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Movie Review: ‘Civil War’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:40:28 +0000

What if. It’s a question that has intrigued storytellers and audiences alike for generations. The desire to take something known and twist it ever so slightly, to the point where elements and pieces are not immediately recognizable – or worse, things are chillingly recognizable and seemingly appropriate in their darker state. The thought of “yes, I could see something like this happening” is perhaps one of the scariest story premises out there – especially when what we’re being presented with is dark and dangerous. Such is the case with ‘Civil War,’ the new film from director Alex Garland and production studio A24. Taking place in the indeterminately-near future, the political and socio-economical divide in the United States of America has grown to the point where the country has fractured, with several states deciding to try their own hand at self-governance. A few maps shown early in the film indicate that close to 20 states may be trying to secede in various ways. Factions such as the “Florida Alliance” and the “New People’s Army” have arisen, but the two largest proponents have joined forces to create the “Western Forces,” and in a large-yet-subtle twist, it’s California and Texas, of all the […]

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TV Review: ‘Star Trek: Short Treks – Ask Not’

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Sat, 16 Nov 2019 17:00:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I have had my fair share of issues with the first and second seasons of ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’ We don’t need to rehash all the issues right now but feel free to peruse my previous reviews to see my sizable laundry-list of perceived shortcomings of the show. It has been with some trepidation, then, that I have sat down to watch the filler-style “Short Treks” episodes when they are dispersed by CBS. In the first quartet, the only two I enjoyed with any real aplomb were the two that didn’t directly revolve around the crew of the USS Discovery, and so far, the first two Short Treks of this new quintet have been a mixed bag. Providing one 10-to-15-ish minute “mini-episode” every few weeks to (ostensibly) hold fans over until the full episodes return with the premiere of ‘Star Trek: Picard‘ in January 202 and the ‘Star Trek: Discovery‘ Season Three premiere later in 2020, CBS is hoping that these tiny tales will add some value to their ever-expanding universe. Will this newest episode bring something new and exciting for the Trek faithful? WARNING: Spoilers for this episode of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ lie ahead, obviously. If […]

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Throwback Thursday: ‘Slither’ (2006)

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 22:47:47 +0000

There’s a fairly standard sci-fi/horror trope that a lot of stories use: semi-sentient alien organism visits Earth and takes over individual humans by entering our bodies through our mouths/ears/noses/butts/any other orifices they can wriggle into. Many times, the aliens “kill” the humans or incapacitate their brains when taking over the bodies, turning the infected folks into a creature most would call a zombie. It’s definitely not a new plot device, showing up as early as the 1930s in sci-fi serials, but if done correctly it can easily make for a story that is entertaining, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. By plot line alone, ‘Slither’ doesn’t break any molds or cover any new ground: it’s your fairly standard “alien slugs turn people into zombies and try to take over the world” scenario. However, it’s the nuanced performances by the cast, the attention to detail on the part of its creators, and the broad humor mixed with tongue-in-cheek homages to former stories of this type that make ‘Slither,’ in my humble opinion, a must-see film for any fun-loving sci-fi, horror, and/or zombie enthusiast. Now, take this review with a grain of salt if you’re not a huge fan of the “classic” sci-fi/monster movies […]

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Throwback Thursday: ‘Monsters’ (2010)

Tony Schaab - Senior Editor — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 23:40:16 +0000

In case it isn’t obvious from my other reviews, my personal home-video collection, my Twitter feed, my browser history, or nearly everything else in my life, I’m a bit of a huge nerd. And while I’ve long appreciated a good horror flick, sometimes a man wants his movies chock-full of some good old-fashioned futuristic aliens. And sometimes that man is lazy and needs the title of a move to perfectly describe the subject matter. That’s where 2010’s ‘Monsters’ comes in. Six years after a NASA deep-space probe crash-landed in Mexico with, shall we say, unexpected cargo, aliens still inhabit a quarantined zone along the US-Mexico border. Andrew Kaulder, an American photojournalist in Mexico to document the current state of the invasion, is tasked by his boss to escort the boss’ daughter, Samantha, back into the US. Andrew and Samantha learn that their opportunity to escape expires soon; air and sea travel is scheduled to be cut off for at least six months. Faced with the prospect of being stuck in the quarantine zone long-term, the pair resolve to travel across the border on foot, sneaking through jungles and forests by day to avoid being attacked by the aliens. I was […]

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