I Am Lisa

Director - Patrick Rea (Arbor Demon, Monster X)

Starring - Kristen Vaganos (Witch Hunt, The Hoarding), Jennifer Seward (The Stylist, Terminal), and Manon Halliburton (The Sopranos, Law and Order)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "It took a town to beat her down... and a full moon to get revenge"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     A couple months back I was visiting my local Walmart and was extremely disappointed in the lack of genre titles to choose from.  I know the pandemic has but the entire world in a bind but I really do miss going to Walmart and snagging a couple horror flicks I've never seen before.  That same day I found myself in a nearby town so I stopped in their Walmart just to look around when I spotted a few horror titles my store didn't have.  The first I snagged was the werewolf flick I Am Lisa from Mill Creek Entertainment.  I'm a sucker for an indie werewolf flick and I couldn't wait to check it out.

     The film follows Lisa (Vaganos) who returns to her hometown following the death of her grandmother.  She opens a book store and is soon harassed by the town drug dealer Jessica who just happens to be the daughter of the Sheriff, Deb (Halliburton).  When she tries to file a complaint on Jessica she finds herself assaulted.  They beat her up and then take her to the woods for the wolves to eat.  However, after she is bit she is saved and soon discovers that it was no ordinary wolf that bit her.  Now, she's slowly turning into a werewolf and has revenge on her mind.

     I went into this one extremely excited for a new werewolf film but was quickly greeted with unlikable characters and poor pacing.  As I reached the hour mark I was fully prepared to write a negative review for this one.  However, I stuck with it and the last twenty or so minutes of the film made it worth it.  Is it perfect?  Fuck no, it's not.  However, it was a solid enough watch.  You just have to stick with it.  The acting in this one is good.  The cast does a well enough job.  Their performances are very grounded and there is no awkward scenes.  The cast was great all around.  With that being said, there is no likable characters aside from one and she is only in the film for a few moments.  The characters are not that well written and you just wait for bad things to happen for them.  Even the character of Lisa is unlikable.  She was a poorly developed character that needed to be written into the story better.  The story for this one is stretched way too thin but as the film enters the third act you find yourself pulled it.  You have to shift through an hour of dialogue heavy scenes along with scenes that serve no point to the story before you get to the good part.  So much of this movie could be cut out and the story would be intact.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects but no full werewolf costume.  The deaths are bloody and fit with the theme of the film but are not that memorable.  With that being said, the pentagram scene was very impressive.  I really liked that gag.  Overall, I am Lisa will not be for everyone.  In fact, I'm waiting for the comments to roll in saying I was paid to write this review.  Honestly, I enjoyed it.  It grew on me but there is a lot of unnecessary scenes that need clipped.  

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

Director - Roger Spottiswoode (48hrs, Turner and Hooch)

Starring - Sylvester Stallone (Demolition Man, Judge Dredd), Estelle Getty (Tootsie, Deadly Force), and JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, Jabberwocky)

Release Date - 1992

Genre - Comedy/Action

Tagline - "Detective Joe Bomoski's mom is in town for a visit.  She did the laundry, washed the windows and scrubbed the floors.  Now, she's gonna clean up the streets"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in college I went through this huge 70s and 80s action kick.  I was buying as many random action movies as I could find and before long I found myself on a Sylvester Stallone kick.  I had acquired a bunch of his films and among them was Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.  I was always burning up Over the Top, Demolition Man, Cobra, and so many more of his films but I never had the urge to watch Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.  A couple days ago I was placing an order for a couple Mill Creek releases on blu when I saw that Stop! received a blu release with the VHS slipcover.  I'm a sucker for this gimmick and snagged one.  After watching The Babe and Blind Fury I decided to finish my night with this one.  It was fun and I wish I wouldn't have waited so long to see it.  

     The film follow detective Joe Bomoski (Stallone) who gets a visit from his mother.  The visit starts out innocently enough but before long she finds herself the witness to a murder.  She withholds information from the detective working the case to give to Joe in hopes of helping him get promoted.  This sends Joe and his mother into the middle of an insurance fraud case putting them both in danger.

     Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a stain on Stallone's career and one that he has regretted doing.  The long standing rumor was revealed to be true in an interview when Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he tricked Stallone into taking the role.  Regardless, I find the film to be extremely fun.  Slow at times but you can't deny how much fun it is.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but it fits the film.  Stallone delivers another one of this famous Raspberry quality performances which is why I like him.  I love how irrational his characters always are and the intensity he brings to simple scenes.  So many films of his has unintentional humor and this film is no different.  Estelle Getty delivers a fun performance.  Her character makes the film and she was perfectly cast here.  I couldn't imagine anyone else in this role.  The supporting cast has just as colorful characters that makes the film fun.  So much writing went into the characters and the cast does a great job at bringing them to life.  The story for this one is perfectly early 90s.  I could see myself spinning this one with other action comedies of the time.  Sure, it's not Stallone's best but that doesn't make it a bad film.  It just means it wasn't meant for you.  The way the story unfolds is just like a typical direct to video action comedy of the early 90s that I would often rent.  I enjoyed it even though it was pretty predictable once the ball started moving.  Finally, the film has several death scenes that are mostly gun wounds that don't have any blood or practical effects. Overall, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is campy as hell but extremely fun.  If you lived through the video store era of the early 90s then you will really appreciate this one.  It's not for the typical Stallone fan but if you like the goofy side of cinema then you will enjoy this one.  The blu quality looks great but Mill Creek once again dropped the ball in regards to bonus content.  

The Babe

Director - Arthur Miller (Nightwing, The Hospital)

Starring - John Goodman (Arachnophobia, Revenge of the Nerds), Kelly McGillis (Top Gun, The Accused), and Trini Alvarado (The Frighteners, Fringe)

Release Date - 1992

Genre - Drama

Tagline - "There was only one"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     A couple weeks ago I was going through Amazon to order the action comedy Blind Fury.  It was released a few months prior on blu from Mill Creek Entertainment but I really wanted to see it.  When I tossed it in my cart I noticed that Mill Creek had just released a few other movies on blu that I really wanted to add to my collection.  One of the films I snagged was the 1992 biographical drama The Babe starring John Goodman.  Goodman is one of my favorite actors and The Babe is one I remember watching as a kid.  I couldn't wait to give this one a revisit.  

     The films follows the life of Babe Ruth (Goodman) who is dropped off at an orphanage at a young age.  It was here that he learned that he had a knack for hitting balls.  As he gets older he starts to get noticed by the big leagues and is eventually "adopted" to play for them.  As his fame grows so does his pocket.  He starts giving back to the kids in the community but realizes he is still missing something.  He falls in love with a waitress but, over time, realizes that her lifestyle and his are too different and eventually divorce where he remarries a woman he had met some years back.  Now an aging star, the sets his sites on managing a team but is unable to land the gig before he passes.

     The Babe isn't going to be for everyone.  Especially for my typical reader base but I revisited it and felt the need to write about it.  It's an insanely entertaining film that a lot of people seem to overlook.  I really enjoyed the acting in this one.  Goodman, as I stated earlier, delivers as the great Bambino.  He's one of my favorite actors and I loved seeing him as the charismatic Babe Ruth.  Watching Goodman as the character of Ruth grow was really fantastic to see.  The supporting cast is just as entertaining with some delivering more memorable performances than others.  The story for this one is not historically accurate but it does give us the memorable moments of his life.  It was great to see these iconic moments unfold in the film.  However, the movie jumps from different points in his life like a typical biographical film so a lot of stuff gets left out.  Finally, the film is not a bloody flick.  It's a period piece that has gorgeous wardrobes and sets.  I really loved the look and tone of the film.  Overall, The Babe is a very entertaining period piece from the early 90s.  I enjoyed the cast and it was amazing seeing these iconic Babe Ruth moments unfold on the screen.  The blu from Mill Creek looks great but the lack of bonus features is a bit of a let down.  

Blind Fury

Director - Phillip Noyce (The Bone Collector, Roots)

Starring - Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Hobo with a Shotgun), Terry O'Quinn (The Stepfather, The X-Files), and Brandon Call (Step by Step, Warlock)

Release Date - 1989

Genre - Action/Comedy

Tagline - "Nick Parker is quick as a snake, strong as a bull.  ...not to mention blind as a bat"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Rutger Hauer is one of the most underrated actors of his time.  He was in so many amazing films spanning his 50 year career but he really came into his own in the 80s and 90s when he appeared in some amazing action, sci-fi, and horror films that are loved by many still to this day.  Blade Runner, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Split Second and so many more.  He was again reminded how underrated of an actor he is when he appeared in the 2011 exploitation comedy Hobo with a Shotgun.  Sometime back Mill Creek Entertainment announced a blu release of Hauer's action comedy Blind Fury.  I had never seen this one and needed it for my collection.  I found it for a reasonable price on Amazon a few days ago and snagged it.  Over the weekend I had a Mill Creek marathon and this was the first one on the chopping block.

     The film follows Vietnam vet Nick Parker (Hauer) who was blinded during an attack and took prisoner.  He was then released and became a member of a small village where he was taught how to use a sword.  After many years he returns home to seek out an old friend he made while he was in the army but when he arrives at his house he discovers he is divorced and no longer living there.  He meets his ex-wife and young son but soon a group of goons disguised at police officers arrives to get the young boy to use as bait so his dad can cook up drugs.  They kill the boy's mom but Nick is able to fight them off and rescue the boy.  He promises the dying woman that he will take her son across the country to his father and save him from a casino owner who has kidnapped him and forced him to cook drugs.  

     The artwork on the blu paints a completely different picture than the artwork I had previously seen for this one.  The original artwork made me think I was in for a cheesy 80s action flick.  However, the Mill Creek release uses artwork that properly depicts the film.  It was cheesy, full of action, but it has humor that really makes it stand out.  I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'm embarrassed that it took me so long to see it.  The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a film like this.  Hauer does a solid enough job as a blind martial arts practitioner.  His performance makes the film and the lengths he went to for a few laughs really surprised me.  Brandon Call delivers a pretty solid performance as well.  His young age here doesn't stop him from out doing some of the supporting cast.  The supporting cast delivers some hit or miss performances but the overall tone of the film is acted fairly well.  The story for this one is more comedy focused but the action and adventure works very well.  The character development works very well with the story.  There is a few scenes where the movie seems to drag on but the pacing is fairly consistent.  With a few simple changes this movie could be one of those direct to video films aimed for children that most of my generation grew up on.  I could double feature this one with Suburban Commando and 3 Ninjas.  Finally, the movie has a little blood but nothing memorable.  Most of the deaths are by sword with a little blood and little to no practical effects.  Overall, Blind Fury is one hell of a fun film.  It may not be the most memorable film but it's extremely fun.  I would highly recommend it if you are in the mood for some cheesy 80s action.  The blu release from Mill Creek looks great.  The video and audio quality is fantastic.  I highly recommend checking this one out.  

Castle Freak

Director - Tate Steinsiek (Guts, The Terrible Tale of Jaquelyn Torne)

Starring - Clair Catherine (Trust, The Preppie Connection), Kika Magalhaes (The Eyes of My Mother, Vamp Bikers), and Jake Horowitz (The American Werewolves, The Vast of Night)

Release Date - 2020

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A bold reimaging of a horror classic"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was getting into horror I was visiting the video store a few times a week to rent movies.  It was at my local video store that I was introduced to Full Moon.  I don't remember which movies was my first Full Moon movie but I remember over the years renting a good portion of the Puppet Master series, Lurking Fear, and a bunch more along with a good portion of their Empire and Moonbeam releases.  I had rented their 1995 film Castle Freak several times and sometime ago I was lucky enough to review the blu release of the film from Full Moon.  I really enjoy this one but when I heard that it was getting a remake I was confused.  Out of all the films to get a remake why was this one?  A rather obscure Full Moon release getting a remake was a bit weird.  Regardless, I was for it and sometime back I snagged a copy of it on blu for a reasonable price.  A few nights ago I decided to have a movie marathon and gave this one a shot.  I enjoyed it for the most part.

     The film follows a young woman and her boyfriend obsessed with partying who visit an old castle after inheriting it when her mother killed herself.  She was adopted and assumed her mother was poor but now realized that her mother gave her up for adoption to save her when her friends discover the Necronomicon explaining how her, and her disfigured twin, will bring about the old ones.

     The original Castle Freak is atmospheric and moody with a chilling story and an amazing cast.  This remake ups the anty by diving deeper in the Lovecraftian lore resulting in a richer story but lacking in a few other areas.  With that being said, I enjoyed it once I gave it a shot.  The acting in this one is solid.  Catherine is brilliant as the beautiful blind orphan finding out about her strange family.  On the other side of the table is her boyfriend played by Hororwitz who delivers one hell of a performance.  His character is meant to be hated and god damn does he make you hate him.  Much like Comb's performance in the original, his character is a selfish degenerate that is always looking out for himself and no one else.  The supporting cast is great as well but they don't touch these two.  The story for this one dives deeper in to the mythology that Lovecraft created while still staying somewhat true to the original adaptation.  We get the destructive relationship between the young couple, a broader story revolving around the castle and the disfigured freak living within the castle walls, and we end with the possibility of a follow up that's even bigger.  Honestly, I liked the story but it did take me sometime to warm up to it.  I blame the characters but once the movie gets going I enjoyed it.  Finally, the film has some bloody moments with some fitting kills.  The practical effects work and a few of the gags throughout the film really surprised me.  I would have liked more gore but the creature effects made up for it.  Overall, Castle Freak is not the original film.  It gives us a different story with similiar features.  It's fun but it does take some time to appreciate it.  I recommend it and suggest you go into it open minded.  

Mortal Kombat

Director - Simon McQuoid (The Night-Time Economy)

Starring - Lewis Tan (Iron Fist, Deadpool 2), Jessica McNamee (The Meg, The Loved Ones), and Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Superstore)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Action/Fantasy

Tagline - "Get over here"

Format - Streaming (HBO Max)

Rating (out of 5):

     My youth was spent surviving the week and waiting on the weekend where I would rent a stack of VHS tapes and a couple of games.  On the weekends that my older brother would visit I would rent a bunch of games and we would stay up all night playing them.  We had many Mortal Kombat tournaments on the weekends he would visit and the year the movie was released I remember renting it.  He didn't care for it but I fucking loved it.  So much so I bought the tape when I could and have since upgraded to DVD.  When a new Mortal Kombat adaptation was announced I was curious.  The recent MK animated film was amazing but I suspected that the live action film would not take as many risks as the animated film would.  When it premiered on HBO Max I watched it that evening and was completely blew away by it.  I wasn't going to review it but the more I thought about it, and subsequent re-watches, I decided to go ahead and write one.

     The film follows Cole (Tan) who is a struggling fighter with a peculiar birthmark.  After a fight he meets Jax and is then attacked by Sub-Zero.  Jax reveals that he has the same birth mark and they are chosen ones who are to compete in a tournament with the other realms.  However, the evil Shang Tsung is breaking the rules and killing the marked ones on Earthrealm so he can win before the tournament begins.

     The original Mortal Kombat games, the ones from the 90s, were bloody but extremely cheesy.  If they were anything other than cheesy then you don't remember the games correctly.  The games were very campy with b-movie quality action writing and extremely cheesy moments tossed in to break up the monotonous gameplay.  They were fun, especially with friends, but you can't deny how cheesy they were.  Come on, babeality and the whoopsie?  The blood gave you a sense of seriousness but the games were anything but.  I think that is why so many people struggled with the movie.  They wanted a bloody and gruesome fight flick but got a movie that embodied the original games.  It was fun and cheesy as fuck.  The acting in this one is far from perfect but the games were not that well acted either.  The voice acting was extremely poor and as the franchise grew the acting never improved.  The film does take some liberties with the characters but a lot of the scenes are underwhelming.  With that being said, Josh Lawson carried the entire film on his fucking back.  He made Kano is own and absolutely killed it.  If he was in the scene then he was the center of attention.  The story for this one does change it up from the original lore around the games.  We get the introduction of the character Cole which was a replacement for Liu Kang pushing him to a secondary character.  I don't understand why this was done and he had the worst ability of them all. I did like the idea of marking the ones chosen to compete in the tournament and having them unlock abilities that you would see in the game.  It made the film feel more like a Marvel movie but I liked that approach.  I also liked the cheesy one liners and fatalities that made the games so much fun.  We got that same level of cheese as the games which I was not expecting.  Finally, the film is overflowing with visual effects.  We get some not so good looking effects in the way of Goro and a few of the fight sequences but we do get some cheesy yet fun effects in the way of a few deaths.  The CGI gore is not the best visually but I really enjoyed the deaths.  It added that cheesy bit that I was looking for.  Overall, Mortal Kombat is for the people that played the games in the 90s.  They were bloody, extremely goofy, and fun.  The movie was everything that I loved about those games and if you didn't like this movie then it wasn't for you. 

Thundarr the Barbarian

Director - Steve Gerber (Howard the Duck, Dungeons and Dragons)

Starring - Henry Corden (The Simpsons, Return to the Planet of the Apes), Robert Ridgely (Night Court, DuckTales), Nellie Bellflower (Police Woman, The Last Unicorn)

Release Date - 1980

Genre - Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was growing up in the 90s I lived on Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Goosebumps, Ren and Stimpy, Beavis and Butthead, and the tapes I would rent every weekend.  I was a movie junk then and I am now.  When I was in elementary school my uncle gave me a tape of Conan.  This started my obsession for the next few years of fantasy sword and sorcerery flicks.  I was then introduced to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe from my older brother.  The show was long gone by the time I was getting into television and movies but he was able to track down a few tapes for me.  Then one day I found a box of tapes at a yard sale and inside was a few tapes with shows recorded from television.  The box was extremely cheap and my dad bought them for me.  On one of the tapes was maybe 5 minutes of an episode of Thundarr the Barbarian.  This was all I ever saw of the show so when Warner announced the blu release of the complete show on blu I jumped on it.  Horror or not I wanted to see this one and I want to thank them for sending this one over!

     The film takes place on Earth in the year 3994 where the world has been ravaged by a passing meteor in 1994.  The world is a desolate wasteland with areas controlled by wizards.  We follow Thundarr, his friend Ookla, and Princess Ariel as they travel the wastelands fighting for good.

     Fantasy films of the 80s were really their own sub-genre.  Conan the Barbarian, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Beastmaster, and Thundarr the Barbarian along with many more were mindlessly fun.  They were packed with characters that looked like they were ripped from the indie wrestling circuit and tossed into a land of myth and legend.  Thundarr, much like He-Man, has that myth and magic feel mixed with a sci-fi element.  It was extremely fun and one that you will enjoy binge watching.  The voice acting fits the show very well but there was several occasions where the voice cast was a little underwhelming.  In fact, there was a few episodes where the cast was a little monotone which created a bit of an odd, yet unintentionally funny, episode.  The stories for each episode follows the same formula as a lot of the Hanna Barbara episodes for shows like Scooby-Doo and Josie and the Pussy Cats.  We follow the three as they encounter different foes that they must defeat to save the people, or person, of the region that are in danger.  It's a tried and true formula but it works here especially with the string of fun characters and different recognizable settings.  Finally, the animation is similar to the other cartoons of the late 70s and 80s.  The characters are all colorful but the background images are absolutely amazing.  I'm sure these served as inspiration for a lot of the pictures that would later become painted on the side of vans in the mid to late 80s.  Overall, Thundarr the Barbarian is a must see for fans of retro cartoons or fans of the fantasy genre in general.  I had an amazing time binging this show and the blu from Warner looks absolutely amazing.  The downside to this set is the lack of bonus features.  

Josie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space

Starring - Sherry Alberoni (Sisters of Death, Super Friends), Jerry Dexter (DuckTales, Sealab 2020), and Jackie Joseph (Small Soldiers, Gremlins)

Release Date - 1972

Genre - Sci-Fi

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Warner Archive has been releasing some pretty solid releases over the last few years and it seems like they are only going to get better.  A couple weeks ago I received the press release for their newest batch of releases coming up and one title really caught my eye.  It's not a horror title but I was still extremely curious about it.  I was born in the mid-80s and grew up in the 90s.  I was part of the Orange Years at Nickelodeon and Goosebumps was my introduction to the genre.  However, I was still a heavy VHS collector.  I had accrued several older shows on tapes that I had picked up in random places.  One of these tapes was episodes of the original Josie and the Pussy Cats.  So when I saw the blu release of Josie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space I had to check it out.  I want to thank Warner for sending this one over.  

      The series follows Josie and the gang who find themselves accidentally tossed in a space ship and sent out to space.  Each episode follows the crew as they find themselves on a different planet battling a different cosmic foe.

     I remember watching the few tapes of Josie and the Pussy Cats when I was in elementary school and liking it but I never had a chance to see in Outer Space.  Hell, I didn't know it was a thing until I received the press release for it.  It was a fun short lived series that takes the same Scooby-Doo like antics of Josie and the Pussy Cats and puts a sci-fi spin on it.  I enjoyed it but it's not a show I would recommend binging.  The voice acting in this one works for the show but fans of the original show and Scooby-Doo will recognize these voices fairly quickly.  With that being said, I absolutely loved the off world voice acting of the new characters that were introduced.  The stories for these episodes mostly follow the same formula.  We follow the crew as they land, or crash land in some instances, on a planet where they encounter an alien race in some sort of turmoil.  It's really fun for a few episodes but after three or four you find yourself waiting to watch something else.  It makes sense this series only lasted one season.  Finally, the animation is exactly what you would expect from an early 70s Hanna Barbara production.  It's fun for a children's show but as an adult you can appreciate it for what it is.  Overall, Josie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space is a fun spin off of a popular Hanna Barbara property that is fun for a first time watch but I wouldn't recommend binging the entire series.  It's very repetitive.  The blu release from this one looks great but the lack of supplimental material is a big disappointing.  

     

Not for Resale

Director - Kevin J. James (The Last Straw, New Kids on the Rock)

Starring - Frank Cifaldi (M2: Complete Works, Mother to Earth), Pat Contri (Pat the Nes Punk, The Angry Video Game Nerd), and Jeremy Dunham (Gamer Nation, Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017)

Release Date - 2019

Genre - Documentary

Tagline - "A video game store documentary"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Several days ago I took a trip down memory lane by watching a few of documentaries.  The first was The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story and I followed that up with Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren and Stimpy Story.  Both were fantastic documentaries that took me back to my youth.  After digging into a few horror flicks I decided to toss in another documentary that might take me back to a more simpler time.  Last year I had ordered a copy of Not for Resale on blu and forgot about it until now.  Hell, if I remembered I had it I would have marathoned it with the other docs.  

     The documentary follows gaming fans from the rise of physical releases to now with many nostalgic fans who collect retro games.  The documentary dives into younger generations getting into retro gaming, indie produced games finding life on digital, and how small shops are staying afloat.  

     When I was little, maybe around 3 or 4, my older brother had an original NES and a few years later my dad bought me a Sega Genesis.  I never looked back.  Since then I've owned almost every console before finally moving over to PC gaming just last summer.  I really do get the appeal of collecting video games especially for long dead consoles.  With that being said, I'm extremely envious of all the retro stores that has popped up over the years.  Gaming has been such a huge part of my life and I couldn't imagine making it my career.  Not for Resale is a look into the lives of these store owners who turned their hobbies into their livelihood.  The interviews range from shop owners with several decades of experience to casual fans just getting into retro gaming.  We hear inside stories from when many of them became gaming fans in their youth and how they turned it into careers while also hearing how some have taken to digital platforms to get their games releases.  It really is a wide range of individuals discussing the ins and outs of the business.  However, we do get a few people who, I assume are streamers, with little to no knowledge of the physical collecting world or resale shops.  They just discuss a few of the things they know about gaming.  The topics discussed fit the documentary very well.  They move in a chronological order while transitioning from person to person where we get some background info on them.  It shows how people from such different backgrounds all can have the same love and passion for gaming.  It also shows how gaming is not a hobby for many.  Some have turned this love into shops for reselling, repairing, and even some who have turned collecting into an entertainment form like Pat the NES Punk and the Angry Video Game Nerd.  Finally, the film is editing together nicely but some of the transitions are a little confusing at times.  The transitions are nice but we sometimes hear someone talking while we get images of something that has nothing to do with what's being discussed.  Aesthetically, it's pleasing but a little confusing for the viewer.  Overall, Not for Resale is a fun look into the world of the physical side of gaming and how the world of digital downloads is slowly strangling and entire industry.  It's a great documentary that I highly suggest you check out.  

Happy Death Day 2U

Director - Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky)

Starring - Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day, Valley Girl), Israel Broussard (Extinction, Fear the Walking Dead), and Phi Vu (Logan, Preacher)

Release Date - 2019

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Death makes a killer comeback"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Back in October Blumhouse sent over their new blu release which was a box set of 10 of their most memorable horror titles.  I had seen a few of them but most of them were new watches for me.  The set was surprisingly fun and I found myself enjoying most of the titles I slept on.  One that really stood out to me was the horror comedy Happy Death Day directed by Christopher Landon and starring Jessica Rothe.  A few days after watching it I decided to order the sequel on blu to check out when I had time.  Well, I forgot about it until I decided to watch Yummy.  When I grabbed the blu I saw that HDD2U was sitting under it and decided to have a double feature.  This follow up was not as good as the original but it was still fun in it's own way.

      The film picks up after the first one with Tree (Rothe) in bed with Carter (Broussard) when Carter's roommate Ryan (Vu) comes in.  Carter makes him leave and that's when his day gets strange.  He finds out that his science experiment is banned by the dean and then he is stalked and murdered by someone wearing a baby mask.  He awakens in his car with serious deja vu.  he goes back through his morning again and tells Carter about what happened.  Tree tells him about what happened to her and they discover that it was Ryan's project that caused the events of the first film.  While trying to fix what he started he accidentally sends Tree to a parrallell universe where she has to work with Ryan there to fix it and set everything back in motion while dying over and over.

     I had heard a lot of great things about HDD2U and most that loved the first film talked about how fun this follow up was so I had high hopes for it.  The film was fun and I enjoyed it but it just wasn't on the same level as the first film.  The film took a dive from horror comedy to sci-fi and did not have the same atmosphere as the first.  The acting in this one is more of the same from the first film.  It takes some time for you to warm up to the characters.  When the film begins you find yourself not liking the characters at all so you don't give a fuck about them living or dying.  However, you start to like them as the film progresses.  The cast does a decent enough job with their characters but I feel like the writing does affect the acting in this film.  The story for this one is a more expanded look at the first film.  The first was a fun horror comedy with a time loop that was a lot of fun.  The tone and atmosphere really worked for that film.  However, with the expansion of that story we leave what feels like a horror comedy behind and move into a more sci-fi focused film with less horror and laughs.  It is a bit of a repeat of the first film but expanding it does make it fun.  It also leaves it open to the possibilities of future installments.  Finally, the film has several death scenes but the deaths are very underwhelming.  Most are stabbings with a little blood and very little practical effects but there is a few decent looking gun wounds.  Overall, Happy Death Day 2U is a fun follow up to a surprise hit from Blumhouse.  It's not as entertaining as the original but it is a worthy follow up.  Fans of the first should really check this one out.