“Gamera: Super Monster” is the last film in the original run of the “Gamera” film series. This one shouldn’t really count because it’s little more than a glorified clip show. It uses stock footage from many of the previous “Gamera” movies. Almost half of this film must be recycled from the previous entries in the franchise. The new content is generally unimpressive with some horrendous special effects. It’s definitely easy to make the comparison with “Godzilla’s Revenge”, which also relied heavily on stock footage.

An evil alien force is out to attack the Earth. The aliens summon an array of giant monsters and Gamera must defeat them all to keep the world safe. There are also a group of good aliens that dress like low-budget superheroines.

Gamera looks fine in the stock footage scenes but the new footage of Gamera looks absolutely terrible. We see many other monsters in this movie including Gyaos, Guiron and Zigra. Sadly, this is all through stock footage so if you’ve seen the previous films, you won’t see anything new. The good aliens are pretty lousy. I don’t really get what they do and how they help Gamera. As usual, there is also a young child that is cheering Gamera on the whole time.

In a way, “Gamera: Super Monster” is satisfying because there is a lot of monster action here but the fact is, it’s all old footage. It maybe more convenient to sit through just this one film than sitting through the rest of the franchise but if you have seen the older films, this just feels like watching a clip show. Other scenes feel like they are trying to be a rip-off of “Star Wars” while other scenes feel a lot like a cheap imitation of “Superman: The Movie”. There is a great gag though when a poster of Godzilla gets knocked over.

“The Twilight Zone” got a second revival in 2002 and the results are pretty mixed. Like the other versions of the show, it’s very hard to review in the sense that it’s an anthology series so every episode has a different cast and storyline. This means that some episodes are significantly better than others. Despite the challenge, I still noticed a pattern and that is that it just cannot come close to matching the original.

Hosted by Forest Whitaker (“The Last King Of Scotland”, “The Butler”), “The Twilight Zone” offers a range of different disturbing stories with sci-fi and supernatural elements. There’s still usually some sort of horrifying twist at the end of each tale.

Let me first make it clear that even though I think he does a decent job, Forest Whitaker just isn’t Rod Serling. Serling’s delivery remains iconic after all these years. There were some big stars that made appearances throughout the run of this version of the series. I definitely liked Jason Alexander (“Pretty Woman”) as Death in an early episode. Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie”) also appears in one of the stories and she is fairly good. A lot of the performances in this felt very forgettable but I think the writing just wasn’t there.

Some of the episodes here are actually remakes of ones from the original series but most of them are new stories. Some of the episodes do feature good ideas, it’s just the execution is disappointing. I think my problem with this version is that the writing just isn’t on par with the original and as a result, it never feels as disturbing or as powerful as it should. I will say though that I do like the intro for the series. I think it is way better than the intro from the 1980s revival series. Overall, 2002’s “The Twilight Zone” never quite works and it’s a real shame because I love the idea of anthology sci-fi/horror.

“Gamera vs. Viras” (also known as “Destroy All Planets”) serves as the fourth entry in the “Gamera” film series. I have such a soft spot for the ridiculous kaiju (giant monster) films from Japan. The original run of “Gamera” films have such an innocence to them and I also admire their creativity.

A group of aliens from a distant world are trying to take over Earth. Gamera goes to battle their spaceship. However, the aliens soon capture two young boys and seize control of Gamera, sending him out to cause mass destruction. Once Gamera is freed from the control of the aliens’ mind control device, he must fight against Viras in a battle to save our world.

Like other Gamera films, kids play a prominent role in the movie. They are pleasant but don’t expect them to be great characters. It’s always fun seeing Gamera battle different monsters. Viras look absolutely hilarious during the final battle. Viras is basically like a giant squid monster with the funniest face I’ve seen on a giant monster in a long time. Although Viras is the main monster, we do also see Gyaos due to this film’s use of stock footage. We even see a black and white version of Gamera due to stock footage.

The use of stock footage is pretty lazy but apart from that, this is another fun “Gamera” adventure. The special effects are delightfully cheesy and I like the energy the kids bring. These films don’t take themselves even remotely seriously and they just exist to provide light entertainment. Again, it’s not as good as the highs of the “Godzilla” franchise but you can’t go wrong with the rocket-powered turtle. The “Gamera” franchise does offer you more giant monster mayhem if you’ve already seen a lot of the “Godzilla” movies.

“Faster Pussycat... Kill! Kill!” flopped upon its release but over the years, it’s gained a cult following. It even helped inspire Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” segment in “Grindhouse”. I don’t really get the appeal of this film. I don’t get how it’s gone from being viewed as merely violent and smutty to being seen as some sort of feminist classic.

Varla (Tura Satana), Rose (Haji) and Billie (Lori Williams) are three go-go dancers that are out causing trouble while driving in the desert. One of them kills a guy after a dispute and so then they kidnap the man’s girlfriend. They soon learn of a local that has a large sum of cash hidden somewhere so they decide to try and steal it. However, they soon find this task won’t be easy.

The characters in this film are not particularly exciting. I suppose Varla is the most memorable of the trio. I get that these are meant to be tough women that won’t take any nonsense from men (or other women) but that doesn’t mean that actually have interesting personalities. There’s not enough action in the movie to justify such shallow characters. If the main characters are bad, the side characters that they encounter are even weaker.

This film was directed by Russ Meyer, who was known for smutty pictures including “Beyond The Valley of the Dolls” and “Supervixens”. I honestly was disappointed by “Faster Pussycat… Kill! Kill!” as the title is pretty funny. I thought there was going to be more car chasing and more action. There are just so many long stretches where nothing really happens. There isn’t even really any nudity so if you’re going into this just expecting to see something risqué, you’re going to be disappointed too. I do have an admiration for Tarantino for how he was able to extract elements from this and turn into something as entertaining as “Death Proof”.

“Scream” is an interesting movie as it manages to both celebrate and ridicule the slasher genre. It works as both as legitimate horror movie and a satire of one so it belongs in the same category as films such as “Starship Troopers” and “Kill Bill: Vol. 1”.

A small town finds itself terrorised by a mysterious killer in a mask. He likes to call his victims and quizzes them about horror films while threatening them. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell “Wild Things”) is still traumatised by the murder of her mother a year earlier and now finds herself a target of the killer.

There are some fairly big names in this movie such as Courteney Cox (“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”), Drew Barrymore (“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”) and Henry Winkler (“The Waterboy”). Among the main cast, we have Neve Campbell, Matthew Lillard (“Wing Commander”) and Jamie Kennedy (“Romeo + Juliet”). Campbell, Lillard, Cox and Winkler are all entertaining. I didn’t really care for Kennedy or Barrymore. The ‘Ghostface’ killer is actually really good. It’s actually somewhat disturbing that the costume he has is such a generic one because it helps make you believe that the killer could really be anybody and also, other people may innocently be wearing the costume. It’s ironic that something chosen because it was so mundane has become iconic since this film’s release. Watch out for cameo appearance by Linda Blair (“The Exorcist”) and even this film’s director, Wes Craven (“A Nightmare On Elm Street”).

We get references to “Friday The 13th”, “Halloween”, “Hellraiser”, “Psycho”, “Silence of the Lambs” and countless other movies so fans of horror movies will love all that. Although the movie is a little bit too long, the dialog is often quite amusing and it works affectively as a real horror movie with some clever twists. For fans and non-fans of the slasher genre, “Scream” is worth a watch.

The third entry in the “Scream” series undoubtedly feels a lot more on the comedic side than the earlier movies. It’s satisfying to see the franchise keeps the dialog funny and the mystery intriguing. This is still a horror film but only just.

“Stab 3”, the third film based on the series of murders in Woodsboro, is now in production but a new Ghostface killer is lurking around and is killing the cast members in the order that their characters die in the film. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell “Wild Things”) and her friends must try to figure out who is behind this latest killing spree before they themselves end up dead.

All the regulars are back including Campbell and Courteney Cox (“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”). Campbell is still very entertaining to watch as the protagonist. It’s also interesting to see the people playing the versions of these characters in “Stab”. The best one is Parker Poser (“Superman Returns”), playing Cox’s Gale Weathers. There are appearances by legendary schlock producer Roger Corman (“The Terror”) as well as Lance Henriksen (“Aliens”, “Pumpkinhead”). Also, keep an eye for Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith from “Clerks”, “Mallrats” etc… as Jay and Silent Bob.

“Scream 3” is certainly a little goofier than the first two but it’s still fairly enjoyable. I think some of the twists and turns of the plot are fairly creative and I also like the shots that this film takes at Hollywood. In that respect, it reminded me a little of “Get Shorty”. I’m recommending it but it’s not a modest recommendation. Don’t go into this expecting it to reinvent the wheel. If you liked the other films then this is more of what you have already seen but that’s okay. It’s also interesting to see a slasher franchise where all the main cast and the director (Wes Craven “Red Eye”, “Swamp Thing”) stuck around for so many sequels.

The first “Scream” movie was a surprisingly good horror flick that managed to mix the scares with a healthy dose of comedy. I liked it more than I was expecting to. “Scream 2” is pretty much more of the same but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The horror elements are still done rather well and the script is still relatively smart.

The events of the first film have now become the subject of a new slasher movie, “Stab”. However, at an early screening of the film, two people are murdered. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell “Wild Things”) is now studying at university, hoping to put the events of the past behind her but she’s now being pursued by a new Ghostface killer.

All the main cast members are back including Campbell, David Arquette (“Eight Legged Freaks”), Courteney Cox (“Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”) and even Liev Schreiber (“Jakob The Liar”). There are also some other famous faces including Luke Wilson (“Bottle Rocket”), David Warner (“Tron”) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”). There is of course a new Ghostface killer out there. You spend most of the time trying to figure out who it could possibly be and this one does as good a job as the first one at keeping you guessing.

“Scream 2” is perhaps not as good as the first film because it is very reliant on you have watching the previous movie. If you were not a fan of the first one then there’s nothing here that will make you change your mind. However, I still think the movie is entertaining. It’s got the right combination of horror and comedy and it moves the plot along in an interesting way. I think the opening sequence where two students attend the “Stab” screening as probably the best part of the whole movie.

“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is an awkward film that is a disjointed onslaught of mismatched concepts for films with virtually no consistency. “Scott Pilgrim” isn’t a particularly funny movie and I don’t know what else it is trying to be. Is it a romantic comedy? Is it a parody of videogames? Or is it a tribute to videogames?

In “Scott Pilgrim”, we meet the antisocial Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera “Juno”). He is dating a 17-year-old schoolgirl while playing in a small-time rock band when he comes across the girl of his dreams, named Ramona Flowers (“Mary Elizabeth Winstead “The Thing”, “Final Destination 3”). However, to carry on dating her, he must defeat her seven evil exes in fighting game fashion.

Is Michael Cera acting in this movie or is he just randomly wandering around and reading lines from cue cards? My guess would sadly be the latter. Scott Pilgrim is not a likeable character in anyway; I’d rather repeatedly slap him across the face than spend five minutes speaking to him. Ramona is a boring character. Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) stars as one of Ramona’s seven exes and he’s sadly probably the best. Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”) plays another and is pretty poor.

What is there to like about this film other than the special effects and about a hundredth of the jokes. I was confused by “Scott Pilgrim” as the editing is all over the place, the story is all over the place and any attempt at being logical is violently beaten. I’ve enjoyed playing some videogames but I don’t like this movie. If you’re a fan of rock music, over the top special effects and dorks for protagonists then you’ll love this movie but if you’re not like that, you won’t want to touch this film with a 100-metre pole.

How can people ever make movies as bad as this? I like the cartoon series but this is a movie too vulgar and scary for anyone below an age where they wouldn’t consider this too dumb. “Scooby-Doo” is an embarrassing attempt at bringing the franchise to the big screen.

Scooby-Doo (voiced by Neil Fanning) and the rest of the ‘Mystery Gang’ have reunited after a few years of being separated. Now, they need to solve a mystery where a tropical island may well be cursed. Through various ridiculous antics the Mystery Gang must thwart this evil.

The acting in this film is awful. Freddie Prinze Jr. (“Wing Commander”) stars as Fred and he’s just so wooden that you could mistake him for a tree. Sarah Michelle Gellar (“The Grudge”) stars as the girly Daphne and sadly, she probably gives the best performance of the film. Matthew Lillard (“She’s All That”) manages to ruin Shaggy. Linda Cardellini (“Brokeback Mountain”) is mildly okay as the smart Velma. Scooby-Doo looks awful, sounds awful and is just a hideous version of the character we once loved. The interactions between the main characters are sometimes disgusting. All the characters spout out utter nonsense. Rowan Atkinson (“Witches”) is a great actor but here, he isn’t used effectively and actually becomes quite annoying.

This is a film that was made for the simple purpose of making money. No good ideas are in “Scooby-Doo”. This is supposed to be a horror/comedy and I grant you it’s scary but only because it’s just so bad. There are some weird and inappropriate sex and drug jokes that make this unsuitable for the young kids that might overlook how dumb the rest of the movie is. The film misses the fun of the 60s cartoon series but maybe that fun can never work in a live-action movie. Still, this is just a butchering of a cartoon series that brought joy to countless kids.

“Orgy of the Dead” is a surreal experience. It’s not really much of a film, it’s more like what I imagine a strip club performance at Halloween to be like. Although he didn’t direct it, Ed Wood (“Plan 9 From Outer Space”, “Glen Or Glenda”) was heavily involved in the film’s production and it features Criswell, who appeared in other Ed Wood movies.

A couple get involved in a car accident and stumble upon a bizarre display of erotic dancing by an array of women. The dances are being performed for a mysterious man (Criswell) and his minions, which include a werewolf and a mummy. There is no real plot, just a lot of topless girls dancing.

Criswell is ridiculous as he was in other Ed Wood movies as he just blurts out meaningless nonsense. While many of the women in the movie might be very physically attractive, they certainly don’t look like they’re having a particularly good time. This is apparently meant to be sexy but the dancing girls in this movie look so bored. Of course, the poor script means the women here have no personality and are just there to shake their breasts in front of the camera. The costumes for the werewolf and mummy look absolutely awful.

“Orgy of the Dead” is abysmal from start to finish. There is no plot and it would be an insult to the first dimension to refer to the characters as being even one-dimensional. The film fails at trying to be arousing because we can see that none of the women look like they want to be there. If you are a fan of Ed Wood’s other films, you might get a few laughs out of this one but it’s certainly not as entertaining as “Plan 9 From Outer Space”.