Ugh, after that painful stretch of bad game movies, let's rinse.
How about, since we did dead dudes, let's loop back to that, and follow up, with dudes (and dudettes) that slay dead dudes (and other critters)?
Let's start with the very first one...
The Last Man On Earth
The first adaptation of "I am Legend", and....a really great (as in faithful) adaptation has yet to happen, but as its own thing, it's a pretty decent (if cheap) little horror movie.
This very clearly inspired "Night of the Living Dead", which of course, lead to "Dawn of the Dead", which of course exploded forth the whole zombie-survival genre.
Check it out, kiddies, it's the grandpappy of them all.
Man, the scene where his dead wife comes knocking at the door is creepy even by today's standards.
*Shiver*
Also, it's described in dialog that a horde of vampire's tore someone's loved one apart.
So...we don't SEE the gore like in "Night", and "Dawn", but, it's there in the periphery.
The history-
I...think this is public domain...
The Omega Man
The film-
This is the second adaptation of "I Am Legend", and the one everyone remembers.
Well...until the Will Smith one came out....
Pretty damned good.
One of the great Heston sci-fis, up there with "Soylent Green", and "Planet of the Apes".
I call it his Dystopia Trilogy.
Still kicks ass today, check it out.
The history-
I gotta own this.
I Am Legend
The film-
*Squints*...it's not...BAD...but....I just don't care for it.
They try to inject too much Hollywood happy-horseshit in there for the dumb masses....
It's...got some thrills and chills...but, it's too glossy...too optimistic, but that fake greeting-card optimism.
Yeah, bleh.
The history-
Cable.
The Lost Boys
The film-
A classic.
And, I guess the Coreys, and grandpa are the slayers for this outing.
The history-
80's rental, dug it ever since.
Another one I gotta own.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The film-
Eh...*wavey hand*
Not one of my favorites.
S'alright.
Couple memorable scenes, mostly involving Paul Reubens.
First thing he did after the whole ridiculous puritanical hysteria/backlash over the porn theater thing
And, as we all know, it spawned the cultural juggernaut that was the show.
I...reserve comment on that....
The history-
Heh heh...the porn title was "Muffy the Vampire Layer".
Dead Dudes In The House
The film-
From our friends at Troma, who brought us "The Toxic Avenger", and "Sgt Kabukiman NYPD".
An unappreciated classic in the canon, IMHO.
The history-
I only caught the ending on scrambled Cinemax a couple times, but I remember the two surviving guys looking like the Double Dragon guys, and beating the everliving shit out of zombies bare handed for like, 10 fucking minutes.
It was beautiful.
I can only imagine what the rest of the flick was like.
Another must-own.
Love doing these lists, they jog my memory.
From Dusk 'Til Dawn
The film-
It's...good, it's okay...but DAMMIT, but people made such a big...fucking DEAL about Tarantino shit.
Like, full spazz out "oh, it's the best thing in the world!!!", each fucking one.
Like with young-me, and the fucking Gobots premiere.
Especially critics.
Calm the fuck DOWN!
It's...Demon Knight good.
There.
That's it.
That's all.
No...I like Demon Knight better.
The history-
Cable.
Evolution
The film-
Low rent Ghostbusters knockoff from the director/producer of same.
S'alright, watchable, better than overtly bad films.
The history-
Come on, Bill, do Ghostbusters 3, Ivan needs it, save your friend!
He's making stuff like "My Super Ex-Girlfriend", fer chrissakes, save him!
Find the Peter Venkman within you, one last time, and save Ivan Reitman!
John Carpenter's Vampires
The film-
Okay, remember how I said critics went fucking bananas hating "Judge Dredd", when it was just mediocre and clunky?
Well, they went bananas hating this one too...and, I like it.
I mean, it's not one of Carpenter's masterpieces, and it's not even a fave, but...what's the fucking problem?
Well, look, these are the same critics that thumbs-upped "Dick Tracy", "George of the Jungle", and "the horse whisperer".
Do they have credibility anymore with you?
Why?
Fucking why?
Walk me through that.
It'll be fucking enlightening.
The history-
Saw it once, didn't see the big deal, good or bad, have mostly forgotten it.
Shaun of the Dead
The film-
Kicking myself I didn't throw this into the Halloween horror reviews.
Well, this entry kinda loops it all back, doesn't it?
Well, from here....
Hard to say anything about this that hasn't been said a million times.
It's great, if you love zombie flicks, you'll love this, and hell, you probably have it on your shelf already.
Shit, any geek worth his salt has this, and the Evil Dead trilogy.
Right next to the classic SW trilogy, the Romero deads, Spinal Tap, Princess Bride, Enter The Dragon, something from Tarantino, probably Kill Bill, the first 2 Aliens,...
The film-
Came so recommended, it was sight unseen until I bought it.
Rarely do I take that plunge.
Van Helsing
The film-
Listing this more for the character than the film.
Think of this as the placeholder for the character of Van Helsing in...everything he's in.
Gonna do a Halloween sequel next year, and that'll have a bigass chunk on Dracula.
Consider this the takeoff point.
Ooops, spoiler alert.
Anyway, the film....like watching a video game cutscene.
The history-
Rented, watched every bonus, and....a lot of thought and creative decision making went into this....
It tantalizes me how the maker of a bad movie busts his ass too.
I could be that guy, and not know it.
Well...in the end, you gotta follow your own creative lights, I guess.
What am I gonna do, give up?
Fuck that.
Zombieland
The film-
Another one I'm kicking myself for not throwing into Halloween.
But....I was up against a tighter deadline then.
Didn't come up with the thing 'til halfway through October.
Anyway, Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray, it's invincible to failure.
Your goddamned duty to watch this.
The history-
Rental.
Must own.
Juan of the Dead
The film-
This looks beautiful.
The history-
The trailer.
There, that's all the ones I hadn't done before, now, for those who somehow missed 'em, repeats that fit into this category...
The Alien Quadrilogy
The character-
Ellen Ripley, alien slayer.
See here.
Vampire Hunter D
The character-
Same as the title.
Batman meets Lestat, with a sword, and a robot horse.
See here.
Constantine
The character-
John Constantine, demon-busting and spirit exorcising wizard.
In the comics, based on Sting.
In the crummy film, Keanu.
Poopy.
See here.
Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight
The character-
Frank Brayker, demon buster.
See here.
The Evil Dead Trilogy (and spinoffs)
The character-
Ashley J. Williams.
(S-Mart, housewares)
See here.
Resident Evil Quadrilogy
The character-
Alice, zombie slayer.
See here.
Hellboy
Same as the title.
Big red demon guy, adopted by the government, now, an all purpose monster slayer.
See here, here, and here.
Men In Black Duology
Characters-
Agents K and J, alien cops, sometimes slayers.
See here.
Blade
The character-
Blade, the vampire slayer, The Daywalker.
See here, and here.
Dr. Strange
The character-
Dr. Stephen Strange, The Sorcerer Supreme, think a flashier Constantine.
See here, and here.
Ghostbusters Duology (and spinoffs)
The characters-
Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, Egon Spengler, Winston Zedmore, Ghostbusters.
Janine Melnitz, Secretary.
(Yeah, ghosts are invincible, and can't be slain, but...they waste zombies in Infestation)
See here.
Fright Night
The characters-
Charlie Brewster, Peter Vincent, vampire killers.
See here.
House
The character-
Roger Cobb, zombie/monster slayer, inner-demon self-exorcist
See here.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
The character-
Title and poster says it all.
See here.
Phantasm Quadrilogy
Mike and Reggie, mustard blooded Jawa, and Tall Man slayers.
See here.
Dawn of the Dead
Stephen (Flyboy), Francine, Peter, and Roger, zombie killers, apocalypse survivors.
See here.
Gremlins Duology
The character-
Billy Peltzer, Gremlins slayer.
(Seriously, he's genocided the little fuckers! Twice!)
See here.
Critters Series
The characters-
Ug and Lee, intergalactic bounty hunters. Crite slayers.
See here.
The Monster Squad
The characters-
Title and poster say it pretty well.
See here.
Cemetary Man
The character-
Francesco Dellamorte, cemetary caretaker, zombie slayer.
See here.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Series
The character-
Nancy Thompson, Freddy buster.
See here.
Halloween series
The character-
Laurie Strode, Michael slayer (especially in 2, and 7!!)
See here.
Aaaaand...
Various mainstream superheroes, and pop culture icons slaying all manner of beastie....
See here, and here.
Aaaand, that's all of that overlap.
Up next....the real origin of the superhero.
(BTW, this goes between this, and this)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Superhero Flicks, Part 15.6: All The Rest (Part 4.6, Paranormal Exterminators)
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