EP 123 – Films of 2016 w/ Mass Moviecide UK (Deadpool, The Conjuring 2 & Suicide Squad)

Stoo brings the Films of 2016 to a closure with the boys from Mass Moviecide UK! Spoiler warnings for; Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Suicide Squad, Eddie the Eagle, Phantasm 5, Yoga Hosers, The Conjuring 2, Batman: The Killing Joke, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows, Independence Day: Resurgence & Captain America: Civil War!

Extended Conversations on our Patreon (pateron.com/FASPodcast) to gain access to further discussions on; Kevin Smith, Stephen Amell and Stoo’s picks of 2016.

Thank you all for the support in 2016 and hope you join us in our voyage into 2017!

Blu-ray Review – The Guyver (1991)

On the run from the evil an corporation, researcher Dr. Segawa  – is in possession of the Guyver; a space-age alien technology which can transform man into a futuristic kung fu fighting machine with superhuman strength.

When Segawa  is caught and killed by a mutant creature at the behest of Chronos Corporation, he out smarts them  by managing to stash the Guyver before his untimely demise.

Meanwhile Segawas daughter, Mizky (Vivian Wu) is informed of her fathers death a rogue CIA agent Max Reed (Mark Hamill), Reed has his own theories about Chronos and Segawa s involvement with the Guvyer. When driving to the site of her fathers death, they are unknowingly tailed by Sean (Jack Armstrong), the dim boyfriend of Mizky, who is under the impression that Max is trying to woo his girl, whilst spying he accidentally discovers the Guyver.

Sean, Mizky and Max now find themselves the next target of the Chronos Corporation and their group rag-tag group of mutant henchmen.

Man! The Guyver was nuts! How did I not know about this film prior to the Blu-ray release from Arrow Home Video? It is the perfect blend of mental make-up and prosthetic effects and campy acting and martial arts to mould the perfect 90’s B-Movie – something Canon would be proud of.

It’s a fun story and I was impressed with the costumes and effects, but I feel I probably would have loved this x10 back when I was ten. The mixture of that 90’s vibe; the music, editing effects and storyline would have made for a badass Sega Megadrive game.

I should have been well aware of that I was going to be in for a crazy viewing experience when the directing credits are by special-effects masters Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang. Whilst it is a fun action romp, it is fairly dated – surely there is clearly a following, whether its solely about Yoshiki Takaya’s manga or if there is a large following for this film – it’s a surprise to me. This rings true as a feature which should probably remained in the 90’s alongside VHS cassettes.

Arrow Home Entertainment honoured The Guyver with a blu-ray release in December 2016 delivering their usual high standards of presentation with a new digital transfer of the Director’s Cut, Original uncompressed audio and thankfully (because I’m a bit deaf!) English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (again, me!).

Overall 2.5/5

EP 122 – Films of 2016 w/ Mike (The Nice Guys, Bone Tomahawk & The Hateful Eight)

Stoo returns for another week of Films! Joined by Cousin Mike they discuss the likes of 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Nice Guys and The Hateful Eight!

An extended cut (What films we missed, guilty pleasures etc.) of this discussion will be made available on our Patreon Page; http://www.patreon.com/FASPodcast/

Extended Cut includes discussions on; Rogue One, Passenger, Arrival, Free Fire, Hardcore Henry, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, KONG: Skull Island, Sully, The Magnificent Seven, Dirty Grandpa, The Intern, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Out of the Shadows.

EP 121 – Films of 2016 w/ Stoo and Andy

The Best, the Worst and looking ahead to 2017! If you looking for a teaser of what’s up for discussion – check the post tags for all of the deet’s! We will drop a second episode next week with me and Cousin Mike continuing our chin’wag about the films of 2016!

Extended Edition includes discussions on; Doctor Strange, Moana, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Deepwater Horizon, The Kurt Russell Challenge,

Review – The Wailing (2016)

Set in a small rural village, The Wailing follows the life of local policeman Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) and how his quiet life is turned chaotic when a ‘mystery virus’ plagues villages causing a string of violent outbursts and brutal deaths.

When meeting with friends, locals point out a connection between the deaths and the arrival of an old Japanese man living in the outskirts of village. Jong-goo dismisses the claims as hearsay until his young daughter begins to show symptoms of the virus. After a severe violent episode from his daughter, Jong-goo takes the advice of his mother-in-law and contacts a shaman for help. That should solve their problem, right?

South Korean director Hong-jin Na, the man behind hit thrillers The Chaser and The Yellow Sea – blows our minds once again with this psychological thriller, perhaps horror which really puts Kwak Do-won character through the wringer! I mean, he gets it tough, always showing up at the worst time and having all the horrible nightmarish situations land on his lap – its slightly comedic at first, then bloody torturous as the story progresses.

Overall it’s a wonderful tale, a truly dark and disturbing tale. I was refreshing to see something break the mould in Korean Cinema – I love the Park Chan Wook and the Kim Jee Won thrillers/dramas as much as the next person – but director Hong-jin Na gave us a sinister twist that stuck with me for days after. It full deserves all of the awards it is currently raking in!

1 2 3 16