- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2019 (in the U.S.), The League Of Legend Keepers: Shadows enjoyed its big debut. Directed by Elizabeth Blake-Thomas from a story by Isabella Blake-Thomas, Jonathan Brayley, and Bob Nevens Jr., the film starred Richard Tyson, Jake Brennan, Abigail Titmuss, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A horror film for children. A family of archaeologists find the fifth pendant that has been missing for centuries. Unfortunately a spirit has also been searching for this pendant. Once all pendants are brought together the shadows from the past are released. Will Sophie be able to save her town from the shadows?"
For the record:
To the film's credit, The League Of Legend Keepers: Shadows earned a wee bit of praise from a screening on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
On this day in 2019 (in the U.S.), The League Of Legend Keepers: Shadows enjoyed its big debut. Directed by Elizabeth Blake-Thomas from a story by Isabella Blake-Thomas, Jonathan Brayley, and Bob Nevens Jr., the film starred Richard Tyson, Jake Brennan, Abigail Titmuss, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A horror film for children. A family of archaeologists find the fifth pendant that has been missing for centuries. Unfortunately a spirit has also been searching for this pendant. Once all pendants are brought together the shadows from the past are released. Will Sophie be able to save her town from the shadows?"
For the record:
To the film's credit, The League Of Legend Keepers: Shadows earned a wee bit of praise from a screening on the film festival circuit.
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2018 (in Brazil), The Witch Files enjoyed its first theatrical exhibition ever when it was screened for audiences in attendance of the Fantaspoa Festival. Written (in part) and directed by Kyle Rankin, the film starred Holly Taylor, Tara Robinson, Britt Flatmo, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A group of marginalized young women form a powerful coven."
-- EZ
On this day in 2018 (in Brazil), The Witch Files enjoyed its first theatrical exhibition ever when it was screened for audiences in attendance of the Fantaspoa Festival. Written (in part) and directed by Kyle Rankin, the film starred Holly Taylor, Tara Robinson, Britt Flatmo, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A group of marginalized young women form a powerful coven."
-- EZ
- Published on
press release
Blue Underground Announces the
World Premiere of Brand New 4K Restorations of
The Blood of Fu Manchu
[4K UHD]
7/29
&
The Castle of Fu Manchu
[4K UHD]
7/29
On July 29th, Blue Underground proudly presents the world premiere of the British horror-thriller classics The Blood of Fu Manchu and The Castle of Fu Manchu on 4K UHD + Blu-ray, in brand-new 4K restorations of the Uncut and Uncensored camera negatives and packed with bonus content.
Christopher Lee has played countless evil characters on the screen, including Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster, along with battling James Bond, Captain America, Frodo, and Yoda. His most controversial villain role was Fu Manchu. He proved to be menacing as the Chinese criminal mastermind constantly coming up with diabolical plans to destroy the world. Blue Underground releases Lee’s final two movies as Fu Manchu directed by the legendary Jess Franco (Vampyros Lesbos) on 4K-UHD + Blu-ray Editions.
The Blood of Fu Manchu has Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man), his daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin, You Only Live Twice), and his agents operating deep in the Amazon jungle. Fu Manchu has found a powerful snake venom that has the ability to kill men, but not women. The powerful madman plans to wipe out millions of men around the world by having his alluring female followers deliver the kiss of death. The only people who can stop him are Interpol agents Nayland Smith (Richard Greene, Tales From The Crypt) and Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford, Lawrence of Arabia). Can they avoid the temptation of fatal lips? The film also stars Maria Rohm (Venus in Furs) and Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger). The Blood of Fu Manchu is a 4K restoration of the original camera negative for the Unrated European Cut.
The 4K UHD + Blu-ray Edition’s special features include an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, The Rise of Fu Manchu – featuring interviews with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, and stars Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, and Shirley Eaton, Sanguine-Stained Celluloid – an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco, trailers, a newly expanded poster & still gallery, and RiffTrax Edition – THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU, Riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.
Christopher Lee has played countless evil characters on the screen, including Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster, along with battling James Bond, Captain America, Frodo, and Yoda. His most controversial villain role was Fu Manchu. He proved to be menacing as the Chinese criminal mastermind constantly coming up with diabolical plans to destroy the world. Blue Underground releases Lee’s final two movies as Fu Manchu directed by the legendary Jess Franco (Vampyros Lesbos) on 4K-UHD + Blu-ray Editions.
The Blood of Fu Manchu has Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee, The Wicker Man), his daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin, You Only Live Twice), and his agents operating deep in the Amazon jungle. Fu Manchu has found a powerful snake venom that has the ability to kill men, but not women. The powerful madman plans to wipe out millions of men around the world by having his alluring female followers deliver the kiss of death. The only people who can stop him are Interpol agents Nayland Smith (Richard Greene, Tales From The Crypt) and Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford, Lawrence of Arabia). Can they avoid the temptation of fatal lips? The film also stars Maria Rohm (Venus in Furs) and Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger). The Blood of Fu Manchu is a 4K restoration of the original camera negative for the Unrated European Cut.
The 4K UHD + Blu-ray Edition’s special features include an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, The Rise of Fu Manchu – featuring interviews with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, and stars Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, and Shirley Eaton, Sanguine-Stained Celluloid – an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco, trailers, a newly expanded poster & still gallery, and RiffTrax Edition – THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU, Riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.
The Castle Of Fu Manchu features Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee, Lord of the Rings), his sadistic daughter Lin Tang (Tsai Chin, Casino Royale), and his elite fighting force, who take over the governor’s castle in Istanbul. Fu Manchu has invented a device that can freeze the oceans of the world. The only chance to defrost his fiendish plan for another Ice Age is the intervention of Interpol agents Nayland Smith (Richard Greene, The Hounds of the Baskervilles) and Dr. Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford, The Face of Fu Manchu). The Castle of Fu Manchu features a 4K restoration of the uncut and uncensored camera negative.
The 4K UHD + Blu-ray Edition’s special features include an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, The Fall of Fu Manchu - interviews with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, and stars Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin, Castle of Carnage – an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco, the international trailer, a newly expanded poster & still gallery, and RiffTrax Edition – THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU, riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.
The 4K UHD + Blu-ray Edition’s special features include an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, The Fall of Fu Manchu - interviews with director Jess Franco, producer Harry Alan Towers, and stars Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin, Castle of Carnage – an interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco, the international trailer, a newly expanded poster & still gallery, and RiffTrax Edition – THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU, riffed by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy.
About Blue Underground (from their website):
It’s any time between the late ’60s and mid ’80s, and you’re standing in front of a decrepit movie theater in an unsavory part of town. The titles on the marquee called you like a beacon. You were lured by the reputation of an obscure director, the talents of a notorious star or even the promises made by an amazing poster. You honestly don’t know what you may be getting yourself into, or even if you’ll get out of the theater alive. For some strange and wonderful reason, you are compelled to see movies about psychopaths, cops, robbers, zombies, cannibals, madmen, strange women and more, with an audience often comprised of the same.
Today those theaters are gone, but that excitement – and these films – remain. These will be definitive discs of some remarkable films, all fully restored, remastered and packed with the most mind-blowing extras in the business.
We encourage your feedback, look forward to your support and appreciate your enthusiasm. We’re committed to bringing these movies out of the dark and back into your life where they belong!
- Published on
in memoriam
Space:1999 -- that mid-1970's Science Fiction curiosity that sprang from the ferile imagination of Gerry Anderson -- is an oft-overlooked franchise.
Honestly, it's a largely forgotten commodity these days as no one seems to have any interest in either rebooting it or giving it some modest measure of rediscovery. I seem to recall that -- not all that long back -- there was a documentary being assembled that was chiefly going to focus on the program's famed transport -- the Eagle spacecraft -- but I've no idea what's become of that. (Hopefully, it got fully funded and has seen the light of day somewheres.) Some of the disinterest could be because -- ahem -- Space:1999 had a kinda/sorta whacky premise to begin with -- what with our moon being hurled across all of the known galaxies as about as curious a means of transportation that's ever been imagined; but maybe someone with a bit of inspiration and some serious capital will pull the program from obscurity, dust it off, and give it another go. Stranger things have happened.
In any event ...
One of the first season regulars -- actor Clifton Jones -- appears to have passed away according to citations I've read on the World Wide Web this morning. (I'm not seeing it widely confirmed, so forgive me if I wind up having to clarify this one later.) In the role of 'David Kano,' he bravely went where his -- erm ... moonmates (???) were going into the deep, dark divide; and he made the best of an incredible run of 23 fun-filled episodes. A quick glance at his IMDB.com profile shows that the actor also paid visits to such projects as Secret Agent, Man In A Suitcase, The Persuaders, Survivors, Watership Down (1978), Sheena (1984), and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Clifton Jones.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
Honestly, it's a largely forgotten commodity these days as no one seems to have any interest in either rebooting it or giving it some modest measure of rediscovery. I seem to recall that -- not all that long back -- there was a documentary being assembled that was chiefly going to focus on the program's famed transport -- the Eagle spacecraft -- but I've no idea what's become of that. (Hopefully, it got fully funded and has seen the light of day somewheres.) Some of the disinterest could be because -- ahem -- Space:1999 had a kinda/sorta whacky premise to begin with -- what with our moon being hurled across all of the known galaxies as about as curious a means of transportation that's ever been imagined; but maybe someone with a bit of inspiration and some serious capital will pull the program from obscurity, dust it off, and give it another go. Stranger things have happened.
In any event ...
One of the first season regulars -- actor Clifton Jones -- appears to have passed away according to citations I've read on the World Wide Web this morning. (I'm not seeing it widely confirmed, so forgive me if I wind up having to clarify this one later.) In the role of 'David Kano,' he bravely went where his -- erm ... moonmates (???) were going into the deep, dark divide; and he made the best of an incredible run of 23 fun-filled episodes. A quick glance at his IMDB.com profile shows that the actor also paid visits to such projects as Secret Agent, Man In A Suitcase, The Persuaders, Survivors, Watership Down (1978), Sheena (1984), and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Clifton Jones.
May he rest in peace ...
-- EZ
- Published on
Occasionally, a little background helps under not only how a major motion picture gets made but also why.
All the way back in the year 1928, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks produced an eight-minute short cartoon named Steamboat Willie. Basically, the film served as an introduction to Mickey and Minnie Mouse with the seminal rodent serving as the captain of his very own paddle steamer. While the bulk of the story sees the Mickster basically providing a kinda/sorta musical accompaniment to the action on the screen, the short is renowned for serving as one of the earliest examples of how effective synchronized sound works; and many consider it one of the most influential cartoons ever. Indeed, it was inducted into the U.S.’s National Film Registry in 1998, that organization which seeks to preserve the finest arts that have demonstrated a lasting appeal to society as a whole.
Well …
According to the fine folks at Wikipedia.org, Steamboat Willie entered into the public domain effective January 1, 2024; so one needn’t be a rocket scientist to suspect that some enterprising entertainers couldn’t help but latch onto the iconic creation and – ahem – pervert it for their own purposes. Largely, that’s all there is behind 2025’s Screamboat: it’s meant to subvert the childhood inspiration into yet one more cold-blooded killer for audiences who find that kind of low-brow and simple humor funny. Written (in part) and directed by Steven LaMorte, the film stars Allison Pittel, Amy Schumacher, Jesse Posey, Jarod Lindsey, Rumi C. Jean-Louis and others in a Horror/Comedy about the passengers trapped aboard a wayward Staten Island Ferry coming face-to-face (erm … face-to-mouse?) with the littlest terrorizer who has a thirst for gore.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“On the last ferry of the night in New York, passengers and crew are hunted by a merciless rat, and what should have been a peaceful crossing turns into a bloody massacre.”
All the way back in the year 1928, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks produced an eight-minute short cartoon named Steamboat Willie. Basically, the film served as an introduction to Mickey and Minnie Mouse with the seminal rodent serving as the captain of his very own paddle steamer. While the bulk of the story sees the Mickster basically providing a kinda/sorta musical accompaniment to the action on the screen, the short is renowned for serving as one of the earliest examples of how effective synchronized sound works; and many consider it one of the most influential cartoons ever. Indeed, it was inducted into the U.S.’s National Film Registry in 1998, that organization which seeks to preserve the finest arts that have demonstrated a lasting appeal to society as a whole.
Well …
According to the fine folks at Wikipedia.org, Steamboat Willie entered into the public domain effective January 1, 2024; so one needn’t be a rocket scientist to suspect that some enterprising entertainers couldn’t help but latch onto the iconic creation and – ahem – pervert it for their own purposes. Largely, that’s all there is behind 2025’s Screamboat: it’s meant to subvert the childhood inspiration into yet one more cold-blooded killer for audiences who find that kind of low-brow and simple humor funny. Written (in part) and directed by Steven LaMorte, the film stars Allison Pittel, Amy Schumacher, Jesse Posey, Jarod Lindsey, Rumi C. Jean-Louis and others in a Horror/Comedy about the passengers trapped aboard a wayward Staten Island Ferry coming face-to-face (erm … face-to-mouse?) with the littlest terrorizer who has a thirst for gore.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“On the last ferry of the night in New York, passengers and crew are hunted by a merciless rat, and what should have been a peaceful crossing turns into a bloody massacre.”
As I’ve often suggested, Horror flicks tend to be one of the entertainment industry’s most bankable commodities.
General speaking, audiences come in with judicious expectations to be scared silly even if that means storytellers incorporate a respectable level of humor. Furthermore, these features tend to cost much less by comparison to conventional Comedies, Dramas, and Science Fiction films; because they can be made affordably with a better-than-average chance of turning a profit, studios big and small are willing to risk producing even the most inane ideas if the filmmakers can ‘get it in the can’ under or around the budgeted price. Also, a good number of these films do well enough to justify a sequel (if not a small franchise); so, given the fact that audiences tend to reward the genre at the box office, what’s not to like?
That’s why an outing like Screamboat – clearly inspired by the 1928 cartoon short as well as an attempt to satirize (lightly) its content and characters – seemed like a safe bet to its producing parties (four of them of record on IMDB.com). Writer/director Steven LaMorte liberally spreads on some gallows humor here and there – this is Horror, after all – directing barbs at both the idea of an oversized rodent playing a delightful critter as well as creator Walt Disney turning such theatrical fascinations into a multi-trillion-dollar industry. To my surprise, the effort accomplishes probably all the cast and crew set out to with it; and yet it’s still a bit disenchanting, nonetheless.
In the film’s opening moments, Selena (played by Pittel) is on-the-run but don’t dismay: she’s merely rejecting the friendly advances of an all-female birthday bar crawl party that wants her to join forces with them on a ride aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Thankfully, ship’s mate Pete (Jesse Posey) distracts that band of rebel rousers whilst our lead slips away to the upper decks; but it isn’t before long that these perpetual Mean Girls – led by birthday girl herself Cindi (Kailey Hyman) – find her again and pressure her into their inner circle. However, young Selena has also caught the spellbound gaze of Screamboat Willie (David Howard Thornton), the murderous vermin who thinks she bears a passing similarity to his missing mate (Minnie?) he mistakenly believes to be lost at sea.
General speaking, audiences come in with judicious expectations to be scared silly even if that means storytellers incorporate a respectable level of humor. Furthermore, these features tend to cost much less by comparison to conventional Comedies, Dramas, and Science Fiction films; because they can be made affordably with a better-than-average chance of turning a profit, studios big and small are willing to risk producing even the most inane ideas if the filmmakers can ‘get it in the can’ under or around the budgeted price. Also, a good number of these films do well enough to justify a sequel (if not a small franchise); so, given the fact that audiences tend to reward the genre at the box office, what’s not to like?
That’s why an outing like Screamboat – clearly inspired by the 1928 cartoon short as well as an attempt to satirize (lightly) its content and characters – seemed like a safe bet to its producing parties (four of them of record on IMDB.com). Writer/director Steven LaMorte liberally spreads on some gallows humor here and there – this is Horror, after all – directing barbs at both the idea of an oversized rodent playing a delightful critter as well as creator Walt Disney turning such theatrical fascinations into a multi-trillion-dollar industry. To my surprise, the effort accomplishes probably all the cast and crew set out to with it; and yet it’s still a bit disenchanting, nonetheless.
In the film’s opening moments, Selena (played by Pittel) is on-the-run but don’t dismay: she’s merely rejecting the friendly advances of an all-female birthday bar crawl party that wants her to join forces with them on a ride aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Thankfully, ship’s mate Pete (Jesse Posey) distracts that band of rebel rousers whilst our lead slips away to the upper decks; but it isn’t before long that these perpetual Mean Girls – led by birthday girl herself Cindi (Kailey Hyman) – find her again and pressure her into their inner circle. However, young Selena has also caught the spellbound gaze of Screamboat Willie (David Howard Thornton), the murderous vermin who thinks she bears a passing similarity to his missing mate (Minnie?) he mistakenly believes to be lost at sea.
Given that none of this is to be taken entirely seriously (well, certainly not beyond the parameters of wishful thinking), this structure lends itself nicely to crafting a Horror film. Audiences are introduced to a central villain along with a cast of rationally likable characters, most of which everyone knows going in are likely going to be properly reduced to dead bodies before the credits role. Predictably, that’s exactly what happens here – no surprises all around – as Willie goes about the dirty business of stabbing, slashing, biting, eating, cutting, gouging, electrocuting decapitating, and generally exsanguinating those passengers who had the misfortune of stepping aboard the ferry this fateful night. Occasionally, a kill is interesting. Occasionally, a demise might be funny. As I said, it’s a dirty business, but Willie knows this is what folks show up to see.
What’s missing – at least, so much as I cared – is a central motivation.
Oh, this isn’t to suggest that LaMorte’s and Matthew Garcia-Dunn’s script lacks a defining reason for Willie’s bloodlust. To their credit, they give one elderly passenger – Barry (Jarlath Conroy) – a bit of exposition with which to – ahem – flesh out the legend of Screamboat Willie; and – meh – I suppose it works. But the bigger the legend, the harder they fall … and this miniscule background could’ve used a bit of a makeover. Willie is no Jason Vorhees, and yet we’re supposed to accept him as a suitable replacement for the purposes of these 100 minutes. Is it too much to ask that his legend be vastly larger in size and scope than this scampering li’l nutcase?
Additionally, Screamboat is somewhat plagued by some ill-conceived special effects work.
Willie – for all intents and purposes – is meant to be a bit diminutive; but his exact height kinda/sorta seems a bit of a mystery throughout his appearances in the film. For example, an early scene depicts him holding a grown man by the ankles off the rear of the boat; and – given that scale – he’s approximately one-half the size of the adult victim. However, as the film progresses, we’re treated to different scales of Willie – one shot has him looking like an oversize Barbie Doll while another clearly suggests the height of perhaps a three-year-old – and this inevitably wound up confusing me more than it should have. Come the big finish, I had the feeling that effect technicians simply turned Willie into whatever size they needed to make the visual gags work; and I think a bit more preparation and planning was required to truly make this gimmick memorable.
What’s missing – at least, so much as I cared – is a central motivation.
Oh, this isn’t to suggest that LaMorte’s and Matthew Garcia-Dunn’s script lacks a defining reason for Willie’s bloodlust. To their credit, they give one elderly passenger – Barry (Jarlath Conroy) – a bit of exposition with which to – ahem – flesh out the legend of Screamboat Willie; and – meh – I suppose it works. But the bigger the legend, the harder they fall … and this miniscule background could’ve used a bit of a makeover. Willie is no Jason Vorhees, and yet we’re supposed to accept him as a suitable replacement for the purposes of these 100 minutes. Is it too much to ask that his legend be vastly larger in size and scope than this scampering li’l nutcase?
Additionally, Screamboat is somewhat plagued by some ill-conceived special effects work.
Willie – for all intents and purposes – is meant to be a bit diminutive; but his exact height kinda/sorta seems a bit of a mystery throughout his appearances in the film. For example, an early scene depicts him holding a grown man by the ankles off the rear of the boat; and – given that scale – he’s approximately one-half the size of the adult victim. However, as the film progresses, we’re treated to different scales of Willie – one shot has him looking like an oversize Barbie Doll while another clearly suggests the height of perhaps a three-year-old – and this inevitably wound up confusing me more than it should have. Come the big finish, I had the feeling that effect technicians simply turned Willie into whatever size they needed to make the visual gags work; and I think a bit more preparation and planning was required to truly make this gimmick memorable.
Because this is a Horror feature, I think it’s easy to dismiss some of the shortcomings, turn the brain off, and roll with the punches. On that level, one might find Screamboat a modestly successful venture: nothing truly legendary occurs, but the return of the investment is … well … ordinary. Perhaps there was a greater story somewhere in this rat-fest if it was conceived around the character of Amber (Amy Schumacher), a wandering, scrappy EMT whose skills actually fulfill a purpose the longer Willie gets into his antics. This isn’t any slight against Pittel as her work as Selena – looking and working like a more affordable version of Doctor Who’s popular Karen Gillan – is perfectly fine. My point here is that her character’s story just wasn’t as interesting as was that of the EMT; and I think it would have been nice to see Schumacher’s pluckiness more central to the bloody parade of Willie’s schtick.
Screamboat (2025) was produced by Fuzz On The Lens Productions, Kali Pictures, Reckless Content, and Sleight Of Hand Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Deskpop Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights and sounds to be quite good throughout the film: there was some post-production trickery (mentioned above) that felt muddled, but it worked fine all the same. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Dang it all, there isn’t a single one loaded on the disc. Call me old-fashioned, but I do love a little extra, even if it’s nothing more than outtakes or a fawning interview. A big miss.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Sigh. It’s not as if Screamboat (2025) is a bad film because – mind you – I’ve seen far worse. Sadly, it’s that the flick really only lazily goes about the bloody business of lampooning Walt Disney’s seminal inspiration with predictable barbs and reasonably sub-standard practical and optical effects. Everything in here audiences have likely seen before (ad nauseam, in some cases), leaving the finished product truly lacking any of the creative freshness one might think and expect from an attempt to vividly deconstruct one of Hollywood’s biggest and longest-lasting intellectual properties. While it’s a small world after all, it didn’t need to be.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Screamboat (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Screamboat (2025) was produced by Fuzz On The Lens Productions, Kali Pictures, Reckless Content, and Sleight Of Hand Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Deskpop Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights and sounds to be quite good throughout the film: there was some post-production trickery (mentioned above) that felt muddled, but it worked fine all the same. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Dang it all, there isn’t a single one loaded on the disc. Call me old-fashioned, but I do love a little extra, even if it’s nothing more than outtakes or a fawning interview. A big miss.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Sigh. It’s not as if Screamboat (2025) is a bad film because – mind you – I’ve seen far worse. Sadly, it’s that the flick really only lazily goes about the bloody business of lampooning Walt Disney’s seminal inspiration with predictable barbs and reasonably sub-standard practical and optical effects. Everything in here audiences have likely seen before (ad nauseam, in some cases), leaving the finished product truly lacking any of the creative freshness one might think and expect from an attempt to vividly deconstruct one of Hollywood’s biggest and longest-lasting intellectual properties. While it’s a small world after all, it didn’t need to be.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Allied Vaughn provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Screamboat (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 2011 (in Italy), VigasioSexploitation Vol. 2 was first screened for audiences at the Teatro Palladium in Roma. Written (in part) and directed by Sebastiano Montresor, the film starred Eveline, Matteo Lucchi, Chiara Pavoni, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Space researcher Dr. Moreau, thanks to a lottery winning, manages to bring to Earth an alien who supposedly has a solution for the problem of desertification caused by the stopping of the terrestrial axis. The alien explains that on their planet, which is diametrically specular to the Earth, the indigenous population suffers from the opposite problem: an endless night. It emerges that the national lottery has been manipulated for years by the aliens, who finally get to open a gate and disembark onto the planet they want to conquer. The fecundating alien injects his semen in the body of Dr. Moreau's assistant, thus giving birth to a new breed that carries genes capable of saving both planets. However, the biker Osso, the woman's lover, kidnap her, causing the degeneration of the semen and the consequent metamorphosis of the assistant into a rabid dog. The dog's insatiable hunger for human and alien flesh ignites a chain of furious violence."
-- EZ
On this day in 2011 (in Italy), VigasioSexploitation Vol. 2 was first screened for audiences at the Teatro Palladium in Roma. Written (in part) and directed by Sebastiano Montresor, the film starred Eveline, Matteo Lucchi, Chiara Pavoni, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Space researcher Dr. Moreau, thanks to a lottery winning, manages to bring to Earth an alien who supposedly has a solution for the problem of desertification caused by the stopping of the terrestrial axis. The alien explains that on their planet, which is diametrically specular to the Earth, the indigenous population suffers from the opposite problem: an endless night. It emerges that the national lottery has been manipulated for years by the aliens, who finally get to open a gate and disembark onto the planet they want to conquer. The fecundating alien injects his semen in the body of Dr. Moreau's assistant, thus giving birth to a new breed that carries genes capable of saving both planets. However, the biker Osso, the woman's lover, kidnap her, causing the degeneration of the semen and the consequent metamorphosis of the assistant into a rabid dog. The dog's insatiable hunger for human and alien flesh ignites a chain of furious violence."
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 1969 (in the U.S.), The Oblong Box enjoyed its first very exhibition to audiences. Directed by Gordon Hessler from a story by Edgar Allan Poe, Lawrence Huntington, Christopher Wicking, and Michael Reeves, the film starred Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Aristocrat Julian Markham keeps his disfigured brother, Sir Edward, locked in a tower of his house. Sir Edward occasionally escapes and causes havoc around the town."
-- EZ
On this day in 1969 (in the U.S.), The Oblong Box enjoyed its first very exhibition to audiences. Directed by Gordon Hessler from a story by Edgar Allan Poe, Lawrence Huntington, Christopher Wicking, and Michael Reeves, the film starred Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Aristocrat Julian Markham keeps his disfigured brother, Sir Edward, locked in a tower of his house. Sir Edward occasionally escapes and causes havoc around the town."
-- EZ
- Published on
site update
So many movies ... so little time ...
On this day in 1992 (in the U.S.), Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart served up a side of temptation with a main course of Horror for audiences with its home video release. Written (in part) and directed by James Marendino, the film starred Charles Solomon Jr., Julie Strain, Clive Pearson, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Rock musicians are selling their souls to the devil for fame and fortune. An attorney with magical powers attempts to stop it."
-- EZ
On this day in 1992 (in the U.S.), Witchcraft IV: The Virgin Heart served up a side of temptation with a main course of Horror for audiences with its home video release. Written (in part) and directed by James Marendino, the film starred Charles Solomon Jr., Julie Strain, Clive Pearson, and others.
According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Rock musicians are selling their souls to the devil for fame and fortune. An attorney with magical powers attempts to stop it."
-- EZ
- Published on
Folks, I've always -- always -- been picked on for my tastes in movies. And I do mean always.
Those of you amongst the readership who are a bit older -- a bit long-in-the-tooth, as they say -- will probably understand what I mean; whilst those of you of the modern generation might be a bit confused. The sad, sad truth is that those of us who've spent the better part of our lives loving the worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are the subject of ridicule and/or scorn from -- ahem -- the cultural betters who think their taste in movies and television shows is -- ahem -- any better. Fortunately, I realized a decade or two ago that I am old enough to truly not give a damn what others think of my choices; and I suspect a lot of my contemporaries feel the same. You young Turks will come to grips with it as well; don't think that you've escaped the embarassment of falling head over heels for something a bit goofy or a bit campy because you will, and you'll hear about it constantly from friends and family. That's just life. It'll likely never change.
Chiefly, I bring this up because motion pictures like 1955's This Island Earth -- the kind of thing that tickles my fancy albeit lightly -- is precisely what I'm talking about. It premiered on this day all the way back in 1955 (no, I wasn't there to see it live, you knuckleheads), and through the passage of time it became the kind of flick that inspired a good many of us to seek out and explore more of any like-minded features we could find. It wasn't -- on any level -- a great film (yes, that's my opinion); and yet it had the look and feel of something beyond anything else that Hollywood was turning out. Opening up as it did on Earth, it wasn't all that long into the picture that we were transported miles and miles and miles away from our Big Blue Marble, crashing down on the surface of Metaluna where a fateful space war was destroying an entire species.
You see, way back in those days mankind was just starting to tinker with the mechanics of space travel but these visual storytellers had already provided fuel to our collective imagination about what life elsewhere in the universe might look like. This Island Earth introduced us to not one to two curiously looking lifeforms, and it even presented a bit of movie science that made us think about what requirements space travel might possibly have once we broke the veil of our world and blasted into the Heavens. Of course, it got a lot of stuff wrong; but the audience -- the true fans that endure even to this day -- don't mind those errors so much. They're quaint and more than mildly entertaining, which is likely why those lovable knuckleheads at Mystery Science Theater 3000 wanted to lampoon this modest, oddest classic when they did on the silver screen. Who knows? Their laughs likely brought a whole new cadre of fans to the project, and that's saying something.
In any event ...
Happy 70th birthday to This Island Earth! You've come a long way, baby!
-- EZ
Those of you amongst the readership who are a bit older -- a bit long-in-the-tooth, as they say -- will probably understand what I mean; whilst those of you of the modern generation might be a bit confused. The sad, sad truth is that those of us who've spent the better part of our lives loving the worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are the subject of ridicule and/or scorn from -- ahem -- the cultural betters who think their taste in movies and television shows is -- ahem -- any better. Fortunately, I realized a decade or two ago that I am old enough to truly not give a damn what others think of my choices; and I suspect a lot of my contemporaries feel the same. You young Turks will come to grips with it as well; don't think that you've escaped the embarassment of falling head over heels for something a bit goofy or a bit campy because you will, and you'll hear about it constantly from friends and family. That's just life. It'll likely never change.
Chiefly, I bring this up because motion pictures like 1955's This Island Earth -- the kind of thing that tickles my fancy albeit lightly -- is precisely what I'm talking about. It premiered on this day all the way back in 1955 (no, I wasn't there to see it live, you knuckleheads), and through the passage of time it became the kind of flick that inspired a good many of us to seek out and explore more of any like-minded features we could find. It wasn't -- on any level -- a great film (yes, that's my opinion); and yet it had the look and feel of something beyond anything else that Hollywood was turning out. Opening up as it did on Earth, it wasn't all that long into the picture that we were transported miles and miles and miles away from our Big Blue Marble, crashing down on the surface of Metaluna where a fateful space war was destroying an entire species.
You see, way back in those days mankind was just starting to tinker with the mechanics of space travel but these visual storytellers had already provided fuel to our collective imagination about what life elsewhere in the universe might look like. This Island Earth introduced us to not one to two curiously looking lifeforms, and it even presented a bit of movie science that made us think about what requirements space travel might possibly have once we broke the veil of our world and blasted into the Heavens. Of course, it got a lot of stuff wrong; but the audience -- the true fans that endure even to this day -- don't mind those errors so much. They're quaint and more than mildly entertaining, which is likely why those lovable knuckleheads at Mystery Science Theater 3000 wanted to lampoon this modest, oddest classic when they did on the silver screen. Who knows? Their laughs likely brought a whole new cadre of fans to the project, and that's saying something.
In any event ...
Happy 70th birthday to This Island Earth! You've come a long way, baby!
-- EZ
- Published on
If I'm being perfectly honest, then I'd have to concede that 1985's Flesh+Blood from writer/director Paul Verhoeven really isn't all that much Fantasy than a good many folks have suggested it is.
You see, the story of dueling barbaric regimes in pursuit of the same lovely lady is really much more of a bloody and sensuous Period Piece than it is authentic Fantasy. One might argue that it very loosely incorporates a few Fantasy elements -- such as the kinda/sorta use of very primitive Science to engage in some of the most curious entanglements brought to film -- but I've always that even that supposition a bit of a stretch. However, there is a hint that perhaps some spectral and/or religious and/or supernatural elements at play extremely circumstantially (as it relates to the Rutger Hauer character claiming to act on 'divine inspiration'); and yet even that could be dismissed as a bridge to far when Flesh+Blood gets paired up with other Fantasy entries of the early to mid 1980's. It just doesn't measure up.
Still, I do mention it in this space on SciFiHistory.Net because it's often cited as part of a string of feature productions that put Hauer on the map in the world of genre entertainment. His participation in 1982's Blade Runner along with 1985's Ladyhawke truly delivered a presence that audiences embraced even though Flesh+Blood has him playing a kinda/sorta good-guy-bad-guy not quite out of his mind as we'd eventually see him capable of being aboard 1986's The Hitcher. Indeed, the actor was becoming a man of many talents in those days; and I think because I see so much of his potential that Flesh+Blood deserves a mention amongst other entries into the realms of the Fantastic. Disagree if you will.
In any event ...
Here's the straight skinny as already penned on the Daily Citation Page for June 10th:
On this day in 1985 (in the U.S.), audiences in attendance of the Seattle International Film Festival were treated to the exclusive theatrical premiere of Flesh+Blood. Written (in part) and directed by Paul Verhoeven, the Fantasy/Thriller starred Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, and others. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners."
For the record:
To the film's credit, Flesh+Blood earned a wee bit of attention from screenings on the film festival circuit.
ExtraExtra Alert:
In early 2025, I received a promotional new home video release of Flesh+Blood (1985) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
-- EZ
You see, the story of dueling barbaric regimes in pursuit of the same lovely lady is really much more of a bloody and sensuous Period Piece than it is authentic Fantasy. One might argue that it very loosely incorporates a few Fantasy elements -- such as the kinda/sorta use of very primitive Science to engage in some of the most curious entanglements brought to film -- but I've always that even that supposition a bit of a stretch. However, there is a hint that perhaps some spectral and/or religious and/or supernatural elements at play extremely circumstantially (as it relates to the Rutger Hauer character claiming to act on 'divine inspiration'); and yet even that could be dismissed as a bridge to far when Flesh+Blood gets paired up with other Fantasy entries of the early to mid 1980's. It just doesn't measure up.
Still, I do mention it in this space on SciFiHistory.Net because it's often cited as part of a string of feature productions that put Hauer on the map in the world of genre entertainment. His participation in 1982's Blade Runner along with 1985's Ladyhawke truly delivered a presence that audiences embraced even though Flesh+Blood has him playing a kinda/sorta good-guy-bad-guy not quite out of his mind as we'd eventually see him capable of being aboard 1986's The Hitcher. Indeed, the actor was becoming a man of many talents in those days; and I think because I see so much of his potential that Flesh+Blood deserves a mention amongst other entries into the realms of the Fantastic. Disagree if you will.
In any event ...
Here's the straight skinny as already penned on the Daily Citation Page for June 10th:
On this day in 1985 (in the U.S.), audiences in attendance of the Seattle International Film Festival were treated to the exclusive theatrical premiere of Flesh+Blood. Written (in part) and directed by Paul Verhoeven, the Fantasy/Thriller starred Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, and others. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"In medieval Europe, a young girl from a noble family is obsessed with her captors - commoners."
For the record:
To the film's credit, Flesh+Blood earned a wee bit of attention from screenings on the film festival circuit.
ExtraExtra Alert:
In early 2025, I received a promotional new home video release of Flesh+Blood (1985) from a distributor in exchange for review coverage on SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
-- EZ