Sorta-Kinda Genre, Sorta-Kinda Movie Reviews
Sorta-Kinda Genre, Sorta-Kinda Movie Reviews
A rundown of the latest exploitation, scifi, and fantasy flicks to hit DVD.
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Being Human
Bonnie's Kids
Dark Matter
Being Human is a dramedy series from the BBC which has a supernatural twist in that its three main characters are a ghost, a werewolf, and a vampire. They're "the odd trio" as it were, all living (or not living as the case may be) under one roof and trying to not only deal with their supernatural proclivities but also "being human" as they try and pass for mere mortals in their everyday existence.
The show is pretty cute, without being overly cutesy — the characters are really well-drawn, the shows are humorous yet there's no horror element spared, and stories/mysteries are pretty compelling if a little too easy to figure out. The first couple of episodes are a bit slow, but overall Being Human is worth a look.
Season One is coming out on DVD on July 20.
Bonnie's Kids is an exploitation / drive in flick from the early 70s, directed by Arthur Marks and starring Playboy bunny Tiffany Bowling (who, interestingly enough — it's revealed by him in the DVD extras — was the child of Marks' good friends, so he'd known her since she was born). Arthur Marks's next film would be The Roommates, which has a few serial killer / horror elements (Bonnie's Kids doesn't).
In the beginning of the film, the title character is already dead and pretty soon her husband and the stepfather to her two nubile "kids" will be gone also. The girls strike out to make their fortune in the big, bad city where big and bad things involving nudity ensue. Actually, Bonnie's Kids is an absolute hoot for people who enjoy old-school 70s filmmaking and the era in general. Costars include Alex Rocco, Max Showalter and even a look at Sharon Gless in her very first role!
The extras on this DVD are absolutely awesome — it's worth the price of purchase alone to hear all of Marks's stories about being a prolific TV series and film director "back in the day". Bonnie's Kids is out on June 29.
Enigma is an installment in the Dark Matter DVD collection of original science fiction shorts and extended short films gathered from various independent filmmakers, many of which feature notable stars and actors. The one I've chosen to spotlight here, Enigma, doesn't have big celebrity names in it but what it does have to offer is a great story, witty dialogue, solid characters, a funny CGI "rat" for comic relief, and a very creepy alien known as a Cnidarian. Using an intergalactic war as a backdrop for the more intimate story which takes place on a mercenary military spaceship, Enigma delivers on chills and suspense in spite of its sparse budget. Enigma, as well as dozens of other "Twilight Zone'esque" Dark Matter stories, is available online through the DarkMatterDVDs website.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson