Jason and Shawn review: Rubber

Rubber

Jason: Rubber is a slap in the face to Hollywood and all the sheeple who flock to the mass-market garbage movie studio's make. As long as the sheeple keep watching movies like that, Hollywood will keep making them. That's what Rubber is about, but it's also about a killer tire named Robert. To say Rubber is witty as hell and twice as funny would be an understatement. It's ballsy and has something to say. People will either groove on that or hate it. I grooved on it, and it's getting a Good in books.

Shawn: I'm still processing this movie in my mind. There are so many ideas at work here that I can't turn my brain off. I didn't want to see Rubber because it looked like another dumb comedy like Scary Movie or Vampires Suck. It's not that kind of movie at all. Rubber says a lot about Hollywood and the people who watch Hollywood movies. I can't stop thinking about this movie. Some people will hate it, others will love it. I'm giving it a Good! FYI: Stephen Spinella's Lt. Chad is one of the best movie characters ever.

Micro Review: 2010 Moby Dick

Only the folks at The Asylum would dare take Herman Melville's classic and update it into a high-tech, B-grade horror story -- a Jaws on steroids along the lines of their Mega Shark series. And only The Asylum would cast Xena's Renee O'Connor as The Narrator and Mega Force's Barry Bostwick as Capt. Ahab, now the commander of a U.S. Navy submarine. Actually, it all sounds better than it is. The effects are decent by Asylum standards and some of the dialogue is take directly from Melville's book. But it's still standard direct-to-DVD stuff. A Bad from me.

Micro Review: Drive Angry

Now this is what Basement Cinema is all about! Drive Angry is a fun, trashy B-movie with all the fixin's: bloody violence, liberal use of profanity, sex, nudity and hot chicks driving hot cars. Sure, it's got Nicolas Cage, but he's good in these kinds of off-kilter roles. And the world needs more Amber Heard because, well, just look at her! This is a 70s drive-in movie on steroids and it wears that badge proudly. Drive Angry isn't trying to be anything more than a crazy, beer-drinking movie experience, and I love it! Pair this up with Piranha 3D and you've got a great double feature. I'm giving this a Good, and will be watching it again and again and again.

Trailer Alert: Shark Night 3D

Two days ago we showed you the poster for David R. Ellis's Shark Night 3D. Tonight we bring you the first teaser trailer for his tale of a shark-infested lake and the poor bastards who go vacationing in it.

The preview doesn't show much more than beautiful people and beautiful sharks . . . although it does hint at beautiful shark carnage.

We here in The Basement are hoping for a fun and gory B-movie along the lines of similar-in-theme Piranha 3D. Nothing more, nothing less. We'll know more when the movie, which will cost you three extra dollars to see, opens Sept. 2.

But enough of the jibber jabber, here's the trailer. Apologies for the ad at the beginning.

Micro Review: House of Fears

For a no-budget, under-the-radar horror film, this isn't bad. It's not great, but it's not bad. A group of friends decide to break into an elaborate carnival funhouse after hours only to discover the attractions have come to homicidal life. The cool premise is hindered by the filmmakers' lack of imagination when it comes to executing the scares and the PG-13 violence. But the cast is better than average and everything moves along at a fast enough pace to make one almost forget this isn't as good as it could have been. Worth the watch once, so it's a Bad from this Basement Dweller.

Rubber rolls onto DVD, Blu-Ray in June

Remember the tragic tale of Robert, an inanimate tire that somehow comes to life with the ability to kill people with its "mind"? Sure you do. Shawn and I talked about it on an episode back in January. And you thought we were kidding.

The movie is called Rubber and it looks like all kinds of crazy and cool. Well, the story of Robert The Killer Tire rolls onto DVD and Blue-Ray on June 7, so you know what movie we're featuring on our June Special.

According to the official website, Rubber is about "Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages.”

Here's the trailer for Rubber, just in case your brain needs a refresher:

Jason and Shawn review: Sharktopus and Burning Bright

Sharktopus

Jason: This movie isn't as fun as the title suggests. It gives us what we want, which is lots of boobs, blood and a cool beast. There are a lot of kills here, but they do get redundant. The effects are better than both Mega Shark movies put together and, although the acting is pretty bad, everything works on the level of a late night horror movie. If I had a better time with it, Sharktopus would rate a Good. Instead, I have to give it a Bad.

Shawn: A low-budget movie featuring the great Eric Roberts, who was introduced to me in 1989's martial art movie The Best of the Best, which was awesome. He's not really a B-movie actor anymore, but it's good to see him stepping into these roles. Sharktopus is a good B-movie; fun and entertaining but predictable. Not the kind you watch more than once, which means it's a Bad in my books.

Burning Bright

Shawn: A people-eating tiger movie where no people get eaten. An under-clothed hottie and her autistic brother survive some intense moments and only one person gets eaten, and it's not very yucky, violent or scary. That said, the movie looks good, is very suspenseful and the main actress doesn't make stupid decisions. She reacts well to the situation. Still, I was disappointed, and I'm giving it a Bad.

Jason: Jaws on land. That's the best way to describe Burning Bright, although it isn't as good as Jaws. This is a tight thriller with lots of expertly executed suspense. Briana Evigan acts as good as she looks, and she looks great. I believed her and her relationship with the autistic brother. Burning Bright is a solid horror movie, and one of the best I've reviewed in The Basement. A Good for me.

A Night of Beasts, Boobs and Blood 2: Sharktopus and Burning Bright

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.

And now some previews for your viewing pleasure:

Sharktopus



Burning Bright

Jason and Shawn review: The Loved Ones and Alien Vs. Ninja

The Loved Ones

Jason: Wow, what an experience. I've never gone from hating a movie to loving it before. But I did here. Believe it! The first 40 minutes or so are disjointed and weird. Then the film has a brilliant turning point and it all comes together in the best possible way. Robin McLeavy is a revelation as Lola, one of the creepiest movie villains of all time. Her family makes the one from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre seem oddly tame. This is a disturbing and crazy film that is also a lot of fun. I have to give it a Good.

Shawn: This is kind of Hostel meets All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, but way better than both. It starts off kinda slow, but man . . . I really dug this movie. The characters were nicely built, and there is some twisted shit that was also pure coolness. The film is loaded with some great gore, great intensity, sex and pure insanity. And zombies! Kinda. A Good for me on this.

Alien Vs. Ninja

Jason: Predator meets Enter the Ninja by way of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers with a hard-R rating. That's the best way to describe Alien Vs. Ninja. No one, but no one, makes movies like the Japanese. This is an insane movie. Batshit insane. The kind that needs to be a cult hit. It's a bad movie that's so full of campy humour and over-the-top fight scenes that it's hard not to like. Great martial arts choreography as well. A Good from me!

Shawn: This movie started off having all the potential to rank up there with the great old-school kung fu movies I watched as a kid, with an alien twist. Decent story, decent characters, great martial arts, great gore. Then ONE fight, just one, ruined the entire movie. The fight between the female ninja and the alien was dumb. They made sexual references between the alien and the girl during the fight and it was stupid. Mood ruiner extraordinaire. That alone almost made Alien Vs. Ninja an Ugly, but it's a Bad for me in the end.

Next on the chopping block: The Loved Ones and Alien Vs. Ninja

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.

And now some previews of coming attractions:

The Loved Ones



Alien Vs. Ninja

Micro Review: Machete

I'm late to the punch here on this one as Shawn and Anthony Michael Bosa have already watched this bad boy. But better late than never right!?! Machete is bad ass. It's a throwback to the 1970's blacksploitation era, only with a Mexican. Think of this as a more serious take on Black Dynamite. There's truckloads of action and gore and some great bit roles for the awesome likes of Don Johnson, Robert De Niro, Jeff Fahey, and Steven Seagal. Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba supply the hotness. Too bad the whole silly project collapses under its own weight in the final reel. I'm glad I saw it and I did enjoy it, but I will likely not watch it again. That rates Machete a Bad for me.

The world's first killer tire movie rolls into theatres

Yup, you read that right. A killer tire movie.Called Rubber. We shit you not.

The tire's name is Robert by the way. Again, we shit you not.

The film, by way of French music producer Quentin Dupieux, screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival and generated some good buzz before being picked up Magnet Releasing.

According to the official website, Rubber is about "Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages.”

Fucking sold! Rubber premiers on VOD Feb. 25 and hits theatres April 1. No, the film is not an April Fool's Day joke. It's real, and the trailer below looks absolutely amazing. Funny, suspenseful, you name it.

And you know we'll review Rubber and share our thoughts with you on the show. We're good that way.

Malevolent bereavement

The 2004 low-budget slasher movie Malevolence was one of those hidden gems we enjoy here in The Basement, in case you haven't noticed. Now it's time for the prequel and we've got the trailer for yah below.

The first film, written and directed by Steve Mena, dealt with a trio of bank robbers who take a mom and daughter hostage and hide out at an abandoned farm house. The only problem is a soulless killers happens to live nearby.

Malevolence actually took some time to set up a back story for the killer, which is where Bereavement comes in. The film is a horrific account of the kidnapping of six-year-old Martin Bristol, the first film's villain, and his slow and steady descent into the killer he eventually became.

Mena is back on board for this one, and it features the great Michael Biehn as Bristol's dad. Prequels rarely work, but I will give Bereavement a watch strictly on the strength of the first film.

Bereavement hits theatres in a limited release next month.

Jason and Shawn review: Piranha 3D and Abominable

Piranha 3D

Jason: This is very much a B-movie. Granted, it's a $24-million B-movie, but it still wears its heart on its sleeve. There's so much T&A it's almost like watching softcore porn, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And some of the carnage and gore effects are amazing, especially a prolonged sequence at about the hour mark. The film does lack the fun and energy that often comes with a lower budget effort, but it's still a good ride for people who like this kind of thing. And I'm one of them. A Good rating for sure.

Shawn: The only real 3D effect I can see here is the 3D penis the piranha chewed on. I'm glad I didn't pay three-extra dollars to see it. And I hated the movie to begin with, with its bad CGI and poor kills spread thin during the first hour. Then came the TSN turning point and WOW. People get destroyed by these fish and it's awesome. Lots of gore and yes, lots of boobies. I'll watch it again, which means this is a Good for me too.

Abominable

Jason: Another film, another B-movie with beasts, boobs and blood. And this is a great one. It overcomes its low, low budget and the undeveloped skills of a first-time director with pure energy and heart. The filmmakers put their soul into this and it shows. There are some great kills here and, more importantly, some scary moments that would make John Carpenter proud. It's also a loving tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, believe it or not. I'm giving it a Good, and want every horror fan to see it.

Shawn: When I was a kid the scary monster in my closest was a Bigfoot and this movie brought some of those fears back to the surface. Jay's review helped sway my rating too because, once I accepted this was a first effort made on a low budget, it became easier to watch. There's no TSN turning point, it's a slow burn, and it works well enough that I do want to see it again. Good kills and yes, boobies! I'm giving it a Good as well.

Next on the chopping block: Piranha 3D and Abominable

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.

And now for some previews:

Piranha 3D



Abominable

Jason and Shawn review: Cropsey and Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus

Cropsey

Jason: This is a great piece of journalism, a whodunit that already has a culprit . . . or alleged culprit as the case may be. I like how Barbera Brancaccio and Joshua Zeman did their best to offer all sides of the case, showing the circumstantial evidence that led to Andre Rand's conviction but also revealing enough proof to understand why he was convicted and remains incarcerated. The crimes, with so many missing and presumed murdered children, are frightening. Seeing the impact the case still has on the community and the families is like a punch in the gut. This is a real horror story, and it's a compelling one. A Good review from me.

Shawn: Seeing the creepy, abandoned mental hospital with its tunnels and disarray was frightening, especially when you consider we've got one of those in our own back yard. It sent a chill down my spine and made me wonder "what if that happened here?" Watching the news footage that showed the treatment of the children in the hospital was disturbing. I can't believe children could be treated that way. Also unsettling was the game Andre Rand played with the documentary filmmakers. This is a great documentary, but I can't say it has enough entertainment value to watch it again. I'll give it a Bad, but I'm glad I watched it.

Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus

Jason: What should have been a critic-proof movie ends up being an epic fail of a Grade-Z mockbuster. This is so bad Ed Wood should be proud to call himself a filmmaker. All I wanted was a so-bad-it's-good experience. Instead, all I got was a bad.  The actors took themselves too seriously and the timeline was all over the map. Those are just a few of the many issues I had with this disaster of a movie. I could forgive its faults if I had a good time watching it, but I didn't. And it rates an Ugly because of it.

Shawn: The lack of continuity really bothered me. The characters jumped from the warship to the helicopter then back to the warship without explanation. The monsters were in Florida, then Panama, then the Pacific Ocean and over to the Atlantic without explanation. How did that Zodiac get on the beach? I get a headache just thinking about it, and it really ruined the movie for me. I wanted to give it a good, but this is so bad it's an Ugly.

Next on the chopping block: Cropsey and Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus

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.

Now for some previews:

Cropsey



Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus

Monsters director pegged to helm Godzilla redo

Shawn and I have yet to watch Gareth Edwards' Monsters, but the aptly named, and much praised, low-budget sci-fi horror flick is up for a review in February.

Therefor it's hard for us to get too excited by the news that the young director has been chosen to direct Legendary and Warner Bros. big budget version of everyone's favourite Tokyo-smashing creature.

That said, the Interweb is abuzz at the news, and praise for Edwards' film has permeated the geek world since it was screened at SXSW last year.  The film is supposed to be beautifully shot and have amazing special effects despite a budget of $800,000 or so. Clips we've seen look amazing.

And yours truly is a huge Godzilla nut, as any self-respecting movie nerd should be. If most of the online film community can now get excited for the project, then I suppose we in The Basement can too.

We'll let you know for sure when we review Monsters in a month's time.

Skyline: Jason's Thoughts

Nowhere near the train wreck many say it is, but not quite the fun ride as Anthony Michael Bosa and Shawn believe it to be. Still, there's lots to like in The Brothers Stause's alien invasion flick, including some crazy alien creatures and a number of great special effects/action sequences. In fact, the film's only real flaw is a cast of characters I wanted to see die rather than survive and an ending that doesn't quite work. Still, this is a decent B-movie that entertains despite its flaws. I doubt I will watch it again, so it rates a Bad from me. Sorry dudes.

Jason and Shawn review: Restrepo and The Horde

Restrepo

Jason: It's tough to put my feelings for Restrepo into coherent thoughts. As a filmgoer, my mind has been trained to expect certain things from a war movie, and Restrepo gives me all of them. But this isn't fiction, it's real. The documentary is like a punch in the gut at times. Other moments are an amusing portrait of men who have chosen a soldier's life. We see them bond, suffer boredom together, live together, die together and grieve together in one of the deadliest place in the world. I felt like I was there for all of it and suffered the deployment with them. I had to keep telling myself this was really happening, which proves what an exceptional documentary this is. I give it a Good rating only because we don't have a higher ranking.

Shawn: I had to switch viewing modes while watch this documentary. Where I usually long for some violence and stuff blowing up I was glad to see as little of it as possible while watching Restrepo. My eyes were absolutely glued to the screen. This is a fantastic documentary that is an honour to the men who served at OP: Restrepo. No politics, no left-wing/right-wing point of view, just a look at the men on the ground and their ordeal at war. I can't rate this, because it's just not fair to rank such an experience. Watch this awesome documentary!

The Horde

Jason: Pretty much a critic-proof movie. Either you want to watch a hardcore French zombie movie or you don't. If you do, The Horde more than satisfies. The film is unrelenting and bloody; a splatterfest in the best sense of the word. Bodies are shot full of holes and the dead feast on the living. No character development, little plot, but that's not why we watch movies like this. We watch them for the blood, guts and zombie action, and The Horde delivers on all fronts. A Good time for me.

Shawn: This is probably the best zombie movie I've seen in a long time. The zombie violence is brutal and what story there is is brutal too. I found the zombies terrifying in this. The way they move and attack the people, like the Rage Zombies from 28 Days Later on steroids. There are tonnes of epic scenes too, not the least of which is a one-man stand atop a car against hundreds of zombies. I loved this movie. I've watched it eight times, so it's a Good. Duh!