Disc Reviews

The days of Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff are long gone, but Hollywood refuses to give up on the classic monsters these men and others once brought to live on the big screen.  Despite how many years have passed since these monsters of the night first terrified audiences, filmgoers continue to fork over their cash to see these stories rehashed again and again. In the new release of Frankenstein vs The Mumny, we see the revival of two classic monsters and the opportunity to see them battle head to head.  Without the big budget to support this monster smackdown, is it still worth watching, or is this a battle that should have remained dead?

The film dives in on a modern take of the Mary Shelly story we are all more than familiar with. Now Professor Frankenstein (Max Rhyser) spends his days teaching at the local college, while his nights are spent in his lab trying to restore life to the dead.  Simultaneously at the same school an Egyptologist is studying the find of her career. After an excavation in Egypt, a newly discovered mummy is brought to the university.  This lovely Egyptologist is Naihla (Ashton Leigh), who seems to be also smitten with Professor Frankenstein.

This being the first foreign series that I’ve covered for the site, I couldn’t be happier with the results. Knowing nothing about Nicolas Le Floch, I naturally had a few reservations about the series.  It wasn’t in English, so how was I intended to comprehend what the characters were saying (knew I should have taken French in college)? Being that I’m ignorant of the laws and traditions of their government, how difficult would it be to follow the storyline? Of course these reservations were in vain as the series proved its worth with great ease, displaying all the great characteristics of the mysteries I love.

Nicolas Le Floch is a charming, charismatic investigator who believes in thorough and complete investigations, as evident in “The Rogue’s Gallery” when his superior wants to announced the death of a wanted criminal without fully confirming the identity of their suspect. This was the episode where Le Floch had to square off against a particularly cunning opponent, a man who not only had a talent for seducing unwitting women but also outwitting key members of nobility as he moved among them without being suspected, that is until Le Floch, who remained the only person with suspicions.

Consider that we are in a golden age of television, where it is just about impossible to keep up with all the good television shows, even with the luxury of DVR.  That being said, the notion of taking on watching a show that is broadcast overseas can seem a little daunting (yes, I know there are still legions of loyal Doctor Who and Sherlock fans, just to name a few).  When the offer came along to check out a comedy from Germany I was more than a little hesitant, but upon hearing the title Crime Scene Cleaner, well, my interest was piqued. 

The show is centered on Heiko “Schotty” Schotte (Bjarne Madel), who is your typical middle-aged single guy, that is, until you discover that he is a crime scene cleaner.  In case you were wondering, his job is to come in after the police have completed their investigation of a possible homicide and clean up whatever mess is left behind.  Despite the gruesome nature of the job, the show avoids going for cheap gross-out moments and instead focuses on Schotty’s interactions with those connected to the deceased.

I definitely give the creators points for shying away from the usual cast of creatures that are associated with a cabin in the woods. However, the fact that scenario is a bit cliche does take away from some the points given: a cabin in the woods, seriously? It’s getting a bit old, don’t you think? Don’t get me wrong, it does provide an isolated area where controlling the chaos is easier, and I supposed there is something to be said for being cut off from the populace. I suppose when thinking about further, it does create a chill factor; however, my opinion remains the same. I would love to once, just once, see the big scary in attack a major city (and before anyone contradicts, yes, I know Godzilla is the exception to the rule).

Exist follows a group of friends as they travel into the woods for a weekend of fun and debauchery in a family cabin; unbeknownst to them, lurking in those very woods is a creature of legend, spoken about meaning people wager whether said beast is real or simply the figment of someone’s terror-filled imagination: Bigfoot. As I previously stated, I have rarely came across horror films starring this particular monster, so the idea of it being cast as the big bad held a great deal of intrigue for me. The problem, however, is given that no has ever had a clear look at the beast (not one that can be authenticated), its appearance can only be speculated. Exist finds a good way around that for the majority of the movie, by using a go-pro-like camera perspective. It provides shaky camera, making it near impossible to get a clear look at the creature. The audience is treated to good look at the Bigfoot towards the climax of the film, but in my opinion that undid the magic for me. I much would rather to have only seen brief glimpse of it as it attacked rather that seen it. Part of the mystique of the Bigfoot’s legend is the idea that no one has ever got a good look at him; however, people continue to insist that he is real. By giving him an appearance, you ruin the mystique.

I have to admit, seeing Ralph Macchio in any role other than in The Karate Kid is a bit jarring for me.  Growing up in the 80’s, it’s hard to see Macchio and not hope for him to randomly balance on one leg and do a crane kick, but alas, decades have passed and Macchio has come a long way.  Now we get to see Macchio all grown up step into the role of dad in his new film A Little Game.  While Macchio may share the headlines of this all-star cast that includes F. Murray Abraham, Janeane Garofalo, and Olympia Dukakis, the real star of the film is a name many would be unfamiliar with, Makenna Ballard.  You may not know her name now, but after this debut performance I’m willing to bet this is only the first step in a bigger and promising career.

Max (Ballard) goes through the unfortunate hurdle of being removed from her school where she was once surrounded by her friends to being thrust into a new school so she can get a “better” education.  Though the school may look good on transcripts when applying for ivy league schools, right now Max is simply a 10-year-old girl who simply wants to be accepted by her classmates and have fun like any other 10-year-old girl would.  Unfortunately being the new girl at school attracts the attention of a rival classmate who sees Max as nothing more than competition.