitation Film from the 1970s meets a Superhero Film- discuss.  This is The Oily Maniac, a 1976 Film by Shaw Studios, the folks behind 'chop socky' Films.  The Story- a man learns the ability to turn into an oil monster to get revenge on bad people.  This is adapted from a more-commonly-known Malaysian bit of folklore, which they do credit.  It's no 'What are you talking about- The Island is 100% original' situation here.  As tastes changed, so did Shaw- if they wanted to survive, that is.  As such, they started doing more stuff like this.  It's a mix of what they knew- martial arts and drama- and new stuff- exploitation.  There's lots of nudity in this one, as well as violence and a bit of gore.  The latter is pretty tame by today's standards, but the former two are pretty notable.  This barely feels like 'a Shaw Brothers Film,' but it is.  Side-note: Run Run Shaw lived to be 107 (he died in 2014), so do whatever he was doing if you plan on sticking around for a while!  Will this mix of old and new work?  Will it be a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with hot sauce or anything with Avocado added to it for no good reason?  To find out, read on...

Some criminals are trying to take over a Coconut Oil Plant- aka a Den of Evil according to Bob- and, in the process, one of them is killed.

Without much warning, we suddenly jump ahead to some vague time later and now the Uncle is on Death Row for the killing (which was clearly Manslaughter at best).

On the day of his execution, the man calls in our Hero and explains that he had a magical formula tattooed on his back that will grant the man powers.

This new Revival of Prison Break is weird!!!

When things get worse (the criminals keep busy), he digs a hole in his house and climbs in some oil...

...and becomes Tarman!  Or is he Swamp Thing?  The Toxic Crusader?

Whatever he is, he can morph into a puddle of goo, is nigh invulnerable and can kill some Rapists.

We interrupt the Review to explain how the Film interrupts the narrative for this bit in Court.  It is that jarring.

The point- showing that this Lawyer (below) is kind of evil, but also so are the criminals.

He keeps turning into the Oily Maniac and killing bad guys.  Some of them kill people.  Most of them rape ladies.  This one is a corrupt Surgeon, so bitch gotta die!

I highlighted this shot for the creative censorship used to fit Chinese Cultural Norms and to make you wonder about what was happening in this Room.

 As the bodies pile up and tensions mount, our Hero is finally discovered by his co-worker (after killing their Boss).  He tells her that he needs to kill two last people- the ones who raped his beau and which lead to her suicide.

...so she just immediately betrays him.  Ouch.

He manages to transform and kill the men, but the Police are on his tail.  He transforms one last time, but is eventually killed by being burned up in his oil form.  Justice for all?  The End.

Bad stuff...but kind of in a good way.  The Film is pure exploitation.  It is all about showing breasts, blood and its silly monster.  The Oily Maniac Suit is neat...in theory.  I like that the eyes glow and that it looks like it is made out of thick oil.  The problem- it's a 1970s foam rubber suit and the poor guy can barely move in it.  He tries to flail his arms to do kung-fu, but...not so much.  On the plus side, he can turn into an animated puddle and move way faster!  If you watch this Film, just know that it is 50% people being terrible, 30% exploitation and 20% passable action.  The most variety you get is how the Maniac enters the Scene.  Sometimes he falls from the ceiling and other times he drips his way in through your car window.  If you don't like exploitation, then avoid this one.  If you do, there's plenty to like here.  It's still a Chinese production, so there's the conundrum of how they want to make it about Nudity and Sex, but won't show any of it.  Honestly, if it weren't for the breasts, this could pass for PG-13 in that regard.  The Oily Maniac is a weird mix of what Shaw does right and what they did to stay afloat (also see The Killer Snakes).  One bit of censorship- just for old times' sake...

Next up, a bit of '70s Horror to keep things going.  Throw in some more magic and this should be fun.  Stay tuned...

Poor Bastards of Cinema: The Predator (2018)

A newer Film, but the same old case of random murder!

In The Predator, the titular being's Helmet and gauntlet end up with the son of our Hero.  He uses both to make a Halloween Costume to avoid bullies.

Yes, draw MORE attention to yourself to avoid discovery.

Since this is the world's smallest Town, the Bullies spot him.

However, the real danger is a dumbass- who lives at House #420- who throws a rock at a kid!  

This triggers the self-defense system in the helmet...

Shooting a nice hole in his body.

Ow.

Oh and BLOWING UP THE TOP STORY OF THE HOUSE!

I hope he lived alone or his Roommate was 'stuck' working the Graveyard Shift (as opposed to being sent to one tonight)!

This guy was a dick, but that seemed like an overreaction, no?  Also, they don't *state* that he was there alone, so I'm going to just assume that he had a Roommate, a Cat and an Iguana too.

The lesson: don't throw stuff.  You never know when you might do it to the wrong kid!

Lost in Translation(?): Uninvited (1989)

Remember this Film?  It's the one where the alien monster hides inside of a cat.

It's also the Film where the Truck rolls over and 'breaks glass' about 200 times.

How do you sell this to a French-speaking market?  How do you make it seem like it has that certain je ne sais quois?

Let's see...

Wow.

A lot to unpack there...

Cat Puppet.  Monster Puppet (that looks like a cat giving birth through its mouth).  Cruise Ship.  Green sky.  George Kennedy.

Sold?

Here's the original...

Color and contrast.  Plus, as you can see, I did not make that sky green- they did!

Quick Reviews: The Predator (2018)

Like many people, I didn't see it in Theaters.  Was it worth a watch now that it is on basically every other format?  Let's see...

The Film has A TON of things to put in place during the 1st Act.  Try to keep up...

The titular Alien must show up during a crash and lose two pieces of gear to our Hero.  He's not happy.

Our Hero's Son- who's on the spectrum- must end up with said gear by way of happenstance.

Two notes: nice Garry Chalk Cameo and it's funny to see Jacob Tremblay graduate from BROTHER of super-genius kid in The Book of Henry to playing one here.

Next, our Hero has to end up with a bunch of mentally-unbalanced Soldiers who get taken to where the action is.

Finally, Olivia Munn must be in the Facility to study the creature...before more arrive.

As we transition to the 2nd Act, things go...poorly for the Humans.  I was rooting for you, us!

As bigger and badder Predators show up (SPOILED by every bit of marketing), can the day be saved?  To find out, watch the Film!

A fun and exciting Film, even if the Plot muddles things up quite a bit.  The Predator is a Film that really fights itself more than it should.  Maybe the whole Plot about the Predator dissension is more apt than it seems.  I'm not saying that these Plots should be one-note or 'too simple,' but this one has issues.  Who's the bad guy here?  Is it this Predator?  Is it the new one that shows up?  Is it the Government Stooge?  It shouldn't be hard to know who to root for in a Film like this.  Maybe tone it down just this one time, Shane.  That aside, I also have to note how much random set-up is involved here to get the Plot in motion- which I did above.  In the first Film, Soldiers on a mission run across a Predator killing folks.  In the second Film, it happens in Los Angeles.  In this Film, there are a dozen chess pieces that have to be moved *just right* for the Story.  With ALL OF THAT aside, I had a lot of fun with this Film.  The Action is good.  They don't cut stuff for PG-13.  They expand the Predator Mythos.  There's even some genuinely-good jokes too.  It's a fun ride if you can accept all of the complex plotting that isn't quite necessary.  In addition, you can see this poor guy meet the most painful death I can think of...

When it just stops to be a fun and interesting Action Film, The Predator works well.  It just can't do that for too many minutes at a time though.

'70s Trash?: The Dunwich Horror (1970)

This one didn't end up getting watched and reviewed in 2018, but, eh, close enough.  This is The Dunwich Horror, a 1970 Film based loosely on the work of H.P. Lovecraft.  AIP and Corman were mining every bit of gold from this Era of writing for Horror Films, be it every Poe Story (save for The Gold Bug) and all the rest they could find.  As such, Lovecraft got his due with stuff like this and The Haunted Castle- kind of.  These are pretty loose adaptations.  The Plot involves the Necronomicon, an evil Ceremony and Al from Quantum Leap.  Yes, Dean Stockwell is here to make you jealous of your mustaches and your pathetic curls.  Can he end the World?  Can an old Professor stop him?  Will the Film make you feel like you just dropped Acid?  To find out, read on...

A local University- you know the one- is holding a very dark and powerful book.  There's one thing they must do...

Not let this guy read it!

They fail to do so, setting the Plot in motion.

He tricks a Student- Sandra Dee- into staying in Dunwich with him- after he rigs everything in his favor.

Her Professor and her friend come find her, choosing to stay in spite of her wishes (drugged as they may be) and they investigate the Town.  For one thing- Stockwell was born under very strange circumstances and may have a twin.

His Mother has also gone crazy and appears to be well-worn.  Does it have to do with the Ceremony?  Does it have to do with dark Magic?

Speaking of magic, Stockwell wears down Dee (also padding out the Runtime) and finally sets her up to do some sort of Ceremony.  Yes, this is silly.

Dee's friend refuses to take 'no' for an answer and opens the door, letting his 'brother' out.  It's a Monster...that they can't afford to show properly, so they go all psychedelic on us!

The bigger question- why does the monster take her clothes off during the attack?!?  Seriously, she was wearing three layers before and she's naked (or at least implied to be) by the end.  Huh?!?

Professor Armitage (Ed Begley SR.)gets the Town together to stop the Ceremony...which mostly just adds to the Body Count for the un-filmable Monster.

They show up and try to stop the Ceremony.  Stockwell realizes that it won't work...

...so his 'God' sets him on fire and drops a mannequin...I mean, him, off of the cliff.

In the aftermath, we see that Dee is pregnant, setting up a Sequel that never came.  The End.

A big silly mess of a Film- in kind of a good way.  Lovecraft is a hard guy to adapt.  His Stories are dense.  His Stories are dark.  His Stories are bleak.  His lightest Stories involve people putting off the end of the World for another day...but it's always coming.  Naturally, this leads to a trippy, balls out Film like this!  They *kind* of get the bleak tone with how badly things have gone for the one evil family and how hopeless things seem for Dee.  That's broken by the Ending, of course.  Evil is stopped (for now, at least) and all seems right with the world.  Granted- a bunch of people are now dead, but Yog-Sothoth is not floating around.  Speaking of that Elder God, that's the biggest problem of the Film.  You want to make a Film about something that fantastical and crazy- make sure you can first.  If you can't make a good Cthulhu, for instance, you make that terrible Movie of the same name.  You don't, for instance, try to make a Godzilla Film for $2 million, do you?  Instead of doing it right, you just get over-exposed and filter-laden shots of Dean Stockwell wearing the craziest mask seen outside of an ACI Short (see below).  You got an A for Effort, but also an F for Failure.  The best part of this Film is the Soundtrack.  I actually listened to it many times before even watching the Film.  For lovers of the bizarre and macabre, this is a must-see.  For lovers of good storytelling and effects, it is not.  Seriously, look at this super-evil being...

Next time, I look at a Murder Mystery that I've put off doing for Months.  Will a return to Acting end up being the right call for this Star?  Stay tuned...

My Crazy Youth: The Time That 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper was on 'Highlander: The Series'

The late Mr. Piper worked ALOT in the 1990s.  He had *mostly* walked away from Wrestling to be an Actor.

Alas, there was no Fast & Furious Franchise back then, so it was mostly a lot of TV Shows.  We've already seen him as a fake Superhero on Robocop, so let's see him sword-fighting...

Without any real warning, a surprised Duncan must fight Roddy Piper.  He's just stopped his jog, so might as well fight to the death!

Piper- here as Gallen- stops the fight when he sees someone arrive, somehow jumping down 20 feet and getting to his car to run the guy down in about 20 seconds!

I'd ask how, but, well, it's a kind of magic.

Duncan is really bothered by this, despite not knowing the guy.  He explains via flashback how he hooked up with an engaged woman back during the Civil War, but she died during the fight between him and the husband-to-be.

Pro-Tip: don't approach people having a sword fight.  Period.

He tries to find out why the guy- Tommy- was really killed and, as luck would have it, his Mother is Scottish.  She was also on Twin Peaks, since everything is connected somehow.

Speaking of connections, this secretly-bad lady was one of the Stars of Robocop: The Series.  Alas she was missing from Piper's Episode...but it still counts.

She betrayed her Father (and him killed) and was working with Gallen...until she tried to kill him and he offed her, well, off-camera.

Round 2 is a fight at the same Carnival- since Locations are expensive- and Duncan wins, getting his Quickening and/or being zapped by Thor.

Oh and Piper got *too into* the fight and cut Adrian Paul's hand.  See if you can spot it.  The End.

A solid Episode most notable for its Casting.  A little history- I wasn't allowed to watch this when it originally-aired.  I still did (sometimes), so it still counts for this segment.  I tell you all this to explain how this one is completely-new to me.  Piper really has a great time here, playing up a version of his usual wrestling character.  I loved Piper, but he was never that great of an Actor.  He was always a load of fun to watch though!  He was always so intense when the Roles called for it.  He plays this Character quite big, even when he's talking low and fairly-quiet.  Piper aside, the rest of the Story is good.  It feels a bit weird at first that so much attention is given to a dead guy never before seen on the Show.  When they go more in-depth, it makes a little more sense though.  My only real problem- they stop the narrative cold before the Third Act to recap THE ENTIRE PLOT right before the end.  Boo!  You made time for that, but not an on-camera end to one Character?!?  All that said, it is still an interesting and fun Episode.  If you barely watched/remember the Show, it holds up fine.  Piper, as always, is great fun to watch.  Need more proof?  Here you go...

An interesting Episode as a one-off.  That said, they kind of 'coddle' the Audience a bit near the end.