Escape from New York (1981)

I could lazily sum this one up in a single phrase; "Snake Plissken is a badass." But such a dirty deed would be overlooking the other great features of this fantastic film and offer very little analysis of this action-packed, vision of the future as told by John Carpenter. I realize how hard sarcasm is to read, some I'll go with another single yet contradictory phrase; "This movie is awful."

This is what happens when a director makes a poor transition from horror to action/adventure. Escape from New York excels at displaying campy, speechless events, tied together by the improbable actions of a protagonist, who all other supporting characters worship and get past obvious flaws of when he gets out of line. That being said, it's a highlight of awesomeness that Kurt Russel can imitate with nothing more than a piss-poor attitude (which he's been known to display off camera) and an eye patch. I honestly cannot see how this film is credited for being such a huge inspiration for director Robert Rodriguez, aside from its visual deviance for an early '80s action flick. Oh, and did I mention the guy who did the voice of Chef from South Park is in this?

Jeepers Creppers (2001)

Seemingly typical, this one definitely didn't catch my eye around the time of its release. It struck me as one of the millions of horror movies destined for cheap scares and other qualities I need not mention. Such expectations would lead most to look towards it's make-up with apathy towards the characters, random guessing as to who the masked man dumping bodies is, and the expectation of truly shitting acting that doesn't transcend beyond attractive men and woman who look good while being chased and can also let out a decent scream. Oh man, was I wrong.

Our main victims are Justin Long and Gina Philips, who introduce a different relationship to horror cinema. They're not boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife, or some random fling worthy enough to scream in despair while they witness the other being chopped to pieces. They're brother and sister. I make note of this because not only does it rule out the concept of a love interest completely, but also builds up horrific elements of the film more than "The Creeper" himself. Rather than spending the intro laughing blissfully and making sexual gestures towards one another, they're poking fun and bickering with each other like siblings do best. An extra layer of comedy is added, as snide remarks under the guise of brotherly love make for great raunchy humor. Rather than the audience artificially feeling for their relationship as a couple, we witness their demise after Trish basically tells her brother to drop dead. What happens to them touches more of the wrong-doing towards a family member, instead of two "hotties" with obvious deficiencies running into a terrible stroke of bad luck.

Like most horror movies that introduce an unknown entity that freightens (or intrigues) the audience more than the human characters' perspective, Darry and Trish are the main focuses of the film. However, it's the monster that really steals the show here. Every scene featuring the creeper or an extension of him was executed with top-notch cinematic efficiency. One example would be the use of brightened pastel colors to represent the desolate yet warm feeling countryside, bright-green grass and pink houses included. Then plot devices like the old rusted truck driven by the strange creature as it tries to run Trish and Darry off the road has a much more compelling presence. Their reactions in the scene are pushed to a small perk, while director Victor Salva focuses on the environment he's obviously put his share of work into, without being overbearing. Simply put, it feels like the beginning of a really bad dream. This scene occurs very early in the film, and charts a path for the overall direction of the film, which helps show the true intention of the creature in a very unique way. For those who haven't seen it, the movie is indeed called Jeepers Creepers for a reason. The allusion to eyes, creative direction, better-than-most acting and constant intrigue in the film's monster make Jeepers Creepers one of the best low-scale monster movies I've seen. Don't overlook this one, there's more to it than meets the eye (sorry, couldn't help it).

Afro Samurai (2007) / Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2009)

To think, there was a brief moment in time (which faded almost instantly) where Spike TV followed in the footsteps of a younger MTV, by attempting to draw in a less popular teenage crowd. No, I'm not saying they bought old seasons of The Real World, I'm talking about their animated line-up which featured shows like Striperella and brand new (yet god awful) episodes of Ren & Stimpy. These days you might find such shows lurking around the internet, probably available to watch for free. It actually stuns me that among these "magnificent" aforementioned titles that Afro Samurai was the only one to achieve life after the death of their more maturely rated cartoons.

Afro Samurai has your typical Samurai-esque script with a touch of skitzophrenia, added with high-priority sex appeal, extreme violence and squirting blood, all in the light of an urban/futuristic/fuedal japanese world where the only black person in sight is kicking all kinds of ass. The story follows Afro, a samurai out for revenge against his father's killer who just so happens to possess a headband which bestows the wearer with the title of "baddest mother fucker in the world" or as the show says, the No. 1 whom shall rule the world. On his journey, he meets some relatively interesting characters from his past, along with some new faces who are voiced by actors like Ron Perlman, Kelly Hu and Lucy Lui. Sounds like Samuel L.'s idea of a wet dream finally came to life in five episodes and a movie that tends to beat a dead horse that didn't gallop too well in the first place.

What Afro Samurai does have, however, is some of the best animation ever seen on an American TV. Characters' movements flow smoothly like water and like the blade of a samurai, cut through all the dull plot-driven portions of the series. The voice actors are also on top of their game, as Jackson's portrayal of Afro and his grey-haired, outspoken sidekick (which the show hints at as being apart of Afro's imagination) is pretty well balanced. Perlman is awesome too, as usual.

Jackson's overzealous animated series/direct-to-DVD feature might be considered cutting edge, but lacks creativity and at times can almost seem like a waste of perfectly good Japanese animators. Even when their sweat is already so inexpensive.