The Mcpherson Tape Retrospective

Written by Stu Cooper     

      Have you ever seen footage of something you swore was real? Something that made you question what you were witnessing? Well if you grew up in the late 80's or 90's, you may have seen some kind of “alien” footage. It might have been an abduction, it might have been an autopsy, or it might have been...The McPherson Tape. The McPherson Tape is officially the first ever found footage film. It predates Blair Witch Project by a decade. The film is shrouded in controversy, and full of questions. In fact, it made the viewers question their own reality. Is what you see on the screen real? Part of something bigger? Thanks to an official Blu-ray release from AGFA and Bleeding Skull, we now have answers.

      The McPherson Tape is about a man recording his niece's birthday in 1983, when some bizarre events begin to happen around the family. The recording follows a family made up of 3 brothers, their wives, the niece, and the grandmother. As the recording progresses, we follow what appears to be a normal family home video of a nice dinner, some friendly heckling and gossip, nothing special. That is until the electricity goes out. The brothers go outside to investigate the cause, and that is when they witness a flash of light. The guys immediately travel into the nearby forest to investigate. What they find is something that they can barely comprehend...an alien spacecraft. After witnessing several aliens walking around the craft, the boys scurry back home to alert the family. Unfortunately for them, the aliens caught a glimpse of them and are now in pursuit. What follows is a chaotic one-take shot of the family trying to not only comprehend what is happening, but deal with incoming home invaders! Keep in mind all of this is being recorded by one of the brothers who is trying to deal with the frightening situation by documenting it.

     The film is essentially a 63 minute one-take home video. That means there no edits, no cuts, just a solid documentation of events unfolding over the course of one night. The vibe of the film is very realistic given that it's one shot and almost every conversation is made of improvised talking points. The characters begin talking over each other like a real dinner conversation, and the chemistry between them feels very natural. Since this is a found footage film, you're literally watching something that was recorded on a home video recorder in the 1980's, so the quality is not that of a large feature film but it absolutely works to the advantage of the plot. The alien nightmare that the family is experiencing is intentionally vague and low budget. If you found this on a dusty old VHS tape in someone's attic, you may actually believe this is the real deal. And with that, let's get into the REAL story behind The McPherson Tape.

      The McPherson Tape is a film made by Director and Star Dean Alioto. Alioto claims to have spent years investigating alien abduction experiences from several people in the UFO community, which inspired him to create a film about it. Since Alioto only had a budget of 6500 dollars, his only option was filming the movie on home video. His idea, as far as I know, birthed the found footage genre. Since his budget was so limited, he filmed the movie as if it was a family's home video, which would more than justify the low video quality and lack of star power. He also had no complete script, just an outline of certain beats that the film needed to hit.

     Alioto's approach is something you have to appreciate. Not only did he make a movie for 6500 dollars, but he made a convincing alien abduction found footage film with no script, and only improvised dialogue. I think a lot of it is chocked up to pure luck. The performances from the family members felt real and compassionate. The brothers in the films often riff each other and it feels like a real bond. The Grandmother nurtures the sons and seems genuinely scared and concerned when they venture out. That combined with the creepy birthday party theme and candle lit rooms, establishes a more than unsettling tone. 

     With the family members connecting, that leaves the special effects which are severely limited. This is definitely the less is more approach. The only effects in the film are the space craft and the alien costumes, both of which are shot in a grainy way that covers up the low budget. The craft was actually constructed for 750 dollars, mostly made of foam board and lights. And the alien costumes are the basic big eyed Grays that were established in early UFO culture. If you closely exam any of these effects, they certainly don't hold up, but in 1989 they are more than passable. Enough so that people continue to believe the footage is real, despite the Director making it clear it's just a film.

     With the film created, the director shopped it around and received very little interest. Alioto even met with Vestron video, who was a big schlock distributor at the time, and they said it didn't even qualify as a real film. After relentlessly screening the film for distributors, it eventually found a home. The company that was distributing it even had big plans for the film. The mock up for the VHS case featured tons of quotes from huge media outlets like Rolling Stone and The New York times. Unfortunately the quotes were fake, and an attempt by the distributor to boost the credibility of the film. But before the film could start making the rounds, the distribution warehouse burnt down. During this fire, the master of the film was completely destroyed. Thankfully some copies were already sent out to a few rental places, and the director was able to source the material from those copies.

     At this point in the story, it was radio silence. The film never made it to theaters, it had very limited distribution, no master remaining, and the director thought that was the end of the story. Years later Alioto was approached by a Ufologist who asked if he had seen this supposed real found footage film making the rounds at UFO conferences and conventions. Little did he know, it was his film. Someone had edited off the credits and marketed the film as completely real. Attendees at these events were left speechless, thinking they had discovered hard evidence that aliens exist and that an entire family's turmoil was caught on film. To further the macabre nature of this story, a Lt. Colonel with 30 years of military experience swore that the film was real and the closest thing he had seen to actual UFO found footage.

     With the discovery of his film's now cult following, Alioto channeled his momentum and started connecting with TV networks about airing the footage. 90's landmarks like Unsolved Mysteries and Hard Copy approached him with offers, but all these shows wanted to market the film as completely legitimate home video. Since that wasn't the truth and he didn't want backlash, the film ended up being shown on a show called Encounters. The segment on Encounters was shown with interview clips strung throughout, with various experts weighing in on the film. Even though the show fully admitted the footage was just a movie, experts consistently believed in it's validity. Some would go as far as to claim the footage was a real home movie under the guise of a film to protect people from “knowing the truth”.

     

The momentum of the project continued to roll on, eventually becoming a TV special with Dick Clark productions and then the film was remade entirely in 1998 under the name Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County. The remake follows a similar premise, with a few special effects added. I would recommend only watching the original McPherson Tape as it is easier to believe. After the remake, things quieted down again until AGFA, Bleeding Skull, and Vinegar Syndrome decided to revisit the film and release a special blu-ray. This is actually the incarnation of the film that I viewed, which is considered “The Director's Cut”. The blu-ray also features the original “Encounters” segment, a Q and A with the Director, and commentary. It's the perfect release for anyone interested in viewing this piece of cinematic history. There is even a moment during the Q and A where the director begins arguing with an audience member about the conspiracy around the film. The audience members comes up to the stage, and is revealed to be one of the cast members. This was proof to the audience that he was not actually abducted. The two went on to explain to the audience how certain aspects of the movie were created, debunking a lot of myths about the origins of it. 

      So that's it, the story of The McPherson Tape. A film wrapped in controversy, macabre, and wonder. It's a miracle that the film even survived, so if anything just view this film as a marker in time. It's the first found footage film and it will always hold that mantle. Now the real question is, Do you believe the truth is out there? Does Dean Alioto know something we don't? Watch the film and you be the judge. I want to believe.

Checkout the trailer below: 

The MCPHERSON TAPE TRAILER

Also if you liked what you read here please like/share/follow "Film Enigma" on Facebook: 

THE OFFICIAL FILM ENIGMA FACEBOOK

Star Trek: Renegades Review

Written by Stu Cooper

Ever since Star Trek: Enterprise left the air, trekkies have been dying to see another series hit the airwaves. From petitions to kickstarters, fans have been rallying behind various projects trying to get them made. Unfortunately Star Trek: Renegades hasn't made it to the airwaves yet, but it was released on YouTube, DVD, and Blu-ray. Fans of the original canon universe finally got another edition to the mythos, and it comes in the form of an epic 90 minute fan film. The film is written by Ethan H. Calk, Sky Douglas Conway, and Jack Trevino. The film was directed by Star Trek Voyager alumni Tim Russ who served as the promotional mascot for most of the film's appearances at various conventions. I actually first heard about the film when Russ and Walter Koenig appeared at Space City Con here in Houston to promote the film. The film was created by the makers of another famous fan-film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, and serves as a sequel in some ways. Jack Trevino apparently came up with the idea for the series on the last day of Of Gods and Men. Thanks to campaigns on IndieGoGo and Kickstarter that have been going around since 2012, the project finally saw the light of day.

Star Trek: Renegades takes place ten years after the finale of Star Trek: Voyager which featured the crew of Voyager returning from their epic journey across the Delta Quadrant. The film picks up in the middle of a crisis revolving around a dilithium crystal shortage as the result of a mysterious alien race who is apparently folding space and time. The folding is causing entire planets to disappear, which is obviously bad for business. The Federation is unsure how to react to the situation, so Admiral Chekov (Star Trek: TOS) and Tuvok (Star Trek: Voyager) decide to get together with the ole Section 31 and put together a crew of misfit toys. The crew is ordered to investigate the madness and stop it before it reaches Earth. The crew consists of several sci-fi and Star Trek alum including Blade Runner's Sean Young, Alien Nation's Gary Graham, Terminator 2's Edward Furlong, Star Trek Voyager's Manu Intiraymi returning as The Lone Borg Icheb, Voyager's Robert Picardo as Dr. Zimmerman, and many more recognizable faces. Leading the crew is Captain Lexxa Singh (daughter of Khan) played by the stunning Adrienne Wilkinson, whom you may recognize from her run on Xena: Warrior Princess. The crew is essentially a sci-fi version of the expendables, which is consistent with the “Renegades” name. There are TONS of actors in this film, and if you blink you may miss some of them. The film also features several stunning females such as the crewman Ronara (Chasty Ballesteros), Andorian bombshell Shree (Courtney Peldon), and the Vulcan T'Leah (Larissa Gomes). It's certainly a crowded film and I'm not even mentioning the OTHER crew on the other ship that follows the Renegades around.

Despite the massive cast, the film manages to tell an incredibly riveting and tense story. The new aliens in the film seem to be a hybrid of Klingons and Hirogen, which makes for a rather intimidating race. The race is seeking revenge against the federation for inadvertently sabotaging their planet 300 years ago. The aliens use some kind of stone artifact to screw with time and space. The Renegades go on a mission to figure out exactly what is going on, and they are pursued by federation loyalists led by Captain Alvarez (Corin Nemec). Alvarez's crew strongly resembles the new look displayed in the JJ Abrams films, which leads me to believe that the film acknowledges both universes. There is also a lot of character ties to the other Paramount series, so there is a bit for everybody to enjoy. The film is about 90 minutes and you can tell the writers were trying to cram as much story as possible into that time-frame. Pretty much every scene is important to the plot, and if you take a break to get a snack or go to the bathroom, you may get a little lost.

The main focus is on Khan's daughter Lexxa, who is quite the bad-ass. She displays strong leadership qualities and some killer martial art skills. Not only is she beautiful and strong, but she is also poetic. The character often recites a beautiful little poem that streams throughout the film and serves as kind of a beacon for the story. Adrienne Wilkinson is perfectly cast in this role and I'm glad she is given a chance to shine. The writers could have easily focused on Chekov and Tuvok the entire time, but they take a chance and give a lot of screen time to the new characters. You can tell this film was intended as a pilot of sorts, as it has a real big series pilot feel to it.

The star of the film has to be the amazing special effects on display in the film. The film looked beautiful displayed on my HD television and I found myself absolutely speechless at how great the ship and space sequences looked. I dare say the ships looked better than they did in Voyager and Deep Space Nine (though there is a 15 year gap). There are a few awkward green screen shots throughout the film, but considering it's a fan film the quality is way beyond anything I could have expected. Whoever did the ship effects deserves a serious pat on the back. Another impressive effect that I noticed was the arm of the Borg Icheb. Since Voyager Icheb received a series of upgrades which include a shape shifting weapon arm. The arm effects are totally seamless and caused me to say “WHOA” out loud every time he used it. The make-up on most of the aliens is also top notch, especially the Andorian and the Cardassian characters. The only ones that were questionable were T'Leah the Vulcan whose eyebrows looked off in most scenes, and some of the villain aliens who suffered from bad wig fit.

Another aspect of the film that really shines is the soundtrack. The sound design is on par with most modern action films and greatly improves the tension of the film. There are pretty intense drum sequences during the action scenes that greatly elevate things to another level. It adds to the professionalism of the project and really makes you feel like you are watching a real full fledged Star Trek series.

Overall Star Trek: Renegades is a pleasant surprise that features TONS of tributes and fan service for all those loyal trekkies out there. Not only do you get to see a lot of familiar faces that you probably grew up loving, but you get to see a lot of young talent like Adrienne Wilkinson, Corin Nemac, and Chasty Bellastros who all knock it out of the park. The only downsides to the film would have to be the intense pacing, which can sometimes cause a lot of confusion, and the poor acting performance of Sean Young. I found myself cringing during all of Sean Young's scenes, but thankfully her character is not a focal point of the film.

If you can keep up with the story, the film serves as a terrific launching off point for more beautiful fan films. I was a little disappointed with how little Robert Picardo and Tim Russ showed up in the film, but Walter Koenig has quite a bit of screen-time and hasn't lost a step. If it got turned into a series, I imagine they would have returned to do a bit more. When the film ended, I found myself hoping that this isn't the last time we see this crew together. I certainly think this production has what it takes to support itself on something like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. If you'd like to check the project out, visit the official page startrekrenegades.com or simply click the YouTube links below which will take you to the actual production.

31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 10: Night of the Creeps

Written by Stuart Cooper

This is a day I've really been looking forward to. Day 10 is all about one of my favorite horror films. Hell, I'd say one of my favorite films of all-time. It is the perfect storm of cheesy horror and I love every bit of it. Today we are discussing the cult classic 1986 horror comedy...NIGHT OF THE CREEPS! And there is good news and bad news for ya, the good news is, your review is here, the bad news is, I only get one day to talk about it!

Night of the Creeps was released in August of 1986. For some reason 1986 was a magnet for the horror genre. The film did poorly in the box office, but thanks to television viewings, the film seemed to develop a cult following. The film was directed by Fred Dekker who famously did "House" before this, and later Monster Squad, Robocop 3, and is working with Shane Black to create a Predator sequel. Needless to say, this film was in good hands. The film starred Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, and the stunning Jill Whitlow.

The plot revolves around an alien worm that crash lands to earth and creates a zombie-like viral problem. The crash landing happens in a town full of college kids, and a bad-ass self loathing detective who can't seem to get a break. The plot jumps from the 1950's to the 1980's, which thanks to the slugs, leads to a subplot where the Detective kills the same guy twice. It's all remarkably cheesy, but it is fully self aware. The film has a lot of homages to early zombie films and tropes that have developed in the science fiction and horror genres. It takes that premise and runs with it!

Jason Lively plays your lead college kid Chris, as he like most college kids, is on a quest to get laid. With the aid of his handicap comedian friend J.C., he attempts to woo a seemingly random sorority girl named Cynthia. This leads to a love story that blooms at the worst possible time. In an attempt to be more manly, Chris and J.C. rush a fraternity. As a form of hazing the two friends are asked to do something extreme. This leads to the guys discovering a cadaver in a college science facility. The cadaver happened to be a body from the 1950's with a space worm inside of it. The boys, like total morons, take the body out and accidentally trigger a worm-fest on their campus.

The worms begin to inhabit local residents, starting with painfully douchey frat guys who happen to be on their way to a formal. The bus full of frat guys get's taken over by the slugs, and leads to a full on invasion. The invasion starts at the sorority house. But thanks to one liners and quick gunshot camera pans, Tom Atkins saves the day as Detective Ray Cameron! This poor Detective has been through hell and he takes out every bit of frustration on these worm zombie bastards. It's truly a sight to behold.

The remainder of the film is an all out war between the college friends, the detective, and the worms! We get to see Chris (Lively) and Cynthia (Whitlow) dawn shotguns, flame throwers, and lawn mowers! It's extreme zombie killing action before it was the horror norm. You also have Tom Atkins bringing his true acting chops to this role. His character is pretty similar to cop roles he has played in other films, except for the fact that he is incredibly depressed and willing to do just about anything. There is actually a pretty depressing subplot where Detective Cameron is about to kill himself, before Chris runs to him with this zombie problem. It provides a nice layer of seriousness in a pretty silly film. There is also a sad monologue from J.C. which I can't elaborate on. I don't want to spoil some of the movies biggest hit points.

Night of the Creeps is just plain fun. If you want a horror movie where you don't have to think, you get a good laugh, and you get gore thrown in, it's the perfect balance. Tom Atkins is by far the highlight of the film, but there are several charming things that leave me smiling. The goofy dialogue is delivered with straight faces, and it makes for some really memorable laughs. The characters are also lovable and heroic, so you root for them the whole time. It was a fun take on the zombie genre and left a memorable impression on me as a child. I sought out the film throughout the years, and like most horror fans, I MAY have found a way to obtain it. Thankfully the film got a full release on DVD after massive demand. The bluray conversion looks quite nice, but there was always something charming to having the old TV recording. It's worth noting there is also two endings to the film. Depending on the way you obtain the film, you may get different ones. I don't want to spoil either one, but I'm sure youtube has them. I know the Netflix one ends with the alternate ending (to the theatrical cut).

The film is mainly a giant tribute to the horror genre. Almost every character's last name is the name of a famous horror figure. The students go to Corman Univesity (Roger Corman) and some of the scenes are clearly knock-offs of classic 50's sci-fi "makeout point" kind of scenes. The film starts off with a lot of dated 80's comedy tropes, but if you stick with it, the film turns it up to 11. Atkins killing zombies and Jill Whitlow using a flame thrower makes the movie for me. There is also some really clever camera angles and shots in this film. You can tell Fred Dekker had a true vision, and he sticks to that vision. It pays off, and provides a memorable spooky experience. The film heavily inspired the 2006 film "Slither". It actually lifts most of the main plot points from this film. Overall, this film is a lost gem and deserves some spotlight. I suggest anyone who loves horror find this movie immediately, and watch it. I believe it's currently available on Netflix! It's the best zombie related thing you can watch right now. That's right Darryl fans...I said it.

Edge of Tomorrow Review

Written by Stu Cooper

Edge of Tomorrow was recently released into theaters. The film starred Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton. The story followed a reluctant soldier by the name of Bill Cage. Cage is forced into battle by a superior and begins to experience a time loop. Upon first glance the plot-line is very similar to films like Groundhog Day. You have a scrooge like setup where the character is an asshole, they experience a change of heart after seeing how sad life can be, and they change their ways. This film took that approach but added a lot of curve balls. A lot of death and a lot of humor, a combination that is hard to pull off.

Cage begins to experience the same day over and over again. To add a layer of darkness, that day happens to be the future equivalent to D-Day (World War II). Some might say this was done on purpose considering the film's release coincides with the anniversary of D-Day. As most people know, D-Day was an infamous day in history because of the amount of death and slaughter that took place. In “Edge of Tomorrow” this day comes when an alien race has begun to take over the world and the only thing stopping them from taking over Europe is an army of super soldiers. Cruise is assigned active duty against his will and serves with the other soldiers. At this point Cage is introduced to Drill Sergeant Ferrell, played by Bill Paxton. Paxton does great as the Sergeant and since the character is a proud Kentucky boy, Paxton really lays the accent on thick. It makes for some very funny scenes. Later Cage tries to explain his situation to Ferrell but it proves futile and that begins Cage's journey to alter his destiny.

The soldiers wear mechanical suits of armor that are actually quite sleek and cool looking. The suits boast all sorts of fire power ranging from machine guns to rocket launchers. It's like something out of the G.I. Joe cartoon. Unfortunately these weapons aren't enough to stop the incoming invaders, and Cage's platoon does not fair too well. Cage tries to find a solution to the war. On his journey he meets a soldier who has a legendary following, her name is Rita tho on the streets she earns the nickname Full Metal Bitch. Rita killed over 60 of the aliens in a previous battle, so she became a legend of sorts amongst the soldiers. Rita actually rocks a gigantic looking final fantasy sword.

The villains in the film are weird biomechanical aliens called Mimics. These creatures are hard to explain because they are basically mechanical blobs with scary faces. I was not into the creature design at all. It feels like one of those alien villains from the live action Transformers films. One interesting detail is that these creatures use time travel as a form of weaponry, which adds a different layer to their race. Unfortunately the race themselves aren't explored much in the film.

The final fantasy sword that Rita uses isn't the only thing in the film that feels influenced by video games. In fact, most of the film feels like a video game experience. There's the idea of re-spawning (dying and coming back), which is not something you can typically do in movies. Then you have the alien invasion, the giant gun battles, the bad-ass female with a giant sword...it's all very artistic and familiar to video game fans. I think that adds a special layer to this film. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the film and all the unique elements it had. I really enjoyed Cruise's previous sci-fi venture “Oblivion” but I would definitely say “Edge of Tomorrow” is superior. The only thing the film lacked was a memorable soundtrack and perhaps a strong villain presence. The song used in the trailer was far better than any of the drone like songs used in the film. The song in the credits is also quite random and gave me a bad “Men In Black 3” vibe.

Overall I would say I was quite impressed with “Edge of Tomorrow”. Cruise's acting was spot on and for once he wasn't the perfect soldier. Cruise's character in the film was flawed and humorous. Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton both added some enjoyment to the film and I liked the Starship Troopers vibe. If you like science fiction and you enjoy Tom Cruise's acting, this movie would be worth a watch. I might actually purchase this one on bluray. If you want to checkout the original story this film was based on, checkout the graphic novel “All You Need is Kill”. It's a bit different but equally interesting.

Top 5 Godzilla Villains - Number 1

Written by Stu Cooper

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the release of "GODZILLA" this past week. I have already seen the film and I will be posting my full review later this weekend. To celebrate the release I've been ranking the Top 5 Godzilla villains of all-time. It's been a fun week and I've enjoyed researching these insane creatures. I knew from the start who my number one spot would go to. It won't be a shocker to most Godzilla fans. This monster is considered by most to be Godzilla's true rival. The monster I consider the number one Godzilla villain of all-time is...GHIDORAH!

Ghidorah, sometimes referred to as Ghidrah, is a very iconic monster in the world of TOHO and Kaijus. The creature itself is based on the famous mythological figure, the three headed hydra. The creature has three heads, two tails, and no arms. What it lacks in arm strength it makes up for in fire power. Each head can fire an intense lightning like blast. Ghidorah made it's debut in the 1964 film "Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster" which also served as the fifth Godzilla film. This film actually marked the first occasion in the Godzilla series in which Godzilla was the hero and not the villain. Ghidorah comes to earth and causes destruction, only to be defeated by Godzilla,Rodan AND Mothra. One funny thing about Ghidorah is that he rarely gets a fair fight. It's often three on one or two on one. In the "Destroy All Monsters" film Ghidorah gets beaten to death by nearly every TOHO creation at once. The thing is, he always comes back. Nothing can keep this monster down.

As far as Ghidorah's story, there isn't much history. All we really know is that the creature is from space and is often under the influence or control of some alien race. My personal favorite appearance of Ghidorah is in "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" otherwise known as "Invasion of the Astro Monster". In that film Ghidorah is quite powerful and is controlled by a pretty entertaining group of aliens. The aliens actually trick the humans quite easily and are free to use Godzilla as they please. It's a very goofy plot but makes for a fun film. That film was always featured on TNT's "Monstervision" with Joe Bob Briggs. But that show is another article for another day.

In the later incarnations of the Godzilla franchise we again see Ghidorah become a main nemesis. In the film "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" we actually see Ghidorah get a "Mecha" upgrade and become even more badass and dangerous. That film is considered a favorite among many hardcore Godzilla fans because of it's crazy story, intense action, and cool monsters. I highly recommend checking that film out if you're looking to experience Godzilla at it's best. Ghidorah appeared in another film called "All Out Monsters Attack" and that one is also quite intense and cinematic. Ghidorah is portrayed as some type of God and is actually a protagonist! It's an odd departure. Ghidorah's final Godzilla film appearance would be in the appropriately titled "Final Wars". Planet X once again attempts to takeover the earth, except this time they use every Godzilla villain at once. The final monster is Ghidorah, who transforms into a creature called "Monster X". They sure do love their X's. I wish they'd take some of mine into outer space!

You really can't go wrong with any of the Ghidorah appearances. Ghidorah is also a friend of the number 5 entry in the countdown, Gigan. The two of them teamed up in "Godzilla vs. Gigan". Ghidorah also appeared in the "Zone Fighter" tv show. The Rebirth of Mothra films also feature many references to Ghidorah, and even two incarnations of the creature. Ghidorah is also often a main villain in several Godzilla video games, namely the NES and SNES games. Maintaining the idea that Ghidorah is Godzilla's main rival. It's safe to say he is one of the more popular TOHO villains.

The decision to rank Ghidorah at number one was due to his power, relentless pursuit of Godzilla, and overall intimidation factor. This creature is considered a frightening figure in mythology for a reason! The three headed hydra has been scaring human beings for generations, so it's naturally going to be a competitor in the monster arena. If we are lucky we might see a creature of this magnitude in future Godzilla films.

It's been a fun countdown and I think we've only really touched the tip of the Godzilla universe. I encourage you all to explore these films and the mythos behind them. Some of them are campy, some of them are symbolic, and some of them are the 1998 garbage pile starring Matthew Broderick. I will return with my full review of the 2014 Godzilla!

Top 5 Godzilla Villains - Number 2

Written By Stu Cooper

We are getting down to the nitty gritty! With only two entries left, I have a lot to consider. Thanks to TOHO, fans have a vast array of monsters to choose from. Godzilla has produced so many sequels and spin-off's that I could do a top 10 countdown and still not scratch the surface. Like I mentioned earlier in the countdown, my choices are being made based on the overall strength, creative look, and overall impact the creature had on the franchise. I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old I went to a friend's house and he had several old Godzilla films I had not seen. When I came over one day he was actually watching one that featured TWO Godzilla monsters. I thought immediately how is this possible?! I saw them fighting and everything. I didn't get an explanation at that moment and was actually left wondering what the hell I saw for several years. It was not until I was around 10 that I had access to the internet and found out about Mechagodzilla. I tracked down a copy of the film and there it was. What I had witnessed was Godzilla fighting his robotic equal! So without spending too much time on my childhood, let's dive into the number two entry in the Godzilla Villain Countdown...MECHAGODZILLA!

MechaGodzilla made his film debut in "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla" in 1974. At this point the Godzilla franchise was a well oiled machine and had produced films almost on a yearly basis. The films unfortunately had diminished in quality progressively throughout the years, and had turned Godzilla into a cartoon of sorts. But thanks to this film, Godzilla would be taken seriously once again when he would meet a foe that truly was his equal...MechaGodzilla. MechaGodzilla is actually introduced as a clone Godzilla of sorts.

In "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla" we see Godzilla destroying the city, going on a rampage, despite the fact that he is not a villain at this point. I imagine this puzzled first time viewers of the film as it did the 8 year old me. After Bizarro Godzilla destroys a city he has a fight with his then partner Anguirus, and actually brutally beats him. No comedy to it. I'm sure that was a shocker to the fans considering the light hearted nature of the last couple entries. During this fight a piece of Godzilla's skin is chipped off and it's revealed that there is metal underneath. Well later we soon find out that this Godzilla is a fake, and the real Godzilla shows up. The two beasts battle until the Bizarro Godzilla sheds it's green skin and reveals itself to be MECHA-GODZILLA! The big reveal is a very cool moment. You really get that big fight feel and you know Godzilla will have his hands full. A huge fight ensues and we get to see MechaGodzilla show off all sorts of weaponry. Lasers out of the chest, lasers out of the eyes, rockets out of the fingers, rockets out of the toes, rockets out of the knees, a forcefield, spinning head, and the list goes on. This guy is just loaded to the brim with artillery. Of course eventually Godzilla conquers him and he meets his demise, but it is short lived. MechaGodzilla would return in 1978's "Terror of MechaGodzilla". In both films MechaGodzilla is controlled by ape like aliens bent on world domination, otherwise known as a Tuesday in TOHO Tokyo. In the later films throughout the 80's,90's, and 2000's MechaGodzilla is controlled by the military.

So let's lay out all the different versions of this mechanical beast. There was the original MechaGodzilla 1 which was featured in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla and Terror of MechaGodzilla. This one was controlled by aliens and used for evil. Soon after that Godzilla took a long absence. MechaGodzilla would be back in "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2". In that one MechaGodzilla is actually reverse engineered from parts left over from Mecha King Ghidorah. Then in the 2000's there is a MechaGodzilla referred to as "Kiryu". This one was created using the bones of the original Godzilla. The government had some pretty bizarre ideas at this point. This version was featured in another "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla" film and a film called "Tokyo SOS".

At this point we are looking at 5 appearances and 3 different forms! That's some star power! After the countless battles with Godzilla, the consistent upgrades, and never say die nature of this monster, I have no doubts that MechaGodzilla deserves the number two spot in this countdown. MechaGodzilla is everything a nemesis should be. Just like Godzilla, he never stays down.

Monster Mania Day 18: Operation ALIENS

Written by Stu Cooper

In the early 90's the toy and cartoon market was littered with movie licensed stuff. We had Robocop and Rambo cartoons with toy lines to follow. It was a weird era in violence. Arnold and Sly movies were all the rage and children were viewing rated R films like it was nothing. You know the rating system was a joke when you have cartoons and toys being made of these movies. That was nothing compared to what was to come tho. Kenner released a small ALIEN toy line in the 70's when the original film was released, but it was deemed too dark for kids. Well they weren't worried about that in the 90's because they released massive lines of ALIENS and PREDATOR related merchandise. I remember the old commercials showing the two fighting in the jungle. I remember purchasing a couple of the combo packs as well. One thing I immediately noticed as a child was that the toy line featured characters that either died in the movie, or were never in the movie to begin with. I figured toy companies make up characters and stories all the time, so that's not that uncommon. It turns out the line came from a pitched idea for an ALIENS animated series!

The series would have been called "Operation ALIENS". It would have followed all your favorite marines like Hicks,Apone,Hudson,Vasquez...wait a second. Yep, the animated series focused on the entire group of marines that died in ALIENS the film. It would have totally ignored the outcome. Considering the entire planet was nuked at the end, the chance that any of these guys would have survived is impossible. Their fates from the film are ignored and they are still traveling around space hunting down Aliens like they are cockroaches. The toyline came with little comics which were basically the outline for what the show would have been. They depict the marines blowing up various types of Aliens with relative ease, even trapping the queen like it's no biggie. I must say tho I'm pretty interested to see how this show would have unfolded. How would they address the breeding process of the alien, or the fact that they bleed blood? A lot of issues that would have to be changed in order for kids to watch the programming. I'm guessing that's why the show never got off the ground. Instead we were left with some posters, puzzles, toys, shirts, and a couple screen shots of a teaser, which I'll put below. What do you guys think, could it have succeeded? What other cartoons with violent overtones did you enjoy?

Men In Black III Review

Written by Stuart Cooper

Men in Black III (2012)

Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin

Well its summer blockbuster season and you know what that means…sequels! This summer features another Batman film, an Alien prequel, a Spider-man remake, and the latest installment in the Men in Black franchise. Today I will be discussing “Men in Black III”, a film I was surprised by and enjoyed quite a bit. Both Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith return for this sequel, and Josh Brolin plays a pivotal role in the film as Young K (Tommy Lee Jones). Many have a bad taste in their mouths regarding Men in Black after the very lackluster and terrible Men in Black II, but I assure you this one is much better. The story is more interesting and the acting is top notch. The film actually reminded me a bit of the short lived animated TV series that the WB created. It’s like the first film with more aliens and a weirder storyline.

In this installment of Men in Black we see the classic team of J and K (who has aged quite a bit since the original) embarking on a mission involving time travel. I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but basically J (Will Smith) gets caught in the middle of a rivalry between K and an old nemesis of his by the name of Boris the Animal. Boris is played by the always awesome Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords. Clement seems to have no problems adjusting from a comedy band/show to feature films. I really loved him in Gentleman Bronco and Dinner for Schmucks. Boris the Animal is a criminal that was caught by K in the 60’s and has since been detained in a prison facility on the moon. That’s right, a prison…on the moon. That idea sounds pretty awesome to me. This prison seems to be reserved for the most dangerous criminals, and you will definitely see why Boris is such a threat as the film progresses. The film opens with Boris escaping the prison. Boris eventually makes his way back to earth and gets his hands on a time travel device. This is when the evil plot begins to take shape. Boris intends to go back in time and stop K from injuring and arresting him. He aims to kill K. Agent J soon finds out about this plan and it is up to him to stop it. This means that Agent J must go back in time and find Boris before he kills K. The story is immediately better than the last film and the fact that they don’t waste time on a romantic interest in this one certainly helps. Sorry Rosario Dawson but you kind of ruined the second film. So put your concerns to rest and enjoy the film because it is pretty much a comedy action thrill ride from the beginning.

When J travels back in time he must team up with a young K, played by Josh Brolin. Brolin does a superb job of mimicking Tommy Lee Jones and if you close your eyes and just listen to his voice, you would swear they were the same person. The two men together have the same comedy element that exists between Jones and Smith. One is the loud mouth goofy type, and the other is a stone cold robot of a man who finds little to smile about. The dynamic works perfectly and though I love Tommy Lee Jones, I was equally pleased with Brolin’s performance in the film. One aspect they play with is life in the 60’s. We see some racial humor with Will Smith that is pretty funny, though they play it safe and I seriously doubt little kids going to see this film would pick up on some of it. There is a funny moment when J goes back in time and immediately gets pulled over by the cops. My favorite part in the film is when J and K both meet up with Andy Warhol at one of his parties, and Warhol is played by the always hilarious Bill Hader. This scene has to be seen to be believed, truly funny stuff. Another character in the film that is an integral to the story is Griffin, an alien that can see multiple time dimensions at once. The character is played by up and coming actor Michael Stuhlberg who portrays Arnold Rothstein on Boardwalk Empire. I had no idea this guy had such a comical side and I ended up really enjoying his character. So the casting is definitely very pleasing. I think every character in the film offers up a unique style that adds to the universe that Men in Black takes place in.

The film maintains its comedic tone and you are treated to joke after joke from Smith’s character J. Some of the jokes are funny, some are not so funny. But what is important is that the film brings you that feel good chaotic alien action that was so good in the original. I wouldn’t say MIB III is as good as the original, but it is certainly a worthy sequel. If anything, go see this movie for Boris the Animal, possibly the coolest villain I’ve seen in years. The only things missing from this film were Rip Torn as Zed, and the classic “here come the men in black” song from the original that we all secretly love. My only complaints are that the final showdown is a little lackluster, and they could have done a bit more with J and K teaming up in the 60’s, but other than that it is quite an enjoyable addition to the franchise. I would suggest going to see this one in theaters if it’s still there, or wait for the Blu-ray. I didn’t waste my time on the 3-D version of the film, so I can’t speak for the 3-D effects. All you need to know is that it’s a better sequel then part 2 and that was good enough for me.

PROMETHEUS Review

Written by Stuart Cooper

PROMETHEUS (2012)

Starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Ibris Elba

One of the most iconic franchises in film history is back! Well kind of. “Prometheus” hit theaters this past weekend. Without a doubt this was one of the most anticipated films in the past couple years. Definitely qualifies as a summer blockbuster. Ridley Scott returns to the director’s chair to once again direct his baby (or face hugger) and in my eyes it did not disappoint. The first thing you must do before seeing this film is to separate yourself from the ALIEN franchise you know prior to this film, because I will tell you now it has elements of the franchise, but if you are looking for wall to wall gun fighting and acid blood, you will be disappointed. The film centers more so on the origins of the xenomorphs and the “space jockey” character from the original ALIEN. Now I will try my best to avoid any major spoilers because I want everybody to go see this film and judge for themselves, but I will discuss some basic plot details. Don’t worry I will leave plenty for you to discover on your own.

The film stars Noomi Rapace as the main protagonist Elizabeth Shaw. Her husband is played by Logan Marshall Green, and together they make up a couple who have devoted their entire lives to researching the origins of humanity. The couple travels the world examining artifacts and caves, examining signs of what could only be referred to as Ancient Aliens. If you watch the show on the history channel, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. The film immediately ties itself to a real life theory that is more popular and acceptable now, than ever. I myself am actually a believer in the Ancient Alien theology (to an extent) and if you are open minded in your beliefs; the film may actually hit home on certain pre-existing theories. So the film immediately makes the situation in question, a relatable one.

The couple, along with Weyland (of Weyland Industries from the other Alien films) opts to form a scientific expedition with the purpose of seeking out this alien life they believe to exist. As far as actual plot details, that is as far as I can go without spoiling anything important to the story. But we can at least talk about some of the characters in the film. Charlize Theron, sexy as always, plays a stern corporate representative for Weyland named Vickers. She is responsible for making sure the money spent on the expedition is worth the effort, and she also monitors the activity of the crew and can give orders if needed. Theron was very effective in this role and I thought it was perfect casting. Another notable cast member is the android David, played by Michael Fassbender. I’ve been a fan of Fassbender ever since he popped on the scene, and he is perfect in the role of David. He does a very good job of playing a cold emotionless android. David is not as two dimensional as some of the other androids in the previous films though, he actually seems to have a childlike curiosity and hunger for knowledge. David is really there to seek out answers, and assist the crew. But as you know with the previous ALIEN films, the android’s behavior is questionable, and the true motives are hard to predict given the emotionless character. This makes for quite the interesting contrast in comparison to other characters on board. The other cast member worth noting is the charismatic captain played by Idris Elba. Elba definitely has some good acting chops and he fits the role quite well. There is just something very badass about his attitude that he brings to a lot of his roles. There is a few other crew members as well, each seem to be from some type of scientific background, while others are there for security purposes. Together all of these people journey to the unknown planet, in search of answers to the burning question that we all have “Where did we come from?”. The film makes a habit out of answering one question with another question. Some people seem to have taken issue with this, but I am fine with it. I don’t expect a director or writer to spoon feed every aspect of a story to me, so I really enjoyed the way things are laid out. You learn a lot about the space jockey and the alien race behind the space jockeys, whom are referred to as “Engineers” in the film. You see several things that will remind you of the things you love in prior ALIEN films, but some of these ideas are slightly altered, implying that they will evolve into things you are familiar with. This is also something people seem to take issue with, but again I see this as a pointless complaint. I think that is part of the reason why Ridley Scott told people it was not a prequel, so they would not bring a heavy handed bag of nostalgia with them to the theater, but people did that anyways, and as a result had unrealistic hype and expectations. For those that didn’t do that, they seem to have loved the film.

Now getting on to the one thing I definitely wanted to discuss, the breathtaking visuals! This film is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The world that Ridley Scott created in the previous films is expanded even more so, and in ways you couldn’t even imagine. The ships in the film are incredibly unique and detailed; the look of the interior inside the Prometheus is similar to that of the Nostromo from ALIEN, with a few tweaks that set it apart. The look of the aliens in the film are also quite unique, not exactly what I expected but I was not let down in that respect. The eerie feeling that you get from the other ALIEN films is also very present in this one. You will definitely feel like you are watching a part of the ALIEN mythos, without being beaten over the head with xenomorphs. There are also a few nods to 2001: A Space Odyssey which I really got a kick out of. I can’t really talk about them without giving away details of the plot, but I think if you are a fan of 2001, you will spot these similarities immediately.

The one thing I always found creepy about the original ALIEN was the feeling of isolation. That is what made the film so eerie. You can run, but you can only run so far and at the end of the day, it’s just you and whatever creature is following you. No back up, no police, no family members, no safe house, it’s just you, space, and whatever occupies that space. In space no one can hear you scream…never rang so true. Another aspect of the film that seems to be discussed quite a bit is questions it provides concerning evolution, religion, purpose, all of these big issues that every human thinks about. Some find the fact that these things are discussed unnecessary, but I think it is a vital part of the story. These questions being posed in the film are good. These questions make it more than a space thriller; it makes it a deep, multi-layered universe that is thought provoking. So if you like movies where you can turn your brain off and let the characters explain everything for you, you may not like this film. A lot of things in the film are open to interpretation and I loved that about the film, but some critics find this aspect challenging and dismiss it as “plot holes”. I think the film may have a few things here and there that could be done better, but overall I enjoyed the storytelling and the questions posed. If anything it gives you more reason to care about the universe that the story takes place in, as opposed to just watching people shoot aliens. Something “Battle: Los Angeles” could have used.

Overall I think “Prometheus” is a unique and thought provoking film. If you are a fan of the ALIEN mythos and the style of Ridley Scott, this film is worth your time. If you enjoy the art style of H.R. Giger and the eeriness that exists in the previous films, then I would recommend this film as well. If you like your films cut and dry, black and white, without any questions, then you may dislike the film. So I think it’s really up to the viewer as to how they interpret the film. Don’t let the unrealistic hype train known as the internet ruin this film for you. Go into the theater with a clear head, no expectations, and enjoy the ride. Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace give powerful and enjoyable performances, the visuals are stunning, and the storytelling is bizarre and unique. It’s everything I wanted and more.

Bonus Video: ALIEN trailer done in the style of PROMETHEUS...very cool.

The Avengers (2012) Review

Written by Stuart Cooper

The Avengers (2012) Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlet Johannson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Hiddleston

I never thought this day would come. I can remember being a young child and hoping I would see live action versions of my favorite heroes…The X-men, The Silver Surfer, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America…it all seemed like a fantasy. Little did I know that years later all of these hero films would become a reality. While all of their incarnations may not have been classics, they were brought to life none the less. If someone told me that in 2012 we would be seeing the ultimate marvel-team up movie, I would have laughed in their face. Now I am sitting here trying to wrap my brain around what I just witnessed. My entire childhood wrapped into 2 hours and 35 minutes. The film I am referring to is of course “The Avengers”, which is being released nationwide in 2-D, and 3-D IMAX. The film collects all of the major Marvel Film Stars (aside from War Machine’s unexcused absence). Robert Downey Jr. returns as the very charismatic Tony Stark (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury, Chris Evans returns as Captain America (not his human torch alternate personality), Scarlett Johansson returns as The Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, and Jeremy Rinner as Hawkeye. That is quite the all-star list if you ask me. One cast member that I believe deserves the most credit is Tim Hiddleston as the unstoppable mega villain LOKI! Now I am going to try my absolute best to avoid any spoilers, I will be giving away some basic storyline elements but to be honest you probably picked up that much from the trailers.

The conflict begins when Loki, who survived at the end of Thor, is shown making a deal with an alien race called The Chitauri. The deal involves him leading an army through a portal connected to Earth and ultimately conquering it. This idea is threatening enough that Nick Fury calls upon The Avenger plan and organizes an elite group of super heroes. The film takes it’s time catching up with each member of the team. We see that Tony Stark has just finished building Stark Tower (which is involved in the comic books quite a bit), Captain America is still adjusting to his new time, Hawkeye is working for S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as Black Widow, and Bruce Banner is off in a third world country helping others with his doctor talents, keeping the beast at bay. After Loki makes his presence known on earth, Nick Fury races to assemble the team. The film really kicks off the action fairly quickly as we see Loki go at it with a few of the Avengers, and there is some cool Hero vs. Hero sequences that I don’t want to spoil. The Hero vs. Hero scenes get quite heated and interesting. As an audience member I almost found myself begging these guys to get their acts together so they could function better as a team. The fact that I felt such emotion so soon into the film is proof that Joss Whedon definitely knew what he was doing with this film.

Most of the film is spent on the conflict between Loki and The group, but we do get a few moments of background story on Black Widow and Hawkeye. One character I was particularly pleased with was Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. I was not impressed with the casting choice at first because Ruffalo hasn’t really done any films other than “Blindness” that I really cared for. I am happy to admit I was very wrong and he does a fantastic job with The Hulk character. Ruffalo makes the audience feel true sympathy for the Bruce Banner character. Many think it would be wonderful to have the strength and power of The Hulk, but for Bruce it is a true nightmare and he makes that very clear. There is even a slightly tear jerking moment where Bruce discusses his unhappiness with the group. The Hulk character was done perfectly. One worry I had was that there would simply be too many characters and they would suffer as a result, but Whedon does a great job juggling all of these characters at once. The team is constantly at odds and playing off one another and it comes off quite natural. Robert Downey Jr. definitely shines as Tony Stark and is the most charismatic and comfortable character on screen. It’s evident that he is the best actor when he is in the room with the whole team, talking circles around them. There are so many little jokes here and there between the team members; I can’t even start listing them. You really have to see it for yourself. Chris Evans as Captain America is quite fun. He sticks to the choir boy persona and stays true to all the things that Captain America stands for. There is a part in the movie in which Thor and Captain America exchange remarks about God and Captain says something along the lines of “well I only believe in One God and he isn’t like you and your brother”. I’m of course paraphrasing but it was quite the odd thing for him to say. There is also a moment where Stark is poking fun at Banner and asking him what his key to calmness is and he suggests that he may have a big bag of weed on him! So the jokes are definitely in there, and make for great banter between action sequences.

While there is a lot of humor, there are also some tense moments that had underlying themes I felt like. There is some references to the earth being in trouble because we need a renewable energy source (which is true), there is a remark Loki makes about humans spending a lot of time killing each other (which is true), and the one comment I thought was quite chilling; an alien says that “humans cannot be ruled because they are unruly”. These kinds of remarks added a layer of reality to the film and made me reflect a bit on human characteristics. Hawkeye as a character was just kind of there, I felt like he had a cool gimmick but I really didn’t care for the character. Hawkeye’s S.H.I.E.L.D. counterpart however ,The Black Widow (Johannson) really impressed me. Not only does she ooze sex appeal the entire time, but she whoops so much ass, you will have to appreciate her character. Although if you want to get technical, it doesn’t make much sense seeing as she has average fire power and no super powers, but she can move like Spider-man and she proves to be a valuable part of the team. One last cast member I want to talk about is Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, whom you may remember from all of the previous marvel films. This character really becomes quite likeable and has quite a few lines that will give you a chuckle. I enjoyed that character in this film more than I did the other appearances. So if you are looking for quality characters, this film has definitely got it.

Now let’s talk about what everybody came to the party for, the action! The action sequences in this film are absolutely breathtaking. I’m often left unfulfilled with the final fights in Marvel films. Too often is it just a few moves and boom it’s over within a minute. This is not the case with The Avengers. It’s as if all the Marvel films leading up to this were prequels and they were saving the fighting for this installment. If you want destruction, you got it, if you want crazy superpower battles, you got it, if you want beautiful C.G.I. and not Indiana Jones aliens, you got it. The Avengers delivers in every aspect. The fight scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat! I don’t often say things out loud during a film but I found myself yelling “Oh No!” and “Yeah!” quite a few times. It really had me fully immersed in the Marvel Universe.

I really hope all the comic book fans check this film out in theaters. It is really one of those movies you have to see in a theater setting first, so don’t hold off for Redbox, get your ass in the car, shill out the 7 bucks for a matinee showing, and enjoy yourself. If you grew up a fan of any of these characters, or if you are a new comic book fan, or even a casual action film fan, you will enjoy this movie. I said it before and I will say it again, this is the PERFECT super hero film. Without a doubt, The Avengers is a must-see.