Author: Tom Stockman

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Arrives on Digital February 26th and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD March 19th

The Academy Award Nominee for Best Animated Feature Film, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, swings onto Digital February 26 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD on March 19 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Animation. From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the uniquely creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, the film offers a fresh vision of the Spider-Man universe with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, a film that has grossed over $350 million in theaters worldwide to date, introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the iconic mask. “One of the most rewarding experiences in recent months has been to hear that children are telling their parents that they see themselves in Miles, or that they want to grow up to be like Spider-Gwen, anyone can be a hero. Thats why we made this film, and we hope that feeling of empowerment is something that both audiences young and old can take away,” say Directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman.

The out-of-this-world voice cast includes Shameik Moore as Miles Morales alongside Jake Johnson (“New Girl”) as Peter B. Parker, Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) as Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen, Mahershala Ali (Green Book) as Miles’ Uncle Aaron, Brian Tyree Henry (“Atlanta”) as Jefferson Davis, Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”) as Aunt May, Luna Lauren Velez (“How To Get Away with Murder”) as Rio Morales, Zoë Kravitz (“Big Little Lies”) as Mary Jane, John Mulaney (“Big Mouth”) as Spider-Ham, with Nicholas Cage (The Croods) as Spider-Man Noir, Kathryn Hahn (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation) as Doc Ock and Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”) as the villain Kingpin.

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE arrives filled with engaging bonus materials that are fun for the whole family and give fans even more of the unique comic book style action that they loved in theaters with over 90 minutes of bonus content. In his very own original short,  Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham, fan favorite Spider-Ham defeats his greatest foe, delivers sidesplitting puns, and get sucked into another dimension! It actually can get weirder! Don’t miss the thrilling Alternate Universe Mode where fans can view the film in an entirely new way to discover alternate scenes, plotlines, characters, and more with the filmmakers as their guide. Also included is The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge, where fans are challenged to find every single Easter Egg hidden within the Spider-Verse (and there are a lot of them!).  Explore the character design in the visually stunning film including specific looks at the now-iconic Spider-Ham character as well as the classic villains who inhabit the Spider-Verse. Additional special features include a celebration of the diversity in the film and the idea that anyone can wear the mask in a feature called We Are Spider-Man, a featurette called Spider-Verse: A New Dimension, where fans can hear from the artists and filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of the comic book artform to create a visual experience unlike anything done in animation before, a showcase of all the amazing fan favorite characters featured in the Spider-Verse and the actors who bring them to life, and  a touching tribute to comic legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, who originally created the Spider-Man character. Other bonus materials include two lyric videos featuring “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee and “Familia” by Nicki Minaj and Anuel AA (feat. Bantu).

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE is directed by Bob Persichetti (The Little Prince), Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians) and Rodney Rothman (22 Jump Street), and screenplay by Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman from a story by Lord. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Chistopher Miller, and Chrstina Steinberg. The executive producers are the late Stan Lee, Brian Michael Bendis, and Will Allegra.

Bonus Materials Include:

  • We Are Spider-Man: Exploring and celebrating one of the key themes of the film, We Are Spider-Man takes a deep dive into the diversity of the characters and aspirational core that any person from any gender or cultural background can wear the mask.
  • Spider-Verse: A New Dimension: With a stunning visual style and state of the art animation designed to take the viewer into the pages of a comic, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is not only a love letter to comic books but a groundbreaking take on the super hero genre. Hear from the artists and filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of the artform as they discuss their journey.
  • The Ultimate Comics Cast: Enjoy this showcase of all of the fan favorite characters featured in the Spider-Verse and the spectacular cast who were chosen to bring them to life.
  • A Tribute to Stan Lee & Steve Ditko: Celebrate the amazing legacy and powerful spirit of the creators of Spider-Man.
  • The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge: The Spider-Verse is loaded with Easter Eggs, from cameos to comics references. Fans are challenged to find them all!
  • Designing Cinematic Comics Characters: A breakdown of all aspects of the character design including costume, movement in animation, and distinct powers for each character.
    • Heroes & Hams: Meet the amazing Spider-people of the Spider-Verse.
    • Scorpions and Scoundrels: Explore the classic villains who wreak havoc on the Spider-Verse.
  • Alternate Universe Mode: In this all-new viewing experience, discover alternate scenes, plotlines, characters, and more with the filmmakers as your guide.
  • 2 Lyric Videos
    • “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee
    • “Familia”  by Nicki Minaj & Anuel AA (feat. Bantu)
  • All-New Original Short “Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham” It’s another normal day for Peter Porker, a.k.a. the Spectacular Spider-Ham, fighting bad guys and loving hot dogs, until a mysterious portal starts messing with the very fabric of his cartoon reality.

4K Ultra HD Disc Includes:

  • Feature film presented with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Atmos sound
  • Also includes the film and special features on the included high-def Blu-ray

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE has a run time of approximately 117 minutes and is rated PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements, and mild language.

Herschell Gordon Lewis’ BLOOD FEAST Screening at Webster University February 21st – ‘Grave Tales’


“A feast such as this has not been performed in 5,000 years.”


The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday February 21st with a screening of Herschell Gordon Lewis’ BLOOD FEAST (1963) . The screening will be at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30 and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman will introduce the film and moderate a post-film discussion. A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE. Look for more coverage of the  ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.


BLOOD FEAST (1963) is the stomach churning movie by “The Godfather of Gore ” Herschell Gordon Lewis that opened the floodgates to the countless blood and slasher movie that followed since its release 56 years ago. BLOOD FEAST was a midnight movie drive-In mainstay for years. No Punches are pulled and no organs left inside from our view in BLOOD FEAST. This film is a true classick in every sense of the word. Remember this was the mid 60’s folks. Sure the effects were cheap & fake, but the bad intentions were there from the get go. Gotta love that Mr. Lewis. 2,000 MANIACS, THE GORE-GORE GIRLS, and COLOR ME BLOOD RED – he cranked ’em out with no shame. That crazy Egyptian Fuad Ramese and his fowl deeds have kept gorehounds, drives-ins, fans, & curiosity seekers amazingly shocked for five decades and now you’ll have the chance to help celebrate  BLOOD FEAST when it screens at Webster University Thursday February 21st

Admission is:

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.


We Are Movie Geeks’ Tom Stockman with BLOOD FEAST director Herschell Gordon Lewis and the film’s star Connie Mason

CAT CLIPS: A COMPETITION IN CUTENESS Video Contest Accepting Entries – FUNdraising Event April 4th at Urban Chestnut Brewing Company

Cat Clips: A Competition in Cuteness! Is a FUNdraising event with adorable cat videos submitted by cat lovers produced by Animal House Cat Rescue and Adoption Center and Cinema St. Louis.

Animal House Cat Rescue & Adoption Center and Cinema St. Louis (CSL) are excited to announce the return of Cat Clips: A Competition in Cuteness!

Attended by a sold-out crowd last year, Cat Clips features an exclusive screening of curated, local cat videos judged by a panel of cat-loving St. Louis celebrities – the only event of its kind in the area! Juried clips will be screened and judged on Thursday, April 4th at Urban Chestnut Brewing Company in the Grove (4465 Manchester). Top prize winners will be announced and awarded at the screening. All proceeds support the lifesaving work of Animal House in the rescue and healing of cats and kittens from the dangers of the streets – connecting them with lifelong families.

Cat Clips can be submitted at https://filmfreeway.com/CatClips . $10 donation is required for each submission. The deadline for submissions is March 21, 2019.

Awards & Prizes

All submitted videos will be juried, then the selected clips will be screened at the event. The judging panel will award a cash prize of $250 to the top clip of the evening, $100 for 2nd place and gift basket for 3rd place. The judging panel will be announced on Animal House’s website: www.stlcats.org.

Rules & Terms

Those interested in participating must submit clips that meet the following criteria:

– Run a maximum of 120 seconds, including credits (no minimum running time).
– Contain no profane language or offensive imagery; if CSL and Animal House deem a work inappropriate for viewing by audiences of all ages, it will be eliminated from consideration.
– All conceivable approaches – including experimental and narrative – are acceptable. The clips can be shot in any film or video format, in either color or black-and-white.
– Clips must have a production date no earlier than 2011.

In addition, the following conditions apply:

– Clips must be authentic, original works created by the contest entrants as the videographer.
– Videographer must have secured rights to any music, words, or images used in the work.
– Videographer will retain ownership rights to submitted works, but by submitting a clip to the competition, the owner grants Animal House the right to screen the work and use for future Animal House purposes. Submission of a clip does not guarantee its inclusion in Cat Clips event screening or otherwise use.
– All films must be submitted using FilmFreeway with a secure online screener link. An entry fee of $10.00 is required for the first submission and a reduced fee of $5.00 for subsequent submissions. Entry fees are nonrefundable. All proceeds will support the rescue and healing of kitties in-need in our community. Submission deadline is March 21, 2019.

From the Studio Behind TRAIN TO BUSAM Comes RAMPANT – On Digital, Blu-ray Combo & DVD February 26th


From the creators of Train to Busan, comes a fresh new take on the zombie-horror genre when RAMPANT debuts on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD February 26 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Set in ancient Korea, the story follows Prince Ganglim, who after returning from a long imprisonment, discovers a bloody rampage spreading across the nation by murderous creatures known as Night Demons. He soon realizes that it will take the strength of his fellow countrymen to stop the Night Demons from overrunning the kingdom. RAMPANT was directed by Kim Sung-Hoon (Confidential Assignment) and stars Hyun-Bin (The Swinders), Jang Dong-Gun (The Warriors Way), Jo Woo-Jin (Inside Men), Man-Sik (Man of Will) and Kim Eui-Sung (Train to Busan). Bonus features include making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes.


A darkness looms over ancient Korea: murderous creatures known as Night Demons have overrun the country. Returning from a long imprisonment abroad, Prince Ganglim discovers that it will take the strength of his entire kingdom to stop the bloody rampage spreading across the nation in this fresh new take on zombie horror from the studios that brought you Train to Busan.

 
Country of Origin: South Korea


RAMPANT has a runtime of approximately 127 minutes and is not rated.

Frank Henenlotter’s BASKET CASE Screens Midnights This Weekend at The Moolah


“What’s in the basket? Easter eggs?”


Frank Henenlotter’s BASKET CASE (1982) screens Midnights this weekend (February 22nd and 23rd) at The Moolah Theater and Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108) as part of  Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Nite Grindhouse film series.


For those readers who may have existed under a rock over the last four decades—or, perhaps in a wicker basket, hiding yourselves from civilization—Basket Case is a zero-budget (okay, $35,000, but that’s pretty close to zero), Z-grade, grindhouse film.  Most films that played the grindhouses of yesteryear didn’t intend on playing grindhouses; it’s just where they ended up.  But Basket Case, by writer/director Frank Henenlotter, was intentionally made as a grindhouse film that would play in the grindhouses of 1980’s Time Square.  In fact, that was Henenlotter’s only expectation for the film.  His dream was to see his film up in lights at one of the theaters that he frequented throughout his youth.  So he intentionally went about designing and creating the most outrageous, disgusting, hilarious film he could put together in homage to all the outrageous, disgusting, hilarious films he’d cut his teeth on in Times Square.


Basket Case is the story of Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck), a painfully shy and naïve youth with an unfortunate problem.  He was born as a Siamese twin.  But his twin didn’t fully develop and was simply a blob of flesh with a distorted face and two claws that grew out of Duane’s torso.  His parents were horrified and so, during Duane’s youth, they hired some sleazy doctors to perform a horrific surgery to remove this living monstrosity, named Belial, from Duane’s side, thus allowing Duane to live a normal life.  With total disregard towards Belial, the doctors wrapped him in a plastic bag and summarily dumped him in the trash where he was rescued later in the evening by Duane.  The two brothers eventually escape the Hell of suburbia to enter a different Hell—that of the Big Apple’s 42nd Street.  Here Duane meets a pretty young girl and both experience their first true romance. But Belial, who vicariously lives Duane’s experiences thanks to the mysterious psychic abilities some twins share, becomes jealous of Duane.  Fearing Duane’s departure, Belial goes on the attack to ensure the two will never be separated (for the rest of Roger Carpenter’s review of the BASKET CASE Blu-ray, go HERE)


THE PSYCHOTRONIC PRE-SHOW STARTS AROUND 11:30P WITH THE FILM STARTING AT MIDNIGHT.

The Moolah Theatre & Lounge serves alcohol until 2:30AM! Feel free to show up early and stay late to have some drinks and get friendly with the amazing Moolah staff.

The Facebook invite for Friday night can be found HERE
https://www.facebook.com/events/337538923507516/
The Facebook invite for Saturday night can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/935068483370035/

Oscar Nominee BURNING Available on Digital January 29th and on Blu-ray Combo & DVD March 5th


One of the year’s most acclaimed films and South Korea’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2019 Academy Awards®, BURNING debuts on digital January 29 and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD March 5 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Based on the short story “Barn Burning” by Haruki Murakami, BURNING is a psychological tale of all-consuming jealousy that tells the story of three individuals and a mystery that shows no one is truly as they seem. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive score of 95% and an average score of 8.7 from over 100 outlets. A special bonus is the behind-the-scenes featurette “About the Characters” where viewers will take a deep dive into the characters in BURNING and the actors who portray them. The film stars Steven Yeun (Okja, “The Walking Dead”), Ah-in Yoo (“Six Flying Dragons”) and Jong-seo Jun making her big screen debut.


BURNING is the searing examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jong-seo Jun), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibilities, and Ben (Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead,” Sorry To Bother You), a wealthy and sophisticated young man who returns with her from a recent trip. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.

 
Country of Origin: South Korea


BURNING has a runtime of approximately 148 minutes and is not rated.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL – Review

Although there are some fun sequences and genuine wonder to behold, director Robert Rodriguez‘ ALITA BATTLE ANGEL is mostly familiar, noisy, visual mayhem with a thin plot and even thinner characters.

ALITA BATTLE ANGEL takes place in 2563, 300 years after The Fall, a future where society is split into two halves: those who enjoy the sweet life of Zalem, a bountiful floating city in the sky, and the street-dwellers below in Iron City, who exist suspiciously like those in the world of last year’s READY PLAYER ONE, scraping and hustling to make ends meet. Christoph Waltz stars as Dr. Dyson Ido, a scientist who repairs cybernetic human appendages, which appear to be in big demand in the future. He’s introduced scavenging a junkyard for parts, where he digs up the head and torso of a young cyborg girl who, while badly damaged, is still alive. After Ido repairs her, she has no memory of who she is or where she came from. He names her after his late daughter Alita, and it’s soon clear she was once some sort of accomplished cyber-warrior. Everyone desires to reside in Zalem, but unless you’re well-connected, the only way to get there is by becoming champion at the popular roller-derby-esque sport known as Motorball, which is a lot like Rollerball if James Caan’s head had been grafted onto Optimus Prime. Alita soon begins exploring the world, gets a hunky boyfriend (Keean Johnson), and falls into the clutches of Dr. Ido’s ex-wife Chiren (Jennifer Connelly) and Vector (Mahershala Ali), the leaders of Iron City, who want to use her latent skills for their own nefarious purposes.

Perhaps the genesis story for ALITA BATTLE ANGEL was fresh and groundbreaking when it first appeared in Yukito Kishiro’s graphic novel back in 1990. In the decades since, filmmakers have presented similar themes, concepts and imagery, a lot of which are now so commonplace in these big-budget, CGI-focused extravaganzas that there’s not much new here that separates this film from the dystopian sci-fi crowd. The many CGI robot battles are clearly the focus of ALITA BATTLE ANGEL, and while they’re technically impressive (especially in eye-popping IMAX and 3D), visual snazziness alone isn’t enough to carry the film. The constant use of androids in back alleys striking battle poses grows quickly tiresome. Rodriguez has always been ambitious with his visuals, working wonders with medium-size budgets, yet while ALITA BATTLE ANGEL purportedly cost close to $200 million, the director’s style seems less inventive here than with his cheaper films.

A motion-captured Rosa Salazar as Alita is outstanding, delivering just enough charm and humanity to make Alita a fully-realized CGI character. Veteran actor Christoph Waltz has fun with his role as the caring scientist/creator, though he seems to be retreading previous performances. While I did enjoy Jeff Fahey in a small role as a cyberdog-loving cowboy bounty hunter, the villains, especially a sneering Ed Skrein as head creep Zapan, are mundane, with little dimension or character arc. This is especially problematic since the film is a heroine’s journey and we truly want to see her vanquish more worthy adversaries. Jackie Earle Haley and Jai Courtney (or their heads at least) are underused as robot noggins. There’s a lot to look at in ALITA BATTLE ANGEL, and its young target audience may be entertained, but it’s just not a fresh enough film to sway anyone who has grown tired of this genre.

2 1/2 of 5 Stars

THE GIANT BEHEMOTH Now Available On Blu-ray From Warner Archives


Exciting new for stop-motion fans! THE GIANT BEHEMOTH is now available On Blu-ray from Warner Archives. Ordering information can be found HERE


London faces death and destruction when a radioactive monster emerges from the depths of the ocean–and millions flee in terror from The Giant Behemoth.England, 1959. The horrors of the Atomic Age threaten Britain when thousands of fish begin to wash up dead on its shores–then fishermen are found mysteriously dead at sea. Two scientists investigating these mysteries discover something far more frightening than their worst nightmares: A giant, radioactive sea creature that has been horribly mutated by the effects of radioactive fallout staggers from beneath the depths bringing death to every living thing in its path. And–even worse–they realize the monster is heading for London!


The horrors of the Atomic Age threaten Britain when thousands of fish wash up dead on its shores and fishermen are found dead at sea. Two scientists investigating these mysteries discover something far more frightening than their worst nightmares: a giant, radioactive sea creature horribly mutated by the effects of radioactive fallout staggers from beneath the depths bringing death to every living thing in its path. Even worse, they realize the monster is heading for London! This stop-motion monsterpiece comes roaring to life in glorious Black and White thanks to this tremendous high definition rendition. 16×9 Widescreen

Bogey and Bacall in DARK PASSAGE Screening February 19th at Webster University


“You know, it’s wonderful when guys like you lose out. Makes guys like me think maybe we got a chance in this world.”

darkpassage2
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in DARK PASSAGE screens at Webster University Tuesday February 12th. The screening will be at 7:30 at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE. This is the third of four Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall collaborations screening at Webster in February. The final film will be KEY LARGO Feb 26th. Look for more coverage of this great Bogey and Bacall film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.
darkpassage in bed cropped
DARK PASSAGE (1947) was the third of the four Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall pairings of the 40s. It’s the least remembered, but it’s great entertainment and Bacall and Bogart really steam up the screen. The movie starts off brilliantly, shown from the P.O.V. of Vincnet Parry (Bogart), a prison escapee, who has been wrongly incarcerated for his wife’s murder. While on the run he is picked up by a beautiful woman who has been following his case for personal reasons of her own. Of course she’s played by Lauren Bacall and after some plastic surgery the prisoner becomes Humphrey Bogart and the pair team up to find the real killer. Sam the cab driver (Tom D’Andrea) suggests he visit Dr. Walter Coley (Houseley Stevenson) a Plastic Surgeon who gives him a new face. Once Parry removes the bandages, he begins searching for the killer, and is beset with revolving questions and an odd assortment of characters which include Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead and Clifton Young. Don’t miss DARK PASSAGE next Tuesday night!

darkpassage

 

Gerard Butler in THE VANISHING Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD March 5


Some treasures are better left unfound when The Vanishing arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) and DVD March 5 from Lionsgate.

Some treasures are better left unfound when The Vanishing arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) and DVD March 5 from Lionsgate. This film is currently available on Digital and On Demand. Based on a true story, this suspenseful thriller follows the lives of three lighthouse keepers whose worlds are turned upside down with paranoia and greed following the discovery of lost treasure. Starring Gerard Butler, Primetime Emmy® nominee Peter Mullan (Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, TV’s “Top of the Lake,” 2013), and Connor Swindells, and from the producers of Black Mass and Hacksaw Ridge, this film will keep you guessing until the very end. The Vanishing will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for the suggested retail price of $21.99 and $19.98, respectively.

Gerard Butler (Hunter Killer) and Peter Mullan (TV’s “Ozark”) star in this tense, action-packed thriller based on true events. After three lighthouse keepers arrive for work on a remote Scottish isle, they make a fateful discovery: a wrecked rowboat—with a chest full of gold. As a mysterious boat heads toward the island, the three men make a choice that will change their lives forever, ensnaring them in a web of greed, paranoia, and murder.

BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES

  • “Emerging from the Darkness: The Vanishing” Featurette

CAST

Gerard Butler                          Hunter Killer, 300, Law Abiding Citizen

Peter Mullan                            Children of Men, The Magdalene Sisters, TV’s “Ozark”

and Connor Swindells             VS., Harlots, TV’s “Jamestown”