Ghost: 2 Big To Rig

A bit early for a satanized Sunday but no matter!

My lord if Black Sabbath ever got a film that would complete my holy trinity of bands, Ghost and Violent Vira of course being the other two. I was happy as a clam going to the cinemas to see the Skeletour, and as any good reviewer would I did my research keeping up with the Ghoulbanger's Ball on Youtube and hearing all the buzz from fans on the Twitter when the tour was ongoing so I was pretty stoked! Not disappointed at all, got to see the new Papa, a new era, and met some very nice fans one of which gifted me a ribbon with a pendant which I'm wearing with pride as I write. I was smiling like a huge dork the whole time and I very much appreciated the behind the scenes tidbits we got sprinkled in between the live set in Mexico City. Speaking of which I knew Mexico City was THE place to shoot the film cause they fucking bring it and it was actually very touching seeing a little tribute to not just the city but the multitude of fans in attendance. True I may have been a broke bitch and couldn't see the band live but it still was wonderful to see everyone who did. Needless to say the performances themselves were grand and any interaction with Papa was a highlight, the man just hits my funny bone constantly (hey hey) and the ghouls particularly our hunky Storm and our breathtaking ghoulettes Cirrus, Aurora, and Azura are my personal favorites. I did expect more songs from Skeletà but we get a healthy variety from all the albums with the standout songs being Satanized, Mummy Dust, and Dance Macabre for my money's worth. Massive love to the stage set up with digital backdrops, pyro, and a 7-ton grucifix light emplacement hovering above, they clearly went apeshit and it makes for a visually dazzling display to say the least! The only thing I didn't like is it was over too quickly, and indeed it is shorter than Rite Here Rite Now but that had plot to it and while we don't get anything here it won't deduct points. There's a lot of love and appreciation found within and I can safely say I'm happy with it and am waiting for a physical release. I loved it, I had a wonderful time, and fingers double crossed I can experience it firsthand in the future. 4 stars, 9/10, and that does it for this month but next week we have some tributes to give. If you have ghosts, you have everything...

Coyote Vs. Acme

Finally.

I'd like to thank everybody who made this theatrical release possible, as someone who was keeping tabs on this production and can firmly say go fuck yourself on your tax write offs WB, I'm happy to report this was indeed a good movie! It pretty much is as the tin says, the Coyote after decades of fruitlessly chasing the Roadrunner with faulty tech sues the Acme corporation as the film follows down and out attorney Kevin Avery who literally rises to the bar to expose the corporation. And it has my heart till the end of time for a ruthless and scathing view of companies, corporations, politicians, and all around scumbags who can eat shit and die while still crafting a highly enjoyable and indeed funny film. I have always loved the Coyote and the love has only grown since walking out of the cinema, they got this character down pitch perfect in every way, maintaining the silent comedy even in the midst of all this other story. Will Forte is a solid lead and given the fact he has to act opposite a character that isn't there does a decent job, and has quite good comedic timing to add to the plethora of Looney Tunes characters. Lana Condor was kinda my shining star throughout bringing a lot of energy and even positivity to the mix as the true supporter for Kevin and sure knows her stuff when it comes to law. And in terms of the toons if you're any kind of hardcore fan you'll be seeing actually more of the obscure and less popular characters than the big main stars. Sure you get Bugs, Daffy, Taz, Foghorn Leghorn, and Porky but the side characters get more frequent screentime that adds to the world. Though I do find it hilarious all these famous cartoon characters are found around Albuquerque, New Mexico. For a film a notch over 90 minutes it kinda surprised me how quick we got to the first court scene, it really doesn't waste your time but it's not a 12 Angry Men situation where you're stuck in the court. There's plenty of breaks and investigations with that classic Looney Tunes comedy which again they handled super well. It's a very funny film and got a few big laughs out of me and it seemed the theater I was at was digging it too. The pacing was solid, I was kinda shocked near the end how they handled the verdict but a film of this caliber ain't gonna end on a sour note and as a fledgling anarchist seeing the Coyote explosively respond to the Acme higher ups brought such joy to me. I very much enjoyed this movie and hope it endures great success and praise, may not be one of the greatest movies of all time but damn good nevertheless. I give it 3 stars, 8/10, now if only we could get that Batgirl movie out into the world then I could feel that justice for all isn't just words.

The End Of Oak Street

No matter how old I get, dinosaurs are still cool.

Okay, not bad! Admittedly when I saw the trailer for this movie I didn't really know what to expect besides basic plot, through mysterious occurences a neighborhood is thrust into a prehistoric world where a family must survive in a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and that's an original plot enough to grab my attention. Credit where credit is due they treat the subject material as real and as serious as a heart attack, like I don't think a lot of the reactions and reasoning are far off from natural and it digs into the drama of the family unit just a little bit with enough to get you invested. Anne Hathaway is put through the wringer with this whole ass ordeal even before the strange lights in the sky herald a new age, but she's a committed parent and not a half bad shot with a rifle so she had my support with a rock solid performance. Ewan my man my handsome devil of a man had my heart, as a dad who may not be one for confrontation but has undeniable love for his kids and despite some rocky terrain with his missus pulls through in a very unexpected way. Maisy Stella is very much the emotional crux of the film for me with little moments spread throughout where she's just grappling with the situation and seeing her help people where she can made her a shining light in a somewhat grim movie. Christian Convery despite some elements of his story that I feel was left on the cutting room floor is a tremendously convincing teen without being a wiseass, and of course he has a dog in this for emotional weight so what fun. In terms of the dinosaurs I do believe this is the first film I've seen where they are more scientifically accurate at least in terms of appearance, they still look great and I'm never one to deny scientific fact but it's hard to shed 30 years of being told this is what a dinosaur looks like. Regardless they still have an imposing almost non-stop dominion over the film, it did kinda make me laugh just how many carnivores they encounter with like maybe three herbivores, like man the odds are so stacked against them! And this might aggravate the piss fire out of some people and maybe I'm wiggling my toes a little deep in the spoiler pool, but I actually loved the fact they never explain why the shit any of this is happening. Not a hint, not a statement. Is it aliens? Maybe. Is it some futuristic science experiment? Beats me! Either way someone is seriously screwing with the space-time continuum. I will also say if you're going in this to see people get munched on and torn to shreds you will be somewhat disappointed, it's pretty much a drama film but a very good drama film that just so happens to have feathered beasts in tow. It could have very easily been this mad rush adventure or survival action movie but it did something completely different and for that it has my immense respect. I give it 3 stars, 7/10, and we really do not have much left for the month to be real so I shall return in time, and God help me when September rolls around.

The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms

It just so happened we have another Harryhausen flick so soon, and a pretty good one at that!

It's been closer to 20 years that The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms or as it is identified in the movie a Rhedosaurus has been on my radar, and is one of the shining stars of Harryhausen's creations. And I gotta say even in the tried and true fashion of a monster movie where the monster isn't in it all that much, I was kinda surprised how invested I got in the human story. We start off kinda atmospheric and uneasy in the arctic as a hydrogen bomb is being tested, and maybe it was the pretty solid sets or the kinda doomy narrator voice but it really pulled me in! And of course in 50s B-Movie style atomic weapon equals giant monster, not of a mutated variety but a thawed out dinosaur from the Mesozoic era who slowly but surely makes his way from the Arctic Circle to New Yark Citah! But like I said the human story is interesting enough to keep you engaged with one of the arctic scientists who witnessed the monster deemed crazy and has to sway a paleontologist to prove it's existence and moreso how to stop the rampaging beast. Speaking of which, everytime this creature is on screen is instantly memorable even if you haven't seen the movie you know the lighthouse scene, the city rampage scene, and maybe even the ending. A very simple yet excellent design that is beautifully animated, seeing this thing smash buildings and munch on a cop is just so damn cool! Shit, seeing the walls cave in and crumble along with a literal ton of bricks crushing a group of people really makes me wonder how they did it with that good ol' movie making magic cause we don't have behind the scenes and in depth looks at this movie and I think that's one of the biggest charms of the horror/sci-fi genre from this older era, you don't know how they did it down to the nuts and bolts and it's intriguing! Sure we know some of the elements but me being the nerd I am I love learning about how any aspect of a movie is made. Nowadays movies are mostly fucking boring in terms of effects cause you don't even have to look and say oh it was done on a computer. I always champion practical effects but I really really champion movies where creative originality and new techniques had to be forged to make it happen. I was very happy to watch this at long last and while it's no masterpiece I'd be a fool if I said it wasn't a classic. I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10!