Tralala Terror! The Banana Splits Movie.

The Banana Splits Movie

2019 | R | 1 Hr 29 Min | Horror | Warner Brothers

Director: Danishka Esterhazy

Writers: Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas

Stars: Dani Kind, Steve Lund, Celina Martin

Synopsis: A boy named Harley and his family (brother Austin, mother Beth, and step-father Mitch) attends a taping of The Banana Splits TV show, which is supposed to be a fun-filled birthday for young Harley and business as usual for Rebecca, the producer of the series. But things take an unexpected turn -- and the body count quickly rises. Can Harley, his mom, and their new pals safely escape?

WWWWWWHAT a show from my childhood is coming back! So freaking cool or at least I had hoped so. I have to give Warner Brothers credit for going way outside of the box buy taking a kid's franchise from the 70s and giving them a dark side. And it works well I mean they were creepy when I was a young lad. I was just there for the Adam Ant cartoons. So give these guys a chance to go rogue and see what happens. 

 

Let's clear something up first this movie is really flat for the first forty-five minutes to an hour. My reasoning for this comes down to the dull and stiff cast. This family is so depressing you just never get attached so when the shit finally hits the fan you're not invested. Part of what makes horror fun is your invested in the cast and your pulling for them. In this one you can't wait for them to die - that sounds so bad but it's true.

 

Once the carnage begins it never slows down allowing the last thirty minutes to be brutally fun. Some kills where cleaver and based on the show where others well they are fine but the whole time we had no tension to build upon thanks to those lame families.  

 

 

For what its worth Banana Splits is a fun romp that is worth the look, last year this played on SyFy every day during the Halloween season so I'm sure they will bring it back this year. It's a good idea just takes time to develop. 

3 Bloody Brains out of 5

Shop til you drop, dead!

Chopping Mall
1986 | R | 1 Hr. 17 Min | Sci-Fi/Horror | Concorde Pictures

Director: 

Jim Wynorski

Writers: 

Jim Wynorski

Steve Mitchell

Stars: 

Kelli Maroney

Tony O'Dell

Russell Todd

Barbara Crampton

Synopsis:

A group of teenagers that work at the mall all get together for a late-night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lockdown before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions and goes on a killing spree. One by one, the three bots try to rid the mall of the "intruders." The only weapons the kids can use are the supplies in other stores. Or . . . if they can make it 'til morning when the mall reopens.

To serve and protect!

Joe Bob Briggs opened up season two of his hit show The Last Drive-In Streaming on Shudder with an 80s cult classic Chopping Mall. Park Plaza Mall has just installed a state-of-the-art security system, including shutters across all exits and three high-tech robots programmed to disable and apprehend thieves! But some freak lighting storm short circuits the pannel turning this innocent bot's into killer machines. The bots were originally set to stun the thief until help arrived. 

Sadly the beautiful Karrie Emerson would only do one more movie after this.

Meanwhile, the four couples decide to have a party in a furniture store where three of them work. In true B-Movie fashion, a few of them begin to have a drink, party, and of course have sex. >Side note from one that has worked in the mall I can confirm this type of behavior did happen! Oh yes, it did happen. In fact, while working in a small theatre we would confiscate the alcohol that people snuck in but forgot to pick up after the show well, what do you think we did with it pour it down the drain? <  So how does the carnage begin? Simple its the 80s and when a girl needs a smoke she needs a smoke! But when your out you send your boyfriend to the vending machine out in the mall for a pack.

Just gaze upon that cigarette machine and all its retro glory. 

I'm going to show my age here but remember cigarette machines like this? They were a bitch to pull on that drop arm. Do you remember when you could smoke in the mall? It does not seem that long ago. I can still see those poor maintenance people sweeping up everybody butts laying around. Hey, maybe the smoking ban is why malls are doing so poorly now? Ok back to the movie, of course with our chump walking the mall and our short circuit robots on patrol the action starts to set in. 

Killbots

Would you believe the guy who brought us an enchanting mermaid from "Splash" to the man-eating sharks of "Lethal Weapon 4", to the inspirational heart light of “E.T.” made the Killer Bots? Crazy as it seems Robert Short took old electric wheelchair parts along with an escalator tread to make one of the horror Sci-fi iconic looks. And with this being a Roger Corman film the budget was low and the special effects would take up a huge chunk of that. Special Effects artist Roger George was the man behind the exploding head as well as other special effects that look pretty amazing. He also worked on may Corman pictures but also gave us effects on Terminator, Repo Man, and The Howling.  George and Short's companies have gone on to win Academy Awards for there work in other films. 

Scream Queen Barabra Crampton 

With a young cute cast its odd that only a few of them went on to do other movies. Of course, the wonderful Barbra Crampton is never afraid to take off her top. And Kelli Maroney was coming off of the hot Night of the Comet. She was cast because director Jim Wynorski had a crush on her. "I had seen Kelli in a couple of things and I wanted to date her. So, I figured the one way to make that happen was to put her in a movie," said Wynorski. And we get a quick glimpse at Rodney Eastman as a shoplifter tracked down my the non-killer bots. Eastman later went on to star in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.

Kelli Maroney's Crazy 80s hair is a safe place for spiders to live.

Upon its initial limited release on March 21, 1986 Killbots did poorly at the box office. However, it fared better when it was re-released as Chopping Mall. The name Chopping Mall was a suggestion of a janitor working in the mall at the time. It was back in 1986 when I first gazed upon the VHS cover I could not wait to take it home. I loved it then and I still love it now. For a low budget, Corman flick Chopping Mall's pace is very crisp and never really slows down. With great actors, and an interesting story followed by a killer soundtrack Chopping Mall is still worth the watch. Even if this time around I was watching the background more then the movie reliving my retail days. 

3 Bloody Brains out of 5

There's Something Deadly in the Air!

Demon Wind
1990 | R | 1 Hr 36 Min | Horror | United Filmmakers


Director: Charles Philip Moore

Writer: Charles Philip Moore

Stars:

Eric Larson

Francine Lapensée

Rufus Norris

Synopsis:

Back in the distant 1931, in a secluded and weathered farmhouse, the gruesome sight of a crucified body set ablaze sends chills down the spine. But inside the house, a fierce, yet futile battle rages on, as Regina and her husband George, struggle desperately to avert a horde of nightmarish and malevolent demonic specters from entering into our dimension from an ominous dark doorway. In the present day, after the disastrous event of that horrible day, Cory, Regina's grandchild, riddled with questions and the need to investigate the mysterious death of his grandparents, assembles his trustworthy friends back to the old farm where it all began some sixty years earlier, although, not sure what to expect. However, this supernatural territory is a hostile no man's land, a fact that the team is going to pay in blood to find out.

With a budget of $500,000 and a 24-day shooting schedule, I can see why Demon Wind is gaining strength with its Cult status. This one has B movie cheese oozing all over it. This low budget flick has such power over me and I can not explain how or why. Is it good? Well, my 1990 drunk self would have yelled "hell ya" but upon sobering up I would be asking just how the hell did this even get made? The plot holes are so big Donald Trump's ego would still fit through them!

Honestly, the story really makes no sense but it is easy to see how they are banking on the Evil Dead formula to make it work.  Sprinkle in a little Fog and Children of the Corn and you have Demon Wind. And why wind you ask well I can not give you an answer. It's a word in the title I guess. Never the less this movie has some odd charm that will either keep you happy and trecking on or have you turning it off rather quickly.

One of the coolest effects would be the doorway to the burned down cabin. The Concept of once you have passed through the door your walking into another dimension. On the outside, it still looks like a burned down cabin. Once you have entered tho you can not go back.  Now I'm not sure if I should be laughing at the sound effects or not as they seemed to have used the old Hanna Barbar folly effects. You know those thuds you hear in old 60s and 70s Flintstone cartoon's yeah they really did use those! And the special effects are not bad for the budget and at times are downright creepy.

So here you go with a small amount of "wind" some gnarly special effects like pudding spewing zombie demons and yellow goo flying everywhere you get past the plot and settle in for something special. I was not expecting much just some simple fun to kill a few hours but by the ending of this truly bonkers movie, I was having a blast. I will recommend Demon Wind to my horror friends, as I really enjoyed getting on this dark ride!

3 (1/2) Bloody Brains out of 5

Budget: $500,000.

They say money talks. All mine ever says is "Goodbye".

Freddie Freeloaders Christmas Dinner
1981 | TV-G | 1Hr  | Holiday | HBO

Director: John Trent

Writer: Red Skelton (story)

Stars:

Red Skelton

Vincent Price

Imogene Coca

Freddie the Freeloader sets out to have Christmas dinner in a very expensive New York restaurant with his good friend, the Professor. Along the way, he stops in a hospital to entertain some children at Christmas.

A touching, music-filled holiday tale featuring Vincent Price and Imogene Coca with plenty of laughs for the whole family. While inspiring many of today's comedians this rubber-faced clown is best known for his long-running TV show Red Skelton. Red's show filled living rooms with laughter with such characters as Freddy the Freeloader, Junior the Mean Widdle Kid, San Fernando Red, and Clem Kadiddlehopper. Red reprises his role as Freddy for the newly started Home Box Office channel Christmas of  '81.

The look and feel really draws you into the story, the gorgeous backdrop of the small town to the snobby town folk you are quickly invited into Freddie's world. With a cute storyline, the holiday cheer flows freely. Unfortinly for me it starts to draw long towards the end.

As Freddies song goes There is nothing worse than loneliness at Christmastime, When old friends forget where you are, While your memory still lingers, You can count upon your fingers, Those that know the meaning of the Star. This is just one of the many heartfelt moments.

Oddly enough Vincent Price's charter was well odd. In fact, once he was brought into the story that's when the story started to fizzle out for me. In fact, once they made it to dinner it kind of lost its heart. Not completely but just enough to drag this one down. I love watching the old Christmas Specials from Red Skelton's Tv Show and I'm glad this came up on YouTube to check out. I truly believe this deserves to be cleaned up and released on Blu-Ray. If you are looking for something a little funny and pre Hallmark Channel love fest check out Freddie The Freeloader's Christmas Dinner by clicking here. 

3 Ninja Santa's out of 5

The sort of Christmas you don't dream of.

Black Christmas
1974 | R | 1Hr 38 Min | Horror | CFCD

Director: Bob Clark

Writer: Roy Moore

Stars:

Olivia Hussey

Keir Dullea

Margot Kidder

John Saxon

Synopsis:

It's time for Christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. When Clare disappears, they contact the police, who don't express much concern. Meanwhile, Jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend Peter is very much against it. The police finally begin to get concerned when a 13-year-old girl is found dead in the park. They set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem?

Not wanting to completely miss out on Creepmas and thanks to a little help from Joe Bob Briggs and Shudder this past weekend helped me get into the dark holiday spirit. I have always wanted to dive into Bob Clark's Black Christmas when it started to gain momentum of a lost gem in the early 2000s shortly after Clark's death. And with Clark's career helping feed my desires, Porky's is on my top ten of the all-time list, and of course, Christmas Story is his legacy and forever to be a Christmas Classic, it's always fun to look back on to there roots of director's when they started there career with Horror!

When rock royalty Elvis Presley and Steve Martin claim Black Christmas to be one of there all-time favorite horror flicks. And Black Christmas star Margot Kidder admitted in an interview that she never thought that the film would become a hit and was surprised to learn that it had gained such a large cult following over the years you can not help but think this is going to be a wild ride when instead you get a slow burn with subduing twists and turns that get seasoned vets of horror like me to go crazy trying to figure it out. Every time you think you know the answer to the puzzle Clark and writer Roy Moore slap you in the face and take you in a different direction. Hailed as the movie that helped jump-start the slasher genre the rules of horror have not been written yet so anything goes, and the survival of neither virgin nor even final girl comes guaranteed.

The movie does a great job of settling you into the warm feel and glow of Christmas setting the tone. Yet the story keeps you guessing as it weaves you through the story of whodunit and why. With a fine-looking young cast and a well-shot movie, it is hard to look away.  When the credits roll you're left with thoughts of why who and man that was a pretty wild ride. Your left thinking about this movie for days after and yet you don't know why. And this is a good thing! It is the uncertainty that is unveiled in the final moments before the credits roll that makes Black Christmas stand alone in its genre and a must-see Christmas Horror Flick.

Look this movie is not for everyone yet the film still manages a good slice of old-fashioned suspense like Aunt Jean's Fruit Cake. Like John Carpenters Halloween, Clark avoids graphic gore, focussing instead on suggestion and using careful editing and use of music to build suspense. Oh and that soundtrack! The cleaver way of slowing down Christmas classic's giving them a creepy sound that fits in. If you have not seen the 1974 Black Christmas and enjoy the classic feel of a slasher flick do check this out. If you need your horror spelled out for you or fast-paced action your better off skipping it.

3 Bloody Brains out of 5

A real-life romantic comedy

Dina
2017 | NR | 1 HR 43 Min | Documentary | The Orchard


Directors: 

Antonio Santini

Dan Sickles

Stars: 

Dina Buno

Scott Levin

Frank Costanzo

An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.

I had such high hopes for this movie knowing little about  Asperger's syndrome I was hoping for some insight and better understanding. Sadly that is not what we get instead we get a nice little love story that has Dina and her soon to be husband balance out there disease together making this relationship work. 

At times the story is very moving, sad, and for lack of a better word frustrating. What I mean about that is you feel for the two as they go through daily life and all you want to do is help. Well for me anyway. Yet for some reason, this movie took me days to watch with just not enough to keep me glued to the small screen. I can't quite put a finger on it but Dina falls short at times. You do get pulled back in at the end when they play the tragic 911 tape from her past when her then-boyfriend stabbed her repeatedly. This cleans up the movie nicely giving you closer. If you have Hulu and are looking for something different this is a good choice and I do recommend it. 

3 Turkey Legs out of 5

40 Years Later, Evil Returns Home

Halloween
2018 | R | 1 Hr 46 Min | Horror | Blumhouse

Director: David Gordon Green

Writers: Jeff Fradley and David Gordon Green

Stars: 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Judy Greer

Andi Matichak 

Nick Castle

Synopsis:

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers (Nick Castle and James Jude Courtney), the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Well, I did it check one off the bucket list finally. Halloween is by far my favorite franchise and Michial Myer is one of the top 3 killers of all time. So why did I miss this last year in the theatre its simple, I wanted to forget about all the hype and what everybody said about the new flick. What I ended up, in the end, was a mixed bag of emotions. so where do I begin? How about the bad first...

This one is going to get me some hate but here it goes, Jamie Lee Curtis. Yep, I said it her storyline was just bad! I wanted her to be the strong woman they wanted her to be but instead, she came off as a nut job. Did she really have to live in a dump with panic rooms and booby traps? I wanted her just to be a badass bitch that lived a normal life but yet trained on the back half to kill Michael is that too much to ask? Her storyline changed the face of the franchise and honestly, I'm not happy with that. Second, this now takes away from my favorite movie in the series Halloween 2 which no longer exists in the timeline, ugh! This really pisses me off sorry. On to the good...

When Michael is on the screen this movie is at its strongest. The imagery that they used to block him in was perfect. In fact, the gas station scene was so intense despite the fact we saw all of it in the trailer. It was incredibly powerful and *Spoiler* when he drove up in the pickup truck I squealed with joy like a little kid once again. I'm 50/50 on the mask tho just not feeling the worn outlook I get that it had to age over time but it was looking dangerously close to Rob Zombie's mask, and that took me out of the moment a few times. But Halloween was not a total loss on to the Great!

Andi Matichak is a true find and one of the brights lights in Halloween! She came off as a badass leading the way, unlike her grandmother. (From IMBD) The role of Allyson, Laurie's granddaughter, became somewhat of a coveted role. Multiple popular actresses including Lucy Hale and Emma Roberts met with Danny McBride to personally talk about the movie. However, the studio decided that they wanted to go back to the roots of the first movie and cast an unknown actress, similar to how Jamie Lee Curtis was cast in the original. The music is also a very strong piece of driving this movie. The music is composed by John Carpenter, his son Cody and his godson Daniel Davies. The trio had previously collaborated on John Carpenter's Lost Themes and Lost Themes II albums.

The Gore or Death senses are downright amazing! A true throwback to the 80's slasher flicks. Sure the first one was truly scary and not gory but this one brings the blood and in a good way. So, in the end, did I like Halloween and simply put YES did it blow me away and become one of the greats well, No! The good outweighed the bad leaving me wanting those sequels provided Lori becomes a normal badass. 

3 Bloody Brains out of 5

Are you having fun with the Countdown to Halloween yet? If so make sure to subscribe to this blog so you can follow along with my randomness all year! Also with the weekend here make sure you check out the other bloggers over at The Countdown To Halloween. 

Leave a comment below it lets me know you are out there.

Clown Rebelle

Jerry Lewis The Man Behind The Clown
2016 | G | 1 Hr 1 Min | Documentary | Hulu

Director: Gregory Monro

Writer: Gregory Monro

Stars: 

Jerry Lewis

Martin Scorsese

Sean Hayes

Synopsis:

Since the early days, Jerry Lewis - in the line of Chaplin, Keaton, and Laurel - had the masses laughing with his visual gags, pantomime sketches, and signature slapstick humor. Yet Lewis was far more than just a clown. He was also a groundbreaking filmmaker whose unquenchable curiosity led him to write, produce, stage and direct many of the films he appeared in, resulting in such adored classics as The Bellboy, The Ladies Man, The Errand Boy, and The Nutty Professor. By becoming a "total filmmaker," Lewis surpassed expectations as a comic performer and emerged as a driving force in Hollywood. He broke boundaries with his technical innovations, unique voice, and keen visual eye, even garnering respect and praise overseas. However, American critics and the cultural elite tended to reject his abrasive art. While they viewed Lewis as nothing more than just a clown, others like the French recognized him as a true auteur, giving rise to questions that have perplexed American pop culture for over 50 years: Why do Europeans love Jerry Lewis? What is this inexplicable aversion Americans have towards him? Is he just a brash, anything-for-yuk buffoon? Or is he a creative genius? Who is the man behind the clown?

Sadly this falls short on "something new" being a big fan of Jerry and all that he has done for The Muscular Dystreofphy association I was looking for something to fill in the gaps of his later years. It may skimp on that part but I will say it did dive into his childhood a little more giving you a glimpse into what made him.  If you have never read his book or seen any other documentary about the man than this is a good little look into his life, with the big bulk being his early career. 

Batman Li'l Gotham Halloween Special Edition

Batman Li'l Gotham Special Edition
2013 | DC | 21 pages | Crime/Superhero

Written by
Derek Fridolfs
Dustin Nguyen
Art by
Dustin Nguyen
Colored by
Dustin Nguyen




On October 31st, will Robin be able to tell the difference between real evildoers and costumed children, or will the kids get clobbered while the villains escape?! Then, on Thanksgiving, Batman and Robin join the families of Gotham City around the table for a holiday feast.

Fresh off of Comic-Con I found this little gem from 2013's Halloween ComicFest. The first thing that jumps out at me was the odd art style by Dustin Nguyen. For me, it was strange at first with the simple use of watercolor and crude drawing style. But once the story gets going you quickly lose
yourself in the book.

The story opens up with Robin not knowing it was Halloween, not sure what rock he came up from but let's roll with it ok? So being Halloween he starts to clubber the "Bad Guys" not understanding what was going on he relizes he is attacking children. So Batman goes on to teach him how to trick or treat.

By the last page, you are kind of bummed it's over, the fast read hits on a high note as the villains get to go out in pubic like normal people thanks to the holiday. After the first ten pages, we jump into the Thanksgiving story arch. During the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Penguin release an attack of the turkeys. Soon our winged ones save the day and we are then treated to Robin being a little bratty at the family dinner table. **Sigh** come on Robin.

Batman Li'l Gotham Special Edition was a fun little holiday read but I'm not sure I could read to many of these if they stick to the watercolor art and Robin being a brat. The Halloween story was wonderful and Thanksgiving was worth the time put into it. 

So Batbrains Batman Li'l Gotham Special Edition gets a simple 

3 out of 5 stars