"CATCH YOU FUCKERS AT A BAD TIME?"

Posts Tagged ‘Jake Busey’

The Predator

Wednesday, September 26th, 2018

I didn’t get to see THE PREDATOR until after the world had already estimated its coordinates somewhere in the hostile territory between disappointment and disaster. Maybe that prepared me for the sloppy last stretch (it seems like some connective tissue must’ve been lost in editing or reshoots) and a thudding comedy riff or two involving a character with Tourette’s. And I guess a couple subpar quasi-science discussions, sometimes involving “the spectrum.” Also, is it just me or are these people weirdly unsurprised to see aliens?

But everything else in the movie tears its gear off and covers itself in mud to prove it’s a true warrior of entertainment. This is a funnier Predator movie, one full of joyful, gory mayhem, clever dialogue and inventive action beats. Let me give you an example from the opening. Decorated army sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook, JANE GOT A GUN) witnesses the crash of a Predator ship and pulls an extra-terrestrial helmet and gauntlet out of the wreckage before catching a glimpse of the camouflaged alien pilot (6’9 1/2″ parkour artist Brian A. Prince) stringing up another soldier. Panicked, McKenna accidentally fires the wrist weapon, slicing his friend’s corpse in half and dumping intestines and blood onto the cloaked Predator, revealing its location and appearance.

I mean, you love that, right? I love that. We all, in my opinion, love that. That’s what movies are for right there. (read the rest of this shit…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Action, Reviews, Science Fiction and Space Shit | 64 Comments »

The Frighteners

Monday, June 19th, 2017

a survey of summer movies that just didn’t catch on

It was July 19, 1996, and there were four new movies in theaters: the action movie with Laurence Fishburne, the genie movie with Shaquille O’Neal, the clone movie with Michael Keaton, and the ghost movie with Michael J. Fox. That last one did the best of the batch, but more people went to see previous releases INDEPENDENCE DAY, PHENOMENON, COURAGE UNDER FIRE and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR.

Not that surprising. Normal people didn’t know what the hell THE FRIGHTENERS was, or have any reason to give it much thought. Universal couldn’t make that big a deal about BACK TO THE FUTURE’s Marty McFly reuniting with Robert Zemeckis (as a producer) because it’s not that kind of movie. Whiz bang special effects movie, yeah, but rated-R, with some grossness and disturbing flashbacks to a realistic spree killing. Like the one we looked at last week, WOLF, there was no McDonalds tie-in (although the skeletal face imprint on the movie poster would’ve looked cool coming out of the side of those glass mugs!). (read the rest of this shit…)

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Horror, Reviews | 28 Comments »

Motorcycle Gang

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

tn_motorcyclegangI found this DVD called MOTORCYCLE GANG, starring Carla Gugino and Jake Busey, directed by John Milius. That’s gotta be a TV movie, right? Yes, upon closer inspection I figured out it was part of the Rebel Highway series that Showtime did in 1994.

Rebel Highway was what happened when producers Lou Arkoff (son of Samuel Z.) and Debra Hill (one-time producing partner of John Carpenter) put together a group of ten directors and let them choose titles from the American International Pictures library of ’50s drive-in movies. They could remake it or just use the title if they wanted. They got low budgets and short shooting schedules, but apparently they were given final cut and encouraged to make them sleazy. So it was alot like the original AIP. Some of the directors included John McNaughton, Joe Dante and William Friedkin. The only one I’d seen before this was ROADRACERS, which was Robert Rodriguez’s practice movie between EL MARIACHI and DESPERADO. (read the rest of this shit…)

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Action, Reviews | 13 Comments »

Vern checks in to ROADHOUSE 2… No, Really… It’s a Real Movie…

Saturday, May 27th, 2006

Hey folks, Harry here with Vern’s latest review of something odd and amazing… namely ROAD HOUSE 2. Now I want to clarify something for Vern and lots of you. I honestly feel that if you are not of comic lover, there’s a very good chance you’ll like X3. And just because you haven’t read as much, or if you can divorce what you’ve read from what the film was… or however you approached X3… you’re absolutely right and valid in your opinion. There are no wrong opinions… unless you’re a Republican. Giggle. Anyway – here’s ROADHOUSE 2 and VERN – enjoy…

My dear readers,

Well hopefully you guys missed it but I guess I kind of blew it with my last review here. I did X-MEN PART 3 which I remember enjoying but it turns out I was incorrect. There was some sort of error involving a magic crystal and fire birds or something like that, it’s kind of over my head but the point is I didn’t know enough about comic book graphic novel funnies to really grasp the true meaning of that movie. They’re telling me I was mistaken. Sorry nerds.

Okay, so I don’t know the Darth Phoenix Saga from the Phoenix Suns. So sue me. But don’t be such a Magneto. The Ain’t It Cool News is big enough for comic book fundamentalists and infidels alike. We can live in peace and we can share our passion for the films of cinema and/or DVD. All I can do to make things right is return to an area I have more expertise in than children’s comic strip books: the area of straight to video sequels to ROAD HOUSE. I dare any one of you fuckers to question my credibility on this topic. You can’t. (read the rest of this shit…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Action, AICN, Reviews | 4 Comments »

  • Hey bud, thanks for reading.

    Don't feel obligated, but here are some

  • WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHIT OUT OF VERN & OUTLAWVERN.COM

    if that's your thing:

  • 1. Patreon

    Toss me a couple bucks a month, support the good shit, also get access to a bunch of exclusive writing. This is my primary source of writing money that has allowed me to cut down to part time at the day job. Thank you!

  • 2. Buy my books from your local bookseller or somebody

    click here for my Amazon author page

    (NOTE: My ten year contract has passed on the Titan books, so I don't get residuals on them like I do WORM ON A HOOK and NIKETOWN, but I would love for you to read them because I'm proud of them)

    EXTRA CREDIT: Review them on Amazon! That would really help me out. Unless you didn't like them, in which case forget I said anything.

  • 3. If you ever buy from Amazon, go through my links or search engines



    (you pay the same amount you were gonna pay anyway they cut me a little slice)

  • I also have an Amazon UK one:

    (I can't get the search box widget to work anymore, so click on MOONWALKER and then search for what you want.)

  • 4. My exciting line of fashion and leisure products

    (I get a couple bucks per item, you get a cool t-shirt, mug or lifestyle item)

  • 5. Spread the word

    Tell your friends about my reviews and my books and everything. Only cool people though please, we don't need a bunch of suckers and/or chumps around here.

    THANKS EVERYBODY. YOUR FRIEND, VERN

    * * * *

  • Recent commentary and jibber-jabber

    • rainman on Companion: “I wrote a sci fi short story 20 years ago about a young woman who wakes up in an unfamiliar…” May 6, 12:18
    • MaggieMayPie on The Shrouds: “Toxic, I’m so sorry for your loss and having to deal with the machinery of the funeral business. I truly…” May 6, 10:55
    • Bill Reed on Companion: “I liked this one. At first I was miffed the trailer gave away the “twist,” but it gets twistier from…” May 6, 10:42
    • Bill Reed on The Shrouds: “So sorry, Toxic. Worse with indignities and frustrations piled on top of an awful situation. In relation to THE SHROUDS,…” May 6, 10:31
    • burningambulance on Companion: “This was pretty much exactly the movie I hoped EX MACHINA would be. Loved it.” May 6, 09:20
    • Borg9 on The Shrouds: “Really sorry to hear all that, Toxic. My sincere sympathies. I’m sure it will not make you feel better, but…” May 6, 09:15
    • BuzzFeedAldrin on Companion: “I liked this for the most part. Agree, the casting is great (Sophie Thatcher is one of the best parts…” May 6, 08:32
    • Zed on Companion: “I enjoyed this. It reminded me a bit of UPGRADE, not just for the near-future setting and AI-related plot but…” May 6, 07:31
    • Mr. Majestyk on Companion: “This sounds better than I assumed it would be, but it really ought to be set in the CHERRY 2000…” May 6, 07:24
    • Borg9 on Havoc: “I didn’t hate this, but I can’t quite see it as a modern classic either. I’d put it a bit…” May 6, 03:41
    • CJ Holden on The Shrouds: “Fuck, Toxic, that’s some seriously harsh shit. Sorry to hear that, man.” May 6, 01:05
    • Toxic on The Shrouds: “Thanks guys. In a way, having to deal with shitty people was a distraction. The people at the hospital who…” May 6, 00:15
    • Skani on The Shrouds: “Toxic, I’m so sorry to hear about what you’ve been going through.” May 5, 18:30
    • VERN on The Shrouds: “Sorry to hear about that, Toxic. I can’t even imagine. Yeah, I really don’t know, I could definitely imagine a…” May 5, 18:24
    • Michael T on The Shrouds: “My first thought when I heard about this movie was this sounds similar to Vern’s book. Also, I sent you…” May 5, 17:49

  • Recent Commented on Posts

  • Most Comments