The Queen of Black Magic

Director - Liliek Sudjio (Jaka Swara, Dendam Jumat Kliwon)

Starring - Suzzanna (The Earth Gets Hotter, Pact with the Forces of Darkness), W.D. Mochtar (Revenge of the Ninja, Hell Raiders), and Teddy Purba (Ratu Buaya, Sengatan Kobra)

Release Date - 1981

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A chilling tale of magic battles and terrifying demons"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several weeks ago I was introduced to several films that featured Indonesian horror queen Suzzanna when my friends over at Severin Films sent me a box set featuring several of her films.  I was impressed by most of the films and could see myself actually revisiting a couple of them in the near future.  Not too long after I got them for review, I received a few films from my friends over at Mondo Macabro one of those films just happened to be another film featuring Suzzanna.  The film, 1981's The Queen of Black Magic, was the movie that continuously popped up while I was researching movies for her which really made me excited to check out this release.  I want to thank Mondo Macabro and CAV for sending this one over.  

     The film follows a woman who is suspected of being a witch when her ex and his soon to be bride suffer several inconveniences on their wedding day.  They toss her off a cliff where she is left for dead when she is rescued by a stranger.  He nurses her back to health and teaches her in the way of black magic so she can get her revenge on those that accused her of being a witch in the first place.  

     Honestly, I don't have a lot to say about Suzzanna that I haven't already said in the previous reviews of her films.  She was an extremely talented actress that is severely underrated when it comes to the horror genre and cinema in general.  The Queen of Black Magic is easily my favorite film starring the Indonesian treasure.  It may not be her best performance, which it's not, but it's easily her most enjoyable film.  The acting in this one is solid enough to make the film work.  The characters are very bold which gives the cast a lot to work with.  However, they are not as campy or exaggerated as a lot of the other films I've seen of hers with the Bollywood inspiration.  I very much enjoyed the story but I would have appreciated it a lot more if it was the first Suzzanna film I had reviewed.  Instead, it was very similar to several other films of hers where someone was wronged and came back with the help of demons, the supernatural, or magic.  It's not that original by today's standards but I'm sure it was a lot of fun for early 80s Indonesia.  Finally, we have some blood and make-up effects but the deaths are not as memorable as I was hoping for.  I did like the look of them and how they fit the film but they just did not stand out as I would have liked.  The potential was there but not capitalized on.  Overall, The Queen of Black Magic is the film that made Suzzanna a household name in Indonesia and an underrated horror star.  While the film was underwhelming after binging half a dozen of her films weeks prior, I still enjoyed it and highly recommend adding this release to your collection.  Check it out.

     

Queens of the Dead

Director - Tina Romero (Rainbowarrior, Flicker)

Starring - Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O'Brian (The Running Man, The Mandalorian), and Quincy Dunn-Baker (The Righteous Gemstones, Inheritance)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few weeks, or even months, back I was sent a couple press releases for Tina Romero's Queens of the Dead.  I knew exactly who Tina was because I follow her on Instagram but for those of you that are unaware, she is the daughter of the late George Romero and Christine Forrest.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what the film is about after reading the title and knowing her father's legacy.  I was already thinking about my review for the film before I watched it.  I didn't know if I wanted to go into it just making a quick mention of her father before giving the rest of my time to her and her film or compare and contrast their films given that she was likely inspired by her father.  I didn't want my review to be about Romero and his legacy but I ultimately agreed that his daughter is his legacy and his legendary career that did lead to her directing this film.  

     The film follows a small club owner as she prepares for a drag show but clogged toilets, homophobic in-laws, flaky talent, sewer rats, and the undead are stopping her.  A night of major inconviences turns deadly when the undead try to break into her club.  As the rag tag group consisting of a right-wing plumber, several lesbians, and a small group of drag queens prepare to barricade themselves in the club, they learn that a boat is leaving soon and could be their only hope of surviving the night.  Things then take an even stranger turn when she learns that her wife, who works at a hospital, is pregnant and not answering her phone.  

     I was really excited to check out Queens of the Dead.  I was the one that initiated contact with them so I could review it.  A zombie movie made by the daughter of George A. Romero that features drag queens?  This one just sounded amazing to me and I couldn't wait to dig into it.  Sadly, it wasn't as fun as it could have been and it reminded me a lot of the Tubi original Slay and Kicking Zombie Ass for Jesus aka Dead Don't Die in Dallas which was a little more fun than this one.  The acting in this one is very uneven.  We have some seriously fun performances along with some extremely flat performances.  The characters with drag queen personas were a lot of fun and live up to their bigger than life counterparts.  We have a few other performances pop up here and there that was solid as well but a good bit of the film features a lot of one dimensional performances with awkward dialogue and zero emotion.  This would be kind of funny if I was talking about the cast that portrayed the zombies but I'm not.  The story for this one is a lot like Slay meets Kicking Zombie Ass for Jesus with a group of drag queens fighting for their lives against the undead.  I really liked the set up for the film but wish that more time was spent on the character that wasn't queens, as well as, where they wanted to take the story.  We have a lot of time spent on the build up of the story only for it to fizzle out.  We get a very strong start, a little bit of build up in the middle, and just more of the same throughout the remainder.  Finally, the film has some blood, great special effects that go along with it but the look of the zombies are very underwhelming.  This may be a tribute to Tina's father and his classic Night of the Living Dead but the gray glitter body paint just wasn't as enjoyable as it may have sounded on paper.  Yea, it does fit the drag queen theme but it doesn't feel like a true zombie film because of that.  Also, the lack of gore was a bit disappointing.  Overall, Queens of the Dead had the makings to be a modern classic but the lack of story, underwhelming zombies, and flat characters made this one easily forgettable.  God damn, I wanted to love this one but it just wasn't there for me.  

A Quiet Place: Day One

Director - Michael Sarnoski (Pig, Fight Night Legacy)

Starring - Lupita Nyong'o (Big Mouth, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, Overlord), and Alex Wolff (Hereditary, My Friend Dahmer)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Stay quiet.  Stay alive"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      The last decade or so has saw the rise of several horror franchises like The Purge, The Conjuring, X, V/H/S, and Terrifier to name a few.  One of the more popular properties is John Krasinki's A Quiet Place.  Krasinski, known to fans as Jim Halpert on the American reboot of The Office, created one of the most effective horror films of recent years.  It was obvious that the film would receive a sequel, which it did, but I was not expecting it to get a a prequel sometime later along with a video game.  Earlier this year the world was introduced to A Quiet Place: Day One.  I was not able to check it out during it's initial release but when the physical release was announced I was lucky enough to get the awesome UHD steelbook in for review just in time for Halloween!

     The film follows a terminally ill woman who goes into the city with her nurse to watch a puppet show.  However, on the way home she spot several objects falling from the sky.  Before long the people in the city are under attack by bloodthirsty creatures that seem to be attracted to sound.  She tries to stay quiet with a group of survivors but she decides to leave them and return to her home in Harlem.  Along the way she is reunited with her cat and finds a few other survivors.  The closer she gets to her home the more dangerous it becomes and the creatures that hunt by sound is listening for anyone to make a mistake.

     A Quiet Place brought a new dynamic to horror that hasn't been seen since the silent era of film.  Using tension, meticulous cinematography, and amazing acting they are able to bring the scares to the viewer without the use of sound.  It absolutely works and while I praise the film for how unique it is, I'm not the biggest fan.  I do like the films and enjoy watching the but I don't see much replay value in them.  It's not my favorite franchise but I do look forward to seeing where this franchise is going to take us especially with the video game coming.  Day One is a solid installment in the series but it doesn't really bring us anything new aside for some backstory.  The acting in this one is outstanding.  Nyong'o makes the film.  While the dialogue is a minimum, she is able to convey so many emotions through her facial expressions and mannerisms.  She draws the viewer in and you genuinely feel bad for her.  Quinn won many of us over when he was cast as Eddie in Stranger Things and delivered one hell of a performance on the show.  He does a fantastic job in this one as well but his character is nowhere near as enjoyable.  In fact, his character is severely lacking personality especially when you compare him to the others on the film.  The supporting cast is great as well but it's these two that we spend the most time with.  The story for this one is a bigger look at the beginning of the invasion.  We still don't get a lot of answers but we get a much bigger look at the beginning that was shown in the second film.  With that being said, the film doesn't really give us much more to go on.  We still follow people surviving in silence and monsters eating people.  While I would have loved to learn more about the creatures, where they come from, and why Earth, I still doubt we will ever get those answers.  Finally, I've always enjoyed the creature designs regardless of how close it looks like the demogorgon from Stranger Things.  I wish viewers got a bigger look at them as they are feeding and attacking the people.  With that being said, we do get some blood and a lot of visual effects that are surprisingly well done.  Sadly, it's not a gory flick and those of you looking for that will be very disappointed.  Overall, A Quiet Place: Day One is another solid entry in a very popular franchise.  It doesn't give viewers anything new but it's still a solid first time watch.  While I do recommend it, I do so with a warning.  If you are wanting something that will expand what you know from the first two films then you will be disappointed.  However, if you want to see the same story as the first two films but from a different perspective then this one is for you.  

A Question of Silence

Director - Marleen Gorris (The L Word, The Last Island)

Starring - Edda Barends (The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank, Intensive Care), Nelly Fridja (Flodder, Flodder in America), and Henriette Tol (Flying Kicks, Intensive Care)

Release Date - 1982

Genre - Drama/Crime

Tagline - "They have never met before... but they agree to kill together"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I’ve spent the last week or two watching indie slashers and shorts for the site. These are the types of films that people have come to expect me to review and I love doing it. I love looking at all the hard work and passion come to life before my very eyes. It truly is exciting to spend this time watching something that someone has put so much time and heart into. Even if I don’t dig them all I still find it enjoyable to watch indie productions. I’ve also found myself more open to international films regardless of release year and budgets. It’s almost like an anthropological study with some of the older international films that I watch. I love seeing the style and culture of these films especially if they are from bygone years or decades. Recently, Cult Epics has been dipping their toes into international waters. They’ve sent over a handful of films recently from the 60s through the 80s from all over the world with their latest effort being the Dutch mystery drama A Question of Silence. 

      The film follows three women from various backgrounds and social standings who find themselves in a retail store at the same time. They have never met each other before and have no connection to one another. However, when one of them is accused of stealing the other two surround the shop keeper and the three brutally murder him while other women watch in excitement. A psychiatrist studies the three and determines that they are not insane but releasing pent up anger from living in a male dominated society. 

      A Question of Silence was controversial when it was released due to it’s subject matter. Men with little dick energy found themselves playing the victim in this film as women came together to make a stand against the way they were expected to be treated. A drama from 1982 was showing the world how women were treated as the "inferior" gender and some accused the film of telling women to take up arms against the males. Controversial or not, A Question of Silence is a fantastic film with a story that is considered a feminist classic from a director that has contributed greatly to the feminist movement. The acting in this one is great. I’m not familiar with the cast at all but I loved the personality and chemistry with each other. The cast does a phenomenal job in their roles and really do an amazing job bringing the characters to life. The story for this one is intriguing and works but I can see why some men in the early 80s lost their fucking minds seeing a film depicting women rising up and taking control of their lives. Even to this day women all over the world are being oppressed and forced to believe that they are inferior. I really liked the mystery angle that this drama uses but it’s a no brainer as to why the murder takes place especially once you get the peak at the lives of the three ladies before the murder was committed. It’s a brilliant film that could be redone today and still have the same impact. Finally, this film is not the bloody mess most of us horror fans are looking for. It’s story driven with just one death that we don’t get to fully enjoy. Overall, A Question of Silence is a powerful piece of feminist cinema that anyone can truly enjoy especially if you don’t have your head up your ass. It’s a well done film that does shed light on what its like for women even in today’s world. I highly recommend this release from Cult Epics.

A Quiet Place Part II

Director - John Krasinski (The Office, A Quiet Place)

Starring - Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise, Sherlock Gnomes), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place, Close Up), and Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, The Dark Knight)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Silence is not enough"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Theatrical releases rarely catch my eye but every now and then something hits the big screen that just screams "watch me."  I'm a huge fan of The Conjuring universe along with some others that allude me for the time being.  One film that I enjoyed but not as much as everyone else was A Quiet Place.  It was a fun popcorn horror flick but not one that stuck with me like so many others.  When news of a sequel was announced I was for it.  Sure, I wasn't going to call in sick to work to check it out but I was curious to see where the story took us.  Then the pandemic happened and the release was sidelined.  Honestly, I completely forgot about the film until I received the press release for the UHD release.  I was quick to request a copy and soon one arrived.  I knew it was going to be fun but I was hoping it would have more of a kick than the first one.  

     The film picks up sometime after the first film with Evelyn and her children as they struggle to survive as her husband Lee was killed by the creatures that hunt by sound.  While searching for resources they meet up with a former family friend who is living in a vault after his family was taken the day the creatures crashed to Earth.  As resources and supplies dwindle, Evelyn's daughter Regan (Simmonds), sneaks off to stop the creatures with her hearing aid and the hopes she can find a radio station to broadcast a frequency that could kill them. 

     I was curious where a follow up to A Quiet Place would take us but I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.  The story goes in a direction I was not expecting and the introduction of new characters made for a great follow up that I actually enjoyed more than the first film.  The acting in this one is great.  I'm not really a fan of Emily Blunt and her character in both films is easily the weakest part of the films.  Her character has no emotional range and she always looks startled in every scene.  With that being said, the rest of the cast does one hell of a job.  Simmonds once again delivers an amazing performance and really is the star of the film while Murphy's introduction to the franchise was very enjoyable.  The story for this one has so much going for it.  We get a great backstory as to what happened and where the creatures came from along with a great continuation of the story established in the first film.  I really a lot of the scenarios introduced in the film but several scenes had predictable outcomes.  I enjoyed it but the impact is taken away due to the predictability.  Finally, the film has some bloody moments with some practical and visual effects.  We get a few gags with some great practical effects but the visual effects and the creatures were a bit of a disappointment to me.  I'm not a fan of these twig like creatures that look like a mantis that has mutated.  The visuals for these creatures are hit and miss.  During some of the scenes the visuals looked alright while others the visuals did look a bit rushed.  Overall, A Quiet Place Part II is my favorite between the two.  We get so much more added to the story and some great new characters introduced.  I can see a part three in the future and I'm excited to see it.  

Queens of Evil

Director - Tonino Cervi (The Naked Sun, Butterfly)

Starring - Haydee Politoff (The Collector, Young Wolves), Silvia Monti (Blackie the Pirate, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin), and Evelyn Stewart (The Psychic, Syndicate Sadists)

Release Date - 1970

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love getting random ass horror movies in for review.  As a collector there is nothing more exciting than opening a package and seeing a new movie in the box.  A few days back I was surprised by a package from Mondo Macabro which I was not expecting.  I had requested their three newest releases but I never received word back on if they were coming or not.  I couldn't make my mind up on which movie to watch first and decided to go with 1970's Queens of Evil. 

     The film follows a hippie who accidentally kills a man in a car.  When the police arrives he flees into the surrounding woods to hide when he finds a shed.  He believes it to be abandoned and spends the night.  However, he awakens the following day to find three beautiful sisters who inhabit the house beside the shed.  The invite him in and welcome him into their home.  He is entranced with their beauty but feels as if something is off with them.  After a few days he of spending time with them in the day and sleeping in their shed he decided to venture into their home at night.  After finding it empty he goes into the woods to find them performing some sort of ritual.  They find him and invite him in for the night.  The next day he meets some of the other people from the local community and that night their real intentions are revealed.

     Queens of Evil is one I had never heard about prior to receiving the press release from CAV about the Mondo Macabro release.  With that being said, I fucking love this movie after checking it out.  It's atmospheric, intriguing, and ends in brilliant fashion.  I'm shocked more genre fans have not been talking about this early 70s underrated classic.  It's brilliant.  The acting in this one is absolutely amazing.  The three sisters carry every scene they are in.  They are mesmerizing in every second of screen time they have and their characters are so mysterious and enthralling.  Also, Ray Lovelock is amazing as the hippie with a curious side.  He works so well with the three sisters and does a fantastic job in the film.  The supporting cast doesn't have that much screen time but they are solid.  Nothing that memorable but not bad.  The story for this one makes you think it's going to go one way and be one type of film but changes on you.  You are given something completely different that is trippy and eerie at the same time.  This is the type of movie people are referring to as a "bad trip."  I loved the beginning, middle, and end.  The character development, reveal, and slow burn ending is absolutely brilliant.  Finally, this film has some blood but nothing that really stands out.  We have only one real death scene but it's the worst aspect of the film.  We have some blood and one of the lackluster death's I've witnessed in horror.  It doesn't take away from the fi lm but doesn't really contribute either.  Overall, Queens of Evil is an amazing and extremely underrated early 70s Italian psychodelic horror trip.  I fucking loved and I love the work Mondo put into this release.  Genre fans really did this release for their collections.  Well worth the price!

The Quacky Slasher

Director - Peter McKeirnon (Dead Town, The Dog Walker)

Starring - Andrew Butterworth (The Dog Walker, Dead Town), Neil Gallagher (Good Tidings, Coronation Street), and Michael Hagen (Creed, Queer as Folk)

Release Date - 2017

Genre - Comedy/Horror

Tagline - "Don't fuck with the duck"

Format - Streaming (YouTube)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the stupid side of no budget horror.  As most of you may have noticed, I review a lot of movies with some crazy titles.  Movies like Death Toilet, The Living Placenta, Slimebox, and so on.  I love these wild no budget movies that consistent of more imagination than budget.  They are extremely fun to watch and rarely let me down.  A few night ago I was browsing through social media when I came across the Facebook page for The Quacky Slasher.  This is the kind of movie that I need in my life so I reached out to them to see how I could get a copy.  Sadly, they no longer had them but I could still check it out on YouTube.

     The film follows the deranged Michael Quackers who witnessed some wild ducks savagely eating his father (he had a heart attack and they were actually eating the bread he was feeding them).  From that moment on he was locked away...that is until one day he escapes, dons a duck mask, and goes on a murderous rampage.

     I didn't expect The Quacky Slasher to be the slasher to revitalize my love for slashers.  I went into it expecting some cheap laughs and fun puns.  What I was given was some funny moments and some cheap slasher inspired kills.  I really enjoyed this one and I'm kicking myself for missing the physical release of this one.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but the cast does a solid job bringing the laughs.  They really get into their characters which helps the viewer look passed the budget constraints.  The characters are hit and miss.  Some are absurd and memorable while others are one dimensional and cliched.  The story for this one is short and sweet but really does bring together a lot of the slasher tropes and clichés.  I love shorts because they don't waste time.  The Quacky Slasher goes straight into the murdering and then we have a little comical revelation about who the killer is and his backstory, before moving on to the parody ending that pokes fun to classics like Halloween.  I really liked what they did here and I loved the humor.  Finally, the kills are nothing that spectacular but a few of the practical effects gags were pretty impressive considering this shorts budget and experience.  It's nothing we haven't seen before but it was still fun to watch.  Overall, The Quacky Slasher will not be for everyone.  I know I've said that before but this short slasher is not for fans of op horror.  It's for those of us that grew up on Troma, USA Up All Night, and MonsterVision.  If you like the goofy side of cinema then I highly recommend spinning this one.  

A Quiet Place

 



Director - John Krasinski (The Hollars, The Office)
Starring - John Krasinski, Emily Blunt (Wind Chill, Into the Woods), and Millicent Simmonds (Woodstruck)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "If they hear you they hunt you"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      Every year there is a handful of films that are released and sweep over the horror community.  A few of the bigger releases this year were either really entertaining or some big duds.  I saw several disappointments this year after hearing all the praise from the horror community.  People like to bitch and moan about certain films regardless if they've seen it but tend to flock like mindless drones to a film just because they hear others talking about.  One film that caught a ton of praise was the mostly silent film A Quiet Place directed by The Office's John Krasinski.  I had seen a handful of people bashing it but most of my horror minded friends loved it.  I wanted to check it out in theaters but my wife was almost 9 months pregnant so we had to skip on it.  When it was announced on blu I reached out for a review copy and was lucky enough to get one. 
     The film follows a family living in the country and fighting to survive.  Most of mankind has been eliminated by blind creatures who rely on sounds to hunt.  They lost a son to the beasts and a year later are expecting a new child.  They prepare for the bundle of joy by soundproofing a bunker but things go south and a series of events puts the family in danger when the creatures invade their home.
       I really enjoyed A Quiet Place.  It wasn't an action packed blood filled gore ride that I typically enjoy but I did really have fun with it.  It marched to a beat of a different drum and held my attention the entire time.  The writing and directing team really crafted something unforgettable.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  The cast had to work around using dialogue to create their characters.  They work very well with each other and the addition of sign language brings even more impact to the story.  The cast did a fantastic job.  The story for this one is solid but does have a few plot holes.  Honestly, it reminded me of War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise.  The no hope aspect mixed with the eradication of mankind only to be stopped by the simplest of things put me in mind of War.  Aside from that the film is fantastic.  The plot holes are very minor and take very little away from the overall production.  Finally, the film doesn't have gore.  There is a little blood and some CGI monsters.  The monsters do stand out and will not stand the test of time.  The CGi is rather cheap when compared to other films of the time.  I liked the creature design but the CGI is far from perfect.  Overall, A Quiet Place is a modern horror classic that clawed its way up to a spot with the greats.  Be sure to check this one out!

 



Quantum Leap

Creator - Donald P. Bellisario (Battlestar Galactica)
Starring - Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise), Dean Stockwell (The Dunwich Horror), and Deborah Pratt (Airwolf)
Release Date - 1989
Genre - Sci-Fi/Drama
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was little I was an inside kid.  I went out and played football, rode my bike, roller-bladed, and climb trees but my favorite thing to do was play video games and watch t.v.  I loved watching movies and television.  My dad was a western fan but we would usually watch Dukes of Hazard, The Musters, The Addams Family, Tales from the Crypt, and so on.  However, He would usually go out of town for work about two or three times a week.  On these nights I would stay with my grandmother and we would watch a different set of programs.  We would usually watch Lexx, Sliders, Star Trek, and Quantum Leap.  She loved watching these shows and that somewhat rubbed off on me.  I loved all those shows but once they stopped circulating I quickly forgot about them.  That was until recently when Mill Creek Entertainment announced that they would be releasing season 1 and 2 of Quantum Leap on DVD.  I had to review that so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy.  Thanks guys!

     The show follows Sam Beckett (Bakula) who is a quantum scientist who is stuck in another time after a science experiment goes wrong.  He leaps from person to person to fix historical tragedies that affect people and families such as being a southern black man in the 1950s and a city woman during the same time fighting sexual harassment in the work place.  Once he fixes the social injustices he then leaps to the next person to help them with their situation.  Along the way he has his best friend Al to help him along the way.  Al is a hologram and can only be seen by him.

   Quantum Leap is one of those shows that people either loves or hates.  My grandmother and I loved watching the show.  Sure, there is a religious undertone but it was still fun and really submerged the viewer in period pieces and drama wrapped around sci-fi.  My dad hated the show and refused to watch it when it was on.  I had to wait until I was at my grandmothers to see it.  This show was just as good as I remember and I want to thank Mill Creek once again for letting me check it out.  The acting in this one is fun but far from perfect.  Scott Bakula is a solid lead but at times his character, or characters in time, seemed forced and not completely worked on.  His friend Al, played by Dean Stockwell, is tremendous.  This sleazy little man is always the show stealer when he appears.  He does a great job and the show would have not worked if anyone else was cast.  The supporting cast is always fun and always changing.  This makes it fun and keeps things fresh.  The story for this one is a clever approach to the anthology series. The show's main story arch is fun but it takes season after season before it is just touched upon briefly.  More of that would have made the show fun.  As of this review this is just based on the first 2 seasons.  Other seasons may touch on this more but the first two seasons just touched upon this briefly.  With that being said, the actually episodes do get somewhat competitive.  Season 2 did try to mix it up some but making him a woman and so forth but it still feels the same.  Finally, the film is full of visual effects and humor.  The visual effects are very dated but I'm sure for the time they were still very low grade.  Considering the quality of effects in films and other television shows at the time I wonder why they went the route they did.  The humor for this show is pretty dry and almost embarrassing but it still works.  It pulls the viewer in and they sit mindlessly watching it regardless of how cheesy their jokes are.  Overall, Quantum Leap season 1 and 2 is a huge part of my childhood and thanks to Mill Creek entertainment I can now share that part of my childhood with my children.  The show may not be perfect but it is pure fun and nothing can change that.  This DVD set is well worth the price so check it out.

Queen Crab

Director - Brett Piper (Muckman, Bite Me)
Starring - Michelle Simone Miller (The Unwanted), Kathryn Metz (Being...Neil Armstrong), and Richard Lounello (Scavenger Killers)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "She has awakened...and she's hungry"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I over think things way too much.  Instead of looking at something at face value, I'll sit and think about it for too long and come up with my own little conclusions.  I notice trends in movies and then my mind starts to wonder what it would be like if other trends became popular.  Back in the late 2000's grindhouse inspired films became popular.  I loved the trend and how great the movies were but I wondered what it would be like if people started making films like you would find in the 50s and 60s.  We had two sci-fi inspired horror films released a few years back titled Attack of the Brain People and Atomic Brain Invasion.  Both were fun but I wanted more.  Not long ago I spoke with my friends over at Wild Eye and they sent me a sci-fi horror flick title Queen Crab that was direct by Brett Piper.  The film looked like a fun throwback to those atomic age monster movies so the second I had a chance to check it out I dived on it.

     The film begins with a scientist working on a growth formula when an accident happens in his home.  He rushes away from his work station and spills some chemicals resulting in an explosion killing himself along with his wife.  We jump forward and their daughter is now harboring a big secret.  The local sheriff responds to a call where something big crashed through a barn.  He suspects something strange and soon runs a test where he learns that it was a giant crab.  A scientist comes to help him investigate and learns the secret the orphaned young lady has been hiding for all these years...and it has laid eggs!
     I love campy horror sci-fi hybrids.  When I was little I would watch them with my grandma.  Mutated creatures, aliens from another planet. and so on were films I would sit with her in the living room and watch late at night on Sci-Fi.  When I received Queen Crab in the mail I assumed it would be a film like that and for the most part it was.  What I was not expecting was how it was pieced together.  The acting in this one is far from perfect.  The scenes were pretty rough and most of the cast just spills dialogue from their mouth like shit from a goose.  It honestly feels like the cast just doesn't care about their role.  That was evident throughout the entire film.  No heart or conviction.  The story for this one is fun but was not properly put together.  The film begins with the perfect beginning to a science run amok horror flick.  The film then switches gears and tries to deliver too much character development and not enough creature.   The story is centered too much around the characters getting along or not getting along and not enough around the creature.  Finally, those of you looking for gore will surprisingly find it.  The film does have a few deaths.  More are off screen or using CGI but some of the kills do have a decent amount of gore.  The film is full of different effects.  We have computer generated, stop motion, and some practical effects.  All are decent but combined makes the film feel tossed together and not as great as one would expect.  Overall, Queen Crab is not the film I was expecting.  The film tries to channel that classic creature feature from yesteryear but is unable to grasp the charm.  The acting is far from good and the story needed rewritten and tightened up. If you are looking for something fun I would recommend grabbing another Wild Eye film and skipping it.

Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)

Q:  The Winged Serpent (1982)

Directed by:  Larry Cohen
Starring:  David Carradine, Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark, Richard Roundtree
Format:  Blu-Ray

            I have a strong love for giant monster movies and Q is no exception.  I never saw this movie until the late nineties when I really started collecting DVD's off ebay.  Being that the creature effects for the most part in this production are stop-motion special effects I definitely hold it in high regard because these kinds of fx are by far my favorite.  I don't know there is just something special about stop-motion for me.  Something I find more creative than a person in a rubber suit, cgi, etc.  David Allen and Randell Cook created the model effects for the film and would later go on to do the Puppetmaster films (Allen) and the Lord of the Rings trilogy (Cook).  While Q could have done more with the effects I loved all of what we got.  I mean it's definitely one of those, "don't get to see the monster till the end" movies but hey you can't have everything.

            David Carradine and Michael Moriarty were perfect together in this film.  Moriarty especially was fantastic and fond memories we have of him from It's Alive 3 (also directed by Cohen) and Troll.  David Carradine...well not so much for me I have never been a huge fan of this Carradine but he is a fine actor none the same.  Moriarty plays a conman/petty criminal who discovers the nest of an ancient bird-like god who has been prayed back into existence.  Several human sacrifices have been happening all around the city previous to the monster attacks and Detective Shepard (Carradine) is the only one who figures this out.  Of course like all movies of this kind no one wants to believe him including his police captain who outright tells him to bury the mythical god story.

            With any Larry Cohen film we have a nice amount of blood and gore thrown around including body parts falling from the sky.  For me this kind of monster movie has it all.  Decent actors, some gore, my favorite style of fx, cool monster, and last but never least the non-ending.  Won't go into here for anyone who hasn't seen it but by no means is it a bad thing.  Highly recommended for any fan of giant monster movies.