Saturday Sequel presents Jeepers Creepers 2
By Paul Anthony
In August of 2001 we saw the release of Jeepers Creepers and the film though was simple became a hit, the film starred a young Justin Long and Gina Philips. The film which is in the genre of Mystery-Horror Monster film was a hit when it grossed nearly 60 million dollars on a budget of 10 million dollars. The film told us the story of a brother and sister traveling home during spring break through Florida when they start to be chase down by a old box truck, turns out this wasn’t just some random person but a creature who on every 23rd spring for 23 days eats human parts and make them his own parts and the Creeper which is its name picks his victims through fear and this time he wanted a pair of eyes but with the film making money we all knew a sequel was coming. Just two years later in August of 2003 we got the sequel. Here the movie takes place just days later which was a good thing because we really didn’t some future movie that would kill the series like a Jason X. The film had a higher budget but not by much it went from 10 million to 17 million which was understandable. You had a bigger cast this time around and needed a little more graphics. Only two people returned for this film and that was Jonathan Breck as the Creeper and Justin Long made a cameo. Like always we have to ask was this film better then the first one? Like always lets talk about the plot first.
Here we start the film on day 22 of the same spring as the first film when we get to see the Creeper back in action this time he kills a young boy in front of his family on their farm. We then move to day 23 with a school bus full of high school basketball players celebrating with the fact that they won the state championship but soon they blow out a tire but manages to keep going down the road until they blow out another tire that forces them to stay park and anyone who has a cellphone doesn’t have service, they do their best to call for help on the CB Radio but soon the creeper starts to basically pick on them, it is revealed that he threw homemade weapons to blow out the tires. Sure enough he picks them off one by one though they do some pretty good damage to his as well but he keeps on coming after them. Just when hope seems to be lost Jack Sr and jack jr the family from the farm shows up with a homemade Harpoon to kill them but just as it seems they could the Creeper’s time runs out and goes into Hibernation before it bleeds out saving it’s own life. The film ends the when we a see a pickup truck carrying teenagers to a farm and we learn that its Jack Sr and Jack jr’s farm and it has been 23 years or close to it and they been selling photos of it calling it a Bat from hell and we last see Jack SR waiting with his harpoon and tells the teenagers that he’s waiting for it to awake which should happen in a day or 2.
Now I have to say the film wasn’t better or worse than the first film, basically it was on par. what hurt this film was the audience knew and saw too much of the Creeper already, we knew what he was and what he wanted, we knew all the facts and what film could have done was give us more details about him but they didn’t. the main cast of students had no real character to them, they just seemed to be there, actually all the cast seem to be that way. The acting was okay, no one stood out in this film, plot was predictable which most horror films are. In the end I am giving this film a C for a rating though it didn’t stand out , it wasn’t bad either.
Saturday Sequel Presents: Child’s Play 3
By Paul Anthony
Here we are reviewing a film that should have never happen or at least should have never been rushed to be made. Chucky was defeated in part one and found a way to come back. Thanks to the toy company getting the remains of the Good Guy doll that Chucky was using and basically rebuilt the doll which I guess gave Chucky enough power to come back to life which never made sense tome in first place, Why rebuilt a burnt doll. In part two once again Andy defeats Chucky again and once again destroyed the body this time in the plant in which he was rebuilt in. At this point its safe to assume at the very least the series should be over but Child’s Play 2 made money and that was the problem. The film made 35.8 million dollars from a budget of 13 million. Now here is the sad part because this film made money the studio wanted a sequel which we knew they would but we got a sequel just 9 months later. Which was a fast turn around by anyone standards and that was the biggest problem. No doubt a another break would have done justice for this franchise. Anyway 9 months later we get Child’s Play 3. The film made 20 million as gross against a unknown budget, which safe to say had to be around the 10 million marker.
The film does a big time jump from part 2, we are now 8 years after the events of part 2 and Andy is a now a 16 year boy who is going to Military school after he has been bouncing from one foster home to another in the last 8 years. Meanwhile Chucky remains in the plant that he died in and that’s because the company shut down the plant that makes the Good Guy dolls after their second run in with Andy and his situation. However they felt that 8 years was long enough to go without their most popular toy. So they order the plant to reopen. With Chucky blood still being in the doll they melt the doll down and his blood travels to a new doll which once again makes him powerful enough to come back to life and this time he’s really made and determines to find Andy and after killing the CEO and hacking into his records he finds where Andy is at. Now once again Andy is having a hard time fitting in though he does befriend his roommate and a girl named Kristen and a younger student called Tyler. Who now becomes Chucky new target because he revealed himself to Tyler in his new body. The fight is on for Andy defeat Chucky to save Tyler but its far from easy because once again no one believes him until the very end. Needless to say Andy defeats Chucky once again this time basically cutting his body up through a big fan. the film ends with Andy being taken to away in cuffs for questioning and Kristen rushed to the hospital and Tyler faith being unknown.
We know the series didn’t die after this, seven years later we got the film called Bride of Chucky which takes place only a month after the time line which the small time jump closes the window for the big jump that they did. Now why did this film didn’t do well as the first two even though everything was pretty much the same. The 9 month turn around, The second film was still fresh in people eyes and then release the film on a holiday weekend wasn’t the best idea in the end. Now I will give a C for a grade because it wasn’t a bad film just wasn’t good either!
Saturday Sequel Presents The Car: Road To Revenge
By Paul Anthony
I have to say reviewing movies can be fun, writing about it can be fun, even if the movie is bad but then there are movies like this one where I just have to scream at watching. Okay let’s start at the beginning, today I am reviewing a film called The Car: Road To Revenge, which is a sequel to the 1977 movie The Car which starred James Brolin and Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley and Ronny Cox. The plot was simple a small town was being haunted by a car that drove itself and Brolin’s character has to stop it before it kills anyone else in town. The film ends with revealing that the car clearly survived the events of the film. We now jump to 2019 when this film came out direct to video 42 long years after the first film. Now you would think a reboot would be better or something but no we got a standalone sequel. Now both films are about the same length around a hour an a half but unlike the first film this was a rough hour an a half.
First and foremost the story takes place sometime in the future in a dilapidated cyberpunk looking city, where an District Attorney is working on putting this gang away for life but just when he gets the evidence that he needs the gang leader sends his henchmen to kill the attorney which by the time we get to this point we learn that the attorney isn’t a bad guy but isn’t good either, in fact he seems like a jerk pretty much when the girl he likes wants no relationship with him, he basically kidnaps and they have a little argument. So when the guys is killed you really don’t feel sorry for him. However shortly after he is buried, his brand new car begins to kill the henchmen one by one. Now we have a detective trying to saw his murder and teaming up with the guy’s girlfriend or ex girlfriend or whatever she truly is to him, they come together and track down the gang as well. Midway through the film the car does take some blows and finds it way to junkyard where the mechanic finds it and rebuilds it using parts from the first car in the first film, which is very random by the way, once the car is rebuilt it decides to now go after the detective and the girlfriend and they have to defeat the car and gang which they do!
This film honestly made no sense to me. One minute it seems like we should root for the District Attorney then the next minute you want him dead which would work if the people he was after was being framed or something. We have no character back stories, so we can’t connect with them and you get to the point where you don’t know which side is good and bad. The only bright spot to this film is that Ronny Cox does make a cameo in this film which pays homage to the first film. In the end I am asking you don’t waste your time watching this film. I am giving this film a failing grade or 40 percent.
House Of 1000 Corpses Review
By Paul Anthony
On the eve of Friday the 13th, I had to do a review on an horror film since we are now moving towards Thanksgiving and Christmas, this might be the last one for awhile, who knows. Today I decided to review as the title said House of 1000 Corpses, which is Rob Zombie’s directorial debut and this film would go on to be the first film what would be known as Firefly Film series. There would be two more films The Devil’s Reject and 3 from Hell. This film stars Sheri Moon ( Rob’s real life wife), Bill Mosely and the late Sid Haig. The film was made from a small budget of 7 million but was slammed by credits but still managed to make nearly 17 million and would of course become a cult film. This to me this film introduced me to black comedy horror films. Though Zombie was inspired by films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Hills have Eyes (1977), there is no doubt he added his own touch into the horror genre and it would be a shame not to give it it’s own name but that is a topic for another day. This film mixed black comedy for sure but added so much more grit and darker tone to it. Now critics bashed it but was it really that bad?
First the plot like always, the film takes place starting on Halloween eve of 1977, the film starts with a creepy gas station getting robbed but the owner who dresses as a creepy clown and call himself Captain Spaulding ( Sid Haig) instead kills the would be robbers and cleans up with his assistant just in time as four travelers come in for gas though they are exploring roadside attractions. Which the gas station itself is basically a monster house with stories to each monster it has, it even has its own roller coaster ride which the four (Jerry, Bill, Mary, Denise) take the ride and Bill and Jerry gets attach to the idea of Dr Satan and would like to know more which Spaulding gives them directions to but as they get close they pick up an Hitchhiker named Baby (Sheri Moon) she takes them to her family house after their car gets a flat and the group quickly learns this family is not normal the leader of them all has to be Baby’s adoptive brother Otis ( Bill Moseley) one by one they get picked off basically. At the same time we hear about these Missing cheerleaders and the police are on the hunt for whoever kidnapped these girls which we learn the Firefly family as they known by had them this whole time in which they do kill them. Denise manages to escape the night only to be saved by Captain Spaulding but realizes he is with the Firefly family and she passes out and awakes on Dr. Satan table screaming leaving her fate unknown.
The movie was only 90 minutes long, so it moved pretty quickly. We didn’t really have much character development to learn why this family was really all crazy and s0 forth but that may have been the point here. The story was weak at best and the jump scares were far in between. I can see why the profit was low but the great thing it did do was to me introduce a new genre to the horror genre though its under Black Comedy Horror as I said earlier it felt like it different. In the end I am giving it an C for rating. though it did some great things it just needed to be more.
And The Scariest Movie is??
By Paul Anthony
I think this topic was the best topic to do for a blog for this week and my title says it all! That’s right we are going to talk about the scariest movie according to science which is a interesting twist to this subject. Every generation has as scary movie that just gets to us and then there are movies that affects each person in different ways which often makes a movie regardless of the genre a debate amongst fans. Heck even here at Smash we often have debates just about one movie. However as much as we review movies based on things such as the plot or action or even jump scares we never used science to determine this. However I do want to make this clear with ever study unless they include every person out there I don’t know how much you want to believe this but the winner of the study, is still a scary movie regardless!
First let’s go ahead and talk about the winner and that is no other than Sinister a film that came out in 2012, starring Ethan Hawke who is a writer that writes true crime books and his next book basically leads to his death and if you haven’t watched it then please do. So how did science help determine this, well by measuring your heart rate of course and here is where we talk numbers. The study made 50 people of all different ages watch over 100 hours of horror movies. Now the movies were selected were the highest rated horror films, there they hooked everyone up to heart monitors and the films begin. Sure everyone’s heart was different but the increase was all the same when the film Sinister started to play the increase was all the same proving that Sinister was the film that did it to them.
Now though overall Sinister took the top spot there was another film that had the biggest one time jump and that was Insidious. The average starting heartrate was around 86 but one scene made everyone’s heartrate jump to 133 but besides that the difference stayed around 21 through the rest of the film. Sinister on the other hand stayed around 32 for the difference and its highest heartrate peaked at 13.
The study did make a few notes that should also be mention here and that is people still found the older films to be better horror films just not as scary as some of the newer titles which I don’t know how that makes sense but let’s just go with it and we might be giving James Wan the title of Horror master because he had a few films that made the top ten which was Insidious, The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. Not to mention he did start the Saw series.
Now I have to say based on my reaction the top three films which were Sinister, Insidious and The Conjuring, to be some of the best horror films of all time but now I guess science just proves it! I would say watch all three films!!
Saturday Sequel Presents The Babysitter: Killer Queen
By Paul Anthony
How quickly can things change for a franchise. One movie was pretty good and now this film. It is like two different stories regarding the film. Now count this as part part two of my weekend with reviewing this series. Let’s keep in mind that this franchise was most likely never meant to be a franchise. At least that’s how it seems to me. The script was on ice for three years and then it became a good film which I did enjoy and gave it a good review, as quickly as I heard of the first film I then saw this film and thought hey why not let’s check it out and well let’s look at the plot first before I say anymore.
The film picks up two years later and Cole is now 14 and a junior in high school. Since the first film no one believes Cole and even his own parents decide that he needs help and maybe then he will tell the truth of what really happens that night. the only one who believes him is his only friend Melanie who now has a boyfriend named Jimmy and his friend Diego and also Boom-Boom . At insult injury Cole has a new classmate who is a total Badass named Phoebe. Just when Cole ready to be shipped off, Melanie decides have him run away to the lake where the teens are having a party, which Cole agrees to, there at the party Cole stumbles in room on a boat where he witnesses Melanie and Jimmy and Diego kills Boom-Boom, which they reveal they are part of the cult as well and now then out of nowhere the cult members return from the dead to complete their mission of killing Cole in order for them to be basically reborn and love again, It is at this point Phoebe comes in the room seeking gas for her Jet ski which Cole uses that as a way out and they escape with the cult members both old and new chasing after them. Once on land Coles reveals everything to her in which he believes she won’t believe him but in a shocking twist she actually does and shares her own personal horror story in a bonding moment and trying to fight off the cult they end up having sex but are caught shortly after that and with the demons taking their blood in which they drink it, they begin to die off and they realize that the two innocents had sex making them no longer innocent. At this point Bee returns to fight Melanie which Bee wins and sets Cole and Phoebe free. Bee tells Cole that it was him confessing his love to her that made her see the light and have a change of heart though she is still a demon she decides to drink the blood which kills her for good. in a Mid credit scene on the beach Bee’s book shows up and is still intact waiting for someone else to find it.
Okay let’s look at some terrible issues with this plot. One Cole is 14 in the 11th grade how is that even possible, next Melanie is in the same cult but when did she join and why. Next Bee looks like an angel but yet she attacked a Fire fighter at the end of the first film so when did she decide to have a change of heart instead of seeking revenge. To me this was clear that there was never meant to be a sequel and they did one on the go which causing the plot to be messed up. the same humor and cast was there but that’s as much of a positive as I can say about the film and sadly giving this film a D for a rating. For everything they did right in the first film they did wrong in the second film.
The Babysitter Review
By Paul Anthony
We are in one of our favorite months of the year, where we love talking about everything that is horror but recently I have been looking into the the new age genre of Horror Comedy. Still not the biggest fan of this but then I came across this film on Netflix and it began to peek my interest so I decided to review this film. Let me make a note here that for this week Sequel Saturday will be the direct sequel to this film, so almost called this part one of the weekend blogs.
The script for this film has been around for a few years now and appeared on the 2014 Black List which rates scripts and labels the best ones that haven’t been produced. With that being said the script turned into a movie just three years later.
The movie revolves a pre teen named Cole who seems to be a shy but smart 12 year old. Sadly he gets picked on from the school bullies but then one day he is saved by an older girl who reveals herself to be named Bee and they develop a friendship though Cole begins to have a crush on her and even begins to forget his only friend Melanie, who actually has a crush on him, though he doesn’t realize this until the end. One day Cole’s parents go out for the night and Bee then becomes not only his friend and his crush but now his babysitter. Bee and Cole has a little party just the two of them, which she hopes he passes out but Cole didn’t take the drugs or alcohol that she had given him. Melanie encourages him to spy on Bee because her friends come over and are playing spin the bottle. Here we meet Bee’s friends, Sonya, Max, Allison, John and Samuel. We quickly learn that Samuel is new to the group and he barely knows them but wins a chance to kiss Bee and just as they were about to kiss Bee stabs him in the head. We learn that Bee and her friends are part of a demonic Cult which feeds on the innocent, which is why she befriended Cole but they learn that Cole is awake and chase after him but he passes out and he awakes tied up and they reveal themselves to him but the cops come thanks to Melanie but the team takes care of them quickly. Cole escapes once again and one by one Cole kills each member until its just Bee and him. Bee tells him the full truth how she sold her soul to the devil to get whatever she wants and in return she must spill the innocents blood but then she decides that she wants Cole to join her but Bee is ran over by Melanie. In her dying breath Cole reveals that he loves her which makes Bee cry before she dies and Cole shares a kiss with Melanie. In the post credit scene a Fire fighter is attacked by BEE.
This felt like a truly a new age film to me and that’s not a bad thing. They mixed in a good story of coming to age but that just used comedy and horror to tell the story. I do think this film has done a good job of using all the elements to tell a story and make a film that all ages can enjoy! In the end I am giving this film a B for a rating and think its a good movie to watch!
Scoob! Movie Review
By Paul Anthony
I make it no secret that, I don’t like watching cartoon movies in the theater however I might have found the film that could change my mind but now we may never know because of the situation that the world is in with this virus. We all grew up loving Scooby- Doo and this brought back some great Saturday memories watching the dog and his gang solving scary mysteries, The live action movies were cute as well. Scoob! serves as a reboot of sorts because we meet the gang when they are young and learn how the group came to be! The movie sounds like it will be cute as well but the movie is far from perfect though.
We first meet Scooby-Doo who is a puppy that is living on the streets. who takes a piece of meat from a butcher. Not long after that the cops start to chase him and that’s when we meet Shaggy who is walking by himself trying to find friends but has no luck because he thinks he is an outcast. By pure luck the two run into each other and Shaggy even protects him from the cops and even takes him home where they begin their friendship. It’s not until Halloween that we meet Fred, Daphne, Velma. Who recues the two from bullies but their candy gets thrown into a old house that everyone believes to be haunted. Led by Fred they go into the house and of course there is an ghost but they quickly solve that problem and prove that there is no such thing as ghost! The gang then becomes Mystery INC. Ten years later the gang wants to grow but requires money that they don’t have in which they bring in an investor who is none other than Simon Cowell who basically says he will only invest in the company if they drop Scoob and Shaggy from the gang because they are dead weight. Before Fred can answer the two storm off. they decide to go bowling and get attacked by small robots but is recused by the blue falcon well the son of Blue falcon because his dad retired. The gang learns their whereabouts and set off to find them. Scoob and Shaggy and the blue Falcon starts to be attacked by the main Villain Dick Dastardly who wants Scooby because he is the last relative of Peritas who was the dog of Alexander the great. If Dick gets Scooby, he is able to unlock a portal that has tons of gold though he makes up a sad excuse to stop everyone from catching him. In the end the gang becomes reunited to stop him for good and Simon changes his mind about Shaggy and Scooby because he learns they are heart of Mystery INC.
Let me start with the pros of this film, I did enjoy the comedy aspect of it and the music and the touching story of how everyone in the group serves a purpose even if other don’t think so. The cons, Over the top mystery, we all seen the show and this case was just way too much for a first film, then having a bunch of cameos of the other cartoons. the Movie didn’t need both of those elements and I believed it hurt the film more than anything. In The end though this film could have been better but instead it was just average but still i would say watch it! I am giving this film an C for a rating!
Saturday Sequel Presents Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween
By Paul Anthony
Let’s be honest, if you wee a kid in the 90’s growing up you know you read a Goosebumps book and even watched the show, heck to this day I still read the books and watch the show and I was even pumped to learn the show was coming back, which the wait is just getting longer and longer because of this virus but as a fanboy I have to say I was super excited when I heard about a movie that was being made. At first I was wondering if they would do the books in order which they would have tons of material for, however I was wrong, when the first film was released it was about the goosebumps book monsters coming alive, after the release I finally got behind that film and even the ending had set up a good plot for part 2. I knew there would be a part 2 because the film made 158 million from a budget that was around 84 million, with a story in place, we got a stand alone sequel that barely had any ties to the first. The film had a budget of 35 million and grossed 93 million which was basically on par with the first film. The movie went through 2 title changes, when it was first announced it was called Goosebumps: HorrorLand then got changed to Goosebumps: Slappy’s Revenge, only to get changed to Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween. Though this was a stand alone sequel it more felt like soft reboot with only mentioning that Slappy was involved in another situation like this.
The film starts in a small town in New York, here we meet the main characters of Sarah, whose trying to get into college and her brother Sonny and his best friend Sam. One day as Sonny and Sam was picking up trash in which they want to start garbage cleaning up service, they stumble on a book and Slappy without knowing they read a few words from this unfinished book that awakes Slappy. At first Slappy appears to be nice to them calling them his family but begins to use his powers to cause problems and harm around the people that are close to Sarah including her boyfriend. At this point Slappy heightens his powers to bring the monsters of Goosebumps alive and pretty much all Halloween decorations alive and turn them into monsters as well, story basically comes out that Slappy plans to Sarah’s mom into a dummy like him so he can have a mother who won’t abandon him like his father who it’s revealed to be R.L. Stine himself. Much like the first film the key to stopping Slappy is the unfinished book to catch him with. Unlike the first film Stine doesn’t need to finish the book to catch him, they just need to open the book and it will suck him in and of course the battle begins but the kids managed to save the day but when Stine returns home he see’s Slappy waiting for him and use the book on Stine which sucks Stine into the book leaving Slappy with the last laugh.
I did enjoy the movie but would have enjoyed the movie more if it was the first film. The fact that this film did feel like a soft reboot and nearly ignored all of the events of the first film only to reword the plot felt lazy to me. When you considered that nothing was explain on how Slappy got to New York and Stine not having his daughter with him and everything. The rumor was that there was two scripts with this film one with Jack Black and the other without him, I feel like they decided to mix the two scripts because Black was hardly in the film and was pretty useless in the film. This may have not been a reboot but it felt like one. In the end though I am giving it B for a grade it had it moments and potential to be even better but someone got lazy.
Freddy ten years ago!
By Paul Anthony
Ten years ago a horror legend returned to the big screen and at first it seemed like everyone was happy but sad that Robert Englund was no longer going to play the league character a role that he played from 1984 to 2003. The film had Jackie Earle Haley play Freddy. Up to this point Haley has been around in Hollywood since the 70s but mostly in roles you may have forgotten about, now by all accounts he made for the right person to take on the role of Freddy. With the cast locked up and the film only cost 35 million and with the previous year having a new Jason film that which the fan base was happy with, it only seem natural that we would strike oil again and have another hit on our hands. In truth the film did become a hit and made 116 million from the 35 million dollar budget. However the fanbase decided to start turning on the film for a few reasons.
One reason was because fans didn’t like the use of CGI for the face of Freddy even though it actually made it look more real then the cartoon make up that he had for a face before. Sure maybe there could have been a mixture of both but to me there was nothing to that really. I started to hear about people complain about how there wasn’t any humor like the previous films now this is use true but the producers made it clear that they were going with a darker tone, a more scarier Freddy. To me that was the only way to go in today’s horror genre. The comedy of Freddy was no longer carrying the franchise just look at the numbers they began to drop once the story pretty much ended. Sure Jason vs Freddy was a modest hit mostly because people been craving to see these two go at it since the early 90s, on top of that you had two fanbases coming together. The final reason was many people blamed Jackie who in my mind was the best part of the film, fans came out and wanted Robert Englund back but here is the thing when producers said reboot at that point you knew Englund was done and trust me it was time to move on.
The film itself overall wasn’t bad by any means, sure it wasn’t biggest hit for a horror film but still good. The truth is many people wanted fresh stuff and Freddy is a legend there is a place for him and always will be but that is in the past. I am sad to see Jackie be one and done, we know the studio wants to reboot the film again and after ten years its a good gap to do so. The biggest rumor that Kevin Bacon is being eyed to play Freddy, which is a good choice he has the talent to honestly mix the two Freddies but we will see in the near future if this comes to be. In my final words I do say this enjoy the 2010 reboot and see the good that the film with making Freddy scary and not making him a joke!!
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