Cockneys Vs Zombies
Plot: When a construction workers uncover a centuries old tome, sealed by the King, zombies are let loose on the East end of London. At the same time, two bruvas take it upon themselves to rob a bank and save their Grand-dad's retirement home. With the infection/plague/disease/whatever spreading, it's up to the two delinquents and their cousin (Michelle Ryan- Eastenders, The Bionic Woman) to get 'tooled-up' and rescue the elderly residents.
Line of the film; "Nobody cares. We're Old Aged Pensioners, we've gotta take care of ourselves".
As a premise and even in some of it's execution, this is not a bad zombie tale. Hell, you've got Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore) in it! It could do with a touch more story and a little less gun totting geriatrics, but all told, it was fun from the beginning to the end.
Budget: $?
Gross: $?
Fun Fact: Written by James Moran- Severence, another British gore fest.
Iron Sky
Ok, so there's Water Nazi's (Shockwaves), Zombie Nazi's (Dead Snow), now there's Nazi's in space. Sweet.
Plot: At some point during the German defeat of WWII, a bunch of Nazi's set up a base on the moon and for the following 70 years or so (it being set in 2018) they have been working on their triumphant return to bring peace and love to the planet (really). Anyway, so, two astronauts (one real, one a black model) stumble across the base while on a political press stunt to visit the Moon (designed to increase the sitting president's approval ratings). The real one is shot dead by Nazi's in gas masks and the model is interrogated by mini-Mengele. Long story short, the Nazi's seem to have ignored monitoring the Earth and are some what behind the times. They realise that to power their ultimate doomsday devise, they will need something more powerful than a bank of 1940's computers...they need an iPad!
The film is really rather well written. The in-jokes and the absolutely ridiculous nature of the story squarely land the film in the realm of Cult. There's a lot to be said for it, although I think the film makers would have to put a lot of thought in if they are serious in their intentions to release both a prequel and a sequel.
Budget: E7,500,000 (don't have a Euro symbol on my computer)
Gross: $8,012949
Fun Fact: The UK distributors of the film eventually bowed to fan pressure and following their initial plans to release for merely one day, they extended the run. Check out the poster below for fan-power.
The Brutal River aka Khoht phetchakhaat
Living in the tranquil canals of Thailand will never be the same.
Plot: While fishing the calm, murky waters of the Chumporn Province, the villagers are set upon by a rather large and hungry alligator. Deemed to be the mixture of cross-breeding between the two alligator varieties- Salt and Freshwater (typically an angry pairing we are told), the locals set to the task of vanquishing the beast from their homes. Using pointed sticks and old rifles, they are stumped as to why they are unable to be rid of said beastie. Eventually (after the death toll has substantially risen), they decide it's worth enlisting the aide of not only the police force, but the army too.
With a mixture of cheap special effects, unimaginative scriptwriting and substandard acting, The Brutal River serves up a death toll in the dozens and no need to watch the film for anything other than the chomping scenes and laugh at the inopportune use of upbeat Thai pop/love songs.
Sadly I've had trouble finding the budget and any other tid bits of fascinating information on this creature feature. Suffice it to say, fans of large croc/gator movies will take away from this film what they wanted, gore, explosions and an emphasis on the ridiculous. Enjoy. I kinda did.
Bellflower
Drama meets post apocalyptic thriller meets love story.
Plot: This is the story of a pair of best friends (Woodrow and Aiden) from Wisconsin, who move to a suburb of L.A. in search of the glamour and excitement/cool life. The guys while away their days building a flame-thrower, drinking, smoking continuously and dreaming of the day that they find the car they will make into- Medusa (they are obsessed with Mad Max and in particular the character of Lord Humongous). Woodrow, a seemingly harmless and nervous guy meets Milly in a bar- cockroach eating competition. The pair exchange numbers and before long, they are on a road trip to a dodgy restaurant in Texas, powered on whisky (provided by the on board dispenser) and looking for a bit of fun.
Upon their return we see them rushing through a relationship that swiftly turns toxic. Meanwhile, Aiden and Milly's best friend- Courtney are clearly hitting it off. Shortly after, Milly cheats on Woodrow, who has become darker and more controlling, resulting in Woodrow storming off and being involved in a road traffic accident (broken neck and brain damage). While Woodrow recovers, Aiden find and builds the muscle car the guys have been dreaming about, complete with rear flame bursts.
Crazy guys with too much time on their hands and too much worry/confusion in their hearts.
Budget: $500,000
Fun Facts: The very talented cinematographer- Joel Hodge, was nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award. The camera used to create the distinctive film/digital hybrid look ( including bellows!) was built entirely by director/editor/star- Evan Glodell.
Altitude
This film bares all the hall marks of original The Twilight Zone episodes and H.P. Lovecraft, combined with micro-cast film making and a youthful cast. This one is not to be missed.
Plot: Beginning with an air disaster, involving a female pilot and her passengers- a mum, dad and little boy, we skip forward. A college student and her friends charter a light aircraft, with the intention of seeing a rock concert. The rear wing of the plane starts to malfunction, leading to a declaration of 'mayday' and a need to wing-walk to fix the problem. While attempting the repair, one of the passengers sees something in the sky and another is wrenched from the wing. All the while our little boy from the beginning, is now all grown up and still scared of flying, especially now.
This films capitalises on a low budget and uses it's money wisely. Well cast, above averagely written (cult films often lack the talent, basing everything on the idea) and with a deft hand on the special effects. Straight to 'video', but a film that could have done very well at the cinema, given the direction and the lack of original/interesting films out there.
Budget: $3,500,000
Fun Fact: The film created the buzz and gained the financing based on a no-budget trailer shot at an airfield near Vancouver.
Feast
You've got to admire this film. It's no holds barred, unrelenting and unpredictable. Everything you've ever asked for in a tired and unchanging genre.
Plot: Running into an out of the way bar in the middle of little-town-nowhere, USA, our hero informs the patrons that a world of trouble is about to descend upon them and if they know what's good for 'em, they'll listen to him and he'll see 'em through...until he's eaten 30 seconds later. The customers swiftly realise that if they don't wanna follow suit, they best board up the windows and doors, arm themselves and pray for a saviour. That saviour, is our heroes' Mrs. At least for a time.
I don't want to give too much away. The crux of it is, there's these fang-toothed, humanoid creatures that have for some unknown reason invaded the USA, or at least this little town and when not eating their victims, they're shaggin' 'em. Yep, monster rape is all the rage for these fellas.
The squeamish among you should try to avoid the menage a trois between two monsters and a young lady. Not for the faint hearted.
This film and the subsequent sequels (Sloppy Seconds and The Happy Finish) were created by John Gulager, on the back of the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck/Wes Craven show- Project Greenlight, wherein the winners get to produce their scripts. The studio is unsurprisingly, Dimension, the Weinstein enterprise that released the Affleck film- Phantoms.
Reason to watch this? It does nothing you ever expect but the things you love.
Budget: $3,200,000
Gross: $658,573 (not much, but this studio and these films do tend to make their money back substancially on the dvd market)
Fun Fact: Jason Mewes (Clerks, Mallrats) makes a short lived (ha ha) appearance.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Cultfilmzuk are pleased to announce our first members competition.
To enter for a chance to win one and only one copy of the Forrest J.Ackerman documentary- Famous Monster, simply 'Friend' the blog and email to cultfilmzuk@gmail.com your answer to the below question;
Who is the greatest cult movie star of the 1980's?
Tell us in no more than 250 words your reasoning and we will decide the winner and then publish the best answers. Good luck film fans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_J_Ackerman
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009969/
Competition closes April 30th 2012.
The Mist
Every now and then Stephen King writes a film that translates very well to the big screen (Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, etc) and more often than not, they're directed by Mr Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), this is another of those occasions.
Plot: Fella, his son and the grouchy neighbour go to the local store to get supplies after a particularly rowdy storm blew in a window in their house. While at the store, a very thick mist descends on the town and engulfs the area around them Screaming is heard in the mist, a religious nut starts a cult inside the shop and a variety of flying bugs of all shapes and sizes attack.
Seems the local Army base was having a bash at inter-dimensional vortex, time rift, things...as you do and et voila, disaster commeth. As Darabont himself says, the story is less about the monsters outside and more about the ones within. This is a superb film and destined for cult glory.
Budget: $18,000,000
Gross: $57,293,715
Fun Fact: Never released in the UK, but at least the US appreciate tried and tested formulae such as a King/Darabont combo.
Troll Hunter
Awesome. Really.
Plot: Three Norwegian College reporters head into the wilds, following a story regarding bears attacking people. Upon investigation they meet a man not registered for bear hunting, but hanging around. The intrepid threesome decide to follow him. Turns out, our hunter goes after much larger game than the occasional grizzly.
You get candid answers to nearly all the questions you might ask and a slew of Trolls, all shapes and sizes. Imagine your childhood stories, then take the main facts. Look out for the Troll with one arm, he's a touch grabby.
A fun film, well worth a couple of watches. The special effects are very well done and despite some iffy acting, you could do a lot worse. Follows on in a similar vein to Rare Exports.
Dead Snow
A rabble of Norwegian med-students, blowing off steam on their Easter break, head up to the mountains, where they indulge in booze, bragging, a game of Twister (of all things) and some rather icky shit-house based nookie. When they stumble upon a lost casket of Nazi gold they think “fortune and glory” can be theirs. After all, what can go wrong? The SS is past caring, isn’t it??? Of course it isn’t! This is Dead Snow. The tagline: “Ein, Zwei, DIE!”
I was pretty annoyed by this film. In an age when the dreadful lessons of WW2 are all too easily overlooked, I was quite intrigued by the idea of a cast of irony-soaked wannabe Yanks, drunk on freedom, being confronted with the appalling suffering of their grandparents’ generation. Sadly, and I mean that, Tommy Wirkola’s 2009 splatter-fest ends up being guilty of the same flippant ignorance the heroes are being punished for.
The monsters are very much Nazi-fied Zombies, not Zombie-fied Nazis, and without pontificating too much or spoiling the ride, I felt the all too real horrors of war are made secondary to wisecracks, knob gags and cheap fan-boy thrills. This could have been a cult classic, but it’s really just a genre-bound curio, in my eyes. I wanted something sharp, gothic and brutally frank but found the camp and glib tone really grated on me. It struggled to find an international audience outside of Zombie fan circles but won plaudits for the giddy and bloody production values. However, if you’re curious, it lives again on DVD. Be Warned!!!!
Sequel? 'ein, zwei, drei, FEAR!!!!'
review by Chris Grieve
Rogue
Following on from the horror event that was Wolf Creek, director Greg McLean filmed and released Rogue in 2007. Now, one look at the poster and you know what it's about, but the good thing about this creature feature is that it goes that little bit further.
A tour party on a boat travel through the rivers of the Australian outback. Having a glorious time, they see a flare in the distance and decide to investigate. The boat slowly enters a dead end and are abruptly thrown from their craft with a massive jolt. Scrambling to a small island near the shore (not near enough though) the group must escape an encroaching tide and a very large crocodile that hates strangers in his back yard.
This film stars Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Michael Vartan (Alias) and even has an heroic, yet brief appearance from current cinema golden boy, Sam Worthington.
As with all ridiculously large animal films, cult status is assured.
Black Dynamite
Filmed in 2009, a homage to blacksploitation films of the 1970's, Black Dynamite revels in and relishes every opportunity to parody said culture, but only as praise.
The story follows Black Dynamite, the toughest pimp/ex-Vietnam Vet/brother and all around suave muther there is, as he challenges the people responsible for his younger brothers death at the hands of a drug cartel.
Brilliance from beginning to end.
Shot in 20 days only, this is a prime example of dedicated, clever and fun film making and should be praised as such.
Mr Nobody
As a genre you'd have to place Mr Nobody in the sci-fi ilk, but it's not the traditional kind. Yes, it has a spaceship, but that's smallest of subjects in a film the charts the potential lives of the worlds last living mortal.
On his death bed, Nemo Nobody recounts the lives he led to a curious reporter and gives contradictory answers to every question, leaving the reporter and the viewer to choose the path they believe in and enjoy most.
Written and dirtected by Belgian film maker Jaco Van Dormael and starring Jared Leto, Sarah Polley and Rhys Ifans.
Original, fresh and compelling, I can see this understated feature becoming established as a cult favourite very swiftly. If you missed this film at the cinema it's no surprise, but now you can see this achievement that took 6 years to fund on the small screen and you'd be a fool not too.
Dean Spanley
One of the quirkiest and most profound and enjoyable films I've had the joy to watch in ten years.
Rather that tell you the plot, I'll just use the description the author of the original novella (My talks with Dean Spanley), Lord Dunsaney uses;
"a surreal period comedic tale of canine reincarnation exploring the relationships between father and son and master and dog".
A gem! Watch it, you won't be disappointed.
Budget: $15,000,000
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Comic book, computer game and film...all rolled into one! How can you not love this film. Honestly, I had tears of laughter streaming down my face upon my first viewing.
Plot: Scott (Michael Cera-destined to be a comic icon) is dating a highschooler, Knives Chao, (she's 17), Scott's 22. Scott's in a band, called sex bo bomb. They rock. Scott falls for this cool chick, Ramona Flowers, with red hair and dumps Knives. Knives is a little obsessed though. Turns out that if Scott wants to date Ramona, he'll have to defeat her 7 evil exes. ...dun dun duhhhhhhh.
Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead and Spaced) uses every stylistic choice he can and stays amazingly faithful to the original comic (a choice that proved so successful with Zack Snyder in 300 and Watchmen to an extent).
The music, lighting, casting and direction complement and enhance the story to a degree that can not fail to push it into the cult hall of fame.
Budget: $60,000,000
Gross: $47,651,508
Hunter Prey
ONE MAN
ONE ALIEN
ONE CHOICE
Created by a cult fan (Sandy Collora) this feature harks back to the best of low budget Sci-Fi. It capitilizes on a barren, desert landscape and makes full use of limited effects and a small cast. The style is a cross of Enemy Mine meets Star Wars. The film starts with a team of four helmet clad survivors, crash landed on a desert planet, in search of an escaped prisoner, the last of his species and very, very dangerous.
Superb. A first feature from the man that broke comic convention norms and made a fan film that shocked and awed Hollywood and fans alike, Batman-Dead End.
The Host
Korea, a river and a giant mutated monster...amusing.
This film pays homage to monster films of old and even makes use of a great meld of US and Eastern filmmaking. Watching this story you follow a rag tag family and enjoy their efforts to save their city from a water based creature which seeks to devour all its inhabitants. It shouldn't work, as a film, It feels too different to established norms, but it does. It works superbly well.
Sit down a revel in the delight that is The Host.
Frozen
There's one very good reasons why this warmth challenged horror is likely to eventually find itself on the other side of these pages...it's horrible!
Honestly.
It's fairly obvious, like most horrors, but like few, it is not scared in itself to give the viewer what they are dreading seeing.
Two guys and a gal are trapped on a ski lift...and it's shut off, not to be re-opened for five days! What would you do?
I'll not go any further, not because I'd spoil it (You can guess where it goes), but because I urge you to see it. Minimalist is one word for the budget, but you need little else than the main cast of three. Very good indeed.
Midnight Meat Train
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus & Godzilla-Final Wars), Midnight meat train is based on a 1984 Clive Barker short story.
Now, both Kitamura and Barker have cult following, both with a drive towards the extreme. Although in Barker's case, it's often the gross as well. Kitamura used this film as his effort to break the US, something that may take a little more time if he continues to chose films like this one. Don't get me wrong, it does what you'd expect and if you know anything about Barker, you know what you'll get...but there-in lies the problem. Midnight Meat Train is a slaughter movie in the mould of The hills Have Eyes and Last house On The Left (either original or new), a goretastic (yep, i'll be ruining the English language on a fairly regular basis with this Cult Blogging) film that revels in blood. You were expecting something else?...Bambi perhaps?!
Bradley Cooper plays Leon, a financially struggling photographer, challenged by an art gallery owner to create/capture the reality of the city he inhabits. Supported by long term girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb), the pair are elated by Leon's opportunity. Leon starts by shooting a mugging and in the process, captures his next subject also. In the process of stalking the new subject, Vinnie Jones, Leon becomes convinced that the daytime butcher, is a midnight murderer on the final underground train.
That's all I'll say.[Image]Honestly, it's ok, you'd watch it, I did, you'd tell your mates about it, I will, but you won't rave about it, you won't want to own it and if you've seen any of the barker adaptations before, you'll easily guess where the film is headed long, long, long before the final, tapped on reveal.
Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus
Do you like b movies? Do you like trash? Do you like the ridiculous taken to the extreme?...YES?!
Well here it is!
It's awful. Honestly. It's one of the biggest disappointments a fan of bad film can endure. Sure, I went into it all excited and bouncing around in my seat, just like you would...but then the film started.
Plot: A very, very large shark and a very, very large octopus are released from arctic ice by an underwater explosion. They then start attacking everything in the sea and threatening not only the ecosystem, but the worlds trade routes as well. Scientists and the navy have a bash at stopping them...etc, etc.
With films like this the best thing to do is usually to skip through to the action scenes...so I did, after sitting through 45 minutes of "script" (the things I watch so you folk don't have too). There's just so little action! The effects are dreadful too. No huge surprise there, but you'd hope that a low budget film that skimps on script, acting talent and direction would endeavour to pick up the slack with a touch of what ya fancy...but no, not this film.
Best scene?...the shark leaps hundreds, nay, thousands of feet out of the water and pulls an airplane out of the sky...then I think gobbles it up...dunno, was laughing rather hard at that point.
Fun Fact: The film was initially entitled Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus 3D, but the budget couldn't quite stretch to three dimensions and yes, there's a straight to dvd sequel, Mega Shark Vs Crocosaurus and there's even a Mega Piranha film out there...somewhere.
Tron Legacy
If you'd tried to make this follow up, straight after the commercial failure that was Tron, it would have crashed and burned swiftly, not least for the poor reception or the lack in 3D technology that has rendered this 2010 film a gem, but mainly for a lack of insight.
Plot: When a construction workers uncover a centuries old tome, sealed by the King, zombies are let loose on the East end of London. At the same time, two bruvas take it upon themselves to rob a bank and save their Grand-dad's retirement home. With the infection/plague/disease/whatever spreading, it's up to the two delinquents and their cousin (Michelle Ryan- Eastenders, The Bionic Woman) to get 'tooled-up' and rescue the elderly residents.
Line of the film; "Nobody cares. We're Old Aged Pensioners, we've gotta take care of ourselves".
As a premise and even in some of it's execution, this is not a bad zombie tale. Hell, you've got Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore) in it! It could do with a touch more story and a little less gun totting geriatrics, but all told, it was fun from the beginning to the end.
Budget: $?
Gross: $?
Fun Fact: Written by James Moran- Severence, another British gore fest.
Iron Sky
Ok, so there's Water Nazi's (Shockwaves), Zombie Nazi's (Dead Snow), now there's Nazi's in space. Sweet.
Plot: At some point during the German defeat of WWII, a bunch of Nazi's set up a base on the moon and for the following 70 years or so (it being set in 2018) they have been working on their triumphant return to bring peace and love to the planet (really). Anyway, so, two astronauts (one real, one a black model) stumble across the base while on a political press stunt to visit the Moon (designed to increase the sitting president's approval ratings). The real one is shot dead by Nazi's in gas masks and the model is interrogated by mini-Mengele. Long story short, the Nazi's seem to have ignored monitoring the Earth and are some what behind the times. They realise that to power their ultimate doomsday devise, they will need something more powerful than a bank of 1940's computers...they need an iPad!
The film is really rather well written. The in-jokes and the absolutely ridiculous nature of the story squarely land the film in the realm of Cult. There's a lot to be said for it, although I think the film makers would have to put a lot of thought in if they are serious in their intentions to release both a prequel and a sequel.
Budget: E7,500,000 (don't have a Euro symbol on my computer)
Gross: $8,012949
Fun Fact: The UK distributors of the film eventually bowed to fan pressure and following their initial plans to release for merely one day, they extended the run. Check out the poster below for fan-power.
The Brutal River aka Khoht phetchakhaat
Living in the tranquil canals of Thailand will never be the same.
Plot: While fishing the calm, murky waters of the Chumporn Province, the villagers are set upon by a rather large and hungry alligator. Deemed to be the mixture of cross-breeding between the two alligator varieties- Salt and Freshwater (typically an angry pairing we are told), the locals set to the task of vanquishing the beast from their homes. Using pointed sticks and old rifles, they are stumped as to why they are unable to be rid of said beastie. Eventually (after the death toll has substantially risen), they decide it's worth enlisting the aide of not only the police force, but the army too.
With a mixture of cheap special effects, unimaginative scriptwriting and substandard acting, The Brutal River serves up a death toll in the dozens and no need to watch the film for anything other than the chomping scenes and laugh at the inopportune use of upbeat Thai pop/love songs.
Sadly I've had trouble finding the budget and any other tid bits of fascinating information on this creature feature. Suffice it to say, fans of large croc/gator movies will take away from this film what they wanted, gore, explosions and an emphasis on the ridiculous. Enjoy. I kinda did.
Bellflower
Drama meets post apocalyptic thriller meets love story.
Plot: This is the story of a pair of best friends (Woodrow and Aiden) from Wisconsin, who move to a suburb of L.A. in search of the glamour and excitement/cool life. The guys while away their days building a flame-thrower, drinking, smoking continuously and dreaming of the day that they find the car they will make into- Medusa (they are obsessed with Mad Max and in particular the character of Lord Humongous). Woodrow, a seemingly harmless and nervous guy meets Milly in a bar- cockroach eating competition. The pair exchange numbers and before long, they are on a road trip to a dodgy restaurant in Texas, powered on whisky (provided by the on board dispenser) and looking for a bit of fun.
Upon their return we see them rushing through a relationship that swiftly turns toxic. Meanwhile, Aiden and Milly's best friend- Courtney are clearly hitting it off. Shortly after, Milly cheats on Woodrow, who has become darker and more controlling, resulting in Woodrow storming off and being involved in a road traffic accident (broken neck and brain damage). While Woodrow recovers, Aiden find and builds the muscle car the guys have been dreaming about, complete with rear flame bursts.
Crazy guys with too much time on their hands and too much worry/confusion in their hearts.
Budget: $500,000
Fun Facts: The very talented cinematographer- Joel Hodge, was nominated for the 2011 Independent Spirit Award. The camera used to create the distinctive film/digital hybrid look ( including bellows!) was built entirely by director/editor/star- Evan Glodell.
Altitude
This film bares all the hall marks of original The Twilight Zone episodes and H.P. Lovecraft, combined with micro-cast film making and a youthful cast. This one is not to be missed.
Plot: Beginning with an air disaster, involving a female pilot and her passengers- a mum, dad and little boy, we skip forward. A college student and her friends charter a light aircraft, with the intention of seeing a rock concert. The rear wing of the plane starts to malfunction, leading to a declaration of 'mayday' and a need to wing-walk to fix the problem. While attempting the repair, one of the passengers sees something in the sky and another is wrenched from the wing. All the while our little boy from the beginning, is now all grown up and still scared of flying, especially now.
This films capitalises on a low budget and uses it's money wisely. Well cast, above averagely written (cult films often lack the talent, basing everything on the idea) and with a deft hand on the special effects. Straight to 'video', but a film that could have done very well at the cinema, given the direction and the lack of original/interesting films out there.
Budget: $3,500,000
Fun Fact: The film created the buzz and gained the financing based on a no-budget trailer shot at an airfield near Vancouver.
Feast
You've got to admire this film. It's no holds barred, unrelenting and unpredictable. Everything you've ever asked for in a tired and unchanging genre.
Plot: Running into an out of the way bar in the middle of little-town-nowhere, USA, our hero informs the patrons that a world of trouble is about to descend upon them and if they know what's good for 'em, they'll listen to him and he'll see 'em through...until he's eaten 30 seconds later. The customers swiftly realise that if they don't wanna follow suit, they best board up the windows and doors, arm themselves and pray for a saviour. That saviour, is our heroes' Mrs. At least for a time.
I don't want to give too much away. The crux of it is, there's these fang-toothed, humanoid creatures that have for some unknown reason invaded the USA, or at least this little town and when not eating their victims, they're shaggin' 'em. Yep, monster rape is all the rage for these fellas.
The squeamish among you should try to avoid the menage a trois between two monsters and a young lady. Not for the faint hearted.
This film and the subsequent sequels (Sloppy Seconds and The Happy Finish) were created by John Gulager, on the back of the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck/Wes Craven show- Project Greenlight, wherein the winners get to produce their scripts. The studio is unsurprisingly, Dimension, the Weinstein enterprise that released the Affleck film- Phantoms.
Reason to watch this? It does nothing you ever expect but the things you love.
Budget: $3,200,000
Gross: $658,573 (not much, but this studio and these films do tend to make their money back substancially on the dvd market)
Fun Fact: Jason Mewes (Clerks, Mallrats) makes a short lived (ha ha) appearance.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Cultfilmzuk are pleased to announce our first members competition.
To enter for a chance to win one and only one copy of the Forrest J.Ackerman documentary- Famous Monster, simply 'Friend' the blog and email to cultfilmzuk@gmail.com your answer to the below question;
Who is the greatest cult movie star of the 1980's?
Tell us in no more than 250 words your reasoning and we will decide the winner and then publish the best answers. Good luck film fans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_J_Ackerman
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0009969/
Competition closes April 30th 2012.
The Mist
Every now and then Stephen King writes a film that translates very well to the big screen (Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, etc) and more often than not, they're directed by Mr Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), this is another of those occasions.
Plot: Fella, his son and the grouchy neighbour go to the local store to get supplies after a particularly rowdy storm blew in a window in their house. While at the store, a very thick mist descends on the town and engulfs the area around them Screaming is heard in the mist, a religious nut starts a cult inside the shop and a variety of flying bugs of all shapes and sizes attack.
Seems the local Army base was having a bash at inter-dimensional vortex, time rift, things...as you do and et voila, disaster commeth. As Darabont himself says, the story is less about the monsters outside and more about the ones within. This is a superb film and destined for cult glory.
Budget: $18,000,000
Gross: $57,293,715
Fun Fact: Never released in the UK, but at least the US appreciate tried and tested formulae such as a King/Darabont combo.
Troll Hunter
Awesome. Really.
Plot: Three Norwegian College reporters head into the wilds, following a story regarding bears attacking people. Upon investigation they meet a man not registered for bear hunting, but hanging around. The intrepid threesome decide to follow him. Turns out, our hunter goes after much larger game than the occasional grizzly.
You get candid answers to nearly all the questions you might ask and a slew of Trolls, all shapes and sizes. Imagine your childhood stories, then take the main facts. Look out for the Troll with one arm, he's a touch grabby.
A fun film, well worth a couple of watches. The special effects are very well done and despite some iffy acting, you could do a lot worse. Follows on in a similar vein to Rare Exports.
Dead Snow
A rabble of Norwegian med-students, blowing off steam on their Easter break, head up to the mountains, where they indulge in booze, bragging, a game of Twister (of all things) and some rather icky shit-house based nookie. When they stumble upon a lost casket of Nazi gold they think “fortune and glory” can be theirs. After all, what can go wrong? The SS is past caring, isn’t it??? Of course it isn’t! This is Dead Snow. The tagline: “Ein, Zwei, DIE!”
I was pretty annoyed by this film. In an age when the dreadful lessons of WW2 are all too easily overlooked, I was quite intrigued by the idea of a cast of irony-soaked wannabe Yanks, drunk on freedom, being confronted with the appalling suffering of their grandparents’ generation. Sadly, and I mean that, Tommy Wirkola’s 2009 splatter-fest ends up being guilty of the same flippant ignorance the heroes are being punished for.
The monsters are very much Nazi-fied Zombies, not Zombie-fied Nazis, and without pontificating too much or spoiling the ride, I felt the all too real horrors of war are made secondary to wisecracks, knob gags and cheap fan-boy thrills. This could have been a cult classic, but it’s really just a genre-bound curio, in my eyes. I wanted something sharp, gothic and brutally frank but found the camp and glib tone really grated on me. It struggled to find an international audience outside of Zombie fan circles but won plaudits for the giddy and bloody production values. However, if you’re curious, it lives again on DVD. Be Warned!!!!
Sequel? 'ein, zwei, drei, FEAR!!!!'
review by Chris Grieve
Rogue
Following on from the horror event that was Wolf Creek, director Greg McLean filmed and released Rogue in 2007. Now, one look at the poster and you know what it's about, but the good thing about this creature feature is that it goes that little bit further.
A tour party on a boat travel through the rivers of the Australian outback. Having a glorious time, they see a flare in the distance and decide to investigate. The boat slowly enters a dead end and are abruptly thrown from their craft with a massive jolt. Scrambling to a small island near the shore (not near enough though) the group must escape an encroaching tide and a very large crocodile that hates strangers in his back yard.
This film stars Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), Michael Vartan (Alias) and even has an heroic, yet brief appearance from current cinema golden boy, Sam Worthington.
As with all ridiculously large animal films, cult status is assured.
Black Dynamite
Filmed in 2009, a homage to blacksploitation films of the 1970's, Black Dynamite revels in and relishes every opportunity to parody said culture, but only as praise.
The story follows Black Dynamite, the toughest pimp/ex-Vietnam Vet/brother and all around suave muther there is, as he challenges the people responsible for his younger brothers death at the hands of a drug cartel.
Brilliance from beginning to end.
Shot in 20 days only, this is a prime example of dedicated, clever and fun film making and should be praised as such.
Mr Nobody
As a genre you'd have to place Mr Nobody in the sci-fi ilk, but it's not the traditional kind. Yes, it has a spaceship, but that's smallest of subjects in a film the charts the potential lives of the worlds last living mortal.
On his death bed, Nemo Nobody recounts the lives he led to a curious reporter and gives contradictory answers to every question, leaving the reporter and the viewer to choose the path they believe in and enjoy most.
Written and dirtected by Belgian film maker Jaco Van Dormael and starring Jared Leto, Sarah Polley and Rhys Ifans.
Original, fresh and compelling, I can see this understated feature becoming established as a cult favourite very swiftly. If you missed this film at the cinema it's no surprise, but now you can see this achievement that took 6 years to fund on the small screen and you'd be a fool not too.
Dean Spanley
One of the quirkiest and most profound and enjoyable films I've had the joy to watch in ten years.
Rather that tell you the plot, I'll just use the description the author of the original novella (My talks with Dean Spanley), Lord Dunsaney uses;
"a surreal period comedic tale of canine reincarnation exploring the relationships between father and son and master and dog".
A gem! Watch it, you won't be disappointed.
Budget: $15,000,000
Comic book, computer game and film...all rolled into one! How can you not love this film. Honestly, I had tears of laughter streaming down my face upon my first viewing.
Plot: Scott (Michael Cera-destined to be a comic icon) is dating a highschooler, Knives Chao, (she's 17), Scott's 22. Scott's in a band, called sex bo bomb. They rock. Scott falls for this cool chick, Ramona Flowers, with red hair and dumps Knives. Knives is a little obsessed though. Turns out that if Scott wants to date Ramona, he'll have to defeat her 7 evil exes. ...dun dun duhhhhhhh.
Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead and Spaced) uses every stylistic choice he can and stays amazingly faithful to the original comic (a choice that proved so successful with Zack Snyder in 300 and Watchmen to an extent).
The music, lighting, casting and direction complement and enhance the story to a degree that can not fail to push it into the cult hall of fame.
Budget: $60,000,000
Gross: $47,651,508
Hunter Prey
ONE MAN
ONE ALIEN
ONE CHOICE
Created by a cult fan (Sandy Collora) this feature harks back to the best of low budget Sci-Fi. It capitilizes on a barren, desert landscape and makes full use of limited effects and a small cast. The style is a cross of Enemy Mine meets Star Wars. The film starts with a team of four helmet clad survivors, crash landed on a desert planet, in search of an escaped prisoner, the last of his species and very, very dangerous.
Superb. A first feature from the man that broke comic convention norms and made a fan film that shocked and awed Hollywood and fans alike, Batman-Dead End.
The Host
Korea, a river and a giant mutated monster...amusing.
This film pays homage to monster films of old and even makes use of a great meld of US and Eastern filmmaking. Watching this story you follow a rag tag family and enjoy their efforts to save their city from a water based creature which seeks to devour all its inhabitants. It shouldn't work, as a film, It feels too different to established norms, but it does. It works superbly well.
Sit down a revel in the delight that is The Host.
Frozen
There's one very good reasons why this warmth challenged horror is likely to eventually find itself on the other side of these pages...it's horrible!
Honestly.
It's fairly obvious, like most horrors, but like few, it is not scared in itself to give the viewer what they are dreading seeing.
Two guys and a gal are trapped on a ski lift...and it's shut off, not to be re-opened for five days! What would you do?
I'll not go any further, not because I'd spoil it (You can guess where it goes), but because I urge you to see it. Minimalist is one word for the budget, but you need little else than the main cast of three. Very good indeed.
Midnight Meat Train
Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus & Godzilla-Final Wars), Midnight meat train is based on a 1984 Clive Barker short story.
Now, both Kitamura and Barker have cult following, both with a drive towards the extreme. Although in Barker's case, it's often the gross as well. Kitamura used this film as his effort to break the US, something that may take a little more time if he continues to chose films like this one. Don't get me wrong, it does what you'd expect and if you know anything about Barker, you know what you'll get...but there-in lies the problem. Midnight Meat Train is a slaughter movie in the mould of The hills Have Eyes and Last house On The Left (either original or new), a goretastic (yep, i'll be ruining the English language on a fairly regular basis with this Cult Blogging) film that revels in blood. You were expecting something else?...Bambi perhaps?!
Bradley Cooper plays Leon, a financially struggling photographer, challenged by an art gallery owner to create/capture the reality of the city he inhabits. Supported by long term girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb), the pair are elated by Leon's opportunity. Leon starts by shooting a mugging and in the process, captures his next subject also. In the process of stalking the new subject, Vinnie Jones, Leon becomes convinced that the daytime butcher, is a midnight murderer on the final underground train.
That's all I'll say.[Image]Honestly, it's ok, you'd watch it, I did, you'd tell your mates about it, I will, but you won't rave about it, you won't want to own it and if you've seen any of the barker adaptations before, you'll easily guess where the film is headed long, long, long before the final, tapped on reveal.
Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus
Do you like b movies? Do you like trash? Do you like the ridiculous taken to the extreme?...YES?!
Well here it is!
It's awful. Honestly. It's one of the biggest disappointments a fan of bad film can endure. Sure, I went into it all excited and bouncing around in my seat, just like you would...but then the film started.
Plot: A very, very large shark and a very, very large octopus are released from arctic ice by an underwater explosion. They then start attacking everything in the sea and threatening not only the ecosystem, but the worlds trade routes as well. Scientists and the navy have a bash at stopping them...etc, etc.
With films like this the best thing to do is usually to skip through to the action scenes...so I did, after sitting through 45 minutes of "script" (the things I watch so you folk don't have too). There's just so little action! The effects are dreadful too. No huge surprise there, but you'd hope that a low budget film that skimps on script, acting talent and direction would endeavour to pick up the slack with a touch of what ya fancy...but no, not this film.
Best scene?...the shark leaps hundreds, nay, thousands of feet out of the water and pulls an airplane out of the sky...then I think gobbles it up...dunno, was laughing rather hard at that point.
Fun Fact: The film was initially entitled Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus 3D, but the budget couldn't quite stretch to three dimensions and yes, there's a straight to dvd sequel, Mega Shark Vs Crocosaurus and there's even a Mega Piranha film out there...somewhere.
If you'd tried to make this follow up, straight after the commercial failure that was Tron, it would have crashed and burned swiftly, not least for the poor reception or the lack in 3D technology that has rendered this 2010 film a gem, but mainly for a lack of insight.
This blog is designed to champion the culturally significant film that has finally or is still yet to find its audience. Tron Legacy it seems, based on the tepid reactions in the nations press, has gone much the same route as it's superb brother.
This is a film that no matter your interest in the story, can not fail to inspire faith in 3D and CGI. The two technologies are masterful in their exploitation. Digital 3D, unlike its predecessor, analogue 3D, is here to stay and Tron Legacy will swiftly find itself in the aisle of the cult, no matter its commercial success of failure.
Plot: Sam (son of Flynn) is sucked into the computer world to find his dad, battle the evil overlord and race around on light bike and in fighterplanes...YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
This film is true to ever fibre of the original and even elaborates, but only to the level it is needed. When you through as much money at the sequel to a failure, you could be forgiven for trying too hard, not in this case. You can't produce a sequel and go off tangent and think it'll work, you have to be true to the subject matter and on this occasion Disney have held back and not gone their usual route...to sequel every success to death.
Tron Legacy is the right sequel that every fan has been waiting for.
Two cinema viewings so far...Yeah!!!!
Rare Exports
When you live in the cold reaches of Lapland and wear a scarf, gloves and snow boots to bed, the last thing you wanna deal with is a demonic Santa Claus.
Based on a series of short films available to view online, Rare Exports tells the tale of a father, son and his mates who battle the evils of Santa and his henchmen. This film is certainly destined for the cult hits sections of many a film magazine. A joy from beginning to end.
