Island Zero (2018)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday (if you partake in the holiday). It was definitely quiet here,  allowing for some relaxation. Today was busy cleaning,  something that definitely needed done. While I haven't finished,  I have taken an extended break to catch a movie.  My selection was the 2018 entry Island Zero.

Plot: Inhabitants of a fishing island find themselves cut off from the outside world after the ferry suddenly stops coming. When dead bodies turn up along the water's edge, the survivors must find out who, or what, is killing them.

There are times when I randomly pick a movie that I find something that I didn't expect and that was exactly what happened tonight.  I knew nothing about this one and I found it extremely entertaining. I loved the storyline and felt that the potential here made it worth watching.  The performances were solid,  the idea interesting,  the atmosphere was in tune with the story,  and it was a refreshing Creature Feature.  Unfortunately,  there were some flaws that were apparent and will definitely turn some people off. However,  for me,  these are easily overlooked because of the budgetary constraints that I'm sure existed with this indie film.  Yes,  the effects were lacking and there were some choppy moments that didn't allow the movie the reach its true potential,  but even with those, the quality  was much better that a lot of indie horror. In the end,  this is an underrated film and one that is easily streamed.  If you are looking for a Creature Feature,  give it a shot.  

The Magnetic Monster (1953)

This has been a couple of hot and humid days and unfortunately, it looks like I have to start my grass cutting odyssey all over. Man, that has been rough. But, after going to the Naro Cinema today to watch Jaws, I felt like watching a classic Sci-Fi flick.  So, I settled on the 1953 entry, the Magnetic Monster.

Plot: The Office of Scientific Investigation sends A-Men agents to investigate reports of unusual magnetic activity in various communities.

Having never watched this one before, I found this was one of the better low budget Sci-Fi  flicks of the era. This one featured some decent performances, an interesting (and intelligent) storyline, solid pacing, and a realistic approach to the subject matter. From director Ivan Tors (Science Fiction Theater), this one comes complete with an outstanding ending, making it one that should be seen. Yes,  the film did feel a little dated today, but for something that is pushing 70-years-old, it is well worth watching. CHECK IT OUT!

Block Island Sound (2020)

Yesterday, I spent most of the day focused on the toy store by searching out some new items and listing a few things. While that was productive, it also allowed time for some down moments. In that time, I was able to catch a few flicks. One of those was the 2020 Sci-Fi entry Block Island Sound.

Plot: A fisherman's family encounter horrors and dark truths when an ominous force off the coast of Block Island begins killing wildlife.

This was a movie that I had skipped over many times until yesterday and now I wonder why. This one was a lot more than the short synopsis suggested offering a lot of tense moments and elements of implied horror and good performances that demonstrate how less can be more in a film if it is done right. A slow burn Sci-Fi  mystery, this one features solid scripting, outstanding visuals, and textured and heavy atmosphere that with help from a solid soundscape create a dark and bleak tension throughout. This one definitely is not for everyone, especially those driven by adrenaline and bloodstained scenes. This is one where the slow pacing works exceptionally well and drives an interesting storyline to the finish. If you like slow-burn Sci-Fi  and horror, this is for you. Check it out. 

Immanence (2022)

Yesterday was a long day. If started with an emergency trip to the VA pharmacy for a needed prescription and she'd with a trip to see the classic Blade Runner at a local theater.  In between, I did watch some TV and a movie.  That movie was the 2022 flick,  Immanence.

Plot: Radio astronomers discover a mysterious signal in the deep sea that could be contact with extraterrestrials. After several terrifying manifestations threaten their beliefs, the team must fight to survive the ultiImmanent.

When this one started,  I had hope. Unfortunately,  after the initial sequences this movie deteriorates into simmering boring and teetering on unwatchable. The storyline and plot are a mess, pitting science/aliens against religion in a strange battle on a boat. The performances are alright, the scripting and dialog are all over, and the atmosphere and pace are barely noticeable. In the end,  this one seems like a bunch of friends got together and made a movie, which if that is the case, I applaud them. But, this one doesn't work and cannot even fall into the so bad it's good category. Stay away.

The Thing from Another World! (1951)

While the pickings were slim this weekend in the great vintage toy quest that I am working on and the weather was mostly miserable, I decided that I would spend some time catching up on many of the films I have watched in the past few months and have not reviewed. To get back in the swing of things, I decided that the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World would be my next film for review.

Plot/ Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is accidentally thawed out!

This must be one of the best Sci-Fi films of the 1950s and a movie that I believe every fan of science fiction must see. In many ways, this film laid the foundation for everything we see in the genre today and as one would expect, it holds up quite well after all these years. Produced (and likely directed) by Howard Hawks, this film starts slow but rises beyond expectations featuring solid performances, an outstanding script with near perfect dialog, and a heavy atmosphere that does a great job at painting a picture of isolation.  Sure, the monster isn’t seen near enough and there is somewhat of a documentary feel, but those are easily overlooked in films entire body of work. In the end, if you have not seen this one, you are missing out. Find it and give it a shot, I highly recommend it.

2036 Origin Unknown (2018)

I know, I know, I haven’t been around the blog as much as I had intended, but that is all for a good reason. A few months ago, I got contracted to start a series of stories for an Instagram based app called texties.lol and I have been hard at work bringing my Man of Cloth character and the world of Summit View to life. So far, it has been an extreme success and I signed on for a second installment. I have also been busy working on my pop culture and vintage toy store, something that I hope will take off and allow me more freedom in the future. With that, you will be seeing some changes to The Ringmaster’s Realm, as it will serve as the headquarters for both my movie reviews as well as store announcements with cool finds and item listings, so stay tuned. Well, enough on that, the next movie for review is the 2018 science fiction entry 2036 Origin Unknown.

Plot/ After a failed mission to Mars, A.I./ARTI is now used for the 2036 mission with a few human supervisors. A monolith of unknown origin is found there. It will have a big effect on Earth.

Being a fan of the genre, I really wanted to love this one. Unfortunately, I could not truly get into it as much as I thought I would. The story and plot really don’t add anything to the genre that we haven’t seen before. In fact, much of the movie sets up to be far more confusing than it should have been. The pacing is slow, there is no real action, too many things are left open to interpretation and are never explained in detail. I did like the use of AI and found it interesting that this is another example of how filmmakers turn the keys to everything over to a machine. Personally, I must agree that it will end badly when that happens. There is also a solid baseline of tension layered throughout, even if the entire storyline is predictable and lacking depth. In the end, this is far from a perfect movie, but there is at least some unanswered questions that make you think. While I would not completely recommend it to everyone, it does make a good backdrop if you are trying to get some work done.

They Came From Beyond Space (1967)

Low budget Sci-Fi movies are often hard to judge by their cases, and this one we exception. Full of the typical schlock expected in the genre, this one does feature some interesting aspects. What is it? It is the 1967 Sci-Fi flick They Came from Beyond Space. 

Plot/ Scientists investigating an unusual meteor shower in a rural field are possessed by an alien force bent on an ulterior purpose.

From Amicus Productions, this Sci-Fi gem spans the spectrum, from good to bad. Known mostly for their horror anthologies, this entry shows that the company was more than that. While it is not a great movie by any means, it is also nowhere near as bad as it could have been. This one has an entertaining and interesting storyline, some outstanding cinematography (as usual) and some decent performances (not great) and effects. Yes, the score is a touch annoying and the costuming is laughable, but those add to the schlock value after all these years. In the end, this may not be the best movie of the genre produced during this era, but it is also not the worst. If you are in the mood for some low budget Sci-Fi, find this one on Amazon and enjoy it, I am decently sure that it will be well worth your time.

Scream and Scream Again (1970)

Having spent many evenings working on these radio-drama scripts I have been contracted to do, I have found myself diving into many different genres over the past few weeks and it has been fun. Older movies seem to have such a wider appeal than the typical slasher or paranormal flicks that have overtaken horror and Sci-Fi in recent years. A perfect example of this is this 1970 entry, Scream and Scream Again.

Plot/ A serial killer who drains his victims' blood is on the loose in London; the police follow him to a house owned by an eccentric scientist.

It is funny, for years I thought I had already watched and reviewed this flick. For me, it was a great surprise when I decided to watch this bizarre weirdness. Starring Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing, this movie has everything you need to make a camp classic. It is truly a great mixture of horror, mystery, thriller, and Sci-Fi and most importantly, it was an easy watch considering the number of layers that are woven into the story. Honestly, you may feel lost at the start, but it is well worth watching and letting everything fall into place. The story is fun, interesting, and somewhat complex, the effects are solid (a little campy but solid), and all the performances are fun especially Price playing a mad scientist to perfection. Sure, it does have a few low budget head scratching moments and Price, Lee, and Cushing could have had larger roles (their screen time makes you want to see more), but overall the movie works on multiple levels and any flaws are easily overlooked. In the end, this is by no means the movie I expected or thought it was and that is a great thing. If you haven’t watched it, it will make great viewing as Halloween approaches. If you have seen it, check it out again.

Invaders from Mars (1953)

I know, I know, I haven’t done one of these in what seems like forever (which is true). But, now, after having my batteries recharged, it is time to get back into the swing of things and start coming back into the blogosphere. Fortunately, I haven’t totally ignored my love of horror and Sci-Fi cinema over this absence, and now I have an extremely wide variety of films to choose from as I bring The Ringmaster’s Realm back to life. First up is a classic Sci-Fi tale, the 1953 entry Invaders from Mars.

Plot/ A young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.

Being one that had never experienced the original Invaders from Mars, I somewhat expected something close to the horrendous remake from my teens. Fortunately, what I found was something much better and entertaining. The atmosphere is perfect, the storytelling does a great job at capturing your attention form a child’s perspective, and the overarching theme of anti-Communism rings throughout in a way that plants the seed in your mind and conjures fears that today, many couldn’t fathom. Yes, there are some issues caused by the lower budget, but those are easy to overlook. The effects may not be great, the acting somewhat stiff, and there are quite a few holes that are hard to ignore, but overall, it is much better than it probably should have been. In the end, this movie is much more than the schlock classic that it is often referred to as. This is a well thought out and executed Sci-Fi flick from an era where the subtle meanings mattered more than the quality. If you have not seen it, find it and watch it. It runs circles around the sequel and is a must see for Sci-Fi fans.

Metamorphosis (1990)

With Halloween around the corner, it is nice to finally see the weather changing. In fact, the chill has been a refreshing change from the heat we had a few weeks ago. It is also a great excuse to watch horror movies of some type every night. My next selection is the 1990 entry Metamorphosis.

Plot/ Dr. Peter Houseman is a brilliant geneticist who is working on a serum, which will stop human aging, but his colleagues don't believe in his work. When his skeptical benefactors threaten his university funding, the doctor takes a desperate measure to justify his work. He administers the serum to himself, but the results are unexpected and horrendous.

This is one that I had no recollection of from my formidable years in the late 1980s, so I expected some low budget cheese. Guess what, that is exactly what I found with this one, and therefore, it may not have been quite as disappointing as many other viewers will say. While this is nowhere near a good movie, it isn’t terrible either. Sure, the production values may not be the best with the movie feeling like it was produced a decade earlier, but it still was not that bad. The performances were decent, the storyline (while predictable) was interesting, and there were a few moments where everything seemed to come together. Unfortunately, the pacing was terrible, which drug the movie down tremendously, the special effects were bad, and the overall feel of the movie was uneven. In the end, there was potential in this one, but they never came close to being achieved. Yes, the movie isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t recommend watching it more than once (if you decide you want to give it a shot).

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Over the past few days as I continue my countdown toward Halloween, I have enjoyed my trip back into the world of classic Universal Studios monsters. Today, I decided that it was time to venture into that world once again with the 1935 entry Bride of Frankenstein. 

Plot/ Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Dr. Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.

Sequels to movies can be a mixed bag with only a handful living up to the baseline set by the original. In this case, that could not be further from the truth, as it not only meets but also surpasses the original in almost every way. There is so much to like with this one, as it builds upon an idea mentioned in the Mary Shelly classic novel. The cast is wonderful with solid performances littered throughout including the returning stalwarts Colin Clive and Boris Karloff repeating their roles from the original, the setting and atmosphere work really well, the storyline is layered and complex, and the visual effects, cinematography, and production elements surpass those of the original. Truly, everything is tremendously done and honestly, it should be held in a higher regard than the original Frankenstein. Yes, it does have a short run time and it leaves the viewer wanting more, but that is something that to me does not hurt the film in any way. In the end, it is always a great debate on which early Frankenstein film is the best. For me, it is the Bride of Frankenstein hands down because it shows that if a sequel is done right, it can be a powerful entry into a franchise. If you have never watched this one, you are missing out. Head to Shudder and check it out!

The Invisible Man (1933)

With Halloween being right around the corner, it is fun to sit back and enjoy the classics from Universal Studios. Last night it was The Mummy, and tonight, I followed that one with the classic The Invisible Man from 1933.

Plot/ A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

Being in a classics mood, this adaptation of the H.G. Wells sci-fi classic may be one of the best movies of the golden era of the Universal Monsters. Complete with some of the best special effects of all time, this movie boasts tremendous creativity, cinematography, and technical aspects. The performances, especially Claude Rains, are outstanding, the storyline is interesting, and as I mentioned already the effects are tremendous especially considering that this movie was shot decades before the first computer was ever thought of. Yes, it does lack the scenery that made the other Universal Monster movies so memorable and the overall story lacks the layered depths of the other films from the studio, but those elements do not hurt the movie in any way. In the end, like the other classic monster movies of the early 1930s, this movie is a must see. Sure, it often overlooked in comparison to the other timeless entries from Universal Studios, but from a cinematic and technical perspective, it should sit near the top of the chart and it remains one of the most memorable sci-fi films ever made. Go to Shudder and check it out.

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

Yesterday was one of the final long softball days of the season and will admit it took its toll on me. I was beaten down and just wanted to sleep. When I finally cleared my head, I decided to watch something older. After some searching, I decided on the 1958 classic film, The Revenge of Frankenstein.

Plot/ Baron Frankenstein escapes from the guillotine and goes to Germany. There, he names himself Dr. Stein and plans to restart his experiments by using parts of dead bodies.

I was in the mood for some type of classic last night and decided to turn to Hammer Studios and that decision was rewarded. This is one of the more underpublicized films from the catalog, but it offers everything you could ask for from one of the early Frankenstein films. More atmospheric and creepy, this movie looks amazing. The sets, the lighting, pacing, and the cinematography are perfect, the performances were outstanding, and the storyline was full of twists and turns and added some depth that many entries in the historic life of Frankenstein do not have. Yes, it may be more of a drama or thriller than a horror film and as usual, the story is more about the doctor than the creature, but any fan of Hammer Horror should already expect those elements. In the end, this is an entertaining movie to watch and a perfect movie for a quiet night with Doctor Frankenstein. If you have not seen it, check it out.

The Plague of the Zombies (1966)

This weekend I had a great time at Monsterfest 14. Not only was I able to debut my two new books After the Static and Salvation, but also I was able to interact with some horror fans of all genres. By the end of the night, although tired, many of us came to the zombie double feature. The first movie from the evening was the 1966 Hammer Horror entry The Plague of the Zombies.

Plot/ A medical professor and his daughter link a Cornish epidemic to a village squire's voodoo.

It’s funny when you think that you had watched something, but get the ultimate surprise when you realize you were mistaken. That was the case with this one and what I found was one of the best Hammer Films I have seen. From 1966, this atmospheric zombie entry (Hammer Films only venture into the genre) predates the groundbreaking George Romero zombie epic Night of the Living Dead and lays the groundwork for what has developed over the years. The pacing is sound, the atmosphere is amazing, and the cast and performances are solid. Honestly, it is one of the best Hammer films I have seen and gives credence to the thought that the studio should have expanded their catalog to other creatures in the genre. Yes, some of it does feel dated and the story is somewhat predictable, but those flaws are minor. In the end, this was a perfect way to end the evening at Monsterfest 14 and an underrated entry that all zombie fans much see. Check it out.

Cult of Chucky (2017)

After spending last night in Morgantown at the WVU symphonic band concert watching my beautiful and talented daughter perform, I decided that tonight I wanted to watch something that could help continue the build-up to Halloween. At first, I debated my selection until I found one I have been looking forward to,  2017s Cult of Chucky.

Plot/ Chucky returns to terrorize his human victim, Nica. Meanwhile, the killer doll has some scores to settle with his old enemies, with the help of his former wife.

It has been some time since I ventured into the world of Chucky and while I am usually entertained by the series, a viewer really has no idea what to expect with a sequel (especially the 7th installment). In this case, Chucky was definitely back to his old self (complete with Brad Dourif perfectly bringing his voice to life), the series was intricately tied together, the effects are outstanding again proving that practical effects are much better in horror than CGI, there are some good moments with the blood and gore, and the performances were solid. Yes, the plot felt a little underdeveloped and there were some pacing issues that seemed obvious when watching it the first time. Both of those are somewhat expected when one considers that the budget was smaller than many other films of its stature. In the end, this film is a worthy addition to the Child’s Play franchise and a movie that was quite entertaining. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it is a decent flick and one that definitely should make fans want to see more installments in the future.

The Thing (1982)

After treating myself to a musical with Sweeney Todd, I decided that I needed something with a little more realism and some horrific splatter scenes and gore. I finally settled on the 1982 John Carpenter classic, The Thing.

Plot/ A research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches with 100% accuracy. The members must now find out who is human and who is not before it is too late.

I remember when this one came out because it was a fascinating watch. Having just seen ET and feeling bored, this one was what I expected in an alien flick. Looking back at it now, I appreciate it even more because of the effects. The practical effects in this movie are some of the best and definitely run laps around the majority of CGI crap that hits the screen today. Even better, everything holds up well even after all these years. The atmosphere is dark, heavy, and toxic, the cast and performances are solid, and the amount of paranoia created within the scripting was amazing. And, did I mention the gore and effects? Honestly, not only are they realistic, but also they fit perfectly with the tension built throughout the film. In the end, this may be one of the best films by John Carpenter and it should be revered in the same manner as Halloween, Prince of Darkness (Okay, one of my favorites) or The Fog. If you have not watched this one yet, you are missing one of the best horror films of the 1980s. Find it and check it out.