We Came from the Basement

Believe it or not, there are real superheroes out there trying to make the world a better place for everyone to live in. They have costumes and secret identities and even some not-so-cool gadgets to help them fight crime. Yes, one can argue anyone who puts on a costume and ventures out to deliver justice has a screw or three loose, and that's one of the many points touched on in the HBO documentary Superheroes. Does this look into the lives of real superheroes inspire, or is it little more than a depressing excuse to drink some beer? Stick with us! Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. We'll be back in The Basement and back on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops in October for all new episodes with season four.

The end of a season, the end of an era. The latest edition -- and the last regular-season outing until October -- also marks the final episode of Film Reviews from the Basement as we know it. Welcome, Basement Dwellers, to the first episode of We Came from the Basement. With a new name comes the opportunity to expand The Basement in new directions while adhering to what fans, and the Basement Dwellers, love. Anything is possible now, and by the time the boys return to The X this fall, the hope is some of the possibilities will be a reality. But there is still the next hour to get through -- an hour that explores the dark side of humanity with a pair of foreign thrillers that have phasers set to kill! First is the British hitman thriller Kill List, then the Basement Dwellers take on the acclaimed Korean serial-killer-action-horror movie I Saw the Devil. How does the combination work for Jason and Shawn? Stick with us! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Fans know by now that it doesn't take much to get the Basement Dwellers into a movie. Some boobs, blood and a hottie or three and these guys are pretty much a guaranteed show. So it's no surprise they have the old-school monster movie Creature on the chopping block this eve. How old school? The monster is played by a man in a suit. Take that, CGI! And the hotties who become prey to said low-tech beast are Serinda Swan and Lauren Schneider. But, in the case of Creature, is a guy in a rubber costume and a couple of scantily clad babes enough to keep the Basement Boys interested for 90 minutes of so? Stick with us! Then the Dynamic Duo of Crap Cinema turn their attention to a supernatural scare film that's actually getting good buzz in the horror community: Absentia. Mike Flanagan's tale has won oodles of awards and been called "haunting and beautiful" by Arrow in the Head. Now it's Jason and Shawn's turn to weigh in. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

There's something about the title 2-Headed Shark Attack that demands the film be watched. Not unlike a witness to a train wreck, one slides the Blu-Ray into the player, sits down, thumbs play on the remote and commences dying inside. The latest offering from The Asylum stars none other than Carmen Electra in a tale of college kids terrorized by the titular two-headed beast. Just how bad can a 2-Headed Shark Attack be? Stick with us! And because the boys are gluttons for pain, they've chosen the almost impossible to pronounce Robotropolis as their second film on the chopping block. This hybrid of Terminator and Westworld promises to be a gory, roboriffic good time. As good a time as 2-Headed Shark Attack? There's only one way to find out. Add music, stir with a segment called Movies That Never Should Have Been Made, and chill with movie news and this sounds dangerously like the makings of a podcast. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

From out of the cinematic basement and onto the big screen, the 16th Kamloops Canadian and International Film Festival has plunged into a dark realm of B-grade movie entertainment with the inaugural Dark Fest, a loving tribute to the frightful side of cinema. To do so, the gentle Kamloops Film Festival Committee turned to Jason and Shawn to host this gruesome event! The Basement Dwellers looked deep into the darkest corner of The Basement to find four films guaranteed to thrill, chill, frighten and possibly offend audiences at TRU's Clocktower Theatre March 9 and 10. And these four films -- Hobo With A Shotgun, Deaden, Skew and Some Guy Who Kills People -- are reviewed for your ear holes on this special edition of Film Reviews from the Basement! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Action speaks louder than words in The Basement this week as the boys take a break from horror and dive into the realm of the action/thriller. First up, The Basement Dwellers take a trip into the gritty New Orleans underbelly with Sinners and Saints. Martial artist turned actor Johnny Strong stars as a troubled cop who sets out to solve a series of murders only to stumble onto something much bigger. Sound like a bunch of 1980s action films? Sure. Do we care as long as shit blows up? No. What do Jason and Shawn make of this little seen action flick? Stick with us! And hang tough for the second film of the episode: Texas Killing Fields. The thriller holds a special place in The Basement Dwellers' hearts as its the first film they were invited to a screening of. Sure, they weren't able to attend, but it's the thought that counts. Toss in some music and the latest Game Time With Greg and you've got a podcast! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Modern/Retro 50s Night Vol. 1 is one of the most successful episodes of our fine radio show/podcast, and the only way we could think of topping it was to interview writer/director Christopher R. Mihm's favourite leading lady: Shannon McDonough! Not only does Shannon provide some great insight into the love and hard work that goes into making these micro-budget movies, but she talks about what it takes to be a working actress outside of Hollywood. It's a great 20-minute conversation whether you're in show business or not. In addition to Terror from Beneath the Earth, Jason and Shawn tackle Mihm's very first film, The Monster of Phantom Lake, all the while keeping in mind that these are looooowwwwww budget films intended to capture the look and feel of Basement Cinema from a bygone era. Do they hold a candle to cheesy classics like Them and The Blob? Stick with us! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

When it comes to horror, women tend to get noticed more for the work they do in front of the camera than behind it. Not so with Jen and Sylvia Soska. The Twisted Twins of Vancouver started out as child actors before making the transition to stunt work and eventually a disappointing turn in film school. Frustrated, the twins set out to make their first feature film. They called it Dead Hooker in a Trunk, made it on a low budget, and the rest is history. The Basement Dwellers not only review Dead Hooker on this episode, but air a feature interview with Sylvia and Jen. It's a 20-minute chat every film fan and aspiring filmmaker needs to hear. The boys also level the executioner's axe at a little-know horror flick called Choose starring Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick. Does it end badly for her, or does the latest horror heroine win the day? Stick with us! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

The luck of The Basement continues for Jason and Shawn as writer/director Chris Witherspoon hits them up for a review of his film Rage. And The Basement Dwellers have recruited the help of The X's Cory Hope to do so. Witherspoon was inspired by 1970s thrillers like Duel when he crafted this story of a cat and mouse game between a suburban thirtysomething and a mysterious biker. Does the outcome appease our Basement duo, or is Rage just something to get mad at? Stick with us! And don't step away as the trio turn their attention to Tales of an Ancient Empire, the not-so-long-awaited sequel to Albert Pyun's early 80s fantasy hit The Sword and the Sorcerer. Sure, no one cared if it got made, and it stars Kevin Sorbo, but it's still worth watching. Right? Throw in some songs and movie trailers that suck and you've got an hour well spent. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

This episode is a milestone of sorts for Jason and Shawn. For the first time in Basement history the films on the chopping block are being reviewed at the request of the filmmakers themselves. First up is Seve Schelenz's horror feature Skew, which has screened at more than 40 film festivals worldwide. The Basement Dwellers will tell you if this found footage film is deserving of the attention it's received. Then the boys turn the axe on the first short film ever reviewed on the show: Familiar. Is it 24 minutes of gruesome terror? Stick with us! And you've got to stick around for the long awaited conversation between our favourite scream queen, Brooke Lewis, and Jeremiah Kipp, the winner of our Win A Chat With A Scream Queen contest, a new review from Mike S and a major announcement about that film festival the boys keep talking about. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Josh Hammond is no stranger to the big screen, having drawn up a laundry list of film credits in features like The Tripper, Black Cadillac, Scorcher and the horror sequel and Basement fave Jeepers Creepers 2. Josh recently wrapped production on the new mob comedy Aqua Caliente, which he also co-wrote and produced, and he's dropped by The Basement to talk about it. We guarantee this is a conversation no Basement Dweller wants to miss! And Josh is excited that he gets to swear on Canadian radio. Jason and Shawn also have reviews of Jean-Claude Van Damme's latest action flick, Assassination Games, and the modern action/horror retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story Red: Werewolf Hunter. Are these movies Damme good or just damned? Stick with us! Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Everyone likes a good ghost story. Maybe it's the thought of something watching you that you can't see. Or maybe a good ghost story plays on the fear that our home might be haunted too. Whatever the reason, Jason and Shawn have a couple of ghostly tales to entertain you with tonight. The Innkeepers is directed by acclaimed horror director Ti West, who helmed The House of the Devil and Cabin Fever 2. He's a restrained filmmaker who knows how to craft a slow-burn scare. The Amityville Haunting is yet another found-footage thriller care of those fine craftsmen of crap cinema, The Asylum. Which one of these films fares better by Basement standards? Stick with us! And don't you dare push pause until you've heard the latest edition of Game Time With Greg and the four new songs selected for your listening pleasure. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 3 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

Jason and Shawn are back in The Basement in more ways than one! Not only do they tackle Melissa George in the Scottish thriller A Lonely Place To Die and The Asylum knockoff 11-11-11, but they also recap for you their thoughts on Grave Encounters and Julia's Eyes. Four reviews for the price of one! Why? Regular listeners know there's a missing episode of Film Reviews From the Basement, and we'll let you know why during the next hour and fill you in on how it will never happen again. Stick with us! And stick around for The Basement Dwellers' thoughts on the worst movie kills of all time and some new music for your ear holes. Listen to us almost live Fridays at 9 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca.

The second half of the season kicks off with the return of our first ever guest in The Basement -- John Fallon. An actor, writer, director and unashamed Habs fan, John is probably best known as The Arrow, head honcho for the website Arrow in the Head. On this episode, John talks about his role in the upcoming French horror flick Dead Shadows and the plethora of other film projects he's putting together. Sadly, poor sound quality on the part of The X rendered Jason and Shawn's reviews of Grave Encounters and Julia's Eyes inaudible. Tune in next Sunday for a regular episode of Film Reviews From the Basement, and a few words on Grave Encounters and Julia's Eyes. Their written thoughts on these frightful films can be found at filmreviewsfromthebasement.blogspot.com! Stick with us!

Last season Jason and Shawn recommended two movies as required viewing before death -- Enter the Dragon and Running Scared. Now the boys are back with a double dip of must-see entertainment . . . with a twist! Sure, many regard Groundhog Day as a comedy classic and one of Billy Murray's best efforts. Such a recommendation makes sense. But Alien 3000? The same Alien 3000 Jason and Anthony Michael Bosa claim to be the worst movie ever made? Really? Stick with us! And keep listening for a guest review from Moe Porn of Drunk on VHS, some songs for your listening pleasure, and the ultimate geek Christmas presents. We are back on the air Friday Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops and www.thex.ca.

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