While not the year we anticipated, what with a global pandemic and all, 2020 did produce some good movies. Sure, most of the flicks scheduled for release last year are still in limbo, but a lot of movies did hit screens during the last 12 months -- most to VOD and streaming services -- and many were exceptional. So here's my Top 5 of 2020, a list I'll stand by and hang by. And we might as well begin with my No. 1 choice... 1) Volition Tony Dean Smith's and Ryan W. Smith's sci-fi time twister came out of nowhere and delivered the goods on all counts. It's exceptionally well written, directed, and acted. The story is a real puzzle box, but not so much that it gets in the way of being highly entertaining. And it was made in my home province of British Columbia, right here in Canada. See it, if you haven't already. 2) Extraction Once again proving you don't need to go to a theatre to see a large scale event picture, Netflix and Chris Hemsworth delivered one of t...

Wednesday comes upon us, and the call to travel to another world comes with it- a colour world of heroes and villains... the Marvel Cinematic Universe... Odin is dead, releasing his daughter Hela from her long confinement.  She begins her conquest of Asgard, and sweeps across the planet swiftly and viciously. It is up to Thor to stop her, but he's stranded on a gladiator planet across the cosmos without his hammer.  His only hope of defeating Hela lies within an ancient prophecy about the end of Asgard... Of the Thor movies to date, " Thor: Ragnarok " is by one of the strongest ones story-wise.  It's grounded more in the characters, and moves along at a quicker pace than the others.  I loved the shift in tone from the strong operatic one in " Dark World ", to the slightly more modern and vibrant one of "Ragnarok".  A really marvelous blend of action, drama, and humour that elevated this movie about the standard fare. This movie also give...

It's the morning after our latest broadcast From The Basement, which means it's time to unleash our Saturday podcast once again! This week Jason and Shawn were stoked to welcome co-host Amy Wickenheiser back to the show after a four-year hiatus! Amy has been a busy gal, appearing in horror movies and touring the festival circuit with some short films. And yes, she'll tell you all about it. She also sounds off on Netflix's Extraction, prompting a renewed conversation with The Basement Boys about the action blockbuster. What impressed her and is she ready for more? Stick with us! And stay tuned as Jason, Shawn and Amy take on Cry Havoc, an action-horror hybrid from Rene Perez and starring Charles Bronson lookalike Robert Bronzi. This one is Death Wish meets Friday the 13th, but is it worth your time? There's only one way to find out, and that's to push play on the player below and enjoy!

The Basement Boys are back once more, having survived last night's social-isolation broadcast From The Basement. Now they've got the full podcast for your listening pleasure. And pleasure your ear holes they shall, as they've got the full 24-minute interview with veteran genre actor Marshal Hilton. Marshal starred in last fall's fright fest Echoes of Fear, and played a pivotal role in the movie. He talks about it, finding his character, and what it takes to be a working actor these days. It's an awesome conversation with an intelligent and interesting dude. Basement Dwellers will dig it! Jason and Shawn also put Netflix's big-action release Extraction on the chopping block. This flick is far removed from Chris Hemsworth's MCU role as Thor -- be him fat or otherwise. Does the star hold up in this relentless and brutal film? Stick with us! And stick around as the Dynamic Duo discuss Trump, bleach, zombie apocalypses and what streaming choices have been...

We in The Basement have not hid our love for the indie-horror movie Echoes of Fear. It's easily the best such flick to come down the pike in the last few years, and if you haven't seen it, it's time. You have no excuse. It's available everywhere. Which is why we're psyched to welcome actor Marshal Hilton to the show, when From The Basement takes to the Radio NL 610 AM Kamloops airwaves at 6:05 tonight. Marshal plays a pivotal role in Echoes of Fear, one he and Jay do their best not to spoil for listeners. He talks about his involvement in Brian and Laurence Avenet-Bradley's film, how he came up with his character, and more. It's an insightful chat with an intelligent and talented man. There's one movie Jason and Shawn put on the chopping block, and it's a doozy. The Basement Boys dig into Netflix's action epic Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth, who is a long way from Fat Thor in this one. Does Extraction deliver the goods? Stick with us...

Shawn and I are going to have a detailed discussion about the latest Netflix original, Extraction, on Friday's show, but I felt compelled to say a few words here for posterity sake. Don't forget to tune in Friday at 6:05 p.m., only on Radio NL 610 AM Kamloops, by the way... If you're looking for a pure action movie, one with just enough story, emotion and character development to carry an hour and 50 minute flick, this is the action movie for you. This film is 75 per cent balls-to-the-wall gunfights, shootouts, knife fights and fisticuffs. It's an adrenalin rush through and through. Wow! The highlight: a 12-minute sequence edited to look like one continuous shot, and you can't take your eyes off it. Everything you'd want from an action movie -- never mind an action sequence -- is in this one, brilliant bit of filmmaking. Kudos to director Sam Hargrave. Extraction is his first feature, and he nailed it. Granted, he cut his teeth as a stuntman and stunt ...

Who better than the mighty Thor to take on a city full of soldiers out to kill the kidnapped son of an international crime lord? Why, the man who brought the God of Thunder to life of course, Chris Hemsworth! This is indeed the plot of Netflix's latest foray into big-budget action movies, and it was made under the guidance of Hemsworth's Infinity War and Endgame directors, Joe and Anthony Russo. But this is no MCU movie; it's a hard-R actioner with violence and swearing galore. And we're A-OK with that! Check it out: Hemsworth is joined by David Harbour and Golshifteh Farahani. It hits the streaming service April 24, and you bet your ass we'll be watching! Source: Netflix

Centuries before we had comics, we had mythology- stories that created the super human stereotypes that are used by many comic book characters today. So it was only natural that the gods and goddesses of old would wind up being translated into the modern medium.  The Norse god Thor was one such god.  And not only that, he then got translated into movie form as part of the MCU's 2011 "Thor"... Arrogant, cocky, and headstrong, Thor breaks a treaty between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants.  As punishment, he is banished to Midgard- a planet inhabited by primitive creatures with potential for greatness... humans.  Soon after his arrival, Thor becomes embroiled in a conspiracy to assassinate his father, the king Odin... I must confess that I was never a fan of Thor in the comics- though I do enjoy the old Norse stories about him.  I wasn't expecting a lot when I sat down to watch " Thor ", but wound up enjoying it. The story is simple, but well writ...

The summer movie season is in full swing, and we've got three new movies to choose from if you're headed to the theatre this weekend. Two are sequels/reboots and one's an original property. What? Something original coming out of Hollywood in the summer? Stop the world, it's time to get off! Indeed, Jason and Howie have a lot to discuss on this, From The Basement's return to the mighty Radio NL 610 AM Morning show!

Because no movie is immune to the stupidity that is our politically correct/socially outraged culture, meg-hit Avengers: Endgame has come under fire for one of the most ludicrous things imaginable -- the "fat shaming" of Thor. Without giving too much away for those who haven't seen Endgame (you're welcome, all four of you), the God of Thunder, as played by Chris Hemsworth, falls into a state of depression and, for lack of a better word, lets himself go. He goes from super buff to super out of shape, largely due to inactivity and alcohol abuse.

Bad news for our resident Trekkers Shawn and Mike S as word hit the Interwebs today that the next instalment in Star Trek's big-screen franchise might not happen after all. Word came via the folks at Collider that contract negotiations for Chris Pine, who plays James T. Kirk, and Chris Hemsworth, who was to return in the untitled fourth film as Kirk's back-from-the-dead dad, have stalled.

It's a big weekend at the box office, with no fewer than four movies competing for your dollar, and Jason and Howie are ready, willing and able to throw down on what to watch as We Came from the Basement returns to the Radio NL 610 AM Morning Show. But they aren't just talking movies, as Netflix debuts a limited series based on the classic Shirley Jackson novel The Haunting of Hill House, and Taylor Swift is now liked 25 per cent less by U.S. President Donald Trump.

I'm still about 48 hours away from catching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but I have had the opportunity to catch up with a couple of the fall's bigger releases. Sure, they aren't Star Wars big, but one is a critically acclaimed crime flick and the other a blockbuster wannabe about a really pissed off whale. That's right, I'm talking In the Heart of the Seas (the whale movie) and Sicario (not the whale movie), and I've sobered up long enough to toss a few thoughts down on this blog post. Just a few thoughts, so stick with me!

It's been years since The Basement heard any talk of a  Lethal Weapon reboot. To be honest, we'd hoped the project was ded. D-E-D. As in dead. However, the latest rumour out of Hollywood suggests otherwise. Instead, it sounds like  Thor 's Chris Hemsworth has been offered the lead in what doesn't sound so much like a remake, but a half-assed continuation of the series.

Shawn here, you know, the superhero movie fanboy?...not.  Ok, well maybe a little. Am I bias?  When it comes to my opinion, absolutely. Watched Thor: The Dark World last night.  I didn't mind the first one as it was a great intro movie. Obviously, The Avengers carried more of this story, with Loki as the bad guy.  The Avengers movie was very well balanced. So that had me looking forward to seeing Thor 2.

Because nothing . . . and I mean absolutely NOTHING . . . is sacred anymore, the world will have a Red Dawn remake by the U.S. Thanksgiving. Actually, this was made several years ago and sat on a shelf until Chris Hemsworth became a big star with Thor and The Avengers. And let's not forget The Cabin in the Woods. If you grew up in the 80s, you likely saw the original Red Dawn, which featured an invasion of the good 'ole U.S. of A. by those damn Russians. Now the bad guys are from North Korea. Well, why not? Excuse my cynicism, but I could give two shits about this Red Dawn. I dig Hemsworth and am a tireless fan of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who takes over for Powers Booth. But aside from a few explosions, a couple of hotties and the use of Filter's Hey Man Nice Shot, there is nothing in this trailer that will put my ass in a theatre seat to see it. But watch the trailer and judge for yourself.

A horror fan's wet dream, this loving hate letter to scary movies subverts the genre while catering to its every whim. We get the boobs, blood and backwoods terror of the traditional cabin-in-the-woods slasher picture while, at the same time, see the cliches turned on their collective heads. And there's a whole other twist that spins everything 180 degrees. Not especially scary, but very smart and funny . . .  and fun! Good cast, well made and sharply written. Thank you, Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard. In a world filled with sequels and reboots, you've made this jaded horror fan very, very happy. Take note, the less you know going in the better! A Good from me.

What could very well be the horror movie event of 2012 hits theatres this Friday . . . and I won't be around to see it :( Sad face is sad. But that doesn't mean I won't catch Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard's much anticipated loving hate letter to horror first chance I get. And Shawn and I are sure all you Basement Dwellers are equally as keen to catch this genre-bending picture. Until Friday, we'll all just have to satiate ourselves with the below clip from the film. The headline above says it all, so why waste any more time on my idle chatter. Get watching bitches! The Cabin in the Woods stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford.

Simply because we can, we Basement Dwellers have amassed several pics from Joss Whedon's upcoming foray into super hero movies The Avengers. Advance word on the Interwebs is the movie rocks hard! Which is good. And so do these pics below! This is also good. We've got Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. Naturally, we put beauty before everyone else. The Avengers hits theatres May 4! Scarlett Johansson Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Jeremy Renner Robert Downey Jr. Samuel L. Jackson

And that's all that really needs to be said. As far as I'm concerned, Joss Whedon's self-described loving hate letter to horror is the only movie I intend to venture into theatre's to see this spring (Avengers doesn't count. It's technically a summer movie) and the more I see from it, the more I want to see. As we've mentioned before on this site, Whedon's film is a twisty take on the classic horror premise of five friends who venture to a cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying only to run afoul of something evil. We know the story, have seen it a thousand times, and can anticipate what to expect. Whedon and director Drew Goddard intend to turn that premise on its head. The Cabin in the Woods opens April 13 and stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford. Now check out that new trailer, Basement Dwellers.