TV Terrors: The Initiation Of Sarah/Are You In The House Alone? (DVD Review)
TV movies aren’t quite what they used to be decades ago. Made for TV films were big deals leading all the way up to the start of the 2000s. There were big events, like a mini series or a movie of the week. I think we could all recall our favorite Stephen King mini-series event or getting hyped up for the next one. People loved sitting around for a Sunday night movie that was all new and didn’t require going to the theater. Somewhere along the line, the quality of these or audience expectation and desire for them dropped significantly. Now the big ones are intentionally campy exploitation films like Sharknado. Scream Factory is digging up history and trying something new out here with TV Terrors, resurrecting two made for TV horror films from 1978. This is a “feeler” release. So if there are titles you’re hoping they’d pick up and put out, you best show this one some love. And I would love for you to preorder it below as always. Continue reading ‘TV Terrors: The Initiation Of Sarah/Are You In The House Alone? (DVD Review)’
Plain and simple…this review is going to suck. It’s not because I hated the movie or anything like that. It’s because this review is going to p1$$ off a lot of people and completely contradict everything that’s sane and which makes sense in this universe according to the gospel that is, Rotten Tomatoes. I know this and I completely understand this. That’s why I’m issuing the following disclaimer to anyone brave enough to read the below Blu-ray review. If you never go against the grain, have any opinion of your own contrary to popular consensus or are just a hateful person in general who likes to cause unnecessary drama, PLEASE I want you to stop reading this now. Be forewarned that I’m taking away everyone’s First Amendment rights here because I will NOT entertain or harbor any comments of hate or ill-sentiments against this movie below. 
Anchor Bay is bringing you some blood and babes for Valentine’s Day this year. This movie sounds of sheer exploitation and I hope it delivers a high level of camp. The cast would hopefully imply so with the 165K a day man, Kevin Sorbo with Leslie Easterbrook and Ron Jeremy. Sometimes you just feel the need to kick back and watch a trashy slasher horror movie and I’m hoping this film could fill that void. I’m really not expecting this to be one to take entirely seriously. But if it does what it sets out to do well, then count me in. The film will be hitting DVD just before Valentine’s Day. So, if you’re finding yourself alone or without anyone, just know that this movie appears to have plenty of ladies to keep you company. Oh and some hack and slash and blood to go with it. Below, Anchor Bay provides the dirty details on what I hope will be a fun release. Preorder is not yet available, but check back here when it does show up. 
After covering the craziness that was San Diego Comic-Con this past summer, what a breath of fresh air Wizard World’s Austin Comic Con was. The people were nicer. The crowds were manageable and most importantly, tolerable. And the spotlight was on satisfying you…the paying customer. As an attendee you were able to check out all the panels you wanted to, interact and move freely around the expansive convention center’s showroom shopping at your favorite vendor’s booth or meeting the artists whose work you adore and were even afforded meet and greet opportunities with some of your favorite movie and television stars of yesterday and today. I know even as a member of press I took advantage of these aforementioned opportunities and I very much enjoyed and appreciated my time there. 
One of the final panels I attended at this past weekend’s Austin Comic Con was titled “Super Villains and Psychology.” It sounded interesting enough on the ride to the convention center, so I figured what the heck. I’ll give it a go. Let’s delve into the mind of the Joker, Dr. Doom and whoever else’s fictional brain we can dissect and study. Headlined by psychologist and author, Dr. Travis Langley, this expert of the mind was the catalyst for one of the most incredibly interesting discussions I have ever come across at any pop culture convention.
Paranoia is a film that came and went last summer that you probably blinked and missed it. The film didn’t even place top 10 in the box office on its opening weekend (#13). Its surprising too as the film sports a Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and a fresh young face from a wildly popular film franchise in Liam Hemsworth. The quality of the film didn’t get any buffer from critics as it holds a 4% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, is this film some lost gem? Were the critics too harsh on it? Or perhaps you’re looking to know “What the hell is Paranoia?” Here at 
Ah…Giancarlo Esposito…what can I even say about this man? This guy had me the minute he said hello in Los Pollos Hermanos in TV’s Breaking Bad. God! How I miss the man. You always have your fair share of villains you love in movies, but for me it’s a rarity in the world of television. As soon as his character Gus was introduced to us onscreen, I wanted to know all I possibly could about the man and most importantly his chicken brand. Lol. The guy was a complete mystery and an enigma to me and for many reasons he was my favorite villain ever to grace prime time television and I miss him dearly. I later caught up with the man on some ghost program this year where he professed to living in a haunted house before. So I don’t care what it is. If he’s in it, I will watch it. And that’s exactly why I’m here today on a brutally cold Sunday morning at Austin Comic Con to see my favorite television villain chat with his fans in Ballroom F. The following is my recount of the candid conversation.
I’m not much of an Evil Dead groupie, but I respect it for what it was. I love most of Raimi’s work and let’s face it, what’s not to love about actor Bruce Campbell? The man’s quick witted that’s for sure. This was probably the rowdiest Comic Con panel I’ve seen in a long time. Bruce reminded me of a game show host the way he patrolled and controlled the stage on foot with his hand held mic. He immediately began by asking the audience how far they travelled to come here today and ended up giving a guy from Mexico City $5 for gas. No joke! Here’s a little more that went down tonight in the almost hour long Bruce Campbell comedy stand up show. Who needs a table, right? 
Days 1 and 2 of the Austin Comic Con are in the books and it was the usual fun and sensorary overload to be found on the exhibitors floor. Actors such as R.I.P.D.‘s James Hong and The Walking Dead‘s Laurie Holden were found strolling about. Fans could be found adorned in the threads of their favorite superhero or steam punk attire. And then there is the merchandise. Yes, sensory overload indeed, but amidst all the artwork and collectibles stood a writer and his book.
I kind of find it very funny or maybe even a little ironic in the fact that I would see Robert Rodriguez each and every summer at Comic-Con in beautiful downtown San Diego. And now that I moved to the man’s main town in Austin, TX this past February, I have not bumped into him once. Weird, huh? One of my favorite Rodriguez moments had to be in front of his taco truck in San Diego when he was out promoting the first Machete film. I actually got thrown out from the press event because I snapped a picture of the man on my cell phone. How unprofessional, huh? Well, many years have separated that mistake and as a result I’m not only more of a professional now, but I also have a much bigger camera. See guys, it is the size of your instrument! LOL.
Arguably the most colorful actor from the cast of The Walking Dead, Michael Rooker headlined his own discussion panel, casting aside the need of a moderator. After all, Rooker is a man of many words, so why let someone else use them? There was much for the actor to say, even touching on his latest project just completed overseas. Michael made his entrance to a resounding applause as yours truly had front row seats for the event. After expressing his appreciation for the room’s welcoming, Rooker quickly mentioned he just returned from Europe as filming wrapped up on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The very animated actor plays a very real Yondu in the film; a blue alien whose specialty comes in the form of hunting. When asked just how much of his body was painted, Rooker quickly replied, “Why? Are you looking for a job?” As the audience’s laughter subsided, he did say he had quite a lot of blue paint in quite a lot of parts. We’ll take his word for it.
As a child of the 70’s, what youngsters did not grow up with Ralph Macchio and The Karate Kid? Is that the true definition of a rhetorical question or what? I know firsthand that flick had a profound impact in my life. It gave me the much needed strength and confidence to stand up to bullies in school and also got my a$$ involved in martial arts, fighting competitions and even the donning Chuck Norris inspired Century uniforms. So as you can see, I was clearly a karate nut growing up and I owe it all to one skinny kid (well I guess he really wasn’t a kid when filming these) who took on and did the impossible in The Karate Kid. Brilliant stuff! And now after all these years I’m finally face-to-face here in the front row with the man responsible for all my fighting fervor…Mr. Ralph Macchio ladies and gentlemen. 
I feel fortunate that I was able to check out the happy go lucky Q&A chat with Stan Lee Saturday morning in the large Hall D. As usual he was very nice, cordial, candid and engaging with the captive audience. You can’t say he didn’t feel comfortable with his time spent on the panel as he was cracking jokes left and right. I must admit, it was a good time had by all as I enjoyed myself tremendously as did the rest of the extremely excited audience. So as I took it all in and relished in the man’s rich history, which I envy, I was able to jot down a few notes and highlights on some of the questions asked and statements made by the “legend.” They are as follows. Enjoy! 
There is a certain kind of logic I am intrigued by when a studio decides that a big family dramedy that is to be released on Thanksgiving should be based around a sperm donation gone disastrously wrong. That’s what happened and Delivery Man is unfortunately not better than the premise suggests it could be. It is not for lack of trying, as I generally like Vince Vaughn in almost anything and feel the film actually makes its dramatic beats work fairly well, but given that the film is ostensibly a comedy, Delivery Man fails to…deliver more than a few laughs to go along with the hearts of the 500+ children that Vaughn becomes responsible for.
