Tag: B-Movie

Is It Too Late To “Howl” When The Invisible Alien Threat is Everywhere?

In Howl, Alisa Kwitney and Mauricet blend counterculture and aliens to create a melting pot of sublime terror for comic book fans to enjoy. To see how they don’t deal is part of the fun!

Ahoy Comics Howl #3 Comic Book CoverSpoiler Alert

Ahoy Comics has a unique tale that’s now in its third issue, and I will Howl should my expectation for the last two issues not get met. This alien invasion cum romantic comedy looks at a side of Americana where the events do not take place at a little shop of horrors. Instead, it’s some corner of Greenwich Village in New York. Unless the UFO was on silent running, I found it strange nobody on the streets noticed it spraying a fine red mist everywhere. The people introduced on the first page ignore it as if it were dust from a passing dirty truck.

Ziva is the main protagonist in this story by Alisa Kwitney. In issue #1, she’s with her friend, Frida, hurrying to get to school. Unbeknownst to them, they inhaled the micro-organisms instead of fanning it away. Even Stanley, Z’s boyfriend, caught this virus! By the next issue, he’s no longer the fun loving character she knows him as, and she even thinks he’s now cheating on her! The next issue really sets up the complications and as for what kind of education she’s getting, I figure she’s a nurse in training.

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From Night of the Blood Beast, just what will Attack of the Giant Leeches Feast on? And a Future connection…

Could there be a connection with the types of scares made with Creepy Bits and Corman? Probably not with Night of the Blood Beast, but for the second film, read on to find out!

Night of the Blood Beast Blu-ray Release
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

The Film Masters latest double-feature is showing what producer Roger Corman loves about horrors from space and undersea. In Night of the Blood Beast (1958), humanity has to face off against some alien parasite that’s reanimated a dead astronaut. This pilot was aware something hit his craft, but when he aborted the flight, little did he know he had a rider back to earth!

I like to think of this film as a precursor to the way the 94 Spider-Man animated series introduced Venom. The tales are wildly different, but I couldn’t get that image off my mind! As for what’s special about this release is that it’s the most ‘complete’ of the releases. This includes the Mystery Science Theatre 3K episode where this film gets riffed upon. It’s a nice add-on for fans of this series. 

Continue reading “From Night of the Blood Beast, just what will Attack of the Giant Leeches Feast on? And a Future connection…”

A Look Back at Discovery’s Shark Week and Wild Eye’s Space Sharks. Maybe It’s Better to Swim with the Selachii

There’ll soon be a lot of danger not only at sea but also on land when Shark Week Starts later this month with also a Space Sharks! We are sure this wasn’t planned, but fans will love it!

Discovery Channel Shark Week 2024When Discovery Channel declared that Shark Week is coming, I sometimes pay attention. It all depends on who’s hosting, and this year, they have John Cena! While he can help me feel safe near the ocean, I still have to wait and give my thoughts after watching everything that’s available to scream at! My favourites are Expedition Unknown: Sharks vs Nazis, Alien Sharks: Ghosts of Japan and Makozilla. That’s because what’s presented gets mixed up with some local legends and urban myth. And as a bonus, Wild Eye Releasing has Space Sharks, and that was enough for me to tune in!

This sci-fi action thriller shows off enough cheesy action to even make me think about swimming in the oceans again instead of staying on land to cool off. That’s because these bio-engineered versions have taken to attacking the surface world rather than return to the dark depths whence they came. It’s a man versus nature movie that works, especially when these natural predators are given tech to allow them to kill a group of campers with impunity!

This budget film feels more like an extended music video, with the soundtrack playing more often than not. This synth track plays loudly to fill the non-talking set pieces, and even in the moments of dialogue, it overpowers what’s going on. Despite this problem, what’s presented is campier than 60s Batman, and is still a joy to view. That’s because certain talents, namely Eric Roberts, Mel Novak, Scott Schwartz, Vida Ghaffari, and Brinke Stevens valiantly give their all for this work. Continue reading “A Look Back at Discovery’s Shark Week and Wild Eye’s Space Sharks. Maybe It’s Better to Swim with the Selachii”

Remembering Roger Corman, the Marvel Comics Connection, and the Love for E.A. Poe. Part Two

The reason why Roger Corman is exceptional is because he’s willing to take chances, and also find creative ways to save a buck or two.

Roger CormanRoger Corman is a cinematic maestro who sadly passed away late last week, and the outpouring of affection continues. Even though he’s regarded as retired, there’s still some output. He’s executive producing and I can’t wait for the release of Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, a reboot of the movie that made me a fan of his works. Technically, I first saw the musical and upon learning right away that it was based on a darker version, I had to see it. Afterwards, I had a tough time deciding which one I loved more. Both have their merits.

As for being a filmmaker at the height of his career, the 60s, he gave many young talents getting into the industry that break. He also helped mentor them to be even more successful than he was. At the time of writing, the outpouring of affection from Ron Howard and John Carpenter say more than what I can put to words. There’s also bound to be more social media posts from other industry leaders. Even the heads from Shout! Studios, an early distributor of his works, have paid tribute. Continue reading “Remembering Roger Corman, the Marvel Comics Connection, and the Love for E.A. Poe. Part Two”

Remembering Roger Corman (Part One). The Beast from Haunted Cave Remastered.

Although Beast From Haunted Cave is not one of Roger Corman’s best, it’s notable for other reasons in this retrospective of this filmmaker.

Beast From Haunted Cave and Ski Troop Attack
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

The Beast from Haunted Cave (1959) won’t win awards for its schlock, but for B movie enthusiasts, to see it offered side by side with Ski Troop Attack (1960) can make for a fun weekend at the movies–especially if you’re the type who love those drive-in type affairs. Film Masters released this pairing back in October as a look at what the Corman brothers did early in their career. Roger produced the former and got his brother Gene to direct.

Strangely, what I wrote before and thought I had posted has disappeared. Perhaps that monster chewed it up because it didn’t like what I wrote. But after hearing of Roger’s passing, I had to delve into my library and select a sampling of works to remind myself about why this filmmmaker is revered.

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H.P. Lovecraft’s The Old Ones is Budget Filmmaking At Its Best (And Worst?)

Just what the creative minds behind H.P. Lovecraft’s The Old Ones want to do is to simply honour what makes up one of this author’s tales.

H.P. Lovecraft's The Old Ones Movie PosterBreaking Glass Pictures
Available on VOD (YouTube, Google Play)

Chad Ferrin is back with another Crappy World Film’s production! In H.P. Lovecraft’s The Old Ones, it’s man versus monster and from what I hear, he’s working on what may be part three of an ongoing series! I can’t wait to see what he has in store in Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep. Hopefully, he’ll have a budget for this one, since to imagine H.P. Lovecraft’s Dreamlands is no easy feat! I’ve read a lot of graphic novel adaptations, and I’ll have high expectations for it!

Ultimately, this film honours everything that defines a crazy fever dream that only H.P. Lovecraft can write. While these films do well to honour his imagination, they aren’t inspired from any particular tale. The latest has a slightly serious tone, and when compared to how important Russel Marsh was in H.P. Lovecraft’s The Deep Ones, he gets centre stage. Apparently, he survived the prior events, was dumped at sea and escaped his prison! He didn’t take kindly to being tortured. And now, he’s out to slaughter some Old Ones Die Hard with a Vengeance style! And what’s put together surprisingly makes sense.

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