Topic: Weekend Movie Marathon 1/2 - 1/4

[addicted2dvd]

Weekend Movie Marathon
1/2 - 1/4
No theme for this weekend's movie marathon. I am just going to watch whatever I am in the mood for at the time.

Category 6: Day of Destruction
Nature strikes out with unfathomable fury as the unimaginable becomes a terrifying reality. Three twisters descend upon Las Vegas leaving a neon wasteland in their wake. Hurricanes tear through the Gulf Coast without warning. Record-high temperatures scorch the northeast. One-hundred-mile-an-hour winds tear across the south. Lightning storms ignite the sky. Wildfires blaze out of control. For Amy Harkin, a budding Chicago anchorwoman looking for her big break, the fear of these weather anomalies is second only to the dread of the inevitable repercussions: rolling coast-to-coast blackouts and the dwindling sources needed to revive them. With the worst power breakdown on record looming, an overload could cripple the nation and leave the entire population in the dark, without communication and vulnerable to unthinkable dangers.

My Thoughts:
This is actually a TV Miniseries... clocking in at almost 3hrs. It was fun seeing a (somewhat) familiar face in this one. That being Nancy McKeon who played Jo... one of the girls on Facts of Life. I wouldn't have even recognized her if it wasn't for the credits as she grew up quite a bit since her tomboy character on Facts of Life. We also have Thomas Gibson who played Greg on Dharma & Greg.

Although I did enjoy this one... I was expecting more from  it. It is slower paced then what I would prefer. But the characters are good. My favorite character would have to be Amy (Nancy McKeon). The storm effects seemed to be hit and miss. Some of them were pretty cool... others left some to be desired. Over-all it is basically just a slightly above average miniseries.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Campfire Tales
Horror takes a detour deep into the woods in this terrifying cross between 'Scream' and 'Tales From The Crypt', starring Christine Taylor ('Dodgeball') and Ron Livingston ('Office Space').

Returning home from a concert and driving recklessly, four teenagers crash their car on a deserted road. To ward off the cold, they build a fire and wait for help. But the hair-raising stories they tell around the fire put a deeper chill into the night. Each tale is more lurid, more horrifying, more shocking than anything they've heard before. Yet for these unlucky teens in the woods, the biggest shock is still to come...

My Thoughts:
I blind bought this one for this past year's Halloween Marathon. I enjoyed it so much then that I found myself ready to watch it again now. I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first time. I am to the point of saying this is my favorite Anthology Horror at the moment. Not only was all 3 stories suspenseful with great atmosphere... the wrap around story (where anthologies usually loose me) was a really good story in it's own right. The only thing that I could consider a downfall in this movie would have to be the fact that the first 2 stories are tellings of very well known urban legends... so you fairly quickly know what to expect. But that is ok... because these stories are so well done that you still enjoy every moment of it... even if you do know where it is going. This is one I will highly recommend... especially if you like anthology horror.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Arachnophobia
Hollywood Pictures and Amblin Entertainment deliver an electrifying big-screen rollercoaster ride of a movie! Everyone is afraid of something…for Dr. Ross Jennings, his phobia is downright embarrassing. But when he moves his family to a small town, the one thing that bugs him most is now harming the townspeople at an alarming rate. For this unlikely hero, overcoming a childhood fear of spiders might just save the community, but it may already be too late! Directed by Frank Marshall (Executive Producer – Back To The Future, Producer – Raiders Of The Lost Ark) and also starring John Goodman, this critically acclaimed, breathtaking hit entertains with its terrific mix of thrills, chills and laughter!

My Thoughts:
This is an enjoyable movie... but one I can only watch but so often... because of my own bad case of arachnophobia. Watching this movie (or any involving spiders) makes my skin crawl.  This movie has a couple faces I am familiar with. First we see Julian Sands... who I know from the first couple Warlock movies. Then for comic relief we have John Goodman who was Dan on Roseanne. I wouldn't say this is the best horror movie I ever seen... probably not even the best movie about spiders. But I do enjoy it... I would say it is an above average movie.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Possums
The Nowata High School football team hasn't won a game in 25 years. They haven't scored a touchdown in 13 years. But when the town decides to cancel the Possums football program, local radio sports announcer Will Clark is left devastated.

With the team gone and the football field about to be dozed under, Will breaks into the radio station and starts announcing imaginary Possums games -- Only this time the team's winning. Although the town initially laughs at Will, they can't help but be swept up by Possums magic as Will announces the team all the way to an imaginary state championship.

But when the real state champions challenge the fictitious Nowata team to a game, Will has only two weeks to recruit and train the Possums' team. Can Will's rag-tag, thrown together team possibly be good enough to hold together the town's new sense of hope and pride?

Mac Davis stars in this feel good story about a team facing an impossible task with an indomitable spirit. And about the town that gets behind them and learns a few important things about itself.

My Thoughts:
This is one of the many DVDs I got very cheap when the video store I used to manage closed. That was a good 4 or 5 years ago now. And this is the first time I got around to watching this movie. Probably because I am not a big sports fan. It is something I can watch once in a while when I am in the mood... but that mood does not come very often. That is probably why going into this movie I had very low hopes of enjoying it. And it is probably a good thing I did. It really is no more then an average movie. But at the same time I was able to get into it before it was over. It is definitely a different type of football movie. And shows there is more to the game then winning.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Pulse 2
Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica) stars in this terrifying sequel that picks up where the original Pulse left off. The dead have found a way back to our world – through cell phones and WiFi – and the human survivors have taken to remote areas to escape. When a young girl goes missing, both her father and mother must cross a city of the dead to learn the terrifying truth. Intense, suspenseful, and terrifying, Pulse 2 will frighten you straight through to its shocking ending.

My Thoughts:
I watched the first movie during my month long horror marathon this past October. It is one of those movies that was good... but could have been much better. It is one I rated a 3.5 out of a possible 5. So I thought enough of it to give the sequel a chance... but I am not expecting too much from it. Before even starting it I am already a little disappointed to see that this one does not have Kristen Bell in it. And I am not familiar at all with this Jamie Bamber they are promoting so much on the case. Now that I watched the movie... I am not sorry I bought it... but much like the first one it could have been better. I even liked the first one a little more then I did this one. But there was enough enjoyment in this one for me that I will eventually get part 3 to check out. But it will wait till I can get it cheap.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredible Hulk is back...But is he any match for the Mighty Thor?
It's been two years since his last transformation, and Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) has developed a new Gamma Transponder that he hopes will cure him of his inner monster forever. But when a former colleague unearths the frozen tomb of an ancient Norse warrior king, the Mighty Thor (Eric Allan Kramer) is unleashed upon 20th Century society. Can the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) end the rampage of this mead-crazed barbarian, or will the two raging beasts become allies to save both the Transponder and the woman Banner loves?

Six years after their hit series ended, Bixby, Ferrigno and Jack Colvin (as nosy reporter Jack McGee) returned for this top-rated television movie. Tim Thomerson, Charles Napier, Lee Purcell and Steve Levitt co-star in this action-packed fan favorite that Stomp Tokyo calls "quite possibly the best thing to come out of the series!"

My Thoughts:
This is a show I always enjoyed in my younger years. This one was a great reunion movie. In it The Incredible Hulk teams up with The Mighty Thor. This made it twice the fun for me... as I used to watch the Thor cartoons when I was a kid as well. This reunion movie always felt like it should have also served as a pilot for a series for The Mighty Thor! I know I would have loved it as they made both the characters likable as well as interesting... I think it could have been a lot of fun!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

NOTE TO JIMMY: This is a recycled review... no need to add it to the list.

[addicted2dvd]

Trial of the Incredible Hulk
David Banner faces his greatest challenge...But can any court withstand both the Hulk and Daredevil?

While trying to stop a subway mugging, David Banner (Bill Bixby) is arrested for assault and is defended by blind attorney Matt Murdock (Rex Smith). But when Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) goes berserk and breaks out of jail, Murdock reveals his own secret to David Banner: Blinded by toxic radiation, he stalks the night as the super sensory acrobatic crime fighter called Daredevil. Can two men with uncommon powers now join forces to defeat an international crime syndicate or will their raging demons destroy whatever stands in their way?

John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings) co-stars as the Kingpin in this top-rated 1989 television film directed by Bill Bixby that features one of the all-time great Hulk rampage scenes as well as a cameo appearance by Marvel Comics' Stan Lee!

My Thoughts:
This movie is the reason I had to get the 2 disc set replaced. This disc stopped playing shortly after the first time I watched it for some strange reason. Even though this is a good TV Movie that I enjoyed quite a bit... there is a couple things that bother me about it. First at the beginning of the movie David Banner has a full beard and when he changes to The Hulk... The Hulk has no facial hair what so ever. That just don't make much sense to me. The next problem I had is what did they do to the Daredevil!?! Everyone knows he is in a red costume. But yet in this movie they have him in a black ninja-like costume! See what I mean:


I did like that they had John Rhys-Davies (Sliders) playing The Kingpen. Even if they didn't do him bald like the comics and toons. I thought he did a good job all the same. As I said... I did enjoy the movie. There is just a couple things that should have been done differently. At least in my opinion.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Tom]

Preparing for the arrival of the Hulk movie, Pete? 
I hope you are not disappointed with it.

[Jimmy]

The next problem I had is what did they do to the Daredevil!?! Everyone knows he is in a red costume. But yet in this movie they have him in a black ninja-like costume! See what I mean:

He's blind maybe he had taken the wrong super hero costume  

[Tom]

As a matter of fact, this Hulk TV-movie served as a back-door pilot for a Daredevil series, which did not get green-lighted.

[addicted2dvd]

Preparing for the arrival of the Hulk movie, Pete? 
I hope you are not disappointed with it.

Yup... I Sure am! I wouldn't be surprised if I don't watch some episodes of the series this week while I am at it! 

The next problem I had is what did they do to the Daredevil!?! Everyone knows he is in a red costume. But yet in this movie they have him in a black ninja-like costume! See what I mean:

He's blind maybe he had taken the wrong super hero costume 

 

As a matter of fact, this Hulk TV-movie served as a back-door pilot for a Daredevil series, which did not get green-lighted.

Not surprised it didn't get off the ground the way he portrayed him. I mean it wasn't all bad... but the wrong costume really threw it for me.

I would have much rather seen a Mighty Thor series from the first reunion movie!

[addicted2dvd]

The Faculty
This hip and edgy thriller from the director of 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and the writer of 'Scream' and 'Scream 2' sizzles with a hot young cast including Elijah Wood ('Deep Imapct'), Josh Hartnett ('Hallowen: H2O') and R&B superstar Usher Raymond! When some very creepy things start happening around school, the kids at Herrington High make a chilling discovery that confirms their worst suspicions: their teachers 'really' are from another planet! As mind-controlling parasites rapidly begin spreading from the faculty to the students' bodies, it's ultimately up to the few who are left - an unlikely collection of loners, leaders, nerds and jocks - to save the world from alien domination! Also starring Robert Patrick ('Terminator 2'), Famke Janssen ('Deep Rising'), and Jon Stewart ('Playing By Heart') in a great cast - don't miss the unstoppable excitement of this unpredictably smart and scary hit!

My Thoughts:
From the title and description alone I am sure it is of no surprise that this movie is no more then a Teen Horror. But all the same it is good for some "Leave your brain at the Door" horror fun. I did have a problem with the beginning of this movie. When it showed the students coming to school they did a freeze frame with each of the main characters and flash their name on the still picture.  In my opinion this takes away from the flow of the movie. When watching a movie I prefer the story to flow properly.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[DJ Doena]

I like The Faculty, as you said, it's a funny no-brainer.

When I read your synopsis I found one thing interesting: Look at the movies the actors are associated with. If this movie would be from 2008, who would combine Elijah Wood with Deep Impact instead of LOTR, Josh Hartnett with Halloween H20 instead of Sin City, Famke Jansen with Deep Rising instead of X-Men?

[addicted2dvd]

You know... I didn't even think about that when I copied the overview from DVDP. But yeah... it is pretty interesting.

[Tom]

who would combine Elijah Wood with Deep Impact instead of LOTR

For me Elijah Wood will always be the little boy from the 80s café in Back to the Future II