Sunday, March 7, 2010

B-Movie of the Week

A new feature of TN, B-Movie of the Week. Every Sunday I will pick and talk about a great piece of schlock, comedy and overall terribleness in cinema. These are the films so bad we can't help but love them. Since bad movies have always been a hobby of mine, I thought I would share one with you each week. And if possible ways to find them online to watch them yourself (when available).
This week: Critters 2!

Made 2 years after the original, this is one of the examples when the sequel really outdoes its predecessor. It has everything the first one did not. More monsters, more kills, and more nudity. While the first movie was a classic, it was really lacking in many ways. The humor was a bit under played. You were unsure if they wanted their film to be taken seriously or not. Now we know, that number two is merely fun. It is ridiculous from start to finish. But the horror aspects have been amped up too. The attacks are more vicious and gory. We even get more than 2 deaths, unlike in the first film, when most characters are barely maimed. We get more monsters too! What started as 3 eggs shown at the end of the first film, has somehow multiplied into about 20. But who is complaining? The more critters, the more mayhem, including a climactic battle against a giant ball made up of the vicious little Tribbles. Not to mention a great attempt by a number of the little guys to attack a truck by hurling themselves at it (it's as comical as attacking someone from offscreen by tossing pompoms at them).
Of course one thing we still get is some great critter-deaths. Though we don't have Dee Wallace splattering the little buggers with a shotgun, we still get many critter-popping, green goo flinging scenes. But something has to be done to rid the town once again of these horrible little nuisances from beyond the stars. So what can the small town do? What else? Rely on the cosmic bounty hunters with the big guns to show up and clean things up once again. And this time around they really do have big guns. In an unexpected scene, the newest shapeshifting bounty hunter accidentally takes on the shape of a playboy centerfold. They take on the first thing they see (think Transformers, but actually entertaining). So humorously enough the first thing it sees is this playmate, and boom, instant 80s blonde nude model (complete with centerfold staple). The oddest thing I found was that you would assume a shapeshifter would either have shapeshifting clothes, or atleast an outfit with a little more give, seeing as how they have to make a few changes on occasion. But maybe this human woman's buxom bosom was just beyond the shifting threshold of this particular outfit and sure enough it rips right off.
Sadly she soon covers herself, and eventually transforms into the most dopey looking guy she can find in town. The characters on screen seem as disappointed by the untimely change as the audience. After that, its alien hunting time. And the film continues and even concludes in almost typical manner. Its a fun little romp, adding in the items we have now come to expect from this niche genre.

Watch the entire film online:

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