Brent Lorentson

When you’re the son of an iconic director, it can’t be helped that viewers will tend to expect a little more out of you.  Case in point with Sean Stone (son of Oliver Stone); expectations were in place, especially since dad actually plays a role in the film.  With Greystone Park , it would be safe to assume Stone was looking to remove himself far from his father’s shadow and show he has a vision all his own.  The problem is we get a film that is a bit hit-or-miss throughout.
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The collection of episodes found here are supposed to be the rare and unedited recordings from the public access show Dr. Steve Brule once filmed.  Of course the show is actually a fake one, but for those who have channel-surfed late at night I’m sure at some point the channel has stopped on a public access program.  It was supposed to be a forum where anyone could go in and after some training on equipment be able to film their own program.  Some would have the standard one show where the host would take random phone calls while discussing a variety of topics.  In the case of Dr. Steve Brule (John C. Reilly) he tried to produce his own ‘on the town’ news program.
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Before Hollywood became obsessed with filming unnecessary remakes, throughout the 80’s and 90’s Hollywood was inspired to fill the multiplexes and video stores with as many horror sequels they could manage to churn out.  Sure, I have a deep seeded obsession with Friday the 13th and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, but there are other franchises out there that were blessed with a slew of sequels when the originals, though they hold a soft spot in my horror-drenched heart, just didn’t need to continue the story; it was good as it was and should have been left that way.  And that’s how I feel especially about Basket Case.
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This is a film that’s been floating around for some time but under the title The Forgotten Ones.  A simple title change isn’t going to help this film.  The worst part of this train wreck is that it had every chance to be a really good film.  I wish the blame could only go to one person, but there are issues with the illogical script, the direction, the camera work, the editing, and even the sound.  The only things that helped make this film even bearable to watch was the cast (who didn’t have much to work with) and the makeup effects for the creatures was impressive (considering the budget).
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Ever since I first saw John Carpenter’s The Thing, I’ve had a soft spot for movies that take place in cold, snowy climates.  I’m guessing it’s because living in Tampa, there is little to no chance of seeing the white stuff.   Frozen was the last chiller-thriller that had me grimacing at the sight of what frostbite can do. So when I saw the title Hypothermia I figured it was time to crank up the A/C and warm up some Swiss Miss, because I was ready to check this movie out.
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Standup Comedian is the second hour-long comedy special Martin has released.  I’ve watched numerous comedy specials over the years. I’ve seen many I’ve loved, cheered, and even loathed.  When I first saw Martin go through his routine in a previous special, I simply shrugged it off and forgot about it a few minutes later.  I figured he would be one of the many comedians that would fizzle away into obscurity.  But then I found out this guy has a strong following, and I couldn’t understand it, wondering when did drawing pictures become comedy?
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Best known for his appearances on the Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts, Jeff Ross sets off on a cross-country quest to roast America in his new comedy special.  Aside from his appearances on the roasts, I was not familiar with Ross or his stand-up act.  Some may best describe him as rude, perhaps even offensive, but personally, I think the guy is hilarious. To kick off his tour we get to see Ross backstage with his family, and it just so happens that it is his nephew’s birthday, which makes him the first victim of the numerous speed roasts that are to follow.
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I don’t believe anyone could have predicted not only Family Guy being on the air for over a decade but how big a power player Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy and American Dad) would become.  With several shows currently in production, the release of his first live action feature Ted earlier this summer, and now the recently announced hosting of the upcoming Oscars, I believe it’s safe to say MacFarlane is about as big a name as Oprah.  And to think he didn’t have to give his fans cars to do it; he’s just that talented.
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It took some time, but alas, Joe Dante’s movie The Hole is finally available for us all to see.  The impact Dante’s films had on my childhood is something I am thankful for.  I can’t imagine surviving the Christmas holiday without watching Gremlins.  I’ll still never be able to look at a tilt-a-whirl without imagining it being a spaceship because of Explorers.  Then there are the fond memories I have with Matinee, The ‘Burbs, Small Soldiers and few others.  Basically I hold Dante with high esteem and believe he’s one of our best working genre directors from whom I wish we were seeing more. 
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Following in the footsteps of Ancient Aliens, History Channel has put out a new ten-part series to indulge viewers that simply can’t watch enough government mystery and conspiracy television.  I’m not here to judge, because I’ll be the first to admit, when I see there is a new show about Area 51, the Freemasons, or anything with the word secret, I’m a sucker for watching it.  I blame my compulsive obsession with conspiracies from watching the X-Files when I was younger for this.
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When I first got this DVD with my stack to review I treated it like I do with most films; I go in with little to no expectations, and whatever the result is at least I can’t be left too disappointed.  I love action films, and I’m a big fan or martial arts films, so when I see the name Gordon Liu in the credits, well, I at least know I have a little something to get excited about.  After all, Liu kind of has a cool pass in my book since doing The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin movies. But to deliver a good movie, you need more than just an appearance by a martial arts legend, and really that’s all Blood Money brings to the table.
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Revenant: one who returns from the dead in corporeal form

Back in 2009 when I was in Austin, Texas for the Fantastic Fest (a genre film festival they hold every year) I was lucky enough to catch this film  and it was one of the standout films of the festival.  Since that night I’ve been waiting and waiting for this to finally get a theatrical release, and now three years later The Revenant has finally found its way onto DVD.  With all the vampire and zombie films that have been released over the past few years ,it is still a mystery why it took so long for this film to find a wide release.
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“Juan of the dead we kill your loved ones”

This is one of those movies I had heard about but was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get a chance to watch.  The notion of Cuba releasing a zombie comedy just kind of shocked me.  To be honest I didn’t even know they had a production company down there.  So when I noticed this title had come in to be reviewed at the Upcomingdiscs headquarters, I jumped on this, willing to fight off hordes of zombies if need be.  Thankfully there were no masses of the undead to be dispatched, and this title was mine to review.
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It seems the new recycled trend in horror is the exorcism/ possession genre.  For me personally this is the only horror genre that tends to get to me, since I was brought up Catholic and the thought of the devil possessing me was thought to be a very real possibility.  The strange thing is The Exorcist seems to be the only film that I would consider great and would even say it’s one of the greatest horror films of all time.  Many films have tried to deliver, but in the end the films seem to just fall flat, the closest being The Last Exorcism though that film also has its fair share of naysayers.
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It would be fair to say Lewis Black is not for everyone.  When in the mood for comedy, few people would decide on watching an old man rant and rave on a stage to the point you expect him to simply keel over from a self induced heart attack.  You won’t find any puppets or redneck humor when watching one of Black’s routines.  In fact what you can expect is at some point to maybe get a little upset if not outright offended.  But that’s okay.  He knows his routine is not for everyone, so much so in fact he even opens this show with a note of warning about what to expect from his show.  And then the anger-fueled rants continue from there.
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“It’s times like this you need to think like a stoner.”

It’s not every day you get the chance to say the quote above and apply it with conviction.  But when you watch High School or any other “stoner” movie, you simply have to view them through smoke-filled glasses or the viewing experience will be in vain.  Kind of like watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as a movie it’s bad, but when you see it with a live performing act it becomes a completely new experience. 
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Watching this film is like unearthing a time capsule, not just to another time, but what seems like another world.  It’s crazy to see how much has changed since this film’s original theatrical release back in 1975.  One moment that stuck out in particular: when they are driving along the streets of Los Angeles you might notice a sign at a gas station posting gas at 56 cents a gallon.  This is a family that is already sick of life in the big city.  I can only imagine how they would react to big city life now; would they run further into the hills or simply accept the advances in modern technology?
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