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Showing posts from October, 2010
It's Halloween, and everyone is entitles to one good scare. For us in The Basement, that scare came Friday night when we interviewed the ghost of deceased movie producer, director and actor William Castle! For those that missed our first ever live chat with the dead, there is the podcast to your right that you can listen to at your leisure. Given that the interview was carried out via live chat in a Facebook discussion page, we've included a link to it here . Feel free to give it a read and catch parts of the interview that didn't make it onto the show. And thanks again to psychic Mike S, who mediated the interview for us. You rock! How could we not broadcast every question and answer? Well, being a movie review show, we did have to talk movies. And Shawn and I just had to share our thoughts on the best underrated horror movies of all time. Being the generous radio hosts that we are, we've included our lists and brief thoughts on each film for you below! And a big sh

From Beyond the Grave: A Discussion With William Castle!

Tonight is a Basement first! With the help of psychic and frequent contributor Mike S., and the marvels of modern Facebook technology, Shawn and I are going to conduct a live online and onair interview with the spirit of famous Hollywood film director, producer and actor William Castle!  We've opened a discussion on our Facebook page and, shortly after 10 p.m., our conversation from beyond the grave will begin! Remember, Castle is a ghost, so he's only regained the ability to type, not to speak. Mike S. will speak for him! Those who want to listen can tune in live at 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops or www.thex.ca . If you want to watch the discussion unfold, or even have a question to ask, stop by our Facebook page . Castle may be best known for his gimmicks. For example, The Tingler (1959) was about a docile creature that lives in the spinal cord, is activated by fright, and can only be destroyed by screaming. In the film's finale, one of the creatures removed fr

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo front-runner for Alien prequel

Noomi Rapace is the front-runner for the Alien prequel. That's the news. Meetings between Ridley Scott, who directed the original film more than 30 years ago, and a number of potential leads have concluded and the lean Rapace is so far his favourite, so says Deadline . Other actresses that reportedly took meetings with Scott were Carey Mulligan, Abbie Cornish, Natalie Portman, and Olivia Wilde of the upcoming Tron Legacy. Deadline also states the studio is heavily involved in this particular casting and Rapace's English, or lack thereof, may be the only problem. As far as I am concerned, Rapace is a great choice.  Her Lisbeth Salender was a major ball breaker. Get her to work on the accent and let's roll. Actually, who cares about the accent. She's a worthy successor to Ripley, even though the film takes place before Sigourney Weaver and company came along. All I've got to do now is a give two shits about another Alien moving being made.

The Dark Knight Retur . . . er Rises!

Christopher Nolan has revealed the name of the third film in his Batman trilogy. In July 2012, we’ll be lining up for The Dark Knight Rises.  Good title, and it takes advantage of the The Dark Knights' popularity at the box office. Smart move, Nolan. The co-writer/director went on to dispell the rumour that The Riddler would be the villain this time around, but he hasn't said who the main adversary will be either. It will be tough to beat Ledger's Joker. Nolan also announced today that he’s convinced Warner Bros. to keep telling his story in 2D, and to continue down the path of hi-def IMAX sequences. He'll get no argument from us in The Basement on the subject either.

Wanna see some footage from Tron Legacy? Then check out this Daft Punk video

You won't regret it. Trust me. It was a tough call for news today. If I had all the time in the world I would flood you, Basement Dweller, with all kinds of tidbits of geekdom.Seeing as the day job keeps me busy, you get just one. It was a toss up between the cool footage/OK music below and word that Lucas may convert the Indiana Jones films into 3D (three extra dollars) for an upcoming release. Seeing as the Lucas news makes me want to punch someone in the nuts, you get the Tron footage, which is pretty slick. "Electrify the girls and boys if you'd be so kind," Michael Sheen tells Daft Punk, who have a cameo in the film. The track they play is titled Derezzed. The footage is all from the movie, which looks spectacular. December seems a long way off. Maybe I'll watch the video again.

Orcs, anyone?

They failed to chase down Frodo in The Lord of the Rings and have had their numbers decimated on World of Warcraft, so it only makes sense the green-skinned bastards would want some revenge. Hence the new low budget horror-comedy-action flick Orcs. In the film, directed by Andrew Black, a band of the fantasy beasties are terrorizing a national park and the only ones who can stop them are a couple of bungling park rangers. Much mayhem and face eating ensues, so we're told. The film stars Adam Johnson, Maclain Nelson and Renny Richmond. It's due out . . . we're not entirely sure, but there's a preview below for your viewing pleasure.

Jason and Shawn review: Case 39 and The Road

Case 39 Shawn: A lot of potential here.  There were definitely some really good scenes, good ideas, but they came across as convoluted, unfinished and forced. That seems like a pretty weak way to make a scary movie.  The "demon" effects were done with Adobe After Effects or software like that and made the production look cheap, just like the so-called scares. The movie was eerie at best. Probably more suspense than horror, and even that was predictable. An Ugly rating for sure. Jason: This movie sat on a shelf for years and should have been left there. No one should have to suffer through this. It took me five pints to do so! I hate Rene Zellweger to begin with, so having to watch her for 90 minutes didn't help. And what person in their right mind, knowing achild is the spawn of the Devil, decide to take action by dumping a TV on the floor and telling the brat to get out of the house? Do the world a favour and drop the TV on its head! Ugly, ugly, ugly. The Road

Next on the chopping block: Case 39 and The Road

How fast the weeks travel by. But for Shawn and I that's a good thing as we once again get to entertain you with some not-so-random chatter about one of our favourite things: movies! Being a review program, we've lined up a couple of diverse ones to face the executioner's axe: the post apocalyptic drama The Road and the horror film Case 39. The Road has some amazing pedigree in the form of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It's a great book. But how does the movie stack up? Case 39 stars Academy Award winning actress Renee Zellweger and features a social worker charged with a potentially dangerous child. It's sat on a shelf for years, rarely a good sign, but finally made it to theatres this month. Rarely do Shawn and I venture out to the theatre, but this one's reputation demanded it. We begin a new segment called Era Flops, where we discuss the worst movie of a given year. We've gone all the way back to 1985 for our first segment. Th

Leslie Vernon to kill again in Behind the Mask sequel

One of the best, most under-rated horror films of all time is Scott Glosserman's Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.  The 2006 flick put a fun spin on the slasher film as a documentary crew follows the next generation of unstoppable killer when they given exclusive access to his life. It great stuff, that totally deconstructs the conventions and archetypes of the genre. Word has it courtesy of Dread Central that Glosserman and co-writer David Stieve are close to finishing a script for the much-deserved follow up, and Glosserman is looking to start shooting in the spring. Hopefully we'll here some more news soon! Here's a preview for the first film. If you haven't seen it, Shawn and I suggest you head out and do so!

Scream Awards trailer for Paranormal Activity 2

While Shawn and I are rockin' it on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops Friday night several horror fans will likely be heading to local theatres to check out the sequel to last year's hit Paranormal Activity. We here in The Basement, including Shawn, myself and contributor Mike S, loved the shit out of P.A. and none of us can deny that it looks like a noble effort was undertaken to make a decent sequel in Paranormal Activity 2. Below is the Scream Awards trailer for the film, which has a kicker of a final few seconds. I admit I am eager to see the film, and may even venture into theatres at some point. Paranormal Activity 2 is directed by Tod Williams with a story by Michael R. Perry and screenplay by Michael R. Perry and Christopher Landon. The film is produced by Jason Blumand and Oren Peli, who wrote and directed the first film to perfection.

WTF? Mark Wahlberg could be the new Crow?

It could be time to break out the goth makeup, Mark Wahlberg may be taking over from the late Brandon Lee in the new version of The Crow. Word across the Interweb says an official offer hasn't been made yet, but the Oscar winner is apparently in talks with Relativity Media to star in the upcoming remake/reboot of Alex Proyas’ 1994 comic book-based movie. That film is notorious as Lee was tragically killed on the set when a prop gun misfired. The news is slightly surprising because Wahlberg is considered an A-list star and the series, which degenerated into straight-to-video fair by the time it was done, hasn't lent itself to such talent. Then again, his recent efforts, including the incredibly shitty Max Payne and The Happening, might mean his star has fallen. Personally, Wahlberg seems a terrible choice. Then again, it's hard to top the work the late Lee did. He owned the role and producers should have left well enough alone after the first one.

A PG-13 Hellraiser remake? Say it ain't so!!

But, sadly, it sounds like that is the case according to boys over at Bloody Disgusting . Dimension's planned relaunch of Clive Barker's classic is aiming for a PG-13 rating when it eventually hits theatres. The website reports that the toned-down Lament Configuration could be directed by Christian E. Christiansen (say that name 10 times fast), who helmed the upcoming teen-themed thriller The Roomate. Pascal Laugier, director of the bloody French horror film Maryrs, was previously attached. As far as we in The Basement are concerned anything less than a hard-R Hellraiser film is pointless. Pinhead is all about the ripping of flesh and making one's suffering legendary. How Dimension expects to do that on a PG-13 film is beyond me. We have a better idea, Dimension: why not leave Hellraiser well enough alone!?!

Jason and Shawn review: The Joneses and Four Lions

The Joneses Jason: The Joneses has a lot to say about consumerism, the economic crisis and people's willingness to go into debt to achieve the American dream. However, what good intentions co-writer/director Derrick Borte had for his film are shattered by a storyline that refuses to break free of the shackles set by mainstream Hollywood. David Duchovny is still a fun screen presence and Demi Moore is looking great at 47, but I didn't buy their romance one bit. And spare me the warm, fuzzy happy ending. This could have been a good movie, but instead it rates a Bad. Shawn: Hello X-Files and G.I .Jane, long time no see.  This was the best you could get? I get it. Keep up with the Joneses. But even the Joneses are fucked up. The chemistry was terrible between Demi and Duchovny.  I know the relationship was supposed to be awkward, but the performances seemed just a little too rough around the edges. And salespeople with consciences? Please. I guess I'll have to wait for ka

Chatting with ghosts: The Basement interviews William Castle

Halloween is our favourite holiday here in The Basement, and we've got something special planned for our Oct. 29 episode to celebrate. With the help of psychic and frequent Basement contributor Mike S., and the marvels of modern Facebook technology, Shawn and I are going to conduct a live online and onair interview with the spirit of famous Hollywood film director, producer and actor William Castle . Yes, Castle is back from beyond the grave and he's willing to take some time out from overseeing the collaborative horror novel Scare It Forward (which yours truly is taking part in) to answer some questions about his life, career and the movies he made. Castle may be best known for his gimmicks. For example, The Tingler (1959) was about a docile creature that lives in the spinal cord, is activated by fright, and can only be destroyed by screaming. In the film's finale, one of the creatures removed from the spine of a mute woman is let loose in a movie theatre. Some

Next on the chopping block: The Joneses, Four Lions and a little something about The Kamloops Project

Another Friday night and another great episode of Film Reviews From the Basement: The Radio Show has been lined up for you. For the first time in Basement history Shawn and I are going to be reviewing a pair of comedies, each tackling a timely topic. First up is the David Duchovny/Demi Moore consumerism satire The Joneses. The second is the terrorism-themed Four Lions, which has been generating great buzz on the festival circuit. We'll also begin a new segment called Top 5, wherein Shawn and I discuss five things we like or don't like about film. Tonight's topic: our five favourite opening sequences. And for the locals, we have Kamloops Daily News editor Mel Rothenburger talking about The Kamloops Project, a social experiment the city's only daily newspaper has created. So tune in tonight at 10 p.m. on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops or head online to www.thex.ca and enjoy. Your life will be better for it. A podcast version will be available here and over at podOmatic b

Trailer Alert: Drive Angry 3D

Two Nicolas Cage-related stories in one week? Shawn's going to explode. But maybe not when he sees this trailer for the new grindhouse-style action/horror movie from director Patrick Lussier, who made the great My Bloody Valentine 3D. Now there are some who are sick of 3D and will find the preview borderline cheesy, almost campy even. I agree completely. But we here in The Basement don't mind cheese and camp if done right, and we love us our ultraviolence. As for 3D, yup. We're sick of it. But Lussier used the technology to great effect in MBV3D, so I'm willing to give him a break this time around. Oh, and Amber Heard is in this. Yum! The film is due out early next year. Give the trailer a view and share your thoughts.

Inception actor to tackle role in the new Batman . . .

. . .  but there is no word yet on who Tom Hardy is going to play. All that's confirmed is co-writer and director Christopher Nolan has cast him in a lead role in the film. While there’s zero confirmation on his part, we in The Basement encourage you to go bug  nuts with your guesses – would he make a good Riddler? Is he taking on one of the other iconic characters from Bats’ rogues’ gallery? Bruce Wayne's mail man? Hey, it could happen. Hardy has been shooting the latest version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for Thomas Alfredson and will appear in McG’s action comedy This Means War alongside Reese Witherspoon (whom yours truly caught a glimpse of in Vancouver last week. She's short and 50 per cent leg) and Chris Pine. His version of Mad Max has been temporarily waylaid due to bad weather Down Under. The next Bat film is due out in 2012, just in time for the apocalypse.

Rumour Alert: Highlander to team up with Ghost Rider

Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod, Christopher Lambert, may be in the running to star alongside Nicolas Cage and his latest crazy haircut in the Ghost Rider sequel. Dread Central reports the actor revealed on his Facebook page that he's in talks to star with Cage in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. The second Marvel Comics adaptation to feature the ghastly motorcycle rider also stars Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba and Johnny Whitworth. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (writer/directors of Gamer, Crank) are in pre-production on the project, which is due in theatres Feb. 17, 2012. I didn't care for the first Ghost Rider much and Shawn isn't shy about his hate for Cage. But Neveldine and Taylor have done some wild stuff and the chance to see Lambert on screen again creates some geek excitement for us in The Basement. Highlander was one of my favourites growing up.

Micro Review: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Slick production values and a capable new incarnation of Freddy Krueger in the form of Jackie Earle Haley can't save this otherwise flat, boring remake Wes Craven's 1984 classic. A prime example of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. What was once a creepy, campy, low-budget excursion into slasher-horror has become just another Hollywood product void of fun, energy and, sadly, scares. Rooney Mara may look good, but her Nancy lacks any of the charm Heather Langenkamp brought to the role. The other characters are just as lifeless as the corpses Freddy leaves in his wake. A Bad review from this Basement dweller. Click here to check out a review by frequent contributor Mike S.

Jason and Shawn interview John Fallon

For those who just want to give it a listen, we've posted the entire interview with actor, writer, director and film critic John Fallon, AKA the Arrow of Arrow in the Head, to the embedded player to the right. It's the entire interview, and only the interview, in one continuous cut. Enjoy! For those who want to hear the Oct. 8, 2010 episode in its entirety, complete with the interview, our reviews of Bitch Slap and Rampage, and some pretty cool music, then just scroll down the player to hear the entire show. Who says you can't have it both ways!?! Jason and Shawn

Jason and Shawn review: Bitch Slap and Rampage

Bitch Slap Jason: What kind of a critic am I? Can I be so easily bought by some gratuitous T&A, graphic violence, heavy metal music and girl-on-girl action. Why yes, apparently I can! And I hate myself for it! Well, not really. Bitch Slap is a guilty pleasure best watched with copious amounts of beer, rum and Coke. The trio of sexy ladies, Erin Cummings, Julia Voth and America Olivo, redefine sexy. Story and character development don't matter, just enjoy the pretty pictures. A Good review from me! Dammit! Shawn: Seriously, what the fuck!?! There's enough T&A here to last a lifetime. Possibly one of the most predictable movies I've ever seen, but all that is pointless because I am a man. Wow! The ladies, the violence and STUFF BLOWS UP!!! All the gals like each other, and that's cool. This is a man's movie through and through, and earns a Good rating because of it. I was so entertained. Rampage Jason: I have never been so surprised by a movie. Dr.

Next on the chopping block: the John Fallon interview, Rampage and Bitch Slap

Alright guys and ghouls -- a bad, overused pun I know -- tonight brings the world the second episode of Film Reviews From the Basement: The Radio Show and we promise it will be a good one! The bulk of tonight's program will be an interview with actor, writer, stunt man and film critic John Fallon, better known as The Arrow of Arrow in the Head , part of the JoBlo.com Movie Network. The dude is a fun, honest and entertaining interview, and I am sure fans will dig it. We've also got reviews of the Dr. Uwe Boll anger epic Rampage and the T&A exploitation romp Bitch Slap plus some music for your ear hole if time allows. So crack a six pack or two, grab some nachos and tune in to 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops tonight at 10 p.m.or head online to www.thex.ca . A podcast version will be available on Sunday. And now some previews: Rampage Bitch Slap Bitch Slap - Awesome video clips here

Season of the Witch due in January

As a concept, Season of the Witch sounds great: a 14th century Crusader returns with his comrade to a homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit of the plague, commands the two knights to transport an accused witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of ending the pestilence.  Gotta love a medieval horror film. But the project is helmed by director Domenic Sena, who made Swordfish and Whiteout, two of the worst movies ever made. And it stars Nicholas Cage who, love him or hate him, has a dodgy track record when it comes to selecting lead roles.   For the record, Shawn hates Cage and I don't mind him. Season of the Witch was supposed to be released earlier this year, but bad buzz prevailed, reshoots were ordered and now Lionsgate will release the film Jan. 7, 2011. This does not bode well. In the meantime, check out the trailer below and judge for yourself. 

Guest Review: "A Nightmare on Elm Street"

Since Wes Craven's "My Soul to Take" premiered last night, Mike S thought we would watch and review the Samuel Bayer directed "re-imagining" of the classic Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street": "This is a slicker looking version of Wes Craven's Nightmare... and not much more. If you've seen the original, you'll be able to easily predict much of the events that happen, and the roles that the various characters fulfill. For a "reimagining", there really isn't that much imagination in this film. Jackie Earle Haley does a decent job of portraying Freddy Krueger, but lacked that magic that Robert Eglund had. He just seems to be going through the paces of getting revenge- rather than enjoying the torment he was inflicting. The characters are pretty flat, and rather bland. Even Nancy, the heroine, was simplistic and interchangable with pretty much any other character in the movie. The one really nice touch I ap

Guest Review: "The Satanic Rites of Dracula"

Mike S reviews a classic horror film- "The Satanic Rites of Dracula". "When I found out that Hammer Films was alive and well again- and in the process of producing a few new horror films, I started getting a little nostalgic. Growing up, I was a HUGE fan of the Hammer horror films, and have been looking for them on DVD for quite a while. A horror library is not complete without at least one of their films. It was with great pleasure when I found "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" on DVD. I was literally, "geeking out" over it. I felt like a kid opening the biggest present under the Christmas tree. It's sad, but true. I couldn't wait to watch it, but I wanted it to be special. At night, with the lights off... alone. Just me, Dracula, and Van Helsing. And, man, was it worth it. By today's standards, this movie might not be considered great- but for me it was fantastic. This film has the British sensibilities for horror, without relyi

"My Soul to Take"- Wes Craven in 3D

Wes Craven returns to the horror genre with "My Soul to Take", and follows other big name directors by going 3D.  Will it take your breath away, or will it wind up be souless eye candy?  You'll be able to find out for yourself since this movie opens tonight in theatres. Seven people born on the same day as a serial killer was killed.  A sleepy little town sixteen years after the killers death.  People vanishing.  Is it the killer... or someone else? The trailer looks like this movie has potential- and Wes Craven has always had a solid understanding of the horror genre, having done "Nightmare on Elm Street", and "Scream".  All we can hope is that he's not simply trying to cash in on the 3D technology that's out there. Check out this trailer and let us know what you think.

Jason and Shawn review: Centurion and The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Centurion Jason: The latest effort from writer/director Neil Marshall highlights his talent for crafting exciting action and suspense sequences but lacks the tightness of script he showed in earlier efforts Dog Soldiers and The Descent. Events don't happen out of logic, but because the screenplay requires them to. As a result, Centurion feels contrived and isn't as much fun to watch as Marshall's earlier work. I hope he abandons his loftier ambitions and returns to his low budget roots, much like a certain Spider-Man director. A Bad rating from me. Shawn: Why do you need to start such an exciting movie with a slow, slow, slow opening credit sequence? Whoa. Blood. What a great movie!  The story was awesome, and I went through most of the movie not really knowing who to cheer for. Actually, there wasn't really a side you could pick. This was a cool emotion, because the vengeance by either side was served up with a fantastic amount of blood. Ha ha! A Good review fr

It will be a day long remembered . . .

Well, for us anyway. Nine months of podcasts and planning have led to tonight's premiere of Film Reviews From the Basement: The Radio Show at 10 p.m. on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca . Actually, that's a bit of a lie. The radio show simply happened, thanks to the fine folks at The X! And we thank them for that. Our goal is to give fans old and new a fun hour of movie news, reviews, interviews and music as only Jason and Shawn can do it. For those of you who have heard all 15 podcasts and two summer specials, you have an idea what that is. If you haven't, we hope you enjoy listening to us as much as we enjoy being heard. Films on the chopping block tonight include the Romans vs. Scotts epic Centurion and the British thriller The Disappearance of Alice Creed. We've also got music from Marilyn Manson, Shinedown and a couple of little known but very talented musicians. The Basement reopens tonight at 10 p.m. We hope you will join us. Look for a podcast ver