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It had a lovely stop motion opening. There is a creepy quality to stop motion. Maybe it is because I associate it with that scary demon guy that kidnaped the Pegasus in Clash of the Titans (this is my memory of it from when I was 7-years-old), but really even in those old Rudolf and Frosty specials had a creepiness to them. (or maybe it’s just me). Instead of a full review, I just jotted down some notes before making my video. Please enjoy!
Story 1. The Box
It starts as seen in the trailer Danny asks what’s in the box. After he sees, he stops eating.
Jenny (sister) bangs fork on plate to indicate that she wants more! My mother would tear me a new one if I tried some ish like that.
They watch Night of the Living Dead and not much else happens.
I wonder if the name Danny – was in homage to The Shining.
All the family’s meals looked so good!
Great practical effects for that dinner table scene/dream sequence.
There was no closure to this story.
More cool stood motion.
Story 2. The Birthday Party
I don’t know what bothers me more, the bad acting in this segment or that distracting wig on Carla’s head.
Just when I thought that was bad then her neighbor Madeline stops by with an equally bad half wig.
That’s how you know this story was boring. When the wigs have a bigger impact than the story.
Then the rapping bear guy shows up and he has on a bad wig too!
What is up with the wigs?
This story was wack.
Story 3. Don’t Fall
Some people go hiking and then come across an illustration on the side of a rock. Then they go hang out at their Winnebago and possibly desecrate the place with their mere presence.
Good practical effects in this one. It felt like a Masters of Horror episode. Like it would come in between Deer Woman and Jenifer.
It brought the Creep factor at the end. I watched this during the day, but had I seen that at night, I’d have been freaked out!
Story 4. Her Only Living Son
We meet Kora her and her son Andy who is a psychopath.
Kora knows her son isn’t right, but doesn’t seem to know what to do.
He does horrible things but the school never punishes him.
He treats her horribly and she just takes it. There is a reason and it’s been done to death, though.
The wrap around stop motion segments were really good.
This was so underwhelming. I think the issue is that none of the stories had good payoffs and they were inconsistent.
This has been a problem with VHS and ABC’s of Death. Only 25% of the shorts are good.
Compared to something like Creepshow where all the stories were more even. Of course it’s a bit unfair to compare that, because all the stories were written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero.
Whereas with these new anthologies each segment has a different writer and director. But they could at least use Creepshow as an example of how to make horror shorts that deliver consistently and have good payoffs.
I was disappointed and bored for most of this. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good either.
Galaxy of Horrors
Not to be confused with Galaxy of Terror (which I absolutely did and stumbled upon the later. I did add it to my watch list)
Galaxy of horrors is a Sci-fi/horror anthology that opens with a Mr Brown having to watch the Galaxy of Horrors.
Story 1: Eden
Looks like a 1st person shooter video game in a post apocalyptic US
Then it switches to regular cinema view.
This story has me on the edge of my seat.
This is a political commentary. Air pollution is a major issue in the story and child being charged with enacting a revolution.
Currently in the US our current administration has made it clear that the safety of our air and water are unimportant. As of the recording of this video. Flynt MI, USA still has contaminated water.
Story 2: Iris
Basically SiRi. Iris is SiRi spelled backwards. I guess the moral to the story is that …. I don’t even know. But it was fun to watch.
Story 3: Flesh Computer
The little robot the little girl was playing with reminded me of a robot from an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Cool story about consciousness, artificial intelligence and where the two meet.
Story 4: Pathos
This damn near gave me an anxiety attack. The subtitles were cut off the bottom of my screen and I don’t speak Italian so I experienced this segment visually. Without understanding the narration it was still intense.
Story 5: Eveless
A man has a baby and since it’s a boy they kill it. The end. That was short and to the point.
Story 6: They Will All Die In Space
I am getting a little tired of the same spaceship designs. It’s like they can’t come up with anything except different variations of the interior from Alien.
Aside from that, the story is engaging.
Story 7: Entity
I would be flipping out. I thought Pathos was nerve-wracking. If I was in the situation this young lady finds herself in. I would probably go crazy.
The actress did an excellent job. Especially when you realize that she has to react using only her face.
Story 8: Kings
The Last story is in German and the subtitles are cut off on the bottom.
This one could actually be developed into a full length feature.
Flesh out the story and add more fight sequences it could have a Blade/Blade 2 type feel. Just swap out the vampires for whatever these creatures are and switch from CGI to practical effects.
The wrap around story wasn’t bad. It was just there to act as a transition between segments and it worked well.
If you like Sci-fi, this is definitely worth a watch. I might give this to my mother for mother’s day. She loves Sci-fi. Star Trek, Isaac Asimov. My mother took me to see Dune in the movie theater when I was 8. She even put me up on Red Dwarf, which is a really cool British comedy Sci-fi show.
My dad likes Sci-fi and fantasy too. He’s into Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Flash Gordon and he and my brother love Doctor Who!
Anyway, this is a good one for Sci-fi fans.
Do you like Sci-fi? What Sci-fi did you see as a kid?
What Did I Just Watch? 