VON NINGUE REMAKES...'ZOMBIE'!

Remakes, remakes, remakes! Hollywood is fresh out of ideas, which means that it's time to make what's old brand new again. Unfortunately,the past ten years has shown that, and sadly, not everything that gets reinvented works as well as the original, although now and then, one remake makes quite an impression.

This month, we're taking a classic horror film and "remaking" it (for no apparent reason) in today's world...Lucio Fulci's 'ZOMBIE'!

"The boat can leave now. Tell the crew." -- Dr. Menard (Richard Johnson)

Those famous opening lines were spoken by none other than famous actor Richard Johnson, who's best known for his starring role in the 1963 classic, 'The Haunting'. My choice to fill the good doctor's shoes would be none other than Pierce Brosnan. As of late, the former "007" star has made some second-rate fare, most notably the Brett Ratner actioner 'After The Sunset' (2004) and 'The Matador' (2005), pictured below. Since his departure from being Bond, he's got a rough look about him, which makes him perfect for the role.


So who's going to play the damsel in distress, you ask? "Anne Bowles", who was originally played by the lovely Tisa Farrow, would be perfectly portrayed by the "Ghost Whisperer" herself...Jennifer Love Hewitt! Love, who's no stranger to horror films, has a sweet and innocent "girl next door" quality about her that would make great eye candy for anyone who's willing to travel to the Island of Matool to scope out the mysterious goings on.


The lucky guy in question, ace reporter "Peter West", originally played by Ian McCulloch, would best be portrayed by actor Guy Pearce, who's best known for his role as "Leonard Shelby" in writer-director Christopher Nolan's 'Memento' (2000). Pearce has a knack for winding up in crazy situations and makes them that more interesting. I would love to see how he gets off the island alive!


And what would a remake of 'ZOMBIE' be without a good supporting cast? Let's pick out an interesting couple to lend both Anne and Peter a boat ride...actor Michael Pare and actress Michelle Rodriguez. Both come from the school of Uwe Boll, so there's no surprise that these two lucky candidates would make a cute couple! Originally played by actor Al Cliver ("Brian Hull") and actress Auretta Gay ("Susan Barrett"), these colorful characters were in for more than two weeks of fishing, bathing, and sunshine...that's fer sure!


Last but not least, we need to pick out a love interest for the good doctor. Hmmm...how about Salma Hayek? Both showed good chemistry working together in Brett Ratner's 'Sunset' flick, so this would make an interesting reunion for the both of them. Plus, the lovely actress has an "eye-popping" quality about her, too!

"THE BOAT LEAVES...SUMMER 2010"

DVD/BLU-RAY REVIEW: 'CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD' (1980)

Today marks the birthdate of the Maestro himself, Lucio Fulci, and what better way than to celebrate the life of one of Italy's most beloved filmmakers than by reviewing one of his greatest films...'City Of The Living Dead'! Blue Underground breathes new life into this classic horror film with a High Definition transfer plus all new special features, making this Von Ningue's DVD/Blu-ray 'Pick Of The Month'!

'City Of The Living Dead'(1980), (a.k.a. 'The Gates Of Hell'), is the second entry into Fulci's popular "dead" trilogy. Similar to his earlier "zombie" outing, this film centers around a priest, who by hanging himself, opens up the gates of Hell, causing a maelstrom of violent proportions! Mary Woodhouse (played by the lovely Catriona MacColl), a young psychic who, through a seance, witnesses the priest's hanging and the outcome of what's to come. Enter Peter Bell (played by the late, great Christopher George), a journalist who, fascinated with the mysteries surrounding Mary and her vision, decides to investigate further by tagging along with her all the way to Dunwich. Upon their arrival in the small New England town, they meet Gerry (played by Carlo De Mejo), a psychiatrist, and Sandra (played by the lovely Janet Agren), one of his patients, who have both been witness to the strange goings-on. Together, they race to close the gates of Hell before All Saints Day!

Done in traditional Lucio Fulci style, 'City Of The Living Dead' gives the audience what they want to see...blood, guts, and plenty of gore! Following up his earlier on-screen exploits, Fulci takes it to the next level! This time around, Fulci pulls out all the stops when he drills poor Bob (played by none other than Italy's "Whipping Boy" himself...Giovanni Lombardo Radice) through the head! I've seen this movie quite a few times now, and I've gotta admit...that particular scene still makes me cringe. Whether you're a newbie to his works or a veteran like myself, you'll be squirming in your seat...I guarantee it!



Luckily, Blue Underground has added some bonus features to compliment their Special Edition of the film, including a thirty-minute "Making Of" documentary, which features interviews with most of the principal film crew as well as star Catriona MacColl and co-star and filmmaker Michele Soavi. The Blu-ray disc also features some extra featurettes that weren't available on the standard DVD version...my sole purpose for jumping into the High Definition format! Rounding out the Blu-ray disc is a cool poster and still gallery, courtesy of Mike Baronas and Paura Productions, as well as the original theatrical trailers and radio spots...maggots not included!

Personally, this is the best time that I've ever had watching this film on the home video format. The picture quality looks rather sharp and sounds crystal clear for being thirty years old. Honestly, I was quite leary after seeing what Paramount Pictures had done with their High Definition transfer of 'Friday The 13th Part 3', which was quite grainy, to say the least! Have no fear...the picture is clear, thanks to the folks over at Blue Underground! If you're still sitting on the fence about whether or not to jump into the High Definition pool, trust me...the waters fine!

My rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars


For more information on Lucio Fulci's 'City Of The Living Dead', pick up a copy of the May/June 2010 issue of HorrorHound, where you'll find a spread on the film in a 30th Anniversary Retrospective. Check it out!

SPOTLIGHT ON...LUCIO FULCI

This month, we're paying tribute to the Godfather of Gore...the late, great Lucio Fulci! Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of 'City Of The Living Dead' (a.k.a. 'The Gates Of Hell'), we'll be taking a look back at the Maestro's film career all month long. Stay tuned!

MOVIE REVIEW: 'IRON MAN 2'

Ahhhh...Summer is FINALLY here, which means it's time for another season of blockbuster movies at your local movie house! One of the most anticipated movies to come out this year is none other than 'IRON MAN 2', the sequel to the 2008 box-office smash, starring Robert Downey Jr.!

Reprising his role from the original movie, Downey Jr. plays billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who dons the classic red-and-yellow metallic suit whenever trouble is afoot and saves the day. This time around, Stark is faced with problems from the US Government, who wants to use the Iron Man technology for military purposes. However, Stark is resilient in the matter and refuses to do so, whilst publicly shaming his rival Justin Hammer in the process. Hammer (played brilliantly by Sam Rockwell), whose failures in copying the Stark technology have proven to be his lot in life, has decided to make a deal with the devil, or in this case, Ivan Vanko (played by the great Mickey Rourke), whose got a beef of his own with Tony Stark. However, Stark's problems don't stop there. This time around, he's faced with a problem in the arc reactor that sits inside of his chest as the palladium slowly but surely begins to poison his body. As Stark's world slowly downward spirals out of control, his ole pal "Rhodey" (played by newcomer Don Cheadle) confronts him about his strange and illicit behavior and makes off with the Mark II armor in the process. All is not lost for Stark though, as Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (played by Sam "Mothafuckin" Jackson) and Natasha Romanoff, whose alias is the "Black Widow" for all you non-comic book fans out there (played by the sexy Scarlett Johansson) come to his rescue. Throw in the lovely Gwyneth Paltrow as love interest Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan, played by the director himself (the talented Jon Favreau) and you've got a Summer movie!

Overall, I was impressed with the follow-up to the original movie. Since Marvel Studios has opted to reboot most of their popular franchise titles a few years ago, 'Iron Man' (2008), which is also the first film of the new wave, seemed to be the best of the bunch (the Punisher reboot, anyone?). Despite all the controversy and hoopla surrounding the replacement of character actor Terrance Howard, who was a perfect choice to play Lt. Col. James Rhodes in the original film, I had no problem watching Don Cheadle don the Mark II armor and bring War Machine to life. However, I will say this...in comparison of both actors, Howard would have been the perfect choice to play the role, and it shows in Cheadle's performance on screen. Howard had presence in the original film, whereas Cheadle does not. In fact, I totally forgot all about Cheadle when I saw Johansson in her Black Widow costume...AROOOGAH! If nothing else is to be said about 'Iron Man 2', you can say alot for Johansson's performance in the film. Mickey Rourke, who's movie career has been on the upswing over the past year, plays a mean s.o.b. as Ivan Vanko, and balances out well with Sam Rockwell's nasally humor. Lest we forget about Robert Downey Jr., who was born to play this role, and does it so damn well. If you don't believe me, watch the scene at Tony Stark's birthday party when he's trashed off his ass. Good stuff!

'Iron Man 2' is not a perfect film, but it is a decent film, and a good excuse to get away from your everyday problems and watch someone elses. To be honest, I was not initially moved to see this film when it had arrived in theaters on May 7th...I happened to catch an evening show over the Memorial Day holiday to pass the time, and I'm really glad that I did!

My rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars

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