Motor City Nightmares Convention Report by ME

By Mitch Emerson

The Motor City Nightmares convention was held this past weekend and yours truly was able to attend this fledgling event on Saturday. Even though George Romero had to cancel his appearance to do a film project, there was no shortage of famous guests. We had Jason himself (Kane Hodder), Michael Myers (Tony Moran) and even the Candyman (Tony Todd)! Surprise last minute addition was Tobe Hooper, director of the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. For the classic horror fans who could resist a 40 year reunion for the cast of the original Night of the Living Dead? In attendance was Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, Judith O"Dea, Marilyn Eastman, John Russo, George Kosana and Russell Streiner. Other attendees included James Russo, Caroline Williams and Monique Dupree.

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Movie Review: The Dark Knight by ME

Wow, just holy jeez wow. The Dark Knight has exceeded any and all expectations that I had, which actually weren't that high because I avoided as much hype and spoilers as possible. My intrigue was only piqued by the trailers and some of the ingenious, if not overdone viral marketing. The best Batman film, if not the best comic book movie of all time. Scratch that, I'm sticking to my guns, The Dark Knight IS the best comic book movie ever, and this is coming from a guy with comic book character tattoo's and a closet filled with longboxes.

How can I convince you of that? Sadly, I don't think I can. This is one that you will just have to trust me on and see for yourself. The story has plenty of twists and turns that spin a web of a story that weaves tightly together and comes to a seat gripping climax. Everything builds up nicely, but not slowly. We start with a bang of a bank robbery that introduces us to the Joker and shows just how ruthless he is. And it only gets better. Even things from the trailer that didn't work for me redeem themselves. Take the Bat-Pod for instance. Stupid name, and with those huge tires it looks almost unbelievable, but when this thing bursts onto the screen and you really get to see it in action, it's pretty slick. We also get to see more of the evolution of the Batsuit itself. I won't say anything as I don't want to spoil anything, but it is an interesting thing to see that Batman doesn't know everything about everything even after doing this for a year or so.

Yes it was a shame that Heath Ledger passed on shortly after completing filming, but we have heard all about that that we really need, or care to. I am only going to judge his performance based on his performance and he really does become the Joker. Not one single speck of Heath Ledger comes through here. He really is a psychotic mad dog that has been taken off his leash to wreak havoc. I can understand why he had issues sleeping during and after filming. Hell, I'm gonna have trouble sleeping after watching it! Christian Bale proves his worth once again both as Bruce Wayne and Batman. Both have grown in ways. We see Batman come to the realization and acceptance of just what his role as Gotham's “Dark Knight” truly needs to be. Watching Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is just as awesome. His character's rise and fall really hits you because he truly is a hero in the true sense of the word, even Batman admits this at one point. And to see his fall from grace is just heartbreaking. Maggie Gyllenhaal is 100% stronger as Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes was and that's all that really needs to be said about her, right? Gary Oldman gets a more interesting chunk of the story to work with this time as we see how he comes to be the Police Commissioner, team him with Harvey Dent and Gotham wouldn't need a Batman. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman round out the cast but are little more than supporting characters this time around. It was also nice to see Scarecrow again, albeit only briefly, to help tie up one loose end from Batman Begins.

In a nutshell? The Dark Knight is the end all Batman movie, plain and simple. No real flaws to speak of. Great story, great pace, great acting, great action, just plain great.

10/10

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

DVD Review Link: Otis by ME

Otis is a welcome addition to the horror-comedy genre without tipping over into the land of parody such as films like Black Sheep and Shaun of the Dead. Otis is at first, instilled with just enough humor to take the edge off while letting us inside the head of two types of people: The psychopath Otis (Bostin Christopher) himself, who just wants to have his perfect Prom night (at least 25 years too late) and the Lawsons, his latest victims family played wonderfully by Daniel Stern, Illeana Douglas, and Jared Kusnits. Kevin Pollak turns in a different performance as Otis's older, meaner brother whose life Otis is trying to emulate, something that isn't directly addressed but you pick up along the way. What makes this film different than other psychopath/serial killer flicks is that the Lawsons get their revenge, which is where the fun really begins. Taking a few unexpected turns is always a good thing in these types of movies, and Otis pulls darkness, humor, tension and a great soundtrack into a tight and different type of film.

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Mitch Emerson

mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk by ME

I may be one of the few who actually liked Ang Lee's version of the Hulk. Sure, we didn't see the Hulk until an hour in. Sure I was lost by the end, just as everyone else was. I liked the comic book transitions between scenes, even if it was over used a bit. And the Hulk himself was pretty awesome. Too bad the best fight was against a pack of ridiculous looking giant radioactive dogs, including a poodle. In a nutshell Ang added a little too much Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon to a film that should have been “HULK SMASH!” for an hour and a half or so.

Well, Louis Leterrier has fixed just about everything that needed fixing. For those not in the know, Marvel chose to “reboot” the Hulk franchise instead of doing an out and out sequel. This movie is a tale of a Bruce Banner on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of General T. “Thunderbolt” Ross, while trying to find a cure, while also trying to avoid situations that would cause him to turn into the Hulk. I swear, it's not easy being green. And to add to it, Ross has brought in Emil Blonsky and given him a “Super Soldier Serum” (Yes, it's the same stuff that creates Captain America) which makes him stronger and faster so he can get a rematch with the Hulk. Things go wrong (of course!) and Blonsky becomes The Abomination, a monster that only the Hulk has the power to deal with.

Edward Norton may be seen in the press as a prima donna with his insistence on having creative control as well as shunning all publicity for The Incredible Hulk, but I'll forgive him for that since he has helped to deliver a great Hulk film. Performance wise, he is just about perfect. All of the cast is. Liv Tyler, William Hurt, and Tim Roth all deserve a pat on the back.

I have to say that The Incredible Hulk has the best cgi since The Lord of the Rings. Ok, well, the hair on the Hulk does need a little work but watching the Hulk's muscles ripple and his hands shake as he screams his rage is something you have to see on the big screen. Gone is the pretty, artistic Hulk that Ang Lee brought us. This is a down and dirty Hulk who just wants to be left alone. And that is what really got me in The Incredible Hulk, we get to see two giant creatures beating the living crap out of each other until only one is left standing. THAT is what comic fans in general, and Hulk fans in particular, have been waiting for.

With little nods to the comics and the TV show, Hulk is an action packed slugfest peppered with feeling and comedic bits that don't go over the top. A must see for any comic or action movie fan. If Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk is what Marvel comes back with after let downs like X3, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and Electra, and with the promise of Captain America, Thor, and The Avengers on the distant horizon, then make mine Marvel!

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Review Link: The Mental Dead by ME

Fatally-Yours.com has sent me a screener for a no-budget horror flick ($80, no kidding) called The Mental Dead. I must have been Mental for watching it. Here is a portion of the review. A link to the full review follows.

I am usually pretty hard on low budget horror films even though I admire the courage it takes to pick up a camera, get out there, and shoot a movie. Due to a recent discussion with Fatally-Yours.com’s own Dr. Royce Clemens, I learned that production values should not be the focus of a review of a film of this type. Unfortunately The Mental Dead lacks the other attributes as well, namely a plot and acting. So I will “discuss” all three aspects.

The film opens with four college kids in a car, one injured, in front of a high school overrun with zombies. Our heroes, Crash and Tyler, show up, convince the kids to go into the school where a lame game of cat and mouse begins. Will they survive? Who cares…

First – When a German actor has one of the most fake sounding German accents of all time it cannot be a good thing. Konrad Brattke’s death could not come soon enough, and I mean that literally. When we first meet him, he has already had his throat cut or bitten, which is spurting blood and yet it took him ten minutes to die.

http://www.fatally-yours.com/horror-reviews/the-mental-dead/

Keep reading,
Mitch E

Movie Review: Cloverfield by ME

Title: Cloverfield
Starring: Lizzy Caplan, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Michael Stahl-David
Directed By: Matt Reeves
Produced By: Sherryl Clark, Guy Riedel, J.J. Abrams
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama and Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr. 24 min.
Release Date: January 18th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror and disturbing images.
Distributors: Paramount Pictures

9/10

J.J. Abrams intrigued us last year with a teaser trailer that gave no name, just an explosion in downtown Manhattan and the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the street and a date, that was all. Genius if you ask me, but the real question is, does it live up to all of the hype and speculation that followed? I can attest that the answer is yes, it does.

Cloverfield is a Godzilla type movie yet both less and more at the same time. Innovative story telling told through the lens of a video camera found in Central Park by the Department of Defense with no narration, explanation or anything. The whole story is told by the videotape recorded by a group of friends in an eight hour period as they try to rescue another friend and escape the city when a creature attacks New York.

On an intellectual level Cloverfield should not work at all. What little character development there is comes from gaps on the tape where what was previously recorded comes through in between the current action, showing bits and pieces of the two main characters past relationship. The ending really shouldn't work either. It's abrupt and doesn't finish the story of the situation, but it does give closure on our character's part in the story. There is no explanation given to where the creature came from, what it wants or where it's going. You never really even get a great shot of what the thing looks like. And, to top it off, Cloverfield had a budget of less than $30 to $50 million. For comparison, Will Smith's I Am Legend had a budget of $150 million and for the record, I enjoyed Cloverfield much more than I Am Legend.

The “acting” is phenomenal when taken in context. No deep conversations or useless dialogue to continue the story. Nope, this is just four young adults scared out of their minds and doing the best that they can. Due to the lack of character development you don't really care who they are, the raw emotion of the situation is enough to make you care what happens to these people who just happen to live in the wrong city at the wrong time.

Only two small problems with the film. One, the movie is shot entirely with a hand held camera and if you are a regular reader of mine you know how much I hate the “shaky-cam”. But, I can forgive it this time as the premise and style make up for it although some people have complained of motion sickness due to the movement. Two, I know Manhattan is a small island, but still, the creature just happens to be everywhere our group is. I find that just a tad unbelievable, but then again, it is a monster movie.

Except for those two minor issues Cloverfield is one hell of an creative movie that delivers the scares and tension in a whole new way.

I'm Mitch Emerson, and I approve of this movie.

Keep reading,

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Theater Review: Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by JR

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

With the big screen, award winning release of “Sweeney Todd” this holiday season, we should all at least have an idea of what the story is about. Just in case you’ve missed it, I’ll summarize. Sweeney Todd is a barber with a wife and baby girl when he is thrown in jail for a crime he did not commit. Upon his release fifteen years later, he returns to his former house and barber shop in London to hear that his wife has committed suicide and his baby girl is living in the house of the Judge who wrongly accused him. The Judge has adopted her and she thinks that he is her father. Naturally, Mr. Todd wants to exact revenge on the Judge who locked him away and stole his daughter, so he opens his barber shop to give his customers, and hopefully the Judge, the “closest shave they’ll ever know”.

I had never seen a stage production of “Sweeney Todd” before the movie came out this past December, but I had seen stills from it. I had also seen “Jersey Girl”, which has a scene from the stage production. These images combined along with what I had seen in Tim Burton’s film version were what I was expecting for the stage production. Boy was I wrong.

The 2005 Broadway revival is quite different than the original 1979 production of “Sweeney Todd”. The most important and challenging change is that there is an absence of an orchestra section. The cast plays each instrument in the orchestration and carries the instruments with them as they play their characters onstage. The small cast of 10 never goes off-stage. They are on the stage the entire length of the musical, with the exception of the intermission of course. This was a truly remarkable thing to watch. The pianist also happened to be playing the Beadle, and while he was in center stage as the Beadle, the Beggar Woman put down her oboe and played piano. Then when the Beadle was done with his lines, he would go back to the piano while Mrs. Lovett came out playing the tuba. Johanna plays the cello while singing “Green Finch and Linnet Bird”. It’s something I’ve never seen before and really speaks to the talent of the cast.

Another surprise was the set design. Gone is the crude two story barber shop/meat pie shop from the photos for the original Broadway production. Instead, there is only a wooden platform raised approximately 6 inches off of the floor that the cast uses as their stage. This wooden platform also ascends behind them, reaching all the way above the rafters. They’re more like wood slats than a platform, actually. Resembling a picket fence with openings between the wood. This allowed light to shine through to give more mood to the scene. When the mood is light, a white light shone through the slats. When Sweeney was killing, a red light shone through. This was a very unique way to give off the very unique feel of this musical. Other than the platform/wood slats, there was no set. The characters had a few chairs, a ladder and a coffin onstage to stand in as other things. For example, the coffin would stand upright and open to act as the doorway to the Judge’s home. Or Anthony would stand on a ladder to proclaim his love for Johanna.

As beautiful and captivating as it was to watch, one must really be familiar with the story to understand what was going on. The actors are all moving all over the stage and without any set and with their fellow actors playing the instruments around them, aren’t always able to speak directly at each other when having a conversation. In fact, it was rare when they were actually together in the same area of the stage. The only characters who shared some true alone time were Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd. This is of course essential for those two characters in particular. If Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd have no chemistry, the musical wouldn’t flourish the way it has.

The cast obviously has to be talented to pull this off. The score for ”Sweeney Todd” is said to be Steven Sondheim’s most challenging and anyone who’s ever had to sing it knows this firsthand. One can easily be out of breath and out of energy simply by singing and standing in place. These actors have to not only sing the challenging score, but they also have to play the entire orchestration and act the entire musical. Judy Kaye, who filled in for Patti LuPone on Broadway for the 2005 revival, plays Mrs. Lovett in the touring production and she is the heart and soul of the group. She’s no stranger to the character and can act this part without a hitch. She’s amazing. David Hess plays Sweeney Todd with an agony and emotion that was so different from Johnny Depp’s Sweeney Todd. I can’t say one was better than the other; they each bring so much to the role. Needless to say, I loved Mr. Hess’s performance. The rest of the cast was astounding as well, naturally. I just can’t imagine having the range of talent that each member of this cast has.

The stage production of “Sweeney Todd” is simply phenomenal. Even if you’ve seen the movie, it’s an experience completely unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Trust me.

If you’d like to experience the tour of “Sweeney Todd”, click here for more information:

http://www.sweeneytoddtour.com/photo.htm

Jenny Rushing
beccajane67@yahoo.com