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Showing posts from 2015

Jason versus The Hateful Eight

There's only one director alive who can drive a movie with dialogue, and his name is Quentin Tarantino. Love him or not, love his movies or not, you gotta admit the man has a gift for great gab. How much you like his work depends on how much you like talky movies with bursts of graphic violence. I've only disliked one -- Jackie Brown. And it wasn't even bad. Just not memorable. Sure Pulp Fiction made the writer/director a star, but I think his movies got increasingly better with time. Self indulgent? Sure. But I believe his skills have matured like a good Scotch.

Jason verus Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Thirty two years is a long time wait between Star Wars movies. Sure, there're the prequels, but really. Do they count? Not to me. For me, the Star Wars saga went on hiatus in 1983 and didn't pick up until just a few short weeks ago. Thirty two years. A long wait. Was it worth it? Stick with me!

Jason versus Until Dawn (PS4)

OK, first stab at putting thoughts down on a video game. But PS4's Until Dawn is so much like an interactive TV show or movie that this shouldn't be too hard. Video games sure have come a long way from Donkey Kong and Pong! But does shockingly realistic character design, easy playability and a compelling -- to me at least -- storyline make for a good game? Stick with me!

Jason versus In the Heart of the Sea and Sicario

I'm still about 48 hours away from catching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but I have had the opportunity to catch up with a couple of the fall's bigger releases. Sure, they aren't Star Wars big, but one is a critically acclaimed crime flick and the other a blockbuster wannabe about a really pissed off whale. That's right, I'm talking In the Heart of the Seas (the whale movie) and Sicario (not the whale movie), and I've sobered up long enough to toss a few thoughts down on this blog post. Just a few thoughts, so stick with me!

New Deadpool trailer delivers

Not my most inspired headline ever, but it's the day after Christmas and I'm a bit bleary eyed and hungover on turkey, booze and other good cheer. But I just had to share this latest trailer for the upcoming Deadpool movie. And here it is:

Merry Christmas from The Basement

That headline pretty much sums it up: Shawn, Amy and I would like to wish our listeners and readers a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. This was a big year for us, as Shawn and I came back from self-imposed exile and, with the help of the beautiful and talented Amy Wickenheiser, resurrected The Basement into something new and exciting. And many of the people who stuck with us before continue to do so, so thanks to you, our audience and fans, and to Amy for coming on board.

Lights Out will light up theatre screens in July

Everyone out there who has seen David Sandberg's creepy as fuck horror short Lights Out put up your hands. All of you? Good! But not YOU, George? Shame on you! Sandberg's flick is the creepiest three minutes I think have ever been put on film. And it only makes sense that, given the short's viral success, it would be turned into a feature film.

Back to Back to Frank Black, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The X-Files revival

It's a packed house in terms of people and content this episode as Jason, Shawn and Amy welcome back Troy Foreman and James McLean of the Back to Frank Black campaign, which aims to revive, in some form, Chris Carter's 90s TV series Millennium. Naturally, The Basement Dwellers discuss that series, which starred the great Lance Henriksen, and where the campaign is at in terms of bringing the series and its hero, Frank Black, back. But the conversation quickly turns to a little movie that's quietly slipped into theatres this weekend -- Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- and the impact the Star Wars saga has had on popular culture. Plus James's theory that Luke is a douche. Plus, Troy and James have a few words to say about the revival of Chris Carter's uber popular series The X-Files, which hits TV screens next month. Things also take a political turn as The Basement dives into politics, and opinions are voiced about U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Shawn and Anthony Michael Bosa versus Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The most anticipated movie of all time is here, and Shawn and sometime Basement contributor Anthony Michael Bosa have seen it. That's right, we're talkin' Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

My Two Bits: Extraction

There was an era when action movies were simple, straight-ahead entertainment. I call this era the 80s and Cannon Films was the mecca for such fine, filmed entertainment. Modern cinema could take a cue from this time period, and learn well from it. It's rare when a movie comes along like those I grew up watching. But every now and then a flick surfaces that reminds me of those simpler times. Lean on story and mean on action, the perfect Friday night beer drinking fare.

Our CBC Kamloops/Star Wars: The Force Awakens interview

Just a quick update today, Basementites. Shawn and I wanted to share with you our 15 minutes of fame that occurred earlier today on Daybreak Kamloops. For the uninitiated, we sat down with host Shelley Joyce to rap -- not in song -- about a little movie called Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which of course opens everywhere this weekend. We could go into details about the conversation, but figured it was easiest to share it with you.

John Wick 2 has Morpheus

Looks like the much anticipated -- at least by anyone with a brain -- sequel to the 2014 action smash John Wick will be a bit of a reunion for Keanu Reeves and his Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne. That's right, Neo and Morpheus will share some screen time again . . .  only not as Neo and Morpheus, obviously, making my analogy pretty stupid when I stop to think about it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the CBC

Readers will have noticed we stepped up activity here on The Basement site, and that's because it truly feels like Shawn, Amy and I have hit our groove when it comes to what we want the latest incarnation of We Came from the Basement to be -- a fun hangout where we talk all things entertainment. And it's super awesome that our renewed energy has coincided with an exciting opportunity for Shawn and I to talk the year's most anticipated movie on our nation's national broadcaster.

Mike S and Star Trek Beyond

Recently, Jay spoke to all of you about the recent "Star Trek Beyond" trailer.  He shared his thoughts as a "casual fan", which inspired me to share my thoughts as a more "hardcore fan". Because I am one.  I've got pretty much all the novels, all the movies, I've almost have all the episodes (including the animated series), prop replicas, Enterprise models, figures, bobble heads, a Spock cookie jar (I'm actually hoping to get a set of Star Trek cookie cutters for Christmas).

In defence of the Star Trek Beyond trailer

The trailer for the latest instalment in Paramount's bazillion dollar Star Trek franchise hit the Internet today to much fanfare, both positive and negative. The positive camp found it a fun look at what could be a decent summer blockbuster. The negative said it doesn't seem anything like the vision Gene Roddenberry brought to life with the 1960s TV series and subsequent feature films.

Jay tweets to Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

It's been a good couple of years since anyone in The Basement tweeted along to anything. Used to be we'd do so on a weekly basis, teasing what we'd review on our radio show/podcast. Even our mad twit Mike S would tweet along to flicks using the  @camethebasement account. Then the tweeting ended, for reasons we can't remember. But, given a recent self pledge to kick things up a notch here on the site, I figured I'd pick a flick at random -- in this case Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse -- and see if I still had it in me. The experiment occurred last night and involved many beers.

Mad Max video game tune asks tough question

How is that for a weird as fuck headline? Pretty good, eh!?! A real WTF moment? Thought so. I've taken two cracks now at the Mad Max video game. Not because I don't dig it. I dig it a lot, tell the truth. It's one of the better games in my library since the wife got a PS4 earlier this year. I'm new to the gamer world, and don't have much of a knack for it. Which is a polite way of saying I generally suck at playing video games. And I play so sporadically that I just figure out how to play one and then have three or four weeks of other commitments that I don't get to play. When I do finally find the time, it's like I've got to figure my shit out all over again.

Labour of love Shockwave Darkside hits VOD in January

Having dabbled in the film industry alongside my bro John Fallon these last three years, I've come to realize just how big a hurdle it is to get a project off the ground and onto a screen somewhere. The effort can take years, and even then there is no guarantee of success. So we in The Basement applaud writer/director Jay Weisman for getting his sci-fi flick Shockwave Darkside into the hands of distributor Uncork'd Entertainment for a Jan. 5 VOD release. It took the man 10 years to complete his special-effects laden adventure, so Good, Bad or Ugly, our hats are off to you sir.

The Netflix Top 5 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Those pretentious bastards and bastardette are back with more podcast goodness designed to pleasure your ear holes. This time Jason, Shawn and Amy are fulfilling a fan's request to break down what the Basement Dwellers consider the best of the best on U.S. and Canadian Netflix. That's right, between Canucks Jason and Shawn, and transplanted Canuck Amy down in the Good ole U.S. of U., the crew feel they've got a pretty good handle on what's worth watching on the popular streaming service. This is the first of what could become a monthly-ish instalment on the show. Because, with so many TV shows, docs and movies to choose from -- and programming added all the time -- there's certainly more than five things worth watching. What do the Terrible Trio go with this go around? Stick with us! Plus, a hardcore Superman fan like Shawn, and comic-book expert like Amy, aren't going to let the drop of the much anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer g

The Nice Guys trailer is proof Black is back

That's Shane Black to you. The genius screenwriter behind such action classics as Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. And yeah, the director of Iron Man 3. The man is a master of the violent, trashy action/comedy and one liners. I'm aware the trailer hit yesterday and has already trended on Facebook. Tough. We talk about things when we want here in The Basement.

Sunday Night at the Movies: The Pyramid

Bad movies. Horror movies. Movies that feature beasts, boobs and blood. All of these have been a staple here in The Basement since day one. And while we've shifted formats of late, when it comes time to zone out over a few brews, a flick that encompasses all of the above is still a preferred way to spend a night on the sofa. Previews for The Pyramid hinted at some B-movie goodness with beast, boobs -- albeit clothed ones -- and blood. And director Gregory Levasseur sure wasn't aiming for Shakespeare levels of greatness with a flick about a father-daughter team of archeologists who uncover a previously undiscovered pyramid beneath the sands of Egypt.

The Captain America: Civil War trailer is here

Like fanboys needed to know anything else other than the official trailer for the much anticipated Captain American: Civil War has finally appeared online. That, as Stan Lee would say, is 'nuff said. But we have to say something more, don't we? How about it comes out in May? It does. There. Now go watch it.

Sunday Night at the Movies: The Untouchables (1987)

He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He puts one of your men in the hospital. You put one of his in the morgue. So goes the tale of Brian de Palma's The Untouchables. A loosely based account of real life events that turns into an Academy Award winning movie back when I was 15. Does it hold up today? Stick with me! For one, yes it does. But . . . and this is a heavy but . . . I am currently reading Douglas Perry's biography on Eliot Ness and can safely say that 99.9 per cent of David Mamet's screenplay for The Untouchables is bullshit. But, as Denzel Washington said in Training Day, it's entertaining bullshit. And that's enough for this Basement critic.

Preternatural and Area 51

Those movie loving bastards and bastardette return with a new episode designed to pleasure your ear holes. This time the Basement crew are back in the movie reviewing . . . ish . . . business as filmmakers Gav Chuckie Steel and Dixon Barker submit for their approval the new flick Preternatural. What's it about? A Blair Witch style riff featuring a couple of movie makers who run afoul -- maybe -- of  fairies while filming in the English countryside. But things aren't quite as they seem. Or are they? Stick with us! Then Jason, Shawn and Amy tackle another found-footage movie. One from the creator of Paranormal Activity that was supposed to be discussed weeks ago. Yup, Area 51. Is the flick Good, Bad or Ugly? Wait, those bastards don't rate movies anymore. Well, listen and find out what they think anyway. There's a lot of other topics up for discussion by this Terrible Trio, and you can hear it all by pushing play on the player below. So snap to it!

My Two Bits: Jessica Jones Season 1, Ep. 1 and 2

Marvel and Netflix knocked it out of the park earlier this year with the TV series Daredevil, which left the door wide open for other, lesser known Marvel properties to hit the small screen in grand style. How does this hybrid of super-hero lore and noir detective drama stack up? Stick with me! Right off the bat, I gotta say I never read the Jessica Jones comic book. But I did groove on Power Man and Iron Fist, and Power Man himself, AKA Luke Cage, figures large in this adaptation of the Marvel Comics property. Suffice to say, it's cool to see Luke Cage brought to life in this, the latest Netflix series to carry the Marvel brand. And while Mike Colter's riff on Luke Cage might not be the focus of this mashup between film-noir sensibilities and comic-book action, it's great to see the character well represented.

The Cinema Knife Fight Interview

Shawn here! Recently, I got to sit down and answer some questions, for the good folks over at Cinema Knife Fight , about my part in John Fallon's movie:  The Shelter!   Imagine that!  Interviewer, turned interviewee!  I was beside myself.  Thanks to our amigo, John Fallon, for that hook up. So, I partook in their interview process with their writer, Barry Dejasu. Rad, rad.  Their interview, to be published soon!! In true Basement fashion, I turned the tables as I was interested in Barry's take, on the whole cinematic music industry and set up an interview with him.  In The basement.  You can hear our take on that and so much more, below! Thanks to Barry for being so rad to have the tables turned a little and Cinema Knife Fight !     for having me!!

My Two Bits: Harbinger Down

The term rare treat isn't something we throw around a lot in The Basement. Actually I don't think Shawn, Amy or I have said it once on the show. But, having just watched Harbinger Down with Shawn, I'm willing to use the phrase around now. We've pimped Harbinger Down here on the site a couple of times, primarily because former Basement guest Lance Henriksen is a major player, and it's an old-school special effects monster movie from practical FX wizards Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alex Gillis.

Trailer for AMC's Preacher promises sin

Lots and lots of sin, from the looks of things. And dark, brooding Southern U.S. of A. atmosphere. And some supernatural goings on of course, given the source material. In other words, I think AMC has a pretty big hit on its hands with Preacher, which is based on DC/Vertigo's long running cult comics series. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon piloted the comic book, which was at once funny, scary and quite gruesome.

My Two Bits: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1, Ep 1

Ever have one of those moments where you can't believe what you're watching? Not because what you're watching is bad? Oh no. The other kind of moment. The kind where you can't believe your eye holes are witnessing something you've dreamt about for so long. Such is the case with Starz new Ash vs Evil Dead TV series. THIS is the sequel fans of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series have yearned for since Army of Darkness. And it's not a reboot or reimagining, it's a direct follow up to those genre classics from 30 years ago, and it's . . . GROOVY!

The Halloween Spooktacular V

Last Halloween, Jason and Shawn played the cruelest of tricks on Basementites everywhere . . . they quit! Fortunately, they suck at quitting, and the Basement Boys are back for their annual Halloween Spooktacular! And Halloween just isn't Halloween without The Basement's No. 1 Scream Queen -- Brooke Lewis! That's right guys and ghouls, Brooke is back to help Jason, Shawn and new co-host Amy Wickenheiser entertain your asses.

A new era begins in The Basement

A year ago, on Halloween night, Shawn and I called it quits. We'd spent six seasons reviewing and chatting about the genre B-movie, and basically burned ourselves out. There really is too much of a good thing. But our passion for podcasting -- and sitting around bullshitting while enjoying a few brews -- remained. Hence we slowly got The Basement up and running again. Thankfully, our loyal Basementites didn't tell us to go fuck ourselves, and it's been a joy entertaining you all on a semi-regular basis.

Sunday Night at the Movies: Tales of Halloween

'Twas the Sunday before Halloween, and all through The Basement, not a creature was stirring . . . except one allegedly creepy movie featuring 10 short stories by 11 of the most notorious directors working in indie horror at the moment. That's right, we're celebrating the final Sunday before the Best Night of the Year with the new horror anthology Tales of Halloween, a flick we pimped right before *cough cough* calling it quits last Halloween. Hey, we changed our collective mind. Wanna fight about it?

Amy Wickenheiser in the house

Jason is off on assignment -- sick in his bed -- but the lovely and talented Amy Wickenheiser joins Shawn for a special edition of We Came from the Basement. Who is Amy Wickenheiser you ask? For one, she's one of the stars of John Fallon's directorial debut The Shelter starring Michael Pare. So she's an actress. But she's a podcaster and personality for Geek Drunk , a site dedicated to nerd culture, and Killer Film , which is dedicated to, well, film. AND she's a producer as well. Among many other things. She and Shawn talk her career, The Shelter, and the art of nudity and sex in film. But they also discuss The Walking Dead, the dangers of posting spoilers on Facebook, the difference between Americans and Canadians, and many other nerd and non-nerd related topics. Yeah, the show has become a bit all over the map. Wanna fight about it? Didn't think so. They talk about that too, by the way. This show is a lot of fun, and offers a different vibe from

Star Wars: The Force Awakens gets a trailer

Today, I introduced my almost four-year-old boy to the original Star Wars. Not the special edition shit either, but the real deal. The 1977 version. The one, true Star Wars. He loved it. A bit scary in parts, but he couldn't stop watching. Dad achievement unlocked. Also today, the new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hit the world, and there was much rejoicing. This trailer gives me chills. Watching it was almost as cool as watching the original version with my boy earlier.

Sunday Night at the Movies: Hellions

Bruce McDonald is one of Canada's most prolific directors. He's the guy responsible for two of my favourite Canadian flicks -- Hard Core Logo and Pontypool, which is a Basement favourite. The man's got a great eye and vision, and always brings something unique to the table. So I was pumped to hear McDonald would once again tackle a genre movie, his first being the aforementioned Pontypool. This time he's made a Halloween-themed horror flick about murderous trick or treaters stalking a pregnant teen. Sounds like a can't miss, am I right? I said, am I right? Stick with me!

Jason talks The Final Girls

Slasher movies. Who doesn't love 'em? I know I do. And have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch a classic slasher like say, oh, Friday the 13th, and then find yourself in the movie? Did you? Well, that's what the new horror/comedy The Final Girls hypothesizes. Do the actual shenanigans live up to the possibilities? Stick with me! In truth, The Final Girls isn't as funny as I'd hoped, which isn't surprising as few movies are. But, and this is a heavy but, I did find the end product mucho amusing and surprisingly effective on an emotional level. Emotional you say? Yup, I say.

Sunday Night at the Movies: Poltergeist (2015)

Remakes. Bah! Who needs them? Clearly the Hollywood studio system and it's lack of fucks for original ideas. But not all remakes are bad. In fact, many -- those that bring something new to the table -- are pretty good, if not excellent. Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist is a sacred cow among horror fans though. It's the epitome of 80s horror, with state of the art visual effects, likeable characters, and kids in jeopardy -- something you just don't see anymore. In fact, it's a pretty kid friendly movie for its type. So how does Gil "Monster House" Kenan's riff on the classic rate? Is it one of the good or bad remakes? Stick with me!

Share your Hillbilly Horror Show love today

That's right, the Internet series Hillbilly Horror Show is looking for a little support from its fans as the latest volume in the popular franchise debuts on Amazon Prime. How can you help? Easy. All co-creator Blu de Golyer -- and us in The Basement -- ask is viewers log into their Amazon Prime accounts and rank the flick with the star rating provided. That's it. That's all.

Jason talks We Are Still Here

While It Follows received all the indie horror buzz earlier this year, a little film called We Are Still Here quietly built up a cult following under David Robert Mitchell's radar. Who's he? The guy who directed It Follows. Although I enjoyed It Follows quite a bit, We Are Still Here is the flick I was most dying to see. And see it I finally did. Does director Ted Geoghegan's tip of the hat to classic haunted house thrillers deserve the attention it so . . . um . . . deserves? Or not? Stick with me!

Five years later . . .

What a difference a half decade can make. It was Friday, Oct. 1, 2010 when our little show that could launched on 92.5FM CFBX at 10 p.m. and the world changed for Shawn and I. We were called Film Reviews from the Basement back then, and had spent one season slugging it out as a moderately successful podcast. Then Steve Marlow and Brant Zwicker of The X (pictured above) took a chance on a couple of aging film geeks -- we had originally approached them about having some ads for the podcast play on the air, they had a better idea -- and the rest is history.

The X-Files trailer pledges the truth is still out there

The debut of The X-Files revival is only months away, so it was high time the big wigs at Fox actually gave us a good look at Chris Carter's return to his magnum opus. Given how many X-Files fans are still out there, and the return of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson to the roles that made them famous, there was a lot riding -- for me at least -- on this full-length trailer for the limited TV series. Does it live up to the hype and anticipation?

Sunday Night at the Movies: Insidious Chapter 3

One failed attempt later and this pretentious non-film critic finally gets to see the latest instalment of one of his favourite modern horror franchises. Sure, the Insidious movies aren't for everyone, but enough people grooved on these flicks to produce a trilogy. Is the third time the charm or not? Stick with me! I've never understood the hate some horror fans have toward James Wan and Leigh Whannell's horror series. I've likened the Insidious movies to the Poltergeist films of our modern age. Likeable family + spooky spirits = good time. Granted, shit is very different this time around. But, if you didn't dig the first two chapters in the Insidious series, than you probably won't like the third.

John Fallon, Bobby Holbrook and The Shelter

It's a packed house in The Basement this episode as Jason and Shawn are joined by writer/director -- and all around bro -- John Fallon and director of photography Bobby Holbrook of Holbrook Multi Media to discuss their feature flick The Shelter. You know, The Shelter? We've talked about it a lot here. Most recently about the movie's turn at Frightfest and Jason officially shared a few thoughts a couple of weeks ago . Oh, and Shawn did the music.

Sunday Night at the Movies: San Andreas

It's a rare event when my wife tells me I'm not allowed to watch a movie without her, but San Andreas was one of those events. So, when a Blu-ray screener crossed The Basement's path, we had a disaster date night perfectly lined up. Was The Rock's latest up to snuff for this carnage prone couple? Stick with me! First off, San Andreas is no Mad Max: Fury Road or Skyfall. It's not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. But it's a pleasant enough diversion, offering the sort of large scale destruction and spectacle Hollywood excels at. Shit gets smashed good in San Andreas, and it's nice to look at.

Q & A: Linnea Sage

If there’s one thing – and there is more than one thing, by the way – that’s refreshing about the new web series  Wildcats  it’s that it’s got something to say. Sure, it’s funny, and the cast – led by New York actor Linnea Sage – are particularly funny, but it encompasses an important and empowering message that most television series, let alone web series would be bothered or brave enough to include.

Jason talks Cooties

A horror movie involving murderous children can be a precarious idea. I mean, come on. You don't mess with kids in our modern society. Or at all. Period. They are sacred. As I parent, I get that. Add in some black humour and the whole idea of a horror/comedy about murderous children should be sacrilege. Right? I said right? Stick with me!

The Ultimate Basement Movie and Krampus

What would the Ultimate Basement Movie be? You know, the best movie for guys like Jason and Shawn who like the same kind of movies that Jason and Shawn like? Would it be a cross between John Wick and the Fast and the Furious franchise starring the staff of Hooters? That question, along with several others, will be answered on this, the third podcast into the new run of We Came from the Basement. As for that Ultimate Basement Movie -- stick with us!

Q & A: Director Neil Johnson

Brit filmmaker Neil Johnson, director of Starship : Rising and To Become One , is back with another fun science-fiction film, Doomsday .

Krampus trailer spreads Christmas fear

Being a Halloween man myself, I haven't really bought into the whole Christmas thing since I was a kid. More so now that I am a father for sure, but the scariest night of the year is still my favourite holiday. So when writer/director Michael Dougherty, he who made the Halloween-themed classic Trick r Treat, announced he was making a movie based on the Krampus legend, I got real excited. Now that I've seen the trailer for what I am sure will be a holiday classic -- MY kind of holiday classic -- I eagerly awaiting the flick's Dec. 4 release date.