Wicked For Good

Oh thank God. I liked it way better.

Now that we've shed the schoolyard nonsense this is soooo much more up my alley. I would boil the plot down to the machinations of the Wizard against Elphaba in a tug of war over Oz, but it's way way more about the muddied complicated relationship between our two main characters. With Glinda really trying to come to terms with everything that went down last film and finding out when you get everything you want how unhappy you can still be, while Elphaba is kinda figuring out just how far she wants to go in her crusade while still trying to make her own place in the world and her relationship with Glinda. It's fairly riveting stuff truth be honest and investing to boot, and I'm quite happy to announce they barely even touch the Wizard Of Oz story as they should though it did crack me up how they jab at the transitional ownership of the Silver Slippers. This is really the movie to showcase for award season regarding Cynthia and Ariana's acting chops cause not only do they get to really belt out some songs but my God they can do soooo much acting with their eyes alone. In fact near the end I was like a hairbreadth away from having an emotional breakdown, because at a certain point that's not acting. That's Cynthia and Ariana loving each other so much and knowing the end is near, it's hard not to feel something at that moment. I don't need to tell you about their performances but I will say they got even better. Jonathan Bailey was good as ever, able to convey a lot of conflicted interest even without an abundance of screen time and once again the man just knows how to make my jaw drop and my face blush. No spoilers here by a long shot, but gotdamn that was...yeah. Jeff, I love you to bits Jeff, you were still kinda out there but you know what? It makes sense for the character and even though he's still a bastard I kinda still like him! Michelle really got to embrace that villain role and never did I ever think I could hate one of her characters, but man that's good writing and acting to make someone so detestable. Production values are still at their high standard but even I'll admit the scale didn't seem larger, which makes sense cause it is a more personal drama but the spectacle is still strong. Songs were still decent, I think if I had to pick one it's probably Elphaba's villain song just cause it's been 84 years since I've heard a villainous song so automatic win there! It did absolutely address the questions I had in my In Retrospect, answered other questions I didn't even ask in the first place, and gave me an ending that had more twists than a pretzel. Now the only thing left to do is watch the whole damn thing in one go to give my final words on it but that'll come at a later point. Hell if I get really lucky I may see the stage play itself, that would be rad! But all in all, it's a better film in my estimation and I'm happy to have went to see it. I give it 4 stars, 8.5/10, and that is it for this week. Next week will be busy with the holiday and super special plans of my own but I'll have hopefully one more new release for you before the abysmal season which shall not be named rears it's ugly head from the frozen depths of Hell. Halloween gods I beseech you to grant me strength and guide me through the brightly lit wastes.

In Retrospect: Wicked

Wellll I still enjoy it. Kinda.

Now, admittedly I feel like I was off my rocker putting this in my top 10 of last year cause I'm so split on it. Production wise, stellar, phenomenal, 10/10 visually! Story, oooh boy does it still grate on my goddamn nerves and I know the movie is saying a lot about prejudice, questioning authority, and simultaneously mocking and yet maybe encouraging popularity and shallow people. I get it, I understand it, still just seems like a slightly mishandled story considering you know...we're in the land of Oz. Allegory in fantasy is nothing new, but not every fantasy setting has to do it you feel me? It's really just the bitchiness and flat out bullying poor Elphie has to put up with, like girl I'd be sick of that too! Cynthia my darling, my beautiful star, I can confirm on repeated viewing your performance is still strong as a mountain and I can't honestly wait to see where it goes this Friday! Ariana still simultaneously drives me nuts and makes me laugh my ass off, I never really gravitated towards ditzy characters regardless of gender but Glinda for some reason just works for me so well. Will however state none of the songs really grabbed me second time around, closest we kinda got was Defying Gravity but you know that's our big fuck off emotional catharsis song so of course it has a higher standing, and I can practically hear the theater kids lighting their torches in the distance due to that remark to which I say unto you, we got a whole other movie that could change my mind so chill out. And yeah that's something I really gotta take into consideration, it's not a complete movie or experience until credits roll on Wicked For Good. And yes even despite my grumblings on the story and characters, I am strongly curious to see what could possibly come next. Like how much of the Wizard Of Oz will we retread? Will we see Elphaba become a much colder, darker, malevolent force? How the hell are the Silver Slippers gonna come into play cause as far as I know they belong to Nessarose and Dorothy has them by the time she returns to the Emerald City soooo are they really gonna kill off the protagonist's sister? It would be ballsy. So obviously I have interest still, I no doubt will see many pairings of black and pink, green skin and plain skin which is marvellous. Make movies events, you only live once. Did I friggin' call it or what on the whole costuming and production winning Oscar gold? I mean fuck the Academy Award's straight to hell you no film watching hack twats, but I love when I'm right (which is often)! I'm getting way off track here but you want opinions, you'll get opinions. So bottom line the production is more what keeps it at an 8/10 overall, if we judged purely on story this would actually be skirting a 6/10, but who the hell am I to talk? We gotta finish the damn movie first so I will see you at the movies!

Visions: Season 3

Japan you are a wild place.

I know, I knowwww, I'm late! I know! Life gets nuts and it still kinda is but it's about damn time we talk some Star Wars. So huzzah a third season of Visions has been unleashed with a blend of new, continuations, and whacked out insanity! It's still kinda hard to sum up all my thoughts for a series as eclectic and varied as this but needless to say I really loved it! Animation regardless of studio is gorgeous and has so much unique personality that goes beyond mere art styles, the voice acting in japanese was just what I expected and gave so much personality to new beloved characters, and the stories themselves for the vast majority were fun, inventive, and even heartfelt at times. Now I'll give you my top three favorites and believe it or not none of them are continuation stories! That's not a slam against them by any stretch, it was very nice to see an expansion on stuff like The Duel, The Ninth Jedi, and The Village Bride and those are tales worth exploring more. But let's start of with my maaaaaybe #1 pick of the season, with The Song Of Four Wings. Now can I even articulate why this was my most joyous favorite? Abso-friggin'-lutely NOT! I don't know if it's the art style, the imagery itself presented, the characters, the so cute I want to punch a dank farrik wall moments, I have zero clue! But goddamn did I love it! My second favorite was Yuko's Treasure solely based on the characters of Big Papa Bear BILY and Little Princess Yuko, they stole my heart and I have no intention of asking for it back, couple that with really good humor, some kinda heavy ass emotions that crushed my heart at moments, and a story I will gladly revisit in the future really was duking it out with The Four Winds as my favorite! Last but far far from least is The Bird Of Paradise, in my humble opinion a masterpiece of Star Wars storytelling concerning a padawan who gets Rahm Kota blinded in battle and goes on a spiritual journey with nothing but the Force as her ally, God fuck almighty this was an all timer episode with so much beauty, an emphasis on the Living Force something we hear so much about for us hardcore nerds but to see it visualized was kinda breathtaking, and at one particular point gave me goosebumps the likes of which I haven't felt in considerable time! I do feel like I honestly need to rewatch the whole thing cause for unknown reasons my ADHD mind was going ballistic (and still kinda is to an almost overstimulating degree, a very rare occurence in my life), but hey we had to write this thing eventually. I don't think the last episode helped, worst acid trip I have ever been on and I don't think I want to revisit that again for a good whiles. But another great season that has something for everyone even if you didn't suspect it at first. I give it a solid 3.5 stars, 8.5/10! Go check it out and hopefully I've calmed the hell down cause we are buckling in next week so stick around and may the Force be with you!

Frankenstein (2025)

I hope everyone sees this on the big screen.

It is well worth it I will fully admit and wow what a good adaptation! Like this was on my radar since it's announcement and I only wish I could have seen it sooner, but we're here now and I am so so happy. Now admittedly I haven't read the book in years, fun fact true fact this was the subject of the first ever book report I had to do in school and was recommended to me by my teacher, but now I feel even more enticed to read it again! So I can't fullheartedly say this is a flawless adaptation of the story but I can say it is a damn good re-telling. I like how the movie is split up into parts giving us a bit of backstory on Victor before he even attempts reanimation, then going into the real meat and bones of his work in a fairly quick pace, and then we shift to see his creation's story from his perspective. Oscar Isaac is on top form here, easily the best performance I've seen him give and if ever people didn't pick up on the subtleties of Victor being the truly monstrous figure this film will set it straight for you! He manages to capture that wide eyed manic genius, the manipulation and spurn, and the sorrow of what his work has done to his life, so he plays quite a gambit throughout! Jacob Elordi as the creature in the very first example of his acting I have ever seen was indeed the highlight, balancing more nonverbal acting with very eloquent and equally dramatic lines with so much heart that would make Boris proud. Mia Goth was an interesting choice for Elizabeth and indeed while she's not in the movie a great deal her characterization is what makes her so memorable, she has her own interests, is very outspoken, smacks Victor in his place on several occasions, and melts quite easily in the presence of a quote unquote monster which was very lovely to see. It's funny how no matter how much times have changed there's still this intangible attraction to monsters in cinema, which of course I'm a massive fan of. Those are our big players but the fact we get talent like Lars Mikkelsen, Christoph Waltz, and David Bradley in the secondary character department made me happy as hell regardless of their screentime and role. The visuals are shock of all shocks amazing, I know very hard to believe in a Del Toro film, but the period piece costuming and sets, the gothic lens we peek through from time to time, the snowy environments, it all lends to a very beautiful film! And it has certain little bits of visual DNA from the other versions of this story, the windmill from the 1931 film, the black trenchcoat and possibly the heterochromia eyes of the 90s Robert De Niro movie, the lab sets almost straight out of a Hammer film, it felt right at home. The movie has the heart needed for the subject material without question, it didn't make me cry but it got me close, it is an emotional tale at the core of it all and it doesn't get overdramatic but when it needs to go big it revels in the moment. All the effects work is so well done from the creature design, to the more gory bits, to the pyro it all is top notch stuff. I had a very good time with it and I know some people will get even more out of it than me without a doubt to which I say, party it up girls! Have fun with it, go see it if you haven't already, it's worth the runtime. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and next week we'll get back to one review but it's more catch up from me so stay tuned.

Predator Badlands

Okay that pretty much was what I was expecting!

I wasn't aware of a new Predator movie in the works til' I saw the trailer about 2 months ago, and considering last time I talked about this series was 2018 it's high time to see something new. And my God what an extraordinarily simple yet good story with a young inexperienced warrior named Dek who after some family drama takes up a hunt for a legendary indestructible beast, and while on a planet where it seems every aspect is meant to kill and maim he runs across a synthetic chatterbox named Thia who of course is on the planet for Weyland-Yutani purposes as they make a unlikely duo. What I vastly enjoy so much about it is because it's such a simple story, with not that extensive of a cast, and you get a fair bit of the the Yautja culture present with subtitles galore (Huzzah!), anybody can watch it knowing next to nothing about this series and still very much enjoy it! It's unapologetically sci-fi with a fair bit of cheese and silliness as is hard baked into the very genre, it's got a very good sense of humor, the action is shot well, the environments are unique as well as all the strange creatures, the director certainly had a distinct vision for what he wanted to do and in my opinion succeded! But I'm honestly not sure how it will perform, most movies I can view as sure fire hits or flagging bombs with relative ease but this is such an intricately different beast to where either it's gonna do decent and become a fan favorite over time...or just be too short and then become a fan favorite over time. It very much worked for me in all it's facets and is a fun science fiction adventure that I wouldn't mind seeing again! So sure fire recommendation in my book and I hope it gets some love cause they did do a very good job with it. 3 stars, 7.5/10 from me, and the monster mash isn't over yet!

Son Of Frankenstein

Talk about ending on a high note!

Even as a hardcore Universal Monsters fan this movie is a bit too good. I always think of this as the gold standard of the 40s Universal fare but it actually came out in 1939 taking a kinda sorta reboot to the series, with Wolf Frankenstein inheriting his late father's estate in a town that hates and fears him as he quickly discovers the famed monster of his father's creation who's being used as a tool of revenge. Damn near every single aspect of this production is leaps and bounds better than any of the other movies I've reviewed in this series and I don't even know how. The photography alone is so rich and dense, a lot of the German Expressionist style is showcased here, with every set bathed in dark shadows and unique shapes of light with stellar sets that may seem more on the minimalist side but doesn't detract from the production at all. The cast is honestly fantastic with such a well trained classical actor in Basil Rathbone that can take any bit of material and make it so strong with so much sophistication and class. The relationship between Wolf and the inspector Krogh played by Lionel Atwill might just be the most interesting part of the movie with the inspector at first being greeting and pledging service to aid the Frankenstein family yet slowly gets more suspicious and inquisitive as the movie progresses, and they have a wonderful moment of respect that speaks so much and honestly gave me goosebumps. Bela Lugosi as the "dead" fiend Ygor (yes you read it right) to many this is his crowning role even above the Count, and I do have to admit it shows his range of performances between the two but his Dracula is still my favorite, but he's effectively creepy and does indeed steal several scenes! What's funny is Boris Karloff doesn't show up for quite awhile and only is used sparingly yet even then is a worthy final appearance from him in the series as he would be recast and the monster would be played by several actors in the remaining Frankenstein films. What I greatly appreciate is the actors bounce off each other so well and they're always busy, this is not a two characters sit and talk kind of movie, they drink, play darts, roam the room, it's almost blocked like a stage play. In fact this is one of the longest Universal Monster movies pushing close to 2 hours so it never has to rush, and I dare say this would be an amazing stage play. The theatricality is baked thoroughly in every facet of the film and wouldn't seem out of place in the slightest. Like I'm truly astounded just how well crafted this film is made in every aspect, I mean it was a perfect storm of minds and performers that easily outshines the first two installments which are already incredible films and Bride was superior even to Frankenstein, so what a monumental trilogy. Hell the only other series I can say that have done the same is the Planet Of The Apes prequels, and George Romero's Dead trilogy off the top of my head. Biiiiig 4 glowing stars, 9/10 from me, we couldn't have went out on a better note. This, Black Sabbath, and In A Violent Nature were true standouts this season but we had a pretty damn good October all around I really have to say! It's a joy as always to talk horror and give out recommendations, and while it surely breaks my heart that another Halloween season is on the precipice of ending...we still have one more day don't we? I send out all my festive love and best wishes to the monsters, ghouls, trick & treaters as well as pumpkin eaters, and I hope to see you all very very soon on the other side.

The Invisible Man Returns

I actually could have sworn I reviewed this so many years back.

Nine years after Jack Griffin went insane through experiments on the visible spectrum, we follow a man named Geoffrey framed for murder who with the help of Jack's brother becomes invisible to achieve justice or revenge as the doctor desperately seeks a cure before the madness sets in, in this 1940 minor classic. This is a very well done sequel with enough links to the original but ultimately being it's own thing, you don't even have to watch the first film to follow it and enjoy it. Vincent Price before he became synonymous with the horror genre is our unseen lead and at first you might not be able to tell it's him since he went for a more american-lite accent and yet very much like Claude Rains can get so much emotion and fringing insanity through just his voice alone with not an awful lot of physical acting involved, though I will say his striking height helped accentuate his presence. The film's effects are much more complex and sophisticated in the seven year gap between productions to the point where I really was rather impressed and wondering how they achieved certain tricks, they no doubt used the same black velvet technique but the wire work is insane here and some shots go on for quite some time, no editing shortcomings to be had, so it's a strong improvement on a film that already had some groundbreaking effects. I like the relationship betwen Geoffrey and his love interest Helen, she's a real ride or die even when the mania starts to seep in she's stalwart in helping her man and even I couldn't believe the happy ending to this movie so hell yeah Nan. Usually the title monster bites the dust seconds before a The End in these Universal horror pictures so I'm a happy camper. You would think considering we see Jack Griffin's brother named Frank in this he would be the invisible man and would have a much bigger focus, but he's a solid supporting character racing against the clock to cure Geoffrey, and once again a real one willing to help in any way and you can tell he's rather conflicted with the idea of potentially having to kill his friend before he kills others, it's a solid performance. Of course it wouldn't be a 40s Universal Monster movie without Sir Cedric Hardwicke in there somewhere who despite being top billed isn't in it a great deal and I kinda wish he was considering his importance to the plot later. The visuals are decent, obviously they were workshopping more on the effects side but the sets, the woods, the costuming all still look on par with any other movies in this series but I would have loved to see more spooky atmosphere. In many ways I like it better than The Invisible Man and yet in the same vein as Star Trek it won't surpass the original's popularity and iconic presentation. It's a very good movie but undoubtedly a B-tier addition to the hallowed halls of classic movie monsters, so I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10, and I hope I saved the best for last as we conclude the whole Halloween season with the finale to the Frankenstein trilogy tomorrow.