31 Days of Fright Throwback Thursday Edition: GILA! (2012)

While Facebook may have popularized the "Throwback Thursday" concept, the idea has spread to other on-line outlets as well. So, why not this one?! Exploitation flicks certainly aren't immune to employing a throwback now and then, whether it's a remake or retro homage. Exploitation film legend Jim Wynorski's GILA! seems to fall into both categories as you'll see in Jay Kulpa's review of the surprisingly wholesome entry in the director's bodacious filmography.

The Fifties were a wonderful time for toxic waste. How could anyone hate something suspected by movie-makers everywhere to make everything bigger and super-powered? If it had that reputation today, we'd put it in a pill for “male enhancement.”

Now if there's one thing THE GIANT GILA MONSTER proved back in 1959, it's that while some things were fearsome when writ large, a small, lethargic lizard wasn't one of them. Jim Wynorski's playful and surprisingly wholesome remake doesn't try to alter that legacy. GILA! shows the monster in the first two minutes, but its heart is firmly on-sleeve before that, a romp faithful to the can-do spirit and containable menace of that era's monster movies.

Our plot features the nefarious and improper disposal of that aforementioned toxic waste, leading to a giant, cave-dwelling mutated Gila Monster that can only be brought down by a plucky band of hot-rodding, yet wholesome, heroes... but not before he makes short work of a barn, a train, and a couple townspeople in pursuit of what must be a two-million-calorie-a-day diet.

The setting is a dreary, chilly-looking rural America we can assume is the Fifties, or at least a “TWIN PEAKS-ish” approximation, invoked mostly by the wealth of vintage cars on display. You can practically picture the nervous owners chewing their nails off camera. Costumes vaguely evoke the period, with extras clearly given only the loosest wardrobe directives and nary a beehive in sight. Flat sunlight and soggy, bare trees (outside of train segment B-roll clearly from a different film) evoke a specific “Indiana Winter” flavor and an unintentional “ebbing optimism, but before crystal meth” coal country atmosphere. Yet this is directly contrasted by a sense of place and time established almost in spite of itself. People and events “feel” right, and the surprisingly large cast could win over the hardest of hearts. Rumpled Sheriff Terence Knox and lovely (though anachronistic) Deputy Kelli Maroney team up with hot-rodding Brian Gross and his pals to turn our meager monster into 10,000 future lizard skin belts, shoes, and purses. The plot is simple, characters behave somewhat rationally, and the pacing breathes without sagging.

Overall, GILA! feels fast and loose, though rarely sloppy. The time-period touches and competent cast win you over to lousy CGI, with a low budget belied by the amount of material that makes it on the screen. Wynorski reminds here that he's a pro through and through. This is a callback to his Eighties output more than the POPATOPOLIS era of single-location weekend shoots where the only special effects are a couple of rack-focused racks (such as HOUSE ON HOOTER HILL). Still, would one sorely needed can of hairspray have broken the budget?

With any Wynorski film, the actresses must be mentioned. From his BIG BAD MAMA II days, he brings back two actresses most welcome to any B-movie lover, the always charming Kelli Maroney and Julie McCullough. They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves, though their screen time is far too brief. Christina DeRosa makes the strongest impression of the remaining cast, packing delicious personality into every closeup. She's more than just the pretty face and magnificent chest so signature of Wynorski's work.

Who doesn't love a giant monster? Much less classic cars and pretty girls? Is GILA! great? No. Is it a pleasurable way of whiling away an afternoon when the weather outside equals that in the movie? Absolutely. You can even share this retro monster movie with the kids, and you might even crack a smile in the process.

(A note of the DVD: it has some of the worst menu screens in the history of DVDs. If you can read gray on gray, though, you should be fine. The box art seems to want one to mistake Brian Gross for Channing Tatum, and the copy gives the entire plot away.) – Jay Kulpa

Jay Kulpa is a longtime contributor to ER and the head honcho at BigLugLand.com. He recently wrote about BONG OF THE DEAD, DISCO EXORCIST and others in the pages of Exploitation Retrospect #52 (available from our website).

GILA! is available from Amazon. 

Get Ready for Halloween with Our DVD Clearance

Looking to bulk up your Halloween viewing list? Need even more frightfully good sinema to add to your shelves?

Then be sure to check out our recently launched Dan's Funky Finds ebay store. We'll be adding original movie posters plus tons of zines and vintage mags in the coming months (including about 20 years of 60s/70s/80s PLAYBOY) but right now we're unloading gently used and new DVD and Blu-Ray titles.

Current items for sale and auction include:

• MASTERS OF HORROR 10 Episode Lot featuring 9 DVDs worth of installments from directors like Tom Holland, Larry Cohen, John Landis and Dario Argento
• SLASHER, a 2010 "kids in the woods" horror throwback from Unearthed Films
• The three-disc unrated collector's edition of Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN reboot
• Anchor Bay's two-disc special edition of the greatest film ever made
• A double bill Blu-Ray featuring FREDDY'S REVENGE and THE DREAM WARRIORS, two of my fave A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET sequels
• The frightfully fun BEST OF BARNABAS 'Dark Shadows' Collection
• And more

If you're not an ebay shopper many of these same titles (along with other cool finds) can be found at our Amazon storefront.

Don't miss out on our upcoming listings... "like" our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for news about our latest finds and listings.

ER #52 Call for Contributions!

The recently-relaunched Exploitation Retrospect: The Journal of Junk Culture and Fringe Media is currently accepting submissions for our Fall 2013 issue (#52).

We are especially looking for:

• reviews of horror, sci-fi, exploitation and low-budget cinema available via DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS and streaming formats;
• interviews with non-mainstream actors, actresses, directors, producers;
• articles in the 1200-2500 word range (can be career overviews, genre explorations, etc.);
• comic, magazine, zine and book reviews.

In addition to our usual lineup of horror, sci-fi and exploitation cinema the issue will also feature the debut of our new ASSIGNMENT: ACTION! section featuring reviews of men's adventure novels of the 70s/80s and beyond, action cinema, remembrances of memorable action series and characters and so on. If you dig Remo Williams, The Chameleon, The Penetrator, ABLE Team, The Executioner and their ilk we are definitely seeking contributions from you!

Deadline for submissions is August 1, 2013 with an anticipated publication date of mid-October. All contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the issue. (Please note... this is a hard deadline in order to make our print date and any submissions received after this date may not be included in the issue.)

If you have ideas for interviews, articles or other contributions please contact me via e-mail before embarking on anything.

Not sure contributing to ER is right for you? Feel free to explore this blog, check out our long-running website or order a copy of ER #51 (still available from our website... now in its second printing).

An ER Holiday Classick: BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

Here's a review of a holiday horror fave from the ERchives...

It's a bit of a bummer to be writing this review after the tragic and untimely death of director Bob Clark, who died with his son Ariel on April 4, 2007 at the hands of a drunk driver. Best known for such disparate flicks as the original PORKY'S and the holiday favorite A CHRISTMAS STORY, Clark is equally beloved by fright fans for his trio of early, groundbreaking works: the hippie/zombie hybrid CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS; the politically charged DEATHDREAM (featuring a zombified Vietnam vet in the days when the conflict was a daily presence on the evening news); and, BLACK CHRISTMAS, which established the often-cribbed blueprint of a mysterious killer hacking his way through a shopping list of co-ed cuties, frequently around a holiday. In fact, the blueprint has become such a shopworn genre cliche that CABIN FEVER and HOSTEL director Eli Roth spoofed it with THANKSGIVING, his contribution to 2007's double feature concept flick GRINDHOUSE.

For some unknown reason I've always had a mental block about renting BLACK CHRISTMAS. I love Clark's work – especially his other aforementioned horror films – but I can't count how many times I knowingly passed on this classic. I really wish I knew why but I don't. Luckily, because of the 2006 remake (to be reviewed at a later date), renewed interest in the original resulted in this special edition...

Read the complete review at Exploitation Retrospect: The Journal of Junk Culture and Fringe Media.

31 DAYS OF FRIGHT: If It Had a Mind, You Could Reason With It

Remakes, remakes, remakes.

With all the hand-wringing and protestations going on with the release of LET ME IN – largely before anybody had seen a frame, mind you – you'd think remakes and "reimaginings" hadn't already been a large part of the Hollywood fright factory.

While I'm not crazy about the latest trend toward remaking stuff that came out when I was in my 20s – mostly because it makes me feel really old – I'll be the first to admit that a good remake, done right, in capable hands can be more than just a ton of fun.

Sometimes, it can even be better than the original.

Give me Carpenter's THE THING or Cronenberg's take on THE FLY any day. And some might consider it blasphemy but I'd probably rather watch Zack Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD than Romero's at least half the time. Maybe more.

But perhaps my favorite 80s remake of a dusty old "classic" has to be Chuck Russell's gooey, gloppy version of THE BLOB.

Russell, responsible for the highly entertaining third installment of the ELM STREET series, continues his winning ways with this excellent, inventive, gory, fun horror flick that holds fast to one of Joe Bob Briggs's all-important requirements: "Anybody can die at any time!!!"

Future ENTOURAGE scene-stealer Kevin Dillon stars as the town tough-guy, a leather-wearin', beer-drinkin', motorcycle-ridin', earring-sportin' rebel who inadvertently stumbles upon a drunk who's been "blobbed." This brings him into direct contact with Shawnee Smith (the preggo chick from SUMMER SCHOOL) and Donovan Leitch (son of 60s singer Donovan and brother of thespian Ione Skye). In an excellent twist Leitch, the nominal hero, gets blobbed and Dillon inexplicably gets blamed for the murder.

Soon, the blob is running, err, oozing rampant all over town, gobbling up everything in its path including a diner owner (Candy Clark) and the town sheriff. Dillon and Smith are forced to team up when government "medical experts" quarantine the town in an interesting and effective twist reminiscent of Romero's THE CRAZIES which lets the flick stay true to its roots while also verging into new territory to satisfy us conspiracy-minded viewers.

Eventually Smith and Dillon save the day, but not before we get some excellent deaths, great tough guy standoffs, a killer revision of the famous movie theatre scene, some brilliant acting from ER fav Art LeFleur (TRANCERS, ZONE TROOPERS) as Smith's dad, an appearance by the deceased Jack Nance and fantastic behind-the-scenes work from Dillon's hairdresser who keeps the star's flowing locks from looking mussed as he saves the world from the titular monster and various government baddies.

THE BLOB's $20 million budget is all visible on screen, although some of the matte work is pretty cheesy. However, the sum of the parts more than make up for a few minor gaffes, and the twist ending is effective instead of groanable. Way to go!

And to prove that what's good for the goose is good for the gander, THE BLOB is slated for what I can only assume will be a CGI-packed 21st century update. The much-maligned Rob Zombie had been attached to helm the flick but he has reportedly dropped out of the flick so he can direct the witchy LORDS OF SALEM.

Check out the trailer for the 1988 version below.

And the Award Goes To... My Best in Film and DVD for 2009

I'm not exactly sure how it got to be this late in 2010 before I got around to writing up my 2009 movie/DVD "best of" list. But I figured that if February 1, 2010 rolled around before it got posted there wasn't much sense in posting it.

When I posted this list on Facebook a week or so ago I was mildly surprised that people were asking me how I found the time to watch so many flicks. Frankly, I didn't think I'd seen that many and so I started digging into the numbers:

First Time Watches: 75
Rewatches: 30

While that number represents a slight increase over 2008 it still pales in comparison to the days when I'd see 200 new movies a year, including about 75% of the theatrical releases that hit the Delaware Valley. Back then, of course, I was a single zine editor who cared about movies, music and drink... and not necessarily in that order.

These days I'm a married, work-at-home dad with a precocious two-and-a-half year-old daughter so I guess it should come as somewhat of a surprise that I was able to squeeze in what amounts to two movies per week. But, upon closer examination, I realized that about one-third of everything I saw – roughly 30 flicks – came about thanks to three marathon viewing sessions: a weekend of trash viewing while my wife and daughter were in Florida; a weekend in Cleveland with pals from the European Trash Paradise; and, the annual Exhumed Marathon.

Take those 30 flicks – watched over a period of about six days – out of the mix and now we're looking at a much more realistic rate of one movie every 4.8 days. And with my daughter's aversion to afternoon naps I fear my 2010 total will be much, much lower.

That said, I'm happy to report that 2009 brought some pleasant surprises, a lot of flicks I'd recommend without hesitation and very few disappointments. Please keep in mind that I saw only three first-run releases in the theater (WATCHMEN, STAR TREK and THE HANGOVER) so almost everything on this list is not from 2009, these are just the things I watched in 2009. The full list will be posted below but first, some awards...

MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
After the success of the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake and the public's apparent appetite for all things zombie, it came as no surprise that George Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD was tagged for a redo. Though it was handed over to horror hack Steve Miner I was looking forward to an updating of what I think is the underrated gem of Romero's zombie oeuvre. Unfortunately, word quickly spread that the finished flick was an unwatchable turd unsuitable for theatrical release. I caught up with it on Netflix Instant View one afternoon (Greatest. Invention. Ever.) and discovered it wasn't quite as bad as I'd heard though still nowhere near as good as I'd originally hoped. Miner's pedestrian direction lacks suspense, the storyline dispenses with most of the science vs. military plot of the original in favor of a CGI shoot 'em up and stars Nick Cannon and Mena Suvari make Lori Cardille and Joe Pilato look like Oscar nominees, but if you can overlook these things and check your brain at the door you might actually dig this in-name-only remake.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Like most horror fans I've been a fan of Bruce "The Chin" Campbell since he first threw himself around the cabin with reckless abandon in Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD. Roles in that flick's two sequels cemented him as a B-movie star of note and I was always glad to see him pop up in something, whether it was a short-lived tv show, mainstream superhero flick or deodorant commercial. 2002's BUBBA HO-TEP reinforced the argument that Campbell, superb as an aging Elvis fighting a deadly mummy, was capable of greatness even when not playing Ash. Unfortunately, 2007's MY NAME IS BRUCE proved that even the great ones have their low-points... and this one was pretty low. Though I loved the concept of Campbell as a B-movie star with an overblown ego who gets mistaken for the heroes from his films, the whole thing is borderline unwatchable and easily a contender for the worst thing I watched all year. And I watched Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN remake/massacre.

MOST AMBITIOUS EUROTRASH FLICK
These days, my love of Eurotrash knows no bounds. While I was once strictly devoted to Italian splatter and all things Kinski my horizons have been opened (thanks to the aforementioned ETP) and I find myself eagerly diving into every giallo, Spaghetti western and Eurospy I can dig up to go along with my never-ending love of gorefests, post-nukes, Naschy flicks, Kinski and more. Heck, I even watched four Emanuelle flicks this year and waded through some of what I call "The Forgotten Fulcis". But of all the Eurotrash that I watched (roughly one-third of my 75 new watches), the one I got the biggest kick out of may have been the wonderfully ambitious ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN. I remember this flick hitting US shores as SCREAMERS, whose newspaper ads promised I'd see "a man turned inside out". What I didn't know was that Sergio Martino's late 70s epic was an enthusiastic mash-up of nature run amok, Jules Verne, voodoo and DR. MOREAU all rolled into one crazy ball. Mya's recent DVD release of the flick excises the shot-for-SCREAMERS inserts (with Cameron Mitchell) and restores it to its original glory, complete with underwater cities, Barbara Bach in wet tops, drug addicted fishmen, a slumming Joseph Cotten, and Richard Johnson as the Snidely Whiplash of Eurotrash villains.

MOST OVERRATED REMAKE OF A SEAGAL FLICK
When I first started seeing the commercials for the Liam Neeson revenge flick TAKEN I quipped to a pal that I'd be more likely to see it if it starred Steven Seagal. He responded that I needed to see Seagal's BELLY OF THE BEAST. Sure enough I rented the ironically-titled BELLY and it's pretty much the same film as TAKEN, complete with Big Steve as a retired CIA op whose daughter gets kidnapped while on a Thai vacation with a senator's daughter. Faster than you can say "blousy kimono" Seagal is kicking ass and saying things like "Anybody who stands in my way it's them or me!". I'd probably have nicer things to say about TAKEN were it not for the distracting presence of Maggie Grace, who was more than a decade older than her 17-year-old character at the time of shooting. Grace runs about spasmodically, shamelessly overacting to the point where her arrival on-screen was met with outright laughter, ruining what should have been a highly entertaining "gotta get my daughter back" revenge-a-thon worthy of Cannon-era Bronson.

BEST USE OF BIG STEVE IN A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
Since we're on the topic of Big Steve I thought we'd segue right into this award, which I had initially hoped would go to the highly anticipated A&E tv series STEVEN SEAGAL: LAWMAN. For those who haven't seen the reality series, it follows Seagal (a 20 year veteran of the New Orleans PD... seriously) and his team as they ferret out crime in some of the worst sections of a post-Katrina Big Easy. Unfortunately, despite my high expectations for LAWMAN it falls into that sad reality category of "if you've seen one you've seen 'em all". The show tries to wrap each installment in some Big Steve Message (drugs are bad, guard dogs are good, Zen and the art of target shooting) but there's no drama, the black shoe polish on Seagal's hair is highly distracting, and you can only laugh at the doughy action star "oof"-ing his frame in and out of the SUV so many times. Granted, Seagal-Vision (TM) is a technological advance that blows Cameron's 3-D sci-fi flick out of the water, but I hate having to suffer through the actual show in order to see it. As egomaniacal reality shows go this one's more "real" than GENE SIMMONS' FAMILY JEWELS, but that show features better actors delivering the scripted "reality". And so, the award for Best Use of Big Steve in a Movie or TV Show goes to STEP BROTHERS, which features a hysterical scene of stars Will Ferrell and John Reilly bonding over Seagal's finest – and first – cinematic outing, ABOVE THE LAW.

BEST HOPE(S) FOR THE FUTURE OF HORROR
It can be a challenge to live life as an unapologetic horror fan. The flicks that end up getting the most press are often remakes of superior films from the genre's not-so-distant past or Americanized versions of tales of terror from Japan or Europe. When a truly entertaining genre effort does get made, the distributor frequently muffs it and shuffles the flick to the world of direct-to-DVD with little or no theatrical release. And that's too bad, especially in the case of at least four flicks I saw this year that I would have loved to see get a wide release instead of yet another installment of SAW or a wretched remake like MIRRORS. The best of the bunch was definitely SPLINTER, a claustrophobic and bloody re-imagining of Carpenter's THE THING largely set in gas station convenience store. Anchored by great performances from the film's three leads (including Paulo Costanzo of the hit USA series ROYAL PAINS), SPLINTER features tight, suspenseful direction from Toby Wilkins that kept me on the edge of my seat. Though I didn't think it quite lived up to the hype, I thoroughly enjoyed the Halloween-themed anthology TRICK R TREAT and will make a point of digging it out annually. My other two favorites illustrate both sides of the slasher genre... Robert Hall's LAID TO REST is a brutal and bloody slasher flick that starts fast and never takes its foot off the gas while HATCHET is a clever and loving homage to the slasher flicks of the 80s that deftly balances the blood and boobs with actual humor. To say I'm looking forward to more from the makers of these flicks is an understatement, especially FROZEN, the new flick from HATCHET director Adam Green.

BEST REASONS TO DELVE INTO THE 80s
Sometimes I have to remind myself that it only seems like I've seen every single slice of horror, sleaze, sexploitation and trash from the 80s. Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, the annual Exhumed Marathon and friends who I'm pretty sure have seen every single trash film from the 80s I keep discovering new and wonderful flicks that occasionally blow my mind. This year I happily enjoyed viewings of Jess Franco's FACELESS, JP Simon's SLUGS and Lucio Fulci's MURDER ROCK, all the while wondering how these flicks flew under my radar for the last two decades. Even films that failed to live up to my expectations despite enthusiastic endorsements (HARD ROCK ZOMBIES, VISITING HOURS) were still time better spent than watching DOOMSDAY, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D, I LOVE YOU MAN or PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. Then again, pretty much every film on my list paled in comparison to AMERICAN HUNTER, BLOOD DELIRIUM, DEADLY PREY and RAW FORCE, an untouchable quartet of 80s Mindblowers... films whose viewing experiences left me aching with joy thanks to the passion and insanity thrown onto the screen. Without a doubt, seeing RAW FORCE – in which Cameron Mitchell and a cruise ship full of kung-fu champs and large breasted policewomen battle zombies, cannibals and a Hitler look-alike running a white slavery ring! – on the big screen was 2009's cinematic highlight.

Oh, I could keep going on handing out awards for things like Best Klaus Kinski Flick (FIVE FOR HELL), Bloodiest Mainstream Flick (the eye-popping RAMBO) and Best ALIENS Rip-Off Masquerading as a Zombie Flick (ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING) or spend time debating the merits of EMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS vs. EMANUELLE & THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE, but I've probably prattled on long enough.

2009 was a surprisingly good year of viewing and with technology like Netflix Instant View bringing more and more trash straight into my living room (COLD PREY? GALE FORCE? BIG BAD WOLF?) not to mention a steady stream of DVD-R badness flowing from pals like David Zuzelo at TOMB IT MAY CONCERN, who knows what 2010 – and a new decade – has in store?

FIRST TIME WATCHES
---------------------------------
ADVENTURELAND
ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK
AMERICAN HUNTER
BABY MAMA
BEHIND THE MASK
BELLY OF THE BEAST
BLACK EMANUELLE 2
BLACK EMANUELLE/WHITE EMANUELLE
BLACK MAGIC 2
BLOOD DELIRIUM
BLOODY HANDS OF THE LAW
CAT IN THE BRAIN
THE CHILDREN
DAY OF THE DEAD (REMAKE)
THE DEAD NEXT DOOR
DEADLY PREY
DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE
DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE
DOOMSDAY: THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN
DOOMSDAY
DOOR INTO SILENCE
EMANUELLE & THE LAST CANNIBALS
EMANUELLE & THE WHITE SLAVE TRADE
EVIL FACE
FACELESS
FAST & FURIOUS
FIRED UP!
FIVE FOR HELL
GREY GARDENS
HALLOWEEN (UNRATED REMAKE)
THE HAND THAT FEEDS THE DEAD
THE HANGING WOMAN
THE HANGOVER
HARD ROCK ZOMBIES
HATCHET
I LOVE YOU, MAN
ISLAND OF THE FISHMEN
JULIE & JULIA
JUNGLE HEAT
LAID TO REST
MONSTER HUNTER
MURDER ROCK
MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D
MY NAME IS BRUCE
THE NEXT VICTIM
NIGHTMARE CASTLE
THE OBLONG BOX
OUT FOR A KILL
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
PLAGUE TOWN
PUNISHER: WAR ZONE
RAMBO
RATMAN
RAW FORCE
ROLE MODELS
THE SINFUL DWARF
SLUGS
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
SPLINTER
STAR TREK
STEP BROTHERS
THE STEPFORD CHILDREN
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
TAKEN
TALES OF THE BLACK FREIGHTER
TARANTULAS: THE DEADLY CARGO
TRAUMA
TROPIC THUNDER
TRICK 'R TREAT
THE U (30 FOR 30 Documentary)
VIGILANTE FORCE
VISITING HOURS
WATCHMEN
WEB OF THE SPIDER
WINTERBEAST
ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING

REPEAT VIEWINGS
-----------------------------
THE BEYOND
BLOOD SURF
CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD
CONQUEST
THE CONVENT
CRANK
CREEPSHOW
CURSE OF THE DEVIL
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
THE FLY (REMAKE)
FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART 5
FRIDAY THE 13TH: PART IV
GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND
GRADUATION DAY
HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD
LADY TERMINATOR
MANHATTAN BABY
MOTHER'S DAY
THE MUTILATOR
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (REMAKE)
ON DEADLY GROUND
THE PARTY ANIMAL
PIECES
PIRANHA
THE PSYCHIC
PSYCHO KICKBOXER
RE-ANIMATOR
SCREWBALLS
SUPER INFRA-MAN
THE VINDICATOR

CONAN Gets a Director and I Don't Mean O'Brien

Okay Conan fans. Is this one of those devil you know is better than the devil you don't situations? Rumored CONAN director Brett Ratner is apparently out of the director's chair and has been replaced by Marcus Nispel who helmed the recent TEXAS CHAINSAW and FRIDAY THE 13TH reboots.

I wasn't particularly impressed with his TCM remake and the combination of my frenzied (at the time) schedule and the less-than-stellar word-of-mouth kept me away from theaters when F13 was showing, though I will be checking it out when it hits DVD next week.

In the right hands I think a sword-and-sandal epic like CONAN could be a super fun time at the movies but I'm just wondering if this is the right cat for the gig.

However, as good buddy Neil Vokes pointed out to me elsewhere, Nispel did direct the Vikings vs. Indians flick PATHFINDER and "he's got the cinematic grit and brutality thing going for him".