DVD Review: LAKE PLACID VS. ANACONDA (2015)

LAKE PLACID VS. ANACONDA
Directed by  A.B. Stone
Distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

  With a title like that, it's gotta be good...right?  Well, LAKE PLACID VS. ANACONDA won't be winning any awards any time soon, but it achieves what it sets out to do which is entertain you with some mindless crocodile vs. giant snake action!   Here is the basic plot synopsis from the film's press release:

  Anacondas large enough to crush an SUV. Crocodiles strong enough to leap onto speedboats. When they’re not hunting for human prey, they’re more than willing to take on each other. Get ready for a non-stop bloodbath unlike anything you’ve seen before in this heart-pounding battle between mutated crocodiles and genetically engineered anacondas. Packed with hot sorority girls, big guns, and jaws massive enough to swallow a human in one bite, this is one screaming good time!

  If you're wondering what to expect with this film, keep in mind this was made for the SyFy  network.  If you are familiar with the movies they've been putting out lately, you will know exactly what you are in for with this film.   Let me start by saying that most of the acting in this movie is atrocious...except for horror icon Robert Englund, who is way out of his league with this film in my opinion.  But, we don't really watch these movies for the characters and the acting do we.  With a film like this, we are here for some great crocodile and anaconda action, and luckily, the film delivers when it comes to that.  

  Now again, realizing this is a SyFy movie, the creature effects are not something you will find in a big budget blockbuster film.   The animals are all CGI and it shows, very badly at some times.  If you can keep from letting that bother you, then you will be able to sit back and just enjoy the crazy croc vs. snake carnage!  The crocodile kills people, the anaconda kills people, then they fight each other in a crazy reptile title match!   While it's not the best of the LAKE PLACID or ANACONDA series, it is still a very fun creature feature that should keep you entertained for the entire running time.

LAKE PLACID VS. ANACONDA is available now on DVD from Sony Home Entertainment.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

 
 
 

Check out the trailer for the upcoming film, SHARKNADO 2!

 Ha!  Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...or back on land...or anywhere for that matter, comes SHARKNADO 2!  The tornado full of sharks is back and it is bigger and better than ever!!  This time, the freak weather condition is happening in New York City!  

 The brilliantly named SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox, Mark McGrath, and horror fan fave Tiffany Shepis!

Check it out when SHARKNADO 2 premieres Wednesday, July 30th, at 9/8 Central on the Syfy network


CLICK HERE to watch the teaser trailer

DVD Review: SCARECROW (2013)

SCARECROW
Directed by:  Sheldon Wilson
Distributed by:  Cinedigm

  I have to admit, when I saw this was a SyFy movie, I kinda cringed a little bit.  I had not seen any trailer or anything for this movie, so I didn't know what to expect, but I honestly didn't expect much.  Most of the SyFy movies lately have been pretty bad.   Some of the crazy shark movies have been fun, but most of the SyFy films are nothing to get too excited about.  I am happy to say that is not the case with SCARECROW.  SyFy has really stepped it up with what I think is one of the most original creature features made in years.   Here is the plot of the film from the movie's imdb page:

For generations, it was an urban legend that lived in the nightmares of children. Now, the season to rejuvenate the tale will revive a town's darkest fears. With the Scarecrow Festival on the horizon, school teacher Aaron Harris is doling out punishment for six students serving detention, including the moody Tyler, Goth girl Nikki, wrestling team captain Daevon, and straight-A student Jun. Their task: help Aaron's ex-girlfriend Kristen fix her family farm before it's sold. But the cornfields circling the farm come with a legend-and Tyler takes macabre delight in recounting the tale: It never sleeps, it never dies, it can't be stopped, hear their cries. The Scarecrow lives to kill us all. Keep it buried in the fall... When the kids play a terrifying game of cat and mouse in the cornfield with what they believe is a wild animal, Kristen tries to convince them that the Scarecrow is a very real creature of fierce strength and power, rejuvenated by the blood of its prey

 At first the film seems like any other horror film, and the premise is not really that original, but the actual scarecrow creature was the best part of the film and was a very original concept design. At least it was to me. I had never seen anything like it.  I was expecting a guy in a dumb scarecrow costume and was not expecting much out of it.  Instead, the scarecrow in this film is a much darker, creepier, supernatural creature.  This was something I was not expecting and upon first seeing this creature, immediately made me sit up and give this film my full attention. Even with the scarecrow being completely computer generated,  it still looked good and it worked for me.

 The acting in the film was good, most everyone in the film did a great job.  The film also has some good gore, although being a made for TV movie, they had to hold back a little bit with the kill scenes.  I would have loved if this was  not a TV movie where the filmmakers could have gone all out, but even so, this film still served it's purpose as a very entertaining horror film.  This is one I will be watching again very soon.  I highly recommend SCARECROW to any fans of creature features.

SCARECROW will be released on DVD February 25th


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to pre-order the DVD

Check out the trailer for the upcoming SyFy network movie, SHARKNADO!!

  There are only a couple of things that really scare me in life.  One is being eaten by a shark. The other is being the victim of a tornado.  So, imagine the shock I was in when I heard the latest SyFy channel movie was one called.....SHARKNADO!   That's right, it's a film about a shark filled tornado!  I can't imagine anything scarier  (and more absurd) than that! 
  The film stars Tara Reid and Ian Ziering and premiers next Thursday night, July 11th on the SyFy network!


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer 
 

DVD Review: DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR (2010)

DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR
Directed by:  Jim Wynorski
Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anchor Bay brings us another of  SyFy's animal mix up movies with DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR.    This is another film in the likes of SHARKTOPUS and DINOSHARK that was produced by Roger Corman.   Here is the plot from the Anchor Bay website:


They were created deep within the secret island laboratories of an unscrupulous biotech corporation and grown to horrific proportions...until they both escaped. Bullets won’t stop them. Explosives only make them meaner. And their ravenous reptile appetites for scientists, tourists, S.W.A.T. teams and swimsuit models have only just begun. Now an undercover investigator, a sexy Fish & Game officer, and a cold-blooded swamp hunter known only as ‘The Cajun’ are all in pursuit of the scaly beasts that can outrun SUVs, crush buses, and snack on sleazy producers in hot tubs. But when these monster lizards ultimately meet in battle, will mankind be the defeated species? David Carradine (Kill Bill, Death Race 2000) – in one of his final performances – stars in this epic Syfy smash about the bone-crunching, body-chomping, earth-trembling smackdown of Dinocroc Vs. Supergator!

 If you liked SHARKTOPUS and DINOSHARK, then I don't see any way you would not like DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR.   These are all basically the same movie, just with different creatures, and this film is different in that we dont' have any sharks in site.  Now were are dealing with gators and crocs that have been genetically engineered and have grown to massive size.   With the shark movies, you were at least safe if you stayed away from the water, but with these creatures, you are not safe anywhere...land or water. 

 The acting in this film is well....lets face it.  It is just not that good.  In fact, in some instances it is just awful.  But are you really watching this film for the acting?  No.  We watch these types of films for one thing and one thing only, and that is to see the creatures eat people.  Simple enough.  I do have to mention that there is one bright spot when it comes to the acting, and that is of course the legendary David Carradine.  He is not in the film much, but in the few scenes he is in, he brings a huge sense of genre credibility to the film.   It looks like this was one of the the last few films Mr. Carradine did before his untimely death in 2009.

 Now, on to the good part....the creatures eating people!  I think this film had a much higher body count than SHARKTOPUS or DINOCROC...I am not 100% sure on that, so don't quote me, but it definitely felt that way to me.   There was one scene in particular where a woman is literally bitten in half by one of the creatures. It was very well done and very effective.

 If you are a fan of the creature features, you will definitely want to check this one out.  Special features on the DVD include the  trailer and an Audio Commentary with Executive Producer Roger Corman and Director Jim Wynorski (A.K.A.  Jay Andrews).  DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR was released on DVD and Blu-ray this past Tuesday, 7/12, so is available now!



CLICK HERE to visit the official website of the film and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD or Blu-ray



CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Anchor Bay Entertainment

DVD Review: DINOSHARK (2010)

DINOSHARK
Directed by:  Kevin O'Neill
Distributed by:  Anchor Bay Entertainment

Let me start by saying that I love all these cheesy creature features they show on the Sci-Fi...or, sorry, the Sy-Fy network. Anytime I flip by that channel and see a giant snake or weird fish conglomerate, I can't help but stop and watch.    I loved last years SHARKTOPUS film, but somehow I missed DINOSHARK, and after finally getting to see it last night, I have to say I think it is even better than SHARKTOPUS!  Here is the plot from the Anchor Bay website:


It was frozen in glacial ice over 150 million years ago. Global warming has just hatched it in the Arctic. And now, it has traveled to Puerto Vallarta for a massive Mexican buffet of sailors, swimmers, lifeguards, jet skiers, horny tourists, bikini babes and more. It thrives in warm water. Bullets will not pierce its prehistoric armor. And it can leap out of the ocean to devour helicopters and parasailers. Can a rogue fishing boat captain and a sexy science teacher stop this ravenous pliosaur before it takes a monster bite out of the local fiesta and all-girl water polo tournament? Eric Balfour (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, "24") and Iva Hasperger star – along with award-winning B-movie producer Roger Corman himself – in the top-rated Syfy sensation about the blood-crazed primeval mutation called DINOSHARK!


 DINOSHARK was just as much fun to watch as SHARKTOPUS  (sorry, but it's hard not to compare the two), but I think the creature in DINOSHARK can actually be taken a little more seriously than that of the creature from SHARKTOPUS.  The Sharktopus was silly, but this is basically just an ancient dinosaur thought to be extinct that is an ancestor of our modern day sharks.  So this isn't some crazy mixture of animals like some would expect.  I expected a cross between a T-Rex and a Shark or something crazy like that.  This is a good thing, though, as it can be taken more seriously and actually led to some genuinely creepy parts when you do see people getting attacked.  You can't help but think of JAWS when you see people getting tugged under the water, and the music with the subtle nod to the JAWS theme is very fitting as well.

The film has some great attack scenes including the shark plucking a parasailer right out of the sky! The attack scenes are done well and actually have a good amount of gore in them....we see a few shots of random body parts floating in the water and the scene of a body, or half a body to be exact, washed up on the shore was very well done.   The blood and gore effect were turned up a notch for this one!

The acting in the film was good too, which is always a pleasant surprise with this type of film, and getting to see Roger Corman in front of the camera playing Dr. Reeves was a cool treat.

I think this is only the tip of the ice burg for these creature features..I think we will see many more mixed up animals to come and I wouldn't be surprised if we get to see DINOSHARK vs. SHARKTOPUS someday!  I say keep 'em coming.  These are great, cheesy movies and are just plain fun.  I recommend DINOSHARK for sure! 


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the DVD

CLICK HERE to visite the official website of Anchor Bay Entertainment

Movies you may have missed: FIRE SERPENT (2007)

I recently stumbled across this trailer while browsing the CineTelFilms website. FIRE SERPENT was directed by John Terlesky, who is mainly a TV actor and director of such series as Army Wives, Ugly Betty, Boston Legal, and Castle! Here is the basic plot from the CineTelFilms website:

A massive firestorm unleashes a dormant species of fire creatures set on a path of destruction.

It looks like this was originally aired back in 2007 on the Sci Fi network (now SyFy). I have not seen this film, but I definitely want to check it out after seeing this trailer. Some of the effects look a little cheesy, which is to be expected from a SyFy movie, but some of it looks pretty creepy, especially the fire monster possesed women that shoot fire from her eyes!! Have any of you seen this film? Is it as good as the trailer makes it look, or is it one we need to avoid? Discuss!!

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Don't forget! SHARKTOPUS premiers tonight on the SyFy network!!

The newest SyFy original movie, SHARKTOPUS, premiers tonight on the SyFy network at 9/8 central. The film was produced by Roger Corman and starts Eric Roberts. The film is about a half shark/half octopus creature that gets loose in the ocean and causes terror to anything or anyone in it's path! I don't know about you, but I will be in front of the TV for sure! I love these cheesy creature features that the SyFy channel puts out.

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer!