Month: January 2024

Trust Me, There’s No Such Thing as Zombies if you ask Carlotta

Over the holidays, this oddball black comedy said, “There’s No Such Thing as Zombies!” and I had to see what this work is barking at. Voodoo Zombies are real, but for other types, well….

There’s No Such Thing as Zombies PosterAvailable to stream on Amazon USA

The highly satirical There’s No Such Thing as Zombies fills a niche that’s rarely explored in this subgenre. In this very British style horror comedy, what’s presented is more of a rom com because Carlotta (Luana Ribeira) can’t decide who she loves more. Is it Colin (Rudy Barrow) or Paul (Rami Hilmi)? I won’t say who eventually turns into a zombie, but it’s rather funny to see how this Uncle Fester wannabe shows emotions, despite not having the capacity to express his feelings. To stop him from falling back to baser instincts, he’s tied up.

In between, this presentation includes an investigative television show that tries to look into the pandemic going on. They act like commercials to the actual story going on, and what they establish is more about how London is faring in the midst of this “pandemic.” Unlike those big budget movies where it’s about escaping from the walking dead, here it’s about whether one can live with them. When considering this work feels more like a fan film than something huge, what’s presented feels more like a production meant for live theatre than anything else.

Continue reading “Trust Me, There’s No Such Thing as Zombies if you ask Carlotta”

Avast ye Buckos! When Craig Before the Creek is All About the Age of Discovery

The story that shows how Craig, Kelsey and J.P. met has lots of elements to like, and to see them together, in a story titled Craig Before the Creek has a lot of Speilberg spirit to boot too!

Craig Before the Creek Promotionial PosterNo prior knowledge is required to enjoy Craig Before the Creek, the prequel to the Cartoon Network television series Craig of the Creek. This movie is the perfect jumping in point for newcomers, and for long time fans, what’s presented doesn’t change up what’s previously known. Philip Solomon voices the titular character, and everything we know from the series is given further development in this work! Here, we get to see how he met Kelsey (Michael Croner) and J.P. (Noël Wells).

That also includes revealing why his parents decided to relocate to the small town of Herkleton. Duane Williams (Byron Marc Newsome) is a computer programmer, able to work at home, and Nicole (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) is a school counsellor. She most likely got a job at the school Craig goes to, but little is shown about his time there. Instead, it’s all about those adventures that go on after school, at the creek. What’s revealed in this film is that he generally gets along well with his siblings, Jessica (Lucia Cunningham) and Bernard (Phil LaMarr), and after accidentally knocking his sister’s precious stuffed doll deep into the woods, he “promises” to find it and what he discovers at the creek is wonder and kids of his age having fun.

Continue reading “Avast ye Buckos! When Craig Before the Creek is All About the Age of Discovery”

NAQT VANE’s New Wave/Synth J-Pop is All About Dispersion & “Puzzle” Music Video Debut

To celebrate the album release, the band will hold a concert in Japan titled NAQT VANE Special Event -Dispersion – on May 11, 2024.

NAQT VANE DispersionJapanese ensemble unit NAQT VANE released their first full-length album, ‘Dispersion’, last week, and it’s slowly climbing up the charts. This title is a reference to the way that light is refracted through a gemstone, and its meaning is significant when considering the names of each track.

From the Press Release:

Here, the strength to which light is dispersed varies depending on the type of jewel, and diamonds have a perfectly balanced dispersion that makes them shine so vividly. NAQT VANE’s message on ‘Dispersion’ is that just as each gem shines in its own way, a group of people who embrace their differences can unite to create a dazzling brilliance.

Continue reading “NAQT VANE’s New Wave/Synth J-Pop is All About Dispersion & “Puzzle” Music Video Debut”

When the Home Video Release of The Devil’s Partner Shows The Devil is in the Details

In part three of Film Master’s remastering of Roger Corman’s classics under Filmgroup, what’s presented as The Devil’s Partner shows how he took a backseat at this production, as this work is directed by someone else!

The Devil's Partner Remastered - Film Masters
Available to order on Amazon USA

The next Film Master‘s release continues the love for exploring the catalogue of Roger Corman‘s films. In this third instalment of the series which looks at his time with Filmgroup, The Devil’s Partner, is the focus. And the joy comes from looking at how Ed Nelsen (who would later be best known as Dr. Michael Rossi in Peyton Place) handled switching back and forth between two characters.

At the start of the film, he’s the crazed Pete Jenson, an elderly man about to make a bargain with the devil. He dies, and in no time, a mysterious Nick Richards shows up to the dusty, fictional town of Furnace Flats, New Mexico claiming to be the nephew of the said individual, and nobody bats an eye. Not even the sheriff is wise to notice the two look similar. Usually, the genes pass on more than a trait. When Pete can’t get the affection of a woman, he’s developed an interest in, and he’s old enough to be her father, it’ll take a good ol fashioned story to show just how wrong he is to make a pact with some devil.

Although this tale doesn’t fully concern the Faustian bargain, what’s presented clearly takes a few inspiration from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s story, even though others would say it’s one of the early works to introduce the satanic panic. What’s written by Stanley Clements and Laura Jean Mathews presents that love interest from a different perspective. Nell (Jean Allison) already has a beau, and Nick plots to kill him. But David (Richard Crane) survives and eventually, that leads to the whole town wondering what’s going on.

Continue reading “When the Home Video Release of The Devil’s Partner Shows The Devil is in the Details”

Had Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Felt More Like A Nautical Tale, Perhaps There’s Hope

Although Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is treading water these days, it hasn’t sunk yet following its holiday premiere. I saw it on a weekend when there’s nothing else to go see on the big screen.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Movie PosterAquaman and the Lost Kingdom is one of those movies that could’ve embraced all the action and love one has for a tale written by Jules Verne. But instead, what’s presented is half of one. Had this work not been a struggle to get finished, I’m sure some elements from all four storytellers (James Wan, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett) could’ve been retained, and the director could’ve done wonders. But instead, what’s finally put together feels like conflicting concepts smashed together and the cohesiveness barely hangs on by a thread.

By the title alone, I wanted to see an Indiana Jones style adventure unfold. After Arthur (Jason Momoa) realises he can’t stop Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) alone, he’ll have to do more than find an ally. That’s because this villain found an artefact, a black trident, and in order to counter this item, this guardian of the sea needs a way to destroy it. And along the way, the backstory gets quite involved since it is as crazy as Lord of the Rings when concerning how he who welds that power will–no matter what–become corrupt.

Continue reading “Had Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Felt More Like A Nautical Tale, Perhaps There’s Hope”

The Only Thing Illumination’s Migration Promises is that Hiberating in the Cold Months is Real

If only there was one DarkWing Duck in-joke in Migration, then I’d say there’s a hit. The visual nuances are there!

Migration (2023) Movie PosterIllumination’s latest animated film, Migration, doesn’t quite soar as well when compared to their other in-house works. But against DreamWorks The Croods, both share a similar concept: The patriarch of the family doesn’t want their kids to leave the nest.

And in this film’s case, it’s in how Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani) thinks home sweet home lies in the wetlands of New England than the Florida Keys. He does not believe his brood needs to head south. Whether that’s for a better world or because that’s what ducks do, he’s a creature of a different persuasion.

But eventually, the father caves in to the demands of his wife Gwen (Elizabeth Banks) and the kids (voiced by Caspar Jennings and Tresi Gazal). As they make their way south with Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) in tow, a nasty tail wind sends them to New York, and that’s about when I lost interest. These ducks have trouble with deciding on what to do next, and end up having a city adventure that feels no different from Secret Life of Pets.

Continue reading “The Only Thing Illumination’s Migration Promises is that Hiberating in the Cold Months is Real”