Monster Men Ep. 45: Man of Steel & Super Hero Movies

Look, up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane... it's a new episode of Monster Men!! On this episode of the Monster Men video podcast, Hunter Shea and I review and discuss the new Superman movie, Man of Steel. This leads to a bigger conversation about super hero movies in general.

I love super hero movies and it truly is a great time to be a fan of this genre. However, movies like Man of Steel prove that these movies can be very polarizing. What one person loves, another person is offended by. I think that’s part of the fun of these movies… the debates that unfold after you see them. That’s exactly what you’ll see in this episode; Hunter and I agreeing, disagreeing and having a blast talking about everything from The Dark Knight to Kick Ass. 

Here's a just a sample of the movies we cover in this episode: 

Superman, Batman, The Incredible Hulk, The Avengers, Thor, Green Lantern, Spiderman, Justice League, X Men, Iron Man, Captain America, X Men, Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Fantastic Four

 

Of course, it’s all a matter of opinion, and we Monster Men are never shy about stating ours. After you watch the show, please chime in on our Facebook page, YouTube Channel or here and let us know what you think.

Excelsior!!

Two Years of Aaarrgh!!! - Ep. 44: Welcome to Monster Men

In July of 2011, horror author Hunter Shea and I decided to start a video podcast called Monster Men. The idea was to create a show that would capture the countless conversations we would have over lunch or a beer about our favorite topics; horror movies, TV shows, books, comic books, paranormal TV shows, ghosts & hauntings, zombies, vampires, werewolves, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and pretty much anything else that goes bump in the night.

Two years later and we are still going strong. It’s been a blast. People have commented that they feel like they could easily picture themselves pulling up a barstool and joining in our conversations. That’s fantastic. It’s just the kind of vibe we were going for. 
 
If you watch the show, you know we don’t take ourselves very seriously and we have A LOT of fun. That’s the point… just have fun. One thing that sort of just happened was our intro at the start of each show. As we got more comfortable with ourselves and the show, Hunter started adding a growl after I had welcomed our viewers to the show.  Now, “Welcome to Monster Men. Aaarrgh!!“ has become our trademark and a staple of the show.

So to celebrate our second anniversary, please enjoy the openings to two years worth of Monster Men video podcasts. You’ll also see a few outtakes and one unpublished bonus clip from a future show.  (Hint: Like a Marvel movie, stick around to the end of the credits.)

And thanks to everyone who supports us, watched the show, comments and likes our posts and shares our links with their friends. 

Pacific Rim: It’s Giant Monsters vs. Giant Robots

Pacific Rim.

It’s giant monsters vs. giant robots.

That’s all you need to know. 

Okay, giant monsters vs. giant robots, and it is directed by Guillermo del Toro. That’s all you really need to know about this movie.

Guillermo del Toro is the guy who directed the Hellboy movies, Pan's Labyrinth, Blade II and Cronos among others. This guy knows his way around a visually stunning and exciting movie and I am happy to report he delivers here.

If you are old enough to remember the old 4:30 Movie on ABC, then you might recall that every so often they would do MONSTER WEEK. This was when they would show a Japanese monster movie every afternoon for a week. It was always a highlight of the year and I could not wait to get home from school each day. It’s where I first met Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra, Gammera and the rest of those classic and humongous creatures.

Well, Pacific Rim is like they squeezed the five days of MONSTER WEEK into two hours to make one hell of a summer movie.

Too young to remember MONSTER WEEK? Then imagine Voltron vs. Godzilla times 1000.

In a summer full of remakes, reboots and sequels like Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, and Iron Man 3, Pacific Rim has gone bit under the radar… which is funny, because giant monsters and robots are normally very visible on radar.

Here’s the Google Movie Trailers synopsis of Pacific Rim: 

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes -a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

If you are looking for intricate plots, lots of subtext, deep character development and Oscar worthy performances, this might not be the movie for you. However, if you love really fun, amazing looking movies that involve giant monsters fighting giant robots, then this flick is just what the doctor ordered.

First of all, the special effects are tremendous. We’ve come a long way from the "man in a monster suit destroying a model city and some toy tanks" days. Plus, this is actually a movie where I noticed and appreciated the 3D.  Most 3D movies these days seem like a waste of money.  Here it actually enhances the experience. Bottom line: the robot/monster fights are spectacular.

Second, while the characters are very much right out of a cartoon, they get the job done. As a kid, I always loved monster movies, BUT, I would occasionally get bored to tears during the scenes between the monster attacks. Not so in this movie. The Jaeger pilots are fine, but it’s Charlie Day, from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Ron Perman, from Hellboy and Burn Gorman, who you might recognize from The Dark Knight Rises, who help make this movie more than just a big budgeted version of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. They add an entertaining, humorous and somewhat silly side-plot to the movie that keeps it from taking itself too seriously.

Another great thing about this movie is that it does not have the baggage that Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, and Iron Man 3 all have. Each of those movies were very polarizing, with many people either loving them or hating them based on deviations from the source material and expectations based on prior versions of the characters. With Pacific Rim, you are dealing with new characters, a new story and best of all, no baggage.

No, this film is not rocket science, nor is it brain surgery; but is does feature a lot of rockets and some cool monster brains. Look, this movie is not for everyone, but if you are a fan of this kind of stuff, or you just enjoy action-packed, escapist fun, summer popcorn movies, Pacific Rim is worth a look. Don't over-think it, just enjoy it.

I mean really… it’s giant monsters vs. giant robots. What else do you need to know? 

Bonus: Rock out to the Gammera Song!

 

IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS: A Good Horror Read

I recently read the new horror novel IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS by Tim Myer, co-host of the Splatter Chatter podcast.  I wrote a review on Amazon and thought I’d post it here as well.

If you are looking for a horror novel with an edge, and one that will keep you guessing, IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS is for you. It quickly draws you in and before you know it, you won't want to put it down.

The story is suspenseful, fast-paced and gets more and more interesting as you go. Plus, it's got satanic cults, demonic forces, sadistic murderers, dark magic and even a few laughs. What more could you ask for?

At the heart of the story is Ritchie Naughton. Ritchie returns home to New Jersey when his life comes crashing down, thanks to a health scare and an unpleasant end to a long-term relationship. But that's just the beginning of his bad luck. After taking a job as a photographer for a small, local paper, the strange, old camera he finds in the office basement starts to capture some disturbing images that should not be there. Before long, Ritchie is neck deep in the dangerous underworld of Red River, NJ and the dark forces hidden IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS.

Ritchie Naughton is a big reason why you'll enjoy this book. He is a regular guy, just like you or me. You'll immediately find yourself relating to him and rooting for him. Author Tim Meyer has created a very realistic and likeable character that talks and thinks like a real person. His inner monologue and banter with some of the other characters can be quite funny at times. His reactions and thoughts always seem authentic, especially in light of the crazy things that he experiences as the story progresses.

Forget those same old vampire and zombie stories you've been reading for years and try something new and different. Take a trip IN THE HOUSE OF MIRRORS; you'll like what you see.
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Note: I was provided a copy of the book by the author for purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review.

Taking a Dip with the Loch Ness Monster - Monster Men Ep. 43

Finally, the Monster Men take a plunge into the icy waters of Scotland’s most notorious body of water in search of Nessie. 

 

The Loch Ness Monster is the king of all lake monsters and sea serpents. He rivals Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman as the most famous of the legendary creatures… and it’s about time he got his own episode of the show.

In this episode of the Monster Men video podcast, Hunter Shea and I discuss a monster that has interested us since Leonard Nimoy first went IN SEARCH OF the Loch Ness Monster.  Topics include Loch Ness movies like THE LOCH NESS HORROR, THE WATER HORSE and INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS – books like “The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence” by Steuart Campbell and  Loch Ness by Donovan Galway. Plus we cover some interesting facts, figures and stories, including a little know link between Nessie and Led Zeppelin. 

Can you solve this puzzle?

Monster Men Ep. 42: Ghost Hunting TV Gone Wild

Here's the new episode of the Monster Men video podcast. This time we discuss the plethora of ghost hunting shows that are currently on the air. It seems that whenever you turn on the television, you are bound to find a paranormal investigation or true haunting program. Some are pretty fun, some can be very interesting and some take themselves way too seriously. But we Monster Men never take anything too seriously, so join us as we dissect and discuss the best and worst of the paranormal TV shows.


For the record, we are pretty skeptical of all ghost hunting shows, but we approach them all with an open mind and we also enjoy them as entertainment, regardless of their actual validity. The conversation starts with GHOST MINE, one of the newer and more interesting entries to the genre.

We also cover shows like GHOST ADVENTURES, THE DEAD FILES, THE HAUNTED COLLECTOR, PARANORMAL WITNESS, THE HAUNTING OF, FACT OR FAKED, A HAUNTING, DESTINATION TRUTH, MY GHOST STORY and PARANORMAL STATE.

Please note that we filmed this episode before STRANDED and DEEP SOUTH PARANORMAL came on the air. We'll discuss them in a future show.

Find more episodes of Monster Men here on our YouTube channel: Monstermen13 or at www.huntershea.com and you can also join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/monstermen13

Follow us on Twitter:
Jack: @backinjack
Hunter: @huntershea1

Hunter Shea: www.huntershea.com

Rebooting Batman and Liberace

Now that the Dark Knight trilogy has come to an end, it's time to start thinking about the next movie iteration of the Batman. Naturally, the focus has been on how Warner Brothers should proceed and who should be the next actor to don the cape and cowl. Add in the growing buzz about a possible Justice League movie or perhaps World's Finest team-up between Batman and Superman and we have full blown bat-mania on our hands.

(Note, spoilers lie ahead. If you have not seen the Dark Knight trilogy, you have been warned.) 

Most of the questions surrounding the Dark Knight's future are directly related to a Justice League movie. Should they reboot Batman and establish a different actor as the Caped Crusader or should they set the Justice League in the Dark Knight universe and bring Christian Bale back in the role that he has owned for the past decade? Or should they proceed with John Blake as Batman, and have Joseph Gordon Levitt continue his role from The Dark Knight Rises?

These two options are troubling to me for several reasons. First, if Batman is going to be fighting along side the Super-Friends for the first time in a live action movie, it really ought to be Bruce Wayne and not some other guy who recently took over the job... and who's real name happens to be Robin. And if you recall, at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne faked his death and retired, so even if Bale is back as Batman, Bruce Wayne would have way too much 'splaining to do. (As Ricky Riccardo might say.)

The Dark Knight trilogy was great as a stand alone story. I think they should leave well-enough alone and move on. Plus, Heath Ledger had such an impact on the role of the Joker that they might not want to recast that part. Heck, they did not even mention him in The Dark Knight Rises. The Joker is way too important to the Batman legend to be permanently retired. Rebooting Batman solves that problem.

Another benefit of rebooting the Batman franchise is that you can pick up the character at whatever point in his career you want. Batman (1989) started the story just a few weeks into Batman's career. The Dark Knight trilogy takes us all the way back to the beginning in Batman Begins. I'd like to see them go the route of the New Frontier comic book and have us meet Batman early in his career, but after he has already established himself in Gotham City. We don't need another origin story, for god-sakes. A reboot like this will also enable the filmmakers to establish a Batman that exists in a world with super-powered beings. The Dark Knight trilogy was clearly set in a world without superpowers.

Finally, a reboot of Batman means we get to see more villains from his rouges gallery come to life, and none are really off limits, no matter how fantastic they might be. Villains like Clayface, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc don't really fit in the more grounded Dark Knight world and were therefore out-of-play. Now all bets are off. Before the The Dark Knight Rises came out, the rumor mill was burning with talk of Johnny Depp as The Riddler or Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin. Sure, those guys would be great, but I prefer to think bigger. 

Bigger and brighter. 

I say the villain in the next Batman movie should be a resurrection of one of the most unique bad guys from the 60's TV show. Now that Michael Douglas has portrayed Liberace in Behind the Candelabra, why not cast him as The Great Chandell? 

The Great Chandell was a villain portrayed by the famous, flamboyant showman in 1966. He was a pianist who was blackmailed into a life of crime by his twin brother Harry. 

If we are starting over with Batman, why not reboot The Great Chandell while we are at it? And think what an actor of this caliber could do with the duel role of Harry, Chandell's evil twin brother. The possibilities are endless. 

Okay, maybe Chandell will never make it to the silver screen, but you gotta admit, it would be funny. I may be letting my imagination run a little wild, but I've got to do something to keep me busy until we get a new Batman movie. Luckily, we've got the Man of Steel, Thor and Captain America to entertain us in the meantime. It's just too bad none of them fight such fabulous bad guys as the Dark Knight.