1606 - Dark Rising 2: Summer Strikes Back

I was invited to last night's premiere of this by one of the film's leads, Landy Cannon, at one of my favorite single-screen theatres in the city, The Royal.  First of all I have to say how impressed I was by the scale of this film - given that the first was clearly made on a limited budget it would appear that their fan base made it possible for this one to step it up a notch.  Now, to be honest, some of the effects still seemed very effecty, however there was a lot going on on the screen and handled pretty damn well if you ask me.  I'm not sure what happened during the course of the Dark Rising television series, but when we first meet Landy's character here he's no longer a sissy-ass-man, which I have to say I missed a tad - although that mantle is taking up quite well by scene-stealer Nug Nahrgang who had me laughing out loud a lot more than I expected.  This sequel steps it up a notch in knowing exactly what it wants to be - it has a far more consistent tone and it serves it well.  Little things like knowing that Summer *always* has to be as scantily clad as possible, and how they always manage to make that happen is a fun running visual gag.
If you're a fan of this series, this film is not going to disappoint.  For more casual filmgoers you'll love or hate this based on your ability to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

1605 - Dark Rising

Full disclosure, I know some of the people involved in this film, and the only real reason I checked it out (on Netflix!) is because I've been invited to the premiere tomorrow.  Now this type of film isn't normally my cup of tea, but I quite enjoyed it once it got rolling along.  I think the biggest issue that the film has is it's lack of consistent tone.  There's a fair amount of camp to it, but I personally think that it would have been a far stronger film if it really embraced the camp and took it a tad further.  Landy Cannon and Brigitte Kingsley are enjoyable and downright hilarious when they're really owning their characters, and on opposite ends of the spectrum, with Brigitte is taking things far too serious, and Landy when he's being a tad glib, or bringing up real-world problems amidst the chaos. 
The set-up you just have to go with as there are some red flags with it - but if you suspend your disbelief you'll be just fine.  This is clearly not everyone's cur of tea - but if you like your sci-fi with a bit of a wink then this might just be up your alley.  
Dark Rising