Alien Code (2018)

I was on X earlier today talking to some people about the recent drone flap and one of them brought up this film. I hadn’t watched it in a while and honestly, was surprised I hadn’t reviewed it. This is the 2018 Sci-Fi thriller with some time travel thrown in, Alien Code. 

Plot: After deciphering a message found in a satellite, brilliant cryptographer Alex Jacobs finds himself being stalked by government agents and otherworldly beings.

I remember watching this one a while back and was impressed. Watching it again today, I saw the same thing, a minimalistic Sci-Fi flick that is better than one would expect. This movie has great pace, editing, an interesting storyline and a great script that created some tremendous characters. And the performances brought it to life perfectly. Yes, there were a few head scratching moments, but those are easily overlooked in this gem. Not to mention, the Men in Black parts are amazing. In the end, if you are looking for a solid Sci-Fi flick, give this one a shot. It is well worth watching.

The Mothman of Point Pleasant (2017)

Last night, I had the chance to review the Boggy Creek Monster, a documentary based on the legend/movie that left a lasting impression on me and I loved it. Today, I have the opportunity to review a screener for the next documentary from Seth Breedlove and Small Town Monsters, 2017s The Mothman of Point Pleasant.

Plot/ Have you heard of the Mothman, the urban legend that seemed to be a harbinger of doom for the small town of Point Pleasant, WV in the mid-60’s? If not, producer/director Seth Breedlove and Small Town Monsters will explore the history of Point Pleasant and the 13-month period of odd occurrences that left a devastating imprint on this small Appalachian town.

While I am familiar with the Mothman and have done some research into the subject, I will be the first to admit that I do not have the same knowledge and understanding of the topic as I do with cryptids such as Bigfoot or the Jersey Devil. That all changed as I watched this documentary. Following a similar formula to the Boggy Creek Monster, the movie sets out to explore the historic profile of Point Pleasant as well as revisiting the mysterious happenings surrounding the Mothman and the potentially cursed town. This material is tremendous and provides a great background for investigators and viewers to dive into.

With this being the second film I have watched from Small Town Monsters, I can see a consistency with the production values that make their documentaries an easy and entertaining watch. The interviews are well done, the cinematography is outstanding, and the overall feel of the material makes you want to see more. One thing that jumped out was the use of CGI reenactments to marry some of the interviews together; this technique offers a great visual representation that allows the interviews sink in. More importantly with this entry, the material seems to flow in a logical manner and provides some insights and reports that are often overlooked when the story is told; this is impressive considering the short run time (72 minutes). As with every movie, there are some small technical issues with the CGI, but that is clearly budget related and is easily overlooked.

For me, possibly because of my knowledge level on the subject, I found this one much more informative than the Boggy Creek Monster, and a movie that created a timeline that I could use to base my own research into the subject on. In the end, this exploration of the legendary Mothman is one of the best documentaries on the subject I have seen and is an entry that anyone interested in Cryptozoology or urban legends must watch. Check it out when it is released on DVD and streaming platforms on June 2, 2017.

Dark Watchers: The Women in Black (2012)

 

 

After watching Dogman, I wanted to watch something with a conspiracy flair. To be truthful, I have been working extremely hard researching something strange, and honestly, I cannot believe what I am uncovering. For any reader, I will get it out to the masses very soon, as I am tying up some loose ends. With my mind wrapped in this certain subject, I decided to go into a fringe area for my next entry, the 2012 Sci-Fi flick Dark Watchers: The Women in Black.

 

 

Plot/ Three UFO hunters come face to face with the Men in Black and have their life completely turned upside down.

 

 

Not being a huge Men in Black fan, I had hoped that this would be different from the mainstream incarnations of those films and yes, I knew this was going to be flawed when I picked it up, and it was. However, this was one entertaining film on certain levels. Sure, if you are a MIB fan or straight Sci-Fi fan, you will probably hate this. For me, the mixture of art-house type cinema, a strange-layered story, and a soundtrack that worked will within the confines of the scripting made it watchable. Sure, the acting is not top notch, the characterization is lacking and there are some incoherent moments with strange cinematographic choices, but to me that was fine.  In the end, some of this movie makes little to no sense, but I found it enjoyable in a weird way. This is not your typical Sci-Fi flick, as it is almost a surreal attempt at creating a supernatural / UFO driven science fiction entity. Many will not like it, as it is not straightforward, but if you like a little strangeness in an artsy form, you should check this one out.