Tubi Tuesday Presents: Robocop: The Series (1994)

 

by robotGEEK

Now this was as total surprise. This is a series I've been wanting to watch for ages, but from what I gather, this particular series has never gotten an official DVD release here in the states (but it is available on DVD in other regions), though the 2001 Mini-Series Prime Directives has. So just a heads up, be sure not to confuse the two. 

Released in 1994, Robocop: The Series has a very tumultuous relationship to the franchise fanbase. Let's be honest, most hate it. And believe me, I can understand why. It's a PG rated Robocop series. Did they learn nothing from the previous year's disastrous Robocop 3? Another failed PG attempt that still, despite some pretty cool ideas integrated into the film overall, can't seem to find an audience nearly 30 years later. I hate to admit it, but it will never become a cult classic the way Part 2 is. But I digress. 

This series ran for 21 episodes and didn't really find the audience it wanted. Primarily trying to appeal to kids and teenagers, the lack of violence and satire that really drove the first two films is lacking and it just feels...lacking. That's the general consensus because I personally have not watched them, but I'm excited to. But while the show itself wasn't a hit and didn't necessarily generate more fans, it was a pretty decent marketing machine in regards to toys. I will admit, the toys produced because of this series are pretty awesome. So it does have that going for it. 

I am one of the biggest Robocop fans there is. I still have vivid memories of going to the movie theater to see Dragnet in 1987 as an 11 year old and seeing the trailer for the first film and just having my mind blown. I hadn't even seen the film yet, but I was immediately obsessed. As I write this article, I am staring at my Robocop poster on the wall next to me, as well as my Robocop VCR Home Game sitting on my desk. I have a lot of Robocop memorabilia and collectibles and have been a die hard fan of the franchise for 34 years. I am one of the very few who genuinely love the 2001 mini-series Prime Directives. Yes its budget is obviously limited, but I'd be damned if that series wasn't badass, filled to the brim with action, violence and satire, it seemed to correct course and fix the issues that this particular series failed to get right. Don't get me wrong though, I am genuinely excited to watch this series. The PG rating doesn't turn me off, as long as it's entertaining. 

I watched about 30 minutes of the pilot episode this weekend with my breakfast, and I will say it's not quite HD quality. In fact, it's not really the best DVD quality either. It looks more like the quality of the beginning of the DVD era, and for some reason it's painfully obvious that the picture is "zoomed in" a bit. So just a warning, it's not the best quality. But for a show that is otherwise hard to get your hands on, it's here and it's FREE. 

Robocop: The Series (1994) is now streaming for FREE on TubiTV

Documentary Spotlight: Val (2021)

by robotGEEK

First off, I would like to apologize for the lack of content lately. I always tend to forget how difficult my time management gets during the summer. I'm one of those people who needs a schedule, and when we have all this free time during the summer, I get thrown off considerably and it's hard for me to get things done. I definitely have way too many hobbies and juggle way too many things with work, responsibilities, life and art. But I think starting today, things will get back on track. I definitely have a lot to catch up on here, but in the meantime, if you haven't already, I encourage you to check out my Instagram page where I am my most active. Anyway, lets dig in. 

First up is this excellent documentary that I just watched yesterday afternoon on Amazon Prime. Funnily enough, I just finished his memoir and wasn't even aware his documentary was going to be hitting soon, until a few of my Instagram followers pointed out that it just hit Amazon Prime. 

Narrated by his son, who sounds shockingly just like his dad, it was every bit as entertaining as I’d hoped, and paints a much broader portrait of a very passionate man. Whereas I found his memoir to focus too much on his lost loves and heartache, I found this to be far more inclusive regarding his career.

One thing of special note is that Kilmer was an avid documentarian. He filmed so much of his life, beginning as a very young man in the early 80's to now, through various cameras and mediums as technology changed and it's really such a fascinating thing to watch. Whether it was just filming himself in a quiet moment talking to the camera in moments of reflection, filming behind the scenes of any of his more popular films, or recording typical family stuff with his kids and ex-wife, it's a lot. Decades worth of footage and it's what really drives this documentary in a way that you don't see very often, making it quite an intimate experience. 

Val is an absolute gem of a documentary. 

Now streaming on Amazon Prime. 

90's Thriller Throwback: Timebomb (1991) Video Review

From the director of Mercenary comes this surprisingly solid little early 90's sci-fi/thriller starring the always great Michael Beihn in a rare starring role, with a pretty stellar supporting cast that includes Billy Blanks, Patsy Kinset and Richard Jordan to name a few. Please give it a watch, and be sure to "like" the video and subscribe to my channel if you're so inclined. Your support means so much to me. Enjoy!

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. 

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

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...

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...

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!

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!