Movie Review: Dark Phoenix

The first X-Men movie appeared way back in 2000. While it is far from the first comic book adaptation to hit the big screen, it seems to be the one that would kickstart the superhero saturated market we have today. Now, here we are, 19 years and 10 movies (12 if you count the Deadpool films, which I guess we probably should) in and we have reached the end of an era. Hugh Jackman has donned the prosthetic claws and coiffed his hair to play Wolverine for the last time and Disney has completed its purchase of Fox, thus making it possible to reunite the mutants with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (thus far dominated by Avengers related characters). The big question is, do you go out with a bang and do you fizzle like a dud sparkler? Sadly, in my estimation, it is the later.

Revisiting a Murder: The Crow: Wicked Prayer

By the time The Crow: Wicked Prayer arrived in 2005, the franchise was already on life support. The movie had a brief one-week theatrical premiere before being unceremoniously dumped to the video market. To be fair, the movie really isn’t that good, it looks bad even next to the prior outing, the also direct to video The Crow: Salvation. With that said, as I revisit the film now, I still see it as a bad movie, but there are things that I have come to like about it. It is like there are good elements in spite of its efforts to be a bad movie. Overall, the feel is not unlike that of the latter Hellraiser sequels, made as a reason to hang on to the license.

Revisiting a Murder: The Crow: City of Angels

If you know me, you know that my favorite movie is The Crow. I am not saying it is the best movie, but it is the movie I can return to time and time again and walk away satisfied. It is a movie that just strikes all the right chords for this fan. It was one of the first movies that I saw more than once in the theater. I can go on and on about The Crow, but this piece isn’t about that movie. It is about the first of the trio of sequels that were produced, and the only one to that made it to theaters. The Crow: City of Angels was released in 1996, a late August release where it won its opening weekend, but faded pretty quickly. It ended its run with a box office gross just shy of $18 million.

Movie Review: The Equalizer 2

Four years ago, director Antoine Fuqua re-teamed with his Training Day star, Denzel Washington, to reinvent a 1980’s crime drama series as a big screen action thriller. That film was The Equalizer. That movie proved to be a hit, making more than $100 million at the box office. I liked it, I thought it could have been more, but there was something about how Denzel portrayed this character that I liked. I never thought it was going to be the sort of film that would get a sequel. Goes to show what I know, right? Anyway, the sequel is here and I went to see it, not expecting all that much. I am here now to tell you that this sequel surpasses the original by a long shot. This movie floored me and I can do nothing but recommend it.

Critical Capsule: Hellraiser - Judgment

The Hellraiser franchise has never been a great. I love the first two, I like the third and fourth, but after that, well, the less said the better. So, the idea of a new film, one without Doug Bradley, would seem like a fool’s errand. Surprisingly, I quite liked Hellraiser: Judgment. Writer/director Gary Tunnicliffe brought some interesting concepts to the film and has made the first genuinely interesting Pinhead film in years. There are some nice gore effects and I would have liked to have seen some of the ideas (like the Auditor and Surgeon Cenobites) expanded on in a longer film. On the other hand, I felt it fell into the same traps as many of the DTV entries where it is just some detectives tumbling into the Hellraiser world rather than being more about that world. Feels too much like two different movies shuffled together. Still, I have no problem recommending this.

Critical Capsule: The Strangers - Prey at Night

The Strangers was a scary and effective horror film that had an unsettling realism about it. Now, we have the sequel that I don’t think anyone was really asking for, bearing the subtitle Prey at Night. The best thing I can say about this movie is that it has some well shot sequences. The movie itself seemed intent on doing nothing like the first one, thus defeating the purpose. Rather than terrifying the characters, it was more about terrifying the audience with unearned jump scares. On one level, I can sort of enjoy this, but then I get distracted by the terrible choices made by those behind the camera. It is as if they are seeking to undermine the elements that made the first so effective. In many ways I hated this movie.

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.

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.

Trailer Park: Paddington 2

Three years ago a live action adaptation of Paddington Bear reached the big screen, and despite a rather rocky ad campaign, it became a modest success and, as it turns out, it was enough to spawn a sequel. I remember those early commercials and trailers and how they focused on the stupid and the slapstick. I remember actually dreading sitting through it. Fortunately, the movie turned out to be really good and really sweet and just what family entertainment needed. Now, here I am hoping that this second go around delivers the goods and lives up to its predecessor. Get ready for Paddington 2.

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.

A Night at the Metropol - Examining Demons 1 and 2

Beware of spoilers…..

In 1985 a movie exploded out of Italy that provided genuine frights and genuine fun at the same time. It is that rare movie that succeeds at all turns. The sort of movie that you can watch over and over again and not get sick of. That movie is none other than Demons. It is a blend of action, horror, and (unintentional) comedy that just tantalizes the senses. It churns the stomach as it causes a giant grin on your face. Filled with memorable characters and some of the best practical gore effects this side of The Thing, it is easy to get into, yet it is not exactly a simple movie. Demons gives you the beginnings of a new world while not bogging you down in the details. It sets up a horrific world full of possibilities waiting to be filled in by your imagination.

DVD Review: Phantasm - 5 Movie DVD Collection

The Phantasm franchise is an odd one to approach. It is one of those franchises that has a lot of fans, but still seems to fly under the radar. You don’t often hear it spoken of in the same context as other horror franchises, like the big slasher series, or even a questionable series as Leprechaun. Of course, it does seem that the longer the series go, the more steep the drop off in quality becomes. Still, there is a lot to like about the series, it is as the budgets go down, the surreal and experimental side goes up. The later entries aren’t for everybody, but if you watch them in close succession, things become much clearer. I will say that initially it doesn’t help that there is so much time in between entries.

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.

TV Review: Wolf Creek - Season One

In 2005 writer/director Greg McLean introduced us to the dangerous world of the Australian Outback. For years there have been tales, and in some cases actual truth, to ruthless killers leaving in the Outback. Serial killers who did not take kindly to the tourist interlopers that they would find on their land. The two films (Wolf Creek in 2005 and Wolf Creek 2 in 2013) introduced us to the world of Mick Taylor (John Jarratt), a killer with wicked sense of humor and a mean temper. The films were quite the success, at least for this viewer, of delivering the horror goods and mixing in some elements of true crime. In 2016, they decided to adapt it to the small screen.

Movie Review: Wolf Creek 2

Way back in 2005 the screens were graced with a little movie called Wolf Creek. The film told the tale of an unfortunate group of tourists who entered the Australian Outback and never exited. It was a tale loosely based on an actual Australian serial killer and the movie proved to be quite satisfying, with its slow build and ever increasing sense of dread. The highlight was Mick Taylor, the resident killer, played like an offshoot of The Devil’s Rejects family by John Jarratt. The sequel took eight years to come out, but the wait was worth it. Wolf Creek 2 is a worthy follow up, taking what we know and just amping it all up. I may just like this one better.

Movie Review: John Wick - Chapter 2

Three years ago, a little, unassuming action film was released to theaters. It had the rather dull title of John Wick and starred an actor that, while popular, had been something of a poster child for bad actors for years for his somewhat wooden screen presence. As it turns out, this small little action film turned out to be an incredible blast of adrenaline that shows us just what kind of effect an action movie can have. It has an immediate emotional hook which got the audience involved and the lead upset, essentially getting the hero all wound up and then unleashing him for a journey of vengeance. As soon as it ended I wanted more, it has finally arrived in the form of John Wick: Chapter 2.

Movie Review: Fifty Shades Darker

So, I am not one who should be writing about this movie, much less seeing it. I did not see the first film, have no intentions of seeing the first film, and will hopefully be able to live up to that promise. However, with that said, I did find myself sitting in a theater watching Fifty Shades Darker play out on the big screen in front of me. It was not one of my finer moments. Still, my girlfriend wished to see it and offered to pay, who am I to say no? Spending time with her should trump what was sure to be a miserable movie experience, right? I should be glad she wasn’t upset at my making fun of the thing.

Movie Review: Resident Evil - The Final Chapter

It has been almost five years since we last saw Alice fighting to never ending battle against the evil Umbrella corporation. That is a long time to wait, the longest between chapters in the series, but we all knew it was coming. There was no way they were going to let end after the giant cliffhanger that was Resident Evil: Retribution. We may have been forced to wait longer than we may have wanted, but here it is. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter has arrived in theaters, and even it does not seem to be convinced it is the last one. You know, if there is a possibility of money to be made, you can never cut off the future of a franchise.