6.30.2021

SideKicks is Streaming on Amazon Prime!

 


by robotGEEK

ATTENTION!! This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. The ever elusive and nostalgic 90's masterpiece is finally streaming for the first time ever in the U.S. And not only is it streaming, it's also, for the first time ever, in glorious Widescreen and in HD! 

For those of you who may not be aware, this little gem has a really strange history here in the states. It's only ever been released officially on VHS and Laserdisc. We never even got a DVD, let along a Blu Ray or anything on that level. And in both of those releases, it was released in the dreaded full frame cropped aspect ratio, which is a shame because Chuck Norris' frequent collaborator and director brother Aaron Norris really shot the hell out of this. It's a great looking film, especially with the recreated fantasy sequences of Chuck's other popular films like Missing in Action and The Hitman. So since we STILL have no plans or release of this classic in the foreseeable future, this is literally the best we're going to get. The fact that it's in both HD and Widescreen is still completely mind-blowing to me.

While I do know it has gotten an official DVD release in the past in a few regions, like France I believe, it's still a very difficult film to find on that format, even on eBay. I had actually purchased one on eBay that I believed to be a legit Australian DVD release that claimed to be digitally remastered, only to sadly discover it was just a rip off of a VHS. It was terrible. BUT, there is some decent news regarding this film on physical media here in the U.S.. I was just recently made aware of a new 5-DVD set featuring a few of Chuck Norris' films, and this film is included in that set. It's not in Widescreen or HD, but it is a decent DVD quality and far better than the shitty bootleg I got. It's called the "Chuck Norris 5 Movie Collection", and contains Braddock: Missing in Action II, The President's Man, Forest Warrior, The Hitman (also never officially released on DVD before), and of course Sidekicks. You can purchase the set for $29.99 on Amazon HERE

Just in case you've never seen it, and are wondering what to expect, it's kind of like Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero before Last Action Hero. And Joe Piscopo as the villain is pure gold 100%. You can check out my review from November of last year HERE

Sidekicks is currently streaming for free with an Amazon Prime account HERE, with options to purchase it digitally as well. 

6.29.2021

Tubi Tuesday Presents: Into the Night (1985)

 


A Brilliant, Dark, Twisted Odyssey Through The Streets of L.A.

by robotGEEK

If you're ever in the mood for a bizarre, surreal and highly entertaining under-the-radar gem, then this film is for you. Brilliantly directed by John Landis, the same year he directed Spies Like Us, Into the Night is like the L.A. version of Martin Scorsese's After Hours. It's a surreal, sometimes nightmarish, sometimes odd and sometimes hilarious odyssey through the streets of L.A. via 1985 as an insomniac (Jeff Goldblum), meets and tries to help a beautiful young woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) as she's being chased by a random assortment of people over the course of a single night. 

As you'd expect with any Landis film, it's filled to the brim with amazing cameo's, some more subtle than others, and an insanely eclectic cast, including the late-great David Bowie as a hitman. I'm telling you, it's fucking great. I happened upon this film by accident a few years ago. One day I was casually browsing the Laserdisc section on eBay, and stumbled upon this. I was immediately drawn to it because it was a John Landis and Jeff Goldblum film I had never heard of before, so that Laserdisc was a blind-buy for me. When we threw it on one lazy Sunday afternoon, we were floored by not only how entertaining it was, but how good it was too. Make no mistake, it's not your conventional film. It's so strange, but in the most delightful way possible. It takes huge risks in both it's approach to its story and structure, and John Landis shoots the hell out of this thing. It's a gorgeous film to look at. It's a shame he's kind of a terrible person in real life, an egomaniac and well, we know the rest. But he sure was one helluva director in his prime, even through his legal and personal troubles in the 80's. 

Streaming for FREE (with commercials) in HD on TubiTV

6.23.2021

Bad Movie Night Presents: Blind Date (1984)

Another Hidden Gem From Nico Mastorakis

by robotGEEK

Not to be confused with the 1987 Bruce Willis comedy of the same name, Blind Date is legendary cult filmmaker, and Bad Movie Night darling, Nico Mastorakis' take on the Italian Giallo genre. A sort of Fulci/Argento "light" if you will. Going in, we knew nothing about it, other than knowing it came from Mastorakis, who's films we have grown to love more and more these past few years, after discovering the insanely badass and Bad Movie Night classic Hired to Kill. And let me tell you, it was everything we'd hoped it would be, and more.

When a sudden freak accident leaves a man blind, a doctor and scientist gives him an experimental device that allows him to see electronic images in a sort of 8-bit way, allowing him to be able to move around without being completely blind. Meanwhile, a serial killer is targeting beautiful women around the city. 

What a wonderful gem of a film. I don't even know where to begin. While that little synopsis sounds absolutely ridiculous, believe me when I say that's nothing compared to the reality of it all. I just can't say too much more without giving away some of the plot points that come into play later, potentially ruining it for you. Let me just say that if you give it a chance, you will be handsomely rewarded with a charmingly absurd film that teeters on a sexy erotic/thriller and an Italian Giallo. Gorgeous women, random nudity, amazing 80's aesthetic, video games (???), retro technology, and an insane storyline that baffles the mind, but delivers endless laughs and plentiful audible "WTF?'s". It's a blast. 

Blind Date is so bizarre in so many different ways, but let's talk a little about some of the things that make up the film. It's a Greek production, shot in Greece, but the leads are all American actors, starting with Joseph Bottoms (The Black Hole) as the blind man, an insanely hot and young Kirstie Alley the same year she appeared in Michael Chrichton's excellent techno/thriller Runaway (1984), and 2 years after her appearance as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Then you've got 2001: A Space Odyssey's Kier Dullea, James Daughton (Animal House) and the gorgeous Lana Clarkson (Barbarian Queen, Deathstalker). Hell, there's even a small little bit part by Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gargoyles) as a hooker with no speaking lines. Quite a cast for sure, and it all just adds to the film's richly eccentric vibe. I'm telling you, this film is so much fun. 

Up until this point I'd only seen about 3 films by Nico Mastorakis - Hired to Kill, The Zero Boys and Nightmare at Noon, all wonderful little gems in my opinion. So after this unintentionally hilarious experience, we looked up more of his filmography, and were so excited to learn that there seems to be plenty more from his insane 80's output to dig into, with a lot of them having been given the special treatment by Arrow Video. Mastorakis has quickly become one of our favorite cult film directors and we can't wait to dig into his other films soon. 

We have been deep-diving into "So Bad, It's Good" films for so many years, that finding hidden little gems like this is refreshing, because so often we feel that we've seen them all by now, or at least the good ones, and there's nothing left to discover in this niche little genre. Blind Date is an excellent reminder that there are plenty left to be discovered.

How to Watch it:

Blind Date was released on a Special Edition Blu Ray via Scorpion Releasing in 2019, which you can pick up for cheap on Amazon HERE, and it's currently streaming for FREE on Amazon Prime with a subscription.

Please remember to subscribe to my new YouTube Channel HERE. I haven't had the chance to put a lot of work into it yet, but I plan to and your support motivates me to do so. Thank you. 

robotGEEK out...

6.08.2021

Tubi Tuesday Presents: M.A.S.K. The Animated Series

 


by robotGEEK

One of the coolest cartoons and toylines to come out of the 80's is finally available to stream (for FREE!!) in all of it's glory on TubiTV. This series, or franchise rather, doesn't really need an introduction, especially if you're as old as I am and grew up on 80's cartoons. Hands-down one of the most popular cartoons to come out of that era, and still to this day one of the most popular toylines to collect, with really anything M.A.S.K.-related being some of the most sought after vintage brands and toylines for collectors today.

All 65 episodes are available in the best HD quality you will find. This series has been released officially in the U.S. before via Shout! Factory, which isn't cheap, as well as other regions for far cheaper than what you would pay for the Shout! Factory set, as long as you have a region-free player. 

Anyway, enjoy this trip down nostalgia lane and get ready to have that rockin' theme song stuck in your head for days! 

Please be sure to check out and "subscribe" to my new YouTube Channel. It would mean the world to me. It's still very much in the beginning stages and needs a lot of work, but I figured I needed to start somewhere while getting my feet wet. I've never been one to enjoy being in front of the camera, so I'm mostly trying to work through my insecurities while figuring out what equipment I will need on this new venture. You can check out my new robotGEEK channel HERE.

robotGEEK out...


6.05.2021

The Wraith Coming to Blu-Ray!


by robotGEEK

It's been a looooong road to get here, but the cult classic The Wraith is finally making it's debut on Blu-Ray for the first time in the U.S. via Vestron's Collector's Series label. 

Released in 1986, this cult classic with the killer soundtrack has been released on nearly every other format other than Blu Ray here in the states until now. It has technically already gotten the Blu Ray treatment though in other regions like Japan, Spain and Germany, with far cooler cover art I might add. But they don't have the extras that will be included in this release, so for some that, along with the low price point of just $17, will be enough for most people to either double-dip or blindly buy this new release. 

Here are the new extras included in this release:

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary with Writer-Director Mike Marvin
Audio Commentary with Actors Dave Sherrill and Jamie Bozian
“Tales from the Desert” — An Interview with Writer-Director Mike Marvin
“Rughead Speaks!” — An Interview with Actor Clint Howard
“Ride of the Future” — Interviews with Stunt Coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker and Transportation Coordinator Gary Hellerstein
“The Ghost Car” — Interviews with Visual Effects Producer Peter Kuran and Effects Animator Kevin Kutchaver
Isolated Score Selections Featuring Audio Interview with Co-Composer J. Peter Robinson
“The Wraith Filming Locations: Then and Now” Featurette
Alternate Title Sequence
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer
TV Spots

Amazon already has this up for pre-order at an insanely reasonable price, which you can find HERE. Already got mine ordered! The Wraith is set for release July 20th. 

Also, please remember to subscribe to my new YouTube Channel. I'm an amateur at it, but slowly making progress and getting there. You can subscribe HERE
It would mean the world to me. Thank you!

6.03.2021

The Cult Corner: Johnny Mnemonic (1994)


Deeply Flawed, Yet Oddly Enjoyable

by robotGEEK

Hello friends! So I finally decided to revisit this cult classic after nearly 30 years. I recently made a snarky comment online about my dislike for this film, only to realize that I was very much in the minority on that! People really seem to love this, so I thought I'd give it another chance. Maybe I was missing something upon that first viewing so many years ago? 

Here is my newest video review from my new YouTube Channel. If you'd rather see a written review instead, please drop a comment or shoot me an email. If you enjoy the video reviews, please consider "subscribing" to my new channel HERE. It would mean the world to me. Thank you!

6.02.2021

Tubi Tuesday Presents: Forever Knight (1992)


by robotGEEK

Forever Knight is a TV show that began in 1992 and ran for 3 seasons and follows the exploits of detective Nick Knight (Geraint Wyn Davies), an 800 year old vampire attempting to redeem himself by doing good in the world after centuries of killing. While I haven't actually seen this show personally, I do know it has a huge cult following and was not easy to come by for many years after it's original air date. I believe it's since been released on DVD as a Complete Series set, which you can get for under $30 from any number of your online retailers. 

The entire series is currently available for FREE on TubiTV.com.

Do you like this series? Let me know what you think. I'm debating whether to add it to my ever-growing list of shows to watch.