TALES FROM NETFLIX - Diary of the Dead

Just got around to watching the new Romero zombie movie, DIARY OF THE DEAD, last night. The new first person/handheld cam reboot of George Romero's classic zombie universe. I'd heard a mixed bag of reviews on it, and well, that's pretty much what it was.

It was good, maybe better than Land in terms of story, but man, I had a hard time with some of the cast, whereas the cast on Romero's last, modern, zombie feature Land of the Dead were mostly pro/recognizable/quality actors, Diary had a cast made of unknowns, and featured just some bad acting in spots (especially the lead Eliza Dushku wannabe girl, they shoulda just got Dushku)...
Plus, a lot of the situations and situational dialogue didn't ring true... like their reactions and motivations... come on, put the camera down an help the girl getting chased by a zombie, etc
It seemed Romero was too keen on driving his point home, to a fault.
If not for that stuff getting in the way, it would've been great.
It's too bad, but like with the Star Wars prequels, not sure if it was bad acting, or just bad direction... I mean in Romero's defense, these were unknown actors, whereas George had a stable of thoroughbreds.

Also, with both Land and Diary, I felt the ever present vibe of menace was mostly mia, and that's a staple of a good zombie flick.

However, there was some really cool creative zombie stuff though... zombies trapped in swimming pools, hydrochloric acid skull melts, shock paddles to the head, etc!!
And I loved the deaf mute Amish dood! He was BAD ASS!!!

I'm a huge Romero and zombie fan, so this was a must see for me, but for those who aren't, it's a mild recommendation. If you wanna see some kick ass zombies, rent the recent Dawn of the Dead remake, or the original.

MILDLY RECOMMENDED

TSL CATCH UP WEEK: DAY 2 - Tales From Netflix

Another batch of passed by comic culture recommendations, this time from the DVD department...

DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE

This is not just a worthless video game movie built around cheesecake, it's actually a must see for comic book/anime fans! Is it pure fluff? Sure, but it knows that, and has a great time anyway!
Non-stop action, cool cinematography, and sleek design propel this fun thrill-ride!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

EVIL ALIENS

This UK romp blends horror and sci-fi with plenty of in your face camp, gore, sex, and humor! The film opens with some graphic probing... you've been warned!!RECOMMENDED

MURDER PARTY

Quite simply the most innovative, riveting, and righteous film journey since PULP FICTION!

Yeah, it’s that good (though not AS good as Pulp Fiction mind you)!!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


PUZZLEHEAD

A purely cerebral sci-fi indie that draws you into the life of a scientist and his cyborg clone. That is to say, it's sci-fi, without any of the trappings, but only the ideas, and none of the budget or effects...

RECOMMENDED

SEVERANCE

Another UK blending of black comedy and horror setups. Unique and engaging (but much more mainstream than Evil Aliens).RECOMMENDED

WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END

Henry Rollins goes AHnuld on mutant hillbillies!!
You need more than that?!?This movie was a blast, and way better than the first!

RECOMMENDED

TALES FROM NETFLIX - Do you believe in fairy tales?

PAN'S LABYRINTH
I finally saw Guillermo Del Toro's fairy tale masterpiece.
Pan's mixes dark real-life World War II drama with a marvelous fantasy to masterful result.

Another true work of cinema of the highest order, Del Toro creates a world, both true and imaginative, that is both emotionally, and visually spellbinding. As many others have expressed, Pan's Labyrinth succeeds on many of the same levels as Children of Men, blending expert direction with heady themes and wildly creative story. What makes these films, along with, to a certain extent, 300, even more tremendous is that all three incredible meditative spectacles came so close together. Sure, Hollywood can crank out blockbusters, big action movies, shockers, or comedies that soar, but to have gems like Del Toro's Pan's, pure creative soulful genius, is a work of another order.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

CHILDREN OF MEN
Speaking of COM, I haven't talked Netflix in over 2 months, so I never mentioned it (except for above). Since I already went on about how similarly excellent the two films are, I won't waste the time again here. However I will say that COM was more gripping than Pan's, both visually and with the narative, featuring some of the most amazing camera work/direction ever seen. Even when Cuaron wasn't dazzling us with choreographed mayhem, we're treated to daring edge of your seat barefoot getaway's!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

WARNING SIGN (1985)
I love zombie movies, but had never heard of this biochemical 80's offering.
Turns out Warning Sign is a solid military laboratory meltdown flick, sans any flesh eating corpses. There are however infected employees with out of control rage, and a government cleanup crew with their own agenda, at odds with our local small town sheriff and his wife, who happens to be trapped on the inside.

Get this one if you'd like a tame but engaging pseudo-zombie survival tale (oh, and it stars that dude from Law and Order).

RECOMMENDED

TALES FROM NETFLIX - March

Time for another helping of overlooked gems from DVDland...

ALTERED - My wife added this to the queue, I'd never heard of it, turns out it's a horror/sci-fi genre piece from the writer/director of the massive indie hit THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Apparently his first offering since that little low budget creative dynamo... Eduardo Sanchez helms a more polished effort, that takes familiar genres, again to new territory. I don't want to explain much of the story, as it's a treat to watch unfold, but it focuses on a group of young men, and their past with supposed abduction, of the alien kind.

Altered is well written, well shot, and well executed in the plot department. It's full of nice touches on troupes of the genres we all know and have seen before, that makes for an enjoyable and fairly edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride through one dark evening in the boonies. Sound familiar? Well, yes, that could be the Blair Witch summary, but Altered more than stands on it's own.

This is really worth checking out if you like cool little sci-fi or horror work.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Check out the film's website HERE

LOGAN'S RUN (1976) - This is another one of those movies I, a genre loving disciple, should've seen in my 30 odd years of movie viewing, but am embarrassed to admit I haven't. I always thought I'd seen this, just too far back to recall, and had envisioned it as something entirely different than what it was. Any way, I had the pleasure of catching this on TCM's Oscar movies month a little while back, and of course, am glad I did.

While the special effects, wardrobe, and style at work in the movie are certainly dated, LR holds up really well 30 years later, certainly not near as much as 77's Star Wars (thanks to Lucas' groundbreaking special effects), but mostly thanks to the moral and societal themes present in the distant future tale. I can see why Bryan Singer was attached to remake this, the plot is very interesting.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DORKS - Just released, this 2004 German high school comedy mixes zombies into the formula to enjoyable results. It's well filmed, has a nice cast, and a fun story. It's full of some fun moments where they play with the central casts (a group of 3 high school friends) circumstance, they've been turned into flesh eating zombies but no one knows.

Unfortunately, it never really goes much of anywhere (not that you'd expect it to), or does too much with the concept, but it is none-the-less a cool sidetrack through the zombie genre, that will please zombie fans, or those who enjoy some goofy 80's style horror themed fun. Did I mention it's lots of fun!?!
RECOMMENDED

THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED - TFINYR is a great documentary on the Motion Picture Association of America, and the process by which they rate every movie you've ever watched. Like movies? Than you'll like this look behind the curtain of the ratings system you've seen and followed all your life.

Don't worry, it's not a dry doc pic, the director/writer fills the movie with many directors commenting on their experiences with the review board, and even hires a private detective to help expose the secret members of the MPAA. It's really kind of startling how much we take the system for granted, especially in light of what's exposed here. And, as a creator of media myself, this certainly hits close to home.
RECOMMENDED

ZOOM: ACADEMY FOR SUPERHEROES - Okay, this isn't a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. It's not even a good superhero movie. Zoom is uninspired, and while pretty to look at, oddly lifeless, the director knows how to set up a shot, but gets zero out of the cast and straightforward seen-it-all-before story.

There's more than one god-awful montage, Tim Allen not even bothering to phone it in, and a predictability factor that's off the scale, BUT, but, if you like comic books, you'll find some fun to be had here. Cheap, pretty, boring, lifeless, fun, but hey, comics were disposable entertainment once, so just pretend this is a 20 cent miss from the spinner rack...
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

ON THE RADAR RECOMMENDATIONS
(The more mainstream fair most folks, if not all, have already heard of):
BORAT - What is there to say about Borat? It's worth checking out for the heaping helping of deleted scenes (including a hilarious Baywatch spoof), and the promo tour video...
THE PRESTIGE - There were two nicely filmed turn of the century magician movies last fall, and THE PRESTIGE was the best of the two. Directed by Christopher Nolan (he of MOMENTO, and BATMAN BEGINS) with much of the cast from Batman Begins (the impressive Christian Bale returns along with the always superb Michael Caine), but where I felt Nolan was lost in a hopelessly overrated blockbuster with BB, here he's on his A-game and knocks it out of the park. Simply superb!
THE DEPARTED - You don't need me to tell you how great this is, or the Oscars, see it for yourself! A great movie!
FLUSHED AWAY - I really wasn't looking forward to this, it was lost amongst a sea of CG animation flooding the box office, and was from studio Aardman, makers of Wallace and Grommit, of which I'm not too smitten, but it was excellently animated, finely written, and zipped along a great pace. Very good!
THE LAST KISS - Another I didn't care to see, I enjoy Braf, and liked his Garden State, but this seemed too similar. While it is VERY similar in tone to GS, it is fun to watch, with a solid expansive cast, and believable real life love story (similar to Vaughan & Aniston's more comedic take on the darker side of romance, The Breakup)...

TALES FROM NETFLIX - February 07

Time once again for tales of the overlooked gems from DVDland...

BANDIDAS - Another Netflix rundown, and another recommendation produced by Luc Beson (Transporter, Fifth Element). This time the french production takes on the wild west era Mexico, and the two most notable Spanish/Mexican actresses, Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek. Yes, it's a movie starring both of the internationally renowned beauties in one one action filled genre flick, packed to the hilt with gorgeous production. Bandidas has a great cast; Hayek, Cruz, Dwight Yoakam (always a treat), Sam Shepard, and Steve Zahn, great directing, great sets pieces, great costumes, great heist escapades, so why have you never heard of it?! Well, the plot and script are the only let down here, we've seen and done this all time and again, but it's done with enough style, and certainly more than enough, ahem, shall we say "star quality" to trump that minor let down.Yes, again, the storyline is completely unoriginal, and most the humor flat, but that doesn't stop Bandidas from being a great vehicle for Hayek and Cruz to make the old west as sexy and fun as it's ever been. The production and cast make it a feast for the eyes, and a darn good time too. This one deserves a better shot at a US audience than it got... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
You can check out the official (French) website, and some trailers HERE (if you can get through the "activex" errors I encountered with my browser)

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1975) - As you can tell by the date on this, we're not talking about the recent version to hit theaters, but the original it was based on. Turns out I'd tripped across a recommendation for this months before the remake hit, and just got around to seeing it. BC is touted as the first true slasher flick and has a bit of a cult following (see itsmebilly.com for more on that). I'd never heard of it before, but was intrigued by the genuine devotion a 30 year old slasher pic could generate. Turns out BC lives up to the buzz, as it's a solid, moody, dark, and shockingly relevant (for being over 3 decades old) work. While you can't escape the era it's from, the directing and story are timeless and stand up with everything that's come since.BC is not a silly, forgettable affair, relying on gore or tricks to move the audience, it captures a menacing spirit and tells a creepy tale of a handful of sorority girls on Christmas break, plagued by darkly desperate crank calls. There are some great characters and moments here that make it fun, without resorting to over the top cheese (like so many imitators have since). The most notable actors here are certainly Margot Kidder (in a slightly deviant role, pre Superman the movie) and John Saxon (instantly recognizable character actor, with scores of TV and film roles through the 70's and 80's, and most recently in Masters of Horror's 'Pelts'), who are both fun to watch in their prime. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

IDIOCRACY (2005) - Though this was from '05, it wasn't released until recently, as this directorial follow up to OFFICE SPACE from Mike Judge was shelved by the studio. The concept, with Luke Wilson as a supremely average soldier accidentally cryogenically frozen for 1,000 years to be woken up to a society of complete idiots (making him the smartest man on Earth), sounded delightfully fun, but while the movie doesn't exactly crash and burn it's golden premise, it does trip over itself and ultimately miss the mark.

Seeing the future American idiots would've been a lot more fun, if it didn't feel like the comedy potential was so squandered, with overly simple, unimaginative flourishes. As much as Office Space became a cult smash and recognized for it's genius in capturing cubicle nuances, Idiocracy feels mismanaged by Judge at the helm (and where Office Space had inspired casting, some of the cast here seemed questionable, especially Dax Shepard). It's still fun though, and full of enough mildly entertaining spectacle to make for a decent watch.
MILDLY RECOMMENDED

THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN - The latest from the underwhelming Marvel animated direct-to-DVD line, drops the bar completely. With the first two features, Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2, things got more oddly interpreted and disappointing with each release, so I was hopeful that Iron Man would change that trend, instead, it drives it into the ground. This was bad, mind numbingly bad. Stupid plot, ridiculous new characters, and passable animation make for a depressing outing. Why, why on gods green earth, when you're faced with the Marvel comics cannon, do you feel the need to come up with new, completely different takes on it? Sure, reinterpret classic stories for the modern era, but what the fuck is this?!?
Crap.
I fell asleep, woke up, rewound it, and fell asleep again.
NOT RECOMMENDED!

ON THE RADAR RECOMMENDATIONS
(The more mainstream fair most folks, if not all, have already heard of):
HOLLYWOODLAND - I never really cared to see it, but am glad I did. I thought it was smartly acted (yes, including, and especially Affleck), written, and filmed...
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - Another one of those you don't really feel compelled to watch, but are very glad you did outings. This was a great, great movie, and one heck of an emotionally turbulent, but uproariously funny journey...
SAW 3 - Another worthy entry to the (overly gruesome) franchise. Not sure where they go from here though...
SEE NO EVIL - Watch this one if you're a horror completest, it's too dark like so many these days, and of course absurdly pointless, but with just enough twisted creativity to be entertaining, if that's your thing...

TALES FROM NETFLIX - monthly roundup

Haven't been keeping up the bloggin activity on a regular, so there've been a few primo discs I've been meaning to share in the last month...

First up...
DISTRICT B13 (2004) - Produced by Luc Beson (Transporter, Fifth Element) this decidedly French gangster epic is filled with imaginative, colorful, dense urban drama set in a near future Parisian ghetto. A visual treat, when B13 isn't twisting through a long painstakingly choreographed action sequence, it's popping with gunfire, hits, or wacky ideas like some Jackie Chan flick, inspired by Guy Ritchie and directed by Luc Beson (or in this case, one of his many proteges).

It's not perfect, but it's a wild, fun ride, taking you inside this closed off section of urban decay, through windows, doorways, stairwells, and rooftops at breakneck pace!

RECOMMENDATION: Don't miss it!
NATURAL CITY (2004) - A Korean Sci-Fi gem, Natural City thrusts you into a future world that's a cross between cyber punk staples such as Blade Runner and Fifth Element, and anime like Ghost In The Shell.

Gritty but dazzling effects and a complex plot center around an MP agent seemingly on the take, to save his soon to expire cyborg girlfriend. Even though it's live action, the future tech world is completely realized to the levels of sci-fi masters like Lucas' Star Wars. However, as good an escape as the visuals and themes provide, the movie itself never quite achieves the grandeur it aspires. A solid sci-fi effort!

Check out a clip from the movie HERE

RECOMMENDATION: A must for any fan of the genre!
CRANK - This is one of the most fun, in your face, nasty, violent movie mainlines ever. The always engrossing Jason Statham is pitch perfect as the adrenaline dependent syntheticaly laced time bomb killer for hire who must exact revenge before his heart seizes up.

Crafty and creative cinematography and editing, hilarious situations, and over the top visuals explode on this thrill ride of a movie. Effron Ramirez (Pedro) as a cross dressing ally and Amy Smart as his zany girlfriend are the icing on the cake here.

Look ma!!It's like an underworld 24, on crack!
It lives up to it's name.

Waffle-iron action baby!!
Recommendation: VIVA CHEV CHELIOS!!

And finally...
CEMETERY MAN (1994) - From the Netflix summary:
Rupert Everett stars as an oddly unflappable cemetery watchman fighting off zombies in this droll send-up of 1950s drive-in horror flicks. With the dead on the rise, Francesco Dellamorte and his half-wit sidekick must be always at the ready to crack the corpses' skulls and send them back under. Featuring a pack of undead Boy Scouts and a severed-head love interest, Cemetery Man provides both chills and chuckles.

I got this one because it was a highly rated zombie flick, but it's much more a black comedy head trip, with lots of cartoon sex and violence. Apparently directed by a disciple of noted Italian shock/horror auteur Dario Argento, and in the style of Filini (two directors works I've not yet viewed myself, but are legends none the less), Dellamorte Dellamore (it's original Italian title) is a toure de force in twisted cinema. Nothing is played straight, be it the zombies, the plot, the cast, or the delightful camerawork. By films end everything is spun around to where the viewer is left unsure of what they've just taken in, a man battling the undead, turning insane, or some combination thereof, but I am sure it's damn good!


Turns out Cemetery Man is actually adapted from the popular European comics DYLAN DOG, yes, it's a comic book zombie movie!

Recommendation: Zombie Boyscouts?!? Oh yeah!

Honorable mentions:
THE DESCENT - This was a great horror/thriller, but I just had a hard time buying into underground cave dwellers...
SNAKES ON A PLANE - For whatever reason, the buzz on this died once it hit the box office, which is too bad, it really was a fun movie!
A SCANNER DARKLY - Great use of rotoscope animation for a heady drug like trip of a film.

And don't forget to check out these previous Tales From Netflix if you've missed any along the way:
Fall roundup
Feast
Calvaire
Sars Wars
House of 9
2001 Maniacs

TALES FROM NETFLIX - Fall roundup

I started thinking it was time to look at some "best of the year" lists, and realized I hadn't turned in a DVD pick in quite some time. I know there've been at least a couple of odd picks to throw out, so thought I'd look back over the last couple months rental activity and highlight some of those...

First up...
THE DOOM GENERATION (1995) - This one made Chris Gore's list of quick picks recently on Attack of the Show's DVDuesday, and I'd never seen it. Wow. It's well done, and quite an experience, but not one I'd recommend, at least without extreme caution. Doom Generation is an exercise in sex and violence. Literally. That's all the movie's about. You get one scene of sex, followed by violence, and then repeat till finished. And both escalate as we go. It's worth a watch if you're into demented films that catalog characters spiraling into hell, for instance Natural Born Killers comes to mind, but that's practically PG (or at least cartoonish) compared to what we get here. Also, there's some interesting casting, and I like how at one point a broader subplot that could carry the film is introduced, and then never returns. And the soundtrack, late 80's industrial to early 90's indy/alternative, is superb. But wow, this is in your face!

CLERKS 2 - Okay, this doesn't really qualify as a non-mainstream pick, but it definitely maintains the indy spirit of the original 1994 classic it follows. Man was I impressed by this movie. Kevin Smith is generally great, but can often times miss, and by wide margins. Here he's in his best form since Clerks, or Chasing Amy. Showcasing his gift for dialogue, with equal turns at glorifying and skewering geek culture, but also fleshing out real life characters with heart. Awesome movie. Loved it!

WHO KILLED BAMBI (2004) - This was a French thriller that was a Netflix recommendation based on giving the recent French horror film Calvaire high marks. Turns out it also features the star of that film, Laurent Lucas, this time taking a turn as the villain. It's quiet, slow, and a little long, but it's expertly directed and acted (Lucas again commands any scene he's in, and is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors), and holds your interest throughout.
Good stuff.

MINI'S FIRST TIME - This one was a DVD pick from Richard Roeper on Ebert and Roeper, as a film everyone missed, but was actually quite good. I agree. This is one of those simple black comedies, where the central character walks you through a complex series of events in their life. In this case, a young woman in Beverly Hills/LA, with a potent cocktail of neglectful parents and easy access to any number of harmful distractions. A great cast including Carrie-Anne Moss, Alec Baldwin (who's great, and everywhere these days), Luke Wilson, and Jeff Goldblum.

THE PUFFY CHAIR (2005) - An indy gem, featuring an impressive effort from the brothers who wrote, direct, and also star in the film (one directs, one acts). This is a road trip, that's also an intimate look at the ugly, funny, and confusing struggles of a couple that may or may not last the journey. Along the way we're treated to a quirky brother turned third wheel, and complications to the plot. It's simple, but straightforward, endearing, and true to life. Overall, it's great.

EDMOND (2005) - This was a recommendation on a DVD review column, for an adaptation of a David Mamet play featuring a bit of a cast in something similar to, but perhaps truer and darker than, the 90's business-man-goes-postal-film Falling Down. An interesting concept to return to, so I thought I'd check it out. Glad I did. It is similar to that setup, but instead of Michael Douglas and his short sleeved shirt and tie, you get William H Macy stepping out on his wife after a break up, just looking for female contact, but only if the price is right. He's on edge, and quickly falls off. It comes off like a play on morality, set to film, examining the human condition, which it is, but it does it well, and that's in no small part because of Macy's performance the whole thing hangs on. He's a great actor. A nice little trip into madness, where we the viewer gets to exercise some demons, but only the character has to pay the price.

And finally...
MASTERS OF HORROR: IMPRINT - So we started the list with one of the most fucked up films I've seen in a long time, and we'll end it with another. For those who don't have Showtime, last year they started a new series of short films in the horror genre, directed by some classic horror film directors. Season 2 is in full swing now (and is way down in quality from season 1), but this DVD features the one episode from season 1 that was never shown. And it was never shown for good reason. It's from Japanese director Takashi Miike, most famous (or infamous) for his darkly twisted sado masochist Yakuza film Ichi the Killer. Miike turns in another brutally dark work here, with some of the most disturbing imagery you'll find in film. He's also a creative genius, so if you can take the darkness, it's worth the reward. This story, based on a Japanese horror novel and set in a modern contemporary influenced version of 19th century Japan, is seriously fucked up, but it's also a good one, told well, and visually stunning (figuratively and literally). Miike is one of the best directors working today, with a style and tone all his own.

Whew!!
That's quite a list of some disturbing, and challenging films.
But hey, movies shouldn't just be an escape from reality, but also a reflection on it, or journery into areas we don't ourselves tred.
At least, I like my movies to sometimes take me places I'd otherwise not go, and this list definitely does that - from the hillarious man-on-beast action of Clerks 2, to the head popping revelations of Imprint - you're in for one crazy ride on this installment of Tales From Netflix (as always)!!

Check out previous Tales From Netflix:
Feast
Calvaire
Sars Wars
House of 9
2001 Maniacs

TALES FROM NETFLIX - Feast

TALES FROM NETFLIX are DVD picks from off the beaten path, discs you may have never heard of, lurking at the bottoms of the new release list, or easy to miss on the video store wall of newness (if anyone still goes to those archaic places)...


This time though, I'm picking a flick that's not really that obscure, having been featured as the latest Project Greenlight winner, and having television advertising, and media buzz behind it. That said, FEAST, the new release in question, is definitely non-standard hollywood fair...

FEAST is first time director John Gulager's grand prize courtosey of Damon, Affleck, and crew's final Project Greenlight, the opportunity to helm a feature film. Unlike previous winners, Gulager's project is from the horror genre, and Feast is an in your face, all out, splatter fest at that! However, it's also a thrill ride of action/comedy despair, where a desert watering hole becomes a makeshift hideout for patrons from attacking lethal monsters.

Right from the start, Feast highlights unique directing, quirky characterization, and laugh out loud humor. Frequently taking horror situations and turning them on their ear. It's like Night of the Living Dead meets Tremors. Where the focus is not only on the impending doom our trapped cast must navigate, but also campy humuor that can strike just as suddenly. Limb severing, monster casterating, blood bathing, face peeling, maggot wrangling scenes come fast and hard, but it's all offset by just as much rapid fire humor. Scenes that would be just straight up hellish, are all played for hellish fun.

The cast are great, with Henry Rollins standing out as the motivational speaker who takes desperation monolguing to new levels (pure genious on the part of the writers), and Krista Allen as the victimized waitress turned throat punching eventual bad ass of the bunch.

Also of note, are the creatures and effects, as a glance at any of the special features will tip you off to the fact that though this was a full feature production, the budget was challenging at best. The filmakers had to make the most of the opportunity, by setting the story in one internal location, and utitlizing old school technologies for the special effects. The creatures and everything in the film utilize technologies from the 1980's, with no cg shots due to cost, but instead of it being a hinderence, it's another strong suit. The creatures are fun, feral, and wild, with more character and nuance than their costly perfectly pixelated counterparts.

If you like old school horror, in your face action, camp, raunchy humor, or explosively deviant fun, Feast is truly a feast for your senses. While it's not blazing a new path in high concept, it does crackle with creativity, and I can't remember the last time I had this much fun with a movie, start to finish! (Okay, maybe it was the similarly skewed, but more uneven horror/comedy Dead and Breakfast)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The original trailer...

The new one...


Check out previous Tales From Netflix:
Calvaire
Sars Wars
House of 9
2001 Maniacs

TALES FROM NETFLIX - 3 picks

Tales From Netflix are DVD picks from titles you may have never heard of... This time we've got a handful of titles; a demented foreign film, an indy oddity, and an 80's cult classic!
First up, released last week, and all the way from France/Belgium is one truly twisted psychological horror gem, CALVAIRE (The Ordeal).

Many liken this film to the original Texas Chainsaw massacre, and I'll agree in terms of spirit. Like TCM, Calvaire features a roadside trip to the insane, but instead of in your face horror, things spiral into levels of bizarre terror. Centering on a young singer who's equipment van breaks down mid journey in fog filled countryside parts unknown, and an all but abandoned inn that offers him respite. As time goes on, the inn and it's keeper, and the surroundings are anything but.

Calvaire is in French with subtitles, but features strong acting and directing. Several scenes burn deep into your brain, either with clever craft, or for the subtly disturbing imagery. Then of course there are some downright inspired bizarro moments, and some brutally dark ones as well.

If you like taking trips into the darker side of the human condition, or films that challenge the scope of what's possible in film, Calvaire is a must see. It's not for the faint of heart, but it is a haunting and expertly crafted offering.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Next up is an indy thriller that's creatively inspired, PARANOIA 1.0

Paranoia stars Jeremy Sisto, whom you'd recognize possibly from the recently cancelled NBC show Kidnapped, or any number of film credits, in a near future drama that slowly builds an interesting and stylish mystery. Similar to the original Matrix, but replacing the green tinged dingy inner city cinematography for a sienna tone, and sans the bullet laden action, Paranoia is a future tech head trip with some fun side effects. It doesn't quite grasp the next level, but it's a great journey, and a nicely built work.
RECOMMENDED

And finally, we go all the way back to 1988 for the cult favorite, THEY LIVE

John Carpenter of Halloween fame directs this yuppie bashing sci-fi social commentary featuring Rowdy Roddy Piper. If you haven't seen this one, I'm not going to outline the plot, because it's a fun setup that really propels the whole thing. They Live is a great slice of 80's sci-fi that's part Romero zombie flick part Arnold action feature, blending many genre elements together to great result. Plus it's got one of the best fist fight scenes ever, a classic line, and an awesome twist.

If you're like me and never saw this one, CHECK IT OUT NOW!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED


Check out previous Tales From Netflix:
Sars Wars
House of 9
2001 Maniacs