Max Reload and the Nether Blasters

The so-called “Harbinger” has ambitions to subjugate the human race, because that is what super-villains do, but he is also a bit of a game-player, like Death in The Seventh Seal. His latest game of choice is the video game. He is using a notoriously unreleased cartridge game that a hardcore nerd like Max “Reload” Jenkins cannot resist. When his play-through goes viral, so does the virus to end all viruses in Scott Condit & Jeremy Tremp’s Max Reload and the Nether Blasters, which releases today on VOD.

Jenkins is a talented coder and gamer, but he drives his best friends Liz and Reggie crazy, because he can never play like a reliable team-member. Obviously, he is due for a lesson and the Harbinger will provide the impetus. Reload Jenkins is crazy about the ultra-retro Nether Dungeon franchise, so when a mysterious old man drops off a copy of the fabled unreleased sequel, he jumps at the chance to play it. It turns out there is a true Doomsday virus embedded in the code, which his hacker nemesis inconveniently spams out to the world. Those infected by it turn into glowing eyed zombies.

Fortunately, there is someone who understands what is going on. Eugene Wylder, the original creator of the Nether Dungeon game. Of course, he and Reload bicker like cats-and-dogs, because they are so alike. They might mess up the one chance to save the world, by beating the Harbinger at his own game.

Nether Blasters cleverly channels the spirit of 1980s video game movies like The Last Starfighter and WarGames, while bringing the game-play technology up-to-the-minute. For gamers, there is a good mix of old school and contemporary gaming, whereas science fiction fans will dig the 1980s nostalgia. The latter is reinforced by surprisingly endearing performance of Martin Kove (the Cobra Kai sensei in The Karate Kid), as Jenkins’ guardian grandpa.

There is also some 1990s nostalgia in the form of Kevin Smith playing the three friends’ boss at the videogame store, but that isn’t as much fun (yet, its still some of his most endurable work in years). For further geek cred, Wil Wheaton narrates an in-film documentary on the history of the Nether Dungeon game.

Joe Begos’ VFW

It is like Cheers, with attitude and veterans’ benefits. They aren’t getting any younger, but the patrons and staff can still fight as hard as they drink. Society is collapsing around this Veterans of Foreign Wars post, but the regulars still uphold standards of conduct. A pack of drug-crazed punks will learn that the hard way in Joe Begos’ VFW, which releases today on DVD (and is already available on VOD).

Nationwide, VFW posts are struggling because of the organization’s institutional difficulties recruiting veterans of Vietnam and later conflicts. However, Fred Paras and most of his cronies are ‘Nam vets. Doug McCarthy happens to be a Korean War veteran and Shawn Mason has freshly returned from the Middle East, choosing tonight of all nights to grab a beer at the VFW. He is a sharp-shooter—a talent that will come in handy.

The shots and salty talk are about to be interrupted by Lizard, a young street dweller, who stole a shipment of the designer drug “Hype” from Boz, the local gang-leader, to avenge her sister. Even though she rubs Paras and his comrades the wrong way, they still offer her shelter from Boz’s marauding “Hyper” hoards. Things will get bloody and tragic, but they still abide by a code of honor.

Although Assault on Precinct 13 is an obvious source of inspiration for this film, the attitude and razor-sharp dialogue is distinctively its own. This film respects veterans and demands the same of its audience. Of course, it is not exactly shy when it comes to gore either.

Bare Knuckle Brawler

Technically, they are both the victims and the perpetrators, but underground fighters do not make the rules and they reap little reward for their efforts. It is the criminal gangs promoting the fights that make all the money. A particularly nasty outfight is cutting through palookas like tissue paper, but they will mess with the wrong family of martial artists in Joe Gawalis’s Bare Knuckle Brawler, which releases today on DVD.

Joey Calderon was always the perfect son, following in the footsteps of his retired cop-sensei-father, Mike Calderon. Unfortunately, Steve Calderon was the family black sheep, but he is the only son their father has left after Joey is murdered by the fight-club gang he infiltrated. Of course, Steve is determined to bring Santo Ariza and his henchmen to justice, despite his father’s best efforts to dissuade him.

That is the tried-and-true premise of Knuckle in a nutshell. Granted, the narrative is not exactly overly complicated, but the fights scenes are impressively brutal. Yet, that arguably puts us a similar position to that of degenerate modern-day Coliseum spectators cheering for each death in the ring.

Frankly, Knuckle looks cheap and sub-professional. However, the greatest disappointment is the complete and baffling way the film under-employs Martin Kove (the mean-spirited Sensei Kreese in the Karate Kid/Cobra Kai franchise) as the Calderon patriarch. At least he gets to work with his son Jesse Kove, who portrays the ill-fated Calderon brother, while he is alive.