Bottom 100 Movie Review: The Bat People

I am back after a little time off as other things seemed to take priority.  This week I'm checking out #99 on the bottom 100, The Bat People.  It stars Stewart Moss, Marianne McAndrew, and Michael Pataki.  As of 7/30/16 it has a 2.8 on IMDB.  "After being bitten by a bat in a cave, a doctor undergoes an accelerating transformation into a man-bat, which ruins his vacation and causes considerable distress for his wife."  Sounds interesting but being from 1974 it'll be interesting how it holds up!

• Bats are always kind of creepy, especially close up shots of them
• Johnny is kind of weird looking to start off with
• I believe I asked my bat to be well done not raw damn it!  WAITER!
• I love how quickly bugs crawl on people in the movies
• Strange how bats usually avoid people in real life but in the movies always go after people
• An hour and 45 minutes of this flick?  I think it needed a better editor
• Johnny just had an awesome look on his face!
• Did he crush the glass with is hand?  Hard to tell with all the steam
• Doctors do make the worst patients I hear
• I miss the old school movie music the 60's and 70's had, the random stings were cool
• Lots of "Bat-vision" in this flick as you'd expect
• More eye rolling, its like he is the Undertaker!
• BAT HAND!  AWESOME!
• Pretty calm in a hospital where someone died
• Stewart Moss looks like he could be Chris Kattan 
• 1/3 of the way through the flick and it isn't horrible.  Its not great but not 2.8 bad
• And this is why you never smoke pot, you get attacked by Chris "Man Bat" Kattan
• Why did he steal a random jacket?
• Is that Kevin Bacon?
• Wow they just referenced premature ejaculation!
• Wait he left the house and she didn't notice?
• This Policeman is quick to suspect a well respected doctor
• The other doctor has an AWESOME mustache!
• Its interesting he knows about the transformations but can't stop or control them
• Wait...why would he turn the siren on?  Won't that draw some unwanted attention...from maybe a certain Sgt.
• A yes the stereotypical hobo
• I wonder if the cop is suppose to come off as a complete creep
• And the answer is yes he is suppose to come off as complete creep
• This flick is pretty drawn out
• The makeup job isn't too bad in this flick actually
• Those bats are kamikazing the shit out of that car!
• Ah so he can control the bats now...like the Bat King (see TNMT Rat King)
• Wait..he is going to kill himself because of the bats?  I think I'd have tried to run or something first

Well that flick was weird but it certain didn't belong in the bottom 100 movies!  I have seen a lot worst flicks that get a much better rating.  I wonder if this gets such a bad rap because it was on MST3K, which I don't understand either.  It really isn't horrible.  Odd but not terrible at all.

I don't have a lot to say about it actually.  It was drawn out but everyone did decent to good job acting wise and the make up wasn't laughable.

Overall I'd give it a 4.5/10.  Nothing great but not bottom 100 material!  Upcoming in the next few days is a review of the new flick Florence Foster Jenkins which I'm seeing an early preview of. Also I am going to try and do another bottom 100 flick.  Until next time...Abyssinia!

Movie Review: Ghostbusters

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you've stumbled on my ramblings.  I am back after a brief break.  This time I'm reviewing the newly released Ghostbusters.  It stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Kate McKinnon.  "Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat."

If you are my friend on Facebook you know that I've been critical of this flick.  Mostly because felt the need to talk about how it was four women this time.  I get tired of everything being about race and gender and sexual orientation...basically I get tired of labels.  However, that aside, I went into this flick with an open mind.  Since I watched in the theater and didn't have my PC I can't do my typical blow by blow thoughts but here is what I think....

THE GOOD

I found the flick well done for the most part.  The special effects were good to great with only one minor glitch I'll talk about later.  I found the acting to be good minus what I'll talk about below but on a whole the people did a good job.  

I've talked about my love for Melissa McCarthy and that continued here.  Melissa and Kate McKinnon stole the show easily.  Throw (I just typed Thor...no joke) Chris Hemsworth in there as well as he did a great job with what he was given.  I forget that he has pretty good comedic timing.

The cameos (minus one) were great and perfectly timed, Dan Aykroyd being perfect in my opinion.  I also liked most of the nods to the original series (a few will end up in the bad section momentarily).

Overall not the trainwreck I expected but not Ghostbusters 3 that I always wanted with the original cast.

THE BAD

Let me start by saying that when I criticize the acting I don't blame the actors 100%, it is just as much Paul Feig's fault as the director.

I don't watch SNL anymore so I am not familiar with Leslie Jones work.  I am sure she is good on SNL but she was too much in this film.  TOO MUCH!  Way to over the top when you already had the spot on over the top performance of McKinnon doing the eccentric scientist.  She had a few funny moments, mostly during the concert scene, but overall I felt it was too in your face New York Tyler Perry Madea type acting.

While not giving away too many things as this is a few flick, I didn't like the use of the proton packs. It was different and unique but I didn't like it.  Felt too much like Iron Man 2 (you'll understand when you see the flick).

The flick is a little long too, or if felt that way.  It drug a little bit at times and I think it is because several scenes seemed to be from the original flicks.  The scene in the haunted house early on is very close to the library in GB1.  Then the scene in the restaurant is close to the restaurant scene in GB2. You have the scene with the mayor talking to the team from the other flicks.  While they could be seen as homages I feel it reminded you too much that you weren't watching the originals, but that might just be me.

I did NOT like Bill Murray in this flick.  I just didn't.  Too much of him.  While the others got a scene he see him twice and he pays a character that moves the storyline.  I am sure my dislike of him is part of that but I think it would have been better for him to have a cameo like Dan and Ernie and the rest. I guess if you were going to give Murray a beefier role why not the mayor and have Dan as the sceptic and Ernie something else.  Or the three of them as mayor and his aids or something like that.  Again probably my dislike for Murray and the fact that he seems like an ass most of the time.

Speaking of cameos the fact that Rick Moranis didn't have one was sad.  I know he has retired following the death of his wife a while back but it was still sad.  To see everyone but him (and obviously Harold Ramis) felt sad to me just a bit.  It would have been wonderful for him to show up without anyone knowing, a great surprise to long time fans.

The final bit in the portal felt forced to me.  Was unneeded and felt out of place.  I almost feel like it was a note from the Studio.  "Make sure you put something heartfelt in the film.  It can't just be an entertaining movie after all".

The final bad guy was not done well CGI wise in my opinion.  Until then everything was but the last one, especially when he steps on a car, just seemed bad.

THE MIDDLE

This is how I feel about Kristen Wiig in this flick.  I don't find her all that talented or entertaining personally but people like her.  I felt her performance was in the middle for me.  I feel like she was just there.  I find her performances in everything that way.  She isn't bad but honestly I don't remember her either and that isn't what I look for in a star!

The storyline itself can go here as well.  Nothing groundbreaking and possibly a little blah.  The story of Wiigs and McCarthys past added nothing and only bogged it down a bit.

The use of Slimer can go here too.  I know he was a very beloved character so I expected to see him much like Stay Puff Marshmallow man.  Both of them seemed slightly shoehorned into me.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I type this up on 6/17/16 on IMDB it has a 5/10.  I give it a 6/10.  It was slightly above average. Because of the CGI I would suggest seeing the flick on the big screen.

Nothing ground breaking like I mentioned above but not the trainwreck I thought it might be and had hoped for deep down.  I think they hurt themselves by branding this all about the cast and not about the story but that is just me.

Again 6/10.  If you like the stars of the film you should see it as they all do what they do very well (even Wiig...who I guess is just dull and unappealing in everything she does).

Until next time...Abyssinia!

Bottom 100: Monster a Go-Go

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whenever it is you've stumbled upon my ramblings and rantings.  Today I'm checking out another from the Bottom 100.  #22 as of 7/22/16.  Monster a-Go Go.  "A space capsule crash-lands on Earth, and the astronaut aboard disappears. Is there a connection between the missing man and the monster roaming the area?"  

• This has a very 60's feel to it...I don't know if that is a good or bad thing yet
• I LOVE old school voice overs that they did back in the day to give us exposition
• So mangled they can't so it on film!
• Nice one camera shot with no close ups or anything.  Just a wide room shot
• Uncle Frank won't be coming home...EVER!
• How are you going to have an ice cream soda?  You're going back tot lab
• DEAR LORD WHAT WAS THAT SOUND?  A TELEPHONE!
• Yeah probably some kids prank!  Probably not radiation....
• The audio is horrible in this flick
• The first microwave!
• Dialog was awful back in the 60's!
• MST3000 considered this the worst film ever on their show....what have I done to myself...
• Awesome random dancing scene!  
• Random parking scene...older movies loved those (just look at Manos: Hands of Fate)
• Wow this dude is handsy!
• Someone shut that dog up!
• I want my face to be like that when I die
• Why would he leave his car?  That is just weird
• This is why I dislike most old movies, they are boring

It is hard to review older flicks like this.  Obviously the acting and SFX are going to be completely different from what we expect today.  IT isn't fair to judge by our standards today and I haven't watched enough of the flicks from the time period to give a fair judgement.  I have watched a lot of older TV however and I will tell you this was bad.  

It was the acting.  If you look at things like Dragnet or other shows from the time period the acting is piss poor, I know, but just ten minutes in I knew this was going to be bad.

I don't have a lot to say about the flick that I haven't said above.  The flick was probably not bad by the days standards but not something I'd want to watch again!

Movie Review: Nerve

Last night I got to go to an early screening of the upcoming flick Nerve.  It stars Emma Roberts and Dave Franco.  "A high school senior finds herself immersed in an online game of truth or dare, where her every move starts to become manipulated by an anonymous community of "watchers.""

It is an interesting flick and the description above doesn't quite explain it.  It isn't "truth or dare" as much as dare or dare.  The concept is that this online game is an underground/dark web type game.  It is completely anonymous unless you play.  If you saw the Steve Austin flick The Condemned it is similar to that in the way you watch.  Pay per view style.

Basically young Emma Roberts character, Vee, is a straight laced kid who basically gets peer pressured into playing the game instead of being just a "watcher".  The game is basically an elimination type so as people either bail on dares or fail to do them in a quick enough fashion they are eliminated and lose the money the earn, winner takes all.

My first comment is for everyone to avoid the trailer if you're going to see the film.  I saw the trailer first and ruined quite a bit of the film for me.  I joked with my lovely girlfriend that it felt like an Adam Sandler flick where all the best parts are in the trailer.

However I did enjoy the film.  For the most part the film was enjoyable.  The acting was well done and was an interesting idea.  

There were a few things that bugged me about the flick however.  First off they showed a Mac with a touch screen, which as far as I know doesn't exist!  Yeah a silly thing I know but it bugged me.  Next they did a few too many "internal computer screen shots" where the viewer was looking through the computer/phone screen.  Also there is the trailer ruining everything bit.

I really liked the concept of the film.  While not entirely original it put a modern twist on the concept. I will also say that young Emma Roberts turns in a fantastic performance.  I haven't seen a lot of her work, most recently it was Scream Queens, but she was fantastic in this.

I do see a possible backlash to the flick when it comes out from parent groups.  I can see younglings doing similar dares to each other and people getting hurt.  Of course it will be the films fault not the parents or the children but I can see it happening.  Look what happened back in the day when the Program was released or Jackass.  

Overall I'd give it a 7/10.  Not a flick you have to run out to the theater to see but worth catching when you can.  I hope to get back to more of the bottom 100 flicks and maybe even venture into some of the Top 250 

Book Review: The Scattered and the Dead (Book 1)

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening...whenever it is you've come across this set of ramblings!  Today I am going to review a book.  "The Scattered and the Dead (Book 1)" by Tim McBain and L.T.Vargus.  "With 99.7% of the Earth's population dead and gone, the few who remain struggle to survive in an empty world. The scattered. The leftovers. These are their stories."

This sounded interesting for sure!  With this description I felt like it would be like World War Z only not in a first person/interview style...and anyone who knows me knows how much I love the World War Z book! I looked on Goodreads and saw a lot of 5 star ratings so this was going to be a great read.

However I was disappointed.  I felt most of the stories were just there and I even got to the point where I was skimming certain characters because I disliked them so much...and not the characters I should dislike if that makes since.  

I found the character of "Baghead" interesting and the storyline of the two girls Erin and Izzy I liked. Beyond that didn't care about the other characters.

Spoilers below so you've been warned:

I really REALLY hated the Mitch character.  I skimmed/skipped most of his story.  He was such a whinny bitch that I wanted his kids to kill him just to shut him up!  And whoever wrote that section liked to write a lot of words to say very little.  The chapter of him in the shed went on for a whole book I think.  I had a birthday during that chapter it was so long!  I was like he was trying to be Stephen King without the talent.

Let me say that I can't do better.  I am a HORRIBLE writer of stories...and maybe of this blog I don't know...but I feel like I know good and bad writing and that was bad.

I don't remember the Rex character at all so I can't say anything about him....I feel like there was a character near the beginning that bit it early one for doing something stupid...oh wait I remember now.  Yeah not something stupid just kind of a pointless story I guess.  Okay it wasn't pointless it gave you a glimpse at what was going on in the world but very unmemorable.  

The others were just there as well.  That isn't to say it was a bad book exactly, just not 5 star worthy at all.  I give it a 2/5 on goodreads but honestly it't be a 2.5 if I could.  It was average, again...better than anything I could write, but nothing out of this world.  I have book 1.5 to check out next and I'll continue reading because I am interested in Erin, Izzy and Baghead.  

If you need something to read this isn't the worst thing out there but there are better choices as well. Until next time...Abyssinia