Movie Review: Mayhem (2017)

On one hand, Mayhem is just the kind of movie that I should love. On the other hand, Mayhem is just the kind of movie that I should hate. With that said, I guess it makes some sort of sense that I am somewhere in the middle with regards to how I feel about it. There is about as much to like about it as there is to dislike. In some ways I wish this was a short film, as that is one of the problems, it feels stretched, straining to be a feature length feature film. There is nothing worse than padding, right? Stop saying these meaningless words and get to the point Just get to the action already. Get on with it. Right?

Critical Capsule: Jumanji - Welcome to the Jungle

I know a lot of people had very strong feelings about the prospect of a Jumanji remake. I was not one of them, sure I enjoyed the movie, but I cannot say I had any particular attachment to it. That said, I initially thought this new edition looked pretty bad. I was wrong. No, it is not a great movie by any stretch, but it is a lot of fun and I liked the use of the video game elements throughout. Beyond that, the cast had great chemistry and Jack Black, in particular was quite well cast and had a rather strong character arc. Likewise, I actually didn’t mind Kevin Hart here, I am not usually a fan of his. Then we have the Rock, who was great as usual. Finally what can be said about Karen Gillan? Overall, this was a fun addition to the Jumanji-verse, not sure I need anymore but this is an easy one to recommend for a little fun in the theater.

Critical Capsule: Justice League

Justice league, what else is left to be said? Probably nothing. I did enjoy the film, but I did not love. I felt that Steppenwolf was a weak villain and the plot felt like a mash of Avengers and Lord of the Rings. A lot of the comedic moments fell flat, especially when they were centered on Batman; however, Flash was pretty fantastic. I thought most of the heroes were handled well, Wonder Woman continues to shine and Cyborg was a lot better than I was expecting. I would :d[ watch this one again and feel it currently is the second best of the DCEU, behind Wonder Woman. I do feel this universe has been rushed but there is always time to save, unlike Universal’s Dark Universe debacle.

Movie Review: The Disaster Artist

The Room is, hands down, one of the worst movies ever made. The funny thing is that we are here talking about it years after its release, which was really no more than a blip. Why? Why are we still talking about this awful movie? Let’s take that a step further, why are theaters having midnight screenings? Why do these screenings sell out? Why? Why? Why? The only thing that I can surmise is that we, as a collective, are attracted to crap. Seriously. I admit it, I have seen The Room and would likely watch it again. I must be some sort of masochist. Now, we have reached the ultimate in our collective love for bad filmmaking, a movie made by bi Hollywood names attempting to find the source of enjoyment of this terrible movie and deeper than that, an understanding the enigmatic figure at the center of it all.

Critical Capsule: A Bad Moms Christmas

Last year, Bad Moms proved to be a bit of a surprise hit. You know what that means! Let's rush out a sequel! That brings us A Bad Moms Christmas. The main cast returns and adds a number of notable names to play the mom’s moms. Well, I am happy to report that while this has very little plot, it still maintains the vulgar charms of the first and is quite enjoyable. It is by no means great, but is a fun R rated holiday romp and the additions of the mom's worked out quite well. I wonder what could be next? I don't really see this as a long running franchise, but I would not be against another go around with these put upon mom's just trying to do the best they can for their families. Perhaps unrealistic, but certainly relatable.

Critical Capsule: Transformers - The Last Knight

So, I was watching the latest Transformers movie and I think it has finally happened, I just don't care about these movies anymore. This outing is just another incomprehensible mess filled with pretty explosions, lame jokes, and devoid of anything resembling a soul. I had no idea what was going on, nor did I care. It was also pretty clear that Anthony Hopkins was just there for a paycheck. I will admit, it looks real slick and no one sets off an explosion like Michael Bay. I just wish there was something to home onto, some sort of emotional investment. I guess it is a plus that we don't have to listen to Shia Lebeouf whine. I actually would not mind a complete reboot of the franchise, hopefully creating the mythology first, not messing with it every time out. I will also say that it has more energy than the last Pirates of the Caribbean debacle, but that's not saying much. If another in this series comes along it will be too soon. Sadly, I will probably find myself watching that to. Avoid this mess if you can.

Movie Review: Leatherface (2017)

Is there a movie series with as convoluted a timeline as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? I am not sure there is. You have the original film, two sequels that are not directly connected to the original, a fourth that is just sort of there, a remake, a prequel to the remake, a direct sequel to the original, and now this, a supposed prequel to the original. For the most part, it is probably better not to think of any supposed connection between them, especially when it comes to this movie. Coming into my viewing, I had heard everything from it being pretty good to avoid it like the plague. Now, clearly being me, I was no going to pass this movie up. The only question that really remained was going to be what my reaction was.

Critical Capsule: Coco

It is nice to see Pixar back in form. I have to be honest, with films like the Cars trilogy and Monsters University, I was beginning to lose faith. Then Coco comes around, I swear, by the end I was doing all I could to keep from sobbing. The movie is funny, intelligent, with a huge heart and one back of an emotional investment. It also gives an interesting look into the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead. The story of Miguel going against his family to follow his dream only to find that dream to be the one thing that can bring his family together is very sweet. This is a beautifully told tale of family and discovery, that is jaw droppingly gorgeous to look at, the animation is incredible. This is not a movie to be missed.

Top 10 of 2017 - Theatrically Seen

It’s that time of year, when everyone begins posting their best of the year lists. Each of which is sure to spark arguments among even the closest of friends. For what it’s worth, this is likely to be the leas definitive list that I have ever thrown together. For being the year in which I watched more movies than any other, it is also the year that I saw the fewest new releases theatrically, than I have ever seen before. Still, I did manage to see some really good movies and I suspect a lot of them would have made this list regardless of how many I’d seen. So, I am not offering much in the way notes for each each title, just know that I highly recommend each one. Below are the top 10, although I would be happy with the top 20, but I considered that to be a bit much, as I’v only see 45 eligible film.

Movie Review: Jigsaw (2017)

Truth be told, I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Saw series. I don’t hate it, but I feel it deserves the mix of love and hate it gets from its audience at large. I am happy about the blood in horror renaissance it sort of brought in the wake of the wake of the PG-13 copycats that flooded the market in the self-aware post-Scream horror landscape. The problem was that the more it went on, it became more about messing with the audience and developing a labyrinthian reality than about about giving us a compelling story and characters. I was kind of glad they ended it after the seventh, but I guess it was just a matter of time before they brought it back. Enter Jigsaw.

Movie Review: Blade of the Immortal (2017)

There are some movies that don’t grab me on the surface. There are times that I see a title and it just doesn’t sound like it would be that interesting to me. This is generally very early on, usually before I know who made it, starred in it, and even before I see a trailer. I doesn’t mean I won’t see it or won’t like it, just that i am not sure I would go out of my way to find out anything about it. Of course, some movies do not like being ignored like that, as it turns out, Blade of the Immortal is one those that refuses to be ignored. I was at the theater to see a 35mm screening of the crazy Hausu and one of the pre show trailers was, you guessed it, Blade of the Immortal. The trailer told me everything I needed to know and it was now on my must see list.

Concert Review: Fabio Frizzi, Brooklyn, NY (10/30/17)

It was just over two years ago that I first had the pleasure of witnessing the genius of Fabio Frizzi live and in person. It was one of those transcendental, bucket list moments that I never thought I would ever get to experience. I am fast learning that those “I never thought” thoughts are never a lock. I mean, this came after I saw Iron Maiden (four times now), a band I never thought I’d get the chance to see live and after I saw Goblin (at the same venue as Frizzi, no less). Since that time I have seen another “I never thought” in the person of John Carpenter. I have pulled off a horror trifecta. Now, I have had the absolute pleasure of seeing Fabio Frizzi a second time (and in another week will be able to say the same for Goblin).

Photo Recap: Chiller Theatre Convention, Halloween 2017

It has been a week since the latest Chiller Theatre convention concluded and I am still buzzing about it. As always, it was an electric experience, chaotic, crowded, fun, and totally exhausting. I used to just go for a day, and that was enough, but now I have been going for a weekend and this allows me time to not have to rush around, but it triples the exhaustion level. No, I am not complaining, the exhaustion I experience after a convention weekend is a good one. It represents an escape from reality and spending time with friends, extended family, and meeting some awesome folks.

Trailer Park: Victor Crowley - Teaser

Ten years ago Adam Green introduced us to little fella named Victor Crowley. Seeking to give the world a new slasher icon, he enlisted Jason Voorhees veteran Kane Hodder to play the role of Crowley in the movie Hatchet. The slasher went on to feature in three films, none of which garnered any respect from the MPAA. I believe it was the second entry that opened in theaters and got pulled out by midweek. It is a shame, I would have loved to see any of them on the big screen. The series was not universally loved (what is?) but I know I quite liked it. Here we are, years since we thought the Hatchet universe was finished, learning that a fourth film has been made, yes made, and is going on tour this October. Count me in.

Trailer Park: Inside (2017) - Trailer 1

There was a string of films to come out of France that sought to redefine brutality, intensity, and terror. These movies included High Tension, Frontier(s), Sheitan, and Martyrs. Each one was more intense than the one that preceded it. It was almost as if each successive filmmaker was attempting to outdo the one that came immediately before it. I am not sure if this trend continues but Martyrs was the epitome of the cycle that I saw, although there was one that I may have liked better. That movie was À l'intérieur (aka Inside). Of course, these movies would be targeted for an American remake. The trailer for Inside has arrived.

Movie Review: Besetment

When I first approached watching Besetment, I had a question, probably one that I shouldn’t have before watching a movie. I guess, more than that, I probably should have had the answer before even getting this far. I blame the educational system. Anyway, I did not know what the title meant. What is besetment? Well, it is defined as to attack on all sides; assail; harass. With that cleared up, we can move onto the movie itself. It is another in a long line of direct to video, low budget outings that seek to execute an involving story made with very little money. It can be done, but it just seems to be be out of reach of so many. So far as this one is concerned, it has a lot going for it, but it just doesn’t quite take it all the way.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Yoga

The prospect of a new Jackie Chan movie fills me with excitement and a little bit of dread. Jackie will always be a charismatic figure. Whether he is on the screen, in an interview, or just walking down the street, he will always be that happy go lucky guy that I would love to sit down with. With that said, he is not getting any younger and his kung fu skills are not what they used to be. The last film of his that I saw was Chinese Zodiac back in 2012, that movie was downright dull and uninspired, despite Jackie’s presence. So, when Kung Fu Yoga arrived, I approached with trepidation.

Trailer Park: Leatherface (2017) - Trailer 2

We are faced with yet another Texas Chainsaw Massacre film, and another prequel to boot! It is always very iffy to make a prequel to a classic film. We are always curious as to a cinematic maniac’s origin, but to actually make such a film is to risk damaging any idea we have in our mind. It takes away the creative license of each and every viewer. Beyond that, we run the risk of getting a bad film. Will that be the case here? I am not sure, but the fact that it is going to DiecTV before going to theaters (limited) does not inspire much hope. Sure, it could be good movie, but it is a long shot.

Trailer Park: Jigsaw - Trailer 1

So, this is not exactly new news, but by know, I am sure you are aware of the impending return of the Saw franchise. Right? I guess we should be thankful for the fact it is not a reboot or a remake or some manner of reimagining. It looks like we are getting a legitimate sequel. Of course, your mileage may vary based on how you feel about the series in the first place. Frankly, I am left somewhere in the middle on the whole thing as my enjoyment of the series has gone up and down over the years. Even not having watched them in a few years I find myself on the fandom fence.

Movie Review: Circus Kane

Wading into the realm of VOD movies can be a treacherous one. I have been taking that dive more and more in recent weeks. The results have been a decidedly mixed bag. You really need to factor in how much leeway for budget and effort exerted. I don’t know, expectations are just different when watching these films. At the same time, I don’t want to go to easy on sub par product. Of course, sometimes I just let myself go and allow myself to get into the movie and enjoy it for what it is. I guess that is what it comes down to, if you are entertained by a movie, it is a worthwhile endeavor. In this case, Circus Kane feels derivative but it is entertaining and worth spending time with.