Invasion USA (1985) w/ The DTV Connoisseur

In this episode, I joined Matt Poirier (the DTV Connoisseur) as we look at the 1985 Cannon classic, INVASION USA. Before that, we discuss Marvel Studios' THUNDERBOLTS* (recorded prior to its release), and where things are going for the MCU. Then with the film, we get into Chuck Norris as the hero, and then instead of doing a full walkthrough, we go over the many highlights.

Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

DIRECTED BY

Kelly Marcel

STARRING

Tom Hardy - Eddie Brock/Venom

Chiwetel Ejiofor - General Rex Strickland

Juno Temple - Dr. Teddy Payne 

Clark Backo - Sadie Backo

Rhys Ifans - Martin Moon

Stephen Graham - Detective Mulligan

Peggy Lu - Mrs. Chen 

Genre - Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Aliens/Comic Books

Running Time - 109 Minutes

PLOT

Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance. 

REVIEW

PROS

• 
  Hardy and Hardy. The VENOM films haven’t been the greatest comic book movies ever made, but they’re definitely fun time-wasters and probably the best Sony Spider-Verse films outside of… well, anything Spider-Man. And while VENOM: THE LAST DANCE is my least favorite of the trilogy, at least it remains consistent with one aspect: an engaging dual-performance by Tom Hardy. 

Hardy does seem a bit bored and tired in this installment, but maybe that was intentional considering Eddie Brock has gone through a whole lot in three films. His voicework as Venom remains the highlight, sharing hilarious banter and genuine emotional moments with Eddie Brock. While the trilogy hasn’t been the strongest, it’s a shame that Hardy is stepping away from the franchise because he’s probably the main reason to watch any of these movies. He’s charismatic, can handle action pretty well and just manages to bring a level of gravitas a movie like this doesn’t deserve. Hardy carries the film on his back and is the only real reason to watch this movie.

• Some of the first act and the entire final act. I’m just gonna be honest - a lot of this movie is a slog to get through. But VENOM 3 starts off where the after credits of 2021’s SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME ends where Eddie is sent out of the MCU and sent back to the Sony universe. Realizing he’s wanted for a crime he didn’t commit [the murder of Detective Mulligan in LET THERE BE CARNAGE], Eddie goes on the run, confronting a number of characters and even an alien threat along the way. The opening where Eddie takes on a gang is fun, due to a cool visual showcase of Venom’s powers. The entire final act is also a whole lot of fun - just a CGI, symbiote action fest where a group of symbiotes possess people and take on an alien threat [and some of the military as well]. I thought the 3rd act was the best part of the film because it felt like a comic book movie for once and there were actual stakes involved. First time director Kelly Marcel handles the scope quite well, even if she can’t maintain the pacing for quieter, character moments in mostly the second act.

• Knull. The King and Creator of the Symbiotes has finally made his first-time live-action appearance, with Andy Serkis doing the motion capture and voice for, who is apparently, the next great villain in the Spider-Verse. I love the idea of Knull and using a totally new character as the big threat for the Spider-Man characters is a great move. He could be the new Thanos if done right.

CONS

• 
  Knull. Then again, Knull barely does anything in VENOM 3. He just sits on this throne, sends his army of creatures after Venom and gets upset when things don’t go his way. Considering how well the film is doing at the box office, we’ll probably see more of the guy. Hopefully next time, they actually do something with him and build him up into something super important and threatening. Honestly, Knull felt like an afterthought here.

• The supporting characters. The first two VENOM movies had characters that, while not the most fleshed out, actually elevate the material and flesh out Eddie Brock’s world. Anne, Cletus Kasady, Detective Mulligan, Mrs. Chen - these supporting characters added variety to the earlier films and were likable. 

VENOM 3 barely has any of that. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Juno Temple are very good actors, but their respective characters [General Strickland and Dr. Payne] could have been played by anyone and it wouldn’t have changed their importance in this film. Strickland is your typical military antagonist who would rather kill the threat rather than reason or understand it. Payne has more of a tragic backstory involving a brother who was murdered after a lightning strike that has crippled one of her arms [she was holding his hand while he was struck], but nothing much really comes from that until the very end when it was too late to care about her or her story. 

We also get the returns of both Detective Mulligan [who is still alive, which makes the government look like jerks for framing an innocent man] and Mrs. Chen [who is one of the film’s short highlights in a cool Las Vegas sequence]. While Chen seems like an addition due to fan service, Mulligan’s role is a bit more sinister and a welcome presence. And there’s also the Moon family [Rhys Ifans playing multiple roles in the Spider-Verse], who are interesting UFO conspiracists that help add to the fun of the final act and give both Eddie and Venom some advice. Still, these characters aren’t all that interesting enough to flesh out a feature-length movie, leaving Eddie and Venom to really have themselves to keep the story moving.

• The plot itself. Despite being the finale of a trilogy, VENOM 3 feels like the penultimate film to a real finale, considering what’s introduced here. We have Knull starting his villain arc. We have this plot device called the “Codex”, which was created when Venom revived Eddie from death in the first film - a tool Knull needs to escape his world. Everytime the symbiote takes over Eddie, the Codex alerts Knull and his army where it is. It’s a nice plot device that plays well visually, but it doesn’t really go anywhere narratively. Then we have scientists studying different symbiotes to apparently cure people. We also have a traveling family who want to go to Area 51. And a whole bunch of random stuff that takes away from a “final dance” for Eddie and Venom. No mention of Eddie’s ex, Anne. Nothing about Carnage. No mention of the multiverse adventure Eddie took. A lot of the sequences feel repetitive, rinse and repeat. There seems to be a focus in terms of story, but the execution feels a bit unfocused. And I’m gonna be honest - my eyes kept getting heavy while watching a lot of this film. I wish the story was more engaging as the trailers led us to believe.

THE FINAL HOWL

The VENOM movies aren’t the greatest comic book films ever made, but both the 2018 movie and its 2021 sequel are at least fun time-wasters. I wish I could say the same for the trilogy’s finale, VENOM: THE LAST DANCE - which has its moments but is mostly an uninspired, drag of a film with a cool intro and a fun third act CGI action fest. The supporting characters don’t connect with me like the ones in the previous two films. Introducing Knull is a great idea, but he’s wasted here and considering what happens in the end, who is he supposed to be feuding with going forward? There are subplots that seem interesting but just end up feeling meh by the film’s end. 

The only reason to watch this movie is Tom Hardy, continuing to be the highlight of these films in his dual role as both Eddie Brock and his symbiote. Plus, Kelly Marcel does a good job with the special effects and action sequences, considering she’s a first-time director. I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of this film and my expectations were pretty much met. Despite the money this movie has made, Eddie and Venom deserved a better send off than this.

SCORE

1.5 Howls Outta 4

(4 out of 10)

Punisher: War Zone (2008) w/ The DTV Connoisseur

Matthew Poirier and I discuss 2008's underrated PUNISHER: WAR ZONE. We look at what works so well, but why the film didn't succeed at the box office. We also get into the current state of comic book movies, from Marvel's rebound with DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, to DC looking to reboot their universe with the upcoming SUPERMAN film from James Gunn.

*This was recorded before the release of JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX*

Undefeatable (1993) w/ The DTV Connoisseur

Matthew Poirier and I get into the 1993 Godfrey Ho action classic UNDEFEATABLE starring Cynthia Rothrock. It's one of those films you have to watch to understand - as we both try to make sense of the film, while at times just going along for the ride. Before all that though, we have a conversation [or go off tangent] about the state of the movie-going experience.

Lunar Cycle - December 2023

Since I don’t have as much time to write longer reviews than I used to, I figured I would just post shorter reviews for horror/cult films that I feel deserve your attention.

Directed By: Takashi Yamazaki

Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Minami Hamabe, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Yuki Yamada, Saki Nakatani 

Genre: Horror/Drama/Science Fiction/Action

Running Time: 125 Minutes

Score: 4 Howls Outta 4 (10 out of 10)

PLOT: In postwar Japan, a new terror rises. Will the devastated people be able to survive… let alone fight back?

REVIEW:

GODZILLA MINUS ONE may be the surprise film of 2023 for me. I had never planned to watch this new installment of Toho’s iconic monster in theaters, but friends kept mentioning it and decided to watch it on opening night on a whim. While I expected awesome monster action and cities getting destroyed by a giant lizard, I didn’t expect an actual human story that not only is emotional, but made me forget that I was watching a GODZILLA movie at times.

The entire cast, especially Ryunosuke Kamiki as former kamikaze pilot Koichi, is incredible in MINUS ONE. Kamiki, in particular, juggles a lot of emotional beats as a soldier who struggles with deserting his country at the end of World War II. Things get worse when Godzilla shows up and murders a bunch of mechanics on an island Koichi lands on, guilt building when he had a chance to save them all but is too scared to confront the monster face-to-face. We watch Kamiki play Koichi as a man struggling with PTSD - distancing himself from a woman he meets [who also has a child she’s taking care of due to the death of the child’s parents during the war] and feeling like a ghost in a devastated post-war Japan. When Godzilla shows back up and sees the damage the creature causes in front of him multiple times, he knows he has to confront his literal monster even if he has to off himself to do it.

The story is so well-written, well-paced and gives so many character arcs to multiple characters that we actually care about their encounters with Godzilla, hoping they find a way to stop the monster. Godzilla, playing a role closer to his original incarnation from 1954, is a complete villain here, destroying everything in its path and coming across as entirely unstoppable. This is a Godzilla who doesn’t care who or what it is destroying, as long as he gets to unleash its devastation as many times as possible.

Director Takashi Yamazaki takes a $15 million budget and makes MINUS ONE look better than most Hollywood blockbusters have looked in the last few years. And these films have budgets that are ten to fifteen times as much as MINUS ONE. Yamazaki lets the human story simmer and plays it all seriously, letting things build up towards the film’s exciting final act while twists and turns happen when you least expect it. The action sequences are thrilling and look phenomenal for the film’s budget. Godzilla, in particular, looks awesome - especially when he’s building up that atomic heat ray that destroys whatever is in its path. The pacing is so damn good and I loved the homage to JAWS anytime Godzilla swam underneath ships that were searching for it. The use of the original GODZILLA theme also made me giddy and was used at appropriate times. I hear Yamazaki wants to direct a STAR WARS film and I would be down to see what he does with that property with a much larger budget.

Seriously, GODZILLA MINUS ONE is not only one of the best installments in this multi-decade franchise, but it may just be the best installment of them all. It clicks in every way and checks every box that I would ever want in a GODZILLA film. I’m super happy word-of-mouth on social media has helped the film continue its success in America because this movie deserves it. One of the best films of 2023.

Directed By: Rhys Frake-Waterfield 

Starring: Craig David Dowsett, Chris Cordell, Amber Doig-Thorne, Nikolai Leon, Maria Taylor, Natasha Rose Mills, Danielle Ronald

Genre: Horror/Slasher 

Running Time: 84 Minutes

Score: 0.5 Howls Outta 4 (2 out of 10)

PLOT: Christopher Robin is headed off to college and he has abandoned his old friends, Pooh and Piglet, which then leads to the duo embracing their inner monsters. 

REVIEW:

So apparently while Disney owns the rights to the Winnie the Pooh characters when it comes to their own franchise within the studio, the original Winnie-the-Pooh book from 1926 had its rights go to public domain for the first time in decades. This allowed filmmaker Rhys Frake-Waterfield the opportunity to write, direct, produce and edit a slasher film called WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD & HONEY, starring these classic characters to the surprise and anger of many. And I totally understand the fan reaction to this because I’m surprised I watched this in one entire sitting and I’m angry I wasted 80 minutes of my life giving this a shot.

I mean, the concept for this movie is actually quite good. Christopher Robin befriends the Winnie-the-Pooh characters throughout his young life, leading to the characters to be emotionally attached to their human friend. But once he grows old enough for college and decides to leave them for a higher education and pursue his adult life without them, the characters grow bitter and resentful enough to want revenge on Robin and other humans who enter 100 Acre Woods. That sounds like a cool horror movie!

Too bad this only works for the first ten minutes of the movie, leaving 74 minutes of Pooh and Piglet stalking bland and annoying female characters who do the most dumb things I’ve seen characters do in a horror film in a very long time. It almost borders on misogynistic, as Pooh and Piglet have no issues targeting young women for slaughter but aren’t as brutal on the male characters that show up. It doesn’t help that these female characters are way too ignorant or lack any common sense for any audience to care about them in any sort of meaningful way other than to watch classic characters eliminate them. I mean, sure you can talk to hostages for five straight minutes in Pooh’s lair. It would be smarter to free them and have them explain things once you’re safe enough from danger, but what do I know right? 

Other than a cool idea, an amusing pre-credits sequence and decent gore sequences, WINNIE-THE-POOH: BLOOD & HONEY has nothing else to offer. The direction isn’t all that impressive. The acting is not good. The costumes look alright I guess, but doesn’t save the film from being terrible. I’m sure some will laugh at how stupid and bad this film is [especially if you’re under the influence of certain substances]. But I think most will just be frustrated by the end of this film, wishing death on everyone on screen. This honestly may be the worst film I’ve watched that was released in 2023. I’m actually sad this is getting a sequel because that means I’ll probably have to watch it for a review. And I thought Eeyore had a depressing life.

Directed By: Tyler MacIntyre

Starring: Jane Widdop, Joel McHale, Justin Long, Jess McLeod, Katharine Isabelle

Genre: Horror/Thriller/Comedy/Slasher

Running Time: 87 Minutes

Score: 2 Howls Outta 4 (5 out of 10)

PLOT: Winnie’s life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When she wishes she was never born, she finds herself magically transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. With the murderous maniac now back, she must team up with a misfit to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality.

REVIEW:
A horror take on the 1946 Frank Capra holiday classic IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE [with some elements of 1983’s A CHRISTMAS STORY implemented], I was expecting a scary version of a familiar story. Considering it was written by a co-writer of 2020’s FREAKY and riding the wave of time-traveling horror films like 2017’s HAPPY DEATH DAY and 2023’s TOTALLY KILLER, it should have been mostly a slam dunk. Unfortunately, IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE is just a mediocre slasher film that has a really cool concept but doesn’t bother to execute it to its fullest potential.

The first act is the best part of this film, as it gets into the plot right away and reveals things that will be important once the time changes for the rest of the film. And while seeing a different timeline is cool at times in IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE, not enough time is given to really flesh out the major changes that the Final Girl Winnie has to deal with in order to get her back to her original timeline. While relationships are different and the mystery of the killer gets a bit more complex, things just happen because they need to in order for the story to move forward towards its conclusion. There’s no real tension, suspense or drama that’s brought out from these changes, making one wonder why even bother using this concept to begin with. The final act also feels way too convenient and easy for the main characters to achieve that Hollywood ending, which is a shame.

While some shots are cool looking, mainly due to lighting and framing, Tyler MacIntyre and his team didn’t really wow me with their visual presentation. It does what it needs to do to get from Point A to Point B. The actors are probably the highlight here, especially Justin Long as this greedy narcissistic Mayor and Joel McHale playing a serious role that actually works for the most part. It’s also nice to see Katharine Isabelle doing her thing, while Jane Widdop does what she can with the material. I would like to see her in a better project.

I really wanted this to be an annual holiday tradition, but I honestly can’t see myself willingly watching this again unless it was to show friends or for a podcast for whatever reason. While it’s definitely better to just stick with IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, there’s nothing wrong with more holiday horror. So if you’re curious, check it out. I just hope you don’t wish that you were watching a better film like I did.

Directed By: Jenn Wexler

Starring: Georgia Acken, Mena Massoud, Olivia Scott Welch, Gus Kenworthy, Chloe Levine, Derek Johns, Laurent Pitre, Madison Baines 

Genre: Horror/Thriller/Supernatural/Demons

Running Time: 99 Minutes

Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (7 out of 10)

PLOT: Christmas break, 1971. Samantha and Clara, two students who are staying behind for the holidays at their boarding school, must survive the night after the arrival of uninvited visitors.

REVIEW:

Did any of you watch this year’s THE HOLDOVERS and wish it had a more horror slant involving a group of serial killers murdering people in order to summon a demon during the holidays? Well if you did, THE SACRIFICE GAME is definitely your jam. 

I didn’t know what to expect out of this, even though the trailer was intriguing. But a lot of this film worked for me, both visually and narratively. Jenn Wexler was smart in using a 70s vibe, a time where Satanic Panic was at its peak. It added an old school horror feel to THE SACRIFICE GAME that added a bit of atmosphere to film that mainly takes place indoors the entire time. I also thought the horror elements were used sparingly well, with the special effects looking very good. The final act isn’t shy about showing blood and gore, which was a nice change of pace from the more quiet and talky first two acts. 

The story is also pretty simple, as a group of people are going from home to home killing people to collect blood in order to summon a demon that’s trapped inside of a boarding school. It plays straightforward for the first half of the film, until the twists begin that make the movie a lot of fun to watch. It’s tough to discuss the last half without spoiling stuff, but I like how misunderstandings and not doing enough research can get some really stupid and greedy people in trouble.

The acting is hit-and-miss, with some actors really hamming it up with some interesting line readings that amused me more than get me invested in their character arcs. Mena Massoud, the live-action star of 2019’s ALADDIN, really twirls that proverbial mustache as the film’s lead villain, chewing up scenery any chance he gets. It works in some instances and it’s really distracting during others. But at least Massoud is having fun. I thought the two younger actresses, Georgia Acken and Madison Baines, were very good - especially Acken since she’s given more to do. Gus Kenworthy doesn’t get a whole lot to do, but he’s a recognizable name that will interest some viewers. 

While the holidays are over, I still recommend this one if you have Shudder. I think it has enough interesting twists and good enough acting to earn a recommendation for anyone looking for a recent Christmas horror flick.

Howls of the Week (10/22/23 - 10/28/23)

This will probably be a new feature, similar to the old monthly LUNAR CYCLE I used to do. I figured I would just post quick thoughts on films I've recently seen, while giving bigger/solo spotlights to more popular/important films. Let's see how this goes.

SANTO AND BLUE DEMON VS. DRACULA AND THE WOLFMAN (1973)

Directed By: Miguel M. Delgado

Starring: Santo, Blue Demon, Aldo Monti, Agustin Martinez Solares, Nubia Marti, Maria Eugenia San Martin, Alfredo Wally Barron, Jorge Mondragon

Genre: Horror/Action/Adventure/Vampires/Werewolves 

Running Time: 90 Minutes

Score: 2.5 Howls Outta 4 (6 out of 10)

Plot: After facing defeat at the hands of Cristaldi the magician, Dracula is back to seek revenge and rule the world. With the help of Wolfman and his legion of followers, victory seems eminent. Professor Cristaldi, a descendant of the magician, is warned about Dracula’s plans and calls upon El Santo and Blue Demon in the hopes that they can put the infamous Count and the werewolf down for good.

Review: Another installment starring the two most famous Lucha Libre wrestlers of their era, SANTO & BLUE DEMON VS. DRACULA & THE WOLFMAN involves a scientist who brings back Dracula and the Wolfman to the living world after being manipulated by a scheming hunchback. Apparently the scientist’s ancestors took care of Dracula centuries before, making him plot revenge on him and his female relatives - one who is dating Santo.

It’s not as good as SANTO & BLUE DEMON VS. THE MONSTERS, but it’s still a fun time overall. Evil Dracula [played by a returning Aldo Monti] bites some people, hypnotizes other people and even tries to get his revenge on a clueless child who has some of the worst English dubbing ever. The werewolf, beautifully named Rufus Rex, uses his human good looks and “heroics” to manipulate the scientist’s daughter. You get your standard wrestling matches [which are done on a soundstage with no visible crowd for some reason], Santo and Blue Demon fighting off vampires and a group of hairy werewolves over a pit and other silliness to pass the runtime. The film was obviously inspired by the Hammer and/or Paul Naschy films of the era, making this film super colorful and visually polished [this film definitely had a budget]. I think fans of Santo, Blue Demon, or both will get a kick out of this one.

CHANOC AND THE SON OF SANTO VS. THE KILLER VAMPIRES (1983)

Directed By: Rafael Perez Grovas

Starring: Santo, El Hijo del Santo, Nelson Velazquez, Arturo Cobo, Rubi Re, Marcos Vargas

Genre: Horror/Comedy/Action/Vampires

Running Time: 85 Minutes

Score: 0.5 Howls Outta 4 (2 out of 10)

Plot: Chanoc fights alongside Santo’s son against the Killer Vampires.

Review: Before his retirement a year later, Santo appears one last time in his wrestling persona on film as he passes the torch to his real life son in the opening moments of this movie. You’d think with a younger version of Santo, the action and story would be more exciting and modern for a new generation of people. But in one of the worst films I’ve seen all year, CHANOC & THE SON OF SANTO VS. THE KILLER VAMPIRES is a waste of everyone’s time. That includes the people who were part of this production and for anyone who spent 85 minutes suffering through this thing. If it wasn’t for the fact that this film looks alright and there are some decent musical sequences (!), this would be a total dud. 

Not only is it dull for the most part, but we’re stuck with two actors playing these annoying old men who are trying to pass as comic relief. I thought this was a Son of Santo film, but he feels like a supporting character in his own movie. The wrestling scenes feel like a parody of what they once were. The action is repetitive. Random scenes pop up to fill up time because there isn’t much of a story here. And those killer vampires? You maybe get five minutes worth with them and they don’t seem to be real vampires anyway. They’re just a gang dressed as them to scare people. It’s really depressing to see how low this series has fallen. I pretty much hated this movie and would never ever watch this again.

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S (2023)

Directed By: Emma Tammi

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Supernatural/Ghosts/Robots

Running Time: 110 Minutes

Score: 1.5 Howls (4 out of 10)

Plot: Recently fired and desperate for work, a troubled young man named Mike agrees to take a position as a night security guard at an abandoned theme restaurant: Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. But he soon discovers that nothing at Freddy’s is what it seems.

Review: Based on the popular video game, Universal and Blumhouse apparently hit the box-office jackpot with their adaptation that may have brought Josh Hutcherson back to the A-list. If I were a fan of the games or even younger, I probably would have enjoyed this. But it honestly didn’t do much for me overall. I do love the Jim Henson animatronics, cool practical effects and a well-acted cast who are totally game to bring these ideas to life. But I didn’t find the film scary and some of the screenwriting and twists are odd and predictable. Like characters just buy everything that’s going on in the film without an ounce of skepticism, which didn’t allow enough drama to play out. And there’s so much story in this film that it becomes a bit long-in-the-tooth after a while. I’m glad people watched this in theaters and on Peacock for a successful Halloween weekend. But I’d probably just watch WILLY’S WONDERLAND, since that seems to be more of my vibe.

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU (2023)

Directed By: Brian Duffield

Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Elizabeth Kaluev, Zack Duhame, Lauren L. Murray

Genre: Thriller/Horror/Science Fiction/Aliens

Running Time: 97 Minutes

Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (7 out of 10)

Plot: A young woman who’s been alienated from her community finds herself in a face-off against a host of extraterrestrial beings who threaten her future while forcing her to deal with her past.

Review: I finally caught up with this Hulu exclusive after all the hype it received last month. While I didn’t think it was the greatest film ever, I did enjoy it for the most part. An alien invasion movie is nothing new and this film doesn’t really reinvent the wheel, instead just turning this into a home invasion/INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS redo. But I liked how the film worked well without much dialogue [I believe only five lines are said throughout this movie]. The lack of dialogue is greatly helped by a wonderful performance by BOOKSMART actress Kaitlyn Dever, whose body language and facial expressions tell you everything you need to know. She carried this movie on her back like a champ. Her character arc was also very interesting, especially how her neighborhood hated her for whatever reason, leading to a reveal in the final act that I wasn’t expecting. I also thought the ending could be interpreted in multiple ways depending on who you are, which I think may have divided many people if social media is any indication. But the CGI aliens are interesting looking enough, but nothing that you’ll remember a month from now. And the film is pretty much just one tough woman defending herself against aliens and her own town, which slowly becomes overrun by pod people. I’m not sure if I would watch this again, unless it was for a podcast or something. But I do recommend it if you’re looking for a science fiction film done mostly right.

OUT THERE HALLOWEEN MEGA TAPE (2022)

Directed By: Chris LaMartina

Starring: Melissa LaMartina, Ted Geoghegan

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Running Time: 91 Minutes

Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (8 out of 10)

Plot: Gorge yourself on candy corn and hunker down for a haunted house party filled with aliens, vamps, and phantom tramps via this hard-to-find flick from an infamous East Coast ’90’s bootleg video operation. Straight from the archives of Trader Tony’s Tape Dungeon, the “Out There Halloween Mega Tape” was assembled from the highest quality source materials available and presented just as it was sold via Trader Tony’s mail order catalog in the 1990’s.

Review: The sequel to the 2013 cult hit WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, this sequel is actually a lot of fun and gets all the 90s pop culture references and advertisements fairly perfectly. More comedy than its predecessor, OUT THERE HALLOWEEN MEGA TAPE is mainly focused on daytime talk show host Ivy Sparks.

The first half of the feature revolves around her talk show, where she has several guests - including a wife who is cheating on her husband with a female ghost and a vampire who is forced by a family member into one of those makeovers. The vibe of the show is definitely Ricki Lake, mixed with some Maury and Jerry Springer as well. 

The second half is a parody of that FOX paranormal show from the 90s, Sightings, which focuses on an impending alien invasion and a Heaven’s Gate like cult who believe the aliens are coming to take them to their home planet since Earth is wasting away due to climate change and pollution. It makes fun of Heaven’s Gate and their beliefs, while poking light at how the government is hiding the truth about extraterrestrials by disrupting their television special. Ivy Sparks, having been fired from her talk show, is now "Out There’s" co-host and pretty much does her schtick to a bunch of annoyed brainwashed cult members.

The real gem with this sequel is obviously the commercials throughout the mega tape, which capture those memorable ads you watched on television during the 1990s. All of them are really funny and I was impressed with the research and time put into each and every one of them. Definitely recommended.

SORORITY SLAUGHTER (1994)

Directed By: Gary Whitson

Starring: Tina Krause, Dave Castiglione, Debbie D, Deana Enoches, Laura Giglio

Genre: Horror/Slasher

Running Time: 87 Minutes

Score: 0.5 Howls Outta 4 (2 out of 10)

Plot: Three sorority girls play a prank on their creepy neighbor, Hugo. He is accidentally shot and killed, but returns to life in order to kill them as human sacrifices in order to grant himself immortality.

Review: The only thing that’ll be slaughtered is your time, as SORORITY SLAUGHTER is the longest 87 minutes of your life. Shot on video, this film contains some of the longest scenes of nothing you’ll ever see. Ever wanted to experience a strangle sequence that lasts about 10 minutes? Have you ever wanted to watch characters wash a car for 15 minutes? You ever wished you could have human sacrifices mixed with random T-shirt contests? What about sex scenes where none of the actors seem into it at all? Then this film is for you! Hell, was there even a sorority in this movie?? There’s even an extended cut and a sequel to this! I usually like Tina Krause but this film is just pure torture. Probably the worst thing I’ve seen all week.