While nothing original seems to be coming out of Hollywood, we in The Basement can always count on the French to come up with something completely different. And, in this case, different = Rubber.
When Robert, a tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession. Sounds like Rubber, from writer/director Quentin Dupieux, is a send up of the Hollywood monster movie doesn't it? Well, it is. Kinda. But it's so much more. How much more? Find out when the June Special lands Sunday at 6 p.m. PST on iTunes, Facebook, podOmatic and right here on the blog.
Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. If you miss our hour-long episodes tune in Fridays at 4 p.m. at 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca for archived Season One episodes.
And we'll be back in The Basement Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. PST for all new episodes with Season Two. Stick with us!
Redundant yes, but response to the bootleg copy of David Fincher's Girl With the Dragon Tattoo remake preview was so positive that it would be heartless for us not to post the crisp, official version for your eye holes. Without further adieu . . .
Nifty huh?
In other news, look for regular blog updates to begin again in the near future as Shawn and I cruise through summer toward our eventual return to The X on Oct. 7. We're putting together some cool shit for fall, and want to keep our fans interested during the coming months. By all means, stick with us!
And thanks to everyone who listened to our May Special. Each and every one of you rock!
The first of our Summer Break monthly specials records tonight, with Shawn and I stepping into the time machine and heading back . . . waaaaaaaayyyyy back . . . to medieval England during the bubonic plague for the horror/thriller Black Death.
Director Christopher Smith helms the picture, and he's directed some solid genre pieces with Creep, Severance and a Basement fave, Triangle. No two Smith movies are alike, so it will be interesting to see how this film, which stars the great Sean Bean, adds up. You'll find out when the podcast goes live Sunday night!
Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. If you miss our hour-long episodes tune in Fridays at 4 p.m. at 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca for archived Season One episodes.
And we'll be back in The Basement Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. PST for all new episodes with Season Two. Stick with us!
Well, in the sense that our popular radio program over on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca has gone into reruns, as they say in the broadcast business.
That's right, you'll be able to hear all your favourite episodes, and even the ones you didn't like, every Friday at a new Bat Time starting tomorrow at 4 p.m.
But wait . . . does that mean you'll get to bed at a decent hour when our new season premieres Oct. 7? No. We're back on The X at our usual late-night time slot of 10 p.m., which is right where Shawn and I like to be when we're talking Basement cinema.
And don't forget to tune in once a month for special episodes exclusively on podOmatic starting May 29. The first film on the chopping block will be the medieval action picture Black Death.Stick with us!
Nothing goes together like heavy metal and action movies. Maybe heavy metal and horror, but the crunchy guitars and choppy bass suit shoot 'em ups best. So it's no accident Shawn and I have selected the documentary Lemmy and the action picture Deaden to close out our season on The X.
Lemmy is about the life and times of Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Anyone who loves metal will want to catch this film featuring appearances by Alice Cooper, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield. Is the documentary about Lemmy as bad ass as his life? Stick with us!
And you have to stick around for Deaden, written by and starring Basement fave John Fallon, The Arrow of Arrow in the Head. Fallon has been good to The Basement this season and was our first feature interview. His action flick, made on a low budget, is slowly making the rounds around the globe and Shawn and I are anxious to see it. Will it be Good, Bad or Ugly? Tune in tonight and find out.
When we're not reviewing movies, we're spinning another video game review by Greg, playing four kick ass songs and keeping you up to date on the latest movie news. We want to say we're saving the best for last, but we're back on the air Oct 7 for another season . . . so you know we'd be full of poop!
Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST at www.thex.ca, Shaw Cable 106.1 and 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops.
Tonight, Shawn and I are going to share two movies we think you need to see. Perhaps you already have, perhaps not, but we're going to put out a suggestion each for films we think NEED to be a part of every movie fan's collection.
Coming up with our selections wasn't easy. There's a lot of great films out there and picking just one took a lot of effort, which is why we will revisit the subject from time to time, building the ultimate Basement movie library.
Being a martial artist, Shawn went with Bruce Lee's 1973 classic Enter the Dragon, the first martial arts film produced by a major Hollywood studio. It's been ages since I've watched it, and I look forward to hearing why Shawn thinks it's required viewing.
As for me, I went with 2006's Paul Walker action flick Running Scared. Some might find it hard to believe that Walker made a solid film outside of The Fast and The Furious franchise, but you better believe it. Tonight I will tell you why!
We've also got the usual mix of music, movie news and our thoughts on the Top 5 best movie kills of all time. We promise if you tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST at www.thex.ca, Shaw Cable 106.1 or 92.FM CFBX Kamloops it will be an hour of radio you won't regret.
And now, a look at tonight's feature presentations:
Radio NL reporter Shane Woodford returns for a second go-round in The Basement and, believe it or not, he actually asked to be here. Usually we have to put on skin masks and butcher's aprons and haul our return visitors back kicking and screaming.
We kid, we kid. Or do we? You'll never know for sure.
Seeing as Woodford isn't a horror fan (wuss) we've lined up something different for your listening pleasure tonight -- kung fu! Everyone loves kung fu, right? Well Shawn does and I do. We're not sure about Woodford.
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a good 'ole fashioned kick 'em up that promises spectacular fight scenes. To say we're looking forward to reviewing it is an understatement. And it stars martial arts legend Donnie Yen. Get ready for a good time!
Which brings us to Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. A horror comedy, the film stars Firefly fave Alan Tudyk as one half of the Tucker and Dale combo. As for the evil? Well, stick with us! Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil has done well on the festival circuit as a spoofy riff on the backwoods horror genre. We'll see how it does in The Basement tonight!
We've also got our thoughts on Sequels That Rock, the latest movie news as read by newshound Woodford, and some great music for your ear hole. You know where you need to be tonight at 10 p.m. PST? That's right: at 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca!
What offends you more: the thought of being attacked by a family of homicidal backwoods hicks or a homicidal Santa Claus?
This is the question Shawn and I faced heading into tonight's films. One is an indie horror flick called Carver, the other a Finnish killer Santa Claus fantasy titled Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. One is a based on an alleged true story the other . . . is about a killer Santa Claus.
Some might think we in The Basement are scraping the bottom of the barrel with this week's offerings. We disagree. Carver is supposed to a gorehound's wet dream while Rare Exports has received rave reviews from around the globe for being a fun, alternative holiday tale. Us Basement Dwellers are up for both.
When we're not rocking the reviews and knocking back brews, Shawn I take our shots at the dumbest movie villains of all time. Sure, everyone remembers Darth Vader and Hans Gruber. But what about the bad guys who suck? Tonight, the losers get their due!
As always, we've got four new songs for your listening pleasure, the latest movie news and the lively banter you've come to expect from Film Reviews From the Basement. So tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca and get your geek on.
A chain letter may seem like an outdated -- and let's be serious here, SILLY -- concept for a slasher/horror picture, but dammit that didn't stop someone from making a movie about it.
Tonight Jason and Shawn take a look at the aptly titled Chain Letter and let you know if the film is something to passed from movie fan to movie fan or cooked in the microwave on High.
But that's not enough for our dynamic duo as The Basement Dwellers stop making fun of people who enjoy LARPing (Live Action Role Play) and watch a movie about them. But The Wild Hunt isn't an ode to the nerd black hole. It's about a game of LARP gone wrong. And if there's one thing better than something going right, it's watching something go wrong. How does the Canadian production stack up? Stick with us!
And stick around as the boys give their lists for the top three movie characters they'd like to fight. Not actors, characters! Are Indiana Jones, John McClane, Capt. James T. Kirk and Godzilla worthy of a back alley brawl? Tune in tonight and find out!
There's also the latest movie news, some cool tracks for your ear hole and a bunch of other stuff that's too cool for words. Just trust us when we say you need to tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.
A couple of months back Shawn and I treated listeners to a night of beasts, boobs and blood with our creature-double feature Piranha 3D and Abominable. The response proved so successful that we've decided to do it again!
Tonight, Anthony Michael Bosa joins us in The Basement Studios for a pair of reviews that will leave you godsmacked! First up: Sharktopus! That's right: SHARKTOPUS!! From the mind of legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman comes this monster hybrid that has to be seen to be believed. All three of us have seen it, and we share our thoughts with you near the top of the hour.
What's it about? Who cares!?! It's a movie about a shark that's on octopus. What more do you need to know?
Then we feast our eyes on the lovely Briana Evigan (see pic) as she protects her autistic brother from a man eating tiger in Burning Bright. The life-or-death struggle takes place in a house during a hurricane. Sucks to be them. Does the movie offer thrills and chills on top of the scantily clad eye candy? Stick with us!
And keep on sticking with us for our first video-game review segment, a quartet of song by some little-heard talent, and the latest movie news. Who says staying in on Friday nights is boring? Not us!
The exploitation begins at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.
Tonight's a big night for us in The Basement folks as we've got an exclusive interview with New York Times bestselling author Steve Alten.
Alten's the mind behind Meg, the original giant shark tale that inspired The Asylum's Mega Shark movies. The novel has been circling Hollywood for years as it waits to hit the big screen. Alten talks about his battles with Hollywood, his other novels Domain and The Loch, and the world's fascination with the pending Mayan apocalypse. Its a half hour of talk you won't want to miss.
Do any of you remember when Russell Crowe was a big deal? Remember Gladiator? Master and Commander? L.A. Confidential? Hell, how about Virtuosity?
Well, the moody actor's glory days are likely behind him if the box office returns for The Next Three Days are any indication. But a final domestic gross of just $21 million doesn't mean the action/thriller isn't any good. It's just that no one seems to care about Russell Crowe anymore. Nor do Shawn and I really, but that doesn't mean we object to watching his movies and sharing our thoughts on them, which we do for you tonight.
Once we're done with Crowe, we aim the executioner's axe on the ancient ones. Yes, those evil beings from beyond are back in a new horror comedy inspired by the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu looks like the kind of quirky mix of horror and comedy that made Shaun of the Dead so good. But that doesn't mean that it is. What do we think? Stick with us!
So tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca. Oh yeah, that's the good stuff!
What's this? An artsy, award-nominated bit of film de cinema on our little show about beasts, boobs and mad killers. Have we gone nuts? Mad? Ka-razy?
Nope. In fact, on our first ever podcast episode, we reviewed a then little-know movie called The Hurt Locker. Surprise! It won best picture last year. Now we're tackling Danny Boyle's celebrated survival drama 127 Hours. Why? Although critically acclaimed, James Franco's star turn didn't exactly generate heat at the box office. In other words, no one saw it. But we have, and tonight we'll let you know if it deserved the acclaim or not.
Then Shawn and I ask one question: can you smell what The Rock is cookin'? That's right. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returned to hardcore action last fall with Faster. Too bad no one bothered to see it. Did the film deserve to be ignored by mainstream audiences, or is it a diamond in the rough? Stick with us!
And The Basement's own Mike S, he who created our rating system The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, is back to review a little movie called 2001 A Space Odyssey. Did this die hard horror/indie fan dig the sci-fi classic? Tune in and find out.
We've also got music by The Heavy and Aerosmith and some fan mail to share with y'all. It's going to be a fun night of radio. That's a promise, as long as you tune in at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca. Don't say we didn't warn you.
I know, the fact someone made a movie about ninjas fighting aliens delights us too. I just had to get that out of the way first.
Torture porn is a horror subgenre that was born with the first Saw movie and then bludgeoned to death like so many of the movies' victims during the years that followed. The premise is simple: find people to torture then do horrible, terrible things to them for the next 80 minutes. See Hostel, Captivity and a slew of other cheap knockoffs if you need a visual reference.
But the Australian effort The Loved Ones is supposed to be a bit different, and it's been getting rave reviews from almost everyone who's watched it, so Shawn and I decided to give a whirl. The Loved Ones is our first film on the chopping block tonight.
Then it's time for ninjas and aliens. What more can we say about it other than it features ninjas fighting aliens. What more could we ask for really? Does the conflict make for fun popcorn viewing? Stick with us!
And stick around for a preview of the annual Kamloops Canadian and International Film Festival beginning in our city next week. What does this mean for our podcast listeners from around the globe? Being an international festival there's a good chance one or all of these movies could be destined for a theatre near you.
The show starts at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca. It's an hour of radio no self-respecting film fan will want to miss. Tune in even if you don't respect yourself. We don't discriminate in The Basement.
When a filmmaker named John Carpenter screened his first horror movie, Halloween, for a young studio executive at 20th. Century Fox he did so without the music. She bluntly told Carpenter his film wasn't scary, that it didn't work. So the director and composer set out to "save it" with music. The score he composed, and the chilling film he made, have become fixtures in popular culture.
Tonight, on a special episode of Film Reviews From the Basement, The X's own Rev. Steve of Do Not Touch This Amp joins us for a discussion on movie soundtracks and their transition from being accompanying music to a big moneymaking business. It's a segment no film or music fan will want to miss. And yes, there will songs.
But we are review show, and that means Shawn and I have a couple of reviews for your listening pleasure. First up is the haunted house spookfest 100 Feet starring former Bond babe Famke Janseen and John Fallon of Arrow In the Head. Then we turn the executioner's axe on the little-seen slasher film Babysitter Wanted. How do these two under-the-radar genre films stack up? Stick with us!
So set your radio dial to 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops at 10 p.m. PST or log on to www.thex.ca and get ready for an hour of radio that will blow your ear hole! Trust me, it's a lot more fun than I just made it sound!!
A small-town sheriff facing down a ruthless, bloodthirsty outlaw certainly sounds like the makings for a good Western. And that's exactly the premise of director Patrick Hughes's Red Hill. The only difference is the film takes place in present day Australia.
Red Hill is our first film on the chopping block tonight. The other is Adam Green's Hatchet 2. Which is a sequel to Adam Green's Hatchet, don't you know? Hatchet is a Basement favourite, but Shawn and I were less than thrilled with Green's follow up Frozen. Does the director redeem himself with Hatchet 2? Stick with us!
By the way, the hottie above is Danielle Harris. She stars in Hatchet 2. Just wanted to justify putting a picture of a pretty girl on this page.
But the fun doesn't stop with the films. Being movie geeks, Shawn and I have spent a lot of time in movie theatres. Some of the visits have been good, some bad, and a handful have been ugly. With theatre attendance on the decline, we thought we'd share our experiences with you even though the one has nothing to do with the other.
Add some cool music and another edition of Movie News to the mix and you've got yourself an hour of live radio. Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca or be forever square.
What can we say other than we here in The Basement love our monsters. Maybe it's that primal fear left over from when we were children scared of the hairy monster in the closet or the masked bogeyman under the bed, but monsters or fascinating. Monsters are cool. As long as they are on the big screen that is.
Tonight we're putting two little-seen but well-regarded horror tales on the chopping block. First up is Cloverfield director Matt Reeves's vampire film Let Me In, which is a remake of the Swedish flick Let The Right One In. The Basement's Matt Bellamy actually likes the remake better, so that has Shawn and I curious. Speaking from my own experience, Let The Right One In is a modern classic. Never mind the horror part.
Then we take on Monsters, the low-budget directorial debut of Gareth Edwards that promises big things in terms of giant aliens running amok. We're jazzed to see it, but will Monsters actually be any good? Stick with us!
And stick around for our interview with sci-fi writer David McDonald. Not only does David write in one of our favourite genres, but he's also a Basement fan. David talks about his first novel, The Rewirers, the films of past Basement guest William Castle and how film influences his writing. It's a talk any writer and film fan won't want to miss.
So join us tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca for an hour of radio that's more talk, less rock and all film. 'Scopin!
Shawn will break out the whiskey and shot glasses tonight as he celebrates the final review Film Reviews From the Basement will do in the Millennium Trilogy as the executioner's axe falls on The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest.
The first two films, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire, are his most hated of all time, which doesn't bode well for Hornets' Nest. He gave each an Ugly. What will he give the last film in the series? Stick with us!
Note: Jason will review the movie too. He gave the previous two a Good.
Then the Basement Dwellers set their collective sites on Adam Green's Frozen. Jason and Shawn dug the writer/director's slasher film Hatchet, but this movie's about three people trapped on a ski lift. Is Frozen the next Buried? Tune in tonight and find out.
And stay tuned in for a lengthy discussion on remakes, complete with audio clips of course, the latest movie news and music by Subplot A, The Sleeveless Tease and other under-the-radar talent.
The thrills begin at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca. Don't miss it!
Where to begin in our descriptions of tonight's films? One is a documentary for our times that has been accused of not being a documentary at all. The other is a one-man show about a man buried in a coffin beneath the sands of Iraq. To say much more would be giving too much away.
Buried stars future Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds, an actor better known for his comedic timing than his dramatic chops. But he's all there really is to Buried and the film hinges on his ability to carry a dramatic role. Does he pull it off:? Stick with us!
Then there's Catfish, a high-tech "thriller" of a documentary about online relationships and dating in the Facebook age. Some believe what happens in Catfish is too good to be true. Being a journalist, I make my bread and butter off of such stories and have come to believe that truth really is stranger than fiction. In the end, all we in The Basement really care about is does the film work? Tune in tonight and find out.
And don't touch that dial as we discuss the latest movie news, spin some tunes from the likes of Gravity Kills and Mark Collie, and share our thoughts on bad movie ideas. It all happens at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops and online at www.thex.ca.
Tonight is a special night in The Basement: we're reviewing a creature-double feature where the emphasis is on beasts, boobs and blood . . . not necessarily in that order.
First up we're braving the waters of the Roger Corman horror/satire remake Piranha. The new version was made in 3D and comes courtesy of director Alexandre Aja, best know for his horror classic High Tension and the redo of The Hills Have Eyes.
Aja's films are uber bloody. Throw in a beach setting and the potential for exploitation holds no bounds. Does Piranha 3D deliver on the booty and blood? Stick with us.
Then stick around for a little-seen horror film where the villain is the legendary Bigfoot, a beast known to lurk in these here parts. The movie, made almost a decade ago by fledgling filmmaker Ryan Schifrin, generated good buzz from the film-geek set before premiering on the SyFy network in the U.S. about five years ago. Is it a dud or genre gem. We'll present our biased reviews later in the show.
Shawn and I will also share the latest segment of Who Cares?, bring you the current movie news, and kick the P.A. with some tunes. Who said radio is dead? Not us!
Tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops or go online at www.thex.ca at the same Bat Time. 'Nuff said.
Ladies and gentlemen, after a three-week absence, The Basement is reopen! And what better way to celebrate than by watching the much anticipated sequel to a Basement favourite: Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus?
Shawn, Anthony Michael Bosa and I make no bones about our love for The Asylum's cheesy low-budget monster mashup. So, when the studio announced a sequel was in the works, we got real excited. When that sequel was named Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus, we fell out of our chairs. Does it matter that crocosaurus isn't even a word? No! It's all about watching monsters smash stuff and try to eat each other.
Tonight we'll let our awesome and sexy listeners know what we thought about this potentially awesome film. And Anthony Michael Bosa has demanded that he be in The Basement Studio at The X just for the occaision.
And yes, that's Urkel himself, Jaleel White, in the above picture.
Our second film of the evening is the polar opposite to Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus. Cropsey is a documentary about an urban legend that haunted filmmakers Barbara Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman while they grew up in Staten Island, NY. In the film, Brancaccio and Zeman return to their childhood home to investigate the myth about the elusive boogeyman who allegedly lived in the abandoned ruins of the notorious Willowbrook Mental Institution, which he used as a base for abducting and killing local children.
Sounds like it could be heavy and creepy stuff, but we haven't had great luck with documentaries in The Basement. Is Cropsey another Restrepo or more on par with Blood Into Wine? Tune in tonight!
We've also got the latest movie news, a bunch of music for your ear hole and a few other surprises up our sleeves. And there's Anthony Michael Bosa. Admit it, you're as excited to tune in to 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops or head online to www.thex.ca at 10 p.m. PST as we are to be back on the air.
