Category Archives: Fantasy

Wrath Brings Out the Monsters in Us All

Posted on Sunday, February 26, 2012 by Robert Hood

With Jonathan Liebesman’s Wrath of the Titans — a sequel to the much-spurned Clash of the Titans –  about to be released upon us, a new, rather spectacular trailer has provoked the usual irrelevant internet complaints of “mythological” inaccuracy — … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Film, Giant Monsters, Trailers | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Visions of John Carter

Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2012 by Robert Hood

Back in the day I read pretty well all the science fantasy of Edgar Rice Burroughs, from Tarzan, through the Pellucidar series and the tales of Barsoom — Mars — with its scantily clad Princess. Inevitably those of my generation … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Film, Pictorial art, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

It’s Happening Again: A Backbrain Exclusive

Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 by Robert Hood

It happened before and now it’s happening again! Yes, from what is rapidly becoming the main enclave for the production of B-movie remakes, Franklin, Indiana, comes the news that the crapfest classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (US-1964; dir. Nicholas … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema of the Backbrain, Fantasy, Film, News, Remake, Robots | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lost with Monsters on a Mysterious Island

Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2012 by Robert Hood

A Backbrain Exclusive Lost Island [aka L'île: les naufragés de la terre perdue; The Island: Castaways of the Lost Island] is a new French adventure fantasy film from writer/director Olivier Boillot, released in mid-2011 in France and hopefully heading for … Continue reading →

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Old Fairy Tales Re-Told: Jack the Giant Killer

Posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 by Robert Hood

Having just watched the very excellent Norwegian found-footage giant monster film Trolljegeren [aka The Troll Hunter] (Norway-2010; dir. André Ovredal), which postulates the continuing existence of traditional trolls — straight from folktales, with bulbous noses and all — and an … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Fantasy, Film, Giant Monsters, Remake, Trailers | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Curse of the Phantom Shadow

Posted on Friday, October 21, 2011 by Robert Hood

An entirely understandable passion for 1940s pulp adventure/crime fiction culture has inspired filmmaker Mark Ross to undertake the always daunting task of making a movie of his own, intended to capture the style and aesthetic qualities of such influences as: … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Film, Independent film, Science Fiction, Superhero | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

News: The Dinosaur Project

Posted on Sunday, September 25, 2011 by Robert Hood

Billed as “the most exciting dinosaur action movie since Jurassic Park!”, The Dinosaur Project is a UK CGI-driven “lost world”-type adventure thriller. It’s directed by Sid Bennett, whose resumé includes the semi-fictional prehistoric TV documentary series, Prehistoric Park (2006) — in … Continue reading →

Posted in Dinosaurs, Fantasy, Film, Giant Monsters, Monsters in general, News | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Exclusive: An Invasion of Russian Spores

Posted on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 by Robert Hood

Maksim Dyachuk is a young independent Russian filmmaker. He’s virtually unknown in the industry worldwide, but that may change in the near future if ambition and talent have anything to do with it. Taking his cue from Gareth Edwards (who … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Film, Horror, Independent film, Monsters in general, News, Teaser | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Posted on Sunday, June 19, 2011 by Robert Hood

Laputa: Castle in the Sky [original title: Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta] (Japan-1986; dir. Hayao Miyazaki Reviewed by Robert Hood There is a distinctly steampunk — or perhaps more accurately retro, post-Industrial — aesthetic  to Hayao Miyazaki’s typically luminous fantasy anime, … Continue reading →

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Looks Like a Conan Movie to Me!

Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 by Robert Hood

Things have been busy lately, and I haven’t been able to keep the Undead Backbrain properly fed. Lots of good things coming soon, but in the meantime, there’s this newly released trailer for Conan the Barbarian (US-2011; dir. Marcus Nispel). … Continue reading →

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