Watched a Couple of Entertaining Films Friday night . . . .

[indianasmith]

While my family watched RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, I sat in here at the PC and churned out most of a chapter on my new novel.  Then, after they went to bed, I treated myself to a B-movie double feature!  The first one was a new arrival that caught my attention on the shelves at Hastings - it was called 13 EERIE (2013).  Zombie flicks are a dime a dozen these days, but this one was a pretty solid zombie offering.  Six forensic pathology students are taken by their professor out to a remote island that was once the site of a Southern penitentary where some unsavory government experiments allegedly took place.  The bus driver is a former convict who tries to tell them (of course), that this site has some bad mojo.  Once they get to the island, the professor has concealed three decomposing corpses at various remote sites.  They are to examine the corpses in the field and determine time and probable cause of death, while the prof watches them through remote cameras.  Problem is, there are more than three corpses on the island - and the others are still up and walking!  A very solid, gory zombie flick with excellent special effects, this one could have had a theatrical run, I think.  The forensic pathology was an original touch, and the reanimated convict zombies are pretty terrifying!  Also, there as NO CGI!!!!  If you're a zombie fan, you need to see this one!

  After 13 EERIE, I watched a truly bizarre flick called JOHN DIES AT THE END.  I have to give this one a thumbs up for originality.  I had NO idea what was going to happen next at any moment!  Granted, it was late and I was very tired, but I stayed up late in order to see the end of this one.  The plot centers around a bizarre new drug called "Soy Sauce" that gives its users a trip out of this world . . . problem is, some of them do not come back as human! So it is up to two college drop outs and a famous self help guru to save the world from a parasitic species that is infesting humanity through this bizarre drug.  This film has some big names in it - Paul Giamatti for one - and constantly leaves you guessing as to what will happen next.  It has some true "huh"?? moments in it, but honestly, it didn't make a great deal of sense to me.  However, my extreme fatigue when I watched it may account for some of that.  I would definitely give it another try.  Anyone else seen it?

[Archivist]

The trailer for John Dies At The End looked pretty funny, but I haven't got around to watching it, yet.  Yet another in the ever-increasing list!  Good to know that you (seemed!) to like it, that's a fair recommendation in itself.

[claws]

13 Eerie has been getting the buzz lately. I'm really interested in checking it out since it also stars Katharine Isabelle who recently blew me away with American Mary (2012).

[Mofo Rising]

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I loved the book John Dies at the End.

In the book, the plot is very much secondary to a whole lot of improbable, yet crudely hilarious, paranormal happenings. The book is laugh-out-loud funny. I highly recommend it. There's a sequel which is a bit more conventional story-wise (there is one), called This Book Is Full of Spiders (Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It).

I also like that Don Coscarelli. He's not an amazing director or anything, but he sure does tackle some interesting subject matters.