Zombie Ass Kickers!!!

This weekend, "Zombie Apocalypse" premieres on SyFy (8 p.m. CST, Oct. 29). Admittedly, I am not completely sick of the zombie genre even though it's run its course. Still, I haven't watched one episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead" (I guess, anything that's "critically acclaimed is a turnoff").

On Saturday, I'll definitely tune into this flick from Asylum Pictures (the modern day AIP??).

Of course, a big draw is the presence of Ving Rhames, who battled the living dead in a few other movies. He's definitely one of the top zombie ass kickers in movie history. Consider his rock solid performance in the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead."



Rhames also starred in another George Romero remake, "Day of the Dead." This movie didn't have quite the impact of "Dawn," but it's still pretty good. Rhames plays a tough soldier caught up in a world plagued by a zombie virus. This straight-to-DVD feature also featured Nick Cannon, Mena Suvari and a pre-"90210" AnnaLynne McCord. A lot of people hated it, but judge for yourself. It's on Showtime every now and then.



Rhames isn't the only skull crushing good guy in the world of zombie flicks. Before Rhames became the go-to badass in "Dawn of the Dead," Ken Foree delivered the goods in the original version of that film. He played Peter, a SWAT cop, who fights the living dead in the projects and in a shopping mall. An imposing guy, Foree's presence in the movie sealed his fame as a horror movie hero. I'll always remember watching this at a midnight screening. The audience went nuts when Foree went mano a mano with the dead hordes toward the end of the film. Foree also has a cameo in the remake.



Before Foree, Duane Jones used brains instead of brawn to survive in George Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead." As Ben, Jones was the sole voice of reason in a farm house besieged by zombies. The character's ultimate fate still leaves audiences reeling when they watch this classic. Jones didn't go on to make any other horror movies, but he set the standard for future zombie movie protagonists.



A few other zombie bashers worth noting:

Patricia Tallman (as Barbara) in Tom Savini's 1990 remake of "Night of the Living Dead": Tallman, a stuntwoman and actress, was like "Ripley" in Alien. Not only was she the only sane voice in a zombie-ridden world, she was a bonafide badass (expertly handling firearms and other weapons).



Mungo McKay (as Marion) in "Undead". This Australian import featured McKay as an odd, gun master who is nearly invincible as he leads other characters against infected hordes of murderous zombies. He's kind of like a laconic version of Ash from the "Evil Dead" movies. Check it out. It's not your typical zombie movie.



I know I am leaving out others including Milla Jojovich as Alice in the "Resident Evil" franchise and Bruce Campbell as Ash in the "Evil Dead" series. Leave a comment if you think of any others worth mentioning.

Burt! Bronson! Nuff said.

Like action? Like moustaches? You'll LOVE two killer action films available on Comcast/Xfinity On Demand. Take your pick from Charles Bronson's "10 to Midnight" or Burt Reynolds "Malone." Both are great 1980s action flicks.



"10 to Midnight" (1983) is the sleazier of the two. It's pretty typical fare from Cannon Films, which churned out tons of B-movies during the Reagan era. The movie focuses on a perverted serial killer. Bronson plays Leo Kessler, a hard ass detective, who will stop at nothing to put this guy behind bars...even planting evidence. It's very seedy, but Bronson seemed to be in a lot of these movies in the 1980s. The killer (who runs around nude most of the time) is played by Gene Davis, who was no stranger to exploitation films ("Cruising" among others). Look for supporting roles from other B-movie vets Andrew Stevens and Wilford Brimley (who also sports a pretty intense moustache). Bronson does what he does best. He curses, shoots, does not follow the "book" and pretty much kicks ass through this entire film.



"Malone" (1987) is the more watchable of these two films. Burt Reynolds plays the titular ex-CIA agent who trys to save a small town from a corrupt millionaire (the recently departed Cliff Robertson) and his army of thugs. This movie was released during Reynolds' "action" period in the mid to late 1980s. Lauren Hutton plays Reynolds' love interest. It's actually pretty good, and Burt is excellent as the stone faced, hard hitting Malone. Great shootouts and fight scenes, and Reynolds sports a pretty thick toupee!

Both movies are available on Xfinity On Demand. Find "10 to Midnight" under Free Movies. Just click Impact Action on Demand under "Pretty Dangerous."

For "Malone," go to Free Movies and go to "Category." Look for "Action" and scroll to "Malone."

The Ultimate Ranger!

In honor of the Texas Rangers making it to the World Series...and coming through in Game 2, the Weekend Drive-in celebrates the ultimate Texas Ranger - "Lone Wolf McQuade."

Before Chuck Norris became a fixture on 1990s TV as "Walker, Texas Ranger," he played maverick lawman McQuade in this 1983 action flick. Apparently, this movie was the inspiration for "Walker," but the names were changed due to copyrights.

Filmed in El Paso, Texas, this movie follows the adventures of the titular Texas Ranger as he tries to take down a nutcase arms dealer Wilkes (played by David "Kung Fu" Carradine. McQuade is quite a bit different than "Walker." He loves to drink beer (Pearl) and pretty much breaks every law possible when apprehending the bad guys. A pretty cool cast rounds out this movie including Robert "Star Trek: Voyager" Beltran, Leon Isaac Kennedy (of the superb "Penetentiary" series) and the always awesome Barbara Carrera. The highlight is a kung fu confrontation between Norris and Carradine, who reportedly refused to use stunt doubles.

Catch the action TONIGHT, Oct. 21 on THIS TV (9 p.m. CST).

Happy Birthday Bela!!!

Shouldn't Oct. 20 be a holiday?? After all, it's the birthday of screen great Bela Lugosi. This is the guy who brought "Dracula" to life on the big screen, helped immortalize Ed D. Wood Jr. and starred in the world's very first zombie movie. He also inspired an awesome Goth-rock classic!

The Hungarian-born Lugosi has long been an icon in the world of B-movie although his talents far exceeded many of the cinematic clunkers in which he starred.

This month on Comcast/Xfinity On Demand, you can see one of Lugosi's finest works, "White Zombie." Look under Free Movies for this classic. Lugosi plays Murder Legrande, a sinister voodoo master who transforms people into mindless slaves. It's pretty cool, and Lugosi steals the show with his wild eyes and crazed delivery.

Dance! Dance! Dance!

I'll be honest. I was in high school when the original "Footloose" was released. I was pretty much the intended demographic for that movie. Needless to say I never saw it. Didn't see it at the movies or on cable...and Lord knows that its been aired on TV zillions of times.

Anyways, I wasn't interested in the original and am less interested in this remake. That doesn't mean that the Weekend Drive-In can't appreciate dance movies. I certainly think that John Travolta's breakout dance scene in "Saturday Night Fever" still kicks much ass.

Of course, that movie helped set the standard for contemporary dance flicks, but there are B-gems that should not be overlooked.

These include...

"Disco Godfather"(1979): Any movie with Rudy Ray Moore is worth watching. This one is awesome! Moore plays Tucker Williams, an ex-cop turned DJ who screams "Put Your Weight On it!" as he spins records. When he's not delivering the funk, he's out to smash the local angel dust ring. I had the good fortune of interviewing Moore about 12 years ago, and he was very proud of this movie.



"Thank God It's Friday" (1978): This is pretty much the disco version of "Car Wash." My mom took me to see this when I was a kid. Loved it. It follows a crazy cast of characters during a wild night at a disco. Look for Jeff Goldblum as a sleazy disco manager, Debra Winger as a lonely co-ed, Berlin vocalist Terri Nunn and Donna Summer as an aspiring vocalist (she sings the hit "Last Dance). Plus, the Commodores perform.



"Skatetown U.S.A." (1979): This is one of a few roller disco movies that emerged in the late 1970s. It's definitely the wackiest. Plus, the cast is incredible: Patrick Swayze, Maureen McCormick (Marsha from "The Brady Bunch"), Ron Palillo (Horschack from "Welcome Back Kotter"), Billy Barty and Ruth Buzzi. Swayze struts his stuff on roller skates. It's definitely cooler than "Dirty Dancing."

Get Your Halloween On!

It's October! That means TONS of horror movies all month long...not to mention "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

In any event, Turner Classic Movies will make Mondays fun again. "Classic Horror Mondays" features old school creature features. This week, the original "The Wolf Man" kicks off the screams at 7 p.m. It's the ultimate werewolf movie and the movie that launched Lon Chaney Jr.'s career.



Upcoming scarefests worth noting include Christopher Lee in "Horror of Dracula" at 7 p.m. (CST), Oct. 17. Many people credit this 1958 classic for reviving the horror genre. Also, look for William Castle's "The Tingler," a film that had a massive publicity push in 1959...thanks to vibrating theater seats that gave audiences an extra jolt of fear. "The Tingler" airs at 10 p.m. (CST), Oct.17.

Charles Napier 1936 - 2011

The Weekend Drive-In remembers the great Charles Napier. Tough guy actor Napier died this week at the age of 75.

Napier's filmography is pretty extensive. It includes both big budget and B-grade drive-in movies including Russ Meyer's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,""Rambo,""Silence of the Lambs" and many others. He also lent his rugged voice to several animated series including "Superman: The Animated Series."

His versatile talents also found their way to the small screen. Trekkies will always remember him as space hippie Adam in "Star Trek." That was my earliest memory of the great Napier, but I also recall him as bad guy Hammer in short-lived trucker show "B.J.and the Bear." I also can't forget that he provided the growls on "The Incredible Hulk" series.

So long, Charles! If the Weekend Drive-in ever starts a Hall of Fame, you will be among its first inductees.

Join the Countdown to Halloween!

The Weekend Drive-In is officially participating in the Countdown to Halloween! Stay tuned to this blog for updates on TV creature features in October.

Forgotten Zombies

Zombies don't die easily. These days, the lumbering undead are featured in commercials, a TV series and countless movies including the upcoming "Zombie Apocalypse" premiering Oct. 29 on SyFy.

Of course, zombie flicks have been around for decades. According to Wikipedia, 1932's "White Zombie" starring Bela Lugosi is the very first horror movie to feature zombies. In that movie, the slow moving creatures aren't undead at all. They're actually drugged slaves.

It seems, however, that the same old dead man walking movies are always on TV: 2004's "Dawn of the Dead," "Resident Evil," etc. Several pretty cool zombie films should be aired more often including these gems:


Zombi 2 Lucio Fulci 1979 TRAILER by soulpatrol

"Zombie" (ake "Zombi 2"): Like gore? You'll love this gross out extravaganza from Italian schlockmaster Lucio Fulci. This was actually billed as a sequel to George A. Romero's original "Dawn of the Dead" (retitled "Zombi" in Italy) across the pond. It's not connected to that movie, but it still rocks. The action takes place on the cursed island of Matool, where the dead are rising and eating/infecting the living. Look for Mia Farrow's sister, Tisa, as the lead heroine. The zombies are pretty creepy. The guy featured on the movie poster (with worms in his eye) freaked me out when I was kid. VERY graphic!!! Lots of blood, guts and gore, so keep your finger on the fast-forward button if you're squeamish. Also, look for a pretty cool shark vs. zombie battle.



"Shock Waves": This is a super low budget 70s flick. The zombies are actually Nazi super soldiers that have been preserved and living on an island. They're all blond, pale and wearing giant goggles. Brooke Adams is the heroine and stars opposite horror vets John Carradine and Peter Cushing. I loved this movie as a kid! I have not seen it in years but can recommend it. Love the tagline on the trailer: "The faster you run...the quicker you DIE!"



"Night of the Comet": This is a very underrated 1980s movie. It's kind of like a low rent John Hughes movie crossed with "The Omega Man." A comet flies over the earth and disintegrates anyone in its path. Only a handful of people who were shielded from its flyover survive. A few unlucky fools, however, have been transformed into murderous zombies. A pair of teen babes are among the survivors and have to fend off the comet killers, as well as raid the mall. A few other non-zombies also show up. Look for Robert Beltran of "Star Trek: Voyager" and B-queen Mary Woronov (Principal Togar in "Rock n' Roll High School). This has been running on THIS TV...but not very often.

Antie Maim!

As I write this week's entry, I am watching "Glass Trap" on Showtime Beyond. It's yet another movie about giant ants terrorizing people. It's not too bad and features an excellent cast: C. Thomas Howell, Stella Stevens and Martin Kove! It's directed by the great Fred Olen Ray.

The ant special effects are pretty bad, but I can't really think of a movie where giant ants didn't look awful.

If you like SyFy-style giant bug movies, keep your eyes open for this sleazy gem. Better yet, revisit these awesome classics when they're on the tube...or look for the DVDs.



Empire of the Ants (1977): I saw this at a midnight movie when I was a kid. Loved it! Joan Collins stars in this VERY low budget shocker form American International Pictures (the source of of many great B-flicks). It's directed by schlock auteur Bert I. Gordon ("The Amazing Colossal Man"). THIS TV has been airing this movie on weekends, so keep an eye out for it.



Them! (1954): The ORIGINAL big ant movie! This movie preyed upon people's fears of atomic energy. The ants in this movie were apparently created following nuclear tests. They're pretty big...and pretty fake. The cast kicks ass though: James Whitmore, James Arness, Fess Parker! It's the best of the bunch and occasionally runs on Turner Classic Movies.