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.

Jackass Best And Last

If it truly is the end, I'm happy.

As a final hurrah to a rather fascinating phenomena that has lasted a quarter of a century, Best And Last surprisingly doesn't go for the biggest, loudest, and most outrageous finale but more stays consistent with the previous four films adding a fair bit of looking back and reflection on the last production we may see. I could potentially see this might upset some people, you know if you're going out go out with the biggest bang you could do but the new antics they get into while also showcasing a few of the old favorites was really good. It still got a few strong laughs out of me and while it wasn't nearly as packed a crowd as last movie the audience seemed to be having fun with it too. It's funny to see the stark difference between early Jackass and right here right now Jackass, that show looked like it had zero budget and yet look at the legacy it produced. Something that truly shocked me is we got Bam back for a little bit, that's a bit of a big deal and how appropriate that his first segment back has him scared shitless with snakes. We also got a few bits of unreleased footage from the veeeeery early days, so it feels like a well rounded sendoff. Despite not knowing about this series until really my mid to late teens catching the movies on cable, I'd be pretty down to own all five of the movies. It seems almost an impossible task to review a Jackass movie so this probably was more rambling than usual, but I dig it! It's a good movie, fans will be pleased I think, I give it 3 stars and a 7/10! We'll have a bit of a gap between the next new releases so I'll see you at the movies, and be good people.

In Retrospect: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Considering how well they handled tbis movie I guess I can look forward to the Galaxy Movie.

Hands up, I haven't seen this movie since opening day so all this time has done some good on the reappraisal front. Shit I'm thrilled they took their sweet ass time before releasing the Super Mario Galaxy Movie and not trying to rush anything! All the minor quibbles I had with the soundtrack selections, the worldbuilding, and the lack of Luigi has softened and I do still stand by it being a good if not even great movie. The part that struck me hardest on rewatch is the soundtrack, dear lord the plethora of level music beautifully crafted into an orchestral score is only rivaled by the amount of easter eggs prevalent. I mean when you have a video game series as acclaimed as Mario and a company like Nintendo with unrivaled rich history you'll get plenty of nods and shoutouts. Another aspect that made me appreciate this movie so much is despite the star studded cast you kinda forget they're voicing these characters, a lot of animated projects want you to pay attention to the fact it is the celebrity, like Robin Williams in Aladdin who pretty much was the bedrock for all celebrity voice acting since, rather than have the celebrity slip seamlessly into the part. I kinda forgot who voiced Peach until I had to look it up, Chris Pratt you do just roll with, even with Charlie Day and Jack Black who definitely are more recognizable voices never break the immersion. Good job director! It still looks outstanding I can tell you that much, despite my predilection for obsidian I do truly appreciate color in life, and it's rarely on better form than here. Of course it's a joy to see such fabled locales from the games be rendered in picture-esque beauty but in all aspects the animation truly shines. Kinda makes you wonder why they never did it this way earlier, in fact I'm still in the minority I feel when I say I would love more animated adaptations of video games on the big screen. We just need more animation fucking period to be brutally real with you here, I don't know what the stigma has been against this medium for decades at this point but not everything has to be live action. I swear. I had a good time watching it, I'll bump up the score to an 8/10, I'm endlessly interested to see what all will go down in the next one tomorrow so stay tuned!

Forbidden Fruits

Fuck me this movie infuriated me.

It's not even bad, far from it actually! But holy fuckaroli did half our main cast just piss me off, which in all reality means the performances were damn good. If someone can make you run a gambit of emotions with a performance including rage, that is a great performance! So the story goes a new girl who works at a mall is quickly inaugurated in a bitchy coven where over the course of several months it starts breaking down and ends in blood. Props for all the Texas love, but I'm still iffy on this film. Let's just get into the nitty gritty here folks, the cast. Major hardcore props to all the actresses who bring so much personality and even dramatics to the role! We have Lola Tung as new girl Pumpkin, and I was not expecting her arc going from a rather sweet and inexperienced at life girl into for lack of a better word the second worst monster of the film. Cause you think oh she's gonna challenge the hierarchy and be a positive force who eventually will have to fight the head of the coven but she degenerates into a blackmailing and sort of still complicit member so there is no catharsis found there. Then we have the bane of my existence Apple played to stunning perfection by Lili Reinhart. This...fucking...****. It has been ages since I have utterly despised a character more, a true masterclass in manipulation, fear mongering, bitchiness, and pure control freak behavior. It's truly a marvel to behold and once again no catharsis or justice found with her journey, which nearly made me torch the theater. But like I said, fantastic performance to even illicit such feelings so brava to you my dear! Then we move onto to Alexandra Shipp as Fig, who really is the first fracture in the coven wanting to branch out and do her own thing and her brief moments of relationships and interests were nice to see, and Alexandra was a joy to watch! Last but not at all least we have Victoria Pedretti as Cherry who at first seems like a total ditzy blonde but has the largest arc and really is the star of the dramatics due to her character's tragic past, just damn she really kinda swept me off my feet and easily was my favorite of the group! Well done and high praise to all these fine actors who really and truly carry the film in it's entirety on their backs. But yeahhhh, I was not thrilled with where this story went. It moves at a brisk pace and has decent production values with some good gore effects, pretty decent comedy, hell I was digging the shit out of the soundtrack, and a message I've never truly seen in cinema: Toxic femininity. But I'm so split down the middle with it! In terms of production it's like a 7.5/10, but in terms of enjoyment it's like a 3/10. So what the hell do I even give this? It's not a movie I'd really watch again, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's not, it is a very well acted, well directed movie that just so happened to make me rage at a screen which I haven't done in a long while. It's certainly memorable! So ehh, I'll give it...2.5 stars, 6.5/10, with a caveat the size of the goddamn Grand Canyon.

Rental Family

I can't even really express in words how upset I was not to see this in theaters.

All you ever had to say was Brendan Fraser in Japan, and my ass would have been in that seat day frickin' one! And what an interesting premise about a struggling actor essentially being hired at a company who supplies people for emotional moments, you could hire them as a friend to hang out with, a husband to wed, an interviewer to tell your life story, and it's all willing from all parties. Now this is new even to me, if this is indeed a legit business in Japan I've never heard of it and I don't even really see a problem with it but the movie does such a good job showcasing the hesitation and unease for someone hired to do a thing. Humans are emotional social creatures in our bones, we love to be around people and share experiences with people, and that is what the movie is about. Building connections. That's fascinating stuff and not only does the director craft an emotional tale but the actors are what makes it work as well as it does. Do I even need to talk about Brendan's performance? That handsome man could sway me into any movie, he does a damn good job and is incredibly believable in the part of Philip. Shannon Gorman for being so young has so much attitude and emotional range as Philip's "daughter" and I was kinda actually surprised how the movie doesn't focus entirely on their relationship. Rather Philip is always onto the next client, like Akira Emoto as novelist Hasegawa who is having memory issues and Philip helps him reclaim memories in a very emotional subplot. Also I'd like to shoutout Takehiro Hira, great to see him again after Shōgun and boy does he have a twist that would make Rod Serling pause, and ho mah gawd Mari Yamamoto I am shamelessly gonna crush on you forever, I'd stand by her and obey her every word because she is the boss in this movie. The film so easily spices the story up with variety, it can be heartfelt, sad, cute, fun, funny, and ultimately enjoyable. The cinematography is naturally going to get a generous heap of love from me, it's a gorgeous country regardless of it's surroundings being either urban or rural. At first it seemed flat but as the movie progressed we got more and more atmsophere to it, more beautiful shots, more brief moments of reflection on nature. And to be perfectly honest I think that's why I love it so much, why I praise it so much, why it steals my heart away and I won't ever care to ask for it back. We don't really do that in America where we shoot cityscapes or landscapes of nature with the same level of beauty or even reverence that japanese filmmakers do. I feel that's a crying shame but I'm happy someone is doing it! It's more a drama than a comedy despite some good humor peppered throughout, and yeah it got me very close to crying in the latter half. I'm...slightly puzzled by the ending and yet I still like it, I'm not sure if there's symbolism at work here or if it really did end on a positive note of quiet introspection, I can't put my finger on it but it works well all the same. I always appreciate foreign films and it is not a movie that goes light on the japanese language, but me being a sucker for that and being a subtitle enthusiast since DVD players started getting big it was far from a deal breaker for me. I very much liked it, I thought it was a different kind of love story that worked quite well for this week, and yeah it does make you appreciate all the more the people you already have in your life and could make you excited about the people you've yet to meet. 3 stars, 7.5/10, and our next film is going to be a doozy so join me on V-Day for something...less than family friendly.

In Retrospect: Lisa Frankenstein

This is the strangest life I've ever known.

Literally two years to the DAY, we are back to talk Lisa Frankenstein! Spoiler alert I'm still mad about this movie, adore it, cherish it, spoil it, call it my darling, I am here for this movie. Which is funny because I haven't seen it since opening day so I was curious to know if it would still have as strong of a pull as it did before, and it took about 5 minutes to remind me why I love it so much. It is such an odd little movie in so many ways and yet I honestly couldn't laugh or love it any more! When I get a small headache from laughing so strongly and consistently which by the by, rare ass occurence, something clearly works. Kathryn Newton you goddamn gem, what a character to play and she nails it, I mean she just fucking nails it from start to finish. It's like watching the most likeable villain origin story in fiction, cause yeah she does kinda screwed up stuff and yet...I don't really mind. That probably says a lot about me, but God forbid a woman achieves happiness, identity, and romance. Cole, my guy, my main man, how could I fall for you all over again? The man doesn't have a damn line until the scene right before credits and I love him so dearly, flawless facial acting, how he slowly transitions from walking corpse to guy best friend to gentlemanly lover, is like witnessing a caterpillar into chrysalis and thence into beauty. Be still my heart, for if I speak I'll make a damn fool out of myself. I do have to say I felt so bad seeing Taffy being put through the ringer, like holy matrimony Liza Soberano could not be more preciously sweet if she tried, world peace would be a startling reality if more people had that compassion and love but she never crosses that line into saccharine personality or super bubbly, she still feels real and gyaddammit did I just want to hug her so bad. Such a rock solid cast and biiiiiig props to Zelda for being able to direct so well both in terms of getting the right performances but being able to play about with the camera, getting weird with it when called for and having some real nice framing. Now I know I'm practically gushing over this movie, it's frankly turning almost pornographic so I should wrap up quick, but it really is my kind of movie through and through. I mean I watch it and I have the time of my life, it puts me in such high spirits, and it makes me forget I'm more than likely gonna die alone one day. But that's okay, cause I get to live my life my way, love my way, and to hell with anyone who says different. 4 glowing stars, I'll bump this bad bitch to 9.5/10, and if the space gods are kind I'll have a little something for you before Valentine's Day.

Planet Terror

I have rarely seen movies more nuts than this.

A spiritual throwback to 70s grindhouse cinema coupled with modern production, Planet Terror is nothing short of a trip! I don't even rightly know how to describe it, cause it's absolutely hilarious, absurdly ridiculous, so gory and nastay, and surprisingly endearing! It's a zombie movie no doubt but it takes every convention of that genre and just turns it on it's head, with a group of survivors including a stripper named Cherry, a badass named Wray, a sherrif named Hague, and a doctor by the name of Dakota fending off utterly grody and disgusting zombies while also getting roped into some black ops shit, the movie is all over the damn place. But not in a disjointed or bad aspect, it all somehow works perfectly due to the tone and direction by Robert Rodriguez and I am so happy to see another of his movies! We are checking out the second part Death Proof next and I'm dumbstruck how that could potentially usurp this movie. I don't know what it is but this was one of the most entertaining movies I've seen this year and I adore it! The cast alone is reason to watch this movie! We got Rose McGowan who is fucking acting her heart out in this movie and her wit, outspoken demeanor, and frankly awesome finale catapults her to the higher echelons of lady badasses in my book. Michael Biehn, friggin' Josh Brolin, Fergie Ferg how the hell did they get Stacy into this I'll never know, Michael Parks, Tom Savini, Bruce Willis, like this is a fairly insane cast for essentially a low budget exploitation film. Granted you see every penny on screen from the extensive prosthetics, the explosions, the sets, it really does look like a grindhouse movie if it had a couple million to throw at the screen and some extremely talented people. It just hit all the right buttons for me and I know for a bleedin' fact this won't garner the same level of appreciation from everyone, but as a lover and admirer of cinema in all it's variant forms, as someone who respects the shit out of the horror genre, as a big fan of both Rodriguez and Tarantino, this is a standout movie and I'm beyond happy to see it! A sterling 4 stars, 9/10 from me, apologies for being a day late in writing this we got a little work schedule change going on so Death Proof will be up on Friday so stay tuned.

Scooby-Doo And The Ghoul School

Fun while it lasted.

This was another of the tapes I had when I was young, I used to watch this and The Boo Brothers a lot so how was it on rewatch all these years later? Well it certainly is not one of the grandest Scooby movies but it holds appeal for any fan of this series. Still in Shaggy's red shirt phase him, Scoob, and Scrappy take up the responsibility of being coaches for the eponymous ghoul school where the daughters of famous monsters reside, now the idea of Shaggy and Scooby being teachers for monsters does indeed have potential and while it would have been more fun seeing them teach the girls potions, scare tactics, and host a PTA meeting, knowing their reputation as physical marathoners still checks out. The school has a lot of inspiration from the Addams Family and Munsters with students Sibella who is the daughter of Dracula and weirdly has one of the most sultry voices in animation (Which is a...choice.), Elsa Frankenteen which I have to admit is a cute reference to The Bride in both name and appearance, Winnie the werewolf who's easily the most tomboy of the group, Phantie the banshee giggler who I actually wish we got more of, and little Tanis the mummy who is baby girl of all babygirls and I would die for her and unleash all the ten plagues of Egypt on anyone who upset her. They're all great and have their moments to shine and I don't know what it is but the idea of all the classic monsters being single fathers just puts a smile on my face, we need more single dads in media and any respectable father would cherish their daughters like they do here. I gotta admit though the antagonists are kinda weak, both in the nauseating rival school of military boys and boy don't get me started on the concept of military school but also this odd addition of a powerful witch who wants to use the girls to eliminate their famous papa's. As much as I could care less about the boys the plot really didn't need to go that deep despite a decent climax, and indeed because of that villain introduction this is easily one of the longer Scooby-Doo movies pushing over 90 minutes when most wrap up before even the 80 minute mark. It's paced okay, the animation had a bump up in quality from the current show as this was a TV movie, it has moments of that exquisite fall atmosphere and quite good backgrounds all around, the story is enjoyable, and I got a kick out of the future student lineup you see at the end. What's wild to think about is just one single month after this another TV movie came out The Relcutant Werewolf which is extremely rare even in today's video market, I guess Scooby fans were eating good in 1988 before a severe drought hit for almost the entirety of the 90s which blows my mind to think about and I couldn't be happier I was born at the time I was and got into Scooby-Doo from 1997 or 1998. Thank God for reruns is all I'll say. Of course there's tons more movies and indeed shows I have yet to cover from this wonderful series and it's no mystery this still is my favorite cartoon even after so many greats have been made since. It was fun to briefly talk about and it did gear me up for the full Halloween season in all it's myriad forms. Finals scores I'll give this 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, and the trend will continue as I rise up from my tomb giving out multiple reviews each week of October. Finally it's my time again.

Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster

Like man this sure put me in a good mood.

I don't know if I can rightly pinpoint as to why, maybe it was returning to familiar ground with early 2000s Scooby-Doo back when I was at the peak of my fandom, maybe it was the story setting in Scotland which God willing if I get there I'd probably never leave, whatever the reason I had a grand old time watching this! I know for a fact I saw it on the Cartoon Network when it was brand spanking new and yeah a story as simple as the gang visiting Daphne's scottish relatives and getting swept up in the mystery of Nessie works really dang well! Obviously the animation style is deep rooted in the What's New Scooby-Doo era and I gotta admit I missed that animation style, but in reality I just miss the early 2000s animation regardless of show. Coming off the Halloween movie the condensed and easy plot is a godsend and firmly exemplifies what the failings were on that one, it's barely an hour and 15 minutes but uses every minute to get you involved, have some fun, and walk away pretty happy. Honestly the fact Daphne has scottish relatives just puts the biggest smile on my face, and we get to breathe in a bit of the environment of the scottish highlands, the foggy loch, the very gothic castle of the Blake family, it looks really nice! Another aspect that brings warm feelings to my heart is I got to hear Casey again, and that kinda choked me up a bit it's been far too long since I've heard his voice and it fills me with unparalleled pride I share a birthday with the incredible man himself. Just so much about this put me in very high spirits and really did take me back to being a 9 year old revelling in my cartoons and imagination. True this more likely than not is strictly a case of my own nostalgia and probably won't be felt by many others unless perhaps you were there in that time and corner of the world, but damn it I thought this was good! The animation is crisp and that weird semi-2D but really 3D effect on the Loch Ness Monster works quite well, the chase songs are something I feel is SORELY lacking in modern Scooby-Doo, the voice cast does a good job and hey the scottish accents aren't godawful buuuut then again I'm biased towards such accents especially from wee ladies with red hair, the mystery is decent and actually may come as a bit of a twist for those who haven't seen it before, hell I was even digging the Jaws tributes sprinkled throughout, it was just a very positive viewing experience. I know some feel that the golden age of Scooby movies passed after Cyber Chase but for me, I kept watching the direct to video movies for quite awhile after the fact not really slipping from the fandom until about 2007 or 2008 but it's never really gone from my life. I fell in love with Mystery Incorporated around 2011, I still caught movies like Mask Of The Blue Falcon and Frankencreepy which are still some of the absolute best in the modern era, you just never ever forget your first. I give this one 3 stars, 7.5/10, and we will go even further back in time with one of the few remaining 80s movies next.

Happy Halloween Scooby-Doo

Well I suppose this is a humble beginning for the most wonderful time of the year.

Now being a hardcore Scooby-Doo fan I can safely say I've had more good experiences than bad experiences with this series, but with Happy Halloween I couldn't feel more conflicted. Cause it's not...bad, not really at all but there were several elements that kinda threw me off and while it did certainly make me laugh and I was digging certain parts this feels like a very mixed bag, slightly slap dash plot, that ultimately results in some Scooby fluff. I love fluff, it doesn't have to be amazing to be enjoyable but this is absolutely one of those cases where you're really not gonna remember much about it in a few days. We start off at the tail end of a mystery with the gang halting The Scarecrow, yes Dr. Jonathan Crane himself from trashing a Halloween parade led by the Mistress Of The Dark herself Elvira, before something wicked this way comes in the form of radioactive pumpkins which not only is a call back to The Witch's Ghost but for you lads and lasses out there of a certain generation gave me hard flashbacks to Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy with the Jacked Up Halloween special which makes it even more surreal cause this was directed by the creator Maxwell Atoms, sending the gang on mostly the backpedal as they try to work out just how to stop these ghoulish creatures. You can kinda tell from that brief synopsis this is all over the place, I mean I can fully accept Elvira being a part of the Scooby-Doo world I mean shit if Vincent Price can be she certainly can too. I know Mystery Incorporated have indeed crossed paths with the Caped Crusaders on several occasions but does it really do a damn thing for the story? And worst of all despite my love for the man, Bill Nye the science guy is here for....absolutely no good reason, he's barely in it, barely does anything, and contributes a whopping plate of nothing with a side order of zilch to any of the proceedings. Like what was the plan here guys?? They really just went too off the tracks here and tried to do too much. Between this and Return To Zombie Island Cassandra Peterson is becoming a ill omen for Scooby-Doo and that's horseshit because she is the bomb man, she has such wit and good comedic timing, I actually really enjoyed her little storyline with Daphne they were great together and got a good few laughs from me! But it just feels off, something feels wrong with this production and I can't pinpoint why! It bugs the hell out of me cause this isn't a hard story to tell but they just commit to certain things that leaves me feeling adrift with nothing concrete to cling on. I mean the animation is solid I have zero issues with that, with good use of color, could use a bit more emphasis on Halloween but nothing deal breaking as we get some nice visuals, and they have some good sight gags in there. Voice cast just, damn dude I don't wanna say this but it did not feel like they were on their A-game, but I truly feel that's more due to the shiftless writing and direction than the actual voice actors fault. Cause all of them, even just once, have their moments! I honestly feel like it's me that's off center here because almost from the word go I wasn't feeling this too much, but it is how I feel and I can assuredly say it didn't pick up much as it continued. Is it horrible? No I wouldn't say that at all, maybe a bit scatter brained and exceedingly average but you know it's for kids, you can throw this on as a bit of background noise while they gear up for tricks or treats or just something to keep them entertained for barely over an hour. It has moments, it has a good look, it's not a waste of time but in the pantheon of Scooby-Doo movies this is maybe a mid-tier movie and I'm hoping that the week will indeed improve before the October festivities go into high gear. 2 stars, 6/10, we're going back in time to the second classic era of Scooby-Doo movies in my humble opinion.

Rebuild The Galaxy: Pieces Of The Past

Better late than never.

Lego Star Wars baby, it don't get better than this! Taking place not long after the first installment a clash between Sig and Dev has unleashed a dark force from a dimension unheard of in any Star Wars story leading our main characters to form a fragile alliance to save the very existence of a galaxy far far away, a solid enough story told once again over the course of roughly 90 minutes with still quite good characters and comedy to keep it thoroughly entertaining. It still holds the same level of detail, care, love, and even jokes from the first creating another memorable experience with even more what if madness thrown in. From Darth Revan and Cal Kestis to pirate queen Padme Amidala and evil K2-SO there's some much welcome additions to this mad mad mad mad galaxy, with as far to my knowledge all the supporting heroes and villains returning once again. The story does take the next step in making the conflict bigger yet I feel how could they top the literal erasure of the entire Star Wars universe should they wish to pursue a part three? It's not impossible but I'm a bit stumped how they would do it. Of course the voice acting across the board is still really damn good with plenty of love going to our main leads like Gaten, Bobby, and Marsai and it is pretty awesome to hear Sam, Ashley, and Mark reprise their roles even in such different circumstances! Animation is still just as good if not even a smidge better than the first, further showcasing the imagination and fun Legos can bring to any story. Though man I actually almost hate the fact the Landolorian is just real in this what if story cause man, I would watch ten seasons of Lando and little Grogu just being smoother than shimmersilk and doing bounties and shit. The fact Servo got this british yandere girlfriend of a probe droid is frigin' stellar and I'm so here for it! Plus I didn't think it was possible but Darth Rose has my heart in a force grip after this, Kelly you're a gem and I treasure you so! It was cute, it was fun, the writing still has genuine merit and not just a showcase for the lolz, it's another solid little series! With Andor wrapped up, Mando just around the corner with Maul not far behind, and Starfighter just beginning production this was a quick and lovely little stop in my favorite fandom of all. If my memory doesn't fail me I believe Visions is next and well, I'll give you three guesses how I feel about that! 3 stars, 8/10, and I got a little something for you next week before the October festivities begin.

Mickey 17

And the introvert inside me shrieked "Huzzah!" at the cancelling of plans.

I will say upfront the trailer for this was a little misleading, the movie leans more into a drama with comedy elements here and there but the trailer makes it seem like this offbeat sci-fi comedy. I don't honestly mind that, it got my butt in the seat so obviously it was a good enough trailer but I felt a little warning was needed. So how was it? Well the story alone of a person who continually gets cloned as an expendable danger tester essentially, is unique and fresh to me even with decades of sci-fi exposure under my belt and the way the story progresses or more I should say escalates is interesting and kept me guessing all the way through. I thought there was gonna be a bit more planet hopping but we mostly stay centralized on an alien ice world but the extraterrestrial elements are inventive and cool, and biiiiig bonus points for the movie running head first into the ethical implications of cloning, and while it absolutely is a movie that leaves little to the imagination of what the message is and what it's stance is on certain types of people I don't consider that a bad thing. Sometimes you need a re-establishing kick in the ass. Robert Pattinson does not fail here, accent is a bit strange but even then I dig it, and clearly has fun in the role of Mickey just this every day guy who just so happens to be ressurected more times than a slab at a necromancer party, and does deliver drama and emotion very well throughout. Naomi Ackie my God is it wonderful to see her again as this shall we say passionate girlfriend Nasha to Mickey, like my girl goes off and frankly I'd get on my knees for that woman everyday of my life! Mark Ruffalo again playing this absolute prick of a man, I never wanna hate Mark but ooh he plays it so well in this as this mix of like Hugo Drax and this pompous politician dickhead (probably no real world comparison there), and combined with Toni Collette it does pretty much sling every negative stereotype possible of these rich apathetic asshats and eugh, they are despicable but on the plus side solid performances! But as you know, apathy is death. I did think we would have seen more of Steven Yeun and while his character along with actually the vast majority of the characters are unlikable, it's always good to see him. May or may not be crushing on Patsy Ferran, but you know me at this point, any intelligent cutie pie with glasses is going to catch my eye. I am a dude of substance. Hence why I appreciate the movie in all it's facets and standpoints. It doesn't try to dazzle you with the special effects but the world or should I rather say universe presented is recognizable but new, all I'll say is if we really do get repulsorlifts in about 20 years time I will be a happy man. The score by the by, mmm! It's a bit special. Applause for Jung Jae-il, it's definitely more understated but hits at all the right places so big thumbs up from me on that front. I'm slightly curious about the book it was based on but as an adaptation alone, this was really good! No masterpiece but I could very easily see this get a cult following in the near future, so why not go and see it and say you were there at the start. I give it 3 stars, 8/10, definitely one of my more anticipated films of the year and it didn't disappoint. I promise I will get back on track next week, so stick around and be safe.

Black Dynamite

Funny how I knew about the show for years before finding out about the movie.

Black Dynamite is a beautifully faithful homage film to the Blaxsploitation genre of the 1970s, seeping every second of the film in the rich albeit sometimes flawed production qualities of those pictures. Essentially a passion project for Michael Jai White who plays our eponymous character who after learning his brother got killed goes on a bewildering but highly entertaining trail that leads to a nationwide conspiracy and kung fu treachery. This has been a movie on my list for a long ass time, and I honestly just don't know where to begin because every aspect I could go into considerable detail with. I will say first and foremost that while the script is really damn good this movie wouldn't be worth anything without the cast presented. Michael is a stellar lead able to tightrope bonafide bad mothertrucker action star and genuinely hilarious comedian, with a substantial background in martial arts he simply IS Black Dynamite to a fault! Salli is a lovely lady and though the romance with her character Gloria is far from fleshed out, it still kinda works regardless. Byron Minns as silver tongued rhymer extraordinaire Bullhorn though in a smaller capacity is great fun and man I'm kinda jealous of his verse! Tommy Davidson as Cream Corn certainly shines brighter in the show but certainly has moments here as a more comedic foil on the hero side, but hey he's a part of the team. The production side of things I feel deserves a dedicated masterclass it's so effortlessly embedded in the early 70s timeframe, that if you were uninitiated you wouldn't blink twice and just assume it was a 70s exploitation flick! The grain, the color saturation, the clothes, the cars, the editing, the music right out of a Rudy Ray Moore movie, the simultaneous love given to blaxsploitation and martial arts cinema, the flubs peppered throughout are a bleeding heart for that particular type of filmmaking in that time and corner of the world. The movie could give a shit less if you saw the boom mic or any other flaw, and frankly I don't care either! I've never seen a movie that has intentional botches in it and it somehow is endearing and entertaining, adding just another layer of enjoyment to the experience. The fights can range from extremely humorous to pretty kick ass, with Michael's ample skills on full display and a little bit of gunplay to keep it fresh. The comedy is where it shines the most, with some of the jokes undercutting to where you have to pay attention to get them while others is pure visual gags that work well, and it is quotable as all hell! I've only seen the movie probably less than 10 times, but I can still rattle off lines that absolutely have been adopted into my vocabulary. The worst part is I think it's still very much considered a cult film, sure the show helped get it onto the more mainstream scopes of people but it's not a household name yet which I find inexcusable. I love this movie and I'd gladly review the series when I have the time. It's such a unique beast that somehow simultaneously seems like it's not trying at all and putting so much meticulous effort in it that it's kinda amazing! Easy 4 stars from me, 9/10, and that about does it for this month. Tune in next month for modern sci-fi, adaptations of a gothic french novel, some crime thriller antics, and a decade of reviews.

Undercover Brother

Another long time coming review!

Speaking as a whiter than sour cream kind of Dude I don't have the slightest damn clue how I got exposed to this movie around probably 8 or 9 years old. All I know is I had it on DVD and knowing precisely two things about black cinema, jack and shit, I enjoyed it a good bit but it's been about 20 years since last I saw it and this here idea for the reviews this week has been brewing for some time. First thing I gotta say is, this is a 2002 ass movie! It absolutely wears it's 70s influence on it's sleeve but make no mistake it is very easy to discern when this movie came out, that ain't necessarily a bad thing but holy moly is it noticeable! Taking a very super spy edge with an organization of black agents battling against a faceless supervillain known only as The Man (no not Becky Lynch) recruits a new member in the form of the parachute pants wearing, afro laden, soulful Undercover Brother. The plot is pretty dirt simple and focuses more on the wild characters within this world, but it's very serviceable and has some decent moments of parody and acknowledgement of the world. Will say the casting is actually pretty good with Eddie Griffin who has a lot of humor and too cool for school energy as our lead, Chi McBride who I just love that man in anything so that's an easy win for me, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor certainly has that sass and ass kicking thing down pat, Dave Chappelle who big shock was the funniest person in the whole damn flick for my money was another easy win, my man Gary Anthony Williams looking sharp and hey props to him he got Denise Richards before the end, speaking of which Denise I love you to death and I got nothing but respect and appreciation for you and your career so it was a treat seeing you again! Certainly don't have a problem saying this movie soundtrack is also a big winner with more classic funk and soul stuff like James Brown and Kool & The Gang, mixed with more modern stuff like Michael Jackson and Mary J. Blige, which thank you for that movie cause I love the fuuuck out of her song! The only real negative I could hold steadfast on and even then it's minor is the tone and presentation of the movie is split, like I said it wears the 70s with pride but it kinda rams heads with the modern new millenium style of production and I do kinda wish it picked one or the other. But the movie works well enough, pretty good sets and location shooting, the humor can miss at times but has enough solid hits and a meta style that makes it original, casting was so on point they somehow got Billy Dee Williams and James Brown in the movie which is both amazing and impressive, also made me tolerate and even kinda enjoy Neil Patrick Harris that gets you half a point alone movie! Could some point at the stereotypes and black vs. white moments and have a problem with it? Well even with someone like me who got majorly called out on the mayonaise part, I refer you to clause 4 subsection A under "learn to take a joke"! 2.5 stars, 7/10 from me, and we'll look at not only a more faithful homage but a superior film in my opinion next time!

Love Hurts

First rom-com actionsploitation I've reviewed?

Could be! That's quite a few genres to juggle and the movie handles that...adequately. I pretty much knew the movie I was walking into, a fun albeit basic action comedy with our golden boy Ke Huy Quan and that's what I got! Following a realtor who has a shady past that sucker punches him out of the blue he quickly finds his life upturned, an old flame returns, and he has to square off with his brother to gain some semblance of normalcy back. It mostly succeeds in the action part, got a few laughs from me, and I will admit Ke and Ariana are cute at times but there would be tiny changes I would make. I mean the movie doesn't even clock in at 90 minutes with credits so I feel even a slightly longer runtime could make a big difference. I think the biggest detraction is the editing and even then it's sporadic, prime example: in the middle of a fight scene we get this POV shot from inside a microwave as the turntable does it's thing and I think oh wow, a shot I've never seen before in an action movie this is gr-and then they just fucking cut! Odd ass choices like that can have a negative effect. I will say however I somehow liked 90% of the characters and didn't want them to die, yes even the henchmen which is wild and they write them in such a unique way to where you strangely get invested. Like this assassin who writes poetry or this buddy duo where one of the guys tries to get back with his lady friend, it's very original! I very much liked that! It's definitely an action movie first and I will own up and say it actually is really rock solid choreography that even got a "Oooh shit!" moment out of me at one of the falls the stuntguys took, and they even do the thing where this dust cloud puffs up after a hit in true martial arts fashion, so props to them on that. The comedy is more unannounced I guess I could say, it doesn't build up to a punchline or anything it's more just hearing people talk humorously but it sorta works. I wasn't completely sold on the romance angle, a lot of the history between Marvin and Rose is kept off screen and the time they do spend together feels more like kindred partners in crime than romantic opposites but they do have small moments, and it's not really at the forefront so I can't be too harsh on it. Ke Huy Quan is a joy, shocker I know, able to pull off a simple man trying to make his way through the galaxy and asskicker extraordinaire seamlessly, and does not look half bad with a nice suit and a moustache either! Ariana DeBose is decent, she certainly has that off her rocker criminal edge down pretty good and though not really prevalent a lot gets the job done. Hell we see Lio Tipton as one of Marvin's office staff Ashley way more and man, I kept having to shake my head clear cause that woman is a little too similar to Emma Stone like it was fuggin' weird! Pretty fun though and was my second favorite performance of the film! Mustafa Shakir easily is the most well designed in costuming, and as the assassin who writes poetry Raven he gets some flowery dialogue as well as some good action so thumbs up from me. Daniel Wu as our main villain Knuckles is pretty standard (aside from a boba tea addiction) but pulls it off with ease. It's an okay movie, more on the average decent side than cult classic gem in the making, but it's entertaining enough for at least one viewing. 2 stars, 6.5/10, I'll do proper romance films next week for the holiday so see you then!

One Of Them Days

Perhaps unconventional for my regular interests but the trailer got my interest.

Needless to say I was thoroughly entertained throughout and while not bust a gut hilarious certainly had humor that hit for me. This is the city, Los Angeles California, where we meet two friends Dreux and Alyssa (who my little white boy heart was crushing on something fierce) rooming together who when oopsie daisy the guy Alyssa was dating turns out to be a bastard and robs them blind on the very day they need to get rent paid leading them on a comedy of errors to get the dough and keep on livin'. And I haven't heard that term 'comedy of errors' in quite some time but it's the perfect way to describe the plot, cause these poor girls cannot catch a got damn break around here with several ideas both good and bad to garner some monies. Now the only thing I felt iffy on was there were 3 instances where the comedy got outlandish, girl runs mach 3 into a car door and brushes it off, guy nearly gets busted through a wall due to steam, electrocution at one point but the rest of the movie is pretty grounded, and you either commit or you're wishy-washy. Beyond that though, I had a lot of fun! I really love our two leads, Keke and SZA effortlessly slip into the roles as best friends and their dynamic ans character identities are a great mix, with Dreux being planning, career driven, and practical whereas Alyssa is more aloof, cosmically inclined, with a firm belief that all will naturally resolve in the favor of a happy ending. And because of that they bicker and headbut like rams but their's is a bond tempered like steel, and you easily want them to succeed! Dreux is trying to get a much better paying nicer job in the midst of all of this and I was rooting for her since minute 1, and who the hell would want to see people get thrown out on their asses to the curb anyway? Yet I feel the way the plot progresses skirts the situational comedy label some might deem it to be, the girls go to a blood bank for some cash let's see how it gets wacky, no it just so happens to blow up in their faces with a little help from the supporting cast. And I'll give props, each side character is easily understandable with defined traits that adds to the world the movie creates which takes a bit of inventive writing to make happen. Whether it be Keshawn the dumbass boyfriend, Mama Ruth one of the neighbors with a snack hustle (mad respect to you), Berniece who's kind of always off her rocker and ready to beat the hell out of someone, or Lucky the resident street walker everywhere but nowhere trying to keep people out of trouble but never listened to, easily memorable characters. And the humor is not joke a minute or complex, often times it kinda hits you like a sucker punch to the nose outta nowhere which I like cause it keeps you on your toes. It's a fun if slightly ridiculous movie that probably will slowly but surely garner more fans in the future, and I'm one of them! Real plot, fun characters, good humor, it didn't take long for me to get into it. 3 stars, 7.5/10, go to the movies today for some discount popcorn and everyone have a great day!

The Holdovers

Okay that was worth it.

This was a recommendation from a friend and I heard a good fair bit of praise when the movie initially came out so I figured what the hell. Set in 1970 at a religious school over the course of a two week winter break, one of the more hardassed teachers is tasked with watching over 4 students for the duration who for one reason or another couldn't be home for Christmas, sounds pretty simple but the way the story progresses and the characters interact is what makes it as good as it is. Paul Giamatti is an actor in my eyes who has only gotten better with age, and as Mr. Hunham this archetypal asshole of a teacher prevalent in many a high school film be given an arc and a touch of depth does wonders for my enjoyment. Though admittedly even when he was a jerk I was laughing and having a grand time. Dominic Sessa as the main student we focus on Tully has baggage and growth of his own, and the dynamic between the two from enemies to frenemies to friends is lovely and when you have someone like Paul to bounce off of you're going to give a damn good performance. And with the inclusion of Da'Vine Joy Randolph as the cook and a grieving mother Mary, we practically have a makeshift family unit and don't fucking lie to me about this, they are straight up his mom and pop and they act like a married couple, I have spoken! It was easy to get emotionally invested in her own story and almost got me into an emotional breakdown at one point, she did such a marvellous job. All the winter scenery and 70s aesthetics in terms of clothes, music, and pop culture certainly pushed my buttons in all the right ways and though I'm a Grinch at heart it was a sweet and charming setting around the supposed most wonderful time of the year. And it's pretty funny too at times, obviously it's more of a drama but has the right splashes of humor that hit my funny bone many a time. It's not even a super intricate directorial effort but they know when to just let a moment be a moment and maybe some would call it a meandering movie with no real goal but it's about the journey over that two week period and I had a great time with it. Easily the standout film for me this month...so far. I loved it, truly I did and I'll recommend it strongly on top of that. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and next week we're about to get goth and spooky so clutch those crucifixes and pray for daybreak!

Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Best of the series?

I do genuinely think it is the most fun and entertainment I've personally had at one of these movies. They did have me sold full truth here since the end of the last movie on Shadow alone, so I was very much looking forward to this. And if you've seen the trailer you know the gist, Shadow has escaped containment and is battling team Sonic (cute reference) while Robotnik meets his long lost grandpappy as they command a doomsday weapon. Solid plot for a video game movie, and speaking as an individual who has really only played five Sonic games, Sonic 1 & 2, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, and Sonic Heroes but has beat precisely zero of them I loved seeing all the easter eggs and especially Shadow's backstory seen on the big screen. Since we already know most of the players let's talk about our new arrivals. Keanu Reeves though not my immediate first choice for Shadow conveys everything you need to know and does do a damn fine job juggling the heartbreak, rage, and initial confusion to his origins in the flashback scenes and it was absolutely awesome to see so many nods to his character from the games, motorcycle and guns included! As for Robotnik Sr. I was very surprised to see him as the true threatning villain, sure he has his moments of humor but at the end of the day he is a serious villain and I applaud Jim for being able to bring both sides to the table, plus the guy is a manipulative bastard and it like works too and doesn't feel slapdash in the writing. Commendable! I'll add on a brief opinion of seeing Sonic actually buckle the hell down and get serious even vengeful was a good move and added more to his character. I was hoping and praying they wouldn't do the thing, I didn't say anything cause I didn't want to jinx it, but they can't let a trilogy be a trilogy. Granted it was even I'll admit a great mid credits scene but come on! We went out on a relatively high note, with multiple instances of goosebumps at the climax, it's a solid made film with very good production values, the writing and humor still worked for me, it did what every sequel should do, and I was very happy to see it! We had a pretty healthy attendance at the screening and hearing the kids get so excited seeing stuff like Shadow and the Chao's while also laughing at Jim Carrey put me in a good mood. Thumbs up from me, 3 stars, 7.5/10! And next week is the end and what more of a perfect day to end it on than Christmas, at least it'll be a spooky Christmas...

Staged: Season 3

Well that was more different than I expected.

So we're back to 6 episodes again but the strangest part is there's only 2 episodes of the actual show, and the rest of the season is actually all about behind the scenes stuff and gearing up for actually filming the third season. Never have I ever seen a television show that potrays the actual show, the aftermath of the show, and the preproduction of the show. It does feel like a true peek behind the curtain with Georgia playing executive producer/sociopath, Michael and David doing a tiny bit of press and having rehearsals before filming, Simon actually isn't a spineless worm and actually directs will wonders never cease? So it's undoubtedly the black sheep of the entire run and as far as I know they had no intention to go beyond a third season so this is it for all intents and purposes, but it's still interesting to watch! It certainly posed many questions in my mind of how do you produce a television series with a skeleton crew of camera operators, audio engineers, and the director himself? It sounds almost an impossible task but they pull it off and pull it off well! I guess I was just thoroughly thrown off course because the first two episodes are business as usual for the most part and then it's all backstage stuff for the vast majority of the season, so I don't hate it by any stretch but I also certainly don't love it as much as the other two seasons. David and Michael still have moments to shine and show their humor scripted or otherwise, Georgia practically gets the same if not even slightly more screen time than our boys and she really is a ball busting producer...maybe goes a bit off the fucking deep end and crafts a Jigsaw level situation for David and Michael to get over some writing hurdles to be perfectly honest but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Handful of cameos present including one of my all time favorite british actors, and while they aren't as prevalent because of the shorter episode count it was still nice to see them. It certainly has appeal seeing the crafting of a show even if it's not super in depth and indeed I can see many normal people who just enjoyed the first two seasons kinda get a introductory look at behind the scenes production material that people like me AKA insane cinephiles are aware of. Admittedly I would just stick to the first two seasons but there's still interesting stuff here, and I can at least recommend it halfway. 3 stars from me, 8/10, and I guess more behind the scenes stuff will come up next week with an animation company and animator legend known globally.

Staged: Season 2

Or Staged squared if you're mathematically inclined.

Okay definitely a shift from last season, picking up roughly a year later when we were oh so slowly crawling out of the pit itself this season more or less deals with the impact of the first season. If you thought it was meta before you ain't seen nothing yet! We bump up to 8 episodes now still at 22 minutes each as we follow David and Michael who are made aware of the show making a leap to the States but...without them starring. So it's this mad scramble for them to learn all the details of a production they have nothing to do with combined with actually a pretty normal thing in actor's lives: atrophy and waiting for the next part. I say this with love and enjoyment in my heart, there is somehow even less going on plot wise this time around. No really, it's mostly Michael and David getting into a bit of a rut while also trying to integrate themselves back into the show, and don't think about that too hard or you will quickly learn that time is a flat circle and that this rabbit hole is a reflection of a reflection. I mean you always hear stories about actors just kinda waiting for the phone to ring and I truthfully feel they did a brilliant job potraying that, David almost turns into a recluse and falls out a bit with Michael because of it. And you cannot tell me otherwise at this point they're basically married, I had every expectation to see a kiss or an embrace before the end! I wouldn't quite say the performances got better they more expanded for lack of a better term, filling out more of the depictions of themselves and giving new angles for us the viewer to see them, which is still great stuff! They have such a school friend energy about them at times and whether this season is improv to hell and back or not you can feel the joy they have being around each other. I also appreciate seeing more of Georgia, Anna, and Lucy kinda have their own brief little storyline as well, that was nice. Good few celebrity cameos as the first go around, don't want to spoil any of them because some were a genuine shock. The humor is still as strong also, David had me losing it a good few times mainly because I've never seen him angry or upset before so those were gold for me but the absolute biggest laugh I got wasn't even a line, but a look from Georgia in the last episode of the series literally made it to where I couldn't breathe. I don't know why, it just killed me. This was way more like what I imagined the show to be like in my head, very few instances of any kind of camera shot beyond webcam stuff and the five layer cake depths of art imitating life imitating art was almost mind boggling. It's such an interesting little show and I think that's why I love it, don't get me wrong it's great to see David and Michael kinda bounce off each other and have fun mucking about, not to get off topic but the scene where they're just doing the newspaper crossword puzzle...if that's scripted I will literally castrate myself, cook it, and eat it because that was just them being them! Not a shred of acting found in that brief moment. But anyway, it's just this oddball show that clearly is not meant for everyone but holy hot damn is it entertaining to me and clearly many more people if it got not one but a two-hoo extra seasons, and whether or not tomorrow's review will be the last for Staged it was great fun while it lasted. I give it 4 stars, 9/10!