The Asylum: Rise of the Mockbuster!

The Asylum is an independent film company with nearly 250 production credits to their name, they have been widely associated with the "Mockbuster", basically a low budget rip off of current or upcoming Hollywood Blockbusters, but also in recent years they have also produced some original content, series and films, with varying degrees of success.

I was trying to think of what would be the best example of a Mockbuster and came up with a few:

There are an awful lot more, believe me!

Most of these movies star, how can I put this nicely, forgotten or faded stars, but they also star very earnest actors giving it their all! 

There is the odd one that actually exceeds the Blockbuster it is aping, for example:

But on the whole, they're not, and you have to keep on reminding yourselves that these aren't parodies, they are meant as "proper" movies!

It's not only movies that get "reimagined", the highly successful The Walking Dead was used as inspiration for Z Nation, which isn't a too shabby series in it's own right, ok it lacks the productions values and seriousness but it's an enjoyable romp! 

The Asylum is also well known for another genre, sharks, they do love a shark movie:

And of course we can't forget their greatest fanchise, one that I really do like just for the sheer stupidity and pure tongue in cheek in which it was conceived, written and acted, I give you, the immensely fun filled.........

Sharknado

I openly admit that these movies are not for everyone, they're stupid and puerile, but they entertain me, and that is why I watch movies, to be entertained, so they are doing their job, and of course there are brilliant cameos in them all, hey let me know which was your favourite!

Tom Savini: Early Years

When I was researching Romero's Trilogy of the Dead Tom Savini's name kept on coming up so I thought I may as well dig a bit deeper and find out more about the man.

Tom Savini, actor, director, stuntman and, of course, special effects and make-up artist supreme!

Savini was born into a hard working Italian immigrant family, the youngest of 5, 3 brothers and a sister.

His father was a builder and carpenter, as well as general handyman, Savini attributes his work ethic as coming from his father.

His mother was the one that use to take him to the movies and that's where he fell in love with film, the movie The Man of a Thousand Faces, about the wonderfully talented Lon Chaney, was a massive inspiration and started his fascination with make-up and effects. 

From an early age Savini would practice doing horror (Dracula, Frankenstein's monster etc) make-up on his friends, and at the age of 14 he went to a magic show, Dr Silkini, and ended up working for the show dressed up as Dracula, it was his first paid job.

He attended Point Park University studying journalism for 3 years where he met his 1st wife, she got pregnant and so to pay the bills Savini enlisted in the Army as a combat reporter. It was in Vietnam that he saw the true atrocities of war, but it also gave him some of the ideas he would later use in his make up effects.

When he left the Army he'd split with his wife so he decided to complete his studies, he was accepted into Carnegie-Mellon University and was the first undergraduate to be awarded a full fellowship in the acting and directing program, there was a proviso though, he had to teach a class in make up design!

Whilst at University he put into practice the various talents he's acquired in his youth in various stage productions that the University put on, he was a tournament fencer and gymnast, a bit of a ace with a bullwhip, as well as an accomplished bike rider, most of his roles in his later career revolved around motorbikes.

American Psycho 1 & 2

We all know that generally sequels suck big time, there are rare occasions that they don't and actually exceed expectations, and sometimes they have nothing what so ever to do with the original apart from the odd vague reference every now and then.

These films get slammed, and on the most part justifiably, but sometimes you just have to suspend your prejudices and treat the movie as it's own stand alone entity.

One example that worked really well is Halloween III: Season of the Witch, nothing what so ever to do with Michael Meyers or the rest of the Halloween franchise and once you get past this you realise that it's an effective little horror movie.

Last night I watched American Psycho II: All American Girl, it's a film that I have been avoiding for ages after seeing the reviews and reading that it had nothing to do with the original, just another bandwagon jumper, but finally decided to give it a go!

Let's start at the beginning with the original, I covered the book briefly in an earlier blog, the film American Psycho is a PG compared with the book but caused controversy none the less.

American Psycho is a 2000 movie starring Christian Bale, the film is classed as a "black comedy psychological thriller" and mostly lived up to that.

The film centers on Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banking executive who is a narcissistic egotistical image obsessed psychopath whose grasp on reality is tenuous to say the least.

He's a banker by day and a serial killer by night, though he doesn't seem to spend a lot of time actually working, it more long lunches in trendy restaurants and comparing business cards!

His kills progressively get more extreme, some for personal gain, some just for pure pleasure, as he tries to feed the psychotic demonic thirst inside him.

But that's not what the film is really about, it's about the dangers of consumerism, Bateman eats in trendy restaurants not because the foods any good, he does it because it's the place to be seen!

This is covered a bit better in the book, Brett Easton Ellis will use a chapter just describing what (or who) someone is wearing, what products they're using and why somewhere is a must place to visit, he even uses a massive paragraph to describe the quality and finish of a business card!

As I stated at the start of this, I watched AP II last night and I have to say I found it very entertaining, I know, I was shocked as well! I'm not saying it's a great movie, that it doesn't have plot holes or that it's a good sequel to AP, I'm just saying that it was entertaining, which after all, is what a film should be!

The film is about the sole survivor of Patrick Batemans serial killing spree, who also happens to be his killer, played by Mila Kunis, and takes place some years after this.

Kunis plays Rachael Newman, a college student who will do anything to became her professors (played by William Shatner!) TA believing that this will give her a near shoe in to joining the FBI.

The film originally started off as having nothing to do with AP but Lions Gate saw a chance to piggy back on the success of it and cash in, this seemed to fuel the dislike about the film which possibly lead to the poorer reviews than it deserved as it doesn't compare to the original.

Kunis stated in an interview with MTV News that she was "horrified" that she made this movie and was glad it went straight to video, I think she's doing herself an injustice, she plays a very good psychotic, sexy serial killer who'll do anything to get what she wants!