James' Movie Blog

In the 1950s, a craze known as movie monsters became extremely popular with audiences. And, it seems like everyone wanted to make a movie monster back then. From Japan, we got Godzilla, the king of the monsters. And from the U.S., the creature from the black lagoon terrorizing its audience in 3D. But among the greats, there definitely are some bad ones. And that is certainly the case with the 1957 feature “From Hell It Came”. A pretty bad production, this is mostly true because it is boring. Even at 70 minutes, the entire thing feels rather slow, and doesn't really amount to anything. “From Hell It Came” is only recommended for those who enjoy really cheesy monsters from an era where they thrived. The story is set on a southeastern island in the Pacific. Here a tribe of natives kill a prince for murder, who swears revenge on those who wronged him. Meanwhile, a group of American scientists are also on this island trying to help out the natives bring into perspective the con...

As a kid growing up in the 1990's, I subjected myself to various books in order to keep my mind expanded. One series of books was Goosebumps by R. L. Stine; combining horror and the paranormal for young readers, this series of books made an impact on popular culture. So, when a movie based on the series was announced, I was excited to see a nostalgic memory come to life. And then I saw the film. The movie version definitely captures the spirit of the books, yet everything else seemed to be overplayed a bit. While the movie adaptation isn't terrible, it's also not good. “Goosebumps” is a fun movie for fans of the original books, but newcomers might be a little confused as to what is going on. The story has a new kid named Zach (Dylan Minnette) moving into Madison, Delaware with his mother to adapt to his new surroundings. Said surroundings include his next door neighbor, who just so happens to be R. L. Stine, author of Goosebumps (Jack Black). He also has a daught...

Who doesn't love a good scary story? A scary story gives the viewer/listener something to keep them on their toes, and their heart pounding. But what if you take those scary stories and turn it into a visual medium like movies or television? That's where our feature film “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” comes into play. Based on a series of books by Alvin Schwartz and directed by André Øvredal, the film is a compilation of some of she short stories featured in the books with a tying narrative. But the big name is Guillermo Del Toro, who could be considered a master of horror in his own right, who is both co-writing and co-producing the film. While the film does have some issues, it is quite entertaining in its own right to hopefully become a horror classic. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a unique set of stories that will keep you up during the night with the lights on. Please note: this review is coming from someone who has not read the stories by Schwartz. ...

Whenever someone thinks of a giant movie monster, they usually go for characters like Godzilla, The Blob, or others of that nature. But we have to recognize the original giant movie monster: King Kong. Debuting in 1933's self-titled “King Kong”, this great ape may not have been a big hit at first, but became popular enough to spawn its own franchise. The question still remains: how does the original hold up after 85 years since its release? Still damn well. There have been imitators, remakes, and even a crossover with Godzilla, but nothing can still match the original Kong. “King Kong” is a marvelous spectacle that anyone who loves monsters, needs to see. The story involves filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), going on a mysterious voyage to a southeastern island that nobody knows but him. He recruits a young woman named Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), whom Carl casts as the leading lady. When they arrive at the mysterious island, Carl and the crew encounter a group of natives...