Apologies, folks: I'm aware this happened a few days ago, but as I've mentioned in a few spots last week was a very, very, very crazy week for me, so I'm playing a little bit of catch-up today ...

Richard Moll was a pretty big star in TV circles back in the day.  I know that a great deal of viewers perhaps remember him best from his stint about the popular sitcom Night Court; but, alas, I've never been a big fan of any TV sitcom, so I've only seen it sparingly.  Instead, I do recall his work from a solid handful of appearances aboard some great genre entries -- many of which are either a bit old or cult(ish) so they might escape today's audiences -- and I'll happily agree his was a talent to be reckoned with.  If I may be so bold?  Let me mention a few below:
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• Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (1 episode)
• Cataclysm (1980)
• The Archer: Fugitive From The Empire (1981)
• Caveman (1981)
• Evilspeak (1981)
• Mork & Mindy (1 episode)
• The Time Crystal (1981)
• The Sword And The Sorcerer (1982)
• Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn (1983)
• The Dungeonmaster (1984)
• Night Train To Terror (1985)
• House (1985)
• Survivor (1987)
• Pulse Pounders (1988)
• Wicked Stepmother (1989)
• Monsters (1 episode)
• Out Of The World (2 episodes)
• Highlander (1 episode)
• The Flintstones (1994)
• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1 episode)
• Babylon 5 (1 episode)
• Galaxis (1995)
• Weird Science (1 episode)

Though there are a few more, I think I'll leave it at that.  Certainly, the 1980's and the 1990's represent the bulk of Moll's resume -- it looks like he transitioned over into the world of voice acting as the years wore on, and I even recognize some of his goodness from shows I followed closely.  He had that rare ability to vocally and physically bring characters to life, and I'm thankful to have had the chance to watch so much of what he's done over the years.  He knew how to command a presence, and that speaks volumes in and off itself.

Alas, he's gone now, but we'll always have these screen moments to thrill and chill us ... and I've no doubt that'll bring a smile to his face no matter where he is.

Our warmest thoughts and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Richard Moll.

-- EZ

(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:
“A couple returns home from a night out to find two sadistic strangers waiting to terrorize them.”
 
For those willing to put in a bit of extra effort in thinking about the reasonably simple plot of The Hive, they might be rewarded with a minor discovery.
 
You see, it’s been suggested by some that the ‘Great American Dream’ is little more than getting married, owning a home, raising a few kids, and spending time experiencing life together.  Well – as Fate would have it – it seems that the ‘Great American Dream’ is actually more of a ‘Universal Constant’ aboard the Jared Allmond written and directed film: an alien species from … from … well, from somewhere else has apparently set their sights on our Big Blue Marble.  Instead of landing their ships all over the seven continents, they’re willing to patiently take each household one at a time – mirroring in no small way our preferred way of life – in the small but respectable motion picture.
 
Albie (played by Timothy Haug) and Penny (Christie Griffin) have what appears on the surface to be the ‘perfect life.’  They’re young.  They’ve got their health.  They’ve got each other.  They’ve only just started building a family.  Stricken with a bad case of writer’s block, Albie has lost his magic touch; and – like most men of a certain age – he believes a little quality alone time with Penny might help get his head on straight again.  Imagine his and Penny’s surprise when they return home from a night on the town to find another couple has taken up residence in their home.  When the police and neighbors won’t help, it becomes clear to the young couple that they’ll have to take matters into their own hands if they’re to both return to a sense of normalcy and (gasp!) survive the night.
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Much like 1956’s groundbreaking Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, The Hive touches on ideas of identity (and the conscious and subconscious loss of it) and the paranoia resulting from disillusionment of discovering that life isn’t what it seems.  Though Albie and Penny’s relationship was already deep in the throes of awakening, Allmond quietly and cleverly raises the stakes by introducing one of the screens more subversive alien penetrations – well, one requiring a level of special effects affordable to this independent production, at least – and then puts the failing lovebirds through separate and joint trials.  It becomes increasingly clear that they’re destined to become a part of a larger world whether they like it or not, much like those who take those steps from innocence to adulthood because … well … whatever choice do we have?
 
So it’s also safe to suggest that audiences have seen Science Fiction and Fantasy stories like The Hive many, many, many times before.  That fact alone doesn’t dismiss the relevance and timeliness of its message, but it might have viewers questioning why Allmond didn’t put a little more in it.  Performances are good – nothing all that revelatory, though Julianne Ruck and Miles Taber probably had a bit of fun crafting two villainous ‘will they / won’t they’ invaders with special powers of touch and a (cough cough) burgeoning appetite for human sex – and the pacing works just fine.  There’s no escaping the reality of the ‘been there done that’ aspect to all of it, and a tighter script might give the feature a chance at wider discovery: today’s short attention spans might have audiences reaching for the fast-forward.
 
If there’s any weakness to all of what’s delivered, then this long-time SciFi junkie would have to question why these aliens – who seemingly abduct mankind family-by-family – haven’t quite figured out that our species isn’t The Hive they think we are.  Ours is a civilization of staunch individuals, so just how long do they plan on taking over the world by going door-to-door?  Seems like – what with technology and all that – there’d be a vastly simpler way of achieving planetary domination.  If not?  Well, then are they truly any higher up the food chain than we are?
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The Hive (2023) was produced by HAUG MGMT.  According to a quick Google.com search, the film is presently available for rental or purchase digitally on Vudu or Amazon Prime.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights-and-sounds to this indie SciFi/Chiller were, mostly, good quality; clearly, not a great deal of money was expending, and the tight, almost claustrophobic shoots in a suburban home didn’t leave a lot of space available for some creative camera angles.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Alas, the film itself was all that was available for me, and there were no supplemental materials for consideration.
 
Mildly recommended.
 
Make no mistake: while I enjoyed The Hive (2023) for what it was, that’s largely because I pride myself on pursuing my own dream of being one of the Web’s best and most trusted sources on All Things Genre, making me a bit of a homegrown aficionado of such screen fare.  And, yes, I have seen this story before in many iterations.  Still, it’s nice to have it percolated on a small scale every now and then because it reminds those of us who watch closely that there’s a timelessness to Science Fiction and Fantasy.  It doesn’t take a George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, or a Michael Bay budget to traffic in this realm … and that’s something I wish more storytellers understood as well as Allmond does.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at HAUG MGMT provided me with complimentary streaming access to The Hive (2023) 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

For better or for worse, 2011’s Bridesmaids pretty much made a mockery of that proud event once reserved for the love between a man and a woman, skewering the world of the beloved with what some might suggested was an unhealthy level of bawdy humor.  Its ladies weren’t exactly ladylike – not necessarily a bad thing and certainly not intended to suggest that it wasn’t funny – and its men were rarely seen, paving the way for an assortment of increasingly manic situations and circumstances that turned a seemingly normal exercise of nuptials into a few days of Hell for everyone involved.
 
Well … you want to see a more legitimate ‘few days from Hell’ for a wedding?
 
Well … the best I can do is a few hours from Hell.
 
The writing and directing team of Madison Hatfield and Jono Mitchell have found an all-new way to blaspheme one of mankind’s oldest institutions with Courtney Gets Possessed (2022), a Horror/Comedy jointly produced by Peach Jam Pictures and RoleCall.  Hatfield also stars (indeed, she inhabits one of the film’s principal characters) alongside Lauren Buglioli, Jonathon Pawlowski, Najan Bradley, Zae Jordan, and Aditi George.  According to published reports, the bride and groom will first be unveiled digitally to the masses on November 3rd, 2023, but I – in my role as editor-in-chief of SciFiHistory.Net – was offered a backstage invite to the forthcoming ceremony.  I’m pleased to report that while I wasn’t completely smitten with the affair it did have its own irrepressible charm, one that might convince audiences that, indeed, true love endures … even in the face of some genuinely demonic obstacles.
 
(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:
“A bumbling wedding party must battle the forces of hell when a bride becomes possessed by the Devil the night before her wedding.”
 
I’ve often said that comedies have the hardest road to travel from conception to script and, eventually, onto whatever screen they occupy.
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For clarity’s sake, this isn’t because I’ve always personally struggled with them.  (Mark my words: I love comedies, folks, and I always have.)  For example, I’m no fan of outright bawdy slapstick as I generally find it a little cheap and easy for my tastes.  And because I grew up not really appreciating the all-too-traditional cartoons of my generation, my own sense of what’s hilarious varies so much from those I hang out with I’ve stopped recommending them to others.  Honestly, I rarely mention them in this space, and I don’t much miss talking about them.  It’s just that what people find truly humorous varies so very widely that comedies often face an uphill battle in securing big box office and audience acclaim.  It’s just one truth I accepted long ago.
 
So in reviewing comic features, I do try to put myself in shoes of the proverbial everyman and strive to represent what I think works successfully over what has me either clutching my belly in delight or nearly peeing my shorts.  I realize that may be a bit different than what society expects, but – above all things – I gotta be me.
 
That clarification aside, I was genuinely jazzed by the idea at the heart of Courtney Gets Possessed.  A budding young bride (rather obviously named) Courtney (played by the hypnotically fetching Lauren Buglioli, so I can appreciate Satan’s predicament) finds that the unfortunate choices in her own affairs of the heart has brought her to a place wherein the Prince Of Darkness himself – Dave (a smarmy Jonathon Pawlowski), a former suitor who bound himself to her – shows up on the night before her marriage to Glen (Zae Jordan) in order to take possession of her mortal soul.  Though we learn that she’s actually been running from the Devil using warding spells and the like for a few years now, all of this unrequited passion needs some fantastical release if True Love is to win the day … and things don’t look all that rosy.
 
So if humor operates successfully on one level of presenting a violation of norms, then Possessed certain fits that bill.  Culturally, we’ve been reared to think of weddings as the definitive expression of love, and this exchange of vows is likely the thing farthest away from demonic possession, given the fact that the former involves a willingness while the later requires unquestioned subservience to a supernatural power.  This construct serves as the foundation for a good deal of what propels Hatfield and Mitchell’s script; they may not get a lot of mileage out of the elements of Horror – nor always stick to the rules as they’ve predicated them onscreen – but their adherence to a winning formula will likely having no one objecting to this coupling as designed.
 
Furthermore, Possessed does earn points for giving its comic talent the space needed to build an ensemble.
 
Buglioli’s Courtney remains a likeable lead even though her character is saddled with the hangups a bit too predictable to failed sister relationships (Hatfield – as the sparing sibling – is a bit miscast).  Jordan matches her likeability beat for beat, and he’s even gifted an undercurrent of sexiness to his dark incarnation as Satan (spoilers: Courtney is not the only one to fall victim to the dark lord’s charms).  Actor Steven Reddington – as Court’s obnoxiously gay brother Chuck – manages to steal a few scenes while proving he can play nice with the other kids.  Still, the standout work – for me, at least – was Aditi George’s masterful turn as ‘Lexi,’ the Maid-Of-Honor who never sacrifices her good, noble, and pure intentions despite the circumstances spiraling out of control all around her, up to and including a bit of ostracization from her fellow bridesmaids.  She’s the ‘Dudley Do-Right’ even in the face of demonic adversity, and it’s always worth a wholesome chuckle.
 
Hollywood and beyond, however, can’t help but continue to push their diversity and inclusion efforts; and Possessed is no different.  Conventional relationships are so 1950’s, it would seem, and this one revels in a layer of such social justice do-goodery that, frankly, just didn’t need to be there.  While I’ve no qualms with a cast looking more like the bridge crew of the latest Star Trek iteration than they do a wedding party, I’d still have to remind our creatives and cultural betters that not all of America looks, thinks, and behaves like this.  It is kinda/sorta sad that the collective push to show every color of the cultural rainbow has a place in the this wide, wide world to the point wherein regular folks feel expendable; but methinks that’s just part of the trend.
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Still, can we at least join hands and enjoy a few laughs?  That’s what resonates for me with Possessed’s big finish.  Whether you're here for the bride or the groom, that's a message -- and a union -- all of us should celebrate.
 
Now … who wants cake?
 
Courtney Gets Possessed (2022) was produced by Peach Jam Productions and RoleCall.  According to the publicity materials I was provided, the film will be released digitally for rental and purchase effective Friday, November 3rd.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m not trained video expert, I found the sights-and-sounds to this comic feature to be very solid from start-to-finish; unlike other Horror/Comedies, there’s no heavy reliance on special effects – just some modest post-production tinkering with glowing eyes and the like.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  I was provided streaming access to this one, so there were no special features to consider.
 
Recommended.
 
While no wedding is perfect (Harry and Meaghan Markle, here’s looking at you), Courtney Gets Possessed dishes out some relatively lightweight laughs here and there, and – dare I say? – it’s even occasionally infectious.  While I thought that the narrative bobbed and weaved a bit more than it needed – and perhaps its script failed to truly stick the landing, much less follow its own internal logic – the ensemble accomplished more as a group than I expected.  Comedies work best when they’re light on substance and heavy on sauce, making this engagement worth the RSVP I sent.  In the end, love prevails, Courtney gets repossessed (by love), and a good time was had by all … even if it resorts to a bit of traditional schmaltz in the final reel.
 
Plus … as a man?  Can I say that it’s usually not until well after the wedding that a partner’s demonic sensibilities come to light …
 
(snicker snicker)
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Peach Jam Pictures provided me with complimentary streaming access to Courtney Gets Possessed (2022) by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

​-- EZ

(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 provided publicity materials:
“Starring Mark Elias alongside Meeghan Holaway, Paul Dooley, and John Billingsley, and co-directed by Mark David, BOY MAKES GIRL follows a software programmer on the autistic spectrum, who, after the death of his mother, follows his own logic in creating a robot to help care for his mother’s final unruly nursing client.”
 
Out of respect to all involved, let me just confess right up front that I’ve always – and I do mean A-L-W-A-Y-S – been a sucker for even the most basic humanoid/android flick.  Stories like Blade Runner (1982), Making Mr. Right (1987), and AMC’s A.I. serial Humans (2015-2018) risked being occasionally maudlin in places by – instead of creating full-blown synthetic beings with blinking lights and visible circuitry – casting real actors and actresses as their featured automatons; and this meant that the writing had to remain on-point and relatable for viewers.  (It also meant that their budgets wouldn’t balloon out of control!)  So, there’s just something about the new-fangled ‘human growing attached to an artificial human’ that appeals to me on my genetic level; and 2023’s impressive Boy Makes Girl fit that bill almost perfectly.
 
As can happen from time-to-time, though, marketing folks don’t exactly get it right, and the above-supplied synopsis really misses the mark.  I’m going to clarify what Boy’s real plot is, but I’m also going to try to steer clear of spoiling any surprises I think best left for viewers to discover on their own.
 
In point of fact, Aaron Barnes (played wonderfully by Mark Elias) was not building his very own A.I. to take care of Ben (Paul Dooley).  I don’t doubt that that idea could’ve been in an earlier iteration of the script as clearly the meticulously constructed and delicately programmed Emma (Meegan Holaway) has some rather obvious maternal appeal.  But the script assures us that she’s designed on Aaron’s memories of the clinical therapist who treated him at a young age.  Such a phenomenon is called ‘transference’ – even more specifically, Aaron’s would likely be identified as ‘sexualized transference’ – and it’s patently obvious that he’s head-over-heels smitten with her from the beginning.
​

And – on one level – why wouldn’t he be?  It’s suggested that – as a young boy – he was paired up with this child psychologist.  Over the course of his treatments with her, it’s understandable why his young mind might confuse his feelings of kinship and appreciation as love.  As the film begins with the unexpected death of Aaron’s mother, the young man begins a quest to secure a partner to share the rest of his life with; and his choice of basing her potential mate on the physical and emotional patterns of his therapist – the memories of which explore his truest and perhaps only human connection – is perfectly logical.  While Aaron does inevitably grow close enough to the elderly Ben to share Emma in friendship, it was clear to me that she was never intended to attach any affections or duties elsewhere.  She was always intended for her creator.
 
However, Aaron’s insistence on perfection ultimately served as his undoing.
 
As his chief job as a programmer of artificial intelligence, our young lead paid attention to exacting physical and psychological details.  Viewers watch as he identifies even the tiniest emotional deficiency from his early interactions with Emma, and he wouldn’t hesitate to shut her down to correct the smallest details. In Aaron’s mind, perfection is achievable: it might require an untold number of coding adjustments on his part, but that’s just how his brain is wired, meaning he can accept no less from his intended companion.  But if a truly normal human intellect is one without the potentially debilitating effects of autism, did our hero fail to see that matters of the human heart are perhaps the only thing in the universe that sometime defies if not transcends logic?
 
Love – unlike Aaron’s behaviors – is not ordered.  It can’t be dissected, scrutinized under a microscope, and reassembled exactly in code.  It can be assumed.  It can be mocked or studied at exhausting lengths.  But love cannot be mass produced in the same way that a mechanized companion could.  It cannot be bottled, marketed, or sold at any price.  Ultimately, this is why his grand experiment was destined to fail from the start, and the fact that his scheme was conjured while under the influence of autism and his own flawed human emotions proved to be his personal undoing.
 
Thankfully, Boy doesn’t stop there.
 
The brilliance of Elias’ writing and direction – along with some assistance from co-director Mark David – is that Aaron does find the next chapter in his life.  His failure – and his embrace of it – forces this young soul to venture out into the wide, wide world, suppressing his natural tendency to ‘fight or flight’ by instead boldly going where no autistic man has gone before.  Like the robots he spent years designing for NASA, he is going to go face-to-face into the unforgiving frontier and seek out new life and new civilizations.  Boy’s closing scene shows the man on this journey of discovery; and, while his face may not always show expressions of delight, it’s still undeniable that he’s exactly where the universe wants him to be … even though Emma has long vanished from his side.
 
I’ve read online that writer, director and star Elias has confronted his own issues with autism, so perhaps there’s no better talent in this role than he.  It’s a solid bit of work – occasionally frustrating but always illuminating – and he’s surrounded himself with players equally capable of giving Boy the sugar and spice required for good taste.  Holaway does a great turn filling the shoes of the script’s female Pinocchio; she ably conveys the limits of her programming while also exhibiting the all-too-human frustration of blossoming into whoever she’s destined to become on her own.  It’s a great counterweight to Aaron’s own character arc.  Paul Dooley – an actor I’ve always admired – rather effortlessly inhabits the grizzly and terminally-ill Ben; clearly, he demonstrates how the give-and-take of living life ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, but he refuses to play his cards under anyone else’s direction.
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Finally, I’d be remiss in my duties if I failed to point out that Boy Makes Girl has also been a bit of a critical darling on the film festival circuit, and that’s not all that hard to see why.  It’s well-constructed and very well-performed on all levels, and what few narrative blemishes there are never get in the way of any audience’s enjoyment of the man in search of love realizing that, first and foremost, he must love the world he inhabits if he’s truly destined to find someone to share it with.  Thus, the flick has found acclaim in such venues as the Durango Film Festival, the Marina Del Rey Film Festival, the Florence Film Awards, and the Milan Gold Awards among others.  Nicely done, folks … nicely done.
 
Boy Makes Girl (2023) was produced by DFM Creative.  According to a quick Google.com search, the film is widely available for rental or purchase (digitally) on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Apple TV.  (FYI: Amazon.com also shows that physical media purchases are available through their website.)  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I found the sights-and-sounds for this independent production to be exceptionally well executed.  (FYI: there are a few sequences – in an automobile ride – that are clearly enhanced via green screen effects, but they’re not intrusive in the slightest.)  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no extras under consideration.
 
Highly recommended.
 
So even though I’ve admitted I’m a sucker for a human(ish) A.I. story, there’s still plenty of great critical reasons to give Boy Makes Girl (2023) an enthusiastic thumbs-up.  It’s a rare indie gem that, surprisingly, uses the constructs of Science Fiction and Fantasy to put an exceedingly human face on our collective fascination technology.  It reminds us rather easily that perhaps smart devices have something more to teach us than how to navigate to our next destination.  It puts a modern spin on that age-old ‘boy meets girl’ story, never losing sight of the fact that maybe their meeting was never so much about true love as it was the love of the self.  And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at DFM Creative provided me with complimentary streaming access to Boy Makes Girl (2023) 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

Good morning, gentle readers ... and welcome to Friday!  Woohoo!  You made it!  I know you didn't think you could do it, but you did.  And for that you should be forever giddy!

Not a whole lot to report today.  I was tied up yesterday with my Halloween decorating in the yard as well as some volunteer coaching that I've signed up for, so I didn't quite have the time needed to make up any posts, watch any flicks, or do much general support for the site.  Apologies, apologies, apologies.  And, sorry to say, I'm just not available today or tomorrow for update (well, other than this).  It's my lady's special day, so I'll be out and about with her; and then I have another volunteer commitment tomorrow.  So's ... yeah, this is a busy time of year.  I know, I know, I know.  But each of you will just have to find a way to deal with a little less me.

However, I might actually get some posts up on Sunday.  The wifey is busy with a few things involving her volunteer work, and I'll have some free time to putter.  There are a few upcoming releases on home video that I've been granted streaming access to, so I'll likely try to watch one or more of those in my brief downtime this weekend.  If so, then I'll likely get a review or two up regarding those features.  They do look mighty inviting, if you catch my drift.

But, please, don't allow my other commitments to keep any of you from enjoying the site.  I realize that 'new content is king,' but it is what it is.  Take a gander.  Wade through some of these pages.  Maybe even read and share an older review or two.  It's what's best for both of us, you know.

In any event, here's what you're here for ...
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As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

-- EZ

Woof!

Will you look at that?!

Can you believe it?!

103 different genre trivia citations ... for a single day?!

Actually, it's not all that hard to imagine.  In all honesty, I could probably have over 100 citations on each and every day -- if you use what I have pended and waiting in my computer archives -- but it's a mountain of work that I'm hoping to get to in a single lifetime.  Mark my words: I'll get there -- I believe -- yet it's going to take an incredible amount of time.

​But do go and check out today's citations, folks.  There really is a great deal in there to love; and I think somewhere in all of those people, places, and things lies that glue that holds fandom together.  Sure, we might struggle with an inferior movie here and there.  Yes, we might dislike a franchise because it just doesn't do all that much for us.  Still, there's a substance that binds and links all of us to one another in our pursuit of finding more that gives us joy.  That's what being fans is truly all about, and -- as much as we might have some differences -- we're all the same in the various expressions of that which we love.

Woohoo!

It's a great day to be a fan!

Here's the link ...
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As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for being a fan ... thanks for sharing ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

(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:
“Two high school boys discover an imprisoned woman in an abandoned mental asylum who cannot die.”
 
There are times – rare occasions – when I’m not entirely certain what to make of a particular film.
 
This doesn’t happen often, but – when it does – it gives me a bit of reason to pause and try to reflect upon the subject matter, the performances, etc., in hopes that I can ascertain why I’m not moved in any fashion to say much about it.  What I’ve often found is that there’s an undercurrent – a hidden meaning or some social messaging – I disagree with, and this latent politicizing keeps me from connecting at the psychological level.  Some have told me that this is some kind of cerebral defense mechanism – one tied to my own moral code – and I need to ignore it, while others think it’s just my way of resisting Hollywood group think.
 
Whatever the truth may be, I can still conclude Deadgirl – a kinda/sorta psychological Horror/Thriller directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel from a script by Trent Haaga – to be one of the most obviously cynical, anti-male productions I’ve ever seen.  It traffics in a level of human sexual depravity some might think impossible, but a quick Google.com search could easily prove otherwise.  But when so many of one script’s characters function on such an amoral level, it kinda/sorta looks like the politics of the producers, directors, and screenwriter aligned, giving them what they honestly believed was factually relevant portrait of the world we live in … when nothing could be further from reality, perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that there are no reanimated dead women being sexually abused to this degree anywhere on our shared planet … except on film.
 
Sigh.
 
Rickie (played by Shiloh Fernandez) and JT (Noah Segan) are high school outcasts, the kind of students who somehow manage to survive on poor grades, bad homes, and skipped classes.  One afternoon – during a fire drill – they opt to escape from the class roster in favor of exploring a nearby abandoned mental facility.  (There are suggestions that they’ve been here before, and I find it curious that they never found what they find this time previously.)  A chance encounter with a wayward, angry guard dog sends them into an underground wing they’ve never explored before; and in a locked dungeon they find a beautiful young woman chained to a hospital bed.  Over the course of Deadgirl’s 100+ minutes, the two – along with a few of their classmates – extract some of the screen’s most cruel and unusual sexual punishment on the woman … and that’s about all she wrote.
 
In a film seemingly bereft of any positive male role models, Deadgirl revels in these vile antics probably because its makers view men as the ultimate source of evil in today’s world.  Shot in 2008 and experiencing a 15th anniversary re-release, I’ve no doubt its re-introduction is because the phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ has emerged yet again as one of society’s hot button topics.  As I’ve often said when such features fall into my focus, I’ve always felt that it’s my civic responsibility to remind Hollywood (and anyone else watching and/or reading) that these particular fantasies – those of an entirely male-dominant world wherein each and every man is fully and only malicious – only exists in their fanciful imaginations.  It’s more a product of bad storytelling than it is truth or anything else.
​

At best, Deadgirl can stand side-by-side with the growing library of cult fascinations.  Despite some obvious preaching about the dangers of the patriarchy, it’s still reasonably well written, reasonably well directed, and reasonably well performed.  Actor Segan – whether he likes it or not – seems unusually comfortable in the role of the sadistic serial rapist, as does Eric Podnar: in fact, Podnar’s turn as ‘Wheeler’ – a feckless coward who refuses to stand up even for himself when it’s damn near required – is the kind of toady Tinseltown suits think populates small towns across the fruited plains.  Fernandez tries to give his part a hint of human compassion, but not even a few heartfelt moments can replace the fact that Haaga’s script remains mired in predictability all the way up to Rickie’s ‘will he / won’t he’ moment of the finale.  Sure, it’s dark … but the whole picture was dark, if you were watching closely.
 
Perhaps there’s a puerile infatuation with necrophilia that deserved a bit of screen time because – on one level – that’s central to what Deadgirl spends so much time invested with.  The phenomenon exists, so why not give it some exploration?  Well, the problem – so far as I see it – is that it’s entirely a one-sided affair; and because it’s a mostly a male-dominated sensation, what better way to indict half of the species?  Bringing the female victim back to life (the reanimated corpse of a woman is played by Jenny Spain with some primal intensity here and there) was feasibly meant to demonstrate that even the deceased take offense over such abuse, but did we really need a motion picture to inform us of what would, could, and should be common sense?
 
Frankly, it’s pretty easy to see why so many in academia, the arts, and the cultural elite found so much of the film Avant Garde; there’s quite literally no thought or nuance involved when you put the most despicable ideas up on the silver screen for those who want to relish in it and charge admission.  This is their cup of tea.  This is how they see the world from their high perches.  Only the common man would find gratification in such supreme and repeated violence against women.  Their class of people – you know the type – are better than that, so they’re happy to see the regular Joes exposed as the perverts they are.
 
And yet … it took one of their own to come up with the idea in the first place.
 
How’s that sanctimony working for you these days, Hollywood?
 
Let’s ask Harvey Weinstein.
 
Deadgirl (2008) was produced by Deadlydoll and Hollywoodmade.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) is being coordinated by the good people at Unearthed Films.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the sights and sounds to this Blu-ray release to be exceptional.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  I’m happy to report that the disc is suitably loaded up for those who wish to partake of them.  There are new interviews with co-director Gadi Harel, writer Trent Haaga, actor Noah Segan, actor Shiloh Fernandez, and makeup artist Jim Ojala.  There’s also some new behind-the-scenes bits along with an all-new look at the makeup process.  Furthermore, the disc boasts not one but two audio commentaries along with a handful of other extras that should keep fans occupied for quite some time.
 
Despite my best interests, this one is still Mildly Recommended.
 
Look: I’ve made it my business to always set aside politics when trying to dissect any production, but when they come down the pike so obviously crafted as Deadgirl (2008) does, all I’m really left to focus on is the central message … and it’s simply one I strongly disagree with up to the point of, yes, being offended.  That doesn’t mean I can’t recognize quality when I see it; and – on that front alone – it’s hard to not give it a modest recommendation.  I do think going into the experience knowing full well that it’s meant to push your buttons politically, morally, and even sexually might help audiences from not taking it so seriously … even though its makers wrongly believe you should.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Unearthed Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Deadgirl (2008) 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

It should go without saying that not every smiler I get to feature on SciFiHistory.Net was known only for contributions to genre projects, but the great Richard Roundtree -- a screen icon if there ever were -- did manage to squeeze in participation in a good number of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror properties to become very well known amongst fandom.  Granted, it goes without saying that -- to a certain generation of viewers -- he'll always be Shaft (1971), and there's nothing wrong with that.  As the hip, urban private eye, he established a charisma unlike others on the silver screen; and he's owed props for, largely, being deservedly christened as 'the first black action hero' by so, so many.

But about those forays into the realms of the Fantastic?

How about a list, my friend?

• Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)
• Night Visitor (1989)
• Beauty And The Beast (3 episodes)
• Amityville: A New Generation (1993)
• Touched By An Angel
• Steel (1997)
• Alias (2 episodes)
• Painkiller Jane (2005)
• Blade: The Series
• Vegas Vampires (2007)
• Heroes (6 episodes)
• Speed Racer (2008)
• Knight Rider
• Haunting Of The Mary Celeste (2020)

That, my friends, demonstrates that Roundtree definitely made his way across the genres, and he and his career deserve a bit of extra reflection in the days ahead.

Our warmest thoughts and prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Richard Roundtree.  May he rest in peace.

-- EZ

Good morning, gentle readers, and welcome to Wednesday, October 25th!  Here's hoping this Hump Day greets you back with nothing but happiness!

Well, well, well ...

Not an awful lot to report for the day other than the usual.  I did manage to get up a fabulous review yesterday afternoon (available right here, if I do say so myself), and it should go without saying that I'd love for readers to check it out and maybe even sound off on it.  Vintage SciFi usually can be a mixed bag -- special effects were somewhat limited back in the day, and storytelling sensibilities for genre productions were a curious assortment of visual tricks -- and, yes, that leaves Beast From Haunted Cave an oddity from the days gone by.  Still, it's worth a watch, especially for purists or fans of the cinema coming from Roger Corman.  If nothing else, feel free to check out my thoughts.

Otherwise, news is still reasonably slow, resulting mainly from the Hollywood actors strike in the U.S.  The scuttlebutt I'd read previously on that whole sad affair is that several pundits had long suspected the talent would hold out on any authentic changes until the new year -- at least, that's what I'd read -- so I'm not sure this is any real surprise.  I did see that actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul (from Breaking Bad fame) did recently find a part-time gig as bartenders, so that's good that they're still working, earning some scratch, and able to put bread on the table.  Sad that they took the jobs normally going to regular folks, but it's been my experience that our cultural elite aren't above sticking their thumbs in the eyes of the common man.  Sigh.  I guess ... it is what it is.

​​Also from what I've read: isn't it sad what's happened to the comic book industry?  I don't read them all that much any longer -- far too many books started veering into some very weird politics, for my tastes -- but I grew up on a steady diet of so, so, so many great storytellers.  Superheroes were a huge component of my childhood, and it's sad to think there could come a day -- based entirely on the economics of that industry -- when books aren't around in the same sense that they've been for years.  I did read a column suggesting that the comics business really needs massive transformation if it's going to survive in the digital age, and maybe that's true.  However, those of us who grew up holding them in our hands probably still wish that's how those stories could (and should) be enjoyed.

What can I say?  It truly sucks getting old.

​In any event, here's to the real business of day (so far as I'm concerned) ...
​

There are some truly interesting nuggets of genre joy in there today, folks, so I do encourage you to (naturally) check it out ... and please share far and wide on the Information Superhighway.  Nothing brings me greater excitement than finding new readers, and that happens largely with all the help you can provide.  True story.

As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!

​-- EZ

(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:
“A group of gold thieves pull off a heist and flee into the snowy wilderness, only to be pursued by a horrible, spider-like monster.”
 
Perhaps the best that can ever be said for any number of 1950’s and/or 1960’s era monster movies is that audiences – if they’re watching closely – might be able to detect the intellectual stuffing of later feature films.  Essentially, what this means is that a largely forgettable presentation like Roger Corman’s Beast From Haunted Cave could’ve been seen by any number of auteurs in their youth, and they just might have recalled enough of it to use it as fuel for something that would wind up being immeasurably better … or, at least, appreciably more entertaining.
 
Now – hold onto your horses, folks – this isn’t to say that there’s nothing to enjoy in experiencing all of Beast’s 65 fun-filled minutes.  (Snicker snicker!)  It’s … well … it’s pleasant enough.  As a monster movie, it’s largely harmless.  There’s really very little monster in it, so much so that one might begun to wonder in the second half if the critter held out for a bigger salary, thus limiting its screen exposure to little more than shadows and the occasional waving limbs.  But perhaps like the very best Horror’s often do director Monte Hellman opted to show little in hopes of amping up the tension, a technique that works only when the finally revealed nightmare is vastly more of a … a … a … well, a nightmare.
 
My point here is that there’s a good number of lesser elements within Beast that audiences do inevitably see elsewhere in the monster universe.  The thing both captures and incubates its prey, much in the way Ridley Scott’s amazing Xenomorphs will be so theatrically a few decades later.  Not unlike vampires and/or other creatures of the undead, the Beast relies on the blood of its victims as sustenance.  While being a pretty good-sized behemoth, it still can move about both the countryside as well as its chosen caves and caverns with a good degree of stealth, being able to creep about silently and catch men and women entirely unawares.  These are traits not exclusive to any devil particularly but rather they’re shared amongst the many, so much so that I wouldn’t be shocked to learn of any screenwriter or director who watched the flick in his or her youth and had it properly imprinted on their respective psyches.
 
Nevertheless, this also opens the door to most of my nitpicks with the Beast: it isn’t very beast-y, at all.
 
It’s largely depicted like a massively overgrown spider – one with the ability apparently to kinda/sorta fade in and out of visible existence with tremendous ease – and maybe that’s part of why and how we see so little of it.  We’re never given enough context to know precisely how big it is, and as such its size seemingly varies depending upon how large (or small) its prey is.  Sadly, the Beast winds up being a bit more impactful when it’s depicted almost exclusively as shadows (in the big – cough cough – finish), so maybe a bit more of that trickery would’ve been appreciated in the first half, as opposed to merely dangling this hairy arm into the camera lens from offscreen.
 
Oy vey!
 
But as some of the finer monster movies learned and practiced over the years, this script as crafted by Charles B. Griffith (It Conquered The World, Not Of This Earth, The Little Shop Of Horrors, Death Race 2000, and a few others) employs a few narrative twists to kinda/sorta distract the audience from so little monstrous shenanigans.
​

In fact, one might make the case that Beast is little more than a simple heist movie wherein a monster just happened to show up in the supporting plot, and that wouldn’t be too far from the truth.  When we do see the seminal ‘thing’ of the title, it’s only partially glimpsed – an arm, a leg, a shadow, etc. – and that serves to play with the audience’s curiosity than anything else.  Far more of the screen time is used up in the thieving exploits of Alexander Ward (played by Frank Wolff), Byron Smith (Wally Campo), Marty Jones (Richard Sinatra), and their gal-pal Gypsy Boulet (Sheila Noonan); and far more of it makes greater narrative sense than does practically anything involving the Beast.  Gil Jackson (Michael Forest) makes an affable enough lead – ski instructor turned hero – but even he plays second fiddle to the monster in their few shared scenes.  Gil and Gypsy are even awarded a budding romantic entanglement that serves to fill up space that otherwise could’ve been used by the creature, so kudos to all involved for, at least, keeping a story – any story – moving since the one promised in the title didn’t.
 
Interestingly enough, I have read online that there were allegedly plans involving a sequel to Beast, one that never materialized.  The citation I read insists that this script’s surviving players were even all under contract to reprise their roles, but – for the life of me – I’m uncertain just where they could’ve taken this one.  While some character deaths don’t appear definitively onscreen, there is a clear suggestion that the Beast itself was sent trucking into whatever afterlife critters of that sort enjoy; so unless it had babies (there was a mention of an egg or two) or a watchful big brother or sister this one tied up well enough to stand entirely alone.  Besides, what else was there to do with any of it, except maybe wrap up any threads involving the gold heist?
 
No matter how hard I try, nonetheless, it’s hard to put a whole lotta weight behind the completed product.  Even though it’s a lean and mean monstrous machine, viewers aren’t rewarded for their patience.  The Beast gets no real origin story here – a huge creative miss, I think – and we’re pretty much left to make of it what we will.  That’s always a shame because it gives the screenwriter a pass for being lazy, and I’m never apt to let any scribe off the hook for taking the easy way out.  Even a meager sentence or two would’ve sufficed – especially since the picture is so short – and yet we’re given none.
 
Shameful, Mr. Corman.  Just … shameful.
 
Beast From Haunted Cave (1959) was produced by Gene Corman Productions (aka Northern Pictures).  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Film Masters.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can say that the sights and sounds to this newly restored 4K scan (from 35MM archival materials) are pretty darn good considering the age of this one.  Yes, yes, and yes: it does have some of the usual grain and/or audio deficiencies attached to any quickly shot production, but I never found any of it distracting.
 
As for the special features?
 
The disc boasts two different cuts of the film – a 65-minute format (theatrical) along with a 72-minute television version.  (I watched the theatrical one for the purpose of this review.)  There’s a solid audio commentary provided by film historian Tom Weaver (always a bit chatty) and filmmaker Larry Blamire.  Film Masters has also restored the original theatrical trailer as well as provided an all-new one for this release.  The production packaging includes some nice artwork along with a collector’s booklet with essays.  To top it all off?  Film Masters has included a second feature – Ski Troop Attack (apparently shot at the same time as this one and using the same location and resource) – with a commentary, documentary, and a bit more.  It’s a fabulous collection for those of us who appreciate older flicks, so hats off to all involved.
 
Alas … this one’s only Mildly Recommended.
 
Because I do so much love monster movies, it’s hard for me to completely ignore Beast From Haunted Cave even in spite of the fact that it provides so little authentic monstery goodness.  It also lacks any explanation for who or what the central beast is, as well as fails to give me – the monster lover – any significant reason to be moved by its plight or agonize over its downfall.  Still, it functions about as well as any late 50’s Horror procedural should; and at a trim just-over-one-hour runtime you could do far, far worse with your time.  Give it a go.  Just don’t expect much.  Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Film Masters provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Beast From Haunted Cave: Special Edition 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