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Reviews
The Palace (2023)
Pay no attention to the bad reviews
This is a film with John Cleese in it.
The humor goes in that direction.
If you don't have that type of humor, you won't get the film at all.
It does have quite a large cast, with tons of things going on at once. But there is absolutely no requirement to learn anyone's name. Just go with remembering their place in the scheme of things.
I am unsure if the film offered subtitles for the French and Russian speaking lines. THIS may have earned it the lower ratings. But obviously it is an older film, thus you'd be catching it on a streaming platform where subtitles will be doing all of the work for you.
This film has all the humors: wrinkly old lady humor, retired porn star humor, doggy poo humor, rich dead guy humor, working in a fancy job humor, Russian villain humor, prostitute hitting on a shy nobody humor...It harkens back to many of the Monty Pythonisk movies we know John Cleese for. Or a Weekend at Bernie's. Or Are You Being Served.
Please Watch!
John and the Hole (2021)
Nobody puts Dexter in a Hole
Charlie Shotwell, known for his roles in Eli and Morbius, takes on the lead role in this particular film. The movie's plot requires us to suspend our disbelief, and here's why.
In this story, the young protagonist holds his wealthy family captive in an unfinished underground bunker, which is essentially just a hole in the ground. He does this because he is dealing with personal struggles. (That he wants to have a near death experience and be old is what we discover)
1. Firstly, he injures himself while retrieving his drone and takes advantage of his mother's supply of pills. He finds the drowsiness and pleasurable sensations they bring intriguing and wants to experiment with them on others.
2. After that, he proceeds to drug the family gardener by adding something to his refreshing lemonade. Additionally, he tries to convince the handyman that his unconsciousness was caused by a spider bite.
Now, let's dive deeper into the story, or as we can say, it's "Morbin time"!
3. Once he puts his plan into action to confine his family in a concrete square hole deep in the woods on their property, he drugs all of them.
4. Surprisingly, the sedation affects the father and sister significantly, but it's astonishing that the mother remains heavily sedated despite taking multiple medications daily. So, we have to suspend our belief at this point.
5. The child is unable to climb a tree to retrieve a drone, yet he has the strength to lift and drag adults. A 13-year-old boy, weighing only 80 pounds, successfully transports his fully grown father (who is 5'10" and weighs 180 to 200 lbs) from an upstairs bedroom to a wheelbarrow downstairs, across at least three football fields of rough terrain, and then dumps him into a 25-foot-deep bunker without causing any harm. He repeats this process for his mother and sister as well, and miraculously, none of them are injured or awakened by the fall.
It continues. On and on.
Like, the gardener comes back at one point, worried about them because the yard is a mess. The last time he was there he woke up passed the heck out on the lawn somewhere with this weird kid poking him with a stick and a horrible headache.
Nope. Stay away from lemonade roofie boy...the landscaping money ain't that good.
And then some weird side story is thrown in. Why I don't know.
But when his friend comes to visit, and he hands him a load of cash. The friend made the face of...this is "you buried your parents in the back yard kinda money, and I don't want that heat"...but he still took the cash and didn't say a word. Some would call this rich white people problems. It would never happen in the hood.
That's all I can say.
The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Just wow
I stumbled upon this gem thanks to a Tik Tok video. It's been said that this film boasts the best character entrance scene ever, and it's right in the middle of the movie. Can you believe that baby Henry Cavil is in it, only making an appearance in the third act? It's fascinating to see him as a regular-sized young man once upon a time. The real treat, though, is Jim Cavezil's character constantly rebelling against God throughout the entire film. His refusal to acknowledge anything related to God is captivating. Louis Guzman also shines in a supporting role as a member of a pirate crew who becomes a friend to the protagonist. The film, based on a classic novel, may drag at times and feature some stereotypical characters, but considering it was written by Dumas in 1844, it's likely the source of many of these tropes. Despite there being multiple versions of this film, this one is widely considered the best. I'm grateful for that quirky Tik Tok video that led me to it.
When considering the idea of revenge versus justice, why limit yourself to just one? Why not take both?
Vermines (2023)
Bringing spiders back to the forefront
Infested and Sting have reclaimed the throne for spider films with a one two punch.
While Sting has a little bit of Sci Fi - Comedy - Horror going for it. The spider is cool, and while might be an alien, never stops mimicing a spider along the way. Taking on the look of a Black Widow or similar in shape, we know it's going to be nasty from the get go. But hey, it starts out cute.
So...with Infested, and yes, it's in French. You are going to need subtitles. Deal with it. We get handed the truth about our spider and how nasty it is in the opening scene. There is no cute stage. It is full on, "huntsman spider" looking, fast moving, fast and painful death dealing OOOOHHHHHHHH crap on 8 legs.
But exotic smugglers need to make their money.
If it's NASTY and shouldn't be owned by ANYONE, it's wanted on the black market.
Our main character already has a few examples of such illegal exotics in his bedroom of terrariums, that we get a better tour of as time progresses. His sister isn't impressed by his hobby.
He gets one of these nasty spiders while buying a gift for a neighbor. I mean. Where else can you shop for gold earrings, weed, imported bugs, and more...all in one place? It's the One Stop Pawn Shop Extravaganza.
Dude takes it home and puts it in an old shoe box. I don't even think he paid for it. I think he 5 finger discounted it.
Shame...
We know where this goes.
I won't provide spoilers, that you have not seen in advertising.
You gotta watch the film for yourself.
The last time there was this much...just...they are everywhere, was Arachnophobia. And then if you have seen The Mist, when they go into the pharmacy?
I removed a star for act 3, the concept of using guns in a spider situation is the dumbest thing ever. Never bring a gun to a spider battle. Flamethrower all the way.
If you have problems with spiders.
Turn around.
Run.
Gods of the Deep (2023)
Why, just why?
For a dang minute I thought they let the greasy strangler lead a deep sea mission to find cathulu.
Maybe that's what I just watched. Cause that old man stripped naked and did things.
I am traumatized.
When I saw the previews I was so excited to finally see a film involving any sort of deep see mission where a cathulu type creature was discovered. And that it pretty much went on a killing spree.
This was not that at all.
This was a Wish version of that. A Goodwill curbside version if you will.
And the acting.
Sharknado actors and actresses deserve Oscars after watching the mess I just forced myself to experience. Shame on all of you.
Oh, and the props department. They used an OBVIOUS trash can lid as a submarine door closure. For the love of God.
Boy Kills World (2023)
See this one for sure
Boy Kills World is hands down the best action comedy of 2024. Of course, it's got some tough competition with Deadpool 3 hitting theaters just a few weeks later. But who knows, maybe it'll give it a run for its money.
Yayan Ruhian, known for his role as the Shaman, is an incredible Indonesian martial artist. Not only has he taught others the art of combat, but he's also been behind the scenes choreographing fights for years. He has been behind the scenes on films such as John Wick and Star Wars The Force Awakens. While he may not always be in front of the camera, seeing his skills come to life in the opening and closing fight scenes was pure magic.
Bill Skarsgard has completely transformed himself for this role. He's shed every ounce of body fat and looks absolutely ripped. I wouldn't be surprised if his brother Alexander, who famously got shredded for Tarzan, gave him some pointers.
Bill has filmed the Crow reimagining as well, coming out almost simultaneously. It plans to offer as much action and blood. But zero humor. Sadly, most of us never wanted THAT film made.
The blend of humor and nonstop action in Boy Kills World is an absolute thrill. It's like being on a roller coaster ride that never lets up. And the dynamic between Skarsgard and Quinn Copeland, who plays his imaginary little sister, brings a much-needed break from all the blood and gunpowder. It's nice to see Bill not scaring the living daylights out of kids for once.
The voiceover by H Jon Benjamin, known for his work on Archer, adds an extra layer of fun to the movie. We already associate his voice with chaos and mayhem, so it's a perfect fit. Bill really nailed it in this film. I can only imagine how grueling those action sequences must have been to shoot, but the end result is definitely worth it.
Humane (2024)
Comedy horror family dinner film...I'll call it No-Thankskilling
Oh wow, can you believe it? We've all experienced those fun family dinner moments, haven't we? But this one really tops them all. It kicked off with a lousy father figure, and things escalated quickly. In less than an hour, they went from grieving his death to trying to kill each other. And get this - there's a massive inheritance up for grabs. On top of that, the dad signed a contract stating that one of them had to die because his wife bailed on their suicide pact. Where did she disappear to? Who knows, who cares. The family drama is already intense without her. And let's not forget the adopted sibling who just wants peace and happiness among everyone. Yeah, that's definitely not happening. If you're a fan of horror comedies featuring wealthy, dysfunctional families battling it out to survive, this movie is perfect for you.
The movie never really delves into the reasons behind the disaster. It does mention the Amazon Rainforest burning down, which is a major issue for humanity, whether before or after the disaster.
But, according to the film's premise, Thanos was onto something.
Babylon (2022)
Meh
I can't believe I overlooked this one when it was released. A lot of people are raving about it now, describing Margot Robbie's character as a combination of Barbie and Harley Quinn. Personally, I really enjoyed her character throughout the movie. However, my issue lies with the film itself. It starts off strong, but unfortunately, it goes downhill from there and ends up taking over 3 hours of my time that I can never get back. All of this just to deliver a "moral of the story" that has always associated with the dream of being involved in Hollywood and making movies because of the magic it holds. Well, part of that magic is the editing process, and it seems like a lot of scenes in this film should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Warning to viewers: includes more than violence and sexual situations. It goes beyond that. R Kelly beyond.
Arcadian (2024)
Cage isn't the star
The two young guys in this photo are the main actors of this movie. Obviously, Nick Cage has to be mentioned first because of his status in Hollywood. Starting with what seems like an unexplainable apocalypse, we witness our father figure running (from who knows what) but it's clear that he's trying to avoid being seen by people with guns or military appearance.
In the opening scene, he stumbles upon two babies who are around one year old. They say these boys are twins, but since their parents are nowhere to be found and Cage's character never confirms he's their biological father, who knows if they're even related? We can only assume they're close in age and their parents have faced some kind of disaster. And then Paul (Cage's character) picks up the crying babies. Cut to the next scene.
Fast forward to when these lost boys are teenagers. It's pretty obvious they're not twins and there might even be a slight age difference, maybe around six months or so.
Paul has raised them all by himself after whatever happened. Now he has to keep these teenage boys in check against whatever creatures of the night come out after sundown. One of the boys, Thomas, has clearly found a teenage girl on a nearby farm, so he's always pushing the boundaries of getting home before it gets dark. The other boy, Joseph, is more into books, science, and tinkering in the garage (although during a scavenging trip, he finds a girly magazine and shows interest, so yes, he's a typical teenage boy).
Neither of them is satisfied with the routine of working during the day and hiding at night. Paul's main focus has always been to protect and prepare. Meanwhile, Thomas and Joseph are tired of being told what to do and want to confront the monsters themselves.
It's an awesome premise, actually. So far, the tone of the movie feels somewhat similar to "A Quiet Place" or "I Am Legend." As a viewer, I'm now just curious about the creature. What is it? Or is it even a creature at all? Did the apocalypse turn humans into these creatures?
We might never find out.
Throughout the rest of the film, I kept asking myself, "What the heck is that?" and "I can't believe this!"
What it was...Critters on steroids.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Meant for history lovers
If you're not interested in World War II or the history of Nazi Germany's extermination camps, this movie might not be your cup of tea. The story revolves around Rudolph Hoss, the commandant of Auschwitz, and his wife Hedwig as they attempt to build a peaceful life for their family right next to the camp. Their house and garden are literally adjacent to the camp, with barracks just a stone's throw away from their "self-dug mini pool" and rows of flowers. The constant background noise of the camp, from gunfire to barking dogs and screams, is a haunting presence. Despite the grim atmosphere, the family remains seemingly unaffected. When a relative visits for the husband's birthday, she is visibly disturbed by the air quality and gunfire, leading to an abrupt departure and a note that clearly upsets Hedwig. The film also delves into the challenges faced by ordinary German families during WWII, many still reeling from the aftermath of WWI and the Great Depression. While many military leaders managed to improve their families' financial situations, the same cannot be said for the average German soldiers who often went unpaid and struggled to find food while at war. This financial strain continued even after WWII, with Germany facing ongoing economic difficulties. Despite the Socialist/Fascist party's animosity towards the Communists, an oligarchy persisted.
This movie lacks any genuine "rewards" for the audience. Instead of witnessing the liberation of the camp, we see Her Hoss being promoted and hiring designers to build more efficient crematories for new camps. Although he had to leave his luxurious home to fulfill his duties, his wife and children are able to stay there and enjoy the benefits of war.
At most, he "may" have contracted a sexually transmitted infection from mistreating Jewish women for his own pleasure. Given the values and standards of Jewish families and women during that time, it is questionable how such actions could have occurred unless the women had already been mistreated by another German officer or military member.
If you've watched the trailer, you've already witnessed the most impactful scene. So, I won't go into it here. The movie ends with a sudden shift to the present day, highlighting the compassionate cleaning crew responsible for maintaining Auschwitz. The never-ending display of shoes serves as a chilling reminder of the atrocities that occurred.
Stopmotion (2023)
Just wow, nothing like it exists
I am a horror fan who watches every single thing. Good, bad, or otherwise. And this was the best creep factor film I have seen in years. Mostly because I know that many people have problems with dolls, puppets, and similar items. And the stop motion creatures/dolls are on the edge of the uncanny valley the whole film.
To wonder if they are actually moving on their own (later in the film) or if it's the mental break down of our main character is hard to decipher.
Trying to, as well, decide who the young girl is...also a mystery.
Does she represent our main character's locked up youth and imagination, that never had a chance to thrive under her mother's reign? Or is she some other entity completely, something that came with the building...who knows?
I'm unaware how lucrative or wanted the stop motion art is in today's world. With CGI and computers taking over everything, and making it possible to create the look of stop motion without all of the hard work. But if I had put hours and hours into building sets and then moving armitures millimeter by millimeter. And then found out my boyfriend's sister stole my whole story out from under me with an expensive studio with all sorts of staff to finish it being ever could. Well ...if I didn't go a little nuts, I might kill her. So, (spoiler) death rather deserved there.
It is fully a psychological horror. Don't watch looking for jump scares or buckets of blood. This is just cringey and creepy and you honestly feel like your skin is crawling "just a little bit". And for once, it isn't a copy and paste or reboot of the same thing. I don't know where this came from (book or graphic novel???) but chef's kiss sir or madam!
You'll Never Find Me (2023)
Slow burn film
If you like the slow burns then here is one for you.
It does set you up wondering quite often (as throughout the film we really only have 2 characters) who is the bad guy here?
The sound design crew deserves ALL OF THE AWARDS!!!! I have lived in a crappy single wide trailer, and that is exactly what it sounds like during a Midwest thunderstorm. Every little sound makes you think that it's a tornado, even though it isn't one. And of course, every other window or door doesn't shut properly, so it's either leaking, or banging even more!
And I swear every crappy trailer has a broken beat up front door handle! And if you are lucky, the hook and eye lock on the bathroom door.
The only think I must say, is that it's the cleanest place of any single man. (I get he would wash his dishes and what not, but there's not one speck of dust except on the lady's compact).
The first thing I noticed that made the girl seem "not real" is that when she banged on the door...the lightning matched her knocks/bangs PERFECTLY. Bang(flash)Bang(flash)Bang(flash).
Don't
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The ending seemed rushed...but you gotta just sit there with what you realize has happened. Which for some can either make you quite angry or upset. Or just...you sit there while the credits play staring at the screen blankly. Just, ugh.
Imaginary (2024)
Watch not knowing it's a Blumhouse
Go into this film as if it's not a Blumhouse Production. All of their films are 9/10 very: graphic/horror/scary/niche/fear filled/bloody.
I want you to come to this film thinking Drop Dead Fred wanted revenge. But in a barely R sort of way.
If you grew up an only child with an imaginary friend. That you could have been sure was there until one day they just weren't. You can never remember what happened to flip that switch. In fact, often the adults in your life know more about your imaginary friend than you can remember. If you can remember anything at all. And isn't that a little bit frustrating and frightening?
Was it a stuffed toy or doll, or something not there at all?
Did we force a whole littany of family members to accept this thing as real?
And did some (especially dad) get so angry when anyone pandered to the farce?
So the question is...were our imaginary friends safe? Helpful? Friendly? Coping mechanisms? Or were they dangerous?
Drop Dead Fred approaches it as a comedy.
And this film also has its bits of humor. But it comes at us saying that our imaginary friends are VERY angry when we leave or grow up. And they are HUNGRY for a new young replacement.
This film isn't Sinister, The Green Inferno, or The Purge. They have stepped back and have made a film that could be offered to possibly a "younger" croud to introduce them to the horror genre.
And in that, they succeeded.
Kalahari (2024)
Meh
What is advertised as a thriller and possibly a horror is really a Christian sales film. That if you believe in God just enough, he will save you from: dehydration, African lions, poachers, hyenas, a plane crash, a long time bad guy, scorpions, snakes, and a horrible wife.
We get to see some beautiful shots of a plush African park, I'm assuming it is millions of miles from where our actors were actually filming. As well, it was so pristine from above...and then we see our actors in what seems like a Sahara desert situation mere minutes from it. They talk of a river they just flew over, and how much water is the most valuable factor. Yet going towards said river is never a choice.
As well, and good lord please. At the site of their plane crash. There is an obvious set of tire trends, known in "hunting parks" and "picture parks" as the WAY OUT. Just follow the road dummy. It takes you right back to the hotel.
If you plan to film a movie, where your people are stranded in the middle of nowhere, make sure there's no visible signs of PEOPLE.
Next. The lions. And all male pride of super healthy lions. I could "say" it's because they have placed them in the park for big game hunters to all be able to come there and all have a chance to take down a big cat and it be a male lion. But, for them to all be getting along, have no visible fighting scars to show who's been making themselves top kitty? And being so well fed without any females? Right? Not likely. And to all suddenly be ok to hunt people (or come near them regardless), when they know they come into the park regularly with guns just to kill them? In the daytime? Again? Nope.
Leopards...now they will be happy to do so. And we saw zero.
This is a Daniel into the lions den film. With some scares. A Christian sales film. Stupid.
I would recommend instead to watch Prey that came out in 2007. Or obviously The Ghost in the Darkness that came out in 1996.
If you want to see some somewhat staged but ACTUAL African wildlife and survival. Then Naked and Afraid does some episodes and full year events in Africa.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Emotional scify ripoff
I enjoyed the concept of the characters being tossed into a fully submerged AI to see if they were valuable to this alien race that were already on a long trip to Earth.
It does bring to light that treating your "employees" or even your prisoners like garbage, may in a scify world, lead to them selling out the planet. Because they feel a new boss HAS TO BE BETTER!
It was a MENTAL & PHYSICAL experience that Enders Game put all of the children through via all of their training to go up against an alien race expected to come to destroy and conquer Earth. 3BodyProblem seems to use the headset in a mental aspect only.
There's always been a urban legend that video games like Call of Duty are being monitored to recruit new members into our military...and that they don't have to be physically fit...as they would be in charge of such things as drone strikes. Again... allegory to known things to make this seem believable.
So it's NOT original in the slightest.
No mystery, they show who is behind the screen of the AI headsets pretty much right off.
Again, you cannot say the friendship group bond is new, because Enders Game had that as well. Or Friends. Or South Park.
Netflix has already admitted that they make no promises to green light the shows to film Book 2 (Dark Forest) and Book 3 (Deaths End). Netflix can't be trusted.
David Benioff and DB Weiss of the Game of Thrones disaster are less to be trusted than Netflix. D& D can never be trusted with ANYTHING anyone loves.
Don't get invested.
This series may be a one and done...so enjoy what you saw, and maybe read the books to find out the ending.
Road House (2024)
Set aside it is remaking a classic, and just watch an action flick
What it has going for it:
The fight scenes are pretty good. The choreography of the fight scenes especially for Jake G and Connor MG are very much based in UFC fighting. Which is an updated and different change from the original film. As they have changed Dalton's backstory, to be a previous UFC fighter who has lost his shine due to a dirty fight...it's nice to see them not just copy and paste.
Occasionally they go into the "eye of the fighter" where you see the punches coming, and you get that blurry feeling of having too many hits and that you could just fall to the floor. That was interesting.
The bits of humor are fun, I loved the guy that was part of the biker gang, that from the get go...only needed one butt kicking. Then he kept apologizing to Dalton and asking to please not get his butt kicked today.
The things it is honestly missing:
A decent bar band behind the cage that feels like an integral member of the cast. In the original, the Jeff Healy Band and their music WAS A character of RoadHouse. The music and the bands here, unforgettable, and all played covers.
Making us really care for the father & daughter that have the book store. And make us believe there is actual chemistry between Dalton and the lady Doctor. It was very meh. Outside of building Dalton's character, they did a poor job of any other character building.
ADDED +++ Connor MG butt, not once butt also a second time in the after credits. Well done sir.
The book store young lady was adorable, but we needed to bond with her more.
The bar owner ... She needed to just be tougher. If she was traveling around the US looking for bouncers and dropping $Gs trying to defend her place, why was she so soft?
Other than that. Step out of it not being Patrick Swayzie. They did make a number of changes to allow the story to have its own life (once you get past the first 15 minutes).
And there's a crocodile.
They Look Like People (2015)
Listed as a horror or thriller. Watch for other reasons.
To be completely honest, this movie does not fall into the horror genre. Instead, it delves deep into the psyche of a man suffering from schizophrenia, who refuses to take his prescribed medications and disregards any assistance from therapists he has previously consulted. Consequently, he wholeheartedly embraces the voices and visions that exist solely within his own mind, firmly believing in their reality. The film's writers spare no effort in convincing the audience that these hallucinations are genuine. It is abundantly clear that this man is unwell.
The central concern revolves around whether he poses a threat to himself or others. As he begins to set up an array of weapons, traps, and other violent means to harm the "aliens" he believes have taken control of his friends and acquaintances, tension escalates. As viewers, we are left anxiously wondering whether this man will receive help before causing harm. Alternatively, we ponder whether his close friend, with whom he resides, will detect that something is gravely amiss and intervene.
Without revealing any spoilers, it is worth mentioning that this film is a must-watch for those interested in mental health and the experience of auditory and visual hallucinations. Unlike many other films, it does not sensationalize or glamorize these phenomena. Instead, it presents a realistic portrayal of how they can gradually dismantle a person's life. Although his loved ones are eager to assist, the protagonist must ultimately accept their help.
Numerous individuals have described this film as life-changing, not due to its gore, fear factor, or cinematography, but because it sheds light on the experiences of those grappling with mental health issues. It serves as a reminder that such struggles are not confined to the realm of fiction, but rather, may be present in the lives of people we know.
Unseen (2023)
The "omg watch this" have to be about the relationship
I am assuming the visual impairment is a sort of CVI, where the character sees everything in a sort of blurry landscape without her prescription lenses. Kind of the Thelma from Scooby Doo situation.
But, even in today's world, the eye wear she would need for such an impairment, would be pretty dang thick. And today's eye glass lenses are made of polycarbonate plastics, that take some serious abuse even to chip, much less break (but scratches show up for sure). So, suspending belief in the whole paper thin eye glass lenses is required for the WHOLE film.
As such, we must accept her extreme version of legal blindness, that happens to be immediately corrected by the thinnest veil of lens...to be saved by a stranger via phone in the middle of nowhere where we know phones barely carry a bar of service.
Once you get past this, you can enjoy the fun of these two women getting to know each other through the fear of the moment. Our gas station lady having ethics not to kill the man that for sure plans to kill our blind girl in danger. This assures our film a longer run time. Because, if she had just defended herself and double tapped ... It would have been over in 30 minutes.
Lesson learned. Just double tap. And then let the gal on the other end of the phone call for help. Maybe make friends while you wait for help?
La sociedad de la nieve (2023)
Ok version
I believe this is the 3rd take on the novel Alive, written by one of the surviving footballers who was in the Andes airplane accident.
I read this novel (4 times by the way)twice before the first film ever got its green light. So as a huge nerd of the book, I suppose I am guilty of picking apart each film for what it's missing. I will point out what this one offers.
This film inserts a lot of religious stuff, and feelings. And yes, that was frequently discussed in the novel. Especially by the women in the group who survived the initial crash. And then, it came up further when they began to discuss the implications of consumption of human flesh for survival. And the many questions of whether God exists in a scenario where suffering upon suffering also exists. (And yes, it is noted a few of the boys-become-men are atheist upon their rescue).
This film also pays attention to how close this group becomes, even though it would seem they would not want to be within inches of each other after their experience. But, they know the world won't understand or accept the choices they have made. (And the book does touch on the ostrisism they experience and the excommunication by the church). And, that they have gone so far as to sacrifice their whole bodies to eachother if they perish.
Now for some of the missing pieces...
For a film that exceeds 2 hours in length, we barely get to know but a few people well. That is very sad, as each person is a rich character who has interesting things to add to the story.
The experience of the 2 men who walk to find help, upon finally finding a valley and coming upon the first glimpses of green is cathartic in the book. And then due to the temperature increase, their frostbitten parts begin to hurt so badly they realize they may not be able to move another step closer. Being right at the edge of salvation. (Just like the mountaintop scene where they see it goes on and on...and they must decide what to do, and 1 goes back to save the amt of food...yet they sit and say "how beautiful")Not yet has any of the 3 films caught how scary and beautiful that valley's green edge scene was as well as that mountain top scene was.
If you've not seen any of the films, I would not say don't watch.
This one is about the feels and the God...
The Price We Pay (2022)
10 for slasher 2 for dialogue
No more spoilers than what is shown in the trailers...
I think the actors deserve a full apology from the script writers for the atrocious writing that was put together for their lines. My goodness!
This was an amazing concept, and we were given a fairly decent cast (known to the horror genre).
The idea that a heist gone wrong could turn into a "oh crap we are on the not so funny farm" was a great idea. As a horror slasher it had all it needed to be great. A doofus bunch of robbers who think they are the baddest guys in the world+till they meet Grandpa and his freak grand daughter.
Steven Dorf is and always will be a hot dad bod, so yah, he eventually gets his shirt off +thank you for that whomever.
But again. The lines some of these people had to say were beyond cheesy. Even Chester Cheetah was thinking about sueing for the amount of cheese used. My eye roll count is through the roof for sure.
But... slasher flick...interesting kills...thumbs up there.
The Mill (2023)
Almost one actor carries this whole film
This is listed as a horror film, but it could also be considered sci-fi.
It is placed somewhere in the future where a company has decided to "punish" their employees for less than stellar work performance with being drugged and kidnapped...and put into individual cells with a very old school wheel mill.
Each of these people wake up disoriented, and very frightened. Only to have darkness fall and the terrifying screams of what sounds like either torture or someone being killed come over the extremely high wall.
Maybe your next door neighbor will talk to you, maybe they won't. Maybe they will tell you the truth, maybe they won't. Because their life depends on doing at least one (or more) walks around the pushing mill to avoid TERMINATION.
And it's an open sky. So each day could be hot as heck, or lovely. But the job only gives you the same sandwich, chips, and one bottle of water...rain or shine.
And if you break the rules or talk back, there are consequences.
And those consequences can affect ALL of the employees in the arena (or just you, who knows?)
And every single night someone gets violently, well, terminated. (Which by the way we never see,I liked that myself, old fashioned terror without blood n gore)
And our protagonist, who is primarily the only person we see throughout the whole film, has to live through this. And Lil Rel might come off as a comedy actor. But he killed it here.
And there were times I didn't know what he was going to choose to do. And that's unusual for a horror film. As so often characters are very much cut and paste.
I only took off a star for the few times it felt it was dragging. And the whole "dream sequences/memories" idea they went with. It felt so afternoon soap opera. But all in all, 9/10. I would love to see the employees revolt.
Bastarden (2023)
For the lover of historical drama
It is my understanding this is based upon at true person, whether the story is true I am unsure. And the film is based on a novel about this person.
Mads is allowed to be himself more than normal here, as the whole film is in Danish. While Danish is similar to German and Norwegian and Swedish (because of the location and how they all became to be), if you are familiar with any of these languages you may pick up things here and there. But otherwise you shall need the English subtitles to survive the film.
This does have just over a 2 hour run time, and with some dramas you can feel that drag along. On occasion I felt like it needed a push to get where it needed to go, but then the antagonist would come into the picture and be the utmost vile person and I would just want our hero to go full Hannibal on him. But, that's not who Mads was playing; not that the Captain didn't have his own temperment and skills.
Be warned there is some violence you wouldn't expect. But all of the romance is very tame. And there were some very lovely adopted family scenes as well, nice to see Mads play dad.
For the lovers of foreign and historical drama, this will scratch that itch very well.
V/H/S/85 (2023)
Do not watch, don't waste your time
The only time I was entertained, was during the found footage section that was in Spanish...forcing me to figure out what they were saying. I know a little Spanish, and could figure out a lot from context clues +and swear words.
It was very SLIGHTLY interesting the connection between the lake killing and the little dinner party. But then I just couldn't with the rest. Just what a horrible mess.
For all the 1980s love going on, they could have done far better than this. The 80s were the prime years of when Freddy, Jason, Michael...were all kings. And to not be able to put something together that was amazing with an 80s flair, just a disgrace.
South Park (Not Suitable for Children) (2023)
It really means it
Adults only.
Not suitable for children.
Matt and Trey have hit us up again with a show concerning social and newsworthy show. They are always good about pointing out to us what needs fixing in our world with laughs.
This time it's influencers and then shilling crap products to kids...and all of us being fed the lie that because they are on platforms like YouTube and others that are supposed to have an age minimum, kids should have no access to these products or influencers. And we know that's a huge lie. There's nothing stopping kids from having access to Facebook, TikTok , YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms BUT PARENTS.
And to compare Only Fans to these platforms, like it's somewhere kids cannot access, is a joke.
We are all for sale in one way or another.
Either as someone who is selling themselves online. Or as a consumer of a product sold to us to belong.
And in this case we have to look at Randy's dick for most of the episode to "learn something today".
Beacon 23 (2023)
Too many flaws
MGM made a wise decision in hiring Lena Heady and the set designers for the space lighthouse, as the premise of the show is intriguing. The isolation of being in the middle of space, similar to a lighthouse keeper's assignment, can lead to mental instability, especially when combined with the lack of trust towards a new team member. The addition of alien rocks adds to the excitement of the series. However, the lack of continuity in Lena Heady's hair and uniform changes from scene to scene is a major flaw. The inconsistency in the uniform's design and Heady's hairstyle is a clear oversight by the hair and costume department. Additionally, the concept of future medicines being called "prints" requires them to be printed every time, but the show forgets this detail, leading to a lack of continuity. Furthermore, Lena Heady's English accent is inconsistent, which may not be a significant issue, but it is still a flaw. Lastly, the show blatantly ignores Stephen James' character being stabbed, which is a significant plot hole. MGM's decision to release the first episode on Amazon Prime to attract new viewers is not a good move, given the show's flaws.