Category: Movie Review

Thanksgiving Grindhouse trailer

thanksgiving day tralier

Happy Turkey Day one and all! So this is a weird ass thing, even for Saviorgaming, but I’m going to talk about a trailer for a movie that even real, but hot damn brought me so much enjoyment.

Some explanation is due first. So we had two amazing directors, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, come together in 2007 to bring us a double feature showing off there love for the old Grindhouse films. I had the privilege of seeing the whole thing in theaters and it was GLORIOUS! Well between films, we were treated to mock trailers directed by actual directors inspired by the sub-genre like Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, and in this particular case, Eli Roth (Cabin Fever and Hostel 1 and 2). Some like Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun did become actual movies in time.

So Thanksgiving is meant to be a slasher film in the spirit of Halloween or Black Christmas, and holy shit I wish this was a really movie. The film is grainy and raw like an old school 70’s horror movie. There is a creepy ass narrator. And I shit you not, the killer dresses up in a pilgrim suit and beheads  a turkey mascot with hedge clippers during the damn town parade. the final tag line is “This Thanksgiving everyone’s coming to dinner…in a bodybag!” I love this trailer as much as I love the Grindhouse. The trailer made me laugh and was just gross and insane and awesome, so I implore all you horror fans to check it out on Youtube if you never seen it. Best wishes, and I will return later to cover Mockingjay.

The Patriot (2000)

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The Patriot is a movie about a family during the Revolutionary war. No stranger to war the father and head of the family Benjamin Martin really wants nothing to do with the war. Like many soldiers he has seen what it brings, the death and suffering and the many other hardships. This however causes some strife with his sons and many of the locals as his history is known and many view the British unfavorably.

During a very powerful scene this is actually shown as Ben votes against war with the British and then refuses to serve, as you will learn so do many of the people that favor the war itself.

So let us move on shall we? As we all know if he isn’t forced into this fight we don’t have a movie, and these bloody redcoats want his farm. Turns out Ben may set the standard for not to be messed with, but in case you haven’t seen the movie I will let you see for yourself. What follows is a tale of love and loss, strategy and betrayal and so much more.

This is however a period piece, and for people with no interest in history or just a general disinterest in that period much of the joy in this movie will be lost on you. This is a classic example of some will love this movie and others will quickly lose interest. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Due Date (2010)

Oh Due Date. This movie should in theory not be good. Its the odd couple on a road trip. And yet here we are. A great comedy that never fails to entertain. Honesty I think if this were any two other actors it would not have worked.

Essentially two men, one a complete idiot with no life experience that wants to be an actor and is obsessed with the show 2 and a half men and a business man obsessed with finding the perfect name for his soon to be born kid get kicked off an air plane and due to circumstances beyond their control are forced to carpool together back to the city of angels.

What follows is a story of masturbating dogs, car accidents, a prison break from border patrol and a plethora of other messed up situations that lead to comedy gold. There are plenty of twist and turns along the way and after 7 years I still hope to see these two in another movie together. They just seemed to go together. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Catching Fire

catching fire

Catching Fire is the second story of the Hunger Games trilogy, for which I’m covering Mockingjay on Thanksgiving. So to get us in the mood, let’s get into the book and movie.

Picking up almost a year after Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the 74th Hunger Games, the pair is about to set off on there victory tour, still pretending for the cameras they are madly in love. Unfortunately, President Snow is not convinced. He shows up to Katniss’s house, telling her that there stunt at the end of the games triggered problems in the other Districts, unrest was beginning and the people were rebelling. If she wants to bring peace, he tells her they’d better act more in love so the public would think they were just lovesick teens and weren’t trying to spit in the Capitol’s face. As hard as they try though, the other Districts are already riled up. The fire is catching. As the 75th Hunger Games approaches, the third quarter quarrel, snow delivers the special rule of this special game: the tributes would be limited to the past champions of games past. Being the only female winner from District 12, Katniss is selected by default. This time it’s Katniss and Peeta against the old champions, being forced into uneasy alliances to survive a game Snow will make damn sure they can’t win…

Both book and movie are really good sequel; the movie was a major improvement over the first. The book is a bit slow at first but racks up tension really well, leading to a epic oh shit ending. My favorite part of the book are the backstories of the other tributes. As for the movie, the acting and action improved a lot as well as the special effects. This time they add some humor to it but it surprisingly works well and well placed. In the end I think the book and movie are definitely worth checking out. Best wishes and may the odds be ever in your favor

Happy Gilmore (1996)

Adam Sandler day continues..Well i do two a day so I guess ends with Happy Gilmore. First off I just realised both Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore are over 20 years old. I also saw both of these movies when they first came out..I saw them on VHS…Yea that one hurts.

Anyway Happy Gilmore is the story of, you guessed it, Happy Gilmore. Wannabe hockey player that loves his grand mother. When she loses her home he weirdly discovers an undiscovered talent for whacking gold balls. And knocking people off roofs.

One day while hustling people for money at the local driving range he is convinced there is some big money to be made in professional golf, and he does want to get his grandmothers house back

Happy Gilmore is actually quite a bit better than Billy Madison. Plus it had a fight with Bob Barker and that was amazing.

Turns out while hockey players are great at smacking the ball great distances they don’t do well at putting. They also don’t do well at playing quietly games that don’t involve beating people up and throwing things.

His feud with “Shooter” McGavin may be one of my favorites in movie history, and if you somehow are an Adam Sandler fan and haven’t seen this one, you need to. Beat wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory

Rampage trailer

rampage movie

I’ve been hit by some pretty strange WTF movies in my day. Dragonball: Evolution, Alien and Halloween: Resurrection, Jason X, Slither, and Repo: the Genetic Opera to name a few. So why the hell am I surprised a video game I played and loved as a kid is getting a movie staring none other the Rock, Dwanye Johnson. Hell, I was actually pissed about it but for you guys I watched the trailer and I’m glad I did. George, Ralph, and Lizzie look pretty damn sweet and the Rock seems solid enough. I recommend checking it out if you ever played the games, giant monsters and a fun actor, it looks to be a good time so far.

Billy Madison (1995)

Today is Adam Sandler day people. Well for me. I don’t know what the hell Torsten is doing if anything. He may be vanishing again for a bit.

Anyway this is the story of rich kid Billy Madison, who is as dumb as a box of rocks, a word he coincidentally can not spell since silent letters don’t even get added to the word as far as he is concerned. He did graduate high school tho since he dad paid his teachers to pass him.

One day while drunk with his friends and chasing an invisible penguin around on dirty magazine day he discovers his dad is retiring from running his business and his douchbag friend is taking over. Unless he can spend 2 weeks in each grade and pass.

This movie came out back when Sandler playing the same character was still amusing to every one it seemed tho admittedly I still enjoy his movies. The antics that follow suit range from childishly making fun of a kid stuttering while trying to read to strip study sessions and even throwing water on his pants in a heart touching moment when a kid pees his pants to save the child from being eternally mocked and made fun of.

Admittedly the movie is not very good. Its simply fun for people that enjoy that style of comedy. The story is simplistic as is the dialogue and at no point is it deep or thought provoking. It simply exist. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Dark Tower

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I finally got to sit down not long ago and watch it finally. I was cautious Sony was going to crap on it. I was mostly right…

Separate from the books, the movie is a new tale. Walter, a inter-dimensional wizard is kidnapping people from our world with the gift of the “Shine” to power a device to destroy the Dark Tower at the center of the universe and is basically existence itself. He is being ruthlessly hunted by Roland, the last Gunslinger, who is out for revenge for the deaths of his father and friends. Walter’s experiments are effective but not to the magnitude he desires, until his Taheen forces (creepy ass animal people that wear human skin) track down a kid named Jake Chambers that has a huge “Shine”. Jake, having visions of crazy shit like a Gunslinger and a Man in Black and a long Dark Tower, tries to find it before Walter can shatter the last beam…

As a writer, I get how adapting this would be like trying to play Dark Souls with your dong. There is a epic ass load of exposition which makes the movie feel longer than it really is, and kind of slow. I think the actors did the best with what they were give; I believe Matthew Mcconaughey would have been spot on if given a R rated script. Seriously, who’s bright idea was it to make this movie PG-13? As for action, there isn’t much but I can definitely say the finale is pretty badass. A huge peeve I had was you can tell this was the first movie of a cinematic universe, but a lot of the Easter eggs were pretty cool all the same. Overall, my feelings on the movie are kinda meh. Wasn’t great, wasn’t shit. I’d say it’s worth a Red Box trip or stream but I can’t really recommend owning it at full price, maybe Wal-mart crap bin price at max. Long days and pleasant nights.

Robocop

robocop

Remember when action movies weren’t for kids and full of bad language, blood, drugs, and boobs? Well, Robocop helped me remember.

In a near future Detroit full of crime and corruption, new guy on the force Alex Murphy is gunned down by a gang of drug lords led by Clarence Bodiker. Ok, gunned down is an understatement, he gets ripped to shreds by gunfire to the brink of absurdity. Somehow his brain isn’t dead and he is enlisted into a new robotics program that turns him Robocop, a gun totting, one lining badass looking for justice while fighting his programming, and searching for his humanity while taking down the evil corporation that built him..

I love this crazy ass movie. All the over the top gore, one liners, random boobs and drugs in this is just great 80’s action movie greatness. I thought the action scenes were sweet and the effects hold up fairly well; ED-209 has moments where he looks pretty off but for the time I can excuse it. Kurtwood Smith as Bodiker is great, one of those actors that’s just great wherever he is. Definitely watch it, if you love 80’s action movies or you’re sick of modern shit, this will make you feel like a kid again. I’ll buy that for a dollar.

Coffee Town

I randomly came across coffee down with my girlfriend about 2 two weeks ago and for probably the first time very legit said this looks stupid and refused to watch it with me. Then I kept forgetting to watch it when I had time. Finally I had time to do so and honestly I wish I did it sooner.

The movie was surprisingly good and even deep. The story is about a guy that works from home and uses the local coffee show names Coffee Town as his office. His friends come to visit him at his “office” ,one works across the street and the other is quite possibly the worst cop to ever exist.

When the shop is being considered for renovation into a bistro that would also serve alcohol the friends try to stop this by staging a fake robbery to save their hang out. What follows is an amusing story of love and loss that also covers some controversial and even philosophical subject matter.

I won’t spoil it for you but the movie is worth checking out, best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.