You have spoken, and I have listened. I will review Sharktopus tomorrow. You have been warned.

Just two things for today:

Quiet Earth reports on an alien-invasion/zombie movie coming up called Day 2. How cool does this sound? Aliens and zombies in an epic major motion picture…I am stoked!

And, from IFC.com, here is the trailer for the upcoming horror film Human Centipede 2. Now, folks, if you’re not familiar with the concept of the Human Centipede trilogy, it is definitely cringe-worthy. The idea is that a mad scientist grafts people together, from mouth to anus, to create a ‘human centipede’. That’s right…you read that correctly. Makes you go “Egh”, right? I have yet to work up the courage to check the first movie out, but I suppose I’m going to have to soon.

That’s all for today. More tomorrow.

MSB

Did anyone catch the worldwide premiere of Sharktopus on Saturday?

I did…and I loved it.

Want me to review it? Or want to discuss it? Sound off here.

MSB

The Hawgs are hosting #1 Alabama this weekend, here in Fayetteville. How do I feel about that, you ask? Let’s just say that I can’t wait until the ‘Bama team is headed home, crying about their season-destroying loss. Go Hawgs!!

This should make you happy: Kate Beckinsale is set to return in an Underworld sequel, according to FirstShowing. That’s right. Looks like the fourth installment in the franchise will be an actual sequel to Underworld: Evolution, and NOT another foray into prequel territory. I’m glad, too. The prequel didn’t do much for me, although I suppose it was interesting to see the origins of the characters.

And in the realm of sci-fi, here are 20 Epic Sci-Fi TV Failures. The shows on this list aren’t necessarily bad (I am still a huge fan of Firefly, Dollhouse, and a couple of others), but they were not received well by critics or audiences. Thus, they were failures. This is an interesting list, too, as it lists several shows I have never even heard about until now.

That’s all for now. More reviews next week. And be sure to check out the reviews over at Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror as well. You won’t be disappointed!

MSB

A couple of quickies today:

First, courtesy of FirstShowing.net, it seems that Rob Zombie has shelved has Blob remake to work instead on an original story idea he has been toying with. This new idea, titled Lords of Salem, sounds way better than the remake to me, even though I was initially excited about The Blob last year. And don’t get me wrong: I still want to see Zombie’s take on that classic. But there are too many remakes and reboots going on right now, so originality wins it for me at the moment.

Second, Quiet Earth brings us an amazing trailer from a first-time filmmaker titled Mrs. Peppercorn’s Magical Reading Room. WOW…check this one out. If this guy is a first-timer, and is working with a low budget (like he reportedly is), I can’t WAIT to see what else he has in store for us.

And finally, courtesy of ScreenRant, Steven Spielberg might be interested in directing Robopocalypse, a movie that would chronicle mankind’s stand against a robot uprising. As familiar as this sounds (i.e. Terminator, The Matrix trilogy, etc.), I would still LOVE to see what Spielberg could so with it. He is, after all, an iconic director in Hollywood.

More tomorrow.

MSB

Whew…the past few days (including the weekend) have been a whirlwind of activity around the Baker house. But, as you can see from the previous days’ posts, I’ve been able to squeeze a few movies in there for you. That’s right…I do what I can for you, and I’m glad that you appreciate that!

And speaking of movies, my buddy Hayes has asked me to do some movie reviews for his site, Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror. The plan is for me to contribute at least one review per week, on a movie of his choosing. Most of these movies will be screeners that various companies have sent him for review. So, because of this, the reviews I do on his site will not be posted on mine…therefore you’ll have to hop over to Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror to check them out. And judging from the first review I did (click here to go see it), some of these are going to be reeeeeeal interesting.

Moving into sci-fi, Gavin Hood is reported to be working on the film adaptation of Ender’s Game, according to FirstShowing.net. As I’ve mentioned before, this book is on my Top 5 Favorites of all-time, as it is for MANY others as well. Hood had better put a lot of heart into it if he does it, otherwise he might have a riot on his hands.

Also, being a big fan of the Halo franchise, check out this article courtesy of Yahoo on the real science applications of some of the items used in Halo: Reach. This is interesting stuff, for sure, and makes me want my own jetpack.

That’s all for today. Be sure and check out Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror and help support those of us in the blogging world!

MSB

Zombie Wars
Directed by David A. Prior
Courtesy of American World Pictures / NetFlix
Released: 2006

I have to admit this up front: I had never heard of this movie until just a few days ago. I was skimming through recommendations on Netflix (yes, I use them, and yes, I love them) and ran across the wicked-looking cover for Zombie Wars. Curious, I read the plot synopsis, which is as such:

When a small group of rebels learn that zombies have begun breeding humans for consumption, they plan an all-out offensive to rid the planet of the flesh-eating monsters once and for all. After years of waging war against the undead, the population of mankind is reduced to alarming levels, with dwindling bands of survivors relegated to living on the fringes of civilization, struggling to stay alive—but not for long.

My first thoughts were not very nice. Zombies breeding humans? Really? I’m supposed to believe they have the mental capacity for thought like that? Hmmm…

But even though I was skeptical of the premise, I decided to give it a go. After all, I’m a sucker for good zombie effects. What can I say?

As it turns out, Zombie Wars is actually a pretty good flick. Granted, it’s not the best zombie movie I’ve seen, but for a low-budget feature, it was very entertaining. Heck, my wife (who is not a zombie fan) actually watched the last half of it with me. So that in itself says something.

As mentioned, this is a low-budget production, but the crew definitely used what money they had at their disposal in the right way. The acting, while not Oscar-worthy, is very good for a low-budget film. And the zombie effects are pretty impressive as well; I’m not sure how they did them, but they looked tight. I also have to mention the numerous head-shot scenes from all the zombie kills…these are ALL fantastic. And from a cinematography standpoint, the film is shot very well, with a few unique camera angles and positions.

My only true complaint about Zombie Wars is the lack of plausibility with the plot. Although the script is fairly well written, I was still not convinced (after watching the movie) that zombies could have the mental capacity to do many of the things that they were depicted doing (I won’t go into detail in case you decide to watch it). Still, this movie is a great example of what can result from a vision and a little know-how.

Zombie Wars isn’t my favorite living dead film, nor does it garner a spot in my Top 10. But it is a pretty well-done, fast-paced romp into the realm of zombies, which should automatically earn it a viewing in any zombie fan’s book. And since it clocks in at only 80 minutes long, you won’t miss out on too much otherwise if you don’t like it.

MSB

By the Will of Genghis Khan
Directed by Andrei Borisov
Courtesy of Ed Baran Publicity / Epic Pictures Group
Released: September 28, 2010

Many movies based on historical figures usually portray them in a stereotypical fashion, meaning they show the audience basically what history classes have already taught us. Still, others would have us believe unsubstantiated and sometimes nonsensical claims about these historical figures, often times adding more myth than truth. But sometimes, on rare occasions, a film comes along that captures the subject in a plausible and realistic light.

By the Will of Genghis Khan is one of those rare gems that accurately follows historical accounts while vividly bringing the character of Genghis Khan to life.

The film starts with the birth of Temujin (which is the birth name of the great Khan) and chronicles his younger years. As a boy, Temujin forms bonds with many of the young men around him, but most specifically with Jamuka. Temujin and Jamuka become blood brothers and create a bond that lasts over the course of their lifetimes.

But as age comes to both men, so do differences in opinion. Temujin has a burning desire for law and order…at any cost. Jamuka, on the other hand, believes in the law, but does not agree with Temujin’s idealism on how it should be obtained. As a result, bloodshed is inevitable. Although he does not wish it, Temujin ends up wages a war with the other clans. His ultimate goal: to unite all of the clans under one banner and implement law into a somewhat lawless land. Unfortunately, Jamuka is on the other side.

This film is stunning in scope and breathtaking in vision. Shot on location in Russia and Mongolia, the visuals in this film are amazing and only add to the viewer’s immersion into the film. Director of Photography Yuri Berezhnev is to be commended for his visualization of each scene and his ability to draw the audience in for each shot. One of my favorite backdrops from the film is a massive iceberg-flow out in the ocean that moves slowly behind a character that is standing on a cliff.

The stellar performances given by each member of the cast also contributed to this film’s success for me. Minor characters, no matter how small, were given the necessary doses of reality needed to move each scene along. Not to mention the attention to detail given to the costumes and props. No expenses appeared to be spared when it came to outfitting this production.

The battle scenes were absolutely amazing, with (as far as I could tell) no CG shots incorporated at all. According to the website, hundreds of Mongolian horsemen were used, with thousands of extras added in as foot-soldiers. The action was eager and solid, a true testament to fighting of that time period. And the stunt-work left me wondering if people had actually been hurt in those scenes (I can’t count the number of times a warrior slid to the ground along with his horse).

By the Will of Genghis Khan is truly a magnificent film. My only complaint about the production is the lack of an English voice-over on the DVD, and that is only a minor inconvenience. Otherwise, this film is excellent, and one that will definitely go in my collection.

MSB

Check back this weekend…should have a juicy review soon.

MSB

Boy Scouts vs. Zombies

You can’t say you weren’t warned…

MSB

As I mentioned a while back, I am going to make a movie.

That’s right. An actual production, complete with cameras, lights, actors, and (of course) zombies. (Come on…what else would you expect from me?) I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but my buddy Hayes and I have an independent film company called Shattered Mind Studios. We are a very small company, but eager to entertain.

To make this film, however, we must have YOUR support, and we only have 42 days to get it! Obviously, a film is a costly thing to make and let’s just say that the major distribution companies are hesitant to give amateurs like us a multi-million dollar budget. Actually, they won’t give amateurs like us ANY type of budget. Which is why we indie filmmakers must rely on you, the devoted genre-fans.

We launched a page on Kickstarter to help drum up funds. This site allows folks like you to pledge a donation of any amount (a minimum of $1, all the way up to $250 or more) AND IN RETURN RECEIVE A REWARD. That’s right…YOU get something out of this, too!

The film (titled ‘Severed’), the plot, the rewards, and even the plan for the funds is all listed on the site. Click on this link to check it out:

Kickstarter – Severed

PLEASE NOTE: Funding opportunities end in 42 days, so if we have not met our fund goal, our Kickstarter page will close.

I need to state one thing real quick: NO MONEY IS TAKEN OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT UNLESS WE REACH OUR GOAL. Our goal is $8,000. This is an ambitious number, but it will completely fund the project and even pay for distribution.

Let me state the above again: IF YOU DONATE, THE FUNDS YOU DONATE WILL NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT UNLESS WE REACH OUR $8,000 GOAL.

Basically, what you are doing right now is ‘pledging’ your donation. If we get enough pledges to equal our $8,000 goal, then the project is considered funded by Kickstarter and the donations are accepted. If we do not reach our $8,000 goal, then nothing happens for you…no money is withdrawn or anything…but our film is considered unfunded and the Kickstarter page closes down.

Interested?

I am, too.

To whet your appetite, here is a list of the rewards:

Pledge $1 or more
Reward: Our eternal gratitude and your name mentioned in the Special Thanks part of the credits.

Pledge $15 or more
Reward: All of the above, PLUS a signed movie poster of the Severed cast and crew.

Pledge $25 or more
Reward: All of the above, PLUS a Special Edition DVD of Severed once it is finished.

Pledge $50 or more
Reward: All of the above, PLUS a Shattered Mind Studios T-shirt.

Pledge $100 or more
Reward: All of the above, PLUS your name listed as an Executive Producer in the opening credits sequence of Severed.

Pledge $250 or more
Reward: All of the above, PLUS the opportunity to attend an exclusive wrap-party with the cast and crew of Severed (travel and hotel accommodations not included).

It just doesn’t get much better than this, my friends! So if you can find it in your heart to help us out, hop over to the Kickstarter site via the link above. And maybe you’ll soon find a copy of our film lumbering out to you on DVD!

MSB