what is it? it's it. what is it? it's the new episode of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour'!

The 31st episode of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour' is uploaded and now available through iTunes, Talkshoe and streaming LIVE right here!

It took two weeks and I hope it's worth it for you. I explain what took so long, I have a follow up review to 'The Woman', I remember 1994 and then tell some horrible zombie jokes. This episode is not the best, but it's not the worst. Ya dig? ENJOY!

Songs played this week:

1) Stay True by Moovalya

2) Chop Suey by Casey Shea

3) I Remember 94 by About The Mess

4) Back For Good by The Concretes

5) Stay Or Go by Lexie Roth

6) Say My Name by Superchunk

my thoughts on.... 'What Is It?'

'What Is It?'.... I really don't have any clue. I know this is part of an intended trilogy, the 'It' trilogy. Only two films were made before one of the primary cast members passed away. I wonder now if it will ever be finished. The cast for this film were all people with down syndrome. Well, almost. There were naked women in animal masks, snails, the minstrel's, Crispin Glover and the man mentioned earlier who died, Steven C. Stewart (who had cerebral palsy and died of complications from it) Who's behind all of this? Why the mad genius himself, Crispin 'Hellion' Glover. I can't say that I understood a damn thing that was going on in this film. The actors were almost impossible to understand and I wish there were subtitles for them. I think I sort of caught a storyline, but it's so confusing and subtle that I'm just not sure. I've read all I can about it and I'm still not sure I get it. I will say that I think this is intended to be art and I consider myself open minded.... I think I just missed the boat on this one? I love to be challenged, but I'm not really sure how I felt about this. I still am not sure and I watched this almost 2 weeks ago. It's so strange and disturbing. There is plenty of snails that get killed by salt and razor blades, so if you're into that sort of thing.... here you go. This is the VERY far, far deep end of the pool as far as film going is concerned. If you say you've seen it all and there's nothing new under the sun, you haven't seen this yet. If you consider yourself a hardcore student of film and haven't seen this yet, you're not as hardcore as you think you are. I really don't know, if after seeing this, if I want to see the sequel(s). It was hard enough to make it through this one. Perhaps if I had some distance or some context? I just don't get it, Mr. Glover. I just don't get it.

Watch at your own risk!

Other challenging films: 'Greaser's Palace', 'Forbidden Zone' (the Richard Elfman 1982 version) and 'It's Just Pat!'

(No trailer without nudity. You can find two of them on YouTube.)

my very brief thoughts on.... 'Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion'

I have nothing against Zach Galifianakis. I've enjoyed him in several things and think he has moments of being very funny. Because of that, I took a chance on watching his stand up DVD in hopes it might be good. Now, it has moments of some very funny stuff going on.... but it's all so spread out and minimal that it's not really worth it to watch. I stuck it out though and hoped for some brillance. I kind of wonder if he writes his stand up ahead of time, because with the way he uses the piano and delivers his lines. If that was the case, then I could get a little more out of this and have more respect for him. Maybe I'm not getting the punchline? He's extremely popular and has a huge following, so perhaps I'm just out of touch. Either way, I wouldn't recommend it and wouldn't probably watch any other stand up from him. This is a 2 out of 5 star attempt by Zach Galifianakis and good for him for doing his own thing.... I can totally respect that. I just don't need to submit myself to it again.

If you like Zach Galifianakis, watch: 'The Hangover', 'Dinner for Schmucks' or 'Bubble Boy'

my thoughts on.... 'Stone' (2010)

How can you have a film with Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Milla Jovovich and Frances Conroy and it not be fantastic? Not too mention, Edward Norton has had an excellent track record, over the years, of not making any films that were garbage. If I was to watch one of his films, I was pretty much expecting to see something great. 'Stone' is in no way a bad movie.... it just seemed to not quite live up to his usual standards. It was a well done movie, that just suffered from a slow moving and uninteresting script and a story that you ultimately just don't care too much about. It's kind of like watching a Nascar race waiting for a wreck, but it never happens and you leave feeling like you saw something neat, but it never paid off in any way. I watched the whole thing waiting for a hook or a big twist or turn or something. Maybe if I'd known in advance that it was just a slow boiler of a movie, I might have understood it and enjoyed it more, you know? I suppose you can't have a perfect record forever. Edward Norton played a similar character to what he did in 'American History X' or 'Primal Fear'. It felt kind of like old territory.

Here is the plot according to http://www.imdb.com: "Parole officer Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) has only a few weeks left before retirement and wishes to finish out the cases he's been assigned. One such case is that of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton), a convicted arsonist who is up for parole. Jack is initially reluctant to indulge Stone in the coarse banter he wishes to pursue and feels little sympathy for the prisoner's pleads for an early release. Seeing little hope in convincing Jack himself, Stone arranges for his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) to seduce the officer, but motives and intentions steadily blur amidst the passions and buried secrets of the corrupted players in this deadly game of deception." This makes it sound more interesting than it was. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention?

I'm hoping that one of you out there saw this and enjoyed it. I have a feeling that I'm going to re-visit it again in the next decade, as I truly feel like I missed something with this movie. I just can't belive that all of this talent could make something so luke warm. You have this strange relationship between De Niro and Norton's character and when they add Milla's character into the mix, it just gets odd. She is such a stand out performance compared to everyone else that she kind of overshadows the bland plot. De Niro feels like he's sleepwalking and Norton feels like he has been out of work for a decade, which he hasn't. Finally, Frances Conroy, was Frances Conroy.... smoking cigarettes. The potential of this cast and movie were huge. If you see this movie and find a different experience than what I found, please drop me a line and fill me in on what you saw and got out of this movie. Please.

When the smoke cleared and all was said and done, I still gave this a 3 out of 5 star rating. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. It just made me long for other films from these actors. I am still looking forward to what everyone involved has coming up next, as there is a lot of potential in this movie. In the meantime, I'm going to continue wondering to myself what went wrong with 'Stone' (2010)? Avaialable OnDemand or to rent.

my thoughts on.... 'The Baby's Room aka La habitación del niño'

Here's another installment in my recent Spanish horror film-athon. This particular one was another part of the 'Six Films To Keep You Awake' series. I actually had started this one previously, but turned it off because I wasn't in a good place at the time to watch it. The first, like, 45 minutes are pretty intense.... the rest of it, not so much. I don't know what happened with this that they made the decision to go down the tired and boring route, but they did. This movie had a lot of potential and it's not that the rest of it wasn't original, it just didn't feel like anything new at all. This movie felt like a bad re-run of 'The Twilight Zone', but in Spanish. If it was in black and white, I honestly would have thought it was something from another time. I kept hoping that it would get better and a movie that's just shortly over an hour long, it didn't give it much time to be screwed up. Somehow, the director managed it. Now I just feel like I'm harping on it and to be fair, it had its good points. But before I get to that:

Our story opens on some children playing by an old building. It appears that they're playing hide and seek and one of the kids ends up inside the building. Something terrible happens and when he comes out, he's not the same. Fast forward to the present day and a young family is moving into the aforementioned house. They have a little baby and are still in the early stages of parenthood. The sister of baby's father drops off some gently used baby items, which includes a monitor. During the night, the father hears some breathing besides the baby and after going into the room he becomes paranoid that someone else has been in their home. His solution is to head down to the local baby store and pick up a video monitor. What happens over the next several nights freaked me the 'F' out. A man with glowing eyes keeps appearing on the monitor. The police can't figure out what's going on and so the couple install a security system. Nothing seems to keep the man out of the house and the father slowly begins to descend into maddness. His wife leaves with the baby and the father learns the terrible secret behind the man in the house and what's been happening. The rest is, well.... the rest.

So what's good about this movie? The ambiance, the ghostly appearance of the man in the baby's room and the early part of the story itself. It's very well done and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It creates a sense of fear and dread and it honestly scared me. The idea of your baby being watched at night by a creepy man with glowing eyes is frightening. And add to the fact that no one can figure out how he's getting in the home and how no one is seeing him come or go is even scarier yet. That is the good aspects. What happens in the second and third act of the movie involves time and space, alternate realities and some bullcrap that just doesn't belong in a ghost story. I can't recommend that you watch this movie, there is so many other ghost stories out there that are more effective and better made. Ah well....

This movie, in my book, built up a really strong case in the beginning for a good movie, that I ended up giving it 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe if you just turn it off after the first part of the second act? That way you get all of the good stuff and none of the bad. That's kind of the way it is with a lot of movies being made out there today. It's like the folks in the film industry come up with an idea and then build a movie around it, but leave the script writing to some third grader in order to save costs. So what starts off really strong with that initial idea that got the movie greenlighted in the first place, ends up being ruined by whoever gets their hands on it after the fact. At some point, the audience will rise up and retake control of the industry. It's already started with the rise of cheap, good quality cameras and the internet. So either the movie making machine in Hollywood will listen to the demands of the public or the public will continue to grow it's own Hollywood system and everything will go the way that music is already headed. Either way, the audience will eventually be the winners and I'll have a lot tougher time deciding which movies are the good ones, as they'll all be high quality. That's all I have to say about that.

If you like this, check out: '[REC]', 'To Let aka Para entrar a vivir' and '[REC]2'

(This is the trailer for the '6 Films To Keep You Awake' series, of which.... 'The Baby's Room aka La habitación del niño' is a part of.)

my brief thoughts on.... 'Legion' (2010)

from the time this was released, i've heard nothing but bad things about it.... there were a few positive things, here and there, that they pointed out in the movie but overall it was a failure.... this movie was intended to be a trilogy, however it's doubtful that this will happen now.... i'm a man that will give just about any movie out there a day in court.... some sooner than others, but eventually they will be seen.... and i stayed away from this one for quite a while because i was biased against it from the reviews.... i needed to give it some time and distance so that i could watch it with clear eyes.... (however, when it came out on Netflix OnDemand.... i can never refuse that.... so i watched it before i was totally unbiased....).... once i finally sat down to view this, i had very low expectations still, but the trailer showed some promise so i had a faint glimmer of hope.... i can honestly say that from the first scene on, i was intrigued.... and the further into the movie i went, the more interested i became.... it felt like a zombie movie, but with angels....

the basic story wasn't new, however the bigger storyline was something that i hadn't seen before.... i believe that this movie really could have been something.... i'm not sure what i can pinpoint that killed it, but i felt the ending could have been done much better.... that's the biggest thing that bothered me.... that and what i call 'the 'Stigmata' effect.... a movie that basis itself in religion, but disregards religion and just makes it up however they want.... or however will fit the best in the movie....

to keep the plot breakdown as simple as possible: angels come to earth, in human form, to stop the birth of a child that will save humanity.... but a small group of people, including the pregnant woman, barricade themselves in an old diner.... the only thing that can protect them is the angel, Michael, who gives up his place in heaven to save the child and humanity.... (that wasn't as simple as i would hope....)

the cast really puts on a good show and does the best with everything they have.... the special effects are done fairly well.... i enjoyed the action sequences.... i mean, who doesn't love massive amounts of guns firing....? the hordes of angels are frightening and change the way angels are thought of.... (part of the changes made to religious icons to meet the needs of the storyline).... it's a very dark movie that had a lot of promise.... i could see how this got greenlit to be made, i just wonder how it could go so wrong....? maybe i'm missing something....? or perhaps i'm just a simple guy who is easily entertained....?

i gave it 3 out of 5 stars and even watched it a second time.... i really think they should have re-thought the ending.... and perhaps the casting of Lucas Black as one of the leads.... not that i dislike him, but he just doesn't sell the storyline.... and i can't say i'd want to see him in a sequel.... maybe that's what happened....? i don't know.... maybe the world will never know.... either way, i recommend to check this out.... just close your eyes at the end or shut if off before the last 15 minutes play out.... it's a fun little time waster....

if you like this, watch: a zombie movie.... it's kind of what they were going for i think.

my very brief thoughts on.... 'Alice in Wonderland' (2010)

remember my review of 'Where the Wild Things Are'....? this might be a bit like that.... just so you know.

Tim Burton is a unique filmaker.... his vision is all his own.... and i can say that i've enjoyed just about everything he's ever done.... that also goes for Johnny Depp.... i've followed his career since '21 Jump Street'.... these two have made several films together and have been very successful ones at that.... but recently, it seems that you can't have one without the other.... i'm all for collaboration and a lot of times if you're working with the same people over and over you get good results.... however, after a while, you kind of want them to do some things seperately.... and that's the case here.... i thought it might be kind of neat to see what Tim Burton could do with this classic story.... and i'm always curious to see Johnny Depp's take on a character, especially one like the Mad Hatter.... sadly, the result was less than stellar....
i'm sure you all know the storyline of 'Alice in Wonderland'.... we've seen it retold several times.... but in this day and age, we finally have the technology to make some of the strange characters of the story come to life.... and i think that this was a valiant attempt.... however, it just had no soul.... it's like Tim Burton just phoned this one in.... it felt forced.... it seemed like he was trying too hard.... it was just way too heavy handed with the filmaking.... everything was quirky and over the top, like all of his movies.... everything was bright and colorful.... the music was excellent.... the special effects, however, were kind of sketchy.... and that surprised me, but that's not why i didn't care for this movie.... i tried really hard to enjoy it.... i felt kind of guilty for not liking it.... all in all, i only ended up giving this movie 2 out of 5 stars.... something i thought i'd never see from a Burton/Depp movie.... but that's not the end of it.... they've got more projects in the works.... and i just think that a little distance isn't always a bad thing.... so i hope that they see that someday and take a little break from each other.... because if not, i fear that we'll see more movies like this one.... movies that just feel like they were made for the sake of being made.... no other reason than that....

shame on you Tim Burton, shame on you.

please read the book rather than see this movie.... you're imagination is going to create something much more enjoyable then this movie could ever hope for

my brief thoughts on.... 'The Last Exorcism'

before i start this review, let me say two things: 1) i think that PG-13 and horror movies DO NOT MIX.... horror, since the dawn of cinema, has been designed to scare, shock, and horrify the viewer.... how can you do that when you're limited by what you can show or say....? there are very few examples of horror movies that have overcome that obstacle, but it takes a lot to do it.... 2) Eli Roth produced this movie.... he didn't write it, direct it or star in it.... and i have the utmost respect for him.... i've said that he's one of the few writers and directors in Hollywood that might save horror, but after seeing this.... i'm a little let down.... i was hoping he'd produce something that held up to his standards.... that being said....

'The Exorcist' set the bar so high, that no one since it has topped it.... it's the standard for what a scary film should be.... it makes a lot of people's top 10 scariest films list.... it showed exorcism's in a way that hasn't lost its punch since it came out in 1973.... and i've seen several movies that have tried to be like it.... all of them have fallen short.... so that brings us to this movie, 'The Last Exorcism'.... it looked promising, it had a credible producer.... how could it fail....? now, when i started it, i was sucked right into the plot.... i wanted to see how the story played itself out.... sadly, it couldn't keep up with what it promised in the beginning.... it just wasn't going to happen.... there was one thing that stood out in this movie, Ashley Bell, the star.... she played the character of Nell with amazing reality.... i bought into it: hook, line, and sinker.... and i also give credit to Daniel Stamm, the director.... he did the best with what he had....
this movie is carrying on the trend of a documentary style of filmaking.... although this one is obviously shot on 35 mm.... it tells the story of a supposed exorcist who travels to do his final exorcism on a girl named Nell.... what, at first, seems to be a simple case of a girl with mental issues, quickly descends into something deeper and more evil.... things play themselves out in such a way that you don't see the ending coming.... granted, it keeps you interested the whole time.... but the ending just does not hold up.... it builds to a fever pitch and then the kettle just sputters out and never whistles.... it's ambiguous.... it's slightly unclear.... it is a bit of a poor explanation of all the events that took place earlier in the movie.... it just feels like someone pulled the rug out from under you, just when you got up to go to the bathroom.... ah well.... at least i don't have to watch it again....

to Eli Roth: please make another film on your own.... i know you like acting, but try and do both.... we could use some 'R' rated horror right now....

and to the rest of you.... i gave this movie 3 out of 5 stars.... i felt that Ashley Bell's performance was so good that it deserved some credit.... and if you decide to watch this, watch about 30 - 45 minutes of it and then turn it off.... write the ending however you'd like it.... the ending just doesn't matter.... i'm glad this was the last exorcism, i don't think i could handle a sequel.

rather than watch any other exorcism movie, watch 'The Exorcist' again

my brief thoughts on.... 'nbt: Never Been Thawed'

"This year's 'Napoleon Dynamite'." hardly.... entertaining....? somewhat.... i'll give it originality points.... and a few subtle laughs.... but nothing to write home about.... it's 100% low budget.... it's obvious it was someones pet project.... and i'm sure they're pretty proud of it.... however, i just didn't care for it too much.... or maybe i just didn't get in on the joke....? i don't know....

the basic story revolves around frozen entree collectors.... one's who are so obsessed that they have multiple stand alone freezers in their homes and apartments.... they wait patiently for the newest releases of the dinners and get them as soon as they come out.... there's also a subplot about one of the collector's having a Christian rock band that he converted from a non-Christian band just to try and make it big.... this bit lends itself to some funny moments, especially the little concert they have at one point where they're swearing while playing songs about God.... all of these stories lead up to the frozen entree convention that they've been planning for a long time....
i think 2 out of 5 stars is all this deserves.... like i said, it has a few moments of fun.... but overall it's not all that exciting and kind of a mess.... i wouldn't really recommended it other than for the novelty factor of the script itself.... how many movies have you seen about frozen food and Christian rock....? i can only think of one.... anyway.... watch it if you want.... maybe you'll get the joke.... but i missed the boat on this one i think.

if you like this: there isn't much else to compare it to, it's in a league of its own

my brief thoughts on.... 'Jesus Camp'

this documentary came recommended.... and i still don't know quite what i thought about it.... i can't tell if it was pro or con on the subject matter.... it seemed to walk the fence and was out to let you make your own decisions.... they never poke fun of or put the Christians in a bad light.... but for those not familiar with the lifestyle and how serious about God these people are.... it may seem strange and over the top.... even comical at times.... it was an eye opener, that's for sure....

the movie focuses on a camp for kids who are born again and becoming part of the new generation of "Jesus warriors".... or something along those lines.... it follows a few specific kids and the leader of the kids youth ministry.... it also follows George Bush's nomination of the new supreme court nominee.... and ties it all together....i gave it 2 out of 5 stars.... as i don't feel it got the point across.... or maybe i just missed it.... either way, it wasn't amazing.... for interested parties only.

other documentaries like this: none that i can think of

my brief thoughts on.... 'Stripped'

a documentary about the life of being a stripper.... basically.... it's all done on a low-fi budget.... and is fairly interesting.... you get a better sense about those women in the business and who they made their decision to get involved.... not too mention how it's affected them and their daily lives.... it's a sad little slice of a subculture of life that not many of us will ever be involved in.... unless you've been to a strip club or been a stripper.... it's got a short running time and keeps you fairly interested in the women it focuses on.... not too mention that the filmaker herself gets into the business and it follows her journey on both sides of the lens.... i gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... mainly for effort.... i can't say it's going to win any awards or anything.... it's just on that great of a movie.... but she presented a subject matter that is usually left in the dark.... and is deemed to be rather seedy.... but what you actually find beneath the surface is sometimes a bit of a suprise.... i would only recommend this for people interested in the subject matter....

if you like this: go to your local strip club

(no trailer available to embed.)

my thoughts on.... 'The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made'

being a lover of all movies and films.... i'll watch just about anything once and i love bad movie.... the ones that are so bad they're good are even better.... anyway, i thought this documentary might prove as a fun little watch, as well as a possible resource for some new flicks to see.... granted, this movie is by no means comprehensive.... there are some glaring omissions.... (where's 'Troll 2' for the love of pete....?!?!)

it's kind of a silly little movie.... the way it's put together.... and at a running time of only 60 minutes, there just isn't enough time to enjoy the little gems they introduce you too.... i could have stood for this to be a full hour and a half or more.... just to get a little more in depth.... but it's a good list.... even though i've seen a good portion of the movies.... there were still some located in there that i haven't seen before.... and believe it or not, most of them are available to rent on Netflix....! 3 out of 5 stars.... something for the bad movie lovers in all of us to enjoy.... and if you don't enjoy them already, you're missing out.... and if you've ever been curious.... this may be a good place to start.... long live terrible movies....!

if you like this, check out: well, there aren't any other docs like this out there.

50 Worst Movies Ever Made EZTakes Movie Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

my thoughts on.... 'Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever'

i've been the first in line to say that Eli Roth is one of the savior's of the horror genre.... along with a few select others.... he wrote and directed the original 'Cabin Fever'.... this movie has nothing to do with him.... and Ti West who directed it, wanted no association with it once the producers got done with it.... he felt they ruined it.... granted, i have no idea what it would have been like if they never got involved.... but i'm not so sure it would have been that much better....

if you saw the original then you know the basic premise.... a flesh eating virus is killing off people one by one.... and luckily it hasn't spread outside of the small town where it started.... in the sequel, it picks up RIGHT where the last one left off.... and continues the story.... but not for long.... and once the plot of this movie begins, the movie bears little resemblance to the original.... in this case.... the water that is contaminated with the virus has been shipped out.... and the first place it goes is to the local high school.... the rest kind of writes itself.... ie: bloody high school kids, attempts to stop the virus, the government getting involved.... etc.... your typical virus scenario. the first point where this movie fails is that it goes to much for the humorous side of the storyline.... granted the original was satirical and had it's comedy moments.... but it never went all out for the ha ha funny.... this one does.... or seems to.... and it doesn't do it very well.... the virus has no real rhyme or reason and doesn't react the same with everyone, like in the original.... and they go for the gross out factor in a major way in this.... and turn it comical.... whereas the original never took the effects of the disease as being funny.... those parts were always serious....

would i recommend this....? well, if you're a completionist like me.... then you'll want to watch it.... just be warned that it really doesn't hold a candle to the first one.... the only worthwhile thing is the return of Officer Winston.... i would give this a solid 3 out of 5 stars.... but no more than that.... i would love to see the directors cut.... and find out what he was really going for.... because i can't imagine what he could do differently to salvage the script for this.... i mean, the disease at prom....? save your time and watch 'Dance of the Dead' instead.... MUCH better movie about the prom and zombies....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'Dance of the Dead', 'Prom Night' and 'Return of the Living Dead' (not really virus movies, but prom themed and i guess you can qualify zombies as a virus based reaction to something nasty.)