The 11 Best Movies To Watch This Halloween!


Halloween is a day for Trick or Treating, candy, and parties with women wearing the most revealing costumes imaginable.  Or, if you’re like me, it’s the perfect night for a good movie… or two… or ten! Here the 10 films I’d most recommend this Halloween 2016!

You will find that my list is fairly unique with far more unconventional and lesser known choices instead of the obvious titles like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.

Just don’t ask my why mine goes to 11…(Hint: I couldn’t it down to 10)

 

11) 28 Days Later28-weeks-later-cillain-murphy-empty-londonBest straight-up zombie movie. Period. Danny Boyle’s zombies even more frightening than the traditional model, capable of incredible speed, the ability to walk up stairs and climb ladder, and infecting others in seconds by spitting blood at them, in addition to the classic bite. The opening sequence with a completely abandoned London is an astounding image that is hard to forget. Finally, the most important rule of zombie movies is present: the zombies aren’t as dangerous as the other survivors (especially the military). Bloody good scares.

10) Army of Darknessarmy-of-darkness-bruce-cambell-ash-and-bad-ashMy list is full of horror/comedy hybrids. Even the most traditional of horror movies on this contains some laughs (except for 28 Days Later). I don’t always watch horror, but when I do, I like it with a splash of comedy. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy set the standard for full on horror with some ridiculous laughs, with the 1st film arriving in 1981, predating any of the other movies on this list. The third film, Army of Darkness wasn’t released until 1992 and it upped the comedy considerably from even the grossly hilarious Evil Dead 2. Never has someone uttered as many  delicious one-liners than Bruce Campbell as Ash. There are skeletons, possessions, graveyards, and not just evil mini versions of Ash… but an actual full-sized Evil Ash (or “Bad Ash”). Raimi’s unique style oozes throughout the film; his own little quirks are nearly as recognizable as Tim Burton’s.

9) Shuan of the Deadshaun-of-the-dead-simon-pegg-nick-frost-pretending-to-be-zombiesShaun of the Dead (like all Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg collaborations),puts comedy 1st, yet still plays by all the rules of the genre. Shaun of the Dead is not a parody of zombie movies as much as it is love-letter to the genre with comedy. It’s the movie that put director Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg & Nick Frost on the international stage, leading to other amazing parody/homages Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, so you know it’s good!  Not as terrifying a zombie movie as 28 Days Later, but still full of scares… balanced gently with laughs.

8 & 7) Ghostbusters (1984) & Ghostbusters (2016)ghostbusters-1984-finale-line-upThe original Ghostbusters from 1984 is a given, especially on a list with a comedy twist. Like Shaun of the Dead, this classic was conceived as a comedy movie first, but went on to embrace paranormal scares with great special effects… at the time. It’s not the scariest movie about ghosts, but it is the most iconic. You don’t need to sold on this one; Ghostbusters is a true Halloween Classic with hilarious performances by Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.

This year’s reboot, also titled Ghostbusters, is not nearly as good as the original, but still has a lot of great laughs with creative, modern twists on the original film. It may be less scary than the original, throwing it further into comedy territory, but the blockbuster is still a fun watch; an especially useful pick if your friend insists on modern special effects. Besides, Kate McKinnon as Holtzmann and Chris Hemsworth as Kevin are the two funniest performances of the year.

6) The Nightmare Before Christmasthe-nightmare-before-christmas-jack-and-sallyIt’s a Halloween Movie! And a Christmas Movie… but totally a Halloween Movie! My boss says it is just a Christmas Movie, but he is wrong. Dead wrong.

With stunning animation directed by stop-motion genius Henry Selick, music written, conducted, and sung by Danny Elfman, and the touching story of a man skeleton experiencing a mid-death crisis, seeking new purpose in his life. Plus… it’s also for kids! The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beautify Disney movie that looks amazing in HD; as you can see the very materials the sets and characters where physically made of! My favorite animated film.

5 & 4) Scream & Scream 2scream-2-ghostface-at-the-toiletBesides 28 Days Later, the Scream films (ONLY the 1st two!) are the most full blown horror movies on my list. Scream was a game-changer for the genre in the 90’s; a horror movie that was so meta it had a character literally explain the rules of a horror film. With this level of self-awareness, the first two Scream movies were able to subvert said rules, providing plenty of fright misdirects while still delivering on the gory promise of a slasher film. No one is safe! The fact this formula worked two times is a testament to the sequel, which was able to feel fresh and bring “the rules of a sequel” into the mix. Scream‘s not a respectful parody like Shaun of the Dead, but rather a full-on horror flick with A+ scares, blood, and that self-aware twist.

3) Cabin in the WoodsCW-0089_DF-02291Cabin in the Woods came along in 2012 and took Meta to the next level! Co-Written by the great Joss Whedon, Cabin in the Woods also introduces all the rules only to subvert them. There’s an order in which each archetypal character must die (the jock, the loose girl, the stoner, the virgin… etc), but that doesn’t mean it’s followed. Cabin in the Woods take this idea of extreme self-awareness a bit farther, dissecting not just one horror sub-genre, but instead examining the many types of scares that cross cultures. Best of all, the film is half horror cliches and half office workplace comedy. It’s impossible to explain without spoiling the movie, but let’s just say it’s just as interesting watching Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford go about their extremely odd and disturbing job as it is watching Chris Hemsworth and friends try to survive in their cabin in the woods.

2) Fright Night (2011)fright-night-david-tennant-and-anton-yelchinOh, 2011’s remake of Fright Night, you would be on so many people’s Halloween lists if anyone had seen you. You’re forgotten, not bad.

I always thought Fright Night was a horror/comedy, but my friends will tell you it’s just horror. Perhaps the comedy I see comes from the brilliance of David Tennant as Peter Vincent, the “Vampire Hunter,” and Collin Farrell chewing the scenery as Jerry the Vampire. It’s the late, great Anton Yelchin’s best movie, taking a story about Vampires and spinning the location of Las Vegas, a city full of half-empty neighborhoods due to the housing crisis,into a character that adds fun, creative twists. An overlooked horror movie about Vampires, of course the “new” Fright Night on my list!

1) The Frightenersthe-frighteners-grim-reaperThree Halloweens ago, I wrote an entire post about The Frighteners. Not if there’s anything more to say today then I did in 1,000 words three years ago. Peter Jackson’s classic is at the top of my list for a reason. My list is ranked in order from least recommended to most, so if you only have time for one movie this Halloween, give The Frighteners a chance! Like Fright Night, it simply slipped under the radar in 1996. Hey… that makes this the 20th Anniversary of The Frighteners! Now you have no excuse!

I know I’ll be watching it…

New JURASSIC WORLD Clip Dampens Your Excitement


Still without a 2nd Theatrical Trailer, Jurassic World has done most of its marketing in smaller doses through two excellent TV spots; the 1st from the Superbowl and the latter released only weeks ago.Jurassic World TV Spot Chris Pratt Armed

Today we get a clip from the movie, but don’t get too excited. No dinos; Velociraptors, Indominous Rex or otherwise are present. Instead, we get a dialog scene with Bryce Dallas Howard as Dr. Claire Dearing and Chris Pratt as Velociraptor whisperer Owen Grady.

The scene feels a little stale, with too much by-the-book archetypes that caused Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon to label the clip as “70’s era sexist.”  This from the man who has Black Widow saying “I always clean up after you boys” whilst grabbing Capt.’s Shield off the street for him.

I’m never here to get political or what-not, so let’s get to the clip.

See what I mean? It just feels like a scene from any movie trying to establish a rebel of a character and the stuck-up scientist. It’s not the lack of dinosaurs that is disappointing, it’s the quality of the writing and even performance choices that have brought upon my first real doubts about my most anticipated movie of 2015.

Hopefully director Colin Trevorrow and his leads Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard bring their A-game to every other scene in June 12th’s Jurassic World. I know Indominus Rex will…

Get Your First Full Look at AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON’s Vision!


We finally have two great, revealing looks at Vision, the Avenger only teased in the 2nd theatrical trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon’s best kept secret… until now!

 

The new hero appears on the new Entertainment Weekly cover and also now has his very own character poster! The Vision 'Avengers" Age of Ultron'

First, here is EW‘s latest cover with Vision sharing the stage with Black Widow and the Hulk.EW Vision Avengers Age of Ultron Cover

There he is! There is Paul Bettany, former JARVIS, currently Vision!

For those not yet in the know, Ultron, artificial intelligence with real jealousy and daddy issues, creates a robot known as Vision to prove he too can create “life.” Of course, in the MCU version, Ultron creates Vision using Stark’s digital pal JARVIS, giving Paul Bettany the chance to escape the recording studio and join his Avenger pals on the big screen… in insane yet appropriate makeup.

Seriously though, Ultron looks like a robot. Silver and such: the whole deal. Yet he creates a very colorful more human robot? Marvel be crazy! And I love it.

Here’s the official Avengers: Age of Ultron character poster for Vision.Avengers: Age of Ultron Vision Poster

Check out Vision and the other 9 Marvel heroes he shares the official poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1st! We’re nearly there, fellow geeks!

Joss Whedon Introduces Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver From ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ With Screen Grabs!


It seems like the marketing team at Marvel Studios can’t take a week off until ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is released… unless they start the ‘Ant-Man’ train in a similar manner once they have assured themselves ‘Age of Ultron’ is the biggest movie… ever. (Until ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ that is…)

We now have a featurette with writer/director Joss Whedon introducing us to the two Avengers he’s always wanted to use: siblings Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Watch the clip, with plenty of new Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch action now!

I went ahead and did a few original screen grabs of new footage of the dangerous Maximoff twins. Again, you’re welcome.

 

The team arrives, sans Hulk.Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers Arrive

 

 

Scarlet Witch whips up some magic.Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch Magic

 

Quicksilver certainly is fast. Too fast for Captain America, at least!avengers age of ultron before quicksilver Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Running Effect Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver checks an Ultron Drone

 

 

The Siblings plan.Avengers Age of Ultron scarlet witch and quicksilver plan

 

 

Captain America debriefed on Maximoff twins.Avengers Age of Ultron Captain America briefed on Maximoff Twins Avengers Age of Ultron Maximoff Twins on iPad

 

 

Sibling love.Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch Hold Hands

 

 

Quicksilver is even faster!!! Much too fast for Hawkeye also.Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Runs Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Freaky Fast Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Streaks of Speed Avengers Age of Ultron Hawkeye Aims in Forrest Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Hits Hawkeye Avengers Age of Ultron Hawkeye Down Avengers Age of Ultron Quicksilver Gloats to Hawkeye

 

 

Scarlet Witch blasts Iron Man. Hard.Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch Red Eyes Attack Avengers Age of Ultron Iron Man Takes Scarlet Witch Hit

 

 

We need to work together to defeat them.Avengers Age of Ultron Tony Stark Talks to Nick Fury in Barn Avengers Age of Ultron Steve Rogers Together Avengers Age of Ultron Nick Fury Talks to Tony Stark in Barn Avengers Age of Ultron Tony Stark How Do We Beat Them

 

 

Scarlet Witch explosion!Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch Powers

 

Captain America holds tight as he goes for a spin.Avengers Age of Ultron Captain America Holds on to Flipping Car Avengers Age of Ultron Captain America Spinning Car

 

Siblings in action.Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver Use Their PowersAvengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch Magic Casting Avengers Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch Magic Casting Finish

‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ hits cinemas May 1st, here in the US. We may see the entire movie in clips, trailers, & featurettes by then!

My 7 Most Anticipated Films of 2015


I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… 2015 is going to be fucking ridiculous… when it comes to the year’s movie slate.

He told you he'd be back.
He told you he’d be back.

There’s a lot to gush about; new movies in classic franchises like ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ ‘Mad Max: Fury Road, ‘ ‘007: SPECTRE’ and ‘Terminator Genisys.’ Following Marvel’s most successful year, when it came to quality of movies, we have a sequel to 2012’s ‘The Avengers’ as well as the origin story of  a new Avenger in ‘Ant-Man.’ Even 20th Century Fox is shilling a non-X-Men Marvel property in the form of their ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot.

But what looks the best? What are the 7 movies I really can’t wait to see (couldn’t narrow it down to 5…)? Can I put them in order?

Yes I can, other Nick. Yes I can.

7. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENSX-Wings in Force Awakens

While several of the titles I used in my intro don’t make the list at all, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (formally ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’) gets the bottom spot.

Why?

We haven’t seen much footage at all, I work at the movie theater and have seen the trailer a dozen times in 3D and the final scene still makes me nauseous, and it’s so damn far away in comparison to most the titles on my list.

Plus… we’ve all played this ‘Star Wars’ anticipation game before and it backfired, horribly.

Star Wars Crossguard Lightsaber

I’m actually a fan of the new lightsaber! And I know the trailer is supposed to showcase new characters in classic vehicles and uniforms (the stormtrooper armor), which were fun to see, but I want to see Han Solo, dammit!

 

6. ANT-MANAnt-Man rides an ant

Great trailer, but still a hard sell. The trailer jumps back and forth from a darker tone akin to that of ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier’ to the comedy stylings of Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man (but still not ‘Guardians’ funny).

Ant-Man in the showerThe trailer does look awesome; only those flying ant scenes seem questionable, even though it’s an image straight from the comics. I like the mostly serious tone of the trailer, anchored by a pretty great speech by Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

What’s the most unique thing about ‘Ant-Man’ when compared to the other Avengers in the MCU? He’s the only every-man in the group of billionaire science genius, another scientist who turned himself green, an every-man who leaves that life behind when he gets a super-soldier serum, and a God.

Scott Lang hangs his superhero suit in the shower.
Scott Lang hangs his superhero suit in the shower.

Sure, Capt. did start an every-man, but even with the suit and powers of Ant-Man, Scott Lang seems grounded, even leaving his super-suit hanging in the shower.

Oh, and he has a daughter; a first for nearly any superhero franchise. The only exception I can think of is Sandman in ‘Spider-Man 3.’ A similar situation is going on here (and will hopefully go better) with criminal Lang stealing for his family and becoming the hero his daughter thinks he is. Ant-Man is not saving his world, he’s saving ours.

 

5. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5

Tom Cruise's latest crazy stunt.
Tom Cruise’s latest crazy stunt.

We haven’t seen any footage yet, but Tom Cruise’s new stunt is ko-ko-bananas, even in comparison to his scaling the tallest building in the world in the last installment, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.’

3 out of the 4 films in this franchise have been better than good; theeeeeey’re GREAT!

While the first is the best, ‘Ghost Protocol’ was a very strong entry that revitalized the franchise and introduced us to team members Benji (Simon Pegg) and Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Joining them this time is Luthor (Ving Rhames) who has been on Ethan Hunt’s (Tom Cruise) task force every film except ‘Ghost Protocol.’

Same Team, minus Paula Patton's Jane and plus a Luthor.
Same Team, minus Paula Patton’s Jane and plus a Luthor.

Only reservation is the director: Christopher McQuarrie. Though he wrote ‘Usual Suspects’ and last year’s ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ he also directed ‘Jack Reacher’ which was a terrible Tom Cruise thriller.

 

4. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

Mad Max: Fury RoadTom Hardy is Mad Max! The trailer is glorious! There’s more stunt-work than you can shake a stick at, something very rare in Hollywood. Boom!

Sure, there’s plenty of CGI as well, but most that exploding carnage is done the old fashioned way with stuntmen and actual pyrotechnics!

 

3. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

You would think this would be at the top of my list (I thought so! Especially after the first trailer…), but my excitement has waned and worry has found a foothold in my brain.James Spader voices Ultron in 'Age of Ultron'

Let’s be honest here, ‘The Avengers’ is in my top 3 MCU movies (with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and ‘Winter Soldier’) mainly because it was literally a game-changer. It was the first cross-pollination of superheroes, part of a shared universe, coming together after each carried their own franchises. Everyone else is still trying to pull this off, including DC Entertainment. The plot wasn’t that great, action scenes were few and far between, but the movie will always be remembered for bringing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together.Captain America Vs. Ultron Drone

‘Age of Ultron’ will need to step up its game to reach the quality of movies Marvel Studios put out in 2014. Likewise, it better be bigger and better, which it appears to be, but I hope that a great storyteller like Joss Whedon can avoid the movie from becoming a jumbled mess; cause there is A LOT going on between the two official trailers.Iron Man in 'Age of Ultron'

I also hope it’s good enough to avoid the fate of ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ (which I personally love) where most people were disappointed by the film, mainly because it had to follow the incredibly beloved ‘Dark Knight.’

In James Spader I trust.

 

2. 007: SPECTRE

007: SPECTRE PosterThis may be blasphemy, but ‘Skyfall’ is my favorite Bond movie… ever. It was so fucking good, bringing in the best 007 baddie of all time (Javier Bardem), and shaking up the 007 universe a bit.

The writers and director, Sam Mendes, from ‘Skyfall’ return and the title promises the revival of the terrorist organization SPECTRE (formally ‘Quantum’ in the D. Craig movies), as classic to the franchise as Vesper Martinis, shaken, not stirred.

Andrew Scott from 'Sherlock' would make a great Blofeld...
Andrew Scott from ‘Sherlock’ would make a great Blofeld…

Better yet? The villain cast is unbelievable with Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) as a henchman, the incomparable Christoph Waltz (whose villainy can only be matched by Javier Bardem), and my personal favorite, Andrew Scott whose portrayal of  Moriarty on BBC’s ‘Sherlock’ is perhaps the greatest TV villain of all time.

 

1. JURASSIC WORLDChris Pratt Hunts A Hybrid in 'Jurassic World'

It’s just too damn nostalgic. While I’ve watched the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ trailer a million times and have had enough, I can still watch the ‘Jurassic World’ trailer anywhere, anytime.

Jurassic World AttractionsWe’re back on Isla Nublar! The movie is sticking close to the original and ignoring the sequels! Chris Pratt gets to hunt a new hybrid-dinosaur! There are child siblings in peril! Velociraptors!

And those notes from John Williams’ classic score… magic. Lightning in a bottle, at least as far as we can tell from the trailer!

The Park is Open, Mother Fuckers!

Goddamn is that trailer spin-tingly-great.

Enjoy 2015! I’ll be see you… at the movies.

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. “0-8-4” – Coulson’s Team Assembles!


The second episode of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is a real Marvel!

While S.H.I.E.L.D.’s pilot left the question, whether or not the show would be original or an NCIS -type-procedural with a coat of Stan Lee paint, the 2nd episode proves this show is the real deal; a deal even Samuel L. Jackson can’t refuse.

This episode, Marvel movie fans get the treat of transitioning from A.I.M.’s  Extremis in episode 1, a Hydra’s Tesseract weapon of mass destruction.

Responding to a ‘0-8-4,’ Agent Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) elite unit of S.H.I.E.L.D operatives and Skye (Chloe Bennet), the former(?) member of ‘The Rising Tide,’ (and acting consultant, just like one Tony Stark), end up in Peru.  What is a 0-8-4, you may ask? (As Skye did…).

Well, let’s just say the last 0-8-4 Agent Phil Coulson responded to was an unmovable hammer in New Mexico…

The 0-8-4 is.... an old Hydra weapon!
The 0-8-4 is…. an old Hydra weapon!

Continue reading “AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. “0-8-4” – Coulson’s Team Assembles!”

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot – Coulson, Spies, & Extremis… Oh My!


The “Marvel Movie Universe” has finally come to a television near you (or Hulu) for the 2nd chapter in “The Avengers Initiate Phase Two.”

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. continues every geek’s wet-dream by weaving the same universe, not just across multiple big-screen superhero franchises, but now in a weekly TV format, shedding more light on S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Coulson, the essential, behind the scenes backbone of the Avengers. Though the show still lost in the ratings to what continues to be TV’s most popular show, NCIS, it was the third best premiere of a drama… ever… with 12.1 million viewers.

The gang's all here!
The gang’s all here!

Continue reading “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Pilot – Coulson, Spies, & Extremis… Oh My!”