Oh. My. Gawd. Devil. Whoever. (Oh God You Devil, 1984)

The third and final film in the Oh, God! series actually takes a new approach. Oh, God! You Devil focuses on one soul’s salvation, rather than God giving a guy a mission, this one is about a tug of war over one man’s soul between God and the devil. And it has a gimmick. George Burns plays both God and Devil.

The film opens in the past, as a father prays desperately over his ill son. Then the film picks up to where we meet that child, Bobby Shelton all grown up (Played by Ted Wass-the dad from Blossom). He is a married and struggling musician. His agent cannot do much better than get him wedding gigs.

Meanwhile, we meet the devil. Apparently, the Devil goes by the name Harry O. Tophet (apparently, Tophet is Hebrew for hell). And we know he is the devil because he thinks hurricanes are nice weather and his eyes glow red. The devil is seeking a soul to devour.

We are quickly introduced to a rock star named Billy Wayne (Robert Desidario) who is on tour… He seems desperate and is chatting with a familiar voice-the devil. Apparently, his contract is up and the devil is collecting. In a puff of smoke, Billy Wayne is gone.

Bobby, frustrated by the music business declares he would sell his soul to the devil. While performing at a wedding, Bobby is approached by Tophet. Tophet says he wants to represent Bobby. Bobby is somewhat reluctant, until Tophet shows up at a record meeting. He convinces Bobby to dump his manager (Eugene Roche) and take Tophet into the meeting with the two executives.

The executives read Tophet’s contract, laughing all the way-until Bobby signs the contract. Then everything changes. In a whirlwind, he is signed and on tour. He has fame and riches-as Billy Wayne. But then Bobby gets a shock. He calls his wife Wendy (Roxanne Hart)-only to discover that she believes her husband is home with her. The previous Billy Wayne has taken Bobby’s place in his life.

Bobby soon figures out that he has made a deal with the devil. Tophet tries to discourage Bobby from seeking outside help. Bobby ends up in Vegas attempting to find God. After some prayer God calls Bobby (by phone).

The film culminates in a high stakes poker game between God and Tophet.

Without a doubt, I found this film to be an improvement over the second one. It does not rehash the previous films and finds a different way to resolution. It works in the film’s favor to not make it yet another “God sends a prophet” story. I found the interaction between God effective-I especially like how the poker game works itself out.

Interestingly, it is only in the end that Bobby and God meet face to face. Burns works a bit of that magic from the first film in the conversation, God as kindly, but straight forward (“You made a deal with the devil…how dumb could you be?”) and above all, a sense of mystery touched with love and generosity.

This film was one of Burn’s last (although, he lived another 12 years), and you can see the years are catching up-he seems a bit more tired this time around.

While not as strong as the first film, Oh, God! You Devil actually has a lot to like. I confess, it is a franchise I would not mind seeing tackled again (although, the Bruce/Evan Almighty films tread into this territory).

November 4, 2015 0

Oh. My. Gawd. Again. (Oh God Book II, 1980)

In 1980, God returned to the big screen with Oh, God! Book II. This time, he visits a young girl named Louanne (Tracy Richards) dealing with the separation of her parents (played Suzanne Pleshette and David Birney). Her dad is an adman dating a woman who is given the defining characteristics of having large breasts and obliviousness to Tracy.

God appears to Tracy with a goal. Promote God. He sets a few rules, specifically she cannot tell any adults. So she enlists her friends and they start putting up signs that say Think God. She gets kicked out of school and is sent to see a psychiatrist. The film culminates with God walking in on a group of psychiatrists and challenging them.

While I get what they were going for by having God appear to a child, it never works quite as effectively. For one thing, it is a lot easier to write off a kid believing in an imaginary friend as a phase than a grown man claiming he can see God. I question the likelihood that a kid would get hauled before a psychiatric tribunal to determine her mental health. I suspect it would be written off as cute things precocious little kids do.

The other problem is the film rehashes the same questions. Like Jerry, Tracy wants to know why there is suffering. Why choose me? Admittedly, these are questions that come up repeatedly, but still…it would have been nice for them to tackle some other tough questions.

Burns is good as God, but the film tends to drag when he is not around. The overall feeling is this was rushed to the floor, even though there is a three year gap from the first film. Ultimately, I did not find myself enjoying the complete retread.

November 3, 2015 0

Oh. My. Gawd. (Oh God, 1977)

The last hurrah of films from the hard working comic George Burns, I had not seen the Oh God films since the first film was shown to me in Catholic school.

The first film introduces us to hardworking grocery store manager Jerry (John Denver) and his wife Bobbie (Teri Garr). One day, Jerry gets a phone call to have a meeting. Upon arriving at the address, he take the elevator that leads to a simple white office with a chair and a speaker. The voice from the speaker claims to be God and He wants Jerry to be his messenger.

Jerry, certain he is being pranked, tries to find the voice. After leaving, he discovers that the floor he was on does not exist. Troubled, but still thinking it might be a joke who heads on out. Then God starts speaking to him through the radio. When Jerry tells Bobbie, she tries to convince herself he is not crazy-it’s not like he is seeing things.

And then God appears in Jerry’s bathroom and car. So, Jerry asks for proof. Prove he’s God. Make it rain, Jerry says. And so God makes it rain-inside the car. “Why ruin other peoples’ day?” God reasons. And so Jerry takes on the task of spreading God’s message.

It is a pretty simply Golden Rule style message about treating each other with love and respect. People think Jerry is crazy, he becomes a public joke, God comes through in the end to provide his defense against a cadre of ministers and psychologists when Jerry is accused by a televangelist of slander.

I like these films. There is a neat simplicity to the portrayal of God. Burns plays him as kind, gentle, wise, mysterious, funny and playful and loving. He is not a God of showy pomp and circumstance, he wears a baseball cap and a windbreaker…and he comes off as playing it by ear. At one point, Jerry asks why God chose him, especially stumped because h was not a religious man.

God simply says, “why not you?” Jerry is taken aback by this seemingly careless attitude God has… God asks if Jerry thought maybe he was chosen because he was better than others. Sheepishly Jerry admits the thought has crossed his mind. God points out the obvious… he is better than some, worse than others.

Jerry works specifically because he is kind of the hapless everyman who takes the message out to the powerful. Certainly, there are things that would trouble believers…throughout the series God comments on mistakes he made, such as creating “shame” (don’t know why I ever thought it was needed, God says). And some would be bothered that the message is generic, rather than specifically Christian. God makes no mention of needing Jesus, which I suspect would be problematic to certain viewers.

But I find the film and Burn’s approach both endearing and kind of inspiring. God chooses Jerry, though admits he could have chosen anyone. Jerry isn’t special… and that is kind of the point. And the most powerful being in the universe takes on the appearance of a frail little man with bad fashion sense.

It also brings up something I have always found to be a bit odd. If someone walks around and claims to be speaking to God-having honest to goodness actual conversations with God appearing visually and audibly… even Christians think that guy is flirting with insanity at best. It’s one thing to “feel led” or to think God spoke to you through a song… but say you see God in a physical form and have conversations with him? That is nutty!

Overall, I found the film to be a fun viewing, even after thirty years. It’s a gentle, amusing film that can, at times, be challenging.

November 1, 2015 0

Damn Toxic Waste (Love in the Time of Monsters, 2015)

Let’s be real honest. The movie Love in the Time of Monsters could have been terrible. it has some qualities that could totally ruin it. Especially the effects. the monsters never look that great. The bigfoot monster looks like the original Planet of the Apes (with log luxurious hair). There is a mutant monster moose that looks entirely unfinished.

And yet?

The movie is a lot of fun. The story, while not some grand twist, has a lot of fun. It is the story of two sisters, Carla and Marla who are going to visit her boyfriend who works at a family campground with a Bigfoot theme. Her boyfriend Johnny works as one of the Bigfoots. People go on walks and he shows up in a cheesey costume.

During the Bigfoot Staff Meeting (really), one of the guys goes off to get high. He drops his joint in the lake and falls in trying to retrieve it. His co-Workers hear him screaming, and the run off to find him floating in the water. The guys start telling their superior Lou (Kane Hodder) to report it, but he does not want to get in trouble…a struggle ensues and the fall in the lake.

Here is the thing. The lake is full of a mutating toxin. So the guys mutate into actual monsters that terrorize the camp. The sisters unite the remaining camp employees in an attempt to get rid of the monsters and survive the night.

The film is fun and goofy, which works to it’s advantage. It is fun to see guys known for their work under masks getting to play roles with their own faces. Hodder has fun with his role, but Doug Jones shines as DJ Lincoln. Considering this is one of the earliest works of both the Director Matt Jackson and Writer Michael Skvarla, and it appears to have been made on a budget, the film works with what it has at it’s disposal.

I had a lot of fun watching the film in spite of some of the shortcomings, and it made for a good silly Halloween offering.

November 1, 2015 0

Look Out In Africa! (Tremors 5: Bloodlines, 2015)

The Director of next year’s Kindergarten Cop 2 (Starring Dolph Lundgren!) brings us the newest installment. Returning Burt Gummer to the front lines, he gets talked into going a South African Wildlife Reserve by his new cameraman Travis (Jamie Kennedy).

Hijinks ensue.

The film opts to not create a new cycle in the life of the graboid, instead we find that the graboids of the continent of Africa are quite different from the northern hemisphere brand the series has focused on so far. They appear bigger, yet sleeker. The “Ass Blasters” have oval mouths that are filled sharp teeth and larger wing/arms.

Gummer and Travis are aided by the vet Dr. Nandi Montabu (Pearl Thusi) and her staff in dealing with the new graboid threat. They run into various complications, both human and graboid.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Gross and Kennedy have a decent connection as two guys rather irritated by each other. The film has many fun homages to classic horror and sci-fi. This is not a great film, by any means. But it was a decent diversion.

October 22, 2015 0

Look Out…Uh…Back In Time! (Tremors 4: the Legend Begins, 2004)

The fourth film (With S.S. Wilson Returning to direct) jumps back to 1889, with the founding of Rejection, Neveda. This is the town that would become Perfection. Michael Gross returns as the ancestor of Burt, Hiram Gummer.

The town is under siege from young graboids, and it falls to Gummer to do something about it. Unlike Burt, Hiram is an upper class guy. He is a bit of a snob, but still a decent person. There is not a major twist here…the graboids are smaller gliding worms that have not yet matured.

The film has it’s moments, but I am unsure that this was a necessary prequel. How is this not part of the town history? How had nobody heard of the graboids? It just ends up raising questions for the franchise. Overall, it is not as enjoyable as previous entries.

October 21, 2015 0

Look Out Above! (Tremors 3: Back to Perfection, 2001)

This film was directed by Brent Maddock, one of the other creators of the original film. And as with the second film? They try for a twist with another type of monster. It is yet another stage in the life of the graboid.

This time around, they make Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) the center of the film. It makes sense, he was a popular character in the franchise. The film also managed to bring Tony Genaro, Ariana Richards (Jurassic Park), Charlotte Stewart and Robert Jayne back to reprise their roles from the first film.

The town of Perfection has been running on the graboid phenomenon, much to Burt’s chagrin. He has no respect for those trying to exploit the Graboids and feels the best thing is to simply kill them. Which is hard, since they are being treated as potential endangered species.

The film relies on some of the tricks from the first two, but they add a new twist, graboid monsters that can fly. It is close in overall quality to the second film. Decent, but not quite reaching the original’s level of entertainment value.

October 21, 2015 0

Look Out Around (Tremors II: Aftershocks, 1996)

The success of the first Tremors on home video led to this direct to video sequel. Writer S.S. Wilson returns to the franchise as director for this sequel. It turns out that the years after the first film have not been kind to Earl (Fred Ward) who blew through his money from Graboid fame, he has parted ways with Val.

A Graboid fan named Grady (Chris Gartin) has a line on a way to make money. He convinces Earl to join him on an expedition to Mexico to catch Graboids causing a problem for an oil refinery. There they meet and are helped by geologist Kate Reilly (Helen Shaver).

Rather than totally repeat the first film by having the characters deal with what they know, the film introduces a twist. The Graboid is only a stage of life…eventually, a graboid will appear to be ill, and then a new creature is introduced. This allows the team to have to learn all new rules in dealing with the threat.

The film also brings back Michael Gross’ Burt Gummer. It is fun to have the character back, though it is missing something as Heather (played by Reba McEntire) was part of what made Burt likeable. He and his wife were two peas in a pod.

Again, the effects work is strong in the film. The twists introduced with the new monsters make for fun and excitement. The movie does not quite live up to the first, but it is still enjoyable.

October 20, 2015 0

Look Out Below (Tremors, 1990)

Kevin Bacon saw a slight slow down right before 1990…his career was not in the crapper, but his draw had lowered a bit. And so he was available for a low budget horror flick. Mind you, it was more a comedy with a sci-fi angle. Had the film gone for being outright scary? This would be a failure.

Instead, Director Ron Underwood (who followed Tremors up with City Slickers) opted to play to the comedic strengths of his cast.

Valentine (Kevin Bacon) and Earl are buddies and handymen in small town of about 20 people call Perfection. In the middle of nowhere Nevada. Both dream of getting out of the small town and becoming rich. If only they had not stopped to check on Edgar, who is hanging on a telephone post. They discover he is dead and leap to a theory of a serial killer.

They are wrong of course. Cause this is a monster movie. Tremors has a decent premise of giant worm-like monsters that burrow under the ground to catch their prey. Val and Earl are not thrilled when they get stuck in Perfection, unable to reach help.

They, along with a visiting Seismologist named Rhonda (Finn Carter) lead the town in an attempt to get past the monsters.

The film did poorly in theaters, but was saved by home video. It is no small wonder, as this is a fun movie. The cast of characters are likable and entertaining, the standouts being Burt and Heather Gummer (Michael Gross and Reba McEntire). They are survivalists who chose Perfection due to it’s isolation. They love their toys. McEntire and Gross are very memorable.

This is a good old fashioned monster movie. It is not to gory, and is not about scares. Yet the effects do not look cheap. The monsters are convincing enough to seem like a real threat to be reckoned with.

October 20, 2015 0

Everybody’s An Orphan in Zombieland (Zombieland, 2009)

I cannot be objective about this film.

The main reason is that I had way to much fun. Visually, the movie has a great style. The humor is spot on. The performances are terrific. I had a terrific time.

The first thing that stands out is that the credits are as inspired as Watchman’s opening credits. As we see slow motion zombie carnage, the credits are appearing on the screen, they get knocked off the screen by the zombies and their victims all to Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. It really sets the tone for the film. Wait, no, it is the sequence in which Jesse Eisenberg explains his rules, which pop up on the screen. His main for rules are Cardio. You better be able to run. I am going to give them a pass on the fat joke here. Because I don’t care how you cut it…we fat people can run quickly in short bursts, but we would likely be the first to get picked off in a zombie apocalypse.

Then, avoid bathrooms (demonstrated humorously in a bit featuring Mike White). Next is seatbelts. Always wear your seatbelt. Finally, there is the double tap. This means you do not want to be stingy with the bullets. If you shoot a zombie-take em out in the head to be safe. Technically, Eisenberg’s list is comprised of 32 rules. The recurring of the rules popping up on the screen is both funny and a helpful reminder.

A great bit is the film’s emphasis on how people have survived by not forming new attachments and how this has actually been damaging. Nobody knows the names of the characters. They are referred to by where they are from. So Woody Harrelson is Tallahassee, while Emma Stone is Wichita, Eisenberg is Columbus and Breslin is Little Rock.

The cast really sells the movie. Personally I really like Emma Stone, who has been entertaining in even crappy films like the House Bunny. And Abigail Breslin is great as her younger sister. I cannot say too much about these two, because it will spoil some great moments in the film. Eisenberg is a self described shut in who has survived because he really had no earthly attachments before the zombie apocalypse. He gets joined by Tallahassee, a rather anti-social guy with a morbid sense of humor and a real hatred of zombies. And a Twinkie fetish.

This is a strong horror comedy, not unlike Shaun of the Dead, although Shaun of the Dead was much gorier. This surprised me, I mean, Zombieland is not…bloodless. But outside of the very beginning, there is not a lot of grizzly, gory deaths, since it is pretty much all zombies being taken down. The humor on tap here is at times morbid, but it works in the context of the film. Trying to describe the jokes just won’t work outside of seeing them in context. But if you liked Shaun of the Dead? You will more than likely enjoy Zombieland.

The soundtrack is a fun mix of heavy metal, alternative and country and it works.

I think my only real criticism? Jesse Eisenberg. Don’t get me wrong, within the movie, his character is effective. But there isn’t that much difference between, say, Columbus and James from Adventureland. Or Jimmy from Cursed. Eisenberg seems to be playing slight variations on the quirky loner who seeks love persona over and over. Schwarzenegger has had more range than this. But all in all? Zombieland is a keeper.

October 17, 2015 1