TRAILER OF THE DAY # 9 - A Night To Remember (1958)

Roy Ward Baker (QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, THE SCARS OF DRACULA, ASYLUM) didn't just bang out many of the old school British sci-fi/horror films many of us love and cherish. he also helmed this amazing film, my favorite overall of any, chronicling the sinking of the great ship that was destined not to be, The Titanic. Even survivors of that disaster who have seen the film name it to be the most accurate of all. part character drama, to draw the viewer in, the intensity ratchets up fairly quickly, and the turmoil portrayed on the command deck, and in the engine room, is palpable enough to give you a dry mouth. The best and worst of humanity surfaces, as the ship begins to sink. And the shots of the band, who play on as the tragedy unfolds, is enough to make the most steely of men weep. nautical travel may have lost it's crown jewel on the morning of April 15, 1912 as the sun crept up over the icy waters of the north Atlantic, but on the night of July 1'st, 1958, cinema gained on of it's finest examples of docu-dramatic film making. An achievement. See it as soon as you can.

         

~Sean Smithson

TRAILER OF THE DAY # 8 - The Howling (1980)

News caster Karen White heads to a new age-y mental health retreat in the aftermath of having a close run in with serial killer Eddie Quist. After witnessing him gunned down, after he nearly kills her, she and her husband Bill head to the resort, called "The Colony", which is run by ground breaking psychotherapist Dr. George Waggner, who had been working as a consultant on the case of Eddie Quist, a past patient of Dr. Waggner's, helping to profile him for the police.
Populated by eccentrics and townies, soon Karen is ulocking blocked memories of the attack, and her husband, who has been targeted by the local near-feral nymphomaniac Marcia Quist (yup, Eddie's sister) is taking a few too many late night walks. When Bill returns one night after having been bitten by "a dog", things start to get, well, hairy!
With a screenplay from the legendary screenwriter/director John Sayles (MATEWAN, LONE STAR) who was still doing genre work at the time, and directed by Joe Dante, this is in my top 3 werewolf films. the cast is rock solid as well, with Dee Wallace, her real life husband Chris Stone, Patrick Macnee, Slim Pickens, John Carradine, Dennis Dugan, Belinda Balaski, and cameos from Dick Miller and FAMOUS MONSTERS ediitor "Uncle" Forry J. Ackerman, THE HOWLING is a bona fide classic of high quality 80's terror. And with FX from a still teenaged Rob Bottin (John carpenter's THE THING) the transformation scene remains a jaw dropper to this very day. You already knew this though, didn't you?

Damn, we love this movie here at THE BONUS MATERIAL!

                               

TRAILER OF THE DAY # 7 - American Pop (1981)

Animation maverick Ralph Bakshi leaves pornofied cats and wizards behind, to tell this tale of American music, from the early days of blues, into the psychedelic sixties, and through the caustic disenchanted beginnings of punk in the 70's, and into the early 80's new wave movement, tied together by the lineage of a musical family of Russian Jewish immigrants.
Episodic, moving, and enlightening. This is easily the most emotional and human of Bakshi's work, in the opinion of yours truly, and stands as a dramatic masterpiece, animated or not. Written by Ronni Kern, who went on to write an episode of, er, Baywatch (!?!) and a lot of television movie fare, which is a bit mind boggling given the depth and epic scope of AMERICAN POP. One has to wonder about a potential giant of a screenwriter turning that way, but no matter, this collaboration between Kern and Bakshi, remains to this day one of the most important contributions to "music based cinema". Right up there with the classic THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, and the recent James Brown biopic GET ON UP, AMERICAN POP is a must see/must have for any fan of the jazz, blues, or rock and roll movie sub genres.

                            

~Sean Smithson

THE BONUS MATERIAL PODCAST Episode 6

This time around we talk the possible (and probable) casting of Edris Elba as JAMES BOND, ruminate over THE EXORCIST in celebration of it's 41'st birthday, get into PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE, and discuss the hotbed topic of downloading films and music.

In nominee podcastas! It's episode 6(66!!!) of THE BONUS MATERIAL PODCAST with Thom Carnell, Sean Smithson, Heather Buckley, and Langley J. West. Click play, it'll help keep the demons at bay!

REVIEW - School of the Holy Beast (1974)

While this is an interesting “nunsploitation” film in that is Japanese, it still holds true to the conventions of the genre - blasphemy, lesbianism, torture, etc. Made in 1974 and directed by “pinku” director, Norifumi Suzuki (GIRL BOSS GUERILLA, TERRIFYING… HIGH SCHOOL), the film is competently made and acted, but fails to being much new to the table. Nunsploitation is a genre where m knowledge-base is a little weak, so I decided to bone up (no pun intended) on it be watching a few. Sadly, with this genre… a little is a lot and once you see half a dozen or so, you’ve pretty much seen them all. If nuns humping and peeing on crosses does it for you (and when doesn’t it?), then SCHOOL - and the entire nunsploitation genre) is for you. If you’re looking for something more… look someplace else. SCHOOL is definitely one of the better entries in the subgenre, but… once you get past the horny nuns, there’s really not much to that. Fun… but flawed.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

TRAILER OF THE DAY #6 - Maniac (1980)

William Lustig's incredibly grim tale of a psychopathic loner, Frank Zito, whose main purpose in life is to go around NYC killing people. He scalps his female victims, and adorns the mannequins strewn around his seedy efficiency apartment with their farmed follicles. Frank, cleaned up and pimpin' in his double breasted polyester suit and extra-large shaded aviators, eventually meets, and begins courting a fashion photographer named Anna. But his darker side won't allow a healthy relationship to develop, and soon she is also falling prey to the MANIAC.
Super simple, but incredibly effective, MANIAC is one of the great examples of so-called "Grindhouse cinema". Lurid, disgusting, and better than it should be, this was the litmus test every gorehound (which I was as a pre-teen in 1980) subjected themselves to. This was a dangerous movie, raising the bar on cruelty about 30 levels above the other slashers of the day.
Starring, and co-written by, character actor extraordinaire Joe Spinell (THE GODFATHER pt II, CRUISING, TAXI DRIVER, and pretty much every other movie shot in NYC), who was also quite eccentric himself, and genre quees Caroline Munro STARCRASH, THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD). keep an eye peeled for Golden era porn queen Sharon Mitchell as well. You know you've seen some of her movies, don't lie!
Factor in FX (and a cameo) by the Picasso of latex, Tom Savini, and you have a prime slab of meat for horror fanatics. An unflinchingly brutal classic.

WARNING! This trailer is graphic, obscene, sick, and perverse...which means RUN. DON'T WALK and WATCH NOW! Order the bluray HERE. And look out behind you, there's a MANIC coming your way!

                              

REVIEW - Emergency Squad (1974)

A slow & uneventful 1974 poliziotteschi featuring Tomas Milan (Fulci's DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING) who does his best to channel Serpico or Dirty Harry, but falls WAY short. He mostly just chews on a cigar and threatens to shoot people. The rest of the cast is wholly forgettable. The only reason to see this is for the super funky Stelvio Cipriani score which will have you blissfully overdosing on Wah-Wah pedal.

Rating: 2 out of 5

~Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Sabata (1969)

Lee Van Cleef (THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, DEATH RIDES A HORSE) once again proves he’s The Man in this Spaghetti Western from 1969. Directed by Gianfranco Parolini (The Sabata Trilogy, IF YOU MEET SARTANA, PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH) and costarring William Berger (KEOMA, 5 DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON) and Ignazio Spalla (ANY GUN CAN PLAY, DON’T WAIT, DJANGO…SHOOT!), the film tells the story of a group of businessmen who rob an Army safe of $100,000 in order to buy some land which the railroad is planning to build on. Everything goes as planned until a gunslinger named Sabata comes along. From there, the film is basically the businessmen continually trying – unsuccessfully – to kill Sabata. Genuinely fun and completely delightful, SABATA is one of those films many haven’t heard of… and the ones that have, haven’t seen it. More light-hearted than the Leone films, for example, SABATA showcases Van Cleef as a badass of the highest order. Berger plays the guy with the knowledge of the town. Ignazio Spalla is around to play the type of role made popular by Eli Wallach in THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY or Rod Steiger in DUCK, YOU SUCKER. What sets SABATA apart is its pervasive sense of humor and Van Cleef’s preternatural ability to set up kill zones. The acting is spot-on. The action is both inventive and exciting. Fans of the genre should immediately add this to their list as should anyone who justy likes a rollicking good time at the movies.

Rating: 4 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Caltiki The Immortal Monster (1959)

A 1959 monster flick that was - on paper - directed by Riccardo Freda. The film is a kind of mashup between a “scientists make weird discovery in Mayan ruins” picture and THE BLOB. What makes this film of note is that Freda himself claims that the great Mario Bava did most of the directing of this film uncredited and it shows. From the subtle use of black and white / light and shadow to the making pennies seem like dollars in the look and feel of the sets, and the ingenuity of the monster, this is a Bava film. The monster itself really is little more than what looks like an oil-covered cloth, but through some creativity and a little back-winding, the thing looks pretty damn creepy. The acting is standard Fifties-era monster movie. For Bava fans, this is a must see. For “monsters from outer space” fans, it is as well. For anyone who is interested in a unique take on a classic monster, this is a fun little ride. Not a lot of blood, but some of the FX are pretty nifty. This film is often hard to find, but if you are able to get your hands on it, it’s worth a viewing.

Rating: 3 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Dream Home aka Wai Dor Lei Ah Yut Ho (2010)

Ho-Cheung Pang directs this brutal tale of a young woman whose lifelong dream is to own her own home in the expensive housing market of Hong Kong. While the premise might sound tame, this film is anything but. Extremely gory and featuring a dozen or more visceral kills, DREAM HOME is breathtaking in its bravery and its willingness to quite literally go for the throat. You will not - I repeat, YOU WILL NOT - believe some of this stuff. Solid acting, spot-on direction, and featuring writing that is more than willing to give viewers a kick in the nuts, DREAM HOME is awesome and totally surprising. I HIGHLY recommend this to horror fans, to thriller fans… heck, to anyone with a stomach strong enough for it. The really nice thing is… as crazy as the protagonist is, once you learn her back-story, you sorta kinda empathize with her. You won’t feel good about it because… let’s face her actions are INSANE, but they are kind of understandable. Kind of… In the end, DREAM HOME is a wild ride and one fans who don’t shy away from the red stuff will surely dig.

Rating: 4 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - The Set-Up (1949)

This 1949 noirish fight film shows exactly what a good director can do with a couple of sets, an excellent cast, a great script, and a clear cut vision. Director Robert Wise (THE HAUNTING) makes a boxing film that ranks with some of the best fight films ever made. Shot in real time & exclusively on sets, this little known classic totally surprised me. The viewer comes away feeling the anguish of Robert Ryan as an over the hill boxer looking for one more win. Audrey Totter is his girl and provides an emotional base for the story. Some people - the ones who don't like B&W movies - may not like this, but man... it hooked me out of the box and held my interest throughout its run time. The disc also features a great commentary track with Robert Wise & Martin Scorcese.

Rating: 4 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Nightcrawler (2014)

Screenwriter Dan Gilroy (FREEJACK, THE FALL, THE BOURNE LEGACY) comes screaming out of the gate as a first time director with this incredibly solid effort that points a scathingly critical finger at the TMZ generation, where news is no longer news, and it's purveyors have become completely morally bankrupt. He wraps it all in a neo-noir/action infused package, and boy oh boy does it work.
Lou Bloom is a petty thief, whose intelligence and ability to learn almost anything with scary speed, is bellied by his almost psychotic banter. An authority on seemingly everything, Lou pulls over one night on the freeway to observe a terrible car accident, and after watching an independent news gathering cameraman, walks away with the seeds of a new career rolling around in his constantly bubbling brain.
After stealing an expensive bike, and trading it up for an outdated camcorder, he's off cruising the LA night looking for his own footage to capture, and sell.  Faster than you can say "Perez Hilton",
he's leveling up, hiring on a destitute young man, Rick, to be his navigator, and together they comb the police band on their scanner, mastering the codes, rushing off to capture images of crime and terror as they happen. His buyer is Nina, an aging female news director at a low rent local station, who needs the tawdry footage to aid her plummeting ratings. Eventually, Lou's nocturnal submissions yield incredibly up close and personal captures of the most heinous of human behavior. He gets Nina what she needs, in her own words something akin to "A screaming woman running down the street with her throat cut". Eventually, he comes upon the aftermath of a home invasion. Arriving before the police, he enters the house with his camera, and returns with content that may or may not be legal. It sure as hell isn't moral. But who cares? It's ratings sweep time, and numbers mean money.
Jake Gyllenhaal, as the increasingly psychotic and psychopathic news gatherer, hits a whole new level of creepy here, and the comparisons of his performance to that of DeNiro as Travis Bickle in the classic TAXI DRIVER are absolutely warranted. The supporting cast of Rizwan Ahmed (BRITZ, FOUR LIONS, also an MC in his native London), Rene Russo as the desperate aging beauty now trying to stay afloat in the ruthless industry that is the nightly news, and Bill Paxton as a competing camera-hawk, all help to make this easily one of the best films of 2014.
NIGHTCRAWLER is heavy on the parable, but damn it works, and while it's shaking that "scathingly critical finger" I talked about earlier, at the characters, as well as us the viewer, it's also providing one hell of an exciting ride, albeit at 80 miles an hour down the crowded downtown streets of Los Angeles. Hang on, NIGHTCRAWLER is going to turn your knuckles white.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5



~Sean Smithson

REVIEW - The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011)

Many people are uneducated in regards to the black power movement which lasted from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Director Goran Olsson gathers some very interesting footage (Stokeley Carmichael interviewing his mom) from Swedish news sources as well as some great voices (Harry Belafonte, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Angela Davis, to name a few) to tell a story of a very special – and volatile - time in our history. Thankfully, the filmmaker never dallies too long on any one subject. He gives us just enough information and then moves on which is a double-edged sword. Some events get short shrift while others feel somehow padded. Still… this is crucial viewing for…well, almost everybody. In this time of “Occupy This” and “Occupy That,” it might be helpful to look at how some other people did it first.

Rating: 3 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

NEWS AND NEAT STUFF - December 27, 2014

Well readers, we've got good news and we've got bad news. or rather we've got Shit (with a capitol "S"), and we've got Shinola. Let's start in the gutter first, shall we?

Picture this - Ancient China, the Han Dynasty (206-220 AD) is the setting. Our supposed hero Huo An is set-up and imprisoned by "bad guys", but then meets Lucius, a Roman soldier, and they decide to help each other, and go after the bad guys who have enslaved them. Now picture generic, CGI infested martial arts action, but with two established American actors and one HK legend.
Adrien Brody is not a Wuxai star, I'm sorry. Nor is John Cusack. Nor is Jackie Chan for that matter. But hey, apples meet oranges, hope y'all get along!
Dragon Blade is sure to stink worse than grandpa's Dragon Breath! But being the Asian action junkies we are, and never having the self control to look away from a fiery train wreck, the crew at the BONUS MATERIAL are sure to swim through this river of sour poop on February 19th, so you won't have to. Luckily, it probably won't be cluttering up screens, just Redbox and On Demand

You're welcome in advance! If you don;t believe us, check out this trailer, and don't say we didn't warn you. Some things you just cannot un-see!

Now here's something to help wipe the taste of shit out of your mouth left by the above item...a new picture from the up-coming MAD MAX: FURY ROAD! Dear doG, how this slab of post-apocalyptic madness is anticipated around here. The recently trailer 2'nd trailer was explosive (literally and figuratively) to say the least, and the more details emerge the more May 15, 2015 becomes a bate circled and re-circled in red ink on the BONUS MATERIAL's calendar. Pitch perfect casting, over the top set pieces, and a solid story all look to make a sure winner here. This in our opinion could potentially be a STAR WARS/AVATAR level money maker. And again...most importantly...the story seems damned good. So get excited people, if this one doesn't rock our own Sean Smithson has pledged to eat his old leather jacket Werner Herzog style.
If you've not already seen the above mentioned trailer, get some clean underwear at the ready, and check this out!

  


More on the Idris Elba as Bond thing, as he responds to the speculation on his Twitter , with this picture and the following comment -
"Isn't 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people."
Elba had this to say as well about it all, on NPR awhile back - "I just don’t want to be the black James Bond,” Elba said. “Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond, so if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond.”

We really want to see this happen. maybe Rush Limbaugh could play Blowhard, er, we mean Blofeld!

On second though...nah...fuck Rush Limbaugh!


In the "What The Hell?" department, we've just become aware of this animated film, which is newly released on DVD and blu-ray here in the States and the United Kingdom. Now, we love anime, but so much of it is the same old same old. But when something comes along that shows this much heart and originality, not to mention beauty of design and execution, it grabs our attention. Directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura, the design man behind EVANGELION: 2.0 YOU CAN (NOT) ADVANCE, the story for PATEMA INVERTED is as follows -

"Patema is from a civilization that lives in a system of tunnels and caverns deep underground. She likes to go exploring the world outside her village, despite being frequently warned of a mysterious danger that supposedly exists out there. While looking around in the "danger zone", Patema is confronted by a figure standing on the ceiling, upside-down. She falls into a deep pit, and finds herself on the surface world, above ground, where she meets a boy named Age. They discover that the effect of gravity is reversed for Patema's people; to Age, Patema is upside-down, while from Patema's perspective, Age and his entire world are upside-down, which puts her in great danger of falling up into the sky."

Trippy stuff, indeed! Check out the trailer, and if you like what you see, order it up HERE

OK, it's time for some NEAT STUFF y'all. Last night, BONUS MATERIAL's Sean Smithson and Langley J. West got into a late night roundabout over animated short films. especially those using techniques not as common as CGI or cell animation. So Langley shows Sean the trailer for FX maestro Phil Tippet's MAD GOD, a short from the wonderful man behind THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK's Snow Walker battle, and many other classic moments of movie magic, from ROBOCOP to JURASSIC PARK. Mr. Tippet has been working on for, get this, nearly 20 years. Atmospheric, artsy as all get out, and just incredible looking overall, MAD GOD is one for animation and short film fans to track down. revel in the trailer, and then an awesome 18 minute interview with Tippet about the project. We'll see what we can do on our end here at the BONUS MATERIAL about pointing you readers at the full length, but for now, feat your eyes, and your minds!

The trailer -


Meet Phil Tippett and his Mad God courtesy of Tested and their Youtube page!



OK, that's it for today folks! Please be sure to LISTEN to the podcast, read us on FACEBOOK, and follow us on TWITTER, if you aren't already! See ya' tomorrow for more NEW AND NEAT STUFF!

TRAILER OF THE DAY #5 - Blue Collar (1978)

Fresh off his screenwriting success with TAXI DRIVER, Paul Schrader made his directorial debut with this one, which he also co-wrote with his brother Leonard. Part crime caper flick, part satire, and part stick-it-to-the-man flick, BLUE COLLAR is about 3 Rust Belt factory worker friends, Zeke, Jerry, and Smokey,slaving in an auto factory, who decide to rip off the company they work for. They don't find much money, but they do find a ledger that reveals the books are being cooked, and that their union has some solid ties to organized crime. So the multicultural homeboys decide to, well, stick-it-to-the-man. When Smokey dies under suspicious circumstances, shit gets real. Soon the feds are on Zeke, the groups defacto leader, to testify against the union, and the union is on him to give up the goods, causing a rift between him and the remaining Jerry.
Filming BLUE COLLAR was apparently even more drama ridden than the film itself. The lead actors, Richard Pryor, Harvey Kietel, and Yaphet Kotto, were said to have hated each other. factor in Pryor being coked out of his mind, and if stories are true, at one point actually threatened writer/director Schrader with a gun, proclaiming that he "aint gonna do more than three takes!" it's a wonder this film was completed, much less came out as amazing as it did. That can likely be chalked up to Schrader being on fire at the time, his talent bringing the project together, be damned the distractions and detractions. Schrader wound up suffering a nervous breakdown over it all, but he brought a film to screens that should be much more heralded than it is. Considered an unsung classic among film geeks, this is one great piece of American film making through and through. Out of pressure, diamonds are formed, and BLUE COLLAR is one of the crown jewels of releases from 1978.


                           

REVIEW - The Living Corpse aka Zinda Laash aka Dracula in Pakastan (1967)

What we have here is a Pakistani version of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA. The film has a certain reputation as being the first movie in Pakistan to be given an X rating and because a woman reportedly had a heart attack in the movie theater due to the film’s being so provocative. At the time it was made, it was only the second horror movie to be made in Pakistan. The film begins as a sort of riff on DR JECKYL AND MISTER HYDE with Dr. Tabani looking for the “Elixir of Life” which he not only finds, but ingests. Of course, the good doctor drops dead and soon awakes as a creature that is more similar to what we think of as Dracula. From here, we get pretty much what you would expect. As one watches this film, it’s important to remember two things… 1) the film was made in 1967 and 2) as I’ve said, it was made in Pakistan. As a result, yes…. The film’s dance sequences (yes, dance sequences – this is Pakistan… which is right next to India… y’know, Bollywood) are pretty racy given the time and location and – because it’s a vampire film – there’s an aspect of sexuality to it all… which I’m sure the religious factions of Pakistan were not happy about. The music… is pretty groovy by and large, very 60s dance pop. But yeah… other than that, it sticks pretty much to the Stoker playbook. The guy who plays Dracula, Rehan, does his best Christopher Lee impression and is actually not bad in the role. The film ends up – undoubtedly because of the conventions of Pakistani cinema – being very melodramatic and over-wrought, but still kind of endearing (in a really odd way). Soon though… the oddity of the film wears thin and, by the third reel, the whole thing begins to overstay its welcome (the film runs 103 minutes). So, at the end of the day, THE LIVING CORPSE serves more as an anthropological document than an effective horror film. It serves to show how a fledgling film industry and a – let’s admit it – rather repressed country does its own take on a horror archetype. THE LIVING CORPSE has its moments, but…I’d recommended it mostly for “world horror” fans (which I am) and those interested in riffs on the Dracula legend.

Rating: 3 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell 

REVIEW - First Kill (2001)

Wow! This one caught me by surprise. FIRST KILL is a chilling documentary by Coco Schrijber which details in open and frank language what it means to kill a person for the first time. Using Viet Nam War vets as interview subjects, Schrijber is smart enough to never get in the way of her subjects. She simply points the camera and shoots and the results are pretty amazing. Speaking to a handful of soldiers, the director uses interview footage and archival photographs (some of which were provided by the subjects themselves) to take the viewer not only into the minds of these men, but also into the situation they found themselves in (war). Again, the result is chilling, but always fascinating. Solid stuff and HIGHLY recommended!

4 out of 5 stars

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Full disclosure… I liked the first CAPTAIN AMERICA film. I thought it had a different sensibility from the other Marvel movies. So, I went into THE WINTER SOLDIER hoping for the best. What I got was exactly what I expected: a big, loud, explodey “tent-pole” film which, while a fun ride, is of little significance to anyone outside San Diego ComiCon. The weird thing is that there’s nothing really to outright hate about TWS. The cast is likeable and performs well. The action is big and loud and there are a lot of flames and things falling out of the sky. The intrigue is… well, suitably intriguey. But, as the credits began to roll, I found myself already losing the particulars of the film’s plot. So, Cap is a man out of time… and Black Widow is trying to get him laid? The Horse Whisperer is a bad guy and now has the emotional range of a hat rack? It’s all so confusing. I’m beginning to believe that they really don’t know what they’re doing over there at Marvel. I mean, didn’t they JUST build a better S.H.I.E.L.D. in one of the other movies? And, are we now to suspect that there are HYDRA agents in the TV show? Who knows? I just found THE WINTER SOLDIER to be an overly long and unduly complicated, firey, generic night at the movies that satisfies, but rarely inspires.

3 out of 5 stars

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - I'm Rubber, You're Glue (2015)

 Shannon John Shea’s new book I’M RUBBER, YOU’RE GLUE is a fascinating look at the life of a special effects makeup artist in the Hollywood film industry, starting during the Golden Age of practical effects work in the 1980s. For years he maintained The First Person Monster Blog online, telling wonderfully entertaining tales of the making of your favorite effects laden films. Earlier in 2014 he announced that he would be discontinuing the blog to focus on collecting his memories and experiences for this book. Fans of the blog need not worry…the material in the book is not simply a copy and paste of the blog’s contents. Shannon goes into incredible detail, covering his childhood and inspirations to working in the industry.
Shannon is now an established fixture of the special effects world, having worked on such modern classics as PREDATOR, TERMINATOR 2, JURASSIC PARK and MEN IN BLACK 3, but when he first moved to Los Angeles from a New Orleans suburb in the early 80s, he was a young, inexperienced kid with more enthusiasm than skill. The story of how this “wet behind the ears” kid went from barely scraping by (and sometimes not even that), looking for jobs, to being a Hollywood professional is thoroughly engaging.
This is the first volume of Shannon’s story and covers the time from his birth in the early 60s to working for Stan Winston on PREDATOR. In between, he tells of working on low budget horror films in horrible conditions to meeting and working with his heroes in the most professional of environments.
Speaking of heroes, Shannon really holds nothing back when describing his dealings with some of the Hollywood special effects legends. He does not make judgements, but tells the story honestly and straight. Sometimes those stories are none too complementary. But he turns that honest lens on himself as well. The result does not feel like a gossipy “tell-all,” but more like a history lesson that does not flinch away from examining the ugly parts.

The copy that I read is an unedited version in PDF form that Shannon made available. The final version promises to be 15,000 words shorter, available as an e-book, with a variety of photographs. I am really glad to have had the chance to read the unedited version, as I really don’t see a lot of fat that needs to be cut out. All of the stories that Shannon passes on in these pages are entertaining and informative. Plus, it’s fun to check out the typos.
While his writing is strong, Shannon does not try to be a poet or novelist. Rather, he takes the role of friendly mentor, telling you stories of the past while passing on many lessons learned. The writing style is almost conversational in tone, which makes for quick and fun reading. If the term “page turner” can apply to a non-fiction e-book, then it certainly is appropriate here.
If you are interested in the effects industry or behind the scenes Hollywood in general, you can find what you’re looking for in this book. The unedited preview version is available to purchase for $15 for most of January (2015). This also gets you access to the photographs as they become available. In my opinion, it’s worth it to get this unedited version…which you can get HERE.  And be sure to visit the Facebook page for I’M RUBBER, YOU’RE GLUE while you're at it!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

~ Langley J. West

NEWS AND NEAT STUFF - December 26, 2014

Some of the best horror being made these days is on television, and one of my favorites of the bunch is Showtime's PENNY DREADFUL. It successfully mashes up classic monsters, gives it a dark fantasy sheen, and doesn't skimp on the Gothic imagery. Solid writing, great performances, and amazing production value, I am a happy little horror fiend knowing this show is a hit and will be staying around. Excitement builds for the season 2 premier this spring, but in the meantime, enjoy a teaser for terrors to come!



And if you have catching up to do, Showtime is running a PENNY DREADFUL marathon New Years Eve and New Years Day. Ring in 2015 with vampires, werewolves, mad doctors, re-animated corpses, possessed heroines, and monster hunters galore!






Will Idris Elba be the next Agent 007? I sure am hoping so. Not since the announcement of the Fantastic
Four reboot's Johnny Storm being cast with a black actor has controversy about the race of an actor kicked up so much dust. Studio exec Amy Pascal apparently suggested Elba to take over for Daniel Craig when his run is over, and I think it's a great idea. Bond is all about attitude in my book, and in actuality, as people who know me can attest, I've been dreaming of Elba taking over the role of James Bond for literally years. His layered character work in LUTHER, his being one of the only saving graces in PROMETHEUS as the semi-heroic ship captain, all the way back to his playing a despicable drug kingpin on THE WIRE. This guy has what it takes, the chops, the charisma, all of it. I am in 1,000% support of this idea. What are your thoughts readers?

Robert Orci isn't only not directing STAR TREK 3, now he's not writing it. And he doesn't seem super stoked about that idea. He was recently replace as director by Justin Lin, recent helmer and keeper of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. Now we're going to get another screenwriter in futzing around in the newly developing TREK universe, supposedly in order to bring a "Guardians Of The Galaxy feel to it". Um, why not just hire fucking James Gunn?

Orci has this to say:
About initial changes in the STAR TREK mythology -
"Stop blaming BR (Bad Robot). It was my idea so that you would not know what was gonna happen next. Nothing more or less. I stand behind it. And it, again, is the reason why I make movies and you don’t."
About it all coming together into the territory we are more familiar with -
"In [Into Darkness] they set out finally where the original series started. The first two films – especially the 2009 [Star Trek] – was an origin story. It was about them coming together. So they weren’t the characters they were in the original series. They were growing into them and that continues on in the second movie. So in this movie they are closer than they are to the original series characters that you have ever seen. They have set off on their five-year mission. So their adventure is going to be in deep space."

Will I be seeing STAR TREK 3? Of course I will, even if it did take 4 or more tries to get through INTO DARKNESS (sometimes too much is just too much as far as action set pieces go). if anything I'll hopefully enjoy the whiz bang-iness of it all. Am I happy Orci off the project as anything other than a producer? Not totally. I dug the first one quite a bit. I would have liked to have seen Orci helm this baby. but alas, it is not to be. I find this illogical.


The THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO! reboot nearing it's premier. I am a huge, and I mean HUGE fan of
Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation, his puppet driven sci-fi shows for kids. FIREBALL XL5, CAPTAIN SCARLETT, my personal favorite STINGRAY, and the list goes on and on. It looks like his most well known property has been given a facelift, and will feature live actors and CGI animation. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, since no narrative footage has dropped, but you can the press release out below -

Fifty years after its television debut the iconic series is back in production featuring a talented cast led by Rosamund Pike (The World’s End, Gone Girl) as Lady Penelope and David Graham (Thunderbirds 1965) reprising his role as chauffeur and International Rescue agent Parker.

Debuting on ITV in 2015 this re-invention of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s much-loved series will be produced using an innovative mix of CGI animation and live-action miniature sets.

Unstoppable inventor Brains will be voiced by Kayvan Novak (Fonejacker, Facejacker) whilst Tracy brothers Gordon and John are both played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Love Actually, Game of Thrones). Rasmus Hardiker (Saxondale, Lead Balloon) has been cast as both the youngest and oldest Tracy brothers Alan and Scott. The fifth Tracy brother, Virgil, will be played by David Menkin. Tracy Island matriarch Grandma Tracy is voiced by Sandra Dickinson (Amazing World of Gumball, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and master villain The Hood played by Andres Williams (M.I. High, Foyle’s War).

Plus Thunderbirds Are Go! will feature new characters including Kayo, the Tracy brothers’ friend and fellow island resident, who will be played by Angel Coulby (Merlin, Dancing on the Edge) and Colonel Casey voiced by Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, Doctor Who).

WETA is doing the FX, but after the janky look of THE HOBBIT films, which were completely in-congruent in my opinion, this doesn't denote a technical victory. But I will be watching the second this baby drops, and my fingers are crossed. I want to like this, I really reallllly do!



Here's the BBC talking about two years ago, so this has been in the works a LONG time!

Living up to the NEAT STUFF in our title, check this out. Are you like me? Do you like to collect genre movie posters, but have found the collectors market incredibly inflated since the boom of "Horror Chic", where a red version poster for John Carpenter's THE FOG will run upwards of 50-100 bucks, when a couple years ago you could find them for around 10 dollars US? Well my friends, here is a site for you. It's called WRONG SIDE OF THE ART, and their scanned library includes thousands of amazing titles, with foreign versions galore. Even better? They are scanned at full size, so you can whip these puppies onto a thumb drive and hit your local print shop, and soon have them hanging on your wall! You'll also find lobby card sets, promo stills and other cool movie related material scanned. Now if they'd only carry pressbooks! Hit the site right HERE and start uncovering those treasures now!

TRAILER OF THE DAY #4 - White Line Fever

All American boy and war hero Carol Jo Hummer returns home to Arizona, and becomes a trucker, like his dead daddy. Living the dream, he marries his sweetheart Jerri, take a loan, and buys a rig he names "The Blue Mule". He starts hauling for the Red River Co. only to find out these crooks are running non-taxed cigarettes and slot machines! When he raises Hell, Hell calls back in the form of a vengeful company owner, Buck, who turns Carol Jo's life onto a shit storm of violence and retribution. As the people Carol Jo loves and associates with begin dying around him, the hero becomes the subversive, and takes action to set things right...with a big rig and a shotgun!
I saw this one multiple times in theaters as a kid, read the novelization, and poured over every TV Guide for years, waiting for it to show on my local station.
Jan Michael Vincent, Kay Lenz, L.Q. Jones, Slim Pickens, and R.G. Armstrong head up one of the greatest drive-in style casts ever known, and the climax would do Peckinpah proud, with it's hail of bullets and tornado of shattered glass. This flag waiving, country music loving action flick from 1975 deserves a proper dvd/bluray release, complete with little Blue Mule die cast car in a special edition. It's also the best way to remember jan Michael Vincent, who, to put it nicely, has seen better days.
Directed by Johnathan Kaplan, who also did the ass kicking flicks TRUCK TURNER (which is how he got this gig) MR. BILLION, and the teen rebellion classic OVER THE EDGE. Seek this out y'all, and have a Coors and a shot of jack to go along with it.

                              

REVIEW - The Bay (2012)

The great Barry Levinson (TOYS, RAIN MAN, THE NATURAL) dips his toe into the “found footage” stream and surprisingly comes up with something of value. Yes, the beginning of the film feels familiar (think JAWS meets BLOOD BEACH meets any other film with monsters, set at a beach, during summer), but what is of interest is the science behind the creature. Based on a healthy mix of facts and supposition, the film presents an all-too credible reason behind the wiping out of an entire town. Some of the performances are a little amateur, but the film never wastes too much time on any one character. It’s like, “present your bit of scientific exposition and then either die or leave town.” In the end, THE BAY is a fun little time-waster that fans of either outbreak films or “summer vacation creature movies” will dig this. Oh, and I’ll also mention that some of the gore in the film is kind of surprising considering Levinson is an Oscar winner. Fun even if insubstantial.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - All That Jazz (1979)

One of the greatest, and most disturbing, musicals ever made in which maestro director/choreographer Bob Fosse helms a thinly veiled confessional of his own life, with Roy Schieder in the lead role as Joe gideon, a bacchanal and troubled "Fosse type", who we see deal with loneliness, obsessive work habits, and one mean monkey of addiction on his back. Struggling to have a relationships with his daughter Michelle, played by the amazing Erzsebet Fold, and his current girlfriend Katie, also both singer/dancers in Gideon's world, the film in large part is at it's heart an incredibly sad family drama. Taking a Fellini-esque approach visually (and sometimes narratively), ALL THAT JAZZ delves into crazy fantasy-laced fever dream sequences, and the song and dance numbers are on a level all their own. not surprising since it is, after all, THE Bob motherfucking Fosse. Factor in Jessica Lange as Angelique, the ironically named Angel Of Death, and a plethora of incredible supporting roles, and it's easy to see how this classic won the Palme d'Or in 1980 at the Cannes Film festival. Even if you hate musicals, you'll love this. Pure cinema. Pure greatness.

Rating: 5 out of 5

                     

~ Sean Smithson

REVIEW - K-20: Legend of the Mask aka K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces aka K-20: Kaijin Niju Menso Den (2008)

How did this get by me? Imagine… a world in which Japan and the US came to a peace which avoided WWII. Now, throw in a time when Tesla – not Einstein - is considered the scientific genius of our age and a Steam Punk esthetic is the order of the day. Then, throw in Batman, Indiana Jones, Darkman, some steampunk, and the exuberance of Saturday Matinee serials and you come close to understanding what K-20 sets out to do. Now… is it successful? Well, I’m happy to answer with a resounding YES! Fun, exciting, dramatic, and well-constructed K-20 is an absolute delight! I hit play on this one and had no idea what I was getting, but boy… I REALLY liked this film. Takeshi Kaneshiro (RED CLIFF, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, THE WARLORDS) shines as the imminently likable circus performer, Hekichi Endo, and the rest of the cast is spot-on. Director Shimako Sato (WIZARD OF DARKNESS) writes and directs with an assured hand and she completely gets the construction of those scenes of daring-do of yore. I grew up on these types of films and I absolutely loved K-20! I just hope more of them get made in the future. HIGHLY recommended!!!

4.5 out of 5 stars

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - Mary And Max (2009)

I’m not sure what I expected going into MARY AND MAX. The trailer had a look of a Henry Sellick / Tim Burton kind of film and seemed to possess a quirky sensibility which appealed to me. Thankfully… I was right… sort of. MARY AND MAX is the kind of film, while visually similar, that Sellick and Burton WISHES they could make. The film is quirky, dark, emotionally engaging, cerebral and deeply troubling (all good things in my book). Top notch voice acting (by Toni Collete, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Eric Bana amongst others) raises this already stellar film above the rest. Further, the film never panders are accepts that anyone watching it will understand and go with some of the admittedly adult concepts (alcoholism, depression, death, mental illness, hypocrisy, delusion, etc). That said, it may be slightly rough waters for the very young (even though it looks like a cartoon, this is not PEANUTS by any stretch). Well written and told, MARY AND MAX is a terrific film that is so much more than it looks on the surface. HIGHLY recommended, but bring a tissue or two. Great stuff!

Rating: 4 out of 5

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - The Iguana with a Tongue of Fire (1971)

The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire (aka L'iguana dalla lingua di fuoco aka Die Bestie Mit Dem Feurigen Atem)
Riccardo Freda (I VAMPIRI, CALTIKI THE UNDYING MONSTER) brings us this rather violent/gory giallo whose impact is blunted by a predictable and unremarkable storyline. Luigi Pistilli (THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, DEATH RIDES A HORSE) stars along with Anton Diffring (FARENHEIT 451, WHERE EAGLES DARE, CIRCUS OF HORRORS) and Dagmar Lassander (THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMON, THE FORBIDDEN PHOTOS OF A LADY ABOVE SUSPICION). The story is pretty much standard giallo, but the killer is never really that much of a mystery. What makes this one stand out is its level of bloodshed and gore. Throats are slit, acid is splashed in women’s faces… It’s like a Fulci-esque wet dream. Performances are ok… The look of the film is pure early 70s. Overall, the film is not bad… it’s just that it’s not that good either. Fun for giallo freaks (like me), but others may find themselves bored and/or confused by all the mucking about.


2.5 out of 5 stars

                                       

~ Thom Carnell

REVIEW - John Wick (2014)

I’ll be honest… I went into JOHN WICK expecting little. First-time directors, David Leitch / Chad Stahelski (formerly MATRIX stuntmen) craft a revenge action thriller starring an action star, Keanu Reeves, whose star as slipped. I’d seen some clips and the action certainly looked intriguing. The cast - Michael Nyquist (GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trilogy), Adrianne Palicki (AGENTS of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Alfie Allen (GAME OF THRONES), Willem DaFoe (PLATOON), and Ian McShane (DEADWOOD) – are all competent enough. So, in an effort to save time, allow me to “bottom line” it for you. JOHN WICK is a ridiculously simple script (basically, if you’ve seen the trailer, you already get it). The plot is utterly derivative and there are few surprises in its narrative. That all said though… JOHN WICK is also easily one of the best American action films of the last decade. The admittedly familiar plot - retired assassin loses wife to cancer and then is drawn out of retirement by the actions of the son of a Russian mob boss – is simple, direct, and impossible to misconstrue. However, once we get passed that… it’s all guns and ass-kickery from there. And boy… is the action ever eye-popping. Fast, brutal and COMPLETELY effective, Wick is a one man wrecking crew. I did think the ending was a little too pat, but… what’s here is exciting in a way action films haven’t been in a very long time. So yeah… if you’re looking for a film that is going to stimulate your brain… look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for a fun, exciting time at the cinema, then JOHN WICK is totally worth checking out.

Rating: 4 out of 5



~ Thom Carnell

PHANTASM RAVAGER Is Coming! These Aren't Your Grandma's Christmas Balls!

It's been far too long since we've had an addition to the bizarro PHANTASM universe created by Don Coscarelli, beginning back in 1979. An almost indescribably odd mix of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, action, and kid power sub-genres, it rocked the worlds of all of us here at the BONUS MATERIAL. Personally, I loved the second installment as well, though admittedly, while still being fun, the two ther additions that followed were of diminishing returns. Then there was the rumored 5th film, with a screenplay by The Dude tarrentino Fucked Over, Roger Avary (the real brains behind PULP FICTION, at least in the writing stage) that even got an FX laden table reading. Still...nothing.
Then news of PHANTASM RAVAGER dropped a few months back, and that it had somehow been filmed already, and kept a secret. All of us in the internet age know what a magic trick this is. So imagine my surprise and immense joy when I awoke this Christmas morning and found THIS online.
I'll say no more, just feat your horror-lovin' eyeballs on this teaser, and producer Don Coscarelli and director David Hartman, as they unwrap and unveil one of the best presents us scare junkies could ever hope for. Holey Moley, the scope of this thing looks immense, and I'm praying that it gets a proper theatrical release so we can see these staggering visuals the way they were meant to be...big big big.

Bring it on 2015. We are ready for PHANTASM RAVAGER!



Here's the older teaser too for those that missed it. It's so great to see so many of the familiar faces back as well!

TRAILER OF THE DAY #3 - Scrooged

After much deliberation, this 1988 updating of the classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL won out as the Xmas trailer of the day. SNL alumni came together with producer/director Richard Donner, and pulled off quite the hat trick in creating a "new" (then, at least) holiday film that would indeed endure.
This time our Scrooge is an asshole TV executive who is putting on a live television version of the story this film is based on (yes, A Christmas Carol) and in doing so is making his underlings work on Christmas Eve, It's a simple set up, with the parallels to the original tale of course running through the entire film.
One of the things that makes it so darned enjoyable is the amazing casting. Bill Murray in the lead, still hot as all get out from GHOSTBUSTERS (which SCROOGED referenced in it's ad campaign with the tagline "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one."), Karen Allen, and  Bobcat Goldthwait, Alfre Woodard, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, John Houseman, and Robert Mitchum in supporting roles. Even Murray's three brothers, Brian, John, and Joel, all pop up to share in the festivities.
Factor in a screenplay co-written by the acerbic pair of  Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, channeling Frank Capra to no small degree, and which is somehow all at once scathing, raucous, celebratory, and loving, and SCROOGED wins out as a major wintertime classic.
So que this baby up, gather the friends and family around, and give it a watch today while you unwrap presente and get schnockered on "Uncle Sean's Special Egg Nog". while remembering to have a very Merry Christmas. Cheers, from all of us here at THE BONUS MATERIAL!

NEWS AND NEAT STUFF - December 24th, 2014

Was it a publicity stunt that got out of control? Was North Korea really pissed? Who knows. Either way, THE INTERVIEW is available to watch starting today. Youtube, Xbox, and Google Play are renting it to the public for $5.99 a pop, with an option to but for $14.99. Rumors of Netflix picking it up are circulating as well. Not a bad deal when you think about it, given theater ticket prices these days. It's also now hitting theaters on Christmas day as originally planned. At this point I'm so sick of hearing about the film i could almost care less. THE BONUS MATERIAL's Thom Carnell had to say this on his Facebook page about it all this morning -
"Here's the thing... it is not patriotic to rush out to see this pile of shit. It's not noble. It's telling Kim Jun Dick a single thing. This is Sony making a literal silk purse out of sow's ear. They made a film that they KNEW was inflammatory and, when things indeed caught fire, they now stand with a giant basket in which they'll collect the money from "Muricans." The film is shit. You KNOW it's shit... and yet, the lines are already forming. Like it was some sort of statement to the Evil in the world that good people won't stand for any sawed-off dictator prohibiting us from watching our shitty movies! It's ridiculous... and, unfortunately, feeds into the minds of those that thought this was all a publicity stunt anyway. So, yeah... Fuck THE INTERVIEW. Fuck Sony. And fuck these P.T. Barnum-like tactics that suggest you aren't patriotic if you don't go see this crapheap. Me... I'm staying home"
Well said Thommy Boy, well said. Moving on...

Last Thursday, December 18'th, director Jason Rietman recasts THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK, for one of his Live Readings series, and it's brilliant sounding. Aaron Paul (BREAKING BAD) as Luke Skywalker. JK Simmons as Darth Vader. Jessica Alba as Princes Leia. Ellen Page as...wait for it...han Solo (probably due to her work in the LGBT community...inspired!). Dennis Haysbert as Lando Calrissian. Kevin Pollak as Yoda. Stephen Merchant as C-3PO. And Rainn Wilson in the incredibly demanding role of Chewbacca.
Man oh man. How cool is that? Where did this take place you wonder? Los Angeles, of course. At the Ace Theater in particular. Past readings have including an all-female cast for GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, and an all-black cast for REDERVOIR DOGS. Apparently, and understandably, these things sell out fast, and are jam packed with movie lovers, having a great time getting an alternate universe take on some of our favorite movies. Holy heck, this sounds like something worth flying out to La-La-Land for! It happens once a month, so SoCal readers, get on it! Go HERE, and you should be able to find more info about next months Live Reading.

Tsui Hark, the legendary Hong Kong action director, seems to be at his most explosive (and if you

know his work, that's saying a LOT) with his new action epic THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN. It's opening in China tomorrow, on Christmas Day, and will be followed by a US release on January 2'nd, and then hit Canadian screens on january 9th. yes, it's chock full o' CGI, a given these days, but the trailer looks pretty awesome. And hey, it's got Tony Leung, one of my favorite HK action stars, so bring it on I say! here is the plot synopsis, courtesy of Well Go -
"Tsui Hark's thrilling adaptation of Qu Bo's beloved adventure novel stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as a ruthless bandit, ruling the lands of Northeast China from his fortress on Tiger Mountain. A captain of the Liberation Army (LIN Gengxin) launches a counter-insurgency against the dictator with a skilled investigator (ZHANG Hanyu) sent to destroy the gang from the inside".
We'll be talking about it soon on THE BONUS MATERIAL PODCAST, and my official review will be dropping at BIG SHINY ROBOT in a couple of days, so keep your ears and eyes open for that. In the meantime, check out the teaser below.

A documentary on Christmas music, courtesy of Oscillosope Pictures, featuring Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, Run from Run DMC, and John Waters? What's to say...except a very loud "YES PLEASE!" I just signed up to Amazon Prime so I can rent JINGLE BELL ROCKS today. You should too!



I may be late to the party on this one, but damn this sounds great. A new TARZAN film, directed by David Yates ( a bunch of HARRY POTTER films) this new take looks to be headed in the right direction. The last version I truly loved was GREYSTOKE, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN. And now with advances in CGI (that's right, I'm not a hater if it's done well...and I'm pointing to DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES) this could truly bring the epic scope of the Edgar Rice Burroughs mega-classic that has always eluded a screen version. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Djimon Hounsou, Christoph Waltz, Alexander Skarsgård, and Margot Robbie, and slated for a July 1'st, 2016 release, this one has me pretty excited, especially after reading the plot synopsis, which is as follows -

"It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash."

For more Tarzan goodness, check out the old Filmation cartoon, which is still one of my favorite iterations. You can poke around on Youtube for episodes, and they're totally worth it. Look for stuff on that show to surface in our ongoing ANIMATED SHOWS THAT WILL MAKE YOU COOLER THAN THE OTHER KIDS to boot.



~ Sean Smithson