Blu-Ray Review: IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE

Starring Marshall Thompson, Shawn Smith, Kim Spalding, Ann Doran, Dabbs Greer, Paul Langton, Ray "Crash" Corrigan. Directed by Edward L. Cahn. (1958, 69 min).
Olive Films

Of course, any sci-fi or horror disciple worth their salt regularly drops to their knees and worships at the alter of Alien. It’s one of the most influential genre films of all time; the list of subsequent movies it has inspired is longer than the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even today, almost 40 years later, countless directors and screenwriters borrow liberally from Ridley Scott’s classic.

But as revered as it is, Alien itself probably wouldn't exist if not for a small, mostly-forgotten film with the exact same premise (and some strikingly-similar scenes) released 21 years earlier. For some of you, this might be like learning God actually gave the world two sons: the charismatic, good-looking messiah we admire and worship, and the prematurely-balding older brother who lacked the same ambition and remained a simple carpenter for the rest of his life. Still, Jesus may have once looked up to his big brother for inspiration and guidance, much like younger siblings generally do when Mom and Dad aren't around.

It! The Terror from Beyond Space is the sci-fi equivalent of that older brother, and Alien fans might be surprised at how much their beloved film steals borrows from this low-budget piece of drive-in fodder. In fact, part of the fun of watching this movie today is discovering the striking similarities between the two. For example:

• A crew of astronauts lands on a hostile planet (in this case, Mars) for a rescue mission.
• After taking off, they discover an alien creature is onboard.
• The creature consists mostly of teeth.
• The creature is sneaking through the air vents to get around in the ship, which one unfortunate crew member discovers when hunting it down. 
• Crew members die one-by-one, similar to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.
• The creature turns out to be almost indestructible, impervious to bullets, fire, electricity, radiation and toxic gas.
• In fact, the only way to kill it is to open an airlock and expose it to the vacuum of space.

"Okay...which one of you left the seat up?"

Okay, so maybe you’re a tad disillusioned that Alien isn’t quite as original as you once thought. Does this mean It! The Terror from Beyond Space a better movie? Of course not. Alien still deserves its status as an all-time classic, yet there’s a lot of fun to be had in checking out this old relic, which is actually pretty entertaining on its own terms. Sure the special effects are archaic, but like Alien, it benefits from low-key performances and smart dialogue, with a story that has since-proven to be timeless.

Any true fan of a particular genre needs to acknowledge and appreciate the older films which make such love possible. While no classic, It! The Terror from Beyond Space deserves a bit of that same love thrown its way, especially since nobody involved with Alien ever did.

EXTRAS: None.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

Purr...there's a lot of fun to be had comparing this ol' thing to a modern classic.

DVD Review: [REC]4: APOCALYPSE

Starring Manuela Velasco, Paco Manzanedo, Hector Colome, Ismael Fritschi, Crispulo Cabezas, Paco Obregon. Directed by Jaume Balaguero. (2014, 95 min).
Sony

Fans of director Jaume Balaguero's REC series will be happy to know he's back onboard (after skipping the forgettable [REC]3) for this fourth installment. Perhaps the best praise one can give this film is, if you loved the first two films, [REC]4 offers more of the same.

Actually, that's not entirely true. [REC]4 is the first in the series not presented as found footage (which suits me fine because the novelty wore off years ago). The setting is different, as well. Instead of a quarantined apartment building, this one takes place onboard a ship at sea.

However, Manuela Velasco is back from the first two films as reporter Angela Vidal. In fact, [REC]3 is completely ignored as this one picks up where the first sequel left off. Everyone who survived the apartment ordeal (where a blood-born virus turns the people into violent savages) has been rounded up and put onboard a cargo ship run by a team of researchers to find a cure for the deadly virus. Of course, these researchers, headed by the cold-blooded Dr. Ricarte and aided by armed soldiers, underestimate what they’re dealing with. It isn’t long before more poor saps are becoming infected left and right.

Barbecue parties without napkins can be a messy affair.

As the body count rises, Angela, aided by portly computer geek Nick (Ismael Fritschi, in an amusing performance) and Guzman (Paco Manzanedo), must combat the infected monsters and Dr. Ricarte if they want any chance of getting off the ship alive.

[REC]4 offers the usual amount of blood & guts action typical of the series. On the other hand, the film offers a few new story twists late in the game, and even if they seem more reminiscent of the Alien franchise than 28 Days Later, it’s nice to see there’s still some life left in this franchise. Longtime fans of these films will want to check it out.

EXTRAS: "REC 4: Making Of"

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Giveaway: THESE FINAL HOURS

FREE KITTENS MOVIE GUIDE and WELL GO USA are giving away Blu-Ray copies of the intense apocalyptic film, These Final Hours.

In this apocalyptic drama, James (Nathan Phillips) is a troubled young man on a mission. He’s desperate to join his girlfriend Vicky (Kathryn Beck) at the ‘party to end all parties’ and numb any feelings as the world comes to an end. On his journey however, James is greeted by a lawless and chaotic city, facing a cataclysmic event that will end life on the planet, and he discovers that getting to where he needs to be will not be easy. Along the way, he saves the life of a girl named Rose (Angourie Rice), frantically searching for her father. Out of options, James invites Rose to join him. Together they discover how they would truly like to spend their last moments on Earth in this world gone mad.

To enter, simply leave us a message in KITTY KONTACT, located in the sidebar at the top of this page. Winners will be chosen at random. 

Blu-Ray Review: THE DROWNSMAN

Starring Michelle Mylett, Caroline Korycki, Gemma Bird Matheson, Sydney Kondruss, Clare Bastable, Ry Barrett. Directed by Chad Archibald. (2014, 87 min).
Anchor Bay

Even though The Drownsman offers nothing new to the horror genre, I kind of enjoyed it. Perhaps it was my frame-of-mind at the time, somewhat weary of all the found-footage fiascoes, CGI ghostfests or the latest zombie-flick-of-the-week I've reviewed lately.

The Drownsman is none of those, yet still doesn't have an original bone in its body. Within a few minutes of watching, it's clear the film's biggest influence is A Nightmare on Elm Street. We have Sebastian Donner, a serial killer who enjoys drowning his female victims. But one of them, Isabelle, turns the tables and drowns him instead. Years later, after nearly drowning herself, Madison (Michelle Mylett) develops severe hydrophobia, much to the chagrin of her friends, who think she's going crazy. However, Madison's fear turns out to be well-founded when Sebastian, through water, returns to claim more victims.

"Where's my ducky? WHERE'S MY DUCKY?!"

While The Drownsman isn't especially scary, this is a nifty concept which presents its primary villain as sort-of an aquatic Freddy Krueger, reaching out from faucets and washing machines to increase the body count. On paper, this sounds laughable, but director/co-writer Chad Archibald mostly has us buying into the whole thing (at least while we're watching) and includes a few unexpected plot twists during the final act. None of this stands up to much scrutiny, but it's fairly entertaining, with serviceable performances by the entire cast.

I, for one, appreciated sitting down to enjoy an old school boogeyman story that, while totally conventional, didn't insult my intelligence (the story doesn't rely on characters acting stupidly). Sebastian Donner isn't likely to stay in our public consciousness like Jason or Freddy, but he's a serviceable-enough villain to keep us interested.

EXTRAS: None

KITTY CONSENSUS:

NOT BAD...LIKE CAT CHOW

Blu-Ray Review: FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Starring Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eloise Mumford, Marcia Gay Harden, Max Martini, Luke Grimes. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. (2015, 126/129 min).
Universal

I never read that grammatically-blasphemous piece of mom-porn known as Fifty Shades of Grey (why would I?), but its butchery of standard English is already legendary. The book sold in stupid amounts anyway. So of course Hollywood came a-callin'. And yeah, the movie made stupid amounts of money, too (mostly during its opening weekend). Still, considering the explicitness of the book's BDSM subject matter, I imagine many folks (including fans) may have shied away from the film in theaters. After all, watching people have kinky sex has always been more enjoyable in the comfort of your own home than when surrounded by strangers.

For them, I suppose I need to address the main questions they undoubtedly have regarding this Blu-Ray release:

1) Is the movie as badly-written and unintentionally funny as the book?
Fortunately or unfortunately, the answer is no. Sure, some of the dialogue will illicit a few chuckles, but the movie isn't as stupid as one might assume. Overall, the performances by the entire cast are fairly decent considering the material they have to work with (which is pretty slight). Those expecting high camp will likely be disappointed.

2) Is it as explicit, kinky and nasty as its reputation?
Not really. There's a lot of nudity (mostly provided by Dakota Johnson) and scenes of bondage, but for the most part, the movie tries (and largely fails) to romanticize its notorious sex scenes. While somewhat audacious, they are far from erotic.

3) So, is it a decent love story?
Not especially, mainly because the main characters are largely uninteresting. Young billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) may be sexy and suave, but despite repeatedly defending his penchant for S&M with “It’s how I am,” we never really identify with him. The same goes for Ana (Johnson), initially a college waif (and virgin) who’s quickly sucked into Grey’s world of sexual peculiarities without ever providing the audience a reason why she’d be even remotely aroused by them.

"Hey, Ana...guess where my hand's been."

4) I loved the book. Will I be disappointed?
Yes or no, depending on your expectations. You gotta remember this is a film released by a major studio (Universal), so of course the notorious tampon scene ain’t gonna happen, nor any other moment which would push it into NC-17 territory (this also applies to the unrated version available on this disc). On the other hand, the story itself follows the novel pretty closely (albeit perfunctory).

5) So, is it a terrible movie, like most critics said?
Not exactly. As stated before, the performances are decent and the screenplay mostly does-away with author E.L. James’ cringe-worthy prose. I also have to admit that the scene in which Ana & Christian discuss the terms of their Dominant/Submissive contract is pretty damned amusing, which ingeniously morphs into the single truly sexy moment in the entire film.

I watched this with my wife. After it was over, she said it was like watching a dirty Hallmark Channel movie (she’s seen a lot of ‘em, so she‘d know). Her opinion is perhaps the most accurate assessment of Fifty Shades of Grey: If you’re already onboard, you’ll accept the slight characters, shallow attempts at romance and enjoy the added bonus of kinky sex.

If not...why are you still reading this?

EXTRAS:

• Unrated & theatrical versions of the film (unrated version is about 3 minutes longer with an alternate ending which doesn't really improve things)
• A (very) brief teaser for Fifty Shades Darker
• Music Videos (including a behind-the-scenes look at "Earned It"
• DVD & Digital Copies
• Featurettes: "Behind the Shades" (making-of); "EL James & Fifty Shades" (author profile); "The Pleasure of Pain"; "Christian's Apartment: Set Tour"; "The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Christian Grey"; "The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Ana"; "The World of Fifty Shades of Grey: Friends and Family" 

KITTY CONSENSUS:

Not bad, depending on your expectations

(you may just as easily hate it)

Clint Eastwood Asks, "WHO FARTED?"

Pray it wasn't you...

Book Review: THE CLINT EASTWOOD WESTERNS

By James L. Neibaur. (2015, 196 pp).
Rowman & Littlefield

Clint Eastwood is a cinema icon, of course. As such, there have been numerous books about his life and career. This book by James L. Neibaur is a little different in that it focuses primarily on the westerns which made him an international star, a genre he would frequently revisit throughout most of his career. If you're a fan of those films, The Clint Eastwood Westerns is a must-read.

The book chronicles his early career as Rowdy Yates in the Rawhide TV series through what is likely his final western, Unforgiven. Presented chronologically, each film is given its own chapter, all loaded with behind-the-scenes information, critical analysis and cultural impact. Not surprisingly, the "Dollars" trilogy is discussed in the greatest detail, not only for what they meant to Eastwood's career, but their influence on cinema and how they redefined the western genre. As someone who personally hails The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as the greatest western of all time, this book offers details and fascinating info even I was unaware of, such as the growing animosity between Eastwood and director Sergio Leone.

Of course, Eastwood's career is not exclusively defined by his westerns, and in-between those films, Neibaur briefly chronicles those he made outside the genre. From a reader's perspective, these chapters are less interesting, as Neibaur tends to offer his own subjective assessment more liberally. This is especially apparent when he's damning the Dirty Harry sequels while praising Eastwood's attempts to shed his bad-ass image in insultingly stupid crapfests like The Gauntlet, the nadir of his 70s-era career.

Still, The Clint Eastwood Westerns is a great read in which we develop further appreciation for, not only his undisputed classics, but those he managed to make successful during eras when the western was essentially a dead genre.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

Purr...like a good scratch behind the ears

Rest In Peace, Grace Lee Whitney

Grace Lee Whitney (1930-2015)

HOLLYWOOD'S NOT-SO-TRUE STORIES

Even with true stories, everyone knows that Hollywood takes certain liberties to boost a particular film's dramatic value. After all, they are in the entertainment business, not the documentary business. Then there are those films that, for one reason or another, have some folks (often morons) convinced what they're watching actually happened, either because of the skill of a particular director, the sincerity of a screenplay or a fiendishly clever marketing campaign.

For example...

THE EXORCIST

An actual exorcism performed on an American boy in the late 1940s inspired author William Peter Blatty to write a novel, which became a bestseller and later adapted into what arguably became the quintessential horror film. But despite legions of readers & viewers who often mistake "inspired by" with "based on fact," there has never been a single documented account of an individual proven to be possessed by a demon. Still, a lot of folks bought it back then, and even today you can find ill-informed write-ups on the internet claiming The Exorcist is a true story.

THIS IS SPINAL TAP

The definitive mockumentary, so accurate in its depiction of the excesses, pitfalls and clichés of rock stardom that, upon its initial release, many mistook the film for an actual documentary about a real band. This actually worked against its box office success at the time. Simply too many people didn't realize it was a comedy.

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

You gotta give the Lutz family credit...they fooled us all for awhile. Their story was infamously documented by author Jay Anson, who wasn't a particularly good writer, but the conceit that the story was true made his book a worldwide bestseller on par with The Exorcist. Hollywood came calling, of course, even though the subsequent film made so many wholesale changes to the narrative that we began to suspect even its producers didn't totally buy into the Lutz' story.

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

Though not the first of its ilk,The Blair Witch Project has the dubious distinction of popularizing the found footage genre (yeah, thanks a lot guys). But the true genius of this film was its marketing campaign, which took full advantage of the internet to convince millions of gullible surfers that the footage was real.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

Director/co-writer Tobe Hooper was initially inspired by a real-life serial killer (Ed Gein). The story itself, however, is complete fiction. There has never been a chainsaw massacre by a family of cannibals in Texas or anywhere else. Still, it was promoted as a “true story,” which brought people out to drive-ins in droves.

FARGO

Introducing this as a true story, just for fun, is one of many reasons I love the Coen Brothers. A lot of folks didn't know it was a joke, which makes the ruse even cooler, and even inspired another wonderful film, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, about a woman’s quest to find the ransom money buried by Steve Buscemi’s character near the end of Fargo.

TITANIC (1997) 

Yeah, their was once a great ship. Yeah, it sank on its first voyage. Yeah, it was tragic. But that’s the extent of the reality of James Cameron’s Titanic. And sure, most of us free-thinking adults already know this. But as a middle school teacher back when this film was a pop culture phenomenon, I can attest to the legions of awestruck teenage girls convinced the doomed love story of Jack and Rose was part of the ship's history. A few even became pissed when I tried to break the news they never existed.

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 

Despite the hyper-realistic Normandy Invasion sequence - and what your delusional high school history teacher might have suggested when he justified showing this in class - there was no Private Ryan, nor any mission to rescue him after all of his brothers were killed. Robert Rodat was initially inspired to write the screenplay after learning of eight siblings who died during the Civil War.

Blu-Ray Review: HALT AND CATCH FIRE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Starring Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie David, Kerry Bishe, Toby Huss, David Wilson Barnes. Various Directors. (2014, 435 min).
Anchor Bay

I know nothing about the history of the machine I’m using to write this review. Though old enough to recall our savage existence before there was a PC in every home, I totally take it for granted. It’s pretty amazing how fast we incorporated computers into our daily lives without never really knowing (or caring) how they actually work, or those who first made it possible for us to fly into a rage whenever the damn things don’t obey our commands. Halt and Catch Fire attempts to explain the latter.

It’s 1983...microwave ovens are still hundreds of dollars, we compose resumes with electric typewriters and having an Atari 2600 is a luxury. But in the Silicon Prairie of Texas, corporations such as IBM and Cardiff Electric (a fictional company and the main setting for this series) see the potential for computers to become essential tools in everyday life. Leading the charge is an ambitious huckster, Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace), a former IBM employee who insinuates himself among Cardiff’s executives with charm and persuasion, hoping to beat IBM at their own game by creating an efficient, compact and affordable computer that’ll appeal to the masses.

Joe has the ambition, but not all the know-how, so he lures Cardiff programmer Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), a disgraced genius whose previous cutting-edge ideas have left him struggling to support his family. Joe also recruits a rebellious prodigy, Cameron (Mackenzie Davis), who’s contemptuous of everyone’s inability to see the true potential of personal computers. Much of the show's focus is on these three characters as they deal with technological roadblocks, industrial espionage and conflicts, both professional & personal.

Even though Halt and Catch Fire is a fictionalized version of the birth of the PC, we get the impression this is a pretty accurate account of what went down back then, mostly due to the writing. From a technical standpoint, the show seems knowledgeable of the workings of both computers and corporations. Similarly, these characters are dynamic and interesting (especially Pace, who manages to be sympathetic even when he’s acting like a total douchebag).

At the very least, we gotta give-it-up to creators of Halt and Catch Fire, who manage to sprinkle enough drama and intrigue (even a little sex and suspense) throughout these 10 episodes to keep things interesting. While not as consistently compelling as AMC’s best shows, there’s enough here to keep one amused, especially on disc, free from commercials and week-long waits between episodes.

EXTRAS:
Featurettes: “Re-Making the 80s”; “Rise of the Digital Cowboys”; "Setting the Fire: Research and Technology”

KITTY CONSENSUS:

Purr...like a good scratch behind the ears