Media Ghouls

This week the Ghouls take another dive into Ian's childhood trauma with their review of the Stephen King and George A. Romero horror anthology film, Creepshow. Ian's stepdad introduced him to this when Ian's intense fear of corpses was at its peak. As you can imagine, he didn't quite make it through to the end of the movie. Now in his 30s, Ian should be able to watch this kind of goofy set of horror short stories, right? At Justin's behest, the duo will see if this precursor to more famous anthology movies and series holds up as well as discuss whether the horror comic theming works in the film medium.

This month's Disney review is a long-awaited and much anticipated one. Why? Not because Ratatouille is unquestionably the best Pixar animated film. No, we are excited because this is Phil's favorite FILM of all time. The meme comes to fruition as Phil guests alongside Justin, Ian, and Nando for a deep dive into Remy the rat's culinary career. With a unique premise, interesting characters, and captivating animation and lighting, Ratatouille is a nice bounce back from the mixed reception of Cars. Is Phil alone in loving this movie though? Can the Ghouls resident "Little Chef" Nando attest to the film's accuracy or does it misrepresent the world of cooking?

Mr. Voorhees is back and deadlier than ever in this week's review of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives! After a lackluster entry that tried to shift the slasher series away from its hockey masked villain, Jason Lives resurrects the titular murderer Frankenstein style! Ian is initially impressed with the more campy direction, but it isn't long before the film falls back into its well-worn routine of camp counselors in peril. Even with Jason back in the mix and a returning Tommy Jarvis, this sequel can't quite find its rhythm and the Ghouls are here to try and figure out why.

The Disney slump continues...or does it? Meet the Robinsons seems to be a somewhat divisive animated film. While certainly not as bad as Disney's first attempt at a cg feature, Meet the Robinsons seven writers can't quite shape the film into anything resembling a "classic." Instead, it feels much more like a c-grade Dreamworks movie. The Ghouls do their best to analyze the film's hazy time travel rules with Fernando returning to the mic! More exciting is his review of Avengers Campus at Disney's California Adventure. Is Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure worth the hassle? Is it too scary for young children? Nando brings his full report!

In this episode, the guys sit through one of the worst remakes they have ever seen: Rob Zombie's Halloween. From the redneck family to the confusing decision to over-explain Michael's obsession with masks, nothing in this remake clicks into place. Is it faithful to the original? Nope. Does it understand what made that film work? Not so much. Can two fantastic actors save this script? Unfortunately not.

The Ghouls are turning up the nostalgia this 4th of July with their review of The Sandlot! Justin has no history with this '90s cult classic. Ian, on the other hand, grew up loving this movie and has a lot to say about the more subtle references to both baseball and the way we remember our childhood. A heated debate ensues when Justin claims to hate most of the movie's characters. Somehow the conversation turns into a criticism of the streaming model with the recent news of a Sandlot revival on Disney+. Justin has trouble identifying actors to hilarious results.

The Media Ghouls horror pick of the month might be light on the horror, but it's horror lineage stretches back to the classic era of Universal's monsters. This surprisingly effective reboot of the Boris Karloff-led original is remembered fondly by all who grew up in the '90s, but does it actually hold up? Ian and Justin share their opinions and hot takes as they rekindle their appreciation for a bygone era of blockbuster filmmaking. As always, a tangential argument or two takes place, this time centering on how many minutes of dinosaurs are actually in Jurassic Park. Place your bets!

After years of jokes and dreading the inevitable viewing, the Ghouls are here with their review of Pixar's Cars! Justin is so excited that he drove up to the Bay Area with his newborn son just to record with the rest of the squad! Emelynn drops a bomb early on regarding her secret love of Lightning and friends. As a newbie to Pixar's second biggest franchise, will Ian absolutely hate the first of the trilogy or be surprised by its quality? The answer may surprise you.

The Ghouls return to horror this episode with their review of Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan. This 2016 zombie film takes notes from the classics while adding new and compelling elements to the well-worn subgenre. With memorable characters you actually want to see survive, a hatable antagonist, and a strong emotional core, Train to Busan shows that zombie horror can be so much more than its associated stereotypes. Despite this, will Ian find enough to enjoy or will his critical eye find something that tears the movie down?

The downward spiral for Walt Disney Animation Studios continues with their very first cg-animated feature, Chicken Little. The Ghouls are mortified to find that this uninspired, trend-chasing, and mean-spirited children's film was actually produced by Disney. With a completely unfocused plot, characters that encourage bullying, and animation that looks worse than Pixar's first film released 10 years prior, does Chicken Little have anything to like? Ian certainly found something and he can't wait to talk about it.