Saturday, September 4, 2010

Brian Sammons Hi-Def Horror Hoedown!






DEXTER: THE FOURTH SEASON (2009)– DVD and Blu-ray review

Cast: Michael C. Hall, Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, John Lithgow

DEXTER, come on, if you haven’t seen this amazing show by now then shame, shame, shame and a healthy dose of “where the hell have you been?” tossed on top for good measure. But just in case you’re waking up from a four-year-long coma today, here’s the nickel tour. Dexter is a serial killer, but one who stalks and kills other murderers. In addition to that twist, he works for the Miami Police Department as a blood splatter analyst and in between killing and forensics he has to balance friends, family, and a new baby. All the seasons of DEXTER have had great stories and excellent acting, but this season took the series to a whole new level, and that’s not just the usual hyper critic hyperbole.

Season four begins with newlywed Dex trying his best to play the caring family man, not an easy task for a sociopath with almost zero human feelings and interpersonal skills, when all too soon he’s plunged into the warped world of the Trinity Killer. This new psychotic adversary is the most successful serial killer of all time and is played to creepy, truly frightening perfection by John Lithgow. The usual cat and mouse game is ratcheted up further when Dexter finds his quarry, but instead of ending things right away, tries to befriend Trinity to learn his secrets on how he’s been so successful for so long. So begins a taught deadly dance that lasts for 12 episodes and culminates with one of the best season endings in TV history.

However as great as this show, and specifically this season is, the DVD and BD package that houses it is sorely lacking. I mean everything looks and sounds great, and that’s the most important thing, but there are no special features to be found here that’s worth mentioning. Sure there are a few brief interviews with the cast, and then there are some…oh wait, that’s it. That’s all the extra goodies on DEXTER you will find on these discs but hey, there are a few episodes of SHOWTIMES’ other less popular shows on here. Yay for them pimping their other TV shows and trying to pass the hour long commercials off as “bonus features”.

DEXTER IS so amazingly good, but these DVDs and BDs are so Plain Jane bad, so can I recommend them? Yeah, I kind of have to as the show is just too awesome to miss and these bare bones discs are the only game in town. I’m guessing SHOWTIME knows this too and therefore they don’t see the need to jazz up their flagship show, but hey, a little something extra for the fans would be a nice treat. Oh well, maybe next time. Regardless of these no thrills discs, this set is a must have for DEXTER fans. As for those looking to jump into the show, this would be a great place to start.







SUPERNATURAL SEASON 5 (2010) – Blu-ray review

Created by: Eric Kripke
Staring: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles

It was about a year ago that I put my preconceived notions about this TV show aside, watched it, and to my great surprise I really liked it. That was Season Four when things were ramping up to a apocalyptic showdown between the very forces of heaven and hell. Well here’s Season Five and the war to end all wars is here and the Winchester brothers and not only right in the middle of it, but they are the cause of it and the only solution for it. While that sounds not only like a daunting task but one that could overshadow all the things that make this show good, mainly the humor and the interplay between the brothers Sam and Dean. So, does it?

For the most part all the episodes this season concern themselves with the war between the not so fluffy nor friendly angels and big daddy Lucifer his-own-bad-self. While that is fine for story continuity and feels appropriate for covering something as grand as the apocalypse, it does mean that the standalone episodes, each focusing on a new horror, monster, or legend have kind of been pushed aside. That’s a shame as some of those were some of the best episodes of the show I’ve seen. To be sure, there are some of them in Season Five too, there’s a good episode where the brothers run into famous ghosts such as Abe Lincoln and Gandhi who despite their historical personas are killing people. Another memorable one had Sam and Dean stuck in TV land like the movie; STAY TUNED. Sure, not too original but still a fun watch. However even in these episodes the over arcing plot remains and while it was a fine story, worthy of two seasons being devoted to it, I was glad to see it end here at last, mostly because I’m eager to see where the show goes next. I mean, after surviving Armageddon, what do you do to top that?

Now if you couldn’t tell, I’m purposely being vague about the story there’s a reason for that, it’s very good and I don’t want to ruin it for you. I will give you some highlights like the brothers are destined to fight each other on opposite sides of the heaven/hell war. Lucifer is tooling around in a hijacked body but he doesn’t seem all that bad and the brothers still have their cranky angel ally but all other members of the Heavenly Host seem like either Grade-A jackasses or murderous psychopaths. Oh, and did I mention that the Four Horsemen are on the ride?

The Blu-ray by Warner Brothers has the expectant great picture and sound, but what about the special features? Well there’s only one audio commentary track for one episode, so that’s kind of lame. There are the usual deleted scenes and a gag reel that’s amusing to watch…once. However what’s a really need addition to the show is the weird flash game where you can explore Bobby’s house (Bobby being the Winchester’s surrogate father figure and fellow monster hunter) looking for books and videos to help explain and explore SUPERNATURAL’s take on the apocalypse. Equally cool are ten mini episodes of “The Ghostfacers”, a group of ghost hunters, who so desperately want to be like all the other insipid ghost hunting TV shows, only sillier. Well, only slightly sillier than those “real” ghost chasing shows. It’s these kinds of extras that really showcase the series’ fun side and make getting this Blu-ray a no brainer for fans of the show.

If you are a…does SUPERNATURAL have a cutesy name for their fans yet? If not, they should. Anyway, if you are a fan of the show then this new BD set is a must. Five seasons in and the show is still firing on all cylinders, which is a rarity that should be enjoyed and applauded. If you’re not a fan, then honestly this may not be best season to jump aboard as the ongoing mythology is thick and deep this time out. However once you do become a fan then by all means pick up this set of BDs. After all, things just don’t get bigger or better than the end of the world.







FROZEN (2010)– Blu-ray review

Director: Adam Green
Stars: Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell

When I saw previews for this movie my first thought was that it looked like the treading water for sixty minuets flick, OPEN WATER. You know, a “real life” horror story that’s supposed to be all the more chilling because it could happen to you. That’s all fine and good, but WATER let me all wet (ha) and this movie looked to be more of the same, except on a ski slope instead of the ocean. But then I saw who directed it, Adam Green of Hatchet fame, and since I really dug that film, and I liked the idea of him trying his had at something new instead of playing it safe with another slasher flick, so I thought, “what the hell, lets give it a watch”.

The story is deceptively simple; three friends get stuck on a ski lift in the middle of winter at the start of a weeklong shutdown of the ski resort. From there he question of “what would you do” will hit you again and again as things go from worse to worse like when the winter storms move in and the wolves begin to gather below. Really, that’s all there is to it, so this movie will be made or lost on the strength of the actors and the director’s skill. Luckily, FROZEN has plenty of great examples of both. The three young actors come off as believable and more importantly, likeable. When they make jokes, you laugh, when they are scared, you feel it. With such a striped down cast as this, believable acting is all important and this movie delivers. The other side of the equation is Adam Green and his directing abilities. Once again FROZEN doesn’t disappoint. The movie looks great, the tension builds nicely, and even when some things happen that seem a tad unrealistic, like the most persistent and patient wolf pack ever, you can overlook it because the story flows so smoothly.

To complement this very fine movie is a very fine Blu-ray from Anchor Bay. The picture looks great, which is good since there is a lot of pretty scenery to be seen as the trio of friends face cold, certain death. There’s an audio commentary by the director and the three stars and a second commentary track with the people responsible for making this movie look so good, namely the director again but with the cinematographer and editor this time. There are also a trio of entertaining featurettes about the before, during, and after processes of making this movie. Deleted scenes and trailers are the icing on this frosty cake of FROZEN extras.

For a nice slice of real world horror that won’t put you to sleep like other movies about such things, not to mention keep you on the edge of your seat and chilled to the bone (sorry, couldn’t help myself), I can’t recommend FROZEN highly enough.







THE EVIL DEAD (1981) – Blu-ray review

Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Delrich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York

Has there ever been a movie release more often to DVD than this movie? Ok, maybe the other two films in the series could give this one a run for its money as the most re-re-re-re-released movie of all time. I myself own three copies of this seminal and insanely influential fright flick. I got the one that came in the big collector’s tin, and naturally the ubercool Book of the Dead edition, and now I have this on the new Blu-ray format. The funny (or perhaps sad) thing is that I’ll keep all three versions of this movie for various reasons that will only make sense to fellow horrorheads out there, but if you not a big horror nerd like I am, you just might be wondering is getting this movie on Blu-ray is worth it when chances are you already own it on DVD, perhaps two or three times over. Well let me explain what’s new and I’ll let you decide.

But first, do I really need to explain the plot of EVIL DEAD. I mean, come on, it is one of the must see films of the horror genre. If you haven’t see it yet, you really have no business being here reading this. Seriously, you just don’t know horror if you’ve never seen this movie, so do yourself a favor and watch it already.

So ok, what makes this Blu-ray of this movie worth getting? First off, it looks great. Yes, there’s still some film grain, but honestly I kind of like that. What’s really good is how sharp things look. While watching this movie for the 1000th time I noticed details in the background that I had never seen before. Also, it’s nice to see that the square mat box around the moon used in the outdoor shots has been removed or covered up. Furthermore, there are two ways to watch this film. You can see it in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio or the new enhanced 1.85:1. As for sounds, it’s got the usual bells and whistles, but it also has an all new audio commentary track with director Sam Raimi, actor Bruce Campbell, and producer Robert Tapert. While this commentary is perfectly fine, and offers a candid snapshot of the business side of how this movie came out, it was simply not as fun, or as funny, as previous commentaries by these same people. I do wish Anchor Bay, the folks behind this disc, also included those audio tracks on this BD.

Since we’re talking about commentaries, I might as well list off all the other extras that can be found here. How many, you may ask? Well a whole DVD’s worth. That’s right, this Blu-ray comes with a whole extra DVD packed with goodies. And when I say packed, I mean it. So many that I’m not going to go into them all, but I will give you the Cliff Notes version. There are nine new featurettes with topics ranging from the usual making of retrospective, conventions, drive-ins, deleted scenes, the EVIL DEAD reunion, the ladies of the film, special effects make up, and one that a big old nerd like me thought was really cool; a quickie about the other pages in the Necronomicon that weren’t shown in the movie. There are also the obligatory trailers, TV spots, and photo galleries. The only thing missing from this edition is the infamous short “Within the Woods” that we always get promised, but never actually get. For those who don’t know, that was the short proto-version of THE EVIL DEAD that Raimi and Co did to show investors that they could actually make a movie. Maybe someday we’ll get that Holy Grail of horror, but not today.

If you can’t tell by now, I love this movie, and I’m very happy with this Blu-ray release. If you are a fan of THE EVIL DEAD then this is a must get for you. If you’ve never seen this complete and utter horror classic then you are way past due, and this BD is a great way to do it.







ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)– DVD & Blu-ray review

Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine

I do not like writing reviews like this, but then I do not like getting my hopes up for a brand new edition of one of my favorite films of all time, only to have those hopes dashed when I finally get the new Blu-ray version of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and see it’s is the very definition of a lack luster, bare bones, and most basic version of this excellent cult favorite flick that MGM and Fox could have been bothered to release. In case I’m being too subtle, I DO NOT LIKE THIS BLU-RAY! Not one little bit. There are a couple reasons for that so let me run them down for you.

First, the picture looks like it has only been enhanced the tiniest bit, if at all, from the previous DVD release. When old movies like the MAN WITH NO NAME series, not to mention such heavy weights like the GODFATHER films, both of which were filmed long before NEW YORK, come out on BD looking vastly superior then when they did on DVD yet this one looks about the same that is puzzling. What is completely inexcusable is when the new Blu-ray comes out and it has zip, zero, and zilch for any special features. Now if this was some forgotten little film that no one knew or cared about and there have never been any special features for it in the past, that would be one thing, but that is not the case here. Years ago MGM put out a special edition 2-disc DVD that was packed with extras, so what the hell happened? Did they lose all that extra content somewhere? Because they sure as hell aren’t on this disc. This pathetic BD doesn’t even have trailers. That’s right, not even a trailer! Even the most backward, basic, el cheapo DVD of some never heard of 70s grindhouse flick will have a trailer for it. Well not this movie. Hell, even the Blu-ray’s main menu looks incredibly cheap.

The only thing I can think is that MGM, who’s in one hell of a hole financially, wanted to make a few bucks by releasing the cheapest BD they could in an attempt to milk the fans of this movie that, chances are, already own this film on DVD. Well I’m sorry for MGM’s money woes, I truly am, but that is a very slimy thing to do.

If you’ve never seen this amazing John Carpenter action epic about the ultimate one-eyed badass named Snake, going into New York, which if the far flung future of 1997 has been turned into a city-sized prison, in order to save the President of the United States, then you’re missing out on an ultra-mega-great film. However this limp little Blu-ray is NOT the way you want to see this movie. Do yourself a huge favor and get the previous, and now relatively cheap, DVD special edition. Not only does it basically look and sound the same as this “high def” version, but it comes with tons of extras and goodies. If you already own this movie on DVD, or hell, VHS for that matter, then there is no reason to upgrade to this travesty. Well, one maybe, this version contains both the bare bones Blu-ray and the bare bones DVD in one package. I’ve got to give the makers of this incredibly missed opportunity credit for that one little thing, but nothing more. Here’s hoping that someone gets it right the next time they try to bring ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK to the new format.

Consider this Blu-ray vehemently and violent NOT recommended.









HATCHET (2006) – Blu-ray review

Director: Adam Green
Cast: Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, Mercedes McNab, Kane Hodder

Very few movies in recent history are as divisive as this one. Some people love it, others hate it. Me, I fall mostly into the first camp. Now that might shock some horror fans out there as I am keenly aware how cool and hip it is to rag on this little flick, and while part of me understands the reasons for that, the larger part of me just doesn’t get it. First, let's hit the reasons while some may hate this film.

I think the main reason this movie gets so dumped on is because it was built up like few movies before it. HATCHET was “coming soon” for a long, long, long time and all you heard for years was just how cool and badass it was going to be. Nothing on earth could have live up to that much hype. Worse yet, there were some in the horror community that got early access to the movie and then lauded it all to hell and gone, again raising expectations to dizzying heights. Then there were the critic quote whores who really didn’t help matters. Calling this movie, “The holy grail of slasher films” might get you on the DVD case, but despite being chock full of hyperbole, you’re practically issuing a challenge to horrorheads, daring them to hate this movie. So with all that going against it, I can understand why some walked away from HATCHET saying, “you know what, that movie wasn’t all that,” which in time turned into “that movie sucked” once their opinions started bouncing around in the echo chamber that is the internet.

And yet, is this movie really all that bad?

Hell no. It’s got tons of practical gore. That is, real honest to goodness fake blood and latex guts instead of the cheaper, and very much cheaper looking, CGI gore effects that far too many horror movies utilize. That alone gets this movie huge points from me. But hey, that’s not all. What’s a slasher flick without nudie shots aplenty? In this case, as an extra bonus for BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER fans like me, we are treated to repeated shots of Mercedes McNab’s lovely lady lumps. Want more? Well then how about the best maniac to ever put one Jason’s hockey mask, Kane Hodder, as the hulking, deformed killer, Victor Crowley. Still not enough? Ok there are cameos by Robert Englund and Tony Todd, lots of smartass, snarky humor that actually works, a memorable movie maniac, and a classic slasher back-story of a mean spirited prank gone horribly wrong that gives birth to an undying psycho looking for vengeance. Oh and did I mention the truly awe inspiring gore gags? Well they bear repeating. Guys get hacked in half in full view of the camera, a woman gets her head ripped off at the jaw line, and heads get twisted 360 degrees until they erupt into blood geysers, belt sanders on faces, and so much more. A line in SCREAM 2 sums it up best; “Carnage candy.”

Just in time for the sequel, Anchor Bay has put out one fine Blu-ray for this movie. The picture looks markedly better than the DVD edition and all the features from that previous version have been transferred to the BD. They include a highly entertaining audio commentary with the writer/director Adam Green, the cinematographer, and most of the cast. There’s a making of featurette, another all about killer Victor, two on different aspects of the gore effects, one about how Adam Green and glam metal legend Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER fame met and became friends, a gag reel, and trailers. Plus, new to this Blu-ray, is a commentary with Adam Green and fan favorite Kane Hodder.

I highly enjoy this movie. It’s bloody, sexy, and funny entertainment, and I really don’t know how a fan of slasher flicks could not like it. If you’ve never seen this movie, then do so now, and this BD is the best way to do that. If you’ve seen HATCHET already and loved it, then getting this disc is a no-brainer. If you saw it and hated it, then you honestly need to give it another shot, even if it’s not the cool thing to do.

Consider this one recommended.






AFTER.LIFE (2009) – Blu-ray review

Director: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo
Stars: Christina Ricci, Justin Long, Liam Neeson

This is a movie that pretty much slid under a lot of people’s radars despite having three somewhat marketable and recognizable actors in it. I honestly don’t know if this film ever went to the theaters or if it was a direct to DVD production. Usually when that happens it’s not a good thing, but is that the case here? Well don’t be afraid, we’ll explore this AFTER.LIFE together.

The story begins with a very board, listless young lady named Anna (Ricci) who’s thoroughly boarded with her teaching job, her fiancé, her sex life, and just life in general. Lucky for her then, she gets into an auto accident and winds up on the slab. But not only is this not just any slab, as it belongs to a calm, comforting, but nonetheless creepy mortician played by Liam Neeson, but she’s also not quite dead. Or is she? The mystery and thriller part of this movie concerns Anna coming to grips with her own death as the mortician tries to ease her into her afterlife. How can he do that? Because he’s special and he tells her that only he can see and talk to dead people. Naturally Ann goes through all the stages of grief, albeit she’s grieving over her own death, but could there be more to the story than that? Well, more to it than an “I see dead people” ghost story? Perhaps, but you’ll just have to see AFTER.LIFE for yourself to find out.

Anchor Bay adds a few special features to this great looking Blu-ray, but not many and nothing we haven’t seen before. There’s an audio commentary with the director and co-writer, Agnieszka, a making of featurette, and a theatrical trailer. So if you’re extra features junkie this disc might leave you a little cold, however did I mention the lots and lost of Christina Ricci nudity that’s in this film? That in its own right is a very special feature in my book.

AFTER.LIFE isn’t a great film, and not one I can see myself watching over and over again, but it was a good watch and I enjoyed it. The story had some decent twists, although the major one I saw coming quite a bit before it was revealed. However all three of the main actors deliver fine performances, especially Liam Neeson as the creepy mortician. There was only one thing about this movie that didn’t really work for me and that was a subplot with a sullen little kid that becomes a bit too emo/goth too quickly, easily, and unbelievably for my taste. Regardless of that, if you’re looking for an atmospheric thriller with possible supernatural overtones and a good dose of originality then AFTER.LIFE is the flick for you.






INFERNO (1980) – Blu-ray review – Arrow Video

Director: Dario Argento
Cast: Leigh McCloskey, Irene Miracle, Eleonora Giorgi

This isn’t my favorite Argento film. In fact, it’s not even my favorite “Three Mothers” film by Argento. But just like something else that’s wonderful and Italian, namely pizza, there is really no such thing as awful Argento because even when he’s not great he’s still pretty damn good. Such is the case here. But wait, could it be that you don’t know what Argento’s Three Mothers trilogy is? Well let’s get to that.

Back in 1977 Dario gave the world a true macabre, nightmarish masterpiece with his film, SUSPIRA. It was giallo, black-glove fun mixed with images right out of a techno colored fever dream, with black magic aplenty and one hell of an evil witch called The Mother of Sorrow. What we all soon learned after watching that movie, other than Argento was a true maestro of horror, was that this was only the beginning of the haunting trilogy of three mothers of evil.

In 1980 Argento returned to give his evil mothers some love with this movie. This time the story was set in New York and revolved around the youngest, but most wicked mother/sister/witch/whatever; the Mother of Darkness. However beyond that I can’t say much. I do so not only in an attempt to avoid spoilers, but also because the story was an odd combination of confusing and boring. I say boring because the story movies at a leisurely pace at best while the confusion mostly in the motivation of the various characters. People come to the large apartment building the evil mother is hiding in, either by accident or actively looking for the witch, and then one by one they get bumped off in creative, sometimes hilarious ways. My favorite is a woman who gets pelted with lots of real, live, angry cats, like a scene out of Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS, except with felines. Here’s hoping they were at least declawed.

Yet as weird and slow moving as the story is, Argento’s style is in top form. The man’s use of colors, lighting, and other visual candy is simply beautiful and has to be seen to believe. In this day of directors all aping the hyper kinetic thirty-cuts-a-minute MTV music video style of movie making, it’s nice to see a movie where the director has actual talent and tons of skill. The old phrase of “they just don’t make them like that any more” has never been clearer. That alone makes this movie mandatory viewing.

Luckily for new fright fans and old terror film lovers alike, the good people at Arrow Video in the UK have put out a truly amazing looking Blu-ray edition of this movie that really showcases Argento’s style. In addition to looking great, they add a bunch of neat-o extras to the disc. There’s a 20 minuet interview with actress and screenwriter Daria Nicolodi who co-wrote SUSPIRIA and acted in INFERNO. There’s the basic 15 minute making of featurette, a 30 minute question and answer session about the movie, and the oddest, and most interesting bit; a 15 minute documentary on a movie called THE BLACK CAT that was made in 1989 and was an “unofficial” end to the Three Mothers trilogy by another director, Luigi Cozzi. I had never heard of this film so it was nice to learn about it.

Like all Arrow Video BDs and DVDs I’ve ever seen, this one is great. Its top of the line quality with plenty of extras tossed in. There is simply nothing better out there. If you are an Argento fan then this is the Blu-ray of INFERNO to get.





STAR CRASH (1978)– Blu-ray review

Director: Lewis Coates
Stars: Marjoe Gortner, Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff

Ever since Shout! Factory has started to release gems of per 80s cheese-tastic awesomeness in the form of BDs and DVDs under the Roger Corman’s Cult Classics line, I’ve been in geek heaven. HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP, PIRANHA, GALAXY OF TERROR, and the entire SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE series, to name but a few, have all found warm and welcoming spots in my movie library. But as they say, nothing lasts forever. Such was my disappointment with this insipid, soggy, sci-fi snooze fest. With a very heavy heart, let me tell you about STAR CRASH.

First and foremost, the whole thing looks ridiculously cheap, and considering I have yet to say that about any of the other Corman Classics I’ve reviewed, that’s really saying something. The costumes actually made me giggle every time someone strutted out in a new one. The special effects would make an amateur blush, ranging from blue-skinned aliens where they missed spots and the actor’s normal skin tone peeks through, to lasers that don’t even originate from the barrels of the ray guns firing them, to spaceships that looked so fake and plastic that when they came on screen I expected to see the hand of an eight-year-old holding it up and hear him making “whooshing” sounds. This cheapness goes so far as to the thoroughly chintzy soundtrack. And the acting! Good lord! don’t get me started on the acting. The lines are delivered either woodenly, as if the actor is half asleep, or with so much scene-chewing tenacity that Al Pacino would have told these guys to take it down a notch. This ranges from a guy in a plastic helmet who’s supposed to be a robot and yet speaks like the Yosemite Sam, Christopher Plummer slumming it for a paycheck as the emperor of the galaxy, and a very young, and unintentionally hilarious-looking David Hasselhoff, complete with 80s big hair.

The story is completely forgettable and throwaway, so much so that even now I’m having a hard time remembering it and I just watch the damn thing. There something about a giant weapon hidden on a planet and uhm…amazons on horses for some reason. Then there’s a rip off of Talos from JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS that looks far less convincing despite being made fifteen later, and let’s not forget about the lightsabers. Oh, I mean “laser swords.” We don’t want to get sued, after all.

But can this movie be all bad? Well no, but it tries awfully hard to be. Unlike other the other Cult Classics, this movie is rated PG which means that it doesn’t even have the old Corman standbys of blood, breasts, and beasts to make it even the tiniest bit enjoyable. It does have the lovely Caroline Munro running around in a black bikini through most of it for some unknown reason, and really that’s the only good thing I can think of about this movie. Well that and the amount of extras Shout! Factory put out with the Blu-ray, so if for some reason you are a fan of this movie then this BD will make you very happy. But honestly I can’t recommend this movie, not to horror fans, not to sci-fi fans, not even to fans of cheesy 80s drive-in flicks. Maybe if you have some kids and want to get them a safe sci-fi romp then this will do, but other than that you might as well skip this one.

--Brian M. Sammons