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MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!) TURKEY SHOOT, BOOKIES, RESTORATION, SHELTER, THE GREAT RAID, I SELL THE DEAD…

Posted on August 6th, 2010
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!) TURKEY SHOOT, BOOKIES, RESTORATION, SHELTER, THE GREAT RAID, I SELL THE DEAD…

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Looks like a random video store sampling this time. Sometimes, that’s the way I like it…

TURKEY SHOOT: Bourgeois sadists hunt Aussie political prisoners. Banned in OZ in the 1980’s, but a total exploitation hoot. 3&1/2 out of 5

BOOKIES: 3 college dorks start a gambling operation out of their dorm room and run afoul of the mob. Smug and sloppily written. 2 out of 5

RESTORATION: A disgraced English doctor is forced to marry King Charles II’s mistress, resulting in tragedy and redemption. Epic. 4 out of 5

SHELTER: Shrink meets a schizo man who suffers from a demonic curse. Gimmicky yet stylish thriller from the writer of IDENTITY. 3 out of 5

THE GREAT RAID: True story of WWII rescue of POWs from a Japanese camp in Philippines. Inspiring story yet poorly executed film. 2 out of 5

I SELL THE DEAD: Amusingly well-written tale of cockney graverobbers who specialize in capturing vamps, zombies and aliens. 3&1/2 out of 5

Thy Twitter has spoken.

-Coop

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MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, PECKER, WATCHING THE DETECTIVES, SALVAGE (2006), SALVAGE (2009), 2012, APACHES…

Posted on July 27th, 2010
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!):  THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, PECKER, WATCHING THE DETECTIVES, SALVAGE (2006), SALVAGE (2009), 2012, APACHES…

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Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):

Nothing brand new here, but I just can’t get the energy up to go see WANTED II… I mean, SALT…

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: Quirky autistic hacker chick fights crime and has a lot of sex in Sweden. High brow yet boring. 2 out of 5

PECKER: Photog’s quick fame ruins lives of loved ones. Semi-autobio of John Waters. Clever allegory for artistic expression. 3&1/2 out of 5

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES: A girl (Lucy Liu) uses wild pranks to woo a nerdy boy (Cillian Murphy). Well-written indie rom-com. 3&1/2 out of 5

SALVAGE (2006): Girl relives her death at the hands of a serial killer over and over. Above par indie horror with a great twist. 3 out of 5

SALVAGE (2009): Mother searches for daughter during invasion by soldiers hunting a murderous mutant. Good tension, lame BBC plot. 2 out of 5

2012: John Cusack tries to save family from the apocalypse. Worst disaster movie ever. Roland Emmerich should take up bowling. 1 out of 5

APACHES: Sinister 1977 British public service film about irresponsible brats dying in farming accidents. Brutal and brilliant. 4 out of 5

Thy Twitter has spoken.

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MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): PREDATORS, BLOOD AND BONE, THE WHITE RIBBON, THE BROOD, ECLIPSE…

Posted on July 15th, 2010
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!):  PREDATORS, BLOOD AND BONE, THE WHITE RIBBON, THE BROOD, ECLIPSE…

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Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):

All I can think about is how jazzed I am about INCEPTION tomorrow…

PREDATORS: Cheesy fun that honors and expands upon the original. Quite satisfying, but does it warrant more sequels? Maybe. 3&1/2 out of 5

BLOOD AND BONE: Michael Jai White plays badass, honorable ex-con fighting in underground circuits. Another Lionheart remake. Bah. 2 out of 3

THE WHITE RIBBON: In a pre-WWI German village, a cruel act reveals an underlying evil. Masterful allegory on the rise of fascism. 5 out of 5

THE BROOD: Shrink invents therapy to manifest rage in flesh of patients. Mediocre Cronenberg film still tops most horror efforts. 3 out of 5

ECLIPSE: Better than the first two due to bigger battles and neat vamp backstories. Romance scenes still terminally cheezy. 3&1/2 out of 5

Thy Twitter has spoken.

-Coop
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MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): A-TEAM, JONAH HEX, MACABRE (2009), GALAXY OF TERROR, NECROMENTIA, IN AMERICA…

Posted on July 5th, 2010
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): A-TEAM, JONAH HEX, MACABRE (2009), GALAXY OF TERROR, NECROMENTIA, IN AMERICA…

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Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):

Yep, I’ve been slackin’. Maybe it’s the weak summer box office releases getting me down. At least I’ve been watching a lot of low-budget horror… an unapologetic passion of mine. Groovy…

IN AMERICA: Fine acting, but ultimately pretentious Oscar-bait about modern Irish immigrants. Includes an AIDS subplot? Ick. 2&1/2 out of 5.

NECROMENTIA: Ripoff of HELLRAISER in theme and visuals, but told backwards. Terrific atmosphere and creep factor. Inept story. 2 out of 5

GALAXY OF TERROR: Goofy, gory Corman shocker. Flimsy storyline with some neat H.R. Giger visuals and monsters. Worst ending ever. 2 out of 5

MACABRE: Better than average, ultra-gory killer family story out of Indonesia. Creepiest lead villain in Asian movie history. 3&1/2 out of 5

JONAH HEX: Cool comic book premise gets railroaded into cinematic hell. Everything sucks, especially Jonah’s face makeup. 1&1/2 out of 5

A-TEAM: Sloppy… but great actors/characters have undeniable chemistry. Nice action. Better than THE LOSERS. Murdock rules. 3&1/2 out of 5

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MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!): GET HIM TO THE GREEK, BITCH SLAP, THE CALAMARI WRESTLER, TALES FROM THE SCRIPT, Uwe Boll’s RAMPAGE…

Posted on June 21st, 2010
MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter!):  GET HIM TO THE GREEK, BITCH SLAP, THE CALAMARI WRESTLER, TALES FROM THE SCRIPT, Uwe Boll’s RAMPAGE…

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Coop’s most recent MICRO REVIEWS (via Twitter):

Got some high-rated exploitation (and one documentary) this time around! All of these movies are terrific, especially Uwe Boll’s surprisingly powerful RAMPAGE (who would have expected that one?)…

RAMPAGE: Uwe Boll knocks one out of the park. Hyperviolent domestic terrorist shocker delivers. Hell freezes over. 4 out of 5

BITCH SLAP: Fun, hyper violent, tongue-in-cheek exploitation about 3 sex bombs killing each other over loot. 3&1/2 out of 5

THE CALAMARI WRESTLER: Japanese wrestler dies and reincarnates in a mansized rubber squid suit. New camp classic. 4 out of 5

TALES FROM THE SCRIPT: A little bitter, but a must-see doc for anyone even remotely interested in screenwriting. 4 out of 5

GET HIM TO THE GREEK: Russell Brand = comedic genius. Best drug freak out scene of all time. Can’t stop giggling. 4 out of 5

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CIGARETTE GIRL… Memphis indie movie premiere (2009) by COOP

Posted on September 11th, 2009
CIGARETTE GIRL… Memphis indie movie premiere (2009) by COOP

I met Tupelo native Mike McCarthy at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi a little over two weeks ago and I found myself surprised to realize I’d heard of the guy. I caught his ultra low-budget film “Superstarlet A.D.”years back which was released by shlockmeister/producer Lloyd Kaufman, famous for his “Troma” brand of low budget exploitation flicks. I wasn’t a fan of the film, but I got a clear grasp for McCarthy’s style and obsessions. McCarthy spends his time in Memphis soaking up the hip Midtown scene and planning feature film projects. He fetishizes pin-up girls, rockabilly music and indie film… precisely all the ingredients that make up his latest opus, “Cigarette Girl.”

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GAMER (2009) **** movie review by COOP… Surprise, Mikey! He liked it!

Posted on September 10th, 2009
GAMER (2009) **** movie review by COOP… Surprise, Mikey! He liked it!

Color me shocked. What looked like a loud, obnoxious, superficial action flick in the previews actually succeeded in making a meaningful (yet disturbing) social statement. Harkening back to the exploitative B-movie action films of the late 80’s and 90’s, “Gamer” begins as a sleazy, violent bloodbath with seemingly no redeeming cinematic value. Just as I started to turn my brain off, the story surprised me with some plot devices and story concepts way ahead of its time…

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IT CAME WITHOUT WARNING (1980)… Watch one of my favorite horror/sci-fi films online for free! by DARK SIDE

Posted on August 31st, 2009
IT CAME WITHOUT WARNING (1980)… Watch one of my favorite horror/sci-fi films online for free! by DARK SIDE

Count yourself lucky if you’ve ever seen this movie prior to today. It’s a rare find on DVD and appears sporadically on the Independent Film Channel. It Came Without Warning aka Without Warning aka Alien Warning aka The Warning aka Alien Encounter aka Alien Shock scared the heck out of me in 1980 with its shocking televised promo spots. The normally tame programming would interrupt to show humans being attacked by frisbee monsters thrown by a giant alien with an over-sized noggin. At 4 (or possibly 5) years old, I was horrified at seeing those images.

Years later, I had completely forgotten the name of the…

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HAIR METAL MOVIE MADNESS #10: REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS (1986) has a rockin’ and controversial soundtrack! by COOP

Posted on August 29th, 2009
HAIR METAL MOVIE MADNESS #10:  REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS (1986) has a rockin’ and controversial soundtrack! by COOP

Possibly the first “smutty” movie I ever saw, Reform School Girls (1986) is not a movie to be taken seriously. At all. I didn’t understand that when I first saw it. I thought all R-rated movies were serious and therefore this was serious. I figured reform schools were evil places filled with bad, naked women… something that scared yet intrigued me. Kinda made me feel like “bad girls” new secrets and things that normal people weren’t supposed to know about. Mystery and danger.

Thus started my obsession of…

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The STRAW DOGS remake to take place in Mississippi? This hacks me off. by COOP

Posted on August 19th, 2009
The STRAW DOGS remake to take place in Mississippi? This hacks me off. by COOP

Just when I think my home state was finally getting some decent movies portraying the state in a positive light (like The Blind Side which releases on Thanksgiving), the goons who thought it was a good idea to remake Straw Dogs decided it should take place in Mississippi instead of England this time.

Cue the inbred, violent, Southern redneck stereotypes…

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Wacky fun! That’s the best way to describe the new INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS trailer. by COOP

Posted on June 22nd, 2009
Wacky fun!  That’s the best way to describe the new INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS trailer.  by COOP

Tarantino’s lost his mind. Actually… did he ever really have it? I tell you what he does have. Guts. “Inglourious Basterds” looks so wild and zany I can easily imagine it being a disaster.

But I know Quentin better than that. While always self indulgent it looks like he’s gotten the foot-fetishism porn film that was “Death Proof” out of his system and is now back to the same mixture of cheese and coolness that spawned “Kill Bill.” The first trailer for “Basterds” did nothing for me because it didn’t give me enough flavor for the tone of the film. In this new one, I see…

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Action Flick Chick’s Zombie Survival Guide for a Small Town

Posted on June 15th, 2009
Action Flick Chick’s Zombie Survival Guide for a Small Town

Everyone has at least seen one zombie film, and, if you haven’t, I don’t think we can be friends until you do. So get on it! I’m not waiting around! You have to be prepared for when a zombie outbreak occurs in your own small town. The zombies have to be nipped in the bud (or head) before it takes over the whole world and it is up to you to do it. Prepare yourselves! It’s inevitable…

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First 10 minutes of the British comedy horror movie DOGHOUSE has me hooked! by DARK SIDE

Posted on June 2nd, 2009
First 10 minutes of the British comedy horror movie DOGHOUSE has me hooked!  by DARK SIDE

Jake West, director of the comedic almost goodgore film “Evil Aliens” has a new horror film releasing June 12 (supposedly only the in UK) called “Doghouse.” The synopsis: Six friends, all going through various stages of female problems, get together for a booze-filled weekend retreat. They pick the wrong town to look for a party. Instead of willing women, they get a town full of…

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DRAG ME TO HELL (2009) *** movie review by DARK SIDE

Posted on June 1st, 2009
DRAG ME TO HELL (2009) *** movie review by DARK SIDE

Here lies Sam Raimi’s worst horror movie ever. Now that I’ve said that, would you believe I recommend this one to both horror fans and mainstream audiences alike? The master of kinetic filmmaking raised the bar pretty high with his “Evil Dead” trilogy (which includes “Army of Darkness” in case you didn’t know). While I’m pleased as Halloween-party punch Raimi has decided to go back to horror after a long stint with the “Spider-Man” movies, I would’ve preferred…

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TOP 10 GREATEST MOVIE TITLES EVER by COOP

Posted on May 13th, 2009
TOP 10 GREATEST MOVIE TITLES EVER by COOP

Here are the movie titles that – when you see them – completely grab your attention. Whether they are the best piece of cinema of all time or a complete piece of crap, one thing cannot be denied… You gotta love that title. Here are the 10 best movie titles of all time in descending order all the way down to #1…

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Porky’s Revenge: Swine Flu and the Virus in Film… by JAY

Posted on May 6th, 2009
Porky’s Revenge:  Swine Flu and the Virus in Film… by JAY

In 1999, civilization teetered on the brink of annihilation as the oracles of doom lined up for a spot on the talk show circuit to pronounce the end of the world as we knew it. According to the naysayers, the Y2K bug was poised to wreck havoc on computer systems across the entire digital spectrum from finance to air traffic control to eBay. In short, it was claimed that this viral Boolean mutation would infect the operating systems of every computer on the planet and thereby destroy our global infrastructure; plunging mankind back into the Dark Ages. NBC, in a deplorable yet completely predictable vulturistic fit of negative opportunism, pounced…

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10 TOUGHEST MOVIE HEROES OF ALL TIME by COOP

Posted on April 8th, 2009
10 TOUGHEST MOVIE HEROES OF ALL TIME by COOP

These are the heroes that just won’t go down no matter what you thow at them. The best of the best. The Greatest. Here’s the criteria I used while making the list… a. The heroes must survive to the end of their film/franchise. b. No superheroes with superpowers. c. Pick heroes who represent cult phenom films. These are my results:

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One “DO” and One “DON’T”… a retrospect of GRINDHOUSE by COOP

Posted on December 10th, 2008
One “DO” and One “DON’T”… a retrospect of GRINDHOUSE by COOP

I recently discovered an entertaining horror website run by the witty “Final Girl” who challenged her readers to watch “Grindhouse” and write something about it. “Grindhouse” is old news but her challenge got me thinking about it. It’s an anomaly that almost (along with the continued support of Quentin Tarantino ) single-handedly resurrected the grindhouse [...]

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PIECES (1982) ***1/2 grindhouse classic review by COOP

Posted on December 5th, 2008
PIECES (1982) ***1/2 grindhouse classic review by COOP

Here’s a hilariously fun and gory slasher flick.
It starts off a lot like “Halloween.” A little boy assembles a naughty jigsaw puzzle in the comfort of his bedroom. His mom catches him in the act, then verbally and physically beats him. How does he retaliate? He takes an axe to her head, saws her body [...]

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DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974) **** DVD review capsule by COOP

Posted on May 31st, 2008
DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974) **** DVD review capsule by COOP

FOUND!!!: One of the films I only saw parts of as a kid, yet the images I saw haunted me far into adulthood. I’ve been looking for this film for a long time, yet didn’t know the title. Every time I’d find a film with a similar premise, I’d get my hopes up, thinking I [...]

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  • POPULATION 436: A better remake of THE WICKER MAN than the 2006 Nick Cage version. Watcheable but low quality direct to DVD. 2 out of 5
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  • THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD: Outrageous Korean remake gives new life to the Spaghetti Western classic. Kang-ho Song = amazing! 3 out of 5
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