FUYA Radio's B-Movie Breakdown

Lockout

     

PLOT
A man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates. - IMDB

ACTORS
I was surprised to see Guy Pierce (Snow) in the movie, considering I havn’t seen him since “Momento,” who plays the shit talking dude who knows he’s a bad ass. The damsel in distress is the beautiful Maggie Grace (Taken) who goes through a great physical transformation in the film that is very reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver’s character Ripley in “Alien”. At least i thought so. Vincent Regan (300) and Joseph Gilgun play a pair of inmate brothers with day and night personalities. While Regan may be the smarter of the two Gilgun’s character is just off the wall nuts and really fun to watch. The cast is rounded out with Lennie James (Snatch, The Walking Dead) and Peter Stormare who is probably the go to guy when it comes to typecasting the ass hole role.

       


IMPRESSION
Let me start by saying that I know this isn’t a B-Movie but I figured I’d talk about it anyway. When I first heard about this movie and it’s plot I was automatically reminded of “Fortress”, a 90’s movie staring the awesome Christopher Lambert. If you pick up the DVD you’ll find at the bottom “Die Hard meets Blade Runner” when in actuality it’s more like “Fortress meets Escape from L.A.”. At least that what I took from my introduction of the movie before it was released in America. At that point I hadn’t quite seen enough or read enough about this movie to really lock in my interested until I heard it was produced and written by Luc Besson. Anything he attaches his name to is usually quality entertainment (i.e. The Professional, Fifth Element, Unleashed ect.) This is what sold me on the the movie and that’s the sole reason I bought it before watching it.

     


REVIEW
After popping in the movie I started recognizing familiar faces and noticed how cool of a cast this was. The “Momento” guy, the hot daughter from “Taken”, the general of the spartan 300, Sol from “Snatch”and Satan from “Constantine”. I dug the players but the game they were playing was a bit of a different story. The first thing I noticed was that the movie was fast paced…and i mean really fast paced. The way it was edited made me feel like i was watching a trailer through out the most of the movie.
I’m all for quick sequences but most of the time it was a bit of an annoyance. The dialog was good, the acting was fine and there was a decent amount of comedy that kept it from becoming a stale action flick. I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi aspect of the movie as well but found that the Sci-Fi-ness was a bit much in a few places. The CG is one of those places. While most of the movie looks great the chase seen at the beginning was a laugh. Almost took me right out of the movie. Lucky for me I didn’t have to endure that kind of cruddy quality CG work anytime after. The action was good, not great and not as much as I’d thought there would be. Any sequence involving shoot outs was over way to quickly and fortunately (or unfortunately) for the audience we weren’t given a final kiss to end the movie on. Maybe my favorite parts of the movie was any character interaction with Hydell and the back and fourth dialog between the protagonists.

     

THE IT FACTOR? : DECENT

CLOSING COMMENTS
While I certainly didn’t hate the movie I was expecting a bit more on the action. While i was pleasantly surprised with the dialog I really needed to see some great death sequences which never came to light. Surprising considering this is a movie about a space prison with thousands of armed inmates. I’m glad this movie is part of my collection but I really wish I had waited for this to go down in price. While not one of Luc Besson’s best it’s still a fun run through for anyone looking for a good flick to watch.

-Diluted

Sector 7 (Impressions)

     

PLOT
On an offshore oil rig a small crew is getting ready to head home after failing to finding any actual oil. During their stay they discover tiny glowing sea creatures they decide to keep in a research tank as pets. Just when things seemed to get back on track and going well the rig and its crew get caught up in accidents and mishaps that begin to claim lives. This all seems like freak accidents until they find that the small glowing pets they once had have grown into something not quite so cute.

ACTORS
This creature feature includes new hotness Ji-won Ha (Tidal Wave), Korean acting legend Sung Kee Ahn (Battle of the Warriors) and pretty boy Ji Ho Oh among others.
(If you havn’t figured it out yet this a Korean movie. Prepare for subtitles)

 

IMPRESSION
I normally love anything coming from Korea or Japan in the form of horror, over the top action or creature movies so when snatching this one up I had some high hopes. Not to say I’m biased but they know how to make some fun movies. These places appreciate a little originality as most of their best films aren’t remakes, sequels or “based on a true story”. The concepts, while they have been done before, look fresh and freshness these days is very much welcome in the realm of monsters. The box art and description didn’t do much for me but this flick is like a panini, it appears plain and boring but the best stuff is on the inside.

REVIEW
Sector 7 is a wonderful looking film in almost every aspect. Since this movie was made with 3D in mind the creature effects are wonderful, the fire sequences are stunning, the colors and lighting were also greatly done. This movie was meant for mainstream audiences. The CG is also pretty close to what we have in American films and really it really does make this movie look terrific. They don’t skim on the action either. Everything from the fight, to the chase and the explosions made sure the that the audiences were getting a roller coaster of a movie. This one is also female empowering. The lead actress (Ji-won Ha) who you might know early on as “tough ass” does a wicked job at playing heroine. The character isn’t military trained, she doesn’t possess any amazing skills and doesn’t have any super human powers and yet still manages to live up to her nickname. The acting doesn’t take a hit either as everyone does a believable job for what this film is calling for.

CLOSING COMMENTS
Sector 7, while not really a b-movie, is not one that showed up state side in any movie theater. But as collectors know, any foreign or imported dvd movies costs a nut later on. The movie looks great, plays great, and can be enjoyed by all audiences. Anyone with a love of monster movies will dig this one with a shovel. Thank you Korea.

THE IT FACTOR : MUST BUY

-Diluted

Nazis at the Center of the Earth (Review)

     

PLOT
Nazis have found away to stay alive by replacing their skin and bones with the skin of others and various metals. Their ultimate goal is to revive mein fuhrer, Hitler, and give rise to the Third Reich.

ACTORS
The film includes Dominique Swain (Alpha Dog), Jake Busey (Starship Troopers), the adorable Lilian Bowden (Zombie Apocalypse) the relatively unknown Josh Allen and the almost always uncredited Christopher Karl Johnson (Seriously check out his filmography).

    

IMPRESSION
The box art, while horrible, had me reaching out to grab it off the shelf. The back of the box mentions this film to be a horror classic in the veins of Army of Darkness and Dawn of the Dead. A lot of films promise this sort of greatness but unfortunately most do not live up to the promises. Taking a closer look at the film details I discovered this was an Asylum film. The name is synonymous with horrible CG, low budgets, failed film actors and normally ends up on the SyFy channel. I almost instantly felt the urge to return this movie but decided to watch it thinking it might surprise me. Call me surprised.

Lets be honest, the story sounds stupid but it makes for a fun b-movie. The gore isn’t the best but there’s enough to keep the horror hounds happy. The dissection / surgery scenes were also great, leaving victims fleshless and poking and their brains while they were still somewhat alive and they even threw in a brutal sounding abortion. I say sounding because you don’t actually see it happen. This also goes for the insinuated zombie rape scene. What made this movie really work was the robot Hitler and his swastika space ship which makes me think they took these ideas from video games Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Slug. You gotta take inspiration where you can these days. Like I said CG is always pretty crappy in Asylum films, but this one is HORRENDOUS. It felt like i was watching a PS2 game cut scene during the Hitler action parts. But apart from the look it was still pretty fun to watch and can also induce some laughs.



THE IT FACTOR : GUT

CLOSING COMMENTS
I’m relieved that this movie turned out better then I had originally thought.. The acting was 2nd rate and the CG fails but it makes up for it with its choice ideas in death, dismemberment, gore and its sci fi twist ending. I doubt anyone will put this in the league of classics like Army of Darkness but that would just be unfair to do at this point. Anyone interested should find it online or if you dumb like me you might want to wait till it hits the $5 bin before you buy it.

-Diluted

The Cabin in the Woods (Impression)

     

                                         BEWARE SPOILERS BELOW

While not a B-Movie The Cabin in the Woods has all the makings of a classic cult film that mainstream audiences will have the ability to enjoy. What drew me to the movie was that Joss Whedon, best known for the show Firefly, co-wrote the movie. While you may notice a few things in the trailers may make it seem like your typical Evil Dead rip off as with so many others out there (not that their all bad), its far from it and play all the stereotypes were used to such as character archetypes (the virgin, the slut, the jock, the intelligent one and the stoner), and all the ignorant things you can do in a horror movie such as split up in groups, drop the weapon because you THINK the monster is dead, sex in the woods, but it plays out so that you know its done on purpose and its done to make you laugh. The best part come out at the end when we’re shown all the different types of creatures, monsters and spirits these characters would have had to face had they chosen a certain “possessed” item in the cabins basement. One in particular was a play on Pinhead. All this of course is happening because some faceless corporation is sacrificing these kids to appease “The Old Ones”, God, which my friend pointed out hinted strongly at the HP Lovecraft idea of the old gods such as Cthulhu, Azathoth, Yig ect. While the story seems odd it makes for a fantastic twist. This was one of the few new horror movies i’ve seen where i’ve had fun laughing at all the characters mishaps and cliches and was more than impressed with twist ending. Definitely one that must be watched for horror fans or anyone wanting a good laugh.

THE IT FACTOR ?: FANTASTIC 

Great writing, great effects, awesome creatures, hilarious scenes. This turns the horror genre on its head. Glad i took the chance and saw this at the movies.

-Diluted

THE HORDE

    
Fast, brutal, fun and oh so bloody, “The Horde” is not just a movie about trying to survive the invading dead, but one where the characters fight, beat, dismember, and riddle corpses with bullets in an almost mindless fashion. This is not a movie about hope or trying to preserve our species, characters are not your next door neighbor, ex soldiers, scientists and doctors, they are hard as nails gangsters, and dirty cops hell bent on revenge. The tension is already there but now they have to team up and fight their way out of an apartment complex. You start wondering half way into the movie about what exactly is going to happen to the characters once they get out of the complex, the undead are slowly invading the building but have already begun to swarm throughout the rest of the city. This type of desperation, while it makes the situation seem hopeless, really makes the fight seem futile but insanely fun to watch.



“The Horde” wasn’t made in America, no, in fact it comes from France which comes to a great shock to me because I almost forgot that country existed in the realm of cinema. I may be sounding facetious but considering I don’t understand the language I don’t exactly hunt down these movies on the ol Netflix. While I’m a hug fan of the Zombie movie there are very few that I don’t enjoy so this was no brainer. But because they are so popular they seem to pop up every few weeks and while you may be familiar with some of the mainstream hits like “Zombie Land”, there are more walking dead movies coming and they are quite hard to keep track of. I’ve already seen my fare share of crap so believe me when I say that “Horde” has to be on my top 5 in the realm of Z. This is the closest thing your going to get to “Left 4 Dead” in film form.



I found that not knowing anyone in this movie made it all the more enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong I think a Hollywood tough guy like Vin Diesel would be awesome in the movie but when you see an unrecognizable face beat, bash and blow away multiple ex-living human beings it just feels right. The fact that everyone in this movie is suppose to be tough, violent and dirty makes everything feel a little more gritty. This movie is dark, and i don’t just mean in tone but in presentation, while the lighting is great there are no vibrant colors, everything is bland, the few jokes that are thrown out are quickly destroyed by sudden bursts of tension and the only time we ever see the sun is either at a funeral or in preparation of one.



THE IT FACTOR : EPIC SLAUGHTERFEST

While there story is painfully simple it’s also best to remember that zombie movies don’t need a story to be awesome. Sure movies like “Mutants” or “Rammbock” might have a bit more of a plot in play but “Horde” reminds you that all you need is a gun and a machete to have a blast!

-Diluted

DAY OF THE DEAD (2008 REMAKE)

    

After only ever seeing the original once many years ago I can’t quite remember how it played out but I do remember that the zombie’s weren’t very quick on their feet. This remake takes a page the from “2004 remake of “Dawn of the Dead” because slow shuffling zombies just aren’t scary any more. How can you be afraid of something you can quickly walk away from? This time the zombie can also crawl on the ceiling as odd as that may sound. Also unlike the original the infection here seems to be airborne and rapidly mutates victims without a bite. While I did enjoy the movie I didn’t run out to find it all to quickly because the cast didn’t exactly excite me. Mena Suvari, Nick Cannon and Stark Sands are the lead roles and none of these names truly bring any interest to the project, with the exception of Ving Rhames who sadly doesn’t stay very long. Why they choose these actors is beyond me but luckily that doesn’t take much away from the movie. The best part of the of “Dead” is the hospital escape scene where nick cannon uses a make shift spear made from a crutch and a surgical blade followed by some funny racial jokes. The movie might also remind you of the original Resident Evil games, as it’s set in a small isolated town in the mountains, although in all fairness it is much smaller than Raccoon City. With a 18 Mill dollar budget though it was pulled off very well. But if you happen to catch yourself watching this see if you can catch the subtle references to “A Nightmare on Elm St” and “The Andromeda Strain”. Be warned though, this movie is nothing like the original, nothing. While I personally enjoyed it Romero fans might despise it. 



THE IT FACTOR ? : DECENT

“Day of the Dead” was a good zombie flick with a decent budget. The effects, make up, pacing and action were great and while I might not recommend it to everyone, zombie film enthusiasts will enjoy seeing this offering in their collection, if your not a Romero enthusiast that is.

-Diluted

MUTANTS

     

Here’s a movie that combines a decent story with a decent amount of action involving a couple just trying to keep the relationship intact while maintaining their humanity. While most other couples suffer through petty arguments and squabbles over who gets the big piece of chicken at dinner Sonia (Hélène de Fougerolles) and Marco (Francis Renaud) are trying keep themselves off the menu while trying to cope with Marco’s inevitable and slow change into a “Mutant”. Things start quickly as the tragic pair of ambulance drivers start the movie by completely decimating a recently bitten woman just trying to look for help. It’s a small brutal scene but the movie wastes no time with a subtle intro. Where as in other movies where the characters watch out for themselves this one shows us what happens when a the characters feel a strong affection for one another that is challenged over the course of the movies. If you take a second to think we don’t often see true love transpire through any recent horror movies, with the exception of the odd scene at the end of “Rammbock”, so you kind of feel for their relationship and their situation because you watch as Marco slowly and painfully transforms into a beast. This is also what made the movie worth sitting down and watching because you can’t help but feel for the man who’s slowly losing chucks of his hair as well as teeth apart from his conscious. And just like many other movies of this kind we have the one dick head who gets his in the end in a rather nasty fashion as well. Where would the horror movie be without killing the guy no one likes? While the action happens from time to time it never gets too crazy and I can’t really say this movie has that one intense moment because sadly while the movie was good all around there’s nothing memorable about it apart from excruciating transformation from human to zombie.

THE IT FACTOR ? : IT’LL DO

If you like fast paced movies like “28 Days Later” this is probably not going to be to your liking. Mutants, in a nut shell, is a decent foreign Z film that has a healthy amount of blood and cannibalism but it had no memorable deaths, decapitations, or insane gore (apart from the intro of course) so it never felt to me like a movie I wanted to watch a second time. Although its good for a watch its not one I’m putting in my collection

-Diluted

RAMMBOCK

     
I’m starting to enjoy Bloody Disgusting sponsored flicks these days as they tend to focus on horror movies of course. Rammbock is a little similar to “The Horde” in the sense that it takes place in an apartment complex and “Phase 7” where the residents are only trying to live through the nightmare safely in their apartments. On the outside a deadly out break has the masses turning into blood hungry cannibals with, surprisingly, the ability to retail certain memories. This fact plays a short roll in the movies plot but its a great way to end a love story. The writers really tried their hardest to set this apart from other zombie movies and did a fairly decent job at it. It may not be fair to call these people zombies as their not really dead, just infected with whatever new virus is plaguing Germany. While blood and hunger isn’t exactly the mean cause of their attacks any type of stimulation or excitement sets them off. How many of you guys finished that last sentence without immediately thinking about sex? Perverts. In Rammbock the infected also have a weakness against bright lights, or at least flashing lights, strobes or camera flashes. This is a first I’ve seen this scenario used in a movie like this and it is a bit refreshing but also very lame. I mean can you imagine a conversation after this plague happened to pop up? “Oh yeah i could have saved my mother if I had only a camera with a high flash setting”. It just doesn’t sound natural. But at least they tried a different approach and for that I applaud them.



THE IT FACTOR ? : MEH

As you will learn “Meh” isn’t exactly a bad way to describe or rate a movie but for those who understand what the term means will know that “Rammbock” isn’t great but its worth checking out if your want to catch a good Z flick. While it’s slower than most its still pretty entertain, and while none of the actors are really known in the states you still want to see them live after doing so much to stay alive. It deserves at least watch.

- Diluted

BEAST WITHIN (Virus Undead)

       

So here’s movie I found on the Netflix dealing with the undead in Germany only this time the virus is some form of the avian flu. Beast Within is a different take of the virus theory only with a different origin as the directors were capitalizing on the popular headline at the time (2008). The movie starts off with a great looking car crash scene and then it slows down and stays down for most of the movie. It’s a bit disappointing too because the first creature we see looks like a skinned wolf which I thought would have made a fantastic creature too look out for while fighting the shambling infected, sadly enough we only see it once and never see it again. The characters use us an old mansion, acquired from a recently dead relative of one of the male leads, as cover and it becomes the only refuge by the end on the movie. The zombies appear one by one then a few at a time but by the time anything really started happening I was getting rather bored as the movie just wasn’t moving fast enough. The characters also have these odd mood swing moments as if they just aren’t being who their suppose to and it feels like their acting out of character from one half of the movie to the other, especially the virgin. The make up consisting of bumps, boils and blood and looks decent but nothing you haven’t see a few times now. The best parts of the movie don’t happen until maybe the last 15 minutes when one of the female’s of the group, Anna Breuer, jumps out of a mansion window and starts killing things left and right and doing it in a rather bad ass and smooth fashion. Sadly she stole the show from any of the male leads. And did I mention there was damn hot sex scene? Whats a horror movie without some hot rack action sprinkled into the mix?

THE IT FACTOR? : GIRL POWER

I wasn’t lying when I said the best stuff happends towards the end. Breuer was really the only character that was any fun to watch and not because she was good looking (which helped) but her character was the only one to really go balls out and murder things with an ax/mallet. The rest of the movie was just a borefest that not even a good pair of boobs could save. Which in this day and age is saying alot.

-Diluted

ZOMBIE WEEK

Welcome to Zombie Week! Every other day this week we take a look at some Zombie flicks I was able to discover online, we got a couple good couple bad, while all maybe worth watching a few are necessary to own. Starting from bottom and making our way up we start on Monday with our first zombie film “Beast Within”.

Enjoy!

-Diluted