The Lone Ranger

I know that when I started this blog my mission statement was to bring you positive reviews. Now there are some movies that I have chosen not to review because everyone and their brother are reviewing them on the internet. Finally there are flicks that I choose to review here on the Video Creep because I feel that the flick is receiving a bad rap.

The Lone Ranger is in fact one of those flicks that I feel does not deserve the hate that it has been receiving.

Now first off this flick could be 100 times worse. Does anyone recall the Legend of the Lone Ranger which was far too afraid of the legacy of their title character that they sued Clayton Moore to prevent him from appearing at events to sign autographs fearing that it will take attention from their film.

Also I’m sure that there are some of you that remember the 2003 Lone Ranger film on the WB that was an attempt at a pilot for a new Lone Ranger TV series.  They actually found a way to screw that up.

Let’s talk about the history behind this character.

It is believed by many that the inspiration for the Lone Ranger is Texas Ranger John Hughes who after the ambush and murder of Texas Ranger Captain Frank Jones, Hughes pursued his murderers eventually bringing them all to justice. Author Zane Grey dedicated his 1915 book the Lone Star Ranger to Hughes.

The Lone Ranger began in 1933 as a radio program eventually being joined by his famous sidekick Tonto who was created so that the Lone Ranger would have someone to speak to during the program explaining his actions and expanding upon the story.

From 1949 to 1957 was the most famous incarnation of the Lone Ranger in the Television Series, Clayton Moore most famously portrayed the role however a dispute during the 3rd season led to Moore departing the series being replaced by  John Hard before returning one year later.

Tonto in this series was played by Native American actor Jay Silverheels who’s other credits included Key Largo and True Grit.

Aside from the earlier mentioned issue Clayton Moore continued to make appearances at conventions and County fairs in the Lone Ranger Costume until his death in 1999.

Now what many people don’t know is that The Lone Ranger’s nephew grows up and has a child who becomes the Green Hornet according to the creators of both the Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.

And as I mentioned earlier there had been a couple of other movie adaptations that didn’t do too well either so let us move on to the 2013 incarnation on The Lone Ranger.

Now first off there are some issues with this flick.

I love the fact that we have a previously established franchise getting the full length theatrical treatment that takes place in the past with Johnny Depp having top billing and Helena Bonham Carter in the movie…and Tim Burton did not direct this?

Now the flick definitely has Gore Verbinski’s look and the movie looks amazing. I have to admit that I love the American Southwest and I’ve flown over it many times.

Now I do feel the need to point out that the film takes place in Texas but it looks more like Monument Valley in Utah to me.

I know that many people are mad that Johnny Depp plays the role of Tonto but that really doesn’t bother me.

That being said apparently Captain Jack Sparrow hooked up with a Native American woman in the past and Tonto is their descendant.

I was definitely reminded of this in the scene where Tonto rides the latter onto the train.

I do admit that The Lone Ranger had received the full Disney treatment with much of the supernatural elements and the behavior of the animals particularly in Silver and the Rabbits.    

I defend this fact by pointing out how many classic tales received this treatment from Walt Disney Studios. Just look at Snow White, Pocahontas, Aladdin, and countless other stories. The only difference is this film is in live action.

Guys that is Disney and are you really wondering why there is a film released about the conflict between Walt Disney and the author of Mary Poppins.

I was a little aggravated by the  fact that Johnny Depp had top billing because Tonto should not be billed before the Lone Ranger as a matter of fact I had issues with much of the marketing of the film.

There was a series of posters for the film that took the X-Men approach showing a different cast member for each poster when all of the posters should have had the Lone Ranger with Tonto standing behind him. But did we really need all of the posters. This I feel was a failure in marketing for the film.

All of that aside I liked the movie. The story kept me interested for the entire flick yes the beginning is slow but that is what happens when we have an origin story. I did not see anyone complaining when Man of Steel and the Amazing Spider-Man took this approach because those are origin stories that we all know and there is a generation that is being introduced to this character that is almost as old as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man and Zorro.

Now personally I like Westerns and this is not your father’s Lone Ranger and I like the fact that the entire film is from Tonto’s point of view as he is telling the story to a young fan.

Now some would also complain that The Lone Ranger was treated more like a clown than a heroic character but as far as I am concerned that is the best part of the origin story and bear in mind the tale is in fact told from Tonto’s point of view

The BluRay comes with a amazing amount of Special Features, There is a great making of feature Following Armie Hammer on location while the movie was being filmed as well as a great look at the actor's cowboy boot camp experience and a funny blooper Reel.

There however is a delieted scene that was not shot so it is badly animated and leaves the viewer wanting more. 

I honestly feel that the film has received a bum rap and does not deserve the amount of hate that has been coming at it.

I do have to admit that a friend of mine has a small role in the film and I want to give a shout out to Steven because I have worked with him In the past and he is a good friend of mine as well as his family.

Definitely check out the flick it is worth a look.  

Homefront

As I stated in a recent review that Sylvester Stallone is an accomplished filmmaker and I have to admit that I am a fan of his work, I have just left a screening of his recent Homefront and I know what you are all thinking that isn’t a Stallone film and I have to say that yes it is. Sly wrote the adapted the screenplay as well as produced the film.

Based on the novel by Chuck Logan Homefront follows Logan’s famous character Phil Broker (Jason Statham), a DEA agent who after a bust where the son of the man that he arrested was killed Broker resigns from the DEA and two years later after the death of his wife moves with his daughter to a small town in Louisiana.

After his daughter gets into a scuffle which leads to a confrontation with the parents and after Broker defends himself the mother (Kate Bosworth) enlists the aid of her brother Gator (James Franco) who is the local meth kingpin.

Eventually Gator learns Broker’s identity and decides to sell this information to the incarcerated drug lord who still blames Broker for the death of his son.

Gator is aided by his girlfriend (Winona Ryder) all leading to a action-packed and explosive climax.

I was amazed by the cast of the film, Winona Ryder in particular just this flick Ryder is definitely playing against type which I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised and felt like she should be on Sons of Anarchy in the near future.

I also want to point out Clancy Brown is once again playing the local Sheriff which seems to be the role that he is constantly playing. He played the Sheriff in Pet Cemetery 2, Sleepy Hollow, and now this flick. I am not complaining because I know that Brown has far more range from the Kurgan to Lex Luthor. I never get tired of this actor.

With Kate Bosworth and the location I at times felt that I was watching the Straw Dogs remake and James Franco is also great in the film.

Homefront is a flick that will definitely find its audience in home video and should not be long till it is on Netflix and On Demand.  

Worth a look

5 Dead Bodies

0 Breasts

1 Explosion

1 Car Chase with no crash and burn

Gratuitous Aerial Footage of the roads and rivers

2 ½ Stars  

Alamo DFW AGFA Secret Screening: Raw Force aka Kung Fu Cannibals

Well it’s a New Year and Let us all make 2014 better than 2013. I have since moved on from the fire as many of you know that I have been attending screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse for their events and special screenings and these are always a trip, particularly the AGFA Secret Screenings.

After encountering many old Frightmare Friends we went into the screening where James Wallace went into detail of the film before it was revealed talking about this film having Zombies, Martial Arts , and many naked women making this film one of the greatest Pilipino Exploitation films and then I realized what this film was…

It was Raw Force aka Kung Fu Cannibals.

Released in 1982 Raw Force follows ill fated in which a small group of tourists which includes a Martial Arts team, and a female Swat Team captian plan to stop at Warrior Island to see the Monks.

When this plan comes to the attention of a local group of Sex Traffickers who have been exchanging women for Jade stones that are plentiful on the island they seek out to destroy them.

After a wild party the pirates sink the ship and make off with one of the tourists with the intention to sacrifice her. All that remains is a small group of 8 survivors who after landing on the island have to face off against the Traffickers, The monks and many Zombies of past warriors and they also have to save the trafficked women before they are cannibalized by the monks.

This flick is everything that you think it is and this flick was a rare treat since it was a rare 35mm print of the film that has barely received a  full DVD release and there are still a fex copies of the film floating around on that VHS market so as a result a decent print of the film is a rare find.

Now the film is a cheesy as it gets and if you are a fan of the exploitation genre this flick is for you.

Look for I Spit on your Grave star Camille Keaton and Return of the Living Dead star Jewel Sheppard during the party scene.

Also the footage of the Piranhas is infact Stock Footage from the 1978 film Piranha.

17 Dead Bodies

22 Breasts

Bad Acting

Ice Block Head Butting

Impaling

Heads Roll

3 Stars

Check it out 

Beneath

I love the fact that there are now full channels devoted to the Horror genre. With Channels such as Fearnet and Chiller the horror fans have channels that cater to them and Variety is the spice of life as Sgt. Noorwood used to say to me often.

Now these channels have their drawbacks in their programing but they are working it out Fearnet has recently had their first original series with Holliston and Chiller is showing improvement.  Chiller is still dominated with reruns which are sometimes a good thing.

Chiller has their 13 countdowns mirroring Bravo’s top 100 countdown that they used to do during Halloween before the Real Housewives took over.

The Chiller 13 has more subject manner including Horror Hookups and Creepy kids.

Like it’s older sister station Syfy Chiller is beginning with its reality programing and has now began premiering Chiller “Original” Films.

The first of these original films was Beneath which was an interesting flick to say the least.

Helmed by inde filmmaker Larry Fessenden who draws on his inde film roots deciding to keep the focus on the film in one location and on the characters in the story Beneath is a creature feature with an emphasis on some of the darker sides of human nature.

The flick is about a small group of High School Graduates that decide to have one last party together before going their own separate ways.

While going for a swim the group encounters a giant carnivorous fish which manages to destroy the boat oars and after knocking a hole in the boat the fish stalks the group while they argue on what to do deciding to begin sacrificing each other for the good of the group. When they are resorted to this all of their past issues come to the surface and the real monsters are revealed.  

The first point that I want to make is the fact that the killer fish is one of the cheasiest creations in movie history but honestly I have seen worse in these flicks and the fish was not CGI which is a rare treat for this day and age.

Like many a good zombie flick the monster is not the main story but is in fact the conflict that the characters must overcome however due to their own issues become nothing more than fodder for the monster as well as themselves.

Now for the issues with the characters is there is rarely a likeable character in the film and the only characters that have a slight moment of redemption are the first characters to be offed however the film has a nice twist at the end that I will not reveal here.

6 Dead Bodies

0 Breasts

8 Beasts

Bleeding out

Strangling

1 really smart fish

Go Pro Fu

Teenage Fu

2 ½ Stars

Check it out

The Escape Plan

There are some people that I have to say that they still have it. There are some that many say don’t have it anymore. These two fall in the former. I don’t know what It is but Sly and Arnold I’ll still see a flick that they are in and this flick is a double treat.

Now let us look back in the past almost 20 years ago when these two had their own friendly rivalry. Now I have to admit that I was more of a fan of Stallone than Arnold but that is my own preference as my friend Keath is an avid Arnold Schwarzenegger fan.

Now as far as my days when I was into bodybuilding many will credit Arnold but I have to admit that I leaned more towards Ferrigno as my inspiration. However in my career as a filmmaker I often credit Stallone as one of my many inspirations.

Not that I am counting out Schwarzenegger I love his flick but if I had to pick one it would be Stallone.

Now both of them have their Iconic characters Arnold as we all know is the Terminator as well as his roles in the original Predator and as John Matrix in Commando.

Granted Arnold had a couple of flicks that I have been trying to forget such as Junior, and Batman and Robin.

Stallone has always returned to his own sagas with the Rambo and Rocky and Expendables films and he has also had a few misses like Stop or my Mom Will Shoot.

Stallone is also a skilled writer and director while Schwarzenegger has remained in the public eye with his efforts as the Governor of California which I am not going to comment on the outcome on that since I don’t live there yet.

Now The Escape Plan would have more impact but the Expendables beat it to the punch which is why this film probably didn’t get the attention that it deserved but that is the business.

The Escape Plan follows the character of Ray Breslin (Stallone) who makes his living breaking out of prisons and helping them work on their security with his partners. When hired by the government to work on a State of the Art Government prison Breslin is betrayed and kept in the prison under the cruel treatment by Warden Willard Hobbes (Jim Caviezel) there he meets Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger) who becomes his partner in the efforts to break out of the prison.

Now many will complain about the age of the characters but in this flick it works as their age is pretty much worked in the script and there isn't any romantic subplot with female characters like there often is in films like this because let's face it nobody really wants the see that. 

The movie also has a great supporting cast with Vincent D'Onofrio and Faran Tahir. 

Vinnie Jones is also in the film as the lead henchman of the Warden and deserves credit for his contributions to the films that he plays in.

This flick is what It is. I honestly want to say that I felt like I was a kid again watching an action flick but this is a different day and age and the flick is definitely worth checking out with a six-pack and a good stogie.

12 Dead Bodies

0 Breasts

3 explosions

9 on the testosterone meter

Definitely check it out