Watched the 2014 sci - fi horror Extraterrestrial last night and it was OK - ish featuring a cast of mostly unknowns (except for Michael Ironside and Ginger Snaps Emily perkins) performing more than adequately enough and some rather nifty special effects though there was still one instance of pretty crummy CGI in an outrageous Alien probe scene towards the end.
It was written & directed by the Vicious Brothers of who I have never heard off before and they did at times here show quite a bit of talent though I must say that i do not think that all aspects of the film were handled as well as they could have been,for starters some of the characters here (especially the main group of teens) acted so irrational and stupid at times that it started to grate a bit and that by the end of the movie I was getting that fed up with there continuosly daft actions that I had long been wishing for it to be over!
Overall though it was not too bad and I'd say at least worth a rental though to be honest I can't see myself rushing back to watch it again any day soon!
,A group of war veterans must defend their local V.F.W. post and an innocent teen against a deranged drug dealer and his relentless army of punk mutants.' (Imdb)
Fourth feature-length film from Joe Begos (following Almost Human, The Mind's Eye, and Bliss) is another treat for fans of hardcore exploitation- / B-movies from the 70s and 80s, starring Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, David Patrick Kelly, and George Wendt.
Very much influenced by John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 and Escape From New-York, V.F.W. also includes a terrific retro-style score with lots of dark soundscapes that add to the overall atmosphere of dread and impending doom.
Some scenes are a bit overly dark (literally) and it looses a bit of steam around the one hour mark, but there's some good tension in the first half and an appropiately excessive finale when the old-timers fend off the scumbag invaders from their turf with the aid of knives, an axe, a big buzzsaw, and an old army truck.. and yes, there will be blood !
Interesting cast there and i´m sure it´s entertaining stuff but i have to keep my expectations low because these films are never as good as the real deal
I´m definitely gonna check it out if i get a chance though.
Posts: 7054 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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quote:Originally posted by aTomiK: Interesting cast there and i´m sure it´s entertaining stuff but i have to keep my expectations low because these films are never as good as the real deal
True, very true..
However, i must say i'm pretty impressed by what Joe Begos has done so far. He's definitely not doing these type of movies because it's a trendy thing to do, and i don't really see him as the umpteenth filmmaker that wants to do some sort of homage to grindhouse cinema from a bygone era. I feel there's a certain seriousness to his films instead of the usual "hip-to-do-retro-grindhouse-style" attitude most common in the last 15-20 years.
I still need to watch Bliss though, which -i believe- is regarded to be his most accomplished work to date. I have the Eureka UK blu-ray laying around here somewhere, but it's still sealed in shrinkwrap.. but i'll get there, eventually.. i hope. (some things still haven't changed as you might notice)
And when it comes to V.F.W., i bet you'll like it.. even if it was just for the actors. Keep in mind, Fred Williamson was 81 years old when this film was shot !
Posts: 2176 | From: The Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
posted
I don´t know Begos at all but he´s definitely on my radar now.
Posts: 7054 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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I've got V.F.W Johnny/ATomiK my son got it for me for my birthday the other month and when it started the first few minutes I wasn't so sure with its over the top splatter I was thinking oh god is this going to be ridiculous but within a few minutes especially when the main cast shows I was really starting to dig it it's a pretty cool flick and the cast alone if your a fan of any involved I'd say definitely put it on your to watch list!
Trying to think of a few other modern horrors I have checked out recently I could recommend but they are few and far between!
Reborn with Barbara Crampton,Michael Pare and Rae Dawn Chong was OK Carrie inspired nonsense it was quite entertaining actually and theme park set horror Hellfest was not bad apart from a really crummy ending!
V.F.W certainly gets my recommendation!
Posts: 3243 | From: canterbury united kingdom | Registered: Mar 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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,..A family's serene beach vacation turns to chaos when their doppelgängers appear and begin to terrorize them..' Imdb
The acting was okay, and the first 25 minutes or so have a nice uneasy feel of impending doom, but as soon as the "other" people arrive, all logic is thrown out the window and the whole thing devolves into a pretentious mess that makes zero sense. The twists and revelations in the final act are so ludicrous it becomes an insult to the viewer's intelligence.
I honestly can't understand why this got mainly positive reviews and was awarded with several prizes. I wasn't particularly impressed with Peele's earlier Get Out (2017) either, and as far as i'm concerned he is one of the most overrated filmmakers in recent years.
This, of course, is just one man's opinion..
Posts: 2176 | From: The Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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Neither of his films appealed to me. I remember seeing a trailer for Us in the theater and it just didn’t look very good.
Posts: 2289 | From: Pittsburgh | Registered: Nov 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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