Change Your Image
Mack Lambert
Reviews
Scary Stories (2018)
A solid tribute and a nice primer for the upcoming film!
Like many I grew up with these stories. The collection of folklore by Schwartz were a bizarre assortment that played to my morbid sense of humor. The illustrations by Stephen Gammell were a ripe slice of insanity.
The documentary is a mix of the controversy surrounding the books, the private lives of Gammell and Schwartz, and a tribute to both men and the influence they had over generations of academics and artists.
With the upcoming film, this doc is a nice prep for what producer Guillermo Del Toro will unleash in a matter of weeks.
Wake Up (2019)
A weird, occasionally taboo horror thriller...
A psychiatrist is studying the diary of a girl who murdered her family, and would later end up committing suicide. The longer he reads the journal for his report, the more paranoid and insane he becomes. It reaches a climax where doctor's state of mind will affect more people than he realizes.
I saw this as my local mom and pop theater in Buffalo, and I enjoyed it. I appreciated the hints of Lovecraftian elements (a person going insane while reading something they weren't supposed to). The opening sequence was suspenseful, and well edited. The only put off was a blatant display of incest, which struck me as shock for the sake of shock. Also, the sound editing was off with the music overpowering the dialogue at points.
Other than that, this is a good movie, plain and simple. Support indie horror, and give this film a look.
Rampage: President Down (2016)
Self-aggrandizing, patting one's self on the back...
That's what I would describe the latest (and hopefully last) entry of the Rampage series from director Uwe Boll. This recent film is a huge disappointment given previous films like Postal, the first Rampage, Assault on Wall Street, and Tunnel Rats 1968 seemed to signal a maturation as a filmmaker.
This film focuses on Bill Williamson solidifying his legacy as a voice for the oppressed, but ends up coming off as a Che Guevara by way of Osama Bin Laden. He's a terrorist who somehow successfully assassinated the President and others in the Federal Govt. And we're also supposed to believe that Williamson's followers would have infiltrated the federal agencies trying to track him down, essentially nerfing them. This is a fantasy movie with little to no basis in reality.
The film mostly covers Williamson proselytizing to his followers and the FBI trying to find him. The screenplay was written by Boll and actor Brendan Fletcher, who plays Williamson. This is basically Boll stroking his own ego, trying to show the world he knows what needs to be done to make our planet a better place. He tries to make Williamson a sympathetic figure with moments showing him as a father and husband. Makes sense. Some women have wanted to be the wife of Charles Manson or Richard Ramirez.
As a viewer, I was more sympathetic to the FBI agents, Molokai and Jones. They were given depth. We knew about them, they became more relatable. They were real compared to the cartoonish Williamson.
What struck me the most was the fixation of explosions and violence done to police. Yeah, some cops are dirty and corrupt, just like anyone of any race, creed, what have you. We see so many shots of them flying through the air and being blasted with gunfire. This is anarchy cop murder porn.
The first Rampage film was an interesting look at a nihilist becoming a mass murderer, and how ideology can lead to extremism. And that's where the series should have ended, by not becoming a series.
I would rate this two stars because Steve Baran and Ryan McDonell as the two FBI leads are the stand outs and deserve to be in a better film.
Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
Gislef was right! It is a classic homage!
Waxwork II puts its predecessor in it's shadow! It goes by the idea that the more movies homages, the better! (By the way, Gislef, the segment with Bruce Campbell was more based on Robert Wise's The Haunting) Classic revisited include Godzilla, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Alien, Dawn of the Dead (yes!), Frankenstein, and Nosferatu (w/ Drew Barrymore cameo!). My only wish is for a Waxwork III, but it will probably never happen!
Waxwork (1988)
Finally, A Good movie with Zack Galligan besides Gremlins!
While I find this not as good as the sequel, this film has a place in my heart! While Zack Galligan, Michelle Johnson, David Warner, and Patrick Macnee head up the cast, it's the wax creation segments that are the star of the film. No major stone is left unturned. It's Alive, American Werewolf in London, Hammer films, The Thing, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, Argento's Phantom of the Opera, Night of the Living Dead (yes!), and even, Deranged (movie based on Ed Gein) are tributed in the film. With numerous references, this is a predecessor to films like The Dead Hate The Living.
Manhattan Baby (1982)
Fulci goes technical!
Fulci may always be remembered fro living dead films (i.e. The Gates of Hell, Zombie), but there are a few diamonds in the rough that are welcomed changes of pace (i.e. The Smuggler). Manhattan Baby qualifies as a diamond in the rough. Manhattan Baby is to The Exorcist as Zombie was to Dawn of the Dead. Fulci's Manhattan Baby jumped on the possesed child bandwagon, and with the exception of a script with more holes than swiss cheese, it does it rather well. Only big fans of Fulci will find interest in this film. Gorehounds looking for blood and guts will only find such segments very few and very far between! Overall, the movie held my interest, but is too slow at times. I give it 80% because of the lack of gore, plot holes, and lack of new music! While I'm a fan of Fabio Frizzi's scores, I expect more than reusing scores from Gates of Hell, Zombie, and The Beyond for this one!
Le notti del terrore (1981)
The true italian "Night of the Living Dead"-to lesser degree!
After surviving Fulci's Gates of Hell and Zombie, as well as sitting through Romero's Living Dead trilogy, this film was ho-hum for me! The poorly lit intro sounded like a joke, as well as all the night scenes! The incestous, dwarf son was a character was better written off! I would give the sex thumbs up if the people weren't so ugly! All death scenes seemed to be ripped off from other italio-zombie flicks (Fulci immediately comes to mind!). The only positive aspect was the make-up effects done by Gino De Rossi. I give it a 58% for lack of originality, bad dub job, and relying too much on the dark atmosphere and make-up effects!