So, let's get down to business!
"Escape from Earth"
The final part in the "Escape from New York" Trilogy. Escape from LA was... not so hot, but it set us up perfectly for the final part of the trilogy.
In 2029, after Snake activated the Sword of Damocles, the Earth was thrust back to a near technological blank slate. The result is a second dark ages for humanity where only the most basic and savage devices still operate. (Worse, the Nerve gas poisoning of humanity from WWIII has taken the human race to the depths of insanity.) The United States has degenerated into a series of tribes within each state and a local Governor who theoretically answers to the President. (Congress and the Senate have degenerated into violent confrontations with the whole government reaching feudal levels of rule through power.) The earth has become an asylum for the madmen humanity has become.
The idea is a rather simple one, in that we are introduced to a new character who is hunting for Snake Plisken. Currently a global outlaw for his act of reducing the world to the state its in. When we finally meet up with snake again he's aged and grizzled from his time hiding out in Texas. Being confronted by the new guy, he's brought in. And here we think we are about to get the classic setup with them trying to get Snake to work for them as this new guy is being setup to infiltrate this place to secure the big macguffin a group of renegade scientists are working on. However, instead of trying to get Snake to help them, they simply sentence him to death. Our new guy busts Snake out, taking it upon himself to try and get snake to help. Snake naturally blindsides the guy and goes off on his own.
Snake finds his way into the scientists colony, which instead of being a dystopia is a seeming idyllic utopia. As they try to help Snake acclimate himself, he proves ever the contrarian. And it is here we learn their plan that the government is trying to stop. In order to give humanity an chance to survive, they have built a ship to the stars, one they believe will allow them to transport humanity into a golden age off world and allow them to rebuild anew. Humanity's last chance. Obviously, the government wants the same thing, but has a very different idea of WHO should be allowed to take this exodus. Snake wants no part of this garbage but he has no choice as when their operative was decommissioned, the government has decided to go in by force. Now Snake finds himself caught between the Scientists and the Government in a war to decide who has the right to Escape from Earth! (Yeah, I went there.)
The idea gives the opportunity to bring closure o the aged Snake character, and the various concepts set up in the first two movies of people being savage prisoners, and their wardens being no better. And come on, who doesn't want to give Kurt Russell one more chance to prove he's still a badass after all these years?
"Buckaroo Banzai Against The World Crime League"
YES! The long awaited sequel to the 80s cult classic that we were promised oh so long ago! And while we did get the ever enjoyable Big Trouble and Little China as a result, we still need this second outing of the ever entertaining cast of weirdos and Buckaroo himself.
This one starts off rather meta, being reintroduced to a newly recast Buckaroo Banzai and seeming to be a remake of the original as it retells the tale from the first movie, only much more "extreme" with a car chase and gun toting lectroids chasing the jet car during the test run, explosions everywhere, rediculous one liners. Buckaroo steps out of the car, takes his helmet off to reveal the new actor playing him and then... the footage is paused. A person begins to nervously try to point out it's unfinished footage and their still working on it, and we hear Peter Weller tell us he's not so fond of it to which the gentleman pitching the Buckaroo Banzai Movie tells him they can work out the kinks. The real Backaroo is interrupted by his entourage as they usher him out to his appointment. (Still not showing his face, only from behind.) During the long single take shot, Buckaroo is swarmed by various characters giving him all sorts of seemingly random information, he walks and signs documents and handles each calmly on his way to his appointment. Someone tries to kill him but he takes it in stride. Slowly it is revealed to be a press conference as he steps out before the clamoring gaggle of reporters and he is announced as "The President of the United States, Buckaroo Banzai". He steps up before the great seal and we are finally introduced to Peter Weller, face to face with the title of the movie being displayed.
Because, goddamn it, don't we deserve a president as awesome as a rock star scientist adventurer? Basically the movie is the final confrontation between Banzai and his arch nemesis Hanoi Xan, who naturally has some ridiculous global scheme. Natually, all the adventures they had in between would be referenced. (Such as Xan attempting to replace the former president with a clone double that resulted in them rescuing a Rawhide clone from Xan's clutches, enabling Clancy Brown to return as the vice president.) I'm honestly not too sure about the bulk of the movie as Buckaroo Banzai requires something that is outrageously ridiculous and clever while being straight faced and subdued in nature. But the notion of having President Banzai was too good to pass up!
"Army of Darkness II: Dead to the Future"
Yup. You read that right. The long awaited sequel to the ever favored cult classic Evil Dead series. Because, goddamnit, it's time.
We begin with a summary of the series thus far, told in dreamlike flashback by Ash. Remembering the taking of the potion at the end of Army of darkness. The Theatrical Ending of Army of Darkness plays with Ash kicking ass in the S-Mart. And then he jolts awake, still in the cavern. Thus comes a remake of the Director’s Cut Ending. A Bearded, older Ash, his hand rusted and solid, makes his way from the cave, wondering why he feels strange (older)… only to discover he slept too long! Ash sees the futuristic London post apocalypse.
And there you have the setup for the next Evil Dead. This time, it would be a Sci-Fi Horror movie as compared to AoD's Fantasy Horror trappings. With the older ash stranded in the far future and trying to find a time machine back while battling deadites and cyborgs and all sorts of silliness.
But the best part? Bruce Campbell playing the overly arrogant and self centered Ash as when he was younger, trying to deal with his "sudden" current pudgy, older Bruce Campbell body. It's setup right there in the story as an excuse to use the older Bruce AND play up the humor in a man over two decades older still acting like the young jackass and not being able to move as well and such.
THIS is the next Evil Dead I want to see, a continuation with that WONDERFUL alternate ending, not just more Ash and more deadites in another cabin. This series THRIVES on being stupidly over the top, so lets make a fucking Sci-Fi roller coaster of insanity. Have him battle pointless zombies to joke about the roliferation of the lesser undead, have him go to a space station to reference the terrible sci-fi entries like Jason X and Leprechaun in Space. Throw in cyborg deadites and other silliness with Ash being a blowhard and a coward and simultaneously being ridiculously badass. Give ash a new cybernetic hand that transforms or some such but he can never work quite right. And just let Bruce Campbell go nuts in his (Potentially) last outing as this legendary horror icon.
We NEED this movie Sam Raimi. More than the other too, or any possible remakes. THIS is a movie that NEEDS to be made.
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