Max Cloud (2020)

Director: Martin Owen

Notable Cast: Scott Adkins, Franz Drameh, John Hannah, Lashana Lynch, Elliot James Langridge, Isabelle Allen, Sally Collett, Sam Hazeldine, Tommy Flanagan, Jason Maza, Andi Osho

Also known as: The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud

 

It only makes sense that there would be a boom of video game movies in the aftermath of two very successful Jumanji sequels. Of course, by ‘video game movies,’ I mean movies that inherently involve deconstructing video game tropes and are not directly based on video game IP. And by that, I mean films that feel more like Jumanji 2 and 3, but aren’t Gamer, an underrated gem of a film that deserves a bit more credit, but I digress. This is where Max Cloud presses starts and joins the fray. In essence, this little can do low-budget film takes the same basic idea as the last couple of Jumanji films and then gives it a decidedly fun intergalactic beat-em-up spin. Quite frankly, if it wasn’t for the Scott Adkins casting, I’m not sure this would have made my list to watch. Yet the pleasant surprise of the film being a delightfully entertaining experience was a bonus and for those looking for a fun way to burn 90 minutes, look no further than Max Cloud and his rowdy band of intergalactic ass-kickers.

 

He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection - The Naked Zoo (1970) and Mako: Jaws of Death (1976)

Although I don’t claim to be a particular fan of the microbudget horror, fantasy, and science fiction films of this era – as I am most certainly reminded regularly from my reviews on Herschell Gordon Lewis’ films here on the site, part of me was excited to dig into this latest box set dedicated to the strange works of director William Grefe. All of these films were new to me and each disc of the set will be covered in a series of articles here on the site – which reviews the films on each disc. So, hop in your swamp boat with me, buckle in, and let’s take a dive into the works of Grefe in this gorgeous new release from Arrow Video, He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection!

Here is disc three: The Naked Zoo and Mako: Jaws of Death.

NFF Presents For Your Lists Only: We Wish You A Scary Christmas - Top 2020 Horror (December 2020)

Matt and Sean run down the best horror and horror adjacent movies of the year! Of course, arguments ensue because it's the holidays and family must fight. Hear Matt butcher a Crypt Keeper voice! Will Sean try to give Matt a stroke with one of his choices? Not to mention, they debate if the year 2020 is actually the best horror film of the year. Tune in!

Pitch Black (2000)

Director: David Twohy

Notable Cast: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Claudia Black, Rhiana Griffith, John Moore, Simon Burke

 

Vin Diesel’s career has certainly had its ups and downs and, quite frankly, most of his key franchises feel like roller coasters of quality as they careen around attempting to find their footing. One of those happens to be the Riddick series which saw itself soar so high, the sun melted its wings, and it quickly crashed to the ground to become a passion project series for the divisive actor. It’s origins in Pitch Black, the little-film-that-could, are still impressive though. It’s a tight, ambitious, and effective piece of science fiction horror that still holds up. The latest 4K release of the film, courtesy of our friends at Arrow Video, is a welcome upgrade to the previous Blu Ray in my collection that sports not only a slew of the various original and new features, but a gorgeous transfer that maximizes one of the key aspects of its visual style.

 

NFF Presents Good, Bad, Weird, Wild: Here Comes Santa Claus...RUN! [Bad Santa Films] (December 2020)

Some Santas have rosy red cheeks and big bellies that jiggle like jelly… others shoot innocent people on garbage day and play curling (the devil’s sport). Guess which ones Sean and Matt are discussing?

Do you wanna hear Matt and Sean agree for once? How about if we both choose a film for the 'bad' category that has a die-hard cult following? Is curling really Satan's sport? What are the origins of holiday horror? To find out, you have to tune in! Check out our episode on Bad Santas!

No Franchise Fatigue: Leo Getz An NFF Holiday Special! (December 2020) [Lethal Weapon]

Matt and Sean spend the twelve days of Christmas talking about the action classic franchise, Lethal Weapon. Topics include Richard Donner, Mel Gibson doing some Tom Cruise running, sharks on boats, Matt has an existential crisis trying to research Lethal Weapon 4, and Sean attempts to explain who the actor is that plays a random thug in an armored car. 

The Deeper You Dig (2019)

Directors: John Adams, Toby Poser

Notable Cast: John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, Shawn Wilson, Joan Poser

 

One of the great problems to have when attending a film festival is that often a person can burn themselves out watching new films. As I said, a great problem. During my time at the Telluride Horror Show in 2019, I was privy to see The Deeper You Dig, an ambitious little indie horror flick made on a shoestring budget by, in essence, one family. Between the burnout and the lack of sleep, I didn’t feel fully comfortable at the time doing a full review for the film. Fortunately, the wait to see it again wasn’t long. Our good friends over at Arrow Video picked up the film for distribution and with the snazzy new Blu Ray in tow, I was ready to dig deeper into The Deeper You Dig.

 

Yea, I’m glad I waited to review this with fresh eyes.

 

He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection - The Hooked Generation (1968) and The Psychedelic Priest (1971)

Although I don’t claim to be a particular fan of the microbudget horror, fantasy, and science fiction films of this era – as I am most certainly reminded regularly from my reviews on Herschell Gordon Lewis’ films here on the site, but part of me was excited to dig into this latest box set dedicated to the strange works of director William Grefe. All of these films were new to me and each disc of the set will be covered in a series of articles here on the site – which reviews the films on each disc. So, hop in your swamp boat with me, buckle in, and let’s take a dive into the works of Grefe in this gorgeous new release from Arrow Video, He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefe Collection!

Here is disc two: The Hooked Generation and The Psychedelic Priest.

 

Warning from Space (1956)

Director: Koji Shima

Notable Cast: Keizo Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa, Shozo Nanbu, Bontaro Miake, Mieko Nagai

 

It’s no secret that WWII changed cinema and how audiences reacted to it. There are a small mountain of books, articles, and authors that really dig into the boom of creature features and science fiction that erupted throughout the 1950s and 1960s, so that will not be the intention of this review to explore those facets beyond this introduction. It is a trend and approach to genre filmmaking that becomes important to this article, focused on the film Warning from Space, the 1956 Japanese science fiction romp from Daiei Studios. 

 

No Franchise Fatigue: Candyman'd Yams! (November 2020) [Candyman Franchise]

After a small mental health hiatus (the editor drove across the country! Literally East to West!!) we squeak into the end of November with a sweet treat! The Candyman franchise.