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.

She-Wolf Of London

Did a movie from 1946 just make my jaw drop six times?

I'm kinda speechless here folks! Nearing the end of Universal's second horror cycle She-Wolf Of London though having no relation to Werewolf Of London in my humble opinion thoroughly surpasses it and I still enjoyed that movie! It's one of very very few movies I've seen where we have essentially an all female leads cast, with June Lockhart playing a young bride to be named Phyllis who seems utterly convinced of a family curse of lycanthropy is hanging over her as murders are discovered in a park near her estate. June plays it so convincingly, seeing this distraught woman go through the wringer mentally easily grabs you and you want to see the best for her. Sara Haden as the authoritative aunt Martha is such an interesting character and despite the film's whopping 1 hour runtime is able to fill out the role amazingly. Then we have Jan Wiley as Martha's daughter Carol who seems the most carefree of the household with her own little romance budding mostly off screen but comes into play in such a shocking way that it honestly left me dumbfounded and floundering for answers, big time love for Jan here. Lastly we have Don Porter as Phyllis' fiancee Barry who I really gotta admit for a 1940s film is one of the most considerate, dare I even say sensitive male characters I have ever seen really saying all the right things with no ulterior motives who simply wants his bride to be safe and loved. That's some progressive as shit casting and character writing for the time! And boy howdy did this film utterly throw me for a loop de loop, throwing out three curveballs that literally left my jaw on the floor each time! I wasn't dreaming of such twists and turns and you think with me seeing as many movies as I have it would be fairly easy to pluck them out but NOPE! I hear even the most hardcore Universal Monsters fans fall silent on this movie and I'm simultaneously thankful and kinda upset about it, because I walked in as blind as possible and found a surprisingly good movie but I wish more recognition could be given to it. Even for a lower budget Universal film the production values are high with great sets, period costuming, enough fog filled woods to satisfy the atmospheric lover within me, with effective writing and a very very good cast that got me invested, intrigued, and truly gobsmacked multiple times! Last damn movie that really swept me away like this in this series was Dracula's Daughter and that is a movie begging to be lauded with as much praise as the most famous monsters of filmland. So I really kicked off this final week with a banger, strong recommendation for a hidden classic, I give it 3 stars and I'll go 8/10 just for how shocking the series of events unfolded. Tomorrow we dig into a legacy continuation with a legend of the entire genre.

Black Sabbath

Not the band, but potentially the movie that inspired the name of the band.

Okay I gotta admit I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by this movie. I'm pretty sure this is my first Mario Bava film, a well known horror director of the 60s and 70s and I gotta say I dig his style. Presented as an anthology of 3 stories hosted by Boris Karloff himself, amd you know me I'm a sucker for a horror anthology the stories presented are quite good. One concerns a medical practicioner who gets the bright idea to steal from a patient's corpse and has an ending you honestly could see one of two ways, the other involving a woman being harassed and stalked over a telephone before Black Christmas and way before Scream, and finally a good old fashioned period piece involving vampires. A mighty fine selection of both tried and true classic material with more contemporary stuff that has become a classic in their own way in the decades since. The first thing I really gotta talk about is the visuals, holy balls this film looks flippin' amazing! Every last penny is presented on screen with unique use of color which reinforces why I love 60s cinema all by itself, some jawdropping sets that are pretty encompassing and no doubt helped the budget considerably while still showing off excellent production design, and the various styles of costuming really just knocked it out of the park for me and made it so so worthwhile to watch! I'm actually kinda pissed the fuck off people don't talk about this movie, yeah the stories are basic but they surprisingly got me startled and freaked out at times, the whole look of the movie is outstanding, the presentation with Boris is a real treat cause the man had a fantastic sense of humor and they played into that well here, and it was just an investing 90 minute film. Granted from the tidbits of research I did I think I cut myself short cause apparently the movie got a good bit edited down before hitting the States and the italian version is the one to see, this was released by American International Pictures who if you remember from reviews past was the company responsible for Roger Corman's early exploits and his renowned Poe series, so maybe if I can somehow someway find a print sourced in Italy I may enjoy it even more than I already did! I love just the flair of Bava's direction, he knows how to make a shot interesting and his love for zooms just put a smile on my face. This was such a hidden gem for me this month and I honestly don't think it'll be topped this week despite the fact we got one more to go from a certain Mr. Castle. If I had to pick my favorite segment I would go for the second one, The Telephone, I mean what a horrible situation to be in. You're being stalked in your own home by someone you can't see and they love to taunt you over a phone line, and the performance by Michèle Mercier was so damn believable and I really don't think she had to act that much to begin with. Women just have to go through so much shit man and that is a nightmare for countless ladies, so it had me on the edge of my seat and the ending just boggled my mind. This...this was so good! I strongly urge people to check this out if you have a chance, it hit so many buttons for me and I will gladly reward it with a full 4 stars, 8.5/10! It kinda breaks my heart we only got one more week of Halloween goodness to experience but it is a joy as always to be here talking my shit and reveling in the terror and beauty of the most wonderful time of the year.

Death Proof

Fundamentally different, absolutely. Still pretty good, hell yeah!

If the director himself considers this his worst movie, Quentin I just gotta tell you I don't see it. It's a remarkedly different beast compared to the all guns blazing Planet Terror with a much smaller scale plot involving two seperate groups of girls being stalked by a murderous stuntman appropriately named, Stuntman Mike, and it's funny cause that simple plot alone are two different beasts. The first is film grained up, jump cuts, has a very 70s vibe despite it taking place in modern day and is my favorite of the two segments. Which is no slight against the second with a quartet of ladies with two being everyday gals and the other two being fairly badass thrillseekers who run across Stuntman Mike and outperform him with some impressive stunts, it's shot in both pristine black & white alongside color, with modern filmmaking techniques, and some stellar stunts. Kurt Russell steals the show, being effectively creepy like so under my skin freak me the fuck out kinda creepy, but it's Kurt and he's got so much charisma and likeability it's interesting to watch despite not knowing much about Stuntman Mike. Standouts in our lady groups is Vanessa Ferlito from the firste troupe, I don't know if it was the accent or the no nonsense attitude or just her absurdly pretty face but I gravitated toward her so easily, and while everyone rightly lauds and praises Zoë Bell for her wit and insane physical performance Rosario Dawson was my gal in this and I thought she was groovy and props for her on getting the final blow. The production was spot on, again a very low budget effort but works insanely well on how they used the budget, they saved their big bucks for the big shit with some gross effects, a showstopping crash, and a car chase that will stick in your mind for some time. I will say I do wish we could have focused on one group or even did a mixed bag between the two casts, but it all works out and doesn't really hurt the film provided you don't mind almost a 2 hour runtime with a fair bit of dialogue and slow burns before the lid pops. I was still invested throughout and honestly wouldn't mind owning the whole Grindhouse experience! It's a long forgotten niche of cinema but definitely has it's fans and while I can safely say I'm more of a casual observer I still respect and enjoy the distinct style and filmmaking choices even if they aren't all for me. For one brief moment in 2007 you could go to a theater for a double bill with fake trailers and advertisements for an experience that can't be replicated and that I am strongly jealous of, considering I was 12 at the time and a fledgling movie fan who had no concept of grindhouse cinema. But I'm extremely happy to have finally seen both these movies that I've heard about for more than a decade. I give this 3 stars, 7.5/10, and we're jumping back to the 1960s next week.

Good Boy

I think this is the most riled up I'll be all month.

What an interesting movie man, this is truly independent and yet has caused some waves. I mean the simple premise of a ghost story from an animal's perspective is interesting and honestly got me more on the edge of my seat than the vast majority of horror movies, it's not probably that much of a secret humans vastly favor animals than other humans so it's ridiculously easy to get invested. Even me as a cat person through and through, he a good boi! You a good boi! Can I pet that dawg? Indy is a star and I want you to acknowledge it, look at him with his little bowtie on the red carpet! Who is gonna hate on this movie? Not I. It's shot pretty friggin' good honestly, with plenty of atmosphere and touches of that exquisite fall atmosphere I love, with ample senses of dread and foreboding no doubt bolstered by our lead. Even little touches like we don't really see a lot of the human's faces, it plays a lot with shadow very akin to Hereditary, it even gets artsy for a hot second, it's a well directed film! And considering the cast is like three people and a dog, it doesn't have to go far to be effective. Shit when I looked up the movie and saw a runtime of one hour and twelve minutes I was kinda gobsmacked, last damn movie I reviewed that short was when we did Island Of Lost Souls not that long ago, so it really doesn't lolligag about. Sometimes you just don't need much to be good, short ass runtime, small cast, relatively low amount of locations, make not only an effective horror film but a damn fine example of modern independent filmmaking hitting it pretty big. No definitive word on budget but raking in over 2,000,000 buckaroos and plenty of positive word of mouth ain't too shabby! A succesful experiment and we're just getting started for the month. 3 stars, 7.5/10, and next time we'll follow another interesting perspective film that I can't say I've heard of before.

The Most Dangerous Game

Out of the silent era and into good ol' RKO.

From the same producers of King Kong and shot on many of the same sets comes an adaptation of a short story, concerning a shipwrecked hunter who finds himself entangled in the sick game of a russian master of hunting and sport who is tasked with surviving for one night to obtain freedom off the island or become just another attraction in a trophy room. For a movie that barely clocks in at one hour it does a surprisingly good job not only taking enough time to set up the story, the villain, and the stakes but deliver on a nonstop 20 odd minute chase scene through the jungle that must have been exhilarating in 1932. I have no qualms saying Leslie Bank, in his first motion picture role I might add, is the reason and the highlight to watch this movie. The man doesn't even have to act he just looks so sinister, and yet can potray this charming and very affable host before the facade falls and you see just how commited he is to enacting this horrid game. Joel McCrea is a fine albeit basic leading man who has the know how to lay traps and use the terrain to his advantage, and it is interesting to watch more a clash of minds in the wilderness rather than brute strength. Fay Wray, icon that she is barely has to do a damn thing and yet still remains a highlight and it's wild to think she was filming King Kong the exact same damn time as this. Boy, movies are NOT made like that anymore. The sets are very well constructed, from the Count's fortress and grisly trophy room to the dense foliage and misty swamp of the jungle, for a lower budgeted movie it still looks quite nice. Now I know the concept of using humans as prey isn't entirely new to storytelling but it's a solid story, that somehow slipped into the realm of the public domain but you can easily find a good quality version even on Youtube and it is worth a watch for film fans or even people who want to see one of the early examples of a thriller and not a horror film. I love talking old black and white movies and to bring more attention to them, so this was a no brainer to review. A quite good movie but hopefully we end on an even higher note. 3 stars, 7/10, I'll be seeing you next time.

Ballerina

We got new movie sign!

Been a friggin' minute, and I have to admit I was very much looking forward to this movie since hearing about it. So how was it? I will fully say it's pretty good but whether or not you hold it as highly as the John Wick quadrilogy is up to the person, and frankly I am in dire need of a rewatch to make that decision myself. But it simultaneously follows suite and yet plays around with the formula a bit that's been established, with a relatively new agent who takes on the mantle more of a guardian than assassin who is on the hunt for what is deemed a cult of assassins who killed her father when she was young, simple story but the devil is in the details. Obviously Ana has been more of a grower on me, and I may or may not have my own headcanon this is Paloma from No Time To Die before she was in Cuba, but man does she firmly plant her action hero flag in this movie. I mean she gets her ass beat six ways to Sunday but in the few instances of Jedi wisdom I agree with, perseverance reveals the path and she keeps getting up to pretty brutally dispatch opponents. Whether or not this continues with a sequel, I like the story they told here even if it is common as dirt. Of course we got Keanu in it and I'm happy they do much much more with him than just a glorified cameo and he comes in clutch like always. Gabriel Byrne is our villain and the performance itself was good but the material is pretty weak, no fault of course on the actor but it is your typical John Wick villain. There's probably a reason Norman Reedus wasn't brought up a lot in the marketing and considering I've seen next door to zero of his work, for the brief screentime he has I had enough interest and actually wanted to see him throw down more! Of course we also got Ian McShane but who I wasn't expecting was our man Lance back, in his final role no less and while they're very much ancillary characters I'm never going to turn away the chance to see them. The action fare has that gold stamp of approval from previous entries, with a fair bit of innovative fighting including a pair of ice skates, hammers, and a flamethrower, so it got faaaaar from predictable or boring, with ample love going to the stunt crew and the choreographers. Visually it's a striking film, with unabashed favorites including a rocking club and the snow filled night that gives it so much substance on screen, but even in environments like a log cabin or some construction site on Continental grounds still has elements that play into the action where every fight has one memorable moment minimum. I would be remiss to not briefly touch on the score, while far from explosive still sets mood and tension well and frankly any movie with Swan Lake gets at least half a point! So all in all I'm happy to have seen it, it's worth supporting your local theater to watch it, and I can see die hard fans of this series eagerly pick it up on video in the future. So 3.5 stars, 8/10, and I'll be back with a foray through time and space once more!

Andor: Season 2

I'm kinda pissed off I will not lie to you.

Now admittedly the vast majority of the first three episodes were really not doing anything for me (to the point I kinda wanted to quit to be brutally honest for a moment), but really after that whatever issues I might have with this season are down to I just didn't like the conclusion to the Imperial stuff. Shocking I know! But beyond that how does this second part to a technical quadrilogy if we go all the way to the end of A New Hope stack up? When it gets going it is slipping right back into the good stuff that you would expect and loved from the first season! If anything I can sum up this series as, all the pieces on the chessboard are making their final moves cause this does indeed end right before Rogue One begins so we see Cassian fully commit to the Yavin rebels, we see the final moments of Mon before leaving the Senate, Luthen really cutting it close to being discovered, and Dedra being shuffled to the right places at the right time. It never is as easy as I explain it and indeed there is a loooot to talk about maybe more than I have space for so let's discuss technicals first. Acting wise the calibre has not diminished if anything it's exceeded the first season, with the highlights going to Diego, Denise, Elizabeth Dulau who really comes into her own as Kleya, and of course light of my life Genevieve. It's very easy to forget you're not watching actors in a show that's all I'll say! The expansive sets, costumes, props, and visual effects are still top notch and I do truly hope we get so much more physical sets despite the Volume being a marvel of technology. The tone has truly gotten more grim and even real at certain points, which...even as a die hard Star Wars fan I never imagined I could truly say. There really is no way to gloss over or sugar coat it, seeing Ghorman and the massacre was striking, it was scary if even for just a second, if this show knows how to do anything it's calculate the rising tension and suspense to a staggering effect, and it hits as well as it does because we've seen this shit before on the news. Now of course Star Wars has always had some real world inspirational draw, this is not some modern spin take on it. To sum it up in one point, why were the Imperials mainly british and the rebels mainly american? It was a little world event in history, might have heard of it, it was called THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. But Jesus wept, it just hits so close to now and yes it is undoubtedly entertainment but you also have to acknowledge what the writers were trying to get across. I can forgive three goddamn episodes of Cassian being stuck doing nothing while being caught between two dipshit factions, because of all the better story elements that come in later. I honestly don't even know where to go from here, and the worst part is because my ass was so behind the times that I kinda was already hearing "spoilers" for lack of a better term and it did indeed damage my viewing pleasure and experience. I knew about Bix and all she was going through, I knew about Brasso, I knew about Dedra's outcome, I knew about Saw's questionable recreations, I even knew about the damn healer. So I really hate to say it but the score will suffer because of that. Do I still think it is a very well crafted and entertaining show? Yes! Will I most likely watch Rogue One after writing this? Yes! Was it as good as season one? That is an impossible question because I didn't know shit through season one until each episode came out, so it's already unfair but even then as a whole, I would say no. Life is unfair and mostly bullshit, but I'll get over it. I'm dying one day anyway and I still had several surprises in store for me, and there is always something to look forward to. Still pretty fucking bummed out anyway but emotions are the most fickle thing in existence. In like a years time this In Retrospect will quell any issues and I'll be all the happier for it. Reeealllyyy gonna piss off pretty much everybody, though unintentional I swear, when I say 3 stars, 8/10, I'm willing to have my opinion changed. But not today.

Green Room

A24 time again!

Jesus fucking wept this is a sit and a half not because it's bad but it is some stressful shit. Essentially concerning a punk band who happen across a murder at a venue they are performing in and get embroiled in the coverup by a bunch of skinheads as they desperately try to survive. There is no way in two tits of a rat's ass a studio system would make this film and I think that's one of the reasons people laud A24 so highly, because they pick up movies, produce movies, and distribute movies by directors who have unconventional stories to tell. Hearing about the director Jeremy Saulnier talk about having no way to make this film once he became a bigger more noticeable director really put that all in perspective for me, people gravitate towards indie filmmaking and low budget forays because you just don't get this shit anywhere. And I feel he did a good job crafting this very stressful and graphic movie but have little burts of artistry and dare I say avant garde type shots as you are thrown into this scary situation with this band. Anton Yelchin our sweet summer child slowly but surely becomes the main character through this situation, and even in a grim ass dark movie he has that heart and charm which endeared him to so many. Imogen Poots goes from friend of the murdered (good band name...) to final girl by the end of all of this, and I was always keeping my eye on her because man she got dead behind the eyes real quick, solid performance! I almost spit my drink out seeing Sir Patrick Stewart in this movie, that is considerable star power for a independent film and to see him as the main antagonist was rather shocking, but given an actor of his status he can really play anything his heart desires. The band dynamic between Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner feels very genuine like these are friends who decided to be in a punk band together, and it's interesting to note how each person handles the pressure of this insane situation. The movie is barely 90 minutes but so much happens within that 90 minutes you get immersed, involved, and really really wanting to see how this ends! It blindsides you with this murder and it only gets bloodier from there, the movie knows how to pace and punch when needed. Granted I was hoping to see some more skinhead natzi shitlickers to get axed but I guess I'll have to take what I can get. It's rather bleak and unapologetic but that's why it is so effective in it's storytelling. I'll admit the synopsis alone caught my attention of potential movies to review this week and what I found was a very well made albiet dark film that certainly is not for everybody but it's compelling in it's own way. I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10.

And tomorrow it's time for another bow like all the other years, eleven's hour is over now the clock is striking twelve.

Companion

Potential top 10 material already? Ooooooohhhh maybe!

Fwack that was exactly my type of weird, and this is gonna hit spoilers of a certain degree so fair warning right now, aboslutely loved it, highly recommended. Okay? Okay. Companion was unfortunately spoiled a bit for me but not through any jackass on the interwebs, but through the second trailer I saw in theaters. Now the first trailer had me hook, line, and sinker I was gonna be here one way or other! But then...dear sweet Sophie turns out to be a fembot and I was pissed hearing that, and indeed the twist isn't kept for long but my God the reaction would be all the stronger had I not known. And yet! This movie still had me guessing, on my toes, and utterly engrossed. Because there's still shady areas where you don't know all the in's, all the out's, all the what have you's with why this group of friends have taken up a lakeside house and what role Sophie or rather I should say Iris has to play here. It takes elements of Ghost In The Shell, Blade Runner, and Asimov's 3 Laws Of Robotics and crafts something original and great. Sophie dear sweet God my girl better get recognition with this role, just her fucking tics and the way her body reacts, c'est magnifique! And yes I was loving every second of her, for lack of a better term, empowerment and where her story goes, just outstanding start to finish. I'm telling you man this was a wild ride! Jack Quaid was bugging me man, I mean not only does he potray the most massive asshole but I kept scrathing my head cause I swear I've seen him before and then I remembered, he was in Oppenheimer. But anywho, I just had a bad feeling about his character Josh after just seeing he doesn't cuddle after a love making session, may be painting in gigantic strokes here but if you don't give a bit of aftercare once done with a bit of hey hey yeah sorry you're a worm and I'm severely disappointed in you. Easy win with Harvey Guillén, he was as fun as always and though not in it long was still great! Props also to Lukas Gage who has quite an arc through the movie to say the least and is far more than just a handsome face. Megan Suri no slam against the actress here, if anything big props for playing a complete bitch, that takes talent more than you think. But it's more how the characters play into the story that makes it super good rather than just the very good cast, and I think you'll have no problem getting invested. Couple that with not super fancy cinematography but we got some solid landscapes and a couple of artsy shots which of course daddy like (in a cinema snob way of course), pretty friggin' good humor that hit my funny bone multiple times throughout, and a pretty bitchin' soundtrack that ends on one of my favorite Bee Gee's tracks. So do I hear 10/10 off in the distance?? The Bee Gee's helped push it farther than I already adore it, I will shamelessly admit. It's been a hot minute since a movie pushed so many of the right buttons for me, I'm kinda amazed. I wanted it to be good, a rare instance of expectation in my career, but it somehow surpassed it by several leagues and a country mile. Of course I'm biased as hell it's my show after all, so just take it all with a grain of salt and if you're feeling super adventurous try a triple feature date night with this, Heart Eyes, and Love Hurts. Thank me later! I really wanna give it a 10 buuut to temper my excitement and love I'll give it 4 stars, 9/10! Still Kino.

Lost Highway

You never fail me David.

Okay! Lost Highway. The fuck? Don't get me wrong, I liked it fine and well but this is a brainteaser of a movie. Two things you always can say about every David Lynch movie, it's never boring and it gets the gears in your mind turning. It's gonna be difficult to even synopsize the plot here because it really keeps changing tracks almost to the point where you could say the movie is just all over the place and has no sense of direction or cohesion but then links start cropping up and the farther you get the more the branching paths cross. It starts off akin to a home invasion thriller as this couple finds a tape on their doorstep of someone entering their home and filming them while they sleep which is a pants darkening thought as is, then we swap over to a young mechanic who is dabbling in a less than monogamous relationship which we primarily follow but then weird shit just keeps happening and connections that rightly would seem completely out of nowhere creep in, and by the end of the movie you're turning this Rubik's Cube any which way to try to figure it out. What conclusions you come to is half the fun. I feel certain people will hate this movie if they are individuals who don't like not knowing stuff, me on the other hand love when I come face to face with stuff I don't know or don't get because it can be a learning experience and I like to try to solve stuff. So this easily can be a splitting movie, but being as one trained in the Force I know only true coincidences are rare, and that David has a vision and always makes the movie he wants to make even if he's the only one to understand the movie. But in terms of production details it's real good even great at moments! The first 40 minutes centered on that home invasion thriller part was super effective and got me jumpy, sound design and soundtrack is fantastic throughout! We got some straight up unbelievable shots at times, I mean like too good looking to be anything short of a painting. Big time love to Patricia Arquette who while not the protagonist is the center of which the plot revolves around, this is my first time seeing her on David's filmography and I'm impressed. Bill Pullman is the real contention of questions I had in regard of the story, but it was nice seeing him post-presidency fighting aliens. Balthazar Getty as our secondary lead walks hand in hand with Bill as to the mystery of what is exactly going on, and I liked his more quiet mannered näive persona before he goes off the rails. Last but not least Robert Blake credited only as Mystery Man is likely the most memorable part of the film, and he's very much a wild card thrown in the deck with nothing short of unnatural abilities and with such a small amount of screentime gets under your skin effortlessly, absolutely fantastic acting. Regardless of what you make out of the plot this is an interesting movie and gave me 2 hours of entertainment to get me through the day. 3 stars, 7.5/10, and well that about does her. Wraps it all up. But we got some major time goodies coming up with both Star Wars series and a new release, so stay tuned and stay weird.

John Wick: Chapter 4

I really hate to say this but I don't feel this will be a competent review.

I was an absolute fool, and you can quote me on that, not taking the opportunity to do an In Retrospect of John Wick 3 because I am always on the level here and I speak plainly. I did not remember jack shit about the last 3 movies, I mean nothing. Nada. Zip. And...it's kinda friggin' pertinent information to have so it almost legitimately was like I walked into this movie without watching previous installments. Hell I re-read my old reviews to try to jog my memory and it didn't ring a bell, ding a bell, or ting a bell in my head. So I apologize profusely in advance, if I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about...yeah. So we pick up some time after Parabellum, John is still excommunicated, Winston and Charon are in hot water with the higher ups, and some bitch boy lieutenant apparently thinks he has John Wick's number. I don't remember if that guy was in the last movie, I think he was, but fuck that guy in this movie! He just irked me the right way that few villains can do, so props for that completely! Seeing Ian and Lance again in these roles was simultaneously joyous and bittersweet, I mean nobody could have foresaw Lance Reddick's unfortunate and very sudden passing and it just sucked man. Cause I greatly enjoyed his bits in these movies and now that's it. And of course Keanu back in the suit again (and I will talk about that suit I assure you), it's another fine outing for him and once more he relies on almost silent acting with few lines and lets his body language do the talking. And I gotta say, for an almost 3 hour film which didn't feel it's length, I greatly appreciate the not necessarily lack of action scenes but more the balance between action and quiet moments, I think I counted 5 action sequences total. Granted they are very lavishly choreographed, wonderfully even ingeniously shot at long stretches of time but never feeling dull. Yet the shining pieces of the movie are the beautiful, and I do truly mean beautiful, quiet, peaceful interludes that just worked wonders for me. Pay attention to that shit! But I also give my thanks for them just going all out and giving us an eastern sword duel with Donnie Yen and Hiroyuki Sanada and a western gun duel with Keanu, briefly settling into the rhythm and filmmaking of those genres as nothing but loving homage. However! Yell at me if you wish but was the bulletproof clothing in the last movie? I don't mean the fully decked out head to toe, nary an opening, straight up special forces armor. Oh no, I mean the fucking jump the shark, tailored, nice ass suits which are bulletproof. What. The fuck? I think I would recall something like that previously and shout bullshit! It makes zero goddamn sense both in universe and from a filmmaking perspective other than they needed an excuse to make the fight scenes longer. Well shit, how do we do that? What if we made our characters impervious like the last son of Krypton? My God, Johnson's done it again! And motherfuck, I said what I meant and I meant what I said, you do not fall 3 storeys onto a van and just walk that shit off. Bulletproof suit or not. It really kept taking me out of it. Now one scene that did not and if anything got my nerves skyrocketing is the staircase segment, where it's like the fucking Exorcist Steps × 100, just because of a ticking clock implemented. Well done on that! And even that ain't got shit on the Zelda shootout, you'll understand that reference when you see it classic gamers out there. I mean sweet Jesus that was a feat! I did actually expect the movie to end on an ambiguous note because I heard something about the director wanting to take a break before the next John Wick movie but it ends on a solid definitive note which thank you for that as well. So I don't know man, I'm stumped. Did I like it? A good deal yeah! But booooy howdy do I need to have me a little movie marathon once this hits video and re-evaluate my stance. But all in all I give it 3.5 stars, 8/10! And tomorrow is nothing but the beginning of the end or perhaps the end of the beginning.

Speed

Bit different from what I knew.

I'm not sure exactly how or why but Speed really got some cultural osmosis transference to me. I mean it is not a bad premise for a kind of thriller action summer movie, and yet there was a good deal I had no clue about. And I actually really really enjoy movies where you think you know the whole plot but then it surprises you! Gives you a bit more. So, set up. This is the city Los Angeles, California where we meet officers Jack and Harry who have to contend with a mad bomber on two seperate occasions, now I may be in a severe minority here but I greatly enjoyed the elevator setpiece more than the bus setpiece. Not only is it a really great way to start an action movie by basically giving you an action movie climax and resolution just as the beginning 25 minutes, but the way it was all put together with cinematography, dialogue, and the sequence of events worked for me tremendously. Is that to say the main plot of a bomb being placed on a bus rigged to blow if the speed limit drops below 50mph bad? Hell no! In fact it's truthfully been a long ass time since I have experienced flat out, no horseshit, on the edge of my seat tension and entertainment in my life. Yet I don't think I can explain why. It's almost stressful to watch when something awry happens, and that really goes to show what a good setpiece and production this was! And I got to applaud the living shit out of this production, cause if it's not 100% all real it's mighty damn close to it! I think I saw one model shot at the tail end, but all the crashes, maneuvers, and explosions are legit. The tone holds pretty solid realism for the most part and that adds to the excitement of the movie. Keanu does good here, he has enough to do and works as an officer so good on him. Dennis Hopper is your villain, I need not say more apart from the fact I would be scared shitless if I met that guy, and he is just that right flavor of fucking nuts in this movie. Sandra Bullock I'm a bit perplexed on how to word this but, I found her personality and acting endearing and kinda adorable. I don't know, just how she acted put a smile on my face, but that romance was bullllshit. Sorry, the movie would have worked better without it and it did not need it in the slightest. But that's a small gripe in a good movie. And yes I fully believe Jeff Daniels plays the same Harry in this as he does in Dumb & Dumber. Good times! All in all a pretty good movie, it has enough for me to call it great even, solid premise, very good execution, and has a lot of love for it even today. I give it 3.5 stars, 8/10! Will the 4th be the last for Mr. Wick? We'll find out next time.

Andor: Season 1

Okay, holy shit we made it to the end and with one hell of a show!




I had a small thought and find it hilarious, the people who waaay back who were like why in the hell are we introducing politics into Star Wars are the same people now who actually really enjoy this series and it's more political, slow paced, and less actiony moments. Yes Andor, the one show I was not entirely here for from the announcement but in the words of my Papa I'll be dadgum, I really enjoyed this show! Set 5 years before the Battle of Yavin and ostensibly also 5 years before Rogue One, we meet up again with Cassian Andor who through a secret contact in the still forming infant Rebel Alliance is thrown into many situations and rough spots as he slowly is turned to joining the cause. That is pure bare bones story, there is quite a lot that occurs, believe it or not there isn't a whole lot of twists and turns at least not in the conventional sense. Now this is a highly important factor to bring up when trying to get people onto this show, there isn't a chase and pew-pew action every episode, it's more the exception rather than the rule. It holds a different kind of power, and I attribute that to the series writer Tony Gilroy who's bread and butter is spy thrillers, he isn't even that hardcore a Star Wars fan hence the lack of aliens and droids for the most part throughout the series. But the man knows his shit and delivers an intensely fascinating and tension building show in any situation. From essentialy the great bank heist of Aldhani, to galactic Prison Break, to everything in between it holds your attention. True the flashback sequences feel very slapdash in how they mixed it with the story, going to and fro from the past to now, but truthfully you only got to deal with it for a few episodes. If you give this show your undivided attention it delivers much in return, character wise, plot wise, and even easter egg wise. So let's go through characters, it is a big ensemble cast so we'll focus on major players seen throughout. Diego Luna I feel really gets to spread his wings in this show, even though he did mighty well in Rogue One you just get more time with him. His out for his own self attitude, his secrecy, his sometimes cold blooded persona, but underneath it all you see a great dedication to his friends and family and know when push comes to shove he will fight alongside people. Stellan Skarsgard as Luthen, you want to talk like best performances ever in Star Wars? I'm serious man, he brought award winning big gun acting chops to this show potraying what I feel to be the true originator of the Rebels at least in ethics and conviction to fight the Empire. He just gets these sections of lines, full monologues at times, and just goes for it! I seriously couldn't praise the man enough if I tried. Now, oh yes, my favorite character, Denise Gough as ISB Lieutanant Deedra Meero. Whoa. It took maybe 5 seconds for me to settle on her as my favorite, if a quarter of the Empire had her conviction, meticulous mind, and broad strokes thinking the fucking Rebellion would have been killed before it got out of it's cot. She is not in this game for ascension through the ranks, she is here to wipe out dissidents and be awesome. Now to go to my least favorite character! Far from anything I could say bad things about Kyle Soller as Syril Karn, like the performance is spot on and done well but this character....Jesus wept. Okay, I didn't hate him at first, I saw this young, idealistic, commited to his job and code of ethics man and I can respect that. It then turned out he was a actually a simpering, washed out, wannabe who has a huge vengeance hard on for Cassian and a probably more quite literal hard on for Deedra. And I just, oh my God, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. The fact they even tried to nudge this potential romance made me want to wrap my lips around a fucking T-21. No. I am telling you no, go in the corner and think about what you did! This will not stand man! Now you know my stance on rebels, they are traitors, murderers, terrorists, and thieves. They are not heroes, they are not martyrs, they are a disease. However! Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma, I can live with her. Not to sound shameless, though I am, Mon Mothma is the most beautiful woman in all of Star Wars. No horseshit Jack, better than Cara Dune, better than Rey, Rose, Padme, even our beloved Leia, it's her over everyone okay! She makes my heart glow every second she is on screen, her husband is fucking useless marry me instead, and her story segments are kinda heartbreaking at times so she just gets a 12/10 overall! Everyone else as supporting cast was just as commited and strong as our major players so props to all involved, special love to Adria Arjona as Bix, Anton Lesser as Major Partagaz, and a secret extra bonus character whose work I love immensely but some secrets are best kept. Just go watch it. Lightning round opinion time! I have to applaud Lucasfilm for just making practical sets and not working exclusively with the Volume, the props, set design, costumes, and effects are just as good as any of the films maybe even a bit more so because you get just so much of it since it is a series. The Arrestor Cruiser plucked straight out of proto-type Star Destroyer concept art, amazing, flawless, showstopping, where's my toy, I love it. I want a whole friggin' show based on the ISB, it's wonderful to finally see it on screen and an environement I want to revisit a lot. Episode 6, wow. Just wow. Breathtaking visuals!! Plus this show made TIE Fighters legit terrifying, and I am an Imperial at heart but even my teeth were set on edge hearing those screaming ion engines. Our little droid B2EMO, I'm still grappling with that absurd name yet I treasure him and his little stutter, but it does pose the question....can you be too emo? (Yes.) Soooo many easter eggs in Luthen's art gallery, those prop boys were having a real good time peppering in all kinds of items and artifacts, most of which I caught. After credits scene for the finale, sheer pornography, a happy ending if I ever saw one. Ooh my....but anywho! I swear on all I believe, that march in the last episode was without question or doubt the most suspenseful dare I say Hitchcockian scene in Star Wars history, cause it just builds and builds at a slow burn pace, akin to the series as a whole in that way, and you know something is up, some shit is about to go down when it stops but you have no idea what. That's stunning to see, never that I would say Star Wars is "formulaic", there's too much diversity in eras, characters, and stories with obvious reoccuring themes but this really breaks the mold as what people consider Star Wars could be. I'm in the camp that Star Wars can take on any genre, sub-genre, style, or situation and Andor proves it can be done. We have the technology. We have the writing. The sky is the limit as I have said before. It does truly trail blaze, it sets out on it's own story and does it's own thing, with all the shows we've gotten not that I'm saying this as a detriment but it is traditional wonderful fan pleasing Star Wars. I still say it's a toss up between Kenobi and Mando for my favorite of the shows so far, but Andor has a lot of my respect and admiration and could potentially top them all. If I said to 2016 Dude, that Andor show you have no interest in and not much hope for yeah my Dude it's actually groundbreaking and amazing, I would scarcely believe myself! But that's what happens, time marches on, opinions and viewpoints change, impermanence is life. So I'm walking away highly pleased and looking forward to season 2. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and this...hurts to say.



Okay everybody I have news. Not good news. I've been sitting on this egg of an idea for about half the year and I feel it is important and more importantly, time. Next year, after the 8th anniversary, I'm taking a step back. I'm not quitting, I'm not retiring, everything is perfectly fine in my personal life, but reviews are not going to be nearly as frequent as before. I have written over 1,000 reviews in less than a decade. Can you count to 1,000? Cause I sure did and I can't believe it even now! You think I planned all this to go as long as it did?? Heeeellllll naw! So we're just gonna do new releases, our traditional Halloween October goodness, maybe a birthday week, but that's really it until 2024. This has never felt like a job, but a passion project, I do not get paid for it and never have but I could care less! But I also couldn't tell you the last time I rewatched a movie just to rewatch it, to enjoy cinema without really having to write about it, to not worry about my constant schedule of reviews. Even when I take months off I'm still planning and writing for the future. But when The countdown began to #1000, I had to do some thinking. I love it too much to quit, but life must take precedent. But I'll be back before you know it come January and I want to say thank you very much for sticking around another year, sticking around forever, recently, somewhere in the middle, and I hope you've seen some good movies this year! Mind you, this Top 10 list...yikes, I don't have much credibility in the slightest but I might get yelled at for this. But until that time, be safe, stay warm, enjoy your holidays, and I shall return to a sunless space to share my dreams with ghosts, monsters, and ghouls, to bask in the light of a full moon I'll never see in reality, to hear the sound of falling leaves and howling winds, to traverse paths through ancient woods where there is no way of escape, to revel in the spooky and the macabre. I find that good.

When The Bough Breaks

Not as great as Acrimony but still enjoyable.

I may get into the spirit of reviewing more thriller movies like this, wow this movie got wild. Like okay, full admission, I knew about this movie and what happened in it but this a prime example of seeing is believing. I saw Brad Jones review this at a Midnight Screening and I was totally okay seeing it based off his recommendation. So the movie is about a fairly upper class couple, played by Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall, who have been desperately trying to have kids and have taken the approach of a surrogate mother to do the heavy lifting for 9 months, but uh...things go south and all Fatal Attraction. I'm just gonna say it, if I knew jack about this movie and we got to where we meet the surrogate Anna, played by Jaz Sinclair, I could tell just from her eyes that she would not be prime mama material. That's not a slam against the actress, far f***ing from it actually, she was amazing in this movie! Can I blame her for crushing hardcore on Morris Chestnut? Hell friggin' no! Ladies, gents, anon, take damn notes on this man and try your best to catch a guy like that. Holy shit, I aspire to be like Morris Chestnut in this movie! 1000% dedication to his wife, puts up with so much, wants to be a papa, aspiring businessman, impeccable fashion, the man is flawless. Ho mah gawd, bless him. I will give this guy all my money next film I see him going to be in. Regina Hall, surprisingly more of a background player in all this, it's very much centered on this power play of affection between Morris and Jaz, but she does very well and nails the emotional crux of being stuck between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. Production wise, quite good I mean for a film that doesn't entirely have a huge budget and could very easily slip into Lifetime movie of the week, knows how to make a shot look good and severe props to set designers and effects. And oh yeah, you get a horror money shot on par with any Friday The 13th movie, totally unexpected but so damn effective. I am so not for romance thrillers or whatever the high holy hell you want to call movies like this, but if it involves Taraji P. Henson or Morris Chestnut, you bet your ass I am all in. 3 stars, 7/10, another new movie tomorrow if all should go well and I am thoroughly interested in how it will go.

Bullet Train

Not my most anticipated movie but it was up there.



Something about the trailers hit me, and I was like oh yeah this is gonna be one of the better films of the year. Didn't disappoint to much all in all and I enjoyed it a good deal. So our story follows a member of an organization who doesn't actually kill people but people certainly die around him, taking a new assignment to retrieve a briefcase from a bullet train in Japan, but there's actual legit assassins on the train who all have their own orders and targets that merge with each other. It's a very complicated case man, a lot of strands to keep straight in the Duder's head this time around but it all ties together at the end so even if you forget a detail the film is polite enough to remind you. Hijinks most certainly ensue. It's not super flashy or different for different's sake in terms of direction and cinematography, focusing more on telling an entertaining and involved story rather than trying to flip the script and break new ground. I can respect that, and the movie does indeed have good shots, choreography, and humor throughout so it's not like it's a generic summer action movie. Though I do have minor quibbles here and there, obviously the movie takes primarily on a train so you don't get the sights of Japan from Tokyo to Kyoto (try saying that three times fast) but you get lots of other bits of the culture. Second, this is zero slam on the actress but Joey King man I hated her character, she's that antagonist who you just want to see meet a grisly end every second and maybe that was just because of my contempt but man I haven't felt hate for a character like that in a minute. Then again if you can get that severe a reaction out of an audience member, sterling performance, like well done madam! Third, this briefcase is purely a McGuffin I understand that and I like how it comes into play near the end, yet it didn't feel entirely pivotal to the plot and it has that Pulp Fiction grab of well what's in it? Nothing interesting I can tell you that, in fact I was expecting some Kill Bill-esque elements in it. No such luck. The cameos were a bit out of nowhere and of course all this bullshit springs from one guy, who I do not like as an actor but find passable as a person, I will try never to review his more popular movies, whose name I may or may not have brought up previously. F***ing guy. So far from perfect, but I'm very happy I saw it and could genuinely see it becoming a cult action hit. Brad Pitt is awesome, like ever since I saw him in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood my appreciation has grown and I love the idea of this reforming agent who doesn't like using guns and is a very open minded, easy going, inner peace kind of guy who can still throw down. Great character! Brian Tyree Henry, such a funny guy, who I can actually believe whacks people, and can pull off those emotional moments. Hiroyuki Sanada is always a joy to see and still rad, who has quite good comedic timing and I hope his fanbase flourishes more after being Scorpion in the newest Mortal Kombat movie. Before I go, just gotta say the funniest part hands doen for me was the anime mascot getting abused. I don't know why but seeing a giant anime catsuit just get punched in the face is just the funniest f***ing thing. Oh my God, you think that might have been some cathartic therapy for people who reeeeally do not like Pikachu or Pokemon? Could be. Overall, it's a solid movie and you can have a good time with it, it strings you along very nicely and never once gets boring or uninteresting. I give it 3 stars, 7.5/10!

Crank

What the shit was that?




I'm honestly speechless. It's been a minute since I've seen an action movie this batshit, it's kind of incredible to behold from start to finish. So the basic story is an assassin named Chev, played by Jason Statham before he got super famous, is injected with a virus known only as "the chinese shit" that will kill him in one hour, but the man has stuff to do, places to be, and people to kill and quickly finds out if he keeps his adrenaline pumping constantly it won't kill him as fast. So it's like if Speed was a human body instead of a bus, and the movie kicks off almost from the word go. Terrific opening by the way, this movie sold me with Quiet Riot and a 80s arcade machine style title card, and I...I don't know what else I can say. The movie itself is shot like it just did four lines of cocaine and chugged 12 energy drinks, with lots of handheld running shots which thankfully aren't shaky, slick as hell editing, dramatic zooms and camera sweeps, the cinematography itself exudes energy, frantic speed, and an accelerating heart rate. I don't fully know what the definition of an exploitation movie is but this almost seems to fit the bill, fully warranting the R rating with lots of balls to the wall action, sex and nudity, and language. But what's great is it's just so over the top, pass 11 and goes to a 12 that you can't help but laugh at the insanity. Sure, do some cocaine off a gross bathroom floor, go for it and rail your girlfriend in a public crowd, yeah let's go wreck shit and chug Red Bull, so much happens you kinda are left reeling throughout. But that's the fun of it. Our main character isn't a great guy by any stretch, he's a bit of an asshole to more than just the people who poisoned him and pulls some hardcore dick moves but Jason makes it work. I never had any opinion on the guy but after seeing this I can understand why he gained a lot of popularity through the years. Amy Smart is kind of a mess, but an insanely cute hilarious mess that adds to the chaos and yet can bring the film down periodically for a slow more intimate scene. Jose Pablo Cantillo is an assssshooooole in this movie but hot damn does he play it well, that perfect villain you just enjoy hating to the max. We got two surprise cameos in this movie, Efren Ramirez plays a small supporting role and it's wild seeing Pedro in this, but yet again motherf***ing Sam Witwer pops up again clear out of the blue as a rando henchmen I don't even think he has a line but you can bet your sweet sainted mother I lost my shit something fierce seeing him near the end. Hell I could almost argue he plays a big role in how the climax resolves, just like Maul you never expect him but he'll shank you before the end. Mental action, surprisingly funny, a complete mindmelting crazy movie but done much better than you would think. What do I even rate it? In terms of entertainment I'd give it a 9, in terms of story and technicals I'd give it a solid 7.5, soooo I'll give it 4 stars, 8/10, and tomorrow we're going foreign action with one of the cornerstones of the genre.

Us

Well shit, that was an ending.

Man! Jordan does it again for me, this movie takes more inspiration from other movies than being a purely original idea but that sure doesn't mean it isn't a fine film. I sorta knew the premise, kind of a Invasion Of The Body Snatchers type plot where duplicates of a family try to kill said family but boooy does it go off in it's own world and become something better. Immediately I was thrown off track when the film starts stating there are thousands of miles of underground passageways, and I was fully expecting this to be some parallel dimension crossing setup but the rug was pulled out from under me and my interest grew even more, it still creeped me out though. I will say the movie does, if you pay good attention, very simple yet effective set up and pay off and does a real good job getting you settled with this family. I mean do I need to say a friggin' word about Lupita Nyong'o? Do I really? No I don't think I do, my standing with her has never dwindled or changed for the worst. Winston Duke, my guy in this movie, could not catch a break and I almost dare say he was my favorite part of the movie, a total nerd but infinitely enjoyable to watch, he was class! Shahadi and Evan as the kids did good enough work, capturing that sibling friction and commited well to the acting. But the greatest part is, they play the opposite personas and seem to have way more fun with it, I mean it is utterly and completely fascinating to see these actors as this bizzaro/dark side mirror image/otherwordly cast cause it raises enough questions in your mind that you want to dig deeper into. Where do they come from? How were they created? What's the master plan? And while you don't get definitive answers to all those questions, you get enough to walk away still interested and satisfied but not like you got robbed due to lazy writing. A concept such as this and the way it plays out would be very easy to screw up, very easy to perplex the audience and lose them, very easy to do slap dash writing. But it doesn't, it walks that tight rope just right, and even while I admit I was throwing out ideas and I was right at the end I by no means called this movie. No way in hell. Cause I was thinking, alright we're gonna get build up, halfway through the doppel family shows up, and the rest of the movie is fight for survival, kill em' all or be killed. Naw. No, no, no, the doppels show up about 35 minutes into this almost 2 hour film and it goes bigger than you expect. Will not say a syllable more on that. Directing wise you can tell this is Jordan Peele really able to stretch those wings, giving a lot more unique visuals, interesting camera work, and good editing, it even gets a bit artsy at one or two points and I friggin' loved it. I do however fear for his career because I don't just want him to direct horror movies forever, I know he can do other stuff so I hope he doesn't burn himself out on these projects cause I know a lot of people love his horror stuff. I sure do, and it's unfair to compare his projects so I can't say oh Get Out was better, it's two seperate movies with different styles, so I'll just say it was great. 4 stars, 8.5/10, and I have no clue what Nope will have in store but I'm there for it either way.

Once Upon A Time In Mexico

Ah, maybe the universe was telling me not to go through with it.

No joke, my DVD of this movie was glitched to shit so I had to buy it (again) just to get this review done. And while I can't say Once Upon A Time In Mexico is a bad movie, I can however say it is the weakest of The Mexico Trilogy and also the weakest of the Once Upon A Time In movies I've seen. But why that is is simultaneously very easy to describe and yet difficult to describe. The plot actually was a bit hard keeping up with, it starts off innocently enough with another bar shootout with our Mariachi and his lovely lady wife Carolina but it quickly shifts tracks and narrowly misses careening off a cliff. Our main lead is roped into a very complicated ploy to have the presidente of Culiacan assasinated by cartel members, and you know there's a lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what have yous, and while I can appreciate Robert Rodriguez going bigger with the plot I feel it was a bit too much. There are so many characters, strands, and connections to juggle, now that might have been just me and my day being difficult but I was lagging like Quicktime in the 90s man. And with a cast like this, they have quite a few talented good actors in this and yet shockingly give them so little to do yet take up I honestly believe more screen time than Mariachi himself is mindboggingly impossible. Cause you see this cast, Eva Mendes, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, and you think man this is gonna be good. Naw. Eva gets maybe 5 brief scenes, Willem Dafoe is for some reason a mexican cartel leader and I'm not saying he can't do it but it is kinda weird. You thought Charlton Heston playing a mexican was bad casting, that's like if they got me to be a character born and raised in Brazil or Ecuador, just doesn't fit. Mickey Rourke has even less to do than Eva, but I have to admit Johnny gets a good bit of screen time and made me laugh the most. But this just doesn't seem like a movie meant to be a continuation of Desperado, it seems more Sicario directed by Robert Rodriguez with special guest star Antonio Banderas. You follow me? It's just off ever so slightly in terms of story. But does that necessarily mean the other aspects are lessened? Not at all, it still feels like a film directed by the same guy and an aspect I really really liked is you can tell he was like, oh this movie Desperado is going to have elements of El Mariachi but have more done with it and the same goes for this movie, taking elements of Desperado and doing more with it, upping the ante. The action is a bit sparse but done really well with flourishes seen in previous movies, the music is still solid, the sets and locations couldn't be mistaken for anything but Mexico, it has good bits of humor, the story is jumbled but when it focuses on Antonio it is good stuff, I think it just needed some more time to cook. I'm not disappointed, I don't hate it, I can see elements and appreciate them, it's a totally decent flick albeit a less than fitting end. I give it 2.5 stars, 6.5/10. I think I appreciate and dig El Mariachi the most, but I can concede Desparado is the objectively better film, so I can walk away still happy I got to finally see these movies and talk about them a bit. Next week, Jordan Peele visits again and it's looking to be a short but potentially sweet week.