Leprechaun (1993)

By Jody. Score: 5/10

To me, it looked like a Leprechaun to me. All you gotta do is pop in the DVD. Who else seen the Leprechaun movie, say "Yeah!"

A movie that does not take itself seriously, does not merit a serious review. Leprechaun is a bad movie that has a few certain charms to it, not one of which is the fact that it spawned 5 progressively bad sequels.


That said, there are 3 reasons to give this film at least one watch:

1. Pre-"Friends" Jennifer Aniston

2. 90's pop culture knowledge. This film was probably referenced more that it was actually seen.

3. It makes the "Leprechaun in Mobile Alabama" youtube video that much funnier.

In case one wonders why there haven't been any Leprechaun movies in nearly a decade, actor Warwick Davis has been busy playing Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter movies. Probably a wise decision.

Cast: Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, and Ken Olandt
Directed by: Mark Jones
Budget/Gross: $900,000 / $8.5 mil
IMDB score: 4.3/10
Tomatometer: 30% critics and 38% audiences liked it

A Home Our Own (1993)

By Greg

Score 5/10

Taking place in the early 1960's the Lacey family wants a home of their own. Without a husband/father and losing her job at the potato chip factory, Matriarch Frances(Kathy Bates) must sell the families belongings and pack up her six kids to hit the open road to find their dream house.

Traveling for several days they land in Idaho and find an abandoned house own by local farmer, Mr. Munimura(Soon Tek-Oh). Pleading with him to trade household chores, paying him over time with money she'll make at her next job. Shayne(Edward Furlong) eldest son and deemed "man of the house" is bartered to perform various tasks at Mr. Munimura's farm and greenhouse. He accepts and the Lacey family have their home. A plan is devised by Frances to build their dream home by themselves, more of a shack than home, its a place they can call their own.

Thus begins trials and tribulations of the Lacey family. There is first date for Shayne, physical abuse to Frances, the Lacey Girls having to wear homemade matching outfits, a dual seated outhouse and Frances realizing that belting son Shayne doesn't work. It does leave the viewer with good messages: Don't have too much pride; help out your neighbors; hard work pays off; don't play with fire; white clothes shouldn't be washed with red; tools and building supplies don't make good Christmas gifts and so on.

Of course this is a drama and it plays out like an after school special or your average Lifetime movie. Not an epic fail, but without Furlong and Bates carrying the movie, it would have been just your run of the mill television movie, possibly having Meredith Baxter or Valerie Bertinelli portraying Frances.

Cast: Kathy Bates, Edward Furlong, Soon Tek-Oh and Clarissa Lassig

Directed by: Tony Bill

Budget/Gross: $12,000,000(estimated)/$1,703,282 (USA)

IMDB Score: 6.6/10

Tomatometer: 45% critics / 67% audiences liked it

Masterminds (1997)

By Greg
Score: 6/10
With a mix of "Die Hard" and "Home Alone" you get Masterminds. Not as violent as DH with a lot less swearing, but not as cute, slapstick fun as HA. The real trouble with this film is that it takes itself way too seriously, that is also why it received a 6 from me. Its a film to be shared amongst friends to watch, poke fun at it, drink to it, whatever. Its horribly fun to watch.

Ozzy or Oz (Vincent Kartheiser) is a computer/electrical engineering/ hacker/prodigy, at 16 years of age he should be working for the government. He is Macguyver at that age, rebellion against his businessman father(Matt Kraven) and stepmother(Annabelle Gurwitch), Oz and sister, Melissa (Katie Stewart) attend a private school where the extreme wealthy send their kids. Of course head of security, Bentley (Patrick Stewart) looks at the kids as easy money in ransom. So finding goons and thugs aka Happy Boys to do his bidding, he overruns the school and Principal Maloney(Brenda Fricker) 

So its Bentley and goons v. Oz. Constantly being foiled by Oz, the bad guys with names like Ferret and Ollie drop one by one. Once the plan is foiled there is a final chase on ATV's, Stewart has Melissa as hostage and Oz with best friend K-Dog follow. Of course its predictable, but fun to watch. Patrick Stewart's performance holds the attention. He is great to watch, Shakespearean trained, Captain of the Enterprise and Professor Xavier, his performance is worth the time spent.

One last thing that this film has that very few films today collectively have is reality. Real explosions, real stunts, real flooding of sets, its this reality that is enduring. Although this film can be viewed for a glimpse of 1997 pop culture, the hair styles, the dress, attitude, early Internet and the first sequence is Ozzy code breaking and it shows something out of Duke Nukem or Wolfenstein 3-D. All-in-all Masterminds is a fun film for kids, especially boys before you allow them to watch the adult version "Die Hard."
Plus, I did see this film in theatres

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Vincent Kartheiser, Brenda Fricker and Bradley Whitford
Directed by: Roger Christian
Budget/Gross: Unknown/$1,890,472 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 4.8/10
Tomatometer: 19% critics / 48% audiences liked it

Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)

By Jody. Score 7/10

In this corner, with a kill count of 30+ victims, child-murdering son of one hundred maniacs, Freeedyyy Kruuuuger!

And in this corner, with an amazing kill count of 120+ victims, the king of all camp killers, Jaaason Voooorheees! This is a fight to the death that has been over ten years in the making! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Not since the Yoda-Count Dooku fight in Star Wars Episode Two: Attack of the Clones has there been so much audience involvement and excitement. Nor has there been so much cheering since the end credits of Gigli finally began to roll. This film was a unique and incredible movie-going experience, but do home viewings hold up to the theatrical experience? Sure... if you are a fan.

For those living under a rock for the past twenty years, here is some background info on these two genre icons. After getting off on a technicality, Freddy Kruger, the villain of the seven Nightmare on Elm Street films, was burned alive by the parents of the Elm Street children he murdered. Now reduced to a dream demon who stalks and kills the Elm Street teenagers while they are sleeping, Freddy gets all of his power from their fear. In short, no fear means Freddy is reduced to nothingness.

Jason Voorhees, the hockey-masked psycho from eight of the ten Friday the 13’th films, is a mongoloid who drowns at Camp Crystal Lake while the counselors who were supposed to be watching him were fooling around. Now he is an unstoppable force that eliminates anyone foolish to drink, do drugs, or have sex in his stomping grounds.

After this film was given the greenlight after Jason Goes to Hell, finding the right script and director took over a decade. The plotline to link the two together that they finally settled on is actually rather interesting. The parents of Elm Street are slipping their teens an experimental drug that prevents them from dreaming, and anyone who does make contact with Freddy is sent away to a mental institution.

Therefore, Freddy is eventually forgotten and rendered harmless. He enlists the help of Jason to claim victims on Elm Street, but once Jason gets a taste of blood, he does not stop killing. Naturally, Freddy does not stand for this and the battle between them ensues.

The lambs up for slaughter this time around include Monica Keena (Dawson’s Creek), Jason Ritter (Swimfan), Kelly Rowland (from music group Destiny’s Child), and Katherine Isabelle (Disturbing Behavior). Robert Englund reprises his role as Freddy for the eight time, but this time, Jason was played by stuntman Ken Kirzenger rather than by Kane Hodder, who has had the role for the past four Friday films.

Hong Kong director Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky) does a great job recreating the elements of both Freddy and Jason’s films, even down to their music themes. Freddy mainly goes after the main characters, while Jason goes for mindless slaughter. The film has a nice balance between plot development and fight sequences and moves at a perfect pace. The film does have a definitive winner, but with strong box office numbers, a rematch is inevitable. Now all horror fans have to do is hope it does not take another ten years.

Starring: Robert Englund and everyone I mentioned two paragraphs up.
Directed by: Ronny Yu

Budget / Gross: $25 mil / $113 mil
IMDB Score: 5.8/10
Tomatometer: 41% critics and 60% audiences liked it

Willard (2003)

By Jody. Score 7/10

“From small things comes great power” is the tagline for the horror remake “Willard” – but whether that power can be controlled is the issue that this film explores.

Crispin Glover (“Back to the Future”, “Charlie’s Angels 1 and 2”) plays the title character who is an introverted pushover, bullied by his dying mother (Jackie Burroughs) and his boss Frank Martin (R. Lee Ermey).

He has no friends until he encounters a white rat in his basement named “Socrates”, and soon he befriends and controls a whole army of rats (led by a giant rat named “Ben”). The rats do Willard’s bidding starting with harmless vandalism, but the pranks soon escalate into homicide.

Written and Directed by Glen Morgan (TV’s “The X-Files”), “Willard” follows the same pattern of self-reference that horror films have been doing for 7 years now. Some of the character names, and songs in the film are inside jokes both from “The X-Files” and the 1971 “Willard.”

As a gag, Crispin Glover sings the song “Ben” (a song originally sang by a very young Michael Jackson) during the end credits. Obviously, this is a film marketed towards teenagers (who more than likely have not seen the 32 year-old original), so the jokes fall flat.

Having said that, “Willard” is a very creepy film - not violent or scary, but creepy all the same. Glover and Ermey’s performances make the film enjoyable to watch, but the real stars of the film are the 300+ live rats. Hats off to the filmmakers for using real rats, for if they had used computer generated rats, the film would have been a disaster.

R. Lee Ermey in an interview with myself comments on the rats. “The rats were raised from birth and handfed baby food and peanut butter. They were bathed every day, so they were very clean and docile, but all that food only had once place to go – out. After a few takes the smell was unbearable.” No one on the set suffered any injuries, and by the end of the first day Laura Elena Harring (who plays Willard’s potential love interest in the film), originally terrified by the rats, was holding and petting them.

“Willard” was the first in a series of remakes (that also included the Texas Chainsaw remake and prequel - which also featured Ermey) by New Line Cinema, that were financed by the enormous profits of “The Lord of the Rings” franchise.

Despite its box office failure, “Willard” has the potential for cult status, but with its lack of appeal to younger audiences and general unawareness of the film, that's probably not going to happen.

Starring: Crispen Glover and R. Lee Ermey
Directed by: Glen Morgan
Budget/Gross: $22 mil / $6.8 mil
IMDB Score: 6.2/10
Tomatometer: 65% critics and 49% audiences liked it

Fluke (1995)

By Greg Score: 4/10

When Thomas P. Johnson (Matthew Modine) dies in a car crash, his soul and part of his memory goes into a dog. Born in a back alley and then found by a homeless lady, she names him Fluke. Once she dies, Fluke then hangs out with other dog, Rumbo (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) who shows Fluke how to survive as a stray dog. Together they hang out in a junkyard and receive free food from a farmers market. Of course, Fluke starts to have memories of his human past and desires to be reunited with wife Carol (Nancy Travis) and son Brian (Max Pomeranc).

Rumbo and Fluke then have a run-in with Sylvester (Ron Perlman) which in turn causes Rumbo to die. Eventually Fluke makes a phone call to Carol, he finds his way to his sons school and lives with his former family. OF course that doesn't leave out his best friend/business partner Jeff Newman (Eric Stoltz) who witnessed the crash and is viewed as a bad guy throughout the film. All gets resolved and explained, poorly, but with cutesy moments. Ultimately, Fluke knows, he must go. His family has moved on and will be taken care of.

Despite all the death and animal violence towards the humans. Viewers will only need minor psychiatric help for the their kids. After all it is a family film, plus they didn't learn from "Turner and Hooch" when dogs die in films, children don't forget.

Cast: Matthew Modine, Samuel L. Jackson, Nancy Travis, Eric Stoltz and Ron Perlman
Directed by: Carlo Careli
Budget/Gross: Unknown/$3,987,649 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
Tomatometer:33% critics / 69% audiences liked it

Airborne (1993)

By Greg
Rating: 6/10

When Mitchell Goosen, a California surfer/rollerblading is forced to live with family in Cincinnati for six months, fitting in becomes a challenge. He doesn't just struggle with the lack of sun and waves, he is now the new kid on the block and socially inept cousin Wiley is no help. Immediately Mitch is noticed by the high school thugs, led by Jack and Augie (Jack Black), as a threat. Obvious outcast, Mitch is ridiculed instantly. Upon failing to help defeat local rivals, Central High at a hockey game. Mitch and Wiley then go through the typical montage of high school tortures, clothes removed from shower, locker pranks, etc.

Its textbook teen angst film from here. Mitch meets Nikki and love is in the air, after displaying some wicked rollerblading skills and swooning her with California. A sad discovery is made, she is Jack's sister. Relationship is forbidden, double date happens, another run-in with Central High Hockey team led by Blane. Who also was Nikki's ex. Alas, Mitch places foot in mouth and he now must give aid with cousin Wiley on a race down "Devil's Backbone" for honor. Can they pull it off? Of course, its teen angst.

It's not all bad, does have some funny moments, Seth Green and Jack Black are both standouts. Clearly learning how to become the actors we know them now. Typical role for Green in this film, Black is just a bystander. In one scene when Mitch calls Augie (Jack Black) "bra" and he responds that he wants to fight him for calling him underwear, but Black plays the scene great, with trademark facial expressions. With a typical storyline and pop culture references here and there. Its worth a look, just not one to keep around.

CAST: Shane Mcdermot, Seth Green, Brittney Powell, Chris Conrad and Jack Black
Directed by: Rob Bowman
Budget/Gross: $2,600,000 (estimated)/$2,850,263 (USA)
IMDB Score: 5.5/10
Tomatometer: 17% critics / 58% audiences liked it

Red Rock West (1993)

By Jody. Score 5/10

Despite general critical acclaim and a good reception at the Toronto Film festival, director John Dahl's modern film noir about mistaken identity (Nicholas Cage is mistaken for a hitman in small town Texas) generates much more laughter than suspense. Is the script bad or merely a victim of Cage's typical bizarre line delivery? It's hard to say really.

Case in point:

Lara Flynn Boyle to Cage: "Ever been to Mexico?" Cage simply replies, "Yeah". LFB responds: "What's it like?" Cage with a dramatic pause: "It's hot..."

As the film's flip-flopping victim/seductress, Ms. Flynn Boyle is generally unlikable and unsexy in both modes.

LFB to Cage: "Don't you like me?" Cage replies, "Yeah, but I make it a point to stay away from married women." "Marriage is just a state of mind." Cage looks off into the distance: "Not in Texas...."
  

The film's plot tries to twist and turn, but stays predictable and silly. Cage tries to ride out of town on top of a semi truck. Dennis Hopper, also not at his best in his role as the real hitman, gets taken down with a thrown shoe, Austin Powers style.

Overall, I must admit that I was entertained and engaged enough to keep watching, but don't we all love to watch a train wreck?

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Lara Flynn Boyle, J.T. Walsh, and Dennis Hopper
Directed by: John Dahl
Budget/Gross: $8 mil / $2.5 mil
IMDB Score: 7.0/10
Tomatometer: 95% critics and 65% audiences liked it

Tremors (1990)

By Jody. Score: 9/10

As a movie about giant earthworms, it's easy to dismiss Tremors as run-of-the-mill B-movie creature feature, given its misleading poster/DVD cover (the creatures do not have giant teeth and are not nearly as large as depicted) and seemingly endless sequels. It's frustrating when moviegoers forget how fantastic "first" films are and start blanket labeling an entire franchise as bad, but I digress.

Tremors has so much more to offer than most other entries of its genre. The characters are diverse, well-developed and very likable. The humor and chills are perfectly balanced. The script, blending themes of community, isolation, and post-Cold War paranoia, is solid for this type of movie (all very conveniently placed long poles in the middle of the desert aside).

While not overtly scary, I've had recurring nightmares because of this film for 21 years now. I've gotten fairly good at practicing either being completely still or booking it to cemented/high ground in case I ever find myself facing off with these creatures.

It's worth watching for anybody, but it's a great starter horror film for younger teenagers. Also, did I mention it has Kevin Bacon in it?

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Michael Gross, and Reba McIntyre
Directed by: Ron Underwood
Budget/Gross: $11 mil / $48.5 mil
IMDB Score: 7.1/10
Tomatometer: 88% critics and 63% audiences liked it