We in The Basement eagerly await Jennifer Linch's feature directorial debut Kung Fu Ghost for a number of reasons. 1) Jennifer is a super awesome and talented gal, 2) Kung Fu Ghost is a supernatural martial arts fantasy comedy, and the world needs more of those, and 3) see one and two. We've scored our first look at the film via Jennifer's Nameless Studios, and if the whole movie is as fun as these few minutes, we're in for a good time. Also, Jennifer knows how to fight!! We never doubted her abilities, but this quick scene is a fine display of her fist, feet, and blade skills.  We had Jennifer on the show in  late 2019 , and again  last year , to discuss Kung Fu Ghost. No word yet on a release date, but we'll keep you posted. Kung Fu Ghost is about Daisy (Jennifer) who inherits a spooky old estate in America from her grandfather (David S. Dawson), a martial arts master she's never met. She arrives in the U.S. and is shown the property. She soon discovers the ho

  Welcome back to #CocktailHour!  This week, I check out an easy and tasty drink called a "Peppermint Pattie" This is- like the previous two drinks I've discussed, a really easy drink to make.  All you need is ice, peppermint schnapps, Kahlua, and club soda.  For this particular one, I used McGuinness schnapps- though I must confess that I prefer Dr. McGillicuddy's.  In addition, you can also replace the club soda with Sprite as well to give it a bit of a citrus taste. As with the other two I'd talked about, a Peppermint Pattie is a sipping drink- though you're likely to down them a bit faster.  They're a nice little pub drink, though you may find that two or three are enough before the sweetness becomes a bit too much to handle. The peppermint taste of the schnapps is balanced nicely with the coffee taste of the Kahlua.  The sweetness of the two are cut and diffused a bit by the club soda.  The combination of three give the drink a solid mint chocolate fl

  It's time to jump to warp speed again, as we continue our trek to the stars.  This week, we go seeking that which we lost... Spock is dead.  McCoy is acting irrational.  Kirk is mourning.  A visit from Sarek puts Kirk on the path to bringing his friend back from the dead. But the Genesis Effect inspires a Klingon Captain to take action... bringing them both to the brink of death of destruction.. . 1984's " Star Trek III: The Search for Spock " is the second of what I call " The Spock Trilogy ".  This movie is a bit more subdued than " Wrath of Khan ," though still much more actiony than "The Motion Picture".  It is a fascinating balance of action and drama that works quite well.  This movie has a nice flow to it that is smooth and transitions between the scenes and set pieces seamlessly. The theme of loyalty and friendship are central to the development of the characters in " Search for Spock ".  The actions of Kirk and crew a

Go/Don't Go is not our usual pint of ale here in The Basement. It's an apocalypse film without the apocalypse... which makes it feel relevant given our pandemic times. It's a quiet film full of long silences and haunting images, with a lot to say without actually saying much of anything. Writer/director Alex Knapp stars in this film about the apparent last man on Earth following some sort of devastation. Only the water and power works, and there's fresh food on store shelves, suggesting there are people out there, if only Knapp's character could let go of his past and move on in life. In that lies the underlying theme of Knapp's film, or at least I think it is. I'm not usually much for digging beneath the surface of a story, but Go/Don't Go forced me to do that. No complaints, as this is worth your time if you're willing to stick with it. I found it a captivating piece of work that held my interest despite the lack of much happening on the surface. W

What do you get when you combine this past weekend's broadcast From The Basement with a good 15 more minutes of our interview with Go/Don't Go writer/director/star Alex Knapp? Why, the latest podcast... From The Basement of course! Tired of our our... From The Basements? Tough. We're sticking with it! Jason and Shawn present the full 22-minute conversation with Alex Knapp, the man behind the (mostly) one-man show that is the apocalyptic drama Go/Don't Go. Alex shares every facet of making his cinematic calling card, and explores the ideas that went into his haunting film, and what came out of it. It's a great interview for cinephiles. The Basement Boys don't stop there; they review Alex's movie, which is out everywhere, and put it under their own brand of microscope. Does Go/Don't Go work as Alex had intended? Stick with us! And stick around, as the Dynamic Duo discuss Netflix's plan to release a new, original movie a week as they continue to compete

It's Friday night, and that can only mean one thing: it's time to Go/Don't Go to the movies with From The Basement! The Basement Boys, Jason and Shawn, have set their sites on a new movie this week, reviewing the apocalyptic drama Go/Don't Go, and interviewing writer/director/star Alex Knapp! Go/Don't Go is very much a one-man-show about isolation and loneliness, and letting go of the past. It's a timely film given the number of lockdowns around the world amidst the ongoing pandemic, which at times feels quite apocalyptic. Alex discusses all this, and what inspired him to write Go/Don't Go, in a very candid and entertaining interview. But the Dynamic Duo don't just want to hear about the movie; they want to review it too. Did Alex succeed in his mission, and craft a cinematic calling card that will launch his career? Stick with us! And stay put, as Jason and Shawn also discuss Netflix's plan to release a new original movie a week for the rest of the

When an actor transitions to directing, their films often hit or miss. Even if their ideas have serious potential, they might not fully understand what's necessary to bring them to life from behind the camera. This is the case with George Clooney's The Midnight Sky, which I'd almost sum up as a well-meaning student film with a full budget. It's clear there is an emotional story that Clooney is trying to mine from the script, but he isn't sure how. In trying to direct in a subtle and understated way, he gets too subtle and loses the emotional power behind most of the scenes. The saving grace is definitely the acting. Coming from an acting background, it's no surprise Clooney is able to pull sincere performances from (almost) the whole cast. Despite some of the shallow dialogue, he injects a lot of subtle, poignant emotion into everyone's delivery. Now as much as I think Clooney has room to grow as a director, the script did not do him any favours. This screen

Wednesday has come upon us again, and it's time to play bartender again.  This week, we give you another simple, but classic drink- a Gin and Tonic. It's very much like last week's Rum and Coke... except with gin.  And tonic water.  My gin of choice is " Doctor's Orders " by Legend Distilling.  If you want to make a feminist statement, or just want to look schmancy at a party, you could use " Evolve " by Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery.  It starts out in the bottle blue... but when you add the tonic water it turns... PINK! Since I tend to prefer not being lectured by my booze, I'l stick to " Doctor's Orders ".  Mostly because I can be punny,, and say it's for "medicinal purposes". I should be ashamed of myself for that joke... but I'm not.  Accept it and live with it. This is one of two drinks I enjoyed having with friends at the pub in "the days before the Rona."  It's a nice sipping drink that'

  I'm back again, summoned to adventure and wonder by the glittering orbs of gaseous light in the heavens.  This week, I warp speed my way into " Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ". Admiral Kirk is overseeing the training of new cadets.  The USS Enterprise is now a training vessel.  Kirk's future seems calm and dull as he feels age creeping up on him. But an enemy from his past is about to return to the stars to hunt him down... and Kirk may lose all that he holds dear.. . After the critiques brought forth about " Star Trek: The Motion Picture ", Paramount decided to go in a more action/adventure direction that was closer in tone to The Original Series than the first movie. I loved that they actually dipped into Star Trek history to find a story to connect this movie to the show.  The episode, " Space Seed " was an amazing episode, and deserved to be the inspiration for this movie.  It certainly brought the action that the first movie was missing.