Movie Review: Monster High: Scaremester & New Ghoul @ School

Monster High: Scaremester & New Ghoul @ School
Mattel Entertainment, Wildbrain Entertainment,  USA 2010, 2014.

DVD named "Monster High Fang-tastic Double Pack: Scaremester & New Ghoul @ School" contains stories based on Mattel's doll series.

New Ghoul @ School

Frankie Stein is a new student in Monster High. She has trouble finding friends, but eventually she gets two friends vegetarian vampire Draculaura and werewolf Clawdeen. Frankie gets on the bad side of school's diva Cleo De Nile. Frankie tries to attend clubs but always tries too much to be something that she isn't and fails. She wants to join the fearleading team (cheerleaders) but Cleo is their captain and the results are catastrophic. You better keep it real, girl! (Also knowing a famous pop star doesn't hurt).

Cleo, Ghoulia & Frankie

New best friends

Clawdeen, Frankie & Draculaura.. and some guy wearing a sack

Voice actors: Kate Higgins, Salli Saffioti, Debi Derryberry, Laura Bailey, Yuri Lowenthal, Audu Paden, Troy Baker
Directors: Audu Paden, Eric Radomski

Scaremester consists of 18 short webisodes from season 3 and 4.

Dodgeskull
Bullyish Manny Taur doesn't want zombies on his Dodgeskull-team. Zombie girl Ghoulia challenges Manny to a match. As a double visual pun Manny has a red t-shirt (worn by a bull!) that reminds of his ancestral home.

Ghoulia

Heath Burns and Manny Taur

A Perfect Match
The girls are going to Fright Day night dance ball. No-one has asked yeti girl Abbey Bominable out so the girls suggest speed-dating. One of the failed candidates is an often seen background character, a tall cyclops boy.

Tall cyclops and Abbey

Hoodoo That Voodoo That You Do
Hoodude is a voodoo doll guy. If he holds an item belonging to someone else, that someone will feel the pain if Hoodude hurts himself. Mischievous kitty Toralei and other cat girls use that feature to play pranks.

Hoodude and Toralei

Unearthed Day
Plant girl Venus McFlytrap tries to teach students to recycle. The girls help by making fashion clothes out of trash.

Creature of the Year
Headless Headmistress Bloodgood asks Frankie & friends to select a teacher of the year but neither Mr. Hackington or Mr. Rotter are good candidates. Mr. Rotter looks like Lon Chaney Sr. in "Phantom of the Opera."

Cleo & Mr. Rotter

Undo the Voodoo
Hoodude is having a bad day and everybody suffers. Frankie asks Scarah Screams to read his mind and find out what's wrong.

Sad.

The Stitch-uation
A new hunky centaur-boy Archer comes to school. Toralei and Operetta (rockabilly daughter of Phantom of the Opera) try to flirt with him but he is not interested.

Archer

The Halls Have Eyes
Manny, flame guy Heath Burns and zombie dude Slo-Mo want to be safety officers of the school. Also gargoyle Rochelle wants to be a safety officer but her friends keep trying to corrupt her.

Rochelle

Angry Ghouls
Draculaura gets addicted to mobile game Angry Ghouls. The addiction spreads quickly and only robot girl Robecca can stop it. I think I have seen a similar game somewhere. It had something to do with birds and pigs.

Angry Ghouls

I Scream, You Scream
Cleo attends a cooking show but she forgets to memorize the recipes. Maybe Scarah Scream's telepathic skills will help.

Scarah Screams

Fierce Crush
Everybody has a boyfriend except Clawdeen's little sister Howleen Wolf.

Party Undead
It's Friday the 13th, 2013 and a big party night. Heath plays a video game and finds a sinister conspiracy.

We Are Monster High
New students come to school but the senior students seem to have something to hide. Unusual episode for it is shown from first-person perspective, basically welcoming the viewer to Monster High.

Eye of the Boo-Holder
Everyone is making projects for the Art Class. Who will create the best work?

Who's the Boo Girl
New student Jane Boolittle appears and does some anthropological observations.

Scream Spirit
New members of fearleading team need some coaching to utilize their skills. Notice that Manny's labyrinth shirt now points at the another direction.

Spot the eyeball dude in the crowd

Master of Hiss-Guise
Famous actress Elissabat visits the school incognito so no-one can recognize her (yeah, right!).

Join the Scream
Toralei is not a team-player but when she is taunted by the opponents she helps Monster High to win some games.

That's for the descriptions, now for some comments.

Monster High is a toy line with characters that are teen offspring of classic monsters, aimed to goth-oriented girls who like fashion dolls. However it is quite surprising that Mattel hasn't fully harnessed the potential and for example hasn't made a spin-off series for boys for example as the monsterific characters could also appeal to them if the focus was adjusted from fashion to for example adventure themes. Just saying, and I'm sure Mattel does their marketing decisions by reading obscure blogs such as this.

The franchise are backed by a series of movies and TV-specials. "New Ghoul" is a TV-special but the Scaremester episodes are part of the web series, that can be viewed on Monster High's Youtube channel. "New Ghoul" has also a more dramatic story, as the short episodes are more comedic in nature. The couple of minute long episodes are made with 2D-animation but longer films use CGI-animation. These episodes on the DVD were enjoyable, with a lot of references to classic horror, mainly Universal's. It seems that the makers have done their home work about the tropes associated to monsters and know types of monsters from different parts of the world. In the background you can spot amusing looking characters and even Claude Rains' Invisible Man. It can't be said to be scary although it plays with gothic imagery, skulls, bats, graveyards and dark dungeons. More it is school comedy with romantic subplots with focus of importance of being unique and accepting flaws in self and others. Most of the humour relies on humorous puns, no headstone is left unturned for making jokes. There are monsterified versions of contemporary phenomena such as pop star Justin Biter and popular phone iCoffin. The characters have their own personalities, that are usual in high school stories (nice girl, energetic girl, smart girl, diva, bully boy, ladies man, sensible girl and so on) but with some playful upturning of expectations. The smartest girl is a zombie, vampire hates blood and so on. However the last half of the episodes begin to suffer, as many characters come and go, being on focus for just one episode. This is not necessarily the fault of the series, but the selection of episodes in the disc. Also the theme song begins to annoy at some point. Otherwise it is fairly fun comedy with adorable monster characters.

Rating: Good

Movie Review: Masters of the Universe

Masters of the Universe a.k.a Masters of the Universe: The Motion Picture

Golan-Globus Productions, Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation, Cannon Films, USA, 1987.

"Who you gonna call? He-Man!"

The eternal battle of Good vs Evil is culminating on planet Eternia. Evil Skeletor (Frank Langella) and Evil-Lyn (Meg Foster) have conquered the Castle Grayskull and captured Sorceress (Christina Pickles). Mighty hero He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) and his friends Man-at-Arms (Jon Cypher) and Teela (Chelsea Field) are on the run and trying to organize resistance. Inventor dwarf Gwildor (Billy Barty) has invented Cosmic Key that can teleport people. Escaping Skeletor the whole bunch teleports to Earth and meets a cow. The confusion is mutual. The group also loses the Cosmic Key and hunting for it constitutes most of the plot.

He-Man

Skeletor

Evil-Lyn

On Earth waitress Julie (Courteney Cox) feels guilty for her parent's death as they died on airplane crash when Julie didn't want to spend time with them. She plans to move away but then she would have to leave her boyfriend Kevin (Robert Duncan McNeill). Julie and Kevin find the Cosmic Key, and Kevin thinks that it is a new Japanese synthesizer. Skeletor sends Blade, Saurod, Beastman and Karg to capture He-Man. Gwildor, Blade and Saurod were totally new characters and got their own action figures, but strangely Karg didn't.

Man-at-Arms and Teela

Gwildor

Julie

Julie and Kevin join He-Man's team when Skeletor's troops attack. The battle leaves behind a trail of material destruction including a gym class room and a music shop. Tough detective Lubic (James Tolkan, regular toughie in 1980s films) tries to figure out what is behind all the ruckus.

Karg, Saurod, Blade, Saurod and Beastman

Lubic

When I was a young boy Masters of the Universe toys were the hottest hot. The toy series had a cool animation series and mini-comics in the toy packages that motivated to learn reading English. The characters were muscular, there were monstrous enemies, mutants, cyborgs, tough and beautiful women and elements of swords and sorcery and scifi. Everything that a growing boy needs.

Sorceress

For the movie new characters were created and many of the old simply forgotten. Where is He-Man's pet tiger Battle Cat? And King Randor? Flying little wizard Orko was replaced by Gwildor for budgetary reasons. Also the transformation of Prince Adam into He-Man is omitted. Also Sorceress looks drastically different than in the cartoons. In cartoons and as a toy she wore a hawk costume (Ladyhawke?), now she looks more mature and  wears a crystal chandelier on her head. And Teela doesn't correspond to the image I had about her as she should look more like a Grecian warrioress instead of someone from Mad Max. Of the other characters Skeletor looks as he should, Evil-Lyn is a bit different but still cool and Beastman and Blade look as they should. The worst annoyance was to throw the heroes to contemporary Earth. Although He-Man and his pals are totally believable in a fantasy planet, here they look quite absurd, with He-Man running through suburbs wearing underpants and leather straps. He looks like having escaped from some gladiator-fetish club. I mean just look at this:

Stuff like this produces a lot of campy humour. Still the subplot of Julie feels sometimes too serious considering the source material. As Mattel wouldn't allow He-Man to kill humans, Skeletor's army consists of robots that look like Darth Vader. He-Man then trashes and shoots those robots in the best Cannon Films style.

Although the movie does not quite reach the awesomeness of the cartoon series, it is still quite fun. Dolph is a good choice as He-Man, Frang Langella is magnificent Skeletor and other actors are fine too. The 1980s fantasy adventure gains value from the nostalgic memories of the era.

There was supposed to be a sequel but as the film flopped, the script was rewritten as Van Damme's "Cyborg." By the beginning of the 1990s the muscular heroes were going out of fashion. The decline of the popularity made the toy makers trying to make "The New Adventures of He-Man" toys slimmer and although there were some cool characters (Optikk for example) it just wasn't the same. I didn't have any of the toys from the new series.

Rating: Good

Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Meg Foster, Billy Barty, Courteney Cox, Robert Duncan McNeill, Jon Cypher, Chelsea Field, James Tolkan, Christina Pickles, Tony Carroll, Pons Maar, Anthony De Longis, Robert Towers, Barry Livingston, Jessica Nelson, Gwynne Gilford, Walter Scott, Walter Robles, Cindi Eyman, Peter Brooks, Richard Szponder, Mike Carlucci, Nicholas Grabowsky
Director: Gary Goddard

Movie Review: R.O.T.O.R.

R.O.T.O.R. a.k.a R.O.T.O.R. Police Force a.k.a Blue Steel a.k.a Robo Police
Manson International, WestWind Pictures, USA, 1987.

This movie is published as a part of Sci-fi Invasion 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment.

Now this is a movie that puts other cyborg movies in the shade. Forget Terminator and Robocop. Here comes R.O.T.O.R.!

In the future crime is rampant in Dallas. Robotic Officer Tactical Operation Research (R.O.T.O.R.) is created to fight crime as Judge, Jury and Executioner. Justice served, COD(sic). With only a go button and no compassion it soon goes out of control. Paul (Andrew Kasnetz) and his girlfriend are going to spend weekend at the lake. They find an injured couple on the road. The injured man Barrett Coldyron is accused of killing a motorcycle cop. Dr. Coldyron (Richard Gesswein) was the leader of the police robot project that went haywire. 

Dr. Coldyron

Last Thursday Coldyron had just a normal day at the ranch. Coldyron has nice breakfast and drinks Texas coffee with his horse. Then he goes riding and lassoes some tree stumps (!?) Ok, so he is blowing the tree stumps up. "Clearing these stumps for pasture land has always been a chore. In the past I've always used nitro or dynamite. But this new Primacord® explosive lets me practise my rope and at the same time it blows the stumps away." I wonder if the Ensign-Bickford Company was one of the sponsors.

Then Coldyron goes to work in the robot lab. Coldyron's department has developed the robot chassis. Dr. Steele (Jayne Smith) from Houston has developed an unknown alloy, a self-learning metal. The robot can do anything from aerobics to Tai-chi. Commander Buglar (Michael Hunter) is rushing the project. The politicians and Commander have been skimming the funding and given what's left for the project. There are only 60 days to finish the project or else Coldyron gets the blame. "You fire me, and I'll make more noise than two skeletons making love in a tin coffin, brother" blusters Coldyron. Well, fired he is and Houghtaling (Stan Moore) inherits the project. Coldyron vents his anger to security guard Statum (Bill Blair, the most experienced actor of the film with many uncredited roles. He also has the World Record in "Most special effect make-up characters portrayed in a career.")

R.O.T.O.R.

Buglar

Statum

In an torally unnecessary scene Coldyron goes to have dinner with girl friend Penny Gayle (Nanette Kuczek). Houghtaling and Willard the Robot try to save the project. "What do you think this is, some low-budget Sci-Fi flick? I mean, what can possibly happen?" Jiving Indian janitor Shoeboogie (Brad Overturf) manages to short circuit instruments using earphones and comb. R.O.T.O.R. climbs up from his vat and starts his career as motorcycle cop. He demonstrates his strength by walking through auditorium full of plastic chairs. Meanwhile Calderon stops a mini-mart robbery using his trusty Desert Eagle. 

Houghtaling

Willard

Shoeboogie

Meanwhile almost married unhappy couple Sony (Margaret Trigg) and Gregory (James Cole). Greg is speeding and R.O.T.O.R. punishes the offender by shooting him in the forehead. Sony escapes and calls the cops. Killer cyborg chases her (slowly). He has skill to see past events (sensor recall) when he takes his sunglasses off. Coldyron goes to save Sony and damages the motorcycle but he must get help from Dr. Steele who looks like she has just come from the gym. The final battle is coming!

Sony

Dr. Steele

R.O.T.O.R.

The actors went the school of bad acting. The pacing is odd and the music choices in the first half are weird. The dialogue contains such silliness that the makers clearly had their tongues in cheeks. For some reasons the main characters are dubbed by other voice actors. The Mill Creek version seems to be missing some dialogue, at least in scenes where Shoeboogie short circuits the apparatus and in scene with Coldyron and black policeman Mokie (Shawn Brown) after robbery attempt. 

The director Cullen Blaine has worked as a storyboard artist in various cartoon projects such as "Garfield", "Alvin & the Chipmunks" and "Dennis the Menace." He has directed some cartoon episodes but this is Blaine's only live-action direction. Also scriptwriter Budd Lewis worked more as a storyboard artist and he wrote only two screenplays. Just how the duo ended up in this project is a mystery. Needless to say the movie poster looks nothing like the actual film. Wonderfully clumsy film with 1980s cheese, turned into hilarious disaster by director and producer misunderstanding scriptwriter's intention to write a parody film. Not followed by a sequel (although it was promised).

Highly recommended.

Rating: So bad it is good

Starring: Margaret Trigg, Richard Gesswein, Jayne Smith, James Cole, Stan Moore, Nanette Kuczek, Brad Overturf, Shawn Brown, Michael Hunter, Victor Kwasnick, Ron Baker, Diana Hurd, Bill Blair, Bob Lennard, Janiece Stamper, Robert Vicitation, Leo Martinez, Paul Vela, Dallas Monroe, Peggy Baker, Andrew Kasnetz, Lynn Fyock, Karlton Johnson, Gary Stern, Susan Hukill, Phil Thompson, Karl Yznaga, Shirley Hunt, Linda Morris, Ryan West, Mike Hevey, Joe Graham, Mary Jo Simmons, Ken Meeks, Rusty Han, Corri Jones (as Corri Lewis), Budd Lewis, Carroll Brandon Baker, Clark Moore, Wayne Mauler, George Jones, Gigi Green, Quintin Hardtner, Emily Marrero, Loren Bivens, Georganna Barry, Rocky Patterson, Mike Collins, Patrick Montes, Jo Steele, Lawrence Morgan, Stephen C. Kerr, Michael J. Montes 

Director: Cullen Blaine 

Movie Review: A.P.E.X.

A.P.E.X. a.k.a Apex
Green Communications Inc., Republic Pictures, USA, 1994.

In the year 2072 A.P.E.X. (= Advanced Prototype Exploration Unit) was created to explore time. Time paradoxes cause a time virus infection. To avoid epidemic from spreading sterilization units are sent to to destroy the point in time where paradox was detected.

Scientist Nicholas Sinclair (Richard Keats) has nightmares about his wife Natasha (Lisa Ann Russell) vanishing in time anomaly. In 2073 the scientists send A.P.E.X. unit 100 years back in time. In 1973 Hippie family wanders into the test area and creates a time paradox. To save the family Sinclair jumps into the time portal. Dr. Elgin (David Jean Thomas) and Johnson (Kristin Norton) vanish with the research facility because of the paradox. 

Nicholas Sinclair

Natasha

Johnson

When Sinclair returns the world is overrun by A.P.E.X. killer robots. A.P.E.X. robots are slow but deadly but they have one weak spot: their CD-player! Duke Nukem look-alike Shepherd (Mitchell Cox) recruits him into his squad of resistance fighters. By the way their Jeffries Automotive Landmaster personnel carrier looks quite cool:

In the alternate future Sinclair finds out that the people he knew are totally different and also he does not know about himself either. Dr. Elgin is the leader of the resistance. Sinclair finds of that his wife is tough soldier who is infected with the time virus. Sinclair, Shepherd, Natasha, Rasheed (Adam Lawson) and Taylor (Marcus Aurelius) go to search for second laboratory equipped with time machine. They meet also hostile scavengers and a man living in the desert with his family (Brian Richard Peck).

Dr. Elgin

Shepherd

Rasheed and Taylor

"A.P.E.X." has Terminator-style time travelling and futuristic war against the machines made B-movie style. Phillip J. Roth is known for several low-budget so bad they are good scifi-movies, but for once this looks seriously made. For a low budget scifi it moderately entertaining, although the acting is cringeworthy bad at times. Also the midpoint of the movie feels quite lackluster as if they ran out of ideas.

A.P.E.X.

Part of The 2016 Movie Watching Challenge (#40. Movie that is set in the future)

Rating: Average

Starring: Richard Keats, Mitchell Cox, Lisa Ann Russell, Marcus Aurelius, Adam Lawson, David Jean Thomas, Brian Richard Peck, Anna B. Choi, Kristin Norton, Jay Irwin , Robert Tossberg, Kathleen Randazzo, Kareem H. Captan , Merle Nicks, Natasha Roth, Suzi Mealing, J Bartell, Randy Kagan, Tony Gugliuzza, Jose Ontiveros, Richard Hench, Jeffre Phillips, Robert J. Marino, Gary Moran, Joe Zimmerman, Gordon Capps, Jack Barrett Phelan, Steven Michael, Todd James, Eric Gordon, Tom Fellon, Rich Kennedy, Ginger Marin, Marcia Swayze
Director: Phillip J. Roth