If you follow my buddy Hayes’ blog at all (Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror), you will recall that I reviewed a great film for him called SHELLTER (click here to read the review if you missed it…and shame on you for not keeping up!). SHELLTER is the brain-child of director Dan Donley, who put a lot of effort into the film to make it look good. And folks, it is certainly a GOOD film. I do not personally have it in my collection yet (ahem, Mr. Donley), but I can’t wait to add it soon. SHELLTER is a thrill-ride of epic proportions that deserves a spot in your DVD collection!

Which brings us to the giveaway…

Mr. Donley, being the great guy that he is, has donated TWO copies of SHELLTER for me to give away. Therefore, if you would like to win a copy, here is all you have to do:

== Send me an e-mail with your name and e-mail address. In the subject line, put ‘SHELLTER Giveaway’. My e-mail address is msb@matthewscottbaker.com

And that’s it. Deadline to enter is 12 noon on Friday, August 5, 2011. Two winners will be drawn at random after 12 noon on that day. Both winners will then be notified by me via e-mail, at which time I will request mailing addresses. The official rules below. Please e-mail me with any questions.

Good luck!!

RULES FOR ALL GIVEAWAYS HERE AT SHATTERED RAVINGS:
=====================================================
1 – Only one entry per contestant. Duplicate entries will result in all entries for that contestant being forfeit for the current giveaway.

2 – Contest winner is chosen at random using a randomly generated number courtesy of www.random.org.

3 – Due to shipping costs, this contest is only open to U.S. residents only (persons who have a physical mailing address here in the continental United States).

4 – All decisions are final. If the initial winner does not respond to my winning notification e-mail within 48 hours, said person’s e-mail is discarded and the process described above in Rule #2 is repeated for a new winner.

The Dead and the Damned
(aka Cowboys & Zombies)
Directed by Rene Perez
Courtesy of Inception Media Group
Released: Today (July 26, 2011)

Man, am I ever a sucker for a good zombie flick, especially one that crosses the boundaries of genre stereotypes. THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED is a hybrid that puts zombies running rampant in the Old West. Its definitely “Clint Eastwood meets George Romero”, just like the DVD cover claims. This movie is a lot of fun and one that you should definitely check out soon.

If you are not familiar with THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the DVD cover:

When a group of gold miners unearth a dangerous meteorite, they unleash an intergalactic plague that ravages their town and turns the population into blood-thirsty mutants. It’s up to a high plains drifter and his arch-enemy, an Indian warrior, to battle the zombies and save the Old West from the horrors of THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED.

First of all, you cannot take this movie too seriously. If you do, you won’t like it. Think of this film in relation to some of Sam Raimi’s earlier works: they’re awesome films, scary as hell in certain scenes, and great effects…but they have to be taken with a slight tongue-in-cheek attitude.

THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED has some excellent camera work in it for being a low budget feature. I especially enjoyed the wide-lens scenes that capture the sweeping forest landscapes. And there are several great moving shots as well, especially during the gunfight scenes.

The zombie effects and gore are well done as well, although the splatter-shots are very lacking; the production team went cheap and used CG splatter-shots instead of practical splatters. I can understand if the budget was hurting, but I think anyone can scrape up $20 to buy corn syrup and food coloring.

THE DEAD AND THE DAMNED has a couple of intense and downright chilling scenes, including a long sequence where a girl is trying to get away from a zombie that has lost its sight (if you can say a zombie has sight). I especially enjoyed this scene because it literally had me on the edge of my seat.

This film is not the greatest zombie flick in the world, but it’s certainly a worthy addition to the zombie genre. The main point here is that it is entertaining and that’s what counts. Check this one out for sure, and soon.

MSB

Evil Things
Directed by Dominic Perez
Courtesy of Inception Media Group
Release Date: August 9, 2011

I have to admit something right up front: this movie scared the crap out of me. Yup, I’m dead serious. Not because of outlandish gore or disturbing images or anything…it scared me because of one particular scene in which the characters make an abrupt realization. Watch this film and you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

If you are not familiar with Evil Things, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of director Dominic Perez on imdb.com:

It’s Miriam’s 21st Birthday. As a birthday gift, Miriam’s aunt Gail has decided to lend Miriam her beautiful country house for an entire weekend. Aunt Gail’s country house is amazing. It’s a four bedroom house surrounded by breathtaking mountains and miles and miles of woods. Miriam invites her young college friends Cassy, Mark, Tanya and Leo to join her at the country house for what looks to be the most amazing weekend ever. Of course they all jump at the chance to spend a free weekend in the country, in the middle of nowhere. Miriam’s friends are totally in the mood for a big time party weekend. They’re also anxious to escape the dark and gloomy concrete jungle known as Manhattan. Miriam, Cassy and Tanya bring the food. Mark brings the beer and Leo, the aspiring filmmaker, brings his new video camera. Leo hopes to produce a short movie by documenting every amazing moment of this weekend getaway. Unfortunately, what Leo ends up capturing on camera is not a weekend of peace and tranquility, but a nightmarish descent into pure terror.

Evil Things is another addition into the ‘found footage’ genre of films. Some folks have grown tired of this genre however I still welcome new additions as long as they’re unique and not just rehashing the same old storylines. While the premise behind Evil Things is not terribly unique, the terror that the film brings certainly is.

This film is shot very well and the acting is superb. I was quite surprised with the caliber of talent on-screen because many of these films are quite lacking. But this cast does a stellar job with the script, which therefore helped me immerse myself in what was happening on-screen.

I am not going to tell you much about the plot because it’s definitely one of those ‘must-see-to-appreciate’ scenarios. And if I were to discuss other specific things, such as what the group finds about an hour into the film, I would be hurting you more than helping. But needless to say, Evil Things is full of intensity and terror, and it’s a film that you won’t forget anytime soon.

My sole complaint would be the ending is very vague and seemed almost pointless in some aspects. Again, you will have to make your own determination as to whether you think it works, but for me it didn’t. I think the film should have ended about 10 minutes before it actually did. But that certainly doesn’t detract from the overall film itself.

All in all, Evil Things is an excellent film and one you should definitely add to your collection once it hits the streets. After you watch it, drop back by this post and let’s discuss. I am interested to hear input on this one.

MSB

And I gotta tell you: it looks goooooooooood!

John Carpenter’s THE THING is my all-time favorite horror movie of all time, so you can see why I am excited. This prequel looks like it’s shaping up to be AWESOME.

Check it out below and lemme know what you think.

The Thing trailer

MSB

Tekken
Directed by Dwight H. Little
Courtesy of Anchor Bay Films
Release Date: July 19, 2011

As you’ve heard me rant about before, most of the video-game adaptations from Hollywood are simply crap. Granted, there are exceptions every now and then. But for the most part, nobody in Hollywood can seem to capture the essence of a beloved game on the silver screen.

TEKKEN, thankfully, does not fall into this stereotype. This film is a well thought out, action-packed powerhouse that does not disappoint.

In case you’re not familiar with the film, here is the synopsis courtesy of the Blu-ray case:

The year is 2039 and the world wars have destroyed everything. Territories are no longer run by governments, but by corporations. The mightiest of which is TEKKEN. In the midst of the ruined society, one warrior rises from the streets. A young man with street smarts and raw fighting skills who is driven by nothing more than vengeance for the murder of his mother. To exact his revenge he must defeat the world’s most elite fighters in the greatest tournament ever known and become the “King of Iron Fist”.

I have to confess: I’ve never actually played the video game, so I can’t tell you if it’s a true adaptation or not. I was also really concerned that this film might quickly cross into cheesy territory, especially since we’ve seen such video-game-to-movie disasters like SUPER MARIO BROTHERS and STREET FIGHTER. Fortunately, TEKKEN never even comes close to dairy. It stays raw and gritty and never strays into lighter territory.

The acting in the film is surprisingly good, with Jon Foo taking on the lead role of Jin Kazama. My sole complaint about Foo is that his accent is a bit odd at times (he looks Asian but his accent sounds British in some scenes). I am assuming this is because he is of Chinese Irish decent, according to imdb.com. Regardless, it is easy to look past this and focus on the film.

TEKKEN has some of the best fight scenes I’ve seen in quite a while. Growing up, I loved to watch the fight scenes in films like MARKED FOR DEATH, BLOODSPORT, and even the old-school kung-fu films. TEKKEN takes those fight sequences to the next level. They’re fast-paced but brutally powerful as well.

This comes as no surprise to me, due to director Dwight H. Little’s past. He cut his teeth on fight films by directing two classics for me from the early 90s: MARKED FOR DEATH (as mentioned above) and RAPID FIRE, a Brandon Lee jaunt that helped earn him the titular lead in THE CROW. Little teamed up with legendary stunt director and fight choreographer Cyril Raffaelli to give us a heck of a ride.

In summary, TEKKEN is definitely worth checking out if you like fast-paced action and intense fight sequences. I watched it in Blu-ray and LOVE how clean it looks. Add this one to your collection as soon as it hits the streets (release date is July 19, 2011).

MSB

…over at Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror:

Movie Review – Shellter (2009)

And yes, that’s spelled correctly. The director told me “it puts the HELL in ShellTER.” But it’s an excellent movie and one you should definitely check out. And speaking of excellent, Hayes’ site is one you should be looking at EVERY DAY, too. That’s right. Not only is Hayes a great guy and a true horror fanatic, he gives stuff away as well!! What more could you ask for?

More later!

MSB

I Saw the Devil
Directed by Jee-woon Kim
Courtesy of Magnet Releasing
Released: 2011

If you only take my recommendation on one movie I’ve reviewed so far this year, make sure this is the film you listen to me about. WATCH THIS FILM if you love thrillers. It is an amazing thrill-ride with an ending you won’t see coming.

If you’re not familiar with I Saw the Devil, here is the plot synopsis courtesy of the Blu-ray case:

I Saw the Devil is a shockingly violent and stunningly accomplished tale of murder and revenge. The embodiment of pure evil, Kyung-chul is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. On a freezing, snowy night, his latest victim is the beautiful Juyeon, daughter of a retired police chief and pregnant fiancee of elite special agent Soo-hyun. Obsessed with revenge, Soo-hyun is determined to track down the murderer, even if doing so means becoming a monster himself. And when he finds Kyung-chul, turning him in to the authorities is the last thing on his mind, as the lines between good and evil fall away in this diabolically twisted game of cat and mouse.

This film is a cinematic masterpiece. I would even go so far as to say this is one of the best film I’ve seen so far in 2011.

First of all, the story itself is excellent. I wasn’t too sure what to expect before I sat down to watch it. But wow…it grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. Of particular note is how detailed Soo-hyun gets when he ‘toys’ with Kyung-chul at the beginning of his revenge. You don’t see things like this much in American films. Normally, the revenger wants to kill those who have wronged him and be done. But not Soo-hyun. He takes great pleasure in watching Kyung-chul squirm.

The cinematography is amazing as well. The way I Saw the Devil is shot reminds me a lot of Let Me In (click here for my review of that amazing film). This film is just as much art as it is entertainment.

Finally, the tension in I Saw the Devil will keep you on edge until the credits roll. I found myself so wound up at certain points that I couldn’t keep my feet still. At one scene, I actually stood up in surprise. I LOVE movies that can evoke this kind of emotional response from me, and believe me: they are few and far between!

I Saw the Devil is a must-see and one you should DEFINITELY buy for your collection. I had the privilege to watch it on Blu-ray and am glad I did: the picture and sound quality are amazing. Whatever you do, make sure you see this film soon!

MSB

I hope you have a safe holiday. Make sure you come back tomorrow with all of your digits!

MSB