Simon Pegg and Nick Frost helmed 'Paul' Trailer

They've taken on the horror genre with Shaun of the Dead and buddy/action flicks with Hot Fuzz. Now, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have sets their sights on the sci-fi genre with Paul, featuring the [erratic] comical wit of Seth Rogen as the titular alien and Jason Bateman as a "man in black" among others (Jeffrey Tambor, Jane Lynch, Kristen Wiig).

Reuniting once more, Pegg and Frost play two sci-fi/comic nerds on their way to Area 51 where they hope their adventure will turn up some evidence of alien life. Unfortunately for them, it does and it's name is Paul. Like a hyperactive E.T., Paul is a crude, smart-mouth lifeform whose escaped from custody and hitched a ride with the duo in an attempt to get back home. As the trailer boasts, it's the most fun you'll have seeing an alien scratch his balls (okay, so maybe I'm paraphrasing).

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(Re)Animations: Infinite Santa 8000

I want to thank Grey and his gang over at The Fear Inside (in addition to James from Planet Terror) for opening my eyes to this little gem of an animated series. On a sidenote, Grey was kind enough to give SKC a shoutout on his latest Dark Hours podcast so be sure to listen for that (located on the left sidebar).

Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape full of mutants, monsters and madmen Infinite Santa 8000 is an independently produced web series that chronicles the exploits of the man known as Infinite Santa and his companion, a young robot/clone girl, as they fight the evil forces of Dr. Shackleton. An interesting setup for sure, but does this Santa deliver the goods?

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Trailer Terrors: Robot Jox (1990)

During the 1980's, and early 90's, the BattleTech franchise dominated the geek market with arena-style combat between monolithic robots called BattleMechs. From board games to video games, BattleMechs laid claim over aspiring computer engineers everywhere and formed a devoted and obsessed fan base that couldn't get enough of the series. It was no surprise then, that in 1990 Hollywood tapped in to the market with the full-feature film Robot Jox.

Directed by Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) and co-written by Gordon and Joe Haldeman, Robot Jox hit the scene and then was quickly forgotten. The movie typically gets bad reviews, scoring only 4.7 stars on IMDB, but I personally enjoy Robot Jox despite it being low-budget and outdated. For some reason it still manages to keep me entertained and more so than most current films. It's like a hybrid between Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots and the movie Best of the Best. OK, I know that sounds bad, and maybe it's just the nostalgia from me remembering how much I loved robots as a child, but Robot Jox is a very fun, if not funny, movie to watch.

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Thanksgiving Day Trailer Terror: Predators 2

"This time it's open season... on all of us!"

Thanksgiving is here and I'd like to take your mind back 20 yrs to this very week, where Predator fans were treated to a sequel of the classic sci-fi original, Predator 2, that sees a Predator alien doing his hunting in a new jungle... the urban jungle.

The story is fairly simple, a Predator is hunting violent gangs in Los Angeles, most likely because they look like good prey to do battle with. Fairly quickly Detective Harrigan (Danny Glover) and his team realize there is more going on that normal gangland turf wars. As they dig deeper they begin to uncover things that reveal the Predator to them, but to us as the viewer we know it's the Predator from the get go. A third group is also thrown into the mix with Gary Busey's character heading up some government department that knows full well what the Predator is and would like to capture it, for it's technology I assume. The hunt for the Predator leads up to a pretty great final battle with Danny Glover and the Predator on a Predator spacecraft. Fans of the original Predator (1989) comic book series by Dark Horse Comics will find this plot very familiar, as it was essentially what the comic depicted with various changes when taken into the film world.

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Trailer Terrors: XTRO (1983)

Not all Extra Terrestrials are friendly.

I was recently inspired by a creatively written post on The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense to track down and see a film that I've heard a lot of buzz about, but never had the chance to see... XTRO.

Having done so I have come to the conclusion that XTRO is definitely a film that is experienced and not seen. It offers so many different ideas that are both surreal and WTF?! that your eyes will literally not be able to translate much else to your cerebral cortex other than the fact that "yes, that midget clown did just try to kill someone with a rubber hammer" and "damn, panthers are cool!" There is a plot which is sprinkled throughout the film, but overall the entire movie is a sequence of bizarre scenes and practical special effects. The story is made even more confusing by a surprise ending that is clearly inspired by Alien (1979).

Gorehounds can rejoice as there is a venerable amount of dyed corn syrup to go around in addition to some gratuitous nudity and, while the aforementioned grue doesn't compare to fellow European import Dead Alive, XTRO more than manages to make up for it with subtext that is fit for both science fiction and sex. Perhaps the best example of this takes place near the beginning of the film in which Sam (the little boy's father) impregnates a helpless woman with his alien "DNA" only to be reborn a fully-grown man from her womb no later than 10 minutes. Try that one on for size, Sigmund Freud.

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Trailer Terrors: Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)

Boldly going where no parents have gone before.

Only in the 90s could such a far-out premise such as this exist. Falling somewhere between the science fiction based special effects of Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988) and the offbeat, campy humor of Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987), Mom and Dad Save the World is fueled by the same nostalgic comedy culture Suburban Commando (1991) or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).

For what it is, the actors play their roles rather well even despite a nonsensical plot. Speaking of whom, the film stars a triple threat of comedic talent in the form of Teri Garr (Young Frankenstein, Nightscream), Jeffrey Jones (Howard the Duck, Beetlejuice) and the ever awkwardly amusing Jon Lovitz (Coneheads, The Critic) as Emperor Spengo.

The story (there is one, it just doesn't make a lot of sense) is a soft-headed parody of sci-fi tropes such as "Super Death Ray Lasers" and intergalactic conquest that acts as some sort of marital rehab weekend for Marge and Dick Nelson (played by Teri Garr and Jeffrey Jones respectively). There's probes, action, adventure, stupid shenanigans and yes, even a little romance along the way.

I should also note the great job done by Thomas Zell, Brian Penikas, Bill Sturgeon, Eddie Paul and the rest of the special effects team for their part in making the alien world come alive. I remember being scared stupid by one scene in the film where Dick Nelson is attacked by a pack of hopping, killer mushrooms (known as Lub-Lubs) in a sewer... to this day I still blame that scene for my aversion towards any ground-based fungi.

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Trailer Terrors: Zardoz

Space jellyfish will most definitely tear your face off and eat it.

Okay so that won't really happen in the film (at least not the version I saw), but it would probably feel better than actually watching it sober. I mean one really has to question the motive of director John Boorman putting a hairy beast like Sean Connery (as Zed) in a speedo with suspenders and setting him loose upon an unsuspecting world because, despite all of its lofty intent, that's exactly what Zardoz boils down to.

But wait there's more! Vacuum-sealed nude woman (see insert), a giant stone Godhead the flies, spontaneous hand licking, and female mud wrestling are all on today's menu as well. Its like one huge Scientology induction ceremony when you think about it. In all serious though, the film seems to share some elements of Planet of the Apes (sans the make-up effects) in which Zed and his people are some sort of de-evolved humanoids controlled by some higher evolved men living in a giant stone head (Zardoz).

Over the course of the film, Zed begins to get smarter and starts out on an epic quest of revenge against the agents of Zardoz. Erroneous fornification, lazer gun action and feminism ensues. If it doesn't make a lot of sense to you that's okay since the director isn't 100% clear on everything himself. Check out the commentary track for his thoughts on the film, just remember to have a six pack on hand.

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Terror Trailers: Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)

Aside from professional wrestling, [Rowdy] Roddy Piper has proven himself good at two things in life: kicking ass and chewing bubble gum. Unfortunately he does neither in the film Hell Comes to Frogtown. And really how could you go wrong with that? His name is Sam [freaking] Hell! Its not all bad, though, as there are fair glimpses of gratuitous nudity (thankfully not of Piper) present, but still. Where's the ridiculously overdone explosions, decapitations or eviscerations? Somebody needs to send Hell to Rambo boot camp, now there was a man who knew who to make you bleed.

Overall its not the worst movie I've ever seen, its even "spawned" a sequel or two which is enough to retain its cult classic status, but ultimately it fails to reach even the level of production that Howard the Duck achieved. Piper is essentially the same character as he portrayed in They Live, just with a weaker script, and skinny sexpot Sandahl Bergman (who just tries way too hard).

For a better overview of the plot, check out Wikipedia.

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Terror Trailers: Invaders from Mars

Child abuse. Spontaneous combustion. Weird squiddly-diddly spacemen. That about sums about this retro mindtrip from 1953, though there could be a little more to say of the plot which is pretty interesting.

BadMoJos sums it up rather nicely:

One night, young David McLean sees a spaceship crash into a nearby sandpit. His father goes to investigate, but comes back changed. Where once he was cheerful and affectionate, he's now sullen and snarlingly rude. Others fall into the sandpit and begin acting like him: cold, ill-tempered and conspiratorial. David knows that aliens are taking over the bodies of humans, but he'll soon discover there have been far more of these terrible thefts than he could have imagined. The young doom-monger finds some serious help in a lady doctor and a brilliant astronomer. Soon they meet the aliens: green creatures with insect-like eyes. These beings prove to be slaves to their leader: a large, silent head with ceaselessly shifting eyes and two tentacles on either side, each of which branches off into three smaller tentacles. It's up to the redoubtable earth trio to stop its evil plans.

There is also an excellent (albeit cheesy) remake in 1985 by legendary horror director Tobe Hooper starring Karen Black, though both the original and the remake are notoriously hard to find.

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