Elvis-Del-Valle

Lamberto Bava had quite a wide recognition for the *Demoni* saga, and this has become his most prestigious work in 80s horror cinema. After finishing the second part of this saga, Lamberto Bava decided to start a new film saga titled Brivido Giallo. "Una Notte Al Cimitero" was the first film to begin this saga, and the most obvious difference this saga would have from "Demoni" is that it would consist of films made for television. Bava had worked on television projects before, so this wasn't going to be anything new. What is noticeable with this first installment is that Bava seemed to follow the same path as Claudio Fragasso, Bruno Mattei, or Lucio Fulci in their decline. A Night at the Cemetery is not a horror film that takes itself seriously, unlike Demoni or other Bava productions. It's more of a B-movie that parodies the clichés of horror films from that era. Right from the start, it signals the kind of film it is by introducing the van of the five young people with very recognizable 80s icons. The five teenagers cling quite closely to the traditional 80s horror cliché. They are a group of rebellious and naive young people who make mistakes instead of wise decisions. Mistakes that favor the script so that they can be subjected to the nightmare they must face. It's David, supposedly the leader and mastermind of the group, who ends up dragging the whole group into a night of torture. But it turns out he's the worst leader a group of young people could have, because his decisions and jokes make the rest of the group seem somewhat sensible. David's greed in wanting to win the cemetery's treasure is what starts everything, and from there, the film becomes a Goonies-style adventure story disguised as a horror comedy. Lamberto Bava had stated that his intention was to make something lighter compared to *Demoni*, and that's what he achieved. His intention wasn't to make a serious horror film, but rather a self-parody of the genre that made him famous. The film has many humorous situations that are clearly intentional. All of that is combined with good, macabre set design and atmosphere. The production isn't high-budget, but it's quite decent. The catacombs, the tombs, the skeletons, the tunnels-the whole setting is spectacular. Simon Boswell also does a good job of providing macabre music for the atmosphere. The monsters' makeup is good, and these creatures are a grotesque spectacle designed primarily to frighten the characters. All of that mixed with humor makes the film a ride worthy of an amusement park attraction. It must be admitted that everything the characters experience here is very similar to a ride on one of those classic ghost trains that were popular in amusement parks. That would be the film's great strength, and to be honest, the film is bad. But not bad in the sense of being one of the worst things cinema has ever produced, but rather one of those bad movies that are made that way on purpose, just for fun. The humor, the incompetence of the protagonists, and the absurd situations make "Una Notte Al Cimiterio" a fun show. He has a clear sense of humor and is aware of it. That's why it doesn't disappoint in delivering promising laughs as long as it's not taken seriously. When we discover who the macabre waiter really is, it seems the film is going to conclude in a promising way. But unfortunately, they lost their way in the final minutes. The final boss is indeed a disappointment because the way they defeat him leaves the viewer saying, "What just happened?" The Grim Reaper doesn't even bother to explain his true intentions and ends up being one of the worst final bosses you can see in a movie. The film ends abruptly, leaving much to be desired. It feels like this mind-blowing journey should have ended in a more fun way, and not in such an absurd manner. Like a movie so bad it's good, it was going well until it all fell apart in the last few minutes. The film only becomes a complete disappointment if you make the mistake of viewing it as a serious horror film. Many made that mistake because of the good taste that Demoni 2 had left, and that's why, when it was first shown in Spain at the Sitges Film Festival, many in the audience booed. The most accurate way to view it is as what it really is: a B-movie that's only meant to be fun and not to be taken seriously. It's also worth considering that Italian horror cinema already has a certain reputation in the world of B-movies. "Una Notte Al Cimitero" wasn't a very promising start for the Brivido Giallo saga and is merely a B-movie with the sole purpose of entertaining. While it may not be taken seriously due to its absurd situations, it's an entertaining spectacle that younger viewers or fans of B-movies can enjoy. My final rating for this movie is a 5/10.

The creator of the famous Friday The 13th saga ventured into the world of television productions with this movie, which was part of the Sci Fi Channel's programming. There wasn't much chance of anything good coming out of it because the last movies Sean S. Cunningham had produced didn't have the same impact as the Jason Voorhees saga. House had already concluded with its fourth movie and Friday The 13th went into decline after its eighth movie. Now, with the popularity of Sci Fi Channel movies, Sean was determined to present Terminal Invasion as a television proposal. This was his third science fiction movie after DeepStar Six and Jason X. The plot of the movie is intriguing and puts the characters in a very intense situation because no one knows who is human and who is an alien. It's the same as The Thing, but with a lower caliber. The star that stands out quite a bit throughout the entire movie is Bruce Campbell. It is well known that he is an iconic figure in cult cinema thanks to his participation in the Evil Dead saga. He also earned a place in B-movie cinema with productions like Maniac Cop and Crimewave. The truth is that Bruce Campbell often becomes the best thing you can find in this type of movie. Here, Bruce Campbell delivers an excellent character. Jack is a convict who ends up becoming an antihero. It might seem like he's the bad guy in the story, but the aliens are the worst threat in this tale, and Jack fights to try to survive. This struggle leaves him with no choice but to trust some people at the airport if he wants to stay alive. The person he interacts with the most is the pilot Cathy, and she also turns out to be another very notable character in the movie. Terminal Invasion could be a pretty good movie, but it could have been better if it had been made with a larger budget. Being a B-movie, it has notable flaws. The most obvious flaw is the mediocre CGI, which is of the same quality as other Sci Fi Channel movies. It's what you can expect the most from this movie. Only practical effects were used for some scenes and for the design of the aliens. They are typical designs, but they are fine. The aliens mostly don't appear with their original appearance, and that's fine for the intrigue of the movie. What it does have are a couple of continuity errors that cannot be overlooked. One of them is when Jack shoots Angie and she doesn't have any visible gunshot wound until a few scenes later. Another mistake is when one of the aliens attacks Andrew by going through the coffee machine, which logically means that the alien went through the door that the machine was blocking. This can be somewhat difficult to process because the aliens could have easily knocked down the door. The dialogues are mostly fine, but they have some very unbelievable moments. One of them is when Darian mentions the existence of government disintegrator weapons. Something that would be very typical of a 50s sci-fi movie. There's also the moment when David and Sarah can't think of a better idea than to scream for help when the alien tries to enter the room. This is a rather obvious cliché and too convenient for the situation they are in. There are absurd moments and it meets the requirements of a B-movie. But the movie turns out to be quite entertaining and its story can be enjoyed a lot. The plot is very simple, and the intrigue is what makes it quite enjoyable. Like many of Cunningham's original films, it is far from reaching the reputation of Friday The 13th. The intention here was not to compete with that work, but to be something more suitable for television. Terminal Invasion is an honest B-movie that simply aims to entertain without the need to be excellent. Bruce Campbell's charisma and the intriguing story make it one of the few Sci Fi Channel movies that can truly be enjoyed. My final rating for this movie is a 6/10.

The second feature film directed by Ben Stiller is quite an unusual comedy with a lot of suspense elements. The plot itself is quite disturbing and is a suspense story dressed up with eccentric humor, but it is quite noticeable that it is not a light comedy. At the beginning, it acts like a normal comedy where Matthew Broderick, with his manly image, becomes a victim of the bizarre behavior of the always eccentric Jim Carrey. The truth is that both actors have very believable characters that come to life through the acting style that defines both of them. Steven is an ordinary man with a quiet daily life, and his only problem is that he has to deal with Robin's separation. But even so, he has a quiet life that is interrupted by Chip. At first, he seems like someone who just likes to joke around and has no bad intentions. Chip keeps Steven company and shows generosity towards him. As the movie progresses, Chip's behavior becomes stranger, and it is suspected that he is not someone very sane. The movie keeps the humor intact, but the plot itself becomes something more disturbing. Chip develops an obsession with wanting to win Steven's friendship, to the point that he begins to torment him. The movie turns into a suspense story similar to Cape Fear, Fatal Attraction, and Play Misty For Me. Chip turns out to be a lunatic who had a difficult childhood. The mentions he makes about his childhood and the flashback showing one of those moments give a clear idea about Chip's past. It's about someone who has never had a social life and whose mother was never there for him. Chip spent his entire life in front of the television, and that severely affected his mind. Chip's dialogues contain quotes or references to various television shows. So his behavior is a consequence of his psychological deterioration from spending his entire childhood in front of the television and not socializing with other individuals. Chip always wanted to have a friend, but by not developing a much healthier ability to socialize, he cannot form healthy relationships and his attempts to win the friendship of others end in harassment. Chip becomes the clear example of a toxic relationship with someone psychologically unstable. What the movie presents with this character are the consequences of exposure to television and the lack of interaction with other people. During the rise of television, there was much discussion about the influence it could have on people with minds still in full development. It was a debate that lasted quite a long time, and the movie makes a satire about it. Chip would be the representation of the negative effects that television could have on children's psychology. Chip's childhood bears some resemblance to that of children who do not have their parents present and are left in front of a screen. Although television has become less relevant with the rise of the Internet, the satire in this film can still be applied to the exposure of young people to screens and their psychological effects. Chip has two interesting speeches that apply to this idea. The first is when he talks about the future, referencing the expansion of the Internet. He talks about shopping from home and playing Mortal Kombat with someone from abroad. Here Chip talks about digital globalization that became a reality several years later. Chip's final speech at the climax of the movie talks about saving the children so they don't end up like him. This salvation consists of killing the babysitter, which in this case would be the television. The message of the movie is clearly understood, and although it is a satire of the television era, it still makes sense in an age where cable has evolved into digital networks. Chip had become someone incapable of having a stable social relationship, and his final action is a reflection on trying to prevent the influence of screens from harming the future of the next generation. During the events of the movie, there are broadcasts reporting on the trial of the former child star Sam Sweet. It doesn't seem very relevant, but it also contributes to the movie's message. The reports on the case capture the audience's attention and keep them interested until the end of the movie. Here, what would be planned is the fascination of people with the morbid towards disturbing cases. Something that the media profits from and even mentions the production of a movie based on the Sam Sweet case. All of this makes more sense in an era where people are exposed to morbid content on social media. This even counts as part of the psychological effects that the screen can generate in young people. Chip has even witnessed Sweet's career since childhood, and everything the movie wants to convey is becoming clearer. That makes the movie have something quite profound, hidden behind its humor, and that something makes the story disturbing. The bizarre and strange performance by Jim Carrey also makes the film generate a sense of discomfort. His performance as Chip is undoubtedly the most intriguing and disturbing of this actor's entire career. The final result is a comedy that entertains and intrigues at the same time. This would be one of the most interesting and peculiar films in the filmographies of Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller. Apart from its credible protagonists and Jack Black's limited participation, it also features striking cameos involving Owen Wilson, Kyle Gass, and Ben Stiller himself. The humor of the movie may be exaggerated, but that enhances the uncomfortable feeling that its disturbing context aims to generate. It has unforgettable scenes like the medieval restaurant, Jim Carrey singing Somebody To Love, and Steven's grim nightmare. The Cable Guy is an intriguing comedy that, beneath its dark humor, carries a message that, even in post-television times, still gives much to think about. My final rating for this movie is an 8/10.