Terminal Invasion (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)TERMINAL INVASION
How lucky was I that on the same day Bruce Campbell's "My Name is Bruce" came out that the long awaited DVD release of the Sci-Fi channel classic "Terminal Invasion" also starring Bruce came out. I have had this movie recorded on vhs for ever, since it debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel years ago. So of course we watched this movie as part of our marathon that ended with "My Name is Bruce", this one right before it since I bought them at the same time. Now I must say that this is a classic with out a doubt but I mean that in the sense that it is a classic for the Sci-Fi Channel, think about it this film had a low budget and also was restrained by being a TV movie. So with that said for a TV movie this is by far a classic in my mind
Deep in the mountains a car is pushing threw a snow storm trying to reach its destination in time, the reason is they are carrying a convict [Campbell] and transporting him to another prison. While driving they crash into a tree and are forced to find shelter else where, the find a small airport full of people who are stuck waiting for the storm to pass. Naturally they are not happy that they are in the company of a convicted murderer, still they must deal with it. Once everything is set up we meet a preacher who talks with the cops and prisoner in the bathroom but all is not what it seems, turns out the preacher is a creature [that rhymes] from another planet. Of course after he kills the guards are reluctant hero [Campbell] kills the alien, naturally all the people there swear he killed them as there is no trace of the preacher [they disintegrate after they die]. So from here the movie goes into a kind of who is who type film since no one knows who else could be an alien, of course that is after the witness them for them selves. So they all must survive the night and each other in order to make it out alive, if they can trust each other.
I love the story behind this film it really is an entertaining plot and keeps you guessing as well as to who is who. Writers Lewis Abernathy, John Jarrell, and Robinson Young should be credited for their story line because it really is quite good. Sure the dialogue could use some work and some of the characters seem flat, but hey this is a Sci-Fi Channel made for TV movie. Also director Sean S. Cunningham who is famous for the original Friday The 13th movie does a good job with this movie and keeps things moving nicely and keeps you guessing on who's who. I can't say enough good things about this movie since I enjoyed so much, sure it is low budget but it is what it is. Sure at times the film doesn't make sense, but I won't give things away. Still this is an enjoyable movie that even with its flaws makes for a good time.
Bruce Campbell of course does a great job as Jack the convict who must rise up to help them make it through the night. He gives another great performance on another low budget flick that honestly may not have been as good with out him, ok it would not have been. Kedar Brown also turns in a good performance as Darian and that is all I can say on him, can't ruin it. C. David Johnson does a good job as well as does most of the other cast but to be honest some of them need to go back to class, hate to say that but it is true. Most of the cast turn in believable performances but the ones who do not know how to make the flat characters come to life struggle. With that said it is still a fun movie that actually is not easy to predict as far as whom are aliens, and that is true.
Over all I really believe that for this type of film this is a classic in that realm, and you should buy it. The DVD comes with a wonderful commentary from director Sean S. Cunningham and executive producer Chuck Simon, both speak not only of the film and the actors but also what everyday people can do now a days to get into the business and learn. This was a wonderful film and a classic Sci-Fi flick, come one and all and purchase this film.


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In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, I bought this movie to add to my Bruce Campbell collection, but it turned out to be an interesting story in its own right. Bruce plays a bank robber, that you really can care about.

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The Love Bug (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bruce Campbell is Hank Cooper, a flop of a racecar driver reduced to the role of an inattentive mechanic in a small autoshop. Hank's mind is still on serious racing, and it's seriously affecting his work. Everything is about to change for Hank though, because his boss, Chuck, has just entered him into a car repair and racing contest in which the winner will get to keep the junker he manages to fix and race with. When Hank's coworker and best friend, mechanic/installation artist Roddy, sympathizes with a broken down little VW bug that none of the other contestants want to work on, Hank gets sympathetic too. He selects the little beetle, our old friend "Number Fifty-Three," Herbie! Hank gets the engine running again, with a little horn-communication help from Herbie, translated by the very intuitive Roddy, and, after a late start, the little car and his driver blow the competition away! Suddenly, everyone is amazed by Hank, but even more-so by Herbie, whose name is made known thanks to a maker's inscription under his hood. Hank starts to get a bit jealous of the car's popularity, especially when everyone is ogling it at Roddy's art show. What bothers him even more though, is the lack of respect he gets from magazine reporter Alex Davis, an ex-girlfriend of Hank's who also gives all the credit for winning the race to the humble little Volkswagen. Despite his sour grapes, Hank and Herbie have already started forming a bond, and when he notices the troublemaking, extremely wealthy Simon Moore III, an old competitor of his, taking an unwelcome interest in Herbie, he doesn't like it. Hank comes to Herbie's defense, and he and the bug chase Simon away, but not before Simon gets a peak at Herbie's inscription and pockets Herbie's original VW key. Simon is determined to find out what makes Herbie tick, and to do so, he sends his lackey out to retrieve Herbie's creator, an aging German engineer by the name of Dr. Stumpfel. The doctor tells Simon a fascinating and magical story of how Herbie came to be such a "special" little car, a story reminiscent of the Powerpuff Girls in point of fact. Unfortunately, the doctor is confiding in the wrong person! Simon convinces him to create a second "magical car" using the stolen VW key, only this time, Simon adds his own flavor to the metal mix. The result is a solid black Volkswagen bug with a heart of steel and the mind of a vicious animal! When Herbie gets his feelings hurt one night and runs away from Hank and the gang, he encounters his evil twin, dubbed "Horace" by his equally wicked owner, in a dark and lonely alleyway. Horace makes short work of Herbie, and the destruction is so horrendous that we next see Herbie in a pine box surrounded by his mourning new friends. Enter a living legend: Jim Douglas (Dean Jones). Herbie's original race-driver, Jim knows the little car is more resilient than he looks. With the help of Jim and Dr. Stumpfel, the gang rebuilds Herbie using all his original parts. Everyone is biting nails when Jim is given the honor of starting Herbie up again and seeing if he's still "there." Luckily, he is, and the reunion between Jim and Herbie is more than a little tearful for us diehard fans. Still, this is Hank's adventure now, and Jim and Herbie bid each other a fond farewell. The good feelings don't last long though. Simon, driving by in his monstrous Volkswagen creation, notices that Herbie is somehow in one piece again! Determined to get the little bug out of his mind and prove that evil is stronger than good, he and Horace challenge Hank and Herbie to a racing duel! The winning driver getting to keep the loser's car!
The world of Herbie the racing Volkswagen bug has always had its continuity issues, none more severe than this little 1997 anomaly of a TV sequel, unoriginally titled "The Love Bug" and starring B-movie legend Bruce Campbell. True, Herbie doesn't look exactly perfect, but he still looks and acts like Herbie, and the key to a good Herbie film, a great cast, is still there. Acting quality aside, who doesn't love Bruce Campbell? And he fits the mechanic/wannabe racecar driver role well. Alexandra Wentworth is lovely and humorous as ex-girlfriend Alex Davis, and "Mummy" fans will be thrilled to see both John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor together again! Kevin makes a fine, modernized substitute for Buddy Hackett's Tennessee Steinmetz, and John makes a great spoiled rich-boy villain! And, for added fun, former "Monkee" Micky Dolenz even has a small role in this one! Of course, what makes this film a must-own for Herbie fans is the touching reunion between Dean Jones's Douglas character and Herbie the car! It truly brings a tear to the eye! The film itself is flawed, sure, but it's still a good, fun Herbie movie that lives up to the Herbie name! I'll ignore the lame reuse of the original film's title, even though it makes everyone, even Disney archivists, refer to this TV sequel as a remake(a real pet-peeve of mine!). Probably the only real flaws in this film are the origin story, the intensity of the final race, and the music. It's for these reasons that I bring it down a star from the previous "Love Bug" sequels. I can take the origin story; I think it's one of the things that makes this film "special" in the Herbie line. It's the major continuity flaw of the whole thing in my opinion, because it doesn't perfectly fit the ideas of the previous films, not to mention "Herbie: Fully Loaded," the most recent theatrical sequel that totally ignores this TV movie in its own continuity. Still, it doesn't EXACTLY counter the ideas of the previous films either. Yes, other Herbie movies include other "living" machines, but whose to say each doesn't have its own secret origin story? The idea that well-loved machines develop personalities was more theory than anything, and this origin plot doesn't totally deflect that theory. As for the final race, I will say that this should have been much more intense and should have looked faster. This is probably the most serious flaw in the film, because it actually has to do with the writing. There have been complaints of the CGI Herbie, perhaps this whole film was just an early test for the concept of future Herbie sequels like the wonderful "Fully Loaded," but in truth, it doesn't look any faker than SOME scenes in past Herbie sequels. I noticed some pretty bad effects during the bullfight in "Herbie Goes Bananas," a personal fave of mine... There's not A LOT of noticeable CGI in this film, so let's not overblow it. In truth, what bothers me the most about this 1997 "Love Bug," a film that I really like for the most part, is the music! Herbie's theme is nowhere to be heard! Instead, we get some typically bad TV movie background music, including a lame attempt at western showdown music that gets played quite a bit. If I could change only one thing about "Love Bug" 1997, it would be to add the original Herbie theme music in place of that stuff. Aside from that, I really find it a nice addition to the Herbie line. What makes it an anomaly is the fact that it is sadly disregarded in Herbie history now that "Herbie: Fully Loaded" is out there. And, I fear that the Lindsay Lohan hit, which I love, may keep this one from ever seeing a DVD release. I'll keep my fingers crossed though, and hope that 1997's "Love Bug" AND the short-lived TV series, make it onto DVD someday. Until then, I do recommend picking up this "Love Bug" SEQUEL on VHS today, even if only to see Dean Jones back in the driver's seat one more time!


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Tornado (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)This tornado flick is head over heels better than the theatrical release Twister. As a real weather weanie with a PhD in climatology, I can say without a doubt that the portrayal of meteorologists and storm chasers is a lot closer to the truth than the stereotypes presented in Twister. The portrayal of the weather service, weather maps, and the tornado itself was also MUCH better than in Twister. If you want a tornado adventure movie which is a lot more accurate than most of the junk out there, get this movie.
One can make the claim that the plot is rather predictable, weather boy meets powersuit girl, they fight, but then get to like each other, but so what, a lot of movies use a similar plot. The characters are likable and its a fun ride. Bruce Campbel gets to give a performance which is not over the top, and proves he can be a serious actor, given the right material.
This is my favorite tornado movie. Its a nice little movie, the good guys persevere, and the weather stuff is good.

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My Name Is Bruce (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bruce Campbell seems to have a kind of love/hate thing going with his fan base. Sure, like any actor he enjoys having fans, but as he's stated in his book and elsewhere that his fans can get a bit outrageous and push things far. This seems to be what sparked My Name Is Bruce. Here he pokes fun at his fandom as well as his career.
In the film he plays Bruce Campbell, but a more fictional Bruce Campbell. He's egocentric, a drunk, lives in a trailer, un-liked and un-respected by the cast and crew of his films, and just an all around jerk. A teen in a small gold mining town called Gold Lick has mistakenly unleashed the ancient Chinese god of war, Guan-Di, and now the angry god is killing off the folks of Gold Lick. The teen, Jeff, also happens to be a Bruce Campbell fanatic. He manages to kidnap Campbell and bring him to Gold Lick where he has convinced the townspeople that Bruce will destroy the evil demon. Bruce is under the impression that he's doing some kind of movie(it doesn't totally make sense why he'd think that he's in a movie when there's no film crew around or why the townspeople would believe that a horror movie actor could really be a ghost buster, but who cares?). He goes coward when the reality of the situation becomes clear, but soon learns how to be the Bruce Campbell he's always portrayed himself to be.I know what you're thinking! My wife tapped my shoulder half way through the movie and said to me, "this reminds me a lot of the Three Amigos". True, it's a very similar concept-the idea of egocentric actors finding themselves in real danger when they think they're only in "reel" danger, but in the end discover that they are heroes.
Needless to say it is a fun movie. Naturally we're dealing with a comedy here, not a horror film. While the laughs are hit and miss, some of them predictable and a bit cliched, this movie really works because of Bruce. We all know that Bruce has a helluva screen charisma and can singlehandedly carry practically any movie just off of his charm. He also directed this movie. It's low budget of course, and Bruce certainly makes the best of that. He built the town of Gold Lick on his own property in Oregon. The supporting cast is decent too, mostly unknowns. Ted Raimi has multiple roles, each a different nationality, allowing him try multiple accents. His Asian character just isn't funny though. Too much of a stereotype Chinese guy. He reminded me of Mickey Rooney in Breakfast At Tiffany's.
It's great how Campbell makes fun of his fans and fandom, yet doesn't totally insult them. He's also able to take potshots at himself and his career. At one point he steals a kid's bike to get away from Guan-Di, and the kid yells at him, "McHale's Navy sucked!!" Funny stuff. He really lays into his flop, Alien Apocalypse, but thinly disguises it here as a film called Cave Alien. Plus there are many more in-jokes that you will definitely pick up on if you're familiar with many of Campbell's films.
Campbell is touring the country right at the moment showing the film and doing 20-30 minutes Q&A sessions after. I'd highly suggest attending this if possible. It's good support for Bruce as well as low budget cinema in general. Plus the man is a treat to see and hear in person. Just as funny and charming as you think he'd be.

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Something evil is stirring in the small mining town of Gold Lick, and it's not happy. Guan-di, the Chinese protector of the dead with a strange affinity for bean curd, has been awakened by reckless teenagers, and now his bloody crusade to wipe out the town's entire population can only be stopped by one man - Bruce Campbell (the guy who starred in all three Evil Dead movies and Bubba Ho-tep), B-move star and deadbeat ex-husband extraordinaire, who's recruited to be their unwitting savior. Thinking the whole scenario's a publicity prank, Bruce is distracted from his mission by a hot mom and fan boys aplenty-- but when our hero has to face off against a dark force more fearsome than a Hollywood agent, the laughs and screams start flying! Includes Collectible 24-page MY NAME IS BRUCE comic book insideSpecial Features: -Feature-length commentary with director/actor Bruce Campbell and producer Mike Richardson-Documentary: Heart of Dorkness The Making of My Name is Bruce-Featurettes: Bruce On..., Beyond Inside the Cave: The Making of CaveAlien 2, Kif s Korner, Awkward Moments with Kif, Love Birds, Hard Truth News from Hollywood The Real Bruce Campbell-CaveAlien 2 Trailer, My Name is Bruce Trailer-Poster Art Gallery, Props Art Gallery, Photo Gallery

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