THE LAST JEDI CONTINUES RIAN JOHNSON'S WINNING STREAK

The Last Jedi picks up where The Force Awakens left off. The First Order is stronger than ever and has tightened it's death grip on the Galaxy. A weakened Resistance is left with no option but to flee. An awakened Finn teams up with Resistance fighter Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) to infiltrate The First Order in an attempt to buy the Resistance some time. Meanwhile, Rey (Daisy Ridley) has been sent to ask Luke (Mark Hamill)) for help fighting The First Order as well as his assistance in training her in the ways of the Jedi. Yes, times do look dark for our heroes. Is all hope lost, or is this just the dark before the dawn?

The Last Jedi attempts to take off running, but the effort only creates a first act that is shaky at best. It took me 30-40 minutes to really jump on board with the film (and yes, the film is 2 hours and 30 minutes, but it never felt like it dragged. I never felt like I wasn't enjoying my time with this film, even during the first act). Luckily, once The Last Jedi finds its footing, the proceedings just get better and better. Rian Johnson is a hard one to really fit into a category as far as directors go (and yes, he was the sole scriptwriter for Last Jedi as well. Impressive.). I suppose he could best be described as a character guy. He excels at creating believable, well-rounded, three dimensional characters. It's a little strange to see him tackle big, extravagant action scenes but he does so effortlessly here. The Last Jedi is definitely the most action-heavy Star Wars film I've seen, and the action scenes are all pretty superb.

The Last Jedi is also bursting with twists, turns, surprises and reveals (There are so many twists, turns and surprises that I lost count). When the twists and turns rear their heads, they come at you hard and fast. I can see how some may feel that Johnson is throwing twists in just for the sake of having twists, but they never bothered me. I liked the different roads The Last Jedi chooses to go down, and thought most of the surprises and twists furthered the plot and made sense. 

I said earlier that Rian Johnson excels at creating great characters, and he does exactly that here. Our main protagonists and antagonists are back, but are given fuller arcs and deeper character development. I especially liked where the film chose to go with Rey (Daisy Ridley, who is phenomenal.), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Snoke (Andy Serkis), General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Luke (Mark Hamill). We even get more quality time with BB-8, who has an upped role here and is just as adorable as ever. Finn (John Boyega) is back as well, and finally awake from his coma. He definitely has a role to play here, but I couldn't help but feel his character was stronger in The Force Awakens (Though I did love his big fight with Phasma, just wish it lasted a little longer). A big controversy on the net is how the film chooses to handle Luke's character. I, for one, liked the path The Last Jedi takes Luke on. I found his arc to be believable, and didn't think he ever acted out of character. Luke easily has the most emotional depth of any character in the film (with Rey coming in at a close 2nd), as well as the richest character arc (With Kylo coming in at a close 2nd for that one. BTW, I still LOVE the character of Kylo Ren and think he makes for a superb villain). 

We also get some new characters with the good-hearted Resistance fighter Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), Resistance official Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), and code breaker DJ (Benicio Del Toro). They all get superb arcs and character development, and some nice twists and turns. Rose is given a heart-breaking backstory and is such a warm hearted person that I easily fell in love with her (SPOILERS Though I'm not really a fan of where her arc goes with Finn END OF SPOILERS) . Laura Dern really chews into her role as Holdo, a Resistance official who's dedication to the cause comes under fire. Benicio Del Toro oozes swagger as the code cracker who Finn and Rose go to for help in bringing down The First Order. I loved Benicio Del Toro here, he easily lit up the screen whenever he was on (though I will admit his stuttering lisp was an odd choice).

Rian Johnson clearly enjoyed getting to add some elements of his own into the Star Wars franchise. He does some world building here (like creating the Las Vegas/Coruscant-like city Canto Bight, which is gorgeous but hides some real sinister darkness underneath it's glossy sheen), as well as crafting some brand new creatures. In The Last Jedi (utilizing a good deal of practical effects and puppets to bring them to life), we get Porgs (Adorable little Chicken/Bird/Hamster/Gerbil/Puffin-like critters who live on the isolated island of Arch-To. They are far better than Ewoks for the sole reason that they don't play a crucial role in the plot), The Caretakers (An alien race that lives on Arch-To and are dedicated to the upkeep and preservation of the Jedi structures), Fathiers (Which are horse/dog/rabbit like animals that live on Cantonica and are abused and used in Canto Bight for racing) and Vulptex (Glittery, sparkly, shiny creatures that resemble Arctic Foxes and live on Crait) among many others. I loved all the new creatures that inhabit the world of The Last Jedi, and having them here helps to make this Galaxy feel more lived-in.

I saw The Last Jedi in IMAX 3D, and would say it's definitely worth the extra dough to see it in this format. It's without a doubt the most visually gorgeous Star Wars film to date ( Thanks to cinematography by Steve Yedlin), and a good deal of the film looks downright stunning on the two-story IMAX screen. I also have to give a shout-out to John Williams who crafts a score that is beautiful, very Star Wars, and compliments the film very well.  

While The Last Jedi definitely borrows some elements from the original trilogy (like The Force Awakens did as well), this outing feels more original and inspired than Force Awakens. The film feels very timely, as the battle between The Resistance and The First Order has similarities to what's going on in America's current cultural climate. As such, The Last Jedi seems pretty poignant to today's age and the issues we are facing right now. It's got some great messages hidden inside as well, and is pretty intellectual. The Last Jedi has been garnering comparisons to The Empire Strikes Back (comparisons that I would say are earned, in a good way), and while it's definitely not as good as Empire, I'd say I consider this to be the 2nd best Star Wars film (Oh yes, I went there. Bring on the hate!). Star Wars: The Last Jedi is far superior to The Force Awakens thanks to it's dedication to careful handling and growth of characters, it's upped complexity and thoughtfulness, how it challenges viewers, it's numerous thrilling action scenes, twists, turns and surprises that further advance the plot, and some timely messages.  May the force be with you!

4.5 STARS

Yes, I was shocked to find my legs were shaking in certain scenes.

SPOILER REVIEW: BETTER WATCH OUT WILL BEAT THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT INTO YOU

It's that special time of year again. The Christmas season is officially upon us, and to celebrate I'll be reviewing a different kind of Christmas film.

In  Better Watch Out, Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) is moving to Pittsburg. Before she leaves, she takes one last babysitting job: babysitting her regular charge, 12 yr old Luke (Levi Miller), who has been harboring a crush on her. He hopes that tonight will be the night where he might finally get to kiss her. His hopes are dashed when his best friend Garrett (Ed Oxenbould) crashes the night. Things get even worse when a masked stranger breaks into the house with the intent to kill all inside. It's up to Ashley to protect Luke and Garrett in what winds up being one holy hell of a Christmas Eve.

That's the basic plot of Better Watch Out. Needless to say, there is an obvious twist hiding in there somewhere. Luckily, the film doesn't waste our time as it only takes until the end of the first act to reveal what is really going on. In order to better review this flick, I'm going to have to spoil what the twist is. For those who don't want anything spoiled, stop reading here. Better Watch Out is very fun, and definitely worth a watch...so go watch it. Now, onto spoilers.

The twist ends up being that the break in is just a scheme by Garrett and Luke to get Ashley to fall in love with and kiss (or maybe even fuck) Luke. The first act is admittedly pretty weak, generic, and dumb. Everything that comes after though is tons of demented, insane, sick fun. Once Ashley discovers the truth she attempts to alert Luke's parents only to be knocked out and tied up by him. It's quickly revealed that Luke is actually a genuine psychopath, and that's when the real fun begins.

The actors all do pretty fine jobs. Olivia DeJonge is quite impressive as damsel-in-distress (and then some) Ashley, and Garrett is likeable as Luke's sidekick that grows more and more reluctant to go along with Luke's scheme as the night wears on. Both DeJonge and Oxenbould starred together in The Visit as brother and sister. They don't really share any chemistry here though. When viewed from Ashley's POV, this film is a tragic tale of an innocent girl surrounded by toxic males (quite literally).

The real star of the show is Levi Miller as Luke. He easily steals every scene he's in (which is most of the film). He's a lot of fun (and absolutely fantastic and awesome) as the young, hormonal psychopath. You can tell Miller is relishing the chance to play against type. He dances around the house, genuinely enjoying every amount of harm he inflicts upon the inhabitants within. I was shocked to find I was on his side for the whole film. Yes, he's clearly a sick, twisted dude but dammit I couldn't help but love the shit out of him. Miller is definitely one to keep an eye on, as he just may be a real up-and-comer. He previously starred in Pan (as the titular character, where he failed to impress), and is playing one of the man characters in the upcoming adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time.

I had way more fun with Better Watch Out than I expected to. For the first act, I couldn't help but be reminded of The Babysitter (which debuted on Netflix in October) but by the time the end rolled around I was shocked to find that Better Watch Out was a genuinely demented, sick, twisted, fun ride that I would gladly watch again with friends. It's definitely one of the best Christmas films you can see.

4 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: THE GAMES RESUME WITH JIGSAW

Jigsaw was directed by Michael and Peter Spierig (who previously directed Predestination and Daybreakers), and was written by Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg (Who both wrote Piranha 3D, I won't mention their other films cuz they suck). They all do a pretty great job here.

It's been eleven years since Jigsaw was killed, and seven years since Detective Hoffman's reign as Jigsaw's successor ended and the madness seems to have finally ceased. The peace and silence cannot last forever though. Bodies start to pop up, seemingly victims of a new game designed by Jigsaw. Strangely enough, all the clues seem to point to Jigsaw himself being the culprit this time around. Detective Halloran (Callum Keith Rennie) brings on coroners Logan (Matt Passmore) and Eleanor (Hannah Emily Anderson) for some extra help in solving the case. It's a race against time to figure out who the killer is and stop the latest deadly game before it is completed. Could Jigsaw really have risen from the grave?

This time around, our victims are Anna (Laura Vandervoot), Ryan (Paul Braunstein), Mitch (Mandela Van Peebles), and Carly (Brittney Allen). They awaken from a drug-induced sleep to find themselves trapped in a barn, forced to work together if they are to survive. Naturally, none are as innocent as they seem, and the game's aim is to get each to confess to their crimes and solve the traps they are thrust into. The traps this time around manage to be pretty fun for the most part, though the film does rely on characters making exactly the right poor decisions in order to further the traps and plot. Jigsaw actually makes a small deviation from previous Saw films, in that it chooses not to focus on torture or gratuitous gore. There is still a good amount of blood, but compared to previous entries it's not quite as visceral, graphic or disturbing (except for the final kill, which is all kinds of delicious and grody).

Another welcome bonus is that a good deal of our cast play likable characters. Matt Passmore as Logan,  Laura Vandervoot as Anna , and Paul Braunstein as Ryan were my favorites (Honestly, Ryan was my number one favorite character in the whole film. I also really liked Anna as she was a smart, capable woman though what her crime is revealed to be at the end actually turned me against her pretty quickly). Jigsaw also does away with all the grime, dirt, and grain seen in the previous entries. This outing looks, clean, polished and even has some color added to it. Compared to the other Saw films, this one almost pops a bit. Since this is a Saw film, you can expect some nice twists. All I'll say is I didn't fully guess what one of the twists was (though I did get part of it right). I loved the hell out of the twists in this film, they were definitely some of the better ones found in the Saw franchise (though they did leave me with a few questions).

SPOILER CORNER

I just have to discuss spoilers now. So if you do not wish to know any of the twists or surprises in Jigsaw, now would be the time to stop reading.

Tobin Bell does return as Jigsaw and manages to completely command the screen for the time that he's on. He definitely does a fantastic job as the titular character, and is better here than he was in some of the previous sequels. I also love that Matt Passmore as Logan ends up being the new Jigsaw, and that his MO is somewhat different than Jigsaw's. Logan seems to care more about justice than anything else, and I loved his final line: "I speak for the dead." I whole-heartedly welcome another Saw film with him as the antagonist (though we don't really need one. This latest entry would make for a fine stopping point. Might as well go out on top.). It's nice that the trap we spend most of the film watching is actually a prequel (while the scenes with Detective Halloran and Logan and Eleanor are set in the present day), as it's revealed it was actually Jigsaw's very first experimental trap. This is the part that leaves me with questions though: Did the trigger the criminal pressed at the beginning of the film really set off anything? Was there even another trap going on during the present day segments at all?

SPOILERS OVER

In the end, I walked into Jigsaw super hesitant but hopeful. I'm a fan of the Saw franchise, but not a super big one. No one was clamoring for yet another Saw sequel. Jigsaw definitely had it's work cut for it, it had to show audiences a good time (check) and prove that it had a reason to exist (nope). While it doesn't really do much new, I still found enough to like here. The traps were fun, I appreciated that it wasn't quite as bloody or graphic as previous entries, I liked that the focus was more on fun and less on torture, and it was nice to get some likable characters to root for this time around. Jigsaw likely won't draw any new fans to the Saw franchise, but if you at all enjoyed the previous Saw films you'll likely have fun with this one as well. It's definitely better than some of the other Saw films. I actually cheered a few times in the theater and applauded when the end credits rolled. I know I'll likely be picking this one up on blu-ray. I'd rank Jigsaw right up there with Saw, Saw 3, and Saw 6. It's not the best entry in the series, but I thought it was definitely one of the best (I'd say 4th best).

4 STARS


And just like that, my Fright Fest ends. Till next year, keep the screams alive!

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TRIP REPORT FROM HHN 27

After missing last year's HHN 26 (which I heard not too stellar things about), I made it a point to get my ass to Orlando to attend this year's event. Let me tell you, it felt like I had been away way longer than a year. It felt good to be "home". This year's event had a very loose theme and icon: The Festival of the Deadliest (which was never explained or elaborated upon), and The Soul Collectors (which were also never explained, elaborated upon or even really seen at the event). I've said this before many times, HHN doesn't need a strong over-arching theme or icon to be a great event and this year proved that. Let's start with scarezones.

SCAREZONES

The Purge

The Purge returns once again to HHN, taking it's rightful place in the streets of NYC. The zone was pretty much the same as the one from 2014 (There's still a live auction on top of a school bus, and a roving motorcycle gang and truck that kidnap "victims" for the auction), but with added props and costumes from The Purge: Election Year (light-covered cars, a bonus mini-stage, and a pretty groovy woodchipper used to dispose of spare body parts). I am a super-huge fan of The Purge franchise, and I always enjoy getting to immerse myself in that loony world. Not the best zone of the night, but a super-fun one that was always a joy to explore.

8/10


Invasion

 Set in the area in front of the old Disaster building (which is to say the zone is pretty small), Aliens have landed on Earth. The military is fighting a losing battle, and have taken to cowering and running for their lives. The design of the aliens is absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking, easily some of the best costumes and creature designs I've seen in all my years at HHN. There's also an impressive alien ship that has crash-landed in the middle of the zone.  Not a scary zone at all, but always a joy to wander through the zone and marvel at the Aliens (They could experiment on me any day).

9/10


Trick 'r Treat

Universal originally waned to do this zone way back in 2008 (Which was the first year I ever attended the event), but sadly couldn't aquire the rights. Instead, they did The Skoolhouse, which was somewhat of a riff on the film (at least, on the haunted trick or treaters portion of it). This year, Universal finally nailed the rights to the film and got to do one of their passion projects. Based on the modern Halloween classic, Trick 'r Treat is set in the Central Park area. The whole zone is gorgeously decorated and designed, with a metric shit-ton of glowing jack o' lanterns high in the trees and a ghostly blue glow illuminating the whole zone. Numerous characters from the film wander around the zone (including the sexy werewolfs, Little Red Riding Hood, Old Mr. Kreeg, the murderous principal and his vomiting victim, numerous creepy trick or treaters, and Sam himself). Another zone that wasn't all that scary, but it was always fun to get to mingle with the characters in the zone and marvel at the atmosphere and theming. Trick 'r Treat perfectly utilized the Central Park zone in a way I haven't seen in years, so yeah, I was a pretty big fan.

 9/10


Altars of Horror

Set in the Production Central area in between Shrek 4D and Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, this zone got the short end of the stick. Utilizing minimal poor theming (Literally just a bunch of sign posts indicating which house the characters you are encountering are from), the zone is just a way to get to see spend some more time with the characters from the IP Houses close up (including Ash Vs. Evil Dead, AHS: Volume 2, The Shining, The Horrors of Blumhouse, and Saw: The Games of Jigsaw). I like that it acted as a way for the costume designers and makeup artists to show off some of their work, the zone just wasn't executed all that well.

3/10


Festival of The Deadliest

Set in the Hollywood area, this zone was supposed to act as the heart of HHN 27. There is a raging party going on, and we are invited....to die! The Festival of The Deadliest is an intriguing idea, but it was never fully elaborated upon (same with the creatures in the zone: sexy, gyrating strippers, antler-adorned women, and masked creepy killers armed with scythes and such). It was very fun to walk through the zone, and the theming was pretty nice, it was just hard to get a pulse on exactly who we were encountering and what was going on inside. That said, the scareactors in the zone got me the most I've ever been got in a zone at HHN. Just about every few seconds a scareactor managed to really startle or scare me, and one near the end wound up chasing me in circles for a good minute or two (which left me huffing, exhilarated, and out of breath. I wasn't so much running away as I was dancing around and away from her).

8/10


HOUSES

American Horror Story: Volume Two

Last year, HHN did their first ever house based on the hit horror tv show American Horror Story. It incorporated Season 1 (Murder house), Season 4 (Freak Show), and Season 4 (Hotel). This year, the powers that be decided to bring AHS back to HHN for round 2. This time, they used Season 2 (Asylum), Season 3 (Cult), and Season 5 (Roanoke). Seeing as the house used my two favorite seasons of the show (Asylum and Roanoke), I was pretty stoked to get to walk through this one (It wa also my first house of the night, yay!). Each of the seasons were very well represented, and each got a good amount of scenes. It really felt like you traveling through the entirety of each season. I loved that the facade used was that of Asylum. I also loved how all of Roanoke felt connected (You start out in the woods, and then travel through the secret underground passageway into the house. You even get to make a quick detour into the inbred hillbilly cannibal shack. You can bet I was screaming "Croatoan" at all of the scareactors in the Roanoke portion). We get to encounter numerous villains from each season, and even some of the supporting characters and stars (including Adam Levine, Bloodyface, Dr. Arthur Arden, Pepper, Sister Mary Eunice Mckee, Sister Jude Martin,  The Chens, The Butcher, Edward Phillip Mott, Scathach, Mama Polk, and Cricket Marlowe). Very scary, very fun, very impressive.

10/10


The Shining

Universal took on quite a challenge when they decided to try to do justice to one of the scariest and most disturbing films of all time, The Shining, in one of their haunted houses. While the house wasn't much scary, it managed to impress the hell out of me. The facade is the entrance to The Overlook Hedge Maze, and after a twist and turn or two, we find ourselves inside The Overlook Hotel lobby. The attention to detail was great, and the whole house was incredibly well designed. While each room didn't necessarily connect to each other, it always felt like we were in The Overlook Hotel and stuck within famous scenes from the film itself. The Overlook Lobby, The Gold Room/Ball Room, The Bar (with Lloyd), The Grady Twins, Danny on his trike, Delbert Grady, The guy with blood running down his face while raising a toast, the bear man costume (minus fellatio), here's Johnny scene, dead Hollorann lying on the floor, elevators of blood, the shower lady, and the frozen Jack Nicholson (which is the last thing we see) were all great. I found the elevators of blood effect to be the most impressive. You basically watched through a window as literal jets and fountains of blood sprayed and flowed over and in front of the elevators and over the floor as well. The Jacks in the house looked a little weak with the bald caps they wore. Overall, I wasn't sure how well Universal would be able to pull off the house and do justice to the source material but they succeeded beautifully in what is one of the best houses in HHN history. Not scary, but super impressive and effective.

10/10


The Fallen

In The Fallen, we travel through a decaying, crumbling gothic cathedral overrun by demons. The original theme was supposed to be the battle between Heaven and Hell, but for whatever reason we never see any angels in the house...only demons (rumors seem to suggest that angels were left out so as not to offend anyone. Weird choice.). Anyways, the house is beautifully designed, with fantastic costumes and creature designs throughout. I loved the glowing embers of lava/fire throughout as well. I also loved the effects used to make some of the demons fly. The facade was gorgeous too. My favorite creatures were the first demon who looked like Satan (You bet I was screaming Hail Satan at him), the Bungee Demon that would pounce at you only to be pulled back by the bungee cord (what an effect), and the final demon that would fly over your head. A very cool house.

9/10


Dead Waters

Way back in 2014, Universal created a pretty cool scarezone called The Bayou of Blood. The centerpiece of the zone was a mini-show featuring The Voodoo Queen, who ruled over the zone and would perform a sacrifice for us onlookers. Unfortunately, a few too many "softies" complained and the show was nixed. Now, The Voodoo Queen is back to take her bloody vengence via her very own house, and what an impressive house it is. The facade is one of the best of this year's. We enter through a grounded New Orleans-esque riverboat, and from there on out we find ourselves trapped in the Voodoo Queen's bayou, where her minions and undead/zombies hunt and terrorize us. The creature designs were great, and every room was gorgeous. The house was pretty short, but plenty sweet. There are also a good amount of scares inside.

9.5/10


Hive

This was actually the house I was looking forward to most this year, and it did not disappoint. The theme is that we essentially get to travel through our very own personal 1980's B-movie. We are exploring an old, decaying house that feral, Nosferatu-esque vampires have turned into their hive. The vampires are glow-in-the-dark/blacklight (including their eyes). The last few vampires looked freaking awesome and were impressively designed. The house was plenty creepy and had some good scares. Not the best house of the night, but definitely my personal favorite.

9/10


The Horror of Blumhouse

Or as I like to call it: Blumhouse of Horrors. I loved that the facade is the Blumhouse logo, and that the whole house was designed so that it was like we were  traveling through the Blum House. Purge, Insidious and Sinister were represented pretty well (Though Purge was clearly supposed to be Ouija but was changed last second). Most of the house was themed to Insidious. I loved the room with the swinging/swaying lightbulbs. The last few rooms felt rushed and quickly designed, and were super claustrophobic (small, tiny, twisting hallways that were just blacklight walls with characters from the films jumping/popping out at you). Not the best house of the night, but I thought it was the scariest (the Darth Maul demon scares the crap out of me. The only house where I wasn't fun screaming, but was get-me-the-hell-out-of-here screaming).

3.5/10


Ash Vs. Evil Dead

Universal brings the hit horror television show, Ash Vs. Evil Dead (which is a continuation of the beloved Evil Dead films) to life. This was the humor house of the night, which also means it was seriously lacking in scares. Luckily, it does justice to the two seasons of the show and is pretty fun. I always love getting to see Ash (Yeah, I yelled Hail To The King at him a few times and one of the Ash's even saluted me when I said it), and the Ash's in the house were pretty great (but more-so resembled Ash from the Evil Dead films and not the aging Ash from the TV show. Fine by me). I love that we enter through his trailer from the first season, and there were a few water effects throughout the house. We also get to visit the classic Evil Dead cabin, Jacksonville, the Brujo's ranch, and the bar at Elk Grove.

3.5/10


Saw: The Games of Jigsaw

Not really much to say about this one. It's essentially the same house as Saw from HHN 19, except we don't enter in through the Wilson Steele warehouse (aka Jigsaw's Lair). In this 2nd outing, we travel through several different traps from the films. It's not scary, the house doesn't flow together very well, and it all feels pretty disjointed. I did manage to see a good deal of the traps go off (which didn't happen with Saw 2009), so that was nice.

2/10


Scarecrow: The Reaping

In Scarecrow, we are exploring an old, depression-era farm house/barn where the scarecrows have come to life to harvest the soil with our blood. This house had the best facade of the night. Before we enter we pass by an actual small corn field (Universal grew actual corn stalks for the house). We enter in through an old barn silo/hay loft. The house had the most impressive and diverse creature designs of the night. My favorite was the large scarecrow, he seemed like he was 6 ft tall and looked like a huge scarecrow puppet. I love how it was like he grew out of one of the doors. I also loved the design of each room (especially the dripping water room). It always felt like you were in the same barn house throughout. Consistent theming and scares from beginning to end. Incredible.

10/10


SHOWS

Bill and Ted's Farewell Tour

This year, Universal dealt a shocking blow to fans of HHN when they announced that HHN 27 would be the final year for Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Presumably because they are planning on demolishing the Fear Factor stadium sometime early next year, though nothing has been confirmed as of yet). This year, Bill and Ted's excellent Halloween Adventure is interrupted by The Grim Reaper (from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Very cool that he was included here.), who regretfully informs the duo that he has been sent to reap their souls unless they can find one redeeming thing about pop culture in 2017. The show opens with one hell of a sexy dance number (set to Pour Some Sugar On Me. Really loved the ladies' outfits). The opening monologue with Melissa McCarthy/Sean Spicer was hilarious, and one of the best I've seen. Melissa/Spicey continues to pop up throughout the adventure, and just about runs away with the show (She's gut-wrenchingly hilarious, and absolutely perfect). It's also nice to have the actor who played Ted from 2008-2015 back again for one final goodbye (He took off for 2016). It was also nice that they brought back some memorable characters from past Bill and Ted shows (like Dr. Evil, who was sleeping behind the set since 2006. He demands to know where Beetlejuice and Jaws are.). This was definitely one of the duo's better shows, though the farewell portion feels a little rush (I'm pretty sure the decision to axe any future shows was done last second with little advanced notice for the crew, writers, and cast. I suppose I could be wrong though).

And now, some random highlights:

I got to high-five David S. Pumpkins

Grim Reaper accidentally kills Bill. When he brings him back to life, Bill yells "Great Movie Ride."

United Airlines flight attendants knock out Avatar "sex with their tails damn you" guy.

After water dancer humps Moana, she says: "Oh, that silly water. Always getting me wet."

Grim Reaper perfectly sums up Bill and Ted: "Yeah, it's kind of dumb. But it was always fun."

After Spicey does a little impromptu dance, the audience cheered and she kept dancing. The Grim Reaper scolded the audience, saying: "Don't encourage her."

Spicey: "We will butt-hurt you, we will butt-hurt you hard!"

Spicey: "We are pro gender equality. We will sexually exploit anyone and everyone."

Grim Reaper to Bill and Ted: "All of this will have been like a dream, but one you were lucky enough to have had."

Grim Reaper reveals near the end that Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure is the only redeeming thing in pop culture.


And so ends, Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. It wasn't always of the highest quality, but it was always damn entertaining and provided a nice escape from all the running and screaming at HHN. Their message will always ring true, especially in these turbulent times we currently find ourselves in. "Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes!"

8.5/10


RIDES

It has been several years since I had been to Universal Studios, and I had missed riding Rip Ride Rockit (my favorite coaster at both parks). I managed to rope my bro into riding it at night (when it was completely dark out) and in the first row. Sometimes, when you ride you get a shaky/bumpy car but luckily we got a smooth one this time. The wind in my face, and being able to see all the studios lit up for HHN was a real treat. It helped that it was one of the smoothest rides i've had on it. Really reminded me why I love Rockit so much! It really can be like art in motion (especially at night). I also got to take my bro into Diagon Alley for the first time, where he finally rode Escape From Gringotts. He LOVED it (I've never been over the moon about the ride, but it's always fun).



Conclusion

HHN 27 really was one for the books. Most of the houses were superb, memorable, and impressive and a good deal of the scarezones were strong as well. Scarezone of the year would be a toss up between Invasion and Trick 'r Treat. I'd probably rank Scarecrow as House of The Year (with AHS a very close second. Hive would still be my personal favorite, though it wasn't best of the night). I'd easily place this year right up there with HHN 21. My only regret is I wish I could have attended more than once, but hey, at least I got to go at all. What a treat! Till next year (Hopefully), this is Smalls, your roving reporter, signing off from scare central.

10/10

FRIGHT FEST: HAPPY DEATH DAY

Happy Death Day is the latest Blumhouse production. In it, we follow popular, clique-y college girl Tree (short for Teresa) on her birthday. Most people would be happy on such a day, not Tree though as it brings with it some sad memories from her past. At the end of the day, a masked killer murders Tree and sets off a wild chain of events where Tree is forced to relive her death day over and over again until she is able to uncover the identity of her killer and stop him/her from murdering her (Yes, it's another twist on the Groundhog Day formula. Just roll with it).

Happy Death Day is the latest in a long line of PG-13 "horror" films. Most times, I find that PG-13 horror films kind of suck. They pander to the dumb teen demographic, rely on annoying jump scares, and just aren't all that scary. Happy Death Day is one of the rare PG-13 horror films that actually works though, mainly because it's more-so interested in being funny than scary. That's right, Happy Death Day is a horror-comedy who-dun-it, with an emphasis on the comedy. The film is creepy, atmospheric, and tense at odd moments, but is really more concerned with having it's own personality. The death's aren't focused on all that much (There's really only one cool death in the film, and it's spoiled in the trailer), and it's a fairly blood-less film. Normally, this would not bode well for a horror film, but Happy Death Day's focus on fun over scares helps save the film.


Happy Death Day stars Jessica Rothe as our heroine Tree and Israel Broussard as film nerd/regular guy Carter. Tree starts out as a pretty unlikable character (she's not the worst girl I've ever seen, but she's still pretty mean and self-centered). She is having an affair with a married professor/doctor, makes out with her roommates crush in front of her (just because she can), wakes up in Carter's bed after a drunken night and basically shrugs him off (not even having the courtesy to remember his name or even care), and is a member of the bitchy sorority on campus. Yeah, you want to see her die many times over and the killer could really be just about anyone on campus (she has a way of making enemies). It's not an easy task to take an unlikeable character and find a way to bring the audience fully on her side by the end, but Happy Death Day does just that. The film slowly peels away her layers, revealing more about her backstory and the reasons why she hates her birthday. A large part of the plot is about Tree learning the error of her ways, and taking steps to become a better person (much like Groundhog Day). I am completely in love with Jessica Rothe and her character of Tree (Not to mention Rothe can also sing as evidenced in her small role in La La Land. Just more reason to love her). I found her to be sympathetic, and super hot and cute (both in personality and looks) by the time the end credits roll.

Israel Broussard is completely winsome and likable as the warm-hearted nice guy who has a love for film (as can be seen by his awesome choice in movie posters that adorn his dorm room). He continually assists Tree in her attempts to unmask the killer throughout the film. The two actually have some chemistry together, and I loved them as a duo. I won't say if they wind up together (though the answer is pretty obvious right from the opening of the film). I also loved the Baby-Mask killer, and the design of the mask he/she wears (It's the mask of the school's mascot, which is being handed out en masse thanks to an upcoming sports game). However, I wasn't crazy about who the killer winds up being and I found his/her motivation to be silly and stupid.

Happy Death Day is not a great film, but seeing as I went in reluctantly, expecting another shit PG-13 horror film and I walked out smiling, I'd say it's a success. It's not scary, but it is silly, goofy, funny, and fun. It also has some clever moments (one example: Tree always wakes up with residual trauma from her previous deaths. This doesn't really lead to anything, except that it's implied that eventually Tree will die for good and she winds up feeling pretty sore and tired by the end of the film. I also loved the choice to set it in college instead of high school.) Our two main leads are likable, the direction is fairly strong (from Christopher Landon who previously directed Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. This is his best film), and the script (by Scott Lobdell) is good. Happy Death Day is a film with it's own, fun personality. It's definitely one of the more memorable entries in the PG-13 horror film craze.

3 STARS

Side Note: The film replaces 50 Cent's catchy "In Da Club" with a short, generic, goofy and forgettable Happy Birthday ringtone. A missed opportunity if there ever was one.

FRIGHT FEST: THE BABYSITTER

The Babysitter was the film I was looking forward to most this Halloween season. It's directed by McG (who doesn't have the best track record when it comes to directing films), and the movie went through several delays until it was decided it would be released directly to Netflix. While all this did send alarm bells ringing in my head, the premise and trailer looked fun enough. In The Babysitter, 12 year old Cole (Judah Lewis) is afraid of almost everything. He pines after his smoking hot babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving). When she promises him to throw a party when his parents leave for the weekend, Cole couldn't be happier. Unfortunately, Bee and her friends ( Max played by Robbie Amell, Sonya played by Hana Mae Lee, Allison played by Bella Thorne, and John played by Andrew Bachelor) are actually part of a satanic cult that wants Cole's blood because of its purity. It's up to the kid who's afraid of everything to conquer his fears and put an end to his crush's madness.

Everyone does a pretty fine job acting wise, with the standouts being Judah Lewis as Cole, Samara Weaving as Bee, and Robbie Amell as Max. Samara Weaving and Judah Lewis actually have surprisingly strong chemistry during the first act and are super cute together. It's not hard to fall for Bee yourself as she is super smoking hot and has a very attractive personality. It got to the point where I kind of wanted them to end up together. Max is a muscular jock who hides a somewhat soft heart under his tough exterior. He takes breaks from his pursuit of Cole to actually give the kid advice, and gives him several chances to stick up for himself (My favorite line of his : "Don't worry kid, I won't let you die with egg on your face."). Cole himself is at first glance, a loser, but he proves to be a pretty cool kid despite his numerous fears (his first scene is him freaking out over having to get a shot. I can totally relate). He proves to be surprisingly capable, although he makes many stupid mistakes along the way.

Unfortunately, despite a fun premise and likable leads, it's clear why The Babysitter went through so many delays: It's not that good of a film. The first act is all obvious set-up for things to come later in the film. It's overly stylistic to the point where it can feel like the film is over-compensating. Some of the stylistic choices work, most do not though, and are just flashy and come across like McG is yelling "Look at me! Look at me!. It feels like most of the style found within, while fun, has no reason to exist. That said, The Babysitter does have some nice bait-and-switches that I did not see coming, so props to that.

In the end, The Babysitter was a disappointment. It stretches believability at points, the characters make stupid decisions throughout (one example: The cult sees Cole trying to cut through a rope they restrained him with and even comment on this, but do nothing to stop him), and the numerous stylistic choices end up hurting the film in the long run. Luckily, the characters are likable and our main leads are pretty great (plus, there's a steamy extended make-out scene between Bella Thorne and Samara Weaving). The Babysitter isn't a great film (or even really a good one when all is said and done), but it is silly, stupid fun. If that sounds like your cup of Pumpkin Spice, maybe you should check it out.

2 Stars

FRIGHT FEST IS EXTENDED

Sometimes the darkness refuses to go back to sleep. Prepare yourselves for reviews of HHN 27, The Babysitter, Jigsaw and Happy Death Day. All coming to you this week! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS VISITS CANDLE COVE

Channel Zero is a new anthology horror show, where each season is it's own self-contained story. The first season is entitled Candle Cove. In it, Mike (Paul Schneider), a child psychologist, is haunted by recurring nightmares about a lost children's televised puppet/marionette show from the 80's called Candle Cove and a series of child murders that occurred at the time it was on. He lost his twin brother, Eddie, to the killing spree. Mike returns to his hometown in an attempt to gain some closure as well as solve the mystery of Candle Cove and the murders.

I wasn't expecting much out of Channel Zero: Candle Cove. It's a low-budget show that airs on the Syfy channel. That right there doesn't help to inspire confidence, considering Syfy's pretty bad track record. Luckily, the show tickled me in all the right areas. I love that it centers around a creepy children's program, and that all the effects I can remember were done practically. The puppets/dolls and creatures were all fantastically designed and looked downright haunting. The Tooth-Child, Jawbone, The Skin-Taker, and Pirate Percy are memorable characters/creatures that may haunt my nightmares for a while.

The show has quite a fine cast of actors, with the best being Paul Schneider, Fiona Shaw (who plays Marla, Mike's mother who assists him in his investigation). Both characters are haunted by the past, and have some skeletons in their closets. Paul Schneider makes for a likable and empathetic leading man. It was easy for me to put myself into his shoes, and as the show progressed I found myself rooting for him more and more. Fiona Shaw previously played Aunt Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films. Here, she gets to play quite a different character. She starts out as a woman who is still grieving the loss of her 2nd son, but changes a good deal by the time the show ends. It was a joy to watch her character grow stronger with each episode, and to see her eventually gain control and take charge.  The kid actors featured in this season were pretty ok, with the standout being Abigail Pniowsky, who plays Lily (Mike's daughter).

As for the rest of the cast, Marina Stephenson Kerr is very off-putting and creepy as Mrs. Booth, one of Mike and Eddie's old teachers who may know more about Candle Cove and the past murders than she is letting on. Luisa D'Oliveira plays Amy, a deputy who assists with the investigation and is a friend of Mike's. She is very likable, smart, efficient and doesn't really play your typical cop in a horror film. Shaun Benson plays Gary, another old friend of Mike's who is now the Sheriff. He likes Mike, but is distrustful of him due to some skeleton's in Mike's closet. Last but definitely not least is the beautiful Natalie Brown as Jessica, an old crush of Mike's who is now married to Gary. She's yet another very likable character in the show who I quickly grew to care about.

Candle Cove is genuinely creepy, unsettling, disturbing, effective and weird. I'd compare it favorably to The Twilight Zone in tone. Each episode only runs around 45 minutes in length, and there are only a total of 6 episodes making for a tight, focused little thriller. No time is wasted, and there are a good deal of twists, turns, and surprises throughout. Perhaps best of all, it wraps up in a satisfying way (ok, so it took a little while for me to warm to the answer of the mystery of Candle Cove. All that matters is that I was totally down with the explanation after thinking it over for a few). Channel Zero is off to an auspicious start, proving that effective horror can still be made on a low television budget.  I was surprised by how much Channel Zero: Candle Cove impressed me. It's a unique, different and memorable little horror show.  I know it will stay with me for some time. Sign me up for Season 2!

4.5 Stars

FRIGHT FEST: CULT OF CHUCKY

I'm done playing, so this will be a spoiler review.

In Cult of Chucky, Nica (Fiona Dourif) has been admitted to a medium security mental hospital after the events of Curse of Chucky. The murders in that film have been pinned on her, and she's begun to believe that she may really be crazy after all. When her therapist, Dr. Foley (Michael Therriault), brings in multiple Good Guy Dolls in an attempt to help her, murders begin to occur at the asylum. Has Chucky found a way to possess multiple dolls, or has Nica really lost her mind?

This film had only one requirement for me: It had to be better than Curse of Chucky. It's not. I was actually enjoying the proceedings for a decent amount of the run time, but by the time the last act rolls around I had given up on this franchise altogether. If this were a perfect world, the Chucky franchise would have ended a long time ago. I love the character of Chucky, but the recent Chucky films since Seed have failed to justify their existence.Seeing as this latest installment is directed and written Don Mancini (who has written every Chucky film, and directed Seed and Curse), the lack of quality shouldn't really be that surprising, but even compared to Curse this is still a large step down.

Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, and Alex Vincent are easily the best actors here (Jennifer Tilly is barely in the film, and does a pretty bad acting job). They aren't given much to work with, and they don't seem to be having fun here. Alex Vincent (Andy from Child Play's 1 and 2) does return with a decent amount of screen time but he acts more as fan service as he doesn't really do anything of importance here (He's set up like he's going to be the crazed Van Helsing of this film, but nothing is done with him). Fiona Dourif is a gorgeous actress who deserves better roles than this. Brad Dourif returns to voice Chucky once more, but there is a noticeable amount of time where he doesn't sound anything like Chucky. I don't know if it's old age, or if he's just tired of playing the role (the ending would seem to point to the latter option, as it sets up for a possessed Nica to be the killer in the next installment). Chucky can still be entertaining at times here, but it's not enough to save this bad movie.

As this is a spoiler review, I can reveal that Chucky does have the power to possess multiple dolls in this film (and that there isn't really a cult in the film, after all, it takes more than one or two people to make a cult). It's as stupid as it sounds. It's lazily explained (He gains this power by finding a new voodoo spell on the internet) and directly contradicts the already established rules of the character from the previous six films. Going this route feels like an insult to long time fans (as does the ending).

The animatronics/puppets this time around are fairly weak (Though I do commend Mancini and crew for sticking with practical effects) and the acting is poor all around. Cult definitely does have potential and promise (in better hands the multiple Chucky's could actually lead to a good twist, not here though), but it really does feel like they are making Chucky films just because they can now. This latest installment feels very much like a quick, cheap, poorly thought out and poorly executed cash grab.  Chucky has been out of his box for around 29 years now, but I say it's high time we stuff him back in and bury the damn thing six feet under. Maybe new blood could breathe life into this suffering franchise, but as long as Mancini has the helm I predict a bleak future for Chucky and his cult of fans.

1 STAR

FRIGHT FEST: GERALD'S GAME

Stephen King is having a moment. The new adaptation of It was a success, with a sequel already green-lit for 2019. There's a tv show (which was just cancelled) based on his Mist novel, and several more adaptations of his novels are coming down the line. It's good to be the King right now. The latest adaptation of his is a Netflix production of Gerald's Game, directed and written by horror up-and-comer Mike Flanagan.

Gerald's Game follows Jessie (Carla Gugino, who I've had a crush on since I first saw Spy Kids when I was just a boy) and Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), a couple who's marriage has started to crumble. In an attempt to save their marriage, they decide to take a weekend vacation to a secluded lake house. While there, Gerald attempts a bondage/rape RP that involves cuffing Jessie's hands to the bed. Things don't pan out quite so well, and Gerald suffers a heart attack mid-game, leaving Jessie cuffed to the bed with no escape in sight. Jessie is going to have to fight off her growing mental instability, contend with dark secrets from her past, ward off a wild stray dog with a taste for flesh, and find some way out of the handcuffs if she is going to live to see another day.

Gerald's Game could not have been an easy novel to adapt to screen. It's set in one single location (the bedroom), and most of it takes place inside Jessie's mind as she hallucinates and has flashbacks. Jeff Howard and Mike Flanagan wrote the screenplay, and the material is handled very carefully. The film is still set almost entirely in the bedroom (except for a few flashbacks), and Jessie's inner dialogue is handled via hallucinations of herself and Gerald that have conversations with her about her dire situation. I haven't read the novel, so I can't speak to how accurate the film is....all I can say is that Flanagan has earned my respect for pulling off a difficult task well.

Carla Gugino is beautiful, likable and sympathetic as Jessie. She is an interesting character who slowly has her layers peeled away throughout the film as she deals with both her current situation and a dark event from her past that has haunted her her whole life. Bruce Greenwood is fantastic as Gerald, a man who has more to him than would first appear. He plays both the real Gerald and Jessie's hallucination of him. He manages to be very likable, and kind of scary and intimidating at times. They both easily carry the film, and put on memorable, fantastic performances. Henry Thomas (aka Elliot from E.T.) has a supporting role as Tom, Jessie's father who we only glimpse in flashbacks. It's a memorable and decidedly different performance from Thomas that will likely stick with me. Carel Struycken (aka Lurch from The Addam's Family movie) is freaky and memorable as The Moonlight Man, a mysterious, shadowy figure that may be death himself.

Not only can Mike Flanagan write, edit, and direct....but he also seems adept at discovering great talent inside young actors. In Oculus we got Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan, in Ouija: Origin of Evil we got Lulu Wilson, and now in Gerald's Game we get Chiara Aurelia. Chiara Aurelia is a fifteen year old actress. In Gerald's Game she plays the twelve year old version of Jessie and puts on a memorable and affecting performance. She gets the chance to really show off her acting chops, and I was impressed. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for this young actress. I hope to see her in more things.

Michael Fimognari was in charge of cinematography (as he was for Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil), and he does a great job. The cinematography is beautiful a good deal of the time, like a scene during a total solar eclipse. As the eclipse is happening, we get to watch as the colors slowly alter and change, it's very impressive and quite pretty. There's another scene where the whole film takes on a vibrant, ghastly, almost neon-like red hue. Fimognari clearly has an eye for this kind of thing, and it seems that Flanagan and him make for a nice pair.

Gerald's Game runs at an hour and forty three minutes. For a film that takes place almost entirely in a bedroom, it feels a bit long. The film does slow down at points (some may say lags), but I found myself consistently engaged, invested, and interested in the proceedings. Mike Flanagan took what many considered to be an un-filmable novel and managed to make a film that is pretty damned good. I'd say Flanagan was the most impressive part of the production. You can feel the hard work and sweat he put into making this film. Gerald's Game isn't scary in the traditional horror sense (It's more psychological/mental horror), in fact it's more of an intimate character study that happens during a traumatic event. It's far from King's best adaptation, but Flanagan's hard work pays off in the end. Gerald's Game is a nice treat for King fans and makes for another nice calling card for Flanagan.

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: HE NEVER DIED

In He Never Died, we follow Jack (Henry Rollins), an immortal cursed to spend the rest of eternity on Earth. In an effort to resist his worst temptations, he's created a regimen (which includes playing Bingo at a senior center) which has served him well for a long time. When Jack learns he has a daughter (Andrea, played by Jordan Todosey), he may have to revert to old ways if he is to keep her safe from a ruthless loan shark named Alex (Steven Ogg).

He Never Died is a pretty damned cool film. We spend most every scene with Henry Rollins' Jack, and Rollins does a great job in the role. Jack looks and acts human, but isn't. He's a centuries old (if not older) immortal who feasts on human flesh and drinks their blood. His hunger/thirst is treated like alcoholism, and Jack has been on the wagon for a long time (But may not remain so for long). He hates Earth, and being stuck on it. Rollins plays Jack like a barely contained beast or monster. He snorts, growls, and twitches as he fights to control his bloody urges. He's not really a good guy, and is actually quite scary at points. Jack makes for a great, memorable and fascinating protagonist.

Jordan Todosey plays Andrea, Jack's 19 year old daughter who inserts herself into his life because she wants to meet him and get to know him. She is adorable, interesting, sympathetic, and very likable. Andrea is easily one of my favorite characters in the film, though she isn't in it a lot (A shame). There's also an interesting question to be raised about if she has any abilities or gifts, considering she was conceived by an immortal. Unfortunately, the film never addresses this question.

He Never Died feels like a Noir at times, but is really more of a horror film/character study. The first act is just following Jack around his every day life, but the 2nd act is where things pick up. We get a good deal of violence and blood, and things get darker. I was happy that the film chose to go this route, as it helped to accentuate it's more horrific elements.

He Never Died has a lot going for it: A cool and inspired story, two great performances, some action and violence to go with it's brooding introspectiveness. Unfortunately, the ending doesn't really resolve much and there's a reveal involving a character that raised some questions the film (once again) doesn't address or resolve. There's also constant, annoying audio of sword fighting, people screaming, and fire during certain quiet moments with Jack (To emphasize that he is haunted by the the events of his long life). All this isn't enough to ruin the film, but it does bring the whole thing down a little bit.

In the end, He Never Died was actually pretty great. It was dark, violent, smart, clever, and even fun. It managed to successfully mix two very different kinds of film together (Character study and horror film). Scary, dark, but also fascinating and cool, He Never Died is definitely worth a watch. It also fits nicely into the Halloween season.

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE

In I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House ( or Pretty Thing for short), stay-at-home nurse Lily (Ruth Wilson) takes on the job of caring for aging and senile mystery/horror author Iris Blum (Paula Prentis). In her dementia, Iris thinks that Lily is actually Polly (Lucy Boynton), a ghostly character from one of her novels. During her stay, Lily begins to suspect that Polly may actually have been based on a real person and maybe Iris' house is actually haunted.

I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House is a throwback to old-fashioned, classic, atmospheric ghost stories. That said, it's told from quite a different perspective: That of the ghost. I'm not going to say much else for fear of ruining anything, except to say that I loved this new, creative twist. It actually makes the whole affair somewhat unsettling to watch. This is Osgood Perkin's second directorial/writing effort (His first being the impressive and frightening Blackcoat's Daughter, which wasn't really for me), and I'd say he does a pretty great job at both. It's not really frightening, but it does succeed at putting you on edge and getting you creeped out throughout.

Pretty Thing is well-acted by it's main lead, Ruth Wilson. She manages to make her Lily a likable, attractive character (and yes, she is mighty pretty too). Paula Prentis and Lucy Boynton aren't given much to do. Prentis gets a great, creepy monologue and Lucy Boynton is relegated to wandering around and is turned into the film's weakest effect. Luckily, the atmosphere is pretty strong and the film itself is superbly written. Pretty Thing is a film that focuses a good deal on novels and books, so it's only appropriate that it is written like a novel itself. Expect long, sprawling, detail-filled bits of narration. I suppose some may find this annoying, I absolutely loved it.

As I said before, Pretty Thing isn't really all that scary of a film. The ending is also not the strongest, though it fits for what the film is going for. Luckily it makes up for its few flaws with a rich atmosphere, a strong script, a great leading lady. All things considered, Pretty Thing is a fairly effective film. If you love spooky, slow ghost stories then I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House is a new one that is sure to satisfy around the haunting season.

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: IT COMES AT NIGHT

In It Comes At Night, we follow Paul (Joel Edgerton), Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), and their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). They live in a pretty nice house/cabin in the woods in a post-apocalyptic world. A deadly contagion has been spreading, and Paul has come up with several safeguards to keep his family safe from outside threats and infection. When a stranger (Will, played by Christopher Abbot), breaks into their house looking for food and water, Paul and his family decide to help Will and his (consisting of Kim played by Riley Keough and son Andrew played by Griffin Robert Faulkner). Now, holed up in the same cabin/house, a shaky trust/friendship is established between the two families which is about to be tested by an unlocked door at night. In the end, fear makes monsters of us all.

Paul ( is the patriarch of the main family in the film. His safeguards include keeping the two doors that lead to the outside locked at night, staying inside at night, if traveling outside doing so in groups of two, only trusting family, etc. He is a gruff but good man who (as stated above) has some issues with trust, and only cares about doing whatever he can to keep his family protected. Will is the patriarch of the second family, and he is a good deal more trusting and open than Paul. Like Paul, his main goal is keeping his family safe. Travis is the seventeen year old son of Paul and Sarah. He is one of the more rationale and clear-headed ones in the film, as he does feel fear throughout but doesn't necessarily let it affect his judgement. Riley Keough as Kim wasn't given much to do, but she sure was likable and pretty. Carmen Ejogo's Sarah ends up short-shifted as well.  I found I really liked all the characters in the film, and I was dreading how it all would end for them.

It Comes At Night was marketed as a horror film. SPOILERS It's not, though there are some horror aspects to it (Mostly via some intense nightmares had by Travis). If anything, it's more of a mix of mystery/suspense/drama. It's never scary. Whatever the 'It' of the title is is also never specified. The film has a pretty top notch cast, and everyone does a great job acting-wise (with Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbot, and Kelvin Harris Jr. getting the most meat to chew on with their roles). The first hour of the film is just getting to know our main characters and their respective families, and watching as that shaky bond between the two form. The final thirty minutes consists of building suspense, tension and fear until the explosive and shocking climax.

I really liked how the audience is only given tiny bits of information about the surrounding circumstances of the apocalypse. We don't know what the contagion is, what it's effects are, or how it's spread. There are many vaugeries in It Comes At Night, and the film leaves to us to fill in the blanks on our own. It's always nice to see a film that trusts it's audience.

It Comes At Night was directed by Trey Edward Shults (who also wrote the screenplay and co-edited the film. I'll say the screenplay doesn't really stand out.), and the film acts as a nice calling card for the director. The cinematography (by Drew Daniels) is beautiful and the score (by Brian McOmber) is effective. Shults has a definite grasp on what he wants to achieve and convey in his film, and I'd say he does a pretty good job. Count me interested in whatever he chooses to do next.

It Comes At Night is ultimately a tale about family, trust, and the destructive power of fear.  The first hour is admittedly pretty slow, but I was completely riveted during the final thirty minutes. It definitely has a horrific payoff, so you won't be wasting your time giving it a view. I found it to be an interesting, effective, well-made and surprisingly memorable film.

4 STARS

SMALLS FRIGHT FEST FLOATS WITH PENNYWISE: IT REVIEWED

It's not October yet, but sometimes the darkness frees itself early. That's right kiddies, it's that time of year again! Grow out your cobwebs, dig up a freshly buried corpse, terrorize y'alls neighborhoods, It's time for Fright Fest!

I figured there is no better way to start my Fright Fest this year than with a brand spankin' new Stephen King film, based upon one of his most beloved novels (That also just happens to be one of his best novels, and one of his thickest too at over 1,000 pages). That's right, Fright Fest commences with a visit from 'It'.  I have been looking forward to this film for quite some time, I even read the source material and watched the tv mini-series from the 90's to prepare (Some may see this newest iteration of the story as a re-make, but the fact remains that this is the very first time the 'It' story has been made for the big screen). Could 'It' hold up to or surpass my expectations?

In 'It', an ancient evil that prefers to take the form of a clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) is killing children in Derry, Maine. When Bill Denbrough (Jaeden Lieberher) loses his younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) to Pennywise, he gathers his group of friends together to hunt down and put an end to Pennywise's terror once and for all.

The group of friends in 'It' collectively refer to themselves as The Losers Club. The members are Bill Denbrough, Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis), Richie Tozier (Finn Wolfhard), Ben Hanscom (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Eddie Kaspbrak (Jack Dylan Grazer), Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs), and Stanley Uris (Wyatt Oleff). The young actors chosen for the leads are all great (With the standouts being Sophia Lillis, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn Wolfhard, and Jaeden Lieberher). These are a group of kids that have met when each is just starting to go thru puberty (a big theme of the novel is the transition from child to adult, this is focused on a small bit here), and they find the strength they need in each other and eventually, themselves. They share a great deal of chemistry and work very well together. There are some moments of "child" acting, but each actor performs their roles pretty perfectly for the most part (Each of their characters and the way the actors perform them are very similar to the way their characters are in the novel). I was also relieved to see that Bill still had his stutter. It wasn't present in any of the ads, but it's an important part of Bill's character (to the point where one of his nicknames is Stuttering Bill). 'It' is most definitely a horror film, but it also has a coming-of-age tale woven into it's fabric.

Another character worth mention in 'It' is Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), the bully who consistently taunts and threatens The Losers Club. Nicholas Hamilton nails his role pretty well, but we don't spend a lot of time with Bowers and his big finale is disappointing (Though somewhat accurate to the novel). Many have seen and fallen in love with the 3 hour tv miniseries version of 'It'. Unfortunately, while Tim Curry is endlessly delightful as Pennywise, the miniseries wasn't very faithful to its source material (For one, Richie isn't a coward in the novel). It got the bare-bones right, but not much else. Tim Curry's performance as Pennywise is definitely iconic....but I'd argue that Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise is much closer to the Pennywise found in the novel. There are still fun moments involving Pennywise here, but he is more feral, animalistic, and beastly than anything else. 'It' perfectly captures the powers and personality of Pennywise. Skarsgard is clearly relishing his role and manages to be very entertaining but still terrifying, freaky and creepy. I'd easily place his performance right next to Curry's.

 I also have to commend the film for is it's set design, specifically that of the sewers and the house on Neibolt Street. The sewers are a dark, creepy place that twists and turns (and it's where our grand finale takes place). The House on Neibolt Street is old, decrepit, dark, creepy and has a serious haunted mansion type vibe. The house on Neibolt didn't have much of a presence in the miniseries, but luckily 'It" rights this wrong (as it does many others) and Neibolt is featured prominently in the film. The cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung is superb as well.

I've seen many Stephen King films, and not all of them stuck particularly close to his novels. I was relieved to find how close 'It' stuck to the source material. I'd say 'It' is about 80% - 90% faithful to the source material, and is definitely one of the closest I've seen a film come to staying true to King's novels (There are moments where it felt like I was reading the book again). Some things are changed (Some are changed to be more generic or conventional. There were a few changes I found to be genuinely frustrating.) and others are left out, but it's never anything big or drastic. Some of the Pennywise scenes have been altered or changed from the novel (I'd say his scenes always wind up being effective, though), some iconic scenes from the novel are intensified, there are many references to things that are in the novel but don't really appear here, etc. I'd say that, besides 'Maximum Overdrive' (which Stephen King directed), 'It' may be the closest a theatrical film has gotten to being a true Stephen King movie.

'It' is by no means a perfect film. I loved the hell out of 'It', but 'It' does slip up in a few places. 'It' can be a bit generic or conventional at times, some parts feel a bit rushed or condensed, and some of the scares can border on being silly. That said, Andres Muschietti (director), Gary Dauberman (co-scriptwriter), Cary Fukunaga (co-scriptwriter) and Chase Palmer (co-scriptwriter) are clearly crazy about Stephen King and worked their butts off to ensure 'It' would do his horror epic justice. 'It' is scary, 'It' is creepy, 'It' is mad entertaining, 'I't will stay with you, and if you are at all a fan of horror or Stephen King, then 'It' is a must-see. I foresee 'It' becoming very well regarded and beloved. This could be one we end up talking about for years to come, in other words: A modern horror classic. BRING ON CHAPTER 2!

4.5 STARS

IN MEMORIUM- THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE

It is no secret that I have been an unashamed lover of film since I was just a kid. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that The Great Movie Ride has always been one of my favorite attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In the ride, you get to take a magical journey INTO some of the greatest films in history. The facade was the historic Mann's Chinese Theater, which you got to walk into and briefly explore the lobby before boarding a tram (complete with your own guide) to travel INTO the movies. My favorite scenes were the loading scene (complete with recorded cries of "Places everybody, this is a take! Quiet on the set! Lights! Camera! Aaaandd...Action!" followed by a memorable version of 'Horray For Hollywood'), Mary Poppins, Gangster Alley, and Alien. Today (Aug. 13, 2017) is the final day of operation for the classic attraction, and I sincerely regret not getting a chance to say a final farewell. It is set to be replaced by a hi-tech new Mickey Mouse ride (the first ride to ever be based off Mickey and crew at any of the Disney Parks). While it does feel right to finally get a ride centered around the mouse that started it all, it still hurts a ton to be losing such an unforgettable (if not dated) attraction. Like Universal Studios Orlando's Jaws before it, this will leave an ache that will fade, but never quite go away. R.I.P Great Movie Ride, and thanks for the edu-tainment, thrills, and fun. You really were a great ride ( and so much more).

JUNE FORAY IS DEAD AT 99

Today is a sad day for fans of animation and talented voice actors: The prolific, legendary and iconic June Foray has passed away at the respectable, impressive age of 99. She was just weeks away from the big 100. You may not know her name, but I guarantee you're familiar with her voice. She gave life to the characters of Rocket J. Squirrel (from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show), Nell Fenwick (from the Dudley Do-Right cartoons), Granny (From Sylvester and Tweety/Looney Tunes), Lena Hyena (The crazed toon that chases Eddie Valient through Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Witch Hazel (from Looney Tunes), Cindy Lou Who (from the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas cartoon), Lucifer (the cat from Cinderella), Natasha Fatale (from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show),  Talky Tina (from The Twilight Zone), Wheezy (The main weasel in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), and many more. When I heard the news, I felt like a part of my heart had died.

I remember when I was a kid, I often found myself up in the early morning hours for whatever odd reason. During these times, I would turn on Cartoon Network and idly watch re-runs of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show to pass the time and keep myself occupied. Thus, in a weird way, I kind of grew up with that show (Naturally I also watched Looney Tunes quite a bit when I was younger as well). It's interesting that she voiced so many memorable, beloved characters but it's Rocket J. Squirrel that she is most fondly remembered for (Speaks volumes about the Rocky character and his wide-ranging, age-less appeal). June left a mark on the young and young-at heart, and was a huge part of many people's childhoods. I know I'll certainly miss her, as will millions the world over. RIP June, you brought joy and happiness to the world.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING IS A RETURN TO FORM FOR THE WEB-HEAD

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, after the events of Civil War Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) idly passes his time in Queens thwarting robberies and various small time crimes as he waits for Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to give him a call welcoming him into the Avengers. While the call takes longer than Peter would like, he finds a new opportunity to prove himself when Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) turns to crime with the assistance of a cool flying vulture suit.

Tom Holland perfectly nails his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. He plays Peter as an insecure, friendly, nerdy, sarcastic (at times) high schooler who is still learning about his powers and himself. This film is classic high school Spidey all the way (my favorite version). He is often caught making it up as he goes along, he makes mistakes, and it feels good to see a hero who will stop fighting a villain to protect or save civilians. A good deal of the film is just Spidey on normal, slow days when he deals with smaller crimes (His time in high school is really the focus here, and his school feels real and lived in, and is populated by a beautifully diverse cast). This was refreshing, different and felt new. Holland is super charismatic, and he easily makes for the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man we're likely to get on the big screen.

Robert Downey Jr. continues to be an icon as Tony Stark, who gifts Peter with a brand new Stark tech suit and acts as a mentor to him for the few scenes he appears in (I counted 4). RDJ continues to be one fine actor, and he makes every one of his scenes count. Jon Favreau returns as Happy Hogan, who is tasked with being Peter's contact. Favreau is a lot of fun here, as Happy isn't all that pleased with his new role. Jennifer Connelly also appears as the voice in Spidey's suit for a few scenes, named Karen. She is very funny, cool, has a cute personality and shares good chemistry with Holland.

Jacob Batalon is great as Ned Leeds, Peter's best friend. He is very likable, and even gets a cool cheer-worthy moment. It's definitely believable that these two have known each other for a while and are best buds. Tony Revolori is actually perfect as Flash Thompson, school bully and all around jerk. In Homecoming, Flash still retains some of his trademark jock attributes (He's shown to be good at gym, and he drives an expensive car) but is also a member of the Decathlon team. Revolori pulls off the whole punchable face thing surprisingly well  Zendaya is entertaining, cute and very funny as Michelle, one of Peter's reluctant buddies (She's more o the sides, but is still quite memorable. She is quietly observant of the goings-ons around her, and is whip-smart and always handy with a quick comeback or funny remark. Laura Harrier is very pretty and cute as Liz Allen, whom Peter crushes on from afar (Peter's pining for her is not as large a part of the film as you think it would be). Marisa Tomei is also perfect as Aunt May, she seems to understand Peter and is great pals with him (Their relationship is almost more like a friendship).

Michael Keaton turns on the slime and the scares as Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture. He is very intense and threatening, but has an empathetic backstory and motivation. He also looks very cool whenever he is in his Vulture get-up (even when it's just that cool jacket sans the flying contraption). Bokeem Woodbine and Michael Chernus are great as well as Herman Schultz aka The Shocker and Phineas Mason aka The Tinkerer respectively, goons who work for Toomes. Schultz acts as some muscle as he has a nice gadget that deals a heavy blow and Mason creates the nifty gadgets for Toomes. Donald Glover only has two scenes as Aaron Davis, a well-meaning small time criminal. He has limited screen time but is easily memorable, here's hoping that maybe he gets to return in the next film.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first Spider-Man film to be made with the assistance of Marvel, and boy does it show. This is a high quality movie, and it's clear everyone involved worked their butts off to ensure they got it right this time. The usual Marvel logo is underscored by a beautiful new take on the classic Spider-Man theme (by Michael Giacchino, who also did the score for the film). Appropriate, seeing as Homecoming is itself a modern update that takes the material back to its classic roots. Jon Watts directs, and the film feels almost like a John Hughes version of a super-hero movie. It's all very small scale, and the stakes are personal. It's nice to see a super-hero film where the fate of the world or universe isn't held in the balance. The film itself has some great, memorable scenes including one of the most definitive Spidey moments in any of the Spidey flicks (It gave me serious chills and had me tearing up). The only real negative is that Homecoming does mess with/change some pieces of Spidey lore in a way that may confuse or bother some fans.

The Spider-Man Homecoming 3D experience isn't all that satisfying. There are some shots and scenes that look good in 3D, but not all that much jumps out of the screen, and the added depth is decent at best. In 3D, the film can be murky, dark, and some of the action can be hard to make out. Spider-Man: Homecoming is definitely worth your time and money, but to maximize your experience I'd recommend seeing it in 2D instead.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a big-budget superhero movie that feels like a heartfelt independent feature. It's a lot of fun and very funny. Perhaps most impressive is that it stays true to the character of Spider-Man, and gives us the best and most faithful iteration of that character yet (a lot of classic Spidey moments can be found here, including that definitive moment I mentioned above). Spider-Man: Homecoming is Marvel's welcome home celebration for Spider-Man. It's easily the best Spider-Man film we've gotten thus far. Spider-Man fans rejoice!

5 STARS

BABY DRIVER IS MY JAM

Baby Driver follows "Baby" (Ansel Elgort), a kid in his 20s who plays getaway driver for local criminal "Doc" (Kevin Spacey). "Baby" is Mozart behind the wheel, and the secret behind his success are his non-stop iPod songs, which he curates for the different situations he finds himself in. When "Baby" fall for waitress Deborah (Lily James), everything changes. As his jobs get more and more dangerous, "Baby" decides it's time for him to leave the game. Naturally, "Doc" and the crew ( "Bats" played by Jamie Foxx, "Buddy" played by Jon Hamm, and "Darling" played by Eiza Gonzalez) of what was supposed to be "Baby's" last job aren't pleased.

Edgar Wright has been the master behind some beloved films of the modern day: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (I wasn't a huge fan of At World's End, but I will definitely say it wasn't weak). Now, we can add Baby Driver to that list. Baby Driver is a joyous ode to music and car chases that Wright first dreamt up twenty-two years ago. It was his being fired off Marvel's Ant-Man that inspired him to finally make the film. I'd say we're better off for it.

Wright crafts a new cinematic icon in Ansel Elgort's "Baby". As a kid, "Baby" was left with Tinnitus after a car crash that killed his parents. With a constant ringing in his ears, "Baby" turns to music to help him cope and soon it's fueling, moving and inspiring him. He has a clear love for music, as does the film itself (music plays a key role in the film). Elgort has had starring roles before (in Carrie and The Fault In Our Stars), but for my money I'd say this is the best he has ever been. He manages to convey a vulnerability, an earnestness and sincerity, and an irresistible youthful charm. Armed with his shades and trusty iPod, he just seems so darned cool. I'd like to think we can all relate to "Baby". Who hasn't jammed out to music while walking or driving (or wearing shades), and who hasn't felt "cool" while doing so?

The film is peppered with fantastic supporting performances. Jamie Foxx is delightfully insane as the unpredictable psycho "Bats". He acts as our antagonist for most of the film. Jon Hamm is very likable as the nice guy of the group, "Buddy". He has a fantastic arc that sees Hamm get to really show off his acting chops.  Eiza Gonzalez (from the From Dusk Till Dawn tv series) is drop dead sexy as his sweet girlfriend, "Darling". Flea is memorable as Eddie No-No's, a wacky member of an earlier job. Kevin Spacey is great as "Doc", the Fagin to Elgort's Oliver. Lily James is very pretty and cute as "Baby's" main squeeze, Deborah. I did like their romance, but I didn't feel fully invested in their whole running away together idea. CJ Jones makes a good impression as "Baby's" deaf adoptive guardian, who is worried about the criminal underworld "Baby" has gotten involved in. Everyone here is just about perfectly cast, and they all seem to be enjoying the hell out of their roles.

Baby Driver acts as a semi-musical. Just as music moves "Baby", so does music fuel the film. A good deal of the scenes in the film are semi-choreographed to songs, whether they be a car chase, "Doc" spelling out a plan for a heist, or "Baby" going to pick up coffee for the crew.  These scenes almost resemble musical numbers in a way. The songs chosen are pretty great as well, and a soundtrack buy is an obvious recommendation. It's also worth noting that Wright has reported that the whole film was done practically, and there wasn't a single CG shot in the film. What a breath of fresh air!

The only negatives I could say about Baby Driver is that the plot is cliche'd and trope-y (but this seems to be done in an homage to classic old-fashioned Hollywood), and "Baby" eventually does something that had me somewhat re-think my opinion of him. Baby Driver is Edgar Wright having fun and enjoying himself, while still throwing himself into his work. Just as in Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz, his love for whatever he's paying homage to (in this case, music and car chases) shines through and feels genuinely sincere. When Edgar Wright has fun, it's hard not to have fun with him. Indeed, this film is a genuine blast from beginning to end. Baby Driver is a joyous ode to music, car chases, and old-school Hollywood. It's guaranteed to make you boogie in your seat.

5 STARS

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT IS DEFINITELY A TRANSFORMERS FILM

After the events of Transformers: Age of Extinction, Optimus Prime has left Earth to confront his makers. In the far reaches of space, he finds Quintessa, a god-like being who claims to be his sole creator. She convinces Optimus that if they are to save Cybertron (his home planet, now in ruins) he must help her destroy Earth. Back on Earth, Humanity is still at war with Transformers. The TRF (Transformers Reaction Force) has been formed to hunt and destroy all Transformers. What's worse, Autobots have been falling from the sky like crazy, which humanity has come to see as an invasion of sorts. Amid all this, a mysterious new character named Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins) whisks Cade Yaeger (Mark Whalberg) away from his life of protecting Autobots from the TRF. Burton claims that Humanity and Earth's salvation lie in our past, and an ancient secret involving a powerful Arthurian artifact.

Transformers: The Last Knight is the fifth (and hopefully last, though I doubt it) installment in The Transformers franchise. I started out as a big fan of this property, but ten years later even I have to admit this whole this is getting tiring. How many times can one review a Transformers film before you run out of things to say? After all, these films are all so similar to each other and each offer nothing of real value except spectacle. That said, despite all my whining I must admit I did enjoy my time with this latest run in the series.

Mark Whalberg is back as Cade Yaeger and doing his Mark Whalberg thing. He has sent his daughter Tessa away to college while he lies low from the government with his Autobot buddies. I like that, while Tessa doesn't appear in this one, The Last Knight still makes Cade's relationship with his daughter one of the key parts of the film. Anthony Hopkins seems to enjoy getting to play a cranky, foul-mouthed old man and I got some entertainment out of his performance. Laura Haddock is fine as Vivian Wembley, Yaeger's love interest who has ties to the past.

Josh Duhamel, Glenn Morshower and John Tuturro reprise their roles of William Lennox (Who now reluctantly heads the TRF along with Santiago Cabrera as Santos), General Morshower (Lennox's superior), and Seymour Simmons (Who has been hiding out in Cuba and assisting Sir Edmund Burton). It was cool to get to see Josh Duhamel go from playing a hero in the first film, to what is essentially our main human antagonist in this one. I also really enjoyed when Lennox and Morshower got to share a few scenes. Unfortunately, John Tuturro doesn't have much of a role to play and could have easily been excised without losing anything.

Peter Cullen is back again as Optimus Prime, and does his usual bang-up job (He is only in around 2 scenes in the first 2 acts and doesn't really appear until right before the climax). There is a reason his Optimus Prime has become an icon. Frank Welker FINALLY gets to voice Megatron (Here he makes a deal with TRF where he and his crew will help them track down Cade and crew). His first scene gave me chills. He is easily the best, definitive Megatron we've gotten on the big screen (Obviously, since he is the original voice of Megatron in the 80's animated series).

To this film's credit, The Last Knight does try to give us some new things while hearkening back to the legacy and tone of the first three films. I found it's take on Arthurian legend silly but interesting (definitely more interesting than anything the previous three sequels gave us), that said this aspect doesn't rear it's head until the 2nd act or so. Most of The Last Knight is Cade and crew being chased by the TRF. The Last Knight definitely has more good moments than the other sequels did. I found the opening action sequence, the fight between Bumblebee and Optimus, and the big climax to be the most impressive action scenes in the film.

Unfortunately, The Last Knight is still not a great film. At two hours and twenty-nine minutes, it's the shortest of the sequels (Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen ran at two hours and thirty minutes) but is still too long and feels overstuffed. There is too much going on, too many characters (Isabella Moner and Jerrod Carmichael could have been cut completely as they don't add much to the film) , too many plots and sub-plots. There is also a Transformer named Cogman (voiced by Jim Carter), who is an unhinged, sociopathic butler to Sir Edmund Burton. Cogman is just annoying, and is in the film too much (he winds up being one of the main Transformers). They also mess with the lore in a weird way. That said, this is basically what the fourth film should have been (and I LIKED the fourth film!).

Michael Bay shot 98% of The Last Knight on IMAX 3D cameras? Does it show? How does that affect the viewing experience? It feels like Bay shot every thing to fully engulf the audience. Lots and lots of stuff come flying into the theater (debris, swords, guns, fire, etc), and most of the shots of action are close-up, so the effect is that you are right in front of it. For most of the film, it felt like you were in the movie. It definitely showed that he filmed primarily with IMAX 3D cameras, and I'd say IMAX is the best way to see this film (It's what Bay clearly intended).

Transformers: The Last Knight does get a few extra points for trying to do something a little different, but overall it's still another Transformers movie. It's big, loud, dumb, action-filled, hollow, mind-numbing, and entertaining (exactly like every other one). There are definitely more good parts here than in the other sequels, but the bad parts are still pretty bad. I guess you could say I liked it (It's definitely the best of the sequels). That said, the only reason to see this one would be for the spectacle (or if you are a fan) or to sample some top notch, impressive visual effects. I'd say unless you are seeing it in IMAX 3D, wait for it on blu-ray.

3 STARS

I'm  expecting there to be more Transformers films based on the way this one ends, hopefully Michael Bay will actually stick to his word for once and let some new blood have a go at this franchise.

Alien: Covenant

Alien Covenant is the sequel to Prometheus and another one of the (soon to be many) Alien prequels. In Covenant, we follow the crew of The Covenant, a Weyland-Yutani vessel who's mission is to colonize a distant planet. The crew consists of various couples, who's jobs are to assist with the mission. On the way to the planet, The Covenant pick up a distress signal that seems to be human in nature. The signal hails from a nearby planet that appears to be not much different from Earth. The Covenant crew land to seek out the source of the signal and explore the planet to deem if it is a good fit for colonization. It isn't long before hell opens up and a whole slew of Neomorphs and Xenomorphs attack.

Alien: Covenant is a somewhat successful merge of Prometheus, Alien and Aliens. The focus here is clearly on action/horror (and the action/horror scenes work pretty well, although the film does seem to disregard some of the Alien lore), but there is still a good deal of meandering about and doing nothing (mainly in the first act). There are many people on board the Covenant, and while each is given some character we never spend enough time with any one of them to really feel like we know them. To the cast's credit, I did buy them as a team and everyone worked well off of each other. The main players include Billy Crudup as Oram, the new captain of the Covenant who has some strong religious leanings and has some hang-ups about the rest of the crew. Katherine Waterston plays Daniels, a Ripley-esque character who I quickly grew to like. Danny McBride plays Tennessee, the pilot with an attitude. Michael Fassbender does double duty as Walter, a more advanced android who's job is to assist and protect the crew of the Covenant, and David, back again with some secrets up his sleeve. Waterston, Fassbender and McBride impressed the most.

The design of the planet, the Neomorphs, and the classic Xenomorph are all pretty great. I wasn't crazy about how all of the sfx seemed to be done using CGI, but at least everything looked good. Unlike Prometheus, Covenant is one made purely for Alien fans. There are many references to Alien (from MU-TH-ER, to musical stings lifted directly from Alien, to fragments of lines, etc.), and I enjoyed getting to uncover these not-so-hidden easter eggs.

The plot here is fairly simple (follow the crew of the Covenant on an exploratory mission gone wrong), the film is predictable at points, and I liked that we actually get answers here (something Prometheus was sorely lacking). It honestly feels like there was supposed to be another film or two before we got to this point, but because everyone hated Prometheus Scott rushed the timeline and dumbed things down.  Alien: Covenant is a big budget action/horror/sci-fi blockbuster (which has very little sci-fi and world building). In the end, I'd say it's more of a mixed bag. There is plenty that is great, but also a good deal that tastes a little funny. I do have some problems with the film (Wasn't a great, epic film. Wanted more blood, more horror, more practical effects. Wanted to be invested in our leads more. Ending was a little disappointing. Honestly, part of me wants to say I liked Prometheus more.) but despite this, Alien: Covenant is still a decent Alien film.

3 STARS

THE BELKO EXPERIMENT PASSES THE TEST

Belko Industries is a company based in Bogota, Colombia that specializes in hiring Americans to work in foreign areas/companies. On what appears to be a normal day, the employees arrive to work at Belko only to notice significantly upped security measures, and all the local Colombian workers being sent home. Once inside the building, things resume as they usually would until a booming voice comes on over the intercom, instructing the workers to kill any two of their co-workers. It's all treated as a mean-spirited prank until the building goes on lockdown, impenetrable shutters slide over all the windows and doors, and people's heads start exploding. As the voice continues to deliver deadly instructions, it quickly becomes kill-or-be-killed as a battle for survival ensues.

Belko has a fantastic cast. Although the characters aren't completely fleshed out, I still found them believable and was surprised that some of the deaths really hurt. The best characters/actors were John C. Mcginley as Wendell Dukes (a creepy office flirt turned psycho), Michael Rooker as Bud (a kind, calm and intelligent maintenance man ), Tony Goldwyn as COO Barry Norris (He starts out as a nice guy but essentially turns into Carl from Ghost), John Gallagher Jr. as Michael Milch (The "Good Guy" who insists that the circumstances do not alter what is right and what is wrong), James Earl as Evan (a kind security guard), and Adria Arjona as Leandra (A kind-hearted but rational romantic interest who is involved in a frowned upon relationship with  Mike).

The Belko Experiment is penned by James Gunn, and some of his sensibilities shine through though I'll say in general this isn't all that strong of a script. It's directed by Greg McLean, who also directed Wolf Creek, and his tendency towards a dark tone is evident. The film is pretty fun, but also super-dark, very tense, darkly comic at times, brutal, gory and downright cynical. You may find yourself grasping the arms of your seat throughout as you can never fully tell exactly when the next person is going to bite the bullet (or axe, or tape-dispenser, etc). The message is ever present, though it is somewhat small and the big picture/point of the whole experiment is never really revealed.

The real draw of The Belko Experiment is the chaos, violence, and getting to watch how individuals or groups of people can react differently to the same tense situation. It's like a midnight movie that wants to have a message, but flounders when it comes to the particulars. You'll find yourself cheering at times, but feel bad for doing so because of the realization that you may be just as bad as some of the people on screen.  Graded like a test, I would give Belko a C+.

3.5 STARS

SMALLS TAKES THE CURE AND FINDS THAT IT IS WONDERFUL HERE

A Cure for Wellness stars Dane DeHaan as Lockhart; a young, ambitious executive for an investment firm. When the CEO of the corporation fails to return from the Swiss "wellness spa" he has been staying at, Lockhart is sent to bring him back. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Lockhart himself is involuntarily checked into the spa, where he begins to undergo "treatment". It isn't long before he realizes all is not right, and begins his own investigation into the spa's past, and into what exactly the "cure" is.

DeHaan has finally found another vehicle to show off his superb acting talents. His Lockhart is essentially a yuppie type, somewhat similar to that of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho minus the mental illness. He starts out as an unlikable guy who is ruthless, unfeeling, and motivated by upward mobility. What he experiences throughout the film slowly begins to change his character, and softens him a bit. DeHaan sells his role as an unconventional and almost ineffectual hero just about perfectly. This is easily the best role he has had to date (Yes, even better than his character in Chronicle).

Mia Goth is eerily beautiful as Hanna, a young patient whom Lockhart befriends and may hold the key to everything. She appears sporadically throughout the film until her role is beefed up near the end. DeHaan and Goth play off of each other pretty well, and they share some nice chemistry. Jason Isaacs is very creepy and unsettling as the head of the spa, Dr. Volmer. His wellness spa seems to be focused on using water as a way to help cure what ails people. His intentions are always shady, and he has a definite sinister edge. Celia Imrie is memorable as one of the patients at the spa who has a penchant for crossword puzzles and is interested in the hidden history of the center as well. Lockhart and her form a small friendship throughout the course of the film. Ivo Nandi is also memorable as Enrico, the friendly driver who shows up at odd intervals to assist Lockhart.

For the first third of the film, A Cure for Wellness seems to be a tirade against Capitalism until it slowly morphs into something else completely. It's fun to follow Lockhart as he attempts to solve the mysteries that lie at the core of the wellness spa (in this respect, the film almost feels similar to Shutter Island). A Cure for Wellness could be classified as part noir, part thriller and part horror film (art house horror to be exact). A lot of disturbing things go down in the film, and it can get surprisingly brutal at times. Lockhart is really put through the wringer in increasingly nasty ways.

Directed by Gore Verbinski and shot by Bojan Bazelli (both of whom brought us The Ring), it should come as no surprise that A Cure for Wellness feels like The Ring in many different ways. It's an eerie, unsettling and thoroughly creepy flick. The atmosphere is rich and seeping with tension and the cinematography is consistently haunting and gorgeous. Just about every frame is a work of art. The story and the twisting path it takes us on is very satisfying as well.

I will admit that this film is fairly lengthy. A Cure For Wellness runs at two hours and thirty minutes. It's a slow, thoughtful film. This never bothered me as I enjoyed getting lost in the gorgeous, intricate world built here. That said, I can easily see how some may deem the film just too darn long. It is definitely very ambitious and self-indulgent, but the third act does provide a satisfying (and bonkers) pay off. An accurate one word summary of the film would be "Grand".

A Cure for Wellness is a different kind of horror film. It's drenched in atmosphere, filled with a thick tension, and manages to be surprisingly brutal and disturbing at times. It is undoubtedly one of the more bizarre, disturbing, ambitious, ballsy, unique and beautifully realized studio horror films to come out in the modern day (The fact that a film like this can still be made in the studio system today almost gives one hope). It's certainly not made for mass audiences, but I think it will find it's crowd given time. A Cure For Wellness is a memorable film that will haunt your thoughts long after the end credits have rolled.

5 STARS