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Showing posts from November, 2011

We're the chum in Jurassic Shark

It's amusing, but not in a ha-ha way, how author Steve Alten has struggled to get a big-budget Hollywood adaptation of his giant shark novel Meg made yet cheap knockoffs hit DVD and Video On Demand every other month. I feel his pain. On the other hand, some of these schlocky shark flicks are kinda fun in their own way. The latest entry, Jurassic Shark, looks pretty damn funny. Whether that's the point or not remains to be seen. Directed by Brett Kelly, this shark tale is made in the tradition of mockbuster greats like Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus and Sharktopus. The plot kicks off with an oil company accidentally unleashing a prehistoric shark from its icy prison. Once free, the shark strands a mixed bag of potential victims on an abandoned piece of land where they must join forces in order to survive. Need I mention that the victims are a mix of art thieves and college students? Probably not, but it gives you an idea of what Jurassic Shark is all about. As cheesy and c

Jason and Shawn review: Attack of the Moon Zombies and Destination: Outer Space

Attack of the Moon Zombies Jason: This has all the elements of bad 1950s sci-fi drive-in fodder. In fact, one of the characters actually describes the situation as such. The sets are made of cardboard, the costumes are cheap, and the monsters aren't the best quality. In fact. writer/director Christopher R. Mihm captures the look, sound effects and style of the era perfectly. And the acting and dialogue is spot on. Too bad the film clocks in at 90 minutes -- about 10 to 20 minutes longer than most movies of the age did. Had it been tighter, then this Basement Dweller would have had a better time. This is a Bad movie, but that's the point. Shawn: Capt. Freely . . . Ace Freely! Ha ha! Good casting and this looks like the 50s style. I really like this one. This is what I was hoping Mihm's films would be like. I really think he nailed the feel of these movies. It's the complete opposite of Destination: Outer Space. I'll give this one a Bad, as that is probably the bes

Modern/Retro 50s Night Vol. 1: Attack of the Moon Zombies and Destination: Outer Space

Months back writer/director Christopher R. Mihm contacted The Basement via email and asked if they'd be interested in reviewing some of his movies, which are loving throwbacks to the 1950s sci-fi/horror films he grew up with.  These are movies like Village of the Damned, The Blob and Them! Cheap, drive-in fodder designed to do nothing more than entertain. The Basement Cinema of a bygone era.  Always up for a challenge, Jason and Shawn took Mihm up on his offer and present to you the first of three episodes dedicated to his work that will air throughout the season, culminating in an interview with the man himself . . . unless The Basement Dwellers are unimpressed and Mihm unimpressed with them being unimpressed. Got that? Good. The two looowwwwwww budget films on the chopping block tonight are sci-fi "epics" the likes of which have never graced the screen! A pair of spectacles designed to thrill, chill and bewilder in ways Basement Fans have not experienced until now! T

J.J. Abrams's Star Trek 2 beams in May 2013, costs three extra dollars to see

It's the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend (enjoy, friends south of the border) and there's a drought of interesting shit to write about, so I guess this will have to pass as news in The Basement on this Thursday night. J.J. Abrams's second, and long delayed, Trek epic hits theatres May 17, 2013 and will be shot in 3D. That's good news/bad news for Basement Dwellers, who love what Abrams did with Star Trek and hate paying three extra dollars to see 3D of any kind in theatres. At least it's being shot in 3D, so the comin'-at-yah thrills should be decent, if not unnecessary. The 3D news surprises me. Abrams's first Star Trek is highly entertaining. A sequel doesn't need a gimmick to make it great as long as his cast is intact and the script is good. And 3D is quickly becoming a thing of the past. An odd choice, Paramount Pictures. Still, we're gonna see it and, if it's even half as good as the first, it will still be a fun two-hour diversion.

Hollywood shows balls, makes Dragon Tattoo hard R

And thank you for that, David Fincher! I've never been keen on the U.S. version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, believing the original Swedish film is just fine thank you. Ditto the two sequels. But at least Fincher and company made the movie right in terms of not wussing out on the book's aggressive content. Nor have MGM and Columbia Pictures, the studios producing the project, demanded the material be cut for the dreaded everyone friendly PG-13. Instead, the latest adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestseller has been given an R rating by the MPAA for brutal, violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language. The feel bad movie of Christmas indeed! Shawn hates the movies with a passion. Despite my misgivings for the upcoming film, I am curious to see it. The trailers have certainly been promising, but we've been jerked around by trailers before. There's one below for your eye holes. Fincher's The Girl with the Dr

Shopping horror will be Laid to Rest

Because Robert Hall, the co-writer and director of Laid to Rest and its sequel ChromeSkull, is remaking the 1980s campy horror flick Chopping Mall. Now, we hate remakes and reboots in The Basement, but Hall knows how to make a good gore film. And Hall says he wants to put an original spin on Roger Corman's tale. We're fine with that. The best remakes take something and make it their own. The original featured a group teens raving it up in a closed mall only to be attacked by the building’s security robots. Hall told Variety he wants to add a darker, more supernatural spin to the story. Again, sounds groovy. I admit I've not seen the original, but will now so I can compare/contrast when Hall's Chopping Mall hits theatres. And, as long as there's boobies and blood, I know us Basement Dwellers will be satisfied.

Inqlorious Basterds meets Dracula?

That's the gist of what Canadian director Jim Donovan is shooting for with his upcoming Fangs of War, a war-torn retelling of Bram Stoker's classic tale. According to Screen Daily, the flick is set in Nazi occupied Transylvania during 1944. The film will shoot in Europe and China with Celina Jade (The Man With The Iron Fist, Legendary Assassin) co-starring. Ken Nakamura and Fang Yi Ning produce. There isn't much more to say at this point other than the project sounds ambitious and intriguing. If it's even half as good as author Kim Newman's Dracula mash-up novels Anno Dracula and Bloody Red Baron (both of which need to be made into movies STAT), then this could be a fun film.  As we always, we'll keep you updated on this project as it develops. The above pic is co-star Jade.

Jason and Shawn review: Bellflower and The People Vs. George Lucas

Bellflower Shawn: I’m pretty sure Mel Gibson is still cooler than this movie, even at 90 years old. Sure, there were some elements that were OK: flamethrowers, flamethrowing hot rod, a little violence, and some boobies. But then there was this whole butt hurt love story that got in the way. And there are "time-travelly" sequences so the filmmakers could do anything they wanted with the movie. I hated Bellflower so much. I can’t even explain. Boo-urns and Ugly. This is not a good week in The Basement for this dweller. Jason: Last hour and 45 minutes I spend watching a movie before my kid is born and this is what I get? Come on!! This movie goes nowhere. There is no beginning, middle or end. It views people through a nihilistic lense and most of the characters are ultimately pathetic. And, by the end, I doubt a portion of what I watched was even real. How much of this movie was bullshit in the lead character's mind post car accident? Most I assume. Had this been a

And the winner is . . .

Jeremiah Kipp of New York City! Congratulations, you are the winner of our Win A Chat With A Scream Queen contest! Jeremiah was announced the victor on last night's show! He will have a five-minute chat with scream queen and Basement friend Brooke Lewis that will be recorded and aired on an episode of the show in the New Year. Well done dude! Runners up are Michael Stewart and John Guy. They will receive an autographed picture of Brooke! Thanks to everyone who played, and we plan to have more contests in the future! Stick with us!

Season Two, Episode 7: Bellflower and The People Vs. George Lucas

Few people have enraged fanboys like George Lucas. First, he created one of the most beloved franchises of all time. He followed up Star Wars by giving the world Indiana Jones. And there was much rejoicing, not only by movie fans, but by a generation that grew up with toys, comic books, bed sheets and a plethora of other tie-in merchandise. Then came the Star Wars special editions, which created an unease matched only by the prequels. The less said about them the better. Top that off with a lackluster fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series and you've pretty much got one of the most hated figures in entertainment today. Tonight, The Basement Dwellers take on The People Vs. George Lucas, a documentary that examines Lucas, his works, and the people's displeasure with the way everything worked out. As a tie-in of their own, Jason, Shawn and Cameron "The Establishment" Thompson unleash The George Lucas Death Clock. Have the boys put out a contract on one Mr.

Dibbuk Bo . . . err . . . Possession gets R rating

And that, in our opinion, isn't a bad thing. We hate PG-13 horror in The Basement, even if it's a good movie like Insidious or The Grudge. We like our horror R-rated, disturbing and bloody. And scary too. Well Possession, formerly titled Dibbuk Box, has been rated R by the MPAA for violence, terror and disturbing images. And good for it. Lionsgate was petitioning for a PG-13 rating but the MPAA said balls to that. The R stays. The Ole Bornedal-directed horror film follows Clyde Breneck (the great Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his 10-year-old daughter, Em, who purchase the antique box at a yard sale (apparently, in the real-life story, it was bought on Ebay). Em accidentally releases an ancient spirit from the box that wants to devour her. Clyde must team up with his ex-wife to put an end to the curse. Kyra Sedgwick also stars. The film, which was originally going to open last month, now hits theatres Aug 31, 2012.

Trailer Alert: The Amityville Haunting

A couple of months ago we told you about four, count 'em FOUR, Amityville movies being readied to haunt theatres. The trailer has arrived for one of them. The Amityville Haunting comes from those whacky folks at The Asylum and is yet another found-footage film, this time set in the famous Amityville house. It's loosely based on the alleged true story of the Lutz family, who experienced paranormal activity after moving into the Long Island house where Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six members of his family. As for the preview? It doesn't show a lot. But it's an Asylum movie, which means it could be really dumb, really fun, or a combination of the two. Judge for yourself. The film hits DVD on Dec. 13.

T is for Toilet

Potty training goes horribly wrong in this dark, dark, DARK claymation short, one of 26 to be featured in the upcoming horror anthology The ABCs of Death. Drafthouse Films, Magnet Pictures and Timpson Films announced today that Lee Hardcastle's disturbingly funny film as one of the winning entries for the upcoming release, which features 26 deaths that correspond with a letter in the alphabet. It's a pretty solid little film, although non-horror fans could find it somewhat upsetting. But we're pretty disturbed here in The Basement, so I suggest giving it a watch if you have the stomach for black comedy. No word yet on when The ABCs of Death will hit theatres.

Drinking + Ouija = Trouble

This is something Mike S. over at the Corner of Terror and I learned the hard way on more than one occasion, and it looks like the characters in Darren Lynch's film Ouija are about to as well. At least The S's sessions never ended with us being overrun by demons. Currently shooting in Darby, England, Lynch's film tells the low-budget story of nine friend who plan a night of camping and drinking only to have one among the group bring along a Ouija board for shits and giggles. A quick game later and a group of demons is set upon the campers, picking them off one by one. I assume the demons look not unlike the creepy kids in the picture above. Sounds like our kinda film. And Ouija is a natural springboard to horror. Given that Witchboard, the last horror movie to utilize a Ouija board as a plot device, came out more than 30 years ago, it's about effin' time we had another one. Lynch intends to have this out by Halloween next year, and we intend to watch it as so

Period tale Moonglow marches to the big screen

A period drama might not sound like our pint of ale here in The Basement, but a desire to see good movies get made is. Which is why we want to let you know about a new movie that's putting together funding for what sounds like an elaborate production, especially for an independent film. Moonglow promises to take audiences through post WWI America, the glamour of Old Hollywood, the market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression, paralleling the ups and downs of the economy with the ups and downs of a young couple's relationship. According to Anna Peterek, one of the producers, the filmmakers want Moonglow to stand apart from the primary genres of Houston films -- horror and raunchy comedy -- by creating "something new, something made of beauty and depth.  "Yes, taking on a period piece is difficult, especially for an indie film, but for the writers and producers of Moonglow, the end result will be well-worth the challenges ahead," she said.  Rather than

Jason and Shawn review: 13 and The Caller

13 Jason: I watched this movie with my wife and she summed it up best when she said “That's fucked up.” Her words. Not mine. But it is. Sure, it's got Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone and Michael Shannon. But they all have very small parts. Everything moves at a snail's pace and the action gets very repetitive. That said I did get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach every time the roulette rounds began. For three brief moments throughout the movie I was able to put myself in the characters' shoes, and I didn't like it one bit. But that's not enough for me to ever recommend this movie or watch it again. A Bad from me. Shawn: Wow. I came into this movie not knowing a damn thing. I was waiting for Jason Statham to be awesome and Mickey Rourke to fuck someone up. Neither happened. Disappointed. But then I got taken in by what the hell was actually going on. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but this was intense as hell. I really dug it.

Win A Chat With A Scream Queen Round 3

Last night's show saw Michael Stewart, John Guy and Jeremiah Kipp proceed to the third and final round of our contest! Thanks to everyone who has played our little game! Below are the three Round Three questions that, if answered correctly, will earn some lucky duck a five-minute talk with scream queen Brooke Lewis! 1) Where was the original Jaws filmed? 2) I directed a classic horror film, then my career went downhill and I had to direct The Guardian. Who am I? 3) What classic horror movie was originally titled The Babysitter Murders? The winner will be announced live on the show next Friday. For more contest details, follow the link at the top of the blog to our scream queen page! Stick with us!

Season Two, Episode 6: 13, The Caller and the John C. Alsedek interview

There was a time when radio was king and people listened to nightly dramas more thrilling than anything one could watch on the big screen. Why were these pictureless stories so engaging? Because the telling of these stories was so well done the listener's imagination would create the images for them. This style of storytelling has almost disappeared, but John C. Alsedek and Dana Perry-Hayes are bringing it back with Blue Hours Productions . Their horror-anthology series As Darkness Falls has recently premiered and the production house intends to take radio, TV and the interwebs by storm. Our chat with John is the feature presentation of tonight's show. But Jason, Shawn and Cameron "The Establishment" Thompson also have a pair of movies to discuss and dismantle for your reviewing pleasure. First up is the Russian roulette thriller 13 starring Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke. Then the radio-friendly trio take on the supernatural thriller The Caller, about a stalker

Wanna see Gina Carano kick Michael Fassbender's ass?

Then the trailer for Haywire was made just for you. And it caters to those of us who have no issue watching a beautiful woman smash someone's face in, especially when said woman is MMA and Gladiator star Gina Carano. Sure, on the surface this looks like The Bourne Identity with a chick instead of Matt Damon. But the action looks badass and the supporting cast includes, in addition to Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum and Bill Fucking Paxton. Oh, and acclaimed director Stephen Soderbergh directed. That brings some class to what otherwise would have been a director-to-DVD feature. There might also be concerns about Carano's acting chops but really, who cares? Look at her. And look at her kick ass. The film hits theatres in January. I'm pretty sure I will see it one day.

Anchor Bay celebrates Mother's Day

It's seems like forever since Darren Lynn Bousman wrapped production on his remake of Mother's Day in 2009. Since then the film has slowly been released all over the world but no release has been forthcoming in North America. However, those who've been looking forward to the film can rest easy now that Mother's Day has been picked up by the folks at Anchor Bay Films. For those who aren't in the know, Bousman's remake of the 1980 Troma shocker follows the sadistic members of a villainous family as they return to their childhood home to terrorize the new owners and their guests. Rebecca DeMornay plays the titular mother and Jaime King, Deborah Ann Wolf and Briana Evigan (a Basement favourite hottie) also star. The film is expected to hit theatres on May 13, which happens to be Mother's Day. We've heard good things about this, but seeing will be believing. Check out the preview below to get your own taste of the film.

Humans Vs zombies Vs robots

So do we call it Night of the Living Dead meets Real Steel? Ish? Now in pre-production from AFM, writer/director Christopher Hatton is bringing sci-fi/horror fans the latest monster mash, and it actually sounds promising. Battle of the Damned takes place following a viral outbreak at some kind of remote facility where a group of survivors find themselves fighting against the vicious infected masses and a band of rogue prototype robots. Better through a Hardware reference in there for good measure. All kidding aside, if this has buckets of blood thrown into the mix and some boobies, then we've got ourselves a party. No word yet on who is in it. And the film is slated for release some time next year. We'll keep you posted!

The Arrow talks Dead Shadows

John Fallon, AKA The Arrow of Arrow in the Head , is no stranger to The Basement. He was our first interview on the show and introduced us to his kick ass action flick Deaden, which we reviewed on our Season One finale. When the man isn't reviewing movies or making movies, he's acting in them. And he's co-starring in the upcoming French tentacle horror film Dead Shadows , which recently wrapped production in Paris. Being the cool guy that he is, John took a few moments to chat with yours truly about his role in the film and what it's all about. Read on for the print interview, and The Arrow will be talking about Dead Shadows on the show in the weeks ahead. How did you become involved with the film Dead Shadows? What drew you to the project? I met producer/director David Cholewa a couple of times in Cannes in the past; we hit it off and kept in touch over the years. So when he got his first feature off the ground, he approached me for one of the key supporting ro

Jason and Shawn review: Aaah! Zombies!! and Bunraku

Aaah! Zombies!! Jason: Ha ha! What a riot! In a silly, gory sense of the word. Although Aaah! Zombies!! isn't my favourite zomcom -- Shaun of the Dead and Dance of the Dead are better -- this is still an entertaining flick. One to watch with a few beers and some bros. It's hard to say a lot more about this movie other than funny is funny. And Aaah! Zombies!! is funny. The fact the concept of zombies who don't realize they are zombies can sustain itself for 90 minutes speaks to how good this really is. And it's a Good for sure. Shawn: Um, are you kidding me? What the fuck is this? A little-known director puts together an original zombie story? Is this where you have to go to find decent movies? Aaah! Zombies!! is a fucking ridiculous spin on zombies that works in so many ways. While it isn't a horror, it's goddamned entertaining! The acting pulls this whole thing together. It was soooo B, but it's also the reason this Basement Dweller suffers through the

Wanna watch someone listen to our show?

Well, too bad 'cause you're going to! Last night we played a song by RealFaction and Dead Intermediate called H@x0rz and wouldn't you know it, RealFaction recorded a YouTube video of himself listening to our show in anticipation of the song playing. The footage is below and if you want to check out more of RealFaction's tunes head on over to his YouTube page! It's pretty cool watching someone in a different time zone enjoy your show on the radio. But that's the beauty of www.thex.ca ! And great song by the way!! Stick with us!

Win A Chat With A Scream Queen Round 2

Last night's episode saw three people advance to Round Two of our contest and, as of this writing, one person on his way to the third and final round! Below are the three Round Two questions that, if answered correctly, will earn some lucky duck a five-minute talk with scream queen Brooke Lewis! 1) Who played Wishmaster in Wishmaster and Wishmaster 2? 2) Two part questions: what was Michael Myers's niece's name and who is the actress who played her? 3) Who is the first person killed in Scream 3? Winners of this round proceed to Round Three. Podcast versions of the radio show are available on the Sunday. For more contest details, follow the link at the top of the blog to our scream queen page! Stick with us!

Season Two, Episode 5: Aaah! Zombies!! and Bunraku

What do zombies and Japanese puppet theatre have in common? Simple, both are the basis for our films on the chopping block tonight. First up The Basement Dwellers, along with Cameron "The Establishment" Thompson, tackle the zomcom Aaah! Zombies!!!, the latest in a growing line of zombie comedies that began with the now classic Shaun of the Dead. But is there any life left in zombie comedy? One would think there's only so much fun that can be made at the expense of the living dead. Is Aaah! Zombies!!! on par with Shaun and the underrated Dance of the Dead or should it be left dead and buried? Stick with us! Then Jason, Shawn and The Establishment turn the executioner's axe on Bunraku, a trippy martial arts/action flick starring Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore and some guy who's name sounds like the noise a cat makes when it coughs up a hairball. The film's visual style is based on Japanese puppet theatre, so Bunraku should at least look strikin

Ghosts are real in The Awakening

There's something about period ghost stories that tales set in the modern era can't quite capture. The spooky corridors, the looming shadows, the creepy old buildings; these are all ingredients of the old-fashioned ghost story. The Awakening has all these things. Looking like a cross between a dozen similar films yet still feeling fresh -- at least from the trailer -- the film stars Rebecca Hall as a "ghost hunter" who travels to a countryside boarding school to investigate rumors of an apparent haunting. Just when she thinks she has debunked the ghost theory, she has a chilling spectral encounter that defies all her rational beliefs. Dominic West of The Wire ("Omar comin') also stars in director Nick Murphy's film, which hits U.K. theatres next Friday. No word on if we're getting a North American release, but The Basement's sources are actively searching out a copy.

Kate Beckinsale in 3D

There is really only one way I'd pay three extra dollars to see a 3D movie these days and the makers of the Underworld franchise figured it out. I owe them a Coke. I've always enjoyed this series and so does my wife. When a new one comes out it's a date night for us, so we've already marked Jan. 20, 2012 down on our calendar. The films are reliable, B-grade fun and the fact that Beckinsale is back after sitting out the last installment is certainly a draw.  What it's about doesn't matter. There's vampires and werewolves, neither are emo pussies, and one of the world's most beautiful women is kicking ass while dressed in leather. If you don't get it, go home! Underworld: Awakening is directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein and stars Beckinsale, Stephen Rea, Michael Ealy, Theo James, India Eisley and Charles Dance.

A contest update!

We've had 27 people enter our Win A Chat With A Scream Queen contest this week but so far only one person has got all three answers right and is eligible to proceed to the second round. Perhaps the questions are too hard? Well, we're all about fair play here in The Basement, so I'm going to provide a few hints to grease the wheels so to speak -- other than suggesting Googling all three questions. The questions and rules can be found on our contest page . So here it goes: 1) During the closing credits of Halloween this actor is credited as Michael Myers (Age 23) 2) One of these films was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the other by Wes Craven 3) One of the three rules of Mogwais is you don't feed them after midnight You have until 8 p.m. PST on Friday to submit answers to basementreviews@gmail.com. And yes, anyone and everyone is welcome to participate in upcoming rounds in the contest.

Trailer arrives for Ti West's The Innkeepers

It's hard to beat a good ghost story and, judging from the preview for writer/director Ti West's latest effort, The Innkeepers looks to deliver the goods on every level. The film, recently picked up by Magnet Releasing, is due out on VOD on Dec. 30 and hits theatres in February and we can't wait to see it. This looks like a creepy, freaky good time and West proved with House of the Devil that he knows how to scare us. "After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees --Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy)—are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England's most haunted hotels. As the Inn’s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage “ghost hunters” begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel’s long unexplained history " Enjoy the trailer, an