Apollo 18 - 2011

Dimension Films, Bekmambetov Projects Ltd. (BPL), Apollo 18 Productions

Directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego

Cast:

• Ben Anderson – Warren Christie
• Nate Walker – Lloyd Owen
• John Grey – Ryan Robbins
• Deputy Secretary of Defense – Michael Kopsa
• Mission Control – Andrew Arlie
• Laura Anderson – Kim Wylie
• Ryan Anderson – Noah Wylie
• Nate's Girlfriend – Ali Liebert
• John's Fiancee – Erica Carroll

Story: Unknown to the world, the US did launch another Apollo mission, a secret military mission with only one agenda: place listening devices and motion activated cameras on the moon. The three astronauts chosen were not briefed on any other details, and they are confused when their equipment begins to have problems. Because of communications problems, they miss one take off, and begin to realize there is more here than meets the eyes. They stumble upon a Russian lander, and realize the bodies of the two Cosmonauts did not die of natural causes. Their worst fears are realized when they are told they cannot return to Earth.

Review: Conspiracy theories and “recovered” footage, hmm...Blair Witch project, take three? While not quite ready to put this in the total waste of time category, I have to admit this could have used a lot of work. The acting is so-so, the dialog is “too” real, almost forced, and the story wanders around in search of a decent climax. Like “Cloverfield”, the project was a low-budget, ambitious film with that more than tripled its cost, which has to have made the investors happy. But the premise of the US sending three men into space to die, knowing the outcome of the mission, is sparse at best, and the worst kind of obscure and meaningless conspiracy theory. Hostile creatures on the moon, spider-like beings disguised as rocks then sent by the government to other nations to what, assassinate other leaders in mysterious, untraceable deaths? Sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around this one. Probably a “once see” for the scifi crowd, rated PG-13 for violence and language, I don't see this one as a collectible, or really as that entertaining.

Cloverfield - 2008

Paramount Pictures, Bad Robot

Directed by Matt Reeves

Cast:

• Marlena Diamond – Lizzy Caplan
• Lily Ford – Jessica Lucas
• Hudson 'Hud” Platt – T. J. Miller
• Rob Hawkins – Michael Stahl-David
• Jason Hawkins – Mike Vogel
• Beth McIntyre – Odette Annabele

Story: Shot from the perspective of a personal video camera, we follow five young adults through a night of sheer horror. Rob Hawkins, the older brother of Jason, is leaving tomorrow for Japan for his job, and his friends decide to throw him a going away party. We see moments leading up to the party, as well as some personal footage (they borrowed Rob's camera to shoot the memento video and forgot to change the tape) between Beth and Rob. While the party is in full swing, Beth shows up with another guy, and Rob and her argue, some of it on tape. Beth and her friend leave the party, and Rob is off sulking when an explosion rocks the building and the power flickers on and off. The guests quickly leave the party and go out into the street to see what is happening, when the head of the Statue of Liberty comes sailing through the air and lands in the street. They quickly learn the Army is battling a creature of unknown origin in the streets of Manhattan, and trying to evacuate civilians. Rob, Hud, and Lily head out to find Beth, who is injured and in her apartment. Along the way they discover Marlena, and together the four try to rescue Beth and make it to the evacuation area before the Army obliterates Manhattan.

Review: An interesting take on the horror genre, Cloverfield was not my first “recovered footage” film. I have to admit, once I got through the first 20 minutes of the film, it moved pretty well. The dialogue was interesting and the actors played their parts well. Since the entire film is comprised of “recovered classified footage”, the film is not of the quality you would expect from a big budget production. But the story is both plausible (except for the creature, which is never fully identified) and real. How would you react to that level of chaos and panic? This is an interesting character study which looks for the best in the participants, who are willing to sacrifice their lives to save another. While certainly not a huge collectible for the mainstream, I think this will be a favorite of lovers of the Blair Witch Project and Apollo 18. Rated PG-13 for terror, violence and disturbing images, I think this is one time you should heed the warning and watch this one after the little ones are asleep.

Resident Evil: Afterlife - 2010

Constantin Film Produktion, Davis-Films, Impact Pictures

Written and Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson

Cast:

• Alice – Milla Jovovich
• Claire Redfield – Ali Larter
• K-Mart – Spencer Locke
• Luther West – Boris Kodjoe
• Chris Redfield – Wentworth Miller
• Albert Wesker – Shawn Roberts
• Bennett – Kim Coates
• Jill Valentine – Sienna Guillory

Story: The clone Alice army has destroyed the Tokyo facility of the Umbrella Corporation in a daring move that kills everyone but Alice and Albert Wesker, one of the main leaders of the corporation. Wesker is also infected with the T-Virus, and like Alice, has incredible speed, agility, and healing powers. But as he is escaping from Tokyo, he is about to kill Alice on his escape plane when the plane crashes. Alice survives, even though she has been returned to human status thanks to an injection delivered by Wesker. Sic months later, Alice has located a plane and is flying to Alaska to find Claire and the others from the caravan. When she arrives, she finds only a deserted field with lots of abandoned planes and helicopters, and is almost ready to give up when she is attacked....by Claire Redfield. Claire and the others were captured by the Umbrella Corporation to be used as subjects for further development of the T-Virus. Together, Claire and Alice fly to Los Angeles, where they locate another group of survivors who are also looking for an escape to Arcadia. But Arcadia is not a city in Alaska, it is a ship off the coast broadcasting a signal to offer shelter and food with no fear of infection.

Review: Paul W.S. Anderson returns to direct this fourth installment of the incredibly popular franchise. Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter reprise their roles as Alice and Claire. Kim Coates is offered up as our resident “jerk”, a part he has played so well in so many films. And hats off to Shawn Roberts, who is the best villain of the series so far. While this film is far more expository that the first three, the level of zombie terror is maintained with the addition of mutated zombies who have grown mandibles similar to the Reaper strain in Blade 2. Overall, this film is less satisfying than the previous three, but does resolve some plot issues and returns Alice to humanity. Boris Kodjoe is excellent as the even tempered former basketball star who is trying to keep the small group alive in their fortress, and while Spencer Locke is in the film, her role is so small it barely merits credits. For the adrenaline junkies among us, the opening scenes of the film make the best use of the Alice clones, and the action there is excellent, although brief. The mutated baddie known only as the Axeman is an interesting contrivance, yet too easily done in by Larter and Jovovich. Consider this film a bridge between Extinction and Retribution, which is accented by the brief but ominous appearance of Sienna Guillory (hint: Don't skip the end credits). Rated R for violence and language, like Extinction, if you have them, you have to have this one for the collection.

Resident Evil: Extinction - 2007

Resident Evil Productions, Constantin Film Produktion, Davis-Films

directed by Russell Mulcahy

Cast:

• Alice – Milla Jovovich
• Carlos Olivera – Oded Fehr
• Claire Redfield – Ali Larter
• Betty - Ashanti
• K-Mart – Spencer Locke
• L. J. - Michael Epps
• Dr. Isaacs – Iain Glen

Story: The T-Virus has run amok, spreading faster than anyone would have imagined, and the earth is dying. Alice is staying on the run, trying to hide out from the satellites of the Umbrella Corporation, but there are other evils about. She encounters a small group of people who have gone savage, using a radio distress call to lure victims in to rape and torture for their entertainment. When they are done, they feed them to the mutated dogs in their cellar, but Alice has other ideas. Her powers are growing stronger as well, psychic powers that she has not learned to control yet, but they are growing. After an incident where she loses her motorcycle, she stumbles on a caravan of survivors out in the Nevada desert led by Claire Redfield, and runs into her old friends Carlos and L. J.. She has found there may be hope in Alaska, on a tiny island that is free of the disease, but in order to get there, the caravan must resupply, and that means they have to go to a big city, where the zombies are likely to be. The Umbrella Corporation has also regained their signal on Alice, and are tracking her along wit the caravan. Alice must defeat the corporation once again while trying not to endanger the lives of the survivors.

Review:

Alternative Title:
Hot women with guns taking on zombies and the bad guys responsible for making them.

Milla Jovovich kicks butt and takes names in this third installment of the popular series. This time the virus has spread and has encompassed the world, so Alice is out and about, trying to avoid the undead. Now toss in Ali Larter, the tough, smokin' hot gal from Final Destination and Heroes, add in some Ashanti, and spice it up with the return of Oded Fehr and Michael Epps, and you have an action film that is sure to please. The Umbrella Corporation is well represented, with Iain Glen returning as the infamous Dr. Isaacs, the Frankenstein of all Frankensteins. When he learns Alice is still around, he tries every trick in the book to get her back. Be careful what you wish for, Doc. Great stunts, great action, and every bit as exciting as the first two films, Resident Evil: Extinction is sure to please the fans of the video game and the movies. And for us old guys, there is an "homage" to the King of Horror himself, Alfred Hitchcock, that is sure to please. Rated R for brief nudity, violence, and language, if you have the others, you have to have this one in your collection.

Soldier - 1998

Warner Bros. Pictures, Morgan Creek Productions, Jerry Weintraub Productions

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

Cast:

• Todd 3465 – Kurt Russell
• Cain 607 – Jason Scott Lee
• Colonel Mekum – Jason Isaacs
• Sandra – Connie Nielsen
• Mace – Sean Pertwee
• Church – Gary Busey
• Riley – James Black
• Jimmy Pig – Michael Chiklis

Story: In the not so distant future, soldiers are selected at birth. They are trained, educated, developed and bred to be soldiers, nothing more. They follow orders without question, do as they are told, and are the perfect fighting machines. Todd 3465 is one such soldier under the command of Captain Church. Colonel Mekum appears with the latest batch of soldiers, bred with DNA manipulation to make them superior to the soldiers The new soldiers are pitted against the old soldiers, and under training situations, the new soldiers appear superior. Cain 607 is sent into combat against Todd 3465 and two others and defeats the three soldiers. They believe all three to be dead, but Todd 3465 is simply unconscious. The bodies are given to waste disposal, where they are loaded on a waste freighter and dropped on a waste disposal planet. Todd 3465 manages to survive the drop and finds himself among a group of marooned people who were on their way to the Trinity Moons to colonize there. They have given up on their rescue and have created a sort of life there. Todd learns to interact with the colonists, and comes to realize there is more to life than being a soldier. Colonel Mekum and his soldiers are assigned to a security sweep of the area, and when they land on the planet, they are told to consider the colonists hostiles and to eliminate them. Todd 3465 realizes there is only one way to stop the killing, and that is to kill the soldiers.

Review: Another bleak look at the future of mankind. But this time, it isn't the machines we have to worry about, its us. Kurt Russell and Jason Scott Lee are both excellent in this minimalist drama about future soldiers who have no other interests than being soldiers. Neither have many lines, since soldiers only speak when they are spoken to. So it comes down to their ability to convey their characters with expression, which is not an easy thing to do. But they both manage to pull it off nicely. Gary Busey is perfect as the “Old School” captain in opposition to Jason Isaacs as the over confident Colonel Mekum. Connie Nielsen and Sean Pertwee do well as the stranded couple trying to raise their son and make a life on a hostile and harsh planet. Overall, the film has the right feel and the right depth of scientific development. No phaser rifles, but lots of oversized heavy weapons and machinery. The story development is interesting, and there are plenty of scenes where Todd is exposed to the lives of the colonists, a world he is unfamiliar with and uncomfortable in. Rated R for violence and language, the younger teens should be able to watch this without a lot of concerns.

Terminator Salvation - 2009

Halcyon Company, The, Wonderland Sound and Vision

Directed by MCG

Cast:

• John Connor – Christian Bale
• Marcus Wright – Sam Worthington
• Blair Williams – Moon Bloodgood
• Dr. Serena Kogan – Helena Bonham Carter
• Kate Connor – Bryce Dallas Howard
• Kyle Reese – Anton Yelchin
• Virginia – Jane Alexander
• General Ashdown – Michael Ironside

Story: In 2003, Marcus Wright, a prisoner convicted of murder is convinced by Dr. Serena Kogan to donate his body to science for experiments that will help further the cause of mankind. In 2018, Marcus Wright awakens with amnesia in the midst of the war against the machines. The Resistance is little more than pockets of paramilitary groups loosely coordinated by remnants of the old military forces led by a few determined men and women, including John Connor. Hunter-Killer machines are their main opponents, along with the robot version of the Terminator chassis, and the Resistance is gearing up for a major coordinated attack on Skynet central in what was once San Francisco. Marcus meets up with Kyle Reese and Star, two survivors in Los Angeles surviving with guerrilla tactics and trying to find a way to join up with the resistance. When Marcus meets Connor, he tells John that Kyle Reese has been taken in a transport with other humans to Skynet, and Connor must decide whether he can trust Marcus in an effort to save the man who will become his father.

Review: While not technically a sequel, this fourth vision of the Terminator universe recaptures the dark, brooding impact of the original film while maintaining character growth and depth. Christian Bale brings a new dimension to John Connor, giving us both the leader we knew he would be, yet the man who is still finding his potential. Sam Worthington is exceptional in the role of Marcus Wright, providing us with another key to the development of the T-800 / T-101 unit we have seen in the past films. Anton Yelchin must have studied Michael Biehn's character very closely. He looks and sounds like a young Kyle Reese, right down to the inflections of his voice. We have a believable setting and characters that we knew in their younger days now developing into the characters we hoped they would be. To no surprise, the Terminator appears in the final scenes of the film, but this time it is a digital version of Arnold Schwarzenegger that is quickly reduced to the skeletal frame. As in the previous films, the final battle occurs in a factory setting, only this time it is in the factory where Skynet is assembling Terminators. Rated PG-13 for violence and language, this film is not only collectible to the lovers of the Terminator, but to the lovers of good science fiction everywhere.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - 2003

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

C-2 Pictures, Intermedia Films, IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 3. Produktions KG

Directed by Jonathan Mostow

Cast:

• The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• John Connor – Nick Stahl
• Katherine Brewster – Claire Danes
• T-X – Kristanna Loken
• Gen. Robert Brewster – David Andrews
• Dr. Silberman – Earl Boen

Story: John Connor is alive and well, and living “off the grid”. The original date for Judgment Day never happened. He suffers some injuries from a motorcycle accident and breaks into a veterinary clinic to care for his own wounds, and it just happens to be the same clinic where Katherine Brewster, an old acquaintance from Jr. High School, works. The newest Terminator is assigned to kill John Connor's lieutenants, chief among them: Katherine Brewster. As before a protector, another T-101, is sent back to protect John Connor (“Do you come off an assembly line?” “Yes.”)....or was he? This latest Terminator, the T-X, is cloaked in a female persona, and unlike her previous counterparts, is openly aggressive and does not attempt to conceal her actions from police or anyone else. The T-101 has its work cut out for it.

Review: As much fun as these movies are, whatever connection they had to the writings of Harlan Ellison (acknowledged in the credits of the original movie) are gone. Unlike the two previous movies, this one spans only one day. And what a day it is. We have here a total commitment to special effects and explosions instead of any character development or plot. Arnold looks damn good nearly twenty years after the original film, to his credit, and his acting is, well, predictably Arnold. In both T2 and T3, he breaks the machine character in several scenes and uses “human” tones and expressions when communicating with the real humans. Claire Danes' character is never really developed beyond the confused girl and veterinary assistant about to be married to a man she is not quite sure she wants to marry, although there is one fairly comedic scene where John Connor looks at her and says “You remind me of my mother.”. Earl Boen reprising his role as Dr. Silberman is priceless, especially when he spots the Terminator. Nick Stahl as John Connor just does not pan out. Edward Furlong in the second movie figured out the true nature of the character when the Terminator explains his mother has been telling the truth. We watch a transition from angry kid to the potential leader of the resistance. Stahl remains the man in denial of his destiny right up to the end. Kristanna Loken never breaks character, she is the perfect Terminator, driven, relentless and uncaring. There are some other inconsistencies, mostly the hit list T-X is following in Los Angeles, which would seem to be unnecessary since LA will be one of the cities wiped out when Judgment Day occurs. But to the credit of the art department, the special effects alone in this film are worth a look. Rated R for nudity, violence, and language, T3 is only collectible if you own the rest of the films and are obsessed with keeping the set intact.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day - 1991

Carolco Pictures, Pacific Western, Lightstorm Entertainment

Written and Directed by James Cameron

Cast:

• The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Sarah Connor – Linda Hamilton
• T-1000 – Robert Patrick
• John Connor – Edward Furlong
• Dr. Silberman – Earl Boen
• Miles Dyson – Joe Morton
• Tarissa Dyson – S. Epatha Merkerson
• Enrique Salceda – Castulo Guerra
• Janelle Voight – Jenette Goldstein
• Todd Voight – Xander Berkeley

Story: Skynet has sent another Terminator to kill his human nemesis, John Connor, this time to the year 1985, when Connor is about 14 years old. John is living with foster parents while Sarah Connor is being held in a State Mental institution, where she is under the care of Dr. Silberman, the doctor who originally interview Kyle Reese in the first film. This new Terminator is an experimental model that can adapt to its environment like a chameleon, and can change shapes at will. The resistance has sent through another protector, this time a reprogrammed copy of the original Terminator. With the protector's help, Sarah Connor attempts to stop the construction of Skynet by eliminating the man most responsible for its creation, Dr. Miles Dyson.

Review: Technically, this is a superb film that combines excellent sets with exceptional use of computer graphics and photography to create a better feeling than Terminator 1. However, as far as the plot goes, I have two problems. Problem #1 is this conversation from the first movie between Kyle Reese and Dr. Silberman:

Silberman: “Is that when you captured the lab and found...the time displacement equipment?”
Reese: “That's right. The Terminator had already gone through. Connor sent me to intercept and they blew the place.”
Silberman: “How are you supposed to get back?”
Reese: “I can't. Nobody goes home, nobody else goes through. It's just me and him.”

Therein lies the rub, as the Bard would say. How did the second Terminator get sent through by Skynet if its defense grid was smashed and the resistance had won? Now, to be fair, since Reese came from 2027 and the newly touted year in T2 is 2029, perhaps the resistance was premature in their boasting of victory and Skynet was able to rebuild the lab. But you have to admit, since we are talking about time travel, it does seem like a bit of an inconsistency.

Problem #2 is a bit more profound. At the end of T2, we witness the destruction of all of Dyson's work, the broken chip from the first Terminator, and the meltdown of both the T-1000 and the Protector. Therefore, if Skynet is never built, there is no Judgment Day, there is no time displacement device, Kyle Reese is never sent back from the future, and John Connor cannot exist. This would seem to preclude the making of a third film, but when logic and fantasy conflict, fantasy usually wins out.

There are a few other problems with T2, but they are not plot related. Edward Furlong, who was introduced in this film, does an excellent job of transitioning from budding juvenile delinquent to accepting his role as the destined leader of the resistance, but he is the only character that truly develops in the plot. Joe Morton and S. Epatha Merkerson do a fine job of portraying a family caught up in unbelievable circumstances, but overall this film relies heavily on the special effects and much less on the characters of the story. Somehow Cameron has lost the vision of Harlan Ellison and settled for the box office blitz as the purpose of the film. Rated R for violence and language, I would have to disagree and say PG-13. Collectible as the sequel to the original, by itself, not particularly.

The Terminator - 1984

Hemdale Film, Pacific Western, Euro Film Funding

Written and Directed by James Cameron

Cast:

• The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Sarah Connor – Linda Hamilton
• Kyle Reese – Micheal Biehn
• Dr. Peter Silberman – Earl Boen
• Lt. Ed Traxler – Paul Winfield
• Det. Hal Vukovich – Lance Henriksen
• Matt Buchanan – Rick Rossvich
• Future Terminator – Franco Columbu
• Punk Leader – Bill Paxton
• Punk – Brian Thompson

Story: SkyNet, a self-aware computer system in 2029, has waged an on-going war against the human race for more than thirty years, but the humans are about to conquer the machines. In an act of desperation, SkyNet has sent a Terminator back to 1984 to kill Sarah Conner, and prevent the leader of the resistance from being born. A soldier from the future, Kyle Reese, is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor. The Terminator is a cyborg, a machine with human flesh surrounding its components, so it appears human. While running from the machine, Kyle confesses to Sarah the reason he volunteered for this one way mission: he has fallen in love with Sarah. In a moment to themselves, they make love, and unknowingly conceive John Connor.

Review: Based on the writings of science fiction author Harlan Ellison, James Cameron's dark vision of the future was a launching pad for several careers in Hollywood. Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his career and appearance in 1984, so his size and musculature made him the perfect choice to play the killing machine from the future. Linda Hamilton became a star after a somewhat lackluster career by portraying Sarah Connor, a role she reprises in T2: Judgment Day. Micheal Biehn, a heretofore minor character actor, gained overnight popularity as Kyle Reese and went on to film other action films, including Navy Seals and Aliens. Even Lance Henriksen can claim a large amount of his success on his role as Det. Hal Vukovich, and both Bill Paxton and Brian Thompson were seen early in their careers thanks to their brief but memorable roles as the punks who first confront the Terminator.
While the special effects were not what we would expect to see now, for 1984 they were exceptional. The mechanical movements of Arnold were timed and precise, and the skeletal movements of the Terminator at the end of the film are matched with his character. There are some disparities in the plot, but those are the normal disparities that come with any time travel story. The action, once we get past the initial introduction of characters, is fast. Even when the action slows, the plot moves forward with a consistency rarely seen in action films, and the on-going development of the characters is well written and acted. Its popularity is apparent, since it has spawned no less that three sequels which manage to cover every question, including how John Conner got the scars across his face. Rated R for sex, language, and violence, older teens will probably not find the solitary scene between Sarah and Kyle too embarrassing, and the younger kids should be in bed. Definitely a collectible for any good collector.