SOAPBOX - The Idiot's Boycott

Well with SDCC been and gone and many things to be digested it was announced that the Snyder Cut of Justice League is not going to be released.

Now, I'd heard this movie wasn't great and I'd had it queued up for my quest but as soon as I'd seen fan were up in arms about this alternate cut not being made available I did watch this...and a blog on it shall be up soon...but I saw something much worse and far stupider as people protested about it and it was the following message:

Now let's get one thing straight....I really don't rate the DCEU movies. I've tried to like them....I really have but to no avail. The lighting is dark no non-existent, the stories are awful, the characters are under utilised and the less said about their use of 3D the better. They are not doing a good job.

However....the message you read above is from a supposed fan. I know right? A fan! How does that even work? They are basically saying the best thing to do because they cannot have a version of a movie is not to watch future movies and hurt the franchises further (financially) and well as screw things over for actors and film crews.

NO. 

How exactly can you say that the Snyder Cut will not be released if Shazam and Aquaman make money? We're you part of the team who said the cut was not to be released with this stipulation? And if you were, why would you set up 2 movies like this to fail? Wait...no,you're not, you're just some person throwing toys out of your pram because you can't get what you want and saying something totally ludicrous. 

Consider this....if the DCEU is allowed to flourish it could potentially be released in a special edition or an anniversary edition. Sure I understand that it's something that won't happen NOW. But one thing I've seen over the years with movies is that you never ever say never....because stranger things can and do happen.

And you, @LazyAndroids, are an idiot. 

The Incredibles 2

14 years ago, Pixar released The Incredibles, an animated classic that was about a family that had superpowers. I saw this at the cinema and I absolutely loved it....Pixar did what they did best. For me it was the second best Pixar movie (Toy Story being my favourite...and I was kind of disappointed that Toy Story 4 not being released before Incredibles 2 as announced.  It's not coming out next year as the work on Toy Story 4 fell behind.) and loved the game that followed it (Rise of the Underminer).
When it was announced that there was a sequel to be released I was really excited... The whole family fighting crime! All the family saves the day!! And their buddy Frozone tagging along and helping!!!
Well..not quite.

The Incredibles 2 picks up pretty much right at the end of the previous movie and Supers are still illegal and hated....however, a millionaire wants to change the way people think about these powered heroes and get global acceptance by the World's superpowers. It is decided that Helen Parr aka Elastigirl should spearhead this campaign, so Bob Parr aka Mr Incredible becomes a stay at home dad looking after the Incredible kids Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. 

Of course, things don't exactly go to plan as an evil villain comes to cause chaos... The evil and mysterious SCREENSLAYER. The SCREENSLAYER wants to plays games and always seems to be one step ahead, can Elastigirl save the day? Will Bob be able to take on the role of family man? Will Lucius Best aka Frozone stop arguing with Honey? 

I really enjoyed this movie! It was a great piece of animation (and the short beforehand, Bao, was an odd sweet piece too) and was a great watch. It was good to see Bob attempt "real life". It was great to see Elastigirl be the heroine. And it was great to see the kids becoming more, and finding their place in the World. And of course it was good to see more Edna, darling! 

I did, however, find that that it did seem a little dated. Sure, I get this was supposed to be set around about the 1960s and as I stated earlier the movie follows directly after the first one, but I feel there was supposed to be more to this. I wanted the Incredibles to have grown a little more, maybe done other crime busting (after all The Underminer was addressed in the aforementioned game). I really wanted to see more of Lucius Best (instead of making him feel like the token black guy again) and really wanted to see Honey (who apparently was going to be in the movie but scrapped when it was decided it was funnier having her as just a voice). The Screenslayer was a fun character but I felt was rather predictable (my wife and 2 boys called it within the first 30 minutes.) but they had clever twists to try throw you (which they didn't for me) . But even when you take this into account it's still good, and there's humour there for young and old alike. 

So....60s style universe, cheesy action flick music, each of the main supers has a theme song, stereotypes used and also attempted to be turned on their head....its great! 

The Incredibles 2 is a great piece of summer fun, paying homage or the 1960s superhero serials. Pixar have done a great great job and it's....super. Go watch it with your kids, your friends....just go watch it! 

The Incredibles 2 is rated PG and can be seen in 2D and 3D in cinemas now.

Quest For The WORST Movie Part 12 - Anabelle

I really like horror movies, and I've been wanting to see this for a while but quite a few people said I should watch this on my quest for the WORST Movie...so here we go... 

Annabelle is about an antique doll that is given to an expectant wife by her husband.  She is overjoyed by the gift until satanic cultists break into their home and attack them. After the attack the couple have strange things occur to them and it all seems to be linked to the doll. 

The movie has a lot of jump scares, and seems like rather predictable horror fayre.  The characters seemed rather flat and boring really.  I don't know, maybe I was expecting more from this movie with the way that several people hyped it up and said it was a must watch horror, but I honestly do not think it is. 

To be honest, I thought this movie was really boring and I really do no see what all the fuss is about when it comes to this movie. A bit of a yawnfest when all is said and done, and I dread to think what the prequel will be like. 

Annabelle is rated 18 and available in DVD, Blu-Ray and digital format. 

Die Hard With a former Wrestler...

I've always had a passion for action movies, and Die Hard is an absolute classic (I mean the first not the many many sequels afterward!) and it had the perfect formula for an action movie.  Hero with balls of steel? Check  Explosions? Check. Bad guy with a European accent? Check. Big action star? Check. 

So, I saw the trailer for Skyscraper and the first thing I thought was "Hey look! The Rock wants to do a Die Hard movie!" but then I saw this poster promoting the movie:

Oh my God even the damn poster is a Die Hard ripoff!! Here is the Die Hard poster for comparison:

So after looking at the trailer and the Die Hard With a Rock Bottom Skyscraper poster, I decided that I should check out this 1980s action movie clone (I'll be marking off 80s action movie clichés as we go along). 

So, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is Will Sawyer, a former Marine/Hostage Rescuer/Duct Tape Fan (Swiss Army Knife hero? Check) who is asked to check out how secure The Pearl, the tallest building in not only Hong Kong but the World, is.  His family live in the building and love being there (hero has something incredibly precious that will most likely be a risk during the movie? Check). However, the creator of the building (arrogant person thinking things are invincible? Check) feels his building is the most secure in the World and has an amazing secret at the top of the building (When this is revealed, cheesy/creepy/odd line from Creator? Check). 

The building is then set on fire (untouchable thing being touched? Check)....and Sawyer is getting blamed for it... And on top of all that his family is trapped in there (hero has everything to lose? Check) so he has to go rescue them (somehow the hero is the ONLY person capable of saving the day? Check.)

After watching this movie I felt like I was back in 1988,so imagine my disappointment that a coffee in the Costa in the cinema didn't cost 25p! 

The movie was great and had so great action sequences (former sports entertainment star does finishing move? Check) and the effects were good too....although they could have held off on the cheesy song playing on the end credits.

Believe it or not Duct Tape Die Hard Skyscraper (rated 12A)  is out now (and not 40 years ago!) and is in 3D too, although I'd suggest not watching digital 3D if you suffer with vertigo. 

The First Purge

Yesterday I went to see The First Purge at ODEON Silverlink.

In the prequel to the 2013 horror/thriller The Purge we see that America is going down the toilet and the lower classes are languishing in dispair. After the rise of a third political party known as the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) it was decided there was an experiment to take place on Statten Island where there would be no laws for 12 hours and all weapons class 4 and lower were allowed. Murder is legal. The residents do not have to stay if they don't want to, but if they do then they will be compensated with $5,000 if they survive and have the potential to get more compensation if they "participate". People who do participate are given context lenses to wear that have video streaming capability and light people's eyes up blue (perhaps done so you know they're going to come out and play?) although at least one person had a pair that was red...wonder what that was all about? The experiment is called...of course...The Purge.

The movie has a slow build up with the hours before The Purge begins, people staying being evaluated, a dealer talks to activist ex....it's quite slow really. Even when The Purge starts it really isn't anything huge to begin with, in fact there are bunches if people just having parties!

When the action started to hit up I must admit it had me scratching my head a little as there is something very odd going on...it had huge racial and political bias and that's when people fight back.

I felt at times I was being force fed to story when we went to the "Control centre" as they oversaw The Purge with comments from people observing screens stating the obvious and then the news stations repeating it again. Look, I know my attention span is bad, but it's not that bad! 

The First Purge is peppered with jump scare moments that seem to come out of nowhere (yes I understand its how they're supposed to work but not if it potentially disjoints the story!) which was irksome and didn't wake a lot of sense to me (although a lot of horrors tend to do that now sadly).

This movie is dark and grim. It is political. It's racial too. And when you look at it you can see its deliberate. The NFFA picked an area they considered to be a hot spot for The Purge. This is uncomfortable viewing....AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. The first experimental Purge is not going to be something for delicate flowers to watch. This is supposed to be a damn scary thought, a "what if?" No, I'm not saying this is a glimpse into the future and this is what future American governments have planned, but could you imagine if it actually happened?

It's not the strongest movie in the franchise and don't expect a strong storyline. There a 2 scenes during the end credits, and the second one will be of interest if you are still a fan of the franchise after seeing this movie. 

The First Purge is rated 15 and in cinemas now. 

Deadpool 2

One 15th May me and Odd Wolf went to see Deadpool 2 in IMAX.

Then, a week later me and my wife saw it....in IMAX. 

Ryan Reynolds returns as The Merc with the Mouth in his second movie (but third outing I'd we include X-Men Origins: Wolverine...but let's not Hm?) and this time Deadpool has to save a kid from time-travelling mutant Cable. Wade's lucky, because he's not alone...he has the help of X-Force!

The movie is packed with humour, cameos and plenty of 4th-wall-breaking moments as you'd expect from Wade Wilson and his entourage. The movie titles are a great homage to a certain movie franchise which was quite cool....and there is a credits scene that you cannot miss!

The movie is an absolute blast, and certainly worth watching...you'll never forget your second time! 

Deadpool 2 is rated 15 and in cinemas in IMAX and D-BOX now. 

RIP Margot Kidder

It saddened me  to hear of the passing of Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder, aged 69.

As much as she will be known mostly for being Superman's favourite human (Lois Lane) she had done various films and TV over the years, and despite her personal issues still carried on acting.

Her career started in 1968 and she appeared in many television shows and movies over the years including The Amityville Horror, The Hunger, Murder, She Wrote, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Halloween II, Black Christmas and of course the Christopher Reeve era of Superman movies (fun fact, both Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve were guest stars in the Superman prequel series Smallville.).  She also did voiceover work, lending her talents to shows like Captain Planet and the Planeteers and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. 

Thankyou for the memories, and rest in peace. 

1948-2018

Quest for the WORST Movie Part 10: Deadly Friend

Aw, man, I love this movie. This was the second Wes Craven movie I saw as a kid and it has some fond memories for me, especially as at the time I was really interested in robotics and because I was pretty much a loner. It's also based on a book called Friend by Diana Henstell. Let's give the movie another watch...

Now when I first saw the poster for this movie I thought it was something totally different and thought she had ghosts for friends, but this is much more interesting. 

The movie is about a boy who is a genius. He's training to be a neurological specialist and built his own robot. He moves to a new town with his mother a becomes friendly with the girl next door, who dies shortly after. The boy, grief-stricken, has a plan to bring her back to life, which is successful but has huge consequences. 

The movie is cheesy and hasn't really aged too well .....and the book isn't too great either, I went to check it out on Goodreads and the reviews were less than favourable, to say the least.

So, perhaps it was ok as a cheesy movie when I was a kid, but damn this movie is awful now (and has one of the worse-looking death scenes I recall in a movie as in not very convincing).  However the effects and storyline still somehow beat Birdemic.

Deadly Friend is rated 18 and available on DVD and digital download.

Teacups and Me: Cooties

I think movies are great (obviously) so I'm now trying to share my love and enthusiasm for movies with my kids too. Every now and then I'll do reviews with the Teacup Humans...and first movie up is Cooties.

Teacup Human 3 is I guess like any typical boy. He likes gross things, tries to get his sisters to smell his feet and has an interest in zombies. He chose this movie as one for us to share....I'm wondering, should this movie have been added to the quest (answer: definitely) ?

The kids at a summer camp are infected with a virus that makes them go ferral and kill adults....all caused by a chicken nugget.

So what did he think of the movie? Is it worthy of a sequel? And will he mention Dormammu? Well, the only way you'll find out is check out the new Zenless Popcorn audio podcast! We discuss this movie as well as ramble a bit about Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2.

Click HERE to have a listen! 

Classic Movie Review: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven has a lot to answer for...I was 13 when I first saw this classic movie. It was the first horror movie I saw by choice and it got me interested in horror movies.

This movie is an absolute classic and will always be one of my most loved movies of all time.

The teenagers in Springfield are having terrible nightmares, all of them dreaming about a disfigured man who wants to kill them...and if they are killed in their dreams, then they're dead for real. 

This movie was the saviour of New Line Cinema (which is lovingly known as "The House That Freddy Built") as they were having financial difficulties and A Nightmare on Elm Street was the success they desperately needed.  Here's the trailer, check it out:

The story is quite interesting and the special effects were really good for the time. Englund was incredible as Freddy Krueger, and it was also the introduction of some actor called Johnny Depp, I think he did a few movies afterwards... 

This movie spawned 6 sequels, a crossover (which was teased way back in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday) and was also reboot in 2010 (which is awful, I reviewed it as part of my Quest for the WORST Movie, check it out.) and they are apparently doing another reboot that will be out at some stage.

The movie is still great, the story is clever and had many people not wanting to sleep for a while (odd side note: I'm not one of them, I tend to sleep quite well after watching one of the movies before the crossover or remake...). Wes Craven, thank you for such an awesome story!

A Nightmare on Elm Street is rated 18 and is available on Blu-Ray, DVD and digital download. 

Avengers: Infinity War

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going 10 years strong and has been leading up to this....THE INFINITY WAR.

I've been looking forward to this movie as soon as it was announced....and I was so into this that this is what I wore to go see it... 

Now I know I know I know I'm not giving too much away when I say THANOS IS COMING! I mean if you are watching this then you SHOULD have watched the previous 18 movies in the MCU. Don't say you haven't been warned...well I guess in case you have been living under a rock for the last decade and you've not seen any of the movies that preceded this...I guess I should give a warning for minor/potential spoilers... 

This movie really shouldn't strictly be called an Avengers movie, because as much as Avengers Iron Man, Captain America, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Hulk, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man are in the movie there's also the Guardians of the Galaxy too.

Thanos is on a quest to get all of the Infinity Stones (which 5 were shown over the years, the Soul Stone was never revealed) and if he does then all the lives of the universe are at risk....and it is down to the team up od Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him. 

The move is edge of your seat adventure, but it also had some shocking sad moments too so take tissues (me and my wife went to the Midnight screening and at one part she went "Nooooo!" and I thought she was going to cry). It's certainly worth going to the cinema to watch....in fact I say go now, go! GO!

I also got an exclusive poster from Odeon Silverlink for going to the Midnight screening:

Avengers Infinity War is rated 12A and can be seen in 2D, 3D, REAL3D, and D-BOX  now. 

Quest for the WORST Movie Part 9: Tusk

I was recently discussing bad movies, this very blog and my quest with some friends at a party. We discussed many bad movies (Birdemic was universally agreed to be truly awful on pretty much every level) and it was suggested that Tusk should be added to the list.

I was surprised to hear that this movie was written and directed by Kevin Smith, but this gave me hope for this movie as I've liked what I've seen by him....so I got a copy and gave it a watch. Check out the trailer:

The story starts by saying that it is apparently based on true events and is about a podcaster who travels to Canada and interviews an unusual man who has a great interest in walruses.  Think Human Centipede but Walruses and you're on the right track.

What the heck is this movie? The storyline is lame, the acting is awful, and it's quite the yawnfest and that's the bits that look good. There are not many movies that wanted me to switch off my laptop third way through the movie, but this one has become one of the "elite" few.  This movie is dreadful. The only thing I thought was good (to a degree) was the prosthetics.

At one stage I thought I may have found a contender on the quest...but Birdemic can rest easy for now. As much as this movie was boring, at least it had some logic (in a twisted sense) the audio was good and the effects were actually effective. It also gets bonus points for having Johnny Depp in the movie without acknowledging Johnny Depp in the credits. 

Tusk is rated 15 and is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download. 

SOAPBOX - Oh The Horror!

I love horror movies. Horror movies are great. Scary things happen, maybe something screws with your head...perhaps some gore and almost every time there is a climax with some epic twist or the good guys win and everything in the garden is rosy.
Awesome.
Well...maybe not. You see I've watched hundreds of horror movies (it could border on the thousands, I've honestly lost count) over the years. Some have been awesome, some have been bad. But with all the horror movies I've watched there has been one thing that has remained constant.
None of them ever scared me. 

I wonder, is this a good or a bad thing? I enjoy watching horror, it's great to unwind in front of the TV or laptop watching a scary movie, but what's the point if they don't scare me? Isn't that the point?

I'm not wearing the fact that these movies don't scare me as a badge of honour, I'm genuinely disappointed. I want to be scared, I want that adrenaline rush from watching a horror movie seeing the beasts run riot.
I wonder if it's because of my past. I was abused and forced to watch horror movies at the age of 6 (despite this I developed a passion for horror as a teen) perhaps it desensitised me. Maybe it's because sometimes the real world is far scarier than any fantasy.
So, is there any way to get scared by a horror movie? A group on Facebook pondered people not being scared by horror and one person said it was because the ones not scared are just watching torture porn. I've watched all different horrors from all over the world. I've felt sick at one incident in one movie (The Toolbox Murders) but that's it. I remember asking someone once what stopped them watching horror but they could handle true stories about serial killers and torture. She said that she could handle something that's factual but horror truly scares her because that shows how dark and depraved someone's imagination was and that is scarier than any reality. I beg to differ personally but everyone fears different things differently.
Maybe I'm a bit odd. Maybe I'll never be scared by a horror, unfortunately....but I'll keep on enjoying them anyway.

Quest For The Worst Movie Part 8: Pet Sematary

I really like horror. I started reading horror books at a very early age and loved the writings of Herbert, Masterton and King among others so when I heard that Pet Sematary was being released in 1989 I had hopes up for a good movie.

Now, I was fairly certain that I had seen this movie when it was released on VHS back in 1991, however, I have no recollection of doing so! This speaks volumes for the movie in some ways, but this potentially gives the movie a bit of a chance as I'm looking at it as if it was the first viewing.

Based on the best selling novel of the same name by Stephen King, this tells the story of a family who lives near an Indian burial ground and they have a few interesting experiences.

I'm trying my best to be fair to this movie. It was released in 1989, and the movie only had a third of the budget of IT (2017).  The effects were not too bad for the time and I have to say that Fred Gwynne played Jud well (he looks creepy as hell in a parka!)...but the star of the show has to be young Miko Huges, his portrayal of Gage was a real show stealer.

So, this may not be the greatest Stephen King adaptation (although the first screenplay he had written for one of his adaptions.) but it certainly isn't the worst out there.

Pet Sematary is rated 18 and is available to view on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download now.

Quest for the Worst Movie Part 11 - Monsturd

As my quest ever continues...I have decided to pick Monsturd as my next contender.

This movie is about a convict that falls into a sewer full of chemicals and becomes and half-man/half-turd monster than grabs people when they use the toilet.  Check out the trailer below:

No beating around the bush, Monsturd....this movie is a damn monster turd. All faecal matter jokes aside, this movie is awful....but it's still better than Birdemic, but only just.

The movie is about as realistic as Birdemic, and the actors I'm pretty convinced were made to do this at gunpoint they were that believable (apparently work colleagues of the crew acted in this)....but when you take into account this movie was made on an estimated budget of $3,000 I guess it's not surprising.  Everything about this movie is bad, but amazingly this has more realistic effects than Birdemic! The audio is on par with Birdemic

I thought I'd introduce OddWolf to bad movies with this gem and this is what he had to say:

I don't understand why this film exists! What did come as a shock to me is that the film was made in 2003, it felt like an old 80’s film to me the whole way through. The money put into producing this would have been better spent literally anything, like inserting it directly into your rectum, as that would have been so much more entertaining than this film. If you choose to watch this movie this willingly, you need to have your head examined. Monsturd does not deserve to exist. It needs to die a swift death so it can cause no more pain.

(let's just remember this is his first bad movie...wait until he sees Birdemic!) 

So, Birdemic....you were ALMOST knocked off your throne.  But when you take into account that the Monsturd looks more realistic than the birds in your movie and you guys spend over treble the budget of Monsturd....you still retain the crown of Worst Movie....just.

Monsturd is rated 15 and available on DVD if you really must watch this movie. 

Quest for The Worst Movie Part 7: Fant4stic

It would appear that some comic book characters are instant gold when it comes to movies.  There is a wealth of stories you can go through, and the characters are amazing and if they are done the right way you have a set of movies that are a gold mine.  Look at examples like the original Superman movies, Deadpool, and The Dark Knight trilogy and you'll see some amazing storytelling with some great characters.

With great regret, I have to inform you that Fantastic Four appears to be one of those franchises that has never been one of the good ones, and Fant4stic is proof of this.

The movie is just outright awful!  I mean before I start on anything else, did somebody lose the money for the lighting budget?  I mean there appear to be nothing but a lot of darkened rooms and outdoor night shots which is really bad.  I mean I understand that some movies make it look gritty and edgy by having shots in dark rooms, but not all the time!

The story does not seem to make a lot of sense either, but I guess it does not help that there is a lot of things there were filmed and then left on the cutting room floor...or the just the trailer.

Now, you look at the trailer and you expect a movie with a good bit of action, yes?  Well, without giving too muhc of it away, theres a major scene in the trailer which DOESN'T happen in the movie, which is a real pity because it would have improved it significantly.

This movie is just dreadful.  The story was dreadful as strayed right away from the proper origins of The Fantastic Four (They got their powers in outer space dagnabbit!!!), The Human Torch was played by a black man (no issue with this as such...except he's brother to The Invisible Girl and she's white...and pretty sure that they don't have same folks, it's confusing) and the most controversial thing?  Well yes...Thing....he isn't wearing any trunks (Don't worry there's no genitalia showing!).  Oh, and what the hell was up with Doctor Doom?!?

Now, I totally understand that what was attempted here was a completely new retelling of the creation of The Fantastic Four, but they just did it wrong, and on top of all that there was the differences between Josh Trank and 20th Century Fox.  The movie posters and trailers show much more to this movie than what is actually shown and that is really sad (For examples and details have a look HERE and HERE) so maybe if we were actually allowed to see the movie as it was originally supposed to be there would have been something that was far more cohesive and would at least make some sense.

Yet again, it would appear that the curse of Twentieth Century Fox has fallen on a third movie, and this is truly awful....and this has to be the worst of the 3 movies that come from that studio.  However, as much as this movie is truly awful it's still not as bad as either Birdemic movie and so my quest continues to find that one movie that can take the crown.

Fant4stic is rated 12A and is available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download.

Ready Player One 3D IMAX Preview

This evening I went and saw Ready Player One. This movie is based on the book of the same name by Ernest Cline.

The movie is about a race to complete challenges to get the Egg, which then means you own the Oasis, a huge global virtual reality system. A big corporate system wants it so they can make it a massive cash cow, whereas a bunch of kids want to make it free for everyone.

I walked into the cinema expecting a movie that was resembling the book....the book is amazing and had me hooked until the end (the audiobook is pretty good too, read by geek legend Wil Wheaton) which is actually unusual as I have issues with reading and attention. 

Well.... I got something totally different.

Now, this isn't a bad thing, after all, most movies based on books tend to have differences, but this movie as much as it has maybe the idea behind the book it is completely different so if you are going into this movie expecting the story from the book you will be disappointed. Just go in and expect a fun movie about a quest littered with popular culture references and you'll enjoy the movie.

The graphics when people use the OASIS were mind blowing with detail that went into scenery and characters being almost pixel perfect, then add to that the 80s tracks playing through the movie as well as the score by Alan Sivestri and you have an experience that combines the future with the past and its absolutely brilliant.

I also got this poster for going to the preview at ODEON Silverlink:

Ready Player One is rated 12A and can be seen in 2D and 3D in cinemas now. 

Quest For The Worst Movie Part 6 - Birdemic Part 2: The Ressurection

I must be completely mad.

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time then you should know that I really do not like the movie Birdemic and I've been looking for a movie that could be potentially worse.  To date I have found nothing to beat it in any way.

Perhaps now I have found a contender....in the sequel.

Birdemic 2: The Ressurection has basically the same premise as the first "masterpiece" where birds decide to attack people....but this time it's prehistoric birds coming out of tar pits after a mysterious red rain hits Hollywood.  Add cavemen and zombies into the mix and you have all kinds of "fun".

To whet your appetite, here's the trailer:

This movie...is DREADFUL!!  This movie is actually on par with its predecessor.  The audio is awful, the acting is wooden, the story is laughable and makes absolutely no sense and the CGI would have been more realistic if they'd used graphics from a Spectrum ZX81 and the beginning title sequence is just a man walking the streets....and walking...and walking....and walking...it feels like it goes on forever.

I have also recently found out that there is a 3D version of this movie.  I have not been able to source this version, but I cannot imagine that it would really make it much better....I mean I don't think there is really anything you could do to this movie or the previous one that could actually improve it.

So, as the quest rolls on, I still have no letter to write to James Nguyen saying sorry that I thought Birdemic was the worst as BOTH the Birdemic movies are damn awful....just truly, truly dreadful on pretty much every level.  The only good thing about these movies?  Knowing they actually end. 

BIRDEMIC 2: THE RESURRECTION is not rated and is available on DVD and digital download if you really must do want to watch this movie.

Will Gamergate Kill the Ready Player One Movie?

I was shown this article this morning and it's
quite an interesting read. Don't worry there's nothing that spoils the movie in this article, click the link and have a read.

I'm a gamer, I love games (especially retro) and Gamergate was one of the most disgusting elitist things to happen. Death and rape threats to female gamer is never cool....and troll tactics like getting SWAT teams set to females gamers houses is ridiculous....especially when it caused at least one death.

Gamergate has taken the shine off of books like Ernest Cline's Ready Player One and Armada (both great books by the way, check them out) but will this make it a struggle for the Ready Player One movie to be a success?

After watching the preview last night (review up soon) I don't think so. The screen was packed and there was and everyone around me was really getting into the movie, and quite a few people leaving were saying they needed to go again to try and get all the popular references in the movie!

So sure, Gamergate has left an understandably nasty taste in people's mouths. Some people were being elitist jerks and took it stupidly too far. Anyone can be a gamer, or a geek, or just a causal fan....or whatever the heck you want to be as long as you aren't harming anyone do what's good for you. You be you....and be damn awesome as you do it.

Ready Player One is rated 12A can be seen in 2D and 3D in cinemas now.

A Wrinkle in Time (2D)

A Wrinkle in Time (2D)

Today I went to see A Wrinkle in Time, a remake of the 2003 TV movie also made by Disney based on a set of books called The Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle.

A young girl (Meg) and her brother (Charles Wallace) are considered outcasts after their father vanishes. The kid's parents are scientists who have been working on theories of interdimensional and space travel. They have a friend (Calvin) who tags along who is also an outcast, not considered good enough by his father.

Beings from other parts of space - the Misses - come to the kids saying they got a call for help and that they can rescue their father and save the universe by fighting darkness with the light within.

There are challenges along the way which they all need to face. Can they overcome the darkness inside them and be warriors of light? Can they save their father and be a happy family? Can Calvin stand up to his father?

The movie was an entertaining watch, with action for the kids as lots of bits that were cute or made you laugh. It has a huge "believe in yourself" vibe to it which is great for kids and adults alike and the kind of thing to you'd expect from a Disney movie.

The effects and CGI were really good too and I'd imagine the 3D screening would be rather good.

A Wrinkle in Time is rated PG and is in cinemas now in 2D and 3D

Birdemic 3 - Sea Eagle...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

(Yes, I'm aware this post is up before my review of Birdemic 2: The Ressurection, but I'd forgotten this was a thing and just had to share this, because...well...no!!!)

If you are a follower of my blog then you will know that I absolutely detest Birdemic: Shock and Terror...so much so I went on a quest to try and find a movie that is worse (a few close calls but nothing bests it yet) with a promise that I will write a letter to James Nguyen apologising for trashing his movie and saying that it is the worst movie that I have ever seen. I then discovered there was a sequel called Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (which I'm hoping the review shortly) to my absolute horror (how did Birdemic deserve a sequel? Mind you, this is a question you could ask of many movies....).
But there is even worse news.

In 2016, James Nguyen set up crowdfunding.
For a movie.
A sequel.
FOR BIRDEMIC!!

Yes, Nguyen wanted help funding the third movie in this franchise, which if it does go ahead will be called Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle. Here's Nguyen talking about the threequel:

And....there's the Indiegogo page so if you really want to fund a third movie in this series (or if you want to laugh at the pittance that they have got so far).

I get the feeling that if Nguyen is going to waiting for crowdfunding for $500,000 for this movie forever (does he really need this much for this movie? Birdemic cost $10,000 est and Birdemic 2 cost $20,000 so, to be honest, I cannot see how they can see how half a million dollars can be justified especially when you consider the franchise is noted as the most unwatchable movies of all time) and currently has $596 which is considered 0% of a flexible goal.

However, the bad news doesn't actually end there. I've also found out that there was a game for the iOS that promoted Birdemic 2 ...Sorry Apple users...I'm so sorry!! 

And then there was further news on Sea Eagle...the movie may be far away, but it could still with us sooner than wanted....Nguyen said this last September on Facebook:

A graphic novel?? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!? Aw man, this stuff is going to seep into everything. I mean there's the movie, the game and now potentially the graphic novel...so what's next? The diapers?

You know, I don't think there is going to be a hope in hell of getting away from this franchise.