2016 Academy Award Nominations

87th Academy Awards

   Well its that time of year, the 87th Academy Awards are closing in on us and the nominees have been announced. Below is a rundown of the nominees in the 5 main categories (sorry technical/behind the scenes people) and who i think is gonna walk away with the Oscar, who might pull an upset and a few snubs of folks who should be up there but aren't.

Best Picture

• The Revenant
• Bridge of Spies
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• The Big Short
• Brooklyn
• The Martian
• Room
• Spotlight
• Brooklyn

What Will Win: "The Revenant"

What Might Win: "Spotlight"

Snubs: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Sicario", "Creed", "Straight Outta Compton", "Carol"

   What an interesting mix of movies we have for the top award this year and one that still feels incomplete. Why the Academy decided to stop at 8 nominees when they are allowed to go to 10 is head scratching, even more so with the movies left out. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Sicario", "Creed", "Straight Outta Compton", "Carol" all deserved a nomination and the fact two slots were left unfilled makes no sense. From a pure business sense not having "Star Wars" , "Creed" or "Straight Outta Compton" in here when all 3 were loved by audiences and critics alike is a HUGE missed opportunity in terms of ratings and interest. Not having "Sicario" or "Carol" in those spots is equally as baffling but more in the artistic sense as both movies earned spots just for being amazing movies.

   Lets get back to what is nominated though. "The Revenant" is leading all movies with 12 nominations and appears poised to pull off a big sweep at the show. Its a lock for at least one acting award for DiCaprio and could pick up ones for Directing and Supporting Actor as well. That's to say nothing of all the technical awards its bound to win for cinematography and such. Its going to have a huge night which i think will conclude with the Best Picture award. "Spotlight" had all the momentum early on but has lost a ton of steam and doesn't have the buzz to pull off an upset. "Mad Max: Fury Road" being chosen is amazing, even more so when you consider it sat on the shelf for 2 years while it was worked on pre-release. Despite that the movie caught everyone by surprise over the summer and definitely earned its place here. "Bridge of Spies" is a surprise here but never count out Spielberg i guess. The other movies are all kind of in the "Happy to be nominated" mold as none have a realistic chance to win it all but its nice to dream ain't it?

Best Director

• Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - "The Revenant"
• George Miller - "Mad Max: Fury Road"
• Adam McKay - "The Big Short"
• Lenny Abrahamson - "Room"
• Tom McCarthy - "Spotlight"

Who Will Win: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu "The Revenant"

Who Might Win: Tom McCarthy "Spotlight"

Snubs: Ryan Coogler "Creed", Ridley Scott "The Martian", Quentin Tarantino "The Hateful Eight"

   While the Academy has only given two Directors the award in back to back years (John Ford and Joseph Mankiewicz) they're going to have to do it again this year it seems. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu has made a classic American movie and done so in some of the harshest conditions for a movie ever. The fact him and his crew went to these locations that have never been filmed before, used no lights just natural and were able to craft this masterpiece in sub zero conditions is incredible. The notoriously and infamously hard shoot made many crew members quit but the fact AGI was able to hold this movie together while also getting the performance of a lifetime out of his star is more then deserving of the award.

   As for who didn't get nominated Ridley Scott's omission is surprising since "The Martian" is a great piece of work by the director and also a very difficult technical movie. Usually a combo for a nomination. Also would have been nice to see Ryan Coogler get a nomination for "Creed", i feel that would have happened had the movie been up for Best Picture but sadly not to be.

Best Actor

• Leonardo DiCaprio - "The Revenant"
• Bryan Cranston - "Trumbo"
• Matt Damon - "The Martian"
• Eddie Redmayne - "The Danish Girl"
• Michael Fassbender - "Steve Jobs"

Who Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio "The Revenant"

Who Might Win: Michael Fassbender "Steve Jobs"

Snubs: Will Smith "Concussion", Johnny Depp "Black Mass", Michael Keaton "Spotlight"

   While not quite the lock that say Heath Ledger was for "The Joker" its pretty close for Leonardo DiCaprio. NO WAY the Academy can send him home empty handed again. Not only is the entire build up to the show going to be "will Leo finally get his Oscar?" but he's incredible in the movie as well. Aside from his performance, the conditions he had to act under and the lengths he went through to make the movie are going to propel him to victory finally.  The dedication he shows throughout the movie is mind blowing and should be more then enough on its own to bring home the gold. 

   Michael Fassbender would most likely take home the award any other year but timing is everything as they say. Matt Damon is just happy to be here and Eddie Redmayne isn't going to win twice in a row. Surprised to see Bryan Cranston get the nod mostly because "Trumbo" received a rather cold reception from critics and audiences alike but good to see him make the jump from TV to film so successfully.

The lack of nominations for either Will Smith or Johnny Depp is pretty surprising and could be a case where poor box office numbers actually did hurt them. Would have been perfect time to nominate Smith though if for no other reason then to add diversity. Leo is still gonna win easy though.

Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett - "Carol"
• Jennifer Lawrence - "Joy"
• Brie Larson - "Room"
• Charlotte Rampling - "45 Years"
• Saoirse Ronan - "Brooklyn"

Who Will Win: Cate Blanchett "Carol"

Who Might Win: Charlotte Rampling "45 Years"

Snubs: Alicia Vikander "Ex Machina", Charlize Theron "Mad Max: Fury Road"

   The lead Actress category seems to be pretty cut and dry actually, Cate Blanchett is outstanding in "Carol, as she usually is, and the fact the movie was overlooked in the Best Picture category would lead me to think they'll reward it on the acting end instead. The rest of the crowd, while good, just isn't good enough or with enough buzz to take down a heavyweight like Blanchett. Would have liked to have seen Charlize Theron get the nomination over Jennifer Lawrence but other then that can't argue too much with choices.

Best Supporting Actor

• Sylvester Stallone - "Creed"
• Tom Hardy - "The Revenant"
• Christian Bale - "The Big Short"
• Mark Ruffalo - "Spotlight"
• Mark Rylance - "Bridge of Spies"

Who Will Win: Sylvester Stallone "Creed"

Who Might Win: Tom Hardy "The Revenant"

Snubs: Oscar Isaacs "Ex Machina", Idris Elba "Beasts of No Nation", Michael B. Jordan "Creed", Benicio Del Toro "Sicario"

   Man oh man this category. So Sylvester Stallone i think is going to take home the trophy for his amazing return as Rocky Balboa in "Creed". He's got the nostalgia factor working for him in addition to having done an outstanding job in the movie itself. Tom Hardy has a chance to get swept up in a "Revenant" sweep and pull a dark horse win but i doubt it. 

   The real issue here is who wasn't nominated. No Idris Elba, Benicio Del Toro and Oscar Isaacs were all overlooked and the fact every actor nominated in all categories is white makes it even more unbelievable. All three deserved it and Benicio Del Toro/Idris Elba both were viable winners had they got the nomination. How Mark Rylance, despite being good, got nominated ahead of any of them is just criminal.

Best Supporting Actress

• Rooney Mara - "Carol"
• Jennifer Jason Leigh - "The Hateful Eight"
• Rachel McAdams - "Spotlight"
• Alicia Vikander - "The Danish Girl"
• Kate Winslet - "Steve Jobs"

Who Will Win: Rooney Mara "Carol"

Who Might Win: Kate Winslet "Steve Jobs"

Snubs: Helen Mirren "Trumbo"

   Another pretty easy race for the ladies side to call here, Rooney Mara could have been nominated for Best Actress so the fact she's in this category makes her a virtual lock. Kate Winslet got the win at the Golden Globes though and the picture of her and DiCaprio both holding statues after the show could be enticing to the Academy. Still look for Mara to get the win.

Conclusion

  Overall a solid mix of nominees between the fan-friendly and critic friendly. The lack of diversity in the Acting nominations is worrisome but at the end of the day probably wouldn't have altered the eventual winners anyway so not gonna worry about it too much. Look for "The Revenant" to clean up and take home at least 7-8 awards if not more and its definitely finally going to be the night for Leonardo DiCaprio.

**Movie Review** The Hateful Eight

  Quentin Tarantino jumps right back into the Western genre with his latest offering "The Hateful Eight" but if you think you're just getting a rehash of "Django Unchained" then you have another thing coming. While very obviously a Tarantino movie (long dialogue scenes, swearing and gratuitous violence all very much present) it does have a certain old-time western feel albeit with a modern sensibility.

   The story revolves around John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell) trying to deliver  Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the town of Red Rock so he can collect the $10,000 bounty on her head. Along the way he picks up Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a renowned Civil War veteran with a personal letter from Abraham Lincoln, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a former Confederate solider who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock. Due to the storm the 3 and their stagecoach driver OB (James Parks) are forced to stop at Minnie's Haberdashery to try and wait it out. Its here where the vast majority of the movie takes place as they are forced to share the space with a collection of characters who may or may not be lying about who they are and what they're really doing at Minnie's. There's Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), the quiet cowboy writing his life story in the corner with a candle and a bottle of liquor. Bob (Demian Bichir), a Mexican ranch hand who's in charge of the store while Minnie is away. General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), the former Confederate General who's come to bury his son and finally Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), English gentleman and current Hangman for the county. Cue the Murder and intrigue.....

Who can you trust?

   In true Tarantino fashion the movie is centered around not so much the violence, although there is plenty of that, but the characters and how they interact with each other. The cast he's assembled here is outstanding all the way through. Every character no matter how little of a role they play are all memorable and unique, not to mention perfectly cast. The best thing about watching Tarantino movies is seeing what great actors can do with great writing and when given a chance to make acting choices other directors may balk at. Tarantino casts his movie, gives them the script and then lets his actors add touches and flourishes that may not be on the page but still feel organic to who they are. While surely heightened versions it makes them more believable in a way and helps suck people into the world they live in, something lesser directors ignore doing.

   I can see why he wants to turn this into a stage production because other then "Reservoir Dogs" this has the most potential in that medium, as long as they got the actors to sell this material of course. "The Hateful Eight" outside of being a mystery is also a fascinating character study and one i have a feeling will only get better with multiple viewings once the secrets are revealed and you go back with informed eyes. Actions or motivations that once seemed odd or quirky can be viewed more menacingly or scared once you realize what is really going on. Its hard to make a 3-hour movie that begs for repeat viewings but Tarantino has done it here. You'll spend the first half of the movie trying to piece together what is going on through hints sprinkled throughout but its not until the reveal and re-watch that you can truly appreciate the subtlety involved in the performances.

   Subtle is not a word I'd use for either the violence or language however. While the first 2 hours is mostly dialogue and exposition the final hour does become what people think a Tarantino movie is with blood and bullets flying all over the place but it does add a refreshing change of pace in the movie itself and not is pointless and all does have a place in the story. Not to mention being extremely satisfying in a few cases. I will say though that the criticism Tarantino has been getting with his seeming ease at dropping racial slurs is becoming a bit distracting. I understand its time accurate and all but this movie, more then Django even really, seems to have no problem in dropping casual slurs at Sam Jackson (the only black character in the movie) but seems to shy away from any directed at our Mexican character Bob. Seems like racism of the time would be directed at everyone so its seeming focus on what group is a bit odd. Just something to keep an eye on Quentin.

Why ya picking on me?

   From a technical standpoint this movie looks great. I wish I'd have seen it in 70mm as intended because i can imagine it added an extra layer onto the already stellar atmosphere. The sound and view through the window of the blizzard outside as these people antagonize each other while having nowhere to go does a great job of adding tension. Helping that along is the excellent score by Ennio Morricone who came out of a 34 year Western retirement to write it. The unsettling beats as well as the setting reminded me of  John Carpenters score from "The Thing" and that's a good thing. Plus it has the added bonus of a legend going back to the thing that made him one in first place and good to see he hasn't lost it.

We talking scores now are we?

   Overall "The Hateful Eight" is an outstanding movie. While not as good as his last western "Django Unchained" this is a totally different kind of movie and stands out on its own as an excellent piece of film making. Do yourself a favor, set aside 3 hours and go check this one out.

Final Score: 8.5/10

67th Emmy Awards

67th Edition y'all

  So last night was the 67th annual Emmy awards and it was a weird combo of obvious picks for some acting awards mixed in with a pretty huge surprise for the top award for Best Drama Series. While it didn't really add up to ratings as it got smoked by the NFL's "Sunday Night Football" it was still a good night that provided some surprises along the way, even though it seems to mark the end of Andy Samberg hosting things because he looked unconfortable on stage all night. Anyway below is a list of all the winners in the major categories and my opinion on what the Emmys got right and where they may have dropped the ball.

Best Drama Series: "Game of Thrones"

   This one surprised me more then alittle bit. Kinda figured "Mad Men" was gonna get this one for old times sake, not to mention that most people myslef included thought "Game of Thrones" had an off year. Would have been nice to see "Better Call Saul" get the nod as the hot new show, or "Homeland" which had a huge return to form this season. Anyway lets hope "Game of Thrones" will up its game and justify this victory going forward.

Best Comedy Series: "Veep"

   HBO pretty much had this one locked up with either "Veep" or "Silicon Valley". Thought "Transparent" had an outside chance to steal the is one and i perosnally have a soft spot for "Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt" but in the end "Veep" takes it. Soooo wish "Silicon Valley" woulda taken it home though.

Best Actor Drama Series: Jon Hamm "Mad Men"

   This one was decided last year after Bryan Cranston won for "Breaking Bad". Had hope maybe Bob Odenkirk could slide in here and steal one but pretty much everyone knew Hamm was gonna finally win for "Mad Men". Deserved i suppose though never been much of a fan of the show myself. File this under sorta lifetime achievement.

Best Actress Drama Series: Viola Davis "How to get away with Murder"

   History was made as Davis was the first African American woman to win the Best Actress award. Seemed like a 2 person race between her and "Empire" star Taraji Henson. Between those 2 i think they made the correct choice although I'd have like to seen Claire Danes get it for "Homeland". No arguments with the winner though. Certainly deserved it. I do have to say though where was Julianna Marguiles in the nominee pool? Huge snub there

Best Actor Comedy Series:  Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"

   "Transparent" star Tambor again looked to be the runaway winner here. Both the news climate and the fact his performance basically is only reason the show was renewed meant everyone else might as well not shown up. Dont think it was an undeserved award as Tambor is excellent and fearless in the role in a way none of his competition could match

Best Actress Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"

   It was a 2 person race between  newcomer Amy Schumer and Dreyfus but ultimately the veteran with the serialized show won out. Dont cry for Schumer though as she did walk away with an award later on but Dreyfus is exceptional on "Veep" as Selina Meyers and adds to her impressive collection of awards. "Seinfeld" curse be damned in her case as she continues to kill it on the small screen.

Outstanding Supporting Actor Drama Series: Peter Dinklage "Game of Thrones"

   Here's one i was really disappointed with. This has nothing to do with Peter Dinklage as he was good as Tyrion lannister but like i said i didn't really think this was a good season of "Game of Thrones" and Tyrion's storyline wasn't exactly engaging stuff for most of the year. I was really hoping Jonathan Banks was gonna take it for "Better Call Saul" as he was the star of what i thought was the best hour of TV this year in "Five-O" and his performance resonanted across 2 shows as it also adds weight to "Breaking Bad".

Outstanding Supporting Actress Drama Series: Uzo Aduba "Orange is the new black"

   Even though it is weird to see "Game of Thrones" go 0-2 in any division this time its certainly warranted. You knew "Orange is the new black" was gonna receive some kind of award love and this one is the most deserving. Her performance is certainly memorable and stands out, not an easy feat with a cast this size.

Outstanding Supporting Actor Comedy Series: Tony Hale "Veep"

   This was my "Sophies Choice" division of the night as i wanted Titus Burgess, Andre Braugher and Tony Hale to somehow share the award. Once it came down to it i found myself pulling for Titus Burgess as i wanted "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" to win something but can't argue with Tony Hale's win either. Like i said really couldn't go wrong no matter who won.

Outstanding Variety Talk Series/Directing/Writing: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

   "The Daily Show" cleaned up on Jon Stewart's way out the door taking all 3 award for variety talk. Lets hope they can keep this quality up once Trevor Noah takes over and not fade away. Still wish Jon Stewart stayed on though, just don't get why he left.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Show: "Inside Amy Schumer"

   Its the year of Amy Schumer so you just knew she wasn't walking away empty handed. She didn't get the Lead Comedy Actress like some people thought she would but her show winning it all in its category might be more validating for her. Either way good for her......i'd have gone with "Drunk History" though.

Game Review: Rare Replay

30 games for $30....Awesome deal but well they all can't be winners

   Re-releases and compilations have become all the rage lately and not to be outdone English developer Rare have jumped in with both feet with a collection of games spanning their entire history. The gimmick here is you get 30 games for $30 and sure enough thats exactly what you get, now if only the quality was consistent.

   So lets start with the good, if you're one prone to nostalgia then your going to be in your glory here. Games like "Perfect Dark", "Battletoads" and the "RC Pro-Am 1 & 2" immediately stoke that feeling. Just seeing these games in action is sure to take you back to your younger days. The "Pro-Am" series in particular still holds up as a solid racing game with a surprisingly well-done upgrade system. "Blast Corps" is still ridiculously fun to play, i mean a game where the point is destroying buildings with various different vehicles? Its just begging for an HD remake/reboot and the "Viva Pinata" games are the same sit on your couch and zone out fun that they've always been.

Just roll one up and turn your brain off

   Not only do these games get those nostalgia flames burning but some of the games are still as fun as you remember them and still hold up quite well today. The previously mentioned "Blast Corps" and "RC Pro-Am" still bring the fun and other games like "Cobra Triangle", "Grabbed by Ghoulies" and "Kameo" are just begging for you to jump back in, especially if you missed them years ago.

Still fun 30 years later......incredible

   Its very interesting to watch the progression of not only the graphics but also the gameplay. This is a collection that spans everything from "Jetpac" and its simple two-button and one screen design all the way up to "Banjo-Kazooie". Its a testament to how far game design has come and also Rare's ability to not only put out solid games but stay profitable long enough to have 30 years worth of quite varied material. This isn't a company that stuck to just one genre and you'll find platformers, RPG's and first person shooters all in here. Like side-scrolling beat 'em ups or fighting games? Got you covered there as well.

   On top of the wide variety of games they are also presented in an excellent old time way with tons of extra content like video histories and interviews with developers. The aesthetic of curtains and old music while selecting games is nice and puts you in the mood to just have fun. Plus all the extras will have you playing along to just unlock everything. There's also the matter of the 4000 gamerpoints for Xbox that are available for relatively minimal effort. You get 15 gamerpoints just for playing a game for the first time and especially on the older games you can grind your way to a massive point pick up relatively easily. Even notoriously hard/cheap games like "Battletoads" can be beaten now thanks to a sort of rewind button built into some of the games. It takes away from some of the hair pulling that would result from some of the more difficult games.

Looking at you pain in the ass hoverbike level

   All that good stuff though means we do have to discuss the bad. There are some GLARING omissions in this collection. Neither "Goldeneye" or "Donkey Kong Country" are on the disc for various licensing reasons and considering the cache those games hold in gaming history their absence is noted. Also a few of the games have either aged horribly or weren't that good in the first place. If you can play "Atic Atac" or "SabreWulf" more the once you're a better man then me. Also "Killer Instict Gold" actually hurt any good feelings i had for those old games. Its by no means unplayable but if you remember it being a good fighting game you're in for a rude awakening.

Not having either of these is SUPER notable as a collection

   These issues shouldn't be taken as you shouldn't pick this game up. If you're a fan of Rare then this is a must have. I mean the sheer volume of gameplay available here makes this a steal at $30. Despite it being a bit uneven at times in terms of quality overall there's more then enough content and fun to be had to recommend that you give this one a chance. 

Overall Score: 7/10

HBO Afternoon Classics "The Gate"

   Welcome back to a rainy day edition of HBO Afternoon Classics. This week gonna jumo into the horror arena, not horror comedy mind you but regular ole monsters and demons with the underrated but still very good......

   Just when you think life in the suburbs couldn't get worse......well we all know how its gonna go. Instead of pedophiles and Kevin Spacey being source of our terror now we get mini demons living under a tree.

No not these guys

   This movie also has the distinction of introducing the world to a young Stephen Dorff, he made his movie debut here and depending on your opinions of his acting skill he's been terrorizing us ever since.

I suppose there's a similarity there

   So what is this movie about anyway. Well its your typical story of a gate to hell located under a tree that's all. So Stephen Dorff plays Glen, your typical 80's middle class kid, who has an older sister named Al with annoying friends and a weirdo friend Terry who is into both geology and satanic records. Straight out of John Hughes this set-up. Anyway the night after a storm/nightmare the tree in the families backyard is struck by lighting and falls down. Glen awakens to the sound of workers in his backyard removing the very tree that was struck in his dreams.

Smoke is normal from a hole in the ground right?

 Once they're done Terry and Glen go to the backyard and uncover a Geode just below the dirt surface, the boys retrieve it but not without Glen getting a splinter and bleeding onto the area the tree was so you just know thats gonna end well. Anyway once inside Glen and Al's parents decide to leave for the weekend and leave Al in charge, this bein the 80's of course the first thing she does is decide to throw a party.

Talk about timeless fashion

   So with Al and her friends throwing a party downstairs Glen and Terry decide to open up the Geode they found in the backyard. Once open the contents spill onto a sheet of paper and spell out some kind of incantation. These being kids and obviously not that smart they decide to say it aloud (Note to everyone out there, NEVER read words that appear out of nowhere cuz it never ends well) and from then on literally hell breaks loose. During a sleepover Glen sees his walls seemingly stretch while Terry sees a ghost of his dead mother, which turns out to actually be the dead family dog. This obviously freaks out Terry who remembers a heavy metal album he has at home (obviously he'd have it and obviously random metal bands all have ancient satanic knowledge) that might as be well called exposition cuz it lays out all we need to know about the coming demons.

Ozzy ain't got nothing on Sacrifye

   Anyway after listening to the record backwards for the secrets (remember this is the 80's so every metal album had a hidden backwards meaning) the boys decide they should be safe as long as noone puts a sacrifice in the hole for the "old ones".....which is exactly what Al does by throwing the dog down there instead of taking it to the SPCA or whatever you do with them. There's a mall to go to people!! This completes the summoning and releases the evil which first appears as a bunch of foot tall minions intent of dragging you down the hole to release their master.

What the "Real Housewives" look like without make-up

   So this being a horror movie i'm not gonna spoil every surprise, i mean the point of these blogs is to get ya to go watch them ya know. But suffice it to say all kinds of supernatural happenings occur and our main cast gets picked off one by one until we're down to just Glen. Realizing that all the means for the big bad ancient one to be released have been met Glen realizes its down to him to save the world.....

Dont worry, Stephens got this

   

   "The Gate" is an example of the numerous reasons stop motion and practical effects will always be better then CGI. Yes you can tell how the effects are done and yes they don't look seamless but they add to the aesthetic of the movie in a weird way. Also how imagination and creature design can go a long way to taking what could be a ridiculous concept and make it work. Its the kind of plot that if you think about it too long the whole thing falls apart (How did they not find this hole when they were building the house in the first place?) but because of the pacing and the constant stream and variety of monster effects you never have a chance to think about it. This being the an 80's movie the unique mix of terror and cheese give this movie a more light feel then it should at times considering this is a movie where faces get ripped off and numerous children are killed.

Eye see you need a hand

   Even more impressive is what they accomplished on a nothing budget. This movie was made for $2.5 million and grossed $14 at the theatres. It even lead to a sequel "The Gate 2" which was horrible but still was an attempt to launch a franchise. There was even talk of a 3D remake in 2010 but that hasn't happened as to date. So do yourself a favor and check out "The Gate" as soon as you can, as a matter of fact just click the link below and your on your way.

http://www.letmewatchthis.im/movies/view/watch-3596-The-Gate

HBO Afternoon Classics **Krull**

   Welcome back one and all for another edition of "HBO Afternoon Classics". This week we're goin got a movie who's obscurity is somehow also just as high as its trivia value. So what could that be? Well i'm talking about the 80's fantasy classic......

   Yep your eyes are not deceiving you, this week my HBO classic recommendation is "Krull". Coming out during the 80's post-Conan sword-and-sandal boom this movie stands as one of the more memorable entries into a very overcrowded market. This movie retains a firm spot on the top rung of b-movie cheese right alongside the likes of "The Beastmaster",  "Willow" and "Dragonslayer". But lets not get ahead of ourselves here cuz honestly this movie is known for one real reason, its the movie debut of none other then Liam Neeson....

Who's this handsome Irish Devil?

   Also to a much lesser extent its also the movie debut of one Robbie Coltrane.....

Yep thats the same dude

   Yep go figure one random movie gives us both Oscar Schindler and Hagrid but that's the 80's for ya, It was a magical time indeed. Another fun fact is that at the time of its release "Krull" was one of the biggest budget movies of its kind ever, with a price tag of somewhere between $40-$50 million dollars, and thats in 1980's money. Now that money isn't wasted as the movie does look great and the 10 huge sets that were built for it are put to great effect, not to mention effects that while look dated now could have been alot worse. Course the big problem they ran into is noone really went to see it as the box office totals for it are around $16 million dollars. The movie has gained quite the cult following which is why i'm bringing it to you today.

   So what is this movie about? Well its a fantasy movie so its about saving a princess of course. The story centers around Colwyn (Ken Marshall) who on his wedding day to Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) has his bride stolen by a group of "Slayers" who invade his castle, kill most of his guard and family, and proceed to take Lyssa to their master "The Beast". A huge being who lives in a fortress which changes its location everyday and is never in the same place twice. As you can imagine that makes saving the princess even more complicated then usual.

I mean who wouldn't want a piece of this?

   So after recovering from the attack, and after some motivation in prophecy form from The Old One Colwyn sets out to retrieve the mystical weapon "The Glaive" and use it to defeat "The Beast" and save his bride. Thereby giving us one of the most memorable special weapons in movie history.

I mean who wouldn't want to throw this thing around?

   Course no matter how badass a weapon may be its hard to defeat an evil an evil army all by yourself. This leads Corwyn to recruit a motley crue of thieves, young wizards and a cyclops that can see the future but only for his own death. Sure not the best looking lineup but beggars cant be choosers

Besides this duo what else do you need?

   So off we go on an adventure to save the princess. Now obviously finding a castle that changes and never repeats locations daily can prove quite the challenge so along the way have to make a quick stop at a seer, who of course has a history with one of the fellowship members, and is guarded by an crystal spider. In another wonderful use of stop-motion we get some tense spider dodging as one of the members rushes to deliver the location news before his life literally falls through his finger, oh the symbolism indeed.

Shelob? We dont need no stinking Shelob

   So now with the location figured out its time to "Storm the castle" as it were and our motley crew of adventurers arrives just in time before the castle disappears and moves again and they won't be able to find it again. Course attacking an ancient beings castle head on isn't exactly the smartest battle plan and a whole bunch of our guys die in the assault, including unfortunately both of our now uber-famous stars....

He won in the end so its all good

   So anyway after defeating the Beast and retrieving his lovely bride, and the Metroid style beat the clock exit we get our happy ending and even more then that we actually get more survivors then just the two leads, a HUGE rarity in fantasy movies of the time as usually you're a goner if you're not a lead. Altogether it may seem like a cookie cutter story and movie, in some ways it is there's no denying that, the movie as a whole is a glorious example of aiming for the stars. A kind of originality that is sadly lacking today when movies are afraid to try all new things. This movie went for it in terms of not only world building but also by embracing the cheesy elements in it and making them seem natural in this world. A Cyclops, glass spiders, horses with flaming hooves and storm trooper-esqe soldiers trying to kill our heroes the entire way all fit together naturally and add a sense of danger/wonder you'd be hard pressed to find today in an entirely original movie. Give it a shot, turn your brain off and enjoy "Krull" in all its glorious fantasy 80'sness. Included below is a link to free streaming copy so go ahead and jump on in

    Watch "Krull" for free here