Blue Beetle: There's constant chatter about "superhero fatigue" and if the genre is on the cusp of dying off or, at least, giving up its throne of box office dominance. While I think that it is only inevitable that their place at the top of the box office will give way to something else, I don't think that the genre is necessarily going the way of the dodo. I think instead that people are just tired of the formula and mostly the origin story. Which is a long-winded way of saying that Blue Beetle was perfectly fine. And that's kind of the problem. It's "perfectly fine" translates into a sheen of generic superhero shenanigans that fail to anchor itself in any real emotions. The jokes aren't bad, but they don't land well enough to get more than a chuckle and, frankly, there was just too many characters to properly develop any of them beyond broad sketches, including our lead, who is likeable but the movie is so overstuffed that he gets lost in the plot. I will say that the costume looked pretty darn good in comparison to how it could have been. And, honestly, they did do a good job working in the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle into the story, even down to a comics accurate costume, a box of his favorite cookies left at his computer (Oreos in the movie, but named "Chocos" in the comics), AND we did get his ship, which was awesome. But once again, completely overstuffing the movie to the detriment of character development.
All that being said, I liked the movie well enough, but it also highlights the need for superhero movies to either innovate more in plot or be able to find a way past the origin story. Grade: C
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Oh, man. I believe I've posted about this before on the forum, but I have officially tapped out after the second season. I think that the first season was really good, but by the time I finished the second season I felt like the train had gone off the rails. I'd really like to hear your thoughts once you finish the second season.Originally posted by sholloman81 View PostLeave a comment:
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Finally got around to watching the first season of Yellowjackets. Glad I gave it a try as I thought it was fantastic. Loved the dueling timelines, and all of the actors were fantastic. Definitely haven't seen many shows like this on television. Will probably give season 2 a try soon. Am hoping that there isn't a noticeable decline in quality.Leave a comment:
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Man, I'm behind on posting these two, but I figured better late than never.
Halloween Horror Movie #14: THE BLACKCOAT'S DAUGHTER
This was a re-watch for me and I recalled being really impressed with the film when upon the initial viewing, but I think that the movie plays even better the second time around. Oz Perkins's tale about the creepy events surrounding two girls that are left behind in their boarding school over winter break relies mostly on atmosphere and the slowly building sense of dread. Couple that with a dash of editing time jumps (especially those during a pivotal reveal) can make the viewer focus on trying to figure things out versus let it wash over them, but on a second viewing with all of the guessing of what's going on out of the way (even though that is fun), I was just struck on how well-crafted the film was and how perfectly restrained Kiernan Shipka's performance is. The film is not for everyone (and it wasn't really for my wife), but those that appreciate these slow burns, it is a compelling film.
Grade: B+ (Watched on Blu-Ray, also streaming on Netflix)
Halloween Horror Movie #15: TALK TO ME
I had heard all kinds of buzz surrounding this film, the latest horror offering from A24, and was rather keen to check it out, saving it for the prestigious Halloween night slot (plans went sideways and we didn't get to watch it until November 1st, but I'm still counting it, darn it!). The film follows Mia, a teenage girl whose mother had committed suicide a couple years prior, who joins her friend and her friend's younger brother at a party where a severed, embalmed hand is used as a gateway to allow people to be possessed by the spirits of the dead. Mia allows herself to be possessed and then things go sideways. The first half of this movie is absolutely fantastic. There's an interesting amount of world-building, the effects used when a person is possessed are creepy and the possessions juxtaposed next to the rambunctious teenagers watching all this as if it is just a gag is unsettling. The premise is also an interesting metaphor for drug abuse. And when that violence hits, it really hits. Unfortunately, the second half seemed to muddy the mythology's waters quite a bit leaving me a little confused as to how each haunting element led to the next, taking me out of the film. Since a prequel was purportedly filmed concurrently with this one and a sequel also on the way, I'm sure more of the mythology is going to get ironed out. The first half was so solid that my grade is mostly based off of that.
Grade: B (Watched on Blu-Ray)Leave a comment:
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My son has been crazy about the games for years, so we took him to see it last week. He loved it (He's since watched it again on Peacock), and I thought it was a lot better than I was expecting. Sadly, it was a LOT better than any of the Horror films I've seen in theaters this year (The new EXORCIST and INSIDIOUS films, along with a few others I've mercifully forgotten....). If you have Peacock, you can see it for free, so give it a try, if you're interested.Originally posted by Ben Staad View PostLeave a comment:
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Man, I actively hated SMILE. The contrast of my response to the movie versus the general consensus was so marked that I began to think I had been burned out on horror movies.Originally posted by Ben Staad View PostLeave a comment:
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The covers to DOLLS just used to freak me out. I've never seen the movie and, in fact, I think the only film I've seen by Gordon, not counting his two episodes of Masters of Horror, was EDMOND, which I remember liking when I first saw it, but don't know if I could vouch for it now. I have a blu of RE-ANIMATOR on the To Be Watched shelf, but it's been there for years at this point.Originally posted by sholloman81 View PostLeave a comment:
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Watched Stuart Gordon's "Dolls" for the first-time last night. Enjoyed the heck out of this one and am annoyed that I waited so long to see it. It really does feel like a horror fairytale. It has such a good horror-tonal feel to it from the setting to the sounds, and the look of the characters. You can tell that every last dollar ended up on-screen and that it was a blast to film. This movie really should have been a hit. Perhaps the Child's Play films took the wind out of this one which is a shame as they really are going for different things plot-wise and tonally. The ending also leaves it open for a sequel which I'm surprised never happened, especially as they do that to death now. Gordon really does these sorts of low-budget horror films as well as anyone and should have been a bigger name. Would love to have seen what he could do with a real budget, but perhaps that would have killed the charm/spirit of his productions.Leave a comment:
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Have no desire to see this movie and had no idea it was based on a videogame which cements it further for me. Just something about the look of the film that turns me off. Glad to see that perhaps my bias is justified!Originally posted by Ben Staad View PostLeave a comment:
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Five Nights at Freddies...
Well it was a movie which was too long. It was okay, a little empty, but decent enough. I think if they trimmed this down by 30 minutes I would have been much happier.
2 out of 5 stars.
There really isn't much to discuss with this one. A lot of head scratchers, assumptions, and lack of info lead to a miss. On a side note I have no idea about the video game this movie was developed from.Leave a comment:
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Finished up Smile after 2-3 days of watching on and off.
This was a big miss for me. There were ideas, scenes, and cinematic moments which were very good however they were all ruined by how the wrapped this one up. The ending was not ironic, smart, and did not contain an ounce of creativity. It honestly felt like the writer(s) just gave up and mailed it in.
The writer(s) should have at least taken a cue from Fallen.
1 out of 5 stars for me.
Leaving here in a few to go watch Five Nights at Freddies. I have no clue what I'm getting into with that one but will report back. A PG-13 horror movie likely doesn't have much teeth.Leave a comment:
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Thank you for all those deep dives into the horror genre. So many interesting sounding films which I had never heard of before.Leave a comment:
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Typically for our Halloween viewing, we have a rule that at least one of us has to not have seen the film for it to be included in the viewing, but this year, or the day before Halloween, we decided to break that rule and pick two of our favorite horror movies to revisit.
Halloween Horror Movie #12: LAKE MUNGO
Released back in 2008 as part of the fourth year of After Dark Film's mostly forgotten "8 Films to Die For" series, this film just silently disappeared from sight. While it definitely was probably one of if not the best movie of all the After Dark films (though I do remember quite liking Dread), it did not quite fit into their mold. While most of the films were more in-your-face, Lake Mungo is the a low-key, quiet ghost story of a horror film. Presented as a documentary about the Palmer family's experiences after their daughter Alice mysteriously drowns at while swimming on an outing with her family. What happens is a winding trail of how a family both uncovers what was going on her with the teenage Alice before her death, but also how they work their way through their own grief. What makes the movie work so well is that it feels like a documentary. The film is mostly talking heads and their are not huge bouts of histrionics. Just a slow, deliberate pace and the creeping dread of the potential supernatural happenings. It's a movie that doesn't cheat the viewer and it's chills are not generated by jump scares, but by slow lingering reveals. I absolutely love this movie. It's a shame that the director has not done one since. Highly recommended for those that love their horror more on the quiet side.
Grade: A (Watched on DVD, but also streaming on Shudder)
Halloween Horror Movie #13: THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE
When I walked out the screening the first time I say this film at a festival, I was convinced that this would HUGE. This film about a father-and-son coroner team that has to determine the cause of death of physically unblemished corpse at a bloody crime scene only to find themselves way over their heads just worked for me on every level. All the characters are likeable, the hook is interesting, the mystery is involving, the scares work, and just overall, it is a fun rollercoaster ride of a film. Suffice to say I was a little bummed when it only did like $6 million at the box office. Maybe it needed a lot more of marketing push to get people into the seats or maybe my taste just runs counter to popular opinion. Either way, I never felt like the film got enough love, even though it seems to have found a second life on DVD/streaming. Man, I really like this film.
Grade: A (Watched on Blu-Ray, but also streaming on Shudder and, I believe, Hulu)Leave a comment:
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