Halloween Kills Movie Review

The Halloween horror movie franchise is one of the most loved, albeit confusing horror franchises. It forever establishes the character of Michael Myers (no, not that Mike Myers!) into the holiday horror icon. Ever since the first Halloween film (directed by John Carpenter, and written by him and produced along with the late Debra Hill) was released on October 25, 1978, the series now consists of 12 films. There has been 6 sequels (unless you count “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”), 2 remakes, and 1 reboot. While its subsequent sequels through the 1980s and 90s tried to contain some semblance of continuity, it often branched out into bizarre and bewildering directions, which often included everything from a seemingly-supernaturally-powered and indestructible serial killer, with apparent ties to an ancient pagan deity and a clandestine druid-like cult with dubious motivations and goals.

 While most horror movie fans revel in the bloody mayhem and murder of Halloween. There are many who take this franchise very seriously and ponder both the good and the bad of these films and their attempts to construct a linear story, despite the efforts of several directors which have in fact created 3 separate timelines. Following the slasher’s “demise” in the critical failure that was Halloween: Resurrection (2002), musician and independent filmmaker Rob Zombie took it upon himself to remake the movie in 2007, complete with his own unique, sleazy style of extreme violence and vulgarity. He then followed it up with the highly-stylized and mind-bending sequel in 2009.

 But then in 2018, fans got yet another soft reboot of the series with a more realistic and gritty version of Halloween, directed by David Gordon Green. The 2018 movie picked up where the original film essentially left off, but 40 years later, thus eliminating the events that took place during Halloween II (1981), as well as the continuing story of Lori Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) offspring Jamie Lloyd (played by the beautiful Danielle Harris) in Halloween 4 (1988) and 5 (1989), not to mention Michael’s “death” in Halloween: H20 (1998) and Laurie’s death/suicide in Resurrection. 

2018’s Halloween ended with a much older and wounded Laurie Strode, now a grandmother, having seemingly trapped Michael Myers (although now no longer her brother) beneath her fortress-like safe house, while on fire, and fleeing the scene with her daughter and grandmother. As Halloween Kills starts exactly where it ended (although released 3 years later) with firefighters heading to Laurie’s house while the 3 women head for the hospital in the opposite direction. Sure enough you can bet that we will find Michael Myers alive and well (sort of). Although the newest Halloween movies has tried to get rid of any kind of supernatural references with a more grounded, down-to-earth story, you simply cannot kill Michael Myers, no matter what timeline after having been shot, stabbed, and burned (multiple times). And if he didn’t survive as he has the last 10 times, we wouldn’t have a sequel, let alone a trilogy with the announced release of “Halloween Ends” in 2022. So without even trying to spoil it, I’ve pretty much spoiled all 3 movies. Fans have come to expect that you just can’t keep a good killer down. Whether it’s Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, or even little Chucky, the many slashers from the last few decades will continue to kill, die, and be reborn (or rebooted) and kill again, over and over until the end of time, or until these franchises cease to be profitable. Although, I’m not so sure about Jason’s future… 

While the main focus of 2018’s movie was an older Laurie Strode (Curtis is almost a senior citizen at 62-years-old) and her current state as a “prepper” waiting for the day when her one-time babysitter stalker will inevitably come back. Although since we’ve skipped Halloween II, Michael hasn’t earned the reputation of revisiting her on October 31st, because that’s in another timeline! Now in Halloween Kills Laurie spends much of the film in the hospital (again) just like in Halloween II alongside her long-time “friend” Officer (No first name?) Hawkins (Will Patton), who apparently came face-to-face with Michael Myers (in a flashback, but not in the original movie) and failed to shoot him or let Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasance, who’s also seen in flashbacks) kill him either, and he now regrets his actions (or inactions) all those years ago. So now he’s in the hospital with Laurie after being mortally wounded by Myers, while the town of Haddonfield learns that Michael Myers has returned. And now Tommy Doyle (Anthony Michael Hall, but not played by the original actor Brian Andrews) and Lyndsey (Kyle Richards, who was the original actress!) are all grown-up and organize the citizens into an angry mob, without torches and pitchforks, but with a few guns and baseball bats, to finally put an end to the Halloween horror. 

What follows is a wild-goose chase as both the cops and the townspeople go searching for this elderly serial killer (who must be at least 80-years-old by now!) who is still stalking teenagers on Halloween night. While his mask does show a lot of wear and tear, it’s not as extensive as the punishment Rob Zombie gave “The Shape” in his 2nd version, now with a blackened smirk on his cracked rubber face. The entire pursuit culminates, of course, back at the hospital, where the crazed townsfolk think Michael is hiding. While it’s easy to put a willing suspension of disbelief on the immortal slasher villains like Myers, Halloween Kills relies heavily on Michael Myers’ “reputation” as an infamous serial killer, both in real life on the screen and in the movie itself. Which causes a problem since he really isn’t known for returning on Halloween, or even continuing his killing spree over the years, really there was just the one night back in 1978, and most people have forgotten it, some willingly. 

As we saw in 2018’s movie, he’s been locked up in a mental institution for years, until some wannabe podcaster wants to meet him and produces his old mask out of nowhere. But that plotline didn’t go anywhere. Spoiler Alert: they died! Although many actors and stuntmen have portrayed “The Shape” of Michael Myers over the years, at least this time, some credit is given to the original actor Nick Castle (also a director) who also appeared in 2018, but he is also played by 2 other actors, both in modern times and in flashback. 

The film portrays the law in a somewhat negative role (although unfortunate, it is not surprising, given our current controversies, but let’s not get into that shall we.), but not as bumbling as they were depicted in Halloween 4 and 5 (clown shoes!), but kind of blaming them for letting Michael’s killing spree to continue, and the ineptitude of both the former Sherriff Bracket (played by returning actor Charles Cyphers) and the current black cowboy hat-wearing Sheriff Barker (Omar Dorsey). Not to mention their inability to catch Michael again as they did 40 years ago, in a bizarre retcon of the 1978 movie’s ending. While it does seem popular lately to delve into this retroactive continuity and produce more reboots and remakes of popular films, especially those of the 1980s, horror being the number 1 genre with the most remakes. I feel that many fans will be heavily divided on the reception of Halloween Kills. 

While there will always be fans of the original 1978 movie, its sequels have both hits and misses, more often misses. And there are some who may prefer Rob Zombie’s versions as well. After we see what writers and producers Danny McBride and David Gordon Green have in store for us, we may be talking about these endeavors as just another attempt to catch lightning in a time where Hollywood is bereft of originality and constantly rely on reinvigorating nostalgia. Maybe we’ll see what happens in the year 2038?

Star Wars: A Retrospective

I consider myself to be a second generation Star Wars fan, whereas I was born after the original movie (aka Episode IV: "A New Hope") was released in 1977, but before the original trilogy ended in 1983 with Episode VI: "Return of the Jedi". Born in 1979, I now find myself in the unusual position of being caught in-between Generation X and the Millennial (Gen Y) generations, having reached the age of 40. I tend to identify more with the "Xennial" demographic, but it all depends on your P.O.V. I grew up with Star Wars. I played with the vintage action figures when they were still new, I wore (and still do wear) Star Wars T-shirts, costumes, etc.! When I was 5, I took cardboard wrapping paper rolls and pretended they were lightsabers. And I have been a life-long fan of Chewbacca, my favorite character, since I was 3-years-old, and the pleasure of meeting Peter Mayhew.

It could be said that Star Wars came into the world at the perfect time, but that it also sparked the merchandising craze with its toys, even before the toys ever came out with its infamous empty box “Early Bird Certificate Package.” My teenage years were spent without any new “Star Wars” movies, besides watching all the VHS copies until they were worn out. However, with the 1990’s came a new wave of Star Wars novels, comic books and video games, in what would become the non-canon “Expanded Universe” or “Legends” after Disney acquired the franchise. While many of these added a much needed backstory and between stories to the already expansive canon of the movies, it added more variety to the Star Wars story. Han Solo and Leia Skywalker-Organa married and had twins, Jaina and Jacen Solo, and later Anakin Solo. Luke Skywalker would later meet Mara Jade and they would have a son, named Ben Skywalker. Not to mention the stories that would follow their descendant Cade Skywalker.

Now, while some of these stories weren’t great, they weren’t equal to the movies, but at least it gave many writers and artists a chance to play in the Star Wars Universe and bring to the fans a plethora of content. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Star wars is not perfect, it never was. And with this resurgence and the excitement over the infamous "Special Editions", it was time for the return of the franchise in 1999 with the highly contested and debated over prequels, beginning with “Episode I – The Phantom Menace”. Even then, Star Wars fans were as divided as they’ve ever been, with half of them regaling in the return with open arms, while half of the fans felt that their childhood memories had been stomped on like Jar Jar Binks stepping in “Icky, icky goo!” And with episodes II and III, the supposed “Star Wars” saga supposedly came to an end, with George Lucas saying in 2005 that there would never be an episode VII.

While the prequels were over, the Expanded Universe thrived and would continue on into the 2000's in both comic book and novel form, until the Lucasfilm franchise was purchased by Disney in 2012 for $4 Billion and having already bought Marvel Comics in 2009, it seemed as though Disney now owned everything! When “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” was released in 2015, I like many millions of Star Wars fans were overjoyed. I saw it opening day and I came out feeling great and happy. It wasn’t until later that I realized why that was… nostalgia!

Nostalgia was a big part of my life, and I find that as I get older, nostalgia has started to fade away. I think that’s called “Growing Up!” I have been a Star Wars fan as long as I can remember. I’ve spent countless hours watching, reading, playing and waiting for Star Wars. The biggest revelation came when I and my family attended Star Wars Celebration 2017 on April 13–16, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. It was the biggest and most exhausting experience of my life. The crowd was HUGE! The Celebration sets a new attendance record at over 70,000! This deserves repeating 70,000 people, inside a 7,000,000 square feet convention center! I spent hours waiting in lines, lines and more lines. I spent hundreds of dollars, including $90 for an autograph from the Emperor himself, Ian McDiarmid! The convention’s main purpose was to of course to promote the release of “Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” in December. I got to see the trailer on another screen since the screening room was already full when I arrived on the first day, although disappointing, this was only the beginning of a long and arduous weekend. And apparently, we didn’t learn our lesson because we also attended the fifth Disney D23 Expo on July 14–16, 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Fandom, for me, started to decline that year, especially after seeing “The Last Jedi” which turned out to be the most divisive subject for Star Wars fans in the last 20 years or so. Without going too much into it, I’ll just say that I was crushed. Kylo Ren says “Let the past die, kill it…” and even Luke Skywalker said “It’s time for then Jedi to end…” I shouldn’t have let it make me feel so depressed, but it did. Why? It’s only a movie! It’s “the Wars”! I love to use one of my favorite movies as an example is the comedy “Fanboys” (2009) directed by Kyle Newman, (who is only 3-years-older than me) is the story of a group of friends and friends/Star Wars fans, who take a cross-country trip to George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch so their dying friend can see a screening of “Star Wars: Episode I” before its release. With a very low-budget and a cult following, I always thought that this was the perfect expression of the complicated love/hate relationship that many fans like myself have/had with Star wars, particularly around the controversies of Episode I, to which I see the very same divisiveness over Episode VII and VIII. One of my favorite quotes is…

“You gotta find your Death Star… Greatest deed Luke Skywalker ever did was take down the Death Star, right? As far as I'm concerned, that's what everybody needs. You need that one bad-ass thing that lets you live on forever…” – Hutch, (Dan Fogler)

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it, it’s funny and a little silly, but it’s got some great moments and great cameos too from Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher and even William Shatner. My dad is an original Star Trek fan as well and he introduced me to Star Wars at an early age, so I have always been a Star Trek and a Star Wars fan, almost 60%/40%. You can love more than one fandom there has always been this weird war between Trek and Wars fans, but they often go hand-in-hand.

Upon the release of “Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker” I was both relieved and saddened by the so-called “end’ of the Skywalker Saga and to see what the franchise has become after 42 years. From the monumental film that started it all, the sequels that grew a fan base, and the subsequent prequels that originally divided the fan base, to the sequel trilogy that ultimately brought the fandom to the breaking point. I still love Star Wars. I love the original movies the most, I like the prequels for the most part, and Episode VII started things off okay, but then went downhill from there until the saga itself came to a crashing end.

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts and I still say Happy Star Wars Day and May the Fourth (Force) be with you!

APRIL FOOLS' DAY: TOP 10 HOAXES 

 April Fools' Day is an annual custom on April 1st, consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. For many years, people have devised some of the most cunning and enduring hoaxes ever conceived. Although sometimes fooling millions of people in the process, they are often revealed for the hoaxes they are.

This April Fools' Day I would like to present some of my favorite Top 10 Hoaxes:

10. The Montauk Monster 

When an unknown creature washed up on the shore of Ditch Plains, a popular surfing beach on the Montauk peninsula in New York, a photo of the carcass appeared in a local paper and then ignited on the internet and dubbed the Montauk Monster. 

9. The Slender Man 

On June 10th, 2009, a Photoshop image appeared on an internet forum depicting a thin, unnaturally tall humanoid with a featureless head and face and wearing a black suit. Originating as a "Creepypasta" meme, this character spread all over the internet and developed an urban myth all it's own and finding its way into popular culture, entertainment and even movies, but unfortunately also the subject of an infamous stabbing incident in 2014. The character itself remains the perfect example of the power of memes.

8. The Jackalope 

When two brothers in the 1930's used their taxidermy skills to graft deer antlers onto a jackrabbit carcass and then sell the animal to a local hotel in Douglas, Wyoming, it began the story of the jackalope, named after the blended words of a jackrabbit and antelope, which has become a popular mythical animal in modern North American folklore.

7. Crop Circles 

When crop circles first began cropping up in the 1970's, many claimed that they were created by extraterrestrials, but in 1991, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, of Southampton, England, confessed to having made more than 200 crop circles, with nothing more complex than ropes and boards.

6. Edward Mordrake, the Man with Two Faces 

One of the oldest hoaxes was that of a 19th-century English noble named Edward Mordake, who was supposedly born with a malevolent "second face" on the back of his head. The story goes that Mordrake begged doctors to remove his "demon head" because it whispered horrible things to him at night, but no doctor would do it and so he committed suicide at the age of 23. Althhough this story was published in Gould and Pyle’s "Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine" (1896) it was later proven to be the literary creation of poet and author Charles Lotin Hildreth.

5. The Minnesota Iceman 

When a zoologist and a biologist hear about the frozen corpse of a hairy man-like creature being exhibited in the Midwest in 1968, they begin an inquiry into the origin of an unknown hominid that involves the FBI, the Smithsonian, the Mafia, the Vietnam War, drug smuggling, Hollywood, and a secretive millionaire. The story of the Minnesota Iceman is one of the strangest stories ever told, and believe it or not, I had the pleasure of seeing it myself at the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas.

4. Alien Autopsy 

The infamous 1947 "Roswell Incident" undoubtedly began our modern fascination with UFOs and alien visitors, but when a grainy black-and-white film surface in 1995 that showed the postmortem dissection of an alleged alien body from the Roswell crash that were recovered by the government. Soon after the the footage was broadcast on FOX TV, many skeptics and UFO researchers deemed it a hoax, although many believed it to be true. However, recently the special effects artist who created the alien came forward and confessed it was in fact a hoax.

3. Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot Film 

One of the most contested pieces of evidence on the existence of Bigfoot was a film shot in 1967 by Roger Patterson (who died of cancer in 1972) and Bob Gimlin. The footage runs less than a minute long a shows a large ape-like humanoid figure walking in a creek bed along a logging-road in Northern California. Although Patterson has "maintained right to the end that the creature on the film was real," Gimlin denied being involved in any part of a hoax with Patterson and remained silent until about 2005. The film has since been subjected to many attempts to authenticate or debunk it. The creature known as Bigfoot has been embedded in our popular culture for over 50 years with appearances in a never-ending string of popular TV shows, movies and commercials.

2. "The War of the Worlds" 

On October 30th, 1938, actor Orson Welles (before Citizen Kane (1941) narrated an adaptation of the novel "The War of the Worlds" (1898) by H.G. Wells, performed live on CBS as part of the "Mercury Theatre" series. What began as a 1-hour radio drama, soon caused a virtual panic to those who mistook the broadcast for a real news report. I first saw the original "War of the Worlds" 1953 movie on TV with my dad when I was about 10-years-old, and was terrified of the long-fingered aliens until I saw the comedy "Spaced Invaders" (1990) around the same time and learned of the infamous radio program.

1. The Loch Ness Monster 

The most famous photograph of "Nessie" was supposedly taken by a respectable British surgeon, named Colonel Robert Wilson, in 1934, who claimed that he saw something in the water while driving past the lake in Scotland. He just so happened to have a camera and took some pictures. The credibility of this photo was debated for over 60 years, until it was ultimately proven to be a hoax. I have always held a great fascination for this monster since I was a kid, which was encouraged by my grandmother's Scottish pen pals.

HORROR DOUBLE-FEATURE REVIEW: 31 & BLAIR WITCH

This week I was able to attend two very special screenings of two upcoming horror movies. The first being Blair Witch (2016) and then Rob Zombie's '31' (2016). Both of these movies are highly anticipated in the horror genre and while I was able to get free admission to 'Blair Witch', I did purchase a ticket for a one-night special sneak preview screening of '31'.

Blair Witch is essentially a remake/reboot, which are usually hit and miss within the realm of horror movies. Set in 2014, it references the events in the original The Blair Witch Project (1999) when the character James (James Allen McCune) has been searching for his missing sister Heather since the original tape was found almost 17 years ago. When coming across found footage on the Internet, supposedly of his sister, he and his friends confront Lane, the one who found it and convince him and his girlfriend to lead back them into the Black Hills Forest to find Heather. Obviously unaware of how really bad an idea this is, and equipped with a handheld Digital HD camera, this group of young people ventures into the woods anyway. As you can expect, they get lost, despite the availability of a GPS device and even a remote control drone equipped with a web-cam. One by one, James' friends are separated along with Lane and his girlfriend Talia encountering supposed supernatural sounds and voices and various warnings from the ever-present wooden figures tied to the trees.
This more modern incarnation of Blair Witch Project depends mostly on the fame and mystique created by the original film which became such a groundbreaking horror film 20 years ago. Although panned by critics for it's amateur production and vomit-inducing shaky camera it nevertheless began the new sub-genre of horror/suspense in the "found-footage" film, which has become prevalent in many recent movies such as the Paranormal Activity franchise and Cloverfield (2008). While the premise of Blair Witch in that how does James expect to find evidence of his sister still in the woods after 17 years is somewhat far fetched, the movie does have some significantly frightening moments. While the inclusion of 21st century technology really doesn't add much to the story except as shallow plot points and instead replacing a lost map with a lost GPS signal.The drone shots make for some interesting shots as we see just how huge this forest really is and adds to the overall theme of isolation. Without really giving away any spoilers I will say that the few glimpses of what we can only assume is in fact the Blair Witch are truly terrifying. All in all, this is an interesting movie but not as original, yet it lets us forget the total train-wreck of a movie that was Book of Shadows: Blair With 2 (2000). On a side note the special screening I attended at the Angelika in Dallas was a wonderfully interactive experience with help from costumed performers from Dark House Haunted House in Plano complete with fog machines and creepy red lighting to add a little ambiance to the show.

I have been a big fan of Rob Zombie since first hearing White Zombie's "Astro Creep: 2000" (1995) in high school. Then having followed his solo music career since the release of Hellbilly Deluxe (1998) and his promising film career beginning with his first horror movie House of 1,000 Corpses (2003). Burgeoning out of his experience in directing his own music videos, he developed a style all his own, which to his fans has only increased his popularity but critically he has met with box-office failures and commercial setbacks. After his two remakes of the Halloween horror movie franchise (Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009), his last film Lords of Salem (2012) was a major flop with both audiences and fans (read my review). His latest venture into the extreme-horror genre comes the most brutally, ultra-violent, exploitative horror movie I have ever seen! This is Rob Zombie's '31'.

Set on Halloween, 1976, while on a rural Texas road, a group of five carnies are kidnapped and forced to play a sadistic game of cat-and-mouse in a so-called "Murderworld" where they must survive for 12 hours. The ringleaders of this psycho-circus is known only as Father Murder (Malcolm McDowell) and his two female companions, Sister Dragon and Serpent,  dressed in gaudy French aristocratic costumes straight out of Versailles. Among the murderous-maniacs are a group of six lazily-named, psychopathic, killer clowns. The first being a vulgar, Spanish-speaking, Neo-Nazi, knife-wielding, midget (no joke!) named Sick-Head (Pancho Moler), who then proceeds to kill them off one-one until there is only one survivor. The final adversary is a pretentious, white-faced,  masochist named Doom-Head (Richard Brake) with a unusually sick-sense of fair-play.
The movie features much of the similar music-video style of visuals Rob Zombie has been known for. With a survival-horror theme similar to the Saw series, the story has somewhat of a slow start with a bizarre monologue from the character of Doom-Head as he is about to mutilate his latest victim before we are even aware of what's going on, which presents a very disturbing, albeit apologetic, first-hand view of his twisted philosophy as if we were the one about to be brutally killed. Although effective, it is both confusing and presumptive. The one major flaw in all of Rob Zombie's films (and most music videos) is his inclusion of his wife, former model and dancer Sheri Moon-Zombie, While Sheri has often been featured prominently in many of his works first as the maniacal 'Baby' in House of 1,000 Corpses, Sheri has gone on to appear in every one of his films becoming more and more of a central character including her part as Deborah Myers, Michael Myers' mom, in both Halloween and Halloween II. As the main character of Heidi Hawthorne in Lords of Salem, most audiences and critics agree that Sheri is not leading lady material however this doesn't stop Zombie from casting her in more and bigger parts like he's Roman Polanski or Luc Besson. Also his tendency to cast has-been (but still classy) actor Malcolm McDowell in everything as well. It would be a surprise if Zombie didn't feature both actors in his next project.
While '31' is a fast-paced, gut-wrenching murder-fest, there is little substance or story to speak of. There is very little information regarding why or even how these people continue to wage their little Halloween game of death every year as there is obviously not much chance at survival for any of them. There is even a debate between the Father and Sisters waging on the incredible odds of survival so far as 1,000,000 to 1 for one of them! It's like if C-3PO was a serial-killer instead of a droid telling us the odds of survival! It is curious that Zombie seems to be deviating from his originality again by  embracing the trends with recent killer-clown movies such as John Watt's Clown and the upcoming remake of Stephen King's IT.v With it's strange, abrupt ending, this movie left me drained and confused and concern for the future of Rob Zombie's films.

Movie Review: Dracula Untold

DRACULA, a name that has haunted popular culture ever since author Bram Stoker published his gothic-horror classic in 1897. Since then, Dracula has appeared in over 200 films beginning in the 1920's. The latest incarnation of the immortal vampire comes from Universal Pictures, the same film company who produced the classic Dracula (1931) film starring Bela Lugosi. Dracula Untold presents a much different view of the Dark Prince, based (somewhat loosely) on history rather than any literary or film source. Starring Luke Evans as Prince Vlad of Transylvania, who is forced to pay a hefty tribute in exchange for a shaky peace with the Turkish Sultan, Mehmed (Dominic Cooper). When the Sultan demands one thousand boys for his army, including Vlad's own son Ingeras (Art Parkinson), Vlad defies him, thus incurring the wrath of the Turks! Desperately seeking the means to defend his family, including his wife Mirena (Sarah Gordon) and his people from the invading Turks, Vlad encounters an ancient Vampire (Charles Dance) who offers him great power, but at a terrible price! Although cursed to become a vampire, Vlad possesses great, dark powers, but if he can resist his blood-thirst for three days, he will return to normal, if not he will be cursed for all eternity. Although he now has the power to defeat the Sultan's army, he is in danger of not only losing his humanity, but his soul as well. Will Vlad be able to control the darkness within him, or will it consume him forever?
Dracula Untold presents moviegoers with a much more sympathetic monster, with Dracula depicted as a dark, anti-hero. Welsh actor Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)) seems an interesting choice to play Dracula, having appeared in several big budgeted fantasy/action movies and has even portrayed two Greek Gods: Zeus in Immortals (2011) and Apollo in Clash of the Titans (2010). Instead of the suave, tuxedo-clad, Dracula audiences have come to know over the years, this Dracula is a seemingly young and handsome, similar to previous incarnations such as Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) played by Gary Oldman, or even the sexy Dracula 2000 (2000) played by Gerard Butler. Although there have been past attempts to depict the more historical figure of Dracula, such as in the prologue to the 1992 Dracula or even in the made-for-TV movie Dark Prince (2000), Dracula Untold gives us a much kinder and gentler Dracula, even as so far to show him as a dedicated  husband and father. Despite all the blood and violence, the movie surprisingly retains a PG-13 rating. Also much of the movie is in the perspective of his young son, as he is featured as the narrator of the story.
The real historical figure of Dracula, known as Vlad Tepes, aka "The Impaler", was a 15th century Romanian prince, infamous for his brutal reputation for extreme cruelty. His father Vlad Dracul, II, was a member of the 'Order of the Dragon', a group of knights dedicated to protect Christianity in Eastern Europe. The real Dracula was in fact NOT a vampire; merely a "bloodthirsty" despot, yet he is revered as a hero in many parts of Romania. There has been much speculation over the years in  separating the legend from history and although Stoker's novel did little to dispel the myth, Dracula, will forever be synonymous with vampires.
Dracula Untold presents a fresh, new perspective on the Dracula legend, turning the bloodsucking vampire into a rock star, complete with a tragic back-story and a somewhat believable reason to become what he is destined to become: DRACULA!

LINKS: Official Website, Facebook, Universal Monsters Legacy

TV Review: GOTHAM

Possibly one of THE most anticipated TV shows of the Fall, GOTHAM premiered this week on FOX to a mixed reaction from fans. While DC Comics' characters have been successful in recent years from the highly popular Smallville (2001-2011) to the current series Arrow (2012-) , even more shows from DC will premiere this Fall including The Flash (CW) and Constantine (NBC). Set in the Batman universe and loosely based on the short-lived DC comic books series Gotham Central (2003-2006), Gotham is basically a cop show set around the events of Bruce Wayne's (David Mazouz) parents murder, but the future Caped-Crusader is not the main character. Instead, the show focuses on Police Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as he works with his partner Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) as they try to clean up the streets of Gotham as organized crime and corruption plague the city as two rival crime bosses vie for control.
In the style of Smallville (Superboy/Superman), Gotham is essentially a prequel in that it tells more about the origins of the hero we have all come to know so well, namely Batman. While focusing more on the cop drama in the city and less on the origin story, the show has a lot of work to do in getting fans to follow it. While trying to desperately include plenty of fan-service (albeit too much) the show includes cameos from several other Gothamites and characters from Batman's would-be rogues gallery. Aside from the usual characters such as Gordon, Bullock there is of course Alfred Pennyworth (Sean Pertwee), Bruce Wayne's loyal butler. Along with a few familiar (and not so familiar faces) there is the criminals Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Carmine Falcone (John Doman), while Falcone has appeared in the Batman comics for years Fish Mooney is a completely original character created for the TV series, much like Harley Quinn who was created for the 1990's Batman Animated Series and was soon incorporated into the comics. One of the major would-be villains who make an appearance is Oswald Cobblepot, (Robin Lord Taylor) aka The Penguin, as a much skinnier incarnation of the Batman villain. Other characters who make an appearance and have some, if very little to the story in the beginning is Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Camren Bicondova), Edward Nygma/The Riddler (Cory Michale Smith) and even a young Ivy Pepper/Poison Ivy (Clare Foley). While Batman as a character has one of the biggest cast of characters in the comic book it seems very difficult that the show will be able to address the origins of all these characters. The fact is, the show seems to have almost too many characters, especially those introduced in just the first pilot. While the show seems promising and hopes to draw in Batman and comic book fans alike, the show seems to be off to a somewhat rocky start, putting too much into the first show and insinuating tat the entire show will be focused on solving the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne in yet another re-working of the origin. Whereas the comics has its own origin, which has been changed and rewritten so many times, including the latest revamping of the character in 2011 as part of DC's New 52. The original character Joe Chill who was featured briefly in the Christopher Nolan movies seems to not be included in this shows story. All in all, Gotham seems to be less of a comic book based show and more of a CSI-like cop drama, complete with overly-melodramatic characters and action. As a Batman fan I was excited to see it, however after watching the pilot episode I was somewhat undecided to what the future of the show might hold and if the show will become as popular as Smallville or suffer the fate of previous Batman show attempts like Birds of Prey (2002-2003), only the fans and ratings will tell...GOTHAM airs Monday nights on FOX 8/7c.

LINKS: Gotham Official Website, DC Comics, Gotham Wiki

Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary

In 1984, a film was released that would defy the boundaries of comedy and horror to become one of the most popular film franchises of the 1980's; that film was Ghostbusters! "Who ya gonna call?" To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters, the original film has been restored and remastered in 4K resolution and will be returning to the big screen for a limited engagement starting on August 29th, in theaters during Labor Day weekend.
Ghostbusters was one of those movies that defined the 1980's and of course my childhood. When I first saw it when I was young, (possibly too young) it stuck with me for the rest of my life. I enjoyed the animated series ("The Real Ghostbusters") from 1986 to 1991, along with the action figure line from Kenner, several video games, and ultimately the release of Ghostbusters II in 1989. Although the movie is often categorized as a comedy, it's really hard to label its genre. It has elements of intellectual comedy, romance, science-fiction and of course horror. The film's story even borders on "Lovecraftian"-style with elements of ancient supernatural forces such as Zuul and Gozer. I've always loved the character of 'Slimer', who although he was featured i a short sequence in the movie gained a considerable fan following along with his constant presence as the comic relief on the animated series. A little bit of trivia: Dan Aykroyd always referred to Slimer as the ghost of John Belushi.
While the Ghostbusters have stayed alive over the last 30 years, uunfortunately, writer and actor Harold Ramis didn't live to see the 30th anniversary, but the rest of the Ghostbusters including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson are still around to celebrate. For years, there had been rumors that Ghostbusters 3 was in development, but for now, it is still in the works. Directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, Ghostbusters was a truly original, frightening and hilarious movie experience!

LINKS: Official Ghostbusters Website, Ghostbusters Video Game, Ghostbusters Wiki

Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fever has struck again! Since the resurgence of the popular franchise and animated series from Nickelodeon, the turtles return to the big screen after 20 years with a reboot from director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans (2012)) starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, and William Fichtner.
Years after the death of her father in a lab accident, aspiring TV news reporter April O'Neil (Megan Fox) is hot on the case of a recent crime wave by the infamous Foot Clan. One night she happens upon a robbery at the docks and witnesses a battle between a mysterious vigilante and the criminals. The clan, led by 'The Shredder' (Tohoru Masamune), and his second in command Karai (Minae Noji), plan to drive the vigilantes out in a subway hostage situation. April stumbles on to their plan and sees not one, but four vigilantes take down the Foot and rescue the hostages! When she follows them to the rooftops she discovers, to her surprise, that the vigilantes are in fact Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! As April soon discovers their mysterious origin and meets their rat master, Splinter (voiced by Tony Shalhoub), she becomes involved in a plot by Shredder and the Foot to release a biological agent on New York City and the only cure is the green mutagen that flows within the blood of the turtles!

While the newest TMNT movie has little in common with the 1990 film aside from the central characters, the 2014 movie is much faster-paced, more action-packed with Michael Bay (one of the producers) style explosions, and overwhelming CGI special effects. Gone are the cute, cartoon-style turtles; the new turtles are bigger, stronger, and even disturbingly realistic. The new turtles also have much more personality than previous incarnations, with each one possessing their own personal accouterments that reflects their individuality. They range from random, found clothing, to various types of armor, decorations, even jewelry and gadgets. With the old turtles, the only way to distinguish them was either by their weapons of choice or their multicolored headbands (which were added in the 1987 animated series, whereas in the original comics, they all wore red). Their personalities however stay true to their origins (as featured in their famous and catchy original theme song) however on a much bigger scale. Leonardo (voiced by Johnny Knoxville) still remains the stalwart leader, whereas Michelangelo (voiced by Noel Fisher) is ever the goof-off, comic relief "party dude". Raphael's (voiced by Alan Ritchson) demeanor is just as rude ("but cool") and crass as ever, complete with a scarred face and chomping on a toothpick. Donatello's (("does machines") voiced by Jeremy Howard) 'nerdiness' is amplified with the addition of huge thick eyeglasses as well as various tech-gadgets  attached to his shell. Sensei Splinter plays a much more active role in this movie, no longer the kind and passive teacher, he becomes more of a harsh disciplinarian who can also kick-ass when he needs to. As for the choice of Megan Fox as the damsel-in-distress April O'Neil, (no longer a part of Michael Bay's Transformers franchise since the second film and their supposed feud) plays a less demure female lead, often portraying April as determined and often fool-hearty, willing to do anything for a story. Will Arnett plays her cameraman Vernon, who was also a supporting character in the original animated series. William Fichtner plays Eric Sacks, a billionaire scientist and socialite who worked with April's father.

Megan Fox as April O'Neil

Along with this new movie, this year also marks the 30th anniversary of the TMNT. Back in 1984, comic book creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird formed an independent comic book company called Mirage Studios and produced a self-published, black & white, comic book entitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, little did they know that their small independent comic would spawn even more comic books, cartoons, toys, video games, movies, and countless other forms of merchandise into what would become an immensely successful, world-famous franchise! With the initial "Turtle-mania" sparked by the 1987 animated series, (which would last through the late 1980's and into the mid-90's) the franchise has seen it's ups and downs over the years with a recent resurgence with the second animated series in 2003. In 2007 the turtles were given a face-lift and a fully-CGI theatrical movie simply titled TMNT. While the fans reception was mixed, it would soon spark a new revamped CGI animated series on Nickelodeon in 2012.
For many fans of the TMNT, this movie can be seen two ways, while some long-time, hardcore fans may be furiously disappointed about the drastic changes made to the characters that they knew and loved growing up; for the newer, younger fans, this is an enjoyable adaptation of the TMNT franchise. The movie is fun and entertaining and that's what the TMNT are all about. While these characters have grown and changed during the years, the spirit and fun of the turtles has never changed. The turtles themselves have always remained simple and lovable in their own rights.
There is a surprisingly sparse amount of down-time in the new movie for which usually allows for emotional or character development in most films. While the focus is definitely on the action and special effects, the story itself is somewhat predictable and cliche, right down to the stereotypical super-villain desiring destruction right down to a "Today New York City, Tomorrow the world!" mentality. The story moves fairly quickly and rarely slows down, the humor is witty and maybe even a little juvenile, thanks mostly to Michelangelo's cut-ups (I think they even managed to throw in a fart joke somewhere!), as well as their innate love for pizza!

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a fun and entertaining movie! Fans both young and old can enjoy watching it. I felt my own inner 10-year old crack a smile as they cried "Cowabunga!" and fought off a ridiculously, huge Shredder, who possessed enough blades to fill a dozen Swiss-Army knives! I haven't had this much fun at the movies in a long time. Of all the recent remakes of all my favorite childhood toys such as G.I. Joe and Transformers, I think for once, Hollywood got it right and finally gave the fans what they wanted: "TURTLE POWER!" Enjoy your pizza!
LINKS: Official Movie Website, Mirage Group, Nickelodeon, Turtlepedia

Top 10 Favorite Robin Williams Movies

Robin Williams was quite possibly the funniest comedian I have ever seen. I grew up with many of his movies during the 1980's and 90's and now unfortunately, he's gone... I can remember watching reruns of Mork & Mindy with my parents and the first movie I remember seeing him in was Popeye (1980). I can remember thinking that he was Popeye. There are so many memorable roles he's played, from the incredibly zany, to the sympathetic, and also even a little dark and scary at times. He was a man with a singularly remarkable talent and the world is a sadder place without him. Although many celebrities, both young and old come and go, we have somehow become used to the idea of those who get caught up in the difficult life of a celebrity and often succumb to their demanding lifestyles and their lives tragically come to an, very often before their time. There are only a few of those who really, truly make such an impact on our lives and make us laugh more than anybody that we can scarcely believe it when they are gone. Although he is gone, we can still remember the great moments and characters he played. To celebrate the life and career of Robin Williams, I wanted to list some of my favorite movies to which he gave me and my family so much joy, happiness, and even tears. CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PRESENTS: Top 10 Favorite Robin Williams Movies...We will miss you.

#10 Night at the Museum (2006) - Although Robin Williams only played a supporting role in these movies, (Night at the Museum 3 to be released later this year) with his unique presence and energy, he managed to make one of my favorite U.S. Presidents: Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt come alive, even if he was only a wax statue!
#9 Toys (1992) - Robin as Leslie Zevo is one of his strangest and wackiest characters ever. The movie itself is a bizarre experience with a very childlike but also very poignant story.
#8 Jack (1996) - Often underrated and criticized, Jack is one of Robin's most hilarious and yet most sympathetic characters as Jack Powell, the boy with a strange illness that makes him age 4X faster than a normal person.
#7 What Dreams May Come (1998) - While one of his most unsuccessful movies, possibly due to the intensely deep and disturbing subject matter, Robin stars as Chris Nielsen, a man who dies in a car crash and searches the afterlife for his wife.
#6 Bicentennial Man (1999) - Robin stars as Andrew Martin an android who endeavors to become more human.
#5 Popeye (1980) - "I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam!" 'Nuff said.
#4 Hook (1991) - Robin plays Peter Banning, a grown up Peter Pan who has forgotten his life in Never Land until Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children forcing him to return is one of my favorite movies of all time.
#3 Aladdin (1992) - With his voice giving life to the Genie in one of my favorite Disney animated features, Robin stole the show and created one of the most enigmatic and beloved Disney characters of all time.
#2 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Quite possibly one of his most popular and memorable roles, Robin as Daniel Hillard, a divorcee father who disguises himself as an elderly woman is both incredibly hilarious and completely ridiculous at the same time...and that's what makes it his funniest movie ever!
#1 Dead Poets Society (1989) - This movie inspired me to become a teacher and also gave me a deeper appreciation for both literature and poetry. Robin Williams as John Keating will always be "Oh Captain, My Captain!"

LINKS: Robin Williams, Twitter, Facebook

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy

Within the successful Marvel Studios, a remarkable collection of superheroes has been ingeniously brought together into what we now know as Marvel's The Avengers! As this group of heroes has now been firmly established into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a new, even more original team has been introduced into Phase 2 of Marvel Studio's movie projects with their 10th film: Guardians of the Galaxy! 
Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), is a notorious outlaw and thief, who, while stealing a mysterious orb on an abandoned planet, is drawn into a plot of galactic proportions which jeopardizes the fate of the universe! While escaping from the forces of the megalomaniacal Ronan, The Accuser (Lee Pace); Quill is arrested by the Nova Corps and sentenced to an orbiting penal colony along with the bounty hunters Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) & Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), and the assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana). While in prison, he teams up with this motley crew along with Drax, (Dave Bautista) The Destroyer, who has a grudge against Ronan, and escapes prison to find a way to stop Ronan from getting the orb and destroying the galaxy!
Guardians of the Galaxy is an epic, space adventure, which combines Star Wars-like Sci-Fi/Fantasy with swashbuckling action, and irreverent humor; combined with a bizarre soundtrack full of 1970's pop-music.
While characters such as Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man and Thor have earned their place in pop-culture for the last 50 years, this team is relatively "new" to the Marvel Universe. The original Guardians of the Galaxy appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18, 1969 with heroes such as Major Victory, Starhawk, and Yondu. Although they remained a third-string team through much of their history, appearing alongside other major Marvel heroes such as The Avengers, they finally managed to get their own title in 1990 until it was cancelled in 1995. This Guardians however, is NOT that team! This newer Guardians of the Galaxy team first appeared in 2008 formed in the aftermath of the Annihilation: Conquest story-line in Marvel comics, shortly before the Disney acquisition of Marvel Comics. The current team in the comics includes Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon & Groot, along with Quasar and Adam Warlock. For the movie's sake, Warlock and Quasar, not to mention Nova, are not present, which leaves room for their appearance (no doubt) in Guardians 2? [Minor Spoilers]: This movie finally features a full (although brief) appearance from the cosmic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who appeared in the end-credits of Avengers (2012), and also an appearance from The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) who made an appearance in the end-credits in Thor: The Dark World (2013). A few surprising guest appearances in this movie as other minor characters including Glenn Close as Nova Prime, John C. Reily as Corpsman Dey and Michael Rooker as Yondu. While it seemed unbelievable that a talking fully-CG Raccoon could convince an audience and become a fan favorite was a stroke of genius with the combination of state-of-the-art CGI technology and Bradley Cooper's comic talent. Also, despite Groot's three-word vocabulary: "I AM GROOT!", this seemingly one dimensional (or "wooden") character voiced by action-star Vin Diesel, is the source of much of the pathos in the team. While actress Zoe Saldana is often comfortable in Sci-Fi franchises (Star Trek) as well as colorful-skinned aliens (Avatar), she holds her own as a strong and complicated woman. While there are few differences from the comic book, one most crucial being that making Star-Lord a space-pirate and not the interplanetary policeman he was meant to be.
Full of Sci-Fi/Fantasy action, humor, and wonder, Guardians of the Galaxy is a new and impressive addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe which, although has been growing in popularity, has also been suffering from lack-luster sequels to make way for their bigger titles while still mired in legal mumbo-jumbo between Disney, Sony and 20th Century Fox on the rest of their comic properties. When Guardians was first announced, I admit, I was not very impressed; convinced that Marvel had finally reached the bottom of the barrel on characters NOT owned by other studios. And along with the controversy from Ant-Man (2015) director Edgar Wright dropping out of the scene, it seemed that Marvel had hit a huge speed-bump. Despite a lack of a clear plot, whether it is the unique combination of colorful characters, tongue-in-cheek humor, Sci-Fi action and special effects, Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly fun and entertaining movie, plain and simple. While Sony still clings to the Spider-Man franchise, and Fox runs the X-Men franchise into the ground, Marvel is still at the top of the blockbuster game, and until the fanboys (like myself) are satiated until Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out in 2015, Guardians of the Galaxy is number one (for now), having already earned $94 million in its first week!

LINKS: Marvel.com, Official Guardians Movie Website, Marvel Wikia

Comic-Con 2014: Top 10 Upcoming Events

It's Comic-Con time again! The International Comic Con happened in San Diego this weekend and bringing with it even more previews and news of some of the biggest pop-culture events coming in the next few years! Hollywood and TV have dominated Comic-Con over the last decade and there is no lack of big announcements from movies and TV projects. Last year I posted about the upcoming events announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2013, so I thought I would follow up with this years events. CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PRESENTS: Comic-Con 2014: Top 10 Upcoming Events! Enjoy!

#10 Interstellar (2014) - Christopher Nolan directs a new science-fiction epic starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway where a group of explorers discover a wormhole in space that allows them to travel the furthest reaches of space.
#9 Godzilla 2 (2017?) - Director Gareth Edwards unveiled his plans for the sequel to this years Godzilla reboot and rumors circulate of the appearances of even more kaiju monsters!
#8 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - Director George Miller previewed his new Mad Max reboot/sequel starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.
#7 Wonder Woman (2017?) - DC has announced that the Amazon warrior, played by Gal Gadot, will finally make it to theaters despite her failed TV series. Wonder Woman will soon join Batman and Superman in a rumored Justice League movie!
#6 The Walking Dead: Season 5 (October 2014) - The remaining survivors have made it to "Terminus" and it's not what they expected!
#5 Ant-Man (2015) - Director Peyton Reed brings the newest Marvel hero movie to the screen (after Edgar Wright dropped out), starring Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.
#4 Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) - Director Zack Snyder returns with a DC heroe extravaganza with Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, also rumored as Aquaman, Jason Mamoa!
#3 DC Comics TV Series (2014) - While Marvel has dominated the big screen, DC has taken over the small screen with continuing their highly acclaimed Arrow series with Season 3, and announcing the premieres this Fall for three more DC inspired titles including Gotham, The Flash, and Constantine!
#2 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) - The finale to Peter Jackson's (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) Hobbit Trilogy comes to an epic conclusion with the dwarves battling to reclaim the Lonely Mountain as fending off all of Middle Earth from their home and Bilbo caught up in the middle of it all!
#1 Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) - Director Joss Whedon returns to direct the sequel to his 2012 superhero epic! The team lead by Nick Fury including Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye, with new additions Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), (and possibly The Vision!) reunite to battle Ultron (James Spader/Andy Serkis?)!

LINKS: ComicCon.org

TV Review: The Strain

The horror/thriller genre is on the rise on prime-time Cable TV with the success of series like The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. The newest series, The Strain, which premiered Sunday, July 13th on the FX Network, is based on the horror/thriller novel series written by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.The Strain explores the age-old vampire genre with a modern virus-outbreak twist. It promises to be the newest Sunday night thrill, possibly even competing with the return of AMC's The Walking Dead in October.
When a Boeing 777 from Berlin to New York goes dark on the runway at JFK airport, the authorities contact Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the CDC team in New York City to investigate. Along with his partners Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro) and Jim Kent (Sean Astin) the team find all but four out of over 200 passengers alive on the plane that died from an unknown biological agent. The team also discover a strange, large, carved, wooden box in the cargo hold filled with soil. The only explanation come from the supposed ravings of an elderly pawn-shop owner named Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) with talk of vampires! In the next 24 hours Dr. Goodweather and his team will come face-to-face with the most virulent plague in the history of the world that threatens to destroy the entire human race!

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro and author Chuck Hogan serve as both co-creators, executive producers and writers for The Strain, also co-writing the pilot script for the show, which was also directed by del Toro. Emmy Award winning writer and producer Carlton Cuse (Bates Motel, Lost) serves as executive producer and writer. The Strain is a "high-concept thriller" based on the trilogy of books which have already gained popularity and even a series of comic book adaptations from Dark Horse Comics. Director Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to the vampire genre with his films such as Blade II (2002) and Cronos (1993) and bringing the new virology element to the vampire myth. So far, the show follows the books fairly closely however there are a few added elements to the characters as well as the plot and a somewhat lack of attention to the solar eclipse which occurs in the beginning of the first book yet has little to no mention in the first show other than a brief glimpse of an advertisement in the airport. The casting for The Strain compliments both their book versions as well as their comic book adaptations. While the surprising casting of Sean Astin as Jim Kent, a somewhat minor character in the book, may reveal a possible stronger role in the TV series. The major focus of the virus outbreak is on the mysterious "blood worms" which appear in much of the shows promotional material, which from a fan's point-of-view of the books, appear much bigger than they seemed in the books. The brief yet satisfying glimpse of 'The Master', the head vampire, is equally impressive and terrifying along with the character of Eldritch Palmer (Jonathan Hyde) is a perfect match. With the modern setting of the series mixed with the fascination of vampires provides a fresh view on the vampire genre which has been redundantly dominated by the more teenage/sparkly variety of vamp from the popularity of the Twilight books and movies, as well as in TV with shows like The Vampire Diaries and it's spin-off The Originals. As a fan of the books and comics, I've been looking forward to the premiere of The Strain for quite a while now, and upon seeing the Pilot, I have no doubt that this series will soon take off and add a whole new level of terror and anticipation to Sunday prime-time! The Strain has spread...

LINKS: The Strain Official Website, The Strain Books, The Strain Comic Books, Del Toro Films

Movie Review - Transformers: Age of Extinction

Just when you thought the Transformers franchise had come to an end with Dark of the Moon (2011), the master of slow-motion explosions, director Michael Bay, returns with Transformers: Age of Extinction! Longer, darker and with even bigger Transformers than ever seen before, Age of Extinction is the fourth in the franchise of Transformers movies which began in 2007. With the trilogy ended, so did the involvement of actor Shia LeBeouf, who starred as Sam Witwicky in the first three Transformers movies. Age of Extinction takes place several years after the events of Dark of the Moon, dubbed the "Battle of Chicago", where the Transformers have now become public knowledge and are now feared and hunted down by the government. Particularly one Black Ops team known as KSI, led by CIA Agent Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer), is in charge of destroying both Autobots and Decepticons, having allied themselves with a group of ruthless Transformer bounty-hunters led by Lockdown (voiced by Mark Ryan). Along with the government's involvement, a wealthy techno-industrialist Joshua Joyce's (Stanley Tucci) company is developing their own Transformers reverse-engineered from the captured remnants of the Transformers to build Stinger and Galvatron (voiced by Frank Welker)! Meanwhile, in rural Texas, Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg), an unemployed salvager and robotics inventor has found what is left of Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) after a battle which left him nonfunctional. As Cade tries to repair Optimus, the government becomes aware of Optimus' location and send the Black Ops team to destroy him. Now Cade, his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz), and her boyfriend Jack (Shane Dyson) are on the run with Optimus to try and find what is left of the Autobots and stop Lockdown!

Along with Autobot favorite Bumblebee, there a few new additions to the Transformers roster including original G1 favorite Hound (voiced by John Goodman), the samurai-bot Drift (voiced by Ken Watanabe) and Crosshairs (voiced by John DiMaggio) not to mention this movies biggest surprise is the inclusion of the Dinobots, (fan-favorites from the cartoon/toys) including Grimlock! Despite all the violence, explosions, exotic locations (Hong Kong) and all-out Autobot-action, this movie seemed to be a much more satisfying successor to the last few Transformers movies, especially the disappointing sequel Revenge of the Fallen (2009). Aside from the obvious improvements, this movie however has a very ominous and darker tone than the other movies some of the humor that pervades the movies is lessened somewhat in favor of a much grittier feel as the Transformers, particularly the Autobots were regarded as heros in the others, now they are fugitives! Even Optimus Prime, whose character has always been the honorable, stalwart protector has been defeated both physically and in spirit that he has become an angry killer, bent on revenge for his fallen comrades. The dark/violent atmosphere is present in the more-violent battles, and the surprising repetition of lines like "I'm going to kill you!" and "Die!" from Optimus himself! While it is understandable how Optimus must feel after the literal genocide of his Autobot allies, it is to some extreme how his character has changed drastically. As for fan-service the inclusion of the Dinobots (which I myself have been looking forward to seeing ever since the trailer: Optimus riding Grimlock! Awesome!) is very satisfying as well as the inclusion of celebrity voices like John Goodman and Ken Watanabe in the cast. The biggest surprise was the return of famous voice actor Frank Welker to the Transformers cast who was the voice of Megatron in the cartoons (in the last three movies Megatron was voiced by actor Hugo Weaving) now as Galvatron, ironically played by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 animated movie, who voiced in Sentinel Prime in Dark of the Moon. While I am pleased to no longer have to see Shia's hyperactive screaming on screen I was not too excited to have Marky Mark be the new human star of the Transformers franchise for his former failures in movies like Planet of the Apes (2001), The Happening and Ted, he has more popular screen credits than Shia anyway. Overall Age of Extinction is an impressive, action-packed, special-effects nightmare, thrill ride! As a fan of the Transformers since my childhood in the 80's I can see these movies not as the over-budgeted, CGI-crazy blockbusters that they are and relish in the pure fun and excitement that my inner child and adult self can enjoy and have fun watching them.I still smile every time I see a Transformer transform, and I cheer quietly to myself when I see Optimus defeat a Decepticon. While the success of these films may vary from movie to movie and Michael Bay enjoys the mixed criticisms of his film franchise, I will still keep wanting to come back to see them. (unless he tries to kill off Optimus again!)

LINKS: TransformersMovie.com, Hasbro, BotCon