I'm an unashamed fan of the Final Destination series. Like the original run of Friday the 13th films, these movies are all about death and how death rolls. The formula is the same with each film, but it's the way the carnage plays out that makes them fun and highly entertaining. The fourth entry is the weakest link, so it's nice to see the fifth installment return to the series's glory. There's a great opening sequence on a bridge and the final thrill is a great one that brings the series full circle. The acting doesn't matter here, it's the effects and the kills that are the true stars, and they shine! And yes, the Tom Cruise lookalike does die . . . twice! That's Good for me.

Mike S, the creator of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly and curator of  The Corner of Terror joined me in The Basement recently for a screening of the Best Flick of 2011 (in my opinion), Troll Hunter. But The S is a biased man, just like Shawn and I, so he might not agree with me on that. What does he think? Read on . . . A few months ago Jay and Shawn reviewed the 2010 Norwegian film, "Troll Hunter".  Well, I finally managed to get the chance to sit down and watch it so that I could give you guys my thoughts on this unique film. And here they are: I was expecting it to be a rather cheesy movie in the same horrid way that "Leperchaun" was, but since Jay and Shawn enjoyed it, I was anxious to see it.  I was quite pleased with it from start to finish. The plot is fairly simple and easy to follow: a college film crew wants to document events surrounding strange disappearances and property damage that are reportedly done by bears.  While trying to get

There was a time when I saw almost everything that hit mainstream theatres. A lot has changed since then. For one, I've come to dislike most of what Hollywood dishes out week after week, finding it boring, unoriginal tripe designed for mass consumption. No chances are taken . . . because taking a chance can hurt box office. Then there's the show, which requires Shawn and I to watch two movies a week that are away from the mainstream. No complaints; none at all. But it leaves little time to track what's playing in theatres in our home town. That said, this is a list that's very different from other Top 5 or Top 10 or Top Whatever lists floating around out there. It's a list cobbled together from what I've seen in 2011 and largely from what's been viewed on the show. I can do no more, or no less. Enjoy the list, and remember: Shawn and I are back on the air Friday Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca . We've

Because that's the name of an acclaimed new horror movie that is being sent our way care of director Chris Witherspoon. Made on a shoe-string budget, Rage tells the story of Dennis (Rick Crawford) who unintentionally runs afoul of a mysterious motorcyclist. The encounter sets in motion a day-long battle that grows more and more sinister as it goes along. Sounds like a gritty riff on Duel or Joyride. I dig! The film has earned praise across the board on the independent film festival circuit. It's also scored points with Fangoria and Horror Movies.ca, which makes Shawn and I all the more eager to put Rage on the chopping block as soon as the screener arrives. Ditto the effective little trailer below. Check out the film's official website and Twitter feed for more details. And stick with us for our thoughts on Rage once we get to see it!

Shawn and I enjoy shitting on remakes or reboot or whatever the kids and studio execs are calling them these days. Primarily because most suck, and suck hard. But that's not the case with all of them. A good remake brings something unique to the table, retelling a good story in a new and interesting way. Like a good production of Hamlet, which has to be one of the most told stories in human history. I'm not saying The Thing or Halloween or Fright Night are on the same level as Hamlet, but they are stories that lend themselves to retelling. And, when done right, each version can be as timeless as the one that came before it. With that in mind, I've tackled  the 1980s horror classic and its redo, released this past summer. Fright Night (1985) I first saw this movie back in 1985. It's the first horror film I watched in a theatre and it scared the crap out of me. Now it's just a great funhouse ride of laughs, scares and gruesome, but fun, visual effects. Ch

Zoe Saldana is one badass chick. There's no denying her charisma, physicality and acting chops. She's one of the few actresses who can pull off an action heroine. Unfortunately, the script by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen is nothing more than a rehash of other action movies, including Besson's own The Professional. And director Olivier Megaton overshoots and overedits the picture like he thinks he's Michael Bay or something. Throw in a convoluted love interest and you've got yourself standard Hollywood drivel livened up by a great performance and a few good fights. A Bad on this one.

And with that, we want to wish our fellow Basement Dwellers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The holiday season has arrived and there's presents to be wrapped and opened, booze and food to be enjoyed and, yes, some movies to watch. It's not Halloween, but it'll do. That means regular updates to the site won't be the order of the day for the next week or so. Perhaps if a bit of interesting news pops up or a review floats my way. But fear not, Shawn and I are back on the air Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca . We've got the return of The Arrow himself, John Fallon, and reviews of the found-footage horror fest Grave Encounters and the thriller Julia's Eyes. It'll be good radio, promise. Thanks to everyone who supported us this past year and who sticks with us every week. And we appreciate the friends we've made along the way. The Basement is nothing without each and every one of you. You all rock

Wow! Just had my socks knocked off by the official trailer for Prometheus, Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi and the Alien franchise (sorta). We premiered the trailer's teaser a few days back. The result was a bit meh, but this . . . this delivers. Not only does it hint at the genre classic Scott created back in 1979, but it promises a big, sprawling sci-fi epic the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time. And love, love, LOVE the way the title is brought in. Again, nice nod to the Alien series. The official word from 20th Century Fox? Pleasure your eye holes with this: Visionary filmmaker Ridley Scott returns to the genre he helped define, creating an original science fiction epic set in the most dangerous corners of the universe. The film takes a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey that will test their physical and mental limits and strand them on a distant world, where they will discover the answers to our most profound que

A couple of weeks back we reported that director J.J. Abrams's second Star Trek flick would be filmed in 3D, a decision that baffled and frightened us in The Basement. The first film was great and hugely popular, so why gimmick up something that's sure to be huge hit with audiences anyway? Or so we wondered. Turns out Abrams himself talked with MTV and shot down that rumour. The film will be shot normally and undergo the dreaded 3D-conversion process instead, meaning people will be able to see it in both Ds when it hits theatres in May 2013. This is good news in a sense, as I could care less if Star Trek 2 was in 2D, 3D or even 4D. All we in The Basement want is another Star Trek movie already. Also good news is Abrams dropped that he'd love to shoot the film in IMAX, which The Dark Knight and the latest Mission: Impossible were filmed in. IMAX gives a movie a powerful feel and scope that three extra dollars can't come close to capturing. Seeing the Enterprise war

Got an email in our inbox from producer Zach Green of Fatal Pictures giving us the skinny on a new horror short he's about to unleash upon the world -- Familiar. And boy does it look like it's going to be good and bloody! Written and directed by Richard Powell with gobs of the red stuff courtesy of Ryan Louagie's FX's, Familiar tells the story of a middle age man who, through a series of tragic events, grows to suspect the negative impulses plaguing his mind might not be his own. Cryptic? Yes, as is the teaser below. But we've got a screener of this little horror find en route to The Basement and we'll be interviewing Green and Powell early in the new year, so you'll be able to hear much more about Familiar in 2012. And you'll hear it in The Basement. In the meantime, enjoy the preview. It gave me chills during its short running time. Looking forward to seeing the final film!

Alright, alright. We're whores and we can't deny it anymore. We tried fighting it by posting the Prometheus pre-trailer, but why bother? It must be done. It's our duty as movie geeks! We contemplated posting the bootlegs that popped up on the net these last couple of weeks but didn't, knowing this day would come . . . a day of high-quality epic greatness. So, without further adieu, The Dark Knight Rises trailer! It's great. July can't come soon enough. 'Nuff said.

That's right, it's the trailer for a trailer. Or should I say the teaser for the teaser trailer? I'm not sure. Actually, I think I just burst something in my brain. Regardless, we've got a little bit of nifty promotional material from 20th Century Fox counting down to the preview of director Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi and the franchise he created back in the 70s -- Alien. Well, kinda sorta. Prometheus is described as being more Alien related than a prequel to the series. The video below is only a half minute long and doesn't show much beyond quick images of footage and behind-the-scenes material. But it works. I gotta see me that trailer come Thursday! Prometheus stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Look for it in theatres on June 8th. The plot is still being kept under wraps.

Alien 3000 Shawn: Every group of friends have their rules of friendship. Jason earned his friends' points by introducing Alien 3000 to me because he and Anthony Michael Bosa believe it's the worst movie ever made. Any movie that opens with a boob shot followed by some decent gore can't be the worst movie ever. But this is a shit movie; one of the worst I've seen in a long time. Aside from the gore and boobies, everything else about it is pretty bad. The worst thing is everyone in the movie takes it so seriously despite how bad it all is. This rates an Ugly, but The Lady with the Terrible Titties is still worse. Jason: Worst. Movie. Ever. I thought that when Anthony Michael Bosa showed it to me in 2005 after claiming the same. And I think it now after doing my due diligence and showing it to dude. It's a study in bad. Bad acting. Bad direction. Bad special effects. Bad dialogue. Bad idea. It steals elements from Aliens, Predator and Independence Day among ot

Late last season Jason and Shawn shared with their fellow Basement Dwellers two movies they believe everyone needs to see before they die. The films were Enter the Dragon and Running Scared, and the response was so positive the duo decided to pick two more movies they consider required viewing before death, only this time with a twist. How Shyamalan you say? Quite. Shawn rolls with the 1993 Bill Murray comedy classic Groundhog Day. Such a light, sentimental choice might seem out of place coming from a beast, boob and blood loving dude like Shawn. In fact, what is up with that!?! Wanna find out? Stick with us! Meanwhile, Jason brings an out-of-left-field choice with Alien 3000. The same Alien 3000 he and Anthony Michael Bosa say is the worst movie ever made? Indeed. Then why does it need to be a movie everyone watches before he or she dies? Well, you'll just have to tune in. Thanks to Moe Porn from Drunk On VHS for tracking down Alien 3000. He will also sound off on the &quo

Sequel Week concludes in The Basement with a film starring Shawn's most hated actor of all time -- Nicolas Cage -- that's a follow up to a movie no one seemed to like: Ghost Rider. But we've given the Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine directed sequel some love here on the site before. So why not showcase the feature-length trailer that premiered today on the Interwebs? The preview is all about action and flashy visuals. Given that Taylor and Neveldine made the Crank films, there's also hints at the duo's tendency to make things over-the-top crazy. This is not a bad thing. The story finds Johnny Blaze hiding out in Europe when he's called upon to save a young boy and prevent the Devil from taking human form on Earth. Whether or not Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is any better or worse than the lackluster first film will be known once the sequel hits theatres in February.

It's sequel week in The Basement. And isn't it ironic that the two most badass looking sequels star Bruce Willis? Ironic? No! Badass! Naturally, Willis is not alone in The Expendables 2. Back are Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Joining this cast of awesome is Chuck Norris (who hasn't aged a day in 30 years it seems) and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Yup, that's enough testosterone to power to planet. The plot isn't important beyond Willis's Mr. Church recruiting the team as payback for not fulfilling the job in the first movie. As for the trailer, it shows the cast and a lot of guns. Great big fucking guns! The Expendables 2 hits theatres Aug. 17. And our asses will be in seats to see it.

Shawn and I didn't mind the Saw-inspired horror film The Collector. We caught it in between our podcast season and our first season on 92.5FM The X and haven't formally reviewed it on the show. But it'd say it rates a Bad. Surprise surprise, The Collector was just popular enough to inspire a sequel, which is appropriately enough called The Collection and has been picked up by Lidell Entertainment for distribution. The Collection is currently in post production and no release date has been set. Given that the first film did better at home than in theatres, I wouldn't be surprised if this goes straight to DVD. The film stars Josh Stewart, Johnny Yong Bosch, Emma Fitzpatrick and Shannon Kane. As for the plot? The Collection picks up where The Collector left off, with anti-hero Arkin hired to rescue Elena, who was kidnapped in the first film, from The Collector's booby trapped hideout.  I enjoyed The Collector enough that I'm willing to give its sequel a try. Su

Earlier in the day I posted a trailer for a big summer movie that I don't think will work. Not at all. Now I'm posting one for a big summer movie that I think will. Why will I plunk down $10 for G.I. Joe Retaliation and not Men in Black 3? As a big, silly spectacle, the first Joe movie worked. This looks to be more of the same, if not a little less silly judging from the trailer below. Plus it's got The Rock kicking ass and, if you stick with it until the last 20 seconds or so, there's John McClane himself  -- Bruce Fucking Willis -- doing what he does best. Oh yeah, Cobra is actually Cobra in this. Believe. I dig this preview. It does everything right. And shit blows up. Sold! See you on June 29.

Will Smith looks old. That's the first thing that popped into my mind while watching the teaser for Men in Black 3. Sure, Tommy Lee Jones looks old too. But he was kinda old when the first Men in Black hit theatres back in 1997. Smith was young then. Guess I was too. Now we're all growed up and he's rich and famous and I'm not. But I'm happy, and that's all that matters. The first Men in Black was awesome. The second . . . not so much. There's been a lot of bad buzz about the third in terms of script and budget etc. None of that is unusual when it comes to big summer movies. And this is going to be a big summer movie. But does the film look any good. The teaser below looks OK. I didn't laugh once and have a hard time caring about a third entry in a 15-year-old film series. I'm probably alone on that train of thought so, submitted for your approval, is the teaser trailer for Men in Black 3, which hits theatres this summer.

The Shrine Jason: The last 20 or so minutes of this movie owned! Creepy. Gory. You name it. Good on Aaron Ashmore's character for stepping up like he did. Good on the Polish villagers for being who they are. And good on Cindy Sampson for never once hesitating to show her cleavage. We love sexy in The Basement, and she brings it. This is a solid, eerie horror movie with one of the creepiest statues put on film. A Good for The Shrine from me. Shawn: The first 12 minutes of this movie captivated me and gave me chills. We had a naked shower scene and a great scare. If the movie had ended there, it would have been a Good. The middle of this movie left me yawning, bored and not entertained at all. But the ending brought the thrills back. I though the whole concept was alright, but the execution was a bit sloppy. This movie had potential; potential that was not realized. A Bad for me. Needle Jason: Needle is a passable enough time waster. Something to watch on a Saturday night or S

There's nothing quite like watching beautiful people die. Not a question, but a statement from one horror fan to another. And the actors and actresses cast in the films on the chopping block tonight are among the beautiful people. Given that the movies are of the independent and horror variety, there's a pretty good chance some, or even all, will meet a gruesome end. Jason and Shawn wouldn't have it any other way. The first half of tonight's horrific double bill hails from Canada but takes place in Poland. The Shrine features a trio of journalists who investigate a cult accused of committing human sacrifices. One must assume the group runs the risk of finding out first hand if the allegations are true. Does The Shrine offer up thrills and chills? Stick with us! Then it's off to the land Down Under for the supernatural tale of a torture device that allows the user to kill his or her prey from a distance. In this case the prey is a group of young university stud

ChromeSkull. SkullKrusher. You gotta love a horror villain with an on-the-nose name. And U.K.-based Agitate Films intends to bring audiences just that with SkullKrusher. Currently in pre-production under the guidance of writer/directors Parmjit Singh and Anton Huber, SkullKrusher (love it!) tells the gruesome tale of six medical students whose experiments on the dead accidentally revive a psychopath. Trapped in a deserted hospital basement, the beast hunts and kills the students while they protect a 12-year-old girl named Kendra. Sounds like fun! Our kind of fun! Basement fun! SkullKrusher is the first feature from Agitate Films, which operates out of London, England with the goal of producing low budget/micro feature films, shorts, clips, commercials and documentaries. To learn more, check out the company's website and give SkullKrusher's Facebook page a view! We love us low-budget horror in The Basement. Shawn and I promise to keep you posted on SkullKrusher as the fi

Being the father of a newborn, the clip below really rocked my world. But that does nothing to diminish my desire to see director William Brent Bell's upcoming horror film. In fact, the stones on display only make me want to see it more! The found footage exorcism flick is Paramount Pictures's stab at creating another low-budget franchise like their Paranormal Activity series. The film follows a woman who becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms in an effort to discover why her mother allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism. We haven't featured The Devil Inside on the blog until now, but trailers I've seen predict a scary and shocking ride. If you don't believe me, watch the video. But know that despite any blood or gore, it's age restricted for a reason. The film hits theatres nationwide next month.

Last week we showed you the cool poster for Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. Now we've got the horror film's way cool trailer! And true to what the pair have promised all along, The Cabin in the Woods takes the premise of five friends who gather at a cabin in the woods for a wild weekend of partying only to rule afoul of . . . something, and turns it on its ear. Sure, all the elements are there, but something way bigger than a mad killer is at play here. And we in The Basement gotta see this movie and learn what that is! An original horror film? Quite! The film stars Thor's Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison and Fran Kranz. It hits theatres via Lionsgate on April 13. Now watch the brilliant trailer below care of JoBlo!

That's what the makers of The Summer of Massacre are claiming. Between it and the alleged scariest movie of 2012 -- Six Degrees of Hell -- next year is shaping up to be big one for horror fans! Directed by Joe Castro, this anthology features eight slasher killers in five horror stories that, when combined, feature the most killings ever put on film! So says the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of them are featured in the bloody trailer below. The cast includes genre veteran Brinke Stevens and ChromeSkull himself, Nick Principe. Does the plot of all five stories really matter? No. Not when the film claims to have the most kills ever put on screen. I'm not much for violence for violence sake, but this has instantly become a must see! We like our slasher movies bloody in The Basement, and this promises to be bloody. Just how bloody? Push play and find out. And thanks to JoBlo for finding the trailer for this potential classic. The film hits DVD and Blu-Ray Jan. 10!

Attack the block Jason: I'd rather watch a movie with juvenile thugs as the main characters than rich, pretentious white people. I'm talking about YOU Skyline. These are the kinds of people you want protecting the planet: real people who, despite being scared, ACT. They know how to defend themselves and their block. They kick ass. Lots of it. And they're about 15 years old. This is a fucking awesome movie! Gory. Scary aliens. Chases. Some good one liners. A fun ride! Better than most movies of its kind. A Good for me. Shawn: Aliens attacking a neighborhood in the UK. Your heroes? 15-year-old gang kids. Likely? Probably more likely than Hollywood types could imagine. Why? Rich, pretentious 20 somethings don’t make good heroes. But, tough ghetto kids take their beef to anyone that might infringe on their territory, terrestrial or not . I really dig this movie. It has great chemistry, great acting, is well put together, and there's cool aliens. Done. Stuff ble

Kill, kill, kill . . . ma, ma, ma! By taking the line of dialogue "Kill her, mommy. Kill her" and integrating it into the score for Friday the 13th, composer Harry Manfredini made cinematic history. He also coined one of the most spoken phrases in the movie-nerd vocabulary, and film fans love him for it.  Harry has composed music for more than 100 feature films during his prolific and influential career, one he only gets to scratch the surface of during Jason and Shawn's scant 30-minute chat with him. But it's a conversation every movie and music fan needs to hear, which is why this interview will air uninterrupted between the Basement Dwellers' two reviews of the evening. And how about those reviews? First up, Jason and Shawn put the British sci-fi comedy Attack the Block on the chopping block. The boys know they are a bit late to the party when it comes to reviewing this highly regarded effort. But being the biased bastards they are, they know you'll want

That's what the poster for the Joss Whedon scripted, Drew Goddard directed film The Cabin in the Woods would have us believe. I admit, the below poster isn't what I would expect for a horror movie about five friends who gather at a cabin in the woods where bad things happen. Then again Whedon, who created Buffy, Angel and Firefly, isn't known for playing by the rules. As we've previously reported, the film's release was long delayed by MGM's financial woes before Lionsgate picked it up. It now hits theatres April 13, 2012. A trailer is expected next week. The Cabin in the Woods stars Thor's Chris Hemsworth but was filmed long before he was cast as the God of Thunder.

We're career Christopher Walken fans in The Basement, so this video hit our collective funny bones right where it counts. From the sketch comedy group POKYPAC comes The Walken Dead, a spot-on spoof of the hit TV series The Walking Dead, only this time the zombie virus makes its victims quote The God Who Walks As A Man, Christopher Walken. The video has great FX and makeup and the impressions, although a bit overplayed, are hilarious when strung together. So are the people's reaction to them. Even the funny make 'em ups work. Press play and enjoy . . .  little man!