Monster Shack Movie Reviews

Big shoes to fill if anybody can follow him. My fondest memories of him are from the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans…damn, that was a good movie. Sure, I watch it now and then and, sure, it’s cheesy, but the special effects are still awesome!

Well, another icon falls. Rest easy, Harry.

Things (1989)

Canada’s first Direct-to-DVD horror flick, filmed on a shoestring budget (probably spent mostly on beer), “Things” is something to be experienced rather than seen. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Here’s the trailer…you decide if you want to continue

(Disclaimer: I haven’t seen this yet)

So, yeah, I know there’s an Evil Dead remake, and when I saw the poster I got a little suspicious with all the HUGE CAPITAL LETTERS PRAISING THIS MOVIE! I also get very suspicious when the IMDB rating for a film is already up to 7.4 and it’s been out less than a week…hmmmmmm….can anybody say “industry shill”?

Not trying to be negative, but why couldn’t they just leave this movie alone? I have read several reviews, and they say that it’s too heavy on the gore, and not enough emphasis on the dark slapstick humor of the first. So what it appears we have (and especially after seeing the trailer) is a gory remake of the original starring cutesy 20′s somethings right out of a “Twilight” episode.

Will I see it? Of course I will…I’m not that crazy!

This news made me surprisingly sad when I found out earlier today. Maybe it’s because another one of my childhood icons is gone, maybe it’s because a witty, sharp reviewer will no longer be around to skewer crappy Hollywood movies. Maybe it’s both.

I remember watching “At the Movies” together with my dad way back when I was a kid in MPLS. And kidees, this was on a black-and-white TV with no remote control. Imagine that: You had to get off your ass to change the channel. Anyway…good memories, loved his reviews, and even agreed with them most of the time.

(sigh), rest in peace, Roger.

Late breaking news from New York’s one and only Sean Ledden:

TERROR IN THE HEARTLAND!
FOUND FOOTAGE BAFFLES AUTHORITIES!

Last weekend unsuspecting movie-goers in Chicago were the first people in 54 years to see a brand new trailer for a horror movie that never was. The twisted brain-child of movie mystery man Doug McKeown, best known for directing “The Deadly Spawn,” “It Feeds On The Living” purports to show scenes from a 1959 black & white sci-fi shocker about a menace to the entire planet.

Shot as a “lark” to honor a last minute request from Chicago filmmaker and festival producer Rusty Nails, the trailer for “It Feeds On The Living” had to overcome numerous production hurdles – some pedestrian, others ominous. As if some mysterious force sought to prevent this work from ever seeing the light of day. How else to explain the approaching cold front that would soon make outdoor photography highly uncomfortable? Or the camera battery that suddenly died only an hour before the first scenes were scheduled to be shot in New York’s famed Central Park? Yet through it all McKeown displayed the calm, some would say ruthless, determination that he is known, even feared for – and production wrapped after two concentrated half-days that made some participants feel zestfully alive, while giving others a strong tension headache. How true, that “Art Demands Sacrifice”, as someone famous must have said at some point.

Happily, one obstacle that did not appear was the location of a top secret and expensively equipped laboratory setting to be used for the key conversation between “Biologist Number 1” and “Biologist Number 2.” Non-disclosure agreements prevent the publishing of any further details, but viewers of the trailer will no doubt appreciate the time and effort that went into bringing its striking images onto film (er, video.)

And so, without further ado, and fresh from Sci-Fi Spectacular 7, at Chicago’s Portage Theater, The Monster Shack is proud to present (the trailer for)….

It Feeds On The Living!

CORRECTION: Contrary to pre-screening reports, the laboratory location was NOT the one used for the infamous “Alien Autopsy” film.

I know I’ve brought this up before, but the movie “Things” from way back in 1989 is one of the weirdest ultra-low budget films I’ve ever seen. I stumbled across the trailer and was inspired to mention it again. Somebody sent me a link to a online store where you can purchase this…Things (1989) but [...]

Dollman vs the Demonic Toys (1993) Merry Christmas…and here’s your gift from the Monster Shack: Dollman vs the Demonic Toys! I hope you’ve had fun in the Shack this year, and let’s look forward to even more insane, cheesy, grade-z movies in the days to come! Huzzah!

Hi everybody, since my time is extremely limited these days, I think I’m going to have to try and push out some mini-reviews, i.e., Video Bites. I’m still working on longer reviews when I can find the time, but if I’m going to get anything posted here…ever…it’s going to have to be short-and-sweet. So, here [...]

I got an email today asking if anybody could recall the name of this movie: “…I saw a movie (50s-early 60s maybe?) when I was a kid that was incredibly weird and cool about an invisible monster menacing an isolated desert town. You never saw it but it made footprints and an ominous shovel sound [...]

Happy Halloween from the Monster Shack staff!

Frankenfish (2004) A giant mutant fish terrorizes swamp country deep down in Georgia…Can the city-slickers save the day? Read the review and find out!

That’s right! After a much needed summer hiatus, the Monster Shack staff has returned to the office and are busily watching crappy movies just for you. So hang in there…new reviews are on the way!

From the Monster Shack mailbox: “All I can remember is that there were some monsters (or something) living underground (possible in the desert)and as people would be walking along, these monster-things would reach up through the ground and grab a person by the legs and drag them under. I sort of remember there being underground [...]

Megalodon (2002) Megaladon! A giant, crabby shark that eats CGI mini-subs for breakfast! Num! And that’s about as exciting as it gets.

This is Rattlers…..what a way to die! Rattlers (1976) Some rattle snakes get pissed off when the Army dumps toxic waste on them…who can blame them?

Stalwart Monster Shack correspondent Sean Ledden sends in this news bit from the mean streets of New York: Discerning Monster Shack readers might already be alerted to the fact, but “Lockout” the new French sci-fi action movie written by “Mr. Subtlety” himself Luc Besson went off in theaters last week. According to the cool, unemotional [...]

Hi again, and thanks for your patience. I’ve been really busy with something called “Real Life”…you know that thing that you have to do when you can’t watch movies or play video games? So I’ve had to do some soul searching and basically I have to make the review formats much more concise if I’m [...]

Sean Ledden comes through again delivering 2 great reviews of 1 great film…and one really bad one. Which is which? I hope you would know already, but go ahead and check out the reviews to be sure. (Hint: The good movie’s original title is “Trolljegeren”.) Monster (2008) Troll Hunter (2010) Thanks again, Sean.

Highlander 2 (1991) Thanks to Karl for suffering through Highlander 2 for us. It really was only a matter of time before this movie would be posted on the Shack, but I sure as hell didn’t want to be the one to have to watch it!

Escape From Galaxy 3 (1981) Yes, it’s the follow up to “Star Crash”…only without the sophisticated plot and great special effects. Yeah, it’s that bad! Still not convinced? Check out this sample: