Movie Review: Mythica: The Dragon Slayer

Mythica: The Dragon Slayer a.k.a Mythica 5: The Godslayer
Arrowstorm Entertainment, Mainstay Productions, USA, 2016.

After the lighter fourth movie it is a time for the epic finale where the sun does not shine much. In the end of the last movie Marek (Melanie Stone) gave the Dark Spore to Szorlok (Matthew Mercer) if attempt to gain time to find the Hammer of Tek that could destroy Szorlok. The problem is that God Tek (Kristian Nairn) died in ancient battle against evil and the Hammer is in the Underworld. Szorlok became the Lich King and is destroying the world with zombie armies. Marek and Dagen go to search for the Hammer while Thane and Teela go to help humans battle the undead horde.

Marek

Dagen

Thane and Teela

The heroes travel through the destroyed land familiar from the previous movies. Marek feels guilty about all the death caused by the Dark Spore. Szorlok is planning Götterdammerung and needs Marek's help. The gods are unwilling to help humans, but they will try to stop Marek if she decides to join the dark side. Still one more time Gojun Pye (Kevin Sorbo) appears to tell wise words.

Szorlok

Tek

Gojun Pye

In the UK edition this was renamed as The Dragon Slayer although no dragons were hurt in the movie, maybe the original name was thought offensive or difficult to market or something. Still the original name is more fitting, as Marek struggles with doubt and considers joining Szorlok to save the world. Marek has an overwhelming burden and whatever she decides will change the world forever. The origin of Marek is finally explained and the story has the melancholy of Greek tragic hero tales. Although several of the heroes died in the previous parts only to be resurrected again, this time the deaths are final.

All in all the Mythica series was very enjoyable watch, with fantasy adventure, romance and sometimes humour, becoming darker as the story progressed. The cast was talented and put their souls to their roles. Melanie Stone did a nice job with the rollercoaster emotional journey Marek went through. Of the characters Dagen (Jake Stormoen) went through most development becoming from a lighthearted womanizer to the only one who believed in and inspired Marek in the end. Adam Thane did a strong warrior role and let's not forget Nicola Posener's ethereal and mysterious beauty. Impressive Matthew Mercer became larger than live evil wizard. Arrowstorm did a great job raising the standards of indie fantasy and let's hope that the good streak continues.

Kristian Nairn from "Game of Thrones" appears as Tek. Watch after the end credits to see what happened to Zombie Girl (Paris Warner).

Rating: Good
For the whole series: Very good

Starring: Melanie Stone, Adam Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Jake Stormoen, Bailee Michelle Johnson, Nicola Posener, Christopher Robin Miller, Cooper Daniel Johnson, Clint Vanderlinden, Paris Warner, Ethan Hunt, James C. Morris, Randall Malin, James Martin, Andy Jones, Ruby Jones, Charlie Jones, Ivy Jones, Kristen Marie Jensen, Kristian Nairn, Danny James, Lauren Spalding, Trenton James, Griffin Bonacci, Devin Hansen, Seth Williams

Director: John Lyde

Movie Review: Mythica: The Iron Crown

Mythica: The Iron Crown a.k.a Mythica 4: The Iron Crown
Arrowstorm Entertainment, Camera 40 Productions, Mainstay Productions USA, 2016. 

Dwarf Hammerhead's plans to get Iron Crown to become king of the dwarfs. Maybe he could use the mercenaries Thorsten (James Gaisford), Caia-Bekk (Ashley Santos) and Rezzik (Jasen Wade) to gain it. Meanwhile Admiral Borlund Hess' (Eve Mauro) battle-wagon is carrying slave girls and a piece of Dark Spore. Marek (Melanie Stone) and her remaining friends Dagen (Jake Stormoen) and Thane (Adam Johnson) ambush the wagon and catch the Dark Spore. But that's not all! As a bonus the heroes get a new friend Zombie Girl (Paris Warner) who was a snobby princess but is now more tolerable as undead.

Thane

Marek and Dagen

Zombie Girl

The Admiral's air pirates chase the heroes with zeppelin. Szorlok (Matthew Mercer) sends demon warriors after them. Suddenly the heroes are being chased by everyone, in fantasy Mad Max style. The road goes toward Goddess Ana-Sett's temple that is guarded by very much Stargate's Jaffa-like dude. There may be a way to get Teela (Nicola Posener) back.

Thorsten, Caia-Bekk and Rezzik

Admiral Borlund Hess

The fourth movie is a lighter episode between two dark Mythica's. Even the ending song is light medieval rock. The fantasy introduces steampunk wagon and flying machines. It is stylistically a bit of touch with the other films, but it still quite entertaining. The Admiral and her maniac crew are funny in a campy way. The action sequences look again nice and the aerial scenes are impressive for the budget. The highlights include the epic battle of wizard Gojun Pye (Kevin Sorbo) and Szorlok. In the end the game pieces are set for the dark finale of the fifth film.

The Guardian (Chris Rueckert)

Szorlok

Teela

Rating: Good

Starring: Melanie Stone, Adam Johnson, Jake Stormoen, Nicola Posener, Christopher Robin Miller, Paris Warner, James Gaisford, Ashley Santos, Jasen Wade, Kurt Knight, Kaza Marie Ayersman, Maloree Johnson, Benjamin Alexander, Paul D. Hunt, Andrew Dee Jones, Maclain Nelson, Chris Rueckert, Eve Mauro, Matthew Mercer, Kevin Sorbo
Director: John Lyde

Movie Review: Mythica: The Necromancer

Mythica: The Necromancer a.k.a Mythica 3: The Necromancer
Arrowstorm Entertainment, Bellpond Films, Camera 40 Productions, USA, 2015.

Good Necromancer Marek (Melanie Stone) is getting lessons from Wizard Gojun Pye (Kevin Sorbo). Hard training requires hard relaxation and what is a better place for that than Dwarf Hammerhead's tavern. But Thane's (Adam Johnson) and Teela's (Nicola Posener) romance is going nowhere and neither is Marek's and Dagen's (Jake Stormoen). Or are they?

Marek

Gojun Pye shows that there is still much to learn

Teela and Thane

Undead army is pouring through a portal and Gojun Pye is hurt. Necromancer Szorlok (Matthew Mercer) is getting stronger with every piece of Dark Spore he gets. Nasty pimp and crime lord Peregus Malister (Robert Jayne) captures and tortures Thane. To save him the heroes must do a fetching job for Peregus. They have to find a smuggler named Eel (Davey Morrison) and his valuables. Unpleasant killer Betylla (Philip Brodie) comes as a chaperone. Still the killer has a soft spot. He has a supply of trained bugs that he takes care of.

Marek, Dagen and Teela

Szorlok

Peregus Malister

The series maintains the quality of the previous parts, with each sequel having better production values than the previous. This episode is darker than the previous, going towards the grittiness of "The Witcher" or "Game of Thrones." This time it is personal and saving the world is at the backseat (well, almost. The Dark Spore is found conveniently) as the mission is to save a friend. The characters have to do tragic choices. There is a good chemistry of the cast. If there is something to complain it is that couple of interesting characters get killed before they have time to develop. The wintery cinematography looks nice and there is stylishness in the combat scenes. Kevin Sorbo has a bigger role now and does decent damage to the undead army. In addition to sword and spell battles there is some fantasy trench warfare.

Undead rapscallion

Rating: Good

Starring: Melanie Stone, Adam Johnson, Jake Stormoen, Nicola Posener, Philip Brodie, Matthew Mercer, Robert Jayne, Kevin Sorbo, Davey Morrison, Oscar Sanchez, James C. Morris, Christopher Robin Miller, Robert Keddington, Emily Ann Roth, Benji Phillips, Owen Faller, Dave Bresnahan, Geoff Hansen, Sahna Foley, Evie Brodie, Griffin Bonacci 

Director: A. Todd Smith

Movie Review: Mythica: The Dark Spore

Mythica: The Dark Spore a.k.a Mythica 2: The Darkspore
Arrowstorm Entertainment, Camera 40 Productions, USA, 2015.

Adventures of wizardess Marek and her friends continue. Warrior Thane (Adam Johnson), half-elf thief Dagen (Jake Stormoen) and priestess Teela (Nicola Posener) are celebrating the victory of the previous quest but the feast turns into a wake. Teela's sister Caeryn (Natalie Devine Riskas) is murdered and everyone gets depressed. Thane starts drinking again, Dagen continues womanizing and Teela leaves. Marek sees terrible visions about evil necromancer Kishkumen (Ryan Palmer). Wizard Gojun (Kevin Sorbo) returns and tells that Marek is a necromancer too. The stone that the Priestess Sisters were protecting one part of the Dark Spore that the evil necromancer Szorlok (Matthew Mercer) seeks. Szorlok was beaten by Gojun and he is still weak but gains power with each fragment of Dark Spore he gets.

Szorlok

Kishkumen

To avenge Caeryn and stop necromancers destroying the world, the team packs up and travels to ruined city where the second fragment is hidden. Old enemies from the previous film, pimp and crime lord Peregus Malister (Robert Jayne) and Marek's former slave master Vagamal (Michael Flynn) plot together. Peregus sends female bounty hunters after her. They and angry fairies, orcs, swamp wights and a dragon make the life hard for the adventures. Marek's dark spells endanger the whole group's life and the team spirit is strained to the maximum. The only one who understands her is a rescued hunky dark elf Qole (Rocky Myers).

Thane, Teela, Marek, Dagen and Qole

Vagamal

Qole

The first "Mythica" was a fresh swords & sorcery adventure and the sequel is continuing the trend. The first film introduced the characters. In the second movie the adventure starts to gain epic momentum and the storyline gets darker undertones. Can Marek control her corrupting powers or will she become a servant of evil? The scene with the fairies is goofy but somehow it balances the darkness of the second half. The characters get more complex now and Melanie Stone's character Marek is spunky but like all his friends she has her internal struggles. Thane is honourable but hot tempered and drunkard, Dagen is a devil-may-care ladies' man but struggles to be taken seriously and Teela is torn between duty and love.

The budget is low again but there is a impressive number of extras in the battle scenes, and the action scenes look well done (TV-movie level that is). The cinematography looks nice and the sceneries of Utah makes a good background for a fantasy setting. The self-irony of SyFy and Asylum productions is unknown and Arrowstorm crew and the actors take creating the fantasy world seriously.

Dragon with a touch of Dark Spore's powers

Necromancer's temple could be from a cover of a metal cd

What is nice also is that also the music has been put effort into. Here's Kristen Jensen's theme song "Tell Me" from the movie:

Rating: Good

Starring: Melanie Stone, Adam Johnson, Jake Stormoen, Nicola Posener, Rocky Myers, Christopher Robin Miller, Kevin Sorbo, Natalie Devine Riskas, Robert Jayne, Matthew Mercer, Brogan Johnson, Ryan Palmer, James C. Morris, Kali Wright, Michael Flynn, Larissa Beck, Oscar Sanchez, Isaac Faller, Helena Peacock, Clare Niederpruem, Kynan Griffin, Nyk Fry, Griffin Bonacci, Dave Bresnahan, Andy Fernuik, Crystal Harris, Andrew L. McClain, Duke Warren
Director: Anne K. Black

Movie Review: Tombs of the Blind Dead

Tombs of the Blind Dead (La noche del terror ciego) a.k.a The Night of the Blind Terror a.k.a Tombs of the Evil Dead a.k.a Crypt of the Blind Dead a.k.a Night of the Blind Dead a.k.a Tombs of the Blind Zombies a.k.a Mark of the Devil Part V: Night of the Blind Terror a.k.a Mark of the Devil, Part 4: Tombs of the Blind Dead a.k.a Revenge from Planet Ape 

Interfilme, Plata Films S.A., Spain, Portugal, 1972.

Betty (Lone Fleming) meets her old friend Virginia (María Elena Arpón). Virginia's friend Roger (César Burner) suggests a countryside weekend. Jealous Virginia does not seem to be particularly happy about the plan. At school the girls had a brief lesbian romance. The train trip brings out painful memories and Virginia decides to take a hike near a ruined Berzano village. 

Virginia, Betty and Roger

Virginia explores the ruins

Little do they know that terrible fate awaits those who trespass the Tombs of the Blind Dead. Virginia makes herself cozy in the ruined monastery. At night the Blind Dead rise from their graves. Roger and Betty try to find Virginia but she is already murdered by the Blind Dead.

The Riding Dead

You look a bit dusty

Betty's assistant Nina (Verónica Llimerá) and Professor Candal (Francisco Sanz) tell them the story of the Templar Knights. Centuries ago devil worshipping Templars sacrificed virgins to gain immortality. They were executed for their crimes and the crows ate their eyes. Because they are blind they navigate by sounds. The police do not believe the Professor but blame smugglers. Roger and Betty decide to contact the smugglers to find out the truth. 

Nina

The Templars when they were living

Smugglers Maria (María Silva) and Pedro (José Thelman)

This is very atmospheric horror with creepy music and cool revenants in filthy cloaks. Filming locations in Pelayos de la Presa, monastery of El Cercon and monastery of Santa Maria la Real de Valdeiglesias near Madrid look great. For a horror film there is more than usual amount of telenovela drama. It is not perfect as it is slow as a zombie and seems to recycle some film material about the Blind Dead rising from the grave. There is also some illogical action by Betty and Roger, would they really trust the smugglers enough to spend a night with them in the ruins? Still the nightmarish atmosphere overcomes the weaknesses. The girls are pretty and María Elena Arpón looks a lot like one Finnish meteorologist.

Watching the Blind Dead ride their undead horses in slow motion makes one wonder if Peter Jackson took some inspiration for the depiction of Ringwraiths in "LotR." To exploit the "Planet of the Apes" hype this film was also released in drive-in theatres as "Revenge from Planet Ape" with narration explaining that after humans won the war against apes, some undead apes returned with a vengeance. 

Part of The 2016 Movie Watching Challenge (#45. Horror movie with a poster that you think is cool) 

Rating: Very good

Starring: Lone Fleming, César Burner, María Elena Arpón (as Helen Harp), José Thelman (as Joseph Thelman), Rufino Inglés, Verónica Llimerá, Simón Arriaga, Francisco Sanz, Juan Cortés, Andrés Isbert, Antonio Orengo, José Camoiras, María Silva, Britt Nichols, Pedro Sempson 

Director: Amando de Ossorio

Movie Review: Skeleton Man

Skeleton Man a.k.a Skeletonman 

Martini Films, Nu Image Films, Two Sticks Productions, USA, Bulgaria, 2004. 

Archaeologists Charles and Marissa find the skull of Indian chief Six Bears. Hooded Skeleton Man (unrecognisable Paul Sampson) kills them with axe and sword. He takes the skull. Soldiers are sent to stop Skeleton Man but they all die. Undercover search and rescue team with Captain Leary (Michael Rooker) is sent to rescue the search and rescue team that went to save the soldiers (bit like "Hot Shots 2"). The other notable members of the team are Staff Sgt. Oberron (Casper Van Dien) and Lt. Scott (Sarah Ann Schultz). It's no use trying to remember the other names as Skelly kills them soon. 

Lt. Scott and Capt. Leary

Staff Sgt. Oberron

Skeleton Man is like Predator, with heat vision (that effect looks useless during daytime, like a 3D-movie without the red/green glasses) and teleporting skills. Every time he punches someone, the victim flies at least 10 feet. He has also magical ability to switch weapons on the fly between spear, club and sword and a modern axe he seems to have purchased from hardware store together with his vinyl raincoat. He also has bow he uses to shoot down helicopters. Also his horse can change colour! Or then it is bad editing and everything. 

Skeleton Man with his brown horse

The rescue team meets an old blond Indian (Robert Miano) who likes beans. He says that Old Joe is trying to prove himself by scalping warriors. While he was alive he killed his tribe. The skull from the beginning is never mentioned again. Skelly's real name is Cotton Mouth Joe. Indian's story does not help much, Cotton Mouth Joe is just some guy who kills people. 

Old Indian

Skelly continues killing soldiers, huntsmen and a fisherman. Only Leary and Lt. Scott survive. Finally Skelly goes to kill the employers of chemical factory. Leary blows up the factory and Skelly dies (or does he?) Movie ends.

Skeleton Man

Ha! IMDB Trivia says:
In Germany the movie is tagged as a comedy-film and not as a horror-film. The advertising slogan on the DVD-Package announces "Here lives the spirit of Ed Wood".

It is a fitting description as the film is clumsy and badly done with laughable production values. It looks like the scriptwriter, prop department and whoever was responsible for continuity just gave up. 

The dialogue tries to be macho with lines like "This reminds me of when we were in Laos" but is is just pointless as the soldiers are the worst special force team ever. Michael Rooker has a Vietnam flashback that is from some other film. The cinematography is ugly with jerky camera movements and continuity errors are everywhere. The monster himself looks like a man with cheap Halloween mask and cheap plastic raincoat or alternatively ragged cloak (it changes). Cheap gore effects make the incredibly stupid kills look even more stupid. Everything explodes, even trees. The scars on soldiers' faces change sides and sometimes vanish completely, the same goes also with Michael Rooker's arm wound. 

Fun fact: Paul Sampson performs the uncredited role of Skeleton Man but he performs also the role of hunter named Nathan, who is killed by Skeleton Man. 

Johnny Martin is a talented stunt man but oh man his directing skills...

Rating: (Depending on the mood)Very bad or So bad it is good 

Starring: Jackie Debatin, Eric Etebari, Jonathon Klein, Robert Miano, Timothy V. Murphy, Maurice Nehru, Lisa Oliva Rodriguez, David E. Ornston, Carlos Rodriguez, Michael Rooker, Bill M. Ryusaki, Paul Sampson, Sarah Ann Schultz, Booboo Stewart, Maegan Stewart, Nils Allen Stewart, Renee Steward, Noa Tishby, Joey Travolta, Jerry Trimble Jr., Dominiquie Vandenberg, Casper Van Dien, Natalie Alexander, Carlos Buti, Philip Hersh, Paul Dion Monte, Andrew Stubblefield, Ernesto Trinidad, Mike Wike 

Director: Johnny Martin