Thursday, June 29, 2017

Week 5 - 3D! - 10 movies that would have worked in 3D!

Week 5 - 3D! - 10 movies that would have worked in 3D!

For week 5 we're celebrating all things 3D over here at Staystillreviews! Here is a list that I believe really would have been even more awesome as they all ready are if they had been released in 3D! Here are my top ten choices!

10) Society
- "Master of the hunt, champion of the shunt." This I believe would be the ultimate movie if it was released in 3D. This strange Beverly Hills stroll down the rabbit hole all ready is a near perfect horror fantasy movie. Arrow's video of this 1989 is crystal clear, displaying all of it's colorful "eye" popping effects in all it's glory. What would have been truly awesome would have been seeing the shunt in 3D. Just think about the slime, the body parts, and creatures coming right at you!

9) Brain Damage 
- Talk about one hell of a trip! This movie, again that got an epic release thanks to Arrow Video would have looked absolutely stunning in 3D. Think of Aylmer coming at the screen, or all that beautiful blue liquid squirting away?! I think between the memorable BJ scene, or the mind blowing ending that would have been one hell of a ride!

8) Return Of The Living Dead 3
- One of the most underrated sequels of all time is another perfect example of the killer effects being displayed in all their glory and would look even cooler in 3D. Just think about it, Julie basicaly destroying herself, with each bloody body part reaching up and out of the screen. This would also be pretty clever since this is the third entry in the film series. 

7) Puppet Master
- I always felt if this movie got remade it would have been pretty awesome if they did it in 3D. I think Puppet Master is a cheesy overall fun movie that would have looked even cooler in 3D. All of the puppets coming at the audience in 3D would have been beyond killer!

6) Gremlins 2
- Gremlins 2 is a movie all on it's own. I really think the one thing they didn't throw into this crazy movie was making it in  3D. I could see it right now, millions of gremlins, all shapes, colors, and sizes popping right out of the screen!

5) Frankenhooker 
- If you notice I'm repeating some director's since honestly they are the ones who make the most eye popping crazy, and very colorful movies out there! I think basically everyone loves Frankenhooker for exactly what it is. A funny over the top dark comedy, displaying the gritty side of New York City as well as all having some of the most insane scenes ever shown. I think it would be a complete riot whenever all the hookers smoke the super crack and start to explode. Just think of the body parts flying!

4) Psycho 3
- Another example of third entries being even cooler if they had been made in 3D! I guess the original plan was to release this film in 3D and in black & white. Pretty clever if you ask me. I think a shower attack scene with a knife coming right at the audience would be cool as HELL. How about the phone booth murder, or mother's corpse jumping right out of the screen. I feel the 1980's really should have taken advantage of making at least one sequel in very horror series in 3D.

3) Day Of The Dead
- I think it's clear how much I love this movie. But come on people HOW COOL would it look if all those thousands of zombie arms bursting out of the wall at Sarah?! There are tons of moments I think would have worked perfect for 3D gags. The hands reaching towards Rhodes, the zombies all stumbling towards the screen? All of the bloody over the top deaths? This movie seems as if it was made to be in 3D!

2) Slumber Party Massacre 2
- "I wanna be, a Tokyo Coverable..." Another movie just made to be in 3D. What would make this zany sequel even more over the top? Simple, put it all in 3D! Think of the killer's drill swirling and twirling right towards the audience, or the zit exploding?! There are countless moments that would have been beyond awesome if it was shot in the third dimension!

1) Pieces
- I truly believe all slashers should be in 3D. I mean look at how cool the My Bloody Valentine remake ended up. If Pieces was ever remade I think what would make this over the top gritty slasher even cooler was if it was made in 3D. Think of the flying body parts and blood! Bastard!

Sidenote - I didn't chose the Waxwork movies because let's be honest...those movies are complete and total perfection ;)



Sunday, June 25, 2017

Chip's drive-in marathon!!!

 Chip's drive-in marathon!!!

In keeping with the summer spirit, Chip is throwing his very own drive-in marathon. Inviting surfers, rockers, stoners, valley girls, weirdos, and everyone else who's ready to throw back some popcorn, crack open a cold one, park their BMX bikes, and sit beneath the stars as classic after classic unfolds upon the giant silver screen!

For tonight's marathon, we're kicking it back old school with seven films that scream summer fun!

First up...
A trip over to the refreshment stand where popcorn, candy, hotdogs, soda, and yes cheap Cream Ale Beer is sold to the crowds. 
After you load up on junk, you can either park your bike, or cruise in with your car to get a good seat. Remember kids, what happens at the drive-in...stays at the drive in. Just as the sun sets, and music continues to blast from boomboxes in the back of the Ford Pintos, the screen lights up to our first feature film...

Joysticks

Brain Damage 

Thrashin'

Day Of The Dead

Chopping Mall

And to finish things up Radioactive Dreams as the Midnight Movie!

After the marathon, Chip and his BMX buddies will be riding out to the beach where they plan on listening to their walkmans, setting off cherry bombs, and then racing their bikes back to Chip's where the boys bring in the dawn while munching on stale popcorn, and watching some killer VHS tapes from the local video store.

Think of how many beautiful VHS tapes washed up on shore that morning...

Stay tuned, who knows when Chip will host another drive-in marathon. Just remember to bring the popcorn!
Long live the glory days of the drive-in, brought to you by Chip the movie loving kid!











Why Bobby and Brenda were the ultimate duo in the original Hills Have Eyes.

 Why Bobby and Brenda were the ultimate duo in the original Hills Have Eyes.

One of the ultimate vacation gone wrong movies has to be the Wes Craven original Hills Have Eyes. This 1970's classic was gritty, brightly lit, raw, and brutal. This was Craven's follow up to his grim tale of loss of innocence with The Last House On The Left. This movie tells the tale of a family driving through the desert to California to celebrate their parent's anniversary. Along the way, they run into some car trouble, while taking a short cut through the mountains where old silver mines used to be which were shut down after the government began using the area for a nuclear test site. Unknown to anyone else, a wild clad of cannibals, affected by the radiation, crawl into the caves where they become inbred, and attack anyone who makes the tragic mistake of traveling through there. Broken down, the family tries finding help before the mutant cave people attack them one by one in the middle of the night. After kidnapping an infant child, it's only three family members remaining. Two of which are teenage twins Bobby and Brenda. Here they have witnessed the brutal murders of both their parents and sister. Brenda has been sexualy assaulted, and the two are frightened, and stranded while their brother in-law goes into the mountains to find his baby girl. Alone, the two decide instead of giving up, they fright back with nothing to lose. 


The events shown in this film are highly disturbing. In just the matter of a few hours both Bobby and Brenda witness their father burning to death, their sister and mother getting shot, their niece getting kidnapped, Brenda being raped, and one of their family dogs gutted. The two are attacked, beaten, and pushed to the very limits. What started out as two beautiful young teenagers, full of energy, and giving a playful brother sister banter. By the end of the movie they are bloody, beaten, exhausted, and most likely half insane. Sure Brenda screams her brother's name more times you can even count (Try playing a drinking name to that...every time you hear the name Bobby...drink. #whitegirlwasted) Any who in typical Craven fashion, the two kick total ass. One of the most heartbreaking scenes is when they need to drag out their poor mother's corpse to use as bait. They rig the trailer aka their only shelter to try and kill the monsters attacking them. One of the best moments if how clever they rig everything, including Brenda finally snapping and attacking one of the mutants with an axe to save her brother. These two fight up until the very end and their will to survive is something to truly respect.

This movie had one HELL of a remake (One just as good as the Dawn Of The Dead remake) here everything is a million times more disturbing and brutal. Yet again, we witness these two characters taking a stand instead of allowing these brutal killers to finish them off. Together they pair up and kick some major ass. 


Sadly the original sequel to this movie gets a really bad rap. I for one have always liked it and really wish Bobby's role would have been bigger. I would have LOVED to see Bobby and Brenda return to the desert all those years later to finish off the family that destroyed theirs. 


So three cheers to two of my favorite survivors. Arrow Video knocked the blu-ray release to this baby right out of the park. The transfer is crystal clear, and the special features are amazing. What I love most about this release is the fact that the artwork showcases Bobby and Brenda in all their glory just like the Mondo poster that I proudly own. 

Let's pour one out for Bobby and Brenda! The original home boy and home girl!


Saturday, June 24, 2017

Chip's summer mixed tape!!!

 Chip's summer mixed tape!!!
To celebrate five wonderful years here at Staystillreviews, I'm heading over to the Atlantic Chapter for some fun in the sun, cool waves, and tasty drinks. To spread the summer fun, Chip the movie loving kid is throwing a volleyball match over at the beach with fruity umbrella drinks, killer shades, Ghoulies floating in the surf, and kick ass tunes! Here ladies and gents, I bring you Chip's Summer Mixed Tape!
Click below to crank out the killer tunes blasting from Chip's boombox, sitting up in the warm sugar colored sands, parked right next to his BMX bike.


So here's to another 5 years at Staystillreviews! Crack open a cold one, butter on the spray tan, and blast these killer tunes with Chip to celebrate our sensational summer!





Friday, June 23, 2017

10 reasons why the Mutilator rocks!

 10 reasons why the Mutilator rocks!
Over at Staystillreviews we're switching things up a bit, pushing back Shark Week so it actually takes place during Shark Week (is it just me or have they switched what week this takes place like constantly over the last few years?) I do gotta hand it to writer/director/actor Eli Roth as the new official host of this celebration in all things shark. Still, with us jazzing things up a bit, I decided to make this week as Vacations Gone Wrong. In kicking off this wonderful week, why not highlight ten reasons why the ultimate vacation slasher rocks!

10) The brutal cold opening.
- In wonderful tradition of such slashers like Pieces, this movie didn't hold back at all. In the opening moments we watch a young boy wanting to impress his father by going into his gun cabinet and cleaning his shotguns as a surprise for his birthday while his mother frosts a birthday cake in the next room. I don't know about you, but I grew up in a house where my father had a gun cabinet which was under lock and key. I was forbidden to EVER touch the thing, so watching this scene as the boy takes the shotgun out to polish, even pointing the barrel near his face always gives me a major panic attack. Tragically he points the gun at the wall, screwing around and pulls the trigger, firing a blast through the wall and hitting his mother right in the back. (Great to know it was left loaded!) Here the father walks in moments later to discover his wife's body, completely snapping as his son hides. Here he drags her corpse into the next room, gives her a drink, and hangs the sign his son made on her bloody body. Beyond unsetting and sets the tone for why Big Ed has snapped and hates his son so much. I think the Mutilator is overall a pretty light hearted slasher, but this opening is beyond chilling.

9). The catchy theme song.
- "We're going on a Fall Break!" Hands down one of the most catchy theme songs ever to be featured in a slasher. I mean what even is a Fall Break? Thanksgiving Break? I always wondered this. Still every time I watch movies like Cabin Fever, I smile knowing it's honoring the original film that featured a bunch of teens going away in the Fall for a weekend full of beer, sex, and fun! This soundtrack is beyond epic even though it really only features one song. How it hasn't gotten it's own single vinyl release is beyond me. Mondo, I hope you can hear me...

8). The likable characters.
- In perfect tradition of such movies like The Burning, and Intruder...we actually have a cast of young adults we like. Sure some of the acting is...well...questionable. Besides that I loved the entire cast (Even that very attractive lead who played Matt. Yum!) This is a group of kids you can't help but like as they get into some zany fun during the run of this movie. I always LOVED the scene in the beginning when they are crossing the bridge, drinking beers when suddenly a cop car comes up behind them. I crack up watching them trying to play it cool as they continue driving.

7). The killer's motive. 
- In continuing with the film's brutal opening, we understand why Big Ed honestly flipped his shit. He comes home to find his wife accidentally shot. Clearly the guy loved her, and had some major screws missing. His relationship with his son was strained. (Always makes you wonder what life was like between the two while he grew up.) Was there other family involved that made it impossible for Ed to strike earlier? We watch in Ed's mind as he day dreams of brutally murdering his son, choking the life out of him, or even killing him with whatever tool he can get his hands on. Clearly this was a ticking time bomb as he waited until the perfect moment to strike. Here he calls up his son, telling him he needs to help close up his beach house for the season. The estranged relationship shows the two haven't been close since the accident, and here Big Ed awaits in the shadows, picking off his son's friends one by one until trying to attack and kill his own son. What kills me is the music cue after Matt discovers that the killer was indeed his father and how devastated he is. The ending scene of him holding his girlfriend always kills me. A bit of a downer, but that jazzy credits song starts playing and raises our spirits instantly.  

6). The effects!
- Thanks to makeup wizard Mark Shostrom we get some of the most bloody and brutal deaths ever shown in a slasher. What I love about this movie is the fact it marketed on the fact these deaths were going to be beyond over the top, gory, and bloody. The killer seriously uses any tool he has on hand. We get drownings, a circular buzz saw, harpoons, giant fish hooks, and battle axes. Each death more disturbing than the last. Some of my personal favorites were the police officer's leg getting cut off, or the fish hook going up the girl's hoo haw. It's bloody and showcases the glory days of effects. Long live practical effects! Corn syrup for everyone!

5). The fact there's a large indoor pool at the beach...
- I always scratched my head at this. Maybe I haven't been to many beaches but really? An indoor pool right on the beach? This would maybe make sense if they were staying at a resort, but I never quite got this. Still the lighting is pretty awesome, as is the slow motion shot of the girl floating and the killer's hands reaching up and pulling her under. Very cool!

4). This guy's death.
- Another pretty boy in the movie. I still have an old issue of Fangoria of him on set smiling, holding the magazine smiling all done up in his makeup. I love the scene of him approaching the garage closet, thinking his girlfriend is there. "I'm...coming...to...get...you!" Very over the top, and very cool. Love how brutal and bloody this death is!

3). The speed-up zany scene.
- I love the comic relief in this movie. Yet again we get a zany little moments when Ralph is forced to go downstairs and lock up for the night. Love how fast he moves after his girlfriend promises him a little "something" something in return. Ralph is the kind of guy you would wanna crack open a few beers with. I love the scene in the beginning when he thinks he's fooling the people who run the market into giving him a discount of beer. Classic.

2). The hook death.
- Whenever I think of this movie...I think of this death. In fact, thanks to my good friends Chris and Courtney I own an original poster signed by the director and cast that hangs proudly in my kitchen. Whenever I look at it when the teens hanging by hooks, staring at the giant sharp fishing hook, I remember why this movie still after all these years remains a cult classic. This scene is beyond unsetting and for a girl makes you feel more than a little uncomfortable. Yikes!

1) The killer's end.
- Why not have a brutal ending to our killer. I love him getting crushed against the wall after climbing on top of the car and getting his hand burnt. I love him cut in half, only to come to life one last time in typical slasher fashion and attack the police officer at the end cutting his leg off. It's gory, and very over the top, and that's why I love this movie. How it didn't get a sequel is still beyond me!

So 3 cheers to one of the best vacation slashers of all time!




Wednesday, June 21, 2017

A 20 year mission completed. The search for Sky High 1990.

 A 20 year mission completed. The search for Sky High 1990.

2017 for sure has had it's highs and lows. Well...I was FINALLY able to find the ultimate high.

SKY HIGH that is.

(Yes, I laughed the whole time I typed those sentences.) Any who, I'm sure for whoever knows me, follows this blog or my IG account knows that for YEARS I've been bitching and moaning about not being able to find what I truly was beginning to believe a "lost film." This being a Wonderful World Of Disney episode filmed in 1989 and released in 1990 that was supposed to be the pilot for a TV series which was named Sky High.


Sky High was about two local farm boys who really don't have much of a future in the small town they live in. Both work at a garage, and are watching life pass them by. That is until they discover one of the town's residents has just passed away. When they go to the estate sale they take a gamble and buy the barn for a whopping 500$ having absolutely no idea what's inside. Well, when they finally are able to get the locks off the doors, they are completely blown away. Inside sits a mint airplane from WWII. Both bicker and argue on what exactly they wanna do with it. Do they sell it? Do they learn how to fly? Do they junk it? Both spend the summer slowly fixing it up and befriend an old salty pilot who actually learned how to fly on this very plane forty or so years before. Once they feel comfortable enough to run the plane, the two decide to go cross country on an adventure, really not knowing where they are going, or who they are going to meet. Along the way they meet a lovely young girl who's desperate to track down her long lost sister who was last seen in Canada. Giving her a lift, they head North and put their heads together to find the missing teen. Here the three of them get into more than they bargained for and stumble into a series of zany adventures.


I vaguely remember seeing this movie I believe when it actually first aired. For YEARS I tried to figure out the name of the movie, and what it was actually about. As if the stars alined, our blog's very own mascot and one of my personal all time favorite actors Damon Martin actually played the second lead in this film next to Anthony Rapp. When I started re-watching Damon's movies during his brief film career (Pee Wee's Big Adventures, Ghoulies II, and Amityville 1992, ect) I was blown away remembering that he was actually in this movie and brought back some major childhood feels. Damon as we all know is our mascot Chip the movie loving kid, and for the last several years my crazy talented friend/artist Travis Falligant has worked with me not only designing Damon as Staystillreview's logo, but stunning pieces based off the characters he played while acting. One of which is his role in Sky High where he played the adorable denim wearing Jim Lincoln. 


Besides a few fuzzy images online there was NOTHING and I mean NOTHING about this movie. I went strictly by memory trying to track it down. I was lucky enough to nab a pretty awesome press kit by this movie including black and white stills that was in mint condition. Looking high and low, I even was crazy enough to put a 300$ bounty to some of my convention friends who ran tables finding rare and out of print films. I really gotta hand it to all of these guys. They worked their asses off trying to find this movie which honestly didn't exist anywhere. I even went on UK Ebay sites, and continued emailing Disney constantly asking if this movie ever was released on a video format? It truly felt that this was a lost cause. That this movie no matter who I emailed, and where I looked was out of print and didn't exist. Besides a few brief flashes of this movie on old 1990 Disney previews...there was zip. 

Then October rolled around.

By chance somebody uploaded the ENTIRE movie in French. I honestly couldn't believe it and watched it twice. I may not have understood a single word said, but it brought back millions of childhood memories. This was the movie I remembered watching as a kid, and it did indeed feature Damon Martin in all his glory. Frustrated, I was still grateful I was able to watch the movie and felt it was only a matter of time until I could track the movie down in English. At the time I was content with what I had which was a huge step in the right direction. 

Then early June happened...

One night just by chance I googled Sky High 1990 and was STUNNED to find two things. First the movie on VHS. Not a tapped copy, but an original VHS copy from 1990. I didn't even think twice and bid on it, winning the auction that only lasted a week. When the movie came I felt like a kid on Christmas and as dorky as this sounds, got a little emotional actually holding a real legit copy in my hands. I'm a VHS collector and I know lots of collectors, this truly is the rarest tape I own. As a huge horror person, I'm sure plenty of people are scratching their heads wondering why make such a big deal over a stupid made for TV movie? Well I guess the only way to best explain my love for this movie is three reasons. 1). It was a film that reminded me of a childhood. 2) It had Damon Martin, who not only is my blog's mascot, but a man who's film career always fascinated by no matter how brief it was during the 80's and early 90's, and 3). The thrill of the hunt. This honestly felt impossible and I may very well be one of the few people on the planet who actually own a legit copy of this movie. Now all I gotta do is figure out how to transfer this puppy onto a DVD! I mean you know it's rare when a friend of mine even tweeted Anthony Rapp who had zero idea if this movie even got a release back when it aired. 


So in closing, mission impossible became possible and I've watched this movie countless times. What's even better is if anyone is truly curious about this movie some beyond awesome cool cat uploaded the entire movie in English on Youtube. It's a cheesy movie with plenty of fun moments, and sits proudly on my shelf of fame down at Staystillreviews headquarters. 


Thank you everyone. This honestly made my year!