“Mindwarp” Movie Review

    The other day, I got a bit of an early birthday present in the form of a package from the kind folks at Mill Creek Entertainment.  It was filled with a variety of films and I was in pure ecstasy looking through all the titles to watch a review.  Mill Creek Entertainment really outdid themselves and I want to thank them yet again for the kind support they have given my blog since it’s inception.  Now, it’s my task to watch and review the movies and I thought I would start my reviews off with a film I had never heard of before, “Mindwarp”.  I admit that I mainly picked this movie first because it starred one of my favorite actors, Bruce Campbell.

    In the year 2037, the Earth is mainly a wasteland and the population is split up between normal and healthy people living in a sealed biosphere and mutated cannibals who live outside the protection of the biosphere.  The “dreamers” living in the biosphere are plugged into a virtual reality in which all their dreams can come true.  The main character Judy ends up exiled from the biosphere after interfering with other people’s realities and is cast outside.  Once on the surface, she is saved by Stover from a group of cannibals.  Together, the two must manage to find a way to survive this apocalyptic Earth.

    I have a lot of thoughts about this movie and I am not sure where to start.  For starters, this movie feels very much like an early version of “The Matrix”.  Humans plug into virtual reality and the “real world” is a wasteland.  I can’t help but feel like the Wachowski brothers got some inspiration from this movie.  Now, don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean “The Matrix” didn’t expand and improve on the concept, but “Mindwarp” did it first.

    The film had an early made for the sci-fi channel feeling to it.  The film was the first movie produced by Fangoria Films.  As you might imagine, it was very low budget as a result.  It is very much a B movie but it also seemingly embraces the fact it’s a bit of a schlock fest.  I also have to give it extra credit for being filmed in Michigan (home boy has to represent and all that jazz).

    The film stars Marta Martin as Judy and she does the best she can with what she is given.  Bruce Campbell, who is given top billing, co-stars as Stover.  This is Bruce Campbell at his prime, “Army of Darkness” and “The Adventures of Brisco Country Jr.” era.  What I love about Campbell is how he fully commits to even the most over the top performances.  He does his best in this film but his character isn’t given much time to breath or react to things.  Lastly, horror icon Angus Scrimm portrays the leader of the cannibals (and the source of a few twists in the film).  Honestly, Scrimm was the highlight of the film but isn’t introduced until the third act.

    Now, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t go into how the budget effected the film.  There was a part in the film that actually sort of made me mad because Judy talked about creating a world and riding on dinosaurs, all things more interesting than what was depicted in the movie.  To me, that dialogue is almost calling attention to the lack of a budget.  While the first act reminded me of “The Matrix”, the second and third acts reminded me of “Mad Max”...on a budget.  Seriously, there was a part where one of the cannibals had a hubcap as a breastplate.  That is the sort of costume me and my friends would wear as kids when we made home movies.

    So, I have danced around the issue of how I felt about the movie overall and it’s hard to get into it without getting in to spoilers.  To me, it felt like a short film stretched out to feature length.  There were some interesting concepts but it had boring parts and there clearly wasn’t a budget for properly done film.  The film picked up steam going into the third act but the final few minutes not only ruined the third act, but it also ruined the movie as a whole.  This is a movie that tried to have way too many twists and all those twists just ended up undermining everything that came before it.  That being said, I am sure M. Night Shyamalan loved everything about this movie.

    So how do you rate a movie that you feel botched it’s ending?  I really didn’t mind the movie until the end, sure it was cheap looking and a little goofy, but it also owned that for the most part.  I think the movie was trying too hard to give an ending that would be talked about in hopes of elevating the film.  In my opinion, it lost sight of what it might have been destined to become.  “Mindwarp” could have easily become a cult classic, and one can make an argument it is, but it will never be as fondly remembered as it could have been.

Grade: C

Buy the “Mindwarp” and “Brainscan” Double Feature Blu-ray Here!!!

“A Dog’s Journey” Movie Review

    This has been a very good year for dog movies (and Kleenex due to all the money they have probably made from their product wiping tears clear due to these films).  One such film happens to be the sequel to the film “A Dog’s Purpose”, aptly titled “A Dog’s Journey”.  The sequel is based on the novel by W. Bruce Campbell which focuses on the continued adventures of Bailey and his owner Ethan.  This is the second adaptation of one of Campbell’s books this year, the first being “A Dog’s Way Home”.

    The sequel follows Ethan, his wife Hannah, and his dog Bailey as they try and help their daughter-in-law Gloria and granddaughter CJ by letting them stay at their home and helping watching CJ.  Gloria is the widow of Hannah’s son and isn’t in the right state of mind to raise a child.  When Ethan and Hannah offer to look after CJ while Gloria tries to get her life back together, she thinks their gesture is a way of getting CJ and the insurance money CJ was left by her father.  As time goes on and Bailey grows older, Ethan tasks him with an important job of protecting CJ when he returns as another dog.  So, Bailey is given a new purpose as he journeys to find and protect CJ through his many lives as new dogs.

    Some people will consider this to be an overly sentimental sop fest, and it is, but it also works as such.  “A Dog’s Journey” pulls all the right heart strings if you have ever loved a dog who has passed away.  While perhaps not as effective if you have never had a dog, it still should leave you holding back the tears regardless.  Still, as much I love dogs, parts of the film felt one step above a Lifetime original movie.

    There were things I can nitpick about the movie and some of the issues were bigger than others.  Being a guy, I wasn’t a huge fan of how the film depicted men.  It wasn’t meaning to, but the film sort of depicted a majority of men as evil (which didn’t help it’s Lifetime movie vibe).  The movie really hammered in a lot of the foreshadowing as well which diminished the emotional impact of the revelations.  The film also seems to really have hard depicting the passage of time.  Some actors are given age makeup while others are not and the film seems to imply that technology and styles won’t change over the course of around twenty to thirty years.  It’s a little complaint but for someone detail oriented, it’s a little distracting.

    The film has done okay but hasn’t caught the box office by storm either and it will be unlikely to make what the first film made.  Perhaps it has to do with competition or maybe it is due to the controversy surrounding the first movie.  Regardless of the reasons it hasn’t made as much, the sequel is an overall worthy follow up to it’s predecessor.

    The film sees Dennis Quaid reprise his role as Ethan from the first film.  Josh Gad also returns as the voice of Bailey.  Marg Helgenberger replaces Peggy Lipton as Hannah from the first film.  Unfortunately, Peggy Lipton tragically passed away shortly before the film was released.  Part of the film is set in Michigan which is where I’m from so the film gets extra bonus points from me.

    “A Dog’s Journey” proves to be a fitting but sad ending to the story of Bailey the dog.  For anyone who has had a four legged friend who crossed over the rainbow bridge, this film will hit extra hard.  This film and it’s predecessor show the importance of friendship and the bonds we form with our furry companions.

Grade: B

“The Adventures of Robin Hood” Television Review: To Binge or Not to Binge

    Over the course of the years, countless legends have graced our modern culture.  From Hercules to King Arthur, these stories have been passed down and have helped shaped our idea of heroics and morality.  Still, one legendary figure seems to relate to almost every working class person and that person is Robin Hood.  Historians have debated if he was based on a real person or completely made up but his story remains legendary regardless.  What we know for sure about Robin Hood is that he was a folk hero as far back as the 1400s and that he always fought for the people of England.  He was a true working class hero.  Being the popular figure he is, countless pieces of media have depicted the adventures of Robin Hood.  From books to movies, from video games to television shows, Robin Hood content is available and popular on all forms of media.  One such piece of media I will be talking about now is the show “The Adventures of Robin Hood”.

    One quick note about this show, I have been watching episodes from a complete series box set provided to me from the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment.  This show is public domain and there have been releases on DVD in groups of episodes from other distributors over the years (I think I have a few) but for the cost, this Mill Creek release is the cheapest and easiest way to obtain the complete series in one set.  If you are already a fan of the show or Robin Hood in general, I highly recommend this particular release.

    As far as the show is concerned, “The Adventures of Robin Hood” tells the story of...the adventures of Robin Hood.  The title pretty much sums up the television show nicely.  Joking aside, the show features Robin of Locksley returning home from the crusades to find he was presumed dead and his estate has been given away.  Trying to make things right, he ends up an outlaw and at odds with the “law”.  Robin joins forces with the outlaws in Sherwood Forest and together they fight the Sheriff of Nottingham in the name of King Richard.

    The television show ran for a number of years, from 1955 to 1960 and the show hasn’t aged too well unfortunately.  While the actual show is entertaining, the episodes got a bit repetitive although characters do come and go throughout the series which helped keep the show somewhat fresh.  Being shot in black and white mutes what could have been a vibrant and colorful show and dates the show quite a bit.  While it was common for shows to be filmed in black and white during this era, most modern audiences will be unlikely to watch a low resolution show, shot in black and white and filmed in fullscreen.  Not being in color, the show can also be hard to see at times.  The static in the audio is also a bit distracting at times.

    It is interesting to watch this show and compare it to other Robin Hood shows.  Being a big fan of Mel Brooks’ fan, I have always loved “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” but I had no idea how many references that movie made in regards to this show.  Interestingly, I was surprised how differently this show felt compared to the 1938 Errol Flynn “The Adventures of Robin Hood”.  While the film had a playful tone, the tv show takes itself more seriously.  The show does get more fun as it goes on and it embraces it’s swashbuckler heritage perfectly.  One thing I liked is how the pilot covered his time in the crusades without focusing on it entirely like the Russell Crowe “Robin Hood” movie.

    The show helped spawn a feature film in 1960 called “Sword of Sherwood Forest“ which also starred Richard Greene and co-starred Peter Cushing.  Greene played Robin Hood as a noble who knew when to fight and when to live to fight another day.  I actually enjoyed Greene’s performance more than some other actors but he isn’t my favorite either.

    It is hard to say if someone should binge this show or not mainly due to it’s age.  I think older audiences would get a kick out of it while younger people just wouldn’t find it accessible in my opinion.  It was interesting to see a show feature sponsors in their opening credits though.

Overall Grade: B

To Binge or not to Binge Verdict: BINGE(For people 30+) NOT TO BINGE (For people under 30)

Buy “The Adventures of Robin Hood” The Complete Series on DVD Today!!!

“John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars” Movie Review

    As a teenager, I was overly obsessed with science fiction films.  I discovered the Star Wars films while I was in middle school and there was no turning back.  I soon found myself watching every Star Trek property I could get my hands on after my Star Wars fix ran dry.  I would watch anything science fiction related, from Lost in Space to Battlestar Galactica.  When I was in high school, I vaguely remember seeing previews for the film “John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars” and wanting to see it.  I think the concept of a Mars related action movie sounded fun.  Still, until I was provided a review copy from Mill Creek Entertainment, I had not had the chance to see the movie up until this week.

    The film follows Lt. Melanie Ballard and her team as they get assigned to transport James 'Desolation' Williams from a mining colony on Mars.  ‘Desolation’ Williams was accused of killing a group of people but everything isn’t what it seems.  While searching through the mines Williams is locked in, Ballard and her team find out that everyone is missing.  As it turns out, the ancient ghosts of the Martians who lived on the planet before us had possessed everyone in the mining colony and they start attacking everyone.  To survive, Ballard and her squadron must join forces with ‘Desolation’ Williams as they do their best to fight back against the ghosts of Mars.

    After watching this movie, I couldn’t help but feel like this film just didn’t click with me.  So much of the movie just felt off.  Perhaps it’s because a lot of the things going on behind the scenes were off.  Yes, I had to do research after watching this because I was trying to piece together what went wrong with this movie only because John Carpenter is usually a fairly solid filmmaker.  As it turns out, much of the problem with the film lies outside of Carpenter’s control.

    I learned quickly something that made a lot of sense, “John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars” started it’s life out as “Escape from Mars”, a third Snake Plissken film.  This makes a lot of sense considering this film feels a little as if it assumed we already knew the lead character.  To some degree, we should have.  I guess after “Escape from L.A.” flopped, this potential sequel had to be reworked.

    John Carpenter initially wanted Jason Statham to play the lead role of ‘Desolation’ Williams but the studio wanted a box office draw in the lead role so Statham was demoted to main supporting cast.  The studio insisted Ice Cube get the lead part.  I guess they were big N.W.A fans because Ice Cube wasn’t exactly a huge box office draw.  I can see a meeting with the executives there: “It’s hot on Mars, right?  Maybe we need to cool it off with a little...Ice Cube.”  (A round of applause follows).  Natasha Henstridge of “Species” fame plays Lt. Melanie Ballard after Courtney Love had to drop out.  Joanna Cassidy from “Blade Runner” has a supporting role but I found her distracting because in this movie, she reminded me of Jane Lynch.  Lastly, Robert Carradine shows up in the movie and basically does nothing,

    “John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars” is the film that caused the master of horror to leave Hollywood and I don’t blame him.  All the studio interference would drive any filmmaker crazy.  Despite the title, I have a feeling Carpenter called very few of the shots in the creative process.  This makes the film feel like a traditional John Carpenter film but lacks the suspense and humor of most of his other movies.

    The action is choreographed awkward and slow.  The fights don’t flow in a natural way and feel very staged.  Overall, the film just feels messy and rushed and the sequel bait  at the end seems a bit humorous in hindsight.  Still, it’s a freaking John Carpenter film and he can make anything watchable.  Added to his skills behind the lens, Carpenter also provides a killer score.  It’s just sad seeing a film that had so much potential turn out so average.

Grade: C

Buy “Ghosts of Mars” on Blu-ray Here!!!

“White Boy Rick” Movie Review

    I grew up in Westland, Michigan until moving to the small town of Howell, Michigan.  Westland is about 15-20 miles from downtown Detroit and both cities are in Wayne County.  My grandparents on my dad’s side remained in Detroit until their passing and saw the city go from a beautiful metropolis to a war zone because of the race riots.  As a result, tensions and crime have remained a constant in the city.  Like any conflict or war, there are undoubtedly people who try to capitalize on the situation.  One such individual was a kid nicknamed White Boy Rick.

    “White Boy Rick” is based on the true story of Rick Wershe Jr. and his father during the drug epidemic of the 80s in Detroit, Michigan.  Rick Wershe Sr. and his son sold guns under the table which led Rick Jr. down the path be ends up on.  After the FBI press his father, Rick Jr. agrees to become an informant for the bureau (he was the youngest informant in history at the age of 14).  Rick sells drugs on the behave of the FBI and becomes a recognizable figure in the drug suppling underworld in Detroit (hence the nickname of White Boy Rick).  Things go sour for Rick Jr. after local gangster Johnny Curry has Rick Jr. shot over fears he might be working for the feds.  After Curry and his crew end up getting arrested, Rick Jr. lies low for awhile.  After awhile however, White Boy Rick decides to sell cocaine again and lives large until the FBI arrest him and offer him a deal if he helps them with another big bust.  Unfortunately for White Boy Rick, the FBI looked the other way at his trial and Rick was sentenced to life in prison.

    White Boy Rick was a famous figure in Detroit and his story is well known.  While no one regarded Rick Wershe Jr. as a saint, he was also a figure most thought got a raw deal.  Rick spent roughly thirty years in prison and was the longest serving prisoner for a non violent crime.  The movie depicts Rick Wershe Jr. as he was, a monster created by the system and then abandoned by the same system.

    Richie Merritt plays the title character of Rick Wershe Jr. and does a convincing job of a kid who is manipulated by his father and then by the government.  Matthew McConaughey received top billing as Rick Wershe Sr. but is in more of a supporting role.  McConaughey does a fantastic job and even manages to tone down his accent and manage a passable midwestern accent.  The movie hinges greatly on the performances of Merritt and McConaughey and they bring their A game.

    Director Yann Demange manages to capture much of the atmosphere of late 80s Detroit despite it primarily being filmed in Cleveland.  Some second unit shooting was down in Detroit and I do wish more iconic settings were featured like Eastern Market (I have fond memories of Eastern Market as a kid).

    Of course, I have a bit of a personal connection to the movie because my grandparents lived near and knew Rick Wershe Sr. and Jr.  They actually thought he was a relatively nice young man (though their judgement in character wasn’t particularly good as you might have figured).  He had even been to their house as crazy as that sounds.

    “White Boy Rick” received mixed reviews and the film isn’t perfect.  Despite being fairly immersive, the film has some pacing issues and I do wish the film focused a bit more on the dynamic of the Wershe family. I have a feeling that is where a lot of the criticism regarding the film was derived from.  While all of those complaints can be made, I feel like those complaints equate more to nitpicking in the scope of the rest of the film.  Was the movie perfect?  No. Was the movie better than the average film based on a true story?  I personally think it was.

    I would personally recommend “White Boy Rick” to anyone interested in Michigan history or fans of crime dramas.  The film shows you the dark side of the city I spent a lot of my youth visiting and I lived near by.  I have an admittedly soft spot in my heart for Detroit history and for better or worse, White Boy Rick will remain an important figure in that history.

Grade: B

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” Movie Review

    Being just shy of turning 34, I feel like the Pokémon franchise has been around for most of my life.  Since the mid 90s, Pokémon has taken the world by storm.  The franchise has consisted of video games, trading card games, television shows, and animated movies.  Everywhere you looked, you couldn’t escape Pokémon.  It truly was a cultural phenomenon among the youth of America.

    “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” tells the story of...well...detective Pikachu.  Okay, there is a little more to it but I think Pikachu alone would sell the movie to most people.  After a detective is in a car accident outside of a top secret Pokémon lab, Tim Goodman is informed his father has died as a result of the crash.  Upon going to his father’s apartment in Ryme City (a city where humans and Pokémon live together in peace), he finds a Pikachu there.  This Pikachu is unlike any other Pokémon however because Tim can understand him.  After forming a bond, the pair set off to find the truth behind the disappearance of Tim’s father.

    I am going to start off with a bit of a disclaimer for this review.  I am not, nor have I ever been, the biggest fan of Pokémon in the world.  I have a passing knowledge of the universe but I have never played a Pokémon game or collected trading cards or anything like that.  I have watched a few episodes of the animated series but that is about the extent of my Pokémon experience before this film.  I essentially wanted to see this because the trailer looked entertaining.

    I have some mixed feelings about this film.  On the plus side, this is probably the best video game adaptation to date.  While this is the first live action Pokémon movie made, there have been three animated Pokémon movies that have hit theaters (in addition to several movies that were released direct to video).  This adaptation lifts several elements from “Pokémon: The First Movie” including the inclusion of Mewtwo. One aspect of the film I felt a little let down by was that much of the humor of the film was highlighted in the trailer.  I was expecting a little funnier film even though I did enjoy the finished project.  I just wish the film was marketed a bit less humor heavy.

    The film stars as Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu.  Reynolds provides the voice and facial motion caption for the Pokémon.  Justice Smith plays Tim Goodman and has good chemistry with his computer animated co-star.  Smith has improved significantly since his critically panned role in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”.  Screen veterans Bill Nighy and Ken Watanabe add a level of credibility to the film.

    The film was directed by Rob Letterman who previously helmed “Goosebumps”.  Like “Goosebumps”, “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” was made for adult fans of the franchise.  The production design was a bit neon noir feeling not completely unlike “Blade Runner”.  The creature design was also fantastic.  The Pokémon felt feel and adorable throughout most of the movie.  Pikachu and Psyduck were among the standout creatures in the film.

    Overall, “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” is a cute nostalgia trip geared more for fans who grew up with the phenomenon as opposed to young fans just getting into the franchise.  While it wasn't exactly the movie I was hoping for, that doesn't make it a bad movie either.

Grade: B-

“Eyes of Laura Mars” Movie Review

    It’s new release Tuesday for home video releases and one of the films hitting stores is a forgotten film titled “Eyes of Laura Mars”.  The film is being released through Mill Creek Entertainment and once again, they were kind enough to provide me a review copy.  As you may already know, these movies often range a great deal in quality.  Some films are forgotten gems while others should probably stay buried.  Regardless of how good or bad I feel certain films are, I am thankful Mill Creek Entertainment makes these films available for collectors such as myself.  I had never heard of “Eyes of Laura Mars” before so I was curious what type of film this might turn out to be.  It was a little ironic that I was watching a film titled “Eyes of Laura Mars” blindly.

    The film tells the story of Laura Mars, a shock photographer whose photos depict violence and nudity.  Mars begins to have visions of her associates being killed and it feels as though she is there, seeing the murders through the eyes of the killer.  Uncertain what to do when she begins to find out these people have been murdered, she goes to the police to tell her story and is helped by Lieutenant John Neville.  Through their encounters, Laura and John begin to develop feelings for each other.  Lieutenant Neville tries to protect Laura as the pair try to figure out who the killer is but like any good suspense film, things aren’t always how they appear.

    When I first started watching this film, I was sure I wasn’t going to like it.  I just wasn’t feeling the beginning of the movie because I am not someone too keen on the art scene.  Perhaps I am just too blue collar for all that artsy fartsy stuff.  I always commit to watching review copies through though and I was glad I did.  As the film progressed, I found myself being pulled into the story more and wondering how everything was going to play out.  Fleshing out the amazing supporting cast as the film went on also helped the movie.

    The film does an amazing job with helping the audience feel as if they are in New York during the late 70s.  There is so much atmosphere to soak in and the film does a good job showcasing the art scene of the era.  One thing I didn’t care for was the soundtrack.  A lot of the featured music just doesn’t hold up.  At it’s core, this story feels like it would have been better served as an episode of “Tales From the Crypt” as opposed to a feature length movie.

    The film has a stellar cast with Faye Dunaway as the title character, Laura Mars.  Dunaway manages to deliver an amazing performance and she was perfectly cast.  Dunaway’s eyes are captivating and haunting and help convey much of the film’s suspense.  Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as Lieutenant Neville in one of his early film roles.  Jones portrays Neville as conflicted and righteous in his view of the world.  The film has a strong supporting cast as well.  Brad Dourif of “Child’s Play” fame plays Laura’s driver while “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” favorite Rene Auberjonois plays Mars’ agent.

    The movie was co-written by John Carpenter based on his spec script titled “Eyes”.  Famed producer and former hair stylist Jon Peters bought the spec script for his then girlfriend Barbara Streisand to star in.  Streisand decided the film was too sexual in nature and opted to pass on it, although she did sing the film’s opening ballad.  Irvin Kershner directed this film before his success with “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” and “RoboCop 2”.

    Part of me doesn’t really know what to make or think of this film to be honest.  I know I actually enjoyed it and I was glad I got a chance to see this unearthed suspense gem.  I would recommend watching this personally but I would warn everyone that the first ten or so minutes aren’t easy to get through.  Once the suspense kicks up a notch, so does the movie!

Grade: C+

Buy “Eyes of Laura Mars” on Blu-ray Here!!!

“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” Movie Review

    With “Avengers: Endgame” continuing to break almost every box office record known to man and being shown on almost every screen theaters have, most studios wisely decided not to release many new titles against the box office juggernaut that is the last Avengers movie (with the original Avengers at least).  So with that being said, there wasn’t many options in the theaters this week so my girlfriend and I decided to sit this week out and just watch something at home.  Instead of hitting up my film library, we both remembered that Netflix just released the new movie about Ted Bundy starring Zac Efron.  Everyone seems to be talking about this movie on social media so I will share my thoughts on “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”.

    The film follows Ted Bundy as he is arrested and sent to trial for murder because he matched the description of a serial killer the police had been searching for.  Most of the film is told through his time on trial and it only briefly reflects on his life outside of prison and court.  For the moments depicted outside of court and prison, Ted Bundy’s relationship with Elizabeth Kendall is explored and shows Bundy as actually loving Liz.  Rarely are any of the crimes depicted (except for one at the very end) and the film almost tries to present Ted Bundy from the view point a jury might have seen him through, where his guilt rests on the trial as opposed to the audience being shown he is the murderer.

    The movie was directed by Joe Berlinger who is famous for his documentary films.  In fact, the popular Ted Bundy documentary “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” was also directed by Berlinger and this films serves as a sort of companion piece.  Much of what was discussed in the documentary was depicted in the movie.

    The film was decent but wasn’t as captivating as I thought it would be.  A movie focused on one of the most prolific serial killers of our time should depict more than court drama and family life in my opinion.  I appreciated the approach but sometimes movies follow formulas for a reason and you have to do something captivating if you are going to change it up but making the film boring at times isn’t the best route.

    For a Netflix movie, this was probably a cut above most (no pun intended), but it’s still a rather average film as a whole.  I would say the one thing that actually elevates this film is it’s cast.  Zac Efron actually delivers an uncharacteristic performance as the charming but off Ted Bundy.  I am not a big Zac Efron fan but he actually delivered a killer performance (okay, pun intended there).  The film has a pretty solid supporting cast with the biggest highlight being John Malkovich as the judge who ultimately delivers his execution sentence.  The same praise can not be given to Lily Collins as Bundy’s girlfriend Liz.  Collins just doesn’t seem to click in this film and her acting, while serviceable to the film, also doesn’t add much.  Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” also shows up as the prosecutor in the state of Florida.  I personally felt Parsons was a bit distracting in the role but my girlfriend felt he did a good job.

    The film was based on the book “The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy” written by Ted Bundy’s ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall which detailed Liz’s relationship with the serial killer.  It is a classic case of the truth being stranger than fiction.

    The film does have some charm apart from it’s cast.  At times, the film does manage to derive some humor surrounding the gruesome situation.  It also briefly manages to tackle the absurdity surrounding so many women being attracted to Ted Bundy even after finding out he was a murderer.  The movie is also blessed with a fantastic soundtrack featuring many classic oldies.

    “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” isn’t a perfect film and it is easy to see why it found a home on Netflix as opposed to the multiplex.  The film is worth watching for Zac Efron’s performance alone.  Sadly, there isn’t much else to set this film apart from other average movies.

Grade: C+

The 2019 Next Level Blockbuster Award Winners

Best Picture

Avengers: Infinity War (Winner)

Aquaman

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Creed II

Green Book

Isle of Dogs

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

A Star Is Born

Best Comedy Picture

Crazy Rich Asians (Winner)

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Blockers

Deadpool 2

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Best Action Picture

Mission: Impossible- Fallout (Winner)

Aquaman

Black Panther

Bumblebee

Venom

Best Horror Picture

Halloween (Winner)

The First Purge

The Nun

A Quiet Place

The Strangers: Prey At Night

Best Inspirational Picture

I Can Only Imagine (Winner)

God Bless the Broken Road

March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step

Pick of the Litter

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Best Drama Picture

Bohemian Rhapsody (Winner)

Creed II

First Man

Green Book

A Star Is Born

Best Science Fiction Picture

Avengers: Infinity War (Winner)

The Cloverfield Paradox

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Live Action Family Picture

Paddington 2 (Winner)

Benji

Christopher Robin

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Best Animated Family Picture

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Winner)

The Grinch

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Incredibles 2

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

Best Digital or Direct to Video Picture

Bird Box (Winner)

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

The Cloverfield Paradox

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

Roma

Best Actor

Rami Malek/Bohemian Rhapsody (Winner)

Christian Bale/Vice

Chadwick Boseman/Black Panther

Bradley Cooper/A Star Is Born

Robert Downey Jr./Avengers: Infinity War

Ryan Gosling/First Man

Michael B. Jordan/Creed II

Viggo Mortensen/Green Book

Ryan Reynolds/Deadpool 2

John David Washington/BlacKkKlansman

Best Actress

Lady Gaga/A Star Is Born (Winner)

Yalitza Aparicio/Roma

Emily Blunt/A Quiet Place

Sandra Bullock/Bird Box

Jamie Lee Curtis/Halloween

Jennifer Lawrence/Red Sparrow

Evangeline Lilly/Ant-Man and the Wasp

Danielle Macdonald/Dumplin‘

Tessa Thompson/Creed II

Constance Wu/Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actress

Michelle Yeoh/Crazy Rich Asians (Winner)

Jennifer Aniston/Dumplin‘

Awkwafina/Crazy Rich Asians

Marina de Tavira/Roma

Cynthia Erivo/Bad Times at the El Royale

Claire Foy/First Man

Danai Gurira/Black Panther

Zoe Kazan/The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Regina King/If Beale Street Could Talk

Lupita Nyong’o/Black Panther

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali/Green Book (Winner)

Josh Brolin/Avengers: Infinity War

Adam Driver/BlacKkKlansman

Donald Glover/Solo: A Star Wars Story

Woody Harrelson/Solo: A Star Wars Story

Tom Holland/Avengers: Infinity War

Michael B. Jordan/Black Panther

Tim Blake Nelson/The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Sylvester Stallone/Creed II

Patrick Wilson/Aquaman

Best Ensemble

Avengers: Infinity War (Winner)

Aquaman

Black Panther

Crazy Rich Asians

Mission: Impossible- Fallout

Best Director

Bradley Cooper/A Star Is Born (Winner)

Wes Anderson/Isle of Dogs

Steven Caple Jr./Creed II

Damien Chazelle/First Man

Ryan Coogler/Black Panther

Peter Farrelly/Green Book

Ron Howard/Solo: A Star Wars Story

Anthony and Joe Russo/Avengers: Infinity War

Bryan Singer/Bohemian Rhapsody

James Wan/Aquaman

Best Adapted Screenplay

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely/Avengers: Infinity War (Winner)

Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole/Black Panther

Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan/Solo: A Star Wars Story

Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman/Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters/A Star Is Born

Best Original Screenplay

Anthony McCarten/Bohemian Rhapsody (Winner)

Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, and Peter Farrelly/Green Book

Wes Anderson/Isle of Dogs

Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski/A Quiet Place

Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian/Searching

Best Original Music

Ludwig Göransson/Black Panther (Winner)

Alan Silvestri/Avengers: Infinity War

Justin Hurwitz/First Man

Alexandre Desplat/Isle of Dogs

John Powell/Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Original Song

“Shallow” performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

from the motion picture “A Star Is Born” (Winner)

“All the Stars” performed by Kendrick Lamar and SZA

from the motion picture “Black Panther”

“Pray for Me” performed by The Weekend and Kendrick Lamar

from the motion picture “Black Panther”

“Sunflower” performed by Post Malone and Swae Lee

from the motion picture “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

“Venom” performed by Eminem

from the motion picture “Venom”

Best Production Design

Black Panther (Winner)

Aquaman

First Man

Mute

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Cinematography

First Man (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Roma

A Star Is Born

Best Costume Design

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Winner)

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Bohemian Rhapsody

Best 3D Presentation

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Winner)

Aquaman

Avengers: Infinity War

Skyscraper

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Film Editing

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

Bad Times at the El Royale

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Sound Editing

Bohemian Rhapsody (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Solo: A Star Wars Story

A Star Is Born

Best Sound Mixing

Bohemian Rhapsody (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch

Solo: A Star Wars Story

A Star Is Born

Best Special Effects

Aquaman (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Ready Player One

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Makeup Effects

Vice (Winner)

Avengers: Infinity War

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Deadpool 2

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Stunt Work

Mission: Impossible- Fallout (Winner)

Black Panther

Deadpool 2

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Skyscraper

Best Home Video Release

Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition Blu-ray Set (Winner)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes MVD Rewind Collection Blu-ray

Avengers: Infinity War 4K Blu-ray

Deadpool 2 Super Duper $@%!#& Cut 4K Blu-ray

Fraggle Rock: The Complete Series Blu-ray Set

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 3D Blu-ray

Justice League 4K Blu-ray

Night of the Living Dead The Criterion Collection Blu-ray

Stranger Things Season 2 4K Blu-ray Set

Supergirl Warner Bros. Archieve Collection Blu-ray

Next Level Blockbuster Icon Award

Marlon Brando

Heath Ledger

Christopher Reeve

Gene Roddenberry

Orson Welles

Next Level Blockbuster Legacy Award

Ghostbusters

The Godfather

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Superman: The Movie