Change Your Image
Rectangular_businessman
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try again
Live action disasters
Underrated animation
Parodies that are better than the actual thing
Reviews
Watchmen: Chapter I (2024)
Watchmen deserved a better adaptation
I always thought Watchmen would work better in animation than live-action, despite its "unfilmable" reputation prior to Zack Snyder's 2009 movie.
So, when this movie was announced, I had many expectations: Even the idea of an animated version of Before Watchmen or Doomsday Clock seemed pretty interesting to me.
Much to my surprise, this movie turned out to be an adaptation from the original Watchmen comics; unfortunately, the horrid animation style shown in the first trailer was enough to kill any hype I previously had.
Seriously, why did the producers chose such an awful CGI? It looks cheap and poorly made, and does not make justice to the great art the original comics had.
I tried giving this movie a chance, but while the story remains to be good, the hideous animation and the lack of any visual identity (Say what you want about Zack Snyder's movie, at least he gave it his very personal touch) made this a very forgettable experience, ultimately feeling like a mere cash-grab.
I think I would rather watch the motion-comic version. Or Saturday Morning Watchmen.
The Bubby Bear Show (2023)
Better than I expected
While plenty of sarcastic "subversions" of kids' shows had been done in the past (Just to name a few examples: Wonder Showzen, Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, Pibby, the whole "mascot horror" subgenre), this muppet-esque CGI dark comedy still manages to be pretty entertaining.
The short it's certainly favored by its short length, which avoids the joke being run to the ground, as tends to happen in similar parodies, giving also a fun, frenetic pace in which the tension and the humor are perfectly balanced.
The animation is pretty cute, with very pleasant aesthetic disregard of the macabre elements.
This turned out to be much better than I was expecting, and with a high rewatchability factor. Totally worth-watching.
Over the Garden Wall: 10th Anniversary Tribute (2024)
A nice tribute
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Over the Garden Wall returns with a little stop-motion short by Aardman.
The result is a charming addition to one of the best shows to ever air on Cartoon Network, the kind of series that sadly Warner won't even consider to make these days (Or probably would shelve it without even airing it, as in the case of Coyote vs. Acme)
Now, while the extreme brevity of this animation does not allow much room for a complex plot (Feeling pretty much like a mere deleted scene), the gorgeous visuals and the captivating atmosphere are enough to make this a worth-watching experience.
While I don't think Over the Garden Wall needs a sequel, (Or, God forbid, a live-action adaptation), this was a neat tribute to that series, and the perfect way to celebrate its first decade of existence.
Hunter x Hunter: Past X and X Future (2014)
Farewell, Gon
And so it ends the 2011 adaptation of Hunter × Hunter, with Gon finally reunited with his father, ready to start a new adventure along him.
While Ging is definitely shown to be a flawed, selfish (by his own admission) character, the way in which he connects with Gon during their encounter at the top of the world tree was a rather sweet, heartwarming scene, which closes the series in a rather optimistic note, even if there are still a couple of loose ends. (The biggest one being Kurapika's quest for revenge towards the Phantom Troupe)
While the manga still continues the story, I do think this was a more than decent conclusion for tale filled with adventure and joy, but also tragedy and horror, where things were not as simple as they seemed to be at first glance.
The open, yet hopeful conclusion, fits perfectly well with Ging's mentality about how it's the journey, not the destination what matters the most.
The 2011 anime did a pretty good job adapting this manga, and I hope to see a continuation of this excellent story sometime in the future.
Farewell for now, Hunter x Hunter world. It was a pretty exciting, unpredictable ride filled with thrills, pretty enjoyable from beginning to end.
Xavier: Renegade Angel (2007)
The best PFFR series
I must say that I initially had my reservations about watching this series , since I'm not particularly fond of the shows made by PFFR Productions (I thought The Heart, She Holler was horrible, found Wonder Showzen repetitive and The Shivering Truth, while having a great stop-motion work had plots that just felt weird for the sake of being weird)
Much to my surprise, this series turned out to be way funnier I expected, despite having the usual PFFR weirdness (In fact, I would say this is perhaps even weirder than the other series made by the same creators)
The plot from each chapter is completely nonsensical, with several lines mocking faux-profound New Age "philosophy", with absolutely hilarious results.
From time to time, it does a pretty creative use of strange imagery, even if the imagery in question is not supposed to have any particular meaning.
Some would say one would need to be stoned or drunk to enjoy this kind of stuff, but I watched each chapter from this show completely sober and I laughed anyway.
It Was a Dark and Silly Night (2008)
Ugly designs, but fun story
I was expecting some sort of macabre twist to happen here, but this obscure animated short inspired in a story by Neil Gaiman turned out to be pretty light-hearted and wholesome.
If anything, the only off-putting aspect here were the character designs, with children resembling those weird vintage troll dolls: Honestly, they looked far more grotesque than the zombies themselves, as if they were some sort of mutated gnomes instead of human kids.
Despite this, the plot was pretty enjoyable, with many cleverly written lines and a fun story appropiate for all audiences, despite the hideous appearence of the main cast.
6.5/10.
Geometria (1987)
A fun, early work from Guillermo del Toro
Another early short from Guillermo del Toro, done a couple of years prior to his first feature-length film, Cronos.
Here we follow a tale of a deal with the devil gone wrong, in which a clueless youngster will learn the hard way sometimes it's better to not mess with dark forces , getting a geometry lesson in the process.
Despite the extremely low budget, the short has a pretty stylish use of colors, with a nice contrast of red and blue echoing the films of Dario Argento (Suspiria, in particular), including a few nods to The Exorcist as well (Mostly in the way in which the demon is depicted here as a girl with a supernatural voice)
The acting is extremely hammy, but such element enhances the dark comedy angle here, resulting in a pretty entertaining mixture of horror and humor. The clever, sarcastic script also helps a lot.
Dance Macabre (1982)
The little ghost vs. the big red devil
This turned out to be much adorable than I was expecting (At least until the giant red demon appears), with the ghosts and witches celebrating their macabre dance at the graveyard being depicted through cutesy claymation (and cut-out animation in one particular scene)
In sharp contrast with the solemn tone from William Blake and the Poet's Journey (Another short also directed by Sheila Graber, which I had the chance of seeing before this one) the tone here is more playful, almost whimsical.
There is clear influence from the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment from Disney's Fantasia, with the aforementioned red demon having a role quite similar to Chernabog. Similarities aside, said character still manages to cause a solid impression, adding a haunting element to an otherwise light-hearted tale of the undead.
THE BLACK reCAT (2022)
A solid adaptation
A pretty solid stop-motion adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat, summarizing the plot in less than six minutes and without any spoken word in a rather convincing manner.
There was, however, a minor detail that bothered me a little, and that was the anachronistic addition of a modern-looking police car in one scene, which sharply contrasts with the period setting of the short.
Maybe is just me, but unless they are done for humorous purposes or as a deliberate stylistic choice (Such as the use of modern soundtrack in some Baz Luhrmann movies), I found this kind of misplaced elements are rather distracting, and feel done for the sake of "modern viewers", in order to not confuse them.
I know, it's just an insignificant detail, yet at the same so distracting and unnecessary I cannot help but think this animation would have worked so much better without it.
But other than that, this was an entertaining and nicely done tribute to Poe.
7.5/10.
Debbie Does Damnation (1999)
Drag me to (claymation) hell
Well, this certainly was not something you see every day.
Very explicit and messed up, yet at the same time it's so incredibly cheesy that it ends being hilarious rather than disturbing.
Its cheesiness seems to be fully acknowledged by the director, judging by the making-off commentary given after the credits, in which he was full aware of the nonsensical plot. In addition to that, he reveals his main intention behind the movie was seen how far he could go in a film like this (Also apparently there are three different versions of the hellish adventure of Debbie, which supposedly are even more "extreme", or in other words, even more sexually explicit)
While I'm not particularly fond of the way in which the movie randomly switches from live-action to claymation (Particularly in the fight scenes) and despite the incredibly juvenile script (which would make look the dialogue from a Heavy Metal comic into something akin to Shakespeare), I can't deny I found this entertaining in a rather twisted way, and with some creative imagery despite the extremely low budget.
As incredibly twisted this was, and despite the dreadful performances, it can't be denied this was a work of love.
6/10 (A very personal rating, I know most people will find this to be absolutely terrible)
Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977)
"You put your glasses back on and face the facts!"
How Grinch Stole Christmas, along with the Cat in the Hat, is often considered the most iconic creation from Ted Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
The excellent animated special directed by Chuck Jones certainly contributed a lot to its popularity, adapting the story in such a marvellous way it practically has become an essential Chrismas classic for all ages.
Much less known, however, is this Halloween special, also starring the Grinch, this time meaner than ever and with no intention of changing his evil ways.
While nowhere as famous as its Christmas counterpart, I do think this special was pretty well done, with some fun, creative visuals (Particularly in the "Grinch is Gonna get You" sequence, which is perhaps the most surreal sequence one would ever see in a Dr. Seuss story)
It honestly deserves more recognition, methinks.
American Horror Story X: Teletubbies (2015)
Why this has an imdb page?
Sometimes I genuinely ask myself what kind of criteria certain works have to fulfill in order to be considered worthy of having their own page here on the Internet Movie Database.
Then again, the Dramatic Chipmunk has its own page. Youtube poops videos have a page, being labelled as a TV series (???)
Caillou gets Grounded videos have not one, but several pages.
At this point, it seems anything is fair game, including titles of dubious existence.
With that in mind, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see this particular Youtube video here, featuring some random Teletubbies clips edited to the intro music from American Horror Story.
I get it. It ain't makin' me laugh, but I get it, as Meatwad would say. Probably in the early 2000s something like this would have been a much bigger success and an instant meme, but in the year 2015 it kinda feels anachronistic.
Done in 60 Seconds. With Clay.: The Lion King (2011)
Done in 60 seconds, without clay
I think this and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Recap were the only two episodes from Lee Hardcastle's "Done in 60 Seconds, with Clay" series not actually done in claymation, but made with Flash instead.
And surprisingly enough, both episodes had nothing of gore, but were fun to watch anyway, due their respective healthy dose of black comedy.
Lee Hardcastle does a pretty good job here summarizing the plot of The Lion King in just one minute, with the usual dark twists one would normally expect from him, particularly on its unexpected conclusion.
A different, but worthy addition to his filmography.
7/10.
Done in 60 Seconds. With Clay. (2010)
Bizarre gory fun
An entertaining series of claymation recaps, showing Lee Hardcastle's more humorous side, while also having their fair share of gore and violence. (Some are even gorier than the actual movies, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre one, which despite the funny voices, managed to be genuinely creepy)
The visuals might be quite unpolished, but the execution is fun, summarizing the plot of some cult horror films (And The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) in just one minute.
The Eraserhead recap was the best episode, in my opinion.
Kinda wish Lee Hardcastle still made these kind of videos; it would have been nice if adapted Hellraiser and its sequels into this format.
6.5/10.
Doña Lupe (1986)
Early Guillermo
One of the earliest efforts by Guillermo del Toro as director. (Apparently a few other shorts were done prior to this, but none of them has been released so far)
Both Wikipedia and Imdb label this as a "horror" film, but I see it more like a black comedy with a little supernatural element, and even said element feel cathartic rather than creepy.
The story follows an old lady being forced by circumstances to rent her house to a pair of corrupt cops which quickly start to show their true colors, eventually forcing her to take justice into her own hands.
Even at this early point of his career, one can already see here a couple of elements present in the following Guillermo del Toro's films, Such as the contrast between blue and red colors, particularly in night scenes, not to mention a sympathetic elderly character pitted against younger, unscrupulous villains.
There is a clear comic-book influence here, particularly on its visual presentation, but the script also feels like something straight from an old comic-book, with some fun, clever dialogues, even if the performances are not always the best and the story seems a bit longer than necessary.
Not bad, but I think "Geometry" was better.
6/10.
Recess: Terrifying Tales of Recess (2001)
A Recess Halloween
The first Recess Halloween special, divided in three non-canonical stories in a similar way to the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes from the Simpsons.
While the framing device doesn't add too much, the stories themselves are entertaining enough, starting in a fun manner the extremely short-lived sixth season of Recess, which barely had five chapters.
Of the three segments featured here, I think "Night of the Living Finsters"was the best one, feeling almost like the kind of plot one would expect from the Tales from the Cryptkeeper series.
The "Children of the Cornchip" segment is perhaps the only time in the whole series where the nice Cornchip Girl is depicted in an antagonistic role (And to make things more ironic, Gus is the one who confronts and defeats her without a second thought, despite their close friendship in "The Army-Navy Game" episode, but then again, these stories are fictional in-universe, and in some ways, it almost feels like something Gus himself would have invented)
A good addition to the series, and I kinda wish more Recess Halloween episodes had been made.
Herushingu: Order 01: The Undead (2001)
Hellsing is still cool
As bad Hellsing Ultimate Abridged was, at least it inspired me to revisit the Hellsing franchise once again, starting with the show from the year 2001.
Before my rewatch, I also saw the original "Psalm of Darkness" trailer, which actually does a pretty good selling the series to any newcomer, capturing the dark, yet cool essence from this story in just a few minutes, teasing the apparitions of some major villains from the original comics which unfortunately ended not appearing.
Anyway, I think this was a pretty solid debut for the television series. It has a pretty great atmosphere and soundtrack, not to mention a great artwork as well.
A nice beginning for this anime.
Spook Train: Room Two - Cell X (2017)
T is for toilet
Perhaps the grittiest animation ever done by Lee Hardcastle so far, without his usual black comedy element and a pretty intense, bleak plot about a violent inmate being tortured by a sadistic jailer.
Despite the claim at the beginning about the short was "heavily edited" in order to meet Youtube guidelines, it still manages to be a pretty disturbing experience, and one can only wonder how explicit the uncut version might be, considering the graphic violence displayed by other works from this same director, in which not even children are spared from the goriest carnages.
I also consider one of his best works, without doubt. Personally, I think this was much better than the previous Spook Train short, far more effective on its depiction of primal horrors.
A pretty messed up, visceral experience. And pretty well done, too.
8.5/10.
Ghost House (2014)
Hilarious
After unnecessarily torturing myself with three unfunny Hellsing Ultimate Abridged episodes, I considered it was time to try something which actually made me laugh, so I rewatched this miniseries of shorts by Jason Steele (The same man behind "Charlie the Unicorn" and "Llamas with Hats")
This series is hilarious. Actually way funnier than I remembered.
Here profanities and cultural references are used in a rather entertaining manner, enhancing the bizarre situations depicted in each chapter instead of just being used gratuitously with zero subtance behind.
One of Filmcow's most underrated works, without doubt. A masterpiece of absurdist comedy in serious need of more recognition.
Also, I love how the title from each episode has absolutely nothing to do with its content.
Hellsing Ultimate Abridged (2010)
Why is this rated higher than the original series?
Three episodes.
I lasted three episodes.
I have to wonder if someone has to be a fan Dragon Ball Z abridged to get any enjoyment from this so-called parody.
People often mock shows like Hazbin Hotel for its gratuitous swearing, yet this somehow gets a free pass?
A reviewer compared this show with the Wayan Brothers films. An apt comparison, since they both share a dreadful level of unfunniness.
But at least the Wayan Brothers films attempt to have jokes instead of pretending swear words somehow are a substitute for comedy.
I think I will stick with the original TV series and Hellsing Ultimate instead, thank you very much.
Hellsing Ultimate Abridged: TheCrimsonFuckr (2012)
Third time's a charm, isn't it?
Oh boy, here we go again.
Against common sense, I decided to give a third chance to the Hellsing Ultimate Abridged series.
I mean, surely this popular web series has more jokes than just gratuitous swearing, right?
One second in, and even the intro disclaimer is filled with swear words. Even the episode title has swear words.
Because swear words are inherently hilarious, I guess.
Anyway, this episode was even worse than the previous two. Not a single laugh to be found here, and there are clearly no signs of improvement in the writing or characterization, so I guess I'm finally done with this series.
To hell with this!
1/10.
Midnight Vampire (2024)
The avenging vampire
This is the newest stop-motion short by Takena Nagao, best known by his Chainsaw Maid animation from the year 2007.
Even after all this time, Nagao remains true to his style, with horror-themed claymations featuring adorable yet strong female characters dealing with nightmarish situations in rather gruesome manners.
What initially seemed to be a supernatural tale quickly turns into a story of more mundane (yet, still sinister) horrors, with the titular vampire becoming the antihero who ends saving the day.
As usual, the visuals here are somewhat unpolished, but with an undeniable charm, effectively contrasting the bright, cutesy aesthetic with a plot filled with bloodshed and other macabre elements.
An entertaining horror short, without doubt.
StarStorm (1994)
The failed Saint Seiya live-action American pilot
Another obscure piece of Saint Seiya medias has been found recently: Just like "Guardians of the Cosmos", "StarStorm" was an attempt to adapt the Saint Seiya franchise into something more "marketeable" for American audiences, in a similar way to Power Rangers.
Truth to be told, when I was still young and impressionable, I probably would have watched this. I used to watch a lot of cheesy shows, like Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills (That show was the first thing that crossed my mind while watching this, and I have to wonder if at least some of the stuff developed here wasn't ultimately revamped for that show)
This is pure, unadulterated 90s cheese, from beginning to end: The acting, the lines, the characterization, everything is basically one would expect from a 90s fantasy series.
Even in a short pilot, Saori/Athena (or at least, her equivalent character) plays here the role of a distressed damsel.
At least the writers got that right.
And the armors, I guess, but I personally think they looked too goofy, showing once again how what works in animation not necessarily can be replicated in a live action format.
And yet here we are, with more and more unnecessary live-action remakes being produced non-stop.
Anyway, this at least looks more entertaining than that movie from the year 2023.
Hellsing Ultimate Abridged: Bullets from Your Valentine (2011)
Well, the characters certainly swear a lot.
And that's basically the only joke this series keeps repeating ad nauseam, swearing, swearing, some raunchy sex references and then more swearing.
Imagine a version of South Park without the satire, fun characterization or any cleverness, and then you probably will got this trite "parody".
I don't know what I was thinking by giving another chance to this awful show, but boy, my second impression from Hellsing Ultimate Abridged was just as bad as the first one.
The only part that made chuckle a bit was the scene with Alucard watching Adventure Time on television, but other than that, this was pretty bad.
Hellsing Ultimate Abridged: Psych, Hitler! (2010)
I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this very much
I have to wonder if one has to be a fan of Dragon Ball Z Abridged in order to enjoy this.
I must confess I could never get into that online parody, despite being a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series.
I do admit Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series has its fair share of dated elements (Mostly concerning the pop culture reference overload, particularly during the first episodes), but for some reason younger me could never connect with the works of TeamFourStar.
Anyway, I recently tried to give a chance to Hellsing Abridged and I found it to be horribly unfunny.
Maybe if I was a teen living in the 2010s I would probably loved this. Maybe not, who knows.
Not sure if I should continue watching this, considering how bad this first episode was.