Gamera vs. Viras (1968)

GAMERA VS. VIRAS

Aka "Gamera vs. Bairus", "Destroy All Planets", "Gamera vs. Outer Space Monster Viras"

The Gamera series is falling from grace… FAST as they continue to become more kiddish in their approach. However that isn’t the greatest sin that “Gamera vs. Viras” commits. What is that you ask? Well like what the “Godzilla” franchise eventually succumb to, the filmmakers decide to, shutter, use god damn STOCK FOOTAGE! I’ve made clear how much I despise stock footage in other reviews and nothing cheapens a film, or a franchise for that matter, faster than recycling footage from previous films.

A hostile alien race visit Earth only to have their ping pong ball ship fucking trashed by Gamera. Upon a sending another ship they decide to take control of Gamera and kidnap two boy scouts (sheesh…) and attempt to take over the world. Good thing one is a boy genius and is great with electronics thus frees Gamera from their mind control in order to fight the common cold… no it’s “Viras” not “Virus”, which means a giant fucking squid.

Our two main child characters are annoying as they unsuccessfully try to convey comic relief with the trouble they cause for adults and aliens alike while they run around free on the alien ship that looks like a ping pong bumble bee orgy. Oh I wish for the days of adult characters ala “Gamera vs. Barugon”!  The lower budgets are also starting to show through with lower grade special effects and… you guessed it… STOCK FOOTAGE, about 19 minutes of it too be exact. What’s rather humorous about this stock footage is scenes utilized from the original “Gamera: The Giant Monster”, which of course was filmed in black and white. Nothing like hiding your use of stock footage then by blatantly splicing in black and white footage into your color fucking film!

The plot is simple and childish trying to appeal more to the young demographic, regulating this fourth “Gamera” film to debut on television in America under the title “Destroy All Planets” (to capitalize on the “Godzilla” film “Destroy All Monsters”). There is some dumb campy fun to be found here but it’s easy to see the quality of the film products dropping fast in this franchise and the giant monster battle only occurs in the final 10 minutes. Sadly the initial run of the “Gamera” series would only continue to get worse from here.

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Jack Reacher (2012)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Notable Cast: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Jai Courtney, Robert Duvall

Although I am not privy to the Jack Reacher novels from Lee Child nor am I a huge crime thriller fan, "Jack Reacher" intrigued me. Firstly, it was controversial in casting of Cruise as the lead from the book fans and secondly, it's based on the ninth book of the series. An odd choice considering this would be the first time we see the heroic and Sherlock-esque Reacher on film. What I didn't expect was that, despite all of this controversy and hum-drum, "Jack Reacher" is quite the solid mystery thriller. Yeah, it tends to be a little too predictable and a bit long winded as a film, but it was enjoyable and it certainly creates a strong title character to be franchised.

After five people seem to be randomly murdered on a sidewalk in Pittsburgh, the evidence all clearly points to one man: James Barr (Sikora), an ex-military sniper. When arrested though, Barr only asks for one thing. To find Jack Reacher (Cruise). Reacher, a nomadic man with no ties, shows up anyway after hearing about the shooting and wants to help prosecute Barr against the will of his attorney (Pike). What Reacher uncovers though is a little bigger than just one man fighting to be proven innocent and this ex-military detective will have to go to some gray areas to make sure that justice is served.

Superhero stance...NOW!

To be honest, the plot of "Jack Reacher" seemed a little tired to me. Oh look, it's a framed man who needs a detective to find the real killer! Oh jeez, it's a huge conspiracy! It's the same damn idea that most thrillers are based around and here it's not all that epic and/or clever. Granted, it does have a few moments of intriguing writing including the rather odd appearance of Robert Duvall in the latter half as a randomly appearing sidekick of sorts which worked for me for some weird reason, "Jack Reacher" is less about the plot and more about watching the title character walk around putting together clues like Sherlock Holmes and occasionally punching guys. The plot might not be all that thrilling, nor was it all that smart, but it worked to keep us occupied and get us to where it needed to go.

"Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher? BULLSHIT!" --said every Jack Reacher book fan ever.

That's what makes "Jack Reacher" unique. It's less about plot and more about character. We get some fascinating characters throughout the film, most are underdeveloped like an of our villains and I could have used more of the father/daughter issues for the two attorneys working the case, but dammit if I wasn't completely enamored with the title character. Cruise is a strong actor, whether or not he's like the book is irrelevant to me, and the way they build Jack Reacher is awesome. He's a far more interesting mystery than the plot. They give you enough information to get an idea of him at the beginning, but when it comes to his arrogance and general smart ass attitude towards everything - this character makes this movie.

Not only do you get this cynical and questionable hero for a lead, but the writers/director were smart enough to add in a handful of action sequences for him to kick ass in. "Jack Reacher" is far from an 'action' movie, but when the action scenes pop up - they are well placed and effectively shot. From a nut punching street fight, to an oddly hilarious bat and bathtub sequence, to the climactic Jack McClane versus Ethan Hunt fist fight in the rain I loved each action piece here. It was done in a realistic tone with surprising effectiveness and was easily the biggest surprise of the film.

Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) versus Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). It's an modern action fan's dream come true!

"Jack Reacher" might not re-write the thriller or even be the best thriller I've seen this year, but I'll be damned if I wasn't completely drawn into the film. It has an awesome lead character and the action sequences were all immaculately placed and shot. Although I wouldn't call this a great film, it was entertaining as hell and I am more than stoked for it to be franchised. Jack Reacher is an 80s anti-hero for a modern age and I'm more than excited to see what else they come up with for him to kick ass at.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

*On a side note, I love how ridiculous the home video cover is with the American flag on it. It's TERRIBLE.

Nightfall (2013)

Director: Chow Hin Yeung Roy
Notable Cast: Simon Yam, Nick Cheung 

When thrillers are a dime a dozen, the best way to go about one is to make the execution as strong as possible. Despite a rather basic thriller plot and a simple enough mystery to figure out, "Nightfall" is one of the stronger modern thrillers I have see. Why is that? Three reasons: Simon Yam, Nick Cheung, and Chow Hin Yeung Roy. Between the three of these men, "Nightfall" comes off as an impactful and effective thriller. It has strong atmosphere and a stunning cast that make it a sleeper hit for the year.

When a famous classical musician is found dead and pulled from the sea, Detective George Lam (Lam) is given the task to find his killer. When he discovers that a recently released violent criminal (Cheung) has ties to the musician in the case that got him put away, he begins to investigate. What he finds out indicates that not only is this newly free man involved, but that the murder he committed 20 years prior might hold the key to uncovering a larger hidden truth.

...they're all out of bubblegum.

"Nightfall," generally speaking is a rather by the numbers thriller layered with a bit of old school mystery film. The plot, although intriguing in it's own ways, is pretty predictable beyond one moment involving the birth of the daughter of the musician which even caught me a little by surprise. Otherwise, "Nightfall" tends to follow the well treaded paths of forlorn detectives and misunderstood criminal behavior that runs rampant in films of this ilk. Occasionally the film does take an interesting twist, including an opening fight sequence with brutal consequences, and it was enough to keep my interest pegged. For that I'm grateful.

Ass kicking 101 with professor Nick Cheung

What elevates this basic thriller is how strongly the film is executed. Director Chow Hin Yeung Roy adds in plenty of great artistic nuance to atmosphere of the film and when the film requires a bit of tension or light action, including a pretty impressive fight on board of a cable car, he pulls it off to keep the tension up and the plot moving. This is partnered with two stunning performances from our two leads in the film - Yam and Cheung. The two rarely share moments on screen and neither character is dialogue heavy (hell, one of them is mute), but their strength as actors adds a lot of great presence to the film and easily knocks a relatively by the numbers thriller up to being one of the better thrillers I've seen recently. I wish the same could be said for the hit and miss supporting cast who range from solid (Lam's partner) to cheesy (the musician). Luckily, most of them don't get a lot of screen time.

"It's just you and me. And a coffee mug. And a clipboard. With some papers. And Lampy from "Brave Little Toaster." Other than that, just you and me."

If you are a fan of strong detective stories or are simply looking for a well executed escape from the norm, "Nightfall" delivers on both accounts. It's an excellent little mystery film and one that hit all the marks needed to satisfy. It's strong with its atmosphere and even though it relies a bit too much on the strong screen presence of its two lead actors, it's an effective movie that kept me right along with the plot. It comes highly suggested here at Blood Brothers!

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Haunting In Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia, The (2013)

Director: Tom Elkins
Notable Cast:  Abigail Spencer, Emily Alyn Lind, Chad Michael Murray, Katee Sackhoff, Morgana Shaw

To be honest, I really had no expectations at all for this film. Why? Oh let me list my reasons. 1) It's a sequel to one of the crappiest horror movies I've seen. 2) It's a completely unrelated sequel that only shares a title. 3) The film ended up going straight to DVD in my area. 4) It looked like another hum drum ghost film. Seriously, from all of these reasons "Ghost Of Georgia" should be TERRIBLE. Luckily, "Ghosts Of Georgia" actually comes out stronger than it's predecessor in many ways - even if it's still a rather by the numbers far too modern ghost film.

When a new family moves into a cheap home down in Georgia, the young daughter (Lind) begins to see strange figures of people on the property. As it turns out, both her mother (Spencer) and her aunt (Joyce), who is living with them temporarily, have the ability to see the dead. What the daughter uncovers is a hidden secret about the property and its use with the underground railroad...and the ghosts may or may not be there to use her for their own devices.

"Hey. I hear a generic ghost jump scare coming from this direction."

When I received "Ghosts Of Georgia" in my Netflix, I wasn't looking forward to watching it. To be honest, I almost mailed the DVD back without watching it. So when I popped in the film, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying the entire concept. The setting, very loosely based on real events, created some great ideas and moments that made this better than the rehash plot of its previous entry. The acting was decent enough to get by and there were some fun twists and turns in the end that kept my attention. For that, I have to give "Ghosts Of Georgia" some credit.

"Batman will come for me!"

Unfortunately, the ways that the film goes about being a ghost flick were about as cliche as possible. The plot progressions occasionally didn't make sense (I wasn't sure why the ghosts would show up in the women's visions only at certain times and not all the time...) and the directing from Tom Elkins slathered on that modern ghost style so thick that half of the time I wasn't sure if the blurry imagery was relevant or just random clips of shit for atmosphere. This style was pretty damn annoying throughout the film. Modern film making sometimes fails to realize that a good long shot with a well timed edit is more effective than quick edits and jostled pacing. No offense to this new style, but these film makers need to watch more James Wan and see how he does it and why he's the best ghost film director on the scene right now.

"Did you see "Insidious?" That shit was way scarier than this!"

Due to much of this modern style, the film does lose a lot of its 'scariness.' The film has quite an intriguing villain (with a pretty slick design to have a burlap sack over his head), who is not used enough by any means, and the idea of these ghosts manipulating the family where the father is unable to see anything has great potential, but the execution lacks thoughtfulness to utilize it. It has some solid enough performances and a strong setting and idea, but the actual scares, plot, and execution leave a lot to be desired. At least it's still better than the first entry.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Kick, The (2013)

Director: Prachya Pinkaew 
Notable Cast: Jae-hyeon Jo, Ji-won Ye, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Jeeja Yanin, Tae-joo Na, Kyung-suk Kim, Kwan-hun Lee

The combination of Korean cinema and the ridiculously awesome stunt work of the Thai film scene made "The Kick" a must see for me whether or not it was 'good.' Coming from Thai action director Prachya Pinkaew and having Thai action star Jeeja in a supporting role, this film is automatically a must see for action fans. Although it has a ton of potential, it tends to fall into being a mediocre film due to some over the top elements and cheesy acting. Luckily, it also happens to be completely and utterly awesome with stunt work and action set pieces - just like the Thai films we have come  to love. 

When a priceless antique dagger is returned to Thailand, an evil villain who collects antique daggers (?!) decides he needs to steal it. Fortunately, his initial plot to swipe the artifact is thwarted by a family of Tae Kwon Do performers who stop him. Now he's out to get revenge against the family by killing them and finally getting his dagger for good. Can the family put aside their differences and come together one last time to save one another?

The families that kick together, stay together.

Initially, I wasn't all that sold on "The Kick." It starts off with this pseudo-melodramatic sports moment that felt a bit tired and cliche and then it kicks off to a pseudo-family drama about how the father forces his family to practice Tae Kwon Do and how the son just wants to be a dancer. Well, I didn't expect to see an ABC Family movie here. Luckily, this portion of the film is almost a subplot and foundation just to get us where we need to be for action. Pretty soon we get to our main issue - an evil person (who is not explained to why he collects daggers or if he's mafia or anything) and how the family thwarts him in what he wants. Although the family drama rears its head a few times, particularly with the son's dreams versus his father's dreams, it doesn't come off as silly as the intro and it works to give us a reason for some of the plot work ahead.

From this point, "The Kick" might find itself forcing some moments including a kidnapping where the villain ties a roll of dynamite connected to an old school clock for a bomb, but the action saves the film from some missed moments of humor and rather silly plot progressions. We are introduced to a family friend and his daughter (played by Jeeja) who join the family in fending off a slew of baddies and two henchmen who are out to kill them. The stunt work is particularly impressive as we get both bouts of Tae Kwon Do and Jeeja's skills as a Muay Thai artist. In true Thai film fashion, they are willing to throw any cool setting into the mix for awesome stunts and fight work - including a zoo with glass ceilings, animal cages with low hanging metal fans, an croc pit, a grass hut in the wilderness...the list goes on and on. It might be more obvious that the actors of the family were hired more for their fight prowess than acting prowess, but it works. In particular, the family's eldest son has some series hops when it comes to flips and bouncing during the fights and in classic Pinkaew style - uses an elephant at the end as a prop for some sweet stunts. 

JEEJA!

Even if the story and rather by the numbers script leaves something to be desired, the film slathers on enough sweet fighting and stunt work to satiate the work action fan's craving. For Thai action fans, this is a must simply for being directed by Pinkaew and having a too brief but effective supporting role for Jeeja. I wouldn't call this his best film by a long shot, but it works for what it is - a great entertaining time.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Director: JJ Abrams
Notable Cast: Chris Pines, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Alice Eve, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Peter Weller

*Note: This review contains spoilers. Read if you want, but know for me to amply talk about this film - I have to spoil some of the film's "surprises."

Let me be upfront. I've been a "Star Trek" fan since I was little. Some of my earliest memories are watching "Star Trek" films and I, for one, loved JJ Abrams ridiculous reboot of the long time franchise. It kept the spirit of the original series, maximized the action for newer audiences, and still somehow balanced characters and science fiction into the film. The long awaited sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness," does not quite find that same concoction of making it all work. The film is, indeed, quite the action film, but too often it lacks the 'darkness' and 'freshness' that it needed to be as good as the original.

Capt. Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto) come to a disagreement when the captain breaks the Prime Directive on a foreign planet to save his First Officer's life. This argument becomes quite the case for Starfleet and Kirk finds himself demoted on his starship Enterprise. When a terrorist act by a top agent John Harrison (Cumberbatch) kills a horrendous sum of civilians and leaves many of the seniority of Starfleet crippled, Admiral Marcus (Weller) sends Kirk and the Enterprise an a military mission to find the villain. Not all is what it seems though and Kirk will have to make some sacrifices to finish his mission.

With a title like "Star Trek Into Darkness" (if anyone bitches about it not having a colon, I will find you and headbutt you into unconsciousness - who gives a shit?) and the epic looking trailers with an Enterprise cascading down to Earth and the icy stare of Cumberbatch, I was stoked for this film. It looked to really delve into some dark matter that made some of the original "Star Trek" films as good as they were. Here's looking at you "Part VI." Yet, as I walked away from the theater and the the multi-million dollar credits rolled - I couldn't help but feel a bit cheated. What darkness? Where was the epic nature promised by the title and trailer?

But let us start with what the film does well, which is action. Damn if JJ Abrams doesn't know how to do action like a champion. Even if the introduction seems a bit cheesy with its colorful trees and over the top erupting volcano (this sequence was an obvious throwback to the style of the TV show with its goofy moments) the film is in full warp drive when it comes to action and pacing. The film almost never breaks as it piles on plot and action for the audiences and I was entertained as hell with the film. Klingon war party? What the hell, let's have a gun fight with them! Giant ass war geared Starship called the USS Vengeance? That travels faster than warp speed? It seems a bit over the top, but fuck it - that's awesome. As a popcorn flick, "Star Trek Into Darkness" delivers.

That's just the problem though. A great "Star Trek" film doesn't just deliver fun action. It has great characters, silly but thoughtful political/moral commentary, and plenty of science fiction moments to deliver. "Star Trek Into Darkness" only delivers on some of these. Not all of them.

As it turns out for a science fiction film, "Star Trek Into Darkness" was far more action then science fiction and it's littered with the same lightheartedness that made the film so much fun. Except this time around, the film rarely finds the balance of character work and plot that made "Star Trek" so effective. Half the time I felt the film thought it was much smarter than it was with its half explained political war subplots and ill explained plot devices. Here come the spoilers folks, but it's quite obvious that this film takes a lot of elements from "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan" and unfortunately is unable to top it in any way.

To make matters worse, all of this plot that thrust at us takes away from the one key element that always makes a "Star Trek" film so awesome: the characters. Granted I appreciate the fact that Scotty gets a slightly bigger role and the spatting bro-mance between Kirk and Spock is as spot on as ever, but the rest of the crew and cast sort of get the shaft. Sulu, Chekov, and Bones all sort of get thrown in as almost limited cameos with little in the way of character work - and the new girl, Marcus is essentially a plot device and nothing more. Even the fan infuriating romance between Spock and Uhura seems negated to being a comedic element rather than something expanded upon. It's rather frustrating for the fan in me.

If there was anything that saves this film when it comes to character writing, it's the unique way that they go about delivering use the villains of the film. That's right. Villain...s. With an 's.' While the media focused down Cumberbatch as this ultimate baddie, which I will admit delivers some awesome moments, the appearance of a war bound Peter Weller as an Admiral covering up his tracks is pretty enticing. Weller has always been a man with a demanding screen presence and his owns his role here.

This in turn, brings me to the most controversial and largest spoiler of this review. Khan. It's revealed in the film that Cumberbatch's Harrison is actually a young Khan out to tear shit up. Now far be it for me to criticize the use of Khan here, in fact, I quite like how they go about making him an anti-hero for a good portion of the film, but the finale with Khan seems a bit tacked on. I actually would have liked for the film to end before the final act where Spock and Uhura somehow overpower him (when he previously destroyed an entire Klingon kill squad and took a vicious beating from Kirk with little to no reaction) and everyone good wins. Where the hell is the darkness in that?!

Perhaps my severe reaction to the film comes from holding it in such high regard. The first one was a stunningly effective effort with a fantastic cast and wonderful director. This one is just...a disappointment. It lacks the epic scope and darkness that was indicated from day one and many of the classic "Star Trek" elements are surprisingly missing. It definitely has it's moments here and there including some stunning action sequences...but I just can't shake my disappointment. Perhaps others will be willing to overlook the elements I found distracting, but I found "Star Trek Into Darkness" to be just slightly better than mediocre. A definite step down.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Quick (2011)

Director: Jo Beom-goo
Notable Cast: Lee Min-ki, Kang Ye-won, Kim In-kwon

Despite the relatively crappy cover art work that graces "Quick," a handful of reviews prompted me to investigate the Korean action flick. To be honest, I kept my expectations low. I mean, South Korea has been known for some stunning thrillers and the occasionally great martial arts film, but a big special effects driven action film? I was hesitant. "Quick" ended up being both a solid surprise and a somewhat disappointing affair. Yes, the film is an entertaining leap into all out over the top action with plenty of explosions to showcase it's Michael Bay influences, but it also happens to be only half way logical in its "twists" and oddly placed humor. "Quick" is the kind of film that entertains, but doesn't stick.

Han Ki-su (Lee Min-ki) lives a simple life. After a horrific accident, he has left being the young leader of a young motorcycle gang and uses his ample bike talents as an efficient and well paid messenger. When he is paid to pick up a unique package in the form of a popular pop artist and ex-girlfriend Chun-shim (Kang Ye-won) he feels like his old life and his new one are colliding. Too bad this isn't his only worry. The helmet he gives her is hooked to an explosive device. To save her, he must deliver bombs to very specific targets with very specific instructions and time limits. It's a race against time and the authorities to save an old flame, can he do it?

"Green light is go. Red light is stop. Yellow light is go VERY FAST."

"Quick" is ridiculously over the top in its concept. It also happens to be ridiculously over the top in its execution. I made a previous comparison to Michael Bay and I stick by it. Like that over rated American block buster director, "Quick" focuses on being a film of pure entertainment by any means necessary. That action that's injected into the film is of very high quality and it's hard not to say that I wasn't on the edge of my seat rooting for our hero the entire time. Whether its explosions he's racing from, dodging gas canisters rolling down the highway on his motorcycle, or a rather fun fist to cuffs encounter with the film's villain on a speeding train set to detonate - "Quick" delivers on its title even if that means sacrificing any kind of logic in the process.

As an action fanatic, I was hooked on "Quick." Unfortunately, the film, like the Michael Bay films it aspires to be, is about as deep as a kiddie pool half drained. The obvious romantic subplot created from trying to save an old flame from a rather nasty head-splosion is fun when the chemistry works, but overall their banter and the ridiculous amount of "flashbacks" used to tell a story of sacrificed love tends to fall flat. The humor falls flat too half the time (although when it works, I was digging it - like when she is trying to jump from a van on his motorcycle at high speeds in traffic) and there seemed to be far too many subplots and dropped characters that its fairly long run time felt occasionally padded. Even the villain of the film is relatively too cheesy for his own good, although I have to admit I'm okay with that, and when he shows up at the end and explains who he is there might be some forehead slapping going on.

The script said, "fire." So they did.

In the end, I have to give "Quick" the benefit of the doubt here. It's mostly illogical, silly, and the character work forced - but dammit the film was entertaining as hell and that counts for something. Action fiends will find plenty to love in its over the top mannerisms and B-grade storytelling so it comes suggested for my friends in that field. Otherwise, it might be more of a rental for the rest.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Cold Prey (2006)

Director: Roar Uthaug
Notable Cast: Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Tomas Alf Larsen, Endre Martin Midtstigen, Viktoria Winge

I have always been a sucker for a cold weather slasher (just look at my recent review for "Blood Runs Cold"), so when I stumbled across the Norwegian slasher "Cold Prey" I needed to jump into my snow shoes and dig in right away. Too bad this little indie horror film simply caters to the cliche and plays it far too safe...otherwise there might have been something more here instead of just another run-of-the-mill slasher.

It was supposed to be the best weekend ever. Five friends, fresh Norwegian snow, snowboarding, and getting to relax. That is until one of them accidentally breaks his leg and they are all forced to take shelter in an abandoned resort and inn. Well, a place they think is abandoned. Now they are going to find a means of escape before a cold blooded killer takes them out, one by one.

Isolation. The best way for friends to get to know each other better. Or get killed.

Five youthful kids trapped in an isolated cabin with a mysterious killer out to slaughter them? Welcome to slasher 101 folks and it's "Cold Prey" on the docket today. Ironically, I just reviewed a wintery slasher this same basic concept with "Blood Runs Cold" and oddly enough, despite its massively inferior budget and acting - I enjoyed that one much more.

Not that "Cold Prey" is bad by any means, it just happens to be far more mundane and by the numbers. The production values are pretty strong with some effective moments towards the end including a pretty intense finale featuring our lead heroine having to play dead on a sled full of her dead friends, but sharp set work and a solid enough cast can't make up for unoriginality of script. And it is this unoriginality that bogs this film down.

Can't hear her screams cause of loud music? Oh well.

For a slasher, "Cold Prey" misses out on many of the essential elements that even the most cliche slashers need to work. In particular it's two things that make this film feel flat. Firstly, the kills are utterly predictable and rather...well, uneventful. Nothing all that unique despite a setting ripe for weird kills. A couple of vicious beat downs and not a whole lot of tension to jack up the suspense either to make the rather basic kill sequences work. It's not all that scary and the suspense of "who's next" or "how will they survive" needed to be increased heavily to make any of these moments work. "Cold Prey" also misses out on being gratuitous in any manner. Not that I'm criticizing the film for lacking gore and nudity (although I am sure many slasher fans will), but it needed to really embrace something. To really go for the gold in one aspect. It doesn't. The gore is minimal. The atmosphere starts off with potential, but falls to the wayside. Even villain seems about as basic as they get. There wasn't any cool traits to the killer beyond his bundled hulking look to make us remember (outside of the final "twist" that was so obvious it hurt) and our characters, despite some strong moments of character work, feel like they are simply dropped into the film rather than being a "part" of it.

The problem that "Cold Prey" runs into is not about how 'bad' it is, but how unmemorable and mediocre it is. I would much rather have a film be bad and laughably entertaining, then one that tries to be good and just ends up mundane. "Cold Prey" ends up being the latter. Considering they made a sequel and a prequel to this film, there must be a following that enjoyed it. I just found it disappointing.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)

GAMERA VS. GYOAS

Aka "Gamera vs. Gaos", "Return of the Giant Monsters", "Giant Monster Mid-Air Battle: Gamera vs. Gaos"

This third entry into the “Gamera” series introduces one of our gigantic flying turtle’s most interesting nemesis’, a Rodan inspired flying bat-like creature that has the ability to shoot destructive sound rays. The problem with this entry, one that always seem to plague “Gamera” films, is that the filmmakers fail to intertwine the human and monster plots in a provocative manner making this entry a step down from the enjoyable second film “Gamera vs. Barugon”.

Gyaos appears from a volcano in the middle of a major highway construction site. While eating a newspaper reporter and kidnapping a kid, Gamera shows up out of the blue to save the day but not before almost getting his arm blasted off by Gyaos’ sound ray. While healing at the bottom of the sea, Gyaos is destroying Tokyo so the Japanese government decides to come-up with an asinine plan to hire a chemist to create synthetic human blood to attract the beast and kill it with electricity (even though Gyaos has demonstrated to like livestock blood just as much but let’s pay a smug scientist thousands of dollars anyway). This of course fails and it’s left to Gamera to save the day.

 

This is truly the first entry to display Gamera as a hero from the start of the film and to be honest I miss the anti-hero nature that he could turn on the human race at any moment. The filmmakers also opt to pander this film more to children, even having a child as a main character but this entry doesn’t pander it nearly as much as sequels to come. As I mentioned the human and monster plots intertwine poorly with our construction site/farmer fued subplot falling into the monster scenario purely by coincidence.

 

The special effects, though shoddy by today’s standards, are on par with previous Gamera films with Gyaos having a vicious look about him with his wedge-like head (I also dug a scene where Gyaos slices a helicopter full of reporters in half). This villain keeps one interested in this otherwise routine Kaiju giant monster flick but it is one of the better entries into the initial run of the Gamera franchise.

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)

 GAMERA VS. BARUGON

Aka "War of the Monsters", "Gamera Strikes Again", "The Great Monster Duel: Gamera vs. Barugon"

With the success of “Gamera: The Giant Monster” it was only fitting to follow the “Godzilla” suite by having our mammoth saber-toothed turtle fight another colossal monster for this sequel. Unlike the many sequels to Godzilla, “Gamera vs. Barugon” actually outdoes the original by marginally being a better and more entertaining film due to an overall larger scope to the project and for having our loveable rocket limbed tortoise appearing in color for the first time.

While being blasted to Mars, Gamera’s prison ship gets struck by an asteroid freeing his ass. He then turns back to earth and destroys a water dam in frustration. Jump to a group of men traveling to a remote pacific island in order to look for a legendary highly valuable opal in a cave. After double-crossing his partners, a man unwittingly leaves the so-called opal under a heat lamp where it hatches into Barugon, a giant ice breathing monster that has the ability to shoot rainbows out it’s back (you read that right). Can Japan trust Gamera, once villain of the human race, to defeat this bastard?

The addition of the antagonistic monster Barugon really adds to the whole larger scale of the project even if the name and look are just a knock-off the “Godzilla” monster Baragon from “Frankenstein Conquers the World”. The audience even gets graced with some unintentional laughter with Barugon’s ability to shoot ‘killer rainbows’.. talk about a killer ‘care bar stare’. I have also come to the conclusion that Barugon is a girl as it is drawn by the luster of a 1000 caret diamond and only a woman would be that attracted to a piece of jewlry. It is toyed with this entry that Gamera is becoming a ‘good guy’ but it isn’t full-fledged yet making Gamera more of an antihero, a character that seems it could turn on the human race any chance it gets before, while, or defeating Barugon.

What I appreciate about this sequel is that it is an adult orientated entry in the franchise. As the original run of the series moves on, it panders more to children with even children being the main characters. Not here my friend as it is adults all the way. This more adult approach, the addition of a fun antagonistic monster (even if it does shoot pussy rainbows out it’s back), an antihero Gamera and being filmed in glorious color makes this arguably the best entry into the initial run of the “Gamera” franchise. It wouldn't take long as the series would quickly drop in quality after this enjoyable sequel.

Written By Eric Reifschneider