Zombie Steve Movie Challenge Update

 Hey gang how is it going? The weather is starting to break free of its bitter cold Baseball is on the tube and the girls are about to go back into full theatre mode as they both will be in the Wizzard of Oz this summer. So exciting things happing here in the cave. Wanted to jump in with a quick update on where I'm at during the celebration of Steve and his (Our) love of cinema.

Week One was Sci-Fi Movies

Alien Trespass
2009 
⭐⭐⭐

In 1957 a fiery object crashes into a mountaintop in the California desert, bringing the threat of disaster to Earth. Out of the flying saucer escapes a murderous creature, the Ghota, bent on destroying all life forms on the planet. A benevolent alien from the spaceship, Urp, inhabits the body of Ted Lewis, an astronomer and with the help of Tammy, a diner waitress, sets out to save mankind.

If poodle skirts and saddle shoes are your things then this Sci-Fi love letter is up your alley. Sold story with plenty of ‘50s fluff matched with rubber aliens and a star-studded cast will be having you giggling in your seat.





Week Two Watch A Golden Globe Nominated Feature (Any Year)


The Disaster Artist 2017
⭐⭐⭐⭐

An aspiring actor in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau, the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made.

What a wild and fun trip this was, could you imagine meeting someone that helps set off your career? I must admit I will be watching the Room and I hope that Greg does a follow-up book with more details someday. If you are a movie nerd who likes to see the production aspect, you will enjoy The Disaster Artist.






Week Three Watch A Movie from the Year you were born.

C.C. and Company 1970
⭐⭐⭐
LOVING, BRAWLING, AND BUSTIN IT UP!
A motorcycle rebel rescues a woman from his gang and fights an outlaw guru for supremacy. 

With a fabulous, poster-stacked cast, and one weird-as-hell theme song, I settled in for some biker gang goodness. Well sort of.

The opening sequence is by far the best part of the movie. We see our star Joe Namath walking around a grocery store as he prepares himself a sandwich while walking up and down the aisle.

Sadly the comedy runs thin the rest of the ride but the biker story mixed with a love story was well done. The soundtrack was underwhelming at times with its tile track being the only real star here.

I was super excited to see Sid Haig rolling in but what the hell was on his helmet? Was it some kind of weird spoon?

Also, the print used by Amazon Prime had issues including how it would hang up or freeze for a few seconds. And unless I blinked at the wrong time I missed the big Ann Margret nude scene.

Definitely worth the look when it comes to biker exploration movies!


Week Four Winter Weather

Ski School 1991
⭐⭐

THE HOTTEST ACTION EVER TO HIT THE SLOPES.
Rival groups in a skiing school do battle on and off the piste. One gang are rich and serious, the other group are party animals.

Well, the 19-year-old me liked this one better in 1990 as for the old me it was just ok. Back in the 80s and early 90s, movies about the underdog that likes to party were the rage, yet life never really did imitate art. Movies full of naked ladies, drunk dudes, and a simple plot don't exist anymore.

Sadly Ski School does not hold up after 33 years with a rather slow plot and predictable outcome. You still get a few laugh's here and there but you are always reminded that this is Animal House on snow and the formula just does not do it.

If your looking to relive some of your spent youth sure Ski School will give you a nice look back, just beware it is the same old story.


Week Five Comedy

Buy and Cell 1988
⭐⭐
SANDY AND SLY WERE DOING TIME. NOW THEY’RE DOING FINE.

Herbie Altman is framed for Stock fraud by his boss when the SEC starts investigating his company. Sent to prison, he helps a fellow inmate successfully invest his money. Soon all the inmates want his help. To manage all the money, he forms CON INC. and runs it from the prison under the noses of the warden and the guards. But when the IRS and SEC begin to investigate this successful company, it looks like he may be in trouble again

Man the power of Tubi is just a hidden goldmine of low-rent movies and becoming the best way to finish watching Empire Pictures catalog. Buy and Cell is one of those Charles Band movies that was impossible to find. Sure there is a crappy version on YouTube but I could not sit through it.

You have to believe this will be somewhat tolerable with an all-star cast. Malcolm McDowell plays the sleazy warden to a T. And we get the same old Michael Winslow charter we loved in the Police Academy movies. Roddy Piper is a nice little comedic player but Robert Carradine just can not shake the Nerds character,

The plot is a good idea just drawn out and boring. This is listed as a comedy yet I do not remember laughing once. Definitely more of a revenge prison movie. In the end, I'm glad I could finally track this one down but sadly it just does not work.

Week Six Movie About Music (Rockstars, Musicals, Documentaries)

Detroit Rock City 1999
⭐⭐⭐
In 1978, a Kiss concert was an epoch-making event. For the three teen fans in Detroit Rock City getting tickets to the sold-out show becomes the focal point of their existence. They’ll do anything for tickets – compete in a strip club’s amateur-night contest, take on religious protesters, and even rob a convenience store!

This one is a rewatch for me but the more I thought about the more I wanted to watch it. Detroit Rock City was one of the last movies Steve and I watched at camp on one of those super hot days. ✌








Week Seven A Football-Themed Movie

Division 3 Football's Finest 2011
⭐⭐
This ensemble comedy follows the Pullham University Bluecocks, a small liberal arts college with a Division III football program (the lowest division in the NCAA). When the head coach unexpectedly dies, the future of the flailing football program is in jeopardy, as they have not had a winning season in decades. In a desperate attempt to create some media attention for the athletic program and the university, President Georgia Anne Whistler hires known lunatic and felon, Coach Rick Vice, for what could be the football program's final season.

The poster art looked like fun and I had never heard of it before. Going in blind does not always help, I had no clue the main character was Andy Dick otherwise I would have moved on to the next movie. Crazier still is Dick made me laugh a few times, and the story is not that bad. It's the same old same old college party movie but with Andy being a Dick the whole time.

A pleasant surprise with football being the main charter and an over-the-top lead that gives you a few moments of laughter but also some pretty cringe moments.

Steve would have liked this one.


Week Eight Rom Com

Never Been Kissed 1999
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Josie Geller, a baby-faced junior copywriter at the Chicago Sun-Times, must pose as a student at her former high school to research contemporary teenage culture. With the help of her brother, Rob, Josie infiltrates the inner circle of the most popular clique on campus. But she hits a major snag in her investigation – not to mention her own failed love life – when she falls for her dreamy English teacher, Sam Coulson.

I love this movie and it is what I kept coming back to when I was looking for something to watch.

Drew at her best, looking amazing as always makes this story fly by.




Week Nine Baseball

Kill The Umpire 1950
⭐⭐⭐

Ex-baseball player Bill Johnson, failing at many jobs when his ball-playing days are over, reluctantly takes the advice of his father-in-law, Jonah Evans, a retired umpire, and enters an umpire-training school. Assigned to the Texas League, he does fine until the championship play-offs when a riot develops over one of his calls. The involved player is knocked unconscious in the proceedings and cannot verify that Bill made the correct call. Despite lynch mob plans to at least tar-and-feather him, Bill’s family - his daughters Lucy (Gloria Henry and Susan and his wife Betty - help Bill reach the ballpark safely the next day through a series of hair-raising encounters.

I read about his movie last year in my quest to find a new Baseball themed movie to watch. Thanks to YouTube I could finally track this one down just in time for Spring Training.

This was an interesting take on the sport with a fan that did not like Umpires but when he couldn't hold down a job to save his life thanks to Baseball he was given a chance to be on the field.

The first two acts are fun and witty bringing plenty of laughs but as the story tries to change over to seriousness it starts to lose out on the fun.

Ultimately, it was still a fun watch and a breath of fresh air for baseball movies. If you want a baseball story from the eyes behind the plate I definitely recommend Kill The Umpire.

Week Ten Documentary

Pennywise the story of It 2021
⭐⭐⭐
 
Thirty-plus years after its release, the popular two-part miniseries “IT” and its infamous villain Pennywise live on in the minds of horror fans around the world. This documentary captures not only the buzz the “IT” saga generated in 1990 but also the lasting impact it has had on an entire generation and the horror genre at large. Several years in the making, the film features exclusive interviews with many of the cult classic’s key players, from cast members Richard Thomas, Seth Green, and Tim Curry, who portrayed the notorious monster clown Pennywise, to director Tommy Lee Wallace and special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon. The documentary also boasts a wealth of archival material and never-before-seen footage.


This was a well-done Documentary giving us the highs and lows of making the mini-series. Tim Curry was great to see as well as hearing from Tommy Lee Wallace.

Week Eleven A Film Directed by a Woman.

The Final Exit of the Disciples Ascensia 2019
⭐⭐

Pulled this off the Top 250 Women Directed list on Letterboxd. I'm not sure what to say about this one. I get it has a cult following but it is ranked #9 on the list. But for me this one falls short I love the animation style and the story is fine I just could not get into it. 

That should not stop you from checking this out, I just might be wrong, you know.










Week 12 Oscar Nominated Movie (any year)

Marcel The Shell with Shoes On 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and new hope at finding his long-lost family.

Man, I was not ready for the pure joy of a little guy like Marcel and definitely was not ready for the emotions that come with him. ❤️





Ok, that gets us caught up to April if you would still like to join in the information can be found here. Coming up this month:

13 Watch an Independent Movie (not all movies need a big budget)
14 Watch a Movie Based in Florida (or Illinois if you're having trouble)
15 Teen Comedy
16 Crack Open A Sealed movie in your Physical Collection (if you do not have any then watch a movie you have always wanted to see)
17 Wizards, Dragons, or Elves (Think D&D)



Zombie Steve’s 52 Movie Challange



As most of you know Steve loved watching movies. It was one of the ways we kept in touch all year talking about what was coming out, what did you see, and so on. After Steve lost his battle with Muscular Dystrophy on Christmas Eve 2021, I have really pushed myself to watch movies in his honor. Always looking for challenges to keep me motivated, while looking for things we would have enjoyed together I decided to come up with my own challenge to honor Steve. While keeping it simple by outlining the topics he would have loved.

The rules are simple: try and watch a movie that coincides with that week's theme. Feel free to be loose with the rules. If you miss a week that's ok nobody will be upset if you make it up the following week. The idea is simple: try something new, and think outside the box. That's what Steve and I did for each other.

Use #ZombieSteve52 when reviewing and don't forget to check out what everyone else is watching.

1 Sci-Fi Movie
2 Watch A Golden Globe Nominated Feature (Any Year)
3 Watch A Movie from the Year you were born.
4 Winter Weather Themed.
5 Comedy
6 Movie About Music (Rockstars, Musicals, Documentaries)
7 A Football Themed Movie
8 Rom Com (no Steve nor I would like this, but you tell me what we should watch.)
9 A Baseball Themed Movie
10 Documentary
11 A Movie Directed by a Woman
12 Watch any Oscar Nominated Movie (any year)
13 Watch an Independent Movie (not all movies need a big budget)
14 Watch a Movie Based in Florida (or Illinois if you're having trouble)
15 Teen Comedy
16 Crack Open A Sealed movie in your Physical Collection (if you do not have any than watch a movie you have always wanted to see)
17 Wizards, Dragons, or Elves (Think D&D)
18 Star Wars (DUH May the 4th be with you)
19 Disney Classic
20 Action Themed Movie
21 Comic Book Themed Movie
22 A Movie off of Steves Watched List on Letterboxd
letterboxd.com/sjnostro1/films/
23 A Summer Blockbuster Any Year
24 Animation
25 A Bruce Campbell Movie (One of Steve's Favorites)
26 Independence Day Movies
27 Mel Brooks Movie (Princess Bride was Steves all-time favorite)
28 Camp Themed Comedy
29 A DC Superhero
30 Camp Slasher
31 Bugs (Yep a movie about bugs! Its still camp month you know.)
32 Sword and Sorcery
33 A Movie from 1970
34 Lord of the Rings (Any from the series or anything related)
35 Sports Themed Movie
36 Gangster/Mob Movie
37 Action/Adventure Movie
37 A Video Game Based Movie
39 Kung Fu Theme
40 Watch a Movie from 1981 (Bonus if you watch it on October 6th)
41 ‘80s Horror
42 Zombie Movie
43 Black and White Horror
44 Halloween Themed
45 War Movie
46 Space Themed
47 Any Holiday Special
48 Holiday Horror
49 A Movie About Family
50 Christmas Movie
51 Released in 2023
52 Marvel Movie (Happy Birthday Stan Lee)


My List mda4life


Quick Update

 My apologies gang it has been a rough month, hell it's been a terrible year. As always I was looking forward to Counting Down to Halloween with everyone but sadly fell really short. I will and I promise I will post pictures after Halloween of the kids and the video right away so please stop back for them. Today is our last Trunk or Treat as my youngest heads off to High School, look as if it will be indoors this year so that is a bummer. 


Life for the girls is getting back to normal as you can see my oldest went to her second Homecoming this year. It feels sad that she missed her sophomore year but we made it this year. The event was held outdoors so the kids could go without a mask.

I ❤ #52

Also keeping us busy is Lainey's basketball season the team is now 16-0 and looking for a run at State! On average, they are beating teams by 20 points or more. It's been pretty exciting. 

And of course what knocked me back and out of commission COVID! Yep, this guy the one who has the vaccination religiously wears a mask cleans his workstation, and wash's his hands some how some way brought it home with me. It was such a shock I woke up one morning not feeling well, knowing I was driving to Chicago with my daughter for Rent that night we did not take any chances so my wife had me take an at-home test. I was blown away how did this happen! So I was locked in the man cave for almost 2 weeks it was miserable. Sure I watched a ton of movies but life was not the same. 

My case was mild if anything it felt like a head cold that would not go away. Then the cough set in and I still have it today as I close into the one-month mark. I still can not smell but never lost my taste. 

So please be safe everyone have a wonderful Halloween! I can not wait to check in with your blogs soon and get caught up. 

Oh one more thing I was having so much trouble wanting to do anything after my dad passed, my buddy talked me into a challenge for Halloween that started in August. The goal was to watch 100 new to me Horror Movies by October 31. I'm proud of myself as I meet that goal and had fun doing it. In fact, I'm currently sitting at 119 movies with a few days left to go. I want to do a recap post here soon until then check out my list 🎃 https://boxd.it/cXPcE

I hope you are all having a wonderful spooky month I will be checking in soon!



Missing Halloween


 


Missing Halloween is a short animation created by Mike Inel. It's a short animation about two children trick-or-treating. The Animation mashed sad stories with beautiful animation. I guarantee this Halloween treat will move you. I just did not see it coming. Let me know what you think in the comments.




Fear Filter

 



One of the best short films I have seen. Leah's looking for the perfect Snapchat filter to send her crush until the app detects an unknown face in the darkness.



Check out the other bloggers click the icon. 


Sad



 These are not the faces of America! They will not break us down! In a few more days they can crawl back to their caves and hide for another 100 years. 

Happy 2021

Here is to a safe and blessed 2021! Let's not let our guard down and the COVID finish line is clearly in sight. A few more months of social distancing will not hurt anyone.








 

Out with Old In With The New

 Wow, 2020 a year that we will never talk about again not even to grandkids dam it! So many strange things took place here let alone the pandemic. From Derecho to pipes bursting, our A/C going out, water heater shitting the bed, all musicals canceled for my kids, and now my dad is heading to a nursing home. It has been the most costly year for us ever and here we are happy, safe, and together!

Other than my beloved White Sox making a run for the post-season movies became a great escape for me once again. For the past few years, I was lucky to sit and watch 25-50 movies a year, in many ways, it bugged me but raising two little girls became the top priority. 

Then COVID struck and we found ourselves at home more way more!! And during the first lockdown, I dove into the Police Acadamy Franchise just for fun. Well, that fun really lead to my movie enjoyment once again and I never looked back all year. It was a nice diversion from the god awful news on the tv. Watching classic with the kids like Karate Kid, Top Gun, and St. Elmo's Fire became the new family movie night, that is after all of the Disney+ movies that we consumed. 

I set myself a goal as I do every year this year I wanted to push 75 movies as I made my goal the year before of 50. Little did I know I would watch a whopping total of 214 films!! And we still have one day left to try and squeeze a few more in. Sure about 19 of them are Disney Shorts running around the 9-minute mark but there are still 200 movies watched this year. Good Gravey Man what will I do for an encore?

Not going to kid my self it was a fluke year so my goal is going to stay simple as we hope some life gets back to normal by summer, I really miss seeing my kids on stage! For 2021 I will shot for 100 movies, it will be fun to top that but 100 that's a good number for me. This might even change the way I blog a bit, I know I have stopped writing reviews so I might start writing just quick thoughts on what I just watched. Blogging has been a struggle the past few years with Halloween and Creepmas the only true things I stick with.

So let us look back on the Top 10 Movies I watched in 2020.

Benchwarmers 2 was a surprise for me I really did not like the first one at all where this one had me laughing. Don't F#&k in the Woods is still the most talked-about movie in my circle! It's so silly yet fun as all get out. Might not be for everyone but I will be watching it again come Halloween season soon. 


Well looks like Disney+ shows up strong 11th through 15, Scare Package was a nice treat. Soul was good but not good enough to crack the top 10 and boy do I feel dumb waiting so long on Zootopia.


I only watched 60 Horror Movies this year with 5 of them hitting my top ten. Full Moon's Weedjies! Halloweed Night was a blast with Mr. Boogedy becoming a Halloween staple year after year. Never Hike Alone is still free on YouTube and being a fan-made film it has the feel of a big-screen movie. The Trial Of The Chicago 7 will gain more buzz around the Award season I'm sure. Very well acted, a powerful story, and a movie we all should take some time to sit through. 


So let's remember this is my list and my opinion right? So yeah on like most Hubie Halloween was one of my favorite movies this year. Sandler might not be great but everything around him sure was. "Host" is the movie that sums up 2020, Lion King was a wonderful family treat, and Eddie Murphy was robbed at the Oscars! But the one movie that still gets played in this house (over 20 times) is Hamilton. Even this tough guy loved it, loved every moment of it. Definitely one of the best movie nights that we all shared.

Not all things were bad this past year and if anything it helped bring families together, reconnected with friends, and we washed our hands a lot!

So stay safe as we start off the New Year, wear your mask, read a book, and watch movies!

Cheers to a Blessed 2021!




Coming to Shudder in January


 Looks like Shudder will be filling that void with much better content next month unlike Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. So for those cold winter nights here is what is coming to Shudder.


Available January 4

Super Dark Times
Fingers

Available January 9

A Discovery of Witches

Available January 11

Before the Fire
Cub
The Pit
Celia

Available January 14

Hunted

Available January 16

A Discovery of Witches

Available January 18

And Now the Screaming Starts
Asylum
The Beast Must Die
The Flesh and the Fiends

Available January 19

The Wolf House



Available January 21

The Walking Dead: World Beyond

Available January 23

A Discovery of Witches

Available January 25

Nightbreed
Rawhead Rex

Available January 26

The Untold Story
The Woman



Available January 28

The Queen of Black Magic


Available January 30

A Discovery of Witches

The Worst Movies I watched In 2020

 Here you go my small list of the top "worst" movie's I watched in the year that is "2020"! So many disappointments this year and to be honest with you only the first 9 movies really sucked. 

Number One:

Leading the pack the snooze fest that is  Barbie & Kendra Save the Tiger King from Full Moon Features.

After narrowly escaping the contagious catastrophe of the Corona Zombies, ditsy American beauties Barbie and Kendra battle their deadliest foe yet: social distancing boredom. Hooked on binge-watching a television show about a man and his tigers on a nature channel, the two ladies hatch the perfect plan to save the Tiger King himself. From the living rooms of LA to the wilds of Africa, our dynamic duo embark on a curve-flattening journey to free Joe from a fate worse than Carole Baskin. After "Corona Zombies" being a fun time this one just felt rushed and flat. And with a running time of an hour, it was really hard to finish. 

Currently free on Tubi if you are bored and like to torture yourself.

Number Two:



I signed up to do a blog-a-thon before all of life went crazy so I never did a post about this 1974 trash heap Big Bad Mamma. In fact, it took me months to finish with the struggle being so real I had to force myself. Mama and daughters get forced by circumstances into bootlegging and bank robbing, and travel across the country trailed by the law. Starring Playboy Playmate Angie Dickinson who was nominated for "The Most Embarrassing Nude Scene in Hollywood History" for this film. 

Number Three:



Let's face it in 2020 we were all looking for that escape from the news outlets and we definitely streamed more. And what is not to love about a comedian making us laugh? We Rob Schneider really screwed the COVID pooch with this special. I honestly could not tell you if I even laughed once.

Number Four:


Oh boy, where to start? "An Almost True Story: TOXIC TUTU is an homage to the original cult-classic horror-comedy, THE TOXIC AVENGER and explains what became of the "Toxic Avenger's" Melvin the "Mop Boy", Mark Torgl." What a great idea for fans to catch up with Mark Torgl with such poor execution. I really hate saying that as this was a thank you letter from the director who was battling cancer. It was just way too hard to watch and not what I was expecting. 

Number Five:



When a street sweeper who cleans up after grisly accidents brings home a full corpse for him and his wife to enjoy sexually but is dismayed to see that his wife prefers the corpse over him. No Just No!

Number Six:


I point to the Police Academy series as the springboard that really got me watching movies again. While on self-quarantine from work in March I jumped on the wagon and watched all six of the Police Acadamy movies. Sadly it ended on a real dud! Yet it was still fun catching up with the gang from my childhood. 

Number Seven Eight and Nine:





All three low budgets flick help round out the worst of the worst. Learn from my mistakes and skip these at all costs. So far everything listed has been rated 1 1/2 stars or less. With the rest of my list scoring slightly higher.

Number Ten:



This slow-burn period piece was such a letdown.
 "One night in New Mexico, in the late 1950s, a switchboard operator and radio DJ discover a strange audio frequency which could change the future forever." It's a fun idea with a nice cast and yet it somehow still falls flat. 

Rounding out my list of bad movies.




I was really bummed with Jay and Silent Bob I really did not think it could be that bad. And Yes God Yes like what the hell was that! So have you seen any of these? Am I wrong with scoring them low? Let me know in the comments below and prepare yourself for my Top Ten  Top Twenty Five of 2020!