THE WALKING DEAD SEASON ONE: THEY LIVE!

It seems that horror films have changed drastically over the past few years. Where once there was a cycle that lasted about ten years between horror films being popular, they seem to be more mainstream now than ever. Not only that, the horror genre has kicked into gear crossing over into other areas as well. Books like THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE, zombie movies galore and finally the comic book series that has now made its way to TV and DVD: THE WALKING DEAD.

Based on the hit comic book series that continues to this day, this zombie outing is unlike any other in most ways. True the beginning of the series seems a bit like 28 DAY LATER, but once you get past that it’s one of the most original zombie tales ever filmed. And unlike most it doesn’t focus near as much on the zombies as it does on the survivors.

The series starts with officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) being shot and put into a coma. When he wakes, he discovers no one is left on his floor of the hospital and most rooms on the floor tossed and turned. As he slowly makes his way through the white corridors, he comes across a chained double door with a warning of what lies beyond spray painted.

Finding clothes and setting out to locate his family, Grimes sees nothing but devastation in any direction he looks. Crashed helicopters and cars are everywhere but no sign of people. Outside the hospital are row upon row of sheet covered corpses. What’s happened?

On Grimes trek to his home, he sees up close what has happened. Though unable to believe his eyes, a half rotted corpse drags itself across the grass. Grimes takes the bicycle that apparently belonged to the corpse and heads home only to be knocked unconscious by someone living there.

A man and his son are staying in a house nearby Grimes old home, since vacated by his wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies) and son Carl (Chandler Riggs). He explains what happened, though as with most zombie films we have no idea what caused it to happen. He shows Grimes how the zombies walk the streets, attracted by noise and searching for the living to feed off of.

It’s not long before Grimes helps the man and his son by taking them to the local police station and arming them heavily as well as providing them a place to shower. The station has its own emergency energy source giving them light and hot water. Grimes heads towards Atlanta in search of his family, sharing a walkie talkie with the man on the chance he makes it there later on.

But this is only a part of the story. As Grimes begins his search, we see his partner Shane (Jon Bernthal) among a group of survivors banded together. In this group are Grimes wife and son. And Shane and Grimes wife are now a couple. Eventually we know their paths will meet.

The best part of this show is that the story revolves around people, struggling to survive in a world gone mad. The depth of the show presents us with realistic scenarios of what people would do, how they might react, giving us the more human element of the story rather than focusing on the gore and zombies alone. It is this tale of emotions and the basic instinct for survival that separates this tale from most zombie movies.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of zombies to be seen and enough gore to keep those fans happy. KNB effects have done another outstanding job here. And scenes like a downtown street in Atlanta filled with zombies moving towards our hero truly make your skin crawl.

Tested with just a few episodes the show was a dynamite hit for AMC and was quickly renewed for a second season much longer than the first. Until that season airs, fans will have to be content with the DVD release of season one. Horror fans will find this a must have for their collection. Movie fans will enjoy the horror film done right. And those just curious will find more than they bargained for from a horror series. Well made, well acted, directed with style and featuring a story that unwraps slowly make this one well worth owning in your collection.

BURLESQUE: RISQUE NOT RUDE

On occasion you’ll see a movie where you’re not quite sure what to expect or perhaps think you’ll see something only to be surprised. It may not be the best movie ever made, but it does offer a touch of entertainment, doesn’t bore you to tears and even puts a smile on your face. BURLESQUE is one of those movies.

Now by the name implied there are probably some who think that the movie involves non-stop strippers in various states of undress. Those folks will be disappointed. But fans of both Cher and Christina Aguilera and their singing abilities will find that the movie delivers all that they could hope for and more.

Aguilera stars as Ali, a young girl from a small town with dreams of something more. She wants to sing and dance and so one day heads to Los Angeles. She arrives and searches for a job only to be turned down time after time. She sees the sign for a club called Burlesque and enters just to find out what’s going on. Inside she sees a bevy of beauties dancing on stage in skimpy outfits lip synching some classic tunes. Desperate for a job, she’s directed to the club’s owner Tess (Cher) by bartender Jack (Can Gigandet).

Ali stumbles through her request, begging for the chance to be a dancer in the show, but Tess turns her down telling her to come back when they have auditions. Returning to the bar Ali sees an opportunity when a waitress offers terrible service. Putting her past skills to use, Ali takes on the role of waitress telling Jack if she doesn’t do better than his current staff, she’ll walk but if she does, she gets a job. Needless to say she gets the job.

Tess and show production co-coordinator/best friend Sean (Stanley Tucci) notice her working and let it pass. The shows star Nikki (Kristin Bell) notices her too and takes an instant disliking to Ali. Nikki is that typical bitchy star who thinks the world revolves around her and anyone who doesn’t treat her as such deserves to be gone. But Ali hangs in there, waiting for her big chance.

Months go by during which time Ali has her apartment broken into. Jack offers her a place to stay until she gets on her feet, but it’s a purely platonic relationship since Jack’s engaged (his girlfriend is in New York doing a play at the moment though). When audition time arrives, Ali takes to the stage but doesn’t give the performance Tess is looking for. When she asks Tess what she wants Tess tells her she doesn’t even know herself but that she has to take command of the stage and make it her own. Emboldened by this nugget of information, Ali gives an audition that floors Tess and Sean and is added to the line up of dancer, a move that doesn’t sit well with Nikki.

While this little drama is going on, Tess is fighting a losing battle to keep the club open. The club is and always has been her dream but her ex-husband and partner Vince (Peter Gallagher) sees it as nothing but a losing battle. Add to that a buzzard like businessman named Marcus (Eric Dane) who wants to buy the club to tear it down to build condos and you have problems. Ali suggests to Tess that they change it up and have the girls actually sing instead of lip synch but Tess won’t listen.

Nikki, always the trouble maker, always late and almost always drunk, fails to show for her set one night. Instead, Tess puts Ali in her place. As the girls begin their set, Nikki cuts the music track playing and Tess begins to bring down the curtain. All stops as soon as Ali begins to sing on her own with a voice that demands attention. The curtain rises, the band comes in and Ali takes control of the stage to a standing ovation.

Now the centerpiece of the show, crowds begin to come into the club. A shrewd businessman, Marcus sets his eye on Ali, just as he did before on Nikki when she was the big draw. And as he begins to woo Ali, Jack sees a missed opportunity set in. The entire time he and Ali have lived together in his apartment the attraction was there, he just never acted on it.

So the stage is set. Will Tess lose the club? Will Ali be a big enough draw to save it? Will Nikki find a way to stop it all from happening? Will Jack and Ali get together or will Marcus take her away and make her the star she always dreamed of? All answers are found before the movie ends.

Some have said that this movie is nothing more than a retelling of COYOTE UGLY with different music. In some ways that’s true but not entirely. The ingénue trying to make it in big city after leaving a small town behind is there. Dancing and singing is there. But this movie has a different vibe to it. It’s also been compared to SHOWGIRLS with a different setting and less skin. Once more, with the exception of the small town/big city story it offers something more. And is much less tacky.

This is a feel good movie. You enjoy the musical numbers that are more along the lines of CHICAGO than they are the old Gene Kelly movies of the past. Aguilera does a pretty good job for this being her first major role in a big time film. If you just thought of her as another pretty face you’ll be surprised. I’ve never been a big fan of her vocal styling but they fit the film perfectly. Cher is believable as the ex-dancer/singer with a dream of a place of her own. Bell does a great job as the catty star whose spotlight is taken away and Gigandet turns out to be not only a good actor but nice love interest for Aguilera to play off of.

The movie is cotton candy for the eyes and ears. It offers some good music and some dynamite dance sequences. It’s entertaining without going too deep. In essence it’s a movie that makes you feel good and have a good time, something that more movies should do. I don’t think this film ever intended to be an Oscar winner, but fans of musicals and of the cast will get their money’s worth with this one.

MORNING GLORY: MORNING STORY

Not many movies have been made focusing on network shows being made, even fewer still about network news. Perhaps the most well known was BROADCAST NEWS, a stand out movie that makes many best of list time and time again. While that movie focused on network news, I don’t believe any film has chosen morning news programming until now. MORNING GLORY gives us a glimpse of that world in perhaps an off kilter way.

Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is an up and coming morning show producer in New Jersey just waiting for her big break. The day she thinks she’s getting a promotion her world turns upside down. Instead her position is being condensed into another and the budget doesn’t allow for two people. She’s lost her job.

With her mother recommending that she give up her dream, Becky sets out to prove her wrong. A number of ignored resumes later Becky gets a call from IBS and their morning show, Daybreak. The station is one of those small networks with no budgets and no hits. Daybreak falls behind every network competitor they have. Executive Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum) gives Becky the chance to turn it all around and to make the show something different.

What Becky first discovers is that she’s inherited a complete mess. One reporter who seems a bit dim, a weatherman who wants to do a story on wind vanes, an ex-Miss Arizona past her prime named Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), an anchor with a foot fetish and a staff that tosses questions to her in rapid fire succession. Day one finds Becky taking the reins, answering all questions and firing the anchor. Now to get things rolling she simply has to find a new anchor. With no money and no budget. Better still would be using someone already under contract to IBS.

Becky finds her man in the form of famed news journalist Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford). Pomeroy is a prize winning reporter currently doing bits for a news program that doesn’t appreciate his past. Idolized by Becky, she sees her chance when she examines his contract and discovers a loophole that will result in his joining her show. But he doesn’t go willingly.

Instead Pomeroy does everything in his power to disrupt the morning news program he’s been recruited for. Pomeroy is a bit pompous and feels the morning news show is below him. While Colleen is more than willing to do any story presented her, Pomeroy snubs any and all stories lobbed his way. Instead he simply reads the news in the most monotone voice possible and ignores the fluff pieces that Colleen does with relish.

When Becky gets the word from Jerry that she’s taken the show to the lowest ratings it’s ever had and the show will be canceled in 6 weeks, she tosses caution to the wind and presents a more forceful producer than she did in the past. Her first act is to take the weatherman who was simply reporting on a new roller coaster and strap him in with a camera sending out his reactions over the air. This results in one of the funniest items in the movie but also angers Pomeroy.

As Pomeroy and Becky go head to head, battling every step of the way, she gets coaching from her new boyfriend, one of the men behind the networks weekly news program. Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson) has a past with Pomeroy and a nickname I can’t repeat here. He informs her that Pomeroy is the third worst human being in the world. But through his remarks Becky just may find a way to get Pomeroy on board and save the show. She has just 6 weeks to take it from the bottom of the heap and increase the ratings by 1.5 %. Can she do it?

The movie moves along at a frantic pace and you may find yourself clutching the remote just to take it back a moment or two when you miss something. It does offer some hilarious moments along the way and you get the sense of family that develops among the staff of Daybreak. That’s one of the things that brings a certain amount of charm to the whole film.

The one troubling piece revolves around Ford as Pomeroy. Played incredibly straight faced and with more than enough bitterness to go around, Ford’s portrayal of the newsman reduced to the morning slot shows a reporter devoid of emotion, a man who’s lost himself in his work and never returned. At times this seems like the perfect way to portray this character. But at other times he just seems mean and nasty, the chances of him truly changing unlikely. Either this one of Ford’s best performances or one of his worst.

The movie doesn’t offer any real depth to its characters or its story, but it is an enjoyable way to spend an evening. Its one of those guilty pleasures you watch only to know that it has little new to offer and can’t be taken seriously. But its still fun. Its worth watching for the laughs and performances but won’t leave you seeking a sequel.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT: UNDESIRED LIFE

Once in a while you see a trailer for a movie that makes you think “hey this could be funny” only to discover afterwards that the best moments were all on display in that 3 minute trailer. Its sad when that happens, especially when the premise is a good one. I remember watching the trailer for LIFE AS WE KNOW IT and thinking it had potential. Katherine Heigl has starred on TV’s GREY’S ANATOMY and KNOCKED UP. Josh Duhamel was in TRANSFORMERS and the TV show LAS VEGAS. These are two attractive stars in a romantic comedy so what could go wrong? Unfortunately several things.

The story revolves around Holly Berenson (Heigl) and Eric Messer (Duhamel). Originally set up on a blind date that goes terribly wrong in mere minutes, the two see each other in passing when invited to their best friends family events. Each is so close to one or the other that their friends make them godparents of their daughter Sophie. Then tragedy occurs when the unthinkable happens. Their friends die in a car accident and suddenly Holly and Messer find themselves the custodian of Sophie. Unfortunately their friends never gave any details to either of them about this plan.

Now Holly and Messer find themselves in unknown territory. To begin with neither of them knows anything about raising a child.

They also discover that there are no family members who can take care of young Sophie with any caring. One cousin has nine children of his own to worry about and Sophie’s grandfather takes his oxygen with him as well as being able to do not much of anything.

Then there’s their careers to think of. Holly is in the early stages of a successful bakery/catering business about to add a restaurant to her building. Messer is a television technician who works the board for local sports events in Atlanta. But the two of them work out schedules on a board and do their best, both deeply caring about Sophie and what is good for her.

But the best laid plans have a tendency to find problems. Toss into the mix a gaggle of neighbors who seem to be in the know on most everything and flirtatious with Messer as well as a social worker who must approve of the pair with several surprise visits and the recipe for disaster is just around the corner.

The standard problems arrive in the form of typical TV sitcom fashion. Poop jokes are plentiful and jealousy develops between the two although they’re not the least bit romantically involved. Messer brings in one date after another and Holly seems to have found a love interest in Sophie’s pediatrician Sam (Josh Lucas), a man she’s seen at her bakery before. Even though they have their separate lives, you can still see the glimmer of a chance for them to get together eventually. Okay, so maybe the glimmer isn’t quite there but the standard script obviously calls for it and you know its coming. Even the eventual possible parting of the ways is pretty pat when you think about it.

Perhaps that’s what makes this movie fail more than succeed. You feel as if you’ve seen it before. Nothing seems fresh or new, as a matter of fact it feels forced throughout. And the two characters are so one sided. Holly is presented as a woman who wants to do what’s right but always seems to be walked on by men in her life. And Messer is such an insufferable jerk from beginning to end that there is no hope for redemption before the final reel rolls. You can’t watch a man be a jerk For 100 minutes and believe that in the last 14 he can suddenly become a caring, selfless individual. Those moments that should have come throughout the film (and sooner than near the end) would have made him a character you could care about. As a man even I wanted to see him hurt.

The movie is total fluff, lighter than marshmallow cream. The only good thing one can say about it is that both lead actors here do a great job and are both easy on the eye. Sadly both actors are also in a downward spiral when it comes to movies like this. Heigl has had several romantic comedies tank at the box office and Duhamel’s last WHEN IN ROME tanked as well. One can only hope that both of them can find the perfect vehicle to resurrect their careers before movies like this one turn them into actors that folks will one day say “Oh yeah, I think I remember them”. Both are far better than this movie would lead you to believe.

UNSTOPPABLE: NON STOP ACTION

I’ll admit that when I first heard the storyline from the movie UNSTOPPABLE I didn’t think it sounded very interesting. It’s difficult to make a movie about a speeding train exciting. You know it’s confined to a track and that it moves fast with the chance of slipping off the rails but how could that be exciting? The makers of this movie, especially director Tony Scott proved me wrong. And I’m glad about that.

It’s Will’s (Chris Pine) first day as a conductor on a normal day for this train. His engineer is Frank (Denzell Washington), soon to retired and making one of his last runs. But their day will turn out to be anything but ordinary.

Two goofups are at another station moving a different train. When the switch to move it to a different track isn’t set, the engineer jumps down to reset it himself, leaving the train in neutral. Not only that, the air breaks haven’t been set yet but since they’re just moving it to another line they’re not concerned. That is until the train shifts into high speed mode and leaves the station before he and his conductor can get on board.

The train picks up speed the further down the line it goes. Without the air breaks there’s no way to stop it. To make matters worse, the load this train was carrying contained dangerous toxic chemicals. If that wasn’t enough, the line the train is heading down has a section with a tight curve that there is no way to make without derailing.

The train is on a collision course with two trains on the same track. One is a group of school students learning about train safety. The other is Will and Frank’s cargo train. Their train narrowly misses being demolished. After a discussion with controller Connie (Rosario Dawson), Frank comes up with a possible plan of his own to stop the train.

As higher ups try and decide what to do Connie (Rosario Dawson) attempts to assist them. But of course they think she doesn’t know what she’s talking about and brush her off. They’re plan is to derail the train in a smaller town with a piece of equipment that Frank has told Connie has no chance of working at the speed the train is moving. When it does indeed fail, Connie, Frank and Will follow through with their own plan, even though the top dogs have threatened to fire them if they do.

The drama of the film escalates at the same pace the train is making. Frank and Will’s train is racing against time going backwards to catch up to the non-stop express. Will they make it in time? Will their plan work? Hey, I might tell you a few things that happen in a movie but I won’t reveal the end.

Washington and Pine do a great job here as two men who just met but who become close through the situation they find themselves in. Each has problems of their own back home that play into their decision, but never to the point that they abandon the chance to save innocent lives. These are not men who became heroes over time but who have a definite moral core that guides them to make the choice to save lives.

Based on a true story, the events that unfold in this film are set at a pace that won’t allow you to sit still comfortable on the couch and not care. It draws you in, waiting to see what attempts are made, which ones work and waiting to see if the plan Frank and Will have come up with must be used or not.

The pacing of the film is perfect. Not only does Scott gradually increase the speed of the train, he slowly unravels the stories of the two heroes as well. Back history and current situations drive them to the decision they make. And that makes for not just an interesting film but one that holds your interest from the time the train leaves the station until the climax of the film. This one is one you won’t want to miss.

MONSTERS: NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED

Monster movies these days have focused more on things like exorcisms, franchise making villains, vampires and zombies. It is rare that we get the chance to see gigantic size monsters walking the earth these days. With the exceptions of the KING KONG remake and CLOVERFIELD, there have been few. Until MONSTERS.

Its six years since a space probe returned to Earth, crashing along the Mexican/American border. Since that time nature has altered due to whatever it was brought back by this probe. Giant creatures that resemble a cross between a spider, a jellyfish and an octopus roam this infected zone, moving about on a seasonal schedule.

Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) is the daughter of a print tycoon stuck inside the infected zone with only two days to get out. Assigned to protect her and make sure she gets home safely is Andrew Kaulder (ScootMcNairy), a cynical photographer who works for her father. Kaulder would much rather stay and get the chance to shoot pictures of the activity going on, but takes on his responsibility with ease.

The biggest part of the film witnesses the pair traveling or attempting to do so to get to the coast so Samantha can make it home. Getting to the ferry is their first problem and once they arrive they find out that passengers are being gouged $5000 for safe passage. They agree, purchasing a place on the ferry for the next morning. That evening they spend their time wandering around the town, witnessing the festivities in one section and the mourning in another where candles are lit next to pictures of victims.

The next morning they discover their seat is gone and there is no more ferries leaving. A lockdown has been initiated and the chances of leaving are slowly closing. For $10,000 more the two of them can go by way of the infected zone, a dangerous trek to be sure. But they have no money. Samantha parts with her engagement ring (we get the idea that perhaps she’s not truly interested in her upcoming marriage) and they head out.

Their travels take them up river first where they get the chance to witness one of the creatures up close for the first time as it drags down a jet fighter that floated to the surface of the river. Once upstream, the pair is passed off to an armed caravan that plans to take them to the wall built between the two countries as an attempt to prevent the monsters from moving into the states. An attack on the caravan leaves them alone and with no guides to get home.

With only miles separating them from their destination, they continue on. But will they make it to the wall and find a way in? And what lies on the other side now that the monsters have continued to grow in number?

The movie moves at a slow pace, but tells a story along the way. Glimpses of these creatures are witnessed throughout on TV screens and in flashes of light from bombs and missiles exploding in the night. But the good look at these creatures is held up until the end of the film.

The film only features two real actors and both do a great job with these characters. You don’t feel as if they are actors but that they are actually the people they are portraying. The rest of the cast are actual people that were there on location that director Gareth Edwards employed, making their performances seem more real than had an actor been used in their place.

With a title like MONSTERS you would think this film would be non-stop terror. It isn’t. There are moments that are terrifying when one puts themselves into the situations offered. But on the whole these monsters are more interesting than scary. This is no run of the mill monsters film, but it is one that will hold your attention from start to finish.

CYRUS: FAMILY TIES

I’ve read recently that Hollywood has more or less abandoned making original films, instead opting for more safe bets like remakes, sequels or films based on marketable ideas such as comic books. Last year the only original film to make a splash was INCEPTION and the suits in Hollywood began by saying it wouldn’t do go, then it wouldn’t last and finally it was just a fluke. That’s sad because there are some great stories out there that can be told. CYRUS is one of those.

John C. Reilly stars as John, a depressed ex-husband who’s still dealing with the loss of his wife 7 years after they parted ways. The ex, Jamie (Catherine Keener), shows up at his house one night to let him know she’s going to be getting married and to invite him to a party where she hopes he can meet someone new.

John finally gives in and goes, attempting to charm the women he meets and failing miserably. Until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei). Molly sees John as something different than most guys, an honest man willing to express his feelings openly. The two end up sharing John’s bed that night and the next with Molly mysteriously leaving before the end of the night. When John follows her the third night, he discovers why.

It seems that Molly failed to mention that she has a son. Cyrus (Jonah Hill) is a 21 year old young man who still lives with his mother. While Molly is out, Cyrus invites John in and they begin to talk to one another. Molly arrives to find the two men in her life getting along and John stays for dinner and over night.

All seems to be going well. With the exception that the next morning John’s shoes are missing. Added to that are subtle signs that he begins to read coming from Cyrus. As the film progresses we realize that Cyrus appears fine with the idea of his mother becoming involved with John, but inside he wants things as they’ve always been, just the two of them alone.

John’s willing to fight for Molly, the woman of his dreams, but eventually he sees that there is little way for him to compete against Cyrus. What mother would take the word of a man she’s just recently met over the word of her only child? Just how John can get back with Molly, discovering if there is a way to get around Cyrus and attempting to make true love work is the focus of the film.

Reilly is a hit or miss actor. In some roles he is amazing and in others he just seems to be playing the same guy over and over again. Here he does a great job as an average guy who wants love so bad and is afraid of being hurt by losing it again. Tomei is gorgeous as ever, playing the role of concerned parent and woman looking for love equally well. Hill turns in another great comedic performance but this time adds to his character by seeming to be a tad psycho at the same time.

The movie is photographed in a documentary style with quick zooms in and out that can be a big unnerving. But if you can get past that, you have a chance to witness a warm romantic comedy that delivers on all levels.

DEAR MR. GACY: THE MONSTER BEHIND THE MAN

True stories make for interesting movies. Some tend to go overboard on the melodrama, usually ending up on Lifetime network. Others are depicted as documentaries. And then there is the real life story that is turned into drama, sometimes bad and others good. DEAR MR. GACY lands in between.

The story revolves around Jason Moss (Jesse Moss), a young law student not performing up to his potential in college who is searching for a centerpiece for his thesis. He finds it while watching the news as he becomes fascinated with serial killer John Wayne Gacy (William Forsythe). Gacy is soon to be executed, coming down to his last attempt at a stay of execution and Jason’s chance to speak to him is slipping by fast.

Jason realizes that he has to find an in, a way to get Gacy’s attention, realizing that chances are he receives tons of letters on a daily basis. To do so, he attempts to get into the psyche of Gacy, playing off of the information that Gacy tended to pick up on young boys. He sends Gacy a letter that is in ways flirtatious. To seal the deal he ends up sending Gacy photos of himself shirtless and describing how he’s considering hustling himself on the streets.

Its all done in an attempt to gain Gacy’s trust so that he’ll open up to him, speak to him and perhaps give him the chance to discover why Gacy did the things he did. But as their correspondence continues, Jason finds himself drawn into the dark world of Gacy’s mind, falling prey to the things Gacy encourages him to do, including a trip to the world of street hustlers where he is drugged and almost raped.

Jason is perhaps Gacy’s last victim. His life changes and those around him see it happening though they don’t know why. He spends time bodybuilding, argues with his parents and brother and goes so far as to dump his girlfriend. The letters lead to phone calls that Gacy places to Jason which he accepts. The lies he tells to paint the portrait of himself that he knows Gacy expects build one on top of the other until he finally gets the chance to meet Gacy in prison. It is here that Jason is witness to the true monster that was John Wayne Gacy.

The movie is terribly depressing, but not so much in a bad way. The slow decent into a form of madness that overtakes Jason is well played by Moss as we see the changes develop over time. Forsythe, a totally underappreciated actor who has starred in everything from OUT FOR JUSTICE, THE ROCK and THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU’RE DEAD, does a truly menacing portrayal of Gacy, showing the manipulative side of him that convinces Jason to do the things he does while at the same time show the animalistic frenzy that fills Gacy when he confronts the obsessive fan alone in a prison cell.

Gacy was an unusual killer. Well respected in the community, known for his dressing as a clown for children’s parties and celebrated for his paintings of clowns while in prison, he was not what most people expected when thinking of a serial killer. But the acts he committed, not just to the boys he killed but to Jason Moss as well, were some of the most brutal imagined. This movie is on the low budget scale but it tells the story well and holds your interest. While there are moments you want to look away, there are others that keep you watching from beginning to end. Here’s hoping that the number of potential serial killers like Gacy dwindle rather than grow.

EX-TERMINATORS: TAKIN OUT THE TRASH

Occasionally a movie comes along that never makes it to most theaters, that doesn’t garner a lot of attention but that does offer a decent night’s rental. These aren’t movies that are Oscar bound or raking in big bucks, but they do offer a nice evening’s entertainment. EX-TERMINATORS is one of those films.

Heather Graham stars as Alex, a young woman who works hard, helps people and supports her jobless boyfriend. When she discovers him cheating on her, she boots him out. Unfortunately she also loses her job about his time. While in a grocery store she picks out a pie to purchase, sets it down to do something and turns to find a man has taken her pie. A smart aleck comment and a tossed punch by Alex finds her before a judge and sent to anger management class.

During the class she makes friends with several other battered women including Stella (Jennifer Coolidge) and Nikki (Amber Heard). Either involved in abusive relationships or having been taken advantage of, you find yourself sympathizing with each of them. When the girls get together to follow one friend’s physically abusive husband, they accidentally kill him…and get away with it. Their friend inherits money, is down one abusive spouse and is happy now. And realizing what probably happened, she pays off her friends for their good deed.

Seeing potential in this sort of business, the friends decide to make big bucks offing the ex’s of the women they meet in their anger management class. They then funnel the funds through the bug killing business of Stella. When an IRS agent with an agenda of his own begins to put the screws to the girls, they have to make a choice. Go straight or deal with this new problem. A difficult decision at best since the number of members for their anger management keeps increasing once word gets out and the money keeps coming in.

This film is basically a fantasy project for women who have been taken advantage of in one way or another. And it rings true in many cases. I did find it hard to believe that there was only one sympathetic male character in the whole movie, a cop investigating the murders who falls in love with Graham, but it didn’t take that much away from the film. It was an amusing tale that for a direct to DVD film didn’t turn out too bad.

Once again we’re not witnessing Oscar material here but we are seeing something that isn’t as bad as some of the choices that have been nominated in the recent past. The movie is well made, well acted and entertaining.

VAMPIRES SUCK: AND THIS MOVIE ALMOST DOES AS WELL

The film parody has become an overused genre these days. When AIRPLANE and Mel Brook’s movies hit back in the seventies the genre was in its infancy and most of those movies were hilarious. But that changed after a while. The jokes became far too predictable and shows like SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SCTV gave us better parodies that didn’t drag for an hour and a half.

A parody that did well was SCARY MOVIE. The problem was that the success of that film inspired studio execs to make sequel after sequel with each one worse than the previous effort. And from the writers of those movies came Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Trust me, if you see these two names on a movie marquee, choose whatever else is playing. Ads have touted films as “made by two of the names behind SCARY MOVIE”. Well they may have been involved in that film, but apparently the talent found in them was to be found in the rest of the writers. This is the pair responsible for DISASTER MOVIE, EPIC MOVIE, DATE MOVIE and MEET THE SPARTANS. If you liked those more power to you. If not, then avoid there movies unless you rent them for $1 or less.

This brings us to VAMPIRES SUCK. The movie is a parody of the current fad of vampire movies portraying vampires as objects of lust and desire rather than fear, focusing mainly on the TWILIGHT films. Nods to other films run through this movie but they mainly aim their barbs that direction.

Becca Crane (Jenn Proske) is a lonely teen stuck in the small town her father is a sheriff in. Of course the most romantic is Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter). Get it? Sullen? That’s the level of humor found here. In any event, the film follows a combination of various scenes from the TWILIGHT films and attempts to make them funny. The thing is for some of us the actual TWILIGHT films were funnier than what is offered here.

Don’t get me wrong, this film is perhaps one of the best that this pair has made. There are a few good jokes tossed in here and I’m not going to share those with you because should you choose to watch the film a few paragraphs will spoil it for you. It would take just those few words to describe the good moments seen here.

When I first watched the film I didn’t think it was really that bad. But the more I thought about it, the more I compared it to the films that Mel Brooks and the Zucker brothers have made, the worse it felt.

The best part of the film is Jenn Proske. She totally captures the lame acting that Kristin Stewart has displayed in the TWILIGHT movies. I’m not saying she’s bad here, I’m saying that she portrays Becca the exact same way that Stewart does Bella Swan. So much so that you’ll wonder if you watching Stewart from time to time.

The one thing this movie does is make you miss other movies. I miss those great vampire movies of the past. I miss Christopher Lee as Dracula in HORROR OF DRACULA. I miss Frank Langella in DRACULA. I miss great parodies like BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and even a great vampire spoof like LOVE AT FIRST BITE. This movie doesn’t do those justice. It may not be the worst film out there, it may even be worth a $1 rental, but it is not something you’re likely to add to your collection or find yourself cued up for on Netflix.