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Showing posts from July, 2012

Jason reviews Detention

During the three years Shawn and I have been on the air we've watched hundreds of movies. Literally hundreds. And, after awhile, one becomes convinced they've seen it all. Then along comes a movie like Detention to prove us wrong. As a killer named Cinderhella stalks the student body at the high school in Grizzly Lake, a group of co-eds band together to survive while they're all serving detention.  Or so the filmmakers would have you believe. Truth is, I'm not sure what Detention is really about. There is a killer named Cinderhella, and time travel, and Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse, and a bazillion other pop-culture references. In fact, so much of Detention moves at such a fast clip that it's hard to keep up with what's going on. Fortunately for me, I cracked a few beers and just took it all in. And laughed. A lot. This is a horror/sci-fi/comedy that's best served with a couple of cold ones; otherwise it would send someone with ADD into an ep

James Bond and the full Skyfall trailer are here

Just yesterday I bitched about what a poor job 20th Century Fox has done selling us Taken 2. Today I have nothing but praise for the brainchilds behind the marketing of the latest 007 caper. This . . . this is an awesome trailer. Everything about Skyfall sings of quality -- from the cast to the storyline to the wonderfully shot action scenes. I haven't been this excited about a Bond movie since the first glimpse of Casino Royale. Ironic that both films star Daniel Craig, the best Bond since Sean Connery. Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.  This is a great way to sell a movie! Watch and enjoy! Skyfall arrives in theatres Nov. 9.

Hitchcockian thriller Penumbra hits DVD next month

We could post about Peter Jackson announcing that his adaptation of The Hobbit has jumped from two films to a trilogy, but we'd rather tell Basement Dwellers that the Argentinian thriller Penumbra will be unleashed on DVD and VOD Aug. 28 by way of IFC Midnight. Why, you ask? By now every movie geek on the planet has heard The Hobbit news. It's not that we don't care, we do, but Shawn and I try to bring Basement Dwellers movie news from The Basement. You know, genre stuff that relates to horror, action, sci-fi and comedy. But we posted the trailer for Man of Steel you say? Well, Shawn's a Superman fan. And reviewed The Dark Knight Rises? Sue us. OK, OK, we just wanted to post a pic of hot damsel in distress instead. Again, sue us. And we've heard good things about Penumbra, which features Cristina Brondo as a woman who hesitantly rents an apartment to an eerie man and soon realizes she has a part in the solar eclipse that is taking place. Cryptic yes, but

Liam Neeson kills everyone in this domestic Taken 2 trailer

Little more than a month ago we showed you the international trailer for the sequel to Taken, a film everyone on the planet but Matt Bellamy liked. Now we've got the North American trailer for Taken 2, and it's not much different. Sure, there's more action over classical music and a hint that Maggie Grace plays a bigger role than the victim this time around. What it doesn't show is Neeson gets taken too, and has to fight for his life while Grace comes to his aid. I really hope this is good. The trailer is decent, but doesn't totally sell me. I know I will see it, but 20th Century Fox really needs to sell this movie in light of the negative impact the tragedy in Aurora has had on the movie-theatre experience. Taken 2 opens Oct. 5

Jason revisits The Bourne Identity

Leading up to the release of The Bourne Legacy, The Basement will take a look back at the groundbreaking franchise that made an unlikely hero out of Matt Damon and changed the way action movies were made forever. A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and without memory, then races to elude assassins and recover from amnesia. Cue Moby! It's already a decade after the fact, yet The Bourne Identity is still a fast paced and thoroughly entertaining romp. That's right, I said romp. Wanna fight about it. It's interesting going back and looking the series from the beginning. All the groundwork is laid out, from the musical cues to the rapid editing of the action scenes. But there's still a freshness to it all, from the presence of a young Matt Damon to the allure of Franka Potente, who is sorely missed in the other films. And hello Clive Owen! I forgot you were even in this! Although the series is known for the style director Paul Greengrass l

007 reporting for duty; the Skyfall Olympics spot

Not a huge fan of the Olympics (Shame, I know. But suck it) but I am a huge fan of this awesome TV spot for the upcoming James Bond flick Skyfall. Why? Because it's Bond, James Bond, dammit. And Craig, Daniel Craig, dammit. It's been too long since we've seen Craig as Bond. And Sam Mendes is one hell of a director. This should be a match made in action-spy heaven. Skyfall finds Bond's loyalty to M tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. The latest Bond hits theatres Nov. 9.  

Hell has a town in this Silent Hill: Revelation trailer

It's been a long time since we've heard anything about director Michael J. Bassett's follow up to the Silent Hill movie adaptation from several years back. Well, now we've got a trailer. So take that, bitches! When her father disappears, Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) is drawn into a strange and terrifying alternate reality that holds answers to the horrific nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Or so the story is supposed to go. Nice to see Sean Bean back as the dad and, judging from the above image, Radha Mitchell returns well. I'm not a huge fan of the games, and had no real issues with the Christophe Gans movie other than I liked it enough to only watch it once.  It will be interesting to see what Bassett, who made the awesome and sadly under appreciated Solomon Kane, will do with the material. We'll know more when Silent Hill: Revelation opens Oct. 26. But enough of my ramblings, here's the trailer already!

6 Degrees of Hell in your home Oct. 30

By now it should be no secret that we're psyched for the upcoming indie horror flick 6 Degrees of Hell. I mean, we're dedicating the whole month of October to the film's release, calling it The Month from Hell. So, you know, we're pumped! The Basement has learned today that Breaking Glass Pictures has picked up 6 Degrees for North American distribution, with the film rolling onto DVD on Oct. 30, just in time for Halloween! 6 Degrees follows six individuals caught up in a supernatural perfect storm, as an evil lays claim to one of them while threatening to tear apart the soul of a small Pennsylvania town. Screen legend Corey Feldman is a paranormal investigator who sets out to pull all the threads together. The film is directed by Joe Raffa and features Feldman, Jill Whelan, Brian Anthony Wilson, Faust Checho, Nikki Bell, Kyle Patrick Brennan, Ashley Sumner, Nicole Cinaglia, David J. Bonner. Raffa also stars. As for The Month from Hell: we intervie

John Moore confirms A Good Day to Die Hard is a Die Hard movie

It should be no secret to any self-respecting movie fan that there's a fifth Die Hard film hitting theatres early next year . . . Feb. 14 to be exact. But, with no footage and few pics floating around online, little is known about A Good Day to Die Hard other than it features John McClane and his wayward son in Russia. That's it. Until today. Director John Moore, who previously made Behind Enemy Lines and Max Payne, sat down with Empire and dished some dirt on the film. Below are a few tidbits of interest, for your eye holes.  "There are a couple of great gags and a couple of great McClanisms, It’s not like [he's] this idiot, bumbling around Moscow making ‘America won the Cold War’ jokes. It’s not 'Carry On Die Hard', I can assure you... I don’t know whether it’s post-financial crash or whatever, but I don’t think people are in the mood for that bollocks anymore. People are well savvy to the cynical reheating of any product, any franchise. A

Alexa Vega is a Killjoy in Machete Kills

In what's really nothing more than an excuse to show a picture of a hot chick, we've scored (stole really) this image of Alexa Vega: Former Spy Kid from the upcoming grindhouse sequel Machete Kills.  The star uploaded the image to her Twitter stream, and she is certainly all growed up -- unlike me, for making comments like that. No word yet on who Killjoy is or how she fits into the whole crazy plot of Machete Kills.  Vega is joined in the mayhem by Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba, Demian Bichir, Amber Heard, Sofia Vergara, Zoe Saldana, William Sadler, Edward James Olmos, Charlie Sheen, Elise Avellan and Electra Avellan. The whole thing comes from producer Robert Rodriguez of course. Machete Kills follows ex-federale Machete (Trejo), as he's recruited by the U.S. government to stop a terrorist named Mendez the Madman, who happens to be Mexico’s leading cartel dealer. The flick is due out next year.

Jason reviews The Tall Man

Well slap me silly and call me Susan; this was not the flick I was expecting. Not. One. Bit. When her child goes missing, a mother (Jessica Biel) looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.  First off, this is going to be a tough review to write. I don't want to ruin things for people coming into The Tall Man having only read the above plot synopsis. Suffice to say, us horror fans get more than they bargained for with Pascal Laugier's ambitious little horror movie. And this is not a bad thing. For one, child abduction is a touchy subject matter. I can see why this film hasn't received a wide release despite the presence of its lovely star. As a parent, some of this movie is hard to watch. It's not mean spirited or violent, but it does pack an emotional punch. And good on Laugier and Biel for not dialing down the content or pulling any punches.  Biel gives the performance of her career here. She made a brave c

Meet Wormface in this Rites of Spring clip

I've already chimed in with my thoughts on writer/director Padraig Reynolds' slasher effort Rites of Spring (it's freakin' great!), but most people won't get to see it until IFC Midnight unleashes this glorious beast on VOD and in limited theatres on Friday. To hold you over until then, The Basement has scored this clip by way of the boys over at Bloody Disgusting. It features the villain of the piece, Wormface, making short work of one of the characters while leading lady Anessa Ramsey watches in terror. As for what Rites of Spring is about: a ransom scheme turns into a nightmare for a group of kidnappers who become victims of a horrifying secret that must be paid every spring.  This is a movie every horror fan needs to see, and Padraig has confirmed via Twitter that two more Rites of Spring films are on the way. Please, give this a watch and support good, original horror! We need more of it!

A second look at Six Degrees of Hell

October is little more than two months away, which means our Season Four kickoff is ever closer. And with that comes The Month from Hell. Below is the new trailer for the film at the core of The Month from Hell -- Six Degrees of Hell. Touted as the scariest movie of this year, director Joe Raffa and writer Harrison Smith spin a yarn about a paranormal investigator retracing the steps of a friend who has gone missing against the backdrop of horrific events at a creepy hotel . The movie sounds great, and the trailer below hints that the final film will be winner. As for The Month from Hell: we interviewed Raffa, Smith and stars Nicole Cinaglia and Brian Gallagher and have one more interview scheduled at the end of August. All of these will be rolled out when the show returns in October, just in time for Six Degrees of Hell's release. Until then, watch and enjoy the trailer!

What The Bourne Legacy is all about, Charlie Brown

OK, Charlie Brown has nothing to do with this post. I just took a line from A Charlie Brown Christmas and cleverly worked it into a headline for a story about an action movie. Charlie Brown fans will likely want to navigate somewhere else, but thanks for visiting. So to, might fans of the Bourne films if they want to go into the upcoming sequel, The Bourne Legacy, completely cold. The below featurette isn't a complete tell-all, but it does spill quite a few beans about what to expect when the film opens next month. If you're like me and hate surprises, view on, brother! The Bourne Legacy is an expansion of the universe from Robert Ludlum's novels, centered on a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose stakes have been triggered by the events of the previous three films.

Jason reviews The Dark Knight Rises

As a film fan, there's no better feeling than watching a movie told by a master storyteller. Few writer/directors can claim to be such a filmmaker, but Christopher Nolan is certainly one of them. He's proved it with his first two Batman films and movies like Inception and Memento, and he drives the point home with The Dark Knight Rises. Eight years after events in The Dark Knight a new threat, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest and breaks the hero the city has labelled its enemy. Plus there's a mysterious and sexy cat burglar in town who may or may not side with the Batman. Nolan's final Batman film -- and there's no doubt that this story is done -- is just as complex and gritty as The Dark Knight, weaving multiple characters and story arcs into one very grown-up take on what is an epic comic-book story. There's a lot of movie in the two-hour-and-45-minute running time, but everything moves so fast you don't notice. Yet the film isn't

Bowling, boobies and Brooke Lewis

That headline features two of our favourite B words here in The Basement, and bowling isn't one of them. In all seriousness though, when Brooke Lewis asks for our help, we can't say no. Which is why we're encouraging all of you to help our favourite scream queen and the lovely Horror Starlets fight breast cancer. All you gotta do is head to the below link to read more about the effort and make a donation.  Joining Brooke on the team this year are Ashlynn Yennie (of The Human Centipede films), Cerina Vincent ( Cabin Fever ), Allison Kyler ( Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2 ) , Sarah Butler ( I Spit On Your Grave ) and Carlee Baker ( The Woman ).  Joining them are Natalie Victoria ( DeadHeads ), Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie’s Halloween ) and Barbara Nedeljakova (of Eli Roth’s Hostel films). Dreadcentral.com writer Sean Decker has organized the effort.    Breast cancer is serious business, and it's great to see Brooke and other horror actresses band together t

Oh hell no! Halloween being remade again?

So say the folks over at Bloody Disgusting, who revealed today that Platinum Dunes is no longer moving forward on Halloween 3D or the Hellraiser reboot. But sources told the site Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the brothers in charge of Dimension Films, are contemplating another relaunch of the Halloween franchise, which they took over with Halloween 6 and continued through Rob Zombie's recent reboot. All I can say is fuck no. Please fuck no even. Stop. Just stop. We don't need another reboot, especially considering that Zombie did his just five years ago. Love them or hate them, his film's exist. But we don't need a third film or a relaunch. You want to make money off the Halloween name, Weinsteins? How about re-releasing the original films in theatres. One every Halloween would be great. But leave the franchise alone and come up with a new, original idea. Horror fans and movie fans are hungry for one. Make a good movie, and we'll come and watch it. Leave the brand

Jason reviews Lockout

The Basement has been a champion of Luc Besson's low-budget sci-fi/action flick Lockout simply based on the premise of Guy Pearce rescuing Maggie Grace from a prison in space. I mean, come on! How fucking cool is that!?! Just in case it's not clear: a man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. (Pearce) is offered his freedom if he can rescue the president's daughter (Grace) from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates. That's a premise with B-movie written all over it. And Lockout is indeed a B-movie. No more, no less. The visual effects range from decent (a final assault on the prison by spacecraft) to God fucking awful (a CGI car chase on par with a late 90s video games). Much of the action is of the running and shooting variety, save for a very cool zero-gravity brawl. In fact, it's the action and effects in Lockout that let me down the most. I don't need originality every step of the way, but give me someth

Our first look at the Man of Steel

This is a teaser trailer in every sense of the word, but it's also a highly effective one if I do say so myself. I know Shawn -- our resident Superman fan -- will be the true voice of reason on how Zack Snyder's retelling of the legendary hero stacks up in a fan's mind. From the perspective of someone who is indifferent, this is a very down-to-earth take on the story and has the stamp of producer Christopher (The Dark Knight trilogy) Nolan all over it. It's gritty and realistic, but still captures the gravitas of what Superman is all about. We've still got a long wait ahead of us as Man of Steel doesn't open until next summer, but this should wet the appetite of Superman fans. Let us know what you think below. Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Kevin Costner as Pa Kent. Oh yeah, some guy named Russell Crowe is Jor-El.

The Tall Man trailer brings Jessica Biel home

It's taken long enough, but the domestic trailer for Jessica Biel's upcoming horror romp The Tall Man has finally arrived! To bad it's a tad underwhelming. Sorry, it is. But the film, which features the lovely Biel attempting to unravel the mystery of a child abductor in time to save her young son, still sounds pretty badass. And it's directed by Pascal Laugier of Martyrs fame. We'll see and review it here in The Basement, trust me. The Tall Man hits theatres Aug. 31 and VOD Sept. 25, just in time for Season Four of the show!

Colin Farrell Vs. Kate Beckinsale in this Total Recall clip

Yeah, I know: we're unimaginative twats for posting film clips two days in a row. But hey, at least they're not from the same movie! Right? Today we've got a look at a fight scene from Len Wiseman's Total Recall remake, and it's looking pretty slick. The scene takes place after Doug Quaid (Colin Farrell) returns from a failed visit to Rekall. He thinks he's going to get sympathy from his wife (Kate Beckinsale) but he doesn't, because then we wouldn't be able to watch a fight scene. The plot: a factory worker begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall - a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led.  Total Recall hits theatres Aug. 3.

Jeremy Renner kicks ass in this clip from The Bourne Legacy

August 10 isn't that far away, which means the hype machine is in full swing for The Bourne Legacy, the latest installment in the decade-old action/spy series. We've made no bones about how dumb an idea it was four Universal Pictures to proceed with another Bourne film without star Matt Damon. But the trailers and below clip are looking good so . . . who knows. At this point, I'm willing to at least see the film and give it a chance. Jeremy Renner takes over for Damon, playing another agent/assassin caught in the fallout from the events at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. Rachel Weisz is a science type caught up in the action. The clip has them on the run from the law. And Shawn and I have a treat for you Basement Dwellers and Bourne fans -- we've interviewed the only Bourne in The Bourne Legacy. You'll be able to hear our talk with stunt pilot Chuck Bourne when our August Special arrives Aug. 4.

The Loved Ones come home in September

Shawn and I put the Australian torture porn flick The Loved Ones on the chopping block back in Season Two and loved the shit out of it. Loved! It! Now the rest of you will have the chance to catch this little-seen gem. Paramount Home Media Distribution will release Sean Byrne's twisted little tale of high-school love gone horribly wrong on DVD and VOD on Sept. 11. The DVD includes the unrated version of the film plus interviews with the film's stars and makeup supervisor. This is a must see and, I admit, a must own. Don't believe me? Read on for our thoughts on the film! Jason: Wow, what an experience. I've never gone from hating a movie to loving it before. But I did here. Believe it! The first 40 minutes or so are disjointed and weird. Then the film has a brilliant turning point and it all comes together in the best possible way. Robin McLeavy is a revelation as Lola, one of the creepiest movie villains of all time. Her family makes the one from The Texas

Grabbers trailer encourages responsible drinking

Let me get this straight, the only way to survive an attack by the tentacled monsters in the new horror/comedy Grabbers is to get good and stinking drunk? Who'd dream up such a wonderful idea? The Irish you say? Oh. Indeed, that is the premise behind the upcoming film, which opens in Ireland on Aug. 10 and makes its way to our shores before the end of the year. Don't believe me? Here's the official synopsis for the John Wright-directed film care of the Internet Movie Database: When an island off the coast of Ireland is invaded by bloodsucking aliens, the heroes discover that getting drunk is the only way to survive. See. Told yah. And if the final film is as much fun as it sounds, then The Basement could be in for a real hoot when we get around to reviewing this puppy some time in Season Four. Until then, take a peek at the trailer below. Grabbers stars Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, and Russell Tovey. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a beer. Just becaus

The Amazing Spiderman and Shawn.

After the grossness of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, one would wonder why I would look into another "Spidey" reboot.  What's next?  I watch The remake of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?  Fuck, no. This was pure curiosity.  Like watching one train fly off broken tracks, then seeing another train following the same tracks.  Could they be repaired before derailment? In a phrase, "I don't know".  This version was definitely  better than all of the Raimi shenanigans. It was a tad darker, better acted and no Mary Jane. (Dunst).  It was a full on reboot, with scenes vaguely familiar in a lot of senses.  Comics, cartoons, movies... I think, this reboot didn't need to happen from the beginning.  The bigger budgeted, flashier Raimi versions familiarized most of earth with spider-man.  They could have jumped in anywhere, here.  They could have brought in more excitement, more something that wasn't a love story.  There were quite a few weak, aw

Daniel Radcliffe will grown Horns

The Harry Potter star is certainly doing everything within his power to have a career beyond the blockbuster film series that made him a household name. And he's turned to the horror genre to make that happen. And we say good for you, Daniel Radcliffe! First he took the lead in the creepy as hell Hammer production of The Woman in Black and now he's returning to the big screen with an adaptation of Joe Hill's novel Horns, replacing the previously announced Shia LeBeouf. Even more interesting is that Radcliffe will be directed by Alexandre Aja, he who made the brilliant and bloody High Tension and Piranha 3D. He also helmed The Hills Have Eyes remake. Radcliffe will portray the number one suspect in the rape and murder of his girlfriend. He awakens one morning to find horns growing from his head and realizes their power drives people to confess their sins and give into impulses. This proves an effective tool in his quest to discover the circumstance behind his lover

The Twisted Twins unleash the American Mary trailer

We're big fans of The Twisted Twins (AKA Jen and Sylvia Soska) here in The Basement and share equal love for their first film, Dead Hooker in a Trunk. So it makes logical sense to be thrilled about their sophomore effort, American Mary. Well, we've scored a first trailer for the film by way of the good folks at HorrorMovies.ca, and wow. Yup. Wow! Starring the talented and sexy -- and very Canadian I might add -- Katharine Isabelle, American Mary follows medical student, Mary Mason, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired. The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so called 'freakish' clientele. No word yet on a release, but you know we're gonna see it first chance we get! Until then, enjoy the gruesome fun below! Happy Friday the 13th, y'all!

Get shot in the face with this Dredd red-band clip

I think the mad minds behind the upcoming Dredd (I refuse to call it Dredd 3D) came up with the drug SLO-MO strictly so they could show cool violence in the third dimension. And you know what? After watching the below red-band clip from Lionsgate, I'm OK with that . . . CGI blood and all. Some of our British friends, including Jon Cross over at the glorious After Movie Diner, aren't sold on the new Dredd. I am, strictly because I've liked what I've seen so far -- this red-band clip included -- and nothing can be worse than Stallone's mid-90s Judge Dredd movie. Plus this version was written by Alex Garland, who penned 28 Days Later and Sunshine, two of my favourite Danny Boyle movies. And guess what? Dredd was written and went into production before The Raid, which many have compared the film's plot too. As for said storyline: In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop (Judge Dredd bit

The Helpers intend to put audiences out of their misery

Found footage and torture porn are two horror sub-genres that have pretty much run their course, so it comes as a bit of surprise to find one film that caters to both. Such is the case with Chris Stokes's upcoming flick The Helpers. Seven friends on a road trip to Las Vegas break down near a rest-stop motel, where they encounter a seemingly helpful group of people. Convinced to stay overnight, the friends wake up in their rooms to a gruesome and bloody terror.  Kinda yawn really. We'll known for sure when The Helpers opens Sept. 25. Until then, we've got the trailer below, which features a song that will likely get stuck in your head and drive you mental. Be forewarned!     And lest I forget, The Helpers stars Kristen Quintrall, Denyce Lawton, Christopher Jones, JoJo Wright, and Rachel Sterling.

Back for war: The Expendables 2 poster

This has already popped up on a few sites but hey, we still gotta post it. And what more can we say about The Expendables 2 that hasn't already been said? It's gonna rock! It can't not rock! It stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Chuck Fucking Norris for Jebus's sake! How much more 80s can you get!?! And how much more 80s can this poster get? I say that with much respect too. I fucking love this poster! This is what movie posters looked like when I was a kid -- hand drawn and busy! And badass! This poster is badass! Sorry for all the exclamation marks, but this boy is excited! Love the tagline by the way. Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck, but when one of their men is murdered on the job, their quest for revenge puts them deep in enemy territory and up against an unexpected threat. Much kicking of ass will ensue, I assure you that

Horror anthology V/H/S gets a creepy trailer

Ti West, Adam Wingard, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, David Bruckner, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, and Chad Villella. Remember these names, because they're the brilliantly depraved minds that cooked up the film V/H/S. For those who aren't in the know, VHS is how we old folk watched movies at home before DVD came along. What's DVD? Fuck off! Apple premiered the green-band trailer for the above directors' upcoming film today, and it's pretty damn raw and creepy for something suitable for work. I was looking forward to this because Ti (The Innkeepers, House of the Devil) West and Adam (A Horrible Way to Die) Wingard are involved. Now, having seen some footage, I'm sold brother! When a group of petty criminals is hired by a mysterious party to retrieve a rare piece of found footage from a rundown house in the middle of nowhere, they soon realize that the job isn’t going to be as easy as they thought. In the living room,

Trailer Rewind: The Punisher (2004)

For the latest edition of Trailer Rewind I'm taking a look back at the second movie featuring Marvel Comics' violence-prone vigilante -- The Punisher. The Dolph Lundgren version from 1989 is a hard-to-find action classic that played nowhere. So when it was announced that a new film was being made starring Thomas Jane, a dude known for his acting chops, people got excited. Then the masses saw the flick and . . . yeah. Let's take a look at how it was sold and how it turned out, from The Basement's perspective. The Trailer: From the opening country song to the line "You shouldn't play with knives," this has cool written all over it, at least if you're a fan of 80s action/exploitation movies. This was the second trailer for the film. The less said about the first the better. That one was a poorly edited mess that screamed bad B-movie. This one has Jane kicking ass, guns by the boatload, lots of straight-up action, and the hotness of Rebecca Romijn.

Jason and Shawn review Monster Brawl

Monster Brawl Eight classic monsters fight to the death in an explosive wrestling tournament set inside an abandoned and cursed graveyard.  Jason: Taken as a work of traditional cinema, Monster Brawl sucks. There's no plot, point, or narrative structure. Viewed as a work of gonzo B-movie making, this is the cat's ass. Monster Brawl is far from perfect. The movie is essentially presented as a pay-per-view matchup between monsters, with the commentators -- Dave Foley, Art Hindle and Jimmy Hart -- more annoying than funny, especially at the outset Everything else is a hoot, especially the brawls between the monsters. This is essentially a riff on the WWE, playing off the over-the-top fights and corny showmanship (The Mummy's unintelligible call out is a riot. You'll know it when you see it). Taken on that level, Monster Brawl is a lot of fun This isn't something I could watch over and over, but I will see it again with buds over beers. It's l

When sharks attack: the Bait 3D trailer

Earlier this year we showed you a rough sales preview for the upcoming Australian shark movie Bait 3D. Well lucky us and lucky you . . . we've snagged the real-deal red-band trailer for your eye holes! That's right, the fine folks at Anchor Bay -- who have long been a horror fan's best friend -- will be unleashing this bad boy on Sept. 18. And that means we've got one of two movies for our series premiere locked and loaded. Boo-yah! Bait 3D speculates on what would happen if a freak tsunami hit a small town on the Gold Coast and trapped people in a flooded underground supermarket with a pack of man-eating sharks. I hate shopping to begin with. Sharks would certainly amp the suck. But enough of my musings; give the trailer a watch and stay tuned for our thoughts on Bait 3D this fall.

Next on the chopping block: Monster Brawl

Bizarre doesn't even begin to describe the film on the chopping block this month. No, it's not a movie about a killer tire. It's a wrestling movie featuring old-school men-in-suit monsters that's narrated by Lance Henriksen with commentary by Dave Foley, Art Hindle and Jimmy Hart. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Monster Brawl is a Canadian horror/comedy that plays like a pay-per-view match. It's more tongue in cheek than anything else, which means it could be good for shits and giggles or just flat out annoying. That's something our stalwart Basement Dwellers, Jason and Shawn, intend to find out. How does Monster Brawl stack up? You'll just have to tune in when the July Special goes live at 7 a.m. PST tomorrow! Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. We'll be back in The Basement and back on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and RadioAmplifire in October for all new episodes with Season

Jason reviews House Call

I love it when people send us short films to review. Unlike a feature, the writer and director has a tight window in which to tell a complete story. This is not an easy task, but Erik Wilson has pulled it off with his new 17-minute short House Call. Shot on a Red One digital camera, House Call looks just as polished as any Hollywood production. And the technology has allowed Wilson to add some slick special effects one wouldn't expect to find in a low-budget short. Janice does the unthinkable in order to start a new life with her new boyfriend. However, strange things begin to happen on the night of their one-year anniversary. And by strange things, we mean her dead ex-boyfriend comes back from the grave looking for a little payback. In addition to the above mentioned special effects, Wilson ends his film with a violent blood bath, which I also didn't expect. No complaints either, as we love our blood in The Basement. He also creates a creepy antagonist who appears in

Things get Nazi in this U.S. Iron Sky trailer

In honour of the Fourth of July, The Basement proudly presents the official U.S. trailer for the upcoming sci-fi/action/comedy Iron Sky. We first told you about the Stealth Media Group flick back in February, and have been waiting for word on a stateside release ever since. Still no word on when that's gonna happen, but at least we've got this new trailer. And it ups the cheesy awesomeness nicely. The batshit crazy plot? Nazis landed on the moon 70 years ago and have been biding their time to launch an invasion.  They decide they’ve been waiting long enough, take to their fleet of flying saucers, and begin a full- scale attack of Earth. We intend to watch and review Iron Sky for your ear holes ASAP, so prepare yourselves for The Basement's two cents in Season Four. Until then, watch and enjoy the goodness below. And to all our friends and fans in the good ole U.S. of A., have a safe and happy July 4th!

The plot for The Dark Knight Rises thickens

The Brothers Warner has played pretty coy with the marketing campaign for their upcoming summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. There have been trailers, posters and TV ads hyping the film, which opens July 20, but no real talk on what it's all about. Until now.  If you want to go into The Dark Knight Rises cold, stop reading. If not, here's the official synopsis from the studio: It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans f

Some Guy Who Kills People comes home tomorrow

Some Guy Who Kills People was a fan favourite at Dark Fest 2012, and we want to remind everyone that the horror/comedy comes to DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow. So get your asses to your local retail outlet and buy a copy. Or head online and pick one up. Either way, you owe it to yourself to give this movie a go! Anchor Bay distributes the disc, which includes audio commentary by director Jack Perez and writer Ryan Levin, The Fifth -- a short film that inspired the feature, the film's trailer and a behind-the-scenes video . Just in case you forgot how much we liked Some Guy Who Kills People, I've included our reviews below. Read on: Shawn: This was an awesome movie, straight up. I went in with VERY low expectations, because this was the same guy who made Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. Which was a league of cool, on its own, but cool in a goofy sense. This movie was a whole different league. There were no mistakes in any part of the movie. Including the titl